Chapter One: The death of the Kagami Family
The Death of the Kagami Family
My name is Yukihime and my family is dead.
I don't know when they died.
I was only gone for two days. I was working in the market, selling what we grow. Rice. The Kagami's have been selling rice for 6 generations. We've accumulated wealth from having an honest business. That's why It's so hard for me to process the thought of someone wanting to harm my family—but this wasn't a group of humans. It was demons. I could sense it when I was on riding on my horse, back from town. I have a shop set up in a town that's a two day ride from home. My father helped me build it so I could learn how to sell and keep the family buisness alive. I guess there's no point now. On my way back I was exhausted. My eyes felt heavy. My fingers were losing grip on the reins. I know father would've been happy to see that I cleared out all the boxes of rice I packaged.
I sensed something was wrong before I got home. I've been able to sense things a lot better than most. The hairs on my skin stand up and my stomach feels heavy. It feels like I've been hit with immense pressure. It was almost dark, so I used the reins to make my horse,Kaze, go faster. As I got closer to my home, I got hit with what felt like a ton of bricks on my chest. I looked around where the orange sun was hitting the rice paddies and I see blood. My heart sank. I yelled out for Kaze to go faster. We made it all the way down to the entrance of my families home. More blood. Bodies were laying out in the fields and one on the steps. My older brother, Hoshiyuki. He was covering my newborn sister. She was born three weeks ago. I turned him over, my vision blurry. I saw her lifeless body in his arms. My hands and legs began to shake so violently. I cried out for my mother. Silence. I called out for my father. Silence. I look down and take her in my arms. I couldn't stop the tears from falling onto her. I look down and see Hoshi's chest slowly rising. He was still alive. I touched his body and he was still warm. I felt the slightest bit of relief before running into the house to check for more survivors. I placed my sister back into my brothers arms and sat him up against the house. I walk around and see a massacre. The massacre of the Kagami's. In our family room, I see my father with his head leaned back and his stomach caved in. My mother was on the floor next to him. In a pool of her own blood. My two other sisters were on top of the stairs with drawings in their hands. I stumbled backwards and hit the floor. My breathing quickend. I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest. My head was spinning. I let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the house. My mother, my father, my siblings. They were all gone. There was nothing I could do—except run. Run for my brother and I's life. I ran back out to the front of the house and grabbed my baby sister. I placed her next to my mother and with all the strength I could muster up I hauled my brother onto my back and threw him on top of my horse. We rode into the town. I didn't know where to go. I could barely hold onto the reins, my hands were sweating. I could barely see where I was going anymore because my eyes were full of tears. We got to the town square and it was so quiet. Everyone packed up and went home.I whip my head around in every direction looking for a soul that could help. Nothing. No one was coming to save us.
I rode into the forest, looking for the kind woman that I help out every week. She's an older woman, her kids are all gone. Husband passed many moons ago. I liked her company and liked to think she liked mine. I needed somewhere safe for me and my brother. It's completely pitch black now. Demons are lurking more comfortably. We reach the woods and I hear something behind me. No—I feel something behind me. Moving. The hairs on my arms stood up and I whipped my head around. I see my brother. His mouth was open with white fangs and drool spilling onto my shoulder and dribbling down his chin. His eyes were glowing an icy blue. His pupils were the size of a grain of rice. He lunged at me, taking me off my horse. Kaze ran away, leaving behind my staff. Before he could lunge at my neck, I stuck the staff in-between is mouth. His strength was jarring. He was always strong, but this was another level. He was insatiable. I tried my hardest to keep him off of me. To help him remember who is he.
"Hoshi! Stop! Fight it, FIGHT THE URGE. COME BACK!"
My legs are digging into the dirt as he's dragging me into the forest bed. I can't stop the tears from coming out. A boost of adrenaline helps me kick him behind me. The staff still in his mouth. I kicked him into a tree and pinned him there. His back to the tree, I kept the staff in his mouth. I keep calling out his name. I know he can fight this.
He's doubled in size. I've never seen anything like this. I try talking to him once more.
"HOSHI, PLEASE! I KNOW YOU CAN FIGHT THIS! IT'S ME, YUKI!" This time I think it stuck.
His eyes went back to their dark brown, he went back to his normal size but I didn't remove the staff. I let out a half smile before sensing something. It was coming from the right side. A woman with a butterfly kimono, underneath was a demon slayer uniform. I've only ever seen them once when I was three. It felt like a dream. She rushed towards me and my brother. I dodged just in time before she took my brother and I's head off. I had to try to reason with her.
"Please! Don't hurt him! He won't harm you." I blinked and Hoshi was gone. She had him on his knees. Her Nichirin to his throat. It's a lot smaller than I thought It would be—and thinner. I begged and pleaded with her to not harm him. She spoke in a calm and slightly creepy voice.
"Why are you protecting this demon?" She asked. A smile was plasterd across her face.
"He's my brother. He won't hurt me or you. Please." I put my hands and knees to the ground and clasped my hands together. I begged her.
"Let him come to me. I promise. He won't hurt us." She tilted her head and confusion and looked down. My brother had broken free and ran towards me. While running he shrunk down into a smaller version of himself. The size of a six year old. I've never seen him this small. He collapsed into my arms, still biting down on the staff but tears were falling out of his eyes. The lady in the butterfly kimono looked stunned. I embraced my brother with a tight hug. He was all I had left.
She put her Nichirin back into her saya.
I held my brother in my arms. I looked down at him and then looked up to see she was now staring me right in my face. It caused me to jump back into the tree behind me.
I didn't even hear her walking. How did she get so close so fast?
Her eyes were purple and she had a butterfly clip, holding her hair together in a loose bun. She spoke again.
"What you did was very irresponsible. Demons are not to be trusted. Family or not—but I applaud your bravery. I want you to come with me." She extended her hand. That same smile on her face. I had nowhere else to go and she spared me and my brothers life. I took her hand and got back up onto my feet. My brother now sleeping in the crook of my neck. I was walking beside her and she asked my name.
"My name is Yukihime Hagami."
"My name is Shinobu. I'm a hashira in the demon slayer corps."
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