Akuma no Ha

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Note: This chapter switches between perspectives. Aika first, Amai, then Chisana.

Aika was so tired. She felt heavy, and her cuts stinged. She was near Sanemi's house, the wisteria trees were glowing faintly. Aika pushed on, going as fast as her tired legs could take her. She reached the ring of wisteria trees, and Sanemi stepped out of the house. He crossed his arms as Aika approached him.

"I did it." Aika managed to say, before passing out. She had a vague dream of getting dragged through the house...

Aika woke up, looking around. To the side of her was a tray with water, rice, and fish. She sat up slowly, eating her breakfast. She found a note, short and scrawled.

You're a Slayer now. You're still weak. The Kakushi member with your outfit will be here in a few days. So will the swordsmith.

-Sanemi

Aika read the note. She was a Demon Slayer! She'd have to find Yui, Amai, and Chisana sometime. Maybe her dove could get her there somehow.

Sanemi sat with Aika as the Kakushi member handed her the box with her uniform. Aika took it, changing in the bathroom. Awkwardly, she stepped out in a short skirt and shirt with a hole in the top. Sanemi glared at the Kakushi member after he saw the outfit.
"..." Aika slipped back into the bathroom as Sanemi stepped outside.

When she returned, they burned the clothes in the fire Sanemi made. The Kakushi member screamed at them, only to be silenced by Sanemi. Aika happily watched the clothes burn as she told the Kakushi member what she wanted. 

"Caw! Caw! The Flower Pillar Kanae Kocho has passed! Flower Pillar Kanae Kocho has died in a fight against demon moon Upper 2!" Sanemi's crow cawed roughly.

Aika froze. Kanae was Amai's teacher. Amai would be crushed. She looked over at Sanemi, standing on the porch, frozen as well. He clenched his fists, and Aika thought she saw tears in his eyes, but he quickly walked away, shaking with anger. Aika didn't go after him, she knew he had liked Kanae. 

Amai had been walking for about 3 hours when she finally reached Butterfly Mansion. Checking the mail, Amai saw that Kanae's letter had been 'returned to sender'. That was sad, Sanemi would have to wait for Kanae to go to his house sometime for Kanae to give him the message.

She was so relieved! She would get to see Kanae again, but she was stopped by a crying Shinobu running toward her. She stopped when she reached Amai and then told her the most heartbreaking news she had ever heard.

"KANAE IS DEAD!!" Shinobu yelled.

"She died fighting a demon!" Shinobu sobbed as she stood there in front of Amai.

Amai stood frozen, her eyes began to flood with tears, her vision getting blurry. She fell to her knees. Her hands on her sides limp. She sat there sobbing with Shinobu. She then got up, ran as fast as she could to her room, locking the door, hiding the key. Holding the katana hilt she was given by Kanae tightly, continuing to sob. She then thought, why..? She promised me she would see me become a hashira. SHE PROMISED! She's gone now...She stayed in her room for days, refusing to eat, drink,or sleep. She had also missed Kanae's funeral because she was at final selection. She had now truly lost everyone. She was now fully depressed. Shinobu had tried to get her to come out many times, it did not work. She stayed there for a week. Only going out to see the koi in the pond outside.

After the final selection, Chisana returned home. He hugged his mother, and Hashi, when he came through, crying.

When Chisana stopped crying, his mother broke the silence.

"What happened to your cheek, dear? And you seem to be limping... Oh! Your hair!" Emiko Then proceeded to trim his hair, so it could look a little more presentable.

Meanwhile, Chisana told his family about the entire selection... about Yui, Amai, and Aika.

"Two of them made their own breathing styles... it was fascinating..." He remembered them using sky breathing and nature breathing.

Emiko then finished cutting his hair, and then put a temporary cast around his ankle. "All done! How about you go try on your new uniform?"

Chisana nodded, then went to get his uniform. He came back a minute later with his uniform on. It was comfortable yet durable material, and it fit perfectly.

"I'm excited to go on my first mission... what was your first mission like, Hashi?" Chisana looked at his brother.

"I dunno... boring. All I had to do was patrol a mountain. There was like, what? One demon?" Hashi Replied.

"You at least saved some lives, though." Chisana said.

"I'm gonna go climb the tree in our backyard... are the cherries in season yet?" Chisana said, standing up.

"No. And you are not climbing any trees until your ankle has healed." His mother said sternly.

"But- fine..." He sighed.

Chisana crawled into his futon, exhausted. The selection exam had taken a lot out of him, especially since he used sun breathing.

A week had passed since he finished the final selection exam, and he had just woken up to being poked in the side.

"Let me sleep..." Chisana grumbled.

"No, the sword maker is here, and you've been sleeping for so long." Hashi kept poking his side.

"Wha-" Chisana sat up. "Okay, okay- I'm getting up."

They walked down the hallway, and stopped at the entrance, where the sword maker was standing.

"Hello, I am the one who has forged your sword. I have come here to give it to you."

"Thank you" Chisana said as the sword maker handed the box to him. He sat down, and unwrapped the sword. Setting the cloth that had been covering the sword aside, he picked up the nichirin by the handle.

"These swords are forged by ore that is shone upon by the sun constantly. We call it sun ore." The sword maker said calmly.

"Oh wow..." Chisana said, staring at the blade as it changed from a normal silver to black.

Everyone in the room stared at him with surprise. Chisana saw their faces and immediately frowned.

"Did I do something wrong?" Chisana asked.

"No, black is just a rare color for a nichirin blade... but the people who have it usually die." The sword maker explained.

Chisana just blinked. Was his nichirin blade color a warning that he would die? Suddenly, his crow flew in, a piece of paper attached to his foot... a message.