丨Soar丨 Kimetsu no Yaiba x OC｜

Chapter 50

"I-I was shunned by the other villagers who were once the nicest people whom I grew up with," tears rolled in Tsukina's eyes, "There were only disgust, mockery and disappointment in their eyes, none of them had pity for a stupid, reckless girl like me. Whoever was kind to us would also be targeted by the others, like Ikeda-san... who genuinely cared for us."

"I felt increasingly guilty every passing day, especially towards your grandma," Tsukina clasped her hands together on her lap, she didn't feel worthy of holding her daughter's hands, "She could have married me off to a fellow villager and live a peaceful life, she could have rejected me when she found me at her doorstep, yet she accepted us with open arms. I also started to think that... It was wrong to bring you to this world. You would only suffer from the discrimination of others for the rest of your life. And what if you were to follow my footsteps? How can I raise you without being a good example?"

"I... I came to a foolish conclusion, I thought... Maybe if we died, none of us had to live in torture," Tsukina took a deep breath, "I-I found these blue flowers in the forest one day. I have never seen these flowers in my life. The colour of the flowers were so vivid and bright, I once heard that colourful plants were poisonous... So... So... You may not remember this, you have completely forgotten about this..."

"Mommy? Where are we going?" Little Chizuko rubbed her eyes, stumbling after Tsukina in the snow, the sun had just risen, "Mommy? Why isn't grandma coming with us?"

"Mommy...?" Chizuko titled her head as they stood in front of a few blue flowers. Were they out picking flowers for grandma?

Tsukina cut two of the spider lilies with the small knife she carried with her. Without a second thought, before she would hesitate, Tsukina swallowed one of the flowers.

Chizuko was startled, she backed away instinctively.

"Mo-" Chizuko screamed and thrashed in Tsukina's clutch. Her jaws were gripped, her mouth was forced to stay open. Tears blurred Chizuko's vision, something both sweet as treacle and sour as lemons was shoved down her throat. She choked, she couldn't breathe.

"TSUKINA!" Grandma Suzuki and Ikeda's yells and hurried footsteps could be heard.

"The village doctor wasn't able to make you vomit what was left of flower," Tsukina recalled, "You had a high fever for a few days after that, nothing unusual happened, despite how you had forgotten the whole incident... Not long after I died and arrived here, a doctor approached me... He told me... about the blue spider lilies."

"He said the discovery of these flowers was both a miracle and a curse, and that he has created a disaster that had been plaguing mankind for centuries," Tsukina knitted her eyebrows, "Although I didn't really know what he was talking about... He did mention the effects of the flower."

"The blue spider lilies, according to his studies, can influence human potential, shaping abilities like heightened agility, enhanced strength, superhuman memory, and an accelerated rate of recovery from injuries. Though there might be different effects on different people. I-I think you can assume that those traits are embedded in you, waiting for you to use them," Tsukina fiddled with her fingers, "However, activating these extraordinary talents... will have consequences, there will be a price to pay."

"Since the flower pushes your body to constantly surpass ordinary limits, the more you use it, the more your health will deteriorate," Tsukina took a deep breath, "Chizuko, how old are you now?"

"Fifteen," Chizuko gulped, a bad feeling bubbled in her stomach.

"You will die before twenty," Tsukina whispered, her eyes watering.

Chizuko's posture stiffened.

***
"CAW! HELP! URGENT!" Hachi dashed in through the window of a wisteria house.

"Caw! What are you doing here! Blind eye! The sun hasn't come out yet!" Ginko's beauty sleep was disturbed.

"SUZUKI CHIZUKO IS HEAVILY INJURED BY UPPER MOON ONE! UNCONSCIOUS! AT THE VERGE OF DEATH!" Hachi cawed, for once not minding the nasty nickname Ginko gave her, flapping her wings frantically, "HURRY! YOU ARE THE NEAREST HASHIRA! SAVE HER! SAVE HER!"

Muichiro sprung up from his futon, running after Hachi at full speed.

***
"Please forgive me, Chizuko," Tsukina sank on her knees, her forehead touching the floor, "It is my fault... It is all my fault! You should have been born into a complete family, should have had a childhood filled with with friends and laughter, should have been able to live a long life! If you ever wish to blame anyone for all the hardships you've gone through, and for the future you may never see, it's fine to hate me! I deserve it! I... I even thought of killing you! I am not worthy of being your mother!"

"P-Please don't say that! Mum!" Chizuko helped Tsukina up, "I... I am thankful that you brought me into this world!"

Tsukina lifted her head in absolute shock.

Chizuko grinned, "I... Have always been happy. Whether it was the days spent with you, spent with grandma, and spent with the friends and family I have found now! I can't imagine how many things I would be missing out on if I were not born! There were difficult times, but I have already made peace with the past. Although... Although there might be many things I will not experience, I am truly contented! I have been given so much more than I ever wished for! I... I am the luckiest girl alive!"

"So..." Chizuko bowed ninety degrees, "Please don't say things like that! Mum! It should be me kneeling down to thank you! I never hated you! I-I miss you a lot! And... You don't have to apologise! I-I forgive everything that you have and will apologise for!"

"Chizuko," sobbing, Tsukina enveloped Chizuko in her arms, ruffling her daughter's silky hair, "You are the best. I-I am sorry for not treasuring our family, giving up on living such easily."

"Don't worry! Mum! I'll be seeing you soon, right?" Chizuko beamed, "We'll meet again in a few years!"

"Right..." wiping her tears, Tsukina gave Chizuko a kiss on the cheek and a little push, "Good luck, Chizuko, see you!"

Tears spilled from Tsukina's eyes as Chizuko's figure started disappearing.

Goodbye, Chizuko, my daughter.

Flames engulfed the elegant blue flowers, burning them into piles of ashes.

We'll never see each other again...

Because...

Hell is not where you will end up after death.

***
"Is she dead!!??!! What do we do!!!??!!" Katou panicked while holding Chizuko in her arms, "She won't stop bleeding!!!! Isn't that too much blood!!?? How do we piece her arm back!!?"

"Shut up and calm down!!!" Yoshida scolded his friend, "D-Didn't you receive kakushi training before!!? Shouldn't you be more professional than me!!? And of course we can't possibly put her arm back so put it down-"

They almost screeched in terror as Chizuko's arm reattached itself to her shoulder.

Horrified and shocked, they watched as the wounds on Chizuko healed on their own.

"F-Fox hashira-sama...?" Katou asked cautiously.

Vein like patters emerged around Chizuko's eyes.

An bronze fox pattern became visible on Chizuko's cheek.

Chizuko's eyes snapped open, both slitted.

"Fox hashira-sama!!" Katou and Yoshida exclaimed.