Chapter Text
"It's you!"
Giyuu immediately turned towards the familiar voice. At the other end of the hall stood a young man, his trademark flame hair disheveled. He was dressed in what looked like typical patient clothes, and his right arm was in a cast. There was a wide smile on his face, as if he was happy to see him again. Giyuu did not share his enthusiasm. He wanted to go unnoticed, and now he was face to face with the demon slayer he most wanted to avoid. This was his happiness.
"I'm glad to see you again!" Rengoku Kyoujurou walked up to him. "What are you doing here? Are you hurt?"
"No." He replied briefly.
He hated talking to people. This was something more difficult for him than killing a demon without his sword.
"Ah! Then you must be here because you are visiting these two boys!" Rengoku snapped his fingers as if he had just connected the dots in his head. He was right, much to Giyuu's devastation. "I heard from Kochou that you and Amane-sama brought them here some time ago! How good of you to save such young lives!"
"...I was just there." He muttered nervously, adjusting the part of his sister's kimono that was wrapped around his arm. "They wanted to see me, so I'll go-"
"Gi-" Suddenly someone ran onto his back and hugged him tightly. He looked behind him and saw Muichirou, clearly tired but happy. He wanted to say his name, but he had to notice that Giyuu wasn't alone. Fortunately, he stopped himself in time. "Wild Slayer! So you decided to visit us after all, I'm so glad!"
"Yes, yes... I came here..." He hesitantly patted the boy's head. "You stink of sweat. You've been training." He noticed.
"I was going to take a bath, but I heard your voice and wanted to say hello to you." He explained, moving away from Giyuu. "You don't smell any better yourself. Have you even heard of bathing?" He crossed his arms over his chest.
Well... Giyuu washed the dirt off himself in rivers and other bodies of water. But if he had to think about it, he hadn't taken a proper bath like that for several years. Not that it bothered him, because he didn't have to talk much to people who would be bothered by his smell anyway. At least until now. But he's not going to change just because someone is bothered by his smell. At least he doesn't smell like a corpse... Unlike that kid he met once.
"Maybe I heard, maybe I didn't." He replied, striking the same pose. "Okay, go take a bath. I'll wait for you with your brother. I'd like to talk to him too."
Muichirou went to his room. Giyuu was left alone with Rengoku again. There was a tense silence between them that neither of them knew how to break. Eventually, Rengoku said that he had to go talk to "Kochou" and left, leaving Giyuu alone in the corridor. He did better than he initially expected. He didn't have to use plan 2-C, which is a tactical knockout and escape. Satisfied with this, he smiled to himself and entered the room where the Tokitou twins were.
When he entered, he heard a sudden intake of breath. He looked towards the sound and saw Yuichirou. The boy had his hair tied in a high ponytail and his remaining arm was holding a pen. Giyuu noticed that the words written on the paper that was lying on the desk were very crooked and quite illegible. He immediately realized that the boy had lost his dominant arm. Yuichirou wouldn't have this problem if he was faster... Just like years ago. He never helped on time. He always came too late.
"I'm sorry I didn't arrive in time so you wouldn't lose your arm." Giyuu said. He didn't even notice the words leaving his mouth until he saw the disbelief on the eleven-year-old's face.
"Are you serious?" The boy put the pen on the desk. "I survived! I was convinced that I would die. That Muichirou would be left all alone, and you... Thanks to you, we are still together. Are you seriously going to blame yourself for keeping me alive?"
"But if I had arrived just a minute earlier, you wouldn't have had to learn how to write." The wild man insisted. "Boy, don't be grateful for something that could easily have been avoided. Something like that won't get you very far."
"You... You fool." The boy sighed. "I won't argue with you about something like that. You saved my life, and that's all that matters right now. And if you want to help me, then help Muichirou become a strong enough demon slayer so that I don't have to worry about his life."
"I can't believe I'm being pushed around by a brat like that." He shook his head, laughing under his breath. "So be it. But I won't sit here with you all the time. When I visit, I'll help him."
Yuichirou just laughed. The boy decided to start the conversation by talking about what their life was like in this estate compared to the life they led after their parents died. Giyuu listened carefully to the eleven-year-old's every word, sometimes interjecting his personal opinions about how Yuichirou treated his brother. Even though he didn't know about normal family ties, the way Yuichirou limited Muichirou didn't sit well with him. And he had no intention of hiding his opinion. If Yuichirou wants to be a truly supportive brother, he must acknowledge his mistakes and learn from them. Himself. Giyuu will only show him the way that will help him realize this.
