Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Background Story Stuff:

LOVE INTERESTS: DEMONS

- Muzan Kibutsuji (KING OF THE DEMONS)
- Kokushibo (UPPERMOON 1)
- Douma (UPPERMOON 2)
- Akaza (UPPERMOON 3)
- Daki/Gyutaro (UPPERMOONS 6)

LOVE INTERESTS: HASHIRA

- Tengen Uzui (SOUND HASHIRA)
- Rengoku Kyojuro (FLAME HASHIRA)
- Tomioka Giyuu (WATER HASHIRA)
- Shinobu Koucho (INSECT HASHIRA)
- Sanemi Shinazugawa (WIND HASHIRA)

ROMANTIC INTERESTS: OTHER
- Yoriichi (FIRST SUN BREATHER)

PLATONIC INTERESTS: SIBLING FIGURES/FRIENDS/ACQUAINTANCES
- Tanjiro Kamado (YOUNGER BROTHER FIGURE)
- Inosuke Hashibara (YOUNGER BROTHER FIGURE)
- Zenitsu Agatsuma (YOUNGER BROTHER FIGURE)
- Kanroji Mitsuri (SISTER FIGURE/BEST FRIEND)
- Gyomei Himejima (FRIEND)
- Kagaya Ubuyashiki (LEADER OF CORPS)
- Iguro Obenai (FRIEND)

‼️OTHER CHARACTERS I MAY MENTION IN THE FUTURE WILL HAVE A STRICTLY PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU‼️

(note: This story draws inspiration from some other stories I've read in the past. Of course this will have its own plot, but some things I have drawn inspiration from. You'll see!)

IMPORTANT NOTE AGAIN DISCUSSING MANGA SPOILERS: There may be mentions of the Infinity Castle Arc the more the story progresses. Mostly when things start getting close to the Hashira training arc, I do plan to write out the Infinity Castle Arc, if I get to that point in the story before the movie comes out.

UPDATES REGARDING STORY CONSISTENCY: This story will be updated every two weeks.

!!IS POSTED ON BOTH WATTPAD AND AO3!!

STORY PLAYLIST LINK:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pcp6lJUFqAW8tiwPEBRPP?si=zgQmWGTFQsKKdDeoTnd0rg&pi=WjkOkAeOQ12mp

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING: A SLIP IN REALITY, A DEMON SLAYER X READER FANFIC.

(EDIT: I decided to take out Muichiro Tokito since the person who requested is no longer a simp for him--As well, I find having a minor, despite being aged up to 19, being a love interest is quite weird in my eyes, and therefore I chose to take him out before this story progresses too far in the chapter's I've written.)

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Chapter Text

     At this moment, you were thinking about your general life as you drove back home from University, beside you your new Bachelor's degree in Psychology. You were currently Twenty-One years old, proud to have just gotten it. How you got it so early? You had graduated high school at the ripe age of Sixteen after having skipped grades from being very intelligent, and starting university the month before you turned Seventeen. At the time of being Sixteen, you had lived with your parents and older brother in this very ghetto neighbourhood. The reason for it- Financial instability. You had always grew up poor, so you worked several jobs at an early age to help get income for you and your parents. While yes, you had very loving parents, your older brother had started going out and drinking at the young age of Thirteen, while you were Eleven. He would always come home either drunk, tipsy or high. The worst part? He was always highly aggressive and abusive. He yelled at your mother and father, and hit you several times in the past. By the time he had hit Eighteen, he still stayed, despite your parents attempting to get him out, but they had too much empathy so, they let him stay. When you hit Eighteen, you moved out immediately, yet still funded your parents-while balancing work and university-until they could afford to move somewhere away from their son. By Nineteen and a half, they finally escaped. Occasionally you would send them a pay check, but they managed decently well. 

     You then snapped back to reality when you noticed you were getting onto the highway and the song had changed to the first Demon Slayer opening- Gurenge. You slowly mumbled the words as you sped up your car to quickly cover ground-legally-on the highway. As you drove, you noticed you were going on a large drawbridge, the sunset on the horizon and clear-blue water reflecting light below. It was a mesmerising sight. As you glanced over and then back on the road, you heard some loud honks and then suddenly- CRASH!

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     Your eyes widened, a car going at around 128 Kilometres per hour/80 miles per hour had hit into your car, that was going at around the proper speed limit of 97 Kilometres/60 miles per hour. The impact made the glass shatter, cutting your skin deeply and knocking your car back quite a ways, even making it do flips. And it just so happened to be your horrible luck that the car knocked over the drawbridge. As the car fell, the only thought that went through your head was, "What in the fucking dramatic death-exit is this!? And why while I'm listening to Demon Slayer music.." 

     The car hit the water, sinking and water quickly entering the car. You attempted to swim out, but the amount of cuts you bared stung your skin harshly, and the few harsh injuries you got--two sprained ankles and bruised ribs--stopped you from quickly rising to the surface. You felt your lungs starting to suffer, the leftover air not sufficing them as your blood circulation was running rampant. Your body was in the most pain it's ever been in, and you could barely even move your arms. Blood escaped the glass-filled cuts you sustained, your lungs felt like they were about to burst, and you could barely move your feet to propel you. You knew you couldn't swim up. Let's be so real now, no one would be able to. Such a beautiful day, turned tragic. All for what, a drunkie that wasn't abiding by the law? This was almost comical. 

     Your lungs were about to burst. Your reflex to breathe was taking over- but you knew you couldn't. Yet you did. You accidentally inhaled the water, the liquid slowly filling your lungs now. As you realised you're dying, you stopped flailing. The last thought to ever be thought from you now? "At least I went out with a bang- quite literally. My parents could've been so proud, yet here I am, dying. Damn." ... Your eyes closed, your consciousness slipping now. 

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     Everything was black. Peaceful. Like nothing could disturb your peace. But suddenly, a light exploded out of nowhere, and then slowly faded away. You could suddenly feel things again. But how?..

     You felt your "head" moving, as if someone was guiding it to something. Then suddenly, you felt something cool all along your "body" ... How were you able to feel? You weren't alive, were you? 

     Suddenly your eyes opened wide and your body shot up. You scanned your surroundings, tatami mat below you, noticing you were in a very old Japanese-styled cottage. Something straight out of something like a Japanese anime. Like Demon Slayer...  Damn. You noticed the room was dark, like it was night. Why were you in an unfamiliar house? This was all confusing. Not to mention, you were alive? God, this was all so disorienting. 

     Suddenly a secondary voice that wasn't your own answered for you. 

     "You are no longer in your own world, Y/N. I had brought you here after seeing the opportunity for someone to grow even stronger than I, myself. Your old body mightn't have the strength to, but this alternate body of yourself can. It is your choice the path you choose, yet I will guide you if you so wish to pursue the path I believe is best your new self may follow upon." 

     ...The mysterious voice was odd. You didn't expect for there to be a second voice. Were you being schizophrenic? But it sounded so real. You decided, considering you're alive, to believe the smooth, silky voice that echoed throughout your head. You mentally asked, What is this path that I should follow? How do I do it? How do I even get strong?

     The voice went silent, but eventually said back to you, "To follow in my footsteps as a slayer. You see, your alternate body has a breath that may surpass even the first breath created, for this variation is closely related to the second breath- The moon technique. I will guide you to remember the memories of your alternate self. As for your loved ones.." The voice trailed off. Then came back and said, "Open the curtain, you may see what happened."

     You nodded and slowly opened the window, the light of the moon shining through. You looked behind you and gasped. Four dead bodies and a crumbling body. The voice then came back.

     "Your loved ones are dead due to a demon. Your alternate's subconscious had slayed the demon quickly once you had returned to your estate. Your alternate was too late. But now, I seized the opportunity for you to come in, since no one now knows you, you get to go directly by Y/N L/N. Not Y/N Sutsikuno, in which would be too complicated for you to remember. You get a second chance at life in the world you have always dreamed of." The voice explained, you now realising that the bodies were the bodies of your alternates family. You sighed and looked at the ground around you, seeing a sword. A slayer's sword. 

     Suddenly, a memory hit you like a truck. It was the sword of your alternate's father. You remembered your "father" showing you Eight breathing styles. What was it... Snowflake breathing? Snow breathing?... ...No. Ice Breathing. Basic, but as you begin to remember the general fundamentals, the voice returned.

     "Y/N. Go to the chest to your left and look at the book in there. Scan the pages, and I will translate it for you. I obviously understand you don't know Japanese, so with that book, it will help you learn as I translate people talking to you for the time being. There will also be a journal, that explains the origins and/or history or Ice Breathing, who made it, the pre-training, the forms, and titles and moves that accompanies it." The voice explained calmly. You looked to your left and noticed a small chest resting on the counter. You walked over and slowly opened it. A modern English to Japanese guidebook/dictionary for you and a lotus pattern, leather journal resting under it. You could easily tell that this was gonna be an interesting new run at life. 

     You then looked back at the bodies and sighed. You knew you had to give them a burial. So you went outside and quickly dug some burials for each person with a shovel-shaped tool you found. After you had finished each burial, you saved a prayer--or affirmation for those who don't pray--for them and then cleaned up the cottage of the blood and any mess that could've been there. Since technically this was your house now, you decided to look around, organise it all and eventually settle down. You felt exhausted. And either way, it was late at night. You were also thankful that in your own life you had taken camp courses, because you could tell time by looking at the moon and sun. You looked over at the moon, now in your own room, and realised it was around 12:30 AM. Quite late. So you decided to rest for the night, pushing all responsibilities for the daylights of tomorrow, and for future you to worry about.

A/N: Hey you guys! Thank you so much for reading A Slip In Reality! Honestly I've been so excited to start writing this fic, I've already had it all planned out all the way to final selection- All this planning done in a week! I won't spoil too much, but you're gonna be pretty overpowered since technically your alternate body has already trained- You, yourself just has to actually put it to practice and get used to pain. Anyways everyone, have an amazing day or night! Stay safe, drink water and eat healthy. 

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Chapter Text

    You opened your eyes to the sun rays shining down on your body. You sat up, rubbing your eyes, thinking it was just a rough dream you had. That was, until you realised that you were in the room you fell asleep in after you had cleaned up the night prior. You sighed, realising that you had to settle in your new reality now, and that you no longer had your parents anymore. You got up slowly and changed your clothes, getting into some garments that fits all types of weather. You eventually made yourself a breakfast and eventually wondered to yourself, 'So what am I supposed to do now..?' 

     You looked around and spotted the Japanese learning book. You reached for it and began reading through it, taking in the information. You then scanned through some cabinets , saw some paper and some ink with a good quality brush. You dipped it into the ink and began making some notes on the Japanese alphabet, and studied some grammar while you were at it. You studied the alphabet for a while, taking around Forty Five minutes to do so. Once you had decided that was enough, you set the brush aside and out your notes into a cabinet within your room. Your room was relatively large. When you walked in, there was a large closet with some cabinets sitting by each side. When you'd look to your left, you'd see a nightstand on the right side of a futon set against the wall. When you look up from the futon, you'd see a large window on the opposite end of the bed, perfect for seeing the sun and moon rise. You set it inside the cabinets near the closet, then exited your room to walk into the hallway that connects to the living room, kitchen and bathroom. You thanked the lords above you were in the era with proper plumbing. 

      As you scanned the living room, you noticed a Nichirin sword that was placed in a sword holder. You then finally heard the voice come back to you for the first time today. 

     "In this world, your body is strong, but don't let that fool you, you need to maintain that strength and get used to it. You must train your endurance, agility, strength and will to ensure you are properly adjusted to wield that blade. Go outside, and you may begin your exercise there, and I shall explain what you need to do." It echoed through your head. Training, huh? Alright then. You walked outside and settled in what seemed to be a training ground. 

