It did not last long before Sanemi received his first mission as a full-fledged demon slayer. Three days ago, when he had returned from his training session, a new sword and a crow awaited him. However, little he had anticipated that what he found in the letter would have made his blood boil so much. A relatively small settlement to the North was his unexpected destination. For … the demonic incursions intensified, finding their prime prey in single mothers and their children. The first time Sanemi read these neatly written words, he clenched his fists, crumpling the paper in the process. What he felt … it was indescribable. Initially, a wave of heated hatred washed over him that was quickly replaced, but much deeper and more refined coldness spread through her frame. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to eradicate every demon he could catch and torture them, denying them a swift and painless death. No … with memories flooding his mind of his mother and his siblings' dead bodies scattered over the small space they had used to call home awoke something primal in him. The white-haired teen wanted to see these wretched monstrosities struggling and screaming, knowing fully well they had nowhere to go or hide. He would have been their inevitable demise and salvation – a twisted mix, but Sanemi found the idea appealing.
The wind-breathing apprentice remembered little of his journey to Misuma. Frankly, these were nothing more than a collection of vaguely connected flashbacks that made little to no sense without a proper context. No matter, after what felt like a blink of an eye, he reached the settlement's outskirts, which were littered with crumbling and abandoned houses. As of now, these ruined buildings were covered by a decent layer of puffy snow that seemingly never ceased falling from the clouded and darkened skies.
Sanemi sighed heavily, intently observing his warm breath turning vapour in the chilly air. A piece of him wanted to believe these dwellings had not been abandoned due to the demonic presence, but even for him, it sounded more like a subtle lie to cover up the much nastier truth. No … he would have been a fool if he had allowed such a hopeful and deceiving idea to cloud his judgment. Nonetheless, he allowed himself to still for a few moments more, watching the surroundings that, in the better times, must have been beautiful. The settlement was situated between two mountain slopes scarcely vegetated with trees. As far as the white-haired teen could see, single conifer trees were scattered between loosely accommodated buildings. A solid stone road climbed the slightly elevated terrain, leading towards his destination – the habitat centre.
With a slight pang of hesitation, he inched forward, resuming his interrupted stroll. The wind was harsh and cold, setting the demon slayer's coat in constant motion with each blow. It made the climb a struggle against seemingly overwhelming odds, yet he pressed on, fixated on his goal and fuelled by uncontrollable hatred. If he received a more thorough education, he might have compared these unyielding flames residing in him to the hellfire. But … as his family had never had resources to spare on such luxuries, Sanemi's vocabulary and worldview were limited. Not that mattered much when it came to the eradication of the night's creatures. No … all that mattered in times like these were his arms' might and his blade's swiftness.
It took the white-haired teen a good while before he reached the settlement's centre, which was not impressive by any means. The first thing that caught his attention was an old wisteria tree in the middle of the square. Its bark was marked with cuts resembling wounds and the passage of time, yet it still stood proud and tall, glowing with this eerie yet fascinating light. Around it, a few solid buildings could be spotted. They were seemingly attached to a relatively small circular pathway surrounding the vegetation.
"You, white-haired," a disembodied man's voice called before Sanemi had the opportunity to look around closely.
"Me?" the demon slayer turned around towards the source.
"You're a demon slayer, aren't you?" a tall man of a slightly darker complexion asked, slowly approaching. He wore a sleeveless vest of an ashen colour paired with deep-navy, thick trousers. His arms were well-developed and muscular, covered with remnants of soot. He might have been the settlement's blacksmith, the teen reasoned, continuing his observation. The man was not young by any means. His face was enough to prove this guess, covered with countless wrinkles. Yet, he seemed to age gracefully, preserving strength, mobility, and perhaps intelligence hidden behind these brown-coloured souls' mirrors.
"Yes; is there a problem with that?" Sanemi retorted, trying to mask his emotions.
"Not at all," the stranger said, unwrapping a crimson-red headscarf and wiping the sweat off his brow. "Contrary to what you might think, I am happy you've arrived. I was informed that two demon slayers would be sent to deal with the recent incursion," he explained, extending his bear-sized hand towards the white-haired teen. "I'm Shoji Kiyoshi, a blacksmith. It's a pleasure to meet you, boy."
