Unbound ♰ Kny x Fem!Reader

𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. Dusk & Dawn / Borderline

The next few training sessions were certainly something else.

Four days after the first session, Tanjiro finally managed to beat Kanao in the reflex test. A short surprise party — more like several minutes of elated screaming — was held (courtesy of Y/N).

Five days after the first session, Tanjiro's friends Inosuke and Zenitsu — a 'blonde mop' (according to Inosuke) and a 'hot-tempered-boar-faced-idiot' (according to Zenitsu) joined the duo, bringing a newfound excitement and way too many constant fights.

Six days after the first session, the four went on Y/N's morning stroll together around the grounds and ended up setting a poor shrub on fire. Giyuu had to come and put it out.

Seven days after the first session, Aoi cracked at Zenitsu and Inosuke's antics and left for the entire training period. Y/N had to calm her down by managing the inner gardens with her, and she returned the next day. Her temper, however, was still akin to the serenity of a storm.

The eighth day rolled around fairly quickly, and Y/N woke up early in the morning for a special training session that Aoi had invited her to — and it required using her blade for the first time. It wasn't her favorite thing to do at dawn, but if it was called 'special' and it involved the Nirichin blade, it was definitely special.

She entered the practice room that she had familiarized herself with throughout the past few days. To her utter surprise, Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu were sprawled out on the floors, dozing off in blankets they had brought from their cots.

She hopefully glanced at Aoi for answers — yet she was too busy peering out the window for a sight of Kanao; the latter was supposed to bring her own blade, but perhaps she was too busy doing plants. Watering. Bees everywhere. Poof.

"Are they supposed to be here?" Y/N whispered, and Aoi shrugged.

"No," she started, her voice completely normal in volume. "They wanted to see you using your blade. I was against it at first, but I found it sweet that they — Zenitsu specifically — were willing to wake up at this time. Where in the world is Kanao?"

"Oh well," she muttered, walking over to them and yanking the blankets clean off (Inosuke screamed like a girl). "No one sleeps in the training room. I suppose Kanao's not coming."

Tanjiro, easily the most well-rested of them all, sprung up immediately and put his hands in front of Y/N like she were to give him something. "Can I see the blade, Y/N?" he asked energetically. "Please?"

Aoi sighed as she watched Y/N carefully hand him the Star Nirichin, simultaneously attempting to shake a half-asleep Inosuke and a totally-asleep Zenitsu awake.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Inosuke groaned, his voice gravelly from a good night's rest. "What do you want?"

"What do you want?" Aoi mocked. "You guys swore to be awake, and Tanjiro's the only one who's kept to that promise!"

"Don't berate them too much, Aoi." Y/N smiled. "It's okay, they can sleep."

"Nah," Inosuke muttered. "I'm fully awake now." (He did not look the least bit fully awake. Zenitsu was not even awake.)

"We'll just begin, regardless of whoever's sleeping." Aoi glared, glancing at the blade that Tanjiro was swinging rapidly around. "Y/N, take that out of the poor boy's hands."

♱

The session turned out to be a session dedicated solely to blade movements, grips, and history.

For a solid two hours Aoi had Y/N hold her blade in different angles and adjusted her hand positions every so occasionally, explaining how every position added to the fluidity of the movements. A whiteboard and a marker was all it took for her to explain where the blade's power core, weakest point, and strongest point was, and she would not tolerate any type of slacking off.