36 Guilty curse

Tomioka Giyu descended the mountain, his steps measured and gentle. He had been informed that his sword was finally ready. And so was the grueling training sessions with the Stone Hashira, Gyomei, it had come to an end.

But unfortunately for Gyomei, his weapon had yet to be fixed, which made Giyu even more determined to return to slaying demons and work twice as hard to make up for Gyomei's absence.

His next destination was the Swordsmith Village. However, as he walked, a strange feeling crept up on him, like a pair of unseen eyes watching his every move. Giyu halted, glancing toward a tree nearby. Perched on one of its branches was a black crow.

'Unfamiliar.' Giyu thought, his brow furrowing. This crow wasn't his. 

For a brief moment, their eyes met, and the crow's beak opened. "Greetings, Tomioka Giyu!" Its voice was deep, resonant, and commanding. Giyu stiffened. There was no mistaking it, this was Master Ubuyashiki's personal kasugai crow.

"I apologize for interrupting you after such hard training." the crow continued, the atmosphere around Giyu growing heavier. "But a question must be asked, and an answer given." 

Giyu straightened, his expression serious. "I'll do my best to answer."

"Tell me," the crow's gaze seemed to bore into Giyu's very soul, "Do you know the origin of the mark on your cheek? How did you obtain it?" 

The question caught Giyu off guard. His mouth opened instinctively, yet no sound came out. A drop of sweat trickled down his face. 'The Slayer's curse…' he thought, the weight of it pressing on him. Finally, he spoke, choosing his words carefully. "I bealive I was born with the mark... As for how it was obtained... I do not know," Giyu lied, offering only part of the truth. He had never been skilled at lying, but this time, the words felt strangely natural, as though it was the truth.

The crow remained silent for a few moments, seemingly evaluating Giyu's response. "That is unfortunate," it finally said. "The potential that mark holds is incredible. Should you discover anything more about its origin, the Master requests that you come to him immediately." 

With that, the crow took off, leaving Giyu feeling conflicted.

He had lied. It wasn't the first time he went against the Demon Slayer Corps' beliefs, but it was the first time he had directly deceived his Master. Giyu bit his lip, guilt gnawing at him. He understood the mark's importance, how it was key to defeating Muzan. But he also knew of the curse that came with it, the mark meant certain death by the age of 25. If he revealed its full nature now, he would be dooming his friends to the same fate. 

It wasn't that Giyu intended to keep them in the dark forever; he just wasn't ready to place such a heavy burden on their shoulders now. He sighed, resolving not to dwell on it for now. There was still time before the others would need the mark's strength. When that time came, Giyu only hoped it wouldn't be him who brought such misfortune upon them.

***

Giyu's mood was somber as he arrived at the Swordsmith Village. The conversation with Master Ubuyashiki's crow weighed heavily on his mind, and to add to that, he had once again broken a sword only days after receiving it. He felt like a burden to the swordsmith who had forged his blade.

He soon reached the designated building, guided by his crow, and stepped towards the gate. Sitting there was a familiar figure wearing a red mask, the same swordsmith who had delivered his previous blade at the Butterfly Mansion. 

The figure looked up at Giyu's arrival and rose to his feet, carefully taking a wrapped object and walking toward him. "Good morning, Water Hashira-sama," he greeted, his tone formal. Giyu nodded in response, still feeling guilty. 

"I apologize for my sword failing you again so soon," the swordsmith continued, bowing slightly. "It seems I've disappointed you again." 

"No, it's my fault," Giyu replied, shaking his head. "Your sword was crafted with great care. I'm the one who failed to take proper care of them."

The swordsmith flinched for a moment, then a smile formed beneath his mask, though Giyu couldn't see it. "Thank you for your kind words, Tomioka-sama." he said, his voice softening. He handed the wrapped blade to Giyu with a sense of reverence.

"Thank you for your hard work," Giyu said as he accepted the sword, carefully unwrapping it. The blade was dark blue, much like before, and still bore the guard from his family. The craftsmanship was impeccable. In fact, Giyu could tell that this blade was even sharper and stronger, a sign that the swordsmith's skills had improved yet again.

"It's perfect," Giyu remarked, sliding the blade back into its sheath and securing it to his belt. After exchanging farewells, Giyu stepped out of the building, ready to leave the village. 

But as he made his way down the path, he was surprised to see a familiar figure standing in his way.

"Tomioka-sama!" Shinobu's voice rang out, her tone just as surprised as his expression.

"Kocho-san," Giyu responded, blinking in mild surprise himself. He hadn't expected to run into her here.

Shinobu smiled kindly. "I am surprised to see you, are you here for a new blade?" She asked with the same gentle expression she often wore in Giyu's past life, one that concealed her true feelings. Giyu had seen it many times before.

'She's doing it again.' Giyu thought, frowning slightly. She was hiding her true feelings behind that smile. But unlike before, Giyu didn't sense anger within her. Instead, it felt... sadness?

"Kocho-san, are you sad?" Giyu asked suddenly.

Shinobu's eyes widened in surprise. For a brief moment, her mask of a smile faltered, and her expression shifted, first to shock, then to something more vulnerable. Sadness.

"Yes," she nodded, her voice quieter now. "So, you could tell?" she admitted. "I... had a fight with my sister." Her words took Giyu aback. Everyone knew the two sisters were inseparable. The idea of them fighting felt almost... wrong.

Realizing this conversation wasn't entirely his business, Giyu considered stepping back. But as he noticed Shinobu's downcast gaze and the tears she was clearly trying to hold back, he felt an awkward sense of responsibility. A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead. He was sweating a lot today.

Though he wasn't good with words, nor was Shinobu obligated to share anything with him, Giyu couldn't leave her like this... not an old friend, not while she was hurting.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked, his voice gentle. Shinobu looked up at him, surprised once more. She hesitated, then nodded. When she didn't know what to do, she would usually turn to her sister. But now...

"Let's go somewhere else," Giyu said, noticing the growing number of people around them, mostly slayer corps rushing to and fro, busy with their duties. It wasn't the best place for a private conversation. Without thinking too much, Giyu gently took Shinobu by the wrist and led her away, leaving her momentarily startled. Yet, she didn't resist.