Total Drama: Liberation of the Slaughtered

((Authors Note: I'm waking up- - - to ash and dust- - - I wipe my ass and I slap ma nuts- - -))

Five years... and yet all of the events of he past still feel as though they had happened yesterday. 

Stepping off a boat and looking over a bright thriving island as birds flew overhead, and people chattered to each other around the docking area. Fresh sea water and winding laughter as everyone made their first enemies or friends. 

All of these bright memories were diminished with a dark shadow. A permenant membrance of pain and past agony. 

Yet, with all these small, fond memories lingering in his mind, there were whispers of those awful days spent in a living hell that had only stopped when they had been rescued. 

The dread that danced on his stomach, and the hours of waiting as time ticked by, wondering just who was unfortunate enough to be caught by the serial maniac that roamed the island and claimed 15 of their lives. 

Brutal, hopeless... awful. 

Disgusting. 

. . . 

Despite being over, it never really was over. Not to him. It never would be over, until there was closure.. and closer had not reached him. Not yet. There could never be closure with circumstances such as these. 

~ ~ ~ 

Cody paces around the darkened room of his small 1-story house. He raked his hands through his hair as he looks around the darkened space, feeling both unwelcome, yet so at home in this awful room. 

Barren, unlight, free of sunlight or warmth. Just like the days that followed the first death at Camp Wawanakwa. Everyday he was on edge, looking over his shoulder as he just couldn't help the feeling of being watched or just or judged.

The years following the rescue of him and the other 7 survivors were not pretty. Not for him. In a word full of pain, why would he of all people get it easy? Why would he have any freedom from these feelings that tormented him, and nagged at him still?

Ever since they were rescued... Cody had to admit he never kept in contact with the others. Everyone that survived... they didn't hate him. He didn't think so- but for most of them, he wasn't their friend. He was just someone else who somehow managed to make it out alive.

It was... rather funny actually. In a way. Cody Anderson, a so called puny dweeb and even arguably pathetic boy managed to survive such an event  when tougher people than himself had been killed. 

Perhaps it was the survivors guilt kicking him in the ass. Maybe it was just him looking for a reason to feel sorry for himself, considering how little he suffered compared to anyone else. 

Cody had a knack for surviving. He just had this stupid motherfucking way of surviving a lot of what... would be considered impossible. Getting mauled by wild animals, getting harassed by others who antagonized him from time to time. Falling down ledges and carrying 3 other boys that were at least 2x his weight during one challenge. 

He himself was an enigma. How had he even survived that long? 

Perhaps... if he had died with the others... he wouldn't be as lonely as he was now. Contemplating his life, and remniscing over such traumatic events that he could have maybe opted to heal from years ago when help was being offered. 

The others... they didn't quite move on. But they were coping better than he was. 

Gwen dropped most of her gothic wardrobe, and started dressing a bit more like trent. Hell, she even managed to find a shirt exactly like his online a couple years ago... according to her social media page. 

She works with her younger cousin in a pet care facility. 

Good for her. She had her life... not together but back on track.

Because life goes on. 

Leshawna changed quite a bit. She cut her hair considerably shorter, and eventually invested in reading glasses. She was now in computer programming. Working on putting a game toghether. The main character was a ginger haired geek, with 'sick ninja skills' last cody read. 

Leshawna found a partner and he treated her well. They were making the game together, maybe? Cody wouldn't know. All he was sure of was that Leshawna was healing, as most of them were.

Because life goes on...

Duncan had found himself getting into office work. Something that no one ever saw happening. He never dropped his green and black hair, but over time- he let go of his piercings, and started dressing at least a little more casually. 

Commemmorating Courtney with his changes- he wasn't quite happy... in fact... his life was quite dull. But he felt closer to the deceased. Confiding in organization and planning out his life, even if it was just a little bit. 

He would get used to it... or... finish getting used to it. 

Because life goes on...

Katie grew her hair out, and put on a little weight. She works with her mother in the sweets shop. She had found herself a girlfriend, and even adopted a child. 

She had not yet come back to her usual chipper self- but she was trying. Visiting her best friends grave every single week. 

Beause... life goes on.

Izzy vanished for a long while, only coming back recently after passing a clean bill of mental health from the local sanitarium. She had lost herself after the events of the island, and due to not having much of anyone by her side anymore- she had tried to commit. 

She had a reputation for being crazy. Even if only a few episodes aired, she was looked at strange by many people after her rescue. 

