Hey! Here's a new chapter!
I hope you all enjoyed the last one, not a lot of people had anything to say about it and I can only hope that's a good thing lol.
Sorry this one took so long, my grades had been dropping lately and my quarter 1 report card was not too good, so I got a little depressed.
Don't worry, I'm fine now! I had a chat with my parents and I think I'm on the right path to get my life together!
The support I get from both my family and my audience are what keep me going. Just keep reading my stories and I'll keep on pushing back against the world!
Before I begin, I just wanted to let you guys know that I've started a new story. If you're interested, I'd appreciate it if you'd check it out!
Anyways, I wanted to thank you all for almost 400 followers! FOUR FUCKING HUNDRED! Almost 400 people are enjoying my story! That thought is just...insane!
I can't say this enough, thank you so much!
This will be a Makomo-centric chapter as you may have guessed from the title drop last chapter.
First, Kanae, now Makomo, I be bringing people back from the dead, yo!
Anyway, I changed Makomo's story in this fanfic from canon. You see, Makomo actually died before the Sabito and the two never knew each other until death.
Here, Makomo is younger than Sabito and they actually grew up together. Sadly, Sabito still dies in Final Selection.
Also, Makomo's character overall will differ from her canon counterpart so potential slight OOC warning.
You see, in canon, Makomo acts sort of mysterious and speaks in an abstract and dreamy way. I assume this is the result of being dead for who knows how long and thus, gaining plenty of wisdom.
I believe that in life, Makomo was a kind, patient, innocent girl who cared very deeply about the people she loved, I try my best to translate that into this story.
I also based her off of her persona in the Kimetsu Academy manga, where she comes off as curious and hardly fazed by anything.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, it took me awhile and I'm proud of how it came out.
That's all, enjoy!
*I do not own Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba. The Anime/Manga belongs to Ufotable and its author, Koyoharu Gotouge.
"Tanjiro" = Talking
"Tanjiro" = Thinking
Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV
Japan - Middle Alignment = Location
"Tanjiro" = Flashback
Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect
Water Breathing = Breathing technique/Blood Demon Art
Sakonji Urokodaki
A Village in Western Tokyo
"What a travesty..."
The Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki, walked through the bloody streets of the village.
He had just battled and killed the current Lower Rank 2 Demon, it was an intense battle...way more intense than it should've been.
Urokodaki was a Hashira, the highest rank in the Demon Slayer Corps which was attained through one of two ways. Defeat one of the Twelve Kizuki or reach Kinoe status and kill fifty demons, this man had done the former.
He had killed plenty of Lower Ranks in his many years of service, each one seemed easier to defeat than the last.
However, he found himself getting winded much more often and needing to take a breather. He had also begun to feel great strain on his body.
It didn't help that the demon was quite strong and had an impressive Blood Demon Art. It might've reached Upper Rank status had it not been unfortunate enough to run into a seasoned Hashira.
Their battle resulted and tons of collateral damage as well as the deaths of many innocent people whom a majority of, if not all, surely did not deserve their cruel fate.
The slowly aging man had no one to blame but himself. No matter how strong that demon was, it was an infant compared to the beasts Urokodaki faced in his youth and he would've destroyed that bastard in his prime, that he was sure of.
"This...This must be a sign. My age is finally starting to catch up with me."
No matter how much he wanted to deny it, he could do so no longer. He was an old man. His hair had started to grey about a year ago, the wrinkles appeared less than a decade ago, and certain tasks and techniques became harder to pull off at their maximum strength.
He definitely wasn't going senile and he doubt he would any time soon, his body was still in shape, he should still have plenty of time, at least two or more decades.
"I'm afraid it might be time for me to retire, give up the seat of Water Hashira..."
"The problem is...I have no successor."
Over the past few decades, Urokodaki had gone through many tsuguko. They were all promising and showed great potential...yet, not a single of one of them made it past Final Selection...
Not only did this put a dent in the old man's retirement plan, it also broke his heart more times than he'd care to admit. He was attached to each and every one of his students and had even raised some of them as his own
He had recently taken on a new pupil, however. Giyu Tomioka, a seven-year-old orphan boy who recently lost his older sister to a demon.
Urokodaki took the boy in, hesitantly agreeing to his request to be his trainer. He needed a successor, but he didn't need more heartache if the boy never made it home from Final Selection.
Urokodaki pushed away that thought as he came upon the dozens of dead bodies. He was saddened by the frozen looks of shock and despair on their faces.
Sniff, Sniff.
Urokodaki picked up two new scents, both human, one little boy, one infant girl. The scent was coming from up ahead, Urokodaki towards the direction of the scent.
"Wahhh!"
He soon found the kids giving off the scent. The boy, who had thick, spiked, peach-colored hair, gentle looking lavender eyes, and a large cut on his right cheek, held a crying baby with short black hair wrapped in a white blanket in his arms.
The boy noticed the Water Hashira and limped over to him, that's when Urokodaki saw the blood on his left leg.
"Help...us..." The boy said, Urokodaki made his way to the two young ones and got down on one knee.
"It's alright, you're safe now. Do you know where your parents are?" He asked.
The boy looked down with tears beginning to fall. "They're dead...They got eaten by that monster..." He said bitterly.
Urokodaki nodded. "I am so sorry, if I had been here sooner, your family might not have died so tragically. I'll make sure you and your sister get help."
The boy shook his head before looking down at the crying baby in his arms. "She's not my sister, I found her in the arms of another dead woman. I think it was her mom..."
Urokodaki looked at the young girl as well. "I see. Well, either way, I'll make sure you're taken care of. I have to go look for more survivors. Stay put, I'll be back."
Urokodaki walked past the children before he felt a tug on the sleeve of his cloud-themed haori. He looked behind him and saw the peach-haired boy holding his sleeve.
He looked down at the ground with gritted teeth. "I saw you fight that thing, you made it look so easy even though it was so strong..."
The boy looked up at the aging man with burning determination in his eyes. "Train me...I want to be strong too."
Urokodaki regarded the boy before he turned his body to face him, forcing the boy to let go of his sleeve.
"If you're going to train under me, much suffering and pain await you. You will be transformed not just in body but in mind as well. The next few years and beyond will be filled with hardship."
"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure that you want to join this long and endless fight? Are you sure you want to become a Demon Slayer?"
The boy stared at Urokodaki, the fire in his eyes never dimmed, not for a single second. "Yes..."
The two stared at each other, neither noticed that the baby girl stopped crying and looked at both of them with bright cyan eyes.
"What is your name, boy?"
"Sabito..."
"...And the girl?"
Sabito looked around the girl's blanket, looking for a name. He found it behind the girl's head.
"...Makomo."
Makomo suddenly started cooing happily at the sound of her name and reached out with tiny hands.
Urokodaki hid a smile on his face behind his tengu mask. "Sabito, Makomo...I will take care of you from now on."
Chapter 13 - The Tale of Makomo and Sabito
-Thirteen Years Later-
Mt. Sagiri
Makomo Urokodaki
Makomo opened her eyes to the familiar ceiling of her foster father's home, her home. She sat up and yawned, today was a big day, the day she left for Mt. Fujikasane, the location of Final Selection.
She got up and left her room in her pink flower-themed kimono. She found Urokodaki in the other room cooking soup over the fire with his back turned to her.
He turned his head to his adoptive daughter. "Good morning, Makomo."
Makomo smiled brightly at the elderly man. "Morning, Father." She replied.
"Makomo, I've told you a thousand times to address me as 'Master'." Urokodaki said.
"Come on, you know you like it!" Makomo teased. Urokodaki sighed in response. The two ate breakfast after that, chatting like they usually did.
-Later-
Makomo and Urokodaki stood outside the house. Makomo was dressed in her red yukata and sleeveless haori, her sword tied to her waist.
Makomo faced her teacher who looked down at her and held out something in his hand. "Take this."
In his hand was a warding mask, a white fox mask decorated with two blue flowers on the left side. Urokodaki gave a warding a mask to every student who ever took Final Selection.
Makomo took the mask and placed it on the top left side of her head. "Thank you...for everything." She said with a smile.
