SUMMER BREEZE | t. muichiro

THREE | among the tsugukos

( — THREE ; AMONG THE TSUGUKOS )

TRAINING, even on the weekends, has become a habit for me. I didn't have my uniform and katana yet, so I couldn't formally accept missions. Also, I named my crow Miki, courtesy to Mitsuri.

I heard my master squeal from the house and I knew that we had visitors. Her squeak sounded like a mouse's when she was excited to see the person, and a squirrel when she wasn't expecting the visitor. I gently placed my katana down, dusted my training yukata, and went inside.

A kakushi was sitting in the couch as Mitsuri was rambling about her infamous pancakes. I could see the kakushi squirming in her seat, and I bowed before them, flicking Mitsuri's forehead.

"Owwie! Mila-chan, that hurt!"

Even the kakushi seemed surprised, and I could tell why. I, who was a simple tsuguko, had the utter nerve to flick a Hashira's forehead. Not just any Hashira, but my master. Oh well. Mitsuri was nice anyway. She wouldn't mind.

"Good morning," I greeted the woman before sitting beside my master. "I assume that's my uniform?"

"Yes, and I saw your sword smith coming this way, Kanata-sama," the kakushi nodded, placing a medium-sized box on the coffee table. "Please try it on and see if it fits."

I took the box and went to my bedroom. I opened the cover and removed the fabric from its casing, before cursing so loud that Mitsuri squeaked out from the living room.

"H-Holy shit!"

° • ° • ° • °

"E-ERM, Mila-chan, you shouldn't glare at kakushi-san, okay?"

I knew my purpose as a demon slayer. The very essence of the foundation was to slay demons. They were the bane of humanity's existence and sought to harm others for their own selfish survival. I knew that. Such thinking was hammered into me the very moment Mitsuri-sama took me in as a tsuguko.

However, right now, I was heavily leaning towards the decision to slice this kakushi's head.

"It's the standard uniform for all female slayers." The kakushi said, puffing his chest as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Wow, the bastard was proud of it.

"I will burn this uniform in front of your eyes." I replied, my tone heavy and firm. I might be young, but I wasn't stupid.

I knew that the standard uniform wasn't supposed to be unbuttoned at the chest area with a skirt so short that a simple breeze would lift the fabric up.

"A-Ah!" Mitsuri-sama squeaked, her cheeks flushed. "Kakushi-san, could we just get the same type of uniform that Kanao-chan has? 'Cause, um, I don't want Mila-chan to start a fire."

I simply hummed, keeping a passive-agressive smile on my face as I slid my katana back in its sheath.

° • ° • ° • °

MY sword smith, Jeuchi-san, was a man in his late forties, and had wisteria earrings dangling down his earlobes. I almost forgot my uniform situation, since I was giddy to see my katana.

"Your sword is forged from the Sunshine Wisteria Ore, Kanata-sama. It means that not only does your sword harvest sunlight, one of its components is wisteria blossoms ground into powder and mixed with its steel. Just a touch and a demon will get poisoned."

It was a pretty good ore then. Thank you, squirrel.

The katana Jeuchi-san handed me was a masterpiece. It was just like Mitsuri's whip-like sword, and the second I touched it, my sword turned to an apple-green to white gradient color.

"What a lovely color. Never saw gradients in my time, only solid colors." Jeuchi-san praised, nodding his head thoughtfully.

I thanked him as he set off back to the sword smith's village, and I decided to turn in for the night.

How I was going to survive the next day, I didn't know.

° • ° • ° • °

"TSUGUKO presentation?"

I was in the process of putting on my new uniform, clicking the purple buttons in place as I turned to look at Mitsuri-sama.

I was satisfied with it now. I wanted to get one with the tattsuke-hakama pants like the one Kocho-sama wore, but I could live with a longer skirt for now. My scarred calves were still in view because of my shoes, but I liked the skirt length enough.

Mitsuri-sama nodded. "Mm-hmm, Oyakata-sama wants to meet you properly!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "I'm glad you have a uniform you like now, and I'm sure the other Hashiras will think the same! Come on, pleeeease? Say you'll go?"

I sighed exasperatedly, nodding as I shrugged. "All right, all right. I'll go."