𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 | 𝑺.𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒛𝒖𝒈𝒂𝒘𝒂

𝟏𝟒 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

~*~

A FEW DAYS LATER

Sighing deeply in annoyance, "Tch,"

 Recalling Masachika's crow earlier, he just sent a message demanding me to meet him here at the training dojo. Seriously.....what did he want right now?  Walking across the pebbles grinding beneath my sandals, I soon step up on the platform, taking my sandals off. A soft voice soon reaches my ears, recognising that voice instantly.

Hesitant to step in, my throat grumbles before walking in.

"New orders," Masachika announced, already aware of my presence.

I grimace in response, but my eyes met his for a brief moment. Then follow to see Hayami just in her uniform, hair disheveled, sweat glistening across her red face. Judging by her sweaty appearance, she must've been training in here for a few hours. My eyes trail down to the familiar scarring across her arms, with sharp ridges and flaws dress her soft skin, my curiosity was there but I didn't have the guts to ask.

"A joint mission, believe it or not," Masachika adds, placing his wooden blade in the box on the side. He dusts his hands, while I stood there with a deadpanned expression.

"You and me?" I frown in response, trying my best not to throw an insult or two. "Why?"

Kumeno grins ear to ear, "Didn't expect that, did ya?" chuckling in response, before he sighs after sitting down on the wooden floors."Now that we're higher in the ranks, we're too busy training the new kids."

"I'm surprised myself," Hayami adds in, as my face burns a little while I run my fingers through my disheveled and unkempt hair. Well we are now Kinoe rank now, but I'm not strong to be above Hayami's level. Currently she just became Tsuchinoto rank, despite our ages and skills apart. The level of effort in training got her that rank, and inside I deeply envied that. Yet, I admired that at the same time.

"Tch, seriously.......alright, how difficult is this mission?" I sat down, cross legged in front of Kumeno. Though things have mellowed out, I still found him annoying to an extent. Just out of habit now, I guess. My head turns to Hayami, as she was busy occupying herself, resuming her training. Seems she though she was bothering us. 

"Hmm it sounds like a tricky mission," Masachika spoke up, turning my attention back to him.

With a snort I scoff, "Is that why it's a two-man operation?" with a light laugh. "What're our orders?"

"There's a town a ways from here...." Masachika begins to summarise. "....according to intelligence, people were disappearing near an abandoned house on the outskirts of the town.."

Furrowing my brow, "The missing people got anything in common?" I ask, rubbing my chin in thought.

"They're always kids,"

For a moment a flicker of memories invaded my mine, seeing all my young brothers and sisters for a moment, before evaporating. My eyes felt spaced out for a moment, like a trigger set off, before feeling his eyes on me filled with reassurance. My heart begged to stop beating fast, the ache lingering in my tight chest. Kumeno knew my story, about how I lost my mother and siblings.

Shaking my head to brush it off, "Any distinction between girls and boys?"

"Nope," Masachika's tone grew heavy. "The truth is, before these orders came to us, several other Demon Slayers were given the mission. All but three of them are now mission."

"No clue if they're alive or not?"

"No,"

"What about the three who didn't disappear? Dead?"