Tsuchinoto of Lightning

Part 8 - First mission

With her new sword at her waist, uniform and her good old haori on her shoulders, Yuki said goodbye and set off onto her first mission, her crow - Tsukechi, was a pleasant one. They got to talking before she got her katana.

Her first ever mission, and she wasn't even nervous. It was about a demon lurking in a big village, stealing the livestock as bait to catch and devour farmers.

Before nightfall, she had already arrived to the village, finding it way more lively than she had imagined, especially since it was somewhat dark already, and the farmers alongside the tailors were still out and about, chatting, laughing, dancing and working.

While exploring the village, she overhead a conversation between two farmers, talking about the recent disappearances of significant amounts of livestock.

- Excuse me, sir, could I accompany you while searching for the animals? - Butted in Kagome.

- Sure, but yer know, wild wild thing happen to fa'mers who look for 'em.

- Sir, I can assure you that won't happen again. I need to find what is stealing all these animals.

And so they did, after dark, the three of them searched for, at least a "moo". Yet when a rustle in the forrest sounded, Kagome closened her hand to her hip, and the demon recognised the uniform.

It jumped out, horrifying, just as the demons on mt. Fujikasane, and so did the livestock, galloping away from the forrest and into the fields. The dogs got to work, herding it back to the houses, and so did the farmers themselves too run away.

This demon definitely wasn't weak, it's size, intensity of it's aura and Yui's intuition told her it had consumed a large amount of humans.

She waited for it's first attack, yet when it did charge at her, fangs bared as it struck her neck, she didn't have enough time to attack, resorting to defence only.

Good thing the large fields were empty as not to hurt any bystander.

She fell back and quickly regained her balance, charging forward, gripping her sword tightly and wrapping it around the abnormally big arm of the beast, slicing it clean into pieces.

That would have given her at least a split second to aim for its neck, but the demon didn't go down so easily, using its claws and scratching at her, injuring her shoulder, and then her upper thigh.

She didn't know why she had such a deficit of strength and skill, compairing her preformance during the final selection to now, and only then she had realised.

It was her body temperature. The lightning breath combines sword attacks with kicks and punches, creating a lot of friction, and, in responce, heat. She was sweating, and thanks to the tears in her uniform, she can now regulate her temperature better.

Yet for safety, she slid open the buttons on her top, revealing the bamdages she'd used as a substitute for a bra.

With a swift breath, she charged again at the demon, wrapping around its arm and slicing his neck. The demon tried pulling its arm away, making Yui's sword a couple centimetres short to cut its head, but thanks to her incredible strength, she succeeded, turning the demon into ash.

- I need to get my uniform fixed... - She said as her crow flew in.

- I'll guide you to a tailor, now! - Aaand he flew off. Good thing Yuki has just enough strength to keep up.

She tipped over and fell unconscious...

...on the dirt.

Well...

***

Slowly waking up from her bed, turning over and napping more is something she has to give up in order to keep up her new life, yet it's so early...

~ Can't I just go back to sleep?... ~

Suddenly she realised what had happened, how she fell down in the middle of the field, wondering how all of a sudden she's now in a comfortable bed in a nice, warm hut.

- Oh, you're awake! You've been sleeping all day, it's night time. - Said a nice lady wearing a pretty basic kimono with an apron on top of it. She was carrying a tray with some hot tea.

- Oh, really...

- Yes, and thank you. That monster hadn't eaten a couple of the missing people yet, and some were rescued from within its den! - She sat down next to the futon and smiled.

- That was dangerous, there could have been more demons there, and non of you can defend yourselves against it. - She explained. Although, yes, demons usually don't team up, that doesn't mean there couldn't have been many in one area.

- Oh, well nothing really happened. - She looked down, tears forming - Thank you, my dear child. I was so scared that I'd never see my husband again...

After those words Yui felt an emptyness in her. Was is jealousy? Was she really jealous that this woman could see her husband, but she couldn't see her family again? No, not that...

Everything in her life was perfect, even though she didn't have a nice, expensive kimono, it was definitely better than what the other townsfolk wore. Her house was big, guessing this is just a small guest room. She had a husband and kids, she was fulfilled.

And Yui? No family, no friends, apart from Ms. Kyoukomurasaki of course, no lover, no home, no kimonos even.

She had devoted her life to slaying demons...

***

The same day she woke up, her crow came flying in.

- You were supposed to follow me, prick!

- You were supposed to guide me, not just fly off and expect me to run after you.

- Too bad. You said you needed that uniform change, I'll guide you.

- Good, we'll go now.

With a warm goodbye from the lady and her husband, alongside all the people rescued and their families, Yui set off again, this time, following Tsukechi to what seems to be like the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps.