Chapter Text
Blind eyes widened in surprise at the news.
“Your sword finally changed colors?”
“Yes, Oyakata-sama.”
“What caused it to change…do you know?”
“Someone convinced me to try again. I worked really hard and kept their words in my heart until my sword changed colors.”
“How long did it take?”
“Almost two months of reconditioning.”
“Does your father know?”
“He knows I’ve been trying, but he doesn’t know I succeeded.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
“After I complete my first mission.”
“Why would you wait until after?”
“He’ll only talk me out of going.”
The blind man stared off into the distance for a moment as the breeze gently swayed the damp trees.
“Are you trying to go alone?”
“No. One of the Devourers of the Moon is coming with me.”
“Oh? Their leader?”
“No. One of their close subordinates. Her name is Sachie.”
“Is their leader aware of this?”
“No, but I’m only trying to go on a short mission. Something small and nearby.”
“Oh?”
“This is supposed to help them but also give me a taste of what it’s like being a slayer.”
“Help them?”
“I can’t explain why.”
“Mm.” He murmured as he rubbed his chin. “Well, I think I’ve got a mission for you two.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “It’s not something small, but it’s nothing worthy of a hashira’s attention. If all goes well, I’ll have you two sent to somewhere I would like another pair of eyes since people have been going missing.”
“Great!”
“To be brief, I’d like for you and your demon friend to be an experiment of sorts.”
“An experiment?”
“Yes. To test the limits of your compatibility in the battlefield since you’re not a hashira and I’m assuming they aren’t on par with one of the twelve kizuki.”
“Well… I think she’s on par with a lower ranked moon.”
“Then this should be a greater test since you both are unbalanced in strength.”
Senjurou bit his tongue as he looked up at his master.
“There’s a town that’s about three hours away from here on foot. They’ve been complaining about beautiful girls and women vanishing in the village. Something about a sacrifice to a deity in a dancing forest. I’d like the two of you to get to the bottom of this and resolve their dilemma.”
“We won’t fail.”
“That’s the spirit.” He smiled. “You’re dismissed.”
“Oh, um, do I get a crow?”
“Our crows are far too young to go out yet, since it isn’t time for final selection. However, we do we have a bird that has scared many for being a bit pessimistic and aggressive… and… well… maybe you could use him until we have a crow for you.”
“Oh. Um. Sure.”
“Bring in Osoroshī.”
“O-Osoroshī?” Senjurou blinked. “Doesn’t that mean…”
A large albino eastern grass owl fluttered its wings as it sat on a kakushi’s gloved arm, before narrowing its beady eyes at the young mizunoto.
“Ghastly?” Oyakata arched an eyebrow as he looked in the direction of the owl’s flapping wings. “Yes.”
Another kakushi wrapped Senjurou’s arm in leather and instructed for him to hold his arm out.
The bird of prey landed on his arm before peering into his soul.
“Hi.” Senjurou whispered as he held the bird’s intense gaze.
“You look like you’ve never seen death.”
“Thankfully, I haven’t.”
“I’m sure you’ll die just like all the other idiots then.” The bird chided before turning away from him.
“Let’s stay positive and hope I don’t.”
It huffed before folding its wings.
“You be nice, Osoroshī. He’s a Rengoku.”
The owl seemed to perk up at the name but didn’t offer anything more than a low hoot.
“Good luck, my child.” Oyakata hummed before getting up. “Osoroshī will show you the way.”
“Thank you, Oyakata-sama.” He bowed his head before getting up. “Osoroshī and I will be leaving now.”
“Ok. Be careful.”
“I will. I promise.” He smiled before running off with the owl flying beside him.
“This is cutting into my nap time.” The bird grumbled.
“You can take a nap when we get to my home.”
**-**
The journey back had been sweet and short.
To his surprise, Sachie was standing outside in her uniform with a satchel on her hip.
“S-Sachie?”
She offered a small wave. “Hi Mini-kun.”
“You’re all covered up again.” He turned bright red. “N-Not that I didn’t want you to be- I-I just-thought it was sudden and-”
“Hey. It’s okay. I didn’t think you meant anything bad by it.” She laughed softly at how flustered he was. "Since we're going on a mission and I'm still a devourer of the moon, I must conceal myself. Especially since I'm not 100% resistant to the sun."
"Oh. Right." His blush seemed to subside as he looked her over and notice how tense she seemed despite her joyful tone. “I guess I just wanted to know what happened while I was away.”
“Oh um, master and Juni-kun visited.”
“Did you tell them?”
“Tell them what?”
“About us going on a mission.”
“Y-Yes.” She looked down. “B-But they don’t know where we’re going or that I accepted your engagement.” Her body seemed to literally shrink with discomfort. “I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s okay.” He offered a small smile. “Are you feeling okay? I’m sure facing your master was scary without anyone else here.”
“I’m ok. It was probably best that I was alone.”
“Is your master still going to punish you?”
“No, thankfully. I’ve been granted permission to go with you on all your missions now.”
“Really?”
“Mhm.”
“That’s great!”
She offered another nod before looking up at the owl flying towards them.
“Why is there an owl flying towards us?”
He blinked before turning and holding out his arm for the owl to land on.
Once the owl landed on his arm, he answered. “This is Osoroshī.”
“Osoroshī?”
“Mhm. He’s an albino eastern grass owl.”
“Ah.”
The owl adjusted his wings before glaring at the demon. “Another weakling.”
“I wonder if owl meat tastes like chicken.” She hummed, enjoying the owl’s visible discomfort at the mention of how he would taste in a meal.
“As if you would eat an owl.” He scoffed, trying to call her bluff.
“I’ve eaten humans before. I’m sure it’s not too different.”
“H-Humans?”
“Oh. I’m a demon.” She giggled before adjusting her mask. “Couldn’t you tell?”
The owl scoffed. “Big words coming from someone hiding behind a mask.”
She laughed. “You would say that when the sun is out.”
The owl fluttered its wings before giving her a curt look.
“I think we’ll be best friends at night, Yakitori.”
“It’s Osoroshī.”
Senjurou laughed awkwardly at the growing tension between them before moving Osoroshī away from Sachie.
“Is everything packed up and ready to go, Sachie?”
