Here's the next chapter, hope you'll enjoy it.

wellingtonlucas282 - No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Djinn - Thanks so much. Definitely, it's going to be pretty hard for him for a while, but he will overcome it. Hope you'll enjoy the next chapter.

Idknows - Thank you. Having a blind slayer as an OC has probably be done before, but having fun writing stories is more important then originality. This is definitely going to be a training chapter for the most part, but I've got something else planned for the ending.

Guest - Thanks so much and you're right about him being like Toph. In both ability and the fact there's going to be a lot of blind jokes that he will have to suffer through. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Thanks for reviewing :)

Chapter 4: The Next Two Years

One Week Later

Atop a mountain in northern Honshu, high above the clouds and away from where human eyes can see, a gentle song played. The song was sweet and simple, echoing across the mountains and tress. It flowed through the air, twisting and turning as it moved with the breeze as if sound and nature were dancing together in harmony. If one were to hear its sound; they might think that the world and the universe were at peace with each-

SQUEAK!

SWISH!

SMACK!

"OW!"

...oh never mind.

"You did it again!" Yamamoto called up to Michael, "Play it properly! The sun's almost completely up!"

Michael growled as he rubbed his aching head, "Can you stop throwing rocks at me! It isn't helping me concentrate!"

"Ha! Next week, I'm planning on throwing rocks at you whether you play it right or not! So you better get used to it! What is that song anyway!? I never heard it before?"

"It's called Greensleeves! It's a traditional...English...folk song!"

"Sounds boring!"

"It's the only song...I know!" Michael shouted down at him before he raised the shakuhachi to his lips and began playing again.

It had been one week since Yamamoto decided to train Michael and he can firmly said that he was in hell. One week of training and his body was racked with pain with bruises, aches and other injuries. Every morning, he will have to climb up the podium, sit eastwards and play the shakuhachi until the sun had risen so he can immerse himself with the wind and train his Total Concentration Breathing. If he stopped, made a mistake or whenever his sensei was bored, he would have a pebble smacked against the side of his head. After that was late morning training. This involved push ups, sit ups, press ups, leg exercises, punching water in buckets and many, many more agonising exercises. Then at midday, he had to run up and down the mountain path; which was by far the most terrifying exercise. He had lost count how many times he had fallen into bushes, slammed into trees, almost attacked by wild animals or just simply got lost. Once he managed to find his way back up again, he was allowed a brief break before moving onto his sword training which...goes as well as you might think. Finally, he plays his shakuhachi towards the west as the sun goes down. This was made even more worse when Michael decided to shave his red hair off into a buzz cut. He did this, because Yamamoto said it will help him immerse himself with the wind and it's would be easier to train without it.

This was more or less torture, but he understood why Yamamoto was doing this to him. Being blind, he has to work twice as hard to adapt to any terrain or circumstances and the best way of doing that is by not relying on walking sticks or guides. He may not feel it now, but soon he was get into the routine, he will become stronger, faster, better. There was no way he was giving up now, he was committed to this.

SQUEAK!

SWISH!

SMACK!

"OW! Stop it!"

One Month Later

Michael gritted his teeth as he tried to do a press up in the courtyard of Yamamoto's home. This wouldn't usually be a problem, but his sensei had decided to give him more work by pushing him back down with his foot on his back. He fought against the old man as he tried to straighten his arms until.

"Come on. You're not done yet," his sensei sighed, "five more to go."

'Damn you, old man! I'm going as fast as I can!' Michael thought bitterly as he pushed himself up and then lowered himself down, all the while counting in his head, 'ninety six...ninety seven...ninety eight...ninety nine..."

"And that's one hundred," Yamamoto muttered as he took his foot off him, causing him to collapse onto the floor, "No time to rest now. Do your next set."

Michael rolled into a sitting position but stopped for a few seconds, "I've been thinking-"

"Sounds dangerous."

"Shut up!" he snapped before sighing, "Why did Muzan bother to buy my father's property? If he was just going to destroy the place then what's the point of meeting me?" he asked with a thoughtful frown, "Was it to see if I was a threat?"

He heard Yamamoto hum and sit beside him on the ground, "It's...possible. But nobody truly knows what that demon's intentions are. Even his subordinates are too terrified of him to know. He's a mystery."

"The Corps have been around for so long; how does nobody know yet?"

"He keeps to himself, watching everything and anyone from afar like a venomous snake hiding in its nest and waiting for its helpless prey to come along," Yamomoto growled, "He likes to let other demons do the work for him, enticing them by promising them whatever they desire and keeping the enslaved by fear. Muzan may be unconfrontational, but it is always the quiet ones that are the most dangerous. Scheming, secretive and pure evil. In fact, as far as we know, you're the only person in decades who have met him face to face and come out alive. Most hashiras spend their entire lives never having caught a glimpse of him."

Michael hummed, "Clever...cowardly, but clever No wonder he's been around for so long. You can't create waves if you never put your foot in the water in the first place. It might also explain why he brought my father's property. If he just took it away, it would arouse too much suspicion from my father's family and company," he said, mainly to himself, "But...why do I feel like that wasn't the only reason he wanted to meet me?"

He didn't hear a response from his sensei for a while. Eventually he heard him hum tiredly before getting back up to his feet.

"That...I do not know. I wish I could tell you, but those things are none of my business and you have to find out on your own," he admitted, earning a reluctant nod from his pupil "However, there is one thing I am aware of."

Michael raised a curious eyebrow, "What's that?"

"You're not doing your push ups!" he shouted crossly, causing him to sweat drop, "Get to it, boy!"

He felt Yamamoto's foot push him down onto his back and pinning him down on the ground, causing him to grunt in pain.

"I hate you," he muttered as he began his next set.

