Rain pelted down on the deep blue tiles of the Butterfly Mansion, the aroma of the flowers flowing through the wet atmosphere. Watching the rain from shelter, there stood Shinobu, the Insect Hashira somewhat calmed by the heavy rain that showered the residence. She took a deep breath and watched as the rain splattered on every tile of the walkway, on every leaf of the trees, and on every blade of grass. To her side came Tomika Giyuu, the Water Hashira.
"How… How are the three kids?" Giyuu softly spoke, it had been several hours since the Mount Natagumo Mission, Giyuu and Shinobu alongside helpers had carried a multitude of injured Corps members to the Butterfly Mansion to treat them, Giyuu, in particular, had taken an interest in the three slayers that solely defeated the vicious demons, Kaze, Eira and Asumi.
Shinobu turned to Giyuu slowly with a soft smile on her face, "They're doing fine for the most part, they're tough. It's not often you come to check up on anyone, I would've thought your lonely self would've left by now."
"The ice girl's speed is interesting," Giyuu whispered, the rain hailed down as a silence broke out between them. Neither of them disturbed the peace of the moment.
"Should we consult Eira once she wakes?" Shinobu asked Giyuu, Shinobu was already acquainted with both Eira and Asumi, Giyuu wasn't however. After a minute of matching faces with names, Giyuu was also aware of who Eira was, the girl who had taken down a Lower Moon herself. In the Demon Slayer Corps, you had to climb the ranks by eliminating the demons. Before the Mount Natagumo mission, Asumi and Eira sat at the Kanoe rank with the number of demons they had killed. To become Hashira, the highest rank, you either had to kill 50 demons or kill a member of the Twelve Moons, only then would you become the Hashira of your respective breathing. Eira killing Lower 5 had automatically promoted her to be a Hashira, it all depended on if Eira would take upon the role or not.
Kaze's eyes slowly opened, his chest moved up and down, and he felt the tightness of bandages on his body as he slowly rose, he felt the softness of the bed beneath him and took a deep breath. He couldn't even remember when he had passed out, his head throbbed with a bad headache alongside the recollection of the fight with that behemoth demon. His head turned from side to side, the long room of beds filled with injured people, yet none of them were awake. Kaze sighed loudly and then something touched his shoulder, with a slight jolt his head turned towards his right shoulder. On the small desk next to his bed, a large crow sat with a pen in its mouth.
"We have witnessed your skill in Mount Natagumo, we'd like to thank you for your unofficial contribution to the Demon Slayer Corps with official employment as a Demon Slayer. Please sign this form." The crow spoke with a raspy voice and dropped the pen.
Kaze was quite speechless at this strange encounter with a talking crow, regardless he was quite quick to get to filling the form out, he had no idea how to officially become a Demon Slayer but this worked out for him, before this he was just a rogue who killed demons by himself. As he filled out the form, Eira walked into the room, it was amazing how she was already up and moving with the state of her injuries.
"Oh… Kaze you're here?" Eira spoke softly, slowly walking towards him. Kaze didn't reply, he was deeply immersed in his form, Eira spotted the form.
"I knew it! So you weren't a Demon Slayer!" A smile sparked on Eira's face, she knew as soon as she saw Kaze wasn't wearing a Demon Slayer uniform of any kind. Kaze laughed seeing how excited it made Eira that she was right.
"Yeah no. I was just a rogue slayer roaming around finding demons." Kaze signed the form and handed it back to the crow and then glanced back at Eira. "You're pretty active for someone who got brutally injured…"
The crow notified that Kaze is now a part of the Corps and will be sent his very own sword in the coming months, after the crow flew away Kaze turned his attention back to Eira, and again asked how she was already up and about. Eira awkwardly laughed, she couldn't explain why she felt fine, it must be the adrenaline still present in her body that softened the severe agony her wounds throbbed with. Her smile rested softly on her face.
"Oh right. Kaze, Asumi said she wanted to talk to you, are you able to get up?" Eira felt somewhat hesitant to show any signs of concern, a reluctance to form a new friendship. Kaze slowly lifted the sheets of his bed and stood on his feet. After a moment of stretching, Eira led the way to Asumi, as they walked together Eira couldn't help but realise Kaze's height and how he towered over her.
"If I was that tall… I'd go around everywhere and reach at tall places for people, and then they'd say 'Wow Eira you're like a giant!'" Eira's mind wandered in a fantasy of her desperation to be tall.
Eira opened the door to an isolated room, a room for those more injured. Asumi lay there on a high bed covered in bandages. Eira's throat slowly tightened when she got a glance at Asumi again, she had already checked up on Asumi however she still hated the vision of her friend and ally being so injured. Eira shut the door behind her. Asumi's chest rose and fell as Kaze and Eira both stood over her with a look of pity in their eyes, Asumi looked back at them, the two standing side by side over her.
"How… How can you guys be beaten relentlessly and still walk around the next day like nothing happened… You guys are monsters." Asumi's voice croaked and sounded rough, still, she softly chuckled as she said that last part, she slowly sat up and looked at Kaze directly.
