Breath of the Moon

Ch 7: A first blade of many


"Speaking"

'Thinking.'

"BLOOD DEMON ART/Teqnique."

'Thought communication."


Reviews:

Guest: Let's leave those as surprises

ChrisCollns421: I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean.


Ichigo slowly descended the mountain. As he approached the bottom, he noticed Kenji lying at the base. He was still and calm, and based on Ichigo's senses, Kenji was in a quasi-trance for resting. Kenji alone knew how to do it, so Ichigo didn't know what the exact process entailed.

"Sensei," Ichigo mentioned once he got close.

Kenji cracked open a single eye. "So… how did it go?" He asked.

"I encountered a demon moon who was scoping the place." Ichigo deadpanned.

Kenji sat up. "No shit? Huh, that's a first." He grinned. "How'd you do?"

Ichigo groaned. "Nearly got my ass kicked until a Hashira appeared. Then we could only stalemate the Moon."

Kenji waved it off. "Give yourself a year, and you'll be able to go toe to toe with the weakest of the demon moons." He reasoned. "So, it'll take a week for your blade to be forged and a few more days to arrive home. You want to head back now?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yes. I have some schoolwork I need to fill out."

Kenji nodded as he jumped up. "All right. Back to Karakura. In the meantime, while you wait for your sword, I can train you in the final two forms of Moon Breathing. Sound good?"

Ichigo nodded. It was the best course of action. "Anything interesting happened while I was testing?" The child asked.

Kenji just smiled and shook his head. "No, nothing of note." There was nothing in his voice to indicate deceit.


Ichigo yawned as he climbed out of bed. He glanced at the alarm clock, which indicated he had slept for nearly the entire day. His father had insisted he take a shower before going to sleep, and he did so, but he was still exhausted. Thankfully, Isshin was kind enough not to attack Ichigo the moment he returned and allowed the new Demon Slayer not to go to school that day. He was too tired to try and keep up with schoolwork. He haphazardly put on loose clothes and slogged his way to the bathroom.

Once done, he walked downstairs and noted how quiet it was. Kenji wasn't even there. Odd. Ichigo shrugged and went into the kitchen, flicking on the light.

"SURPRISE!" A handful of voices cheered. Ichigo, startled, reflexively jumped into a fighting stance. After his eyes adjusted to the light, he sighed and took his stance down.

"Really?" Ichigo asked. "It's not even my birthday."

Isshin rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you just finished your test, and I've been told how intense it is from Kenji. I just thought…"

Ichigo sighed. "Alright, I… guess it's fine. Just… don't do this kind of thing again." Ichigo wasn't a fan of surprises.


Ichigo swung down, practicing the basic katas of swordsmanship. He was letting his body rest after the fierce training session Kenji had sprung on him the day before.

It had been over a week since the Final Selection, and Ichigo would receive his sword sometime today or the day after. As he swung down, he saw his friend Tatsuki cursing Kenji's very existence. The elder had placed a massive block on her back, and she had to remain on her hands and knees for a solid hour.

Ichigo sweatdropped. It was nearly as intense as the workout he endured. But Ichigo's body was more supernatural than Tatsuki's, so she struggled far more than he had. He could practically hear Tatsuki's teeth grind as her nose flared. "Come on, I thought you were this tough Karate Girl." Kenji mocked from a tree branch he rested on. For added assholeness, he bit into an apple.

Tatsuki's veins flared as she bit back the urge to audibly curse at the man getting a kick at the 11-year-old struggling to carry a stone block.

Jingle, Jingle. The sound of bells snapped Ichigo and Kenji out of their respective trances as they both narrowed in on the sound. It was from a straw hat, tilted downwards. A human was walking to Ichigo at a slow pace. Ichigo sheathed the training sword and approached the man.

"Greetings, master swordsmith; I am Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo was introduced with a bow.

The forger looked up, the kabuki mask covering any features. "I am here to present your sword." A female voice said. Ichigo was nearly thrown for a loop. The clothes she wore made it look like she was male, and based on Kenji's information, the swordsmiths were exclusively men. Was she some exception?

"Thank you… miss?" Ichigo trail

"Tanaka. Just Tanaka. No family name." The woman said behind the mask.

"Would you care for any refreshments? Kenji has a few snacks and bottles stored away for a break." Ichigo offered.

The woman shook her head, the bells jingling. "No. I wish to deliver my first work to my first client," she stated.

"Oh?" Ichigo perked. "I'm your first every client? Well, it's an honor."