Six Months Later

Michael ran down the mountain path at full sprint, hearing the soft crunch of snow beneath his feet and the cold winds battering against his body. The only source of warmth was the thin winter yukata, his winter boots and his short hair. Six months ago, he wouldn't have dared sprint or run down or up the path with his disability and this part of the training would take him hours, but since he's been doing everyday for half a year, he has got used to the route. Even with the thick blanket of snow he knows whether the path bends left or right or if there's a pothole or dip or whether there was an obstacle he could trip on. It was all in his head, a giant map engraved into his mind and he was determined to this part of the training in under two hours.

'...the path bends to the right in fifty feet at the row of bushes on the side of the road, then it becomes steep drop for eighty feet before sharply turning left...' he thought to himself, '...make sure to jump over the bump halfway down and avoid the fallen tree at the second bend. After that it will be...'

"Look, here he comes!"

"Shh! He'll hear you!"

"You're being louder then him, you moron."

Michael slowed down to a jog at the hushed voices. They sounded young, two boys and a girl, and seemed to be coming from the bushes up ahead. He raised an eyebrow curiously.

'Must be the children from the village. Did they come up all they way here just to see me?' he thought with a deep frown.

That's when he got an idea. He stopped suddenly, turned around and ran up the path again, knowing that a rocky outcrop would keep him hidden from their line of sight. After knowing he can't be seen, he left the path and into the thick forest, so he could sneak up to the voices. He could picture them hiding behind the shrubs, poking there heads out just to see if he was coming.

"What!? He's gone!" one of the boys exclaimed.

"What do you mean he's gone!? You said he was coming this way!" the other boy shouted aggressively.

"He ran up the path again. You don't think he got lost?" the first boy asked worriedly.

"He'll probably heard you shouting!"

"You're the only one shouting, Masashi," the girl sighed.

"I think you were all being pretty loud," Michael calmly said from behind them. The children yelped in surprise as he heard them get to there feet to look back at him. He gave all of them a serious look, "What are you three doing up here? It's dangerous to travel up on your own, especially at this time of year."

One of the boys, Masashi he thought, growled in irritation, "Hey! We ain't scared of some snow!"

"You should be more worried about the wild animals looking for food," Michael corrected, causing him to gulp nervously, "Now, don't avoid my question. Why are you up here?"

"We wanted to see the eyeless oni," the other boy cheerfully answered, causing Michael to cringe slightly, "Satoshi told us all about it and how it lives on the mountain!"

'Satoshi...that was the boy I scared back then,' he thought as he felt his heart drop in sadness, 'He still thinks I'm some sort of monster.'

The girl sighed irritably, "Chimana, you don't really believe Satoshi do you?"

"But look, he's blind. He must be the oni, Fuyumi," Masashi declared, "Satoshi was right."

Michael mentally sighed, 'That hurts, but they're just kids who don't know any better,' he thought before he hummed thoughtfully, "Me, an oni? Tell me, what do these oni look like?"

"They've got horns on their heads, razor sharp teeth and claws," Chimana chirped.

"They're tall with blue, red or green skin," Fuyumi droned in reply.

"And they always carry a club so they can smash up trees and crush people to death!" jeered Masashi.

"Huh? But I heard some of them are good," Chimana said in confusion.

"Don't be stupid! Why would they have a club if they were good!?"

"…maybe they like to play sports with them."

As the two boys argued with each other, Fuyumi sighed irritation, "This is what I have to deal with every day," she told Michael, causing him to hum impatiently.

Michael cleared his throat to gain their attention once again, "So an oni has horns, sharp teeth and claws, are tall, have unusual coloured skin and carry a club with them. Do I have any of the features?"

The children fell silent for a moment, considering what he said. Eventually, Fuyumi was the first to speak.

"I mean, you're quite tall," she answered indifferently, "but other then that you look normal."

"Huh!" Masashi exclaimed in shock, "He could be in disguise-"

"Or I could just be a normal human being," Michael said with a raised eyebrow, "Which one do you think is more likely?"

The boys sighed in disappointment, "The second one."

"Told you," Fuyumi snarked.

Michael nodded towards the path, urging them to down it, "Come on. I better lead you guys home before your families start to worry."

Fuyumi hmphed snobbishly as they began to walk, "You will us lead us?"

Without looking down at her, Michael replied, "Careful of that tree root."

"What?" she questioned.

Suddenly, she yelped in surprise as she tripped over an uprooted tree root hidden in the snow. She would have fallen on her face if Michael hadn't grabbed the back of her yukata and pulled her back onto her feet. After a few seconds, she muttered an embarrassed thank you which caused the boys to giggle at her expense. However, judging by how they stopped suddenly, Michael assumed that Fuyumi gave them a stern glare.

"So, if you're not an oni, then what are you?" Chimana questioned curiously, "Your accent is weird and your hair is red. Are you from Kyushu?"

"No, of course not. I'm actually from further away then Japan," he answered stoically.

"Russia?" he asked again.

"Close, but I'm actually from Great Britain. It's an island on the other side world."

"Wow!" Chimana cried, "There are people living on the other side of the world! How do they stay on the ground without falling off!?"

Michael hummed in concern while Fuyumi and Masashi sighed tiredly at their friend's antics, 'He's not the brightest kid, is he?' he thought before he decided to change the subject, "So you know me, but I don't know you. Would you mind describing yourselves? It'll be a great help to me."

Masashi gave a prideful laugh "Sure, the name's Masashi. I've got short dark brown hair, brown eyes and I'm the leader of this group. As well as the most handsomest."

"He likes to pretend his the leader," Fuyumi said in a monotone voice, "and he looks like a snapping turtle that was punched in the face..."

"Hey!" Masashi cried out in offence.

"...my name is Fuyumi, I have black hair tied into two ponytails, light brown eyes and I'm the reason these two idiots haven't injured themselves yet."

