【ᴀᴍᴀɴᴇ's ᴅɪᴀʀʏ】

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'Demon Slayer Corps... Their numbers are around a few hundreds, Is an organization that is not acknowledge by the government.

However, They still exist and continue to kill demons. Nobody knows who is leading this bands of demon hunters. It still shrouded in mystery.

Demons... Main source of food: Humans. They kill humans and consume their flesh. When they were first born or where they come from is still unknown.

They have powerful physical abilities, and even when injured, they are able to immediately heal themselves. Body parts hacked off will still have some sort of connection and they are able to grow comepletely new arms and legs.

There also exist demons that have the incredible ability to change their body structure. If one does not use a blade of special quality, even after chopping the demons head off, the demon will not die.

The demon slayer corps fights the demons with their mortal flesh and blood. Due to them being humans, their injuries recovers slowly and lost limbs will never regrow.

Even so, they still fight demons for humanity...'

"I'm a member of the demon slayers corps, myself." Tsuchigmori began explaining. "Usually, A cultivator would train and cultivate swordsmen with their variety of techniques in a variety of places but in your case, I will be teaching you these techniques I know. If one wants to join the demon slayer corps the they must survive in the final Selection.

I will be the one who gets to decide whether you're allowed to enter the final selection."

Amane stared at the man with much determination, sweating a bit on what kind of training that the Mist Hashira will be giving on him

'I began to write a diary today for (Y/n). I descended the mountain today as well. Training myself hard everday so that I won't die during the final selection.'

A beatened up Amane tried his best to dodge the traps around him. But it seems likely it was becoming difficult to do so as the days passed by.

But luckily, the boy was able to adopt through his surroundings well now that he was able to avoid most of them.

'I was slowly able to avoid the traps from descending the mountain repeatedly, everyday.

My stamina was not the only thing that increased. My nose is able to detect smells even swifter that before.'

Days and weeks passing quickly, Amane's body was becoming less bruised. He was now used to his everyday training.

His eyes widened as he step on a trap, he quickly avoid the incoming attack and stared at the knives impaled on the tree where he was standing in disbelief.

'However the difficulty of the traps began to slowly increase and are filled with a heavy stench of killing intent.'

Days passed by, Amane ran down from the mountain with his katana on hand.

'Today I took my blade with me to descend to the mountain.'

Amane growled in fustration as he was caught again on a trap, hoised up on a tree as he angrily tried to break free from the net that has captured him.

'This is really annoying. If my hands were empty then I wouldn't get tangled in the traps.'

"713!...714!...715!.." Amane grunted as he kept on swing his sword. His arms were already sore from all of the swinging he was doing."716!"

'Today is sword swinging. However, compared to today, it's more like it's swinging my sword everyday recently.

After descending to the mountain, I still continue to use my drop dead tired hands to swing repeatedly.

In the beginning, My own sword broke and that's when Tsuchigomori told me that the blade is easily snapped. Even though the force of the strike of swinging vertically is strong, the force of swinging horizontally is very weak.

Using a blade, one must swing along with the blade. The position of the blade, and the direction of the blade must be exactly the same.

Tsuchigomori lend me an extra blade that he has. He told me to never do the same of what happened to my blade with his.

Which means if this one snaps, my bones will snap as well. That's the slight threat I got from him anyways.'

Tsuchigomori was now training Amane himself. The boy let out a battle cry as he attack the older man with his katana, Tsuchigomori dodge them all with ease all with his bare hands.

'Today was a wrassling festival. A training devised to allow me to get up quickly no matter what position I fell on the ground.

I held my blade and swung it at Tsuchigomori-sensei, who use only hid hands without any weapons.

He's really strong. I always fall to the ground after being flung out. His methods were actually different and much more difficult than from my sensei back at the dojo.'

"Like this?"

"No.."

"This?"

"No.."

"This?"

"No..." Tsuchigomori had enough with the boy's poor posture. Without any warning, he slapped Amane's stomach hard, making the boy scream at the sudden pain.

'Today I practiced breathing and positions to do it in. He got angry due to me not putting in strength towards my abdomen and start slapping my stomach.....

Also.... (Y/n) has lost conciousness for almost half a year.'

Amane turn from his diary and glance at the sleeping demon girl on a futon next to him.

'Even though Tsuchigomori-sensei asked for a doctor to a diagnosis immediately, there were no signs of irregularity.

But the fact that she continued to sleep itself shows irregularity.'

His golden yellow eyes stared at her sleeping figure as he leaned his forehead against hers.

'I'm afraid.... that she would wake one morning and die just like that....

