Chapter Text
Chapter Seven: Case Closed
Hansha led Kagami off to the side before standing in the middle as he spoke one word. “Again.”
The training dummies pulled themselves back together. Hansha braced his legs before pushing off the ground gripping his odachi as he unsheathed his blade as he leapt up into the air and brought the blade over his shoulder. “Jigoku no Kokyū- Yon no Kata: Benihime Nise!”
The dummies sliced through the false image as Hansha moved using the momentum of the swing of the arm to bounce off moving around them. The blade slicing through in quick clean slices. The heat from the blade extending outwards. Hansha flicked the blade out before sliding it into the sheath which he held in his other hand.
“I know you have more!” Haganezuka shouted as Tsubame appeared behind him and began to pull him away. “They’re not done yet!”
“They still need to rest.” Tsubame said, dragging him away. Kagami stood up slowly and stumbled but Hansha steadied her. Leading her back to her room to get her to rest.
Yuki was looking at his sword, fingers holding it gently. Zabuza, despite being sick, could feel him sitting outside of the room.
“You’re thinking too loudly.” Zabuza said gruffly, as the Swordsmiths hovered wanting to see the Kubikiribōchō as well as getting advice on any changes. Since the trainers and well everyone seemed willing to share their styles.
“Should I name my sword?” Yuki asked as he stared, Shiratori looked at him. Yuki was still bundled up, but Hansha was clearing his room off all the snow that had accumulated.
“You wish to name your blade?” Shiratori asked as he sat down next to the boy, his hyottoko mask covered in snow but still hiding his face. Yuki nodded his head.
“Shizun and everyone else named theirs when I lived on the Peak.” Yuki said as he sheathed the katana again before hugging it. Kisuke was walking by then glanced over before heading to his room. Then a few crashes were heard causing Tsubame to jump.
“No, I was surprised, most Demon Slayers don’t name their swords.” Shiratori admitted as he stared out.
“But naming them means that you are going to try and take care of them. Making sure that no matter what, your blade will always be at the ready to do what is needed. Breaking blades and just treating them as tools reflects ones own nature to believe themself as unworthy as well as insulting the craftsmen who made it.” Yuki said before thinking about it. “Although, he said it more like. “It is foolish to assume that all blades are made the same, a new one is not going to function the same as the old one. Stop asking me useless questions. Like breaking a sword, your inability to understand math with your brain, it is a waste.”.”
Shiratori stared before realizing how kind Yuki was, because his teacher was not being nice in that moment. Then he realized that Yuki was the best person to make a sword for.
“Please let me know about any adjustments you will require!” Shiratori called out as he prostrated himself on the deck.
“Can I still keep the blade if my suggestions cause you to make a new one?” Yuki asked simply and Shiratori wailed in relief as he clung to Yuki’s robes. Yuki just patted him on his hat.
Lani was glaring frustratedly at her sword as she poked at it.
“I know this color means something.” she said before picking it up, she let out a breath before wrapping it in heat. “What is it?”
Because each of the seasons had a corresponding mythical beast and element they were connected to. Lani’s being Zhūquè, Suzaku, or as she liked to call him in her native tongue: Manu ʻulaʻula. So she decided to contact him as Li’ili’i, or Li, ran around in his tiny form since Hajime, being a representative of the yōkai to the Demon Slayers, was away.
“Oi! You red pigeon, I need answers.” Lani said as she focused the flame as the Vermillion bird took shape before resting on the lantern. Li stared in amazement. “You’ve been watching everything.”
“I have.” Zhūquè answered, irritated, until Lani fed him some caraway seeds and almonds. Which he accepted haughtily.
“Why is my blade black?” Lani demanded as she sat up, her room was hot and muggy due to the steam rising from her body.
“Simple, being the representative of summer, the style of breathing that suits you is related to the sun.” Zhūquè answered as he tilted his head to the side as he examined the blade. “Though it’s not a true black, Like Winter being Snow, Spring being Plant, and Autumn being Death, yours is a unique style that is yours. Yours is more like the closest relative to the original style.”
“So it’s not fully black?” Lani asked as she held it up and tilted it. The blade turned white when the light hit it. Then different colors glinted off of the surface.
“No, what happens when you combine all colors?”
“It turns black, except when it comes to the light spectrum. Then it turns into white.”
“And after a storm?”
“It makes a rainbo… oh.” Lani looked at it again then thought about it really hard. “So I have to think about this really hard. Since it isn’t the original but it isn’t Thunder or even Flame Breathing….”
