"Boys, I'll be fine — stop worrying!" I glared at the three stooges crowding me, giving them an exasperated look as they shifted under my heated gaze, "I told you I can handle it, didn't I? Also, I was supposed to visit Ren-senpai at least once anyway; so, stop acting like I wouldn't have gone to the Estate otherwise, come on."

I felt a tad bit guilty as they stared back at me with a dejected expression, making me sigh and pat their head as a gesture of consolation.

"Why are you so interested to fix that shitty old man?" Inosuke asked angrily while I gently combed his hair back onto a more presentable state.

Not that it would help anyway since he'll just put on his mask again and mess it all back up.

"And who said that?" I raised an eyebrow at the three unimpressed looks fixed on me, "Hey, I'm serious. I am not interested in fixing the attitude problem of that guy in any way — I mean, not exactly. I just wanna talk to him and... well, knock some sense into him?"

"But you don't nee—"

"He is the only one who can help you with any information about that traditional dance of yours," I quickly interrupted Tanjiro while pushing my glasses up my nose again, "We need to talk to him. And if the only way to get him to talk to us is by breaking his stubborn streak, then let it be so."

"You make it sound like you are going to beat him up," Zenitsu muttered, "Not that I would mind that."

"Oh, hush you," I hid a smile at his remark but refused to comment on anything otherwise as I focused back on packing my trusted satchel.

'It seems like their hatred for Rengoku Senior increased exponentially as compared to the manga.'

Well, in all honesty, only Tanjiro faced him in the manga and knocked some sense back into him before he could meet the others — if he even did, that is. But in the current timeline, though...

'Maybe my involvement is a bit too harmful in other aspects,' I looked at the Trouble Trio as they whispered amongst themselves, the imagery making me feel a certain kind of emotion that I couldn't quite name.

"Okay, I'm done," I announced loudly as I stood up and snagged my old satchel from the floor, "Now, off to Ren-senpai's Estate!"

The three shifted around again, making me shake my head in exasperation as I went ahead and grabbed their collars to drag them by.

"Stop acting like me going with guys is the end of the world!"

"But Aneki~!"

It wasn't until a good while later when we were already on the way towards Rengoku's residence that Zenitsu gave up his whining, finally understanding I can be more stubborn than the three of them combined.

"I can't believe you are being this stubborn!"

"Well," I gave him a cheeky smile, "I did learn from the twins and perfected under the guidance of you three babies!"

"We are not babies!" Tanjiro defended enthusiastically, failing to notice how one of the 'we' he mentioned was stuck on my back like a baby koala, "We are only two years younger than you, Aneki!"

"Almost three," I pointed out before patting Inosuke, who was leaning (hugging? dragging?) on me and strangely behaving like Zenitsu in his initial days when he realized I didn't mind his physical touches, "And hush, you are babies. And even act like one — what are you talking about?"

It was amusing to see Tanjiro trying to defend his honour as Inosuke didn't give two shits while Zenitsu promptly accepted the position as a baby quite happily.

It amused me to no end as Tanjiro argued back with the most absurd points, making me keep pushing for the nonsense as the three looked way more relaxed than when we were discussing about Rengoku Senior earlier.

However, Tanjiro had to give up when even Inosuke kept grunting to his points — though, he did end up agreeing how both Inosuke and Zenitsu behaved like younger siblings once I pointed out the said fact.

"What do you mean you see us as your younger siblings?!" Zenitsu looked quite offended at the notion of being treated as such by Tanjiro, "I am older than you!"

"And your point is?" I taunted, making the blond slayer glare at me with no real heat behind it.

"Wh-What do you mean what is my point?! That means I will be the older sibling!"

"But you don't behave like that!" Tanjiro innocently pointed out, making me lose my shit as Zenitsu sputtered but couldn't disagree, "And I am used to being the eldest brother — I took care of my siblings quite often, after all."

"And that's really very sweet of you," I ruffled his burgundy hair as Tanjiro's expression turned a little sad, "Not to mention, I sometimes genuinely feel like without you, these two would have ended up in the prison at least once."

Now that started a completely new debate as Zenitsu absolutely disagreed while Inosuke asked curiously what exactly a prison was. And Tanjiro? Well, he kind of agreed but avoided saying anything verbally as Zenitsu enthusiastically argued against me.

The chaos continued for the next few minutes until suddenly the recent scuffle with Rengoku Senior came up in the context of the trio attracting trouble, making Zenitsu pause and exchange a look with Tanjiro.

"Tell me honestly — what exactly happened yesterday?" I asked point-black as we took another turn in the narrow roadway, "Why are you so worried? Did something happen that you are not telling me?"

"We are not wo..." Tanjiro faltered as I gave him a look, "We, we just don't want you to face him, that's all."

Tanjiro's harsh tone surprised me a lot as I turned to look at him in earnest, "Jiro, it's fine, trust me. You know I have been a travelling doctor before I met you, right? Trust me when I say I've met a lot of people like him and know how to handle him well."

"But that doesn't mean you have to keep handling people like him for me!" He almost yelled before looking away shyly, "Sorry. It's just, I don't like how you have to always face problems because of me."

"Ta—"

"You mean because of us, right?" Zenitsu interrupted me unknowingly as he placed his arm around Tanjiro's shoulder, "Don't take the whole blame on yourself!"

My heart swelled at their sweet brotherhood moment but I had to break it up before they doubled down on the ridiculous notions of theirs.

"Calm down, you two," I huffed as Inosuke almost clashed with my back when I stopped walking for a few moments, "I'm not doing this for you... exactly. I'm doing this because I want to."

'And because I have to somehow compensate for the changes I've done to the original plot.' I added internally while the two of the three stooges started confessing the thoughts of their guilty mind.

"It's not going to cause me any problems like you are thinking, I assure you," I tried to reassure them as the crow took another turn and urged us to follow it.

"Promise us you'll tell us if that drunkard says any shit to you!" Zenitsu wailed as I nodded and gave him the most reassuring smile I could muster.

However, before I could reply anything further, we heard Rengoku's voice echo ahead of us.

"Kamado, my boy!" The sight of his shorter hair surprised me a lot as he stood in front of his house in anticipation of our arrival, his one visible eye shining brightly in the sunshine as he greeted us, "Agatsuma, Hashibira! Glad to see you three again today! Didn't Miyasha come with you today?"

It wasn't until I popped my head by the side of the three (sadly, taller than me) stooges that Rengoku noticed me — his eye widening for a second before he gave me a huge grin.

"Miyasha! Welcome!" He instantly stepped ahead to greet me, his steps much more comfortable and at ease than compared to before when he was staying at the Butterfly Estate, "I'm glad to see you again! And see you able to see me again, too!"

That made me huff a laugh while Zenitsu gave Rengoku a strange look from beside me, "That is something I'm glad about too, senpai." Tanjiro stepped away slightly from his position in front of me, finally giving me the room to see Rengoku's complete figure, "You seem to be doing quite well too, if I may add. I'm glad to see you walking and not limping like before."

"Ah, you could hear me limping, huh?" Rengoku asked off-handedly as he signed us to follow him.

"Well," I shrugged nonchalantly, "As they say if one of your senses is damaged, the others will develop in a way to compensate for the absence of that sense."

