wattpad: izunasakaki

Release: Feb 25, 2021

Words: 1925

Starting from that day. Urokodaki hasn't taught Nezuko anything again. No matter what she did, she still can't split the boulder.

Half a year had passed, the times keep flowing, the earth keeps rotating. Tanjiro's still a demon and he keeps worrying over her working schedule. He keeps disappearing every night and he didn't even tell them what he is doing. She is worried for his brother.

"Fight, Nezuko, fight!" she smacked her forehead to the stone, not caring how the rough texture hurt her. At least it had woken her from her depressing thought, "you have to do it! For the sake of niichan, you have to do it!"

"My, my, how miserable you look~" the girl with a mask said.

"Who's there!" She shouted as she look around her surrounding and found a girl with a mask.

"Where did she come from? I didn't even sense him. Is she strong? Like Master, wait, That mask. It's like Master's mask" Nezuko thought examining the girl in front of her.

The girl stood up, and went to the edge of the boulder—

The air shifted—

Nezuko gasped, she put her sword upward and swung it on her as she managed to block her spinning kick at the very last second.

Unfortunately, though, she didn't think she was somehow using the other leg. And because of that carelessness, the girl, who was definitely younger than her, tripped her and sent her spiraling to the ground, judging by how short she was.

"Aww, you're so slow," the girl giggled. It may just be the imagination of Nezuko, but her aura intensified suddenly. Her cute fox mask turned intimidating and now the harmless kid feels like a hunting predator., "if you keep this up, you'll never be a demon slayer, you know~"

Nezuko, still on the ground, stared in befuddlement, "w-who are you? Where are you come from?"

The girl answered "sorry for being rude earlier. I just wanted to know if my guess is true."

"My name is Makomo, Sakonji Urokodaki student. He called me here to teach you" Makomo said.

"What do you mean?" Nezuko asked as the girl didn't replied and just attack and attack making Nezuko injured. She can't fight back. It's hard to fight back against an experience swordmen.

W-why are you doing this?" she grunted, looking at her attacker behind her messy bangs. The girl lowered her leg and replicated the previous technique by using the other one. Due to how fast her movement was, Nezuko still could not manage to dodge. She was quicker, though, to get up this time and not appear like a useless victim, deflecting another blow to the side, "why are you suddenly attacking me like this? What did I do to you?!"

"Hmm? You did nothing to me," the fox girl leaped back. She put her index finger to the smiling mouth of the mask, giving an aura of a fake confusion, "but see. That's the main problem."

"You didn't do anything." She said as both of them exchanging blows. Even though none hit the girl in the mask. "Fight me, seriously. Nezuko" the girl said.

"But in using a sword, a real sword and you—" she cut her off as she suddenly attack.

"Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm stronger than you"

"Don't think that you can easily injure me" she said as she dash toward Nezuko swinging her toy sword to her. Nezuko block it using her sword.

"Because I slice the boulder" she said as Nezuko trapped in her thoughts again "she..sliced that? Is it really possible?"

The girl continue to hit her with her bokken. Nezuko having a hard time blocking each of her attack. She is injured now, but the girl won't stop.

"You gained nothing, you do nothing" the fox girl said as she deliver a kick in Nezuko's chin making her spit a lot of blood.

"You learned nothing, you haven't mastered a single thing" the fox girl finish as she saw Nezuko fall down to the ground, spitting a lot of blood.

"The breathing technique the Master taught you. The total concentration breathing" she said.

"What? She know Mr. Urokodaki? Wait is she his student?" Nezuko's trying to get up.

"All you did was memorize it, imitate it, but your body has no clue what it needs to do." The fox girl said as Nezuko finally stand.

"What the hell are you doing for a whole year and a half?" The fox girl stated as she swing her bokken again making Nezuko block it.

"Slam it into your flesh!" She shouted she hit her continuously. Nezuko keep blocking and blocking. "More! More! More! More!" The girl shouted.

"So that you will never forget what Master taught you!" She said as she hit her on the side and keep delivering a hard blows using her bokken.

"Point it at the narrow of your bones! You must not forget it!" She shouted as she keep hitting her. While Nezuko keeps falling back.

"I'm trying... I'm trying very single day! With everything I've got! But I'm not making any headway! I just can't go any further!" Nezuko shouted as tears fall down on her eyes.

"Going further? If you really want to be a demon slayer. Then no matter the obstacles, you need to face it Until you find a way to solve it! It doesn't matter if it's hard or hurt to do. If you call your self a demon slayer then you need to know that there is only way to go but forward! " The fox girl stated as she keep attaching her.

