Beauty, Truth and Hatred Chapter 2: Broken Vessel, a demon slayer: kimetsu no yaiba fanfic

If loneliness could ever have a sound, it would be the same she hears coming from Kaigaku. Zenko could remember that the first time she met him, his sound came before his appearance, and she felt it before she heard it. If she should try to explain, she'd say he was full of deep sounds, making her bones vibrate as she followed Jigoro Kuwajima into his estate.

They had already passed the front gate, a towering structure with intricate carvings, the fragrance of wisteria captivating the young girl's sense of smell. Gramps' property was filled with trees, mainly fruit-bearing ones. Zenko was sure that she would be in complete ecstasy looking at the white peaches and grapes if she weren't so tense.

"I have another pupil," began Kuwajima, who, even though he always had a stern face, scars, and a wooden peg, still pretty much instilled in Zenko a familiar and caring tone, contrasting to his appearance. "He has been with me for four years already. Very talented and driven. You will do well to learn from him, Zenko."

"Y-yes, Gramps!" She said, a little bit too loud, fidgeting, uneasy about the increasing reverberation in her bones and the deep, thick tone becoming loud with each step as one dry sound, much like a koto¹ joined the unseen symphony.

A heavy silence hung in the air, and Zenko's thoughts raced. She was beginning to ponder the strange orchestra of sensations when her new master's sharp voice sliced through her musings.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! CALL ME 'MASTER'!"

"GYAAH! I'm so, so sorry, Gr-Gram-"

"Master, what's with the noise?" Said a deep voice slightly above her. Zenko remembers that even though he wasn't that much taller than her, everything in him appeared to be hefty, from his broad shoulders and the carved chest to his calculating turquoise eyes squinting upon her, making her feel small and redder. His dry sound grew louder and more erratic, her heartbeat responding to it.

"Zenko, this is Inadama Kaigaku, your senior. Kaigaku, this is Agatsuma Zenko, she will be training under my tutelage from now on."

"Tch, seriously, 'wife'²?" Kaigaku repeated, mispronouncing her name. He sounded disapproving. "She seems wea-."

Jigoro's wooden cane was so fast the blond wasn't able to see it descend on Kaigaku's head. Kaigaku's confident, stern expression faulted for a moment. "She may be like this now, but I expect great things from her. Zenko has good hearing and great speed. With training and refinement, she will become a great swordswoman." Jigoro examined his elder student. "And as her senior, I do expect you to give her assistance and counseling."

The black-haired boy only winced in pain, carving his irises into Zenko's golden eyes, as if blaming her. And then, suddenly, there was a shift in his demeanor. His aquamarine eyes transitioned to malice, a grin appearing in the corner of his lips, his dry sound increasing in an erratic rhythm. To Zenko, it sounded as if the taller male had an idea, a plan to find something to take from her, a means to ensure she wouldn't dare stand up against him. Where has she seen that same thing before?

"Very well, if the master so does wish, maybe I can teach you a thing or two, Agatsuma Zenko." Zenko's skin prickled. She remembered, since it wasn't long ago it happened for the last time: even if his sounds and looks were different, he gave her the same sensation as the majority of her former boyfriends. He was good-looking and strong, but his words and his sounds seemed a bad omen.

After all that happened to her, she didn't really want to be near him, but because she could sense Gramps' trust and his affection for Kaigaku she chose to trust him, hoping fervently that things would get better between the two of them.

"I'm in your hands, Kaigaku-senpai. Please, take good care of me." She bowed to him.

Everytime Zenko reminisces about those early days, she can't help but feel a heavy disappointment settling in. She had hoped that with time, her relationship with Kaigaku would improve, that he would see her dedication and potential, and that his wariness towards her would be replaced by respect and fondness. However, the reality was far from her expectations.

She was terrible at swordsmanship, even though she trained when no one was watching. She was afraid of demons, snakes, spiders and anything else that she felt could threaten her life. And, in the beginning, getting used to life in the mountains was difficult, since she spent her entire life in the city, although, after a while, she grew to love the place. But the worst is that despite her efforts, their interactions had only grown worse. Kaigaku's demeanor had become increasingly cold, and her attempts to bridge the gap had been met with indifference or outright antipathy.

