A fifteen-years-old girl stood beneath the bloodstained snow, where several decapitated bodies and heads of demons lies in the scarlet powdered ice.
The girl's white-short hair with sky-blue streaks swayed with the freezing wind that blew in her pale emotionless face.
The snowflakes continued to fall from the dull cloudy sky as she stayed still in her spot with blood trickling down from her father's nichirin blade to the once pallid snow that are now painted with red.
Footsteps then can be heard against the soft snow, as a man approached the girl from behind and stopped just five feet away from the bloody terrain, where the girl stood in the very center of such sight.
The girl peered through her shoulder with her cold azure irises, only to see a man with black short hair and gentle lavender eyes. He had a strange mark spreading in his left eye, and the girl didn't fail to notice a sword strapped in the man's side.
Little does the girl know that the man she stumbled upon is no other than Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the Leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Kagaya was just passing by in the snowy forest, when he suddenly noticed a certain teenager chasing the demons in the area and he observed how the teen mercilessly beheaded them in just one slash.
It has been years since he saw someone used ice breathing, this style of breathing is pretty rare and he only met one man in his younger years that use such breathing style.
The said man sadly was forced to retire because of a severe injury that he sustained from a battle that he barely made out. Due to his vicious personality he didn't have any student and his wife died so young after bearing him a daughter. He didn't bother to remarry so he had no son that Kagaya knows of.
He moved to another place with his daughter after his retirement, and from then on, the Ubuyashiki estate have no communication or any news of them. Since the daughter was trained to be a good wife, Kagaya doubted that her father would let her enter the corps, or let her wield a sword.
At first Kagaya thought that maybe the man had finally remarried and was blessed with a son that inherited his ice breathing, that is currently training for the Demon Slayer Selection. However, he was met with a big surprise when the youth turned to face him with her cold stare.
He second though that it must be the said man's apprentice but the silver snowflake crest in the back of her thick haori is the very evidence that she is a descendant of the Kazahana clan, the man's clan to be precise. Her feature also resembles the man's daughter and she also inherited the same azure eyes that her father have.
"What's you name, young lady?" Kagaya asked as he offered her a gentle smile.
Whilst the girl returned with a cold gaze that seems to tear through his soul.
"Kazahana Fuyuko." The girl bluntly replied.
With her answer, Kagaya was now sure that this is the same girl he met in the Kazahana estate. It was truly surprising for him to find the girl's fate changed from the bright future to be wedded, to the harsh reality of the bloody battlefield.
Kagaya then stared deep into the girl's pair of blue azure eyes, her eyes may have the same hue as her father's but her icy gaze are colder than ice. Her father's fierce irises have no similarities to her dull and dead eyes that holds a very dark secret that even the demon slayer leader have no knowledge of.
Just remembering those coldest gaze always makes Kagaya shiver, not a single ounce of warmth are seen in those pair of icy azure ice.
Kagaya offered the girl to be a demon slayer, she refused but ended up joining the corps in the end. He don't know what changed her mind but he was glad that she reconsidered his offer.
While the snow-haired girl did her duties as a slayer, her leader silently watched her from the sideline as she grew and successfully passed every hardship she encountered.
And most of all, he watched her eyes as a glint of warmth slowly awakened in the depths of her blue azure irises.
Because of the girl's effort of saving lives, the people around her praised the girl and showed her kindness that she never received from others. That unlocked the door to the emotions inside of her that lied asleep long enough.
The small fire in her eyes melted some of her ice, and brought hope to Kagaya that someday, in a distant future, he would be able to see her smiling as her azure eyes glow bright like a blue moon that shines in the night sky and burn like a blue flame under the winter snow.
However, in his current condition, if that time would come, he will not be able to witness such heartwarming event due to the curse that took away his sight and devoured his eyes in pure darkness. Although, he still hoped that she will find happiness and live a life of no regrets.
Now, Fuyuko's eyes aren't as lifeless compared to her eyes when she was still young but it is still dull and cold. In spite of that, a glint of warmth from a faint flicker of a blue flame can be seen within her azure irises, that can only be notice by those people who stare deep under the ice of her cold gaze.
And that little flame is what Kagaya saw that made him bore hope for Fuyuko to someday find true bliss despite living in a dreadful world.
"How have you been, Fuyuko, Kyojuro?"
Kagaya asked the newly-wed couple, who are currently sitting across the table. While his wife, Amane, is just beside him, pouring tea to each of their cup with a gentle smile.
"We have been great, Ubuyashiki-sama." Kyojuro beamed, while Fuyuko just stayed silent. "There is no need to worry."
Kagaya nodded as his lips turned upward into a smile before continuing to speak.
"I deeply apologize that I couldn't attend the wedding," Kagaya said, "I didn't really expect for the arranged wedding to be successful despite there is demon is bound to ruin the event."
It's true that Kagaya didn't expect such event to happen. Especially, from both descendants of rivaling clans. What a surprise that the mystery bride that the matchmaker matched for Kyojuro of the Renguko clan is Fuyuko from the Kazahana bloodline.
If Fuyuko's ancestor were still alive they would surely put a stop to their marriage. Fortunately, they are all six feet under as ashes and skeletons.
In the end, Kagaya couldn't help but wonder; Is this a pure coincidence or a match made in heaven that fate entwined.
"It's alright, Ubuyashiki-sama, we didn't expect it either." The flame hashira assured. "Also, your health is more important."
The sick man nodded at the flame-like man before averting his attention to the silent snow-haired girl.
"A marriage that are matched and arranged are not always what you expected." Kagaya stated. "Even so, a marriage is a marriage where a man and a woman become one as they vow to cherish and support each other. You never know, that in such unpredictable match also lies a great blessing."
Kagaya couldn't help but smile even more as he remembered an image of his beautiful wife, it was the last memory that he recalled seeing her before he lost his sight.
It's a memory that he kept in his heart, and he clearly remembered her loving smile as clear as day. He still had her by his side and he will forever cherish her. While Amane couldn't hide her bright smile as she listened to her dear husband.
"In a married life there are fortunes and misfortunes, great times and difficulties, but as long as you and your partner respect and trust each other, your life will be successful and will be filled with joy."
"Love is found anywhere in life, and I hope that you and Kyojuro will find yours, Fuyuko."
"I understand, Ubuyashiki-sama." Fuyuko replied.
The little girl he had met before in a cold winter day finally grew up and find herself a man she could rely on. Even though her husband is from a rival clan, the man is Renguko Kyojuro, thus, Kagaya blessed their unexpected marriage because he knows that the girl of winter breeze is in the right arms of a warm flame.
"Kyojuro, love and take good care of your wife," Kagaya uttered, "she may look like a cold ice but she is also a delicate snowflake."
"I will, Ubuyashiki-sama!" the flame pillar boisterously replied. "I promise I will love and take good care of my wife. Even when the time comes that our hair turned gray, I will still continue to do so!"
Fuyuko was moved by her husband's devotion but she stayed quiet as usual.
Whilst Kagaya hummed, satisfied by Kyojuro's answer so he ended their friendly conversation and moved on to the Hashira Meeting. He already sensed the presence of the other pillars coming his way as Amane stood up to welcome the other guests.