Yuichirou listened to him as if he was someone who knew absolutely everything. The boy for some reason looked at him with an admiration that Giyuu couldn't explain. Why did he trust him so much if he didn't really know him? It was strange. Giyuu only kept him alive and found help that others gave him better than he could. Despite this, Yuichirou liked him. And Giyuu... Sure, he liked these boys. He wanted to see them develop and wanted them to live as long as possible. But was he the person from whom they could learn the most important things? Sure, he can give them tips on surviving in the wild, and also help Muichirou a little with his future as a demon slayer. Not that he knows much about such people, but he can help using all the knowledge he has. The basics of using a sword and choosing the outfit that best suits his fighting style. And Yuichirou? He can only support him on his way to complete physical health and show him things that may interest him.
They exchanged stories until Muichirou returned from the bathroom. To Giyuu's horror, the boy brought up the topic of him and Rengoku meeting in the corridor. Mui told him that Kyoujurou visited them sometimes and when he wasn't training, the three of them would talk about anything and everything, eating lunch or some snacks that the pillar always brought with him. At the end of their conversation, Giyuu knew that Flame Pillar was not a threat to him or the boys. He is an ally who should be easy to get along with. Especially since he seemed all too eager to be friends with Giyuu. Eager enough to make his gut twist slightly with uncertainty. Since Muichirou and Yuichirou trusted him, and since he is the pillar that Amane and her husband constantly keep an eye on, he shouldn't be so... afraid. But fear and uncertainty sat deep inside him.
/×××\
Giyuu had been visiting them for four months now. It was tiring for him to avoid anyone who wasn't the twins or Rengoku, but somehow he hadn't been noticed by anyone yet. Yet. Because considering how Muichirou was dragging him down the hall, leading him to the kitchen, it was possible that someone would see them at any moment. Yuichirou was waiting for them there and needed them for something. Mui explained to him that his brother had decided to learn how to cook again as he used to enjoy cooking. Their task will be to assess whether the dishes prepared by the eleven-year-old are edible. This will definitely be a challenge for Giyuu. For years he has only eaten plants, mushrooms, fish and animal meat, not always prepared over fire, so he has no idea what taste is acceptable for "normal" people. But the boys didn't need to know that in his opinion.
When they entered the kitchen, the other boy was already waiting for them at the table. There were two bowls waiting for them. From what Giyuu noticed after a quick glance, Yuichirou had prepared ramen, which is one of the easiest things to start with. At least that's what Tsutako told him. Giyuu never learned to cook, so he couldn't confirm this. Maybe she was pulling his nose to make him learn to cook on his own faster, but he believed her. He believed every word she said, and now, after many years, he began to wonder if it had been too stupid of him. After all, people often lied to children just to get them to do something. Maybe Tsutako did that too sometimes? Now he was curious, but he couldn't ask the corpse something that only it knew.
"Please be honest with me. I really want to be able to cook again, and I won't be able to do it well if you lie to me." Yuichirou sat down across from them.
"I didn't mean to, even though I'm not the best food critic." Giyuu looked at the dish in front of him. Only now did he notice what was lying next to him. Chopsticks.
He never learned to eat using them. As a child, it was just too complicated for him, and then his lifestyle did not require him to learn it. Tsutako tried to teach him many times, but it always ended in a mess. That's why he used regular cutlery until the day she died. Then he just used his hands. But if he eats with his hands, the boys might think he's a freak... Not that he cares, but he's grown attached to them. It will be painful for him to see them look at him with disgust and shame.
'You live without worrying about other people's opinions about you.' He frowned at the thought. Maybe it was true, but... 'No. Focus, Yuichirou counts on your opinion. Just eat it.' He thought.
Trying not to think about the boys' reactions, he started eating with his hands. In his opinion it didn't taste bad, but for some reason it reminded him of the food he prepared for himself in the wild. As if Yuichirou combined unevenly chopped ingredients and decided that it was good. But the boy only had one arm now, so something like this shouldn't be a mistake. The only thing Giyuu could complain about is that it was quite sloppy and a bit... Repulsive-looking dish. Yuichirou probably tried his best, but if someone got a dish that looked like that in a restaurant, they probably wouldn't be happy.