After a few months of her screaming, whining, and complaining, she did try to escape from Kuwajima estate, which ended with her not only failing but Kuwajima intensifying her training and Kaigaku stopping even the slightest effort to assist her with anything. Worse, the black-haired boy would straight out antagonize her if Kuwajima wasn't around, as if their mentor's absence gave him free rein to provoke her. She had the impression that if he ever had the smallest interest of any sort in her, positive or negative, he had lost it quickly and only saw her as a nuisance he had to share their supplies with.

During their four years together, Kaigaku's sound remained consistent, only changing in the months leading up to his Final Selection, when Gramps announced to both his dumbfounded pupils that Zenko, who had mastered only one of the six Thunder Breath styles, would be his successor, as Thunder Hashira, alongside Kaigaku. After this, his low-frequency tone turned higher and his dry sound turned darker.

His change in behavior was evident to everyone in the residence. If before he was considerate and maintained a respectful hierarchical distance from his elder, now he was openly quarrelsome. The treatment he gave Zenko got worse, and he began to isolate himself much more, until after passing the Final Selection, he disappeared from her and Gramps' lives, never once returning to the estate he spent eight years of his life. She couldn't help but feel that, in a way, this was her fault too. Maybe if she was a little more worthy, his tone wouldn't have changed…

Maybe it was because of this strong feeling that she carried within herself that, when that strong crimson-haired demon's splattered his blood on her face after breaking her jaw, and her body was contorting in the most abnormal way, bones breaking, muscles and tendons tearing, and her own voice bursting her eardrums, she lost consciousness and dreamt of Kaigaku.

It was easy to recognize him, even though it wasn't quite him. A younger boy, around seven or eight years old, dressed in a black kimono that was too big for his body and a jade necklace that was too small for his neck, was sitting just next to her. He radiated energy, showing her something in the distance, a cheerful smile on his face, contrasting with the hardened and distant version she knew in reality.

They were overlooking the serene valley where they lived with Gramps. The sky was awash with hues of pink, orange, and deepening shades of purple, casting a warm and enchanting glow across the landscape. The tranquil meadows and towering evergreens stretched as far as the eye could see, the crisp mountain air was filled with the soothing sounds of rustling leaves and birdsong, creating a harmonious symphony as the world transformed under the caress of the setting sun.

She was thankful her mind was offering her respite from the turmoil of her transformation and grateful that it was Kaigaku with her. She was afraid that, if she dreamed of Gramps, she would again see his face filled with fear and despair, just as when the red-haired demon began to cut her. Besides, it was only in lies dreams like these that she could see Kaigaku carefree like this, happy like this. Even if his bright turquoise eyes, that sparkled with childish mischief, were surrounded by dark circles that hinted at sleepless nights and hunger, subtly reminding Zenko of a harsh reality.

"W-woah! What was that for? Are you okay?" Zenko suddenly wrapped her arms around this version of Kaigaku, desperately hugging him, as if his presence was the only thing preventing her from losing her own humanity. Her dream companion offered her a tender smile and returned the embrace with a gentleness that conveyed unspoken understanding. Her tears flowed without restraint.

"I'm not dying… I feel I'm ch-changing…I'm becoming something I…fear." she sobbed silently for a few moments, clinging to the warmth of this illusory Kaigaku. "I-I'll lose control…I d-don't want to h-hurt you…or anybody else…Gramps would…he would be so sad…"

"But you don't have to be scared, I'm here with you!" the childlike Kaigaku said, patting her shoulder, a reassuring smile on his face. The tightness in her chest intensified. "And, you won't try to hurt me. We're friends; I'll always help you. Trust me."

What? She faced the Kaigaku in her arms, his sound appearing in her mind, growing louder and louder. "No…this…this is just a dream…right? You're not-"

"Who said dreams can't be real?" the young Kaigaku challenged with a mischievous look in his eyes, more like his older self. His sound encompassed the entire dream, reverberating in a chaotic disharmony. He was near and he was in danger. "Don't worry; when the time comes, I'll protect you. As long as we are together, everything will turn out alright, sooner or later!"

