Resilient Lily

|tobu jiyū|

Kagome figured the scapple in her pointer and thumb before bringing it down to the pale skin that stretched over the equally as pale and white bones. She dragged the sharp metal point across the leathery flesh and a line of red paint followed as she drew precise, curly lines and shapes. The layers of skin split and opened up revealing a dark and dangerous cavern. Though the danger only pertained to the cadaver-shaped person that laid still on the operating table.

The pervasive smell of blood was nothing new to her nostrils. No, she was very much accustomed to the wretched smell. Due to her carving, the body's chest was opened up to the world. The secrets that were hiding behind the fleshy doors poured through with the blood.

Kagome took a deep breath before putting her sharp instrument down and grabbing a pair of sterilized forceps. Her hand disappeared into the deep cavern and once she found the treasure that she was looking for, she clamped the forceps tightly and brought them up and out of the opened-up chest.

Between the two metal pincers was a large yellow tooth. To be more precise, it was a demon's tooth that had found itself lodged in the Demon Slayer's chest. When she dropped the tooth into a small metal container it made a clinking noise.

Maybe the demon slayer would want to keep the tooth and make it into a necklace like the tiger and shark tooth necklaces that you buy when you go on a vacation, Kagome thought. The tooth was only a little bit bigger than a tiger tooth, she guessed.

Replacing the forceps for a medical needle and silk thread she began to slowly sew the pink flesh back together. Her stitches were neat and even and it was like she was embroidering a cool design on his skin. However it wasn't cool, it was merely a straight line closing the painful incision that she had made. Once she was done stitching the demon slayer up, she bandaged him before leaving the room. It had been her second surgery that day.

In some far, faraway town, so far from her reach, another Demon Slayer had been killed.

➻

"Imouto, who is that man in the distance?" Kagome asked while carelessly swinging her legs back and forth as they hung off of the edge of the engawa. She took a bite of the dango in her hand while she waited for her sister's reply.

The young kakushi was referring to the tall figure that was approaching the mansion. The man, well she assumed he was a man based on his build, had a large, bowl type hat made out of straw with wind chimes on it covering his face. The wind chimes jingled lightly with every step he took.

Kanao stared for a moment before replying, "I don't know," then she absentmindedly began to eat the dango of off her own skewer.

"Huh."

➻

"Woah it turned pink!" Kagome exclaimed as she stared in awe at Kanao's color-changing sword. She watched intently as the silver color slowly changed into a light pink.

"Nii-san, move your face away from it. You're going to get cut by the blade," Kanao said with a dull tone though she too was amazed by the mystical katana.

It had been around two weeks since she had taken and passed the final selection. Since then, she mainly waited. Well, she also had to face her week-long punishment that Shinobu was way too thrilled in dishing out.

"Pain is a good motivator, teacher, and reminder," was something that Shinobu said frequently.

"Tsuyuri Kanao, you must head out to a town in the east. Get ready to leave and then I will guide you to it," a talking crow informed. It had just shown itself, and Kanao wondered if it had followed the swordsmith.