WINTER BREEZE | t. muichiro

𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨

( — ZERO ; THE TALE OF MILA THE KIND-HEARTED )

THERE ONCE WAS A GIRL NAMED KANATA MILA, and she lived in a family with five of her siblings; four younger brothers and one older sister. They were happy and content in the simple life in the bamboo groves surrounding their home, and Mila was the happiest one of them all.

They had neighbors of course, the closest one being Jijinchi Subaru, a boy who's family ran a small-time bakery in a nearby city. He came over to the Kanata household often, playing with the young boys or having adventures with Mila and Akime. He and Akime were the same age and treated Mila like a baby sister among their trio.

Mila walked three miles to get to the country school, where she didn't exactly make a lot of friends. Because of her being bullied, she ended up dropping out and studying at home instead. She preferred it that way anyway: she could play anytime she wanted.

When her youngest brother Koutaro was born, Mila warmed up to him swiftly, just like how she did with Tsukasa, Neji, and Makki. Koutaro looked up to Mila as well.

Now, both Mila and Akime—at some point in their childhood—had a crush on Jijinchi Subaru. Who wouldn't? He was nice and caring, and was talented in every aspect of home economics.

Akime's crush phase eventually faded, and she focused more on taking care of her brothers and learning all about household chores, since when she became of age she would be married. But Mila, being the younger girl who had no idea how the world works, kept on persisting, hiding her 'feelings' for Subaru.

Everything turned in a downward spiral when one normal night, a demon creature attacked the Kanata household. Out of pure luck or misfortune, Subaru had been there the time it happened, and was the only one killed. The rest would've been too, if not for the pink-and-green haired woman who broke their wall down and beheaded the creature.

Subaru's parents had been devastated and began loathing the Kanata family ever since, blaming them for their only son's demise. They moved to a different country, never to be seen or heard from again.

Meanwhile, back in Japan, Kanata Mila had approached the braided woman with zero fear in her eyes. Instead, those sparkling eyes held determination, power, and will. They shone with a youth that would be a great asset to the Demon Slayer Corps, according to the woman who was named Mitsuri Kanroji.

Mila became Mitsuri's student and 'little sister', taking her in and training her to become the successor of the Love Hashira title. She could only achieve that by becoming stronger each day, and so she did, each time the sun rose and set.

One day changed everything.

The course of fate was changed when Mila was sent to the Ubuyashiki estate, where she was informed that a boy named Tokitou Muichiro would be under her's and Mitsuri's care.

She had to admit she admired the boy's looks and talents. They ended up becoming friends, and she was the one who re-instituted the basic memories he had of life. That was until he became the Mist Hashira, the youngest slayer to ever become a Hashira. Everything after that was a blur.

Now she looks at her children, Hiro and Tsubaki. They were the most precious things to her. Their smiles were something she wanted to protect.

This was the tale of Kanata Mila, the kind-hearted.