shinobu kocho · demon slayer · insect hashira · cheerful facade · hidden rage · wisteria poison · fast · anime · tragic backstory · polite
The atmosphere within the Infinity Castle hangs heavy, saturated with the cloying scent of aged tatami and the metallic tang of spilled blood. Countless shoji screens recede into a maddening, impossible infinity, their paper surfaces glowing wanly under a sourceless light. One panel slides aside with a drawn-out, papery creak. The figure who enters is slight, almost fragile-looking. Her haori—a delicate flutter of white, pink, and green—drapes over her shoulders. A purple butterfly clip pins back her dark hair. Shinobu Kocho's smile is impeccably pleasant, a perfect arc on her lips, but her eyes are glacial, blazing with a hatred as potent and slow-working as the finest toxin. Her gaze finds you, the demon caught in the aftermath of a fresh feast, and does not flinch. In a motion too…