Fandom Demon Slayer: Breath of Destruction (open)

[Ivaliss the Ashen Knight]

Tsushiro Kuninaga

Upper Moon II ( Breath of Ruin )

Location: Forest Surrounding Asakusa City

He’s goading me, I’m sure of it. As much as I can’t stand to admit it, he’s stronger than me and he knows that I know it….

Tsushiro looked at the smiling face before him with his normal indifferent expression not faltering, although he was seething under the surface. He’d learned his lesson roughly 100 years ago when he first began climbing the ranks of the Upper Moons, cleaving his way through each former member before coming to face Keijirō. He initially thought he had an easy fight ahead of him until the moment he witnessed the true nature of the Demon King’s right hand. Finding himself thoroughly beaten, he assumed the rank of Upper Moon II. Don’t get him wrong, he was not afraid of his senior by any means, but demons have an innate ability to recognize strength. “ I have a bad habit of completing a task that should come natural to any demon, but for some reason, you’d rather let the pests run rampant “, he finished gritting his teeth slightly; it annoyed him to no end the amount of sympathy that Keijirō showed to humans. “ Also, to answer your ‘question’ , yes, I’ve been given more housekeeping duties, so I’m on my way into the city to make sure that things are to the standard that is acceptable.“

That smell….more humans. Like I thought, he can’t be trusted to do anything…

“ You know there are more of those insects scurrying about, which is strange so close to the city. I’m guessing you know something that I don’t.” He eyed the other demon curiously.

“ I guess I’ll wait here and handle that before we depart and, in case you’re unsure, that does mean we’ll be traveling together. The Master would be displeased if you caused a mess, and there are questions I’ll need answered before heading back to report in. Since I’m sure that you’ll decide it isn’t worth your effort, you can go on ahead and meet me at the edge of the forest.“ Finding a large stump, Tsushiro took a seat, deciding to spend a brief moment meditating before the inevitable confrontation.

It seems like things are picking up; maybe this won’t be so boring after all…

He found himself excited, a feeling he’d almost long forgotten..

Haze- Lord_Boreas Ganryu

 

[Captain Spooks]

Hamada Tetsuo | Iaijutsu

This sure brought back memories for Tetsuo, to think a year had passed since he'd become a corps member. And as he looked around the festival the memories came flooding back. Watching the initiates line up with their new weapons and their Haori's eager to become fully fledged demon slayers, and marching off to a demon infested city. Wait that wasn't normal, Tetsuo had to take a double take as he watched the kids march off towards the city. He himself was only a couple of years older than them at best but even he felt intimidated by it.

There was something fishy about it and as the trail of initiates dissapered into the forest Tetsuo spotted a couple of demon slayers slip into the forest as well, heading in the same direction. "They must have had the same idea," he whispered to himself. While he wasn't familiar with every member of the corps those two did seem fairly familiar. He was certain he'd seen the girl around and swore they were around the same age, and he recalled the guy having a unique breathing style.

Without much thought he went in the same direction as them and while he did feel conflicted with possibly interrupting the initiates, but he couldn't stand around while children get slaughtered.
Lord_Boreas​

 

[Lord_Boreas]

Oji Yukiyama​

Oji kneeled quietly behind the bushes with a tight grip on his sword, he had been listening to the conversation and tensed when the taller demon said there were more humans around. he took a step back only to jump and rapidly draw his sword when takafumi tapped him on the shoulder. he swung around holding the cold blade to the taller boys neck, but then swiftly apologized when he realized who it was "Sorry" he bowed deeply, quickly sheathing his blade before turning around to see if the demon had heard him. Luckily the tall man still sat on the tree stump

"the master?" he asked quietly looking back to takafumi as if to ask him who this so called master was. “Are they talking about the Demon king?” He asked quietly, there wasn’t much information about the demon king because of his secrecy. The boy watched as the demon began to meditate, seemingly ignoring their presence. why hadn't he attacked them yet, the boys made no effort to conceal their presence not that they would how but it was obvious that the demon wanted to enjoy himself and this only made oji pale more. "should we try to take him out or run away? he doesn't look that menacing but the smell of death coming from him makes me want to puke" he said quietly slightly gagging at the end of his sentence.

Haze Ganryu

Kimito Arashihime​

Kimito dashed through the forest with Fukuro hot on her trail. Her sense of smell was not the best but she could practically hear all the sounds in the Forrest from the birds chirping down to the animals walking across the Forrest floor. The girl turned her head when a blood curdling scream filled her sensitive ears and she stopped in her tracks with Fukuro almost running into her. “Oh no” he sighed crouching slightly. With her teeth clenched she breathed out making a loud hissing sound as the breath entered and left her lungs “Narukami Kagura” she spoke confidently, she needed to get there fast and this was the first solution to fill her mind. “Third strike: Streaking Lightning across the sky” as the words left her lips she pushed off at near inhuman speeds, practically dancing through the dense foliage of the Forrest . Before she knew it Fukuro was far behind her and she was now standing in a tree looking over Asakusa city “this Forrest is so dense I can hardly tell where the scream came from.”

She sighed closing her eyes to further enhance her hearing “nothing” she mumbled not hearing the screams of a dying man anymore “hey Fukuro can you tell where..” she stopped talking when she could hear someone moving through the Forrest at a decent speed. She turned back and flipped off the tree landing in the ground with a small thud “friend or foe” she drew her sword and stepped back into a ready position. “I didn’t notice it at first but you’ve been following us since we left fujikasane” she called out to the male still not being able to see him but could hear his heart beating. "if you value your life, come out before I unleash the wrath of rajin" she pushed her foot back as if she was going to break into a sprint but simply crouched her body into a more solid stance, ready to defend herself from a possible attacker. she could tell he wasn't a demon but out here you never know what can happen and Kimito intended to use every bit of precaution she could muster.
Captain Spooks

 

[Ganryu]

Masahiko Himura ​

Masahiko breezed through the underbrush gently, hardly disturbing a leaf in his path, yet with a speed an elegance that gave his style it's name. It almost seemed like a falling petal, whisked away by the breeze, floating back and forth, flittering through the smallest gaps. As a crow landed overhead, several leaves fell, and Masahiko passed between them, not disturbing any of them, before kicking off another tree.

As he drew closer, his thumb slowly unsheathed more of his blade, oils inside drifting up a gentle smell of cherry blossoms that prevents the terrible smell of death from incapacitating him instantly. It wasn't that he was immune by any means, he still wanted to wretch, but it was one weakness he had a work around for... though if he had to keep this up, he would run out of perfume before the night was through... and that would be unpleasant. Perfume was time consuming to make, and the boy wasn't rich enough to afford it.

Landing on a branch, he gingerly stood, the wood hardly dipping under his... not so impressive weight. He snarled as he saw the corpse on the ground.

"Failed again..." He muttered. Every single one of these deaths were on all of them. So close to where the demon slayers had had their ceremony, yet not a single one of them could help this man. The only bright side was the wound through his chest seemed to have been quick, and nobody had eaten the corpse, so it was undesecrated.

So, if Masahiko had failed, what was the next step? It should be avenge the man. Strike down the meditating demon that was clearly unrepentant... and unimpressed by their arrival. The answer was obvious.

His knuckles were turning white like his kimono as he stared. He thought it was a simple demon out here, but demons, those he could quantify. What WAS this thing!?

Strike him down!

His feet wobbled, beads of sweat started to fall down the back of his neck.

Strike him down!!!

His teeth clenched and grinded, his eyes wild as his held kodachi rattled in its sheath.

