Binding, And Shackling, Traditions
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Breath of the Rifleman! Now before we get into the story I have something of an announcement, or rather a question to pose to everyone: Would you like me to try writing 'IF' stories for my Re:zero fan fic 'A New Crusade'? For those who don't know, the 'IF' stories are alternate takes on the Re:zero story showing different outcomes and paths from canon. I was recently given a suggestion for these side stories from a fellow reader and thought it might be a good question to pose to everyone who's eager or at least interested in me writing a bit more in the Re:zero universe. As per the usual, just leave your thoughts in a review on this chapter or in my Re:zero fan fic. And as always I'd like to give a shout out to LoneTaker, groche9655 and Noble Eight for their contributions to this story. Now then, we've got no review questions this week, so let's dive on in!
The Home of Obanai Iguro
There was something of a tense silence as the four slayers walked down the hallway of the Serpent Pillar's home. Unlike the previous residences, this one had a darker, more musty feeling to it. Not really surprising given said Hashira decided to situate it in one of the more humid districts around Japan. Of course, Subaru figured he shouldn't be all that surprised that the home of each Hashira was representative of their personalities. Rather, what did surprise him was the sight they met upon entering the training ground, or more to the point, the execution ground.
In this sense, it was an area full of wooden poles jutting out from the floor, walls and even the ceiling either vertically or horizontally, with fellow demon slayers tied to them with gags in their mouths. "This place looks like an execution ground," said Tanjiro, deciding to voice the question on both of their minds, "but, why are all these people tied up here?"
"You could say they committed 'crimes' of a sort," explained Obanai with his arms crossed, "the crime of weakness, the crime of forgetting, the crime of taking their time, the crime of pissing me off!"
"Pretty sure most of them got tied up for the first one and that last one," commented Momiji in Subaru's mind. The Matagi didn't respond to that, instead choosing to ask about the training itself.
"I recall hearing that you're in charge of sword revision training," said Subaru, "first off, I've been given permission to use a staff or wooden knives. And second off, what exactly are we going do be doing for the training?"
"Simple," replied the Serpent Pillar, "you'll be swinging your sword while avoiding the 'obstacles'." He didn't need to explain that said obstacles were the other tied up slayers.
"Oh, what a very, creative, approach for a training method," said Tanjiro as he looked around nervously. His natural tendency to not want to bring undue harm to people was already making him anxious.
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me," said Obanai with a mild sneer before pointing at both of them, "now unlike some of the others who showed up before you, I'll be allowing the two of you to work together. If you're not complete idiots then you've probably already guessed that Ozaki will be assisting me. And her target will be you, Genjirou. As for me, I'll be whipping you into shape, Kamado. Now get some practice weapons and let's get to it already!"
The two slayers didn't need to be told twice as they ditched their outer layers, leaving them in only their regular uniforms as they both grabbed a training tool. Subaru chose a short staff and kept a wooden knife in his belt as an extra weapon while Tanjiro grabbed a wooden sword. The two stood in the center, back-to-back as they waited for the training to begin. And it began in earnest as Ozaki struck first, weaving her sword through a horizontal hole and nearly striking Subaru in the face as he managed to block it with his staff.
Iguro struck afterwards with a strike through a vertical hole that Tanjiro was able to block before attempting a counter swing, stopping at the last second as he realized he'd almost hit one of his fellow slayers. Subaru attempted the same thing, nearly jabbing another slayer in the midsection before pulling back to block a second strike from Ozaki. He didn't know how well the master and student got along, but their attacks were most certainly in sync as Iguro struck shortly after. The two of them went on the defensive for a bit as they tried to study their opponent's movements and formulate a plan.
Having seen Ozaki's new sword skills a few times at Kume Island, the Matagi had a better idea about what to expect. Though that didn't mean he was entirely prepared for every strike as he took one to his side after not blocking fast enough. Tanjiro was having little better luck as he took a strike to his chin, with Iguro muttering 'weak' from whatever secluded corner he'd retreated into. This would continue on for several minutes with the Serpent Hashira and Tsuguko attacking while Tanjiro and Subaru remained back-to-back, blocking and attempting to counterattack. The issue was that despite using regular wooden swords, Ozaki and Iguro could maneuver them with impressive accuracy through even the smallest cracks and crevices, moving in a slithering motion very similar to a snake.
