"Get lost, will you?! I'm not giving you that key, no matter what! And don't think I'm ever going to show you how to use it!"
Kagami and Tanjiro continued watching the small child arguing passionately with Muichiro from their covering of trees. Yet their eyes always strayed, always glanced, at the pair standing just behind his tiny figure. Almost robotic, mechanical-like, they didn't move a single inch. Not even to defend the child screaming his protests at the Hashira. She found it a bit strange, especially the two extra pair of arms the man with the red hair wielded.
Tanjiro, on the other hand, didn't seemed too bothered at the fact. Instead, he groaned under his breath, uncomfortable and conflicted, "What should I do? It's bad manners to eavesdrop! But if they're fighting, I should try to mediate."
She gave him a funny look. "Perhaps we should-"
The sound of a sharp smack resonated throughout the air.
Their eyes widened, their breath leaving them, in horror at the sight of Muichiro's lifted hand and the child's head swiping unexpectedly to the side. A painful muffled grunt fell from his lips and his body toppled carelessly to the ground. Their anger flared at the Hashira grabbing the incapacitated boy's shirt, his clothing crinkling underneath his strong grip, and lifting his limp body into the air.
"Stop it!" Kagami and Tanjiro screamed rushing out from the darkness and into the light.
Tanjiro's hand clapped tightly around the Hashira's wrist. He demanded angrily, "What do you think you're doing? Take your hands off him!"
Kagami couldn't help but get a sense of deja vu staring at Muichiro dangling the boy's limp body. This moment reminded her exactly of Inosuke stepping on top of Teruko without a care back in the Tsuzumi Mansion during their battle against the Tsuzumi Demon, former lower rank 6. Muichiro's careless slap to the boy resurfaced old disgust she felt toward Inosuke, but she swallowed it. She did not want to think of that boar-headed freak. Not after what he's said or done back at the Butterfly Mansion!
"You shouldn't treat children like that!" She added stepping up beside Tanjiro and whipping out her hand in a final swipe.
An emotionless void still occupied his eyes, the white glint nonexistent, when he lazily flicked them to the pair standing defiantly up in front of him. "Your voices are annoying. Who are you?" He asked coolly.
"How could you treat children like that? Take your hands off-" Tanjiro continued to speak as if never hearing him but faltered.
His voice was caught at the back of his throat when he dropped his troubled gaze to the hand still clamped around Muchirio. Whereas muscles and veins bulged from beneath the thick layer of skin of the death-like grip that had broken Genya's arm a near year ago, the Hashira did not budge. Not even slightly. There was no crack or snapping of bone, nor the existent of pain and agony on his face. Just the stoicness he adopted and continued to do since their arrival.
It startled Kagami. The boy was smaller than them in both height and width. She could see even under those baggy robes of his, his arms were thinner than hers but she didn't doubt the muscled body he must've toned heavily over the years. She gulped a lump.
"You take your hands off me," Muichiro said without ever raising or lowering his voice. Unexpectedly, he rammed his elbow into Tanjiro's stomach.
Spit gagged out of her friend's mouth. His hand was instantly off the Hashira. His body wheezed for air as he collapsed to his knees clutching painfully at his abdomen. She fell beside him in worry watching and hearing him choking on his own saliva.
Muichiro gazed at them without any emotion, not showing any sympathy for what he had done. "You're quite weak, you know. It's a wonder you got into the Demon Slayer Corps."
Kagami growled at him and even harder when his gaze shifted to the box Tanjiro carried.
"I'm getting a strange vibe from that box. A demon's presence, perhaps?" He mumbled to himself, his eyes widening ever so slightly. He reached a hand out. "What's inside? That box there?"
Kagami slapped his hand away and stood protectively in front of Tanjiro. Her fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her calloused palms. Jaw set, teeth grinding against each other, she commanded loudly, not caring if he was a Hashira or not, "Don't you dare lay a finger on it!" She sounded more animalistic than anything, but she would never allow anyone to hurt Nezuko.
Muichiro stared at his hand as if some mysterious creature that hadn't been identified in books of science bit him. He glanced down at the empty red shirt in his other grip. His gaze didn't change, no frustration or amusement graced his features, when he noticed the small boy now behind Kagami and in Tanjiro's arms. Streaks of angry glitter caressed his cheeks. His eyes weren't on Tanjiro tending to his wounds but past the pair staring hatefully toward the Hashira.
"Are you all right?" Tanjiro's rasped voice sounded behind her.
"L-Let go of me!"
"You must be dizzy. That's dangerous!"
"Get out of here!" The boy shoved himself out of Tanjiro's arms despite his pleas to help and turned away from all three. "I'm not... I'm not giving that key to anyone! Not even if you torture me! No way! One more time, and they're going to break down!" He cried staring up at the two figures Kagami had believed to be human at first.
The more she looked at it, the more she realized they weren't human at all. The red-haired swordsman and the orange-haired woman were nothing more than lifelike marionettes. The swordsman carried 6 arms, the two extra pairs protruding from the side of his abdomen going down, and each carried a steel blade identical to that of Nichirin swords. Or, they may have been. Half of his face was cracked and shattered, his left mechanical eyeball surrounded by nothing but darkness. The orange-haired woman missed pieces of her legs and arms, her fingernails were sharp and resembled claws, and her eyeballs, or what was left of them, were slits. Not that of a demon but more like a cat's. Parts of her skin made of pale wood glittered red. It was intriguing.
"Have you ever been through torture training?"
All three turned with a start at the sudden grim question Muichiro asked. He stepped forward, looking and sounding like a marionette himself, continuing, "Even most grown-ups can't take it. You'd never last. I can see that you're stupid beyond belief." His hurtful words brought more tears to the boy's eyes. "So what if it breaks down? Just make another one. How many people do you think will perish while you drone on and on about trivial matters?"
Unexpectedly, a shadow crossed the top half of his face. His blank eyes looked menacing in its darkness as he peered down his nose at them. "That's what it means to obstruct a Hashira in his duty. A Hashira's time is worth far more than time spent by you people. If you just think a little, you'll eventually get that, won't you? Swordsmiths can't fight. You can't save lives. Because making weapons is all you're good for." Then he held out his hand once again. "Come on. The key. Remember your place whenever you take action. Since you're not a baby anymore."
