Bury the Light

Becoming a demon slayer

When Sanemi finally made it through the thick forest of strangely glowing trees, he saw a decently sized square entirely surrounded by these mysterious plants. Not many objects could have been found within its boundaries, a few primarily damaged pillars, two broken stairways leading upwards, and nothing more. Yet, quite a few people gathered there – both girls and boys alike – deciding to risk their lives in trial to join the Demon Slayers Corp. Like each year, here on Mount Fujikasane, the final selection would take away and swallow the innocence. As most of them kept shifting positions, it was challenging for him to count how many participants gathered there. Yet, after a few minutes, he finally managed to do so. There were nineteen of them, four girls and fifteen boys. It was not like Sanemi cared about these nameless children, but if he were to fight some of them, it was beneficial to memorise some details beforehand.

"It is getting dark," the white-haired boy realised, forcing himself to stay in the back of the group. "I hope the opening ceremony should start soon."

As if he uttered some magical phrase, two additional children – that he did not recognise – stepped forward, climbing into a small pedestal. They wore matching kimonos made of undoubtedly expensive material, covered with floral patterns, and painted in a shade of purple. Considering the similarities between them, they must have been siblings. What differentiated them was the colour of their hair – one had white whilst the other had black. They held bright lanterns, casting off the falling night's growing shadows.

"Please, gather around," the creepy-looking children voice out in unity.

It took a couple of moments before all the gathered reacted, massing before the strange duo.

"Everyone ... we thank you for coming here tonight to the Demon Slayers Corp's final selection," they both continued.

"There are demons imprisoned here on Mt. Fujikasane, captured alive by the Demon Slayers swordsmen, and unable to leave," the white-haired sibling said.

"That is because wisteria, which demons hate so much, blooms even out of season from the bottom to halfway up the mountain," the black-haired girl added.

"However, there is no wisteria from this point on, and so demons abound," the former took back the lead.

"You'll need to survive here for seven days to pass final selection," the latter girl continued.

"And now, be on your way," the siblings said, bowing respectfully.

After that, they turned around, hurriedly leaving the square. For Sanemi, it marked a moment the test truly began, for he took no time to waste, heading towards the stairway. It was his destiny to conquer the mountain's peak, facing ... no, killing all the demons that would be foolish enough to cross his path. One could have argued that being good at killing these children of the night was a curse, but ... the white-haired teen considered it a blessing even though a great price had to be paid to wake it. Yet, it had shaped him into the young man he currently was.

He did not need to turn around to know that he was the only one venturing into an apparent carnage so willingly, so relaxed. No, it would have been yet another misconception regarding him. Even though his stern face only expressed his constant anger, fear resided deep inside of him. If it were not the case, he would have been a fool. He genuinely believed that to be truly strong and courageous; one needed to accept one's anxieties and act despite them. This defiance was extremely difficult to muster, yet it was also a goal one could aspire to.

Sanemi did not fear for his life; it was worthless to him. However, who would have protected his younger brother if he had died? Because of that, the white-haired teen defied all the odds stacked against him numerous times. Even though he had left Genya in the orphanage, he kept visiting the village, watching over from the shadows akin to a guardian angel. After all, his goal was to provide his little brother with a life he could have never had. And ... even if securing such a future would require his carving hundreds of demons – so be it.