His limbs began to numb. The pain that had been devouring him finally started to shut down his body, piece by piece.
His fingers trembled, slipping from the demon's throat.
'She's safe.' A moment of peace settled over him. 'At least... She's safe.'
Then he felt it, like he was falling inside his own body. Deeper, into some unknown. 'What's... happening? Why do I feel like...'
Soutarou felt himself falling deeper.
Soutarou couldn't feel his body anymore which made him believe he already died.
The darkness shifted not empty anymore but liquify. It swallowed him, pulling him down into a bottomless depth.
Then the water began to change as color bled through the blackness. Red, blue, green swirling like ink dropped in clear water.
The colors mixed forming secondary colors then formed shapes, then images.
Memories he didn't remember living.
Above him or was it below?
A scent hit the demon. Like burning incense.
The clearing transformed. Blue mist spread out Soutarou.
The scent was subtle at first, then slowly it became intoxicating.
It clouded her senses, and her thoughts, making the world tilt.
The demon's breath hitched.
Her pupils dilated, swallowing the crimson until only thin rings remained.
"What..." she gasped, Her hands clutched his, like he was the only solid thing in a spinning world.
"What is this..." She shook her head, trying to clear fog, but the motion made her sway. "Why do I..."
Her throat, where his hands had been tingled with a heat that spread through her veins.
She tried to focus on his face, but his features kept swimming in her vision.
'This feeling... I know this feeling...'
Her body felt heavy and weightless at once, like she was drowning in air.
"Stop..." she whispered, but she didn't even know what she was asking him to stop. Her voice came out pleading. "What are you... doing to me..."
Her hands tightened on his wrists, nails digging in.
'No... not like this... I was supposed to...'
But the thought scattered before she could finish it.
She looked up at him, focused this time and something in his eyes made her heart lurch with remembrance.
'I know you.'
The thought came in certain.
'I've always known you.'
The demon's hands lifted, trembling, and touched his cheeks gently.
Her voice came out desperate. "Take me again..."
Her fingers traced his cheekbone. "Take me, Varō-sama."
Something inside answered.
His hand moved on its own. It lifted from her throat and swept through the air.
Chains materialized from nothing.
They erupted from everywhere in the air itself, glowing with ethereal violet and gold light.
It coiled around her body wrapping every part of her.
She gasped, but didn't resist.
Thousands of memories crashed through Soutarou like a tidal wave.
Lifetimes compressed into heartbeats.
He could feel the memories. Varō was his previous name. And he was a demon tamer. He could tame and control demons. Twelve demons at his command. kneeling before him. He could see their faces.
Then he saw her.
White hair, Crimson eyes watching him with obsessive devotion. Always at his side. His first demon tamed and most faithful.
'Shion.' The name surfaced slowly.
"I remember now," Soutarou's voice was steady. His eyes opened.
He looked down at the demon bound before him and smiled.
"I remember who I am."
"Shion."
The demon Shion shuddered at the sound of her name from his lips. A single tear rolled down her cheek, glistening in the ethereal light.
Her hands still rested on his face, trembling.
"Yes..." she breathed, voice breaking with emotion. "Yes, Varō-sama..."
Soutarou snapped his finger and the chains shattered like they were made of glass. The fragments hung in the air for a heartbeat, then flowed into Shion's body.
Into her Makai, her Soul energy. Soutarou stared in disbelief that he could see Shion's very essence being chained.
Shion gasped, back arching as the binding settled into her.
A mark appeared on Soutarou's wrist. A design of chains coiling around a triangle symbol. The mark glowed violet then faded beneath his skin leaving not a faint shimmer.
The seal was complete.
Soutarou stood effortlessly, like his body had been remade. The pain was gone. The wounds were fully healed.
He flexed his body. 'So I can heal myself. No.' Soutarou paused as more knowledge from his past settled in. 'I can reverse the damage caused by any demon I tame.'
'That's awesome. All these years I forced myself down a part I wasn't meant for.'
'I can tame demons.' Soutarou smiled. He looked at his palm and he could feel the energy. But more importantly he could now channel it.
From the memories Soutarou awakened he understood the type of soul energy he had in him. It was called Shoki.
It wasn't Ki, it was something different and mysterious that could corrupt and bind demons.
He didn't need a blade, just one of his four senses. Sight, smell, touch and sound.
Meaning he could tame a demon by just looking at the demon, releasing a scent, touching the demon or just letting the demon hear his voice.
But all must be infused with Shoki.
His hands raked through his hair, gripping, like he couldn't quite believe his own existence.
"I'M NOT BROKEN!" he shouted to the mist-shrouded trees, voice ringing with mad joy. "I'm BACK!.
Shion rose beside him, She knelt on one knee. White hair pooled on the ground as she bowed her head.
"Yes, Varō-sama."
Her voice was certain, carrying the weight of absolute loyalty.
The mist dispassed into the wind gradually.
The clear view of the forest returned scorched earth, shattered trees, the ground stained crimson.
The effect of soutarou taming shion turned off her demon art, leaving only scorch marks where the purple web had flowed.
Soutarou stood whole.
His uniform was torn and bloodied.
His brown eyes were somehow thicker.
He assessed the clearing with a smile.
'I actually thought I died.'
Shion rose gracefully standing at his right hand. Her hand fidgeted as she moved too close to Soutarou.
Soutarou studied Shion's face. He remembered her feral look before, but now she didn't feel like a threat to him.
Then he remembered Miwaka she might have gone to call for back and more Demon slayer will be arriving soon.
As far as Soutarou could remember. In the past as Varō he worked with Taima Dan's and was accepted till he was assassinated.
But he couldn't recall who did it.
After several failed attempts to remember. Soutarou resigned. 'Maybe it will come around later.'
He looked at shion once more. Their eyes met and her cheeks turned pink.
'I can let anyone know for now.'
A twig snapped behind Soutarou.
'Oh no. Don't tell me someone is watching.'
Soutarou noticed Shion's eyes weren't on him anymore. Her brows furrowed, she focused on something behind him.
He sighed and turned his head slowly toward the noise.
Miwaka stood behind a tree trunk. Her katana was raised, both hands gripping the hilt, but the blade trembled.
"Soutarou..." Miwaka's voice came out cracked.
She swallowed dry, sweat beaming on her forehead. "What... what are you?"