Amare Flos (Demon Slayer)

3 months had passed since Asumi and Eira's training at the Butterfly Mansion had begun. The 3 months were full of harsh training, every single day filled with seemingly only tougher and tougher challenges that revolved around everything from strength of mind to physical endurance.

Most prominently, the training was focused on improving their breathing styles and fully utilising the techniques of breathing, this included a technique named Total Concentration Constant. A breathing technique that would improve physical capabilities to a superhuman level, improve blood flow and be able to pinpoint where blow flowed. It opened up a window of physical abilities that an average human wouldn't be able to imagine. They achieved this by insane and consistent tests of breathing, practising every second of the day to perfect the complex technique. As the final hours of their stay at the Butterfly Mansion approached, they found themselves reminiscing of how they came into the Mansion, and how they would leave.

Throughout the stay, Eira and Asumi had plenty of time in their own thoughts, their day would usually start off with the usual morning routine, bathing, breakfast, then in the afternoon they would go into training, every day without fail they would train to their full potential.

In the 3 months, Eira and Asumi only really had both of them to talk to. They had become much closer, becoming even closer friends, they laughed, wept and acted together. Eira and Asumi found themselves healing from Ali's incident together. Eira noticed several changes to Asumi from when they first entered to the present moment. Through the months she had gotten much calmer, with fewer outbursts of emotions. She noticed every day that the red and bold outline that choked her sweet pink soul got thinner and thinner. Slowly she was healing. The sun shone low on the horizon as the day started. Eira and Asumi began their departure.

Eira and Asumi stood outside the wide doors of the Butterfly Mansion. The air felt fresh and cold, they very rarely left the Butterfly Mansion in their training, so naturally the outside world felt alien and different. As the three young sisters who had helped them with their training wished a tearful goodbye, the doors of the Butterfly Mansion closed once again. Eira turned her head to Asumi, she was brushing her new sword's blade softly with her fingers. Asumi met Eira's gaze and smiled softly. Her hand moved from the sword to the soft blue flower tied in her hair as always. A reminder.

In the soft sunlight, Eira's white albino crow swooped down and glowed in the light. Eira smiled at the sight and sense of the crow's landing on her shoulder.

"You, as Kanoe, are summoned to Mount Natagumo tomorrow night. Both of you. You are tasked to take down three demons. Be cautious, little information is known about this mountain, and there will be back up at the mountain" The crow's voice hit them with a wave of nostalgia.

Kanoe. Eira had only recently found about Demon Slayer rankings, that there were levels in order to reach the pride of being a Hashira. At the moment, both Asumi and Eira were in the 4th ranking, Kanoe. Eira found it a bit satisfying, she understood that the intensity of the missions they had faced probably gave a jumpstart to their speed to increase in rank, usually, it would take a couple of missions before a Corps Member would reach Kanoe, however, the first mission had boosted them up high.

As the white crow gave the coordinates and they started walking, Asumi couldn't help but feel a slight sorrow in her heart, every day for the past 3 months she had spent in the residence. She couldn't help but feel a sentimental connection to it, and to see it for the very last time at least for now. The first memories of arriving at the mansion. Right after the incident.

Asumi gulped at the thought. She had gotten over Ali's incident a bit, but she still had an unbearable feeling of guilt. The feeling of loss was just as intense as the fear of having to meet again.

How could Asumi face Ali again if they met again? How could she tell him she was sorry that she failed to protect him? She wondered if he was different. She knew she was. Her black hair had grown an inch in the last three months, it now reached down to his back, she decided to not cut it off, she had taken a liking to it being long. She fiddled with the fabric of her clothing, and her heart thumped. Although she had been thinking about it nonstop for the past three months, it sunk even further every time she remembered. Ali was a demon. She was a Demon Slayer.

Asumi gripped her new sword, which she had got just recently, this was her first time holding it, as they didn't train with their real swords in the Butterfly Mansion. She took a deep breath, it felt different. It felt better, to say the least. She felt more powerful than before. Eira and Asumi met gaze again, both smiling and they started walking.

