Alone No More {GiyuShino/SabiMako/TanKana}
Chapter 1 - Attack
Shinobu woke up to someone shaking her shoulders.
“Shinobu, wake up! Hurry! We need to leave!”
Slowly, her eyes parted open, finding the pair of eyes that belonged to her sister, Kanae, looking down at her.
“Nii-san…what’s going on?”
Kanae looked around cautiously, putting a finger to her lips, she said, “We need to leave. Come on.”
Dragging Shinobu out of bed, Kanae led her to the balcony. The younger girl gasped at what she saw. The whole village has erupted in flames. Kanae tugged at her hands, “Shinobu…”
She looked at her sister and nodded, “Let’s get out of here.”
Together, they jumped off the balcony, rolled to prevent getting hurt too seriously, and ran.
The two siblings reached the foot of Mt. Sagiri when a pair of demons stopped them in their tracks. Kanae cut one of them down, but the other took the opportunity and sank its teeth into her shoulder.
Shinobu watched the scene in horror. “N-no… NII-SAN!!”
Kanae looked back at her little sister and smiled, “Shinobu, run. Run as far as you can. I’ll hold him off. Don’t forget everything I’ve taught you… okay? You don’t need to do this… you can live a normal life… get married… have a family…”
Shinobu shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “Nii-san… No! I have to do this! I don’t care if no one will like me in the future. I want to help, Nii-san…”
Kanae smile weakened, “If that’s what you want, I respect it.”
Shinobu lowered her head. The sound of metal skidding across rocky ground startled her. Soon, at her feet, she found a katana. She picked it up tentatively, her hands trembling.
“Take it.. Shinobu. Take it… and run!”
The young girl spared one last glance at her sister before running up the mountains like her life depended on it because it did. ‘Nii-san… I’m sorry.’
. . . . . . .
Shinobu stopped when the sun came up. She took one look at the village. Her home. It’s in shambles now. Sighing, she continued onwards. Her legs ached and her lungs burned, but she had to keep going. ‘For Nii-san.’
But she didn’t go far before she collapsed. Her vision was getting cloudy and she found that she couldn’t move her body. ‘Tou-san… Kaa-san… Nii-san… Is this where I’m going to.. die?’
Just before she lost consciousness, she saw a figure hurrying her way.
Urokodaki Sakonji was heading down the mountain early in the morning before his three Tsugukos started training. He often ran down and up the mountain to replenish the supplies that were necessary for life in the mountains. Today was different. That morning when he woke up, he sensed a demon, no. Rather, two demons had attacked the night before.
He hurried his way through the mountain, only to find a girl halfway down about the same age as his apprentices, 11 or 12 at best. From there, he got a clear view of the town. Or more precisely, what remained of it. The village had been burned down, ash and soot decorating the ground.
He sighed and carefully lifted the girl from the ground.
Clink
Underneath the man’s mask, he eyes went wide. That sound was all too familiar. The sound of a sword readjusting in a person’s hand. He looked down. Sure enough, the girl held a katana. Urokodaki frowned. The girl was not wearing a Demon Slayer uniform, so she couldn’t possible have a Nichirin sword. ‘Who does it belong to.. and why does it look familiar?’
He carefully took the sword out for the girl’s hand, and set off towards his cottage.
. . . . . .
Makomo woke up to the sound of birds singing through her window. Groaning, she got out of bed and changed. Makomo was dressed in a red yukata with a flower print on it. On top she wore a purple, sleeveless haori. Bound at her waist, was a pale brown fabric. After changing, the girl made sure to tend daily necessities. Walking to the kitchen, she finds that the boys have not yet awaken. “Sleepyheads. Hmph, I always have to do everything.”
She cooked a basket full of onigiri for them to eat. ‘Urokodaki-san must be out again.’ She thought. ‘I hope they don’t eat everything, so that at least he can get some.’
After the girl finished her portion of the meal, she put on her footwear, a pair of closed-toed, light brown flats that ends with an ankle strap linked to the heel of the shoe. Makomo headed off towards the summit of Mt. Sagiri, ready. The girl had only started training for two months and got the hang of it way before Sabito and Giyuu had, who had been training for nearly eight months. As she headed up the mountain, she made sure not to engage with any of the trap wires, just as Urokodaki had taught her. At her waist, was a katana given to her by the elderly man. Now that she reached the start point, she held it in her hands.
“Makomo, you’ve learned a lot in these past months. Starting today, you’ll trained to deflect everything that’s thrown at you.” That was what he’d said when he’d given her the sword
She looked at the katana she held in her hand. ‘I will not fail you, Urokodaki-san!’
