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In a remote forest, where a small and humble house could be seen, two figures could be clearly seen outside.

 

 

One of the figures who seemed to be much younger, was a young boy who seemed to be 14 years old.

To describe his appearance, the boy has green eyes that become lighter in shade the more closer they were to his white irises. His hair was long as it reached his waist and was of the color white that transitioned into a lovely green at the end.

And something, that the boy would not admit was that he had a pretty face. One that was more girlish

and pretty than most women.

As for what he wore, it was a black kimono with wind-like designs that befit his height of 168 centimeters. To pair his kimono, he wore black pants which extended into black Tobi socks, and a pair of zori with straps which are colored green.

 

He could be seen swinging something vertically with his hands, a wooden sword. As he was doing so, it seemed like he was being instructed by the other figure who was an elderly woman.

 

The elderly woman had grey hair fitting her age and black eyes. For her clothing, she wore a kimono that mostly consisted of green and white, and the same black pants and pair of zori the young boy had as well. While instructing him, she had a gentle and soft look which was paired with a gentle smile.

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"Breathe, just breathe." An elderly woman gently said to a young boy while smiling softly and gently.

 

"Grandma, of course I am. How else am I alive?" The young boy said while holding a wooden sword as if questioning the elderly woman's intelligence.

 

Hearing the young boy's response, the elderly woman's gentle smile looked like it would crack at any moment. And inhaling softly, spoke once more, "Kaze, listen and look at the way I breathe. If you are truly the genius that you say you are, then I'm sure you'll understand what I mean, right?"

 

"But grandma, I don't want to know how to breathe like a mother giving birth!" The boy named Kaze, immediately replied, and before he could notice, his ear was being pulled. As for the wooden sword, it now had fell on the dirt.

 

With how painful having his ear pulled was, Kaze hurriedly says, "Grandma, stop, stop!"

 

"And why should I, hm? Kaze, I don't remember teaching you such words or manners. It's those old men from the village, aren't they? They're a bad influence to you. " The elderly woman says while continuing to pull on his ear. Fortunately for Kaze, the elderly woman who he calls as "Grandma" lessened the strength and grip she had on his ear. While he did still feel pain, it wasn't as bad and painful as it was a few moments ago.

 

"N-no, it's not them at all Grandma! And besides, I was just joking!"

 

"Then take this training seriously. You wanted to become a demon slayer, right?" The elderly woman asks in a stern tone.

 

Hearing her question, Kaze wears a more serious expression on his face with a bit of hatred evident in his eyes, and determinedly nods his head.

 

"I do!"

 

The gentle smile that Kaze's grandma had earlier returns and then speaks in a stern tone,

"Then Kaze, remind me of what I've taught you so far."

 

With a nod, Kaze does what his grandma, the elderly woman, told him to do.

 

"Demon Slayers are people who fight against demons, and they have been doing so for centuries."

 

Kaze pauses for a bit and looks at her, who gives a nod. He then continues,

 

"With demons having supernatural strength and abilities, demon slayers invented a way to be able to combat against them. Breathing styles and Nichirin swords. To be able to learn breathing styles, you first have to learn Total Concentration Breathing, a way of breathing that strengthens the body by allowing more blood to enter your body parts. As for Nichirin swords, they are made of special ore that allows demon slayers the ability to kill demons by decapitating their head."

 

 

The elderly woman nods her head, "Thankfully, it seems you still remember what I've taught you."

 

"Of course. Like I said grandma, I am after all a genius." Kaze says with a smug face, while the elderly woman just shakes her head and heads back inside the small house.

 

Before he could ask why, the elderly woman speaks first. "Do 500 more swings, Kaze. After that, wash yourself and prepare to eat."

 

After saying so, she entered the house leaving Kaze who picks up the wooden sword he swung before getting his ear pulled, and while grumbling, started swinging in a timely and steady manner once more.

 

He did so with renewed determination and remembered the event that happened to him.

 

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It was currently night, and in a certain village and house...

 

The same boy, who was Kaze, could be seen hiding in a closet, holding his breath and placing a hand over his mouth trying to lessen how much noise he made.

