Connecting Light [KNY FF]

CHAPTER 7: Yawazuki Orphanage

Ayume is now 21 years old. She has been the Light Pillar for 2 years now. She has been maintaining her techniques and skills. She still stays in the Ubayashiki Estate as a care taker for Oyakata-sama because his condition worsens everyday.

The other pillars welcome her. However, they have never seen her fight before. But they do know she would at least be skilled enough to be qualified a Hashira.

"South-East! Head South-East!" Koko informed urgently. Ayume was doing a night patrol around the area. She stopped in her tracks and headed to where Koko was leading her.

"Orphans! Orphans are missing!" Koko informed as she flew ahead. Ayume followed quickly.

"Hm...the mission should be close by, then? I guess I am the nearest to the sighting." Ayume thought as she ran to her mission. The sun was already rising. Hence, Ayume needs to wait for night to come.

"It's okay. At least I can gather more information." Ayume thought positively as she saw a village in the distance. Dawn came upon and Ayume stopped running.

"Is this the place?" Ayume asked as she starts walking towards the village.

"Orphans and villagers have gone missing for the past few days." Koko informed. Ayume had a sad expression.

"I hope they're still alive." Ayume said out. "Even though they might be dead." she thought to herself sadly.

The village was quiet and nobody was going out of their houses. Ayume walked towards the orphanage and decided to wait for a while.

~Time skip~

The sun was already fully up. Noon was coming already. Ayume was still waiting patiently for the right moment to make her presence.

"Excuse me. Are you waiting for someone?" a woman in her 30s came walking by the orphanage. Ayume smiled and turned herself to face the woman.

"I am waiting to knock on the door. The people inside might still be asleep. It is still morning." Ayume answered with a smile. The woman showed confusion in her expression.

"Oh? You don't know? The Yawazuki Orphanage...it was said that the children and the lady who takes care of the orphans...have never seen the light of day." the woman informed. Ayume's smile faded into a shocked one.

"What? That's terrible..." Ayume said sadly. The woman agreed.

"Poor children...why did you want to see them?" the woman asked curiously. Ayume thought for a moment and smiled.

"I am here to help them."

'Knock knock knock'

Ayume waits for a response. The lady that was conversing with Ayume just now already left the area. The sun was evident in the sky, however, only a matter of time before it turns dark.

The door slides open, revealing a pale, middle-aged woman. Probably around her 30s. Her hair was in a neat bun. Her kimono was white and grey. Her eyes showed no emotions but sorrow and suffering.

"Good afternoon. My name is Shinahora Ayume. Could I have a talk with you?" Ayume had a warm smile of hope. The lady by the door couldn't move. Ayume could feel the negative energy coming so strong from the orphanage.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave. It's not safe." the lady had a cold and weak tone as she lowered her head. Ayume didn't move an inch away but instead smiled.

"If it is not safe, you and the children shouldn't be here too." Ayume spoke out with comfort. The lady froze again at the words. The lady looked up to face Ayume.

"I am here to help and protect all of you. So can I have a talk with you?" Ayume stated calmly. The lady teared up a little.

"Yes...please come in." the lady managed to say. Ayume bowed lightly.

"Thank you so much."

The lady moved inside to allow Ayume to walk in. There was a hallway that was dark and filled with rooms. There is a kitchen at the end of the hallway.

Ayume looked around and noticed that all doors were closed.

"I think it's to keep the demon out..." she thought to herself. The lady stopped at a particular room.

"This room holds the children that are left of us. It's the safest room for now." The lady informed before she slides the door open.

The room was filled with a mixture of young teenagers and little children. About 15 in total. The youngest was maybe 5, and the oldest was probably 15. They look scared, tired and hungry. They had pale skin and weak eyes as they turned to face Ayume. Ayume felt the sadness and negative aura in the room. She wanted to cry at the sight but she held it in.

"Good afternoon." Ayume greeted the children. They couldn't respond but just stare blankly in fear. The lady faced Ayume.

"We lost many of the other children. We used to live happily here. But...things have changed drastically for us." the lady explained.

"Ever since the first few children disappeared, I went out to ask for help every single day because they keep going missing. The farmer stopped sending us food because he was creeped out. We have been starving. So now, we stay indoors. But...we still go missing." The lady sounded like she was about to cry. She was losing hope. The children were afraid as well.

"I am terribly sorry." Ayume said with lots of guilt.

"If only I had come sooner." She thought to herself.

The lady faced her with no words. She felt Ayume's sincerity through the tone of her voice. The lady has never felt such guilt from someone.

"Why do you apologize?" The lady asked curiously. Ayume had a sad expression.

"Having to go through such a time...no one should be allowed to experience it." Ayume recalled briefly about her own past and felt what the lady and the children were feeling.

"Umm, I didn't manage to catch your name. What is it?" Ayume asked kindly. The lady blinked before answering.

"Minamoto Tomiro." she answered. Ayume smiled at the response ever so kindly.

"Minamoto-san. This is my promise to you...and to all of you." Ayume faced the children too. She had a warm smile and tone that lit a spark of hope in their eyes.

"I will fix everything and help you all regain your strength." Ayume gave the ray of sunshine, Tomiro and the children longed to see.

"Don't spew nonsense!"

A voice sounded right after a moment of silence. It was coming out from a young teenage girl. She had short hair and a bandaid on her nose. Ayume faced her with a smile.

"Don't make promises you can't not keep. Don't give us hope and shatter it. That uniform that you are wearing...you're part of that organisation, right? The one that kills demons? They came before but they never returned back! How is this time any different?! Tomiro-san...always brings these people in! And for what?! Don't give us false hope! I'm sick of it!" the girl used the last ounce of the energy left in her body to shout.

Ayume's expression did not change.

"So...they have sent hunters to handle the demon but they have failed..." Ayume thought to herself sadly.

"I will avenge their souls. So that they can rest." She continued the thought before kneeling down to the girl who was on the ground, unable to shed tears.

"I am part of the Demon Slayer Corps. My name is Shinahora Ayume. I am in the highest ranking in the organisation. But...even if I wasn't..."

Ayume's voice managed to calm the girl down. The girl froze as she heard the calmness and sweetness of Ayume's voice.

"I don't make promises I cannot keep."

~

Demon Slayer Movie: Mugen Train coming out 2021....

Manga readers prepare tissues