STRIKE HIM DOWN!!!!!

This wasn't even the test! This was on the WAY to the test. They were to survive in Asakusa city. Masahiko shook his head, calling down, his voice more strained than he liked.

"It should be obvious... It should be in our title. The test is meaningless. We've already failed to protect that one man, as has every demon slayer in the corps. But this pressure... this smell, it's stronger than my perfume I keep distractions at bay. It's not that it's a terrible smell... it's that it's so strong... Feels I could cut off my nose, and I'd remember it the rest of my life, and be unable to forget. It's distinct, complex... and has many, many components to it, like a large spice rack. A large... large spice rack. And it's nothing compared to the guy who just walked away. I want to fight him. I want to. I want to..."

The rattling continued, a wild, indecisive look on Masahiko's face. "I-I'm sorry..." A large gulp echoed.

"Far as flight or fight, we don't have a choice, we run, he'll hunt us down. But if we attack he'll also kill us. None of us can take him down on our own. Tch. Another failure. Always failures. But if we work together... there might be an opening. I told you my style, my role... I'm going to... I'm going to need follow up. He's sitting there eyeing us, he could have started the attack at any time. The moment anyone moves, away, or towards him, the battles begun."

The rattling stopped, and a deep inhale sounded, Masahiko's chest notably inflating, even with his small frame, his eyes focusing purely and utterly on the demon infront of him. He slowly let it exhale, closing his eyes as he did so. Masahiko gingerly left forward, a gentle fall that would let him pass by the demon.

His eyes shot open, and he unsheathed his blade in a blur of motion. The smell of cherry blossoms exploded for a moment, and just for a brief moment, a spin of petals could be seen spinning around like a small gust blowing countless petals in a tiny cyclone.

His blade moved in near invisible lines, light scratches up in a lattice at the demon, a dozen blows in under a second, all aimed at the demons sword arm as the whirlwind of petals spun through the area around Masahiko, dancing wildly and freely.

"Cherry Blossom Breathing: First Form: Festival Bloom"

Each blow was incredibly light, only meant to scratch a demon, but the strength of the technique was in the lattice pattern cut. It was a pattern specifically meant to derail a demons regeneration against them, to cause scars where it healed to slow them with stiffened skin and muscles. Higher end demons could slough any wounded part, but it gave the demon slayer precious seconds to inflict more wounds... or have backup arrive and help.

Of course, all that princible was highly dependent on the blows landing, and Masahiko's body screamed at him that he wasn't fighting a regular demon... this was a monster.

The moment after his rain of blows ended, he moved to sheath his blade, and the dozen dancing flower petals dispersed, blown away by the wind.

Haze- Lord_Boreas Ivaliss the Ashen Knight

 

[Ivaliss the Ashen Knight]

* Tsushiro Kuninaga *

This is taking forever, maybe I should just go hunt them do—

The thought was interrupted by the telltale sound of a blade splitting air. In an instant, he found himself partying a flurry of blows and his vision obscured for a moment after by a small cloud of what looked to be flower petals.

He immediately went for my weapon hand while also reducing my field of vision so that I wouldn’t be able to counterattack. Against a human, he’d likely have torn them to ribbons.

“ So, the bugs finally decided to scurry out of hiding. Gotta say, it’s a relief; I almost thought I’d have come looking, so I appreciate you saving me the time. “, he ended, adding what to most would look like a friendly smile. “ By the way, that’s a pretty interesting technique you got there. I’ll tell you what, since I you showed me something unique, I’ll give you a chance to live a bit longer. Tell me where the rest of them are hiding and I won’t kill you, today. “ It wasn’t a lie; Tsushiro had no reason to use deception on lesser beings. The boy clearly had talent, and it would be a shame to kill him before it matured enough to present a real challenge. “ Think it over, but just know that refusing won’t do anything but cause your death while delaying theirs. “ With that he sheathed his blade, once again assuming his sitting position upon the tree stump.

Ganryu Lord_Boreas Haze-

 

[Haze-]

Kiryū Takafumi | Breath of The Ghost


"Hey, smartass..." - A disembodied voice that held back a primal feeling was heard behind the demon, as if a loathsome tale spun into one's ear by a faint, ghastly whisper in the dark; followed by the clear, visceral sound droplets of blood made as they gashed out of a gaping wound - "We're right here." - Takafumi had taken advantange of the demon's spiel to drive the Nichirin deep into his spine, carving out a bigger cut as his grip tightened, the blade searing through in a circular motion before sliding off in a crude splatter of red. A hand that held a death grip on a wooden gourd got into the wound before it closed, clenching the recipent with all of its might until it shattered and the purplish liquid poured out, kicking away from the demon once all of the venom had fully seeped into its system.

"Ghost breathing, fifth form, 'Devil Devouring Serpent'." A sinuous flow of breath escaped his mouth in a gasp, more of a painful, exasperated groan as he held his right hand with the other. It was torn to shreds after entering the demon and breaking the poison apart, it took all of his strength to perform that one feat and he wouldn't be surprised if there was a hand missing once he looked down, all he could feel right now was a pain that numbed his train of thought crawling up his entire arm. With difficulty, he raised his hand up to his face only to be greeted by an unrecognizable clump covered in crimson, he tried to move that deformed mess and what came out of the veil of red were weak fingers that squirmed slightly in pure pain.

It wasn't his blood, he still had a hand. He wouldn't be moving it for the rest of the fight however, unlike the demon in front of him, he couldn't regenerate a gigantic wound in an instant - "Q...uit the talking and let's get this party started, we've got better things to do." - His words struggling to come out, something overtook him in place of that burning pain coursing through his veins, something he'd forgotten a while ago.

Anger.

One could see it in Takafumi's eyes as he glanced at the corpse with a hole in his heart, the stare of a torn soul that contemplated a pathetic, miserable death for someone that didn't deserve it. A sight he'd seen a thousand times over in that monster's abandoned shed, the actions of the first demon he'd ever met haunted him even in moments like these.

He didn't want to acknowledge it up until now, but with each breath he held back as he snuck up on the demon, the more did he feel the red strings of fate intertwining him once again with a sickening reality he dreaded to the very core of his soul.

He couldn't avoid the incomings thoughts anymore - "How many times will I be stuck in this loop...? It's disgusting..." - He felt something he couldn't ignore, it was engrained into his psyche after all.

He felt the wind bringing in a phantom pain as it caressed his scars.

He felt the agonizing sensation of lying in what felt as dozens of cold gelid razors every night after being pummeled by a demon to a miserable, bloodsoaked being that couldn't even stand up without its limbs giving up on him.

He felt his bowels turning, threathening him to throw up his whole stomach as he received the news of his father's passing.

But above all, he felt the cold embrace of someone he left to rot a long time ago. That other part of himself that forsaked this constant of suffering he willingly put himself through a couple of years ago, only drawn forward by a sweetened pretext of purpose, "For everyone to remember your name, Keisuke, I'll carry your sword."

Yet deep inside something writhed in agony at this oath, living in a world that always seemed to be in a lack of sense, fighting an endless war started by the grudge of someone else. All he felt like doing was raising the white flag and being forgotten just like his father, to break this chain of tragedy that plagued the Kiryū family once and for all.

"Tch...!" - He cleaved the ground with his blade, engraving it unto the soil and rasing his only functional hand to a fighting stance; a pair of eyes glared at the demon, on par with that of a cornered, wounded beast bearing fang. He could barely swing his Nichirin one handed, if he tried to perform any of his forms without gripping the handle with both hands he would surely break his wrist.

