"Huah!!" sighed [name].
"[name]-chan, don't stop yet!" voiced her teacher, Chizuru Shina.
"But sensei!!" she groaned, "When will I finally learn how to use breathing techniques?"
"Hm... Soon!" winked Chizuru.
"Eh?! But you always say that!" [name] whined, sitting down on the snow with such light clothing. All she was wearing was a very light kimono, which she is also grateful for due to the amount of leg work she was doing.
"But it's necessary for you," stated Chizuru, "Your body has yet to adapt to the cold fully."
The young girl pouted, making her teacher giggle.
"But sensei!~" [name] whined.
"But [name]!~" Chizuru repeated in the same tone, a cheeky smile on her lips as she bent down to rough up the [h/c] colored hair, "Perhaps I could teach you tomorrow. But oh well! We'll see."
"Eh?! Really?!" [name] exclaimed, looking at Chizuru.
Yet before she could have an answer, the girl's sensei disappeared, making her plop her arms on her sides and heave a heavy sigh. She looked up at the gray sky covered by clouds. Closing her eyes, she took a quick trip through memory lane.
"You.. smell like one of them and yet..?"
"W-Who are you!?"
The sound of a blade being unsheathed.
"What are you." a stern voice asked.
"I'm..." the girl stuttered. "I'm not telling!"
The girl's eyes widened as she felt a cold, metal blade at her shoulder.
"What are you." the voice repeated.
The owner of the voice's eyes showed no mercy.
"Why would I tell you...?" asked the frightened girl, taking small steps behind.
"I will not repeat-!"
"Ice Breathing? That exists?" asked a curious girl, her legs swinging over the cliff.
"Yes, it does." The older woman sitting beside her nodded. "Like every other breathing style, it was a mimic of the Sun Breathing, however barely anyone could use the now abandoned breathing style. It has been long forgotten."
"And you're one of the few who can wield it?"
"We, you mean."
The girl giggled, "Yeah, we."
"A disgrace she is."
"Nothing like her mother."
"She will never be welcomed back as one of us."
[name]'s eyes shot open, her eyes flickering from left to right. The voice of the person she loathed the most felt like she was just beside her, yet far away at the same time. She was startled at the mere thought of him being near her, let alone knowing her whereabouts.
But, who am I kidding, that's Muzan Kibutsuji: the man who is feared by many. Be it a demon or a human.
[name] buried her fingers in the snow. She stared at it for a while before finally standing up, brushing the snow off of her fingers and her clothes. Taking the nichirin blade beside her, she flicked her wrist before swinging the blade in her hands, mentally counting how many swings she does.
Over the next few days, [name] has been working her ass off just to get her teacher's approval. The girl stood next to a rock, gently tapping it with her blade. She took a deep breath in, closing her eyes and thinking of all she learned with Chizuru.
"Ice Breathing, third form: glacial river!" [name] yelled as she raised her sword. Her sword slashed through the rock with ease, leaving it in half.
"Great job!" Chizuru exclaimed as she clapped her hands.
[name] smiled, "Thank you!" Her eyes widened with curiosity when she saw a person she never seen before stand beside Chizuru.
The man smiled beside Chizuru as he nodded to her, "She definitely has been learning quickly."
Chizuru nodded, "Yes, Kagaya-sama. She definitely has." The teacher looked at her student and motioned her to come up the mountain to meet the man. "[name]-chan, this is Kagaya Ubuyashiki."
[name] swallowed and bowed, "Hello... I'm [name], nice to meet you, Kagaya-sama."
"Nice to meet you too, [name]," Ubuyashiki smiled, "I wanted to ask you something, but in private, of course."
[name] looked at Chizuru for her permission and watched as her teacher nodded. The girl then looked at Ubuyashiki, "Sure, then."
The two walked down the mountain together. Ubuyashiki looked around the snowy mountain, basking in its cold, beautiful view. Feeling a bit awkward, [name] wanted to start a conversation, but she didn't know how to start it.
"[name], would you like to become a demon slayer?" Ubuyashiki started, as if reading her mind.
[name] paused in her tracks for a bit, trying to comprehend what he just said. "I'm sorry?" she mumbled.
Ubuyashiki stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the girl. A soft smile was present on his lips as he looked at her, "Would you like to become a demon slayer?"
[name] swallowed and shrugged, "I.. I mean, I would like to, sure, but, what brought this up?"
"You are able to use one of, if not the most, unique breathing style. No other demon slayer is able to use it," he voiced, "Ever since Chizuru took you in, she noticed you had potential. She came to me time to time to tell me about you. You are a very talented child. In under 2 years you were able to master the unique breathing style."
"Well, I mean, I knew the Ice Breathing style is unique, and I'm flattered, but why must you tell me this?" [name] asked, trying to not be rude to someone she met for the first time.
Ubuyashiki gave a small laugh, "You're a curious one, indeed. It's simply just an offer, seeing your quick and excellent progress. Just like your mother."
[name]'s eyes widened at the mention of her mother. She was never told about her mother. Even back living in the Infinity castle, no one would ever tell her about her mother. When she would ask, the demons around her would shudder in fear and immediately change the subject. When she would ask her father, he would not give her a response, not to mention bat an eye at her.
"You... knew my mother?" [name] asked, wanting to know more.
"Yes, I have. Your mother was a demon slayer- a skilled one as well," smiled Ubuyashiki, "But that all changed when she met your father, Muzan Kibutsuji."
"Why.. why did my mother fall for him? Do you know?" [name] asked as she walked up to Ubuyashiki, and the two started to walk down the mountain again.
The man shook his head and sighed, "That, I do not know."
[name] swallowed and nodded. "What was her name?"
"Koizumi Fuyuko." Ubuyashiki spoke, a hint of sadness evident in his tone of voice.
The girl smiled softly, happy that she at least got to know some information about her mother after so many years of asking. Ubuyashiki looked up at the sky, and noticed it was beginning to become dark.
"Well, it's time for my leave," he spoke, "I hope you've thought about my offer, [name]."