A/N: So I'm still alive. Busy, but alive. The past year has been stressful and tiring for me. I just couldn't find the time to write and whenever I did, it was still hard to get words on paper. Recently, I've developed a skin issue that really has affected me mentally. I'm trying to stay positive, but it's been difficult. Another reason I haven't posted this chapter is due to how many readers I've seen that took an interest in this fic. I hate disappointing any reader, so to see so many like and generally enjoy what I'm writing has really made me second guess myself in my writing. I honestly cannot tell you how many times I've rewritten this chapter because I didn't want to disappoint any readers, but I digress. I think it's just one of the many mental hurdles I'll have to overcome. This chapter was supposed to be longer and cover the rest of the Natagumo Mountain Arc, but it was getting too long for my liking, so I decided to split it up into two chapters. Anyway, a huge, huge thank you to every reader that has waited patiently for this chapter. I'll continue to do my best to get chapters out whenever I can.
kuroneko nnch: I'm so sorry that this may appear to you. I'll do my best from here on out to make it not appear so.
Kyunlei: Yep, Inosuke does care. There will continue to be moments in which this is shown in future chapters. And thank you so much for your concern. I'm hanging in there. I've actually enjoyed anyone reaching out to me this past year concerning this fic. Of course, not to tell me to update faster but to just generally talk to me about the fandom and such.
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toka658: I'm so sorry that it feels like I abandoned this story. I've just been going through things IRL. However, I will continue to write, no matter how frustrating it can be writing chapters sometimes.
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Reikuwu: Thank you so much! You have no idea how much I love writing Tanjiro/Zenitsu dynamics. So glad to know that you're one of many that like their dynamic as well.
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Hh: Right? He met the best person to help him with his condition.
Iria Stars: Thank you and I will try.
Chapter 8
"Get lost."
Zenitsu flinched at the callousness of the voice that had addressed him, but he made no effort to turn away. Gramps had ordered him and the older black-haired boy in front of him to spend time together training and while Zenitsu would love nothing more to train alone by himself, Zenitsu didn't have the heart to disobey his Gramps. He couldn't after hearing all the old man had done for him after Zenitsu had been struck by lightning. Gramps had stayed with him and tended to him while he had been in a coma for a few days. Zenitsu still had no idea how he was alive to begin with. Being struck by lightning should have meant his immediate death and yet, here he was still alive, living a hellish life under his Gramp's training regime once more.
The lightning strike was still fresh on Zenistu's mind. He couldn't forget the raw searing pain that had coursed through his limbs along with the horrible stench of burning flesh. His brain never seemed to stop replaying the sound of thunder following the strike every night, waking him up like clockwork from dreams that were his only way of escape from everything that plagued him during the day. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't forget. Even his appearance was a reminder of what happened to him as well. Sure he could hide the ugly crude scars that now traced along his back, but the yellow hair was permanent. And Zenitsu hated it.
It didn't take Zenitsu too long to find out what happened after he had woken up from his short coma. Being struck by lightning called for immediate medical attention. From what he understood, his stern Gramps had been frantic, scared even that he would lose Zenitsu, and had called for the best doctor to come. While Zenitsu's burns were treatable, the doctor could not treat his comatose state. Still, that didn't deter Gramps from believing that Zenitsu would wake up. The old man had stubbornly stayed by Zenitsu's side, taking care of the yellow-haired boy while he slept. Normally, Zenitsu would have been giddy for the attention, but he disliked how the attention from Gramp's impacted his other disciple. His other disciple loathed every moment Gramps spent on him.
Zenitsu was sure that the older black-haired boy cursed the fact that he was even still alive. Since meeting him, Gramp's disciple never tried to hide his hatred and animosity for Zenitsu. Every training session they had together, the black-haired boy practically sneered down on him, always flaunting his skills proudly of the breathing techniques he had already learned while never missing the opportunity to mistreat Zenitsu with his words. If Zenistu had to guess, the older boy had probably been initially excited at the news that he had been struck by lightning. After all, with his death, Gramps wouldn't have to waste any more of his time on him and instead focus on his more successful disciple. And yet, Zenitsu had miraculously survived. And now, it seemed like the other disciple despised him even more now than before the Lightning incident.
Zenitsu had done his best to avoid the older boy as much as he could, but Gramp's stern morning lecture of getting along with his superior continued to echo in his head. Maybe that was why Zenitsu found himself not being able to turn away at the sight of the narrowed eyes glaring at him with such animosity. He wanted to make his Gramps proud.
It was the least he could do for all the trouble he had put his Gramps through.
"Aren't you embarrassed?" The older boy glowered, snapping Zenitsu from his thoughts. The yellowed-haired blinked, his eyes wandering to the peach the older boy held in his hand as the black-haired boy took a bite out of the delicate pink fruit.
The two were in a small clearing surrounded by peach trees that belonged to Gramps. If there was one thing Zenitsu loved about his Gramp's estate, it was the large orchid that surrounded it. The smell of peaches was a surprisingly pleasant scent, something that Zenitsu found himself slowly getting used to. Of course, one of his chores included tending to the peach trees, but Zenitsu didn't mind. Something about the pink fruit just made it feel that he was now at home.
If only the black-haired boy treated Gramp's beloved peach trees with the same amount of respect Zenitsu showed for them. Gramps obviously loved his peach trees. He wouldn't have had so many if he didn't like them. And it was their job as his disciples to show respect to his property.
