Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dearest Mother and Father,

I apologize to both of you for the lateness of my message.

My head still runs into loops as I comprehend the events of the previous days. I have settled in a safer place, but it is far from home. The smell, the food, the people—it is all foreign to me. It was not always like that, though. 

My noon started with the life that I have lived: The constant ringing of my elder sister’s voice, the frantic noises in our recovery ward, and the brief quiet of a meal. My place of priority has not seen anything too destructive other than a few wanderers that I had to dispatch. My superiors had seen fit to dismiss me early that day and replaced me with low-level Slayers.

I was supposed to write to you that day until my crow abruptly interrupted me about a Pillar meeting in the Ubuyashiki estate in haste for utmost importance. It was announced that day that two of our most capable—Rengoku-san and Tomioka-san—are not present.  The former had been here the previous days, but the latter hadn’t been seen for the second meeting in a row. Never had I thought of the day he would be as shameless as this.

Oyakata-sama is concerned, given that little to no information had surfaced on their whereabouts, despite our efforts. And that the demons’ efforts hadn’t thawed either. This meant that our more senior members would have to run double-duties to cover the areas of the missing two, and I was given the unfortunate task of finding the information necessary to locate our missing comrades, due to my standing as a Junior of the Pillars.

Nee-san was understandably upset when she learned that I was given the task. We didn’t know the nature of their disappearance. I remember her back and forth with Gyomei-sama that ended with no success in changing the order, though she was able to compromise to an accomplice in the task. And as expected, I chose Kanao as my assistant.

We had no choice but to go, and we sought every nook and cranny of the two’s area of priorities to find them: the highest of mountains, the densest cities, the sparse towns, the deepest ocean, the most favoured restaurants in every given area, and even the prison cells! No signs of either, but our information quickly ramped. Rengoku-san’s is fairly easy to gather, given his presence being known amongst the populace, but Tomioka-san has not been an easy task. Mere weeks were not enough to cover even the land that we’ve investigated, more less to the information we have gathered.

My elder sister noted the sluggish pace of the investigation, and has noted that my talent is being wasted. She’d rather take over the investigation and put my skills where it matters—in the infirmary. Her efforts were once more in vain to convince our superiors, neither were additional resources allocated to me due to our manpower shortage as of forever. I had to resort to asking my superiors for excerpts on the previous missions that they had before their disappearance, with most of them having only recollections of Rengoku-san and not Tomioka-san. Nee-san was the only one I knew whom Tomioka had talked with, due to her sincere treatment of him. She recalls him being assigned the whole plains of the Kanto region. She did warn me that the investigation may be put on the sidelines now due to the timeframe that has passed, and finding the two alive was now nearly impossible. 

I have been posted in the Kanto plains before, and one area had been infamous and dangerous for any Pillar to be alone in: The Aokigahara Forest near Mt. Fuji. 

It was a viable place to hide from anyone or hide anyone, especially somewhere as wide as Kanto. Our kakushi and hunters had plenty of terrible experience in scrounging for poor souls devoured during their routine operations in that particular area. I was ordered to seek the place in the mornings to survey. I remember running to some powerful demons in the area and quickly dispatching them. I’m quite shocked that even that morning, demons are around the area! The vegetation around has surely dampened the effects of sunlight, but that didn’t make them stronger. One demon—quite the trickster—keeps sending me outside the forest the moment I make my move.

It was a job and a half to find the annoying creature and, likewise, to figure out wherever I was transported and to return back to the Aokigahara. Thinking back from this point, it was quite silly—but that day was still a slog. And taking in account of Kanao being alone with that demon, it was dangerous as well. Our chase with the demon ended after an excruciating whole-day chase, and our battle with it was almost medieval. It had dropped some left-over cloth of an haori—that of Tomioka-san’s. I was worried about his fate; the demon was not of exorbitant strength, maybe to that of a Lower Moon demon. But sometimes amateurs can be fortunate. 

I didn’t even think of someone like him being killed so easily by a demon. I respect his strength and his seniority over me, and the thought of him being dead terrified me. I had sent the cloth to Nee-san’s, which was met by a numb and bleak expression from her. She admitted to me that she had thought of the Pillars as gods: invincible and untouchable, so seeing displays of our mortality had brought her down to humility. Given the circumstances presented in our table, it was the most plausible decision to declare him as “killed in action”.

Oh, it is already late at night! I’m writing this to you beside a lamp, so worry not about my eyesights. I admit that this lull has given me new passion to further my studies in these quiet times if I had brought my books with me. So my pen and paper, and my wandering mind would have to suffice. I had just seen the contents of my pen and its ink had gone down to half.

It seems a good amount of my time has been consumed writing this to you, so I will have to stop here. The night is quite late, and my comfortable bed is calling me. I wish you both the best in the skies above the heavens.

Your beloved daughter,

Kocho Shinobu

Chapter Text

Dearest Mother and Father,

I continue to write this to you in the safety of a dormitory, where we are currently being processed for our future endeavors. I am still on the edge on their plans, and have repeatedly denied any service that may require anyone other than the four of us to enter the room. 

Thankfully, I am not alone in this whole ordeal. However, it could only help me as much as they could.

The day I became a Pillar—no, the day I became a Demon Slayer, I lost my time for education. It has been my greatest gift and indulgence throughout. Though my will for serving and keeping others safe has remained my greatest priority, I had confessed to my dearest sister that I do not wish being a Demon Slayer to be my permanent standing, and that I want and will pursue higher education if given the chance. I cannot figure if she was delighted or terrified the day she learned that I wouldn’t be pursuing this career for the long-term.

Thus I now serve as the Insect Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps in lieu of my sister—the previous Flower Pillar—for a definite period. I hadn’t used loopholes to get to my current position. It had been tough, and I had worked myself to death for the privilege to be considered as a Pillar. Nee-san didn’t retire, but she has taken over my duties as the head of the Medical Board in the Corps. The definite period didn’t help to endear me to my fellow Pillars, but I have mitigated it so far with my performance.

I am sure you didn’t wait the whole day just for me to ramble about myself. I will continue from now on.

When Nee-san had declared Tomioka-san dead, I was just as devastated as when I discovered the cloth itself. We remember holding a short moment of silence during our next annual meeting for him. I never even had the necessary reprieve to mourn him, as he was close to Kanae-nee and myself too. But the mission comes first; I was still tasked to the retrieval mission, but with Rengoku-san’s whereabouts this time. 

