Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
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"Thank you."
A beautiful woman with white hair like a waterfall and fair skin, so white like a birch tree fairy, sat beside her husband.
Her slender arm reached out from under the eaves and picked up the kasugai crow and the letter tied to its feet from her husband's hand.
"You're welcome, Amane-sama! Caw!"
Amane opened the letter and gently stroked the rolled-up letter to smooth it out.
Her purplish eyes swept over the content of the letter, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.
"This is...!" Amane's eyes widened considerably compared to her usual calm appearance. She looked to her husband and called out. "Anata..." (Dear ♡)
"Yes?"
Kagaya slowly turned his head, the sunlight slanting down on his face, featuring the other half of his face looking extremely gentle.
"What's written on it?" He smiled as his eyes narrowed at his wife's voice.
Amane stopped in her tracks, her hand frozen in place.
She had been by her husband's side day and night. For him to say such things means only one thing.
Amane's hand holding the papers was trembling in midair as she opened her mouth to say something but hesitated. Her eyes held sadness and regret for him as she toned her voice down lovingly.
"The curse... has claimed your sight, hasn't it?"
Indeed, the effect of the curse has struck again, turning his lovely eyes that she loved to stare at when they're in... private moments, grey and blurry.
Kagaya looked at his wife's face, or where he thought her face would be if they sat together. He could still see the silhouette of her figure, though vaguely.
Kagaya smiled and nodded. As if the illness doesn't affect him at all.
"...I'm sorry to trouble you."
Amane clamped her lips to bottle up the emotions threatening to burst.
She retracted her hand and began to read the content of the paper for her husband.
"...it's no concern. I'm your wife after all."
She pursed her lips and took a deep breath, slowly regaining control of her emotions, and put on a mask of calm appearance that was like the birch tree fairy.
"I'll start reading now..."
"On the month of MM day DD, Intel came through with a suspicious demon activity in Tokyo..."
Although it was Kyojuro who wrote the mission report, the content was written in a style that was different than his usual speaking fluency. Very rigid and military-like.
...
"Met the Lower Moon Two, assisted Kamado Tanjuro in killing it..."
"...Soon after, we encountered the Upper Moon One..."
Amane had to stop for a second to look at her husband and gauge his reaction before she continued to read.
"Kamado Tanjuro fought against the Upper Moon One while I, Kyojuro, was too weak to provide any meaningful help. Thus, I was sidelined from the battle..."
...
"...and then cut off one of his arms. The Upper Moon One decided to retreat from the battle with his severed arm, and his current whereabouts are unknown."
Amane put down the report onto her lap as she processed what she had read. Her fingers tightened slightly as she said the last words slowly, as if such things happening were a miracle from the gods.
She turned to look at her husband and saw his shoulder shaking from...joy?
"Hahaha...cough cough! Cough cough cough!"
Kagaya was listening intently. He was stunned, worried, and laughing with joy at the end of the report. Though, the condition of his lungs didn't agree with this air circulation.
"Haha...cough cough! So that's how it is..."
"They encountered the Upper Moon One and cut off his arm! Cough cough!"
As he spoke, a glimmer of hope colored his voice, and his dull grey eyes seemed to regain their vitality.
[The Upper Moon One, Kokushibo.]
The strongest of the Twelve Kizuki and one of the early generations of Demon Slayers.
Kagaya had heard the recent rumors circulating around in his Corps but the validity of such news was unreliable.
This mission report cleared up any misunderstanding.
Kagaya couldn't help but be happy as he started coughing violently.
"Dear!" Amane quickly came over to support Kagaya, who bent over, and held him in place in case he toppled over the balcony.
Sitting there with the warm sun shining down on him, Kagaya raised his head and puffed his chest as the warmth brought back the feeling in the decaying part of his head. "Well done." He smiled.
His excited mood was visible.
"...this stalemate that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years has finally begun to shift again."
"A new change to our advantage that has never happened before."
"That's great."
Kagaya closed his eyes to bask in this good news.
"...That man...he must be really concerned right now..."
Kagaya turned his head to look at Amane. He brought his hand on top of her that was supporting his body and gripped it softly.
"Yes..." Amane responded.
"Who wrote the next letter?"
"Kamado-san."
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-Location: Tokito Family House-
-Time: Night, 10:12PM-
Time passed as the moon hung high in the sky, unfiltered by the clouds and the leaves of the trees in the Tokito's house.
Soichiro's small braid of hair hung lightly over his shoulders. He held a wooden sword in his hands as he stood in front of a tree.
The tree has been battered with the swing of the sword on his body. The repeated action from the training carved itself on the bark of the wood.
"Hiss—!"
Soichiro took a deep breath; his arm muscles tensed as he concentrated on the one spot on the tree.
)—Moon Breathing First Form—(
)—Yamizuki - Yoi no Miya—(
(tr. Dark Moon, Evening Palace)
Swish!
The wooden sword in his hand had a faint orange-yellow moon crescent that appeared on the blade as he swung it with force!
It created a beautiful arc in the air.
The wooden blade's blunt edge suddenly gained more sharpness than it possibly could. When it came into contact with the tree...
Snip!
It was as if the tree were made from butter, as the wooden sword cut through the tree's body cleanly without any obstruction!
The man's eyes lit up at finally succeeding in using Moon Breathing.
With a sound like a wail, the tree began to fall as gravity did its job and crashed down to the earth in a resounding boom.
Booomm!
A layer of dust obscured the vision.
"Dad!" "Dad!"
Two children ran out of the shadows not far away. One of them has a bright smile on his face as he runs quicker than his brother.
"You did it, Dad!" Muichiro shouted excitedly, a smile as bright as the moon up on their head. His hands are full of calluses and marks of his training. "So cool!"
"Thank you." Soichiro bent down and picked up Muichiro from under his arms. "This swordsmanship is really convenient for cutting down trees! My back is thanking me, hahaha!"
Yuichiro, seeing that his dad picked up his brother, simply stood by on the side. He crosses his arms and nods his head, as if agreeing with his father, though you can't miss the proud look on his face.
"My swordsmanship..."
Michikatsu choked slightly. He sulked as he stood not far away, facing another tree.
He stabs his index fingers into the bark and wiggles it slightly with irritation. "My swordsmanship is NOT for cutting down trees..."
A cloud of gloom hung over his head as he vent to the innocent tree, who sweated buckets.
Although he said all that, his heart was full of hope for the Tokito family.
In just a few days, the father and two sons have mastered the use of the breathing method and can use the basics of Moon Breathing First Form.
Except for Muichiro.
Michikatsu recalled every time they spent together training.
It seems that Muichiro's physique is more suitable for other breathing techniques, so he is still laying the foundation for his style.
"Ahaha, sorry..." Soichiro heard Michikatsu's sulking. He scratched his head and smiled and nodded in the man's direction before opening his mouth.
But he saw that Michikatsu was no longer there.
...
Whoosh!
Tap.
Michikatsu stood atop the tallest tree in the forest as he used his six eyes to take in his surroundings. With the moonlight, he had no difficulty in locating the sound that he heard.
His golden eyes settled on a village secluded from the outside world.
"That clanging..."
"So it really came from this village..."
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-Location: Unknown Village-
Dang! Dang!
We see a man wearing the fire god masks constantly swinging the iron hammer in his hands to the red metal on the anvil. He is naked from the waist up.
Dang!
One strike after another, he tempered the red-hot sword-shaped material in front of him as sparks flew from the hits.
Dang!