Fandom Kimetsu No Yaiba; Who...and what we fight for.

[ManofManyRoles]

Who do you fight for? And what would you willingly give your life away for?
The Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters; Two days after the summons

"This way! This way! The slayers are coming this way!" The shrill cry of a Kasugai Crow could be heard overhead, descending towards the ground with each spiral it flew in. "I can see them! They are coming this way!" Seated at the edge of a koi pond near one of the barracks was a young woman, hair a stark blue and contained neatly within a pink bow, the color a shade darker than the haori the young woman sported. Without a hint of ceremony, the crow landed atop her head, leaning its neck back to shout. "Your class is approaching!" Slowly looking upwards the woman gave a soft sigh, gently shaking her head to encourage the crow to mount her shoulder instead. "Yes, I heard you the first two times Yasu. No need to repeat yourself...I suppose I should stand and greet them properly when they arrive then." Her voice was soft and relaxed, reminiscent of the gentle flow of a cool river in how easily the words bled together, no rush to her voice or her mannerisms. Standing upright she brushed some of the dust from her clothes, starting towards the entry path that would lead to the barracks. How had she reached this point...being assigned as a tutor to a group of slayers? She was reluctant to agree with such an abrasive mindset that some of the Hashira had...but yet, they were right. The Slayer Corps was bearing weaker fruit with each passing year, and if things did not become remedied any fruit offered within the next decade would be small and without the flavor of courage or skill. So she had been 'elected' to lead this training task force. Of course...she hadn't been informed of just how many she'd truly be dealing with, nor the ranks of each of them...she wasn't even given a name. "How do you think this will go, Yasu? Are you nervous?" "I am never nervous! I think this will go fine!"

The woman smiled slightly at that, looking over at the bird. "Never nervous? Is that right? So what was that about 'this is awful' you were shouting just the other day?" The crow seemed to choke on its own air, shouting in a comical fashion. "It was an act! If I looked nervous, you couldn't be! You'd have to be the brave one! That's how it works!" "How generous of you, Yasu." Eyes the color of cherry blossoms scanned the walkway, her hands folded behind her back. "Yasu, I love your company...but aren't you supposed to let-" "Grk! Yes, I am supposed to let the others know! I'm going, I'm going!" The crow flapped its wings several times as it took to the air, flying away to leave the woman standing at the road by herself. So this was the day then? The day she helped sharpen the blade of the Corps to better perform their duties?...As nervous as she felt deep down, she was also quite looking forward to this.

 

[kakemha]

< sakura aka >​

"You think you're ready?" Sakura's crow asked her. He was sitting atop her shoulder as she walked into the direction of the location that she was instructed to go meet her new sensei and probably classmates. She nodded in response of the crow's question. She left earlier that she probably should've, punctuality was something she valued, every second counted to her. Her mind began to wonder, thinking thought about. Considering her age and rank, she technically could be on par with Tanjiro and his group of friends, which Sakura felt wasn't true. His group was on a whole other level compared to her, she wouldn't be surprised if they skipped a few ranks and are almost at Hashira level. She thought about her soon-to-be sensei, her rank would obviously higher than her and her student, she wondered what they would be like, kind or strict. What kind of breathing style would they possess? And then she wondered about her classmates, what would they be like, what kind of breath styles would they use? All the same question ran through her head for both parties. This was normal for her, keeping things in her head. Most people might talk to a friend or even talk to themselves, but not Sakura, everything was kept in her head.

"Sakura needs to stop worrying! We are almost our destination!" The crow shouted out once more. "I'm not worried, Senbi-san. More curious." She explained, in her normal calm and soft voice. "We are here! We have arrived!" Senbi called out as they reached their destination and flew off her shoulder. She saw a girl with blue locks tied up in a pink ribbon, although the color was darker than her hair. But her haori was more like her hair color, a cherry blossom pink, maybe a shade lighter. The woman looked beautiful. Of course, this observation of her's only took about a second. She stepped in front of the blue-haired woman and bowed formally. "Nice to meet you Sensei. My name is Aka Sakura, in the Tsuchinoto rank, and I will be in your care as your student from today onwards." After her introduction, she stood straight once more, and stepped back a few times. Sakura had to formal towards her, her rank, age, and probably experience were much higher than hers. She wondered what everyone would think of her.

 

[Phayne]

Interacts: Akimine ManofManyRoles // Sakura kakemha

Plagued by the all encompassing darkness that he had been cast into all those years ago; Renji found himself isolated within the barren dirt road that he been travelling upon, his head raised skyward towards the looming sun above as his right hand tapped away at the hilt of his blackened blade. Despite the radiant light that shown down from the star above, Renji was still shrouded in the void of the abyss, eyes staring deep into its viscous black nothingness. Had it not been for the heat that radiated off of the sun, Renji would have been none the wiser as to the time of day. A wry smile spread across his face as he briefly recalled a time long since passed; a time when his vision had not been robbed from him and a time when he had barely even stopped to appreciate such marvels. Only now that it had been stolen from him, did he truly begin to appreciate the gift of sight. A sigh escaped his lips as he lowered his gaze once more.

"How much further?" he asked, his voice rasp as he tilted his head sideways towards a nearby tree in which his avian accomplice presently rested. His movement intentional as if he knew exactly where the bird was despite his disability. The bird however did not respond, as it preened its feathers in preparation for the gathering; the crow far more interested in its vanity over the duty and purpose of this journey. Typical of Nise, the bird not ashamed of its blatant acts of narcissism.

"Nise!" barked Renji, his brows furrowed as he grew impatient with the crows antics. How many times have they had to stop during this journey already? and all so that Nise could preen herself before they arrived at their destination. Truthfully, if Renji had been given the choice he'd have opted to go Crowless or at the very least trade her in for a more reliable companion. Alas, neither were options presented for the much maligned Demon slayer, his branch of study being a cause for much controversy among the upper echelon of the Demon slayer hierarchy. Perhaps that was the reason for his slow ascencion within the ranks? or perhaps that was the reason for his inclusion in this gathering of slayers. A collection of misfits and broken warriors sent to a make shift repair shop so that every last ounce of 'possible use' could be squeezed out of them.

"Nise!, Answer me!" barked Renji once more; his gaze still focused on the direction in which she was presently perched. This 3rd attempt at getting a response would prove successful as the crow finally stopped preening herself, her jet black eyes now glancing down at her designated slayer partner. "Kuraah~ Not much further. I'm almost done~" she replied though as she attempted to return to preening, a bright flash caught her eye and she took to the skies; just as the branch she was perched on was sliced off.

"Then let us be on our way. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we may be allowed to leave" replied Renji as he began to walk forward; his right hand back to the rhythmic tapping upon his blades hilt.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Kuraaah Kuraaahh I see them~" chimed Nise as she flew in circles above the gates of the barracks. Though while it could be interpreted as her seeing the other demon slayers, it was really the sight of the other crows that Nise had been so excited to see; her self pampering now about to pay dividends as she attempted to draw as much attention to herself and by extension Renji. "Renji! Renji! Hisagi Renji!! Hurry Hurry Kuraaah~" she continued to chime; much to Renji's annoyance. He didn't need her to introduce himself, nor did he really need her to make much noise to draw his attention in the right direction. Renji was well aware that they were nearing the barracks; the sound of chatter tickling his ears as he overheard the Tsuchinoto introduce herself to whom he assumed was the head honcho of this building.