"She's really good at it, as well," Chimana eagerly told him, "Last week, she stopped me from climbing up a tree."

"Why did you want to climb up a tree?" Michael inquired.

"I wanted to know where a squirrel was storing its nuts," he answered honestly causing him to sweat drop, "Oh and my name is Chimana. I have short black hair as well and...I don't know what else I can describe about myself."

"You could say how chubby you are," Fuyumi suggested.

"Oh yeah, like a sumo wrestler," Chimana laughed, "What's you name?"

"It's Michael."

"Weird name," Masashi muttered, earning an annoyed hum from the older teen, "How did you lose your eyes."

He hesitated slightly, his hands tightened into fists and his teeth gritted together as fury filled his body. However, he took a deep breath and calmed down. The last thing he wanted to do is scare anymore children.

"They were taken...by a bear," he answered in an even tone.

They continued their journey down the snowy mountain. All they way down, the children (although mainly Chimana) would question him about where he was from, his likes and dislikes, why he spoke in a funny accent and a lot more other things. Michael tried his best to answer all of their questions to the best of his knowledge. Luckily, they didn't bring up his eyes again. It wasn't until half an hour later that they reached the foot of the mountain with the village not too far away down the road when the children suddenly stopped in front of him.

"Oh no," Masashi uttered in despair.

Michael frowned in confusion, wondering what was going on, when he heard a shout from up ahead.

"There you are, you little brat!" a feminine slightly older voice said as it stomped closer to them, "Where the hell have you three been!? We've and your families have been looking all over for you!"

Masashi sighed, "Calm down, sis. We hadn't done any- OW OW OW!" he suddenly screamed, "STOP PULLING MY EAR!"

"Then don't tell me to calm down. Be respectful to your elders," she scolded firmly.

Judging by their voice and where it was coming from, Michael could tell that the new person was a young woman around the same age as him. It was clear that she took her position as the 'older sister' very seriously, she spoke in a firm tone, but there were hints of compassion within it as if, deep down, she was really concerned for her younger brother.

"Look, Ami," Chimana proclaimed, as he tugged on Michael's sleeve, "We found the eyeless oni..."

"We already established he wasn't an oni," Fuyumi sighed.

"...Oh right, we found the eyeless human being that Satoshi was telling us about," he corrected himself.

Slap!

"Ow!" Chimana yelped.

"Don't call him that," the now named Ami scolded as well, before she spoke to Michael in a softer tone, "I'm really sorry about him. They haven't been a nuisance to you have they?"

Michael shook his head impassively, "Oh no. I heard them playing up on the mountain, so I thought I bring them down before they get properly lost."

"Up on the mountain, huh? Despite me telling them to never go up there when it's snowing," she deadpanned, causing the children to gulp in fear. She cleared he throat and spoke in her gentle voice, "I'm Takahashi Ami. Thanks so much for bringing them down. You're the foreigner staying with the old man, right?"

"Yes, you're correct. My name is Michael," he told her before he bowed to her, "I'm his student and...mochi deliverer," he joked, earning a small giggle from her.

"Oh, you're a student. What are you being taught?"

Michael hesitated slightly, 'It's probably not a good idea to tell them about the Corps or demons. I should be vague about it,' he decided, "Just training...on how to live now that I'm...now that I'm blind."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, honestly," he told her with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I'm also training in martial arts. My physical health was less then...great. I was more or less skin and bones in the beginning."

He heard Ami clear her throat shyly, causing him to raise an eyebrow in confusion, "Well, it must be...err...working, because...well...you look...really great."

"Why's Ami staring at his chest, like that?" he heard Chimana ask his friends, earning an embarrassed squeak from Ami.

"She's probably trying to flirt with him," Masashi answered indifferently.

With one swift move, he heard Ami smacked her brother over the head, "When we get home, you're going to pay for that," she whispered thought gritted teeth, "Also I wasn't staring at his chest, Chimana," she said, making sure she was loud enough for Michael to hear, "I thought I just saw a cicada on his yukata, that's all."

"It's winter," Fuyumi pointed out.

"Which is why I was so confused," Ami shot back before she turned back to Michael, "Sorry about that. Kids just love to lie like that."

"Right," Michael uttered, bemused by what just happened, "Anyway I should be going back now. I'm glad that everyone is safe."

"Wait, you're going up again?" Ami asked, "You don't even have anything to cover your head. You must be freezing."

He shrugged indifferently, "It's fine, I'm use to it."

"You shouldn't be use to it," Ami scolded in the same tone that she talks to her younger brother, "You need at least something to keep the snow off you otherwise you'll die of hypothermia before you reach the summit. Don't be so irresponsible," she chided, "Masashi, go home and retrieve dad's old sugegasa."

"Why do I have to-"

"Now," she demanded.

The young boy sighed and he heard him run off into the village. A few minutes later, he heard his return and he heard him pass his sister something as he grumbled in annoyance. Michael was about to ask what was going on when he felt a weight placed upon his head and Ami place a string under his chin. Confused, he reached up and his hand collided with the brim of the thing on his head. He reached up further and found it was conical-shaped hat made of woven straw. It felt smooth under his fingertips, but it felt strong enough to keep the snow off him, making his head feel much warmer.

"There you are," Ami happily chirped, "It's not the warmest headwear and it's out of season, but it should do the trick."

"It also covers your blindfold if you tilt your head in a certain way," Chimana spoke up, "Now nobody has to look at it."

"Not like it was a problem in the first place," Ami said in a warning tone, "What do you think?"

Michael inspected the brim of it, feeling the wind go under it and wave over his head soothingly. The sugegasa felt like it was concentrating the flow of the breeze, making it easier for him to immerse himself with. This could be great for his training. Also, if what Chimana said was true, maybe he would look less...scary. The day with Satoshi still haunts his dreams, he really didn't want a repeat of it.

