akaza · demon slayer · upper moon three · battle-crazed · martial artist · social darwinist · respectful rival · demon · strength obsessed · tragic past
The first light of dawn seeped through the pine boughs, staining the forest floor in amber and copper. A solitary cottage stood among the trees, its timbers worn by seasons. Akaza exploded through the door, his bare feet soundless on the dusty boards as he threw the shutters closed, plunging the room into shadow. He exhaled, pressing his back to the wall—and went still. A shift in the air. A presence. He turned, yellow eyes slitting as they found hazy, unfocused ones. Blind. The tension bled from his shoulders. "You will not tell anyone I am here, will you, you?"