"Hisagi Renji. Kanoe." the red head spoke straightforwardly as he stopped a few meters behind from where Sakura stood. "I've been instructed to come to this facility" he continued, right hand no longer tapping the hilt of his blade. "Forgive me If I am late, but there have been a few distractions along the way here". He finished, now placing his right hand across his abdomen and bowing ever so slightly. Whilst he physically could not see them as most people would; his unique form of sight had allowed him to distinguish the precise distance of both women standing near him. Once more a wry smile had spread across his face, before he returned to full height.​

 

[Archdemon]

Name: Tatsuo Mori
Rank: Tsuchinoto
Interaction/Mention: Phayne kakemha ManofManyRoles
​

Tatsuo was irritated at the whole thing the corps assigned him to. Training really? What the hell was the point of the breathing style master then? The final selection might as well have been pointless if they're worried about more training. Whatever he'll just have to deal with this until they finally assign him back to killing demons. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two containers, one being a pack of cigarettes and the other a match box. He put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, making sure to shake the match dead before tossing it. He puffed out smoke when the crow assigned to him cawed out "Ku-Kuraaaah! You are nearing HQ! Kuraah! You are..." "Shut up You don't have to say it twice flying pest! Just go inform whoever that I'm here." The crow cringed at the harsh tone and meeked out an okay... as it flew away nervously.

Tatsuo walked to the growing group of people, one being a small girl with pink hair, a man wearing a mask, and another girl with blue hair. It seemed everyone else was addressing the girl with blue hair. This already looked like a waste of time. He walked and stood off to the side of the group puffing smoke out through his nose. He definitely looked like he didn't want to be here at all. "Mori Tatsuo." was all he bothered to say. He suddenly finished his smoke, flicked it to the ground and crushed it with his nice dress shoe. He then crossed his arms leaned back a bit and waited for whatever blue girl was going to do.

The other two with him looked irritating to him. The man looked way too formal for his taste, the only thing if interest was his mask. Pink girl didn't look like anything special, probably isn't either. Either way he's stuck with these people for the foreseeable future much to his irritation.

 

[qingwa]

tomi tennoji
ManofManyRoles kakemha Phayne Archdemon

From behind came another student. Hers was a slim and dainty figure, covered under the Slayer's gakuran, her ankle length skirt seemed to wrap around her legs tightly. Her posture was perfect for a young lady like her, back straightened, arms in front of her body, and head slightly turned down.'This is awful.' On her shoulder was her Corps assigned kasugai crow, who conducted himself similarly; well-behaved. 'I don't want to be here.' The maiden walked slowly and quietly towards the group of fellow Slayers forming in the Demon Slayer Corps' Headquarters, eyeing each of them carefully. 'What did I do to deserve this! AAAAAA it's so- Ugh! This is all so stupid!'

She was faced with a new problem when she saw the four, who was she to address herself to? Was it the young with pink hair? No, it can't be, she looks no older than her. Maybe it was the tallest of the bunch, an adult man whom she could sense the flippant attitude of. What if it's the intimidating man? Probably not, though, he looked too... too unprofessional, probably too unambitious to become a trainer. Or was it the other woman, whom the former three were facing. It was hard to tell, too hard actually, so she opted to just wait for the others to speak and then introduce herself to the right sensei. ​

 

[Sopranos]

Nakayama An
Place: The Demon Slayer Corp HQ
Time: Morning
Tag: ManofManyRoles
​

A line of hot steam came up from a hot bowl, with a rich and brown coloured soup below. As he took a light sniff, a powerful and delicious scent almost hijacked his smelling sense.

-"It smells as nice as always, master."

The old man just smiled brightly and nodded, as the compliment from a usual customer was always pleasing to hear. As the old man could remember, this odd young man had been visiting this ramen stall of his for years. People came and left, but he kept coming back, ordering a special bowl with an excited expression, every day. But the own ramen chef never knew who this young man was or what did he do, as every time he asked.

-"I slay demons and rescue beautiful ladies for a living, sir."

That was his answer, every single time. After a while, the ramen owner just went along with the story, he just knew that there was an odd young man, called himself An, who would came here to order ramen and talked with him almost every day.

Without waiting any longer, An put his chopsticks into the bowl. The soup was sweet and so well-seasoned, and long with the well-cooked pork, naruto and the ramen noodle. As An started, he felt like he wouldn't be able to stop. This was indeed the best ramen in all Japan.

-" When you retired, you gotta teach me the recipe for the soup, master."

-" Maybe when you retire from monster slaying, I will teach you, kid."

Both shared a big laugh at each other as the ramen chef made the joke.

------------------------

As An was still enjoying his ramen, the sound of bird wings along with the sight of a black feather creature was approaching him, nearer and nearer. It may was an unusual sight for the people in the area, but An didn't seem to mind. The creature that was flew toward him was actually his crow, which had been assigned to him by the Demon Slayer Corp for a very long time. It soon found it way to the ramen stall and landed on An's shoulder. It made a light noise to his ear, like he was trying to say something.

"- I know, I still have a little time left."

An answered to the crow, as it was an usual thing to do. As he did, the bird continued to whisper to him.

"- Hell no! Get your own ramen!!"

Soon as An replied to the creature, it immediately made an annoying, irritating quacking sound.

"- Alright alright. Here you are you damn feathery weasel!! Always with the drama…"

An picked a slice of pork from the bowl with his chopstick and fed it to the crow. It seemed to be in a better mood after that.

But with the arrival of the bird, An knee its duty call, and he had to be off to soon. He was summoned to the headquarter that day for an important mission, but they didn't let him know any detail, they never do. It was not his first time to be there, he had been here a few time before, though he never really liked it there. They never summoned someone like him here unless something quite terrifying had already happened some place else. There were intels that there had been a trainwreck somewhere that involved demons, and the corp had taken actions. But that was as much he heard, no information about the outcome of the incident and casualties.

Approaching to the gate, An remembered the first time he came here. It was with his master, it was the first time he had seen his master being humble and answering to so many others. He did not know who was those people, but An understood that they're one of the most powerful and dangerous characters in this land.

An soon arrived to the hall, where there were more people to be found, though most of them were young, unfamiliar faces. He reckoned they're the junior rank demon slayers that also had been summoned for this duty. Some were much younger than him even when he first joined the corp.

But then, fortunately, caught his eyes was a welcoming sight, a friendly face. Without any hesitation, he reached the woman, you could see, though not clearly, that he's glad.

"- Lady Akimine! Its an honour seeing you here again. Or I should say "Senpai", as you already promoted to Kinoe. Congratulation by the way, since I haven't got the chance to see you for a long while.

He said with a light, welcoming smile toward the lady demon slayer, who was also the highest rank demon slayer here in the area. He remembered entering the Final selection the same year as her. They did a few missions and even trained together from time to time when both were still in junior ranks. But ever since both were promoted to higher ranks, both were assigned to different missions in different areas. Its nice seeing her again, especially then when she's already a Kinoe, a high rank demon slayer.

"- Look like we're working together again, huh ? But maybe you would know about what we're doing today ?"

He gently bowed toward the high rank demon slayer along with a light, warm smile.
​

 

[Maxxob]

CODE / ARKNIGHT

Erwin Kott

Location: The Demon Slayer Corps HQ
Old habits die hard

With each step, the man tried his best to be as quiet as possible while walking the dirt road, but alas, the sound of the leathery-soles hitting the ground was hard to not be heard. With each step, Erwin reminisced what got him there, walking up that road. Not even in his wildest dreams, or nightmares, he could have conceived living in such a different land. And yet, he didn’t miss the Fatherland: too many incompetent nobles in the army who clearly had no idea what they are supposed to do. While his entrance in the Bavarian Kriegschulle was certainly facilitated by his father rank and name, the German had put in the work and was deserving of his now abandoned rank. But even if it wasn’t the case, how could he just have forgotten the gruesome scene he had stumbled upon, shortly after his release?

