Urokodaki-san was just there, sitting comfortably, as he watched my misery.

Obviously, Sabito is just as strong as a future pillar would be! My real sword would even often fly away from my grip, but that did not become a nuisance as I always find a way to dodge his attacks and grab my sword back.

Boy, are you really just 10 years old today?

It has been five minutes or so and I kept huffing and panting. My stamina training wasn't like this before so I'm kind of not used to it. And for heaven's sake! My disease might get back again. It still hasn't permanently left my body, it was still here and I just managed to overcome it.

In simpler words: I should not push myself beyond my limits.

"Focus." I quickly deflected Sabito's attack with the edge of my sword. "Do not overthink."

I smiled upon hearing his words. "What about you focus yourself?" Bending my waist on the side, I lifted my left leg and kicked him right through his head. But since he is fast, he managed to block my attack with his hand before grabbing my leg.

Wrong move! I thought to myself. I was deciding whether I'll let myself get flung into a nearby tree or kick him in mid-air and balance myself with my arms on the ground. But Sabito took so long to do his next move which spells my despair, but he never attacked or did another step.

With my forehead creased, a brilliant idea popped in my head as I grinned to myself.

Before he can even attack, I gave him a playful grin. "Sabito-san, don't you want to let go?" He stiffened before quickly letting go of my leg, and I took that as an opportunity to back away. He also did the same and positioned himself in a fighting stance again.

"...no more talking." What he said made me grin wider. "It's distracting." He pointed to my face. "That too."

I chuckled. "Okay, okay."

Even in his tone of voice, no matter how firm it sounded, there still is a sound which tells me that he's flustered. And thinking of seeing that flustered reaction if it weren't for his mask in the way would absolutely make me melt from his cuteness.

Before we can start the 2nd round, Urokodaki-san blocked us both which made us stop from attacking. "That's enough. Take a break, you two."

A grin made its way in my lips. "Finally!" I stretched my arms upward and forward. I can take all the time I have in my break to sleep because I really needed it, even a small nap will do.

Sabito and I parted ways as he chose to go somewhere else to relax. And I chose to go straight to Urokodaki-san's house.

Walking towards his house, there greeted me a smiling Makomo as she offered me water. "Amery-san, here."

"Arigato, Makomo-san." I smiled as I drank it. Due to exhaustion, I managed to finish it all in a matter of 5 seconds or so.

"How did your training go?" She asked as she took the empty cup of water from me.

I instantly frowned. "Hell."

She softly chuckled and it made me wanna pinch her cheeks. Why does Urokodaki-san have all these cuties for his own?! Sabito the cute flustered boy, Giyu the pure soon-to-be-depressed boy and Makomo the bright girl!

But then I remembered, I have two cuties at my home too. Nezuko the cute human turned to demon with a bamboo tied in her mouth and Tanjiro whose cuter than the sun-I have nothing to say to him except that he is kind and gentle towards demons.

Ah wait. I can include Takeo, my other little brother, since he is also cute.

"When will you join in the final selection?" Makomo asked as we sat on the tatami floor. Sabito, Giyu and Urokodaki-san must still be outside. "I heard that Giyu-san and Sabito will join in the next three years."

Hearing that made me decide as quick as possible. If I am 8 today, and 4 years older than Tanjiro, it means that Giyu and Sabito are 2 years older than me. And they are 10 years old today, and I clearly remembered that they went to the final selection when they were 13 years old.

So yeah, the progress here is still accurate, and that's good.

I crossed my arms and thought for a moment. Should I join them in the same year, go earlier, or let them go first before me? After a span of seconds, I already answered. "Maybe around that same year too."

"Really? Amazing." She stared at me in awe until she looked down in her lap. "I'll be joining when Urokodaki-san let me. But I hope I can join along with you guys."

Oh? Wait, he also did the same thing to Tanjiro before. So I might not be able to go to the final selection together with Sabito and Giyu if I don't manage to do what he wants me to do!

"Amery-san, don't worry." Makomo smiled as she patted my shoulder, noticing my despair. "I'm sure you'll be able to do it. You are strong. I watched you spar with Sabito earlier."

I blinked my eyes. "I'm not that strong.." frowning, I looked down the floor. "I don't even know what breathing I can use."

"Well, since you are in the former water pillar's care, you will learn how to use Water breathing techniques." She informed as she handed me chopsticks and a bento. "Here, have lunch with me."

Glancing at her, she already started eating her Salmon. And so I did.

