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Kimetsu no Yaiba AU: Temen-ni-Guru (Arc 2)

Daikaku Shrike

---

More than half of the monks in the Daikaku shrine were older and more experienced than Kōshin himself and quite a few of them already faced attacks to the temple before. As such, the very moment the bell began to rang, most monks were combat ready after a few seconds. Kōshin himself heard the bell before he saw the attack.

Then, from the sky, they fell. Like a rain of crimson needles, the attack came from above, silently and lethal. Those unfortunate enough to be struck by them had their wounds began to blossom with flowers in a grim and cruel display and the ones that struck the ground, sprouted trees, releasing a deadly mist from it.

In a few moments, dozens of monks had already formed a perimeter around the temple, defending it from both inside and outside while others carried the ones that were wounded inside to immediately be treated in hopes of saving them from the horrible fate that the unfortunate sentries were victim to. Fortunately, the one thing the temple had in abundance was resources to fight against demons. The very same things that were used as weapons against them could also be used as remedies to fight their demonic powers.

Along with the more experienced monks, quite a few of the demon slayers brought by Takaya were quick to act. From Hinotora, using her breathing to protect those around her together with Kenzo, to Kairi whom immediately took the initiative and directed her companions inside the temple while immediately rushing to hunt whoever was responsible for the attack and even Ryunosuke, whose first reaction was to rush directly to the position where the demon was in a blind fury.

"Get to cover! Do not breathe the mist!" Kōshin shouted, amidst the protective flames created by Hinotora as he deftly parried the few arrows who passed through Kenzo and Hinotora with the prayer beads he used, having tied them around his free hand.

Looking at the two monks who came running to protect the members of the Slayer corps, armed with Naginatas, Kōshin silently nodded, glancing towards Takaya in a silent request for them to protect and escort them.

Thanks to how quickly the slayers acted, the monks had enough time to both get those who were wounded inside the temple and fully organize themselves in a defensive formation near the main temple, using the walls and roofs of the temple as cover while armed with spears and naginatas. It was not the first time the temple suffered an attack and it wouldn't be today it would fall. Kōshin himself would make sure of that.

Hearing Hinotora as she asked for help, Kōshin held his breath as he rushed towards her, diving through the mist. Although the assault of arrows had stopped for now, after Ryunosuke went after the demon, Kōshin didn't know if it would start again. He had to use that brief moment of calm to do as much as he could to fortify the temple, and Hinotora's idea, to have the barrier put up once again was a very good start.

"It is not much, but I hope it can be of help." Kōshin said nodding towards Hinotora as he partially unsheathed his blade, enough to briefly show the blade before he grabbed it, cutting his hand and sheathing it again.

"I will ask some of the monks to protect the demons responsible for the barriers. Leave the barrier to me, your allies will need assistance against the demon." Kōshin said with a reassuring tone as he knelt down near the wounded body of the demon, taking him in his arm as he closed the hand he cut in a fist, tightening it as drops of his blood dripped on the wounded demon's mouth.

Demon or not, Kōshin was still grateful for his sacrifice to protect the temple.

Kimetsu no Yaiba AU: Temen-ni-Guru (Arc 2)

Took me a bit longer than I expected to be honest... Hence why I'll probably only make my post tomorrow lol

It was quite a fun way to know more about the other members of the Slayer Corps though. I ended up only including the member of the Slayer Corps, since it would be more likely that Kōshin had already heard about or met them than the other demons. Especially given the fact that he is a monk living in a temple lol.

I will definitely update it when he starts meeting demons though!

Relationship Chart

^{Relationship Chart} : Kōshin's thoughts regarding;

^{Tomioka Guen} :

"Grief, hatred and anger are the chains and shackles that bind and weight her heart. To lose one's loved ones, especially in such a horrible manner is a tragedy. It is admirable that Guen was still able to find strength to go on, but the path she has chosen for herself is one that will bring nothing but pain and destruction. Both to herself and those close to her... As long as she shows herself willing to change and to be helped, the Daikaku temple's doors will always be open." @Dane

^{Ubuyashiki Takaya} :

"While Takaya is wise and knowledgeable well beyond his years, those around him still need to remember he is still young. All the expectation that is constantly forced upon him sometimes can be too much. He might be young and inexperienced, but like my master, I do believe he has the makings of a great leader for his organization. Be it for advice or for supplies, the Daikaku Temple will continue assisting the Slayer Corps as long as their cause continues to be fair and just." @Dane

^{Tenko Maria Thompson} :