“You are distracted! You are distracted! Focus! Caw!” - the black bird that sat on his shoulder began to yap, practically in his ear. Being brought back to the present with such a shriek-like voice made the man close his fist into a ball, forcing it tightly closed. He growled in a low voice, showing his displeasure with his companion bird - “Caw…” - Erwin sighed. He hated being helped by a crow, but he had to be thankful. The avian had been of great help since he joined his service - “Dankeschön, I will keep myself focused” - the man said in resignation, which each step bringing him and the bird closer to the gate. It appeared like not only him, but a group of other Demon Slayers had been assigned training by a much more experienced member or, at very least, that is what he expected.

“Look alive, Koru-san. We are here” - the man addressed the bird, walking past the gate, noticing there was already a sizeable group of five people gathered. He looked one by one in turn, taking in their first appearances: ( Archdemon ) first there was a man with long, black hair. He looked quite annoyed from his expression, while he smoked a cigarette. Indiscipline was the strongest feeling he got from him. ( Phayne ) Next, there was a red-haired man, wearing a mask that covered his eyes: was he blind? That was certainly curious, getting a feeling of respect, even more when compared to the first one. Looking at the other member groups, there were two young girls: one of them had ( kakemha ) pink hair, while the other had ( qingwa ) brown hair. He couldn’t help but notice the beauty the brown-haired one had. That only lasted a moment, since a different thought took precedence in his mind: why were there kids in the Demon Slayer Corps?

“No, you know nothing about it… yet. Do not form hasty ideas or judgements” - the ex-officer reprimanded himself, clearing any ideas off his mind. Lastly, ( ManofManyRoles ) there was a woman with long, blue hair. Looking at her, she gave off a strange feeling of command. Kott had made up his mind: she was the one supposed to train him and, even if she wasn’t, what were the chances of her being at the same rank as him? Approaching the group with an almost goose-step march, he stopped in an angle that her a clear line of sight towards him. Standing on only his left leg, he raised his right one to the side and, with a swift movement, moved it downwards towards his left leg. When both jackboots clashed against each other, they made a loud sound. The medals on his chest hit against each other, making small, metallic sounds and, at the same time, his right moved to the side of his head, giving the woman a military styled-salute - “Kott Erwin! Feldwebe…” - he stopped himself, noticing he clearly was present himself wrongly. The man was pretty nervous and, clearing his throat, he introduced himself again, this time with even greater gusto, almost shouting - “Kott Erwin! Rank Mizunoto, reporting for duty!” - the man stayed in that pose. It looked like he had missed the ( Sopranos ) third man completely

 

[ManofManyRoles]

The Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters; General Barracks
Sakutsuki Akimine

Minute by minute, a new individual joined the gathered party at the gate to the barracks grounds, a familiar face even among them. The blue-haired young woman offered no comment, not until the last person had joined them. Cherry blossom-toned eyes scanned the gathered faces, a calm little smile offered to An. The young woman seemed perfectly at peace, bird song evident from the treeline up to where they all stood. "It is nice to see you again, An. I am aware of why we are all gathered here, yes." The woman bowed forward, dipping low before straightening upright. "Greetings, to each of you. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Sakutsuki Akimine, Kinoe. Sakura, Renji, Tatsuo, An, Erwin..." she glanced towards Tomi, the only one to not introduce herself before she continued "Young miss. It has been decided by the Master that you will be entrusted to my care. Each of you has shown an impressive degree of promise to advance among the Demon Slayers in our unseen battles for the betterment of mankind. I humbly ask you to entrust me with your faith to sharpen your minds and your blades."

The woman folded her hands behind her back, her voice smooth and calm. Based on the way she spoke, she had a proper upbringing before the corps, every word properly enunciated and pronounced. And yet, even with that said, it was a smooth and gentle voice that delivered the words, almost refreshing to listen to compared to the barks and shouts one could expect in the heat of battle or from some of the more passionate demon slayers. "Very recently...Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku was slain in battle, robbing the Corps of a brilliant swordsman with a lust for life. It is the hope of our Master that, through this extra training program, we can build our strengths to protect innocent life, and prevent further deaths. You are all of varying ranks, but you will only defer to me during our training. In a battle, or on a mission, your rankings will stand the same and it will be acted upon as such. The word that supersedes my own would be of a Hashira's, or of our Master's."

She paused, scanning the ragtag group before her for a few moments. "I know of some of you, others I do not have the honor of knowing your stories. I hope we can get along well, all of us." She turned on her heel after another bow, motioning for them to follow her. "As one can never be certain when we will be summoned for duties, our training will be whenever we can take it. That means...it is effective immediately." After reaching the center of the yard she spun around, glancing at each of them again. "If any of you are of the belief I am unfit to be your teacher, I encourage you to prove such...Are there any questions in regards to what I have said, or in regards to me as a person?"

kakemha Phayne Archdemon qingwa Sopranos Maxxob​

 

[Maxxob]

CODE / ARKNIGHT

Erwin Kott

Location: The Demon Slayer Corps HQ
Old habits die hard

Erwin kept his salute, not staring directly at the ( ManofManyRoles ) blue-haired woman, having introduced herself as Sakutsuki Akimine. He took in every bit of information she gave them, clearly stating that, during the training, she would be the only authority and all other trainees would be equal, regardless of rank. The woman also had told them her rank: Kinoe. Despite being a Mizunoto, the German knew that was one of the highest ranks, only under the elite rank of Hashira and the very master of the Corps. From what their new teacher said, their training was a decision from the master of the Crops themselves. The way that woman spoke left an impression of Erwin. Educated, perfect pronunciation, having a smooth and calming voice. That gentle sounding blue-haired woman killed her good share of demons.

He swallowed dry, starting to follow her just as she had commanded. The German’s steps were heavy as ever, his mind was laser-focused, not wondering about anything in particular. As soon as she stopped and spun around, looking once again at the group, Kott immediately stopped. Putting both hands behind his back, standing with his back completely straight. His legs, firmly planted on the ground, were spread apart with a small distance between them. This time, however, he looked directly at Sakutsuki. She made a pretty simple proposal, those who think she is unfit to teach should prove it, right then and there. It was an effective tactic to break indiscipline, which he had already used quite a few times, including with new recruits that arrived months prior to the siege of Tsingtao.

The man turned his head left, looking at the other trainees, trying to see if he could catch any of them throwing down the gauntlet and challenge the female Kinoe. Following that, he turned his head to the other side, checking if any of the trainees to his right were going to challenge her. The bird on his shoulder had been dead silent since stepping through the gates. Erwin was glad that, apparently, the avian understood the gravity of the situation they were in. Or so he hoped - “Caw! Angriff! Angriff! Show that girl what you are made of!” - the black bird on his shoulder started to yap, loudly enough for the whole group and probably others nearby to hear it - “Punch her lights out! Caw!” - at that point, an audible sound of teeth grinding against each other could be heard. His left eyebrow twitched non-stop, his arm had moved forward from his back, his hand balled into a fist - “Shut up, you bird brain!” - Erwin said, turning his head left and talking to it directly.

After that embarrassing moment, he turned towards the blue-haired woman once again - “Please, forgive Kuro-san. He clearly doesn’t know the gravity of the things he just said” - the man looked a bit down, defeated, hoping the Kinoe would forgive its transgressions.

