Fleeting Shadows (KNY x OC)

-20

A/N: Long chapter as it is a fight scene "ψ(｀∇')ψ

°~°~°~°

"You know, gifts such as what we have... are not to be taken advantage of, you see."

"Yes, master."

"And those who do not value the things bestowed upon them do not deserve them at all."

"That is true."

"Then what do you make of the girl you turned?" Plum red eyes began searing through the soul of Akaza, who is on one knee before the said eyes of demon lord himself. He had been summoned by Muzan to answer for Sayomi's refusal to accept the darkness within her and her complete undermining of it, thus rendering her utterly feckless and useless in Muzan's expectations to destroy the Demon Slayer Corps from the inside.

The demon lord had to admit to himself that her pathetic resolve to intentionally weaken her body by refusing to feed made it difficult for him to get through her. In his eyes, she squandered any potential she could've had and made a mockery of the potency of his blood in her with the help of the fugitive, Tamayo and Tanjiro, whom Muzan primarily targeted and would continue to do so.

And for that she had lost all value and must be disposed of immediately by the one responsible of changing her.

Eyes firm on the floor beneath him as he dared to avoid looking his master in the eye, Akaza exhaled inwardly and began his assessment regarding Sayomi.

"She was a perfect candidate like the Hashira I killed moments before encountering her. But you do know of my preference, master, and gave me special permission to avoid harming women. So I had made the mistake of thinking that she wouldn't be a waste since by the time she would have woken up as a demon, she would have no choice but to succumb."

Muzan's eyes narrowed threateningly at the upper rank on his knee before him, jaw stiffened in silent fury at the disappointing matter. He had always been aware of Akaza's desire to become stronger and yet he refrained from eating women when it could have optimized him to a great degree. As foolish as that sounded in Muzan's ears, he still had granted Akaza a pass but with the assignment he was about to hand out to him, that exclusive privilege would be revoked momentarily, especially with Sayomi now being demon thus making any potential immunity she had from being targeted by Akaza invalid.

Muzan averted his cold glower and turned on his heels, adjusting his cuff links as he spared one last glance at Akaza over his shoulder.

"You loathe weakness, don't you?"

The Upper Moon nodded with a solid yes.

"Then do not spare her, or stay inferior to the two higher ranks."

The words leave Sayomi's lips without a sound, her grip around her sword nearly crushing the hilt as the perpetrator of this rampage, who turns out to be Akaza, faces them fully. He scrutinizes Sayomi from his vantage point, scoffing as he detects some physical weakness that has not been there before.

His rampage of the village is all but show since he had caught her scent from a mile off and decided to lure her in with a 'distress signal'.

"He...doesn't seem like a lower moon, or I might be wrong," Mitsuri trails her eyes on Akaza as he descends from the rooftop with a powerful leap, his landing creating a crater-like impression on the ground and generating a small quake.

Sayomi's heartbeat quickens to a near unnatural level but it's definitely not out of fear, painful memories flashing in her mind at lightning speed. "That's..."