第十话
Akiho groaned when she came back into consciousness. Opening her eyes, she didn't know where she was and the only thing she could make out was a dim room that resembled somewhat of a ward for injured people judging from the few empty beds lined up besides her own. She tried to recall what happened and instantly grew worried when she couldn't find the mohawked demon slayer anywhere.
"She's awake..."
"Shinobu-sama said that we should inform her when she's up..."
"But Shinobu-sama left..."
She glanced over at the three small heads that were peeking out from the entrance of the room. Being spotted, the three girls squeaked and tumbled to the floor by accident. "Um...!" Akiho called out to them, "Do you know where my friend is? H-He's the one with a scar and mohawk..."
The three young girls had been told that the injured demon slayer they were tending to was a half-demon, so they had been apprehensive and scared at the thought of her waking up when they were alone. But seeing that the bedridden girl had no intention of harming them, they grew more confident and approached her.
"You're talking about Shinazugawa Genya-san, right?" Naho said. "After the pillar brought you both in, he was okay the next day so he was called away on a mission!"
"Oh..." Akiho was relieved to know that the male was still alive. "Wh...Where is this place?"
"This is the Butterfly Estate! We are servants of Shinobu-sama and are tasked to help injured demon slayers recover," Kiyo explained while Sumi brought over a tray with some liquid medicine.
"Miss, you were poisoned and have been unconscious for five days. You were saved by Shinobu-sama's antidote and now you have to drink this medicine for the next three days. Please take it!"
Akiho nodded and took the bitter medicine in one gulp before processing all of the information she's been told. Like she had suspected, her body couldn't neutralize all of the poison that Mukago had injected her with, but it saved her from dying on the spot because she wasn't fully human. She looked at the bandaged spot below her collarbone where the barbed tentacle had struck her.
"All of your wounds healed by themselves, but the poison wound took longer," Naho explained. "There's a discolored scar there now."
A scar...? She blinked in surprise. Her body could regenerate skin to its original, pristine form, but it seemed that the poison had permanently killed off some of the tissues and caused her to actually scar. However, having a scar didn't seem to upset her the least. In fact, she was slightly happy because being able to scar was a human trait.
"Um, about the pillar who saved me..." she asked curiously. "Who...?"
"You're awake! I see!"
A man with fiery yellow hair and red tips stood at the doorway. His presence alone was grand, and Akiho immediately recognized the white cape that was hanging from his broad shoulders. He's the pillar that saved me and Genya...!
"R-Rengoku-sama!" the three girls exclaimed and ran up to him. He patted each of them on the head in greeting.
"Good work, girls! Good work!" Rengoku Kyoujurou said and they grew happy at the compliment. He then turned his full attention back to the girl on the bed, "Half Demon! I was greatly surprised to find out what you are, but I saw that you still possess humanity and so I saved you and Mohawk Boy! More so, I was ashamed of myself for not catching the lower moon faster and caused you both pain!"
Akiho was surprised herself at how enthusiastic the man sounded and how his voice boomed through the small room. She realized that had he not seen her fight the demon and save Genya, the pillar might have killed her with ease. "Please... Don't call me 'half-demon'..." she said as the man loomed over her bed with his bright eyes shining. "I... I know I'm not quite human, but I swear on my life that I have and will never harm another human. I serve the Demon Slayer Corps and I wish to defeat all demons just like you."
The pillar blinked and then a wide grin made present on his face. "I admire your resolve!" he nodded. "Alright! What is your name?"
"Higashikuze Akiho," she replied and he seemed to recognize the name.
"Higashikuze? That sounds familiar! Ah, that was the former Stone Pillar, correct?"
"Yes... I was adopted and trained by Master Musashi."
"When my father was still the Flame Pillar, he mentioned that Higashikuze-san was very strong. Now I see that it reflects in your skills. Mm, and I can see that you have a burning passion in you!" Kyoujurou nodded again with his mind made up. "Higashikuze Akiho, how about you become my tsuguko?"
"Tsu...Tsuguko?"
"Indeed! Tsugukos are successors to the pillars they train under. I currently do not have anyone and I would like to keep an eye on you, so I'll take you under my wing!"
"But..." Akiho was confused. It almost sounded like he wanted to monitor her because of what she was, but at the same time offered her such a position so adamently that she couldn't even be mad. "I don't... I can't use Breaths. Why would you want me to be your tsugoku?"
"Really? Ah, a pity indeed," he said and furrowed his brows with thought. "Mm, but that's okay! You can be an unofficial tsuguko and I'll still have you train under me. I heard the current Stone Pillar has a disciple who can't use Breaths, either."