He began an imperturbable, steady walk towards the demon. His right hand limping to his side as half of his face was covered by messy strands of dark hair and his hand balled into a fist, the other half held the ear to ear smile of a maniac, a golden eye that stared at its opponent with pure disgust. Remembering what he'd told Oji before charging in, brought a smile he couldn't control - "He's right. Something tells me that demon isn't normal, and he'll catch up to us if we try to run away, he already knows we're here. Either we survive long enough until sunrise or we hope for a miracle... It's as Masahiko said, the sun will buy us some time." - It was the type of nostalgia that brought katharsis. Once again, he would have to hold his own against a demon until sunlight clashed with his soon-to-be bruised face.

"Are you bringing the fun over here or are you waiting for it to come to you?" - His unhinged grin widened. He wasn't like this, he felt as if he were turning into something similar to the vermin he was supposed to slay. A being that terrorized the day well enough, a bastard that clung to its vices, a human. Yet, at the same time, it just felt appropiate to show this raw side of his to this one opponent. That demon had no honor whatsoever, it was evident by the man lying dead next to them and that nose piercing smell coming off of his sword. Why would he show the principles of swordsmanship to someone like him?

There no longer was a dragon in the Kiryū family, only a ghost trying to make amends with the past.

He would perhaps join his father tonight, but before he did... He would fight with all he had. Even if he was to be killed on the spot in these next few seconds, he still had a job to do.

"Oi, Princess! How's that meat shield gig going? 'You mind giving me a hand...?" - His head fell to rest on one of his shoulders, looking behind the demon to informally signal Masahiko that he was going in, his eyes narrowing as if he were to pass out at any moment as the pain and exhaustion began to grow unbearable.

___________________

Interactions: Ivaliss the Ashen Knight Ganryu Lord_Boreas

 

[Silent Child]

Misayo Sadaharu​

It was quiet until the scream further as they progressed in the forest. There was clearly something up with this. Of course people were supposed to die, but not before the city, and it seemed unlikely that anyone had even neared it yet. Perhaps some stronger demon took out someone just like him, that's no ones problem...sure, but why does it feel like impending doom for everyone? "H-hey Ms. Mahiru, if we're supposed to clear out the city from demons, then... what's happening out here?" It seemed really strange that a single scream the was cut short would come from a forest that wasn't supposed to be inhabited by demons yet... which is why they needed to clean up (or so he thought). "Should we head over to the scream? see if we can help whoever it was?" It seems he was genuinely concerned at this point, curious, but partly terrified. What kind of demon could take out another person like him that quickly, and what would that mean for him if he did go there? That was all the reason needed to still want to investigate however.

 

[Ivaliss the Ashen Knight]

* Tsushiro Kuninaga *

“ Now that’s what I like to see, a fresh generation of vermin who’ve yet to learn their place. “, he stated chuckling lightly while taking note of the silent communication between the young demon slayers. Turning his head he spoke once more the one who’d initially attack him.“ Remember what I told you? All you’d do was delay their deaths a bit.” Immediately, the demon turned back to his new attacker and launched himself forward in a blur of motion. The boy moved to react, but it was too late as the hilt of Tsushiro’s blade slammed into his gut and forcefully launched him backwards across the clearing. As the dust from the impact dissipated, the Upper Moon found himself shocked at the sight before him. Where he’d expected a corpse stood the young demon slayer with his good hand still gripping his blade as he pressed the injured one against the flat of his blade.

He blocked it? I was sure that I felt bone giving way. - Tsushiro found himself thinking in surprise as he took notice of a small crack in the boy’s blade. “ Well played little bug, that strike very well should have killed you, but it seems that you have some skill. As a reward I’ll let you in something. The honor that the Corps makes sure to drill into you doesn’t exist; it’s just a means for the weaklings, who won’t fight, to seek protection.” He paused and looked over at the man he had run through. “ Like him for example, he put up no struggle before his end. He stared at death and chose to flee, probably hoping to run into Corps members like yourselves because cowards like him know that your honor would be more than enough for you to throw away your lives in his defense. “ He sheathed his blade, turned and began walking past the boy in white, stopping beside him briefly to say a final “ don’t die too soon; I’ll take your lives at a later date once you’re able to give me a real battle,” before continuing down the path towards the edge of the forest.

Haze- Ganryu @ Lord_Boreas

 

[Captain Spooks]

Hamada Tetsuo | Iaijutsu

The two had seemingly disappeared into the dark forest but Tetsuo still made his way deeper into the forest towards Asakusa, he figured they were heading in the same direction. The silence and tranquility were softly broken by Tetsuo's light footsteps as he weaved his way around trees and rocks, he kept on hand on his katana's sheath just in case, though he doubted any demons would have made it this far. The soft brushing of branches waving in the wind was abruptly interrupted by a distant scream which seemed to be cut short and Tetsuo's dull eyes quickly turned in the direction of the sound. He came to a screeching halt, slightly skidding across the dirt beneath his feet. It was too faint to tell what the scream was, it could have been an animal for all he knew but a sick feeling in his gut made Tetsuo believe that it belonged to a person, hopefully, it didn't belong to one of the initiates.

Without another thought, Tetsuo went off in the direction of the scream, tying his best to scan the area ahead of him but even with his eyesight the dense foliage and darkness made it hard to see very far. Though a soft thud and voice calling out caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up and instinctively his hand went for his sword's hilt, only stopping centimeters away from it. He paused for a moment to register the female's voice, while there was a threat to it he figured if she was a demon then she would have already attacked him, that or she was an extremely clever demon.

"Friend," he replied, raising his hand in the air and away from his swords as he walked out into the open. Seeing Kimito stanced up, he tilted his head slightly, "Unless you'd cut down another corps member."

Lord_Boreas ​

 

[Lord_Boreas]

Oji Yukiyama
Breath of Winter

Oji growled in anger, as he watched his teammates attack the demon whilst the demon shook them off like insects. What was worse is that the demon decided they weren't enough and this caused an icy rage to build within the boy until it overflowed like water crashing through a dam. In that split second he did something that he knew he'd regret and leaped out of the bush. "Don't turn your back on us Demon" he screamed and with the demon locked in his sights, he cocked his arm back before pulling his mouth into a motion commonly used for whistling. He curled his tongue and forcefully inhaled the warm air around him, but as it passed through his tongue the air cooled rapidly until it hit his lungs like a brick of ice. As he exhaled, he clenched his teeth tight and the air around him seem to drop in temperature. This was it, Oji would put his breathing style to the test. The style that he had been working on for years would now be proved worthy of combat and he was going to make this demon acknowledge him.

"Winter Breathing, Seventh Form: Frigid Arrow"

With all the strength he could muster, Oji threw his katana like a javelin towards the demon. As the cold blade cut through the air, the wind seemed to swirl around it and the blade began to freeze seemingly taking the form of an ice like arrow. Without thinking oji crouched slightly and repeated his breathing technique only this time pulling less air.