 

[Archdemon]

Name: Mori Tatsuo
Rank Tsuchinoto
Interaction/Mention: ManofManyRoles Maxxob Phayne Sopranos qingwa kakemha @
​

Tatsuo watched as 3 more people joined the ever growing group of slayers. The first of the three was another young girl, definitely more beautiful than most women he knew. She never said anything, probably because she doesn't know who to speak to. The next person was a rather average guy, taller than most though not as tall as Tatsuo himself. The thing that strike interest is that he already knew the Boss. Last man was definitely a foreigner, European by his looks and German by his name. He was by far the most interesting of this group besides the man with the mask covering his eyes. Looks like German was a soldier too, by the way he hangs his medals and his general posture. While most of these folks are mildly interesting, he at least hoped this whole training exercise they would be doing would actually teach them something. Be a real shame if it was simply a waste of time.

His attention was brought back to the woman in front of everyone, their blue haired boss. She spoke in a very proper manner, she was probably a rich girl before being a demon slayer. Still what she was before is no longer who she is, just like how Tatsuo isn't a Yakuza anymore. She asked for their faith to be entrusted to her to help sharpen both mind and blade. He didn't trust her that much yet, though it's not like he has much of a choice in this regard so he'll stick with the chain of command for now. He has to give credit to the Yakuza, they certainly beat you into the head about respect.

She soon lead everyone to the courtyard of the building explaining the situation and the reasoning behind being chosen for extra training. Tatsuo guessed he couldn't complain about having potential and promise. Still wish she would just get to the damn point, or the fucking lesson they should be taught. Instead she basically challenged anyone stupid enough to fight her if they believed she wasn't suited to being their teacher. He wasn't sure if she would be a good teacher if at all, however Tatsuo wasn't dumb enough to challenge a Kinoe or break one of the Golden Rules as a Demon Slayer which is not to fight amongst each other. He wondered if anyone here was dumb enough to try, until a damn crow began squawking at the german to try his luck. The german however kept himself composed and apologized for the bird's behavior.

Tatsuo looked at Akimine and bowed before he spoke.

"Yeah I have a question Boss. What's the first lesson? Much as I would like to see someone dumb enough to challenge you, I'd rather we get to the training we're assigned to. That way we get on track faster than watching someone get their ass handed to them."

 

[DipDapTheSlap]

Enjirou Rikitsuki

He hadn't anticipated walking all the way to the Slayer Corps headquarters. At least the weather was fair. Not to mention, the dango he'd stopped for along the way was delicious - even the stick was nice to chew on as an after-snack snack. It kept him from overthinking his summons.

Since joining the Demon Slayer Corps, he hadn't given it much effort apart from the day-to-day slog. His bird would give him an assignment and he'd do it, and then again the next day ad nauseum. The demons weren't his greatest threat, but routine and tedium were beginning to wear him down like a heavy cloak. He'd needed a change of pace; the summons was just that.

As he approached the barracks of the Corps HQ, he overheard bits of talking and crowing. He briefly wondered if this was the right place, but as he rounded the corner it became abundantly clear. These were people of rank. Multiple ranks, but nonetheless. A few looked like they could be Hashira, but the summons had indicated a Kinoe as their tutor. He looked for the one who'd be schooling them - maybe the tall guy?

"...faster than watching someone get their ass handed to them," he ( Archdemon ) was saying.

Enjirou whistled. "I'd watch that." Then he paused, as it occurred to him this might be a formal meeting. "Well, with permission."

 

[kakemha]

< sakura aka >​

Each of her fellow demon slayers showed up one by one. They all looked pretty strong and interesting, even spotting a foreigner amidst them ( Maxxob ). She wondered how they would all work together. But she got caught out of her thoughts when she started to hear the woman speak ( ManofManyRoles ). So her name was Akimine, which she would commit to memory. She also knew most of the others names, since she had gotten here first and heard their introductions, but she didn't know the name of the other 2. She glanced at them, one of them was a young woman, around her age she would say. She glanced a little longer at her, she was really pretty ( qingwa ). Once her gaze broke off from her, she spotted a boy, he looked older than her, but younger than the rest of the people here, he was sort of like a middle ground ( DipDapTheSlap ). As Akimine continued on with her introduction, Sakura noticed she spoke very formally, no silliness in her tone, well maybe aside from the end where she said someone could challenge her if they so wish. Honestly, no such idea even popped up in her head, it was idiotic and stupid, in her mind to do such a thing.

She watched as she walked to the center of the yard, were we supposed to follow her? Even if they were supposed to, Sakura wouldn't dare to step forward first, Akimine might see it as an acceptance to her challenge. Instead of focusing if there was anyone dumb enough to challenge her, she focused instead on what she had said afterwards, if there were any questions about her. But Sakura still remained quiet, most of the questions she had about her were trivial, and could be answered just by observing her. Like what her breathing style was, how was her fighting style, and things like that. So in her mind, there wasn't a use to ask questions about that now.

Hearing Mori speak ( Archdemon ), she turned to glance at him. He was right, what would our first lesson be. Most of us knew how to fight already, so it wasn't like Akimine could start by teaching them how to swing a blade, they had already gone through that sort of training. Maybe she'd spar with us one on one, and determine that she would train us on, or maybe they would spar each other, she could identify their strength and weak points from either method. All they group could do was wait.

 

[qingwa]

tomi tennoji
ManofManyRoles Maxxob kakemha DipDapTheSlap Archdemon Sopranos

Only speak when spoken to, those were words she lived by. Was she asked to introduce herself just then? Debatably. But it's too late for that, what was she going to do, step forward and do it then? All she could do was stare at the noblewoman who was nearing the center of the court.

The sound of Lady Sakutsuki's sandals on gravel being overpowered by the flailing of a man in heavy leather boots was one she was all too familiar with. They reminded her of running errands in town with her aunt, where her already light footsteps would get quieter compared to auntie's boots. She always they thought were too constricting on the feet, and they were so... well, let's just say she wouldn't wear them herself. The loud footsteps being heard then did not belong to her aunt, but to a foreigner, someone from Germany she believes.

Among the group there was only one other that was her age, and one treading the middle ground between them and the rest. This 'rest' was plenty intimidating for a girl of her stature, what with the being adults and the smoking and the use of the word 'ass', god forbid. Even more intimidating than that was the the man who seemed to be familiar with Lady Sakutsuki. When in a group, two people who are already familiar with each other are the worst. How envious she was of those with the privilege of seeing a familiar face amongst strangers, those who have someone they can speak comfortably with. If no one were looking, she'd be pulling out her hair.​

 

[Phayne]

Interacts: Akimine ManofManyRoles // Mentions: Basically everyone

For the most part Renji had stood firm; his gaze directed straight ahead of himself whilst his right index finger continued to tap away at the hilt of his blade; his red hair rustling against the oncoming wind. Whilst it was human nature for most people to 'observe' a new face and study their soon to be acquaintences; Renji for obvious reasons had remained rooted in his spot; not even flinching to the right or left when a newcomer approached and introduced themselves. Sound and smell were more than enough for him to paint a rough picture of who was around him and neither of those senses required him to turn around and acknowledge the presence of the others.

That being said, it wasn't as if Renji was completely ignoring everyone else. Rather he was doing just the exact opposite. Their tone of speech, the rhythm of their breathing, their accents and habits; any tiny detail that he could pick up to help him distinguish everyone from one another he was trying to claim. Having once been forced to accept the painful reality of the darkness he was now cast in, he too had to accept the necessity to look beyond what the eyes could see; to see what one could only find if they stared into the darkness long enough. Renji despite his troubles was perhaps the one looking at everyone else the hardest.