Urokodaki nodded. "If...when you come home, I will be here to welcome you and celebrate your passing Final Selection."
"I'll make you proud, Master. I promise." Makomo said with determination.
The tengu mask hid Urokodaki's smile. "You already have, Makomo. You already have. And I'm sure Sabito would be just as proud."
Makomo's smile became sadder as she remembered the boy she thought of as her older brother, the boy that died years ago.
Makomo and Urokodaki shared a quick hug before Makomo started walking down the path leading away from the mountain.
"I'm off now! Farewell!"
"Good luck! Be safe!"
Makomo looked back at her home one last time, smiling and waving at her father. Just in case that the last time she saw him again.
"I love you, dad!" She teased.
"HMM!" The old man grunted, Makomo giggled and began making her way down the path. Leaving a blushing former Hashira to put a hand over his heart.
"That's a low blow, Makomo..." He thought. "Please protect her...Sabito."
-Six Years Ago-
Night had come, Urokodaki awaited the return of his two pupils along with a seven-year old Makomo who laid down on her stomach kicking her feet at the floor.
Urokodaki began to worry, Final Selection had ended last night, he was certain of it. Yet, neither Giyu nor Sabito showed up.
"Giyu...Sabito...please be alright..." He pleaded inwardly.
"Father?" Urokodaki looked down at the young Makomo looking up at him with curious and wondrous eyes. "When are Big Brother Giyu and Big Brother Sabito coming?"
The old man gently patted the girl's head. "I'm sure they'll be here soon, Makomo. You must be patient."
Makomo pouted and started rolling across the floor. "But I'm bored...I want to go catch butterflies."
"Enough of your foolishness, Makomo. Sit up straight like a proper young lady." Urokodaki scolded the girl.
Makomo did as she was told with a mischievous grin. Urokodaki facepalmed his mask and groaned.
The girl was cute but way too energetic for her own good, the old man would kill to have her base stamina even if his own still surpassed hers thanks to Total Concentration Constant and many years of training.
That said, Makomo was rarely ever tired. Always wanting to play and explore. At five years old, she managed to escape the old man's sight, go up the mountain, and nearly get killed more times than he was willing to admit.
Sniff. Sniff.
"Hmm!" Urokodaki shot up to his feet, startling little Makomo who fell on her back.
Urokodaki went to the door and opened it, he saw a short figure in the distance. His eyes took a bit to adjust, but he already knew who that scent belonged to.
Urokodaki let out the biggest sigh of relief he'd ever let out in his entire life. "Giyu..."
The man ran to the thirteen-year old and hugged him tightly. "Thank goodness, I'm so glad you're safe."
He let go of Giyu and put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Makomo and I were worried sick. We..."
Urokodaki looked at Giyu and saw the absolute dread in his face. He then looked down at the bloody fox mask in his hand. His heart suddenly dropped into his stomach.
"Giyu...where's Sabito?"
Giyu said nothing, he simply looked up at Urokodaki with tears in his dark blue eyes. "I'm..."
"Giyu?"
Giyu jumped as he and Urokodaki looked at the house where Makomo stood in the doorway with squinted eyes before gasping with wide eyes and an even wider grin. "Giyu! You're back!"
Little Makomo ran up to Giyu and hugged his waist. She rested her chin on his belly and looked up at him with pure innocent eyes. "Where's Big Brother Sabito?"
Giyu looked at Makomo with heartbroken eyes before getting down on one knee and grabbing the girl's shoulders.
He broke down in tears. "Makomo...I'm so sorry! Sabito...he's gone!"
The lights in Makomo's eyes faded away. "Wha...?
Giyu pulled her into a hug and cried into her shoulder. "I'm sorry...! I'm so so sorry! He's not coming back! It's all my fault, please forgive me!"
Sadly, Giyu's pleas fell on deaf ears as little Makomo only heard a ringing noise that got louder and louder.
Urokodaki fell on his knees and stared into nothingness, he lowered his head in shame.
Sabito had been killed during Final Selection after saving every other applicant for on Mt. Fujikasane...
Sabito Urokodaki was no more...
Giyu Tomioka
Mt. Fujikasane
-Present-
The sun was about to set.
At the foot of the mountain, Giyu Tomioka stood against a tree, waiting to greet a certain somebody. He had just remembered the day he had to tell her that her brother wasn't coming home...
Huh, that sounded familiar.
The empty look in Makomo's eyes, Giyu had only just realized that it was the exact same look Nezuko had when he killed Tanjiro in front of her.
Two kind boys with little sisters that loved them...and Tomioka was responsible for both of their deaths.
Giyu sighed. "Great, as if I didn't feel shitty enough already..."
"That Tanjiro incident was months ago, you did nothing wrong. You saw a demon and killed it, doing otherwise would've meant betraying the Demon Slayer Corps. Get over it already, Tomioka..."
"...Like you got over Sabito?" Giyu found that his mind had somehow countered itself. Letting out another sigh, he heard quick, tiny footsteps heading his direction.
He looked in the direction of the noise and saw a young girl running towards the entrance to the mountain.
"Giyu!" Makomo waved to him, Giyu responded with a nod and a small smile. Makomo ran up to him and hugged his waist. "I can't believe you came to see me off!"
Giyu patted the girl's head. "Of course, I'd never miss a day as special as this."
Makomo Urokodaki, the adoptive daughter of Giyu's master, Sakonji Urokodaki. She and Sabito were orphaned in a demon attack about thirteen years ago and taken in by Urokodaki.
While he and Sabito got along and became close friends, he never really spent much time with little Makomo. It wasn't that he didn't like her, he simply wasn't good with communication.
That was until Sabito died...
Giyu and Makomo grieved together and the two grew closer than ever. She became one of the few people who ever saw him smile nowadays, the only other one being Shinobu and that's only because he secretly enjoys their teasing battles.
Though he'd never admit it to anyone, especially himself, he'd come to see Makomo as the little sister he never had.
He blamed himself for Sabito's death and unwittingly took over as the "older brother" in Makomo's life.
Makomo already liked him, so forming a bond wasn't exactly difficult. And yet, he still couldn't forgive himself for being so useless when Sabito died to that monstrous demon. He still had nightmares about it from time to time.
Giyu gently removed the girl's arms from his body and got down on one knee. "Makomo, you have to be careful."
Both Giyu and Makomo put on a serious look. "The trials you faced on Mt. Sagiri...they might as well be children's games compared to what you're about to face."
"You're fighting demons now, blood thirsty demons who want nothing more than to tear you apart and consume your corpse."
Surprisingly, Makomo seemed rather unfazed by that statement. The only reaction she gave was a slightly nervous look.
"...That demon who killed Sabito...there's a good chance it's still alive..."
Makomo became more tense at that statement, Giyu felt a hint of anger coming from the kind-hearted girl.
"I don't know what it looks like as I as knocked out at the time. If you manage to find that demon, don't do anything reckless. Run away if you have to."
"You're fast, faster than Sabito and I were back in our younger days. However, you're not quite as strong, but you can use your speed and momentum to make up for it."
"Don't lose yourself to emotion, make sure you remain calm and collected like you usually are. Understand?"
Makomo nodded. Giyu gave a small smile. "Good, you better get going now."
Giyu hugged the girl who hugged back. "Make sure you come back, you got that? I don't think I could take it if I lost you too. Same goes for Urokodaki."
"I promise." Makomo said. "I won't die, I've trained too hard and too long for that."
The two broke the hug and Giyu got on both feet. Makomo shot him a bright smile before running up the path that led to the top of the mountain.
"Makomo."
Makomo stopped and looked down the stared at Giyu who called out to her.
"I've created a new form a Water Breathing. I call it, Dead Calm. It's the ultimate defense technique." Giyu smirked. "Make it through Final Selection, and I might be willing to teach you."
Makomo's eyes brightened with child-like wonder as she grinned. "Yes!"
With that, Makomo ran up the mountain until she was out of sight. Giyu held his smile as long as he could before frowning with concern in his eyes.
"I believe in her, I'm sure she'll pass...But, I can't help but worry..."
Makomo
Makomo walked down the path of Mt. Fujikasane, wisteria trees decorated the path from both sides.