"I'm glad all your senses are fine then!" Rengoku patted my shoulder gently, surprising me a bit with his ease at touching me, "Wouldn't want to lose a talent like you, would we now?"

"You are too kind, senpai."

I felt like there was something different in his behaviour today as he guided us to his yard before turning to leave.

"Ah, and Miyasha!" I adjusted my glasses again as I looked up at Rengoku on his way inside, "The glasses suit you very well! They make your face look even more beautiful!" He complimented me without warning before skipping his way inside, leaving me bewildered as I kept staring after him.

"Th-Thank you?" I stuttered out like an idiot as I readjusted my glasses in surprise; my mouth lagging behind my brain while my mind kept replaying his bright expression when he complimented me.

'...doesn't he look oddly too preppy?' I mused suspiciously as I heard Zenitsu mumbling something in the background, 'Especially considering how his father must have been more of a dick since he came back injured and retired?'

"Isn't Aniki a little too enthusiastic today?" Zenitsu finally decided to say his mumblings out loud as he looked sourly towards the direction Rengoku left, "I mean, he wasn't even this excited when we visited him yesterday — and today he literally stood out, waiting for us?"

"...He may have been tired yesterday?" I offered awkwardly, making the blond slayer give me the most unimpressed look I'd ever seen on him, "I mean, greetings are greetings, right? Maybe he was looking forward to training you today... in comparison to yesterday?"

"Oh God," I hated how Zenitsu looked tired with me all of a sudden, "Please give me some patience to deal with these dense people."

I looked at Tanjiro in confusion as he stared back at me with the same expression; all the while Inosuke running at him with his sword, swinging it down at a high speed and an even higher war cry.

Thankfully, Tanjiro blocked him and even pushed him back — his strength surprising me a lot as I had previously thought that he may had been lagging behind in his prowess as compared to his original, manga self.

Maybe I was wrong?
But if I was, then how did it come to be that he was stronger than his manga self? Or was it just that he was becoming stronger just as he was supposed to be and I was worrying for nothing?

An involuntary laugh escaped my lips as Inosuke tried body slamming Tanjiro again — all the while yelling his name wrong. Again.

"We have to use our swords, Inosuke! Demons can't be killed just by—" Tanjiro was interrupted as Inosuke tried to headbutt him this time, "—slamming your head!"

"Are you saying that from personal experience?" Zenitsu taunted as he was ignored in favour of their chaotic warm-up.

I shook my head in amusement as I laughed at their dynamic while sitting on the porch, waiting patiently for Rengoku to return as I rubbed the old cloth of my satchel almost absent-mindedly in habit.

As my amusement subsided, I took a deep breath to concentrate on the auras around me; feeling three in front of me, one approaching us and one quite far within the house.

'Is Rengoku Senior not home then?' I pondered briefly before greeting Rengoku as he re-entered the yard carrying a few wooden swords and some... logs?

"They are for their strength building!" He replied easily once he looked at my bewildered expression, his actions soon explaining his words further as he and the boys set up the yard.

The wooden poles oddly reminded me of the doll system that I remember reading about in books — the same ones that were used as a reference for an enemy's body and thus, used for training to attack the vital points of a human.

These wooden poles, however, seemed much more simplified versions of them, to be honest.

I watched silently as Rengoku allotted one pole to each along with a wooden sword, before making them face it and swing at it as powerfully as they could.

"Your swings are still too weak!" Rengoku called out as he looked at them with an encouraging smile, "You need to concentrate your strength on the front of the blade itself — not the hilt! The angle and your own posture matter a lot too, so straighten up!"

I watched silently how obediently the boys followed his lead; even our crybaby Zenitsu didn't complain as he straightened up and swung again, their swords going down almost in harmony as Rengoku kept guiding them on their posture and strength.

"Now, do a thousand swings for today!" I almost choked on my own saliva as I heard that, "And then we will spar again before practising forms!"

Rengoku's red-gold eye met mine as I kept staring at him in disbelief; he approached me with an amused look as I signed him towards the boys and asked if he was serious about it.

"Of course, I am!" He replied almost carelessly, "This is a very simple training! Nothing strenuous at all!"

"I'd beg to differ," my reply was almost instant; my mind still reeling with the unbelievable fact that all three of them were following him blindly without any complaints or whining whatsoever, "Especially considering how this type of training can overwork the muscles and damage the tendons or even cause cramps, doing the absolute opposite of the intended purpose of the training!"

There was a reason why it was suggested that one should start with light exercises during their initial days when they start — even if they used to do vigorous training before the break.

Not to mention, he didn't even make them warm up!

"Their bodies will adapt!" Rengoku replied off-handedly as he stood in front of me, his eyes turning to my satchel beside me before looking back up at me, "On the battlefield, one would not get the time to rest even if they reach their limit! So, they need to increase their limit as much as they can!"

"That's... true," I admitted almost bitterly as I watched the boys already starting to sweat, "But isn't it too harsh to do it to them on the very second day of training? I mean, they too just recovered like the both of us."

"Yes, but weren't you training while you were injured too?" That shut me up real quick as I looked at him sheepishly while he gave me an almost mischievous smile, "Also, they did train for the past two weeks once they somewhat recovered; so, their bodies are well and fit! You needn't worry about it!"

Now that was a debatable topic as his words clearly relayed that this was only the beginning — and if he was determined enough to make them do a thousand swings within a few hours along with a spar and formation practice, I was afraid to think what his later training would look like.

'How did Mitsuri survive this, again?'

"Miyasha!" Rengoku's voice pulled me out of my thoughts as I turned back at him standing beside me, "Would you like to join us?"

"Uh, I'm not quite sure about that," I honestly relayed as my eyes went to my right wrist, "I mean, not only do I not actually have the strength to crack that thick wooden pole with the wooden sword as you asked them to, but my breathing style also isn't much dependent on strength. Or even the offence, quite honestly."

'That, and I wasn't here to train, quite honestly,' I thought sheepishly as I reminded myself of my main goal for coming here — to confront Rengoku Senior. And maybe bully some sense into him.

Rengoku hummed as he looked back at the three stooges training loudly, "Your breathing style did seem more reliant on flexibility, last I observed! Just like Water breathing!" I noticed how he gave me a side glance as he continued, "Would you like me to evaluate you then? Through a spar? I can help you develop the areas you need practice in!"

"Of course," I instantly agreed — why wouldn't I? Rengoku's fighting style was almost completely opposite to mine, giving me an excellent opportunity to see if I can actually hold my own against him or not.

The result would most likely not be in my favour, but at least I would know where I needed to improve myself in case I ever faced an opponent like him.

I stood up in excitement before removing my satchel; it was then that I remembered why I brought it in the first place.

"Oh, Ren-senpai!" I called out as I rummaged through my satchel to collect all the things Shinobu had given me to deliver, "Shinobu-san sent some medicines and balms for your injuries and scars — she had asked me to deliver them to you and tell you to write her a letter if you finish your current dosage and still feel discomfort or pain in your shoulder, alright?"

"Hai!" Rengoku almost leaned on me from behind as he peeked into my satchel, "So, that's why you brought your bag! I was wondering why you were suddenly carrying it here!"

