8 Sabito

Giyu woke up wrapped tightly in his blanket, the comforting weight of it reminding him of the safety of home. The sound of birds chirping outside greeted him, a gentle reminder that the day had already begun without him.

As he groggily blinked his eyes open, the warmth of the sunlight streaming into the hut made him realize just how late it was. It dawned on him that he had overslept. The sun was already high in the sky, casting bright beams through the small window.

He had underestimated how exhausted he was after his seven-day journey. Since he was in a hurry, he didn't allow himself to take to many brakes to rest so his body took a few extra hours of sleep to wake up.

Not wanting to delay his reunion with his friends any longer, Giyu quickly changed into his clothes and stepped out of the hut. The crisp mountain air filled his lungs as he took in the peaceful surroundings. He began searching for any signs of life nearby, his mind thinking of Sabito and Makomo.

Walking along a quiet path, Giyu heard the rhythmic sound of a sword slicing through the air. Following the noise, he approached a small clearing were spotted a boy around his age, his face vaguely familiar. It took Giyu a moment to remember who he was.

'Murata' Giyu thought, approaching quietly. The boy was so focused on his training, repeatedly swinging his wooden sword, that he didn't notice Giyu's presence.

"249, 250…" Murata counted quietly with each swing, his voice barely above a whisper, completely unaware of Giyu. Giyu hesitated, debating whether to call out to Murata or wait until he finished his routine. He didn't want to be rude, but the excitement of meeting his old friends was hard to contain.

"Hey," Giyu greeted, causing Murata to get startled and jump back.

"Oh, hello," Murata replied awkwardly, clearly embarrassed by his reaction. "You scared me! Are you a new student?"

"Yeah," Giyu nodded before asking, "Where can I find Master Urokodaki?"

"hmmm, master's usually training another student further up the mountain. You can probably find him there, or you could wait—he usually comes down to check on us in about an hour or so."

Giyu nodded thoughtfully, considering his options. He didn't want to delay his meeting with Master Urokodaki for another hour, especially since he was eager to see Sabito and Makomo again. The mention of another student piqued his curiosity. "Another student?" he asked, wondering if Murata was referring to Sabito.

"Yeah," Murata confirmed. "He's way more talented than the rest of us, so Master spends a lot of time with him."

"Sometimes I wish I had that kind of talent," he added almost in a whisper, his voice had a hint of sadness. Seeing this, Giyu placed a reassuring hand on Murata's shoulder.

"Don't give up," Giyu said softly. He knew Murata's past had been difficult and admired his determination to become a Demon Slayer. Murata smiled shyly at the encouragement.

"Thanks for the help. I'll head up the mountain now," Giyu said, turning to leave.

"Take care!" Murata called after him, returning to his sword practice in a better mood.

***

As Giyu made his way up the mountain, he recognized familiar landmarks from his past, places were he used to train before becoming a slayer, eat, talk and laugh with his friends. 

But Giyu came to a halt when he reached a large boulder, smiling as he looked up at the boy sitting atop it. His face was marked by a distinctive scar running from the corner of his mouth to his ear, and his pale blue eyes observed Giyu with curiosity.

(Author's note: I made an error thinking Makomo was alive during this time period, only to realize later that I was mistaken. Please just imagine this as an alternate universe where she's the same age as Giyu and Sabito and still alive.)

From behind the boulder, another figure emerged, a young girl with a petite frame and pale skin. The two figures were Sabito and Makomo. They were his friends, ones he had never stopped thinking about. He always regretted being the one saved while they were left to die alone.

"You must be the new kid," Sabito called out, still on top of the boulder. "I'm Sabito, and this is Makomo. What's your name?"

With a trembling, yet genuine smile Giyu struggled to hold back tears before calming down. His expression softened into one of pure joy, and with a wide smile, he introduced himself,

"My name's Giyu. I'm looking forward to getting along with the both of you."

Makomo smiled warmly and nodded, while Sabito jumped down from the boulder and picking up two wooden swords from the ground.

"First, Master mentioned a student with great potential. I'm guessing he meant you," Sabito said, tossing one of the wooden swords to Giyu, who caught it easily.

"I want to see for myself what you're capable of," Sabito continued, his tone serious but excited at the same time. He had no intention of intimidating Giyu or damaging his confidence; he simply wanted to gauge the skill that Master Urokodaki had praised.

"but Sabito..." Makomo called gently worried for the new child, turning to Giyu she spoke. "You don't have to spar if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine." Giyu smiled reassuringly. "But if I win, I want a favor."

"A favor?" Sabito asked, intrigued.

"Become my friends, both of you." Giyu declared, his words surprising Sabito and Makomo. After a brief moment, both smiled warmly in return.

"That's fine with me," Sabito replied, taking his stance and gripping his sword tightly as Makomo took a few steps back from the two.

(Author's Note: This chapter is a bit rushed, but I want to get a few more chapters up as fast as possible. Also a review would help me a lot—thanks!)