"Wow, I can't believe there are so many wisteria trees. They're not even in season yet." Makomo thought as she admired their beauty.
Eventually, she came upon a flight of stairs that went up to a torri (Type of gate in Japan). Makomo walked up the stairs and through the gate to find a large clearing where more swordsmen there to take the Final Selection.
All of them were either standing around or resting against nearby trees and boulders. None of them spoke to each other as they tried to focus.
Makomo walked around and observed each Demon Slayer candidate. Out of all of them, three stood out.
A young boy who had black hair fading to mint green staring at the clouds above with mint green eyes and a guy with bandages over his mouth and...a snake around his neck!?
Makomo's curiosity kicked into overdrive and she got closer to the snake man, her eyes sparkling.
The man noticed the girl creeping up on him and turned to reveal two different colored eyes, the right one being yellow and the left one turquoise.
He stared at Makomo who stared at the snake. "Can I help you...?" He asked, a bit annoyed but also seemed nervous.
"I like your snake!" Makomo exclaimed. The snake man blinked in response.
"Thanks..."
"Can I pet it!?"
"...No." The snake man then quickly walked away from a disappointed Makomo.
Makomo decided to try to talk with other people. She walked towards the young boy she saw earlier, who was still looking at the sky.
"Hey!" Makomo called out to the boy, but he made no response.
"Hello?" Makomo callled out again, no dice...
"Helloooo?" She then waved her hand in front of his face until he finally looked at her.
"Do you mind? I'm watching the clouds." The boy said before continuing his sightseeing. "That cloud...what does it remind me of?"
Makomo looked up and saw a cloud that looked slightly like a dragon. "That cloud? I'd say it looks like a dragon."
"Oh..." The boy responded. "What's a dragon?"
Makomo blinked at the boy. "You know, it's a mystical flying reptile-like creature."
"Oh..." The boy responded again. He looked at Makomo. "Do you mind? I'm watching the clouds."
Makomo was confused as the boy looked back up at the clouds. "That cloud looks like a dragon..."
...
...
...
...
"What's a dragon?" The boy looked at Makomo. "Who are you?"
Makomo, seriously weirded out, backed up as politely as possible before...
"Attention, everyone."
Everyone in the clearing turned their attention to the two girls who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They must've been related since they looked almost identical. One had white hair the other had black hair.
"Thank you all for coming to partake in this Final Selection." The two kids spoke in unison. "We will explain how the test will work.
The black-haired one spoke independently. "You may have noticed the wisteria blossoms planted all over this mountain."
"They are there to keep the demons brought here from escaping and hurting others. However, their protection ends here, so beware of demons."
The white-haired one spoke next. "During the exam, you will be required to spend seven nights on the demon infested mountain top."
"You must use your body, wits, and skills to survive the demons who reluctantly call this mountain their eternal home."
"If you can manage to survive all seven nights, you will be asked to gather here again. By that point, you will be official Demon Slayers."
The girls spoke in unison once again. "That is all, we wish you all good luck. May the Final Selection beg-."
"WAAAAAAIT!"
Everyone turned their head to the torii gate to see a girl with pink hair fading to green in a hakama run through and stop in front of the group.
She was bent over, panting heavily with her hands on her thighs. "I'm sorry...I'm late...I got totally...lost and I... I'm sorry!"
Though everyone seemed shocked by this sudden late entry, the girls at the front seemed unfazed. "Let the Final Selection begin."
Makomo ran through the forest, chasing down a demon who's made the mistake of underestimating her for her size.
The demon was make, wore a yellow yukata and had slits for eyes. He had cuts all over his body. He looked back and snarled at Makomo before stopping in his tracks.
"Fuck this! I'm done running!" He leaped at Makomo with his arms outstretched.
Makomo jumped over the demon with little effort before the demon caught itself and shoved his claws into the ground to push himself in the other direction.
He ran at Makomo who smiled gently. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The demon jumped into the air and prepared to smash Makomo's skull. "Die, you brat!"
Makomo also jumped towards the demon who was beginning to fall back down. She inhaled and prepared a technique, her body and sword twisting in a glowing fashion.
Total Concentration, Water Breathing: Fourth Form - Striking Tide
The demon soon found himself cut to pieces, his head long detached from his body before he even realized.
"She's...fast...!" The demon thought before his body began to disintegrate.
Makomo landed on the ground gracefully before turning towards her foe with the same gentle smile. "Farewell."
Meanwhile
The snake man was engaged in combat with multiple demons, all of them drooling like beasts.
The snake man wasted no time as he dodged their pathetic attacks. He inhaled and unleashed a technique with his modified, twisted blade. He curved his sword in multiple directions, aiming to decapitate every one of his attackers at once.
Total Concentration, Serpent Breathing: Fifth Form - Slithering Serpent
All the demons were decapitated quickly and the "snake man", Obanai Iguro, walked away from the fading corpses as if nothing happened.
"Hmph. I thought this test was supposed to be dangerous."
A forgetful boy looked up at the large demon standing in front of him, it was at least twice his size and wore nothing but blue pants, its eyes were completely red.
"Nowhere to run, little boy. Just stay right there, and I promise to make it quick." The demon smiled cruelly.
However, the boy simply tried to look past the demon's head. "Can you move, I can't see the stars."
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the demon blinked and the boy was gone.
"What the-!?" Was all the demon had time to say before the boy, who was below the demon, unleashed a quick slash at his neck and cut off the head.
Mist Breathing: Fourth Form - Shifting Flow Slash
As the boy, Tokito Muichiro, watched the large demon crumble, one thing went through his mind...
...
...
...
"...What am I doing here again?"
The pink-haired girl sat against a tree, tired from all the running. She sighed and moaned. "This place is so scary..."
The girl, Mitsuri Kanroji, slapped both of her cheeks twice. "Focus, Mitsuri! You have to be brave, you can't let Master Rengoku's training go to waste!"
"Well, well. Look what we have here."
"EEP!" Mitsuri jumped up and yelped, she unsheathed her sword and looked around for the source of the voice.
"A young girl with ugly pink hair wanders into my domain, lucky me!" A demon suddenly jumped down from the trees a few feet away.
"U-U-Ugly...!?" Mitsuri's mouth hung open at the unnecessary insult. While she was off guard, the demon ran towards her and tried to scratch out her eyes.
Mitsuri flipped over the demon and landed behind him, allowing her to get a better look at him.
The demon turned around to reveal four yellow slitted eyes and short dark green hair. He wore a red tunic and black shorts.
The demon charged at her again before she breathed in and unleashed a technique.
Flame Breathing: First Form - Unknowing Fire
Mitsuri charged at the demon and swung her sword at his neck, the blade met its target and the head was cut off.
Mitsuri passed the defeated demon and observed its fading body with wide eyes. "I...did it?"
A grin started to form on her face as she jumped into the air with joy. "I did it! Yes! All that training actually paid off! Whoo! In your face, idiot! Who's ugly now!?"
Rustle...
"YAH!" Mitsuri leaped away from the direction of the sudden noise. She turned to see a bush slightly moving with the breeze.
She let out a sigh of relief and chuckled. "It's just the wind...I need to get a hold of myself."
Mitsuri turned and again and prepared to charge forward, smiling as her confidence gained a slight boost. "Let's do this!"
Makomo
-Six Days Later-
Crash!
Makomo ran towards a loud noise, curious as to what could've caused it. She then heard someone screaming.
"I was just walking through the forest and suddenly I hear someone screaming for help. Is it a demon?"
Makomo got closer to the sounds as she came upon a clearing. A young swordsman with short black hair and a black hakama was seemingly running for his life and tripped over a rock.
After hitting the floor, he got on his back and stared in horror at the demon chasing him. Makomo stepped further to see what he was looking at...A decision she'd come to regret almost immediately.
There was indeed a demon chasing the guy, a giant green pile of arms and hands that nearly matched the tall trees in height.
At the top was the demon's head, its mouth and what could possibly be his neck covered by its thick arms. It had large yellow eyes with a black x for pupils
In front of the demon, one of its arms held another boy by the color. His body hung from its hand limply, his eyes were vacant of all life.
The demon raised the deceased young man above its head as the arms below its head began to separate, revealing a large deformed mouth.