The woman nodded. "Yes. I am the first female swordsmith to pass the rigorous training that swordsmiths must endure." It made sense. Men's bodies were generally built for strength and durability. Women were built for speed and flexibility. Neither was inherently superior, but each definitely had advantages in specific fields of work.

Ichigo nodded. "I apologize if I do not have a seat to offer you."

"It is fine." The woman kneeled on the ground and presented the finished blade to Ichigo, sheathed in its saya. Ichigo followed suit. "This blade represents nearly a thousand years of swordsmith honing. It is not a cheap or easy blade to replace. I expect you to treat this blade with the respect it deserves and use it correctly on Demon Kind."

Ichigo nodded. "I do. For as long as I can, this blade will only taste the flesh of Demons."

The woman tilted her head. "I didn't say that the blade was exclusive to Demons. I said to use it correctly. Demons are not human and, therefore, have a strength to resist that Humans cannot replicate. If you must turn this blade on anything but a Demon, do so with even more respect and care."

She handed the sheathed katana to Ichigo, who held the weight in his hand. It was a smaller-than-average size, likely to compensate for his younger body. He would need a new one in a few years if he were still operating as a Demon Slayer.

"Go on, open it." The forger demanded. "I'm curious to see what color a Moon Breather's blade will become."

Ichigo looked at her. "You know what style I use?"

"When forging blades, we are informed of the breathing style the wielder will use to better optimize the forging process. Unfortunately, any information on the Blade of the First Moon Breather has been lost to time, so I have attempted to replicate a sun breather's blade, as it is the closest related style." Tanaka told Ichigo. "But, the process to forge a Sun Breather's sword is the longest and most tedious, so I, with my lack of experience, do fall short."

Ichigo nodded. "Well, if you put everything in this blade, it will truly be a work of art. No, more than a mere work of art." Ichigo held a hand to the scabbard and the grip and pulled them apart, putting the saya on the ground. He pointed the blade upward, and it filled in a deep royal purple.

"…What a beautiful color." The Forger said. "I look forward to seeing future blades of the same color. But do not be in a rush to replace the blade." She warned with a deep tone.

Ichigo nodded. He had heard stories from Kenji of swordsmiths nearly killing their clients because they had disrespected their work before. It was rare, but it did happen. And hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.


"Come on, keep up the pace!" Zentaro demanded as he blocked a weaker strike from Bambi's bokken.

Bambi's sweat dripped off her face as she struggled to make Zentaro feel her basic strikes. But what did you expect when fighting a Hashira as a novice swordsman?

"You'll have to do better than that if you expect to one day become a Hashira." Zentaro motivated.

CAW! A crow flew overhead. Zentaro paused. "A mission?" He held out his hand to the animal.

It landed. "Caw! Flame Hashira to Asakusa! Rumors of a den of demons! Insect Hashira will back up. Caw!" The crow took off, heading for its next destination.

Zentaro sighed. "Well, kid, you're on your own for a bit. Practice the basic exercises until I get back." The Hashira put down the Bokken, slipped on his white haori, and took off quickly.

Bambietta was still shocked at how fast a human could go. She looked down at the Bokken and tossed it off to the side. She would continue it later.

"Are you sure you should be disobeying father like that?" Yumeko Rengoku asked.

Bambietta gave her a quick look. "It's been over an hour. I need a break."

Yumeko sighed. "I guess. But you should always keep fighting. Demons aren't going to give you time to recover."

"I know, I know. But I'm new to all of this. I don't have the stamina you have." Bambietta said. "I'll return to it later this afternoon. Your father will have my ass if I don't show improvement when he gets back tomorrow or the day after."

Yumeko sighed. "Fine, I won't tell. But if you do something bad, I'm not involved."

Bambietta turned away in a huff and a light blush. "Uh, do you want to go exploring with me?" She asked.

Yumeko looked away. "You might be comfortable breaking the rules, but I'm not. Just… please be careful."

Bambietta nodded. "I will."


Bambietta hopped over a high root. She was a few kilometers away from city limits, exploring what nature had to give. Her sharp vision gave her a distinct advantage in the darkened area, obscured by forestry.

On her back was a wood-fashioned bow, and on her side were some wooden arrows. She couldn't explain it, but she had a talent for archery. It was a shame that Zentaro wouldn't allow an actual set so she couldn't hunt, but it was still relaxing. And she was getting stamina practice in.

She pulled back, took aim, and fired, nailing a leaf that had been falling at that moment. A shame. The wooden arrows even sharpened to a point, wouldn't do much against animals with decent hide. But still, it was good practice—a shame a bow couldn't be used for swordsmanship. But nobody said anything about her being limited to only a sword.

