ONE SHOT COLLECTION

FIRE

Fire


My brother was a well-known demon slayer because of his generosity with other and his seriousness on his missions. My father taught him all of his breathing techniques, fire breathing techniques. This breathing techniques gives power of will and resolve to its user.

My father taught him with the hard way, no evening that my brother came home with scar and bruises all over his body, when I asked about the scar, he answered.
“These scar looks cool!”
His stupid smiling face still rooted down in my memories. He and I was 5 years old different, even so I still love him, we do fight sometimes deciding whose going to be better at mastering the fire breathing techniques but father always laugh and says.
“If you want to know whose better, better test it on the demons, see who can kill the strongest demon with their fire breathing.”
And after that day, our fight is always about whose going to be a better demon slayer.
Father always pray to mother’s grave every week in the bleak of morning, I never saw him cried in my entire life, he is a strong man and a strong father. My mother died when she gave birth to me, her body is already weak to begin with, father always told us that our mother died in a fight, a honorable one. I sometime feels that I was the cause of it, but my brother reminds me that he is glad I was born, he always distract me from these thoughts, until I came to forget about it.

My brother took the test after 3 years of training, he looks cool with the scar on his body, though people seems to avoid him… As expected, he passed the test. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep for three days.
The day that his sword arrived my brother was so happy.
His sword has a beautiful purple lining on its blade and the scabbard has a Cherry tree painted with gold. But he soon dispatched on a mission, but he’ll promised that he will come back.
The next in the line was me, father taught me less harsher than my brother, but because all of those years I’ve been watching my brother’s training, it only took me 2 years to perfecting the techniques, but…
The day before I went to the testing ground my father passed away, on his last breath he says something that I would never forget.
“Keep calm, I’m meeting your mother now, to tell her how proud I am for you. Be the best.”

As for the test, I almost got killed there, the demon I faced there was so much stronger, but I realise that my techniques was strong too, I rely on it throughout the rest of the test, and I passed it. But sadly I am the only one…

My brother ha stopped sending me letter at my first year of training, day by day I wait for another letter to come as well as my sword.
When my sword finally arrived, the swordsmith recognized me.
The scabbard of the blade has a fire engraved on it, when I unsheathe it, the blade color change to dark red with a fire marking on the handle. The swordsmith says that the fire engraving was my father’s last wish.
With my father’s words, I set to began my journey, I was sent to the west for my first quest the same direction as my brother.
On the journey, I feel the weight of being a demon slayer. I was thinking about my brother, why he stopped sending letters. Maybe he forget or something, but as my journey nearing the end…
“Maybe he’s dead.” I quickly shake that idea and enter the forest.

The forest was so thick, the only light I have small Sunlight that comes from a gap between leaves. As I venture deep inside the forest a horrible smell start to stab my nostril, I quickly cover my nose with a rug and keep moving. The forest floor become more and more wet, the air temperature drop and fog start to cover my surrounding.
When i sense a presence nearby I quickly hover my arm above my katana.
I cannot pinpoint exactly where the presence is, but I fell like its right beside me. Fear starts to creep into my mind, my hands started to sweat and tremble. I control my breathing and calm my self and as soon as I calm my self a blade come out from the fog, I barely dodge the swipe it managed to slice my forehead a bit.
I quickly draw my blade and start to follow the blade, more and more blade start to comes from a different angles and direction, I can deflect them all and keep pushing forward by also using fire breathing technique: form 4, fire claw.
A technique that uses both the sword and the scabbard as a defense barrier and your feet to attack, but in this case, I only use the defense part of this technique.
The more I deflect the blade that comes for me, good thing that the blade isn’t that long, only as long as my index finger and not too thick too. After a while, I started to realise that on the end of each blade, a string is attached to it.
Fire breathing techniques: form 6, fire clap. A fast and single strike is this technique is all about. This technique heat of the blade and using that heat to cut the string attached to the blade while still deflecting other incoming blade.
“NOO!!! DON’T CUT MY CHILDREN!!! “
After that scream a demon rushes to me and launch an overhead strike with its claws. I jumped back and charge at the demon using fire breathing technique: form 1, blazing thrust.
But the demon manages to dodge the attack, but I managed to make a cut online the demon’s left leg. After dodging the demon jump back, making a distance from me and starts to pick up some blade that are on the ground while mumbling.
“How dare you! My children… ah… they’re so cold.”
Now that he’s not moving so much I can get a good look at the body, the demon has 3 hands, 2 on the right and 1 on the left, same with the eyes, the skin color is just like a decayed tomato, hairless, and all of the blade stored on its legs, height is just the same as me although the body is bigger. And the demon has a long object covered with a red cloth on its left hips.
I charged again using form 1, the demon quickly realise and try to defend it self with the object that covered by the red cloth, the thing stopped my attack, I didn’t feel any crack or any sign of breaking, but the cloth burned and revealed a scabbard that is similar to my brother’s. I quickly continue my attack and kill the demon by slicing its head half.
I picked up the scabbard and quickly leaves the forest.

