what happens now?
Asa left the day before final selection with the promise of one of kanae’s surprises when she got back.
“when you're done with final selection i will be waiting for you at gyomei-san’s estate, so don't keep me waiting too long okay?”
“why would you be waiting for me there?”
“let's just say… i have a surprise for you.” kanae smiled and took Asa’s hand
“you've already given me so much! i couldn't have anything else from you!”
“you’ve already got it, i just have to ask you to accept it.”
———————
Asa left in kanae's clothes, gift, and promise, she couldn't help but smile the entire walk.
even if it was excruciatingly long.
As the girl walked closer to the site the amount of wisteria was as beautiful as always.
As a beginning kakushi one of her duties was to be bait in case one of the demons somehow escaped and went after one of Oyakata-sama’s children.
it never happened -thank buddha- while she was there but she knew it happened once when there wasn't bait.
once is all it takes to put them in place.
that aside she walked the rest of the way. and… oh. all of them were children. she knew they were going to kids but all of them? none of them looked over the age of 15.
she sighed and walked to the edge of the clearing until dusk when the oyakata children came out from where they were hidden and started their talk of events.
even if Asa had heard the instructions 100 times she still listened intently.
6 days. 7 nights. survive at all costs.
see gyomei and kanae.
maybe not the last part, but that was what motivated her to even step in the horrible demon filled forest.
she heard the children clap in unison and she instinctively shot in. she hated her subconscious.
she was the second one in, right behind a purple haired boy -what is with demon slayers and having weird hair colors??- who went to the left as she went right.
Asa encountered a total of zero demons in the early hours of the night, but it seemed as soon as the moon was at its highest point they really started hunting.
with her dao sitting comfortably in her hand the hours and days seemed to blend together. every cut, bruise, or bite she got seemed to seep into each other and just cause her body to ache.
she could already imagine the kakushi clean up crews that would have to come in here. if the demons didn't eat all the bodies first.
she realized far too late that a fight caused her haori to get ripped and she knew some of the younger boys passing by her heard crying as they went past a tall tree.
the marks she made on her arms counted to 7 for seven nights and that morning she started the trek back to the entrance.
she thought she could hear grumbles and mad whispers of “rotten luck,” and “less food this year.” so she had hope that she wasn't the only one left.
she stumbled on a loose wisteria branch as she walked into the clearing, but there were only two children?
the purple haired boy and a girl with a yellow hair tie.
what about the “rotten luck” the demons had? all but three is rotten? maybe the others just hadn't come out yet.
but Asa’s fears were confirmed when Oyakata-sama's children walked onto the platform and started talking, and for once, Asa put her hands together in prayer, she prayed for the lost children, that they could be happier in death than in life and that somehow they could find peace with their life cut far to short.
she knew it must look strange, but that's all she could do before walking to pick her ore and get the engraving in her hand.
and with that the first challenge of her demon slayer “career” was complete.” she walked with the children, helping the girl as much as she could.
the girls leg had a long cut from her knee to ankle, an unkind injury that Asa tried her best to help with.
but at some point they had to seperate. Asa -tried to- walk as well as she could back to gyomei’s. it was a long walk but she had to see him and kanae, they were waiting for her.
———————
Asa walked through the front gate “gyomei!” kanae! she called “i’m back from final selection!”
no response.
not even a groan from genya.
she could hear quiet sobs from outside so she wiped some of the grime off her hands and walked outside to see… shinobu?
and gyomei sitting in the sun off the engawa.
“shinobu-san?” Asa called, shinobu whipped her head up, tear stains apparent on her face, she stumbled up and all but rammed into Asa almost knocking the both of them over with the hug.
Asa looked to gyomei while hugging her back just as tight. gyomei only gazed away from their direction. looking back to shinobu Asa whispered “what happened?” she didn't mean to but shinobu started crying harder again.
“oh shinobu.. what's wrong?” the girl separated slightly, still gripping onto Asa.
“kanae's gone.”
oh. that's not right.
kanae had a surprise for her. she wouldn't just leave with telling her.
“she- an upper moon appeared and she had to fight it.” shinobu went back to hugging Asa as tightly as she could.
an upper moon? how could it just have appeared?
shinobu finally pushed all her weight into Asa and the two girls fell into the grass.
Asa held onto shinobu as tight as she could.
what would happen to the butterfly estate? surely it would be affected, even if only a little. maybe she should help out? what would kanae want? what would gyomei want? what would her family want?
what should she do now.
she needed to calm down. help shinobu first then herself.
