𝙁𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙆𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧

43

"Tokitou-kun, if you continue to be so ruff with it it'll break" You spoke out, you sat on a tree branch, watching Tokitou use his swordsmen skills in a 1v1 against the mechanical bot. 

"Hmm?" Tokitou hummed as he looked up at you "I thought you were with that boy" he added "I was but I realized he was going to be fine, he had a bruise on his stomach but I healed it so he'll be alright" you replied as you jumped down from the tree and walking towards Tokitou and stopping beside him. 

You turned to look at him "You're nearly on spar with the bot, how much longer will this go on? Till you break it or get injured? That boy, Kotetsu said he wouldn't be able to repair or build another" you said as you batted your eyes at him.

"When I'm..." Tokitou began to speak when he noticed the bot come charging at you, it was about to strike but Tokitou intervened. He blocked the sudden attack with his katana, his katana breaking through one of the wooden katana's and striking the bot's face.

A loud Wham sound echoed through the tree's "Thank you" you mumbled, feeling all sorts of emotions, shocked and surprised at how fast both Tokitou and the bot could move and the feeling of appreciation for Tokitou because if he hadn't intervened you would've been hit.

The bot didn't stop instead it continued to attack Tokitou and Tokitou blocked or attacked the bot back.

You leapt back a few feet, not wanting to get in the way of their battle.

"That's... The mechanical doll for combat use that my ancestors made, Yorrichi Type Zero" a male voice spoke out beside you "huh?" You hummed as you turned to see who the voice belonged to. Tanjiro stood beside you and Kotetsu stood beside Tanjiro.

'Are my sense dulling? I didn't realize they were they until Kotetsu said something' you thought as you stared at the two boys for a few seconds before looking back at Tokitou. 

"His arms... Why does he have six?" Tanjiro mumbled, amazed at how fast Tokitou moved with the doll "His arms? According to my father, that doll was based on an actual swordsman. He said that if it didn't have six arms they wouldn't have been able to recreate that swordsman's movements" Kotetsu explained.

"Who was that swordsman? Where was he from and what did he do?" Tanjiro asked as he looked down at Kotetsu "Sorry but I don't know much about it but he was from the Se..." Kotetsu spoke out, only to be cut off.

"He was from the Sengoku period" you spoke out "The... The Sengoku period!? That's over three hundred years ago!?" Tanjiro exclaimed as he looked at you with a surprised expression and soon noticed the crow that perched itself on your arm.

"The doll is based on a swordsman from the Sengoku period, over 300 years ago. Yoriichi Tsugikuni. The swordsman who created the first breath, sun breathing" you explained as you side glanced at the two boys.

"Don't forget that Tokitou is a descendent of sun breathing, the original breath! hmph! Tokitou's a genius, he's on a whole different lot than you two!! Hmph!" The crow on your arm exclaimed.

"Are you Tokitou's crow? By sun breathing, you mean the original breath? is he really that incredible?... But Tokitou doesn't use sun breathing, right?" Tanjiro asked "Gwahh!! Shut up, I'll peck out your eyes!" Tokitou's crow yelled as she flew off of your arms and to Tanjiro "Gyaaa!" Tanjiro yelled as the crow pulled on his cheek.

Tanjiro gasped "I remember it now! It was a dream, I saw that person in a dream!" Tanjiro's outburst surprised the crow, she had let go and then flew onto your shoulder "What are you stupid, that's so unrealistic I could laugh? Do you know a warrior from the Sengoku period? Pfft, how old are you?" Tokitou's crow teased.

Tanjiro stayed silent for a few moments.

"Sorry, I'm strange aren't I?" Tanjiro mumbled "No no... Maybe it's an inherited memory?" Kotetsu said.

"People in my village talk about it all the time that families pass on more than just their outward appearance. Living creatures can also inherit memories, the first time they make a sword, they might feel a feeling of similarity or remember seeing a familiar scene... Or remember something that they haven't even experienced... And that's what we call an inherited memory. Maybe your dream was an inherited memory!" Kotetsu explained.

"That's just a fantasy! A fantasy!" Tokitou's crow yelled "No, I get them all the time" you mumbled as you glanced at Tokitou's crow "Well that's because of the flower, I'm sure of it but for these two it's just a fantasy," the crow said.

You laughed.

"That's kind and thank you," Tanjiro said "Oh right, I'm Tanjiro what's your name?" Tanjiro asked "I'm Kotetsu" Kotetsu replied, "I saw you with Y/n and Tokitou earlier, do you two know each other?" Tanjiro asked as he glanced at you and Kotetsu.

"Her?... She broke into my house with that hashira! And they bullied me for the key!! You house intruder!" Kotetsu yelled as he pointed a finger at you "Huh!? Your door was opened a crack, maybe you shouldn't leave your door open!" You yelled as you pointed your finger back at Kotetsu. 

Kotetsu was about to yell something back at you but was cut off by a loud crashing sound. 

Tokitou had slashed his katana at the doll too hard, causing its facial armour to break off "Gah, its armour!?" Tanjiro exclaimed, Kotetsu shivered at the sight of his families doll breaking.

Kotetsu soon ran off into the forest "Kotetsu!" Tanjiro yelled as he ran after him, you were about to run after the two males but then realized you went there with Tokitou.

"See what you did, I told you not to be so ruff" you lectured as you rested your hand on your hip, Tokitou looked up at you for a second before bending down to pick up one of the katanas from the doll's hand.

"Kotetsu! I'll find you I have a good nose!... Kotetsu!!" 

You giggled "What're you laughing at?" Tokitou asked as he walked up to you "Hmm? Oh, I can hear Tanjiro yelling for Kotetsu" you replied "Oh" Tokitou replied. 

"Are you taking that?" You asked as you pointed at the katana he took from the doll "Mine broke" Tokitou replied "oh" you mumbled.

Tokitou stared at you for a few seconds before bringing his arm up and showing you a slash on his arm "So you did get injured" you snickered as you sandwiched his hand in yours. You grunted and shifted your weight onto your left leg as you began to heal his wound.

Tokitou looked at you "Did you get enough rest last night?" Tokitou asked "I couldn't sleep last night after I saw that spider the other day, it feels like there's something crawling on me all the time... I'm just being paranoid, though," you said with a nervous chuckle as you rubbed the back of your neck.

"Let's head back, it's almost time for lunch you can eat and take a nap," Tokitou said as he walked past you "Kay" you replied as you walk over to his side.

The two of you walked through the woods in silence, that was until Tokitou broke that silence "Have you seen how you're going to die?" Tokitou asked.

"Huh?" You mumbled, surprised by his sudden question "I overheard you guys talking about inherited memories, you said that you have them too... And before I came to get you from the butterfly house I met with Oyakata-sama he told me what he knew about the flower... He mentioned that every single keeper has suffered the same fate but he didn't tell me how they died" Tokitou explained.

"I see... Yeah, I've seen how the past keepers died... How I'm going to die..." You mumbled "... It isn't pretty either" you added.

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This chapter is not proofread.