Chapter Text
“ What’s taking them so long?!” I shouted over the ruckus, still trying to take down the demon ahead of me.
Each minute longer I fought meant more fuel poured to my annoyance. I had reached a stable pace, letting me endure the pain for a while longer. My limbs were sore and tired, but each time I wanted to stop, I told myself that I had endured much worse.
Honestly, after a while, the fight felt much easier. The demon was pretty much fighting mindlessly in my opinion. He was getting angrier by the second since he couldn’t put an end to Misturi and I. As we quickened our movements, he found it harder to keep up.
Evidently, he was losing focus as all he wanted to do now was matching our speed. The sun was close to rising, and yet the battle was not over. I took in a sharp breath, tensing my body up as I continued fighting.
“ Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon,” I shouted, as I cleared everything around me.
As I was fighting, my mind drifted to Mui. Misturi hadn’t said anything about him. Worry filled my heart as my mind came up with a million and one possibilities of what could happen to him. Worry itself was an understatement in my opinion.
Due to this, I had lost my focus, getting hit by one of the dragons sent by the demon ahead of me. I flew back, hitting the tree that was behind me.
“ Shit,” I cursed as I winced in pain.
Wasting no more time, I jumped back to my feet as I regained my stance, charging back at him. He had pissed me off enough, causing me to go all out.
Control your breathing.
The words of my teacher rang through my head on repeat as I dashed towards the demon in front of me. Misturi shouted at me, telling me to stop since there was no use of me cutting his head off. I just needed to endure his attacks.
Yet my feelings got ahead of me. I needed to see Mui, I needed to have some assurance that he was fine. I tried recalling the words that I had said not too long ago, the words that had let me defeat upper moon six.
“ Hinokami Kagura!” I called out, as the previous cold Moon Breathing attacks changed to a bright, warm Sun breathing attack.
The demon ahead of me was obviously stunned due to the sudden change. My body felt like it was physically burning. I rushed forward, at a speed that was 10 times faster than earlier, cutting through all his attacks effortlessly.
I leaped up, flipping upside down as I continued slashing everything coming towards me, before my blade slid through the demon’s head. His head slipped off his body, his eyes filled with shock.
As I landed on the ground, I heard Misturi running in my direction as she let out an audible gasp.
“ What just happened? Did you defeat him? Since when did you use Fire Breathing?” she let out a string of questions as she stared at the demon's headless body.
“ Sun Breathing, Misturi,” I corrected as I watched veins of the demon’s headless body come together, forming a new head.
Before it got the chance to finish forming, I slashed it again.
“ You brat! Stop interfering!” the demon shouted, a mouth forming around his chest area.
I stared at his body in disgust, his words falling on deaf ears as I repeated my earlier actions. He eventually stopped regenerating and stopped moving. Misturi and I stared at his body, with a bored expression on my face.
Misturi was shocked, as we practically defeated the demon in front of us.
“ Do we just go now?” she asked, scratching the back of her head.
“ I guess so. We defeated him, didn’t we?” I whisper, not knowing what I should do.
On command, the demon’s body disintegrated into ashes. Our faces lit up, as we realised that Tanjiro managed to kill the main body.
“ We did it!” we shouted in unison, as we hugged one another tightly.
Jumping up and down happily, we shouted happily like little kids who had just gotten a new toy. The sun slowly rose to the sky, signalling the end of the fight.
“ Tanjiro did it, he defeated Upper Moon 4!” Misturi squealed, tearing up in happiness.
“ He did it… he actually did it,” I repeated her words with a proud smile, before hugging Misturi again.
I didn’t underestimate him. I knew from the moment I saw him that he had something in him that was worth building on. I knew that Tanjiro would turn into one of the next greatest fighters. After the short celebration we had, we quickly searched for the others.
-
“ Mui!” I shouted throughout the forest, my shaking voice laced in fear.
I clenched my jaw as I was answered with silence once again, my heart aching with worry. No sign of him the whole day, no sign of him the whole night. I knew he was strong, but what if the danger that had gotten to him was stronger?
I clenched my fist hard, as I stopped running for a while. I tried catching my breath, only for my chest to hurt more as I took in deep breaths.
“ Where are you Mui?” I whispered to myself in a soft sob, as my hand was on my chest.
“ Right here,” a voice spoke, as an evident shadow emerged in front of me.
I froze in fear, as I realised how different he sounded. His voice was more high-pitched and gentle than usual. He didn’t sound like the same person, he sounded like the person he once was.
I slowly looked up in anticipation, as my attention landed on the boy in front of me. I knew he was the same person, yet he felt so different. He had a fresh red mark on the side of his forehead, accompanied with some bruises.
He had clearly been in a fight, resulting in half of his uniform ripped off. I swallowed nervously as the eye contact we made spoke a million words.
“ I… I remember Kora,” Mui started as his eyes turned slightly glossy.
I remained silent, as I bit my lip hard. That memory was left behind long ago. Bringing it up again only resulted in awkward unneeded conversations. Even if he remembered, I didn’t want to. I wanted us to be something new, and nothing linked to that past.
“ Forget about it Mui, everything is fine-“ I tried to move on from the topic, as each word got shakier.
“ It’s not! It wasn’t okay for me to speak to you in that way, after everything you did for me. I should have remembered, I should have at least some kind of memory in my head. But nothing, I had nothing,” he cut me off, his voice shaking.
“ It’s not the fact that it was ‘in the past’, Kora. It’s the fact all those times you spent with me, and my brain couldn’t remember any of it until today. And the fact that you still love me, though life is so unfair to you. It breaks my soul,” he continued, as he inched closer.
But I backed away.
He noticed me move away, and the shock on his face was evident.
I could barely breathe. My lungs felt like they were being squeezed, my brain trying to convince me that this was all just a dream.
I gasped for air, as my chest rose up and down rapidly .
“ Are you going to throw me away again? Is that the point of this? Do you just not want to be with me and the excuse you could make up was ‘I don’t deserve you’? Is that it?” I asked, fists clenched so hard that my knuckles were basically white.
Muichirou’s face was filled with regret and sympathy, as he grabbed me by my shoulders. His fingers held onto me so tight, as if I’d leave if he let go.
“ I can never do that to you again. I wasn’t in the right mind at that point of time, but I am now. So let me make it up to you, let me show you how much I truly care,” Muichirou begged, desperation in his voice.
He fell to his knees, bringing me down with him. He leaned into my chest, crying as he repeatedly apologised.
“ How… how can you still love me?” he choked, his voice cracking at every other word.
I stayed silent for a while, watching him sob softly. I swallowed nervously, before I slowly raised my arms.
“ Because you fell in love with me again. And for every second you love me, I’ll love you a million times more,” I whispered into his ear, as I finally returned the hug.
“ I’ll love you forever… I swear. Even if I lose my memory again, I’ll fall in love with you all over again. I’ll love you for eternity,” he answered as if it was a promise, an oath.
“ I know Mui. After all, the Mu in Muichirou stands for Infinite. Infinite kindness, infinite love,” I assured.