The boy was lowered into the mouth and the arms formed up around it again. During this whole time, Makomo was paralyzed with rage, grief, and...fear?
"What is this...Why am I so angry? This presence, it's so...evil, evil and terrifying. But...it's not just that. Something about this demon, my gut is telling me that...it's the same one that...no, that's impossible."
Makomo's attention was brought back to the other swordsman laying on the ground, shaking like crazy. "Someone...Someone help me! Please!"
Suddenly, a bunch of the demon's arms mashed together to form an even longer deformed arm which shot out towards the young man, a large hand attempting to grab and crush the swordsman. "NO!"
Makomo sprung into action, she ran towards the appendage at high speed and jumped into the air while spinning forward with her sword held out in front of her.
Water Breathing: Second Form - Water Wheel
Makomo cut through the arm, saving the young man's life. She landed in front of the demon and jumped back to protect her fellow swordsman.
The hand demon looked at Makomo with a curiosity in his eyes. "You're fast." He said while pointing at her with a single finger.
Makomo put on a fake smile to hide her fear. "You're big." She replied.
The demon then looked at the mask on her head as his eyes widened. "That mask..." Suddenly, he started laughing.
Makomo dropped her smile, but still put on a stoic expression. "Hee Hee Hee! I see now." If the demon had a normal mouth, he might've been smiling considering how giddy his eyes looked. "Another one of my dear foxes has arrived!"
"'Dear foxes'?"
"Tell me, little fox girl." The demon continued. "What era are we in now?"
Makomo raised an eyebrow. "Um...the Taisho Period?"
The demon's eyes looked upward. "Taisho...?"
...
...
...
...
...
"GRRRAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Makomo was startled as the monster flew into a sudden rage. "TAISHO! YOU MEAN WE'VE ALREADY PASSED INTO A NEW PERIOD!? DAMN IT! HAVE I REALLY BEEN HERE FOR THAT LONG!?"
"DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU, UROKODAKI!"
Makomo's eyes widened. "Urokodaki? You know Urokodaki?"
The demon looked back at her. "Know him!? He's the one he brought me here to this wisteria prison! I will never forget that day."
"Fourty-five years...Fourty-five years, I've been stuck in this hellhole! To think I lived to see the end of the Edo Period, the Krio Era!"
Makomo couldn't keep her shock hidden. "The Edo Period!?"
"You're lying!"
Makomo turned to the boy behind her who was still on the ground and terrified. "No demon could ever survive here for that long!"
"They only put demons here who have eaten two or three people, and they're all killed during Final Selection. Those that survive just end up eating each other!"
The hand demon looked at the swordsman, unfazed by his words. "Ah, but I have been able to survive in this place. And during that time...I've eaten fifty of you brats!"
"Fifty!?" Makomo thought in alarm. Urokodaki had taught her that demons grew in power the more humans they ate.
Urokodaki could tell exactly how many humans a demon ate based on their smell, the man had a sense of smell so advanced that he could tell what others were feeling off of scent alone.
Makomo did not have this trait, but Urokodaki had trained her so that her own sense of smell had strengthened, even if only a little bit.
The hand demon began counting on its fingers. "Let's see...ten, eleven, twelve...That makes you number thirteen!" The demon pointed thirteen index fingers at Makomo.
Makomo raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
The hand demon stared at Makomo before its eyes looked like they were smiling at her, it gave Makomo a dreadful feeling. "I've eaten twelve of Urokodaki's students. I've vowed to kill them all."
Makomo's stomach dropped as well as the top of her sword. "You...what...?"
The demon started giggling like crazy. "Hee Hee Hee! I just ADORE that look! Everyone before you showed that same look of utter despair! It's just so...delicious! I dare say it's more delicious than actually eating them!"
"I can always tell you foxes from the rest through those masks of yours. What does he call them, warding masks?"
"Yes, masks that keep evil and harm away. Ironically, they're how I know you're Urokodaki's student. That craftsmanship is the exact same as his tengu mask."
"It's as if he's been serving them to me on a silver platter! Hah! I bet that foolish old man is heartbroken! Hee Hee! When I kill you, I wonder if he'll die of depression!"
Makomo began to shake, trying desperately to fight the tears threatening to fall from her tightly shut eyes. "You...You..."
"I've sent too many children to their deaths, Makomo. I trained them all to the best of my abilities, but not a single one made through Final Selection..."
"Every time my student doesn't come home...Every time a Kasugai Crow confirms their death, a piece of me dies with them..."
"It's him...he's the reason Urokodaki has suffered so much...I...I won't forgive him, he can't keep getting away with this!"
"Ah, but out of all of Urokodaki's brats, there was one who surpassed all of them."
Makomo's eyes snapped open at those words.
"No..."
"Sabito was the best student I've ever trained...and yet, even he died on that cursed mountain...I am thankful that Giyu came back to us but...If even Sabito was killled..."
"No...no, no, no, no, no..."
"He had peach hair, a scar on his right cheek, and he was quite strong for someone so young. I'm almost terrified how powerful he would've become had I not eaten him."
"Hey, Makomo! Want to watch me wipe the floor with Giyu again?"
"Maybe you should become a Demon Slayer, Makomo. I'll teach you everything I know. But don't think I'll take it easy on you just cause you're my little sister."
"We'll be back before you know it. No demon's gonna take me down, just wait and see! Soon you, me, and Giyu will celebrate our success and play as much as you want!"
"Just be a good girl for Urokodaki, and we'll do whatever you want when we get back, deal?"
"Deal!"
The ground at Makomo's feet was being sprinkled by tear drops...
"Oh well, that's what he gets for associating with that old fool."
"...shut up."
The hand demon stared down at Makomo, who had her head down. "Hmm, what was that?"
"You don't know a thing about Urokodaki or Sabito...They're both kind people, some of the kindest in the entire world. The only fool here...is you."
Makomo looked up at the demon with murder in her eyes, the gentle light blue faded to the color of a stormy ocean.
"And how am I the fool, brat?" The demon asked.
"You really want to know? Well for starters, you made the mistake of telling me all this. I was originally planning on making your death painless, but that's no longer an option for you."
"Now, I'm going to cut you to pieces! I'll avenge my seniors and my brother and bring peace to Urokodaki...no, to my father's soul!"
The demon seemed unamused by Makomo's declaration. "Well aren't you cocky? You really think you can cut my neck? Not even that boy with the scar could cut through me, and while you're quite agile, you don't look very strong."
Makomo's teary eyed glare intensified, her vision became blurry... "You also don't look very intimidating when you're crying."
"But by all means, go ahead and try to cut my head off. I'll crush your head before you realize how impossible a task it is, just like I did to the last guy!"
Ba Bump...
Ba Bump!
Ba Bump!
BA BUMP ! ! !
...
...
...
In that moment, all Makomo saw...was red.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Makomo Vs. The Hand Demon
Makomo let out a high pitched battle cry before charging at the demon.
Arms shot out from the demon's body one at a time, each one hitting the spot Makomo was once at.
However, her speed allowed her to sidestep each hand with ease. She inhaled and unleashed a technique as more hands began to come down on her.
Water Breathing: Third Form - Flowing Dance
With mind blowing footwork and agility, Makomo not only dodged the appendages moving towards her, she also cut all of them off before the demon even noticed.
She reached the hand demon and jumped into the air. The demon sneered at the girl. "Stupid brat! You may be fast, but that means nothing when you're helpless in the air!"
Multiple arms lunged at Makomo as she prepared another technique. She lifted her sword above her head and barely managed cut through the storm of hands with a downward strike which propelled her upwards.
Water Breathing: Eighth Form - Waterfall Basin
Makomo used the propulsion to land on one of the demon's long arms. She inhaled again and ran down the arm so fast, she disappeared, leaving the illusion of water splashes representing her footsteps.
Water Breathing: Ninth Form - Splashing Water Flow
The Hand Demon's eyes widened. "She used her sword to hit one of my hands hard enough to push her up!? Damn!"
Makomo neared the end of the arm and prepared to slice where she assumed the demon's neck was. She then saw more arms reaching for her.
