Kimetsu no Yaiba: Song of Time

Chapter 1 - Sabito

I stared at the peach-haired boy with lavender eyes. I wonder how he got that scar... I thought, glancing at the long scar that ran from his cheek to the edge of his mouth, And such kind eyes.

"Aimi, this is Sabito," said Sakonji Urokodaki, and the boy dipped his head in a greeting. I smiled and glanced around. There was a small house in the middle of the clearing in the bamboo forest. 

Suddenly, Sabito spoke. His voice was clear and friendly. "You'll have to pass the test in order to go to Final Selection."

"W-What's Final Selection?" I asked, feeling a little stupid.

Sabito laughed, not unkindly. "It's the test where the Demon Slayer Corps decides whether you can be a demon slayer. I'll explain tonight. Urokodaki-san, may Aimi share my room so that I can tell her about the Corps?" 

Urokodaki-san nodded and ushered me off to the bamboo forest. After what seemed like hours of walking, we stopped. "If you survive the traps on this mountain, I'll make you my apprentice." I blinked. What did he mean by survive? Ominous, whispered my mind. "But--" I started, then stopped. Where did he go? 

*     *     *

Ow! I  looked around myself to see I had fallen into a hole. "Eeugh," I muttered, shaking leaves and who-knows-what-that-green-slimy-stuff-is off my yukata. I was nearly down the mountain, near Urokodaki-san's house. I could sense the traps coming before they actually hit me, and it wasn't so hard. I just can't avoid the dips in the ground covered by leaves. 

I started running and running, and thankfully, there were no more traps. There! I could see the warm glow of the little house. A little figure was looking out the window. Is that Sabito? I wondered, and accidentally tripped over a stick, yelped, and tumbled into the clearing. "Ow." 

"Very dignified, Aimi," said a familiar voice. I looked up to see Sabito standing over me. "Shut up," I growled, brushing dust off my shoulders. Sabito helped me up. "Just saying, the amount of time you took was 2 seconds more than it took me to pass the traps," smirked Sabito, and I rolled my eyes. "Come on," he said, "Race ya!"

Sabito was definitely faster than me, so I got to the door later than him. "You're back. Very fast indeed," remarked Urokodaki-san, "Aimi Kitsuki, I now permit you to train with Sabito. Sabito looked gleefully at me and held out his pinky.

I held mine out too. "I promise to teach you all I know," he said, which was a relief. At least I had someone friendly to work with.