It has been a week since Kiseki met Sanemi , and she had gotten along very well with other pillars...except Sanemi , of course.
Giyuu seemed to look at Kiseki as other person..he once blurted out that her personality are just like his sister's.
And Kiseki's a good cook too , she often cooks some salmon daikon for the 19 years old male as a friendship offer under Akao's name.
But honestly , Akao and Giyuu never make up.
While Obanai? He took her as a quite polite lady and felt no hatred towards her , but recently, he spent more times with her so soon he can bribe her into asking Mitsuri about her crush.
So obvious.
But Akao hadn't taught her any lesson.
Even any swordmanship basics.
Akao sure had a lot of missions that week , but there's another reason for her to postpone Kiseki's swordsmanship lesson.
She wanted to observe Kiseki's natural characteristics.
And there she is , sitting on her porch , without her haori and swords.
Her young blue hair tied in a red ribbon Mitsuri gave her when she first encounter the 17 years old girl.
Her uniform sleeves rolled up above her elbows , while her bare feet swung slowly at the edge of the porch.
Her young blue and red orbs inspected the brunette, who lowered down and hugged her knees, while her other hand took one of a rabbit's leg , scanning it's whole body afterwards.
Akao found a weakness from Kiseki , that might inhibit her from being a good demon slayer , or even a demon slayer itself.
Kiseki's eyes widened as she saw a clotting blood on one of the rabbit's leg wound.Her eyes shot back to Akao quickly , her stare begged her to come and help.
Akao stood up , brushing the dusts off her skirt , before walking barefoot towards the girl in white kendogi and light pink hakama , who patted the poor rabbit's head gently.
She's scared of blood.
It's her weakness.
"What is it?" Akao questioned , although she already saw it by herself.
"Masayuki-san , this rabbit's injured.Can you heal him?" Kiseki tilted her head.
"I'm not Shinobu-san," Akao rolled her eyed.
"Uh..i mean , can we keep it?" Kiseki grinned sheepishly.Her eyes avoided Akao's questioning stare.I mean , so...we can have a playmate at the estate,"
Akao looked down , eyes moving from the rabbit's glimmering eyes to Kiseki's almost similar begging puppy eyes.
Akao sighed.
"You should just be honest.You can't handle blood , right?" Kiseki flinched as her ears caught the statement Akao muttered , before she turned on her heels to the estate.
Kiseki frowned.
She looked down on the rabbit , sighing desperately.
Akao turned in curiosity, hearing no steps behind her.
"What are you still there? Do you want to keep it or not?" Akao clicked her tongue , before walking straight back to the estate.
It took Kiseki 3 second to process the indirect permission, before her eyes beamed up and her arms quickly lifted the rabbit in joy.
"I-I'm coming..!"
Her thin but long legs ran after the 15 years old ice pillar , towards their shared estate.
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Meanwhile...somewhere in Mount Sagiri....
"Huph!!"
A burgundy haired boy jumped over a rope trap , before landing as quick as lightning at a stack of leaves.His feet left the leaves , jumping to the fallen tree in front of him while dodging the coming up trap that pulled up from below the stacks of leaves.
He pushed his feet from the tree with a great pressure , dashing towards the only light source in the forest.
As he set his steps on the empty bright field , he calmed his breath and started to run towards a hut.
He knocked and went inside , murmuring a little 'tadaima' before tiptoeing towards the kitchen , where a goblin masked man sat calmly , cutting onions.
"Urokodaki-san,"
The boy peeked from the door , before entering the kitchen and placed a big sack of potatoes on the floor.
"I got a lot today,"
The said Urokodaki just nodded.
"Goodjob , Tanjiro,"
Tanjiro smiled before going into a room , his gaze landed on his sister who lay down on the futon in the middle of the room.
"Why are you still sleep.."
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"Uuh....!"
Kiseki covered...almost smacked her mouth and nose for the 30th times that day , as her brown eyes forced to open , staring back at he rabbit's leg which is already halfway stitched.
Half of the wound still opened , blood seeping out onto the tatami.
Akao sat with crossed leg next to her , while crossing her arms.
"Clean the tatami."
And so , Kiseki turned to the bloody cloth she had used to (forced) clean the blood on the rabbit's leg , only to realize that the cloth is so soaked and she needs to twist the cloth to drain the blood out.
She gritted her teeth and her not too delicate hand reached to the bloody cloth, before lifting it slowly.
She slowly stood , and walked towards the porch.Her hands shakily hold the two ends of the cloth , while Akao , who sat still on her spot , just sighed.
"You let your fear get a control over you , and you're going to make the rabbit die of blood loss.If you can't get over this simple fear of yours , how are you going to slain demons out there with a sword your whole life to avenge your father?" Akao glanced at the rabbit and the poorly done stitch on it's leg.
"And have you never stitched your whole life?"
Kiseki widened her eyes , before looking back down to the blood soaked cloth.
Being a coward like this...is the same as letting someone die just like father...
Her hands trembled greatly , before calming down slightly.
Her fingers took a hold of each ends , twisting it slowly but sure.Her twisting got quicker , as blood drains out more.
"I have..sewed a lot before,"
Akao who saw the fight in her eyes , just hummed.
"Good,"
Kiseki turned her head.
"Huh?"
"Nothing , just quick.Now wipe the blood and continue sewing," Akao waved her hand.
Kiseki nodded , as she looked at the puddle of blood she had created on the yard.
She gulped before motivating herself.
You've done a great job.Now , onto he next step..
