Chapter Text
It’s not like anyone would explain to him when he would die. If it was going to be during Final Selection, where the hand demon nearly crushed his skull to the point of his memory faltering. Or if it was going to be later in life, longer down the line in his path to destruction. His life had been full of death. The loss of his mother, his family, his village. Nothing seemed like the right path. Until Giyuu, his best friend, his brother, came. And the two of them stuck together.
Up until Sabito had trouble with the hand demon, and he was unconscious past the sword ceremony. But that’s beside the point.
His path had been filled with destruction, the one left in the wake of demons. He fought beside Giyuu, killing as many as he could with the strength that he had. Of course, women were allowed to become demon slayers and the strongest were considered the bravest of them all. But, Sabito felt as though he was handicapped. The cards that he drew were tricks, ones he can’t play without some kind of twist.
The wrappings that pull tight against his chest squeeze him. Giyuu always helps. Giyuu knows how to tie his bindings so that they aren’t too tight. If they were too tight, then Sabito would have difficulty using his breathing techniques.
There’s a huff, and he loosens the white cloth just a bit.
Better.
He continues to wrap the top of his chest. His breasts aren’t big like the Love Hashira’s, so tying them down doesn’t give him a lot of trouble. It’s a morning routine that annoys him the most. If only he was born without such annoying parts to his body, maybe then he could move better.
A knot that sits against his spine pulls everything together, and he lets his arms rest at his sides. He’s still small. A growth spurt that was supposed to come when he was fifteen but never came due to the injuries he received as a kanoe. Soft, lavender eyes scan over his body in the full-body mirror. Covered in scars from his years climbing the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps, Sabito’s body holds many stories. Yet, he’s not focused on the marks that brand his pale-ish skin. He’s staring at his hair. A mess of peach curls that he can never get a handle on. He should cut it. Sabito normally cuts at his hair when he gets past his shoulders, but he doesn’t have the time now.
Eimi, his Kasugai Crow, had woken him up with a letter. A mission set to him by Oyakata-sama. Eimi picks at his face, then at his hair, and then sits on his chest as he reads the letter. Up Mount Haguro lives a village. It’s currently being attacked by a demon with long, tentacle-like arms. The demon itself has taken many lives; those from the village and those among the ranks. It has become too dangerous for anyone but a Hashira to confront this demon.
With a sigh, Sabito starts to get dressed. His black uniform slides onto his body with ease. The sleeves hug his toned muscles, closing around his chest and stomach as he messes with his belt. He shoves the ends of his pants into his patterned kyahan, buckling the ends in.
After getting dressed, he stands, slipping on his sandals, and grabbing his haori. It sits folded neatly on his desk, where he writes letters. The white and patterned fabric unfolds in his hands and he slips into it with ease.
While Giyuu wears a similar version, Sabito’s haori differs. One side of the haori is white, the fabric that Sakonji Urokodaki found him in. It had once belonged to his mother, and after a vicious attack on his village, she wrapped him up in one of her favorite kimonos to keep him safe. Unfortunately, she did not survive. The demon had ripped open his cheek right as Urokodaki arrived. He killed the demon and scooped up little Sabito, attempting to stop the bleeding on his cheek before taking him to his cabin on Mount Sagiri.
The other half of his haori is patterned green, yellow, and orange. It’s a pattern Sabito fell in love with, because of its non-traditional ways. He had chosen it after coming out to Urokodaki. He no longer wanted to wear kimonos and be dressed like a girl. Instead, he wanted to be a boy, wear pants and play in the dirt. Of course, Urokodaki had said that the clothes he wore didn’t matter if he was going to play in the dirt or not, but that didn’t stop him from taking Sabito to the market. Soon, Urokodaki had made Sabito a new top, with a pair of black pants, and his mother’s kimono cut into a haori; all for him.
Lastly, Sabito picks up the fox mask that sits on the other side of his desk. The very warding mask that he holds dear to his heart. The silky red rope falls against his fingers. He pulls the mask to his face and ties it, letting the rope fall against his neck.
