Skylah P.O.V
It was a beautiful warm summer day after days of cold, dark, and rain. My mother decided to spend the day outside since it was such a great day.
We decided to go our walk my older brother, Jaden, saw a large patch of my favorite roses far off the trail he nodded in their direction and I glanced over to see my favorite roses just beckoning to me.
My eyes widened excitedly I turned to my mom "Can I?"
She gave me a warm smile only a mother could manage and said "go ahead meet us back at the house"
She turned to Jaden "please watch her and be back before dark okay?"
Jaden grinned, and said "Of course, I'd do anything for this little rascal"
Just as we were about to walk to the large patch my little sister tugged on the sleeve of my kimono.
"Can you get some for me?" She asked almost too softly to hear.
I smiled and said "You bet! When we get back, We'll sort them together"
She sent me a beaming smile that could melt ice.
Then we were on our way but I accidentally got us lost and off course so it was dark when we were trying to run home, hoping to make up for the missed time. I remembered my mother's words as to why our father had died.
He was a good man, but foolish, he never believed the rumors about 'demons' roaming around during the night and never made extra effort to make it home or find cover, he died because of that. Never stay out for too long after dark, I'd hate to lose you to demons.
Our home could be seen in the distance, but something was...off. The lights were off.
Jaden slowed down, on guard.
"Oni-chan can you take the flowers?" I asked because the large basket someone had lent us was starting to get heavy.
"Not now sis, somethings up" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. It was a special blade made from metal that could kill demons. It was gifted to him when a demon slayer had come through and learned our father was killed.
"Use this blade, to protect your family as your father would have" the kind demon slayer had told him, and Jaden took it to heart, training every day to make sure he could quickly kill a demon if he needed to. Now he could handle a weak demon, but that was about it.
I kept walking when he paused.
"Oni-chan-?" I started to ask when he shoved me out of the way and a flash of pale skin had dashed past, cutting into his arm.
Standing not too far away was a pale woman, with fangs and veins in her head far more pronounced than they should be. I felt my blood freeze. This...This was a demon.
Before I could move in the slightest from my now sort of bed of thorny roses, not caring about the blood and ripping of my kimono.
I fell back down when Jaden jumped on top of me as the demon pounced once again, he shoved me down and managed to drive the knife into the neck of the demon. But he lost his grip and was picked up by his foot.
"So you wanna die that bad brat? Fine, I'll eat you first" The demon snarled.
Jaden grunted and rammed his free-hanging foot into the hilt of the dagger, causing the demon to drop him as it grasped at its neck. Jaden shoved it down, grabbed the knife, and yanked it through the neck of the demon with all the force in his body, causing the remains of the demon to seemingly burn up, leaving nothing behind.
He stood up shakily and started to speak even though he was panting. "Not *gasp* bad for a brat huh?"
He gave me a weak smile and said "Your big bro got this, don't worry."
I tried to get up but he pushed me down. "Why can't I get up?"
"Trick the demons into thinking your dead. Just deal with the pain a little longer" He assured me.
"Where are you going?" I asked as he started to stagger towards our home. "Don't leave me!"
"Sorry sis, I gotta make sure they are ok. Stay there for a little while, I should be back in a few minutes. If not-" His gaze hardened, far harder than any boy his age should look. "Go to the old woman, the one that owns the flower garden, she can take you in"
He grabbed his knife and threw it over to me. "I'm only scoping them out so I shouldn't need that, you might need it more than I do"
I waited, I wasn't sure how long, but soon enough the sun began to rise. Dread flooded my body every second that passed. And then I heard it, a scream echoed out that was from a young boy.
Then the sun rose.
I...was alone...I stared at the knife he had passed me. 'You might need it more than I do'
Did he...think he wasn't going to make it?
If he had the knife, he might have been able to defend himself, and live.
I clutched the knife to my chest as I sobbed, not caring about the small puddle of blood and roses I was lying in.
"Those damn demons-" My head whipped up to find the sources of the new voice. An old lady wearing a flower-patterned kimono. "They had taken another set of lives"
"W-who- who are you?" I whispered, my throat dry.
"I'm the owner of the flower garden, but also a tad more than that young one" The old lady looked out to the distance. "Your brother was very impressive for a child without training. He killed one here and managed to fight one down there bare-handed, at least until the last demon came around, that is what finished the poor boy."
I felt more tears well up in my eyes.
The old lady noticed. "Oh don't be sad young one, they gave him the respect of a true warrior. He fought valiantly and managed to take one down with him due to the sun"
An image flashed through my mind, an old memory.
A slightly younger Jaden puffing his tiny chest out. "AH HA, did you think killing would be enough to make me die?!"
"Oni-chan that's not how it works!" I pouted
"Well, it's how I work! If I'm going to die, it'd be lying next to my beautiful wife or in battle!" He declared, having chosen from that moment on that his fate was set in stone.
I cried so more, and more. The old lady just waited until I finished.
"Young one, do you wish for divine retribution?" The old lady asked me after failing to pull me from the roses.
"Divine re-retribution?" I asked
"In a way, you can bring punishment upon those that have taken your family from you," She asked, eyeing me carefully.
"I- I can?!" I asked
"Yes, if you wish, I shall teach you what you need to know," she straightened herself from the classic granny hunch and pulled part of her kimono back to reveal a sword. "I am a demon slayer trainer that used to be a high ranking Hashira, it has been a while since I've had a student because the road ahead is difficult"
I steeled my nerves. If any of my family was here, they would do it, they would do it in a heartbeat. "T-teach me Sensei"
"You have the resolve. That's good. The way of the rose is beautiful, but like any rose, you must be wary of its thornes" She said cryptically.
I managed to get onto my feet without falling over and stood as tall as I could in front of the woman. "W-well I'll be the thronyest rose ever!"
"I'd like to see you try and surpass me, I created this style and am the only one who knows it" She chuckled. "Come this way, we must get you cleaned and rested before your training can start"