Zenko opened her yellow eyes, pupils unnaturally altered, now burning with an eerie glow. Colors appeared more vivid around her, and she could discern a wider spectrum of shades, allowing her to see in near-total darkness. Every texture and nuance of her surroundings was laid bare before her. A powerful surge of primal instincts coursed through her newfound body, propelling her to her feet. She could hear it, a deafening silence where once was Gramps' tone and an overwhelming danger threatening the real Kaigaku.

Ignoring the disorienting chaos of her own existence and the echoes of her idyllic dream still lingering in her unconscious mind, she felt herself channeling her strength into this body she still didn't recognize as hers, much like when she practiced Thunder Breathing. And then, colors and forms began to blur together, the world around her shifting in a dizzying swirl as she was closing the distance to the mountain's peak at a hurtling pace. At some point, she felt Gramps and Kaigaku's names repeatedly escaping from her inhuman mouth, as if it were a chant from the depths of hell. Her mind was plunged into an abyss, consumed by obsessive thoughts:

Ả̵͈̰̥̯̬͛͆̾̅V̷̧̫͙͔̱̇̐̾͘͠E̸̡͍̫̱̥̾̿̈́̌̇N̴̦͈̫̿̏̉͌̓͜ͅG̴̻̯͎̯̎͛̋̆̈́͜Ę̶̜̼̹̲̓̇͑̄̓ ̷͔͔͖̭̔̊̅̾̈́͜G̸̪̦͍͉̟͊̈́͒̄̒R̵̛̩̜̩̖̲̃͌́͌A̶̧̲̤̗͇͗͂̈̏̊M̸̫̬̼͕̺͋̿̉͆͌P̷̧̤̜̜̥͌̍͐̇͐S̴̞̞̗̭͕̄̓̅́͠.̴̜̪̳͖̃̌̄͘͘ͅ ̶̪͔̗͖̌̏͛̊͘͜S̴̮̫̫̼͓̈̅͌͘͝Ä̵̠̞͙̯́̊̋̓̓ͅV̶̨͚̞͚̲̂̾̓̄̾E̶̡̡̧͔̘͛̎̍̈́͠ ̷̛̮͇̜͇͆̈́́̚͜K̴̳͕͕̦͒͌͒̈́̐ͅÄ̷̱̰̙͙̪́̾̂̑͘Ị̴̣̺̱̫͋̀̽̊̃G̸̨̲͈͇̦͛̈́̾͝͝Ạ̶̗̯̞̦͛̀̏̀͠K̷̳̥̭̻̈͊̀̂̕ͅǗ̶̧̝̥̥͙̓̎͌͘.̴͈̫͈̹͉͒͂͒̀͒

She could only focus on the sounds of deep fear emanating from every fiber of Kaigaku. She needed to stop him from doing something stupid, something he would regret later.

At the mountain's pinnacle, Zenko's yellow-glowing eyes scanned the scene erratically. Feeling as though her mind were divided into countless pieces, each functioning differently. One part attempted to search for Gramps' killer, registering nothing, despite the fact she was hearing something emitting a crushing and paralyzing demonic sound that she didn't think was possible to exist. Another part tried to ascertain if Gramps' body was in the area, but there was a profound confusion in her perception of height, length and width. She was seeing but not understanding. The only part that vaguely functioned was the recognition of Kaigaku's face, yet even with that, there was a sense of displacement, as if something wasn't quite right. Was it because she had used something similar to a breathing technique to climb the mountain? Was she expending too much energy?

Zenko heard an unfamiliar voice uttering slow, unintelligible words that she couldn't quite register, only for the demonic sound to vanish shortly afterwards. She was attempting to focus on the one thing that seemed to make some sense, which was Kaigaku. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her, an expression of astonishment and fear etched across his features.

Her black-haired senior turned his back on her, attempting to escape, triggering something new inside the blonde. Zenko dashed forward, like a predator in pursuit of its prey, quickly closing the distance between them. Her body collided against his, sending them both down the mountain, to a crash that would mangle Kaigaku's human body.