Tanjiro's hand went flying through the air, his appendage chopping the air in half with a harsh wheeze of the breeze, and smacked it against the Hashira's The sound of their hands clapping made Kagami and the kid exchange confused glances.
Muichiro once again gave his hand a blank but curious stare. "What are you doing?" He asked unfazed.
Tanjiro's body twitched. She didn't know whether from anger, frustration, or pure confusion as he raised his clawed hands and wiggling fingers near his head, scowling, "I just... I don't know why, but... I can't stand you! What is it? Tact, maybe? You have no tact, and you're cruel!"
"You think this is cruel? You..."
Kagami shoved herself forward and placed a hand against her chest. She hardened her face and stood tall staring him down. "The way you've worded it was cruel! What you're saying is mostly true, and it's more than likely not wrong! But you cannot deny that being a swordsmith is an important job too! Just as important as being a swordsman. Without them, we wouldn't have the essential tools to slay demons. We would be completely at the mercy of those monsters! Without them... we would all be dead!"
"Swordsmiths have amazing skills that are totally different than ours! Without those skills, we couldn't do anything, could we? The fact is, swordsmen and swordsmiths need each other! We're all fighting the same battle!" Tanjiro continued for her, both rising higher and higher with each passing word of confidence shifting through the wind. "Day in and day out, each in our own way, we're fighting-"
"Sorry... but I don't have time to stand here listening to your boring speech."
Kagami and Tanjiro sputtered an endless stream of incoherent noises that resembled embarrassment and frustration at Muichiro's bored tone. So much so they didn't notice the Hashira's lifted hand smacking them into unconsciousness.
Darkness welcomed inside in her head and vision uninvited. Though she registered the hard hit and the throbbing sensation at her cheekbone, it all felt like a moment had barely passed. The moment pitch black had suffocated her, familiar voices tried to shoo away the shadows tugging at the corner of her eyelids waving in the sunlight making a horizon in the far distance. At first, she wondered who they had been, the heaviness of her eyelids taking most of her concentration.
"What should I do? Can I carry them down by myself?"
"D-Do you think they're okay?"
"I'll carry them. As long as they don't come to soon."
"As if I'd trust you carrying two muscular adolescents down without dropping one, or both, of them on the way. Why must they be unconscious? I don't understand why you can't just admit to the boy you-"
"Their eyelids are twitching! They're about to wake up!"
It was the truth. The muffled voices of children, a man, and a woman penetrating her head became clearer with every passing second she tried to pry her eyes opened. Her eyelashes felt glued to her skin and her body rejected the idea of waking. She didn't listen to it, she kept on trying!
"And? Let's wait for-Hey!"
At the sound of running footsteps becoming softer and softer in the distance, she swiftly sat up on her rear as if she'd never been knocked out. No one but the scrunched-faced Tanjiro and the boy from earlier sat on either side of her. She almost didn't notice them, but there was another child roughly the same age and height of the boy. She shakily poked her masked face out from behind his shoulder, the pink tearful hyottoko mimicking the sniffles and soft whimpers that came from her mouth hidden beneath.
The boy, sweating in relief, held his hands out apprehensively. "Uh... Are you okay? You shouldn't sit up so fast."
"Was Mr. Haganezuka here?" Tanjiro asked, nearly demanded, of him.
"Huh?!"
"Was he here just now?"
"And Watanabe! I swore I heard her voice as well!" Kagami added raising a hand straight in the air as if she were in a classroom taking attendance.
The boy's sweats of relief turned to one of nervousness. He and the girl exchanged glances only they could understand and turned away from the pair. Chuckles of anxiousness spewed from the boy as he tried to ever so casually place his arms behind his head, speaking, almost sputtering, "No, they weren't here! Pew pew!" His mimics of whistles didn't fall on deaf ears.
Tanjiro stared into the sky with an expression of sadness. "I see. So I was just imagining things."
"But what happened to the key and Muichiro?" Kagami asked placing her eyes back on the boy. Then she glanced at the small girl behind him. She gave her a kind grin. "Who is this?" She asked gently trying to peer around his shoulder.
The girl whimpered and hid further behind him.
"She's my cousin," The boy answered bluntly and simply, almost protectively as he took a step to the side to shield her even more. The girl's head slowly reappeared, hands no longer shaking and head tilted in curiosity. He then spoke, "I handed over the key, so he took off."
Neither Kagami or Tanjiro felt frustration with either person. They simply sighed, with Kagami speaking in a regretful tone, rubbing the sore spot on her cheekbone softly, "So that's what you did. We understand you didn't seem to have a choice. Since we don't know the situation, we shouldn't be making a fuss about it. In the end, it's your choice and we won't interfere with what you decided."
The girl gasped and rushed out from his side, exclaiming, "Please don't say that! He was a stranger but you stood up for him. Thank you very much!"
She bowed deeply and the boy bowed along with her, gratefully.
"You saw everything? Where were you hiding?" Tanjiro asked with a genuine smile that could make all girls' breath fade away.
The girl bashfully turned to the ground under his sweet gaze, toeing it shyly, answering in a soft voice, "I, um, was hiding behind that tree. I had gone back to the village to deliver something and when I came back I saw that guy bullying him. I didn't know what to do except hide. I... should've done something but I was too afraid to do anything." She started to shake again and Kagami could hear the choked sobs as clear droplets fell from beneath the mask. Her small fists balled on her lap.
"Stop crying. I told you it was okay already. Even if you had come out, I would've taken the beating in your stead," The boy said firmly pounding a heavy fist into his chest. The girl wiped away her tears and nodded her head.
Though they were cousins, they acted much like Tanjiro and Nezuko. Siblings rather than distant relatives. He was sweet enough on her even as she cried from the arduous ordeal of watching him be assaulted by someone who was supposed to protect them. By someone who was supposed to be a role model for the younger generation to pick up a sword and fight against the monsters trying to eradicate humanity. Though, she had another sense of deja vu. It wasn't the first time she thought lowly of Hashira and been wrong. By the end of the mission, she had gained a brother. And she would always have two in her heart.
