Iron and Ice - SkilledWarriorKiwi - 鬼滅の刃 (2024)

Chapter 1: The girl

Chapter Text

The girl was used to hunger and pain.

Her parents beat her whenever she spoke so she learned to not speak. Her parents beat her whenever she tried to eat anything from the table so she learned to barely eat. Her parents beat her if she cried so she learned not to cry. Her parents beat her if she did anything without being told, so she learned to not do anything without being told.

And sometimes they beat her for reasons the girl didn't know but she tried to stop doing what she had been doing when they hit her until she did nothing at all.

In their hovel the girl would sit in the corner and stare at nothing for hours on end. Ignoring the feeling of the lice in her scraggy hair, the mites crawling through the tatters of her filth-caked clothes to bite red welts upon her sallow skin. Sometimes she would sit days on end, being quiet and still until her parents were asleep. Only then would she drink from the tepid puddles of water that fell through the cracked ceiling, or eat the scraps of food which had fallen on the floor. She was not allowed to touch any of the meals on the table, not ever. She had to obey and be good.

One day after her father dragged her from the hovel by her hair and kicked her until she threw up, the girl felt a snap inside of herself and everything became numb as she lay in a heap outside. Gasping, blood around her mouth, thick black hair strewn across the filthy ground, but the fear had vanished. Sucked away to leave her hollow and cold beneath the sun.

The girl welcomed the emptiness. The sadness, the fear, it all seemed to be swallowed into nothing after that day. It became easier not to cry, not to sob. Even when being beaten she didn't scream any more. Only the occasional gasp or grunt. Even when she was tied up in the backyard, a knotted rope tied thick around her waist, and woke in the dead of night to a rat gnawing one of her toes bloody she didn't scream. The girl instead grabbed the rat in thin, filthy hands and sank small teeth into its squealing body and ate and ate until she felt almost full. It had been the most she remembered eating since forever.

Once done she went as far as the knotted rope would let her, to scrub her hands through a patch of grass until they were not so red. The next morning her father simply thought the stains around her lips were from his punch the previous day.

She spent two weeks tied in the backyard. Most days were sunny, scorching and relentless, but some were thick with drizzle and frost. Her hunger gnawed at her belly, a constant for as long as she knew anything.

Then one day her father came to the yard with a tall bald man she had never met before. A hand in her hair dragged the girl upright and she stood without a noise of protest.

"Here she is," her father said.

"She's rather runty," the bald man sneered down at her. She stared at nothing, knowing to not make eye contact.

"So? You'll find a use for her, as you said."

"...She does have unusual eyes. Fine."

"Give me my money and take the brat."

The rope was untied from the post and handed to the man, who then handed over a fistful of money to the girl's father. Then the bald man yanked on the rope and the girl was led out of the yard next to the stranger, leaving her father in the backyard counting the money. He not once looked at her as she was led away, away from the hovel and down the dirt path until everything she knew was gone from sight.

"I'm your new master, got it?" the man said, yanking on the rope to make her quicken her pace. "Your father says you're trained already, know when to keep your mouth shut and only do as told. So keep doing that, even when I sell you. Obey all your orders, that's it."

The girl said nothing, having not been given permission to speak, and kept pace with her master despite her thin limbs and starvation. She could obey, she knew how to do that. She would do as she was told so she wouldn't be punished. She would obey her new master. Even when being sold she felt no sadness, just a great hollow in her stomach, so she was not afraid. As long as she was good, there would be no pain. She would obey.

That night when they stopped to rest half way to the nearest town, the man gave her a rice ball. It was cold, plain and unflavoured, unlike her master's hot meal, but it was the most delicious thing she'd ever eaten. The man had also been pleased that the girl had not taken the food, even with the food in front of her, until he ordered her to do so.

When they reached the town her bare feet were bloody and everything ached and her vision was spotty but she uttered not a word of protest. The sun was shining, hot and merciless, and the girl obediently followed along her master. Not at his side, she knew better than that, but two steps back.

The smooth planks of the bridge were a relief from the rocky path before and the girl kept walking, even as her master began to scout for someone to sell her to at the end of the bridge where the town began. She remained obedient and quiet, even as the sun beat down upon her, making her light headed and dizzy, while the lice squirmed upon her scalp.

She was distantly aware of the bald man calling out to passerbys moving to and fro, telling them of her obedience and silence. Of how pretty she would be with a bath and change of clothes, to be used as a maid or companion. Most ignored the man but some stopped, would have brief questions. One woman even tilted the girl's head back with painted nails, staring at her large purple eyes and tugging at her dark hair before carrying on down the street. It happened several times, pokes and prods and the occasional shake but none took the rope from her master- that would mean they were her new master, the bald man told her.

As the day stretched on she knew the man was getting irritated. He wanted to sell her quickly. She didn't know how to be more quiet or obedient so she simply stood and did nothing and hoped that would be enough.

At one point her master dragged her roughly behind him, his attention focused on two slight women crossing the bridge into the town. They were dressed oddly, in dark uniforms with hakama pants and flowing haoris. The shorter wore one in white while the taller had one with blue and pink edges. Both had clips in the shape of butterflies in their hair, the shorter a single one while the taller had two just above her ears. Both had swords at their waist, something which drew concerned looks from passerbys who gave them a wide berth.

Her master scoffed under his breath as the women crossed the bridge, "Demon slayers, can you believe that? A bunch of nuts if you ask me, running around with those swords and their stupid outfits chasing nightmares and rumours."

The girl said nothing, keeping still behind the bald man as she continued to stare blandly at nothing. She thought that perhaps the taller girl with the butterflies noticed her, pale violet eyes locking onto the girl and her stride stuttering briefly. Her master tightened his grip on the rope, pulling the girl further behind him. She made not a sound, instead listening to the soothing noise of the river flowing underneath the bridge. The bird calls in the distance, the swaying of the trees in the faint wind. The butterfly girl slowed even more, nearly stopping in front of the bald man but up ahead the other one called out to her. Words about investigating something, which the girl could not hear clearly due to her foggy vision and weak body.

A flash of long dark hair and the butterfly woman was gone, swallowed up by the town. The girl continued to blink without seeing, the welts underneath her ragged clothes itching. She wondered if her master would give her another rice ball.

When it grew dark, no one had brought her and when her master brought a room at the nearby inn he made her sleep on the floor. He would try again tomorrow, he said, before they headed to the next town. If that did not work then her master said he would dispose of her. She slept on the wooden floor and did not think upon her master's words any more, the knotted rope tied around a cabinet against the wall to keep her in place. It was nicer than the dirt floor of the hovel she was used to and had no rats to nibble at her. It was a good place to sleep. There was no leaks in the roof or drafts. The girl slept well.

Then in the middle of the night there was a loud knocking. The girl instantly awoke, shifting up onto her knees. Whenever her parents had been loud, she had to wake up quickly or would be punished for lazing around. Her master took several more knocks before he dragged himself out of the bed with an annoyed groan to stomp across the room.

The girl blinked as the door slid open to reveal the silhouette of an immensely tall man whose eyes seemed to glow with a kaleidoscope of colours in the waning candlelight. She could see how her master recoiled from the stranger, obviously taken aback by his size and appearance.

"Hello there!" the stranger's voice was gentle and sweet, as if he were smiling. "Ah, my sincere apologies for bothering you at such a late hour, but could you help me? I'm looking for two women, two lovely young ladies with butterflies in their hair. I heard they passed through recently?"

"Do you not know how late it is?" her master snapped. "Go ask the inn keeper and quit bothering me!"

"Oh I did ask him. And his tasty daughters. And the rest of the town. But it seems they don't quite know the information I seek. What a pity! So I'm trying the guests as well and you're the last one left in this sweet little village. Do you know what direction the butterfly girls went?"

"Go away, you freak."

"I'm taking that as a no?"

"Take it as a 'piss off'."

"Now that isn't very nice."

There was a sharp snick and then a thud as her master's head was cut off in a flashing of shining steel. The girl blinked as her master's body fell to the floor shortly after his severed head. His blood looked like thick black ink as it spread across the floor. The smell filled her nose, reminding her of all the times she'd gotten beaten and bleed. She did not move.

"Hm, usually I don't like eating men but waste not want not." The towering figure stepped into the room, bending down to grab her master's body with long clawed fingers. The girl said and did nothing as the stranger devoured the body, eating with gusto as the noises of tearing flesh and cracking bones filled the air.

The girl waited patiently. Was the man her new master? He hadn't taken the rope but her last master was being eaten by the stranger. Her father hadn't been killed but perhaps that was because he got money? The bald man hadn't. Perhaps this new man with the shimmering eyes was his master as well and since the bald man was bad he got punished. The girl didn't know and stayed silent. Silent was good, she averted her gaze to the floor. She would be good, so she would not be punished.

"Oh my!"

She blinked as a pair of feet suddenly filled her vision. She hadn't realized the sound of eating had stopped.

"You were such a quiet little mouse, I didn't even notice you!"

The man crouched down, looming over the girl. His silver gold hair was stained with red, as were his nails. His teeth were sharp, bloody incisors so long they poked over his lower lip as he smiled at her. Despite how tall and broad shouldered the man was his face was sweet and open, eyes large and bright. His eyes were all the colours of the rainbow. Kanji were etched into his irises but the girl could not read so she did not know what they said.

His hand was so large it easily encircled her throat, thumb and forefinger touching at her nape. The girl stared at him before remembering she wasn't supposed to look people in the eye, so her gaze dropped to his bloody smile which widened further.

"Don't worry," the man's voice was soothing, his rainbow coloured eyes glowing in the dark, "Everyone is afraid of dying. But when I eat someone, they're with me forever. Their feelings, their flesh and blood. I accept everything from them and guide them with me to enlightenment. You won't feel pain or suffer anymore. Don't be afraid, little mouse."

The girl wasn't afraid but she had not been given permission to speak so she said nothing. The man tilted his head to the side, smile fading to a confused pout.

"Aren't you going to scream?" he asked.

The girl said and did nothing.

His hand tightened around her throat, strong enough it cut off her breath. She did nothing, even when her vision began to blacken as her lungs struggled and twisted from the lack of air. After a moment his hand relaxed and she took a breath, but made no attempt to push away from him or fight his grip.

"That's strange," the man said, "Are you really not afraid?"

She blinked but did not respond. His hand loosened around her throat until he was pressing his bloody index finger against her neck, sensing her pulse. It was as steady and calm as it had ever been since that day she became empty and hollow.

"Well, aren't you interesting. I think I'll keep you," the man decided.

Sharp nails ripped through the rope tied around her waist and a moment later she was tucked into the crook of a muscular arm. The man must be her new master, the girl decided. He had taken the rope and taken her away from her old master.

He stood, humming to himself as he left the inn. The girl noticed many things as she was carried; the man did not breathe and uttered no heartbeat from his broad chest. The inn was shredded and there were blood stains across the floors and walls but no bodies. Outside in the small town it was strangely still, with many doors sliced open but like with the inn there was no bodies despite dark puddles here and there. Only a certain tense silence filled the village. The girl could not even hear any insects. Above, the moon was a glowing sickle.

"Nakime-chan!" the man's voice was cheerful, echoing through the silent village, "Would you be a darling and send me back home?"

The girl blinked, unsure as to who her new master was speaking to. Was that to be her new name? Her parents never gave her one-

There was a sharp twang of an instrument and a shoji door snapped into being on the dirt path. The girl stared as the screen slid open, revealing a room within instead of earth, and the man stepped through without hesitation, dropping down into a place that smelled of incense and lotus blossoms with the girl still held tight in his arms.

The shoji door slid shut as another twang strummed through the air and then it was if nothing had been there at all.

Chapter 2: Paradise Faith

Chapter Text

The girl was being bathed.

It was a strange, unknown experience. The women were gentle, the water was warm.

Her eyes kept darting around the room, ignoring the water and suds that washed over them as she tried to look for her master. He had handed her over to the group of three women shortly after arriving to this new place, instructing them to clean the girl before he vanished from her sight. She kept still, letting the women scrub through her hair with special shampoo to kill the lice as she sat on the small wooden stool in the middle of the bathing room.

Her master had wanted her clean so she would be still so they could clean her. It felt so strange though. She had never been bathed before. She had only felt the rain, not the warm water being carefully spilled over her and soft hands scrubbing her.

Her filthy clothes had been removed, distastefully taken away to be burned, before the women had placed her on the stool and poured the first pail of water over her. The mite bites upon her sallow skin were scrubbed with soft wet cloths, the water sluicing over her thin form turning brown from the filth upon her. The women were even more gentle when cleaning her, fussing and cooing over the girl.

One of the women, with bright green eyes and long dark hair, was the one kneading at the girl's hair with the shampoo suds caked up to her wrists. She was kneeling in front of the girl, while another woman was scrubbing at her back with a cloth and the last was now filling the nearby wooden bath tub with hot water.

"It's alright, little one," the woman lathering her hair smiled at the girl warmly. "You're being so good. I know it can be scary, being somewhere new and strange, but you're safe now. We'll get you all washed up and something hot to eat before you can rest."

The girl said nothing as her eyes darted about the room; it was the most lavish she'd ever seen, beyond anything her parents hovel possessed or even the buildings at the small village. The ceiling was covered in elaborating carved artwork of lotus blossoms, the floor a smooth grey marble, and there were several small potted bamboo plants against the walls in gilded vases. The oil lamps fixed to the walls cast the room in a warm, golden glow. In one corner upon a gleaming wooden bench was a ivory vase, where lit incense was smoldering and filled the air with sweetness. There was an alcove to the side filled with various items the occasionally used upon her. Brushes, cloths, bottles, soaps.

The woman at the tub opened a small box to the side, scooping out handfuls of rich smelling herbs and salts which she tossed into the water. Behind the girl, the woman put aside the cloth to pick up a small pail of warm water. She doused the girl with it, the one with green eyes scrubbing through the girl's dark hair as the shampoo was washed from the jagged tresses.

"Have you ever gotten a haircut?" the woman behind her fretted. "We have some scissors-"

"I'm not sure if we should be using sharp things around her yet," the one at the tub quickly jumped in. "Douma-sama just said for us to get her clean. She seems to be in shock. We don't know what happened to the poor thing yet."

"The Founder is so gracious and kind, he saved me and my son as well," the green eyed woman said tenderly to the girl. Her hands were gentle as she washed the remaining suds from her hair. "You'll be safe here. But we won't push. Just a nice bath, some hot food and then you can have a good long rest. Tomorrow is another day."

The girl said nothing even if now she understood. The Founder must be the man with the rainbow eyes, her new master. He must be the master to these women as well, since they obeyed him so quickly when he ordered them to clean her. Since she had been so quiet and obedient when he took her from the inn he must be rewarding her with the bath. She liked being clean. She was glad the man was her new master. She would remain good and maybe he would give her a rice ball like her last master had.

The women chattered to each other as they ushered the girl to the waiting tub, telling her how the salts and herbs in the tub would help with her scrapes and welts. They told her of how peaceful it was to live in the Paradise Faith commune, how happy and loving it was. Telling her how they could show her the lotus gardens later, or take her to the river to see the fish, or let her see the goats and sheep which were used for their milk and meat. The woman with green eyes even mentioned introducing the girl to her son.

"Little Inosuke's just started sleeping right through the night," the woman said fondly, running a thin comb through the girl's hair. "And it was not even dawn when Douma-sama brought you in. So we might just have to wait to see how long you need a good rest for before you two can meet up. Honestly that boy sleeps like a log now that he's figured it out."

"More like a hog, I've never known a baby to snore that loudly," the one gently scrubbing the girl's bony back said, a laugh in her voice.

"A sweet wee piglet!"

It was strange, for the girl to be surrounded by such soft touches and giggling voices. Her siblings were much like her back home, trying not to speak in case their parents grew angry. They were hit much like her, sometimes beaten to bloody heaps when they did not obey or were in the way. Once, one was beaten so badly he never got up again. Her parents threw his body into the nearby river when the maggots and flies got too thick. Now the air was filled with sweetness, from the smoldering incense and salts within the tub, and the hands rubbing at her were gentle and patient.

The lack of itching in her hair, the soothing of the mite bites, the hot water seeping into her thin limbs and easing the aches. The bath even helped ease the gnawing hollowness of her empty belly. It was good and the girl was glad.

When she was lifted from the tub she was dried down with soft fluffy towels, the women taking care not to jostle or handle her too roughly. One always remained in front of her, even if the girl didn't know why, and their voices always remained sweet and gentle. They had their orders from the master, he would be angry if they disobeyed. That must be why they were so gentle with her.

The girl refused to eat.

She had been dressed in a soft, pale blue robe with golden lotus blossoms stitched upon it once she was dried. Her feet had been bandaged and her hair brushed back into a loose ponytail. On the low table before her was a small bowl filled with a rich brown broth and a cup filled with a greenish fluid that the women said would help for any bugs in her gut. Her empty stomach grumbled and twisted but the girl steadfastly refused.

She was not permitted to eat from the table. Her new master had not told her to eat. He had only told the women to bathe her, not feed her. So she refused.

"It's alright, you can drink it," the woman with the green eyes said encouragingly. All three were kneeling around the table as well, watching her with increasingly anxiety. The room was like the bathing room; lavishly decorated and smelling sweet and clean. Outside through the closed shoji door there was an increasing brightness as the sun rose beyond to bring the dawn.

The girl's fists clenched slightly into the fabric of the yukata but she otherwise didn't move. The cotton of her new outfit was the softest she'd ever had. She was grateful for it, like she was grateful for the bath, so she would not fail this test. Because that was what the food was, the girl knew. Sometimes her parents had done the same. Leaving food on the table, sometimes for days. But when one of them was stupid enough to touch it, or even worse eat it, they would be beaten bloody and unconscious or shoved face first into a water basin to choke and vomit. The man must be testing her. He knew he hadn't ordered the women to feed her, he wanted to see if she would continue to be good and follow orders.

The three women exchanged worried looks, unaware of the girl's resolve, before the woman with green eyes moved forward to pick up a spoon. She dipped it in the broth before bringing it up to the girl's mouth with soft, encouraging noises. The girl did not open her mouth, even as the spoon pushed against her dry lips and the delicious scent of the broth filled her nostrils. Her parched mouth watered while her hands clenched the fabric tighter as her stomach clenched painfully.

One of the other women spoke, "It's a broth, it will be light and easy on your stomach. It was made fresh, just for you. You can eat."

Still she refused, her lips pressed in a thin line and veins standing up on her hands. After a moment the woman with green eyes put the spoon down. All three looked concerned but the girl would be good.

"Should we get Douma-sama?" one said in hushed tones.

"He only just got back from his pilgrimage. I'm sure he's resting."

"But she isn't eating. The Founder will know how to help her, as he's helped us all. She's so thin and silent, I'm not sure it's a good idea to let her sleep without something in her belly. She might not wake up."

There were murmurs of agreement but the girl ignored them all. She tried to stop her gaze from straying to the broth but it was difficult. She still felt hunger, always present and always gnawing. But she would not eat.

One of the women rose and left the room. The two remaining tried to talk to the girl, telling her more of the commune where they lived. High in the mountains, peaceful and isolated. They also mentioned more of the Founder and the girl paid close attention to those words even if her stare did not stray from the table.

They said the Founder was blessed by the gods, with his silver gold hair, rainbow eyes and longevity.

"He has led us to paradise for over a century yet he still looks so youthful and beautiful," one of the women gushed, her face flushed. "He protects and nurtures us all. Some of us come to him but sometimes he finds those suffering beyond our walls and leads them here."

"Like with you," the other said to the girl, "He saved you and you'll grow up safe and loved here. And one day Douma-sama will lead you to paradise. Some live their whole life at Paradise Faith and go to paradise when their bodies die of age, but some are called from the gods themselves for our beloved Founder to take personally."

"Yes, he hears the voices of the gods. They speak to him."

The girl did not understand all what the women said but already knew her new master was very special indeed. He had taken her from that place, from where she had been beaten and then dragged with a rope until she had bleeding feet, and he had allowed her to bathe. Her mite bites were no longer itching, her hair was clean and the clothes were soft. Her new master was good.

Then the door slid open and the girl straightened up as her master stepped through the doorway with the green eyed woman behind him.

He was dressed slightly different, with a heavy black cape hanging from his broad shoulders and a headdress that resembled a lotus blossom with golden accents and two flowing ribbons. However he was still clad in the dark red shirt which clung tightly to his muscular physique with black dripping patterns upon the sleeves and collar.

Her master sat casually to her left in the seat the green eyed woman had been, in agura form rather than seiza, and propped an elbow up on his raised knee to cradle his chin in his palm. The beads of the jade around his neck clicked against one another.

His smile was wide and toothy as he grinned at the girl, who stared passively back.

"Well don't you look far better after a bath, little mouse!" his voice was cheerful but his eyes were sharp. "It seems Kotoha, Yoko and Misaki have been taking good care of you. I just knew they would, they're such lovely gentle ladies!"

She continued to watch him, gaze upon his chin and not looking in his eyes even if the glowing myriad of colours tried to draw her stare upwards. Around her, the three women turned various shades of flustered from praise from their master. The women had been good when they had given the girl her bath, as the master commanded.

"Hm, but it seems you haven't eaten yet," her master continued, his thick eyebrows pulling down in a frown as he looked at the small bowl of broth. "Are you not hungry?"

As if in response the girl's stomach grumbled loudly. Her master laughed even if the women looked concerned.

"Her stomach has been like that ever since she arrived," the one with green eyes fretted. "But she won't eat!"

"Kotoha-chan even pushed a spoonful right against her mouth but she still won't eat," another added.

"Hmm, that does sound worrying. You poor thing, so starved and scared," the man's eyes shone with tears but his gaze was as watchful as a hawk's.

The girl said nothing.

"Well I won't let one of my flock starve, my duty is to make sure you're all happy," her master said, tears gone in the blink of his rainbow eyes. He picked up the spoon, his nails long and sharp and a soft shade of blue.

This time, when the spoon was brought to her mouth it was accompanied by the sweetly spoken order of, "Open up, little mouse."

The girl obeyed.

The first mouthful was so rich and flavourful the girl could barely comprehend it. Her throat constricted and she nearly choked, eyes watering at the explosion of flavours she'd never experienced before.

"Swallow it, slow now."

The girl obeyed.

Her master fed her the whole bowl, telling her each time to open her mouth and swallow. She was glad for the orders, easy to follow and helped her mind focus when all she wanted was to drink the broth forever. It settled in her belly, warmth radiating through her body.

But soon enough the bowl was empty and then her master picked up the cup of medicine. The same orders were given and she swallowed it, the taste bitter. Her stomach felt full, even in a way the rat was unable to satiate.

Her master clapped his clawed hands together, smile so wide his eyes shut as he said, "Good girl! You must feel so much better."

The girl relaxed slightly, a smallest of tension easing from her bony frame at the praise. She was right, it had been a test.

"Ah, I think she only trusts you, Douma-sama," the woman with green eyes said, hands clasped to her breast.

"Of course she does," another of the women said. "She must know the Founder is special, even after she's been through so much. She must know he is god-touched and he is her saviour."

Her master's smile became something vicious and too wide but an instant later it was gone. With a rustle of robes he got to his feet, the two women still kneeling quickly rising as well.

"Shall I take her to her room, Douma-sama?" the woman with green eyes asked.

"No need, Kotoha. I'm sure your son is missing you. Go tend to him, I shall take our newest member to her rooms myself."

The women cooed over that, even if the girl didn't understand. As before, when her master picked her up he tucked her into the crook of his arm. The long ribbon from his headpiece fell over her face, tickling her nose, but the girl remained still. The three women fussed and said goodbyes to her, promising to help the girl around the commune when she woke. The girl did not react, as it was not an order her master had given.

This time the girl noticed the man was breathing but he still lacked a heartbeat. Her eyes darted around the hallways as her master walked with long easy strides, noting how anyone they passed would stop and bow to the man. He must be very important to have so many people. She could not count them, much like how large the new place was. There were many hallways and doors and statues and flowers and the girl did not understand how large Paradise Faith must be. The air smelled so sweet.

Eventually they stopped and the man slid open a shoji door into a wash*tsu where a futon was set up. The single sleeping room was larger than her parents entire hovel. The duvet of the futon was covered in a pattern of twisting vines and blooming flowers which matched the art of the several scrolls hanging from the walls. There were more vases and in an alcove was a large golden statue of a Buddha with several blooming flowers arranged around it in golden pots. In the distance the girl could hear the soft call of wind chimes.

"Now this is close to my own rooms, so no escaping," the man said jovially as he set her down on the futon. The duvet was so soft and plush she felt herself sinking into it like a cloud.

The girl stared up at him. He stared back at her, a quizzical expression on his face. She didn't understand.

"Such a sad, meek little mouse," her master suddenly cooed, clawed hand running through her dark hair and tugging it loose of its ponytail. "If there's something bothering you, you can always tell me. I make sure to listen to each and every one of my followers. Even the very small ones."

Her master's hand was large enough it encased her head, thumb resting on her cheekbone while his fingers curled near the base of her neck.

"Are you scared?"

His hand moved, thumb pressing against her pulse point. The tip of his claw dug lightly into the skin of her throat. He suddenly looked hungry, ravenous, and the air grew cold. His rainbow coloured eyes gleamed, the kanji within as black as night. The girl just continued to stare.

After a moment he shrugged, loosening his grip on her skull, "I guess not. Such a strange little girl you are. Now, get some sleep. I'm sure we'll learn more about each other soon enough," the man's smile was all teeth, wide enough she could see his gums.

Then he was gone, so swiftly the girl could not follow the movement. All she heard was the noise of the door sliding shut before she realized she was alone.

Slowly she pressed her hands against the plush fabric of the futon. The kakebuton was the softest thing she'd ever touched, even softer than her robe. Her hair hung over her face as she leaned forward to sniff the fabric; sweet, like blooming flowers. Then she sat back and touched her hair. Soft, and smelling sweet like blooming flowers.

She liked this new place. She liked her new master. She liked that he gave her a bath and food when she was good so she would continue to be good. His teeth were sharp and his eyes were all the colours of the rainbow. He did not breathe sometimes and he ate her last master but the girl did not care as the man had not hit her like her parents. He did not yell or tie her up. This place was good.

The girl curled up on top of the kakebuton, shuffling in on herself like a cat with her arms tucked inside her robe. The girl slept well.

Chapter 3: Named

Chapter Text

The girl stared at the lotus gardens.

Back at the hovel there was only scraggly grass and tall trees. When she was led towards the town they had passed rice paddy fields and meadows with livestock. There were some wildflowers growing at the edges of the dirt path when her previous master had led her to the village.

But nothing like the lotus gardens at Paradise Faith.

The pond she was gazing at stretched over fifty yards, the majority of the water covered in lush blooming lotus blossoms. The lily pads were vibrant greens, some growing even larger than her futon, while the lotus flowers themselves were of various different colours, shapes and sizes. From flushed pink with thick clumped petals to pure white with broad petals to ones with a deep purple with a golden inner. The girl leaned forward hesitantly, peering over the edge of the small wooden bridge; directly below her was a cluster of lotus flowers that grew larger than her head, the petals white at the tips and changing to a soft yellow at the base. Further below in the water she could see flashes of colourful fish, white and orange with whiskered mouths.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" the woman seated underneath the shade of nearby trees said. "I remember when I first came here I couldn't believe how beautiful the gardens were. They're so lush, all year around. Our blessed Founder keeps the chill of winter at bay, so the flowers are always blooming."

The girl recognized the woman as one of the three which bathed her the previous day. The woman was currently embroidering a kimono, movements brisk and practiced. Around the garden the girl could see other people moving to and fro, a bustle of humanity she was not used to. They all looked healthy and happy, unlike the starving squalor the girl was familiar with.

When she woke after the first comfortable sleep she'd ever remembered, the woman had come to her room. The girl had been changed into a kimono, just as soft as the robes, though this kimono was a pale violet with pink and purple flowers. She'd been permitted breakfast from her master who'd arrived shortly after she'd been dressed, another broth but with chopped vegetables added. As before and remembering her master's orders, she'd eaten slowly and carefully. Her master then told her she was to accompany the woman, Yoko, around the commune as the master had to tend to the rest of his flock. The girl obeyed and followed Yoko obediently as the woman took her on a tour of Paradise Faith.

Not all, as the commune extended a fair distance around the mountain and Yoko commented she did not wish to exhaust the girl. The girl did not understand why that would be a problem. Perhaps her master could pick her up again. His arms were strong.

They had stopped in the gardens, Yoko pausing to speak with a group of women beneath the shades of the trees and decided to help with some sewing work. The girl had sat down on the side of the bridge, looking over the lotus garden. There were stone paths and pavilions around the pond. Numerous birds and insects flocked around and upon the water. It was so alive and the girl found it difficult to focus upon a single thing. Even the sun seem soft, unlike the baking heat she remembered.

The master couldn't walk outside in the sun. According to Yoko, he gave up his ability to walk in the sun in exchange for the power to heal his followers of bodily hurts.

"It shows his devotion to us, to sacrifice such a thing," Yoko had said, her eyes sparkling.

Though it did not seem a hindrance as the girl had seen other lotus gardens inside the large compound when she'd been led outside, but they weren't as lush and flocked with wildlife as the one outside.

She leaned down further over the bridge edge, her eyes watching the fish below as they swam about in the clear water. Their scales were small and their eyes beady and black. Smaller creatures fluttered through the dirt at the bottom of the pond, with tiny gnats darting over the surface. A soft wind tugged at the lotus blossoms and swayed the trees, the rich scent filling her nostrils. In the distance she could hear people laughing and talking, along with the occasional bleat of sheep and goat.

Then the green eyed woman from last night knelt down next to her, her kimono folding gracefully around her svelte form as she settled in place beside the girl. Her kimono was a lighter green compared to her eyes, covered in patterns akin to roses. She was wearing a sling, a baby swaddled against her chest and her arms cradling it. Soft grumbling was coming from the baby, the girl seeing tuffs of dark hair sticking up from the bundle.

"You look like you had a good rest," the woman smiled at her. "Sleeping for an entire day! But you look better now and Yoko said you ate everything this morning. I'm glad you're settling in. I know how nervous I was when I first came here. I could barely hold anything down."

The girl watched the woman, with her long dark hair, delicate face and green eyes. The woman's smile faltered slightly before she cleared her throat, hefting the bundle against her chest.

"Do you want to meet Inosuke?" the woman asked.

She didn't know what an Inosuke was. Without waiting for an answer, the woman leaned forward and gently tugged down the edge of the blanket to reveal the plump round face of the baby. Big green eyes, the exact same shade as the woman, blinked at her.

Oh. It was the baby's name.

She and her siblings had no name.

The baby was very active, squirming in his blanket with chubby arms flailing and little gurgles spilling forth as his mother gently rocked him back and forth in her arms. The girl remembered her siblings, some being that small. But they had been quite still, occasionally coughing or whimpering but beyond that they did not move much. Now the baby was wiggling enough it seemed like he was attempting to escape from his sling.

The woman leaned forward more and the baby's grasping hands found the girl's jagged hair, tugging at the inky strands as he made soft little snorts. The girl stared at the baby, eyes tracing his round chubby features. The flush to his cheeks and big eyes and the little teeth in his mouth. The baby stopped wiggling and proceeded to stare back at her, his mouth open and eyes wide as he stopped his attempts to squirm out of the blanket.

"He likes you," the woman cooed, her delicate face shifting into a bright smile. "He doesn't like many people here but look! He already likes you even though you've just met."

She was unsure of that. The baby didn't seem to think of anything and seemed more interested in tugging on her hair while gazing up at her. But still, some strange instinct made her tentatively touch the chubby fist curled in her hair. It didn't hurt, certainly not compared to her parents punches. The baby's skin was warm and soft, limbs plump and uncoordinated. His eyes were so big.

"You're just so cute, Inosuke," the woman said to the baby, her face a radiant smile. "What tiny, little strong hands. So warm, my precious little treasure. You and her can look after one another, can't you? Everyone is like a family here."

The girl did not like that. So far, she had been liking the place because it was not like her family. Her family just meant pain and starvation, the cold and damp and bugs crawling on her and rats biting her toes. Her new master let her be bathed, be cleaned and dressed in soft cloth, let her eat hot food and sleep in a comfortable bed. He didn't tie her up or make her sleep on the floor or hit her.

"Ah, I realize I never asked for you name. I'm Kotoha, if you remember?" the woman spoke directly to her, finally dragging the girl's gaze away from the baby.

The girl said nothing.

"What is your name?" the woman tried again. In her arms the baby began fussing, releasing the girl's hair to start flailing his chubby fists.

"She hasn't talked once, not even today," Yoko said from the shade as the other women muttered to each other. "I wonder if she hurt her throat. Could be from an infection or injury, she had scars and old bruises on her, the poor thing."

"Douma-sama could heal her, such as he did me," the woman said, determined.

In her arms, the baby began to fuss even further. The starting gasps and whines before it would dissolve into crying. The woman got to her feet, strands of long black hair falling over her shoulders as she stood before hugging the baby bundle closer to her chest.

"Pinky promise, pinky promise," Kotoha cooed, the baby's whining steadily easing as she sang, "Open up, open up. What flower has opened up? A lotus flower opened up just when I thought it opened up. Before I knew it, it closed up."

"Honestly Kotoha-chan, you should write a nursery rhyme book of all your little songs. They're never the same," Yoko laughed in her shaded spot.

"Well it always soothes my little baby so perhaps I will," the woman smiled. In her arms the baby stopped his fussy snuffling and Kotoha offered a hand to the girl. "Now, come along little one. I'll take you to Douma-sama's temple and he can fix any injuries you have. He's very attentive to our worries and pains."

The girl didn't move. She had not been told to go with the green eyed woman. Instead she had been given to Yoko by her master for the day.

Eventually Yoko had to be the one to take her with Kotoha, rising from the sewing circle to take the girl's hand in hers while the green eyed woman took the other. They both led her back through the gardens, occasionally greeting other people with familiarity. Some even fussed over the girl and the baby even if she did not understand why.

The temple her master was in towered over the rest of the buildings, standing high above and made from thick dark stone. Inside it was lavish and heavily decorated, numerous carvings and sculptures and statues and potted plants. Filled with the ever present scent of incense and flowers. There were no windows but it was still lit well with lanterns and candles.

Before long they approached a bald man who was kneeling next to the sliding door, seemingly deep in thought. He straightened up when he saw them approach.

"Kenji-san, we request an audience with the Gracious Founder," Yoko said with a bow which Kotoha mimicked.

The man nodded, sliding open the screen to call out to the master. After a moment there was an affirmative reply and the man ushered them inside.

Her master was seated upon a rise that was encased with shimmering silk veils and drapes, the wall behind him covered in lush carvings and paintings of blooming lotus blossoms. He almost seemed to be dozing with they entered, his rainbow coloured eyes snapping wide when he spotted them, jaws opening in a toothy smile.

"Ah, come in come in! I hope you three have been having a good day- ah my mistake, you four since I see you have your little one with you, Kotoha."

The woman flushed, her grip briefly squeezing the girl's hand, "I uh, yes Douma-sama. It has been a kind day. But we have come to ask you to look after her. She still doesn't speak and we worry she may have a throat injury."

With a languid movement her master got to his feet, pushing aside the gossamer drapes as he hopped down from the rise. The girl kept herself calm as he approached; she had not done anything wrong, she had stayed with the lady her master told her to follow. The two women dropped her hands and knelt down next to the girl as the master reached down to her.

Sharp nails brushed against her chin, tipping back her head. This time when his hand encircled her throat she felt a strange, chilly sensation radiate from her neck. It was like cold water seeping through her flesh. Her master blinked once.

"Hm, well she isn't injured. At least no damage to her throat, she should be capable of speech," he tilted his head to the side, the long ribbons of his headdress swaying with the movement.

"But why won't she speak?" Yoko fretted.

"Perhaps she's been traumatized," Kotoha suggested. In her arms Inosuke grumbled and she shifted her attention to the baby.

"Well how about this," her master said to the girl, "You can nod or shake your head whenever I ask you something, since you don't like talking. Do you understand me, little mouse?"

The girl nodded.

"Perhaps we just weren't asking the right questions," her master rocked back on his heels, brawny arms crossed.

Kotoha spoke to her then, "Do you have a name?"

The girl didn't respond, not even looking at the woman and instead keeping her focus on her master. Both Kotoha and Yoko exchanged worried glances over her.

Her master repeated the question, "Do you have a name?"

The girl shook her head.

"As was said before, she must only trust Douma-sama," Yoko said.

"What type of parent doesn't name their children?" Kotoha said, sounding angry as she clutched Inosuke close. "How terrible."

Her master clapped his hands together, smile wide even if his eyes never changed, "We can't have that, can we? You need a name. So why don't we help you pick one?"

It was how the girl found herself sitting down with Yoko, Kotoha and her master. Trying to ask for preferences yielded nothing as the girl had none. She knew enough she couldn't just pick her master's name even if she thought it was the best one. They tried suggesting names aloud but after some failures her master suggested they write some examples for the girl to pick directly. Yoko fetched some ink and washi and, after some discussion, she and Kotoha used the brushes to quickly paint out the kanji.

Then they slid the sheets in front of the girl, seven of them covered in kanji she could not read. As Yoko explained, they only offered that many so she was not overwhelmed by choice. Her master agreed quite happily even if his gaze remained as watchful as a hawk.

Her master gestured towards the washi and their lines of kanji, saying, "Pick whichever one you like and that can be your name. Even if you can't read, just pick which one you like the look of best."

"We can read them out for you, if you like," Kotoha smiled at her. Against her chest, Inosuke was letting out little snores.

The girl stared at the characters, trying to think which would be best. Her master had ordered her to pick the one she 'liked' but she was unsure. She wished she could see how her master's name was written so she could base it on that.

"Kamasu, Suzume, Hakobe, Tanago, Kanao, Tobiko, Reina," Yoko sounded out each name loudly and slowly, tracing the characters with a fingertip as she spoke.

"Go on. Pick one."

Her master had given her an order to the girl focused intently upon each and every kanji. She tried to think upon which she liked best. Which brush stroke pleased her, the combination of forms. It was difficult as she did not have many likes. She thought about her current ones. She liked the warmth of her futon, the softness of her clothes, the food her master gave her. The lush lotus garden her master had allowed her to sit by, in the sun and watching the koi. She liked her master. But the kanji within his rainbow eyes did not match the ones before her and she did not know how his name was spelled.

But she was ordered to pick one so after some deliberation she pointed to one that reminded her of the trees outside, the plants and the lotus blossoms.

カナヲ

"Kanao?" Yoko picked up the paper, showing it to her as she said the name loudly and carefully. "Is this the one you like?"

She nodded, eyes fixed upon the dark lines of kanji.

Kotoha's face eased into a genuine smile as she leaned forward, green eyes warm as she said, "It's a good name." Yoko made a noise of agreement next to her, her own face just as soft.

Then her master reached out so a clawed hand landed gently on her head, his voice calm and sweet while he spoke, "Welcome to Paradise Faith, Kanao."

Chapter 4: Lotus bud

Chapter Text

Her master insisted she learn how to read and write.

He also insisted he be the one to teach her.

"I'm perfectly capable of teaching her," her master said to Yoko and Kotoha when the two offered instead to do so. "She's part of my flock now. It is my responsibility to help and take care of you all. I can teach her, especially when she is still quite shy around others. Wouldn't do to overwhelm Kanao."

Kanao.

It still felt strange, for her to see herself as someone with a name. To have a name. Her parents never cared to name any of them. She had simply been a girl and that was all. Now she had a name. She found herself staring intently at the kanji of her new name, to the point her master put it on the wall of her room so she could look at it as much as she liked before she slept. It was the first word her master taught her how to write.

Each night for an hour before she went to sleep her master would teach her how to read and write. He taught her about the calligraphy styles, the brush stroke techniques and even the equipment they were using. Kanao paid close attention to his words and movements, watching carefully as he painted out kanji with a weasel fur brush and then had her follow him until her kanji were neat and precise. Her hands were always steady, ever since that day. She also was allowed to do painting though all she would do was copy the lotus blossom shapes from the wall art even if hers were a lot more lopsided. Her master didn't seem to care.

Her master was far more active at night, she quickly noticed. Whenever she saw him during the day he seemed quite sleepy. Prone to being more quiet and dozing unless directly talking to someone. But when she had her writing lessons with him after dusk had fallen he was far more animated and watchful. She could understand. Sometimes when she was locked outside of her parents hovel she found more peace in the night. The stars and the moon and everyone being asleep so she didn't have to worry about being hit.

While learning to write Kanao was as careful as possible with the brush and rich black ink she was using, knowing full well what the punishment for spilling any on the tatami mats would be. She liked having food and a bed and not being tied up or hit. She would be good and would learn how to read and write and not spill ink.

She learned quickly, being praised by the women for her speed. It seemed to be the same three who would visit her or take her on walks around the compound in the day time. Yoko, Misaki and Kotoha. Yoko had brown hair and eyes. Misaki had short hair and was missing one of her pinky fingers. Kotoha had black hair with bright green eyes and her squirming baby Inosuke who liked to stare and gurgle at Kanao. The master would leave them in charge of the girl when he was not present so she obeyed them when her master told her to go with them.

Yoko found some books for her, covered in bright paintings and kanji so she could learn the characters for animals and plants. Kotoha would sing to her. The three women would help her read the books even if Kanao continued to not speak.

Her master taught her how to spell 'little mouse' in Japanese. Her master seemed fond of still calling her that, even after she now had a name.

He also taught her his own name during one of their lessons. Douma. He did not have a surname. Or a family name, as he called it. Kanao did not have one either. She didn't even know her parents names, much less their family one.

"See? This is my name," her master said, tapping a sharp nail on the paper. "It's two kanji. Dou-ma."

童磨

Kanao inspected the characters closely, noticing how his name was written in far more compact and elaborate kanji than her own.

"Each have different meanings on their own. But I think that's enough of that, we're nearly done for tonight. So how about you write something for me to show how you've improved your brushwork?" he said, smiling at her. "Pick anything! Something you like the look of best. Or like writing best."

Kanao thought about that. It was an open request, which she was quickly learning was her master's usual means of orders. Rarely would he outright demand, instead phrasing them as requests. It was difficult for her to adjust, far more used to her parents blunt demands and rages rather than her master's serene demeanour.

Her gaze remained fixed upon her master's smiling features. She found it easier to watch people now she knew she wouldn't be hit for staring. Looking closely she could see what mood they were in through the minute twitches and shifts of their body, flexes of limbs or tensing of muscles. Her master was always neutral with his body language. She found that soothing. He also never looked away from her stare, unlike everyone else.

And the kanji within his rainbow eyes were as black as the ink she was writing in.

Deciding upon what to write, Kanao carefully picked up her brush and dipped it in the ink before placing it against the washi. Carefully she painted out the kanji, the characters not as dense as her master's name nor as simple as her own. Once done, she set the brush back down.

上弦弐

Her master's expression went completely blank as he looked at the kanji. His smile dropped, features becoming something stern and unsettling. Kanao tensed, hands clenching into the fabric of her kimono. Had she done something wrong?

"Where did you see this?" his voice wasn't angry but it was demanding.

Kanao pointed at her master.

Some of the blankness seeped from his features, thick brows furrowing, "Me? How can-"

He looked back down at the kanji then leaned forward, reaching out to take her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He studied her features intently for a long moment, his fingers upon her face feeling like icicles against her skin before his face abruptly relaxed.

"Oh, I see now," her master smiled, fangs poking over his lower lip. "You have special eyes, don't you? Humans don't notice, it's easy enough to make the kanji and my claws and teeth not seem there. It's usually only Slayers that can see through it. But you were never fooled, were you? You saw that within my eyes the moment you met me, didn't you?"

Kanao nodded, or as best she could with her master still gripping her chin.

With an amused huff, he dropped his grip and leaned back on his hands.

"If you're curious the kanji in my eyes says 'Upper Moon Two'. Do you know what that means?"

She shook her head.

"It means I'm the third strongest! There's Upper Moon One and then there's That Man. But otherwise I'm the third strongest out of us. Well I mean there's another six but they're pretty dumb and I forget their names every time one of them tells me."

She thought the moon was that big shiny disk in the sky when it became night but maybe she was wrong. Did that mean her master was a spirit? They were said to come out at night. Kanao occasionally heard the other people in their rundown village talk about it. Things in the deepest part of the woods, creatures that crawled from wells or lurked in the river. Kanao had never thought of those or cared, it was never a moon spirit hurting her. It was her parents.

"I suppose you don't really understand, do you?" her master straightened up, dropping his elbows onto his knees.

She shook her head.

"Ah no matter. Something to think about. Especially about those special eyes of yours. You know, when I was born my parents were really stupid and thought my eyes meant I was chosen by the gods? Isn't that the funniest thing? Gods aren't real."

Kanao stared. She didn't really understand her master. Did that mean he had the kanji in his eyes when he was born? She hadn't met many people so she didn't know how eyes should be.

"Well enough of that. Let's get this all cleaned up and you can go to bed," her master said, gesturing down to the paper and ink.

She nodded and reached towards the ink pot. But she was distracted, thinking upon her master's words about the moon and the kanji in his eyes. And her hand hit the ink stone when she went to grab it and it tipped, splattering over the washi and tatami in a gout of black. It seeped further, staining the paper and ruining the kanji she'd written and inching over the rush.

Some of the ink even stained her master's hakama pants, tiny black droplets that stood out starkly against the tan-coloured fabric.

"Oh dear," her master said but his voice sounded as if it were under water, so murky and distant.

Kanao couldn't move, hand still outstretched and eyes boring into the thick black ink stain. This was the first time she'd broken anything since her master had brought her there. The first time that she spilled something. She'd been so good, ever since her master had taken her. Was he going to tie her up? Stop feeding her? Make her sit outside in the dirt and cold and filth again? Would he drag her outside by her hair and kick her over and over until she couldn't breathe?

A clawed hand landed upon her head, but it didn't clench within her hair. Her master instead patted her on the head once, twice, three times before pulling his hand away. Slowly Kanao's gaze rose from the stain, her focus intense as she studied her master's form before hesitantly reaching his eyes. There was no anger in his body language. There was no coiling muscles to hit, no minute shaking of rage, no contortion of his features. His rainbow coloured eyes were as flat and watchful as they always have been. Neutral.

"Did you think I'm going to hit you?" her master asked, sounding genuinely curious. "That I'm mad because of the spill?"

Kanao said nothing, her eyes darting back down to the ink strewn across the paper and tatami.

"It's just ink. Here look-" Her master reached down, picked up the ink stone and promptly threw it at the wall.

She stared as it exploded in a splatter of black and shards, ink spewing all over an intricate tapestry and splashing against an elaborately carved vase.

"See? Who cares? I certainly don't," her master grinned at her. "One of those little worker bees out there will clean it up, don't you worry. Now, how about I show you something?"

He didn't wait for Kanao to nod or not, picking her up and tucking her into the crook of his arm. He swept out of the room, ignoring the greeting from the bald man dusting in the adjacent room.

Her master took her further into the temple, where only he was allowed. Past the big audience hall with its gossamer silks and banners. Further down the halls where she hadn't gone. Kanao didn't pay much attention to where they were walking towards, instead keeping her head pressed against her master's chest. The master said he didn't care about the ink spill. He didn't care about it. He didn't say he was going to not feed her or make her sleep outside or hit or kick her. Instead he just threw the ink stone at the wall because he didn't care about the stain.

But he said he was going to show her something. A cage to put her in? Because she'd been bad and spilled the ink and even if he wouldn't hit her she still spilled it-

Then her master slid open a shoji door, stepping into a room with tall walls. In one corner was a Buddha statue in prayer surrounded by delicately carved lotus blossoms scattered around it like petals.

One wall had dozens of shelves, running from floor to ceiling, and upon each shelf were numerous human skulls. All smooth bone and bleached white and bared teeth. There was an elaborately painted pot in the middle of the room, which also had a skull within it. Unlike the skulls on the wall, the one in the pot still had its hair. Long and black, spilling around the pot and over the ground.

Was he going to put her head in one of the few empty cubbyholes? Her skull wouldn't be that big.

"Aren't they pretty?" her master said, ignoring Kanao's churning thoughts as he gestured towards the wall. "That's all that remains of them. I keep the ones I like the most here."

She looked at the skulls. There were many of them and she could see the differences between them. Some were missing teeth or had long spidery cracks. Some even had teeth marks in the bone, as if they'd been nibbled on by a wolf.

"Did you know women are stronger than men?" her master said, in an almost conspiratorial tone. His chin was pressing against her temple, digging into her skin as he talked. "People think otherwise but they're wrong. They're stronger, have lots more nutrients in them because they can make babies in their bellies. Right here," with his free hand, her master poked her in the stomach.

She frowned. She thought she just had bugs in her stomach, that was why she had to drink that medicine some nights ago. And Inosuke wouldn't be able to fit in her stomach, he was half her size and he was the only baby she had met. How was a baby supposed to get in there.

"Well I mean not now, you're far too little," her master shrugged, jostling her in his arms. "But women are stronger than men so I get stronger when I eat them more. But even though you're just a little girl you're strong too. All the other humans get scared when they notice my teeth and claws. And the Demon Slayers...even a Hashira get scared when they see my eyes, even if they try to hide it. But not you! You saw me cut that man's head off and eat him in front of you and you didn't even care. You saw right away what I was. You're special. You're not like the others, those people I save. I eat them so they don't feel pain anymore, they don't suffer. They become a part of me and find happiness that way. But you're not scared. Even when you spilled that ink you weren't scared. That was strange, wasn't it? You were ready to be struck and didn't like it, but you weren't scared."

He reached out and patted one of the skulls, smoothing his hand over the white bone. That skull had noticeable teeth marks in it and a cracked jawbone. Kanao looked at the skull intently, her thoughts calming now that she knew she was not to be punished. She liked her master even if she didn't understand some of what he was saying. But he thought her special and that made her pleased.

"You know, I was as little as you when my parents created Paradise Faith," he told her, talons scraping at the bone. "It was so silly. Even as a small child I knew it was so delusional and awkward. But I wanted to help so I smiled and played along. Sat there and listened to all these adults crying to a child about their problems. Begged me to lead them to paradise."

Her master stepped away from the wall, settling down next to the pot with the skull overflowing from it with her still in his arms. The pot had lotus blossoms carved into it, reaching up from the bottom towards the lip in delicate gilded lines.

"It's quite sad that paradise does not exist," her master said, his voice low and sweet as his eyes shimmered with tears. "It's just a fairy tale that humans created with their imagination. The Gods and Buddhas don't exist either, none of them do. All these people here in Paradise Faith are so stupid and can't even understand such a simple thing. That when you die, you just become nothing. You just stop feeling anything. Your heart stops and your brain stops. Your blood grows cold and your organs freeze. You rot and return to the earth. Decay until nothing is left. As long as you are a living creature it is unavoidable. It must be difficult to be so dumb for all those who think otherwise. But I don't think you are, Kanao. You seem a lot smarter than all of the other people here. You're like me, aren't you? Even though you're such a little human. So young but your eyes already see so much. You know that, don't you?"

She wasn't sure what to say but she felt pleased the master felt that she was like him. That must be why he was taking good care of her. That must be why he didn't punish her for the ink. And if any type of afterlife didn't exist, then she was glad her current life now was comfortable. She had food, a bed, hot baths and was being taught how to read and write and her master did not hit her even when she spilled something.

Her master lifted her from his arms, placing her down next to him and in front of the pot.

"See, that's why I don't care about that ink. It's just a stain. It can be scrubbed out just like blood," he smiled at her, all sharp white fangs. "You're such a smart little girl. You saw what's in my eyes. Usually Slayers have to train to do that but you saw the kanji right away," her master said, tapping a claw beneath an eye.

Kanao nodded. She did see it right away. His eyes were very bright in the dark, when her previous master had answered the door. Then got his head cut off and her new master took her.

"What do you think of the pot?" he said, gesturing towards it with blue claws. "A friend made it for me. Isn't it pretty? I planted the skull in it. Look, touch it."

She reached out and touched the pot. It was cool and smooth beneath her hand. She touched the skull. It was cool and smooth beneath her hand. Then she touched the hair attached to the skull.

"Hm. Now what was her name?" her master murmured, pouting as he stared intently at the skull. "I have a good memory. It must be around in there somewhere-"

Then she didn't have much time to think as her master suddenly jammed his index finger into the side of his head, puncturing all the way in to the knuckle. Crimson blood welled up and began to slide down the side of his face even as his features twitched oddly as he twisted his finger. His eyes grew heavily bloodshot, blood beginning to spill over the lids like tears.

"Oh! I remember her name now!"

There was an unsettling sucking noise as he pulled his finger out of his skull, the puckered crimson wound sealing shut the near instant his claw was pulled out.

He patted the skull, leaving small red prints. "It was Tsuru and she was such a dear thing. Always trembling and she was so wild about her hair. Apparently her mother was so domineering. Kept her locked up in the house, kept her pretty and painted like a doll. Her hair was always so long and shiny like ink. When she came here I told her how much I liked it. And I still do! So she let it grow and grow and grow until it reached her knees! And then one day it was time for her to go to paradise. Oh she was so willing, so stupid and soft," her master grinned at her, all sharp fangs and glittering rainbow eyes.

Kanao stared at him. Then after a moment she nodded. That was yes, that she understood. That dead lady Tsuru had long hair and her master liked it and so kept it after he ate her. She understood the story.

Her master's smile faltered and he pouted.

"You got so nervous about the ink but all this was just...nothing?" he seemed confused and wiggled his hands at her. The blood had evaporated from his finger and the thick threads of blood through his eyes had ebbed. Even the blood on the skull had vanished, as if it had never been there at all.

Kanao didn't understand. Was she supposed to do something? Do what he did? She wasn't sure if she could stick her finger in her head like that. She looked down at her hands, which lacked the sharp claws of her master.

"Oh never mind then. But, speaking of hair. Why hasn't yours been cut? It's so choppy," he tugged it free from the loose pony tail. It spilled over her shoulders and across her brow, the ends frayed and jagged.

It was a lot shiner now it was getting washed and shampooed. It also smelled nice, sometimes she would smell it while going to sleep.

"Hair like mine looks good all spiky and wild, if I say so myself," her master grinned, flicking a long lock of his own silver gold hair. "But your hair is very straight, such a right mess looking the way it does. No matter, I'll cut it for you."

It was how Kanao found herself sitting next to the pot, pulling a jade comb through the hair of the skull while her master cut her own hair to an even length. Rather than scissors or a knife, her master was using a large golden fan. It shimmered with his movements, engraved with lotus blossoms and so sharp that he only had to pull a strand taut and press the edge of the fan against it and it would slice through. She only stopped brushing the skull's hair when her master maneuvered her around so he could cut the jagged hair before her face, the fan's edge a hairsbreadth from her skin as he cut a sharp fringe just above her brows while the rest of her hair fell down her back just below her shoulder blades.

When her master was satisfied with her haircut, he took the jade comb from her and brushed her hair until it was smooth and anyway wayward cuttings fell free. Then he tied up the length in a sideways ponytail on the left side of her head, not once scratching her with his claws.

"There we go! You look much better now, hair all neat and tidy. Not that little scruffy pelt before. Though seems to be missing something..." his rainbow eyes narrowed, studying her speculatively before snapping his fingers and hopping to his feet.

He went to one of the walls and opened one of the cabinets inlaid within and Kanao saw how within it was absolutely covered in kanzashi. The hairpins were of all shapes and sizes, richness and flamboyancy, colour and shine. There was hundreds of them, perhaps thousands, pinned to the wall like an assortment of butterflies. Some were of simple cloth while other heavy with priceless jewels. Her master hummed, inspecting the wall before shaking his head and shutting it before moving to the next. Like the last, it was filled to the brim with kanzashi.

"Ah, this one!" Her master plucked out a hairpin, turning to Kanao with a wide toothy smile.

It was a bira-bira, a pin of ivory with a small lotus bud at the top. The lotus bud was carved from a gleaming white quartz. A small string of pearls dangling from it, no bigger than raindrops that shimmered in a myriad of colours.

"White lotus buds are said to be symbols of mental purity and spiritual perfection," he said as he knelt down to slide the pin into the base of her sideways ponytail. "They are beautiful and pure, even growing in such a muddy, material world. Symbolizing potential."

The pin shimmered slightly as she tilted her head to the side, the line of pearls swaying with the movement.

Her master grinned at her, tapping her nose with a long talon, "And I think you have quite a lot of potential, little mouse."

Chapter 5: Little pig

Chapter Text

"Pinky promise, pinky promise. Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, blanketing the countryside as far as you can see. Is it a mist, or clouds? Fragrant in the morning sun. Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms, flowers in full bloom."

Kotoha's singing was soft and light as she led Kanao through the cluster of cherry blossom trees, her grip gentle while her other arm cradled Inosuke against her chest. Her pale green kimono was patterned in petals, while Kanao's own violet one had delicate stitchings of snowflakes.

The cluster of cherry blossom trees bracketed one of the wide stone paths leading out towards the rice fields, thick branches heavy with pink petals that filled the air with sweetness. The roots of the trees spread through the ground in churning tendrils, Kotoha's steps careful as she maneuvered over the roots with a firm grip on both Inosuke and Kanao. The shade helped with the high mountain sun, Kanao eyeing the thick branches above her. She tried to count the petals, her eyes roaming over the blanket of blossoms above but she hit a dead end as she realized she hadn't learned enough numbers yet to count them all.

"These are kwanzan cherry trees," Kotoha said. "You can tell because they have such thick petals, and how the trees are wider and more stout than other cherry blossom trees."

They had been doing one of the customary trips around the commune. Kanao tried to keep a mental map of all the places she was being shown, trying to understand just how large Paradise Faith was. A large portion of the area around her master's temple was the gardens. Lotus gardens being in the majority, even indoors there were several throughout the lavish building. But Kotoha had taken her further down the slope of the mountain, past the ponds and nearing the field. There the cherry blossom trees bloomed, cultivated over the long decades that the commune had existed.

Kanao thought that if her master had planted a cherry blossom seed in that pot instead of that skull it would be more willing to grow.

They settled down upon the raised roots of one of the trees, resting against the wide trunk. Occasionally someone would walk down the path, either heading up towards the temple or down towards the fields. Kanao did not know any of them, though she recognized a few from her previous walks through the lotus gardens even if she did not know their names. She did not see Yoko or Misaki.

"It's so nice to just be able to sit and relax," Kotoha smiled at her, wayward strands of dark hair falling over her temple. "I remember before- before I came here, I never really could just stop and appreciate things. I always felt nervous, ready to run. But here you can just sit and breathe in the air. It's peaceful, it's safe."

Kotoha's smile faded as she sucked in a deep breath, her delicate features shifting into something troubled and unsure. She hugged the baby against her chest, mumbling nonsensical words against his hair. Kanao could see that the woman with green eyes was not quite frightened, but clearly thinking of something that made her unhappy and anxious.

Kanao wasn't quite sure what to do so she remained sitting upon the snake-like roots of the tree, watching Kotoha as the woman's body language slowly unwound. Hugged tight against her, Inosuke let out a series of gurgles as he waved his chubby arms. Kanao watched the baby, who was always so wiggling. Kotoha had joked before that she mostly had to keep him bound in a sling to avoid him scurrying off the moment he got the chance.

She was broken from her thoughts when Kotoha leaned forward, shifting the sling over her shoulder as she asked, "Do you want to hold him?"

Kanao was unsure. How was she supposed to hold a baby? She never held any of her siblings.

"It's alright. You won't hurt him. You just have to hold him tight, he's very squirmy. Here."

It took some maneuvering, especially as Kanao was still skinny and undersized due to prolonged starvation. She'd only just begun to put on weight, the gauntness to her cheeks and limbs beginning to ease, but Inosuke was a large baby just over a year of age. But with Kotoha's gentle help, Inosuke was soon tucked in Kanao's arms with his head cradled in her elbow and her hands carefully supporting his back and legs.

Inosuke blinked up at her, his eyes as bright and green as Kotoha's. Kanao stared back at him, the pearls of her hairpin swaying as she dipped her head slightly to eye him more closely. Little hands started to poke and grope at her chin, Inosuke's confused expression shifting as he started to let out enthused little noises at her.

"Oh, he really does like you. Usually he cries when anyone else tries to hold him but not you. See? You'll be friends, I just know it," Kotoha's smile was so wide it crinkled the corner of her eyes.

He was heavy, but with Kanao sitting it wasn't overbearing. He was also very warm, even with the blanket bundled around him. His pudgy fingers were still digging into her chin with determination, a big goofy smile on his round face. He was so strange, so wiggly and Kanao felt her arms tighten around him.

"I know you're still unsure," Kotoha shifted, still pressed against Kanao's side from when she'd carefully maneuvered Inosuke into her lap. Her fingers tucked a wayward strand of Kanao's hair behind an ear, her voice gentle as she spoke, "I know that it can...it can take some time to realize your safe. I remembered when I first came here, it seemed like a lifetime ago. I kept waiting for something terrible to happen, to hear...to hear that voice again. Or things being slammed. Or to be yelled at. It was this horrible tension, sometimes I couldn't sleep. Just sat there in the corner of the room, thinking my door will be thrown open. Clinging to Inosuke, to keep him safe."

Kanao blinked at Kotoha, who was looking from Inosuke to her. Her expression was strained but she gave Kanao a comforting squeeze around the shoulders.

"But you're safe here. We're safe. You, me, Inosuke...Douma-sama will protect us. He healed me when I showed up here. I had been...I had been hurt terribly by someone and he protected me. Let me into Paradise Faith. He even fixed my injured eye, I thought I would be partially blind forever. And I know you still don't speak, but you won't be hurt here if you talk. Douma-sama already seems very fond of you," Kotoha's fingertips lightly brushed the bira-bira pin in Kanao's hair.

She nodded. She liked her master. Even when he ate those other people like her previous master or all those skulls in that room he didn't hurt her, even when she spilled the ink. Even after several days from the incident she hadn't been punished, she had not been denied food, a futon or hot baths. The pin he had given her was pretty and she made sure to keep it right next to her futon when she slept, so she would not lose it.

Kanao had not owned anything before so she kept the pin close, even when not wearing it.

"Well, I'm sure you'll understand that soon enough," Kotoha said. Above, wind rustle the branches of the blossom tree even as Kotoha continued to speak, "I'll be here, if you ever want to talk. Or just to hold Inosuke, he's being so good with you."

Kotoha hooked her pinky finger through Inosuke's own and his pudgy fingers grabbed onto it as he gurgled. His weight over Kanao's lap was warm and heavy.

"Pinky promise, pinky promise. Little elephant, little elephant, you have a long long nose. Yes sir, my mother has a long nose, too," Kotoha poked Inosuke on the nose with her free hand before playfully doing the same to Kanao who blinked. " Little elephant, little elephant, who do you like best in the world? Well, I like my mother best in the world."

Inosuke let out a series of enthused gurgles. Kanao wondered when he would start to read and write like herself. Maybe she could teach him.

Kotoha suddenly hugged Kanao, making her start as the woman's arms wrapped around her and Inosuke to give them both a gentle squeeze.

"Inosuke means everything to me," she said softly, resting her head against Kanao's as Inosuke giggled. "If it wasn't for him, I never would've been strong enough to run. I'll protect him with everything, even my life. One day, you'll know what that feels like. To have that strength. Maybe your original family didn't have that, since you were taken here. But now you can. Maybe...maybe Inosuke and I can be your family."

She looked down at the baby in her arms, thinking about that. Kotoha was certainly a lot different than Kanao's mother, who had hit and screamed at her just as much as her father did. Kotoha didn't scream or hit. Her touch was always gentle and her smiles sweet. Inosuke was also quite different from Kanao's siblings. He was a lot more wiggly for one, and even now he'd started flailing at the line of pearls trailing from her hairpin like a kitten.

"There you two are!"

Both looked up to see Yoko at the edge of the trees, waving at them from the path with a basket tucked into the crook of an elbow. Inosuke meanwhile continued to try and grasp the pearls, the determined pout on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Kotoha asked, her grip briefly tightening around them.

"No, not at all. Douma-sama just wanted me to go fetch Kanao for him for her lessons since I'm heading down to the fields anyway to get some of that goat cheese Shime-chan was making. So if you can take her up to the temple-"

Kotoha was already moving, carefully taking Inosuke from Kanao's arms. She already missed his weight and warmth on her lap as Kotoha arranged the sling back over her shoulder. Inosuke meanwhile seemed displeased to be taken away from the pearls, still grasping at them while letting out plaintive whines.

Kanao was led back up the stone path, with Yoko going the opposite way. Kotoha's grip was firm but gentle as she guided her back up through the gardens. Kanao thought there was an increase of people bustling to and fro, banners of silk and woven flowers being draped over branches and railings and edges of buildings. She could also see stalls being set up, the bustle of people loud and busy. Kotoha was occasionally called to, usually by other young women who passed, but she waved them off with quick apologies as she quickly led Kanao back to her master's temple.

He was already speaking to someone when they made it up the steps and into the great shaded interior of the stone building but he dismissed them with a shoo of his hand, turning to the trio with a wide toothy smile.

