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WARNINGS: Minor Swearing, Blood, Mentions of Death
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It was a normal night.
It was a silent night.
For some, they would call it quite a beautiful one.
But if you asked (y/n), she wouldn't say anything remotely positive. She wouldn't be smiling and complimenting the shining full moon that danced in the cobalt sky above.
The only thing she knew now was her life was just flipped upside down. She was an eight-year-old who just witnessed her family's demise. Her father, her mother, her older brother, all brutally murdered by a creature she didn't even know could exist. A demon.
All that was left was her and her younger brother, Ryuko.
She had her back against the wall that divided the main room and their bedrooms, trying her best to control her nervous breathing and keep her little brother quiet as she cringed at the sound of the creature feasting. The girl shook her head, not wanting to create a mental image of her family's half-eaten corpses.
Was she going to get that fate as well? Was she going to die? So many questions riled up in her mind, but one thought always seemed to come back: why her family? Of all the houses, of all the humans in the world, why did the demon have to choose to attack her family? They were a normal, loving family with two amazing, hard-working parents with three bright kids. So why the Kaichi family? Not one of them deserved to die.
She nearly jumped when the noise of eating came to a halt. Had the demon finished up what they were doing? Will her family even get a proper burial? If they've stopped, are she and Ryuko now being targeted? She could feel the thumping of her heart, beating so loud from panic, she was sure it was giving away her location.
The sound of floorboards creaking, the sound getting ever so louder as the demon approached, scared the crap out of her, and this caused her heartbeat to skyrocket; both in speed and the sound that banged in her ears. The demon definitely knew where she was hiding. Her little brother knew it too. The look in his eyes was nothing but fear staring back into her own. The boy was about to let out a cry, but the girl covered his mouth to help suppress it. This wasn't a good time for the boy to start making noises.
"I know you're there, child." She didn't move a muscle at the sudden raspy voice that rang throughout the empty house. "If you are a delightful child and stay still, I promise to end your life quickly." The thumping in her heart only increased, it was so loud, it felt like it could explode out of her ears. Despite her efforts, her breathing picked up the pace again—her attempts to hide were ripped apart in mere seconds.
She needed to survive with her brother. She needed to continue living and carry on the Kaichi name. Likewise, she needed to run. Her side was now up against the wall she was using as cover, heels already off the ground and ready, Ryuko clenched in her arms. She waited for the demon to come close. Seconds went by, but she didn't move, a few more, no movement made from the girl. When the demon came into view, she saw nothing but its silhouette. With nothing to lose, (y/n) clenched her brother tighter and dove under the demon's incoming arm.
"Son of a!" The surprised demon pounced forwards and caught air, missing the girl entirely, falling onto his face. The girl ran, she ran so fast, her surroundings became a blur. Her (h/c) hair flying behind her, the tears she was holding fell, the pain in her cramped legs didn't slow her; she didn't dare look back when she heard the creature pursuing her.
She could feel the demon ganging up on her, making her squeak and begin pushing her body's limits; however, she was still just a normal eight-year-old. She had no special super speed, no special training. The girl could already feel the fatigue in her legs and the burning sensation in her chest as her speed slowed, and the demon neared.
She fell.
Ryuko, who was in her grasp, flew forwards as she did. The boy stared in horror at his sister, not moving when she screamed at him to run. (Y/n) tried to get up, scratching at the dirt beneath her and pushing off, but it all failed when she was tackled by the monstrous creature that followed behind her. "You're going to pay for what you did, you little brat!"
She let out a loud screech of agony when something attacked both sides of her abdominal area, claws dug into her flesh. Out of nowhere, someone viciously ripped away the demon, along with its claws, tearing away more skin; the girl screamed even louder. With the underneath of her skin exposed, the slightest movement of air would cause a shock wave of a burning sensation up her spine. Blood splattered from multiple puncture wounds and long claw marks, and with these wounds near her lung area, it made breathing difficult.
The girl checked to make sure her brother was safe. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw him unharmed, still recovering from the shock, but unharmed otherwise. The young boy slowly stood up and shook away his fear. He ran over to (Y/n) and... attempted to help. When she pulled on his outstretched hand, she pulled him down with her. "Heh, sorry Ryu-chan."
However, the girl got no response as the brown-haired boy crawled behind her, a gigantic shadow loomed from behind. However, this one wasn't a dangerous, scary shadow, it belonged to that of a protective figure. Though hesitant, the girl turned her head to see who was standing behind her.
She could see nothing but the figure's silhouette in the moonlight, but it wasn't the demon, that was for sure. It was a human, most likely an older man. He had a haori that ended in a flame cut out at the base, and was that yellow and red she saw in his hair?
The gentleman crouched down to her level and patted her head, ruffling her hair with his big hand, with his other comforting Ryuko. "You two did great staying alive." She looked up and met with the person's eye. They were red, but not the kind that scared her, the warm kind, its gaze was soft and assuring. "The demon will no longer bother you. My name is Shinjuro Rengoku, may I know your names?"
