Chapter VIII : We meet again
"Girl/boy... Namoral, this is perfect! I loved writing, the way you describe things, the information... I loved everything!"
Ahah, thank you so much !! QvQ
It's funny how to see that you love how I'm describing things, while an other person had said he/she really hates that because it seemed annoying to him/her XD
Proof that everyone is different ! And I'm so happy that my writing pleases you :DD
Thank you to read my fanfiction ! I hope you'll follow and love the next chapters as well ! :3
[...]
March 18th 1967
06:12 PM
Village
'QUICK QUICK QUICK QUICK QUICK !'
He thought to himself, as he fled the crime scene through the snowflakes falling from the sky. 'I-I'm exhausted... B-but I can't let him capture me !! I MUST LOSE HIM !!'
In a panic, the demon took refuge in a corner with wine barrels in which he sat down the time to recover a little from his race.
Fresh blood was slowly falling down his chin; blood from his meal he had taken a moment ago, while he was panting and breathing heavily.
But of course, the place wasn't very well hidden.
Especially since the one who was chasing him seemed to have a strong sense of smell. He could very well detect him by smelling the scent of blood...
Ah, talking about the devil.
The slayer who had been chasing him for the last few minutes had finally found him.
He wore a blue haori with white cloud patterns over his jet black uniform, as well as a red tengu mask with big eyes.
His short black hair was tied back in a simple high ponytail, and he dragged a bluish saber with him.
'Shit...'
The demon rose to his feet as faster as he could and fled as quickly as possible from the young slayer who was walking slowly behind him without a word.
As he ran, he suddenly no longer heard the footsteps of his attacker. Maybe he had lost his trail ?
In all cases, this have resulted of stopping him in his run and turning around to check the position of the man.
But no trace of him in sight.
His anguish gradually dissipated, making him feel relieved to have been able to escape him.
However, that tiny moment of happiness ended almost instantly when he felt a presence behind his back.
He hardly had time to turn back when...
[...]
March 19th 1914
06:20 PM
Mount Fujikasane's Forest
As Nezuko leapt at him, sword ready to slice his neck, he suddenly had a flash.
The dark hair of the young girl looking jet black because of the darkness in which they were, tied in a ponytail, her red blood flowing from her head, but above all, her blue kimono with white clouds...
All of this...
'Uro...kodaki...'
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
SLASH !
As his head slowly fell to the ground, his eyes stared again at the young girl who had just beheaded him.
'S-shit... Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT !!' The demon wailed as he hit the ground.
His gaze then shifted to his gigantic body, which slowly disappeared into flying ashes.
'M-my body's falling apart... I-I'm trying really hard to stop it, b-but...'
'I can't do it...'
Meanwhile, the young girl fell to the ground, emerging victorious from her fight.
She did it.
She finally did it.
This demon was the only one who lived all this time in this forest. The others would therefore be like the first ones.
She was going to survive. She was going to see her master again, reassure him and explain to him what had happened with this demon; and that he would no longer have anything to fear with his future new students.
She was finally going to see her brother again...
Ah, god she wanted to see him again. Take him in her arms. Hear his voice, even if it was only the little noises he made under his muzzle. See his face again, to feel his hand pass through her hair as he always did, to her and to all his cadets.
But still, she had to wait seven days more though.
Right now she was feeling quite sleepy. She still didn't know how much time she had left before daybreak, but with the wounds she had to her head, she strongly doubted that she was going to be able to continue fighting the demons in this state.
She should at least find something to place on her head to stop the bleeding, a bit like a bandage...
As she put her sword back in its case, she suddenly heard the voice of the demon she had beaten.
《D-damn it... Damn it... Damn it...》He cried, as the girl turned slowly to his head.《A-and to think... that the last thing I'll ever see... w-will be the face of a demon slayer...》
Nezuko hadn't turned completely to him. But the little he saw of her face showed that she was still on her guard in case he would try anything against her again.
《D-damn it...》
'How did I come up to this, exactly...?'
《B-big Brother...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《B-big Brother..!!》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A voice echoed in the darkness.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《I'm so scared... I-I feel so lonely, right now...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The child to whom the voice belonged began to look around intently, tears in his eyes, desperately seeking the one who seemed to be his older brother.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《B-big Brother... W-where are you...?》
.
Little by little he curled up on himself, crying warm tears on the floor.
Between a few sobs, he managed to say this :
《P-please... T-take my- hand... J-just like you always do... Oh... Big B-brother... W-why on Earth have I bit you... to the p-point of killing you...》
《...》
《...》
《...》
《...》
《H-huh...》
Suddenly he stopped crying, his eyes widening.
《B-but...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《This Big Brother...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《Who was he, again ?》
[...]
《B-big... Brother...》
The demon whispered next to the girl, as small tears streamed from the remnants of his head.
Gradually, the teenager's traits softened, taking an air of pity towards the poor creature.
'He had... A big brother...' She told herself, as she completely turned to the demon, this time.
《B-big... Bro... ther...》He repeated, sounding trapped with his own demons.
Even though she didn't know exactly what he had been through, or what he was thinking at that precise moment, Nezuko could feel that his pain was real.
Maybe because she had a big brother too ?
Between cadets, they could understand each other...
You didn't have to be highly intelligent to know that the demon had somehow lost his older brother. Moreover, if he doesn't even mention his parents, it surely means that they could have died before the elder one, that they had abandoned them or were mistreating them... To the point where his brother is much more important than any member of his family...
In fact, they surely had a lot more in common than they could imagine.
Slowly, the girl stepped towards the few remaining arms of the creature's body, then gently took one of his hands.
It was big, almost the double of her own hand's size. But it was light.
Gradually, Nezuko brought it to her chest, as the demon's hand slowly closed around her hands.
《I see... You have a big brother, too...?》She kindly said to him, while slightly smiling.《... I understand... It's hard to be separated from the only being to whom we're attached in this world...》
The demon gradually widened his eyes, tears running more and more on his almost entirely disappeared cheeks.
《I'm very lucky... to still have him by my side... Even though it's not exactly the same as before, he's alive and in good health, and it's all that matters to me...》She continued, before bringing her soft pink eyes to the monster's head a few meters away from her.《But if you want, I'll stay with you, accompany you to the end of the tunnel, just like your big brother would have done...》
《I will be your eldest for a short moment...》
As tears kept streaming down his greenish face, the demon lost itself in thought thanks to the emotions he was feeling right now.
'Her gaze...' He said to himself, as he still stared at the young girl, but no longer with disgust or hatred. 'It looks... so...'
Slowly, he tightened the younger's hands even more.
'The way she's holding my hands...' He continued in thought, as his eyes slowly closed in a peaceful state of mind. 'I-It seems to me that...'
'Someone...'