As they walked, the wind picked up in intensity, they both had to squint and lean forward slightly. The wind swirled at Asumi and her hair whipped at Eira. They both burst out in laughter.

It felt nice. To laugh after so long, after so many things, a laugh made it all better.

As they kept walking, the sun travelled across the sky, making them aware of time, it was just about to reach night.

The mountain wasn't too far from the Butterfly Mansion, so they could most likely make it there tonight, even if it wasn't assigned that day. Asumi cleared her throat and looked at Eira.

"How… How about we stay in a village near here or something? Hang out maybe since the mission is tomorrow, you know?" Asumi nervously stated. Eira smiled and agreed. The sun lay low on the horizon just like how it did when they exited, only this time the sun was setting.

Both their uniforms glowed in the sunlight, their light colours making them look angelic, as they slowly continue walking, laughing and talking. For once, it didn't seem so bad.

In the deep fog and mist of the isolated mountain, the same 3 months had passed. The same amount of time had passed for Ali. Eira and Asumi weren't the only ones training like crazy. Ali had spent the 3 months in the dojo, being physically and mentally tested to the end of his wits. He was pushed to his limits every day, he fluctuated from intense physical training and sparring with Akaza, tormenting his body with constant blows and leaving his body endlessly sore, then the opposite side of calm and collected meditation in order to reach the power of Absorption.

Ali's bond with Akaza had transcended just mentor and student, in the 3 months he found himself frequently talking to Akaza like a friend, even loneliness brought out desperate measures. Ali was a social creature, he would talk to anyone if enough time went by. He and Akaza talked like they had known each other for years now. Ali's body had gone through drastic changes over the months. His body had become so much more defined, the mirror was often competed on by Ali and Akaza to admire themselves, they would constantly push each other out of the way when in front of the mirror, and sometimes the sessions of fighting over the mirror would go for hours.

Ali also saw a change in his once green spiky patterns, through the months they had shifted and changed to many different variants, at one point the patterns transformed into small pink hearts all across his body, which Akaza laughed hard at. However, his patterns finally moulded into deep blue crescents that stretched across his body in irregular shapes. They appeared in random positions on Ali's body, but they looked cool, at least to Ali. As the sun set and the moon rose, it served as a reminder, people started going into their houses and pestering their children to stop playing. Demons who fed on humans would come out and it wouldn't be safe til morning.

As for Ali, in the mornings, Ali slept, it was the only way to preserve and recharge his energy at the moment, with no suitable source of energy besides sleep.

The fog of the mountain slowly lost the orange tint as the last rays of the sun crept beneath the horizon.

Ali's eyes slowly opened, like it was second nature to awake as soon as the sun set, and the time of the demons began. With the setting of the sun, the same tormenting taunt echoed through the dojo.

"Rip off! Rip off!"

The same demon had been standing outside the dojo for the entire three months, taunting Ali with the same two words, every single night, meditating or sparring, the words would echo around the dojo. Countless times, Ali had to hold back Akaza from going out and ending the demon's life, the raspy voice never ceased to stop, it was constant til the sun rose again. Ali's pent-up frustration of the never-ending raspy voice was finally going to be released. Ali stared at his hand as he got up, he squeezed his hand into a ball.

Akaza was on a mission for Muzan. The silence stayed for a while, then again the raspy voice rang through the entire mountain. Ali took a slow step, his entire body tense and pumping blood. His light brown eyes were wide, his entire body flexing, the deep blue crescents on Ali's light greyish blue skin emphasised in the dark lighting. In another step, Ali's entire body got ready to put the 3 months of training into use.

Outside the wind blew intensely, the trees swayed from side to side roughly, the moon shining bright and passionately. The demon took a deep breath and then… The door to the dojo slowly creaked open, an imaginable amount of invisible tension spewed out the door as if Ali's anger had been flooding the room. Ali's veins bulged with anticipation, an immense feeling of anger filled him as he saw the demon who had tortured him with its raspy voice for the past three months. The demon felt chills and goosebumps spread across its body.

"Rip off!"