"My name?" She spaced out for a second. "It's (Y/n). (Y/n) Kaichi." She looked over to her brother, who was now stumbling over to the man. "That's Ryoko, he's my younger brother." The man smiled warmly at the two before a worried expression appeared. He was eyeing the girl's back wound and the blood staining her yukata. The man helped (Y/n) up at a very slow pace, trying not to bring pain to the girl.
"We need to clean that up." He declared and stood back up.
After asking where they lived, the three all made their way to the Kaichi residence. From the outside, the small, Japanese-style house looked as if nothing suspicious had just taken place, but a gruesome scene would greet anyone who dared to peek in. When Ryuko saw the house, he shuddered and stopped walking. "I don't, I don't want to go in." The older sister completely understood she would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. Shinjuro looked back when the two stopped and gave the siblings a small smile.
"You don't have to come. I will bury the bodies of your family, then we may pray together." The sister hummed in agreement and pulled her brother closer, covering his eyes as the man did his work. When he was done, the two sat on their haunches and silently prayed for the safety of their parents and older brother in the afterlife.
Okaa-san, Otou-san, Ani-chan, please be safe and watch over us.
She opened her eyes after finishing up her prayers, wincing at the burning pain in her back. Her adrenaline levels dropped, causing her to feel more pain. The man who saved their lives walked out holding a small bag and a cup of water. "(Y/n)-san, right? Would you mind sitting and arching your back? I need to clean and wrap those wounds." The girl nodded and walked in front. She bent her knees forward and fell into a sitting position, and leaned forward. "This might sting, so I'm sorry ahead of time."
The man—Shinjuro Rengoku, right?—left and came back, having gathered a piece of cloth and a bucket of cold water and sat both down behind (Y/n). She shivered when he cleared away the clothing where it was ripped, to get an unrestricted view of the claw marks. The man took the wet rag and gently pressed and cleaned the wounds. "Ow!" The girl couldn't stop a yelp of pain from slipping out when the rag reached one of the open wounds. When the man stopped his movements because of her sudden outburst, she felt a pang of guilt and apologized.
"It's alright." That man continued to clean, and so did the pain, but she had to bear it, chewing on her lower lip to avoid annoying the man with her whines. "Okay, all done cleaning them." He turned to Ryuko and asked if he could grab his sister another Yukata. The boy slowly nodded and trembled the entire way to the door of their house. There was a long, silent pause. When the girl turned her head to see if her brother had gone in, her heart broke in two when the sight of her brother staring at the house came into view. The boy shook his head and ran back to his sister with tear-filled eyes.
"I'm sorry, Onee-chan! I'm sorry! I'm too afraid to go in." The boy cried into her chest, making her own heart swell up with emotion. She lowered her head and returned the embrace, tears falling down her own cheeks. "I'm sorry too, Otouto-chan!" Her voice hiccuped with every word that came out of her mouth. The realization she will never get to speak with her parents and brother hit her, causing her to clench onto her brother even tighter.
They both turned their attention to the man that had stood up, "That was too much to ask, I'm sorry. I'll be right back." Shinjuro walked into the house and searched around for an extra piece of clothing. When he found what he needed, he picked it up and exited the house." I'm going to need you to take off your current yukata, so I can wrap your wounds." (Y/n) nodded and slid off the ripped-up Yukata she currently had on, turning away from the man. He took out bandages and wrapped them around her entire abdominal area, making her stiffen. The girl put on the new piece of clothing and stood up.
"Do you have any other family?"
"I... I don't know, sorry, sir."
"No, no, it's fine. Do you want to come with me?" She looked up at the man. She could feel a flicker of hope ignite in her heart. The girl glanced at her brother, who was already agreeing, so she agreed too.
"Yes, please." She bowed. "Thank you so much." The sun was right above the horizon as they trekked back to this man's house. Ryuko had fallen asleep, so (Y/n) had to be strong and carry him all the way there. It was quite a long-distance, but another family welcomed the Kaichi siblings with open arms.
Shinjuro was a father of two, Kyojuro, a boy older than herself, and Senjuro, a boy around the same age as Ryuko. His wife, named Ruka, was very kind to the two of them, treating them like they were her own children. The two lived with the Rengoku family, learning all about the wretched demons that roamed around at night, attacking and eating humans.
Like many people do when they lose people they love to demons, both wanted to become Demon Slayers since they were 8 and 5 they trained relentlessly, alongside their older adoptive "brother" Kyojuro. (Y/n) was 10 when she completed training and passed final selection, three years later—when he could—Ryuko passed.
Over time, Ryuko became a disciple directly under the Wind Hashira, Sanemi, learning Wind Breathing, and enduring harsh training. Meanwhile, (Y/n) was busy creating a new breathing style, one specific for her and her brother.
Sky Breathing
Then, when (Y/n) was 16 and Ryuko 13, they had an encounter with a 12 Kizuki.
(Y/n) propped herself against a house wall, holding her wound, red substance staining her hand. Her breathing was short and heavy, and the world around her was slowly fading.