"Where's that man or whatever who was standing here? That woman, too," Tanjiro asked breaking her away from her thoughts.
She followed his gaze and found two human-size boxes laying opened nearby.
"Those were mechanical dolls."
"Mechanical dolls?"
The girl nodded her head. Her tears had stopped but her voice shook when she explained, laying a gentle hand on the boy shaking with fury and shame, "That guy just took them away with him. He needed the key to make the dolls move."
"I'm sorry. It's clear they meant a great deal to you," Kagami said gently.
The boy could barely extend a nod.
"But what would a Hashira want with it?" Tanjiro asked curiously.
"They're special. Those Mechanical Dolls can overpower a human, and they're capable of 108 moves. They can be used to train for combat," The boy started to explain as Kagami read the hiragana inscribed on the covers. YORIICHI TYPE ZERO and AYANE TYPE ZERO. She wondered if those were the names. His head fell further down his chest. "But... now they're..."
CLANG!
An awful sound that resembled steel against steel pierced through the air. It was loud enough to grab all of their attention. They flinched at the harshness and whip their heads in the direction it came from.
"What was that?" Tanjiro gulped, startled.
The girl's hand clenched around the boy's sleeve. "That guy... He must've started training already!" She cried.
The boy jumped to his feet and started to race frantically toward the sound. Kagami, Tanjiro, and the girl could only chase after him. After rushing through the trees, they came upon a clearing and watched a scene unfold before them. The Hashira was training with the Mechanical Dolls as the girl said he'd be. But, as much as the Hashira ticked her off, and made her wish she'd hit him before he hit her, she couldn't help but think of his movements as graceful. Beautiful, in fact. And wished she could move as he.
He'd charged for Yoriichi Type Zero with sword poised at his side. All six arms of the doll were spread out in multiple different angles; one would be raised high toward the sky, the other arched downward on the offensive, another held out in front on the defensive, the next pointed behind to prevent any ambushes or fast actions the eye couldn't keep up with, and the last two poised at its side ready to go on either or. Just as the doll swiped a blade through the air, a hiss echoed at the lack of contact. The doll fell for the feigned attack. The Hashira had twirled in the air to the other side of it. The blade arched high swiped downward but the Hashira only ducked. Their blades clashed before he was forced to jump and twirl backward in retreat at the sudden new blade bearing down on him.
Kagami watched in complete awe. Every single movement he made was not without strategy or tact. Each graceful movement, each agile jump and twirl he made, his delicate feet planting soft and light on the ground with little to no noise at all, not even the dirt kicking up from where he landed for less than a second, kept her eyes on him but not solely him.
He took his chances against the woman and only then did she notice 2 pairs of red leathery yet glittering wings stretched out from her back. Her shoes had been removed to reveal not human feet but scales and talons in place of it. Razor-sharp teeth, or what had been left of them, bared at him. Left, right, left, her claws swiped viciously at his person. There were a shiny glints on her claws and she knew it wasn't just for show. Yet he dodged them all, twirling right, left, right, he made a move to slash-but stopped midway. The wings at her back stretched forward fast and nearly clipped his shoulders with the sharp horns hooked at their highest joint.
Then, she watched him take both on simultaneously. Blades, claws, wings, and spikes jutting for him from all direction. Each warrior was swift with no resignation to attacking. Blade after claw after blade after talon made for him in quick succession leaving no breathing room at all. Leaving no opening for attacks. They moved from front to side to back to front again keeping him from going further than an arm's length away.
It wasn't the elegant and refined dance he's practiced so many times before that had her mouth open in awe. It was the fact the dolls, each one, were able to keep with the Hashira. No-the fact they were able to push him back and keep him from striking.
"Wow!" Kagami and Tanjiro released a surprised breath.
The boy looked rather proud at the dolls' ability to keep pace with the Hashira, explaining, "Those are the Mechanical Dolls built by my ancestors. Yoriichi and Ayane Type Zero."
Kagami and Tanjiro watched the fight a while longer, eyes captivated, before tearing themselves away. "But why does he have six arms?" He soon asked.
"And she wings, talons, and claws?" Kagami asked with the small point of her finger.
The girl stepped up this time, speaking on his behalf, "According to my uncle, the dolls were modeled based on actual people. The swordsman's moves couldn't be replicated unless they gave it six arms. With the woman... She seemed more like a folklore than anything else. There had been no explanation as to why she was created resembling a lizard. In fact, many doubt she existed at all."
It was strange but... Kagami had a feeling she met them somewhere. Saw them somewhere. It had been faint but insistent. It tugged at the innards of her mind relentlessly, like a word at the tip of her tongue but couldn't identify no matter how hard she tried.
It bothered Tanjiro a lot more than it did her. He turned swiftly to the children asking, almost breathless, "That swordsman... Who was he? What did he do and where?"
The boy held up a regrettable hand. "Uh, sorry, but I don't know too much about him, either. Since he was from the Sengoku Period, along with her."
Their mouths dropped open in sheer shock at the revelation. "But that's more than 300 years ago!" They gasped, mouths still hanging open.
"That's what I've been told."
"It's incredible the dolls never broken down from then until now," Kagami commented.
The boy didn't seem to share the same feelings as them. He had looked proud at the fact but his tone didn't share any of it when he explained, "The technology's so mind-blowing, we can't catch up to it today. If it were to break down, there'd be no fixing them." His voice suddenly shook and faded. His head once again hung low with his shoulders shaking just slightly. "My father passed away suddenly, and I have no brothers or sisters. I'm the one who's supposed to step up now, but since I'm no good with swords or Mechanical Dolls..."
Kagami held more sympathy for him than anyone could ever know. She understood his pain all too well. Every word he spoke, it sounded more and more like the life she had before she became a Demon Slayer. Before she met Tanjiro and Nezuko. The sudden passing of her father and the lack of siblings, believing she was a useless swordsman who still needed more and adequate training, left her feeling miserable. She had been left all alone to fend for herself in the world she was forced to hide from. A world she was forced to embrace with little to no knowledge of it. It caused a lump to grow in her throat.
