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Bloodlust

Summary:

The creature was there, dancing to the rhythm of the fire he’d created, swinging a polished shining black nichirin blade at the last survivors as his fiery hair floated on his head. Right as Giyuu stepped in his sight, the demonic boy swiftly pierced his sword through a defenceless man, grinning as blood dripped down the length of his blade.

Half of a building collapsed under the heat to Giyuu’s right, forcing a rush of air and ash to lift the sides of his haori, waving like a flag announcing his presence.

Notes:

Tanjiro- 19
Giyuu- 25

Work Text:

A scream similar to an animalistic screech came from the city center. Giyuu stood still, waiting for the panicked footsteps to reach him. A man with short disheveled dark hair and tanned skin halted next to him, panting and bathing in his own sweat. Hands on his knees to catch his breath, his head hung low in front of the water pillar. 

“There’s a demon down that road!”He coughed, his voice hoarse from all the smoke he’d inhaled. “But he’s not like the others; he’s wielding a nichirin blade!”

Giyuu’s eyes snapped towards the man, scanning him as if trying to find lies in his words. 

“One of our blades?”

The other only nodded, physically unable to speak as his lungs spasmed in need for oxygen. The acrid air reached even up here; it was everywhere. 

“We couldn’t stop him,” The man gasped, “He’s not normal! Even Upper Moons don’t fight like that!”

The demon slayer lifted two reddened eyes, his pupils dilated and sclera injected with blood shots. His mouth was wide open and scarlet blood ran from his temple to the corner of his mouth, giving him a taste of his own haemoglobin. Hair sticking to his skin with sweat, he swallowed with difficulty. 

“Did you fight him?” Giyuu demanded. 

“No, thank the skies no. But I saw him slay my team faster than a deflagration. I couldn’t do anything, I just watched, I wish I had— But I couldn’t! I swear I…”

Giyuu stopped paying attention to the man’s pleas, focusing his senses on the thick trail of smoke that rose to form hazy volutes on the night sky, blurring the stars and moon behind it. With no regard for the soldier whimpering at his side, he swiftly jumped forward and raced through the streets coated with grey ash. The dusty black material had come from the sky like rain after the first explosion, layering up over everything it touched, corrupting all in a raspy surface that left your hands black and filthy. Ignoring the corpses that lay in dark crimson puddles by the buildings, the pillar ran, blurring their faces in his mind before he had the misfortune to recognise any of them. He never wanted to get told how many people died, and who did. They were dead and that was it. His only goal was to make sure no one else suffered the same tragic end. 

He took a sharp turn by a mostly destroyed house, avoiding the dirty gravels on the floor as an intense wave of heat engulfed him in its thick embrace. Eyes squinted to make out the details around him, Giyuu took notice of the group of black silhouettes sprinting towards him. Shouts and yells suddenly reached his ears, warning him of the danger ahead. But if he ever turned heels, his honour would be reduced to the same black deposit spinning in the air around him. 

The group turned out to be four demon slayers, running as fast as they could from a blaze of heat following them. Giyuu watched helplessly as they tripped over bodies in their way, falling to never stand up again as a sea of flames came to devour them whole. Giyuu blocked out the noise, conscious screams of despair and pain would only distract him. He flung his bicoloured haori swiftly, letting it sway from left to right, fanning the surrounding flames feeding on the corpses as the pillar made his way towards the city center. 

Fire had taken most of town, reducing it to ash before anyone could be warned. Many people had died in the first hour, but that, Giyuu hadn’t been there to see. He’d only just arrived, having been called for help by one of the elite teams sent to take care of the situation. Turned out, they hadn’t taken care of anything apart from wasting their own lives. Giyuu didn’t feel sad. Actually, he hadn’t felt anything at all in a long time. But when his diamond irises fell on the vibrant ruby-eyed demon, his heart skipped a beat. 

He’d taken a sharp turn leading to a clear circular area amongst the buildings, gathering the courage to confront whatever he’d find past the walls of burning houses. 

The creature was there, dancing to the rhythm of the fire he’d created, swinging a polished shining black nichirin blade at the last survivors as his fiery hair floated on his head. Right as Giyuu stepped in his sight, the demonic boy swiftly pierced his sword through a defenceless man, grinning as blood dripped down the length of his blade. 