The scent of smoke had been the first to hit him; the aroma of a lit cigarette being quite potent amidst the natural aroma's that wafted through the vicinity; the aroma of Wisteria being smother by the scent of burnt tobacco. However that scent would soon be snuffed out as the sound of ash flickering off the ground could be faintly heard. Smoking and a blatant disregard for keeping the area 'trash free;. There was a certain type of person that these traits tended to stereotype and Renji was more than confident that he'd be proven somewhat right with his initial first impression.

The next was the sound of evenly spaced footsteps; the faint pitter patter of a well brought up individual. Her movements sounding somewhat restricted. Beyond those observations, Renji had very little to go on, considering she had been rather silent upon finally joining the group. It didn't take long however for the silence to be overwhelmed by another; the rather jovial and familiar tone of the next arrival being a clear indication that he at the very least was familiar with their assigned instructor. Whilst the familiarity between the two was evident to even the blind, it was still quite notable that there was a modicum of respect being offered from the man who smelt faintly of ramen.

Respect. The foreigner had taken that to a completely new level with his introduction. Formal and militaristic; the mans introduction had been a dead giveaway as to what he had been doing prior to becoming a demon slayer. His actions and demeanour were quite strange for someone unaccustomed to dealing with foreign outsiders, so Renji had to stifle a smile when he heard the man speak for the first time. A strange and unfamiliar accent, Renji hadn't the slightest inclination as to where this man was from and in extension his reasoning for joining the corps. That being said, his arrival did seem to signal the beginning of their training as Sakutsuki Akimine introduced herself to the group.

Renji had to stifle a sarcastic sneer towards her words; the sheer outlandish claim that his efforts had been recognized was quite hard to believe considering the initial outcry towards his admission in the corps. His attempt to voice his opinion on the matter was however cut short as Akimine broke the news of the Flame Hashira's death. Renji had no love lost for the man; the flame hashira being one of the more vocal against his acceptance. "Imitating a Demon is a clear violation of the code, We're within our rights to deal with him on our own!, We're going to behead him" were his exact words, if Renji remembered correctly. All spoken with that ridiculous self righteous smile of his. Alas, Renji wasn't a fool and mocking his death now would have done very little aside from turning everyone here against him.

With the tragic news given and the outline of the intentions of this gathering now explained, Akimine led the group towards the courtyard where upon arrival she'd soon open up the chance for someone to challenge her position. A tempting offer, yet one not as tempting as the apple offered to eve. Renji would stand back and continue to silently observe, waiting to see if someone was actually brave dumb enough to challenge the Kinoe. An opinion that others seemed to share as they voiced their thoughts. Rough and impatient was the mans tone, the smoker doing a good job at portraying his 'rough around the edges' demeanour. His choice of words were soon supported by a late arrival; a sharp whistle to hint at a rather carefree and lackadaisical attitude. The type to die early in a fight; noted Renji.

The others would remain quiet thus far and with no one else asking questions , Renji decided to finally take the reins and step forward with questions of his own.

"Sakutsuki Akimine" spoke Renji in a rather straightforward and deadpan tone. "While I echo Tatsuo's concern, I think we are skipping a step or two" he continued, still tapping away at the hilt of his blade. "I understand the goals of the master in having us gathered here, however I am yet to see the actual purpose and functionality of us as a group. Are we to be trained and strengthened as individuals or is the aim to make use of us as a make shift squadron? The answer will determine how we address the training" Renji continued to speak, still keeping his head directed at Akimine. "I'm sure the foreigner understands where I am coming from. The strength of a Unit vs the strength of an individual. What exactly is the goal?" Renji took a step forward, his finger no longer tapping the blade as he instead begun to grip it. "The Hashira are all consumed by their ego, one way or another; unwilling to accept what's different and only believing that their cause is the just cause with the only commonality being to slay demons. Yet now the brightest light among all of them has been snuffed and buried. Perhaps if they had been more fluid in their thinking, this would not have happened. Perhaps if they fought as a group rather than for their ego this would not have happened. So i ask once again..." Renji began to slowly draw his katana; the obsidian black blade out and pointing its sharpened edge towards Akimine. "Is the goal to sharpen each and every one of our blades, or is it to make all of us a a single blade sharp enough to defeat the demons?" ​

 

[DipDapTheSlap]

Enjirou Rikitsuki

This was why he used to skip training. The convictions of others were always so much stronger than his own. People fought for a reason, didn't they? You couldn't just kick ass because you wanted to; you had to have an underlying motivation for it. Say you want to protect the world from the ravages of death and despair caused by demons - that was a good reason for becoming a Slayer. Say your entire family was murdered by demons - even better, more personal. For him? Ah, seemed like a good idea at the time. It wasn't something a lot of people took very well, hearing the one who's supposed to protect them have such a shabby reason for doing so. Well, so what? Just because I was never personally affected doesn't mean I can't do this. I don't need tragedy in my life to decide to prevent it in others'.

He turned his attention to the self-assured movements of the red-haired Slayer ( Phayne ). Now that was a guy with conviction. It gave him the willies. He wasn't used to planning things out ahead of time; this guy talked like he was reading off a pre-written speech. At the mention of the recently slain Flame Hashira, Enjirou felt a twinge of melancholy. He toyed with the dango stick between his teeth. Nah, not melancholy...something else.

"Isn't this the perfect example of the Hashiras' fluid thinking? Look around you," he gestured to the varied attendance, "this is a first for the Slayer Corps as far as I know. Getting a bunch of us in different ranks together and training under a Kinoe, seems pretty obvious to me that the situation's desperate enough for them to try something new." Glancing again at the Slayer's posture, Enjirou figured out what that twinge was about. "Speaking of trying new things...you plannin' on attacking her ( ManofManyRoles ), or is that sword stance just for show?"

 

[Sopranos]

Nakayama An
Place: The Demon Slayer Corp HQ
Time: Morning
Tag: ManofManyRoles Phayne DipDapTheSlap kakemha Archdemon qingwa Maxxob
​

After the short and friendly reunion with Akimine (which gave him something early to be glad about in this assignment), An noticed about others in the area as well, it was a challenge not to. Even without Akimine, the group was still filled with significant individuals that had not only talents and experience, but intentions and confidence as well. Though none knew exactly the assignment here was, they had come here with purpose and readiness, as weapons seemed to be well prepared and none of them lost focus or were unaware. He wondered if Akimine could sense what An was sensing. If so, he wondered if she would be relief or not. As this was, despite how it's look, a decent bunch of fighters.

First one to got his attention was a young man in red, red hair, outfit and weapon (made An wondered if it was a traditional outfit of a specific clan or organisation). And he was blindfolded too, to An amazement. From his stance, An could sense confidence and readiness. He started his rank to be Kanoe. If he managed to become a Kanoe and beheaded his share of demons without his vision, that was something special and had to be noticed.

Another who was impossible to miss was a tall, tough young man, intimidating look, a long katana on his waist, along with long black hair and most notably his tattoos. Many symbolic tattoos that covered his back and legs. Those could be signs of yakuza, or other similar organisations. Maybe he had a history. No matter what, if there would be a fight in this area, none would choose to approach him first.

And then, the foreigner. He was rather a large fellow, the tallest in this area no doubt, bulky and muscular as well. But not just the body, but the eyes showed he was not someone to be easily brought down. He looked so different from the rest of the demon slayer, but perhaps An and the western man had more in commons. Both were outlanders of this country, though one from China and the other from the west. An wondered if the man ever experienced what he had experienced, and how had it been for him, to be a foreigner in a land that does not appreciated outlanders. That would be a fine conversation, along with a decent bottle of wine. But maybe it would have to wait.