"Her kind, cheerful behavior is a well needed breath of fresh air to the usually grim Slayer Corps. It both curious and impressive how she was able to shield her own kindness and innocence from the cruelties of her job by fabricating an alternate self, but in the end, both are still the same person. She always shows great care about her companions... I can only hope there are others who care for her own well being as much as she does for the others." @Randomguy

^{Jae-un Yoshihide} :

"When one grows too accustomed with wearing masks, they risk forgetting their true selves. Despite Jae-un's apparent politeness, I feel his heart can only take so much stress by suppressing one's own feelings and emotions before it bursts." @xAlter

^{Rengoku Hinotora} :

"Free and unbound. To live weightlessly, unbothered by opinions, traditions, hierarchy, prejudices and even 'race'. Despite her irreverent behavior, many of her values are honorable and respectable. With that said, there is only so much one can do by themselves. To rely and be relied upon, instead of isolating herself would only prove to bolster her own strength instead of weakening her." @Lewascan2

^{Uzui Kairi} :

"Confident and dedicated, almost to a fault. Similar in a way to Takaya, Kairi seems to be quite a competent and caring leader. Despite her tendency to wear masks to better fit each situation, she seems to still know well who her 'real' self is." @Digmata

^{Agatsuma Kousai} :

"If Tenko is the breath of fresh air, Kousai is the firm and ever-reliable pillar that supports both his organization and his peers. His willingness to teach and help others grow is most admirable." @Taka

^{Tsugikuni Himari} :

"Fierce and rebellious, but a staunch defender to her own peers and those weaker than her. Irreverent but her heart is undeniably in the right place." @King Kindred

^{Kamado Ryunosuke} :

"A fierce and raging, uncontrollable fire that risks consuming everything around it, even itself. While undeniably skilled, strength without control isn't a gift, but a burden. In a way, he remembers me of myself in my childhood... I can only hope he finds as good of a master as my own to help him to find the correct path." @JrVader

Overall: "The Slayer Corps is a place that seems to be constantly walking the line from good and evil. Some of them walk a most respectable path, focusing on doing good for both the world and their equals while others walk a path of hatred and self-destruction. While I am but an outsider, I can't help but feel it is my duty as a monk to assist those who, despite everything are willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of good... And offer help and respite to those who seek redemption and to change their ways. "

⤫ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 ⤬

Miya

^{Morning - The Rookery, New York City - [Everyone]}

---

Meeting the other numbers and their respective handlers after so long was an interesting experience for Miya. While it was true that some of them did make her quite apprehensive and nervous, the main culprit of that being Three, whose sharp stare seemed to pierce her very soul, some of those did have the exact opposite effect. While she did find the last part of number Fourteen's introduction a bit strange, she was still polite, friendly and adorable. Number Nine's friendly greeting was also a bit more refreshing than Three's sharp gaze.

Number Five and Twelve were... a bit different. Despite their apparent friendly and kind behavior, Miya had quickly learned to be very cautious around religious types, particularly those who were connected to the Catholic Church high clergy. Among the numbers, anyone who seemed to enjoy a greater degree of freedom was someone she was particularly cautious around.

In another hand, the masked woman seemed to be the exact opposite of number Fourteen. Similarly to Miya herself, she was mostly quiet, although there seemed to be a certain sadness on her stare, a quiet, silent resignation that made her her heart ache. The moment their eyes meet, Miya gave a kind smile and a discreet wave. Much like Seven, Miya also felt her heart tighten, but with a much greater intensityas she saw Eight arriving. The forced and cruel 'kindness' coming from her handler made her wonder how horribly was she treated by them. Somehow, Eight seemed to have worse than most other numbers, which only made Miya feel even worse for how unfairly most of them were treated.

In the end, all those meetings did make Miya feel much more relaxed with her fellow numbers, helping a great deal to make Miya feel a bit less nervous and open up a bit more.

"Good morning, everyone." Miya finally replied to the greetings, with a small wave and a small, discreet smile.

Dimitri, seeing Miya opening up a bit couldn't help but let out the faintest smile, satisfied.

Just after she said that though, Valentine's outburst made Miya immediately go silent again, looking towards the clown-like handler with a cautious stare. Apparently, someone had tried to touch the jar where she kept Two's heart and the unpredictable handler had quite an extreme reaction to it. While Valentine as a whole was someone Miya felt she had to be very careful around, it was still nothing compared to the voice that came soon after, urging Valentine to compose herself.

