~*~

A FEW DAYS LATER

Sighing deeply in annoyance, "Tch,"

 Recalling Masachika's crow earlier, he just sent a message demanding me to meet him here at the training dojo. Seriously.....what did he want right now?  Walking across the pebbles grinding beneath my sandals, I soon step up on the platform, taking my sandals off. A soft voice soon reaches my ears, recognising that voice instantly.

Hesitant to step in, my throat grumbles before walking in.

"New orders," Masachika announced, already aware of my presence.

I grimace in response, but my eyes met his for a brief moment. Then follow to see Hayami just in her uniform, hair disheveled, sweat glistening across her red face. Judging by her sweaty appearance, she must've been training in here for a few hours. My eyes trail down to the familiar scarring across her arms, with sharp ridges and flaws dress her soft skin, my curiosity was there but I didn't have the guts to ask.

"A joint mission, believe it or not," Masachika adds, placing his wooden blade in the box on the side. He dusts his hands, while I stood there with a deadpanned expression.

"You and me?" I frown in response, trying my best not to throw an insult or two. "Why?"

Kumeno grins ear to ear, "Didn't expect that, did ya?" chuckling in response, before he sighs after sitting down on the wooden floors."Now that we're higher in the ranks, we're too busy training the new kids."

"I'm surprised myself," Hayami adds in, as my face burns a little while I run my fingers through my disheveled and unkempt hair. Well we are now Kinoe rank now, but I'm not strong to be above Hayami's level. Currently she just became Tsuchinoto rank, despite our ages and skills apart. The level of effort in training got her that rank, and inside I deeply envied that. Yet, I admired that at the same time.

"Tch, seriously.......alright, how difficult is this mission?" I sat down, cross legged in front of Kumeno. Though things have mellowed out, I still found him annoying to an extent. Just out of habit now, I guess. My head turns to Hayami, as she was busy occupying herself, resuming her training. Seems she though she was bothering us. 

"Hmm it sounds like a tricky mission," Masachika spoke up, turning my attention back to him.

With a snort I scoff, "Is that why it's a two-man operation?" with a light laugh. "What're our orders?"

"There's a town a ways from here...." Masachika begins to summarise. "....according to intelligence, people were disappearing near an abandoned house on the outskirts of the town.."

Furrowing my brow, "The missing people got anything in common?" I ask, rubbing my chin in thought.

"They're always kids,"

For a moment a flicker of memories invaded my mine, seeing all my young brothers and sisters for a moment, before evaporating. My eyes felt spaced out for a moment, like a trigger set off, before feeling his eyes on me filled with reassurance. My heart begged to stop beating fast, the ache lingering in my tight chest. Kumeno knew my story, about how I lost my mother and siblings.

Shaking my head to brush it off, "Any distinction between girls and boys?"

"Nope," Masachika's tone grew heavy. "The truth is, before these orders came to us, several other Demon Slayers were given the mission. All but three of them are now mission."

"No clue if they're alive or not?"

"No,"

"What about the three who didn't disappear? Dead?"

"No," He reply's slowly, in deep thought for a moment. "All three of them came back just fine,"

"And?"

"They reported that the house was empty. No demons, no missing kids, and no sign of the other Demon Slayers," He elaborates further, explaining how strange the mission itself was. 

A heavy sigh through my nose and mouth drift, "What the hell?" my hand runs through my white hair roughly. The story itself was confusing, like a prank a fox spirit would play. Turning my gaze back up to Kumeno for a moment, I glance at Hayami training he sword swings. "Anything special about the three who came back?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have any more details," masachika sighs, feeling troubled himself. "If we fail, the hashira's will have to go in."

"So it's serious?" I assume grimly, with a slight grimace. 

The Hashira, or Pillar's of support for the Demon Slayer Corps, were only deployed in dire situations. So that would mean if Masachika and I end up failing this mission, there is no choice but to call in the last resort. I couldn't allow to bring trouble to the Hashira to be dragged out, and asking Hayami to assess the mission would drag her into danger. I don't wanna risk her safety, for something he could accomplish with Masachika.

"I've asked Hayami if she wanted to come, for backup," Masachika spoke up, causing my breath to hitch.

My eyes darken meeting his, "Excuse me?"