When I walked out of the forest I see a village, I sit on the ground and start to examine the scabbard.
“Its so similar, I didn’t touch the scabbard when it arrived at home, and-!”
I remember, I can ask a 2 or more question to the demon I just killed, I slap my head twice.
“I know he’s not dead, he can’t be dead.”
A small yellow bird land on my shoulder.
“Neeexttttrrr!!! Just go northrrr from this village!!! “
After seeing a demon, a talking bird is the last thing I wanted to see.
The village is full of people, at least more than my village.
“Are you perhaps, a demon slayer?”
An elderly woman ask me while I sat outside eating a dango with a cup of tea.
“Yes, are there anything I can help?”
After hearing my answer, she started to cry and fall down to her knees, I quickly squat down and hold her shoulders, she is shaking…
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She gently grab my katana and says.
“Please save my grandson from the mist forest.” Her voice is trembling while when point with shaking hands to the forest I was just in.
“I’ve killed the demon there, but…”
I cannot say that I didn’t search for any other people there so I stopped myself.
She looks up to me with surprised expression.
“Did you…?”
Her face makes me even more hesitant to answer the question. I just nod at her.
“My grandson! Where is he!”
I didn’t say anything, I just look away from her and she seems to immediately understand.
“I see… it was too late…”
“I am sorry…”
I helped her stand up and sat her down on the bench I was sitting at.
She continues to tell me about his grandson, he was a kind boy with the strength of a tiger but he is as clumsy as a new born monkey, I just chuckles qith her, and apparently his grandson dream is to become a demon slayer and protect this very village, his family died during a flood that once ruin this village. She was the one that this boy had, but somehow he got killed in that forest.
She thanked me for listening to her story and tells me that my face reminds me of her grandson and leave.

When night falls, I inspect the scabbard as detail as I can. What I can gather is that this is the same exact replica of my brother’s scabbard. But all of the scarring on the scabbard makes me question its genuineness. I just take the problem and sleep with it.

The morning air is very fresh, after buying some supplies with the saving I got from home I set to continue my journey.

I finally arrived at another forest, and the other good thing is, its night time, I sighed and enter the forest.
The moment I enter the forest I hear a distant sound of a battle, I grab my katana and started to follow the sound. When the sounds grow near, I started to see a flicker of flame. When I feel i was near enough I climbed a tree to see better, and what I see is something unbelievable.
A lot of demon slayer corpses were brutally slice open by a demon.
The demon’s skin is as pale as a wood ash, the hair is soon stiff it looks like a creature legs, and the weapon that the demon uses is, a purple lined katana.
I jumped down and reveals my self to the demon. I wipe my eyes and draw my katana.
“Long time no see little brother. “
When the demon speaks, the only emotions I feel is anger.
“Fire breathing technique: form 9, raging fire!”
I engulf my sword with fire and charges at the demon. The demon blocks all of my attacks.
“It seems that father has gone soft with you, what’s with this power? Blood technique: Entangled.”
Tree roots sprung out from the ground and suspend my movement.
“I am truly disappointed brother, is this what I left you for, weakling.”
He walks away from me.
“Don’t you dare… DON’T YOU DARE USE HIS VOICE YOU ABOMINATION!!! FIRE BREATHING TECHNIQUE, FORM 2: FIRE BLAST.”
I burst out heat force that burns the roots.
The demon just give me a wide smile across its face.
“Fire breathing technique, form 3: half sun.”
I jump at the demon and strike with immense power, making a bright fire that spills and burn the surrounding.
The demon blocks it but he seems to received some damage to his legs. But even with that my attacks didn’t stop, I keep lunging at him every time he makes a distance and keep on attacking while he’s blocking.
“YES! THIS! THIS IS WHAT I WANTED!”
His shouting only makes me more mad.
“Blood technique: Rising Sunray.”
He quickly pull his katana out of the scabbard, I can’t block it in time with my blade, I quickly take my scabbard and barely block his attack, the power from his attack sends me flying backward, I rolled several times before I regain my balance and stop.
“My dear brother, you see this power I yield?! This power is what I want! Father’s breathing technique is not enough!”
I stand up and point my blade at him again, I still can feel the pain from his attack earlier.
“I look up to you brother! Father died without knowing you betrayed him! I set to a journey to follow your steps! Yet here you are, devoted to a demon!”
“Devoted? You maybe right… But for power I’ll do anything!”
“Why brother!? I wanted to fight alongside you, to protect father’s legacy!”
“What legacy?! That frail techniques? It sure makes me laugh to think THAT is a legacy. You are naïve dear brother, come with me, he will grant you the same power. Come with me, to his family.”