Despite his position of power and authority, Miya wasn't nearly as concerned about the General as she was about the owner of the voice... The Archbishop himself. The idea of a frail, elderly man making a number feel nervous was almost laughable, but what Miya feared wasn't the man, but the power he wielded... The entire power of the Catholic Church who were able to create and keep numbers such as them under control but the

With the Archbishop's arrival, all the conversation between numbers, handlers and anything else immediately stopped. A brief warning from the general along with a rather concerning phrase about the current situation in the northern border coming from Valentine made it clear that the official meeting was about to start. In silence Miya followed Dimitri up the stairs along with the rest.

---

Unlike the first floor, most of the military personnel and the staff member there seemed to either be too busy or too accustomed with the presence of numbers and handlers to even bother giving them the faintest reaction. Positive or negative. Something Miya was grateful for. For her, it was easier to handle a cold, strictly professional ambient than to deal with the chaos of all the different reactions people had when they met her knowing what she was.

Carefully taking a seat besides Dimitri, Miya kept silent as the General began debriefing the group. Especially after the ominous words said by Valentine, Miya wasn't expecting any good news, as such, she wasn't surprised when the General mentioned the death of number Four and their handler, in the same situation that caused Two to become nothing more than a heart in a jar. What began as a peaceful negotiation with the Canadian government (despite the manipulation attempt from the Church by using Four's powers), had somehow taken quite an extreme turn to the worse.

The video that the general showed soon after seemed to be almost a joke at first. A number of people in horses wielding nothing but swords and bows against not only a troop of modern, trained soldiers but number Two as well. As Miya expected, in the beginning, it was simply a massacre... That was until suddenly one man among them pointed a bow at Two, making her immediately kneel before firing an arrow that produced a blinding light before the video finally ended.

Upon seeing that, Dimitri furrowed his brows with a serious expression. Despite his silence, his expression said more than his words could. How exactly someone from outside the Catholic Church was able to put their hands on an artifact of such power? The Catholic Church wasn't exactly keen in sharing the artifacts they had and to steal from them was almost unthinkable, given how secure their vaults were...

While Dimitri was carefully dissecting and mentally reviewing the information he was just given, Miya's was still trying to understand what exactly happened. In a few seconds, the outright massacre of the hostile forces immediately ended with that bright flash of light. If that was only one of the weapons the church had, Miya shuddered to think of what other absurdly powerful artifacts they had and most importantly... If that one was stolen, why couldn't the other ones be stolen as well?

"It seems there was a security breach in the Vatican's vaults... Was the bow the only missing artifact?" Dimitri finally spoke in a serious tone after a few minutes of silence. His question was as important as the ones he didn't ask and could instead be inferred from his words. If other artifacts were indeed stolen, it was very likely the same group was responsible for it. In this case, if they truly were to fight and suppress such group... They had to know exactly how much firepower they had.

Kimetsu no Yaiba AU: Temen-ni-Guru (Arc 2)

Nice! Will have a reply done tomorrow!

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

"No reason is good enough to justify such actions... To sabotage an honest attempt to bring peace and harmony is... appalling." Miwa said with a deep sigh as she heard Arcan's words, agreeing with him.

"Whatever reason she could have had, was likely twisted by arrogance and anger... If there was a way to right her misguided ways... It was probably too late, as you mentioned." Miwa finished with a saddened tone.

Although Miwa truly believe everything had a reason and no one should be denied the opportunity to redeem themselves and right their wrongs, It was hard to believe any reason could be good enough or even understandable to warrant someone attacking their own childhood friends in an attempt to sabotage their efforts to bring peace to both humans and elves...

Noticing Jazdia squeezing her hand, Miwa turned her attention back towards her, holding Jazdia's hand between hers, a silent gesture telling Jazdia she could count on her as Arcan suggested a way for them to know more about the curse instead of aimlessly looking through books.

"No need to hurry, Jazdia. Just let us know if you are ready." Miwa said to Jazdia in a soothing tone, nodding reassuringly towards Arcan as he glanced towards her, mentioning the technique he wanted to use.

"Should we hope to really fight this curse, any information we might get about it will help, no matter how small it might be. Hope is the last to die, after all, isn't it?" Miwa said with a comforting smile.

"With that said, the choice is entirely yours. Whatever it is though, we will be here to support you." She finished with a more serious tone, looking to Verdant and nodding, agreeing with her as she waited for Jazdia's reply.

While Miwa did trust Arcan to a good extent, since he had shown himself to be nothing but helpful and hospitable since they arrived, she could still see the wisdom in Verdant's words. To trust someone else in such an extent, to lay bare one's whole being and secrets was a true leap of faith. Whether Arcan had shown himself to be worthy of such trust from Jazdia's part or not was something only she could decide.

As she was about to look to Arcan again, Miwa saw Rezello patiently waiting at the entrance.