Zhūquè pulled a red wing in front of his head and shook it while Lani thought about this seriously. But he was enjoying spending time with her. Lani flopped backwards staring up at the ceiling, then looking out the round window. Towards the blue sky. She blinked before rolling over.
“Lani?” Zhūquè asked. Lani sat up, her short hair poofing up like static running through it.
“That’s it!” Lani said before looking at him and Zhūquè pulled his head back. “Lani!”
“You are naming a style after yourself?” Zhūquè asked.
“No! Lani means Sky! Other than the sun during the summer, what is it that we enjoy?”
“Kites, clouds… the sky.” Zhūquè said as he thought about it. “Hmmm… Sky Breathing. Vast, endless, both being dangerous but holds everything. The sun sits in the sky and without the sun the sky would be nothing but void.”
Lani grinned at Zhūquè who nodded back. Then she froze. This meant she had to think of new forms.
“Why does this mean I have to think?!” Lani complained as Zhūquè hopped over to her and forced her back down. Li took the sword before bringing it over to the stand.
“It’s not thinking when you have to figure out how it is going to strike.” Li pointed out as he climbed onto the nightstand. “So you just have to get better before figuring it out. After all, a well body is key to a mind that works.”
“I hate that it makes sense.” Lani said, then thought before grabbing her sword and pulled it close before falling asleep. Zhūquè and Li looked at each other before trying to wrestle the katana from her arms.
Kisuke stood in his room, a glowing as he held a screen in front of him, his fingers and hands were like talons as he stood there. Eyes glowing purple.
“You will not be missed.” Kisuke said as his katana rested in the corner. “However, you have information that I need. Where is he?”
The screen glitched the letters around.
“No, not the soul you put into him. Where is the original?”
Hans was resting nearby just watching as he pressed his back against the wall. His eyes were half lidded but he was resting comfortably. Most would have asked them what this would have accomplished. It would not bring back Yuki’s shizun. But ripping out the soul of a man to put in a new soul to “fix” a story was only the tip of Yuki’s trauma. ‘Modao Zushi where he met and befriended Jīn Guāngyáo, only to have him ripped away from him. Hellsing, Dracula… a lot of worlds many lives that he lived that he repressed because of how much trauma he faced. Where those that he befriended or who took care of him either died, were taken away from him, or betrayed him thinking that he was a monster or becoming one and trying to kill him. It’s no wonder he is afraid of leaving the Pokemon World and returning to ours.’ Hans thought as Kisuke’s talons cracked the system screen. Kisuke wanted the System and whoever was in control to admit exactly what they had done.
The reply was swift and not at all what Kisuke was expecting. A clawed hand rested on the display as he laughed. “You lost him?! No wonder you were desperate, but you know. The new guy isn’t that dumb.”
Kisuke wrote a quick note into the display that the system wasn’t sure what it meant. “Sooner or later he will snap at you to end it and you can’t do anything because he was the one most familiar with the novel and how to stay in character. Anyone else would have done a lot to Shizun-sama or even would try to take the plot over.”
All it said was “Call the bluff”. Then Kisuke took a few steps back as H-san whisked away the System.
“Where did you learn to threaten like that?” Hans asked as he stretched.
“Watching old videos of my dad and his best friend before the guy passed away. If he had a character in mind he was sticking to them and could be quite intimidating while my dad was seen as the father type and could get away with being a chaos gremlin.” Kisuke said as he leaned forward. “Kind of. I’m the child of dad’s and mum’s gaming avatars that had a life of their own when the screen was turned off. One day when I was five, I’m in Pokémon Ruby and decided to wait there… after I was in Bleach. Wanted to figure out what was so cool about Urahara Kisuke.”
Hans nodded his head as they walked out of the room.
A few days later Ciara was playing with Ririka in the yard when the cat looked towards the entrance and hissed. Then ran up Ciara’s arm, Ririka was the type of cat that didn’t like anyone but the immediate household. Especially Zabuza. Ciara was just finishing packing up as she straightened her uniform, what looked like a Gakuran, or a school uniform. consisting of a buttoned shirt with a white framed collar having the kanji for Destroy or 滅 (Metsu) engraved on the back, a shirt pocket on top of the left breast and white undershirt. It also consists of long, saggy tattsuke-hakama pants strapped by a white buckled belt. Ciara was just glad Kagami had sent in a request to have the uniforms tailored by anyone other than Maeda Masao since he kept trying to accentuate certain aspects of the girls. ‘I am going to have to question him thoroughly about the reason why.’ Ciara thought as she looked over. Yuki and the others, besides Kisuke, had already left. Standing there was a huge man, around 220 cm huge, muscles bigger than Ciara’s head. Slightly tan skin, a horizontal scar running across his forehead, short black hair shaved on the sides, white eyes. His uniform signifying that he was a part of the Demon Slayers, though it was heavily modified. The golden buttons, signifying a hashira, were left unbuttoned except for the last one, the sleeves were rolled up, over his shoulders was an olive green happi with text going down the front collar. He was also wearing red beads around his neck.