Half of a building collapsed under the heat to Giyuu’s right, forcing a rush of air and ash to lift the sides of his haori, waving like a flag announcing his presence. 

The demon took a side step to face his new opponent, red eyes burning like two embers encrusted in his skull, his fire hair standing proud on and around his head like the flames of a pyre rising to the night sky and forming a halo of destruction around his beautifully shaped face. The demon passed a tongue over his full lips before biting them, eyes running over Giyuu’s body, devouring him with a simple look before stopping to stare deep into his eyes. 

Long patterns of intriguing yellow to red fading flames were tattooed all over the boy’s tanned skin, starting from his forehead and slivering all around his limbs and stomach, tracing the edges of his body and following each curve, embellishing them. The demon wore a stylish cropped kimono that was distributed over his body in a dispatched manner. The low collar revealed an appealing and strong neck, highlighting its shape by the black fabric itself adorned with gold at the edges. A few green squares had been placed at diagonals on his torso, barely noticeable as they blended perfectly into the rest of the green sewn in the outfit. The kimono possessed detached sleeves: two black fabric armbands that started at the demon’s upper arm, at the base of the bicep, then flowed like a traditional kimono up to the elbows, where they hung and flew as he moved, like two dark wings decorated with green and bright red flames that curled around each other. Golden smoke had been added to the clothing, making its elegance pop out. 

Gaze dropping back onto the boy’s torso, Giyuu could easily see his bare belly, skin way too smooth to be of any natural provenance, decorated at the top — over the ribs — by a thicker gold plate that seemed to be harder than the rest. A circle made of red rope rested on the golden surface above the demon’s solar plexus, before its sides unraveled and went all the way around its wearer’s rib cage. 

If Giyuu’s eyes let themselves fall any further down the sculpted frame, his gaze would be met by normal hakama pants, only much more stylised by rich patterns identical to the upper part of the outfit. Although they seemed normal yet refined, the fact that the demon did not wear any shirt to tuck into the belt made it look highly provocative and as rebellious as the tip of his fiery hair. The way the lower part was fitted around the boy was via a red rope identical to the one on his torso only thicker, curling around his shapely hips and leaving little to imagine of their curve and smoothness. 

The demon did not adorn any bracelets or necklaces as his whole body seemed to be the jewel, except for two hanafuda earrings portraying a rising sun. 

The sight of them struck the pillar in the face, triggering a river of memories to re-emerge at the surface of his consciousness. 

Six years ago, after failing to capture Muzan, he’d met a boy. A very scared and helpless boy who’d just lost his family because Giyuu hadn’t arrived on time to save them. The boy had looked at the pillar with two red yet so kind eyes as the snow fell and left icy flakes in his burgundy hair, lips curled and eyes watery from the hurt of his heart as he begged Giyuu to spare his little sister. The pillar recalled having never felt so guilty at the idea of wanting to kill a demon, and had finally decided to let the girl live as her brother held her in his arms and tears rolled down his face to soak his already wet scarf.

“Thank you.”

As he looked into the demon’s eyes, Giyuu knew. He knew the other remembered as well. The fire demon eyed him intensely, as if debating whether or not he should attack. He plunged his eyes in Giyuu’s again, scanning his gaze for any friendliness or weakness. But the water pillar remained of stone, not willing to show any more pity or emotion after witnessing such a bloody sight. There couldn’t possibly be anything left to save inside the boy; he was gone, his body and mind abandoned to the hands of a vengeful monster ready to tear flesh and guts to find food and enjoyment. Yet something sparkled into the demon’s eyes as he took a step forward, something clear and innocent, some remnants of a life that had long faded behind him. 

However, the pure idea that may have appeared in his mind faded and a warped look returned to the boy’s face. Soon he was sliding his sword agilely through the air, cutting a trail of smoke as his stare darkened and glistened with craze. 

Kicking himself forward on his strong leg, Giyuu wasted no more time contemplating; he wouldn’t get anything out of it. He’d been nice before, and all it led to was more deaths. If he’d killed the boy that day for transgressing the law and trying to protect a demon, hundreds of innocent people would still be alive. Once again, Giyuu thought with a pinch to the heart, his kindness was only rewarded by another blood bath. 