"Douma-sama! My apologies, I would've brought her back earlier but I thought you wouldn't take Kanao for her writing lesson until it was nearly dusk," Kotoha looked flustered, her hand sweaty around Kanao's own.

"Oh I'm thinking of getting Kanao's lessons done before noon," her master said. "That way she won't miss out on the festival this evening."

"Good idea!" Kotoha's face lit up and she bounced on her heels, Inosuke in her arms as she looked to Kanao with a bright smile. "You'll like the festivals here, there's a lot of food, dancing, music and singing-"

"Especially your singing, Kotoha," her master cut in. "You have such a wondrous voice, I just do love to hear you sing."

Kotoha flushed a deep crimson at that, letting out a high-pitched giggle that made Inosuke look up at her in confusion before the woman let out a flustered goodbye to them both and all but fleeing out the doorway.

With increasingly familiar movements, her master picked her up to tuck her in the crook of his arm. She was pressed against his chest as he walked further into the temple, glancing around the inside lotus garden as he walked over the wooden catwalks.

"Kotoha is quite pretty, isn't she?" her master smiled. "Usually, women like her go to paradise quite early. She's beautiful, but a bit dumb. But that's okay. Sometimes it's nice to simply have something beautiful around. Not just because of her looks but also because of her beautiful heart. She's just so naïve and pure, even after getting beat senseless by her husband for so long she is so earnest and sweet. So I think I'll keep her, until she's old and dies that way. And that way you can have Inosuke around! Do you like him?"

After a moment of thought Kanao nodded. Inosuke hadn't really done much but he was sweet and seemed to like her as well. Especially since Kotoha said he cried whenever anyone else tried to hold him. She hoped they could be friends when he grew older as Kotoha said. She had no friends and had been lonely for as long as she could remember.

"That's good. Maybe he can even be your otouto? Oh well, something to ponder later. For now, we have to start preparing for the Harvest Moon Festival."

Chapter 6: Tsukimi

Chapter Text

Kanao's lesson for that day was dedicated to repetition, going over what she had already been taught. She painted out sentences she'd been learning, the kanji neat and clean as she wielded the brush with increasing familiarity. Her master hummed as she painted down the kanji opposite him, drumming his claws upon his knee with his eyes half closed.

"I like these lessons," her master had smiled when he had laid out the supplies for her. "It means they all leave me alone with their ridiculous demands. Otherwise it's just nag nag nag, all day every day. At the very least my saving grace is being serious, otherwise I would have gone mad decades ago."

Outside the room, she could hear the distant clamour of voices and bustling footsteps. She'd never been to a festival or any type of event. At her home village everyone lived in filth, they had no parties or celebrations.

On the paper in front of her, she carefully painted out the characters for her name and then her master's. Occasionally her master would speak, giving her sentences to write down. He seemed to veer between having her write down short scripts about blooming lotus flowers to describing that room of skulls or the redness of blood. Kanao diligently copied the sentences down upon the washi, sometimes pausing to run through the kanji she knew before writing down the correct one. Once done, she set down the brush and sat back up with her hands folded on her lap as her master inspected the characters with glittering rainbow eyes.

"Ah, hundred percent correct! Aren't you a diligent little mouse?" he clapped his hands together, smile wide and toothy. "But we both already know you're such a smart girl, ne?"

Once the lesson was finished Misaki came to help Kanao prepare for the festival. Kanao was bathed and then changed into an elaborate kimono of a rich deep purple with the upper part patterned with hundreds of tiny white flowers. Halfway down her legs and sleeves the pattern changed into flowing strips of pink and yellow, the flowers blues, pinks and orange. The obi belt was a bright crimson and gold with a white lotus blossom. Her hair was brushed and brushed until it shone, Misaki pulling most of it back into the sideways ponytail but also braiding several small threads to wrap around the base. Then she slid in the lotus bud pin into Kanao's hair.

Misaki herself was clad in a kimono of deep blue, patterns with cranes and blooming sakura blossoms. Her short hair was drawn back from her features, tied into two small buns with colourful ribbons. An assortment of pins in the shape of blooming flowers were carefully slotted into the buns. When she gently led Kanao out to where the others were they were dressed up just as much, in a rainbow of colours with shimmering silks and rich fabric and flowing ribbons and colourful patterns of flowers and vines and bird. It was such a long distance from the muddy foulness of her old village, with the dilapidated buildings and filthy clothing of tattered rags.

She looked around for her master, who with his towering height and silver gold hair would be instantly recognizable among the surging crowd, but could not see him anywhere yet. She blinked, fingers tightening around Misaki's hand. The courtyard outside her master's temple was heavy with people hurrying about, many stringing up decorations and fluttering banner, lengths of pretty lanterns waiting to be lit and benches and stalls being set up.

Kanao pressed closer to Misaki, uneasy with the amount of people as her eyes roamed over them. On a wooden rise there was a duo of teenage girls, dressed in bright kimonos with colourful bows in their hair, playing upon biwa with bright chirping music as they sang along. The noise reminded her of that strange door her master had taken her through and she found herself eyeing the two as they played. Misaki noticed and gently led her to the side, out of the way of the crowd of people setting up in preparation of the festival so she could watch them play and sing.

"So pretty, isn't it?" Misaki said, a look of longing upon her face as she watched them.

After a moment Kanao nodded. The music was nice, bright and cheerful while the singing sweet. Perhaps she could ask her master if she could learn that once she had fully mastered her writing. There were more people with instruments, but only the girls upon the stage were currently playing. Misaki quietly pointed out each instrument to Kanao, explaining the shamisen, tsuzumi, koto, shakuhachi and more.

"You'll hear all of them throughout the afternoon, the ceremony goes on past midnight. There's also going to be fireworks later. Yoko is even going to play the koto tonight and Kotoha will be singing with her! They've been practicing."

Misaki kept Kanao out of most of the preparations, which had almost finished at her arrival. Soon the tables were heavy with food, from dumplings and dango, to chestnuts, grapes, pears, pumpkin and edamame and sweet potato and much more. There was more food than Kanao had ever seen, with more people preparing hot meals of udon and soba or lugging around barrels of sake. There were also numerous little pyramids of white rice dumplings everywhere, all stacked in tiny towers of fifteen.

"To represent the fifteenth day of Tsukimi with the amount of dumplings," Misaki explained. "And because they look like little moons. Aren't they cute?"

The shrines throughout the area were also lavishly tended to, with offers of fresh produce taken from the fields like susuki grass, taro bulbs and also sake. There were freshly plucked lotus blossoms everywhere, making the air heavy with sweetness. Many were also edible, as Misaki explained. Kanao stayed close, even with the young woman carefully leading her through the courtyard and down towards the gardens where it was just as heavy with people. It seemed everyone had pulled back to the heart of Paradise Faith and she felt somewhat overwhelmed. She paid close attention to her surroundings, trying to focus on the food instead of the people.

One of the most common of foods were small round cakes, which could easily fit in Kanao's palm. They came in all different colours, from bright vibrant red and emerald greens to sky blue and soft orange and even violet like her kimono. They were patterned with many different designs, some shaped like lotus blossoms or having kanji etched into them.

"They're mooncakes!" Misaki smiled as she noticed where Kanao's gaze had settled. "Made from mochi. These ones have a lotus seed filling. Do you want to try one?"

Kanao eyed the cake curiosity, as the elderly woman behind the cart cooed at her. The ones before her were pale green, with vines curling around a lotus bud. Just like the one in her hair. After a moment, Kanao nodded.

"Alright, just eat it slowly alright?" Misaki said as she handed over one of the small cakes. "I know you're still not on a fully solid diet yet so eat only as much as you want."

She did eat hesitantly, carefully. It was sweet, smooth and easily fell apart in her mouth. Kanao only managed to eat one before the sweetness became too much and she refused any more. Misaki did not try to push her to eat more. Misaki also remained very attentive, gently steering Kanao into quiet corners if she felt the girl was being overwhelmed by the press of people, their laughing and singing. Occasionally Misaki would stop and talk to people, friendly and open with a level of comradeship Kanao yearned for. She had been lonely and hoped one day she would get friends, like Misaki had. She still did not see her master, not even as the air grew cold. The sun had not set so her master must still be in his temple.

Kanao did overhear Misaki mention that the main ceremony would be at the biggest lotus garden, so they could see the harvest moon reflected in the pond. There, many people would sing, dance and recite poetry they'd written. Kanao had not written any poetry. She wondered if she should have done so.

But try as she might, events would blur. It was overwhelming at times, even if Misaki kept taking her aside. Instead Kanao continued to struggle to focus at times, her gaze boring into the elaborate silken banners or the paintings until they seemed a smear of colour. At one point Yoko and Kotoha found them, both women lavishly dressed and Kotoha with her long black hair pulled back with heavy jade pins in the shape of blooming lotus blossoms. Inosuke was cuddled to her chest as usual and Kanao felt the urge to pat the baby's head which she ignored.

The three women were a familiar sight, and they took turns leading Kanao around by the hand. By then the biwa twins had been replaced by a man playing on a sanshin, which Yoko said was made from snakeskin. They spoke to many people but none were the master. Kanao wondered where he was.

There was also dancing, people spinning around like colourful ribbons with laughter, singing and music washing over Kanao in a warm wave. She found it easier to relax if she did not try to fixate upon individual things, instead letting her eyes unfocus as she instead swayed in place like a reed in the wind as the festival surged around her.

At one point she was offered a short stick of dango by Kotoha which briefly broke her daze; Inosuke was already mouthing at a piece. Kanao ate hers gingerly, the dumplings sweet. Yoko ate the most out of them all, devouring an entire plate of fifteen.

"For good luck," she joked around a mouthful of the dumplings.

Inosuke meanwhile was trying to grab at the stick Kotoha was nibbling on, having finished off his piece. His annoyed little grunts as he flailed with his chubby arms sounded like the snorts of a piglet.

Kanao was just finishing off the final third of her dango stick, when she saw the harvest moon slowly sliding up into the sky as it shifted to pink and oranges as dusk unfolded across the sky. Just barely peeking over the horizon, still partially hidden by the dense forest and hills beyond the commune, the fat golden disc of the moon began to rise. Her eyes were fixed upon the sight, not noticing the sudden excitement of the surrounding crowd or how the three women around her lit up.

Then she felt a familiar clawed hand pat her head and she straightened up as she turned towards her master, looking up at his pale visage. He smiled at her.

"Ah, don't you look pretty little mouse? That kimono perfectly matches your eyes," he greeted her cheerfully.

"She's adorable isn't she, Douma-sama?" Misaki gushed, her eyes fixed upon the master. Her hand was suddenly so sweaty around Kanao's.

After a moment of staring Kanao nodded, accepting his words. Her master was dressed differently than usual, still with his black cloak and ribboned headpiece in the shape of a lotus blossom, but now clad in a kimono made from such a pure white silk it seemed to shift with a delicate rainbow sheen when he moved. Long necklaces of precious jewels, jade and pearls hung from his neck. He offered her his hand and she immediately let go of Misaki's to hold onto her master's.

He turned his attention to the trio of women, "Yoko, Kotoha, have you two performed yet?"

"Not yet, Douma-sama," Kotoha answered. Against her chest, Inosuke was making grabby movements towards the long ribbons dangling from the master's headpiece.

"Good!" he snapped the fingers of his free hand, smile so wide and toothy, "I certainly would have been unhappy if I missed it!"

Kanao remembered his words about how humans would not notice his talons, eyes and teeth. She thought it strange, his incisors were longer than her fingers. How could they not see?

But her master said it made her special which pleased her. So she stopped thinking about that, especially when he began to lead her down towards the lotus gardens were she saw many others already heading towards. Throughout the area the lanterns were being lit as night fully embraced the mountain. The moon rose higher and higher, bathing the land in bright light to the point the lanterns were hardly needed. Kanao kept a firm grip on her master's hand as he led her down the path. She would prefer it if he picked her up but as it was he kept his stride short so she could keep up.

The drone of the crowd was like the hum of a great bee hive, and Kanao could only catch snatches of conversation before another would sweep in. All would stop and bow to the master as he walked past, even if he did nothing more than smile and give back short greetings.

It was such a rush, the laughter, the music, the people clad in so many bright colours. So unlike her old home. She was glad her master had taken her and how he would eat people but not her, even when she spilled ink he didn't get mad, he would make sure she had food, a bed, baths and nice clothes and how gently he held her hand in his clawed grip.

When they reached the lotus garden it was filled with people, many already sitting on the grass so they could watch the moon. There were various carts and tables, banners and lines of lanterns. In one corner surrounded by offerings was a great stone Buddha bowed in prayer. There was also several wooden stages scattered about, on one there were a dozen people drumming upon odaikos which were even bigger than Kanao and another stacked high with sake barrels, though her master led her to the largest one covered in numerous silken pillows. The ground around the rise was completely swallowed by lotus blossoms of all shapes and sizes.

Her master simply picked her up and took her onto the stage with him. He sat her down on his left before he promptly sprawled out on the cushions in a manner that looked fairly undignified but no one cared so Kanao decided not to either. Meanwhile she settled down in seiza, hands in her lap as she watched the celebration going on before her. It felt good to not be amongst the crowd now though she would not mind if her master had continued to hold her hand.

She watched as Kotoha, Yoko and Misaki moved about the crowd. Their faces were smiling and they seemed happy. Misaki had gone to one of the food stalls and seemed to have been wrangled into a contest to see who could fit as many dumplings in their mouth in one time. Kotoha was talking to another woman, Inosuke cradled to her chest as she gently touched the other woman's heavily distended stomach and laughing. Yoko meanwhile was talking to an older couple, before reaching over their cart to pick up a large koto made from a dark polished wood.

Kanao watched as Yoko went up onto one of the empty stages, sitting down with the long string instrument before her. She watched as Yoko slipped on three fingerpicks on her right hand before gently touching at the strings of the koto, going through the thirteen to test them while moving the bridges beneath the strings to tune it. The soft noise was lost beneath the beat of the odaiko players which seemed to jolt in time with her heartbeat and numerous people were dancing around in front of their stage.

"Hmm, seems Yoko is getting ready for her performance," her master said cheerfully as he picked up one of the painted flasks at his side, flicking off the stopper with one hand as he poured out the sake into a small saucer. "Which means Kotoha will be singing! She does have such a lovely voice."

He sucked down the sake before immediately filling the dish again. This time he just took a sip, bobbing his head up and down in time with the odaikos. His necklaces clicked and clacked against each other.

Above, the moon seemed to grow ever larger. So great and yellowed like a polished coin. It slowly began to slip into the water, a calm shimmering reflection. Down around the gardens she saw a pack of children run by with dango in hand, laughing and giggling as they darted around the adults. Many were sitting upon the grass or upon blankets as they watched the moon move higher and higher. She glanced over at the foods still laid out; she wasn't particularly hungry after eating the mooncake but she looked up at her master from where he was sipping at the sake and seemingly in thought. She thought he only ate people and didn't need that type of substance.

As if hearing her thoughts he turned his head slightly, his rainbow eyes glowing as bright as the moon in the night. He was a moon spirit, perhaps. He had said he was Upper Moon Two, Kanao remembered. He must have noticed how her gaze flicked from the sake to the bottles and he smiled.

Her master leaned in close, his long hair spilling over his broad shoulders as he said in a conspiratorially whisper to her, "I can't eat human food, but I can drink."

She eyed the small saucer her master was holding and after a moment he held it out to her to inspect. She sniffed it, noting the slightly fruity odour almost like apple. When she took a tentative sip it was warm and strangely dry and she couldn't stop her nose from scrunching up.

With a laugh, her master pulled the saucer away to promptly drain it of its contents. As he filled it again he spoke, "Guess it's an acquired taste. Well, humans do get wildly entertaining when they drink too much of it. Doesn't work on me, however."

Kanao nodded even if her master now seemed more preoccupied with watching the crowd. Occasionally someone would come up to the platform, bowing respectfully and asking for the master's blessing or council during the moonlight. He would always grant that, reciting prayers as he would reach out to gently place his hand on their heads or giving them advice. Between that he kept sipping at the sake even if Kanao didn't think it tasted that nice.

The odaiko players finished with a resounding noise, Kanao watching the cheers from the crowd as the drummers bowed. Then she spotted Kotoha, her delicate face flushed and green eyes sparkling as she trotted up to them with Inosuke held tight even if the baby was doing his best to try and wiggle free of her grip. She practically had to wade through all the lotus blossoms, some petals tangled in her dark hair.

"Douma-sama!" the woman greeted with a bright smile. She exchanged some more words with the master before she turned to Kanao, asking, "And how are you enjoying the festival? Once me and Yoko-chan are finished, they'll start with the fireworks after Douma-sama calls for the blessings of the Gods for another year of good fortune."

The master's smile was particularly sharp but Kanao nodded at Kotoha. She liked the festival, especially now that she was out of the crowds and sitting with her master and she understood that Yoko and Kotoha were going to perform.

"Will you be quite alright with Inosuke? He's getting very squirmy," her master said, sounding amused.

Kotoha let out an exasperated huff, glancing down at her baby who was now gnawing upon her necklace of jade like a determined puppy. "Well I'll just have to keep a good grip on him. He's like a freshly caught fish at times, just wiggling to be free."

Kanao felt her hands twitch, partially rising from her lap in offer before she realized what she was doing and hurried put them back down. But her master noticed, and he beckoned Kotoha closer who immediately made her way over through the thicket of lotus flowers until she was nearly pressed against the edge of the rise.

"Yes, Douma-sama?"

"I think Kanao here is offering to look after Inosuke for you so you can go sing without worry. Would you like that, little mouse?"

Kanao nodded, tentatively offering her hands again.

Kotoha hesitated, "Oh I don't want to bother her, she should be enjoying the festival-"

"The crowd seems to be a bit much for her. I think she prefers to stay up here with me. It doesn't seem like she would mind."

Kotoha hemmed and hawwed but eventually relinquished Inosuke to Kanao. She helped arrange the sling around Kanao's much smaller form, Kanao shifting so she was sitting agura form so Inosuke could be settled on her lap. He snuffled and squirmed but settled down to blink big green eyes up at Kanao. Kotoha fussed some more until her master had to shoo her away so she gave Kanao and Inosuke two soft little kisses upon the tips of their noses before hurrying over to Yoko.

Kanao felt far more anchored now with Inosuke's warm weight in her lap, his head resting in the crook of her elbow. She wasn't sure how to react to Kotoha's kiss, which had been as light and delicate as a butterfly landing upon her nose. She thought about Kotoha's words the other day, offering to be Kanao's family along with Inosuke. Her family had been the cold and pain but maybe her new one would be nice food and soft kisses and cuddling Inosuke and holding her master's hand.

But she wasn't sure if her master could be her family. He looked after her but he was still her master like he was for all of those in Paradise Faith. That's why everyone obeyed him and bowed and did as he said. Then she thought about that some more, even as Inosuke started batting at the pearls hanging from her hairpin like a kitten. Wasn't her parents her masters before that bald man who brought her? Maybe her current master could be her family. She should ask him.

She got jarred from her thoughts as her master suddenly reached over and grasped Inosuke's face with a big clawed hand. Then he squeezed slightly, making Inosuke's chubby little features squish together.

"Hehe, babies are funny aren't they?" her master grinned before he learned over even further to whisper in her ear, "Though I don't go out of my way to eat them, barely more than a snack and not very nutritious."

He squished Inosuke's face a few more times before the baby grabbed his fingers and started to gnaw on them with determination.

"Bloodthirsty little beast," her master laughed, not minding all the drool on his hand.

Then their attention was caught by Yoko and Kotoha, when the two women began their performance in earnest. Even Inosuke let the master escape his grasp to blink over to where his mother was and Kanao shifted her grip on the baby so he could see more easily.

The strumming of the koto, the notes bouncing and swift as Yoko began to play in earnest as her hands danced over the strings. Next to her Kotoha stood, hands clasped before her as she swayed from side to side as Yoko played. Then Kotoha began to sing to the moon, her voice strong and sweet. Kanao had heard Kotoha sing before but they were the little songs she gave to Inosuke or gentle melodies when she was leading Kanao around the commune. Her pinky promise song, that the others teased her about and Inosuke calmed for. She hadn't heard Kotoha earnestly perform, her voice carrying over the garden and making her clutch Inosuke close.

"Isn't her voice so wonderful and pure?" her master said to her side.

Kanao nodded, because Kotoha's voice was very nice especially when she sang alongside with Yoko's playing. It relaxed Kanao, letting her muscles loosen as Kotoha sang about the moon while the sharp sweet cords of the koto threaded through her singing.

"Have you heard about the story of the moon rabbit, little mouse?" her master asked, chin resting upon his hand as his gaze did not stay from Kotoha.

She shook her head.

Her master's voice was a low, calming timbre as he spoke, "The story is that a monkey, a fox, and a rabbit were friends. They decided that upon the night of the full moon they decided to go and do good, do charity and help others. While searching for people to help, they came across a starving beggar. 'Poor man,' they thought, 'we must help him.' The monkey went to a nearby tree, climbed up it and plucked all the fruits. Then he laid them down before the beggar. The next was the fox, who went to the nearby river and caught fish. Then he laid them down before the beggar. Finally, it was the rabbit's turn. But the rabbit didn't know what to do. He could not climb trees, he could not catch fish, he could not hunt. So he sat there unhappily as all he could do was fetch grass and humans did not eat that. Until he remembered humans liked to eat rabbit meat."

Out in the crowd people were dancing together to Kotoha's and Yoko's music, hand-in-hand with bright smiles on their faces as they spun about. The music was lively, the strings of lanterns lighting the area with a soft golden glow. Laughter filled the air with warmth as Kotoha's clear sweet voice carried over the crowd as she continued her song. High above the harvest moon was bright in the inky black sky. In the moonlight her master's hair looked like spun silver.

He continued with his tale, rainbow eyes half-lidded, "So the rabbit asked the beggar to make a fire. The man did so and the moment the flames were high enough he threw himself into the fire so he could offer himself as a meal to the man. The beggar was amazed by the rabbit's generosity and pulled him from the flames unharmed and revealed himself to be Śakra, Lord of the Heavens. Awed by the rabbit's sacrifice for someone he had only just met, Śakra drew the likeness of the rabbit upon the face of the moon. So anyone who looked up during the night would know the rabbit's generosity. That's why the moon is grey- it is seen through the smoke of the fire."

Kanao remembered seeing a rabbit, back at her parent's hovel when she'd been thrown outside one day and lying on the ground. It had been a tawny brown, long ears and a small twitchy nose and had hopped out of the shrubbery. She had only seen if for a few seconds before the door slammed open and it darted back into the bushes. She had thought about the rabbit for days after. Not to eat it, like the story her master told, but rather wishing she could turn into one and run away in the trees.

Her master's clawed hand gently rested upon her nape and urged her to look upwards which she immediately obeyed. His hand then moved so his arm was slung over her shoulders, pulling her close to his side as he pointed up at the moon.

"See? If you looked closely you can see the shape of the rabbit up on the moon," her master said. His breath was cold against her forehead. "You can see its back, its ears, its tail."

She looked closely, studying the swollen face of the moon high in the sky even as Kotoha's singing sweetly ebbed while Yoko's playing gently smoothed into nothing.

The rabbit on the moon, Kanao could see it. She shifted Inosuke in her arms, trying to help him look at the moon. But he just grabbed the end of her ponytail and giggled to himself.

"Perhaps when Inosuke is older you can tell him about the rabbit," her master said, pulling away from her to grab another sake bottle.

When Kotoha managed to approach them again, having been enveloped by the happy crowd when she finished her performance, Inosuke was groggy on Kanao's lap. His big green eyes were struggling to remain open, still taking the occasional swipe at her hair or pin due to sheer determination but obviously easing to sleep. Kotoha's face was flushed pink, her eyes sparkling and a bright smile on her face when she managed to extract herself from the crowd and leaned against the rise Kanao and the master were seated on.

"Such wonderful singing, Kotoha! I've never heard a voice so beautiful," her master praised her.

Kotoha's pink face changed to crimson, the woman giggling behind her hands as she looked everywhere except the master. Her voice was a squeak as she said, "I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Douma-sama."

They exchanged a few words though it was mostly the master complimenting Kotoha's singing until the woman was so red faced Kanao wondered if she was about to faint. In her arms, Inosuke yawned before stuffing a chubby fist in his mouth. She stroked his dark hair, rocking her arms slightly like she'd seen Kotoha do sometimes.

"Did you like the performance, Kanao-chan?"

The question made her look up, seeing Kotoha's warm stare. After a moment, she nodded. She did like it. Yoko's playing was nice and Kotoha's singing was sweet. She was pleased to have heard it.

"I'm so glad," Kotoha smiled, the corners of her eyes creasing. "We spent a lot of time practicing. Now, if you want I can take Inosuke off your hands. I know he can be quite heavy-"

"I'm sure Kanao can keep Inosuke safe while you enjoy the rest of the night, he's already dozing off in her arms," her master cut in, giving Kanao a pat on the head. "Can you do that, little mouse? Do you want to?"

Kanao nodded. She did not mind holding Inosuke. He was warm and solid and his eyes were so big.

"Well...If, if you're sure," Kotoha said slowly. "If he does get too much, just let me know."

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them both. But first, time for the blessings and then the fireworks show."

The blessing was rather strange. Kanao remembered her master saying the gods did not exist so she did not know why he drew the attention of the crowd and invoked the gods for a fortuitous year. But everyone had grown silent and attentive when her master stood and spoke of it so Kanao guessed it must be important. So she sat there with Inosuke in her arms and was good.

The fireworks was next.

Kanao had never seen fireworks before and was entranced by bursts of brilliant lines and sparks in the sky. She had tensed slightly at the noise of the first one, the sharp loud pop also waking up Inosuke from his doze. His face began to scrunch up unhappily before a great starburst in the sky caused his eyes to snap open, transfixed upon the bright patterns dancing in the night sky above as more and more fireworks burst into being. She could see the fireworks reflected in the dark disc of his pupils as he stared with his mouth agape at the lights.

The fireworks was in so many colours and shapes, some bursting open like shimmering motes in a fire or flaring open like airborne flowers in lines of pink that faded to blues. Great orbs of green that split into dozens of smaller ones. Others that popped open only to curved downwards like a fountain in streaks of orange. One red flare was so massive it seemed to change the entire sky to dawn before it was chased away by several blossoms of blue.

"You know, I do wonder what would happen if you tied a group of humans up in a cluster of fireworks like that and set it off at once," her master mused next to her.

Kanao thought about that. They would probably die since the fireworks jumped up so high and was so bright, but they were pretty so if the people died at least they would be looking at something nice.

Then a flash of white light that happened once, twice, several times until it seemed like a lightning storm was hanging above them. Inosuke giggled at the sight and made grabby motions towards the sky as if he could pluck the fireworks out of the night.

When it did finish, it was with an entire sky filled with bursts of orange that were overlapping until it was like the sky had turned into fire as the noise jittered through her ears, the pops turning into something akin to whistling as the night blazed with starbursts of white and gold.

Cheers broke out across the gardens as the fireworks faded from the sky even if the afterimages continued to dance in her eyes. In her lap Inosuke whined as the lights disappeared, a little pout appearing. She gently rocked him, patting at his hair until his grumbling stopped.

"Isn't it so lovely," her master cooed, clapping his hands together with a smile.

Kanao wasn't too sure how much time passed after that. Occasionally Kotoha would approach them, wading through the lotus blossoms to talk to them and gush over Kanao and Inosuke but mostly the woman was swept up in the crowd. At one point she was drawn into playful dances with the other women in the gardens, a lot of flailing and laughter.

Her master stayed where he was, seemingly dozing with his eyes shut or just watching his followers. Some even fell asleep, curled up on the blankets laid across the grass or propped up against each other or against the trees. At one point someone fell over the edge of the garden and into the pond, and he had to be fished out to a lot of good natured teasing. After that several more people fell into the water amidst the laughter, though Kanao saw a few get pushed. She thought it had something to do with the sake being consumed, especially since the children had been taken to bed once the fireworks display was done as it crossed over midnight. Kanao was the only one left and that was because she was with the master.

She was also used to sleeping at strange hours and for a short while. Even at Paradise Faith she would wake at the faintest noise and did not mind waiting in her room for someone to come retrieve her when she woke hours before dawn. So it was fascinating, to watch all the adults. None of them were violent unlike her parents and even when some arguments would break out, the sharpness of the voices instantly catching her attention, others watching would step in if the arguers didn't calm down themselves. Her master seemed much like her, more interested in watching people than hopping down and mingling with the crowd.

In her lap, Inosuke was sound asleep. He seemed unbothered by the noise of the festival still happening, his snores loud and mouth agape. Kanao didn't mind his weight, it was warm and comfortable. She patted his hair before arranging the blanket within the sling more securely around his little body. Maybe Kotoha would let her hold Inosuke more.

Even when she grew sleepy Kanao was determined to keep herself awake. She liked spending time with her master and she felt content. Her master seemed much the same, as occasionally he'd poke at the lotus pin in her hair or poke at Inosuke, but had not told her to leave.

Even when she started leaning forward slightly, eyes struggling to stay open he didn't order her to stay awake or snap at her. She was determined but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, even as the moon began to dip towards the horizon and the only noise left in the gardens were soft, subdued conversations by those others who were still awake while most had left or were already asleep. Her master meanwhile was humming lowly, the noise soft and gentle.

Even when she lost her struggle against sleep and ended up slumping to the side with her head resting on his thigh, Inosuke snoring in her arms, the last thing Kanao was aware of was her master's hand settling gently on her head.

Chapter 7: Hashibira

Chapter Text

"Pinky promise, pinky promise. Little bird, red bird, why oh why so red? Because it ate a red fruit. Little bird, white bird, why oh why so white? Because it ate a white fruit. Little bird, blue bird, why oh why so blue? Because it ate a blue fruit."

Dutifully Kanao wrote down the words as Kotoha sang softly to Inosuke. He'd been freed of the sling previously but that had resulted in him nearly escaping several times or nearly knocking over the ink stone or the vases or trying to climb all over Kanao, until Kotoha caught him and quickly bundled him up again. He moved very fast despite being a chubby baby that was only on all fours.

They were in a quiet room with the shoji doors wide open, looking out to a small tsuboniwa garden. The midday sun reflected off the little pond and occasionally Kanao could hear the faint splash from the koi. The trees were small and green, matching the moss lawn.

Kanao had written down the kanji for each item when Kotoha pointed out each object to her. Much like her master, Kotoha was full of praise for Kanao's diligence in getting the correct and she was pleased the lessons were going well.

"I know Douma-sama likes his lessons with you," Kotoha had said when she first appeared to take Kanao after a light breakfast. "But he's had a summon and must attend his meditation to listen to the gods and their wisdom. So I don't mind volunteering."

Kanao didn't mind. The commune was fairly subdued following the festival, even if she didn't remember what happened after she fell asleep. She hadn't even woken up when Kotoha had taken Inosuke back and her master had moved her to her rooms. She'd just woken up tucked in her futon.

Even the few people wandering about the commune the morning after seemed rather tired and groggy when Kotoha fetched her. Kanao felt much the same, a bit more sleepy than usual. She had liked the festival, especially when her master had taken her with him and she was allowed to hold Inosuke and watch the fireworks.

But Kotoha was bright and attentive as she ran through the list of things for Kanao to write down. There was the hint of dark circles beneath her eyes but the woman didn't show any sign of fatigue as she issued instructions.

"Alright, now how about your name?"

Kanao wrote down her name. She liked her name.

"Good! Now, how about mine and Inosuke's?"

Kanao wrote down the two names, attached together with their family name.

"Exactly! You're so smart. Now, how about Douma-sama?"

Kanao wrote down her master's name.

"Yes that's D- ah, wait, what's this kanji?" Kotoha frowned, leaning forward to squint at the paper.

Kanao looked down at it. She had written them correctly, she was quite sure.

However Kotoha looked slightly distressed as she spoke, "No, it's Douma-sama. That's his usual term of address, the honorific we use for him. Since he's to be respected and he leads us. Or he's addressed as the Founder. Gracious Founder, even."

Kotoha shuffled around until she could take the brush, quickly painting out the appropriate kanji next to Kanao's own writing.

"Like this," she said.

Kanao didn't understand. Since the master was the founder of Paradise Faith it meant he was the master of them all as well, since everyone obeyed him. She took the brush and painted down her master's name again.

"No, He isn't..." Kotoha's face creased even more as she read over the kanji Kanao had repeated, her body language becoming tense. Her hands anxiously patted down Inosuke's hair, where the baby was dozing against her chest. She sucked in a breath before saying, "He isn't our owner. That's what you-We aren't his property or pets. He...is that, is that how he found you? Someone owned you? You think Douma-sama owns you now?"

Kanao nodded. Her new master was much better than her last two ones.

"Oh, you poor thing. I knew something was horribly wrong."

A moment later Kotoha's arms wrapped around her, squashing her up against the woman's chest and Inosuke. The baby immediately stirred to full wakeness and she felt little fingers grab at her fringe as snuffly grunts sounded.

"Is that why you didn't eat at first as well? Because you thought Douma-sama would be angry?" Kotoha asked her as she leaned back.

Kanao thought about that. It was in part, but also she had not been given permission. But her master had told her she was free to eat when she was hungry, after they'd gone through several meals where she'd refuse to eat until he intervened. He told her the food within Paradise Faith was for everyone so if she was hungry she had his permission to eat at any time she wanted. The level of freedom made her wary but she did not disobey her master's orders. She ate each time she was given food, at each meal time. Eat until she was full, even if it was still mostly broths, stews and soups. And the mooncake, which had been tasty.

She nodded.

Kotoha looked even more distressed, "I'm sorry that happened to you. I escaped a terrible situation but I wasn't, it didn't start out like that. I didn't realize he must have taken you from such a place."

Kanao watched the woman carefully, unsure as to why she was so upset. Was it because she called their master that? It made no sense. He was their master. But he was a nice one who gave her food and baths and a bed, and Kanao was pleased.

"I know it must be hard," Kotoha said. "But Douma-sama doesn't own you. He isn't a slave owner. You aren't a slave here. He won't get angry with you. None of us will."

Kanao just continued to stare. She already knew the master wouldn't get angry. She spilled ink and he hadn't cared. Just thrown the ink at the wall and then gave her the hairpin. That was why she liked him.

Kotoha must have read something on her face, or overall bland expression, so after a moment she took a deep breath and, taking a fresh piece of paper, wrote down the master's name.

"See? You can just address him as this, yes?" Kotoha said, gesturing towards the kanji. "He isn't your master here. You don't belong to anyone. You can even ask him when he returns, I'm sure he'll explain it to you that you don't need to call him your master."

She looked down at the washi and the black characters painted upon it. Kotoha didn't seem to like it when she called her master exactly that. Did he want that other address? Would he be displeased if she called him master? She did not know. Then she remembered when her master had asked her if she would like Inosuke as a little brother. Did that mean he was like Kotoha, and wanted her to see them as family? One like Kotoha spoke of? Neither of them yelled or hit so she already liked them a lot better than her original family.

Kanao looked over at the other sheet of kanji where she'd written Kotoha's and Inosuke's name. After a moment she thought of her master's suggestion about Inosuke. This was what he would want, wouldn't it? He had the habit of giving orders as suggestions, or open ended that sometimes confused her.

After a moment of thought she reached out and took the washi and, as Kotoha watched, tapped on one of the characters.

"Hashibira is my maiden name, the one I had before I was married," Kotoha explained, seemingly relieved at the topic change. "I...took my husband's name. But when I left, I decided I don't worry that horrid thing attached to me any more. So I'm Hashibira Kotoha again."

Kanao looked down at the kanji as she thought over her master's words some more.

"Once, shortly after I arrived, my husband found me along with his horrid mother," Kotoha's grip tightened slightly around Inosuke, and she kissed his dark hair before saying, "Douma-sama protected me from them. He sent them on their way, told me I would never have to worry about them finding me ever again. Inosuke was only six months old when I ran, so I hope he won't ever have memories of that horrible time. He's my precious little treasure."

Still, Kanao had keen eyes. Even with the conversation of Kotoha coming to Paradise Faith, before the conversation over the master's address. Kotoha had seemed anxious. Was Kanao the reason? She did not want to ask the question in her mind if Kotoha was upset with Kanao. Was it from the festival, since Kanao held Inosuke for so long?

After a moment Kanao painted down a kanji in quick, neat strokes before pushing it towards Kotoha. She picked it up, squinting slightly as she read the characters. In the sling, Inosuke was chewing on a strand of her hair.

"'Upset'? Are you upset about something?" the woman asked.

Kanao shook her head before pointing at Kotoha.

"Oh. You think I'm upset ? I uh, well perhaps I am, just a little bit." Kotoha's smile faded, her expression becoming drawn as she stared down at her hands. "I'm sure it's nothing...I just haven't seen Kesai or Yura since the Harvest Moon festival. I'm just a tad worried. Especially since Kesai is pregnant, she is only a month from giving birth. I mean, I know it has only been a day but usually they help with the cleaning in the morning and I know Kesai went to bed early. I don't know, maybe they went down to the village at the base of the mountain for some things. But there could be bears or wild boars in the woods. Or maybe they talked to Douma-sama and...I might need to ask him. I don't know, it feels different this time. Like something is wrong."

Kanao stared. She didn't understand.

"Ah I'm sorry," Kotoha hastily flailed a hand, delicate features becoming flushed, "I'm must be fussing over nothing. But it has nothing to do with you! I'm not upset with you. I'm just over thinking other things and if I seem worried now, it's just because I'm upset at the things that has happened to you but please, I'm not angry or anything. I'm just unhappy that these things happen to people. Especially little babies like yourself. You deserve love, not being treated like that."

Kanao didn't think she deserved anything. That would be up to her master. Or however he wanted her to address him, she had not yet asked. She would do so in their next lesson. Paint down the kanji and see what he would say. Kotoha had not been happy but her master was the one that Paradise Faith belonged to.

But he had said that Inosuke could be her little brother. So maybe she should start there, so he would be pleased when she asked her next question.

So after a moment she dipped the brush upon the ink stone, and, after a brief pause, she painted down a new series of characters.

嘴平カナヲ

Kotoha leaned against her side, expression soft as she studied the kanji intently. Kanao wasn't sure if she should be nervous and silently set the brush aside before putting her hands on her knees.

"You don't have a family name do you?" Kotoha said softly, a sad tilt to her lips, "If you were...if your parents sold you. Do you even know your parents names?"

She shook her head.

A arm around her shoulder and Kanao was again pulled against Kotoha's slight form. Inosuke snuffled in her arms, butting his head against the underside of Kanao's jaw.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. But I meant what I said the other day. That we can be your family. I would be very happy if you'd like to be a Hashibira," Kotoha smiled, pressing a gentle kiss against Kanao's temple before shifting the baby in her arms. "Here, Inosuke. Would you like Kanao as your oneechan?"

After a moment Kanao offered Inosuke her hand and little fingers curled around her pinky, before he promptly tried to stuff her hand into his mouth.

Kotoha laughed, a bright noise even as her smile grew so wide it crinkled the corner of her eyes, "I'd say that is a yes."

Chapter 8: Runaway

Chapter Text

"Eh? Owner? Oh, I don't own you. I'm like a shepard and my followers are my precious, confused little sheep I must led to paradise and eternal happiness. Though that's why you were tied up, wasn't it? Your parents sold you to that man? Such a horrible thing to do to such a sad quiet little mouse. Doesn't that make you angry that your parents sold you like a pig or lame cow?"

Kanao didn't care. She wrote down the kanji to show she had no feelings towards her parents actions. Nothing.

"Hm. But don't you wish your parents died? Did you wish that on them when they tied you up?"

Kanao didn't care. She pointed at the kanji again.

Her master leaned back on his hands, studying Kanao intently. They were in the room full of skulls, their sightless stares watching them from the walls. Her master had taken her there once he finished his 'Divine listening', as he called it with a laugh, and he had started telling her about the kenzashi stored in the walls. Both who they had belonged to and also their descriptions, origins and, in some cases, symbolism. She had been drawing on the paper, trying to paint each pin as he showed her. Her master liked to talk a lot and never minded her silence.

No, not her master. What should she call him then? He obviously did not want that title but Kanao did not know what to think of him as. Founder? That didn't seem right.

Otousan?

She immediately shook off that ridiculous idea.

But she had written his name and appropriate title, as she had done with Kotoha, and as the green eyed woman said he did not seem to like being called that.

Or at least didn't want her to, as his body language didn't seem angry or annoyed.

"Well, you don't need to call me your owner. Douma is easy enough, eh?"

He reached out to grasp her face, like he'd done with Inosuke. His nails dug slightly into her skin.

"Like this, little mouse. Dou....Ma..." he squished her face in time while saying the stretched out syllables.

She stared at him, squinting slightly due to her squashed up cheeks.

"Alright, maybe not," he said, dropping his hand. "But just call me that. Or in your head since you like to be quiet all the time. Which is good! Too many people say stupid things when they should just be quiet."

Kanao nodded. Yes, she understood. He did not want her referring to him as her master and he liked that she was not stupid.

Douma reached over and picked the comb next to the skull in the pot. Then he maneuvered her to sit in front of him, tugging out her lotus pin to let her hair fall down her back. He ran his clawed hands through the dark strands for several moments before starting to brush her hair with the jade comb in long, repetitious movements.

"But it's good that you're so smart for your age. I was as well. So silly. I also didn't really care much about my parents, even with the stupid things they were doing. No intense feelings, which so many cry and rage over. Seems so exhausting and needless."

Kanao kept herself still, finding the rhythmic brushing of her hair soothing. Her gaze was settled upon the elaborate vase before her, with the skull staring at her with empty black sockets.

"My own parents were pathetic. Not just because they believed their child could hear the voices of the gods and other nonsense but they were so weak. My father was a lecherous fool who dallied around with the female cultists," Douma paused, the comb stopping briefly before he started again. "Which uh, meant he treated them like his wives, even though he was already married. My mother found out and stabbed him to death in a rage and then drank poison. I found her writhing on the floor, dying as my father's corpse bleed all over the place. There was even blood on the walls and ceiling, she'd stabbed him so wildly. So needlessly emotional and stupid they were. I was only a few years older than you when I walked in on that scene after hearing all the screaming and yelling. I was more annoyed she hadn't opened the window, back then the blood smelled awful."

Kanao listened intently. It was interesting to her that her mast- that Douma had experienced things like that when he was her age. She remembered the women telling her that Douma was over a century of age, so he must have a very good memory. She could not remember some things at her old village, though she assumed it was much the same. Beatings, starving, pain, bleeding, aching. She liked remembering Paradise Faith, with Douma brushing her hair and how she'd been given soup.

And how he also had terrible parents. Kanao had been screamed at by her parents enough she'd always thought she was the problem. But her master was good and also had parents who did such things. Perhaps that was how parents were? She was unsure as Kotoha seemed affectionate to Inosuke. The woman never yelled at the baby, even with how squirmy he got.

She was unsure. But she liked Douma, and Kotoha and Inosuke. And he seemed to like her and didn't want to eat Kotoha either. She wasn't sure about Inosuke but Douma seemed to find him funny, if his behavior during the Harvest Moon festival was anything to go by.

Good, then maybe Kotoha and Inosuke could stay with Kanao. Like Kotoha had offered, saying she could be Inosuke's big sister. She had other younger siblings but she did not care about that hovel and her birth parents.

She liked Paradise Faith far more and did not want to leave.

"Blood smells far better to me now," Douma said, twisting her hair up into its sideways ponytail. "I suppose you can't really appreciate it. Though you didn't seem too bothered when I ate that man in front of you but you don't seem too bothered by many things do you, little mouse?"

The lotus pin was slid back into her hair, the pale quartz shimmering slightly. Then he reached out to put the jade comb back next to the pot before picking Kanao up, tucking her in the crook of his arm as he got to his feet.

"Alright time to eat! For you anyway, I already ate a fairly big meal yesterday," he smiled toothily down at her. "Maybe I'll have another nibble tonight, see how we go."

Kanao rested her head against her mas- against Douma's chest as he carried her through the temple towards the kitchens. While being carried she realized that he did indeed have a heartbeat, it was just so slow so hadn't noticed it before. His heart only seemed to beat at most seven times per minute, slow and heavy against her ear. Maybe that was because he was a moon spirit, Kanao decided.

The kitchens in Paradise Faith was always in use when they arrived. There were scores of people there, cooking and cutting and baking and slicing and preparing meals. They all stopped to greet Douma when he entered. Much like Kotoha they would call him Douma-sama or Founder. However Kanao knew he wanted her to call him Douma without the rest and she felt pleased at that. Like how he showed her the skull room, how he said she was special and unlike the others with seeing the kanji in his eyes and his long sharp teeth.

Yoko was also there, a familiar face among the sea of strangers working to feed the masses. She was armed with an assortment of frying pans but willingly came over when Douma beckoned to her, him still keeping Kanao in his arms.

"Douma-sama, it's wonderful to see you! And Kanao-chan, how are you today?"

Kanao stared at her for a moment until Douma shrugged his arm slightly and she realized he wanted her to reply. So after a moment she nodded.

The woman smiled at her, "Well I'm glad the Founder is taking care of you. You're so good with her, Douma-sama."

"Kanao is a well behaved child. She's very smart and is already quite thorough with her writing and reading."

"With you personally tutoring her, I can imagine so!"

The two remained in idle chatter and Kanao watched the kitchen around her in interest. She knew there were a few kitchens scattered throughout the commune but the one within the temple was the largest. There was so much food, some partially made and others waiting along the numerous tables and benches. It was interesting to watch how the food was made, Kanao just thought there was either putting things in a fire or eating it raw when it came to food. But it was far more complicated than she thought.

There were also a lot of interesting smells in the kitchen. Kanao wasn't sure which one she liked best.

"-Misaki-chan is off in the rice fields. Honestly, she always complains about that one. I think she just likes singing to the goats since Kaede-san always tells her off when she does it in the field. Says she's distracting the other workers, since she's um a bit tone deaf."

"Well, talents must lie elsewhere. And where is Kotoha?"

Yoko made a face, "I apologize, Kotoha-chan has been a bit...distracted recently, I'm not sure why. I'm sure she'll be fine in a few days. I think she's reliving some things she'd rather not remember."

"Ah, over thinking things again is she? Well, she can always come to me for clarity if she needs to do so. I'm always happy to help any of my flock."

"I'll remind her of that when I see her. Now, do you need anything Douma-sama or are you simply visiting?"

"Some food for little Kanao, I would think. She should start eating more solids now."

"Of course, let me just grab something in mind for her."

The plate Yoko came back with was small and covered in bite sized pieces of egg and a small cluster of daikon with chopsticks.

"Do you want some umaki?" Yoko asked her. "It's eel, wrapped up in an rolled egg omelette. It's quite fluffy and juicy, so it shouldn't upset your stomach. And eel is very good for you! These ones were fished out of the river just this morning, so they're especially fresh."

Kanao inspected the plate carefully, noting the bright yellow of the omelette. When Yoko carefully sliced it into small bite-sized pieces, she could see the dark grey flesh of the eel inside.

"Well if you're hungry, help yourself," Douma said, his voice reverberating through his chest to Kanao's skull.

She reached out and picked up the nearest piece; it was wet and warm against her fingers, like a sponge from a hot bath. She cautiously ate it, feeling the softness of the omelette and the chewiness of the eel. It tasted good.

Kanao was going to reach for more when she realized Yoko and Douma were staring at her and she blinked. Did she do something wrong? Yoko certainly looked uncomfortable, much like how the women had been when she first refused to eat all those days ago.

Then Douma laughed, reaching out to pick up the chopsticks on the plate as he said, "Oh silly me, you've only been eating broth and soups haven't you? And you've been drinking that right from the bowl. Of course you don't know how to use chopsticks. Here, let me-"

She ended up eating the entire plate of umaki, being fed it by Douma. Once done, he showed her how to hold the chopsticks, arranging her fingers and having her try it on the daikon. She dropped most of it but Douma didn't care about the mess.

By the time she was done eating Yoko had also finished the other umaki she had been making, taking out by other members to feed the hungry commune. Douma then invited the woman to wander the temple with them, which she agreed to.

Kanao did not mind. Especially since Yoko chattered a lot, the noise soothing as she walked next to Douma. Her voice was bright and cheerful as they walked through the indoor lotus gardens. Kanao was held against Douma's chest, alternating between listening to Yoko and looking at the gardens. Yoko would also speak to Kanao, asking her questions. She quickly realized that since Kanao had nothing to write on she needed to ask yes or no questions which the young woman happily adapted to. Kanao noticed Yoko was especially pleased with Douma's presence, her face flushed and voice getting especially shrill whenever Douma complimented her.

Kanao also got an introduction to shogi, when they stopped at one of the indoor gardens. They started teaching her before a great Buddha statue, the fountain a soft background noise of bubbling water. She watched it with interest, Douma and Yoko playing against one another while explaining the rules to Kanao.

Occasionally someone else would come into the gardens, always greeting Douma respectfully. One was a man who fed the koi in the lotus pond below the wooden walkways, Kanao seeing the excited cluster of fish swarming beneath the waters. Another was a group of women who tended to the lotus flowers, pruning and trimming the plants. Kanao noticed the majority of Paradise Faith members were women.

Then Kanao was playing shogi against Yoko. She knew most of the characters on the pieces, but Yoko made sure to say the kanji out loud whenever she moved a piece on the board. Douma watched them play, a chin propped up on one hand and with his usual smile.

It was very peaceful, with the noise of the fountain and Yoko's soft voice, the click of the shogi pieces on the board, the sweet smell of the lotus blossoms. Kanao lost the matches but as Yoko said she needed to familiarize herself with the game. Whenever she made a mistake Yoko would gently correct her and Kanao strived to remember the rules for each piece. She also kept her gaze focused upon Yoko, realizing that she could somewhat predict the pieces Yoko would use and if she felt confident with a strategy. Douma seemed to notice her focus on Yoko, his smile growing wider when she started to adapt to Yoko's playing and even anticipating some of her moves though she still didn't win. But she began to draw out the game, as she slowly and steadily grew used to it as the day passed.

"You're so smart, Kanao-chan!" Yoko praised her, a bright grin on her face as the matches grew longer. "You've already understood the rules for shogi! It took me some time but with you just a day! You're such a bright little girl."

"She certainly is." A head pat from Douma followed that comment.

"I'm sure she'll be a shogi master in no time. But goodness me, it's already getting dark. I can't believe we wasted the whole day-"

"I would hardly say wasted," Douma said,. "After all, Kanao and yourself seemed to be having fun."

"Oh, I did. But I didn't mean to take up so much of your time-"

"Nonsense. Spending it with such a lovely young lady is never a waste."

Yoko giggled, her face flushing deeply as she looked away. Her hands were shaky as she began to pack away the shogi pieces while Douma just continued to watch her with a too sharp smile. Kanao waited patiently.

When it was time for supper, Douma invited Yoko along. The woman agreed easily, with some more blushing and wringing of hands. Kanao was unsure of her behaviour, wondering if she was growing ill. Some of her siblings had done that, faces turning red and sweaty like Yoko's was.

The dinner was sukiyaki, the hot pot filled with fresh green onion, tofu, mushroom, noodles, and slices of beef. This time Kanao tried to eat with the chopsticks, Yoko sitting next to her and gently guiding her through it much like with shogi. Kanao watched Yoko intently, at how she picked up the slices of beef with the chopsticks and tried to mimic it. It was harder than she though, her fingers a lot smaller than Yoko's. She also only managed to eat half of her small bowl, before her stomach began to protest. Yoko ate the leftovers, though it was with some flustered glances at Douma who encouraged it.

Kanao had an idea Douma liked seeing Yoko's reactions since he kept doing it. She didn't understand why Yoko was reacting like that so just occupied herself with eating. Once done, she got bundled off to bed with Yoko helping her change before tucking her into the futon.

As always, her lotus pin was left to the side within arms reach. Yoko had brushed her dark hair free and her hands were gentle as she tucked the duvet around Kanao's small form along with a promise to play more shogi with her.

When Yoko left her room, Kanao could see her and Douma's silhouette through the translucent shoji door. Their voices were too low for Kanao to hear what they were saying, but she saw Douma reach out to gently caress Yoko's face and the high noise of the woman's flustered giggles. Some more hushed conversation. Then when Douma offered his hand to her she shyly linked her fingers through his and was led away by him.

Kanao shuffled down further into her duvet, burrowing herself into the soft fabric as she closed her eyes.

That night Kanao was awoken by the distant sound of running footsteps.

She immediately sat up, looking towards the shoji screen. The noise was getting louder and louder, until a panicked looking Kotoha slammed the door open with a sharp bang.

Inosuke was bound to the woman's chest, the baby making confused noises as he flailed his arms. Kotoha hurriedly shushed him, green eyes bright with tears as she darted into Kanao's room.

Confused, Kanao submitted to Kotoha's urging to get out of bed. It was still night, Kanao thought it was far too early for her lessons or for breakfast. But she let Kotoha fuss over her, tugging at her sleeping nemaki as she urged the little girl out of the futon.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for barging in here but we have to leave," Kotoha said, breath coming in short, frightened pants as her nails dug into Kanao's arms. Her long dark hair was spilling over her shoulders, sweat dotting the pale skin of her forehead. "Come on, come on, up you get."

Kanao grabbed her hairpin, from its usual place at her bedside. It was cool in her palm, contrasting her other hand which had been seized tight in Kotoha's clammy, twitching fingers. In his bundle, Inosuke was whimpering with his little hands grabbing at Kotoha's forest-green kimono.

"I keep making mistakes," Kotoha said as she tugged Kanao towards the door, tears rolling down her face as her pretty features contorted. "I'm so stupid, I'm so stupid and blind. I always seem to go to horrible places with horrible people. He was eating her, oh god, he was eating her. Come on, Kanao. We have to get out of here. We have to get out of here now."

Kanao was bewildered as Kotoha half led half dragged her from the room and down the dark hallway. She didn't understand. Did Kotoha not know Douma ate people? She thought everyone did and they did not mind him eating them since he gave them food and baths and nice beds.

She thought about it as Kotoha hurried down the hallway, her nails biting into Kanao's wrist as Inosuke's whimpers increased in volume. Was it a secret? Douma did say Kanao was special, how she could see his eyes and teeth and claws. Maybe he shared his special secret with her as well, that he ate people. Was that why Kotoha was so afraid, that Douma would eat her?

She wanted to speak, but it was like a lock was tightly bound around her throat. Douma wouldn't hurt Kotoha, he had told Kanao he wanted to keep Kotoha by his side until she died of old age. She did not have to fear being eaten by him. That way Kanao could have Kotoha and Inosuke with her as well since she was now a Hashibira.

"We have to get out of the temple and down the mountain," Kotoha said, tears dripping off her chin as she dragged Kanao along, casting a frightened look over her shoulder. "There's a village down by the base of the mountain. We can go there and get help, we can-"

If she got taken to that village, would she be given back to her parents?

Kanao dug in her heels; Douma had ordered her to not escape. He had told her that the very first night he brought her to Paradise Faith, after she'd been bathed and fed. After he had taken her away from the hovel, cleaned her and gave her a soft bed and hot food and baths. She didn't want to leave. Douma hadn't hurt her. He wouldn't hurt Kotoha either.

"Kanao, come on, we have to leave! He'll catch us!" Kotoha's voice grew shrill with increasing hysteria. In her arm, Inosuke began to wail.

She shook her head, loose hair swirling around her. Kanao did not want to leave.

"I know you don't understand," Kotoha yanked desperately on Kanao's wrist, nails digging into her skin as Inosuke cries bouncing down the hallway, "But if we stay here he'll kill us! He isn't human! He was eating Yoko! He was-"

Kanao sat down with a thump, yanking Kotoha forward with the movement. She shook her head, looking up at Kotoha's crying face beseechingly. Kotoha could stay, Douma wouldn't hurt her. He told Kanao that. But he might if she tried to run away. Him eating people was a secret. If Kotoha just stayed and listened to Douma, then she'd learn he didn't want to eat her or Inosuke and they could stay with Kanao.

She tugged at her hand, trying to pull Kotoha back towards her room. They could wait there. Douma would explain so Kotoha could understand.

Inosuke's sobbing wails were loud and piercing, Kotoha trying to drag Kanao up but was unbalanced with the weight of a baby in her arms.

"Kanao, please, we have to go!"

She shook her head again, staring at Kotoha and yanking her arm back.

Kotoha's features twisted up into something agonized as she let go of Kanao's hand, gripping Inosuke tightly in both arms as tears continued to drip down her face.

"I'm sorry."

And then the woman was gone, sprinting down the hallway before disappearing around the corner. Her footfalls and Inosuke's crying slowly faded into nothing.

Kanao blinked, staring down the dark corridor before looking down at her hands. On one of them there were slight red lines were Kotoha's nails had dug into her skin. Her own nails were small, fingers bony, grip tight on the lotus pin.

She didn't understand why Kotoha just left.

When she looked up, she caught a flash of silver gold hair rounding the corner but Kanao blinked and nothing was there. Even the noise of the wind seemed to have abated, as if everything was holding its breath.

After a long minute of just staring at nothing Kanao turned and returned to her room on silent footsteps.

Her arms were small so it took some effort to shut the shoji door. It had nearly jammed when Kotoha had yanked it open so violently but after some struggling she got it moving.

Once it was shut, she went and smoothed down her futon duvet from where it had been haphazardly pushed to the side. The blossoms and vines stitched into the rich fabric quickly regained their shape as she tugged the blanket back into place.

When she was finished, Kanao sat down on the tatami with her hands on her knees and carefully putting her hairpin next to the futon. Outside, she heard the wind begin to stir and followed by the low creaking of tree branches. Occasionally there was the distant hoot of an owl but otherwise Paradise Faith was quiet.

Then, she waited.

For how long, Kanao was unsure. She didn't have a clock in her room or even a candle to watch burn. But she did so without complaint, making no motion to crawl back into her futon. She had nearly violated a direct order from Douma and even if he wasn't her master now she didn't want to upset him. She liked Paradise Faith.

In the dark, the Buddha statue in her room was cast in heavy wedges of black and grey but despite the late hour she could still see the details, the cleverly carved patterns and solemn features, the hands laid upon a robed lap. The flowers in the vases were still smelling sweet, a scent well used to Kanao.

Kanao still didn't understand why Kotoha had left. She should have written down something, so Kotoha would know Douma did not want to eat her. Like how he didn't eat Kanao even if he sometimes looked very hungry.

However she could not utter a word when she was being dragged down the hallway. Now Kotoha would be in trouble for running away when Douma said not to escape.

Kanao did not know the skull room was a secret but now she knew and was glad she had not said anything. But still, Kotoha had wanted to be her mother.

Her fingers tightened in the fabric on her knees as she continued to wait. She sat there until her legs ached but she did not move.

Even when she heard the soft birdsong beyond, as dawn began to approach she did not move.

Then she blinked and Douma's silhouette suddenly was outside her room, visible through the thin material of the door. Indistinct and dark except for the eerie rainbow glow of his eyes.

After a moment of watching her beyond the door Douma slid it open.

Inosuke was in Douma's arms, the blanket the baby was swaddled in stained with red. The baby was making soft wheezing noises, eyes swollen and bloodshot but seemingly too exhausted to wail. And, when Douma stooped down to carefully place the baby in her arms, Kanao felt how cold his skin was as if he'd been lying outside in the night air for some time.

Kanao took Inosuke and tucked his face into the crook of her neck. His nose was icy cold and his little body shivering against her.

Douma sat down next to her, pulling her into his lap with one arm. She shifted her grip on Inosuke, the baby's face still damp with tears against her skin. When she was settled she tugged Inosuke's blanket more firmly around him while Douma smoothed down her hair. His nails lightly scratched her scalp and one of the ribbons from his headdress brushed against her cheek.

She could smell the blood on his breath and knew Kotoha had been punished for running away.

Kanao thought of the woman's arms around her, the gentle kisses against her skin and offers to be a mother. Her grip around Inosuke tightened, the baby so quickly falling asleep against her. His snores were hiccuping, strained.

"Perhaps Kotoha would've been a good mother for you," Douma suddenly said, a solemn look on his face before he let out a sigh that ruffled Kanao's fringe as he continued to run his hand through her hair, "But I guess we'll never know since she's dead. Oh well, I knew she was dumb. She wasn't smart, not like you, little mouse. Just screaming blaspheme after blaspheme before running off when she saw me eating Yoko. She didn't understand. Such a weak, stupid girl but she tried so hard to run away."

His talons were gentle against her skin, running through the length of her hair in repetitious movements. When the claws passed her face, she could see the red stains around the nail bed.

"She was going to throw little Inosuke off the cliff before I caught her. Did she really think tossing a baby into a river would help? How sad, that Inosuke's own mother tried to kill him in her final moments," Douma's multicoloured eyes filled with tears, spilling over to drip off his chin. One landed on Kanao's hand from where she was supporting Inosuke's back and it was cold, like water from a deep well.

Kanao thought Kotoha loved Inosuke. She sang to him, her pinky promise song and carried him with her everywhere. But then she tried to hurt him. She tried to take him away. And now she was dead and Inosuke was cold and shivering in Kanao's arms while Douma stroked her hair.

"Poor Kotoha, she was as stupid and emotional as my parents," Douma said, resting his chin against Kanao's temple. "And now she's dead and Inosuke has no one. How terrible."

Kanao's hands tightened slightly into Inosuke's blanket, ignoring the red stains. Inosuke's shivering began to cease as he warmed against her, his hitching breaths smoothing out.

"Such a shame. I didn't want to eat her but she left me no choice. She was so hopeless that even if I let her go she would've just died in a ditch somewhere. So unfortunate, was there ever a happy moment in her life? But now she'll never suffer again."

Kanao's hand gently stroked Inosuke's hair, just like Douma's was doing to Kanao's own dark locks. She looked up at him, his chin digging into her temple. He was already staring at her, eyes bright and teeth sharp. There were red stains on his lips and the pointed tips of his fangs.

Douma watched her for a long moment, rainbow eyes with their soft glow and the kanji within strips of opaque black. Then he smiled, wide enough it creased the corner of his eyes. He titled his head slightly, giving her a soft kiss on the temple that left behind a faint crimson smear.

"But isn't it lucky Inosuke now has a big sister to look after him? And such a smart one at that."

Kanao stared up at him before nodding once, her arms tight around Inosuke as she hugged the baby close. She would protect him. She would be his family now.

Chapter 9: Pinky Promise

Chapter Text

Inosuke wouldn't stop crying.

Kanao didn't overly mind, as a crying baby meant a healthy, alive baby. She did, however, worry due to the fact Inosuke had not cried in her presence before. Instead he would sob and wail for hours at a time when he woke up the following day after Kotoha tried to run away, until he would pass out from exhaustion. His face would get so blotchy and red, and when he wasn't crying he would make these choked wheezing noises like he was dying.

Misaki said it was because he missed Kotoha. She would be the one who usually had Inosuke, ever since Kotoha had been punished for running away and Yoko had been eaten. Kanao still disliked how Kotoha had left but also knew it was partially her fault for not telling Kotoha Douma wouldn't have harmed her. If she'd just been able to say that, or write something, then Kotoha would have know Douma liked her and then she could have stayed with her and Insouke.

She also didn't like how she wasn't allowed Inosuke. Douma kept finding and giving him to her whenever he saw her on her own but she had very limited knowledge on how to make a baby stop crying so someone would always step in when they spotted her wandering around with him. It was usually Misaki, as she said she'd grown up in an orphanage and had helped the mistress with the babies which would occasionally be left on their doorsteps, but even she had limited success in having Inosuke calm down.

It was a few days later she also learned how the others at Paradise Faith thought about Kotoha's disappearance. Kanao had overheard a discussion between Misaki and another group of women when they'd been tending to one of the lotus gardens, where Kanao had been practicing shoji against herself with the little ivory board Douma had given her. She'd been half hidden behind a thick cluster of bamboo by a Buddha statue so the women had been unaware of her presence when they began talking.

"It's just so awful, what Kotoha did. I really thought she was healing here," one of the women said in low tones, nearly inaudible over the bubbling of the fountain.

Another spoke, voice equally hushed, "I think it was much like how Jin-san was. Remember how he was fine until he had that relapse? Years of being happy here, then one bad night and his poor wife finds him."

"I just don't understand why she tried to take Inosuke when she jumped off that cliff. If the Founder hadn't caught him..."

"Perhaps she thought she'd be sparing him any suffering in the future? Or that they would be together forever in the afterlife."

"Paradise doesn't come to those who accelerate it, only Douma-sama knows when its our time."

"Perhaps. But that poor baby, he just hasn't stopped crying. He's barely eating. No one can calm him down. It's like he knows his mother is never coming back."

Kanao thought that over as she finished her shoji game, putting away the pieces and board in the little drawstring bag. Inosuke was crying a lot and she supposed he was too young to understand what had happened. Maybe that was why Douma kept giving her Inosuke, since as his big sister it was now her responsibility to teach him properly since Kotoha didn't understand either. He was her otouto now and she would have to take care of him. Then Douma wouldn't have to eat him, especially since Kanao was special and knew about the room with skulls and how he ate people which she now knew was a secret.