This thought continued to echo in Zenitsu's head as the older disciple continued to speak.
"From morning to night, you cry like a sheep. And still, you have the audacity to think you can train with me when all you have done is whine. Get lost. You don't belong here."
Ah, Zenitsu knew that. It always felt like he didn't belong. He was too much of a crybaby to become a swordsman. He was not inherently strong like Gramp's other disciple. The older boy could do five breathing styles perfectly, while all Zenitsu had managed to do was learn only one. It just wasn't enough for him to take on any demon, but Gramps was resilient. He reassured Zenitsu that it was fine that he could only learn one breathing technique. It only meant that he could break the limits associated with the technique he had learned.
Of course, when the older disciple had learned what breathing technique Zenitsu had managed to only pick up on, he had been livid with fury. It was the breathing technique that he could not even learn- the first of the breath of thunder styles. Zenitsu initially was excited that he had been able to learn at least the first breathing technique, but nothing could prepare him for the other disciple's wrath. He verbally attacked him whenever Gramps was not around, calling him even more vulgar words that did no good for Zenitsu's already low self-esteem. Soon, even Zenitsu found himself beginning to loathe the fact that he had learned the first breathing style. It had already hurt that he couldn't learn the other breathing techniques, but he found it stung even more that he could only learn the easiest and simplest of the breathing styles. What good was there to learn only one- the foundation of the other five, when it was weak in comparison.
"Sensei is an amazing person," the other disciple continued, his eyes narrowing, rigid, cold, and hard. "To think he wastes his time on someone like you is unimaginable. Aren't you ashamed of it?"
"B-but Gramps-" Zenitsu started to argue, no longer being able to hold in his tongue, but a peach immediately collided with his head shutting him up. He let his gaze trail to the ground in complete silence, fingers digging into his clothing as Gramp's other disciple further verbally assaulted him with even more hatred ringing through his voice.
"You brat! Don't call sensei 'Gramps' as if you're familiar with him. He is a 'Pillar', a person who received the title of the strongest demon hunter. It's rare to even receive instruction from a former pillar. And yet here you are, completely disrespecting him and continuing to be ungrateful!"
Zenitsu felt his body shiver as the sound of the disciple's beat louder, rage and animosity building up in pitch. As far as sounds go, the sounds that were full of anger and hatred were the ones that Zenitsu disliked to listen to. He had encountered too many of those types of sounds during his time as an orphan on the streets. Not too many people took kindly to orphans. However, Gramp's older disciple was by far the worse. The level of animosity in the disciple's sound terrified Zenitsu. Not only because of how loud it sounded but also because of how overpowering it was. It was the type of sound that made sure to block any sound of happiness that should exist, condemning Zenitsu's ears to negative pitches of disharmonious rhythm.
"You're an eyesore! A mistake! I can't believe sensei has spent all this time on you when you're still completely useless! Why are you here!? Why do you still cling to the idea that you can stay?! You don't belong! Disappear!"
Zenitsu continued to keep his gaze at the ground, watching as the peach that had been thrown at him finally slid from his head, landing with a deafening splat. He stayed silent as the other disciple continued to insult him for a few more minutes before finally deciding to leave the small clearing. It was only after Zenitsu could no longer hear the other disciple's heartbeat that his legs finally gave out, sending him crashing to the ground. He wanted to cry and to scream but nothing came out. All he could do was silently stare at the fruit that laid before him.
Perhaps the other disciple was right that all the time Gramps had spent on him was useless. Zenitsu certainly felt like he wasn't making any progress. Certainly, it would have been better if he had died when he had been struck by lightning. Maybe then, it wouldn't feel like Gramps was wasting his time on someone like him. After all, nobody ever expected Zenitsu to amount to anything to begin with. He was an orphan, cast away by parents he never got the chance to know while being forced to survive on his own in the dirty streets in the small town he stayed in. It wasn't expected that an orphan could amount to anything- to even have a chance to accomplish any dream. And yet, Gramps had chosen him. Of all the orphans that were out there, Gramps had decided to take him in.
But for what reason, he still couldn't understand.
"What are you doing out here by yourself, boy?"
Zenitsu widened his eyes and whirled around, his mouth gaping wide as his eyes met the narrowed eyes of his master. It was funny how he was thinking about the old man and he happened to be there right behind him. Zenitsu shivered under the hardened gaze of his Gramp's. Of course, he had become more used to Gramp's iron gaze, but he still jumped up in fright from time to time whenever Gramp's eyes landed on him. It was probably something he would never learn to react normally to.
"Well? Are you going to answer?" Gramps spoke, his voice echoing like thunder, nearly sending Zenitsu over, shocking him from his thoughts.
"Ah! I was just thinking…" Zensitu clumsily answered, pausing as he tried to think of any other excuse that would not make the old man suspicious.
"Where is Kaigaku?"
Zenitsu felt his eyes widened at the old man's question, his thoughts coming to a complete halt. How was he going to answer that? He was supposed to be training with the other disciple. And given how he already reacted to the question, he was already too suspicious. He knew even if he answered with a lie, Gramps would see right through it. Ah, but wait, that didn't mean he couldn't partially respond with a half-lie. It was better than telling the full truth. He couldn't tell Gramps that his other disciple had disobeyed his order for them to train together.
"H-he left." Zenitsu decided to answer, his mind quickly coming with the first excuse he could think of. "He wanted to train more by himself."
Gramps stared back, eyes narrowing slightly. He was silent except for the sound of his booming heart pounding in loud beats. The two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds before finally, the old man broke off eye contact, sighing deeply. Again, he looked back at Zenitsu, but Zenitsu could see that they had softened slightly.
"If that is the case, then I will continue overseeing your training for the rest of the day. Get up Zenitsu. You will start off from where you left off yesterday."
Knowing that any denial to follow his grandfather's orders would earn him a whack on his head from Gramp's infamous cane, Zenitsu moved to get off the ground. He started to follow Gramps to their usual training spot, but froze, his eyes gazing back at the discarded peach that still laid on the ground behind m. He couldn't help but relate to the peach and how it was quickly thrown away by Gramp's other disciple. The thought that he could be discarded by Gramps for his failure to learn the rest of the breathing styles besides the first one had crossed his mind before, but staring at the deformed peach seemed to only solidify the idea of how broken he would be if that were to happen. It was scary to admit it, but he had become fond of Gramps and his tiny estate that was surrounded by his peach orchard. Sure, Gramp's training regime was hellish and he was incredibly frightened of the idea of fighting monsters that feasted on humans. However, he actually had a home and someone that cared for him for once in his life.
Maybe, just for once, he could make that someone that cared for him proud.
"Gramps," Zenitsu quietly spoke, his voice surprisingly soft, but clear. "Why did you become a demon slayer?"
The old man raised his eyebrows, noticeably surprised that Zenitsu asked such a question. Zenitsu had asked countless questions of what a demon slayer was and what was expected of them, but the thought of why Gramps had chosen such an occupation never crossed his mind. It was a surprising question, really now of all times, but the way Gramps seemed to react stirred something in Zenitsu. He needed to understand what it meant.
"I'm shocked that you would ask this, Zenitsu," the old man said, his lips curling up fondly. "It does my old heart good to know that there is at least one disciple that is interested to know why I picked up the blade to fight. However, if I have to be honest, I have forgotten over the years why I decided to do so."
"Wait, you can't be serious! You can't forget such a thing, Gramps! There has to be a reason! You couldn't have possibly just decided on a whim! There's no such-"
"Quiet boy!" Gramps said, whacking Zenitsu on the head with his cane (although not as hard as usual), which promptly shut the yellow-haired boy up.
"I may have forgotten why I initially became a demon slayer, but the feelings I can still recall- Admiration. Pride. Resent. Foolishness. In fact, I can even recall fear propelling me to become a demon slayer."
"B-but shouldn't brave people only be a demon slayer?"
"Zenitsu, anyone who faces a demon and says they are not afraid is a fool. Yes, fear can make you overly cautious and it can indeed make you doubt your abilities, but it can also spur you to fight."
Gramps paused and took a step forward, his eyes sternly gazing down into Zenitsu's own pair of eyes.
"That is why it is okay to be afraid, Zenitsu. It is okay that you want to scream and cry and run away. However, you must also remember that you should never let your fear cause you to turn a blind eye to protecting someone from a demon. A demon slayer serves to protect just as well as they fight with their blade. You must never forget that."
Zenitsu found himself nodding to his Gramp's words in complete silence, unable to say anything in reply.
It was a funny idea to have and maybe something he shouldn't even think of having, but…
It would be nice if he could be the one protecting instead of cowering, wouldn't it?
Everything was pitch black. There were no demons or spider creatures that made Zenitsu want to cower in fear and cry out for his misfortune. There were no dark looming forests nor the familiar, but the daunting glow of the moon. No, all there was complete darkness.
And yet, Zenitsu could still see just as clearly.
Zenitsu felt the air slam against him as he stepped to the side, hearing the crash echo from his left where the swarm of spider creatures collided with the ground. He couldn't see them, but he could hear them and that was more than enough. He shifted his body, lowering his body slightly, his hand already poised over the sheath of his sword. He prepared to put his focus onto his breathing, but a sharp sound from his left sent him jumping to the side yet again. He could feel his body cry out in agony from the sudden movement, his lungs screaming at him to stop. But he couldn't. Here, now more than ever, this was where he could fight.
"What are you doing?! Get him!" The spider demon cried out from above.
Gramps…
Zenitsu swiveled his body away in one fluid move from the roaring sound that had sped towards him, once again lowering his body into the right position. He inhaled deeply, a hiss of steam emitting from his exhale as he focused all his strength to his legs.
Nezuko-Chan…
Waves of fiery pain shot through Zenitsu's body. He could feel the stingers from the spider creatures once again puncture his skin, this time at his right calf. He could not stop the torrent of blood that made its way out of his mouth nor stop his body from leaning over in exhaustion. Yet, the adrenaline was still there. And for that reason, no matter how much he was in pain, he would bear it.
Tanjiro…
Teeth gritting, Zenitsu inhaled deeply, listening to the hiss of steam that released from his exhale. He could feel his body tingle, tension moving through his body like electricity, but he was just as calm and still as ever. Tightening his grip on his sword, Zenitsu finally allowed himself to say the words his grandfather drilled to his head, the words of the sword technique he had learned all on his own after many months of nothing but failure.
"Thunder breathing, First Form: Thunderflash Sixfold."
