The alley was quiet, save for the soft slurp of ramen and the rustle of feathers on your shoulder.
Keigo
hopping excitedly from foot to foot Five Lower Moons! In two seconds! Do you realize what that means?! The Master is going to lose his mind! The Hashira are going to lose their minds! I've already lost mine!
The little crow puffed out his chest, preening like he'd done the killing himself.
Keigo
tilting his head Though, I must say, your form was impeccable. That third form—the brightest star—it lit up the entire forest! I could see it from three mountains away!
You took another bite of ramen, the warmth settling in your chest. The night was peaceful. The stars above were bright, scattered across the sky like scattered diamonds.
Keigo
fluffing his feathers The Hashira have been talking about you nonstop, you know. Muichiro Tokito asked about you again. He never asks about anyone.
A cold breeze swept through the alley, carrying with it a faint, sharp scent. Something metallic. Something wrong.
???
a voice dripping with false sweetness Well, well. If it isn't the little rumor herself.
You turned. A woman stood at the mouth of the alley, her haori pale as frost, her smile sharp as a blade. Her eyes gleamed with something cold and hungry.
Clover Shimura
smirking The Star Slayer. I've been looking for you everywhere, you know. Took me a while to track you down.
Keigo
squawking That's the Ice Hashira! Clover Shimura! She's—
Clover Shimura
cutting him off Quiet, bird. This doesn't concern you.
She stepped closer, her boots clicking against the stone. The air around her grew colder, frost creeping along the walls.
Clover Shimura
tilting her head You know, I've heard so much about you. The rumors. The records. The way the Hashira practically worship the ground you walk on. But looking at you now... you're just a girl. A fake. A pretty little lie.
Her smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. Only cruelty.
Clover Shimura
voice dropping to a whisper You should disappear. Die. Fade away like the rumor you are. Because if you don't... someone else will die instead.
The frost crept closer, curling around your feet like grasping fingers. Keigo let out a frightened cry, his feathers bristling.
Clover Shimura
laughing softly There's a Hashira nearby. The Mist Hashira, actually. He's fighting an Upper Moon as we speak. Heavily injured. About to die. I was supposed to go get help... but I found something better instead.
Her eyes gleamed with malice as she leaned in, her voice a silken threat.
Clover Shimura
So what will it be, Star Slayer? Your life... or his?