She did not care that he ate people, since he did not try to hit her or yelled at her. If Kotoha hadn't of run away then he wouldn't have hurt her either. Perhaps what Douma said about people being stupid and emotional was correct. Kotoha had been so afraid she had not stopped to think properly and now she was dead and Inosuke was crying all the time. Kanao remembered when she felt so much but now she was calm and she could spend a lot of time thinking, especially since she didn't have to worry about anyone hitting her. All the pain and fear and confusion, she had been glad it had spilled away like water down a drain.

But she knew Inosuke still felt a lot, a very large amount at that with how persistent he was with his crying. As his older sister she now had to take care of him and his cries seemed less piercing when he was with her.

It was also why she decided not to go along with Douma's suggestion, when she had a sobbing Inosuke in her lap as she fed the koi fish in one of the indoor lotus gardens one day.

Douma didn't seem to really care about the constant crying, just remarking how Inosuke had very strong lungs before saying casually, "Well, I guess if he's really annoying you then you can shake him until he stops it. Though it does rattle their brains a fair bit but it makes them a lot quieter. Babies have such soft skulls, you can splatter them open like an overripe peach from just throwing them at a wall. Then again, I'm strong enough I can do the same to an adult just as easily!" he finished with a laugh.

Kanao didn't want Inosuke's brain rattled, so she decided to not shake him regardless of how loud he was. The noise meant he was alive and had strength, even if he was unhappy. Though at least she could see no real hints of anger or irritation from Douma when he said that, his body language as neutral as ever. Still, she decided to try harder at having Inosuke calm down. She did not know if moon spirits had better hearing so perhaps Inosuke's prolonged crying could eventually bother Douma but she did not wish to upset him and she didn't like Inosuke's continued upset either.

She brooded over that in her room, each time before she went to sleep. Inosuke got taken away from her each night, with the first night Kotoha ran away and Douma brought Inosuke back she had been allowed to keep him. But now Misaki or one of the other women would take the baby which displeased her but she used that time to think about how she could comfort Inosuke properly.

Kanao hadn't interacted with her younger siblings, instead she'd just sit and do not much of anything. To do otherwise would be to incite violence. It was mostly due to malnourishment that her baby siblings never really cried. She kept thinking over how Kotoha soothed Inosuke.

She thought over ways she could help soothe Inosuke, thinking it over as she sat in her room or lay in her futon or stared at the wall. She did notice there was a strange glass doll sitting cross-legged on the head of the Buddha statue in her room ever since Kotoha left but she guessed it was just more decoration. Like the small floor lantern that had been added, since she couldn't reach those on the walls, and a shelf filled with paper and sticks of charcoal for her to draw and write on. Another had books in it, simple but for her to practice reading in her spare time.

Then Kanao had an idea. It was strange but she had to help Inosuke. Soothe him as big sisters had to. Douma was unable to, even if occasionally he got Inosuke to quiet down by showing him his long teeth, and Kanao wasn't going to do his suggestion of shaking Inosuke. She didn't want him hurt.

Sometimes a few of the other women could calm down Inosuke, but that was usually only when they were feeding him or he was so exhausted or asleep.

She did not mind Misaki much, since the woman had been kind to her and was the most familiar now that Kotoha and Yoko were dead. But some of the other women did not think much of Kanao, even if it was a very small number, one older one even calling her creepy when Kanao had been staring at her cutting up the flowers. Kanao didn't care about that but she did not think that woman should be allowed around Inosuke if she was going to say mean things to Kanao, since she didn't know if the woman wouldn't start saying those things to Inosuke as well. The old lady who called her creepy was one in charge of the schooling for the other children at Paradise Faith so they only crossed paths once but Kanao did not like her much.

During the day Kanao tried to help Inosuke. He would quieten somewhat, when she'd be able to hold him before he would start crying again. Then one of the women would take him from her, which left her displeased. Inosuke also didn't like it and Kanao wanted to tell them to leave him alone with her. She didn't think it liked it when the others held him.

Or maybe he missed the blanket Kotoha had wrapped him in. The morning after Kotoha died and Inosuke had been taken, when he returned the green bloody blanket was gone. Instead he had new ones, usually embroidered with lotus blossoms. Kanao wondered if she could ask someone to make him a different blanket. But now she remembered how Kotoha would soothe Inosuke when he got squirmy so she decided to try it herself. As a big sister it was her responsibility and Douma said she needed to take care of him.

However she needed Inosuke with her. Since it was now dark outside she knew Douma would be awake and aware so she took one of the pieces of paper and wrote down her request with a stick of charcoal before going to find him. She just walked around, quiet enough she startled several people also into the hallways. Her note didn't say anything about Douma and staring at the people didn't let them know what she wanted so she would just move on and ignore them when they asked if she needed help. She even went to check on the secret skull room.

He found her there, though it was more of him appearing directly behind her and her running into his leg when she shut the door to the skull room and turned around. It was like slamming face first into a marble pillar and she nearly fell over if it wasn't for his clawed hand steadying her shoulder as he crouched down before her.

"Now, what's a little mouse sneaking around in the dark at such a late hour?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he watched her closely.

This close she could see how the glittering rainbow hues of his eyes blended seamlessly into each other, the odd lines within the iris as if there were many threads all stitched inwards to where his pupils should be. Instead there was the kanji, pitch black and opaque, and Kanao wondered how it had been written upon his eyes. A pen, a knife, born? His long eyelashes were black just like the kanji in his eyes and black just like his thick brows, both in contrast to his silvery gold hair which looked golden in the soft hues of the lanterns upon the wall.

"Do you want something or did you just want to stare at me?"

She handed him the note, not breaking their stare. He blinked, briefly obscuring his colourful eyes before opening the note and reading it. His claws were longer than her fingers.

"Ah, you want to keep Inosuke with you at night? Well I don't see why not," Douma smiled at her, teeth sharp. "I think Hama has him right now, how about we go fetch him for you?"

She took Douma's offered hand, trotting at his side as he led her through the hallways. It was dark outside the temple, a few tendrils of orange still weaving through the sky as Douma led her to one of the houses along the stone path, dozens of wind chimes dangling from the rafters. There were childish drawings also hung up, more along the walls of the engawa. A small plaque was beside the door, stating the place as an orphanage. Maybe Misaki was in there.

They stopped outside the shut shoji, Douma easily tugging her up onto the veranda that he lifted her right off her feet.

A few knocks later and an old woman opened the door, her grey hair tied back and back bent with age. Behind her, Kanao saw a man sweeping a hallway and soft, childish voices further within the house.

Kanao disliked the woman immediately; it was the old lady who called her creepy once, when she thought Kanao couldn't hear her. She did not want Inosuke with her. Her grip tightened slightly around Douma's hand.

The woman's weathered face immediately creased into a hundred wrinkles as she realized who'd knocked on the door, smiling brightly as she bowed while saying, "Ah Douma-sama! It is always a blessing to be in your presence. And I see you have the little girl with her. Is she going to be one of my new students? As I said before, there is no need to lower yourself with teaching her personally or housing her in the temple. I am sure you have more important things to do. She will do fine here-"

"No, I'm not here for that. I quite enjoy Kanao's lessons and she seems happy in the temple," Douma said. "She's a special girl, so wise for her years."

"I see. Well, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, there is. Hama, would you fetch Inosuke for little Kanao? She wants to take care of him tonight."

The woman's lined face creased, "Ah...Is that wise, Douma-sama? She is barely more than a baby herself."

"Kanao is quite confident. She's his new big sister, after all."

"I...Are you sure, Douma-sama? She um. She seems to have come from a difficult home life. Would it be safe to leave a baby alone with her? She could..." the woman trailed off.

Kanao felt increasingly annoyed with the woman. She was disobeying Douma, who was in charge of Paradise Faith even if he was not their master he still was in charge of it. And she did not like the woman's insinuation she would hurt Inosuke. She already decided not to.

Douma was facing away from her, so Kanao couldn't see what his expression was as he stared at Hama but she could see how the old woman's entire body tensed, curving in on itself before her gaze subserviently darted down to the floor.

There was beads of sweat on the old woman's hands and brow as she quietly muttered, "Forgive me, Gracious Founder. I meant no offense."

"See that you do," Douma's voice remained sweet and calm. "Now, Inosuke."

The woman did not argue, instead quickly turning and hurrying inside the house.

"Ah, it's annoying when they don't listen," Douma mused as he turned to give Kanao a brief smile.

She nodded. Kotoha didn't listen and now she and Inosuke didn't have a mother. But that's alright, since she listened and she could teach Inosuke to listen.

Soon Hama returned with Inosuke, who was wrapped up in a blanket embroidered with soaring cranes. He was whimpering, little face scrunched up but not in tears. Though Kanao could tell from his breathing that he'd been crying earlier. Douma let go of her hand so she could reach out for him and Hama, after a brief pause, knelt down to hand Inosuke over to her. Kanao made sure to tuck him in her elbow like Kotoha had shown her, the baby's bloodshot green eyes blinking at her as he sniffled.

"See? Now that wasn't so hard," Douma smiled at Hama even if the old woman refused to meet his eyes.

Kanao let Douma led her back to the temple, making sure Inosuke was held tight. His sniffles increased in volume, and he'd managed to squirm his arms out of the blanket. Kanao let him tug at her loose hair, little fingers scratching at her chin.

"Babies can die from loneliness," Douma said as they walked up the stone stairs, "Isn't that strange? Even if they're kept fed and changed, all other needs met, if they're not held enough they can get sick and die. Humans are such pathetic creatures."

Kanao wasn't sure about that but she certainly hadn't liked her parents so maybe Douma was right. At least he thought she was special, maybe if she was a good enough sister the same would apply to Inosuke. As it was Douma just led her back to room and shooed her inside with Inosuke.

"Sweet dreams you two," was all he said to her with a bright smile before sliding the door shut.

It took some arranging but she managed to drag the futon up against the wall with the duvet piled so she could settle down with her back against it and Inosuke in her lap. By then he was snuffling in earnest, not fully bawling but with tears welling in his eyes and slipping over his chubby cheeks. He sounded so sad and Kanao could tell from the way he kept squirming in the blanket, looking around the room, he was trying to find Kotoha.

She didn't really understand, as she had been grateful to be taken away from her parents. Maybe if someone tried to take her away from Douma? He didn't cuddle her like Kotoha did with Inosuke but he would pat her head and sometimes carry her around and was nice to her. But she liked him and didn't want to leave since he protected her and didn't hit her.

But that was to wait for her think about later, as now she had to take care of Inosuke. She didn't like him being so upset all the time. It had taken her nearly a week to think of something to try and cheer him up.

Even when he was crying she liked cuddling Inosuke. He was heavy and warm and she felt better holding him. She thought he also thought that about her, as while he was hiccuping he didn't burst into wails. But he was unhappy so she decided to put her plan in action.

Kanao coughed. It was a raw noise, like her throat was thick with dust. She nearly retched as she coughed again, as she began to rock him back and forth in her arms. Inosuke sniffled, bright green eyes overflowing with tears that curved over his chubby cheeks and soaked in his blanket.

"Pin...Pinky..." her voice was rough, barely more than a coarse whisper. She could not even remember the last time she spoke, it had been screams and sobs until that snap in her mind.

She had to, though, for her little brother.

The verses she'd written down so carefully, going through her readings in her tutoring and in the scant books in her room as she slowly began to read on her own.

She coughed again before saying in a whisper thin, hoarse voice, "Pinky promise...Pinky promise. Th- the snow falls densely....The hail falls dar- densely, densely. It's falling and falling....Collecting more and more. Pinky promise, pinky promise, the mountains and th- the fields are wearing their cotton hats. Cotton- cotton hats, and every, every tree flowers bloom. Pinky promise..."

Kanao continued to sing the same verse over and over, until her throat felt like sandpaper. Her singing was reedy and wheezing but Inosuke had fallen silent, staring up at her as she repeated the song.

When Misaki came the following morning to take her to breakfast, she found Kanao curled around Inosuke in the middle of a heaped up blanket. Both sound asleep, Kanao with her long dark hair strewn around her like seaweed and Inosuke tucked against her chest, chubby little fingers clenched tight around her pinky finger.

Chapter 10: Bubbles

Chapter Text

The bubble was translucent and shimmered with a delicate prism of colours.

Inosuke stared, eyes so wide and big the bubble was easily seen within the reflection of his pupils. His mouth was agape, chubby hands twitching as he sat in the pile of blankets and watched the bubble draw closer and closer.

Then it landed on his nose and burst and he jolted so much he fell over.

Kanao dipped the wand into the small pail of soapy liquid before waving it in the air. Another bubble appeared, long and wavering before splitting into two.

This time Inosuke lunged for them, little hands trying to swipe the bubbles out of the air as soon as they came close. Giggles shook his body, seemingly caught between laughing and trying to catch the bubbles. Kanao flicked the wand through the air, deliberately weaving it back and forth to create a burst of rippling bubbles.

One, two, three- Kanao watched as Inosuke managed to pop nearly all of them. A few had drifted over the edge of the wooden walkway to merge with the lotus-filled water below.

"Such a fine little hunter," Douma said.

He'd appeared next to Kanao, on the other side of the bucket. Sitting with his elbows on his knees and a calm smile upon his face. She had not even seen nor heard him.

She was rather used to his abrupt appearances. Inosuke just crawled over to the walkway edge, hands grasping for the few bubbles that had escaped him.

Kanao used her spare hand to drag Inosuke away from the edge, pulling him back over the blankets. He flailed, rolling on his back and swiping at her hand.

In response she blew out another ripple of bubbles right above him, which immediately ensnared his attention as he pawed at them like a kitten.

Douma reached out and touched the nearest bubble with a claw tip and Kanao watched intently as tiny snowflakes spread rapidly over the sphere. The ice crystals filled the entire bubble before it burst, snowflakes fluttering down to the ground.

Inosuke giggled, little face scrunching as some of the snowflakes settled on face. They quickly melted into water, leaving shiny tracks over his chubby features.

Kanao watched as Douma did the same to another bubble as it floated past. Making it ripple with snowflakes until it burst in a white flurry. She had seen snow but had not seen someone make it before. She thought it had fallen from the sky.

Then again Douma was a moon spirit. The night was cold so maybe that was why he could make snow. She wondered about the other moon spirits. Douma mentioned there were others like himself, another six who were stupid and weak and then there was one he did not name.

The moon had different phases, perhaps that was how they were sorted and how their magic worked. Kanao was unsure.

She dipped the wand in the soapy water and blew out bubbles, doing it several times in rapid succession so a thick cloud of bubbles were floating in the air.

Douma waved his golden fan at the herd of bubbles, driving them back towards Inosuke who immediately tried grabbing as many as he could. It was a very valiant effort, Kanao noted. For a baby he was quite fast even if it was more enthusiasm than skill.

Snapping his fan shut, Douma tapped a talon on the side of the small pail. It was covered in colourful childish drawings of animals, giving to her by Misaki. She wanted to try painting them later.

"They're the animals of the zodiac," Douma explained, flicking each picture with a nail while naming them, "Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. Taken from the Chinese zodiac in the fourth century, only difference is they have pig while we have boar. There's quite a few living on this mountain. The Japanese boar is actually called inoshishi. Hmm, almost like your little brother?"

They both looked at Inosuke, who was crawling about and lunging at the bubbles like a determined puppy. His face was scrunched up in an expression of intense concentration, eyes unblinking as he chased the bubbles with great focus.

"We also use the solar calendar instead of lunar as the Chinese. Though Japan only stopped using the lunar calendar last century, same as stopping using the zodiacs as measurements for twelve sections of the day. Honestly, it's annoying how they change things," Douma continued, tapping his shut fan against his lower lip. "Then again humans die so quickly so maybe they do these things just to entertain themselves."

Kanao did not know that. She knew what a calendar was but did not know other places used different ones.

"But anyway, the most fortuitous symbols in the zodiac are the dragon and tiger," Douma said, listing them off his fingers. "Heaven and earth, yin and yang, sun and moon. Unlike the rest I've never seen a dragon nor has anyone else I know, even the ones ten times my age. Kokushibo said I was being childish when I asked him so I'm taking that as a no. Same with That Man. I hardly think wondering if dragons are real is such a ridiculous notion, since demons do exist. But alas dear Kanao, dragons are just a myth like the gods. Funny, how the one monster many dismiss as stories are the ones which actually live while the other more popular ones are just legends."

She wondered if Kokushibo was another moon spirit. She could not seen any of the Paradise Faith members calling Douma a child. Kanao blew out another flock of bubbles. This time when Douma waved his fan the air grew chilly and several of the bubbles burst into a flurry of snowflakes. Inosuke managed to eat some of them before falling over in a wiggly giggly heap.

"I think we have all the other zodiacs here in the compound except tigers. Javan, I think, but they're getting more and more rare each year. Won't be too long before they're extinct, like the Honshū wolf which died out just a decade ago. Interesting, isn't it? Humans doing all this but the moment we demons eat some of them they lose their minds."

Kanao understood, even as she blew out more bubbles for Inosuke. No one cared when her parents beat her, starved her. When they killed her siblings, when they sold her. And Kotoha's husband had beat her as well. She wasn't sure why the woman disliked the fact Douma ate people so much. Animals ate each other all the time. She ate a rat alive once.

But it didn't really matter. Kotoha was dead and Kanao was looking after Inosuke now. She could teach him properly. He was already a lot happier a few months after Kotoha's death now that Kanao was singing to him each night, especially since Douma allowed her to keep him in her room. Her voice was less raspy but it was still stuttery and halting but Inosuke didn't mind. He'd always be asleep now by the time she finished.

She even sang a few of the songs and poems Douma gave her, even if his were more focused lotus blossoms, folklore or bloodshed. She even told Inosuke the story about the moon rabbit.

Though she was unable to speak to others yet. She tried once with Douma but just made a horrible croaking noise that made him look at her funny before asking if she was alright.

Inosuke meanwhile had managed to catch most of the bubbles before they popped or drifted over the edge of the walkway. The bubbles had been Misaki's idea, as Kanao had written her a message asking if she knew what children liked. The woman's face had gotten all funny when she read it and she'd given Kanao a hug but she'd gone to fetch the pail and a bar of soap along with the bubble wand. There could also be pipes used but Misaki said the wands were easier.

Another set of bubbles and again Douma made some of them burst into snow. One even froze to the point it looked like a glass bauble as it dropped to the wooden walkway with a solid thunk, shiny and pale blue and so cold it was misting. Inosuke swatted at it while trying to grab the snowflakes, knocking it off into the water below.

Kanao found it far easier to think or to act if she listened to Douma's advice; he'd suggested she keep doing things to make Inosuke happy, telling her to think upon the actions and see if they benefited himself or Inosuke and if they did then Kanao should do them. She would focus on that always, as it had been instrumental in her consistently calming Inosuke down as she'd been acting as his sister as Douma instructed.

A part of her also thought that it could be why she kept wanting to ask Douma if he was now her Otousan, since she knew now he didn't treat the other children in the compound like her and she knew of the secrets like the skulls and his eating but she still felt unsure. Since Paradise Faith belonged to him she had no right to demand or ask anything even if Douma didn't mind and would just give her things whenever he felt like it. Even him sitting with her, watching Inosuke trying to grab bubbles wasn't something he really did with the others. Maybe because they didn't know the secrets. Douma had said she was special, after all. Maybe she could make sure Inosuke was also special so she could keep him forever since Kotoha acted stupid and got eaten.

She'd been distracted by her thoughts enough it was Inosuke crawling into her lap that snapped back her attention. Lacking bubbles, he decided clambering up onto his sister was entertaining enough as he immediately flailed for her hairpin. She grabbed him, dropping the wand but with the abrupt weight of a giggling toddler caused her to lurch to the side and one of Inosuke's flailing arms hit the small pail. It flipped, splashing soapy water over her violet kimono and making the pail fly up and collide with her temple hard enough to slice open a gash which immediately began to leak red.

Kanao ignored that, gripping Inosuke tight as she rearranged her grasp so he was on her lap. He grumbled and squirmed in protest, trying to grab the pail from where it had rolled away. The edge above the horse had a smear of red.

"Ara ara, what a shame. Babies are so messy aren't they?" Douma's voice was its usual calm sweet self, even if some of the soapy water had splashed against his pants.

He reached out and swiped the pad of his thumb over the bleeding wound on Kanao's forehead. The strange chilly sensation seeped through the ragged flesh and then the pain vanished as he healed the injury. Kanao waited until he drew his hand away before she grabbed the discarded wand and blew out the last of the soapy water which immediately made Inosuke start giggling again.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Douma suck the blood off his thumb before muttering something under his breath. Inosuke managed to grab the two bubbles, making their shimmering surfaces pop into nothing.

Douma then clapped his hands together, immediately gaining both of their attention. "Seems you're quite soaked Kanao, we should go get you some new clothes. And it should be around Inosuke's afternoon lunch time, shouldn't it? You're rather diligent about his feeding times, little mouse. Hm, maybe you could even give him some pork?"

Kanao nodded, quickly placing Inosuke on the blanket and bounding him into it. Speed was of the essence in corralling him she'd found, the baby ever eager to squirm out. Once done she lifted him up into her arms; he grew bigger each week. Soon she would no longer be able to hold him. The thought made her stomach twist as if she were hungry.

Douma also stood, towering over them both before he bent down to poke Inosuke on the nose. Immediately the baby grabbed his wrist and started biting at the offending finger. His little teeth didn't even leave a mark on Douma's pale skin. Then he let out an amused snort, tugging his finger free of Inosuke's maw before picking Kanao up. She kept Inosuke cuddled against her with one arm wrapped around him and the other patting his dark hair.

He smiled at them, all long fangs and glittering rainbow eyes, "You'll need sharper teeth in the future if you want to bite off my finger. Or a very sharp sword."

Kanao just hummed, letting Inosuke gnaw at the damp sleeve of her kimono as Douma carried them out of the room. She didn't want cut off Douma's fingers. Inosuke might want fangs though, since he liked biting people.

Chapter 11: Hide and Seek

Chapter Text

A small figure ran across the lotus gardens, leaping from the side of a wooden bridge to jump across the massive lily pads like a frog. One, two, three, four, five- then a leap and up onto a grass path, skidding between a group of startled women who struggled not to drop their baskets due to the child darting through them on all fours like a little beast.

Sandals thudded along the bamboo fence, a rhythmic drumming as Kanao moved swiftly in pursuit. She leapt from the fence to land upon the top of the bridge railings, balance as nimble as a cat, before launching herself forward onto the stone stairs leading down from the main commune to the farming area. She followed the four legged form as it ran halfway down the stone stairs and darted off to the left. The sweet smell of flowers grew richer, the air cool and calm.

Spring was heavy and thick within Paradise Faith, the plum tree orchard vibrant with fluffy pink and purple blossoms. Other trees across the mountain were just as blooming, getting ready for the upcoming summer but it was the orchard she was after. She knew her little brother well enough to where he'd go and she followed, jumping over the small fence to the long rows of plum trees. Simple dirt paths ran down each row, with the occasional bucket and wagon waiting for the harvest season.

Kanao landed near silently on the entry path, eyes darting around the wide trunks of the plum trees. The thick blossoms, both clinging to the branches and coating the ground, may make it difficult to see anyone yet it also gave Kanao a trail to follow. Her sharp eyes noticed the disturbance in the blanket of petals upon the path, where little hands and feet had been.

She followed, hopping in the small gaps in the petals as she continued her pursuit. Occasionally she heard a bird flutter about the trees and the ever present drone of the bees clambering over the blossoms or even voices from people walking up the stone path next to the plum tree orchard. Kanao ignored it, eyes scanning the ground as she crept down the path. A few blossoms fell from the fluffy canopy overhead, landing onto her dark hair which was drawn up in its ever present sideways ponytail and cinched with the sparkly lotus pin.

Kanao kept along with the trail in the disturbed blossoms until it vanished and her gaze darted up to the nearest tree trunk, noting the slight marks in the bark where little nails had dug into it. She paused, eyes studying the tree branches above her intently. They were thick, covered in such fluffy blossoms it was hard for her vision to pierce through. But the birds let her know where her prey was, a flutter of wings as a little flock of sparrows took off several trees down and Kanao lunged forward.

She heard a hiss from above and then scurrying limbs, Kanao following the dark shape leaping from branch to branch with the agile ease of a squirrel as she waited for the perfect time to strike.

A smaller branch, bending dangerously under the weight that latched onto it and she lunged, grabbing a skinny ankle and yanking Inosuke out of the tree branches as he shrieked in protest. They both landed with a thump on the grass and petals, Inosuke bouncing into Kanao's lap as she caught him securely.

"Caught you," Kanao said tonelessly.

Inosuke puffed out his chubby cheeks, squirming in her arms and flailing, "'Cause I tripped up on that dumb wagon! You wouldn't have gotten me. Some dummy put it there. It's their fault!"

"Twenty three out of forty five," she continued, ruffling Inosuke's dark hair. It reached his shoulders in wild choppy strands, the tips a bright blue. His big green eyes were narrowed at her, indigent at his loss.

She let him go and Inosuke immediately leapt to his feet, little chest puffed out. His skin was streaked in mud and dust. His hakama pants were stained in dirt and had several partially crushed blossoms sticking to the dark blue fabric.

"It's not night yet! I can win!" he said, stomping a bare foot and face scrunched up in righteous anger.

Much to the despair of Misaki and the other older women Inosuke just hated shirts with a passion and ripped them off the moment he had the opportunity. On festivals he could be wheedled into wearing them but they had to be of the most lavish silk to avoid upsetting his sensitive skin. Otherwise he just ran around in only pants; even shoes he disliked. It didn't matter how often he got told off or how cold the winter grew, he'd just make faces or blow raspberries at the one complaining.

Kanao and Douma didn't care over Inosuke's habit, which he'd always use as an excuse whenever someone complained about it. Usually the 'stinky musty oldies' as the six year old would say which just made Douma laugh when Kenji-san tried getting Otousan involved one time after he broke a vase that had been made during the Asuka era. As it was, Inosuke would only ever listen to Kanao or Douma when it came to scoldings and even then it hardly ever happened. Douma was never bothered by anything and Kanao did not mind Inosuke's behaviour either. He was always so excited and energized and it let her know he was healthy and happy which as his big sister she wanted him to be, always.

"Oneechan, how about hide and seek then? For the last game!" Inosuke perked up, sitting on his haunches like a little beast as his eyes lit up.

"We are not allowed to hide inside the ponds anymore."

Though that was mainly because Misaki saw Kanao under the water while passing with laundry one day and panicked, leaping in to drag Kanao out. She was perfectly fine if not wet, practicing with the reed breathing technique she'd read in a book, but seeing Misaki in tears thinking she'd drowned made Kanao add that rule to their games. Otousan just found the whole thing hilarious when Inosuke told him.

"That's okay! I got a really good hiding spot now, bet'cha can't find me 'til Dad's done with his dumb audiences!" Inosuke crowed, bouncing in place. "Then if I win you have ta make me tempura, we pinky promised!"

Kanao nodded. It was a custom between them now, to link their pinkies together whenever making bets. She had rapidly found using games the easiest way to get Inosuke to behave, since he had so much energy otherwise. She also stressed how such promises can never be broken and it was what they used whenever speaking about Otousan's secrets. Inosuke only knew about the skull room and had a vague idea of what happened to those taken to Paradise but Kanao made him swear not to say anything outside the three of them. Inosuke took his vows seriously, just like Kanao. It was important to keep promises.

Though games were the most the two bet against each other. Tag was the current favourite for Inosuke and Kanao found it testing her sight, tracking down the disturbances Inosuke's running would cause like an eagle tracking a rabbit.

They did occasionally play tag with Otousan but he always won. Picking them right up before they even realized he'd appeared. They promised that one day they'd win against him and Douma said he would get them a pet tiger when that happened much to Inosuke's excitement.

"Hide and seek," Kanao agreed. "Very well. I will count to one minute and then I shall hunt you. If I find you within ten minutes then you will clean the room. If you win I will make the tempura."

"Yeah!"

Obediently Kanao sat down, covering her eyes with her hands. She heard Inosuke's excited hollering before he took off, footfalls slowly fading.

As she counted down the seconds she heard the wind tugging at the plum trees, a soft rustling of branches punctuated with bird calls. Her ponytail swayed, the pearls within her pin briefly rubbing against the skin of her neck as the wind tugged at it.

She was content with her life, content with playing with her otouto, content with Paradise Faith and content with her father. It had taken her a full year after becoming Inosuke's big sister to finally ask Douma the question if he was her otousan. She had thought upon it deeply, over and over while taking care of Inosuke, remembering Douma's suggestion to her making decisions when she got too confused. To think to the benefit of Inosuke and Douma and she came to the conclusion that Douma being their father would be the best for them all.

He had stared at her unblinkingly for a minute straight after she asked and she never once looked away, even as her eyes blurred and burned, before he finally said that if she wished to call him that then she could. She did so and then told Inosuke Douma was their otousan now. Her little brother didn't hesitate to adapt to the new name, especially as he started to grow and talk. And talk and talk and talk, Kanao did not know how her brother had the energy to talk so much. Same with Otousan who liked chattering just as much. She found it exhausting to do it so much on a daily basis, even with her family. She could do full sentences now but then quickly grew tired and would fall silent. Whenever the three had dinner together- though Douma would only ever drink sake when he showed up -his and Inosuke's voices were soothing for her to listen to, eating quietly while the two talked.

Inosuke still almost always slept in her room with her, much like he'd done as a baby as she looked after him, even if he'd been given his own rooms just down from her own. She found it helped with her own sleeping and whenever Inosuke was especially restless she'd sing to him until he drifted off.

Time was up.

She stood, brushing the dirt off her violet jinbei before spinning in place to start jogging from the orchard. Her sandals crunched over the dirt before she jumped over the fence and beginning her search for Inosuke. She dismissed the fields down the mountain side and instead made her way back up towards Otousan's temple. She knew Inosuke's favourite hiding spots- the one that took her to find the longest was when he was inside the roof of the orphanage and the only reason he even got found was because Hama heard him fighting the rats up there and thought it was a rabid tanuki.

Kanao mentally counted off his usual hiding spots, knowing he wouldn't pick one he'd used before. He spoke of a new one. Where hadn't she looked? He'd hidden in the skull room before, crawling inside the skull vase. Douma found him in there that time. There was also the rafters, under the floorboards, the kitchen cupboards. But the orphanage wasn't one of the places she would check now, the other children did not like her nor Inosuke. Though in Inosuke's case it could be because of that one stormy night where he'd hung on the ceiling like a spider while wearing an oni mask he'd stolen from one of the storerooms and terrorized the other children until Misaki managed to catch him.

Kanao didn't care, her family was enough and Douma liked them both so he never punished them.

As the sky grew dark Kanao searched everywhere she could yet could not find her little brother. She ran through the list, thinking of all hiding places. It was hard as Inosuke was very bendy, he could even crawl into the sake barrels so there wasn't really a limit to where he could be. Kanao knew she would end up making tempura but she liked cooking so it was worth it. Though she would still need to find Inosuke to finish the game.

At this point the other Paradise Faith members were well used to her- and well aware of the favourtism -so when she just bluntly asked 'Inosuke' in her usual flat tone, some would point her in the right direction or shake their heads. Some she recognized but others she didn't. Otousan had a healthy appetite but there were a few he kept to have the commune functioning properly. A few were new, nervous in a way, and didn't know how to help. She just moved on with her unblinking stare as they asked her who Inosuke was.

Eventually she was pointed to the great stone temple after she ran around on the rooftops of the houses. But Inosuke and Kanao had spent a lot of time playing hide and seek in the temple. What would a new hiding spot be? Kanao thought that over as she trotted down the hallways, past the lavish indoor gardens and towering Buddha statues. He had hidden up there or beneath the wooden walkways in the indoor lotus gardens before. So what was his new hiding spot?

Then Kanao remember his words, about waiting for Douma's audiences where he spoke to Paradise Faith members about their woes. Occasionally Kanao would sit with him, at his left because she found it fascinating to study the members. Inosuke found it too boring and as a toddler when she'd take him with her he had just crawled around on Douma and try chewing his necklaces until Kanao pulled him away. Douma never cared and the people complaining would just awkwardly ignore it, but Inosuke found the entire thing tiring so she would only sometimes sit with Otousan, usually when Inosuke was roaming the compound on his own or with Misaki who still was close with them.

Kanao quickly found her way to the audience chambers. For the late hour there was already someone dusting the wooden floors just outside, Kanao recognizing the skinny man immediately. Though Rojin was barely twenty years of age already his long black hair was getting streaked with silver. He was also one of the most air headed people she had ever met when he arrived at the commune a year ago, but he would always play with Inosuke whenever the six year old demanded it so Kanao liked him. Better than the old man Kenji anyway, he just complained all the time or gave her and Inosuke nasty looks when they would play tag inside.

"Oh! Kanao-kun, are you looking for your little brother?" Rojin blinked at her, his overly large eyes making him look constantly surprised. "I think he's inside with the Founder. He seemed in quite a hurry when he ran by, he went right through the shoji door again."

Which was truth as when Kanao looked at the door in the bottom panel of the rice paper there was a noticeable torn hole where something had ripped right through it.

"I should fix that. Maybe. Or get someone to. I need to dust first, though. Dust everywhere. They'll turn into bunnies if they're not swept, you know."

Kanao let Rojin ramble to himself, sliding open the door to walk into the audience hall. It was empty except Douma, who was sitting on the polished wooden rise among his usual cluster of plush silken pillows. He seemed to be dozing, slumped in his throne of cushions with his customary cloak and crown with his eyes shut. Gossamer curtains hung above the rise and delicate Omikuji papers were dangling from the ceiling. Great paintings of blooming trees, swimming carp and cranes, gods and Buddhas stretched across the walls. The ceiling was covered in a massive painting of a dragon, curling and twisting through the clouds like a serpent in the sea. The wall behind Douma was solely covered in paintings of blooming lotus blossoms and more of the flora decorated the ground before the rise he was seated on. Hanging on the walls were woodblock prints, ink paintings and silken ribbons.

Several silk screens were set up around the large hall, with tables before them covered in numerous charms like omamori, Bodhidharma dolls and blank wishing plaques. Flocked around the silk screens were also numerous origami cranes and plucked hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and lotus blossoms. Well kept bonsai trees were sitting on the tables between the lucky charms, their pots carved with intricate patterns. There were four Buddha statues in the room, placed north, east, south and west with beads and necklaces of jade dangling from them and burning incense smoldering at their feet in golden pots inscribed with the symbols of the five elements.

Kanao went around the room, sharp eyes darting over the lavish chambers as she hunted for her brother. As the audience hall, it was a place of great wealth and luxury. She checked behind the silk screens, stepping between the clusters of folded cranes. She checked in the woven bamboo baskets in the room, she checked in the various vases. She checked around the Buddhas. Through it all Douma continued to doze on his rise, chin propped up in one hand and seemingly ignoring her.

She stopped mid-stride, her gaze landing on her father. Douma did not linger in the audience hall. When the last of his followers left with their woes soothed he would be gone as well. He complained about it once, comparing it to how the farmers had to lavish and care for their goats and cows.

'Happy meat tastes sweet' he said with a put out sigh.

Then her stare slid down to Douma's black cloak, the purple ribbons hanging over his broad shoulders and the gold-threaded end of the cloak heaped on the cushions around him in silken ripples. Kanao walked across the hall, leaping over the blanket of lotus blossoms to land on the rise. Otousan continued to doze, acting oblivious to her presence. Even when she stared right at his face only a few inches apart he continued to sit there.

Carefully she shuffled around the lush assortment of pillows, taking care not to trip over any until she was at her father's back. Even standing and him sitting he was taller than her, years of healthy meals making her hearty and whole but Douma was tall and broad, while Kanao was still a young girl. Taller than any of the men she'd seen.

But her real focus was on the way the silken folds of his cloak fell oddly on his back. As if there was something underneath.

Kanao poked the lump.

A split second later Inosuke burst out from underneath the cloak, colliding with Kanao's stomach and topping her backwards onto a cushion. She heard Otousan let out a snort, even as she kept a tight grip around the wiggling six year old clinging to her and laughing.

"Haha, Oneechan I win! You took ages to find me!" Inosuke shouted, his loud voice echoing throughout the hall.

"Yes, you did win," Kanao agreed as she patted Inosuke's hair.

"You gotta make me tempura now!"

"Yes."

Then a big hand landed on Inosuke's back, crushing him against Kanao as she was pushed against the cushion. Inosuke started giggling, squirming about on Kanao to try and get out from Douma's grip.

Douma leaned over them both, with his hand still pinning them down and rainbow eyes bright, "And that seems to be the winner of the games for the day. Kanao agreed to make tempura for you, didn't she Inosuke?"

"Yeah! She makes it best!"

"Alright. Then let's go to the kitchens."

Their father could carry them both easily, like when Kanao was younger. She had to keep a firm grip on Inosuke, keeping him in her lap as Douma carried them through the quiet hallways. They passed by Rojin, who jumped at Inosuke's boisterous greeting and promptly dropped his bucket full of dust and dirt all over the ground. He ignored the mess now all over the floor and his feet to wave at them.

Even with encroaching late hour there were some people in the kitchens, though most were cleaning or fixing things for the following day. The only time Kanao found it to be truly empty was when the night was the darkest. Otherwise even a few hours before dawn people would rise to begin prepping meals. Kanao had started to train herself how to cook a year ago, knowing that keeping Inosuke fed would be to his well being. Especially since he ate human food. She still did not know what to feed Otousan. Though she did not like when people invaded her self lessons, as Douma mentioned she should be more self sufficient in herself. Being a big sister and daughter was essential to that.

Several months ago Kanao had set the kitchen on fire in the dead of night when she had been practicing trying to cook. She'd just walked out when the pan and then bench caught fire to go and tell Otousan where he was in his rooms reading. He just found it funny when she told him she'd set the kitchen on fire and did not know how to proceed. He had used one of his gleaming golden fans to put the fire out when they arrived, sweeping one open with a flourish and making a great gust of freezing air that killed the fire instantly and covered half the kitchen in gleaming spikes of ice.

Rojin had come in from the racket as he'd been cleaning the flower pots in the dead of night and thought the sudden ice everywhere was because someone left the window open and it frosted over, seemingly oblivious to the scorch marks everywhere. He then told Kanao and Douma to be careful in case they slipped and what a terrible frost there must be outside, would the orchards be okay? The next day Misaki also mentioned it, how they had to replace some of the ovens and stoves. Then it dissolved into a rambling where she wondered if they'd wire the rest of the complex with electricity as it steadily gained prominence.

But by now Kanao was quite good at not setting things on fire unless she wanted to. Inosuke liked her food, he thought it was the best so she would cook for him as reward for good behaviour or winning games and she liked being a good oldest sister and feeding him.

Tempura was his favourite and she knew well how to make it. Douma kept a tight grip on Inosuke, keeping him entertained as Kanao dragged a stool over, rummaged through the cupboards, mixed the batter and then grabbed the fish from the freezer. By then Otousan was sitting on one of the benches, tossing Inosuke from hand to hand by the ankle as the boy swiped at him while growling happily like a kitten.

Then she heated the oiled pan- but not too much, she learned her lesson -covered the fish in the batter and cooked them until done, using chopsticks to pluck them from the pan once done so they could drain of oil.

When she put them on a plate and turned her attention to cleaning up her mess, Otousan put Inosuke on the counter and he promptly sprinted on all fours to the plate and began to eat the tempura gleefully, uncaring of the hotness burning his tongue.

"Like a piglet in a trough," Douma laughed, long teeth flashing.

"'Neesaness bestest!" Inosuke said, cheeks puffed out as crumbs spitting out of his mouth all over the counter before hastily stuffing the rest into his mouth and chewing loudly.

By the time Kanao had finished cleaning, Inosuke had eaten all the tempura and was now fast asleep with his face still on the plate. Douma picked him up, holding him under one broad arm like a sack of flour. Kanao washed and dried the plate, before taking Otousan's hand.

Inosuke's room was always a mess; he seemed to just throw things everywhere and he moved a great deal in his sleep. He also liked to gnaw on things, the walls having tooth and nail marks on them. Some of his paintings were on the wall but he'd always use his hands in the ink and paints. There were also some animal skulls he'd found around the commune, down in the farmland. Sparrows, squirrels, rats, fox, goat. The only time he didn't squirm about all over the floor while asleep was when he was with Kanao and she kept him in a vice grip. Kanao knew he'd be all twisted up in the morning when she tucked him into the futon, wiping away a few lingering crumbs on his chubby face which was slack with slumber.

Otousan had already started to wander off down the hallway by the time Kanao slid the door shut and she quickened her pace to grab onto his hand.

"Hm?"

She still found it easier to write than speak, even with her family. So she handed the folded paper to her father out of the pocket of her clothes, something she'd prepared earlier when she came to a decision after a week of thought, and waited as he read the contents.

"Oh, you want to buy something special for little Inosuke since his birthday is soon....Well I don't see why not. This mountain can be a bore and you haven't left since you've come here, have you?" He arched a thick brow at her, an almost teasing lilt to his mouth. "Well we can make plans for this weekend then. Let Inosuke loose with Misaki the whole time, she never says no to me or you two adorable little children does she? That way you know he's in good hands. Do you have a gift in mind?"

Kanao shook her head. She had many ideas, however. She would have to search to see if she could find anything like them. Hearing about the cities from other members of Paradise Faith made her think they would be good places to find a gift.

Otousan didn't seem perturbed by her lack of choice, giving a shrug. "Those big human cities are certainly flourishing in this day and age and all that electricity now mean they don't just shut down in the dark. So I'll take you to one and then you can look for something for your little brother. How does that sound?"

"Good. Thank you, Father."

A big clawed hand on her head, ruffling her dark hair. "Of course! Anything for my little manamusume. Now off to bed. Growing girls need their rest, you know."

Chapter 12: Way of the Tea and Flowers

Chapter Text

"The city? Do you know which one Douma-sama is taking you to?"

Kanao shook her head, in the middle of preparing the tea. At the moment she was purifying the utensils with a silk cloth. The water was starting to boil in a small copper kettle upon a stove sunken into the ground. To the side was a small plate of wagashi Kanao had made earlier, next to a small vase of flowers. The mochimono was a bit lumpy but she was getting better at using the mochi hammer to beat the rice properly even if Inosuke enjoyed it far more.

Misaki was sitting in seiza across from her, wearing a kimono of pale blue with soaring white cranes and her brown hair pulled back in two buns at the base of her neck. Four colourful pins skewered the buns, painted wood with flickering swirls. The shoji door of the small room was open, showing the garden beyond and the small stone path leading up to a shrine. Persistent rain drummed upon the roof and water was dripping from the plants in the garden, and running down the path in snaking rivulets.

"Well, Tokyo is the biggest city. I grew up there, before I came here," Misaki said, a contemplative look on her face. "But there's also Osaka and Nagoya and Saitama. However Tokyo is the biggest. It is so bright and busy, it'll be quite a change from the commune. The lights were so bright in the main city you couldn't even see the stars anymore. Power lines everywhere, there's even locomotives and trams. The city is still bustling even when it is night. You're rather nocturnal, so you should enjoy it."

Using a bamboo spoon, with graceful movements Kanao spooned the matcha powder into the elegantly painted chawan, the tea bowl covered in patterns of blooming lotus blossoms.

Kanao listened intently as she carefully scooped some water from the kettle into the tea bowl, keeping her movements calm and elegant like Misaki had shown her. Taking care her kimono sleeves didn't drag or touch the utensils as she poured out the water. Once she'd added enough for the thicker tea, she used the small bamboo whisk to begin combining the water with the fine matcha powder within the bowl until it was a frothy green. Once done, she slightly raised the whisk to start stirring out the bubbles until the tea would be a smooth emerald. While waiting, Misaki took one of the mochimono from the plate, taking a series of small bites as Kanao continued to smooth out the tea.

Misaki had told Kanao there should always be the four principles present with tea ceremonies; harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. Kanao found the noise of the outside rainstorm soothing, the repetitious calming focus of making tea and Misaki's own company helped fill those criteria for her.

Once done, Kanao offered the bowl of tea to Misaki. The woman leaned forward, bowing on her hands to Kanao before accepting the chawan. Carefully she placed the tea bowl on the palm of her left hand, then bowed to Kanao again who reciprocated the gesture. Misaki turned the chawan clockwise twice before taking a long, elegant drink of the tea.

"Ah Kanao-chan, you're becoming quite the proper little lady," Misaki smiled as she finished the tea, handing the empty bowl over.

Kanao inclined her head as she accepted the compliment. Preparing the thin matcha tea was much the same as the thick- she simply adjusted the ratio of the water and powder.

As she was stirring the powder and water together, Misaki said, "Maybe you could also ask Douma-sama to take you to one of the theaters or opera in Tokyo? It would be quite the experience for you. We only had a few back at the town where I lived, but they were always so bright and colourful. I'm sure those in the big city are filled with even more grandeur."

She thought that it could be beneficial. She liked spending time with Otousan. She was less sure about leaving Inosuke alone but she had read that gifts were best received as surprises. Finding a present not on the mountain meant it would be the most surprising for her little brother.

And then once they find a good present she and Douma could spend time together in the city.

"But you do need to be careful," Misaki said as Kanao poured the hot water into the tea bowl. "Busy cities mean more, many more, people, and some of them might try to hurt you or steal you away if they see an opportunity. So stay close to Douma-sama, he'll protect you. But if you do end up separated, since the crowds in the cities can get overwhelming, you need to scream or run if someone tries anything. Or even use your hairpin."

"My hairpin," Kanao intoned, staring intently at the tea as she stirred the powder and water together.

"Yes. Kenzashi are pretty and used for our hair, but you can also use them to stab someone's hand if they try to grab you or drag you away," Misaki said, voice unusually serious. When she broke decorum to reach across the tea to grasp Kanao's wrist, the girl looked up into the woman's eyes to devote her entire attention to Misaki's words as she continued, "They've been used as weapons if needed, like women belonging to the samurai families of the Edo era. Usually the pins would be made of bronze or iron or other heavy metal. Either to stab out eyes or impale throats or would dip them in poison. But noble women would carry them if they were in peril and even these days us ladies must protect ourselves."

She let go of Kanao and reached up to pull one of the pins from her hair, the remaining keeping the bun in tack. She showed it to Kanao, with its delicate painting of flowers and butterflies. At how its wooden length tapered to a polished point.

"A bit gory I know," Misaki said quietly, "but if you do end up separated and someone tries to grab you, remember your hairpin. It's not uncommon for young pretty girls who're alone on the streets to be snatched up for brot- well, they get taken somewhere horrible. So please, be careful and remember this. Just in case."

Kanao listened intently, understanding Misaki's words and knowing the woman was most likely speaking from experience.

Misaki had admitted her missing pinky finger was due to punishment- cut off due to being caught stealing a loaf of bread. Back before she was taken into the orphanage as an aide, back when she'd been running wild as a street child and would do anything to survive and had seen much worse.

'That's something people who've never suffered can't understand, what it's like to starve, what it feels like to have your body eating itself to try and keep you alive, what it's like to be afraid,' Misaki had said with an angry twist to her mouth when she'd told Kanao the story. She had done so after Kanao had bluntly informed Misaki how Otousan had found her, tied to a cabinet as a slave. Misaki had been enraged and wished punishment upon Kanao's ex-master. It was a secret Otousan had eaten him so Kanao let her rant without comment. But then she had told Kanao of her own life and Kanao found it interesting, knowing that the young woman had lived somewhat like Kanao.

That was how Kanao understood Misaki's warning and advice. She was pleased her father had given her something she would be able to defend herself with though Kanao would have to ask if she was allowed to stab or claw people. Inosuke bit people quite regularly at Paradise Faith, at one point Hama calling him a 'savage little beast'.

Kanao was about to ask if Misaki had ever used her kenzashi for such a thing when the door leading to the halls opened and Rojin shuffled into the room, two wooden buckets in hand. One seemed empty while the other was filled with a great assortment of flowers. He seemed utterly ignorant to their presence in the room, shutting the door behind him to wander across the room to the alcove where the elaborate display was.

"I- Oh for goodness sake, Rojin-san we're actually doing something in here!" Misaki complained as she slid her hairpin back into her bun. "You can't just barge into a tea ceremony. It's very rude."

Rojin continued to ignore them but Kanao knew from his body language he wasn't doing it purposefully. He was simply so focused on changing the flowers he was oblivious to their presence. They both watched as he stopped in front of the alcove and removed the wilting flowers from the gilded pot, tossing them in his spare bucket. Then he wandered over to the open door and tossed out the old water before using the rain to clean and fill the pot.

"Honestly what is with this man? I'd say he's drunk but I think he's just..." Misaki waved her hand next to her head before flushing when she caught Kanao's vapid stare, amending hurriedly, "Not that's there anything wrong with that. He's just got his head in the clouds."

However Rojin certainly noticed them when he turned around with the gilded pot filled with rain water, and startled so badly he dropped it all over the tatami mat.

"Oh goodness! Kanao-kun you frightened me so badly! When did you sneak in here?" Rojin said in a wheezing voice, gripping the front of his dusky orange kimono as if staving off a heart attack.

"She's been here the whole time, as have I," Misaki said dryly, arching a brow. Kanao just watched.

"Eh? Are you sure? I was certain this room was empty..." he muttered as he picked up the pot, ignoring the water soaking through his tabi socks. He then shuffled back to the open door to fetch more rainwater.

"Well, there goes the tranquility," Misaki grumbled even as Kanao went back to stirring the tea.

Kanao watched, her eyes shifting from the tea to Rojin who set down the filled pot back in the alcove. Then he proceeded to go through the bucket full of flowers, inspecting each and putting them back before choosing a bright blooming toad lily. The long white petals were speckled in pink.

"He's refreshing the flower arrangement," Misaki explained as Kanao finished her new bowl of tea. Again, they went through the motion of Kanao offering Misaki the tea and Misaki's calm, elegant drinking.

Once done, she handed the chawan back to Kanao before she called over to Rojin, "What type of arrangement are you doing, Rojin-san? Kanao might want to know."

Rojin didn't answer until Misaki called out to him again, louder with a note of exasperation in her voice. He blinked over at them, a bundle of white hawthorn in his long bony hands.

"Eh? Oh it's ikebana," he looked down at the hawthorn, long hair sliding over his shoulders. "Flowers kept alive. Harmony and balance, extravagance and simplicity. Flowers, leaves, branches and stems. All that stuff. Flowers smell so sweet and they come in so many different shapes and sizes. I love them. Aren't the lotus gardens outside beautiful?"

"Yes Rojin-san, we've all seen the lotus gardens. But I'm having a tea ceremony with Kanao-chan and you're interrupting."

"I am unbothered," Kanao decided to say as she started on another bowl.

Misaki blinked at her before some of the tension left the woman's shoulders as she sighed, "Alright then. I suppose ikebana is fitting for a tea ceremony, actually. Chabana. But really Rojin-san, you should knock next time."

"The flowers needed to be changed. I change them all the time. Even at night since I find it hard to sleep," the man replied in his usual distracted way.

"Yes, but we were using this room. Even if Kanao-chan doesn't mind. But why don't you explain what you're doing then, if you're just barging in and not going to leave?"

And so Rojin did, but Kanao noticed how he had to stop each time he spoke. It was as if he couldn't talk and arrange the flowers at the same time. Kanao meanwhile could stir the hot tea while listening and she found it interesting. She did not know flowers had to be arranged properly, when she gathered hers she just picked ones she preferred.

"This is a secondary flower," Rojin said, still holding the hawthorn. "The toad lily is the focused one, that forms the base. Because it's so tall and pretty, see? As the shin it's supposed to be nice and eye catching and I like the colours. White and speckled, it smells very nice. And since it and the hawthorn are white, I'm using carnations and sweetpeas for the smaller clusters so it doesn't look all pale. You can emphasis a single colour but I like it when it's contrasting. White is good with that, it's so clean and stark and then you add something colourful as the focus."

Kanao listened intently as she spooned in fresh water from the pot, her sharp eyes focused on Rojin as he held out each flower. She could see how the stems had been carefully split at the end, to keep the flower alive longer in the pot.

Rojin finished the arrangement with various lush leaves and vines, saying, "Also you should add lots of green. It's good against the flowers but green also means everything is healthy. Every great garden has lots of green everywhere. And this rosemary smells good."

To Kanao, it just looked like a pot of flowers. There were flowers everywhere at Paradise Faith but she supposed maybe it meant something and she could understand Rojin's words. Just because she understood something didn't mean she understood it. And she was fine with that since Rojin seemed pleased. Maybe it was like the tea, he found it soothing to make flowers even if other people didn't. She wondered what Otousan did for fun besides eating, maybe she could ask him when they visited the city. Maybe he liked the theater, as Misaki suggested? Kanao would have to ask.

Straightening up, Rojin looked over to their tea ceremony, "But you have that little vase with you, did you make it Kanao-kun?"

She looked at the small flower arrangement at the side of her tea set; true, she had picked them out with Misaki's urging. Naturally they were all lotus blossoms she'd taken from the various ponds around the commune. The largest was a red lotus of Yohan, over twenty five velvety petals of a deep red. Surround it in the cramped vase was smaller lotus blossoms of white, angel wings and golden wheels.

"I took flowers I found pleasing to look at," she said. She still had her pin of quartz in her hair, the pale lotus bud.

"Lotus blossoms are so pretty," Rojin said almost dreamily. "Do you know most of it is edible and there are over one thousand types of lotus blossoms?"

No, Kanao did not know that. Though by now she could identify most of the species at Paradise Faith, there were not a thousand of them.

Misaki sighed, before gesturing to the mat next to her. "Why don't you join us, Rojin-san? Kanao-chan can show you her technique."

Rojin obeyed, his long hair swaying at his hips as he shuffled forward. The streaks of grey almost looked like starlight amongst the inky black.

"Look, sit down-, no, do it in seiza! Make sure your back is straight-"

As Misaki scolded Rojin, Kanao continued to stir the chawan bowl after pouring extra hot water within it now that she had a new guest. Keeping her kimono sleeves above her tools, movement elegant and controlled. She could not be like Inosuke, with all his energetic exuberance. Even Otousan was better with acting spontaneous despite it being obvious to her gaze he was in fact doing it deliberately. She did not mind, Inosuke was wild enough for them both.

She hoped she would find something perfect for her little brother in the city. And then she would have to find a nice box, maybe cover it in something shiny or ribbons of silk. Misaki and Rojin were there but they didn't know Inosuke like her and as far as she recalled neither had younger siblings.

Kanao gave Rojin the bowl of tea; he ignored the usual decorum, instead thanking her with a slight incline of his head and a bright smile, before drinking it right from the bowl instead of turning it or treating it gently. Misaki looked like she was a few seconds away from stabbing him in the neck with her hairpin.

Kanao didn't mind. His lack of manners reminded her of Inosuke and it was not like he was being harmful or aggressive.

"Isn't matcha so soothing?" Rojin lowered the near empty bowl with a bright smile, green on his teeth. "Camellia sinensis, that's its name. White, yellow, green, oolong, dark and black tea all come from that plant or its sibling. There'd be so much of it in the ports, great big barrels or little packets. Tea and more tea. Great big crates that could crush you flat."

"You might see the ports in the city, depending on what city you go to," Misaki said to her. "They're busy all the time. Maybe you could see one of the big ships there? Some of them are beyond huge. You'll also find lots of things not made in Japan, I'm sure you'll find a perfect gift!"

"Oh? You're going shopping?"

"Douma-sama is taking her to the city. Kanao-chan wants to buy her otouto a special birthday present."

"The city is so bright. And busy! There'll be lots of cars and electricity," Rojin said brightly. "And so much imported goods and clothing! People dressed in western clothes all the time, they were so strange looking. Or even food, Inosuke-kun is a hungry little beast."

"Yes, I was telling her how busy it is in the city. Trams and the like, so many more people everywhere."

Rojin drained the last of the tea, handing the empty bowl back to Kanao as he said, "I never liked that. People being up in your business all the time. Here it's just Kenji-san yelling at everyone so you can ignore him easily. I think he's just mad because all his hair fell out, that's why his skull is like greased pig skin."

Misaki made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, quickly shoving a mochimono into her mouth to cover the noise and nearly choked. Kanao gave her a curious look, making the woman flush heavily as she hastily swallowed down the sweet.

Rojin seemed oblivious to Misaki coughing next to him, "But Kanao-kun if you've never been to the city it'll be so much fun! There's so much new stuff to look at. I like Paradise Faith yes, but at the city there's always so much happening and new things and you'll be able to hear about things happening overseas."

Kanao listened carefully as she started to clean each tool as she began to close the ceremony.

"It's like those airplane things-"

"Oh here we go," Misaki muttered, even as she inspected a spoon Kanao offered her and returned it with a nod.

"No, it's true!" Rojin flailed his arms, the long sleeves of his kimono knocking over several bowls. Kanao put them back in their correct places even as Rojin continued, "I heard about them when I worked at the port in Edo, about some crazy Americans. A plane, not a blimp or a balloon. A plane is like a ship but it sails through the air, not the sea. Who knows what will happen in the next few decades? Maybe we can travel all across the globe. Isn't that so strange and fascinating?"

"Personally I prefer it up here in the nice quiet mountain," Misaki took another mochimono from the plate. "I've had enough of a busy life."

"Only a century ago Japan was still in Sakoku, with it's closed borders," Rojin continued, ignoring Misaki's words. "Now a century later we'll get machines that can fly in the sky. Humans are so funny. I find it hard to think on things but then you get people who can make machines that can fly through the sky like a bird. I wonder what will happen in another hundred years? Maybe we can fly to the moon one day."

"And perhaps I'll be empress." Misaki said.

"Will the rabbit be on the moon?" Kanao asked.

"Maybe. I think it would lonely to be up there," Rojin said, taking her question seriously. Another reason she liked him, he would always answer her or Inosuke's questions sincerely, no matter how ridiculous. A thoughtful look crossed Rojin's face before he added, "But maybe they spend all their time looking down on us? All the gods in heaven up there. I know sometimes I like watching the butterflies and bees in the gardens. Maybe the rabbit is like that? Just watching us and letting us do as we please because that's how we live in this noisy life. You'll see it all, in the city."

"The gods aren't that distant, this commune is a holy place where we can wait and worship and listen," Misaki said.

"Well, I think the gods want us to be loud otherwise why would they be so silent?" Rojin said.

"They speak to the Founder," Misaki frowned.

"Yes, but he's the only one I've met who's able to hear them. And some others throughout history but they're just a handful and there's lots and lots of people in Japan who can't hear anything," Rojin shrugged. "Even more all over the world."

Kanao never really thought of that. She felt it was a strange secret-but-not-really thing with Otousan, where he spoke to the gods yet he did not believe they were real yet he still spoke to someone. Douma would never tell her who, but there would been several occasions when they'd been together only for him to abruptly stop, rainbow eyes going strange and glassy, before quickly excusing himself and leaving for somewhere. Someone was talking to him.

"But who knows, I'm not Douma-sama and he knows many more things than I ever will," Rojin said, his long hair sliding over his shoulder as he titled his head to the side. "I don't know much except for flowers and insects but he knows much about everything and his eyes are so pretty and sees so much."

"Yes. I'm happy he's my father," Kanao said as she finished cleaning the chawan bowl. Misaki inspected it before handing it back with a smile.

"That's good," Rojin said. "A good family is precious and hard for many people to have. I'm glad you found one. You should protect that."

"I will," Kanao did not hesitate to agree. Because she would, she would gladly protect her father and brother even at the cost of her life.

Chapter 13: Big City Living

Chapter Text

Tokyo was busy.

Misaki and Rojin had been correct about the crowds and vehicles and lights. The bustling sea of humanity even in the dark of the evening. The consistent hum and drone of cars, the rattle of trams running to and fro.

Through it all, Kanao kept a firm grip on her father's hand. Misaki's warning was something she paid attention to. Kanao liked her home and her family and did not want to go back to anything like her original one. And Otousan had given her permission to use her hairpin if anything happened. He seemed quite pleased when she asked, before that door in the wall appeared that took them to Tokyo in a single step.

Kanao was wearing a black kimono that was thickly covered in patterns of pink and purple lotus blossoms and vines while the obi belt was a shimmering gold. Her hairpin was in its ever present place within her sideways ponytail. Her father was dressed as he normally was but he still got quite a few side glances by the crowd when he led her to one of the streets. No one else had hair or eyes like Otousan, Kanao noticed.

Despite the late hour it was still very bright. Kanao never had any issue seeing in the dark but in the city there were lights every where despite it being an hour past sunset; streaming out from the windows, gleaming atop steel posts, strung across doorways, bright headlights from the trams trundling down the tracks and the occasional car. She found the trams especially fascinating, never having seen a vehicle like that before. Otousan took her on one when he noticed her staring, easily tugging her up into the platform and onto the leather seats. It was very rumbly beneath her and smelled strange but she found it interesting to ride on.

People were very busy in the city, she quickly understood as they walked along the streets. People moving in a constant flood, the chatter of voices adding to the drone of vehicles. People always had places to be. Some people knocked into Otousan but he would never budge an inch and they would stumble. Kanao thought it was quite rude but he was never bothered.

"Now, just let me know if you see anything you like! There's quite a few stores open here, even at such a late hour," Otousan told her as they began to explore in earnest.

And he was right. There were many, many stores. Lining the streets, most still lit up with their doors thrown open and stalls spilling outwards. Great bamboo banners strung up, people calling to the crowd, everything so lively. Kanao was used to people, the years at Paradise Faith adapting to her to a push of people especially when they threw festivals, but here it was just so busy. Everyone seemed focused upon different things and she kept a tight grip on her father's hand even as her eyes darted along the shop fronts as they wandered down the streets in case she saw anything in particular.

High above she couldn't even see the stars. The golden glow of the lights of the city obscured them. Another strange thing in Tokyo, compared to the mountain where all the stars were so bright and sparkling.

Kanao was rather glad she hadn't brought Inosuke on the trip and not just due to wanting a surprise for him. She knew the sheer noise, the chorus of sensations and smells, the plethora of people, would be too much for him. Usually he would cling to her or Douma if it became too much back at the compound, especially since with festivals Otousan would typically be on a rise away from the crowd itself where Kanao would sit with him, and Kanao knew Inosuke grew more quickly exhausted with people than her. And that usually led to more biting and raging.

Here Kanao was used to being calm and quiet, observing rather than participating, and Douma was unbothered by the noise and people. So instead she focused on the task at hand; finding her little brother the perfect birthday present.

From the start she dismissed food; as much as Inosuke loved eating, if there was one thing Paradise Faith had in abundance it was food. A weapon, perhaps? He did so love to play fight or ambush people.

On that line of thought they checked a large store filled with all sorts of weapons, from swords such as katana, tanto, naginata, chokuto and tekkan. The clerk in the store told her tekkan were used to get around the law forbidding the open carrying of swords implemented some decades ago as she was inspecting the blunt edged weapons lying within a glass case. He also suggested that if they brought swords to make sure they were only for decorative purpose. Kanao was ever more glad for the pin in her hair.

There were various spear weapons propped upon the walls, bo, yari and tsukubo. The tsukubo fascinated her, especially when she was told another name for it was 'man catcher', the head of the pole covered in metal spikes and barbs formed into a T shape. There was also the kanabo which Kanao felt that perhaps Inosuke would like; the iron clubs designed to inflict blunt force trauma upon the opponents. Douma would occasionally step in and tell her some things about the weapons she was looking at, even with the clerk lurking nearby.

There were also war fans upon the walls and Kanao realized some resembled the golden fans her father would use to cut her hair. However the ones on the wall seemed mostly to be forged from iron, unlike the golden fans inlaid with lotus blossoms her father used. Both a weapon and a status symbol, the clerk said, and used in close range battle.

Along with the fans there were glass cabinets filled with throwing stars in various shapes and forms, many etched with delicate patterns and all with sharp points. There was kunai, ranging anywhere from thirty inches to four feet. Not just as a weapon but also as a digging tool.

The kusarigama fascinated her, Kanao's stare lingering upon the gleaming sickles and their chained ends. There was also rows of nanchaku, various polished tonfa, and even clusters of makibishi and pointed sais.

Then the weapons shifted to guns and Kanao was interested, having never seen one before. When the clerk was distracted by a couple coming into the store, Otousan told her he had been shot before but the bullets couldn't penetrate his skin. Instead it just smarted, like someone had thrown a rock at him. 'Wrong material, I think,' he mused while looking over the tanegashima, a type of matchlock rifle. There were also bows but Kanao did not feel Inosuke would like such weapons. He would want to be up close to his opponent.

In the end she eventually gave in and realizing she did not want to get Inosuke a weapon. At least not right now. Maybe they could train with some wooden ones when she got back to the commune? He did not have a hairpin to defend himself like Kanao. But she didn't want to hurt himself by accident if she gave him something sharp, even if the shining curve of the kusarigama kept luring her gaze before they moved on to the next store.

Occasionally Otousan would disappear as they walked, leaving her to stand on the sidewalk or outside shops as he tended to 'boring adult things' as he put it. She had a feeling it was more of 'hungry' things, since it would typically happen when his gaze snagged on a particular woman passing by or an alleyway but she did not mind.

