The dust hadn't even settled when Akira realised what kind of trouble they'd landed in, literally.
He and Erika stood surrounded by nine people radiating such intense killing intent that even the air seemed to tremble. Each of them held a weapon drawn and ready.
Akira blinked, his eyes darting behind them. One man's face was frail, half-disfigured; his pale eyes looked almost blind. Near him stood two white-haired little girls with unsettlingly calm smiles.
"Wait a second... no way. This is... the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters?" And judging by the number of scary people staring at them, "It's a freaking Hashira meeting!"
"Sister, what the hell?" Akira shouted telepathically, mentally clutching his head.
"Well," Selena replied casually, "I did drop you near a Demon Slayer, so technically I did great. Oh, and maybe focus on the nine very angry people around you?"
Akira sighed, placing Erika gently behind him before raising both hands in a peace gesture. "As I was saying, we're not here to fight. We come in peace!"
But of course, nobody believed him. With his sleek black armour and Erika's ominous wings, they might as well have been screaming, "We're demons!"
"Lies," hissed the Snake Hashira, Iguro Obanai. "I won't believe the words of demons."
He lunged forward, blade flashing. "Serpent Breathing, Second Form—Venom Fangs of the Narrow Head!"
He moved faster than most could blink, appearing behind Akira and slashing at his neck, only for his blade to stop cold in Akira's hand.
Akira exhaled. "You know, it's kinda rude to attack in the middle of a conversation."
But before he could continue, a massive flail attached to a chain came swinging toward him, wielded by none other than the Stone Hashira, Gyōmei Himejima.
"For the safety of our Lord," Gyōmei said gravely, "I cannot allow this!"
Before the weapon struck, crimson ribbons lashed out, wrapping around the chain and yanking it down. Erika used her device to intercept his attack.
Though she'd just learned to use them, her vampiric strength made her far stronger than she looked. Still, her expression turned panicked, her ribbon now tangled with the chains, and she didn't know what to do next.
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, charged towards her with a furious grin. "You think you can restrain Gyōmei?! Die, you monsters!"
But Akira grabbed Obanai and hurled him toward Sanemi like a living projectile, making both Hashira crash into each other midair.
"As I was saying," Akira repeated, sounding almost irritated now, "we are not here to fight. Calm down already!"
Sanemi snarled, "Why would I believe the words of demons who attacked us first?"
"You attacked us first," Akira shot back. "And we're not demons."
Obanai regained his footing. "Then explain why you fell from the sky with that girl sprouting wings! Humans can't do that."
"Okay, fair point," Akira muttered. "The aesthetic doesn't help."
With a sigh, he dispelled his armour. The sleek black plating dissolved into particles of light, revealing his usual form.
"Look, I'll explain everything," he said, hands raised. "We're not demons. I may have never met one before, but I know what they are; they burn in sunlight, right? And as you can see...It's the middle of the day, shouldn't we have burned already if we were? Sure, we're not human, sure, but we're not your enemies either. I just want to talk to your leader."
But no one relaxed, and before anyone could answer, a calm, soft voice echoed through the courtyard, breaking the tension. "That's enough."
All the Hashira instantly straightened, lowering their weapons slightly.
Akira turned toward the frail, pale man seated nearby. Despite his condition, his presence was commanding yet gentle.
"I sense no malice from them," said Ubuyashiki Kagaya, his tone soft but firm. "We can at least hear them out."
"But Oyakata-sama!" Sanemi began, but Kagaya's serene voice interrupted him.
"Sanemi. If they intended to attack, they wouldn't have dropped directly in the middle of our headquarters."
Reluctantly, the Wind Hashira lowered his sword.
Kagaya turned to Akira. "I am Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the 97th leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. May I know who you are?"
"Hey, Sister," Akira whispered mentally. "What's my position again?"
"Technically, we're co-leaders," Selena replied. "But for structure's sake, I'll be the leader, and you can be the vice leader."
"Cool. Less paperwork." Akira nodded. "My name is Sirius Lucen Starlight, Vice Leader of the Star Chasers. And this is my partner, Erika."
Kagaya smiled faintly. "You said you are not human?"
"Yes," Akira answered, "we are not humans, but we are not demons either. We are warriors who travel the world."
"I see," Kagaya said. "That is good news. Were you demons, sunlight would no longer protect us."
"We're only here to talk and cooperate," Akira said calmly. "Not to fight. If you allow us, we'd like to discuss things peacefully. Everyone here can attend as well."
"That would be acceptable," Kagaya said kindly. "Guide them inside."
