The Descendant (A Retelling and love story of Demon Slayer)

Sixteen

Akari had calmed her tears just in time. A woman had skipped out from the wisteria inn, humming a happy tune. Her body was bare aside from the towel that looked ready to burst open from the size of her bust alone. Long hair braided down the front on both sides, its color a unique gradient of pink and green. It reminded Akari of sakura mochi and her stomach rumbled as a result.

"Ah! Hello there!" The perky young woman waved enthusiastically toward Akari who shrank back a bit at the sudden break in the peaceful air. With a small wave, she turned away slightly.

"Oh... H-Hello..."

"Ha, is that you Kanroji-san?" Rengoku asked from over the wall. She paused beside the spring, turning to look at the wall with a wide smile that was as bright as the sun.

"Wha! Rengoku-san! You're here too!? What luck!" She clapped her hands together and tilted her head in a cute way. "What have you been up to?" Kanroji removed her towel and Akari averted her gaze with a massive blush. She must have been in the spring for too long because she began to feel dizzy. Yeah, that had to be the reason.

"I just got finished with a mission in the area. Now I'm following leads on the rogue swordswoman. She was said to be in the area as well, but I've not found anything yet." Akari went rigid at the Flame Hashira's words. She needed to leave as soon as possible.

"Ah! I haven't even met her and I'm already head over heels in love! I was sent this way a week ago because the Master got word that a lower moon was attacking a squad of lower-ranked slayers, but she had already destroyed it! She even took care of their wounds before the kakushi and I arrived! Oh, just thinking about it gets my blood racing!" Kanroji swooned with a hand on her forehead before gently settling herself into the spring with an airy sigh. Deciding she was clean enough, Akari began to emerge from the water. "Awe! You're leaving already!?" The pink/green-haired woman pouted. Akari turned to shyly glance at the beautiful Love Hashira known as Kanroji Mitsuri.

"Mm, y-yes... I've been here too long and I'm starting to get lightheaded." Akari placed a hand on her blazing cheek. "I don't want to pass out..."

"Oh! Well, we can't have that!" Akari bowed a little before rushing out of the spring, Kanroji's gaze on her back the whole way. As soon as Akari was gone, she squealed. The sound startled Rengoku, who sat up and looked frantically at the divider.

"What's wrong, Kanroji-san!? Are you hurt!?"

"Ah, she was so attractive! I'm in love!" Rengoku blinked a few times before sputtering a laugh, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. Konroji put a finger to her chin in thought. "She must have had a difficult life though, all those scars. It breaks my heart." This caught the Flame Hashira's attention. Scars were relatively normal for any slayer to have, but he knew Konroji wouldn't have mentioned them unless they were severe.

"Scars huh?" She hummed to acknowledge him.

"They look like they would have been life-threatening, It must have been a miracle that she survived. The one on her shoulder and back in particular... It gives me chills to think about how that must have felt." Rengoku furrowed his brow. A feeling in his gut was screaming at him to ask her what the other woman looked like.

"Kanroji-san, did she perhaps have brown and red hair? Or a red scar on her forehead in the shape of a flame?" He felt his muscles tense in anticipation of her answer. His breath held still in his lungs.

"Ah, her hair was up in a bun, so I couldn't see any red in it, but it was a brown color. She also had a bandage on her forehead, so I wasn't able to see a scar... Oh! She did have these big expressive eyes that were the most lovely shade of pink though!" His eyes widened and in a flash he was out of the hot spring and through the door, hearing Kanroji shout after him. He slung on a robe as quickly as he could hoping to catch sight of the woman in the halls. He looked around frantically when the door to the woman's changing room opened behind him. Rengoku froze, his heart beating frantically in his chest. Turning his head to peek over his shoulder, his expression fell in disappointment. Out trotted Kanroji in her own robe.