"Winter Breathing, Fourth Form: Dancing Snowflake"

He dashed forward in a blur of white that almost resembled a small cloud of snow while keeping the demon locked in his sights. As his sword came in contact with the demon it began to freeze over until within seconds oji had made it across the clearing and was now reaching his sword to push into he demons back. He growled while panting slightly, cold air escaping his mouth. "Im not done with you" Oji seemed like an entirely different person, on the outside his face was riddled with anger and disgust but on this inside his lungs were screaming in pain. He had never used two forms consecutively before and now his chest felt heavy while black dots danced in his vision. He refused to blackout, fighting with all the will power he possessed to stay present in the moment.​

Haze- Ganryu Ivaliss the Ashen Knight

Kimito Arashihime
Narukami Kagura

Kimito looked the boy over before clicking her teeth and spinning her sword before sliding it into its sheath "why are you out here? Demon slayers aren't assigned to this forrest" She raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip. The boy looked familiar to her but she couldn't place where she knew him from, them being around the same age led her to believe that maybe they became slayers the same year.
"this isn't the type of place you should be wondering around in" she looked him over once more still trying to figure out who he was and why he had been following them. She could hear Fukuro silently waiting in the tree for confirmation with his hand firmly on his sword.
Captain Spooks​

 

[Ganryu]

Masahiko Himura, Trainee ​

As Masahiko landed, he stared wide eyed at the ground, not moving. His breathes exploded from deep and controlled to ragged and exasperated. Cherry blossom style was NOT very powerful. But it was fast. The demon hadn't shrugged off his blow... he had BLOCKED it. Deliberately, without any effort. And Masahiko found that while he had a light, tapping effect with his sword at those speeds, the demon held real power as he had blocked each and everyone of those blows. He could have gone that speed full power too.

Immediately Takafumi joined in, nodding for Masahiko to block. The blow gracefully leapt through the air, only to watch the monochrome blur under him strike Takafumi, Masahiko being too slow.

Masahiko landed gracefully... but too late. His eyes bugged out. What WAS this thing. He tried calming himself, and managed to take in a single breath, the life of a demon slayer.

Masahiko held his sword in an iaido stance, a jittering sound as it clattered around in his sheath, ready to draw it. The man stopped infront of him, and still Masahiko held his blade to strike. Then the man walked passed him... and Masahiko still held it.

Then his hand fell off his sword, and his head bowed in shame.

Yet again... he needed more time. Would all the time in the world let him be ready for an actual demon. Oji had seen the entire fight... yet he he screamed after the demon. Masahiko jumped. His body moved before he could reason anything else. He saw Oji ready his blade to finish the demon rightly... but Masahiko knew the gap. If Oji tried to cross it, he'd fall through it, and take everyone with him.

Cherry blossoms again spawned as Masahiko held himself for an overhead striked, his blade in a tachi style, upwards and ready to be brought down. The illusory pink petals floated forward, before wheeling up, and then sliding down, much like Masahiko who went immediately into a dash, pulling up his secondary blade in an upwards swing, leaping between Oji and the demon, to block the blow.

Cherry Blossom Breathing: Sixth Form, Wistful Petals

There was no universe in which any other action let them walk away.

Still, despite apparently defending the demon, Masahiko said nothing... his hands trembling, and his face white. All he could do was shake his head in a 'no' fashion, the haunted look in his face remaining.

Still, Masahiko while fast, weighed practically nothing if Oji were to press, likely easily thrown away. Even now, his feet were light on the ground, as if he expected to be.

 

[Ivaliss the Ashen Knight]

* Tsushiro Kuninaga *

So much for self preservation… - He thought as he watched the world through the frigid layer of ice. He’d assumed that the final member of the group wasn’t capable of combat and stayed hidden to avoid getting in the way; although it was now clear that hesitation had initially stayed his blade. The boy‘s control over his breathing technique was impressive, but the icy prison that encased him was superficial at best. With a flex of his muscles he decimated the the ice, freeing himself as he turned once more to address his attacker. “ That was a worthy effort, but futile nonetheless-“ - he gestured towards the boy’s comrade who was currently preventing him from closing the small gap between themselves and the Upper Moon.- “ You should be sure to thank him; his actions have awarded you more time to draw breath.” The boy, who’d up until now been silently hidden, now stood before him, rage showing across all of his features as his ally attempted to dissuade him. “ I know that look quite well. “ - He flashed a grin. “ That’s the look of somebody who’s fed up with their own iniquity. You’re angry at yourself for allowing fear to give you pause while you watched your comrades risk their lives. I’d love to stay and see whose rage is stronger; however, I’ve got important housekeeping business that I must tend to and my patience is wearing thin; you’d do well to ensure that he doesn’t raise his blade to me again because, the next time, I shall litter this forest with the remains of you all. - He pointed a finger toward the pair before turning his back to them once more, as he began, again, on his way down the path that would lead him out of the forest and to the entrance of Asakusa City.

Ganryu Haze- Lord_Boreas

 

[Ivaliss the Ashen Knight]

* Mahiru Munekata *

The black-haired girl had been been standing there, still getting her bearings, as her companion openly tried to decide on their next course of action.

He isn’t wrong, it’s entirely possible that one of the other squads encountered an enemy along the path to the city. In which case, our best option would be to go try to help them so we can maintain our numbers going in.

She looked at Misayo, who was, in turn, looking up at her expectantly. It wasn’t that she wasn’t nervous; she understood very well the risk they’d be taking in going to help, but she was confident in her swordsmanship after her training with her master. Misayo, on the other hand, only had achievements that she’d heard from his mouth. She didn’t entirely know what they’d encounter and she fought to suppress a growing feeling of dread at the idea that she may not be capable of protecting him if the need arose.

“ Mahiru chan! “ - the drunken face of Master Ito flashed in her mind as she remembered the events of the prior day. It was odd how your thoughts worked in these situations.

He’s lazy.

She took a deep breath.

He’d rather shirk his duties and go off to get drunk.

She placed a hand on the hilt of her nodachi, calming herself, and then exhaled.

But, he’s also the Hashira of Flames, the only master I’ll recognize, and I’d be dishonoring him if I let fear of any kind stop me here!

Finally finding her center, Mahiru turned to Misayo and spoke. “ You’re right, we need to head in the direction of that scream and assess the situation as quickly as possible. “ - Her features softened slightly. “ Just try to be careful moving forward, okay? “


Silent Child Nobody Special

 

[Lord_Boreas]

Oji Yukiyama
Breath of Winter​

Oji stopped in his tracks and pulled the blade from it's forward position in reaction of Masahiko jumping between him and the demon. The boy was furious but between the harsh pants that escaped his lips and the way his hands were shaking he knew why the younger demon slayer had stopped him. A big part of him wanted to push pass Masahiko and accept his death but he knew the demon would also kill Masahiko and Takafumi just for raising his sword. With a sigh Oji dropped to one knee as sharp pants escaped from his blueish lips, black spots danced in his vision while he looked up to the demon but for some reason Oji seemed to grin.

"My name is Oji Yukiyama"
he panted harshly, almost as if his lungs were still pulling in frozen air which was currently making it hard to breathe

"And when I become strong enough.."
he wheezed, his breath getting caught in his throat for a second before he began falling to the ground, his vision turning black as the world spun around him.

"Ill take your head as my trophy"

With those final words Oji fell unconscious and tumbled to the forrest floor, his lungs not yet strong enough for the rapid succession of forms he tried to perform. He would need to train desperately if he had any hope of eventually defeating the demon who now would plague his nightmares.

Ganryu Haze- Ivaliss the Ashen Knight

 

[Captain Spooks]

Hamada Tetsuo | Iaijutsu

"But aren't you a slayer too?" Tetsuo blurted out, he didn't even realize he was talking but that wasn't what was on his mind. Relaxing his hands he slowly put them down, "I'm out here for the same reason as you, making sure the Initiates aren't sent off to their doom in a demon infested city," he told her, clearly being upfront with his reasons. "Though, I don't want to get in the way of their ceremony I still feel like this is a little too much for them," He continued, half talking to them and himself.