Asa mustered up enough strength to stand with shinobu still clinging to her body. Asa couldn't blame her. Asa looked to gyomei who was standing near by. he was giving them space, she was grateful he wasn't crying to hard.
Asa reached out for his arm and she could feel shinobu and herself getting picked up before she could do anything else.
Gyomei walked back inside his estate and set them on a mat near the door. Asa whispered a grateful thank you as he walked away.
they were undisturbed for so long that shinobu eventually tired herself out and fell asleep, she settled for wrapping herself around Asa’s arm.
it was as genya finally walked by to check on them that she started crying. he looked awkward enough that she let out a tired laugh.
“you're still injured.” he said, he didn't know how else to help.
“glad you used your eye's for something.” she said leaning on the wall behind her. he looked uncomfortable as he walked closer showing he had medical supplies.
“it's not a lot.” he whispered as he sat down next to asa, “gyomei-san taught me the basics.”
she was quiet as he poorly cleaned and wrapped her injuries. but he was trying at least. angrily trying.
“i’ll have to teach you more.” she sighed as she blinked the last of her tears away. “thank you genya.” she spoke as he grunted and sat on the wall a bit farther from her.
she turned to him fully. she knew she looked rough but she patted the spot beside her so he could come closer.
he didn't.
she shook her head, and at last she closed her eyes and let sleep take her away.
she wished it to be forever.
———————
shinobu had a small funeral for kanae. Asa went but she stood far away from the grave. she couldn't be near it knowing there was no body to grieve for.
she cried that night when they went back to the estate.
———————
the next day she received her dao, the day after came with her uniform and her first mission. she could only stare at the uniform in question for a few minutes before putting it on so she could set off.
gyomei tried giving her things for the trip but she shook her head numbly and pat his hands before her crow whisked her away.
she killed the demon quickly and just as quickly went off to another mission. only staying to report to the kakushi.
another mission, another swift death.
a harder mission. death came as quick as she could make it.
day after day, week after week, she couldn't stop for a second. she didn't want to stop.
she went through this routine. if she had a routine she didn't have time to think. if she didn't have time to think she couldn't spiral. if she didn't spiral she- oh.
she stared at another demon slayer. she looked like she had just got out of final selection, the girl was shaking with effort to even walk.
Asa got a bit closer but the girl’s eyes widened in fear? it's not like Asa was a demon she just wanted to help. the girl waved off her help and hobbled away.
the girl who obviously needed help didn't take it when offered. Asa couldn't help but be annoyed. she just wanted to be useful.
she supposed the best she could do was kill more demons. her next mission was in a village anyways. she needed to start walking.
another demon dead. another mission given.
she stopped in her tracks. for the first time in.. how long? didn't matter. her crow brought her back to gyomei’s estate. she knew she looked rough but as she turned to leave she heard her name being called.
Asa turned to see a slightly taller genya. oh, how long had it been since she came back? she wasn't counting.
the boy ran up to Asa but stopped before he got too close, “you look like shit.” he said, a raspy, surprised laugh came as a reply. how long had it been since she drank water?
is that why the kakushi stopped getting too close to her?
she reached out a hand to the boy and he ran up to take it, “i’ll patch you up Asa, Aoi-san showed me how.”
she hummed as he led her into the home she was trying to avoid for however long. he led her up the stairs, or tried, she was wobbly. he sat her down on a stool in the wash room and ordered her to stay.
she did as she was told.
genya came back with a cup of water for her, bandages, and other things she didn't look at.
she felt stinging and then cool bandages over and over again. she didn't think she was that beat up.
“i had your crow call for shinobu-san.” Asa stiffened. “why?” she said, gripping the cup. “you need more medical attention than i can give you.” he said it like he was talking to a child. “it's not that bad.” Asa tried arguing but he gave her a glare that shut her up.
“hey” he snapped his fingers at her when she closed her eyes for too long,”how many demons have you killed?” genya asked, when Asa shrugged she flexed her hand to show him her rank. he took it as a good enough answer.
“your technically a Tsuchinoe.” he said after cleaned up his mess. she thanked him before looking over her bandaged body.
she was admittedly more injured than she thought.
“how long have i been gone?” Asa asked before genya walked out “.... 4 ½ months. you ranked up quickly.”
Asa could only nod and breathe out a thanks before she began drifting off. geyna left and she could only wish he would come back before she woke up.
