Breath of the Void

Breath of the Void: Chapter 6

And now we launch right into the plot.

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The year passed without too many incidents.

And by without too many incidents, Musashi meant nothing that was overly drastic. No Pillar deaths and Ubuyashiki was still alive and in command of the Corps.

Demon attacks were still overly numerous and volatile, but the Pillars were out and in the field a lot more, moving from one mission to another in rapid secession along with patrolling and keeping as much peace as possible. Musashi didn't mind, she was quite fine with constantly being on the move. She was used to it, after all.

The Pillars had tried to throw a birthday party for her, but then no one knew when she was born that plan fell through. To be fair to them, she wasn't exactly sure which day she had been born either. So, they ended up just all having a party and drinking— and lighting things on fire. Kyojuro did not deny his participation in the act, but Ubuyashiki liked to hear that his children were having fun. Tokito wasn't allowed to drink, but the Pillars learned a lot about each other— and then Shinazugawa got blackout drunk it was a mess.

On a more work-related note, the current year's Final Selection had passed and one of the girls at the Butterfly Estate— Kocho's adopted sister, Kanao— had passed without trouble. Three others had as well, though she had no idea who they were. All boys, though, from what she had heard.

Overall, it was a pretty decent year— in terms of Demon Slayers, that is.

She had just finished up in a village in the north and was heading back when Ritsuka the Crow flew to her with a report to make haste back to Headquarters. Not unusual, though it did surprise her. The annual Pillar Meeting wasn't for another week, but if Ubuyashiki wished for the meeting to be pushed forwards it was no matter. In fact, it seemed that it was necessary to do.

Something had happened on Natagumo Mountain.

Patting Ritsuka the Crow, she held her gently against her chest before she took off. She wasn't too far from Ubuyashiki's estate, but she would have to pick up the speed. Once again, not a problem with how quickly she moved.

She ran through the forest, leaping through the trees and apologizing to resting merchants as she ran past. A few of them shouted at her, but they went ignored as she continued on. When she had first arrived, both Kocho and Kanroji had commented on how she could cover vast amounts of land in a short amount of time and how they didn't understand it. In truth, she didn't either, but she was fine with being able to do so.

The less time she had to spend on a train, the better. Even when she ended up in places far in the future, she had avoided the more mechanical forms of transport— save boats.

Trains were the devil and she wasn't going to go on one if she could help it.

Musashi leaped from the ground into a tree and from the tree up onto a roof before she took off again. A few shouts from villagers who had been woken up below went ignored as she ran along the rooftops before she left the village. Ritsuka the Crow squawked unhappily when she landed and continued onwards. Judging from where she was, Musashi had a feeling she was about halfway there. The moon was still in the sky, but she suspected that by the time she got to Ubuyashiki's Estate, it would be dawn.

She shifted the Crow before she took off again, kicking up dust as she headed towards the Estate.

(x)

Musashi's heels made very little noise as she walked into the garden, letting Ritsuka go as she did. The bird took off in a flurry of disgruntled feathers and Musashi snorted, brushing dust from her haori.