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homura (DarkMudkip/Jikkah)

Ebisu nodded firmly. “I promise I’ll come back.” She sounded so sure- how would she know? How could she be so sure she would even survive a fight against such a monster a second time?
 
Ebisu gave her a soft smile, nodding her head, watching her make it to a safe distance before moving to join the main fight.
 
Tengen was in rough shape by the time she got there, his breathing ragged and his body covered in blood.
"About time you appeared." He said, smirking faintly.
 
Ebisu scowled at the sight of two demons now, but was glad to see Tengen was not fighting alone. The boy Tanjiro was fighting with him, and the other young boy- the one wearing the boar mask -was fighting the woman demon with another slayer she didn’t recognize. “There was another demon sculling about, I had to deal with him first.”
She hadn’t seen this new demon, only the demon Warabihime- was he an underling? No, with how he was giving her master such trouble, he had to be stronger.
 
"Well, pick a demon and start attacking with style!" He said before rushing at the immaciated demon, his movements nothing but a blur, and the demon matched him easily.
 
Ebisu nodded, and went to assist the other two boys fighting Warabihime, leaving Tengen in the care of Tanjiro.
The fight was a blur from there, and several times they had calls too close for comfort, but the tide shifted quickly. It seemed to happen in an instant, Inosuke had taken Warabihime’s head and was fleeing with it, only for the other demon to spear and skewer him through the heart. Ebisu immediately moved to try and defend him from another blow, but was quickly overwhelmed by him. She lost her blade in the scuffle, and in the blink of an eye, she too was taken down. Gyutaro had skewered her through the ribs, body hanging limply from his scythes for a moment before she was kicked free of them, and sent crashing through the remaining buildings. What had happened to Tengen? He had been engaging with the male demon, so what had happened to him?
 
Looking where she last saw Tengen revealed that her master was face first on the ground, his left arm severed and laying lamely behind him, and now Gyutarou was on Tanjiro with the intent to kill him. This was bad, worse than bad, and it seemed that these two Moons would kill them all right here. But, Tanjiro reared back his head and slammed it straight into Gyutarou's nose, sending him tumbling from the roof before Tanjiro moved to try and take his head.
 
Ebisu must’ve lost consciousness at some point, because when she realized she was awake again she found she could hardly breathe. Gyutaro must’ve pierced her lung with his attack, but not only that, but the poison on the blade was spreading quickly. Even with her breathing techniques, she found she could barely take in enough air. The sounds of fighting had picked up again, and she could barely make out her master fighting Gyutaro once again, Tanjiro aiding the Hashira. She was glad her master hadn’t been slain, but she didn’t think she could last much longer.
 
Soon enough, or at least in her weakened state that's how it seemed, both demons had their heads removed. Suma, Makio, and Hinatsuru all crowded around Tengen, fretting as he bled out. Tanjiro's little sister, Nezuko, moved from him to Inosuke and put her hands to his chest before covering him in a pink fire for a moment. Once she was done, Inosuke jumped up like a weed, shouting that he was hungry. She padded toward Ebisu and stared at her for a moment before touching her tenderly before setting her on fire as well. It was fast and it didn't hurt at all - in fact it was rather pleasant - before the fire disappeared. She stared at Ebisu quietly before giving a genuine smile behind the bamboo in her mouth.
 
Ebisu could almost immediately breathe easier once the poison had been burned away from her body by the pink fire. Her lung was still collapsed, but now she could use her breathing techniques more effectively to stop her bleeding. “Thank you..” She thanked the small child with a nod, still unable to move much at all.
 
Ebisu turned her head to watch her master ignite into flames, the poison being burned from his body in mere seconds. The sound of foot steps rushing toward them, brought her attention to the kakushi hurrying to help them.
 
"If only you weren't there!! Why am I the one who has to clean up all of your damn messes?!" Gyutarou screamed at Daki, "Things would have been great if only you weren't bor-!!" His screaming was cut off, Tanjiro covering his mouth. He was talking but Ebisu couldn't hear what was said, but he looked so sad as he looked down at the dying demon.
 
Ebisu still didn’t know how Tanjiro could show such kindness to evil demons such as the two upper moons they just battled. His sister was one thing, but these demons didn’t deserve any kind of kindness or empathy.
 
Daki cried out to Gyutarou before she vanished, and he called out "Ume" in terror before falling quiet in dumbfounded realization. His eyes were wide as he continued to vanish, having a quiet moment of introspection before he was gone as well.
"Wow, they messed you up pretty good, huh?" Obanai mused as he stood over Ebisu, "But, you're alive. That's good. I'm glad for it." He didn't sound very glad, his heterochromatic eyes always looking so cold and sharp.
 
Ebisu felt shame that she was being scolded by a Hashira, even though she was sure that it was praise for Obani. “Gomenasai, Iguro-dana..” She managed, unable to meet his piercing gaze.
 
“I cannot.” She said, finding she only had the strength to keep herself from bleeding into her collapsed lung. “But the Kakushi should be here soon, please don’t concern yourself with me- Tengen-dana is just over there.”
 
Ebisu would lose consciousness again when the kakushi came, waking next in a bed and wrapped in gauze.
 
"Ah, Ebisu-san!" Kiyo jumped up in delight, seeing the tsuguko come around, "Yogatta! We were all worried! Harue, Harue, get Aoi-san, please!!"
"H-Hai!" A young child with monarch butterfly clips in their short sandy hair nodded before scurrying off.
 
Ebisu vaguely remembered the young girl who worked at the Butterfly Mansion, instantly knowing she was safe and back in good hands. “Was I out long?”
 
"A couple days, at most! But nothing terrible!" She replied, "Your friend was worried most of all! Begged Obanai-sama and Uzui-sama to come with you!"
 
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