Third Person's P. O. V:

Giyu remains in his position with his free hand held protectively in front of the siblings. "Now, then, Tomioka, could you please move?"

"I don't... I don't think I'm disliked," Giyuu says, much to Shinobu's and the boy's shock. That's his response?!

Shinobu says, "Oh, dear! I do... apologise. You're only just hearing about this now, then? I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out this way." Giyu goes rigid with irritation as the boy behind him gapes.

"Boy!" Shinobu calls.

"Yes, ma' am?!"

"What you're protecting there is actually a demon. So please move away before you get hurt," Shinobu tells him.

"No! You're mistaken!" The boy says as h sits up and holds his unconscious sister. "Well, you're not mistaken. But she's my little sister! She's my sister, and that's why..."

Putting her hand to her mouth, Shinobu murmurs, "Oh, my! Is that really true? You poor thing! In that case..." Shinobu drops her hand as she smiles. "... so she won't suffer, I'll use a gentle toxin in order to kill her."

Shinobu holds up her sword as Giyu remains in his position. He asks the boy, "Can you move? Even if it's difficult, you need to go." Giyu adds, "Take your sister and run."

"Tomioka... thank you. I appreciate this!" The boy gasps, picking up his sister bridle style and whirling around as he takes off with her.

Shinobu stares at the Water Hashira in shock for a moment before she gives a closed eye smile and asks, "Did you... just break the rules of the Corps?"

After the siblings run off, Shinobu runs at Giyu but he deflects her Stinger katana with his own nichirin katana, sparks flying when the two swords make contact. Shinobu skids back and faces him.

"I see you're dead serious about this," Shinobu says. "Who would've thought a Hashira would defend a demon?" Giyu and I don't answer. Shinobu straightens up. "Whatever your intentions are, I don't feel like playing this game of stalling for time. And so, good day to you."

With that, the purple eyed demon slayer launches herself into the trees above Giyu and she begins to leap through them swiftly.

Giyu gasps, looking up. He whirls around and races after Shinobu from the ground.

When Shinobu flips from a branch upside down, she calls down to him, "Is this your attempt of catching up with me?" She lands on another branch and leaps up high into the air, butterfly designed haori swaying in the night air. "I don't have any objections to you trying to stop me, but don't forget, there's someone else to watch out for."

Giyu knew exactly who she meant but Giyu launches himself into the air after the Insect Hashira.

Shinobu's smile fades into a look of surprise when the Tomioka turns in midair and latches his left arm around her in a headlock, halting Shinobu on a branch.

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By the time Mika finally finds her boyfriend, after having tracked his scent, she pauses through the trees, keeping well hidden, at the sight of Giyu holding Shinobu in a headlock with his back to her.

Mika curries her brows, wondering what just happened before she arrived.

"Tomioka, there's something I wanna say," Shinobu speaks up, a tick mark on her temple. "Since the purpose of my attack was to slay a demon, it certainly wouldn't be considered a violation of the Corps. But what you are doing is clearly against the rules. You're preventing me from slaying a demon. What are your intentions here?" An exasperated expression appears on the blue eyed man's features.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself? This will be your final warning! At least give me some sort of reason."

She may sound happy, but Mika knew the Kocho was angry with Giyu. Mika also knew Shinobu would be angry with her upon finding out that the Cherry Blossom Hashira aided Giyu in protecting the demon.

The expression fades from Giyu's face as he looks up and murmurs, "As I recall, it was two years ago."

"Are you about to go into a long winded story from the past just to spite me? It's because of what I said to you earlier, is that it?" Shinobu questions, causing irritated expressions to flash across the Water Hashira's face.

Mika decides make herself known and startles the two Hashira as she suddenly appears. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, ladies," Says Mika. Giyu stares at his girlfriend in surprise, silently wishing she hadn't shown up in that moment. Mika gives a surprised Shinobu a wry, deadpan look. "Well, it looks like you're in quite the predicament, Shinobu."

Shinobu gives her a closed eye smile as she says, "It's not what it looks like, I assure you, Mika, especially since I knew you've always had a crush on Tomioka." This causes both the Cherry Blossom and Water Hashira to blush deep red.

"Sh-Shut up, Shinobu!" Mika snaps, her glare scaring Shinobu a little. Mika was just grateful that Shinobu still does not yet know that she and Giyu are, in fact, dating. They're just keeping it on the down low because Mika knows Giyu struggles to express himself in public, which she understands. If Shinobu knew they were dating, Mika and Giyu would never hear the end of the Insect Hashira's endless teasing.

"Forgive me, but Tomioka was just about to go into a long story about how he saved a demon two years ago."

Here, Mika meets her boyfriend's gaze, and sees guilt glimmering in them. He never wanted the Cherry Blossom Hashira involved in this mess.

Suddenly, a small blade pops out from Shinobu's left zori heel as she swings her leg upward to kick Giyu's face, causing both him and Mika to gasp as their eyes widen.

"Shit! I'd almost forgotten she had those in her shoes as well!" Mika thinks as she unsheathes her katana and goes to block the hidden blade with it.

"Message! Message!" A Kusagai crow exclaims, flapping towards them. This causes Shinobu to halt her attack, foot a few inches from the Water Hashira's face. Mika stops short and Giyu and Mika pause in swinging their blades. "I have a message from Headquarters! Tanjiro and Nezuko are to be taken into custody and brought back to Headquarters! Caw, caw!" Giyu and Mika gasp as they glance at the crow flying in a circle. "Tanjiro, wearing a green and black checkered haori with a scar on his forehead. Nezuko, a demon girl with a bamboo muzzle. Bring them back! Bring them back!" Giyu finally releases the female demon slayer as she retracts her blade and straightens up. Mika flips her katana around as she and Giyu sheathe their swords. "Bring them back! Bring them back!"

The three of them leap down from the trees and Giyu walks in between Shinobu and Mika. They start walking back as the crow repeats its description of the Kamado siblings.

Giyu takes Mika's hand in his and she meets his blue orbs. Mika knew then that they were in big trouble the moment they got back to the Master's estate.

The scarlet haired maiden squeezes Giyu's hand back reassuringly, giving him a comforting smile, while ignoring the feeling of the morning sun hitting their backs.

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Mika stands beside Giyu when they return to the Master's estate. The Kakushi had brought the burgundy haired boy, Tanjiro, and his sister back with us to face trial, as it's against the rules for a demon slayer to be travelling with a demon.

Tanjiro's hands had been bound behind his back with rope while he lies on his stomach on the cobbles, the other eight Hashira gathered around him, while a male Kakushi attempts to wake up the unconscious boy.

"Wake up. I said wake up! You gotta... hey! Can you even hear me?! Come on, get up!!" The Kakushi's eyes turn to frustrated animated white triangles as he clenches a fist. "Are you gonna sleep all day?! WAKE THE HELL UP, WILL YA!!" Tanjiro starts awake with a gasp as he looks up at the other Hashira. "You're in the presence of the Hashira!!"