Demon Slayer: Love Is...[Book 1] || Tengen Uzui x OC

Chapter 10- Love Is...

16.

I was 16 years old when I met him. I practically searched for him. I wasn't exactly sure who I was looking for. What exactly he would look like. I didn't know. I just had a name. And the vague details provided to me by the various different people I ran across along my journey. But even though I wasn't quite sure who I was looking for. Or what exactly he would look like. When I saw him, I knew it was the right person. I don't know how. I simply had a feeling. There was just something about him. And it wasn't only in his more than shocking appearance. Which to be honest, and not to be rude...

Was horrid.

To be brief, he had medium length, straight, jet black hair that arched up slightly at the roots and fell delicately to the sides to frame his face. The inky black strands just about reached his shoulders with the ends cut perfectly straight all around. Surprisingly, his hair alone was enough to serve as a stark contrast from his skin complexion; which was of an impossibly pale, paperwhite color.

I genuinely considered the possibility of him never seeing the sun. Much less the possibility of him being able to "see" at all; his eyes were a light shade of lavender with pupils that seemed like no light could ever enter.

Regardless of the hair and the distracting paleness of his skin. The most overwhelming aspect of his appearance of all was the horrid patch of wrinkled, purple, vein, and crater ridden skin that seemed almost to be rotting and took over the majority of his face. From the nose down had been spared. Or so I would assume. For all I knew, the man could have had the same patches covering the entirety of his body. He looked like a corpse risen freshly from the dead. If it wasn't for this...scar I guess you can call it, the man would actually be a very good looking man.

Even still, he smiled as though there was nothing wrong. It wasn't a wide toothy grin. It was small and subtle but offered all the kindness in the world.

It was quite a shocker, to be honest. It rattled me and was enough to make me stumble. He hadn't even spoken yet, and I felt his genuine care and calm nature. Despite him never having met me.

I wasn't alone when I met him. My wives were with me of course. I had left home with them after all. So when I met this man, my wives were just as shocked at his appearance and personality as I was.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki was his name. The leader of the Demon Slayer Corp.

That day, I must have spoken to him for hours. Or maybe it was more him talking to me. And strangely enough, I could barely find it in me to open my mouth to say anything in return for all that he did for me and my wives. He gave us a place to stay, after all, got me into the Demon Slayers, and pushed me to become something far greater than what I thought I was capable or worthy of being.

It was strange. I figured that given his circumstances, I expected him to be bitter and angry. But, then again, I've made a terrible assumption like that once before. And I refused to do it again.

At this moment, however, I, Tengen Uzui, am 18 years old and am currently the sound hashira of the Demon Slayer Corp. I've been in the demon slayer corp about a year now. Or has it been a year more than that? Whatever. I've been told that I progressed at a far greater speed through the ranks than most, but after having been in a couple of battles and fought alongside some of the other hashira I knew exactly where I stood when it came to skill and ability. As much as I liked to boast, I was not top of the line. And I am very aware of that.

But I digress.

I had come home one day to my wives from a mission. As usual, they panicked and jumped me as soon as I opened the door. Well, I should just say Suma. Suma jumped me at the door. It was a practice she had gotten into since we left home. It didn't bother me. It just would hurt... like hell. Most often times she'd just jump to hug me without even trying to see if I was hurt in any way. I knew she never meant to hurt me, but it would tick me off just a little at times. Usually, I wouldn't get hurt, and It was pretty difficult for me to ever experience soreness in any way after a battle. But I had made a particularly dumb mistake in my battle today.