Tools Of Travel And Trade
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of Winds, Waves, And Chains! Final Selection draws to a close in this chapter, so come see the next step in our little family's journey to becoming Demon Slayers! And also take a step to see about future projects and other little tidbits by becoming a patron! Now then that's about all I got to say and with no guest review questions this week, to the story we go!
Nighttime: Mt. Fujikasane
The next few days after slaying the Hand and Saw demons were, easier, but still challenging. John and Mary developed a sort of pattern after they set up on the eastern side of the mountain that involved them resting during the day and heading closer to the more central area of the mountain as dusk began to fall. They did their best to stay hidden for a few hours before venturing back to the eastern part of the mountain to await the rising sun. As one might expect, it would be this trek back that was the most perilous.
Hungry demons would often spot them on the way and try to engage them. Thankfully, all of the ones that confronted them were the normal type of demons who'd only eaten a small number of people at most and not outliers like they'd encountered on the first night. This meant not only could they handle the monsters, they were even able to temporarily trap a few, either by hand or in batches of gnarled branches, and try to interrogate them about a potential cure to demonification. Unfortunately, most of the answers they received were growls and snarls along with threats about them being eaten.
It continued on like this over the next six days with the couple braving rainy and windy weather on at least one occasion. By the time the seventh night came, their outfits were caked with mud, dirt and a little bit of blood from either them or a few candidates who didn't make it. Try as they might, the duo hadn't been able to save everyone nor convince the ones they'd helped to stick around as a group to increase the odds of survival. This meant it was just John and Mary hurrying back to the entrance of the exam grounds when the time finally came.
Unlike their first day, the duo moved at a quickened pace in order to get back, fearing the fatigue they'd developed over time might leave them vulnerable. That's why, when the scent of wisteria finally entered their noses, John and Mary nearly collapsed in relief. "We made it," Mary put her hands on her knees to catch her breath while her husband took his own calming breath and sheathed his sword.
"I think when we finally make it home, I'll try and grow some wisteria trees around the house," John mused aloud while checking a bandage on his head and one on his wife's arm, "the land could use a little decoration, if nothing else."
"You'd better leave that to me," his wife remarked while sheathing her own sword, "I remember what happened last time you tried to grow a plant."
"It's not my fault the soil composition wasn't right," John rolled his eyes good-naturedly as the duo began to walk the rest of the way, "I've studied since then, I know I'll get it right this time."
"Maybe if you bring a whole load of dirt from this mountain," Mary snarked, "I don't think the soil composition back home is right for wisteria, either." The couple bantered back and forth for the next few minutes until they returned to the area where the other candidates had been at the beginning. Despite the anguish of the last few days, they couldn't help but admire the beauty of the sunrise as it illuminated their surroundings. There was, however, one oddity the sunlight also revealed.
'Are there really only four other people here,' John noted while looking around. The boy with the Mohawk and the one in the yellow haori had survived along with the kid wearing the boar mask, though he was on the ground fast asleep at the moment. The girl in the pink kimono had also made it through and looked nearly as pristine as when she'd first entered. 'That girl's either the luckiest out of all of us, or the strongest.'
It was a depressing scene, in a number of ways. Mary, just like John, had estimated over twenty people were participating in Final Selection. It meant everyone they'd managed to save from the demons hadn't been able to make it to the end. 'We gave you a chance,' she clenched her fist slightly, 'more of us could've made it if we'd worked together.'
But her musings were cut short by the nervous ramblings of the blond-haired boy and then the arrival of the twins. "Welcome back everyone," they greeted while moving in from opposite directions to stand in front of a table with a light purple cloth over it.
"Congratulations," the white-haired twin spoke, her face the same serene, neutral expression it had been at the beginning. 'How many times have they watched this happen,' John wondered for a brief moment.
"We're pleased to see you're safe," the dark-haired twin added.
"So, I made it back alive, now what do I do," the Mohawk boy asked, the same look of seeming constant annoyance still on his face, "where's my sword?"
"Patience," the twins answered calmly, "we must first take your measurements in order to issue you your uniforms. Then we shall engrave your ranks onto the backs of your hands."