Bambietta smirked. And then, the ground rumbled. She stiffened as small forest creatures ran off. That wasn't her. She wasn't nearly heavy enough to send vibrations through the ground. Then… a howl. No, it sounded like ten howls layered on top of each other. What kind of creature could make such an awful sound?

In instinctive fear, Bambietta dropped to the ground and crawled into a bush, fighting off the instinctive urge to yell from the thorns. Sweat dripped down her face as a shadow blotted out the remaining rays of sunlight. This thing wasn't a demon. And suddenly, a slash and silence.

Bambietta's fear suddenly disappeared, only for something to come crashing down to the ground before her. It was half a furry head, covered in a bone-white mask. It rapidly disintegrated, much like a demon did, and vanished without a trace left.

She paled, and a shadow dropped, sheathing a sword. They were dressed in a white cloak, different than a Hashira's, and had triangular ears on their head that looked like bone. As the figure turned, Bambietta saw something that should be impossible to see. The man had a hole in his chest right where his heart was supposed to be.

As she looked at this figure, something made her think she should know him. Yet, she didn't. She would definitely remember a figure with a hole in their chest. "I know you're there." She jumped, nearly falling out of the bush. But before she could show herself, a new figure joined.

This figure wore a black cloak with a gold Roman numeral for five on the back. She had hair that looked like it was flowing lava. How she did that, Bambietta didn't know. She, like the first figure, held a sword at her hip. "Copia Lobo." She said.

The man nodded, "Kikōō. What does Quincy want now?"

Bambietta blinked. 'Quincy? Why does that word sound familiar?' She silently asked herself.

The woman, Kikōō hummed. "My attempts to find anything of value at Wing Bind were unsuccessful. Their version of Kido was similarly useless. So our best bet is to wait until the designated time to return into one."

Copia Lobo nodded. "I thought as much. If you see Quincy before me, tell him Aizen is slow. Very much so. Overly cautious, so no major changes in the decade I was keeping an eye on him."

Kikōō nodded. It was silent, until a snap was heard as a branch Bambietta was pushing against broke. Copia Lobo disappeared from Bambietta's vision in the blink of an eye. And then, a hand grabbed her by the neck. "A little spy?" He asked sarcastically as he pulled her out of the bush. "No, nobody would be stupid enough to send a child as a spy."

Bambietta struggled to breathe as Copia Lobo held her from the back of the neck. "Should I just kill her, make it quick?" He asked Kikōō.

The woman stared at the girl. Then, her eyes widened. "Wait, she's a Quincy."

Copia Lobo raised an eyebrow, then looked down at the little girl he held in a death grasp. "Hmm, you're right. But she doesn't carry a signature trace of our Reiatsu, so she's…"

"One of Yhwach's." The woman finished. "We should kill her, just in case." Lobo's hand tightened, cutting off airflow. "Or we could do something fun." Kikōō's voice caused him to relax his grip.

"What kind of fun?" He asked.

The woman just smiled as her shadow extended. Two figures rose from her shadow, cloaked in green robes. Both held a bowing position. "Devine Pillar, L the Life, Aisha Cohen present." A woman with green hair said. As she looked up, her rainbow eyes glowed.

The second figure nodded. They were literally blank-faced, neither male nor female in figure or appearance. "Deva A, the Amnesia, at your service." The figure didn't sound male or female. There was no unique quality to their voice. They had no discernable features. It was… unnerving to see such a human being.

Kikōō smirked. "Why not throw a new, unknown factor into the mix?"

Copia Lobo thought for a moment before releasing Bambietta's neck and binding her arms with his. It happened so fast; he was a blur. However, that might be due to the lack of oxygen talking.

The green-haired woman stood up and approached the bound Bambietta. "Here's an interesting tidbit. I'm one of six people in our camp that can do this. In your… previous camp, only two could do so. So, look into my eyes." Her voice whispered.

Bambietta was forced to stare as Aisha's rainbow eyes suddenly split into six pupils. The little girl freaked out at the living horror. Then, as fast as they split, the eyes returned to normal.

Aisha Cohen's Schrift allowed her to manipulate life itself. However, she was born with a second ability. One discovered when she couldn't use the traditional weapons of a Quincy. A real one-in-a-million chance of being born. She possessed the Almighty Schrift. But her power still descended from Kenji Shiba, as she was a fourth-generation descendant of his living Quincy Powers.