"Sanemi Shinazugawa," the white-haired teen replied, shaking the man's hand. "Can you tell me more about the problem?"
"Yes, of course," Shoji responded, turning slightly to his right. "Please, follow me. It's better to discuss such matters behind a closed door. I hope the second demon slayer arrives soon," he added, gesturing towards one of the pathways leading out of the square.
The wind-breathing apprentice said nothing, knowing fully well that no matter what he could potentially add, it would not change a thing. Hence, he obediently followed the older man, constantly looking around as his anxiety intensified. Sanemi felt watched and did not like that feeling one bit. Perhaps leaving the open area would solve that problem, he thought, wanting to deal with this obnoxious sensation as soon as possible. The quicker, the better. However, unfortunately, the longer the stroll lasted, the more refined and overwhelming this feeling became. Even though it was midday, a time no creature of the night could venture outside its lair, he could sense some terrifying presence lurking in the midst of shadows. Thinking of the idea for a moment, it was possible that this supposed monstrosity threaded through joint houses the settlement was full of, passing vast and mostly empty spaces soaked in nothing but darkness. Sadly, the speculation hardly allowed Sanemi to calm down and regain control of his mind, as, at some point, the sensation got out of control, crossing some illusionary boundary. Even though he knew there was no possibility for any demon kind to magically appear behind his back and tear him from limb to limb, given the current circumstances, he was still terrified of that idea. No matter how hard he tried to wrestle back control and fight off this sensation, it was ultimately a fruitless endeavour as his sweat had already turned cold and stank of hardly controllable fear.
"I see … you've sensed it too?" Kiyoshi spoke up after a long pause.
"Something is watching us," Sanemi commented, his paranoia taking over as his head continued swinging from side to side.
"Yes … that's what I referred to."
"I take the others do not sense it?" the white-haired teen questioned.
"No … I know only a few people who do," the man responded quietly. "Come … let's hurry up."
Sanemi's head still spun when he regained consciousness. With a weak groan, the teen tried to stand up but failed nearly instantly as his internal organs clenched, filling the gullet with a disgusting taste of gall. He wanted nothing more than vomit, but the white-haired boy still suppressed the biological reaction, knowing fully well that his stomach was completely empty. As if this experience was not dreadful enough, after nausea's first wave, he realised he had no clue where he was. The worries only grew as Sanemi looked around, not recognising the place at all.
After the second failed attempt, he stilled briefly, panting heavily. The bed the white-haired boy found himself in and its sheets were all drenched in a heavy sweat, spreading an unpleasant odour. Though, it mattered little as he could not leave it. Then, Sanemi spotted bandages covering most of his arms and chest. The supposedly once snowy fabric was long gone, replaced with coppery stains.
But … before the boy could ponder the unexpected discovery, his sharp sense of hearing picked up subtle and light footsteps approaching. Driven by some primal instincts, he immediately snapped his attention towards a door of dark wood to his left and jumped out of the bed, completely disregarding his weakened state. Unfortunately, Sanemi severely miscalculated the distance the source came from as the moment he stood, cursing silently under his breath, the door swung open, revealing a girl wearing a white nursing gown put over the Demon Slayers Corp's uniform.
"Oh," the newcomer gasped softly, slightly muffled as her right hand partially covered her lips. "How are you feeling, Sanemi?" she asked after the initial shock faded away.
"Where am I?" the white-haired boy responded with a question of his own, keeping his head in constant motion, observing the surroundings.
"Butterfly Manor, of course," the girl replied softly, "How are you feeling, Sanemi?" she repeated her question.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Shinazugawa retorted, sensing that his stupid and reckless action only intensified the pain.
Waiting for a response, the boy fixed his sight on her, finally paying her enough attention to notice how she looked. The demon huntress was relatively tall for a woman, about the same height as him. She was slender, yet something in Sanemi's guts urged him not to create false projections about her and undermine her. The nurse's skin complexion was extremely fair, pale even, contrasting with her small, red lips.
"I'm Kanae Kocho," she started, flashing a genuine smile. "It's nice to meet you, Sanemi Shinazugawa," she added, closing her huge, lilac-coloured eyes.
"You have not answered my question," the boy commented but relaxed his muscles. Something told him he could trust her; after all, she seemed to be a member of the corporation, just like him.
