Often, the most basic concepts are the hardest to grasp as reality. Impermanence, more so mortality, is the most interesting.
When a person dies, they will never be alive again. This thought is elementary at best, yet it is so hard to grasp. Your memories of a dead loved one never allow you to truly realise they are dead. There will always be a piece of your heart that hopes, wishes and yearns to turn back and see them there. To see the radiance of their smile, the sound of their voice and just feel their presence one more time.
But their corpse will never live, speak or think again.
Eira is dead. Flesh that was torn from her body was still raw, lying on the dirt. Blood-stained fragments of clothing, lodged into the ground, dance to the soft wind.
A few seconds after Eira's death, Ali collapsed onto his side, unconscious, unable to handle the fatigue and agony anymore. The glowing crescent markings on his body finally dimmed.
A minute after Eira's death, Ayumu snapped out of shellshock. He couldn't stop his body from trembling uncontrollably as he emerged from the bushes. His sword fell out of his grip as he glared down upon what Eira had been reduced to. Ayumu turned around quickly, returning to the bushes and gagging profusely, only vomiting bile due to the fact that he hadn't eaten much in the past few days. Every time he tried to take a breath, his mind would conjure that horrific scene again.
Two minutes after Eira's death. Asumi arrived, panting heavily from her tiring and extensive journey. It almost felt like a waste as she gazed upon the silent scene. She was far too late to stop any conflict; instead, she was forced to stare upon the consequences of her absence. Ali's unmoving form lay on blood-darkened soil, and next to him was a splattered clump of flesh that she could only identify by the tattered fabric that clung to it. Her face grew pale with sheer shock, and her body felt weak.
Three minutes after Eira's death, Ayumu stood up, finally feeling somewhat functional again. The unpleasant vomiting had reminded him just how empty his stomach was. He turned backwards, purposefully avoiding gazing at the disgusting corpse, instead, fixing his stare at the other person there. Echoes of Kaze's description of Asumi rang in his head. Ayumu slowly walked up to her, softly introducing himself once he got her attention. He provided a shaky and breathless recap of the traumatising night. They both realised how imminent the sunrise was and dragged Ali's heavily injured body to the shrine. Asumi's eyes glistened with immeasurable grief and sadness, but she didn't shed a tear.
The shrine's sleek, bold red paint now bore a multitude of deep scratches and lacerations, revealing the light brown timber that lay beneath. The inside of the shrine had heard nothing except endless sobs. Kaito sat in the corner, curled into himself, as he struggled to grieve and cope with the loss of his friends. He flinched as the heavy doors wailed open, his spine shivering, hoping it was not Eira, coming to finish what she started. He was met with relief as he saw two faces he had never seen before, but he was immediately doused in concern as his eyes met Ali's body, covered in endless wounds. The small spark of hope disappeared.
Ten minutes after Eira's death, the sun rose, the inevitable vibrance of blissful light coated the forest, illuminating everything much brighter than the sunless dawn sky could ever hope to. The sounds of battle had disappeared from the forest; now it was filled with the symphony of bird songs, humming of the breeze, and the shivering of branches. Even amidst the peaceful atmosphere, a large majority of the crowd that had retreated into the forest on Ayumu's order never stopped running, retreating completely from the mission, they held a deep fear of the consequence they would face if Eira had prevailed over Ali.
Those brave enough to return numbered only three, including Kaze, whose shoulder had been effectively patched by Yukina, who also returned by his side. They pushed through dense bushes, their eyes unfortunately meeting Eira's horrifically mutilated corpse. Oddly, they were all washed with a grotesque relief, although this relief didn't stop everyone but Kaze from having to abruptly turn their gaze. The additional demon slayer who had returned alongside Kaze and Yukina saw this as a satisfactory conclusion and bid his farewells to the two, disappearing back into the forest.
"Yukina! Kaze!" Ayumu yelled as he hung from the shrine's doorframe, his face washed over with a deep relief and joy as he sprinted over towards them, slamming the door behind him. He wasted not a second of time. His body was still filled with an uncomfortable buzz, one that made life feel somewhat static. For all he knew, this could be a hallucination, and Ali's noble action to shield him from Eira's slashes was a dream his brain conjured under the intense stress. Regardless, he wrapped his arms around both of them, squeezing tightly. Kaze didn't mention the fact Ayumu's hand was pressing on his wound. He let him have his moment. Afterwards, Ayumu guided them to the shrine.
As a precaution for the rising sun, Ali had been moved to the same corner Kaito was curled up in. Sunlight wouldn't reach that spot til evening, even if all the windows and doors were open.
Asumi's fingers were tightly interlocked with Ali's. Her worry-stricken gaze never departed from the rise and fall of his chest. It was the only indication of him living. The deep concern enveloped her entire focus, she didn't even realise Ayumu had returned with company. It was only when the door creaked shut and when she felt a calloused hand grip at her shoulder that she was broken out of her shell-shocked trance. She slowly lifted her head, meeting Kaze's deeply sombre gaze. Her eyes trembled, mirrored by a shaky intake of air, before she knew it, tears flooded her eyes. She faced downwards again. A sob escaped her mouth, and she began to cry out all the suppressed emotions. Tears rolled off her cheeks and dripped onto Ali, seeping into his wounds, moisturising the dried blood.
Twenty minutes after Eira's death. The shrine was engulfed in silence, the quiet ambience of the forest blocked by the closed doors and windows. Melancholic darkness and dejection clouded the room. Dried tear streaks glistened on Asumi's face. Occasionally, her eyes would well up again, a few tears following the path that was marked onto her face. Apart from the occasional sniff from Kaito, everyone was completely silent.