"Big Brother ! Big Brother !!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Oh ? What is it ?"
.
.
.
.
.
"Can you take my hand ?? Come on, please, please, please !!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Ahh, I swear... You really are a scaredy-cat, haha !!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
'Y-yes... Someone already...'
If his head hadn't been doomed to be vanished by the deadly ashes of his dying body, we might have been able to see a smile on his face.
But not a sadistic or euphoric smile like he had been doing all this time.
No...
A true smile. Authentic.
Gradually, the pale hand disappeared from among those of the brunette with pink eyes, but she didn't loosened them either.
On the contrary, she joined them even more in order to launch into a prayer.
《Great Creator, I'm begging you...》She started, closing her eyes.《Make sure that this man can see his older brother again in the afterlife... And that, if he reincarnates in another life, he doesn't become a demon again...》
Slowly, the brunette opened her pink eyes to stare at a spot in front of her, any of them, what really mattered was what she was going to say next.
《Sabito, Makomo... Everyone...》
《This is it. I defeated him. You can now rest in peace, from now on...》A small smile formed on her lips as she said the words.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《Thank you for your help... For your support... Thank you...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《For everything...》
March 27th 1914
05:53 AM
Mount Fujikasane
Seven days and eight nights had now passed.
During the night which followed the first eventful evening, Nezuko had preferred to not confront the demons present at the selection. If she had done so, it would already be lost for her anyway.
So, as planned, she made a sort of pad with the help of a bandage that she had brought to make a sort of headband over her head and looked for a more or less safe place to spend the rest of the night without too much risks of being attacked.
Fortunately, she quickly found a very small cave in which she took refuge for the following hours after having lightly covered the entrance with dirt so as not to be noticed. Seen like this, the cave looked more like a small bump of dirt that you can usually see in the forest than anything else, so it was pretty well camouflaged.
Then, in the following nights, the girl didn't stop killing starving demons. But when she forgot to ask the demons of the first night, she then asked each demons she came across if they knew a way to bring back a demon in its human form in order to heal her brother...
But in vain.
All the demons were far too preoccupied by their starvation madness to even be able to think clearly.
But even though she was pretty sure it was going to be the case for all of them, the brunette still persisted in asking them the question, no matter what.
She had to find an answer...
She had to find a way to help her older brother to become human again, no matter the cost...
But unfortunately, the solution never came to her.
Today, Nezuko now had to join the place, in order to prove that she haven't died during her fights.
She was exhausted. It wasn't a good idea at all to set the return's schedule to the place just after a night of fights with the supernatural creatures, especially since the day was her rest time for the previous seven days.
'I'm so tired... I've been awake all night fighting demons, and yet I still can't sleep or rest a bit...'
She cried in her thoughts as she walked slowly, her eyes staring at the ground.
'Besides, despite all the time I have been given, I haven't even been able to find out more informations about any antidote for Big Brother... I hope I'll know more once I will be an official demon slayer...'
As she weakly walked towards what she thought was the right direction, a scent suddenly caught her attention.
'H-huh...?' She said to herself, raising her head in surprise. 'This scent... it's...'
.
.
'Wisteria--!!'
Her face lit up, as she admired the many trees at the origin of the many flowers under her eyes.
'So the place mustn't be too far...!'
Letting out a small sigh of relief, the young girl set off again towards her goal, now a little more confident on the path to take.
But, once there, a special detail strucked her :
They were only three.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Well, four with her.
At first, she liked to believe that they haven't all arrived, that some were still on the way or were late...
But that wasn't the case.
The three already there were all in front of the little girls who had welcomed them at the start of the selection, and only herself was missing.
While observing the participants, she tried to find the one she had saved during the first night...
But he wasn't there.
The pink-eyed brunette lowered her head looking at her feet in shame.
'That boy...' She thought to herself, thinking back to the unknown participant while frowning in frustration. 'I-I wasn't even able...'
After shaking her head slightly from her thoughts, she focused more on the survivors :
There were two boys, one with dark hair totally shaved to the sides of his head, leaving a long crest right in the middle of his skull, dressed in a sleeveless purple yukata over a black top and white pants. He also appeared to have a scar on his right eye, but since he wasn't bleeding and had no bandages, he surely had done this before the selection.
The other was smaller, blond with orange tips and large hazel eyes, wearing a closed haori of the same color as his hair that was also dotted with small white triangles, as well as a white top underneath and dark pants.
The third one was a young girl, just a little shorter than Nezuko in terms of height. She was also the only participant to return without any scratches or impurities; unlike the two boys and Nezuko, who were all in not very pretty condition.
Also brunette with a quilt on the right side of her head tied with a pink and green butterfly accessory, she also had purplish pink eyes. She was dressed in a rather light pink kimono over a white top that ended in a large magenta skirt.
Even though she seemed to be staying a bit away from the rest of the group, she seemed to constantly keep a soft smile on her lips.
She also seemed to be playing with a butterfly on her fingers... Maybe she had mastered a breathing style related to the insect ? That would explain where her accessory came from ?
《I'm screwed up...》
A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
She then slowly turned her head towards the source of the sound and saw the boy in the yellow haori again, looking terrified.
《E-even if I survive now... I'm gonna die at the end anyway, that's for sure...》He continued, his voice cracking as he spoke.
Becoming worried about the young boy beside her, the brunette tried to approach him by patting him slightly on the shoulder.
《Hey...》She started, as the boy turned his head back to her, looking surprised.《Are you okay...?》
The blond didn't answer, just looking at her with surprised eyes, a certain glow of emotion yet creating in them.
But as he was about to answer her something, the little girls of the selection interrupted him immediately.
《Good morning, everyone.》
They started, always in perfect sync, just like at the start of the selection.
Slowly, they walked towards each other before turning completely to the audience and began speaking again.
《Congratulations.》The little white-haired girl began.
《We are happy to see you alive again.》The dark-haired one continued.
As they spoke their polite words, the dark-haired boy already seemed tired of their fine words and therefore asked them :
《Okay, so what ?》He started, annoyed.《What are we gonna do, now ? Where's my sword ?》
《Let us provide you with the uniform first.》Simply answered the white haired one.《We will take your measurements and then engrave your rank on it. Note that your uniforms also depend on your preferences, which you can therefore dictate to us so that we can be aware of them.》
《There are currently ten ranks.》Resumed the brunette.
And so, the two children engaged in a dictation of all grades, each pronouncing the name of one of them.
《Kinoe.》
《Kinoto.》
《Hinoe.》
《Hinoto.》
《Tsuchinoe.》
《Tsuchinoto.》
《Kanoe.》
《Kanoto.》
《Mizunoe.》
《Mizunoto.》
'That's a lot...' Nezuko thought to herself.
《For the moment, you all belong to the lowest rank; Mizunoto.》One of the two clarified.
