Blue Spider Lily: Demon Slayer/Kimetsu No Yaiba Isekai

The Slasher

The brush moved easily over the pieces of paper on the table. The smell of wisteria filled the room. Haku finished up the last of her stack of ofuda and turned to show Shinobu. "Check it out! I got the wisteria and ink to mix. Now I can put them on my katana for some poison damage." Shinobu took one of the sutras from the stack and looked it over. "I must say, not a bad idea. I doubt it will do too much against stronger demons, but weaker ones could lose the ability to regenerate or even die." Haku stretched out her arms, feeling tense from writing all day. "Well, now for some training." She was determined to get stronger. Shinobu clapped her hands together. "Oh, that reminds me. The master would like you to accompany the flame hashira Rengoku Kyojuro." Well that was a change. It had not been long since her first demon encounter with Giyu. "Really? When?"

"Today of course! He's right outside. Go ahead then dear. See you soon." Shinobu sent Haku out the door. She looked around and spotted the fiery hair of the hashira. She trotted up to him and waved. "Hey Kyojuro-san. Namikaze Haku. Shinobu sent me." Kyojuro quickly turned to face her. "Yes, I remember you from the master's. I have chosen to put my trust in you since the master has as well." Haku smiled and gave a small bow in response. "I do appreciate that. I want to do whatever I can to stop Muzan!" Kyojuro seemed moved by her enthusiasm. "Excellent! Let us go then." The two headed off. Kyojuro regaled Haku with the story of how he became a hashira. They way he explained the battle with the lower moon had her completely enthralled. So much so she tripped over her own two feet. She started heading face first towards the ground. Whelp goodbye dignity. Just before she hit the ground, Kyojuro wrapped an arm around her. "Careful now. I can't imagine I am so good a story teller you'd be moved from your feet." Haku covered her face, thoroughly embarrassed. "Well, actually you're a pretty good story teller. I still should have been paying attention." Kyojuro's arm lingered on her waist for a noticeable amount of time. Haku looked down, cheeks a little flushed and he quickly moved his arm and laughed. He looked up at the sky, noting that night was looming closer. They hurried their footsteps toward the town they were to patrol.

They made their way through the town, scanning for any demon activity. A scream echoed out in the air, and they rushed to the source. Standing over a woman, was a male demon. His long tongue extended out like a sword, ready to stab the woman. Kyojuro was fast. He moved in quickly and grabbed the woman from the demon, and returned to Haku's side in mere seconds. He sat the woman down, and told her to run. The woman was stopped by the appearance of another demon, another man with a long forked tongue. Great, double the stabby tongue action. Kyojuro and Haku stood back to back swords drawn, each facing down a demon. Kyojuro looked at both demons then Haku. "Well then Haku, Which do you think is stronger?"

"Dunno. I'll check." She folded her hands into the sign for ram. "Inyo breathing: sixth form: Onmyoji's divination!" She focused on the two demons, feeling for their auras. "The one in front of you." She told Kyojuro, and returned to her battle stance. Kyojuro chuckled. "Quite a nice technique." Haku smiled. Both slayers rushed towards their targets, flames shooting from one blade and a hot white stream from the other. Both hit their targets. The demon's heads flew from their bodies, turning to ash before they even hit the ground. Haku felt a hand clap her on the shoulder. "Excellent work! Kocho did well in training you." Haku smiled at him and sheathed her blade. "I'd hope so." The two continued to patrol until they were both satisfied the demon threat was gone. They then made their way to the local inn. Within minutes they were in a room together, the last available according to the innkeeper. Haku was not entirely sure that was true. Kyojuro quickly moved to the opposite side of the room, and lay down on the bare floor with his back to Haku. "I will sleep here on the floor! Do not worry about me!" He spoke in his usual enthusiastic style, but he had a slight blush. Haku bumbled around in the room, finding an extra blanket. She threw the blanket over him then removed her haori. She grabbed the futon pillow and slid it over to Kyojuro. She tucked her haori under her head as a pillow. "I'm not letting you sleep completely on the floor so don't argue. My haori is a fine pillow, and I don't need the extra blanket." She tucked herself into the futon, turning with her back to Kyojuro. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Kyojuro looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. "Goodnight Haku-san." Haku smiled a little. "Just Haku is fine. Goodnight Kyojuro-san."