I could feel the heat of his chest on my back as I replied, "Yeah, something like that. I mostly carry it when I travel, though."

Our eyes met again when I turned my face towards him, making him stare at me for a good few seconds as his breath fanned over my cheeks before he suddenly moved back.

"Are you alright?" I asked in a teasing manner as I noticed his slightly embarrassed expression, making me want to tease him even more as I rummaged through my satchel again to retrieve my hairpin, "If you are not feeling well, then we can spar some other time~"

"I-I'm quite fine, Miyasha!" His slight stutter amused me a lot as I gathered my hair around in a messy bun — Rengoku's eyes following my movements quite intensely before I turned to raise an eyebrow at him.

'Is... something wrong with my posture?' I mused worriedly, 'Or maybe he is feeling awkward? Wait, don't tell me he is feeling pain in his shoulder or something'

"Is anything wrong?" I watched him panic for a few seconds before trying to reassure me, "If you are feeling discomfort anywhere on your body, or pain—"

"I'm quite alright, Miyasha!" He waved me off casually before offering me one of the wooden swords identical to the ones he handed to the boys.

"Can we spar with our nichirin swords?" I asked hesitantly as my eyes looked at his offering hand, "I mean, if it's not an issue?"

"It isn't!" Rengoku readily agreed as he kept the wooden sword aside and stepped inside once again to bring his nichirin blade, while I decided to take off my haori and my blades from their sheath.

'Should I remove my glasses too?' I mused briefly, 'I mean, I'm near-sighted and am going to rely on my aura-vision anyway, so—'

"Why did you remove your haori?" I turned back to face Rengoku as his curious voice echoed behind me.

"Because it's easier for me to fight like this," I shrugged as I replied off-handedly, "That, and I don't want to damage my haori. Again."

"Again?" I could hear the confusion as well as amusement in his voice as he entered the yard.

"Well, I did destroy three of my haoris in the past three months or so — the latest one being during my informal mission with you, don't you remember?"

Rengoku chuckled as he nodded, "Ah, I do remember so! Though, I can't say I could care for it much given how the situation was!"

"Understandable," I replied shortly, before adding with an annoyed expression when I remembered the twins taunting me later for destroying another haori of mine, "Unfortunately, the twins are never going to let me live it down; in fact, they are now convinced that I have some ongoing crisis with my haoris or something. That's why they keep buying me a haori whenever they come back from a mission."

Now that made Rengoku laugh heartily while I just shook my head in exasperation; those two were the bane of my existence and I genuinely was at my wits' end with them.

"I'll talk with them if you need!" Rengoku clapped my shoulder in a way to comfort me; however, his glinting eyes made me question it as he continued, "Maybe, I can convince them to not bring you a haori after every mission — instead, I can offer to bring you some!"

"Don't you dare!" I glared at the cheeky bastard in front of me, "I have more haoris than kimonos, at this point!"

"Ah, would you like me to buy you some kimonos too, then?"

"I—" I continued to glare at him as he again stumped me with his stupid logic, "I didn't mean it like that!"

Rengoku teased me again as I kept glaring at him, trying my best to not smack him upside the head like I would have done to the twins; our banter continuing for a few more minutes before I huffed and stepped away from him dramatically, making him laugh behind me.

"Ah, Miyasha!" His voice was still bouncing with laughter as he continued, "I'm sorry for angering you, if I did!"

"Liar — an absolute white liar, I swear," I called him out directly as I hid a smile of my own, "Anyway, wanna start?"

Rengoku answered affirmatively as we took our position on the other side of the yard; my eyes tracing his stance as I instantly noticed how stiffer it was in comparison to when we were on the train during the mission.

"Are you sure you will be alright?" I asked again as my eyes met his red-gold one, feeling a bit worried as I felt it may be unfair if we just fought like this — even when his winning chances were still higher than mine even in this condition, "I mean, your body still seems to be... recovering and the absence of your one eye may hinder you a bit due to the imbalance in perception."

"What would you suggest we do then?" Rengoku asked as he leaned his weight on his sheathed sword like a cane; the sight of him with his sword and black eye patch ironically reminded me of pirates.

I flushed in embarrassment, hoping that I didn't offend him with my bluntness as I continued, "I'm sorry if I spoke too rudely — I just meant to say if you would, uh, like to level the playing field? Like, make me cover my eyes or something in exchange?"

"My injury for yours?" He asked almost amusingly before nodding his agreement, "Why not! After all, I did hear a lot about your aura-vision! I would like to witness it now too, if you will?"

"Absolutely!" I chuckled as I removed my glasses and placed them in the dipping of my neckline, "Though, it's not as refined as I'll like them to be, unfortunately."

I heard Rengoku hum as I closed my eyes and took my position; concentrating completely on Rengoku's blazing aura as I let my mind draw a vague outline of his position and body according to the concentration of his aura.

"Let us start then!"

"You sure, you won't need me completely blindfolded — I mean, just to be sure?"

"I trust you!" the way he confidently stated that made me feel rather shy as I readjusted my position, "I know you will not back down from your word, Miyasha!"

"I feel honoured," I almost mumbled as I felt Rengoku tilt his body before head-on attacking me — a very expected move on his part as the offence was the stronger aspect of his fighting style.

I stepped back to block his attack with my crossed sword position; the strength of his attack almost making me topple over as I leaned over to apply as much strength as I could to stop his momentum.

'Fuck, he is strong,' I cussed in my mind as I tried to dislodge one of my swords to attack him; however, he gave me no time to do so as he took his sword back to attack me again — making me dodge and step back to put distance between us.

I attacked him with simple vertically slashes but he somehow not only blocked me with his sword, but also pushed me away before speeding towards me with another head-on attack.

This continued as I attempted to find an opening while he simply kept attacking me upfront — a very simple move on his part, most likely in an attempt to give me an advantage over him.

That, or his injury was truly limiting him to only that.

I hated how despite the simple and predictable attacks, I was still unable to even lay a proper attack on him; especially since he didn't even let me properly approach him at a close range, which was the speciality of my fighting style.

Ironically, it seemed like I was at a disadvantage at close range with him; his strength almost always pushing me back or blocking me without a second thought.

On top of that, my twin blades were the absolute worse for defence; no matter how much I mastered using them for that purpose. And Rengoku took advantage of that without an ounce of hesitation.

I huffed a sigh as I stumbled back due to his strength again, feeling more like I was pushed around rather than actually being sparred with — making me feel somewhat offended.

"Focus on your training, Agatsuma—" I attacked Rengoku without a moment's notice as he seemed distracted for a split second, using my sixth form to aim my right blade at his neck in a pierce-through motion.

Rengoku blocked my right blade almost instantly before jumping back to dodge my left blade which had almost reached his stomach as its aim.

'Ugh, that was such a good chance!' I thought in annoyance as I stepped to attack him again.

"You have really good speed, Miyasha!" Rengoku complimented me as he blocked me again before twisting his sword to dislodge my swords from his own, "But your strength is quite lacking!"

"You think I don't know?" It was my turn to block his sword as he swung it at me vertically; the strength behind his one swing making me tremble as I used my full strength to just block him and push him back.

