𝙂𝙄𝙁𝙏𝙀𝘿 - KIMETSU NO YAIBA

prologue .00

Final Selection & Mission

Where had her parents gone? She would ask herself, only for no reply.

Night struck. The house was dark. Neither of her parents had returned from their trip. It was just her and her brother, alone. She heard a Splat! sound coming from outside, but other than that, nothing was amiss.

"Nii-chan. Where is Mama?" she asked her brother, hoping for an answer. Her brother only patted her back lightly, hugging her.

"I don't know. I don't know," he said. The girl felt something wet drop onto her face. It was her brother's tears. The brother shook, staring wide-eyed at something in their direction.

"Did something happen to them?" she asked, to be ignored again. She was lifted up by her brother, and rushed deeper into the house. He did some things that she could not comprehend. Setting something ablaze, grabbing a kitchen knife and a cutting board. She asked again, "What are you doing, Brother?"

He did not answer her, only instructing her to stay in the room. He shut the door and left her inside with the burning incense. She heard a scream, then it was several screams. She heard the scratching of wood, the sharpening of metal and her brother's soft but panicked prayers.

"Demon!" someone yelled before they erupted in a bloodcurdling shriek.

"Stay away from my family!" she heard her brother yell, his voice cracked. She could envision his trembling lips, his shaking figure as he held the knife and cutting board close to him. There was silence, then the sound of splattering blood.

"WAHHH— WHAT THE HELL?!" Homura snapped awake from his terrible dream, a nightmare. It was so vague and unclear, but one thing was for sure, it involved demons and demons eating humans.

"HOMURA! YOU'RE AWAKE!!" his father shouted, more in surprise and shock than relief. He was holding him in his arms in a tight hug. He was sobbing hysterically, uttering incomprehensible words one after another as his eyes were shut tight and his frown formed a scowl.

"...Huh?" he gazed blankly at Hotaru, slightly confused.

"YOU'RE GOING FOR THAT TEST TODAY!! I DON'T WANT MY BABY TO LEAVE!!" he screamed, still sobbing elephant tears.

"I'll be fine. Besides, we haven't run out of gasoline or matches and my blades are still okay. I'll survive!" Homura told him, with pride. His face did an entire 180° as he beamed and puffed his cheeks out with pride as well.

"Of course! My weapons are the best!" Hotaru proudly declared to them. Homura gave him a light chuckle, on my way to pick up my customised weapons. It was quite eccentric. It was basically a weaponised Nichirin yo-yo that could be lit on literal fire and slice demons. But it came with great risk to him too, so, he was prepared.

Homura put on his white kimono and his hakama pants, tucking them in neatly. He then wore on a white belt which held his sheathed weapons, a wind chime and wooden Hyottoko mask from Hotaru, along with fireproof gloves that could be repurposed to inflict harm on demons as well. He pulled my tabi socks on, wearing his zōri next.

"Homura!! You forgot something!" his father called out just as he was about to leave. He held out a smaller sunflower-patterned haori in my face, gesturing for the son to wear it. Homura complied, putting it on. Then, he gave him one last hug.

"You better come back alive! Or send a crow. Otherwise, I'll follow you to the depths of hell and—" Homura cut him off with a returned hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I promise I'll come back," he whispered to him, before finally leaving his beloved house and to Mount Fujikasane, where the test would begin.

His trek there, although it felt like hours, never tired him. Homura was only allowed to join the Final Selection test this year, due to Hotaru's nagging worry and 'fatherly parental instincts' as he so called it.