第二十七话
"Akiho-chan, you look terrible!"
Golden eyes blinked slowly, though she wasn't even trying to disguise the tired but restless look on her face. She was standing in front of the Love Pillar's estate after being led here by Yatsu. "Um..."
"O-Oh, but I didn't mean it like that! Ahhh! Forgive me!" Mitsuri immediately apologized with her cheeks reddening. "You just look so down. Senjurou-kun's worried too, that's why I asked for you to come see me!"
Akiho figured that her mood couldn't have escaped the younger boy's attention since she had been moping around at the Rengoku Estate when there was no training and missions, and he must've written to Mitsuri about it because he couldn't bear to see the girl sad.
It had been weeks since her fight with the Shinazugawa brothers and neither of them seemed to want anything to do with her. She was still angry at Sanemi so not going to train with him didn't bother her, but it was Genya that was the issue. She hadn't seen the male since he stormed away that day, and it worried her that she didn't know where he was. He would always tell her if he had to go on a mission alone or if he was training. The sudden distance between them made her anxious and she didn't know what to do.
"First, come inside," Mitsuri smiled supportively and nudged the girl to walk with her into the large estate. "I was just about finished making a Castella cake!"
"Cas...Castella?" Akiho tilted her head to the side in wonderment. The word sounded foreign to her.
"Yeah! I picked up a lot of honey from my last mission because they're kind of hard to come by. I've been researching how to make western desserts because they're just so delicious!" There was an excited glint in the older girl's eyes as she presented the pot of glistening golden liquid, "You brush the honey on top of the cake and that makes it soft and moist! Oh, you have to try honey with pancakes sometime, too... But I'll bring out some black tea! Honey makes everything good!"
Soon Akiho found herself sitting across from the excited pillar with a plate of a delicately sliced yellow cake and a cup of the black tea that was mentioned. Even the plate and tea cup looked foreign to the girl and she wondered just how much the western world had influenced Japan. She had thought Genya's shiny silver gun was interesting, too...
"Genya?"
She looked up and saw a curious look in Mitsuri's baby green eyes and realized that she had said the male's name out loud on accident. "Oh, um, he's a friend of mine..." she explained sheepishly. Mitsuri suddenly nodded in excitement and held her cheeks with a loving smile.
"I was trying to remember where I have heard that name before. His crow came with us on the rescue mission... He must've been so worried! Wah, it was so romantic!!"
"R-Romantic?"
"Isn't it?! But..." the Love Pillar let out a small sigh. I know Rengoku-san isn't with us anymore, but I've always wanted them two to be together. It's okay... He will be watching us from above and I know he will love to just see Akiho-chan happy! "This Genya-kun... I'll never allow him to hurt you, okay?!"
By this time Akiho was growing more embarrassed because of the girl's protectiveness and implications, but she was also feeling guilty. "Genya is nice..." she lowered her head, "I'm the one who messed up."
"Eh?!"
As Akiho told what happened between them, Mitsuri listened with a pout growing more and more evident on her beautiful face. She was completely sympathetic to her old master's disciple of course, and she couldn't imagine anyone being angry with the girl especially since she was only trying to help. But perhaps meddling with the Shinazugawa brothers' affairs was too much?
"He's mad at me because I confronted his brother," Akiho admitted. "But I won't take back what I said...! Why couldn't he see that I'm on his side?"
"Hm... Shinazugawa-san has always been scary so I think you're very brave to have challenged him," Mitsuri said with a small sigh. "I never knew he had a brother, though. Maybe it's just a tough thing they have to go through themselves... Men are so complicated!! It's so unfair to you, hmph!!"
She supposed that men were complicated, but Akiho didn't want to blame Genya for all he's been through. Finally talking about it to someone did make her feel immensely better, though, and she was more than glad to have the Love Pillar's support. "What should I do?" she looked conflicted and unsure of herself. "What if he never wants to talk to me again?"
"Akiho-chan..." Mitsuri hated to see the girl so sad and wondered if there was anything that could make her feel better and forget; the girl was like a little sister to her and she will protect her as best she could! She suddenly remembered something and stood up with her lips drawn in a sweet smile.
"I'm going to the Swordsmiths Village in a few days for a new nichirin, and you're coming with! It's so peaceful there and there's a wonderful hot springs we can go to refresh. We'll have a girls weekend!!"
⚔
Akiho was a bit surprised that in order to go to the Swordsmith Village, one has to be carried by different kakushi the whole way there with a blindfold. It made sense since the village was suppose to be hidden to the rest of the world so that demons can't threaten them by finding out where they live. The swordsmiths were crucial to the Demon Slayer Corp., after all.
For maximum secrecy, Akiho and Mitsuri weren't even taken to the village from the same route. What felt like a long time of traveling and switching out people, Akiho's feet touched the ground and the voice of her current kakushi guide spoke out.
"We're here. I'll take the blindfold off now."
Warm rays of light greeted the slayer's vision as she took in what was in front of her. The Swordsmiths Village was nestled within a well-concealed valley and what looked like a dense forest behind the buildings. She was the only outsider in sight and she figured that the Love Pillar must've arrived earlier than her. It was getting later in the afternoon now so she quickly thanked the kakushi for her hard work.
