Perhaps if Ali had taken a few steps forward or walked towards Arata to offer a handshake rather than a bow, things could've been different. He was too far from them to close the distance, and Eira was too fast.
In the back of his head, the distressing realisation struck Ali almost instantly as he saw Eira only centimetres behind them. He reached his hand out, his conscious mind not wanting to believe the harrowing truth.
The half second that Ali spent, shocked at Eira's sudden intrusion, rather than dashing forward, only solidified her advantage. She had exploited the element of surprise to the fullest extent. The icy blue sword, tightly gripped in her palm, shone with maliciousness.
"Punishment as seen fit by the lead Hashira"
They chose the wrong Hashira to give this morally-charged responsibility to. Most would choose to imprison or restrain the perpetrators in hopes of further questioning, which would reveal possible hidden motives and the truth in general.
Not Eira.
Chiyo. Arata. Kaito. They were nothing more than obstacles to Ali in Eira's eyes and an added burden on her shoulders.
The metallic ringing in the air peaked in sound as her blade quickened, slicing through the intense air. Even in slow motion, her movements would be hard to capture. Blisteringly cold nichirin met Chiyo's delicate neck, and before her brain even registered the contact, Eira viciously slid her blade. The sharp edge severed through skin, flesh and bone effortlessly, dividing head from body. Light blue metal stained with fresh red blood, exited from the other side of Chiyo's neck. The poor girl hovered in the air for the briefest amount of time, frozen as the last glint of life flickered in her innocent eyes.
Without delay, Eira pivoted on her heel and dashed, travelling from Chiyo's falling head to Arata. The boy, who had just risen from the bow, turned ever so slightly, covered in goosebumps. His fingers instinctively tightened at his sword's hilt, as if he had any hopes to defend himself.
It had now officially been a second since Eira had revealed herself. Ali's muscles tightened, and he dashed forward. His brain was overloaded with confusion, grief and anger simultaneously. His fingers gripped at the back of Kaito's haori, and with a strong tug, he threw Kaito behind him. His eyes fixated on Arata. Chiyo's head was halfway down on its journey to the floor.
Kaito and most of the Corps members hiding in the bushes couldn't comprehend the sheer speed at which everything was happening. Some of their brains just now processing the decapitation Eira had performed.
Ali knew if he attempted to dash forward, Arata would die before he took the next step. The deep blue crescent marks patterned across his body illuminated like a switch had been flicked. He curled his fingers into a fist and thrust his arm forward.
Eira's blade swung fluidly, the momentum from her previous swing still present. The precursor of Ali's attack was present in the air. The soft wind slowly pressed the loose strands of her hair onto her forehead.
Her initial plan was to charge and eliminate all three before Ali realised, but she had severely underestimated him. Her eyes twitched slightly, she immediately grounded her feet into the dirt below her and slashed at Arata. Her blade cut at the centre of his neck before the concentrated onslaught of wind drove itself onto her body.
The beam of fierce wind lifted Eira in the air like a plastic bag, her body airborne. Just as quickly as she had entered the shrine's area, the wind forced her back into the dense treeline. The sounds of tumbling and rustling softened as Eira was blasted deep into the forest.
Chiyo's head dropped onto the floor with a thud, and her body collapsed a second after, lifeless. A petrifying chill prickled over Ali's body. He could feel the depths of his body fill with overwhelming anxiety and fear. His gaze darted between the two friends who just a minute ago were smiling and waving goodbye.
The lifeless body of Chiyo, blood leaking out of her exposed throat like a faucet. Arteries and flesh bulged out of the wound. Her severed head lay still, dirt and dust clung to the wet blood, and a large mass of hair strands, which were cut by Eira's slice, dispersed around her.
Arata's hand was tightly clasped over his neck, taking struggling breaths, tears forming at his eyes. He took a slow step backwards, but was quick to lose balance and fall.
Flashes of Akaza's mangled and mutilated corpse struck Ali's mind like the sound of an unwanted alarm. He swiftly caught Arata mid-fall, his arms encircled the now pale-faced boy as he gasped for air in a staggered pattern. Blood coated Arata's hand and neck, dripping onto Ali's legs as he lay him down on his lap.
The eyes, concealed within the bushes and hidden behind trees, watched with shock and horror. They had witnessed the murder of two of their fellow Corps members. Humans. They had no knowledge of the news that Eira had been ordered to 'punish' them. All they knew was that Eira had just murdered two seemingly innocent Corps members.
"Chiyo! Arata!" Kaito's voice cried out as he stood back up on the shrine's veranda, his scream echoed through the forest. The powerful throb of his heart felt across his entire torso. He stared as his two fallen friends, his mouth agape, choked with disbelief. He took a step towards Ali.
"Get inside the shrine!" Ali's words boomed louder than a thunderclap. The howl of wind screeched in unison with his shout, paralysing Kaito on the spot. Shivers ran down his spine as he felt the molecules in the air charge themselves with energy and emotion.
Kaito's soul spiked with emotional agony, he wanted to be next to his friends as he had been for so long. He wanted to see their faces. He wanted to go against Ali's shout and continue walking towards them, but his body wouldn't move. A deep and unsettling anxiety kept him completely frozen, the fear of Eira coming back, combined with the very idea of seeing his friends dead up close... paralysed him.