And Zenitsu shot forward, leaving only a clap of thunder behind. His feet collided into the trunks of nearby trees, propelling him closer to his target above. He could hear the spider demon shouting in shock before retreating to the small house suspended in the air, but it was of no use. Lightning never missed.
He never missed.
It only took a second for the spider demon's head to be cleanly sliced off from its body.
The spider demon's frustrations rang from below, its head cursing at him for siding with the demon hunters as Zenitsu crashed onto the house suspended in the air. But the curses soon receded until finally, all that remained was silence, ashes scattering to the passing wind. The demon was gone.
At last, Zenitsu allowed himself to cough, blood splattering from his mouth. His breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps as his thoughts continue to race in his aching head. All too quickly, fear and anxiety began to kick in as the realization that he was not healing fast enough made itself known. Zenitsu wondered if it was because he had been injected too many times with poison and forced to fight in such a condition. Surely, a normal demon would not be in such pain, but then again, he wasn't a normal demon. He was a demon that was losing the battle to stay awake.
Ever so slowly, Zenitsu gave in to his selfish desire. He allowed his eyes to shut to the world around him to dream once more.
'I'm having another dream…'
'A happy dream. One in which I'm the strongest, stronger than anyone. I always help those weaker than me and those that are in trouble.'
'A dream in which I'm not a demon, just me, making Gramps proud. All the time he spent on me was never a waste.'
'And a dream in which I'm protecting my friends and Gramps. I'm the one protecting instead of cowering. Yes, a happy dream…'
'Please, just let me dream once more…'
"Chun!"
Zenitsu felt something poke softly at his cheek, forcing him to open his eyelids. He blinked as the pale light of the moon from above penetrated his vision making his vision blur. Slowly, a brown object entered his unfocused gaze, flapping wings much too fast for Zenitsu to process. Zenitsu blinked a few times, eyebrows furrowing until finally, he could make out what he was seeing.
Chuntaro had never left him.
"C-Chuntaro?" Zenitsu managed to say before erupting into a fit of coughs, feeling more blood dribble from his mouth. He squeezed his eyes shut in a grimace, lungs practically begging for him to remain still. Everything ached and he could barely let alone breathe. Why wasn't he healing?
"Chun!"
Zenitsu felt something tap his cheek. He opened his eyes, finding Chuntaro waving a small vile gripped tightly from its feet. The sparrow continued waving it erratically speaking in chirps, desperately trying its best to get Zenitsu to stay focused on it. Zenitsu stared at the sparrow in a daze, but slowly he began to realize what the sparrow had for him.
Chuntaro had a vial of blood for him to consume.
Before Zenitsu could even think to thank Chuntaro, the sparrow moved the vial of blood to his mouth, chirping loudly, forcing him to stay silent. Despite not being able to understand it, Zenitsu knew what the sparrow was saying. Its tiny heart was erratically beating in concern and worry for him. The sparrow would not allow him to speak again before at least taking some of the blood.
Zenitsu almost laughed at the irony of being saved by the sparrow when he should be the one taking care of himself, but he was all the more grateful to have Chuntaro. It truly was a loyal bird much like that of the Kasugai crows.
Tears pricking his eyes, Zenitsu lifted his hand to take the vial from Chuntaro. He struggled a bit, but he managed to open the vial on his own and pour its content to his mouth, swallowing it in one gulp. He couldn't help but shiver at the taste of it, but he was quick to bite his tongue at this unwanted thought. He would never allow himself to drink more than he needed, but for now, he needed the blood to heal from his wounds.
It only took a few seconds for the numbness to fade from Zenitsu's limbs. The searing pain from his lungs dulled down until eventually, it became a gentle hum. Slowly, Zenitsu lifted himself up and exhaled, his lungs complying with no trace of pain in each breath he took. He brought his hand to his mouth and wiped away the blood he knew was still there and looked up at Chuntaro gratefully.
"Thank you, Chuntaro."
The sparrow chirped loudly in response, before diving down to Zenitsu's head, burying its face into his untamed hair. Zenitsu smiled slightly and glanced around, realizing that he was still on top of the suspended house. He opted to ignore this for a second (in fear of the panic of not being able to get down) and instead closed his eyes, allowing himself to listen to below. The spider creatures were still down below him on the ground, but they were still, as they no longer served a master, lost in thoughts of what they had become. Zenitsu decided to pay no mind to them. Instead, he shifted his focus on the forest around him. It was supposed to be alive with the familiar sounds it made, but it was odd how quiet it was. Sure, the spider demon he had faced had filled the clearing with his twisted sound, but there were still sounds from everything around him. The fight was over, so there should be reassuring sounds to greet him from the trees and plants nearby, but the silence was all there was. Zenitsu felt his body tremble as he realized what this meant. Something was there, watching him...
Closer now...
He had to move!
Zenitsu nearly fell over the suspended house as a thin red thread shot at the spot he had been on. He stared wide-eyed, trembling at the red thread, noting its sickly crimson color all being too similar to blood. Again, his ears alerted him to another thread propelling forward at him and he wasted no time to move. Zenitsu shifted his body to the side, evading the foreboding thread. Before he could even think of his next course of action, more threads began to shoot at him at alarming speeds from all around.