"Just Kyojuro. If I'm to call you Haku." The flame hashira replied, then the two went to sleep.

Several days' travel and a few weak demons brought the two to a town in the dead of night. They met up with a few other slayers. They patrolled the town that was said to be inhabited by a demon. They rushed toward a woman's screams, but by the time they arrived, there was no demon, just a poor woman with various cuts all over her body. Kyojuro quickly had her sent to the doctor. Further investigation yielded nothing, so they retired for the night.

The next day they headed to a noodle shop where they were to meet another slayer to get info on a string of demon related murders involved on the Mugen train line. They sat down and ordered a bowl of noodles each. They had both finished by the time the slayer arrived. Kyojuro then ordered them all bowls of noodles. Haku was not sure her stomach could hold another bowl, but it was so delicious she did not care. The other slayer was a boy in a blue haori named Muta. between him and the master of the shop, they gathered that not only was the Mugen train murders an issue, but they were also dealing with a slasher; obviously a demon. Haku, Muta, and Kyojuro headed to the station to ask about the slasher incidents. Haku was unable to hold back her laughter when the little girl threw a bean bun at his face and he simply caught it and ate it. He purchased every single box lunch they had and sent Muta off with most of them. The two of them then boarded a train returning to the station. The conductor panicked at seeing them on the train. Kyojuro showed him the portion of box lunches he had kept. "See, we are box lunch vendors. Nothing suspicious." Right. Not suspicious at all. Haku just smiled at the conductor. They discovered the Mugen train was being kept, Kyojuro headed out of the train ready to jump off. He looked back at Haku. "Ready Haku?" She looked at the distance between them and the ground below, and gulped. Yeah, she could make it right? Totally! She clenched her fists. "Yes! Let's go!" The two then jumped off the moving train. Haku was surprised with herself when she followed and landed without issue. She was openly pleased and excited which got her an amused chuckle from Kyojuro. She looked away, cheeks red with embarrassment.

They headed into the maintenance station where Kyojuro offered the boxed lunches to the workers. They discovered the train would be returning to action the next day. A clatter and a scream got their attention. Kyojuro's crow screamed the alert that a demon was there. Haku made her way around the room so she could sneak up behind the demon. Its focus was on Kyojuro, taunting him and using the boy as a shield. She came up behind just as the demon smashed the boxed lunch. The demon snarled its nose at it. "That smell is revolting!" Haku breathed in and lunged at the demon, slicing its arms off and freeing the boy. "You're revolting! What you did to that woman! Monster!" Kyojuro caught the boy and handed him off to his coworkers. The demon snarled at both of them. "You little wench! I'll tear you apart just like her then." Haku moved to stand next to Kyojuro who laughed at the demon. "Too bad for you that woman will be fine, and I won't let you lay a finger on Haku either." The demon looked over at the boxed lunch. "I'll just go kill those box lunch vendors then!" The demon took off with incredible speed, flying down the tracks like a train itself. Other slayers arrived and had started first aid on the injured boy. Kyojuro jumped onto the tracks. "I'm going ahead Haku." He took off, leaving a trail of flames. Haku doubted she could be that fast. She decided to give it her best shot. She focused her breathing and took off. By the time she arrived at the station, the battle was over. Kyojuro had just told the old lady she had been saved by his father in the past.

Kyojuro smiled at her when she ran up to him. "I see you've mastered total concentration breathing. Keep working and your speed will improve as well as your stamina." Haku let out a heavy sigh. "I hope so." They both turned to see Muta and the other slayers arriving as well. "Haku, Kyojuro-sama, is it over?" Kyojuro nodded. "For now at least. Haku and I will be boarding the Mugen train. There's still the issue of the missing passengers." Haku gritted her teeth. "Yeah, the Mugen train." Muta nodded and returned to the other slayers. Kyojuro and Haku headed to await the Mugen train.