———————
when she did wake back up she was off the stool but now sat up against the bath, more bandages covered her, they looked cleaner and better placed.
Asa looked up but she knew who she was going to see.
“shinou-san.” she called tiredly. shinobu looked up from the stool Asa was previously in and practically leapt to Asa grabbing her shoulders angrily before wrapping her arms around the older girl.
Asa hesitantly held her back.
just as quickly as she leapt on, shinobu got off Asa and glared. hard. “if you ever leave for that long again and come back that injured, i will personally make sure you get hospitalized for much longer than you already will be.”
Asa just stared and then laughed a bit before tears started rolling, “sorry shinobu-san.” Asa said quietly.
the other girl looked too tired to correct her honorific.
“come on, get up.” shinobu said, doing it herself and looking at Asa expectantly. Asa did as she was told.
Asa was led to her room she hadn't used in a long time, it still looked as clean as she had left it. she was sat down on her bedding and ordered to rest up.
it had been so long since she laid in soft bedding she couldn't even fight, though she wouldn't have anyways.
———————
gyomei was the last person she wanted to see but when he came into her view she became a blubbering crying mess, all she could do was apologize over and over again.
two weeks of house arrest and healing had soon made Asa restless. she cleaned the entire estate twice over, cooked every meal, and even cleaned up the garden.
she trained genya when gyomei couldn't. she was praised for how strong she got in such a short amount of time but she didn't believe it was strength.
Asa knew she was sad and couldn't stop the spiral she had gone through, to her that was not strength, that was complacency.
…
when she was finally allowed back to missions they were much more spaced out, at gyomei's request. she visited the butterfly estate often to check up on the girls and watch kanao’s training.
she was slowly getting better.
the missions she went on were now typically with a group, no more solo missions for a bit, Asa knew it was for the best but she typically ended up killing the demon in the end anyways.
she kept getting praised. her rank kept going up.
she didn't feel like she deserved it.
was she getting better?
she laughed at genya as he struggled walking across the fiery stones for the first time.
“Use those eyes and watch genya!” she called and all she was met with was screeching and curses as he fell at the end.
she jogged over, helping him up and ordered him to watch her again.
watch her movements but don't look too closely at her work habits. she doesn't want genya to follow those.
she put the log on the back of genya’s back and practically pushed him onto the fire pit. he made it through for the first time.
she made him a special dinner he grumbled about.
———————
another hashira was added to the ranks, the new flame hashira was loud and… excitable?
he would come to train with gyomei when he was free and sometimes Asa when the former wasn't available.
“Rengoku-sama.” Asa spoke up in between one of their sparring sets, “would it be okay if i got genya over here to watch?”
his loud voice nearly echoed “i don't see why not! this is more your estate than mine!” he looked happy to have another person watching.
maybe he just wanted another person to watch her get the crap beat out of her.
when Asa came back with an angry, fighting genya she sat him down a ways away to not hit him in the crossfire and the hashira and tsuguko went back to sparring.
her hope was for him to get some semblance of technique through his thick skull. he had a long way to go before he would be properly ready for final selection.
his “technique” of smacking the shit out of things wasn't really gonna do it against demons.
they traded blows and Asa was currently 3 to 19 against rengoku. it was better than she thought she was going to do. out of nowhere rengoku spoke again when their swords clashed
“let's go on a mission together!” he yelled, she fumbled.
3 to 20
“whatever you need rengoku-sama.” she huffed out, then turned her head “you're good genya! go push your boulder!” she called to the boy who looked like he would rather watch the two spare more.
“so you will accompany me on a mission!?” he asked loudly again. Asa stood up and dusted off her uniform. she looked down at the man
“of course, i will do whatever a hashira needs me to do.” she said again, a bit confused on why she needed to repeat it. rengoku’s smile fell for a split second before becoming just as wide as it was.
“wonderful!” he laughed, “i will have my crow come get you when i find a suitable mission!”
she hummed in response, “would you like tea before you leave?” she picked her dao up and put it in her sheath. he easily agreed.
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taisho era secrets!-
- Asa stopped wearing Kanae's hoari the girl gifted her, she didn't want to rip it again
- Genya, although not shown to well, had to learn to treat wounds from Aoi because Asa couldn't keep her promise
- when the author said they wanted to put Asa's breathing forms in this chapter they completely forgot and went to make this as angsty as possible. whoops!
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