His body tensed at my words, but he melted against my warm touch. His tears fell on my shoulder, as our heartbeats matched one another.
Like they were made for one another.
-
“ And then it was like whoosh, and boom! And then I felt like wooo!” Mitsuri shouted, describing how she felt when the mark on her forehead was formed.
After defeating Upper Moon 5 and Upper Moon 4, Mui and Mitsuri had gotten marks after fighting the demons. A hashira meeting was then held, in order to discuss more about it.
Once Mitsuri finished explaining, everyone stared at her with amusement at the fact she had not provided any information that was useful in figuring out how the mark was formed.
I chuckled softly, looking at Mitsuri who was obviously embarrassed now.
“ I’m quite sure I had a high fever,” Mui spoke up, averting everyone’s attention to him.
My mother, who was holding the meeting as my father was too sick, nodded as she took note of whatever he said.
“ Is there a reason I haven’t got it?” I interrupted Mui, a small look of disappointment in my face.
Besides Tanjiro, I was the only demon slayer who had gone against more than one upper moon. Yet, I was the only one who hadn’t gotten a mark. The whole room went silent, the others nodding as they were also curious as to why.
My mother gave me a look, before heaving a sigh.
“ There is no accurate explanation, but your father has a speculation. We will get to it later,” my mother replied, earning a small nod from me.
The remainder of the meeting was my mother explaining some of the side effects of having the mark. Some of which were having access to the transparent world, and having much higher resistance compared to those who didn’t have the mark.
All in all, having the mark gave users a higher level of strength, a higher level of capability. Somehow, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of frustration and dread.
Why couldn’t I get the mark? I was undeniably one of the stronger hashiras. I had gone against at least two Upper Moons. I worked as hard, or even harder than everyone in the room.
My inner thoughts were cut off, as my mother spoke up.
“ Despite the advantages of having this mark, there is one curse.”
“ Those who have the mark, will not live past the age of 25.”
Everyone stiffened at her words, as we refused to believe what we had heard. My lips parted slightly, as I clenched my fist. Earning the mark was meant to be a blessing to protect the weak, not a curse.
I turned towards Mui, who had a slightly disturbed look on his face. Obviously he would. I’d have the same reaction if I found out that I was going to die at a young age and could do nothing about it.
But it wasn’t just that. I was annoyed that all this time, after we fought our hearts out, we wouldn’t even be able to enjoy the remainder of our life. To enjoy the fruits of our labour.
It meant that… I wouldn’t be able to grow old with Mui.
-
The rest of the meeting was basically the hashiras on setting up a training camp in order to better the swordsmanship and physical endurance of the other members of the corps. Especially since we had cleared out half of the upper moons, my father wanted us to be ready.
Whatever we were going up against was going to be much stronger, much more demanding and we needed to prepare as much as we could.
However, despite everyone being busy planning on what each of their respective camps were going to focus on, I was the only hashira that would not be participating in the camp. Instead, my father has requested for me to stay at the residence to take care of him.
Something felt like a miss. Despite his deteriorating state, he had never once asked me to assist him with taking care of his health. Instead, he always asked me to prioritise my swordsmanship skills because he’d say that once he left, the only thing left for me to cling onto was my swordsmanship skills.
Currently, he was laying on the floor as my mother wiped off the blood he had coughed out from his chin. I sat beside him quietly, waiting for him to speak. Seeing him in this state was difficult. He basically looked like a corpse.
For him to be living right now, it was a blessing.
I was frustrated, annoyed, pissed off. Why did our family have to be the descendents of the Demon King? Why were we the ones with this fate? Why was my father, the kindest person that I know, facing the harshness that Muzan should be facing?
Why was the world so unfair to us? Why did us demon slayers have to die early despite putting our lives on the line? Why did-
I let out a shaky breath, not being able to hold back my questions any longer.
“ Why can’t I get the mark?” I spat, clenching my fist in frustration.
My mother stopped cleaning my father up, slowly turning at me as she shot me a glare at my rudeness. However, I had a right to know. I was the one fighting. Not them.
Despite my father being now blind, I grabbed his shoulders and stared into his eyes, hovering over him as I shook him.
“ Why?! Why can’t I get the mark?” I shouted, shaking his body hard.
My mother shrieked as she tried pushing me away. My father began coughing once again as I kept shaking him, my tears falling onto his shirt. Knowing that her strength alone would not be enough to push me away, my mother called my siblings to help pull me off.
After a lot of budging, they finally got me to let go of my father, all of us breathless from all the pushing and pulling.
“ You’ve gone insane Kora,” my mother scolded, helping my father clean up.
My face was stained with tears, snot dripping from my nose as I stared at her rebelliously.
All of a sudden, the tension in the room was broken as my father let out a chuckle. This was the first thing he said after the whole commotion.
“ The… the whole family is together again.”
-
“ What?!” Tengen shouted, as he stared at me with widened eyes as I told him what happened.
The two of us were at his training area, looking over the demon slayers that were running laps. Despite Tengen already retiring, he still came back to help train the members as he wanted to lend a hand in helping us achieve victory.
Upon his reaction, I let out a sigh as I sat on a rock nearby.
“ I know alright. I didn’t mean to okay? Everything’s just been so overwhelming,” I sighed, brushing a hand through my hair.
“ Still? He’s your dad! Not only that, but we’re talking about Kagaya Ubuyashiki. The guy that looks dead all the time,” Tengen reminded me, placing his hand on my shoulders as he squeezed them.
“ Hey, watch it!” I shouted, not appreciating the accurate description of my father.
I pushed his hands off my shoulder, standing up from the rock as I kicked the pebbles on the floor.
“ He doesn’t want to tell me why I can’t get the stupid mark, and he’s not even letting me take part in the training. That’s something he would never do! It’s like that stupid curse is getting to his head!” I ranted, with a guilty look on my face.
Tengen gave me a sympathetic look, trailing behind me. A silence lingered between us, before he broke it.
“ I feel it too. The feeling that everything’s going wrong and that something bad is gonna happen,” Tengen spoke up, in a comforting voice.
“ But you can’t be letting this get to you Kora! You’re Kora Ubuyashiki, the daughter of the head of the Corps. The only hashira to fight all of the Upper Moons that have been taken down so far. And you’re telling me that you’re going to let some decision your father make define you?” Tengen continued, trying to hype me up.
I chuckled softly at how much he was glazing me, feeling slightly flustered.
He slapped my back softly, laughing alongside me.
“ Alright my point is, first of all, go apologise to your father and get things sorted out. Second of all, if he insists that you stay at home, get Muichirou to help you train when he has the time,” Tengen advised, a serious look on his face.
I nodded, taking his words in before I stopped walking and turned to him.
“ Oh yeah. Mui got his memory back.”
“ What?!”
-
“ Let me see your blade,” my teacher asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he held his hand out.
I nodded, walking towards him as I carefully placed my blade on his palms. He held it tightly, inspecting each section with a focused look.
“ Did you let someone else use it?” he asked, his fingers examining the sharpness of the blade as they began to bleed slightly.