     There were many obstacles, and you could see small traps. Nothing deadly, but some that would be difficult to escape. And a lot of slippery mud. 

     "Now, go through the course Fifty times. Take a Fifteen minute break at Twenty Five rounds. I'll instruct you what to do after when you're done, Y/N." The voice instructed you. To say you were floored was an understatement. How in the world were you going to do the obstacle course Fifty times!? Nonetheless Twenty Five? This was insanity. But regardless, you had to do it. 

     You ran forward, noticing that in this body, you were naturally faster. You noticed now why he mentioned adjusting to these new "level ups" in this world. You slid under a particularly low limbo bar, then jumped high over some wooden spikes. You felt almost natural while doing so, almost like muscle memory. Your alternate body must've used this course a lot if it's almost muscle memory. You ran up some stairs, then quickly did the climbing bars over a cold pool of water. Right as you hit the end, you noticed that the last bar was covered in a sticky, slimy substance. Must be a trap to make first-timers slip up and fall into the water. You swung your body and made the leap of faith, then safely landing on the wood platform. You ran down the stairs and jumped onto the stumps of thin logs, jumping from one to another. For a second you thought it was easy, but then remembered that there's no way in hell your old body would've been able to do this in your old world. When you reach the end of the stump jump, you noticed you now had to cross a rope bridge while narrowly avoiding large-yet-light wooden logs. You held onto the sides, while not-so-swiftly dodging each swinging log. But you made it to the end of that obstacle. Finally was the last challenge, trying to run to the end of the course without being hit by barrelling fire towards me. Not so hard, right? Well, it is, considering the fire goes faster than a bicycle being ridden by someone who rides bikes for a profession. You ran as fast as you could, the fire just right behind you. You marvelled at how fast you were, than realised you were faster than a bike going at it's max speed. How fascinating. You eventually crossed the finish line, panting and sweating like you just ran a marathon. Which isn't too far off the mark, honestly. You felt proud by your victory- Only for your hopes to be crushed when you realised you had to do this Fifty. More. Times. This was about to be a long few hours.

     Once you had finally finished all Fifty, you collapsed, clutching your stomach and chest. That was more exercise you've ever done in your whole lifetime in your old world!

     You got yourself some relatively refreshing water and gave yourself some time to relax. Around Twenty minutes passed before the voice came back to you.

     "Good. You did well. Now it's time you begin to start learning how to wield a blade. Go over to the shed nearby the course, to your right. It holds several wooden blades. With those blades, you will strike down Two Hundred times, and then we can move on to the relaxing part of training; Understanding the history of the Ice Technique and why it is considered on par with the Sun technique, despite it having so little forms and it being a variation of a variation. How it surpasses its originator and is almost equal to the first technique to exist."

     ... Two. Hundred. Times. TWO HUNDRED TIMES!? Oh boy, this was going to be long. You tread through the blades of grass, the sun blaring down on you. It was around 3:30/15:30 in the afternoon by now, and it was going to be at least Four hours until dusk hits. Once you reached the wooden shed, you entered and noticed a plethora of weapons. You main focus were the wooden swords. You gently grabbed one, noticing it's lightness in weight. You exited the shed and walked to a random spot in the shade and began the Two hundred strikes downwards.

     ... By the time Fifty came, your shoulders felt achy.

     ...When a Hundred came, the entirety of your arms felt achy.

     ... When a Hundred Fifty came, you felt like your arms were about to fall off.

     ... Finally, when you were done with Two Hundred, you dropped the sword and dragged your body against a nearby tree. This was the worst pain you've felt in your life. Not even a Charlie Horse could even compare to half of this pain. How Tanjiro did Five Hundred in the anime? No idea. 

     After resting a bit, you got up and walked back to your new home. You remembered the voice mentioned the "relaxing part" of the training was the study of the Ice Technique's history. You remembered the journal, you had set it on your nightstand yesterday night, and you knew that's what the voice meant.

     Once you finally got to your room, you picked the journal up and opened the front cover. Right off the bat, you began reading, and even taking some mental notes. Here are the notes:

- The Ice Technique was a variation of moon breathing

- Your "ancestor," had been good friends with Michikatsu Tsugikuni, and took down some notes of how he performed the forms of Moon breathing. 

- Your ancestor, Horoko Sutsikuno, took notes of the Moon Technique. But since he couldn't take proper notes of each forms, he took the forms he knew the most about, annotated them, and made them better to make the new version; Ice breathing

- Horoko passed it down, to all his children, grandchildren, etc, no matter their gender. 

     You recognised Michikatsu's name, you had read the entirety of the Demon Slayer manga, so you just kinda knew. Wow. You really are goated in this world. This world is about to be a piece of cake!

     You then found a pages on each of the forms. Huh, that's interesting. You can see why it's pretty strong now.

     The first form: Glass Spikes

      The user creates multiple strikes going in a horizontal zig-zag manner. As the user strikes, if it hits, the victim will be pierced with many ice spikes.

     The second form: Jagged Peaks

     The user slashes the ground in a criss cross pattern. The sheer force of the hit creates large jagged ice towers breaking from within the ground, and they come barrelling towards the victim.

     The third form: Shards Of Death

     The sword is coated with Wisteria, while striking the victim, it will form small, tiny ice shards. If the hit lands, the shards and poison will enter the victim's blood stream and kill it.

     The fourth form: Frostbite

     The user creates large, icy slashes. If the victim is hit, they'll get frozen in place, making sure that the user can attack them more easily. If it doesn't land, the sheer cold will temporarily create frost over their eyes, ensuring the victim is temporarily blinded.

     The fifth form: Desensitisation

     If the blade hits the limbs of the victim in a certain nerve point, their limbs will grow numb and its brain will slowly freeze over. In the meantime, the victim grows sluggish.

    The sixth form: Cold Hate

     The user slashes the victim with a pattern that represents the infinity symbol. The hit is so forceful and hate-filled that the victim will believe you're specifically out to kill them, which causes them to grow hesitant in their own attacks. Their hesitation will give you many openings to slash at them.

     The seventh form: Dragon's Mane

     The user attacks with such elegant movement that the ice forms into the shape of a graceful, ice dragon. If it hits, the sharp mane-scales of the dragon could easily cut a neck or torso off clean.

     The eighth form: Sheer Pressure

     The user utilises harsh slashes. The pressure from each slash can crush a whole body, and can cause fractures of many bones to an Uppermoon demon. If used on the surrounding terrain, it can create a particularly large crater.

     After taking mental notes and eventually jotting it down in point form on a paper, you noticed it starting to get late. Around 7 PM/19:00. You didn't hear from the voice again, so you figured you were let off the hook. You put the journal back on the nightstand and put the notes in the same cabinet you did with the notes of the Japanese notes. After doing so, you went to the kitchen, made a quick yet fulfilling meal, and quickly got ready for bed. By the time you settle down, it was 8 PM/20:00, and since you were exhausted from the day's training and it's most likely you're gonna be training for the next little while, you decided to sleep early.

(A/N: Hey Y'all! Hopefully you enjoyed the first chapter. The beginning is just gonna be a bit of an introduction to your abilities and OPness, but trust the process, I got absolute PLANS for this story, so let me cook and trust that even though it's a bit slow, it'll get better as you read through it. Also cause I'm writing this at 1 AM at this moment. I was kinda procrastinating this sooo yeah. Oh well. I also have finals soon so I'll try to keep up with updates, but they might not always be consistent. But don't worry, once mid-June hits, I'll finally be free to relax and update whenever I want. Anyways, don't forget to drink water and eat healthy fellow readers! Have an amazing day or night!)

(Word count: 2110 words)

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Chapter Text

    It's been exactly two weeks since that day you came into the Demon Slayer world. Each day, the voice guided you and gave instructions on your training regiment. You noticed these past few weeks, around every two days, he'd add ten more laps around the course and twenty five more swings when it came to swinging the blade. Even on the second week, he instructed you each day to focus on performing each form of the Ice breathing technique. Each day, it came to you naturally as you practised each form until you did it with relative ease. You were still a bit wobbly and reckless but at least you had it relatively memorised so you didn't have to look at the journal every ten seconds to see what to do and what angle to swing at. You even learned how to make Wisteria poison from the journal and careful instructions from the voice in the past two weeks, so that was a plus since the third form of ice breathing required wisteria to truly be effective in slaying demons.

Now, it was around late morning for you. You had just finished breakfast and cleaning up. Finally the voice came into your mind.

"Y/N, you seemed to have progressed quite well these past few weeks, so this is my final piece of instructions before I let someone else take control of the training."

Suddenly your heart dropped. Does this mean the voice was leaving you forever? Unknowingly, it seems you'd grown to be fond of the voice. You viewed it as the only familiar thing that provided comfort in such a foreign world. The voice came to your head once more.

"You do understand I can read your thoughts, correct Y/N? Regardless, no, I'm not leaving you. I'll be here if you wish for advice or need someone to talk to. Now, it's time I give you my final 'training' instruction. I want you to travel a Hundred miles/A Hundred-Sixty kilometres West. I request you to seek out Rengoku Kyojuro. I'm aware you know of him as one of the few known cultivators of this world, and also the most capable at extracting your potential and capabilities. You will also be meeting Ms. Kanroji whilst there, due to the fact she's starting her training. By now, I firmly believe you know this is around a few years before Tanjiro comes into the picture, yet it's good that you come in early so you get to the proper skill level acquired before things go wrong due to.." The voice trailed off. You knew exactly what it meant. You were shocked by such a huge revelation. You were going to train with Mitsuri, and get close to Rengoku? Talk about an honour! Though, you were still confused about the 'potential' thing. Regardless, you understood why it chose for you to come earlier, due to the years it takes to get strong, and how quickly Tanjiro's story progresses.

You took some deep breaths as the voice gave you a few moments to process all of this. You were going to get close and meet the Hashira, and maybe even get the chance to go to final selection, become an official slayer. You'd go on missions and all. You knew you'd be capable to go to final selection right now, but it is best you train even more. Especially under Rengoku's care.

"As you know, Mr. Rengoku is a very harsh trainer. Though, the training I've provided are two times more suffocating, so from here on out, it should be slightly easier. Though, don't be afraid to ask me for advice if you wish to put in extra training, for you'll be needing it if my future predictions are correct. So, don't feel disheartened that you'll no longer be trained by me, because I'll be with you every step of the way. Now, go on. You'll need to pack some things and leave in an hour." The voice's echo slowly died down as it became silent. Despite being less shocked than before, you were baffled that the voice put you through so much effort, knowing you won't be training as hard in the future! Regardless, you were still thankful that you got to train at all.

Left with only your own thoughts and the deafening silence of your house, you began to pack. Loads of water, easy food to cook, change of clothes, extra weapons, loads of your home made Wisteria poison, some snacks you prepared, some Yen, and finally some camp gear. This was going to be a long trek so you needed around two weeks worth of food. Not because it'll take two weeks to get there, but because if Rengoku doesn't take you in, well, you'd have to make the walk back or seek out someone else as a cultivator. Once you had your things all packed in one large bag, you set out on your adventure. Plus you had your own journal, so you'd document the days.

... Entry In, Day 1:

"Nothing much happened. just walking. I walked past a few stunning Wisteria and Cherry trees, so that was nice. I also fished and caught so Koi fish so I had that for dinner."

... Entry in, Day 2:

"Basically like yesterday, but I plucked some Lavender and made some Lavender essential oil out of it. I'll probably use it like a fragrance oil when I know I'm nearing the Flame estate, so I can at least smell decent. You'd be surprised that in 1911 Japan didn't have perfumes. But I mean, then again... I haven't visited the city yet so there probably is perfume. I know there's a city coming up soon, so I'll take a look there."