Thinking she may be the killer, who managed to get free of the rightful sentancing she deserved... or something. Her and Eva got together sometime after that. 

Because... life goes ... on. 

Speaking of Eva... she had been effected the least negatively, but it effected her all the same. Eva didn't have close friends during the events of the islands murder spree. She wasn't close to anyone because of her brash attitude and aggressive nature. 

Even if she was inspirational. 

She had her own regrets. She was a tough, scary woman when provoked. Facing Chef Hatchet on many occasions. Chef, who was not nice on most. 

Eva was competant and capable... so... what stopped her from trying to kill or neutralize the killer? 

Maybe it was the fact that... even if Chef seemed crazy or scary at times... there was also the lingering knowledge that chef would not purposefully kill or maim them. (At least, of his own accord) 

The killer already took out several people before he would have been close to them. People that died not because they were SIMPLY stabbed to death or something. 

The killer was a sadistic maniac. This maniac loved to cause pain and make others distressed. Dead bodies were playthings. Along with the lives of the innocent that stained their hands red with blood.

Even so, she couldn't help but feel guilty. 

But... he got better. 

Because... 

be...cause. . . 

____

No. Life does not just 'go on'. 

Cody thought about the former camp mates that he forced himself out of contact with as he threw a glass bottle against the wall with a tired grunt of pain and melancholic misery. 

No. 

Even if life was always changing or 'ongoing' it never continued on. 

Cody was stuck in his own box. His own box of regret, and overthinking everything that had happened. He did always get attached too easily... way... way too easily... 

He brought his fingers up to the bridge of his nose, letting out a deep sigh.  "Everyone's gone ahead and I left myself behind... now I'm alone all over again." he sighed, before leaning agaisnt the windowsill, barely bothering to peer through the blinds. 

Still alone... out here in the outskirts of town. 

Biding his time as he waits to hopefully allow himself to heal from this trauma. Half a decade of freedom, and he was still trapped in his own cage, fueled by guilt and denial. 

In the end... the only reason he had not calimed freedom... was becaus he never let himself be free. 

Perhaps... he never would. 

Closing his eyes, he let his wet eyes rest as he flopped on his somewhat tattered cough with a low thump, a sigh escaping him. 

 With his exhaustion and lack of self care, he tired out quickly. Falling asleep where he sat within half a minute, his head lulled to the side and he found himself consumed by darkness.

((To Be Continued))

((IDEK if I will continue this.lmao))

Somewhere Outside Reality - Demon Slayer Fanfiction

Chapter Three

(Eenie weenie teenie weenie- **other lyric words**))

~~

Sunlight flood into a small room. A muted green carpet with a plush surface made for a comfortable sleeping space. Paneled walls and wooden accessories lie around the room. 

This sunlight was so warm and inviting. It was.. something of a breath of fresh air. It washed over the sleeping form of Giyuu with such a rejuvinating feeling it was almost like coming back to life. Nearly.

Eye fluttering open, Giyuu clutched his hands and tried to get the blood to circulate through them again. The feeling of static in his limbs was still immense. Hindering any serious movement from freeing him from where he lie. It was discerning. 

'Mmmn... it's warm... my head... hurts...' he found himself weakly grumbling. 

Finally persuading his body to move, he managed to roll over and sit up where he had previously been lay to rest. His back nearly felt as though it was bowing out- ready to just stop supporting the weight of the head on his neck. 

However, steading his hands on the floor- Giyuu managed to hold himself in place. 

'Where am I... what... happened last night...'

Giyuu looked toward a mirror that lie on the wall near himself, and tried to get a good look at himself. Figuring maybe he could understand what happened. He pondered- overserving his own form. 

Long black hair... his haori...black uniform... dazed golden eyes...

Wait...

Giyuu looked at himself in the mirror a minute longer. Something didn't look quite right to him. However, he couldn't tell what was wrong. He couldn't remember. He was so sure something looked wrong, but when he tried to force himself to remember every little detail, it's like everything went blank that he was looking for. 

He soon grew frustrated, still looking at himself in the mirror with a bit of confusion. 'Every time I try to... remember... my mind gets so fuzzy. My arms... legs... everything feels like.. static."

Giyuu had persuaded his body to pull his knees under himself. Just barely getting into a more mobile sitting position before he heard a door creaking and the sound of firm soled sandals on the wooden floor just in front of where the carpet ended.

The water pillars eyes shifted to the doorway- only for his body to shift from the sudden amount of shock that washed over him. 

There, in front of him- just before his very eyes- was Sabito. 

