5 Demons and Demon Slayers

Awoken in a complete state of darkness, the rising chill of the air, and a glimmer of light floats above the stars. Faolan was motionless, forced to spectate what's above him.

"Is that the Moon? I can't really move,

Just laying on the ground or air, maybe it's nothingness. But for someone reason the light in the sky, ever so faint calls to me."

"Faolan…"

A thunderous strike shattered the dark sky, piercing the stars, causing the air or a whatever was the ground to allow Faolan to feel as if he were falling.

"I'm falling now, but I'm too tired to do anything, where's Mom?"

"Faolan…"

"How cruel can this world really be?"

Faolan awoke gasping for air loudly, his heart raced rapidly, vibrating his entire body. His body heat produced sweat, making it uncomfortable for him to stay lying on the bed where he found himself placed. Faolan clenched his chest until his heartbeat slowed exponentially, he felt intense soreness on his arms and legs. Faolan remembers now,

"Where is Mom?"

He stood weakly to his feet, slowly jogging for what it seemed to be a front door that he assumes to be the entrance of the place he is in. Opening the door Faolan could not recognize where he was, white blankets of snow covered every single part of the ground, and dark trees covered in snow, the sky was no longer covered in ash or the scent of fire lingered no more. There was only the silent thrill of nature that chirped life within the surroundings, even in the white of snow.

"You've awoken now."

Faolan turns to his left seeing Mr. Nakama sitting at the front of the place looking towards the massive mountain ahead that would be Mount Sagiri, at the first glance Faolan seemed happy to see Mr. Nakama, the wise blacksmith that has trained him for so long with a kind patience, but then he remembered what Mr. Nakama had done,

'He took me away from Mom, when she was in complete danger, when she was right next to something so hideous and evil,' fury built through Faolan's eyes, he glared at Mr. Nakama walking towards him, Faolan held a weak fist that would be of no threat to Mr. Nakama.

"YOU…..BASTAAAAARD!" Faolan swung his fist at Mr. Nakama's face only to be deflected by his right palm, tripping into the snow. Faolan angry that he deflected, stands back to his feet covered in snow and throws another fist at Mr. Nakama for him to catch his arm, moving his leg behind Faolan's right calf and sweeping him back into the icy blanket,Mr. Nakama took Faolan's arms and legs held them into a four point restraint to calm him.

"WHY DID YOU STOP ME? YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH ME, GOING TO MOM WAS MY CHOICE AND YOU STOPPED ME!" Faolan wildly shook with his thunderous fury but Mr. Nakama would not falter. Faolan continued to yell in efforts to break free from Mr. Nakama's restrain, Nakama looked down onto Faolan with doleful eyes.

'Okami you have given me such responsibility over your son. He is….'

"Stop! Stop and listen." Mr. Nakama held Faolan with enough force where he would discontinue to shake.

"Your Mother wanted this, She wanted you to live boy! Do you really believe that you're Mother who loved you so much would want you to die so young?"

Mr. Nakama shut his eyes, waiting for the reply of Faolan to only feel a slight shake. A shake of sullenness, Faolan was tearing into the snow.

'Such a young boy, losing the only family you have,

I understand how you feel.'

"Come back inside with me, it is too cold here," Mr.Nakama gently let go of Faolan's limbs, reaching out his hand for Faolan. He slowly grabbed Faolan's hand lifting him back up on his feet. Faolan's face streamed tears, a deep sadness overwhelmed the boy.

__________________________________________________________

Inside, Mr. Nakama prepared to brew tea, Faolan sat on the bed he awoke in, filling himself with massive sadness, bitterness, and hatred.

'Okami, there is so much bitterness within him, will I be able to move on without you, what can I do?'

After Mr. Nakama successfully brew tea, he handed a cup to Faolan who looks sullenly into the drink, while Mr. Nakama sips into his tea he could sense the growing malice within Faolan.

"What happened to my Mom," Faolan's eyes were dark.

Mr. Nakama pauses in preparation for what he was about to say, and he looks into Faolan's eyes, hiding his gloominess,

"She passed away two nights ago," Mr. Nakama stated.

Faolan's right eye flowed a silent drop down his cheek dripping onto the bed he sat on, he would then wipe his cheek with his palm.

"Did you bury her?" Faolan asked,

"I did, at her requested location," replied Mr. Nakama.

Faolan feared seeing his buried mother.

Time would pass in silence between the two, Mr. Nakama had already finished his cup of tea while Faolan still stared dreadfully into his cup of tea which grew colder by the minute. Once Mr. Nakama finished rinsing his cup of tea, he wanted inform of Faolan of something important.

'I don't know if this is something I should do Okami, but I feel like it is something I want to do for your son,' Mr. Nakama prepared himself mentally, reassuring himself that what he's about to tell Faolan would improve him. 'It will not fix his mind now, but help him grow,' he cleared his throat, looking out a small window where he rinsed his cup of tea.

'He could either work with himself to grow or fall lower than how currently feels.'

"Boy listen closely for I will not repeat myself," Mr. Nakama had a serious gaze, that would grasp the head of Faolan.

"I'm going to tell you all about the things you saw nights ago," Mr. Nakama still gazing, Faolan despondently glanced willing to learn.

"What you saw nights before, was a Demon."

Faolan gritted his teeth.

"Demons are vile creatures that plague the earth, they have abnormal physical abilities and if wounded they are able to heal those wounds quicker than any human. They are able to manipulate their flesh, grow new limbs, and even cut their own limbs. There are Demons that can manipulate their very own appearance and possess otherworldly powers," Mr. Nakama gave Faolan a short time to take in the information presented, he was able to rethink the moment he saw the Demon from the village and it's evilness flooded Faolan's mind, forming a silent rage within him.