She dodged by tilting her body to the right and jumping off the arm with her body now sideways in midair.
Before the demon knew it, Makomo was nearing his neck, spinning with her sword in a lateral circle.
Water Breathing: Second Form Improvised - Lateral Water Wheel
The hand demon was unable to react as Makomo's sword reached his neck. However, he wasn't worried.
"If the peach-haired boy couldn't cut through my neck, this girl has no chance! It doesn't matter how fast she is if she can't defeat m-!"
Before the demon could finish that thought, Makomo's sword made it almost halfway through his neck.
"...huh?"
Makomo looked at her sword which was now stuck in the demon's neck. "Damn..." She cursed as she now hung from her sword.
The Hand Demon recovered from its shock and launched more hands from his body, surrounding Makomo from all sides.
"You're MINE!" He yelled.
"I get it now..." The demon thought. "She's not very strong, but she uses her speed to make up for it by using momentum to increase the power of her attacks. This fox cub may be more troublesome than I thought."
Makomo swung from her sword and put a foot against the demon's body, allowing her to push herself off and yank her sword out.
She jumped towards the attacking arms about to reach when she used the momentum from pulling out her sword to perform a one handed horizontal slash.
Water Breathing: First Form - Water Surface Slash
Makomo cut through the hands in her way and landed safely on the ground. She faced the demon with a uncharacteristic glare.
"Makomo, you have to be careful."
"Don't lose yourself to emotion, make sure you remain calm and collected like you usually are. Understand?"
The Hand Demon snickered, not worried about the wound Makomo had inflicted on his neck. "That was a close one! You might even be better than that peach-haired boy! Not that it matters! Face it, little fox, you can't beat me so why don't you run away to your precious Urokodaki!"
Makomo's glare intensified, her grip on her sword tightened. "Giyu, I'm sorry. I know you said to stay calm but..."
Makomo charged forward as more hands reached out to grab her.
"How could anyone stay calm listening to this guy!?"
However, in her anger, Makomo failed to notice that her breathing was beginning to become uneven.
She cut through multiple arms before she felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. Suddenly, more arms shot out from the ground.
Makomo barely managed to jump in time to avoid the hands trying to grab her. Another arm moved to punch her out of the air.
Makomo twisted her body and tried to kick the large fist to reduce the blow.
Crack!
"Gah!" Makomo cried out as she sprained her right ankle. She was knocked out of the air and landed on the floor rolling, her warding mask flying off.
While the Hand Demon was distracted with Makomo, the young man she had saved got up and started to run away.
"That freak is distracted, now's my chance!"
"Sorry, kid. But you're on your own. No one here can beat that thing!"
Makomo got up and let out a whine as her ankle was racked with pain, blood dripped from the top of her head. This did not go unnoticed by the Hand Demon.
"Hee hee hee! What's wrong, my little fox? Did you hurt your little ankle? Oh, that's not good. That'll slow you down quite a bit. Hee hee!"
The demon shot out more hands at the injured girl. "YOU'RE MINE!"
Makomo got on her good leg and jumped as high as she could, her speed now clearly reduced by half. The arms chased her in the air.
Makomo sliced through as many arms as she could but one managed to grab her leg and threw her to the ground.
Makomo moved her body and used a breathing technique to break her fall, slamming her sword into the ground.
Water Breathing: Eighth Form - Waterfall Basin
Makomo landed with a strained look on her face due to the pain in her ankle. She jumped to the side to dodge more arms and jumped into the air.
"This is bad! I can't get close like this!" Makomo thought. She landed on one arm and leaped from arm to arm to reach the Hand Demon.
Arms came out of the demon and went around Makomo to catch her backside. Makomo noticed this and jumped up to avoid them.
The demon grinned with his eyes. "I win."
Makomo suddenly felt a large hand grab her left arm, she tried to cut it off with her other arm which held her sword only to find that another hand grabbed it as well.
Before Makomo realized, all four of her limbs were restrained by the Hand Demon. She looked around, panic began to build up inside of her.
The Hand Demon looked at her triumphantly and laughed. "Hee Hee Hee! That was a lot of fun, after that peach-haired kid, you're the second fox cub to reach me and the first one to almost cut through my neck."
Makomo then felt a hard tug on her arms and legs. "Unfortunately, all good things...must come to an end."
The Hand Demon pulled all of Makomo's limbs in different directions, despair filled the young girl as she realized the demon's intentions. He was going to tear her apart, literally.
Makomo suppressed a whine as she felt pain in her joints, she refused to give the demon the satisfaction of hearing her scream.
"I don't know how much I can take of this! I have to break free but...I'm just not strong enough!" Makomo thought as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
"No! I can't die! I don't want to die! Urokodaki...Giyu...They're expecting me to come home!"
Makomo struggled with every last bit of strength she had...the demon's arms didn't even budge. If an average human couldn't overpower a demon, a small girl had no chance at all.
The best she could do was delay the separation of her limbs from her torso. Of course, that only made the pain last longer.
"Sabito...I'm sorry...I just wanted...to avenge you...And now, our father will suffer for my stupidity...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."
Makomo had begun to give up as her limbs were beginning to stretch farther than they should have...Makomo closes her eyes and awaits the great pain about to rack her body.
"I'm sorry..."
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"That's it?"
Makomo's eyes snapped open, her mind sending her back to the day Sabito decided to teach her some of his skills.
-Six Years Ago-
Mt. Sagiri
A Week Before Final Selection
"Things get a tiny bit difficult and you give up?"
"Sabito, please! It hurts!"
"*Sigh* I know, and I'm sorry. But if you're serious about becoming a Demon Slayer, you have to prove it to me."
Sabito and Makomo stood in a large clearing next to the boulder Sabito had recently cut through. Sabito was wearing his usual training hakama.
Little Makomo, wearing a smaller hakama that Sabito got for her, was covered in bruises as she struggled to lift her practice sword.
The poor girl had tears of pain in her eyes that almost broke her foster brother's heart. Alas, he did not have any plans to let up.
"Can't we at least take a break? Please!?" Makomo practically begged, wanting to go through this rigorous training no longer.
Finally, the guilt in Sabito had won the inner battle as the boy sighed. "Fine, we'll take a ten minute lunch break. But then it's back to training, young lady, you hear me?"
Makomo adopted a grateful smile followed by an enthusiastic nod.
They sat next to each other with their backs resting against, opening and enjoying the contents of their bento lunchboxes.
Sabito had made their lunches using ingredients he got from a village near the mountain. The lunches consisted of rice, sandwiches, an omelette, and various fruits for snacks.
Makomo and Sabito enjoyed their lunch, the former sparing a few glances at her brother. "Hey, Sabito."
The peach-haired boy looked at her. "Yes?" He said after swallowing his food.
"Do you really think I can be as strong as you?" Makomo asked.
Sabito stared down at the girl. "I do."
"Why?" Makomo asked. "My body is too weak, I'm nothing like you."
"You're only focusing on the negatives, Makomo. You're also one of the fastest and most energetic little girl I know." Sabito stated before staring up into the sky.
"It's good to know your weak points, but you have to focus on your strong points. If you can't get rid of your weaknesses, make up for it by improving your strengths."
Makomo stared at Sabito, listening intently to his words. Sabito looked at her and continued.
"Either way, don't ever give up. If we don't fight the demons because it seems impossible, that's when it really will be impossible."
"I will never give up. If I get scared when facing a demon, I'll use that fear to avoid death. If I get angry or frustrated when fighting demons, I'll turn that anger into power."
Sabito raised a fist in front of his face. "Even if I lose my arms and legs, I'll keep on fighting till my last breath. I'll swing with my teeth if I have to."
"If there's one thing I want you to remember, Makomo, it's this. A demon's worst enemy is not sunlight...their worst enemy is a human being who never gives up. The demons' worst enemy is the human spirit."
Makomo stared at Sabito with awe before looking at the ground. She pondered what her brother just said. With determination in her heart, she scarfed down the rest of her food and turned to Sabito.
"Sabito, I want to keep training. I promise I won't whine this time." She said.
Sabito looked shocked at first, but his face eased into a warm and gentle smile. "That's the spirit." He said as he playfully ruffled Makomo's hair, earning a laugh from her.