"Kaze… I wanted to ask, and I'm sure Eira wanted to know as well…" Asumi coughed, there was a certain itch at the back of her throat, but it wasn't as big as the itch to know the answer to a certain question… "Your sword… How did you find it?"
Kaze gulped and let out a deep breath.
"Found it wedged real deep into the ground while I was walking somewhere. It was covered in blood and looked pretty new. Pulled it out and left my old sword in its place." Kaze admitted the true story. Eira stared at him intrigued in the story, there was no doubt that the sword Kaze carried was the same as Ali's. That emerald green tone, the crossguard and the very glint of the sword were enough to spark the sound of Ali's laugh in Eira's mind when she first saw it. Both the girls had the urge to ask the question when they first met Kaze, but they both knew better than to waste time when they could save lives and kill demons. Asumi took a deep breath before she continued talking.
"That… sword belonged to one of our old-" Asumi broke out in a cough, there was too much strain on her injured state. Eira put a hand on Asumi's bed.
"One of our old friends… His name was Ali. Asumi knew him better than me but… He was still a great friend to me as well." Eira choked up a bit.
For the next hour, Kaze listened to the whole story of Ali, Eira went on and on, she relentlessly described every detail of their fights together, his nature and what had happened to him. Eira had needed to get it off her chest for a long time, she vented and vented. Kaze remained silent the entire time as did Asumi, Kaze had a vivid picture of Ali painted into his mind just through Eira's monologue. Eira finally finished her lengthy description of her own experiences with Ali. She had covered everything from Final Selection to the very last thing she remembered, all of a sudden Eira's mind flooded with the idea of writing several poems about Ali.
"I'm… sorry." Kaze closed his eyes as he broke the silence left by Eira. "Using your friend's sword like that. I didn't know the sword had that much history behind it, I regret pulling it out of the ground."
Kaze's heart filled with remorse and regret for how he wielded the sword so recklessly, remembering the countless times he threw the sword as if it were just another tool in his arsenal.
"I won't use it anymore. I don't deserve to." Kaze didn't feel as if he was worthy of wielding the sword that once belonged to such a noble, courageous and kind person. Kaze didn't believe that he was worthy to hold such a sword, especially with what he had done in the past…
"No… I think Ali would want you to carry his sword more than anyone else." Asumi's voice spoke softly as she refrained from overstraining her voice. Asumi's face spread with a soft smile, coincidentally a window opened at the exact moment that Asumi smiled, rays of light shone on Asumi, while Eira and Kaze were still shadowed. They both looked at Asumi as if she was some angel.
"She's… definitely god's favourite…" They both thought in sync, there was no way a window could simply just open at the perfect time if not for some divine power.
In reality, the window had been opened by an old friend… Grey feathers, teary eyes, and the signature squawky voice.
"Ah. Eira and Asumi." Ali Junior, Ali's previous Kasugai Crow landed on the bed. Eira and Asumi sprung up in joy at the sight of the crow they hadn't seen in over 4 months.
"Don't get too excited, I'm only here to announce my retirement." The crow ruffled its own feathers and looked up at Eira who had her hands over her mouth at the news.
"You're retiring?!" Eira shouted a bit too loud.
"Yeah. I am, I'm getting up there in crow years. I came to ask another thing as well… Do you have any idea of where Ali might be residing?" Ali Junior's tone sounded a bit sorrowful. Eira's heart dropped as she heard Ali Junior ask the question.
"Well… No. Sorry we don't. We haven't seen him since the incident, we don't even know if he's alive." Eira's head drops a little bit, and for some odd reason a feeling of shame swept over her.
"Sorry, I'm guessing you would've wanted to tell him you're retiring as well." Asumi's soft voice whispered, the crow looked at Asumi.
"Well yeah, he was my favourite slayer. Shame about what happened to him. Well, I have my connections, I'd find him if it's the last thing I do!" Ali Junior laughed with a sense of hope, without even saying goodbye he flapped her wings and flew back through the window.
Kaze had still not grasped the fact that talking crows were the main source of communication, to see a whole conversation play out in front of him was surreal. He attempted to speak, however, the door behind them opened quite roughly.
"Oh, you three are quite lively for your state. Eira, we'd like to ask you something, could you spare a second?" Shinbou and Giyuu stood at the door, Giyuu with a nonchalant expression while Shinobu still wore her soft smile. Eira's mind went rampant as she overthought what they could need her for.
"Sure…" Eira exchanged glances with both Asumi and Kaze, she was undoubtedly worried about what the Hashira needed. Eira took a deep breath and walked towards the two of them. The clouds still darkened the atmosphere and hailed with rain.
The rain spread wide and far, every inch of the country soaked with the abrupt rainfall, farmers complained, kids laughed, and messengers sulked as the heavy rain continued through day and night. As the moon rose, the rain remained vigorous, so much so both Ali and Akaza were soaked as they entered the Infinity Castle.
It was time for the Twelve Moon Meeting.