It would take them the rest of the day just to figure out how to block all of the attacks coming their way with Iguro only giving them breaks every now and then. It was sunset before he finally called it a day and allowed them to stop training. "This is really tough," groaned Tanjiro as he and Subaru collapsed to the floor, wiping the sweat from their foreheads while breathing heavily from repeated exertion.
"I get the feeling that a few of those strikes from Ozaki were actually meant to seriously injure me," commented Subaru while rubbig a bruised spot on his side, "though I guess I shouldn't be surprised given how long she spent trying to kill me with that weird whip sword of hers at Tengen's training."
"Ozaki tried to kill you at Tengen's training?" Repeated Tanjiro with a tilt of his head, "I doubt Tengen would've actually allowed that."
"You remember Kumon was there too, right?" Subaru pointed out, "if it's motivating, I don't think that man cares how much murderous intent she was giving off."
"So she's still mad at you for Kume Island then," said Tanjiro with a sigh, "I'd like to think she'd want to be friends with you after you saved her life, but I guess she still feels really embarrassed about you seeing her in a state of undress, twice."
"Neither of which were my fault," Subaru again pointed out, "but try explaining that to her. Though it's possible Obanai's training has driven her a little nuts too." Tanjiro was about to respond to that when one of the tied slayers began trying to speak through their gag. The two weren't sure what was up with him at first until they turned around and saw who it was.
"Oh, Murata," said Tanjiro excitedy as he pulled the gag off his mouth, "how've you been?"
"WHAT'S IT LOOK LIKE?!" Exclaimed Murata, "I've been tied up and turned into an obstacle! Even if I was one of the last ones left standing, I still managed to piss him off somehow."
"He seems the type to get pissed off if the day is just a little too bright outside," remarked Subaru as he and Tanjiro started eating some of the food they'd brought with them, "anyway, do they ever take you guys down?"
"If he remembers, he'll let us down to eat and have Ozaki watch us while he goes out demon slaying, though sometimes it's the other way around," explained Murata, "but as much as I'd like to ask you guys to get me down from here, some of the slayers on the posts are up there because they already tried getting everyone else down."
"Not the best plan given our current sensei's temperament," observed Subaru.
"Yeah but get this," said Murata, "I don't think Ozaki wants to kill you just because you saw her without clothes or because you're a magnet for trouble. I think she's taking her anger out on you because of some other issue."
"What, do I remind her of an ex-boyfriend or something?" Questioned the Matagi, "as fashionable as this eye patch can be sometimes, I can't recall seeing a lot of guys wearing one."
"Look it's just a guess on my part, alright," replied Murata, "I happened to overhear her muttering things about her father or mother from time to time. One of the times I talked to her before I got tied to this post, she mentioned that she joined the Demon Slayer Corps because it was a family thing."
"Oh, so her family is kind of like Rengoku's then?" Surmised Tanjiro, "does that mean she actually hates being one, or is she not as skilled as she wished she was?"
"You got me," said Murata, doing his best to shrug while being tied to a horizontal pole, "I'm just thinking there's more to her issues with you than your apparently interesting ability to catch her without clothes on."
"Well if she grants me a moment where she's not trying to kill me, maybe I'll find out," said Subaru. Any further conversation was cut off by the entrance of Iguro and Ozaki who declared that the 'weaklings' can come down for a bit, having already eaten their own meal. It would turn out not to be a very long break for the 'obstacles', merely long enough to eat before they went right back up on the poles. Neither Tanjiro nor Subaru questioned the two about what Murata had just told them that day, figuring it best to get into their good graces a little more first. Not their best plan in hindsight.