Sabito’s nichirin sword slides into the hook on his belt. He holds up his arm for Eimi to fly to him, and he walks out of the Water Estate.
Sabito and Giyuu share the Water Estate, as they became the Water Pillars at the same time. It was agreed upon that they would become co-hashira. They both share the qualities of the hashira and continue to prove their worth as two of the strongest water-breathing users amongst the demon slayer corps.
Of course, that isn’t received without some backlash. He knows a certain collective of hashira don’t approve of there being two of the same pillar, but Okayata-sama had said it was allowed. So, there was no more discussion on the matter.
Sabito had great respect for Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the demon slayer corps. While his body is weak and frail, he makes up for it by being a great leader. Sabito didn’t hold back when he told Okayata-sama about his gender identity. Without hesitation, Sabito was accepted by not only the leader but by the Ubuyashiki family. It brought him to tears when he told Urokodaki through his letter.
Sabito breaks into a sprint. One hand on the hilt of his sword, the other at his side. He knows how far Mount Hagura is, and he knows it will take him a long time if he walks. He needs to get there as soon as possible. Eimi flies above him, helping him with direction. Due to the injuries he sustained during his Final Selection, Sabito suffers from slight memory loss. He struggles with remembering names and places he needs to go. Eimi helps with this by directing him at all times. If he gets distracted, Eimi is there to remind him where they are going.
There have been countless instances where Sabito struggles to remember the names of his fellow Hashira. The Flame Pillar and the Sound Pillar both are loud, so he mixes them up when speaking to them (or about them). To also counter this, he and Giyuu have created indications of who is who.
Yellow for Kyojuro Rengoku, white for Tengen Uzui.
Sabito has gotten into the habit of calling the Wind Hashira Shithead , because of his nasty attitude towards everyone in the corps. It became more apparent that he was targeting Giyuu, so Sabito does all he can to put the Wind Hashira in his place.
Sabito isn’t sure why Giyuu spends so much time with him.
The other Hashira have other indications. The Mist Hashira is the boy with long hair. The Love Hashira is the girl with her chest out. The Serpent Hashira is the one with different colored eyes. The Stone Hashira is the large man. And the Insect Hashira is Shinobu Kocho.
Because of her connection to medicine and her constant influence in caring for injured slayers, Sabito had told Shinobu Kocho. It has actually been her sister, Kanae Kocho, who he told first. He remembers how kind she was to him. For a while, he wouldn’t let anyone but Giyuu tend to his injuries. Until Giyuu was also unconscious and Sabito needed medical attention. Kanae Kocho had personally cared for him. Then it became Shinobu Kocho taking care of him. They didn’t question the reasoning behind his attempts at binding his chest. Instead, Kocho made softer bindings out of fabric that didn’t leave his skin in rashes. She held the same smile as her sister did, but Sabito could see the sadness etched in the happy expression she wore. He understood the loss.
It had been hours, but soon Sabito begins to run up an incline. He knows he made it to Mount Hagura, and quickly his sword is pulled from his sheath. The moon reflects off the blue blade.
When he arrives in the area before the village, Sabito slows his steps. His hand tightens on the hilt as he listens. He can feel the air around him moving, breathing past him. His eyes slowly close as he attempts to sense out the demon. It would be easier if he had Urokodaki’s insane sense of smell because then he could sniff out the rotting stench and kill the demon without wasting time. But, he doesn’t have such a sense, so instead he relies on everything else.
The bugs around him flitter by his ears, but he doesn’t flinch. He stands still, in between two tall trees. The world around him stills, and he listens.
Listening…
Listening…
Demons are so loud when they’re hungry.
Sabito’s body tenses, and he jumps onto the trunk of the tree to his left, avoiding a tentacle that comes flying toward him. His head flicks over to the source as it quickly retracts. There’s a soft giggle, then a horrendous laugh, echoing against the bark of the trees.
