Hidden Garden

A realm of flowers and hot people?! (chapitre un)

The story people told was only slightly less fantastical than the truth about demons, which most believed to be mere myth. But if a story like that could be true, why not another? Even the Demon Slayer Corps thought it was just a legend... until the day the Hashiras' minds were changed forever. The Hashiras gathered for what they thought was a routine meeting, where Ubuyashiki would assign missions and discuss minor matters. But the Master's early arrival and unusual question caught them off guard.

"Greetings, my children," he said, his sightless eyes gazing inward. "Before we begin, I must ask: are you all familiar with the tale of the Hidden Garden near Mount Tsugomoe?" The Hashiras exchanged confused glances, wondering why their Master would bring up a seemingly fabricated story. Still, they acknowledged having heard variations of the tale.

"Well, it will be important to keep in mind for the mission I will be assigning to you all," the Master continued. "I want you all to investigate it. Inform me of your findings once you are all done. You will commence this mission tomorrow morning at 8." The six Hashiras were taken aback. If their Master, a man they respected and trusted, was taking this "fairytale" seriously, perhaps there was more truth to it than they initially thought.

The next morning, the Hashiras gathered at the designated spot, eager to uncover the truth behind the Hidden Garden. They scoured the area for hours, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of the elusive garden. Just when they were about to give up, Uzui's boastful cry echoed through the air. "Everyone, follow me! I've flamboyantly found the entrance, and it's more...simple than I imagined." he exclaimed, his flashy grin a testament to his excitement, though he sounded more bored at the end.

The others rushed to his side, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of the unusual flowers nestled among the trees. According to the story, these rare blooms would reveal the entrance to the Hidden Garden to those who approached with the right intentions. With a mix of curiosity and trepidation, the Hashiras followed the tale's instructions, carefully watering the flowers and leaving an offering of value beside each one. As they finished, they looked up to find the forest had vanished, replaced by a breathtaking expanse of vibrant flowers and ethereal beings tending to them.

The Hashiras attempted to communicate with the mysterious figures, but their words were met with silence. Every variation of the story had failed to mention what would happen once they arrived at the Hidden Garden.

Without warning, three of the ethereal beings plucked dandelions, which instantly regrew in their place. The Hashiras split into pairs, approaching the beings cautiously. One of them blew on a dandelion, but instead of dispersing, the petals formed a glowing bubble that revealed Sanemi's image. The group surrounding the boy with medium-length black hair and ocean-blue eyes was perplexed. His water-themed outfit was unlike anything they'd seen before, and they had no idea what the image in the bubble could represent or mean.

Another being blew on their dandelion, creating a small, glowing heart that displayed Obanai's image. The second group was equally baffled, standing before a goddess-like female with pink and green hair, emerald eyes, and a stunning dress.

The third being, noticeably younger with waist-length black hair fading to turquoise and matching turquoise eyes, held a dandelion without blowing on it. He stood beside an identical boy, who ate the flower in his hand. The boy who had held the flower stuck out his tongue, and the remnants of the flower formed a haze around them, revealing Genya's image. This sparked a violent reaction from one of the humans, who grabbed the shoulder of the boy who had held the flower with aggression.

"Oi! What's with this damn mist?! And why is it showing him?! You creatures are seriously pissing me off! What do you want with him?" Sanemi's outburst only caused the haze to spread, and both beings glared at him with an unsettling intensity. "Answer me, dammit!" But instead of responding, the boy who had held the flower slapped Sanemi's hand away with surprising strength. His eyes began to glow, and he raised his fist, causing cacti to sprout from both his and the other boy's heads.

Just as they were about to attack Sanemi, a massive splash of water engulfed him, and he vanished. When Sanemi opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the forest, with an unconscious boy lying on his chest. As the boy's eyes fluttered open, Sanemi was struck by their beauty, reminiscent of a serene ocean. "Who are you?! Get off of me!" Sanemi shoved the boy away, startled.

"Giyuu," the boy replied, his voice calm.

"What?"

"I'm Giyuu Tomioka."

"You can talk?" Sanemi asked, still trying to process the situation.

"Am I not meant to?" Giyuu replied, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, obviously oblivious to what Sanemi thought at the moment.

"No one in that weird world spoke," Sanemi muttered, still trying to wrap his head around the strange events that had unfolded.

"That wasn't the real Garden, that's why."

Sanemi's eyes blazed with anger. "What kind of sick trick was that?! You think it's fun to mess with humans like that?"

Giyuu's expression remained calm, his voice measured. "It was a test, Shinazugawa. To see if you're worthy to truly enter our realm."

Sanemi's frustration boiled over. "The fuck do you mean a test to see if I'm worthy?! Wait- How do you know my name?!"

Giyuu's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's Unnecessary information. Aside from that, You wouldn't have survived in our world, Shinazugawa. Plus, I can't exactly leave now."

Sanemi's anger turned to disbelief. "I won't just forget about that easily but.. You're stuck here?! Why did you bring me back then?" Giyuu's voice remained even. "I made a judgment call. That's all." Sanemi's expression twisted in disgust. "You're wasted your time to save me when you knew you'd be stuck here?"

Giyuu's face remained impassive. "I'm simply doing what needs to be done."

Sanemi snorted. "You're something else, Tomioka."

Obanai and a beautiful girl with green and pink hair appeared, the girl was unconscious ontop of Obanai

Sanemi's eyes widened in shock. "What's going on?! Who is this girl?!"

The calm-voiced man beside him replied, "She's an acquaintance of mine."

Obanai struggled under the weight of the unconscious girl, his eyes fixed on the girl. "What's with the weird hair? And what's she doing here?"

The man's expression remained even. "That's not important right now. Plus, we can't just stay here in the middle of the forest til I regain my energy. It'll take more than 24 hours."

Sanemi's face twisted in concern. "What's going on? You're not telling us something."

The man's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained stoic. "Let's focus on getting out of here first."

Obanai's eyes narrowed, trying to free himself from under Mitsuri, before finally managing to push the girl off, he felt like a weight had just been lifted off of him. "You're someone from that odd Garden, correct? And how do you know Shinazugawa's name?" Sanemi intervened before the man could respond. "Obanai, later. First, we need to get out of here."

Genya and Muichiro appeared, with Muichiro lying limp on top of Genya, who was also unconscious. "Get him off my brother!" Sanemi reached for his sword, his eyes blazing with rage, but Giyuu quickly intervened, lifting Muichiro off Genya. "No need for violence."

Sanemi's eyes narrowed. "Did you do that because you wanted to, or because I told you to?" Giyuu's expression was calm, but his voice had a hint of attitude. "Do I look like a servant to you? I'm not bound to humans like some creatures in my world."

Sanemi's eyes narrowed further. "Then what are you? And what's going on here?"

Giyuu's gaze was steady, but his eyes seemed to hold a hint of uncertainty. "That's not important right now. We we should just get out of here."