Based on what was gathered previously, he was tasked a mission—aboard a suspected train that had incidents of disappearances in the previous months, accompanied by some younger personnel with him—in the so-called “Infinity” train. We met there a sweet young lady and her grandmother selling some bento boxes, and was able to figure that he indeed boarded the train the time they had with him. 

They even enthusiastically mentioned the moment they had sold out their whole product to him, which I would have to deduce that he ate all of it for himself or with the companions that he had at that time. We decided to buy a piece of the bento, and I let Kanao fill herself as a token for her being a great accomplice so far—not that she had a choice in the matter either. I had to admit, the train ride was peaceful—the still darkness of the outside, the cold wind making it a struggle for my haori to maintain itself, and the brown light hovering around the carriage. 

Being homesick from these mere details makes me mundane, doesn’t it? We are far away from home, and the mere moments reminds me of it. Now I sit in front of a window, with the sun staring at my whole body on my front, and a harsh cold wrapping me on my back inside our dormitory. Our new accomplice seems to love the cold, so we’re stuck here to endure it, however I’d prefer it over our previous condition just a few days ago.

I remember that we had to switch carriages every predetermined time to at least find any hints, and to not alert any crew of such suspicious behavior from. Everytime we would do it, I’d feel eyes in my back. Our roaming of the whole area had done nothing, so we had to resort to gathering information—most bore no fruit, but some confirmed had seen Rengoku-san sitting in the train, screaming “delicious!” whilst eating a pack of bento on his trip in front of other people.

I cannot bear to imagine the image of myself in that situation. No shame nor fear of eyes crawling into him for his actions, but that’s why he is a Pillar. Everyone’s opinion becomes a second-priority to their safety from a demon. And that’s what makes him a great person, and now I shoulder the responsibility to bring him back—intact or not. With what I had that time, piecing it together will not suffice, so we decided to sit it out that day.

Mother and Father, this is where I believe things will make no sense to you.  Even as of today, we cannot understand how it came to that moment. Let me recall it as closely as I could remember: I left my seat—leaving Kanao behind—to enter the bathroom. Once I had relieved myself of any discomfort I had that time, I suddenly felt really dizzy, and my eyes drooped as if I’m going to sleep. I’d thought in the past that it was my period acting, or that I hadn’t had a meal that day—but never to this extent that I’ll be incapacitated in the toilet. 

Total Concentration Breathing has prevented me from falling asleep, however I personally felt the wind change—something felt peculiar. I believe this was the moment I—no, we—were shifted to the place where we now reside. To this day, I think that this was a defense mechanism of whatever demon was in that train. 

Leaving the restroom, I was met with the harshest pristine light that I have seen—likewise to that of a chandelier hanging atop of a western-styled home. The whole room was covered with marbling and the most elaborate faucets and toilets I have seen! Whoever owned this must have been rich—is what I would have thought in the past. I now understand that it is just a public restroom, but to see one in such a condition is once in a blue moon.

However, it didn’t make the place feel more comfortable at all, as I was on alert the whole time, to the point that I had to check each of the toilets every often. My whole body was primed at every noise the room made. But the light and the noises make it seem like the place is docile and safe. I remember thinking that Kanao would be as impressed and in shock if she ever saw this place. 

And by sickly coincidence, I saw a part of the wall move aside as if it was a door in the first place. It was Kanao. I was too late to remind her to leave it open, and the “door” in the wall quickly disappeared as it had appeared in the first place. I felt my soul leave my body the moment it had disappeared. I tried to find an opening within the wall, but my efforts were in complete futility.

As expected, she was also in awe from the sights beholden in her eyes—as I was mere moments before. She had mentioned to me that she was worried about me being gone for nearly an hour, and had to do what she did, and described everything I have experienced in that room—though expectedly, she couldn’t handle it.

I didn’t notice the flow of time at the most tense of times. And now, apparently—at my most calm. Kanao is calling me for lunch. I will write to you once more at the time of most convenience.

Your beloved daughter,

Kocho Shinobu

Chapter Text

Dearest Mother and Father,

How has the heavens been to you both? I have dreamt of us in our first time eating ice cream in a nearby parlor. I also remember seeing the beautiful couple wedded in splendid western-styled clothing, being paraded in a street too. Do you miss us that much? It is a great sign from you both, and it has put me at ease since we’ve left home. The cold in our dormitory has given me ample time to sleep, despite the scorching heat outside.

The ink in my pen has recently run out, and I had to head towards the nearest department store to purchase some more. This pen cannot be refilled, nor does it have a separate ink bottle to continue writing with the same one—unlike the pens I had back home. But it is dirt cheap, and the store sells it in bundles rather than individually. So I believe that both of you would be delighted to know that I will continue this habit of mine during our duration here, as long as I have a paper and a pen.

And all of this may seem plentiful to you both, but trust me—time here has given me all the freedom I needed to continue writing to you, maybe up until my grave?

I jest.

I will continue on now. 

In our training, we were taught that being still is as helpful as being a target, so it was second nature for the two of us—at that time—to continue on into this new world by leaving the secluded comfort room. What met us was a cold, dark alleyway with a one-way exit. There are plenty of lights to guide us towards the exit, but it just leads to a street that has multiple dead-ends in it.

That place was a curse for the women around. Not even a police officer in sight! The only sensible recourse we had that time is to shelter in a nearby store. I was in no financial liberty to enter such a luxurious department store, but its lights had given us the necessary reprieve from all the darkness. 

I remember looking at the poor lone store attendant staring at the desk or what’s below it while being still, probably sleep-deprived or tired. We didn’t know if it was the night or the early morning at that time, because the moon has been blocked by massive buildings surrounding it. The buildings outside had ridiculous amounts of light, but our surroundings have been dim as a forest. 

We had no choice but to proceed once more.

I remember passing by a man in a western suit laying defeated on the ground beside a short staircase. It was explained to me later that those men sleeping are the average white-collar workers in this world who had missed their final travels, and are forced to sleep by the sidewalks to catch themselves a break after their work or their hangovers. Our new accomplice joked that its mere observation had us foreshadowing his future.