... Entry in, Day 3:

"I got into the city! I have to admit, it was a bit difficult since my Japanese is still a bit rough, but because of the voice's translations, I got some Peppermint and Sandalwood essential oil as well. I know that using oils as fragrances are very rare in this era, and are often used as medicinal remedies, but I gotta be serious. It's not like I can just have deodorant with me since in this era it was only really mass produced in America sooo... I just have to make do with this, okay? Plus, these scents are relatively androgynous so it's not like anyone's gonna confront me about wearing a scent that belongs to another gender's.. I just hope the other characters aren't rude about sexuality/identity. I highly doubt it considering they let girls fight in a traditional time period, but that could just be luck... I mean, remember, I am in a period where morality is completely different. Oh well. that's enough of my rant now, I gotta sleep. Also, I forgot to mention I stayed in a Ryokan (Japanese Inn) for the night, and in the morning I'll take a bath in the communal baths... It's not ideal, but since I'll be getting up really early, I'll be getting there before most people can wash their germs off. At least I'll be 'up to standards,' but alas, I'll be heading off to sleep now."

...Entry in, Day 4:

"Nothing happened too much today other than bathing. Surprisingly, I was alone, so I was pretty happy about that part. I know by tomorrow afternoon, I'll be at the Flame Hashira's estate. Goodness, I'm so nervous. But you can't blame me, cause I mean- I'm meeting one of my favourite character's in real life! But anywho.. Tonight I decided to cook up some Vegetables I got from the marketplace and make like a veggie mix, with some salted Walnuts on the side that I had bought fresh in a paper bag this morning. It wasn't the best thing in the world since food combinations are kinda sucky in the early 1900's when it comes to seasonings, but I can deal with it. God I crave (favourite food) right now. While I love being in this era, I miss the modern food cuisine of my home country and era. Am I homesick? Eh, probably. Can't blame me though, because I would die to be able to read my manga, go on Tiktok, watch loads of anime, and celebrate my bachelors degree in Psychology.. Wait. FUCK! I just realized I lost my bachelor's degree in Psychology! Ugh. I just pray that by some sort of miracle, when I die in this world, my old body somehow survives that car carsh and drowning so I can get that degree back and also ensure my parents are okay. Although I doubt it, it would be preferable. Also, I'm so thankful that I'm able to write this in English (or native language), because I highly doubt many of the slayers would know it if any of them decides to snoop through my journal... And while I doubt anyone will, when I finally meet the Kamaboko squad in a few years, well... We all know how chaotic they are. But anyways, enough yapping, time to sleep and meet Rengoku tomorrow!"

Finally. The time has come. You're now standing in front of the Flame Hashira's estate. You would gently knock on the door frame, due to remembering that knocking directly on the door would be rude and informal in this time. You took a deep breath as you heard footsteps come towards the door.

The door finally opened, and there he was. The man himself. The flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. His long, orange hair with redish tips, his confident and bold aura, and that unmistakable smile he bared. He was breathtaking in front of you. The anime didn't do this man justice at all, and you had to hold back a gasp at how good he looked.

"Ah, hello there young fellow! Is there something you need?" He smiled as his loud and recognisable tone boomed throughout the area. You almost winced at the tone, but at least you could understand what he said due to the tone, because he wasn't necessarily rapid-firing Japanese at you.

"Ah, hello there. Are you the Flame Hashira, perchance?" You sweated ever lightly, nervousness creeping in your mind, body language and voice. The voice in your head internally calmed you down and reassured you that you studied for this moment in particular.

"Yes! Indeed I am, fellow stranger! I'm Rengoku Kyojuro, though I have to ask how you know. You don't particularly seem to be a Slayer, are you?" He chuckled, and you felt so much more nervous. Yet slightly at ease at his openness.

"I'm not a Slayer, but I'm going to be. And I wanted to come to you because I want you to be my cultivator!" As you spoke, your nervousness spiked so you just shot rapid fire Japanese at the unsuspecting Rengoku. He seemed to be taken aback at such a question, especially since you didn't look like you had all that to be going on with you with your (insert body type) stature. He looked in your eyes. Whether you were skinny, fat or muscular, you didn't necessarily look like the "I'd die for this," type of person.

"I see and acknowledge your request, but I'm not quite sure if you look like you're gonna be determined or put in the effort to become a slayer or even train under me." Rengoku said with enthusiasm, but was blunt. You froze and felt your heart crumble. But suddenly realised he said 'effort' and 'determination.' You realised this had to be a test, because slayers who aren't truly dedicated won't persist and'll just leave.

"Oh? I don't seem like the type, do I?" You smirked, a fire lighting in your eyes. "I'm willing to put any effort I can. And if I need to prove it to you, I will! I won't stop until I earn my spot as one of your students!" I held a certain and confident stance in my statement. Rengoku could see that. He seemed to think for a few seconds before jumping up.

"Alright then, fellow soon-to-be-student, then prove it to me! I'll bring you to my training course, and if you do Fifteen laps around it, then I'll let you become my student!" Rengoku beamed with pure joy, yet an underlying mischievousness. You nodded and he led you to the grounds where it held an obstacle course... Which was half the size of your course at home. You thought to yourself, 'Oh my god. This is gonna be so easy!' and then on the count of go, you immediately started.

You began running, jumping over set traps and slippery obstacles, quickly scaling walls and completely disabling and rendering certain weapon traps useless. You even scaled the mud wall, in which only had small carved out ovals in them for "foot holdings." You completed the course. And proceeded to do so again and again for 19 more times to really shock Rengoku. By the end of it, you approached him, with barely a sweat broken.

He looked at you with bewilderment and impressiveness.

"How did you do such a thing so quickly, young Student? No one other than Ms. Kanroji could do say, and even she struggled.." His voice trailed off. You simply chuckled and replied with a shrug. He took a few silent moments before propping his head up, crossing his arms and had a wide and proud smile on his face.

"Well, I can't deny you any more, because this has been the best performance I've ever seen! Not even most slayers could do that below the Tsuchinoto level, and even some Hinoe level slayers get tired, yet you've barely sweat! Well, I welcome you as my new student, Y/N! Now, come with me, I'll show you your new room, and you can get your things settled in!"

(Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading. I apologise about this chapter being a bit late-it's currently Tuesday at 1 AM for me right now-so it'll be way later so some of you, or a late Monday for some of you! Regardless, thank you all for reading this chapter, and hope you all had a good summer!)

(Word count: 2361 words)

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!̵̨̢͇͔̩̜̘̟͉̟͖̳̗͉̫̱͚̲͉̙̱̞̮̦̲͛͌̒̈̿͆̓̇̈́̈́͌́̑̀̇͊́͑̎͑̏̉̉̈́͐!̷̢̢̣̻̗̺̬̘͖͍̞͉̬͔͔̳̟̘͍̖̤̝̪̫̙̹̈́̔̇̈́̏͂̽̕E̷̢̼̳͙̙̦̔͂̄̊̿̑̊̚͝͝͝R̴̨̛̛̛̩͎̟͉͔̭̣͔̙̠̰̟͇̻̭̬̆̊̀̅̊̊͒͑́͐́̔͐̓̃͑͑̄̎̈́͛̐́͛̚ͅŖ̷̛̪͈͇͙̗̗͇̞̞̮̘̖̤̉͐͑͐̈́̌́́̊͋́́̚͝͝O̸̡̠̖͇̼͈̥̩̹̓̋̈͒̇̈̀̓͐̊͒͜ͅR̵̢̤͓̤͍̣̪̗̳͍͈͓̜͉̫̖̻̥̤͉̪͌̃̄͌̊̅̽̑̋̽͒̊̚̕͜͝͠ͅ!̸̧̨͚̬̟̟̳̰̺͓̰̜̘͚̮͙̬̜͐̃̈̃̑̂͐͊̾͛̏̔̑̎̌̈̕͜͝ͅͅ!̸̖̼̭̗͙̙̯̿̂̌̒̏̀͑͛̈́͝ ̴̡̧̨͚͇̗̳̪̥͓͔͎̝̰̤͕̺͍̘̯̗̩̹̭̺͇̓̔̍́̐́͌͐̀̈́̑̍̀͐̅͂̍̇̅̌̐͌̊̎̕͠͝!̸̢̢̧̛̤͎̭̫̤̖̼̙̳͇̞̺̮͎̩̎̐̎̃̂́̆̀̒̐̈̄̈́́͘͠͝!̴̭̣̔͋̾̾̆͂͆̈̑̓̿͌̆̑̚͝E̵̡̧͖̼͇͕̥̘̥̫̮̮̰̘̟̻͔͉͚̋̎̍͜ͅȒ̸̤̥̬̠͇̲̥͔̳͙̹͍͕̦̪͇̲̜̘̦̥̦͕͉̣R̶̡̢̡̛͉̥̹̬̰͍̳̥͍̰̮͉̼̺̖̦̳̬̹͈̹̝̦̎̿͋͛̑̏̉̀͂͂̒̇̀̉̓͗͂̈́̆̈̅͆́̕͝͝͝Ȏ̷̧̡̫͔̦̗̹͖̩̮̥̻̝̖̤̣̫͙̗̟͈̣͙̪͚̰̫̫͌̋̏̂͐̓̽̓̿̈́̑̒́̓̈́̂́́̂̾͆̔̀̓͂͘͝ͅR̴̡͎͙͎̤̝̠̰̮̱̜̦̹͖̳͉̜̥͔̞̗̠͍͚̭̔͋̈́͌̈̌̀̓̒̈̊͑̊̽͘̕̚͜!̴̨̢̨̭̼̗̮̠̘̙̫̝̪͔̦̜̼̼̖̬͙͖͛͊́̃̉̓̆͐̽̔̂̿̀̊̑̿̈́̐̈́̈́͋̊͗̈́̈́̚͠͝͝ͅ!̶̨̡̛̛͚͉̥̬͍̪̩̹̯̘̜̳̫̩̭̿͑̔͑̀͛̌̀͆̉̇͛͌̏̓̌̆͌͗̾̈́͜͠ ̴̡̢͈̠̦̫̰̼̫̼̘͚͖̠͕̠͍̜͇͋̓̈̏̓͛͊̓͜͜͠ͅ!̵̫͕̳͚̩̰̪̣͐̏͗́̾̈́̕͠!̸̨̪̹̯̭̹̞͌̇̽̐̿̎̃̇̑͑̃͝͝͝E̸̗̻̰̯̥̭̣̹̹̜̭̭̺̟̯̥̒͗̀̋́̓͐͛͆̍̀̐̀̇̐͋͑͊̈́͛͒̅̂̕͜͝͝͠͝ͅͅͅR̷̫͎̠̫̘͇̔́̈́̆̊̎̈̌̇́̄R̷̢̛̯̳̳̭͔̟̜̣͔̞͓͇̫̬͖̈́̒̈́̐̈̀̇̿̉͂̽̈̎̄̏̅͗͊̔͘̚͘̚̕͜O̵̧̧̧̪̻̣̱̲͚͓̙̲̦̫̬͙̭̲͔͓̰̮̘̫̾͒̂́̇̆̅͂̏̄̃̔̃̄̃̋́̈́̽̍͜͠ͅR̷̪̠͈̪̝͙͚̣͈̗̰̼̖̺͚̦̼̞͎̝͂͊͊͐́̆̓͘!̴̧̛̻̞̲̮̰͌͊̍͊́͛̑̈́̓̓̾̓̈́̈̆͋͆̉͘!̵̨̼̪̬͔̐͋͋̋̃̽̋̈̀̌̇̕͝ ̵̢̢̛͕͔̫̝̫̩͖͍̙̜͎̱̮̖̹̠͎̞̒̊̒͗̉͛̈́̆͗̋̈́̉̈́́̽̿̌͛͑̈́͆̋̀̍͛̾͘͘ͅ!̸̢͖͎̥͈̯̭͚͓̳͙̟͈̟̜͉͓̩̮̼͇͂̂̿̋̄̑̽̊̂̉͌͌̎͂͗͌̎͂̌͑̽͑̉̀̕̕̕͜͜ͅ!̵̡̧̖̣̤̫̤̲̟̠͙̺̫̪͙̘̤̓̂͂̑̀̽̑͘͘͠͠E̵̡̧͎͎̩̞͈͚̞̙̫̱̩̟̥͊͂̆̌̇̓̀͜͝Ȑ̴͖͓̮̞͈̰͖̱̟͍̬͎̰͔͉̦̉Ŗ̷̢̠͍̺̬̦̗̲̝͉̥̭̀̑̌̈̈́͑̓̑̓̔͒̿͋͐́̓̈́̈́̒͠ͅÒ̵̢͔͖̜̰̺̠̺͎̱̆͋̇͒̄̈́̀̉͘͜ͅR̴̮̤̺̹̦̩̼̺͉͈̝̟̣̫̜̬͍̐͐͆̎͆̓̀́͜!̸̡͙̩̟̼̗̟̯̳͔̙̾̍̋̎̅̄͌̊̍͑̍̀͋̅́̌̈́͑͛̿̕͠!̵̡̨̨̙̰̘̝̲̹͓̳̖͖͎̺̥̻͔͔̖̜͈̝͑̾͂̅̅̑̂̊̾̈́̍̈́͗́͋͘͝͝ ̶̡̘͕̬̪̗͉̘͙̳̣͎̄̉͗̄̏̈́͆̋͒̍͐͐̄̌͗͐̇̑̉͂͗̾͘͝͠͝