After what felt like years, Michael felt a small smile on his face, "It's...generous of you, thank you so much," he told her, "Are you sure I can keep it?"

"Yeah, of course. We can always make more," she told him, "Are you sure you have to go back. We've got a kotatsu you can warm up under."

"Thank you, but maybe next time. My sensei will have my head if I stay out for too long. It was lovely meeting you all," he said stoically as he turned to leave.

"Goodbye," Ami and Fuyumi called out to him.

"Bye," Masashi murmured.

"Goodbye eyeless oni-oh I mean-Michael," Chimana corrected himself as Ami shot him a glare.

They watched him start to climb up the mountain path until he was out of sight. Ami, however, frowned in concern, hoping that he will be alright getting up there.

"Maybe I should go with him," she said out loud, "What happens if he gets lost."

"He's fine," Fuyumi said in a monotone voice, "He was able to get down without our help. He told us he knows the path like the back of his hand."

The older girl blinked in surprise, "What really?" she asked before she looked up at the direction he left in, "That's impressive."

Masashi sighed smugly, "Oh sis, your so shameless. No wonder you haven't got a fiancée ye-"

She immediately threw a snowball into his face, shutting him up before he could finish his sentence.

Five Months Later

The sound of wood clacking together can be heard throughout the courtyard as Michael and Yamamoto did their afternoon spar.

The young man, still wearing his sugegasa, sensed his sensei coming from the right and dodged to his left, the bokkon sword missing him by a hair. He readied his own sword and swung it in a wide arc towards his opponent's shoulder. It was parried before he could get close, so he reared the sword back and aimed for his stomach in a fluid motion, but it was blocked as well.

A sharp kick from Yamamoto caused him to stumble backwards and he only managed to find his footing before ducking under the former hashira's wide swing aimed his neck. Michael rolled out of the way and instantly got into his stance.

He found the direction his opponent was and focused on his breathing. He inhaled through his nose for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1 seconds before exhaling through his mouth for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1 seconds.

He felt his blood pump through his arteries, his muscles tense and his concentration become stronger and stronger. He felt the wind whip around him, guiding him towards his target. He breathed in and out again...and again...and again. Until he released the built-up tension in one go, taking off into a sprint and rearing his sword into the air as fast as lightning. He was halfway to his target, confidence growing in him when suddenly...he breathed incorrectly.

Michael fell to the ground on his hands and knees as he began to cough violently. His lungs felt as if they were on fire and his muscles, that felt so powerful, were now racked with pain. He began to feel dizzy at the sudden drop of oxygen to his brain and his arms began to shake beneath him. He felt Yamamoto pat his back comfortingly as he continued to cough and choke on the courtyard.

"It was a good attempt, boy," he said, "But you still need more training."

An entire year has past since he first began his training. In some ways, things have improved. With a steady diet and daily exercise, Michael had gone through a very late growth spurt. Before coming to Japan he was five foot eight inches, but now he had grown to six foot two inches and he had a rather toned body. He wasn't overly muscular, but he felt much better then how he originally was. Another thing that has improved was his special awareness. He can comfortably navigate himself around Yamamoto's house, the mountain path and the village at its foot as if he could see. He still meets up with Ami, her brother and his friends ever so often. They would always invite him to lunch, but he would politely decline every time. It's not as if he wouldn't want to, but his training was much more important and he can't get distracted. He, however, still wore the sugegase she gave him as he grew accustomed to it. Yamamoto was not lenient to having him wear it at first, but Michael managed to convince after he said that it was an improvement.

He felt stronger, faster and better, but there were things that haven't improved as much. The main thing was his Total Concentration Breathing. He has greatly improved his shakuhachi playing and has expanded his repertoire from just Greensleeves (although he does play it sometimes just to annoy Yamamoto), but no matter how much or how long he plays, he still can't manage to get a hang on his breathing. What happened during the spar was the closest he had ever got to using it. Another thing was that he still hadn't mastered Wind Breathing or obtained a good fighting stance. Yamamoto insists he needs to be one with the wind, but there was something just holding him back, preventing him from going forwards.

It was frustrating to say the least.

Michael had finally got over his coughing fit and sat on the courtyard in disappointment, "What am I doing wrong?"

"You're not doing anything wrong," Yamamoto sighed, "You just need more training."

"No, that can't be it. There's just something that's stopping me from proceeding...it's like-"

"You still doubt everything that's happening," Yamamoto said, interrupting him.

At first, Michael was going to deny it. How could he doubt everything after what he's been through: the demons, the Corps, the days and months of training. But after thinking about it for a few seconds, Michael realised that he was right. He didn't feel like any of this was real. It was as if his logic side of him wouldn't allow him.

"Y-yes," Michael reluctantly said, "I'm sorry, you've put all this effort into training me and-"

"Boy, it's fine. I'm not offended or anything," Yamamoto said as he sat beside him on the ground, "The world is not what it used to be a hundred years ago. Every corner of the world has been explored, claimed and ransacked of its mystery. You were born to a generation where knowledge can be found by reading a book, you were brought up thinking you know everything and only recently brought into a world of demons and slayers. It takes a while to adapt, but you are beginning to run out of time. Your trial is next year and if you fail that you will not be part of the corps and all you are hard work is wasted. Worse still, if you don't adapt you will perish at the hands of the first demon you encounter," he patted his shoulder firmly, "You just need to give up your doubt and embrace the life you decided to live in.

"How do I that?" Michael muttered, "How do I just give up seventeen years of my old life? How do I sacrifice the old me?"

"That is one thing I cannot teach you. Sacrifice is an arduous road that you must travel alone," he said much to Michael's disappointment, "However, sacrifice can become much easier if there's something worth saving."