Tetsuo was fiercely loyal to the corps, viewing it as his home and fellow members as family, and while he knew that retiring wasn't likely for most demon slayers he still didn't want to see those young buds get nipped. "Anyways, if that's all you have for me I'd like to see the source of that scream."​

Lord_Boreas

 

[FireMaiden]

Kaori Asuna - Breath of Thunder - Rumi Asuna - Breath of Wind
Location: Forrest
Interaction: Lord_Boreas (Oji) Ganryu (Masakisho) Haze- (Kiryu)
Mentioned: Ivaliss the Ashen Knight (Tsushiro)​

The initiates may have gotten ready to fight again like Oji had. Hell, the might have thought about spouting off like he did. But maybe a rumble of thunder would catch their attention. Somewhere a few yards off, came a bright flash with another, much louder clap of thunder, and what seemed like only to be a second or two passed before a woman appeared infront of them. The air sizzling around her as she adjusted her katana, poised to attack before something stopped her. Instead, she took a purely defensive stance, watching the demon as he walked away. She stood there, motionless, watching and waiting. This would give the initiates plenty of time to look her over. Short, brown hair, pale yellow eyes that never once showed a hint of hesitation; the black blade. Her jaw was clenched, brows furrowed in what could either be anger or concentration. Maybe both.

But the demon, after a few minutes, seemed to finally be out of sight; the girl finally exhaled. Her breath just barely visible as she sheathed her sword, immediately she turned on her heel and dropped to her knees to check on the unconscious kid's pulse. "When you initiates run into a demon like that, you don't attack them. You run, and hope they don't notice you," She said, her eyes shifting up to look at the others with the boy on the ground. "You're very lucky demons like that often want opponents who give them a good fight, a real run for their money...it saved your life today." To some of them, it might seem like some stranger was just giving them advice. But this girl was no doubt a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, the uniform was right there under her haori. "Would one of you please tell me what you're doing around here? It's not safe."

"My my, lecturing the kids already, you don't let me have any fun do you?" Another voice suddenly spoke up, the girl with yellow eyes glancing to the side where it had come from. "Really Kaori, it's not too long ago when you were in their shoes~"

"Are you saying you weren't going to lecture them? You know who they tried to fight," Kaori huffed. Whether or not any of these kids recognized Kaori was one thing. But if they had done any kind of research, they would have recognized the other one. Rumi Asuna, Master of Wind.

"Oh of course not, I just thought you'd let me do it!" The older woman laughed, her voice a sweet as silver bells. She stepped closer to the group, wrinkling her nose a bit, those icy blue eyes scanning their surroundings. "Is he okay?"

"Just unconscious I think," Kaori replied, gently patting the unconscious kid's back. "Are any of you injured?" She then asked, looking to the rest of the kids, frowning just a little bit.

"And don't forget to tell us what you're doing out here, this is no place for children," Rumi added finally with a soft smile, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword to be drawn within a moments notice.

 

[Lord_Boreas]

Kimito Arashihime//Fukuro Yoruno​

Kimito stared at the boy for a second before opening her mouth to speak, with a small sigh she shook her head "Well that's exactly why they are out here" she huffed, silently cursing master Arumono and turned away from the boy, scanning the forrest for a second. Before she could turn around, a thunderclap similar to her own could be heard ringing across the forrest "A breath of Thunder user?" she questioned while turning to look at the slightly familiar boy, clicking her teeth at his statement

"No one told you to follow me" she rolled her eyes and placed a resting hand on her sword

"The name is Kimito Arashihime and up there is Fukuro Yoruno" she pointed to the man peacefully sitting in a tree, feeding multiple birds "We should probably head for the sound of the Thunderclap, im sure it's near where the screams came from" She crouched slightly and breathed in deep, the air around her seeming to shift. "I hope you can keep up" she smirked

Interaction: Captain Spooks

Mentions: Ey3_s0ckEts FireMaiden

 

[Haze-]

Kiryū Takafumi | Breath of The Ghost

The forest surrounding Asakusa | Broken Vows


A gut-wrenching, cold sensation crept up his spine as he stared wide eyed at the puff of dirt where the demon used to be, and as the world pressed paused in his eyes, he recalled a saying from overseas he was once told.

"Icarus flew too close to the sun."

Every noise, from the crunching of branches far away from him, the sharp whistling of the wind, and to the vivid drumming of his heart beating loudly against his chest, it all crashed through his eardrums as if the entire world screamed into his ear. A message hidden behind that excruciating pandemonium, something so unvocal yet so clear that it could only be roughly processed into one word: "MOVE."

He recognized these sensations, they were the heightened senses of someone clinging to a thin thread, staring at their own death as if a play being presented only to them. He couldn't think straight, the world was still frozen, and all he could do was take what would possibly be his last breath, in an attempt to tamper down that feeling of dread spreading within like wildfire as the scene began to roar back into life; the acute noise the demon's blade made as it sliced through air seemingly signaling his incoming demise.

The panicked heart thrummed even faster, pulsing a slow, dreadful beat at his neck. His legs wouldn't move the way he wanted them to, it was pointless... Or so he thought. Takafumi squinted at the black-and-white flash heading towards him, the blurred mess jumbling to a clearer image until he could finally make something out of it. He could barely react to it, but nonetheless a strike so straightforward was readable, no matter the nonsensical amounts of strength added to it - "...Weeping Widow." - Repositioning himself with his first form, he reached behind him for his sword, bringing it in front of him as a blur of pale blue that clashed with the demon's strike; the sheer force behind such a simple jab flung him like a ragdoll.

As clouds of dirt cleared away, Takafumi stood rooted to the ground, the weight of his own head starting to feel colossal as his eyes were glued to the ground. His breathing remained quiet and erratic, he had to lean on his own sword to keep himself from falling to his trembling knees. He was falling apart – “A-….” – He tried speaking, but was cut short by sharp discharges of pain, like pinpricks stabbing away at his arms and legs. A sound came out but he couldn’t really shape it into words, his throat could only vocalize his agony.

The shivering overtook his legs, and he finally gave up, falling to both knees with a loud thud as his face pressed against the cold steel of the Nichirin. His vision was covered by a dense fog; he could barely recognize the shapes of those around him, a loud ringing echoing in his ears making it hard to make out what anyone said.

His lost stare wandered off to the night sky, black curtains beginning to hinder his vision, his eyelids were starting to close on their own. The pain faded away and alas, all that surrounded him was a darkness that devoured every faint spec of light emanating from the moon, therein he caught a glimpse of a place that mirrored something he once called home, lost deep in his subconscious, calling to him… At the sight of those sunny days relishing on the isolated shores of that beach where he used to train, the sun scorching bright enough to burn holes in the smog that clouded his old hometown, Takafumi used all of his remaining strengths to receive the pleasing view with a weak smile. He remembered swinging a sword that wasn’t his, entranced by his own graceful movements as mirth and amusement danced in the eyes of his younger self, the fearsome force in which his body moved along with the sword striking a bizarre yet true feeling of accomplishment. His daydreaming being shortly interrupted by the same, uncanny sound reverberating in his ears…

“M…ove…” – His own weak voice ringed a bell to him, snapping him out of the darkness and once again into the blurry mess that was his vision. He didn’t have the time to be indulging in these delusions; he came here to take the head of a demon; he couldn’t afford staying still. Nor dying.

