She can feel her stomach churns unpleasantly whilst her e/c eyes look at the male samurai's face. Her mind was clouded and she can feel her whole body strangely enwrapped with the overwhelming tension.
"Taoshu-san. It is really you." She says quietly with eyes fixated as she look at the man with disbelief. The slight exhilaration slowly made her smile. Despite of the unfathomable confusion that filled y/n's mind, this did not stop her from attempting to approach the male bushi warrior that she have been already hankering to see.
Y/n was ready to run into him, give the man a brief embrace and express how she have truly missed the samurai's presence after the both of them have been sunder from each others company.
But abruptly, she felt a single strong hand reaches to her side, not hesitating to wrap his hand tightly around the upper arm of Y/N.
She gasped from the sudden sharp contact of the unknown person's grasp against her skin, making her in reflex gave a quick glance, only to be filled with anger after seeing the towering height of Muzan beside her. Y/n instantly forced her body away from Muzan's figure but the young noble lord right away pulled her closer to his lean chest.
The often constraint actions of Muzan had only become an albatross for Y/n as she fought back and made strenuous efforts from escaping out against his tight hold.
Her teeth clenches together, eyebrows furrowed in aggravation with her face contorting from the pain. She fights his grip, but it was futile. There was a no run against the atrocious strength of Muzan.
She look up and she outright saw how Muzan's red eyes have darkened in anger but he was not looking at her. Instead his stares were fixed boldly glaring towards the standing figure of the samurai warrior across them.
This instantly made Muzan's lips twitch almost looked as though of a devious smirk whilst his plum red eyes were intensifying with amusement and impertinence.
The Kibutsuji clutch his right hand even tightly onto the upper arm of y/n, making the lady shriek in pain. He let his other free fingers trace the delicate rosy cheek of the court lady as he began to divert his jeopardizing gaze into her e/c irises.
"Haven't I reminded you not to leave my sight, Y/n." Muzan audibly says. His voice instantly went soft and lulling rather than being brash and demanding, causing for y/n's eyes to flashed open with surprise whilst she looked at the noble lord in a skeptic manner. She slowly shook her head and frowned at him.
'He was an actual unctuous.' Y/N thought and turned her head to glance at Taoshu whom was already in livid whilst he kept on glaring at Muzan.
The court lady have immediately predicted how Muzan have started to act like an utter feigned only because Taoshu was standing present infront them. She have perceived how Muzan possess a complete double-dealing attitude. He was clever when it comes to deceiving and manipulating the people around him and y/n could not even thought how far worse the male Kibutsuji's personality could turn into.
She harshly whisk his hand away from touching her upper arm and dart her keen glares straight to the young lord's eyes.
"Don't touch me." She angrily scowled and shove him away whilst Taoshu swiftly attempted to run and approach the court lady.
Right away, Muzan's face etched into a tight frown. He escape a lowly growl whilst the two pieces of his fangs can be clearly noticed, peeking through his lips, and before Taoshu could reach the court lady and grab her away from his grip, once again, the noble Kibutsuji roughly pulled the woman towards him, making y/n widen her eyes as her right palm was now forcibly resting on his chest.
Muzan hardly cupped his hand on the lady's jaw as she began to whimper both in fear and pain whilst across them, Taoshu was already hysterically shouting in anger.
"You are not getting away." He murmurs on her ear, making the woman shivers in an instant.
In a brisk moment, the loud cantering footsteps of the couple approaching samurai guards made y/n heedful. She immediately shifted her gaze towards the source of the sound and appallingly watched, realizing she was far too late to stop Muzan's guards from strangling Taoshu with two more men, each holding him back by his arm and forbidding him from moving furthermore.
"Get your hands off me! Damn bastards!" Taoshu shouted at them, thrashing in their hold and irking the little patience of Muzan's men. The guards did not hesitated and strike him into compliance, making Taoshu grunt in pain and fell on his knees.
Y/n freezes up again on her stance, terrified whilst she can already feel the muscles on her throat contacting and burning in fear.
She frighteningly look over at the noble lord. Tears on the corner of her eyes were attempting to roll down on her cheeks yet she forces to restrain herself as she slipped her right hand onto Muzan's hand.
"I'm begging you, Muzan-sama. Please stop this already." She pleaded and did not broke her gaze towards the furious fiery red eyes of the male demon whilst Muzan's eyebrows continue to knit in annoyance.
There was a brief silence. No further words had escape from the both of them and the noble lord's face remains stoic and unreadable. Y/n could only catch her ragged breathing and blink her eyes in demeanour after she had realized she was already free from Muzan's sore touch.