The gentle expression.. rosey ginger hair... a fox mask and his facial scar. 

The black haired hashira found himself not breathing for a moment. Breath hitched somewhere in his throat as he tried to find words to speak. What would he have even said? 

Everything spun in his head like a merry-go-round. Dizzying, and picking up speed. 

Overwhelming waterfalls. Pools of emotion found it's way to his lips as he tried to process the sight right in front of himself. He could barely utter a word, hardly urging out small whispers as he slowly brought his trembling hands up to his chest to clench at his aching heart. 

"Sa... bi... that's...  Someone is pulling a cruel prank on me... this can't be happening..." he was trying to convince himself that whatever was in front of himself was not real. 

He was seeing things. Mad. Dilusional. Crazy... 

Desperate and diluded. 

Despite this, the gentle face of his friend continued smiling as the other boy advanced in his direction. Surprise and denial were both soon replaced by guilt and the building sensations of shock. 

"Good morning... sunshine." The tender smile from Sabito made Giyuu's heart melt, only mixing with the confusing guilt and simmering agony that had made his chest tense. A throbbing heart of pain, being mixed with the sensations of fluttering. 

He was still in denial. No matter how much his heart tried to reach out to the other. Guilt radiating off of him. 

He started to speak again, tears falling from his tired eyes. "This... isn't possible.. I'm dreaming... this is just... a dream..." he barely stuttered out the words. Finding it harder and harder to intake oxygen.

Sabito knelt down to Giyuu, his face warping to one of concern. "You hit your head pretty hard, Yuu. You need to just take a moment and breathe..." the gentle voice of the fellow follower of Urokudaki murmured. 

Bringing angel soft fingers up to Giyuu's face, Sabito smiled more tenderly and gently brushed his hands over Giyuu's chin. The tired water piller seeming to be hesitant to trust such a contact from the other. 

"I'm glad I found you again... it's been so long...!"

Subconsciously, Giyuu leans his head into Sabito's comforting hands. His eyes closing as more stray tears made their way down his face. They poured from his tear ducts like a broken dam. Much like Giyuu was the epitome of. 

The water pillar was always being held together by a loose thread. A glorious little bow on a broken, ailing package. The second it was unrapped, the only thing left was the emotional mess inside. 

Tomioka took in a deep, strained breath as he brought his hands up to Sabito's hands, and kissed the back of one of them- caressing them almost with some sort of unknown desperation. 

'This all... it can't be real... you died Sabito.. but... I... I want to keep feeling the warmth of your hands. Your smile... is making me feel complete. I don't feel empty anymore...' 

Sabito almost looks empty for a second, before the same smile crossed his face as before. He leans forward, rubing his forehead against Giyuu's with a small smile playing at his lips. 

"You're so strong now, Yuu. You've done such an amazing job. I'm glad you progressed so much..." 

Giyuu's tears just started to fall faster, despite his eyes falling closed. He leans into the touch with a small sigh- trying free himself of the strained tugging feeling he had in his heart. 

Sabito's face fell to one of deep sincerity as he leans further in, whispering into Giyuu's ear as he leans his noggin into Giyuu again. "The other Hashira don't treat you with near as much respect as you deserve..."

Giyuu continued to listen to the sweet words of his fallen friend. Nearly tempted by them, their comfort to him was intoxicating... he wanted to believe them so badly. However, he couldn't believe them. He wasn't worthy of anything... he learned that much with how he had lead his life. 

Sabito smiled at him again, a little enthusiasm following his words as he clenched his hands around Giyuu's hands. 

"You've done enough... they can find someone else to be the water pillar. Come with me and travel by my side. We can get out of here... go see the world."

Giyuu was tempted... he wanted it so bad. The words were so tempting and the potential they could have... it was enamouring. He desperately wanted to say yes.

To say yes and free the Hashira from his presence- so they can have someone around that they can stand. To be with his best friend again... to go and do something other than chase demons, fail and shed blood. 

But... he couldn't. 

Giyuu's face seemed to grow distant again, as a flash of rememberance passed through his cloudy eyes.

HIS Sabito... would... never do such a thing.

Giyuu hesitantly looks down, before looking back up into Sabito's eyes. He wrapped his trembling, poorly functioning fingers around Sabito's own fingers, and felt his eyes welling up more. 

"You would really do that.... for me...?"

Sabito nearly seemed too eager to reply back, his face seeming to become more gleeful. Perhaps unnervingly so... 

"Of course..! We don't need to stay here... we can be happy ... together."

