༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶

"What's stopping you?"

A voice slithered through her left ear, sharp, smooth, yet menacing as the owner of the voice gently slid their hand down her neck as if she was glass, gentle and elegant. "Why can't you break out of your binds?"

Her eyes glanced to her left, sharp and calculating before she furrowed her brows and was met by her own reflection, except for one thing, she was in her demon form. Sharp teeth, slit eyes, piercing nails, a sickening voice. It was as though she was looking into a mirror of herself, but seeing what she most dreaded.

"Don't let your humanity take you over." Her hand paused, and suddenly her cold breath halted. (Y/N) could practically feel her horrid smirk next to her neck. "That would make you weak, no?"

A new voice came in from her left side, the room now covered in darkness, her wounds vanishing, and yet her body remained in place from the cloth holding her down. "Your humanity is not what makes you weak." (Y/N) glanced to her left, unable to mutter a word as he human form stood beside her and determinedly furrowed her brows at her. "It is what gives you the right to morals."

"And yet it also brings as much destruction as I ever could." The demon suddenly spoke, her hand slithering to the back of her neck as it tilted its head at the human version of the halfling. "Humans have always been so naive...so capable of denial.."

The halfling had no room to speak, her mouth still covered by the cloth as the human on her right stood to its feet and glared at the demon, one of its hands gently hovering over the binding that came from the ceiling and forced (Y/N)'s arms to be outstretched either side of her body. "And demons are selfish, destined for hell from the moment they are born. Do not forget your origins, demon." It spat at the other creature, a scowl on its features.

The demon scoffed, rolling its eyes at the human before it crouched next to the halflings ear once more, receiving a deathly side glance in return, but the creature paid it no mind. "You see? We are constantly at war, back and forth in denial for one or the other" It paused, voice slithering through the halflings mind and tainting it with the threat of violence. "You are neither human nor demon, and so that gives you conflict on which one of us to rely on the most.."

The human continued, tilting its head at the duo, now coming to realise, the closer the demon got to the halfling, the more her eye shifted into a slit pupil and her nails began to grow just the smallest bit, and so, the human sat beside the halfling and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You want the power of a demon to protect and fight, yet the morality of a human as well as the acceptance of a normal member of society..." The human hummed to herself, watching the halfling turn her glare at it and it smirked.

The demon sighed, moving its hand to gently hold the halflings cheek, watching as her left pupil became that of her demon-formed eye, and her left hand grew patterns as the nails sprouted into sharp knives. "Unfortunately, you can't have one without the other in your case, so is it really worth fighting for who is the better one?" It sighed, tracing the marks on her cheek that came with her demon form as her right side remained untouched by its grasp.

The halfling shook her head away from the demon's touch, scowling at it under her restraints, the room around them replaced by an infinite void. The human sighed. "Don't be so hard on the demon. Unfortunately, it only speaks the truth." It began, crouching next to the hafling and taking a lock of hair into its palm. "You are, and never will be, normal, unable to fit into society no matter how hard you try. You will never have complete morals as long as there is blood to intake, and that works the other way around, too."

The demon spoke again, beginning to caress the side of her head. "You will never feast for blood as a demon as long as you understand your human morals. You will only fit into a society if you are completely human, but that also means there will be no society to fit into because no one will protect it from that man..." The demon spoke, taking a breath before smirking into the halfling's ear. "You can't have one without the other..."

"For you, this is your balance..."

"So, that brings my question from before...What's stopping you from getting out?"

"Your denial and emotions of being a human, or your ignorance and misunderstanding of being a demon?"

They both stood to their feet at once, making their way in front of her, their back turned against her. All of a sudden, they both turned their heads around to meet her, outstretching one of their hands for her. "So..which one will you choose?"

Her eyes snapped open, her chest heaving and her mind fogged with pain, blood never once ceasing from her open wounds, her body bound by cloth just as it was for the last few hours. Her body burned, and her mind was constantly blinded by the threat of violence, clawing at her brain until its nails dug deep into her consciousness and caused a shiver to run through her body.

She couldn't help but snap her eyes around the room, dust particles running through the air, the binds around her coming from all directions, the panelled floors stained with blood and rubble as gentle beams of sunlight fell in front of her form, coming from the upstairs window.

The beams didn't quite reach her, but they weren't out of reach if she just gave a step forward. They were so close, yet they still refused to touch her, as if they were reluctant..hesitant to reach the confused halfling.

She was confused. Should she show more of her humanity and give and feel all the emotions of the world, all the happiness, sadness, pain, joy, everything she has longed to feel for centuries. Live a calm life, possibly find a sort of love, friendship with the people around her, welcome the natural beauty of peace into her life after her selfish struggles?

But..none of that would help her protect anyone. Should she show more of her inhumane abilities, protecting those she loved from the horrid fate that would await most of them, just like how she was unable to protect Rengoku, her family..her mother.. Should she risk herself for the sake of everyone else, for the sake of Kagaya and Amane, who she took an oath to protect when placed in danger?