Kaze's hand never loosened on Asumi's shoulder, a constant grounding reminder that she wasn't alone amidst this tragic situation. Yukina hadn't blinked in over five minutes, her gaze glued to the floorboards, an expression comparable to shell-shock. Her ears were still adjusting to the silence, and her brain still grasping the fact that she wasn't in danger anymore.
Ayumu took the silence the hardest. He felt responsible for Ali's current state, for every sob that left Asumi's mouth, and every wince in Kaze's eyes. He bit the insides of his cheek, negative thoughts proliferating in his mind. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the countless wounds. With every new gash that his frantic eyes caught, rang a daunting question:
"Was it because of me?"
He thought the heavy guilt that loomed dissipated with the fight ended, but it was just hidden, waiting to pounce.
And it did.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Ayumu's heart began to race. He swallowed hard, at first trying to ignore it, thinking it would pass. As seconds stretched on, his chest only felt more and more constricting, like his heart was growing too big for his ribcage. He shut his eyes tightly, clenching his jaw so tightly it felt like his teeth might shatter. He found breathing hard, as if oxygen was running out, or the room was shrinking into itself. With every breath, his discomfort increased and increased. His throat was dry, his skin was uncomfortable against his clothing, and his body was unbearably hot and shaky.
He tried to convince himself he was fine, but he was suffocating, physically and emotionally. He opened his eyes, hoping to ground himself. Instead, the first thing he saw was Ali.
Without a moment's notice, Ayumu turned sharply, his hands pushing against the wall, he staggered towards the door.
"Sorry," He managed to choke out before he grasped the handle. He swung the door open roughly, shutting it with equal force as he rushed outside. The sunlight blinded him, and even as he met the cold, open atmosphere, he felt more air leave his lungs than enter.
He grappled at his own torso, stumbling down the few steps of the shrine, he dropped to his knees on the damp dirt. Ten or so metres in front of him was Eira's corpse, a dozen flies had already begun to scatter across the flesh, watching Ayumu break down.
"Sorry," Ayumu kept whispering, a deep shame roaring inside his heart. He slapped his hands onto his face, rubbing aggressively. How could he ever forget the blood that splattered off Ali's wounds and onto his face? He should've been cleaved into a million pieces by Eira's brutal attack, and Ali could've been conscious now.
"It's my fault," Ayumu seemed to accept. Both his spirit and body sank lower. He pressed his forehead against the dirt, the cold grains moulding to his sweat-covered skin. The short gasps of air through his mouth now conjoined with a deep, earthy scent.
"No, it isn't," Yukina's voice barely pierced Ayumu's internal clutter of noise, but he froze almost instantly. She had followed him as soon as he had abruptly dashed outside. She was squatting down next to him, her head tilted, a deep sympathetic gaze fixed on him. Silence filled the air between them. Yukina fiddled with her own fingers, refusing to let it become awkward.
"Whatever happened, you can't blame it on yourself," Yukina spoke as confidently as she could. Ayumu couldn't look up at her. He was completely silent, instead holding his breath, staring at the ground. It was blatantly obvious that Yukina had no idea why Ayumu was breaking down, blaming himself. But above all that, for her to say that it wasn't his fault held more weight than she thought.
"You saved so many people," Yukina added. Those words in particular soaked up the grasp guilt had on his lungs. His entire body shuddered as he inhaled deeply. He slowly lifted his head from the floor, moist dirt stuck to his forehead. He still didn't have the courage to shift his gaze to Yukina, reasonably feeling shame for reacting the way he did, and how everyone had witnessed him. But he let those thoughts pass.
For every second Ayumu wasn't looking at Yukina, she was looking at him. Her eyes were full of empathy. After all, they had endured the same night. She wasn't guilt-free, staring down at Ali, knowing she was the one who injected the very poison that was disabling his regeneration. She knew healing was a long journey, that a few words weren't going to make Ayumu forget everything, and miraculously make him feel fine again. The least she could do was distract both of them from the guilt that held the forest in a chokehold.
"You saved me," Yukina spoke quietly, barely audible over nature's sounds, "When you told me about your dreams about opening a udon stall, and that you could teach me how to make noodles."
"That was the first time I imagined a future where I wasn't dead," Her tone remained soft and delicate as ever, even while expressing her deep, concealed pain. Ayumu's eyes flickered with something akin to shock. He slowly turned his head towards her, but just as he did, she turned hers away. The softest sunlight kissed down on both of them, but even as it illuminated their best features, it felt widely misplaced.
"Does Tokyo sound like a good place for our stall?" Ayumu leaned forward to get a better view of Yukina's face.
Yukina felt a sensation she never had before. The pit of her stomach sank and rose fast, like a flutter, both joy and nervousness mixed in the air. A warmth coloured her face, she slowly turned back to Ayumu, meeting his gaze, which made his heart stop beating for a second.
Suddenly, the sunlight made sense.
"Yes," She whispered, not breaking eye contact with Ayumu. Her fingers fiddled with themselves, nails digging into her skin as a vent for her sudden shyness. For a few seconds, they forgot where they were. It didn't feel like they had just finished the most stressful mission of their lives.
They spent the next few minutes just talking and fantasising about the stall. Brainstorming names, special dishes, and how they'd decorate on special days, but they couldn't avoid reality forever. The shrine's hulking figure was always behind them, and as the sun rose, the shadow stretched. They were only truly broken out of their conversation when they heard a loud outburst.
Thirty minutes after Eira's death, Ali woke up.