Giyuu closed his eyes, feeling some of his right mind coming back to him. He was a little less dizzy- now feeling a subtle anger building up in his aching chest. He let out a shaking breath, and his expression fell. 

'It really was... too good... to be true...' 

Taking in a deep, shaky breath- Giyuu opened his eyes- their normal - endless blue hue returning to them as he readied himself to speak. 

"Sabito was my best friend. The most dedicated man I ever could have had the honor of calling my friend..." 

The Sabito in front of him seemed to be getting the hint. His face fell to a pout, before reaching a grim, accepting expression. He closed his eyes, and the aura of wamth and love that came from him was replaced with a feeling of coldness. 

This, however, did not deter Giyuu. 

The black haired man continued, his face falling from it's more delicate expression to a firm glare. 

"You have some nerve... using my friends face, and voice. He would never, ever even dream of such things..."

((To Be Continued))

Somewhere Outside Reality - Demon Slayer Fanfiction

Chapter Two

((Bro you thought-))

Tomioka looks down to his arm, noticing that the lower half of his sword was now missing- no where to be seen. There was a sudden feeling of Deja Vu coursing through Giyuu's veins. Panic. Semblance of the past. 

It was almost as if he was living out information he had only heard before. Picturing it in ever sense possible, yet never able to actually get a grasp on it. Maybe until now. Dread was surging through him. Senses of impending doom and even fear. 

Was this what... Sabito felt...? It's what Kakushi had said happened.. before... before....

Giyuu shook his head slowly, trying to cure his frantic mind of the coursing thoughts that rought him havok and pried at his dainty psyche. 

He couldn't afford to give up here. The only words driving him were the ones he lived by. He didn't want to waste his sisters life and is friends lives on him giving into the system and lestting himself be bested by a demon. He needed to do more. Be more. 

But...

Maybe.. 

Just as Tomioka bent down to try and get into a position to run at the demon, only the good part of his sword in his hand now- he took a couple wobbly steps forward, bringing his sword up over his head  as he did so. 

This was met with, to no major surprise- a drastic failure to move forward much further- which sent him sinking to his knees in the sand not even 5 whole steps from where he was standing a second ago. 

This made Tomioka grit his teeth infrustration as he struggled. Using any  internalized energy he had left to try and pry his sleeping legs into awareness with the rest of his body. However, every little message he sent to his traitorous limbs seemed to fall in on deaf reception. 

He couldn't pry his clothed kneecaps from the soft sand- trembling as he sunk to his hands as well- struggling to bring himself up to move. 

The female demon walked toward him, her eyes seemed to be fixated on him. Lavender colored with red diamond shaped iris's. Locked on her pray. 

Much like how a cat looks at a fish it had spotted near enough to the shore to swipe at. 

She had been getting closer and closer to the water hashira- stopping right in front of him before kneeling down and grabbing his hair. This made Giyuu give a light hiss of disdain, as he lightly swung his body with all his might to try and get himself loose from her grasp. 

This didn't deter her one bit. The strange demon pulled him up to his knees- before using his ponytail to guide his head back. She seemed to be observing him. Unknown thoughts coursing behind her rather subtle expression. 

A stubborn glint crosses Giyuu's face as he squinted at her, one of his eyes closing due to the burning sensation he was getting in them. He refused to take his eyes off her. If she could approach that soundlessly in mere seconds, who knew what the hell she could do in even less time than that. 

'So... this is the water hashira, Giyuu Tomioka... I've heard a lot about him and his ... comrades.' it was a little subconscious thought. The scanning eyes of the demon looking the raven haired demon slayer up and down in ponderance. 

Giyuu felt rising tension spinning in his mind. Barely making an attempt to grit his teeth, he tried to at least move his fingers only to realize that at some point... he had dropped the other half of his sword and hadn't even noticed. Not until now...

'I can't move... my body... it feels like I am being held down with lead...' he let his face fall back to it's more loose expression- still unblinking at a creature that belonged to the existance of his sworn foe. 

He silently wondered what the demon was thinking. There had yet been a word out of her. Barely any expression or readable gestures...

He couldn't figure out a single thing she was planning to do him. He couldn't plan how to get himself out of this situation. 

The water hashira had already tried holding his breath so the smell that was subduing him wouldn't maintain it's effect... but that had proven to be fruitless. There was no results from that theory being tested... other than his lungs burning and the feeling of dizziness with his growing nausea.

The demon blinked at him a couple times, her face seeming to grow softer in appearance. She blinked at the hashira- her eyes shifting from her typical lavender color to a deep inky black with hidden red hues. 

