A Winter's Treasure {Tengen Uzui}

Finding the Treasure

It was a very cold and snowy day. Among the leafless trees and the huge white carpet that covered the ground, a tall, muscled man with his hair as white as the snow itself walked through the forest on his way home. His name is Tengen Uzui and he is the Sound Hashira. He was coming back from another meeting with the other Hashira. He just wasn't expecting to be caught by a snow storm on his way home. In fact, there were a lot of things that he wasn't expecting to happen that day.

"The snow storm is getting stronger. I'll have to take a shortcut home." The Hashira said as he turned his way inside the deep forest in order to avoid the storm. His guard was never down as an Oni could appear at any second.

However, not even all of his years of hard training were enough to prepare him for what he had encountered in that forest. After walking for about ten minutes, he swore that he had just heard a scream within the distance. Which was enough to get him alert.

His right hand came to the back of his head and grabbed his sword. His reddish eyes watching for every suspect move around him. And he detected one. A figure was coming towards him in the distance. He got himself ready to fight whatever was coming at him. However, he was not ready for what he saw.

Coming at him, was a young girl about twenty years of age if he was right, wearing a very simple reddish kimono with nothing else underneath it. Which was odd to say the least, considering the snowy weather. She had light brown skin and straight brownish long hair.

She looked terrified as she ran towards him. Tripping on her bare toes and falling over the snowy ground. Tengen knelt before her and checked if she was alright.

"Miss?? What 's wrong?? What happened to you??" He asked as he looked for any signs of harm on her. Unfortunately, it didn't take long before he found them. Her legs were covered in cuts and scratches. The Hashira felt his blood boil. Who would do such a thing to such an adorable and innocent girl?? "Who did this to you?? Please tell me!!"

The girl was shivering on the cold snow under her. Her clothing barely covered her body from the cold air. Her face was teary and sweaty from running. Her lips mumbling her words, trying to collect them into sense. "S-Sir.... They're... They're coming!!" She said with her voice breaking from the cold in her body.

Tengen's eyes widened. It all made sense now. This girl was being attacked by Demons!! How did he not get that from the start?? He got up and put himself in front of her. Three figures were coming from the depths of the forest. The Hashira with his sword poised in his fist. Ready to strike those Demons with a single hit.

However, he was bound to be surprised when the three figures turned out not to be Demons, but human men.

"Hey, Mr. Sparkles!! Hand that cunt back!! She 's ours!!" One of them roared.

Tengen noticed that one of them had a rope in hands while another one had a knife in hand. Could that be what they used to cause those wounds on the girl's legs??

Tengen maintained his composure and pointed his sword at them.

"What's the meaning of this?? Are you responsible for causing this young lady such distress??" He asked with cold curiosity.

"So what if we are?? As far as we know we get to do whatever we want to with her. Her old man handed her to us himself!!" One of them said with a bit of sass.

Tengen blinked. If what he said was true, what could possibly make a father give his daughter away to such men??

"And could you lighten me up on why would her own father give her away to you just like that??"

"Her old man owed us a lot of cash and even after we gave him time to collect it he still didn't have enough, so he offered her to us as the rest of the payment. And I must say, with a body like that she's worth way more than what we bargained for." The man said with an evil smirk as he eyed the girl behind the Hashira, who hid herself even more.