We also saw some really good restaurants, blooming with the noises of drunk and partying people. The smell of these places made my stomach grumble in pure hunger, with the back of my mind wishing I had eaten the bento for myself. Skewers, bowls towering with meat, the distinguishable slurps from noodles of some sorts, and alcohol are all that I could see by observing. But it was only a scant few, as most of the stores are closed, and none are accepting dine-in customers anyways.

There was no shortage of people having their eyes on me and Kanao. Our looks are drastically different from the people of that area, but it was still nerve-racking to walk in those streets. Other than that, nobody was close enough to bother checking us for any weapons.

We had falsely thought that we were in a good clearing, until Kanao had told me that time that there was one interesting individual. From the moment we had left that room, he had our eyes on us. It wasn’t discrete either, as he had been following us from a safe distance, fully exposing himself in mere convenience to us. He wasn’t trying to conceal himself either. It is one thing to be looked at and sighted at, but it is another to be observed. 

We didn’t waste any time. We confronted and interrogated him after seeking a comfortable place to do so. As if our stay here hasn’t become peculiar here, it appears that this man has been expecting us—the “transportees”—to arrive and to be escorted*. My heart took over my head at that moment, and I remember asking for clarification and then throwing harsh words towards the poor boy, to the point that he had no choice but to apologize for his words.

He elaborated further that he was just merely guiding us to the designated areas. Public areas like stadiums and hotels are the most efficient way they could gather us, and he is doing this job for its wages—which was higher than that of normal ones, by his words. 

The boy didn’t look like he was older than me—acne-ridden, hands as smooth as a flower, and a shallow voice. A stature not fitting of his age, and wouldn’t even keep a straight eye towards me—I didn’t see him as ill-intended as I did previously, thankfully. I had asked if he had done this to previous people before us, and if he knew his superiors. 

He mentioned a man of peculiar dressing—similar to that of us—who had three younger companions with him when he was picked up. He added how the man caught the attention of the whole street, due to his overall appearance and the attitude, his voice, and how he had displayed himself towards the people. 

Sadly, he himself could only relay such orders from some sorts of mailing that is foreign for me to comprehend at that time. No written letter, just an auditory instruction that was done similarly to a device similar to that of a telephone.  I do not remember the Demons having such ability to communicate with modern technology, as far as how we’ve dealt with the majority of them. But if this could have been true, then we might be entering a new phase of warfare where orders are barked at a minute's notice, and I’m afraid to say—the level of coordination and its widespread use to the point that our corps would find it impossible to respond and coordinate. 

I’m rambling on about such nonsense. Let me continue. 

He finally guided us to our gathering place. I still could never be comfortable around tall buildings, as it makes me nauseous looking at it—with all its lights and all. But by the gods, I couldn’t stop looking around when we entered the building. It was simply an eye-pleasing experience. The music in the background didn’t fit my taste, but who would care about it? The paintings hanging in the gallery, the smell of the pleasantries, and the occasional stares from several passersby. 

We were told that an entire floor was dedicated to this “gathering”, and that we were to head up there to meet up with the rest. We were about to take the staircase when the boy called upon us to enter what looked like a fancy elevator for quick travel. Even the elevator here is so quiet and peaceful, unlike the ones back home! A voice would ring out every often to signify that we had passed by a whole floor.

I shall never forget the moment we arrived at the Fifth floor. The moment the elevator’s doors threw themselves aside.

I saw a ghost in front of my eyes. 

I’m having too much fun writing to you both, so a million apologies for my behavior in this writing of mine!

But it didn’t make it less shocking to realize that Tomioka-san—the man whom I dedicated multiple weeks of duty to find, the man who Nee-san had declared dead mere days ago. The man whom—I am more certain now— will be more hated the moment we return back home due to undue disturbance of his duties as a Pillar, and his absence without leave; not that we are permitted to be in the first place, be still alive, whilst indulging in the food he had on hand.

I remember giving Tomioka-san a good piece of my mind, which didn’t contain any pleasant words on it. But not too far to be damaging, because I understood that I was in the situation that he has been in for the past few days, and will be liable too for what we might face later. 

And I knew it was not just him alone. 

Just a few rooms away from the elevator, I saw Rengoku-san sipping a cup of tea quietly on the couch provided inside the rooms, reading the daily newspaper of this world, whilst the three who had unfortunately joined him—the same three we had before in our estate for recovery—was fast asleep in the provided beds. Kamado had brought with him the box containing his demonized sibling. There was also Shinzugawa’s younger brother and another boy—a fellow hunter, like us—named Murata sitting quietly in the bed.

He welcomed me inside as if he was the head of the household—even if I am more senior than he was, but it's better than Tomioka-san’s non-action. He’d offered me a cup of tea, and continued onto reading the daily newspaper. Admittedly, I do not understand the current state of this world, but it contains some rather interesting headlines.

I had asked them how long they had been in this place. Rengoku-san had been here for the past few days, accompanied by the same three who boarded the “Infinity” train with him. It was the same instance on how they got to this place: the comfort room in the train, the pristine-white comfort room, and the boy who guided them here. 

Tomioka-san, however, got here in a different way. He did fight the demon in the Aokigahara—the same jester I had dispatched before—and had indeed lost a piece of his cloth in the fighting. The area was swarming with demons in his time there, and couldn’t risk being killed in that area alone. I saw his blade still chipped and full of gashes from the presumed combat, and from the lack of a cleaning kit at this time present.

But unlike Rengoku-san, Tomioka-san had been sent here mere moments after his battle. He couldn’t remember how he got here, what he only knew was that he had a chase with the police, and was nearly caught until the boy intervened on his behalf and was escorted in this room. He occupied the room alone for several days until Murata arrived just a few days later, with Rengoku-san and the other four arriving much later. 

Rengoku-san mentioned to me that they had found Tomioka-san living in the darkness of the room at night with Murata because neither knew how to open the lights. That thought couldn’t escape my mind, even today! They ate, relieved themselves, or even talked through the darkness as if they were bats in a cave all along. 

By the gods, it is already evening outside! I wished I could do something other than this, but there is really nothing to do. We had some store-bought "ramen" to eat by the table—if we could even call it that. The dormitory we occupy is already in pristine condition, and everyone but me is lazily lying by the bedside with our new accomplice, trying to squeeze him out of any stories or conversations that could fill the evening. I admit listening to it myself, and joining occasionally too. No one could resist a good moment of gossip and chattiness, I figure. 