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A̸̤̜͇͐̅̚D̸̮̥̹̆̂Ḍ̶͛R̴͈̘͙̾̋̔E̸̦͆Š̵̜̳͔S̷͇͍͂͛͝Ẹ̶͖͊D̴̟̂͒̚ ̶͎̲̩̀́Ṯ̷̄̊̔O̶̜̻̜͆̿ ̸̭̱̪̀Y̵̛̮̮͋͆.̴͉̻͑T̵̜̀:̵̷̛̘͍̘̦̾͐̆ ̸̧͓͌̇y̶͍͊͆̀ò̵̮̟ṷ̶̢́͠'̷̨̙̏̐̑͜v̶͇͈̣̓̃e̶̗̖̭͗͛ ̷̨͙͈̊̓͑p̴̘͔̔̆l̵̮̱̾͜a̸̹̖͑ý̵̛͓̲e̷̢͓͇͂̂͋d̶̡̙̍ ̴̬̮̓́͘y̷͔̩͛̈̆ö̸̡́ü̸̺̮̚r̴͖̝͒̽̈ ̶͐́ͅç̶̛̒͋ä̴̪͜r̴̢͈̦̈̓͘d̷͎̼̰̔̄̂s̵̢͎̓ ̴͉͎̃̓w̷͔͚̓̒͘ẽ̴̥͈ḻ̷̫̜̈́̀̀l̸̬͆͠.̶͕̌ ̵̡̙̬́̍̚Y̶̤̲̯̓ȇ̵̦̣ͅt̶̲͋ ̸̧̼̹̃̈̈́d̷̡̝̅̀o̷͔̜̓̌́ ̴͍̱̠̃̽ỹ̷̞̹̗͗ö̵̬̣͕́ú̶̪̺̒ ̴̯̼̏̿̃ẗ̸̢͈̲́̚ṛ̶͇̂́͝u̵̹̪͑̔l̵̫̚ẙ̴̙̮̟͘ ̶̙͊͐b̵̢̮̉ě̵̛͔̮̝͝l̷̜̼͆̕͠ḯ̴͓̳̒͛e̴̢̤̟̒͝v̸̪̲̑͊ē̵̬ ̴̠̌̚ͅt̷̤̪̒h̵͕̼͛͝e̴̩͓͑̕ ̶̗̟̘͠f̸̨̪͍̀̐͝ǎ̷͔̠̖͝t̶̟͠e̸͕͔̫̓͛̈́ ̴̣͇͙͋̒́ȏ̶̭f̵̩̆̽̕ ̸̹̦̈́ẗ̸̢̼̪́h̴̖͘e̷̼͇̟͋̒͠ ̶̻̖͖͆̽̽f̶̲̔̆̚ͅu̸̩͓͔̿t̷̯͎̜͝ű̶̧̲̟̄r̵̪̩͐e̵̱͉̐̑͂ ̴̨̮̾͛w̵̯͔̥̽̿o̵̧̩̠̽̕r̶̛̹̼̦̈́͗l̵̟̥͓͊̏͑d̸̨̯̱̈ ̵͈̯̉̒͆d̸̲͔̾e̸͓͝p̵̘͋ė̵͕n̸̮̖͐̀̍d̸̟̉̏̃s̵̻̔̃ ̵̧͎̥̎o̷͓̲̾̓̚n̶̞͙̈̈̈́ ̷̰̭͋t̷̬͈͗͝ḧ̶̙́͂͝i̵͙̖͐̏s̵͇̳̈ ̷̨̄͊̈o̷̞͂͒͠n̸͙̪̉ę̷̙̋ ̸̨̙̈́̂ṗ̵̡̢͉̽e̴̖̓̕ṟ̶͎̂s̷̢̥͘o̸̢̦͛̈́n̸̝̬̈́͂͠?̸̷̷̡̯̼̙̳̫͔͌̈́͐̔

F̵̝͔͂̈́͑R̵͇̆̏̀O̵̪͐M̸̭̪͚̽:̸͓̖́͊ ̶̟̱͍̾̉M̸̧̑.̷̠̫͈͝K̸̻̱̐̿

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Chapter Text

     Finally, you did it. You had finally been accepted to be cultivated by Kyojuro Rengoku. When you had finally settled in a bit, you wrote in your journal about how you felt, the achievement, and that things can only go uphill from here... Hopefully. 

     After a few days had passed, you finally got to meet the sweet heart herself- Mitsuri Kanroji. And to say the Anime and Manga did her dirty to how kind she was, was a severe understatement. Your first meeting had gone a little like this;

     "Hello, Ms. Kanroji! I want you to meet Y/N, my new student and your new training partner!" Rengoku boasted heartily. Mitsuri gasped, her energy practically forming excited stars around her.

     "Ohhh! That sounds so cool! It's nice to meet you, Y/N!" Mitsuri squealed as she shook your hand firm and softly at the same time, so to say. Mitsuri was a beam of sunshine, her pink-fading-green-tipped braids flapping a bit as she moved. 

     "Training is gonna be so much more fun with you around now!" Mitsuri giggled and then looked up to Rengoku, before saying, "Mr. Rengoku, can they train with me!? I know that they're probably too new to do so, but I want to! please?" Mitsuri gave Rengoku a little bit of an innocent look, making your heart melt instantly. 

     Rengoku sighed dramatically, feigning contemplation with obvious amusement. 

     "Hm... I suppose I can make arrangements! Don't underestimate them, though. They are very dedicated to their craft!" He smiled cheerily, his hair flipping up from him looking down in contemplation, to looking the both of you in the eyes. 

     And ever since that day, the three of you had bonded like no other has. You three had grown practically inseparable. Figuratively, not literally.

     Now, at this moment, you we're currently hanging out with Rengoku. Mitsuri was currently out for a stroll to go to the hot springs, but we both chose to stay back due to having just wanting a day of pure relaxation. Rengoku looked at you and scanned you up and down before tilting his head ever slightly.

     "Say, Y/N, I'm curious of something. How is it you came to know of me? It's not everyday that fellow aspiring slayers hear of me being a cultivator. Nonetheless, someone with a breath style completely opposite of mine. So, how is it you stumbled upon me, and my location?" Rengoku said, pure curiosity with an underlying hint of suspicion in his tone. You sighed yet had a small smile.

     "Well, Rengoku, you see,I came to know you because of my parents. They were talking about how there was only one person who managed to finally be a worthy candidate of being under your training... Mitsuri.." Your voice trailed off a bit. You technically lied, but you added a small truth now, "But I didn't care about the information since I was being trained by my parents in Ice Breathing... Until they died from a damned demon. And since I had heard the gossip about Mitsuri, after asking around, I came to travel to you and well.. Here we are!" You looked solemn before becoming cheerful once more.

     Rengoku seemed absolutely shocked but cleared his throat.

     "Ah, I see, Y/N. You seemed to have gone through quite a bit. I understand now, as to why you found me. I apologize for asking, though, because losing loved ones is a harsh thing to go through." Rengoku trailed off. You smiled weakly. You weren't necessarily solemn because of your alternate's parents being dead, but because of the fact you can't see your actual parents anymore because of being in this Demon Slayer universe. You let out a sigh. 

     "It's okay, Rengoku. Don't apologize, because I'm using my training to help me process emotions, and get vengeance. I know that one day, I'll find relief or someone to lean on to truly be supported by. " You said, but realised what you meant. Then becoming flustered and quickly mentioned, "Not that you or Mitsuri aren't supporting me, but I mean someone I can love and give physical affection to!" But you realized you dug your grave further. Before you went to cover yourself again, you got intercepted by a loud, comforting laugh.

     "No need to fret, Y/N, I understand what you mean!" Rengoku boasted, crossing his arms. "I know what it feels and means to say you yearn for love. Even I've experienced such things. But, sometimes we must appreciate what we have, and use the support you have now to build yourself enough to gain even more tools to gain more, so you don't completely crumble if tragic things happen. You have to focus on the present, rather than fantasize about the future. While you can dream, you need to focus on trying to get the tools to accomplish it." Rengoku looked you in the eyes, his volume lowering as he had spoken his kind words. You nodded along in agreement.

     "Yes, you're right, Rengoku... Thank you. I mean it. You truly are the best teacher I know, y'know." You smiled happily. You knew about focusing on your current self--hell, you've been told, and have taught others about that lesson before--but hearing it come from him of all people hit harder than it usually would have. You weren't sure if it was because he was your teacher, or if it was because he truly meant every single word. Either way, it engraved itself in your brain like a decision a child would make and stick with for the rest of their life. 

-Time skip a week-

     It had been exactly one week, and ever since then, you've pushed yourself to the very brink of exhaustion. Ever since that conversation, your motivation has skyrocketed, but to almost an unhealthy degree. Even the voice had to come in and internally tell you to calm down or take a break. On one, particular day, you trained so hard that you had passed out due to dehydration from not enough water intake catching up with the water output of sweating. That day in particular, Mitsuri was panicked and fretting while Rengoku had to calm her down whilst getting you to the butterfly mansion. But thankfully you recovered fully and promised to calm down the training sessions.

--large time skip, 4 months.--

     It had been a long ride. Many things have happened in the last four and a half months. You had achieved the following:

     Running at max speed for an hour instead of a few seconds, since most average humans can't run at their max for more than a few seconds. As well as holding your breath for around Six minutes, being able to withstand temperatures from Negative forty to positive sixty Celsius with no effects, and able to not get affected by poison.

     As well, you increased your pain tolerance immensely, increased your stamina, durability and your skin became a little bit less able to tear. Not only that, but your physical strength matched that of Tengen Uzui's. 