《What about my sword ?!》
Nezuko turned her head back to the boy, frowning slightly.
Why was he so obsessed with his sword ? Everyone was doing well and was totally calm, and then there was him, who cried out all the time calling for his future weapon... Didn't he have a single ounce of respect in him ?
《It is today that you will choose the steel which will form your sword; the Tamahagane.》Explained the little girl.《The result will be ready within ten to fifteen days.》
With that, he sighed in exasperation.
《This bullshit is way too long...》He growled, rolling his eyes.
《But before that...》
With that, the one who had spoken began to clap her hands twice.
At this gesture, many crows entered the place, flying in the sky and then rushing abruptly towards the candidates.
Nezuko shifted a bit to the left to avoid the one throwing itself at her, but the latter one then came back a little more slowly from behind to perch on her shoulder.
At first she was a little surprised. But now that the animal was staring at her with his tiny eyes, doing nothing more than moving his head a bit in order to inspect her more deeply, the teenager finally smiled at him and brought one of her fingers up to his head to gently stroke his feathers.
《Hey, you...》She chuckled, as the black bird let himself being cuddled.
《We are assigning you all a bonding crow.》Explained the little girl on the left, while the pink-eyed brunette turned her head back to her.
But during the process, she had time to catch a glimpse to the boy in the yellow haori, with whom she had spoken a little a few moments earlier, now seeming confused.
《A crow...?》He whispered, as he stared at the little bird in his hand.《I-it looks more of a sparrow, to me...》
Nezuko chuckled at the small technical issue the teenager was facing, which he didn't fail to notice.
But as soon as he turned his head towards her, the young girl had already turned her gaze to the two little girls under her eyes, avoiding another eye contact with the blond unwittingly.
《These birds will be mainly used to send messages. They will warn you of each new mission, its context and location. Your superiors will be able to warn you of any situation through their crows, but you can also use them to call in reinforcements if you have a problem during a mission.》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《This is complete bullshit...》
A voice suddenly rose above the small group, seeming to come from the boy with the almost completely shaved head which was then accompanied by the croakings of his crow which he suddenly tried to untie from his arm.
《I DON'T CARE OF YOUR DAMN BIRDS ! I'M JUST HERE FOR MY SWORD !》He shouted, as he quickly walked over to one of the little girls in front of him after getting rid of his crow.
Once in front of one of them, he suddenly grabbed the child's white hair in order to shake it in all directions. But strangely, she didn't show any protest, keeping her neutral expression plastered over her doll face.
《WHERE'S MY BLADE ?!! MY NICCHIRIN BLADE, THE ONE THAT CHANGES COLOR ! GIVE IT TO ME, DAMN IT !》
As the two had a sudden argument, the blond with brown eyes started to panic, while the girl with the butterfly brooch didn't seem to care much about the situation.
《U-UAA !! WE NEED TO CALM HIM DOWN-- WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM ?!》He cried out, as the pink-eyed brunette next to him stayed silent, frowning at the troublemaker and the poor child.
Who did he think he was talking to her like that...?
It was just a child. She was fragile, weaker than him... It was all the more cowardly to attack her; he who was at least double of her height and weight.
After a few seconds, Nezuko walked over to them with a determined step, clenching her fists, while the blonde panicked even more when he noticed what she was doing.
《GAH- N-NO, WAIT !!》He cried, trying to hold her back by the sleeve of her azure kimono.
But the younger one ignored him and continued to advance.
《Hey ! Stop it !!》She got angry while holding his arm tightly which still held the little girl's hair in his palm.《You'll hurt her if you continue to act like that, let her go !》
In the end, she was a bit like her older brother. Hating that someone picks on someone who was weaker than them.
Seeing that someone dared to interrupt him in his "discussion" with the child, the boy got angry as he spoke again.
《Hey, who do you think you are ?!》He raised his voice as he tried to free himself from her grip.《Mind of your own buisness !》
With that, the young girl looked at him at first with slight surprise, but immediately tightened his arm in anger.
《I said, let her go...!》
《What the- ARGH !》The young man cut himself off when he felt a sharp pain in his arm, right where the brunette was holding him.
Reflexively, he completely loosened his hold on the child just before Nezuko did the same with him.
He then awkwardly held his arm, pulling away from the two children without really wanting to.
This girl...
She squeezed his arm with such strength that he thought it was going to break...
Yet, judging by her build, she wasn't that muscular... Not very thin either, but very far from being super heavy.
It was this girl... Surely a little younger than him, smaller and thinner... Who almost broke a bone with the simple strength of her hand...?
Seeing that the purple yukata teenager had walked away and didn't seem to want to do it again, Nezuko relaxed, the anger that had been tearing her since he had assaulted the girl slowly fading away.
She then turned back to the little girl, worried.
《Are you okay ? Did he hurt you...?》She asked her in the softest tone possible, even though the white-haired child didn't look that traumatized.
While the little girl simply nodded at her and smiled as usual, the boy with the yellow haori still kept his eyes on Nezuko, speechless at the scene that had occurred right in front of his eyes.
'G-GIRLS CAN BE SCARY SOMETIMES--' He said to himself.
But as he observed the young girl more closely, he gradually calmed down just like her.
She could be scary while she was angry, that's for sure... But when she's calm, and especially when she smiles...
We must admit that she was kinda cute.
'T-that's crazy... She changed her behavior so quickly...' He thought, as the girl in the blue kimono was laughing nervously in front of the little girl.
《Is it over ?》The dark haired child spoke up, looking annoyed at all the arguing that stopped the "ceremony". But she still kept a slight smile on her lips and showed no sign of anger in her voice.
Immediately, Nezuko turned to the one who had just spoken, quickly bending down to her, panicked.
《Ah !! S-sorry !》She apologized.《I'm going back to my seat !》
Thus, the young girl resumed her place among the participants with a sheepish air, while the little girls seemed to prepare a table draped with a sort of burgundy red nape which they then placed in front of the teenagers.
《Now,》They began in synchronisation, as they removed the sheet from the furniture.《Please choose the steel that will forge your blade.》
In front of them stood nearly twenty small balls of Tamahagane, all waiting to be taken by one of the future slayers.
While the participants didn't seem that surprised or in difficulty to choose, Nezuko, she, was a little confused.
'I... I do want to choose... B-but...' She said to herself, looking sadly at the pieces of steel in front of her eyes. 'What... should I base myself on, exactly...?'
She took a closer look at the dumplings.
'At first glance, they all look the same... It's quite complicated to make a choice under these conditions...'
Suddenly, the girl took a determined look, then walked slowly towards the pieces.
[...]
A crow with a purple ribbon around its neck hovered in a sunny place, resembling to some kind of Japanese sacred garden.
