Kimetsu no Yaiba: Song of Time

Chapter 2 - Giyū Tomioka

"So the Demon Slayers work to rid Japan of all demons?" 

After a dinner of fish stew, Sabito and I were talking about the Demon Slayer Corps. "Yeah," replied Sabito. I wrapped my blanket around me and stretched on the futon. "Man, I want to become a Hashira," I joked. 

"Not if I get to it first," retorted Sabito, and I snorted. He drew himself up indignantly and stopped suddenly, looking away. I giggled. He looked so silly there. "What's the matter?" I asked, failing to smother an unstoppable attack of giggles. 

"Nothing. Let's just go to sleep," he smiled at me and lay down. 

"Okay. Good night, Sabito."
"Good night."

*        *        *

I yawned as shafts of morning sunlight pierced through the windows. It was still pretty early. "Come on, let's go eat breakfast," I shook Sabito awake, and he rubbed his eyes, tired. "I don't wanna...-- ow!" he whined, then stopped as I lightly hit him on the back of the head, "Fine, fine, fine."

Breakfast was fairly simple, a bowl of steamed rice and miso soup, and pickled vegetables. I looked up as Urokodaki-san sent out a crow, then put on a haori. "What're you doing?" I asked.

"There's a child near here who is an orphan and alone. The Corps does need new members," he told me, stepping out the door, "Sabito, teach her Forms 1 to 5." Sabito nodded and smiled at me. "It's pretty easy, just swinging your katana. There's a bunch of spare katana over there." He pointed to the corner of the room where a couple of swords, sheathed, lay.

"Let's go," said Sabito, picking up the two katana and heading out. I rushed after him. Today would be a good day.

*        *        *

"I still can't get it right," I groaned. After 50 minutes, we were still working on First Form: Water Surface Slash. Sabito glanced at me. "Do you want to take a break?" he asked. 

"Yeah," I replied, "Ow, my arms hurt. Is the sword that heavy?" Sabito shook his head, his light pink hair shining in the bright sunlight. "Not really. Maybe you should do some exercise," he joked, "To get stronger."

I looked behind me, at the house, then at the foot of the mountain. "Oh!" I said, seeing the two figures ascending the mountain. "I think Urokodaki-san is back! Oh, and with the kid he went to pick up."

As the two figures approached, I could see the features of the boy clearly. Messy dark hair that stuck up in tufts around his head, sapphire eyes, pale skin, thin eyebrows. He looked weak and small. Yeah, probably like me, I thought with a wince, remembering Sabito's words. "He looks kinda like you," Sabito whispered to me, "Especially in size."

"Shut the hell up," I retorted, elbowing him. Sabito pretended to fall. 

"What are the two of you doing?" We both froze and looked at Urokodaki-san. "Waiting for you," said Sabito, and beamed at the boy. "Hi, what's your name?" I asked him.

"G-Giyū Tomioka," the boy looked away. He was slightly taller than me, but I only had to tilt my head slightly to look up at him. He was kinda cute, but I wouldn't tell Sabito that or I'd never hear the end of how 'I should only fall in love with manly men'.

Little did I know that Giyū Tomioka would change my life forever.