Amare Flos (Demon Slayer)

"I'm going to kill you!" Eira's throat hurt from her screams. Her hysterical scream vibrated through the very air, although her words were terrifying, to the townspeople they were a sign of hope. 

Eira, a demon slayer, had come to kill Ali, a demon. Their narrow perspective and ignorance of the context behind Eira and Ali's relationship shaped Eira's words as heroic. It was the harsh truth about Ali's situation, a demon will always be associated with violence, wrath and death. Ali's identity as an anomaly served no purpose in the grand narrative of humans as the valiant heroes and demons as the vicious villains. The polarisation of the two groups was embedded deep into everyone's mind for good reason, in no reality could demons and humans co-existed in harmony and peace. There was a reason why day was the time of humans and night was the time of demons, they weren't made to co-exist. Yet, Ali's existence ran contrary to the narrative, the hug he shared with Asumi, the conversation he shared with Kaze and the games he played with Cadell. Ali was truly a special case, unfortunately, he would never be seen for more than what he was.

"Kill the demon!" 

A brave villager burst out of their house in support of Eira. The courage of one villager started a chain reaction of people all over the town to open their doors and begin a symphony of shouts in support of Eira. 

"Save us Eira!"

Eira's hands tightened around the hilt of her sword, she brutally pushed through the intense burn in her legs and stood up once again. She could feel the heat radiate off her body like a pulse. She concentrated her breathing. Her senses were slowly focusing once again, she could sense all the people's auras in the entire town, the ones shouting and the ones still hidden, regardless, the usual vibrant colours of her beloved townspeople were dulled by the fear that Ali brought. Another reason for Eira's hate for him to intensify, not only was her brother Cadell in danger, but the entire town was put on edge due to his reckless nature.

She panted as she stared directly at Ali, an agonising expression began to take over her face, she was in an unstable state, complete with immense physical fatigue and gruelling mental stress, but she couldn't give in to the pain now. Not with all the people behind her. Their choice to stand up to the unwanted demon in their village as regular people was just as impressive as Eira's swift journey to the village. 

A dense layer of clouds seemed to block out the usual star-studded sky, it was dark, resonating with the fierce emotions that radiated off the entire town.

Cadell looked back at Ali with an expression of worry, he may have been the only person in the entire town who sympathised with the enemy.

Ali stood, surrounded by people, yet an outlier. Demon or not, he was 'the other'. Not many people were willing to accept 'the other'. Just when he thought he had burst past the barrier of looking different in Japan, he was put through the tormenting situation of becoming a demon. Back to stage one. 

"Wait!" Cadell's voice was drowned out in the endless shouts in support of Eira, he tried as hard as he could, but this wasn't a case where one person's opposition stood out in the sea of support, his contrasting opinion was hidden beneath the layers of shouts. 

"He means no harm! He just wanted to talk to Eira!" Cadell's shouts fail. Only two people heard his words, Ali and Eira. The only two people who really mattered in this dispute. 

While Ali felt slightly comforted by Cadell's attempt, Eira was met by a sharp invisible feeling of betrayal. 

"Don't ruin your image for me, go. Join them and shout for your sister. I know I have your support, but I don't want you to be like me, shunned by society. " Ali grinned softly, speaking at a volume that only Cadell could hear, "Join them over there, I'll take care of this." 

Cadell returned the smile, his heart was heavy with a sense of worry and pain. But he listened to Ali, he understood how it would affect him if he stood with Ali in the midst of this dispute, the temple business that he ran would be overrun and he would be left to starve. Cadell was nothing but grateful to Ali. 

As for Ali, his plan had no purpose, he could see Eira's state of immense fatigue, he knew she couldn't harm him with how tired she was. He felt secure enough to 'release' Cadell and ensure he didn't come under scrutiny in the days following. 

"Thank you," Cadell turned away from Ali and walked towards Eira, who was still shell-shocked. Her mind had not thought of this possibility, her own brother supporting her nemesis. 

