Kagami slipped on the white-collared long-sleeve shirt and over it the black gakuran jacket, with the words, metsu, or destroy, written on the back. She pulled up her long, saggy, black hakama pants and tightened it in place with the white buckled belt. She pulled her brand new haori over her shoulders and slipped her arms through the sleeves, then tying her long black hair high in a ponytail. She then turned, examining herself in the mirror Mr. Urokodaki had in his home.
The haori was a shimmering red, glowing and glittering in the sunlight, with soft waves of yellow flowing through it. It was as if a magical fire imprinted its pattern on the fabric and made it seem like it really was on fire. The standard Demon Slayer Corp uniform underneath it fit her like a glove. It was a perfect for Kagami. With one final adjustment, she slipped her new Nichirin Sword around her waist.
With one hand placed on the hilt, she gazed at herself. She looked determined, courageous, and brave. It was something she was striving for her entire life, and she finally got it.
Now, to make good on her promise to her father, she will become the most formidable warrior the world has ever seen.
Sitting on her knees beside Tanjiro, who also dressed himself in his Demon Slayer Corp uniform with his familiar green and black checkered haori over it, across Mr. Urokodaki, he began to explain, last minute, on a few more things on demons now that they were official Demon Slayers.
"Kagami, Tanjiro, now that you're starting out as a Demon Slayer, I'd like to explain a few things to you," he said. "First, the Demon Slayer Corp uniform you're wearing right now is made with a special fabric. It's quite breathable, yet it repels moisture and won't burn easily. A low-level demon's claws and fangs wouldn't be able to tear that uniform. Also, that Nichirin Sword of yours, the color varies from owner to owner, and each hue has unique characteristics. But since not many end up with black blades, little is known about them. So little, in fact, that-"
Tanjiro cut off Mr. Urokodaki, completely confused. "So little is known that... What, Urokodaki?" he asked.
Mr. Urokodaki didn't hesitate to answer, "Since so little is known about them, black blades are said to be wielded by swordsmen who'll never go far."
A quiet gasp left Kagami's mouth and she turned to Tanjiro. She couldn't help but let fear enter her stomach and thoughts full of Tanjiro's demise pierce her head, but she shouldn't think like that. He is one of the best warriors she's ever seen and she knows he'll be just fine. No color sword will tell her that her friend will not go far.
Tanjiro must've been thinking the same thing. He smiled gently and happily said, "I don't know how I'll do in the Demon Slayer Corps, but I'm going to turn Nezuko back into a human no matter what."
He turned his head and smiled brightly at the small crack in the doorway right next to them. Inside the dark room, underneath a thick heavy, blanket, in between the crack, laid Nezuko looking at her older brother with adoration and determination.
"Yes, you're right," Mr. Urokodaki spoke. "I have faith that you're going to make that happen."
Tanjiro bowed his head quickly, saying, "Thank you."
"One last thing," Mr. Urokodaki started again, lifting a brown wooden box from behind him to inbetween them all, "It's a box for you to carry your sister in during the day. Built out of an extremely light wood called "Kirikumo Cedar." I coated it with a rock lacquer to harden its exterior so that it's even more durable."
Tanjiro stood and hoisted the box up, a small gasp of astonishment leaving his lips, as he exclaimed, "Wow, you weren't kidding. It is light!"
Carefully going inside the dark room Nezuko laid in, Tanjiro plopped the box down in front of her head and opened the small door, speaking, "Nezuko, hop in for a ride. Pretty please?"
Nezuko was hesitant at first.
Her small body crawled toward the box but she quickly moved back at the very end of the blanket. She must've been afraid the box wouldn't hold her or the sun would be able to seep inside. Her fears were understandable, Kagami would be afraid too, but Nezuko nonetheless shrunk herself tiny enough to fit in the box before crawling inside. With her knees pushed against her chest, she looked up at Tanjiro with her big pink eyes, nodding it was comfortable.
Tanjiro smiled and spoke, "From now on, we'll always be together," before closing the door.
Outside, Kagami and Tanjiro faced the cabin let out a deep breath.
"It's about time we go," Kagami said to Mr. Urokodaki who waited at the doorway.
He soon moved toward them with his hands raised. He fixed the top button of Tanjiro's gakuran jacket, readjusted Kagami's Nichirin sword belt around her waist, adjusted the box strap on Tanjiro's shoulder, before placing one hand on their shoulders. He looked at both of them and nodding his head, grunting.
No words needed to be said he'll miss them and wish them the very best.
Tanjiro and Kagami nodded their heads back at them.
He let go of their shoulders, and Tanjiro stepped away, but Kagami still needed to do one more thing.
Grabbing her mother's sword from her back, Kagami balanced it in two hands, lifting it up to Mr. Urokodaki. She said, "There's no one else I trust more in the world to keep my mother's Demon Slayer Nichirin sword safe. Mr. Urokodaki, would you please hold on to it and keep it safe until my return?"
Mr. Urokodaki tenderly grabbed the sword from her hands and nodded his head. "I will protect this sword with my life. I promise you that, Kagami Yamato."
Smiling, Kagami bowed deeply at her mentor, and father figure, before hurrying to Tanjiro's side. They both turned and waved at Mr. Urokodaki before turning and leaving for who knows how long.
Mr. Urokodaki spoke, but Kagami was too far away enough to hear him, but that was ok. He merely mumbled, "Oh, Masako, if only you were alive to see how much your daughter has grown. She is so much like you..., I can only hope my training will protect her from the horrors you have faced once before."
Kagami and Tanjiro walked on a path through rice fields in silence. She could only hope they were traveling in the right direction but he seemed to know where he was going.
