𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓗𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓻𝓪'𝓼 𝓣𝓼𝓾𝓰𝓾𝓴𝓸

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕟𝕖

Sakura's POV

I sit in the corner of my old, wooden shack, my eyes quivering in fear. I hear scratches from the oak wood door. I want to run. I want to scream. But I can't. No words come out. It's helpless. My life will end right here.

I cradle myself as I tremble. I start to sweat as the horrendous wind blows outside. Is the scratching noises hungry wolves? Or is it something even worse...I grimaced thinking about it. Demons? Demons exist in this cruel old world. That was the reason my parents were killed.

One warm, summer night, about four years ago, my parents went out to pick herbs and berries for us to eat. My father went down to the river to catch fish. I don't know why they went late at night. I kept telling them that it was dangerous. They just laughed and patted my head. 

"Don't worry, my dear," My mother would say as she opened the door with a basket in hand, "Everything will be okay. I promise."

The promise...was not...a promise.

They never came back, until I went out myself the next morning. I went to the river to collect water to wash my face. Until I saw my father's body dumped on a sharp rock in the middle of the stream. My mother was lying next to him, with her head under the water. Tears spilled down my face  and landed on their bodies. I buried them next to our old house as I packed up and left the house, hand in hand with an oil lamp.

I found the old shack and I lived in there ever since. Alone and gloomy. But I had animal friends who would occasionally bring nuts and berries for me. I was grateful. But now, I was on the brink of death if that entity would break in. I prayed to myself.

"Please don't let me die.." I pleaded quietly as tears started streaming down my nervous face.

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Mitsuri's POV

Master Ubuyashiki told me to go to a little shack in the middle of the woods. That's dangerous! Is a family living there? Probably. A Demon attack is there and I must save the people living there!

I pant but I do not stop for rest. Those people need saving! Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, must protect the citizens living in that area!

I reach the shack but the door was already ripped off its hinges. I gasped. Was I too late? I saw blood splatters on the window's glass. But determined I could finish off  that demon, I raced in.

The demon was trying to kill a little girl. Just a little girl. No one else. Just her. All alone. I felt bad for her.

"Love Breathing...Third Form...Catlove Shower!" I cry as I perform the technique. The demon's head plopped onto the floor with a splat as its body and head crumbles into dust.

The little girl is severly injured. She needs help!  Her rose gold hair gradients to a peanut-brown colour at the bottom. She looks like...

"Are you okay, little girl?!" I shriek as she clutches her arm. Blood flowing down. Blood is splattered everywhere on her face. She looks like she's about to burst into tears.

"Th-Thank you so much for saving me...!" Her voice sounds as smooth as creamy caramel. Tears form like crystals in her eyes.

The demon has finally crumpled.

She looks so...Alone and sad...She almost died. I have no option but to...

"I can adopt you, little girl." I say as I reach out for her hand. I scoop her up with a bright smile plastered across my face. She looks up at me and asks,

"Who are you...?"

I look at her and smile. "I'm Mitsuri Kanroji. The Love Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. From now on, you will become my Tsuguko, my apprentice. And what is your name little girl?"

The girl looks at me with sad eyes. "I...I forgot...Since my parents died four years ago..."

My eyes gloom with sadness but I smile again. "Well then, from now on, you will be called Sakura Kanroji! Named after my favourite dessert, sakura mochi!" I say in excitement. "But now, you need to come with me. We'll be there in the four swishes of my cats' tails!"