Kazumi's currently rushing to the nearby port of a certain village, her crow has notified her that several demon slayers needed some back-up to defeat a demon. Although it's raining, she didn't mind it. She's the only slayer nearby the area to be able to receive this notice.
"How many slayers are currently there Taro?" She asked while running.
"Ten! And everyone of them are injured, caaaw!!!" Taro answered.
By the time Kazumi arrived at the port, she saw three of the slayers lying down on the side unconscious being aided by three kakushis. The demon's really big and looks slimy, it's head is surrounded with eyes from front to back. A demon slayer's standing in front of it protecting another slayer behind him.
"Stand up and go to where the kakushis are!"
The slayer behind him just nodded and went to the side. When the other slayer was distracted from warning his subordinate, the demon instantly attacked the slayer with one of its tentacles. The slayer shut his eyes close as he wait for it to hit him when suddenly.....
"GAAAAAAAH!!!"
.... the slayer heard the demon cry in pain, he slowly opened his eyes. He saw a figure standing in front of him holding a sword.
"You're injured so please get some rest."
The slayer instantly stood up and run to the kakushis. Him and his team are all there gathered at the side being aided by the kakushis, they all saw that there's only one slayer who arrived to help them.
"So another one of you brats came. What a feast for tonight!!!" The demon evilly smirked at Kazumi.
The demon attacked with his tentacles aimed to Kazumi. She leapt to the side to dodge the tentacles.
'One, two.... eight tentacles in all.'
Kazumi thought as she counted the tentacles attacking her.
She stopped from running and leapt up cutting the tentacle, landing on it leaping towards the other one cutting it. She landed on the ground firmly and run towards the demon, the demon regenerated his tentacles and attacked her again with it. This time, four tentacles surrounded her and another four crawled beneath her. She leapt up and twisted her body in mid-air slicing them all up. The demon got shocked at this and so are the slayers watching.
"YOU BRAT!!!" The demon shouted in anger as he regenerated his sliced arms and pop out eight more.
The slayers and the kakushis sat there in horror as they were all shocked at what they just saw. The demon moved his tentacles tremendously splashing waters everywhere, the kakushis and slayers got their selves even more wet from the water splashes that reached them.
"DAMN YOU!!!" He attacked Kazumi at every angle surrounding her.
Kazumi managed to leapt away from it but one of its huge tentacles caught her waist from behind and dragged her underwater.
"AHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The demon laughed but then he felt his tentacle got cut underwater.
"NO!!!" The slayer Kazumi just saved shouted suddenly standing up.
He tried to take a step but he instantly felt the pain of his sprained ankle and fell on the ground.
"Please stay still! Your ankle might get worst!" The kakushi warned.
"That slayer just got dragged underwater! Someone must help him!" He tried standing up again but he just fell back down.
To their surprise, the slayer whom the demon dragged underwater leapt up sword pointed at the demon's neck. The demon attempted to hit her from the side but she bent her back down landing on another one of his tentacles, she dashed towards the demon and stabbed his biggest eye at the center of his head. The demon shouted at the top of his lungs out of pain, making the slayers and kakushis aside cover their ears. Kazumi pulled her sword back as she leapt away from him landing on one of the poles on the port.
"I'LL DEFINITELY KILL YOU BEFORE THEM FOR DOING THIS!!!"
The demon tried to attack her with his tentacles but, instead of his tentacles reaching her, he saw his sliced tentacle not regenerating. Instead, he felt his tentacles slowly melting and his stabbed eye too.
"Wha-What?!" The slayers reacted.
The demon slowly melted and his parts dropped underwater. Even underwater, the demon's remains slowly turned into ashes. Kazumi turned her head to the kakushis and injured slayers. She walked towards them.
"I'm glad on the very least none of you guys died." Kazumi calmy said smiling at them.
They all looked at her speechless seeing what just happened.
"Um.... I-I'm Murata." The slayer she saved introduced his self.
"Nice to meet you Murata-san, I'm Kazumi."