I shook my head defensively, peering over to see what he was looking at.
“ I’d never!” I spat, my words holding the truth.
He handed the blade back to me, taking out his own. Someone seems pissed.
“ It’s either you’re lying, or you used another breathing technique. I can feel that disgusting trace of Sun Breathing on your sword,” he snapped, sending me an attack.
Though I was cut off guard, I skilfully dodged his attack and got into my fighting stance.
“ You ungrateful brat. After all the time I’ve spent on you to ensure you mastered Moon Breathing, you go ahead and use another breathing technique!” he shouted, sending attack after attack.
My eyes widened. He was going all out, and didn't even let me take a breath. If I blinked, I’d be dead. He continued sending attack after attack, until I managed to send one attack.
“ Moon Breathing, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing,” I shouted, the attack hitting him right in the chest.
He grunted slightly, flying back but shoved his blade into the grass to maintain some balance. My eyes widened as I noticed a few drops of blood drip from his chest.
That was the first time I've ever been able to make my teacher bleed. It wasn’t just a normal scratch, or a bruise. I made him bleed.
As he looked down at the wound that was on his chest, his fingers touched the open wound on his chest. The dark red contrasted his pale skin, as he stared at it for a while. After a long silence, he chuckled softly.
His laughter grew, the smile on his face growing.
“ I- I’m sorry-” I tried to apologise, but he stopped me from speaking with just the raise of his hand.
“ Our training has come to an end, Kora.”
I shook my head, quickly running over towards him.
“ What? No! You can’t just stop teaching me, you’ve taught me for years!” I shouted, my eyes turning glossy.
I held onto his kimono tightly, refusing to let it go.
I didn’t want him to leave. Everybody was slowly leaving. My father, Mui. The only person that would definitely stay for eternity was… him.
“ Please! I’ll train harder, I won’t use Sun Breathing anymore! Please!” I begged as I fell to my knees.
My tears began to wet my cheeks, as I bit my lips to suppress my sobs. The silence of the night was filled with my sobs, followed by an annoyed sigh from my teacher.
“ Stand up Kora,” he commanded, folding his arms authoritatively.
I quickly complied, wiping my tears away as I looked up at him.
“ There is nothing to be sorry about. Only a few people in this world are able to land a hit on me. Only a few,” he spoke, his voice filled with some sort of satisfaction.
“ This is no goodbye. Simply just see you later. You must continue working hard, and strive to surpass me.”
I continued listening attentively, despite not really understanding what he was trying to say.
“ Remember what I told you. When the time comes, I expect you to end me. End me like you don’t know me.”
-
“ You hate me.”
“ Mui I don’t-”
“ You visited not only Tengen first, but also that stupid teacher that abuses you half of the time.”
“ Mui let me speak-”
“ She loves me, she loves me not.”
“ Muichirou Tokito!” I snapped, annoyed at his oblivious attitude.
Everybody at the training camp stopped what they were doing as my voice boomed through the area, looking at Mui and I. I let out an annoyed sigh before pulling Mui into a shed, away from everyone.
As we entered the shed, Mui stared at me with a pouty look, folding his arms.
“ I’ve been really busy and overwhelmed by everything that has happened over the past two days,” I explained , a tired look on my face.
Mui stopped his little tantrum, looking at me to make sure I was okay. He pushed his immature emotions away, and listened to whatever I had to say.
“ My teacher told me that he’s not going to teach me anymore, and I got into a huge fight with my family. So please, I… I just need you to listen right now,” I sighed, my voice turning shaky.
Mui softened at my words, quickly walking over to me as he engulfed me in a tight hug.
“ I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” he whispered, rubbing my back comfortingly.
Enveloped in his warmth, I relaxed as my body untensed in his comfort. I took a deep breath, before continuing to speak.
“ I’m so tired, Mui. I just… I just want all of this to come to an end.”
“ It will. I promise, we’ll get through this together,” Mui whispered comfortingly.
-
“ You’re the one with the mark, shouldn’t you be stronger?” I mocked, blocking Mui’s attacks with ease.
“ Going light on you,” he chuckled, before increasing the intensity,
He unleashed a thick fog, causing me to lose sight of him. Be ready, any time now…
I ducked as he tried to hit me from the back, rolling forward so I would create some distance before turning to look at him again.
“ You’re shallow for that,” I snickered before dashing towards him.
“ Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon!” I shouted as I let out a chain of attacks.
Despite having some difficulty blocking them, Mui quickly got back to his feet and used his breathing technique.
“ Mist Breathing, Sixth Form: Lunar Dispersing Mist!” he shouted, hitting me with a few attacks.
I managed to block them, but the force and push that came with those attacks dragged me back.
“ So this is the strength of a demon slayer with a mark huh?” I scoffed, quickly getting back into my stance.
Mui did the same, but much faster and with more precision. He narrowed his eyes at me, waiting for my next move. He knew I wasn’t one to give up so easily.
Focus.
I closed my eyes, the grip on my wooden blade tightening. The word ‘Awaken’ that had been engraved on my swords illuminated slightly, as the ground around me began shaking.
Focus on every little thing.
The sound of the wind, the soft panting that came from Mui, even the crawling of the ants on a nearby tree. I could hear and feel every single thing.
I opened my eyes slowly, determination in my eyes as I swung my blade back.
“ Hinokami Kagura!” I shouted, and in less than a blink of an eye, I was behind Mui, the blade landing on his back as he flew forward.
He smashed into a nearby tree, groaning in pain. My eyes widened as I realised how much faster and stronger I had gotten. I quickly dropped my blade, running towards him as I kept apologising.
Instead of giving me the cold shoulder, Mui simply let out an amused sigh, his hand pressing on the bruise on his forehead.
“ You have to teach me whatever that was,” he spoke in amusement.
-
“ I’m sorry,” I spoke, bowing to the ground as my father was in front of me.
My words were accompanied by silence, causing the guilt in me to grow even more. I refused to look up to see what expression he had on his face.
Because knowing him, he’d probably forgotten about the whole situation and was worried about my well-being.
“ I wasn’t thinking rationally. And my actions were rude, and simply unjust. I apologise, Father,” I continued, sincerity in my words as a tear rolled down my cheek.
Some rustling followed shortly after, before my father spoke.
“ Though I have lost the ability to see, my soul tells me that my daughter is bathing in remorse and sorrow,” he started.
“ And what disturbs my daughter, disturbs me. And for as long as I have the ability to bring happiness to her heart, then there is no reason for her to feel that way. So tell me my child, what is disturbing you?” he continued, coughing slightly after.
His voice was enough to soothe a stab wound. I slowly looked up at him, his tranquillity bringing peace to my heart. Another tear fell, as my hand covered my mouth to hide the sobs.
After a while, when I managed to regain my composure, I whispered softly.
“ Only the thought of… only the thought of disappointing you disturbs my heart,” I answered.
Immediately, he shook his head, pulling the covers of his feet. His hands began to reach out, as if trying to feel for me. I moved forward, before his fingers brushed my wet cheeks.
