Ali, Kaito, Chiyo and Arata's search for the demons quickly stretched to hours long, they lost sense of time as they continued to chatter on about shared interests. Their conversation was constantly dynamic, leaping from one topic to another. Kaito and Ali shared a conversation about martial arts, Kaito having done karate for a large portion of his life, it quickly shifted to Chiyo's previous job as an apprentice sushi chef, to which Ali sulked that he would never be able to gorge on sushi anymore. As the night encouraged more tales of the past, Arata was the first to light up in excitement as Ali pulled out the Amare Flos in his pocket. Arata loved flowers, and seeing a healthy Amare Flos in person was a dream.
Ali hadn't talked and laughed so much for a long time, with the exception of the conversation with Kaze.
Regardless of how entertaining the night was, their search was fruitless. In the four hours they searched so far, only one area of interest was found. A shrine, seemingly brand new, the way the paint and varnish gleamed under the moonlight. It was large with thick and heavy wooden doors. The golden door knockers were the only part with some sign of wear. Within the shrine, the worship sanctuary was populated by a shattered portrait frame and a torn photo of a deity. The strong smell of incense emanated from the wood, and unlit candles lay in all corners of the shrine.
After the discovery of the shrine, they didn't linger too far away. Ali knew morning was imminent, and the shrine was the closest shelter unless he wanted to race to the damp, dark and cold cave again. The choice was obvious. The location of the elusive demon, however, proved to be far more tedious and vague. They persisted, searching even in the last hour of darkness.
"Why do we always end up hunting down the demon?" Kaito groaned as he slapped his hands onto his face and pulled down out of tiredness. His groan and statement evoked something in Chiyo, her mind recalling something that should've been mentioned a long time ago. She frantically dug into her haori pocket, unsure of whether the letter she sought was there or not.
Her eyes lit up as she felt the dry texture of scrunched paper. Ali felt a tap on his shoulder, turning around to see her flushed face, hand outstretched holding a crumpled letter. He shot her a look of awkward confusion, but as he unravelled the paper, his expression slowly dampened.
Chiyo was one of the few lower ranks who had been invited to Eira's 'prestigious' mission to hunt down Ali. His eyes read every word, the letter reeked of arrogance, manipulation and a false promise of 'legacy'.
There was a larger sense of frustration than surprise. Ali's mind had done everything possible to try to ignore Eira's actions. He knew he couldn't bring himself to harm a human, let alone an old friend. Yet, every despicable scheme she acted on only forced Ali to confront the blaring, harsh truth. The letter crumpled once more under Ali's tight grip, he could hear Eira's voice reading it in that crazed tone. Eira wouldn't rest til he was dead at her feet; the only way this would end was with either of them killing the other.
Ali's body filled with a mix of intense emotions, sorrow for those being enticed by the promise of 'legacy', and annoyance at Eira's relentless persistence. He exhaled deeply and looked at Chiyo.
"Thank you," He nodded at Chiyo, "What else do you know about her and her… mission?"
The next five or so minutes were full of exposition, Eira's entire rise to power, her successful triumph over Akaza and her most recent letter of action for those who wanted to hunt Upper Moon Three down. Arata broke into the conversation, explaining how many of the higher ranks had accepted, and therefore, the lower ranks had to take on more missions.
Amid the exposition, the true danger had gone unnoticed. Motion on the shadowed sides of trees undetected by any of the four, too distracted by conversation.
Two demons moved in perfect unison, on separate trees, crawling downwards. Their skin was covered in a tough, dark brown exoskeleton, mirroring the tree's rough bark. Both their hands and feet were placed flat on the tree trunk, not visible through their tough shells. The closest comparison of their appearance would be cockroaches.
They had been stalking the group from the moment they entered the forest. The only reason they hadn't attacked yet was due to Ali's presence. Now they waited for an opportunity to attack, once Ali was distracted or absent.
"Before I turned into a demon, we used to be friends," Ali sighed deeply as he crossed his arms and stared up at the sky, which was gradually turning lighter. His eyes filled with memories of his human life, particularly his missions with Asumi and Eira, as if it were just yesterday.
"It must be a lot to take in," Arata sympathised with Ali, placing a hand of comfort on Ali's back. He glanced at the other two. Chiyo and Kaito both nodded at him, understanding Ali needed his space at the moment. They slowly turned and walked into the forest, continuing their last few hours of search.
The demon's pale yellow eyes crinkled in glee as they witnessed the group disband into two separate groups. A perfect opportunity. Both demons hopped from tree to tree, following Chiyo and Kaito. Their exoskeletons began to crack and readjust, splitting down their spine and at other joint areas. The tough pieces moved to form a more convincing armour, almost like a suit. Finally, they stood up, completely horizontal, their feet still stuck to the tree trunk, and just as Kaito and Chiyo aligned below them, they free-fell.
Kaito's ears perked up, but by the time he stared up, it was far too late. Pitch black figures with white smiles and pale yellow eyes were free-falling right towards them, a soft whistle the only warning. Chiyo was quick to follow, her legs already tensed, ready to dodge.
One screeched in joy as its spikes grew even larger in excitement. If the cockroach-like demon hadn't screeched, perhaps they would have dropped perfectly onto Kaito and Chiyo and been able to have their long-awaited succulent meals.