     During your secret training too, you got to slay a few idle demons who were causing havoc in neighbouring towns, and they seemed to be higher demons. You also found out you were able to master the entirety of Ice breathing, and able to perform completely from muscle memory. You also figured out on your own, that doing concentration breathing constantly can help you a lot, so you trained in that. While you couldn't do it permanently, you were able to do it the majority of the time. As well, you mastered recovery breathing and made it an instinct whenever you got hurt severely. 

     Currently, you were standing beside Mitsuri in front of Rengoku. He seemed a bit more serious, yet proud as he looked the two of you in the eyes. You were both confused but assumed he was about to teach you two something new. But little did you know, it would be more than that.

     "Good morning, you two! It seems you two are content, yes?" He chuckled before continuing.       "You two are probably wondering why you two are here. Well, to be exact, you two have been working so hard, but I know it's about time that you two train by yourselves, because I taught you the best I can! And plus, in three weeks, final selection is coming quick, so you two need to learn how to be independent or work together so you two can pass with flying colors." He said bluntly. You had a feeling this was coming, but you didn't expect it to be so quick.

     Mitsuri seemed jaw dropped. "Really, Rengoku? We're gonna have to train alone now??" Mitsuri fretted.

     "Yes. But, you two can train together if you two so wish. As well, call me Kyojuro now, since I'm technically no longer your sensei! Goodness, how quickly you two have grown." He smiled. pride radiating off of him. Though Mitsuri grew a little bit teary eyed, since this felt emotional to her. You placed your hand on her back, holding back your own nostalgic feelings since the past few months were the best months that you've ever had, out of both of your two lives. Mitsuri then looked up.

     "Alrighty then, Kyojuro! Thank you so much for teaching us! We'll both make you proud!" She smile through the occasional happy tears she had. You simply smiled and recommended something.

     "Hey, since we can train ourselves, we should learn Concentration Breathing: Constant, together!" You tilted your head in curiosity, but you were sure Mitsuri would agree. And that, she did.

     "Yes! That would be amazing, Y/N! We can help each other learn! By the time final selection comes, we'll be masters of it!" She exclaimed excitedly, balling her hand in a fist and bringing it all the way above her head in a dramatic, determined manner, earning a loud chuckle from Rengoku and a laugh from you.

     "Seems like you two are all set then! Well, I have a meeting to get to now with the other Hashira. Don't destroy this estate, you two, and keep each other safe, okay you two?" Rengoku smiled as he turned towards the exit door. You and Mitsuri quipped at the same time;

     "We will, Kyojuro! Have a good mission!" Rengoku simply nodded before faring his goodbyes and left you two to your own devices.

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(Hello everyone! Thank you all for reading another chapter of A Slip In Reality! Finally we're actually getting into the good stuff now, and funner things are soon to come! Thank you all for reading, and don't forget to stay safe, hydrated and don't forget to eat well!)

(PS: this is a bit of a shorter chapter due to lacking motivation)

Word count: 1772 words. 

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!̸̞͆̿̈́!̸̢̢̨̺̲̗̼͉͈̪̹̑̋̓̅̊̽̈́̍͊͝E̵̡̡̧̨̪͖̳͍̰͔̬͍̼̮͍͋̆͒͑͂̑̓̇͝R̶̢̠̦̺̬̃͛͊̆̔̏̓̈́ͅR̶͍̖͔̦͓̠̮̘̩̪͇̈̀́̀̀̐̀͝O̵̡̫̲̱̮̺̫̘̲̬̫̣͈̠̝̒̈́́̈́̈́̈́̈̐̊͝͝͠͠Ȓ̷̳͔̯̯̜̦̙͈̉̏͑́̓͜͝!̵̩̝͈̣͔̌̐̾̽̃!̷̟̂ ̵̢̛̜̘͚̳̱̮̤͉̖̩̣̻̫̓́̉͋̇͂̉̄̀̋͐̐̿͝ͅ!̷̛͚̬̹͙̘͈̳̱̲͎͓́̾̋̽̃̓͋͑̚͝ͅ!̶̩̦̪̠̄̈́̊Ĕ̵̦̫͇̼͉̹̘͎̿͜R̴̨̟͎͈͈̦̪̝̼̼̈́̍̓̊̍̎̒̊̈́̓̎͆̕͜͝ͅŔ̸̜͙̥̹̗̹̜̱̝͐́̀̈̀̔̋̊̚̚͝O̶͍̫̊̅̈́̋͝Ŗ̴̧̧̡̮̦̯͎̝͖̭̎̍͑̿͋̍̅́̂͑̃̅̀!̶̜͚͈͉͙̯̄̊͒̐̀͐̈̑̈́̄̕ͅ!̸̖̖̝͔̦͓͈̝̺̇̄̀ ̴̨̛̛̣̳͓̬̘̤̱͖̼̓̇ͅ!̶̡̨̭͙̼̯̖̤̬̗̘̼̪̜͕̇̾̈̒̒̿̉̓̉̇̐̚̚!̶̻̭̣͇̣͎̭̩̣̑̐̆̈́̂͜E̴̢̧̧̛͓̲̲͓̦͉̭͓͎̗̔͗͗͂̎̀̈̋̎̕͜R̴̡̮͓̪̖̬͈̂͑̏͆̈̋̉̎̀͒͗̒̕͘̚͜ͅR̵͉̘̈́̊͒̾̄ͅO̴͓̱͈͗͐͗̔̊̕͠R̶̨̡̢̡̖̟̹͛̾͆́̓̆͆!̵̧͖̱̤̺͓̝̘̳͙̱̯͉̐̈͜ͅ!̶̡͈͓͌̾̿̍̂͊̇̈́̔̾̽̍̚͠ ̴̦̭̺͍͎͖̪̣̤͈̹͇́̃͜ͅ!̷̞̜̤̙̘̺̎̿͜ͅͅ!̸̩̗͈͙̺̞̻̬̠̗̋͗̈́̂́́͝E̸̜̊͐̉̎͐̂͛̔̅̂Ṟ̴̬̰̥̘͎̳͎̦̏̊̏̾̏̚R̷͙̀͗́̊̈̊͛̈Ỏ̵̢̤̘͈̣̭̳͍̪͈͉̱͕̱̅̓̎͆̆́͝͝R̶̦͂͒̓͠͝!̸̡̖͕̳̠̳̻͔͊ͅͅ!̶̧̹̖̞̹̭̲̐̈́̅͛͛ ̴̢͚̓̀̀̈͐͊̈̌̂͠!̵̦̘͗͋̀́͊͛̈̀̊̕͝͠!̵̨͇͎̓̽̒̕ͅÈ̸̛̯̂̈́̀̅͗̂̃̂̌͌̚͠Ȓ̷̬̩̭͍̣̙̑̎͗̈̈̋̐̍͊̕͘͝͝R̷͕͈̱̰̳͐̑̋̓͒͌̐̓̆͜Ǫ̶̟̦̫̮̟̜͍̳̥̭͉́͋̽̑̄̐̒̚ͅR̵̡̙̦̯̞̩̯̝̒͌̍͂͒̂̐!̷̝̥̝̰̜͕̞̤̎͋̈͗̀͆̂̅̀͋̊͌̈́̚͠ͅ!̴̡̨̟̘̲̬̻̯̊̽̿̈́̈̐̐̄͊̽̒́̅̏͘ ̵̨̳͔̖̰̳͎̼͈͍̬͕̩̂̈́̒̂̄͑͠͝͝!̶̬̣͍̗̼̙̯̹̯͙̰͈̙̅͂̈́͛̌̓̉͗͋̉̌̑̏̕̕ͅͅ!̵̛̯͍̺̪̝͚̪̱͉̯͈̭̩͇̐͌̊́͂͝͝ͅẺ̶͇͎̭̯̘̩͖̪̈́̀̀́R̵̢̗̭̜͇̳͕̱͉̖̯̘̂̑R̸̨̨̨̛̘̦͇̝͆̇͛͂̊̚Ǫ̴̨̡̧̳͉̝̝̘̤͓͚̺̈̏́̔͂͒̌̈̋̅̉͐̚R̶̨̛̛͚͍͈̖̜̗̞̱̤̃̈́̽́͐̾̋́̂̚͠͝!̸͕̳͉̟̭͎̯̰͎̲̦̬̲͕͔̌̎̓̈́̅͊̿̈́̈́̎̈̾͑͒͝!̸̡͍̮̞̰͔̙̜͚̳̺̈́̓̾̎ ̶͙̪͕͙̘̝̭͚͕̪͉̝̎̉̎̈́̍́͘͜͝͝!̶̣̠̣͙̠̻̖͈͇̐̽͐̍̎̅̉̓̓̈́̽͌͝ͅͅ!̴̘̜̹͚͔̊̏͒̈́͗̂̀̿̔͑̅E̷̡̢̛͍̲̓̿̔̅́͋͗̅̄͘͝R̴̨̳̬͕̰̥̻͚̘̗̰͉͉̙̉R̶̫̹̲̞̞͔͇͍̰͔̄̏̾͐̾͋̔̋̈́̓̄͘͝Ȏ̸̮̩̩̟͔̥̀̓͋̒̉̍ͅͅR̷̢̧̪̰͔̗̀̃̑̌̆̇͊̏!̴͔̹͊!̷̯̟̪͇͔͖̯̹͓̙̂͒͠ ̵̧̛͉̰͈̱̥̮̪̈́̿͆̇̑̿̿̊̑̒̚͝͝!̵̡̢̛͇͓͙͉̖̹̬̖͇͎̹̫́͠!̶̼͐É̴̛̦͂͆̓̉̎Ŕ̷̯̟̺̦̑̍͠͝Ŗ̶̦̼̲̟͕̐̈́̿̄̄͑̏͒́̈́͛͘̕̕̚O̶̮̤̤̘̺͍̦̠͈̞̼̤̽̅ͅR̵̡̢͕͚͚͎̤̞̭͙̤̳̳̲̓̿̈́̍̒̔̄̋̾͆̾͜!̸͇͚̥̟͙͙͚̺̞́̉̊̅̒͑̈͊̇̌͠!̵̡̢̨͚̟̘̯̻͌̅͜͝ ̸̧̗̮̗͖̽̏̈́͝!̴̖͚͊͆̽͐͠!̷̡̛̛̠̠̐̑̾̀̓͑͗͐̾͋͘͘͝Ë̶̥͕͕̹̲̩̪̲̈́̆͊̀̕̚Ŗ̷̪̖̦̲̼͇͚̲̼̑͘͝ͅR̸̢̧̈́́̽Ơ̴͇̩̥͉̱͕̼̻̥͈͇̈́̽͂̾͌̒̋R̴̰̭̠͕͇̘͕͈̮̥̰̋́̋̿͗̋͗ͅͅ!̵̧̳̘̪̥̩̟̇̿̅̿̀!̸̺̫͙͍̉́̋̓̈́́͑͊̂̿̈́͠ ̴̢̧͇̬͔̼̟͍͉͚̘̠̯̞͆͐̄ͅ!̸̧̛͕̼̞͈͙̪̗̞̙̪̞̯̗͍͛͗̅̍͗̿̍̔̆̋̓̿̚͝!̴̯̦͙͙̐̈́̒͋̄̍̉͛̈́̎̅͌̆̕͝Ȩ̷̨̮̹̪͈̭͎̫̪̑̌Ŗ̸͙̻̻̼͈̝͉̻̞͙̭̞̾̿̃͗̌̓̕R̶̳̹̗̠̤̊̾̽̾̀Ö̴́͂̌͑́̈́͂̀̈́̄͗̈͛͐ͅR̷̺̺͉͖͚̲̙͇̭̮̖͖̓̀̍͗̅́͊̓͜ͅ!̵̡̧̰̩͎̲̱̐̊͒́̆̿̏͋̃̌̈́̊!̶̡̢͖̟̮̰͇̦̗̖̻̻̬͙̈́̃́̏̃ ̷̛̳̱̤̘̪̟͍̗̰̖̮̃͛͑̇̈̈́̀͘ͅͅ