̶̪͔̗͖̌̏͛̊͘͜S̴̮̫̫̼͓̈̅͌͘͝Ä̵̠̞͙̯́̊̋̓̓ͅV̶̨͚̞͚̲̂̾̓̄̾E̶̡̡̧͔̘͛̎̍̈́͠ ̷̛̮͇̜͇͆̈́́̚͜K̴̳͕͕̦͒͌͒̈́̐ͅÄ̷̱̰̙͙̪́̾̂̑͘Ị̴̣̺̱̫͋̀̽̊̃G̸̨̲͈͇̦͛̈́̾͝͝Ạ̶̗̯̞̦͛̀̏̀͠K̷̳̥̭̻̈͊̀̂̕ͅǗ̶̧̝̥̥͙̓̎͌͘.̴͈̫͈̹͉͒͂͒̀͒

Zenko embraced his body against hers, trying to shield him, which made her realize that she was now a few inches taller than Kaigaku. Her mind was working with all it had to recall what Gramps had taught them about falls.

She bent her knees, using her stronger legs against the surface of the declivity, attempting to mitigate some of the impact when they landed. The ledges and lower cliffs of the mountain further broke their fall until they landed on one of the many trees in the valley, excruciating pain spreading throughout her. She landed feet-first and then on her back, feeling the impact on her internal organs, the adrenaline from the fall distracting her from the pain. They would be dead if she weren't a demon.

Kaigaku was on top of her and began to shift. The more rational part of her brain wished he would stay still, even though she had borne the brunt of the impact, she had heard fractures in his ribs and his ankle joint. He was panting. Despite the pain the black haired felt with each inhalation, Kaigaku was focusing his breathing to stop internal bleeding. Zenko shifted her own body, changing their positions so his weight didn't rest on his broken ribs and for him to stabilize his spine. She had been holding him the entire time.

Now on top of the boy, she felt her body shrinking against him, his uniform fabric against her skin, until blue-green eyes entered her field of vision. In this position, she realized that she had been crying incessantly, her tears falling onto his face. She could hear his blood running abnormally fast. Zenko told herself it was because of his stabilizing breathing.