 

From a hole, he could see a shadowy figure. Unfortunately or not, due to how dark it was, it became difficult for Kaze to identify who was there.

 

But he was sure about one thing, it wasn't his big sister who said she would be late today. His reason?

.

His intuition, which he wholeheartedly had always followed whenever it warned him about something, started to alarm once more of danger. And so, he hid in the closet and what immediately destroy the entrance door to his sister and his house had entered.

What he saw made him remember the time when he heard the older townsfolk tell him about why to never stay outside at night.

『 "Claws or tall sharp nails and horns, something no human has." 』

As if to confirm that, through the tiny hole, Kaze could see the figure have such things.

『 "Bloodshot eyes hungry for something, hungry for...flesh"  』

Even in the dark, he could see such things as well. Looking around hungrily, wanting something to eat, and certainly, not the typical food like bread or animal meat.

『 "And lastly, skin that no should have. 』

As if to confirm the last thing Kaze remembered being told by an elderly person, the figure came onto the only source of light in the home, moonlight that entered throughout the window.

It revealed a pale skin color, pure as white, even more than snow. The red eyes that shone in the dark now seen... Lastly, claws and horns.

Ignorance was truly bliss.

And now, Kaze would experience the punishment for knowing. For knowing something he had no control for.

 

 

 

『 Demons 』

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I can smell ya', you terrified rat." The demon said with a chuckle, and licked his claws that seemed to be stained in blood.

When Kaze saw the blood, his gut feeling came in, his intuition so to speak. He knew who that came from and his eyes became of rage while he gritted his teeth.

The demon laughed when he could somehow sensed the rage of the "rat" that had decided to hide and spoke in a mocking and condescending tone, "That piece of meat you call a sister? She was the tastiest thing I have ever had. But even more than that, what I enjoyed the most wasn't that. It would be when she begged! She begged for me to spare you if she let herself be eaten when she accidentally whispered your name. "

"Want to hear the best part, Kaze?~"

The demon's sadistic smile grew wider, reaching his ears and laughed louder.

"She believed me! What an idiot! Could you believe it?!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kaze couldn't take it anymore.

He left his hiding place, the closet, immediately opening it. He then quickly ran into the kitchen, which was a few steps away and grabbed two knives.

 

He threw one of them at the demon, following his intuition.

 

However, the demon just sadistically smiled, and slashed his claws at the knife that was thrown at him.

 

"I feel sorry for your family. Both you and that piece of meat are just idiots."

 

Kaze then felt immense danger, and quickly moved to the side as the demon charged at him, breaking through the wall of the house and now being outside, where the sky had already started to transition into blue.

 

The demon realizing he didn't have much time left before the sun would rise, quickly charged back to the open hole he had formed in the house.

 

 

His face became of annoyance finding no one inside the house and seeing the figure of Kaze outside and moving as fast as he could, realizing his food had started running, trying to escape.

 

 

 

 

 

'Keep going, keep going!' Kaze thought to himself as he started running as fast as he could while still holding to a knife. Heavily breathing for oxygen from time to time.

"Come back, you rat!" He could hear a desperate and annoyed voice scream from behind him, making him try and run even faster than he was, using all of his strength.

'There must be a reason as to why they only attack at night. As even if they are small in number, they would clearly be able to defeat humans.' Kaze mused while continuing to run with all that he had, his long hair moving around, sweat trickling down his face and body.

He knew he didn't stand a chance, even with how mad he was at the demon for what it did to his sister and to anyone else it had ate. Kaze was sure the only reason he was able to live was due to his intuition telling him moments before the demon lunged at him with its claws. I mean, the demon hurled at a wall and broke through it...

 

 

Kaze then immediately felt alarm bells ringing in his head, and what he saw made him immediately understand why.

 

 

 

It was even more demons, eating the other townsfolk.

 

 

 

 

 

His heart sank, and he could see them looking at him as if they found another prey to feast on.

Kaze realized he was surrounded.

 

He had nowhere to run.

 

He knew they could easily kill him with the feat he saw earlier from the demon who ate his sister did, hurling at a wall and not being even slightly hurt.

 

From behind him, he heard the same voice that he had detested in the few times he had heard it, but he knew he couldn't do anything.

