《Avatar : The Last Airbender x Demon Slayer》
Y/N L/N. A humble girl from a small village, seemingly loved by the townspeople, suddenly runs away one night.
《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》
After encountering a peculiar boy and his demon sister, they jo...
With that, I let go and pet her before leaving her room with an easy mind, going back to the room we all shared, only to find Inosuke awake, sitting up in his bed.
"Oh. You can't sleep, Inosuke?" I whisper, going to sit in my bed, looking at him. He said nothing, making me sigh.
"Is something bothering you?"
"...I'm not strong enough." He mumbled, disappointment and shame in his voice.
"That's not true at all, Inosuke." I get up and go closer to sit next to him, putting my hand on his shoulder, surprised he didn't push me off.
"If it's not true, then how did I end up like this?" He moved his hand up, rubbing his throat. His voice wasn't fully back to normal yet, but he was better.
"...Inosuke." I sigh.
"You aren't invincible. Sometimes, even when you give it your all, your enemy overpowers you and you lose. That doesn't make you any less-stronger, y'know. I think you're amazing, to be honest. Because, when we fought together, I was ready to give up and forfeit. I was so, so scared. I thought that would be the end of me..."
I chuckle, looking up to see him staring at me, listening in silence.
"But... seeing you turn back and fight with so much determination and strength, it gave me confidence. Even when our heads were about to be crushed in, you still tried to win."
He seemed surprised, easing up slightly as I heard him inhale sharply.
"You inspire me, Inosuke. You charge into battle head-on, you're strong, you're agile, you fight with everything you have, and even when the odds are against you, you find a way to keep going. Your spirit is like an immovable boulder. You're tough and even when you're about to crack, you still push forward."
I move my hand away, smiling up at him. "In my opinion, I think you're the most amazing and skilled fighter I've met. So, please, never give up, okay?" I hold out my hand to him.
"Promise?"
Something I said must've clicked, because he stuttered in his movements as he nodded, the two of us exchanging the small handshake. "...Promise."
With a smile, I then get up, patting his shoulder. "I'm going to bed. You should try and sleep too. I hope I see you in training tomorrow. Good night, Inosuke."
《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》
The next day, Tanjiro and I went outside, looking around until we found the three girls, putting up laundry.
"Naho! Kiyo! Sumi!" I wave at them, Tanjiro handing out the four carpet-beaters. "We'd like you to help us train."
I nod. "If we stop doing Total Concentration Breathing while we're asleep, could you clobber us with these carpet-beaters, please?"
They seemed a little confused, but accepted.
At night, we woke up plenty of times, harshly hit by the carpet-beaters. For as small as they were, the girls packed quite a punch. The second we were caught slacking, they'd smack us as hard as they could, making us try again and again.
Zenitsu was terribly afraid and Inosuke was utterly confused at what the hell we were doing, our yelps everytime we got hit waking them up.
《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》
"Just you two again today?" Aoi asked, not even surprised anymore.
We bowed our heads. "We're sorry! I asked them to come, but-"
"Well, it doesn't matter to me."
We sigh, and begin our training, finishing by sunset.
《•|•》
"You up for waterbending today?" Tanjiro asks, stretching a little.
"Of course!"
I'm startled by the ice that came my way, but I managed to grab it. "You really improved! You have the reflexes of a master waterbender."
"Thanks, Tanjiro. Catch." I tossed it back to him, smiling.
By now, we went from elementary movements to combat practice. It was much harder with Total Concentration Breathing, but worth it, because I gained a lot more experience much quicker. "Those two have a lot to catch up on tomorrow." I'm already starting to lose my breath, but I keep going, dodging Tanjiro's attacks.
"If we can even get them out of bed."
"We're definitely getting them out of bed." I chuckle. Taking the opportunity, I sweep Tanjiro's legs out from under him with a gust of wind, splashing him right in his face, knocking him down.
"I win." I pant, catching my breath.
He shakes his head, smiling wide at me. "You just used both airbending and waterbending!"
I help him up, realizing he's right, laughing with excitement. "I did?!"
"You did! That means it's already second nature to you! I told you, you're an incredible waterbender!" We're both excited, happily cheering with victory.
《•|•》
"Alright, now just stream the water like this, see?"
"So, this should help me get a better feel for the water, right?"
He nods. "It's simple, but it's useful to know for other moves. Remember to keep your arms less-tense."
The two of us keep pushing and pulling the water toward and away from us, doing our best to be synchronized. I stop when he tells me to, and he goes over to the scroll. "I haven't taught you this one yet, mostly because I'm not sure how to do it myself. It looks like we need to make two rings of water around us."
I sit with him, and the two of us ponder over the scroll, attempting the move on smaller scales, but neither of us can get it right. "This is so tough..." I mutter, startled when someone spoke up.
"You're doing it wrong." I turn around, looking up toward the person.
"Oh! Tomioka-San!"
"It isn't two opposing rings. They flow around each other. Keep your feet steady but your upper body free." He proceeded to demonstrate, and both of us were amazed at how he did it, the two rings flowing perfectly around him, his entire energy changing.
"Defense." He spun the rings faster, and almost in the blink of an eye, he launched small, but sharp ice blades at us, missing us by a hair. "And offense."
We were surprised at how sharp they were, stabbed into the tree behind us. "That is precisely what this technique does. That is what waterbending is in combat. Your defense is your offense. You use the strength of your enemies against them."
With that, he returned the water to the pond, leaving us as quickly as he came. "Work on it." "...Defense to offense." I murmur, and the more I think it over, the more sense it begins to make. My hands almost move on their own, and repeating his words over and over in my head, I'm able to replicate the water gimbal.
Oops! Ang larawang ito ay hindi sumusunod sa aming mga alituntunin sa nilalaman. Upang magpatuloy sa pag-publish, subukan itong alisin o mag-upload ng bago.
Tanjiro follows along, and we both smile at each other. With a nod, we both trained until the moon came up, not stopping until the sun grazed our skin.
We became worn out long ago, and yet it seemed neither of us could tell the other to stop. Our breathing was still calm, and neither of us ceased doing Total Concentration Breathing all this time.
"Tanjiro." I release the water around me, slowly breathing in and out.
He stops as well, waiting for me to continue.
"I..." I bow in front of him, a strange light-headedness and joy overtaking me. "I am honored to have been taught by you, Kamado Tanjiro-San. Thank you."
He stood silent for a moment, and all I hear are his approaching footsteps before I feel the warmth of his palm on top of my head. "I'm honored to call you my student, L/N Y/N. You're welcome."
He left after that, but something still remained. The warmth of his touch left me unable to move.
The moment he even grazed me, I started to cry. I... I've never felt something so kind in years. The last person to ever make me cry like this was my mother. He's so full of kindness, but he can fight with such determination. It's incredible... He's... He's absolutely incredible.
Like a gentle sea that can bring down a tsunami in a second.