“ Kora. You have never disappointed me, my child. What could have ever made you feel this way?” he replied, wiping the tears of my cheeks comfortingly.
“ I don’t have the demon slayer mark, like the others.”
“ Nor do you think I am capable enough to teach others.”
Immediately, he shook his head again and his hand found its way to my shoulder.
“ My child… the only sensible reason for you to not have gotten the mark is because we are of Muzan’s descendants. His cells must have opposed the mark being formed. You are one of the most hardworking people I know.”
“ If you were not my child, and had come from another bloodline, rest assured. You wouldn’t have only gotten the mark, but also been much stronger than others,” he explained, the words he used were perfect to please anyone with a broken heart.
“ And for me not allowing you to participate in the training camp, it is a burden and gut feeling in my heart, that refuses to let you far away. Plus, I have the feeling that my lifetime is coming to an end,” he finished.
Just that simple yet clear explanation was enough to get me back on my feet. Undeniably, I had completely misinterpreted the entire situation. If only I had been more patient, would I have gotten these answers much earlier.
I continued to apologise to my father, reassuring him that I’d work even harder to make sure whatever dreams he had would come true.
For every apology I muttered, he would utter another one, apologising that I was born into this tragic family.
That only strengthened the will in me to work even harder, the will to protect this family and what it stands for.
The will to bring Muzan Kibutsuji to an end.
-
“ Morning Ms Kora! It’s been a while!” Tanjiro greeted, bowing as he noticed me emerging from the house.
“ You’re early,” I trudged forward, yawning as I began stretching.
After fighting Upper Moon 6, Upper Moon 4 and Mui, it was a known fact that I could use Sun Breathing to a certain extent. The only other person who knew how to use Sun Breathing was Tanjiro Kamado.
Thus, I had invited him to teach me how to use the Form with more precision. If I was planning to beat Muzan, I had to expand my different fighting styles. Even if it meant learning a new one all together.
“Always good to start the morning fresh!” he smiled, showing a thumbs up.
How did he have this much energy in the morning?
“ Alright, let’s get to business. I’m going to show you my attack, and then you show me yours. And then you’ll teach me the different forms. Easy?” I started, taking my blade out.
He nodded, looking at me attentively.
Focus.
I closed my eyes, letting my body submerge into my surroundings. I pushed my leg back, before I opened my eyes again and launched onto Tanjiro.
“Hinokami Kagura!” I shouted, my body moving to so quickly that it was impossible to stop me,
Except that he did. Tanjiro used his blade to block the attack, the sound of metal clanging filling my ears. My eyes widened slightly. Even Mui couldn’t block this attack.
How strong had Tanjiro grown?
I smirked at his courage, before cracking my neck.
“ How amazing Tanjiro, being able to match my speed and strength. Maybe let’s do some combating before you teach me,” I suggested.
Tanjiro nodded in determination, a motivated smile on his lips.
“ Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!”
“ Hinokami Kagura: Burning Bones, Summer Sun!”
-
“ I can still hear his voice whenever I’m in battle. His effect on me had never left.”
After learning all the forms of Sun Breathing, Tanjiro and I were having some onigiris prepared by my sisters. While eating, I decided to tell him about my teacher.
“ He seems extremely skillful! Has he ever considered joining the demon slayers again?” Tanjiro asked, mouth filled with onigiri.
I shook my head, a disappointed look on my face.
“ He won’t. No matter how much I tried to convince him, he wouldn’t budge,” I lied, letting out a heavy sigh.
Tanjiro nodded, mirroring the same disappointment.
“ It’s alright Ms Kora. I’m sure you’ll make him proud!” Tanjiro exclaimed, trying to lighten up the mood.
The corners of my lips lifted slightly, chuckling at Tanjiro’s excitement.
“ Alright Tanjiro. You should head back to the Hashira Training. You wouldn’t want to keep Mui waiting,” I smiled, handing him a bag of packed onigiris so that he could eat them on the way.
Tanjiro nodded, gathering his things as he thanked me for the time I’d spent with him today.
“ I’ll make sure to tell Muichirou how much you miss him!” Tanjiro smiled, winking at me awkwardly.
Funny.
-
“Are you sure about this Kora? You haven’t even mastered Sun Breathing,” Mui spoke, swallowing nervously as he hung a cloth between two trees.
Unsheathing my blade, I nodded, looking at the word ‘Awaken’ that was engraved on it. I glanced at Mui, nodding before taking a deep breath.
In. And out.
I could feel my heartbeat as if it was a speaker, playing right in my ear. I could hear every single thing. The walking of ants, Mui’s breathing, the moving cloth.
I placed my right foot behind, its toes touching the back of my left foot.
Combine them. The dawn and the dusk. The sunset and the sunrise.
The moon, and the sun.
I lifted the blade, swinging it back as I waited.
The fusion. The fusion. Merge them-
I underestimated the difficulty of what I was going to do, my head beginning to ring. Everything started getting blurry, I felt a strong force pushing me back as I forced myself to dig my foot into the ground to keep me stable.
Still, it felt like the breathing techniques were fighting one another, refusing to even overlap by even a little. The force pushed me back again, this time, too strong for me to withstand. I lost my footing, flying as back slammed onto the bark of a tree.
A piercing pain filled my head, my body losing its consciousness as I felt blood trickle down my neck. The last thing I remembered was Mui running towards me, his voice muffled before my world turned black.
-
My eyes fluttered open, the smell of chamomile flowers filling my nostrils. I groaned slightly at the pain in my head, before pushing myself up. I blinked a few times, before my lips parted slightly, admiring the picturesque scenery in front of me.
The grass was greener here, fresher than ever. The breeze was just right, and the sun was shining high up in the sky. I looked around the never-ending field, before I took a step, noticing I was all alone.
I looked around for a while, the smell of chamomile bringing me some peace before my eyes lingered at a figure, far away. Slowly, I walked towards him, my body suddenly feeling lighter. My walk turned into a run, trying to reach the figure.
I stopped for a while, trying to catch my breath, closing my eyes for just a second to recollect myself. But when I looked back up, he was gone, making my eyebrows furrow. I turned around desperately, my ears searching desperately for the figure, disappointment creeping into me.
“ You can’t catch up with him. We all can’t,” a man spoke, walking over.
He was much taller, wearing a white robe. His hair was white as well, tied in a neat bun as he had his hands crossed at his chest. His eyes moved from the scenery in front of him before he looked down at me, an amused smile on his face.
“ You’re almost 360 years younger than me,” he chuckled, a small smirk on his face.
I blinked a few times, before clearing my throat. I swallowed nervously, admiring him for a while before speaking.
“ Who are you?” I asked, slightly on guard, since I didn’t even know where I was.
He chuckled slightly, probably sensing my hostility before turning towards me fully. He placed his arm out, in an attempt to get me to shake his hand.
“ You’re the first Moon Breathing User to ever join the field. I’m the original Stone Breathing User. Nice to meet you,” he smiled, showing no sense of facade or evilness.