The two got up and grabbed their wooden swords, they trained until nightfall and then went back home.
After that, Makomo and Sabito enjoyed their last week together...
-Present-
Makomo's eyes were filled with tears...and contained a fire.
"Never give up..."
Makomo looked at her right arm which held her sword, she had an idea. A stupid, desperate, all-or-nothing idea, but an idea.
Makomo resisted the force of the Hand Demon's hands trying to rip her apart and with all the strength she could muster, flicked her wrist upward and threw her sword into the air.
The Hand Demon noticed this and was curious. "Did she drop her sword on purpose? No, the pain was probably just too much for her."
"Hee Hee Hee! You're mine, little fox! Don't worry, I'll keep you nice and safe in my belly!"
Makomo's sword fell in front of Makomo's face...time seemed to slow down for her...
This was it...
"NOW!"
Makomo's suddenly head lunged forward as she grabbed the handle of her sword...with her teeth, the blade pointing to the right.
"WHAT!?" The Hand Demon thought with wide eyes. While he was too shocked to act, Makomo inhaled and turned her head as far as possible to the right, putting the sword right above the giant arm holding her right arm.
Total Concentration, Water Breathing: Sixth Form - Whirlpool
Makomo pointed her head downward and then to the left while also twisting her body to the left. She cut off the hands restraining both her arms.
Her body began to fall back. But before she did, she quickly grabbed her sword with her hands and cut through the hands grabbing her legs.
She fell in an upside-down position before flipping her body and landing on her feet with a groan from the pain in her right ankle.
She jumped back as far as possible, just in time for the Hand Demon to process what just happened.
"You...YOU...!" The Hand Demon roared in anger and sent every hand it had at Makomo. A storm of green arms threatened to rain down upon her.
"I have to ignore the pain. Use every ounce of strength. I have to use it, I have to use the technique that turns building momentum into power. I'm ending this. Now!" Makomo thought.
Makomo ran forward towards the barrage of hands and inhaled. She then started to repeatedly rotate her body while slicing through the hands.
As she cut through more and more arms, an illusion began to take form behind Makomo's blade. To an outside observer, it would look like a girl swinging a sword.
But...to both combatants, a water dragon followed Makomo into battle, slowly increasing in size with each strike.
Total Concentration, Water Breathing: Tenth Form - Constant Flux
Makomo was quickly closing the distance between her and her foe, showing absolutely no sign of stopping.
This time, it was the Hand Demon that was beginning to panic. "No way! How is this pathetic little girl overpowering ME!?"
Makomo was soon in front of the demon and jumped high into the air despite her ankle, slicing at any arm foolish enough to get in her way.
The Hand Demon looked up helplessly as Makomo jumped off of his arms and rose above him. She fell down towards his head, preparing to cut it off with her sword which was held next to her neck for a powerful swing.
The illusory dragon was illuminating further by the moonlight above, now three times Makomo's size.
The Hand Demon covered his neck with as many arms as possible. "You can't beat me! You failed to cut off my neck before, what makes you think things will be different this time!?"
As Makomo fell down from the sky, she was replaced in the demon's mind by an image of a grown man in a red tengu mask...
Whooooosh!
"I've heard this sound before..."
"A sound like ragingwind..."
"Ugh...Ugh..."
"UROKODAKIIIIIIIIIIII!"
"Sabito...father...and all of father's students who came before me...This is for you..."
Makomo swung her sword horizontally at the Hand Demon's covered neck...
She cut through the hands and the neck like butter.
Makomo was the winner.
Hand Demon
The Hand Demon's head fell to the ground as Urokodaki's brat landed behind his decaying body. He landed so that he had a perfect view of her back as she sheathed her sword.
"DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT! I can't believe this! She cut my head off! I can't regenerate!" He thought in anger and fear.
"My body is disappearing before my very eyes! Shit! This isn't fair! After all these years, I get killed by a little girl!?"
The demon stared at the girl who began to turn around to face him with a sad bit relieved look on her face. "Damn it! I can't believe the last thing I'm going to see is this Demon Slayer's face!"
The girl turned around and looked at the demon with what he assumed to be pity. "Fuck you! Die! Die! I hope you suffer a horrible death!"
The Hand Demon felt his head begin to crumble, he was dying...
"How did this happen...?"
"I feel so lost..."
"I'm scared...brother..."
"Please, hold my hand...like you used to..."
"Why...? Why did I eat my big brother? Why did I kill him...?"
"Wait...Big Brother...? I have...a big brother?"
The Hand Demon saw the girl walk up to his decaying corpse which he had just realized was holding out a hand.
The girl grabbed the hand with both of her own and put it to her forehead.
"You were a worthy adversary, I pray that don't become a demon in the next life and live for a long time. Farewell." The girl said.
The Hand Demon began to cry, the touch of the girl's hands felt so soft and gentle...just like...
"Big Brother! Please! Hold my hand!"
"Heh heh, alright. If you're that scared, I'll hold your hand. Man, you're such a scaredy-cat sometimes.
"Brother..."
"...I'm sorry..."
Those were the demon's last thoughts before its head and body vanished...
Makomo
Makomo stood in front of the disappearing demon's body. She remembered what Urokodaki told her about the advantages of a sense of smell.
"I can use my nose to tell what others are feeling. With an advanced sense of smell, you can detect the subtle scents people give when they feel a strong emotion. I can't say you will ever have a nose as good as mine, but you can improve it even if only a bit."
Makomo trained her sense of smell for years and she too had the ability to pick up emotions, though she can only pick up a faint trail.
Most of the time, she has to memorize and guess what a person's feeling instead of instantly knowing off of smell alone.
Makomo wasn't a hundred percent sure, but she swore she felt sadness coming from the Hand Demon.
She hated him, she hated him so much. But that hatred took a backseat for the moment, she understood that he did not choose to become a demon.
She felt the regret coming from him and decided to not forgive him, but comfort him and make his descent into hell a peaceful one.
After paying her respects, she felt the tears sneaking out of her eyes.
"Sabito...everyone...I've avenged you...Your souls are free."
Makomo felt a presence in the woods in front of her, she looked up and saw a bunch of children around her age with tengu masks staring at her.
At the front, was a peach-haired boy with a scarred fox mask. Makomo fell on her knees and began to sob.
"You're free! You can all go home! Back to Urokodaki! Please, go to him, he's been waiting for you for so long!"
While Makomo broke down, the children of Urokodaki started to walk away one by one. They would return to Mt. Sagiri to be with their beloved father and mentor.
Soon, only one of the children remained...he walked up to the weeping Makomo and stood in front of her.
"Stand up."
Makomo's eyes widened, her sobbing taking a pause. She looked up at Sabito with wide red eyes.
"Stand up, Makomo." He repeated, his tone colder this time. "You are a Demon Slayer now, act like it."
Makomo looked down at the ground, getting the last of her sniffles out and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.
She stood up tall, as tall as she could anyway, and looked Sabito in the eyes with a fierce look on her face. She used all of her strength to keep up the tough act.
Sabito took off his mask, revealing the kind smile he would always give her. He patted her head before hugging her.
Eventually, Makomo returned the hug. The metaphorical mask she put on shattered almost immediately as she cried into her brother's shoulder. However, Sabito did not scold her this time and let her grieve.
"Makomo, when I fought that demon...I wanted to run. I was terrified, I knew that I couldn't win but..."
"I knew that if I let that demon live, that you might've had to fight him. That thought alone gave me the strength I needed to stand up to that monster."
"Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. When the demon killed me...I was afraid. Afraid that it would kill Giyu, that it would kill you, that it would continue to torture Urokodaki."
Makomo began to hear a strain in Sabito's voice along with shaky breathing.
"F-For the last six years, I c-could only...think of you guys. I wanted nothing more than to see you again, but I...my soul just couldn't move on."
"If I could just see you again, h-hold you again...If I could see how much you've grown and that I don't have to worry about you...That's all I wanted."
Sabito separated from Makomo and held her shoulders. Tears fell from his eyes as he grinned widely.
"I'm so glad! I'm so p-proud of you, Makomo! I'm proud to call you my little sister!"