“Mhm. Everything we need is in my satchel.” She crossed her arms. “You just need to get dressed and grab your sword, and we can head out if you’d like to.”
“I want to leave as soon as possible so that we can get a lay of the area.”
“Alright. Go get dressed.”
He nodded. “I’ll leave Osoroshī here with you.”
“Yay!”
“DON’T YOU DARE leave me with this psychotic bit-” The owl flapped its wings as the demon tried to grab him. “-DON’T TOUCH ME!” He scowled as she managed to grab him.
“We’ll get to bond while Mini-kun is getting dressed.” She cooed. “Think of this as our first team bonding exercise.”
“Rengoku! Don’t leave me with her.” He squirmed. “She’ll eat me!”
“Sachie won’t eat you if you’re nice to her.” He hummed. “Just be nice. I’ll be fast. I promise.”
He shot Sachie a small smile before jogging inside his home to get ready.
The owl swallowed hard before turning its head around to look at the masked demon holding him hostage.
“Hi Yakitori-kun.”
“My name is Osoroshī. That’s it.”
“Ne ne.” She giggled. “I’ll call you what I want.”
She glanced at the door before holding the owl closer.
“W-What are you doing?”
“Let me get my point across, chicken on a stick.” She hissed. “You better be the best damn carrier pigeon for Mini-kun.”
His eyes widened as he began to feel her unhinged aura. “Wha-”
“If you harm him mentally, emotionally, physically, or in any other way I promise you- I’ll eat you alive in a way that keeps you alive and mentally present the longest.”
The owl’s eyes were wide as he looked at her mask.
“Do I make myself clear, Yakitori?”
“Y-Yes.”
Her darkened aura lightened immediately.
“Yay!”
After a few seconds of silence, Senjurou joined the pair outside.
He filled out his uniform well and his hair was up in a messy ponytail.
His sword was on his side and he had a black haori on.
“How do I look?” He tilted his head.
“Your uniform matches mine in color.” Sachie offered a thumbs up. “So, I think you look great.”
“This isn’t a fashion show.” The owl huffed before letting out a hoot when he got squeezed. “I mean you look like you’re ready for battle, Rengoku!”
Sachie nodded before letting the owl go.
“Alright.” He smiled before stepping down from the engawa. “I left father a note in the kitchen.”
“Where is he?”
“He said he needed to go run some errands this morning.” He shrugged.
“Mm.”
“He was a little worried when he saw you bleeding out, so it might have something to do with that.”
“Oh. Well, did you explain where we’re going?”
“Yeah. I said we were going off on a small demon slaying mission.”
“Oh. Ok.”
“Alright Osoroshī, show us the way.”
The owl scowled. “I was robbed of a nap.”
“You can nap when we get to our destination.”
“You better not be lying to me, kid.”
“What was that, Takoyaki?”
“Follow me!” The owl hooted with forced glee when he noticed the demon was holding a small knife.
The duo walked off into the forest, following after the owl.
They walked for a while before taking a break by a small creek.
“How far away are we from our destination?” Senjurou asked as he placed his things under a tree before sitting down.
“Maybe an hour.” Osoroshī muttered from his perch on a branch far above.
“Then we’re doing good.”
Sachie nodded in agreement. “Are you hungry Mini-kun?”
“A little.”
She dug in her satchel before holding out a misshapen leaf wrapped onigiri. “Here.”
“Thanks.”
“Mhm.”
She watched him open it before taking a bite out of it.
“How is it?”
“It’s good.” He looked up at her. “Did you make it?”
“You told me to make snacks.”
He blinked. “I didn’t think you actually would.”
“Then why did you ask me to do it?”
“I was kind of joking...since you're injured and missing an arm.” He blushed.
“Oh. I'm sorry. I thought it was an order.”
“No need to apologize. Thank you for making a snack for me, Sachie.”
She perked up. “You’re welcome.”
“Disgusting.”
Sachie looked up at the owl. “What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh.”
“What did you fill this with? I can taste sweet potato, I think.”
“Yeah. Sweet potatoes and something I saw labeled as neri goma.”
“Oh. Now that you mention it, I can taste the nutty sesame taste of the neri goma.”
“Really?”
He held it up. “Try it.”
The demon seemed to freeze at the offer before shaking her head. “You need food more than me.”
“Sachie.”
“I’m serious.”
“Taking one bite is okay.”
She huffed before crouching and lifting her mask to take a small bite.
He watched her lower her mask and step away.
“Good, right?”
“Mhm.”
He smiled before refocusing on finishing it.
“I forgot to ask earlier, but what are the details pertaining to our mission?”
Senjurou put the empty leaf on the ground before looking up at the demon.
“Oyakata-sama said that beautiful women and girls are disappearing in the village. There are rumors about sacrifices to a deity in a dancing forest, and we’re assuming that it’s a demon… so we should be able to resolve this dilemma.”
“Have you thought of a plan?”
“Fish and bait, I think.”
“Fish and bait?”
“We’ll lure in the demon with a beauty.”
“A beauty?”
“Mhm.”
“Are we using one of the village beauties?”
“No.”
“No?”
“We’re going to use you.”
“M-Me?”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I have to protect you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“But-”
“-I’m not a defenseless little kid, Sachie. I survived final selection, so I’m not too pathetic.”
That made the demon fall silent.
“I can handle myself. Just trust me.”
Sachie stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Ok.”
He got up and picked up his things. “Osoroshī.”
The owl let out a soft hoot before he began to lead the way again.
The trio continued in silence until they were just outside the village.
“I’ll be in the area taking a loooonnng nap.” Osoroshī hooted before soaring away.
“You should probably make yourself look less suspicious, Sachie.”
The demon nodded before walking away.
After a couple of minutes, Sachie returned in a burgundy kimono with a veiled hat on that concealed her face.
“Wearing an ichimegasa is a nice touch.”
“Thank you.” She murmured before handing him her things.
He nodded at her and put it in his satchel before walking with her into the village.
No one really paid them any mind as they wondered around, only glancing their way to look at the concealed maiden.
A boy who was a bit younger than them approached them with an old lady not too far behind him looking at fresh produce to buy.
“Hey. Are you new to this town?”
Senjurou offered a small nod. “I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about beautiful women and girls vanishing here.”
“Oh? Why yes.” He smirked. “Our village is cursed by a very angry deity, you know.”