He gripped his sword harder, jaw and teeth clenching as he charged. It would be the last time one of his mistakes led to other people dying in his place. If he let go of the gorgeous boy again, he would never forgive himself. He needed to end things now, before his heart tricked him into more twisted action. 

Swaying his blade towards his opponent’s neck, he aimed for the one and unique fatal blow that would avenge the deaths of thousands of humans. Feeling the flow of strength gained by his breathing technique, he put all his will to kill and need for redemption in his attack. His blade slid majestically along the curve of the boy’s neck, in the same way a waterfall grazed the rock of its bed before drifting away. 

And just like that, he missed.

His heart stopped to mark the realisation, time slowed and in a split second Giyuu’s eyes caught the glimpse of two red burning irises, staring up at him as the demon revealed a malicious shimmering grin sharpened by long and refined canines. 

In a heartbeat, Giyuu’s world became blurred and grey as a blaze of thick smoke formed a dark intoxicating cloud around him. He coughed, lungs assaulted by the sting. The gloom progressed around his body, cutting out his sight and options as the pillar was forced to lower his position to get the slightest hint of air. His blade hovered around the ground as his eyes darted all around, trying to guess from where the demon would strike. He waited, but no attack came. The monster was playing with him, savouring his slow suffocation slyly. Every so often a shadow would appear from the wall of smoke, before immediately fading back into the thick grey mass. Giyuu’s eyes and throat burnt, he was leisurely choking onto the ashy air, feeling his vision blur and legs twitch as strength evaporated from his body. 

His opponent had lured him into a trap, a vicious subterfuge, which matched the boy’s bewitching appearance perfectly. The demon had been able to seize his attention with a single blink of his smoky eyes and now Giyuu found himself near collapsing onto the ground covered in ash and debris. 

“Show yourself already.” He slurred through the sultry atmosphere, hoping his silent prayer for deliverance would be fulfilled before his legs failed him. 

He couldn’t run away, the heavy cloud followed his every movement, twirling around him as if he were the eye of a hurricane, confusing and losing him into its complex curls and coils of thick silver particles. 

A sudden strike fell from above, forcing the pillar to roll onto the ground to dodge the hit. Two bare feet came in contact with the floor next to his head, pushing him to slide his sword across the floor to try and cut the flexible ankles. As he’d guessed, the other dodged and disappeared like a trail of smoke to stand his grounds a little further. Giyuu set his feet flat on the ground and arched his back to propel himself back up as his hands seized his blade fully. Not losing a second, he attacked, raising his sword as powerful curls of fresh blue water emerged from the sharp edges. He let the tumultuous flow guide his hand, roiling like a torrent, slitting and splashing around until the revitalising wave of energy ran out and he had to stop to breathe. 

His long black hair was wet at the tips, proof of the wet blizzard that would always depose itself on him after an attack. Dry smoke chased by the humid mist, the atmosphere became bearable again. Giyuu could nearly make out the dark silhouette of the demon pushed back into a corner, partly concealed by a roaring pyre. The creature gracefully extended his leg forward, toes pointed elegantly like a dancer’s, before he slowly set his bare foot down and shifted his weight onto it. The water pillar swallowed with difficulty, eyes trapped and body hypnotised by the mesmerising movements of the demon. Every inch of his body seemed made for war and seduction, muscles shaped and sculpted like a statue’s, rolling smoothly underneath his skin as he moved silently towards Giyuu. Like a royal animal, he crawled to close half the distance between them before bringing his feet together and straightening his back. 

Squatting like this, with so much of his sun-kissed skin revealed, the beast looked like a prince out of traditional legends, only much more appealing and perverted. His whole body representing a sin one should never commit to the risk of losing their precious life over it. Eyes red like ruby and glowing in the dark like the night’s sun, he leisurely and almost lazily stood up, letting his free hand brush over his thigh as the other stretched its fingers around the grip of his obsidian blade. 

With the gleam of the yellow flames warming the air behind him, Giyuu would’ve sworn the boy was the conflagration himself; intense, hot, beautiful and hypnotic as well as dangerous and deadly. He found himself so engrossed in every movement and twitch of the demon that heat spread to his cheeks. The temptation his opponent radiated wasn’t natural, yet it worked just fine to lure humans into traps. 