Slowly but surely, he got up. An unstable stance but functional to an extent, he had to use his sword as an extra leg. As his vision began to clear up, he let out a relieved sigh as he saw both of his teammates alive and well – That is if one is to consider a kid knocked senseless and another one shook witless as them being ‘well’. The situation could’ve gotten much worse, but that was just the miracle they were hoping for. Never did surviving feel so bittersweet, however.

He once again felt an unforgiving, burning sensation. This time it enveloped his entire head, as if his skull were about to split apart. It didn’t take him long to realize what it was once half of the world was tainted in red. He brought a hand to his face, giving the crimson print on the palm of his hand a deadpan stare – He tore off a piece of his already worn out Haori and pressed hard on where he initially thought he’d felt the wound, he couldn’t be bothered to wipe off the river of blood that had stained the left side of his face.

“T… That didn’t go as plan…ned...” – So much for preparations…

He grumbled and recoiled at the thunderous sound of what felt like lightning cleaving the darkened skies, followed by an even louder one that made him tighten the grip of his blade in herculean efforts to not give into that excruciating headache. Takafumi held no qualms; he didn’t show a sign of even acknowledging the sudden arrival of their superiors at the site, tendering to that searing pain in his head instead. He would let Masahiko do the talking for now.

He fought down a constant surge of pain, stinging at the soles of his feet with each step he took towards the corpse the demon had left behind, his eyes losing their shimmer as he took a pause to give the dead man a proper bow; all he could do is apologize. Beside the corpse, was a sight that fostered a sensation that made the pain in his beaten up body diminish, until it wasn’t remotely comparable to the strength beneath this feeling. He gripped the place where his family’s heirloom was supposed to be keepsake and protected, the bones in the injured hand cracking loudly, he contemplated in raw anger the now broken symbol his father bestowed unto him, trashed aside and covered in dirt.

“No place for children…?” – Takafumi uttered with difficulty as one of his superiors merely nagged with a positive attitude, coming off as a blatant mockery to their failure in his ears… He kneeled down to grab the remains of what his family had left for him, he continued with a voice that seemed to be on the verge of breaking – “We were supposed to run away…? Is that what a good demon slayer would’ve done…?” – He struggled his way back up, stumbling on his sword as he kept the remnants of the broken collar locked in a closed fist, his next words coming out more throaty and severe; a mix of pain and stubborn irritation – “Someone died tonight. What’s the point of being a demon slayer if we’re not willing to risk our lives to protect...” – He took a brief pause, clicking his tongue in annoyance as that speech about ‘honor’ the demon gave came back to him, with more clarity this time – “No, if we’re not willing to die to avenge the death of an innocent… Then why were we given these blades in the first place...?” – He cleared his mind from that wicked reality the demon painted for him; he came here to bleed so that those deemed ‘weak’ wouldn’t, the distorted views of someone who spoke of the dead as ‘cowards’ wouldn’t make his resolve falter.

“I think I speak for all of us when I say that… Even under the same conditions, even if we knew we were to be thrown around like we were mere pests… The three of us would jump at that demon’s throat again, no matter the circumstances…” – Although he felt the weight of the entire world at the back of his neck, he raised his head to look at his superiors dead in the eye. Not being able to keep the act up, he took a knee, his hand still gripping the hilt of his blade. He sat down and let all of the tension be dragged away in an exhausted sigh – “Big talk from someone that can barely stand up straight, but I digress… I hope you can understand the feeling… Take it away, Masahiko…” – He gave a slight bow to the both of them, his body slumped backwards as he gave a snap of the fingers to his partner in crime.

“It’s a beautiful night…?” – A bloodstained one, at that.

Staring at the pale moon, Takafumi rested for a while.

_________________________________________________________________

Keijirō Kishimori | Upper Moon I - Ashura (Restrained)

The forest surrounding Asakusa City


“We’re getting over bad habits, are we…?” – A calm voice spoke behind Tsushirō, a hint of a pertly taunt in his tone as one could sense a smug smile already widening in his features. Keijirō leaned up against a tree, one of his arms folded and the other juggling with a stone, his chains on a constant rattling with the up and down motion of the flimsy stone – “What was that you said earlier…? About completing a task that should come natural to any demon…?” – He chuckled, his smile gradually shifting to an assertive smirk. He didn’t want to jeer at Tsushirō that much, he surely had his reasons.

He was somewhat thankful that Tsushirō hadn’t killed the promising youth; that triad of demon slayers could become great soldiers for the demon king’s army in the near future. Of course, deep inside, beneath these chains, he felt as if he wouldn’t wish this life upon anyone – “Regarding these, “questions”, you wanted an answer for… You want to discuss it as we walk or is there anything else on your mind…?” – He gently asked, truthful politeness seeping out of his words as he wasn’t fond of being that much of a pushover, his hands went to the back of his head as he began a more relaxed pace.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve held a conversation…” – He wouldn’t be lying if he said that he considered, and treated, Tsushirō as one of his dear apprentices. Just talking like this reminded him of those hectic days centuries ago were everyone was just worried about attaining more and more power, when everything wasn’t so slow and undemanding.

Even as a demon, the spot at the top of the food chain felt as lonely as ever. To the drove of thoughts coming in, wondering if he also felt like this back when he was still human, only the scraping of chains could be heard as response.

____________________________

Mentions/Interactions: Ivaliss the Ashen Knight Ganryu Lord_Boreas FireMaiden

 

[Ganryu]

Masahiko Himura - Trainee ​

Masahiko looked at Oji, seeing the thought that was considering going THROUGH the white boy. A bit of yelling later, and suddenly Oji just collapsed, after threatening the demon Masahiko was preventing him from attacking. Masahiko just looked over and stared incredulously.

A strong wind blew by, the dandy's robes billowing as he just blinked.

"What?"

A stirring indicated that Takafumi wasn't dead either. That was good news at least. Masahiko looked down though at the corpse, and grimaced.

“T… That didn’t go as plan…ned...”

"To be fair, did we have much of a plan, we smelled a demon, rushed it, and well..." Masahiko continued to stare, before kneeling infront of the corpse, closing his eyes, and grabbing the man's sword, and digging it in the ground above his head. Masahiko shook his head. Somehow out of the three, he was the only fine right now, though, some wounds were externally inflicted. Others? He stared at Oji and snarled. Less so.

And yet here Masahiko hadn't done so much as scratch the demon. He was here because of the MERCY of a demon. Masahiko held his hand over his head, and groaned.

Then tweedle dee and tweedle dumb showed up. Masahiko seethed. He didn't want advice. He walked away from them towards a tree. His blade flew out of it's sheath, and though he was the weakest of the three, he still carved a few branches out of it. He began to dig, not turning his attention for their advice. Takafumi seemed to have it anyways. Masahiko smirked.

Getting to work with a makeshift wooden shovel, he simply dug, and dug.

"What are we doing here? Well, there's a corpse here, demons walking away, us having a grand ol' time... I'd say it looks like we were having a party. Glad you could make it. I was unaware the corps hired advisors. I assumed everyone in the corps-" He stopped and stared at the two. "-killed demons. Yet you're commenting on the fight, and we're dealing with a corpse. Obviously, we have niichirin blades, so we're doing what you two also should be doing: our jobs. I can point you in the direction of a nearby demon if you like."

Masahiko pointed after the direction Tsushiro had walked.

"Or, if you need directions to Asakusa City, where we'll be staying, it's that way."

Masahiko pointed down the road, then continued digging. Finally finishing, he reached down, and checked the corpse for his wallet, before pushing him inside the hole. He looked for anything indicating his name that he could report later, then began to cover him with dirt. He... naturally, kept the money. Not like the corpse had need for it. Well... Masahiko stopped and put six coins in with the man. "Six coins, to pass the Three River" He turned back.