Tanjiro regarded him with a pitying look. "Right. I get it now."
Even in the midst of their conversation, the clanging of swords never ceased. Hashira and dolls performed a dance she could barely keep up with. Muichiro was incredible. In many instances, on a switch of events the dolls were forced to rear and lean back to avoid a deadly slice. It was still an absurd idea to know he was around their age and a Hashira. It wasn't an opinion but a fact when she stated, "He's so talented."
"Well, what did you expect?"
A cheery, feminine, and rather high-pitch, voice suddenly spoke up from beside them.
"After all, he's a descendant of the wielder of the Sun Breathing Technique!" Their heads creaked to the side to see a Kasugai crow with abnormally round eyes and long eyelashes stare up at them. "That boy is a prodigy! He's in a different league than the likes of you." She laughed haughtily placing a wing against her mouth to hide the smirk.
"Oh yeah?! Say that again! I'll catch you and cook you to be my dinner!" Kagami screamed angrily, taking a determined step forward only to be held back by a frazzled Tanjiro.
"You wouldn't dare touch me! I'm a Hashira's Kasugai's crow!"
"Don't tempt me any further! I'll deep fry you to a crisp just like the Americans would!"
"Please, calm down!" Tanjiro begged hooking his arms under her armpits and hefting her back nearly off her feet. She only growled in response at the bird who seemed to be growling back as intense. "I take it your Tokito's crow? The First Breathing Style, Sun Breathing? So he's really that amazing," He continued to speak in between concentrated grunts with his squiggling captive.
The crow only let out another haughty laugh.
Kagami pushed herself out of his grasp, not promising to not attack it again with the glare in Tanjiro's eyes, and crossed her arms. "But that's not Sun Breathing that he's using now, is it? It makes him less impressive considering I know a swordsman who can actually wield Sun Breathing." She tried to sound cool and collected but let a smug smile spread her lips.
The crow had it.
It lurched forward and clamped down harshly on Kagami's hair. Pulling and pulling with the intent to pull every strand out of her skull, Kagami trying to swat it out of the air without caring it belonged to a Hashira or not, the bird screeched harshly, "You shut your mouth, or I'll gouge out your eyes!"
"Not if I gouge yours first-!" Kagami threatened back but gasped.
Her eyes burning with stars traced the dolls faces. It had been a mere flash, a blink and miss it opportunity, but she saw it perfectly clear. The man with the red-wavy hair and the woman of luminescent orange, they were there in her dream. She saw them, there were there before she woke up from her months-long coma. She exclaimed through the agonizing cries rising in her throat., "My dream! I saw their faces in a dream!"
The crow let go of her hair and perched itself on her head. She poked her harshly with her beak, scoffing with an eye-roll, "Huh?! Are you an idiot or what? Have you been to this village before?"
"No, Kagami is right! I saw their faces in my dream as well!" Tanjiro started to speak up in a plead to make her seem not crazy. But it still sounded insane. Two people having the same dream at the same moment before they woke up? Did it have something to do with the pact created between their ancestors of Sun Breathing and Dragon Breathing?
"That's so preposterous, you make me laugh!" The crow continue to berate them no matter how much what they spoke rang true. This time, Kagami wasn't the only one starting to feel especially annoyed by the crow's voice. Even the boy and girl started to sweat through their masks staring up at their glowering eyes. "You mean you've met a couple of warriors from the Sengoku Period? How old are you exactly? Huh!"
Kagami rolled up her sleeves and attempted to catch the flailing crow. "I'm going to laugh stuffing your fried wing into my mouth!"
Instead of being as angry as her, Tanjiro hunched his head and shoulders forward, groaning under his breath, "There's something wrong with me, right?" She could only stare in him defeat.
The boy and girl quickly raced up, shouting, "No, no!"
Kagami, Tanjiro, and the crow froze at those words. The girl placed a finger to her chin, her demeanor revealing the thoughtful look spreading beneath her mask. "It has to be an inherited memory. The people of our village talk about it all the time. It isn't just your physical form that gets passed on. Living creatures pass on their memories, too. What you saw in your dreams must've been your ancestors' memories!" She sounded rather excited and added a small jump for good measure.
"Preposterous! Preposterous!"
They ignored the hateful crow, letting Tanjiro tearfully speak in near relief, "That's so kind of you! Thanks!"
"Huh!"
"I'm Tanjiro. This is Kagami. What's your name?"
The boy answered, "I'm Kotetsu. My cousin is Saena." The girl bowed her head in recognition. "Don't pay any attention to that mean female crow." The crow screeched in disapproval at that-but it was caught off by the unexpected sound of wood snapping.
They turned with a gasp-and their eyes went wide at the sight. Muichiro's sword finally made contact with Yoriichi Type Zero with an expert slash down the middle. Hundreds of wooden shards and splinters exploded upon impact trickling and sprinkling the ground in hues of red and brown. With another slash behind him to the warrior baring down on him, she watched Ayane Type Zero being dealt a near fatal blow. The doll's chest nearly caved open, wood falling to the ground in pieces, and a wing nearly snapped off its hinges.
Even above the sound of it all, she could perfectly hear Saena's whimpers, her hands fleeing to her mouth, but the growls that left Kotetsu was what she heard the most. With his fists at his side, the corner of his mouth revealing his set jaw, he turned and ran without a backwards glance.
"Wait! Kotetsu!" All three called for him quickly following behind.
At first they ran. Then they walked when they lost sight of him. They called his name, hands cupping the sides of their mouth, hoping he'd make an appearance. Or at least some sort of sign he was nearby. But he never gave one. Kagami was honestly just happy to get away from that smug crow speaking praise of Muichiro and terribly of everyone else.
Kagami braced her hands against her hips. "Kotetsu, if you don't come out, the wind will tell me where you are. Even if it is tainted with a horrible stench."
"I've got a great sense of smell. Even if it's not in good shape right now," Tanjiro contributed taking a whiff.