"Bring it on!" The fox girl said.

"Show me what your capable off!" She added as she flipped backward as she landed a brutal kick on Nezuko. She was sent flying to the sky for a few second before her body slammed into the dirt making her unconscious.

You're having too much fun," another voice resounded from behind, making the fox girl turned. A shadow was peeking behind the tree, staring at the down Nezuko with one eyebrow rose, "you didn't even tell her what she did wrong these past few months."

Ehehe, sorry," she lightly smacked her head as she tilted her head. And, even if they couldn't see it, the shadowy figure was sure the girl was sticking her tongue out sheepishly right about now, "it's been a while since Urokodaki-san took a woman as his apprentice so I was a bit...giddy~"

"Wait, what about his brother?" Makomo asked.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him,." The unknown man wearing a mask said as he vanish and with for the night to come.

A few moment pass by and Nezuko wake up. She remembered everything that happened. The girl with a mask attack her without even telling her why.

She open his eyes and yawn. She looked at her sorrounding to find the girl earlier. As she saw her sitting at the top of the boulder.

"Are you okay?" Even her voice was cute. Nexuko couldn't help but show her a sisterly smile as they both sat up. "Of course, I'm not ok! Did you see what you did to me?"

"You got hurt pretty bad," the girl tilted her head. The memories from her previous fight slammed into Nezuko's mind harsher than a tidal wave. "Your the one who did this to me"

Nezuko POV

The girl introduced herself as Makomo and she said that she also has a companion named Sabito. She corrected my unnecessary movements and bad habits, she even trained my after that. Beating the crap out of me.

Day by day she keep training me. Finally I meet Sabito. He asked me where is my brother. I replied, "I don't know" he just sight and wait for him.

It's been days since Makomo and Sabito training me. Tanjiro is still missing. Urokodaki sensei didn't even mind him missing. Is he not worried?

There's something fishy here. Does he know where tanjiro is? If yes, then why didn't he told me. No, no Nezuko. Don't guess it. I need to ask him later or maybe tomorrow.

Sabito came to spar against me each day and each night, but i could not win. The older boy was simply faster and stronger. No matter how hard i trained every day, he would outclass ne time and time again.

Sabito pouted. "I don't really know what else I can do…" The girls had gotten close with one another, and after Nezuko taught Makomo how to braid flower crowns, they had taken to doing it together.

"Well, I think you're still not using the proper breathing technique," Makomo began

"Total concentration breathing accelerates your blood flow and heartbeat. Your body will get hotter, and you can temporarily achieve the strength of a demon.," She said, "you expand your lungs and bring lots of air into your blood. Your blood will boil, your bones will strengthen, your muscles will expand. You'll feel like you're burning up but you'll get strong." She added as she finish making the flower crown and put her on my my head. I also mouth the crown that I make to her as we smiled at each other.

The blunt and honest way she spoke had really helped me over the last few months. "Thank you. For being here for me." She looked up from her crown and smiled. "But...why are you helping me?" Both you and Sabito.

She smiled at me and told me "because we are all alike. We are all weak and can't do anything. Master taught me and Sabito how to fight to that we can live on our own and protect those dear to us. We also want to do our best to teach it all to you. So that you can protect your brother and those dear to you"

"Thank you" I said.

As long as I finished the training schedule they provided for me. I can be strong.

Another six months had passed—making it two years that they are now officially a freeloader in Sakonji's residence. And With a pure luck or the training, i finally landed a hit on her. Makomo's own weapon slipped from her gripped and get thrown away.

"You've finally done it." Sabito said as he watched the whole scene were I fight Makomo with all my strength.

No one's POV

The next day they decided to finish their last battle that will determine if Nezuko will pass the test or not.

The contest was simple. The stronger, faster blade wins. One moment of silence. And they moved.

The fight was over in an instant as Nezuko's blade reached Makomo first. Makomo's mask has been cut in half.

When she realized her defeat, amkomo smiled. But it was not the happy smile Nezuko always sported. It seemed sad, but proud. She patted her head as if she were a benign puppy. "You've become strong."

Win, Nezuko…" Makomo's said as Nezuko eyes was fixated on her. Her hand, cold as the night, held no warmth in it. "...against them too."

In the next moment, when Nezuko blinked, her sword had not split Makomo's mask.

It had split the boulder.

She passed the test. Sabito then vanish into a thin air too leaving her alone. Urokodaki watching the whole scene and smiled.

"Tanjiro, She passed" he thought.

One question bugging her mind.

"How did that happen?"

To be continue...