NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Unexpected Visitor
Hi there and welcome to my Demon Slayer FF :)! Not too long ago, around October last year, my friend took me into the world of Demon Slayers and since then I just can't get away from this fandom/anime.
And that's exactly why this FF will initially be partly based on the anime, with small peculiarities that will crystallize in the course of the story. Here you will find action, lots of emotion and an exciting story about the OC demon Kaori, who was once a pillar and fought her love path with Giyu before she ultimately had to leave the Corps. Another pillar also plays a major and supporting role here, as we soon find out.
Genre: Romance, drama, adventure, friendship and, later on, eroticism
Played period: based on the anime - between the Mugen Train arc and the Entertainment District arc
Pairing: Kaori Amakura x ?
So, enough about the preface, if I may now ask you to step into my world of thoughts, then follow me :)
Note:
I am now trying to translate my FanFic into english. However, my English is not very good. Therefore, I only use a German-English translator from the Internet. So it can happen, that you find errors or other issues. Don´t take it the wrong way.
-Unexpected visitor-
Lost in thought, I swept across the veranda of my little house. The warm sun shone its spring-like yellow through the numerous cherry blossoms onto my cheeks. The babbling of the stream nearby and the chirping of the birds resounded through the calm and quiet surroundings. I took a short break from cleaning for a moment and sat down on the bench next to the entrance to my house. I quickly tucked my midnight blue side pony back behind my ear, which had taken on a life of its own while I was cleaning, and looked out over the idyllic area where I had been living for three years now.
And completely alone.
The cherry trees were displaying their delicate pink flowers in all their glory, with a few wisteria blossoms peeking out between them. My own personal prison, or as I liked to think of it - my own stronghold. Deep in the forest, at the foot of a mountain, far away from any life. There were days when that really got to me, but I had to make do with it. As a demoness, I had no other choice. People feared me, loathed me and avoided running into me. One of the reasons why I rarely or never received visitors. Only the master Kagaya Ubuyashiki had paid me the occasional visit. The one who I also had to thank for still being alive.
But that was also several weeks ago now. Sighing and exhaling heavily, I got up from the bench again and straightened my white kimono before I started swinging my broom again.
I missed my former life. The one when I was still a demon hunter myself and housed in the headquarters. Together with the pillars I had once belonged to.
"How could I have been so careless..." I exclaimed dejectedly and shook my head.
It had happened in a brief scuffle between Muzan and me. In a millisecond of carelessness, he had given me his blood in the blink of an eye. Which caused me to become a demoness.
... !
All at once I faltered. I stopped moving immediately and my heart rate skyrocketed.
There was someone near my home.
It was thanks to my demonic ability that I could sense the aura of someone near me. However, I couldn't tell whether it was a good or bad person. And that scared me in an instant. What if it was a demon? Someone who wanted to finish me off? Or Muzan himself? After all, he was still looking for me and wanted my life. Wait a minute! It couldn't have been a demon - we were in the middle of the day... It couldn't be anyone...
For a brief moment, I forgot that I had only been able to enjoy the glorious sunshine for a few hours a day for a few days before my skin began to tingle.
I was also surrounded by countless wisteria trees to protect me from my peers who were angry with me. Conversely, I was not tempted to indulge my demonic urges.
Perhaps there was a traveler nearby? Someone roaming the area or going on a hike. But here? Near me? That hadn't been the case for all these years. The presence of the aura became increasingly stronger. By now, I could hear the light and gentle footsteps. They were getting dangerously close to my property. I didn't recognize them at all, so it couldn't be the master. I felt a shallow sense of panic rise up inside me, adding to my fear.
If it wasn't a demon, then it could only be a hunter! Surely one who wanted to finish me off, right?
I had been infinitely grateful that they had decided against my death and had sealed me off in a protected environment. I didn't want to die. I also didn't want to harm or hurt anyone or any living being. I had sworn this to myself the moment I had felt that my arch-enemy and demon king Muzan Kibutsuji had turned me into his kind.
The person came closer in my direction.
In addition to the loud pounding of my heart, I immediately heard the sound of massive chains, which were not entirely unfamiliar to me. My fear and panic abruptly subsided, making way for the newfound confusion. I knew that sound all too well - I had heard it very often next to me when I was still a slayer myself. Could it really be possible that I had actually been
"Tengen!!" I exclaimed, completely surprised and sharp.
The broom fell out of my hands in an instant and the corners of my mouth went up in a matter of seconds. My body froze on the outside, while the greatest joy spread inside me. Standing in front of me was none other than Tengen Uzui. My vision blurred as my eyes filled with tears.