"Hey, hey what's with that look?!" Masachika stammers for a moment, waving his hands in front of him in a panic. He then lowers them down steadily, "But, she has another mission assigned soon......but I did ask for her own thoughts about this matter."

Hayami soon approaches us, as she remains standing, "With something this concerning, maybe a lower moon......" she suggests, assuming that's the case. Her eyes glance between us two, "......or could be a demon that has a tricky demon art style.....with experiences from the past of course. Most Demons can affect you mentally, when you're vulnerable, or some use their strength as an advantage. Yet all us slayers tend to run in blindly, only to learn the technique without assessing properly."

"Yeah, that's how it goes..." Kumeno sighs deeply, as silence fell between us all. 

Rising to my feet, "Well then," being rather adamant with my decision. "We'd better get going."

Masachika stood up agreeing with me, "First join Demon hunt in a while," he stretches his aching limbs, assuming he sparred with Hayami. Gazing up fondly at the ceiling of the dojo, he exhales deeply as if making his mind up. "Up for a quick sparring session first?" It's been so long."

Rolling my eyes with a amused scoff, "Nah. I can kick your ass once the mission is over,"

"Two hundred seven bouts totals. One hundred fifty-nine winds for me, forty-two losses, six draws," He announces cheerfully, with a confident grin. "I won't go down easily!"

"The answers still no, dodo," Brushing him off, not in the mood for bantering with him. Soon Kumeno wrapped around Hayami's shoulder, ruffling her already messy tangled locks. "Oi! What are you doing, you dumbass?!"

Hayami sheepishly laughs, but tries to get Kumeno off of her. 

"Come on Kumeno! You smell sweaty!" She pouts, as he laughs. "You need a bath after your mission, alright?"

A grumble vibrates in my throat, in response to how close he was to her.

"Yes, yes mother!" He playfully teases her, before pulling away. "Whatever you say mother!"

Walking towards her I fix her hair properly to the best, with a light scowl. She was surprised by this, remaining quiet as silence falls in the dojo. Brushing her bangs into place, I noticed Kumeno's face resisting to burst into teasing. His face red, stifling his laugh like a child says it all across his face.

"Tch, shut up!"

Masachika raises his hands, "I didn't say anything,"

Glancing back to see Hayami's face in a daze, red dusting her cheeks while blinking a few times, "Um......thank....you?"

Masachika was about to wrap his arm around me, but I caught his wrist angling my eyes with a light scowl, "Don't think about it,"

"So rude. What happened to that sweet child I knew?" He frowns, playfully. "And at some point, I swear you've gotten taller than me."

"I can see it," Hayami agrees, making my cheeks warm up again.

"Get used to it, I'll be the first to make Hashira too," I mutter under my breath.

"If that happens, you're definitely buying me a beef bowl! The girls prefer me anyway," Masachika smirks proudly, playfully winking towards Hayami. "Just wait and see!"

Dryly scoffing in response, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hurry up and quit wasting time,"

"It doesn't have to be a sword fight. Name your contest. We can fight with beetles like we did when we were kids. C'mon!" He continues on, begging for a sparring session. "C'mon! my honor as your big brother is on the line!"

"My idiot brother. Now move it, will ya?!"

For a moment I felt my heart lift despite the dangerous mission ahead, a rare small smile drifts upon my lips for a moment. It was times like these I tried to keep close, despite my vengeful side to kill every last demon. These two specifically made me feel warm, filling a void I didn't realise I left wide open.

"Good luck to you both," Hayami spoke up, realising we were heading out the door.Pausing in my steps, I turn my body ninety degrees glancing back to see her eyes. "Just stay safe, and if you fail......it's okay. The hashira's are there for a reason, okay?"

"......."

Masachika soon grins widely, "Don't worry about us! Once we come back, we'll go and grab sweets together and tea!"

Hayami smiles gently, but there was a sadness behind that smile as usual.

"Kumeno......Sanemi......take care of each other," She says firmly, but her tone was yet so soft and mellow. It always made me feel a warmth in my heart, that made it twice the speed. Giving her a gentle nod, I turn on my heel dragging Kumeno along with me.

"We'll be back, no promises,"

~*~

From the time we left the sky was an overcast...... 