I hated how I felt him stumble only a few steps back, not just sprawl over like he almost did to me with many of his attacks.

Rengoku readjusted his position before rushing towards me with a clean horizontal swing of his sword, making me muse briefly if it was similar to his ninth (or was it?) form that he performed on Akaza a while back.

I dodged his attack at the last second to confuse him, using my speed and small stature to change my direction in the end moment and attack him from behind before he twisted himself to block it.

I could feel the stiffness in his movements as his still-healing shoulder restricted him from twisting his body too much — his mobility being restricted quite a bit from his left side when he pushed me away as a last effort.

"That was a really good move!" Rengoku praised me genuinely as we took a breath from all the quick attacks and blocks, "Your quick thinking, flexibility and speed make up for your lack of strength as you attacked my blind spot ruthlessly!"

"Hey," I almost replied back offendedly as I stepped up to attack him again that he dodge effortlessly again, "Don't speak like you weren't taking advantage of my lack of defence!"

"It's not like you don't have any defence!" Rengoku replied cheekily as he pushed me back again, "It's more like you are not used to doing it!"

Now that offended me a lot as I threw my hands up and admitted defeat — I can never beat this strong motherfucker without a lifetime of training and I was not that delusional to not admit it as it was.

"Nah, I'm done, I'm done!" I almost collapsed on the porch as I rubbed my face tiredly after sheathing my swords. I could still hear my heart beating loudly in my ears as the adrenaline rush still persisted in my bloodstream.

I couldn't believe I was still lagging so much behind.

'At this rate,' my pessimistic mind whispered to me as I leaned back on the porch, 'I will die before I can even think about helping them in the future missions.'
Especially considering how the very next one deals with the sibling pair of the Upper Demon Moons.

"Don't give up hope like that!" Rengoku clapped my back as he sat beside me, making me finally open my eyes to look at him as I squinted a bit due to the morning brightness, "You were doing quite well! Especially without even opening your eyes — it was like you could see through your eyelids! Very flamboyant!"

"You're too kind, senpai." I tried to brush him off but he persisted.

"Or maybe you are too harsh on yourself, Miyasha!" he pointed out bluntly as his red-gold eye focused on me, "I understand your goal is to be strong, but as you had said earlier yourself — strength isn't of only one type! And yours seem quite the opposite of mine too, with your flexibility and speed beating me on quite a few occasions!"

I considered his words seriously as I recalled our brief fight once again; however...

"...I still couldn't defeat him," I mumbled almost absent-mindedly, unknowingly speaking my thoughts out loud, "Or even corner him."

"Well," Rengoku's voice broke me out of my thoughts as I realized I said my thoughts out loud, "If that was your aim, then it seems you were fighting with the wrong intention from the beginning!"

I tilted my head as a sign of my confusion as he explained further upon my expression, "What I mean to say is that your aim should have been to observe your backdrops and improve on them — not to actually defeat me! I was, after all, a Hashira and quite more experienced than you still! It would take you a long time to defeat me; even if you become a Hashira yourself as our experience and fighting style is quite distinct and would stay so!"

"That's... true." I sighed as I agreed reluctantly; I mean, he was right but... my pride was wounded. Even though I knew I was gonna lose.

What was wrong with me?

"Well then!" Rengoku stood up before offering me a hand, "Would you like to continue still?"

"If you don't mind me switching my weapons," I answered back just as cheerily as him while he pulled me up to a standing position.

"Why not! I would love to see you fight with your fans again, since you look quite natural with them!"

"And I don't with my swords?" I asked almost amusingly as Rengoku instantly answered affirmatively, "Ouch, looks like my sword skills still need some work!"

"I'll rather say you need more experience than more practice!" Rengoku stated bluntly, making me chuckle as I took out my fans from their holsters in my satchel.

"Ah, damn, you sure hit the hammer right on the nail."

"Language," Rengoku scolded me cheekily as I gave him a look, "And I didn't quite understand what you meant by hammer on a nail?"

"Ah," I forgot how that was a modern idiom and he may not have any idea what that meant, "I mean, you addressed the exact problem with my... uh, fighting style almost as accurately and efficiently as hitting the hammer on the nail on the first swing."

"Ah, that makes sense," it was almost cute how he nodded his head and looked at me like a curious student, "Was that phrase a foreign idiom?"

"Something like that," I replied briefly before taking my position to avoid talking about it further, "So, wanna start again?"

"Ume!"

An involuntary smile spread on my lips at his signature gesture, making me feel a tad bit better as I closed my eyes and concentrated on my surroundings.

Once I had comfortably drawn the details of each aura around me, I specifically focused on Rengoku's bright aura as I opened my fans and spread them out in a defensive posture.

"Shall we begin?" Rengoku asked enthusiastically as I nodded, making him pause for a second before attacking me upfront again — however, this time, I blocked him more efficiently with my twin fans spread into a pseudo shield.

I could feel his gaze burning at me as dislodged one of my fans to attack him — a similar situation like before as he attempted to block me again by twisting his sword; unfortunately for him, I pushed my fan even more to make it impossible to move as his sword got stuck between the open blades of my fan.

At the last moment, Rengoku ended up jumping away to dodge me, his sword harshly disconnecting from mine as I closed my fans into a wider formation.

"You can open your fan that wide?" I could hear the bewilderment in his voice as I chuckled.

"Ah, yes," I rushed in to attack him with my third form; swinging each of my fans in a circular motion in the contrasting directions as Rengoku held the wider part of his sword as his impromptu defence, "It makes it easier for me to insert my blood into demons that way."

Rengoku twisted his sword to swing at me horizontally, making me duck as I attacked him with my fans from below.

He stepped away quickly to dodge my attack; however, I followed his aura step by step as I attacked him with shallow swings in quick succession.

'Rengoku has good speed,' I observed passively as the metallic sound of my fans clashing with his swords echoed in my ears once again, 'But I'm a tad bit faster.'

I stepped back to dodge his sword, increasing the distance between us as I focused my aura-vision on him. His bright aura seemed less warm than usual as he stood there in a defensive stance, making me wonder if he was nervous or maybe taking me quite seriously now?

I jerked my fans in a vertical trajectory before lowering my position in a dancing posture.
It was time to start properly now.


(~×~)


Kyojuro's eye glinted in the sunlight as he noticed her bend her knees in a slight downward position before swinging her fans in a circular motion — her movements eerily similar to how he imagined traditional dances to be as she performed with her fans elegantly.

He briefly wondered why she was doing that before he suddenly saw her shift and approach him in the blink of an eye; her speed surprising him more than he could express as he instantly blocked and attempted to dodge her.

However, she was the one who stepped away first only to attack him again, giving him no chance to retreat as she kept circling him while he dodged.

He noted almost proudly how she seemed to have no visible opening in her stance with her fans — quite unlike with her swords, if he had to be honest. There was almost no hesitation in her movements with her fans; almost as if she used them at a subconscious level.

It wasn't like he could blame her; she did mention they weren't her primary weapons, and to master her secondary weapons even to that level was quite a feat — considering that she is currently the only slayer he knows with more than one type of weapon.

But with her fans, she looked even more natural, her flow seamless and her posture perfect while she swung those fans at him as effortlessly as breathing. Her movements screamed the experience she actually needed to be a slayer.