The boy shrugged at him as his full lips parted to reveal a shining white grin. He brought the opaque black blade to his chin, giggling briefly as if Giyuu had done something funny. 

In less than a second, the childish smile had turned into a devilish growl of rage and the monster was high in the air, claws out and sword brought back behind his head, ready to slash and pierce through his opponent. He descended with speed, swaying his weapon at Giyuu. 

The pillar dodged in extremis , bringing his own katana in front of his face to defend himself. He felt the boy’s strength as their blades collided, the metals sizzling against one another as bright sparks accompanied the action. Eyes riveted on each other in the brief instant, Giyuu could make out the up close details of his adversary: a delicate, round yet pointy nose fixed between two spellbinding ember eyes, above a refined cherry mouth surrounding a perfectly aligned set of ivory teeth. 

The demon pushed back against the pillar with his foot, propelling himself away from him. Right as he did so, a searing hot pain fired through the young man’s waist. He growled in suffering as his hand instinctively flew to cover the wound. A glance down at his palm indicated him of the presence of a shallow cut which had pierced through his uniform to slice the flesh of his waist. A slight stream of carmine ink started dripping from the injury, pearling down the fabric of his clothes and leaving sparse darker spots onto the filthy ground. Sucking a sharp breath in, Giyuu lifted two sapphire eyes into the demon’s, pinching together his thin rosy lips. 

The demon raised his eyebrows, casting him a superior look filled with deviousness and pride. Chin high, he shrugged indifferently. However, Giyuu spotted the change in rhythm to his breathing as soon as the boy’s look brushed over the fresh blood. He saw the carnal desire to devour grow and growl inside the demon as he flicked his snaky tongue over the prominent sharpened canines poking out of his half-opened mouth. The ignited spark of bloodlust in his glances did not lie; the beast inside him was hungry. The need to consume human flesh visibly sweltered him, wrapping around his mind and guiding his blade as the boy charged forward like an explosion of blaze. 

Giyuu strengthened his base, ready to take hits after hits. He lifted his sword and parred, fenced and swung, stable like a statue as he kept his opponent in check, repelling his attacks with facility as the years of training beat into his muscles resurfaced and chased the panic away, installing serene, steady calm in his mind and body. Like the calm before the storm, he defended himself, his swings getting more and more precise and powerful as his opponent growled in rage and added his long nails to the fight, attempting to scratch Giyuu’s head. 

Even as disheveled and out of breath he was getting, the water pillar couldn’t help but be mesmerised by the demon fighting him. The boy may have been a complete beast, something savage and ruthless only driven by bloodthirst and vengeance, he nonetheless looked as gorgeous and beautiful as the sun, not even doing a single effort to seem elegant. He naturally was. The detached sleeves of his kimono batting like wings as he attacked, his form and shape equalled one of a divinity. Something way too radiant to even touch. 

Yet Giyuu’s blade kept slashing, trying more and more desperately to pierce through the monster. But the demon remained untouchable, way too agile and swift to attain. Ungraspable like smoke, he seemed to slip through Giyuu’s fingers only to swelter him better the next second. 

A mix of heavy breaths and the sound of sword clinking against one another filled the area, the two of the fighters unable to overcome one another’s skills. They suddenly broke apart, Giyuu gasping as raspy air filled his lungs. 

Tracing a large wheel of fire as he twisted in mid air, the alluring creature let out an angered growl. He landed agilely amongst the debris and ash, hooking his burning gaze into Giyuu’s. In a swift motion of his deft wrists, the demon had slashed through a rock falling from an incinerated house, his fiery irises not leaving his opponent once. A satisfied smirk spread across his lips, a quick shine passing over his pupils, so intense it might have been a reflection from the blazing pyres around them. 

Gathering his concentration, Giyuu bent his knees, ready to strike another blow if the monster came any closer. He could feel sweat pearl down his temple, running along the curves of his face to come drip from jaw to the ground. His breathing was short, and he was having trouble keeping calm as he felt his stamina progressively run out. His energy was slowly flowing out of his body, like a balloon filled with water that someone had popped for a laugh. He felt tricked, as if the demon were playing with him, toying him around and making him think he could win, when in reality he had no chance. Giyuu was out of breath, knees tired and chest lifting heavily and quickly. What if his opponent was much stronger than he thought? The pillar was confident in his ability to fight, but was that enough?

