It's night time and Sakura is standing a little ways from a bamboo target, with a sword in her hand. She is in an offensive stance as she takes a deep breath in, before launching towards her target. Sakura Petals fall from her blade as she makes a swift cut through the bamboo target. Sakura petals float past our little demon.

Sakura stays still for a few seconds before the top half of the bamboo targets fall down. Sakura then stands back up and gives a triumphant sound.

Chapter 4: My Own Steel

Sakura is helping Urokodaki carry some wood to the house. When suddenly the door is kicked down and Nezuko walks out, finally awake after two years.

Sakura's emotionless pink eyes start to shine in excitement. 

"Hey! Nezuko!" Tanjiro shouts from the top of a small hill.

Sakura's eyes shine more as she spots her injured elder brother.

"You... So, you're awake?" Tanjiro asks and Nezuko runs towards him. "Nezuko!" He runs towards her but grunts in pain and falls over.

Tanjiro sits up as Nezuko brings him into a hug.

Sakura drops the wood she's carrying and runs over.

Tanjiro hugs Nezuko and starts to cry. "Why... Why'd you fall asleep like that? Never waking up once!" Sakura tackles the two into a hug. "Sakura!" She rubs her head on Tanjiro's arm.

Tanjiro cries more and Urokodaki drops the wood he's carrying and walks over. Then he brings the three into a hug.

Tears fall from Urokodaki's eyes. "You came back to us alive." Tanjiro weeps.

.

.

.

.

Inside the small house Tanjiro and Urokodaki sit in front of each other on mats. A fire is going in a sand pit a few feet from them. Tanjiro just finished telling the story about his Final Selection.

"I see." Urokodaki says. "You killed that morphed demon."

Tanjiro nods. "Yes."

Urokodaki looks down. "At last." He looks back at Tanjiro. "I'm truly impressed that you made it back.

"Yes."

"There are several kinds of demons. The demons with special 'Blood Demon Art' are the ones with supernatural abilities. You may have to fight those demons, as well, from now on. And battling them will be far more difficult than anything you've known until now. Even so, Tanjiro, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Right." Tanjiro says and he looks to the room to his side, where Sakura and Nezuko are residing. "I think that Nezuko and Sakura are not like the other demons. Do you think it could be one of those art something?"

Nezuko is sleeping again and Sakura hugging her from the side, as she slowly falls asleep.

"No, I don't think so." Urokodaki states. "I wouldn't consider it a Blood Demon Art. I'm just guessing here, but it could be that Nezuko's recovering her strength by sleeping instead of consuming human flesh. With Sakura, she eats fresh plants and animals and can sleep to recover her strength."

A little while later.

Tanjiro is watching his two sisters hugging as they sleep. Tanjiro smiles as he crosses his arms on top of his knees and rests his chin on them. 'I promise I'll protect you two.' 

15 Days Later

Sakura is inside the hours laying under her blanket. She hears bells tinkling outside and she hears a door open. Sakura peers out from under her blanket to see Tanjiro standing outside as a man walks towards the house, with a sword on his back.

"Mm?" Tanjiro hums as the man approaches him and stands in front of him. "Uh..."

"MY name is Haganezuka." The man greets. "I have forged Tanjiro Kamado's sword, and I am here to deliver it."

"Oh!" Tanjrio bows, then he stands up straight. "Um, I'm Tanjiro Kamado. Please come inside."

Haganezuka sits down and grabs the sword off his back. "This is the Nichirin Sword."

Haganezuka starts to unwrap the sword. "And I forged it."

"Um..." Tanjiro gives a nervous smile. "Please come in so I can serve you some te--"

"The materials for a Nichirin Sword are obtained from the mountain closest to the sun. Scarlet Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore." Haganezuka points to the sun. "These produce steel that can absorb sunlight."

"Wow, is that right?" Tanjiro asks.

"Mt. Yoko is bathed in sunlight all day long, you see. Never a cloud in the sky..." Then he turns around and looks at Tanjiro, causing him to gasp. 

Haganezuka stands up and looks at Tanjiro.

"A hyottoko mask?" Tanjiro questions.

"Hmm? Hmmm? Hey, you're a Child of Brightness, aren't you?" Haganezuka asks Tanjiro. "Now that's what I call lucky. "

"Oh, no, I'm the son of Tanjuro and Kle."

"That's not what I meant." Haganezuka motions to Tanjiro's maroon hair. "See how your hair and eyes are a reddish color? When a kid like you is born into a family that works with fire,-" He pokes Tanjiro's cheek. "-It's considered lucky and a cause for celebration."

"Is that right?" Tanjiro asks. "I had no idea."

"There's a good chance that this sword will turn red! Right, Urokodaki?"

"Yes." Urokodaki's voice comes from within the house. 

A few minutes later Tanjiro is kneeling on the ground with his Nichirin sword in his hands. Urokodaki and Haganezuka kneel in front of him.

"Come on, hurry up and draw it!" Haganezuka does wird hand motions. "Nichirin Swords are also known as 'Color-Changing Katana.' They change color depending on the bearer."

Tanjiro looks down at the sword. Then he draws the sword from it's scabbard and looks at the blade. 

After a few seconds the blade turns black and Tanjiro gasps. Then he looks at the two older adults.

"Black!" Haganezuka shouts.

"It's black, huh?" Urokodaki says and Haganezuka starts to shake.

"Is it bad or something if it turns black?" Tanjiro asks. "Is it unlucky?"

"No, not necessarily. But you don't see this pitch black too often."

"And I thought I was going to see a bright red sword!" Haganezuka shouts. "Dammit!" He shrieks and lunches at Tanjiro.

"Ouch!" Tanjiro yells. "Stop! Please calm down! How old do you think you are?"

"I'm thirty-seven!" Haganezuka informs.

Suddenly a crow flies into the room and the two stop fighting.

"Tanjiro Kamado!" The crow speaks. "Here are your orders!"

"It talks." Tanjiro mutters.

"Make your way to a town to the norhtwest! Young girls have been vanishing their!"

Sakura peers out from under her blanket and looks at the crow with an emotionless look. She then tilts her head and lets out a sound.

The crow continues to speak. "Night after night, young girls have been vanishing! Hunt down the demon lurking there and kill it! Tanjiro Kamado, prepare yourself well for this task! This is your first assignment... as a Demon Slayer!"

"My first... assignment..." Tanjiro grips his sword.

Sakura's pink eyes look up to Tanjiro in awe.

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03-06-2023

1271 words

(I really need to get some art for my stories.)