Zenitsu evaded every thread, but it was not too hard to see that he was being caged in by the threads. Every thread he dodged meant another that would surround him, keeping him caged into whoever sent them. Ears ringing, Zenitsu moved to dodge another thread, but a sharp pain from his ankle sent him crashing to what little floor he had to keep him from falling to the ground below. Teeth gritting, he moved to see what had caused his ankle to flare up in pain, only to see a dark thread looped around the bleeding ankle linked to the tree in front of him. Panic immediately began to set in Zenitsu's hammering heart knowing that he had been caught. He moved to grab his sword to slice the thread, but it was too late. The thread pulled him harshly back into the dark creaking trees awaiting him to swallow him whole.
Zenitsu hissed as every branch he moved past whacked against his body. Grimacing, he moved to try to grab his sword again, but his attempt seemed to only earn him another whack to the face with a branch. Before long, Zenitsu found himself crashing to the ground, finally getting the chance to grab his sword. But his body immediately froze as a familiar but unwanted sound entered his eardrums. His breathing became more rapid, more shallow as the panic and terror began to set in, he dared to look at what he knew awaited him, finding the same demon that had separated him from Tanjiro and the others, gazing at him coldly with its visible eye. Attached to his hand was the same crimson thread that had grabbed Zenitsu and pulled him away.
Zenitsu began to find it difficult to breathe. The eye was too cold and cruel. Even though the demon had the appearance of a child, Zenitsu could tell that the child had killed many. The sound was too twisted in disharmonious rhythm for a normal child's heart to have. But it made Zenitsu also wonder. What could have made a child turn into a monster like this?
"You killed my older brother, which means you are strong." The demon remarked tonelessly, his voice conveying no sign of grief or even anger at Zenitsu's actions.
Zenitsu said nothing, remaining silent in fear of what his response would make the demon do to him. This only made the demon continue to speak.
"And yet, you were the same clothes those demon hunters wear. Why is that?"
Silence ticked by with neither of the two speaking. The demon seemed to only stare back, but Zenitsu heard the faintest click of annoyance from the demon.
"No matter. You will join my family. I need a strong older brother to protect my family. You will do."
"F-family?" Zenitsu stuttered in confusion."I-I don't understand."
Really of all the things he feared the demon would say, he had not expected this.
The demon only stared coldly back, his eye unrelenting in his piercing gaze. "There is no need for you to understand. You are a demon and demon hunters will hunt you down. Here, I offer protection. All you have to do is join my family and do what I say. That is the only choice you have."
Despite what the demon was offering, there was no sincerity in the demon's words. For a demon on the run and desperate enough to do anything to stay safe from demon hunters, following the demon's demand made sense. But that was not Zenitsu. He wasn't like any other demon. And the demon must have known that Zenitsu understood this, which is why he didn't give him the choice to decline.
"Rui!"
Zenitsu snapped from his thoughts, his eyes trailing over to another demon running towards the two from behind, her breathing heavy and erratic. Like the demon in front of him, she was similar in appearance. It didn't take Zenitsu too long to determine that she was part of the demon's family. And yet, Zenitsu could hear the fear in each breath she took as she stopped in front of the demon. She was scared of him.
So then, were they really family?
"Rui, they've beaten Mother and big Brother!" What should we do?! The demon slayers are-"
The female demon stopped speaking, her eyes finally coming to a stop at Zenitsu. She stared at him, her eyes slowly widening in utter confusion. She switched her gaze back to the other demon, Rui, apprehension clearly seen in her expression.
"Rui, why is he here? He's a-"
"This is our new older brother." The demon cut in, not even caring that he had interrupted the other.
"Brother? But what about-"
"Our last older brother was weak. I have no need for a brother that can't do his part to protect our family. Are you implying you have objections to this?"
The female demon widened her eyes, balls of sweat running down from her forehead to her cheeks as clear panic set in. She quickly shook her head and hands back and forth in an effort to deny what Rui remarked.
"Of course not, Rui! It's just that he looks like he's part of those demon slayers. He's wearing their clothes and is even carrying a sword."
Rui silently looked back at Zenitsu, his visible eye showing no hint of emotion. Slowly, the rigid eye came to a stop at the sword that Zenitsu still had gripped in his hand. Before Zenitsu could even react, his sword was snatched away from him, pale threads wrapped tightly around the sheath, bringing it over to the demon. The demon silently stared down at the sheath that carried his sword, twisting it with his hands, as if he was inspecting it.
Silently, the demon looked back up at Zenitsu and held the sword out-
Only to snap the sword in half with his thread.
Zenitsu could only watch as both pieces of his sword dropped to the ground, his body paralyzed in both shock and disbelief. Despite not wanting to have to do anything with the sword in the first place, the sword was still important to him. Sure, there were many times in which he threw the sword aside, and sure, he had considered that he never deserved the blade in the first place, but it was still precious. It was a sword that had been made purely for him. And seeing it- the blade split into two pieces, it made Zenitsu want to break down into tears and scream.
The demon had taken something precious away from him and so easily while Zenitsu had done nothing to stop it.
"Now it's clear for you what you are," Rui remarked, his threads glistening under the pale moonlight. He took a step forward, his cruel eye still focused on Zenitsu.
"Starting today, you're part of my family."
Zenitsu trembled under the overwhelming sound that made its way to his ears. Nothing about the sound that came from Rui's heart made him feel safe or welcomed. It was too contorted with hate and cruelty. And the way he spoke about his family was painstakingly clear: his idea of a family was about control and fear. He could see it with how he treated the female demon by him. The moment she said something that the demon took as disobedience, she cowered in pure fear, her sound beating rapidly at a frightening pace. It was not right.