The answer came from his adversary, who stood back up straight and started twirling his obsidian blade, spinning on himself with a wide grin, as if he relished in the fire and destruction he’d caused. 

“You’re nowhere near done, are you?” Giyuu wondered out loud, his voice a hoarse whisper in the heavy atmosphere. 

The demon stopped spinning to look at him, his tiny thin pupils dilating as he focused his attention on the words. He let his head hang a bit lower towards his left shoulder, actually looking like he was processing what he was told. The sight smacked the pillar in the face; the reaction was strangely human. It was as if this monster before him still had the ability to listen, as if he were capable of controlling his bloodlust and paying attention to what others said. 

Parting his lips slightly in a small ‘o’ and bringing his chin forward, the demon half-closed his eyelids and focused his smoky eyes in his opponent’s. 

No.”

One word. A single syllable. Harsh yet soft, rolling off his tongue and past his lips like an ultimate judgement no one could revoke. 

Giyuu stood on the bloodied ground, jaw dropping, dazzled and utterly confused. The ethereal sound of the demon’s words still echoed in his head when the monster straightened his back, eyeing him with a sort of curiosity unusual to his kind. They never seemed to take interest in anything apart from eating humans. But this one, this demon, he was just like other slayers had described him as: not normal.  Different. Special

Fiery mane still upright on his head, he took a step forward. A cautious, careful one. His tanned toes touched the ground first, then his foot, followed by his knee and leg, his motion as captivating as fire could be. Giyuu remembered staring at the fireplace for hours when he was younger, hypnotised by the dancing strands that licked at the logs hungrily. Every movement of his adversary seemed calculated perfectly to absorb all the surrounding beauty and redirect it to him, as if he were the sun in a dark galaxy of planets that appeared pale and tasteless next to him. 

The pillar didn’t move an inch when the demon took another step closer, nor when he followed with another one, or the next one, and so on. Until the demon was close enough for Giyuu to study every single reflection of the burning houses on his dark golden skin, so smooth the man would’ve sworn it was made of pure melted gold. He observed the cherry lips, the way the agile tongue kept them hydrated even though the boy seemed to be burning from inside. His deep blue eyes rose to anchor themselves into the sparkling embers, now fended in the middle by a growing black pupil that only got wider and more expressive as he approached, turning his fire gaze into a never ending blackness that absorbed every highlight around him. 

Stopping in front of his opponent, the demon eyed him intensely, which led the pillar to note the latter was shorter than him. He had a small up turned nose and a pretty round yet slim face, his eyes were big and drowsy although as piercing as arrows. Their faces now only a few inches apart, Giyuu noticed the subtle steam coming out of the boy’s mouth and nose as he breathed, like the many dragons the pillar had had the chance to observe on rich tapestries throughout his travels. And as if the demon had read his thoughts, he shifted closer to sew their lips together in a hot kiss that burnt the inside of Giyuu’s mouth. 

He did not pull back, nor made the slightest effort to get away. He was tired, hurt, sad and desperate for a love no one ever gave him, until this day. He closed his eyes and let it happen, let the demon own him and claim him his for a brief moment, let his deft tongue slide inside his mouth and burn his so gently he wanted to melt into the boy running his fingers and sharp nails through his disheveled long black hair. 

The distant sound of a blade clattering on the floor at his feet reached him through the wall of heat blurring everything together, but he ignored it. He wasn’t even able to tell whether it was his nor not. He didn’t care in the slightest. 

The answer offered itself to him as he felt his own palms come to caress the smooth skin of the demon’s face, tracing over the perfect cheekbones and then rushing to the rebellious fiery hair that he’d been wanting to run his fingers through all this time. 

He felt he was being swung off his feet, lowered onto the greyed floor and laid atop of. A brief opening of his eyes taught him that he was effectively on the ground as the demon rested his desired body all over Giyuu. The beast pulled away for a second, eyes glistening when they met his fighting partner’s again. He growled softly when the pillar rubbed his nape and pulled him down for another spicy kiss that reminded Giyuu of the hot peppers he could sometimes find in the piquant meals made by his mother. 