Tanjiro walked a few paces away, the sound of his sniffing following, with Kagami lifting her head to the sky. The wind pushed toward Tanjiro with a heavy lift toward the atmosphere. In unison, their heads peered upward to the thick bushes of leaves and branches blocking out the sun to see Kotetsu huddling close to the stem of a tree. He sat up high face buried in the dark brown bark, hands bracing against it with his body turned away in shame.
"Kotetsu! What are you doing up there?!" Saena called for him worriedly.
"Could you have climbed any higher?" Tanjiro gently but not weakly chastised his cowering figure. When he received no response, he sighed, "If there's anything we can do, we'll help you out. You can't give up on your dolls! You have a future ahead of you!"
That finally drew a reaction. He lifted his face with a soft, "Huh?"
"Don't focus so much on what you can and can't do right now, Kotetsu. Focus on on getting better and stronger for your future self. Whether it be 10 or 20 years from now, you have to try hard. Then, someday, you'll be able to do what you can't do now! You'll look back and laugh at how much you've grown, and how much you despaired for nothing!" Kagami said trying to pour her emotions into the words she wished someone had told her three years ago.
Kotetsu didn't face them. With his mask half-lifted above his head yet still keeping his eyes shielded, she could perfectly see the droplets of salty tears staining his cheeks. "No, I won't!" He cried. "I don't need anyone to tell me that I'm a loser! It's all going to end with my generation! All because of me!"
When he turned to face them, he didn't expect to see the blank-faced Kagami and Tanjiro hanging by one hand on the branch right beside his head with the latter's hand outstretched, middle finger held down by his thumb. With a strong flick, his middle finger smacked into the boy's face earning a painful, "Ouch!"
"You can't give up and stop caring. I wish you wouldn't talk about yourself that way," Tanjiro said with the shake of his head.
Saena's head whipped side to side, eyes wide. Kagami knew she was wondering how and when the two were able to move so quick, and without making a sound at that! It's just one of the many things a swordsman can do.
"Tanjiro is right. Even if you can't do it yourself, there's always someone who will carry on for you. You have to do what you can so that it gets passed on. Even if it's beyond you, maybe your kids or grandkids might find a way, right? Not all hope is lost, we promise," Kagami said with bright reassurance.
Tanjiro donned a darkened look. "I want to defeat Muzan Kibutsuji. I want to save my sister, who's been turned into a demon. But I might die before I can fulfill my goals. I won't let that happen. If I die, my sister may not ever turn back human. If I die, the ancestral contract will pass on and my best friend will die alongside me." Kagami solemnly dropped her head. "By chance I do not find a solution before then, I have faith that someone will surely finish the job for me. Just like we were able to beat an Upper Rank demon with the lives that were connected for us, someday, for sure, the lives we've connected will bring down Kibutsuji!"
Kagami did not doubt a single word he confidently spoke. She gazed into his hardened eyes, his reddened irises blazing. His face set with undeterrable determination. It was enough to chirp her up even more so. She had been the first to say she would be by his side when they finally face Kibutsuji, the promise still rung true and will continue to do so until her death, whether it be untimely by the hands of that demon or by the hands of her best friend.
All three clapped hands together. "Let's do our best together!" Kagami shouted earnestly.
The tears of shame turned into tears of strength on Kotetsu's face. The limp hand in their grasp tightened around theirs, shaky as it may be. "Okay." His voice trembled but held strong under its shaky foundation. "I didn't want to see the dolls break down, but my mind is made up now. The combat training should last until nightfall, so I'm going to brace myself and see it through. To the end."
Kagami was happy their words didn't fall on deaf ears. They all smiled happily at Kotetsu's resolve and climbed down the tree. Walking back towards the training area with small smiles, learning Kotetsu was 10 and Saena 9 years old, they didn't expect to see Muichiro striding thoughtlessly away with an object swinging carelessly at his side. So unexpected, they all turned with small gasps and raised eyebrows at the Hashira's casual and near lifeless gait.
"Y-You're done?" She couldn't help but stutter in sheer surprise alone.
He turned. Guiltless eyes landed on them. "I'm done. That was a good training session. Who are you again?" He said nonchalantly drawing a small scoff from Kagami. He then held up the object for them to see. Disbelief screamed out of them at the sight. "Oh right. My sword snapped, so I'll be taking this one with me."
In his hand was one of Yoriichi Type Zero's arms with its Nichirin sword still clasped in its grip.
A terrified sound choked out of Kotetsu. He took off running again but his aim was for the training field instead of the middle of nowhere. Saena rushed after him screaming his name. Before Kagami and Tanjiro could chase after them, a scabbard bumped against the front of their fore-heads. It landed in their outstretched palms, the sword with a golden rectangular guard with the same miniature shapes at each corner of the parallelogram still sheathed.
"Dispose of that for me," The Hashira ordered them and continued to walk back toward the village. Kagami was half-tempted to pull it out and thrust it after him in frustration alone. Though, she thought against it. It was broken, and wouldn't do much damage against him anyway.
Though what frustrated her even more was his lack of intent. Not a single ounce of malice was felt in any of the threats and low blow insults he threw at them. Even his strike against Kotetsu didn't hold any anger. Or any bloodlust. It felt as lifeless as his eyes. It was hard to hate him when all he did was act as nothing more than the marionettes he was fighting against. Though, he needed to fix his crow's condescending attitude toward her-toward them! She knew it was doing it just to spite her. One day she'll cook it up-and serve it to Inosuke!
Kagami growled at the thought of his name. Forget him! He rejected her feelings and shoved them back into her face without any remorse. To deal an extra low blow, he said he doesn't want her kisses and would rather leave on his missions without ever saying goodbye. He doesn't deserve the meal anyway. She'll serve it to Genya instead! He wouldn't know the difference between chicken and crow, right?
"Kotetsu!" Tanjiro gasped his name pulling her from her thoughts.
Thunderstorm brewed overhead and the rain pattered down heavily when they finally arrived, panting, to the training area. There, she saw Yoriichi's left carelessly in the mud. Even worse, he was left with his topmost left arm missing, cracks and jagged pieces of wood jutting from where it had snapped. More pieces of his face chipped off creating more serrated cracks across his face. His partner had her back against a tree, her left wing missing with multiple pieces of wood strewn across the ground. Nothing was left of her face except for her eyes and mouth. Her right leg was nothing but a stick missing its armor. Both dolls... were on the brink of destruction.