"Demons kill humans, they murder humans and consume humans to gain more power,"

Faolan's face intensified in darkness.

"We are not sure, from where and when they came from or what created, but what we know for sure is that the only way to kill a Demon is exposing them to sunlight or by dismembering their head with a special blade,"

Faolan remembers the strikingly blue blade that his Mother carried, 'That blade she carried, used to slay Demons and he said We, what did he mean by We?'

With a darkly voice Faolan asked, "What do you mean by We?"

"Listen, I have not finished," Mr. Nakama's expression grew more depth.

"There is a force that counters and fights Demons, they are called the Demon Slayer Corps."

Faolan's eyes widened.

"However the organization isn't recognized by the actual government of Japan, but it has existed for hundreds of years, since the time of old," Mr. Nakama's gaze softens.

"There is a leader to the Demon Slayer Corps, but rarely anyone ever sees them, it is only a mystery." Mr. Nakama sits by a tiny table on the floor.

"Demon Slayers, face Demons knowing how weak the human body is. The human body heals slowly, body parts we lose are gone forever. Even with that risk, Demon Slayers fight to protect the innocent, to the Death, or so they say.

Mr. Nakama holds himself for what he is about to say next, which pained him the most to keep his gaze on Faolan. He saw Okami's young eyes within his,

"I used to be a Demon Slayer for many years, I trained for many years. I was trained like swordsmen to fight," he pauses.

"The only way for someone to become a Demon Slayer, one would have to survive a Final Selection at Mount Fujikasa. Only trainers can allow recruits participate when they see fit," Mr. Nakama finds his gaze upon Faolan once more.

'Demon Slayers, Demon Slayers, if they're supposed to be protecting people from Demons how come no one ever came to the village!' this thought angered Faolan.

"Why didn't any Demon Slayers come to the village?" Faolan's expression was black.

"Do you remember when I said that I used to be a Demon Slayer, well your mother and I decided to leave the Demon Slayers a long time ago at different times of course, she was able to locate a village that was so secluded and isolated so that Demons nor Demon Slayers would ever notice it existed, a village where I stayed," Mr. Nakama kept his gaze in Faolan's dark eyes.

"What made you two leave?" asked Faolan.

"Your mother wanted to leave that life of danger for your sake, I came here long before her.... I wanted to live the rest of my life in peace. I've been fighting for too long and lost too much," Mr. Nakama's loosens his large haori revealing a massive scar across his neck.

"It seems that we could not run from our past forever," Mr.Nakama hid his scar back within his haori putting on a large robe.

"Do you believe that I can become a Demon Slayer?" Faolan held his fist tightly.

'With so much anger, he has the potential to strike upon evil, but would his mother agree to this anger? No,' analyzed Mr. Nakama.

"Not everyone is destined to become a Demon Slayer, the Demon Okami faced had been slayed already," Mr. Nakama interjected.

"Do you believe that my Mother would be killed by a Demon, without killing it first," Faolan's eyes watered holding high standards for his mother, and a fury.

"Your mother would want you to move on boy, be something greater" Mr. Nakama looked away from Faolan.

"Move on, move on? How could I possibly move on to a normal life after something so horrific had occurred to me….." Faolan's spirit howled within him, internally breaking.

"Nononono, if there are more Demons out there... they don't deserve to live, they deserve hell for what they brought to me! They will bring hell to other kids like me! The many families I saw hurt and injured that night, the demons deserve….

Death,

For the amount of cruelty they bring to this world I want them to feel the same," Faolan's expression was wrathful, anger courses through his entire body.

'Okami I don't know what to do, your son… he shares your eyes.' Mr. Nakama worries for Okami's sake, yet he remembers about the God, Okami worshipped. 'Does she believe that this a road he must follow, no matter how hard or difficult the path of a Demon Slayer may be.

That is if he even is able to become a

Demon Slayer.'

Mr. Nakama ponders heavily on what he will decide to do with Faolan.

'Must I lead him on the tragic path of a Demon Slayer Corps. or force him to accept the tragedy of the world?

Neither.' Mr. Nakama crafts a new idea.

"Boy, if you want to become a warrior, you will have to pass my first test," Mr. Nakama stands, heading towards a covered object in cloth, grabbing the cloth from the object revealing it to be a swordsmith's anvil.

"You will make a katana, one that will not break when struck upon, by midday. When your blade does not break I will train you with all that I know," Mr. Nakama places his arms around his back with his chin up, demonstrating authority. Faolan stares into the anvil, unaware of how this training would truly mold him, the thoughts of himself of not being able to do anything for his mother haunts him, darkening his face. With everything that he has learned, thoughts of bitterness had overtaken him.

'Okami, your son appears to have a massive ill will against himself.

This training will truly break him.

I pray that his future will provide him insight into a better perspective of his true mission, I've only known to fight and create, I want to mold this boy into something greater than a Demon Slayer, I know that I said that he must move on, but I feel that this is what he needs.'

Faolan's mind is clouded, the cold of winter has frozen his heart. He was fixated on the goal to slaughter beings that threatened his family, that took his only family. No matter the cost, his soul deprecated the anger he holds within, unaccepting the allowance of cruelty.

'I will kill those Demons, I will make sure they burn.'

Mr. Nakama prepares all the essential tools that is available, so that Faolan would need to make a sword, the tiny place where they stayed included everything.

As soon as the day turned into dusk, it would mark the beginning of the test for Faolan.