“Really?” Senjurou tilted his head.
“Yeah.” The boy perked up. “So. There’s an old shrine in the forest that surrounds us that acts as the guardian of our town…however…over generations, they were forgotten due to traditions not being passed down. To punish us, the deity demands the sacrifice of beautiful woman every night there is a full moon shining bright in the sky.”
“A sacrifice?”
“Shhhh!” He hissed before looking around anxiously. “Yes. We walk a beautiful maiden into the dancing woods and then the deity offers us protection until the next full moon.”
“Protection?”
“From demons.”
“Demons?”
“Mhm.”
“When do they select a beauty?”
“I heard that there’s a group of hooded people looking around for their next person.” He whispered. “I think Haruto’s wife might get selected, even though she’s ill.”
“Who’s Haruto?”
“Mm. He’s a small farmer at the end of the market, just across from the entrance to the forest.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled before looking at Sachie. “And who is this?”
“Ah?” Senjurou blinked before looking at the veiled demon. “Oh. That’s my fiancé.” He smiled at the boy.
“Oooooh. Is she pretty?” He tilted his head.
Senjurou nodded. “She's the most beautiful person I've ever seen, but that’s not the only reason we’re engaged.”
“Oh? Why are you getting married to her?”
“Mm. I’m going to marry her because she makes every day brighter than the day before.”
“That’s cheesy.” He wrinkled his nose before sticking out his tongue.
Senjurou laughed. “I think you’ll get what I mean when you’re older.”
“I’m eight. How old are you?”
“Fifteen. But I’ll be sixteen soon.”
“Oof. Wowie, mister. You sure are old.” The boy scoffed before wincing as the old lady smacked his arm.
“I’m sorry about my grandson.” She shook her head before adjusting her stuffed basket on her arm. “Kiyoshi will definitely talk your head off if you let him.”
“Oh no. He’s fine.” Senjurou smiled. “It was great talking to him. I’ve learned so much from him.”
“Oh yeah?” She glanced at the young boy who was looking up at the demon slayer with sparkly eyes. “Mm. That’s good. He’s only eight, you know.” Her eyes grew somber. “It has been hard since my daughter-in-law was… well…”
Kiyoshi looked up at his grandmother and offered a small smile.
“…anyways…” She cleared her throat and forced on a smile. “You two are new to town, yes?”
“We are.”
“They’re engaged, grandma.” Kiyoshi made a look of disgust before whining as his grandma pinched his cheeks.
“Oh hush.” She hissed before looking at them. “I think it would be best that the two of you leave now if you wish to stay together.” She whispered. “The hooded men who conduct the sacrifice to the deity who resides in the dancing forest doesn’t have any problem with snatching up innocent women to please that human-eating monster.”
“Wait. Have you seen it?” Senjurou furrowed his eyebrows.
“Grandma was taken but was rejected because she was too old.”
“Shut it.” The old woman hissed at her grandson. “I refuse to talk about it. Leave or die.” She huffed before grabbing Kiyoshi tightly by his arm and hauling him off as he began to cry.
“Should I save him?”
“No. I’m sure she’s only being rough because she’s worried that something will happen.” Senjurou murmured. “Our only lead at the moment is to locate Haruto and his wife.”
“And volunteer myself instead of letting them take away his wife?”
“Mhm.”
“Ok.” Sachie nodded before she began to follow him to the end of the market area until they stood in front of a small house next to a makeshift barn that was bustling with cows, pigs, goats, a donkey, and chickens.
There seemed to be an area overgrown with crops behind the house, that man clad in dark green, and brown was working tirelessly through with a hoe and a shovel.
“Is that Haruto?”
“More than likely.”
Senjurou led the way to the man, being wary of stepping in animal dung or random scraps of compost.
Sachie had been quite stubborn and refused to be carried or to hold his hand the entire way, leaving him slightly defeated by the time they reached the dirty and sun kissed farmer.
“Um. Excuse me, sir.”
He placed a large, calloused hand over his eyes and squinted down at him and the disguised demon.
“Mm?”
“You’re Haruto, right?”
“Mhm.” He lowered his hand. “You are?”
“Someone who wants to help stop the sacrifices.”
Haruto stared at him long and hard before spitting out the piece of straw that he was once chewing on.
“Sir?”
He swung his shovel at a frightening speed that made Senjurou’s heart stop.
It was all so fast that he hadn’t even realized that Sachie had caught it in a vice-like grip.
“You dare try to harm Mini?” She snarled as her aura began to resonate throughout the area, sending chills up the farmers spine. “I’ll gut you like a shrimp and make you into tempura.”
"Ack-" The farmer's eyes were saucers as she snatched him up by the neck.
“No Sachie-” Senjurou gently touched her back. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
“Well, he better tell us about his wife and these stupid sacrifices immediately before I decide to tenderize his face with my fist.”
Haruto was shaking and stammering to the point he was incomprehensible.
“Speak.”
It was a cold growl that even made Senjurou feel a bit anxious.
“I-I-I-I-”
Sachie raised her fist to punch him and lowered it when she noticed something wet begin to drip and pool at his feet.
“Ugh. Disgusting.” She grumbled before dropping him.
“Let me try talking to him again.” Senjurou whispered. “Why don’t you try seeing where his wife is?”
“And leave him alone with you?”
“I think he knows what you’ll do if he tries to do anything to me.”
The veiled demon looked her partner over. “Alright Mini-kun. Don’t be afraid to shout, okay?”
He smiled at her cheerfulness before nodding. “Mm. Same to you.”
She was gone in a blink and his attention was quickly back to the shaking man on the ground.
“W-What is that monster?”
“My fiancé.” He smiled for a moment before letting a frown decorate his lips. “Now. Could you please explain to me why you tried to bash my head in with a shovel?”
“My wife is the only one left.” The man whispered. “She’s all I have. Those bastards have taken innocent little girls to sisters to mothers to aunts to nieces to young grandmothers- teachers- so on and so forth. So many important female villagers who are that deity’s type have been snatched up and hauled away against their will. Never seen again. Men have tried to go rescue them only to come back petrified and mentally troubled.” He wept. “I can’t lose Yue. I’ll kill anyone who even mentions anything pertaining to it, just to keep her safe.”