Kagami didn't know what were rain or tears seeing Kotetsu and Saena stand silently above his prized possessions, streams of water gliding down over and under his mask, dripping and soaking his body in its coldness. They silently joined him and seemed to have shared a moment of silence.
Tanjiro steadied a hand against his shoulder. "Let's make sure. See if they still work or not."
Kotetsu turned to them, as if wondering it were possible to have hope amidst the darkness and rain. They nodded their heads and two lifted Yoriichi and Ayane on their backs. Just high enough for Kotetsu to pull the back of the dolls' shirts down and reveal a wind-up embedded at their nape. He turned and turned the metal head, a clicking sound following with every twist, and did the same to the other. When it was done, they plopped the dolls on their feet and stood back.
Nothing happened for a few long minutes. It felt like an eternity watching and waiting for the dolls to make a small singular movement. To show any signs of life.
When all seemed lost, mechanical gears and the same sound of clicking could be heard erupting from within. They watched hopefully, breathlessly, at the dolls.
The dolls' heads dipped down sharply. All at once, Yoriichi's arms sprayed outward, swords shining and shimmering in the rainwater, ready for training. Ayane's claws bared themselves up high and her remaining wing spread from her back. Her white fangs looked menacing against the metal that shaped her face but cheers and wallops sounded excitedly from the group.
Kagami clapped her hands enthusiastically together, Saena giving a small jump in happiness, Tanjiro pumping a victorious fist in the air, cheering, "All right! It's working, Kotetsu!"
They expected the boy to cheer along with them, or at least heave a sigh of relief. But he did not share their feelings. He stayed silent and even dropped his head more at the ghastly sight of his ancestor's once beautiful creations. "Yes, it is," He started with surprising resolute she didn't expect him to have, "I want you to train with the dolls and become stronger than that indifferent little jerk, no matter what! And you will have my full support!" Lightning illuminated the veins bulging from his neck and the horrifying aura that erupted from his small body.
Kagami and Tanjiro sputtered incoherent noises. They could only stare at him in terror. D-Does he mean... right now?
Yoriichi and Ayane Type Zero charged toward their new selected targets. Woefully unprepared, the Demon Slayers' screams, a mixture of pain and torture they've never experienced before, penetrated the air and even rose above that of the thunder ravaging the darkened skies above.
The next day, even with the borrowed swords in their grasp they still felt they did not stand a chance against the dolls.
Yoriichi's swords were replaced with large wooden clubs. They gave him the appearance of a mutant neanderthal. Ayane's claws, talons, and hooks had been softened and tipped with large balls of cotton, making it seem she dipped her fingertips in white paint. The dolls weren't lethal, not at all, but Kagami felt she was going to die all the same. Muichiro made it look effortless with his graceful and beautiful twirls, the sharp swing of his sword, and the passing of attacks between all three. He held his own fairly easily but right then...
Kagami barely dodged at the ferocious slashes of Ayane's claws dipping down, left, right, upward, and down again, seeming almost random. When her feet twisted around themselves in the dirt, she stumbled backward on her rear but wasn't given time to recuperate. Ayane's cottoned talons came out to her side with a powerful whip that disrupted the wind. She screamed and laid herself flat on the ground, desperate hands covering her head. Her clothes ruffled and wrinkled, and the wind grazing her hair that had been forcefully torn from its ponytail. Tanjiro wasn't doing any better. The six arms moving various angles at terrifying speed pushed him to the ground. The wooden clubs poised to stab him. He rolled away, shrieking as he went, each club barely missing a graze to his body and creating dents into the ground, and stopped before Kotetsu and Saena's feet.
"I'm gonna die! Six arms is too much!" Tanjiro screamed up at the boy.
Kagami removed a violently shaking hand from her head and screamed, "Even two is still too much! What the hell am I supposed to do against wings?!"
"There are only five arms, and one wing. Since that jerk broke one of each off, it's less functional now!" Kotetsu scoffed as the dolls retook their position on the other end of the clearing and reset their stances. Saena could only watch them fearfully.
The two hesitated to lift themselves to their feet. They raised their swords in front of them standing far across from their respective doll. Their lungs wheezed for air. Their chests panted for breath. They had to utilize Total Concentration Breathing, Constant, in order to right it just slightly. Even though the training had started just a short while ago, the muscles in their arms and legs were straining to keep up with its grueling pace. But it didn't discourage them. Not one bit. They fixed their purposeful gaze on their opponents.
"Please become stronger! And this is what you're going to say to them... "Is that all you've got, you scumbag?"" Kotetsu growled. All three gave him immediate apprehensive looks.
The timid and frightened boy he had been, scared for the life of his dolls, was nonexistent. Only the thirst for revenge could be felt. ""Your hair's too long! Get a haircut, seaweed head! Pissant! You're ugly, and your legs are short! Commit harakiri! You shameless jerk!"" No hesitation could be heard. She knew those insults were not directed towards the dolls they were meant to be fighting, and she was not going to relay them to the person she knew he was talking about!
"Are you insane?!" She had screamed.
"That's going a little too far!" Tanjiro chastised him.
"Better to put his head on public display, you think?" Kotetsu casually, thoughtfully, asked them with the quirk of his head.
"No! We are not going to say those kinds of things!"
"You are going to say them!"
"No!"
"Please say them! Please!"
Kagami and Tanjiro had turned their heads away with a huff. To speak such things to a Hashira, as aloof and emotionless as he may be he wasn't moronic. She didn't doubt he knew what was an insult and will surely reprimand them, as painful as it could be, for speaking to their superior like that. Even if they are older. Kotetsu was out of his wits thinking they would blindly follow his command without a care for their life.
As Yoriichi and Ayane charged again, Kagami and Tanjiro switching opponents, she sucked in a painful breath and sidestepped a club aimed directly for her head.