"More worthy then my desire to become part of the corps?"

"Indeed," he replied as stood to his feet, "Hopefully you will find it in time. In the meantime, we will continue your training."

Michael sighed tiredly as he stood up, "Finally, I need to do something relaxing…until I do it all over again tomorrow," he said as he began to make his way to the podium.

"Actually, I want to talk to you about your schedule," Yamamoto told him, much to his surprise, "You have been performing well for the last few months and it is evident that you have improved significantly. I believe that you deserve a reward."

"A…reward," the young boy repeated in wonder.

"Indeed and your reward is…an even tougher training schedule for you to follow from now on."

…

…

…

"You call that a reward!" Michael shouted angrily, pointing accusingly at him, "How dare you get my hopes up, old man!"

"What!? You thought I was going to give you piece of candy or something!" he shouted back, "It's like you don't know me at all!"

"Don't make me sound like I'm the bad guy here! I thought you said I was doing well!?"

"Doing well is a bad thing; you need to always be pushing yourself otherwise you'll fall into a routine and become lazy," Yamamoto grumbled, "Besides you should be grateful. You're going to be doing serious training from now on."

Michael frowned, "So the training I have been doing hasn't been serious."

"Course not," he sniffed, "I wouldn't let a baby do the schedule you have been doing."

"Nor would anybody else, you lunatic."

"As in, it would be too easy for babies to do," he retorted, "your new schedule will push you to your limits, break every bone in your body and test your devotion," he said and Michael just knew he was smirking viciously, "This is going to be a absolute nightmare for you."

Three Months Later

For centuries, philosophers and thinkers have wondered if there was anything worse then the concept of hell. However, they could have saved themselves the effort and just ask Michael if there is such a thing, because what he had been enduring for the last three months was definitely worse then hell.

Early in the morning, Michael was at the top of his newly modified podium. The square platform they used to sit on had been taken off by Yamamoto, so now he had to stand one one leg as he played the shakuhachi, trying desperately not to fall off as the wind and the rain battered him in all directions. His sensei was down on the ground below, drinking tea and eating mochi from under the shelter he made for himself.

Finally, after hours of playing, Michael felt the warmth on his face, signifying that sun has risen above the horizon. He dropped his shakuhachi and took a deep breath. His throat was sore and his lungs were burning from non-stop playing. Not only that, but his body, except for his head that was protected by his hat, felt completely numb from the weather had to endure.

"Alright, you're done," Yamamoto called up, "Now get down here so we can do the second part of your training."

Michael mentally groaned and began to climb down.

Three Months Later

On the other side of the mountain, there was a waterfall that cascaded into a deep pool of icy cold water. Michael had only been here a few times before he was doing the new schedule, but now this was the place he was doing his morning exercises.

Michael grunted in agony as he performed his sit-ups, the sound of crashing water filled his hearing until it was almost deafening. Sometimes, the sound was too much for him and trigged his memory of when he was in the Levant as he faced the rain of bullets and exploding shells. Whenever, that would happen he would have a panic attack and pass out of a few minutes. He would always wake up, take a few deep breaths and continue his training.

He hadn't had a panic attack in over a month, so either he was used to the crashing or was just too tired to even process it anymore. Either way, at least he won't have anymore distractions from his training.

Finally, after doing his final sit-up, he got to his feet and made his way towards the edge of the waterfall, the pool of water right below him. He took a deep breathe and leapt off the side, feeling the wind rush past him before he splashed into the cold waters below. He floated there in the water for a few seconds before kicking up to the surface, and swimming to the edge of the pool. He got out and got onto his feet, before making the difficult journey up the side of the waterfall. When he eventually got to his training site, he started doing his next set of exercises and repeated the process over and over again.

Three Months Later

Michael sprinted down the mountain as fast as he can, avoiding the trees, bushes and animals. As part of the new schedule, he was no longer allowed to use the path and had to run through the actual forest where pitfalls, swinging logs and other traps were set up by Yamamoto. His only weapons were his instinct, his senses and his hearing.

He felt the ground give way slightly, making him leap out of the way before he could fall into the trap. He sensed that something was coming his way and ducked before shuriken could piece his head, instead they became embedded in a tree. He ears picked up the sound of something flying swiftly through the air at him. Instantly, he snapped his hand up and caught the stump arrow before it could hit him while he continued to run. From somewhere in the trees, he heard Yamamoto laugh.

"Good catch!" he called out as Michael heard him ready another arrow in his bow, "You're getting better at this!"

'The only reason I'm getting better is because trying not to get hit' Michael grumbled as he continued to sprint through the thick forest.

Three Months Later

It has almost been another year, but to Michael it didn't feel like it. Training every single day with nothing eventful happening had made his life a complete blur. It had been two years since he left his home, came to Japan and lost his eyes and he had changed considerably. At eighteen years old, Michael was just six foot seven inches tall and had developed an athletic body. His hair was long and wild and the palm of his hands were rugged and tough. He never thought he would be able to achieve such a thing.

It was the late afternoon, which meant it was time for they daily spar. Both Michael and Yamamoto had long got rid of the wooden bokken and were now practicing with real katanas, especially designed to slay demons. They were much heavier and took a great amount of skill to manoeuvre, but Michael had got use to it over the year.

With his sugegasa tilted over his eyes, Michael readied the sword in front of him, ready to begin their match. He sensed that Yamamoto was doing the same and he was determined to beat his sensei this time.

"Ready?" Yamamoto questioned. Michael nodded in reply, "Three...two...one...fig-"

"CAW! CAW! INCOMING MESSAGE!"