“I want to stop this.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“You just met my fiancé.” Senjurou stared at him. “The two of us will end this.”
Haruto nodded as he wiped his eyes. “You two are quite peculiar. Especially that veiled bitch.”
Senjurou’s eyes were flaming as Haruto looked up to meet his gaze.
“W-What?”
“Don’t call her out of her name.”
He opened his mouth with the idea of mocking him tickling the tip of his tongue, but there was something darker sparkling in the young man’s eyes that made him bow his head and apologize.
It was almost as if he was vowing to knock all thirty-two of his teeth clean out of his mouth and perhaps that was only just the beginning of it.
A loud scream caught their attention causing both of them to run towards the house to find Sachie standing on table while a frail and pale woman laughed weakly while holding a cat to her chest.
“Oh. I’m sorry about Momo.” Yue laughed softly as she gently pushed some of her bright orange hair over her shoulders. “I’ll put her in my room.”
“Don’t put it away.” Haruto stammered before he moved forward to grab the cat. “Throw Momo at that bitch so that she can get out here- ack.”
Everyone was surprised that Yue had landed the blow of punishment across her husband’s head.
“What is wrong with you!” She huffed. “We don’t disrespect guests like that!” She huffed. “Sakura here just helped me work on making lunch. The least you could do is be polite and call her by her name Haruto!”
“EEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH? No! She’s evil! She made me pee and she-”
His wife’s aura began to brew around her like an oncoming thunderstorm in late spring, silencing the man quickly.
“Go wash up. You’re embarrassing me.” She huffed.
“Y-Yes dear.”
He walked away quickly, and Yue perked up at the couple standing before her.
“Okay. Lunch should be finished cooking in fifteen minutes. You two are welcome to look around, or I could take you to the barn to pet some animals if you’re interested.”
Senjurou scooped the demon off the table and held her to his chest. “I don’t think Sakura is fond of animals, so we’ll just sit in here and wait.”
“Oh! Right.” Yue blushed. “Let me go put away Momo really quick. I’ll be right back, okay?”
They both nodded as they watched her hurry off.
“You can put me down, you know.”
“You’re shaking.”
“So?”
“What if I put you down and you fall.”
“This is just revenge because I wouldn’t let you carry me earlier.”
“Perhaps.” He laughed softly and squeezed her her gently before setting her down. “You should let me help you more.”
“Mm. Eh.” She shrugged before stiffening.
“What?”
“I’m more curious about the increasing number of people I sense around this house.”
“Sacrifice people?”
“Mm. More than likely.”
“Back-to-back.”
“Got it.”
The two of them stood back-to-back while slowly rotating the room.
“Smell anything off?”
Sachie took a deep breath. “Mm. Nothing out of the norm.”
“Then I think we’re being ambushed and the people behind it are Haruto and his wife.”
“Well. It’s not like we didn’t want to be discovered.”
“True.”
“Think you can hide?” Sachie whispered.
“You sure?”
“I think I’ll have to kill some people if I see them roughing you up.”
“Vice versa.”
“I’m the bad guy. You’re the good guy.” Sachie whispered playfully. “You can’t go around killing people for fun.”
“You can’t either, so you’re the good guy too.”
Sachie bit back a smile behind her veil. “Hide.”
He gently grabbed her close and tapped their foreheads together.
"Be careful Sachie."
"You too Mini."
Her face warmed up as she watched him slip away to find a hiding spot in another room.
Moments later, several men clad in green with hoods rushed in with ropes and swords.
“You must be the warrior woman we heard about.”
“Is that what Haruto referred to me as?” She tilted her head.
“Get her.”
They all rushed forward and yanked at her clothes, shredding it as they tore it off before tossing it on the ground.
They forced her into a heavy green kimono that was a rich chartreuse.
The sleeves had a line of long dangling gold beads and bells across the seam that jingled and rattled with each step.
Her face was pattered with heavy makeup and her crimson afro was brushed up into a tight bun before they forced several gilded hairpins and a long golden yellow veil on her head.
Sachie had expected this.
She had concealed her face’s true identity by constantly changing her appearance so that it was significantly different when they unveiled her.
To add to the variance, her once ruby eyes were mismatched, one sunshine yellow and the other a vibrant maraschino cherry red.
“Come on bitch, we’ve got to get you to our master before sunset.”
Sachie took a deep breath before cracking the man’s nose in with a strong fist to his hooded face.
He dropped to the floor as crimson began to stain his hood.
“If anyone else calls me a bitch, I’ll break your face in, got it?”
She was roped up tightly and hauled out of the room before being smacked across her back with a shovel.
“Goodness. Rough with the ladies, are you?”
She was smacked again. “Shut it.”
“Sure thing.” Sachie grumbled before wincing as she was smacked again.
“I said shut up!”
“Actually, you said shut it.”
The demon dropped to the ground in pain when he smacked her over the head with his shovel, causing her to black out moments later.
“Damn it. I hope you didn’t kill her. She was already looking pretty rough.”
“Maybe that guy she was with did this to her. Haruto did tell us there was something off about them, you know.”
“True.”
One of the men clad in green scooped her body up and tossed her over his shoulder. “Alright. Well, let’s haul ass before she wakes up.”
“If she wakes up.”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine. There wasn’t too much blood on the shovel.”
All eight men, including the one with the bloody hood, made their way out of Haruto and Yue’s house completely unaware of the scorching eyes watching them from within a nearby bush.
**-**
Sachie woke up tied to a concrete poll high above the ground.
“I think it’s secure.”
“Yeah.”
“Oh look, she’s up.”
“Great!”
“Alright. Let’s get out of here.”
“Definitely.”
Sachie watched the eight men quickly flee the area, leaving by herself with an aching head.
“Those stupid idiots.” She groaned as she pressed her throbbing head against the column. “I swear, the moment I get down from here, I’m going to beat their ass.”
“Mmmmmmm? Are you really?
Sachie blinked slowly before turning to look at a milk-white demon sitting on the broken pillar next to her.
“You have no idea what I’ve had to deal with today with those idiots.”
“Oh?” He purred as he tilted his head, gently tossing his long green hair over his shoulder before flickering his snake-like tongue. “Do tell.”
Sachie wrinkled her nose. “Your minions are awful.”