Each time Kanao waited obediently, hands clasped at her front as she studied the people moving to and fro. Once she went to one of the food stalls and brought a stick of Ikayaki, the grilled squid tender and plump. She also brought a carbonated drink there while waiting and found herself greatly liking the ramune and squid. Otousan had given her a roll of yen which she had tucked in her obi belt, with her being oblivious to how much he had really given her. The startled look on the woman's face when she handed over one of the rolled up notes confused her but she shrugged it off as she went back to her spot, chewing down the squid before sipping from the glass bottle. The marble within the neck of the bottle clicked as she sipped at the cold lychee-flavoured liquid, liking the way it tingled on her tongue.

Douma appeared back at her side, and Kanao took his hand again as he smiled at her. She could see tiny red stains in his nail beds.

"So no such luck in finding little Inosuke a present, hm?"

"We will find something," Kanao was determined. She took another sip from her ramune bottle.

"I'm sure we will. Tokyo is rather large. Oooh look Hibiya park is to the east, see that sign? " he nudged her, jutting his chin towards the road sign. "Some big riot happened there, over a dozen people killed and so many more arrested and so many buildings set on fire. After that it led to something called the era of popular violence! Isn't that fascinating? Humans just killing each other and burning things. It only settled down a year or so ago in those rice riots. A shame, since it was wildly entertaining to see the humans acting like that," Douma told her cheerfully. "Some of the people who got arrested during those riots even got executed. Isn't that exciting?"

Kanao did find it interesting. Paradise Faith did not have public executions. Otousan always ate people in private. And since Kotoha she did not think anyone else had stumbled across him doing it. Even eating people in Tokyo he was being sneaky about it. It made her wonder how quickly he could eat someone. She always took her time while eating. Maybe he ate like Inosuke?

Douma tugged at her hand and she obediently followed him down the street, stepping around a performing trio playing on instruments before a small crowd.

"I always wonder if the Demon Slayer Corps have anything to do with that kind of thing, since they're 'protectors of humanity'," her father made finger quotes with his free hand before letting out a snort, "Or they probably just figured 'well its humans doing the murdering so not our problem'. Funny, isn't it? Humans butchering each other and they don't care but if us demons eat any they lose their minds. And I think we have more reason, after all everything needs to eat something. The Slayers are just mad since humans had gone so long without having to worry about a predator and now they pout and whine and are all silly about it when they actually have to deal with one. It's the cycle of life, everything must eat and be eaten."

That made sense to Kanao and she nodded along. Sometimes when she and Inosuke would be out in the fields they would see animals, mostly the wild birds. Once there was even a hawk which snatched up a rabbit which had been hiding in the brush, carrying its squealing form up into the sky. And down at the river in the shallow bank edge there would be bugs and frogs. Sometimes they would try to catch fish with their bare hands. Inosuke was better at it than her even if Kanao could see the fish in the river.

"There's also a ginko tree in the park that's half a century old," Douma added after a moment of thought.

"How old can trees live?"

"They can live for centuries, even thousands of years. There's even supposed to be demonic trees, jubokko. They grow in fields where many were slain and turn into yōkai, and after that they thirst only for human blood. Hm, I wonder if Hantengu knows that?"

"Trees can eat bones, that's why we bury things," Kanao said. She had seen the bones, how the grass grow through them.

Otousan smiled, fangs gleaming in the street lights, "Indeed they do! Everything eats everything else, even the trees and plants and flowers. It's the way things are and when people die they're just bones, they become nothing. You rot and return to the earth. There's nothing divine or special about humans. See?"

He gestured towards a butchery they walked past, the shop mostly filled with salted meats and braised bacon. One of the windows was covered in a great painting of a pig, its body arranged in various cuts and slices and kanji telling which slice was which and its price.

"Humans are actually very much like pigs on the inside," Douma said. "The organs, even the skin. They so similar. Humans barely differ from pigs. They certainly squeal the same when butchered."

"Are pigs and boars the same?" she asked.

"Yes but boars are wild and pigs are domesticated. That's really the only difference. Same thing but slightly different in how they're raised, selective breeding. One out in the wilderness while the other is raised under human care."

Kanao nodded. Was that was Father did with Paradise Faith? He mentioned he preferred eating women, and most of those at the commune were women. But some he did not eat over the years, like Kenji and Hama. In a way the commune was his farm even if they had an actual farm. Kanao sometimes helped with the animals. Inosuke enjoyed it too. They ate the meat, was it really much different?

A tram rattled by, Kanao sipping on her drink as her thoughts shifting back to a gift. There was a store that sold gemstones, some as big as Kanao with shimmering purple crystals. There was a fist-sized emerald that ensnared her interest, the glittering green the same hue as Inosuke's eyes. Perhaps that? Sometimes he would take rocks from the river. They did got confiscated since he started throwing them at people he didn't like and Misaki told him off over it. Kanao didn't know why Misaki got mad, Inosuke hadn't thrown any rocks at her.

But no shiny rocks, though Kanao put that down as 'Plan B' just in case she could find nothing else. The emerald had been pretty, a jagged geode with pointy teeth. But not quite calling out to her. Sometimes Douma would drag her into stores, mostly musty bookshops Otousan seemed annoyed over. Or bored, she was unsure. She didn't know why he was so interested in flowers since his vases only had skulls in them. But she waited obediently each time, drinking from her glass bottle as he brought several things before going back to her.

At one point they passed by the great ports Rojin had told her about, and Kanao could see the distant shape of shipping vessels. It was so busy out there, even more than the city streets. They even walked over a stone bridge, the water below black as pitch in the dark and Kanao noted with fascination how the infrastructure of the two sides of the street once they crossed varied so much; one side seemed the more modern buildings, stone and curved and rails and glass windows, while the other was the buildings she was far more used to with wood and slanted rooftops and bamboo. Same with people wearing different clothing she had not seen before. A group of women with ruffled skirts that ended just below the knees and low heeled shoes, hair done in short coifs. A man bustling past in a dark blue suit.

She still liked her kimono, with its soft shimmering black fabric and flowery patterns.

There was a souvenir store Kanao stared at until Douma tugged her over to it, the wares nearly spilling out to the street. Colourful fans, little musical boxes that chimed happily when wound, elaborate pots and beckoning cats, dragons carved from jade, tapestries and paintings and little wooden toys.

Still not right, Kanao thought. Douma did not seem to mind their hours spent wandering the streets even if Kanao felt dissatisfied.

"What if I find nothing?" she asked as they stopped at a corner of an intersection. In the distant she could hear a sharp whistle and a great steel sign for the train station down towards the Imperial palace.

"Tokyo isn't the only city in Japan, if we find nothing here then we shall try elsewhere," Otousan said, squeezing her hand and giving her a reassuring smile.

"Yes." Kanao nodded. He was right. This was only one city and the magic doors could take them far. She took another sip from her drink even as Otousan's gaze settled on a young woman trotting past, wearing a fluttery white dress and wide brimmed hat lined with flowers. Various books threatened to spill from her arms.

His gaze followed the woman as she cut around the corner, heading down a narrow, barely lit side street and he squeezed Kanao's hand again.

"Wait here a moment, manamusume."

"Yes," she nodded, the pearls of her hairpin bobbing with the movement. A moment later he was gone from her side, so quickly she could not follow and no one else noticed.

Kanao thought over the potential gifts, sipping from her bottle as she waited. A clattering of wheels and her eyes snagged on a cart as it was pulled past and then her gaze landed another store. Slightly tucked around the corner from the bridge, overlooking the dark water with a few red lanterns glowing softly in the night. Her head co*cked to the side, sharp vision spotting a bronze boar statue in the open window with small figurines of various gods around it. Kanao crossed the street, knowing Otousan would find her as she approached the store while tossing her empty bottle in a nearby wastebin before she reached the display window. The statue of the boar was big, carved roughly as if with an axe. The same for the little figurines, rough and slash-dash but with its own allure. She recognized many of the gods and also animals from the zodiac.

A tiny bell signaled her entry and inside the store it was quite large but thickly packed with merchandise; old damaged weapons, suits of samurai armour, delicately painted pots, kettles and vases, wood block carvings and paintings, cabinets and chairs of dark wood with delicate etchings of flowers and birds, glass cases filled with sword hilts, broaches, dozens of kenzashi and dolls.

But really her gaze was caught on the wall just behind the counter, covered in bleached animal skulls and taxidermy corpses.

An old man looked up as Kanao entered, face lined with wrinkles and glasses perched upon the bridge of his nose. He smiled at her, "Hello, my dear. You're out quite late on your own."

"My father is with me," Kanao replied. "He just went to see someone. He will come get me when done."

"Alright. As long as you're safe. Now, can I do anything for you?"

"I am looking for a gift for my brother. He likes skulls," she said.

"Then I have quite a collection for you to look over," he turned to the wall behind him, gesturing with a withered hand. "I've got a bit of everything. Does he have a favourite animal? I have birds, rodents, fish- there's even that wolf skull though I'm afraid its rather pricey."

"What about that skull?" Kanao pointed at one of the smaller ones mounted next to a stuffed owl.

The clerk laughed, "You've got a good eye! That's a babirusa skull. Fascinating pigs, they have four tusks with the second pair growing right out of their snouts. Sometimes they grow so long they puncture into their own skulls."

"It is very interesting. Can I see it closer?"

"Of course! Another young lady has it on hold, however. She had the same look you did, just wanted it right away the moment she entered," the man turned, reaching up and carefully removing the bleach-white skull from the wall.

Kanao studied it intently as the clerk put the skull on the bench before her, looking over the the small pits and curves within the bleached white bone. The wide flat teeth at the side of the jawbone and the angled teeth at the front. The hollow sockets of the eyes, the smooth long curls of the four long tusks. The lower pair grew just behind the front set of teeth, curving up and nearly as long as her forearm. The ones sprouting from the top of the snout were nearly touching the bone of the forehead in elegant curves.

"My otousan says humans are much like pigs," Kanao said, eyes never once moving from the skull.

"Well he's somewhat right," the shop owner said. "I know tattoo artists practice on pig skin since it's quite similar."

Inosuke liked animals. He liked skulls just like father, even if he preferred animal skulls instead of human ones. He did not have a skull like this one yet. Only from small animals or the ones from the stock paddocks.

Kanao made up her mind, deciding that this would be the perfect gift for her otouto.

"I want this skull. How much does it cost?"

The clerk blinked at her behind his glasses, "I'm sorry, but it's already been paid for."

"How much is it?"

"It isn't for sale. Somebody has already brought it."

Kanao stared at him. "But I need it for my brother's birthday."

The man smiled, holding up a hand placatingly as he said, "Well I'm sure there'll be another around the city for you to buy. If not, you could try some of the merchants down by the shipping yards-"

"But I want this one."

Kanao did not understand why the man could not realize that. She was quite sure she was speaking clearly. She wanted the skull so it was hers. Douma said she could get whatever she wanted and he would always give her what she wanted when she asked. Just like the members of Paradise Faith. Why was this man not understanding that?

After a moment of staring- making the clerk begin to fidget uneasily under her unblinking gaze -Kanao reached into her obi belt and pulled out the roll of yen Otousan had given her. Maybe that was the problem.

She offered it to the clerk, saying "Can I buy the skull now? I need it for my brother's birthday."

"As I said, it's already-" then the man seemed to twitch, widened eyes fixed on the roll of notes. "Oh. That's quite a lot. I uh. Well, I suppose if it's for your little brother then I can-"

Then the bell at the door rang and a woman stepped inside before the clerk could take the roll of money. He snatched his hand back as the woman approached the counter; she was dressed in the knee high dresses Kanao had seen before, a fluffy dark blue fabric with pale roses printed upon it. The woman's hair was in dark shoulder-length curls beneath a hat the same colour as her dress.

"Ah Itsuo-san! You already have my package ready, thank you," the woman smiled. "I'm just here to pick it up. I know Father will love it when he gets home tomorrow."

Kanao watched in confusion as the man backed away, his voice nervous as he said, "Oh course! I'll just get a bag for you."

She didn't know what was happening. She wanted the skull. The man was going to give it to her. Why was he putting it in a bag for this strange woman? It was hers.

"Excuse me," Kanao said, voice as flat as ever as she fixed the lady with an unblinking stare. "That skull is mine."

The woman startled, noticing Kanao for the first time, "Oh no, I had this on hold and already paid for it last week. I'm sorry, you'll need to find something else."

"But I want it. I need it for my brother's birthday. This is what he will want."

The woman took the bag with the wrapped pig skull from the clerk, giving Kanao a strange look, "Well you can't have it."

"But I need it," Kanao repeated. What was wrong with this woman? Otousan said she could get whatever she wanted. And she wanted the skull. It was Inosuke's gift.

That was why she followed the woman outside and down the street, ignoring the annoyed look it garnered her.

"Give me the skull," Kanao said. Maybe she wasn't being direct enough? Sometimes she had to repeat things when she spoke to Rojin. Maybe the lady was like him.

"Look, go find your parents," the woman finally turned when she reached the intersection before the bridge, her heels clacking on the stone and the bag held tight in one hand. "I can't give it to you. It's mine, alright?"

Kanao offered the roll of yen.

"I said no."

"My father said I can get whatever I want and he always gives me what I want," Kanao said. Something unpleasant was settling in her stomach. Almost like annoyance but more acidic. Because Otousan did say that she could get whatever she wanted and she wanted that skull for Inosuke.

"Well perhaps you should speak to your father than," the woman yanked the bag away as Kanao tried to reach out for it, glaring at her. "Maybe you should ask him why he raised you to be such a rude, entitled little brat. What terrible parenting. Go home!"

With a last angry look the woman spun around and stormed away. Kanao stared after her, wondering what went wrong. Why didn't the lady listen?

Also she insulted Otousan. The angry thing in Kanao's gut was now burning hot, like a smoldering coal and her hand tightened around the roll of yen.

Otousan was not a terrible parent. She loved him. He took care of her, had taken her away from her horrible life and gave her a home, gave her a warm bed and hot food. Gave her Inosuke.

How dare that lady say such a thing about Father. The feeling in her stomach made her wonder if she had eaten something bad. The squid?

Then Douma was back at her side in a flash, long hair falling over his face as the rest tumbled down his broad back, stained gold in the streetlights.

"Did you find something you liked?" he asked playfully, taking her hand again. Then his ever present smile dropped when he noticed her mood. "Is everything alright?"

"No. I found something for Inosuke. A pig skull. Inosuke would like it. But I was not allowed to have it."

Douma's thick eyebrows raised, "Why not? Was it too expensive?"

"The clerk said it belonged to a lady even though I told him I needed it," she said, looking up at her father as her fingers tightened around his, "I gave him the money but the lady came in the store and so I told her I needed it. She said no. She said I was an entitled brat and that you were a terrible father and took it away."

"Oh did she? How awfully rude of her," her father was smiling again but his eyes were cold. He leaned down, asking her, "And where is this lady?"

Kanao's eyes darted back to the crowd along the bridge, the steady flow of people going to and fro. But she saw her, right at the end of the bridge.

"The lady at the other side of the bridge," Kanao pointed with her free hand to the distant figure. "With the blue dress with the roses on it. See? She is the one who took Inosuke's present."

Douma straightened up, his smile wide and toothy and showing the full length of his fangs as his rainbow eyes gleamed, "Well that just won't do. All that searching and when you find the perfect gift someone else takes it and says such horrible things to you. Why don't we follow this young lady home and then I can ask her personally for the skull? I have quite a way with women. I'm sure I can convince her to part with it."

Kanao nodded, squeezing Otousan's hand. He hummed, starting to lead her down the road and over the bridge. Kanao felt the feeling in her stomach lessen as she tucked the yen back into her obi belt. Otousan would help and now they could get Inosuke's present. It would be perfect for him, she just knew it.

Chapter 14: Long Pig

Chapter Text

The housing was modest and compact, all tan and dark wood that glowed caramel in the golden hue of the street lights dotted along the road. There was an occasional tree amidst the buildings but a far cry from the lush green of Paradise Faith. In the distance Kanao could still hear the low drone of the inner city but further in the housing district the sound was muffled and low. The row of houses were orderly, neat and clean with some having potted plants in windowboxes or elegant wind chimes, and most of the buildings were dark and sleepy.

However the house the woman in the blue dress had entered was lit on the ground floor. Occasionally Kanao could see a silhouette pass the glowing window from her place tucked in Otousan's arms, where he was lurking up within the shadows of the rooftops and nearby buildings. In the distance there was a sharp beep of a locomotive.

"Looks like our friend is a night owl, like us," Otousan said, his breath cold on her ear. "How fortuitous."

Kanao did not really understand what that meant but carried on watching the house. It was surprising how few people ever looked up when they had been moving across the rooftops.

"I have an idea," Otousan brightened, his arms shifting around Kanao as his rainbow eyes glowed in the dark. "We could use the front door, just go on down there and knock. But alas, what would happen if she doesn't answer the door? Or refuses to let us in? Or hides Inosuke's present? What do you think we should do then, Kanao, so that doesn't happen?"

Kanao thought over the words carefully as her eyes scanned the house. Two floors and there was a small balcony on the second, with some little flower pots on the tiny ledge. The veranda door was shut, the windows dark but Kanao thought carefully and decided to answer.

"Then we should go in through the door up there," Kanao pointed at the balcony. "She locked her front door but people sometimes don't lock their windows or upstairs. And then we can see if she put Inosuke's present away. Then we can go downstairs and ask her and if she gets mad again you can talk to her."

A lesson well learned at Paradise Faith as Kanao would often accompany Inosuke in his crawling and climbing and breaking and entering. The upper floors were typically looked over, as if people could not climb and others forgot they could. And Otousan was good with talking with people, since the lady had been so angry before when Kanao tried.

"Also if she yells again, she might wake up the other people sleeping and that would be rude," Kanao finished. "But she might not yell at you."

"You are absolutely right! It would do no good for us to disturb the neighbours. What if they have to wake up early in the morning? It's near midnight, after all. We can't disturb the working-class people so we should be nice and quiet. I agree, you're so smart Kanao!"

She straightened up in Douma's grip as the praise, head bumping against his chin as he leaned forward as a fluttery warm spread through her gut.

Then there was the rush of air and they were on the balcony. A flick of sharp nails and breaking metal, and Otousan was pushing open the door to slink into a dark bedroom with Kanao still held tight to his chest. When he nudged the door shut, a ripple of white frost bloomed across the frame.

He was utterly silent as he walked across the room despite his size, with Kanao still and calm in his grip. Below them she could hear the whistle of a kettle and cutlery clattering but as she glanced around the dark room she could not see the skull nor any package that could hold it.

Otousan must have come to the same conclusion as he let out a hum low enough Kanao could feel it reverberate through her bones before he went out to the hallway. The other rooms upstairs were as dark and empty as the bedroom, with the downstairs light glowing up from the staircase. She could also hear soft instrument music curling through the air.

The woman downstairs did not notice them. She was in the kitchen, in the middle of chopping something at the bench with her back to them through the open doorway. Still wearing the blue dress with the pattern of roses. Otousan eyed her hungrily before sidling over to the front door, pressing a palmful of frost against the frame which spread swirling patterns of snowflakes across the dark wood. The living room was lit with a single golden lamp, filled with western furniture like a tall table surrounded by stools, glass and stone sculptures along the shelves and a potted plant in one corner. Photographs of a family were hanging on the walls. In the middle of the table was the source of the music, a golden gramophone with a dark disk spinning lazily upon it.

While intrigued by the device, Kanao kept her gaze sharp as she peered about the room. Looking intently for the skull before spotting the bag the clerk had put it in on a small side table just inside the kitchen doorway. She tugged on a strand of Otousan's hair to get his attention, pointing to the bag.

Douma grinned, long fangs poking over his lower lip before he put Kanao down. He put a finger against his lips and Kanao nodded, following him along silently as he stepped through the doorway. The woman remained oblivious to their presence, continuing to chop whatever was on the bench. Even when she paused to take the whistling kettle off the oven she did not notice them.

Kanao found it fascinating how the woman did not sense their presence. Kanao had been hunted by her otouto enough to be keyed in when she was being stalked by someone and she would spend much of her free time simply observing people.

It was only when Otousan knocked his knuckles on the door frame that the woman even reacted. Her body jolted violently, spinning around and stumbling back into the bench while still gripping the knife with an expression of severe shock on her face.

"Hello," Douma smiled at her.

"I- who are you?!" the woman shouted, eyes wide and panicked, "How did you get in my house!"

"We came through the door upstairs. But that isn't important."

"Like Hell it isn't! Get out!"

Ignoring her yelling, Otousan spoke, "I'm a kindhearted man. However, I take umbridge with you speaking so rudely to my daughter." His voice became more stern as he said, "Questioning my parenting is one thing but to call Kanao an entitled little brat- what an awful thing to say."

"Get out of my house before I call for the police!" the woman said, her hands tight around the knife.

"Unless you have them hiding in your pantry and cupboards then I really doubt they'll do anything. You see, my dear, I have no intention of letting you leave. Much less live after such callous, cruel words."

The woman's grip shook around the knife and Kanao wondered if it could hurt Otousan. She did not want him hurt over her.

"Do you have a name?" Otousan asked, stepping further into the kitchen with Kanao following at his side.

The woman's breath was coming in short pants, eyes flicking from Douma to the doorway beyond. The knife was shaking in her grip, the blade shining in the soft golden glow of the lights.

"Well since you won't tell me your name, I'll just call you Rin," Otousan shrugged. "Rin, what do you think gives you the right to insult my daughter?"

"Get out!"

Kanao blinked, suddenly alone in the doorway and Otousan was across the kitchen and lifting the woman up in the air with one hand firmly clamped onto her face. There was a strangled noise and Kanao tensed as the knife went into Otousan's shoulder. Only for the blade tip to snap, not even piercing his flesh. With his other hand Douma seized the woman's wrist, twisting it until bones ground together and the blade clattered to the floor.

"I see, you've decided to be difficult and not listen," Otousan said in a conversational tone. "That's fine, I'm quite a good teacher."

Kanao went to the small table shunted against the wall, deftly undoing the knot of the bag handles. She felt some tension leave her as her hands brushed over the curved tusks of the pig skull. Good, she had Inosuke's present.

There was a bang and Kanao looked up to see Otousan slam the woman against the cupboards, making it rattle. A jar of tea rolled off the bench and crashed onto the ground while the air grew colder. The woman's face was shining with tears as she ineffectively clawed at Douma's forearm, his hand still clamped firmly over her mouth. His hand was so large his nails were brushing against her hair while his thumb pressed against her ear.

The lady was being punished for her behaviour, Otousan was always right. Kanao knew that. Everyone at Paradise Faith would tell her that, and he always looked after her. No matter how many things she and Inosuke would break Otousan would never yell or raise a hand to them. The lady was being punished for being rude to her and not answering the questions and trying to stab Otousan with a knife. Even now she was still struggling, feet kicking at Douma's front and knocking against the cabinets as she flailed.

"So feisty, Rin," Douma drawled, nails digging into the woman's face hard enough to make her bleed. "You shouldn't be so noisy. You might wake your neighbours."

Suddenly he turned and threw her into the nearby wall, hard enough a portrait fell. Kanao pressed closer to the wall to avoid getting in the way, one hand grabbing the handles of the bag. Kanao watched as the woman stumbled to her feet, face bloodied and skirts swirling around her as she sprinted for the doorway.

Vines of ice burst from the ground, seizing the woman and yanking her back down to the floor with enough force it made the cabinets rattle. The woman let out a muffled scream as the vines wrapped around her jaw, tightened around her limbs to pin her to the floor like a butterfly in a glass case. Kanao studied the vines in fascination, noting the blooming lotuses of pale shimmering ice at the ends and glass-like leaves dotting their serpentine lengths. Despite the lady's panicked straining, the vines did not lessen.

"Tsk tsk," Otousan walked over to the captive woman, a golden fan held in one hand. He snapped it shut before tapping it against his chin, saying, "What did I say about being noisy? And you didn't even apologize to Kanao for your horrid behaviour. Oh dear. Whatever shall I do? Rarely have I encountered such a rude woman before. Just eating you won't do. I fear the lesson won't sink in, if that's the case."

Kanao relaxed against the wall, eyes following the blooming ice inching its way across the floor. The air was cold but tolerable.

"Oh!" Douma suddenly turned to Kanao with a snap of his fingers, smile wide and eyes glittering, "How about we use this opportunity for a biology lesson, hm? Remember how I told you pigs and humans are similar on the inside?"

Kanao nodded, the pearls in her hairpin bobbing with the movement.

"How about I show you then," Otousan said, smiling getting so wide his eyes shut. "Bring that stool from the living room over, wouldn't want anything to get on that nice kimono of yours."

Kanao obeyed, going to the living room to take one of the stools and bringing it with her into the kitchen where the woman was bound on the floor. Otousan settled down crosslegged next to the woman, the vines around her body constricting slightly. Her muffled grunts were soft, occasionally joined by the creak of the icy plants.

Kanao set down the stool a few feet from the woman and tangle of lotus vines, out of reach of the frost dusting the floor. Kanao sat down on the stool as primly as possible in a kimono, with her hands resting on her knees as she devoted her full attention on her father. Otousan grinned at her, before directing his gaze to the bound woman.

"Rin? Are you comfortable?" Douma leaned forward to stare down at the lady. She grunted, tear tracks gleaming on her face as she twitched and shuddered but the vines did not budge even as Otousan continued, "Don't worry, the cold means you won't bleed out that quickly! Kanao is such a lovely student, so attentive, but I do like to be thorough. You just lay there and be a good girl. Can you do that for me, Rin?"

The woman's breath was tight and panicked, wet and stuttering beneath the tangle of vines obscuring her mouth. Her fingers were digging into the floor, nails scrabbling uselessly at the frosty wood.

"Now, biology is the study of life," Douma said. "Very interesting stuff. It's all about anatomy, behaviours, physiology and origins. But in this lesson we'll be focused on anatomy. Do you know what that is, Kanao?"

Kanao thought over the question very carefully. It took her nearly a minute to answer, running through everything she had learned but it was one conversation with Rojin she felt answered the question. When he had shown her one of the lotus blossoms when he had been tending to the inside gardens, pointing out the petals, the stem, the leaves, the roots and how he explained it to her.

"It is how things are structured," she said.

"Yes! Very much so. Now, there are four major components of the human anatomy to the human body. Bones, muscle, fat and organs," Otousan said, counting off his fingers as he talked. "For the first group, the bones, there are two hundred and six in the human body, but when humans are born there's actually around three hundred! But when they grow they fuse together. Upon that there is the muscles, connected to the skeletons through tendons. Then there's the fat, which helps keep people warm and insulated, and if they start starving then their body will consume it. And of course the organs, my personal favourite. Everything from your heart and lungs to your liver and kidneys!"

Kanao listened intently; she was familiar with those terms, having seen them be used in the kitchens. Broth made from bones and fat, horumon where the offal was grilled or added to soups. Same with the meat, that was Inosuke's favourite so she knew how to cook it well. He always liked to eat thick chunks of meat, gnawing at it like a little beast and getting the juices all over his hands and face.

Douma reached out and ran his hand over the bound woman's brow, ignoring her muffled sobs as he spoke, "The largest human organ is actually the skin. Most people don't realize it's an organ and it is thickest on the back. Nice and chewy but makes for poor leather."

Otousan then told Kanao of what was in the human skin; the glands and layers. How the only part of the skin without hair was palms, soles of the feet and lips. Kanao did not know people were so furry. Through it all he kept patting the woman's face on the ground, long talons making near invisible lines of red on her pale sweaty skin.

"Hair isn't so tasty though," Douma made a face before he looped a finger through the lady's short dark hair and then ripped the coil free of her scalp. There was a muffled grunt, her body seizing as blood began to seep from the patch on her forehead. In the cold the blood quickly began to congeal as Otousan offered the lock of hair to Kanao.

She took it, inspecting it closely. Black like her own but wavy and curly whereas Kanao's own was straight.

"Black hair is the most common in Japan," Otousan said. "Also brown. But you get people with white hair and grey though it's a lot more rare. Also colour gradients, tips of it turning different hues. Or like mine! Golden hair is a lot rarer. My moron parents thought that was what made me special along with my eyes. And then there's us demons who tend to have such colourful hair, I know someone with pink hair. So fluffy! Not sure why its like that though, since That Man has black hair. But mine was like this when I was human. Well, besides the red up top. Not sure why that appeared but I do like the colour."

Kanao nodded. Yes, most people at Paradise Faith had black or brown hair. The older ones had grey hair. Or like Rojin, who was going grey despite his youth. But the skull in the vase room still had such long dark hair.

"But!" Otousan snapped his fingers. "Back to the organs! One of the most noticed of all on the human body is the eyeball! It tends to be the first thing people focus on when meeting each other. Even mine, before my rank was etched upon them. You also have special eyes, Kanao. You can see so much. But not all people can."

Then Douma reached down and nonchalantly plucked out the left eyeball of the bound woman. Her scream of agony was loud even while muffled, body thrashing violently against the vines as blood spilled over her face to splatter onto the floor as Otousan tugged the eyeball free of its crimson socket, a long thread from the orb snapping apart.

Smiling, Otousan let the eyeball rest in the palm on his hand while jostling it around as if it were a marble. He began to point out what each part was to Kanao, ignoring the strangled sobs and struggles of the woman on the floor as he did so. Kanao kept her attention focused on her father, also ignoring the muffled sobbing. Pupil, iris, optic nerve; all new things for her to learn. He even carefully cut open the jelly-like eyeball to pull out the tiny lens, nestled directly behind the iris.

"It's why the eye is such a good place to target someone when attacking," Otousan said. "The veins, see here? They're nerves. People tend to panic when blinded, even Slayers, and the eyeballs are so soft and easy to puncture."

Yes, Kanao nodded as she remembered. Her kanzashi was pointed. She could see how it would be easy to pierce an eye.

"Rin? You alright down there?" Douma looked down at the woman. Already the blood had filled her empty eye socket, the entire left side of her face stained in red, but it was now sluggish and thick. The cold preventing her from bleeding down. Otousan smiled at the woman who continued to sob in pain, before tossing the eyeball into his fanged mouth and swallowing it whole.

The blood on Otousan's hand seemed to sink into his skin, vanishing into his flesh as if it had never been there.

"Now, on to the other organs!" Douma clapped his hands together. "Most are inside the body, beneath the skin and muscles. I'll just need to crack her open. Don't pass out on me, Rin! This is important to Kanao's education. And don't worry, I'll make sure to freeze your veins shut as I cut. Can't have you dying on us."

He snapped open his golden fan, the lotus blossoms etched within glittering in the light of the kitchen. The vines shifted around the woman, shifting down to expose her torso as they wrapped more firmly around her limbs, throat and lower face. Her sobs were shaky, her remaining eye fixed on Kanao as tears leaked down her cheek.

With swift movements Otousan cut off the woman's dress, the dark blue fabric slicing easily against the razor-sharp edge of the fan. In short order the woman was naked, Douma tossing aside her ruined dress in a heap in the corner with the broken jar.

Kanao was unbothered, as occasionally she would share a bath with Misaki or the other women of Paradise Faith. The woman bound on the floor looked much the same as all other nude woman she had seen.

Then the edge of the fan deftly cut into the woman's chest, her body struggling violently against the vines as Otousan cut a long deep Y shape into her chest. Stretching down from shoulders to sternum, slicing down just before her groin. Tiny spirals of frost followed the cuts, preventing blood from gushing as the freezing ice seemed to seal the slices open.

Otousan tugged open the cuts, peeling back the skin to reveal the crimson, trembling muscle beneath. Kanao, even at a safe distance, could see how the heaving breath of the woman frosted with each exhale, the steam raising from the exposed muscles. The way her remaining eye rolled up into her head and her body started seizing as Otousan finished peeling open her chest.

"The muscles! Can't move without them," Otousan smiled at Kanao before he reached out to the exposed muscles, dragging a long nail down the twitching red mass.

He explained some of it to her, the streaks of white fat threaded through the red and thick yellow sacks of the breasts. The different ways different muscles were shaped, the abdominal, pectoral. The exposed bone of the sternum and clavicle. The most common muscle of the human body was the skeletal muscles, attached to the bones by tendons while smooth muscles surrounded the organs. The strongest muscle was apparently in the human jaw while one of the more powerful was located in the thighs and backside. There was also the muscles of the uterus, that could stretch and contract with extreme force.

"One of the reasons you ladies are so nutritious," Otousan told Kanao with a sharp grin.

Then he dug at the exposed muscle on the left side of the woman's ruddy chest to show the raised lines of the ribs, ignoring the way she was spasming and twitching on the ground. Her breath was strangled and sporadic, feet hitting the ground and fingers scrabbling uselessly on the floor.

"Rin? Have you passed out yet?" Otousan asked her conversationally as he carefully cut through the four uppermost ribs of her chest. "No? Oh it must be painful then. Don't worry, you're being so good for Kanao. She's learning so much with your help. Just think of nothing, for that's all that awaits you once I'm done."

When he pulled the curved bones free, muscles clung doggedly to them. He ate three of them, crunching upon them as if they were freshly fried tempura. He licked the blood off his lips before snapping the remaining one in half.

"See this different colour inside?" Otousan asked her, handing over the bloodied bone to Kanao. "That's the marrow. Do you know what marrow is for?"

"It is to make ramen," Kanao said.

Otousan laughed, "Well I suppose you're right! Tonkotsu broth looks all milky white because the pork bones are boiled with the marrow, aren't they? But in nature marrow helps produce blood cells. It helps keep the bones healthy and strong, so it is quite spongy compared to the bones themself. Touch it."

Kanao touched the marrow inside the bone, noting how it was indeed soft compared to the hard exterior shell.

He took the bone from her, swallowing it down with a sharp clack of teeth. Then he grinned at her, "And now for one of the most important organs in the human body! And just like a pig's. The heart. The heart is a muscular organ, one of the most robust and hardworking of all the organs in the human body! It is located just slightly left of the sternum and it is around the size of your fist."

She clenched her hand, looking down at her fist with curiosity. Her heart must be that big. Otousan's heart would be a lot bigger, since he was so much taller than her.

"A pig the same weight as a human actually have the same size hearts. So fascinating, isn't it? Do you think so, Rin?"

Kanao looked down to the woman bound on the floor; she was still alive but Kanao did not think she was aware of much. Through the split of her rib cage, Kanao could see the crimson mass of her heart. It was fascinating to see it pump, slow and sporadic. The woman must be very stressed but the cold meant her heart was slow. That must be why Otousan's own heartbeat was so slow, since he could do ice magic.

Reaching over the woman, Otousan stroked her unnaturally pale brow in a tender gesture before dragging his hand down her face, her throat, sinking in crimson furrows before burrowing his hand into the gap of the rib cage. He simply held the sluggishly beating heart in his hand for a long moment.

Otousan ripped out the heart. It stopped beating. And all movement and the strangled, choked sounds below stopped.

There, Otousan told Kanao about the heart. The valves and chambers, the aorta. How the largest arteries stemming from the human heart was the mesmeric, carotid, brachial and femoral.

"You slice open one of these veins and a human dies in minutes or even seconds," Otousan explained. "There is so much pressure in those veins it just sprays out everywhere. The easiest to reach is the carotid, which is in the throat. If you use your fingers you can actually feel your heartbeat through it."

Kanao did so even if Douma had to help guide her hand, the other holding the disembodied heart, until her fingers were pressed to the soft skin at the underside of her jaw. There she could feel the soft throb against her fingertips, the steady pulse of her heart.

From there Otousan went through the calm, steady task of showing her the other organs within the human body. The vines slowly slid back into nothing, dissolving into the ground as he swallowed down the heart and then cracked open the rib cage fully. He pried free the lungs, bright and pink. The left was slightly smaller to make room for the heart, he explained. He also breathed into them, through the fleshy tube of the trechea and Kanao watched in interest as they expanded like balloons before sagging again.

"Slayers have the most delicious of lungs," Otousan told her cheerfully, having bitten out one of the lobes to show her the root-like mass inside. "Because they have all these special breathing techniques. By far my favourite part of them to eat!"

There was the stomach, which Otousan said was the source of all energy in the body. The spleen, a small organ just above the stomach. The spleen helped filter blood and keep the body healthy just like the liver. The pancreas, which produced chemicals which the human system needed. The gallbladder, which produced bile for digesting. The kidneys, which helped control the volume of fluids. The intestines, the smaller rope-like ones and the ribbed large ones. Each time he would bite open the organ and let her see inside.

There was also the uterus, even if Otousan noted with some disappointment it was empty. He suggested they could find a full one later. Kanao found it strange how a human could grow in there. But then, trees grew from seeds so she supposed it wasn't that strange.

By the end of it the kitchen floor was a bloody mess, pieces of partially eaten organ strewn about and shards of bone scattered across the ground. The bloody red mass on the floor was largely hollowed, with only the limbs being intact. The rest gutted.

Each time she was shown something Kanao noted how similar the organs were to pigs. She had helped enough in the kitchens at Paradise Faith to know what offal looked like and it was interesting how close the two species were.

Then Otousan cracked open the skull to pry out the brain. Pink and wrinkled, Kanao found it fascinating as Otousan held it up for her to inspect. It was made up of three lobes, the biggest being the forebrain, the longer part near the lower side being the midbrain, while the part that had connected to the spine being the hindbrain and then the thick root of the brainstem.

"It's also why humans die when you snap their necks, since the brainstem is there. Break that connection and the human body cannot function. Of course you're quite little, Kanao. I don't think you can snap necks yet. So remember the veins, the eyes. Maybe when you're bigger you could do that."

Yes. Misaki had told her that as well. It was dangerous for a young girl like herself. Some people would try to harm her.

He then ripped out the throat of the body, pulling out a horse-shoe shaped bone from within with clinging bits of red hanging onto it. "The hyoid," he said brightly, handing it over to Kanao. "It's the only bone in the human body that isn't connected to the skeleton. Isn't that fascinating?"

Kanao nodded because it did sound interesting. When she gave the bone back, Otousan snapped it between his teeth like chopsticks.

The rest was the muscles in the arms, the legs. Muscles much like all others being red and thick with fibers. He even pulled them open to show her the arteries nestled inside, even if the blood was stagnant now and did nothing but ooze slowly like syrup.

Once done with that Otousan looked across the kitchen, eyeing the clock on the wall, "Hm, we actually still have quite a bit of time left before morning and we're all but done here anyway. It's only just after midnight. I have an acquaintance of mine working at the Yoshiwara district. Would you like to visit her, Kanao? You could tell her all you learned about the human body. She would also have many pretty fabrics, so you could wrap up Inosuke's gift! And I have to give her some of those boring books I picked up. What do you say? Or would you rather go home?"

Kanao thought about that for a long moment. She was rather tired but not yet exhausted. She was more accustomed with staying up long in the night. And if Otousan's acquaintance had pretty ribbons for her to wrap up Inosuke's present then she would be pleased. So after a moment she told him she would like to visit the friend.

Douma laughed brightly, "Oh wonderful! Daki will adore you, I just know it! Now how about you grab Inosuke's present while I clean up this mess eh? No good to ruin the floors."

She nodded, hopping off the stool as Otousan grabbed the limp body. She saw him press it against his chest like the facsimile of a hug while the blood upon the floor seemed to slither towards him to seep through his skin, before she turned and took the stool back to the living room and then placing it back at the table.

The gramophone was silent and after a moment Kanao turned the handle until the soft music began again. She would like to have such a device. She could ask Otousan when her birthday happened for such a thing for her to have and listen to music.

When she went back to the kitchen, Kanao checked the bag and pulled free the tusked skull. It was just as it was in the shop and she was pleased the lady had not damaged it as she turned it back and forth. Now the lady was dead and Kanao felt nothing. Instead she was pleased as she put the skull back and then hugged the bag to her chest, cradling it in her arms.

By then Douma had gotten to his feet and all evidence of the biology lesson was gone. The floor was clean, with not a drop of blood behind. It was if the woman had never existed. Kanao found it curious, how his skin had seemed to absorb the blood so quickly. It must be like his frost powers, Kanao decided.

Otousan smiled at her, approaching her on silent footsteps.

"Did you like the lesson?" he asked her, rainbow eyes gleaming.

Kanao nodded. It was very informative.

Still smiling he reached out and took one of her wrists, inspecting her hand carefully as he turned it back and forth. Kanao blinked slowly, letting him look over her hand. Then he checked her pulse before brushing a thumb over her temple.

"Ah, not a single shake or drop of sweat. You're such a smart, wonderful girl. What a load of hogwash that woman was saying," Douma said, taking Kanao's face in his hands. "Why would I want to change anything about you? You're the most perfect daughter anyone could ask for, Kanao."

He then leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss upon her forehead, lips cold against her skin and leaving behind the slightest hint of red.

Chapter 15: Warabihime-Oiran

Chapter Text

"Hello, Daki! What a lovely night. My, you get more beautiful each time I see you."

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm working! Don't just come in through my window like that."

"Well it wasn't a window, it was dear Nakami-chan. Though I don't see anyone else in here. Unless- oh no, are you mad at me?"

The woman sitting in the room was scowling heavily at Douma, back stiff and a deep crease between her brows. In her clawed hands was a delicate brush, with an assortment of makeup strewn before her. A lone polished mirror was tilted up towards the woman. Otherwise room was sparse, walls covered in delicate, intricate paintings of a bamboo forest and blooming roses, while being lit with two oil lamps bracketing the shoji door that led into the building. There was a distant murmur of voices and the even more distant noise of a street.

The woman jabbed the brush at Douma, baring sharp fangs at him and Kanao noted with interest the stranger was also a demon even as she continued to argue with Otousan in scathing tones, "If I was mad this would already be in your eye! I told you before, quit bothering me while I'm at work. What do you even want?"

"Well I do have some fun books for you especially since you meet new people so often. They're full of botany and random abstract knowledge and the like, I know it's your favourite topic!"

"Urgh."

Otousan kept Kanao in his lap as he spoke to the other demon and she was content with it. The skull was cradled securely against her chest and her head was tucked underneath Douma's chin. His body was cold but her kimono was warm. Occasionally he would tap a sharp talon against the pearls danging from her hairpin, like a distracted cat.

Kanao could see past the woman's disguise of a human, much like with her Otousan. She could see the woman's long fangs and sharp talons, could see the two pink flowers tattooed upon her face, could see the demon's bright green eyes with their crimson pupils. Could see the kanji written in pitch black lines upon her iris.

上弦の陸

Kanao remembered Otousan's words that he was the third strongest; there were the six strongest demons, then That Man her father never really spoke of. And another six her Otousan couldn't be bothered to even remember the names of. Since this new demon was Upper Moon Six, then Kanao assumed the authority counted down. So in terms of power she was at the bottom though Kanao knew that did not mean much to a human.

Though she could not help but wonder what magic Upper Six could perform. Otousan had ice. Maybe Upper Six had fire? Wind? Some other type of elemental magic? Kanao did not know enough about demons and their magics. But she knew Otousan was cold and his heart was slow and flesh was chilly. This demon had pretty pink flowers on her face, still visible beneath the chalk-white powder covering most of it. Could she make flowers and plants?

Daki's kimono was purple with a trailing skirt, her haori a pure white with black patterns winding across it. Her dark hair was pulled back, heavily decorated with glittering kanzashi of tortoiseshell, gold, silver and inlaid with various sparkling gemstones. At her front was a thick obi belt. The fabric was pink, crossed with stripes of gold and black flowers but it seemed strange to her and Kanao was unsure why. Just something nudging at her mind, to be wary of the belt. Almost as if it were a snake in the grass. Something that seemed certain when Otousan gave the woman the books he had been grabbing in the city. She seemed very annoyed but took them from him, even if her red-painted lips were curled into a snarl the entire time, and when she tucked them into her obi belt it was if they vanished completely like the fabric swallowed them whole.

"Why don't you do this stupid crap yourself?" the demoness was saying, making a violent motion with a hand. "It's so boring. I actually have a job. You just lounge about at that farm of yours doing nothing all day."

"But you're so smart and resourceful! Why wouldn't I let you take over?"

The woman subtly preened at the words, despite her body language still being irritated with a snarl on her face, "You're right about all that but it's still annoying. And what's with that girl? Isn't she a bit young for your usual taste?"

"Ah, my manamusume," Otousan jostled Kanao as he grinned down at her, fangs flashing gold in the lamp light. "Why don't you introduce yourself to Daki?"

Kanao nodded once before obeying, saying flatly, "I am Hashibira Kanao."

"And how about you tell us what's written in Daki's lovely eyes?"

"Upper Moon Six."

"Very good!"

The demoness looked taken aback. "What? How can she see that? My eyes are transformed. Only Hashira notice."

"My Kanao has special eyes. Even when she was a little girl tied to that wall all those horrible years ago, she saw right through me!" Douma's smile grew wider, nearly showing his gums. "She's such a smart girl. Never afraid, so calm and intelligent."

"So what, you decided to play...I don't know, happy human families with her just because her eyes are strange?" Daki said, looking disturbed. She briefly bared her teeth at Kanao before looking back to Douma.

"Well why not?" Otousan shrugged, jostling Kanao with the movement. "Don't you frolic with the humans of this house, a little makeshift family? You've got that adorable little assistant of yours..."

"I ate her, stupid little bitch broke the mirror again," Daki snapped.

"Ara ara, what a shame. Luckily Kanao is such a smart girl, she would never do anything like that," Otousan said as he hugged Kanao tight enough her breath puffed out. She liked it when he hugged her, it made her feel safe even if he was cold. She also liked hugging Inosuke.

"Whatever," Daki said, giving Kanao a nasty look as if she'd insulted her before directing her attention back at Douma. "What else do you want?"

"It's the Entertainment District," Douma said cheerfully, maneuvering Kanao off his lap so she was sitting next to him. She kept the bag close as Douma rose to his feet, "And I'm a wee bit tired from all this parenting, as wonderful as it is. Daki, would you be a dear and take care of Kanao for me while I look through the local wares? Don't worry, Kanao's a gentle girl and she knows my diet. She won't be a bother."

"What? I'm no nursemaid!"

"Oh how wonderful, thank you so much," Douma then turned to Kanao and patted her on the head, saying, "Now you be a good girl for Daki, won't you?"

Kanao nodded.

"Hey! Get back here you asshole-"

Kanao did not mind as Douma seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving Daki snarling at nothing. Otousan had helped her get Inosuke's gift so she was pleased to have her. She had not met another demon before either- or spirit, she wasn't sure how much of it crossed over with one another -so did not mind being left with Daki. The demoness was interesting, she was very loud and emotional which was a contrast to Otousan's neutrality.

It looked almost as if Daki was going to pursue him, half raising from seiza with her fingers stretched into claws before she settled back down with a grunt. The belt at her waist seemed to twitch, flexing slightly with an unnatural fluid movement.

Then she gave Kanao a nasty look, the smooth skin of her brow contorting with her glare. Kanao just watched her back impassively. The light from the lamps seemed to thicken the shadows of Daki's face, her odd coloured eyes glowing in the dim light.

"You know Douma doesn't care about you, right?" Daki said to her, voice biting. "He's just fattening you up like a hog until you're big enough to eat. He eats people, you know that right? He especially likes women."

Kanao stared at her.

The demon's smile contorted into a heavy snarl, leaning forward further to glare at her, "He's going to eat you. At the moment you're too skinny and small, ugly and worthless. Do you actually think he cares about you? That he actually thinks you're his daughter?"

Kanao stared at her.

Daki's glare intensified, flaring with an unnatural light as the demoness showed large fangs, "Can you move or speak? Or are you just some braindead doll Douma lugs about, some stupid dog who only barks at his command?"

Kanao stared at her.

"Answer me, you little brat!"

The demon bristled, violence reverberating throughout her body before she swung back a pale hand. An instant before it collided with Kanao's face the demoness froze, her nose crinkling as she hissed lowly like a cat. But Kanao could see the way her eyes flicked towards the door Douma had left through. Then, very slowly, Daki lowered her hand even if her features remained pinched and displeased.

Kanao blinked once, realizing with some curiosity this demon was afraid of Otousan. Or rather, afraid of the consequences of hitting Kanao when Douma had explicitly told Daki to look after her. So he was stronger than Daki. Kanao felt pleased that even if Otousan was not with her he was still protecting her.

Then there was soft footsteps from outside and Kanao heard a voice call through the door, "Warabihime-Oiran? I thought your client has left for the night, is everything alright?"

After another glare Daki gracefully rose to her feet in a flurry of silks and gleaming gold thread. Kanao looked at the paintings on the walls as Daki slid open the door, addressing whoever was on the other side as Okami-san. A short, hushed conversation and then Daki swept back into the room looking disgruntled.

"Stupid bitch," she grumbled, movements fluid despite her annoyance.

Then she loomed behind Kanao, using her height to cast a dark shadow over her. Kanao didn't care. She leaned over, using a sharp talon to pry open the bag enough to see the skull inside.

"Why do you have that thing?" Daki said in disgusted tones.

"It is for my otouto's birthday. That is why Otousan took me to the city so I could get him a gift."

"Little brother?" a pause. "Another pet for him, I suppose. He's strange."

Daki straightened back up, making her way back to the mirror before kneeling down. She beckoned to Kanao with a clawed hand, looking over her shoulder with a bright eye.

"You won't be an oiran. Only the most beautiful, like me, can be one," Daki said with a dismissive huff, "You're too short and ugly for that. But since Douma left you here I have to do something with you, so you can be a maiko. So come here while I try to fix your ugliness."

Kanao did so. She placed the skull safely next to her and sat patiently.

Daki was brash and hot tempered, but her hands were steady as she washed Kanao's face clean with a damp cloth and then picked up a brush to dip it into a small pot of bintsuke-abura. She brushed Kanao's face with the oil, leaving her feeling greasy, along with a strip across her nape. Once done, Daki then used a bamboo brush to start applying a white powder across Kanao's features.

"It's to make your skin pale and smooth, easily seen in the dark district like the face of the moon shining forth among the dull stars. White skin covers the seven flaws. Not like some sun-burnt peasant toiling in the fields," Daki said confidently, the kanzashi in her elaborate hair shimmering in the light as she leaned forward slightly.

Kanao didn't understand why working in the fields was a bad thing, since sometimes she and Inosuke would do so with Misaki, but nonetheless sat still as Daki powdered her face with rhythmic movements. The powder felt strange on her skin. Some of the women at Paradise Faith would wear such things but it would only be slight. Not the thick masks like Daki wore over her self or the one she was putting on Kanao. But now the demoness wasn't trying to strike her anymore so Kanao did not mind.

Once done with covering Kanao's face in white, along with some upon her nape, Daki switched to a thinner brush to paint over her whitened eyebrows in rich black and then added some crimson to her eyelids.

"Only use black, red and white for your face," Daki sniffed. "Stupider people take more time to adjust it, but I know what I'm doing. We beautiful, powerful demons are better than any of you."

Kanao waited patiently as Daki then coloured her lower lip in red. It tasted strange but she ignored the urge to lick. It was interesting, having the demoness paint her like a doll. Her touch was not cold like Otousan's, instead her skin felt like any human.

Daki dabbed off any excess moisture from Kanao's lip before giving a satisfied nod. Outside the room there was a brief hum of voices as a group of people walking past in the house.

She set down her tool before regarding Kanao with a judging eye, tapping a sharp talon against her chin while muttering to herself, "I suppose your kimono is rich enough, with that silk and golden thread...But that hair is terrible."

Kanao did not think so. She did not mind her hair. Having her fringe cut short meant it would not catch fire whenever she did something wrong in the kitchen. Though she did twitch slightly as Daki took the lotus pin from her hair, keeping ahold of Kanao's ponytail with her other hand to prevent it from falling across her nape.

"What's with this pin?" Daki asked as she turned it around in inspection, the string of pearls swinging.

"Otousan gifted it to me in the skull room. He gave me permission to stab people with it if they attempt to harm me."

Daki blinked at her before letting out a snort. "Of course he did. And well yes, humans do so scream and panic when they loose an eye. They are soft and delectable. I suppose Douma is right about that, you have rather pretty eyes..."

When Daki attacked her hair, it left Kanao with a hairstyle more elaborate than most. It reminded her of the times Misaki would do up her hair whenever there were festivals though this time Daki called it wareshinobu. Almost like a shell, secured with silken red ribbons and then so many kanzashi spearing through her black tresses. The whole time Daki had a look of concentration, her tongue sticking out slightly between her fangs as she brushed and twisted Kanao's hair to her satisfaction. Occasionally Daki would pull a hairpin from her obi belt, seemingly out of thin air.

"They should match with the month and its flower, but you'll take what I give you," she said grumpily, as if expecting Kanao to complain.

Kanao was pleased when Daki returned her lotus hairpin, sliding it next to one carved from jade and dripping emeralds. The demoness fussed for some moments, adjusting a hairpin, smoothing a wayward strand, dabbing at the red streak across her eyelids.

"Now you're presentable," Daki said with a satisfied smile. She snatched up the mirror in clawed hands, holding it up to Kanao's face. "Not just some ugly little girl are you?"

She stared at her reflection. Kanao wasn't so sure with Daki's words, as her face was painted up pale with red and black like one of the women within an ink painting. The kanzashi in her long dark hair was very sparkly though and Kanao supposed it was good. Not as good as the pin Otousan had given her.

"Why am I even asking you, of course you look good," Daki huffed, seemingly irritated at not getting a response. "Your opinion is worthless, anyway."

Kanao did not respond to that, watching the demoness idly as Daki set down the mirror hard enough she cracked the glass. She was very emotional compared with Otousan. Maybe it was because he could use ice magic? Kanao thought of those icy lotus vines and how snowflakes had spread over the wooden door frames. The woman's insides had been so red against the snowy white and blue.

"Oniichan!" Daki suddenly snapped, "Wake up and admire what I've done! It's perfect. Look at it!"

There was a long silence, where Kanao just watched Daki as the demoness' expression grew increasingly irritated as the room remained still and quiet. Beyond, Kanao could hear the faint noises of footsteps and inaudible speaking in the streets beyond. Kanao did not know who Daki was speaking to. Perhaps a ghost or spirit?

Puffing out her cheeks, Daki straightened up as her hands clenched in the rich purple fabric of her obi belt.

"Oniichan!"

It was a tone Kanao instantly recognized, one Inosuke would use on her when he wanted her attention but she was focused on something else. A sharp, high-pitched whine. Kanao did not know demons could also do that.

There was another pause and then Daki twitched violently, leaning over as if she was about to bow and Kanao watched as another form began to abruptly grow from her back with the sound of ripping flesh while Daki's clothes seem to shed from her like snakeskin. The other form growing and growing even as the air seemed to thicken, until there was another person in the room who tugged themself free of Daki's back.

Chapter 16: Upper Moon Six

Chapter Text

The new demon was fascinating. Even just watching him pull himself free from Daki's back intrigued Kanao; it was like the flesh had just slithered outwards to transform into an entirely new person. Kanao wondered if this demon was hungry, as she could see all of his ribs pressed tight against his skin and the severe concave of his abdomen despite his broad shoulders and muscular arms. There were various dark splotches across his skin, as if someone had spilled ink over him.

In all, Kanao found him very fascinating. Both Douma and Daki looked very much like humans besides their eyes and teeth. But this new one did not much resemble a human mimic. Kanao thought he should eat more, if he ate like Otousan maybe his tummy would not be so skinny.

His hair reminded her of Inosuke, as his black hair had started gaining blue tips as he grew it out while the demon's changed to green from black. Kanao's own hair remained a solid dark hue like black satin.

To the side Daki shucked off her lavish kimono, folding it up and leaving her scantily clad and showing a great deal of her pale skin. She did have on thigh high stockings covered in pretty patterns of flowers and the strange pink obi belt was still around her waist.

Kanao decided they must be like Inosuke, who disliked shirts with severe passion, since neither sibling seemed to be wearing much.

"See?" Daki suddenly grabbed onto Kanao's shoulder, gesturing towards Kanao's face as the demoness puffed out her chest, "Look at this. Isn't she perfect? No one else could do it better."

A groan from the other demon, who was rubbing at his eye with a yawn, "Is this only why you woke me up?"

Daki bristled like an angry cat, "Shut up and appreciate it!"

"Fine."

The other demon crouched down in front of Kanao, his slanted eyes studying her closely. Like Daki, written within his iris were the kanji of Upper Moon Six. He also had the same green and red iris though the whites of his eyes were a warm orange.

"Huh, look at you," the demon co*cked his head to the side, peeling his lips back slightly to show rows of long sharp teeth.

Kanao noted with interest all his teeth were sharp and pointy, like a sharks. Otousan and Daki had elongated incisors but this other demon had so many fangs.

He reached out and cupped Kanao's head in his hands. His skin was hot against hers as he tilted her face from side to side, saying, "You have such a sweet little face. No scars or anything. Such big, pretty eyes. Hair is all nice as well, so shiny. All tied up, so pretty."

To the side Daki's own hair had started moving like a living thing, the black strands shifting from its elaborate hairstyle as it wrapped around the various kanzashi inserted in her locks and pulling them free. Then the demoness then would tuck them into her obi belt, which sucked them into nothing with ripples of pink fabric.

The other demon continued touching Kanao, grabbing one of her hands in his much larger one. He inspected her nails, rubbing a thumb over the back of her hand, "Eh, all that smooth pale skin. No scars. Same with that kimono of yours, that's the richest silk you can get isn't it? And golden thread, nice...nice..."

His voice was interesting, drawn out and raspy. Even his face, with its sharp angles and eyes like half moons and all those pointy teeth.

"The name's Gyutaro," he said, leaning down further so he was nearly nose to nose with her. "But I bet your name is something really pretty like the rest of you, isn't it? Like Airi or Mayumi or Setsuko? Something pretty and sweet to match that face..."

Kanao continued to stare at him, studying the way the orange of his eyes seemed to shift to black at the very edge. But despite their differences Kanao could see the familiarity in both demons features, of their shared blood, their siblinghood.

After a moment Gyutaro rocked back on his heels, glancing to his sister as he said, "What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know. She's been like that ever since she showed up. Just sitting there like some dumb doll. But she's a pretty one now, isn't she?" the demoness seemed determined to have her brother praise her.

"Yeah, yeah. Painted all up like a cute little kokeshi. My little sis knows her way around a brush."

Daki puffed herself up again, look inordinately pleased at the words. By then her hair was loose and so long it was coiled on the ground around her from where she was sitting with only a few hairpins still skewering the dark locks.

Gyutaro grunted, looking both exasperated and fond before directing his attention back to Kanao. He touched her face again, small smears of white makeup dotting his gnarled fingers.

"Pretty pretty eyes..." his lips peeled back into a sharp smile, so wide his gums were showing. His hand cupped her face and he moved his thumb, pressing onto her eyelid-

"Don't hurt her!" Daki snapped, slapping aside Gyutaro's hand. "She belongs to Douma."

"Eh?" Gyutaro made a face. "Thought he liked older ladies..."

Daki grimaced, her features twisting into something ugly as she said, "Not like that, he called her his 'darling daughter'. He's playing house with her for some stupid reason. It's not even like the rest of that human farm he has."

"Ehhh, he's a weird guy," Gyutaro blinked once, slow and indolent like a cat.

"That girl is weird as well. Just sitting there and doing nothing," Daki said, giving Kanao another nasty look. But the demoness wasn't trying to hurt her so Kanao didn't care.

The siblings seemed rather content to largely ignore Kanao and talk amongst themselves which she did not mind. She would also prefer interacting with Inosuke over strangers.

"Thought you'd like that," Gyutaro teased, sitting back on his rump with a grunt. "Since you complain all the time about all those other noisy little sh*ts."

"Hm. She was easy enough to paint up so she isn't ugly but as I told that dumbass, I'm not a nursemaid! Why would he just dump his kid on me? And there was his whole 'oh she's such a sweet darling girl teehee oh here's some boring crap for you my lovely Daki dear-' ugh you know how he gets when he'd being annoying," Daki grumbled, flopping onto her back with her hair strewn about her.

"Yeah but what's with the girl? Why is she..." Gyutaro made a motion towards his head, giving Kanao a odd look as she continued to stare at him. He was very interesting to watch, looking so different from Daki and Otousan. His teeth were so sharp and his voice scratchy, almost wheezy.

"I don't know. She's been like that the whole time, with Douma just cuddling her like a puppy or something when he showed up. At least she's obedient and not crying like those other stupid bitches in this house. They piss me off so bad, I need to give them something to actually cry about."

"She ain't crying."

"She's messed up. There's something broken in her head. Douma did something to her. She doesn't even care, didn't even care about you showing up. Her eyes are different as well, she could see the kanji in mine," Daki said, tapping a talon on her cheek. "She sat there staring until Douma told her to speak. It's like she's dead already."

"Huh."

Gyutaro shuffled over to Kanao, his movements oddly jerky like an insect. Daki rolled onto her side, propping herself up on an elbow and resting her chin on her hand. Kanao watched as the demon fished out the skull from the bag at her side, his features twisting up quizzically as he held the skull in his hand.

"The f*ck is this?"

"It is a babirusas skull," Kanao said. "Their tusks can grow so long they punctured their own brains. It is a pig. Pigs and boars are the same but one is domesticated."

"Some ugly f*ckin' thing though. Why would a pretty little girl have it, eh?" Gyutaro's voice grew nasty and Kanao did not know why he was getting annoyed. Maybe he disliked skulls? Otousan liked them but then demons must have different tastes. She wondered what Gyutaro's powers were and what he liked. Maybe he liked green things, like his hair.

"Otousan said you would have pretty fabrics to wrap it in," Kanao intoned. "It is a birthday present."

"Oh did he?" Daki seemed amused. "Is that why your daddy brought you here? To dress up your little brother's present?"

Kanao said nothing, just continued to stare mutely at the demoness until she scowled. Gyutaro meanwhile was still poking at the skull, running a finger along the curve of the tusks.

"So that's the only reason Douma is even in Tokyo?" Daki said, her obi belt shifting around her waist like a living thing. "To what, buy a damn birthday present for one of his human pets?"

"Yes."

Kanao wasn't sure why the siblings were annoyed with her answer but she knew Otousan knew them both and she would base all her behaviour on supporting Inosuke and Douma. Therefore she felt that Otousan would want her to speak to the two demon siblings. It would make sense if they were associates, especially since Upper Six were part of the group Douma spoke of unlike the other half dozen that he could not even remember the names of. So it would be best if she tried.

"We looked for gifts," Kanao said, staring at Gyutaro who squinted at her. "I looked at many things for my otouto. None were good. Otousan looked at some things. Then I found that skull and Otouto likes skulls and he does not have a babirusas skull. Then a lady took it and called me a brat and Otousan a horrible father. So we found her in her house and Otousan cut her open and showed me how inside humans are like pigs, and taught me about human bones, organs and their functions. I got the skull. And then he took me here."

The two siblings were staring at her before Gyutaro burst out into giggles, nearly dropping the skull as he laughed a high, wheezing laugh.

"Oh, oh he slit open the belly of some lady in front of you, eh?" Gyutaro said, eyes nearly shut as he covered his fang-filled mouth with a hand.

"No. He cut open her chest and opened her ribs," Kanao said. "The heart is the size of your fist. Slayers have the most delicious of lungs. Otousan liked to eat them best."

Kanao didn't know what a Slayer was but guessed it was another type of humanoid spirit Otousan had met and eaten before.

"sh*t, I take it back. This kid is hilarious," Gyutaro was still laughing even if Kanao didn't know why. Daki just looked repulsed.

Still wheezing, Gyutaro flopped down on the tatami mat in front of Kanao, his long limbs bracketing her. The skull was shoved onto her lap and Kanao took it without protest, pleased that it was safe. She also did not care that Gyutaro was essentially nose-to-nose with her, his bright eyes boring into her.

"What else, eh? What else did Douma teach you?" Gyutaro jeered, mouth still split in a big toothy smile.

Dutifully, Kanao recited all she learned in Douma's lesson. About the eyes, the marrow, the skin, the muscles, the arteries. The organs from the liver and kidneys to spleen and uterus. The brain and the different lobes and the brainstem.

By the end Gyutaro was in another fit of laughter, all high and wheezy while Daki looked disgusted from where she was sprawled out on the floor.

"Urgh would you stop speaking to her? Her head is messed up, there something wrong with her. She's creepy," Daki said in distaste as she jabbed Gyutaro in the side with a foot, the nails black like her fingernails.

"Nah, she's funny. Hey, is that why Douma keeps you around?" Gyutaro poked Kanao in the forehead. "Because you're funny?

Kanao stared at him. His breath smelled like ash and blood.

"Or maybe he'll turn you into a demon? Then we could be friends," Gyutaro leered at her.

She was unsure of that. Though she would not mind if she could carry Inosuke around in her skin, like Daki had done with Gyutaro. Then she could make sure her otouto was safe with her always.

Gyutaro hummed, watching Kanao with a half-lidded stare before he smiled. It was sharp and pointy and Kanao thought Inosuke might like teeth like that. Gyutaro straightened up, his vertebrae clicking before he raised a hand and with a slick noise a kama appeared in his palm. The sickle looked as if it were made from flesh, the handle almost in the shape of a bone while the blade was a glowing crimson that burned with an eerie light that combated against the warm gold of the lamp.

He tipped it towards her, the sharp point a hairsbreadth from her left eye, saying, "If I cut you with this, think he'll do it? If you're dying?"

Kanao stared at him.