"How are you doing, Nezuko?" he asked looking behind him towards the box.
There was no answer.
"Nezuko?"
Putting a finger to her chin, Kagami looked at the box and spoke, "Maybe she's asleep. Mr. Urokodaki did say he thinks she regains strength through sleeping instead of eating people."
Tanjiro thought about it for a moment before nodding his head. "You're right," he said to her before looking at the box, finishing "Get some rest, Nezuko."
They kept walking for what felt like hours to Kagami.
Normally, all the walking she was doing would ache the muscles in her legs and feet, but her calves were merely just uncomfortable. The sun that would usually have her sweating by the afternoon hardly affected her, in fact, the wind consistently kept blowing peacefully in her face to keep her cool. The sweat she would've been coated in was nonexistent. She still determined and energized enough to investigate and destroy the demon terrorizing the town they were heading for.
Soon, they walked up to a large wooden bridge over-passing a large river. Kagami peered down and saw many wooden boats and canoes sailing and floating in the bright blue water. Beside the bridge was a dock made out of concrete, where many people lingered buying supplies and materials.
"A town to the northwest. Looks like we found it," Tanjiro spoke out loud continuing his way across the bridge.
As they approached and walked through the town, Kagami then realized how big a town really is! It was in front of a few snow-capped mountains and she expected it to be slightly bigger than a village but the sheer amount of people, stores, and buildings almost overwhelmed her. She would always stay at home no matter if her father was going to the nearest village for supplies. She never offered to go with him, and he never extended an invitation.
She regretted those choices when she first got lost walking to Fujikasane Mountain by herself, and right then.
It was building, after building, and after building! A large crowd of families, couples walking side by side, were walking to and from stores, holding groceries, supplies, and materials in their arms, without a care in the world. Their houses must be within walking distance if they're not worried about the heavy load. Just how big is that town?!
Suddenly, Kagami and Tanjiro stopped in their tracks on the road. They nervously watched a man slowly stumble through the town. His eyes were glossy and daze, his face was bruised and red from what seemed like a beating, his mouth was hanging open slightly, and his feet dragged across the dirt ground, swaying his body from side to side. He didn't care many people were staring and whispering at his weird behavior, or he was just unaware of it. He kept stumbling along without looking anyone in the eye.
Stopping for only a moment, the two of them kept walking down the road.
A light breeze suddenly hit Kagami's face and words followed with it.
"Poor Kazumi. It must be so dreadful," she heard the wind carry the words of the people around her towards her. They looked on at the man named Kazumi with both fear and horror. "As soon as night falls, another girl will be abducted!"
Kagami quickly tapped Tanjiro's arm and filled him in on what she just heard.
They both swiftly turned around and ran for the dizzying, stumbling man known as Kazumi.
"Mr. Kazumi!" Kagami called for him as they stopped behind him.
His footsteps immediately stopped and he stood there for a moment. Slowly, he turned his head towards them and looked at them in either apprehension or sadness. He looked lost and as if everything he was trying to do to help someone was being unheeded. To see someone actually stop and talk to him looked like he was finally being noticed, but the small hope that was brought with him was very small and dim. She could see it in his wavering eyes.
Tanjiro stood straight and determinedly spoke, "We want to hear what happened last night. Is that all right?"
The sadness and apprehension from Kazumi's eyes vanished and was instantly replaced with relief. He was found, a voice reached out to him, and now he has help. Kagami swore to herself then to help that man.
Kazumi quickly showed them to an empty road leading to homes.
"This is where Satoko vanished. She just vanished... out of thin air. One moment, we were walking and laughing. Then the next, she...," Kazumi tried to explain but nearly broke down into tears. He swiftly choked out, "I'm sure you don't believe me," before wiping away stray droplets of tears.
Kagami turned to him and nodded her head, her voice steadfast when she spoke, "We do believe you, Kazumi! We're here to help."
"Now, let's see!" Tanjiro exclaimed before jumping onto all fours, sticking his face into the ground.
Kagami immediately gave him a weird look, the occasional, "Uh, Tanjiro?" slipping softly out of her mouth.
She watched curiously as he took two whiffs of the ground, speaking, "There's still a faint trace of demon scent, but it's uneven, so to speak. There's something strange about this."
Strange?
Kagami picked up her head and felt around for the wind surrounding the area. The air was still but the tiny amounts of breeze blowing by pricked at her skin, nipping at it. It felt... weird, though. Every demon she encountered had the same specific wind trace. It would come at her from a specific direction but it felt all around her. The wind was pushing and biting at her from all sides of her body. How could that be possible? She really needed to concentrate and discern where the demon could've possibly been coming from.
From afternoon until dusk, Tanjiro was sniffing the ground endlessly and Kagami had her hands pressed outwards from her body. They were getting weird stares but they paid no attention to them. Another girl's life was at stake, and she wouldn't let something as dumb as judgmental looks keep her from saving someone's life.
She almost felt defeated when the sun began to set below the horizon, streaks of deep orange hues coloring the sky above them.
They were almost out of time.
"I want you to believe me," Kazumi suddenly spoke up after hours of watching them. "She really did vanish."
Tanjiro got on his feet and turned to Kazumi with determination in his eyes. "We know. That's why we came here, to put a stop to this."
Kagami nodded her head in confirmation and agreement. The sun may almost be gone but they weren't going to give up any time soon. If staying hellbent on finding that demon could mean saving a young girl's life, then so be it. If they must risk their lives to destroy that demon, then that they shall do.
Kagami and Tanjiro won't let another life be lost to that demon.