Summary: After a great many nights of tragedy Kibutsuji Muzan and his twelve demon moons are finally no more. However even after obtaining the invaluable demon blood in order to turn Nezuko back to a human, Nezuko's hard-acquired remedy comes with a shocking side-effect that can only be described as nothing less than demon-like, much to everyone's astonishment.
Genres: RomCom with a slice of lime and drama.
Rating: T (language)
Disclaimer: I do not own KNY.
Chapter 1. Cruelty
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He had been keeping second thoughts asking about this peculiar sight in front of him, but...
"...Tanjiro?"
The blonde gave in and asked, slight worry in his tone as he had walked inside the wooden cabin to discover a religiously prostrate Tanjiro.
"Tanjiro?"
He blinked wide in wonder again.
"What are you doing? That's creepy."
"...?" The devout Tanjiro meekly dared raise his bowing head at the unthreatening voice.
"KYAAAH~!" The blonde's bobbed hair shot to spikes.
Why was Tanjiro's face so badly beaten with lumps all over like he had messed with a furious hornet nest!?
"..." Tanjiro faintly marvelled at his kind friend Zenitsu despite one of his eyes contorting from the stinging pain.
People that were actually concerned for him still existed, that was nice.
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU WORSHIPING ME!?"
Zenitsu was at a loss for words when Tanjiro just bowed down again.
"What the heck happened to him!?"
Tanjiro had grown strong enough to lop Upper Moon One's head off, a mighty demon who stood only second to Muzan Kibutsuji, yet someone even stronger and even more menacing than that, someone who could beat Tanjiro to a pulp, still existed!?
Zenitsu was becoming unnerved, this was no laughing matter.
"What sort of demon could possibly—"
"BEAST ASSAULT!"
With a fierce bash an avalanche was shaken off the tree from the earthquake.
"Wuah! Almost all of the snow fell off from this tree!"
"Get it all in one go with the next one!"
"Pigs got really strong heads! YAY!"
"I'M A BEAST NOW YOU DUMBASS! I'M THE BEAST PILLAR! BEAST PILLAR!"
"..Ugh..."
Zenitsu would rather not comment at Inosuke's sturdily crossed arms, he was sparkling with confidence even though his pig nostrils were profusely bleeding. The beast outside had been ramming into trees ever since they arrived, blabbering how Tanjiro's mountain trees were worthy opponents to test his new pillar might. That alone was enough reason for Zenitsu to start suspecting that somewhere down their journey Inosuke had suffered brain damage from head-bashing everything in his way. Nowadays he really just couldn't stop charging at every single thing to show off.
Though if their snickering mouths were anything to go by even those three little girls from the butterfly estate didn't seem to be perfectly convinced of Inosuke's testament of hardiness.
"...The butterfly triplets, huh?..."
Zenitsu remembered something. Those three probably hadn't come to the Kamado residence by themselves. They had always been escorting someone, so maybe this someone had something to do with Tanjiro's current pathetic state.
"Hey Tanjiro?"
Zenitsu was curious as he turned to his worshiper again.
"You know, we came across butterfly-chan on our way here."
"—!"
He knew it! Tanjiro had shrunk to a shivering ball all of a sudden!
Zenitsu's suspicions were coming true.
"Yeah, you see, I think she was in a bad mood for some reason."
For several seconds the only sound in the room was coming from the logs crackling in the fireplace before Tanjiro's fingers curled.
"...Y-You met...Kanao-chan...?"
"Mm." Zenitsu nodded.
"O-Oh..." and Tanjiro regretted asking.
Zenitsu shrugged both arms, head shaking empty of clue.
"You can't ever tell what that girl's thinking because she's smiling all the time, but we could tell she was annoyed. Know anything about it?"
If only Zenitsu knew how true he was being to his thunder breath right now.
"..U-Uh...H-How angry was... Kanao-chan...?"
Dude, was he seriously asking him that?
It was impossible for anyone to tell what butterfly-chan was thinking.