Makomo struggled to return the smile, but she managed. "S-Sabito...! B-B-Big brother...!"
Sabito touched his forehead to hers. "I will always watch over you. No matter where you go, know that I will always be by your side...Know that I will always love you, my precious little sister!"
The two embraced each other again, Makomo cried even louder as fog began to surround them. They continued their hug until Sabito began to loosen his grip on his sister.
"Makomo...it's time." He announced.
Makomo's moment of happiness was ruined by those two words. "I know..."
The two adoptive siblings separated again, Makomo looked at the ground, not wanting to see Sabito leave her again.
"When you see Urokodaki and Giyu, tell them...tell them I said thanks. Thanks for being my family."
The fog around them became thicker as Sabito backed away, Makomo looked up and watched as he disappeared into the fog.
The fog then lifted, leaving only a young girl in the clearing. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked to the sky which slowly starting to light up.
"Looks like the sun will rise soon...I better get going."
Makomo limped all the way to the starting area of Final Selection, using her sword as a crutch to support her injured ankle.
She found three other people in front of the two identical looking girls from earlier.
The absent-looking boy with the blank eyes, the young man with the snake, and the pink-haired lady who showed up last minute. All of whom miraculously seemed unharmed.
Makomo was surprised by the number of survivors. "Is this really all of us, only four? We started with at least twenty."
Makomo noticed that the guy she saved from the Hand Demon was nowhere to be found. "He must've ran away while I was fighting the demon, can't say I blame him. But...I'm the end, I couldn't save him..."
"Giyu told me that Sabito saved everyone in Final Selection and killed every single demon except the hand demon. Even if I defeated him, I couldn't save a single person. I still have a long way to go..."
Makomo's mood worsened with this thought, but she took a deep breath and moved on. She went to her new comrades who were all lined up.
She stood next to the snake man who was third in line. She noticed him looking at her, she offered a weak smile in response.
"You look like shit." He said abruptly.
Makomo was shocked by this, but she then chuckled. "Yeah, I was afraid of that."
Makomo's clothes were covered in dirt, the top of her head was wrapped in bandages, and there were bruises all over her face and body.
The pink-haired girl next to "Snake-Man" looked at Makomo with a concerned look. "What happened, was it a really strong demon?"
Makomo nodded before adopting a small smirk. "Don't worry, I killed him so he won't be hurting anyone anymore."
"Whoa!" The pink-haired girl exclaimed. "What was it like?"
Makomo tapped her chin with her left index finger while looking upward in thought. "About the size of fifteen grown bears, has a ridiculous amount of arms covering his entire body excluding his head, and an extremely annoying laugh."
The lady with pink hair looked appalled by this information. "No way! Someone as small as you managed to take down a demon that big!?"
The snake man scoffed. "If she's telling the truth, that's mildly impressive."
"Mildly?" Makomo thought with a raised eyebrow.
"Congratulations on passing Final Selection."
The four surviving swordsmen turned towards the two girls in front of them, speaking in unison. "We are glad to see you four made it back safe and sound. You are all now part of the Demon Slayer Corps."
The white-haired girl spoke independently. "First, we will provide you with your uniform. We'll take your measurements and engrave you with your rank."
The black-haired one spoke next. "The ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps are, in order from lowest to highest, Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, and Kinoe. You will all be starting as Mizunoto."
The girls switched speakers again. "Today, you will choose the ore that will be used to forge your sword, which should then be finished in about two weeks. Then, you will be assigned a Kasugai Crow."
As she said this, the swordsmen heard caws above them. They looked up to see four crows flying down towards them.
"Eeep!" The pink-haired lady yelped as one of the crows landed on her shoulder.
A crow landed on Makomo's shoulder as well, same for the snake man. The last crow landed on the arm of the forgetful boy who stared at it. "...Why is there a bird on my arm?"
The snake man looked at the boy. "Did you not hear a word they said, boy?" He asked with venom in his voice.
The boy looked at the snake man with a blank look. "Oh...right, Kasugai Crows. Sorry, I was a little distracted by the clouds."
The snake man squinted his eyes. "How you survived for seven minutes, let alone seven days, is nothing short of a miracle."
"Are you finished talking?" The two males turned their heads back to the front where the black-haired girl was speaking. "If so, please step up and pick your ore."
The Foot of the Mountain
Makomo was being carried down the stairs by the pink-haired lady who's she found out was named Mitsuri Kanroji. She offered after seeing the girl limp around. Makomo tried to decline, but the older girl did not take no for an answer.
"Thanks again for carrying me, Miss Kanroji." Makomo said from Mitsuri's back. "I hope I'm not being a burden."
Mitsuri looked over her shoulder and smiled at Makomo. "Don't be silly, Makomo! We're comrades now! I'm happy to take care of a fellow Demon Slayer!"
Makomo returned the smile as they reached the bottom of the mountain. "I can walk from here, thanks."
"Are you sure, how far is your home?"
"I think I can get there by nightfall. It's fine."
"I don't know."
"You don't have to worry, I'll take it from here." Suddenly, a third voice joined their conversation.
Makomo and Mitsuri looked to their left to see Giyu standing against a nearby tree. He had a small smile of relief at seeing Makomo alive and well.
Makomo gave him the biggest smile she could offer. "Hey, Giyu."
Seeing that Makomo knew the man, Mitsuri gently let Makomo down her back and onto the ground.
Giyu saw Makomo's injuries and frowned. "They really roughed you up, huh?"
Makomo scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, I found some really tough demons. Just my luck, right?"
Mitsuri called for Makomo's attention as she began to walk away. "Well, I guess I'll head home then. Nice meeting you!"
Makomo waved goodbye before turning back to Giyu. After staring at each other for a bit, the two hugged each other.
"Thank god...Thank god, you're alright..."
"I kept my promise..."
"I know...I'm glad."
The two Demon Slayers remained in that position for no more than a couple minutes, but it felt like hours.
"Let's get you home."
Giyu
"I see, so you really killed the demon that killed Sabito." Giyu summarized what Makomo just told him. He was carrying her on his back on a dirt road surrounded by farmland. The sun was beginning to set.
It turned out that by some cruel twist of fate, Makomo encountered her brother's killer. And by some miracle, she won that fight.
"No, not a miracle. She won through skill and strength. She's well on her way to surpassing Sabito."
"She will be the one to fill the role of the Water Hashira, I know it."
Giyu then pondered something else Makomo said. "But still, to think that it all happened because a demon had a petty vendetta against Urokodaki."
"If he hadn't given us those warding masks, his students might've lived to fight another day. Of course, that's not his fault. He had no way of knowing that, which is what makes it even worse."
"Giyu." The Water Hashira looked over his shoulder at Makomo who called his name. "Should we tell Urokodaki about...you know."
Tomioka looked at Makomo for a bit before turning his head forward. "No. We can tell him you avenged Sabito, tell him that the demon was bragging about all the people he killed and Sabito just happened to be one of them."
"If we tell him that his students died because of his warding masks, the masks he thought would protect us, it would crush him."
"But won't Urokodaki know we're lying to him?" Makomo asked. "That nose of his can sniff out lies a mile away."
"'Lies', but not secrets." Giyu replied. "We'll tell him the truth, just no the whole truth."
Giyu didn't exactly relish the thought of keeping such an important detail from his mentor...but it was better than the possibility of seeing him commit Seppuku out of guilt.
"I see. Okay then." Makomo answered before resting her chin on Giyu's right shoulder.
"I saw Sabito's spirit."
Giyu stopped in his tracks and looked at Makomo with wide eyes. Makomo seemed to expect that. "He spoke to me."
Giyu quickly regained his composure, but was still slightly baffled by what Makomo said. "What did he say?"
Makomo smiled sadly. "Thanks for being my family..."
Giyu's face betrayed no emotion as he barely managed to hide the pain in his face. His mind wandered to all the time they had spent together.
The day they met...
"Giyu, this is Sabito. Like you, he lost his family. You will be training together from now on. I hope you two get along. You may be fighting side by side one day."
The day they became friends...
"We'll both honor our families and kill as many demons as possible! We won't ever let anyone suffer like we did! Right, Giyu!?"