Bright spots of white started to appear in his vision, soon followed by an unbearable burning from his lungs that indicated him he needed air. 

Giyuu pushed back against the demon’s torso and threw his head back to inhale avidly through his mouth the slightly fresher air he needed in order to remain conscious. He panted heavily, feeling pearls of sweat drip from his temples to fade in his long hair now spread on the ground. Eyes closed, he tried to push the need to pass out and kept breathing, conscious his neck was entirely exposed to the demon above him. As if on cue, the boy’s teeth came to brush over the sensitive skin, reddening it even more. The boy slid his tongue from the base of Giyuu’s neck, above his collarbone, up to his jaw, tracing a burning line that left a bright white path, sign of a strong burn. Giyuu whimpered when he felt the skin tint itself in an itchy forceful red and the sting of such a singe come to life on his delicate skin. 

A short whimper left his throat, a thing which hadn’t happened in years. Another one followed as the demon licked another line, this time from his clavicle to his ear.

Contradictory thoughts fused in Giyuu’s head. He wanted the suffering to stop; it was searing, unbearable, dangerous. But at the same time his body relished in the pain and craved more, enjoying the scorching burns so hot they felt like ice on his skin. He didn’t know if it were this way because he wanted to punish himself for not having arrived on time, for not having gotten rid of the monster as quick as he saw him, or if he simply liked to feel something other than emptiness and remorse. 

Back arching, he felt the demon pin his wrists to the floor with inhumanly strong hands that seemed made of steel. Before Giyuu could wriggle out of the deathly grip, he felt something brush up his inner thigh. He gasped when he realised the demon had pushed his knee between his legs, stopping before it could become painful. 

The pillar felt himself shudder, unsure of what to do next. He plunged his eyes in the boy’s, feeling his body boil and evaporate under the intense gaze. The demon’s pupils had retracted again, bringing out the hostile shapes of his features. He didn’t look any less gorgeous; just threatening. Giyuu’s breathing sped up, his chest lifting heavily with every breath as he sensed his heart thump against his rib cage, as if screaming at him to run for his life right there and then. 

But no movement followed, the pillar completely deaf to his own body’s warnings. He simply stayed, not resisting nor giving in as his watery eyes battled the fiery irises atop him. With an ardent look, the demon connected his forehead to the human’s, breathing heavily too as Giyuu realised the boy didn’t have any more of an idea as he did of what was happening. The two of them naturally moved to hook their lips into a kiss, extinguishing the will to fight and igniting the spark to love. 

The smoke lessened around them, as if their mute agreement to set the need to kill aside just for a second had gotten to the air as well. 

Hands roaming over each other’s body, the two fighters laid on the ground, tongues battling one another and teeth clashing. The taste of blood spread through Giyuu’s mouth, and he would’ve been completely unable to tell whether it came from him or the divine boy. 

His fingertips came in contact with something very soft, which Giyuu guessed to be the demon’s exposed stomach. He trailed his hands there, rubbing the skin in small circles and stroking it as the boy made a sound worthy of a symphony in his mouth. Giyuu’s eyes fluttered open for a moment, and for just a second, just one, he swore he saw a young boy with no blood on his hands — innocent and kind, before his eyes fell back closed. He let his hands fall further down, until he discerned the slight dip then curve of his partner’s hips. He brushed his hands over it, savouring the sensation of something so smooth and precious under his fingers. 

Another small thrust from the boy’s knee into his crotch made Giyuu whimper and quiver, feeling a shock of excitement release from between his legs to the rest of his body. From that point on, every caress from the demon became a source of pleasure, his hands carrying a malicious bliss with them as they roamed and discovered the pillar’s body like no other pair of hands ever had. 

Giyuu did not know how much time had passed. It might have been hours or only a few seconds, but what he knew was that a delightful feeling like this one couldn’t last long. 

A piercing screech came from behind the demon, forcing him to let go of Giyuu’s swollen and parched lips. Leaving them apple red, the demon sat up on the injured and bloodied slayer, his legs straddling his hips as he twisted his neck to look behind him. 

