----------(3rd POV: The Soul)----------
"Good. Now it's time for you to choose. You will be reborn into the world of Demon Slayer. You will be given a choice of name, appearance, and the three wishes you are allowed to make. Impress me and I might even grant an extra request."
"Well, a name is easy. I'll just keep the name I have now."
"And that is?"
"Well, it's... It's... What the hell?"
The soul racked its head, trying to remember its name, but all it could make out when it thought about it were some details about the life it held before.
That fact made it shudder in fear.
'It couldn't have been that long, right? Why can't I remember anything? What's my name?'
"Do not think too hard, child. You have already died and so your name dies with you. You will become an entirely new person, so it's time to move on."
The soul looked ahead at where it thought the God was before slowly nodding, resigned to its fate.
"Can you help me choose a name, God?"
"You want me to help you?"
"Yes! I already have a last name in mind, but I can't really come up with a first name since I wasn't Japanese in my previous life, from what I can still remember, at least."
"Hmmm, why not? I'll help you, little one. But tell me what you chose as your last name first."
"Oh. Yeah, I wanted to use the name Raikiri. I know it means lightning cutter, and there's a really cool sword with that name." {A/N: Shout out Chivalry of a Failed Knight}
"Interesting. Looks like you have a wish already if you chose that. How about Hayate for your first name? It means swift wind. I believe it would suit you well."
The soul repeated the name a couple of times in its head before nodding and expressing its gratitude to the divine being.
"No need to thank me, little one. It was quite the unique request if I'm being honest. Now, time to choose your appearance."
"Before I choose, will my appearance affect the color of the Nichirin Blade I get? I kind of want a specific color for it, so even though it's probably a bit childish, I would like it if you could tell me."
"It's no problem at all. The answer to that would be yes, your appearance does affect the color of your Nichirin Blade, but not to a very high degree since breathing styles are the ones that usually dictate the color."
The soul, no, Hayate, thought a bit about the Nichirin Blade he wanted and couldn't help but smile slightly at the silliness of it all. They had gone from this grand declaration and deal to something so fun and mundane, really. He chuckled slightly again before shaking his head and answering.
"Alright then, I guess I won't risk it. I want to be 185 cm so I can take bigger steps while not towering over everyone. I would like it if my body is more inclined toward building compact muscles rather than a bodybuilder type of thing. I want my face and hair to be like Riku's from Kingdom Hearts 3 but with black hair and bright blue eyes, a similar color to the blue displayed when Zenitsu uses Thunder Breathing, and... I think that should be it."
The being hummed slightly before a picture of the finished product appeared in the void right in front of his eyes. He examined it a bit before giving it a mental thumbs up, making the portrait disappear.
A silence descended for a moment before the being softly spoke.
"It's time to make your choices, child. What are your wishes?"
The soul paused, hesitating slightly before answering.
"For my first wish, I wish to choose my own background or backstory so I can control my circumstances."
"I will agree depending on the circumstances you choose."
"Then... I wish to be a human that Tamayo transformed into a demon."
"Denied."
"...May... I ask why?"
The being let out a heavy sigh before replying.
"Have you forgotten your mission? You wish to reach an ideal ending, and becoming a demon will limit your interference too much. Trust me, you are not the first to wish for such a thing, and all of those I granted that wish to failed from a lack of action. Tamayo is crucial to the story because of her expertise in medicine, not her being a demon, so chasing a Blood Demon Art for greater strength won't do much to help you."
Hayate tried to hide his surprise, despite knowing the being could simply read his mind. He was shocked that the being had gone out of its way to warn him about the danger, but he still thanked him in his head before going into thought once again.
'If being a demon is off the table, then I need to prioritize relationships and the setting that would net me the best training, and that would be... Jigoro Kuwajima. I wanted to learn Thunder Breathing anyways, and that man is a retired Hashira. Considering what Zenitsu turned out to be, he has to be at least a somewhat decent trainer. Yeah, that works better than walking up to Zenitsu and asking him to teach me.'
"Granted," rang out the voice of the being.
Hayate jumped slightly before smiling at his idea being accepted.
"Can I change a bit more of the circumstances?"
"Once again, it depends on what changes you wish to make."
"I want to be five years older than the main cast, so that would make me 21 by the time the Infinity Castle Arc comes up, same as Sanemi and Giyu. And I'd like it if Kuwajima would take me in at an early age."
"Hmmmm."
Hayate sat in silence, allowing the being to think before its voice echoed through the void once more.
"Accepted. I do wish for you to succeed, so a couple of years of extra training would most definitely help."
"Good. My second wish is pretty simple. I wish that I would have unlimited potential in Thunder Breathing. I want to be the best at it, so I need my body to be perfectly suited for it."
"That is simple indeed, and I can grant that wish. You have asked for potential, not power, and that is enough for me to accept."
Hayate sighed in relief before thinking over his last wish. He couldn't really think of anything. Things like the Demon Slayer Mark and the Transparent World would be unlocked eventually while fighting. With his unlimited potential in Thunder Breathing, it's almost a guarantee that he would be able to master the other techniques. The only other thing he could think of was...
"I wish for an enhanced sense of hearing like Zenitsu."
"Denied."
"Huh? Why?"
"You cannot wish for something that already exists."
"But both Urokodaki and Tanjiro have enhanced senses of smell."
"You are right, of course, but Tanjiro's sense of smell is a lot stronger, making it unique. Same for Zenitsu's hearing and Inosuke's touch. So the only way for you to acquire a sense like theirs—"
"Would be through sight or taste."
"Exactly."
"Then, an enhanced sense of sight should work well."
"Alright, you have chosen all your wishes. You were quite interesting compared to others. Not the most interesting, but interesting nonetheless."
"Wait, before you send me out, may I make a request?"
"I did say that I would give you a request if you impressed me, so I will listen."
"Thank you very much! Then, may I ask for my memories to remain locked away until Kuwajima picks me up? I don't really want to go through being a baby again."
The being let out a snort.
"That's it? No problem at all. I can give you that much. Now, are you ready, Raikiri Hayate?"
"I am."
Hayate felt himself getting pulled, and before he could try to resist, he felt his conscious fade leaving him with the final words of the God that had granted him a new life.
"I hope you succeed, little one. I truly do."
{A/N: And that's that. Sorry if the intro to the story is kind of short and to the point, but I wanted to get to Demon Slayer quickly since that's what you're all here for. I'm not super happy with this chapter, but meh, I'm honestly more focused on the Demon Slayer part, so let's go.}