'He hasn't blinked once... more than likely skeptical something will happen if he does. Smart... most of the time. However... this will just make my task easier.' The thought passed by the demon quickly, her eyes seeming to become more intense. 

Giyuu maintained eye contact with her, his challanging glance unwavering for the majority of at least a minute. 

However... something about the eye contact he had made with the demon gave him a feeling of... hollowness. He was trying to remember why he was staring at her.. and he got hit with drowsiness like a wall of bricks. 

He found his concentration wandering. Mentally adrift as his previous careful glance had melted to one that was somewhat dazed and unprocessing of the situation. 

The demon seemed to speak to him telepathically. She put her cold hand on his face, and stroked it a couple times- mentally ushering him a small, minut command. 

'Rest now, fretful one. There is no point in fighting now...' 

Giyuu's face relaxed, nearly shifting into her touch subconsciously. His eyes fluttered closed and the stern expression he held melted. Falling to one of ease and borderline contentness. 

The water pillar's body slumped completely. No longer being helf up by his barely functioning legs. 

'Just as a thought...' the female demon closed her eyes, and let Tomioka slide down to the ground slowly. She breathed in his scent- smelling the disdain around the Demon slayer. Not surprised by how tired he was or the bags under his eyes. 'This regretful hashira is no short of exhausted... his internalized pain... smells so enticing.' 

She kept her eyes closed as she gently set Giyuu downon the dampened beaches sand. She let herself traverse the depths of Giyuu's mind. A tormented man indeed he was. 

The trip into his mind was short, but it gave her the idea she needed to commence with whatever plans she had for this demon murdering swordsman. 

'Fret no longer, troubled one. I have seen the depths of your mind. Perhaps... we can be of use to each other... I needn't kill you.' she pondered the idea. 

Just then, the white skinned demon's body started to shrink, nearly to the size of the black haired hashira that lie on the ground motionless. However, she stopped and soon- her body started to morph- taking the form of a long lost friend to the troubled man below. 

Tender rosey-ginger hair, a long scar along the side of the face... a white haori, with a green and yellow under shirt. Black pants and similar colored socks. 

Endlessly blue eyes, and a fox mask to top off his garb. 

The demon had stolen the form of a young man, lost somewhere in the past. 

'Let's see... ah... I see him. The biggest source of our grief... what a charming young fellow.'

The demon seemed to contemplate before sighing and looking down at the form she had taken. She contemplated, thinking she looked a tad bit young. Closing her eyes, she morphed the form she took. Growing in size, the hair getting longer and the chin becoming more pronounced. 

Much better. 

The falsified form of a long lost friend, and fallen lover smiled a little bit down toward Giyuu, before his face seemed to darken. The demon within the facade whispered out with confidence- a slight airy laugh following the word. 

'But... worry no longer. For... when you wakem he will be right here. Waiting for you.'

((To Be Continued))