“Ririka.” Ciara sighed before picking up the cat as the kittens ran around her feet. She approached carefully.
“Hello.” she greeted as Kisuke walked out stretching his arms into the air. “Is there something you require?”
“I was sent to request the presence of Momochi Zabuza.” the man said as Ciara, standing at 155 cm, was looking up so nothing felt awkward and yet it did feel very awkward. She still felt like a small child in comparison. Ririka sniffed at him as the man kept a face, despite the tears streaming down them. His emotions said otherwise, Ciara could tell that he wanted to pet the cat. “Ah, my apologies, my name is Himejima Gyō-....”
Ciara took his hand before setting it gently on Ririka who shrank back a bit before accepting the pets since it was Ciara who was petting her indirectly. The man’s emotions lit up with happiness almost instantly. Ciara laughed, then handed Ririka to Himejima before heading inside to let Zabuza know that he had a visitor.
Ririka settled down in the large hand as Kisuke walked up next to him and glanced up and down. The kittens pawing at Himejima.
“I am Himejima Gyōmei.” Himejima finished as Kisuke began to stack every single kitten onto him.
“You can take them inside.” Kisuke said before spreading his wings and taking off, an easier way to get off the mountain. Ciara came out.
“He’s willing to hear you out.” Ciara replied as she paused and took in the sight. “Kisuke.”
She hung her head but Himejima merely nodded his head solemnly.
“I will be fine, continue on with your mission.” Himejima told her, Ciara looked back before heading down as well, correcting her cap.
A month later Ciara was in one of the large urban areas exploring it with ease. She had been moving from place to place, solving crimes or incidents. It was a little bit harder to do, because she did have to get connected with police. Yet it was easier being a consulting detective than explaining being a Demon Slayer. ‘It was a good idea doing this.’ Ciara thought as she looked at the buildings. Being from a much more modern era it wasn’t uncommon to see large buildings. ‘It must be amazing though, people coming here from small towns and seeing this sight.’
Her senses tingle, many people were filled with different emotions and that was common. Yet Oni were very different, often saturated with darker emotions. However Zabuza had her train her abilities for two years with Eiri where she worked at his Ryokan at the front desk as well as babysitting her coworker’s, a man named Hiroshi, large amount of adopted children. ‘Why he has twenty three children still confuses me. Though at least one of them was really happy when I read a few books from Kyōgai-sensei.’ she thought as she checked out a crime scene, having gotten a request from the police to check it out. She was wearing a thick haori over her uniform, with a secondary shoulder cloak due to the rain giving her a layered coat appearance.
“Captain.” she said as she bowed to the officer who was looking around.
“Okuirin-deka.” the man said, he was obviously still doubting her due to her age. He was one of the rare people, during this time, who didn’t care if they were a man or a woman, they just needed to get the job done. He just drew the line at kids getting involved in adult’s work. However since Ciara was originally a Pokemon trainer, it just meant that she would have gotten involved in these situations regardless. ‘Not that he knows what a Pokemon is.’ Ciara thought as she looked at the large gouges against the wall. ‘Yeah, this demon isn’t even hiding.’
She felt the residual emotions in the air. Then blinked as there was a lack of blood unlike most of the scenes previous to this. “Odd.”
“What is it?” the Captain, Kawasuke Ojirō, asked as he walked up beside her.
“The other crime scenes all had similar ways of being done. The large gouges in the walls, debris littering everything, almost like a large animal was tearing the alleys and their victim apart.” Ciara said as she looked around more. “However, the previous ones all had large amounts of blood.”
“What are you saying?”
“The victim was dragged away.” Ciara answered before crouching down finding smaller claw marks in the ground. Like fingers digging into the dirt. “Here, this is where the victim was struggling to get away. Almost like someone interrupted but it didn’t stop them, like calling them away for something more urgent.”
Then she saw thinner, sharper lines. A blade. “Or it ran.”
“Ran?” Captain Kawasuke asked as Ciara stood up. She couldn’t tell if there was another Demon Slayer in the area or not.