Her mind wouldn't wrap around the fact that she could merge them. How could two completely different aspects of her life blend and twist together to the point she could find peace and yet still hold the same desire for power? How could she seek to be a part of human society yet maintain her halfling blood remains flowing through her body.

How could she have one without the other?

She hissed under the cloth, a sharp pain suddenly coming from her arm as the cloth tightened around her. She couldn't even focus on healing herself fully. The marks Muzan had left on her were irreversible. She couldn't heal.

No, that's a lie. She could heal, its just not permanently, to the point it would be the same as before. Her eye had regenerated by now, but the scars that ran down her cheeks and past her eye socket were finished healing, yet they had lost over three layers of skin, leaving them to seem like old scars left from years ago, when they only happened a few hours prior.

She was still bleeding from a few of the spots, like her back, and the wound on her stomach was still leaving her breathless, but she was alive. She was able to keep going and she was able to heal, albeit slowly, but she still managed it.

She could only huff as the cloth holding her down tightened every once in a while to remind her of pain and reality. It did that to make her understand the situation, to make sure she understood exactly where she was and how easily they could strike her down.

To remind her of how powerless she truly is.

She closed her eyes, intaking a breath through her nose, attempting to maintain her composure in a time of normal panic. She needed to remain vigilant, unmoving mentally, unwilling to let any information slip from her lips.

And suddenly, the demon's words echoed through her mind once again, from just moments before.

"what's stopping you from breaking free?"

What was stopping her from breaking free?

She had the capability to break through, even from the pain. Pain was an old friend of hers, after all. She knew she should be able to push through the binds and run away without problem, and yet...something held her back.

Something stopped her body from ever moving, and when it did move, it made shivers fall over her body and caused her eyes to widen before she was put in place again.

It was his eyes. It was his presence. It was the memories he gave her.

Just the memory of him being there made her shiver, made her fear herself and everyone around her. It made her remember who she was, where she was below him, how powerful he truly was compared to a halfling like her, who didn't even know how to maintain her mental state.

She was afraid of what he would do if she did get away. Would he attack her and target her? Would he go after Tengen and the three boys? Perhaps after Mitsuri, Amane, Kagaya..all of them. Would he destroy all she had ever loved for the second time? Would he make sure she went through centuries of torture just like before?

The least he could do was kill her.

Suddenly, that shiver went down her back again, and she swallowed down under the cloth around her mouth.

She was scared of him- no, she was terrified of him.

She promised herself she couldn't feel any more emotions so he couldn't be linked to her ever again, and yet a mere mention of his name, the mere touch of his voice made her freeze. It made her more scared than she could ever manage to admit to anyone, even herself.

She became hesitant to even think of him, to even think she deserved happiness because she knew he could feel it too, she knew he could understand her weakness with a single glance. It was so easy for him, so simple to strike terror into her, even when she had an image to maintain among the kakushi.

The fearless (Y/N) (L/N), able to strike fear into the strongest hashira, look Muzan dead in the eye and not blink, the guardian of the Ubuyashiki estate and the Swordsmith village, the most skilled demon slayer to walk the soil of the earth for years, emotionless to prove her strength from just a glance.

But she wasn't.

She was delicate like glass, able to break apart from any mention of her past, able to flinch back from the mere mumble of Muzan's name. She isn't even a demon slayer because she is a part demon herself, feared in her own mind as she is unable to realise her own sense of being, denying herself of any expression because she was afraid to show weakness ...

She was far from what anyone expected of her, and only few could ever see that.

She wished they could all see it, however.

Maybe then, their expectations of her would stop.

She knew she should've been able to at least put up some sort of fight when Muzan arrived, but she didn't. She was strong physically, to the point she could take down most demons, but she lacked in her mental strength, and she understood that. She knew that if she at least had some sort of internal strength, maybe she wouldn't have been tortured like that. Perhaps she could have healed faster. Perhaps she could have come to the same conclusion earlier.

She opened her eyes, staring at the beams of sunlight, somewhat begging to be able to reach for them, even through her binds. Maybe then, she would feel more human..?

But then she remembered..she remembered the ones who could see it. She remembered those who were able to see through her and understand her true image. Kagaya, Amane, Mitsuri, Tengen, Tanjiro, hell, even Sanemi, Shinobu, and Giyu (at times).

She remembered who was there when she first arrived at the corps, as someone useless to society, only able to fight like a demon, and yet she was shown the kindest form of humanity possible. That is the only reason she is able to fight to this day, and she would never let that go, not for a long while.

Perhaps it wasn't too late to let everyone else see? Perhaps it wasn't too late to overcome her fear of Muzan and actually learn how to fight him like he would fight her- like a demon would. Selfish, greedy, bloodthirsty, all the attributes of a demon like him. Perhaps she could learn how to fight with that same rigour, rather than fighting a constant battle in her mind against how she should handle a situation, through the more human means, or through the disaster of a demon.

