Chapter Text
You turn in a slow circle, carefully scanning your surroundings. Nothing...Good. Letting out a slow breath you didn’t know you had been holding, you start your trek home. You keep your hand on your Nichirin blade the entire duration of the walk, always ready to do your job as a Hashira.
Just as the horizon turns pink, you make it through your front door. The warmth of your many lanterns envelop you as you enter, making you sigh with relief. The autumn season is in full swing now, staying warm is becoming more challenging.
Leaning your blade against the far wall, you set some water to boil for tea while you dress yourself in your nightly yukata.
“What should I have for dinner tonight…” You ponder, putting together a simple chai tea.
While you are in the mood for sashimi, you’re too exhausted from patrol to bother prepping the fish. Exasperated with your own indecisiveness, you just decide to reheat the miso soup you had made that morning.
Just as you set the steaming bowl down on your Chabudai, you sense something.
Demon.
In seconds, you’ve snatched your blade and are outside. It’s quiet. Too quiet...not even the sound of crickets greet you as you step outside. Something is here. You shiver against the cold, not having time to change into your uniform has left you vulnerable. Shaking your head, you do your best to ignore the goosebumps prickling your skin and begin walking the perimeter of your home.
Rounding the corner behind your house, you catch a flash out of the corner of your eye. You strike, slicing a thick tree branch from its trunk. When the limb crashes in front of your feet, you frown, confused. You were sure you saw something…
“I must be more exhausted than I thought…”
A low chuckle echoes through the trees, your eyes dart around, near frantic as you try to locate the sound. It seems to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. You try to remember your breathing techniques, doing your best to refocus-
“Wooow, I thought Hashira’s are supposed to be faster than that~” The voice taunts.
You unsheathe your blade, patience wearing thin.
“Show Yourself, Demon!” You demand in no particular direction, still not sure where the creature resides.
A soft thump can be heard from the front of your home, rounding the structure, you find...nothing. Gritting your teeth, frustrated, you turn to look back from where you came, hoping for some sort of clue as to where the perpetrator could be hiding. But what you find makes your heart sink.
Your front door is hanging wide open.
Sprinting inside, you find everything in its place. Walking lightly, you make your way through the space before bumping into your Chabudai, making you curse as you lean down to rub your shin, knowing it’ll bruise later.
“Nice place you got here.”
You whip around, craning your neck to look up at your small loft. Someone is sitting on the ledge, casually swinging his feet. In the dim lamp light you can see him smiling boyishly down at you.
You face contorts with fury. How dare this demon enter my home!
You launch yourself at him without thinking, ready to behead him. But he's quick, dodging out of the way at inhuman speeds. You're able to just barely catch yourself before sending yourself through the roof.
He giggles from the main floor, but having no time to make any quips about your performance before you slam down to meet him.
You bring down your blade as you land, taking off his arm. Lifting the weapon again to bring down a finishing blow, you see his limb has already completely regenerated. For a second, you go rigid with surprise, and a second is all he needs to land a square punch to your abdomen.
The impact launches you though your cottage and out your front door. You roll a few times, losing your sword and its sheath. Stumbling to your hands and knees, you dry heave, having never gotten a chance to eat, nothing comes out. Still delirious, you struggle to your feet, your blade forgotten, you try to prepare for hand-to-hand combat.
The demon strolls out to meet you, hands in his pockets.
“You’re weaker than I thought you’d be…” he shrugs his shoulders, “But I guess that’s to be expected from mere humans.” feigning disappointment he looks you over, his unyielding gaze making you feel bare.
You glower back at him, refusing to be intimidated by a demon.
“Either fight me or kill me, but I will NEVER be a demon!” You cry, adrenaline coursing through your veins.
“Now, now...I didn’t come here for a fight, lovely.” The demon cooed, his sly smile never faltering.
The pet name makes bile rise in your throat. Grimacing, you swallow it back down.
“Then what DO you want?!” You behest, exhaustion tugging at your strained muscles.
He only hums, something feral flashing in his eyes. The air is suddenly forced from your lungs as you find yourself pinned against the packed dirt of the ground, his form looming over you, pushing you further into the dirt. You curse yourself for your slow reaction time, giving him the upper hand.
Despite yourself, you use what little strength you have left to try to struggle out of his grip. He patiently waits as you tire yourself out completely. Finally, you look up at him, and freeze. You know this foe...this is the same demon that slaughtered the Fire Hashira a few years earlier.
Upper Moon Three: Akaza
****
Wiping his fingers clean of filthy human blood, Akaza began his nightly stroll, whistling softly. He’d just finished off a human with more ego than strength, the fool should had thought better than to approach a demon of such rank-
Then it hit him.
The smell was citrusy-sweet, so thick he could nearly taste it. The scent was so hypnotizing, he didn’t even notice when he had started wandering in its direction.
Falling through a clearing, he’s greeted with a small cottage.
Strange..
Seeing a structure all on its own usually indicates a religious site or abandoned village of some sort. But this was a simple home...and from the flickering lights inside, someone lives here.
He knows better than to assume the scent is some kind of dessert, no smell that strong could come from a simple dish. This was coming from a living creature.
Everyone has a scent, whether one can smell it is a different story. So far, only demons and other animals can pick up on them, and seeing as this creature is making a move to mask their strong scent. They are either stupid, or bold.
Hopping gracefully onto the roof of the home, he leans to peak into the small window. Akaza nearly tumble off when he sees a human sleeping inside.
Rolling back onto his heels, he lets out a long whistle. Humans have always had weak, bitter scents. Never had he met a human with a scent he can stand, let alone like.
I’ll have to keep an eye on this one…
Planning on keeping that promise, he heads back off into the night to make a plan.
----
He watches on, just out of Hashira's 6th sense, observing the interaction between you, and another Hashira, “____...so that’s your name…” Your name had slipped from the other Hashira when addressing you.
He’d been following you around for a week, finding out where you get produce, where you patrol, where you meditate and train. But finally, finally, he’d gotten some useful information: your name.
With a devious smile, he slithered from the scene, finally ready to confront you.
-----
“Goddamnit…” He groans when you bursted from your home, sensing him. He must’ve not realized how close he’d gotten.
He had planned on being civil, really! He did! But how can he resist the chance to taunt you? Messing with humans is just too fun. Then, an opportunity presented itself when you were distracted behind the house, the door left ajar.
...He knows he shouldn’t. Hell, he’d kill any intruder of his personal space immediately. But your scent...it permeates the air, he can’t help but go and take a gulp of it in. But too soon, you're shooting in after him.
He tried to play it casually...but he’s a demon...in a Hashira’s home. Honestly, he shouldn’t have expected anything different.
Nevertheless, harming you didn’t have the effect it typically does. He loves to spar, but causing you pain seems to ricochet right back onto him...not physically, but the feeling of wrongness crawling over his skin is undeniable. As guilty as he feels, he’s gotta stay focused, in fact, you're already on your feet - a little disoriented - but on your feet.
They’re strong…
He purrs in approval, already liking you. He, of course, doesn’t tell you that, more like the opposite. But it doesn’t seem like you heard him, face twisted in disdain, but he likes that too. While you’re strong, you're weakened from exhaustion, giving him the advantage, but you almost make him struggle when he slams you into the dirt.
After you're down, it’s only a waiting game. He wonders if you’ll notice who he is, after the death of the fire Hashira, his name had spread pretty quickly.
And he was right, within seconds after you finish your thrashing, the horror sets in on your face, and you finally recognize your opponent.