Demon Slayer : The Silent Journey

Chapter 44: Fixing Giyu

Author : Double Chapter cause I'm so fucking nice.

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[Seiji's POV]

We went back to the house again. After cleaning Giyu's wound and determining that it did not need stitching, I wrapped bandages around his torso.

Then I let him rest on the futon while I leaned on the wall and stood in the corner of the room.

There was silence in the room until it was broken by Giyu. He started giving me the context I was asking for.

"I never did pass the final selection," Giyu confessed.

"There was a boy, his name a Sabito. His family got killed by demons the same as me and we grew up together under the guidance of Urokodaki. We quickly became friends and after years of training, we took the final selection together." he paused and his eyes became unfocused, as if he was looking back into the past.

"I was weak. I was pathetic. I was immediately wounded by the first demon I encountered. On the other hand, Sabito was strong and he had a heart full of justice. He saved me and everyone else who participated in the final selection. In the end, everyone passed except Sabito himself. He died that day."

"You see, I passed out immediately after my first encounter and Sabito had to protect me throughout the week. In the end, that cost him his life. Although I survived for seven days in the mountain and therefore passed the exam, I didn't kill a single demon. So could you really say I passed? "

"...." I did not comment and simply stared at his figure and the vulnerability of his eyes.

"It should've been me who died that day. Someone like me isn't worthy of being the Water Hashira. I don't even deserve to stand next to the likes of you and the other Hashiras."

They were heavy words coming from him - someone I considered to be one of the best Hashira. It was sad how much people could hide inside themselves.

Giyu truly believed that it would've been better for the world if he was the one who died that day. He felt like he robbed the world of a genius like Sabito who could truly make a difference due to his weakness.

He also developed an inferiority complex since that day.

The reason why he trained so hard and why he never stopped working was to compensate the world for the lives he had stolen. He tried to fill in the imaginary status of Sabito who he truly believed would've been a greater man if he was still alive.

"So you see, Seiji. I want you to take the mantle of the Water Hashira." he said and a single tear fell from his eye. It made my heart ache that the first emotion I saw took over his face was not joy but raw sadness.

"I don't deserve it."

...

...

Bullshit.

If what I knew from my past life and what I've seen in the past two weeks were anything to go by, there was no one else more deserving of the title.

But he didn't believe that. What can I do to conceive him?

I racked my brain, trying to remember what Tanjiro said when he experienced the same moment. I clearly remember him saying something to Giyu that ultimately resolved everything.

It was just one phase. But that was enough to remind Giyu of what was important and move forward from the past.

What was it?

"Life is all about moving forward." I said suddenly.

"...." Giyu looked at me in confusion, "..what?"

Shit, that was not it.

"I will answer your question later but first, tell me if these lines remind you of anything or give you flashbacks."

That was what happened in the anime. Tanjiro said something to Giyu which reminded him of what Sabito said to him in the past. Then poof, things were resolved.

The only problem was that I can't remember what Tanjiro said.

"Pain is a wound, and wounds heal."

"....."

Nope. How about this...

"To overcome tribulations is to become stronger. "

"..."

Still no?

"It's not about the people we lost but the people we save."

"....."

"The deaths of our comrades have meanings because we the living refuse to forget them."

"...."

"The ones who die have no regrets because they entrust their will to the living."

.. Nope that's from attack on titan.

"What are you doing really, Seiji?" Giyu finally asked.

Goddanm it. I can't remember the damn line.

Forget it, I'll just say what's on my mind.

...

"I'm saying that no one gives a shit about your sad story except you." I said. Was that too harsh?

Giyu had a visible reaction as he recoiled back. Yeah, I could imagine it was not a reply you would expect after pouring your heart out to someone.

But it must be said.

"Do you know you are the only one who cares? Do you think Sabito would ever regret sacrificing his life for you? How can you be so selfish."

"Sabito gave his life for you because you are worthy, Tomioka. He entrusted everything to you and it is your duty to live on and pass down thier will and memory. You can't just escape their trust and brood about how unworthy you are. You have to live strong for them and cherish the life they sacrificed themselves for."

There, I said it.

I saw his eyes go wide and his hand came to hold his cheek. I was uncertain whether or not what I said was good or bad.

But the silence was too awkward so I decided to give him some alone time.

"I'll make dinner." I said and went out of the room.

..

..

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[3rd POV]

*Slap!*

"Don't you ever say that you should've died again! The next time you say something like that, we are through. How can you even say something so selfish?"

The stinging pain from the slap Sabito gave him, Giyu could still remember it so vividly to this day.

"Your sister knew what she was doing when she sacrificed her life to save you. So don't you ever insult her choice or her memory again by saying something like that. You have to keep living, and pass on the future your sister gave you."

That was a conversation he had with Sabito a long time ago and what Seiji said reminded him of it.

'How can I forget something like that when it was so important?'

"I'm sorry Sabito. I'm sorry big sister Tsutako. Forgive me." Giyu said with tears falling from his eyes.

It took two friends to get that idea inside his thick skull. But now he knows.

It didn't matter what he felt because this was bigger than himself. Even if he thinks he is unworthy, he must keep on fighting for them and pass down a better future just as they did for him.

He owned them that.

He wanted to quit being a Hashira just because he was feeling bad about himself? Oh how truly selfish he was.

Now he knew better.

'Thank you, Seiji, thank you Sabito.'

'For being my friend.'

..

The next morning, thier journey together came to an end. Giyu's Kasugai crow flew around in the sky and informed him about his next mission.

"Giyu Tomioka! You are to hold an investigation in the village of Kamatsuka! Kaw!! Kaw!! Giyu Tomioka! You are to hold an investigation in the village of Kamatsuka! Kaw!! Kaw!!"

"Thank you for what you said yesterday. I couldn't even put it into words how much it meant to me." Giyu said with a bow.

"It's okay dude, I'm glad I could help." Seiji said with a flat voice that sounded exactly like someone who had not heard thier voice in a long time.

There was no emotion in his voice. It was only a cheap imitation of the contraction of the throat box.

Giyu smiled softly and gazed at the purple eyes of Seiji. He didn't like those eyes at first solely because it felt like they could see through everything but now he gazed upon them fondly. It was one of the only ways to communicate with his friends. He had to make sure those eyes were looking at him before he spoke.

"Farewell then, until we meet again."

"Until we meet again, Water Hashira." Seiji added kindly and this time, Giyu did not feel any insecurity because he had finally accepted the title.

The Water Hashira.

'That's me.' he thought to himself.

And then they separated. They were comrades fighting for the same cause but their respective journeys led them to different paths.

Giyu felt lighter than ever as he ran through the forests. Because for the first time in his life, he did not hate himself.

And he swung his sword, not for the sake of compensating but with a purpose.

All of which were possible only because of a certain purple-haired, purple-eyed, deaf boy.

..

..

..

[IMAGE]

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Author : Time skip starts from the next Chapter. As you all have voted, it will last around 5 Chapters with some details about what happened in those time skips.

Thanks for reading.