Soutarou stood in the dojo. The silence thick in the air, even his breath could be heard loud.
He stood with his right leg forward the wooden floor squeaking as he stood.
He relaxed his shoulders and attempted to focus all his ki to his sword with a long breath.
There he felt it. That surge beneath his skin, coiling in his chest like a living thing. His soul energy.
He grip the hilt tighter. Maybe this time.
Sweat trailed down his jaw. He swallowed dry.
"Come on... please," he muttered.
The katana was still cold and lifeless. His grip began to tremble.
The sight of the blade began to annoy him.
In this world where demons existed, Ki was the only way to kill them. The natural soul energy in all living things—but not all could channel or weave it to slay a demon's undead core.
No amount of strength or speed could help
"Still no luck?"
The question interrupted the silence. Soutarou stood still and gazed at the door.
A woman stood at the door in her Taima Dan uniform, sword at her hilt, her hair packed in twin buns. Her expression was soft but uncertain.
Soutarou looked at his blade, still nothing.
"I can feel it's there. Inside me. I just..." His fingers trembled on the hilt. "I can't get it out. Can't make it flow into the blade."
Sakura's expression softened with something like pity. "Sau... maybe that's exactly why you should stop. If it won't come out after all these years..."
"It WILL," he insisted. "I just need to figure out how."
His grip gave out, the metal hit the floor and bounced, the steel singing in the dojo.
He stared at his empty hands.
The energy was still there, circling beneath his skin. It felt trapped.
What's wrong with me? He muttered to himself.
He sat down at the corner of the dojo. And the silence which came after was as a punishment.
Sakura gasped softly, then walked in and stopped before the katana. Hesitant, she picked it up and hung it on the rack before moving to Soutarou.
He bent his head down with humiliation. His fingers wandered down in his black hair.
He grumbled something to himself, some curse, or some prayer.
She sat beside him studying his face. Her hand drew him closer.
"All the years—Sau you've tried. Maybe it's not your thing. You must have something you are better at."
She moved her hands to his face and raised his face tenderly. Her palm was warm on his cheeks.
"It doesn't need to be killing demons ."
She looked into his brown eyes.
Soutarou scoffed. His lips tightened. His eyes darted away. Then, after a pause, he relaxed. His face drew up a spurious grin and fixed his eyes to hers.
"Thank you," he said simply. "But I refuse. I won't give up."
Sakura grinned and brushed his cheek. "Stubborn as ever, Sau." She nudged him.
Sakura adjusted her seating and rested her head on Soutarou 's shoulder. Her hair fell over her face.
Soutarou felt his chest tightened. He pulled her hair off with a finger, and snagged it over her ear.
'She's perfect.'
They sat down and said nothing.
Then Sakura spoke.
"You... remember the very first time we met? Sakura asked softly."
Soutarou sighed and shut his eyes. "Please don't remind me."
Sakura giggled. "You can't escape this one." She cleared her throat. "Once upon a time, I was a weak noble girl and my father made me train with a blade."
Soutarou muttered and rested against the wall.
Sakura continued, "I thought he was punishing me. I cried, I was too young and just a girl. I hated it."
She looked at him smiling. "Until I saw you. You were my age, and two years superior in training. Remember, Sau?"
"I forgot" but his smile betrayed him.
"Master Yamamoto tried motivating me with that but I said to myself he is a boy, that is why he is good at this. But I'm a girl. I ought to be doing anything other than swinging a sword."
Sakura shrugged. "I whined, refused to train. I believed that I was just an ordinary girl. Not a demon slayer."
Her voice softened. But then you said something to me. Something that changed everything. She looked at him in anticipation. "What was it?"
Soutarousighed. "I don't remember."
"Sau...." Sakura frowned at him.
"Fine," Soutarou muttered. "Just... Stop looking at me like that."
Sakura grinned. "There it is."
He sighed, his voice low, repeating his own words of years past:
"It does not matter to a sword who wields it. It does not question whether you are tough enough or maybe you were born to do this. Nothing more than that it asks you whether you are willing to try."
The smile on Sakura soften.
"You gave me hope that day, Sau. You made me think I could be something better than what I imagined I was."
She touched his chest gently.
"I know you want to save lifes but.. The sword is not the only. Perhaps you should protect people in other ways."
She met his eyes. "You do not need to continue destroying yourself because at some point they described you as a prodigy. There's no shame in finding another way—one that's yours."
Soutarou stared at her. His throat tightened.
He wanted to protect people, but leaving Taima Dan was something he just couldn't do.
"Maybe," he whispered.
Sakura nodded softly, her gaze locked on his before slipping down to his lips. She leaned forward, breath mingling with his as their lips drew closer.
The moment shattered.
A gigantic bell rang outside. So loud the walls of the dojo vibrated heavily.
Outside, Demon Slayers were already running out with their katanas, their footsteps stomping the ground, movements smooth on guard.
Sakura and Soutaroustared at each other, then made a break to the door.
The bell signaled a demon attack on the barracks which rarely happened.
Not a single demon had ever been anywhere within the barracks walls in years.
Which meant one thing... either the demon was a strong one... or a stupid one.
Immediately they stepped out, Soutarou froze, eyes fixed on the clouds.
The external barracks were burnt down. Even columns of smoke darkened the sky before him.
"No." His breath stuttered at the sight.
"How is this possible?" The voice of Sakura broke next to him. "How didn't we sense this?"
She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her katana.
"I'LL KILL THEM!!!"