There were two young girls in the group, they must have been somewhere 15 or 16. That was quite young even for demon slayer, who had to face gruesome creature everyday. They were both not new recruit but actually reached higher junior ranks, which was impressive, meaning they had seen a fair number of actions. And though they didn't show the confidence or intimidation like the other older members, they showed enthusiastic and there problems (no matter what they were) seemed to be not at beheading bloodthirsty demons. That was indeed something to be considered promising.

Finally there was a demon slayer with blue hair and eyes, carrying the Nichirin blade as well. This young man didn't get people attention until after he spoke. And by then, An saw a carefree, almost jovial attitude from the man. That kind of attitude could only come from a very high level of confidence on his own ability. Maybe that's from a wild, untamed warrior who's easily driven by the action. Maybe he had seen more than most of the demon slayers in this yard. That would have to be seen.

That was the group gathered that day, it might not be perfect, but surely showed potential.

------------------

The news confirmed something had him in doubt for a while, huge casualty for the corp. The sacrifice of the Flame Hashira may not have been a major casualty but also a disheartening and heartbreaking for most. He was not only a high ranked and well respect member (even among the Hashira) of the corp but also loved by his family and others. His death might have been a wake up called for the corp leaders and the Hashira as well. And this meeting was the result of that as well.

Akimine hadn't changed much since the last time they saw each other. Still want to persuade people by actions more than words. Challenging some of the younger demon slayers here was exactly that. And she wouldn't have done it without knowing her capability. Whoever going to step up was gonna have one of the toughest fight they ever had.

The red-haired slayer mentioned some true and fair concerns about the corp leadership. This attitude was surely driven by the greater cause of the corp, and his spirit was surely commendable. But sadly, even someone as high ranked as Akimine might not have been able to answered his concerns perfectly. Though she was a kinoe, she's still under someone else commands, and decisions were made by the corp leadership.

There were eagerness, no doubt, from everyone. An gave out a long sigh. All these eagerness, they hadn't even got the chances to introduce themselves yet and already somebody expecting a fight.

"- There is no need for that, lady Akimine. We are all ranked by a fair system, and I had the pleasure of working with lady Akimine in the past. I can assure you that any potential swordplay with Akimine at the moment would just be a waste of time. Instead lets hear what she's about to share about this mission. The quicker we do, the sooner we'll see what we're into."
​

 

[ManofManyRoles]

The Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters; General Barracks
Sakutsuki Akimine
The woman's gaze shifted from one face to another, lingering on the girl who seemed like she was more fit for starring in plays or film than slaying demons, such was her good looks. She had known a few girls like that growing up, typically they would have shied away at the mere thought of a profession that saw such rampant bloodshed. She had also been the only one to not give her name...perhaps she simply did not speak much? Attention snapped toward the westerner's crow at its demand its partner challenge her, head tilting ever so subtly in confusion. "It is fine, Erwin-san. The personalities and temperaments of the Kasugai can be...interesting, wouldn't you agree? I would be foolish to believe it spoke for you, just as you do not always speak for it." The rest of the commentary to follow was much the same thought process, belief that her statement had been purely to be bested in martial prowess. Violence seemed to be the first thought many of them jumped to. Before she could offer her rebuttal, yet another new face arrived. Youthful, with a rather lackadaisical attitude to boot. "Greetings. Were you also summoned to the barracks, or are you on your way?"

As Renji spoke, once again her eyes moved to focus on the speaker, only to dart to the newest face at his interjections and then back to Renji. "Well said, ideal questions to ask. I shall answer both you, and Mori-san, as one. There appears to be the belief I had fully intended for someone to draw their blade and challenge me to a battle. However, anyone can be strong, or build skill with a blade. But without the mind to utilize it, that is all one has. That was my intention when I invited any of you to speak up in protest to me teaching you all. Perhaps, Renji, you have offered the finest challenge for me to respond to. It is interesting, that you believe to be a unit and to be alone are mutually exclusive. Be it a Corps, or be it an Army, individuals must adapt to any situation given to them. Should I train you only to be skilled by yourselves, you will lack the ability to work together in the future. Should I train you to work solely as an ad-hoc squadron, you will only ever be able to achieve your full potential with assistance. Even the most basic soldier in an army is trained how to survive alone and how to fight alone. And even the most basic army is trained to fight as a single mind. These are not mutually exclusive, rather two sides to the single coin. To respond to your question...you will be trained in every aspect. You will learn how to utilize your strengths alone, and you will learn how to use these strengths to compensate for an ally's weaknesses. Alone you will be strong, and among allies, be they ones you make here or another Slayer you work with on a mission, you will be legend."

Before she could proceed, a loud caw could be heard, a crow flying towards the back of Akimine's head at a breakneck pace. "Kurwagh! Message has been delivered! They have been informed! Kurwagh, it is done!" The woman stepped to the side in a quick and easy motion, letting the crow land on her shoulder rather than her head this time. "Thank you, Yasu" "More slayers are expected! The Master sent more letters! She has been asked to assist with the increased number of students!" The woman paused, glancing towards her crow and sharing some unspoken understanding before she continued "Very well. Now then, the first skill we will work towards understanding. There exists a skill amongst the higher ranks in the Slayers Corps, and it is not one wholly exclusive to the Hashira. You should all by now be able to utilize Total Concentration Breathing. The next step is to maintain this skill constantly. When you sleep, when you eat, at every moment of your daily life. This is called Total Concentration Constant. To be able to do this, your lungs must be trained to utilize the air they take in properly, and your body must be able to keep up with it. This is not something that will be done overnight, even if it rather simplistic. We will train your lungs, and your bodies as a whole, to be able to reach this state. So...you'll be running today. The entire day, until the sun sets, you'll be joining me in a 'game' of tag. Your goal will be to be able to steal the ribbon I wear. You may attempt any strategy you see fit, cooperate or work alone, or even incorporate your sword skills. If that is done, you will all be given twenty minutes to rest, and we'll start again. We will begin once you have all voiced any questions you have. Does this sound simple enough?"

​

Maxxob Phayne Archdemon DipDapTheSlap kakemha qingwa Sopranos

 

[Phayne]

Interacts: Akimine ManofManyRoles Enjirou DipDapTheSlap // Mentions: Basically everyone

"The perfect example..." replied Renji, his tone low as he tilted his head to the right as if he were glancing back at Enjirou. "... how so?" he asked rhetorically, his tone verging on mocking. "Must someone die before action is taken? Must we sacrifice the strong just so the weak can get some notoriety?" he continued to ask, not really expecting to get an answer that suited his needs. "This is little more than a stop gap. A knee jerk reaction to the sudden and untimely death of Kyojuro. Could you honestly tell me that the corps would have taken such measures if Kyojuro remained alive? If so, why then was no action taken in response to the massacre at Mount Natagumo. How many comrades had to die before the Hashira were sent in?" again, more questions he wasn't expecting an answer for. "I see this as nothing more than a desperate attempt at trying to sweep over the many flaws that exist within our organization.." Renji sighed and raised his head skyward, lamenting his bleak outlook towards the demon slayer corps. "My intention is not to fight with Lady Akimine. I merely seek to discover what path we are fated to take. Are we to repeat the mistakes of our predecessors or are we to learn from them?"

Renji turned his attention back towards Akimine, his blade lowered as he began to sheath it back into its scabbard, just as she began to reply to his questions. For the most part, Renji had been pleased with the answer she had given though it appeared she had been slightly mistaken as to why he had asked such questions in the first place. Renji did not see the two as being mutually exclusive in the slightest, rather he was well aware that both were required to succeed in their line of work.