She walked back in and sat next to the poor rabbit , her eyes twitched at the sight of the clotitng blood again.
Her hand grasped on the cloth , reminding herself about the risk before wiping the tatami and the rabbit's leg slowly and gently.
She threw the cloth to the side , before reaching out to the needle and the sewing wire before lowering her hands towards he rabbit's leg.
"The dope will no longer active , so quick and show me your sewing skills," Akao said calmly."I'm sure he will be happy to be sewed perfectly by you,"
Kiseki sweatdropped.
Im not a toddler that'll got cheerful and all hype after hearing that kind of motivation..
A smile crept to her face.
But somehow that calmed me a bit.
Her hands stopped shaking , and with a long inhale , she started to stitch the wound on the rabbit's leg.
Sweats rolled down her face , while she bit her lip in focus.
A long exhale ended her small surgery , her eyes blinked repeatedly and her needle holding hand lowered down in relaxation.
And relief.
She made it.
Akao silently sighed in relief too.
"Goodjob.I'll clean the mess.You clean your hands.And get rid of the blood puddle on the yard.Demons could break in at night," Akao stood up and started collecting the needles and cloth.
"H-Hai," Kiseki nodded in response and dashed towards the bathroom.
After she had cleaned her hands, she returned and poured a bucket of wisteria scented water on the blood puddle.
She went back inside , spotting her master , already sitting calmly near the kotatsu , sipping her berry tea.
The rabbit she had given "Chikage" (A3 lmaoo) as a name lay down inside a medium cage.It's grey and white fur shone under the light in the room.
"I'd like to tell you some things," Akao said.
Kiseki nodded and sat down in front of her.
"You want to be a demon slayer , but you fear blood.You'll need to work on that.And you're going to hunt with me soon to handle that problem," Akao took a bowl of berries and pushed it towards Kiseki , who took some and plopped those inside her mouth.
"As you know , we demon slayers fight not only with swords , but can also with other weapons , for example chains and iron thorny ball like Himejima-san, " Akao started her lesson."But just how much or how big or how poisonous your weapon is , you won't kill even a single demon without breathing,"
Kiseki tilted her head.
What does she mean? We all need to breath to even do daily activities..
"I'm not done," Akao murmured, catching Kiseki offguard."Breathing is a normal thing..But what if i tell you , some breathings could make your sword bigger , multiply , and more poisonous?"
Kiseki widened her eyes.
"W-What?"
Akao sipped her tea again.
"Have you ever wonder , why the pillars held elements nicknames?" Akao put down her glass gently.Her young blue and red eyes peered to the brown ones.
"Eh..?" Kiseki raised an eyebrow.
I once heard Shinobu-San insulting Giyuu-san with a nickname 'lonely water pillar'...
Water pillar? Is that it?
"Uh..like Giyuu-san , as the water pillar..?" Kiseki answered.
"Hm," Akao hummed."Mitsuri's a love pillar , trained by Rengoku-san before , Himejima-san is the stone pillar , remember? I've told you when i introduced him , and Shit-nazugawa's a wind pillar , Obanai-san is the serpent pillar, Uzui-san is the sound pillar , Rengoku-san is the flame pillar , and Shinobu-san is the insect pillar,"
Kiseki sweatdropped at the nickname her master used to call Sanemi behind his back.
He's going to kill her if he heard that.
"..and Masayuki-san?"
Akao raised an eyebrow.
"Can't you guess?"
Kiseki scanned her from head to toe.
But her eyes caught a glimpse of Akao's snowflake patterned young blue haori she hung since morning on the wall.
"Snow..pillar?"
Akao followed Kiseki's gaze on her hung haori.
"Almost and similar , but no,"
"..ice pillar?" Kiseki answered alertly.
"Right.Snow and ice are both frozen elements, but i rarely use snow textured attack.Those are too soft," Akao explained.
"Now back again.Do you think those are just nicknames? No.Those are our breathings.But its not just some ordinary breathing.The breath styles make use of specific and concentrated breath patterns, which increase the user's lung capacity and amount of oxygen in blood.It allows the user to increase their physical abilities and mental concentration to the point that the user can match a demon," Akao explained the details.
"There are a lot of breathing forms , but since you're my temporary tsuguko , i'll teach you the ice breathing.But you can make your own breathing if you want later , after you can maintain Total Concentration," Akao stood up.
She walked towards a locked door , which Kiseki has never entered in that week.
Akao took out a key , and opened the door.
She nudged her head towards the room while glancing at Kiseki , motioning her to follow.
Kiseki stood up and entered the room , which have a lot of shelfs and books.
Akao took a big book and hand it over to Kiseki.
"I'll give you 3 days to read that..Meanwhile, we'll start out sword practice tommorow," Akao announced.She led the younger girl outside the secret library , before locking it again.
"Now go to your room.Goodnight , and don't stay up late.You'll need a lot of energy tommorow, Akao reminded , her face as flat as usual.
Kiseki smiled.
She knew , deep down , that her master cherishes her so much.
She just doesn't show it often on her face.
"Hai.Oyasumi , Masayuki-san," Kiseki smiled as she entered her room and closed the door.
She quickly changed her outfit and plopped to the bed , grabbing the book gently but fast before scanning the pages eagerly.
Meanwhile , Akao shut the light off and check over the wisteria flowers petals she had rubbed on to the porch every night.
She headed towards her room , not before taking a bowl of berries with her.
"...yum,"
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Corona made me update quicker than usual :)
From now one , i'll schedule the story updates in my announcement , don't forgot to check..!
See ya soon! XD