"For your reference," the dark-haired twin informed, "there are ten ranks in total." The twins then began speaking one after the other. "Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, tsuchinoe, tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto."
"Currently," the white-haired twin picked up the explanation, "you are all at the lowest rank, Mizunoto."
"That doesn't answer my question," the boy growled, "our swords?"
"Today," the dark-haired twin answered, "you will select the ore that will be used to forge your swords."
"However," the white-haired twin informed, "it will take ten to fifteen days for them to be ready for use."
"You gotta be kidding me," the Mohawk boy sighed in annoyance.
"From what I've heard, the finest swords forged in this country supposedly took as long as a month or more to make," John pointed out, "count your blessings that we can get quality weapons in potentially less than half that time."
"But first," the twins clapped their hands twice. The air was suddenly filled with the sounds of cawing as multiple crows, and one sparrow, descended. Most of them weren't sure what to think at first as the birds landed on them and used their beaks to adjust where they sat. Eventually everyone got the message and held their arms up so the crows could have a level place to sit.
"Now that you're demon slayers," the twins explained, "you'll each be assigned a Kasugai Crow."
"Kasugai Crow," Mary repeated while pointing at hers, "what are we supposed to do with these birds?"
"Their primary purpose is for communication," the twins answered.
"I don't need this crap!" The Mohawked boy barked before swinging his arm, forcing his crow to take off before he stomped over to the twins, "who the fuck cares about some stupid crow?!" He reached out his hand and was about to grab the twin before a vice-like grip closed around his wrist.
"Just what do you think you're doing," the Breath of Wind user asked in a surprisingly calm but firm voice.
"What, who are you supposed to be," the boy glared at her.
"Were you about to grab her hair," Mary asked simply, her own stern gaze meeting his.
"This doesn't concern y-AAAAARGH!" The angry slayer let out a pained cry as the woman greatly increased the strength of her grip.
"Answer the question, brat," she warned, "these girls clearly take very good care of their appearances and the last thing they need is some shithead messing it up by throwing a temper tantrum."
"You best let go of me," he reached for his sword with his other hand, "you stupid-CRACK!" He let out another cry of pain as Mary released his now very broken wrist. "Ah, you damn b-." He was silenced by a hand on his shoulder.
"Watch what you call my wife," John warned darkly, "and stop trying to get special treatment. In case you haven't noticed, your impatience has already cost you and if you continue it'll cost you more. You think fifteen days is a long time to wait, try adding the time of healing while in a full body cast. That is the kind of punishment you're inviting right now, are you prepared for that?" The Mohawk boy growled but finally backed down and returned to stand by the others.
"If you're finished chatting now, the time has come to select an ore," the dark-haired twin pulled the purple cover off of the table, revealing a collection of what looked like metallic rocks. "This nichirin steel is what you shall use to protect yourselves as you annihilate demons, so choose wisely." They moved aside as the slayers stepped forward. 'So this is what a raw ore looks like,' the former hunter now turned slayer mused, 'there must be varying degrees of impurities or something in them that distinguishes each one.'
No doubt the ones who'd be forging their swords could tell the differences in each one just by looking, but John was at a loss. Fortunately for him, he had another sense he could rely on as Mary gently grabbed his hand. "Those two," she whispered to him while pointing at two ores in the corner. Curiously, they almost looked like puzzle pieces that could fit together.
"I think those will do nicely," John nodded before they both stepped forward and took the ore that would become their swords.
Later In the Day: The Path Back to Urokodaki's
"Fuck, what do they make these uniforms out of," Mary breathed out in annoyance as she and John trudged down the road. The couple were definitely feeling their age right about now. Training or no training it was still taxing to survive, stay alert, and fight intermittently for seven nights in a row. They'd gotten a slight adrenaline rush dealing with Mohawk Sunshine, whose real name was apparently Genya something or other, but once that had worn off during their uniform fittings the exhaustion hit both parents full force.