Now as we finally arrived the clouds were heavily merged together with a darkness. The scent of rain lingers in the air, following with the biting chill that blows softly against my face. Tucking my blade at my side, my eyes narrow as we finally reach our destination. There stood an old Japanese building so magnificently large, surrounded by abundant trees that was neatly planted. 

"This the place?"

"Some house, huh?" Masachika arches a brow.

Taking the place in to mind, I felt the place held such a melancholy aura. Though it was tangled in foliage that could be the issue, it just left a ominous gloom. So quiet and tranquil, it was perfect for Aristocats or wealthy families to live in. Red spider lilies blossoming in the garden seemed to grow less beautiful, looking more threatening, the longer I let my eyes linger. The stone and timber was corroded by time, as moss grew upon the grey stone. The timber was falling apart, but still held the place together.

"Kind creepy," my brows furrows, before brushing off the eeriness it gave off. "Let's go in."

"Right," He nods in agreement.

Walking inside the house through the lattice doors, I was abruptly overpowered with an unfamiliar scent. It was a very thick and heavy incense, but a sickening sweet taste, with the septic tang of a ripe corpse. Grimacing and trying to draw away from the beckoning scent, I reel back taking a few steps.

"What's that smell?" covering my nose with my hand, trying to block the scent. Wrinkling my nose, I glance back to Masachika. "Hey, Masa--"

My eyes slightly widen with confusion, causing me to whirl around taking my hand away from my mouth, "Masachika?"

Glancing up and back and around, there was no sign of anyone down in the palatial entryway or the dim hallway stretching ahead. Heading outside the door I check if he was out there, assuring myself he could've popped out for a breather. Yet, he wasn't out there. He wouldn't have left me behind, he was so eager to be working beside me. My eyes darken with a hard glare, "What's going on?"

~*~

MEANWHILE ~ (Kumeno's POV)

"Huh? What's going on?" blinking repeatedly, trying to believe I'm dreaming. Baffled more realising the sudden disappearance of my partner, he wasn't beside me. He just vanished! Poof!!! Like a puff of smoke. For a moment I was going to wait, but then something inside told me to move forward.

Pressing forward into the house, the sickly strong sweet scent filled my nostrils.

"Sanemi! Where'd you go?!"

The house was silent, chilly and abandoned. Looking around I noticed the rooms were completely barren, except for the few furnishings scattered around. The people here must've left in a rush, they couldn't be bothered carting more stuff out. Something glints at the corner of my eye, before seeing a dresser and an empty rosewood display case, in a room that was deep within the house. It was neatly carved, with such precision and delicacy that it was beautifully elegant furnished matching pieces. Must be a few decades old, I would assume.

"Sanemi! Where are you?!"

Searching every nook and cranny of the building, I could detect or even sense his presence no matter what room I walked in. Searching through the kitchen, storeroom, and even outside in the stable and outhouse behind the main building. This isn't right. Sanemi would never ditch a mission like this. 

What's more......I haven't noticed any children or traces of Demon Slayers. Or any demons.

"There's no one....."

They said the house was empty. Do demons, no missing children, and no sign of the other demon slayers. This made my stomach churn in response, making me swallow thickly with deep concern. Dammit, where the hell is the white haired idiot!

"Where'd you go Sanemi?!" I shout again, hoping for a response. "If you're here, give a holler. If you're gone, say you're gone!!" 

It was the kind of demand that would make Sanemi grizzle and groan, and would spark up some insults after. Waiting for a still moment, the seconds kept expanding and my worry sharpens. No reply. Grimacing in frustration, the unendurable scent lingers back into my nose. It made them flare up in disgust, as if the smell offended me.

'This scent hanging in the air....I can't tell if it's a fine perfume or a terrible stench. It's so intense I can barely think, or stomach.'

Where was it coming from exactly? During my search through the house, I didn't find any incense burner or candle that was lit. Lifting my sleep of my haori, I cover my nose to block it out so i could retrace my steps. Taking them back to the lattice door we walked through, remembering that the moment they stepped inside, the smell hits their nose first. Overwhelmingly powerful, and thick it was.

But.........no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn't remember anymore than that. Not only that, but my mind was growing foggier the more I thought about it. Was Sanemi really with me to begin with?