His reasons for asking the questions were for a far different reason. Past experience had made it abundantly clear how over reliant the corps were on their chosen Hashira; the belief that their individual strength would be the strength needed to turn the tides in their favor. However recent experiences have also proven how fragile and weak the vast majority of the demon slayers truly were. Case in point, the tragedy at Mount Natagumo and even more recently the death of the Flame Hashira. Why had the death of 1 man stirred the organization into such drastic action when the death of many had done little to change their archaic ways?.

"Very Well. If that are the intentions of the Master, then perhaps there is hope for the organization after all. " replied Renji, rather dryly as he stepped away from Akimine and took position to the side as she began to divulge their upcoming training exercise. A game of tag.
​

 

[kakemha]

< sakura aka >
​

She listened intently on the conversation between the 4, well mostly 3 adults really. They all brought up important points and rebuttals, it was a nice display of wisdom. But then she heard the instruction of Akimine for their first exercise, and understood completely. A game of tag, to help train their lungs. Tag, she was familiar with the game, although she hadn't really played it herself, she did have experience running away from others. But that wasn't the goal here, the goal was to grab the ribbon from her hair. In theory, Sakura should be great at this exercise, she was fast and nimble, but she knew that wouldn't be all that mattered here. "I do have a question, if you don't mind. You said this was a game of tag, what happens if we get tagged, presumably by you? The game of tag usually bears a punishment if other players get tagged by others, what will be that punishment?" She asked her. It would be important to factor in any punishments, if there were any. But she had a strategy in her mind, she would hopefully, play to her strengths. She was nimble, most people wouldn't expect it from her. "Senbi-san" She called for her crow companion. Landing on an arm she outstretched, she removed a black ribbon from one of its legs. "Thank you." She said, letting him fly off once again. She tied her tie up in a ponytail, and making sure it was secure. She took a deep breath in, trying to prepare for the exercise and awaited Akimine's answer to the question.

 

[Maxxob]

CODE / ARKNIGHT

Erwin Kott

Location: The Demon Slayer Corps HQ
Old habits die hard

The German was relieved when the ( ManofManyRoles ) Kinoe had not taken offence by Karu’s crazy ramblings. He and the out-of-the-line Kasugai would need to have a little chat when they were by themselves. When the ( Phayne ) red-haired asked about what was the exact focus of the training they would receive, mentioning Erwin by the nickname “foreigner”, he couldn’t help but nod in agreement - “Indeed, since von Clausewitz Military Theory and, more recently, the ever so aggressive von Mackensen, there is a clear distinction between training individual soldier skills and unit cohesion. One is, however, essential to the other. The whole is, after all, more than the sum of its parts” - he broke his silence, now appearing to be much calmer than when the black avian started to yap about things that it didn’t concern it. His voice was clear, concise and firm. He kept his voice in a level that made sure he wouldn’t need to repeat himself, however, that made him appear slightly aggressive - “But from what Sakutsuki-sama just said, it looks like the focus will be in both… fronts…” - his hand moved to his chest, his thumb sliding slightly under his Iron Cross. The medal was held against his chest by a black, white and red ribbon, the same colours as the Imperial German flag. As his thumb moved, ever so slightly, the bright sun ended up reflecting on the thin, silver borders around the black cross. While looking down towards his medal, an unintentional malicious grin appeared on his lips, his mind wandering off somewhere - “... since that was the decision of the Oberhaupt, there will be no questioning from me.” - his expression had gone back to his normal, as soon as he looked forward, first towards the blue-haired woman and then towards the mask-wearing man.

“So we have to capture her ribbon and this activity will last throughout the day. Whoever captures it has 20 minutes of rest, before the activity starts again. And we can use whatever tactic we want… interesting” - leaving his military-like pose, the German started to stretch, first getting the fingers of both hands intertwined, and then, rotating his palm outwards, he extended his arms to the maximum of his capability. Following that, he rotated his shoulder, slightly. At a moment’s notice, his expression changed. Gone was the tired man that the whole group saw when he walked through the front gate. His eyebrows were furrowed, his expression more serious than more. His gaze was focused on Akimine. Flexing his knees slightly, his left-hand moved to the side of his belt, holding the scabbard that was fixed there. His right hand moved to the handle of the sword, not quite gripping it just yet. His fingers hovered around the handle, ready to jump into action in a fraction of a millisecond. And he waited. It appeared that one of the ( kakemha ) younger girls started talking with their teacher, but he could not hear it. He only heard muffled, undistinguishable sounds - “Caw! He is ready! He is ready! Caw!” - Koru-san yapped in its piercing tone, flying away from his shoulder and landing on the branch of a nearby tree. There would be no further reaction from the foreigner, unless someone touched him.

 

[Nenma Takashi]

Sadaka Yushimashi
"Uhhhhhhh" A deathly an frankly inhuman wail came from the medical bay, inside the Demon Slayer HQ. After a few moments murmurs could be heard, followed by desperate pleas. "Stop you can't do this! No please! Stop!" The voices became clear as they drew closer to the door leading towards the barracks. The wailing growing louder as well as whatever the cause of it, approached. Finally the door to the barracks slid open and a single cold eye, stared wide into the room. A pale hand wrapped it's fingers around the side of the sliding door and slowly pushed it open. Revealing the rather lanky, pale woman, who's long coal black hair draped down over her face slightly. Her dead gaze peeking just beyond the poorly cut bangs that failed to mask her unblinking eyes. Her mouth twisted into a wide grin upon seeing the others in the room, the ghostly visage of the girl seemed like she was about to speak. Perhaps to utter a curse, or a warning to the living, but instead a member of the medical staff spoke over her. "I told you to stop! You can't just take off like that! You just healed your wounds, what if they reopen!?" The man was clearly exhausted both mentally and physically having to deal with his rather frequent patient

The girl turned to the man tilting her head to the side, letting it hang as if puppeteer by some invisible strings. "But I feel fine," The man clearly at his wits end shouted at the girl. "You don't feel at all!" The girl slowly blinked a few times, then an odd sound began to escape her lips. It was something like twigs being snapped one by one. "Kekekekekeke. I guess you got me there, but honestly I haven't been bleeding and besides the wound wasn't even that deep in the first place. Not to mention I do believe I was summoned to attend so I'm obligated to be here." Coming to grips with the fact he was talking to a wall, the man simply sighed. Turning to Sakutsuki, "Forgive my interruption Master Akimine." He turned his attention to Sadaka, "You better not cause trouble." The girl simply wore her doll like smile as if unaware of what the man could possibly mean. At a loss the man simply turned to leave, now left to continue with her previous goal, the girl spoke. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Sadaka Yushimashi, but please feel free to call me Sa-chan." Sadaka's voice was cold and chilling but not in the way of someone who is purposefully being cold or emotionless. Instead it held the same chill as a whisper in the dark, or a cold wind up one's spine. Truly it was a wonder that the girl standing in the doorway was truly alive, yet none could deny the fact that blood coursed through her veins. After all though it was subtle her chest did rise and fall as breath escaped her lungs and was called back.

 

[ManofManyRoles]

The Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters; General Barracks
Sakutsuki Akimine

The womans focus was held on Renji for but a few moments, hands busying themselves fixing her hair and adjusting the pink bow that held it all together, the ribbon noticeably left so that it had plenty of length to grab if one was so inclined to do so. "Your thoughts are duly noted, Renji-san. I appreciate the honesty and the willingness to speak your mind. Nothing is ever gained by repeated failings, to attempt the same thing ad infinitum and expect something new to come of it is madness in its purest form, after all. We shall learn, we shall adapt. As is the way humanity always has." At Sakura's question, a very calm little smile spread across her lips, gentle, cool, and refreshing was her voice when she replied. "Insightful question. We shall consider a 'tag' from me if I put one of you on your backs, likely to prevent being tagged myself. If that comes to pass, you will not benefit from the twenty-minute break the others will. Simply put, you will continue to train while the others rest. That should be plenty of incentive to remain on your own two feet and running, don't you think?" Her Kasugai stared at her, and one could swear there was a bead of sweat on its temple. "Kurwagh...incentive is one word for it." "And what would you call it then, Yasu?" she asked, glancing at the crow out of the corner of her eye. "Bri-KURWAGH!"