Clear water flowed inside small rivers, creating a soothing atmosphere for ears.
When he got to his destination, the bird perched on the arm of a dark-haired young man in a white haori, who was sitting on an open wooden terrace, looking thoughtful.
《I see...》He began slowly, as his fingers brushed the black feathers of the bird.《Well ! Here is something that gladdens me...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《So, I am greeting five new children... Ah... I wonder...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《...what kind of slayers will they be ?》
March 27th 1914
04:47 PM
Field
A few hours later, Nezuko was now on her way to the home of her former mentor.
She had been up for a while now, and her exhaustion and fatigue were increasing with each passing second.
Her legs hurt like hell. Purple bags were starting to appear under her tired pink eyes, and on top of that she was carrying the bag containing her regular outfit that weighed her down even more.
However, she didn't stop.
Yet, that was what every part of her body cried out to her; to make a break. Sit down for a moment to recuperate at least just a little.
But the sun was already setting.
She had already taken too long...
Indeed, the young girl had set herself the goal of returning before nightfall, just as she did during her training with the old man.
It could well be a matter of habit, yes, but there was a much more specific reason for her decision :
Her brother.
Her big brother. She wanted to see him again. She was only waiting for that.
Knowing him, he must be worried to death about her right now. She couldn't stand to make him suffer even more by letting him appear that she would never come back if she had to wait until the next day to return.
But let's be honest, she wanted to see him again for her as well.
She wanted him to take her back in his arms, reassure her, be there for her, just like the sweet and kind big brother he always has been.
She wanted to take advantage of this dozen of calm and peaceful days to spend time with him; time which had been deprived to her because of her training and the final selection with the exception of a few evenings and mornings.
She also wanted to reassure Sakonji; now that she knew his story with the children in the fox masks, she wanted to see him again, to show him that she had survived.
And then, there were other minor reasons as well, such as being able to finally sleep in a warm and cozy place, eat real food and not just the little berries that she found in the forest or the few onigiris that she had taken with her, being able to be peaceful for a moment without the fear of being hurt or killed by a demon...
In short, she was dying to go home. And the sooner the better.
So even though her whole body couldn't take any more, she kept moving forward, no matter what.
While she was using a stick found on the path to help her standing on her feet, the young girl plunged into her thoughts again.
'Did I... really make the good choice...?' She told herself, as she slightly started to narrow her eyes with fatigue, but instantly widened them back so as to not give in. 'This stone... I didn't really think before taking it...'
'Big Brother...'
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
'Forgive me... I couldn't... find any clues to make you human again...'
March 27th
07:02 PM
Wooden house
《Tanjiro...》
The old man began, addressing the redhead who was sitting in the corner of the room, his knees pulled up to his chin.
《Come on, you need to eat, at least one bite... I do have cast a spell on you that helps you to last a little longer without eating anything, but its effects must and are used in emergencies only... You are hurting yourself for nothing, my boy.》
Indeed, the young demon had considerably reduced his hours of sleep and portions of food during his meals since the beginning of the week, even going so far to not eat anything sometimes.
That day, he hadn't eaten anything except a few beans of rice for breakfast; and again, he had been forced.
However, it wasn't something he actually did of his own free will.
He just wasn't hungry. Or at least his worry and anguish were too great for him to really feel the pain in his stomach.
The same goes for his sleep being completely wiped off for the same reasons mentioned above- even though he needed it a lot less than food.
Today was the last day.
The day Nezuko was due home.
She had to come back...
She was going to come back...
It was what she had promised him...
-- Ah, said like that, it looks like she became the older sister and he the younger brother.
What if...
What if she wasn't going to come back ?
He could never see her again. His sister whom he wanted so much to protect...
He wouldn't have been present during the last moments of her life... Him, the last survivor of their family with her, his younger sister... He didn't support her until the end... He didn't help her...
He maybe let her die.
Sakonji felt and smelled it. He saw very well that the teenager wasn't really in the mood to eat his meal.
It was normal that he was worried about his sister. He was used to see him like this ever since Nezuko had started training without the old man. So it was quite common for him to be really worried about his little sister.
But at this point, it was becoming serious for the young boy's health.
Even though he was a demon, he could still suffer from fatigue, exhaustion, hunger... He couldn't die from it, but he could still feel the pain of it.
Of course, his anxiety made him somewhat immune to the effects of his hunger and sleepiness; kind of like adrenaline numbing the pain in a fight.
But since it was going to be a week since he barely had any meals and sleep, his body was still taking the damages; even though his mind didn't realize it, they were there.
It didn't look like that, but in the end, the old man had become attached to the two Kamados. Tanjiro being the one who intrigued him the most at the beginning, but that he got to know only in the end.
As for Nezuko...
He had placed a lot of hopes in this little one, but something told him it was in vain. Probably because after all the tries he had done with his former students like Makomo and Sabito, he was starting to lose hope, but he always told himself that there was still a chance...
When he hit or kicked her to motivate her, he always felt a little guilty about hurting her physically. In the end, he'd gotten attached and worried about the little brunette for quite a while now, very soon after the two actually met.
But the thing is that he wasn't really the type to easily show his emotions. Or even to show them at all; always fading under the authoritarian traits of a mentor or under anger.
In front of the children, he honestly thought he would never dare tell them how much they meant to him. Even though, according to Giyu the demon slayer, Tanjiro had an excellent sense of smell just like him, so maybe he had already sensed his attachment to them...?
In all cases, it was getting late, and the student was still missing.
As he softly put down the bowl he had held out to the demon in vain, Sakonji glanced at the door after a small sigh.
'I think... it is no longer worth the wait...' He thought to himself, as he stared at the dark wood part of the house.
But the teenager must have smelled that he had lost all hope, since he began to look at the old man with tears in his eyes.
His heart broke when he saw the mentor of the young girl getting up and walk to the door to lock it for the night.
No...
It was impossible... unthinkable...
The last member of his family... had died, too ?
When his family was murdered, none had survived. He did want to protect them, but his mother was dead before he even entered the room where the crime took place.
As for his cadets, he tried to protect them by placing himself as a shield against the attacks of the demon, but the latter had been too fast and had even managed to hit him afterwards.
He blamed himself... He blamed himself so much for not being able to save even one of them.
But he had at least tried something. He did an attempt.
But now...
He hadn't done anything at all.
.
.
.
.
.
He hadn't tried to help her, to save her. He had left her to die at the final selection; that she actually passed for him, her, his little sister...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
But as he moped on himself, a certain scent suddenly reached his nose, making his eyes widen slightly in surprise.
.
.
.
.
Something sweet and light... wich was quite close to a flower scent, but not totally...
Suddenly, he rushed to the old man who was about to lock the door.