 

"He's mine!"

 

 

 

And so, he decided to accept his fate and started to lose his grip on the knife he was holding this entire time and closed his eyes.

'I'm sorry, Big sis...'

 

 

 

『 Kaze, would you really give up? Just like this? 』

 

Kaze heard his big sister's voice being stern, as if she was disappointed in him.

 

『 No! 』

 

By sheer instinct, Kaze started to breathe differently.

 

He could feel strength return from nowhere.

 

His heart that seemed to beat faster than it ever had, blood being pumped at a much quicker pace.

 

The knife that was so close to falling due to how weakly it was gripped, now was held tightly more than before.

 

 

When the demon was only a few moments from getting Kaze, he sidestepped to the right in a circular motion, his arms doing the same horizontally while still holding the knife tightly.

And with a clean cut, beheaded the demon.

With no idea what he did, Kaze immediately fell to his legs, gasping for air, he felt completely exhausted. His body not listening to any command anymore.

The knife now stained in the demon's blood now on his right as his arms laid weakly and as if limp on each of his sides.

He saw the decapitated demon on his knees, yet, the head of the demon which was facing in his direction looked at him angrily, clearly... Not dead at all.

The other demons who were shocked at first, looked at the situation now with a more sadistic and hungry look.

 

 

『 'Move! Please, move!' 』

 

 

 

He demanded, begged his body to, yet, no matter how much he did, it was like all the strength in his body was lost due to that one moment.

 

 

The demon then quickly got up, reattached his head back to his body, and angrily looked at Kaze. While lunging at Kaze for one last time, the demon exclaimed, "You damn rat! Now you're really dead!"

While Kaze could only look at the claws stained in the blood of his only family who was left in this world, he could see in the corner of his eyes, a sword slash at all the demons there, it was if they were cut by razor sharp wind slashes, the wind bringing judgement for their deeds.

[Wind Breathing – First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter]

He looked at the demon, whose face became of shock while his neck was cleanly cut.

 

 

 

Kaze then felt the gentle voice of a person while feeling like his body was soothed and embraced by the wind.

 

 

It was an elderly woman who wore a mostly green kimono paired with black pants and a pair of . A katana in its sheath by her side, laying on the rough pavement.

 

 

"It must have been scary, right? Thank you, thank you for not giving up."

 

There... there was only a very gentle breeze.

 

But, for some odd reason, it was enough for Kaze's hair to gently move throughout the air while still being embraced.

 

 

Kaze couldn't help but cry due to the comfort, the warmth that had overridden the rage, the fear, the desperation he felt.

 

 

 

He then saw his sister's spirit look at him from far away with a gentle smile while her eyes were closed, tears on her eyes while mouthing, 『 "I love you" 』

 

Disappearing as quickly as Kaze saw her.

 

 

He then felt something on his hand, given by the elderly woman who saved him, which made him tear up even more.

 

 

 

His sister's hairpin.

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Time had passed, with exactly a year and a few months passing to be exact.

It was currently afternoon, the sun's heat and rays being able to be clearly felt.

And in the same humble house in a remote area in a forest...

 

 

The same two figures could be seen clashing with swords. However, it can be clearly seen how much the boy, Kaze, had changed. He had become more taller, now being 170 centimeters, his body looking more sturdier yet, still quite lean.

 

As for the elderly woman, she continued to gently smile, her face calm and serene.

 

This caused Kaze to furrow his brows slightly, and he decided to do something he had never done against her during the period of this fight. As so far, both were at equal footing with Kaze having to thank his intuition helping him.

 

The way he breathed suddenly changed.

 

He could feel his body having more strength, more blood pumping in his veins then before, and quickly acted.

 

[Breeze Breathing – Sixth Form]

 

His footwork changed, it was if he moved around a parade filled with people, his feet and body using the least amount of movement needed. He wasn't only busy with showing such a thing as he didn't want to put up a dance performance and used the sword gripped by his hands.

 

Multiple slashes rained down from different sides, surrounding the unmoving elderly woman. Some being gentle, quick, strong, or even slow. However, all of them contained precision and deadliness as it all aimed for areas like the legs, arms, wrists, and neck.

