✦ EPIPHANY - BY -C3NTURIES ✦

― "LET IT BE, OBANAI." kagaya's calm voice sounded, stopping the serpent pillar in his tracks.

"but, okayata-sama, he just interrupted you." obanai protested.

"young tanjiro is yet to understand how everything around here truly works. he did not have a malicious intent. my beloved child, you do not need to berate him." kagaya smiled.

obanai returned to his original place kneeling on the ground in line with the other pillars, and looked down.

"as you wish." he whispered.

kagaya nodded kindly, and turned to address all of the hashira.

"now, my children, let us begin the hashira meeting..."

to mitsuri, his voice trailed off as she got lost in her own thoughts. her thoughts were about the serpent pillar, obviously. she adored how loyal and dedicated he was to the corps, and how much he respected okayata-sama. not only that, she just adored him. just him as a person, as an existence. it may not have been obvious to him yet, but mitsuri would die for him.

"...and we are all aware that there is a possibility we will come face-to-face with muzan himself if we keep young tanjiro as a demon slayer. therefore, i request that you all look out for him and make sure others treat him with respect. however as well as that, make sure to remind him to treat you all with respect too. you, my beloved children, deserve more respect than anyone else in the corps. so don't be afraid to remind people of that."

mitsuri carefully looked down the line to the serpent pillar, whose hands were shaking like he had just stepped into the arctic circle. unbeknownst to her, he was questioning kagaya's very words.

'do i really deserve respect? after everything i've seen, everything i've done... i don't deserve this much.' 

as much as mitsuri wished she could wrap him in a hug and tell him everything was going to be okay, she couldn't do anything that would interrupt kagaya. luckily for her, the meeting was short and concluded rather quickly. as the hashira adjourned, mitsuri assumed her usual hyper-positive expression and almost tackled her fellow pillar to the ground.

"oh, hello, kanroji-san." he laughed slightly.

"ugh, iguro-san, i've told you, you can call me mitsuri now!" she jokingly frowned.

"then at least call me by my first name too." he protests.

"fine then!" mitsuri pretends to be annoyed. "obanai-kun, you seemed nervous at the hashira meeting..! are you okay?"

"i'm alright, don't worry about me." obanai waves dismissively.

"awe, but, obanai-kun.. you always seem so serious and unmoved... seeing you like this makes my heart fill with sorrow!" mitsuri frowns sincerely this time.

"it was nothing, really." 

mitsuri huffed with determination, taking obanai's hand and leading him to the garden of her estate. the two sat underneath a blossoming sakura tree, the gardens empty but not desolate.

"now you can tell me, since nobody else can hear you." she smiled, her hyper-positivity mellowing into a calm kindness.

"i can't say no to your kindness, mitsuri-chan.." obanai sighed.

"but i really don't think i deserve this much respect."

mitsuri gasped.
"obanai-kun, how could you think that? you deserve so much respect!"

"i hate to say this, but i disagree.. i mean, how could someone like me, raised from a sacrificial, selfish clan, grow to be such a powerful and respected figure? even after my family's been killed, i still feel like my blood is so tainted that i deserve nothing but what they got."

mitsuri's eyes welled with tears as her fellow pillar spoke.

"i know i'm nothing like them, and i don't want to associate myself with them anymore. but, i still feel like they're digging their nails into my skin, stopping me from going anywhere. i hate it, and i wish it'd go away, but i can't let it go."

"obanai-kun..." mitsuri whispered before wrapping her arms around him. "i'm sorry..."

'if only i could change the way you saw yourself...'

"i promise you're nothing like your family. you're so much better and so much more worthy of love.. please, never forget that!"

✦ EPIPHANY - BY -C3NTURIES ✦

― "KANROJI-SAN!" tanjiro called to the love pillar, tired and stumbling.

"tanjiro-kun!" mitsuri gasped, running over to the boy. "what on earth happened to you?! you look exhausted!"

"how the heck did you survive this training?! i'm dying!" tanjiro complained. "i get that it has to be difficult to become a hashira, but this is absolute torture!"

"oh, tanjiro-kun! please don't say that! you're doing so well! it just takes a lot out of you, since it's so harsh!" mitsuri frowned, hugging him. "i promise you'll be able to overcome it and become a hashira! i promise you!"

"oh, kanroji-san, i have a question!" tanjiro adds.

"really? please ask me! i can try my best to help!" mitsuri smiles.

"it's about iguro-san, do you know why he always has a snake and why it hates me so much?"

mitsuri laughed.
"tanjiro-kun, i promise kaburamaru doesn't hate you! he doesn't hate anyone, he just shares emotions!"

"are you sure? it hissed at me when i walked past, and always looks angry!"

"that's just kaburamaru being kaburamaru! i promise you, tanjiro-kun, he doesn't hate you!"

"well, that's good. i don't want to be hated by anyone, let alone snakes."

"where is kamado-kun?" a powerful voice called in the distance.

"oh no! not again!" tanjiro exclaimed.

"you can't hide from your training, kamado-kun! there's no point in trying!" the voice, easily recognizable as the flame hashira kyojuro rengoku, yelled.

"go! quick!" mitsuri laughed, ushering the reluctant boy. "before rengoku-san attacks you!"

"fine! if i die i'll never forgive you!" tanjiro yelled to mitsuri jokingly.

"if you die i'll never forgive myself!" mitsuri called back, laughing.

mitsuri heard footsteps behind her, and turned around to be greeted by a kakushi.

"kanroji-sensei, okayata-sama has requested to see you." she said, bowing.

"why, thank you for telling me!" mitsuri smiled, waving at the kakushi before rushing towards the garden.

✦ EPIPHANY - BY -C3NTURIES ✦

― "MITSURI, MY BELOVED CHILD." kagaya smiled at the love pillar. "i've called to see you specifically because i believe you would have the most rational reaction to what i am going to say. you and i both know the other hashira would have... a more outburst-type reaction."

"yes, of course, okayata-sama! what is it you would like to discuss with me?" mitsuri nods.

"i have received word that muzan kibutsuji is sending spies from the twelve kizuki to try and discover our headquarters. we know they already found the swordsmith village, although they were not victorious thanks to you and muichiro."

"however, i feel that there may be a disaster imminent. i admit, it's very worrisome. i am almost certain a battle will break out between the demons and the humans, and possibly declare a true victor. i fear that this battle would be the end of one race."

mitsuri's face fell to seriousness.

"i have decided to tell you so you can remind the other hashira to train the lower ranks further. i understand they may see it as torture, but it is the least we can do to prevent the possible eradication of the human race."

"of course, okayata-sama... i understand."

"although i know i may not live to see this battle, i hope that, if it does happen, that you and the rest of the corps fight until the very end, and finally beat muzan kibutsuji."

kagaya nods, and mitsuri bows to him before standing up.

"thank you, okayata-sama. i will relay the message to the other hashira immediately."

"thank you, mitsuri. my beloved child, i am eternally proud of you."

✦ EPIPHANY - BY -C3NTURIES ✦

➥TAISHO ERA SECRET
☆ okayata-sama believes mitsuri is the most level-headed hashira, since the others would absolutely have a super emotional reaction to his prediction !!