As angry as it made her believe such a thing, she knew Muichiro was incredible. He was younger and smaller, yet moved like a ballerina. Like a dancer performing a complex choreography on a thin wire hanging yards above the safety of land. He had speed, grace, agility, and flexibility. No sound could be heard except for the clinking of swords as he moved. No sweat creased his brow training with both dolls simultaneously. Not a flicker of stress or frustration was seen on his expression or in his eyes. Calm, cool, collected. She almost envied his stoic personality.
Kagami furrowed her eyebrows and tightened the grip on her hilt. I mustn't lose faith. I will become stronger!
As she thought that, she deflected two wooden clubs from her person, sparks flying from the clash, and whipped her head away from another attack. She allowed herself a breath of victory. Small steps toward success were the way to go, but it made her complacent. A lesson she harshly learned as Yoriichi's club slammed into her abdomen, her breath painfully choked out of her, and sent her flying multiple feet away. She couldn't move an inch. Pins and needles spread from her core outward. Her lungs desperately begged for air, a gagging sensation rising in her throat, but her body prioritized numbing the pain. Even if she could breath, she kept sucking in the airless breath to alleviate... everything!
Kagami groaned at the shove in her shoulder. Groans, moans, and wheezing sounded beside her. Kagami lifted an eyelid and found herself shoulder to shoulder with Tanjiro. He clutched at his stomach, eyes shut tightly closed and mouth thinned into a straight line as his face reddened every passing second. She hadn't seen it but by the lifted stance of Ayane's leg and outstretched wing, he had been bested by those fiery moves.
"Tanjiro! Kagami! Are you all right?" Saena gasped kneeling beside them worriedly.
"If that's enough to kill you, you're pathetic! Keep working at it! I'm going to say it one more time! Look at me!" Kotetsu's unapologetic tone came through afterwards. When they forced themselves on their knees, heads swaying, he added, "You're moving out of habit, all right? You're not deciding how to move after observing your opponent's moves. That's why you're no good! Do you understand? In other words, you don't have the basics down! I'm really amazed you've managed to survive this long in the Demon Slayer Corps! You're cutting it close with everything you do! Well, I'm here to denounce your every weak point backward and forward! I'm not giving you any food until you can do everything I tell you to!"
The... feeling of misery, of inadequacy, she hadn't felt in years wormed itself back in. It coiled around her chest, heart, and soul and tightened itself to the point she was in tears. They both were, especially at the prospect of no meals considering they trained all night with no dinner and continued into the morning with no breakfast! She could only wonder what they served, and whether Genya had any. The thought made her cry.
Each defeat they encountered by their respective dolls they switched opponents. Which happened to be every other second.
Clubs to the face, head, stomach, leg, and arms were more painful after the other. Slashes from claws, talons, and hooks seemed to be cutting deeper and deeper even with the cotton stubs. They'd slide, slam, or be kicked to the ground creating crevices, dents, and spider-web cracks. Bruises and bloody lines adorned their bodies, dirt and mud crusted their uniforms and hair, and exhaustion and agonizing pain weighed heavily on them. But what destroyed them the most was the lack of meals. Kotetsu even removed their water privileges! It had been Day Five, and she felt she was running on fumes!
Every step of the way, Kotetsu didn't hesitate to remind them how pathetic they were, never hesitated to call out their "epic fails", how slow they were, and how if the dolls were equipped with their weapons they would be killed in an instant. Saena took pity in the very beginning, almost successfully delivering water to them at one point, but she was caught and banned from the arena. But it didn't stop her hiding behind a tree watching from afar.
"Starting tomorrow, I'm going to arm the doll with swords, and taking off the protective cotton!" Kotetsu threatened.
Kagami and Tanjiro whimpered at the thought and nearly broke down in tears again. Except the floodgates burst, snot and tears running down their battened faces, when Kotetsu declared no meals again.
Kotetsu was highly analytical. His tips weren't mere lucky guesses or estimations. He could see every small detail of bad habit they've honed and used in past battles, but as a swordsmanship instructor, he was a total amateur! He did not understand the limitations of the human body, of a human life, which made the sessions brutal! So tyrannical! All she wanted was an hour of sleep, some bread, and a sip of water, but he wouldn't allow it! Not until they met each of his demands! She knew it, she was going to die without ever getting her first kiss or getting married! She's going to be killed by that insane child!
Somehow she was alive. Somehow, they both were. Except they were no longer human but walking corpses. By the third day, they were on the brink of death. The human body cannot withstand more than three days without water. They had been at their limit, and Kotetsu had no idea they were about to collapse from dehydration. He had kept his unclouded gaze on their stand-off with the dolls. It was pure tyranny born out of ignorance!
Though they had live to survive another three days thanks to cloudy rainfall. That night, they greedily, almost feral-like, drank the water pouring out of the sky with pure desperation. It was as if God answered their cries himself.
As the days went on, Ayane's claws and talons unsheathed, Yoriichi's swords back in his wooden mechanical grip, both sparkling menacingly in the sunlight, she found herself able to move faster, dodge the attacks quicker, with average to minimal amount of bloody lines on her body at the end of the day. Her sleeves had been ripped off, her pants nothing more than shorts, and the buttons of her chest flapping open and closed with each grueling movement she made.
Even with the performance improvement she saw in herself, in Tanjiro, the training sessions were ghastly. They still went without water, meals, or sleep. She felt disgusting. Her vision was hazy. Her eyes burned. Her muscles ached. Her stomach rumbled every other second begging, pleading, for anything, no longer caring it was edible or not. She did not know how she had the strength to continue swinging, deflecting, even holding up her sword-
Everything suddenly went white.
Kagami smiled. She was completely at peace. Nothing bothered her. There had been no ache in her shoulders nor in any part of her body. The world around her transformed into a green valley of grass with colorful flowers adorning it. A prism, a rainbow, spread out before her. Her feet took her down a path where other souls floated across the bridge toward the afterlife. Her time had come at last.
Except she tripped over her own feet, her vision still blurry and body stumbling from hunger, and fell into the river. It had been dark. She couldn't see anything in the water, but she felt hands guiding her toward its pitch black depths. There she noticed a small bright blue pearl. It shimmered in the water's reflection, bubbles slowing rising to the surface, as it called for her. Though there had been no wind, she felt its presence slide up and wrap itself around her lovingly. She reached out and softly grasped it.