Yes, Mother and Father. One of our new accomplices is a boy masquerading as a man—due to the differing legal codes in here*. But do not worry about him, we’re not planning anything too mischievous with him, and neither does he. He seemed well-mannered enough and is understanding of our current position in this place, and has assisted us with everything we had asked so far. I do not know how long he could maintain this attitude; I do hope for its permanency, though. 

You know what? I will bite the bullet for now. I feel the need to mingle, as my envy has grown too much watching from the sidelines. If our precious moments with the both of you have taught us something, it would be that: times like this never last forever, and I wanted to indulge in it. I wish you both the best.  

Your beloved daughter,

Kocho Shinobu

Chapter Text

Dearest Mother and Father,

Today marks our third day in this dormitory. If we were to count our time since we arrived at the room I described to you yesterday, it would be at least a week already. Time has certainly passed since we left our duties back home, involuntarily. I already felt guilty for indulging in this undeserved vacation of ours, whilst most of our friends and comrades are enduring the worst back home.

Yes, our gossip yesterday was quite the time to be alive. We laughed, intrigued, and gossiped ourselves on the bed sheets until we had nothing to talk about. I’d even caught Kanao smiling on her own accord on the side, which was sweet of her. Since the day we lost both of you, I have never felt the most sincere of smiles. Mostly, it was done not to lift, but merely to maintain our spirits. 

I wish we had brought the other girls with us. Thinking about them makes me quite bitter again.

Let me remove this feeling by continuing to you both. 

Our stay there wasn’t eventful or long at all, compared to what our situation is today. I had a few conversations with the two for a brief moment before we, not just us in the room, but all of us on that floor, were recalled to the lobby. Fortunately, it is a very orderly recall. There were at least a few hundred people gathered in the lobby during the ordeal.

We then boarded a bus, similar to the ones I’d seen in Kyoto during a routine back then. But when we boarded the vehicle, it was freezing cold! Likewise to a winter or being atop Mt. Fuji. The vehicle was closed-door too, so the cold sticks inside the vehicle; not even my haori is sufficient to subdue the cold, and I had to stick close to Kanao for warmth. I am also dismayed at the lack of etiquette in that very space. The most glaring of which is that Kanao and I are left standing. I saw able-bodied men taking seats in front of me, and none nearby gave me theirs. We had to squeeze ourselves to the rear of the vehicle to finally be offered a seat by none other than Tomioka-san. 

Most of the people in this vehicle are no different than a deer being hunted. They are all just staring at their silly boxes with their thumbs occasionally jerking upwards, may they be sitting or standing. I remember Kanao mentioning to me that she felt eyes on things they shouldn’t be at, so that too is a great concern in our stay there. 

By the time we had left the vehicle, my hands couldn’t keep themselves straight. A good hand-rub made the blood rush back in my hands, and our voyage had led us to yet another of this world’s impressive structures: an open-ended stadium, likewise to that of the gladiator colosseum or their contemporary western counterparts I've seen in books. The lights at the top of the structure had made the whole area devoid of darkness, and the whole area was exposed for our exploration. 

With the size of the whole place, a few hundred looked like tiny ants! And it was very solitary, given that it was supposed to house at least twenty thousand; both of you and another person can be seated on the same row, and you’ll still be alone. Its main purpose is as a sports stadium: to accommodate baseball, track-and-field, football, and other sports I am not familiar with.

I could recall a hilarious scene: I remember this one time that the hard-headed boar friend of Kamado’s ran the whole lap on the track and field whilst screaming his head off. I also remember some people playing an impromptu baseball match at the field, and found myself invested in the few rounds that they played. The Pillars and most of our subordinates found solace in just occupying the huge rows of seats available and watching from the sidelines. 

It was in my time in that place that I began to feel more at ease with our situation, more than the cushy rooms of the building we occupied and the obvious public bathroom. We also learned at that moment that it was early in the day, at least two in the morning, as is displayed on the clocks at that time. It was in sync with the time we supposedly left our world, which was at least around midnight if my memory serves me right.

There were plenty of vendors that were selling goods not far from the stands, and we began to settle for what we could buy with our money, if they accepted it in the first place. We only got some food and water wrapped in a clear packaging, and it was mostly insufficient. 

There were large boxes covered in glass outside the stadium that contained foods more appetizing than the ones being sold inside, but admittedly, we didn’t know or ask for assistance at that time, so we couldn’t eat anything other than the ones we already bought.

I thought we had to skip breakfast that day. Nay, when we stepped back inside the stadium, I saw it served on a silver platter. It was none other than Kanae-nee. It was her words and silly fingers that I had in that early morning. But truth be told, she was more worried than angry at me. She disobeyed the orders of leaving me the huge task and took the time to support my investigations. 

Now that I think of it, her herrings of where to go or not to go are always on point, up until the events leading to Aokigahara. To even think she’d follow us here is another issue on its own: the Medical Board of the Corps is now vacant, and Oyakata-sama has no one to replace her expertise. We wouldn’t know if Aoi could handle the workload, nor if any Pillar at all would take the position temporarily, as we are on involuntary leave! 

I nagged her if she had plans on following me with this on her mind, and she said no. No plan, no idea. She arrived here impromptu, like the rest of us. She didn’t follow us here, but rather visited an old place that our parents used to go to with her, and was unfortunate to be sent here, guided by the same boy. 

Luck has not been on the corps side, and I’d like to think that it never will. Always either one foot away from the grave or its foot always on the uphill. Losing three Pillars and the head of an important wing of the corps in the span of a few weeks is a blow they couldn’t recover from in a decade.

As if the situation is not as bad as it was, it was announced to us that this location is just another temporary shelter for the next leg of our journey.  They are to process our basic information ahead of time to prepare for our travels, with the only reprieve we have being that they’ll be responsible for all the expenses of our “travels and accommodations”. 

We are asked to arrange ourselves into groups of four to assist with the information gathering for the tiny personnel that were present at that particular time. We were plenty in the group at that time, but we forgot that we were an odd-numbered group, as the three of us lacked another individual. Rengoku and Tomioka-san both accompanied the younger ones and the sole demon-sibling.

We were left scrambling together for an individual. Running the whole mile of the stadium to find one is the most tense period I’ve had since arriving in that area, acting as if we were to be executed if we didn’t find one.

Fortunately, Kanao found a wandering fellow who was oblivious to the whole announcement due to being asleep the moment we all arrived in the stadium. He was still picking off the gound in his eyes when we approached him. Thankfully, he was well-spoken enough to hold a brief conversation on our way to the processing area.

We were asked for information that simply didn’t make sense for us. First, they asked us for documentation, which we were able to provide. The receptionist gave the four of us a weird look, then specified if we had an appropriate type of document, which she showed us an example of. We looked at her as if she were jesting. Even our new accomplice asked us if we had any alternatives.

We had none, and as far as we knew, it was the only one provided to us by the government, so for it to be refused is already a huge pain. The eleven of us were put on hold, whilst the ones processed were already boarding the vehicles for our next journey. The sun was already on the horizon when we finished our processing that day. 

Our new accomplice could have joined the people that went ahead, but he waited the whole mile and refused to board, and even helped us to settle our affairs here. All of us, except him, were provided a “visa”: a ticket that would allow us a temporary stay in this place. He had a passport and a “residence” card, so his process was as fast as the people who went ahead of us.

I asked for his name and thanked him for his help that day. 

His name was foreign by nature, but he gave us a shortened one: “Jeri”.

A boy of everyday structure, albeit of skin different from ours. Taking pride in the smallest of things: his pre-pubescent moustache, his small artistry business, and eating three meals a day. Carrying nothing more than a week’s worth of clothes and needs on his back, and plentiful cash and documents to safeguard him for the travels ahead.

He came prepared, and that’s a good sign so far.

My short-list of knowledge about this world wouldn’t exist if he hadn’t intervened on our behalf in that stadium. And now, he resides with the three of us in the same dormitory. Aside from some weird habits, he is quite the well-mannered boy, and hasn’t caused us any disturbance as severe as Rengoku and Tomioka-san had to endure in their dormitories so far.

I’d like to go out and breathe some fresh air, but the weather is not cooperating with me here. The so-called "monsoon" season has commenced in this place, and it is not something to take lightly. I describe it as the season where a constant bucket of water is poured in your head whilst the wind makes it fly towards your face. I promise the both of you, we could sense and smell the air of something when there’s about to be a downpour in this area.

…

And the electricity in here has shut down. Good thing that we have spare candles and lamps in this place. 

I’ll admit, sitting beside the window sills whilst watching the downpour rage outside is quite the cozy feeling to be.

Are you still both watching from the heavens? We pray for your further guidance in these troubling times.

Your beloved daughter,

Kocho Shinobu

Chapter Text

Dearest Mother and Father,

A very warm evening to both of you, despite the weather we’ve experienced.

The electricity has been restored recently, thanks to the effort of the staff who accommodate us. The four of us spent our time in the hallways outside our dormitory, soaking in the cold wind that the downpour had brought in, but the area was mosquito-ridden, so we had no choice but to return immediately to our room.

Thankfully, our window has a panel with a mesh covering only, so that the wind may come in, but the mosquitoes stay out. However, it is half the fun of what we have done earlier. We bought some desserts that we shared with the others to keep us filled in the evening ahead. I’m knee-deep into a rice cake, as of now.

We sounded like little rascals, with what I had described to you so far.

What would you have done if you were still alive, and we had been put in this situation? I’m sure we would have received a mouthful from both of you the moment we arrived back home, but you would have still embraced us in the end. I’d still wish that I could’ve done something to at least keep even one of you alive, but alas, here we are right now.

Our dormitory is lively as usual. Nee-san and Jeri are cooking in the kitchen with what they bought from the nearby market. We are finally able to exchange our bills for the local currency and have greater accessibility to purchase whatever we want. When I bought the pens that I’ve used before, I had to borrow some money from Jeri, who was able to exchange his money earlier.

My heart needs its warmth, and the only way I’ve felt it is by writing to you. So, I will continue henceforth.

We boarded a different vehicle from the one we used previously. It is still as cold as the bus we rode, but at least it was just the twelve of us inside, plus the driver. It was as wild as you would’ve expected, with the three that Tomioka-san accompanies. I remember the boar-headed boy kept knocking his head against the window, proclaiming it a god of some sort. Other than that, the travel in this vehicle is unremarkable.

Our destination, however, was a different experience.

We arrived at an open area not far from our next destination. The whole area we stopped in is packed with similar vehicles. The sheer number of these vehicles made me think I was in America! But it was mere dessert compared to the place called an “airport.”

It is what it says it is: a place where a whole fleet of vehicles of the skies is parked by a huge plot of land, and the same land is utilized to both send and receive such incoming vehicles, likewise to a water port. Most of the vehicles consist of “airplanes," which are like ferries that are airborne. We saw one depart as we approached the port itself, and it was quite the experience: loud and overwhelming.

The building in the port is also an experience I will never forget. The whole area is lit with the most eloquent lights that I’ve seen in the whole world, with the scent of fragrant perfume and the most delicious food filling our noses whilst we breeze through the whole area. We were surprisingly given some leeway by the security department in the area and didn’t pass many of the security measures. 

Jeri later described to us the usual procedures that one must follow to pass through the port’s security. We would have had to surrender our haversacks and our sheaths to pass by a machine that could have detected the metal of our swords or seen through our haversacks’ fabric. I remember passing by something that could’ve matched what he described, but I only really knew “it” by his mere words.

The whole building is as cold as I've experienced in the vehicles we had to board, but I didn't feel the need to wrap myself in my haori.

Despite the stories of the dreaded hours-long wait to board the vehicle, we waited for mere minutes before we were called to the boarding area, conveniently referred to as a “gate." The others who went ahead of us, on the contrary, had to wait hours before boarding the plane, sitting on freezing metal chairs just to pass the time. It was customary to arrive at the airport hours in advance of the boarding time and an extra hour before the departure time. 

We were given another set of papers and a ticket before we boarded. It had our assigned seats for the voyage ahead. Kanao, Jeri, and I were designated to the same row, whilst Nee-san is seated on the other side of the same row with other people. The others are on different rows, but most are seated together. 

When we approached the doors of the vehicles, we were greeted by two women who helped us store our luggage in an overhead compartment. They wore something similar to what a high-class hotel staff in Tokyo would wear back home.

I recall discussing with Jeri which of the seats in the row was the best, and he told us that it was the aisle seat. It offered a full view of the whole flight in the window, though he noted that the sun would be in whoever’s eyes were in the seat. 

My line of work in the evenings is already testing the limits of my body, and it is already showing its side effects: dizziness at the first sight of the light is one that I’ve consistently observed. So I had no choice but to give it to Kanao, which she gleefully accepted.

There was a brief briefing from the same women earlier about the necessary safety measures to be taken during the travel, whilst the vehicle is already in motion. I could only remember a strong shaking of the whole vehicle before it blasted through the plot of land to garner speed and then finally leave the ground.

From the window, I saw the whole city. It was indeed larger than what I perceived it to be based on my brief experience within it. Not only that, I saw for the first time what the younger me would have imagined: a view of the sky and flying through the clouds, what the both of you have described to me as the heavens in our nighttime stories. I’d like to think that the rest of us were in awe at the sights beheld during that voyage. 

Sadly, I have little to no proper recall of this other than what I could describe to you so far. I took a nap with the assistance of an “eye cover” that is provided by the plane in our seats for the duration of the flight. The only time I was woken was when we were handed some snacks and beverages to last us the whole flight.

It was lackluster, I’d add.

When I woke up once more, we were already on land. Kanao, for the first and only time, explained to me her brief experience of the sun’s rays reflecting the waters below, presenting a gracious pattern that had caught her attention during the moments that I was asleep. 

In our new destination, it was hot and humid. The sun was relentless and unforgiving. I couldn’t stand being underneath it even for a brief moment: my precious skin doesn’t deserve this type of climate! Unlike Jeri or the others, who could bathe in it as they pleased. The airport in that place is inferior in every way to the previous one, but at least it was as cold as the previous one. 

I could remember the dizziness being of greater bearing than what I could handle at that time. I was told that this is normal, as the flight has not been as smooth as what I expected a vehicle on land could be. It was ascending, descending, and tilting left and right for hours on end—if Kanao had told me correctly. I had to spend more time in the comfort room to remedy myself, but certainly not too long. 

We boarded another bus, and this time we secured seats that were near each other. I couldn’t recall anything remarkable during this voyage either, other than the time that food vendors entered the vehicle to offer goods during a stop. Our next destination was a water port that would ferry us to our final destination, where we would reside until now.

We were supposed to depart later that same afternoon, but it didn’t happen. The local government in the area issued a halt on all travel by boat due to bad weather and erratic waves, hampering our final travel. This is where we learned that the monsoon season in this area had been in full swing and that it is within an area where typhoons often pass by but do not directly hit, causing havoc with its incessant rain. Likewise to what I wrote in my earlier letter, the monsoon season is characterized by either a full six months of rain, or in some parts of the world, six months of typhoons.

It wasn’t just a day of delay either: it was a full three days before the restrictions were lifted. None of us had spare clothes at that time, and the only relief we had was that we were given some food and water during the duration. Most of the time, it wasn’t enough. The men are fine with only showering and keeping their clothes, but the three of us had to figure out how to groom ourselves in here, in full view of those who are in the same situation as we are.

We learned within the three days of stay how convenient this world is. There are these pads that are far more comfortable than the tampons we use back home. Some of the food sold here is essentially ready within a few minutes, though most were either overpowering or weird-tasting, though they did their job of satiating our hunger. Some department stores also sold comfortable underwear, which we didn’t save money on purchasing, as it is something we valued. We did, however, do it at the initial expense of Jeri’s. We did pay him back generously once we converted our money later.

Sleeping in the place is a different experience. No matter what technique or comfort I tried, I couldn’t sleep for more than two to three hours consecutively due to the terrible cold brought by the incessant rain. We couldn’t go outside much either way, so most of our time is spent stuck within the same metallic chairs as those in the airports.

Most of the time, we, the Pillars, were acting more as guardians to our younger members rather than as their superiors. Nee-san has become the embodiment of a mother within this small group, with the two companions with Kamado’s being her frequent targets for scolding, as they are the most incessant, much more than the rain! The rest are well-behaved, given that they were subjected to the same discipline as we were. 

Jeri is no different from those people on the bus: his thumb jerking whilst holding his silly box, but he would rather take short walks around the whole complex rather than sit firmly on the benches in those days. When I asked him about it, he simply said that being in a building with unfamiliar people irritates him easily, and the act calms him. When he started to warm up to us, he became no less of a chair enthusiast for the rest of the days.

We were eventually allowed to board the ferry after the restriction was lifted. The voyage in this vehicle is the most memorable, as I was awake and in full view of my surroundings at the highest point of the boat. The waves were still quite turbulent from the previous rains, but the sun hiding shyly behind the clouds and the sun's rays reflecting off the waters with the islands peaking on the horizon was still, and still is, a pleasure to keep as a memory. The view is something that reminds me of what I’ve seen in Western paintings of people standing tall amidst the magnitude and awe of nature.

After reaching land, we didn’t ride any more vehicles and instead walked a long distance to our accommodation area, which would be the dormitory where we would reside. Some of the locals, whom we learned spoke English after some exchange, told us that the buildings were built quite recently, and weren’t open to the public. It resembled that of a camp rather than a proper public place, a suburban area that lacked any sense of life that our previous voyages had. But it is safe, quiet, and suits our needs at that time: a place of refuge.

This would be the last letter that I’d be writing to the both of you in here. We are to leave this place for another.

We still do not understand the role we will play in this area, and we hope that we can go home soon. I am thankful for being safe in this place, and I hope you will answer my prayers for a safe journey ahead.

I love you both. I wish you the best

Your beloved daughter,

Kocho Shinobu

Chapter Text

Dearest Mother and Father,

Our little vacation has turned for the worse, and I once more turn to my sole indulgence to pass the time. At the least we’re served a warm meal, a form of porridge that indeed is fitting the weather we’re in. This has been the best meal I’ve had since arriving here, given that it was hand-cooked, unlike the mostly pre-cooked meals that were prevalent at our old place. 

It’s provided because we are far away from any urban area, so any meals here are prepared on an ingredient basis. 

After what we have gone through so far, my fondness for home is growing ever larger than my desire to travel in this forsaken place. Yes, it is a place of beauty and uniqueness in its own right, but it is not and never was home. 