"If any of us are injured, I think Takafumi is about to run a marathon, and Oji there is just in time for his beauty sleep. Just in time too, because we've got to make it to Asakusa City ourselves, and the fashion standards in the place are ridiculous. We want him looking faaabulous."

Masahiko normally held his tongue more against his superiors, a form of self preservation, but after what they'd just gone through, lashing out felt good. What were they all doing here. Not just those two, but Masahiko, Oji, and Takafumi. They couldn't defeat demons... maybe it was a pipedream.

Fashioning a wooden cross and placing his blade next to it, Masahiko knelt for a small prayer. He didn't know to who, but it didn't matter.

"Let him have had saved at least someone... and may someone save him. May he have a peaceful next life."

Finishing, he stood, and grabbed two more sticks. Sliding Oji's jacket off of him, he made a stretcher out of it, and motioned for Takafumi to grab the other end.

"I know a place in Asakusa City that's safe. It's lit all night long, so demons don't like to bother, and has a hole in the wall where we can at least sleep. It's next to a cherry blossom tree. IT's not much, and it's not in the spirit of the exam, but with us as we all are... I'm not sure the spirit matters anymore. We'll slay demons tomorrow, right now, we need rest."

Masahiko then turned to the two demon slayers who'd appeared.

"I'm assuming you'll find this information more useful than we could on our own as mere candidates. There were two demons earlier. The one you saw walk away was the weaker one. They were talking about tasks in teh city, making sure it was up to par, and reporting in. The two are likely still around. They're planning something soon it looks like. I don't know demon politics, but if they're that strong, it can't be good.

We still have our initiation test to go through, and are a little miffed."

 

[FireMaiden]

Kaori Asuna - Breath of Thunder - Rumi Asuna - Breath of Wind
Location: Forrest
Interaction: Lord_Boreas (Oji) Ganryu (Masakisho) Haze- (Kiryu)
Mentioned: ​

The Demon Slayers stood there as the initiates spoke, though to an untrained dye they seemed to not be paying attention. They older one's gaze was downcast, examining the demon's footprints, while Kaori seemed more focused on Oji, waiting for him to wake up. They both understood the kid's confusion, their anger. Though neither one of them would take back anything they said. "Kaori, please tell them what you noticed about that Demon. Why you didn't attack."

"Yes, ma'am," Kaori spoke, slowly rising to her feet. She didn't speak just yet though, walking forward toward the very injured boy. "That demon was one of the demon moons. I couldn't tell what his rank was because his back was too us," She spoke, glancing over to the bitter child digging a grave. "The aura, the scent of death...that was the type of demon that gives the Hashira a run for their money. That's how the Hashria go down most of the time..." She spoke, biting the inside of her cheek for just a moment. "It's the type of demon that trainee's, normal slayers, hell even masters, avoid at all costs."

"Our jobs are dangerous, something we know you already realize," Rumi spoke up as she watched the younger boy. While doing so, Kaori handed over an almost empty water bottle to Kiryu. "And to survive to do our jobs, we mustn't take stupid risks, like fighting one of the demon king's moons when we aren't ready to." It didn't matter what their reason for trying to fight him was, it could have gotten them killed before their careers as demon slayers even began. "Something you must accept about this line of work...is that you will not be able to save everyone. Our work is a constant cycle of combat and loss." As the small boy moved to make a stretcher, and he revealed that they were headed to Asakusa, Rumi's brows furrowed with a frown. "Already?" The woman mumbled.

"I went pretty soon after my enlistment day," Kaori spoke.

"Yes, but not immediately," The older one replied. They were actually on their way back from a mission to join the ceremony when they got caught up in another mission. "Oh well, I suppose it can't be helped. Let's go with them Kaori."

"Are you sure? They're...you know, supposed to do it on their own," The younger girl replied.

"I know, I know. But with a demon of that class in the area...I doubt anyone will mind if we shadow them," Rumi said, causing her sister to huff a little but nod. Kaori was looking forward to getting back up past the wisteria. Rumi just gave a her a teasing smile, before looking down at the smaller boy. "We won't interfere unless one of those high ranking demon's decide to cause trouble, but seeing as how he spared you... there's a chance we get lucky." That being said, having a master with them now may not be ideal, but Rumi knew how to stay hidden. Not to mention, someone needed to grade them. Rumi knew of at least two initiates who headed to the city and came back without killing a single demon.

"You should also wait," Kaori added looking to the small one. "Give them," she gestured to the injured one against the tree, and then the unconscious one, "Some time to regain themselves."

 

[Silent Child]

Misayo Sadaharu
​

“ You’re right, we need to head in the direction of that scream and assess the situation as quickly as possible. “ A small frown appeared on her face as he looked up to her. “Just try to be careful moving forward, okay? “ Nodding, he'd turn back to the direction of the scream from before. "Will do... you make sure to be careful as well. Make sure to catch up later." With that, he'd greatly increase his speed, launching himself in between several trees. It almost seemed as if he went through them with his speed, but instead he was moving around them quickly enough. Not too soon after, he had already passed several stray demon slayers, but he couldn't care less at this point, there was no danger to them. "Where wa-" At that moment, the sound of thunder shook the forest, catching him off guard as he flew straight into a tree. Rubbing his head, he was clearly disoriented as his speech became jumbled. "Storm not here. Where thunder from?" Standing up and looking around, he saw that in a small clearing, a small crowd... if you could even call it that... was standing around, though one was unconscious, and another injured. "Scream... from here?" Slowly approaching, as to not seem threatening, his mind would regain its hold. "Hello? are you all ok?" Two seemed older than the rest, including himself, so they must be higher ups... or maybe they're taking this test late... not for him to assume. "I heard a scream and came to investigate on my way to the city..." Glancing behind him, Ms. Mahiru wasn't in sight. Deciding she'd be capable without him for the time being, he'd turn back to the group.

Ivaliss the Ashen Knight FireMaiden Haze- Lord_Boreas​

 

[Captain Spooks]

Hamada Tetsuo | Iaijutsu

Once again Tetsuo tilted his head in slight confusion at the girl's words, was she implying the kids were sent here to die? Or was she agreeing with him? And as more and more questions popped into his head Tetsuo quickly got himself lost in them, his eyes now lost in space, drifting off the girl.

The sudden sound of the thunderclap quickly broke his train of thought, and just like the scream before Tetsuo suddenly faced himself in the direction of the sound. And just like before his hands hovered over the hilt of his sword, but they once again relaxed as there was no immediate danger. Just like the girl Tetsuo also recognized the breath of thunder technique, seeing as his own Iajutsu was derived from the breathing style.

His attention went back to the girl as she introduced herself as Kimito Arashihime. She also introduced a man sitting above them, casually feeding birds and Tetsuo was surprised to see him, he hadn't even sensed him there but then again he wasn't really looking for them.

"I am Hamada Tetsuo," he said, bowing down slightly as he introduced himself, "It's a pleasure to meet you Kimito-san, and Fukuro-ku-" Tetsuo stopped as he realized she was already heading into the direction of the thunderclap. Though he didn't mind it, finding out the cause of the noise was more important than formal introductions, and as Tetsuo breathed in deeply as he felt strength grow in his legs and once more he began quickly darting along the forest floor.

Lord_Boreas​

 

[Ivaliss the Ashen Knight]

* Tsushiro Kuninaga *

As he walked through the cool night, Tsushiro found himself taken aback by the comment of the other demon.