As if of my own accord, I hastily bridged the now short distance between us, only to find myself in his firm embrace a moment later. I pressed my face against his strong chest, because I wasn't that tall and Tengen, unlike me, was a giant and a head and a half taller than me.
"Kaori," he replied happily and wrapped his arms around me.
Just like back then. The same stately figure, the same strength in his embrace and the same masculine scent that immediately caught my nose.
"... What are you doing here? Why have you come to see me?" I asked, looking up at him, brittle and surprised.
Unchanged from back then. He wore his white hair loose today, together with his magnificent headband, which sparkled in the sun's rays. He was also wearing his Hashira uniform and his Nichirin blades, which I had only just heard about.
"Well, visiting an old friend. It's been far too long since we last saw each other."
He lovingly stroked my dark blue strand of hair back behind my ear and looked into my violet eyes. I would never have expected Tengen, of all people, to come and visit me. And now he was standing in front of me. My heart leapt for joy and didn't seem to want to calm down. Tengen was my best friend. Something like my brother - someone who understood me deafly and blindly. ... Next to my heartbreaker …
"You're really beaming," he remarked in his familiar mania, "you seem to have really missed me."
"You can say that again, Tengen. When I think back to the battles we've stood by each other in, it makes my heart really heavy. How are you? Come on, let's go inside. I've got some sake here too," I said exuberantly.
Without even waiting for his reply, I dragged him behind me into my little house.
It was increasingly dark in most of the rooms in my modest home, as I had darkened the windows to hide from the sun. However, now that I was able to enjoy a little more daylight, I opened the windows completely to allow the sunshine in. At the moment, I hadn't felt the unpleasant tingling sensation.
"Now I realize," I heard in amazement from the pillar of sound, "you're standing in the sun? As a demon? Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," I again pleased myself that I didn't mind anymore and turned to him, holding two mugs in my hand, which I took out of the hanging cupboard, "I've only been able to do that for a few days. Don't ask me how I did it or what contributed to it."
"That's amazing! So you haven't taken anything or you've become human again?"
I laughed, "No, unfortunately not. I'm still a monster and I haven't taken anything either."
I sat down opposite him at the small beige table in the middle of the room and put the cups down. I immediately grabbed the sake that was already in front of us and poured us each a little.
"You're not a monster, Kaori."
"Of course Tengen. I am a demon. Fortunately, I haven't harmed anyone yet or taken their blood - I don't want to, but I don't know how I'll react. I've been living here since my transformation and avoid being around humans."
"See, that's why you don't call yourself a monster - you know how much I detest demons. If I thought of you as one, I wouldn't be here. And believe me, I will keep you from resorting to such atrocities as long as we are together."
With these words, he conjured up a shallow smile on my lips again, which had just disappeared for a moment. We clinked glasses together and sipped from our mugs.
"I appreciate that. But now back to the question I interrupted you with earlier. How are you feeling?"
"Splendidly. I can't complain.
My appearances so far have been brilliant and without injury. And I'm in great shape in other respects too."
"I can see that," I remarked with satisfaction, "how are the other pillars doing?"
"Mitsuri and Muichiro were recently on a strenuous mission. The village of the cutlers was attacked by two growing demon moons and they successfully defeated them. They are doing well under the circumstances. Sanemi and Obanai are training relentlessly day after day, so in other words, they're doing great. Gyomei as well."
His expression suddenly darkened.
"Kyojuro is a different story. He lost the battle against the growing three."
What, did he just say that... Kyojuro... didn't make it?
"That's not true...," I said, embarrassed, "Kyojuro? So he's no longer with us?"
Looking down at the ground, Tengen shook his head regretfully and took another sip. So Kyojuro was dead? I wrapped my arms around myself in dismay and looked to the side. That hit me hard. I had also got on very well with Kyojuro. I also really enjoyed going on missions with him and had many moving conversations with him. Not to say that he sometimes had a great influence on me. He was often at my side with help and advice and had given me lots of tips and tried to teach me a thing or two about his flame breathing.
"He certainly gave it his all..." I said quietly and dejectedly, "I'm sure of it..."
"I'm sure of that. But that filthy pig was unfortunately superior to him."
Hard to believe... I had hoped for better news and developments, so I tried to escape from the unpleasant part of our conversation and redirected to another person.
"And Giyu? How is he?" I asked, hoping to hear better news and looked up at Tengen again.
Tengen gave me his full attention again, but nothing changed in the dark expression that had settled on his striking face.
"Really bad, Kaori."
Oh no - I wanted to hear good things...
"Since you've been gone, Giyu hasn't shown up at all. He only comes to the headquarters for the most extreme meetings and otherwise he seems to isolate himself abnormally from us. Let's be clear, it's always been like that with him, but since you left, it's completely degenerated. Nobody can get close to him anymore. He doesn't talk to anyone and avoids everyone. Once I managed to get his attention and he talked to me about how he was feeling - even if it was only the bare minimum, but Kaori, it's as if his heart has been stolen and he's just a shell of himself."
