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Y/N ACTUALLY FELT LIKE THROWING up at the smell that hit her nostrils - like the breath of death, who had just consumed a rotting carcass. She supposed that was just something that came with being a demon, but she had to fight the urge to drop her weapon, gripped in pale-knuckled hands, and cover her nose instead.

"More of the old brat's students? He must really be stupid."

An alarm bell rang off in Y/N's mind - demons who were as cognisant as this one clearly was were never a good sign. One of Sabito's hands swiped quickly through the air, signalling for them all to stay quiet and listen. 

"Not that I care - all the more food for me!"

The last part of his sentence trailed off into a maniacal giggle that made the three of them shudder ... though that may have just been the motion of the ground as the trees before them swayed, and The Hand Demon finally revealed itself.

It was a revolting mass of sickly green flesh - a sickeningly obese frame wrapped in dozens of swollen arms with nails painted red with blood. Its face was hidden, all except its eyes - those yellow beads were narrowed in homicidal humour, trapping the teenagers as effectively as any bindings could. However, its enormous mass didn't appear to hinder it at all, given that it was moving concerningly rapidly towards them, stopping less than a tree's length away.

"You won't be preying on us," Sabito called, his voice tight with anger. Y/N realised just then what an effect the knowledge of this beast's murder of all his predecessors must be having on him, and she hurried to comfortingly twine their fingers together. He relaxed, just a little. "The time of your terrorism has come to an end."

The Hand Demon laughed, sending cold fear flooding through Y/N's body. Everything about this scene felt inherently wrong, and the very essence of the demon before them was terrifying her. 

Still, she managed to speak up, holding her flaming blade before her. "I wouldn't laugh before you even know your adversaries - don't underestimate us."

"Oh, I'm not," the demon said, suddenly deadly serious. "You're nowhere near a match for me."

Before she could even blink, one of its arms shot forward, extending itself with deadly speed. It lunged for Sabito, who leaped upwards in a blur of pink and black, but was too late to avoid being snagged in the demon's fat fingers and thrown into a nearby tree. He groaned loudly as he hit the trunk, falling to the ground in a pile and not standing up.

"Sabi!" Y/N screamed, hearing a similar yell of concern from Giyuu, but with no time to act upon what had just happened as The Hand Demon made to strike again. She slashed her sword upwards defensively, slicing straight through the appendage that came for her. 

However, any reprieve was short-lived, and her relief deflated rather quickly as the demon just healed itself, coming after her again. 

Y/N and Giyuu were reduced to being completely unable to launch their own attacks, and just dodge those pummelling them with leaps and stabs. Already, exhausting was sinking into her bones, but she was granted a boost of energy when she caught a glimpse of pink in the corner of her eye.

Sabito had recovered, hurling himself straight back into the fray. Even his fighting itself was inspiring - the smooth arcs of his blade was mesmerising to watch, and the calm expression on his face despite the thin drops of blood leaking down his forehead was somehow calming. With no time to watch him, Y/N settled for fighting by his side. 

The advantage of three people assisted them in launching an offensive - Giyuu's water form making the air damp with his powerful wave attacks, Sabito's incredible physical capability and lethal sword aim, and the hot sting of Y/N's flames leaving scorch scores along the monster's skin combined to form a worthy offensive. 

But demons were never predictable. And they were never to be underestimated.

Just when she was daring to hope they may have a chance of beating the demon, it stopped fighting them suddenly, its entire body shaking with laughter.

"Slayers thinking they have a chance against me is, honestly, laughable. You're nothing but kids, amounting to nothing."

Sabito gave a roar of fury, leaping upwards in the air and slashing downwards, his sword bound straight for the demon's exposed neck. 

Everything seemed to happen so slowly.

Like Y/N could've stopped what happened next.

A shattering sound screeched in their ears, those beautiful cloudy eyes Y/N had grown to love so much widening in shock as his blade shattered against one of the arms of the demon. A feral giggle followed that noise, the next movement painfully slow, giving the two remaining teenagers enough time to cry out. 

The Hand Demon shot forwards, and in the last moment before it made contact, time stopped.

Sabito's gaze had locked onto Y/N's, his lips lilting just slightly in an affectionate smile as he mouthed words she shouldn't have been able to understand, but somehow could.

It's not your fault. I love you, my wisteria. 

A hand crushed his skull in a fatal explosion of red, blood splattering everywhere as an agonised scream tore from Y/N's lungs, physically hurting her as she dropped to her knees, falling at the same time as his- his body plunged from the sky. 

He landed on the ground with a crunch, skull already torn off to the side as now useless bones shattered, staining his yellow-green haori with irremovable red. 

"No!" Y/N cried, howled, trying to stand on legs that wouldn't work, her blade falling from her trembling fingers as she wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to hold herself together even when it was hopeless, because she was already cracking, she was already broken.

Sabito. 

The monster that had killed him let out a psychotic laugh, even as rivers ran down her face, even as she wailed again, even as she barely registered a yell of anguish coming from Giyuu at her side. 

I love you.

"You fucking monster!" Y/N screamed, fingers finding her blade again and curling around the pommel so tightly it hurt. "How can you take everything from me?!"

Without even waiting for a response, she ran forwards, strength reinforced by pain, her anguish hardening into steel as she swung her sword, flames so hot they were a bright blue. Her blade stayed strong where Sabito's had failed him, slicing through flesh, through bone.

"Not so fast," the demon chuckled, and those worse were the only warning Y/N received before-

Oh.

She felt as though she was the one on fire, every nerve ending in her body releasing waves of agony and indescribable pain. Simultaneously, she wanted to beg for life and plead for death, as white blurred the edges of her vision and tortured every last particle of her being.

So this is what it feels like to die.

Y/N could barely make out Giyuu's gut-wrenching scream, the most loud, pained sound she'd ever heard, especially coming from the usually emotionless boy. She couldn't perceive anything, with everything already fading. 

She wanted to apologise to Giyuu, to hold him in her arms and sob out "I'm sorry" over and over, even as she lost all sensation in them.

She wanted to stay.

She wanted to live.

But all Y/N could do was close her eyes, tear tracks evaporating in her own final flame, trying to smile, just a little, just as the beautiful boy with pink hair the same shade as the wagashi they had once shared as innocent children, before their lives had been devastated by loss, had to her.

I'll see you soon, Sabito. I love you. Thank you for protecting me.

She inhaled, the simple action spiking pain in her lungs and s-

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thank you for reading this
book and i hope you enjoy it!
~ jazzi