I returned to the Butterfly Mansion.
I entered the mansion and was soon greeted by Kanae, who was accompanied by Shinobu and a little girl who walked in silence, with empty eyes.
"Welcome back," Kanae said, with that same gentle tone.
Soon after, more faces appeared from behind Shinobu and Kanae.
Four, to be exact.
Kanao (who was already accompanying the two older ones), Aoi, and the three little ones: Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho.
All younger than the memories the future would have of them.
Small, fragile, but with curious eyes that observed everything.
Kanae turned to me, still with that calm smile.
"I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves yet," she said.
"And since you'll be staying here until the Final Selection, it's only fair that you all get to know each other."
She started by introducing herself, then pointed to Shinobu, who gave a brief bow.
Then she introduced Kanao, who didn't even blink, just kept staring at me, and then Aoi, Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho.
The last three bowed shyly, almost hiding behind each other's haoris.
When it was my turn, I straightened my posture and said the basics.
"Usan Hayashi. Fifteen years old."
That was it...
I couldn't think of anything else to say for now.
They looked at me as if expecting more, until one of the little girls, Sumi, I think, gathered the courage.
"Are you... related to Shinobu-san?" she asked, pointing between me and Shinobu.
I froze, confused.
Shinobu also seemed not to understand.
"Related?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"We're not. Why?"
The little girl clasped her hands and answered with all the sincerity in the world:
"Because your hair is the same... black with purple tips."
"And your eyes are the same color too!" She opened her little hands and threw them up as she finished speaking, while the others nodded behind her in agreement.
I stayed silent for a moment, and so did Shinobu.
We looked at each other, perhaps trying to see what the girl saw.
It was true.
Our eyes had the same purplish tone, and the hair... well, now that I noticed, it really did look similar.
Kanae started laughing, covering her mouth.
"It seems we have long-lost siblings!" she joked.
Shinobu looked away, slightly flushed, and I did the same.
The atmosphere became... awkward. So, to break the silence, I asked:
"Kanae, when will the Final Selection for Demon Slayers take place?"
She was still laughing when she answered:
"In a few months, it will still take some time."
"Until then, rest and train whatever you need."
'Rest, huh…'
─── ◆ ───
A few days later, the sun had barely risen and I was already outside, standing in front of a training log that Aoi had set up for me.
I firmly held a wooden sword and took a deep breath.
The air filled my lungs, and along with it came the familiar sensation of the shadows responding.
A dark smoke came out of my mouth, tinged with a faint purplish hue.
The wooden blade was covered in a black glow that rippled as if it were on fire.
"Shadow Breathing, First Form: Kage Giri."
The cut was fast and clean, spinning in a full circle around me.
The log split in two, the dry sound of impact echoing through the yard, and the dark smoke slowly spread through the air.
The bell tied to my waist swayed with the wind, chiming softly as half of the log fell to the ground.
I looked back and saw Kanae watching from the veranda.
She clapped, a proud smile on her face.
Beside her, Kanao stared at me, motionless, expression neutral, but her fixed gaze revealed her interest.
Shinobu was there too, combing Kanao's hair, but she couldn't completely hide her surprised look.
I took a deep breath and let the sword rest on the ground.
Another step forward.
─── ◆ ───
Another day
This time, I sat beside the wisteria flowers, surrounded by several flasks and a crucible.
The smell of the mixtures was strong, sweet and nauseating.
I was mixing extracts, testing concentrations, trying to create something that could affect Oni faster.
I admit I still held some resentment over Douma ignoring my poison.
A female voice suddenly came, light and curious:
"What are you doing?"
Shinobu appeared behind me, crouching beside me and resting her chin on her palm.
I explained the process, the use of wisteria, the mixtures, the effects, the reaction time.
She listened attentively, tilting her head slightly.
"You want to use poisons?" she asked.
"Even though you're strong enough to decapitate an Oni normally?"
I gave a small smile.
"I also like fighting at a distance."
"Throwing weapons, light blades, the only way to make them lethal to Oni is with poison."
She made a brief sound of agreement, but seemed thoughtful.
After watching me for a while, she spoke quietly:
"I... don't have the same strength as my sister."
She said it naturally, but I could notice a slight melancholy.
"I can't decapitate an Oni easily... I've thought about using poisons, but I never found a way to combine it effectively with Flower Breathing."
I stayed silent for a moment.
Then I stood up, grabbed two training swords, and threw one to her.
"Then let's fight."
"Hm, just like that? Out of nowhere?"
"No breathing techniques, just skill," I said, spinning the sword in my hand.
She smiled, challenged.
"Are you underestimating me?"
I didn't respond.
The spar began...
And it ended quickly.
Shinobu was fast, her thrusts were precise, it was clear she had mastery, but her body didn't match the intended strength of her strikes.
In just a few minutes, I completely disarmed her.
She fell sitting down, sighing in frustration.
"Tch... that was humiliating," she muttered.
"It wasn't," I said, extending my hand.
"Your thrusts are impressive, they were fast and precise, you almost hit me many times."
She frowned, sulking, but accepted the help to stand.
"That doesn't help at all. Flower Breathing focuses on slashes, not thrusts."
I smiled slightly.
"Then create your own, a breathing style based on thrusts and the use of poison."
Shinobu looked at me in disbelief.
A vein popped on her forehead.
"You say that like it's easy! Not everyone can create a breathing technique like you!"
She turned to leave, irritated.
But before she could take the first step, I spoke:
"I'm sure you can do it."
"You don't even know me properly," she replied quietly, clenching her fist.
"Exactly, from the little I know, I can already tell you're talented enough."
She stopped.
Stayed silent for a few seconds.
"...I'll think about it."
Shinobu walked away without stopping, without looking back.
We had a few interactions over these past days.
I realized that Shinobu has a problem seeing her own qualities, perhaps because she unconsciously tries to compare herself to her older sister.
I hope she tries.
─── ◆ ───
[A/N]:These were the initial chapters, what do you think?
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