Before he could finish, they heard the cries of a bird over their heads and the sound of flapping wings coming towards them. Michael heard the crow land on Yamamoto's arm and lowered his katana in response. Michael has still not got over the talking crows. He had first met Yamamoto's crow not too long after he arrived and, at first, assumed it was a human who happened to wonder up the mountain. According to his sensei, the Corps use crows to communicate with each other and used to assign Slayers to different tasks. He never did explain how they were able to talk, though.

"Demon approaching!" the crow cawed, "Already killed five people! Caw! Two of them Mizunoto! Needs immediate response! Caw!"

Michael stepped back in shock while Yamamoto hummed in concern. There hasn't been a demon sighting in years and it had already killed several people without them knowing. Worse still was the fact that it had killed two Mizunoto. The Demon Slayer Corps was divided into ranks. These ranks are, from lowest to highest: Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, and Kinoe. Those two slayers may be the lowest ranking of the entire organisation, but they should have dealt with the demon already.

"Come, we need to hunt this demon before it gets to the village," Yamamoto firmly ordered as he and sheathed their swords and headed to the mountain path, "you stay by the village gate while I go track it down."

"Are you sure you don't need assistance?"

"I'll be fine. The villager's protection is more important."

Michael nodded and turned to the crow which was now perched on the old man's shoulder, "Which direction is the demon coming from?"

"Caw! Uncertain!"

"Uncertain? Well, where were did the killings take place?"

"Uncertain!" the crow repeated, "bodies are gone!"

Yamamoto hummed thoughtfully, "This is bad. We need to order everybody to stay indoors. Take the crow with you, if there's trouble then send it flying back to me."

"Will do," Michael agreed with a firm nod.

The Village

Michael leaned against the gate that served as the entrance to the village with the crow perched on his shoulder, waiting patiently for Yamamoto to return. They had warned everybody to stay in their houses until they gave the all clear that the demon had vanquished. Of course, they didn't say it was a demon. They said it was a brown bear that somehow travelled over from Hokkaido. Michael was surprised to see that there was little resistance to their orders, but he guessed that the villagers held a lot of respect for the old man.

That was half an hour ago and Yamamoto has still not returned, leaving Michael as the villager's only form of defence. Ideally, Michael would have loved to hunt for the demon as well. The thought of that monster somewhere out there made his blood boil, but also got him excited. He would love nothing more to slash, hack and kill that demon. But, Yamamoto was right, the villagers' lives are much more important then his revenge.

And so he will wait.

Waiting while maintaining a firm grip on the handle of his katana. Just in case.

Somewhere In The Forest

"Masashi, Satoshi! Come out now!" Ami angrily called out as she searched the forest for the two boys.

On a normal day, she would never let her brother of his friends play in the forest at night, but now that there was a bear on the prowl, she desperately needed to find them. Fuyumi and Chigasa were the ones that who told them they were still out there and so it was her duty to find them. She probably should have notified Yamamoto or Michael first, but she thought it would be easier to find them. She was growing more anxious by the second as she trudged further into the forest.

"If you don't come out now, you two are going to be in so much trouble-"

"Alright, alright, we're here."

Ami sighed in relief as she heard her brother grumbling. He and Satoshi stepped out from around a tree and immediately Ami ran up to them. She hugged Masashi tightly and then clipped him around the ear.

"When I call out to you I expect you to immediately respond," she scolded, "that goes out to you too, Satoshi."

"Sorry," the boy meekly said while Masashi rolled his eyes.

"What's the problem? We were just looking for beetles."

"The problem is that there's a dangerous bear somewhere and, before you ask, no we are not looking for it," she firmly said, earning an annoyed grumble from her brother, "Yamamoto told us to stay indoors while he hunts it down. Michael is also guarding the village."

Satoshi froze in fear, "You mean the eyeless monster."

Ami frowned in disappointment while Masashi rolled his eyes, "Satoshi don't call him that. He lost his eyes in an accident."

"Don't be such a coward, he's not that scary," Masashi chimed in, earning a dirty look from his sister.

"I'm not a coward," Satoshi angrily denied, "I just don't like his face. It's creepy-"

He gasped in shock when he felt something cold wrap around his leg. He looked down and saw nothing, but he could still feel the sensation of a strong hand grabbing his ankle. Ami gave him a quizzical look.

"Satoshi are you alrig-"

Suddenly, the boy felt his leg pulled out from under him, causing him to fall on his face on the muddy ground. He gave a startled cry as he was pulled back into the bushes by his leg, dragging him into the darkness. Masashi yelped in fear while Ami's eyes widened.

"Satoshi!" she cried, hearing the poor boy's shouts from somewhere in the forest. She looked back at her brother with a serious look, "Go back to the village now!" she ordered before she took off after Satoshi.

The words got caught in Masashi's mouth as he tried desperately to call out to his sister to come back. Eventually, he gave up and began to run back so he could find help.

Village Gate

Michael gasped when he felt a breeze wash over him like a tidal wave, chilling his bones to the marrow. It was different then the other wind, but familiar at the same as if he experienced it before. He recognised the firm, but comforting feeling it gave him as if converging him an important message. The wind spoke to him; just like it did two years ago back in his father's house. And it said:

Danger.

Michael instantly spun in the direction it came from, surprising the crow at the suddenness.

Danger. Somebody in danger.

The wind whispered to him.

He stood to his feet sharply, forcing the crow to jump of his shoulders and hover just above his hat.

"Go to Yamamoto," he ordered as he ran out of the gates towards the forests, "tell him that I've found it."

He didn't have time to hear if the bird understood his command as he sprinted into the thick forest, dodging the trees, leaping over obstacles and doing everything he had been practising for the past year. He weaved his way deeper and deeper, his hand in the handle of sheathed katana in readiness. All the while, the breeze flowed over him as it directed him towards where he needed to be.

Hurry. Time is running out.