At first, he thought that the boy had succumbed to his demonic impulses from the abrupt way he had thrown himself at him, but with more attention, he quickly noticed that it wasn't the case.
No...
It was something else.
Maybe he smelled someone or something coming ?
This had already happened many times during the training of the young girl. It would seem that his demon nature improved his sense of smell even more... Or maybe it was his own nose was weakening with age, you never know.
Anyway, he decided to trust the younger one, and opened the door again so he could get out.
When he finally found himself outside, the boy started to shake his head all over the place, looking for the source of the smell all over the place when suddenly :
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《B-BIG BROTHER !!》
.
.
.
.
A voice ringed out from the top of a hill.
The redhead immediately turned his gaze to the source of the sound, and finally...
She was there.
Nezuko, stood on a high hill to the left of the wooden house, walking stick and small bag in hand, her body covered with scratches and dirt from the selection.
As she uttered her first sentence, she dropped her encumbrances on the floor, moved at the sight of her older brother.
《T-that's it, Big Brother...!》She resumed, tears in her eyes.《I-I'M HERE !! I'M BACK !!》
While her older brother looked at her, stunned, the brunette began to move quickly towards him, trying somehow to ignore the pain and exhasution as best as she could.
But when she had only taken a few steps, Tanjiro rushed towards her, arms opened.
《B-big Bro- U-UAAHHHH-》
.
.
.
.
.
In an instant, the young girl found herself nailed to the ground below the redhead who was hugging her. But she didn't felt any pain upon the impact, since her brother's arms had cushioned her fall.
During their hug, she could hear the redhead's sobs and feel his tears slightly wet her clothes as she slowly wrapped her arms around him too.
He was there. She could feel him physically, feel the warmth emanating from his body, recognize by touch his burgundy hair that she was brushing with her hand...
From now on, nothing will separate them again. They were going to stay together until the end.
No more lack of time due to training, selection or even a mission. From now on, she wasn't going to leave him alone, just as he was never going to leave her.
They will be inseparable until the end. It was a promise she made to herself at that precise moment.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《 I-I thought... you were never going to come back...》A small voice suddenly reached the brunette's ears.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《...Y-you scared me so much...》
.
.
.
.
.
Suddenly, Nezuko's eyes widened.
《 B-big...》
But she couldn't finish her sentence as she burst into tears, while tightening her hold on the redhead.
The only times her brother took off his muzzle was when he was getting ready to eat his meals. And yet, he hardly spoke at these times; probably preferring to savor his meals.
Nezuko had very rarely heard her brother's voice clearly for two years. This voice she knew so well, which always had accompanied her since she was little...
Now that all the other members of their family were gone, even though she knew very well that Tanjiro was still himself and was always here by her side, she couldn't help but feel lonely, as if she was actually the only one survivor of the tragedy that occurred in the Kamado family two years ago. This feeling was also reinforced by the fact that she hardly saw him during her training and the selection.
So to clearly hear his voice again all of a sudden after two years of silence and absence...
It reassured her. It made her happy, moved...
While they were both lying on the ground, something struck the young girl : Their height difference.
Indeed, while the head of the boy was about the same level as hers, his feet; on the other hand, exceeded hers of a little more than ten centimeters (~ 0'5" feet) approximately.
He wasn't that tall when she left... Was he ?
With that, Nezuko smiled.
They were almost the same size two years ago... It's crazy how fast boys grow up.
《... I told you not to grow too tall...》 She whispered, while burying her face a little more in the burgundy hair of the elder.
Even if she couldn't see her brother's reaction, she could have sworn she heard a very light laugh escaping his lips. This warmed her heart.
Suddenly, she saw another figure approaching them.
《Nezuko...》Sakonji began, while the questioned looked at him closely.
It didn't take long for her and her brother to figure out that they needed to straight up, which they did almost instantly after Tanjiro slightly loosened his hold on the young girl and helped her to sit up.
But as the two were now sitting on the ground, the old man crouched down in turn in order to take not only his student, but also the young demon in his arms.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《Congratulations. 》
He simply said these words. Nothing more, nothing less.
But despite the fact that his mask covered his entire face and kept his strict, authoritative tone in his voice, the tears his eyes were crying weren't entirely imperceptible.
It was enough for Nezuko to hold on to him too, crying even more as her brother formed small circles on her back to smooth her down.
They stayed like that for a while. Taking advantage of their reunion between the three of them.
But they had to go home at one point or another; it was cold, it was only the very beginning of spring after all. And above all, they had to eat and sleep as quickly as possible for the sake of the two teenagers.
《Come on, you two. Go home.》He said softly, before releasing the two brothers and sisters little by little so as not to rush them too much.
Therefore, the two Kamados got up; Tanjiro letting his younger sister lean on him to walk to the old man's house while Sakonji went to get the bag his student was carrying.
[...]
《Ah ! Thank you a lot !》Nezuko thanked the masked man as she took the bowl of ragout he was giving her.《It looks really good !!》
《Not more than the precedent times. 》He replied, as he prepared another bowl for the redhead, sitting next to his sister as usual when she came back from her training.
But as he handed the boy his meal, the latter didn't seem to notice; probably because of the fatigue which he was the victim of right now.
At this moment, he was leaning over his sister a little. Not completely either as he was still a little self-aware, but enough so that his burgundy hair touched the girl's one. It reassured him a bit to somehow inhale the familiar scent of Nezuko right next to him, proving to him that she was okay, that she was safe and sound.
Sakonji knew Tanjiro needed to eat, he must have been hungry since he refused to digest anything. Being slumberous and weak was also an effect of his lack of food which he observed from the first day he met him.
But he knew just as well that he was tired in the sense that he needed to get even just a little sleep. Demons needed sleep too, after all; although they didn't need as many hours of rest as humans.
However, seeing that her brother was a bit off and that the old man was just handing him his bowl without saying anything more, Nezuko decided to "wake him up" by herself.
《 Are you already asleep, Big Brother...?》She asked on a soft tone, letting out a small laugh at the end of her sentence. It was enough for the redhead to slightly rub his eyes while straightening up in the action.
《 Here, take it. 》The old man said, insisting a little more now that the boy had noticed him.《...Please. 》
Faced with this, Tanjiro seemed to realize the situation by slightly flinching then bending down in order to apologize to Sakonji.
He then took the bowl in his hands after removing his bamboo which he had put back in the meantime, and therefore began to eat his meal under the benevolent gaze of Nezuko who smiled sympathetically.
But the latter's smile turned into a rather surprised expression when she saw the teenager beside her gradually speeding up the way he swallowed his meal, before eating it almost desperately just as she had once seen him when he was in his early stages of transformation two years ago.
《He was hungry... 》She thought out loud, her gaze fixed on her older brother.
