The eye of the storm (Sanemi x Reader)

31| The hurricane

The purest darkness loomed before me. They had deprived me of one of my senses, the second most valuable one I possessed, but also the easiest to deceive: sight. I had learned this when I fought the demon with illusionary art. Trusting your eyes too much was a grave mistake, a very human one, that demon slayers like us could not afford. We had to perfect all our senses to the fullest and make the most of them to avoid being easily defeated. Unfortunately, even at our best, we could never reach the level of a demon.

Today's training was about that. A blindfold covered my eyes while I tried to dodge each of the blunt wooden arrows that Genya shot at me. It didn't surprise me that he had such good aim. After all, he practiced day and night with his shotgun. What did surprise me was my astonishing ability to dodge all the arrows relying solely on my hearing.

"You have very sharp ears," Himejima had praised me at the start of the training, four hours ago, when the colors of dawn still painted the sky crimson. The first time I tried the new exercise with the blindfold on, I got hit by two arrows but dodged the rest. It might have seemed like a good start, but the truth was, if those had been real arrows with sharp iron tips, I would have died. In a world of demons, failure is not an option.

Himejima advised me to use the exercise he had given me on the first day, to try to dodge the arrows with a clear mind. I still found it hard to silence my thoughts, but with each attempt, I managed to stay in that state of mental peace longer. Without realizing it, it was also helping me cope with my grandfather, with Kaigaku, and... with Shinazugawa. It had been two days since we last spoke or saw each other.

The other (y/n) would have probably crumbled under the situation, but the person I was becoming now, the one I promised my grandfather I would be, could overcome this and more. I had to become the girl he could be proud of when he woke up from the coma, the girl whose parents could smile down from heaven, relieved and happy.

Nothing is going to stop me because I'm unstoppable, just as Mitsuri said two days ago.

I remembered Mitsuri's usual smile, kind and comforting. She listened to me for hours while I poured out my troubles. My grandfather always told me to lean on the people who loved me when I was in trouble, that they were like the pillars of my own temple, where my soul resided. Every person has a temple supported by several pillars, the people around us, the ones we love. Two of my pillars had fallen, Kaigaku's and Shinazugawa's, and another was wavering between life and death, but I could still rely on Mitsuri and Zenitsu, my two most important pillars, who now held me up stronger than ever.

I was a pillar for others too, and I didn't want to waver in their temples. That's why I would become strong, brave, and determined.

I was still lost in my thoughts when a wooden arrow hit my shoulder. A sharp pain shot through my collarbone, but it quickly faded. I had forgotten to clear my mind, and Genya had managed to hit me. I couldn't see his expression because of the blindfold, but from the tremble in his voice, I could tell he was worried.

"We can stop for today if you want," Genya told me.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. Let's keep going."

"Are you sure? We've been here for over five hours. Maybe you should take a break, it's not good to..."

"I'm not taking a break until I manage to dodge all the arrows."

My voice must have sounded firm and unyielding because I heard Genya pick up the bow and draw the string again. I was still blindfolded. I ducked before the arrow could hit my forehead. Then I rolled on the ground, dodging the other two he skillfully shot at me. I pressed my hands into the wet grass with my arms outstretched to stabilize myself.