Having only now noticed that she had spent quite a bit of time with Jazdia and Verdant instead of clearing the cursed room as she said she would do, Miwa discreetly looked to Rezello before nodding, immediately understanding what he came to do without him even needing to say anything. It was a very delicate moment and Miwa knew she couldn't leave Jazdia right now. With that said, it was true time was not exactly in their side, considering everything that was going on.

"Sorry! We will be done in a moment." Miwa said to Rezello, discreetly mouthing the words without emitting any sound before she turned her attention back to Jazdia, Arcan and Verdant.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Upon hearing Arcan's reply, Miwa's expression, positive at first went from surprised to extremely regretful and saddened. Despite her good intentions, it seemed like her words only served to open old wounds.

"I-I'm sorry... I wasn't aware..." Miwa said, deeply ashamed tone as she looked down.

"It was my mistake to speak without properly knowing the full story. I apologize." she said after a moment, bowing apologetically.

The sins the elf called Lythiel were responsible for were, apparently much graver than what she initially thought. The betrayal, much worse than she thought it could be possible, especially since as Arcan mentioned, she had attacked and brought unimaginable suffering to her own childhood friends.

"I am not so naive as to think that 'true', unforgivable and irredeemable evil doesn't exist in this world. Nor do I blame Theriadore for the hatred he felt given the betrayal, pain and suffering that was imposed to him..." Miwa said, approaching the crystal with a serious expression as she continued looking at it.

"With that said, every act of evil has it's roots, where everything began. Especially in this case. What could have led someone to commit such acts against their own childhood friends..." Miwa said, looking at the painting once again, where the three seemed to be so happy and close to each other.

"Perhaps the true reason for Theriadore to keep this painting was exactly for this. To try and understand exactly where everything started to go wrong. Was it everything because of greed and envy? Jealousy...? Did such dark emotions poison and corrupt Lythiel's mind over time? Were they always there? Or perhaps... although unlikely... was it born out of a misunderstanding...?" Miwa said with a thoughtful tone as she continued starting at the image for a moment.

While she did trust Arcan's words, Miwa knew well that every story had two sides and it knowing both of them was extremely important for one to have a complete image of the situation and properly understand what happened.

Lost in her own thoughts, Miwa took a moment to realize that Jazdia's silence to her previous question had more to it than just her not wanting to reply. The moment she realized there were tears rolling off Jazdia's face, her expression immediately changed from a serious, thoughtful one to a concerned one as she quickly went to where Jazdia was.

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have asked about the previous member... It seems I am being quite tactless today... I am really sorry, Jazdia." Miwa said, gently putting her hand on Jazdia's shoulder, trying to comfort her.

⤫ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 ⤬

Miya

^{Morning - The Rookery, New York City - [Everyone]}

---

Considering how harshly most of the numbers were treated and how tight the leash was around their necks, it was quite a miracle that the Catholic Church hadn't done something about Eleven and her relationship with her handler, Dmitri. Being quite familiar with the active efforts to keep the Numbers feel as they were nothing more than tools to be used, Miya knew well how precious her bond with her handler was. Dimitri was one of the few who treated her as more than just a sentient weapon. Due to that, she had quickly come to see him almost as a father or a grandfather... Something which Miya was very careful to keep a secret, afraid of what Dimitri might think... or what the church would do if they found out.

These were only a few of the many reasons why Miya hated meeting anyone important from the church on any 'official' business. To make things even worse, the news they had received made it clear this was no ordinary meeting. Unlike the regular ones, this would be hosted in New York, with all the Numbers and their respective handlers present. Whatever it was, it was big... The entire situation made Miya extremely nervous, despite Dimitri's gentle reassurances. Other than a brief greeting to Thirteen and his handler, most of the trip to New York passed in silence. She needed to mentally prepare herself for whatever was important enough to drag all the Numbers and their handlers to New York. Besides, her silence was also out of caution... Any affection between her and her handler could be met with harsh backlash or even punishment.

When they finally arrived at the Rookery, Miya couldn't help holding her breath for a moment, nervous. It was much worse than what she was anticipating. As the vehicles stopped right outside the building, she could hear the hysterical mob awaiting their arrival. Cameras, signs being waved and every possible reaction, from a few scattered cheers to curses and shouts of hatred and fear. For a moment, Miya simply stood still, breathing deeply as she calmed herself. It would be so easy to silence them... One word to stop the screams, another to blind them. Amidst the nervousness and the hunger she was beginning to feel due to the trip, Miya did consider the thought for a moment... Until Dmitri gently patted her head, looking at her with a discreet smile....

"It'll be fine, Miya. Just ignore them." Dmitri said, his tone steady and reassuring.