We are now gone from the dormitory where we sought refuge for the past three days. From a place of pristine quiet to a place of absolute filth, noise, incessant insects, and none of the provisions that we had previously enjoyed. The cold breeze of the monsoon brought comfort to our surroundings, but we could only enjoy it to the fullest due to the netting we had placed on our beds inside the room. Everything that I’ve described is worse once we step outside our room.

The comfort room is now a public restroom, where around a few hundred people share a small, yet constantly soiled room that has a large barrel of water and a toilet in the same place. No longer could we stay inside as long as we pleased, as a full line of people is to be expected, especially in the morning, before noon, and in the evening. We learned the value of taking a bath in the mornings, as the heat of the noon is harsh. The afternoon and the evening are a different story, as I’ve explained to you in my earlier letters: a sudden downpour is to be expected if the skies darken, and a certain smell is emitted. The downpour is as if a typhoon has hit us, with the wind picking up speed, the trees swaying violently, and the electricity being cut abruptly.

Thankfully, the noise of bleak silence hasn’t made itself present as of today, but it could only be a matter of time before it does.

Unlike what it was back home, the local children here are very carefree. They do not mind the harsh downpour and take their time plunging themselves into any area that resembles a pool, whether it is a small puddle or a fully submerged area just by the side of the road. 

The evenings after the downpours are still as harsh as the sun, as insects and wild dogs are scattered everywhere, and with little to no light in the area! My voyage in the outer rooms would have been accompanied by the buzzing and a painful prick of a mosquito, leaving an unconsolable itch on my neck. The dim lights could only guide me so closely to the comfort room if I hadn’t been startled back to our place by the bark of a wild dog in the nearby corners of this place.

Our journey here isn’t as glamorous as our previous voyage. It made me appreciate more the fact that we flew in the skies and traversed the seas just to arrive in this corner of the world. Scantly could I recall the names of the towns we had passed by.

We were awoken at the earliest of times, even before the sun peeked behind the small dormitories. My fellow Pillars and most of the younger ones had plenty of drooping eyes before we even gathered, and yearned for the soft sheets. Kanae-nee had a sore nose and a handkerchief with her that morning, and had returned to the room no sooner after the announcement was made. Jeri was leaning against the nearby flagpole, eyes hanging towards the heavens, and a cup of coffee in hand. He’d follow my sister after the announcement. Kanao, amongst the whole group, is the only one who appeared healthy of the bunch, but she'd been puffier than her usual self.

Our accommodation in the dormitory will end that noon, so we’ve decided to leave later that day.

Many of us opted to return to our old rooms, except for a handful. The young Kamado, whom I saw, caught numerous eyes from unwanted entourages with the large box he carried up until this point. He desired none of it, and had caught up with us, as we brisked the whole of the compound by ourselves until the sun rose. We briefly left the area for the road outside the compound, only for a reckless driver to nearly run over Kanao, whom I had to pull back in a whim. I’d admit, my smile broke, and my hands were itching for a fight at that moment.

I caught up with Kamado’s experiences after his brief stint on the Butterfly Estate, concluding with the three being sent to the Infinity train to assist Rengoku-san in his mission. He later admits that their new mentor wasn’t a great cook during their stay at both the hotel back at the old place, and their stay here in the past three days, so they had to rely on canned or packed goods that are easily purchased in nearby stores. He remarked that it reeked and tasted of metal and other substances, but was thankful that they are consumable. 

We are fortunate not to have fallen the same fate!

I offered him the chance to eat at our place. He raised his hands in meek determination to resist, but conceded after we learned from his accomplices that they had eaten canned goods once more on our path towards their dormitory, with his cheerful face changing to a mere downturn. 

A savoury scent had already enveloped the entrance of the room, and we could already see the kitchen blooming to life with the mess of plastic and falling tears. The two had already made a meal in the brief moment that we had spent outside.

I’d like to describe them to you as if they’re already lovebirds, due to the sheer time they’ve spent with each other. Granted, it was dormitory errands and gossip that united the both of them.

The meal was as hearty as it could be, with the young Kamado brought to brief tears by the taste of fresh ingredients in his mouth. Nee-san half-heartedly joked about reprimanding Rengoku-san for feeding him and his accomplices such awful food. Jeri waited for the four of us to finish our meal before he took over and ate himself - a peculiar habit of his, I presume.

The two had cooked food that was too much for the five of us to eat, so we gave it away to Giyu-san and Rengoku-san to have theirs and the others a fill of warm soup in the early morning. 

The two offered a short walk towards the outskirts of the compound, but I refused, remembering what had happened earlier. I did warn them about such reckless drivers and to keep an eye on the younger ones. One did stay with us in our dormitory: it was Murata, Kamado’s accomplice during the disastrous Mt. Nagatumo operation. Likewise, to our current grievances, he expressed his longing for the taste and warmth of summer back home.

We’ve finally figured out how to warm the room at that time, which is cooled by something called an “air conditioner.” We just had to turn it off, and the room quickly became a warm refuge. This machine has been cooling the whole room to temperatures that we could only experience during the winter, despite the warmth outside. Or exacerbate the cold, in line with our experience during the previous days. Jeri knew from the beginning how to turn the machine on or off, but he couldn’t share this information at the most appropriate time, and it didn’t matter at that point. 

Nee-san could only remark by preferring to be barefoot on the dormitory floor, rather than to continue wearing her filthy socks. 

The vehicle initially offered in the area was of the same type that we had boarded before, though the fare was far more expensive than the budget we had allocated for ourselves at that time. I realized at that time that the management of this organization is badly bungled, as they hadn’t hired anyone to assist in our travel to the final destination, which is the camp where we currently reside. Moreover, as we’d later learn, the vehicle is not well-suited for the terrain it will pass through, given the past weather. We were given the primary directions to the area, but no further instructions were given until we arrived to the next area; other than that, we must arrive there before the day is nigh.

Many took the bait and paid the hefty price to board the offered vehicles. As we search for cheaper travel options, we wander around the nearby town in search of the terminals, accompanied by a handful of stragglers who are also short on funds for the desired route.

The town we roamed is busier than most of the areas we will pass by later on. The amount of vehicles passing by the roads is astounding, to the point that crossing the street is already a pain. Local and department stores co-exist here, meaning that there are plenty of goods to choose from. And Nee-san, the ever-loving of anything that catches her eye, had bought some food that was wrapped in leaves. We'd later learn that this is rice cooked in coconut milk, alongside some nuts, meat, and a mysterious sauce. 