"Cadell… How could you say that?" Eira's voice cracked as he stood beside her. Cadell's expression seemed to dull a little, he felt a sense of shame but he held his stance.

"Really, he just wants to talk to you," Cadell spoke softly, "Also, it's nice to see you, Eira,"

Eira's eyes were wide as she stared at her brother, and then back at the villain who stood in front of their house. It made Eira sick to the stomach to think that he stood where she, or any of her family, may have stood many years before. 

"Speak," Eira shouted at Ali. The choir of support for Eira died down as Ali began to speak. 

"What have I done?" Ali spoke calmly, careful not to agitate anyone with his words, "What have I done to make you hate me so much? For you to try kill me every time we meet?"

Eira's jaw clenched as she heard the absurd question. Had she gone through such a treacherous journey for this?

"What don't you understand… You're a demon…" Eira put all her strength into her arms to pull out her sword that she had sunk deep into the snow-covered dirt. Just as she pointed the sword's blade at Ali, a slow sprinkle of snow started to float down slowly. It was snowing. 

"So what?! I'm still your friend and the Ali you know!" Ali's plan to speak calmly was short-lived, as every word that came out of Eira's mouth was like a sledgehammer to the wall of patience and forgiveness inside him.

"The Ali I know is dead!" Eira shouted, reciprocating the frustration in Ali's voice, "I held a funeral for you… You are dead. Why don't you understand?" 

Eira's arm began to tremble, tired from holding her sword up. Her eyes widened in paranoia. She couldn't let Ali know she was in a weak state, that if they fought now, he would win. She played off her trembling by slowly lowering her arm.

"How can you say I'm dead when I'm standing in front of you?! Your friend is alive in the flesh!" Ali's voice of logical reasoning obviously trumped Eira's statement, yet if one thing was true, it was that nothing could shake Eira's stubborn mindset. 

"No demon is a friend. I'm a demon slayer, and you're a demon. The only way we can settle this is in battle," Eira boldly stated. It was a bluff, she wasn't sure if she could even cut through butter in her current state, however, her ego remained upright. No one was stupid enough to fight a person who had easily killed them previously right?

Ali knew he could easily take her in a fight. He knew. But her words just then had hurt him more than any attack could ever hurt him. Eira's words were the final stroke of the knife. Whatever ropes of friendship that Ali had attempted desperately to hold together diminished in his very hands as Eira severed them completely and ultimately.

"I'm not fighting you Eira," Ali turned his back to Eira, she was met with the dark crescent mark patterns as the only things that looked her way. 

"Don't run! Fight me! " Eira stretched the bluff to an outrageous extent. She had already won, why did she feel incomplete? Because she yearned for a conclusion to this agony, the pain of knowing Ali was still alive. The funeral she held so dearly, the tears she shed were for nothing. 

"You're the reason Kaze got hurt on that mission, you're the reason Asumi is leaving, you're the reason for everything!" Eira began to spout absurd statements. This was the only time she could say it. Eira clenched her sword's hilt with whatever strength she had left, her statements becoming personal. 

"I was… happy for once… with new friends…" Eira whispered her next statement. No one heard her. 

"I'm not fighting you!" Ali shouted as he tensed his entire body. As frustration built, so did internal sorrow. 

"Kill the demon!" The crowd seemed to erupt once again with chants in support of Eira. Every shout smashed at Ali's ears, irritating him more and more. He clenched his jaw. He wanted to turn around and kill every single one of them. His anger had grown too big for him to do nothing. 

As Ali breathed deeply in an attempt to calm down, he shut his eyes, but his entire body still felt hot with frustration. 

"Kill the demon!"

"Kill the demon!"

"Kill the…"

The shouts were suddenly cut short. They were met with a terrifying sight. Many people's mouths were agape as they stared at the demon who stood with his back turned to them. The crescent patterns scattered across his body seemed to glow faintly. The wind picked up, the snowflakes in the air being caught in the sudden increased gust speed. The glow of Ali's crescents coincided by a change in shape, they became sharper on their edges and began to root out sharply onto the rest of his body, as if cracks were forming from the crescents. 