It was surprisingly easy for the pillar to make up his mind, and once he set it, he would see through it. Akiho felt his enthusiasm to be rather receptive to her, and now that she no longer trained under Musashi she really could use an oppurtunity to train by another means between missions so she can be strong enough to defeat a Twelve Demon Moon. So she nodded with eager.
"Great!" he smiled as a crow tapped on the window and cawed out a message.
"Rengoku Kyoujurou, please make your way to headquarters now! Kocho Shinobu and Tomioka Giyuu have returned with a demon slayer harboring a demon! Make your way to headquarters for trial!"
"A trial!" Kyoujurou mused and got ready to leave. Before he did, he gave the girl a pat on her head. He was a strict follower of Corps rules about demons, but because the girl was a half-demon, he wasn't sure where that left her. "It seems that I must also run my proposition to you by the other pillars and Oyakata-sama himself, as you are a half-demon. Until then, rest well!"
He was gone as swiftly as he came, and just moments later a group of kakushi rushed in with unconscious and badly beaten up bodies on their backs. A girl with two butterfly clips was ordering around the kakushi on getting the necessary things set up for the gravely injured.
It's Inosuke and Zenitsu... Akiho regonized two of them and furrowed her brows at the extent of their injuries. They were in a terrible state. What in the world happened...?!
⚔
"You're late."
The Flame Pillar appeared under the tree that the Snake Pillar, Iguro Obanai, was perched on with his white snake around his head, hissing. Aside from Tomioka Giyuu, the Water Pillar, the other pillars have gathered around an unconscious boy who was tied up and a kakushi was trying to get him to wake up.
"I heard the boy was a demon slayer with a demon in tow, so I was looking forward to seeing someone flamboyant. He's rather drab-looking, isn't he?" the Sound Pillar, Uzui Tengen, said with dramatic disappointment. "It's rather unflamboyant of you to be late, too, Rengoku!"
"I was checking up on the injured girl from before when I got the crow's message!" Kyoujurou explained with enthusiasm. Kocho Shinobu, the Insect Pillar, smiled.
"Ah, is she awake now?"
"Indeed! I propositioned to make her my disciple!"
"You what?" Obanai hissed and pointed an accusing finger at the Flame Pillar. "Didn't Kocho say that girl was part demon? How did she pass Final Selection? We ought to bring her in, too. There's too many outrageous kids in this year's batch."
A large, blind man who was the current Stone Pillar, Himejima Gyoumei, rubbed his prayer beads between his fingers as silent tears trailed down his eyes. "I heard from my disciple that the half-demon saved him before you got there. But I cannot agree with your decision. I do agree she should go on trial along with the boy who is protecting a demon."
Half-demon? the Mist Pillar, Tokito Muichirou, wondered while staring up into the blue sky. Have I met one before...?
To think he was protecting his sister who turned into a demon... Kanroji Mitsuri, the beautiful Love Pillar, blushed with thought. Now that's beautiful sibling love! How brave!
"Wh-Who are these peop—" Tanjirou finally woke up from being shaken and was immediately shut up by the same kakushi.
"Don't open your mouth just yet, you moron!" he shouted in a shushed tone. "You're in the presence of the Pillars! These are the nine highest-ranking swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps."
At the confused and concerned look that the tied-up boy gave, Shinobu started to explain with a friendly smile that they were at the Demon Slayer's headquarters, and he was sent here to be put on trial.
"Protecting a demon is a clear violation of the code!" Kyoujurou stated. "We're within our rights to deal with him on our own! Shall we behead him along with the demon?"
"In that case, I'll be glad to decapitate him flamboyantly," Tengen replied. "But Rengoku! You're trying to keep someone with a questionable bloodline as a disciple. How disappointing that you didn't end her life when you found her!"
"She is still part human, so I think it is different, Uzui! I could not in good conscious kill someone who still has humanity inside them."
Rengoku-san, how noble! Kanroji squealed with hearts in her eyes. She was interested in meeting the half-demon girl now, since the straight-laced Flame Pillar was trying to make an exception. He's so cool!
Who are they talking abou... Tanjirou tried his best to look around with his tied-up and laying form. But he couldn't think about anything except the safety of his sister so he continued to grit and panic. "Wh-Where is she?! Nezuko is different! Please, tell me where she is! She has never harmed a human! Nezuko!"
"Poor souls. We should put an end to them both quickly," Gyoumei cried silently.