Delicious!

As soon as something sinked in my mind about Water breathing, I felt like my eyes shone brighter than the sun as a brilliant idea popped in my mind. I gulped the food I'm chewing.

Glancing at her, my eyes seem to sparkled like diamonds. She turned to me and blinked her eyes. "Waaah! Makomo, teach me how to use it!"

"Use Water breathing? B-but, Urokodaki-san will do it for you-"

"I don't think so." She seem to get intimidated as soon as I looked at her blankly, voice flat in an instant.

"He doesn't talk to me nicely. He keeps on avoiding any conversation with me except for lecturing me. He isn't talkative enough and I felt like dying in boredom. All this training sucks." I turned to my food and started stabbing the poor salmon with the chopsticks as I stared at it rather maliciously, imagining that I was stabbing the moody former pillar.

Makomo chuckled nervously. "U-uh, Amery-san, maybe because Urokodaki-san was just tired, or being strict like he always is."

I made a face. "He's different around me. He acts as if I am an enemy or more so, a filthy demon-" I stopped from my sentence, eyes widening a fraction as it sinked in my mind.

"Amery has a blood of a demon."

"She is the girl that I've spoken about in the letter."

"I suppose I know just the right person for that."

Great! Now it all made sense!

The pillars asked about my disease and father answered that I have a demon's blood. Then Gyomei informed Oyakata-sama about me, and he included my disease about a demon's blood I presume. Then Oyakata-sama already chose a former pillar to train me and probably told Urokodaki-san about it too.

And so that's why. Urokodaki-san...he is already judging me beyond my soul! I felt rage welling up within me as I chuckled like a madman. Makomo looks troubled.

My chopsticks snapped in half between my fingers. "Kurosu."

"W-wait! Amery-san calm down!" Makomo seems to panic as she saw me lose my temper, her voice sounded audibly panicking and worried at the same time. "Killing isn't a better solution, Amery-san."

I nodded my head and grinned. "Yeah, yeah. He needs to have a taste of hell first before dying." Makomo sweat-dropped as she kept on calming me down.

Oh dearest former water pillar, I hate you no matter what happens!

~*~

After a week, nothing happened. I did the same thing all day. Urokodaki-san still trained me. Train here, flying branches there, holes and traps everywhere. I almost memorized the patterns of his traps, but it was still impossible to avoid all of them.

Not only did my enhanced hearing helped me, but my rage kept my sanity. Just who wouldn't lose their sanity in such forest full of traps?

But thanks to that, my hearing hss become more and more better and I got used to it than before.

And yet I'm not making any progress with the real deal: Use Water Breathing.

I huffed as I hear footsteps walking towards my direction. "Amery-san." I turned behind to see Giyu approaching me.

"What?" I replied, feeling irritated. I've been trying to master full concentration here and yet here he is, disturbing my peacefulness!

As a kid, Giyu does really have that unique dull blue eyes, but it wasn't as dull as when Sabito died. It was as if I'm staring at a deep blue ocean.

He seems to notice the dark aura that I have been emitting around me, but still went on. "I heard from Makomo that you wanted to learn how to use the Water breathing and..." I crossed my arms and he went on. "I can help you."

I blinked my eyes. "What was that again?"

He sighed. "I said I'll help you-"

"Waaaaah! Arigato, Giyu-san!" I immediately hugged him in joy as he stiffened. "This means so much to me! I owe you for this someday!" In this state, I can hear his heart beating.

He patted my back. "Amery-san."

"Hm?"

"Can't breath."

I quickly pulled away, bowing my head immediately in apology. "Gomen! Gomen!" My eyes sparkled in excitement as I looked up at him. "So, when do we start?"

He smiled. "Today." Signaling me to follow him, I quickly obliged and followed him like a lost puppy as we reached the place where Tanjiro often trains, just like in the anime.

"You must know that using the Water breathing isn't a child's play." Giyu stated as he turned to look at me. That calm facade he always wear is something I can never have thou. "If you want to master it and the other forms, you must become one with the water first."

My forehead creased in confusion. "Become one...with the water?" That line sounded familiar to me.

He nodded his head. "Urokodaki-san taught us that a water changes in shape regarding of its container. If the container's shape is square, then it turns square. If round, then round. In shorter terms-"

"Water can be in any forms." We both said in unison.

"I guess you already know it, Amery-san." Giyu smiled.

"Not at all." I chuckled. "So..how do I become one with the water anyways?"