Even if Zenitsu didn't have a family he could call his own, he would not join this demon's fake family.
Summoning all the courage he had left in his trembling form, Zenitsu forced himself to look up from his broken sword to the demon in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he dared to deny the demon despite knowing what it could mean for him.
"No."
Immediately, Zenitsu was struck by a wave of aggravating pain, his head crouching forward to his hands to ease his injured face. He whimpered as his closed eyes made contact with his hands, feeling the warm but sticky blood seeping from them. Reluctantly, he tried to open his eyelids, but all he could see was pitch black, not being to make out any other color. It didn't take too long for Zenitsu to figure out that he had been struck by Rui's threads in his eyes. Although his blindness was not permanent, the idea that he couldn't see anything was frightening enough.
However, the fact that Zenitsu could hear was more than enough to keep Zenitsu slightly calm. He just needed to listen.
"Rui," Zenitsu heard the other female demon spoke as she took a trembling step forward. "Let's just leave him. He doesn't want to join willingly. Shouldn't we instead focus on the demon hunters here? More of them are arriving."
The female demon paused, but then continued although with a tremor in her voice.
"S-Should we run away?"
Zenitsu flinched, hearing only the agonizing scream of pain that erupted from the female demon's mouth as she fell forward to her knees. He figured she had been struck from the other after her comment. He could hear her shoulders tremble with each breath she took, her muffled crying echoing throughout the small clearing they were in. Whatever Rui had done, he had done so ruthlessly with no visible sign of remorse from his beating heart. He truly didn't care about his so-called family.
Slowly, Zenitsu removed his hands from his eyes and hesitantly looked up at the two demons. His vision was blurry and he could only make out splotches of color, but he could slightly see and it was more than enough. Blinking away the tears and blood, he shifted his gaze around, desperately trying to make out anywhere he could run to. This was his best chance to escape and find Tanjiro and the others. If he stayed there any longer, he was afraid of what Rui would do next. The overpowering sound from Rui's beating heart was proving to be too much for his weak self to listen to.
After all, with every second, Rui was proving to be a demon he or anyone he cared about couldn't hope to kill.
"What are you looking at? This isn't a stage show."
Zenitsu instantly went still, not having to look up to see who Rui had addressed. He knew the kind gentle heartbeat from anywhere. And yet, he cursed the fact that person the heartbeat belonged to had to find him now of all times, especially when said heartbeat was beating with unbridled rage and fury. Zenitsu was truly terrified for Tanjiro. As with the case of Inosuke, he knew Tanjiro would charge in to protect him. But charging in would mean certain death for Tanjiro. The red-haired boy needed to stay back. He had no idea what Rui was capable of. He needed to turn and run away. Zenitsu would not let him die needlessly for him.
"Zenitsu!" The other boy shouted, his voice filled with so much concern and fear for the other that it sickened Zenitsu. "Are you okay?!"
Zenitsu forced himself to nod his head in confirmation, only seeing blurred red and green colors stare back at him. There was no doubt in his mind that Tanjiro could see the injury on his face as well as his damaged clothing from his fight with the older spider demon. He could practically hear the sharp pang of regret from Tanjiro's own heart. It made Zenitsu want to run over to the kind boy and throw his arms around the other. He wanted to shake Tanjiro till he understood that what happened wasn't his fault. In a perfect world, that would be what Zenitsu would do, but here, he was simply too afraid to get up. Not when the horrible sound right next to him continued to ring, growing with irritation with each passing second.
"What are you doing?!" The red-haired boy growled, addressing the child demon standing by Zenitsu. "How could you hurt Zenitsu and your own ally?!"
"Ally?" Rui emotionlessly remarked. "Our connection is nothing so superficial like that. We are family. Strong ties bind us. This matter is between me and my older siblings. If you interrupt me, I'll carve you up."
Tanjiro narrowed his eyes, his teeth gritting in rage. "Zenitsu is not yours to force to be in your family! He has a family of his own! Besides- whether you are family or friends, such strong connections are precious! Not being related by blood doesn't make a connection superficial! I can smell the trust between people with strong ties, but between you and the one you hurt, I only smell fear, hatred, and loathing!
'No, Tanjiro, stop! Don't say it!'
"I wouldn't call that "family ties"! It's a sham! It's fake!"
Zenitsu stared at the blurred figure that was Tanjiro, paralyzed with shock and disbelief. Why did Tanjiro have to say that? Did he not read the situation? Yes, it was true that Rui's family was not bound by trust and instead twisted with fear and hatred, but that was not something to shout out so blindness. How could Tanjiro make such a mistake?
"Oh! Looks like I've found just the right kind of demon!"
Zenitsu whirled around, his eyes going wide as he could make out another demon hunter taking a step into the clearing they were in. The boy was clearly older than them, but he was too cocky and sure of himself, making the kind of grinding sound only those that were too shortsighted in their desires could make. The boy made a comment about slaying Rui to safely promote to a higher rank and recklessly charged forward, his sword aimed at the child demon. Zenitsu heard Tanjiro yell at the other to stop, but all he could do was watch. He gaped in silence at the older figure as the boy soon split into pieces with so much red splattering everywhere. Zenitsu hoped that maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him or that he simply hadn't gained back his vision, but the longer he stared at the pieces of flesh that used to be the boy in front of him, the more he realized that what he was seeing was real.