Tipping his head to the side, he said, "It's poisoned, so it'll feel like fire eating you alive from the inside out. You know about organs, right? You should be able to feel yours breaking down as you choke to death on your own blood. Then Douma could turn you. Would you like that? So you can be with your dad and little brother forever?"

Kanao stared at him.

With an annoyed huff Gyutaro leaned back, mouth twisted into sneer, "Man, never knew it would be this boring to threaten someone who doesn't care. 'Cause you really don't care, do you? You don't give a sh*t."

Daki grumbled something, sitting up and the long trails of her obi belt moved like serpents to squirm underneath a screen door. Kanao wasn't really sure what either of them wanted her to do. Though she did not know Otousan could make people into demons. She wondered what magic she or Inosuke would have if they were demons.

"Quit being silly with her, Oniichan," Daki scolded as her obi belt returned. "I don't want to have to deal with how annoying Douma would be if we killed his creepy little pet. You know how he gets."

"Ugh," Gyutaro seemed to suck the kama through his skin until there was nothing at all.

"Whatever. She's going to be my little doll until he gets back," Daki got to her feet with a toss of her gleaming hair. She kicked out a foot and suddenly a pair of tall black koma-geta appeared on her feet as if they had always been there. Then she pulled out a far smaller pair from the curling ribbons of her obi belt.

The demoness stalked over to Kanao, nudging aside her brother who moved aside with no protest beyond an eye-roll.

"I'm the most beautiful oiran here," she told Kanao haughtily. "Men will spend an entire years salary for a single night with me. Oiran are the highest ranked of courtesans, we must be exclusive and expensive. Well versed in the traditional arts like singing, classical dance and music. Intelligent and wily conversationalists."

Kanao listened intently even as Daki manhandled her, taking off her tabi socks and zori as a tendril of obi belt kept her in place like a vine. Daki's skin wasn't cold like Douma or overly warm like Gyutaro, instead it felt like any human.

"Since you're my little doll I'll teach you how to walk in the oiran douchuu," Daki said as the coil of obi belt deposited Kanao on her feet. "Here, watch me."

Carefully Kanao adjusted her balance in the geta; not as tall as Daki's own but enough she had to think about it. Though years chasing Inosuke around Paradise Faith, running along the fences and scrambling up trees and jumping across rooftops had left her nimble and agile so she adapted quickly.

Daki went to one of the ends of her room, her pale skin highlighted in gold with the flickering lamplight. Gyutaro just squatted down, elbows resting on his knees to watch while Kanao kept her attention on the demoness.

"Usually the parade has an escort of dancers, musicians, nightwatchmen, lanterns, the shinzou, and other such things. But the oiran is the true pride and focus of it," Daki said sternly.

Straightening her back, Daki swung her foot forward and making sure the geta curved in a graceful, fluid arc. Then she settled it, slid it back slightly before taking a step. Then she repeated the process with her other foot, taking the slow, widening steps in her tall footwear.

"You don't wear anything on your feet besides the geta," Daki said, back straight and head level as she moved, but her green and red eyes were fixed upon Kanao, "It's tantalizing, to see the bare skin. But make sure you keep your foot inside, when you take a step. It's to show your poise and grace. See how beautiful and graceful I am? I don't even need a support, I can do this on my own because I'm better than the rest of them."

Kanao studied Daki's walking intently as she crossed the room, keeping with the curving, shuffling steps. It was almost like a figure eight but Kanao could see the bones shifting in Daki's ankles, how she took care to never let the geta slip despite how heavy they were. Kanao concentrated on the movement the demoness did, the way her leg muscles flexed and how straight and level she kept her torso and neck.

The moment Daki reached the other end of the room she whirled around to face Kanao, inky black hair flaring out behind her, "See? Like that. Now you do it. Get up, Oniichan. Be her support."

A groan but Gyutaro obediently got up. Kanao missed the twin incredulous looks the siblings gave her when she accepted Gyutaro's hand without hesitation. Shaking himself off like a wet dog Gyutaro obeyed his sister's demands, taking Kanao to the side of the room and letting her use his hand as a support. Then she did her best to mimic Daki's walk.

It was difficult, as her kimono was of rich silk that wasn't made for abrupt movements so Kanao had to compensate for the tightness of the fabric. She could not do the very exaggerated curve Daki had done, as the demoness had far more movement clad in so much less, but Kanao did her best to copy it.

Taking smaller steps and making the curve shorter, closer to her body, especially since Kanao had never worn such high footwear before. She kept the geta on the floor, the edges still against the tatami mat as she tried to mimic the curve Daki had done. The demoness watched like a hawk, fluttering around her brother who had a profoundly bored expression on his face but didn't drop Kanao's hand.

"Keep your back straight," Daki said sharply and Kanao obeyed.

"Stop looking at your feet, keep your gaze level and straight ahead!" Kanao obeyed.

"Don't move so quickly! You look like a harlot!" Kanao obeyed.

Her feet and shins ached by the time Kanao had reached the other side of the room but she hadn't fallen over or stumbled so she thought she did quite well. In the distance she heard someone yelling before just as quickly it stopped. The low constant noise of the district beyond was like a beehive.

"That's....acceptable," Daki said after a long stare once Kanao had crossed the room without stumbling, the demoness looking angry for some reason before she said, "I guess I'm just such a superb teacher you're picking up on it so quick-"

A wheeze of laughter from Gyutaro and Daki punched him in the shoulder.

"Oh Kanao, don't you look beautiful! All painted up and pretty. I know Daki would do well with you," Douma said cheerfully.

The dual twitches was the only giveaway the siblings had been completely caught off guard by Douma's sudden appearance in the room, one arm slung over Gyutaro's shoulders and bright eyes focused on her. Kanao did not react, well used to her Otousan's abrupt appearances.

Douma reached out and poked Kanao on the nose with a sharp talon, saying, "You do look a right proper geisha, don't you? You even have the shoes."

Daki recovered the quickest, snapping, "How many times have I told you, oiran and geisha are not the same thing dumbass-"

Gyutaro dropped Kanao's hand and edged his way out of Otousan's grip while his sister continued arguing with Douma. Though it was more of the demoness telling the difference between a geisha and oiran which Kanao did not know.

Kanao was pleased her father had returned, especially with he started fussing and cooing over her. Daki's rage got pushed aside for flattery as Douma praised how she had done Kanao's hair and makeup. Kanao did not care about either and got distracted with Douma scooped her up in his arms easily.

"You better not have made a mess," Daki said, though Kanao could tell from her body language she was annoyed but not genuinely angry at Otousan's appearance.

"Oh you should know by now I can be very neat when I want to."

"Ugh, better than Hantengu I suppose. It was like a rabid wolf pack moved in that week."

"Why'd you even keep that girl?" Gyutaro asked, jerking his chin to Kanao in Douma's arms.

"Well why wouldn't I? She's such an interesting, smart wonderful little girl. The best daughter anyone could ask for. Did she tell you about our trip tonight?"

"Yeah yeah, gutting that lady..."

At least with Otousan's reappearance Inosuke's present was finally packaged. Daki insisted on doing it herself, outright hissing at Douma to shoo him away as she slid open a small cabinet in the room to fetch supplies. Silk inlaid with dragons and clouds, gleaming thread to tie it together. She all but threw it at Otousan when she was done but he easily caught it and gave it to Kanao who hugged it to her chest. She liked it when he held her, though usually she would be holding a squirming Inosuke as well. She hoped he was sleeping well.

Though it then settled into the three demons speaking to each other and Kanao ended up falling asleep, head resting against Douma's chest and feeling the soothing vibration of his voice against her when he spoke. They had walked a lot in Tokyo so she felt tired. It seemed more plant things or hungry things the three were speaking of so Kanao did not mind sleeping. Daki seemed like Otousan, liking to speak a lot while her brother was more quiet. The opposite of Kanao and Inosuke.

Sometimes she would stir, distant and groggy. Once it was to see Daki curling around one of her obi sashes, this one having a strange pattern of people within it. The next time was to the smell of blood but Kanao was used to that so she easily fell asleep again.

It was only when Douma started jostling her in his arms that she jolted fully awake. Gyutaro was gone and only Daki was left, sitting on the tatami mat and grooming her long nails while steadfastly ignoring them.

"It's a few hours from sunrise," Otousan smiled down at her, all glowing rainbow eyes and sharp teeth. "How about a quick tour of Yoshiwara before we head home?"

"Yes." Kanao found herself enjoying their trip to Tokyo, despite how busy and strange and foreign it was to the commune. Her nap on Otousan meant she was not too tired anymore and Inosuke's present as safe and secure. Then she would have more things to tell Inosuke.

"I'm certainly not one to turn down more meals after all," Otousan joked as he got to his feet. "And who knows, maybe I can find a special young lady to finish the anatomy lesson, hm?"

"Would you stuff your face somewhere else?" Daki snapped, looking up and her eyes glowing like a cats in the lamplight.

"And miss my favoured meetings with you and your brother? You're the highlight of the district, you are."

"Oh go and annoy someone else, would you?"

The irritation mixed with flattery but Daki just rolled her eyes, making a shooing motion with her hand before going back to her nails. Kanao wanted to ask Daki what her magic was, but instead she let Otousan slip back on her socks and zori. Then he scrubbed her face clean while making an offhanded comment about not wanting people to mistake her as working, whatever that meant. Kanao wasn't sure if there were any rice fields nearby.

But then she thought of other things, as they were suddenly outside in a flurry of speed and she was surrounded by the loud, colourful bustle of the district beyond.

Chapter 17: Amaryllis

Chapter Text

Yoshiwara was very colourful.

The district was still busy yet Kanao could see how many places were winding down with dawn approaching. Lanterns strung across the streets, the jingle of bells and chimes, the rattle of carts and calls from the various women within the buildings. None looked like Daki, with her flowery facial tattoos and glowing eyes and those long dexterous talons.

She did find it a bit odd as she walked, having her hair still styled in the elaborate up-do Daki had twisted it into. The various hairpins and ridged form, when she was used to being able to see the swing of her ponytail out of the corner of her eye. She kept Inosuke's silken wrapped present close, pleased Daki had used her pretty fabrics and ribbons.

Otousan told her about the district, how most of the workers had been young girls sold to the owners of each House. But there were many jobs in the district from ones like Daki- even if Kanao still did not know what the demoness really did -to dancers, comedians, painters, rakes and even tea shops. Kanao wondered if not for Otousan perhaps that man from so long ago would have sold her to a place like Yoshiwara.

Apparently there were contracts for a certain number of years but the debt the women incurred while working there would typically keep them working there until they died of disease or someone brought them out. According to Otousan there was even a specific district at Yoshiwara where the dying were left to waste away. There was also a temple nearby called Jōkan-ji, where dead workers without enough money would be left at the temple for burial. There had also been a mass burial of over five hundred women after an earthquake many decades ago, to avoid the spread of disease.

Kanao found that fascinating, surrounded by light and music how death was still very much present as with all things. It just reminded her about Otousan's habits- at least he ate the people he killed, like how a fox must eat a rabbit. Kanao's old parents, in that life so long ago, would sometimes kill her siblings for no reason and hit her for no reason.

They did get approached at several different instances as Otousan showed her some of the tea shops, as older women- or House Mistresses, as he would call them -who would inquire if Kanao was for sale. Each time Douma would laugh and decline, shooing the women away. Some were very persistent, especially one with white-streaked hair that reminded her of Rojin who complimented Kanao's eyes, and Kanao was unsure what the numbers they were offering Otousan meant. But nonetheless he declined them all and as always she was glad he was her father and tightened her grip on his hand.

Otousan also told her more about Daki and Gyutaro; he had been the one to turn them into demons many years ago, when the siblings were near death. Apparently that meant he had a 'special place' in his heart for them even if he remarked they'd gotten wild with age and were already very independent when he transformed them. But he still insisted on visiting them quite regularly. Kanao wondered if things had been different perhaps Gyutaro and Daki would have been her elder siblings. An interesting thought, especially after Daki had taught her how to walk in those very high shoes and Gyutaro said if she were a demon then they could be friends.

Though Kanao was busy enough with Inosuke, she wasn't sure how she would cope with two other siblings. Beside, Daki and Gyutaro had each other and Kanao did not want to share Inosuke either.

Even if she still liked the idea of being able to carry Inosuke around in her skin, as it seemed quite convenient. Like the magic doors. As it was, Douma was easily able to carry her as he did so once done with showing her Yoshiwara.

As they left through the great archway of the district, he said, "Maybe you and Inosuke can visit here as customers one day, hm? After puberty of course. As a birthday present or something."

Kanao didn't know what puberty was but would not mind seeing Daki and Gyutaro again. She could ask what their magic was and she could show Inosuke Gyutaro's teeth. She felt her otouto would like them.

But she did like sightseeing, especially when Otousan picked her up and carried her against his chest. She kept her grip tight on Inosuke's present, especially when he would move so quickly she would blink and they were somewhere new. Running around the rooftops was also quite fun.

He showed her one of the rivers running through Tokyo, the waterway lined with great sakura blossom trees. The powerlines crisscrossing the streets and buildings like spiderwebs. A man and woman shouting at each other in a corner store. A fox tentatively foraging through a spilled rubbish bin, bushy tail puffed up. A group of people repairing a flat tyre on one of the automobiles. A crow tucked up in the tangled branches of a tree. Someone being mugged in a back alley.

They would also play a game while crossing over the rooftops, and Kanao found herself enjoying their game of 'I Spy' especially when Douma praised how quickly she could spot things.

"Like a hawk," he had joked, after she spotted the dead rat tucked down in a narrow sidestreet within ten seconds.

Though as fascinating as she found Tokyo she still declined when Otousan asked her if she wished she could live in the city. She did not mind visiting the city but it was very busy and noisy compared to Paradise Faith. Festivals did happen yet they were set in specific times, not like the endless chaos of Tokyo. Inosuke also wouldn't like such a place.

Even the edges of the city was steadily growing, Otousan telling her how much the city was spreading over the decades. How much it had grown in only a century and how much more would it do so in the future?

It was very big and bright, and Kanao had to wonder how bigger and brighter a city could get.

She did not mind when Douma took her along the edges, seeing how the sprawling city grew more lax and calm compared to the busy centre. Otousan could be very sneaky when he wanted to- 'hunting' as he called it, even if he didn't eat anyone while carrying her -but following the people going along the paths, or starting to prepare their shops was interesting. Much like the woman in her house, many were oblivious when being watched. As Otousan said, humans were very stupid creatures and very easy to trick. Considering Douma was able to pluck a woman's hairpin right out of her ponytail as she was scrubbing out a pail without her even noticing, Kanao understood what he meant. No wonder she and Inosuke still lost every game of tag with him.

Then there was a great lake, the softly roiling water looking black in the night and lined with stone paths and great trees swaying in the soft wind. Already there were people awake around the fishing ports along the lake edge, no doubt preparing for the day swiftly approaching. Lanterns hung from posts, street lights lining the stony path as Otousan carried her easily. Kanao saw some boats tied to the docks, with great white sails and there was a smell of fish.

"It's nice and quiet here, isn't it?" he asked her.

Kanao nodded.

"It's second largest lake in Japan. So most people who live nearby are the fishermen so they are either still asleep or about to prepare for the day. See, in the distance all the way over there? The mountain with two peaks? That's Mount Tsukuba."

Kanao nodded again, able to see the dark, nearly invisible humped form of the great mountain in the far distance.

They walked by a great shrine near the lake, much like those at Paradise Faith with stone steps leading towards the shrine and the wafting scent of incense ash. She could hear the wind chimes within and the numerous ribbons and good luck charms dangling from the rafters and caught a brief glimpse of a trio of people within. Otousan said there was even one at the top of Mount Tsukuba, the purple mountain.

"For all those idiots to pray to their imaginary mystic saviours," he said with a laugh. He gave the shrine a considering look and Kanao could feel how his arms tightened slightly around her before relaxing just as quickly.

Kanao knew that there were no gods, Her father had taught her that. But he also said it was a secret to his commune, as they adored their ignorance and it was his job to make them happy. Inosuke had eagerly accepted the idea of the gods being myths as well, even if she had to pinky promise him to stop berating the other members about it. People got very mad about that type of thing, Kanao noticed.

"Though there is a story about Mount Tsukuba," Douma said, tree branches swaying softly overhead and Kanao still in his arms like a teddy bear. "Would you like to hear it, little mouse?"

Kanao nodded.

"Many thousands of years ago, a deity descended from the heavens. He asked the two mountains, Fuiji and Tsukuba, for hospitality. To spend the night as their honoured guest. Fuji laughed and rejected him, believing with arrogance it did not need a deity's blessing. Tsukuba meanwhile immediately welcome its guest, even offering food and water to the deity. That's why Mount Fuji is a barren, cold and lonely place while Tsukuba is rich with flora and filled with every colour as the season changes."

Kanao looked across the lake but in the dark she could not see any detail of the distant mountain beyond its shadowy twin peaks.

"There's also the legend that the progenitors of humanity are enshrined on each peak of Mount Tsukuba," Otousan continued, his deep voice reverberated against Kanao from where she was leaning against his chest. "Either peak has its own name; Nyotai-san and Nantai-san. Female and male. Named for the two kami, Izanagi-no-Mikoto and his sister-wife Izanami-no-Mikoto. Mount Nyotai is a site for the kagai, a festival devoted to fertility. They say the two deities wed and gave birth to many others, including Japan."

"And the moon rabbit?"

"Well as you remember the rabbit was moreso blessed, rather than being a god itself. Though I know in China the rabbit is a companion of the moon goddess Chang'e and instead of making mochi its making the elixir of life."

"Have you ever left Japan?"

"No, That Man does no allow it. And in all honesty I never wanted to. Though it could be the cells not letting me think like that, who knows!"

Kanao didn't know but she did not like the idea of That Man not letting her Otousan do something, despite Douma's jovial tone. Though since he was the strongest maybe he was allowed to order the other Moons around? Kanao was unsure and Otousan did not speak often of That Man.

But the lake was nice, the water dark like squid ink, but even with dawn still not yet appearing people were awake and getting ready for the coming day. But mostly they were alone and Otousan always spoke enough for many people. In the distance she spotted a crow take off into the sky, black feathers making it near invisible against the dark.

They did come across another shrine tucked within a cluster of greens with an overgrown stony path, though this one was located within a dilapidated courtyard surrounded by several abandoned houses and partially devoured by flora. Small and forgettable, both the shrine and houses, just filled with spiders and a dead tanuki. Otousan set her down, Kanao still keeping the silken package tight in her arms, and then he asked her what she thought the spirit the shrine was dedicated to.

Kanao guessed a kitsune spirit, from the little stone foxes lying by the edge of the shrine. Neglected, covered in moss and with most having missing tails and one even deheaded, but still recognizable. A few ema remained nailed there as well, even if the blessings they originally asked for had long since been erased in the wind and rain.

"Kitsunes are tricksters more than anything, not exactly exciting but adorable enough," Otousan said, a long claw dragging a deep gouge down the wall bracket of the shrine.

"Are kitsune real?" Kanao asked as she studied one of the crumbling walls. It looked like rats had been nesting within it. Upon the sagging awning of one of the shacks a lone wind-chime was struggling to sing.

"I don't think so. Only oni are in my experience. But then again, maybe they just hide very well? Or who knows, maybe there'll be a demon one day who'll be mistaken for one since humans aren't that bright. I doubt they could even tell the difference. They're not special like you, little mouse."

Otousan inspected one of the ema closely, running a clawed thumb over the washed out kanji before snapping the small wooden token in half. A moment later the other remaining wishing plaques crumbled to the ground in tiny little shards like toothpicks.

"Oopsie," he said turning to her with a laugh.

Then Kanao's nose was filled with the sweet scent of flowers as strong arms wrapped firmly around her. She caught a brief glimpse of Douma's rainbow eyes widening before she was swept away in someone's arms.

The person landed several yards away, Kanao still held tight as long hair tickled her nose.

"Are you alright?" a soft voice murmured in Kanao's ear. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe. Stay behind me."

With swift yet gentle movements the person shepherded Kanao behind them, taking up a ready stance facing Douma who was still standing over by the shrine, though he had his gleaming golden fans in hand as he watched the new comer intently. Kanao was tense and confused, clutching the silken package to her chest as she stared at the stranger.

The strange woman had thick straight black hair that flowed down to her waist and pale violet eyes. Kanao was tense as she stared at the stranger, the woman wearing a dark uniform with a haori that had the flowing sleeves and hem edged in green and pink. But Kanao could see the well defined muscles beneath her uniform, her form controlled and fluid. The familiar way she unsheathed a sword in a flash of light, the blade a soft pink like sakura blossoms. Standing between Kanao and Douma, protective.

And there were two butterfly clips in her long hair, coloured in green and pink just like her haori.

There was something profoundly familiar about the woman that Kanao could not place, something nagging at her like a forgotten dream. But she didn't have time to dwell on that as the woman spoke, voice calm and sweet.

"I am Kochou Kanae, the Flower Hashira of the Demon Slaying Corps," the woman said, her stare never dropping from Douma's. "And I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"My, what an arrogant statement. And from such a pretty lady! You're so fast and quiet, I didn't notice you move until you had already grabbed Kanao," Otousan replied, tone friendly. "There haven't been many women Pillars. Such a shame, they taste the most delicious. I'm so happy I'm able to meet you!"

The woman's stance didn't change, even at Otousan's goading. Instead she asked, "What are you doing with this little girl? You had her with you when you arrived. What are your intentions with her?"

The woman's tone, curiously enough, matched Douma's own; having a soft, calm manner to it. Despite the fact Kanao could see how the woman's hands were tight around the hilt of her sword, enough the strain of her knuckles pushed the skin white. She was angry but hiding it well and not letting it bleed into her voice. Kanao clutched the present tighter to her chest, unsure and confused.

Douma waved a hand dismissively at the woman, the golden fan glittering, "Yes, yes, you've been following us for a while haven't you? You were being very sneaky my dear, a Lesser Moon wouldn't have even noticed you. You took such pains to be stealthy before stealing away dear Kanao. Though quite frankly I should be demanding answers from you since you're the one who stole her."

Kanao's breathing was calm and even but her skin felt too hot, too tight. The woman was standing between her and her father, with a sword that shone with an unnatural light and the woman intended on hurting him. Kanao could tell from her body language, the woman leaning forward on the balls of her feet and the way her calloused fingers flexed around the sword's hilt.

"Kanao?" Douma called out to her and Kanao's gaze instantly shot to him. He smiled, making a slight shooing gesture at her, "Stay back, would you? I don't want to hurt you by accident, as I think me and Kanae-chan are going to have a rather strong conversation."

"Don't you dare speak to her," the woman snapped.

"I'll speak to her however I like-"

This time he was interrupted by the woman attacking him, moving across the stones in a flash as her sword came down in a slashing curve towards his face. There was a sharp clang as his golden fan collided with it, the blade cutting through his shoulder instead of his neck in a spray of red.

"Oooh, so fast! I'm going to enjoy this."

Kanao backed away, eyes wide as the two began to fight in earnest. She knew Otousan had ice magic but she had never seen him attack someone with it besides those lotus vines. But the woman was fast, she seemed just as fast as Douma and her sword was a shimmering pink and she was hurting him.

A sweep of his fan and a great gust of glittering ice blossoms burst into being, slicing through the stone and wood of their surroundings like flying shards of glass. The woman wielded her sword in several rotating slashes, knocking aside the flurry with only several cuts upon her haori. The air was so cold Kanao could see the frost beginning to coat the ground, staining the shrine blue and white as snowflakes fluttered through the air.

Kanao could see strange ripples flowing around the woman as she attacked again, like pink and white ribbons laced with blossoms were stringing forth from the shining metal of her sword. It seemed almost like a mirage, compared to the gusts of icy wind and snow Otousan's fans streaked across the air.

Great spears of ice punctured through stone and Kanao backed away even further as the ice crept towards her. The woman was so fast as she avoided the icicles- Kanao did not know normal people could move that quickly -and her pink sword was stained with red that quickly evaporated to nothing.

A part of Kanao desperately wanted to intervene, to stop the woman from hurting her father. But she knew with the sheer speed both were moving she would only get in the way. But still, she felt her jaw tighten and fists clench as the woman's sword sliced through her father's arm, cutting the limb off completely. The smell of his blood thick and coppery and such a vivid crimson she felt her stomach lurch. He healed the instant the woman managed to hurt him, arm snapping back into being the moment it was cut off, but still, seeing him being injured left a cold, horrible tension burning in Kanao's gut.

She had always assumed her father was invincible; the lady who stole the skull from her had tried to stab him with a kitchen knife and the blade had broken. The pink sword, was it magic as well? It seemed too bright, flashing as the woman beheaded an ice sculpture shaped like a delicate princess and swept into a series of rotating slashes that batted aside more lotus vines that sought to seize her.

"You can't reach my neck if you're all the way over there!" Otousan called out playfully from where he was standing before the shrine, a sharp fanged smile on his face. Kanao wished he would stop laughing and just kill the woman so she would stop hurting him.

The woman's serene expression was tight, lips a thin line and eyes narrowed. Kanao flinched as several lotus vines burst from the ground and nearly seized the woman's ankles but she leapt, nearly bounding across the small clearing in a single jump with her sword coming down in a spinning arc. Douma dodged, sparks flying as his fan collided with the sword.

As she did so, the woman overextended her arm and without pause Douma slammed an elbow down on it and snapped the bone in half.

Barely a grunt from the woman as she dodged to the side, avoiding a clawed hand that tried to seize a handful of her hair and instead all he got was her haori which she easily slipped out of. Despite her broken arm and steadily growing injuries, Kanao noted how the woman was still breathing deep and steadily and still gripping her sword and how imprinted upon the back of her uniform, in stark white kanji, was Destroy.

Tossing aside the haori, Douma snapped open his fan with a flourish and a massive cloud of ice swelled forth. The ground and walls of the surrounding area was instantly caked in a glittering cover of frost and snow as Kanao skittered behind the tree by the edge of the dilapidated buildings just in time to see the woman batter aside another cluster of frozen petals. Though this time her face and chest was sliced open, narrow yet deep cuts that bled heavily. The blood that dropped to the ground quickly froze, glittering like rubies.

"Aw, you're reaching your limit aren't you?" Douma called out to the woman, easily stepping across the ice. "Such a shame, I was having so much fun with a lovely lady like yourself. But my Blood Art absorbed your blood so your lungs are already dying. And you Slayers are all about that, aren't you? Your poor dear, you must be suffering so. But don't worry, when I eat people they're with me forever. You won't feel pain or fear any more, instead all you will feel is paradise."

The woman bristled, her stance hunched slightly but despite her broken arm and injuries her grip didn't falter on her sword. Her voice however was slightly strained as she said, "It doesn't matter if I die here. It was a promise, to fight you demons. To keep others safe from you and your mindless violence. To protect their happiness, their safety, so they never suffer loss like we have."

"Ahhh, are you talking about Kanao again?" Otousan laughed at the woman. "How funny, she's been far safer with me than she ever has been with you worthless humans."

"I won't let you touch her!"

Another clash, this time even faster than the rest. Kanao was too fixed on watching the fight from her hiding place to notice how the pitch black of night above was slowly ebbing as distant birdsong crept through the trees.

A twist and Douma parried the sword as it lashed out for his neck, taking advantage of the woman's broken limb to twist her wrist and throwing her over. His fan cut through her chest, spraying blood across his face before she grabbed his wrist with her uninjured arm and then kicked up, slamming her heel against the underside of his chin and snapping his head back. He stumbled and with a flash her sword slammed into his shoulder, her foot skidding on the ice and missing his neck.

He slapped her away, hard enough the woman went crashing through the wall of one of the nearby houses in a burst of wood and snowflakes. His shoulder healed while the woman's blood rapidly absorbed into his body. Kanao had to wonder if he was immune to pain or just determined to ignore it.

"I can hear your lungs struggling from here yet you're still trying! How valiant, you are certainly one of the more talented Hashira I've encountered," Douma said, laughing behind his fan as the woman emerged from the house.

She looked tired, breathing still deep but with slight, wheezing hitching Kanao could hear all the way near the trees. Blood stained the woman's front, dripping to the ground at her feet, and she was favouring one of her legs while her broken arm would not stop trembling. Yet still her pale violet eyes were determined, jaw set.

"Dear sweet thing, I will stop the pain," Otousan taunted. "I can hardly waste a beautiful treat such as you. You fought so well!"

The woman didn't even reply, simply taking another of those strange deep breaths and moving. Swirling ribbons traced her movements as she shot forward with a burst of speed, ice splintering beneath her feet. Douma seemed surprised, a glittering golden fan flashing out. She ducked, the sharp edges of the fan slicing through her ends of her hair, and her sword weaved upwards to cut off his arm at the elbow only to be stopped a hairsbreadth from his sinking into his neck with the shut fan of his opposite hand.

A great swirl of icy air engulfed them both and even with Kanao's keen eyesight she could barely see as they traded a flurry of blows in the pale mist. Snowflakes billowed forward, twisting and swirling in the air as the strange pink ribbons emanating from the woman's gleaming sword streaked through the air as hoarfrost slid up the shining metal.

More lotus vines sprouted from the ground, twisting and lashing like serpents as they ripped at the woman's legs, her hair, her arms. She hopped back, slicing through several of them and then Douma lunged forward, both fans flicking open as he intercepted her blade.

With a noise like crystal shattering, the woman's pink sword snapped in half and she stumbled away with blood spilling from her mouth.

Then the sun finally crested over the horizon, apricot streaking the sky as the weak pale rays spread across the land.

And a thin gleaming slice of sunlight shone through the dilapidated buildings between them, making Douma shy away as the women lurched backwards, clutching the hilt of her broken sword.

Otousan growled, a low animalistic noise and Kanao remembered how he couldn't step into sunlight. Even the narrow path now glowing between the ruined houses was now enough to prevent him from getting to the dying woman. Even with her breath being wet and wheezing, eyes growing glassy from her injuries and blood dripping steadily from her wounded frame, the woman did not fall.

"I....feel sorry for you," she rasped, bloody bubbles growing at the corner of her mouth as she spoke. With a spasm, she dropped the remains of her sword onto the frosty ground.

Douma just bared his teeth at her, "I really wanted to eat you. That's so rude, not letting me get my reward for winning. Especially since you women Pillars are so rare."

Kanao's body was tense, breath tight and uneven as the sky continued to brighten. The woman had seen Kanao's face, knew who Otousan was. She wasn't dead, Douma was unable to kill her with that barrier of sunlight barring the way. The woman was a Slayer, there were others. They tried to hurt people like Otousan. She wasn't dead. Another Slayer might be nearby, Kanao didn't know, or the woman could recover from her injuries. She could tell people about Kanao, about her father. What he looked like, what they both looked like.

They would kill her father and take Inosuke away from her.

Kanao found herself moving, dropping the wrapped present to the ground with a clatter as she sprinted across the icy ground right towards the woman. She hit the Hashira right in the small of her back, slamming into her like a cannon ball. The woman, already grievously injured and exhausted, lurched and skidded forward as she slipped in a puddle of her own blood.

And she stumbled over the patch of sunlight.

And right into Douma's waiting arms.

He seized a fistful of her fringe and his fangs were buried gum-deep in her throat before she could even make a noise. His other arm wrapped around her in an embrace, crushing her tight against his broad chest.

Kanao skidded to a halt, nearly stumbling over in her zori upon the frosty ground. But Otousan had the woman, was tightening his grip upon her as blood stained his jaws from where they were locked tight around her throat. She let out a strangled, gurgling noise before a sharp snap sounded through the air, her body going limp and and beginning to seep into Douma's. Being sucked into his very flesh with strange, wet noises.

Around them hundreds of glittering snowflakes floated in the gentle breeze, some settling within Kanao's dark hair. The woman's own hair was coated in blood and frost, one of her butterfly hairpins falling free as slowly, steadily, her body was fully absorbed into Douma's own as if there had been nothing there at all.

A moment later after the woman was swallowed into nothing, Kanao got snatched up in Douma's arms and her father pressed numerous tiny, enthused kisses across her face while saying, "My precious daughter! You're such a good girl Kanao, such a wonderful marvelous girl!"

Kanao felt herself slump in relief, ignoring the red wet stains Douma's lips were leaving upon her skin. She found herself patting at Otousan's chest and shoulders, nothing showing the woman had been there, nothing showing the injuries from that strange sword had ever happened. He was healthy and whole and the strange twisting tension in her stomach finally released with the realization.

"Oh I'm fine," Douma pulled back, grinning at her with bloody fangs and rainbow eyes sparkling. "You did so good! So brave, my precious daughter."

Leaning forward Kanao tucked her arms around his neck in a hug, feeling him reciprocate with a tight squeeze around her. The scent of blood was thick in her nose.

"Well then I think that's it for our trip to Tokyo," he said, voice muffled against her hair. "Now that the sun is up and that Hashira is mine, let's say we get back home hmm? Before anyone else decides to be a nuisance."

Kanao nodded before tensing, tugging at Douma's hair until he let her down. Quickly she ran back to where she had dropped Inosuke's present, nearly slipping in the ice that was starting to melt in the growing sun as it rose higher and higher. Swiftly she unwrapped the silken ribbon, feeling a bite of disappointment when she noticed one of the tusks on the skull had cracked when she dropped it. But other than that it was intact, so Kanao wrapped it back up, trying to remember how Daki had done so.

When she hurried back to Otousan, he opened his arms to her and she jumped into them with him easily hoisting her up against his chest as he pressed another kiss against her brow. With a low twang one of the magic shoji doors appeared in the shadowy side of the nearby building and without a backwards glance the two went through it and then door disappeared as if it had never been there.

Nearly several minutes later when a panicking young Slayer arrived, desperately calling her sister's name, all she found in the wreckage of the shrine was a blood splattered haori and a single butterfly hairpin.

Chapter 18: Birthday boy

Chapter Text

Inosuke was thrilled with his present.

He ripped off the silk so fast it flew up to the ceiling, the ribbon fluttering in the air like a butterfly before it landed on the tatami mat, before holding the skull aloft with an excited shriek.

"A pig head!"

"A babirusa pig," Kanao explained. "Their tusks can grow so long they puncture their brains."

"Cool!"

After the trip to Tokyo Kanao had slept until noon. Inosuke had been kept from bursting into her rooms by Misaki, who had spent most of the morning entertaining the excitable newly-turned seven year old. Now it was in the thick of the evening when she finally clambered out of the warmth of her bed, the trip taking quite a lot of energy out of her.

Kanao knew Inosuke would be extremely interested in learning about the Slayer and her fight with their father, but she knew such a thing was a secret so Kanao would have to wait to tell her little brother about it. And Kanao still felt uneasy over the fight and how Douma had gotten injured. Limbs sliced off, great rents drawing blood, impaled by a shining pink blade.

She also didn't know why she had been surprised to see her father bleed bright red. For some reason she thought his blood might be a different colour. Maybe pale blue, like his nails and ice magic. Or maybe his veins would be filled with snow.

Once she woke, she bathed and changed into a kimono of pale blue silk patterned with delicate purple lotus blossoms. By the late afternoon the hem was torn and sleeves dirtied from playing with Inosuke. Life at Paradise Faith was not much changed for birthdays, especially since Otousan never celebrated his own, and they tended to be more private affairs among family. The evening dinner was held in Douma's temple, a side room from one of the main chambers that had its own indoor pool and towering Buddha statue watching over all. Some of the older commune members were in the main chambers eating supper but the smaller room was solely for Inosuke's appetite.

Misaki was there, with one of the gleaming tortoiseshell hairpins Daki had given Kanao stabbed through one of her customary buns. The tear-drop emeralds sparkled as Misaki moved, cleaning aside a stain on the table with a damp cloth. Kanao had only wanted to keep her lotus kanzashi, though she had needed Douma's help to undo the elaborate style Daki had twisted her hair into before she'd gone to sleep. The other hairpins she kept in her room, liking how colourful they were. She hung some of them above the small engawa outside her room on pieces of twine like windchimes.

Inosuke ended up wearing the upper skull on his head like a hat, the molars resting against his brow and curve of the upper jaw digging along his temples. The lower jaw hung against his sternum like a necklace. The ribbon had been cut in two, to secure the upper and lower jaw together, letting the skull loll open.

In the room there was food absolutely everywhere; big bowls of steaming sukiyaki filled with fatty beef and noodles, pieces of fresh fish and chicken fried until crispy, heaping piles of battered tempura, any and every type of sushi sliced neatly and accompanied by tiny saucers of soy sauce, skewers of grilled eel basted in sweet sauce, a plate piled high with a colourful pyramid of dango of pink green and white, sushi rice stirred thickly with fresh shrimp, bowls of miso soup, several bowls of kimosui with the pale eel guts floating peacefully in the clear soup, kashiwa-mochi with the small sweet rice cakes wrapped up in oak leaves, a dozen bowls of udon from fried tofu and beef to pork and chicken, chilled soba on a bamboo tray, thick rice porridge stirred with several different herbs, fired battered balls filled with diced squid, long grilled pieces of corn covered in a soy sauce glaze and sugar, and five skewers of fried whole eel heads sweetened with unagi sauce.

Inosuke seemed immensely determined to eat from every single dish. Kanao and Douma kept giving him food the moment he swallowed down his current mouthful, with the boy sometimes eating things right from their hands like a starving hound. They got bitten fairly often when giving Inosuke food but neither Douma nor Kanao cared. At the moment he was stuffing the eel heads into his mouth, struggling to chew with sauce dripping down his chin and staining his hands. He was also sitting on top of the low table in front of them, completely ignoring decorum as he seemed determined to eat his own weight in food.

Not that he cared much in the first place, despite the disapproving looks he would get from others in the commune. Especially Kenji who would always scold them when Douma wasn't around. Kanao didn't understand why the bald man even tried anymore, after years of them ignoring him.

There had been an incident earlier that day where Inosuke bit another one of the children who made the mistake of getting near his food, so hard he drew blood on her forearm and the mother couldn't yank him off from where Inosuke was hanging on like a rabid wolf. Otousan just grabbed Inosuke by the scruff of the neck like a disobedient puppy, letting him thrash and growl while Douma healed the girl with his spare hand. It didn't endear the other children to Inosuke any better but he did not care and neither did Kanao.

Rojin at one point wandered over to wish Inosuke happy birthday in his usual distracted way. He seemed oblivious to the stains on the front of his kimono or how the tips of his long hair dipped into a bowl of ramen as he leaned over to pat Inosuke on the head. He was quick enough to avoid being bit by Inosuke, even if he tripped over his own feet and fell over with a thud when he jerked backwards.

Misaki meanwhile had given Inosuke a book about mythos; not uncommon in the Paradise Faith commune but these were all about legendary battles and fights and death which appeased Inosuke greatly. She had also helped in a large portion of the food preparation so Kanao understood it was also her gift.

"Though you really should slow down," Misaki said from where she was seated further down the table, a small plate of sushi before her. "We don't want you to choke."

"He eats almost like a duck, not really chewing," Douma observed, chin propped in a hand.

Misaki laughed. She had gotten very inured to Douma's presence as the years passed, Kanao noted. Kanao took another bite from from her stick of dango, before giving the rest to Inosuke when he tugged on her sleeve. He nonchalantly spat out the bitten stick when done, and Kanao put it on one of the empty plates. She then took one of the squid balls, munching on it like an apple as Inosuke began to messily eat one of the ramen bowls and getting broth all over the table. Whenever Inosuke would pause to drink or swallow, Kanao or Douma would use one of the rags to quickly scrub his face and chest clean of sauce though it would near instantly become dirty again. His messy hands would have to wait.

There was also sauce staining the lower jaw of the skull which was resting on his sternum. Even some wayward noodles from the ramen.

"At this point if you fall over you would split open enough food to feed a hungry family for a month," Otousan said in amusem*nt as Inosuke finished off one of the bowls of meaty sukiyaki, poking Inosuke in the stomach. It was quite pudgy now.

"No family is getting my food," Inosuke bared his little teeth, a gap at the front. "It's mine, mine mine mine! I mean, you can have some Oneechan but just you. Anyway you don't eat this kind of food, Dad. Wait, do you celebrate your birthday? We should so I can get more food. Food for me. You probably have loads and loads we gotta catch up on."

"I don't really worry about my age at this point."

"Nuh-huh! I bet you're sooooo old we should start calling you Ojiisan."

"How rude. Where are your manners?" Douma scolded, though the effect was ruined by his fang-filled smile.

Inosuke just scrunched up his little nose while continuing to chant 'Ojiisan' at him. Then Douma's hand clamped over his face, so large it covered it, and shoved Inosuke down onto the tatami mat. He flailed, growing behind the hand keeping him pinned with all the ferocity of an angry wolverine, the skull banging on the ground as he squirmed.

Kanao took advantage of Inosuke being pinned to start tickling his sides. He shrieked, clawing at her hands and tugging at Douma's wrist but was pinned and unable to squirm free.

"Alright better stop before you throw up," Douma said, letting Inosuke jump back up who hissed at him.

"If I throw up I'll just eat it again," Inosuke declared despite his flushed face.

"Well now I don't have a lot of rules for you two but I think I'll draw the line at having you eat vomit," Douma said sternly, wagging a finger in Inosuke's face. He bit it, tugging at the appendage like an angry dog while growling.

Otousan raised his arm, Inosuke dangling off the ground and still with his teeth sunk into Douma's hand. After a moment Kanao reached out and grabbed Inosuke's sides and yanking her little brother off their father, Inosuke flopping back onto her lap. The babirusa skull clunked against her chest, the upper tusks digging into her chin as Inosuke squirmed. She stopped his squalling by stuffing one of the squid balls into his mouth.

"One last dish for the hungry little pig," Douma said cheerfully. He easily battered aside a quick little fist that tried to smack him in the gut as he gestured to Misaki, who rose and quickly left the room.

"Oh yeah?!" Inosuke was bouncing in Kanao's lap, only her grip around his waist keeping him from squirming free, "What is it, Dad? A whole roasted horse? I could eat that! I totally would!"

"No, not a horse."

"Aw."

"Next birthday, then."

"Yay!"

Douma rose and went about shooing any lingering members away, partially closing the shoji door to their room as he went to speak briefly to Kenji and another older member of the commune. He was still talking when Misaki returned, face flushed as she carefully maneuvered in a plate weighed down heavily with a massive tuna head which was nearly as large as Inosuke.

He instantly started scrabbling to be free, Kanao holding onto him with a vice grip, "Fish fish fish! It's so big, did you kill it?"

Misaki let out a wheezing laugh, managing to heft the great cooked fish head onto the table where it lay steaming. Its eyes were nearly as big as Kanao's fist, glossy and half sliding from its skull. Misaki wasted no time in dissembling the head, using a duo of long sharp knives to split the grilled skin to rapidly expose the meat.

"No, I didn't hunt it myself. But its nice and fresh," Misaki said with a smile as she hacked down the tuna's cheek. "I've slow roasted it for four hours so it'll be juicy and tender for you, Inosuke-kun."

Diligently and quickly Misaki cut down the head until it was a thick steaming pile of meat and bone on the plate, glistening and wet.

Kanao released Inosuke; instantly he clambered up onto the table and Misaki had to swiftly yank her knives back as Inosuke all but climbed onto the dish to start stuffing the meat into his mouth like a starving wild cat.

"Inosuke-kun! Stop being such a savage little beast!" Misaki exclaimed, though she seemed torn between horror and hilarity.

"Oh he's fine," Otousan said, as he re-entered the room. "I suppose that's the best way to eat an entire tuna head. Like bears do."

"You'd think he hadn't eaten for a week. He's been absolutely wild all day, Douma-sama," Misaki said, tucking the knives away.

"He's never had a whole tuna head before, so he must be so excited with your wonderful gift," Douma gave her a bright smile.

Misaki no longer giggled and blushed over his compliments, and the smile she gave back to him was genuine. As to when she patted Inosuke- ignoring the muffled growl he gave -and then gave Kanao a hug. She smelled of lilies.

"I'll clean up and then leave you to it," Misaki said as she started stacking one of the empty plates. "I'm sure you want to tell your brother all about your trip to Tokyo, ne?"

An incoherent mumble from Inosuke, which just made a lot of tuna spray out of his mouth while Kanao nodded. When Misaki left Inosuke was still doggedly eating the tuna, chewing away at one of the eyes while Kanao was sipping from a small bowl of miso soup. As usual Douma would have nothing beyond sake. Kanao still was unsure why he liked it.

Once Misaki carefully navigated her way from the room with her arms laden with dishes and slid the shoji door shut, Kanao told Inosuke about their trip to Tokyo, making sure to link her pinky through his so he knew it was a secret. It got fish oil all over her hand but she didn't mind. Inosuke was good at eating and listening when he wanted, Kanao knew. But he would only listen if he found it interesting and he found all of their trip very interesting, from wandering the streets to slicing up the lady to get his present. She recounted meeting the two siblings, Daki and Gyutaro. She tried to describe the duo as best as she could. What they looked like, sounded like. How they were like Otousan but not quite.

As she believed, Inosuke was interested in Gyutaro's toothy smile.

"So Genzaburou had really sharp teeth?"

"Yes, like a shark. His sister had teeth like Father."

"I want teeth like that! I wanna breathe fire, too. I can bite really hard now but I wanna eat stuff like-" Inosuke started to display his biting skills on the jawbone of the tuna. Most of the meat had already been nibbled from it.

"Daki certainly seemed to have taken a shine to you, Kanao," Douma said cheerfully. "Playing dress up and the like. Even did your hair and make up, such an adorable little doll. Usually she just yells and throws things at the little girls in her house."

Kanao nodded, ponytail bobbing. Daki did get mad, a lot madder than her brother, but she did not throw anything.

Inosuke brandished a fistful of tuna at them; Kanao accepted it but Douma shooed Inosuke's little fist away.

"I can't eat your food, you know that," Otousan said.

"Aw. But you said you can eat animals once," Inosuke said around a mouthful of tuna.

"Only if the meat is raw," he corrected. "I can't eat it cooked and its not particularly filling. And if I eat anything else it just sits in my stomach until I throw it up, which is quite unpleasant."

"What if you cooked a person into a pie? Could you eat that?" Inosuke asked.

"Can't say I have, but that would ruin the meat."

Inosuke looked down at the plate of tuna he was nearly sitting within, before grabbing a chunk of the grilled skin, "So...You can't roast someone and then eat 'em?"

"I prefer fresh. Human goes off really fast," Douma said with a shrug. "Like that rabbit you found in the field that one time that you decided to sneak back here in a basket? How it was all stiff and smelly. Humans get like that very fast."

"Then there was a lady at the lake that tried to kill Otousan," Kanao said.

"Oooh, really?!" Inosuke immediately started bouncing up and down on the table, mouth full of partially chewed fish skin. He had managed to eat a surprising amount, considering his earlier eating.

"She had a sword and butterflies in her hair," Kanao continued.

"A sword? Like a samurai? Hey Dad did she hack you up with it? Did she cut off your head? Did you die?!"

"Yes! But not really."

Kanao sat peacefully, taking sips from the bowl of miso soup that kept her hands warm. Douma was a much better storyteller than herself, easily satisfying Inosuke's rampant curiosity. Kanao also did not find the fight as entertaining as Otousan did, as she had been more worried about him than anything. But Douma did not have the same unease, making elaborate gestures as he described the fight in great detail and flourishes about getting his arm cut off or the movements of the butterfly woman. Or how he had names for all the pretty ice magic techniques he used, which excited Inosuke so much he started demanding their father show him right then and there.

"Oh not inside, the frost would start killing your lungs in such a confined area. Like frostbite."

"Nuh uh, I'm way tougher than that lady! I could handle it!" he flailed around with a piece of tuna, sending meat splattering around the table.

"Oh can you?"

Quick as a snake Otousan seized one of Inosuke's wrists, easily yanking the boy off the table and onto his lap.

"Hm, seems I've caught myself a piglet," Douma said in jovial tones, easily keeping Inosuke pinned in his grasp despite his squirming and giggling. "Oink oink."

Kanao finished off her soup, amused as Otousan kept Inosuke held tight against his chest. After enough thrashing Inosuke went limp besides a few determined kicks of his feet.

"Will you take me next time you fight a sword lady?" Inosuke asked, blinking up at Douma. The pig skull was lopsided on his head, dark hair tangled against the pale bone.

"I don't see why not," Douma shrugged. "But I can't really anticipate when they'll attack me. Especially the lady ones, they're quite rare unfortunately."

"Aww why? Oneechan is tough and she's a lady."

"She is, isn't she?" Kanao blinked as Douma patted her head. "You were such a good girl when that Hashira attacked me, weren't you? You made sure not to get in the way, and when she tried to die in the sun you stopped her! Such a wonderful daughter."

The conversation dissolved into Douma chattering about various fights he had gotten into while Inosuke listened with rapt attention. Kanao was unsure if she minded the topic. Otousan could heal very quickly but she still did not like the idea of him being hurt. But it seemed it happened relatively often? Kanao did not like that even if he could defend himself.

Eventually however Inosuke began to yawn, despite his determination to listen to their father's tales. It was when Inosuke started dozing, jerking back into alertness with angry snorts, that Douma insisted he go to bed.

"I ain't tired," Inosuke protested as he was lifted up in Otousan's arms with Kanao by his side.

"You'd had quite a long day," Douma said. "And eaten your own weight in food, so it's time to sleep it off."

"I can eat more," he grumbled.

"I'll have Misaki keep the rest of the fish for you for tomorrow. How about that?"

Appeased, Inosuke stopped his squirming. As they passed one of the indoor gardens, Kanao could hear the steady thrum of rain beyond. Otousan dropped them off at one of the bathing rooms, Kanao assuring him she could scrub off Inosuke. He kissed them both on the forehead before vanishing.

Scrubbing down Inosuke was always a challenge but he was covered in so much grease and sauce she had to scrub his skin pink in the soapy water. He protested and yelped but Kanao ignored it. He also bit her several times but they weren't hard enough to draw blood. She also scrubbed the pig skull clean, picking some wayward noodles from the tusks. Once done, Kanao left their dirty clothes in the basket knowing it would be picked up in the morning and then spent several minutes fighting with Inosuke to get him into his sleeping nemaki. As usual he shoved down the sleeves until it was at his waist but Kanao accepted it easily enough.

She half carried half lead a sleepy Inosuke back to his room, easily navigating through the dark. Inside Inosuke's room she carefully put the babirusa skull with his other collection of bones, the ribbon still tangled around the jawbones. A small lantern lit the room in low glowing golden light.

"Next time Dad's gotta take me when he fights some crazy ninja lady," Inosuke said, grabbing the book Misaki had given him from an alcove.

"She wasn't a ninja but she did have a sword. She said she was a Slayer."

"I want a sword," Inosuke said as Kanao settled down next to him in the nest of blankets. He always preferred heaping piles over a neat blanket of his futon. "No wait, I want two swords 'cause I'm twice as awesome. I could totally have two."

"You'll need to ask Father."

"I'll be super strong, Oneechan. We'll both be super strong. Just like Dad."

"Yes, we will," Kanao agreed. She did not like how helpless she felt when that woman was hurting Otousan. Being strong would be good.

"Oooh, read this story here," Inosuke chattered happily as he shoved the book against Kanao. "Tsunnamomo, a moon god! Maybe Dad is sorta one 'cause he hates the sun."

"He's an oni."

"Read it, read it!"

Kanao obediently set the book on her lap as Inosuke snuggled against her side, small and warm with his unruly hair tickling the underside of her jaw. She began to read, tone calm and flat as she spoke, "Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto was the god of the moon who was once married to Amaterasu Ōmikami, the goddess of the sun. He was very proud and violent. One day he was invited to a feast by the goddess of food, Ukemochi. But he saw how she prepared the meal by spitting out the fish and rice and game, while pulling other foods from her orifices like her nostrils. Tsukuyomi was so disgusted to witness such a thing that he killed her..."

Inosuke fell asleep like that, tucked against her as she recounted the mythos of the creation of day and night.

Chapter 19: Nightmare

Chapter Text

Kanao awoke abruptly in the middle of the night.

Distantly she could still hear rain but beyond the soft breathing surrounding her it was quiet.

Inosuke was moshed against her, little piglet snorts escaping him as he breathed in and out. Against Inosuke's back was Misaki, brown hair loose and curling across her shoulders. Her arms were stretched across Inosuke, hands loosely holding Kanao's back.

Kanao had dozed off and on after Inosuke had fallen asleep, her mind idly running through everything that had happened in Tokyo and then Inosuke's birthday and then whatever bothered to cross her thoughts. Her sleeping schedule, along with her brother's, tended to be more nocturnal and her nap during Daki's meeting had somewhat thrown off her schedule.

At one point in the night Misaki had snuck into the room bearing a plate of fresh pork dumplings. Inosuke had been roused by the smell and he had sleepily eaten several of them while sandwiched between Kanao and Misaki. As Inosuke sleepily ate, Misaki asked Kanao more about her trip to the city,

Misaki had been a bit concerned when Kanao told her of visiting Yoshiwara, but had quickly relaxed when Kanao reassured her that Douma took care of her and refused to sell her. Kanao also knew better than to mention some other aspects of the trips, such as cutting the woman and what Daki and Gyutaro really were. Though she did mention the siblings, it was a vague mention of them being her father's friends and how Daki had taught her how to walk in the towering geta and how she had brushed up Kanao's hair and painted her face. Misaki found that interesting, even if she admitted she had taken care to avoid the red-light districts when she had been younger to avoid being 'snatched'.

She had given Kanao the last dumpling after that, then offered to tell stories to her as Inosuke had already fallen asleep after eating the majority of the dumplings. Kanao liked having people read to her, much like how she liked reading to Inosuke. Misaki also had a soothing voice, soft and sweet. Though her stories were just local tales she had heard during her time at the orphanage, even if Kanao believed the one about a haunted house at the edge of the village to be about a demon just eating people.

But nonetheless even after been lulled to sleep she woke up only a few hours later. The kakebuton was warm and heavy, Inosuke's presence comforting as was Misaki's. But Kanao felt deep unease, sweat dotting her brow and limbs shaky while her heart beat quickly within her chest. She did not know what was wrong.

Kanao tried to go back to sleep but after enough time of lying there wide awake she realized it was not going to happen. So slowly, carefully, she extracted herself from futon. She gently pushed Inosuke into Misaki's arms and the woman grumbled in her sleep, burying her nose in Inosuke's messy hair, and Kanao silently rearranged the duvet over them both. Her hair was loose and she checked on her lotus hairpin where it was safely stored for the night. The night air was slightly chilly and Kanao straightened up her pale violet nemaki before taking the empty plate Misaki had put aside and exiting the room.

It was quiet in Paradise Faith, leading Kanao to believe it was still hours from dawn. Usually when it drew closer to daybreak the cooks would be up and about. But still, she was rather surprised when she entered the kitchen to see Rojin's lanky form in the middle of scrubbing at one of the tables.

He looked up at her entry, wide eyes blinking. His long hair was tied at his nape with a simple ribbon and he was wearing his usual orange kimono. His fingers were water wrinkled around the damp rag he was twisting.

"Oh, it's rather early for you to be up and about Kanao-kun. Or late, depending on how you want to see it," Rojin said, his gaze skittering off her face as usual.

"You are awake."

"Well yes, but I've always had terrible insomnia," he admitted. At Kanao's blank stare he elaborated with, "It means I find it extremely hard to sleep. I can't sleep for long periods and when I do wake up I can't go back to sleep. So I figured I could either just lie in bed thinking about how tired I am or do something. It's been better since I've got here, since it's far more quiet than the city but I still have awful sleep. It's why I have those dark circles around my eyes."

"I woke up and can't sleep either."

"And that's fine. People can have bad nights from time to time. Do you need help cleaning the plate?"

"No."

"Okay."

Kanao scrubbed and cleaned the plate off herself, drying it and putting it away in the cupboards. By then Rojin had dried off the table and was in the middle of filling up a bucket with soapy water. Kanao wasn't too sure what he was going to do but she did not care so she left without a word. Rojin was too occupied by the bucket to notice. She appreciated how he would leave her alone and not take offense to her blunt demeanour. She found it annoying how others did.

She knew the hallways and the lack of candles or lights did not impede her; Kanao's eyesight was keen enough she could easily see in the dark, something which had deeply entertained Douma when he discovered it. 'A tiny nocturnal hunter' he had joked once.

And it was his rooms she was heading for. Passing the occasional indoor lotus garden, the water looking silvery in the dark, passing various Buddha statues and sculptures, passing paintings and portraits and carvings. Passing the door that led to the room filled with skulls and the one planted in the pretty pot.

Until she was sliding open the shoji door to step into the innermost rooms of the temple, a place where the air was constantly tinged with the coppery smell of blood beneath the heavy aroma of incense and lotus blossoms.

Further inside she found her father, his rainbow coloured eyes luminescent in the dark. He was sprawled out on a massive pile of silken cushions, wearing a robe of dark crimson with black inky edges. His hair was loose, hanging over his shoulders, and he was holding a partially eaten arm which he had been in the middle of nibbling on. He blinked at her as she silently stopped at the threshold, giving her a toothy grin and showing red fangs.

"Little mouse! And here I thought you were all tucked up with Inosuke," he said jovially. "It is awful late for you to be scurrying around. Why is that?"

"I can't sleep."

"Aw. Why not?"

"I don't know."

"Ah. Well I suppose some days our bodies don't function how we want, do they."

Kanao didn't really know.

He beckoned to her, the severed arm flopping in his grip, and Kanao went to him. Clambering up the cushions to be tucked between her father's arm and his chest. He patted her head with his free hand, long nails lightly scraping at her scalp.

"So why don't you know what woke you up? Was it a dream?" he asked her. "I'm a good listener, no matter how silly you think it is."

"I woke up feeling...bad," she said carefully.

"Bad? Feeling guilty, perhaps? Most unusual."

"No. I was sweating a lot and I felt as if I had eaten something bad. My heart was fast, and I could not go back to sleep," Kanao explained. Even now there was that uneasiness she could not explain, something that kept her on edge even if Douma's presence helped soothe it.

Otousan made a thoughtful noise at her words, taking another bite out of the arm as if it were a sushi roll and leaving only the hand.

There was the crunch of bones splintering before he swallowed and said, "So it's simply the emotions left behind that are upsetting you? Since you seemed to have no dream or nightmare?"

She thought about that for a moment, "I don't feel anything. My body does."

"Ah. So it's having a stress reaction, which is preventing you from falling asleep? Rather than emotive. That's interesting. You've never had these problems before and I've had many people here whine about their nightmares who'd have only a slither of a childhood you had, little mouse."

Kanao wasn't too sure, she just found the sensation annoying.

Douma shifted her in his arm, flapping the severed hand in her face as he asked, "Do you think its because of the biology lesson?"

"No. It was informative."

"That is was. Remember what's in the human hand?" Otousan asked, waving the severed one before her nose.

She recited dutifully, "There are bones, twenty seven of them. There are only tendons, no muscles, and the hand is controlled by the muscles in the forearm."

"Very good!" the hug puffed the air out of her lungs and Kanao felt more of her unease ebb. Her father was always so carefree and his lackadaisical manner was comforting. He also gave nice hugs, even if he was chilly.

He bit off one of the fingers of the hand, munching on it like a stick of dango before saying, "Then after that we visited the siblings. What about Daki and Gyutaro? I know some people think Gyutaro looks a bit strange, a bit disturbing the poor thing. Could he have bothered you?"

"No. His teeth were pointy, Inosuke would like them," she said. Kanao did not understand the comment about Gyutaro's appearance. Was it because he had those ink splotches on him? Daki had flowers on her.

"Of course not. You don't worry about those sorts of things like other humans do you?" he said. "Honestly, all the whining and moaning I deal with here, you're always a breath of fresh air. Especially about Inosuke, half those audiences seemed to be people complaining about him- 'Oh Inosuke kicked my child, he bit me, he destroyed a three hundred year old vase, he hid a dead frog in my futon, he ripped up a thousand year old painting, he tore up my plants, he threw a pinecone at my head' just whine whine whine. Should ban that as a topic, really. I think I've spoiled this lot."

That pleased Kanao, she was glad her father thought differently of her than the rest. It was like how she knew all the secrets, much like how he was eating that hand. And how he was annoyed when people complained about Inosuke.

"Well with your bad dream there's no need to worry about nightmares or monsters getting you here," Douma said, looking down at her with his glowing rainbow eyes and a wide grin. "After all, I'm the scariest thing on this mountain."

Kanao stared at him. Otousan wasn't scary. He was tall and had sharp teeth but Kanao wasn't sure if that meant someone was scary. Maybe because he ate people but it wasn't like he did it in public, so how would people know he's scary? After a moment she decided to just accept it so she nodded.

"The Slayer woman," Kanao said instead.

Douma paused where he was stuffing the rest of the hand in his mouth before, with the splinter of bones, he swallowed it whole. He licked off his bloody fingers before asking her, "Did she scare you?"

"She hurt you."

"Yes, she did."

"Her sword was strange."

"You noticed that?" there was a tone of delight in Otousan's voice.

"It seemed too bright," Kanao explained. The pink blade had a shine to it that none of the weapons in the store in Tokyo had. She then added, "Flowers also came from it."

"Oh ho!" Douma jostled her in his arm. "You could see that? The Breathing technique?"

Kanao did not know what that meant so she said simply, "There were ribbons coming from her sword."

"You're exactly right, you have such special eyes. Usually only demons or those with sufficient training can see the Breathing techniques Slayers use. Hashira especially, they're the strongest. But all Slayers use certain swordsmen techniques and she was using Flower Breathing. That's why you could see the ribbons and flowers."

"Are there others?"

"Yes. Water, air, fire, wind, stone- there's quite a lot and Slayers taste differently depending on which they use," he explained. He resumed stroking her hair.

"Is it like your magic?"

"No, mine is Blood Demon Art. When a demon grows strong enough, that is they eat enough people, they become powerful enough they can use Blood Art which is basically magic now that you mention it. Mine is all based on ice, but it varies demon to demon."

"Why did she want to kill you?" Kanao asked. The woman had been so angry despite her smiling.

"The Demon Slayer Corps is dedicated to killing demons," he shrugged, making her lurch with the movement. "That's basically all they do. Running around trying to kill us."

"You should kill them all so they won't bother you anymore."

Douma laughed, hard enough he started wheezing. Kanao wasn't sure why it was so funny. The woman had tried to harm him so it was logical he would try to kill her right back. In that case if there was an entire organization dedicated to trying to kill him then he should kill them first. It just made sense.

Otousan playfully tweaking her nose jolted her from her thoughts, "Well the reason we haven't done that is because the Corps is very very sneaky. We almost have killed them all before but each time they cling to life. They hide and sneak, have so many bothersome fail safes and decoys. It's so annoying trying to snub them out. But the fighting is fun."

Kanao's gaze slid down to Douma's shoulder, remembering how the woman's sword had cut into him. The average knife in a kitchen couldn't but the too-bright blade had been able to hurt him.

He noticed her stare and tugged down the collar of his robe slightly, so she could see his unblemished shoulder. She poked at the skin but it just felt like human skin, if not too cold. She still remembered how bright his blood had been.

"Did it hurt?"

"Yes, but that was part of the fun."

Kanao frowned, not understanding why being hurt would be fun. He laughed and just gave her another playful jostle. Then another thought came to her, remembering how the fight with the slayer ended. How all it took was a single narrow strip of light to force her father back.

"Otousan."

"Hm?"

"Do you miss the sun?"

"...Sometimes," he admitted. "I remember when I was very little, no bigger than you, one of my favourite pastimes was to nap in the sun."

Kanao found it hard to think of her father being as young and small as she was. To her he had always been big, the tallest man she had seen, and broad shouldered. Trying to imagine him her age and just as little was impossible.

"But that's ancient history," he said, rearranging Kanao so he could rest his chin on her hair. She could hear the very slow pulse of his heart. It would be as large as his fist. "I much prefer things as they are now, even if the 'dying in sunlight' thing is a hindrance. But that reminds me, you were so good with the Hashira. Knocking her over to me, such a good girl. I didn't mention it earlier since I know Inosuke would have been a mite cross, but now I can offer you a gift. For being so good! And so brave, you let me have such a wonderful meal. I have a habit of hunting the lady Pillars, they're so rare and delicious, so you need a reward for not letting her get away. What would you like, manamusume?"

It took some thought but eventually Kanao decided she wanted a gramophone.

Chapter 20: Upper Moon Three

Chapter Text

Kanao woke up with her father's silken cloak wrapped tight around her, half buried beneath a mountain of cushions.

She let out a low grumble, unable to sense Otousan's presence as she peered blearily out of her silken cocoon. She wasn't even sure what time it was, as this deep within the temple no sunlight would pierce forth. Instead the room was lit with several lanterns, small with the washi covered in delicate paintings as the golden glow seeped through them and making shadows dance across the floor and walls. In one corner was a Buddha statue, the dark rock looking almost alive in the candle light and a glass doll sitting cross legged in its lap.

There were several alcoves in the room but none had skulls within them. In one was a lit lotus shaped incense burner, the smoldering pieces of fragrant wood within giving off a earthy, sweet scent. Another had a neatly folded pale green kimono slotted within, a flowery kanzashi lying upon it. Kanao wondered if that belonged to whoever her father had been eating when she came in.