Metres before they slashed their claws, the direction of their fall was changed almost instantly. A deafening crack echoed through the forest, little shards of their exoskeleton sprinkled down. Ali had blitzed right towards the screech, slamming his hands into the necks of the demons mid-air. In Kaito and Chiyo's eyes, it was as if they had been vaporised, the way their silhouettes blurred out of existence.
Ali landed, both demons still in his unbreakable grip, they screeched and struggled. Slashing, slamming and flailing their limbs at Ali in hopes of breaking free. His grip only compressed more, not giving them a last grace before starting to absorb them. Their movements grew sluggish in a matter of seconds as a dull colour spread across their body. The soft glow that emanated from Ali's palms was a stark contrast to the tormenting death the demons endured. Soon, they were dust, all their lifeforce converted into energy for Ali.
Arata quickly joined the other two, his eyes captivated by the quick resolution of the situation by Ali. The horizon was now at a deep, yet vibrant blue.
"I need to go to the shrine," Ali exhaled and clapped his hands at his sides, the excess dust and ash floating in the air around him. "Thank you guys."
With a final small wave, he began walking away, thinking he was done with the three. But like moths to a flame, they followed behind him. The three that were terrified of him only some hours ago now lingered behind him with no distrust in their hearts. They could either rest in the shrine until their next mission or trek to the nearest Wisteria House, and they were too lazy to do the latter.
Ali looked behind him and smiled a little. Deep down he was hoping they would keep him company for a while longer. Until they got their next mission at least. He didn't say anything, just kept walking with a small grin on his face.
In the midst of all the happiness, another threat still crept among the trees. Not a human or demon, but a bird. A Kasugai Crow watched the group of three follow Upper Moon Three willingly, making jokes, smiling and laughing. Its black eyes glinted with an emotion unknown. The branch the crow sat on wiggled up and down as it flapped its wings and took off. A clear message in mind for headquarters.
"Upper Moon Three was spotted in the outer west parts of Mount Kurohoshi in the Nagano Prefecture. Three Demon Slayers are accompanying Upper Moon Three, seemingly not by force or as hostages. This may be deemed as a breach of Corps Rules. Please confirm if appropriate punishment is required."
The crow flew further and further away from the forest. The sun ever so slightly peeked over the horizon. Rays illuminating the shrine's vibrant paint, the windows refused to let sunlight seep through, blocked by haori jackets.
Ali held Chiyo and Arata up by their feet, one in each hand. They grunted as they both shoved their jackets into the window crevices, blocking sunlight.
The usually quiet shrine was filled with conversation for the next hour, questions about Ali's past with Eira sprouted like wildfire as soon as they sat down. Thus, Ali's narration of his life began, he spoke of his tales of bravery, courage and tragedy, even acting them out. But as he reached recent years, his tone became more sombre and hushed. His brain replayed intense moments, encountering Akaza for the first time, having to fight Eira, being shunned by Eira's village and countless more.
The three listened intently, everyone leaned against the wall, seated around Ali. By the end of the narration, they were fast asleep, as expected, they were immensely fatigued from walking all that distance to the forest and then spending another couple of hours searching.
Arata wrapped his arms around his sword, his breath slow and quiet as he leaned on Ali's shoulder. Kaito was in a similar position, only to the right of Ali. Chiyo's head lay on Kaito's lap, she was the only one lying down on the surprisingly warm wooden floor. They all slept peacefully next to Ali, their bodies not constantly on a sense of alert.
Ali found it hard to fall asleep. He stared at the wooden floor. Behind his gleaming eyes, was his brain vividly reliving all the memories he had just recounted. A faint bubbling of anxiety boiled within him. He slowly moved his arm to pull out the beloved wooden case he looked to for comfort. He hadn't stared at the flower for a long time, due to the chaos recently. But as his eyes met the beautiful, youthful, pale blue, his mind cleared slowly, negative thoughts being replaced with thoughts of Asumi.
Her beautiful hair, eyes and smile. He would endure a thousand more days of suffering if it meant hearing her passionately talk about flowers again. His mind lit up with an idea.
"I should go back," Ali caressed the soft petals of the flower as they pulsed with a soft light, alive as ever, "Back to Asumi,"
He averted his gaze to the three demon slayers asleep around him, finding himself smiling at the sight of them fast asleep. They weren't much younger than Ali, but they were cute in a naive way. But more than all, their friendship was just so heartwarming. He wished that they would stay friends for the rest of their lives. His eyes grew heavy.
Ali fell asleep thinking about his journeys with Asumi and Eira.
As the sunlight peeked into Asumi's room, her eyes slowly opened as if it were a natural response. Her warm blanket and bed offered further warmth and comfort, but she knew she had to get up. After a satisfying stretch, she brushed rogue strands of black hair off her face, her eyes glowing even in the soft light of the morning.
As if it were waiting for Asumi to awaken, her Amare Flos on her bedside table pulsed with a soft glow.
Asumi smiled. What a wonderful start to the day.
A Kasugai Crow swooped down, coming to a halt at the front door of Asumi's house. A letter from Kaze was clasped in its talons.