Within Wisteria Walls

When all the others have reached the stone plateau of the top of the mountain, there are no words passed to us by the three silent figures waiting on the raised platform at the back of the huge clearing. As the sun finally falls to the earth and sinks below the horizon, I notice gates beginning to open to the wisteria forest. We all funnel inside.

I keep track of the number of the others. There are about five hundred of us. A few of them are my new friends. Most will die.

Misako clutches my hand tighter. Her warmth presses into my blood and flows through my veins.

"Focus on your breathing, Mizuki," she says softly. "That is what's most important."

We trudge forward together.

Misako and I are soon consumed by flowery wisteria strands as we enter the sprawling forest, and we still see a few stragglers wandering about near the entrance. The glowy wisteria blossoms morph quickly into sparse woods; tall, evil-looking trees that loom a hundred feet into the air.

The crisp, cool air whose expanse is filled with the pale steam of our breathing.

Misako and I talk quietly as we walk. Most of the others have dispersed, strayed along different trails that split away from the main path. Though some of them have stuck close to us, or Misako rather.

Meaning that I should stick close to her as well.

A slight rush of air about 100 feet to my left. My vision fogs. No.. It's different. Then another rush, about 10 feet away.

What is this..

I squeeze Misako's hand and let it go.

Although I have prepared for it, I am still surprised when two large, horned demons jump out from the underbrush and into the path. They are dark and ugly, with several bumps and scars running along their skin. Dressed in torn dark rags, they look like they might have come straight from hell. They leap forward, going for the stragglers hanging behind Misako.

I breathe in. Star Breathing, Second Form. "Star-crossed slash!"

A flash and a stroke of my blade, then the demon's head is sliced off, leaving a gleaming hunk where the stump where the neck should connect to below its jaw. Misako silently takes care of the other one, and a small burst of petals caresses my face as she sheaths her sword.

"W-was that a demon..?" stutters one of the other tsukugo who were now quivering behind Misako and I.

"What do you think, Zentsu?" asked one of the more courageous swordwsmen, who hadn't ducked behind the more experienced demon slayers. Or maybe he just didn't notice in time. The gray tinge to my vision fades, and I realize that my sword is still unsheathed, so I return it back into it's case.

Misako lets out a huff of breath and propels with no warning through the air, leaping forward and landing about a hundred or so feet away. A deep, throaty scream can be heard. We all run along the path towards the sound, and find Misako standing over the deteriorating ashes of a demon, a swirl of cherry blossoms beginning to settle around the corpse.

So quick. I didn't even notice it was there.

"We should have a formation," Misako tells us. "I don't believe that these attacks are random."

Some of the others begin to mutter.

Misako turns to me. "Mizuki, don't you agree? Did you see their eyes?"

I nod. "I think that's a good idea. And their eyes were a strange blue color. I think I remember hearing something about this from Yoriichi, right? Something about how there are some demons with blood arts that can control the minds and actions of others?"

Misako nods. "I'm glad that you remember. And yes, that's what I was thinking of as well."

Misako has us line up, with her at the front, me behind, and the rest fanning out in a pyramid shape. We walk forward, making sure to not stray from the path. We do not speak. I sense that there is nervous air being exerted from those behind us, but that is to be expected. I wonder what would happen to them if we weren't here. What would happen if a demon wandered upon them unprotected. Would they survive, fight it off? Or would they die? It pains me to think that the latter would be the most probable outcome.

I feel a rumble below my feet.

It can't be.. Below the ground?!

The dirt crumbles away from my feet, and I burst up with all the strength built up in my legs. Misako is already above me, but she instantly shoots back down and twirls around the demon's head, a shower of sakura petals circling its neck as her blade cuts through the flesh like paper.

I land a few feet away from the hole made by the demon, my feet finding lodging in a mushy, wet surface. I look down, my face pale. I'm standing in what used to be a human. Flesh and bone are crushed beneath my feet as I leap out of the gory mess, trying to keep my breathing stable. Looking back at the ground, I see the bloody remains of the lower-ranked swordsmen who were following us. I see Misako looking grim next to me.

"Is there nothing we can do..?" I ask her.

She shakes her head. "No." Her voice isn't shaking. "They're gone."

For eternity, it seems, we continue alone down the path. The demons seem to be wary of us. For this, I am glad, because I don't enjoy killing. Even demons. But the silence is the worst of it. I clench Misako's hand tighter as we round the bend in the path. What must she think of me? Does this girl next to me think I'm a coward? Does she even care?

I let go of her hand. She pauses, looks at me funny, and continues forward.

That's when we hear the screams.