For something considered a sweet meal in that area, it fits my taste.

Another hurdle we faced in this place was the language. Every person spoke a different language from the other. Fortunately, most are fluent in a language that I’m intelligible in - English. However, we let Jeri do most of the talking, as he could keep up with some of the local languages spoken by these people and had a better grasp of English. 

He bargained for our transportation to the next area for a mere quarter of the price we were charged back at the compound. However, the vehicle we boarded is much smaller in size, as it consists merely of what I could describe as a bicycle operated in the same manner as a car, with a small compartment attached by metal bars beside it, and an additional wheel beneath the compartment as support. At first glance, only two people could fit inside the compartment, but they’d force at least three people inside to maximize the number of people per trip, resulting in a better profit overall. The unlucky third person would be seated in a vertical and almost fetal position, just to fit in.

Fortunately, once more, that fate never befell us, as we could afford all three vehicles to the area.

Our travels in this vehicle were very hectic, if I’d say so myself! We were passing by the wrong side of the road multiple times and were about to collide head-on with someone on several occasions. The roads beyond the town proper are very medieval, with no consideration for small vehicles like this. The potholes were of depthness as that of an human ankle. And do not start with the mud and water, as my socks were drenched by grime and all by the time we arrived at camp.

Where we were fortunate, once more, was the travel on an off-road section. The vehicles we boarded were capable of going through the smaller roads by the fields towards the camp, which were soaked and muddy, unlike the larger buses that had to disembark the passengers and spend more money to board similar rides towards our final destination. 

We had the final laugh that time, for all the trouble we’ve spent finding these vehicles. I wouldn’t wish the either of you to board them, for they are a rougher experience than walking in Tokyo during a festival!

Our first glance at the camp was marked by concerned glances at the downgrade in services provided in our prior arrangement, and we later learned that it was intentional. There was an expected meeting in the nearest courtyard, with the neatly arranged chairs being filled by trickles of people gradually arriving. Between the time we arrived and when people had already occupied the area, the skies had darkened, and the air had taken a different scent; a downpour was to be expected.

And true to form, the rain started to fall, forcing the organizers to cancel the meeting in favour of allocating the provided rooms. In an impromptu headcount, there were at least two hundred souls to pack within two buildings of a former school, with at least twenty people fitting themselves within a single room. We stuck with the stragglers to fully occupy a room for ourselves and began to warm up in their presence; however, they’ve kept their distance from us, aside from necessities, initially.

As was explained to the both of you, our new accommodation is not as pristine as our previous one, but it is a modest one. Not as run down as the bathrooms, and still doable to clean as we place our gear and haversacks aside to do so. Some cushions and straw mats for sleeping, and the nettings for the troublesome mosquitoes were provided.

Food, however, was not provided, as we were required to fetch it on our own.

To drag someone from around the world, to be falsely accommodated in a comfortable place, and then thrown into a place like this is cruelty to its fullest. Not the least that women are involved in this! 

A bust in the hallway from Kamado’s dash to the room startled us to attention, telling us that the organizers are on their way towards the room, for they’ve decided to hold the meetings with us inside. They, first and foremost, apologized for the sudden changes that had happened concurrently, and their bungling during the transportation. But they were transparent that they no longer handled our current accommodations, and we are now in the care of another entity. Just as they finished their monotonous script at our front, another set of people appeared to speak.

They present themselves as the local government’s representatives, apparent by their identification cards hanging around their chests, and their fanciful laces. Apparently, the island we currently reside in is a mere territory of a larger nation, and the territory is quite a troublesome one to run, given its distance from the capital. 

We are told that we’re embedded here for one purpose, and either two ways to accomplish: to assist the standing armed forces to fix the mess that is currently brewing in the islands, either with rear-echelon duties like logistics and medical services, or joining a corps of volunteers to join them in asserting their control on the island. And after such decisions, within a week, we all will be shipped towards our new barracks much closer to the operations.

After the speech had concluded and the organizers had left, only the crickets and the dogs were audible. 

In the silence of the evening, could we only hold our meeting, regarding our decision in the matter, which is only held within the presence of my fellow Pillars, Nee-san and Jeri, whom the former had dragged here due to her seniority amongst the twelve of us, with the exception of myself. The two had an unremarkable opinion on his presence, given that he didn’t belong to our organization, and even less that he is first and foremost, a civilian, and not a warrior. 

As to our opinions in our decision, it was either we were in or not. Rengoku-san had a strong opinion of joining the volunteer corps for the sake of contributing in the only way he saw fit, which was by physical means. Granted, his lineage harked back to the days of samurai, who valued duty over anything.

Tomioka-san had a lax opinion of the situation, but agreed on volunteering, merely for the sake of not being idle during our entire stay in this place, and argued that inaction is something that we, as Pillars, couldn’t afford, even in the absence of our ordinary duties.

Nee-san was the most deviant of us all, which she reminded that by extension of our decisions, we are also dragging our younger members into the fray, at the risk of their own lives in something we do not understand.

Jeri’s opinion on the matter was brief, unremarkable at best, even. 

In the end, I had a final say on the matter, as the Pillars’ voice stood against all, but my voice didn’t matter at that point, for it was already unanimous. Rejecting the standing opinion was out of the question, either, for a Pillar to run away from danger was tantamount to cowardice, which would bring the ultimate dishonor for me, the both of you, and our family. That shall never happen under our watch.

So concludes our brief meeting.

I’d confess my grievances to Nee-san, who did acquiesce to what I had in mind. I could only recall Jeri limping back to the room with a slightly bent head. It was a situation out of hand that developed in immediate circumstances, and none of us had any foresight in it.

Ah, Mother and Father! I couldn’t distinguish if my shivering hands were from the rain or my darkest thoughts. Many of us couldn’t sleep, and some preoccupied themselves with roaming the great unknown. Granted, it is indeed difficult to find the best time to sleep in this place, or maybe the thoughts in our minds are as erratic as mine.

This will probably be the quietest night that we’ll experience, and I might not be able to write to both of you for a while.

I could only wish for the greatest blessings from the both of you. For me, my comrades, and our younger ones.

If we’re not to return home intact, please watch over Aoi and the other girls.

Your beloved daughter,

Kocho Shinobu