Sky Lighter (Demon Slayer OC Story)

The Real You

"I've seen him before..."

Sekien looked over his shoulder, perplexed at seeing the towering man behind him. The silver sword the crimson eyed boy was swinging was held in place by its blade from the white haired man's grip. Soon enough, his hand opened to release the blade, as Sekien slowly lowered it with his mind racing.

"He's another Hashira, right?" Sekien deduced, turning to face the bedazzled man before him. "Rengoku talked about him back then."

The supposed Hashira quickly sighed to himself. "You're training for the corps, right?" He suddenly asked, pinching his nose. "You throw a tantrum like that in a fight, and you'll get yourself or someone else killed." The man spoke in a disappointed tone. "So annoying." He then muttered under his breath, which snapped Sekien out of his state, with an annoyed look all over his face with a tick growing on his head.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Sekien spat, as the Hashira sighed again in annoyance, before smirking. "You're being too dramatic. Are you gonna cry like you did just now when a Demon with tougher skin shows up?"

Sekien thought his answer through for a few seconds, before speaking with utmost confidence. "It won't matter." He declared. "I'll make sure they all die the same."

Suddenly, the Hashira's tough facade cracked as he barely contained his laughter, with a singular "HA!" escaping from his mouth before he covered it. His body shook with the containment of his own laughter as Sekien's eye began twitching more and more.

"Not even a minute, and this guy..." Sekien thought to himself, watching the laughing Hashira before him. "...is already gonna make me lose my shit!"

But before Sekien could do anything, the hunched over Hashira held up his hand as he calmed down. "I like that answer!" He laughed. "It's stupid... but I like the energy!"

Sekien had a puzzled look as the Hashira continued. "Behind a sword, nothing's more important to bring to battle against Demons than a mentality to win. Beheading the Demon... Saving lives... none of that can happen without the drive and certainty to make these goals reality."

Straightening up, the Hashira looked down at the crimson eyed boy, keenly listening. "You know what I'm talking about, right? Otherwise you would've given me something else as an answer... like more whining!" He mocked, before continuing. "So your problem is something else... Just what is it?"

The muscular man pondered to himself as Sekien just looked up at him with an annoyed and confused look. "Don't ask me, dammit..." The boy groaned. "I know I'm missing something, but I wouldn't be here if I knew what. So if you got nothing to offer-"

"Shut up." The Hashira flatly spat out, as he grabbed Sekien by the shoulders as he spun him back around, towards the tree the boy was just trying to cut. "It's not something that's missing. It's something in the way. Something that's keeping you from fully grasping yourself."

"You think so?" Sekien asked over his shoulder, as the Hashira's previously mocking and smug face was now a stern and serious one. "I'm certain of it. Breathing on a level above any rookie I've seen, an experienced body that's obviously seen more than some people already in the corps, and a mentality to push you to the heights of the Hashira." The man spoke with certainty. "But all that potential is being held back by the most basic of questions."

Sekien listened closely as the Hashira leaned down over him. "Why are you here?" He asked the crimson eyed boy, who understandably was confused. "Why do you want to risk your life for this? Why do you want to kill Demons?"

"This again? Rengoku asked the same thing only yesterday..." The boy groaned internally, before speaking. "...Because what other choice is there?" Sekien quickly responded. "I want some purpose and payoff for what I've been through... And I want revenge against the Upper Moon that killed my dad. Revenge against whatever Demon out there killed my sister."