《 This is quite normal, considering he had not slept or eaten since you were- 》The man in the blue haori explained to her calmly, before widening his eyes under his mask at what he had just said.
.
.
'Ah... I should not have told her that.'
.
.
《 EHHHHHH ?!!?!》Nezuko exclaimed, speechless at her mentor's revelation.
Sakonji simply cleared his throat in order to clarify his words and to play down the girl.
《 W-well, actually... "Nothing" is quite harsh, I should have watched my words... 》He resumed.《 I would more say that he "barely" eaten anything. 》
But that didn't change the concern of the brunette, who immediately turned to her elder who had stopped his meal because of the latter's scream.
《 B-but... 》She started, her voice shaking slightly.《 How is that possible...? How could he hold out until then ?!! He looked so weak after three days without food two years ago, how did he managed to deprive himself for seven days ?! It must have been horrible... A-Ah !! Besides all, why did he-》
She suddenly stopped in her sentence, seeming to already guess the answer to her last question.
'W-wait... don't tell me that...' She said to herself, narrowing her eyes a little.
《 Were you... worried about me that much...? 》
The redhead just looked down sadly, quite ashamed of what he had now done. But yet, it wasn't really a choice of his part, his worry had just taken over himself...
Meanwhile, Nezuko looked at him, her eyes filled with guilt.
She would never have imagined that he would be so worried about her that he no longer wanted to eat or sleep. Of course, he was the oldest child, and she cared about him as much as he cared about her, but still...
However, now that she thought about it, if he would have been in her place to go to the selection while she had to stay with Sakonji, only being able to hope that he would come back alive, it's true that she would have been very worried too...
Yes... she could understand him, somehow. In fact, she would surely have reacted the same way as him in this situation.
《 Oh... Forgive me, Big Brother... 》She looked at him sadly, while putting a hand on his shoulder.《 I didn't think I would worry you that much... 》
But while the redhead seemed to want to answer her something, Sakonji spoke in turn, looking guilty.
《 It is also and above all my fault... I was hoping that you would come back alive, but so many other of my students died during this selection that it seemed almost impossible... I thought it was good to tell your brother but it seems to me that it was the wrong choice to make.》
A moment of silence settled in the room, the only sound audible being the crackling of the small flames in the center of the group, until the brunette dared to ask a question.
《 Mister Urokodaki... Do you know why or how Big Brother managed... To last so long without eating and attacking you...?》She paused for a moment, but continued right after.《 I-I don't think he hurt you since you don't seem to have any injuries... 》
《 Hm, it is true. 》He simply replied.《 Do you remember when I told you that I cast a spell on your Conjuring Mask to protect you ? 》
The young girl nodded softly, allowing the old man to continue with his explanation.
《 Well, I did the same to your brother. Although the spell was obviously different, that goes without saying. 》
As she listened to him attentively, the brunette suddenly wondered at his words.
'He cast a spell on him...?' She repeated his words in her head, as if to anchor them in her mind and understand them.
... Ah, with this good old Urokodaki, it was no longer worth asking questions.
Between the sudden disappearances, the quiet footsteps and the spells, Nezuko was used to the masked man having several resources in the domain.
《 At first, I thought about hypnotizing him to make him consider humans as his family, and that he had to protect them at all costs... 》He continued, while glancing at the redhead who looked at him now with an air of astonishment.《 But it seems that he is already "programmed" like that, if we can say so... 》
He paused briefly, taking a moment to lower his head slightly to the ground.
《 Tanjiro's real problem is his resistance to hunger. As much as for human flesh, as for the meals that you and me eat. If he does not have what could be described as "normal" food on hand while he is starving and badly injured, then he will go to the first person he sees and try to feed on them. 》He said.《 Even though he exhibits good self-control, everyone has their limits, and his overdeveloped sense of smell would only tempt him even more. Especially since I suppose that you want to take him with you on your future missions, and that during your battles, he will necessarily help you, which will weaken him and therefore starve him until he has something to eat. 》
Sakonji then turned his gaze to the brunette again, continuing his explanatory monologue.
《 Imagine that for some reason, you do not have any food on you. Being badly injured and smelling the scent of human flesh and blood emanating from your wounds, even though he might be able to resist for the first few moments, it is almost impossible for him to hold out for three more days as he would have done two years ago when neither you nor he were so seriously injured. So, in order to help him... 》
《 I cast a spell on him that allows him to last a little longer without having to resort to any food source. 》He finally came to the end of his speech.《 He will still feel hungry, that is a fact, but his control over himself will be a little more stronger. 》
With that, the girl's pink eyes lit up as she stared at her master, speechless.
《 D-DOES THAT MEAN HE CAN GO ON AT LEAST SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT EATING ANYTHING ?! 》
.
.
《 No. 》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《Eh ?》
《 I told you he "barely" eaten anything. Not nothing at all. Obviously, he can not go a whole week without any food, so even if it was not much, he still ate a little. However, it is evident that this was nowhere near enough to satisfy his hunger. 》
《 O-oh... 》She muttered, a little ashamed as Tanjiro was laughing softly.
《 My spell will allow him to hold out just a little longer, and in emergencies only. Not for a few seconds, but not for days either. The duration will vary depending on the severity of his condition and his ability to control himself, as my spell is only mental support after all... the biggest efforts are to be made on his side. And that is why... 》
He turned to the teenager, threateningly.
《 You must also do your best, young boy !! My spell will not do everything ! It is only a help, a reinforcement, an additional support ! If you do not put in the efforts and just tell yourself that the spell will work while twiddling your thumbs, it will not work !! 》
With that, the eldest of the Kamados quickly nodded several times, a little scared at the tone the old man had used.
And actually, this had lighten the mood a bit, since the pink-eyed brunette chuckled at her brother's reaction to the authoritarian old man.
Then follows the rest of the meal.
And god, it was so good.
It had been a week since she had something so good to eat.
Urokodaki's food was pretty good after all, that's a fact. But compared to a few berries and onigiris, the favorite meal was quickly decided.
But what she liked the most was just being there.
In a warm room next to her adored brother and her mentor, all around a small fire. Sitting comfortably, with nothing to worry about.
She liked quiet and calming spaces... Who didn't like that, after all ?
But it did her even more good than anyone else after the hell that was the selection where all she did was fight relentlessly, being scared, barely eat and be left on her own for the allotted time with no one to reassure her or even talk to her when she was only fourteen.
Since she was too exhausted to even walk by herself at first, she went to take a shower at the end of the meal after regaining some strength before returning to join the two men who were waiting for her.
In the meantime, she let her hair down since she knew she was going to sleep soon, and took off the blue kimono given by her master to replace it with her white yukata with thin mallow stripes.
She had also removed the botched bandage she had made during the selection and had made another.