Venturing down the mountain path had been painful, so much so that the duo had grabbed a couple of walking sticks off the trail to help them balance. Adding to that, they both had a white messenger bag slung over their shoulders containing their new uniforms. And for whatever reason, the damn things felt heavy! "Probably some enhanced material," John grunted as they continued on down the road, "I imagine ordinary outfits wouldn't stand up very long against demons. Just the regular ones are stronger than average humans."
"So our sensei's told us," his wife groaned before suddenly losing her balance. John moved to catch her but wound up falling over on the road himself. "Ugh, this is so frustrating!"
"You aren't just talking about the fact that we're both lying on the road, completely exhausted, are you," her husband surmised.
"Seven days," Mary rolled over and looked up at the sky, "we spent seven days fighting against demons and only got one even willing to talk to us. The rest were just snarling beasts in most cases."
"Not much we could've done about that," John sighed from his position on the ground, "the majority of demons in there were starved, no doubt driven crazy by the hunger at that point. If they knew of a cure I doubt they'd remember it in that state. Then again, if they knew how to change back to humans, they might've done it and escaped the mountain. That is assuming Fujikasane had everything they needed to do so."
"That's what's so frustrating," the dark-haired woman sat up, "it's been two years and seven days, give or take, since Jonathan was turned into a demon. Not only are we no closer to finding a cure for his condition, we don't even know if he's going to wake up. What'll all this have even been for if we show up and find out he's-?"
"Don't think like that," the blond man got up to a kneeling position, "we have to believe everything's going to be okay. Jonathan is strong, he's already shown he's different than any other person who's been turned into a demon. He'll never accept being one of those snarling beasts, but he also won't give up. We didn't raise a quitter."
"No, we didn't, did we," Mary acknowledged before using her walking stick as a support to stand back up, "alright, let's get moving then. We want to get back as soon as possible, right?"
"We most certainly do," John grunted while also pushing himself back up. The duo continued hobbling along then, their minds set on the destination while pushing all other concerns aside. After all, they'd just become Demon Slayers. If nothing else, they were at least keeping their promise to return alive.
Nighttime: Home of Urokodaki
The trek back was painful with the parents having to stop and rest far more than they wanted to. But at long last they found themselves standing before the home which had become so familiar to them over the last couple of years. In a way, it was almost like returning to a second home. "Thank fuck we finally made it," Mary breathed out, "let's hurry up and go say hi to-BAM!"
Before she could finish her sentence, the front door to the cultivator's home was kicked open and fell to the ground. The parent's eyes widened as a familiar one-horned figure came walking out and turned towards them, an all too recognizable metallic muzzle over his mouth. "Jonathan," his father dropped his walking stick out of pure shock, "you're….you're awake?" Their son said nothing as he turned to them, a sudden flicker of recognition in his eyes.
He turned and ran towards his parents then who tried to mirror him but ended up stumbling instead due to their exhaustion. But neither of them hit the ground as Jonathan grabbed a hold of both of them in a loving embrace. "Oh my boy," Mary and John began to weep as they returned the embrace, "Why did you have to scare us like that? I was starting to think, you'd never awake up, that you were going to die!"
Jonathan could only hum in return but it conveyed enough. He hadn't wanted to worry them, that much was clear. But whatever the reason for his long slumber, the family was simply happy that they were all back together again. And they weren't the only ones.
The sound of wood clattering to the ground alerted them for a moment as they looked up to see Urokodaki himself was there. His surprise at their return was evident even with his mask on as he approached slowly at first before embracing the family. John noticed the man's tears falling beneath his mask, but he didn't call attention to it. After all, they were tears of joy and he wasn't about to interrupt that.
"You're both here," the old man's voice was just the slightest bit shaky, "you both came back alive." Those words were more than enough to convey his relief. After all, the couple knew that this was the first time in years he'd had students come back alive. They let the moment last as long as they could before finally deciding to take the reunion inside.
Urokodaki was quick to get a fire going and a meal started as the two parents told of their encounter with the Hand and Saw demons. "So, that mutated demon really is dead, along with another very dangerous monstrosity," he asked once they were finished recounting the event.
"He is," John nodded, "I cut his head off cleanly and he disintegrated. Mary did the same with her demon."