Or a Hashira.

He mused the thought of her being his successor for a moment before scrambling to dodge her quick shallow slashes aimed at him from all directions.

Her agility and speed made her really dangerous and he would hate to admit it but he quite liked how she cornered him — even though she looked quite smaller now since she removed her haori.

He knew it was mostly due to the visual effect of her flowing (and big) haori on her short figure but without it, she looked more compact and... delicate.

"Your coordination with your fans is better than your swords!" Kyojuro complimented as he blocked her with more force than usual; she exerted more force with her fans than her swords, quite surprisingly.

Or maybe it was because of her more efficient way of using her fans that she somehow seemed to fail to do so with her swords.

He watched her closely as she twisted her wrist to bring her fan down vertically at him, making it harder for him to dodge as her other fan gripped his sword in its metallic grip once again.

He tilted his body to slant his sword in a position to act as a temporary blockage; her own fan helping him in the endeavour as it blocked her other fan coming vertically down at him.

Kyojuro couldn't help as his eyes were drawn back to her face again, making him miss her bluish-violet orbs as he wished absent-mindedly for her to open her eyes at least once during the fight.

He wanted to see that fire, that passion again that he saw once before — he missed it so dearly that he was almost convinced that the fire he saw back in her was his own imagination.

Her fan came down almost tearing the front of his kimono as he dodged to protect his clothes and his chest; his eyes still following her face as she earnestly kept attacking him.

It wasn't until she struck her fans in a deadlock with his sword that he noticed how close they actually were standing — especially since her closed fan twisted his sword to his left side in a manner that it became difficult for him to block her other fan aiming for the middle of his chest.

He looked down at her almost mesmerised as her face seemed to focus back at him; her eyes still closed as they stood there frozen in the deadlock.

Kyojuro felt his heart leaping in his chest as she finally opened her eyes; his own eye tracing the fire in the bluish-violet orbs as they looked at him with a burning gaze.

That strong look made him feel breathless as he couldn't help but keep staring at her expression to ingrain it in his mind.

"Are you alright, Ren-senpai?" His eye briefly went to her lips that spoke his nickname so sweetly before instantly stepping away from her; he didn't want to embarrass himself any further than he already was doing.

"I am!" Kyojuro answered quickly as he attempted to somehow gain his wits back.

Who knew he would end up being so smitten with her after she opened those beautiful eyes of hers again — he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in her before her bandages were removed but after it? He couldn't keep his eyes off of her own violent ones.

Or rather, his singular eye, which he still wasn't used to addressing as such.

"Sorry for suddenly opening my eyes," Miyasha looked at him apologetically while he looked back confused at her, "I didn't mean to cheat like that — I just felt you suddenly staring at me so intensely and thought something was wrong. I sincerely apologise."

"You did nothing wrong!" Kyojuro instantly blurted out, feeling quite a bit shy as he chuckled nervously, "I was just observing your stance and wondering about how, uh, you see your surroundings through your aura-vision! I'm sorry for distracting you, Miyasha!"

"Oh, that you sure did," her laughter made his chest swell as she brushed some of her unruly bangs out of her face and behind her ear, "Your bright aura wasn't enough to keep me engaged that you suddenly decided to burn a hole into me with your flaming gaze, eh, senpai~?"

"I didn't mean to!" His half-hearted defence only made her chuckle more as she closed her fans and plopped down on the porch.

Kyojuro couldn't help but trace all of her with his eye again — it was quite unbecoming of him and he knew it. However, it felt like he couldn't resist staring at her any longer, after missing her for so long.

And her acts made it harder for him to focus anywhere else, too — with how she retrieved her glasses right from the space between her cleavage and all.

Well, not technically there but—

"So, how was it?" Miyasha's voice broke him out of his shameful thoughts as he focused back on her face, "My fighting style, I mean. I know I was fumbling quite a bit with you back there, but anything else except my lack of strength?"

"You rely way more on your defence than offence, Miyasha!" Kyojuro instantly pointed out as he sheathed his own sword now, "And it's not a backdrop but can make you hesitant to attack when it is actually needed!"

"I seemed hesitant while attacking?"

"Not exactly, but it took you quite long to attack earnestly after I blocked and pushed you back many times."

"Wait, so you were waiting for me to attack?" Her frown made him pause, wondering if he accidentally offended her, "But I thought you just... I mean, even when I attacked, you still continued doing... that."

Kyojuro shrugged as his eye briefly went back to the boys to check whether they were training properly or not, "Proper evaluation of any skill can only be done when you test it in all fields! I was simply trying to draw you out to do your best but you seemed hesitant, which is quite problematic since one shouldn't feel as such on the battlefield!"

He saw her hum as she leaned back on the porch, "Maybe it's because I depend too much on my blood? Like, I know it's a big part of my breathing technique and all, but fighting with you and even back with Akaza seemed a lot more difficult than usual — and I'm not saying that experience-wise."

Kyojuro sat down beside her as he urged her to continue, "I mean, I chalked it up to you guys using your strength against me but now..."

"Now?"

"Now that you tell me I seemed hesitant to attack, it makes me question if I really am like that subconsciously."

Well, he won't lie but he didn't get what she meant when she said that but he didn't interrupt her thoughts; instead, enjoying the view of her distracted self a little too shamelessly before looking at the three boys training.

Maybe it'll be better if he focused back on the boys — he had already stared a little too much at her and was afraid if he continued, then she might think of him as a pervert.

Which he himself was starting to think.

Maybe he needs to meditate and talk to someone about it before he became any worse.


(~×~)


I watched silently as Rengoku walked up to the three stooges to correct their postures while I sat there, contemplating what he had just said.

Well, technically what Rengoku had just pointed out to me wasn't something I wasn't told before — in fact, he was maybe the fourth person to point out my so-called 'hesitation' in attacking, making me believe that maybe I should really start working on it.

The problem, however, was that I didn't know how to.

While I did everything to ingrain my swords into my fighting style, I failed to formulate a plan that could counter this hesitation of mine. Not to mention, I didn't quite get what they meant by it either.

It wasn't like I wasn't attacking and killing demons — because I was doing that. But that accounted for my conscious thoughts and what they were pointing out was the hesitance deep-rooted in my subconsciousness. Maybe.

How on Earth would I stop hesitating subconsciously now?

I took a deep breath to clear my mind off my racing thoughts; there's no use overthinking about it when my mind is already as saturated as it is.

'Let's take a break, clear my mind and then come back to it,' I nodded to myself as I relaxed my body and leaned back onto the porch, my eyes drawing back to the three stooges and their Aniki.

Looking at them training diligently made me feel oddly proud; the overall feeling of it was quite familiar to me as I used to feel the same back when I used to train with the twins.

Damn, I missed those idiots.
The thought of talking to them again currently gave me anxiety, but Lord knew I needed to talk to them and address the issue.

Running away was not gonna do me any good and I knew it — but actually confronting them and talking about it? Now that's the main dilemma. And a lotta work.

I heaved a sigh at my coward ass before closing my eyes again and spreading my awareness as far as I could.