“They are?” He narrowed his bright yellow eyes that were adorned with red makeup and lined with black eyeliner.
“They hit women!” She snapped before she began to squirm in her restraints. “They tie us up! Kidnap us- what kind of shenanigans do you have going on here?”
“Well. I guess since you’re going to die, it doesn’t really matter.” He murmured as he looked over his long obsidian talon-like nails. “The whole point of you being here, my bride, is that you’re going to give yourself to me and become my meal and I’ll keep demons away from your precious little city for about twenty-nine or thirty days.” He flickered his tongue again. “I think it’s a fantastic deal, you know.”
“I can tell.”
“Really? Then you must be pretty smart.”
Sachie rolled her eye behind her veil before she began to brainstorm how she could attack him with one hand without breaking too many bones.
He would have to attack her first in order for her to activate her blood art.
That would require a bit of poking and prodding though.
Maybe being snarky might work.
“I was being sarcastic. You’re just as sick and twisted as the dumbasses that hauled me here.” She grumbled. “I mean, what kind of twisted guy has girls and women hauled here after being assaulted, violated, and kidnapped just to be eaten by a scaly little gremlin like you?”
His pupils narrowed at her before he sliced away the ropes restraining her and smiled as he watched her body drop to what he assumed would be her demise.
Sachie hit the ground with a wince, before listening to the demon’s laughter that seemed to mock her injured form.
He dropped down from his perch and approached her, before crouching in front of her and grabbing his jaw.
Sachie looked up at him weakly.
“I thought it would require a bit more effort for me to make you hurt me.”
“Well, I’m glad I disappointed you.” He smirked. “Now let’s make this fast.” He hissed before opening his mouth to devour her.
Sachie activated her blood art with a snap of her fingers, smiling as the demon let out sharp cry of agony before dropping to the ground.
Blood began to spill from all of his new injuries, forcing his body to shake from the abrupt loss of blood and trauma to his body.
Terror filled his veins as he watched the veiled woman get up with two glowing red hands.
“I’m not disappointed. I’m grateful.” She whispered as she stepped on his neck.
“S-Shinrin.” He croaked.
“What?”
“S-Shinrin!”
Before Sachie could say anything, she was launched across the stone courtyard by a large vine.
She tried to move away from the wall she landed on, but vines quickly began to restrain her, trapping her in place like a fly in a spiderweb.
The wounded demon tried to refocus her vision as she watched a demon dawning a kimono similar to hers, approach the healing snake-demon.
They were awfully gentle with him, softly caressing his bloodied face while he whispered words to them frantically.
Shinrin pulled away from him before slowly approaching Sachie.
“You dare hurt my Hebi?”
The demon’s voice made Sachie shiver, but she couldn’t back down.
“Your Hebi? Is that what his name is?” Sachie looked past the demon standing in front of her.
To her surprise, just a little bit behind him, a pair of blazing eyes was watching everything with nothing but rage and bloodlust brewing in them.
Sachie winced when her head was slammed into the wall.
“Don’t look at him. Look at me.”
“Shinrin no! Don’t hurt her!”
“She hurt you. It only seems fair.”
“No. S-She’s got a creepy abili-ack-”
Sachie’s eyes widened as she watched the demon be decapitated with a flaming sword before his head was quickly whisked away.
The heat of his Senjurou’s form had reached Shinrin’s robes just as he vanished into another hiding spot.
“Huh?”
Shinrin turned around quickly to find nothing but their partner’s disintegrating body that was missing its head.
“H-Hebi?”
Sachie tore free from the vines before activating her blood art. “Don’t look at him, Look at me.”
The veiled demon turned around to face Sachie, before taking a fist to the face.
Before they could recover, she snapped her fingers and kicked the wounded demon across the courtyard.
The demon quickly healed before activating their vines. “Is that all you can do?” They chuckled. “You’re so weak.”
Sachie shrugged. “That’s an opinion.”
“No. I’m stronger than you. I’m closer to being an upper moon.”
“Prove it.”
The two demons raced forward and began to throw blow after blow until it was revealed that Shinrin was a woman with bright gold beaded braids and vibrant viridian eyes.
Her skin was a dark reddish brown that rivaled the fertile soil of the forest she had power over.
Bright chartreuse markings began to glow on her skin as she began to control the forest with a wave of her hands.
Both demons were barely concealed by the remnants of their kimono, although Sachie had managed to maintain the integrity of her veil.
“Perhaps I thought you were too easy.” Shinrin murmured. “I’ll just knock your head off and hunt down Hebi’s killer.” She huffed before smirking. “That is… if I hadn’t already caught him.”
Sachie’s eyes widened as Shinrin yanked up a battered Senjurou being held captive by a large vine.
“You know the saying… an eye for an eye… I say… a lover for a lover.”
Nothing but panic was coursing through her veins.
Her life’s new sole purpose was about to get squashed.
The moment he died; was the moment she was supposed to die as well.
It was far too soon.
Shinrin wasn’t even Muzan.
She wasn’t even Upper Moon Two.
How dare she let Senjurou die?
Senjurou wasn’t allowed to die.
Something in her mind snapped before her entire body began to glow red, shifting and contorting until an obsidian splatter decorated her exposed skin and one of her eyes began to dawn the character for the number two.
“Eh? Do you really think powering up is going to help you defeat me and save this fleshbag?” Shinrin laughed.
An obsidian fan that seemed to exude a shadowy smoke appeared in the demon’s hand before she opened it and snapped it close.
"He'll be dead before you can even-ack-”
Sachie watched the demon’s head pop off and the vine holding Senjurou get shredded before she moved forward to catch the battered slayer.
“Who are you!”
Sachie ignored Shinrin as the demon began to disintegrate.
“What kind of demon are you!” She shouted. “How could you go from being so weak to becoming Upper Moon Two?! How did you make that kanji appear!?! That has to be given! How did you-”
Sachie waved her fan and Shinrin’s head exploded.
Senjurou now had her undivided attention and silence.
Her body was massive in comparison to his.
She had gone from 160 cm (~5’3) to about 188 cm (~6’2) after transforming.
He was practically an ant in her embrace and if he thought Sachie had muscles before, she was ripped now.
Her large hands were shaking as she tried to examine him and her breathing seemed a bit uneven.
Almost as if she was coming down from a panic attack.