At least her second sleep that night had been deep and dreamless, and there was no tense limbs or fluttering heart to bother her. Instead she was rather content to remain in her roll and buried under the cushions as she sleepily perused the room.

Unlike the rest of Paradise Faith, the artwork deep within Douma's private dwelling was more violent and supernatural. From where Kanao was tucked in the mountain of pillows she could see the ukiyo-e woodblock print against the wall showing a horned demoness, laughing as she pointed at the bloody severed baby's head held in one hand. Another of a samurai fending off snakes, flanked on either side by corpses and their angry, vengeful spirits. And above the incense burner was a print of the Yotsuya Kaidan tale, which Kanao had read about, which told of betrayal, murder and ghostly revenge. The painting showed the gaunt ghost of Oiwa slithering forth from a lantern, her hair long and stringy and black, skin chalk white, with her left eye drooping from the poison. Kanao thought that perhaps she would like to watch the play about Oiwa's fate.

An onryō was quite different from an oni like her father, since she had never seen him turn into a ghost. He was made of flesh and blood as she was, even if there were still quite a lot of differences of a demon to a human. Though Daki had extremely long hair, able to move it like tendrils much like Oiwa's long dark locks.

And the Slayer woman, Kochou Kanae. She had long black hair, down past her waist and had been as shiny as the silk Kanao was currently wrapped in. The hair had been dusted with snowflakes and pale frost when Otousan killed her. Kanao still wasn't sure what to think over an entire organization built to hunt demons like her father. He was the third strongest, and since he was Upper Moon Two she was curious as to who the one at the top was named. Eclipse? Blood Moon? But it seemed demons had pretty eyes, her father with his rainbow ones and then Daki and Gyutaro with their red-and-green eyes.

It made her think back to Gyutaro's comment about her turning into a demon. Kanao's eyes were a dark lilac, but she had to wonder what they would become if she did turn into a demon. Would she get flowers or spots on her face like the siblings? Her father had that red tangled through his golden hair but beyond that and his written-upon eyes he looked quite normal. Though the claws and teeth seemed helpful, if she did not have a weapon on hand. Otousan's teeth had been so long when he bit that Slayer woman in the throat, red all around his mouth and muscle tearing so easily.

Inosuke's words about becoming as strong as their father came back to her and Kanao understood. She would like to be that strong, so she could protect her little brother and her father. Protect her family. The helplessness she felt when that woman was hurting Douma still made her chest feel tight. She could do nothing besides stay out of the way, helpless and useless. What would have happened if that woman had killed her father? Taken her and Inosuke way, maybe send her back to her birth family. Despite her father's reassurances he was strong, that he had enjoyed the fight and had been unbothered by his injuries, Kanao still worried. If there was an entire group then it meant more would come. The woman had been determined to separate her from Douma but Kanao did not know if others would try that tactic in the future. If they would use her as a hostage or kill her because of her father. It made her not quite angry but irritated and thoughtful all the same.

It also made her think if she should ask Otousan if he would indeed turn her into a demon if she was dying. She would not mind that, if there was no other choice beyond death. But at the moment she did not mind being human especially since she could so easily recall that tiny strip of sunlight being enough to force her father back and his later admittance to missing the sun.

She watched the candle dancing inside one of the lanterns, mind swirling with the images of the sunlight ponds and bright red blood, of the Slayer woman's shining sword and Otousan's lethal ice. She was content to simply doze, not falling back asleep but thinking blearily and easily about many different things.

Then Kanao heard distant voices steadily approaching, blinking at the shut shoji door while still bundled within her silken cocoon. One voice she immediately recognized as her father but the other was unknown. Male, she was quite sure, as they drew closer and closer until they were in the room adjacent to her.

"...The only reason I'm even here is because he ordered me to," the stranger's voice snapped, cold and hostile and growing ever louder. "I don't have time to waste at your disgusting little cattle farm so just give me what I need so I can leave."

"Ah Akaza-dono you're so impatient! Don't you want to spend some time with your dearest friend?" Douma's voice was far more cheerful but Kanao had known her father enough to recognize the near-inaudible mocking undertone to it. "After all, I hardly get to see you. Instead you're running wild all over the countryside with barely a thought to your friends-"

"Get away from me, you are not my friend. Just give me those stupid books you found so I can carry on looking for that forsaken flower."

"Ara ara, so grumpy. Have you eaten anything today? Is that why you're so cranky? Oh dearie me, that won't do. Want me to call in someone for you to nibble on while I fetch those books? I fear I put them away someplace safe and my scatterbrain can't remember where. Oh well, guess you'll have to stay. What are you hungry for?"

"Would you stop being a blathering moron and get the damned books? I don't-"

Kanao shifted slightly in her silk bundle and the conversation beyond immediately fell silent. For a moment she thought that she was going to be ignored until she heard her father call out to her, soft enough that if she truly was asleep she probably would have ignored it.

"Kanao? If you're awake, why don't you come and greet our guest?"

Since she was awake, she decided to do as Douma asked even if trying to unroll herself was actually quite hard. When she finally managed to free herself from the silken cloak she then fell down the mountain of cushions to sprawl out onto the tatami mat. Pushing herself up Kanao tugged at her nemaki, pulling the violet clothing more securely around her from where it had loosened in sleep. She couldn't do much about her hair, which more closely resembled a birds nest than its typical neat style and there were no combs nearby so instead she trotted over to the shoji door and slid it open.

Douma immediately broke into a toothy smile at her appearance, clapping his clawed hands together happily as he said, "Good morning! I hope you're well rested, considering how long you were up last night."

Kanao nodded as she shut the door behind her. Otousan was wearing his usual clothes with the dark red shirt and pale hakama pants, long silvery gold hair pulled back at his nape. The other man- demon Kanao mentally amended -seemed much more like Daki and Gyutaro; that is, not liking clothes too much as he was only wearing loose white pants and a pale pink haori that barely covered his shoulders and left his muscular chest bare. His skin was stark white, in deep contrast to the various dark blue tattoos covering his naked torso, arms and face. His hair was short but such a fluffy pink Kanao could only think of blooming sakura blossoms. His eyes were also pretty, the whites instead a deep blue much like his tattoos and irises bright gold. Much like her father, there was kanji written within the stranger's eyes.

上弦の参

Even as she watched the new demon's golden eyes narrowed as he started at her, lips twisting down into a scowl as his brow furrowed. Seemed like he was an angry demon much like Daki, his hands curling into fists as he bristled like a furious cat.

"You're disgusting," the demon snapped, turning back to Douma as his lips pulled back to show long fangs and pale gums as he bared his teeth. "How old is she, ten? I always knew you were vile but for some reason even I thought the likes of this was beyond you."

"Oh is this another one of your moods?" Douma said flippantly. "You're so short tempered Akaza-dono, you need to learn how to relax. Here, Kanao-"

The snarl the other demon made drowned out whatever Otousan was trying to say, and Kanao watched Upper Moon Three carefully as he stalked towards Douma. No, she was wrong; unlike Daki who had been irritable and livid, this new demon was furious and she could tell from his body language alone he utterly hated her father.

Which made Kanao dislike the stranger by default. Especially since she could tell he wanted to attack Otousan, fists shaking at his side as veins bulged upon his forearms with only sheer restraint stopping him. Still, she would remain calm as she always did especially since Upper Moon Three did not appear to have one of those shining swords with him. Could demons even hurt other demons?

"Kanao," Douma's sweet voice cut off her thoughts as she immediately focused her attention upon her father as he crouched in front of her. "Now, I need to go fetch some things for Akaza-dono here. While I'm doing that, why don't you make him some tea? There's a pot in the cupboard over there, and whatever you need."

"Hai."

"I don't want any damn tea-"

A flurry of chilly air and snap of a shoji door and Kanao was left alone with Upper Moon Three. Akaza, her father had called him.

Currently he was staring in the direction Douma had left to, fists clenched with veins popping up beneath his skin. Kanao thought he might chase after Otousan but she needed to make tea so she decided to ignore him.

She was unsure what rank of guest Akaza would fall under, since he was of lower rank than Otousan and she did not like the way he had kept glaring at her father. As she checked the thickly carved cupboard her father had directed her to, she decided to choose the usucha blend over the koicha for the matcha tea.

Taking tools she needed from the cupboard- such a deeply polished wood it was bronze, thick with golden accents -before carefully taking it to the sunken hearth within the room. It took both hands to haul the dense kettle, already filled with water which dissatisfied her. She would prefer it fresh. Oh well. She lit the charcoal with the irori, and set about preparing the tea.

The kettle was a deep gleaming black, with elaborate vines and lotus flowers etched within the kettle's form. The room she was in wasn't like the one she and Misaki used, so it would not fit with proper tea ceremony etiquette but she did not care.

She went through the soothing repetitive motions of grinding the matcha, kneeling before the tools as she warmed the bowl and whisk with the hot water from the kettle.

"Stop that, I don't want any tea," Akaza snapped. Kanao ignored him.

Emptying then drying off the bowl, Kanao then measured out the matcha, the boiling water, and began to whisk. She took time to prevent any lumps, regardless of how rude her guest was behaving.

"Are you deaf? Or just dimwitted?"

Kanao ignored him. She whisked until the green tea was frothy and with many small bubbles.

For a brief moment she felt a shift behind her, having to pause as strands of her hair slid over her shoulder and she felt that Akaza had been about to seize a handful of her hair before stopping himself.

As it was he stalked around her, footfalls hard enough the tatami mat seemed close to splintering. Even Daki hadn't regarded her with such rage, such disgust. Kanao had to wonder if it was because this new demon hated her father so much, Akaza's loathing transfer to her as his daughter.

It was interesting, as even Daki hadn't the same reaction to Douma as Akaza was and she was even more below him in rank. The Upper Six siblings just seemed vaguely annoyed with Douma's behaviour but were willing to speak to him and entertain her, even Kanao did not care overly about the antics of an oiran or those immensely tall shoes.

Once done with the tea Kanao set aside the whisk and then took the teacup, offering it up to Akaza with a bow of her head.

"I don't want it," Akaza snapped at her, fangs flashing in the lantern light. His arms were crossed, veins still poking up through his skin and the tendons in his neck strained.

Despite the way he was baring his teeth at her, Kanao decided he was quite pretty. Maybe it was a demon thing, Gyutaro had also been so despite Douma's offhanded comment that people found him disturbing with his gaunt frame and sharp features.

Akaza's face was youthful, almost boyish and Kanao liked his eyes; the gold glowing, kanji black as ink within. Now so close she could see the marks running through his deep blue scleras, like cracked glass. And his pink hair, she decided that was her favourite. Even his nails- short and rounded compared to Otousan's long sharp talons -matched his hair colour.

Though now she saw them very closely as Upper Moon Three seized her hand, fast enough she could not follow it. He was crouched in front of her, hand clenching both of hers and making a hairline crack appear in the cup.

She could feel the hot tea start to seep down her fingers, the green liquid dripping off her wrist to the tatami mat below.

Akaza's hand was big enough it could grip both of hers, tight enough she could feel the growing ache in her bones. She stared at him, studying how thick and fluffy his eyelashes were even with his expression so deeply hostile.

"I said," he snarled through clenched teeth, lips pulling back farther to show his gums, "that I don't want any of your f*cking tea."

Kanao blinked slowly, breathing deep and calm. Her hands ached even as Akaza flexed his fingers. The cup broke, shards digging into her palms, her fingers, her flesh. Tea splattered down to the mat, staining her sleeves. The smell of matcha coiled up her nostrils, pressed tight against Akaza's breath which stunk of blood and offal.

"Are you his pet?" Akaza asked her bluntly, teeth snapping together.

"I am his daughter," Kanao answered. Stinging in her hands as cuts bloomed, blood and tea mixing together even as Akaza's nostrils flared in response.

"Is that what he calls you? Daughter?" The scorn in his voice was near scorching.

"Yes."

"And you're stupid enough to believe it?"

Kanao stared at him.

He scowled at her, his body so tense Kanao thought she would have to rip off her hands to get away from his grip. He seemed so furious at her uncaring response and it made her curious as to why he hated her father so much. Akaza's fingers were dark blue, much like his toes. Demons could be quite colourful, Kanao decided.

After another bout of glaring he dropped her hands, cup shards falling to the ground and Kanao could see the red and green mixing together even as her palms stung. Still, it was an easily ignored pain.

Upper Moon Three started to pace again, muscles shifting under his skin like an agitated great cat. The berry-red beads around his ankles clicked faintly as he prowled about.

Kanao rose, ignore the tea and blood still dripping off her fingers to go over to the kettle. It was still hot, even if the charcoal was now glowing faintly. She would need another cup as well.

Though she stopped as Akaza snatched the kettle and threw it at the nearest wall, glaring at her the entire time even as the pot exploded as hot water splashed across the wall and floor.

She blinked, noting how the scroll on the wall quickly grew sodden. Well, Otousan never minded when Inosuke broke things so he probably didn't care that the demon was breaking things. But Kanao found herself rather irritated Akaza was breaking things.

As it was he was growling at her, a low rumbling timbre that made the hairs on her nape go on end. Which facinated Kanao, since she still felt calm but her body was having an involuntary response to his snarling. Like the way she had woken up and felt uneasy despite mentally feeling just fine.

"Do you prefer a different type of tea? Or there's sake," Kanao said. Douma always drank a lot of that liquor even if Kanao thought it tasted bad. Inosuke liked it more than her.

"I don't want any of that. What's wrong with you? Can't you understand me?"

"I was to make you tea but you threw it at the wall," Kanao replied blandly. "I'll need to fetch a new pot. Do you not like green tea?"

"I don't like you," Akaza snapped. "I don't like this filthy flesh farm, I don't like Douma and his moronic antics. I'm only here as ordered, and for some reason that blithe fool ran off. Being ridiculous as usual and left me with his creepy little girl-pet when I have far more important things to do."

Kanao stared at him. She felt 'dislike' did not adequately show Akaza's contempt. She wasn't sure why, since with the kanji in their eyes Douma was stronger than Akaza.

Pride, she suddenly thought. Yes, that seemed right. Inosuke always got more wild when he felt someone insulted him and Akaza seemed offended Douma left him with her. Not really surprising, even some of the adults in Paradise Faith disliked the sheer rampant favouritism Douma showed towards his children and those were the ones who worshipped him. Akaza just seemed to hate him.

Her fingers twitched, red staining her nails even if the bleeding had slowed. There were still shards gouging her skin.

She could tell Akaza didn't like her staring, either.

"I don't know where Otousan went," she said instead.

"If I break your neck, do you think he'll show up?"

Interesting. Gyutaro had alluded to the same thing, when he showed her his eeriely glowing sickle. About dying and if Douma would turn her. She made a mental note to ask her father later if he would, make him pinky promise. It was important to keep promises after all.

Akaza grabbed her, moving quickly enough she couldn't follow until his hand was clamped around her neck. His skin felt like normal human skin.

"Where is he?" Akaza snarled. "Get that braindead fool back in here!"

"I don't know where Otousan went."

"Stop calling him that!"

But, Kanao noticed, he did not tighten his hand. He was being careful, very careful, not to cut off her breathing or actually hurt her. She couldn't break his grip or move away but neither was he strangling her.

His expression was ghoulish in the lantern light, deep shadows dancing along his fangs and boyish features twisted as his golden eyes glowed. As she continued to stare passively at him, heartbeat and breathing calm and even, his expression twisted further.

A squeeze of his tattooed hand, nails digging into her nape, her long dark hair-

And Akaza recoiled as if he'd been burned, dropping her to the ground as he jumped backwards. Kanao stumbled before rightening up, watching Akaza as he flinched. His gaze was distant, eyes blank and blinking rapidly as he backed away from her.

"Do you want some tea?" Kanao intoned. Tea was soothing.

The shoji door slid open, quickly followed by a gasp from Douma as he saw the damage in the room even as Akaza's distant stare vanished as he turned to Douma with a snarl.

"Yare yare, aren't you in a profoundly rude mood today Akaza-dono?" Douma scolded, crossing the room to fuss over Kanao. "Throwing a tantrum after Kanao slaved away to make a fresh cup of tea especially for you, being such a courteous host while you hurl things like a child-"

"Oh, I'm being the child?" Akaza bristled, "You're the one wasting my time with this useless garage, running off and being ridiculous."

"That's a horrible thing to say about Kanao! She was being so polite while you've been breaking the room and here you are insulting her."

"I'm not talking about her!"

A snort even as Otousan crouched in front of her, taking her hands in his much larger ones. His rainbow eyes widened, thick brows inching towards his brow but she could see his lips twitch as if fighting a smile.

"Have you been hurting her, Akaza-dono? And here I thought you hated hurting women, wouldn't eat any at all," Douma said, inspecting her hands. "But is it because Kanao is still young? A girl, not a woman?"

Sharp blue talons gently pulled out the broken shards still embedded in her palms, Douma putting them in a neat pile to the side. Akaza refused to look at her.

Once done Douma took her hands, rubbing his thumbs over her cut palms and smearing blood. A bone-deep cold rushed over her hands, the cuts slowly fading into nothing as her skin healed over. The blood seeped into Douma's skin to fade into nothing until it was if she had never been injured.

Over Otousan's shoulder she could see Akaza snatch up the things Douma had dropped. There was a low twang as one of the magic doors appeared, upon the same wall Akaza had thrown the kettle at. He still refused to even look at her, instead disappearing through the shoji door in a flash of movement. Just as quickly it snapped shut and was gone.

"Well, I'm rather surprised," Douma said even as he swept Kanao up in his arms, briefly tossing her up in the air and catching her. "And here I thought Akaza had a soft spot for the fairer sex. Yet such a rude guest to you, especially just leaving without saying goodbye . What do you think of him, Kanao?"

She loosely grabbed at Douma's collar; she was getting a bit too big to be held in one arm, legs dangling over the side, but she didn't mind.

Instead, Kanao thought over her father's words before answering, "He was pretty but rude."

"Ha! Well I guess he is. He's always been so rude to me, ill tempered and immature. Strange, considering he's older than me."

Douma looked about the room, letting out a tsk tsk as he surveyed the mess before turning away.

"Oh well, I'll have someone clean it up later. Now, why don't we go see what Inosuke's been up to hmm? I'm sure he's missing his oneesan."

Chapter 21: Curiosity killed the cat

Chapter Text

"It's a mamushi. See the browny grey scales, with the white speckles? Though they can be more yellow or red tinted. They're a type of viper, one of the most common snakes in Japan. They give birth to live young, they don't lay eggs. But they're very venomous. Make sure it doesn't bite you, Kanao-kun."

The snake was twitching in Rojin's grip, the man holding it firmly behind the head. Its mouth was agape, showing a pink inner mouth and little white fangs.

"Snakes don't have eyelids and they don't have ears either. Isn't that interesting? I wonder what that would be like."

Kanao nodded, because it was indeed interesting. She had been wandering around one of the great outside lotus ponds within Paradise Faith when she found Rojin with the snake. She had only noticed the basket next to him from where he'd been nearly next to a small copse of trees, and when she drew closer that was when she realized he had caught the snake. He seemed more intent on admiring it than hurting it or cutting off its head.

"Are you going to kill it?" she asked.

"Oh no, snakes are very good for pests," Rojin said, waving his free hand as his wide eyes opened even further. "They love eating mice and rats, so if you find one inside you should release it back in the fields. They're aren't an angry snake, so usually they just leave if they sense people around. They only bite humans defensively."

He then opened the lid of the small basket to show that it was filled with ice and tossed the snake in, shutting it before the mamushi could escape.

With nimble movements he secured the basket with a length of twine while saying, "And since they're reptiles they go to sleep if its too cold. That way I don't have to worry about it biting me when I let it out again. I'll do it down near the edge of the commune, with the forest. Maybe an owl or fox will eat it before it wakes up, maybe not. But a better chance than if it was left in the commune as is, someone would've killed it for sure."

"How did you catch it?"

"There are people called snake charmers, from a country called Egypt and India. All across the sea, I've never been there myself. They use music but the snakes are actually paying attention to their instruments!" Rojin explained cheerfully, getting to his feet with jerky movements. "They think its a threat because its moving so close to them, so they focus on that. Snakes are always cautious. So I can do the same with a leaf or flower and the snake looks at that, because I'm not any good at playing instruments. But when the rest of me is still they aren't paying attention to it. So if I'm quick I can grab them. Also grab them behind the head. If you grab their tails they can twist about and nip you and then you'll be dead."

"Snakes are venomous," Kanao intoned.

"Hai. Mamushi are the most venomous ones in Japan. But nowdays if you get to a hospital you can recover well enough. Or Douma-sama, in this case. Since he's magic so he can heal snake bites. I think. Maybe? But I think if you got bit by many at one time you'd die before anyone could do anything about it. He can't bring back the dead. I think."

Rojin pursed his lips, staring aimlessly at the trees as he thought it over. Kanao let him be.

But it was a conversation she thought over, as she watched commune from one of the corners of Douma's temple. Perched there like a hawk, sandaled feet poking precariously over the edge with arms wrapped around her knees, as she eyed the people below. Most she could recognize by sight alone but there was always quite a high turn over rate due to Otousan's appetite.

As always, the place smelled of sweet blooming blossoms and the cool mountain air tugged at her dark hair within its ponytail. After a moment Kanao moved, movements as lithe as a cat's as she scurried down the ancient temple's walls. It was of a great dense stone, but as with anything time had gnawed upon it so it was easy for her fingers and feet to find slight leverage and places to cling to so not so long passed before she landed on top of a nearby building with the grace of a cat.

The day had mostly passed, the sky fading into evening with only a few more hours until sunset. Otousan was busy with his audiences, soothing his followers even if Kanao knew he was bored all the time at them. Inosuke and herself had spent most of the morning playing an assortment of games like tag, hide and seek, then swimming about in one of the great ponds trying to catch the fish with their hands. Kanao had more success with it, since she was a great deal more patient than her brother who had a habit of flinging himself into the water the moment he spotted a fish while she would lurk, still and silent as a statue, until they got within range of her hands.

Inosuke had also been consistently wearing the boar's skull she had gotten him for his birthday, Misaki puncturing some holes into the upper edge of the jawbone so she could thread it close with the skull so he could keep wearing it like a hat. He complained about wanting it fully hollowed out but Misaki was insistent that Kanao's gift to him not be damaged that badly but promised to try with some deer skulls. To hollow out the inner bone to make it more like a helmet or actual headpiece for him to wear. Kanao did not mind if that was what Inosuke chose to do with the babirusa skull but since Inosuke was not pressing the issue Kanao did not either.

At the moment Inosuke had fallen asleep after sneaking into the kitchens and nearly eating his own weight in dumplings. Kanao had hauled him over her shoulders like a sack of rice to take him to bed. Once there she had securely tucked him into his futon, then cleaned the skull to place neatly at his side, Kanao went to go people-watch.

It was an easy enough pastime and Kanao found it soothing, studying the people in the commune. She noticed how near all of the Paradise Faith members had a routine they stuck to, groups they gravitated towards and tasks they were assigned. Some, like Misaki, would do various jobs over the days from weeding the gardens to cooking food to tending to the paddocks. Others would simply stick to a certain job and never stray, like Kenji who tended to Douma's temple and barely ever left and Hama who looked after the children and did naught else. Kanao didn't really have a job in Paradise Faith though Misaki would occasionally have them tag along with her. More physical work would always held in distracting Inosuke while more patient things, such as trying to stitch up torn clothing, bothered him quickly. Also giving Inosuke sharp objects was not the best of ideas.

It helped Kanao come to terms with a plan as she watched. Tentative, like silt at the bottom of pool but something that became disturbed during her spying.

It was an idea born when she had retreated back inside, lurking within one of the great indoor lotus ponds. High above she was hidden within the various vines draping down around the Buddha statue towering above the room. The noise was simply that of the occasional koi fish splashing the surface and the small waterfall cascading down halfway across the room.

Kanao had been sitting there, patient and watchful as she observed the occasional person who entered the room. She had recognized Rojin at one point, but he was occupied with feeding the koi fish and was entirely ignorant to her watching him. Even from so far away she could see the redness of his lips, from where he had been chewing on them, and the deep circles around his eyes. All that combined with his long dark hair made her think of Oiwa and how so many spirits were portrayed in artwork. Kanao thought about how he would look as an oni, since Daki could move her hair and Rojin's was nearly as long as hers. Would his eyes change? She knew Douma's eyes had been rainbow coloured, even as a human. It seemed nothing of his changed except for teeth and talons, compared to Akaza who was covered in tattoos. Though Kanao did admit he had the prettiest hair she had seen thus far with any demon, so fluffy and pink.

After Rojin had left it took nearly twenty minutes for another group to enter, five girls all around several years older than her. Kanao watched them from her perch as they began to prepare with the tending of the garden, dressed for waterwork as they carefully stepped into the pond and began the task of cutting away dying blossoms and yellow or damaged leaves while inspecting the plants for pests. The heaviest ripe flowers were cut and placed in baskets the group left upon the walkway.

As they worked Kanao studied each intently, trying to judge their moods and body language. One was favouring her left knee, moving slower within the water than the rest as she carefully trimmed one of the lotus plants of its torn leaves. Kanao judged it as a sprain or ache, something the girl deemed too frivolously to bother Douma with healing. Kanao also knew there was a very high chance her father would eat the girl, if she chose to approach him.

Each petal of the lotus blossoms plucked Kanao counted, watching as each were placed in the basket. Even so far she could make out the details, trying to memorize them as best she could. They spoke of senseless things, mentioning the current harvest or recent marriage or new arrivals. Things Kanao did not care for as she continued to observe the group below. One of the girls, hair drawn back in a messy bun, had several small scratches along the inside of her left wrist which Kanao guessed was from a cat. All her nails were bitten back to their beds, red and puffy.

As the group made their way to each pool, the baskets slowly growing fuller and fuller with lush flowers, Kanao found herself near dozing. The air within the indoor garden was moist and warm, the roofing allowing shaded sunlight to stream forth. Enough Douma could walk through, Kanao knew, as he was unbothered on cloudy or rainy days. It was direct sunlight which rebuked him and she thought back to his comment of how he once had been little like her, and enjoyed the naps in the sun. It made her feel strange. Not quite sad or angry. Dissatisfied.

Then her brother's name being uttered by the group below instantly snapped her attention forth from her daydreaming, Kanao's breathing calm and easy even as her gaze fixated upon the girls below in the lotus pond with an unblinking violet stare.

"...Hashibira doused so much of it in that ink when he smashed up the room. It was my favourite kimono, too. With the cranes and the golden thread."

She could easily hear them speak from her vantage point, the room large and broad but contained. Kanao shifted slightly, the vines brushing against her shoulders as the delicate pearls clinging to her hairpin swayed.

"There's something wrong with that boy, it's as if he's feral or something."

Kanao recognized Yū, the one who called Inosuke feral. She was tall and slender, fingers deft as she plucked a yellowed leaf from a stem. Her long brown hair hung over her shoulders in dual braids, long enough they reached past her waist, with the ribbons trying her hair a pale blue which matched her eyes.

"He's Douma-sama's ward," one of the other girls said, giving her a sharp look.

"The leader is so gracious, to take in such a troubled child," another added.

"I'm hardly questioning the leader's graciousness," the girl with braids quickly said, "I'm just saying, it's been nearly a decade of Douma-sama's care and the child is still half mad. At the very least the girl is calm and quiet. She knows obedience and respect but that boy is wild. Perhaps even possessed by some beastly spirit. That could be the only explanation for his behaviour, after so long in the leader's care. Yet still he acts rabid. It's frightful, really."

There were some grumbles of agreement even as Kanao thought over the words. As the years passed most children now simply left Kanao alone, well used to her preferring only her own company or that of her family. Occasionally one would try to befriend her before Kanao's cold demeanor scared them off but ultimately they left her well alone compared to the earlier years of the snide, rude comments. With Inosuke, however, the complaints never seemed to stop. Mostly due to the fact her brother didn't care what he broke and his habit of biting people didn't seem to be ending. Some would complain to Douma directly, who just didn't care even if he occasionally spoke of platitudes and then scoffed about it later.

Kanao also typically ignored the complaints about her brother, since they were never ending and she did not care about the people complaining in the first place. Now, however, after the interaction with the Demon Slayer and then Upper Moon Three made Kanao deeply curious and determined about herself.

After her trip of Tokyo and, barring that one night where she met Akaza, Kanao never had another bad night of sleep about the incident. She would dream of the event sometimes, and it always ended with Douma biting out the woman's throat. Sometimes the fight would change, its location and how it happened even if intellectually Kanao knew the truth. Yet it always came back to that event of Kanao pushing the woman across the sunlight, to let her father kill the Slayer.

And then each morning she would think about what Otousan said about there being an entire organization dedicated to hunting his kind. The Demon Slayer Corps. She would think about it, either easily or deeply, but she did not bother her father about her thoughts since she needed to understand them herself. And it also had her thinking about Inosuke wanting to become strong like Douma, since he was aggressive by nature and would always choose to fight. Kanao hadn't, she had been forced to stand far away while that woman with her strange sword fought Douma and made him bleed.

Strength of the body wasn't just what Kanao wanted, however. She had stood there and only acted at the very end. At her father's insistence yes, but it left her unsatisfied all the same.

Kanao knew the Slayer was already dying before Kanao pushed her. So, in a way, she hadn't exactly killed the woman. The Slayer was going to drop dead regardless of Kanao and Douma's lack of intervention, if they had just left her there. But it did stop her from speaking to anyone in those dying moments, of speaking of Kanao.

Though that wasn't what Kanao brooded about, rather she kept thinking about her own desires and her obedience to Douma's orders given to her years ago; that whenever she was unable to decide upon something, she was to think to the benefit of her family and behave appropriately.

She had helped enforce the death of someone but it had been in the spur of the moment. Kanao was unsure if she could have committed the act if Kochou Kanae had not been in a fight with her father. If the woman had snatched her while Kanao was walking the streets of Tokyo when Otousan left her. If Kanao would have been capable of using her hairpin to stab the woman in the eye or try killing her without the threat of imminent death or harm to her family.

It made logical sense to her, to put her theory to the test. Action and non-action. What she could do and what she couldn't.

That was why when Yū called her brother mad Kanao took intense note of her, memorizing her appearance right down to the faint dusting of freckles across her nose and cheekbones. Body lithe and slender, slight muscles but nothing showing hard labour or any type of habitual athleticism. Her hair was bound in ribbons with no sharp pins to hold it back, and her clothing without any hidden weapons. And one who insulted her family.

As Kanao watched the other girl washing and cleaning the plucked lotus blossoms down below, a plan slowly came to being.

First was to observe her target.

Easy enough for Kanao to do, as she had free reign of Paradise Faith. No where was off limits to her, not even Douma's innermost rooms. The most challenging was to be without Inosuke, who was not subtle in the slightest. Vigorous play followed by hefty meals turned out to be an easy combination to enforce a nap so Kanao could be on her own. She also spent most of her observations during the day, when she know her father would be confined to his temple.

Yū spent her time with the same group of girls, talking and jesting with one another when they worked. They also slept in the same building, albeit in individual rooms which worked in Kanao's favour. She made sure to sneak into the room during the night, observing Yū's sleeping form in the futon- the fabric covered in cranes, it seemed she was fond of the birds as there was also a scroll depicting one hanging from the wall -as well as noting that Yū was a reasonable sleeper. Stirring with grumbles if Kanao stepped too loudly but not so light Kanao woke her. Quiet as a mouse, Kanao crept around Yū as she inspected the rest of the room; it was filled with typical things such as writing equipment and incense and small personal objects. Nothing too interesting. Yū's room was also located at the end left of the building, with the room directly across from her vacant except for an assortment of vases in various states of repair.

Yū followed a set schedule and the older woman in charge of the house the girls stayed at would set up the futons as the girls bathed for the night. Kanao spent several days watching until she determined there was a window of ten to fifteen minutes between the old matron laying out the bedding and the girls arriving. For Yū's room specifically since it was at the end and the one the old woman would lay out last.

Several plans thought out and just as quickly discarded. Knives were easy to find, as Kanao had free range of the kitchens. But she remembered how much blood there had been, she could not suck it into her skin to leave things clean. This was a test of resolve, not brute strength. Not for a fight, not yet anyway. It was to test her choices.

She remembered Rojin.

It was time for the final phase of her plan. For Kanao to test herself. Test her resolve.

First she took a pot from the kitchen and filled it with ice from the ice house. Perhaps it would've been easier to ask her father for his magic ice, since Kanao planned only for a single night, but she was determined to be independent. Douma always encouraged that and she had to take care of Inosuke.

Once done with the pot Kanao went hunting.

The first snake was in the brush leading from one of the gardens down the mountain towards the farmland. A mamushi but with browner scales and smaller than the one Rojin caught.

Remembering Rojin's words, Kanao snapped a small branch off a tree and stripped it until only a single leaf on the tip remained.

Then she teased the snake, judging the distance to keep herself out of biting range but close enough she could grab the snake's head when it lashed out.

It hissed, mouth opening as it coiled defensively. Kanao let it lash at the leaf weaving too and fro before it, gauging its speed.

One, two, three-

Quicker than the snake Kanao's hand snapped around the mamushi's head, grabbing it behind the skull as Rojin had. Its scales were smooth and warm against her fingers as it thrashed in her grip.

She carefully put the angry snake in the cold pot, sliding the lid back on before it could escape. Then she picked up and pot, kept her branch and moved on.

The next snake wasn't a mamushi, instead having olive scales and deep green blotches across it's scales so she ignored it. Further searching revealed no more serpents so Kanao left the gardens and headed downhill.

Due to secrecy Kanao made sure to avoid anyone heading back to the commune from the paddocks, able to spy them from afar like an eagle and hiding herself in the bushes until they passed. She had worn a deep green yukata for a reason.

Before long she found another mamushi, this one larger and slightly fat and tired from a successful hunt. It was slower than the first and soon it was in the pot.

The last she found in the thick forest strewn across the mountain, passing numerous animal tracks as her eyes scanned the grass and undergrowth.

When she finally found another mamushi, she was the furthest she had been from the commune without either Inosuke, Misaki or Douma. She felt anxious, being so far away. She did not know if any Slayers could find her on the mountain and steal her away like that woman tried to.

So she teased the last snake as quickly as she could, body and arm still as a statue as her fingers weaved the brach before the snake. The leaf nearly being bitten by the snake's neat little fangs before Kanao seized it.

Then it was in the pot, Kanao discarding the branch in the forest with the cold pot held close as she returned to Paradise Faith.

She hid the pot in her room, stowing it away in one of her gilded cabinets and hiding it beneath some painting supplies.

Then Kanao went to have supper with her family.

Onigiri with hot miso soup, pork tempura, slabs of grilled mackerel, pickled cucumber and yakiniku donburi which had very fat slices of pork which further delighted Inosuke. Douma drank his customary sake as his two children ate, Kanao calmly and politely wielding chopsticks while Inosuke favoured his hands.

It was calm and languid, enjoying Inosuke's loud boisterous voice and Douma's more amused, deep baritone while eating fresh delicious food which strengthened Kanao's resolved. She would do anything to protect her family, to protect this, and she must be sure in it. In herself.

Once done with dinner she bundled Inosuke off to sleep, Kanao having made sure to be a bit more persistent in giving him more and more food that dinner. She combed his hair, cleaned the skull and waited until he was asleep before going to her own room. She already knew Douma was eating that night, so he would be preoccupied. Only issue could be Misaki, but Kanao did night wanderings enough the woman wouldn't panic if she found Kanao's room empty. She would just have to make sure to avoid the woman in the hallways.

She waited silently in her room until it would be time for Yū and the other girls to prepare for bed. Then she retrieved the pot.

Carefully Kanao slunk through the temple, hiding behind walls and vases and statues as the pot rapidly chilled her fingers. Several times she had to scurry up a Buddha statue, hiding upon its shoulders until a person passed.

Beyond the temple was both trickier and easier, with trees and bushes to hide behind but more people heading indoors for the night that she had to avoid.

Kanao only just barely made it to the house in time, ducking behind a wood carving as the old matron shuffled past with an armful of kimono.

Not much time left, so on bare feet she ran down the hallway to reach the lady room. Inside the lamp was casting a golden glow, crane patterned futon laid out with the corner folded down. Yū's bed.

Quickly Kanao moved, taking out each snake of the pot and feeling its chilled scaly skin against hers. She knew Yū's height and as such knew where to place the snakes without having Yū's feet touching them when she went to bed. The mamushi's would wake gradually, cold blooded but Kanao knew Yū was quick to fall asleep. Then her body heat would draw the snakes to her, wanting to thaw. And their touch would wake her. Instinctively would panic, snakes reacting just instinctively. Defensive, snakes were cautious. Duvet was a heavy thing, easy to tangle.

Kanao smoothed down the futon once the last snake had been tucked inside, before leaving as quickly as she came. And only just missed Yū and the other girls returning from the communal baths.

Finished, Kanao went to the nearest pond and discreetly dumped the ice into it. Once done she went back into the temple and washed and cleaned the pot before returning it.

Then she went to bed.

She had no dreams.

Chapter 22: Responsibility

Chapter Text

The kimono was of indigo silk, the long furisode sleeves and skirt covered in delicate stitching showing black headed cranes flying over pine trees. The obi belt was white, several pink tortoises crawling across the fabric.

Kanao requested that Misaki draw back her hair in a more formal arrangement, rather than its usual sideways ponytail. The woman was bemused by the request but abided nonetheless as she tied back Kanao's hair and secured it with various hairpins. Naturally her lotus bud joined the rest, the delicate string of pearls ending just above her ear.

"Sake," Kanao said bluntly once they were done.

"Douma-sama drinks that stuff like a fish, yet I've never seen him drunk," Misaki sighed as she got to her feet. "I wonder if it is one of the aspects of being God chosen? The inability to get drunk? Even if he seems to like the taste nonetheless."

Kanao said nothing as Misaki led her through the commune, hand-in-hand. Instead she thought over what she would say, when she would tell her father the truth.

It had been during the morning meal Kanao discovered her plan was a resounding success. Yū's death had been reported, a hushed discussion among many during the community meal. Kanao and Inosuke would typically eat on their own but that morning Kanao had been insistent they eat in one of the community halls. While eating dumplings Kanao overheard a couple of older women muttering amongst themselves over an excessive amount of tea. Most of it was typical gossip but Kanao keep a close ear out until she heard Yū's death mentioned. A 'horrible tragedy' it was said, the old women huffing and shaking their heads.

Death wasn't unknown in Paradise Faith- and Kanao knew it was actually highly common since Douma ate those who went to paradise -and occasionally an accident would occur and someone would die. A child drowning in the river while trying to grab the fish, a man falling off the roof when he was trying to fix it after a brief storm, a woman dying after eating a cashew noodle dish, a mother passing in childbirth, a man gored by one of the many wild boar roaming the mountains. A girl dying from snake bites. Rare but certainly not an unknown.

Kanao had kept listening as she ate her dumplings, occasionally pausing to shove another one into Inosuke's mouth. Yū had been found that morning, stiff and swollen with bites upon her ankles and shins.

'Such a shame, she was such a pretty girl,' one of the old ladies had sighed while the others made noises of agreement.

Kanao did not know why Yū's looks were relevant to the fact she died. Then the conversation shifted to a potential marriage between two members of Paradise Faith Kanao didn't care about so she stopped listening. After breakfast she made a challenge to Inosuke, stating that he would be unable to capture fifty frogs before it was time for lunch. Inosuke, as she expected, instantly accepted the challenge and sprinting off with his boar skull rattling on his head to go harass the local frog population. They could also have the frogs he caught for lunch, like sashimi perhaps.

She thought about potential frog dishes before she found Misaki and then enlisted the woman's help in preparing herself for an audience with her father. It was an event she prepared for, when she gathered those snakes and plotted out her actions. A part of her was quite sure Otousan was already aware Kanao had been the one to kill Yū, even if he hadn't come searching for her yet. Still, Kanao felt an obligation to go to her father's audience chamber and inform him of her actions.

That was why she had Misaki help with hair and clothing. One must be presentable when speaking to the Founder.

However Kanao wasn't done yet and she had Misaki go with her to the kitchens to retrieve a bottle of sake as an offering. The only thing her father seemed to consume besides human flesh.

"Karami," Kanao said as she opened the door to where the numerous bottles and jars of sake were held. She was too short to reach the ones higher up.

Misaki nodded and searched until she found the proper bottle; bone white except for the blue flowers blossoming over it. She handed it over to Kanao, who held it securely against her chest.

"I'm fairly sure this bottle alone is more than a month's wages back when I was in the city," Misaki joked as she shut the door. "It would probably drive me into a coma if I drank it all in one go like your father does. Oh well, here you are Kanao-chan."

"Thank you."

"Do you want me to take you to the audience chamber where the Founder is?"

"No."

"Alright. I'll see you at lunch later, ne?"

"Hai."

An affectionate pat on the head- while making sure to not upset Kanao's hair -and Misaki left. Kanao remained, holding the bottle of sake.

As she walked through the halls to the audience chamber she thought about what she would say before deciding to be blunt. Otousan might enjoy dancing about with his words, which did take Kanao time to understand his point at times, but Kanao did not like talking much so she always preferred to be blunt and to the point much like Inosuke. If not far more quieter than her brother.

Per usual she was left alone by anyone she passed, Kanao eyeing each person with her usual bland stare as she continued towards the deeper chambers of the temple. The air smelled of flowers and incense, occasionally she passed an indoor garden that would bring the soft scent of fresh rain and damp flora. She only stopped when she crossed paths with Rojin, who was sitting in a small indoor zen garden adjacent to the corridor she was walking down.

He was sitting with his back to her, long hair loose and falling down his back to pool around his waist. The rock garden was surrounded by finely raked pale sand, with a cluster of bamboo sprouting in the middle. The far away wall was lined with layered rocks, water washing down into a a small koi pond. A small shishiodoshi was embedded to the side, the bamboo clacking slightly as it spilled water down into the moss-lined bowl next to the koi pond before tilting back upwards.

Rojin looked over when he heard her footsteps and Kanao instantly noticed how severely he tensed when he saw her. It was a strange reaction from him and she found herself stopping. Looking out through the open door and watching him just as he watched her.

Then after a moment he stood up, in a clumsy yet graceful movement. Tucking his long hair behind his ears Rojin hesitantly approached her. Kanao tightened her grip around the sake bottle, greatly disliking the way he was regarding her with his overly large eyes.

"Good morning, Kanao-kun. Are you alright?" Rojin was the first to break the silence. Behind him there was the soft clunk of the shishiodoshi as it emptied its water into the mossy bowl.

"I am well. I am to see Otousan."

"Yes. He is at the audience hall."

"I know. That is why I am going there."

"I see."

Kanao watched him intently, noting how his gaze was skittering all over her like a panicking insect. Never lingering and never going near her face. His jaw was clenched so hard she could see the tendons raised in his neck.

There was a strange shift in her stomach at how he was acting towards her. Was Rojin aware of what she had done to Yū?

Belatedly Kanao realized she had overlooked the obvious; the discussion with the snakes happened so near before she killed Yū with them. She should have waited a month before doing something with the mamushi especially since Rojin had been the one to tell her multiple bites would be lethal. And then someone in the commune died from said snake bites right after he informed her of that. For some reason she never once thought Rojin might notice, due to his rather subdued and distant nature to most other members of the commune.

She didn't fear Rojin, but she did indeed dislike the sudden defensive manner he was showing, especially since he had always been kind towards her. Kanao did not think she would like it if Rojin started treating her like some of the others would, that is with thinly veiled distaste or awkwardness.

"...You know if there's anything bothering you, you can always speak to the Founder, right?"

Kanao stared at him.

Rojin's body language grew even more tense, his bony fingers twisting so tightly into the fabric of his shirt that his knuckles were pushing his skin stark white. A low grinding noise as his jaw seemed to tighten further before he took in a shaky breath.

"Is something upsetting you?"

Kanao stared at him. For some reason she didn't want to lie and yet she did not think Rojin would appreciate or understand 'you' as an answer. Since she wasn't quite sure if that was right either.

Rojin looked even more uneasy at her continued silence, sweat shining on his forehead but he seemed to forcibly dislodge his hands from his clothing. They flexed at his sides, nails bitten down to slithers with inflamed beds.

"If something...someone is bothering you, I'm sure your father would help," Rojin said, his jaw making a near inaudible click as he unclenched it. "He's your father after all. And everyone obeys him here. He'll help if something is wrong. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"You're just a little girl," Rojin sounded almost like he was talking to himself. "You shouldn't have to worry about anything. You're still a child. Things should be better. So just um. Talk to Douma-sama if anything is worrying you. Or if anyone is bothering you. Okay?"

"Yes."

"Alright. That's good. Yes."

Rojin started mumbling to himself as he brushed past Kanao and headed down the hallway, back the way she had come. He nearly stumbled into a woman carrying a bucket of flowers, completely ignoring the dirty look she gave him as she quickly side-stepped around him before disappearing through a door.

He glanced back over his shoulder when he reached the end of the hallway, long white-streaked hair obscuring half of his face. Kanao stared at him before waving. Rojin just looked even more uneasy before he rounded the corner and vanished from sight.

Kanao exhaled slowly; the exchange greatly bothered her even if she wasn't too sure why. Rojin never once directly said or accused her of anything. It could be he was simply having a bout of paranoia and even then his main concern was in assuring her that Douma would help her with anything. She wasn't sure what to think.

After a long moment of thought Kanao simply decided to move on. Either Rojin would do something or he wouldn't and Kanao wasn't even sure if he knew anything.

Either way, she did need to speak to her father.

When she finally turned into the hallway just before the audience hall Kenji was already there, kneeling down next to the shoji door leading inside. Various vases of lotus flowers surrounded the door and a looming Buddha statue lurked at the dead end of the hallway.

"What are you doing, Kanao-chan?" Kenji said with a sigh as soon as she came closer. The man was not fond of her but nothing like the active dislike he held for Inosuke.

"I seek an audience with the most Gracious Founder," Kanao said solemnly.

Kenji gave her a suspicious look before quickly giving up at her apathetic stare even if he seemed confused by her request. After all, she would usually just walk right in without any type of permission.

As it was, Kenji gestured towards the shoji door. Kanao continued to stare blankly at him.

"An audience must be announced and accepted," she said after it became apparently Kenji wasn't going to do anything. She found it so annoying suddenly, at how stupid and slow the man was.

Another sigh, much deeper than the last, but nonetheless Kenji did as she asked.

Kanao waited until Douma had heard and agreed to the summon, with Kenji gesturing her inside.

The audience hall was much the same, with its abundance of lotus blossoms, idols and offerings and paintings. Her father was waiting, at his customary spot within a heaping pile of plush silken cushions atop the stage. The gossamer veil was pushed aside and she could see how her father's lips twitched at her approach. As per usual in his audience hall, he was wearing the lotus headdress with the black cloak at his shoulders.

"Ah and here is the last of the troubled members of my flock," he joked. "Pray tell, child, what worries and woes assail you?"

"I have brought an offering," Kanao said, even as she sat down in seiza just before the rise on the waiting pillow. A thick barrier of freshly plucked lotus blossoms were piled before her.

Douma gestured with a sharp clawed hand and a glass doll, which had been sitting within the blossoms, suddenly sprang to life. Kanao watched as it trotted up to her, taking the bottle off her hands. It was small, even smaller than Inosuke, but she could still see how the pale blue form was molded after her father. It easily jumped right up onto the stage and handed the flask over to Douma. Using a thumb claw he flicked off the lid and, without bothering to pour it, took a large gulp right straight from the bottle.

"Hm, one of my favourites. You're such a considerate girl," Douma said. "But, enough about me! You went to all this trouble of getting me this and gaining an audience. And why is that?"

"I have come here to confess an act I committed," Kanao said.

"Oooh, a confession?" Douma grinned, fangs flashing in the golden candle light. "And what crime would my dear daughter like to confess to the most gracious Founder this fine morning?"

"I killed someone."

Otousan blinked, briefly obscuring the rainbow of his eyes. He seemed genuinely confused as he said, "You killed somebody?"

"Yes."

"Are you talking about the Slayer woman?"

"No."

"So you killed someone else. Here?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Yū."

Douma co*cked his head to the side, thick brows furrowing, "The girl who died this morning? I had her mother sobbing all over me just an hour ago. Is that the one you're talking about?"

"Yes. Yū. I killed her."

"Snake bites killed her."

"I put the snakes in her futon."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to see if I could kill her."

Douma stared at her for a long moment while Kanao watched him back. She was prepared for any consequence for killing a member of Paradise Faith even if she was unsure that there even was one. As far as she knew the only vague 'rule' was that her father was the only one allowed to do it.

Finally he spoke, "How did you do it?"

Dutifully Kanao explained her process. How she caught the snakes and where, how she used the basket of ice. How she stalked Yū, figured out the woman's schedule, planned her move around the brief window of opportunity between Yū bathing and then going to bed. She explained her reasoning for the three snakes, about how they would seek out body heat when they thawed and would bite defensively. She mentioned how it would take multiple bites to kill someone rapidly and for certain.

Through it all Douma watched her with a neutral expression, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he listened. He did not interrupt her.

Once done Kanao waited patiently. She had committed the act, and was ready to take responsibility.

Even if a small part of her noticed Otousan had been genuinely surprised by her confession. Kanao had the oddest idea that if she hasn't confessed then her father never would've realized her connection to Yū's death.

She was not sure how to feel about that revelation.

Douma rising stirred Kanao from her thoughts. She watched as he left the stage and approached her on silent footsteps. He crouched down in front of her, rainbow eyes bright and the kanji within inky black strips.

For a long moment he simply studied her, long talons lightly resting on Kanao's chin. Then his face creased into a smile.

"Come, manamusume. Let us go see Yū."

The walk was in silence, Kanao holding Douma's hand and holding the sake in the other. The few members they crossed paths with all bowed to Douma. She did not see Rojin.

The room Yū was located in was surrounded by lotus gardens, with two small shrines bracketing the shoji doors and Kanao could hear voices inside the room before Douma slid the door open.

Yū was laid out upon her futon in the centre of the room, the material packed with ice to keep the body cool. A white sheet covered her body, the area surrounded in lotus blossoms, fresh fruit and smoldering incense. A great stone Buddha loomed over the body, which had various faded ribbons calling for blessings wrapped around it.

Kanao waited at the doorway as Douma greeted the women; Kanao recognized the other girls who'd shared the house with Yū, as well as the elderly matron. But there were a handful of other women she didn't recognize, including one who was missing her left arm. Her sapphire blue kimono sleeve was pinned up to the shoulder, her hair stringy and greasy but Kanao could tell from looks alone she must be Yū's mother. She was currently sobbing, stumbling forward to paw at Douma's chest.

"Why would the gods do such a thing, beloved Founder? Why would they take her so cruelly?" The woman cried.

"Hush, do not lament. For some their journey is more abrupt," Douma cooed, immediately wrapping the weeping woman in a hug. "Life can be messy, even for the very devoted and nature can be wild, savage. I shall see her to paradise tomorrow, when your final goodbyes are passed along. She shall await you in the bliss beyond, alongside your husband."

Kanao remained still, holding the sake as she listened to Douma placate the women. By the time he managed to soothe their woes and ushered them from the room, Kanao had counted two hundred and fifteen lotus blossoms arranged around Yū's still form.

After Douma managed to shoo the last of the women out the door and lid it shut he turned to Kanao and rolled his eyes. Then he hefted her up in one arm, tucked in the crook of his elbow with her legs dangling down and the ribbon of his lotus crown tickled her cheek.

He keep her in his arm as he approached the white veiled form.

"Wasn't that so annoying?" He asked her softly, an annoyed huff escaping him. "All that sobbing and crying and drama, as if I hadn't just dealt with that stupid rubbish earlier. Though it is indeed a pity for Yū as I would've liked eating her. But stale food? Bah. Fresh only for me so you did rob me of a meal, Kanao. But, since you helped me with that Hashira I'll forgive you."

"Thank you, Otousan."

"You were also very smart with this," Douma said. "Killing her with the snakes."

He leaned down and pulled off the white sheet, revealing Yū. Face splotchy, veins raised beneath her skin and speckles of discolouration. A tug and her body was fully exploded and Kanao saw the snake bites. Dozens of tiny puncture wounds, flesh purple and swollen until all of her lower legs were completely disfigured. Kanao could smell the rotting flesh beneath the heavy smog of incense, the venom having done its work well.

"Do you feel anything, while looking at this?" Douma asked her. "By knowing you've committed cold blooded murder?"

Kanao thought about it for a moment before answering, "No, I feel satisfied knowing I did it successfully."

"Hmm indeed. Now, I admit I don't mind if you do kill some people here and there in the commune, over exuberance of youth and all. However I do have some rules, alright? You're a smart girl, so I have little doubt you're noticed there's elders I let live. Correct?"

"Such as Hama and Kenji?"

Douma let out a hum, "Indeed. They and some others can be annoying at times but they're extremely helpful with delegation. To keep the commune running smoothly and so I don't have to worry about all the little things. Would drive me mad otherwise."

Kanao nodded even as Douma swept the white sheet back over Yū, covering her deformed body. The incense billowed, the subtle smog hanging over the room dissipating briefly with the movement.

"It was very smart of you, however. Doing all this on your own," Douma said, using his spare hand to tap at the string of pearls on her kanzashi. "But next time, ask me first alright? I can't have you killing people all over the place, they are first and foremost my food source."

"I understand."

"Of course you do. But your reason. You said you killed Yū to see if you could. Was there anything more to that?" Douma asked her.

Kanao spoke, "When I pushed the Slayer it was in a fight. When she was hurting you. I wanted to see if I would be capable of killing someone while not under duress. That was I could be sure I would protect our family with certainty in the future, especially if these Slayers are hunting you."

"Aw, are you worried about me?" Otousan said in teasing tones, a big toothy smile on his face.

"Yes. I don't want you to die," Kanao said.

"How sweet," he said, squeezing her briefly against his side from where she was still tucked in his arm. "That's quite a nice thing for you to do, isn't it? Make sure you're willing and able to kill people for your family. A lot of people would claim so, but only a few can do so and in this case you made sure of it. But you did raise a good point about the Demon Slayer Corps, if they-"

The shoji door bursting inwards stopping Douma mid sentence, Inosuke landing on top of the broken door with a bang. Kanao barely had time to see the large amount of frogs spilling from his arms and haphazardly stuffed down his pants before he was launching himself off the broken shoji door at them. Douma managed to grab him mid leap, the ribbons on his headdress fluttering as Inosuke hit him in the side hard enough he would've knocked over anyone else. Kanao reached across Douma's chest, grabbing at her brother's head to stop him from falling down and so when Douma straightened up Kanao and Inosuke were in either arm.

"See, Oneechan! I got all the frogs, over fifty see!" A frog was shoved into her face, croaking balefully even as Inosuke tried to squirm out of Douma's grip. More frogs were shoved into the curved boney jaw of the boar skull, poking out of the empty eye sockets.

Kanao's eyes roamed over the various animals, even as Inosuke twisted in Douma's arm like a snake. Several frogs fell out of the bottom of his pants, croaking and jumping.

"Ooh, frog hunting were we?" Douma said with a laugh, ignoring the frogs that were trying to flee up his shoulders. "Got quite a pair of hunters even if one chose the more dangerous prey over slimy amphibians."

Douma quickly stopped laughing, snapping his toothy jaws shut with a sharp clack to avoid having a frog stuffed into his mouth.

"You have caught fifty two, but seven of them are toads. Not frogs," Kanao said. She might have missed some with the squirming and pants in the way.

"Toads are frogs!"

"No they're not."

"Yes!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"No."

"Hey hey, no fighting you too," Douma said sternly. A frog was currently trying to crawl its way into his lotus crown while several more were now hopping over Yū's white sheet and stumbling into the lotus blossoms and knocking over the pots of incense.

"Toads are warty and dry skinned, frogs always have wet skin," Kanao insisted.

"I'll eat them both, I don't care!" Inosuke yelled before trying to stuff three frogs in his mouth.

Douma tightened his arm around Inosuke, making him huff out air before he grabbed Inosuke's face to stop him from eating the frogs. "No frog eating! I actually have an interesting idea that Kanao made me think about."

Inosuke paused in his squirming, the bony snout of his pig skull bumping against Douma's hand as he blinked up at him with big green eyes. After a moment Otousan released his face, a frog falling out of Inosuke's mouth to land on the ground with a sad croak.

"What'd Oneechan do?"

"She did something quite adventurous. But it got me thinking, remember that Slayer woman we told you about?"

"Yeah! You ate her after she cut off your head."

"Well it didn't happen completely like that, but on that matter I was thinking. Both you and Kanao are certainly adventurous and gods know how many people whine to me about your high energy, Inosuke."

"That's cause they all suck and are lame!"

"True," Douma shrugged, jostling them both. A frog was clinging to Kanao's face, little damp feet clinging to her cheek. "But I was thinking, after that incident with the Hashira since she brazenly attacked me with Kanao right there. How about I start training you both? And who knows, maybe one day you'll come on hunts with me. Would you like that?"

"Train?" Inosuke's big green eyes seem to sparkle. "Like fight?!"

"Yes!"

"Yay! I'll beat them up, I'll be the strongest and punch in the teeth of any Slayer before they can cut off my head!" Inosuke said excitedly, little hands clawing at Douma's arm in his enthusiasm.

Otousan's rainbow eyes turned to her, "And what about you, Kanao?"

"Yes. That would be good," she said. She could protect her family. That was the most important thing.

"Wonderful! How about we start right after lunch? I've never really trained anyone before, so I think it'll be quite interesting for us all."

Chapter 23: Tag

Chapter Text

It quickly became apparent to Kanao that her father had no idea what he was doing.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," Douma said cheerfully.

They were in one of the immense indoor lotus gardens, the soft trickle of a stream running down the natural stone wall at the far end of the room the only noise Kanao could hear. The walkways were of a polished wood, elevated above the clear water below were hundreds of blooming lotus blossoms were bobbing about peacefully. Occasionally there was a flash of colourful scales from one of the many koi fish inhabiting the pond but otherwise they were alone.

A great stone Buddha, sitting in full lotus, was towering over the room. Sitting there for so long moss had started to inch across its dark stone form, with necklaces of honeysuckle vines draped across its shoulders and head. Most hung from the ceiling, consolidating around the opening of the fresh water stream. The air was damp and smelled sweet.

Both Kanao and Inosuke were sitting across from their father and dressed in casual samue, the loose trouser and top set being dark shades of blue. Kanao was seated more primly in seiza, hands on her knees and back straight, while Inosuke was sprawled out next to her and occasionally yanking at the collar of his shirt. Inosuke has his ever-present skull and Kanao had her ever-present lotus bud.

"But in light of me knowing nothing, it also means you two don't know anything about training! Which was already true since you're little children and don't know much of anything really. But anyway we're just going to see how things go since there isn't really a base of reference here," Douma said.

Kanao didn't really understand what Otousan was rambling about so she carried on staring at him. Inosuke looked like he was a few seconds away from trying to pounce across the walkway at Douma.

"I suppose we should talk fighting tactics, that's the usual thing isn't it? Now, I use tessenjutsu," Douma said, waving one of his golden fans. "But that's because of my Blood Art, so I don't think it'll be fitting for either of you. Even if I can cut people in half with my fans. They are rather sharp."

"That's demon magic stuff, right Dad?" Inosuke said, bouncing in place.

"Yes," Douma tilted the fan and Kanao watched as ice crept across the glittering surface before he snapped it shut. "But my 'demon magic stuff' is also lethal to humans in close combat. So even if I sparred with it, the ice would creep into your lungs and start killing you from the inside out. So I'm going to have to train you lot without using my Blood Art."

"I won't die!"

"Yes, you would. You'd be a shriveled up little yuki-onna and Kanao and I would be very sad about it."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Inosuke stop arguing with Otousan, we won't be able to be trained," Kanao interrupted.

He puffed out his cheeks, crossing his arms angrily, "Well I wouldn't! Some dumb ice wouldn't kill me."

"You'd be surprised with what would kill a human," Douma said, face half hidden by his fan. "But it seems I must be vaguely responsible so we won't be using weapons for some time."

Inosuke's groan was so loud it caused some of the koi down below to scatter, "Why not?"

"Because you might chop your arm off if I give you a sword and what kind of father would I be if I let that happen?"

"A cool one!"

"No."

"Aw."

The golden fans disappeared as Douma clapped his hands together, the weapons sucked seamlessly back into his flesh just like Gyutaro had done with his kama.

"So! I decided that until you two can catch me in tag, neither of you will be allowed weapons. Because training humans is like training a dog, right? Repetition and blah blah, have to build up those muscles until you can act like you're Slayers. So we're going to do something...easier, like that before-"

A moment later Douma dodged to the side, avoiding Inosuke's lunge as he tried to grab Otousan's ankle. Instead Inosuke got snatched up by the back of his shirt, Douma holding him up in the air as he thrashed and snarled like a wild cat. Kanao watched calmly.

"See what I mean? You lack discipline, which I don't really care about but apparently is super important in training. Or according to Kokushibou, considering the way he goes on at times."

"I'll beat up Cookie!"

Otousan laughed so hard he dropped Inosuke into the water below, "Ah, I don't think he'd like being called that. He's very stuffy and old fashioned. Anyway, let's play some tag!"

Needless to say they didn't catch him on the first day. Nor the seventh. Nor by the end of the month. Or even by the end of the year as the seasons turned. But Kanao found that training got easier the more they did it, and her speed and endurance grew more and more. Each time, even if it was at the same speed of a snail, they began to inch towards their goal of being capable of following their father. After the first four months that simply entailed them chasing him, trying to grab onto his hair or the hem of his pants, Douma began to lightly spar with them. Mostly it involved him grabbing them and tossing them aside with careless flicks of his hands, or a foot against their back or an elbow in the stomach, but that also meant they began to learn how to roll and dodge, had to anticipate avoiding getting slapped aside and how to deal with impacts.

She grew incredibly adapted to studying her father's movements when they stalked him around the garden, reading the twitches of his limbs to judge which direction he would be going or where his attention was. Following the line of his shoulders, the slight shifts of his toes, and flex of the tendons in his neck. All were clues as to how Douma would move, the direction he would turn and how much strength or speed he would put into the movement. Kanao had always been perceptive but as weeks turned to months her vision honed even further until she would automatically notice a movement nearly before it even occurred. It also meant she was growing increasingly aware of the environment and nearly got Douma by shepherding him backwards towards a slightly weaker board on the walkway which, while it could tolerate her own weight or Inosuke's, cracked and splintered under Douma's much heavier form. It was only him leaping right above Inosuke's and Kanao's twin lunges that they hadn't caught him that day.

Inosuke was meanwhile extremely good at being the focus of everything, since his tactic was simple mindless perseverance and Kanao repeatedly used her brother as a distraction. While Inosuke lacked the enhanced vision Kanao possessed, she noticed his sensitive skin which gave him increased awareness of his surroundings. Inosuke promptly mentioned that since Douma had a natural chill to his body, he was able to generally sense where Douma was whenever the demon was out of his line of vision if he was close enough. Kanao found that very curious and had to wonder how much more effective that would be if Otousan used his Blood Demon Art on them, if her brother would be fully capable of avoiding the great gales of ice or not. Probably not, she reasoned, simply due to the fact he was still a great deal quicker than them. Even if they were able to guess where their father was, they couldn't match his sheer speed and endurance. Actually sparring and training was wildly different from just running and climbing and chasing each other around the commune.

It was also different, being struck during a spar. Kanao did not compare the training with what had happened with her biological parents. Even when Douma would grab them or throw them aside, he never did it hard enough to break bones even if Kanao knew he was very much capable of ripping them limb from limb if the mood struck him. They did get bruises, scrapes and scratches, but nothing worse than their usual marks from play fighting each other.

But that still didn't alter the fact Douma was insanely fast and could dodge anything they tried. And try they did, to the point the majority of the time the training only stopped when she and Inosuke were unable to move anymore or were outright unconscious from exhaustion.

"At the very least you two are dedicated, not like most of the adults I know," Douma had said when he picked them both up off the ground, from where they were slumped in a sweaty pile and nearly falling off the walkway. He then handed them off to a concerned looking Misaki, who then bustled them off to the baths.

She and Inosuke discussed tactics while in the bath, even if Inosuke's was his mostly yelling how 'one day they would win and that day was super close Onee-chan!'. But as Kanao washed her hair, dislodging several loose lotus petals, she was unsure.

If it weren't for the fact she had witnessed the butterfly woman, Kanao would have assumed it was impossible for a human to reach the same speed as a demon. Even after a year of chasing Otousan around nearly every single day they couldn't catch him. They could outrun anyone else in the commune, even able to chase down rabbits on foot, and their endurance had increased drastically but the fact remained they weren't capable of catching Douma yet. Kanao knew her father was extremely strong, he wouldn't be ranked second in the Upper Moons if he wasn't. So she wasn't impatient over the fact a twelve year old and eight year old were incapable of beating him in tag.

But she just felt like they weren't doing it right. When the anniversary of the butterfly woman's death passed and Inosuke's birthday followed, it was something she kept thinking of.

She was saying as much to Inosuke, after one of their training sessions. Her brother had come wandering into her room after midnight, wearing a new skull made from a recently slaughtered bull. The horns were chipped but this time Misaki had hollowed out the upper skull so Inosuke could peer out the hollow eye sockets like some macabre mask. Still, Kanao made him take it off and put it in one of the alcoves of her room before he clambered into her futon with her.

