together in the framed ocean | g. tomioka

06 - Avante

"I can't thank you enough. Please take this."

It is a random item but a beautiful one at that. The old man hands you a handmade woven hat with hanging wind chimes that had purple patterns on each.

Beautiful ". . . I can't possibly accept this."

He places the hat in your hands. "Let the chimes calm you and guide you on your journeys," he says, bowing and walking away.

You bow and wave back with a smile putting on the hat. I should start heading there.

-

Lucky for you, only a short amount of time had passed before you arrived at the front gates. However, there was no one there to open the doors.

I wonder what's going on.

You jump onto the wall's roof, which separated the outside from the headquarters, and start walking along with the tiles.

"AHHHH."

Screaming?!

The roof tiles are somewhat slippery, leaving you unbalanced when you pick up your pace to see what the commotion was about. Your breath hitches, seeing that you were approaching a group of people, but you slow your pace as you see Tanjiro struggling to stand; his hands are tied to prevent movement. It comes to your realization that he is protecting the box Nezuko rests in. A man with snow-like hair approaches him with his sword drawn. He looked feral. A Hashira?! You think to yourself. From the looks of his built body to his aura, anyone could tell at this point. But, you wonder, what reason did he have to injure his junior?

You are silent and masked your presence out of instinct, so the others didn't notice you even at this distance. However, it didn't take long for you to notice Rengoku and even Giyu standing amongst these people. Your lips part from the shock of seeing the two, but your eyes avert back to the main event. The supposed Hashira swung his sword at Tanjiro as if he was intentionally planning to slice his neck off.

Ring

The chimes on your hat. Just as the old man told you, they made quite a lovely sound. You jump down from the wall, suddenly appearing between Tanjiro and the man as he was swinging at your brother. He didn't have enough time to stop his "attack," so the blade came at you, almost 2 inches away from your face. But of course, as a Hashira, everything you saw was slower than it was to the normal eye. You kicked the guy back. . . gently.

"What the," he says, landing on his feet.

"(Y/n)?"

The dust lurking in the air from your landing disperses. You turn away from the man looking down at Tanjiro.

"Hello-"

Your greeting is interrupted by the sound of angry footsteps. The man is charging toward you with his sword in hand, having every intent to kill.

Although you stood without drawing your sword, he continues to charge at you. It is your choice not to fight back. But you would be surprised if the next time you blink, you are blinded by the light of heaven... or even woke up in the depths of hell. Having been killed by this man. Would he actually hurt a comrade? Or was he one of the few who chose who was worthy of living?

"SHINAZU-"

"Master Kagaya... has arrived."

The voice of the Master's daughter interrupts Giyu's scream to Sanemi.

Amid the fight, everyone immediately bows to the Master.

"So good of you to come... my beloved children~"

The same bad-tempered man pushes Tanjiro's head down to the floor, forcing him to bow. "I am pleased to see you in good health, Master Kagaya. I fervently pray for your continued good fortune," the feral man says. Some Hashira are thinking of good times to speak up and greet the Master personally but are beaten by this man.

"Thank you, Sanemi~"

Speaking so formally after all that, you thought.

It is later revealed to you that the point of this meeting is to put Tanjiro Kamado on trial. Many wished for the boy's death as he broke the rules of traveling with a demon, while a few others didn't care or decided to agree with whatever the Master's decision was. Every time you reasoned and voiced your words, the Master would nod, smiling, but the others would look at you lost, giving you the "who the hell are you again" look until one actually spoke up about your presence.

"Master Kagaya, for this, is a Hashira meeting, shouldn't this woman be waiting elsewhere," asks Sanemi.

Talking about you is already like dirt in his mouth.

"Right, apologies for not speaking about this at earlier times. We've had another Hashira among us for a while. I'm assuming none of you have been introduced yet. (Y/n) (L/n), Blaze Hashira, meet your comrades, the other Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps~"

"..." Complete silence.

For the first time, your heart almost jumped out of your chest from the sudden scare the Hashiras gave you as they screamed "HUH?!" so suddenly.

The unfazed Master continues. Throughout the meeting, you often felt them gazing at you for a few seconds, wondering what kind of person you were to be kept a secret. Finally, after arguments and talking about the situation, it was decided that Tanjiro would be let free. Same with Nezuko. You thought it couldn't have been done without the help of Giyu and his own Master. They'd written a letter pledging that they would commit *seppuku if Nezuko ever consumed a human. This fact surprised you as the Master's daughter read from the piece of paper. You looked to the side to stare at him. His face was still, with no expression, and he only looked forward. What a kind gesture.

Sanemi gave a disgusting response saying he couldn't care less whether Giyu did what he said he would do. As much as you wanted to think that the letter was the savior, what convinced the Hashira more was Sanemi's action. He cut his arm dripped with blood and stood in front of Nezuko, tempting her. Apparently, his blood was special. Marechi. Rare blood that can intoxicate and disrupt demons' cognitive functions. You tried hard not to smile when Nezuko simply turned away, rejecting the offer; his efforts were ultimately wasted.

...

Tanjiro's trial is almost at its end. "Defeat a Kizuki. That will help build trust amongst your comrades~," says the Master.

"I... Nezuko and I will defeat Kibutsuji Muzan! We can guarantee it!"

"As you're ill-equipped to do so right now, Tanjiro, how about we start by defeating a Twelve Kizuki?"

"Y-yes-sir," he says, blood rushing to his face from embarrassment.

You smile, looking down. Some of the Hashiras are also smiling or giggling. All your worries had passed.

"It goes without saying that the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps has extraordinary skills. After training themselves to death, they have defied death and defeated a Twelve Kizuki. That is why Hashira receive respect and preferential treatment. So, Tanjiro, mind your manners when you speak~"

"Yes, sir!"

"And Sanemi, Don't torment the younger ones too much.~"

"As you wish," he replies.

Shinobu kindly offered to take Tanjiro back to her house for recovery after the Master dismissed him. You noticed the girls walking towards you.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Mitsuri Kanroji, Love Hashira!"

"I'm sure we've met before, so this was a big surprise. Shinobu Kocho, Insect Hashira."

"Nice to meet you. (Y/n) (L/n), Blaze Hashira." They are kind.

"There are many more to greet (Y/n), but at this time, if none of you guys mind, let us begin the Hashira Meeting~"

Maybe he thought you wouldn't realize, but how could you not notice Giyu's intense stare? His eyes searched for the answers to the many questions he had.

...

*Seppuku- a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment.

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