~*~
TWO WEEKS LATER - NOVEMBER - (3rd POV)
Snow soon was gracefully falling with the lingering sweet scent, feeling a soft chilly breeze blowing idly by late at night. Snowflakes glimmering and frozen lakes began to freeze. Yet, things weren't going well within the home, as their mother began to refuse stepping outside. She barely showed herself, and she was given food from the outside door.
Hiroshi would stand at the door, awaiting for her to show herself.
He couldn't understand why she refused to go out, or even see her own children. A few times her voice would grow raspy, or more into a hissing sounds. He grew more concerned wondering why she's behaving this way, or was it some illness again.
Soon after he decided to call in Nakamura to check on her, hating that fact he hesitated for so long.
The doctor soon arrived and made his way to her room, politely asking her to allow him in. Without another word Hiroshi forced the door open, only to see the place a mess. His eyes widen in response matching Nakamura's expression, before seeing claw marks dragging across the shoji walls. Her tattered futon was in pieces, with claw marks across the tatami floor.
"Leave me alone," She bitterly snapped, turning their attention to a curled up woman in the corner. Quiet sobs leave her lips, as Nakamaru approaches her slowly and cautiously.
"How are you feeling? What's c--"
"I said get out!" She snapped angrily, before throwing a low table at the men. They both dodged it before realising her strength; it's increased. With her body in the shadows, her appearance was different. Hiroshi turned the light on, before his eyes widen slowly. Her eyes lift up with yellow pupils instead of her beautiful silver ones, along with her skin sickly pale.
"My love?"
"D-Don't look at me, I'm.........hideous," her voice breaks, while her hands shook violently noticing large claws.
Hiroshi was beyond confused with mixed emotions, seeing her body a little larger and more scaly. Her appearance was far beyond human, noticing her dragon like features. She felt sick, sick to the point she was hungry. Not for normal food, but blood. Her breathing began to grow more rapidly, uneven. Her chest felt heavier, as she noticed her husband standing before her. Fear in his eyes, before rage clouds them.
"What..........are you?"
Her eyes widen turning to him, "I'm human Hiroshi, I'm human!" She beseeched, trying to show she isn't a threat. Yet she felt herself salivating, teeth bared upon the two stunned men. Not long pain soon starts to shoot through her body, it was like on fire. She cried out in pain, before she felt like something else was taking over her own body. Hiroshi only stood there, sword at his hip ready to take action.
"My love.....p-please..." She choked out, but her throat burned before her eyes widen. Soon she met with darkness, as Hiroshi stood before a completely different woman. Her body stood up, only to tower over them. Nakamaru soon makes a run for it, as the demon dangerously glared upon them.
"Blood........flesh.......let me take a bite?!!" She pleads, her voice more raspy like sandpaper.
Hiroshi's eyes widened with horror, not being able to comprehend what was happening. Only that his wife was no longer with them, but a demon that only craved flesh. Suddenly she charged right through the fusuma doors, which alarmed him. His feet felt stuck to the floor, only to hear screaming outside. The heavy pounding shook the home, the place where his own family flourished.
The children were alarmed by the noise, when suddenly the sound got louder reaching the children within the dining room. Asami sharply grabbed Riku and Yui just in time, before the fusuma wall collapsed upon the table. The children scream in response, before the demon snapped her head around searching for the fresh meat she could sense.
"H-How did a d-demon--?" Asami cried out, when she noticed Hayami paralyzed with fear. "Hayami!"
Hayami's ears were muffled, only to see the demon before her.
"Hayami, run!!!" Asami cried out, while trying to get the two younger ones to safety. The demon's eyes landed upon Hayami, before swiping towards her. Hayami's hair was cut slightly, missing her face by a few inches. She swallowed thickly, before recognising the demon.
"M-Mother?"
"Hayami, get out of the way!!!" Hiroshi yelled, about to fight the beast by hand instead. He couldn't allow himself to hurt her, he didn't want to believe it was his wife. Yet, this very demon was his own, loving wife.
Meanwhile at the gate of the Mizutsuki estate, stood Fuji Suzuki.
A wide grin curls upon his pale complexion, before tilting his head up revealing his blood red eyes. "It's finally begun,"
~*~
Blood draws from Hiroshi's forehead while panting heavily, trying to not draw his nichirin blade. He can't, he mustn't. Suddenly he was thrown across through three fusuma walls, while the demon grabs Hayami who tried to run. She screamed out thrashing against the demons hold, as the demon's mouth salivated.
"Blood, need...blood!" It screamed, widening it's jaws to Hayami's shoulder.
