雲の呼吸

haoyu's upbringing was very strict- although his parents were loving, they raised him with strong morale and etiquette. he does not remember much of his young life due to trauma- unfortunately, his parents died to a demon when haoyu was only entering their teens. it was shortly after this that haoyu decided to become a demon slayer in order to avoid another going through a tragedy like his own. he began training promptly and at the age of thirteen, completed the final selection successfully.about a year after completing the final selection, haoyu was tasked with defeating a demon who took residence in an abandoned shrine on a large mountain. this demon specifically kidnapped children to devour, claiming the taste better. it was particularly cruel in its hunt, often scaring its victims prior to devouring them. when haoyu arrived at the shrine, haoyu noted only a single child remained alive- small and clearly malnourished, but breathing.using his skills, haoyu defeated this demon promptly- but upon completing his mission haoyu realized said child was an orphan, with no one to look after him. they ventured to a nearby village, where haoyu attempted to leave him in the care of an elderly woman. he soon realized, though, the child would follow him wherever he went. he'd escape any home haoyu would leave him in and follow after him, most times arriving to where haoyu had traveled to a few days after him. always, the child would glance at him adoring eyes, claiming he'd follow him wherever he went- to repay him for his debt.with nothing left to do, and impressed by his tenacious attitude, haoyu decided to take in the child, aged approximately six, on his travels with him. while protecting and teaching him, haoyu continued to work for the demon slayers and travel the world.they continued in this manner for several years, haoyu teaching the young boy different techniques to slay demons for protection and climbing the ranks of the demon slayers. the child, who had once appeared smaller than his age due to malnourishment, begun growing his own strength as well, no longer sickly and small- becoming strong within his own right, despite of never having completed the final selection (as per haoyu's orders of him never risking his life to become a demon slayer). it was in these years that haoyu and the boy created a sibling like bond, referring to each other as brothers and family.

several years later, when haoyu was aged nineteen, both he and his brother traveled to a demon infested mountain, tasked by haoyu's crow to eradicate all demons in the area to ensure that the nearby village was safe. it was upon this quest that he and haoyu would encounter the demon that would change their life. the quest itself was ... uneventful up until it wasn't- it was on this mission that they encountered a lower moon- whom haoyu defeated after an arduous battle. having sustained quite a bit of injuries, both haoyu and his brother rushed to a nearby village in order to recover and regroup after the encounter.it was while they rested that haoyu's brother was taken, attacked, and fed demon blood from an unknown source. haoyu, having been badly injured, could do nohing but follow.upon finding his him, haoyu approached him under the light of the full moon- this boy was his entire life for nearly a decade. this was his brother. his only family. haoyu did not approach his brother with the intention of a demon slayer- but of a guardian, a parental figure, of wanting to save what little he had left to live for.however, his brother, overtaken by the nameless demon's blood, attacked haoyu. bloodthirsty and hungry, his kid brother had doubled in size, and haoyu could do naught but block his oncoming attacks with struggle. it was the first time in decades haoyu felt something akin to despair and loss, as this child, was all but in name his own.what transpired happened in mere minutes- the slashing of a claw, causing blood to bead down haoyu's ivory skin and down his chest- warm, velvet and sticking to his robes as haoyu gasped for air. seconds later, the same hand grasping at his neck, crushing his windpipe and vocal chords. haoyu resigned himself to it, having quickly decided he could not take out his own brother- never, despite the circumstances. in this moment of acceptance, his brother regained some lucidity, realized what was happening, and promptly vanished from haoyu's sight. this was the last time haoyu saw him.haoyu was promptly promoted to hashira rank, having defeated one of the twelve moons- but the status meant nothing to him. he searched for this brother- only wanting to see him, to know he was okay and perhaps ... perhaps to pay for his inability to protect him like he vowed to do so long ago. it is this that is his main goal as a hashira- not to protect human life, or eradicate demons, but to find his brother.