“Hey.” Senjurou whispered. “We did it.” He offered a small smile. “We survived our first mission together.”
Sachie lowered her head and pressed it into his chest.
“I’m ok. I’m not injured at all.” He continued before he began to gently remove the leaves that had gotten in the demon’s platinum blonde hair during battle.
The forest seemed to return to normal as crickets chirped around them and the wildlife of the night went about their usual routine.
A comfortable silence settled over the pair as Sachie sat down and let him go, trying her hardest not to harm him while in this form.
"Sachie, it's okay."
She shook her head weakly.
He gently lifted her head and frowned when he noticed tears spilling from her rainbow eyes engraved with the kanji for Upper Moon Two.
"Sachie."
His voice was so soft that she couldn't help but weep as he tried to console her by thumbing away her tears.
"Breathe Sachie. Just relax. We're safe. It's okay. You're still Sachie, no matter how you look."
She shook her head again.
"Yes you are. You're the sweetest demon I know." He gently pulled her down so that their foreheads were touching. "Just relax."
He listened to her hiccups and sniffles until she nodded off from exhaustion.
Her body was finally relaxed and after a few minutes, she began to return to her usual form.
He dug around in his satchel and pulled out her mask before putting it on her face.
Senjurou then took off his haori and slipped on her limp body before picking her up and staring up at the skyline.
“Osoroshī.” He called out.
It was silent for a moment before a familiar hoot caught his attention.
“Hey? Could you lead me to a wisteria inn?”
The owl huffed before he began to lead them there.
After walking for about an hour, they arrived at their destination without running into any trouble.
The owl flew down and Senjurou held up his arm, smiling as he landed on his wrapped arm.
“Thanks Osoroshī.”
“Mm. You’re not welcome.”
“Did you enjoy your nap?”
“Eh. I was disappointed to see the two of you survived when I woke up.” He muttered. “It was quite a lackluster brawl. Especially since you managed to get held captive within ten minutes of killing off a demon that wasn’t paying attention. However, thanks to your lack of talent with the sword, Oyakata-sama will now know that you’re fortunate enough to be fighting with someone on par with an upper moon.”
Senjurou felt his heart sink at the owl’s words. “I tried my best.”
“Yeah. Your best to get killed.” The owl scoffed. “I think you should stop while you’re at it and just stop trying to act like you’re a valiant warrior. That demon in your arms could have easily taken out those demons if you hadn’t been around. You’re just holding her back. You’re weak. A hinderance.”
“I know, but… I want to be like my brother.” Senjurou looked down at Sachie’s sleeping veiled face with tears threatening to fall from his eyes. “I-I know I can. I just have to work harder. I won’t get in Sachie’s way.”
A tear fell on the demon’s mask.
“Mmm. Yeah. I did some research on you. You’re the failure of your entire bloodline. Give up before you die tragically and tarnish the Rengoku name.” The owl laughed. “You’ll never be as good as anyone in your family.”
"Maybe, but that won't stop me from trying."
"Well, I guess there's no point in trying to talk you out of it. Why don't you just fall on your sword now? I'll just tell everyone you died slaying a demon."
“Why you-” Sachie tried to take a bite out of the bird and Osoroshī nearly fainted as he fell off Senjurou’s arm. “-I pass out for a bit, and I wake up to you spewing that kind of bullshit!?!” She snarled before leaping out of Senjurou’s arms.
“AHHHHHHHH!”
Several of the workers in the wisteria house hurried outside to see Senjurou weeping and a demon trying their hardest to kill a screeching owl.
Sachie waved around a stick as Osoroshī tried to escape her wrath. “Listen here you stupid chicken on a stick! You just insulted one of the best flame hashira’s of all fucking time! He’s got more potential than you’ll ever have!” She snapped at him before chucking her stick at him, nearly knocking him out as it whizzed past him.
“Yeah. Yeah! But a muzzle on it, you rabid gremlin!”
“Yeah? Come down here and do it yourself, Takoyaki!”
Senjurou couldn’t help but smile as tears continued to fall down his face.
Sachie really believed in him.
“You go tell the boss that we completed the task and you better report back pronto with our next mission! You hear me?”
“Fine! Anything to get away from you!” He scowled before flying away quickly.
Sachie let out a feral snarl as she watched the owl flap away.
“Stupid bird.” She grumbled before turning to face Senjurou. “Don’t you dare listen to that idiot. He doesn’t even fight demons. His job is easy and-” Her eyes softened as she approached Senjurou. “Eh? M-Mini?” She approached him quickly. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” He sniffled. “Sorry.” He tried to wipe away any signs of crying quickly.
“Hey no.” She puffed her cheeks. “Feeling your emotions is a-okay, but you can’t cry forever. Or at least that’s what Juni-kun tells me when I start crying after a mission.” She held out a hand. “We have to get cleaned up and eat food and rest so that we can be ready for our next mission.”
“Right.”
“Are you alright sir?”
Senjurou looked up at a little old man holding a bouquet of glowing wisteria.
“O-Oh. Yes. Um. My partner and I would like to get a room here.” He sniffled.
“Oh? But your partner is a demon."
"She's a good one."
"How do you know?"
"It's been a little under twenty years since I've eaten a human." She adjusted her mask. "Besides if I tried, my master would come here and kill me."
"Ah. Well. If that's the case, how many rooms do you need?"
"One room should be fine.” Senjurou smiled.
“Alright. Follow me in.”
The old man eyed Sachie for a moment before leading them in.
“We’ll bring food in about thirty minutes, but until then, please feel free to wash up in the back.” The old man hummed. “We’ve got a few bushels of eucalyptus hanging in the bathing quarters, so it’s super aromatic.”
“Thank you. What about sleepwear?”
“It’s in there. Along with some clean, soft towels.”
“Oh. Okay. Thank you.” Senjurou smiled.
“Mhm.” The old man stopped in front of a door before opening it. “This is your room.”
They both stepped inside to see a nice room with a bookshelf overflowing with books and a bowl of fruit on a small table.
“Enjoy! Oh- and don’t be afraid to ask for something.” He glanced at Sachie. “Including you, miss.”
Sachie nodded and watched him leave before looking at Senjurou. “I’m going to get cleaned up.” She huffed before watching him drop his satchel and a few other things by the table.
