Kimetsu No Yaiba AU - Butterfly Of Change

Chapter 19 - Weird Dream

What is he doing here? Naoto doesn't even know how he ended up here. The first thing Naoto know is he's surrounded by darkness. He starts to look around, searching for any source of light.

"Where am I? Hm? Water? And... Ughhh, what is this smell?"

He realized that beneath him, there is a shallow water that reach his ankle. Rotten smell also lingered in the air, making Naoto unconsciously pinch his nose. Slowly, his eyes have adjusted to the darkness, he can see three meters in front of him clearly.

Right in front of him, he saw a little boy is sitting on the shallow water. Upon a closer look, Naoto can see he have a very long ponytail and he wears a purple owl haori with a feather pattern on the hem. His hair is tied using a black butterfly ornament with a blue accent.

For some reason, this little boy's body is shivering and Naoto can hear a sound of sobbing.

"Sob, sob... Sob, sob..."

Naoto pitied this little boy, alone in this dark and cold place. He must have felt very lonely. Naoto approaches him slowly.

The little boy heard a sound of water ripple behind him, he turns around cautiously. His big eyes are staring at a pretty tall man with short ponytail and feather hair tie. The little boy can see there is a gentle smile on this unknown man's face.

Naoto squat right in front of the crying kid.

"Why are you crying?"

"..."

The little boy didn't say anything, he keeps staring at Naoto with teary eyes. It make Naoto feel lost, what should he do in this kind of situation?

"Um..."

"Mister..."

The kid suddenly talk, it made Naoto feel a bit happy he finally speaks. But mister? He's still in middle school.

"Yes?"

"What art thee doing here?"

Naoto feels a bit surprised, this kid is talking using an old fashioned Japanese? This is not a Meiji era or Taisho era anymore. But luckily he manages to grasp it clearly.

"Hm, I don't know. The next thing I know I already here. What about you? What are you doing here?"

"..."

The kid become quiet again, he keep staring at Naoto in silence.

"Are you afraid?"

The boy nodded.

Naoto smiles gently and pat his head.

"Then let me teach you some trick how to be brave. You do this..."

Naoto starts drawing a horizontal and vertical pattern in the air using his finger.

"With every finger stroke, you chant, Rin, Pyou, To, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen."

The boy tilted his head.

"Kuji-in? Why?"

"Oh? It looks like you also know about it. My friends have a strange habit you see, she likes to chant this. She told me that this chant can purify evil and make yourself braver. So whenever I'm afraid, I always say this word inside my heart."

The boy finally smiled.

"I see. Thee has a good friend, mister. What's thee friend like?"

"Yes, she's a very good friend of mine. She's kind and gentle to everyone."

"Really? Mine friend also very kind."

"Oh~, it looks like you have a very good friend just like me."