Three Painful Days Later
The established pattern of training continued over the next three days with Tanjiro and Subaru watching, observing and attempting to strike when they believed they had an opening. It was still pretty difficult and whenever they weren't careful, they'd hear the muffled yelp of one of the slayers they hit on accident. Tanjiro's awakened sense of smell gave him some warning in this scenario, but with two opponents wandering around and the smell of fear heavy in the air he still had difficulty keeping up with Obanai's attacks. Subaru had a slightly easier time thanks to Momiji using her Willow's Windpath to locate their opponent, and his natural eyesight allowed him to see relatively well despite the darkened room.
Though what really wound up giving him an edge in the end, was when he decided training was as good a time as any to start asking questions. "So, I've been meaning to ask," said Subaru as he deflected another strike at his blind side before retaliating, missing his target but also managing not to hit any slayers, "why'd you become a demon slayer in the first place? I get the feeling your reasoning is a little different from the usual ones."
"If you must know, it's a family thing," said Ozaki before striking again, nearly hitting Subaru's head with her wooden sword before retreating, "we're not the proudest or most well-known line of slayers, but we've always managed to do our part."
"So you are kind of like Rengoku's family," said Subaru as he and Tanjiro both ducked a strike aimed at their midsections, "I imagine your parents must be proud that you're a Tsuguko after only being a slayer for a short time." Ozaki paused for a moment, staying just out of reach of his staff but otherwise not moving upon hearing Subaru's statement. An enraged expression crossed her face then as she began attacking relentlessly.
"I FUCKING WIIIIISH!" Yelled Ozaki as she slithered her sword through one crack or crevice after another, putting Subaru completely on the defensive as he blocked and parried her barrage with his staff. He held his ground so as not to run into Tanjiro, but he was taking the occasional hit as a result. "I was never even supposed to be a demon slayer in the first place! I was supposed to live a normal life, have a normal job, maybe find a nice guy and have a family! All this demon slaying shit was supposed to be my brother's jobs!"
"You have siblings-guh?!" Tanjiro questioned before getting knocked in the head as Iguro exploited his moment of distraction.
"Had, I had siblings," corrected Ozaki as she let up on her attacks for a moment, "and they were good, really good to the point of achieving Kinoe level! And then they both had to go and die to some multi-eyed asshole with a sword!" She renewed her attacks then, though they were less focused this time. "All of a sudden it was up to me to carry on the family tradition even though I'd only ever held a sword to help my brothers clean them! I went from washing dishes and doing laundry to running obstacle courses and learning sword forms until my arms felt like they were gonna fall off!"
"Been there, in a manner of speaking," said Subaru as he managed a quick couple of jabs in between Ozaki's attacks, forcing her to back off for a second.
"Then they sent me to the Final Selection as soon as they felt I was capable, whether I was actually ready or not," growled Ozaki as a few tears fell from her eyes, "they were so concerned with upholding this demon slaying legacy that they didn't even consider what would happen if I died. And the worst part is, despite coming home covered in bruises, dirt and tattered clothes, the only thing they could do was compare my performance in the selection to my brothers."
She began jabbing her sword through the openings in the 'obstacles' again, though less accurately this time. "And then, after a few successful missions I run into you, a guy who's seen the most embarrassing incidents of my demon slaying career so far!" She was forced to back off as one of Subaru's counter jabs nearly caught her in the forehead. "That day I had to run around practically naked in the forest with you was the first time I'd ever truly felt like I wanted to get better at demon slaying for a reason other than survival or having to please my family. Unlike everyone else, you didn't compare me to other slayers, you didn't even seem to care that I was burdening you throughout that whole mission."
She resumed her stance then as she continued to speak. "And now it's finally hit me. The reason you piss me off so badly, the real reason. It's not because you're a walking disaster area with a knack for seeing me embarrass myself. No, you piss me off because your gruff attitude and professionalism with the job, reminds me of my dead brother!"
She launched herself at him then, striking from every angle she possibly could with her slithering sword technique. Subaru blocked what he could but realized it wouldn't work for long as Ozaki kept landing the occasional blow under his armpit, on his leg, his arms and even a couple on his shoulders. So he changed tactics and held his staff vertically, flipping it whenever Ozaki hit it in order to ward off her sword strikes. He also made use of his footwork then, sliding and spinning as he approached an opening between two of the columns.