̶̪͔̗͖̌̏͛̊͘͜S̴̮̫̫̼͓̈̅͌͘͝Ä̵̠̞͙̯́̊̋̓̓ͅV̶̨͚̞͚̲̂̾̓̄̾E̶̡̡̧͔̘͛̎̍̈́͠ ̷̛̮͇̜͇͆̈́́̚

"J̶̮͉̜̪͚̑̐̐̀͋I̸̙̼̪̣͍͒̉́̒̋G̸̭͙͔̦̩̈́͂̌̾́Ȍ̴̤̜͖̜̱͒̾̃͝R̴͈̻̪͉̘̓́̓͊͑O̴͈͔̗̗̰͒͐̐͗̿K̴̳͓̜̤̥̃́̈́̈̈́A̷̙̯͚̜͋̽́͌̆͜I̷̬̩͇̘̣͗̌̓͌͒Ġ̵̛͇̘̞͔͛̉̕͜A̴̛͓̻̻͚̘̓̔̌͘K̷̡̻͓̰̠͌͐͑͂̕Ů̷̯̺̻͇̯͆̾̓̚J̷̙͉̠̮̿͗́̊̓ͅÏ̵̟͉͇̖̣̿̇̀̀G̴̺͚̝̱̹̓̾͋͆͂Ơ̸̖͓͍̝̯̐̍̐̈́Ŗ̴͉̱͔̦͌͗̈̊̉O̵͍̜̦̬͇͒͐̊̍͋J̶̮͉̜̪͚̑̐̐̀͋I̸̙̼̪̣͍͒̉́̒̋G̸̭͙͔̦̩̈́͂̌̾́Ȍ̴̤̜͖̜̱͒̾̃͝R̴͈̻̪͉̘̓́̓͊͑O̴͈͔̗̗̰͒͐̐͗̿K̴̳͓̜̤̥̃́̈́̈̈́A̷̙̯͚̜͋̽́͌̆͜I̷̬̩͇̘̣͗̌̓͌͒Ġ̵̛͇̘̞͔͛̉̕͜A̴̛͓̻̻͚̘̓̔̌͘K̷̡̻͓̰̠͌͐͑͂̕Ů̷̯̺̻͇̯͆̾̓̚J̷̙͉̠̮̿͗́̊̓ͅÏ̵̟͉͇̖̣̿̇̀̀G̴̺͚̝̱̹̓̾͋͆͂Ơ̸̖͓͍̝̯̐̍̐̈́Ŗ̴͉̱͔̦͌͗̈̊̉O̵͍̜̦̬͇͒͐̊̍͋J̶̮͉̜̪͚̑̐̐̀͋I̸̙̼̪̣͍͒̉́̒̋G̸̭͙͔̦̩̈́͂̌̾́Ȍ̴̤̜͖̜̱͒̾̃͝R̴͈̻̪͉̘̓́̓͊͑O̴͈͔̗̗̰͒͐̐͗̿K̴̳͓̜̤̥̃́̈́̈̈́A̷̙̯͚̜͋̽́͌̆͜I̷̬̩͇̘̣͗̌̓͌͒Ġ̵̛͇̘̞͔͛̉̕͜A̴̛͓̻̻͚̘̓̔̌͘K̷̡̻͓̰̠͌͐͑͂̕Ů̷̯̺̻͇̯͆̾̓̚J̷̙͉̠̮̿͗́̊̓ͅÏ̵̟͉͇̖̣̿̇̀̀G̴̺͚̝̱̹̓̾͋͆͂Ơ̸̖͓͍̝̯̐̍̐̈́Ŗ̴͉̱͔̦͌͗̈̊̉O̵͍̜̦̬͇͒͐̊̍͋K̸͉͓͚͙̻͗́̌̐̈́A̵̻̯͔̲͓̓̅̓̅̃I̵̡̠̯͓̤͗̏̇̊̿ga-ku, Kai-gak-u-sen-pa-i...!" She was sobbing now, her distorted voice returning to normal.. "Gra-am-mps is dea-... You-u ar-e...hurt. Yo-ou…alm-ost…di-ed!"

She could see in his eyes that despite his focus on making his body functional again, he was dazed and battered, a storm of conflicted emotions raging within him, from uncertainty, to rage, to a glimpse of expectation, to strangeness.

̷̛̮͇̜͇͆̈́́̚͜K̴̳͕͕̦͒͌͒̈́̐ͅÄ̷̱̰̙͙̪́̾̂̑͘Ị̴̣̺̱̫͋̀̽̊̃G̸̨̲͈͇̦͛̈́̾͝͝Ạ̶̗̯̞̦͛̀̏̀͠K̷̳̥̭̻̈͊̀̂̕ͅǗ̶̧̝̥̥͙̓̎͌͘.̴͈̫͈̹͉͒͂͒̀͒

"Pl-ease, don-" And then she felt her body suddenly shutting down and going limp against her senior's, her vision becoming acutely blurry. Too much energy for transformation, too much for running, too much for falling, too much for talking. Maybe it was because, at that moment, her consciousness was wired and focused on Gramps and Kaigaku, or maybe it was because her head fell onto the crook of his neck, but she could hear his voice as if he was speaking from inside her.

"You-..! Oi, get...out!…" She could feel him taking her body off his quickly, but for some reason not in the rude way she would expect from him."You have…some nerve, twee!"

Yes, that's the Kaigaku she knew. Seems he was okay, ego intact and all. Now she could see, through her foggy eyes, through the treetops, the sky starting to change its colors; dawn would soon be breaking. Would...she die today? She didn't really want to...

Kaigaku growled near her, rising to his feet. She was hearing his conflicting emotions, his concerns, his anxiety, and a peculiar fear that he couldn't put into words. An apprehension that seemed to dance around the notion of her potentially consuming him, literally and figuratively. The realization that her maximized ability to hear people's sounds had exposed this fact to her left Zenko with a mix of curiosity and sadness. He was walking away. He was leaving her.