“The trail is still warm.” Ciara adjusted her cap as she stood up. “And whoever has been doing this still has the person who was here.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, detective.” Captain Kawasuke told her as Ciara gave him a small smile. He gave a nod before heading off. “We’ll keep an eye out, keep looking but don’t do anything without us.”
Ciara nodded her head before tilting her hat before walking off. Her crow called from above and she glanced up watching him fly off. She followed him. Straight into a new demon slayer, with a blank expression. Ignoring a crying child. ‘Are you… serious?!’ Ciara screamed in her head as she pushed past him to check the child that had a few wounds on him. It seemed like the relentless assault from Muichirō kept it from devouring the child.
“Tokitō-san.” Ciara said as she stood up holding onto the child. “Where is it?”
“It escape.” Muichirō said before blinking. “Who are you?”
Ciara sighed as she walked passed him.
“You know what our job is.”
“This is part of my job.” Ciara said as she waved down a police officer who ran up with a jog. “But the case isn’t closed if the culprit isn’t apprehended.”
Her eyes shifted upwards seeing Kisuke lounging on the rooftops talking with the crows. He stood up before leaping from rooftop to rooftop. The officer glanced between Ciara and Muichirō, the latter walking away earning a sigh from Ciara. She could tell that he was on a rampage, he had already killed plenty of demons in the last month. Yet there was nothing coming from him, it was like a thick mist was blocking his mind. Similar to Yuki, but with a mental state closer to N.
“You…” Ciara started and Muichirō looked at her as Ciara leaned in, as if he was expecting a lashing out of anger. “Really don’t have anything going on in there do you? Like a mist or a fog.”
She poked his forehead and he smacked her hand without a thought. “What we are doing is a part of our job, but so is protecting people and making sure they survive. A single infection can do much more harm so take care of yourself.”
She walked past the officer who was checking on the boy. “That guy is a partner of mine.”
Kisuke slid down next to her. “So is he.”
Kisuke introduced himself with a smile and a casual attitude and Muichirō was already gone. Hunting after the demon. Ciara bowed before heading off after him as Kisuke followed after her, the little kid now holding a ton of candy and was shoving a mochi in his mouth.
The demon was holed up in an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city. Ciara was arriving with Captain Kawasuke when they heard fighting inside. Kisuke saw the Captain was about to keep Ciara behind and also knew he was equipped to deal with the situation. So he just called a murder of crows to distract them as Ciara was suggesting establishing a perimeter.
“Seriously?” Ciara asked as he dragged her inside. Muichirō was already inside taking care of the demon that was in there, plenty of bones were scattered around. “Tokitō-san!”
Ciara knew how this looked, if the officers swarmed the building while Muichirō was fighting they would assume that it was Muichirō who was committing the crime even though this was going on for years, long before Muichirō was born. Ciara and Karasu moved forward, Ciara pulling her blade out of the hidden location as the demon dodged Muichirō’s attack. ‘He seems a lot stronger than two months ago.’ Ciara thought as both she and Karasu moved in.
“Shi no kata: Ben no Hanagoromo!” Ciara called as she unleashed a single sword slash that curved and twisted gracefully. Kisuke pushed off the ground as he swung his blade catching the demon under the chin before bringing him upwards after he got hit by Ciara’s attack but retaliated sending Ciara flying wounded immensely with a large gash across her shoulder. Kawasuke managed to break free from the crows and gotten inside.
“Yon no Kata: Kuroumazā no yobigoe.” Kisuke said as the demon was sent flying. The monstrous face roaring as Muichirō was in the air blade at the ready. He charged forward in the air with summersaults. Kisuke moving his blade just in time as the demon was decapitated. Kawasuke saw the scene, saw the head, and didn’t blink. He went to check on Ciara who was sitting up as, though he took note on the disappearing body and the bones in the abandoned house. To Ciara the demon was still shouting insults, a man in life who had been sick when he had transformed, who had blood on his hands of his brother even as a child. This man who had no regrets, was cursing them.
“I saw you get dragged inside.” he said with a sigh as he checked on Ciara’s wounds as well as the fact that she was already binding them. “You don’t need to explain.”
“I don’t?” Ciara asked as Kawasuke helped her before looking at Muichirō as Kisuke lectured him on pulling this ridiculous stunt in the city with this being an active crime scene. Though Kisuke looked more amused than irritated at him.
“I’ve been on the force for thirty years, these murders were going on for twenty years before then.” Kawasuke said as looked at the bones. “And I’ve seen plenty of you guys trying to find the culprit only to not make it out alive.”