At the arrival of Sadaka, the crow was cut off, falling off Akimine's shoulder and having a panic attack, flopping about. "KURWAGH! THE DEAD WALK AGAIN!" A sigh escaped the Kinoe at her companion's panic attack, kneeling down to pick him up and dust him off, holding him tight to prevent him from further spazzing about. "She is not dead, Yasu. She's another student." Attention drifted to Sadaka, a bow delivered to her. "Greetings, Sadaka-san. I am Sakutsuki Akimine, though Akimine is simply fine. I will be instructing you, along with the others present." Unlike the almost horrifying voice Sadaka sported, the blue-haired woman was refreshing and cool, almost similar to a cool spring in how it felt to hear her speak, her words perfectly enunciated and spoken evenly. "As I have told the others, I will tell you. We will be practicing Total Concentration Constant. This will not be a lesson we complete in a day, or even weeks perhaps. Your goal is to join us in a game of tag...take the ribbon from my hair, and you all benefit from a twenty minute break before we continue. If I put you on your back, you will not get that break as that will be me 'tagging' you. We were clarifying questions before we began, or someone made the attempt to begin."

Now that attention had been drawn to it, perhaps one could notice something peculiar if they hadn't already...true to the lesson plan, Akimine's breathing had been the controlled deep breathing of Total Concentration, the entire time she's been speaking, and even when she met the group at the gate entrance. "A fair warning...we should be expecting another face at some point today. Yasu informed me briefly that the master has Dispatched more letters than what was first tallied by the Kakushi...another trainer will be joining us at some point. Speaking of training...Erwin-san. I mean to you no disrespect for your teachings. However, I do not believe many modern military theories are applicable when your enemy is a demon. Many of the adaptations we've had to take may seem counter-intuitive to your teachings."

​

Maxxob Phayne Archdemon DipDapTheSlap kakemha qingwa Sopranos Nenma Takashi

 

[Maxxob]

CODE / ARKNIGHT

Erwin Kott

Location: The Demon Slayer Corps HQ

Of wargames and pink ribbons

The pair of blue eyes were fixed on ( ManofManyRoles ) Akimine. They watched her just like a hawk watches a mouse, before taking it with its claws and feasting on it. It seems she said something to Erwin, but he simply couldn't understand it at that moment - "Watch her…" - the words left his mouth, as a whisper, directed to the ( qingwa ) brunette girl that was just beside him. He opened his mouth, taking in a good amount of air. In the instant his mouth closed, his hand gripped the handle of his sword. At the same time, his leather boots squeaked as he crouched ever so slightly. In the next moment, he had disappeared, already being on top of the Kinoe. On his wake, a trail of heavy dust and a deafe, thunder-like crackling echoed throughout the HQ and the surrounding areas. When he closed in onto his target, she could see he wasn't holding the sword as if to cut her down. In fact, the sword never left the comfort of its housing. What she could see, however, is that the scabbard was no longer fastened to his belt, being held by his left hand instead.


His left hand thrusted forward, with all the might and speed he could muster. Its target was the left side of her stomach, aiming for her ribs. Meanwhile, his free, right hand, executed its cunning plan. It darted, from the outside to the inside, aiming for her pink ribbon. If, by some miracle, the handle attack connects, he already had the sequence on his mind: hit her on top of her head with the scabbard.

 

[ManofManyRoles]

Tag! You're all it!
The Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters; General Barracks
Sakutsuki Akimine
Akimine's eyes settled on Erwin as he dropped into a stance, gripping his blade. That was a familiar pose...Thunder Breathing then? Despite his prep, she made no attempt to intervene, let alone stop him. In fairness, she had no need to. It wasn't sheer overconfidence in her skills that let him proceed, but this was a lesson after all. And beyond that, the distinction in the skill of one who could use Total Concentration Constant, and one who couldn't, was drastic...superhuman compared to a human, in a way. Her crow, knowing full well where this was going, made a point to make himself scarce as he took flight. As Erwin made his dash forward, the woman moved in turn, her movements elegant and graceful, perfectly fluid in nature. The Kinoe quickly leaned backward into a backward summersault, her body bending and twisting out of the way of the blow. Her movements had begun just as swiftly as the westerners had, her head, and the ribbon tied to her hair, ducking right beneath his grasp. Her foot lashed out as she rolled back, delivering a kick with the outside of her foot towards Erwin's right hand to send it off course. Despite her petite and unintimidating statute, the woman was far stronger and quicker than she let on by appearances alone. At the height of her backward summersault, she pushed off from the ground, flying into the air and back at least thirty feet away. "So the lesson begins now. Don't fall behind. I hope you all continue to impress"

Just tracking the Kinoe with their eyes would prove to be a task in of itself, though not bordering on completely impossible, the woman sprinting across the grounds and deeper into the barracks grounds. Despite her rushing nature, it didn't look like she was kicking up a dust cloud as one might imagine, her footsteps measured to prevent such shoddy work. After making it all the way to the end of the path and deeper into grounds so that she was on the other end of the barracks building she turned around, eyes on them as she rested her hand at the hilt of her blade. She had to give them a little leeway, if she ran too far they'd have no means of possibly catching up again.

Maxxob Phayne Archdemon DipDapTheSlap kakemha qingwa Sopranos Nenma Takashi​

 

[DipDapTheSlap]

Enjirou Rikitsuki

It was only a short time after he had arrived and already the group seemed livelier. Enjirou didn't have the awareness to respond to the blue-haired woman's ( ManofManyRoles ) question about his summons to the barracks, he was so caught up in the energy of the moment. He had turned his attention from one powerful-looking Slayer to the next, lacking the sense to just hold back and observe. It had been a long time since he'd had any interest in anything related to training. "Must someone die before action is taken" - the words rang in his ears and straight down to his core. Enjirou didn't have anything to say to that; he agreed completely.

The woman whom he now knew to be their Kinoe tutor gracefully addressed one trainee after the next. Her responses were careful and well-spoken, clearly by someone far wiser and more experienced than him. He appreciated the sensibility of this type of person: the type he found himself surrounded by now, including the two men who looked like they could have been Hashira already ( Sopranos Maxxob ). Taking note of them momentarily mitigated his initial nonchalance and allowed the group to iron out the details of the training without any more interjections, apart from one by a ghostly-looking girl ( Nenma Takashi ) whose aura gave Enjirou the jitters. He was so enraptured by this new unease that he missed the moment training began.

Normally, being clueless had its advantages. The first: being able to brush off what would normally drain a thinking person's morale. The second: being underestimated can often provide an edge in battle by taking one's opponent by surprise. In this scenario, however, it meant he was several steps behind the rest of the group. The military Slayer ( Maxxob ) was no longer where he had once been. Enjirou's brain lagged behind before it caught up to the man's sharp movements. He blew out a toneless whistle as their tutor effortlessly dodged and retaliated in one simultaneous movement. Like a dance...

His initial remarks about watching the tall Slayer ( Archdemon ) kick ass were quashed by this new desire to take in the capabilities of this highly skilled group at a children's game. If normal humans could make a game of chase into a sport, then these Slayers would perfect it.