The male demon pushed the court lady away from him, causing for y/n to almost lose her balance and fell on the floor. Muzan immediately whirl his heel and dart his immense glare towards the raging Taoshu whilst two men were still, holding him back by his arms.
"I have seen you before," Muzan causally says. He pace near the bushi warrior with eyes darkened with repulsion and irritation whilst Taoshu continue to struggle against the bound of Muzan's men.
The noble lord lip's curl down into a slight grimace. He sighed deeply and gestured his hand to bring forth his sword as the present guard willingly obliged.
"You are Hiroshima,Taoshu am I right?" Muzan softly says whilst he did not hide the derisive contempt that was lingering on the expression of his face.
"May I remind you, Taoshu-san," He commence and look at the bushi warrior in a pompous manner. "You are stepping inside my hallowed palace without my consent." Muzan says. He slowly turn his head and grab the black helve of the offered katana.
"And a lowly type of person like you is putting grime inside my high reputable home." He draws the tip of the sword and aimed it straight on Taoshu's neck. Red demonic eyes vehemently glaring direct into the dull stolid brown ones of Taoshu.
Muzan slowly pushed the edge of the blade until the cold steel was touching in contact against Taoshu's skin. The bushi warrior huff in reply. His nostrils flared. He bit his lower lip in total enraged and persists, thrashing his both arms to flee out from the confinement of the two guards.
"Fight me Muzan." He hissed with such dislike as he flashed his glares at the noble lord. An expression of full scorn escape from Muzan's lips as he glared back into the face of the samurai man.
"What if I refuse." He promptly replied. The noticeable disinterest crept on his face whilst he withdrew his katana and placed it back on the scabbard.
"You will not refuse me anymore if I state to you my condition." Taoshu replied as his voice raise in a manner in endeavour to immerse the attention of the young lord.
Muzan raise a single brow in bemusement and paced close towards the other man.
"I want to challenge you to affair my honor," Taoshu trails.
"If I win, I get to retrieve back lady y/n with me." He turned his head to look at the bewildered y/n.
Taoshu inspire his breath. This time he was certain. He took the whole courage and gave a weak smile towards the court lady.
"And I will take her hand for marriage." He finished, making Muzan's gaze hardens in an instant. The young lord gritted his clench teeth together and balled his hand into a firm fist. He sighed in exasperation and look at the bushi warrior for a brief moment.
"This is absurd." He abruptly escaped a derisive chuckle and shook his head in amusement.
"Enlighten me." Muzan briskly grabbed Taoshu by the collar of his worn Hitatare. His hand hardly grasping the fabric as Muzan hurled his face vehemently, pulling the samurai man closer to his face.
"What if I win this pathetic duel you want. What is the catch?" Muzan growls, birse flared up with his piercing eyes.
Taoshu nonchalantly looked at the noble lord and says, "Kill me if you could able to defeat me." He gallantly replied, making Muzan smirked and concede with Taoshu's fixed condition.
"Fair enough." He says. He made a quick glance over his shoulder and Muzan immediately locked eye contact with the terrified eyes of the court lady.
He walk near towards y/n and rest his other hand on the woman's shoulder. He flashed his soft smile before her and let his thumb raise her chin.
"You heard him," Muzan uttered and lean close to the Mizuno woman.
"I will kill this man to teach him a good lesson." He whispers on her ear as y/n continue to hold her breath and blink her frightened eyes.
"Wait!" She stopped Muzan by quickly grappling him by his sleeves, making the male demon turn his head in vexation and angrily look at y/n. Despite of the fear that she felt creeping through her veins, she ignored it all and stare back at Muzan with her vulnerable teary eyes.
"Dont do this." She pleaded once again but Muzan did not hesitated to whisk her hand away from touching his worn garment.
"Quit meddling in and lock yourself inside your room if you don't want me to hurt you again." He threatened as he resumed to walk on the opposite direction whilst his two guards where forcibly dragging the captive Taoshu along with him as they all lead through the open training grounds.
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Taoshu's breathing was labored as he looked around the empty expansive training ground. There was no one present and the area seemed completely untouched whilst only the gentle breeze of the wind continue to stirred his bare skin.
He took a single step. The sole of his foot touched against the smooth marble floor that instantly send shivers right into his spine despite that he wore a tabi.
He suspire as his eyes began to wander around the unoccupied training room. Until the bushi warrior caught a sight of a moving man's frame beyond the dark corner of the room.