“You’re a fast one ,” the demon purrs in a cooling female voice. “Faster than the others that have come to kill me. Will you succeed, little slayer?”
The voice of the demon bounces around the trees, making it harder for Sabito to pinpoint its location. Before he can figure out where it is, another tentacle shoots out of the darkness. Its attempts to catch him are futile as a wet slap hits the tree where he once was. In a flash, he’s back on solid ground. His sword is held tightly in his hands.
Water Breathing, first form: Water Surface Slash.
As the demon retracts its tentacle once more, Sabito’s sword connects with the middle. Cutting away half of the tentacle, the demon roars in anger.
“No! No! My tentacle! My precious tentacle! You’ll pay! You’ll pay! ” it screams.
The ground underneath Sabito rumbles, and he quickly jumps back to avoid yet another tentacle strike. Then another, then another. He raises his sword and deflects another tentacle.
How many does this demon have?
There are three, four, five tentacles attempting to wrap around him. He breathes in effortlessly, the handle on his sword changing.
Water Breathing, third form: Flowing Dance.
The movement around him slices the tentacles into shreds, earning another scream from the demon that sounds like it’s getting closer. Sabito drops to the ground and quickly rushes forward. The tentacles are spitting out of the trees in front of him. He uses his sword to cut them, slice them, and deflect them.
He understands how so many of his fellow slayers have lost their lives fighting this demon. He will be the man to avenge their deaths.
There are more tentacles shooting toward him. Doubling from the ones he cut down. One connects with his shoulder, a sharp tear through fabric. Blood spills onto the white part of his haori. He doesn’t stop moving. Another strike against him, one going for his face. It chips the paint off his mask as he moves his head slightly out of the way. He’ll have to fix that later.
He’s getting closer now because the shrieking of the demon is louder than ever. It chants how its going to kill him, feed on him, and give his head to Kibutsuji.
“You can try,” Sabito says with a grin.
Water Breathing, seventh form: Drop Ripple Thrust.
As Sabito is close to the demon, the water pooling from the tip of his sword, a tentacle rips through his side. It catches his haori, pulling at his uniform, and breaking skin. It’s a deeper cut than the others he’s received. It’s going to need immediate medical attention. But that doesn’t matter, now. The head of the demon sits on top of a jellyfish-like body. Hair spills down her cheeks. She’s crying, sobbing.
“Don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me.”
“You’re a disgusting creature. Die.” And with a slash, her head rolls off the base of her body.
Sabito had miscalculated where the trees are in the forest. And so, as he makes his descent from beheading the demon, his back slams into a tree. Bark sticks to his haori as he struggles to breathe.
Rookie mistake , he thinks to himself. He catches his way down before falling onto his face and making a bigger fool of himself. When he lands, his knees buckle and he’s kneeling in the dirt. The death of the demon fades, and Eimi is returning with a group of kakushi.
A slow breath exhales from his lips as he tries to stand, but putting pressure on that side of his body shoots pain up his chest. He stifles a groan, quickly looking away from any kakushi that attempts to help him.
Sabito has a reputation with the kakushi. He doesn’t like it when they touch him. He doesn’t want them to remove his clothing to find his bindings or to see what he’s hiding about his body. All they have to know is that he’s a man and he can take care of his own wounds.
“Don’t touch me,” he spits at an advancing kakushi.
“Sir, you’re injured. Please let me––” the girl attempts to explain, but Sabito cuts her off.
“No. I don’t need your damn help. I can do it on my own.” He attempts to stand again. Luckily, he’s wearing his mask, so he doesn’t have to hide any expressions of pain that he feels.
“Sir, please let me help…”
“I said no! Leave me alone!”
It’s always the same fight. A kakushi begging to help him, to be of any kind of assistance, and Sabito yelling at them to leave him be. He’ll wrap the wound lazily and then make his way either home or to the Butterfly Estate where Kocho will scold him for being reckless.