"Someone will lead you to meet the village chief and then you can explore around. I'll take my leave now."
Akiho bowed politely to the kakushi as she did the same, and soon she was led inside the village by a man wearing the hyottoko mask that all the swordsmiths wear. She idly wondered if it was comfortable to wear a mask at all times in order to conceal their identities.
She was brought back to realuty by the sound of a sliding door and she walked inside where a very short old man was sitting in the center of the room with a few other men, all with hyottoko masks.
"Hello. I'm the village chief, Tecchikawahara Tecchin," the short man greeted kindly. "Do have some dough cakes!"
"Th-Thank you," Akiho bowed as the man slid a giant bowl of the dough cakes in front of her. To not be rude, she picked one from the top of the pile and popped it in her mouth. It didn't taste anything like the dangos she loved but she swallowed anyway and the old man seemed to nod enthusiastically.
"So, I've heard about you from Kanroji-sama. Please make yourself comfortable here. Let us know if you have any requests for your nichirin as well since you are here. Mochitake here will fulfill them."
Akiho took a moment to realize that the chief had called her swordsmith by name as the man entered the room behind her. She hadn't seen Saionji Mochitake since he came to give her the nichirin sword after the Final Selection. When her sword had chipped slightly from the previous battle with the bone demon, her sword was sent and returned to her in perfect condition during her short coma. A lot of things had happened since the death of Rengoku... She then remembered there was actually something she'd like to request.
Reaching into her uniform, she pulled out the sword guard that Senjurou left in her care and she kept it with her at all times like a protective charm. It came from Kyoujurou's sword; the only tangible memory she had of him was in front of her in the shape of bright, passionate flames. Her grip on the guard tightened slightly before she relinquished it to Mochitake with a deep bow.
"I will like to have this guard fitted onto my nichirin..."
Tecchin and Mochitake both looked at the guard with a familiar stare. Since the Pillars are so reowned in strength and had their own special abilities, their swords were made with special care and were known throughout the the village. The same went into the personalization of their sword guards, of course.
"It is very important to me," Akiho continued with her head down, hoping that by asking to switch out her guard she wasn't offending Mochitake or his skills. Every swordsmith took pride in their own creation for their slayers, after all.
"Hm," Mochitake grabbed the guard from Akiho. It didn't sound like he was offended but his voice was gruff, "I'll get your sword ready by tomorrow morning."
And just like that, the swordsmith was out the door. Tecchin let out a small chortle and patted the girl on the shoulder.
"Now that's taken care of, please relax with Kanroji-sama during your stay here."
⚔
"Akiho-chaaaaaaaan!"
The girl was not ready to be glomped by the energetic Love Pillar so suddenly so she nearly slipped on the rocks that were leading to the natural hot spring hidden near the back of the village. Someone had taken her here with instructions saying that Mitsuri was waiting nearby so the meeting was planned yet it still surprising to the younger slayer.
"I'm so glad you're here!" Mitsuri smiled as she rubbed her cheek on the girl happily. "I was getting worried since I arrived a few hours prior to you. I thought you got lost!"
Of course, that was impossible. The difference in time was largely due to them taking different routes and because of Akiho's condition with not traveling during noon, lest she wanted bad sunburns. It was cute and heartwarming that the pillar was always so worried and doting on her, though.
"Sorry for making you wait," Akiho apologized as the woman shook her head. "Oh, I haven't changed—"
"No time to waste! The hot spring here is seriously amazing~" Mitsuri sang and tugged the girl along.
Once the girls reached the springs, Mitsuri didn't hesitate to sink into the steaming pool with a satisfied sigh. Akiho, on the other hand, was a bit hesitant since she's never bathed with another girl before. However, she was happy to be here since she loved going to the hot springs with Musashi when she was younger. It brought back happy memories.
Taking off her uniform and setting it aside neatly, Akiho entered the springs slowly. It was almost like magic how the warm water was able to bubble away her troubles into the steam. It was silent between the two for a short while as they both basked in relaxing pleasure; then Mitsuri made her way towards Akiho and sat next to her with a smile.
"Feeling better?" she hummed. The blush on her face was more evident now because of the hot steam. "Because I am...! Since I rarely get to hang out with another girl like this."
Being part of the Corp., it was hard to have any time to yourself to do normal things... And life was always filled with danger and loss so being carefree was a luxury they can never afford. But when tomorrow was never guaranteed, little moments like this was enough.
To feel unburdened for even just a second...
To feel relieved for being alive.
Akiho offered the pillar a small nod, "Thank you for caring for me when I'm down, Kanroji-san. It feels like I'm never truly alone."
"A-Ah...!!" Mitsuri's face glowed a deeper shade of pink as she lightly slapped her palms on them to cool down, but when she saw how truly grateful the younger slayer looked, tears grew on the corner of her eyes and she hugged the girl tightly. "Of course I'll look after you, Akiho-chan...! I'll always...! Not just because you were Rengoku-san's disciple, but because you're like a little sister I never had...!"
