Eclipsed (Demon Slayer)

strength

"Again!" She says as I swing my leg around the dirt, brushing up a cloud. Blind the enemy. Swinging the wooden sword at the dummy, it shifted quickly.

"Come on Akari!" She says louder.

I grunted as I run up to the dummy and split slid under it, stabbed from the bottom to the head. Pulling my sword forward the head splits in half, I stand up and see the melon all over the ground.

"In all my years...I have never seen someone stabbed through the ass."

I was surprised, that was basically a compliment. I bowed at her with much respect.

"In a few days you will have the final selection. You and other trainees will be together to fight demons. They won't be your friends, you can only trust yourself. They will try to kill you if they find out what you are."

"Never had friends anyway." I shrugged.

She shakes her head. "The last thing you need to do, it fight me."

My eyes widen. "Excuse me-"

She tossed a real sword at me and I catch the handle. She charges at me, bringing the cold with her, nearly cutting my neck. I blocked with the wooden sword and it snaps in half. We continue to spar as I realize she is not letting up. I backed up from the swing of her sword.

"Fight me!" She growls.

"I am!"

"Get angry! They killed your father!" She clangs my sword. "They will continue to kill till you do something!'

I grunted as I flipped over her. She cuts my arm. "Hey!"

"It doesn't stop!" She swings faster. "Get angry!"

I shake. "I am angry!" I stabbed the sword in the ground and jump off the handle wrapped my legs around her neck, punching her mask till it shattered. I swing around and we both drop into the dirt. I was breathing heavily as I stared at the sky, white flurries covered the ground. It's snowing.

"Finish off." She commands.

I get on my knees and put my hand on the handle. Snow breathing, First form, Flurry. With a flick off my sword I ended up behind her.

She gasped. Wait, did I actually...I stand up and see no blood, just hair. Her hair now to her shoulders.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry." I get on my knees and beg for forgiveness.

"It's okay Akari." She says as I lifted my head. "I needed a haircut."

I sigh with relief, standing back up. She engulfed me in a hug. I was taken aback, I've been training with her for several years, two and a half to be exact and she's never hugged me before. She looks back to my face and wiped my tears, just like my mother.

"You need to succeed me. Never give in, never give up. You are power, you are strong and you can do this. I believe in you."

"Thank you, Ms. Kiyo for training me and teaching me how to live."

~

I got dressed in the kimono that Ms. Kiyo made me, today is the day. I never thought of becoming a demon slayer, never even knew they existed, but here I am. She moved the comb through my hair and fixed it nicely.

"Am I ready?" I smiled.

She nodded. "You always were."

She walks me out the door and hands me my very own kitsune mask, she made it by hand too. I smiled back at her as I made my journey to the finals. At this point I have been walking for a few hours, the sun setting. I find myself surrounded by beautiful trees, I think they are called Wisteria? They aren't even in season. It seems like they are glowing, it's a sight to see. I continue to the staircase, at the top there are plenty of candidates. About 20, from what I can see. I didn't think there would be so much, considering, this isn't really everyone's forte.

One boy walks around with a big scar on his forehead, and burgundy hair. He looks lost, hell, so am I.

"Everyone." Says two voices in complete unison, two girls who look like twins in every way caught our attention. "We thank you for coming here tonight to the demon slayer corps finals. There are demons imprisoned here on Mt. Fujikasane, captured alive by the demon slayer swordsman and unable to leave. That is because wisteria, which demons hate so much, blooms year-round from the bottom to halfway up the mountain. However, there is no wisteria from this point on and so demon's rebound. You'll need to survive seven days to pass Final selection. And now be on your way."

~

I can't believe I have to survive a week in a forest with Demons. Doesn't get much better than this, I sighed. As I walked through the forest it was quiet and soundless, not even bugs. I stopped in a clearing and closed my eyes, 1 step, 5, I flung my sword backwards and hear a yelp. I turned around to see a demon his arm gone, I flip my sword over.

"Ah, you bitch!" He says as arm begins to regenerate.

He charges, I spin sideways and he trips over my foot. He stands back up and instead of attacking head on, he attacks my leg. I fall back with an oomph. I kick his face till he lets go, but scratched my leg. I grunted as I round house him, Snow breathing second form: Hail storm, my sword, slicing through his neck. Blood splatters on the ground, my earrings clang together as I take a breath. His body faded away, that was my second one, eeeeee!

"Yes!" I jump with my fist in the air.

I hear a faint stomping from something that sounded big, followed by some screaming. I run in the direction of the sound, but would Ms. Kiyo approve of me helping other ones? I am supposed to help everyone. I fixed my breathing so I can run faster, up ahead I see a giant demon with a thousand arms towering over the boy with the scar. Another boy not far from them.

I grunted as I jumped on a rock and swung my sword against the arm reaching for the boy. I spin around causing dirt to fly, the beast flails around trying to find me or the boy.

The boy looks up at me surprised.

"Don't just sit there move!" I say as another arm comes down. I flipped backwards as the boy rolls over. The Demon extend every one of his arms, I cut through them, trying to avoid being grabbed. He could tear me limb from limb.

"You can't win just by cutting my arms off. Then again, even that pink haired brat couldn't slice off my head!" He says, he must be talking to the boy, he grabs my leg and I yelped as my head hits the ground.

"Put her down!" The boy says.

Another hand comes at me and I cut through it, and bring it back up in the one holding me. I dropped to the ground, knocking the breath out of me. My vision comes back and I sit up, I see a decent sized boulder beside me.

"Okay, demon strength don't fail me." I stand up and gripping the sides lifting it over my head. He needs an opening to cut his head off, he just charging head on. I spin around and tree the rock with all my might, the rock hits it's right leg and he falls a little as the boys blade cuts through his neck. I fall to my knees satisfied, I take a few breaths