"It's just... hard not to be nervous. All the Numbers and their handlers together, for the first time in so long..." Miya sighed.

Dimitri smiled again, gently patting her head in silent encouragement.

"Thank you." she murmured, returning his smile before finally stepping out toward the Rookery.

When both Miya and Dimitri exited the unmanned vehicle, other Numbers had already started making their way inside the building. Paying no attention to the mob, Miya simply followed her handler. Aside from Thirteen, Miya only had very vague memories of her other siblings. To say she wasn't curious about them would be a lie, but she remained cautious. The fact that they thought of themselves as a family didn't mean all the other numbers would be friendly towards her. Besides that, she was still entering a place where she would meet a lot of 'important' people who, in the end, saw her and the rest of the Numbers as nothing more than sentient weapons to be controlled. As such, Miya's expression was one of deep distrust as she walked into the lobby.

While the lack of religious imagery was a bit unusual for a Church meeting, but its presence was still felt. Especially in the well-armed, elite guards bearing the Catholic cross. In front of them, walking at a brisk pace, Miya watched as an armed man wearing a trench coat entered the lobby without any ceremony. Whether he was a handler or a Number, Miya didn't know, but the fact that he was walking by himself was strange either way.

The low hum of the scanners announced both Miya and Dimitri's entrance into the Rookery. In silence, Miya's eyes swept the lobby as they approached the administration desk. From the elite armed guards to the normal agents and staff working there, he reactions varied. From simply ignoring her to outright displaying disgust and hatred. Among the others present, a few immediately caught Miya's attention. The older, armed man from earlier was also there, his eyes sweeping the room in a methodical, cold and calculating way. The moment their eyes met, Miya couldn't help but immediately avoid his gaze. He seemed the least friendly of all. Interestingly enough, there seemed to be quite a few people of similar age to Miya. Among those, the ones that immediately drew Miya's attention were a strange, clown-like girl carrying a jar with a still-beating heart inside, undoubtedly another Number.

As the rest of the Numbers and their handlers arrived, Miya kept silent, waiting nearby Dimitri. Despite her care to not show any obvious acts of affection towards her handler, the fact that she stood nearer to him than other Numbers did from their handlers was still noticeable to those who paid enough attention, even if it was something Miya herself did unconsciously.

Duplicitous Ruins in the Land of Twilight

Miwa listened to Arcan's words silently as she turned back, giving another glance at the painting. She did not know what happened to break the group nor what was the grave transgression mentioned by the elf woman, but by Arcan's tone and the animosity he showed made Miwa think it must have been something significant.

"Perhaps your master's intentions behind keeping this painting was simply due to fond memories from his past and not a hateful reminder of an act of betrayal. Regardless of the treachery that might have split the group, I am sure they all once had fond memories of each other... Maybe even in the end, they still harbored some good memories from their past." Miwa said with a smile as she looked at the painting on the other side of the hall.

"People change. Sometimes for the better... others for worse. Regardless, there is nothing wrong in keeping fond memories of one's past. As long as you keep moving forward instead of being trapped in the past." Miwa completed with a smile as she looked to Arcan, hinting that maybe, some of those words could be important for him as well.

"It might not be exactly the same thing, but the way I feel for my temple is somewhat similar. I feel great pride for it's history, but this didn't prevent me from noticing that the temple needs to change if it wants to survive the passage of time." Miwa continued.

"You mentioned an eighth member of the group, didn't you Jazdia? I am sure you also have fond memories, despite having parted ways, right?" Miwa said, remembering Jazdia having mentioned an eighth member a while ago. What Miwa failed to consider though was the possibility that the eighth member didn't just parted ways with the group... but something worse might had happened.

"You admired and loved your master quite a lot, didn't you?" Miwa asked with a smile as her eyes wandered from the painting, stopping on the same cluster of crystals Arcan looked at. Something Miwa had taken for just an eccentric way to illuminate the room.


"I thought this crystal was merely a way to illuminate the room. Was it a part of one of Theriadore's creations?" Miwa asked, curiously.

⤫ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 ⤬

Laugh react if you want a discord.
Thank react if you’d prefer to keep discussion to the forum.

@Haha

I'm fine with both tbh, but Discord is nice too to keep communication smoother and faster :-)

⤫ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 ⤬

As in how are left? Well I'll claim #10 if it's still open but if not, I'll get Unlucky #4 instead.

@Luluna

There are more than just 12. It's just that only the initial 12 are mentioned on the first post.

Numbers 13 and 14 are also mentioned on the initial* post. Not sure if it goes further than 14 though. Might be better to ask Haha tbh