Ciara saw nichirin blades amongst some of the bones. “I kind of figured something was going on that we couldn’t just explain away other than an animal doing this.” Kawasuke said as he walked over to the stacks. “We’ll take it from here, little detective, you better take your partners out of here. I’ll let them know that the case is closed and that the culprit was put to justice.”
He pulled out a match.
“To make sense on why he turned into ash.” Kawasuke said as Ciara and Kisuke, who picked up Muichirō under his arm, grabbed all of the nichirin swords he could find as the flames from the match found the old dry timber and kindling. Kawasuke set things up so it sound like struggle was still going on inside right before everything lit up in flames before Kisuke got an idea. He passed Muichirō off to Ciara for a bit and released his wings and both taloned feet and hands. A dark shadow loomed over Kawasuke before kicking him out of the house, letting out a dying roar, before grabbing Ciara and Muichirō before hiding all his wings as he pushed himself forward to make it look like they were thrown out as well. The silhouette, caused by some crows still in the area, made it look like whatever was inside was dying.
Muichirō wanted to check to see if Kisuke was a demon. Then Kisuke looked down at him before saying. “You’ve seen me in broad daylight.”
“I have?” Muichirō asked blinking once.
“We were in the final selection.”
“We were?”
“Alright, alright, fog boy.” Kisuke said as the doctors went to treat Ciara for her injuries. He glanced at Kawasuke, who gave him a nod and Kisuke nodded back. Muichirō already leaving.
“You should hurry up.” Muichirō called back as he walked away. “Fifty is just a small number.”
‘THIS KID HAS ALREADY KILLED FIFTY DEMONS?!’ Ciara screamed in her head but the police were just confused.
“Kids and their games.” grunted Kawasuke as Ciara was treated on the spot. “I’ve got some reports to write.”
He paused as he thought about it. “You know there are a few unsolved cases like this one in a town north of here. Plenty of missing ones as well. I can give you a letter of recommendation to any local precincts. This will help you earn some trust a little faster.”
Ciara’s eyes lit up. “Thank you!” she said as she almost bowed but an officer held her still as a doctor stitched her up. Her uniform was damaged, not badly since it was made to withstand Oni attacks, but since this one was pretty powerful the top layer was in tatters. ‘I should really get this fixed.’ she thought.
“As long as you have someone with you.” Kawasuke lectured her before pointing at Kisuke. “I would recommend him, however, you cannot be working on your own in the beginning.”
The lecture lasted until dawn, Kisuke was just lounging around and taking a nap. Ciara was just wondering how everyone else was doing.
“Ka hanu ʻana o ka lani - ʻAno mua: Kau Typhoon!” Lani shouted, the Demon blinked.
“What?” the demon asked as Lani swirled around slicing horizontally in an almost rampage fashion as she swerved through the air slicing at him.
“Sora no kokyū! Ichi no kata: Taifū no Kisetsu!” Lani shouted as Li rode around in her breast pocket cheering as the demon realized his mistake in making Lani irritated as she performed the move a second time. She looked down at him as Li looked up.
“Huh, I guess growing up on that mountain used for the Final Selection really does make you not care about demons dying.” she said as Li nodded his head. “So demons can easily change their size?”
“I still need some help from Hajime for the bigger part, but most don’t really grow or shrink unless they get more power. Since I’m half and there aren’t always humans around, I’m just satisfied with animal blood.” Li said as Lani sheathed her katana. Her short hair was a little longer. “We went over this.”
“No, we just went over the fact that you don’t need to eat humans and that your body only needs blood once in a while. Not the technical aspects of Oni vs half oni vs yōkai nature.” Lani said as she continued on her way. Yuki was nearby, fighting another demon. “Hurry up Yuki!”
“Okay!” Yuki said as he took a step forward before rushing holding his sword up. “Yuki no kokyū. Ichi no Kata: Yukfurii no mai.”
His blade jabbed forward first, hitting the vital points before swiftly leading into a decapitating movement. The soft snow flowing around him as the demon turned to ash. Almost as if it was the after effect of the sword’s movement. His blade, Fubuki, glinting like snow crystals as he sheathed it.
“Alright, that seems to be….” more demons jumped out before Lani finished her sentence. “ARGH! SORA NO KOKYŪ- NI NO KATA: SHŌNETSU!”
“Yuki no kokyū - San no Kata: Tōketsu.” Yuki said as his body rotated before he sliced the demon at the same time as Lani’s heavy blow sending the demon flying into the others as the two stood there. Lani looking like a raging summer storm while Yuki looked almost playful and yet dangerous. Then the two moved forward in sync with each other. The sun just starting to rise, but the canopy above them was thick enough to blot it out.