( — EIGHT ; LEAVE HIM ALONE, MUICHIRO )

WHEN I saw Muichiro inflict violence on the kid, I immediately jumped down from the tree, earning a yelp from Tanjiro and a few scratches from the tree bark on my legs. I grabbed Muichiro's wrist before he could speak, and I glared at him with all my might. My eyes were rarely like this, but now they conveyed only one message:

If you hurt him, you hurt me.

"What're you doing?" Muichiro mumbled, and although his eyes were holding a bored expression, there was a spark igniting behind them. "You're protecting this kid? He's being a hindrance to my training, you know."

My lower lip trembled, and I forcefully shoved the kid into Tanjiro's arms. "P-Please...go away."

It must've been the crack in my voice, because the swordsmith child pulled Tanjiro away with him, ignoring his complaints.

"W-What're you doing?" I asked, trying so hard not to scream and thrash around at him. Seeing demons hurt people was one thing; seeing people hurt their own kind was a whole new level. I could never do this to my brothers, let alone any random kid.

"You literally let him get away. You're disrespecting a Hashira."

"Excuse me? In my eyes, you're just a cowardly prick who can't even remember anything in his life."

This time, it was either the sudden loss of my stutter, or the toxic things that I just spouted to my friend. My very best friend, who'd I watched train, live, remember, and — of course — the one I'd watch hurt a fellow human. He was overstepping his boundaries.

"Huh." I didn't realize how much coldness a single huff could contain, and yet, Muichiro's voice. . .sounded like it wasn't him at all. "Never knew the time would come when you didn't stutter at me."

He was completely missing the point here. I wasn't trying to pick an argument, only to stop one that was brewing so heavily. Why couldn't he understand that?

In a flash, Muichiro was gone from my sight.

° • ° • ° • °

"ARE you sure you want to stay the night here?" Mitsuri asked me hesitatingly, turning her head back towards me to meet my gaze. I'd definitively decided to stay the night at the swordsmith's village. The estate was just a few blocks over, and I nodded.

"Okay, be careful, okay? Slay any demons that try to invade the village." Mitsuri advised, before turning on her heel and walking away.

I'd seen Tanjiro train with the young swordsmith child everyday. The child was rather harsh in his training ways, yet Tanjiro kept on pushing, wanting to improve his skills past his limit.

Meanwhile, I would do sword handling exercises every morning, but today was an exception. Mayumi, a swordsmith the same age as me, was about to serve my favorite takoyakis for a morning snack. She trudged her way to the guest minka I was staying in, and brought out the food with a bright smile on her face.

Dusk fell much quicker than I expected, and, remembering Mitsuri's advice, I dressed up in my uniform and readied my katana. Who knew how much secrets the dark could hide.

I made my way to an empty shed, where a swordsmith named Haganezuka was apparently working. Tanjiro informed me that he was his swordsmith, and that Haganezuka tended to be very intense at times.

I'll believe it when I see it.

I cracked the door open to the shed quietly, careful not to make a creak, when something caught my attention. An ornamentally-decorated vase laid in a cobblestone pathway, and there was something off about it.

I took out my katana, its green-and-white gradients dragging along beside me as I tiptoed carefully. I stopped at about five centimeters from the vase.

Shit, shit, shit — !

Before I could even react, sharp needles pierced my skin and flesh from every direction. Luckily, I managed to get away, so only my right side was embellished with the wooden needles, dripping with my own blood.

A hideous demon that looked like a mixture between slime, snakes, and fish slithered out of the vase, and I could detect a smug smirk on its face.

Upper Moon Four.

Fuck, maybe I should send Miki to get Mitsuri and a couple more Hashiras?

"Hoho, a young slayer as my opponent?" The demon jeered, its body squishing with movement, making disgusting squelching sounds. "Attagirl, shall we fight?"

I gripped my katana, never letting my calm composure falter. I can do this. I didn't waste a year of hellish training just to fail on a single mission that fell right before me. I can do this —

"Ah!"

A gruesome sensation overwhelmed my senses, practically causing me to convulse and shiver. My knees wobbled as they tried to so desperately keep my frame up.

"Oh, is the poison kicking in?"

Poison?

My life was flashing right before my very eyes. I was seeing orbs of red and blue, my sight slowly deteriorating as I shuddered, the pain almost making my mouth froth. I clutched at my forearm, attempting to steady myself.

"Should I add you to my art collection?" Now, I could see several swordsmiths with similar needles protruding from their bodies, which were twisted in horrid ways. "Hmm, maybe you'll be the central piece. You are quite the girl."

The unspeakable act of defiling the swordsmiths bodies almost made me want to puke. I'd been like this ever since a demon attacked our peaceful household. What did we ever do to them? We humans simply wanted to leave in unity, so why do these demons want to wreak havoc to ruin it?

Why couldn't they just leave us alone?

My body was barely responding to the events that were happening. I heard a loud and thunderous boom resonate from afar, and a person hitting a cluster of bushes. I wanted to scream out that I was here, that I needed help. I couldn't move.

What if I hadn't went to the shed at all? What if I'd only stay put in my minka and wait until a person alerted me of the threat of demons?

I'd still be able to fight.

"Breath of Love: Kitty Paw Love Breeze!"

I didn't know where I uttered the ability to push the last gasp of strength I had in me. But seeing Mitsuri's proud face, hearing my family's laughs, and feeling Muichiro's arms felt like the match that lighted up a fire inside me.

I swiftly attacked close to the speed of sound, managing to partially cut off his head.

It's not enough.

That was the last thought I had before my grip with consciousness slowly let go.