"Are you planning to meditate now, then?" Rengoku's words broke me out of my searching as I off-handedly confirmed that Rengoku Senior wasn't home, yet.

"Yeah, maybe," I mean, I couldn't tell him that I was searching for his father now, can I? "Why, would you like me to do something else?"

There was something so fascinating in seeing Rengoku shake his head; his bi-coloured bangs moving with the movement of his head as he kept acting with his usual enthusiasm. It was kinda odd seeing them so short, but the overall look suited him really well.

A little too well, to be honest.

'He sure is aesthetically pleasing to look at.'

"I was asking because I wanted to know if there was anything I could help you with!"

His honest answer made me smile as I assured him that he had already helped me plenty. Besides, it would be better if I focused on honing my skills in detecting and tracing auras; that was not something anyone could help me with except maybe myself — and I tried my best to explain that to him.

Rengoku, bless his soul, was very understanding as he accepted my explanation instantly and offered to help with anything if he could.

"You are really kind, senpai," I smiled as I took a deep breath and fixed my posture to meditate properly, "The boys are lucky to have you, y'know?"

"Mm, and you aren't?"

His cheeky comeback made my smile stretch further, "With how relentlessly you tease me? Nope."

"Ah, so harsh!" I could hear the smile in his voice as he continued, "Say, Miyasha, if I stop teasing you, would you then feel lucky?"

"Then I'll be just bored," I replied back jokingly, making Rengoku laugh as he took a seat beside me on the porch, "Don't know about feeling lucky though."

An involuntary smile spread on my lips as I heard him chuckle; his laugh loud and enthusiastic just like he was.

'I never thought Rengoku would be this cheeky when I read the manga,' the thought briefly brushed through the front of my mind, making me realize once again how much different they were from what I read about them as fictional characters.

Now, they were breathing, living people who were distinct from the characters written from one's imagination; even their so-called predestined fate seemed to dwindle upon a few changes, making me acknowledge the harsh reality that maybe, just maybe, not everything was set in stone.

It scared and excited me at the same time.

It also made me wonder — what was my place among them? Was there even space for me in between their already formed lives or even in their still shaping destinies?

"Say, Ren-senpai," I started softly, giving Rengoku time to recover from his fit of laughter as he looked at me with a jolly expression, "Am I... Do you see me as a friend? Or a kyohai?"

Rengoku's smile stretched wider as he replied, "Of course, Miyasha! You are both my friend and kyohai — in fact, you are someone I respect a lot!"

I chuckled at his sweet words, "Ah yes, fighting an Upper Demon Moon with someone sure helps in gaining respect!" I joked, but paused when he gave me a serious look, "...Senpai?"

"I respect you as the person you are, Miyasha," I watched as Rengoku's eyebrows creased, "Not because you fought beside me; I would have respected you just as now even if you hadn't."

I didn't know what or how to reply as he stared at me with such a tender look; it made me feel... embarrassed, almost as if I was scolded just now.

"I-I was... thank you, senpai."

"You don't have to do something to be worthy of respect," His words made me feel vulnerable as I avoided meeting his gaze, "Or even love, Miyasha. I'm sorry no one told you this before, but I hope you understand this now. You are worthy of both just as you are."

"Is this how..." I hated how small my voice sounded at the moment, "...you took care of yourself? All alone — all this time?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean," I hesitated to mention something I wasn't directly involved with but couldn't stop it either now that I had already started, "With how your... father is."

I watched how he avoided my gaze; instead, watching the boys train as he answered, "In a way, yes! It's not like I could do anything else."

I noticed how he had forced his voice to switch back to his cheery tone, "That's true. I'm sorry for asking you about it so rudely."

"It's not an issue!" His kind tone made me smile as he finally turned to look at me, "And I can understand your worry! My father did suddenly attack Tanjiro yesterday, after all!"

"I... hope he didn't attack anyone else later," I met his red-gold gaze with my bluish-violet one as I continued, "Please tell me he didn't."

"He didn't," he reassured me as he leaned back on the porch, "He is not usually violent, no need to worry."

"Ren-senpai," His tone scared me but his words made my heart ache even more, "You, You've built an amazing person, y'know?" The surprised look he gave me made me smile sadly at him; why did such a jolly person have to go through all this alone? "I... You know you can talk to me about it, right? From a friend to a friend?"

The smile he gave me was a wry one, "Not now, but someday! Thank you for offering though, kyohai!"

"I'm sorry for being nosy like this though," I patted his hand in an attempt to console him, "I... When Tanjiro said what happened yesterday, it worried me. A lot. I know you can handle it well and I am not going to question it but, I just, I hope you will ask for help if you ever need it, yeah?"

I gave him a closed-eye smile as he silently gazed at me, "Especially since you have a sweet younger brother still depending on you, senpai. I would hate to see him lose you like this."

"Is that something you've personally experienced?" His question caught me off-guard as I gave a nervous laugh.

"One can say so, I guess," I answered vaguely before hastily straightening my position, "Anyway~ My offer stands till the both of us do — if you ever wanna talk or ask anything, don't hesitate. I'll be here for you."

"I appreciate that and offer the same back!" His words made me smile as I closed my eyes to maybe go back to meditating, "Though, I do have a question, if I can ask?"

"Yes, why not."

"What do you think about a partner, Miyasha?"

I opened my eyes to look at him, "Partner as in a romantic partner, mission partner or a partner-in-crime?"

"I love the last term," he laughed before replying seriously, "But I meant the first one — romantic partner. What do you think about that one?"

"I... don't know?" I tried answering honestly, "I mean, I know I am at an age where most of the people are engaged, if not married, but I'm not quite keen on it."

"Not even seeing someone?" Rengoku leaned back on the porch again as he asked curiously.

"I am not sure, honestly," I gave him an apologetic smile, "I just, I can't say I can see myself in a relationship. I'm not sure if it's because of... well, how I am or because I am not comfortable with anyone yet."

"Of how you are?" He leaned more towards me this time, "You are perfectly fine the way you are!"

I chuckled at his remark as I explained myself, "Thanks for the compliment, senpai, but I didn't mean it in that way. I... well, I have never exactly felt a sexual or romantic attraction to anyone before, so I'm not quite sure if I even can."

The way it took Rengoku a few seconds to even process my words made me chuckle.

But it was true — in my previous life, I comfortably identified myself as an asexual and maybe an aromantic; now, the latter was a completely new debate as I did have a few crushes here and there but somehow lost them within a few days.

So, in a nutshell, I was definitely somewhere in the spectrum of aromantic just as I was somewhere in the spectrum of asexuality — but where in the spectrum, Lord knows.

That and add the big secret of my past life and reading about the people of this life in a manga to that, it seemed almost impossible for me to imagine myself with anyone.

'Even when I have a still-forming crush on Giyuu,' I sighed at my thought process, knowing full well that I'll get over that too in a few days but still hating the fact that I somehow caught feelings for the poor guy.

He didn't deserve to be thought of like that — not that I was thinking about him in any... compromising way.

"You never felt attracted to anyone?" Rengoku's words made me focus back on him as he looked very focused on the topic, "Maybe it is because you never fell in love!"

"And how does someone fall in love?" I asked amusingly, "By being romantically attracted to the person, right? I have issues doing just that."