"What a fascinating future you hold. So many possible paths, some of which follow you returning to serve Yhwach." She said, as her eyes glowed. "So, let's ensure you have the best future possible, shall we?" There was a mocking hint in her voice.

With a small dagger, she pulled out of nowhere, Aisha sliced the palm of her hand and let blood fill it. "Honestly, you're lucky I'm the one giving you blood. The Commander wouldn't bother, and The Zenith doesn't do anything without direct orders. And the others would be completely indifferent. With this blood, I sever your connection to Yhwach and connect you to Kenji Shiba." She forced the blood-filled palm against Bambietta's face, getting the little girl to ingest some of the crimson liquid.


Elsewhere, Yhwach was meeting with the Sternritter. Then, suddenly and without warning, a fragmented piece of himself returned. But something was wrong. There was no spiritual energy attached to it aside from its entity. Which meant that Quincy came from having lost it rather than died. He didn't even think such a thing was possible.

'But who could force a fragment of myself to return to me, leaving the individual alive?' And then, after a moment, 'KENJI SHIBA!' It made sense. He somehow forced a Quincy to connect to himself and moved the fragment of Yhwach out. After all, only those who possess the Almighty could perform such an action, and Kenji displayed one of The Almighty's abilities in his fight with Qilgue and Bambietta.

'Wait… this fragment is from…' Oh. Interesting. So Kenji found her but didn't kill her? What could he be planning? A noise floated in his ear. Yhwach turned his head. "What is it?"

His trusty second-in-command looked perplexed. "I apologize, my emperor. But you suddenly lost focus." Haschwalt said.

Yhwach nodded. "Yes. A new development has been found. Giselle!"

The Zombie girl jumped. "Uh, yes, sir?"

"I require the last 24 hours of Basterbine. Now." The girl wasted no time and ran out of the meeting to fetch the item.

"Until she gets back… where were we?" Yhwach asked.


Aisha blinked. "Huh. Her Schrift has been stripped from her. Based on the futures I saw, I suspected that had happened, but I wasn't certain." The Life told the other two.

Kikōō hummed. "How does that affect the current predicament?"

Aisha shrugged. "Not much. I can restore her old Schrift by manipulating her life energy. But, considering she used to have it active, she may one day reactivate it should I restore her lost power." She paused. "Or, I could create a whole new one. She would need to activate that one later with a direct blood infusion from Kenji."

"Surprise us." Copia Lobo spoke up. "A surprise is always fun."

Aisha blinked before laughing. "Honestly, I should have known what you wanted. You're just like your other self." She smiled as she activated The Life on Bambietta.

The little girl glowed green and felt warm all over before falling unconscious. The living embodiment of Kenji's Hollow powers gently put her down. "You're up, Amnesia." The indeterminate figure stepped forward. "Erase her memories of this encounter and program her subconscious to force her back to wherever she was staying." Copia Lobo ordered.

The Deva nodded and did as told. Once done, both they and Aisha were dismissed, disappearing into shadows. Kikōō looked at Copia Lobo. "Well, shall we go?"

The living embodiment of Hollow powers nodded to the Shinigami Zanpakto spirit. "Yes. We should."

When Bambietta woke up a few minutes later, both were gone without a trace, not that she would remember them anyway.


"CAW, CAW! Demon reported in Karakura! North, NORTH-WEST!" A crow flew overhead.

Kenji looked up, then at Ichigo. "That's for you. I'm not bound by any order unless sent by the current Oyakata crow."

Ichigo nodded, dressing up as the sun was soon to come down. As the nearest Demon Slayer, it made sense any demons in Karakura and the surrounding areas were reported to him first.

Ok, his first mission. He could do this. Ichigo tapped against his blade, ensuring it was on his person before running off before following after the crow. He kept a moderate pace, trying not to tire himself before a fight. Who knew how strong the Demon in question was?


An old man and his grandson walked in the evening. While the boy's father was against this, the boy was adamant about knowing his grandfather. "Come on, Uryu, we can't dally too much. Otherwise, the ice cream we bought will melt." Sōken Ishida told his grandson as the old man carried a paper bag.

Unbeknownst to him or his grandson, an inhuman face stood around the corner, drool dripping from its mouth. Something about the pair was just tantalizing. It wasn't Marechi blood, but it was close. 'Food.' The unranked demons thought as it moved to attack.


Sorry for the delay in updates. I've had quite the past few months. If you want to support me, you can do so on linktrdotee/AlcorUzukaze. A single donation would help me as I one day want to make writing a fully paid job.