"That's really amazing Kazumi-san! Are you a mizunoto too or a kinoe ranked slayer?!" The other slayer butted in.
"Well.... I don't know if I should be specific but, I'm just a lower ranked slayer like you guys." Kazumi answered.
"At first we're really expecting for a Pillar to come but you know, thanks for the save!!!" Another slayer said giving Kazumi a thumbs up.
Since it's still raining, Kazumi helped the kakushis and the rest of the slayers to look for an inn. Fortunately, they managed to find one on time before the rain poured even harder.
"Thank you for helping us Kazumi-san." One of the kakushis said.
"You're always welcome besides, you and the rest don't have to be formal to me. Just call me Kazumi or Kazu." Kazumi replied tapping the shoulder of the kakushi.
"A-Alright then, Kazumi." The kakushi replied.
"Then does that mean we could be friends with you Kazumi?" Another slayer who was unconscious a while ago asked.
"Yes, if you guys would like to."
The slayers cheered and happily asked her if they could be friends with her, she accepted it. The only thing is that, they all mistaken her as a boy, each and everyone of them. Even the two girl slayers mistaken him as a boy.
"Then Kazumi-kun, since you're not injured. Are you going to take your leave tomorrow?" One of the girl slayer asked.
"Maybe but, if I'll receive another mission tonight then I have to leave." Kazumi answered.
The slayers and mostly the two girls, looked obviously disappointed.
"Maybe you should rest for a while before you leave." Another kakushi offered.
She accepted the offer and stayed at the inn. She stayed up until everyone's asleep, Taro finally talked while sitting on her lap.
"You should've told them that you're a Pillar, caaaw! It's really annoying seeing them treat you like a lower rank slayer like them Master!"
"Come on stop it Taro, you know I don't wanna be treated like that. But you and everyone at the estate still insist on calling me Master." Kazumi lightly caressed Taro.
Taro just enjoyed his Master's warmth and snuggled more to make his self comfortable on her lap.
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[The next day....]
Kazumi already left the inn for another mission by sunrise. Just an hour before leaving the inn, another crow came to give her a mission since Taro's fast asleep. Before leaving, she paid for all the expenses they consumed at the inn and the breakfast for the kakushis and the slayers by the time they wake up. Taro honestly felt ridiculous about it but mentally praised her.
"Master, this is already your fourth mission in a row." Taro said landing on her head.
"It's quite alright, I could still go on missions."
Taro just shaked his head and sighed. Until Kazumi caught sight of someone familiar. She walked faster to get closer to the person.
"Hello there Mui-kun, good morning!" Kazumi greeted.
Muichiro turned his head to the side to look at the person who just greeted him.
"Um.... your name's.... Kazu-kun, right?" Muichiro asked tilting his head a bit to the side.
"Woah! I'm glad you remember."
"Ok.... where are you going?"
"Of course I'm going to my next mission, and I suppose you do too."
Muichiro just nodded as response.
"Ne~ Mui-kun, how have you been?"
".... I'm fine." He answered before looking up the sky while walking.
"That cloud shape's beautiful isn't it? It looks like a cat." Kazumi said while looking up at the cat shaped cloud.
Muichiro turned his head to her, he looked at her plainly but he seem to wanna say something. They just kept on walking silently until they arrived at a two way path.
"It seems like we have to go our separate ways now Mui-kun. Good luck to your mission!"
"Yes.... you too."
Both Kazumi and Muichiro's crow got shocked after hearing the boy wish good luck to Kazumi. He's usually silent and stoic, he wouldn't even talk randomly to anyone and just ignore them. But just now, he just replied back to Kazumi.
"Alright." Kazumi replied.
The two took their separate paths to their mission but Muichiro suddenly stopped and looked back. He saw Kazumi smile at him and wave him goodbye before walking the other way. Muichiro just turned back and walk away.
'And now she just waved at me.'
Muichiro thought.
'A cat.'
He looked up the sky again while walking and doze off.