Hayami's heart was racing while trying to get the demon to release her, but the demons strength was too strong. The demon's claws wrap around her tiny throat, while sizing it's first meal. It's nail draws along her throat lightly, when suddenly a flash charges in only to see a spray of blood. Hayami's screams out in pain, feeling the claws run up her throat and cheek before being released.
She gripped her wound tightly, with thick tears blurring her vision.
"Ryuji!!" She cried out, seeing her brother face to face with the devil. Nichirin blade in hand, he swipes towards the demon. He had no idea the very beast, was his own mother. He had no idea, and now he might end her life in an instant.
Hiroshi's eyes widened, "Ryuji, it's....it's your mother!"
Ryuji's eyes narrowed not letting his focus be let down, knowing the thing before him was no longer their mother no more. Their eyes bored into each other's souls, if looks could kill. Her eyes were no longer the ones that would comfort him, her soul left her. He grunts under her strength, as his feet slide across the floor.
"Get everyone out of here!" Ryuji yelled, when Hiroshi stepped in shoving him out of the way. "Father, bu--"
"You go grab Hayami and the twins, I've got this!" Hiroshi yelled, but Ryuji shook his head. "This is an order!!!!!"
After awhile of hesitation Ryuji turns around shoving his blade into the scabbard and grabs Hayami, hearing her sobbing near his ear. He held her tightly wondering where his twin brothers are, but while running he could smell something. The smell was burning his nostrils and lungs, he found himself coughing before covering his mouth, with his free hand.
"Dammit," he muttered, before running outside.
He turned to see Asami outside with the two young ones, as he placed hayami safely upon the snow. Blood pours from her severe wound, seeing the snow being tainted. He hissed in frustration, before hearing the sound of screaming and yelling within the house. Hayami's body was trembling, before she collapsed to her knees.
"Stand up Yami, we need to be prepared," Ryuji spoke more sternly than before, but soon the smokey smell soon becomes stronger. Turning around sharply the light begins to brighten the dark night, as flames engulf the house.
"Father!!!!"
"Mother!!!!"
Their blood curdling cries were deafening, they didn't sense the strange presence behind them. "We should go grab General Haruki!" Yui went to run off, but Asami latched around her tiny wrist.
"No, we must stay together," She warned the young child, before suddenly the sound of the building begins to creak beneath the flames.
Hayami's widen while watching it soon collapse, her hand covering her wound tightly. The pain was throbbing, but her fear numbed it. "Where are the twins?"
Just when Asami spoke up something was thrown to the ground into the snow, causing the children to jump. Yet when Ryuji stepped closer, blood soon starts to soak into the pure snow. His eyes slowly widened with horror, recognising who it was. His heart sank, when a figure approaches them.
"Too bad he was young, but I couldn't help myself," the figure spoke up, his face was covered in the darkness. "He would've grown into a nuisance in the future for me, so......"
The children turned to the man but Asami stood before them, hands over the frightened children.
"H-How could you?" her voice wavered.
"What? Thought I would give you the head of the eldest twin," He laughed sadistically, as Hayami's eyes widen in horror turning back to see it was indeed Katsu's head. She covered her mouth, trying to prevent throwing up while kicking the snow in front to get away. Her heart hammered, while suddenly when she faces the mysterious man, Asami's body drops before them. Blood sprays flicking across the sea of snow, with a thump her body goes.
"Lady Asami?" Hayami's voice breaks, while Riku and Yui run away from the body and behind Ryuj and Hayami.
"I'm not sorry, you're just pathetic creatures....."
Without warning the man disappears before the children to make a run for a it, when suddenly a larger body shields the children. Their eyes widen seeing General Haruki already here, but they saw blood coating his chin. Wounds scattered across his body, while his chest heaved from the intense battle in the other building.
"Children.......we're alone on this," he informs them all, sweat glistening across his bloodied face. "Run, I will buy you children some time."
"But--"
"Just go!"
Ryuji took hold of Riku placing him on his back, when suddenly someone approaches them before seeing it was Natsu. Without another word he grabs Yui, and took Hayami's hand to make a run for it. The snow crunches beneath their feet, not knowing where to go or what to do. But to survive.
~*~
Everything was soon a blur as Hayami saw her two younger siblings lay in the snow, blood pooling beneath them. It was like they were being picked off, one by one. Her eyes were wide, her breath soon quickens feeling a panic attack surfacing. Shaking her head Ryuji took her hand, as they kept running through the thick forest. They had to run, they had to find safety.
"Come on!" Ryuji growls to himself, trying to not allow himself to falter. For the sake of his only siblings, Natsu and Hayami.
Suddenly something tugged him back, only to feeling Hayami's grip being ripped away from him.