"Is that… his Blood Demon Art?" Eira's stomach sunk as she took a single step back in uncertainty. Had she taken her bluff too far?

Ali himself was oblivious to this sudden change. 

In the intense moment of anger, he was met by a series of memories. He was met by the words that he had followed unconsciously, yet forgot to a certain extent.

"You'll stay strong right?" Ali's mind flashed with an image of Ali Junior, the old crow with greying feathers. 

He had to stay strong and stick to his morals, no matter how badly he wanted to turn back and lay waste to the town. He knew he could, but that wasn't a reason to. He wasn't going to kill innocent people shrouded in fear. He had come to a conclusion. So why wasn't his anger subsiding? 

Eira caught herself in a moment of fear, shame washed over her. How could she step back in fear? She was not going to cower. Her bluff was replaced by a genuine desire to showcase her strength. She began to limp, she held her sword and limped towards Ali. 

"Come fight! Coward!" Eira screamed, her words ignited the townspeople to begin shouting again. Her body hurt intensely as she practically dragged herself. 

Ali opened his eyes and clenched his fists in exasperation as he heard the shouts continue. Was she serious?

He wasn't going to stand by and stay silent. He needed to do something. 

"Goodbye, Eira," Ali spoke, still turned away. He squatted down and launched himself vertically into the air, as he launched, a massive burst of air sprouted from where he jumped. The wind blew viciously in every direction, the villagers were forced back by the wind and Eira was pushed onto her back. Just as silence took over, the glow of Ali's crescent marks was seen in a position that no one should be. The silhouette of Ali stood on top of the peak that neighboured Eira's village. The peak that Eira had mentioned to Ali in their conversation after their very first mission together. 

"If we climb the mountain and reach the top, the Gods will be very angry and curse death on whoever climbed and all the witnesses." Those were the words Eira had told Ali. 

Ali not only disrespected Eira's entire belief but cursed death on everyone who looked at him. 

Eira's eyes widened in utter disbelief. 

"Ali! I'm going to kill you!" Eira ended the encounter the same way she had started it. Her voice strained as she poured her soul into the scream. She struggled to get up. As she looked back up at the mountain peak, Ali was gone. Yet her feelings weren't. With a loud grunt, she swung her arm and threw her sword. With the small strength that she had, the sword didn't go far for a demon slayer standard. Her light blue blade flew directly into the river that bordered the village from the neighbouring peak.

The sword dipped into the river and didn't resurface. Eira erupted in frustration as she immediately regretted her decision. 

What used to be her bluff was now once again an overwhelming desire. She needed to kill Ali after that encounter. 

Eira turned around to face her house, as she limped towards her house, she was met by the crowds who were in disarray. 

"I saw him on top… of the mountain!" An elderly lady spoke with fear deeply integrated into her voice, "We're doomed! We're all doomed! We were all witnesses to his blasphemy!" 

Eira snapped and turned to the lady. 

"No, we aren't. Do you think the Mountain Gods would punish witnesses with no bad intentions? You're all safe! Now go to your houses!" Eira shouted and pushed her own home's door open with a grunt. Cadell also provided comfort to those in worry, stating he would pray for them and make more offerings at the temple. 

His attention was redirected when a shatter came from inside his home. He rushed inside. 

As he panted, he was met with an eerie sight. 

"If Ali doesn't fight me himself… I'll drag him out to fight me…" Eira had broken the glass display in the corner of the room. Cadell covered his mouth, blood dripped from Eira's hands, the glass scattered on the floor of the house. 

In Eira's hands was her father's sword. The same sword she had used for Final Selection. The ice-blue blade shone even in the dim room. The hilt felt comfortable in her bloody hands. 

"I'm going to kill you, Ali…" Eira spoke softly and admired her father's blade. Eira had reached her limit, not in the situation, but physically. 

Eira, heavily fatigued, collapsed onto the floor.