Taoshu's gaze stiffen, glaring straight at the obscure figure. He knows exactly who it was as he awaits for it to finally reveal himself out of the shadows.
Muzan step out. His red parlous eyes gleaming in unknown manner whilst his simpering smirk indisputably, plastered on his lips.
Each of his hand hold a single-edged blade - kept and case inside a black semi-gloss scabbard. Muzan pompously looked at his opponent once again and tossed the other one towards the bushi warrior. Taoshu immediately caught it in one hand as his eyes began to examine the weapon. He swiftly took the sheath outright, unveiling the cold steel with a kanji symbol engraved on the blade 'honor'.
In first glance, Taoshu cannot disaffirm how he was authentically enthralled by the beauty of such a perfect weapon. He had lived his years holding a blade and he have never seen something as similar to such a masterpiece that turned him so fascinated.
"These katana are hand forge with care and attention," Muzan's deep voice echoes through the enclosed training ground, making Taoshu impassively gaze back towards his noble opponent and flashed his glare.
"I believe this blade cost more than your life, Taoshu-san." Muzan says with vile insult that spits like a venom out of his mouth that instantly made the samurai warrior grind his teeth and firmly hold the hilt of the katana in livid.
"We use the same blade in this fight,"
"So I am sure, you cannot accuse me of finagle the moment I win this fight." He finished and swung the light sword in motion through the ether in a meister demeanour.
The metal blade of Muzan's katana flash and illuminates through his eyes as he pointed the sword towards the samurai man, denoting he was already accepting the challenge.
"Nonsense." Taoshu bitterly responded. He did not waste the time. He grip his weapon and began to lunged forward, hastily sprinting straight to the Kibutsuji and jabbed out his katana in attempt of stabbing his opponent. Muzan have immediately predicted his attack, he quickly moved to his side, earning for Taoshu to miss his attempt as the young noble lord, rightwards swung his sword in assay to hit and cut his flesh open but Taoshu's reflexes were fast.
With such agile, he clanged his own katana with Muzan's blade from attempting reach his side. His eyes glazing with hatred and his anger flourishes even more when he noticed the cynical smile that remains to crept on Muzan's lips.
Taoshu kick him out as the Kibutsuji somersaulted back from him and provide a temporary safe distance against the samurai.
He was completely chafed. He chased after the noble lord. He leaped forward and assail his sword for another attack but Muzan parried it with his own katana and pushed the man, carrying the weight of the bushi warrior and kicking him direct on his solar plexus.
Taoshu immediately felt the impact and hissed in a pain. He flew his free hand to touch his injured abdomen before glaring back at Muzan.
The samurai man swap his blade to his right hand and positioned himself once again as he began to study his next move.
'This man, all he did was to defend himself against my attacks.' Taoshu thought and watched Muzan's figure whilst he stood across him, unwavered.
'He can cope up with my fast movements,' He trails as he emit a deep breath and frown in a manner.
'Which only means I need to make a deceitful trick.'
He dashed onward for the second attempt, this time much swifter and vigilant rather than his previous attack whilst Muzan in the other hand unswervingly stood on his stance with a placid expression lingering on his fair face.
The noble lord raise a single brow. His piercing blood red eyes and vertical pupils dilated in demeanour, causing for Muzan to instantly predict the movements of the male warrior. It surprises him and at the same time this made Muzan turned so addled.
Not only his sight was giving him the full capacity and great advantage of the occurred fight but also, he can feel his strength augmenting in an unexplainable manner.
He smirked and adjusted his grip on his katana as he eluded the another strive attack of the samurai man for the umpteenth times.
Taoshu eventually widened his eyes in disbelief but still, this did not stop him from continuing and charging more assaults to his enemy. He made a straight slash and desperately tried to inflict his opponent but once again, he missed.
Taoshu breathed out in exhaustion. He noticed Muzan speed was breathtaking, making him ground his teeth in frustration as he rest his palms on his knees and chuckle.
"Not yet." He grunted and sprinted like a bolt whilst he shouts in a manner. With full exerted strength, he hold his katana with both two arms, slashing from the left to right until his sword was positioned straight in front of him, he took the advantage and attempted to stab Muzan's arm but before he could even step another meter closer to the noble Kibutsuji, Taoshu was stopped in an instant.
His eyes flashed wide open in utter surprise. An unanticipated blow propelled direct on his lean chest, made Taoshu gasped until he was slowly falling onto his knees yet he continue to reject the pain and pushed to strike another weak slash straight to his enemy but Muzan only parried his desperate attempt.