Though an example would probably help Tanjiro draw a rough picture.
"Well, she didn't even flip a coin when we greeted her and she will usually give it a try, talking to us that is."
"Ugh—!"
Kanao-chan not even flipping a coin was speaking volumes.
"I mean, she stopped and smiled our way, but then Inosuke flinched to a combat stance, mumbling how something about the hair on his neck sensed murder coming from her."
"...!" Tanjiro was holding his head down in despair from the news Zenitsu had brought him.
"She can be really scary sometimes, butterfly-chan."
Zenitsu was acting cool as one would expect of the badass holding the title of 'thunder pillar', but truth was he had been scared shitless from the flower pillar's murderous aura. In fact he had been using Inosuke as an expendable meat shield till Kanao had walked out of sight. He sure as hell didn't want to be in Tanjiro's shoes, especially since...
"...By the way, Tanjiro, is it true?"
Zenitsu had heard some weird rumors going around the butterfly estate, from Aoi Kanzaki in particular, that girl loved gossiping.
"Are you and butterfly-chan, you know... seeing each oth—"
"Nngh..."
As if forbidding the end to that sentence a pair of sulking pink eyes lethargically peeped out of the bamboo basket next to Tanjiro.
Well, that was enough catching-up with his buddy Tanjiro.
"NEZUKO-CHAAAN!"
Zenitsu exploded with delight, his hands clasped next to a giddy expression while daydreaming and blowing hearts to the shy beauty.
Of course and his visit was about Nezuko-chan.
He could give a shit about Tanjiro.
In fact Tanjiro should just die for having such a cute little sister.
"Ah... Nezuko-chan!"
"..." Nezuko was just gazing his way absent of mind.
"How adorable you are Nezuko-chan!"
Apparently she still liked hiding inside the basket despite having been turned back to a human.
Who could blame Nezuko-chan for adopting such an adorable habit though?
It was Tanjiro who should die for making Nezuko-chan shrink her beautiful body to carry her inside an uncomfortable wooden box for all that time.
"...Kanao...chan..." Tanjiro was weeping inconsolably on the floor.
The pitiful whimpering popped Zenitsu's dreamy bubble.
"...Nnngh..." Seemingly Nezuko's absent mind as well.
"Nezuko-chan..!?"
Cold disbelief showered Zenitsu as Nezuko slowly climbed out of the basket, revealing the rest of her face.
"TANJIRO YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
He shot a finger at the unforgivable criminal.
"Why does Nezuko-chan still have that thing on her mouth!? She's not a demon anymore, is she!?"
"...Nngh!" Nezuko's delicate fingers were stubbornly clinging at Tanjiro's checkered haori, not appreciating the lack of attention.
"Nezuko-chan..?"
Zenitsu blinked bewildered.
It was true he never had the chance to meet Nezuko-chan when she was a human, but he could swear he'd seen Nezuko-chan acting like that before...
When she was still a demon.
Demon Nezuko-chan was unfortunately very brother-clingy.
"Tanjiro?"
He redirected the question hanging in his stare.
"Nezuko-chan is human again right?"
Tanjiro would rather not answer that complicated matter.
"You already got Muzan's blood for the remedy so all Nezuko-chan needs now is the sun, right?"
"RIGHT!?"
"EEEK~!" Zenitsu shrieked when Tanjiro suddenly took hold of his hand.
"Tamayo-san said all Nezuko would need after taking in the remedy was to bask in the sun to wash away her remaining demon powers! You were there Zenitsu! You heard it too right!?"
"T-Tanjiro I don't like the way you're holding my hand!"
"Uh?"
"Is that why Kanao-chan was annoyed!?"
"Huh!?"
"You swing that way!?"
Tanjiro blinked cluelessly.
"Nnngh!"
Though Nezuko was complaining and glaring all the more intensely at her brother's cheek, not even remotely distracted by the skit.
"Anyway Tanjiro, that's what the demon doctor said, yeah."