"Kaito… Please," Ali glanced backwards at Kaito, his tone softer, an empathetic expression pained across his face. A gust of wind slowly brushed along Kaito's body as Ali's heavy eyes met his.
With a shaky deep breath, Kaito reluctantly but swiftly swung the heavy shrine door open. He entered the building that held last night's memories and slammed the door shut. Silence followed. Ali's gaze returned to the fallen friend in his arms, his grip tightening ever so slightly.
"I'm scared," Arata's voice choked, tears formed and rolled down the side of his face. He gulped roughly and took another gasp. Arata's weak hand gripped Ali's forearm, his eyes spoke volumes greater than words ever could. Blood from the fatal wound saturated the area where Arata's head rested on Ali's lap.
"It's going to be okay," Ali attempted to keep his voice solid to provide whatever comfort he could. "You're a brave kid."
The forest rustled loudly as Eira violently hacked her way through the dense shrubbery and scattered trees. Her blade showed no remorse, even to the plants. Fury boiled within the deepest crevices of her heart. A soft growl protruded from her mouth every time she sliced her blade. Ali could hear it, but chose to stay on the floor with Arata for as long as he was alive.
Arata's eyes shut tightly. Struggled gasps the only other sound in the forest. Tears and blood mixed on the floor. Eira sliced the final bush and kicked at the small trunk as she entered the shrine's area once again. Her palm white from her tight grip, she witnessed the pathetic sight.
She knew better than to attack now. Ali had regenerated once, and she wasn't going to waste any energy just for him to do it again. Her glare shot up, down and sideways, pinpointing every hidden member of her squadron. Finally, the intense eyes rested on Yukina on the roof of the shrine.
Yukina had been witnessing everything, completely clear, unlike the fragmented vision of those hiding behind leaves and shrubs. She was completely dissociated, memories of the first mission replaying in her mind. The bloodied corpses struck by Eira's slashes lifeless on the floor. Why? Why? Why?
Why would she kill fellow Corps members as if they weren't humans? The ones they pledged to protect.
"Get him now."
Eira's parasitic voice crept into everyone's ears, invoking nothing but sheer fear and terror. She had proven to them that she could kill anyone who went against her, in their minds, she had proven nothing was stopping her from killing them too. Eira could feel the fear in everyone's aura, all but one stagnant, dull aura. Ali's monotone grey still wavered with no expression. Making a mockery of Eira's presence.
The clutches of fear pushed every member forward, out of the bushes and into the sight of Ali. Their compliance was driven by fear, not loyalty.
Yukina remained completely petrified, her body was covered with goosebumps and chills that bordered on debilitating. She swore she could feel Eira's glare concentrated on her, ice freezing over where she stared. Yukina's hands held two syringes each, her fingers trembling.
"Yukina."
Yukina's stomach dropped as she heard the syllables of her name being spoken crystal clear, as if Eira had whispered them into her ear. Her heart pounded with uneasiness, her knees weak with pressure as she stared at the still Upper Moon who kneeled on the dirt. She inhaled deeply and held the syringes tighter, trembling without control.
"Yukina."
Eira had only said her name once, but it echoed in Yukina's mind like a vivid hallucination. Yukina felt the intense weight build up on her back.
"Yukina."
Yukina's mouth opened as she let out a blood-curdling scream, her emotions pouring out into the forest.
"Yukina."
Yukina's vision began to spin as she stood up.
"Yukina."
Yukina's feet slammed on the roof of the shrine, her mind uneasy, she leapt off the wooden ledge that bordered the edge. Her eyes were wide with a million emotions as she flew down towards Ali, her arms high above her, syringes glinting. Her silhouette painted against the deep blue sky which had been gradually lightening as morning drew ever closer.
She screamed once again as she swung her hands down viciously at Ali's back. Ali didn't move at all, he solidified himself to make sure Arata couldn't feel the attack.
Three out of the four syringe needles shattered at contact with Ali's flesh. Only one pierced his skin. Yukina swiftly pressed the plunger on the end to inject the potent Wisteria poison into Ali's body. Her hands still trembling, as soon as she did, she scrambled backwards in terror. The hysterical emotions faded as she stared at the back of Upper Moon Three. The glowing crescent marks glared at her with the same intensity that Eira's eyes did. Yukina put an arm over her face as she clawed at the dirt to go further backwards.
The slightest curl of a smile flickered on Eira's face as she watched Yukina successfully administer poison into Ali. Something she hadn't expected. The main reason she told Yukina to be the one on the roof was to serve as a distraction for the others, she fully expected her to be ripped to shreds by Ali's attack. But the success was a warm welcome that only made her mission easier.
Another person leapt forward from behind Ali and stabbed Ali with both their syringes. The rest watched with terrified eyes. They scooted closer and closer, but they couldn't bring themselves to take the courageous action Yukina or the other person had. Instead, hoping their slow movements would satisfy Eira.
Only Arata's choked whimpers and silence followed the deposit of more poison into Ali's bloodstream. The man pressed hard down onto both syringes, they were completely emptied into their pierced areas.
Ali was silent, the syringes felt nothing more than small pricks. His eyes were glued to the dying boy in his arms. The reflection of intense grief and remorse shone in his eyes. Overwhelming guilt overtaking his heart as the ironic realisation settled in.
The people who had thanked him for saving them now lay dead, because he couldn't save them.
Eira held her sword tightly, ready to dash forward and put an inevitable end to this battle.