She began to pull on the cloth, leading it to tighten around her. She only gave a wince, but she didn't pause. She remembered how much she needed to protect those people, the ones in the district, and the ones at her home- the only people she was ever able to trust through her pain.

She tugged herself forward, the cloth attempting to hold her back, but with a shaking body, she remained in place, unmoving like a rock. Her head was pulled back, her brows knitting and her teeth gritting as the cloth increased its pressure on her, yet she remained still. Pain was an old friend of hers, after all.

Breaking free of these binds meant so much more than freedom to her now. Now, it meant the desire to keep everyone safe, to protect those she loved, to find peace in herself, and to overcome her greatest fear...Muzan.

She refused to be afraid anymore. She wanted to smile freely, and she begged to feel sadness and the ability to dwell and let go. She would get it, even if that meant exposing herself and showing the people she could feel just as much emotion as they ever could.

She clenched her eyes shut, giving a muffled grunt before she pulled forward once again, and soon, she pulled at one of her legs, managing to slowly and shakily reach it forward, in front of her so she was no longer in a kneeling position.

The woman then leaned forward, now supported by a new weight of her leg as she tugged once again, pain running down her body, and the weight of the binds pulling her back slightly, leaving her to shake.

She leaned forward once again, movements restricted, yet she still managed it, her head forcing itself down so she looked to the ground before she pushed herself forward with her leg, all before she heaved a tough breath through her nose. Her body lowered into a wide stance and her chest burned with the desire for peace, the desire to make her own choices from here on out. Not ruled by fear, only by respect and her own personal decisions.

She will protect those she loved, and she would avenge the names of those who she failed to protect. She promised.

Storm breathing, Fifth Form: Raging Inferno

Her body began to glow, small embers beginning to flow from her body, all before they exploded from her form all at once, and flames began to rage all around her. They didn't hurt, they didn't feel restricted, she just felt powerful. And she would use that power to protect everyone.

All of a sudden, with a wide flash of light and in the span of a blink, she had dashed forward, the cloth torn with the tune of a tear, and her feet skidding against the ground of the building, dust flying around her, and the rest of her wounds healing all apart from the scars on her face and back.

It all seemed as though it was in slow motion, the sound all around her and all the bustle of the streets halting, just for her to reopen her eyes, a bright light shining through her pupils and her lips parting in determination.

Time fell back to normal, and without warning, the cloth moved to attack her once again, but it was too late. She had already disappeared from the area, and was now perched on a far roof, standing tall on the tiles, looking down at the crowds with bright eyes and a parted mouth, only giving out a puff of red-tainted air.

She took a moment, crouching down with ehr forearms on her knees and her eyes looking down at her hands with parted lips.

Her new decision needed no more contemplation, her mind was made up, but she just needed a moment to recover from the pain, shaking her hands from any pain or lose tingling as she breathed out a small breath of air, feeling the new scars over her face.

She was about to take another breath, before a hand landed on her shoulder, but she didn't flinch, in fact, she welcomed his warmth. "Hey, where the hell have you been-" Tengen began to speak, but once she turned over his shoulder to meet his eye, he paused, eyes scanning over her scars. "What in the..That shouldn't be happening..right..?"

She sighed, standing up and placing her palm on top of his own, looking down with closed eyes. "It's been a long night." She cleared her throat, opening her eyes to glance up at the man, her lips still turned down. "Where are the boys?"

Tengen could see it. He could see a change in her, from the way her eyes finally held some sort of light in them, to the way she placed her hand over his, even to the scars over her face...He smiled at her, patting her shoulder. "They're out getting intel. But I wanna know about this." He leaned forward, his other hand reaching to trace across the scars over her face. "Come on, don't be shy now."

The woman shook her head, pulling away gently before looking away. "I'll tell you about it later, but what matters now is that we keep our guard up. Upper six is here." She spoke, squeezing his hand and looking into his eyes determinedly. "We need to evacuate the people."

Tengen flinched, eyes widening at her and jaw falling slack. "WHAT!? UPPER SIX?!" He cried, however, the woman silenced him by placing her palm over his mouth and nodding.

"Yes." She paused, looking him deep in the eye as she spoke, ensuring he understood. "I promise we will find your wives as soon as we can, but right now, we need to put these people first, understand?"

Tengen took a moment to respond, hesitant to answer. He wanted to know if each of them were all right, to make sure that his girls were alive and well, but he knew his duty as a hashira as well. The people came first. Tengen finally nodded at her, gently grabbing her hand and moving it away from his mouth. "Fine...let's get moving." His expression seemed downcast, obviously in worry for his wives.

The woman only lowered her lips at him before she nodded to herself and squeezed his hand, giving him a gentle and small smile. "I promise we will find them, Tengen. They'll be all right, otherwise, we'll raise hell, right?"

Tengen seemed surprised by her smile. He had only ever seen her smile once, and he was pretty sure she was drunk, so for her to be offering him a smile like that in a time where his emotions were only