"Is that so," another familiar voice sounded as the door slid open to reveal Izumo Kaze, "good news all around then." The Wind Cultivator moved to take a seat next to Urokodaki, "but what else did I really expect? I know how to train a hard ass woman."
"My wife doesn't need any help being a hard ass," John remarked, earning him a playful elbow from Mary.
"Whatever the case, it is finally over," the relief was palpable in the old slayer's voice, "and I am truly impressed that you both made it back."
"Thank you sensei," the duo bowed to their respective masters.
"Now before either of you get too smug, listen up," Izumo took the reed out of her mouth, "you no doubt noticed there were various differences with every demon you fought. Those two mutations you took on were likely utilizing what's known as a Blood Demon Art?"
"'Blood Demon Art'," Mary repeated, "That sounds like some kind of black magic."
"That is certainly one way to think of it," Urokodaki nodded, "Blood Demon Arts are special abilities wielded by some demons that grant them seemingly supernatural powers. Illusions, breathing fire, manipulating the environment, all manner of things are possibilities when facing a demon possessing these arts."
"But don't sweat it too much," Izumo waved dismissively, "while it's true that such demons will be the most difficult opponents you'll face, they're thankfully a little rarer than the average demon and even if you encounter one, you'll be fine. Just remember your training."
"Since we're on the subject of demon oddities," John glanced at the door to the other room where Jonathan was now currently resting, "our son is behaving differently than any demon either of you has ever encountered. Do you think it has something to do with this Blood Demon Art?"
"No, I wouldn't call it a Blood Demon Art," his master crossed his arms in thought, "those are typically battle oriented or designed to help demons catch their prey. I only have a theory, a guess really, that what your son is doing is sleeping to regain his strength. It is another departure from typical demon behavior as demons have always devoured people in order to regain and increase their strength."
"Do you think it's possible our son's strength as a demon is increasing because of all the sleeping he's done," Mary asked.
"I'm afraid I couldn't say," Urokodaki responded, "Giyu did not relay to me the account of how strong your son was when he faced him. He'd have to fight him again in order for any of us to truly be able to gauge his strength."
"Well whatever the case, we'll protect him," John assured. Mary nodded in agreement to this along with their teachers. The rest of the night was filled with more amicable conversation and when the two parents finally went to sleep, they both slept next to their son that night.
Fifteen Days Later: Daytime at the Home of Urokodaki
To many people waiting slightly more than two weeks for something to arrive would seem like a long time. But in the case of John and Mary, they were able to keep themselves occupied by running through training drills and filling Jonathan in on everything he'd missed in the last two years. The boy, unfortunately, still couldn't speak but his looks of awe at his parents performing the techniques of their Breath Forms spoke volumes. If the couple didn't know any better, they'd say his time sleeping had wound up making him even more adorable than before.
This was made abundantly clear when even Izumo Kaze herself caved in to his puppy dog eyes and patted him on the head during one of her visits. Naturally she played it off and said she only did it so the little numbskull would leave her alone, but Mary just laughed, knowing her sensei was more soft-hearted than she let on. They also took the time to see what Jonathan remembered about writing so that he could communicate with other people more effectively. John and Mary didn't know how but they seemed able to tell what he was trying to say surprisingly easily.
The two parents just assumed it was because he was their son and they'd come to know what he was thinking or saying even without spoken words. They might've tried teaching him sign language except neither one of them knew the first thing about sign language, or at the very least they didn't know any polite words in sign language. Alas, the demon boy was a bit slow on the uptake when it came to writing which is why even after two weeks the best he could do was write out basic words but not string them together into a sentence. Still, part of Mary was oddly happy that she had the chance to read bedtime stories to their son once again.
John actually laughed a little when he saw her doing it the first couple of times, remarking that if they did it right, their journal would read like a bedtime story too. All of this made time seem to fly for the little family and before long fifteen days had elapsed. It would be the morning of the fifteenth day that the sound of wind chimes would greet their ears. The source would belong to two strangers walking down the path to Urokodaki's house.