Another demon was there, eyeing his companion with a disapproving look. Blue lines crossed his face from the sides, dark and ominous in contrast with the pale pink of his short hair. He growled at the fire demon, who only showed teeth back. Descending from the mass of gravel fallen from one of the surrounding houses, he approached the pair, his blue and yellow unusual eyes focused on the water pillar, incredulous. As soon as the new arrivant closed the first few steps that separated him from the two fighters, Giyuu’s heart started racing in his chest again; this looked oh so much like one of Muzan’s Upper Moons. The demon shifted much closer, his muscles shining eerily in the red light. He stopped a few meters away from the pair. The weight was suddenly lifted off Giyuu’s chest as the fire demon stood up, placing himself as a barrier between the pillar and his companion.

Not him.” 

This voice again, seeping inside Giyuu’s brain and subjugating him like a slave. It took him a second to process the words themselves, too busy trying to breathe through the pain of the burns covering his body. 

“Why not?” The new arrivant asked. 

The fire demon made himself bigger, a warning thread of steam escaping his mouth before his irises eyed the water pillar still immobile on the ground. 

Let me live.”

The demon with pink hair glanced over at the human, before muttering to himself:

He let you live?”

Only receiving a nod from his fiery companion, the Upper Moon shrugged as he hissed in disapproval. He suddenly turned heels and disappeared through the curtains of flames, inviting his partner to follow him with a movement of the shoulder. The latter casted a last glance at Giyuu, leaking blood and sweating on the floor. Their eyes met, and an overwhelming sensation that it wouldn’t be the last time they did invaded Giyuu’s mind. The demon’s chest lifted a few more times, as if he were judging whether to leave now or not, his golden skin glistening amongst the embers at his feet. Finally, he turned around and followed the previous demon, his stylish kimono floating ethereally as he did. 

Giyuu didn’t move. He stayed there, laying on the ground as the smoke around him dissipated and the flames extinguished, finally having run out of things to burn. 

The searing pain wasn’t even gone yet he wanted to feel it again, to have the demon’s hands explore his body and burn him gently in a boiling embrace. In ways he couldn’t explain, this encounter had left him drained yet craving for more; he wished the torture would’ve gone on for longer. 

The loss of blood and accumulation of need of oxygen had left him deprived of all energy. Staring at the night’s sky, the pillar could feel his eyelids fall shut, when the familiar annoying click clack of light feet on the ground came to his ears. 

Dashing into the fighting area, Shinobu Kocho came to trouble Giyuu’s peace, like she usually did. 

“Tomioka-san? Are you alive?!” 

A shadow appeared above Giyuu’s face. He groaned in response and heard the woman kneel next to him. 

“Did that demon get you? Seriously, how did you even become a pillar if you’re no good? I mean—”

“Shut it.”

Contracting his abs to bring himself to a seated position, the pillar sighed. The flow of idioties and the constant annoying ringing of his colleague’s fakely high voice finally stopped. It wasn’t like Giyuu had been paying any sort of attention, he just hated it whenever the girl opened her mouth and preferred the silence of his suffering way more. Usually, he would keep quiet and let her rant about whatever she wanted and would ignore her as best as he could. Blocking out a constant background noise wasn’t that hard. But this time, he would’ve choked the woman into unconsciousness just so he could savour the last remnants of the fire demon’s presence around him: his hypnotising scent, alluring curves and mesmerising eyes, the destruction he carried around and the flames that burnt inside of him. 

Shinobu must have noticed the unusual behaviour, as her face contracted in a worried frown. 

“Tomioka, what did the demon look like?”

“Perfection.”

“Huh?!”

Giyuu twisted his neck so that he would be facing his colleague. He was supporting his weight on his arms behind him, not caring much about aggravating the wound at his side. He held her gaze, not flinching once, not even at her judging expression that clearly indicated she was suspecting something. Shinobu pressed her lips together, visibly thinking. Hesitantly, the doctor placed a hand on her colleague’s forehead, only to remove it quickly at how hot it was. 

“Are you under some kind of spell or what?!”

Licking his reddened and swollen lips, the water pillar pictured the gorgeous boy with fiery hair and burning eyes, his smooth and shining skin with no imperfections whatsoever, the way he swung his blade, danced around in the smoke and grinned in the moonlight. 

For the first time in years, a smile came creeping on Giyuu’s lips. 

“Yes, I think I am.”