1̸̧̡̢̪̯̺̩̘̜̼̻̤͓̪̥͙̙͉̲̜̘͎͇̭̤̝̓̃͜͜9̵̢͍̺͕̺̣͕̠̝̗̣̺͎͎̤̩̞͎͈̺̼͇̲̻͒̋̈́͋̃͗̇̍͒͛̃͊͗̅͐̆̍̈́̕̕̚1̵̨̨̨̫̼̟͍̼̺̹̹͇͍̺͔̻̳͉͍̱̲͂̅͂̀̆̎͗̃͊̃̾͘1̴̢̛̣̟͔̱̊̋͛̊̽͊̒͊̐̓̕-̵̨̛̫̮̮̈̓̃̒̎͂̀̓͒͋̈́̄̒͋̐͌͗̀̉̾͊̆̚͘͝ͅ2̴̡̡̳̗͍̼͍͖͙̝͈̰͉̻̈̾̔͊̉͊͑̈̐̽̓͂̇̚͠0̷̧̢̟̬͈̜̼̩̜͍̩̺̬̂̈́̈͐̽̾̍́̾̿̎̌̆̋̽̿̋̇̐̏̈́̓̆̚͠͠2̶̢̢̨̡̡̟̯̦͎̜̗̯̱̱̻͍̲͇͇͓͚̲͔͍̹̀̂̿̽͗̊͗̈́̌͂́͠͝ͅ5̷̧̛͉̞͖͈͕͉̪̙͎́̃̎̎͛͆͂̌̐̇́͒̎̾̀̔̍̌ ̷̨̛̖̠͉̝͕̪̟̹͕̻͔͈̩͖̻̘̹̪̺͉͚̪͚͈̰̀̀͗̀͗̈́͋̈́͌̑̉̏̍̑́͐̎̋̂̓͘͘̕͝1̴̧̦̰͉̙͉̺̜͍͖̥͖̲̳͔̼̗̞̣̫͔̬̠͐̄̒̏̒̏͒̂͗̔͋̉̏̀̌̍̽̎͋̉̈͂͆̕9̶̧̧̛̤̘̼͎̩̥̖̬͇̻̞̜͔̜̭̉̈́͋͆͊̀͑̇̾͛̎̎͆̾͐̄̂̄͐̎̂̆͛ͅͅ1̴̢͔̫̞͕͙͕̘̻͠1̸̧̞̝̗̲̣̞̯̥̮̤͕͖̹͂̈́̓̍͌͆̏̎̂̒͂̐̀̑͂̃͗̋̽̾̓̒̚͜-̷̲̭̘͚̪̖̝͙̀̋͑́̈́͂̓̎͛̄͊̾̒̈́̓͌̆̓͗̓̾͐̔̿͛̇͝͠2̵̢̯̟̬̦̦̘͓͇̲̮͇̭̖͇̯͓͑̂͒́̃͋͐̈́̔̀̈́̾͒̇͊̈́̋͆̿̑̚͘͝0̶̺̲̯̬͗̽͠2̴̨̢̨̤̖̞͙͇̮̺̦̙̘̻̟̖̻̙̼̞̲̥̜͖̞̳̼́͂̔̈́͑͒̓͂̈̒̽̕͘̚͝5̶̨̨̛̖̦̮͚̪͇̣̘͓̤͚̹̖͓̫͙̖̬̺̮͐͋͋̆̆́̃̐̀̔̍̏͆̄̿́́̏͠ ̸̡̖̲̣̫͍̰̗̬̄̑͐͐̅̔̾͊̽͂̾̅̃̊͛̐̅͐̋͋͋͗̓̀̎̕͜͝1̴̨̯͕͙̟͔͉̩̯̳̙͓̳͇̻̼̗̭̼̗̩̦̮̎̌̏͛͜͜9̴̡̛̛͔͇̲̥̪̦̳͓̠̬̪̰̠̯̣̝͗̇̿̒͌̈́͒̓́̑͋̕͘̕͜͜͝1̵̨̧̩̗͔̣̗̪̤̼̙͉͚͔̯̹̮̈́̾͌͗̀͐͛̀̑̃̈͌͑͋̏̅̈͋͘͝͝1̴̨̢̧̡̯̟͓͈͍̗͔̱͎̤̖̣͇͙̯̻̪̪̤̝̺͈̖̺͊́̔-̵̨͓̳̼̮̰͖͎̈́̎́͆2̸̳̬̰̺̝̝̤͈̗̞͇̦͙̺̄̓̕͜0̷̢͔̮̻̬͕̫̦̖̫̮̺̥̹̳̝̼̺͖͍̟̥͖͉͎̝̫̈́̎̓ͅ2̷̢̮͍̲̲̠̈́͂̌̒͐̏̅̇́̏̍͌̀̉̈̍̇̄͋͊̑̚̚̕͜5̶̧̘͚̠͙̹̯̯͈̖̤̲͇̭̟͈̆͋̑̽͒̂̒͆͋͒̀́̃̀͛͊̉̚͝͝͝ ̸̤̯̲͕̯̳̳̳̘̬͚͉̗̩̺͇̝̥̙͚̎̔̈́͐̽̇̏̊̓̎̈́̎̇̏̀̑̔́̔̓͂̔͆̕͘͘ͅ1̴̡̡̡̛͖͇͕̥̦̝̹͕̖̲̝̗̭̒͂́̑͑́̈̐́̓͂̔̈́̌́̓͋̊͗̽͘͘͘͝͠͝9̴̨̢̧̧̡̢̜̝̰͚̪̹̘͚̳̙̥͚̙̮̞̩͎̻͙͙͔͛́̿͆͂̍͋̄̇̆̈́̿̄ͅ1̴̬͚́͛̐̽͗̑́̊̄̅͛͂͂̋̄͛̂̇͋͑̒̚1̷̞̆̋̌̏̇͒̌̽̅̀͑̀͂͊̃̇̒̆̈͘͘͠-̸̧̧͕̭̘͇͉̟̖̻̻̯̬̱͕̗̆̅̊̒͐̇͛̑̓͋̔̀̓͂̇̏̄̊̄̀̀̕̚͝͝2̵̧̛̰̝͇͎͉̝̞͈̹̱̥̾͂̐̉̀̇̿̂̆̆̈́̔̅͂̎́̃͊̋̑͛̾̔̚͝0̶̧̼̣͎̮̯͍̰̟̪͓͉̪̝͈̜̤̠͐̏͌̎̐͒̓̾̅̅̓͛͆̒̌́̊̚̚̕͜͝2̷̳̈̏̈́̂͘5̴̢̡̥̯̭̖̩̮̘̱͈̹͚̈́̊̈́͑̓̊̅͝͠ͅͅ ̵̛̯̜̱̊̈́̉̋͛́̏͐͑̐̾͛̇͗̿͗͋̅̍̾̓̾̓͋̅͠

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T̷̘̩̺̞̖́͌̏͊̏̈́̈́͒̀̆͝Y̸̢̧̨̨͚̜̪̼͉̯͍͇̜͚̙̤̫͇͕͖̺̩͙̖͚͇̤̐̔̃̅̄̇̐̓͂͐̈̋̚̕͜P̷̖͇̈͊̈́͂́͐̍Ȇ̴̢̢̛̫̼͎̫͉͎̭̻̰̯̯̹̗͖̬͎͓̾͆̈͆͋́̋̋̑̒̈́̽̇̉̋̋͛͗̌͝͝͝͠͠͠ ̶̙̪̩̜̬̬͎̯̘̻̙̺̗̀̃͗͂̍͌̆̈́͑͗͋̚̕͜͝Ẑ̴̧͎̼͙̝͎͈̣͙͎͈̟͉͍̠̝̟̭̙̬̹̱̪̼̮͑̓̂̾̈́͊̌̇͌̾̇͋͘̚͜ͅË̷̛̛̫́͋̌͑́̈́͛͛͆̉̆̂͗̕͘͝͝͠Ȑ̸̺̲̓̀̓̀̽̇̀̎̉͌̄̀̀̀̑́̓͘Ở̸͙͍̖̰̪͒͆̓̿̽̃͆̇̈̆̇͒͒̾̀̐̐͊̑̅̈́̾̌͐͜͝:̸̹͓͔̹͚̰̽̾̐̀̔̌̔̒̅̍͊ ̸̨̩͚̬̘̞̙̗̹͚̤̣̲̯̥̥̹̇̃͆̍̚͝Y̶̛͙̠̹̋̑̉̅͐͑͌̋̽̾̋̔͠͠ͅǪ̸̛͓̠̲͎̘̦̯͍̬̦͚̞̱̟͓̖͂͆̊̓̃͆̃̽̓̽̋̍̓̐͂̓̀͗̈́̕͝R̷̫͈̯͔̲̽̈̔Į̶̨̣̱̜̼̳̔I̴̡̢͕̹̻̤͔̺̻̪̠͔̟̞̲͚̪͖͔̰̠̞̗̘͓͇͇͎͊̀ͅĈ̶̨̪̝̙̰͓̺̤̣̣͋́̎̓̀͊́̏̒́͑̇̈̒̈́̈́̐̌̔̕͠H̵̡̡̧̝͚͈̗̞̠̤̳̮́̇̓͋̔̏̉̎̂́̉̓̀̄͜ͅI̸̻͆͒̓͑̈́̾͐̌̓̕͠

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1̸̼̞̹̮̭͓̉̈́͌9̸̛͖͕̬̹̈́̍̀̎̄̂̇̔̍̐̀͒̔̈́͌̚1̸̡̡̪̬̪̪͕̺̤̙̥͖̣̬͈̲͎͇̜̪̥̻̹̗̤͚͉̌ͅ1̵̢̻̪͚̰̙̯̥̝̩̫͌̃͜ͅ-̷̡͍̻̯̥̗̾͗̉̈̃͠͠ͅ2̴̨̡̛͕̯̝̄̄͌́̋͊͆̀͐̒̒̑̎̂́̀̚̚͘̕̕͠͝͝͝͝ͅ0̷͔͍̈́͑̅͆̋͐̍͂̌̒̕͘2̴̛̼̪̤̝̠̙̙̞̣͊̈́̇́̎͊̊̌̾́̀͗̈́̓͑͠͠ͅ5̵̢̛͈͉͉͚̥͆͛͆̄̄͐͐͗̅̉͒͛͐͑̈́͆̔͐̅̿̂̉̓͘͝͝͝ ̴̲̰̹̺̤̤̯̼̫̗͈̲̫͉̘͍̮̱̆̀̋̿͗͐̐͠͝

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F̷̢̣̯̖̳͉̯̠̙͍͍̘̜̣̳͓͔̝͓͚̫̿͋̌͒̈́́͊͑̀̀͐̌̅̍̃̉̾͂̄͒̓̐͋͂͑̅̐͌̽̕͜͜͝͝͠ͅR̵̹̩̭̫̣̦͔͔̰̖̱̦̲̻͙̪̺͍̲̜͉̆̾̓̓͆̏̀͒́̔̈́̌̐̉̊̓̇͋͝͝͠͝Ǫ̴̛̛̗̬͚̤̝̗̮̳̱̊͐͌̅͑͆͊̂̔͑̄̈́̋͊͛͆̏̇͌̎̃̽͋̊͛̕̚͠M̴̨̧̧̛̫͕͇̱͈͈̗͍̩͔͎̠̼̬̺̗̙͔̦̰̻̒͌̋̈́͆͋̈̌͋͘:̵͇̝͓̟̞͉͈̞̲̺͚̹͚̳͔̹̭̍̎̋̍̎͛̓͋̍̏́̐̏̆̐̀̓̅̽͜͝͝͝ ̶̢̱̪̰͚̞̤̠̼͖͖̭̎͛̏̾̿͛̀̂̂̇͆̐̾͊͂̍͐̽́̈́̋͑̂́̏̓̑́̎̌̐͗̿͗͆̓͝͠͝͝͝M̶̢̦̠͈̦̳͔̮̝͚̻͎̱̘̙̜̬̙͍̳̎̂̿͐̉̃́̓͐̒͂̋͐̅̕͜͠.̵̣̱͇͂͂̈́̐̀͗̔̈́̾͆͊̓͒̒̆̾͆͐̕͝Ķ̸̨̟͎̥̼̦̫͈̟̳̣̞̫͙̪̣̩̰͇̤̣͉̹͐̈̆͋͆͒́̌̊̃͑̀̓̿̅̾̈́͌̒͆̓͌̌̋̑̌̈́̽̌͌͝͝͝͠

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     It's been exactly Three weeks since you and Mitsuri decided to train together. You two mastered the Concentration Breathing: Constant technique and even sparred in close combat, and sword fighting together, ensuring that the two of you would finally reach the desired goal so the two of you would pass Final Selection. Speaking of, you're currently in the waiting for the two Ubuyashiki kids to appear. Both you and Mitsuri were jittery and nervous. You had packed loads of food, necessities and medical supplies, while Mitsuri brought the entertainment supplies, water, and matches to light fires. Once the kids arrived, they clapped their hands and began explaining.