Michael gritted his teeth as he tried to sprint faster when suddenly he heard a cry from somewhere in front of him. He jumped over a bush and landed on the hard muddy crowd, where he can clearly hear the shouts. He sensed his surroundings, but didn't find any trees, making him think that he was in some sort of forest clearing. He head a startled gasp from behind him and placed a hand on his katana.

"Michael?"

"Ami?' Michael thought in shock, recognising her voice, "Where are you doing here?"

"It's Satoshi, he was taken by somethi-"

"Help me!" she was cut off by a panicked cry from across the clearing, "Help me please!"

"Satoshi!" Ami cried before she began to run over to him.

However, Michael reached out and grabbed her arm before she could get any further, "Wait. Can you describe where he is?"

Ami pulled her arm out of his arm, "What are you-"

"Please. It's important."

She hummed in annoyance, "He's sitting under that tree. There's nobody else there."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am."

Michael frowned thoughtfully, 'Why did the demon leave Satoshi behind. Any demon wouldn't hesitate to eat him,' suddenly a feeling of dread overcame him as unsheathed his sword, 'unless…he was actually used as bait.'

He felt his senses scream at him as something deadly was coming at him. He pushed Ami's out of the way before leaping to the side; just in time for the thing slam into the ground, sending earth and dirt flying into the air. They landed hard, but Michael rolled into a kneeling position, standing over a shocked Ami defensively.

"What was that?" she gasped, her breathing deep in panic.

"You didn't see it?"

"No, there was just some sort of...shadow. It was too fast to see," she answered fearfully, "What the hell is it?"

Michael didn't answer her, but continued to scan the area, trying to track it down. He slowly got to his feet and held up the katana in front of him.

"Show yourself, demon! You brought me here so come on out and fight!" he barked.

"I don't want you," a dark, growling voice snarled. It seemed to come from everywhere; Michael couldn't pick up where it was coming from, "Stupid slayer! Pathetic child! I wanted Yamamoto!"

"You just missed him, how unfortunate! You just have to settle with me!" Michael cried out.

"NO!" the demon bellowed, his angry roar sending chills down the spines of the humans, "IT HAS TO BE HIM! I WANT YAMAMOTO! I WANT TO KILL HIM! I WANT TO EAT HIS FLESH! I WANT TO DEVOUR THE VILLAGE HE PROTECTS! FOR FIFTY YEARS, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR MY REVENGE AND NOTHING IS GOING TO GET IN MY WAY!"

Michael grabbed Ami under his arm and jumped out of the way of another attack the demon threw at him. The ground that they were on exploded and the nearby trees snapped in half and fell over in a pile. He put her down and stood over defensively again, trying desperately to sense where the demon was hiding from.

"Ami, do you still see it?"

"No," she uttered, "There's nothing here."

"The shadows," Michael almost jumped when he heard Satoshi's voice call out to them. He wasn't expecting to hear from the boy, "It's hiding in the shadows."

'Shadows? Damn, it must be his Blood Demon Art. It must be powerful,' Michael thought in frustration.

Yamamoto once told him about the power of the Blood Demon Art. With every human it eats, the demon gets stronger and stronger and soon develop supernatural abilities. These demons use these abilities to fight, deceive, manipulate or, in this case, use their environment to hunt humans. This, of course, is a definite problem for Michael. If it was a lower ranked demon, he could pinpoint it's location and attack, but this demon is intangible.

'My first priority is getting Satoshi and Ami out of here. It seems like this demon is argumentative so I'll distract it long enough and let her retrieve him,' he thought before he whispered down to Ami, "Get Satoshi while I'll deal with it. Go slowly so you don't alert it."

"But-" Ami whispered back.

But before she could finish, Michael had already walked away, his blade poised in front of him.

"So you want Yamamoto, huh? He must have kicked your arse pretty hard if you're still sour over it after half a century. How petty is that!"

"I don't like my food talking back at me," the demon growled, "I decided not to eat you. I might just tear your limbs off and nail them to the trees!"

Michael jumped out of the way of another powerful swipe that cleaved a nearby tree in half, before swinging his sword in a wide arc to the left to ward of another attack. He heard soft footsteps slowly approaching where Satoshi is and assumed that Ami was on her way.

"You know I could do this all night!" Michael called out to the demon, before he swung his katana to the right at another attack, "Do you really want to risk being killed by the sun!?"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! YOU LITTLE BRAT! STOP GETTING IN MY WAY!" the demon roared as it sent attack after attack at Michael.

He dodged and swung his sword as he sensed the barrage of swipes. They were coming from all directions, trying to get him to slip up. He rolled and skipped and batted the demon with his kantana.

There was no use, Michael had to use his Total Concentration Breathing. After fending off the last attack, he took a deep breath through his nose, letting the oxygen enter into his blood as it flowed throughout his body. The whole world around him seemed to slow down as he focused on the technique.

He inhaled for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1...

And then exhaled for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1...

He felt his muscles tense, his blood pump around his body and his mind was abuzz with activity. He felt the technique working, making him more powerful. He sensed another attack coming at him the right. He raised his sword in preparation...

...but then he inhaled incorrectly.

Michael doubled over in pain as he choked, coughing violently at the lack of air. He felt the familiar feeling of his lungs burning and his muscles ache in pain, but not before the attack hit him straight on, sending him flying back into a tree. He cried out in pain as he slammed into the tree and then on the ground. It was followed up by searing pain from his chest where the demon scratched him, slicing though his training shirt to reveal three bloody scratch marks. As he gritted his teeth in agony, he heard the demon get closer to him, chuckling darkly at the state he was in.

