koi no yokan | inosuke hashibira

𝟓.𝟎

July 10, 2024 Edit:
I added more plot fixed to (Y/N)'s breathing style. Sorry to keep you guys out of the loop.
Enjoy!


"EVERYONE MOVE IT!" Tengen shouted to the crowd of Demon Slayers running and pacing up and down the pathway. "THE DEMON HAS ALREADY CAUGHT YOU ALL! KEEP RUNNING!" The Demon Slayers shrieked in pain as Tengen began pushing them, watching them from a stone.

From the sidelines, I began packing my things, sighing as I saw the rest of the crew struggle in their path.

"Wow, (Y/N). Already done." Makio chuckled as she approached with a bowl of rice topped with seaweed. "What are you going to do now?"

I nodded a thank you as I took in the bowl. "I suppose move on to the next course. Shinobu insisted I watch myself and only continue the training sessions when needed. She put me on watch in order to regulate my new breathing style." I inhaled a bite of the rice, slinging my bag over my shoulder as I did so.

Makio nodded. "You mustn't tell anyone Tengen skipped your final battle with him. He heard of your breathing style and ushered he waited until you mastered it. A breathing style out of control is unheard of." She placed her hands on her hips, flipping her bangs away as she swayed from side to side.

I handed her an empty bowl as her mouth dropped in surprise and hummed. "Or maybe, he's getting old enough to realize a new generation is coming in and maybe he lost the strength to take me." I snarkled, wiping my cheek of any left overs and giving her a cunning smile.

Makio let out a gasp, playfully slapping my shoulder as I laughed a reply. I barely missed the meeting with Tanjiro before he had left the Rehabilitation Center. Now, I was the last of my friends to take upon the training. I hadn't seen them in what felt like months... although it had only been maybe two weeks. Inosuke...

 "We are grateful for your rescue at his last mission." She continued. "We haven't seen you or your friends since then. Back then, you were still Tsukogu. How does it feel being Hashira?" She swayed her hips, running them into mine.

I shrugged. "Hashira, Tsukogu, it feels different. Yet, I have to figure out what Hashira of what breathing style I am- Water, Wind, Ice... Oh, well..." I sighed, dropping my shoulders.

From the corner of my eye I saw Makio give a reassuring smile. "Whatever your status or technique, we are all the same- fighting against evil."

Above, my crow was waiting for me to usher me to the next training session. I waved Makio a goodbye, not wanting to interrupt Tengen's pounding of his trainees.

Once at Muichiro's station, it came to my knowledge that I just needed to have a one-on-one session with the fellow Hashira and not have to endure their sessions. I was slightly disappointed, wanting to know more about my Hashira group, but was grateful otherwise for having a lighter load.

Muichiro's brawl was tense and eager. Me being slightly taller than him, I felt a weight on me whenever I dared to glance for him, only to see him to have vanished. We brawled around the room, observers watching us like two partners in a dance of death. If ones were lucky, they could feel the air in the room reach chaos and equilibrium every so often. The only giveaway was his haori. I could hear the whisps of his clothing ever so slightly in his smooth movements.

Although my eyes could not catch his body, my skin felt the air when he moved and my ears caught wind of all his locations. A match with him altered and amplified senses I had not realized I could train even more.

From the giveaway of his haori, I was able to track his next move and silence his wind with a gentle swipe of my wooden blade against the side of his torso.

He jumped aback, his eyes gleaming into mine in sudden surprise. We both huffed in exhaustion, but our bodies were filled with adrenaline and an ache to continue.