Sabito stands, sheathing his sword, but then there’s another presence. One he doesn’t pick up until it’s right next to him. When he looks, he immediately sees soft, green eyes. Short, black hair. Two scars on the left side of his chin. The very difference from this man is that he doesn’t wear a face covering like the other kakushi do. Yet, there’s a soft, loving smile.
“Let me help,” he says in a soothing voice. “You’re injured and you need––”
“Don’t touch me,” Sabito quickly says. “I don’t need your help. I can do it myself.”
“Your injury is in a difficult place for it to be treated on one's own. I would rather you don't strain yourself any further, sir.”
“I said I can–– ngh …” A burst of pain rips up his side, making Sabito almost fall back to his knees. “I can do it myself.”
“I'm sorry, sir, but you've gotten the most stubborn kakushi in the brigade on your case.” That smile widens. It’s starting to piss Sabito off.
So, this man is a kakushi. Yet, he doesn’t act like the other ones. Most of the kakushi would shy away from Sabito once he raised his voice. And this one doesn’t even flinch. He wants to fight, draw his sword and threaten to end his life if he comes any closer. The thought of being touched by someone who he isn’t familiar with makes his skin crawl.
But… there’s also something different about this one. Something… kind.
After a few moments, Sabito groans. “Fine. Only you. No one else.”
The man’s smile gets even wider, Sabito isn’t exactly sure how. He knows that the kakushi dedicate their lives to serving the hashira, but this one seems especially excited to be doing his job.
“Of course, sir.”
The man walks up next to him and slowly helps him back down onto the ground. Sabito can feel the cold grass underneath him as the man fumbles with his belt. It’s weird, having someone Sabito isn’t familiar with take off his clothes to inspect an injury. He hadn’t gotten to see the worst of it, but since this kakushi had been so demanding, Sabito thought it must be serious.
“You saved a lot of people by jumping in front of that demon like you did. You're much braver than I,” says the kakushi.
“Most people would have frozen in a situation like that,” he says under an exhaled breath. The fabric around his wound is peeled away, revealing the angry, bleeding slash into his stomach.
“That’s why you’re a hashira, and I’m a kakushi.”
“Who are you? Where’s your mask?” Sabito spits out.
“I was once a slayer before, so I don’t believe I need a mask since people have seen my face.” He starts cleaning the wound. The pain starts to dull.
“You were a slayer?”
“I was. A Wind Breather. But I can’t use any breathing techniques anymore.”
Sabito doesn’t answer. Instead, he watches the kakushi’s face. Studying the way his features are soft but also focused. His touch is soft, soothing, and careful. He’s talented. And it explains why Sabito didn’t sense his presence before. A former slayer now reduced to a kakushi. Maybe this is a good way to continue to help the demon slayers after losing a battle. Sabito wonders what happened.
“You’re a good addition to the Corps.,” Sabito says.
The kakushi’s smile widens once more. “I like your warding mask!”
“Oh…” That catches him off guard a bit. “Thank you… my father made it.” He’s gotten into the habit of calling Urokodaki his father after some realization. Urokodaki had raised him, so Sabito wants to recognize him as so.
“He’s very talented.”
Sabito feels the last of his bandages tie off. The breathing slows with the help of the technique, so all he’ll need to do is get back home so it can be dressed properly.
“All done. Thank you for allowing me to treat you, Urokodaki-sama. Also, I won't tell anyone.”
Sabito stares through his mask. That’s right, he saw. The kakushi saw the bindings on his chest because the kakushi needed to get to the wound. His chest bindings are out in the open, breathing the same air as he is. And yet, the kakushi slowly buttons up his top again, fixing his belt, and leaning back to look at him.
“... Thank you…” Sabito whispers, slowly pushing himself up off the ground. He wants to get home. He can see Eimi sitting in the trees.
The kakushi quickly helps him off the ground. They give each other a slight nod before Sabito starts to walk back to the Water Estate.
He doesn’t even get the kakushi’s name.