Giyu didn't respond and instead, smiled at me before turning his back to me. "Since you said insulting words to Urokodaki-san, I won't tell you how. That's all that I can help you."

"Ehh!?!" I clung into him and whined. "I didn't mean it! Please help me! I was just frustrated!"

He stiffened again. "Amery-san, this is a compromise. In return of not telling you any further informations, I won't also tell him about your insults."

I quickly pulled away and frowned, arms crossed. "Hmp! Meanie!"

Giyu turned to me and chuckled at my reaction, ruffling my hair in the process. He is even taller than me. I really wanna grow taller in the future. "You need to learn by yourself. Afterall, you are intelligent too."

I nodded, still frowning. "Hai, hai."

He still chuckled and it really makes me confused. If he was still like this when he grow up, would he even get bullied by Shinobu? Hope he won't get bullied anymore. This boy deserves love and not hate.

And so the rest of the day, I still got trained by Urokodaki-san in the forest. I managed to dodge all the traps completely. Sabito always had the time to spar with me and it was always a draw. Either he wins then later I win, then he will win and then I will win.

Makomo would always talk to me and brighten up my mood while eating, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner.

While Giyu would often stay with me while I made progress on mastering the Water breathing. But he was right.

This isn't a child's play.

Just how the hell can I become one with the water?

I closed my eyes and concentrated, focusing as I set my mind at peace. Deep breaths, Amery. I need to gather oxygen around my body. Afterall, all this breathing comes to the right use of breath.

I suddenly felt something within me, like a calm wave or something. It always goes like that for a second everyday. I think that's where it will start?

Weeks came, and I made a so little progress. I don't think I still have left some patience to go on with this. Maybe I can use another breathing?

"Don't give up, Amery-san!" Makomo always cheered me up whenever I feel like hitting Sakonji with a stick. Sabito would sometimes feel the furious aura around me so he decided to stop sparring with me for a while, which is better.

Giyu would always give me hints here and there. Still, it didn't make any sense. Is it them whose the problem, or I'm the problem?

Due to my frustrations, I always got hit by the flying branches on the forest training and lost focus completely. And believe me, being hit isn't good. I felt like all the bones in my body had shattered into million pieces. I even almost fall on the hole and hold unto a certain rock with my right hand.

If it weren't for my adrenaline rush as I saw the sharp edges of the spikes below me, I wouldn't be able to bring myself back together and go on with the training. This place is really hell. I'm now worried for Tanjiro. All my experiences are like a roller coaster, or more like suffering.

No puns intended.

Sakonji seems oblivious with my recent performance and went on with his life as he paid no mind about it.

Months came, and it was still the same as that. This is really making me frustrated! Makomo would cheer me for nothing, Sabito would come around and spar with me if I ever feel like it, and Giyu will be showing me some of the techniques.

Sakonji, well if you don't know, I called him that way because his name is too long to say. He still lectured me and trained me until I got wasted.

And so this very day, I chose to do more before I give up.

Concentrate. With my eyes closed and normal breathing, my concentrations exceeds the most when there is silence. Focus. I can hear the rustling of leaves, birds flying up the sky, flowing of water from a lake.

Tranquility... Peace...

Become one with the water... I suppose that is something I need to learn. Or else, this will take me for years.

But as soon as I was finally able to concentrate more, my efforts had all been washed away as soon as I heard footsteps coming my way.

An irk mark probably appeared in my forehead, but I still kept a small smile nonetheless as I faced the person approaching me with my eyes still closed. "Do you need anything?"

I instantly opened my eyes as I heard a heart beat, and no, it wasn't mine. Looking suspiciously infront of Giyu who had a calm look on his face, I pointed my index finger at him. "Are you depressed?"

He blinked his eyes. I can still hear that heart beating, but it doesn't sound calm. It was wavering, somewhat sad and...just sad, I have no other words to explain it.

And since I'm not feeling that way at the moment, I can clearly tell that my enhance sense of hearing can hear Giyu's heart beat. He's sad, but he have that calm look as if I didn't ask him such obvious question.

"Urokodaki-san is calling for you." He stated, ignoring my question earlier, or he is just oblivious about it.

I guess I shouldn't have asked that question. Or if I did, I could ask, "Why are you sad?" or "Are you feeling down?"

Stupid self! Why the 'depress' question anyways!?!

I sighed as I followed him towards the house. But as soon as we stepped inside, my eyes almost bulged out of my eye sockets towards what greeted us.

~*~