Moreover, it was only when she returned to the main room that her brother and her mentor noticed the change; and therefore, her injury; the two not having noticed it before because they were too moved to finally see her again.
Sitting again next to her older brother, the latter having already put his bamboo muzzle on his mouth suddenly began to point his finger at her forehead while moaning sadly.
《 Huh ? What's... Ah, this ?》She pointed her own forehead, smiling at him as he nodded.《 I did this during the selection... Oh- Don't worry, it's not very serious !! But it takes a while to heal haha...!》
The younger softly laughed at the end of her sentence, but that didn't calm the boy who was now looking at her in a guilty way.
When she noticed that, the brunette began to look at him sadly.
《 Big Brother...?》Nezuko resumed, bringing one of her hands closer to her brother's cheek.《 Oh- no... Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault, you know ?》
《 It must still be bad enough for it to take so long...》Sakonji retorted before continuing.《 What happened, exactly ?》
Suddenly, the young girl widened her eyes.
She hadn't told him the story with the demon yet...
《 A-actually, Mister Urokodaki...》She began in a somewhat shaky voice, not knowing exactly how to pronounce her sentences.《 I have to talk to you about this... 》
And so, she engaged her long story from her meeting with the big demon until his beheading.
The only detail she didn't dare to tell was the moment of pity she felt for the demon. She considered this personal to the creature, and she didn't want to shout from rooftops the poor beast's past, or at least what she had understood of it.
With that, the masked man spoke again.
《 Hm, I see... So you killed that demon...》
Nezuko lowered her eyes a little.
《 Yes... 》
.
.
《 Well... 》He resumed.《 I am impressed with what you have accomplished, young girl. Sincerely. 》
Ah, it was confirmed, this man definitely knew how to to do it with words.
How many times has she been touched by his sentences so simple yet so powerful ?
She couldn't really describe it. It was ironically far too complex to explain.
《 However... 》Her mentor's voice suddenly cut her out from her thoughts.
《 Even though you showed tremendous prowess, it was not without consequences !!》He took an angry look, creating another lighter scene to calm the atmosphere.《 Your injury will have to be taken care of for the next ten to fifteen days, young girl !》
《 Y-yes... you're right, haha...》She chuckled, softly.
Normally she would have had a more lively reaction, but she was too tired for that.
《 Oh- But, come to think of it... Big Brother also has a scar on his forehead... Ahah ! That will make us something in common between siblings ! 》She remarked with a smile, before turning her head towards her eldest child.《 What do you think, Big-》
But Nezuko however stopped in the middle of her sentence at the sight of the redhead :
The boy seemed to be dozing again; just a bit deeper than before since his eyes were now fully closed as he let out some little snores. Yet, he still seemed minimally self-aware since his body was slightly vacillating, restraining himself from lying down.
Faced with this, the young girl smiled softly.
《 You're exhausted too, right...?》
《 ...Tell me...》The old man said, turning the brunette's head back to him.《 Can I talk to you for a few moments before you go to bed ? Or would you prefer to sleep with your brother, in which case I will talk to you tomorrow. 》
The teenager thought for a moment.
Even though she took a long time to make a decision, Sakonji let this inattention pass. He understood that she was tired, and that it's not easy to think clearly in those moments.
Finally, the young girl gently closed her eyes, then mimed a small "no" from her head while smiling.
《 No... It's okay...!》She said, looking at her mentor again.《 I can listen to you now.》
The old one slowly nodded.
But as he was about to start his speech, he saw the pink-eyed girl pull her brother closer to her so that her head could be used as a pillow to give him a more comfortable position to sleep.
Since Tanjiro didn't show any sign of resistance at all, letting his sister move him before leaning a little more against her head, she deduced that he was starting to sleep more deeply, so if they were talking quietly, there wouldn't be too many troubles.
After that, she turned to the masked man who took a little moment before slightly flinching and finally speak to her.
《 ... As I already explained to you at the beginning of the week, there are several types of demons... 》He began, lowering his head slightly.《 Among them, are demons capable of using spells called "Blood Demon Arts". These ones have supernatural abilities, and are the most difficult to defeat. You will surely have to deal with them later in your missions.》
《 However...》
As the flames of the small fire crackled at the center of their conversation, a heavy atmosphere suddenly settled following the old man's words.
《 There is also another type of demons, able to transform humans into demons with the help of their blood. And among that category... 》He began, his gaze plunged into the teenage girl's one.《 In the whole world...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《 There is only one.》
The young slayer's eyebrow frowned more at his words.
《 The first demon to have appeared on earth, dating from thousands of years...》
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
《 Muzan Kibutsuji.》
.
.
.
.
.
《 Muzan...》Nezuko half-repeated, in hushed voice.
《 Yes.》He nodded before continuing.《 In other words, he is the murderer of your family, but also the one who turned your brother into a demon.》He said, looking to the boy deeply asleep.
《 Unfortunately, he is probably the only one who knows the antidote needed to make Tanjiro human again... and I doubt that he wants to collaborate with you.》
Nezuko frowned slightly, but relaxed after the old man's future words.
《 But I do not think I have to worry about this. 》He resumed.《 I am sure you will be able to defeat him and heal your brother, Nezuko.》
With that, the young girl took a determined look on her face in order to answer her mentor.
《 Yes...! 》
A little silence settled in the room, until the pink-eyed teenager spoke hesitantly.
《 Hey... Do you think that... Big Brother is one of those demons with powers or who can cast spells...? Maybe his power would consists to give him a strong resistance to hunger or... O-or the ability to continue to eat normal food ?》
《 I do not think so. 》Sakonji replied simply.《 There would be no point in demons creating a fellow man retaining his consciousness and human will. He may have some hidden powers that he does not know yet, but his control of himself, his remained human consciousness as well as his urge and need to eat normal food are not powers and even less Blood Demon Arts, for sure. 》
The girl just nodded back, smiling.
《 Hm, I see... 》She began, softly.《 Still, I'm curious about how and why he possesses these abilities... 》
Suddenly, Sakonji stood up, not long in calling Nezuko right after.
《 Well, I think you should go to sleep, now. 》He told her, as she looked up at him, a little sleepy.《 Exceptionally, you can sleep as long as you want tomorrow, even to 4 P.M if you really want to...! But you will have to quickly resume a normal sleep so as not to disturb your health too much; you are still young after all... 》
With this, the young girl smiled happily at her mentor.
《 Yes ! Thank you ! 》
Characters
• Sakonji Urokodaki
179 cm (5'10")
75 kg (165 lbs)
19/07/47
(66 years old)
• Tanjiro Kamado
165 cm (5'5")
61 kg (134 lbs)
14/07/98
(15 years old)
• Nezuko Kamado
153 cm (5'0")
45 kg (99 lb)
28/12/99
(14 years old)
Author Notes
- I originally write on an application called "Bloc-notes rapide" in French... Wich isn't an application for writing fanfics at all, but anyway, on this one, we can change the background color of the texts.