My eyes widened slightly as he uttered those words, making me question even more about where I was. How is it possible that I was seeing a demon slayer from generations ago? I swallowed nervously, before taking his hand, feeling his tight grip.
“ Where am I?” I asked, confusion clearly written all over my face.
He pulled his hand away from mine before looking around again.
“ How shall I say this…. a waiting area? This is the place where all demon slayers throughout the years join together. After death, of course,” he hummed slightly, before shaking his head.
My head snapped towards him, my jaw dropping. After death? I wasn’t dead. I couldn’t be dead. All I did was hit my head against a tree. I’ve been through much worse.
“ No, I’m not dead. There must be some kind of mistake,” I spoke, my voice raising slightly in an attempt to get my point across.
He chuckled slightly before putting an arm on my shoulder in an attempt to reassure me.
“ That’s what everyone says when they come here. Trust me, I’ve seen this too many times. Denial, Anger-” he tried to explain.
“ No, I’m not in denial! I’m telling the truth! If I really wanted to, I can just wake up,” I rebutted, my fists clenching in frustration.
I wasn’t dead. There’s no way-
“ She isn’t,” a new voice spoke, much calmer and less provoking than the male I was talking to.
His footsteps were silent, as he gently took off the male’s hand that was on my shoulder before giving me a small smile. A smile so gentle and pure that it somehow calmed my heart.
This man… he was the one I was chasing earlier. Somehow, just his absence was so comforting to me. I nodded in respect, having a gut feeling that he was someone remarkable. He looked so familiar… but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“ You’re looking at the first and strongest demon slayer, kid! He’s my friend too, cool right?” the male earlier spoke, breaking the tranquillity as he placed his arm around Yoriichi’s shoulder with a smug look on his face.
I had to hold back a cringe when he opened his mouth. He’s just like Tengen.
“ Anyways, what do you mean by she isn’t dead Yoriichi?” he continued, glancing at Yoriichi who was chuckling slightly at him.
“ I brought her here. Just for a while. I have to talk to you,” he spoke with a serious face that was somehow still gentle, after laughing slightly.
I raised an eyebrow, wondering why he needed me to talk to him. But all of a sudden, it clicked. The hair, the eyes, the height. Everything was identical.
He gave me a small smile, realising that I knew who he was as he walked towards me.
“ Do you mind staying for a while? Perhaps a day or two? I’d like to know how he’s doing,” he continued, waiting for me in anticipation.
“ Sure…. But uh, what do I call you two?” I asked, swallowing nervously as I glanced between the two of them.
“ Yoriichi.”
“ Miyagi”
-
“ You need to flex your arm more, it gives a stronger start and will create a bigger attack,” Yoriichi spoke as he and Miyagi were under a tree, enjoying the shade while I stood in the middle of the field, showing my technique.
I nodded, trying to follow his advice as I felt the strain on my arm.
“ Don’t change the direction of your torso. Always face forward,” he spoke when he noticed me shift slightly to make myself more comfortable.
I gritted my teeth in frustration, before following suit. Throughout the whole time I had been here so far, Yoriichi wanted to take a look at my technique and make sure that it was to perfection.
Genuinely, I thought that I had perfected it already. I spent months making sure I did just that. But somehow, Miyagi and Yoriichi had a million and one corrections for me. The corrections did make sense, but it made me feel that all my training throughout the years had gone to waste.
Miyagi stepped out of the shade, picking up two long sticks as he threw one towards me.
“ Fight me. If you can’t fight me, don’t even try to defeat Muzan kid,” he scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he got into his form.
I clenched my fist, holding the stick he passed to me tightly as I took a deep breath.
“ Stone Breathing, First Form: Upper Smash!” he shouted as he lunged towards me, causing my eyes to widen at how fast he was.
Immediately, I narrowed my eyes before letting out a deep exhale.
“ Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon Chain!” I shouted, our sticks hitting one another as we stood in front of each other, determination on our faces.
His strength was definitely much more than I had anticipated. I shoved my stick forward, pushing him back as I leaped back to make some distance between us.
“ Moon breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!” I hissed as I lunged back forward, trying to get as close as I could.
Miyagi bended backwards, avoiding my attack by an inch as he chuckled at my strength. He kicked his right leg forward with a lot of force, jumping up into the air as he turned upside down. He smirked mid air before swinging his hand backwards, taking a deep breath.
“ Stone Breathing, Fifth Form: Arcs of Justice!” he shouted as he lunged forward causing me to click my tongue in annoyance.
I had no time for mindless child play.
“ Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon!” I shouted, my attacks charging at him with full speed.
He jumped upwards in an attempt to dodge my attack. However, while he did that, I used another form to block him off.
“ Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon!” I screamed, my attack coming from on top, leaving Miyagi no means of escaping.
I expected the attack to obliterate him immediately, since I had put in one of my most skilled attacks to make sure that he would be defeated. Yet, I was wrong. My eyes widened as I noticed Yoriichi with a stick in his hand, blocking the attack so calmly as if he didn’t even put any effort into doing so.
Miyagi stood behind him, trying to catch his breath as he uttered a small thank you to Yoriichi and allowed him to take over.
“ Your strength, it is extremely remarkable. For someone your age, I’m even more impressed,” Yoriichi smiled, putting his hand down.
“ But you won’t be able to defeat him like this,” Yoriichi finished his sentence before bringing his hand up.
The next second, I felt my body flying backwards, a warm feeling erupting at my chest as I rolled through the field. What just happened? Did I just get hit? He didn’t even move, right? I winced as I stopped rolling, my clothes covered in mud and dirt.
I pushed myself up quickly, getting on my feet as I noticed his figure dashing towards me. I gritted my teeth before holding my stick a little harder, pushing my feet into the soil so that I wouldn’t fly.
Breathe.
“ Sun Breathing, Third Form: Raging Sun,” Yoriichi whispered as the distance between us closed.
I had to fight, lifting my blade wasn’t enough to suppress his attack. I had to fight back, I had to balance out the force.
“ Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy!” I shouted, our sticks clashing.
A large smoke appeared as our attacks clashed, the ground shaking as I lost my footing. I stumbled backwards, the feeling of defending such a strong attack inflicting a sharp pain in my body.
But I couldn’t keep my guard down. I got back on my feet, trying my hardest to catch my breath as I kept my eyes glued to the smoke in front of me. My eyes widened when I caught a glimpse of red hair, his figure looking completely untouched.
“ Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit!” I shouted, not even giving myself the chance to catch my breath.
Yet, my attack was worthless. He dodged the attack easily, his face so calm and tranquil that I could tell he was enjoying this.
“ Quality over quantity. There’s no point in attacking when it doesn’t affect the enemy,” Yoriichi advised, before taking the stick out of my hands and snapping it effortlessly.
“ Let me show you my true form,” he continued, exhaling as he pushed me to the side gently.
The ground began to shake as two mountains emerged from the ground, revealing Miyagi on top of them as he panted due to exhaustion.
“ Is this big enough?” Miyagi shouted before he jumped down from the huge structures, landing on the ground gently.