She watches her brother constantly jumping in to attack before jumping back. The girl cursed at herself under her breath, for she felt like she was being weak and useless, but if she moved, she would lose blood faster than she already was. She had tried to use Total Concentration Breathing to close the wound a bit, but the gash was far too big to close with merely concentrated breathing.
All she could do was sit idly by, waiting for her crow to return with Kakushi to bandage her up.
"You annoying little pests need to die. Give up! Blood demon Art: Earth Shaking Rams!" Seemingly out of nowhere, the earth molded two creatures, her vision too blurry to tell, but she could tell both figures were running at blinding speeds towards Ryuko.
She blinked and missed it.
The next thing she knew was her brother was near some rubble, gashes everywhere, and looked to be on the brink of unconsciousness. "Ryuko!" She screamed in shock. When she saw the demon coming in for another attack, she ignored the state she was in and leaped forwards, sword in hand. Without even thinking, the girl swung and cut off something, delaying the demon's movement just long enough for her brother to roll away and get his footing. She nearly started screaming in pain when the wound from earlier stung and her muscles cramped, making everything incredibly uncomfortable. The girl fell to her knees, clenching her jaw.
"Lady Kaichi!" The injured girl weakly looked over to see a group of kakushi frantically running to her. They all pulled out something and from there pulled out gauze and bandage wrapping. A burning sensation ran up her spine as they cleaned her most prominent wound, hissing in pain, and the clenching of her only tightened. "We're sorry if this pains you Kaichi-sama! We promise it's just part of the process!" She nodded knowingly, holding in any sounds of complaints. They quickly bandaged the rest of her wounds and warned her not to move.
She ignored their warning and jumped into battle, anyway. "Lady Kaichi!" Despite the sudden sharp pain in her side, she didn't stop until she was next to her brother, barely saving him from another fatal attack. "Hey." She called out, only to be responded by a puzzled look from Ryuko and his expression of concern.
"O-Onee-san?! You shouldn't be moving, even with wrapped-up wounds! Just...stay on the sidelines for this—I got this."
"Right. And I didn't just save your life for the second time, plus, who the hell cares about my wound right now, we have a 12 Kizuki to slay!" Her brother rolled his eyes in disapproval. "Now... we've shown the demon our Sky Breathing Final Form too many times, so we're forced to just continuously attack."
"Fine." Her brother caved in and let out a sigh—he really didn't approve of this. "Here comes an attack!" Both siblings jumped out of the way of an incoming attack before getting in their stances to attack. Sky Breathing, First Form... (Y/n) dashes ahead as fast as her injured legs could take her, coming close to her opponent. Right when the demon threw a punch, she did a sharp full-body spring backward, coming back around with her blade landing a devastating attack on the demon's right arm. The Attack of Northern Winds!
She quickly retreated as her brother attacked with four slashes down. When he jumped back, it was her cue to jump back in, they continued this constant exchange of attacks for a few more minutes, until:
Sky Breathing, Fourth Form...she runs to the right, then quickly turns to the left, repeating the zigzag pattern all the way until she does one final slash across her body and through the demon's neck. Clearing The Heavenly Skies! The demon hollered in disbelief as its head fell from its body, yelling curses at the siblings and trying to defend his defeat by saying they (the demon) weren't going all out.
When the demon fully disappeared, (Y/n) fell to her knees, she no longer had the strength to even stand. Her brother walked over, sheathing his green sword away. "Aw, man! I thought I was going to be doing the final blow." Ryuko playfully complained as he helped his sister up. All the Kakushi ran over, scolding her for ignoring their instructions, but she didn't care.
She and her brother did just defeat Lower Moon One after all.
The last thing she remembered was her brother explaining the situation before her eyes rolled back, leaving her unconscious. After that night, she nursed back to health thanks to Shinobu. When she came to it, everyone was there to congratulate her and her brother on defeating a high-ranking Lower Moon, so much so, they summoned her and Ryuko to a Hashira Meeting when both could start walking.
"(Y/n) Kaichi. Ryuko Kaichi. You have grown to become incredible swordsmen. Two nights ago, you defeated Lower Moon One. This is an amazing feat, would you two," Oyakata-sama bowed, making her and her brother switch glances nervously. "Like to continue serving as Hashira?"
(Y/n)'s eyes widened at the offer; she didn't know what to make of it. A Hashira? She felt she needed more training before becoming one. An arm landed on her shoulders, causing her to flinch. "(Y/n) will become a Pillar! She is strong. I shall continue being Sanemi's Tsugoku."
"Ryuko..."
"She deserves the title. Me? I believe I need much more teaching before I can become one." The master nodded in acknowledgment.
"(Y/n) Kaichi, from this day forth, you will be known as the Sky Hashira, please wear this title proudly." She looked at all the Hashira with confidence.
"Thank you! I'll do the best I can do!"
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~Taisho Secret~
- (Y/n) is always questioning her brother on why he didn't take the position, saying he deserves it more than her
- Ryuko could have taken the Final Selection at the age of 7-8, but Kagaya Ubuyashiki forbade it (Cause at that point, its just child murder), so he had to wait a while
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