The parents, who'd been finishing up a bit of work outside, would quickly note that the wind chimes were attached to the shade hats worn by the strangers, but that's where the similarities between the two ended. The taller of the two arrivals was a man wearing a dark kimono top, light brown kimono pants and a haori with a dark and light yellow sun pattern on it. The other figure was much shorter, a seeming child next to her compatriot. Also unlike her compatriot, the short woman wore an orange and dark green, military-style kimono.
Adding even more to the oddity of the duo was that once they got up close, the parents saw they were wearing clown masks? "I am Haganezuka," the man greeted after stopping right in front of the two, "I have forged John Keller's sword."
"And I am Yagakuro," the short woman introduced, "I have forged Mary Keller's sword and we have come here to deliver them."
"Oh, welcome," the parent's both bowed before Mary spoke up, "we are Mary and John Keller. Would you like to come-."
"These are nichirin swords," Haganezuka and Yagakuro both took a seat on the porch and began unwrapping the rectangular bundles they'd been carrying on their backs. "We forged them ourselves back at our village."
"And I'm certain the journey was a long one," John tried this time, "why don't we discuss this inside over tea-."
"The materials for a nichirin sword are found on the mountain closest to the sun," Yagakuro ignored the request and picked up the explanation, "scarlet iron sand and scarlet ore are what they are called." Haganezuka pointed up to the sun then.
"These unique materials, when blended together," he explained, "produce a unique steel that can absorb sunlight."
"Wow, we were never told these important details by our senseis," Mary remarked sarcastically. This earned her a finger pointed at her face by Yagakuro.
"Mt. Yoko is bathed in sunlight all day," she informed, "never a cloud in the sky and that grants these metals more than enough sunlight to slay a demon."
"Wow, so fascinating," the parents both sweat dropped.
"Say," Haganezuka suddenly got into John's face, revealing the Hyottoko, Japanese Clown Mask, he was wearing looked like he was trying to blow out a candle or flame. "You're a foreigner, aren't you?"
"Yes, I'm American by birth," he confirmed with a confused nod. Was such a thing supposed to be important?
"That explains your odd names," Yagakuro crossed her arms and shook her head, revealing her clown mask to be a childish face in contemplation. "You two speak Japanese exceptionally well, how long have you been here?"
"We moved out here a little over fifteen years ago," Mary revealed, "I wanted to raise our child in the land of my ancestors. John had been learning Japanese before then just so he could converse with the older members of my family."
"It's rare for a foreigner to wield one of these swords," Haganezuka mused aloud, "there's no telling what sort of odd color might come up."
"Does the color really matter all that much," John asked, "I mean I don't want a pink one or anything, but I'll use it if I've got no other choice."
"It matters more than you think," Yagakuro informed before raising her voice, "isn't that right, Urokodaki?"
"That's right," the old man's sigh was audible even from outside the house, "now are you two going to come inside or not?" The answer this time was, finally, yes as the couple and the two swordsmiths entered the old Slayer's residence and sat down. Haganezuka and Yagakuro finished unboxing the swords then and handed them to the newly appointed demon slayers.
"Now this is some nice work," John examined his sword. The sheath itself was black with a rounded silver head on the end while the handle of the sword itself was wrapped in black leather, also with a rounded silver head at the end. Ocean blue diamond symbols lined the handle and the tsuba that separated the handle and blade was a circular silver piece with what looked like cresting waves going all the way around it, interrupted by the occasional hole in the tsuba.
Mary's sword had a bluish white sheath with a white tip and the sword itself had a white handle with sky blue, swirling star symbols running down it. Her tsuba was silver with sky blue outlines, the same shape as the swirling star symbols on her handle. "The points on these look like they'd be razor sharp," she noted while poking them with her finger, "but I'm not pricking anything at all. Guess I won't have to worry about accidentally cutting my hand on my tsuba."
"Of course," the female swordsmith snorted, "it would bring shame on smiths such as us if our works injured those charged with the protection of the people."
"Now go ahead and draw them already," Haganezuka urged while waving his hands up and down, "nichirin swords are also known as 'color-changing katanas'. The reason being is that the blades take on a different color depending on the bearer."