Obanai scoffed, "Let's deal with Tomioka first. Seeing him there without any restraints is giving me a headache. Based on what Kocho told us, Tomioka's just as guilty of breaking the Corps rules. How should we make him take responsibility? What kind of lesson should we teach him?" he pointed at the lone pillar who was off to the side. "Don't you have anything to say, Tomioka?"
"What's the harm?" Shinobu smiled. "He came without resistance, so let's come up with a penalty later. I'm more interested in hearing this boy's story. Will you tell us, Kamado Tanjirou-kun, why you're going on missions with a demon in tow despite being a demon slayer? What you're doing is against Corps rules, but you know that, don't you?"
Tanjirou attempted to explain, but his words got caught in his dry throat and his jaws hurt. The Insect Pillar fed him some water with painkillers and allowed him to continue, and he started to tell the pillars of how he found his sister in the state that she was. But for two years, Nezuko had not devoured a human and instead slept to regain energy.
It was an incredible story, almost as incredible as the existence of a demon and human hybrid. The pillars, for the most part, were still in disbelief. Namely, Tengen and Obanai were the most vocal about denying his claims without substantial proof.
"Please listen to me! I became a swordsman so that Nezuko could be cured!"
"You know... I have my doubts, but I just can't imagine Oyakata-sama being in the dark about this situation," Mitsuri's soft voice trailed off. "Maybe we shouldn't deal with him without his permission... Let's at least wait until he arrives?"
"My... My sister will fight with me by my side!" Tanjirou shouted as a last attempt for the pillars to change their minds. "She can fight as a demon slayer to protect humans! I know it's possible because Akiho-san... Akiho-san... She's a half-demon who is doing just that! Please!"
Kyoujurou blinked at the name and regarded the boy with a look of interest. "Ah, so you know her! My future disciple if she passes judgement!"
"Your...?" Tanjirou finally realized the other person with the 'questionable bloodline' was indeed Akiho. His eyes widened at the Flame Pillar, "T-Then you must believe me! So please..."
"Well, well. I see you have some fun brewing here. What's this about a half-demon? And the moron slayer who has a demon with him?" A scarred man appeared with a familiar wooden box in his hand. His eyes showed the desire to annihilate whatever was inside. Tanjirou could smell that the man was bad news. Shinazugawa Sanemi was the Wind Pillar and he was the most ruthless man in the Corps.
"Kid, what did you say about demons fighting as demon slayers? You know what we call that?" he drew his sword, "A total delusion, you dipshit!"
Tanjirou's eyes went wide when the man stabbed through the wooden box and his legs moved on his own.
"NEZUKO!!"
⚔
Tanjirou... And Nezuko... Where are they? Akiho looked around for the siblings as she watched the other two demon slayers get treated for their severe wounds. A kakushi appeared in front of her and she gave the older man quite a fright with her intense gaze.
"I-I was told to bring you to headquarters now that you're conscious...!" the kakushi said quickly. "Oyakata-sama requests your presence!"
She has only ever heard about the man from Musashi because he was the master of the Ubuyashiki manor and the one who sanctioned her to be a demon slayer in the first place. She then remembered what the Flame Pillar had said just a while ago before he left.
"I must also run my proposition to you by the other pillars and Oyakata-sama himself, as you are a half-demon."
"Okay..." Akiho stood up, but the kakushi made a motion for her to get on his back. "I can walk."
"The manor is well-hidden to prevent demons from finding it. Aside from the pillars, no one can know where it is. I have to escort you there with a blindfold."
Nodding, the girl complied. As she was being carried, she couldn't help but continue to worry about the Kamado siblings and their well being.
I hope they are okay...
here's why kyoujurou propositioning to train and make akiho a tsugoku is plausible:
1) he's great and i love him
2) this man literally offered the trio to be his successors within 5 mins of meeting them on the train (and he never even got two of their names lmao. if someone were to ask him to adopt a kid he would adopt the entire orphanage)
3) but forreal its cus he saw how she protected genya (ʘ◡ʘ)✧˖° fire bby can't resist
i totally skipped over natagumo bc it's kinda unrelated to akiho's development... and i'll be out of town and busy this weekend for an org conference so this was easier to pump out and give you guys a quicker update :")
i had in mind to write all the pillars by their last names, but decided against it bc i was already referring to muichirou and sanemi by their given names. they are still referred to by some others by surname tho (as it is a respect/familiarity thing). also i was big dumb for thinking that giyuu's first name was tomioka for like half a day while writing this (but i caught myself hahh)
(cr. grovndzero)
THANK YOU for the 400+ votes and 7k+ reads! And I looooove all of the comments!! It makes me so happy and feeds my motivation to keep going, so pls keep doing that ୧( ॑ധ ॑)୨ mmph mmph!!