As Kagaya turned to leave with his daughters, the Hashira exchanged wary glances.
"I'll keep an eye on you," Sanemi growled.
"Sure thing," Akira replied casually. Then he glanced at Erika. "Uh... Erika, your wings are still out. Can't you, like... make them disappear?"
"I'm trying!" Erika flapped them awkwardly. "They won't go away!"
"Maybe you just tuck them in?" Akira suggested, reaching forward and grabbing one of the wings.
"Hiyaaa…!" Erika let out a startled yelp, jumping away with a bright blush. "Don't touch it without warning!"
"Huh? Sorry! I just thought…"
"I'll do it myself!" she huffed. Luckily, the moment he touched her wings, she somehow figured out how to retract them. The wings vanished smoothly into her back.
Akira blinked. "Oh, good, it worked. But, uh... why'd you…"
"Now's not the time!" Erika quickly cut him off, dragging him forward.
The Hashira exchanged bewildered glances, not sure what to make of these two strange visitors.
Soon, they were seated inside a traditional tatami meeting room. The two sat among the gathered Hashira. Kagaya, still calm and smiling, spoke first.
Kagaya smiled gently. "So, can you explain who you are and your reason for being here?"
Akira nodded. "My name is Sirius Lucen Starlight, but just call me Akira. This is Sendo Erika. We're Star Chasers, warriors from a distant land. We travel across worlds, fighting evil creatures and learning from others."
He paused. "When we heard about your demon problem, we decided to investigate. My sister tried teleporting us near a Demon Slayer, but, uh... first-time long-distance spell. We landed in the sky."
Kagaya chuckled softly. "You mentioned magic. And that you are not demons. May I ask what you are?"
"I'm an Asterian," Akira said. "An ancient race of warriors who wield magic. Long ago, we were well-known, but now we mostly live among humans. Erika here... is part vampire."
A quiet murmur rippled among the Hashira; none of them knew what any of that meant.
But Kagaya's expression remained thoughtful as the leader of the demon slayer corps, who had been fighting demons for generations, he had heard old rumours of such beings. "Vampires… the ones from stories who hunt humans and drink their blood?"
The Hashira tensed again, hands drifting toward their weapons.
Akira looked at Erika, who nodded slightly.
"Yes," he said, "but she's only part vampire. She's not dangerous."
Kagaya's gentle gaze lingered. "I see... then tell me, what exactly are vampires?"
Akira explained calmly, "They're creatures of darkness, native to Europe. Similar to demons but completely different. Demons were once humans; vampires never were. They're an entirely different species."
The room fell silent. Even the Wind Hashira didn't speak.
"Vampires are incredibly powerful," Akira continued. "They can fly, transform into animals, and use magic. But they have weaknesses too; sunlight kills them instantly, among others."
Kagaya glanced at Erika. "Yet this young lady is fine under the sun. Why?"
"Because she's only part vampire," Akira said. "Her grandfather is a vampire lord, but her grandmother was human. Her father is also human, so she just carries only a bit of vampire bloodline."
Shinobu, who had been silently observing, raised a hand. "If vampires are so dangerous, why aren't they here already?"
"Because they can't cross large bodies of water," Akira explained. "It's one of their main weaknesses. Erika can because she's part human."
"I see... then," Kagaya asked gently, "does she require blood to live?"
Akira hesitated, but Erika spoke calmly, "I do need to drink blood to survive. But don't worry, I'll only drink his blood, not anyone else's."
That sudden declaration made Akira nearly choke. "You sure about that?!" he sent telepathically.
"We'll talk about it later", Erika replied firmly.
Erika continued aloud, "I can eat normal food too. Blood is just... something I occasionally need."
Akira sighed. "Right. You don't have to worry. Unlike demons, vampires only drink blood. And as a dhampir, a half vampire, Erika can eat normal food too. She just needs a bit of blood occasionally. I'll handle it."
Kagaya sighed softly. This was far more complicated than he expected.
"So," he asked, "can you tell me why you've come here?"
Akira smiled. "We travel to train and learn. After seeing the Demon Slayer Corps and your battle against demons, we thought a cultural exchange would be good. We want to learn about your breathing techniques and your fight against demons."
"And in return?" Kagaya asked. "Will you teach us magic?"
Akira shook his head. "Impossible, normal humans can't learn magic. But in exchange, we'll share everything we know about dark creatures. My family has been fighting dark creatures for generations. I will give you all my knowledge about them"
He paused, then, with a smile, he said, "And we will lend you our strength to help you destroy all demons in this country."