Akiho's eyes went wide to hear the pillar declare that loudly and an overflowing sense of love washed through her body as she finally let go of all inhibitions and hugged the pillar back.
"I'm feeling much better," she whispered with a heartfelt smile.
⚔
After basking in the relaxing water for a while, Mitsuri was the first to get up and she quickly dried herself up while pulling on a thin yukata provided by the village.
"Ahhh," she sighed with a smile and looked at Akiho. "I'm going to head down now. I think they're starting dinner soon~!"
"I think I'll stay a little longer," Akiho gave the pillar a small nod as to say to go ahead first. Since she was a half demon, the steam from the hot springs affected her slower and so she wanted to enjoy it longer.
"Okay!! Hm, my heart is pounding... I wonder if something good will happen soon~"
With a parting wave, she watched the woman walk away with a happy hum. Seeing Mitsuri so carefree made Akiho smile. Maybe something good will happen soon... she sunk deeper into the water so that it reached just below her nose. The soft trickling of the springs and faint sounds of nature in the forest behind her lulled her into a distant memory.
10 years ago.
"Master Musashi, Master Musashi!" Akiho tugged on the sleeve of the man's haori sleeve with an excited look in her golden eyes. "Let's go!"
It wasn't often she was like this, of course. But yesterday Musashi had promised her that they'll go to the hot springs on the top of the mountain in the morning. There wasn't a lot to do where they lived, and since she didn't like going into the village, the hot springs was fun and something "new" every time she went.
"Hold your horses, Akiho," Musashi chortled. "Grab what you need first and put it in a separate basket."
"Separate basket? Why?"
"Because," the man patted the girl on the head. "You're a big girl now. It's time that we should use different sections of the hot spring."
Akiho looked confused.
"I'm the same height as last time we went."
"Ah, how do I put this," Musashi wondered while tapping on his chin. "Once a girl or a boy reaches a certain age—your age—they need to split up when they go to the bathroom or bathe."
"But Master Musashi, you're past my age but we bathed in the hot springs together until now," the girl frowned, still confused. The man opened his mouth again but nothing came out this time as he contemplated more about what he should say. It was hard raising a child without a woman's touch. Akiho was not delicate by any standards, and she acted like a boy most of the time and without shame.
Not that it was a bad thing, but a girl has to learn sometime...
"Nevermind, let's go," he sighed at last and decided to put it off for now. It was good that the girl was so innocent, but half demon or not, he will get her to understand the dangers of wolves known as the male species once she turns seven...
"Yay! Hot springs, hot springs!"
With her eyes still closed, a wider smile stretched across her face. The memory was a sweet one; she was never without problems as a half demon, but at least life had been more peaceful. That was not to say she regretted her role as a demon slayer now, of course. She was happy to be able to rid the world of one less dangerous demon and to pave herself a road of acceptance among her peers.
Foosh. Splash!
Golden eyes shot open and darted around the area at the sudden noise. She had been so comfortable that it had dulled her senses for a moment. The steam around her was a little thick and since the sun was setting soon, it was harder to see clearly who or what was beyond the fog.
She wanted to reach for her sword but realized quickly that it was with Mochitake; she calmed herself knowing that it could just be someone else entering the hot springs since it was a public space... Still, if it was another visitor or someone from the village they should've seen her clothes on the side, right? She slowly brought her hands up in a protective stance as she tried glaring through the fog.
There was a larger shadow a few feet away and she slowly inched her way closer to the sound in alarm. She was a half demon, so out-running or subduing a human wasn't a problem. Demons shouldn't be out yet and even if they were, they wouldn't mingle without making a move...
When a small grunt sounded from the shadowy figure, Akiho shot her hand out defensively as she yelled, "Who's there?!"
The surprised perpetrator let out a shout while grabbing ahold of Akiho's arm, jerking her forward and the motion making her lose balance on the slippery stone underneath her and she catapulted forward with a yelp of her own. Her head made contact with a hard chest but she was immediately ready to fight back with her other arm swinging, but as her vision cleared she gasped loudly while the perpetrator went rigid.
"...G-GENYA?!"
I'M BACK!
....well, sort of. I'm incredibly sorry for the long hiatus, but I think it was necessary as SO much had happened in-between and I'd rather not bore you all with the little details :') just know that I'm not trying to abandon this story just yet!! currently I'm trying to remaster my stor(ies) once more and hopefully I'll make some progress! big warning tho, adult life is stressful and full of responsibilities so even if I wanted to write, I need to prioritize. ALSO... I had picked up animal crossing (NH) to keep my days ~less sad~ and even made an instagram for my progress. if you're interested, come check me out (@tenroujima.acnh), I even have a dream address available :)
anyway, I hope this update came as a pleasant surprise to you all, and that you guys haven't abandoned little ol' me just yet o(╥﹏╥)o... we're officially on to the next arc!!
now... here's your daily dose of Kyoujurou fanart just because ( ͡👁️ ͜ʖ ͡👁️):
(cr. sleii on twitter)
please leave a comment/upvote!! I can't believe I'm #2 on zenitsu tag rn, but let's keep this up as I revive this story ♡