The makings of a plan were forming in his mind, but it would require split second timing and he'd only have one chance. The moment he arrived at the opening, he jumped back slightly to avoid Ozaki's next slash which she turned into a jab as she actually rushed towards him, no longer caring about cover due to her enraged state. That's when he sprung his trap and sent out a one-handed thrust but with his grip loosened on his weapon. This caused the staff to slide forward in his grasp with enough momentum to snag Ozaki's hakama, yanking it off of her and pinning it in between the legs of another one of the 'obstacles', who almost fainted from how close it got to hitting him.
As for Ozaki, she'd adjusted herself midcharge at the last second, dodging the Matagi's strike but also missing her own which went right under his arm as she stumbled into him in what was more of a hug than an attack. Subaru didn't move, deciding to wait and see what would happen next as the Tsuguko finally broke down completely, sobbing into his uniform. The Rifleman grabbed a hold of her as she threatened to sink to her knees. "Why," she sniffled as she lightly beat her fist against Subaru's midsection, "why'd you both have to go and die? Why'd you have to leave me alone with this responsibility? All I wanted was to be a normal girl, just a normal girl who tends to a garden and folds laundry, washes the dishes and tells everyone else how amazing my brothers and family are."
Not knowing what else to do, the Matagi wrapped the girl in a light hug while letting her sink down to her knees. She didn't react immediately when Tanjiro put his hand on her shoulder, but eventually she looked up at him. "I know how you feel," he said, "I was happy just being a charcoal seller, until Muzan killed my family and made Nezuko a demon. I'd give anything to have them back and just be a normal boy, selling charcoal around town."
"And all I ever wanted was to be a simple hunter on a mountain," added Subaru, "I'd wanted to marry Nezuko and bring her food from my hunts that we could cook together every day. Thanks to Muzan and his demons killing most of my actual family and Tanjiro's, my second family, the only option I have left now if I want to set things right, is to be a demon slayer."
"Not all of us are here for just revenge, money, or glory," said Tanjiro, "some of us just want the pain caused by the demons to stop. Once the demons are no more, we can go back to our lives. If there was another option besides fighting, I'd take it, but there isn't. That's why some of us keep on fighting, even if it's not what we wanted in the first place."
"I get the feeling you two have done this before," said Ozaki as she wiped her eyes and took a calming breath, "but yeah, that's the truth. Being a demon slayer wasn't really where I wanted my life to go. For the rest of the family, it was an honor to be one but for me it was just a burden that had been pushed on me because they wanted to keep the tradition going."
"Yet you never once mentioned you wanted to quit while I was training you," Iguro pointed out, a bit annoyed at the sudden turn of events, "don't tell me I was wasting my time picking you as my Tsuguko. I was under the impression we got along because of our mutual dislike of that one?" He pointed at Subaru as he said this.
"Don't get me wrong, I still don't like this guy all that much," said Ozaki as she separated herself from Subaru a bit, "but I don't think I hate him anymore. And the truth is, I accepted your offer to train as your Tsuguko as much to keep away from my parents as I did because of my dislike of Subaru. I still intend to work my ass off to be the best demon slayer I can be, but now I have a real driving force behind it other than hating on someone. I'm gonna help end this once and for all so we can move on with our lives. And who knows, I might be able to help you finally spill your guts to the girl you like."
"I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT IN CONFIDENCE, OZAKI!" Said a now murderous sounding Iguro, "well it's clear to me now that Subaru has just managed to pass this portion of training given that he accurately snagged your hakama without hitting anyone else. So, you'd best get out of my sight before I perform an actual execution on you!"
"Hey it's not like I told them out loud who it was," said Ozaki as she held her hands up defensively, "that secret is still between you and-."
"You mean his apparently massive crush on Mitsuri Kanroji," said Subaru, "yeah, he kinda gave that away with the murderous aura he gave us upon hearing that she had fun training-."
