Demon Slayer: Histories Past

Chapter Three - Karin's Journal

July 31st

A lot has changed in the past six months.

The man that saved my brother and I introduced himself as Kuwajima Jigoro-san. He paid off the debt that Ōnisama had, and in order for us to pay him pack, he decided to train us as swordsmen alongside Kuwajima-san's own pupil, Kaigaku-senpai.

Kuwajima-san is a very kind man, though he's also very strict; not that different from how Miyazaki-san was, before Megumi happened. In the following months after he took us in, Ōnisama took to calling him Oji-chan, and even I've started calling him as such.

Kaigaku-senpai doesn't like that very much.

Speaking of Kaigaku-senpai, he's a few years older than Ōnisama and I. He's quite rude and brash, but he's very strong and capable. I respect Kaigaku-senpai plenty, but, he tends to bully Ōnisama quite a bit, and that irritates me.

Anyway, training is definitely rough. It's tiring and I always feel sore afterward. Usually, it consists of running back and forth twenty meters with speed increasing every time. We continue this till you either drop or Oji-san says to stop, meaning he's satisfied with our progress.

Next up is ploughing through the peach tree fields, at least one row complete by lunch hour. This is probably the hardest part of the training, even if Ōnisama disagrees with me, saying the first part is the hardest. Dragging heavy metal ploughs through hard dirt with nothing but our hands and rope is tedious and painful.

After lunch, we have to go through the ploughs we finished and plant some peach seeds in under ten minutes; apparently, it helps us train our hands to be strong yet quick and nimble and precise in movement.

Second to last, we swing our katanas up and down continuously for the remaining rest of the day until dinner, in order to build our arm strength.

Finally, we after dinner, we have to practice our breathing. No doubt it's the most relaxing part of the day. And, despite sore muscles, I know for a fact it'd be worse without practicing our breathing at the end of the day.

And that's the training regime we've been doing for the past six months.

All in all, my body's gotten stronger and my hands seems rougher and more callous than before. Ōnisama likes to say it's unbefitting for his "sweet younger sister", but, I thinks its exhilarating. Working and sweating everyday in order to complete a goal or quota. It's nice.

Jā matane, (See ya later)

我妻 香燐

January 31st

Once again, it's been six months since I last wrote in here. I've been busy lately.

Since last time, Oji-san has upgraded our training regime slightly. Instead of simply just practicing our breathing after the day, we practice Thunder Breathing instead.

Thunder Breathing, Oji-san told us, one one of the first breath styles ever created; next to Water Breathing, Wind Breathing, and Stone Breathing. According to him, Thunder Breathing greatly relies on strength in your legs, outputting every muscle and blood vessels in order to use it without injuring yourself.

Since we started learning it, Ōnisama has only been able to use its first form, Thunder Clap and Flash and Kaigaku-senpai has only been able to use the second to sixth. Meanwhile, I've had yet to be able to use any of them.

Oji-san told us that the first form is the basis for all the other forms. I guess that made Kaigaku-senpai angry, because after that, he just stormed off by himself. Probably to sulk on his rock in the middle of the peach field.

Two weeks after Oji-san told us the secret to mastering the other forms and polishing them to its highest degree, all of the forms slowly began clicking into my head.

First Form: Thunder Clap and Flash

Second Form: Rice Spirit

Third Form: Thunder Swarm

Fourth Form Distant Thunder

Fifth Form: Heat Lighting

Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash

This mantra has been going through my head since then, and it's gotten easier to perform them.

It's strange, I think.

Oji-san managed to get three students, one of which could only use the second to sixth form and the other only being able to use the first form and the third, being able to use all six.

Kaigaku-senpai and Ōnisama are like foils of each other I've noticed.

I wonder if they could ever get along...

Jā matane, (See ya later)

我妻 香燐

June 15th

Kaigaku-senpai talked to me alone today earlier. Something he rarely ever does, unless I somehow manage to irritate him.

It had been after Oji-san decided to test us to see how far we've come in using Thunder Breathing. As usual, Ōnisama could only manage to do the First Form and Kaigaku-senpai could only do the second to sixth with ease.

I managed to use all for the first time in succession.

Following Oji-san's impromptu tests (he never tells us when he plans to do so), he took Ōnisama to a knoll on the other side of the property with a single peach tree on top.

Oji-san had left with Ōnisama and Kaigaku-senpai decided then was the time to talk to me. I know for a fact that no matter how long, I'll always remember Kaigaku's cruel words to me.

"Just because you can use all six forms, doesn't mean you're shit. You'll never be able to use them. Sensei is just wasting his precious time on you and your worthless brother."

I remember my eyes widening, and water starting to fill my eyes. I had been so happy that I could use the six forms, and all my confidence had been shattered in two sentences. All the hard-work I put in to master and use these forms, suddenly didn't matter...

My head snapped up from my journal at the sound of thunder. Scrambling to my feet, I went to the window of my shared bedroom with Ōnisama and peeked out, expecting to see dark and cloudy skies and pouring rain.

Instead, the sun was just starting to set in a clear, beautiful orange-pink sky. Surprise colored my face as I quickly made my way out of the room, slipping on some sandals and sliding my lightning hair clip into place, given to me by Oji-san a few weeks after he first took us in and exiting the small cabin shared between the four of us.

I looked around, and my eyes widened when I saw the peach tree that Ōnisama and Oji-san were at burned.

Eyes widening in panic, I rushed toward the knoll, stumbling slightly over my feet in my haste. Once arriving, I nearly fainted when I saw my brother, in place of his jet black hair, was lightning blond with orange tips.

"K-Ka-chan!"

I suddenly felt the ground colliding with my body.

I guess I did faint, didn't I?

~~~

Taisho Era Secret! Karin initially started her journal in order to remember important events in her life. However, she always forgets to write in it.

Authors Notes

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait, I've just started school again recently! (WOOO FRESHMAN~) (can you see the sarcasm) Anyway, anybody remember or know the Pacer Test? Because I do. That inspired part of Karin's training regime.

Karin's journal writing schedule is about as consistent as my own writing schedule lol

I wrote all of this in one go! Time to take a break!

One last thing, remember to check out Kimetsu on Yaiba: Beneath the Starry Night by Aeri_Chingu784 and Song of Time by Silverwingxoxo!

Jā matane!