That's right, I don't have any time to think anymore...'

Amane continued his training, more harsher than before as he started from further up on the mountain towards the bottom.

'My training of descending the mountain needs to be conducted in more dangerous and more oxygen lacking places.

I thought a bunch of times that I was going to die here.

A year after I arrive at Mt. Sagiri, Tsuchigomori suddently said this...'

"I don't have anything more to teach you." The dual haired man said.

Amane who was now at the age of fourtheen, stared at the older man in shock and disbelief.

"Eh?"

"I have an important mission. So from now on you're going to have prove yourself while I'm gone. See if you can improve yourself until I return, using the basics that I have taught you." Tsuchigomori said ad he began leading Amane deeper into the forest into a small clearing. A giant boulder was in the center, as the spider like man gestured towards it. "If you are able to hack this boulder in half, then I'll allow you to join the final selection."

Amane stared at the boulder. 'Rock... Is that even possible to hack it apart? Can I do it with a blade?'

He began to doubt himself. 'I don't think I can do it. The blade will snap.'

Tsuchigomori began walking away.

"Tsuchigomori-sensei! Wait a second! Tsuchigomori!"

'From that moment on, Tsuchigomori didn't teach me anymore...

I continue to practice the things I learned from Tsuchigomori everyday. Jotting down basic things like holding my breath and flexibility training in my notebook helps a lot.'

'Not enough... My training is not enough! If I don't work harder, Work harder!'

Amane stared at his calloused and torn up hand. He gritted his teeth in fustration. 'I... Can't do it?.... (Y/n) will... Maintain her current state and die just like that?...

Ah... I'm getting depressed!! I'm giving up!!"

Amane began bangging his head over and over on the boulder infront of him. "I NEED TO WORK HARDER!!"

"Shut up!"

Amane's eyes widened as he quickly look up to the person who yelled at him.

"Such a shameful display of a man shouting nonsense..." A boy same age as him wearing a plain white haori sat on top of the boulder he was suppose to slice in half. He wore a fox mask with blue markings, hiding his face and has short light blue hair. He was also holding a wooden sword.

'When did he appear?!' Amane stared at the boy in shock. 'No smell... Fox mask...'

"No matter how difficult and painful it may be, you shut your mouth and deal with it. If you call yourself a man. If you are a man." The blue haired boy said as he the stood up and hopped off of the boulder.

Amane's eyes widened as the boy quickly attacked him, luckily, he manage to defend himself with his sword.

The boy then kicked him, sending Amane tumbling to the dirt ground.

"Slow, weak, rusty.... Your state is not a man by any definition." The boy said.

"What do you want?! Jumping out like that all of sudden!?" Amane demanded still on the ground after the boy kicked him.

"I should be asking you that question." The boy calmly said. "What are you doing?"

"Doing? I'm training." The raven haired boy answered like it was obvious.

"How long are you going to seat on the ground like that?" The boy with the fox mask asked. "Prepare yourself."

Amane's golden yellow eyes widened as he quickly stood up and ready his sword. The blue haired boy nodded in approval.

"Alright. Bring it on."

"But... Your holding a wooden sword and I'm holding a real sword." Amane said. "This fight seems unfair."

The boy stared at him for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter. Amane only stared at him confused.

The fox masked boy attacked.

"You flattered me! Thank you for this care you've shown me, You really think you're able to injure me?!" The blue haired boy clashed swords against Amane who seems to be clearly showing that he was struggling with the boy's brute strength. "I'm stronger than you! Because I can slice that rock open!"

'Slice the rock open?!' Amane's eyes widened in disbelief.

The boy slammed him hard on the ground. "You didn't learn anything. You haven't turned anything you've shown into your own skills."

The boy placed a hand over his mask. "Especially the breathing technique, Tsuchigomori-sensei has taught. Concentrated Breathing."

'He knows, Tsuchigomori-sensei?! And the breathing too!' Amane stared at him in shock.

"You've only memoried it like a trivial fact. Your body hasn't experienced it at all..." The boy swing his wooden sword towards Amane, only for the raven hair to block it with his real sword. "I'll make your flesh and blood remember it well! All of it! All of it! All of it!"

Amane gritted his teeth as the boy rapidly swung his sword at him. The fox masked boy was fast. Really fast that Amane could barely deflect his attacks.

"I'll implant them inside your bone marrow!"

"I'm learning! I'm learning everyday! I'm doing my best to learn with my life!" Amane shouted. "But right now, I don't know what to do at all... I can't move forward!"