"It's not bad." Giyuu wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Only the appearance is not encouraging and the ingredients are sometimes too large, sometimes too small."
"Thank you for your opinion, but, uhh... You made a bit of a mess." Yuichirou covered his mouth with his hand to hide his laughter. Unfortunately, he was shaking and his voice was full of amusement, so he failed. "I guess you haven't held any cutlery or chopsticks in a while, huh?"
"Maybe so. What, are you disgusted by the way I eat?" He raised an eyebrow.
"What amuses us more is how long it took you to consider doing this." Muichirou didn't hide his laughter. "Were you afraid we would laugh at you?"
"...Of course not." He lied, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Liar, liar, pants on fire." Yuichirou stuck his tongue out at him. "Now you have to take a bath. You're all dirty." He pointed out pointing at him.
Giyuu looked at himself. He felt his face was dirty, but that was nothing new. He also had pieces of noodles on his hands and somehow even wrapped around the rope he carries over his shoulder. Moreover, his hands were sticky and soup was slowly flowing down his arms. And all this without mentioning how many pieces of pork were on the table and fell on his pants.
"I'll wash in the river as soon as I leave." He assured, dismissively waving his hand.
"Oh no. You're not leaving soon because I want to show you my progress in Mist Breathing." Muichirou shook his head. "That's why you will take a bath here and now. And we will watch over you."
"Do you really want to see me naked?" He raised an eyebrow, smiling in amusement. Both boys paled significantly. "Exactly. That's why I better go and-"
"No way!" Yuichirou slammed his hand on the table. "You stink and you're as dirty like a little child after eating. You wash here at the Butterfly Manor."
"I can't win this argument with you, can I?" He sighed in resignation.
"Yes." The twins replied at the same time.
So he was dragged to the bathroom by two boys who barely reached his shoulders. When they pushed him inside, they immediately closed the door behind them and stood in front of it so that he could not escape. Seeing their stubbornness, he sighed and began to take off the easiest things to take off. A rope, a pouch on the belt, a sword, a necklace and a hair tie. Once he got it off, Yuichirou started getting the bathtub ready while Muichirou guarded the door. Not really understanding why the one-armed boy was pouring so much water into the bathtub, he leaned over his shoulder and looked at him with confusion.
"You need to wash yourself thoroughly. Very thoroughly. Especially your hair, because it is long and thick." He explained without even looking at him, focused on getting the bathtub ready.
Yuichirou decided that the bath was ready after four minutes. Yes, Giyuu counted it. The boys turned around, allowing him to strip naked and get into the bathtub. He took off the old, dirty and partially torn bandages from his legs and after looking at them for a while, threw them into the trash. He then unwrapped the maroon cloth from his arms and placed it carefully on a nearby cabinet. Making sure the boys were still facing away, he ran a hand through his hair, untangling the braid, and pulled down his pants. So that the twins wouldn't have to wait long, he got into the bathtub and covered his private parts with the foam that formed on the surface of clean, warm water.
"You can turn around now." He muttered, taking a ball of foam in his hand.
He was curious if the foam had any smell. He didn't remember it, and since the last time he had taken a real bath, his senses had improved significantly. So without any thought he took a breath. Foam flew into his nose, tickling him. He wrinkled his nose and sneezed loudly, immediately lowering his head in embarrassment at his stupidity. The boys just started laughing.
"The foam doesn't have any strong smell, if that's what you wanted to know." Muichirou shook his head. "You must have not taken a bath for a really long time to want to check this." He added, smiling.
"Never mind. I don't want anyone to notice him." Yuichirou stood at the door, pushing his brother towards the bathtub. "Help him wash his hair while I stand and watch to see if anyone comes into our room."
Muichirou nodded and rolled up his sleeves. Giyuu watched him curiously. He mostly just soaked his hair in water and used some plants to help him keep his mop of black locks relatively tidy. Contrary to appearances, some plants also helped leave a pleasant scent on his hair.
While Muichirou was washing his hair, Giyuu began scrubbing his body. He was dirtier than he expected. After the entire bath, the water in the bathtub was brownish gray and full of dirt from the forests. He guessed most of it was his hair. After all, not all water is perfectly clean. When he got out of the bathtub, Muichirou stood next to his brother and they both turned their backs to him again, giving him privacy. He put on his pants, put on his belt and sheathed his sword, wrapped the maroon cloth around his arms, put the necklace with a wolf fang around his neck, and slung the rest of his possessions over his shoulder, seeing no reason to put them on. His pouch currently had nothing that could be of use to him. And he carries a rope with him in case he doesn't have access to a sword and a demon stands in his way.