“Alright. I’ll wait until you return.”
“Okay.”
He watched her skip out of the room before approaching the bookshelf.
He skimmed over the fine text scribbled on the tags connected to scrolls and the spines of leather books before he grabbed one and began to read it.
Sachie, on the other hand, was enthusiastic about her hot bath.
It was kind of like bathing in a scalding waterfall while standing in the pool of water below.
After a deep scrub and lathering, she rinsed herself off before slipping on a towel and frowned when she found no clothes for her to wear.
She found herself looking around before she approached someone at the front desk.
She was given a large white pair of pajamas and a sincere apology before she was ushered off to her room to get dressed.
Her expression was grim when she returned to the room.
“This is ridiculous.” She mumbled.
Senjurou lifted his gaze. “What happened?”
“They ran out of my size of clothing.”
He looked at the large button-down shirt and baggy pants that engulfed her body as she adjusted her mask.
“Oh. Then I guess I’m screwed too.”
“I guess so.”
“I’ll go get cleaned up. Maybe dinner will be ready by the time I get back.”
“You mean breakfast?” She teased.
“Just because it’s after midnight, doesn’t mean it’s breakfast.”
“Then is it a dreakfast or a breakinner?”
He laughed before getting up. “Sure.”
“Noooooooooo. You have to pick one.”
“Break-inner sounds like someone is getting robbed and dreakfast sounds kind of odd.”
“Brinner?”
“No.”
“Dinfast?”
“How about, midnight snack?”
“That’s not creative at all.”
“I’ll let you brainstorm on it a bit more.”
“You’re making me do all the thinking because you don’t have any ideas.”
“This was never something I was trying to create, so you get to bust your own head open trying to figure it out.”
“And here I thought you were a nice guy.”
“I have no idea what gave you that impression.” He laughed softly as he approached the door. “This should be one of those times being a demon should come in handy.”
“That’s some sort of -ism, I just don’t know which.” She scoffed. “But I’ll do all the thinking since I’m clearly the creative one in this relationship.”
They both reddened at her statement.
“I-I meant it like a friendship not a uh- that.”
“So, you’re backing out of our engagement?” He arched an eyebrow, somehow holding her in place with just his eyes.
“Wha- no- I-”
Sachie was so flustered she couldn’t even think.
Was this the power of everyone with flaming eyes?
Her heart was racing, and her skin was hot and sweaty.
Was she ill?
“You what?”
“Just because we’re engaged, that doesn’t mean we’ll get married.”
“Are you saying I won’t get stronger than you?”
“Eh? N-No! You’ll definitely get stronger!”
“I’m glad you think so fondly of me, Sachie.” He smiled warmly at her as he watched her try to cover her masked face with a blanket with the hopes of escaping the wave of embarrassment that was washing over her.
“Go wash up. You stink.”
“Do I really?”
“Yes. You smell like outside.”
Senjurou laughed before leaving the room, leaving the flustered demon reeling from the butterflies swarming in her stomach.
Once her face stopped feeling hot, she grabbed their things and organized it before noticing the book he had been reading when she arrived after bathing.
It was a book pertaining to how to fight better and make better plans during a fight.
Her expression was somber behind her mask before she opened it and began to read it.
Time seemed to fly as she read the book and began to tune out her surroundings.
“Sachie?”
Her head snapped up to see Senjurou standing in the doorway with messy damp hair and large pajamas that engulfed his small frame as well.
“Oh- uh. Welcome back.” She closed the book.
“I meant to put that up.”
“It was a good read.” She shrugged.
“You read it?”
“Mhm.” She put the book down on the table before watching him sit down next to her. “It was very insightful. Although, I do think more demon slaying experience might help you become more confident in battle.”
“So reading it was pointless?”
“No. Having ideas on hand so that you can think faster is also helpful.”
He offered a small nod before furrowing his eyebrows.
“How did you become a strong fighter?”
“I don’t think I’m qualified to answer that.” She laughed softly. “I don’t really think I’m a good fighter, to be honest. I just know how to get a mission done when I’m in a tough predicament. If anything, I’m more of a medic than a warrior.”
“What? You were awesome out there. You intimidated Haruto. Fought those demons and even managed to push yourself to become stronger and-”
Sachie covered his mouth and shook her head. “No.”
He furrowed his eyebrows again and moved her hands. “But that was the best part.”
“No. That was a desperate situation. Your life was in danger, and I had to use my wild card or risk having to heal a nasty injury.”
Senjurou looked down. “I didn’t mean to be a burden to you during out mission.”
“You’re not a burden. This was your first mission.” She frowned. “I felt like a burden during several missions when going with Tomoe-sama in the beginning.”
“How?”
“Mm. Well first of all, I had to get used to using the healing aspect of my blood art.”
“What do you mean?”
“Prior to my good demon era, I only attacked people.”
“I’m not following how it ties to your blood art.”
“When I absorb an injury...” She held out a glowing hand and gently grabbed his bruised hand before healing it. “I feel the pain you feel, but it doesn’t go away unless I use my blood art and send it back to an enemy. If you’re not used to the pain. It can be hindering at first.” Sachie frowned at the thought. “During my first mission, we had to go save a village from a powerful demon, but I had to heal everyone and help them escape while master worked with the blue marked sector to take down the demons.”
“Blue marked sector?”
“Mhm. The Devourers are made of several sectors.”
“Are you over a sector?”
“Yeah.” She perked up. “I am over the Sector of Health, denoted by the colors pink and red. When I’m over a team of devourers during a mission, I wear a completely pink or red mask. When I’m with master, I wear my black mask with the pink spot on my forehead.
“Like the one you’re wearing?”
“Mhm.”
“Then is Jun the head of something?”
“Yes, Jun is over the Sector of Transportation, denoted by the color green.”
“Oh.”
“Now to answer you question, the blue marked sector was initially headed by master until they found a demon worthy of taking over that group while they directed their attention to hunting down the twelve kizuki.”
“What does the blue sector do?”
“They’re kind of like our defense and combat group… they’re composed solely of demon-turned demon slayers who seek redemption. The current head was a former hashira who was turned against her will, unfortunately.”
“Oh? Who?”
“Her name is Kanae.”
“The former flower hashira?!?”
“Shhh.” She huffed before smacking her hand over his mouth.