"It's lame we can't catch dad," he lamented, immediately clinging to Kanao like a squirrel. "'Cause he won't teach us weapons until we do. And he hasn't been attacked by one of those Pillar people again, even when we go outside."

Which was an anomaly to even leave; Inosuke really hated crowds and the few times Douma had taken her and Inosuke from the commune to one of the cities Inosuke had clung so intently to them he was more like a stuck thistle. Kanao rather wished they could see the other demons again, even Akaza with his bad temper and pretty hair, but beyond those two times Kanao hadn't seen them since. Nor another Hashira or even any Slayers much to Inosuke's continued dismay.

"I feel like we're doing something wrong but I don't know what," Kanao said, Inosuke's nose bumping against her throat.

"What'd the flower lady do?"

"The sword, with the ribbons and flowers. It was unusual, Father said it had something to do with how it injured him. He was stabbed beforehand and the blade of the knife snapped so it didn't hurt him, but that bright sword was different."

"Maybe we need a bright sword then," Inosuke suggested.

"That won't work. Also we're not allowed weapons yet."

An annoyed grumbled 'boo' against her skin.

Kanao thought it over, and then thought about it some more the following morning. And then thought about it when they helped bundle the rice down in the drained fields before hanging them up on the great drying racks at the edge of the fields. It was repetitious, hard work but both Kanao and Inosuke were swift and strong enough to bundle an entire paddy in the span of a few hours on their own. She didn't mind doing farm work, and at the very least helping with the rice paddies was less disgusting and slimy than helping one of the farmers deliver a stillborn calf like they had done the previous weak. There was something easy in manual labour Kanao found, able to have her body focus on the repetitious task while her mind slowly ran through ideas.

It was when she and Inosuke were done with their field and were sitting in the shade having a break, and Kanao was observing one of the other rice fields that was partway finished she got an idea. Her eyes were sharp enough to pick out the details of the other commune members in the adjacent rice paddy, watching absentmindedly as one of the young women straightened up and began to carry a bundle of rice over to the bamboo drying rack, her breathing come in deep, steady movements as she worked. Her body lean and well used to manual labour as shown from the muscles along her shoulders. Compared to the man who was tying together one of the bundles, older, sunken, and with skin reddened from the noon sun and heat. Even from so far away Kanao could see the sweat beading his temple, sliding down his neck. Even his wide hat couldn't fend on the heat and his breathing was shallow. His movements fumbling with the rope to tie the bundle together.

The Kanao blinked, remembering so vividly how in the fight against Otousan the woman had kept her own steady, deep breathing. It wasn't something Kanao had truly paid attention to, more concerned about her father and keeping out of reach of the fight, but the more she thought about it the more she felt silly for not realizing it sooner.

Slayers have the most delicious of lungs. Because they have all these special breathing techniques.

"We're fighting wrong," Kanao said to Inosuke, who blinked at her with his cheeks bulging from the pork bao.

She waited until he had swallowed down his mouthful, her own bao uneaten. Kanao offered hers to Inosuke, who quickly scoffed it down while Kanao sipped on her tea until he was finished.

"There is something with breathing, I think that's how the flower woman was so fast and strong. And it's why she got weaker when Father's ice started to freeze her lungs," Kanao said.

"So what, we gotta breathe funny like that lady did and we can win tag?"

"I think it will help. That old man's breathing is strained so he isn't working as quickly. Lungs are very important. They move the air to your blood through your body. Or something like that."

"Annimity," Inosuke said, voice muffled around the remainder of the bao.

"Yes. Anatomy. And the flower lady was breathing in a particular way. And Otousan has mentioned Slayers breathing styles before. It must be why she could move at his speed even when she was human and he an oni."

"Why wouldn't Dad just tell us that?" Inosuke complained, as he quickly drained his own cup of tea.

"I think he wanted us to discover it on our own," Kanao paused. "Or he didn't know or forgot."

"Hehe, probably the last one Oneechan!"

Inosuke was right, Kanao accepted. She had a feeling the monotony of the commune played a part in that. It was easy to get swept up in the mundane every day life even when she knew there was a group of people with strange swords who wanted to cut her father's head off out there somewhere.

"I don't really know much about the breathing Slayers do," Douma admitted when she asked him that night, during their current game of tag. "I just know they have it as a technique."

"So they just breathe funny?" Inosuke said, from where he was crawling on all fours on the ceiling. Kanao watched from where she was balanced on the walkway, eyeing the distance between herself and Douma.

"Exactly! They call all their little sword swinging and moves after their breaths. It's esoteric."

"Eh? Essoct!"

Douma dodged, easily jumping backwards as Inosuke nearly dropped on his head like a spider. Kanao crept around the walkway, watching Otousan's body language closely as Inosuke scrambled back up to his feet.

"It means only a very limited number of people know how to do it, in their training and what not. A secret basically," Douma explained. He used his closed fan to hook around Inosuke's grasping arm and tossing the boy into the water.

"I'll beat their secrets out of them!" Inosuke resurfaced with a lot of flailing, a lily pad draped over his bull skull like a hat.

"I'm sure you will," Otousan humoured, his steps making a near inaudible creak on the wooden walkway as he deftly avoided the thrown lily pad. "But, I do know of the Breathing techniques. Mostly, hardly an expect but I've fought enough Slayers to have a general idea. Such as Water Breathing, that's by far the most common."

Inosuke clawed his way back up onto the walkway, water spilling down his skin and dripping from the sharp edges of his mask. Kanao darted in, having circled around Douma until she was at his back. However with a twist he jumped over Inosuke's lunge and grabbed Kanao's fist from where she was trying to grab his waist and flicked her right over his head with a careless heave. Kanao twisted midair, landing on her feet several walkways away while Inosuke skidded to a halt from his failed leap. His nails dug scratches in the polish wood and he remained hunkered down on all fours.

Douma flicked his fan open, half hiding his face as he continued to speak, "Water Breathing is the most common but there's five in all. Water, Flame, Thunder, Stone and Wind. These five are the fundamental Breathing Styles and there's branches off that. Like our lovely butterfly lady, she was the Flower Hashira. Do you remember that, little mouse?"

Kanao nodded as she jumped between two of the walkways, using a massive lily pad as a step between. Inosuke crawled closer to Douma.

"Flower is derived from Water. These two styles are very graceful, focused on agility or flowing movements respectively."

"Does that influence the breathing done? Do they breathe differently for different styles?" Kanao asked.

"Not that I know of," Otousan told her. "I think it's all the same, they just use different fighting styles but have the same basic thing under it all. I'm not sure how they start their breathing training. I presume it has to do with focusing on their lungs and heartbeat, since their lungs do taste different depending. Hashira also do the deep breathing constantly unlike the much lesser ranked Slayers who only really employ it when fighting. I think that helps train their body to such limits, so they can keep up with the likes of us Upper Moons even if they still fail at killing us."

Inosuke darted forward, trying to grab Douma's ankles but again he jumped over the boy. However this time Inosuke twisted against the ground, digging his hands into the wooden platform and launching himself backwards as he twisted like a wild cat. At the same time Kanao jumped, pushing herself off the tougher edge of the walkway to gain extra speed. This time Douma grabbed Inosuke's leg and simply threw him at Kanao. She caught her brother midair, landing nearly five feet away with Inosuke held easily in her arms. Douma looked amused, snapping his fan shut to tap it against his chin.

Kanao set her brother down, ignoring how the front of her samue was all damp. Instead she thought over her father's words carefully, even as Inosuke dashed after Douma again. She could still recall the fight with the Hashira even though it happened over a year ago, at how the woman had kept drawing in those calm even breaths even when her chest got cut open and great wounds began to slash her skin. There was also the connection of the lungs and heart, how the Slayers all performed such a thing in order to match the speed of a demon. How struggling breath influenced the rest of the body, like the weakened farmer in the fields. How people who were scared would take in sharp, flighty breaths like that woman her father had cut open back in Tokyo. Her flesh had been so red inside, she had been disorientated and confused.

Thinking that over Kanao jumped between platforms as Inosuke chased Douma around the lotus garden. She watched her father intently, at how the muscles shifted underneath his skin and the fluid, graceful manner in which he moved as if he lacked bones. Like a dancer, which Kanao felt made sense.

But all dancers had a routine, and Kanao began to walk after the two as Inosuke kept scrambling over the walkways like a beast and tried to grab at the billowing hems of Otousan's hakama pants. There was water dripping across the wooden boards, spilling off Inosuke's wet form as he determinedly chased after Douma.

Kanao inhaled, trying to take as much air as possible as she followed along at a sedate pace. She tried to remember what that Slayer woman had looked like when breathing, even with it happening so long enough. Tried to follow with the deep breaths that expanded her rib cage, filling her lungs up as much as possible. Then exhaling in the same calm, even movement. To try and keep her limbs braced, stomach and chest taut. How the flower woman had made every motion count, she had not wasted any energy in her fight against Douma even if it had been meaningless. That she only stopped her deep even breathing when she was already nearly dead.

Kanao remembered the few times she had choked when much younger, when she watched her siblings get drowned in a basin of filthy water for daring to touch any of the rotten food on the table. The choking, the gasps. How the broken breathing meant one could barely move, only cough and sputter.

Ahead of her Douma was fending off Inosuke's grasping hands with his shut fan, smacking the folded length of glittering gold metal against clawing little hands despite Inosuke's growls. Otousan didn't breathe like a normal human, Kanao knew. The cold was part of it. People could die easily in the chill of winter. Simply lie down and have their body slowly shut down in the cold. Due to his ice magic Kanao felt his slow, barely there breathing fit well.

But she couldn't be slow. She had to catch him somehow. Like how the woman had done with her special breathing. If she couldn't even catch her father then how could she protect him from Slayers?

Kanao continued to take the deep breaths, trying to force the air through her lungs and heart. Trying to focus on the swell of her lungs, the expanding of her rib cage as she followed. Douma was facing partially away from her, hopping from foot to foot as Inosuke tried to sink his teeth into Otousan's leg.

Then she felt her body shift, as if all her muscles and bones were flexing and veins rose faintly against her hands. She felt her body tense, becoming almost jittery and then when Kanao launched herself forward she did it was enough force the walkway beneath her feet splintered.

It was if she was flying, leaping ten feet across the lotus garden in a single bound as her exhale reverberated through her body like a shock. All her focus narrowed onto the long silvery gold length of her father's hair. It was equal amounts too fast and too slow, and she could see the almost languid motion as Douma glanced over his shoulder at her. But she could also see the slight widening of his rainbow coloured eyes, see the glint of fang through his partially open mouth.

He dodged her, pivoting in place so she missed hitting his back and his hair went sweeping past her. But Kanao's lungs swelled and she landed on Inosuke's back from where he had been crawling, feeling her foot connect with his muscles and how his spine flexed as he instinctively bucked her off. Having anticipated this, Kanao used his body as a launch pad, causing her to leap off at an angle and fly past Douma who had simply side-stepped her initial attack.

And Kanao hit the distant walkway, tucking in her shoulders as she rolled back up to her feet. She felt dizzy, her breathing now uneven and feeling as if she had gone an entire night without sleep. Her vision blurred, before she sucked in a deep breath and felt some of the vertigo fade even if her lungs were burning and her limbs shook.

Inosuke sat up like a puppy, the skull lopsided on his head as both he and Douma stared at Kanao as she staggered back up. Or rather they both focused on her clenched fist, where several silvery gold hairs were gripped tight.

Chapter 24: Bellows

Chapter Text

It took Inosuke little under three months to successfully mimic the breathing technique Kanao had used to catch Douma.

Even if Kanao's attempts to explain to her little brother she replicated the breathing technique were very inadequate and Inosuke found it difficult to understand. Even drawing it or writing it down didn't help much, even if Inosuke could read as well as she could.

Kanao herself found it intensely difficult to keep up that level of breathing with any consistency, much less continue to do so while actually fighting and chasing someone. Each time she managed to do the deep breaths that seemed to expand her chest and heat her veins she nearly passed out. Otousan reassured her it should get easier with practice, stating that the ease at which the flower woman had done so was restricted to a very limited number of humans but if she kept trying she could succeed at it.

'Like with anything!' he had said flippantly, obviously not worried.

She had little doubt if her father had been prepared then he probably could have avoided her hair-snatching that day but her sudden jump in speed caught him off guard. Inosuke's volatile intervention and attention grabbing tactics had also helped. But if that was one thing Kanao knew about her father it was that he hardly ever took things seriously; over a year of them unable to catch him had left him complacent, lax. She knew in a serious fight they would lose instantly but his lackadaisical manner helped her win.

Even if the hair she had grabbed had faded to nothing a few moments after she plucked it free, turning into ash and then nothing at all.

For some reason it left her a little uneasy, if her father ever died there would be nothing left of him for her to take. But then Kanao reasoned it was far more likely she would die before her father ever would, after all Douma was Upper Moon Two and the third strongest demon in existence. Kanao was just a human and they died so easily and regularly.

"But then if we get super strong then we can fight the other moony guys and take their place. I bet we could beat up Upper Six and become the new ones," Inosuke said around a mouthful of egg and rice, after yet another failed attempt at catching Douma.

Kanao blinked, chopsticks halfway to her mouth, "To become Upper Moon rank?"

"Yeah, ain't that the point? So we can be super strong like Dad, right? And the Upper Moons are the strongest ever, even those Hashira keep dying to them despite suppose to bein' the toughest Slayers, so that means they're the strongest."

"Otousan did say an Upper Moon has not been killed in over a century," Kanao agreed, taking a bite of rice. Her face was clean as always, in sharp comparison to the mess Inosuke's was.

"See?! So they're stronger! But since we're people right now we gotta train like them Slayer people and breathing funny 'til we're super strong and fast. You said that flower lady could chase Dad around lots and lots before he bit her head off so we gotta do that too."

"She still died," Kanao pointed out. Dying while bleeding out everywhere, all because she had some fool notion of protecting Kanao and trying to steal her away from her father. The ugly sound her spine made when it snapped in half, like a dry tree branch. Kanao took another bite of her rice.

"But we won't," Inosuke said with complete confidence. "We won't and we'll beat up Gintama and Daikon and become the new Upper Six! And then we'll beat up Five and Four and Three and then Dad. And whoever Upper One is and then that person Dad doesn't say his name."

"I don't think we can kill the demon king. Or be the demon king if we're human."

"Gotta try, though," Inosuke insisted. "Then that way we would be the best, don't matter if we ain't demons."

She plucked out a piece of chicken from her bowl of rice, chewing on it thoughtfully. There was something comforting in Inosuke's blunt, unyielding way of thinking. For him, it was a simple means of fighting and becoming the best. That was all he was thinking. And the way to do that was to simply defeat the strongest. Somehow Kanao doubted the demon king would look kindly upon them killing an Upper Moon but perhaps if they did manage to kill Daki and Gyutaro he would then turn them into demons. Kanao wasn't quite sure how demon transformation worked, since Douma managed to turn both Daki and Gyutaro but he wasn't the progenitor. She made a note to ask him about his origins later on.

It also seemed fitting that Upper Six was a sibling duo like themselves. She still very much liked the idea of being able to hide her brother inside her skin. A pity she hadn't seen Upper Six since that night, even if Douma would occasionally mention them. It seemed Six and Three were Douma's favourites, and from what she remembered Daki and Gyutaro were quite tolerant of Otousan's visits and humoured him but Kanao knew that for Upper Three Douma seemed to like harassing him and would seek him out for the sole reason of ribbing him. The spiteful tantrum over the tea was obvious to Kanao, and she wondered if Akaza even realized his overly emotional fits were simply egging her father on.

But those were thoughts for another time, as she continued her attempts over the coming weeks to be consistent with the deep breathing, trying to push it through her veins and muscles and heart until her body felt taut and strong. She could keep it for a minute before her vision blacked and she was forced to stop, feeling exhausted and shaking for the rest of the day. Then it would be followed by her attempting to teach Inosuke, pushing at his stomach and trying to lecture him through the inhales and exhales but he still struggled to understand her.

Douma was the one who eventually found the breakthrough; when they arrived for one of their games of tag they found him waiting inside one of the indoor lotus ponds along with a torso. The limbs and head severed but bare skinned and only dripping the slightest of scarlet. When they both sat down, Douma then pried open the torso with his long sharp claws and pulled out the pink fleshy lungs with a series of wet squelches. It was then Douma breathed into the lungs, letting the lobes swell like bellows. Showing Inosuke the disembodied organ, letting him touch and knead the pink lobes with curious little fingers, feeling how they expanded and retracted with the breathing. Then he handed over the glistering organ to Inosuke.

"See? That's what your sister was doing with her own lungs, making them inflate to their maximum potential," Otousan said.

Kanao knelt down next to her brother as he squeezed the lungs in his hands, the organ having a faint slimy coating to it. They both ignored Otousan at their side swallowing the torso into his body, like mud sucking up stones.

"Hm, maybe I should kidnap a Slayer?" Douma said once he was done, "Then you could learn right from the horses mouth, so to speak. A Hashira would be too much of a bother, but one of those little novices....if I cut their arms and legs off perhaps it would work? For my darling little children to pick their brain, if nothing else. Perhaps even literally. Ha!"

"Pick pick pick," Inosuke chanted before blowing into the trachea. The lungs filled again, pink and swollen.

"Can you see?" Kanao encouraged, crouched next to her brother. "See how much they can fill with air? It's much like that, but instead of letting your lungs swell you have to make the rest of your body feel it as well. Through your heart, which powers everything else. Push it through your veins, your limbs. Feel the air in your lungs."

Inosuke nodded, his face scrunched up but concentrating. After a moment he stopped playing with the disembodied organs, handing them over to Douma who snatched them up with a long-taloned hand. Ignoring the noise of fangs biting into flesh, Kanao kept a close watch upon Inosuke as he started trying to do the deep, swelling breaths. Kanao's eyes were sharp, as watchful as a hawk stalking a rabbit.

As such, she was able to see it the moment Inosuke was successful. The moment the breath he took flexed through his entire body and made the tendons shiver and veins pulse. The way his green eyes seem to tremble, like an excited cat's.

Then a moment later he was doubling over, wheezing and struggling to suck in air. Kanao threw her arms around him, running her hands down Inosuke's back in soothing motions as she murmured nonsensical words to him. She remembered how hard it had been, the over abundance of air to only be followed by none at all.

Inosuke shuffled closer to her, the cool surface of the boar's skull pressing against her throat and the underside of her chin. The raised veins upon his pale skin slowly smoothed out as his breathing evened, becoming light and easy.

Douma licked the remains of the blood from his fingers, before raising to his feet. He easily towered over the two, as Kanao remained on the ground with Inosuke in her arms. The sweet smell of blooming lotus flowers were thick in the air, easily brushing aside the lingering scent of blood and meat.

"So! Seems we have made some progress," Douma said brightly. "Just looks like Inosuke needs more hands-on explanations, while you managed to do it on your own through pure observation."

Inosuke grumbled, nose scrunching up, "It was way easier that way! Words are dumb, doing stuff is better."

"Sure, you just need to be like your sister and catch me if 'doing stuff' is better," Otousan wagged a finger at him while Inosuke scrunched his face up even as Kanao let go of her brother.

"Gonna rip a big chunk of your hair out, Dad!"

"Really?" Douma's voice was drawling, thick eyebrows arching up mockingly.

"Yeah! A big chunk and I'll make a necklace and it'll be my trophy," Inosuke insisted, jumping up to his feet. Kanao remained on her knees, the soft lapping of the clear water of the indoor lotus pond around them soothing.

"Don't you have enough trophies?"

"No! I need more skulls," Inosuke was jumping up and down petulantly at this point. "I'm gonna go kill an elephone and wear its head."

"You mean an elephant?"

"Elephone!"

Kanao got to her feet even as Otousan spun on his heel, black cloak flaring out behind him like a spray of ink, saying, "I think you need to get bigger before fighting an elephant."

Inosuke trotted after Douma, Kanao following close even as the boy continued to argue against Douma's back, "I can do it! Where is an elephone? I'll beat its head in and get those really big cool tuskys and use them as a hat."

"Tusks are actually just elongated teeth," Otousan said, glancing over his shoulder at them. His rainbow eyes were bright, the kanji inside sharp strips. Kanao did wonder what he would look like with tusks, or even horns.

"I want tusks, Dad why don't you have tusks?" Inosuke asked, a whine in his voice.

"I don't want them. They'd get in the way of eating."

"Boo!"

Kanao didn't have much time to think about what a demon with tusks would look like when Douma suddenly flopped backwards on top of them; he was big enough he squashed the two completely, knocking the air out of them as he trapped them between his back and the floor. The rich silk of his cloak was like liquid darkness wrapping around her. Otousan's long hair was smothering her face, poking at her eyes and mouth as she tried to kick his abruptly dead weight off and only succeeding in getting trapped further. Douma's body was cold and unyielding, even if Kanao could hear and feel Inosuke's squirming and growling next to her.

"Dad, get off!"

"Make me."

Kanao managed to get an arm out from where it had been pinned beneath Otousan's broad shoulder. She grunted, twisting about to yank her lotus pin kanzashi from her hair and then started stabbing him ineffectively in the back. The pointed tip couldn't pierce through the silk, but she could hear Douma's whined complaints from her stabbing him. She could also hear more growling and was pretty sure Inosuke was trying to bite through the cloak.

Then Douma jumped off them, seizing the two and tossing them up into the air in such a quick movement Kanao seemed to blink between silky shadowed pressure and being launched high up and nearly hitting the ceiling as her loosened hair billowed around her face. There was Inosuke's excited shriek next to her as they both plummeted down, before Otousan snatched them up in his arms. He spun lightly on one foot, with all the grace of a dancer, the room a swirl of colours before he pranced to a stop. Otousan's sharp teeth were white and gleaming when he stopped, both Inosuke and Kanao crushed up against his broad chest.

"Hm, seems you haven't caught me yet, Inosuke," Douma teased but had to lean back slightly while talking, to avoid Inosuke's snapping teeth that were trying to get into his chin. "But I've certainly caught you."

"Gonna rip out all your hair!" Inosuke growled, squirming wildly but unable to get his teeth into Otousan's skin.

Kanao was fairly sure that she could stab him with her hairpin in her current position, but with her arms stuck between them the only real target was one of Douma's glittering rainbow eyes and she didn't want to hurt him. Eyes were very squishy she knew, and she did not want to risk actually harming him or causing him pain. So as it was she forwent any notions of stabbing anyone in the eyeball and instead decided to just enjoy being hugged by her father with Inosuke squashed against her side.

"Still have to practice," Douma said cheerfully, squeezing them slightly and making the air huff out of Kanao's lungs. Inosuke giggled again, kicking ineffectively at Otousan's stomach.

"Gonna rip out your teeth and then some of your hair and make a new necklace," Inosuke insisted, little teeth bared.

"Hm, too hotblooded for me," Otousan said and then without hesitation threw them both into the lotus pond below.

By the time they clambered out Douma had already vanished. Neither of them really cared- both about him leaving and also throwing them in the water -so they just climbed back up onto the walkways while dripping water everywhere, Kanao's loose hair a shiny sheet of black hanging past her shoulder blades. Inosuke's polished skull looked like silver, a loose lotus flower caught in the teeth. Kanao plucked it free, tossing it back into the water below.

Inosuke snorted and shook himself off like a dog, droplets flying everywhere. He then grinned up at Kanao, showing the gap in his front teeth as he did so.

"Now we got that breathin' thing done, we're gonna catch Dad!" he declared, chest puffing up.

"You will, I have already caught him," Kanao said.

"Well I'm gonna catch him next. Just you wait, Oneechan!"

It turned out that Kanao only need to wait four days before Inosuke's promise came to fruition.

She agreed to do 'secret' training with her brother, though that was only focused on the breathing part and before they went to bed. Their usual training with their father continued but Inosuke shared some rudimentary plans he'd written down on paper, scrawled in charcoal. There were scribbly diagrams and stick people to go along with his plans, even if Inosuke insisted Kanao burn them after their secret meetings to avoid Otousan from finding out about them. Kanao didn't really think it mattered but nonetheless obeyed her brother's demands. There was also some 'super secret' training Inosuke did on his own and Kanao didn't blink, even if last time Inosuke did something 'super secret' he was actually just stuffing fish into someone's futon and the bed had to be burned as the stink of fish wouldn't get out. Either way Kanao left him to it.

And then on the fourth day, when they were chasing Douma around outside in the commune, that Inosuke was successful.

Playing tag outside was more challenging then indoors; at least in the stagnant gardens within the temple everything was more or less the same. Kanao had gotten used to eyeing the terrain, memorizing everything as best she could with a single sharp glance, and then reacting accordingly. It took more effort with the outside, the sprawling ponds and trees and orchards and fences and wide open space.

Now they were outside in the dead of night, moonless and nearly pitch black barring a few lanterns placed strategically down the paths and hanging from archways. Kanao could see perfectly well in the dark so it was no hindrance to her at all, and Douma's rainbow eyes glowed much like the lanterns so he was easy to track. Inosuke had more difficultly, running head first into barrels or building sides or crashing into flowerbeds and making his boar skull chatter, but he simply shook every impact off and kept chase.

Kanao had managed to snatch a single strand of Douma's hair early on in the tag, using both the breathing and her own amateur traps to snag it from the very tip of his long ponytail. She knew her father was humouring her more than anything, but she was getting stronger and faster, and her sandals barely made a sound as she bounced across the great lotus pond, using the lily pads as stepping stones, and went diving for Douma's ankle. He pirouetted in place, easily sweeping his leg aside but Kanao twisted and hit the tree behind him at an angle and launched herself at him again. He dodged once more, with Kanao rolling across the stone path before smoothly bouncing back up onto her feet.

High above the sky was pitch black, clouds thick and heavy but not yet raining. Douma brandished one of his fans at her, the glittering gold steel a beacon in the night. His teeth were sharp, glinting in the light of the torch staked by the lotus pond bridge.

Then Inosuke darted out of the bushes on all fours and both of them were chasing after the demon. Kanao's breathing was calm and even, but not the deep and heavy inhales of the Slayer technique. Her fingers nearly caught the end of Otousan's cape but he easily slipped from her reach even as Inosuke landed with a thud in front of them and sprang at Douma's chest like a wild animal. A blur and Otousan landed several feet away near the apple orchard fence line, face in shadows except for his eyes.

Kanao quickly deduced Inosuke was trying to let Douma catch him; she was confused as to the tactic but immediately went in to support it. She darted across the top of the fence, as nimble as a cat, before launching herself over it and rolling forward. Douma sidestepped her hands grabbing at his wrist. Her breathing shifted, veins burning hot and senses sharpening as she lunged forward with a burst of speed. Otousan's eyes narrowed slightly but he still dodged her hands as she chased after him. She followed him into the apple orchard, using the trees as leverage and swinging off branches like a monkey as she chased him down the row. A shape followed them above, reminiscent of all the times she and her little brother had played tag against one another.

Then Inosuke exploded through the leaves, sending twigs and several sleeping birds flying, and hurtled right down at Douma's face.

He managed to grab Inosuke before the boy could latch himself to Douma's face like a squirrel, but didn't have time to throw Inosuke aside as Kanao threw a overripe apple at his head. Otousan tossed Inosuke midair, twisting him so the apple smacked into the snout of Inosuke's bone mask and then seizing Inosuke again so his back was facing Douma's face.

Kanao just grabbed another discarded apple from the ground, but before she could think of trying to smack Otousan in the side of the head with it Inosuke's entire body contorted. His spine bending and limbs twisting until he was nearly turned around, as if his bones had turned into water, grabbing Douma's long bangs even as his ankles managed to kick Otousan in the head as his body near bent in half.

"Ha!" Inosuke screeched triumphantly, still held aloft in Douma's grip with his fists gripping Otousan's fringe in an iron grip. "Caught ya, Dad! Caught ya!"

Douma blinked even as Kanao skidded to a halt, her breathing shifting back to normal. She didn't cough this time, even if her chest ached. But her vision was stable, a pleasing turn of events. Still, she was rather concerned at how contorted her brother still was, it looked as if he could touch the back of his head with his foot with how he was still twisted in shape. She didn't know if his spine was alright.

"Well I suppose you both did win at tag," Douma lowered Inosuke to the ground, the boy shifting back into a more normal position and looking entirely unbothered with how bent his spine had just been. Kanao hadn't know her brother had been so flexible and considering the curious manner in which Otousan was also regarding Inosuke he hadn't noticed it either.

Inosuke made an excited noise as he bounced up and down, with Kanao now close to his side. A glance and there was no sign of injury on her little brother. The hair in his fists had already dissolved into ash, the chunk he'd ripped out had already regrown at Douma's brow.

Otousan blinked then laughed, "You both used different tactics, but see! That's why you two are my favourite humans, most would just give up and die but not you two. Instead you used your smart little brain-laden heads to figure it all out on your own," Douma then patted them both, his eyes glowing in the night. "Kanao managed to duplicate the Slayer's technique while you used both the mimic and your very odd flexibility to catch me. You were twisted all up like an overcooked noodle."

"Yeah!" Inosuke puffed out his chest. "Oneechan said you knew what we were doing so we gotta be surprising! And see, I caught you. I'm so awesome I'm like part snake. I'm super bendy, like Oneechan's eyes! Now you gotta show up weapons and blades and cool stuff and give us a tiger!"

"A tiger, eh?" Douma tapped a sharp nail against his bottom lip, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "I'll have to find one first, but I do happen to know where an armoury is. Why don't we try that first?"

"Tiger tiger tiger! Give us the tiger, Dad! You promised!"

"Oh alright fine, it's important to keep your promises after all. And well, I did say you could have a tiger and being truthful is also important. But first, why don't we go back inside and have something to eat? This is cause for celebration, I feel," Otousan said.

Kanao nodded, taking Douma's offered hand while Inosuke grabbed the other. A slight twitch at the corner of her lip as Douma led them back to the commune, pleased she and her brother had succeeded at tag even as Inosuke chatted happily about how he had been 'testing' his flexibility as a super special technique to win at tag and then ramblings about what her brother wanted to eat. Her thoughts went back to her trip in Tokyo and those shops with all sorts of weapons and she had to wonder just which one she would like most.

Chapter 25: The tiger

Chapter Text

The tiger was a handsome beast, with a pale orange coat, fluffy white underbelly and vivid black stripes. It was smaller than a horse, but still large enough Kanao and Inosuke could sit on its back.

Though considering the way the tiger was hissing at them from the other end of the room, the chain attached to the iron collar rattling with the movement, Kanao thought it would not let them sit on it.

Its teeth were very long and Kanao could probably stick her head in its mouth if she really tried. Its claws had already shredded up a fair part of the tatami mats and the walls, with one of the paintings hanging from the wall barely more than tatters. The outdoor garden through the open doors had several bits of dirt ripped and grass torn and one of the elegant trees had been broken by sharp claws. Kanao did not think the tiger was very happy.

However, Inosuke was extremely thrilled.

His excited scream when Otousan took off their blindfold was so loud Kanao could still feeling it ringing within her ears ten seconds later, even as Inosuke launched himself up to sling skinny arms around Douma's neck.

"A tiger, Dad! Tiger, tiger, tiger!"

Douma laughed, his fangs as long and sharp as the snarling tiger's before them, "I promised I would! And it's important to keep your promises. Isn't that right, Kanao?"

She nodded, the delicate line of pearls hanging from her kanzashi swinging with the movement. It was important to keep promises.

"I did want to find a white tiger but there was only orange," Douma said, patting Inosuke's head from where the boy was still hanging off him. "A tiger is said to be the king of beasts, and when they reached five hundred years of age their tails would turn white. If they were completely white, then it meant the emperor was of absolute virtue and the world at peace. Which is a load of nonsense but they look quite striking. The guardian of the west."

"Orange is cooler," Inosuke dropped back to the ground, making grabby hands at the tiger which growled from where it was pressed against the corner of the room.

"Here! Why don't you come and pat it? Just ignore the funny noises it's making," Douma said, strolling forward. The tiger lashed out at him the moment he got close, but its claws and teeth couldn't not penetrate his skin. He seized it around the head with one hand, forcing it onto the ground as he pinned down its body and legs with his legs and other hand. Its yowling was loud, piercing.

"It's super noisy," Inosuke said, fascinated, as he patted its back.

The tiger twitched but Otousan easily kept it pinned to the ground. She couldn't see any hint of exertion on Douma's face. He was truly unbothered by the cat's squirming despite how big it was and the way it was gouging the tatami mat beneath it. Its fur was warm, soft. The vibrations of its growling rolled up her arm. It was very angry.

When Douma released the tiger it immediately tried to bite him as both Kanao and Inosuke backed away to the chain's edge. He let it grab onto his arm, claws digging at his chest, and the tiger couldn't even rip through his clothes. Kanao thought at how Daki had made her shoes appear out of nowhere. Demon magic, perhaps.

Either way Otousan easily shoved the tiger back, where it bristled up against the wall and hissed.

"Now then," he turned to them with a bright smile. "Have you thought of any names?"

Misaki did not seem fond of the idea there was now a tiger chained up inside Paradise Faith, her eyebrows raising so high they nearly vanished into her hair when Inosuke excitedly told her the news.

"I know the Founder has his humour, but this seems rather extreme for me," the woman frowned. "They're wild, not pets. Not like any mouse hunting cat."

"The tiger is super cool," Inosuke defended. He was protective of his tiger, still in love with the idea of it becoming his steed. Even if he couldn't think of a name, as Kanao didn't care to name it.

"They are beautiful animals, yes, but they are very dangerous. Perhaps it would be best if it was slain and you could harvest its flesh and fur? There's quite a few uses for tiger, both nefarious and not."

"Like what?" he asked.

Misaki spoke, "Tiger whiskers can be used as an assassination weapon, so I've heard."

"Really?"

"Yes. I remember stories of such a thing; grind them up and sprinkle them within a bowl of white rice. Tiger whiskers are very sharp, jagged, and would puncture the organs from within and lead to a very slow, painful death. And some think if a pregnant woman eats a tiger liver then it will make certain she births a boy."

Still, her verdict was on the negative which Kanao could understand. The tiger was an unhappy pet even if they got increasingly good at dodging its claws. A part of Kanao wondered what would happen if the tiger was actually unchained and allowed to attack them.

"Oh I don't think a tiger is a good pet," Rojin said, knuckles bone-white around his broom, when Kanao came across him the next day. He twitched as a yowl rang down the corridors, his pale skin almost translucent as sweat beaded his temple, "I remember hearing about a crazed one from India down in the shipyards once, it killed hundreds of people. They can develop a taste for human. They shouldn't be pets, much less around you two. You're both still small."

"Otousan can heal us."

"Can he heal you if you've been eaten?"

An interesting question, especially since Rojin had asked it earnestly. Seemingly just as curious about the answer as she was.

Still, she could understand. The tiger did not like anyone, even if it was kept chained in its room all day. Even when they came to feed it, offering fresh cuts of beef and fish caught from the river, the tiger remained agitated and volatile. She could understand Inosuke's fascination with it however, with the muscles shifting beneath the orange and white fur, the long teeth and claws as it ripped into the meat. She would not mind having it as a pet but she was tired with it biting and clawing them whenever they got too close. True, dodging it was quite good training and Kanao found focusing on the great cat an interesting challenge as it moved so differently from a human. Trying to judge its movements was a great deal harder, especially with how abrupt and quick the tiger could move. The rattle of the chain was loud each time they visited, the room a mess of torn wall and floor. The tiger's teeth long and white.

Kanao found that curious, about the tiger's teeth. Gyutaro's teeth had been far sharper, all neat triangles while Otousan had his neat fangs much like Daki. Even Akaza lacked the sharp maw of Gyutaro, his fangs moreso resembling the tiger's. She was curious if there was any rhyme or reason to a demon's teeth. Why some changed more drastically than others.

Still, the demons had seemed more friendly than the tiger. Even Upper Moon Three who had been very rude to her and threw things at the wall. At least he didn't maul her like the tiger constantly tried to.

"Maybe if we just chained it down onto the floor it wouldn't be so angry," Douma said one day, after he healed the long claw marks on Inosuke's arms when he got too close after feeding time. "Or stuffed it in a small cage so it can't reach you."

"Dad, we can't do that! How can we play with the tiger then?" Inosuke protested angrily, stamping a foot and ignoring the drying blood on his arms.

"At the moment it just keeps mauling you both," Otousan said, giving a shrug that made the silken cloak around his shoulders shimmer. "I thought- well I'm actually not too sure what I thought. But the tiger is very unfriendly."

"Maybe if we beat it up it would listen to us?" Inosuke suggested. "That's what I did to the other idiot weaklings here and now they listen to me. We could use a club or something."

"Perhaps we should feed it more," Kanao said. Perhaps that was why it was so angry. Or it hated the chain and collar that was always around its neck. At least dodging the tiger was an interesting and intense exercise.

"Well either way it's making a mess. I don't really care but it doesn't seem to be changing," Douma hummed, taking a talon against his chin. "Humans are like that as well, too stubborn and too stupid to adapt. If all else fails, its fur will be a nice winter coat and you can add its skull to your collection."

Three days later- and Kanao got bitten once and Inosuke three times as yet more failed attempts to befriend the furious great cat -Kanao overheard a curious conversation between Misaki and Douma in one of smaller meeting rooms that had a heavy fog of incense floating around it.

"Douma-sama, I really do believe you should get rid of the tiger," Misaki said, looking far more stressed than Kanao had ever seen her before.

"Well, I feel they're making some progress," Douma said, chin propped up on a fist from where he lounged back amidst silken cushions. A lone sake bottle was at his feet.

"At the same time, it's very wild. I understand the likes of zoo or the circus they have such animals but they have proper training, supervision."

"Inosuke is very invested in his pet, he seems quite determined he can tame it."

"Inosuke-kun is...Well, he's very spirited but certainly a rash boy who doesn't think things through. He tends to simply dive into things and not bother about the consequences or how he'll actually achieve it. I am not questioning your healing abilities, but it seems very reoccurring the tiger is harming them and I fear it will harm them grievously at one point. Even kill them."

"I understand your concern, but this was a gift. Until Kanao and Inosuke no longer want it, then here it will stay. I have already ordered those rooms off limits to most here."

"...Of course, Douma-sama," there was an unhappy twist to Misaki's lips but she nonetheless respectfully bowed to Douma as their conversation came to a close.

Kanao listened to the conversation with mild interest, even if she knew her father most likely knew she was up in the rafters. It was the first time Kanao had heard Misaki actively argue with Douma about anything. She was entirely ambient about the tiger herself. It was a beautiful creature, she could freely admit, but she felt no attachment towards it. Not like how Inosuke felt, wanting to train it to be a steed or a pet. Kanao was unsure how successfully he would be, especially knowing how distracted he could get and how mad the tiger was.

However as Kanao learned, a wild animal could not be tamed and it all came to its grisly conclusion one afternoon only a week after the tiger arrived at Paradise Faith.

Otousan had vanished into the inner quarters of his temple the previous night, citing his need for prayer and Kanao knew he had been speaking to That Man, for he left that morning for a trip. Kanao did not know the specifics and had to wonder if he was going to hunt Slayers or a Hashira. Either way, Otousan was not at the temple that day.

Inosuke had left to go sparrow hunting in the immense outdoor lotus gardens, Kanao not interested in such a thing. She had remained inside, trying to carve a woodblock in one of the smaller rooms in the temple. She had been using the small mallet and chisel, attempting to create a scene of a kitsune chasing butterflies. She had grown unsatisfied however, when she felt the kitsune moreso resembled an ugly cat. So she decided to stop and go for a walk. Kanao had been intending to go to the kitchens, to see if there was any fresh food she could take outside to the gardens for her brother, when she came across Rojin.

He was standing before an alcove, upon which a silver vase sat. A bucket of water was at his feet, several pink blossoms floating inside which he was using to full the squat vase. He looked up at her approach, smiling at her but as always avoiding her eyes. Instead his gaze skittered off to the side or would settle at her neck. His hair was loose, flowing over his shoulders and down his back to his waist.

"Kanao-kun. How are you?"

"I am fine. I am going to get food for Inosuke."

"That's good," Rojin hummed, bending down to pick up more of the flowers and neatly arrange them in the vase. "He's always so hungry, it's nice you're always looking after him."

"I love him very much."

"That's good. I have many siblings, but I'm not close with any. Not like you and Inosuke-kun."

Kanao could understand. Her first siblings she had Kanao did not care about. Inosuke and Douma were her family.

"I'm rather sure my parents only had so many children because they didn't want workers at the docks they had to pay," Rojin said, placing the last of the flowers. There was some annoyance in his voice before he was carrying on, "And they asked things all the time but then got mad when I didn't understand. Or got mad when I didn't want to look at them. Here it's a lot easier, I'm glad I left and came here."

"Was it Otousan?" For some reason it never crossed Kanao's mind how people would find Paradise Faith. She usually didn't care but she found herself curious about Rojin.

"Oh no, it wasn't him. I met him at the temple here when I arrived. It was when some of the people here were retrieving things from the docks; kitchen materials, the furnace, things like that. Anyway, I remember them talking and I was curious. Of course when Hitomi-san offered for me to come I couldn't say no. I felt it would be very interesting, or at least quiet, and I was right. I like it here, even if there's always that bloody smell lingering here in the temple. Does that bother you, Kanao-kun?"

"No," Kanao said. Blood never bothered her, and she had helped with butchering and preparing animals before.

"Is it alright I call you Kanao-kun?" Rojin asked, tilting his head to the side and partially obscuring his face with his long hair as he bit his lip. "One of the women scolded me before, saying I should call you Kanao-chan because you're a girl, but I think Kanao-kun sounds cuter with your name. Is that alright?"

"I don't care."

"I suppose so," Rojin hummed. "You never use honourifics, just like Douma-sama. I always get them confused. There's so many and then people get mad if I get them wrong. I don't understand why, if they just told me which ones to use I would find it a lot easier. But they get mad I just don't know by default and I find that hard, especially if they're angry and don't tell me why. But Douma-sama never minded, even if the others here were very upset when I called him Douma-san. He doesn't use them either, but I suppose that's because he's chosen by the gods. I suppose you don't have to worry about that stuff when you know what the gods want or when they like you so much."

Kanao had heard Otousan use honourifics before, but she only heard him do so mockingly. Such as with the Flower Hashira and Upper Moon Three. Neither two had appreciated it. Kanao did not care what people addressed her as.

She didn't care about the topic either, so she instead pointed to the vase Rojin had been refreshing, "They are very pink."

"Aren't they lovely?" Rojin said happily. "So beautiful and bright, such a brighter pink than the cherry blossom trees. They're camellia, native to Japan. Some of the camellia plants around the emperor's palace are over five hundred years old."

"They smell nice," Kanao said.

"Yes, they do. Their leaves are also edible; you can even use them to make green and oolong tea. I can show you, if you like. That way if you're ever in the wilds you could still make tea. You have to cut them and dry them first."

Then a shoji door ahead of them was struck down, hard enough it smacked into the wall opposite and promptly stopped their conversation. The fine paper was shredded, the wooden frame splintered, and Kanao watched as a large, lithe shape exited the room.

The tiger was out.

It wasn't supposed to be out.

A broken chain dangled from the thick iron collar around its neck as it prowled out into the hall, and there was blood staining the white fur of its mouth. It small ears were pinned back, shoulders hunched and tail flicking wildly. Tilting her head, Kanao could someone sprawled out on the ground of the room the tiger had come from, kimono torn and red with the purple slick of organs spilling free. Hm. She guessed the tiger had escaped from its room and then climbed up the stone wall of the small garden to escape into the compound, slinking through another of the open gardens indoors.

Rojin shrieked at the appearance of the tiger, stumbling backwards and tripping over the bucket and banging his head hard against the edge of the alcove where the flowers were. He fell, sprawled out onto the tatami mat with water soaking through his clothes and hair and spreading across the floor like a puddle of blood. With his long hair loose and spilling around him with blood leaking from his temple, he looked like a Nure-Onna.

The tiger hissed, lips peeled back to show long bloody fangs as it bristled. Its back was hunched and Kanao eyed its angry form just as it eyed her. Its eyes were a light brown, nearly yellow at the pupil. Wild and afraid.

Then Misaki came around the corner far ahead, on the other side of the tiger, with a large broom in hand and grumpy expression on her face. She froze when she spotted the tiger, stopping mid stride as her eyebrows shot up. The great orange cat twisted around to face the woman, snarling viciously.

Kanao leapt over Rojin's unconscious form, her tabi socks quickly becoming waterlogged as she darted forward. The tiger would eat Rojin if she just left, Kanao knew. Or eat Misaki. Or perhaps both of them. And she liked the man with his love of flowers and wide dark eyes, and liked Misaki with her easy smile and missing finger. She would prefer it if they lived.

Kanao launched herself forward, her Breathing letting her reach the tiger's back in the blink of an eye. She grabbed at its thick collar, feeling her nails bite into the iron as she slammed unceremoniously into its spine. The tiger yowled, twisting and snapping. Its claws unsheathed, ripping at the tatami mat and shredding open the thin paper of the shoji wall.

Her nails dug in, but she was thrown off with the tiger's thrashing and went rolling across the ground. Belatedly, Kanao wished she had a knife on hand.

The closest thing was a vase on the ground by the wall- stout, round, covered in delicate, intricate paintings of women flocked around a calm lake -and she smashed against the tiger's jaw as it tried to maul her. Kanao quickly scrambled backwards on all fours, hand going up to her ponytail as the tiger pounced.

Then Misaki was there, broom wielded in both hands like a great tetsubo club. Her fine features were wild, teeth bared and the muscles in her arms flexing, as she struck the tiger so hard in the head with the broom she snapped the head right off. The tiger snarled, vicious and deep, and Misaki shrieked as a great gash tore open her kimono, blood from her slashed thigh rapidly staining the pale blue fabric. She kicked the tiger, her foot colliding with its shoulder and making it jump backwards away from her.

Before it could swipe at Misaki again Kanao was on the tiger's back with nails digging into thick orange fur, her lotus bud hair pin clenched tight in her other hand. The pointed tip of the kanzashi skidded across the great cat's muzzle, clipping its eye and the tiger let out a high yowl of pain.

Kanao barely had time to grunt with teeth sank into her leg and yanked her right off the tiger's back, with her rolling aside on reflex. The thick blue fabric of her yukata stopped the cat from drawing blood but her leg would bruise. The kanzashi pierce the paw of the cat, stabbing into the soft flesh between the pawpads. The tiger twisted, its side hitting Kanao in the shoulder as it thrashed in pain, knocking her over again. Sharp teeth grabbed onto the hem of her yukata as she tried to get up, dragging her beneath the tiger's raging form.

Misaki shrieked, grabbing at the tiger with her bare hands like a wild animal as her nails ripped at its fur. A moment later it pounced, bowling Misaki over and trying to get its teeth into her face. Instead it sank into her forearm, flesh ripping apart to show muscles and blood. Misaki shouted, knee slamming into the tiger's chest but unable to dislodge the raging animal on top of her.

Scrambling to her feet, Kanao spotted the other half of the broom lying a few feet away. Around the length of her arm, one end a splintered, pointed edge from where Misaki had broken it. Kanao seized it. Her lungs swelled, the handle creaking dangerously around her hands as veins stood sharply against her skin.

The jagged tip of the handle punctured through the tiger's back, ripping past fur and skin and muscle to catch upon bone. The cat screeched, letting go of Misaki and twisting around with its ears pinned back. Before it could do anything else Kanao stabbed it again. And again and again and again. Her breathing was deep, calm and even, as she repeatedly plunged the splintered broom handle into the tiger's throat, back and neck. Blood sprayed up in the air as its throat was pierced with several holes in rapid succession, fur becoming torn and orange becoming ruby red.

Misaki managed to drag herself out from under the tiger as it stumbled and fell, her injured arm clutched to her chest and leg leaving a red smear on the ground, but Kanao ignored it as she clambered onto the tiger's back and continued to violently stab it. Distantly she could hear people running, shouts and started exclamations, but she didn't stop. Not until the broom handle shattered completely in her hand, splinters piercing her palm with the remains of the handle jutting out of the back of the tiger's neck, at the base of the skull just below the iron collar. It was slumped, sprawled out on the ground and orange fur soaked in blood. Puncture marks riddled its back and neck, fur torn open to show red muscle and even the hint of bone.

Kanao sat there, the tiger's body twitching beneath her as her breathing shuddered while her lungs ached. Blood was dripping from her chin, splattered across her face and soaking her hair and yukata. Her loose hair was dripping, crimson droplets falling down to stain the fabric of her shoulder. Slowly, she reached over the tiger's head and pulled her kanzashi out from the tiger's splayed paw. The pearls and lotus bud were blood stained.

"Kanao! Kanao, are you alright?! Did it hurt you?" despite her torn arm and bleeding leg, Misaki dragged herself forward and hurriedly yanked Kanao off the tiger's body. Her features were bloodied, hair loosened from its twin buns and threatening to curl down over her shoulders as the woman frantically pawed at Kanao's bloody yukata in search of injuries.

Behind them, back down the corridor, Kanao could see several members of Paradise Faith had arrived due to the noise. Two were helping Rojin up from where he had fallen, the man seemed extremely dazed and confused but conscious. Others were looking at the scene of the dead tiger and dead woman and their own gory appearance with various degrees of horror.

"Misaki," Kanao intoned, staring at the tiger's body still twitching and bleeding before them with her bloodied hairpin in hand, and drawing the woman's gaze back to her. "I do not think we should get another tiger."

Chapter 26: Pick

Chapter Text

"Alright, so the most common weapon in Japan is a sword. A katana, a uchigatana. That's the same type of weapon the Hashira used to cut me and is the dominant weapon within the Demon Slayer Corps so basically everyone uses it. Sometimes they change their weapons but only very rarely and only Hashira. Now, this one isn't made from fancy ore but it's still very sharp nonetheless so-"

To the surprise of absolutely no one in the room, Inosuke promptly cut himself on the katana. Since he decided to grab the weapon by the blade rather than the handle when Douma was showing it to them. Inosuke whined at the injury, but it seemed to be more out of irritation than pain. Kanao remained seated passively next to her brother even as Douma stabbed the katana down point-first on the tatami mat before grabbing Inosuke's bleeding palm in both hands.

As Douma healed the cut, Kanao's eyes roamed around the room they were in; it was one of the larger rooms of Douma's private quarters deep within the temple, where only he visited. It lacked the grandeur of many other rooms, but there was still a strange perfection to the dark wooden walls and the small square lights dotting the area. The middle of the room sank down two steps into a long slab of stone for sparring, while surrounding the room in holders and racks against the walls were dozens of weapons. Even more than the ones Kanao had seen in the store at Tokyo but some seemed familiar.

Both Inosuke and Kanao were in their casual samue, though the trousers and light shirts were pale shade of green this time, while Douma was in his usual clothes but without the lotus crown and cape.

There was also the odd sensation of being watched, as Kanao sat in seiza, not intently but she was distantly aware someone was aware of her. Like when she and Inosuke would play hide and seek, she would get occasional prickles of eyes upon her before just as quickly the sensation would vanish. She chose to ignore the feeling to instead focus on her father as he stood back up, Inosuke's hand now perfect and whole with the blood staining Douma's fingers seeping into his skin to leave it pale and bare.

"Swords are sharp. Don't grab the sharp edges, Inosuke," Douma said.

"That didn't hurt," Inosuke protested.

"You could have chopped off your fingers."

"But I didn't. See?" Inosuke waggled said fingers.

Otousan conceded with a shrug of his shoulders, "Well yes, this time your fingers didn't get lopped off. But I think that will be one of the first rules here, to not grab blades by your bare hands. Understood?"

"Yes, Father."

Kanao then elbowed her brother who huffed out a breath before grumbling, "Okay, I won't do it."

"Good!" Douma clapped his clawed hands together. "But because of that, I'm going to do a 'look but don't touch' showcase right now alright? I'm not sure if I can actually stick your severed limbs back on. Hm, need to try that as an experiment later...But anyway, let's stick to basics. There's bladed weapons and non bladed weapons. Are you both following me?"

Twin nods.

"Alright, so that is the basics," Douma began, hands on his hips. "Bladed weapons have a sharp edge for slicing and cutting. Non bladed weapons are like clubs, for blunt force damage, intended to break bones or snap necks. Are you both following me?"

Twin nods, with Inosuke sitting up more eagerly.

"Good! Now, Kanao already knows about some of theses but I'll explain them anyway since I like talking. So there's katanas and we'll come back to that since it's the most basic. But after that there are my tessen, which I am quite fond of."

Douma let Kanao and Inosuke hold his golden fan, despite his earlier comment of not letting them touch anything sharp. Kanao didn't really care, since her father was lackadaisical about most things and kept her fingers away from the edges of the fan. They could cut right through flesh and bone. The fans were heavy, having a persistent chill to them like a metal pole on a crisp winter morning and stuck slightly at her skin.

Douma spoke, "So there's three different kinds of fans but these are sharp edges like swords so-"

"Wait, you were gonna give us a tiger if we won in tag but our one died so we need a new one!" Inosuke interrupted, jolting upright as he remembered the tiger incident . "Get us a small one this time!"

"Your sister already said no to any more tigers," Douma said sternly, pointing a sharp nail at Inosuke's indignant features. "And since she killed the last one she has veto rights on this. So no more tigers, not even a baby one."

"Boo!"

"Oh boo yourself."

"Katana," Kanao said flatly.

"Ah yes!" Douma straightened up, the sword suddenly back in his hand as if teleported. "Where was I? Right, katana's are sharp. Yes. That's the usual criteria for a sword is that it is sharp and can cut things."

Kanao quickly concluded her father was just as terrible at explaining weapons as he was at trying to train them, as he seemed to be more rambling than anything.

"Swords forged in Japan are actually divided into different eras," Douma explained. "There's...four? No wait, five? Five, I think. There's uh, Jōkotō. That's the very first ones made. So far back before demons ever existed. The ancient swords. And then I can't remember the other four, well actually I don't know the names for the eras either. Though I know this current era is the Taishō era, the Classic of Changes and named for Emperor Taishō which is what every other era is named after. It's correlated with the current Emperor, though that's only been that way for the last century or so. As for the swords, I only know the first one Jōkotō because I know there's one in my rooms somewhere. Honestly I should bother Kokushibou later, he would know all about it. He actually uses a katana and used to be a samurai."

"Well get him here then! If he's got long hair Oneechan can rip a chunk out as well so we win tag and he has to tell us all that stuff," Inosuke said, bouncing up and down. "And tell us about being a samurai since they're all dead!"

"He's Upper One so he's even faster than me," Douma said, golden fan hiding the lower half of his face.

"Oneechan will still get his hair," Inosuke declared. Kanao wasn't too sure about that but if this Kokushibou demon did visit one day to play tag then she would do her best to rip out his hair as well.

"Well when that day happens, I'll throw you a party," Douma said cheerfully. "But first, weapons. I promised actual training after the tag and since the tiger has lived and died, I suppose we can move on to the next stage. And every one has a favourited weapon. For me, it is my fan. For Akaza, his fists. Kokushibou his sword. Slayers are much like that, the majority of them use katanas made from that special ore that can kill demons. Only the Hashira have any deviation in weapons and that's usually only one or two. Otherwise it's all katanas, which is Japan's traditional weapon."

"Do you know sword stuff?" Inosuke asked, finally giving up scratching at his chest to shove down the shirt of his samue so it bunched around his waist. The cow skull on his head jerked up as he bounced in place, fidgeting and twitching.

Kanao continued to watch passively, hands lightly resting on her knees. Occasionally she would blink, gaze roaming across the weapons surrounding them but always focusing back upon her father.

"I've fought enough Slayers that I have a good idea," Otousan said. "And you know the Breathing styles, right?"

"Yeah!"

"So each Breathing style differs, but you can actually tell what style a Slayer uses by their sword colour alone," Douma said. "Water is the most common by far and quite honestly the most boring. I've killed a few Water Hashira and they've always been the most boring human I've ever met."

"The pink sword," Kanao spoke.

"Flower Breathing," Otousan grinned at her, all sharp teeth and glowing rainbow eyes. "It's been around for quite some time but not many Hashira's. But yes, they have pink swords. Red for Flame, green for Wind, grey for Stone, yellow for Thunder, pale blue for Mist, bright blue for Water. And then there's some others I don't care enough about to remember right now. Some new styles also pop up, ones that have been invented and are based on the main ones. Like Mist is derivative from Wind so has similarities."

"I'm gonna make my own Breathing style then," Insouke insisted.

"That would actually be a good idea," Douma said. "Since when you fight someone with a new style, you can't anticipate their fighting from previous users. Stone is the only Breathing style that is used without a katana, all the rest use swords."

"What does Stone use?" Kanao asked, tilting her head to the side and making the pearls of her kanzashi sway.

"Clubs, usually. Flails and axes, something heavy and aimed to completely smash off a demon's head so the users are always very large and strong."

"I can do that then, I'll smash peoples heads right off," Inosuke said, baring his teeth.

"Sure! We can try that," Douma agreed.

The main focus of the room, as Otousan explained, was to familiarize themselves with weapons and chose which one they wanted to specialize in. Demons tended to have an innate idea of what they would wield, usually bound to their Blood Art or have their demonic abilities be said weapon. Douma's fans were a perfect example of both, their sharp edges capable of cutting through flesh and bone and also brandishing forth his ice in great sweeping winds.

To the surprise of no one, Inosuke gravitated towards the clubs. The idea of just smashing things appealed a great deal to him even if Kanao preferred something with more finesse. Watching Inosuke snatch up the furibo- after trying and failing to budge one of the gigantic tetsubo -and start flailing about with the wooden club Kanao decided to try something else.

At first she chose the katana, simply due to it being the dominant weapon of Japan and that of the Slayer corps. She knew the moment she drew one of the swords she was dissatisfied with it. The sword was beautiful, gleaming curved metal with a tsuba of green with tiny golden flowers, and the hilt of pale yellow. It was not of Slayer metal Kanao could tell, simply from the difference in appearance; while the blade was sharp it lacked the brilliance of the sword the Flower Hashira had wielded.

Taking the sword Kanao tried to position herself in a way the woman had done, legs apart and hands gripping the yellow hilt. Kanao's hands were small and she did not know how to properly grip the hilt. Should her hands be so close to the tsuba? Or lower, near the kashira?

Douma wasn't much help when she asked him, "I'm not sure? Some hold it differently. I think. Maybe try swinging it and see what happens?"

Kanao tried and instead ended up stabbing the wall by accident. Inosuke meanwhile had already fallen over the wooden club and just seemed to be beating the floor with it. Against a normal citizen Kanao felt that tactic would work but against a Slayer she had doubts.

And Kanao knew she must learn how to kill Slayers, in order to protect her father and brother. Demons she did not care about, the Demon Slayer Corps was the threat to her family and if all of them yielded swords than Kanao felt it would not be the best weapon against them. It would be predicable.

Sidestepping Inosuke's attempts to swipe at Douma with his club, Kanao went to another one of the walls after she returned the sword. She did not want a blunt weapon- while they would be effective, Kanao was unsure if she could smash someone's skull in with a single blow, meanwhile humans had special veins in their bodies that if a single one was punctured they would die within minutes.

The naginata intrigued her, the long polearm with a dark oak staff taller than her with a curved blade at the end. She did not mind that weapon, even if she struggled to hold it properly. It didn't seem designed for a twelve year old girl in mind and after a moment Kanao put it back. By then Inosuke had managed to smash the furibo against Douma's thigh but instead the wood splinted and cracked while Otousan didn't even stumble.

"Hmm, doesn't seem effective does it?" he said cheerfully as Inosuke tossed down the broken club with a pout.

"Why can't I lift up the super cool huge one?" Inosuke shrieked, stamping a small foot.

"Because you're too tiny."

"Boo! I'm gonna be big one day, Dad! Bigger than you and I'll knock your head off with that big club too!"

"That won't work either, my head will just grow back."

Letting them bicker, Kanao pulled a pair of sai from the weapon racks. Sharp with a narrow pointed blade, something that could easily puncture an eye or vein. She did a few experimental thrusts but frowned; she didn't like the lack of reach. She remembered how Douma taunted the Flower Hashira when he fended her off with great clouds of freezing ice. While Slayers couldn't do that, Kanao felt they might be hard to catch and if they all used katanas they would be very used to close combat. So she did not pick the sais and instead returned them.

By then Inosuke had grabbed a pair of tekko, the repurposed horse stirrups now used as a hand weapons with their metal curves resting over the knuckles dotted with spikes.

Kanao ignored Inosuke's attempts to latch onto Douma's legs with teeth and knuckles to instead inspect one of the axes on the wall, the masakari having a lean long blade but still, quite short.

Then she stopped before a kusarigama, the sickle attached to a long chain with a small weight at the end. Coiled up next to the kama and axes. Kanao slowly reached out and pulled out the kusarigama, the hilt of the sickle made from dark oak while the blade of the sickle was around the length of her forearm.

The chain swayed and made gentle clicking noises as she draped it over her arm, keeping the sickle aloft in her other hand. The weight hanging from the chain was noticeable but bearable. She shuffled down back to the long slab of stone, a dozen feet away from where Inosuke was still determined to punch Otousan's head in with his spiked knuckles.

Hesitantly she unspooled the chain and began to swing the sickle around at her size. It had a good range, something she could strike across the room with. Moving her body with the slowly increasing circles Kanao tried to flick the sickle forward. It smacked against the stone and skidded across before the curved tip embedded itself into the wall. That could work, it also meant she could easily retrieve her weapon if it was thrown out of reach, as she reeled back the chain until the sickle was in hand. Then she started to flick around the weighted end, wondering if that could be used as a weapon as well. Blunt and sharp, it would be both types of weapons Kanao felt.

Would it fare well against katanas? Gyutaro used kama but he also mentioned they were poisoned. That was another good idea actually, she remembered Misaki's comments about tiger's whiskers-

And the weighted end of the kusarigama ricocheted off the stone floor at her feet, shooting up and smacked Kanao in the side of the head so hard it knocked her unconscious.

When Kanao woke up it was to Otousan's clawed hands lightly resting on her temple and Inosuke peering down at her. She blinked, wondering when she had fallen over onto her back.

"You knocked yourself out," Douma said, amused, before he lifted his hands away.

"I did not intend to do that," she said.

"It's fine, you only bleed a teeny weeny bit. Head wounds tend to do that," Otousan stepped back as Kanao pushed herself to her feet with Inosuke jumping around her like an exited hound.

"It made such a big noise, Oneechan!" Inosuke exclaimed. "Like a big smack like when ya break them chicken bones, and then you fell right over and there's blood on the floor and stuff."

"I'm fine, Otouto. But I don't think using it while not knowing how is a good way to train." She touched the back of her head, but her dark hair had soaked up any of the blood from her skull.

"But I see you like the kusarigama," Douma said, handing the weapon back to her.

Kanao took it, and could see some of her blood still on the weight. "It feels right."

"Wonderful. Unfortunately I don't know how to use one of those," Otousan studied it closely.

"Unfortunate."

"Yeah Dad, you're not very good at this," Inosuke complained at her side.

"Well I haven't exactly done this before. I did ask Kokushibou but he said I was being stupid and to quit bothering him," Douma crossed his arms with a pout. "And I even asked Akaza if he could teach you martial arts yesterday, since his fighting style is his bare fists which you see, to like. But instead he just had some choice comments to make about you two so I had to teach him a lesson. Tsk tsk, he can be so rude and emotional. But I haven't tried to teach anyone how to use a sword. They aren't even my preferred weapon."

"Aw," Insouke's whine was long and loud.

"But no matter!" Douma straightened up, snapping his fingers. "I'll still be the best teacher you've ever had! Since you've never had anyone else."

Three months was enough to break Douma.

Kanao watched as her father threw his hands up in the air with an air of exasperation to him, much like Misaki when she found Inosuke in yet another trashed room. The broken pieces of several jutte at his feet, while Inosuke had been struggling to drag the giant kanabo across the ground to attack Douma with despite the spiked club being taller than Inosuke. Kanao had broken several kusarigama as well, and seemed to be just as prone to striking herself, not her target, or hitting other areas. She had improved, but both her and Inosuke were frustrated by their lack of progress. Insouke still did not have a favoured weapon which left him grumpy and annoyed. Kanao was just irritated at the fact she still hit herself quite often even if Otousan would always heal their injuries.

Though their tessenjutsu had come along wonderfully, to the point she and Inosuke would regularly spar with the war fans and keep them upon their persons while not in the special weapon room- both with the more heavy gunbai but also with the more elegant tessen with its iron fans. They still lost against Douma in every match as he was a master but it only seemed the fans they were improving with. While Kanao loved her father he was not very good as a tutor in weaponry unless it was in said fans.

"Alright fine, I'm not really improving on this and it doesn't seem you two are. Well, you're not as terrible but uh, I think you need a base foundation which I don't have for these," Douma tapped his shut fan against his chin, thick black brows furrowed. "Your tessenjutsu is coming along great but uh, that's about all it is. I mean you're not hitting yourselves so much with the weapons but nothing much else."