Please, run… I can’t control my body…
“No please… Let me go…-“
Ah… they all died… by my hands again, I feel so miserable now… get beaten by a spider demon and worse of all, turned into one that makes me laugh rget about all of my fire breathing techniques.
I turn around as I heard someone land behind me.
“Long time no see little brother.” Ah, please kill me! End me brother!
As we clash and seeing him mastering fire breathing technique, I feel both happy and sad.
“It seems that father has gone soft with you, what’s with this power? Blood technique: Entangled.” No! Don’t make me use a demon’s power!
Seeing him can’t move make me hate myself even more.
You want to kill him right?
No! Just please! You had enough right? Just walk away, he’ll stop! Please!
“I am truly disappointed brother, is this what I left you for, weakling.”
I am sorry brother…
“Don’t you dare… DON’T YOU DARE USE HIS VOICE YOU ABOMINATION!!! FIRE BREATHING TECHNIQUE, FORM 2: FIRE BLAST!”
As we clash our sword again, his words rings in my ears. I am an abomination, flesh without soul, just a murderous monstrosity that I’ve become.
“I look up to you brother! Father died without knowing you betrayed him! I set to a journey to follow your steps! Yet here you are, devoted to a demon!”
“Devoted? You maybe right… But for power I’ll do anything!”
“Why brother!? I wanted to fight alongside you, to protect father’s legacy!”
“What legacy?! That frail techniques? It sure makes me laugh to think THAT is a legacy. You are naïve dear brother, come with me, he will grant you the same power. Come with me, to his family.” NO! I DON’T WANT HIM TO BECOME THE MONSTER THAT I AM NOW! JUST KILL ME BROTHER!


He charges at me, but I’m ready for him.
“Fire breathing technique, form 10: Hell Plate.”
I how as low as I can, bringing myself to the ground to do a sweep attack on his legs, but when he enters my attack range, he stops his attack, I immediately look up to him, I see him crying…
“Please…” His voice silence other noise. “Please kill me… I don’t want to kill anymore, please, only you can kill me now…”
I gasped, before all my sense comes back to me.
“No! YOU ALWAYS INTERRUPT ME!!! JUST LET ME KILL YOUR BROTHER! UGH—“
I quickly get up and kick his abdomen with all of my strength, I send him flying backwards far enough and strong enough to break a big tree on his flight path.
“Wha-! What is that power.” The tree behind him start to fall, but before it reaches the ground I was already in front of him.
“Fire breathing technique last form,  form 12: hope.”
I use the flame that engulfed my blade to extended its reach and  sharpen its edge.
Deafening sound of my flaming sword clashing with his demon sword can be heard far away from there, and we’ve moved far away from our first point. Until at some point, I see a boy with a scar on his fore head and another boy with a boar head, but my mind is only focused on one thing.
“I WILL GRANT YOUR HOPE!”
“YOU DAMN HUMAN!!!”
His body is different now, the muscles is thicker than before, his eyes grow more red, and cuts everywhere, both on his body and mine.
Until at one sequence, I managed to break his defense and strike. But seeing my brother’s crying face makes me hesitate and slash his legs instead.
“AHH!!! YOU-YOU MERE HUMANS! HOW CAN YOU BE SO STRONG!”
I ignore his scream and put my blade on his neck.
“I’ve grant your wish, rest well, dear brother.”
I cut his head and slice his body in half.
The head roll to my feet, I take a step back and kneel in front of it and pray.
“I hope you find your happiness in the afterlife.”
When  stand up and look around I realized that his blade is still there. I pick it up and clean the blood by swiping it side ways, and sheet it at the empty scabbard.
After that I got rescued by other demons slayer corps. For almost half a year I question my motivation, until I see the boy with a scar on his head and his demon sister, they seems happy…
I don’t know what I got from them, but I feel that my brother wants me to go forward, him and both my mother and father is always supporting me from far away. So I decided to keep moving on
-END-