Somewhere Outside Reality - Demon Slayer Fanfiction

Chapter One - Crashing Waves

((Ah shit... here we go again.))

~~~

Giyuu had taken a walk in the forest to clear his head after a mission that Master had sent him out on. The mission was simple enough; find a demon- eliminate it, and go from there. 

The demon was on a rampage. A youngster with golden hair and burning eyes. Some part of the demon reminded Giyuu of the positive energy Hashira- Rengoku. Always there to provide a smile, even if the smile was something not apt at the time. 

To some degree, Giyuu would admit he admired Rengoku. The blonde fire hashira had always been brimming with passion and enthusiasm. Something that Giyuu lacked on both ends. One more than the other- most likely. 

Now was not the time to be thinking about these things though. Even so- no matter how often the Hashira of water would tell himself these things, he found himself circled in even more doubt. 

Avoiding making comparisons, because they are true. 

Thought like these would always nag on him. Seeping their bloodied teeth into his very cranium until there was nothing more left to do than accept his fate as the negative nancy of the Demon Corps strongest pillars. 

Amidst all these thoughts, though, there was a nagging urge to sit down- and take a break. It was almost a demanding sensation. His head had started to feel light and his eyes were drooping despite not feeling a slliver of tiredness not even two minutes earlier. 

Falling asleep in the forest was always a bargain. Either a madman, or someone desperate would be sleeping somewhere away from town, or at least other people. 

Alas, though- the sound of the chirping crickets and the ocean waves crashing into a small beach nearby seemed to soothe him. His shoulders were no longer stiff, and his deadpan expression had become less laced with stern-undertones. 

Somehow always thinking and pondering. Trying to reason with himself why certain things are the way they are. 

However, there were never anyconclusions ever reached. 

With a last sigh of exhaustion, Giyuu closed his eyes and leans back, keeping his hand firmly on his sword as he found himself sinking into a world of darkness and a lack of sense. 

This world being one that greeted him rarely as he was too busy fighting with metephorical demons to get a good amount of sleep most nights. Sleep was certainly most tempting. Almost too good to be true. 

~~

It felt like no time at all had passed. However, Giyuu was brought back to the world of the aware by hearing the sound of snapping branches and movement from somewhere nearby. Blissful unawareness bled into confused semi-consciouness. 

Naturally, The Water Hashira was up and on his feet, holding his sword in the direction of the noise. Or at least, where he thought he heard it coming from. His nose was overwhelmed with the sweet smell of Vanilla, Jazmine, and Lavender. All of them together... almost burning his nose from the sweetness of the scents. 

It was overwhelming. The faint smell of iron behind them.

The stone-faced man tried to make his way to stand up- however, his legs were already showing effects of whatever strong sedative was invading his nose. 

He had gone so far as to try and tuck his nose in his haori, but somehow, the smell was still penetrating through- making him too disoriented to move. 

Giyuu had managed to close his eyes and concentrate a bit on something other than the smell, at least being motivated to move. 

This had left him wandering to the beach he had passed that rested near the forest line. Freeing himself from these trees and gettting into the open air and open area would surely serve him well. 

The Hashira of water struggled, but tucked his sword into it's hilt, before making a quick staggering walk in his desired direction. The sound of the crashing water was getting closer and closer. He could practically taste the salt from the coursing liquid in the shining sea. 

The smell seemed to go down sunbstantially. Leaving Tomioka confident enough to turn in the direction he had felt eyes watching him from. 

This, however, seemed to be a mistake as the tiring smell came crashing right into his nose- leaving him almost too shocked to move. 

There, meager yards away- was a tall demon. This demon appeared to be female- with half a head of long straight hair- the other side straight but nearly bobbed. Her hair was white in color. She seemed to be wearing a simple white and red Kimono with floral patterns. The most notable features on her being the bleeding red flowers of assorted kinds- and the flower growing out of her mouth. 

This demon had red stitch marks coming from the sides of where her mouth would have been- a flower planted firmly in her maw. 

There were no words exchanged between the demon, and the slayer. This woman easily would have been mistaken as one of the spider demons Giyuu had helped fight if not for the fact that there seemed to be no spider like qualities about her in the least. 

Save for the color scheme this demon seemed to cater to. 

He tried to keep his wit, and he shakily moved his nearly slumbering limbs to brandish the weapon at the demon. The demon, in turn- seemed to make no attempt at communication- rather tilting her head in immense interest. 

His limbs felt like static.. it was hard to even keep his hand clutched around the hilt of his weapon- this made giyuu frown as he tried to maintain his more authoritative air. 

The sturdy facade was quickly diminished and reduced to false hope as he maintained his unmoving stare. His eyes were starting to hurt. The ocean breeze making his eyes itchy. 

He resisted the urges he got to blink. The demon showed no signs of movement, but it was clear that she intended to move sometime soon. Otherwise, there wouldn't be this feeling of tension through his entire body. Unless that was all just his nerves. 

Three whole minutes passed. No blinking... aching eyes, and burning sensations spilling all through his eyeballs. 

The smell coming from the demon's direction making him almost too tired and disoriented to pay attention. It was so... disappointing that such a simple looking demon was besting him without having moved a single inch to physically strike him. 

As a hashira.. it made him a failure. Weak. Useless. He is supposed to be fighting back, and yet he had not made a single move to advance against this demon. He was in control of his own body. He was failing himself in every way possible. Because some flowers were leaving his mind cloudy. 

He grit his teeth, becoming frustrated at his own incompetance. 

Tomioka, as a demon slayer, was always to make the first move. Never give the demon a chance to attack or strike first. If they strike you first, they already learned something about you. If you strike first, you usually gain the advantage. 

He couldn't last much longer. He needed to do something. His foggy eyes barely keeping level with the piercing gaze from the woman.

Just as Giyuu barely went to blink- his eyes straining from the light- he felt movement in front of him- and all of a sudden- his arm felt lighter. A rush of pain started to course through him- blood rate increasing to an unsteady  rushing through his veins, fueled with alarm.

((To be Continued))