Kanao looked down at the kusarigama in hand, as it was rapidly becoming her favourite but had to concede her father was no master in its usage. Inosuke meanwhile just flailed with whatever weapon he had and only really improved with the fans. Otherwise she could agree. They weren't really mastering much even if their stamina and strength was improving, their techniques weren't.

"We ain't stopping! I wanna know how to fight!" Inosuke protested, bristling.

"Oh I'm not saying we're going to cut training," Douma said, teeth sharp as he smiled. "I'm thinking of some more hands-on training, since you're both very fast learners and I think this sterile environment is not helping. No, no, no, I feel like we need to be out in the wilds rather than all domesticated and contained like this. For I mean tracking down a Slayer and having you two fight them directly."

Chapter 27: Bled like a stuck pig

Chapter Text

The Slayer was small and uninteresting.

Kanao could recognize the uniform the man wore, resembling a gakuran uniform made of a dark, almost shimmery fabric. Upon the back of the shirt was stark white kanji, spelling out the word Destroy. There was a white belt with a katana strapped to the side, but on the whole the uniform was dark and basic. The man also wasn't wearing any type of haori and Kanao had to wonder why. Could only the higher ranks wear one? Considering it was illegal to walk around with a weapon she thought it would make more sense for the man to have one to hide the obvious katana. Kanao also noted how the buttons on the man's uniform were silver, unlike the gold of the butterfly woman's had been.

She also noted how the hilt of the katana was a plain metal hilt with no embellishment. She could not remember the hilt the woman had, but remembered enough it had been colourful. Pink, like her blade perhaps? Kanao was unsure but she still remembered it had been colourful. Same for the woman's features; those lavender eyes and waist-length gleaming black hair. The two colourful butterflies holding back the long tresses, hue matching the edges of her haori. The floral smell of her. She had been eye catching, strong and steady to the point even years later Kanao could remember her.

Now the man they were stalking was so bland in retrospect. His hair was dark and short, not even brushing his nape, and his features were plain and eyes a dull brown. Nothing stood out about him. Even the way he was walking seemed off to Kanao and she couldn't understand why-

Ah, he wasn't breathing properly. That was it. Strange, she thought all Slayers would do the deep, vein-filling breathing that she and her brother had been practicing with. The Hashira woman had been doing it consistently, until Otousan's frost had shredded her lungs and broken her rib cage.

"He looks lame," Inosuke grumbled from Douma's other shoulder. The skull he wore today was that of a deer, pale white with short spike antlers. The jawbone lolled across his bare sternum with the upper jaw rested over his brow, even as he squinted down at the Slayer.

"No, his walking is unhindered," Kanao corrected, even as she focused intently on the Slayer's legs from where the trio were stalking him through the town via rooftops. She could not detect any shift in his stride indicating an injury in his joints or ankles.

"Nothing quite says safety to those brainless civilians like an armed stranger walking around with 'destroy' written upon the back of their clothing, hm? But that uniform and sword means he's a slayer."

Her eyes narrowed, fingers digging slightly into her father's shirt from where she was hanging over Douma's shoulder as he stalked the Slayer. The small man they were following just seemed wrong to her, for Kanao had a very set mind upon what a Slayer was to be. Someone bright and vibrant, able to fight a demon of Otousan's caliber. The easily ignored man they were watching held none of that, even his breathing wasn't right. It was irritating her and not many things could irritate her.

"Kanao?" her father's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "You seem perturbed."

"He does not look like the Hashira."

"Well of course not," Douma said with a snort that jostled the two on their perches. "They're unfortunately very rare. Less than a dozen at most and they typically die quite swiftly, in all honesty."

"He is not standing properly. He isn't breathing properly."

"Because he's dumb," Inosuke said so loudly a woman down below looked around in confusion.

"Well, rather than him being dumb he's moreso a new Slayer. One who isn't practiced enough but has enough training for the far smaller stake missions. Going after freshly turned demons and the like," Otousan nimbly jumped to the next rooftop over, even as the Slayer wandered into the slowly awakening market square.

"Alrightie so first there's the Mizunoto- that's the very fresh beginners," Douma said, Kanao paying close attention while Inosuke groaned loudly. "The ones right out of that dumb exam thing they do on that dumb smelly mountain. Then there's Mizunoe which is like the same thing but they haven't died within their first year. Because they are fond of that, dying all over the place. Anyway after that there's um...Uh, the Kanoto? No wait, the Kinoe. No that's wrong, I think it's Kanoe. Wait, that doesn't sound right..."

As her father rambled, Kanao kept a close watch on the Slayer as he through the relatively large town. Douma was creeping across the rooftops like an oversized cat, but the clouded night and soft, lingering fog easing in from the nearby lake kept him hidden from the oblivious population below even with the streetlamps lit.

The Slayer was the closest they had found; Douma taking both Kanao and Inosuke with him, not through the magic doors but rather on foot a week after their weapon introduction. Inosuke had proclaimed Douma to be a 'noble steed' as he was broad shouldered enough to still carry both his children easily and what would take a human hours would only take Douma a few minutes. Kanao just wondered if she would ever be able to move that fast one day, even if him being unable to go outside in the sun slowed them down. It made Kanao think of Otousan's comments of how he would enjoy long naps in the sun. It made her uneasy, wishing she could help her father but knowing there was nothing she could do.

So for now she focused upon honing her skills along with her brother and now it was time to hunt a Slayer.

Kanao had been the only one allowed to take her weapon with her; both because she had selected a specific one and also due to Inosuke's impulsive behaviour.

'I can give you a lot of leeway for being my adorable little son but stabbing people with katanas or hitting them with kanabō even I can't excuse,' Douma had said over Inosuke's yelling.

So her kusarigama was strapped to her obi belt, with a leather sheath over the sickle. Apparently for Douma, them attacking the Slayer with only that weapon would cause them to think on their feet. Kanao was not sure but then she remembered how easily people could die so did not say anything about it. Though she was curious if venomous snakes could kill the Slayer.

"...Tsuguko are the successors to Hashira, personally trained by them and usually have some flamboyant means of dress so you'll know instantly what Pillar they're being trained by," Otousan was still speaking, with Kanao shifting her attention between sluicing through the ramblings and actual information, while still eyeing the Slayer down below. "There's also the Kakushi, they're basically helpers behind the scenes. You know stage productions with the Kuroko? They're like that, even down to them covering their faces. I suppose they hope that means we can't differentiate between Kakushi so if we go seeking vengeance it's way harder. Though why'd we want revenge on those irrelevant little stage aids I don't know. There's also Swordsmiths which make those fancy swords-"

"I want one," Inosuke stared clawing at Douma's chest, his fingers digging into the dark red fabric of Otousan's shirt. "We should go fight one and make them make us swords! I want a special one."

"Well unfortunately I don't know where those villages are, and they hardly ever leave their nests."

"We could catch 'em and then make them make us stuff," Inosuke insisted.

"I suppose that is one of the things I should be doing," Douma shrugged, jostling Kanao who easily adjusted. "It's just so boring, running around in the farms and then hiding in the sunlight. So annoying and they're so hard to catch and don't even taste good. That's the most annoying thing, I think it's the smithy fumes they slave over all day and night. Seeps into their skin and flesh so they're gross to eat. Bah!"

Kanao said nothing even as Inosuke kept complaining. She could see the merit in her little brother's idea about gaining one of the bright swords but hunting a human it was unneeded. They were tools for Demon Slayers, which she and her brother were not. Humans can die by any normal means.

She thought about that as they followed the Slayer through the town as he spoke some more to the few villagers up and about with dawn an hour or so away. Kanao could not hear the conversation but could see how the Slayer was slowly making his way towards the outskirts of the village as Otousan continued to shadow him from above.

That also meant the noise of the town below began to ebb, giving way to the quieter paddocks and treeline even as the Slayer began to beeline for the lake and its heavy shroud of mist.

"A meowing cat does not catch mice," Douma said, giving Inosuke a poke in the noise with a sharp blue talon as the trio watched the Slayer from several rooftops away.

"I'm no cat!"

"He means you're being noisy and we can't hunt our target when you shout," Kanao explained. "We are moving to farmland."

"Exactly! I can be very loud because I'm very fast and strong," Otousan agreed. "But you're both little and slow, so if you want to ambush this man you have to be quiet. Can you do that, Inosuke? Be a predator like a wolf or a tiger?"

"Oneesan killed a tiger!" The conversation just seemed to make Inosuke even more fired up.

"Maybe you can hunt one later," Douma said with easy grace. Kanao wasn't too sure as the tiger had been severely angry and had clawed Misaki heavily, to the point she had faint silvery-coloured scars as it had taken several hours for Otousan to return in order to heal her properly. Then again, Inosuke would probably like scars.

"We are hunting this man, not tigers," Kanao reminded them both.

"Yes, he is our prey," Douma agreed, before quickly amending with, "Well rather, he is your prey. I could kill him without him even realizing it but that's not the point of this little excursion! It's to test how much you two have grown and to give you actual experience. Sparring is all well and good but it doesn't compare to an actual fight."

"So we gotta beat this guy up," Inosuke said, baring his teeth in a growl.

"Kill him, yes. We can't have him running back to the Demon Slayer Corps and telling him about you two now can we? Well I suppose we could but I think the cons of that outweigh the pros. So killing it is."

"Understood," Kanao said, eyes never once straying from the Slayer.

Inosuke fell silent after that, even as the Slayer made his way past the rice paddocks towards the lake. High above the night sky was cloudy but Kanao could tell from the position of the half moon it was only an hour or so from sunrise and the early risers of the village were already shuffling about even if most of the town remained asleep.

Douma dropped down from the last house, silently darting across a paddock and perched at the edge of the rice field. The swaying strands were tall enough Kanao and Inosuke could peek over and see their quarry but hiding most of Douma from view. Kanao still found it silly, as she could have spotted him, but she knew most humans couldn't see in the dark.

In the distance near the lake they could hear someone sobbing. Thin and undulating and shrill to the point she almost thought it was a fox.

"There's someone waiting for our friend," Otousan breathed.

"Gonna slay 'em," Inosuke said, just as quietly.

There was a demon in the lake, she realized. Kanao shifted on Douma's shoulders, intrigued, as her eyes searched towards the edge of the lake. The fog made it somewhat difficult, even for Kanao's keen eye sight, but she could still see the Slayer. The white kanji on his back was almost a reflective beacon in the weak moonlight as he approached the shore, skirting around a cluster of trees at the edge. His sword was drawn as there was a splash at the waters edge.

The scream sounded like a baby crying, high pitched and reminding her of when Inosuke had been that little.

"That's all they do? Make noise? Where's the demony magic?" Inosuke complained but still in a hushed voice.

"We only get a Blood Art if we eat enough humans and some it takes longer. This one is super dumb and weak so it doesn't have that yet," Douma explained.

Kanao eyed the Slayer, noting the blue blade of his sword. Not pink like the flower woman.

The fight between the Slayer and the demon was interesting; the demon within the lake was gangly, like a human that had their limbs stretched too far, and was wearing a ragged kimono littered with tears and bloodstains. Its face was squat and wide like a frog, even if it had long needle-like teeth and huge black eyes. Its hair reminded Kanao of Rojin, so long that it shot past the demon's waist even if it was heavily water clogged. The demon lurched across the lake's bank and attacked the Slayer, spindly claws colliding with the sword and making sparks fly.

Kanao watched intently as the fight began in earnest, even if she noticed how unlike the butterfly woman the Slayer's own style only left brief smatterings of blue. While the woman had weaved forth ribbons and petals through the air, the Slayer at the lake had spools of blue water tinged with tiny white waves flickering from his sword.

"That's water, right?" Inosuke said in hushed tones, even as he all but vibrated in excitement.

"Yes, it's Water Breathing," Douma confirmed. "The most common of all."

"There is not a lot of water. The woman had far more ribbons coming from her sword," Kanao observed.

"It depends on the experience, I'd say this one is only a few months into being a Slayer. Hence why he's a water user."

"That means he's a loser."

"Sure."

Inosuke fell silent, still perched on Douma's shoulder on all fours like a rat. Kanao continued to watch the distant fight with great interest, trying to understand which one was a technique and which was typical katana strikes. She had never actually seen anyone besides the woman use swordmanship so Kanao didn't know if the Slayer was any good at it.

She did note how slow the demon was, its speed nothing compared to her father's. Still, it was fast enough to dodge the sharp horizontal slash the Slayer had aimed at its neck, dropping to all fours and scurrying to the side like a crab. Water spilled from the sword, misting like a cresting wave but vanishing just as quickly. They got further away from the lake as the fight continued, the Slayer keeping himself between the water and the demon as he forced it back into one of the rice paddies. A screech and one of the demon's hands went flying, dissolving into ash before it even hit the ground. It reminded Kanao of when she had ripped out her father's hair, how it had turned into ash and then nothing at all.

Through it all, the demon kept up that baby-like crying. It also took quite a long time to regrow its hand.

Then the Slayer moved, running through the sodden paddock and weaving through the swaying rice in a winding pattern with small spirals of water following them. Almost spinning like a dancer, their sword slicing through rice and a clawed hand and a skinny torso before cutting the demon's head off at the end of the dance.

Flailing, the decapitated body thrashed for a moment before it toppled backwards while the demon's severed head landed in the rice paddy with a soft splash.

The Slayer remained poised over the slain demon, remaining tense and ready until both the head and body faded into nothing. In all, the only injury the man had suffered was a slice cut across his cheekbone which Kanao could see, stark against his pale skin as if someone had swiped him with a brush of ink.

In the distance, the lake was quiet and still mist clogged while the village asleep. The Slayer sheathed his sword and Kanao could see how he was breathing; quick but not harsh.

"Now go, small beastly children. Run free and hunt your prey," Otousan's gleeful whisper immediately took Kanao's attention, even as he rose up to his towering height and shrugged his shoulders, knocking both her and Inosuke off their perches.

Both children landed on their feet but when Kanao glanced over her shoulder Douma was already gone. Well he had said he wouldn't help them with this, though Inosuke had also insisted. Kanao wouldn't care either way.

"Prey prey prey," Inosuke bounced up and down, the jaw bone clacking on his chest as he fiddled with the leather strings keeping it attached to the skull. "Gonna beat him right up, that other demon was lame. We can-"

"The prey is leaving," Kanao said.

Inosuke frozen, heading snapping up and green eyes looking black in the night. Far off the Slayer had already crossed most of the fields and was heading towards the treeline.

"Let's go," Kanao urged and took off at a brisk run, with Inosuke galloping along next to her on all fours.

She avoided the watery fields, instead jumping over onto the small dirt path but Inosuke just barrelled through the swaying rice. Her sandals slapped against the hard earth but her pace didn't falter as she jumped over a discarded basket and carried on towards the edge of the forest. Inosuke beat her to it, overly excited as he sped forward and then went burst out through the underbrush to ambush the Slayer as he took a nearly obscured side trail.

"Sneak attack!"

The attack might have worked if not for Inosuke's yelling.

The Slayer turned with a yelp as he suddenly had a faceful of child, nearly drawing his sword but instead using his hands to throw Inosuke away mid-lunge. Inosuke went colliding with a nearby tree, rolling back down onto all fours. With his deer skull shoved completely over his brow with the jawbone clacking, he looked like some odd feral creature of the woods.

The Slayer had the sense to draw his weapon when Kanao slashed at the back of his knees with her kusarigama. Kanao blinked at the blade only an inch from her face, the blunt spine blocking her kusarigama at the apex of blade and hardwood. The Slayer had an expression of complete bafflement on his face, even as he shoved Kanao away from him and she hopped backwards several steps.

"What are you two doing-"

"Gonna beat you up!" Inosuke launched himself at the Slayer's head.

The man faltered, obviously recognizing them both as human, and was unwilling to use his sword on them. Kanao was unsure if Slayers had rules about killing humans and used the tip of her sandal to flick a small rock up into her spare hand and hurl it right at the man's head.

He was trained enough to dodge the rock, even as he kept sidestepping Inosuke's lunge attacks.

It was much like their sparring with Douma, with Kanao using Inosuke as the diversion. It was also a good means of judging the man's attacks, even if he still refused to actually hit Inosuke with his sword. Especially when Inosuke latched onto his leg and started trying to bite his way through the shimmery dark martial of the Slayer's pants.

Kanao noted that whatever a Demon Slayer's uniform was made out of it was highly resilient to Inosuke's gnawing and, when she darted forward and slashed at his forearm, resistant to the blade of her sickle. She dodged the hilt of the Slayer's sword, ducking to the side before it could collide with her temple even as the man managed to kick off Inosuke.

"Cut it out, you two!" the Slayer yelled, running further into the woods before he skidded around to face them with his sword held in both hands.

"We're hunting you!" Inosuke declared, puffing out his chest.

The man blinked, "What? Why?"

"To prove we're the bestest! Even if you suck!"

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

Kanao didn't bother to speak to the man, instead studying him closely as he fended off Inosuke's attacks. He had decent foot but she noticed he wasn't good at paying close enough attention to his surroundings so he kept having to adjust for the rocks and slippery moss and tree roots littering the area especially as they got further into the woods. The woman had effortlessly adjusted to the sleet and ice on the ground, Kanao was quite sure.

Then again the man wasn't a Hashira but still, Kanao was rather surprised at how slow he was. Over a year of sparring with Douma had given them a severe edge over normal humans and even with the man being trained he wasn't anywhere near the same level of Upper Two.

He was going to die, Kanao realized, with relative ease. It was simply a matter of endurance, of whittling the man down until they could ignore his sword as his neck and head were the only vulnerable spots as her blade couldn't piece through the uniform.

Hurling another rock, Kanao idly wondered what the uniform was made of. But perhaps it was due to them not using the special breathing but at the moment Kanao felt no need.

Slowly they chased the man back, ignoring his demands and pleas and attempts to reason with them. He was very loud which she found annoying but they finally made head-way when Kanao, using the special Breathing, managed to kick him hard in the chin. She had darted in, as Inosuke hung from a branch overhead and clawing at the man's hair, and leapt up to kick the man so hard she sent him stumbling. By then bird song was beginning to appear, but the dull crack of her heel striking the man sent several flying off.

Inosuke landed on the Slayer's head as he was dazed, managed to bite him so hard on the ear he bled. With a shout the Slayer grabbed Inosuke's leg and hurled him off into a nearby bush even as Kanao twirled the long chain of her kusarigama.

One of the farmers had told Kanao about her kusarigama in the week beforehand, when she was permitted to wear it around the commune. That the weighted chain was used to coil around weapons and prevent their use while the sickle was used to kill the entangled target.

Now she used that tactic, flicking the weighted chain forward like a whip. The chain wrapped around the shimmering blue blade, the weighted end cracking painfully against the Slayer's knuckles. The man barely had time to give her a bewildered look before Kanao twisted, sickle in hand and the chain around her arm as she yanked.

Her sudden tactic, combined with the sharp blow to the skull, caused the Slayer to stumble and lose his grip on his sword. Kanao had to throw herself out of the way to avoid being impaled, rolling back up to her feet as she quickly rewound the chain with the sword behind her. Before her the Slayer blinked, looking confused as he glanced down at his empty hands, grazed in red from where the sword hilt had ripped over the skin, and then back up at her.

"Is this a test?" the man finally said, bewildered. "Were you sent by a cultivator? That was breathing you used then, wasn't it?"

Kanao paused, her eyes briefly flicking into the leafy forest above them, before she said, "You fight poorly. How are you not dead yet? That demon at the lake was very weak."

The man bristled, "I'm only just a mizunoe!"

"That is no excuse. You do not breathe right."

"You mean Total Concentration Breathing?" the man seemed confused. "Of course I can't use it right now. That takes months, even years of training to master."

"You have not done it once," Kanao said. The man was stupid and annoying her.

"Who sent you two?" the man rubbed his hands against his pants, wincing slightly as the grazes brushed over the fabric. "Are you being trained already? Who is your master?"

"Someone very special."

"Sneak attack!"

The Slayer looked up just in time to get struck hard across the face by the heavy rock Inosuke had dropped upon him, from where he was perched high up in the branches above.

The loaf-sized rock hit the ground a split second before the Slayer did, his temple splattered in red as he collapsed. Kanao remained watchful , gripping the handle of her kusarigama before relaxing when the man failed to move. He was still breathing. So either stunned or unconscious.

Moving forward Kanao kept her footsteps light even as Inosuke scurried down the tree trunk like a spider. The deer skull was set at a crazy angle on his head while at some point the lower jaw had vanished, but Inosuke was smiling bright that his plan worked even as he ran up to her.

"See, Oneechan! I got him trapped!"

"You did," she patted his head. "You did well. You thought of the tactic and caught your prey."

Inosuke puffed out his chest, a toothy smile on his face that wasn't hindered at all by his split lip as he bounced, before he looked over at the Slayer sprawled on the ground, "Is he dead?"

"No."

"Aw. I knocked him out, through. Didn't I, Oneechan? It made that same kinda meaty smack your head did when you bashed it that one time. I made sure to get a big rock."

"You downed him," Kanao agreed as she stepped up to Inosuke's side. "It is your right to make the kill."

Inosuke froze mid-bounce at her words, suddenly blinking in confusion as his jaw snapped shut.

She gave him a gentle nudge towards the downed man, offering her sickle for him to complete their task but her brother made no attempt to grab it.

"Is something wrong," Kanao intoned.

Inosuke hunched his shoulders defensively, "No! But um. Dad said we have to kill him right? But the Slayer guy is down. He's already been beaten by us. So we don't have to do it, right? 'Cause we don't eat people. Dad kills people to eat them so it's okay when he does it 'cause everything needs to eat and only demons can eat people but since the sun is up Dad can't eat him so there's no point."

That didn't make sense to her and she felt he was just making excuses but Kanao remembered that her brother was only eight years old. Kanao meanwhile was twelve and had been old for quite some time. As the older sister, it was her duty to protect him and lead through example.

Now was one such time.

Kanao already knew what she needed to do, as with all things.

Taking the last few steps forward, she knelt down next to the downed Slayer. His breathing was erratic, eyelids shut and twitching, and Kanao was unsure if he was even aware she was next to him. Blood was staining his temple, more of it seeping near invisible amongst his black hair but still noticeable to her keen eyes. Most was inching its way across the dark brown earth.

After a moment of staring- studying the the cracks in his lips and the hint of red, the discoloured flesh of his cheek and forehead where the rock had struck him -she leaned down and pulled the sharp edge of the kursarigama across his sweat-soaked throat. The Slayer's eyes snapped open, a gurgle sounding.

The man bled no different than a pig. Kanao and Inosuke had helped slaughter animals at Paradise Faith and now, watching the way the man's body was twitching and blood was steadily spilled from his slit throat, she realized her father was right. There really was no difference between a human and an animal. Ear to ear she had cut, just like how they did to the livestock.

Even the small twitches, the glassiness of the eyes, the small noises, the bubbling of blood. All like a pig.

But Inosuke was right, it was a waste of meat since he and Kanao did not eat human.

"The animals of the forest will eat this," Kanao said, wiping the blade across the dead Slayer's shoulders before rising to her feet. "Foxes or boar, or the birds. He will find a purpose that way, and if the animals don't want him the forest itself will."

After a moment of watching the blood slow to a trickle, Kanao coiled up the chain before fixing the sickle back to her hip while slotting the leather cap back over the blade. Above, the sky was growing brighter- they would have to go entertain themselves in the local village until nightfall or until it grew overcast. Otousan would not stray far.

"Are you tired," Kanao asked, noting Inosuke's tense features. She wasn't sure what his expression was but could tell he was upset.

"No!" Inosuke puffed out his cheeks, face still dirtied from the fight and skin sweaty. He seemed to hunch himself up, not looking at the dead Slayer lying on the ground. "I'm fine! We won 'cause we're the bestest."

Kanao stared at him for a long moment even as Inosuke's shoulders grew tighter under her scrutiny. After a moment she looped the chain of the kusarigama back into place at her hip, the handle resting against her thigh.

Then she took the Slayer's sword, sheathing the pale blue blade back into the scabbard which she removed from the man's dead body. It was a trophy now, like the tiger's pelt in her room. And perhaps they could learn how to use it, especially Inosuke who did not have a favoured weapon yet. Keeping the katana in one hand, Kanao offered the other to her brother.

"There should be some stalls or shops opening soon in the town now that it's dawn," Kanao said. "We can get something for breakfast and find a bathhouse."

And probably travel, since Douma wouldn't be able to fetch them until dusk anyway and Kanao had no idea where Paradise Faith was from their current location. They could practice climbing trees or houses or maybe hunt more people.

Inosuke bit his lower lip, gnawing at the split like an aggravated hound before he took her hand even as he asked tentatively, "Tempura?"

"As much as you can eat."

Chapter 28: Jump forward

Chapter Text

Hunting Slayers was not the only past time their father would take them upon.

Several weeks after the death of the man, their father brought a freshly turned demon to them. It was savage and animalistic, even incapable of speech. Just howled and snarled and drooled. It didn't remember how to behave like a human, but as Douma explained that was very common for demons as they descend into base instincts.

"Usually when they turn they look for familiarity," he said. "That's why the first people they devour is typically their own families as they return home. Interesting, isn't it?"

The demon was pale as milk with big jutting fangs that couldn't even fit into its mouth. Despite its clawing and hissing it couldn't even crack the icy vines holding it in place. Kanao wondered if it had eaten its family. It still seemed rather stupid.

Inosuke was bouncing up and down, the deer skull clacking against the jade bead necklace at his chest. Kanao meanwhile was still, hands behind her back and barely moving except for her breathing and blinking.

"Can we fight it?" Inosuke asked excitedly.

"That's the idea! Of course, you can't kill it without those super special swords," Douma said, snapping one of his fans shut. "But sunlight will kill it just as well. And with freshly turned demons you can still injure them with normal blades, like a kitchen knife or a pitchfork or even a rock if you beat them with it hard enough. They'll heal eventually but it isn't until they reach a certain strength that they become immune to other weaponry and blades. Like me! Only those special ones can pierce my flesh. But this demon is new and dumb so you two should be able to have some fun with it."

They were in some clearing, in some valley Kanao had no idea was called or if it was even near Paradise Faith. High above the sky was black, stars strewn across the darkness like dewdrops upon grass in the morning. The moon was a thin narrow slice, but Kanao could see as easily as always.

Douma was as cheerful as ever when he had appeared out of one of the magic shoji doors. He had stirred them both from sleep, but they were well used to erratic sleeping schedules so neither complained. Kanao was dressed in her violet samue, while Inosuke only wore the pants of his along with his ever present skull. Otherwise his chest and feet were bare and his two tanto blades hung at his hips. Despite the late hour, Kanao had still brushed her hair up into its sideways ponytail, lotus bud ensnared.

They were also encased in a gigantic lotus blossom of ice, the huge sculpture nearly as high as the trees surrounding them. The air was cold, but not freezing. It reminded Kanao of a frosty morning, into the great hollow flower. The ground was still grass, even if she could see the hint of white edging at the tips of the blades.

"So!" Douma clapped his hands together, fans already sucked back into his skin. "I was thinking, you two remain locked up in here with the demon! I let it go, and you spend the next four hours avoiding it, or fighting it, or incapacitating it until the sun rises. Then my Blood Art will dissolve in the sun, and so will the demon!"

"Does it have magic too?" Inosuke asked, peering up at the restrained demon curiously as it hissed viciously.

"No, that's something we only get once we've eaten enough. This one is very dumb and slow and has none of that. But good practice for you nonetheless."

"Understood," Kanao intoned.

"Good!"

A sharp twang and a shoji door appeared on the ground. No sooner did it snap shut after Douma fell through did the vines holding the wild demon at bay dissolve in a shower of snowflakes.

Avoiding the rabid demon was much like tag, and Kanao realized how very slow freshly turned demons were. But she also knew it would be mostly endurance, as she easily danced out of reach of the demon's aggressive flailing. That was one thing they could not compensate for, that regardless of how much training their bodies could only ever reach a certain peak. Douma had made that clear in his various lectures about Hashira. Humans would always hit a limit for what their body could endure.

Still, actually being able to hit the demon and have it bleed left Kanao feeling satisfied. Her kusarigama blade could never pierce Douma's flesh, just like Inosuke's blades, but this stupid savage demon did not possess the same hardiness. If anything, she found not getting blood splashed upon her more tedious than avoiding the demon's frenzied attacks.

Despite that, she kept herself cautious. She did not know if her father could regrow her arm if it got torn off, or the bits of her that got eaten.

"Inosuke, don't let the demon bite you," Kanao lectured sternly after the fifth time she had to grab her brother and yank him beyond reach.

"I can handle it!"

"I do not care. Cease."

"Bah!"

The demon shrieked, the noise ringing wildly around the great hollow flower. It launched itself at Kanao but she flipped over its dive, the long chain of her kusarigama wrapping around its neck. When she landed, she rolled and used her momentum to send the demon flying. It struck the icy wall and fell to the ground with a harsh thud, dazed. It had not even cracked the ice.

Kanao wondered how long it would take new demons to relearn how to speak. If they never would if they did not eat anything. It was fascinating to her, as Douma had explained he remembered everything from his past life even if that was not the norm for the transformation.

Inosuke, armed with two tanto blades, leapt at the demon and stabbed it through the back which interrupted her musings. It immediately shrieked and twisted its head like an owl, snapping at his hands and got a kick in the jaw for its troubles.

"Remember, endurance," she warned her brother.

She couldn't see his face due to the skull, but certainly heard his loud 'boo!'. However despite his protests Inosuke obediently jumped away, the blood upon the tanto fading to nothing even as the demon scurried up onto all fours. The flexibility seemed to rival Inosuke, but Kanao had heard the snapping of bone- the demon had been forcibly contorting itself, ripping muscles and tendons, to twist about. So higher pain tolerance was natural for demons, or at the very least their hunger let them ignore it.

Using fists and feet against the demon worked, especially if Kanao used it in tandem with her Breathing. Being able to kick the demon away, or using her own strength to avoid the snaps and claws. It was interesting, as it was a very different fight than the type against the Slayer who relied so heavily upon swordsmanship.

Because they still had some hours to sunrise, Kanao insisted they keep their movements conservative despite Inosuke's protests. She could feel sweat beading at her temple and was closely monitoring her brother for his own increasing exhaustion as the time slowly crept by and the stars high above them shifted across the sky.

While she still felt fight worthy and could still keep her lungs swelling and veins taut, it was only when Inosuke was incapable of keeping his own Breathing active anymore that Kanao chose to shift their efforts on the demon to 'restraint' rather than 'tag'.

Using the chain of her weapon worked, able to truss up the demon like a well wrapped piece of pork. Which was interesting, as she knew her father could rip apart metal without much issue but this demon was so weak it was just left squirming and writhing. The grass around them was shredded, gouges dug in the earth and marks from where they had missed with their weapons.

High above them, Kanao could see the darkness of the sky slowly shifting to pale orange.

While Kanao had it pinned on the ground- having it hanging from a tree would have been more convenient -Inosuke picked up a nearby rock and started trying to beat the demon's head with it.

He was mildly successful.

"Hey, look how its head goes! Splat splat splat! Like a tomato."

If she didn't know demon blood was quick to evaporate then perhaps she would be concerned about the hygiene issues of Inosuke smashing the demon's head in with a rock with such gutso. When he got tired, they sat and waited until the demon's head grew back. Then they took turns beating the demon's head in with that rock and continued to do so until sunrise. It was more monotonous than anything.

As Douma said, the sunlight melted the great lotus blossom until not even frost remained. It also set the demon on fire from where it was trussed up in Kanao's chains. It near instantly burst into flames the moment the weak dawn sunlight touched it, and it was dust even before its scream had faded.

Inosuke tilted his head to the side, crouching down so he could touch the burnt grass where the demon had been while Kanao coiled back up the kusarigama. It was strange and made her thinking back the Flower woman, how that tiny strip of sunlight had kept Douma away. She wondered if he would burn just as quick as that newborn demon had done.

The next handful of years was a strident scheduled Kanao could appreciate. She did not mind monotony, even if Douma and Inosuke would complain about Paradise Faith from time to time.

Fighting demons was more exciting than fighting Slayers in Kanao's opinion; Slayers typically had a very limited set of techniques they used as well as the overwhelming majority favouring a single katana. They were predictable, in a way. It was why Kanao liked her kusarigama, especially since it was able to disarm swordsmen if she caught their weapons firmly enough. A harsh tug and in many cases it would leave them defenseless.

Many Slayers did not have any other weapon, not even a tanto or shruikan. It was rather curious to Kanao but she decided she didn't care enough to think upon it further.

Still, Kanao would always kill the Slayers herself. Inosuke was more than willing to injure them, even severely so, but she noticed his hesitation in actually killing them so she would do it. She did not mind showing him, even as she knew she would eventually have to make him so. But for now, she permitted him this act of childishness.

Inosuke always favoured two weapons, citing there was no point to have to grab a weapon in both hands as he was strong enough with one. Kanao let him do that and Douma never cared even if he still didn't allow Inosuke to keep swords on him in Paradise Faith due to carelessness. Kanao got to keep her kusarigama, even if she kept the blade covered, but using the chain to swing her past the temples and their elaborate edges or through treelines was always entertaining. Sometimes Inosuke would be hanging off her back as she did it.

Of course they did not spend all their days fighting demons or Slayers, as Otousan said that would be too obvious and make the Demon Slayer Corps get nosy which always annoyed him, so they still had quite a domestic life as usual in-between their typical sparring against their father.

She and Inosuke had been giving further chores due to their physical abilities, including cleaning the commune's great temple due to being able to climb and run up its great stone surface. Kanao was well used to stirring her brother's competitive spirit so simply framing chores as a contest would always work. Even origami could get the same response even if Misaki said folding eight thousand cranes in two days was rather excessive.

Still, she helped them string them up throughout the hallways of Paradise Faith. Rojin appreciated them.

Cleaning the great Buddha statues, fixing the ceilings, even just folding laundry or helping with the cooking were tasks Kanao enjoyed. She did not understand Inosuke's complaints of boredom or Douma telling her she didn't need to do any of those things. Trying to harvest every single tree in the orchid in one day (they had not yet succeeded). Catching rabbits, fish and even deer bare handed was a more successful endeavour, as food was always a good motivator for Inosuke.

Kanao practiced more and more with the kusarigama. Setting up a line of rocks on a fence post and using the weighted end of the chain to flick them off. Days and then weeks, until she was able to strike the stones from their perches with elegant flicks of the chain. She would run about the paths, along fences and across the immense lily pads while using the chain as a skipping rope until it was more reflex than anything and it was a permanent fixture at her waist, just like how her lotus bud was a permanent fixture at her hair.

Her limbs grew stronger and stronger as time passed, muscles strengthening like cords of steel beneath the pale skin.

Puberty meant her body rapidly grew, and she had to adjust to her shifting balance and weight as she continued her training while her body changed. The Total Concentration Breathing kept her blood and bones strong, and her kusarigama training shifted to compensate for her lengthening limbs. Not being so short was a boon, even if Kanao had gotten extremely good with her jumping. Still, it was annoying having to crawl up the walls sometimes to fetch items upon the higher shelves. Insouke did not mind the wall crawling but Kanao did. Misaki had started to teaching her how to elaborately paint her nails and she disliked the chips in the polish. She could not grow them to be as sharp as Otousan's, however. Pity.

Kanao also noticed how she was beginning to no longer be named Kanao-chan within the commune but now was starting to be called Kanao-san. Except by Rojin, who persistently called her 'kun' regardless and Misaki who still doted upon her, but the shifting attitudes of the majority within Paradise Faith was not unnoticed as she slowly began her journey through adolescence. Even if she thought fourteen was not an adult but considering Douma gave her such a heavy level of authority and favourtism as his daughter she could understand.

Inosuke meanwhile was still referred to as a wild animal or a beast, more often than not. Even at ten years of age, he began to lose his childish scrawniness much like herself due to their excessive hunting, sparring and general athletics.

Misaki made one point about Kanao starting to notice boys, which she did not understand. She complained about it later during dinner with her father, but he just found it entertaining. When Kanao then tried to ask Misaki for a further explanation, the concept of marriage came up. Kanao understood marriage, as any who married within Paradise Faith would have Douma bless the couple, but she did not understand all the sensations and feelings Misaki tried to explain.

Another annoying problem with puberty was one spring morning when Kanao awoke to find her thighs and futon stained in blood, her aching stomach feeling as if she had eaten something bad. She had gone to her father immediately, who had been in the middle of drinking his way through a flagon of sake despite the fact the sun had barely risen over the commune.

"Otousan."

"Hm?"

"I am bleeding from my vagin*. Am I ill?"

When her father stopped hacking up his mouthful of sake he then proceeded to get into a bout of laughter that took him quite some time to stop, even as she stared at him from the door. He then had her sit and explained to her about puberty and menstruation, to which he cheerfully told her meant she could also now have a bunch of 'baby Kanaos' which she didn't understand the appeal of- she had Inosuke, she did not need a baby.

She also had to sit through the talk about sex, even if she had visited the farms within Paradise Faith she already knew the basics of reproduction. And she still remembered when her father showed her the insides of that woman, including the uterus, which the current discussion was about. So she understood it was an organ.

She was less sure about the bleeding, however, and thought it highly inconvenient.

"Misaki, she can explain all that particular side of it to you and get what you need," Douma said, even as Kanao chose to ignore the way he seemed to be drooling slightly. "But for menstruating, it's a natural physical excretion that women have to go through on a monthly basis, nothing more or less. Some idiots think it means women are unclean and ban them from temples but that's just silly. It's why I prefer to eat women, they are so much more nutritious as they have to bear the weight of pregnancy. So menstruating now means you are capable of getting pregnant and birthing children. You know, like that goat that had a kid the other week? Inosuke was talking about that. You are also now the age where you can start looking for a husband, if you want. But mind you I have very high standards for who my manamusume marries."

"I do not want a baby. I do not want a husband. I do not care for that."

"Well fair enough, my parents were married and had me, and ended up both dying horribly either way. Sometimes married life just isn't for everyone, is it?"

She was even less impressed about the entire thing when her father told her it would be at least four decades before menopause occurred, wherein she should stop menstruating. Otherwise she would have to deal with the bleeding every month for nearly a week for years on end, even if he told her the more specific length and heaviness varied from person to person.

"That is annoying," Kanao had said to her father who just shrugged. It irritated her even further when she asked if demons could smell and hunt her via menstrual blood and he confirmed it.

Kanao just felt it more annoying than anything, even if Misaki was beyond horrified that Kanao had gone to her father first when she went to see the woman next.

"This is a woman's topic, Kanao," the woman had scolded. Inosuke overheard and loudly asked when he was going to start menstruating and the conversation derailed wildly.

Misaki, once she finished telling off Inosuke and threatening to not give him glazed pork or tempura for the rest of the week if he didn't settle down, quickly ushered Kanao away to the baths while sending her futon to be washed. As Kanao sat on the stool, Misaki scrubbed her down and cleaned Kanao's hair while explaining everything she'd need. Mostly washable undergarments with thicker cotton or even gauze due to its blood absorption, along with stern lectures upon keeping herself clean. Kanao never had an issue with bathing so she accepted the information without rebuke.

After being bathed, Misaki made her a kettle of matcha tea and insisted Kanao drink as much as she could.

"It helps the stomach stop aching so much, like ginger and salmon," Misaki explained. "But soaks in the tub, hot towels on your belly- there's a few different methods I can show you. There's also medicine, from pharmacies and stores. But mostly we use local ingredients, especially as Douma-sama cannot heal those types of aches."

"Why not?"

"Because it's natural, not an illness or injury."

"I still do not like it."

"That's fine. I understand when I first went through the change as well. It can be rather frightening and strange. But I'll be here, okay? Just ask me if you need anything. And only light chores for the rest of the week, nothing tedious."

Later when night had fallen Douma took Kanao to one of the furthest gardens in Paradise Faith, one where a lone wisteria tree bloomed. It was growing against one of the immense stone walls encircling the upper level of the commune, the branches spidering up the dark stone like vines. The leaves were a fluffy green, with the cluster of pale purple petals hanging downwards like grape clusters.

Kanao watched as Douma stripped down one of the cluster of petals, crushing it before he put the ground up petals in a small pouch. Then he tugged the tiny golden ribbon tight and offered it to Kanao.

Curious she eyed the small velvet pouch, the smell of wisteria thick and sharp.

"Have that on your person and demons won't be able to smell your blood," Douma explained. "Wisteria is very much disliked by us demons, most avoid places with it entirely. Humans with marechi blood would be given these to hide them from demons, if Slayers find them first. It covers the scent."

"Does it hurt you?"

"It used to, but I'm strong enough now I can just ignore it. Slayers also used to poison their weapons with wisteria, but that's gone out of practice for centuries for some reason. Personally I sometimes eat a few petals for the spiciness," Douma said, tossing a handful of the pink petals into his mouth.

The flesh of his lips cracked, turning a strange grey but just as quickly healed.

He licked his lips and then turned to her with a grin, "Wistera can also kill humans, if they ingest it. The seeds. But I figured this would help, since you did seem very put out by that news."

"Thank you, Otousan."

"Of course, manamusume." A playful pinch to her cheek. "You're growing up so fast, I can barely keep up."

The trip to Tokyo for her brother's birthday was nice.

Kanao always enjoyed spending time with her family; she would get tired mentally when dealing with others. So many were loud and noisy.

Misaki and Rojin were a rare exception but on the whole she preferred her own company over the others at Paradise Faith. Even when Douma took her and Inosuke to Yoshiwara and introduced her little brother to the Upper Moon Six siblings, Kanao's opinion did not change.

This time Daki and Gyutaro were not joined in one body, instead both had been sitting up on the roof of the tallest building in the middle of eating someone. The district was lit up with thousands of lanterns and lights but the sky above was pitch black with thick angry clouds. Douma appearing, with Kanao and Inosuke under either arm, caused both demons to jump up defensively before they realized who it was. The two siblings looked confused, especially when Douma greeted them both cheerfully as he put his children down.

"What are you even doing here?" Daki said grumpily, crossing her arms beneath her bust. "We're in the middle of dinner."

"Aw, do I need an excuse to see my favourite demons?" Douma teased, reaching out to pat Daki's hair only for the demoness to snarl at him while batting him away.

Gyutaro looked irritated, wiping off his bloody mouth with a bony hand as his sickles disappeared. He looks as gaunt as Kanao remembered, and Inosuke was staring at the two demons in fascination. The corpse on the rooftop was only the remnants of a heavily gnawed upon torso and a foot. Blood stained the rooftop tiles. Kanao wondered if it belonged to a woman, if Upper Six had the same tastes as Douma or if they simply picked whatever food they came across when hunger struck.

"Hey, you got eyes like Dad!" Inosuke said loudly, interrupting Daki and Douma while pointing at Gyutaro who bared his teeth. "Why's it say Six though?"

"They're the sixth strongest of us Moons," Douma said.

"Ha, so Dad can beat you both up right? Bet he could break your heads open in like one second, and then you'd be dead. You must suck!"

Daki's pretty features blackened with anger, "Listen here, you little sh*t-"

As Inosuke and Daki started insulting one another, Douma looking highly amused as he watched from the side, Kanao caught Gyutaro's gaze; to her, he was as eye catching as she remembered with his skeletal torso, inky black splotches and sharp teeth. His eyes glowed so brightly in the night. She inclined her head respectfully to him and Gyutaro averted his stare with an uncomfortable grunt even as Daki finally took a swipe at Inosuke.

A moment later she was yelling, Inosuke hanging onto her wrist with his teeth sunk in. Unable to break the skin but trying his best as he snarled like a wild animal while trying to kick at her.

"The hell is wrong with this kid!"

"Aw don't be like that! He's just saying hello! Daki, where are those famous Oiran manners?"

"f*ck you!"

Douma easily ripped Inosuke away, tossing the boy over his shoulder nonchalantly. Inosuke landed on all fours like a cat behind him, even as Douma said, "You two have already met Kanao, but I thought it was time you met Inosuke as well! They're brother and sister like you, isn't that wonderful?"

Daki was glaring at him, rubbing at her wrist even though the skin was unmarked, "I don't care about your deranged kids! Doesn't matter how pretty either of them are, you're so annoying. Just go away."

"So mean, isn't she mean Gyutaro? Did you teach her those rude words and bad manners?"

Gyutaro shifted back on his heels, looking as if he wished he was still hidden within Daki's skin, "She does whatever she wants, I ain't her boss."

"Of course, she's the baby right? Inosuke is like that. Do you think he and Daki should have playdates?" Douma said and Kanao knew he was just being as annoying as possible on purpose. He did that often, Kanao noticed. Deliberately aggravated people simply because he enjoyed seeing how emotional they would become.

And Daki was indeed very emotional, her pale cheeks flushed with anger as the strange sashes at her waist twisted and coiled like a nest of serpents at her back.

However before she could say anything Inosuke hurled himself to Gyutaro's face with a shriek. Douma easily caught him mid-leap, laughing as Inosuke's flailing fingers narrowly missed Gyutaro's face as the demon recoiled.

"What the f*ck," Upper Moon Six spat out even as Daki let out an offended snarl as her sashes twisted violently.

"Inosuke, that is very naughty," Douma scolded, even as he struggled to keep a grip upon Inosuke's thrashing form. Kanao watched passively from the side, thinking about that omelette Misaki had made for her the other day.

"If we beat them we get to be Six, right?" Inosuke demanded, wriggling like a fish and body contorting oddly as he tried to squirm free of Douma's grip. "That way we'll be strong!"

"Well, yes there's blood battles but that only works with demons," Douma said, starting to toss Inosuke from hand to hand like a hot coal. "You're still such a squishy squishy human."

"I'd kick their butts! Me and Oneechan!"

"Father, we will be late to the play," Kanao said blandly. Daki looked like she was a few moments from flying into a screaming rage while Gyutaro was grimacing, a sickle in one hand.

Douma froze, even as Inosuke went limp in his grip, "Oh whoops, I forgot. Was just so eager to see my dear old friends! I suppose we'll have to love you and leave you, yes? It's Inosuke's birthday and we're going to the theater."

Gyutaro groaned, "Yeah sure, great," even as his sister bristled.

Kanao was grabbed, tucked back under an arm even as a squirming Inosuke was trapped under the other.

"It was a pleasure to meet you both again," Kanao said politely from where she was dangling. Gyutaro just grimaced while Daki hissed at her like an enraged cat.

As Douma leapt off the building, wind whistling by, Kanao heard the angry words from the siblings.

"Really?" she heard Daki's offended shout behind her. "He just shows up and ruins our dinner and then runs off giggling?"

"What else you want me to do?" came Gyutaro's grumpy reply.

"Maybe take one of my geta and jam it right up his-"

Where that shoe was being jammed, Kanao would never know, as Douma took off across the rooftops in swift steps that made the surrounding landscape blur. Inosuke remained loudly complaining in his grip, insisting they could've fought the siblings and then be Upper Moons.

"You don't even have a weapon," Douma scolded as he landed on the pavement in one of the side streets of Tokyo.

"We still could've done it," Inosuke insisted. Kanao brushed some dirt from his sleeve, before fixing his collar.

"Don't worry, we can meet with them again," Douma said as he herded them forward. "I just couldn't resist doing a quick visit when I realized Gyutaro was running free. Usually he lets Daki be in charge, and well I just had to introduce my adorable little piglet to them, eh?"

"Dad, don't call me that! I'm not five anymore!"

"Really? How old are you?"

"I'm ten!"

"No, no. That can't possibly be right. You're still a baby, how are you walking on your hind legs like an actual person? Kanao, when did this happen?"

The theater they went to was interesting and she did not mind watching Shibaraku, one of the eighteen great plays. She did have to wonder if the person who had written the play originally had met a demon or a Slayer. Or perhaps it was simply typical storytelling of the supernatural. Kanao was unsure how much of oni lurking within Japan had influenced the many stories, tales and folklore that dwelled within.

At the very least she enjoyed the costumes and sets, though she felt the costumes could give the likes of the Oiran outfits a run for their money in terms of lavishness.

Hm, perhaps she should convince her father to buy some of the koma-geta boots that Daki wore? It would be good practice for balance, and if they broke ankles well Douma could heal them easily enough. Inosuke also paid attention to the play, even if Kanao had to keep engaging him to theorize the plot. Her brother was very perceptive but only when it suited him which was not that often.

Then it was Inosuke's favourite past time- food. And lots of it.

With the city she did not actually have to converse with anyone, simply staying by Douma's side and observing people as they passed the restaurant where Inosuke was trying to eat his weight in ramen. Through the steamy doors it was dark but there were still many people walking past, and Kanao tried to memorize everything about them in the split second they walked past. Trying to memorize their eyes, their hair, what they wore. It was a game she played as her brother ate, before they were moving onto the next store.

Inosuke would cling to her or Douma when they walked; his brother's sensitivity meant he could be overwhelmed easily, and latching onto their arms kept him focused. He mostly focused on the food, munching on dango or stuffing steamed buns into his mouth, along with whatever else they came across with.

Kanao kept to her ramune bottle, preferring the carbonated soft drink over the sake Douma was always drinking and trying to offer her.

Then, as Inosuke was demanding their father buy him a bag of dorayaki as they walked past the stall at the night market, Kanao saw him.

She was sipping from her bottle when she noticed the man, past a crowd and near the tram station. The roads were lit up in bright gold from the lanterns, the streetlights, the storefronts. She wasn't sure just what had caught her eye about the man, considering his back was turned, but once her gaze was caught it was impossible to look away.

He was neither tall nor short, with thick glossy hair and was wearing the modern foreign clothes many men within Tokyo. From the quick glimpse she saw of his face, she could see how porcelain white his skin was. Unnaturally so, that even with Kanao's sharp vision she did not see a single blemish or pore. Almost as if he had been carved from white marble.

Then if feeling her regard the man turned his head, looking directly at her from across the crowd, and Kanao saw how bright red his eyes were. Like two burning stars in a moonless night they utterly transfixed her, even as goosebumps rippled up her back. Dark cracked veins filled his crimson irises, pupils slit like a cats.

Everything about the man was off. Strange and dangerous, it made her feel a tautness in her stomach that reminded her of when she had those bad dreams. Just a sense of warning that radiated up from her very marrow to reverberate through her brain and was unable to be ignored.

After a moment of staring Kanao bowed; low enough to be respectful but not deep enough to draw attention.

When she straightened back up, the man was gone.

Her eyes darted across the crowd, fast and quick, but the red eyed man had vanished completely. Even when Inosuke thrust a dorayaki at her and Douma started telling them happily about the first time he met Daki and Gyutaro the man did not reappear again. He was lost in the crowd, as the great stream of humanity within Tokyo continued to sweep past like the sea.

For the rest of their trip she kept thinking about him. When she brought a kanzashi with sapphires for Misaki she thought of the man. When she brought a silken ribbon for Rojin she thought of the man. When Douma had them fight a would-be robber in an unlit side alley she thought of the man even as the robber lay bleeding on the ground with the shattered remains of her ramune bottle strewn around him. When Douma swallowed the stranger through his skin Kanao thought of that man.

She thought of him and his bright gleaming red eyes until they went back to Paradise Faith through the magic doors and she went to sleep, tucked into her futon with the delicate smell of incense and flowers in the air. It had begun to rain, heavy and drumming upon the ceiling in a soothing chorus.

Then the very next morning Kanao woke up to her father's smiling face directly over her, his long hair falling in a curtain around her.

"Good news, Kanao!" Douma said, his smile so wide it made his rainbow eyes half moons, "That Man wishes to speak to you personally! Isn't that wonderful?"

Chapter 29: The Demon King

Chapter Text

"Is he planning to kill me?" was Kanao's response.

Douma leaned back on his heels, tapping a sharp talon against his chin, "Hm, I don't think so. He'd probably just ask me to kill you if that were the case. Then again he can be rather emotional and does whatever catches his fancy. But enough of that! Up, up you get. No need to be tardy, he'll get mad if you do."

She was immediately hustled out of bed, with a haste that she was unused to from her father. Still, as always she followed his commands diligently as he prepared her to meet That Man.

Kanao was changed into a kimono of rich purple silk, the lower half clouded with bamboo, pine, and plum blossoms while upon the back, across the shoulders and upper sleeves was the long serpentine form of a blue dragon. The obi belt was gold and red. Rather than her typical ponytail, Kanao had her father brush her long dark hair and then pull it back in nihongami style. In the complex bun at the back he slid in a jewel-studded golden comb and a hairpin of shibazakura blossoms carved from dusted ivory, the purple flowers hanging down the side of her hair like teardrops. For her fringe, brushed back, her lotus bud kanzashi kept it in place.

As her father brushed her hair, she thought over what she knew of That Man. She knew through off comments and random sentences from her father that he was the original demon. He had been the one to create all others, and even all of the six Upper Moons combined were nothing compared to his strength. He was ancient, short tempered, violent and volatile.

His name was Kibutsuji Muzan, as her father told her. (For while Douma was incapable of uttering the demon king's name aloud when not in his presence, nothing actually stopped Douma from simply writing down the demon king's name in kanji and showing it to her. Kanao didn't really understand the point of the gag order in the first place if it could be bypassed so easily but decided to not question it.)

"Do you know what his purpose is?" Kanao asked, after Douma carefully slid the lotus bud hairpin into place.

"Hm, not really. Usually he doesn't bother with humans but then again he hardly tells me his reasoning for doing anything," Douma said as he straightened up. "Maybe he's just curious? Or he might eat you or maybe even turn you into a demon. I really don't know."

"Do you have any advice upon speaking to him properly," Kanao asked as she slipped her zori on. The small pouch of crushed wisteria petals she now always carried upon her person was left in the room.

"Well, just smile and nod and agree with every single thing he says!" Otousan clapped his hands together. "Don't interrupt him and don't speak unless spoken to. Don't look him in the face unless you're allowed to. And don't say his name since I wasn't really supposed to tell you. Maybe try ousama? But besides that...not sure. I get more leniency as an Upper Moon, even if he gives us hidings occasionally. He's got quite the temper. For you...just be your usual polite self. At the very least he didn't ask for Inosuke to be brought along, hm?"

"If I am killed, make sure Inosuke eats his vegetables and bathes at least twice a week."

"Alright."

"Pinky promise."

"Yes, my pinky promises."

They faced the wall of her room and with a twang the shoji door appeared upon the wall.

Stepping inside revealed a vast strange area Kanao had never seen before- the shoji doors typically would just lead them to another part of Japan, but now it led them onto a platform that seemed to hover in place. Around, above, below, were hundreds, thousands, of walkways, rooms, corridors, with thousands of small lanterns lit with a golden glow that cast the pale rice paper and dark wood of the floors and platforms in a warm hue. Even with her sharp eyes Kanao could not see an end to the buildings high above, they simply stretched on forever.

There was a woman seated upon a platform across from them, deathly pale and clad in a plain black kimono. Her long black hair fell to her waist, the fringe obscuring most of her features except mouth and chin. A biwa was upon her lap, from where she was seated in seiza. Kanao noted how her nails were long and sharp, just like Douma's, even though there was a subtle violet colouring to them instead of powder blue. Kanao knew immediately she was a demon and understood the noises she heard whenever the magical shoji doors appeared must be due to the biwa. Much like how Otousan had his fans or Gyutaro his sickles.

"Nakime-chan! Don't you look as radiant as ever! Have you changed your hair?" Douma greeted the other demon.

There was no response. The demoness just sat still and quiet. The entire place was unnaturally quiet, Kanao noted. Even on the blackest nights at Paradise Faith there was always some ambient noise. Now there was nothing beyond her own breath and the voice of her father.

"My, as talkative as always."

Ignoring his attempts to talk to the demoness, Kanao settled down in dogeza. Kneeling close upon the polished wood of the floating platform, curled over until her forehead was only a hairsbreadth from the surface. Her hands were flat, the wooden floor cool beneath her palms.

There was another twang and Douma's humming stopped, his presence leaving her side.

Kanao remained in place, breathing calm and even. She didn't know why her father was taken away, it was not as if he would defend her. If he even could.

She remained in dogeza, silent and waiting as she ran over the possible scenarios in her head. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be turned into a demon, there were many things she had to do during the daylight. It also seemed highly limiting, would restrict her movements. Still, it would be preferable to being dead for Douma was very insistent there was no afterlife. This life was all they had and she did not want to be parted from her family if Muzan decided to kill her.

There was also Gyutaro's words from so long ago, that if she was a demon then they could be friends. He seemed more reasonable and quiet compared to Daki at the very least. And then maybe she could ask Daki how she hid her brother inside her skin, if she could do the same with Inosuke.

Then a prickle ran down her spine, the hairs upon her nape standing on end as the air grew thick and heavy. There had been no sound, no flare of light or announcement in any way, but she immediately knew the demon king must have appeared before her.

Yet she did not move, her breathing did not change and her heartbeat remained slow and steady as it always was. She continued to gaze down at the polished wood of the platform, posture perfect and in deference. She remained still, even as time inched passed, even when the coolness of the wood seeped into her fingers and the curve of her spine ached gently but she did not move an inch.

Not until a voice spoke.

"You may look upon me," the tone was mild.

Kanao shifted, not moving her lower half but pushing up her arms and raising her head.

The man she had seen in the market was before her, wearing western clothing of an embroidered black vest over white dress shirt and white pants and black leather shoes. His hair was a glossy black, gleaming wetly in the golden light of the lanterns and his crimson eyes glowed with the pupils slits and irises riddled in veins. This close, Kanao could see how he lacked any type of pore or blemish upon his skin, as if he had been carved from white marble.

Kanao found his eyes quite appealing, reminding her of a cat's even if they were cold and sharp as the demon king looked down upon her.

The progenitor of demons watched her closely, the air around them tense and poised as if he was about to lash out but Kanao continued to regard him levelly with her features blank.

Either he would kill her or not. Either way, she could not stop him so she did not bother to do anything.

After a long moment he reached out, his nails sharp but not coloured like Douma's or Nakime's. When he touched her chin with his index finger the flesh was burning hot, as if his blood was boiling beneath the surface. He tipped her face up slightly and she obediently followed the motion.

"...You have your father's eyes," Kibutsuji Muzan said.

Kanao's body straightened slightly, barely noticeable but still easily caught by Muzan as he let out a snort.

"You see that as a compliment? Interesting. Did Upper Moon Two tell you how I turned him?" Muzan asked, his finger releasing her chin but then began to trail up her face. Resting upon her nose and then sliding up her skin to lightly press his fingers against her forehead. "I found him, in that audience room of his. After I massacred the majority of his little cult over a century ago. He did nothing while I was butchering his people, instead just continued to watch me and smile. Even when I pressed my fingers into his brain, flooded his body with my blood, he did not stop smiling. Nor did he scream. He also was one of the very few who retained his memories of a human life after his transformation even if he did not seem to care for it. I wonder, if I did the same to you if you would remember as well?"

Kanao said nothing, feeling it was a rhetoric question. Instead she continued to watch the demon king placidly, even as his fingertips pressed more firmly against the thin skin of her forehead.

After a moment Muzan dropped his hand, lip curling slightly to show sharp fangs, "But that is not why I demanded you here. Douma speaks quite oft of you two, his...children that he found. But he did not notice me yesterday within the city. Instead you noticed me amongst all the other humans, did so near instantly. How?"

It was a demand, not a question, and Kanao dutifully answered, "You seemed impossible to miss. You seemed very dangerous and my instincts demanded I pay attention to you. Otousan spoke of how he is the second strongest of the Upper Moon demons and I have encountered Upper Six and Upper Three. You do not have kanji within your eyes so you were not Upper One. So therefore you must be the progenitor of demons, the first."

Muzan's red eyes were transfixing as he said, "And Douma spoke of me?"

"Rarely. You are the one whom he obeys. He did not state your name."

It was technically the truth. Douma had not actually uttered Muzan's name aloud.

"Kibutsuji Muzan is my name and I am indeed the first demon. The first true immortal upon this world. Do I frighten you?"

"No."

Muzan's crimson stare narrowed, "And why not?"

"I do not feel afraid of things."

"Not even death?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"All things die."

"Hm, a truth many humans rage against. All that lives must die. Only feelings are eternal and undying, and I pass that upon other demons with my blood. I do not remember a single human being I have killed. Flesh dies and that is the end yet I am beyond that. Time has no hold upon me, I am as far removed from a human as they are from natural disasters. Rain, wind, volcanoes, earthquakes...no matter how many people they kill, no one seeks revenge against them, for it is a simple fact of life just as I am."

Kanao did not answer.

"You do not seem bothered by such a thing," Muzan said to her. "People dying, people being eaten. Do you?"

"No."

"And why is that?"

"I do not care about them."

"Refreshing," Muzan tilted his head to the side, dark glossy locks shining softly in the light even as his eyes narrowed. "Most humans scream and cry, always bringing up dead family members. Parents, children, siblings. Random innocents. It's always the same. But from what your...father has told me, you've killed humans before."

"Yes."

"You've killed Slayers before."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Slayers are the enemy of Otousan. I must practice killing them so I can protect him."

Muzan let out a considering hum, folding his arms and resting his chin upon a palm. He studied her for a long moment even as Kanao continued to look placidly up at him.

"So you consider the Demon Slayer Corps your enemy?" he asked after a bout of staring.

"Yes."

"And from what Upper Two told me, even some years ago you aided him in killing a Hashira."

"She was already dying. The sunlight stopped him from eating her. I pushed her to him. I did not wish for her to inform the Slayer Corps about my father or my brother so she needed to die."

Muzan's eyes sharpened, "Ah yes, the feral boy. Apparently he is being trained, just as you. Douma having you hunt demons and Slayers in those silly little games of his. I do not care for the demons, if they can be killed by literal children then they are useless to me. However, I find it interesting how readily you have begun killing your own kind. Typically humans must be pushed into such a thing, but you readily did so even as naught more than a toddler. You would kill anyone who would be a threat to your...family, wouldn't you?"

"Yes."

"Would you kill me, if given the opportunity?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Otousan is of your blood, he is kept alive because of your cells as the progenitor of demons. You must live so he can live. If you die then he dies and that is unacceptable. That is why the Demon Slayer Corps is my enemy. That is why you must live."

For a moment Kanao thought she had misjudged her response as Muzan's lips pulled back slightly in a snarl. But then he abruptly threw back his head and laughed. The noise echoed through the thousands of empty rooms and platforms, loud and easy but with an edge of mocking Kanao was unbothered by.

"I see. So you are loyal because I am what keeps Upper Moon Two enthralled. Interesting but it is a logic I can respect. You are rational, which is a pleasant change from most humans who sob and whine over death and demons. And you lack your father's irritating personality which is pleasant."

Kanao did not like that last part but kept it to herself. She knew Douma could be annoying, and in the cases of Upper Moon Six and Three he would act that way deliberately.

"I despise change," Muzan said, tapping on his chin. "To change means something is not perfect. If something doesn't change for an eternity then it is perfect. However, it seems you may be of use to me despite being a pathetic human. I do not meddle within the private affairs of my Upper Moons, they have their own dalliances and it seems Douma is wasting his time with his odd habit of acquiring orphaned children. But he is training you and already you have managed to reverse engineer the Slayer's Concentration Breathing by observation alone. You have also killed some of their number, including a Hashira even if it was simply allowing Douma to eat her. And he did confirm the words you said, that you intervened when the sunlight stopped him from killing the Hashira."

Kanao blinked, not nodding or interrupting Muzan. She could tell he was thinking carefully about something, his body held unnaturally still before those bright burning red eyes were boring into her.

"What I seek is the annihilation of the entire Demon Slayer Corps itself," Muzan told her. "I wish for every last one to die so they never sully my sight again. It is not a complicated task yet still, over the centuries my Moons have all failed. Again and again, sometimes the Corps is near annihilation but it claws its way back and my patience is drawing to an end. Yet perhaps, even a worthless human such as yourself may be valuable. You wish for all the Slayers to die as well, don't you?"

"Yes."

"And you would die for me, wouldn't you?"

Muzan must live so Otousan would, so there was not hesitation as Kanao answered, "Yes."

Her life would never be more important than Douma or Inosuke's. Her life would always come after theirs.

"Such conviction," Muzan's smile was sharp, more vicious than Douma's ever was. "And you can train your brother in that way, can't you? He has not killed a Slayer yet, has he?"

"No. But he will learn. I will teach him," Kanao said. Inosuke was wild but Kanao was his big sister. She would guide him and she had already been mentally planning a way to force Inosuke's hand for his own good, even before the meeting with the demon king.

"Hm. Then that presents an opportunity, especially as my usual methods are not working and I am losing my patience with the constant failures century after century," Muzan bristled, the air flooding with a potent sense of rage before just as quickly he relaxed.

Kanao did not even flinch.

"You will be trained as Slayers and when the time is right, you will join the Demon Slayer Corps," Muzan ordered her, tone making it clear she would either accept or die right here and now. "Your current methods are sloppy and uncoordinated, as befitting your father's lackadaisical attitude. However he has presented me with a golden opportunity to infiltrate the Slayer Corps from the inside and destroy them from within, as one would a nest of vermin. You will do as demanded, rise through the ranks and you will lead me to the Ubuyashiki family so I can kill them once and for all. With them dead, the Slayer Corps will collapse from the inside out and I will finally be rid of them. Do you understand?"

"Hai."

"Good. Kokushibo shall teach you both."