"Ryuji!" She cried out, feeling a long hand pull her back. Just when she thought everything was gonna end, the sound of bells rings ever so gently. Her body was soon pulled from the demons grip, feeling warm hands holding her close. Within moments, silence dawns upon the children. Hayami's eyes fluttered open onto see a gentle face, blinking a few times to a middle aged man in front other.
"A-Akihiro-Sensei?" Ryuj breathes out, relief washed over him seeing his sensei.
"Are you children alright?" he turns to them, knowing the threat was finally gone. He placed Hayami down before checking them all, except hayami's wound was deep. He was taken back by how brave she was, despite her wound. They all were shaken up by the sudden attack upon the home, they didn't know what to say.
~*~
Standing before their home in broad daylight, Akihiro pushed over the heavy timber that had collapsed. Hayami held Ryuji's hand tightly, with Katsu's hand in the other. Her eyes remained upon the burnt debris, hoping Akihiro would find their mother's and father's bodies. She was praying they were alive, she was hoping they were just knocked out.
Her chest tightened the more she dwelled upon it, as tears blurred her vision.
Not long Akihiro found a hand that laid limp, as he pulled it out only to find it was a severed hand. He sighed heavily already seeing this much carnage, recognising the hand. A faint tattoo of the family's crest, was printed upon the forehand.
'Hiroshi my boy, I'm so sorry, we were too late,' he whispered softly, before placing it in the snow so he could find more of him. If there was anything left. 'You were such a good student of mine, I just....wish you lived longer."
Ryuji's eyes were laying dead upon the debris, blaming himself silently that he couldn't much but protect his siblings. Yet, he couldn't even save his two youngest siblings. His eyes trail back to his three youngest siblings graves, finding the rest of Katsu's body.
"What is.....going to happen?" Natsu questioned, his voice slightly wavered.
Ryuji pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyes hardening unsure himself. He had a job as a demon slayer, he knew he had a place there but......what about Hayami and Natsu? What did they want to do now? Does Natsu want to fight after what just happened? Will he stomach this, after seeing his twin sliced in two?
What about Hayami? Everyone expected her to marry when she was older, to intertwine our clans to powerful ones? Now, she has her chance in becoming what she wanted, right?
His eyes fall upon Hayami silently crying, but with a brave face. Her wound was still fresh, and he's surprised she's still standing. Her body is stained with blood, but it doesn't seem to faze her one bit. She was in shock, frozen in place.
"I don't know...."
A simple reply breaks the thick tension that lingered, as Hayami's grip tightens around Ryuji's larger one. His eyes shift side glancing down, to see her lips quivering in response. Seeing his Sensei busy finding the rest of his father's remains, the Kakushi just entered the compound with a stretcher.
Akihiro instructs placing Hiroshi's remaining limbs on the stretcher, with only his head and torso still attached but with one leg and no arms. He asked them to bury him where all the former hashira's were buried, along with the general being a slayer himself. Hayami watched them as they drag the remaining two bodies, while Akihiro pats down the snow with the bodies of their siblings.
"W-Where's mother, why isn't she here?" her voice cracks, feeling emotionally and physically exhausted.
She steps forward, releasing her grip from her brother.
"Haya--"
"Where is she Ryuji, why can't I see her?" her voice grew shaky, shivering by the cold. Her teeth chatter, with tears silently streaming down.
Ryuji's eyes widen realising she didn't recognise their mother, and even Natsu was confused himself.
"Mother, mother where are you?!" She cried out, about to push the debris but Ryuji pulled her back. She thrashed against his hold, "No, let go! Mother is still in there! She's still there!!!"
Ryuji sunk to the snow on his knees, while holding her close to him. His strength was unmatched to her own, as tears begin to cascade down his cheeks knowing the fact where she is. He clenched his jaw squeezing his eyes tightly, while holding her down.
"She's not here, she's gone somewhere safer," He choked out, but Hayami shook her head.
"No! She's there, I know it!" She cried out, refusing to believe it. She didn't want to believe she's gone.
"H-Hayami," He sobbed silently, pleading for her to stop. Natsu steps in front of her, and pats her shoulders trying to soothe her. Hayami's tiredness soon starts to creep in, as their soft humming continues to lull her to sleep. The song their mother sang, feeling herself fall into a slumber. Ryuji watched her slowly grow limp in his hold, before lifting his head to locks eyes with his younger brother.
Natsu embraced them both, as Akihiro walked up to the three.
He bends down on one knee looking at Ryuji, "I will take you three in, and I will do my best to keep you all safe,"
He swore to them, while knowing full well they needed him.
"Yes, Sensei,"
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