"Now that's something I got to see," Mary remarked as the duo drew their swords out of the sheaths and flipped them around so that the blades were facing in the proper position away from them. As promised, the weapons suddenly began changing color. John's was black with a slight bluish hue while Mary's took on a jagged outline along the blade that was brass with a burgundy tint.
"Black! Brass!" The two swordsmiths breathed out in frustration.
"Is there something wrong with these colors," John raised an eyebrow.
"No, the colors are fine," Urokodaki assured, "Haganezuka and Yagakuro here are just disappointed neither of the blades were bright red."
"What's so great about a bright red blade," Mary tilted her head in confusion.
"Bright red blades belong to children of light!" Yagakuro poked her cheek in irritation.
"They are said to be signs of the descendants of the first breathing form!" Haganezuka mirrored his fellow swordsmith by poking John's face. "I knew the chances were low since you were a foreigner but I'd hoped the lady would stand at least a decent chance!"
"I'd say sorry to disappoint you but I'm just happy to finally have a sword," Mary shrugged before sheathing the blade back into its scabbard.
"Of course you don't understand," Yagakuro was yelling at the ceiling now, "you just became slayers so you have no idea of the traditions that have been passed down among the Corps! Every swordsmith hopes to one day see a bright red blade in their lifetime!"
"And the honor that would belong to the swordsmith who made that blade would be the greatest among all the swordsmiths in the Corps!" Haganezuka also yelled at the ceiling.
"Yeah, I wasn't raised Japanese," John reminded, "so not everything I do revolves around honor. Like my wife I'm just happy to have a sword so I can go to work."
"You'd better not treat our swords like yard tools!" Yagakuro warned as both she and Haganezuka put their respective slayers in grappling holds.
"We put our hearts and souls into these weapons! Treat them with respect!" The male swordsmith demanded.
"Ow, fine," Mary had to work to push the female swordsmith off of her, "how old are you two anyway to be acting like this?"
"I'm thirty-five!" Yagakuro declared.
"I'm thirty-seven!" Haganezuka also declared shamelessly. Fortunately for everyone involved it was at that exact moment that both slayer's crows flew in through Urokodaki's open door.
"John Keller," the father's crow, Matsuemon Tennoji, spoke suddenly, "I've come to bring you orders!"
"Wait, these crows talk," he raised an eyebrow in surprise at that. More surprised than he'd been when he learned the crow's strangely complex name.
"You two must go to a town northwest of here, Mary Keller," her crow, Juyago, continued in a female voice, "Young girls have been vanishing there!"
"At least one has been vanishing night after night," Tennoji informed, "hunt down the demon responsible and destroy it!"
"This shall be your first mission as members of the Demon Slayer Corps," Juyago added, "prepare yourselves well for this task!"
"So it's time already," John took a steadying breath and exchanged a nod with his wife, "let's go hunt a demon."
A Short Time Later: The Home Of Urokodaki
The process of putting on the uniforms was surprisingly simple. Many Demon Slayer uniforms were identical, though some came modified depending on the needs and wants of the wearer. But it seemed that occasionally the uniform makers put their own stuff in, given that Mary's black uniform had a skirt, tall white leggings that went up to her knees like giant socks, and the front just hung open to expose some of her cleavage. John had opted for the regular uniform which consisted of black pants, white ankle wraps, a white belt, a black long-sleeved shirt with three buttons on the front and the kanji for 'destroy' written on the back. John wore his grey haori over the uniform while Mary wore her sky blue one, though now it had tints of brass in it and failed to hide the open spot on the front of her uniform unless she pulled it closed.
They wore the haoris out of personal preference and because they wanted to have a piece of home still with them when they traveled. The two slid open the door and stepped back into the main room once they were done changing into their uniforms. Jonathan gazed in wonder at the sight of his parent's new appearances from beneath his blanket as they both took a seat in front of Urokodaki. The two noisy swordsmiths had, thankfully, left by this point and given them all some much needed peace and quiet. "This is certainly an artistic choice," Mary remarked while looking down at herself.
"We may have to find the uniform makers and beat a little sense into them later," John sighed, "but at least Jonathan seems to like the outfits, so perhaps we can make them work."
"I guess I can live with it so long as my husband is ogling me too," Mary snorted before they got down to business.
