Wisteria

4 - Hanako and Kaede

You know, sometimes I wonder what the Demon Slayer Universe might be if it never ended. I mean, to be fair, that's why you clicked on. Or maybe it was a mistake. But I don't care. You're here with me now.

Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to be in it. If you were in it. Would you side with demons or the Demon Slayers? And if you were in here, what would your goal be? Would you fall into temptation? Would you even have a reason to live?

That's what most slayers would ponder in their free time. I mean, what was the point of this? To survive? Most of humanity was doing the same. So, why bother killing demons if it was damn near impossible?

Hanako felt the same. She was plagued with these thoughts, even if her sister, Kaede, felt different. Her sister had a curse of optimism, just like Yasuo. To be cursed with optimism was like cancer. You'd believe in the world being too good, it begins to eat you out on the inside.

And so, patrol nights were never any good with the two girls, as you can imagine. You have one doomer-wave girl and Pinkie Pie paired together. Despite this, none of them had ever died.

Hanako was a girl with short black hair tied back into a tight braid. She had smooth, pale skin, vibrant lilac eyes, sharp features, and a tall yet sturdy build.

Her sister was the opposite, having softer features, a shorter build, and long black hair in a loose ponytail. It was respective personalities fitting respective bodies.

Both had their strengths and weaknesses. Both were compatible with each other in their skills. Both could do what the other couldn't. You get the idea.

So one cold night, the two girls were forced on night patrol. You know, it's boring I'm telling you this, but I can't write. Anyway, the night didn't prove to be so perfect. Snow filled their shoes and froze their toes while they repeatedly walked around the same path.

Hanako felt her eyebags sag as she continued to walk around. She would kill for a sweet cup of hot chocolate while snuggling under her sheets. Kaede yawned quietly, stretching her arms before glancing at her sister's watch. "Come on, can we stop walking? Please?" Kaede whined, "It's time we take a break!" 

Hanako ignored her sister, speeding her pace as she walked through the forest. Kaede groaned in frustration as she dragged her feet along to follow her sister. Before Kaede could make another whine, Hanako froze. Her eye twitched at the sound of a faint thump.

Her hand gripped the handle of her nichirin sword as she glanced at every edge. "Jesus Christ, Hanako! Wait up!" Kaede called out, watching her sister silently bolt through the trees. "I SAID WAIT UP!"

Hanako continued to run, pressing her thumb against the hilt. She halted after reaching a few metres from the source of the noise, keeping her breath at a steady pace. Just as she expected, nothing. But nothing could mean anything. Nothing could be a trick of something. Her eyes began to flick to every corner of her visible vision, hoping for a small sign of movement. Again, nothing came. Nothing really meant nothing.

Good on you, Hanako. You're stupid.

That is what she would say if there truly was nothing.

The snow dug into her heels, causing her to wince. It was biting cold, way too cold. As Hanako drifted her gaze down, attempting to drag her feet, her face palmed onto the floor. Nails bit through her flesh as it crawled its way up her face. Her hair was harshly gripped and her eyes were forced to meet eyes with this monstrous beast.

"Son of a bitch-" Her words were cut off by the demon clamping a hand down on her throat.

He looked strangely human, with the only difference being his red eyes, pointy nails, and pale skin. Hanako noticed the hunger in his eyes as he leaned in to sink his teeth into her flesh. What didn't make sense was his uniform. He couldn't have been an average citizen, but he couldn't be an outcast either.