His fist smashed against Taoshu's jaw, resulting for the man to stagger backwards and groan in pain.
He spits the blood and shook his head, declining the new searing pain that have erupted his face once again.
He weakly glared at Muzan and watch the triumphant smirk exists on his lips. The young lord walk in a heedless manner towards the mortal man and punched Taoshu's left cheek in a brute force, leaving the samurai warrior to roll and tumble on the cold marble floor as he retches with mixed blood and saliva.
Unsatisfied, Muzan leisurely approached him. Eyes looking down with no mercy and disgust straight to the man.
The noble lord toss his own katana, earning for the metal weapon to deafeningly clanged against the hard surface of the floor, leaving him weaponless.
Muzan bends and crouched before the forsaken Taoshu whilst he did not hesitated to pulled the man's hair, forcing his brown eyes to look straight into his red threatening ones.
Taoshu strained and grunt in pain. He huffed in complete detest as his breathing turns unstable.
"Don't worry, I am not yet done with you." Muzan says with such overflowing arrogance whilst his face filled with diversion.
Muzan escaped an amiable soft smile.
"What was the condition again?" He reminded and cupped his hand on his chin as if he was hardly thinking.
"Right, I get to kill you if I win this pathetic match." Muzan proudly says.
"You see, there's a no chance that you can stand against me," He continue to speak his insults and Taoshu could only angrily dart his gaze towards Muzan.
"You are a provoking, weak pest, Taoshu-san. You cannot even possess a woman like y/n." He finished. Unexpectedly, he suddenly noticed the samurai warrior snickering rudely before him, making Muzan showed his grimace in demeanour and raise his other brow in annoyance.
"You're full of talk." Taoshu blandly replied as he swiftly grabbed the single dagger that he has been reserving inside his pouch and stabbed Muzan deep down on his right shoulder, causing for the male demon to loudly growl in anger. He was forced to rise on his feet and move backwards away from the bushi man.
The stench of fresh viscous blood rolled down from the worn fabric of Muzan. His white pair of fangs begin to reveal once again on his mouth whilst he was grounding his teeth together in wrath.
Right away, Taoshu took his slim chance. He stood up, grabbed his katana and prepared himself to fight for the last time.
With his bold stares, steady glaring at Muzan, he made another charge. A last resort attack he knows he'll never miss.
Taoshu sprinted like a lightning whilst the noble Kibutsuji continue to wince backwards and strive to pull out the deep burying dagger on his shoulder.
"I will win Muzan. Just like how it should be!" He shouted vehemently as the male demon snarls in aggravation whilst he was still taken by the overwhelming surprise.
Taoshu thrusted his sword with just having an enough power to fully impale and kill the noble lord. the blade severely hits the chest of Muzan and it buried passed on his back.
The young lord wheezes in deprivation of air as Taoshu dauntlessly looked deep into the red eyes of his opponent.
The gush of warm red blood flows down a river on the marble floor and Taoshu began to pant and stagger backwards away from the Kibutsuji.
"I win." The samurai man mutters nonchalantly. He sighed in exasperation as he began to reeled his body and started to walk in the alternate direction.
But before he could even walk further away from the male Kibutsuji. Taoshu felt the massive pain erupting through his whole body. His both knees weaken.
Unforeseenly, His own blood spurts out from his mouth until it was dripping down on his chin and neck.
Taoshu eyes widens in tremendous fear and disbelief. He slowly looked down on his abdomen to where the source of the intolerable pain was existing.
A bare right fist has been thrusted deep on his back until it also pass forward through his abdomen that instantly made Taoshu move a feet backwards upon the great impact.
He can feel the delicate organs inside his abdomen were tearing together whilst Muzan resumed to penetrate his fist more deeply on the man's flesh.
He catches for air and almost choke from his own short breaths.
In that macabre incident, Taoshu was drive with certainty. He was aware he wasn't facing a human. He knows no human can own such a monstrous strength and punctured someone using a mere bare fist.
He have realized. He was entirely wrong for challenging a creature like Muzan into a matchless fight that he knows he'll never win.
Through Taoshu's dying breath, he hardly swallows and look at his enemy's eyes for the last time.
"Y-You are not a human." His rough and ragged voice forced to make a sound.
Muzan's faces etched in grimace and apathetically says,
"I am not." He answered back.
"I am a living god." Muzan corrected him.
>>End Of Chapter 12<<
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Tabi - a covering for the foot, similar to a sock, having a separate pouchlike stall for the large toe.