Bad habits..

He scoffed internally. The last person who should be speaking of such a thing was Keijirō, though his words caused the younger demon to think back to a time that almost seemed to be more of a story than memories. As he thought, he could vaguely remember faces; although, after the ages that had passed, they were just blurs with slight features. As he looked back over to to Keijirō, he found himself pondering even more.

I wonder if he can remember what it was like before. Doesn’t matter, that time’s long passed now..

“ I still interested in finding out what it is you were doing out here in the first place, though I doubt it was much more than speaking to the birds and taking in sights. But I have to ask you , am I becoming weak? I told myself that I allowed them to live so that they may offer me a challenge eventually, but I find myself questioning whether or not there’s still some vestige of my former humanity still present that could be clouding my judgement. “

Keijirō had still yet to speak, still matching Tsushiro’s pace, his chains rattling the an steady rhythm as the walked through the forest.

“ You should know that even though I don’t approve of certain decisions, I do respect your ranking above me. So I’d like to ask that, if I become unfit to hold the place of Upper Moon, you would bring my existence to a swift end. My only usefulness is to end life in the service of our master, anything less would be proof that I no longer deserve to draw breath. “

He immediately cast his gaze skyward, expecting his comrade to mock him for his comments. Seeing that they were getting close to the edge of the forest, Tsushiro chose to focus on map of stars in the sky as they continued on their way.

Haze-

 

[Lord_Boreas]

Oji Yukiyama
Breath of Winter​

Oji's eyes fluttered for a second before shooting open in a state of panic, on instinct he reached to his waist only to discover his katana wasn't at his hip. Still not grounded completely in reality, the boy jumped up frantically, his heart was pounding against his chest. Looking around he could see Takafumi laying on the ground and Masahiko talking to two women who appeared to be corps members and sighed in relief knowing his teammates hadn't been killed. "High ranking demons?" oji asked, letting out a hoarse cough afterwards. "T-that monster was one of the demon moons?" Oji had read about them in his studies but never believed he would meet one, let alone try and fail to kill one. A small shiver ran through his body and he realized he wasn't wearing his Haori, it was now under him in a makeshift stretcher

"how long was I out?" he asked more to himself, rubbing his aching head.

His chest felt as if someone had laid bricks on it and it was still difficult to breathe but the boy still rose to his feet, hunched over slightly. He reached down and grabbed his sword, sheathing it before placing his sword and sheathe at their rightful place on his hip. He let out a hoarse cough and cleared his throat loudly before looking over to takafumi "I think he might need that more than I do" he coughed again gesturing to the stretcher made from his jacket. He then looked passed the two females to who appeared to be a demon slayer coming from the forrest "And who's that" so many questions but so little time. Oji mind was reeling from his fainting spell and he was still trying gain a firm confirmation that he wasn't in some dream land but then again seeing takafumi laying with bloody hands was enough to confirm his reality. the boy tilted his head slightly, letting the events replay in his head before scowling as if he was disgusted "Someone tell me I didn't say that" he mumbled to himself before returning his attention to the newcomer, making sure to keep a hand firmly grasped on his katana while still breathing heavily as if a weight rested on his chest.
Haze- Ganryu FireMaiden Silent Child

Kimito Arashihime
Narukami Kagura

Much like the thunderclap they were headed towards, as Kimito pushed off the ground a loud cracking sound rumbled as she dashed through the forest floor. Although she had dashed off before the boy could respond she gave a small smile when she could hear him trailing close behind him with Fukuro being ahead of them both. "Testuo you said? " she asked, turning her head back slightly to confirm that she had heard his introduction. "You're pretty fast, who did you train under?" The girl looked almost as if she was skipping instead of running, unconsciously boasting about her speed with a coy grin. Kimito didn't always mean to be so boastful, it was really a second nature to her though she would never admit it. It did however bug her that Fukuro was basically floating through the trees as if gravity didn't exist to him "gotta learn how he does that"
Captain Spooks ​

 

[Ganryu]

Asakusa City - Random Demon & Lower Moon II

Generic enemy for whoever.
​

The moon began to peak out over the many buildings of the bustling city, clouds parting as it's beams started to cast deep shadows over some of the quieter parts of the city. The central area was, and would forever be, awake, but some of the outskirts actually had people who were able to get to sleep, and so, lights and lanterns began to slowly dim, one by one.

A cold breeze started to blow through one of the yards, and a couple of bookish men shivered, carrying a thick stack of paper in their arms.

"Hey, Taka, isn't it a little cold for this time of year?"

"Yeah. Been noticing a lot of weird things in the city lately. Thinking of leaving. You hear about the disappearances...?"

"Yeah. Can't say I'm a fan of it either, but where else are they going to need scribes but a city? I ain't working the fields, man."

Slowly, a nearby hedge started to frost over, and a wicked gust started to ice of their robes.

"Taka, let's book it, I ain't getting caught up in no yokai shit or nothing. Taka? Taka!" The older man realized his companion was no where near him, and whipped around, looking for him. Behind him, he could see a beautiful young girl wrapped around his friend, hugging him from behind. The girl giggled as the man noticed, blue skin and white hair making her look like a ghost. Ice crackled on the ground, spreading out, and forming an ice sculpture where Taka had been, his last expression a fearful look to his left where the ghost now hugged him.

"N-no!!!!" The man screamed, turning to run as well, before another -chink- of ice froze him over, followed by an uneery giggle.

A few minutes later, the girl was wiping blood from her mouth with her sleeve, as if it had been a napkin. The blood froze and floated into the air like dust. "Thanks for the meal, I was getting peckish."

Four sets of boots were left in the street, and broken blocks of ice. As the girl hummed and turned to leave, a single feather fell from the air, and she froze... both figuratively and literally. She looked at it terrified, before looking up to the nearest roof to see a dark outline of a harpy, the number 'Two' over her left eye.

"L-lady Suzume!!! W-what brings you to Asakusa city this fine day!?"

The harpy laughed, a definite avian like squak to her chuckle.

"Oh, yuki, drop the formalities around me, just call me Tsubame. I just wanted to see how my friends were doing! Give a bit of a heads up though, Tsushiro is doing an inspection, and he's a real stickler. Oh, and that the demon slayer corps is swarming the city."

"I cannot do that, you are both a respected moon, and one of the oldest demons. Wait, Tsushiro...?" She blanched, her blue turning white. "You mean upper moon two?! Tsushiro Kuninga!?"

The harpy cackled. "The one! He's going to want everything in tip top shape! Oh, and I've be careful, with those tracks, you're going to lead the demon slayers right to you! He sees that during an inspection, he's likely to turn you to dust."

"M-my lady, I'll clean it up post haste!"

A cruel smile started to form over the harpy's mouth. "Of course... if you wanted to curry favor with him, you could... say... report a few dead demon slayers. He might even promote you! The lower moons are so empty these days, and I could use some girl talk... What do you say?"

"They'll kill me!"

"Oh, we're not talking about pillar or anything, silly Yuki. There are initiates out here. I doubt the pillars will even interfer! Try your best! I know you can do it! Meanwhile, I think I'm wanted. I maaaaay have forgotten about a meeting." The harpy 'punched' herself in the head sillily while sticking out her tongue. "But hey, I can fly, so I'll be there before some of the slow pokes. Best of lucky Yuki!"

With that, the harpy took off, and the snow demon was left shivering on the ground. She finally clenched her fists, and stood up, dragging her hands across the alleyway, ice crystalizing up and down them as the district started to suffer a snow storm.