That's how I knew my Giyu. He was always the quiet one and tended to keep to himself. But what Tengen had now described exceeded what I would never have thought of him.
"Is he still a pillar?" I asked, crushed.
First the news about Kyojuro and now Giyu. That was really a bit too much.
"Yes, he is. But like I said, he doesn't let anyone get close to him."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling with a sigh.
"It had been so hard for him to open up to me at all. At the very beginning of our relationship, I had really struggled to see even a glimpse into his soul. It took so long for him to completely confide in me and now? ... I feel guilty."
"But you're not to blame at all. You certainly didn't run to Muzan and ask him to become a demoness. Apart from that, it's his decision alone to withdraw like that."
"Of course not. But I can't shake this feeling that he's withdrawing like this more because of me. And there's no denying that. I just want to point out how different he was with me."
My heart was bleeding. And it had been since the beginning of my transformation. Giyu had loathed me at the time. No longer even looked at me with his back.
He didn't want to know anything more about me and I already suspected that he would close himself off completely. And that's exactly what happened. And that hurt. Knowing that he wasn't well brought me down. I had had a wonderful relationship with Giyu. It was based on a deep bond and trust - far more than just a friendship. Even if it had taken a really long time to get there in the first place.
"I want my Giyu back so badly," I pressed heavily over my lips and pulled my legs closer to my body to support myself on my knees.
"I can understand that, Kaori. And I'm sure he feels the same way."
Sadly, I pushed a gush of air through my nose. The realization still didn't brighten my mood. The pain of his reaction was too deep when it was decided that I had to leave. Apart from that, I couldn't face him yet. Not in my current existence.
"Well, here's to another one," I tried my luck again to get out of the bad events, "how are your three wives? Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru?"
Tengen still kept his serious face, which made me think that nothing good could come of it either.
"To be honest, I don't know at the moment. We're on a mission in the joy quarter. I haven't heard or read anything from the three of them for a few days now, which really worries me. I have a strong suspicion that there is a powerful demon there. If not one of the waxing demon moons."
I felt sick at the thought. I fervently hoped for Tengen's sake that his wives were all right and that nothing had happened to them. I knew all too well that they were the most important thing to him.
"As a demoness, to what extent are you in contact with the other demons?" he asked me insistently, once again looking me intensely in the eye.
"... Not at all. I'm afraid of them. I've never come into contact with them and I honestly don't want to. I think they're looking for me. That they want to hand me over to Muzan. I've heard that he's looking for a way to be resistant to the sun. And it's me. Who knows what he's doing to me? What's more, I hunted him as a human and still do. I don't think that just because I'm now one of his kind that he sees me as such."
"I understand," he regretted to himself and propped his elbow on his knee, which he had set up. He now looked perplexed and looked to the side again, as if he was thinking.
"I'm sure your women are fine, Tengen," I tried to build him up, "they are perfectly trained kunoichi."
"I'm aware of that, but it still worries me. What if it is a waxing moon after all? Then they'll be defenceless against it. You know just as well as I do how powerful they are."
I couldn't argue with that. Even though I had never met a demoness, I was aware that they possessed enormous powers. I, on the other hand, was just a small fish. My strength had also increased since my change of nature and had changed immeasurably, but I was sure that I was still a long way from being able to hold a candle to a waxing moon.
"I know, I sensed it and noticed it back in my hunter days."
"Kaori, I want you to accompany me on this mission!"
...!
He wanted what? Did I just hear that right?
"Wh-what?" I blurted out in disbelief, 'I?' pointing energetically at myself, "should accompany you? In the fight against a demon? In the pleasure quarter? I'm not a slayer anymore, I can't do that! Why me? You can ask the others!"
Just as he exploded the bomb, it exploded in me too. It certainly wasn't because I didn't want to go hunting again, but because my new circumstance made me feel insecure.
"But I want you with me! I can act best with you and rely on you. I need you, Kaori! And I have the feeling that you can help me enormously as a demoness."
"Okay, you're kidding me! How am I supposed to do that? No, Tengen. I can't do that. I haven't done one since my last fight. I'm not sure. I don't even know if I can use my breathing anymore. Whether my katana is still usable... Whether I'm even up to the whole thing... I'm not like I used to be."
"Then let's try it out. Now!"
~~~Are you German and would like to read the story in German? Then visit the story at:
https://www.fanfiktion.de/s/65e209380009f6d939539a4a/1/Kaori-die-daemonische-Saeule
~~~