"Now that you two are officially members of the Demon Slayer Corps, I'd like to explain a few things," the old man began, "first, in case they haven't told you the demon slayer uniforms you were given are made from a special fabric sewn out of unique fibers that grant it properties well beyond ordinary uniforms. The material is lightweight and breathable, but at the same time it repels moisture and is nonflammable. It also provides enough protection that a low level demon's fangs and talons will not be able to cut through it."
"This uniform really does all that," Mary examined one of her sleeves, "I'm surprised you haven't been selling this. All kinds of people could find a use for fabric like this."
"The leader of the Corps has plenty of ways to make money," Urokodaki informed, "Though it is possible he's sold some of the fabric in the past. The same cannot be said for the nichirin in your swords. The smiths forgot to mention that each color also has unique traits. John, your blade's coloration is similar to Giyu's so it will likely aid you in the use of the Breath of Water. Your color, Mary, is a little unusual as the normal hue is green for Breath of Wind users, but brass is not unheard of, so it should also aid in the execution of your techniques."
"You're the one who taught us that a blade is only as good as the one who wields it," John recalled, "so whether or not the color winds up aiding us, we'll just use what we've been taught to win the day."
"It's good to see that at least some of our lessons managed to sink in," Urokodaki nodded, "I could also discuss potential omens involving some of the colors but I imagine that will mean little to you as you have no plans of advancing up the ranks of the Corps."
"Our only reason for doing this is finding a cure for Jonathan," Mary aimed a small smile towards the cracked door where her son was peering out, "We'll only advance up the ranks if it put us in a better position to do so. Otherwise, all of this is just a means to an end."
"I have no doubt you'll be able to make that dream a reality," their sensei nodded before seeming to remember something, "speaking of which." He pulled out a tall, red wooden box with iron framing on either side, backpack straps and a door on the back. "This box is for carrying your son during the day, it's made of an extremely light would known as Kirikumo Cedar and it's been coated in rock lacquer to harden its exterior and make it more durable."
"Thank you sensei, we'll make good use of it," the former hunter bowed his head before accepting the box. "Wow, you weren't kidding, this thing weighs practically nothing! Check it out, Mary."
"No way," she laughed a little, "are you sure the wood this stuff is made from isn't hollow?" Urokodaki didn't really get a chance to answer as Mary went over and placed the box in front of her son. "Jonathan look, it's your own little travel box! It's way better than that basket we had before so hop on in." The demon boy looked uncertain for a moment, clearly debating whether or not it was worth the risk of coming out from under the blanket and potentially exposing himself to the sun.
But eventually he relented, decreasing his size and crawling into the box. "There's my brave boy," his mother smiled lightly, "don't worry. Where we go now, you'll go too. This will be a journey for the whole family." She lightly closed the door then, noting that it could be opened from the inside if need be, a feature she appreciated.
"We'll take turns carrying him," John suggested, "but I think the honor of wearing the box first should go to you. After all, you did have to leave for a little bit there."
"Let's try to avoid that in the future, if we can," Mary slipped the box on over her shoulders and stood up, "for now, I'm happy having our son with us once again." The duo gathered their things then and headed out the door.
"Alright," they turned to Urokodaki one last time, "we'll be heading out now. Thanks again, for everything." The two parents bowed. The old sword master stepped forward and put a hand on their shoulders.
"Good luck to both of you," he nodded, "and remember, always keep improving and you'll be able to face any challenge ahead."
"We will," the duo nodded back before turning and leaving. After going a short distance, the two waved one more time before departing. No other words needed to be said. Their time under the cultivators had ended.
"Not going to say goodbye," Urokodaki glanced towards a large tree.
"You know I'm not the kind of woman who goes for that mushy stuff," Izumo remarked from behind the tree. She'd shown up shortly after the swordsmiths, knowing her pupil's first mission would likely be soon but hadn't announced herself. "Mary knows it too. If they make it through their first few missions, then I might congratulate them."
"Same as ever, I see," the old cultivator remarked, "have a little faith. I get the feeling those two are going to go farther than you think."
