Beast Hunter |Inosuke Hashibira|

Chapter 2🌲Wisteria Petals

↣Wisteria Petals↢

You've never seen a wisteria forest before. They're petals and beauty just looked so rare that its seemed impossible to make a forest of them. But here you were. Your eyes stared wide at the lilac petals and perfect lighting. It seemed almost to good to be true. Knowing the properties of wisteria would come in handy for these dangerous days. You surveyed the land to make sure no one else was watching and quickly put some petals in your pocket. Just in case.

Turning back around to look through the hoards of kids, you sighed in disdain. Your unnaturally keen eyes could practically see their personalities shine through their bland haoris. Just like their clothing; bland or distrustworthy. Instead of interacting with the more interesting kids (A scared looking blonde, some maroonette with a checkered haori, a weird girl and a scary looking boy with a western haircut), you scurried to get towards the front of them all. You didn't want to be trampled and it probably would be a plus to get in there first. Rustling in a wisteria tree made your eyes snap in that direction. A foot, covered with a dark zori and fur(?) slipped farther into it. You refrained from pulling a face, trying to stare deeper into the bush, taking steps forward and...

"Everyone."

"Everyone."

You jumped back from the twins that you nearly trampled from your lost mind. Instead of being equally surprised they merely stared through you with their unblinking amethyst eyes.

"We thank you all for coming here tonight, to the Demon Slayer Final Selection." The white haired one started, the blackette twin mimicking the speech.

Everyone looked afraid of the twins yet you smiled. You found them cute, perhaps because of your twin siblings at home. 

"There are demons imprisoned here on Mt. Fujikasane, captured alive by the Demon Slayer swordsmen, unable to leave." The white headed one finished her part and their sibling continued the speech, "That is because wisteria, which demons hate so much. It blooms year-round from the bottom to halfway up the mountain."

"and so demons abound. You'll need to survive here for seven days to pass Final Selection."

"And now, be on your way." "And now, be on your way."

The two moved out of the way and each teen started to barge their way through the wisteria forest ring, some faster than the other fearful ones. You immediately made your way up the trees, hopping from branch to branch and surveying the land from any sort of movement. You silently unwrapped your bow from your shoulder and took an arrow out. Getting in position to fire at a motionless bush, you suddenly pointed up into the sky, "Hunting style arrow, third form: Bird's eye view."

The arrow flew up into the blue sky and clouds, your notorious gusts of wind pushing you up with it. You caught sight of a few of your peers already slicing demons or being sliced themselves. It was brutal if you were being quite honest, blood being mercilessly splattered against the silently bustling forest. You fell back down again, trying to land down on your branch as gently as you could.  You stumbled for a moment but caught yourself from falling off the thick tree. The noise of shivering leaves and your creaking weight on a branch seemed to awaken a demon to your demise. A bush quivered and your fairly keen eyes quickly spotted purplish skin between each leaf. You squatted on your branch and jumped down, putting your bow back around you.

"A young girl!" A voice squealed as the demon slithered from it's hiding spot. Your eyes narrowed; it was an ugly and generic thing, clearly not one of the rare demons who took pride in their admittedly beautiful appearance. "I haven't seen a girl in this forest yet!"

It took surprisingly slow steps towards you, eyes fluttering to every part of you figure. You growled under your breath and unsheathed you katana. This disgusting being wasn't worth the time and effort.

"I'll kill you quick." Glowering at the demon who picked up the pace, you took a stance and readied your sword, "Hunting style Third form: Bear's Claw."

By the time the demon's body reached you it's head lay rolling on the ground from three quick swipes of your sword. The swirling wind around said sword calmed yet the world had other plans of you lounging in a tree for seven days. Instead, a scream erupted from just beyond a yard or so of foliage. You sighed as the feeling of justice overwhelmed you to save the girl who was clearly scared or in pain.

Can't I just go to sleep and eat?

Running to the forest and skidding to a stop at the designated clearing, you whipped your head to and fro in search of the girl. You spotted a demon almost immediately, trying to climb a tree to someone who's clothing palette was a consistent yellow and orange. Someone likes bright colors, I see. You rushed the demon, stabbing it in the stomach with a quick jab, "Hunting style Eighth form: Twitch up Snare."

The demon flew up in the air and landed behind you on it's head; you spun around to yank your sword out of it's back and slicing it's neck with a quick rush of wind, "Hey kid, come out the tree, it's fine."

You stared up at her, discovering it was no female at all. Instead of the crying citrus colored girl you were expecting from the blockage of tree leaves even your eyes couldn't see through, a sobbing boy hugged the tree branch for dear life.

"Hey..." Your sharp eyes softened and you searched for his eyes until he opened them to look at you and you smiled comfortingly, "You want me to help you out the tree?"

The boy turned bright red and sobbed out, "Help!" 

You refrained from a chuckle as you took your bow and and arrow. His eyes widened and he screamed about how you were about to kill him. Aiming the arrow at the tree branch you shot it with a whispered, "Hunting style arrow, first form: Wind Gust." The tree branch shook violently as the arrow hit it, blowing the boy off of it and into your arms.

"You okay, Lemon Boy?"

He practically gagged at the heavy breathing he was doing, staring up at your face with big honey pot like eyes and red cheeks. You blinked once. Twice. Then turned your head to the side with concern, "D-did you loose your voice, I'm sorry if I knocked the wind out of you." You chuckled at your own pun and quickly returned to looking worried.

"Marry me before I die out here."

You nearly dropped him flat on the ground with that sudden... proposition. Sweat formed awkwardly on your forehead as you placed the dazed boy to sit at the foot of the tree. You kneeled down in front of him and pat his head, "U-uh. I'm honored and all but I just met you and I don't even know your name..."

"Zenitsu Agatsuma!" He quickly said, dipping his head before looking into your eyes again , "And what's your name?"

Dubiously, you smiled in greeting, "[Y/N] Ryōshi. Nice to meet you Agatsuma-San." He turned a brighter red and smiled like a lovestruck child, he didn't even notice you taking out a wrapped piece of food and placing it in his lap, "This is a little, uh... Gift I guess. To you know, stay alive out here. I hope I see you again Agatsuma-San. I find you quite... Endearing? Maybe we could be demon slaying partners later in time."

Zenitsu perked at 'partners' only realizing now that you had left him with some left over wrapped porkbelly and jumping in the tree to disappear. Once you felt out of sight, you turned bright red and silently screamed into your hands. You've never had a guy who liked you to your knowledge, let alone be so... Forward about it. You dug a hand into the collar of your shirt, swiping out a bear claw necklace and grasping onto it for dear life, "Dad, don't go and haunt that boy for his brashness, he's probably a very sweet young man."

You stiffened as the rustling of bushes shocked you back into reality. Stiffly, you wrenched you head to the side to see what was there. Two big blue eyes, animalistic and bulging, stared in the direction opposite of you, yet you turned as solid as wood. The rest of the prey's body sat rustling in an awfully thick berry bush. You crouched further down on your bush and rushed to take out your bow, ready to take the chance for food for this week.