メモリ||Memory ~Demon Slayer||

十二

First Blade

イントロアーク

稲妻

~

それは私のせいではありません！

~

↪My training was going wonderfully.

After waking up the next morning and bidding the Himejima family goodbye, which was filled with thanks and hugs, Tadashi and I made our way to Jigoro Kuwajima.

It was only another entire day of walking, and Tadashi wouldn't let me take any breaks since he was paranoid we'd run into more demons, so I was exhausted when we'd finally arrived, and Jigoro wanted to get straight to training.

"Look, old man, I'm not-"

A fist came down sharply on my head, and I whined, jumping away and rubbing the now sore spot.

"Shinjuro said anytime you disrespect your elders, it means a clonk on the head!" Jigoro exclaimed.

"Why you-!" I cried, raising my own fist at him. "I'll have you know, these were some very stressful three days! I met some nice people, but ran into another Upper Moon, and then had to indulge him and his inane questions, and then-"

"You WHAT?!"

Oh. Right.

So that's how I found myself back at the Meeting House two months later.

~

"How is this even possible?"

"She's met two Upper Moons in less half a year!"

"Not even a Hashira has met several Upper Moons."

"Should we use her as bait?"

"NO!" All three men shouted at Ushijima.

I sweat-dropped as Urokodaki, Amaya, Ushijima, and Kuawjima argued as we waited for Master Ubuyashiki and Shinjuro.

It was already December, and the cold had long since swept over Japan. Snow sat gracefully on the wisteria trees, that still bloomed out of season. I was five, and heavily trained, but the Hashira still saw room for improvement. Jigoro decided to wait the two months before reporting the altercation so I could get my training in first.

And now, almost six months ago where I first Ubuyashiki, he now walked out again onto the pavilion . . . but with a little boy beside him. The boy was about my age, maybe a little younger, with pale lavender eyes and a curtain of black hair. He peeked out curiously from his father's robes, who was aided by a kakushi into a seating position.

I followed in sync with the Hashira beside me as we kneeled before Ubuyashiki.

I noticed, sadly, that his illness had furthered. It was just barely reaching the tip of his nose, and had taken over a majority of his face, except his eyes.

"Don't give me those sad eyes Rumi." Ubuyashiki said. I lowered my gaze in response, and clenched my fists. "You've gotten quite big, and I can tell from here, that your training is furthering marvelously. I'm glad we got to spend our time apart sending our letters."

Once I'd reached Jigoro's estate, Ubuyashiki had sent the first letter asking me how I was doing, and where I was at on turning Tadashi back. Since then, he and I kept sending each other letters. Ubuyashiki was a kind as ever, and no matter what, still thought of others before himself. It sucked to see such a loving clan succumb to such a hateful curse.