Kanae's long, raven-down colour hair was styled into a messy ponytail bound by a purple-tinted band. Additionally, she had a pair of pink and green butterfly hairpins adorned on each side of her head. She was undoubtedly a beautiful girl, but something seemed amiss. Why would such a delicate flower end up as a demon slayer? Behind this mask of genuine good, a much darker past must have been hidden. Just by looking at Kocho, Sanemi felt an urge to protect her, if need be, to forsake his life to preserve this heartwarming smile.
"Actually, the two Kakushi who brought you here revealed your name," Kanae said, reopening her eyes and slowly approaching the white-haired teen. "Now … could you answer my question?"
"I feel dizzy," Sanemi retorted hesitantly. "My head is spinning, and my body is weak."
"Could you please sit down?" she asked, pointing at the bed. It's only natural that your body's still recovering, Sanemi. Only a few days ago, you were on the brink of death. Considering how severe your wounds were, I'm surprised you stood up on your own that quickly," she explained, flashing another reassuring smile.
"Yes," the wind-breathing apprentice sighed, too exhausted to argue.
"It might hurt a little, but … your bandages must be changed," the girl said, sitting beside him. "Can I?" she asked before reaching out towards the coppery stained fabric.
"By all means, do your worst," the white-haired teen rasped, preparing both his body and mind for incoming pain.
"I'll try to be gentle."
"Do not try; I can endure it," Sanemi commented, looking straight at these big lilac soul's mirrors. "I have been through worse."
"You must've gone through a lot," Kanae whispered quietly, gently discarding the bandage's fist layer. "I did what I could … but you'll live with a few more nasty scars. I'm sorry."
"You are not to be blamed," Shinazugawa stated, his voice becoming a whisper to match her. "I lived, live, and will live by the sword. My scars are an integral part of me."
"What caused all of these?" she asked as soon as the fabric covering his left arm was removed with a quiet tearing sound.
"I wish I remembered," Sanemi sighed, gritting his teeth as his wounds reopened, spilling thick and dark blood. "My memories are fragmented, making little to no sense. But … I think these pieces will return soon … then, I might share them with you," he continued whispering.
"I'm sorry … I should've been more careful when removing these," Kocho apologised, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Kocho, stop. You are going to get messy," the boy said, grabbing her hand with his right one. "Give me the new bandage; I will wrap it myself. There is no need for my filthy blood to stain you," he reasoned.
"But …"
"No buts, Kocho," Sanemi commented, letting go of her soft hands and trying desperately not to blush. "Give me the bandage," he urged.
"As you wish, Sanemi," Kanea replied, casting down her sight a little. "Here," she added, passing him a new sheet of fabric.
"Thank you," the white-haired teen responded, unwrapping the item immediately. "The last moment I remember is me entering an abandoned Christian temple. All the clues regarding the demonic activity pointed at that place. I figured it was worth visiting," he added, primarily focused on the patching himself.
"Can you tell me more about it?"
"Why do you care so much?" came a rather aggressive response.
"Cause … I think you're unique. I've treated dozens if not hundreds of demon slayers but never encountered someone like you … so young, yet scarred beyond comprehension," she responded, allowing her voice to be trained with some fragile emotions.
"Do you pity me?"
"Partially … yes," came a whisper-like reply. "I just … you seem like a person who could need a friend."
"Fair enough."
Author's notes section:
I have a small announcement for you. I will try my best to return to posting only the already completed pieces. Please be mindful that it will take longer, but you will not be left with many WIPs as I struggle to conclude them. That being said, I will post a small WIP and then a finished chapter for the next couple of weeks to adjust to the new workflow. I'm sorry in advance for any inconvenience.
As a side note, please be informed that I'm actively trying to rewrite `The Endless Night` story that I posted a few months ago. Once I have both chapters adjusted, I will repost them, most likely with one additional chapter as a bonus of sorts.
Ok ... this time, I have managed to write sth a tad longer, but I'm still not content with the overall length of my recent texts. So ... let me apologise for it once again.
Please note that the dialogues written in italics are thoughts.
As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)
Changelog:
[2024-03-14]: A preview has been released.
[2024-03-19]: A major update applied, focused on wrapping up the chapter.
References:
- DMC - Bury the light
- 1000 Times Goodbye - Megadeath [Music that accompanies me during the writing process of this piece]
End of the author's notes section.