     "Hello everyone, welcome to the Final Selection test. Here on Wisteria Mountain, you will go Five days in the demon-infested forest and will be left to fend for yourselves till you reach the end. Not everyone will survive, but we believe in this generation. At the end, we'll explain how you'll get your swords and Slayer status. Thank you for listening, and please continue forward until the Wisteria trees are out of sight. Good luck, everyone." One of the kids said before they both moved out of the way, and everyone proceeded to enter the forest.

     You and Mitsuri looked around, noticing the multiple demons in the surrounding area. You noticed a particularly large one. Similar to the hand demon Tanjiro faced, but with... Feet? What?? You scoffed before yelling:

     "Ice Breathing, Eighth Form: Sheer Pressure!" You quickly jumped high ran up the demon's arms as it flailed it's limbs around, disrupting your footing, but you had anticipated so, therefore you jumped again, backflipping before quickly cutting it's head off, and crushing the entire body due to the pressure exerted from your swing, ensuring it'll be unable to regenerate, and will die.

     Mitsuri looked at you in wonder, you had defeated a demon that all the other slayers were terrified of. Even she had been afraid of it previously. Yet you handled it perfectly, with elegance and attentive care that you made it seem easy. Mitsuri beamed as you approached her.

     "Y/N! That was amazing! How did you do that so well?" She smiled and hugged you as you chuckled, pulled back and looked her in the eyes.

     "Well, before and during my adventures with you and Rengoku, I had experience in slaying demons, and therefore I assessed which form of mine would be the most suited for the situation at hand. Thank you, Mitsuri, but it wasn't all that much." You said, scratching your neck nervously, obviously sheepish. Mitsuri seemed totally offended, as if you were the one to insult her.

     "What!? Y/N, if you're insulting your own abilities, you're insulting mine, too! Mainly cause your abilities are so much more impressive than mine!" She squeaked out, clearly insulted and flustered. You tried to calm her down and mediate her, but it took a while before she finally calmed down. 

     You and her began to take down more and more demons over the next few days, while also rationing and measuring out how much food and water you two would have to drink depending on how much the two of you would need throughout the five days you guys were there. Eventually, by the time the third day came, you two had nearly wiped out half the forest. You had even protected dozens upon dozens of slayers from dying. So that was a good thing. 

     Currently, it was day time of the fourth day. You knew that the end was approaching, so you and Mitsuri were happy about that. You two were fed up of the stench of the dense, dark forest and how bad you two smelled, despite the fragrances you two put on. Finally, you two came across a hot spring, so you two quickly entered, basking in the pure warmth that invaded your bodies. You two quickly helped each other clean the areas you couldn't reach yourselves, and then after some quick banter, got into some newer clothes.     

     Finally, the last day came. nearly Seventy-Five percent of demons in the forest were killed by you, Mitsuri and other slayers as well. You had finally reached the end. After waiting around Two hours, the rest of the slayers finally grouped up. There had only been Six slayers that died out of the Forty-Five that were here in total. The two Ubuyashiki kids finally came out.

     "It seems not many slayers had perished. That's good, you slayers seem promising. Now, you all will have ranks. The more missions you do, the higher up you'll get. You all will start from the lowest rank: Mizunoto. There are Ten ranks. Eleven, if you consider the Hashira. It goes by Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, Kinoe, and finally, The Hashira rank, gained by killing Fifty demons, or a Kizuki." The kid on the right explained. 

     The kid on the left the began talking. "As well, you will choose a material used for your swords in just a moment. In a few weeks time, you will be delivered your sword. After picking wisely about your material, you may be allowed to go home." The kid on the left nodded to the kid on the right. The kid on the right brought out a box full of small rocks. They all looked similar, but then the voice boomed in your head before you chose the one you wished for. 

     "Y/N. I want you to pick the second rock to the bottom left. That material is important to what you'll be learning in the future. So please, pick it before someone else chooses it." You sighed before picking it, examining it and putting it into a box that you had brought with you. Once everyone had chosen their materials, the girl on the left spoke once more.

     "Alright, now, every slayer has a designated messenger bird. Most likely Kasugai crows, but sometimes you may get other species of birds." The kid on the left then clapped her hands and many crows landed on people's shoulders. Your crow though, seemed to be unique, since it was a little more dark blue. Interesting. The crow then cawed, and you seemed to immediately understand it. It seems that it was a nameless crow.

     "Alright then.. I'll call you Knight, then!" You smiled. The reason you chose it? Because the look of the bird reminded you of the Pokemon Corviknight, so you decided to take a bit of unoriginal inspiration from it. Any who, Mitsuri was beaming with excitement and named her crow Urara, and she put a clover crown on it. You chuckled at the wholesome sight before deciding collectively, since this was all done, to finally head back to Rengoku's estate.

     Once you two finally arrived, Rengoku ran towards you two and hugged the both of you tightly. 

     "Hahaha! I'm glad to see you two back! I knew you two would come back unscathed! I can't wait to see what you two can do, fellow newly-slayers!" He chuckled, happily teasing the pair of you.

     "Kyojuro! Don't tease us! We just got back!" Mitsuri squealed as we all laughed together.

     Ah, it was quite a sweet scene. Though, after you all finally calmed down, you both immediately went to clean up and sleep since the quality of sleep gained in the Final Selections forest was kind of sucky. So you both went to your beds and finally got the rest you both deserved.

(A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter is shorter than usual, I'm a bit more tired since I have a lot of work on my hands. Thank you all for reading!)

(Word count: 1292 words!)

END OF THE PRE-TRAINING ARC.

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     It had been two weeks since Final Selection. In the mean time between now and then, you, Mitsuri and Kyojuro have been just relaxing, and gossiping about how your swords would look like. Kyojuro even warned you two of  "that one stubborn and uptight Swordsmith who would be willing to kill if you break his sword he made you," ... You had a feeling you knew who he was talking about. But low key, you can't blame him though. If you spent hours, maybe even days on a sword just to get broken after barely a week, you'd be pretty pissed too. But regardless, everyone is assigned a Swordsmith. You just prayed you didn't get him because of his up-tightness.

     But, all happy things must come to an end. The day of the sword's arrival had come, and therefore you and Mitsuri had to meet your Swordsmith's. Kyojuro had answered the knock at the doors before calling the two of you over. You quickly ran over, curious and dreading the moment. And to your dismay...

     Hotaru Haganezuka. In the flesh. And you knew Mitsuri's Swordsmith was Kanamori, so it was clear Haganezuka was your Swordsmith. You internally pray you don't ever break your blade in the future. 

     "Hello, new slayer. I suppose you're awaiting your sword, no?" Haganezuka said with an almost chipper attitude. "My name is Haganezuka!" He scanned you up and down, mentally assessing your looks, then propping up. "Perhaps with your H/C, you'll get an F/C sword!" Haganezuka looked giddy as he handed the sheath and sword over to you. You heard Kyojuro laugh.
     "Ah, Haganezuka, don't make too many assumptions towards their sword now, we do not wish to get our hopes down, do we?" Kyojuro crossed his arms as he chuckled. You simply nodded nervously, careful with the sword and slowly pulled it out of it's sheath, revealing it's shining metal glow beneath the sunlight of the nearby window. You then noticed Kanamori approaching the scene, since Haganezuka had practically sprinted here earlier to see the new slayer he was gifting the sword to. 

     You finally pulled it out and examined it. After pointing the tip towards the ceiling, you heard a squeal from Haganezuka.
"It's turning color!!"

     ... Except, while it did, your jaw almost dropped. Black. Almost a void, black. You had to pinch yourself to make sure this was real. Your eyes darted to Haganezuka. 
"...Haganezuka, aren't black swords associated with slayers of the past?" You questioned. You couldn't reveal that it meant it was supposed to be a road towards Sun breathing, but you would just use the family history book as an excuse to show the knowledge you have that black blades are most often used by people who knew Sun breathing and the past.

     "I suppose... Wait, how do you know of such a thing?" Haganezuka seemed disappointed, sad it didn't turn another color, before then turning confused as to how you knew of such a tale.
You shrugged. "My ancestor made a book about the first breath styles and the common sword's colors back in their day, so I knew it from such." You explained it thoroughly. While it wasn't wrong you had the book, it didn't state the sword colors or the majority of the main breathing styles. A white lie, I suppose.

     Haganezuka nodded and finally you all saw Kanamori get to the door.
     "Ah, hello everyone. I have a special delivery for Mitsuri Kanroji?" He looked around before spotting the girl with the cherry blossom-pink with neon Green ended hair. He walked over calmly and handed the sword in it's sheath to her. Mitsuri smiled and quickly took out the sword, noticing how it became pink and almost bend-y in the process. 

     "Oh my god! Thank you so much, Mr. Swordsmith!! But, I have to ask, how come the sword is bendy and flexible?" She tilted her head out of curiosity, but excitement was evident in her tone.
     "Well, you see, Ms. Kanroji, I heard you developed a flexible breathing style, and I believe it would go best with a more flexible sword. As well, it creates clean cuts, and not as much pain when the demons themselves are slayers, so they may not notice when they're cut until it's too late if you make a mistake!" Kanamori explained proudly but then remembered something and said, "Also, you may call me Kanamori." Mitsuri squealed and shook his hand quickly before admiring her sword. 
     "Thank you so much, Mr. Kanamori! This is absolutely awesome!" She beamed with light that could rival a kid's on their birthday. She practically buzzed with infectious energy that brought a smile to you, Kyojuro, and even Haganezuka under his mask. You quickly congratulated Mitsuri for getting such an amazing improvement on her sword, meaning missions will be easier for her!

     Eventually, when the two Swordsmiths left, you pulled Kyojuro to the side after Mitsuri announced she was going to train with her new sword to get a feel for it. 

