Aki POV
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I was allowed into Maiden Mansion which was a relief. The place is heavily guarded by strong woman with muscles thicker than stone.
"If I didn't have this pass, I would've been dead for sure. Now where do I-"
"Hello."
"Ah! Fuckin' Christmas! Huh?" I looked down to see a small woman that was almost shorter than (M/n).
"Uh, hello?" I was still startled by the yellow haired female.
"Master (M/n) asked me to guide you to the Maiden Training Grounds. You can't deny this order." In the blink of an eye, I was already in what looks like the training grounds.
"Huh?!"
"Train hard." Then she was gone.
"What the hell is wrong with this place?" I muttered.
"Aki!" (M/n) smiled.
"AH! Can you please stop doing that!" I asked him. He gave me a confused look.
"I only did it once tho.."
"Why did you allow me to enter here?"
"Cause you're my friend."
"Then why haven't you invited Tanjiro and the others." Aki asked, feeling a little special.
"Well, Tanjiro will be allowed to enter, but the other two, not so much. Zenitsu will give all of the woman here a problem and disturb the peace of this place and Inosuke is well.....Inosuke."
"So, you and Tanjiro are the only males that I can invite without much of a problem, but don't take that for granted."
"R-right! I won't!"
'I didn't know he could get scary like this.'
"Now, let's train!"
"Wait. I'm training with you...a Hashira."
"Is there a problem?"
"Nope. Not at all."
'I'm gonna die.'
*
3rd POV
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"Alright, Aki! You ready?"
"Not mentally." Aki pulled out his purple daggers.
"Your goal is simple. You have to make me draw my weapon by nightfall or cut off my arm."
"The fight begins.....now!"
(M/n) wasted not time dashing to the Shadow Breather.
'Fast!'
Aki was kicked in the face by the Maiden Hashira.
"Your reaction time is slow. Do better." Despite the strong kick, Aki got up.
He ran to the Maiden Hashira. His speed was suitable for the job of a Demon Slayer, but not enough for the Maiden Hashira.
Aki wasn't very surprised to learn that the Hashira was very flexible.
Even if the conditions seemed simple, he heard that (M/n) was The Most Durable Hashira so he knew making the Hashira draw his weapon was almost impossible.
Not to mention, every time Aki's blade cuts (M/n) it heals immediately.
"Shadow Breathing: 1st Form, Rage of the Shadow Beast!" The Shadow Breather charged at the Maiden.
He quickly did a split and avoided the male's attack.
"Huh?"
'Such flexibility!'
"Maiden Breathing: 6th Form, The Reaper Maiden Seal!" (M/n) palmed Aki on stomach.
Aki breath left his lungs as he was sent back on the ground.
'He can use Breathing Forms without a Nichirin Blade?!'
"Aki, your speed isn't really surprising me right now but I guess your strength is formidable, so let's up the stakes, shall we?"
Aki got up from the ground and heavily breathes in and out. On his forehead was half of a flower that would normally have six petals, but only have three that held together by the black circle.
"Up...the..stakes?"
The male nodded, "On the top of your head is the Reaper Maiden Seal. It has the limit of three stacks. For every three hits, one stack goes up. When all three stacks are filled, you'll be paralyzed from the neck down for a short time."
"I see."
'So this is what he means by upping the stakes. He has to hit me exactly nine times for him to win completely.'
"Little tip. Truly focusing on your breathing a bit more. You mind thinks of this as training, which it is, but see me as a evil demon." He gave a sly smile.
"That's kinda hard to do. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You look like a baby."
"Thank you for the compliment, but you have to get stronger. How about this? Imagine that your in a situation where you meet your father's murders."
"I just can't do that!"
'I see. He's not one for imagination.'
"Alright. I guess I can help you a bit." The male shrugged.
"Blood Demon Art: Calm Minded Meadow!" A variety of different flowers grew around (M/n) and Aki.
"Blood Demon Art: Calm Minded Meadow, Hallucination Mist!" A thin ghostly white mist covered the battlefield like wildfire.
"Aki. What do you see now?"
He watched as the male's figure shook and his pupils shrunk. His teeth clenched and veins grew appeared on his face.
"Shadow Breathing: 2nd Form, Rampant Crazy Cuts!"
"Meadow Control: Calm Minded Meadow, Explosive Petal Darts!" Petals were removed by every flower in the beautiful meadow and sent towards Aki, but the rapid slashes made some sort of makeshift shield.
"Huh?"
"Take this!" Aki made a slash on (M/n)'s face causing blood to flow out. It quickly healed and (M/n) slapped him away.
"Meadow Change: Crystallized Flower Meadow!" The array of different colored flowers turned into the same crystallized blue colored one.
"Meadow Control: 10,000 Pinpoint Massacre!" Using the flowers in the meadow, (M/n) teleported to different location. With each location he landed an attack on Aki. All (M/n) needed was one hit and he wins.
"Shadow Breathing: 3rd Form, Black Hole!" Aki created a small black circle that pulled (M/n) to him.
"Wha-"
"Shadow Breathing: 1st Form, Rage of the Shadow Beast!"
"Maiden Breathing: 7th Form, A Maiden's Gratitude!" (M/n) pushed aside Aki's blade and a figure showed up behind him. It was the same ghostly spirit from his first form that punched Aki in the face.
"Normally, you've would've been dead from that move. But since I'm not armed, she's not armed as well."
Aki couldn't move his body. When that happened, he accepted the fact that he was defeated.
(M/n) dismissed his Demon Arts and went over to Aki.
"Aki? You okay? The paralysis should run off soon. I'll carry you to the Mansion." While saying it, he was already in the process of taking Aki to his room.
Once he was there, (M/n) laid him down on the bed and went to go fix food for him.
*
"Aki, I'm back. I made soup. It's the only thing I can make at this moment, since I promised Melody we'd go demon hunting."
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why did you put yourself in my rage willingly like that? Don't you know the more pissed I am, the more power my attacks are?"
"That exactly why I did it. I was quick to catch on that your anger sparked your will and determination. You were going for dangerous and drastic moves, but there was so much power behind them. You were actually giving me a hard time."
"That's because you wasn't using your weapons."
"True. But that doesn't mean pressuring me isn't an accomplishment itself." The male smiled.
"Heh. I guess you're right. Thank you, (M/n)."
"Aw, you're welcome, Aki. Now, I'm going out with Melody. Get some rest, okay?"
"Right. Be careful."
"Of course, dummy."
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Taisho secret(s):
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☆《(Even if he was under the effect of the hallucination mist, Aki still knew his goal and wasn't going from (M/n)'s neck.》
☆《Aki heart floated when (M/n) playfully called him dummy.》
☆《 Maiden Mansion has three buildings connected together and each part has a Mansion Leader.》
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