He pulled her hand down. “Sachie.”
“Our identities are supposed to be a secret Senjurou.”
“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
She was silent for a moment before offering the tiniest of nods to answer his question.
“She got turned into a demon?” He whispered.
“Yes.”
“But Shinobu-san said her sister was devoured and that all that remained was blood, her haori, and her broken hair pin.”
“I didn’t say her transformation was her choice. Tomoe-sama found her trying to execute herself and offered her a productive outlet that would lead to the demise of all demons in the end.”
“By becoming a devourer?”
“Yes!” She beamed. “Exactly!” She covered her masked mouth and looked down shyly. “Um. Anyways. The story. I struggled with healing everyone. In fact. After healing five people, I passed out during my mission.”
“How did you get better?”
“A lot of suffering to train my body.” She muttered. “I can heal hundreds of people now, even if the injuries are extreme. I can keep my body moving even when there’s blood pouring out of me, and my organs are splattering on the ground.”
“So, I need to suffer to get stronger?”
“Mm. Sure. However, gaining strength will require you healing on your own though.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Ok. Hit me.”
“Eh?”
“Hit me and I’ll give you back your bruise.”
“No.”
“How are you supposed to get stronger?”
He frowned at her before punching the ground a few times and revealing his bruised knuckles.
“There.”
Sachie blinked. “Wouldn’t my approach be easier?”
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Eh? Then what are you going to do if I try to eat you.”
“Easy. You won’t.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re going to marry me when I’m stronger and able to take care of you.”
Sachie reddened at his confession.
In theory, he would never be stronger than her… but maybe he would if he was forced to endure most of the mission with just his strength instead of having her to depend on the whole time.
She could interfere when things were getting risky.
Once he seemed strong enough, to manage on his own, she would let him win… if he wasn’t able to win on his own.
She rubbed her masked chin in thought before offering him a thumbs up.
“Okay!” She perked up. “We won’t get married until you can beat me in a sparring session.”
His face turned red before he nodded in agreement. “Ok.”
The door to their room opened and two young women placed their food on the coffee table. “Here’s a small meal. Sorry it took so long. We served dinner hours ago, so we had to make things for you to eat. Hopefully this ramen isn’t too heavy on the stomach at this hour.”
“Mhm!” The other server chirped. “If it is, we can make some tea.”
“Um. Uh. Thank you for the food.” Sachie offered before bowing.
Senjurou smiled before offering a small bow.
“Yes, thank you for making us something. I think we’ll be fine, so please don't worry too much about making us tea.”
Both women nodded and bowed before leaving the room.
Sachie’s eyes sparkled at all of the food before Senjurou held up some noodles with his chopsticks. “Here.”
She shook her head. “You should eat your fill on food first.”
“Sachie. It’s okay for you to eat with me. It’s no fun if I’m eating alone.”
She lifted her mask a little before eating the noodles.
“Is it good?” He tilted his head.
“Mhm. But now you have to eat some too.”
He ate a few noodles before holding up another bite for her.
They did this for the rest of the food until Senjurou was full.
He let her have the rest, which she had initially tried to decline… but scarfed down after a bit of encouragement.
He watched her with the warmest expression she had ever had the honor of witnessing on his face.
Was it admiration?
His eyes were like a burning fireplace in winter even after she had finished eating.
She was still a little surprised that he didn’t find her eating habits disturbing, but quickly pushed her worries away when they both settled down into two separate futons for the night.
“Sachie.”
“Mm?”
“Thanks for coming with me.”
“Thanks for asking me to join you.”
They laid in silence for bit, enjoying the peacefulness of their room.
“Sachie?”
“Mm?”
“Why are you ashamed of what you turned into when you killed that demon?”
“I became who I fear the most.”
“Is it the demon that turned you?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I ask how you did it?”
“Most...if not all Devourer's have the ability to force themselves to power up and become their deepest and darkest fear.” Sachie whispered. "Although... it's shaped and carved out by your trauma and pain... and extremely draining to maintain."
"Are there side effects from transforming?"
"Well... we like to call it our Devouring form. However, whenever you eat a demon, you lose a bit of yourself each time."
"Have you ever eaten a demon?"
"No. Only master eats demons. There was a demon who tried... but they went mad and began to eat humans again. Master feels that using that form for anything other than combat would be dangerous."
"Yet Tomoe-sama eats demons."
"Master's different. Their blood art helps them."
"How?"
"I've heard that every demon master eats has the opportunity to make a deal. They give up themselves in exchange for something else... or else they'll endure an infinite torture for their wrongdoings."
"Mm... do they transform into something?"
"Yeah. They turn into a terrifying blue demon... they're humongous... with a jaw that opens and tears their cheeks apart before they sink their knife-like teeth into the flesh of their prey."
"Prey?"
"Tomoe-sama isn't ever really there when they take on that form. It's almost as if a monster they've been burying resurfaces when they transform and they're just functioning in autopilot." A soft sniffle filled the room. "Even i-if you begged master not to do something, your cries would just fall on deaf ears."
"Even if it was my brother?"
"Even if it was your brother."
They laid in silence until her heart nearly stopped when Senjurou gently grabbed her hand.
“Did I scare you?”
“N-No. Well. A little. I wasn’t expecting you to touch my hand.”
“I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I just wanted to comfort you without being too close.”
She gently squeezed his hand. “You’re lucky I didn’t try to crack your head in.”
He smiled at her empty threat before closing his eyes. “I’m sure you’d heal me if you did.”
“I would not.”
He laughed softly.
“Ok.”
“Don’t take my kindness for granted, Mini.” She grumbled before attempting to pull her hand away.
Senjurou pulled her hand back down and laughed when she feigned her defeat after trying to lift her arms a few times.
“You’re not that weak, Sachie.”
“Go to sleep.”
He stuck his tongue out and she flipped him off with her free hand.
The demon yelped as she was yanked out of her futon and tickled until she apologized and begged for mercy.
Senjurou eventually accepted it and went to sleep with a smug smile on his lips while she panted on the floor, looking disheveled and disoriented.
Never had she ever foreseen herself in such a predicament.
She adjusted her mask and crawled into bed with her heart pounding in her ears and her stomach swarming with butterflies.
After a few deep breaths, she was able to relax enough to fall asleep.