He fixed me with a look that made me giggle; his expression begging me to explain as I took pity on him and decided to do so.

And that was how I ended up giving Rengoku an extensive lesson on sexuality and, in correlation, gender identity.


"Thank you for the Tea, Rengoku-kun~!"

I smiled as I noticed the younger of the Rengoku brothers flush red, making me want to tease him even more as he carefully placed the tray of Sakura Tea and rice crackers down in front of me.

"I-Is there anything else you need, Sarota-san?" I found Senjuro's shy demeanour extremely adorable, making me want to pat him a lot but refraining from actually doing so since it would be extremely rude if I did. Right?

"Nothing much," I gave him a closed-eye smile as I took a sip of the beverage, "You already took care of everything — also, this Tea is absolutely delicious! You are really talented, Rengoku-kun."

His soft chuckles and warmer aura made my smile widen as I invited him to come with me to the yard.

"Come on!" He looked at me before looking down at his hands shyly, "It's alright, your brother won't mind."

"I know he won't," Senjuro smiled at me kindly as he finally nodded to accept my offer, "It's just..."

"You're feeling awkward with me?" I chuckled as he looked away shyly, "That's understandable and I'm sorry for that. It's just, I wanted to talk to you a bit and apologise for my earlier conduct."

"Earlier...?"

"Y'know," I smiled at him apologetically, "Running away suddenly the last time I met? Yes, that. I wasn't quite... right in the mind that time; my mind was pretty saturated from events from the past, making me unable to distinguish it from the present and thus, mixing things up."

I looked up at him and smiled again, "Please forgive my behaviour that day."

"It's okay," His familiar red-gold gaze widened my smile as he continued, "I'm just happy to see you doing fine now, Sarota-san."

"You are a very sweet child, dearie," I felt my smile melt into a softer tone as I honestly relayed, "It's a blessing to have met you. Thank you for taking care of us."

I smiled as he shyly accepted my compliments; our conversation slowly shifting towards lighter topics as we shared small incidents of our daily lives, while we stood in the kitchen as I occasionally complimented the Sakura Tea he made for us.

His kind gaze and even kinder aura made my heart ache as I silently focused on his soft voice; he reminded me so much of my sister that I almost hated it. But it made me crave talking to him even more as I joked with him lightly, making him laugh freely.

He's such a sweet child... I'm glad he didn't have to lose another family member — he didn't deserve that.

"Thank you," I hummed in question at his soft voice thanking me, "I... I heard you helped my brother come back alive and—"

"Hush now," I interrupted him as I shook my head, "Your brother came back to you and that's that. I had no role in it, so don't waste your sweet words on me."

"I... it's not like that," Senjuro looked down at his hands again, "I... I don't know what I would have done if... if Aniki hadn't..."

I couldn't stop my hands as they moved on their own, patting his flame-shaded hair gently as his sad gaze melted my heart, "Hush there, child. Such a thing didn't happen and won't happen anymore, so don't think about it too much, hm?"

I kept caressing his head when he didn't stop me; instead, going as far as to lean towards me wordlessly, which completely broke my heart as I realized how touch starved he actually was.

"I..." He looked at me shyly as I urged him to go ahead, "Originally I was supposed to become my brother's successor. I had to heap up my achievements as a reserve Hashira but..."

"My nichirin blade never changed colour." Senjuro looked at the holsters attached to both my arms, "No matter how much I practised, I couldn't get them to change the colour. So, I gave up and, and broke the succession of Flame Hashiras. I'll make a scar in the long history of Flame Hashiras in my family..."

"It's not your duty," I blurted out, making his sad eyes turn to me as I softly caressed his unruly bangs away from his eyes, "It's, it's not your duty to carry such a heavy duty, sweetie."

"But I," he smiled sadly at me, "I want to help people too, like my brother and father. I... I want to be useful to others too."

"And I'm sure you will be," I poked his forehead, surprising him as he blinked owlishly at me, "Just do what feels right to you, yeah? Forcing yourself against your body or even your will wouldn't bring you any closer to your goal."

"But I can't even," Senjuro flushed as he met my gaze, "I can't even join the Kakushi..."

"Because of your lack of colour-changing blade?" I raised an eyebrow at him, "Then don't worry about that. Fate has a weird way of happening on its own, and I'm sure yours will find you too."

His confused look was absolutely adorable; it made me want to gobble him up but that would be beyond disrespectful. And I don't think I would be allowed to get away with that.

"Now, come on," I ruffled his hair before moving away to carry the tray he had so diligently arranged, "Let's go to the yard! I bet your brother must be waiting for you eagerly — after all, he was bragging about you just before I came in."

"He was?"

I chuckled as I repeated how proudly Rengoku was talking about his little brother; the said little brother flushing as he mumbled how his brother was just saying that to embarrass him.

"But I found everything he said nothing but the truth!"

That made him blush even more, making me chuckle as all the traces of his crying earlier were washed away by his embarrassment.

It wasn't until we reached the yard did I stopped teasing him since his brother and the three stooges finally took a break and approached us to get their drinks and snacks.

And then, it was Rengoku who started teasing his brother — albeit much more mercifully than me as he complimented him more than actually attempting to embarrass him.

It was so adorable that I couldn't help the smile stretching on my lips; it was the same with the stooges too as Tanjiro nodded at their brotherly love. It was almost like he and Rengoku formed a strange kind of kinship on being the eldest son/brother.

Zenitsu felt like he was being left out of the loop; thus, seeking solace with me as I patted him with no less amusement.

That amusement only increased when Inosuke pushed Zenitsu out to only sit in his place and demand pats very aggressively.

It made me chuckle a lot while Tanjiro seemed to feel personally embarrassed — trying to get Inosuke to behave while Zenitsu cussed the boar-boy out.

'I can'tbelieve how used to I am to the chaos they bring,' I mused as I watched Senjuro chuckling to himself while Rengoku looked at the three stooges with absolute concentration, 'Ah, what a thing to get used to.'

I shook my head as I offered to bring the cups and tray back to the kitchen, to the absolute disagreement of Senjuro.

"How about I help you to take them back then?" I tried compromising as Rengoku and the Trouble Trio had already gone back to their practice, "Then it won't be an issue, right?"

"But..." He looked at me hesitantly, making me chuckle as I gathered the cups, "...Alright."

"Now, that's a smart choice," I winked at him jokingly, to which he flushed and looked away shyly.

I laughed some more and attempted to make some light conversation as we made our way to the kitchen; my heart leaping into my chest as I felt an unfamiliar aura in the hallway.

'Rengoku Senior, huh?' My eyes met the familiar yet unfamiliar red-gold ones, his foul expression making me stiffen as he passed by us on our way to the kitchen, 'I need to talk to him — but how?'

"What are you staring at?" I felt Senjuro stumble beside me as his father stared me down rudely; Senjuro's grip on my arm clearly depicting his nervousness as I genuinely wondered if Rengoku Senior's violence was any more than what was being depicted.

"I apologize," I blurted out as my mind blanked at the sudden attention, "I was just wondering how similar you look to your sons — almost like a carbon copy."