     "Kyojuro, I'd like to ask you something." You said bluntly, your voice trailing off, nervousness pooling right beneath your chest.
     "You see, I'm aware that the black sword color has history, and I was curious, do you know anything about it other than that it dates back to old times and a very powerful style that was supposedly wiped out?" You said quickly, your rapid fire Japanese back and kicking once more.
He tilted his own head before letting out a hearty laugh. "Oh, Y/N, you are quite a character! Well, to answer your question, yes, I do have information about it. Specifically, on the supposed 'style that got wiped out' ... Though, I do not recall too much, my father does have records of such a thing. Would you perhaps like to join me in walking over and finding more about it?" He chuckled after he offered it. Your jaw has dropped once more. You had a chance to learn Sun breathing?
     "Yes! Absolutely! I'd do anything to learn about it! Lead the way, Kyojuro! I'll gladly join you!" You smiled as you fired out fast Japanese, but more comprehensible now. Kyojuro simply nodded and you smiled. Though you knew you wouldn't be able to master all the forms like Tanjiro could, you would still practice it, and use it if things get bad and your Ice Breathing isn't sufficient enough. And while you doubted such a thing would happen, you never know when you might meet a Lowermoon. Or even worse, an Uppermoon. You mentally shivered at the thought before Kyojuro's words broke through your thoughts and agreed to lead you to the Ex-Flame Hashira's estate ... Shinjuro Rengoku's estate.

     ... It was quite the gruelling trip. While it was only half a day's walk, going around a mountain just to get to a person's house was annoying. You were starting to miss modern transportation. But oh well. You finally arrived at the estate, so that's what matters. 

     Kyojuro knocked beside the sliding door and let himself in. You were nervous, but followed him, passing by Senjuro on the way to Kyojuro's dad's room. After the mini reunion, you had taken a deep breath and you both entered the ex-flame Hashira's room.

     "Hello, father." Kyojuro's voice cut through the thick tension in the air. The air smelled musty, and a small waft of alcohol filled your nostrils. You had forgot Shinjuro was a drunk. You heard the small clink of a glass bottle being set down as Kyojuro opened one of the blinds. In all his glory, the tall, stubbly chinned Shinjuro stood up in front of his futon. While the room was clean, it was obvious he had drunk. But only a little, since you two, luckily, caught him early and the soberest he's been that Kyojuro's seen.

     Shinjuro looked down at the pair of you two, scanning your features before frowning.
     "What's the meaning of this, son?" He said with power with underlying hints of fury and disappointment in his tone. He was obviously upset that you two had to see him in his in-between state, where he actually had to think and be aware of the situation at hand.
     "Well, father, we came here to learn about the black blade ... Specifically, it's history and the style that came with it, since young Y/N here had gotten one," Kyojuro explained relatively quickly, wanting to get the asking done and over with. Shinjuro's brows furrowed.

     "You wish to learn of that damned blade..?" He snarled with disdain. "Well, I suppose you came to the right place, but there's not much on that damned thing." Shinjuro scoffed as he shuffled his feet to his cabinet, a hidden compartment held the book. He took the book into his hands, inspected it and then scoffed even more.
"But, I can't just have some rando take this thing. It's an important part of familial history, and you, Y/N was it? You have to prove to me you're worthy of keeping this thing safe, because this is more important than all of our lives combined." He looked you dead in your eyes. Kyojuro tried to protest but he knew it's better to not mess with his father's orders. Though, he felt absolute dread come over him. There was no way you could take on an ex-Hashira, especially him.

     "I accept your challenge, Mr. Shinjuro!" You said with absolute determination. Of course you were nervous, but you trained hard enough that you could at least hold up your own. Shinjuro simply nodded and beckoned the two of you to follow him. Eventually, everyone ended up at the training grounds, Shinjuro not too far but far enough away from you that it was formal, holding a practice sword. You held your own in your hands. This is absolutely insane, you thought to yourself. Adrenaline coursed through your veins, making your hands tremble ever slightly. Shinjuro noticed and his eyes narrowed. Whenever someone shakes before a fight, they are filled with adrenaline, and could be even more dangerous than regularly. You finally heard Kyojuro's voice ring through the area.
     "Take a position and... Attack!" He said with a volume just loud enough to hear but not enough that other people like Senjuro could hear it.

     You quickly dashed to the towering Shinjuro, quickly aiming a fake hit to his legs, but hit his head. But, obviously, Shinjuro managed to side step your foot and catch your arm. He went to twist it, but you managed to pull your arm out and used the arm he used to near-catch it to jump above him and aim a sword-slash to his neck. He quickly blocked it with his own sword, using his strength to move it to the right side and then poke you with the front blade of it. Thankfully, you just moved out of it. You retracted the length, and quickly went for a cut upwards. You anticipated him blocking it to the left side, so you twisted it, ducked and went for a slash at the waist. While you didn't get a full slash, you felt the small feeling of hitting something. If your sword was a real one, his left side would've started actively bleeding slightly.
     "Hn, you got a hit on me, but don't think that means you're all that." Shinjuro said before suddenly releasing a Flame breath move; Unknowing Fire, so he ran at you, breathing in a specific pattern before aiming for a horizontal strike to your neck. Suddenly, you heard the soothing, almost god like voice come back to you.

     "Dodge left. Then use the Eighth form of your breath." The voice rang out through your head. You quickly did as instructed then mumbled, "Ice breathing, Eighth form: Sheer Pressure." 
     You quickly slashed at his chest, the force behind it lessened, as Shinjuro could tell, but still felt like it was crushing as he was sent stumbling to the ground. The Eighth form was your strongest form, and even now you couldn't use it to it's full potential, but it's good enough that you sent an unsuspecting Hashira stumbling and heaving from the pressure. 

     Shinjuro signalled a "T" signal, ending the fight from heaving that slight bit. He was sobered right up at this point and sighed, standing up, clutching his chest ever slightly. A large, almost disgustingly purple bruise, was starting to form in full bloom. He looked at you then back to Kyojuro before realizing something.
     "Young Y/N, did you just use the breath of Ice..?" He asked carefully, his eyes slightly widened.
     "Yes..? What about it?" You tilted your head, curious as to why he was suddenly curious. He began to explain. "You see, that breath is highly strong, and only a certain familial line held such a breath. While I'm sure you're already aware of that, you must acknowledge almost every slayer of the Ice has become a Hashira in no time.." His voice trailed off. While you knew Ice breathing was overpowered, you didn't think it was so powerful that even Shinjuro Rengoku himself would acknowledge it. He then continued.

     "I suppose that is why I've found a new respect for you. Protect this book with your life, and learn all that you can from it." Shinjuro said. You were absolutely astonished he'd give it up so easily. But hey, you'll take it! He then picked it up and underhand tossed it to you. And clearly it hit the mark, because it hit you full on, onto your head, which bounced off into your hands, unscathed. You mentally grumbled at this, but you smiled.
     "Thank you, Mr. Shinjuro. I appreciate your respect.." You said with gratitude in your voice. He simply huffed and stomped back to his room, but not before mumbling a, "Don't let it get to your head, kid."

     Kyojuro looked between you and the book. Were you a wizard? How in the world did you make Shinjuro soften up and give you respect like that? You had to be some sort of witch. He looked at you with mini sparkles of admiration in his eyes, feeling proud of his student.
     "Well, that was eventful! Perhaps, I can help you train with such a thing since it might mention the old breathing style, and you seem willing to learn it! But now, we should depart, we need to reach my estate before sundown!" He smiled and crossed his arms before walking off, gesturing for you to follow him to finally go home.

     Finally, it was around 5 PM (17:00) when you got back to the flame estate. You were kinda fatigued, while Kyojuro was buzzing with energy. You, him and Mitsuri made supper and ate, and decided to call off training for tonight since Mitsuri was tired from training with her new sword, and you were tired from so much walking and travelling. You all decided to hang out in the room of the living, just to kind of chat and talk casually.

     "So, what did you guys do while you two were down? You gotta tell me! I wanna know all the details!" Mitsuri said happily, leaning a bit against you.
      "Well, we didn't do much, mostly walking, but I got to challenge the ex-flame Hashira, so that was kind of cool. I half-beat him and he went on this mini monologue about my breath being super strong, and gave me the book reluctantly and said I had his 'respect.' Then... More walking," You explained casually, acting as if it was just a small, every day thing. Mitsuri's jaw dropped and looked to Kyojuro.
     "Is this true, Kyojuro? Did they actually do all that? Did they actually get his respect? Not to mention, they're actually going to train in this old style!?" Mitsuri asked quickly while Kyojuro chuckled at her rambling.
     "Yes, indeed it's true, Mitsuri. They did, in fact, do such accomplishments. Even I was impressed at such a thing, haha!" Kyojuro smiled and laughed heartily, his voice reverberating throughout the room. Mitsuri looked at you with fascination, before realizing she was staring and quickly looked at her hands folded in her lap, obviously flustered from being caught staring.

     "Anyways Mitsuri, how'd your training go? Are you getting used to your sword?" You smiled as you asked, curious if she's satisfied with herself. She looked up and smiled.
"Yes! It's going amazing! Plus, I look even cooler cause I can have signature moves right after I perform each form now!" She giggled and then remembered. "Oh yeah, also, we got our uniforms today, so I tried mine out, and I look amazing!" She quickly got up and continued rambling, "Here's yours, and I'll go put on my own to show you guys!" She tossed your uniform to you as she scurried to go put on her own uniform in her room. You looked between the uniform and Kyojuro but realized something odd... There was a large hole in the front, right where the chest would be. (If you don't have breasts, the chest area is completely revealed like Sanemi's uniform.) Not to mention, the skirt was sort of short. Suddenly you realized what this meant and was about to yell, "Mitsuri no, come back!" But it was too late. She came back out with the uniform on and both yours and Kyojuro's jaws DROPPED.

     "... Mitsuri Kanroji... What in the dear heavens are you wearing!?" Kyojuro physically recoiled back and covered his eyes. He was utterly horrified. Mitsuri seemed confused and almost hurt.
     "I don't think it's that bad, is it?" She asked, tilting her head. She looked at you for confirmation. "Y/N, is it really that bad?" She pouted.
     "Mitsuri, it is that bad. Your boobs are practically being spilled out. Please go get changed." You said with a waver in your voice, trying not to cringe, and ensuring you're not looking at her chest area.
     "Nope! I really like this look! I look super pretty!" She giggled. You had to sigh while Kyojuro peeked at Mitsuri. He hated how much skin was shown on his student, but he knew he had to get used to it. You then looked at your uniform and a dagger formed on your forehead. You then grabbed it, and quietly walked out of the room with it. 

     "Y/N, where are you going?" Kyojuro asked while Mitsuri and him went to follow you. You didn't bother replying, only one thought in your head: Get rid of this monstrosity. Once you got to the backyard with the fire pit, you lit a fire, ensured it was huge and threw it in, sheer animosity burning in your eyes. Both Kyojuro's and Mitsuri's eyes widened and dropped. You just pulled a Shinobu move. You then turned to them.
     "There, now I'll request the proper uniform." You said with finality in your tone. You quickly called for Knight, your crow, to send a vocal message to the part of the corps that makes the uniforms that your uniform "mysteriously burned," despite its anti-flammable material. Once all was said and done, you turned back to Kyojuro and Mitsuri.

     "Let's go back in, shall we?" You smiled innocently, acting as if you didn't just start a fire to burn anti-flammable clothes. Kyojuro sighed and Mitsuri simply hummed in agreement, so for the rest of the night, you all just hung out and talked about everything and nothing.

(Phew, that was a long chapter. This is a chapter to make up for the fact the last two were short, and it's also a half-filler half-plot chapter. Also cause I need to get a little more farther in my story planner, so here's some time spent with your current two best friends! Also sorry this is a bit late, things have been hectic af. Anyways, stay healthy, eat well, drink loads of water, and stay safe!)

Word count: 3321 words

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