Amane grunted as the boy's wooden sword grazed his cheek.

"Move forward! If you're a man, If you're a true man, You don't have any other choices except moving forward!" The boy continued his attacks. "Bring it on! Let me witness it, Your power!"

Amane let out a battle cry.

But the boy knocked him out with ease, Amane's body fell on the ground unconcious.

Mist began to surround the entire forest and around the two.

"I'll leave it to you then." The blue haired boy said to a smaller figure without turning around to see them.

The mist cleared, a girl long pink hair tied on a high pigtails appeared. She was wearing a short light pink dress like kimono and sandals. Like the blue haired boy, she also have a fox mask with vines and flower design. She gave the boy a sweet innocent smile.

"Yes."

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Amane slowly regain his conciousness. He blinked as his vision was blurry until it slowly began to be clearer.

"Are you alright?" A soft feminine voice asked full of concern. Amane quickly sat up to see a girl with pink hair staring at him with her pink eyes in worry.

"Did you see that move just now?!" Amane asked her. The girl only tilted her head in confusion. "That was an awesome strike! No hesistating or unnecessary moves at all! Very clean!"

The girl blinked as Amane continued to rant about the boy's attacks.

"I want to be like that too. I can do it, right? That move just now..."

"Ofcourse you can." The girl smiled. "I'll be there to witness it."

'She's.....cute....' Amane blushed. "Um... Who are you?"

'The girl's name was Lily.... She told me the boy's name was Karuto.

Also, Lily pointed out the places that I was lacking. She helped me adjust my unecessary moves and personal habits.

As to why she was willing to do this, or where she was come from, I was unable to get an answer even after asking her.'

"We all adore Tsuchigomori-sensei." Lily said as she placed a flower crown on her head.

'That sentence was Lily's constant refrain. The two of them are not siblings, they seems to be Tsuchigomori-sensei's former students.'

"There are other children here too. They've been watching you, Amane-kun." Lily smiled as her and Amane were surrounded by mist.

Amane tilted his head in confusion.

'Lily is a girl unlike any other. Her words are riddles within riddles.'

"Concentrated Breathing is the acceleration of the blood flow and the beating of the heart." Lily explained. "The way your body temperature will rise up. You will able to maintain a human form but be as powerful as demons. You have to increase lung capacity and allow the maximum amount of air that you are able to hold to enter your blood stream.

When your blood is quickened your bones and muscles will go into panic mode. And when your blood runs hot, then you will become strong."

'I completely don't understand....' Amane deadpanned. "How do I do that?"

Lily stared at him for a few seconds before smiling. "Do your best to train, I don't think there is any other way except for that."

'Wrist, Legs, And Feet feels like they were about to be torn off.

Lungs, heart feels like blades damaged beyond repair but still being swung. Even so...

I still wasn't able to defeat Karuto...'

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'Up until half a year later, That day I went to challege Karuto, He was carrying a real sword.'

"After a year, you finally began to have the appearance of a man." Karuto said as he unsheath his real sword.

"I will win today." Amane said with much determination as he ready his sword. He was now fiftheen. His straight raven black hair and bangs was now longer and was reaching his shoulders. His clothes tattered and worn out, his skin dirty and hands calloused from all of the difficult training he went through.

But unlike last year, he was able to learn how to use the concentrated breathing.

He even got to learn his very own, breathing style unlike learning and using his sensei's own style.

'A straight forward victory is very simple. The stronger and faster side will win.'

The two boys attacked.

'Victory and defeat were decided in an instant.'

Amane was very much quicker than Karuto this time. He quickly swung his sword, before Karuto could even swung his.

'That day, at that instant was the first time...

My blade struck Karuto before His does to me.'

Amane's sunset yellow eyes widened in disbelief. His sword sliced through Karuto's mask, making him see the blue haired boy's face for the first time.

Karuto's blue eyes stared at him in shock before softening. He then gave Amane a gentle and proud smile.

At the distance, Lily also smiled at Amane's achievement. Mist began to cover their surroundings including her and Karuto.

'After I won, Karuto smiled. It was a smile filed with mourning and joy, and a measure of piece to it.'

Amane turned towards Lily. She smiled at him. "You must win, Amane-kun... Against That person too..."

Lily disappeared through the mist. Amane turn back to where Karuto was standing only to find him not there. His eyes widened at the sight greeted him instead.

'When I returned to my senses, Karuto was already gone...

And the blade that struck open Karuto's mask....

Also sliced open the rock.'

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2780 words.

Karuto and Lily from Dear My Living dead!

Suprise to see them? :D