My eyes widened, wondering how on earth Miyagi had done that. These were the biggest mountains I had ever seen, but I wasn’t going to question. I was basically in the afterlife, so anything was possible.
“ This will do,” Yoriichi spoke as he leaned his head back, taking a deep breath as his hair flew in the wind beautifully.
“ Don’t blink. This is the good part,” Miyagi whispered, crossing his arms with a smirk on his face.
I kept my eyes on Yoriichi as a blade formed in his hand. He looked like perfection, there was nothing wrong about his form, and even the aura he had was breathtaking.
“ Hinokami Kagura,” Yoriichi spoke.
The scenery in front of me turned bright red as Yoriichi lunged towards the mountains. His movement was so quiet, only the sound of his blade opposing the wind filling my ear. Within a second, both the mountains began crumbling. I couldn’t even see him, he was too fast.
All I could see was the red trail that followed, and soon enough, the rocks on the mountain began to fall rapidly. Yet, before they could even touch the ground, they disintegrated. My lips parted from noticing how immense his power was. How could a human be capable of such power?
A power that even the strongest demon didn’t have.
My eyes began to tear from how picturesque the sight was. It was so beautiful, it felt so warm and perfect. This was the strength of the strongest demon slayer, the strongest being to step foot on Earth.
With one last slash, the remains of the mountain vanished as everything slowly settled back into place. The blade disappeared from Yoriichi’s fingers as he dusted his shoulder slightly, walking back over. He had a humble look on his face while Miyagi kept praising him.
I tried to speak, but I couldn’t. I had never seen something so… so remarkable before.
How could Yoriichi be related to him? How could he ever hate Yoriichi?
They were opposites. The Sun and the Moon. The perfect and the imperfection. And yet, they came from the same origin. The same parents, the same blood.
Yoriichi noticed my silence, walking over as he placed his hand on my shoulder as an attempt to calm me down. And it worked. Perfectly. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I finally understood why Yoriichi brought me here.
He wanted me to save something he could never save. It was ironic, how the strongest man couldn't even save his other half.
I let out an exhale, sniffling as I nodded.
“ He doesn’t hate you. He told me he loved you.”
And at that moment, I noticed his glossy eyes, and the way his lip trembled. At that moment, I saw the strongest man to have ever lived, showing his weakness.
“ Save him… bring him back to me. Please.”
-
My body shot up, panting as cold sweat trickled down my face. I turned to my right to see a plate of buns, grabbing them quickly as I shoved each one in my mouth hastily.
After spending my time with Yoriichi and Miyagi for almost two whole days without food in that stupid realm, I was starving. The taste of chicken unfolded in my arms, my shoulders slumping at how amazing they tasted.
“ Took you long enough,” Mui spoke up, his arms crossed as he looked at me from the chair he was sitting on.
My head snapped towards his voice, seeing him look at me with an unamused expression. I smiled sheepishly, offering him one of the buns but was rejected immediately. He stood up from the chair, squeezing my cheek with an annoyed expression on his face.
“ I told you not to try out stupid things like that. Is getting yourself hurt a hobby?” he nagged, causing me to endure an hour-long lecture.
“ I was experimenting,” I groaned, trying to get up from the bed.
“ Don’t move. Shinobu is coming over to check up on you. While you were passed out, you were mumbling to yourself and new bruises started appearing for no reason,” he spoke, rolling up my sleeve as he caressed the blue mark with concern.
Memories from the past two days flooded my mind, my ears ringing for a split second. I glanced at Mui, wondering whether or not to let him know about what had been going on in my head, but I decided to keep it a secret for now.
However, my hesitance didn’t go unnoticed by Mui, making him let out a heavy exhale before pressing the back of his hand on my forehead.
“ You’re warm, but it isn’t a fever. Which means you’re hiding something from me. Tell me,” he whispered, his voice soothing the ache in my body.
A small smile emerged on my lips as I reached out to touch his face gently. He closed his eyes, his hands moving to hold mine before sighing.
“ You make me worry all the time. I know you have no means of preserving your limbs but I do,” he whispered, opening his eyes.
He lifted his other free hand, revealing the matching bracelet that we both owned. He moved it towards my other hand which had the other bracelet, before whispering.
“ You make me, me. You are my memory Kora, and our souls, they’re so intertwined and interconnected that losing you would mean that I would lose myself,” he continued.
“ Mui-”
“ I’m not done. I want us to be happy. I want us to live till we’re old, to have the happiness we always wished for. To live in a house in the middle of a field. And if you want kids we can have kids too,” he spoke, his voice getting shakier.
“ Mui, we’re still kids. We’re not even 15,” I tried to cut him off, but I stopped when I felt a tear that escaped his eye rolled down my hand.
“ But will we even make it to 15?” he whispered, looking into my eyes.
-
“ The bruises seem to be healing rather efficiently since you’ve been eating all the herbs. You should be free to get back into action by tomorrow,” Shinobu smiled, inspecting the bruises on my body.
“ Though, I’m still confused on how they even appeared. The head injury was already there when Muichirou brought you here, but not the rest of these bumps,” Shinobu sighed, tapping her chin.
“ Don’t worry about it, they’re pretty harmless if I’m being honest. Probably some internal injuries,” I explained as I watched Shinobu pour some medicine for me to take.
We remained in silence for a while, before I decided to ask Shinobu something once I finished taking the medication she gave.
“ Shinbou… you’ve been working on a medicine to turn demons back to humans haven’t you?” I asked, causing her to freeze slightly.
She turned towards me, her face slightly pale. She blinked for a while before clearing her throat and leaned closer.
“ How do you know? Not even the hashiras know. Did your father tell you?” she whispered, making sure the other nurses around wouldn’t overhear.
“ Can I have some of it?” I asked, ignoring all her previous questions.
Her eyes widened, swallowing nervously before shaking her head.
“ I haven’t even perfected the medicine, Kora. I don’t know if it works, or if it will work,” she whispered back, her voice resolute.
I nodded, obviously displeased by her answer but I knew there was no point of pushing.
“ Alright. Thank you,” I spoke before getting up from the bed and walking away.
-
“ Shinobu must have a reason if she doesn’t want to give it to you. So no, I will not be asking her for some,” Mui spoke incoherently as he munched on the onigiris I bought for him.
I huffed, taking an onigiri out of the bag.
“ Why do you even need it anyway?” Mui asked as he stopped my hand from taking the onigiri and fed me the one he already bit into.
I chewed for a while before wiping my lips and clearing my throat.
“ I feel like it would be useful when we do go against Muzan,” I explained, despite having an interior motive.
He hummed before handing the unfinished onigiri to me.
“ I’m sure she knows what she’s doing. Finish the onigiri, I’ll eat the rest later. I have to check on the blades that are being made,” Mui spoke as he got up from the wall.
Before he walked away, he pressed a small kiss on my cheek and smiled.
“ Stay for training today. I miss you,” he whispered before walking into the shed.
I covered my face out of embarrassment. He really was much bolder after getting back his memory, a little too bold.
Once he disappeared out of my sight, I decided to enter the training house to see what Mui had been doing with the other members.
