Southeast Asia is one of the most green part of the world. Jungles and Rainforest are common in these parts of the world.
Giyu is not that of a fan of the damp weather. He shares the sentiment with Inosuke since carrying the gear and extra weight of weapons will become a burden in a here.
"Captain, are we there yet?" Hashibira Inosuke asked from the rear.
"This is the fifth time that I say no." Giyu scorned from the front "If that question leaves your mouth a sixth time, my boot will end up your ass."
"Yes, sir."
"I share his thoughts. We have been walking for a long time and according to the information, we must be close." Nezuko seconded.
The Demon Slayer Unit traversed through the jungle with high awareness and steady pace. Every second counts.
They have received orders: Search and rescue. A mission involving VIPs from Japan, however it may be plausible that the USA government has interest in them. If it wasn't like that then they wouldn't be here.
"Why are we even here?" Zenitsu asked.
"These are our orders." Giyu replied "We don't ask questions."
That's the way they have been trained, don't ask, just execute.
They walked for another half hour before reaching their destination. In thr middle of the jungle you can hide anything. Drug cartels are the best example, deep inside the South American jungles you can find a variety of laboratories. Cocaine mostly.
In this part of the world, the story is no different. The only thing that changes is the product, instead of selling drugs, they sell people. A nasty business but the cash is always good.
To be part of this you will need a place to keep the kidnapped people until their ransom is payed, then they will be transported to a dock and sell as a slave. Double money. Easy, right?
And their it was. A facility of ten wooden shacks covered with palms instead of a ceiling. There were guard on small towers and walls surrounding it.
"Well, that's our five stars hotel." Sabito joked while looking through his spotter scope "Do you happen to have a platinum card? I don't think they will let us stroll through."
"I do have one." Inosuke made the gesture to search on his pockets and took out a grenade "This is the super premium card."
"We won't breach like that." Giyu scorned as he scouted the area "I'm sorry to say this, but we are not going to help everyone. We are here to rescue two specific targets."
"What?" Tanjiro stepped forward "But all the other people..."
"Orders are Orders." Giyu bleated as he faced his comrades "We will rescue them and then leave. I will divide us in two cells. Tanjiro, Nezuko, Muichiro and Zenitsu will be one. The rest stay with me."
"Captain I think we should help the others too and..." Tanjiro tried to convince him.
"I will have it in top of mind, Tanjiro." The water pillar faced him with a glare "Now. Move."
When they separated, Sabito approached his friend.
"Giyu, you didn't have to say it like that." He scolded.
"He will get over it."
Sabito sometimes wondered why was he promoted to captain.
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When the rain began to fall, they made their move. Hidden by the veil of water and the cries of the skies. Their footsteps were muffled and not even their voice could be heard. The drizzle made a perfect situation for them to rush in.
Tomioka and his team ran until reaching one of the sides of the camp. Even such a rustic facility like this one has to have walls to prevent anyone from coming out or coming in.
Yet, there is always a way to get in.
They found a rusty wall on the back with a hole on it. Enough for them to crawl inside.
"We are going in. Tanjiro are you in position?"
"Yes, Captain. We see you." The redhead answered through the comms.
"Keep an eye on hostiles, take them out if necessary."
"Yes, sir."
Muddy and with awareness atop, the four men sneaked inside the facility. Even if they are outside, there are no guards around, they knew that the shack at the center is the one they use as their barracks —or at least they associated with something similar—. The other nine around are the places where the kidnapped people.
"Sabito will take Genya and search on the other shacks." Giyu explained "Hashibira with me."
After they got separated, Giyu and Inosuke made their way to the first shack. The door isn't really that much, barred with a metal rod to prevent the people from the inside to attempt an escape.
As they opened the first door, the putrid air hit their faces. If you just toss twenty or more people into a smal shed with precarious conditions, neglecting basic hygiene, then don't expect a nice welcome.
"Kocho-san? Are you here?" Giyu spoke in Japanese, since they are natives "Is Kocho-san here?"
No response came. Only the sight of trembling captives, they could not understand that two men just broke in to rescue someone. Only fear of their captive days remained.
"Let's go to the next one."
They went on until their third try bear fruits.
"Kocho-san?"
Giyu's voice reached an injured man. What used to be a five thousand dollars suit was reduced to muddy silk and tattered rags. He has been beaten badly and his face was full of injuries and cuts. It was a miracle that he could lift his hand for the recuers to spot him.
"We will take you out of here and bring you back home." Giyu explained "Can you walk?"
He already knew the answer, but he needed to confirm it.
"Captain, we have troubles, there is one hostile approaching to the sheds."
"Fuck." He heard the footsteps splashing from outside.
The man was blaberring slurs as he spotted the open door, he knew that his comrades sometimes unlock the shacks to have a way with the women captives. It was so easy to do whatever they want when you have power.
Though all actions have consequences and your sins will be punished in this life or the other.
As he entered the shack a hand came from the gloom and dragged him to the corner, covering his mouth and with a swift and smooth move his throat was sliced with a knife.
The struggle finished after some minutes, no matter how many times they take a life, it will never become part of them. They will remember the face of those who have been killed by their hands for the rest of their lives.
"Damn." Inosuke cursed as he released the lifeless body.
"Good work." Giyu encouraged, not even him liked the idea of acting as a reaper "Let's go, we have the VIP."
As both of them prepared Mr. Kocho to be carried by Hashibira, the other two spoke through the comms.
"Sabito, we have Mr. Kocho, how is search going?"
"We have Ms. Kocho, Captain but..."
As the words reached him, the raven haired man could only contain his curses from blurting out. The situation was not in their favor at all. Now they have to go to the extraction point.
"Tanjiro, take down the tower guards."
"On it."
A silent kill. They didn't even catch a glimpse of what took their souls. Only a fraction of second was needed for two bullets to take out the guards.
"Beautiful." Giyu praised as he triple checked that Mr. Kocho has been secured to Inosuke's back "Cover our escape, if someone come close to us, take him down."
"Roger."
They retraced their steps, back to where they got in. The rain poured relentless over them, unaware of the powerless humans running away from the water that bless the earth with its life.
"You go first." He helped Inosuke to make throught the exit, carrying an extra body is not the easiest task.
"Captain." Sabito and Genya followed some seconds later.
"Let's go, we have to go now." The blue eyes of the man swept the camp for a last time "We don't want to be here when they discover what happened."
With that, they were gone. Like a mistral in December, just passing by leaving a shiver in the spine of those who where in the way of the wind.
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"This is shit, Giyu." Sabito lamented while he rested at the entrance of their improvised refugee: a cave in the jungle, lucky them for finding it.
"Will they make it?" The captain spat his question without a second thought "Be honest."
The Lieutenant sighed. Emotionless like always and since they enlisted his friend became heartless and somewhat cruel at times. Maybe they have traded away their old world for these combat days. What else do they have to do for the world to be at peace?
Sometimes Sabito got disheartened at the thought of their effort being just a waste of energy.
"She won't. Even if we got Ms. Kocho to the extraction point..."
"She won't make it."
His eyes were looking at the horizon and beyond that. Weighting his options in his own mind. However...
Nobody is left behind.
"We will move in twenty." Sabito smiled, for a second he feared that the order of leaving behind Ms. Kocho could leave the mouth of his friend, he was even ready to argue with him.
Yet, Giyu is not that heartless.
The captain sighed once his friend went inside to pass on the next orders. He took out his diary and opened it. The photo of a beautiful girl with a puny smile at the aquarium. It felt so distant and alien now. Like another life, an unknown time that slow fades away from his mind.
Really, the Kocho family is always causing troubles for him.