The day Sabito introduced Giyu to Makomo...
"Makomo can be a little shy sometimes, just like you. But she's very energetic and playful so watch out. Had to learn that the hard way..."
The day...Sabito slapped him.
"Don't you EVER say that you wish you'd died instead! You hear me!? If you do, we are no longer friends!"
"Your sister was about to get married! And yet, she gave up her life, her future, protecting and hiding her little brother from a demon!"
"Do not disrespect her sacrifice by saying that you should've died in her place! You can't turn back time, Giyu!"
"You have to stay alive. Because your sister gave up her life so that you could have a future!"
"That's why...you have to move forward. And carry on living. That is the only way you can honor her death."
Giyu touched his left cheek where Sabito slapped him. He then remembered the last time he saw his friend.
"He's injured, got hit in the head by a demon. Please, take him somewhere safe."
"Sabito! Wait, I can...still fight! SABITO!"
Giyu had suffered a head injury and Sabito had to protect him before he entrusted him to another swordsman.
Somehow, Giyu managed to survive and "pass" Final Selection, he soon learned that Sabito did not come down the mountain and likely never would.
Could you really say that someone who hadn't killed a single demon and was nothing but a burden passed?
They found Sabito's mask and gave it to the grieving Giyu, who dragged himself home and delivered the bad news.
"Giyu? Earth to Giyu!" Tomioka startled as he felt Makomo poking his right cheek. He looked at Makomo with a blank look before looking forward again, trying to hide the guilt he felt.
"Sorry, was just thinking..."
Makomo pouted at those words. "When are you gonna stop blaming yourself for that? For the last time, it wasn't your fault."
"You weren't there, Makomo. You wouldn't understand."
"I understand more than you think, it's you who doesn't understand. We both knew that Sabito was strong, we knew he'd excel. To compare ourselves to him does nothing."
"And yet he died because I wasn't there to help him. If I was stronger back then, if I had been there to fight that demon with him then-."
"Then you probably would've also died! We have no idea what would've happened!"
Giyu made an irritated face as Makomo raised her head off of his shoulder to scold him. After a moment of silence, Makomo spoke quietly.
"...But I guess you'd want that, huh?"
Giyu's eyes widened.
"Yeah, Sabito told me about that conversation you had with him. Doesn't seem like you took it to heart..."
"...That's enough, Makomo."
"...Fine. I'm gonna sleep if that's okay with you."
"...That's fine."
"..."
"..."
Most of the remainder of the trip was spent in awkward silence...
As night came, Giyu recognized the environment. They were almost to Urokodaki's house. The Water Hashira looked at Makomo who was asleep drooling on his shoulder.
Giyu allowed himself a small smile and was about to waked her up when she started mumbling.
"Don't go..."
Giyu was almost startled by those words, but he was even more shocked by the tears falling from her closed eyes.
"Don't go...Giyu. I...won't lose you too..."
Giyu frowned, she was having a nightmare. He thought about those words and sighed.
"Don't worry, Makomo. I'm not going anywhere, not for a long time. I'll make I live to see you take up the role of Water Hashira. And then, I'll continue to fight demons until I die...I'll protect you for as long as I live. I owe Sabito that much...I owe you that much."
Giyu gave Makomo a little shake until she began to stir. Hee eyes fluttered open and looked around before spotting Giyu's eyes on her.
Not realizing she was crying, Makomo smiled tiredly. Giyu found himself returning the smile. "We're home."
Makomo nodded in response before looking forward. "You can put me down, my ankle feels a little better."
Giyu nodded and put the girl down. She walked with a limp, but she didn't seem bothered by it. Giyu was impressed by her tolerance.
Soon, they reached a small house near Mt. Sagiri where an old man was carrying firewood back to the house.
Sakonji Urokodaki must've picked up their scent because he looked over to them and stared. After a few moments of silence, he dropped the firewood in his arms and began advancing towards them.
Makomo grinned with more tears threatening to fall from her eyes, she limped towards her adoptive father who dropped to his knees with his arms reached out.
Makomo fell into his arms and the two hugged each other tightly. Makomo let out light sobs. It seemed that during Final Selection, she did not believe she would make it back alive.
Giyu couldn't help but smile at the touching scene. Tears began to spill underneath Urokodaki's mask. "You came back...You really came back. I'm...I'm so glad."
Makomo sniffled. "I...I did it...father! I'm a Demon Slayer!"
After their touching reunion, Urokodaki made soup for everyone and the three celebrated as well as paid their respects to Sabito.
Urokodaki was delighted to hear that Makomo had avenged her brother, but she and Tomioka did not tell him the full, and certainly had no plans to do so.
-Two Months Later-
A Forest in Yamanashi
"I still can't believe it's already been two months since then."
Makomo walked through the forest, she had recently finished a mission in the city of Kōfu. It was amazing how much they had rebuilt after that devastating flood a few years ago.
She was wearing a blue-tinted Demon Slayer uniform with her red and white flower yukata over it, unbuttoned to reveal the middle of her uniform. Her uniform also included a knee-length skirt.
Her mission was to find and kill a demon hiding in one of the abandoned houses in Kōfu. It was a piece of cake, the demon was not prepared to deal with Makomo's speed.
Makomo wondered what hee next mission would be, as well as how Giyu and Urokodaki were doing.
Crash!
Cling!
Whoosh!
Makomo suddenly heard sounds of a sword clanging and what sounded like flames. Her nose managed to pick up a slight hint of smoke in the air.
Was it a demon? Was someone fighting it? Makomo drew her sword and ran towards the sounds of fighting.
She found a small clearing in the forest and saw dying flames around them. A headless demon lay on the ground as a boy in a Demon Slayer uniform stood above him.
Over his uniform, he wore a short green cloak fastened one side with a green triple knot.
He had ruffled, black hair with dark red tips. His face was hidden by a black Oni mask with black horns and white teeth with white fangs on the sides of the mouth.
From his ears, there was a pair of beautiful, red butterfly earrings hanging from them.
After the demon faded away, the boy put his hands together in prayer. "Rest in peace." He said before turning to look and Makomo and jumping a bit.
"Oh! H-Hello! I didn't...see you there." He said while Makomo regarded him with caution.
She offered a small smile. "Sorry about that, I was on my way back from a mission and I heard the sound of fighting."
Makomo bowed as she introduced herself to her fellow Demon Slayer. "Makomo Urokodaki, rank Mizunoe."
The boy returned the bow. "Tanjiro Kamado, rank Kanoe. Nice to meet you!"
After raising his head, Tanjiro spoke again. "Sorry, but I have to get going. I'll see you around!"
Tanjiro began to walk away before...
"Wait."
Tanjiro turned around and tilted his head. "Yes?"
Makomo's smile turned a bit darker. "Take off the mask."
"Huh?"
"Take off the mask, please. I want to see your face."
"...I-I don't know, I'm not exactly a looker...I'm p-p-pretty c-conscious about m-m-my face..." Tanjiro said with a strain in his voice. Whoever taught him how to lie failed miserably.
"I make it a habit not to judge people on their looks, I believe it's the inside that counts. Unless...there's something you're not telling me." Makomo placed her left hand on her sheath, slightly unsheathing her sword with her thumb.
Tanjiro began to do the same, though was noticeably more hesitant. "...You don't want to do this. I'm on your side."
"I'll be the judge of that, demon." Makomo replied before looking at Tanjiro's nails...they were short.
"His nails...His nails were long, but I saw it. I saw them grow short. He hid his claws to disguise himself. That's how I figured it out."
The two Demon Slayers stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. After a few seconds, they both charged at each other at top speed.
Their swords clashed in the middle and the two were locked into battle of strength. Makomo was already losing in that department.
"I'm not going to kill you." Tanjiro said. "But whatever happens from here on...is your fault."
And done!
Sorry about the cliffhanger, that's just a preview of what's to come!
What'd you guys think, I hope you enjoyed!
As always, leave a review if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions!
Next time, we'll be going back a bit to show how Tanjiro passed his final test to officially join the Demon Slayer Corps! I hope you'll look forward to it!
That's all for now, bye!
Next Time: Chapter 14 - Son of the Flame