Some Time Later: On the Road to the Town in the Northwest
"Jonathan, are you okay back there," Mary shifted the box in hopes of getting his attention, "Jonathan?"
"He's probably sleeping again," her husband pointed out, "it wouldn't surprise me if his pattern has changed to a nocturnal one. Urokodaki once told me it's hard to know if other demons actually sleep at all given their inhuman stamina. It's possible another thing that makes Jonathan unique is that he does sleep from time to time."
"It's just one more mystery we'll need to ask the demons about when we encounter them," the mother mused, "after beating them into submission, of course."
"The encounter is going to be the difficult part," John mused as they crossed a large wooden bridge and looked out over the river going by the town. It seemed shipping and travel by boat was a big thing here given the number of small vessels of various types floating up and down the river. "This looks like the place but I'm not sure if 'town' is the correct word to describe it." The reason being was the settlement stretched out as far as the eye could see, seeming to go all the way back to a mountain in the distance.
It looked like a small sea of blue roofs with more than a couple of the buildings standing as tall as two stories. It was also an absolute maze, one could easily get lost if they didn't know their way around. Adding to this, the location seemed pretty crowded for a town, with various people wandering back and forth along the streets. "I'm starting to see why a demon would pick a place like this," Mary mused as they walked along, "after living in the mountains for so long and then training in isolation, I'd almost forgotten that so many people could live in one place."
"This also means our quarry's Blood Demon Art is likely one that focuses on concealment," her husband put a hand to his chin, "and there have been no reports of property destruction, at least none that our crows bothered to tell us about. So this isn't an especially large demon we're dealing with, either."
"Then our first priority is to find its preferred hunting ground," Mary lightly wrapped her fist on her other hand. Fortunately, they were just passing by some women who were gossiping about something clearly frightening.
"Did you hear, another girl disappeared," one of the women whispered.
"Not another one, it's been happening so much recently," another woman gossiped. For some reason, this made the mother smirk at her husband before she handed him Jonathan's box and her sword.
"What are you up to," John couldn't help but ask.
"Just getting in on some gossip," Mary smiled while tying a white cloth around her hair and rolling up her sleeves, as if she'd just gotten done cleaning, "be right back." She closed her haori to hide her uniform then and headed over with a wide, closed-eye smile on her face. "Excuse me, my husband and I just moved in. Are those rumors really true?"
A Few Minutes Later
A young man in a brown haori and blue kimono walked, or rather stumbled along, bruises visible on his face. The people noted how haggard he looked and those that knew him were well aware why he looked like he did. The younger man had no destination, merely wandering around aimlessly until a hand suddenly reached out and stopped him. "Excuse me," he looked up to see a blond man staring down at him in concern, "are you Kazumi?"
"I am," he responded almost absently, "who are you?"
"We're people who'd like to hear your story," a dark-haired woman walked up next to the man, "I'm Mary and this is John. Word has it your fiancé disappeared. We'd like to know what happened and where?" Kazumi didn't know why, but for some reason he not only told them, he took them to the pathway where it happened.
"I know you may not believe me," Kazumi commented as they arrived, "but this is where Satoko vanished."
"No, this location makes sense," John observed that the area had high wooden walls on either side and a large stone wall where the path split off at the end, "these disappearances only happen when the victims are alone or nearly alone, in places with limited view from other buildings, right?"
"I only know what I've heard," the young man mused, "but yeah, no one's ever seen what happens."
"The perpetrator has also taken only young girls, correct?" Mary further questioned, "How old was Satoko?"
"She'd recently turned sixteen," Kazumi recalled, "but why is that important?"
"Have any girls turned sixteen recently who are nearby?" John asked.
"I did hear of one from a somewhat wealthy family who celebrated her birthday recently," the boy scratched his head, "do you think she's in danger?"
"We're about to find out," Mary gave him a determined look, "take us there."
And so the family is together again at long last and out for their very first mission! I don't think I have to tell you the advantage of them being a family of three. But speaking of telling, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters! And of course, swing by my Pat reon to see about news, scene samples, and commissions! Last thing, stop in next time as our heroes face their very first demon as newly inducted Demon Slayers! 'Til then.