Luckily for them, no one visited the twins while Giyuu was taking a bath. Satisfied with this, they left the room and went to the training ground, where Muichirou wanted to show Giyuu his progress with his breathing style. The boy showed him all the forms, and even though it was his first time seeing Mist Breathing, the wild eighteen-year-old was able to spot a few minor mistakes.
"Usually when someone is holding a sword, their legs are a little wider." He instructed. "And relax your shoulders a little. If you're so tense, your sword movement will be stiff, slow and predictable."
"...Like this?" Muichirou adjusted his posture. Giyuu walked up to him and looked at him from all sides. Without a word, he grabbed the boy's wrists and lowered his hands slightly.
"You are holding your sword too high. It may be because of your height, but you need to unlearn it." He explained, standing in front of him. He drew his almost black but still blue sword and stood ready. "Now show me what you've got!"
And he attacked Muichirou. The boy must have noticed that he wouldn't have time to avoid it, so he defended himself at the last moment and then pushed him back. The future demon slayer had no intention of holding back and closed the distance between them, ready to attack towards Giyuu's neck. He noticed it and blocked it with his sword.
"You are fast. But it won't save you if demons that are faster, stronger and bigger than you stand in your way." Giyuu smiled widely.
Oh, it's been so long since he's had the opportunity to fight a human. And Muichirou had talent. To develop this talent, Giyuu did not intend to hold back.
/×××\
They were lying on the ground, tired. Despite their tiredness, there were smiles on their faces. Since they were lying on the ground for quite a long time, Yuichirou decided to lie down next to them. And just like that, the three of them were looking at the pink-orange sky, indicating the sunset. No one said a word, but it didn't bother them. They liked the silence. They could relax and enjoy the moment. Or at least that was the case from Giyuu's perspective. He saw with his own eyes how much talent Muichirou had, but that didn't stop him from worrying. The boy wants to become a demon slayer. But demon slayers rarely live long. There is a possibility that Muichirou will die sooner than he and Yuichirou desire. But that's the way of things if they don't want to limit the boy. They have to come to terms with his decision and just make him realize what path he has chosen in life.
"Hey, Giyuu." Muichirou looked at him.
"Hmm?" He signaled that he was listening, without taking his eyes off the sky.
"You live in the wild, don't you?" He just nodded in response. "Tell us... What is it like? Living without limits, among nature, but also among many predators and demons that can kill you."
"Definitely dangerous, which is why you're lucky Amane met you before you could taste this life." He replied, closing his eyes. "But also... Satisfying. Full of interesting things. Places you can see. And definitely not boring." He laughed.
"Do you regret living this way?" Yuichirou sat up.
"Of course not." Giyuu scoffed, opening his eyes and looking at the one-armed boy. "Sure, there are some things that I miss even subconsciously, and if I could turn back time, I would live differently, but I like being myself. I've been living this way for half my life."
"Will you ever tell us a story from your life?" Mui asked. "Like why you chose this life."
Why he chose this life..?
"Waah! Nee-chan, sorry I helped too late! The monster is gone, wake up!"
"How could you murder your own sister, you little psychopath!"
"This kid is crazy. Let's get rid of him..."
"Monsters don't exist, you crazy brat."
"Let's send him to his uncle. He's a doctor and maybe he'll get the madness out of this little monster's head."
It wasn't his choice. He did it to survive. And if he had to do something like that to survive, people certainly wouldn't reach out to him. So he decided to live alone. He didn't need help. He became independent and even killed those cruel monsters, demons, that killed his sister. But still, the guilt of not making it in time will always hang over his head. This won't change no matter how many years pass. Maybe he was just a kid back then. Maybe he was nine years old then. But if he was able to massacre the demon for several hours straight until sunrise, why didn't he start doing it before the demon killed Tsutako?
Because he's a coward. This is the answer to a question that has been bothering him for years. He is a coward and a failure who will never save anyone. He will always arrive too late. First, Tsutako died before he could save her. Then the endless amount of corpses that the demons ate in the forests. His forests. And then Yuichirou, who lost his arm because he was too slow. He is made to make mistakes that will result in the death of many people. That was his life. Full of failures.
"Maybe someday, Mui. Maybe someday."