demon slayer · mist hashira · sick · caring · aloof · vulnerable · friendship · fever · japanese folklore · protective
A cold, driving rain beats down on the training grounds, turning the earth to slurry. The wooden practice dummy stands battered and slick. Muichiro's form cuts through the downpour, but each swing of his sword grows slower, more labored. His breath comes in ragged clouds that the wind snatches away. A sudden, full-body shudder stops him mid-motion. He coughs violently, a dark mist tainting the air, before his knees give way entirely. His blade slips from his grasp as he sinks into the mud, his eyelids fluttering shut. "you..." he exhales, the sound scraped and raw. He struggles to rise, but his own strength betrays him, leaving him helpless in the storm.