Zenitsu brushed off Tanjiro's arm to dust his touched yellow haori.
"In short she meant Nezuko-chan should bathe under the sun to completely turn back to a human."
"Right! Right!"
Tanjiro nodded repeatedly, glad he wasn't a crazy person.
"So why are you still keeping Nezuko-chan in a basket?"
Critical brown eyes opened to meet Tanjiro's unprepared answer.
"More importantly why does Nezuko-chan still have to wear a muzzle? She's not gonna try and bite a human anymore you know."
"N-No! You don't get it Zenitsu!"
Tanjiro suddenly interjected, alarmed.
"We were horribly wrong with what Tamayo-san meant about the—"
"~NNNNGHH!"
Nezuko was requesting to talk so passionately that Zenitsu simply could not forgive Tanjiro for his cruelty.
She was trying to talk and the bamboo piece on her mouth was making her drool.
"You're pissing me off, Tanjiro."
"WAIT WHAT ARE YOU—?!"
Zenitsu blitzed like lightning.
Tanjiro's hanafuda earrings flinched the moment he caught a characteristic thump on the wooden floor.
Nezuko's muzzle.
"There we go Nezuko-chan. Now you're free to—"
"~AAAH..!"
"~NO~NO~NO! NEZUKO!"
Tanjiro was quick to crawl away on his butt when his unshackled sister stood up to show him her four delighted fangs.
"...Tanjiro..." She mumbled in drunk stupor.
"Nezuko-chan?"
Zenitsu smiled a bit confused when Nezuko's shy pink sandals moved about in a direction opposite to the door.
"N-Nezuko-chan? Where are you going? The sun is over th—"
The last thing Zenitsu saw were the flaming-like ends of Nezuko's long black locks before she gracefully leapt away.
"INOSUKEEEEE~!" Tanjiro yelled like a goner as his sister's sharp demon nails started to come out reaching for his face.
Inosuke would always be ready to jump into the breach for his best pal.
"BEAST ASSAUUUUUUUL—!"
He stopped like a bullet in midair just before bashing them both.
A tenfold gravity crushed Inosuke on the floor.
"...Nezuko-chan...?"
Zenitsu was smiling blankly with a rope of snot hanging from his nose.
"~M-MMPHT!" all the while Tanjiro was twitching like a helpless upturned crab.
"Fua~h!..." Nezuko sighed a heavy cloud from her nose, relieved by her therapeutic dose of Tanjiro.
Now she was sleepy again.
Not sure what he was looking at Zenitsu hesitantly extended a limp arm.
"Nezuko-chan, what are you doing? You can't eat your brother's mouth?"
Inosuke however slowly stood on his knee, his broad shoulders chuckling smugly before shooting a finger at Tanjiro's pathetic display.
"That's what you get for being a siscon, DUMBASS!"
The coarse and unsentimental beast pillar had found great amusement in Tanjiro's deserved punishment, while on the other hand the thunder pillar looked so washed-up like 60 years had been sucked straight out of his life. Even while taking a nap Nezuko was still frenching Tanjiro like it was some unconscious reflex.
[Fwoosh]
An unnatural cold gust enveloped the room, yet only Inosuke was sober enough to feel the hair on his neck stand up at a very familiar and ominous presence.
His embalmed pig eyes were evenly stiff as they turned to see a coin flipped in the air, then slapped down on a delicate snow-white wrist.
"...Heads."
She mentioned with an unchanging smile as nostalgic rouge eyes never rose onwards.
"You're fast."
Inosuke commended and slid his sandal a guarded inch forward, readying to charge with his jagged dual-swords.
"How dare you sneak behind my back you arrogant—...!?"
The beast was whipping around in disorientation when the butterfly vanished while he was still talking.
Kanao's katana was already raised high above Nezuko and Tanjiro for a downswing.
"That's twice today you've attacked the sun pillar, demon."
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05/05/19
Reviews are welcome! TBC