Chapter 1 - Haru Kage

[ Japan, Year 1912-26]

_In a snowy forest_

There Rin was, floating in boundless darkness.

Surrounding the entirety of his figure was an abyss of pure black where a single ray of light could not be seen. He could feel a great sense of discomfort in his blackened vision. It was as though the darkness was staring right back him. It threatened to consume his feeble existence, intent to obliterate his entire being.

Abruptly, his mind cleared up from this abyssal darkness, and after a moment of his initial instance of shock and confusion – a sense of clarity arose.

"Aaaaahhh!" He cried out in hysteria as his eyes shot opened.

He quickly gained his touch when a burning pain burst forth throughout his entire body, along with a spine-chilling coldness prickling his skin. By now, a glaring whiteness pierced his retinas as an expanse of a rich, deep, and dark shade of blue sky appeared.

"Where… am I? … and how am I alive?"He questioned in bewilderment while lying on the soft snow.

While also in great discomfort of being soaked in dampness and of the biting cold, a cram of questions about his situation stirred his mind, alas he had no answers.

He then tried to get up with minimal movement, which resulted in a severe but familiar pain, and then all of a sudden, a pounding headache arrived in fashion, bringing a recollection of foreign memories.

He gradually came to understand why he still lived. 'I had possessed a body of a dead boy,' he thought in realization and conflict.

The boy in question was a person called Haru Kage who lived in an orphanage of kids similar in age to him. He had fond memories of growing up in a loving environment of hospitality and acceptance by the caretaker and children.

However, his happy life soon took a dark turn for the worse after the arrival of what seemed to be a human figure, yet not so human at all.

Lately, rumours had spread about the existence of human-eating creatures that fed in the night that left all but fearful – though no one would believe such nonsense unless there was concrete proof.

The figure was in question was this supposed demon that feeds on human blood and flesh for its own sustenance. Its skin was of a sickly grey as contrast to its deep-red veiny eye that was centred in the middle of its forehead like that of a cyclops – though its face was human-like besides its one eye. Black hair stained in crimson blood flowed down to its chest, where a gaping hole filled with shark-like teeth could be seen, dripping with red blood and mangled pieces of flesh. Bones prickled out its forearm like daggers, its hands replaced by what could be described as bone-shaped swords branching off each arm. It was like a monstrous creature that had escaped from the depths of hell.

This demon killed nearly all the people in the orphanage, except from Haru, who survived by escaping just in time, albeit with a fatal wound on his chest inflicted by the demon. He ran as his life depended on it into the deep forest blanketed in the whiteness of snow. Exhausted with every breath he took, he carried on with the resolve to live, alas the demon chased playfully just behind him with a sadistic smile etched on its wretched face.

However, by sheer luck, the sun arose from its slumber, with its presence bringing about light that bathed the forest below. In an instant, the light by then graced Haru with its presence, and just in time the demon stopped in its advances in the shade, before tutting with irritation and fleeting deep into the shadows of the forest. Haru was still alive and collapsed on the melting snow, falling into a deep sleep of mixed emotions of fear, pain, and sorrow – he never awoke again.

These memories gave Rin a deep sadness for the end of a happy life for this boy and everyone included in the massacre at the orphanage.

Though, he now could find solace that he now knows about where he is. Yet deep-rooted fear was engraved into his mind towards these beings referred to as demons. He sat upright with great restraint and felt the burning pain of the wound that dug deep into his chest.

"So, from now on, I am Haru Kage," he said in acceptance. "And from this day forth, I pledge that I will avenge the previous owner of this body by killing the demon responsible for his misery and the massacre of those he held dear" He promised in a grave tone.

Slowly, he used the remaining strength of his body to finally get up from the cold, wet ground. His clothes were in tatters, and his back drenched. Shivering, he began a slow-paced walk out of this snowy forest once and for all.

As Haru walked, he could not help but observe his surroundings, he knew he was in a forest, yes, but he did not know anything else about this world as his only remembered bits and pieces.

"Hhhaaaa~," Haru breathed out deeply with inches of formless white mist permeating the air. "What am I going to do now?" he thought as he walked ambiguously in the forest, travelling to what he recalled was the nearest town.

As he walked, Haru suddenly felt sentimental as he started to think about his family, hoping that they were okay after his death. But seeing that he was an only child, he'd guess that his parents would feel unimaginable grief over their dead son. He was worried for them but now knew that he had no hope of seeing them ever again as he literally transmigrated into another world, which he thought was only possible in fiction.

Nevertheless, on the thought of fiction, he suddenly recalled various popular Mangas to do with demons, such as blue exorcist which involves demons that can only access the human world through the means of possession unless an exorcist kills them before they can and Demon slayer which is a world plagued by demons that feast on humans and their only bane is their progenitor and what people called the demon slayer corps.

He had read all of blue exorcist but not much of demon slayer, no that it mattered anyway. He still felt the stinging pain of the scar that marked him across his chest. He heaved in the chilling air, hoping that it was cool and ease the pain.

As Haru's thoughts wandered as he walked, he had not perceived that a figure had noticed him in the in the distance, slowly yet wearily closing the distance with what seemed to be a large basket on his back.