And strangely, on this one, I took the dark blue color, which I also took for the first chapter, and I manage to write better like that... At least, I prefer my writing here. I also have more ideas... Yeah, I'll just do it that way for the other chapters too.
- While writing the character description for Urokodaki when he was still a young adult, I noticed that he had a lot of physical similarities to Nezuko :0
Because of the black hair tied in a ponytail here... It could all the more help the demon to imagine Sakonji instead of the young brunette !
- I had a very precise idea in mind of Nezuko's reaction to the death of the demon linked to his big brother, given that they are both cadets... I like the result ! :D
- When she is near the place, Nezuko smells the wisteria flowers' scent. It may indeed remind of her brother who has an overdeveloped sense of smell, but it's just that there are a lot... but really a LOT of wisteria...
It's therefore normal that their scent is very present, you don't need a super-nose like Tanjiro to smell it !
- There's a little rapprochement between Zenitsu and Nezuko during this chapter lol
In fact, I have no idea if Zenitsu will have the same reactions about Nezuko in this fanfic as in the canon...
It's a fact that he will still have romantic feelings for her, but since she's not a figure to protect and that they aren't yet in an era of stable life where they can live their love life peacefully, I think I'm going to deepen into Zenitsu's feelings a bit more and not just use it as a kind of joke like the show does... It's fine as it is in canon, but since Nezuko is the main character here, the Zennezu couple is also the main couple too if we can say x)
Therefore, it seems logical to me that this relationship isn't going to be just "funny" or common... Well, there will still be some humorous scenes, but it will not be just that :)
Well, I do say that, but I don't think I'll make the TanKana a "funny" couple either, their relationship will always remain as beautiful and deep Ú,v,Ù
(Yes, no fanon ships in this fanfic, you won't get Inosuke x Tanjiro or Giyu x Nezuko or Tanjiro... I stick to the ideas of Demon Slayer's author, especially since I like the canon as it is uvu
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
WELL ACTUALLY NO !
I'M A FRICKING SHIPPER OF THE SHINOGIYU SHIP !
AnD dO yOu KnOw WhAt ?¿
IT
IS
NOT
CANNON !
DAMMIT ! ;-;)
- In this chapter, Kanao is indeed smaller than Nezuko, measuring 152 cm (4'11") for 44 kg (97 lb) while the young Kamado is 1m53 (5'0") for 45 kg (99 lb) !
(It's official I think, but temporary, it was only during the selection, so she (Kanao) will grow up :))
- I specified that the uniforms could also depend on the preferences of the slayers... It wasn't said in the anime (and surely not in the manga by the way, but I don't know :0) but since all uniforms are unique in terms of color;
(Examples : Tanjiro has a reddish brown uniform, Zenitsu's is brown, Inosuke has a navy blue one, Kanao a purple etc...)
Or in terms of forms;
(Examples : Shinobu has a male model, Mitsuri has an open chest and a short skirt, Kanao has a rather long skirt, Muichiro has wide sleeves etc...)
And that these differences match the personalities and/or tastes of the characters pretty well, I guess that's true...?
- You may have noticed that the description of Nezuko's scent is exactly the same as in the first chapter :3
- Talking about the reunion scene, we know that in the canon, this scene is particularly striking since Nezuko woke up after a long sleep of two years.
(Very long sleep, yes...)
The fact that Tanjiro sees her moving, alive, hugs him... It's particularly touching :')
However, in my fanfiction... well Tanjiro does not sleep for two years ovo"
So I played a little with Nezuko's emotions to make her hear once again the voice of her Big Brother that she miss so much... It adds emotion to the scene, I also find that quite moving in some way :3
- I lengthened the following scene a little and added a few moments to it. But I think this was necessary !
Especially to introduce what Sakonji did to Tanjiro :D
Also, maybe some of you think Tanjiro's reaction was a little extreme, but imagine that all the people you cared about were gone forever, except for only one who now had to go somewhere for many days on their own where they had about 90% chance of dying while there was nothing you could do but wait patiently for their return without even knowing if they were already dead the day before ?
I don't think myself that I would have the mental to eat my little meal peacefully every day by going to bed at 9 P.M while telling to myself :
《 Ahh! I wonder what the weather will be tomorrow ! I hope it will be sunny while my only one friend has his limbs violently shredded by beasts eating human beings ! HAHAHAHA *OWO UWU INTENSIFIES*》
.
.
.
.
.
.
... yeah, nah ;-;
- Well, well, well...
For the spell that Urokodaki had cast on Tanjiro, I CAN EXPLAIN !!
Where Nezuko controls herself pretty well in the original version, I still think it should be a torture for Tanjiro and his overdeveloped sense of smell. I imagined in this fanfic that Tanjiro might have an easier time retaining his memories and his human consciousness than his sister (see the author's notes to chapter 1 to understand, EXCEPT if you don't want to be spoiled for the manga ), but I have to find him some inconvenient to be a demon, otherwise the guy would be way too OP, it's not possible...!
First, he regains his strength by eating. He's hungry instead of sleepy. Well- he can be sometimes sleepy, but this isn't a way for him to regain energy like Nezuko to the point that he no longer needs to eat; just a time when he can rest, but it doesn't give him any enough energy so as not to need food like Nezuko.
Because yes I PERSIST in believing that demons can sleep and sleep during the day. Otherwise, they should be really pissed off during the day while waiting ten hours for night to fall without doing anything if just looking at the ground and thinking about the meaning of life...
However, they don't need it as much as Nezuko. Nezuko sleeps during the day, sure, but it's everyday for her and she can even stay asleep for two years if necessary.
I THINK that normal demons sleep during the day, yes, but not EVERY day... They can stay awake longer than humans; a few whole days without sleeping for a single second isn't a problem for them if they're well fed.
That's why Tanjiro couldn't hold out after a week without sleep; because he hadn't taken the time to eat food properly, poor him x')
Anyway, that's why Sakonji cast a spell on him to be able to hold out at least just enough to find him something to eat after (or during ? :0) a fight. Imagine... Nezuko has no more rice balls or other snacks on her... During an entire fight in which Tanjiro is (seriously ?) injured...
Wouldn't that be a little dangerous ?
(It seems to me that the bamboo muzzle is actually more useful for the Tanjiro of my fanfic than for the Nezuko in the original version XDD)
- This chapter is quite long compared to the others... Just like the first chapter in fact haha !
(It may be because of the background as I explained just above...)
I'm really looking forward to writing more scenes with Nezuko and Tanjiro reunited... I didn't have too much of a chance with the last chapters considering they were hardly ever together, but I will soon do it and I'm very excited about it !! :DD