"Subaru no!" Exclaimed Ozaki as she stood up sharply, her uniform snagging on the staff he held before the top portion was pulled off. The Tsuguko girl stared in shock and amazement at the fact that she was being seen in her underwear yet again, by this guy and his friend. The Matagi was quick to grab his gear and hightail it as Ozaki chased after him with her very real whip sword. Tanjiro attempted to give chase but was quickly stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"And where do you think you're going," said Iguro with narrowed eyes, "I said Subaru passed, but you've yet to land even close to a blow on me. So for now the only person you've got time to worry about is you!" It would be another day before Tanjiro would be able to complete his training with the Snake Pillar and go on to the next stage of training.
The Next Day: Residence of Sanemi Shinazugawa
"Ha," sighed Momiji from within the Slayer's mind, "and you made such good progress towards her not wanting to kill you. Guess some things never change."
"It's not like it was my fault," Subaru thought back as he took a turn that Shika indicated while sitting on his shoulder. He hadn't actually reached the dojo of the Wind Pillar yet due to the maze-like construction of the walled walkways. It was a fixture of larger towns like this that he'd never been particularly fond of given how much time it could add to walking. "It was an accident just like all the others before, we both just moved the wrong way at the wrong time."
"Won't stop her from trying to flay you alive," Momiji pointed out, "though if what we heard about the upcoming training is true, she might have a tough time finding a clean spot on your body to carve up."
"Sanemi Shinazugawa hates my guts, plain and simple," Subaru replied, "not surprising given that I shot his hand, Tanjiro headbutted him and we both could have potentially ended his career in one of the most embarrassing ways imaginable for a Hashira. Even if his training turned out to be the easiet in comparison to the other Hashiras, which it most certainly isn't, he'd find some way to make it painful for me."
"Wanna tell him about how you and Nezuko are having make out sessions now," questioned Momiji with a giggle, "I'm honestly curious to see if he'd lose his lunch over the thought of it."
"I'm not one to rub my relationship in someone else's face," Subaru thought back, "although in this case, the idea has a certain degree of merit."
"Well think it over quick," said Momiji as they turned another corner where they approached a large building with a fair-sized open courtyard on the other side of its wall, "because that's the dick mop right there." And indeed, there he stood at the entrance with his arms crossed in all his scarred, scowling glory.
"So, you actually made it this far," said Sanemi with an expression somewhere between a smile and a sneer, "surprised you had time to train in between sucking face with your demon girl."
"I honestly feel blessed to have such a wonderful girl expressing her love for me," replied Subaru with a smile, "after all, taking down Upper Moons is tiring and it's nice to have a girl's loving embrace to melt into, not that you'd know anything about that first part."
"Heh, so you still got balls after all," replied the Wind Pillar as a vein appeared on his head, "just know, I ain't like the other Pillars who've just accepted you after a heartfelt talk or curiosity or whatever. I ain't forgot about that stunt you pulled at the trial and I ain't accepted you or that demon bitch for shit."
"You're right, you're not like the other Hashira," Said the Matagi, "they actually seem like people whose opinions are worth giving a shit about. But as far as a thug like you is concerned, you can shove your opinions and your demands for respect back up your ass where they came from because that demon 'bitch' as you call her has become far more valuable than any of you could've imagined all because Oyakata was willing to give her a chance. One she wouldn't have gotten if you had made the call. So the way I see it, if you want respect from me then you're gonna have to give it first and if not, well, at least you might be capable of being useful with this training." He walked past the seething Wind Pillar and into the dojo then, deciding to leave one final comment as he did. "So let's try to get along, 'sensei'."
Will Subaru regret his attitude towards the Wind Pillar, probably not. Is he gonna get smacked around for it, definitely. But that's all for another chapter, in the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this slightly shorter chapter and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. And please leave a vote concerning your thoughts on the above announcement. Be sure to stop in next time as Subaru and Tanjiro attempt to deal with a mild family issue, and a complete ass whooping. 'Til then.