 

The elderly woman was a bit surprised to see him use a technique that was not part of the style that she she had shown and taught him, that being [Wind Breathing]. But, she already knew he had made his own techniques when he told her he would walk his own path of  swordsmanship a few days after he went to a village some time ago to see a parade. It did not change the fact though that she had stopped smiling and wore a more serious expression.

 

But, as she was a former Wind Hashira with tons of experience, she quickly intercepted all of them with a few slashes and did a quick thrust with the wooden sword, making a gust of wind follow its path.

 

 

'Now!'

 

 

Kaze acted quickly once more, following his intuition. He turned his body to the left in a 360 degree motion, his sword moving in a sweeping horizontal circle at speeds faster than any ordinary person could see. His blade aiming at the neck, in a clean cut motion.

 

[Breeze Breathing – First Form]

 

When the blade was but a few moments away from the elderly woman's neck, Kaze stopped it, and for a few moments, all that could be felt and heard was the silence and the wind.

 

Kaze then sheathed his blade, with the elderly woman smiling gently once more at him, doing the same by sheathing her own blade and spoke, "Well done, Kaze. You've grown very quickly ever since then."

 

"Of course, Grandma. If a genius were to be taught well by one of the strongest Wind Hashiras to have been appointed, then it wouldn't be surprising for me to get this far!" Kaze says with a smug smile, while being overjoyed at the fact that all the hard work he went through didn't go to waste. While she had become older, meaning, the former Wind Hashira had become weaker, it didn't change the fact the achievement Kaze had done.

 

But, as if he could sense the next words the person that took care of him for a year and a half would say, his mood became dampened while he looked at the ground.

 

"Then, you know what this means, right?"

 

"...I do."

 

The elderly woman softly laughs and pulls Kaze into an embrace.

 

"Kaze... You are my pride and joy. My grandson, my family... Just know, I'll always be here and that I will always love you, alright?"

 

Kaze takes a deep breath and tightly hugs his grandma back, and in a quiet but soft voice, says,

"I know. I love you too, Grandma Atsuko."

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It was now another day, the sun rising. For dinner, both of them went to the most nearby village to buy ingredients and enjoy sushi and hotpot made by Atsuko.

 

 

 

 

"Are you sure you have everything?"

 

"I do, I do! This is the 9th time you've asked, Grandma."

 

"You know I can't help it, Kaze." Atsuko replies, while giving Kaze one last embrace which Kaze reciprocates while staying quiet.

 

After that, Kaze starts leaving, and hears the elderly woman, Grandma Atsuko, for one more time despite with how far they were, "Don't forget the map I gave you, okay? And like I said before, I love you, Kaze, my grandson."

 

 

 

 

Looking behind him, Kaze waves and smiles cheerfully, "I will Grandma, I love you too!"

 

Kaze's hair gently swayed as he did so, the sun overlapping behind him.

 

He then, took a deep breathe, continuing to walk. At his departing figure, Atsuko couldn't help but have a few tears fall from her eyes.

 

 

 

 

And with that, the Breeze, finally sets forth.

 

Ready to take on the Final Selection. To be a Demon Slayer, and perhaps... Encounter a few things along the way.

[Word Count: 3253 Words]

A/N: Hello, everyone! Phony here! As I've said on my Genshin FF, [Genshin Impact: A Reader's Transmigration], I had plans on making a Demon Slayer FF.

In all honesty, I've been wanting to make a FF of something else for a while now. And when I read the Demon Slayer FF's on this site, I couldn't help but feel inspired to try my own.

If you guys could, please comment or give a review about your thoughts. It would be helpful. This is my first time trying to write a fighting scene or anything similar to this at all.

Also, sorry for that short info dump with breathing styles and such!

That's all, thank you for reading.

Phony, out.

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Fun Fact About Atsuko: She has a good sense of hearing.

A/N: Hello Scribble Hub readers! I won't be editing much on my published chapters. I'll just be adding an additional Author's Note from time to time, which I hope you guys won't mind.

I've been planning on publishing here while at WebNovel (WN) at the same time for a bit now but was too lazy. =w=

With all that said, you can check me out on WN with the same user.

That's all. Thank you for reading. 

Peace.