With that, Makomo ran down towards the cottage, katana in hand. ‘Knives.’ There, to her right were a dozen knives flying towards her. Makomo hit them all, but had stopped in her run. ‘Dang it. Again!’
But no matter what, she always failed to keep moving when she parried a blow with her sword. By the time she made her way to the cabin, she was exhausted. Cuts and bruises from the attacks she hadn’t managed to block in time had done its damage. ‘I guess I’ll have to keep trying.’
Suddenly, a knife came flying out of nowhere. Makomo deflected it with her sword. ‘What the heck…? Demon? No, it’s broad daylight.’ She scanned her surroundings carefully. Up on the road was a group of three. Giant, scarred men. She gritted her teeth. “What are you doing?”
“Get out of our way, kid. We’ve got business with Urokodaki Sakonji.” The one in front said, most likely the leader.
“His business is my business, airheads. Now, what the heck are you doing?”
“Ooh, feisty,” said another one.
“Listen, you may speak about me however you want, but don’t you dare step foot in this house, you hear me?”
“Oh, she thinks she’s tough. Boss, what do we do?”
The first guy spoke, “Leave her. She’s worthless.”
Makomo’s eyes narrowed. She stepped in front of the house and took her stance. “I don’t know what the heck you three are trying, but I won’t let you get anywhere near this house.”
The three men took out their weapons. One held a dagger, another held a bow and a quiver of arrows, and the last guy held a wooden club.
‘I have to block and attack while they shoot arrows from the back? This is going to be harder than I thought. Giyuu, Sabito, hopefully this wakes you up.’
. . . . . . .
Clash! Clang!
‘What is that noise..?’
Sabito sat up, rubbing his eyes. Curious, he glanced out his window. “Makomo…”
The boy watched as his friend cuts at the two armed with a dagger and a club only to jump back when an arrow was shot at her. Two already hit their mark on her arm.
‘I have to go help her!’ He scrambled out of bed, hurrying to Giyuu. “Giyuu! Wake up! We’ve got help Makomo!” The two hurriedly changed and ran outside, sliding the door open.
Sabito watched as the man raise his dagger, ready to end her. He ran towards them, and blocked the weapon just before it reached her.
. . . . . .
Makomo had knocked the club guy out with the hilt of her katana.
‘I’m so tired…’ Makomo watched as the man swung the dagger towards her neck. ‘Is this…the end..? I’m sorry, Urokodaki-san. Sabito… Giyuu…’
Clang!
Her eyes widened, and she looked up. Standing in between her and the man, blocking the small weapon was a peach-haired boy.
“Sabito…”
The archer gritted his teeth, aimed, and shot.
Another boy stepped in front of Makomo and cut the arrow in half. He ran over the man, grabbed the bow, and snapped it.
“Let’s see if you can use it now,” said the boy, his dark blue eyes boring into the man’s, katana aimed at his throat.
Sabito had push the guy with the dagger into the tree, knocking him out with the hilt of his sword as Makomo had done.
Giyuu repeated the action with the archer.
Both boys rushed towards Makomo, who was busy removing the arrows piercing her arm.
Sabito pulled her into a hug. “Are you alright?”
She nodded.
“Thank god.”
Giyuu smiled as he watched.
The three headed inside. Sabito tended to Makomo’s wounds as they awaited Urokodaki’s arrival.
. . . . . . .
Urokodaki had went over to the village to see if there was anything he could salvage. He found that the hospital hadn’t been burned down like the rest. Inside, he found all sorts of supplies he might need, multiple medicines. Books and files containing information on different diseases and illnesses, plus their cures. After he finished searching the town, he headed back home with the young girl on his back.
When he reached the cabin, he took in the three men lying unconscious around his house. Without giving them a second glance, he headed inside. There, he was greeted by Sabito, Makomo, and Giyuu.
Makomo, ever the observant one, asked about the girl.
Urokodaki explained how he had found her lying in the snow, unconscious. “I believe she was from the nearby village. Demons attacked last night. She’s the only survivor.”
Makomo suggested, “Let’s put her in a spare room. Lock the windows too. The door will be open, so when she wakes up, she might come out.”
Urokodaki nodded, “We only have three bedrooms, though.”
“She could sleep in my room. After all, she is a girl, and she’s about our age too!”
“Alright.”
Once they set her to bed, Urokodaki glanced at her one last time. ‘Why do you have a Nichirin sword and who does it belong to?’
A/N: I’m sorry, this is so bad.😭