I pushed the sliding door open slightly, noticing a familiar face.
“ You have to push your leg back slightly, it makes your stance more firm!” Tanjiro advised as he helped out the corps members.
I entered quietly watching them try to fix their technique while listening to Tanjiro’s advice diligently. However, Tanjiro noticed me, causing him to greet me enthusiastically.
“ Kora! How have you been?” he smiled, jumping in excitement.
“ Ah Tanjiro… I’m okay,” I chuckled awkwardly, walking in even more as everyone turned their attention towards me.
“ Would you like to help us? We’d like to practise our basic combat!” Tanjiro invited, approaching me with a big grin.
I pondered for a moment, glancing around. I wasn’t sure if Mui would appreciate me taking over his training. However, the desperate glances and determined looks from the other corps members made me think otherwise.
I nodded before picking one of the wooden blades lying on the floor, adjusting it to fit my grip.
“ Fine, let’s not waste anymore time then. Come at me,” I spoke, tilting my head with a smirk on my face.
Everyone nodded as they turned towards me, Tanjiro sending the first his while I dodged effortlessly. All the other corps members took turns trying to land a hit on me as well, but each one failed as I blocked their attacks with my blade.
“ All of you are too slow. It’s useless if you take turns to attack, charging all together would make it more difficult for the enemy to doge,” I explained, letting out an exhale as they all tried to catch their breath.
They nodded once hearing my words before charging in my direction, but stopped as the sliding door slammed open stopped our little training.
“ You’re too kind Kora, not even hitting them once. They won’t feel the actual pain of fighting an Upper Demon Moon then,” Mui interrupted, as he entered, causing everyone to freeze in fear.
He took a wooden blade from one of the members before getting into his stance.
“ Shall we give them a demonstration on how a real fight is?” Mui smirked, before charging towards my direction.
I stepped to the right, ducking right on time as I avoided the strike. Everyone around awed at that moment.
“ How foul… not even a warning?” I chuckled as I pushed off my leg and flew in his direction.
-
“ I hope you enjoyed yourself,” Mui spoke as we had our hands intertwined, walking down the empty streets.
“ Yeah, it was refreshing. Thank you for inviting me,” I smiled back.
The two of us continued walking, heading up a flight of stairs while I wondered where he was bringing me.
“ I know the training was not up to your standard, so I have something that would challenge you a little more,” Mui continued as we reached the top of the stairs.
My eyebrow raised as the sound of an intense battle filled my ear, my eyes noticing the Snake Hashira, Obanai, and the Wind Hashira, Sanemi, duelling with one another. My hair flew slightly as their wooden blades hit one another, the impact causing the leaves on the trees to rustle.
“ About time you two reached. We got bored,” Sanemi scoffed as he turned towards the two of us, a cocky smirk on his face.
“ What about this is a challenge?” I teased, taking the wooden blades from Obanai’s hand and passing one to Mui as well.
“ Oh is that so? We won’t go easy brat,” Sanemi chuckled as the four of us got into our positions.
“ Loser owes dinner,” Obanai spoke up before making the first move.
I glanced at Mui who gave me a nod. Free dinner it is.
-
“ Hear me out, chicken katsu with honey,” I smiled while munching on the food that Sanemi and Obanai bought for us in my kitchen, the appetising aroma filling my nostrils.
“ And you say no to milk and corn,” Mui spoke as he ate his portion as well, sitting next to me while we both leaned on the wall.
I chuckled as I turned at him with cheeks filled with rice before nodding.
We stared into each other’s eyes for a while, the silence comforting as my eyes lingered to every feature of his face. From his turquoise eyes, to the scar on his face. The light from the moon made his face even more addicting to look at.
For that moment, I wanted to take his hand and leave. To run away, to live somewhere no one could find. To make a world that revolved around only the two of us. And he looked at me like he wanted to do that too.
“ Don’t look at me like that,” I whispered as my gaze moved from his lips to his eyes.
“ Like what?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.
“ Like you’d sacrifice everything you’ve built to this moment for me.”
.
.
.
“ But I would.”
I placed my bowl to the side as I held his face with my hands, staring into his eyes to find any sign of him lying. But I couldn’t, and I know he wasn’t lying either.
“ We’re still young,” I mumbled, my eyes starting to turn glossy.
“ And yet we’re sacrificing our lives,” Mui replied as he pulled my hand off his face and moved it to his chest.
I felt his heart beating, the warmth from it moving to my cold fingers. He rested his forehead on mine as he let out a sharp exhale. He didn’t have to speak, but I still knew what he wanted. And I’d be lying if I didn’t want it too.
A life where we would finally be each other’s destiny.
But we both knew that even if there was a life where we were happy, it wasn’t this one.
Too many promises to keep, too many battles to fight. And even if our souls longed for each other, even if we could run away and have the life we wanted, we knew that we’d never be able to swallow the guilt of leaving our loved ones behind. We’d never be able to put away the haunting feeling that we never reached our goal.
“ Promise me you’ll stay alive?” he finally spoke, his voice cracking as he pressed his forehead even harder on mine.
“ As long as you promise the same.”
-
“ Where’s Kiriya, and the other two?” I asked my mother while applying some ailment on my bruises after coming back from some sparing.
“ The three of them are staying at Shinobu’s mansion to help out with her experiments,” she spoke as she walked over to me.
Her eyes had a glint of solemnness in them. Most people wouldn’t notice, but I saw her everyday. I would know if there was something wrong. Before I could ask her if something was wrong, she hugged me tightly before pressing a kiss on my forehead.
“ I’m proud of you,” she whispered against my forehead before pulling away.
She stared into my eyes for a little while, before taking the ailment and helping me apply it. I wordlessly watched her treat my wounds. I wanted to reach out to her, ask her what was going through her head.
But the thing about my mother was that she wasn’t one to hide secrets. So if she was holding herself from saying something, she truly didn’t want to share. And I wasn’t going to push her to tell me.
“ Can you help me pick some chamomile flowers on top of the hill?” she asked, her voice breaking me out of my trance.
“ I know it’s late and it’s quite the journey, but your father wants some tea for his throat. I’ll make some for you as well,” she continued, glancing up at me.
I nodded without hesitation, standing up as I unrolled my sleeves.
“ I’ll get you a bunch alright,” I smiled, making my way to the back door.
“ Wait! I… I love you Kora,” she spoke, her voice holding so much emotion.
Something was definitely wrong. I pressed my lips in a thin line before walking back and engulfing her in a tight hug.
“ I love you too,” I smiled, before walking out of the house.
-
“ One after one, night has passed… it will become lively,” I sang to myself as I picked up the chamomile flowers, careful to take the best and the freshest ones.
Surely this would make mother feel much better. My mind couldn’t brush off the fact that something was bothering her. Something was bothering the one person who would never let anything affect her. From the hill, I could see our home from below, shining in the moonlight.
I squinted my eyes slightly, noticing my sisters playing a childhood game in the garden. I smiled slightly. What a coincidence, I was singing the song that we would sing when we played that game. I stopped slightly, admiring the scenery for a while.