Slapping my face to wake myself up, "Get a grip Masachika! Hayami saw both of us head to this mission!" He scolds himself, keeping his memory in check. "Just keep your head on your shoulders!" before I storm through the lattice doors once more, feeling the cold air hit my face as my head felt clearer.

Blinking a few times and taking deep breaths, my mind and eyes were clearer as day.

Taking a moment to look at the large house. There was no second floor, no storehouse, no wing I haven't explored. It was just this building. Walking over to the front verandah, I bend down to check beneath while my peering down thoroughly. Worry soar in my heart, feeling as if gravity itself was holding me down. Muttering incoherent words, I heard footsteps behind.

"You there! Boy! What are you doing?!"

Standing up to my feet and turning to the source, there stood an old man standing outside the gates. Snowy white hair with hints of darker grey hairs, but had no can stick and his somewhat middle aged appearance. Just at a glance of this old man, with his pursed lips and hardened expression, he was a stubborn old character. 

"Don't go barging into other people's houses," The old man said sternly.

Bowing respectfully, "I'm sorry, sir,"

The man's brows creased and eyes squinted in the wrinkled flesh, as if studying me wondering who I was. "You a police officer?" his eyes briefly studied my uniform. "Mighty young for that, dontcha think?"

Clearing my throat, "No sir! I only look young, I just have a baby face. See!?" I reply, as I willing to go along with the old man's mistake. Even if I correct him, it would only complicate things and soon this mission would not be solved. The Demon Slayer Corps was a secret society, known only to a few and seldom mentioned by outsiders.

The old man looked at me skeptically, letting him glower down upon me while I kept smiling at him to continue playing along. "And what brings the police here?"

Oh dammit......what do I say?

Straightening myself, "Well er.........we're investigating the resident of this house," summarising our reasons, short to be exact.

The old man clicks his teeth, "What's there to investigate? The place is empty. No one lives there anymore,"

"Anymore?" My head perks up, before making my way towards the old man up the walk. "Do you know who lived here before? Would you mind telling me about them?" excitedly I question him, hoping for answers to the clue I'm missing. This could benefit the mission.

The old man stares at me in confusion and cupped his ear, "Eh?"

Bring my face closer and raises my voice, "Who lived here before, grandfather?!"

"You don't have to holler! And I'm not that old enough to be called 'grandfather' just yet!" The old man grumbles, in annoyance. "I couldn't follow you, is all, seeing as you were yammering a mile a minute."

Smiling with a ruefully grin to myself, I was at a tight pinch. My first impression has been accurate; this witness was going to be easy to handle. However thinking this wasn't go by smoothly, the old man was humoured enough, his expression subtly softens from his wrinkled frown. "When i was a young'un, a beautiful girl lived here with her servants. Name was Yae."

Listening to the old man, it was relieving to have some background check.

After losing her parents as a child, as the old man explained, Yae married young out of loneliness. Her new husband was handsome 'like an actor' and played the gentle, attentive lover at the beginning of their relationship. But he showed his true nature when their daughter Sae was born.

The old man sighs, "He was a right violent fellow," he continues, with a sad sigh. 

Mother and daughter were always covered in bruises, the neighbours noted. Yae's husband sold the priceless antiques and hanging scrolls she had inherited from her parents and frittered the money away on booze and gambling. If Yae dared reproach him, he beat her unconscious. The servants all fled in terror of the man.

Anger boiled inside. "What a monster," I bitterly spoke.

"Sure was,"

"I should've beaten that guy to a pulp," I burst in anger, as if I wished to be there to knock that man senseless.

The old man shook his head, "That is water under the bridge, my boy. What's the use of getting angry now? Keep quiet and listen," the old man chided gently, seeing a rare smile lace upon his thin lips. "Don't worry, he got what was coming to him..."

One more, after a rainstorm, the husband's body was found floating in the nearby river. His eyesight had always been weak, and the area was rocky, so the official story was that he'd lost his footing and drowned. Not one person mourned his death.

"Everyone here heaved a sigh of relief. They though Yae could finally be happy with her daughter, but......" the old man's head lowers, shaking his head.

No sooner had Yae been freed from her abusive husband, her own daughter Sae fell ill. Everyone in town felt pity for them and