The white light retreated itself and she suddenly found herself back in the real world. But a gasp left her throat. Ayane's claws were raised high, wing spread outward, but her movements were drastically slower. She could see every limb move in a specific direction she otherwise would've missed if moved in real time.
This sensation she was feeling, this sharp breeze that reminded her of electricity, caressed her arms and down her spine leaving a trail of goosebumps. It was unlike the winds of direction that guided her where and each single move steadied to attack. It had been at her side trying to help her discern which would hit first or which would be more lethal than the rest, but it couldn't keep up with the sheer swiftness the dolls moved at. It had been rendered useless.
But right then, she didn't need the winds of direction. The static waking every pore of her body awakened her.
Ayane's left claw, the neck. Her right claw, the chest. Her right wing, the right thigh. There was an opening in it's seemingly perfect defense. She could see it now!
Leaning back all the way, willing a muscle in her neck to not so much as twitch as the claws glided right over her skin, Kagami rushed forward, sword arched high. She twirled away from the wing jutting forward to stab into her leg and slashed down its chest! The momentum of her attack dropped her to the ground but Ayane stopped moving, stopped attacking, at the line marking itself in her chest.
"You got one strike in, both of you! Though it was so feeble, the dolls didn't even flinch!" Kotetsu called out to their groaning figures. Though, what awakened their feral side once again was the declaration, "I'm going to give you some food!"
Kagami and Tanjiro turned their heads, tears and snot reintroducing themselves, screaming and demanding at the top of their dry throat, "Rice balls and pickled plums!"
"I want tempura!"
"And I want high-quality gyokuro tea!"
Saena appeared instantly at their side with two jugs of water. "You can have this in the meantime-AH!" She started to speak but shrieked at the unexpected nothingness in her grip.
Kagami and Tanjiro didn't let her finish speaking. They snatched their jugs from her hands and chugged the water down as fast as they could. Rivers spilled down the corner of their mouths, their swallows loud and harsh, face scrunched in pure delight at the drink they would no longer take advantage of ever again!
Or the meal and tea spread out before them! Held on a purple blanket was a wooden platter with separate trays of three rice balls, a bowl of tempura, and a steaming kettle with two tea mugs. At first, their hands grasped their meal so fast and so hard their first rice ball nearly fell apart. Crumbs stained their mouth. They chewed fast and swallowed hard. They chugged their tea just as fast as they did their water, ignoring the burning sensation rushing down their throat but moaning at its sweet and supple taste. Saena did her best refilling the mugs to the brim right after each chug. Kotetsu just sat there and watched them eat greedily.
Then, they finally savored it. Tanjiro tearfully clutched his last two remaining rice balls in each hand and chewed slowly. Kagami's chopsticks wavered as she plucked a fried shrimp from her bowl and gently placed it onto her tongue. The soft crisp filled her mouth and gave her teeth purpose. They both cried into their meals harder with each bite and each swallow unashamed of their undignified posture. They were even allowed sleep for once!
The next day, they were rejuvenated. Kagami's spirits were lifted higher than ever. Her vision was clear. Her stomach no longer rumbled. The muscles in her arms and legs were sore but nothing more. Her courage rose with each dodge and deflect she was able to do against Ayane Type Zero, especially with her stamina back to where it was. The world no longer moved in slow motion but Ayane's movements that seemed random at first became clear. Her pattern nearly mimicked those of Yoriichi Type Zero but with a twist, utilizing her claws, talons, and wing instead of six arms and swords. She could tell where the doll's next strike was going to be!
Glare met a wooden smile. Kagami and Ayane charged for each other.
The vibration, the buzzing sensation raising goosebumps all across her arms, returned faster than the winds of direction could ever react. Her sword slashed upward reflecting both clawed hands striking her down and jumped high in the air. Upside down, she twisted around, ready to deal a devastating blow-
But she hesitated. It would break if she tried to swing with all her might. It was Kotetsu's most prized possession. He was ready to go toe-to-toe with a Hashira to protect his ancestor's dolls. The look on his face, though masked, was heartbreaking when he saw what had been done to it by Muichiro's hands. Even though he trained her with full intent of making her go against the Hashira in an impossible battle, Yoriichi and Ayane Type Zero were mighty opponents. Honorable opponents.
"Strike!"
Kagami gasped turning her eyes in the distance to Kotetsu steady on his feet. "I don't care if it breaks! I'll fix it, no matter what!"
At his powerful declaration, at that unfaltering and unflinching gaze of his, she fixed her slackened grip and growled. In just a few moves the battle was over. Ayane's claws barely grazed her cheek, the thin lines not even producing crimson red, and she slashed downwards. Ayane's wing off came splintering off into a thousand pieces of red glitter. Kagami's sword extended itself and the world spun sharply, body twirling as the ring of steel accompanied her.
She yelped landing on her stomach and nearly having the wind knocked out of her once again. Rolling over, she dropped her sword to the ground and clutched it. There she finally noticed her blade in two.
"Tanjiro! Kagami! Are you okay?" Kotetsu and Saena cried running for them.
Tanjiro clutched his rear with both hands in pain, Kagami her stomach, and painfully looked to the kids kneeling fearfully at their side. "S-Sorry... I broke the sword you lent me," The two groaned in between gritted teeth.
"Don't worry about that! It's okay!"
The sound of wood shattering broke them out of their thoughts, relieving them of their pain momentarily.
They turned their heads and screamed at the sight of Yoriichi and Ayane's heads falling to the ground in a thousand splinters. Their masks fell off revealing the mechanical gears beneath and bodies slumping lifelessly to the ground. They screamed harder terror coursing through them, all four clutched each other tightly, seeing something poke out from within the confines of the doll's necks!
Yet they broke apart when nothing else happened.
"What could that be?" Saena whimpered pointing a shaky finger.
In Yoriichi's neck, they could recognize the hilt of a blade and its circular black guard. In Ayane's, a pair of sharp, black, lobster pleated talons were dislodged within.
They were... They had to be weapons from 300 years ago. Weapons... used by the master swordsmen themselves!