After a while, I stepped away since I was done collecting enough flowers. I looked up and noticed snow falling, my eyebrows raising slightly.
I looked at a snowflake that landed on my finger, bringing it closer to my face as I inspected it. The intricate design was almost so perfect, like the scenery in front of me. Snow. Something so pure and beautiful. White like perfection and honesty.
Yet, it held the same symbolism as death.
I noticed the chamomile flowers that were still on the floor starting to wither from the cold, causing me to cover the ones that I had already picked. It was best to get home now before the flowers I had wilted.
….Home?
My ears rang, as my eyes moved to the growing fire that demolished the cold that came with the beginning of winter. Was that an explosion?
An explosion that demolished every single inch of my house. The house that I stayed in for the past 14 years began crumbling, a thick grey smoke clouding the area as the fire from the explosion spread to the trees surrounding the area. The chamomiles I had been holding slipped from my hand, my eyes turning teary from the ash that managed to reach the eyes.
“ Mom… Dad….?” I whispered, my heart dropping when I watched everything turn into a bright orange colour.
.
I couldn’t move. What was the point of moving anymore? There was no way anyone survived that. Was I supposed to be in the explosion? Was I supposed to die with them?
I fell to my knees, my lungs refusing to accept any oxygen as I felt a choke around my neck. I tried my hardest to breathe, to move. To get up and investigate.
My mother knew. She must have known. That’s why she kissed me goodbye, told me she was proud of me. My father knew he wouldn’t have been able to keep his calm front if he was the one to say goodbye. My sisters must have known as well, my younger brother too which is why he left the mansion.
Everyone. Everyone except for me.
How selfish were they? How selfish could they have been not to tell me? I did everything, everything for them. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with them once we defeated Muzan.
I promised my siblings, I’d spend time with them. That I wouldn’t push them away once I was done. That I’d spend every minute, every second with them. How could they do this to me? How could they be so fucking selfish?
Who was going to give me the bigger portions of food now? Who was going to comfort me when I was sad? Who was going to tell me the exact words I needed when I was going through a hard time?
Who was going to tend to my wounds when I got hurt? Who was going to make me chamomile tea? Who was going to reprimand me when I was wrong?
They’re all so selfish. How can they sacrifice their life for someone like me? They were the perfect ones, the kindest ones. Who cares if they had a curse? They were the stronger ones. Never me.
The tears didn’t stop flowing, my hand on my chest as I tried to breathe. I was supposed to kill Muzan, on my own. They didn’t need to help. I was supposed to do it on my own. They should have left it to the demon slayers, they should have left it to me.
But now…
My family was gone.
“ The battle is not over. Don’t let their sacrifice go to waste. Rely on me,” a voice whispered as cold hands helped me up.
I turned to the source, seeing Mui with saddened eyes. He forced me up, his hand firm yet comforting as he took out his blade.
“ We can do this, I need you to trust me. Trust yourself. We’ll get out of this alive,” Mui spoke before he grabbed my wrist with my free hand and dragged me down the hill towards the house.
It took me a while to absorb what he said, I just knew that I wanted to be near him. But after a good few seconds, everything clicked. I took a deep breath, retracting my hand as I ran alongside Mui, the two of us increasing our pace.
Once we reached the site, my nostrils were filled with the pungent smoke, my eyes scanning for any sign of life or any idea of what could have happened.
“ Kora!” Gyomei, the stone hashira shouted to catch my attention before throwing my blade in my direction.
I caught the blade effortlessly, wiping my snot as I looked down at the blade.
‘Awaken’.
I noticed the other hashiras slowly appearing, as well as a few other demon slayer corps members circling the area. And then I noticed in the midst of it all, I saw the man that used to haunt my dreams.
Muzan Kibutsuji.
He had to be responsible for this.
He was covered with bruises and wounds, stabbed by pointy red needles as well as a woman beside him. He was in pain, he looked hurt, injured even.
“ Moon Breathing, Eight Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!” I shouted as I dashed towards him, swinging my blade with precision as I aimed for his neck.
As I was closing in on him, my surroundings changed. The smoke and fire changed to endless corridors and hallways. My eyes widened as I stabbed my blade through a nearby wall, stopping me from falling before I catched Mui who happened to be nearby me.
I threw him to a nearby platform before pulling out my blade and jumping towards the platform, looking around the area while my heart began thumping faster.
“ Stay close to me,” I spoke to Mui, looking around at the intricate design of the area.
Mui and I pressed our back against one another as we kept our blades in front of us, trying to take in our surroundings. I motioned Mui to advance forwards, but my eyes widened when the floor below him disappeared, causing him to fall downwards.
I turned around, trying to jump down with him but the floor closed back, making me stumble back. My surroundings kept changing, making it difficult to keep my footing stable. I was constantly dodging the walls that suddenly came my way, using my blade to hang onto walls so that I wouldn’t fall.
I needed to find him, I wasn’t going to break another promise again.
“ Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon,” I whispered as my attacks demolished all the walls in front of me, sending even more walls coming my way.
I couldn’t use all my energy now. I wasn’t fighting any demons now, I had to save it for when I was actually going to go against a demon. I took a deep breath, trying to sense where the closest threat may be.
Where are you Mui?
“ Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon!” I shouted, my attacks crumbling the floor below me immediately.
I assumed there would be more floors below me, but a door appeared and opened immediately. Without any hesitation, I pushed myself off a nearby wall, falling right into the door.
I continued falling for a while, reaching an area that was never ending. Pillar after pillar, the space stretched all the way that I couldn’t see the end. A thick fog made things even harder to see.
I fell onto the floor, quickly getting up as I looked around in an attempt to search for any sign of life. My footsteps echoed, my head turning in every direction as I strained all my five senses.
“ Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon Evening Palace,” a familiar voice filled my ear.
The low voice caused the hair on the back of my neck to rise as my head snapped to the source. I dashed quickly, noticing Mui so close to the man as I screamed. Mui was going to get his hand cut off if he didn’t move. I had to save him.
“ Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy!” I screamed, my attacks flying towards the two of them as they blocked off the man’s attack.
The man stumbled backwards from the attack, a smirk on his face while I quickly ran to Mui’s side.
“ Are you alright?” I asked Mui, my eyes filled with worry as I glanced at Mui, the two of us facing the man.
He nodded, though his eyes were filled with fear.
“ Kora,” the man spoke, the smile in his voice evident.
Mui furrowed at the fact that the man knew my name. I clenched my teeth, not knowing how to explain to Mui about the whole situation. I let out a deep breath before stepping forward, pushing Mui behind me.
The tension was thick and suffocating, my head starting to pound. My lip started trembling, as I tried to calm myself down. Mui won’t hate me when he knows the truth, right?
Everyone will understand, right?
It wasn't my fault. They won’t question a thing.
“ Teacher,” I greeted, nodding in respect.
The silhouette turned into an actual person, revealing Uppermoon One.
Kokushibo.
And that was when the battle between the only two Moon Breathing users began.