"All bark and no bite," it cackled, before it gasped, "Wait. It's you. Hair of blood and torn out eyes. You're the one our master is looking for," Michael frowned in confusion before he realised that his hat was knocked off his head when he slammed into the tree, revealing his features, "Oh this is my lucky day. I only came here for revenge and I managed to find Edward's son. Master is going to reward me when I get you back to him. I'll be able to live longer. Maybe decades. Maybe centuries. Maybe I'll be his right hand man and I can finally stop hiding in the shadows! Haha! But first...maybe I'll shall have a celebratory snack," he hummed maliciously.

'No!' Michael thought as he sensed the demon leave, 'he's heading towards Ami and Satoshi,' using the tree, he pushed himself up into a kneeling stance and picked up his sword, 'Come on! I believe in everything. The demons, the techniques, the Corps! I believe it all! I know you're trying to communicate with me, so why am I can't I do it! I'm not doubting anything anymore! Please just let me, save them!' he shouted in his mind. That's when he realised something, 'Maybe that's not what I'm doubting...perhaps I'm doubting whether I'm strong enough to do this. No matter what I do, it always turns out for the worst. That's what's holding me back. Perhaps my mother was right. I'm just useless,' he thought as he lowered his sword in despair.

His mind started to sink lower and lower into depression as he thought of all the things he had down wrong.

He was just useless.

Useless at everything.

...

...

...

...

"HELP!" a cry from the other side of the clearing, snapped him out of it, "HELP US PLEASE!"

'Satoshi?' he thought, 'He's calling out to me. Despite being afraid of me, he's still calling out to me.'

"Michael! Get up!" he heard Ami cry out as well.

He sensed that the demon was getting closer and closer to them both, trapping them like a cat cornering two mice. He could picture their faces twisted in absolute fear as the shadows crept towards them. The image made his stomach drop in fear.

That's when he remembered something that Yamamoto had told him. Only a year ago, he had said:

'Sacrifice can become much easier if there's something worth saving'

He now understood what he had meant.

Michael frowned in anger, 'What am I doing? This isn't about me and whether I can do something or not. This is about saving innocent lives to the best of your ability. Who cares if I die or not, as long I can distract the demon long enough for them to escape. Now focus,' he scolded himself as he gripped his katana tightly and got into a kneeling stance.

He took a deep breath through his nose, feeling the oxygen enter his system. He inhaled for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1...

'I need to save them!' he thought.

He exhaled for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1...

'I don't care if I can do it or not!'

He inhaled for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1...

'Just give me the power!'

He exhaled for 4...

...3...

...2...

...1...

'I want to save everybody so they don't have to suffer like I did!'

Suddenly, he felt power and energy flow through him, making his muscles work and his blood pump faster and faster. Like a whirlwind, he sprinted up to his feet with the wind on his back pushing him forwards.

Not only that, but something unbelievable happened.

He wasn't seeing it. He couldn't. There was no way that it's possible. But, sure enough, he was seeing something twisting and turning gently in the space on front of him.

At first he thought it was some sort of green snake, but in had a small cloud instead of a head and it's body was made up four or three lines. However, Michael recognised it in Japanese paining a and other art pieces.

It was a pillar of wind.

It moved gracefully through the air as if it was playing and enjoying it's freedom. It then dropped in front of him and began twirling in a tight spiral. After a few moments, he realised that it was spiralling around his katana. It flowed over it as if it was water on a flat surface, giving the sword shape that even Michael could acknowledge. It ebbed down towards the hilt and over his hands, up his arms and over his shoulder. The breeze felt cold to the touch, but he didn't pull away, but welcomed it's coolness. The wind bent to the shape of his body, making him see his hands for the first time in over two years.

He could see it even through it was impossible.

However, it wasn't alone. More and more of these wind pillars, appeared around him, gliding elegantly before it collided with target. Some of them hit the ground, reflecting the torn up earth in great detail. Some hit the trees and Michael could feel every single leaf flutter and every branch sway. While some hit the shapes of two people. One was of a young boy with short hair, a round face and a look of horror on his face. The other was a woman around his age with long hair that flowed over her left shoulder, a slim physique and a pretty face that was twisted in a mixture of fear and determination. She stood over the boy, protecting him with her own body despite how afraid she was. Most substantial of all he could see the demon, hanging upside down from the lower branches of the tree they were under. It had a pencil-thin body, slender arms that ended with jagged claws and a round head. It's face looks like it was pushed back so that it's terrible jaws came up to the side of its head, showing of a row pointed teeth. It was creeping down at the unsuspected humane, ready to snap them up with one bite. The sight of it, made him grit his teeth in anger.

Michael could see it all. Ami and Satoshi, the forest clearing, the trees and pillars of wind that swirled around all of them, but most of all he can see the demon. This is what the wind has been trying to do all this time. It wasn't giving him warnings, it wanted to give him his sight back. It collided with the object and sent the information back to him like echolocation. It wanted him to fight, to support him, to show how to save them.

All of this happened in a spit second with. All of this happening at the same time as he used his Total Concentration Breathing. He swiftly diverted to pick up his sugegasa off the ground nearby and placed it on his head. He the set his sights on the demon, he raised his katana into position, ready to strike.

He inhaled for 4…

…3…

…2…

…1…

And exhaled for 4…

…3…

…2…

…1…

And then as swift as a gale and as strong as a typhoon, Michael sprinted towards his enemy.

And that's it! Hope you enjoyed it!

Sorry, this took a while. I've been catching up on all my stories.

I hope you like the knew ability Michael had received. It's not exactly seeing, but works like echolocation with the wind telling him about the scenery. It has it's downsides and restrictions which I will go over in later chapters, but I thought it would be cool. For a better idea of what it looks like, look at the background of the image that goes with the story, but in green. It kind of looks like the music video to 'Take On Me' by Aha.

Thanks for reading an I'll see you next time.

P.S: If you would like to recommend any other characters for the harem then please put them in your reviews. I was thinking a gender-bent Inosuke would be interesting.