She forced herself to adjust her own body, channeling a strength she didn't know she still possessed, compelling herself to face the broad back of her senior who was slowly moving away.

"Whe-ere are you going? What abo-bout Gramps? Wha-at about…?" me, she wanted to ask, but couldn't muster the courage to complete the sentence.

"What do you think?" Kaigaku stopped, looking at the daybreaking sky for any sign of Kasugai crows, never turning to Zenko. "The Corps probably already know that master was killed by a demon. He was a former Hashira, so they will give him a dignified burial. As for you," He began, straightening his body, voice slow. "Eat an animal, run, hide, do what you can to survive."

She felt agony's hand twisting her heart inside her weakened body. "There isn't…so-something I could do?"

"There's a case of a demon traveling with a demon slayer inside the Corps, but it's a different situation. This demon has spent more than two years without eating humans, while you are still a newborn, your body's still getting used to it." To her enhanced hearing, his doubts were echoing in the air. The perplexity in his inner voice resonated: He knew she hated him, he had gone the extra mile to make that happen, so why? Why did she save him? Why didn't she try to eat him? She could be weakened but why wasn't she trying to attack him now? Why? Why?

The intricacies of his internal dialogue unfolded like a whispered symphony in her ears, a melody of confusion.

Zenko could understand Kaigaku's point, for all they knew, they couldn't estimate how long she could go without human flesh or if she could control her own demon instincts when they really kick in. But…if another demon did it, if they could suppress the murder intent, she could too, right? There was still hope…right? But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was utterly alone, without Gramps, and Kaigaku certainly wouldn't want to help her in any integration within the Corps. To be honest, she probably was lucky that he didn't have his sword right now.

She closed her crying eyes. She would really have to spend the rest of her living days like some wild animal, preying on living beings, burying her dreams and everything Gramps had taught her, until the day someone would cut her head off? She couldn't do this, she couldn't possibly…

The black haired started to walk again and her survival instincts began operating: "Do something! He is the only one that can help you right now!"

"W-Wait! Please, wa-it! Help me, Kaiga-ku-senpai! Plea-se, don't le-leave me here!" She asked him, finally wobbly standing up, without leaving the small shadow of the Japanese maple tree that was protecting her in the beginning dawn. "Please, I-I'll do anything to repay yo-u!"

"Are you really that nitwit?! Are you even listening to yourself?!" Kaigaku was full on facing her again, a deep furrow of anger contorting his expression. "If you don't, then listen to this: get out! You have caused me enough trouble already, you selfish brat!"

Zenko choked on her running tears. She thought the pain of her muscles and bone cells destroying and remodeling themselves to accommodate her new demon body was the worst pain she had ever felt in her entire life, but Kaigaku's words and rejection seemed to amplify and contort something deep within her core. She no longer had Gramps, nor even her own humanity. In the end, to be honest, she didn't even know what she expected from Kaigaku: shared grief, sympathy for having lost the same master, pity, anything she could faintly linger on in her abruptly changing world?

"Please! Kaigaku-senp-"

"Beat it!" He was intransigent. Kaigaku had already turned in his heels and was walking away much faster than before. Her tears and her sadness made her deaf to his own internal conflict, boring heavily on his shoulders as he left her.

As the sun began to rise in the east, Kaigaku found himself in a moral quandary. There she was, Zenko, his feeble junior, now a demon, battered and bruised, calling out to him. Her plea cut through the dawn like a haunting melody, one that played on a dormant string of his conscience. He knew, deep down, that helping her was the most dignified thing to do, especially after she saved his life twice. And he wasn't the type to owe people.Yet, as he stood there, torn between duty and pride, a different part of him screamed louder: it's Zenko – and she is a demon now. Stay away. You have nothing to do with her. So he started to walk, faster than before. He chose to listen to that selfish voice, burying inside him an unshakable sense of inner turmoil.