Another heartbeat had been silenced.
And he had done nothing to stop it.
"What did you just say?"
Zenitsu widened his eyes, terror coursing through his veins. Rui's heartbeat had become louder, so much anger and hatred ringing that it overpowered every other sound in the clearing they were, even blocking Tanjiro's own gentle sound. Zenitsu felt his hands shook, cold and clammy as dread settled in his hammering chest. Whatever Rui was going to do next, it was not going to bode well for either of them. The demon was livid with fury and would not hesitate to release that rage.
"What did you just say?"
Zenitsu dared to look up at Tanjiro seeing the ever-present fear in his eyes. He could see his clenched hands tremble and the beads of sweat rolling down from his forehead, and yet the red-headed boy was unrelenting in his gaze. Zenitsu knew that no matter what Rui do, Tanjiro would not change his answer.
And that terrified him.
"I'll say it again," Tanjiro answered with no sign of regret in his unwavering voice. "You're so-called "family ties" are fake!"
Zenitsu watched in disbelief as Tanjiro then charged forward, reacting instantly to the wire that shot out at him from Rui's hand. Tanjiro dodged gracefully under the wire, never stopping and only continuing his path forward. Two other wires blocked his path, crossing over in front of his stomach, and instinctively, Tanjiro held his sword over his head, ready to swing it to slice the wires in half. Zenitsu widened his eyes at Tanjiro's action and opened his mouth to warn the other, but it was too late. Like what had happened to Zenitsu's own blade, Tanjiro's sword was effortlessly sliced in half, broken into two pieces with only the handle clenched tightly in Tanjiro's hand. Tanjiro stared wide-eyed at the blade, his body paralyzed with shock, which was all Rui needed to finish his attack.
"Tanjiro, watch out!" Zenitsu screamed.
Somehow, Zenitsu's voice was able to shake Tanjiro back to his senses, at least enough for him to twist his body around the wire aimed at his stomach. Tanjiro crumbled to the ground with a gash to his cheek, wincing slightly at the small wound, but there was no time for him to recover from his shock. Rui continued his attack ruthlessly, sending wires at Tanjiro from every direction. Zenitsu could only watch helplessly as more cuts were added to Tanjiro's body, blood seeping from every wound. No matter where Tanjiro rolled around, another wire was there to meet him at his path. It soon began to dawn on Zenitsu that Rui was not aiming to kill Tanjiro outright as he had done to the older demon hunter. No, what Rui wanted to do was torture Tanjiro and make him suffer for what he said. And after Tanjiro had suffered enough, that was when Rui would end it.
Just as Zenitsu feared, that was what exactly happened.
A web of wires surrounded Tanjiro ready to slice him into pieces. Zenitsu knew that there was no way Tanjiro would be able to dodge the threads in time. Even Tanjiro had realized this undeniable fact. The boy was stuck, petrified with horror visible in his eyes at the oncoming threads. He had been caught in a deadly trap with no way of escape.
Tanjiro was going to die.
No!
Without any second thought, Zenitsu got on his feet and rushed blindness at Rui, swinging what was left of his sword at the demon. Rui reacted instantly, dodging his clumsy excuse of an attack with an unfazed gaze. With a swing of his hand, the child demon sent him rolling back to the ground with his threads, trapping him in a web of them that circled around his legs and arms, digging into his skin keeping him immobilized. Zenitsu could not help but let out a shrill cry of pain as the threads dug deeper and deeper, drawing out blood. In between the torrent of raw searing pain, he could make out a voice calling him with desperation and horror in its pitch, but he could not respond. Something was breaking and he was helpless to stop it.
"You protected him." Rui's voice rang out, oddly with surprise in his voice.
And just as quick as the threads wrapped around Zenitsu's boy, they became still, no longer piercing into his skin. Zenitsu allowed himself to blink in confusion, eyes slowly going wide. Footsteps echoed from his right and he looked up to see Rui towering over him, his lone eye staring coldly back.
"You are a demon and yet you protected him by getting in my way. Why?"
Zenitsu gritted his teeth despite the rush of fear and panic that gnawed at his insides. A demon that could easily make him suffer was asking him a question why he would protect his friend. How was he supposed to answer that? The wrong answer could mean the child demon inflicting his wrath on him, but…
There was no way in hell he was going to let Tanjiro die.
"I don't care that I'm a demon." Zenitsu finally spoke, his voice surprisingly clear with no tremor in it. "I won't let my friend die in front of me."
Rui narrowed his eye, but slowly a grin formed from his scowl. His eye grew with amusement as if he just found a new toy that caught his eye.
And judging from the unbearable sound that quickened in pitch from Rui's heartbeat, he was not going to let go of this new toy anytime soon.
"I see now. You are together with this human despite the fact that he is a demon hunter and you are a demon. You even go far to protect him against me. I see… That is the type of bond I want."
Wait, what?
That was not the response Zenitsu expected. Before he could even respond, Rui raised his hands and Zenitsu felt the threads wrapped around him tightened yet again. He let out a sharp cry of pain, eyes squeezing shut with tears quickly forming in the corner of his eyes.
But even against all the pain, a soft chime of bells could be heard in the distance, screaming his name.