I wanted to slap myself as Rengoku Senior looked at me like I was crazy; I mean, he wasn't wrong, I did just blurt out the first nonsense thought that popped into my mind.

I mean, I won't take my words back, since they technically do look like the copy-pasted version of him but I don't think that should have been the first thing I ever said to him; even if I still wondered how strong his genes were to even pass down the eye colour to the shape of their faces to both his offsprings.

'Okay, stop it, Miyasha. This is not the time.'

"Who," Rengoku Senior frowned as his eyes traced back from his younger son to me, "Are you? Kyojuro's kyohai?"

'Is he... mixing me up with Mitsuri?' I thought absent-mindedly before nodding.

It's not like I had any plan either way — the most I planned was to find him. After that? I was lost. So, why not just go with the flow and fuck it up even more?

I mean, it's not my fault that the only time universe did decide to hear me out was when I wasn't prepared — I mean, what kinda cliche is this that I meet him my very first day here?
How anime-ish of the universe.

Totally not my fault for not preparing. Nope.

"I am Sarota Miyasha," I introduced myself, narrowing my eyes when I noticed how he lost interest once I answered him, "Ren-senpai actually saved me on the last mission from—"

"Hah! Saved!" Rengoku Senior loudly interrupted me, making me frown even though he was reacting exactly how I wanted him to, "Such useless crap!"

"Excuse me?"

The sharp look he gave me almost made me take a step back; however, I didn't let my gaze waver as I looked back at him with the same rage I felt when I saw how emotionally neglected these two siblings were because of this incompetent father.

I know it wasn't my place to feel like this but—

"Don't idolise Kyojuro like he did something great!" I hated how blurry his eyes seemed as he declared that, "He lacks any great talent — just like the rest of the garbage out there, without any real value! Only some people can have talent and none of my sons has any."

"So," I kept my voice devoid of emotions as I tilted my head, "Talent is the only thing that shall define you, not your effort, Rengoku-sama?"

"Effort is nothing in front of talent," Rengoku Senior threw out, his tone much more stable than before as he observed me, "So, I'm telling you, give up now."

"Why?" I asked instantly as I watched him trying to leave.

He gave me a look but didn't move to leave anymore, "What do you mean why! Without talent, you're as good as a riff-raff wasting your and others' time."

"And?"

"And?" It kinda amused me how agitated he was getting due to my words, "Are you not getting what I am saying? People's powers are decided upon the moment they are born. Only a small fraction of people have talent and the rest are garbage! Trash without any value that can do nothing but get injured or die."

"And?" I repeated, feeling myself get ticked off at the shit he was saying with such a straight face, "How does that matter in any way with being a demon slayer?"

"Only pathetic fools will—"

"I wasn't aware saving lives depended on talent and not on effort," Rengoku Senior glared at me as I glared back at him, "Or even care. I mean, I was always taught that to protect someone, you need a certain attitude, not talent."

"And that's how you die pathetically on the battlefield," he spat out, his expression looking much more amiable than before, quite ironically.

However, the question was if he was actually ready to listen to me or not.

"Death is inevitable," I brushed his harsh statement off, "Regardless of having talent or not. The only thing that can pull you off from the threshold of death is often luck and quick thinking — not really talent."

I watched as he shook his head, "Talent is what makes you stronger than your opponent, kid. You don't understand because you have never been in a real fight."

"Maybe," I smiled at him as I felt Senjuro's grip tighten on my arm, urging me to pull away from the situation before anything adverse happened, "I mean, it's not like I didn't come back relatively unharmed from a mission against two Demon Moons."

"Two?" Rengoku Senior's eyes brightened up as he replied, the frown on his face twisting into more of an expression of disbelief.

"Yes, two," I kept my face relaxed and smile sweeter, "With one of them being Upper Demon Moon three — who your son faced quite diligently, if I may add."

I hated how his face hardened after hearing my last statement, "That pathetic—"

"Oyakata-sama was saying how this was the first time any Hashira came back alive after facing an Upper Demon Moon," I pointed out rudely as I took a step back, "He was quite sure this was a good omen — especially considering how in this particular encounter, none of the two hundred passengers or involved slayers died."

The last smile I gave him was the sweetest one I could muster, "And it's all thanks to Ren-senpai and his quick thinking — since talent is rare and couldn't be wasted on him as he saves people, right?"

"Hah, and what did he end up with after his so-called saving?" I was already dragged towards the kitchen by Senjuro as he replied, "Retired? Injured? All because he's talentless!"

"Well, if Ren-senpai does not fit your criteria of 'talented' despite having taught himself sword fighting alone since his predecessor gave up on him because of his pride," I blurted out as I let my anger get the best of me in the end, "And yet still retiring as a Hashira after saving hundreds in a single mission, I'm not sure if anyone would ever qualify for your standards."

Senjuro closed the door behind us loudly, making me break out of my fit of anger as I looked at the poor boy who was shivering and looking down at his feet; that was when I realized how much I fucked up.

"I'm..." I didn't know what to do as I stood there stupidly, feeling extremely guilty for not stopping when he grabbed my arm, "I'm sorry I—"

"Thank you."

"Huh?"

"Thank you," Senjuro finally looked up at me, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears as he laughed, "Thank you for standing up for my brother. I... I am so sorry for not helping you there bu-but, it was so cool. I just, thank you."

"It's... alright?" I felt awkward as I gently patted the boy reaching almost my own height; it wasn't like I didn't just yell at his father and disrespected him.

'At least Ididn't cuss at him,' Now, that was an achievement I was quite proud of despite knowing I shouldn't be, 'I wish I did though — I mean, it's far from over if Iremember his expression right.'

I just hope he doesn't kick us out — I don't want the boys to suffer because of my rash decision.

"Aniki won't let him," I almost jumped as Senjuro answered my unintentionally spoken out-loud thought, "You don't have to worry."

"Oh," I looked at him stupidly before giving him a sheepish smile, "I'm glad to hear that then. So, um, can you tell me where should I keep this tray, please?"

"Oh! Please keep it at the table there—!"

"Ah, thanks! I almost did forget I was carrying it, damn."


Heya!
This chapter took me way more time than I'll care to admit — let it be because of the plot of the chapter itself or my endterm exams that started up a few weeks ago.

Also, regarding the exams, since they are gonna take place throughout the month of May, I would have to do my internship alongside it; soooooooooo, less time for writing and more struggling with life.

Oh well. I'll still try my best to keep uploading stuff here and there; but no guarantees, unfortunately.

Also, for those who wondering whose POVs I'll be covering throughout the fanfic; it's random. Almost. So, I don't exactly know if there will be any Muzan POV or not. Also, I'm really glad people are enjoying the interactions and conversations I write cause they are one of the main reason I started this fanfic in the first place! I hope you enjoy this chapter too~

》Taishou Secrets《
After Obanai, Hiroshi is the most skilled swordsman in the (current) Demon Slayer Corps. And while Hitoshi also is quite skilled, his achievement lies more on the strength which his twin lacks — thus, the twins compensating for each other's weakness when fighting together.

And that's it for this chapter, folks! Thank you so much for your kind reviews! They made me smile so much! Please review this one too if you want to— I love reading from you guys, and honestly, it motivates me like no other 3

Stay safe and stay healthy!