It wasn't his place to parent a whining grown-up woman who couldn't do anything on her own, and still behaved like a child. It wasn't his place to help a person who had strived much less and had received things much more easily than him. If Master Kuwajima wanted to play this role – fine, to each his own. He already had too much trouble, too much to manage to not end up crazy or killed by some random demon. Now that their master was no longer with them, what reason did Zenko even have to enter the Corps? Marriage? He almost spat on the ground in disgust.

Kaigaku should be thankful he would never see her again. Yes, that's what he should do. He shouldn't have to fight to suppress the tightness that twisted his chest at the thought of the death of his former master, the one who took him in and gave him food, a surname and a future. He shouldn't have to fight the little voice that said, in the back of his head, that he had been too harsh on Zenko and that he should be more lenient since their master had passed away just a few hours ago. And above all else, he definitely shouldn't have to fight the desire to make her stop crying, even if it meant having to go back to her. This was his weakness trying to get the best of him, trying to slow him down. It was a day to celebrate: there was nothing else that should be weighing on him, holding him back. Yes, he should celebrate.

That was what Kaigaku was telling himself, until a shrieking, feminine scream interrupted his thoughts, piercing through his entire being and the nauseating, steaky and rancid smell of burning flesh assaulted his nostrils.

TAISHO WHISPERS AND SECRETS:

It had been three days since Zenko had tried to escape Gramps' training for the first time. She had attempted to run away shortly after lunch while Gramps supervised Kaigaku's training and gave him feedback on the older boy's application of the Fourth Form of Thunder Breathing. She had really grown attached to them and had felt ungrateful for leaving like that, especially after Gramps had taken her out of her life debt and prevented who knows what from happening to Zenko. But the old man really didn't seem to understand the limits of the human body, making the blond girl work hard constantly, get minimal hours of sleep, and sit under a freezing waterfall for hours. And she hadn't even started training with a sword yet!

What was Gramps thinking? She was a delicate little lady! She shouldn't be exhausting herself like this; she should be getting ready to get married and start a family! Although she was truly grateful to Gramps because he did make her training lighter than Kaigaku's. Allegedly, shortly after the boy's arrival, Gramps made him carry a heavy load of rocks up a steep mountainside, simulating the harsh conditions of demon-infested terrains. Something that young Kaigaku seemed to do without complaining. Oh, well, each person has a different limit, right?

She had left a farewell letter hidden in her futon, but apparently, this had not appeased the old man's anger, as he had caught up to her when she was already a few jō away from the main gate and carried her back to the mansion, lecturing her. Despite the scare, she was genuinely impressed: Gramps was awesome; he was really fast and strong for his age!

"Go home." It appears that, as her senior, Kaigaku thought that now was the best time for him to offer her his first piece of advice, judgemental eyes looking her up and down. "The master must have surely been mistaken in thinking you could become a swordswoman. You will only make him waste his time."

Startled, she turned to the black-haired teen; she hadn't heard him come in. His words stung, and she couldn't help but wonder if there was any truth to them. "I'm really sorry for trying to run away. B-but, senpai, have you never tried to escape training before?" she tried to reason with him.

"You really have no common sense." He tsk'ed. "Don't count me in with the likes of you. Do I look like some weak, spoiled brat? You really should leave. Go home."

The blonde felt a sharp twinge in her chest as Kaigaku's hurtful words echoed. If before he was suspicious of Zenko, now he held a full grudge against her. She looked down.

"Even if I wanted to, I don't have a place to go back to," she began, her voice low. "Gram—"

"Then," he cut her off, his voice irritated, looking at her. "Maybe you should just consider getting lost." And he left.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

¹ koto = the national instrument of Japan, a long board zither having 13 silk strings and movable bridges.

² 'wife' = "Agatsuma" (我あが妻) = "my wife" – he isn't saying she is his wife, but joking on her surname.

³ 'jō' = approximately 3,030 m

I thought it would be interesting to add another point of view, closer to the manga's, but still with some proximity and affection for Kaigaku. I also want to show how, depending on the narrative, we tend to like certain characters more than others, as I believe his case was that of being a victim of this. Please have a little patience with him. Also, a huge thanks to everyone who supports this story; I really appreciate it. You give me a lot of strength to continue!