"Zenitsu!"
Zenitsu snapped his eyes open watching in shock as Tanjiro rushed towards him recklessly, his broken sword clenched tightly in his hand. Rui immediately sent threads at Tanjiro to stop him, but Tanjiro continued his charge straight forward, sacrificing his body in the process. The threads Tanjiro could have dodged easily left large gashes on his body. Still, that did not deter Tanjiro. He continued onward, getting closer with every passing second.
Rui's heartbeat roared with aggravation and the child demon raised his hands, having enough of Tanjiro's blind charge. The child demon sent a wave of threads at Tanjiro, encasing the boy again in a web of them ready to dice him into pieces. Despite the immediate danger Tanjiro had placed himself in, the red-headed boy's eyes were still solely focused on Zenitsu's own pair. There was fear present in those red eyes, but Zenitsu soon realized that it was not for his safety Tanjiro was afraid of, but for Zenitsu's own.
And that completely broke Zenitsu.
"Tanjiro!" The yellowed haired boy screamed, his voice raw with horror and despair feeling nothing but helplessness at the sight of the pale threads inching closer to Tanjiro's body. Zenitsu yanked his body upward in an effort to free himself from the threads wrapped around him, but they would not snap. All he managed to do was make the threads sink deeper into his skin. Realizing it was futile to escape, Zenitsu dared to look back up at Tanjiro, his tearful eyes gazing at the scene in pure terror. The threads were closer now, and soon there would only be a mess of blood and flesh to be left behind.
Suddenly, a torrent of an angry tsunami thrashed from behind Tanjiro. A shadow appeared over the red-haired boy and arms spread wide, Nezuko stood in front of Tanjiro taking Rui's ruthless attack instead.
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro screamed, his voice filled with horror and deep aching sadness. Instinctively, the older brother grabbed his injured sister and pulled her behind a tree into bushes. Zenitsu could hear the loud pang of regret that resounded from Tanjiro's kind heart, as the older boy tried to help Nezuko. There was no doubt in Zenitsu's mind that Nezuko was not healing enough to help with her wounds. After all, she had never been injured to the point her limbs could fall off. Zenitsu desperately wanted to run over to the two and wrap them in his arms. So much guilt and sadness pierced its way to his heart. It had been his fault that both Tanjiro and Nezuko had been hurt. He had been useless.
Like always.
He couldn't protect the two siblings.
"You are brother and sister?" Rui suddenly asked, with a slight tremor in his voice.
This comment tore Zenitsu away from his thoughts, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Something new was taking shape in Rui's head- a new unwanted fixation on the two siblings.
"Siblings…" Rui muttered to himself in thought, not even caring that he was speaking out loud. "His sister is a demon but he is still with her just like this one. His sister even protected him by leaping in the way."
"R-Rui…" the female demon nearby spoke.
"That is it! Theirs is a true familial bond! That's what I want!"
"W-Wait!" The female demon shouted, her voice filled with renewed terror. "These two demons can't be your family! I'm your older sister! Haven't I proven myself already! Don't abandon me!"
"SHUT UP!"
Zenitsu flinched and snapped his eyes shut, not being able to handle what Rui did to his so-called sister. The sound of a head falling to the ground was more than enough for Zenitsu to visualize what Rui callously did. With a few hurtful, callous words, the child demon sent the other demon away, turning back to look at where Tanjiro and Nezuko had disappeared to with an uncomfortable eerily silence.
"Boy, let's talk."
Rui raised his hand to his chest and continued. "I was moved when I saw the connection you have between these two. It made me shiver. I'm sure there are no words to express what you three have. But even so, I have to kill you. However, there is a way to avoid that."
Rui paused and raised his finger, his voice never unwavering in emotion despite the sympathy he said he had for Tanjiro. "Give me your sister and I will keep the one I already have. If you leave them here quietly, I will spare your life."
"I don't understand," Tanjiro responded behind the bush he took cover in.
"As of now, I want both your sister and your friend to be my siblings."
Anger immediately vibrated from Tanjiro's heartbeat. "There's no way I can accept that! Nezuko and Zenitsu are not things! They both have feelings and their own will!"
"It's alright. I will forge a bond with them. I'm stronger. It will start as a bond of fear. They'll know what will happen if they disobey me."
"Are you insane!" Tanjiro spat, frustration and fury pounding loudly for all to hear. "Using fear to bond someone is not a familial tie! It's not how you connect to someone! As long as you think that, you'll never get what you want!"
"You're so loud," Rui replied, his eye slowly narrowing in annoyance. "I don't like you."
Footsteps echoed and Zenitsu raised his eyes in alarm, watching as Tanjiro walked away from where he had taken Nezuko to, eyes locked onto Rui with fury blazing in his dark red pupils. He raised his broken sword at Rui, no hesitance in his stance.
"I'll never give Nezuko and Zenitsu to you."
"Of course you won't, so I'll kill you and take them myself. After all," Rui parted his hair away from his covered eye, allowing the eye to finally be seen for all who dared to look at it. Carved into the eye was a sickly dark red number five, signifying what the child demon was.
"You don't have what it takes to defeat one of the twelve kizuki."
A/N: I can't say when the next chapter will be updated, but I promise it won't take a full year. On the other note, I can't wait to watch the Mugen Train movie. I'm so excited to see the animation on the big screen!