Chapter 13 : Moon Demons
"The single problem I have with this is that these
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When you do that they're kinda way too long, and that's the only problem I have with this, other than that the story's good, and I like reading it"
Haha, I can agree sometimes they're long X'D
But when they're long, I try to find a length that is not that long to scroll, but enough to not have a glimpse on what is written afterwards unless you really want it :')
(Or maybe they're still too long ? Huh, on my phone it's not that long though...)
I can understand it can be annoying to some people though, you're not the only one that made this remark to me and surely not be the last lol
But I really want to keep these
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This is how I want to write this fanfic and make "suspense" lol
But apart from that, I'm glad you appreciate my fanfiction ! I hope this "thing" will not trouble you as much as it does right now in the future haha x")
April 14th 1914
04:46 AM
Tamayo's mansion
Nezuko looked at the two individuals in surprise.
'Demons...?' She thought to herself, as she watched them intently.
There was a lot of dust floating in the air from the chaos the two balloons had caused in the room. Her sight was therefore somewhat obstructed, but that didn't prevent her from noticing the presence of the two beings in the distance in the courtyard, not to mention that they were both wearing clothes in fairly conspicuous colors, which then made it easy to see them.
'I don't understand...' She thought, frowning. 'Yushiro had said that he had cast a concealment spell on this place... how could they...'
But she had no more time to think, since the demon had resumed throwing balloons at them, their movements this time being even faster than before.
《Still, I must tell you something...》The demon in the green kimono addressed his colleague.《You attack like a child. You don't care how much damage you cause. And you dirtied me on top of that.》
《Aww, don't be such a killjoy !》She replied with a chuckle.《At least, thanks to me, we can see them and attack them directly...! But it's still thanks to you that we were able to find them. Without you...》
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《I couldn't have so much fun !》
Meanwhile, Tanjiro continued to hold on to his sister as best he could.
It was all he could do after all. She was the only human in this room, the only mortal. If a balloon hit him, then it wouldn't matter much, unlike her.
The thing is, the more he inhaled the air, the more he realized a detail he had ignored until now.
Their scents were quite... different from those of other demons.
They were much stronger, much more overwhelming than any he had smelled before. Truth be told, it felt a lot like the scent of Muzan himself.
They were so heavy in his lungs he almost felt nauseous... how did he not notice them before ?
For his part, Yushiro was still trying to protect Tamayo at all costs.
But as he watched the opposing demon's attacks more closely, a thought occurred to him.
'That demon girl...' He thought, as he watched the balloons speeding across the room. 'She's much more powerful than an ordinary demon... Could she be a moon demon...?'
But as he was lost in thought, one of Susamaru's balloons heading straight to the woman in the purple kimono in his arms brought him back to reality.
Immediately, he moved between her and the round object, hoping to protect her.
《LADY TAMAYO, LOOK OUT !》
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SLASH !
Suddenly, his head was cut off. Therefore only leaving his body which fell limply to its knees in Tamayo's arms while the movement of the bullets ceased.
Both siblings watched the scene in horror.
Demons are immortal, but if we cut off their necks, then they will no longer be of this world.
Yushiro... he was...
The young girl was in shock. No matter how badly she wanted it, no sound could come out of her mouth as she stared at the demon's corpse.
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《It is nothing.》
The words of the purple-eyed woman pulled them out of their thoughts..
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It's nothing... it's nothing ?
What does that mean ? Does the life of her companion mattered so little to her ?
《Don't worry about us. Nothing bad can happen to us.》She deepened her words.
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《... We are demons, after all...》
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With that, the two teenagers calmed down a little; only a little, because they were still looking at a headless body while having to tell themselves that it wasn't serious.
'That's right... demons can only die when their necks are cut off by a Nichirin Blade...' She remembered, still observing the headless body of her friend. 'If it's cut off by something else, then it can be regenerated...'
It wasn't until the young girl felt her older brother's arms loosen around her body that she stopped focusing on Yushiro's corpse.
She then looked up at him in surprise, only to see him staring at her while pointing his finger at the door.
《E-eh ?》
Nezuko looked at him with a confused look.
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Did he want to go out ? Flee to protect himself ?
... No, it wasn't something he would do.
Knowing him, he was surely dying of fear for her and even for the two other demons in the room right now, even though he had noticeably decided to overcome that.
It was only when she remembered that another human was present in the building that she understood what he wanted to say to her.
《Oh-- Yes, okay !》She told him, nodding quickly.
The boy then got up completely, giving her a last little tap on the shoulder before running off to find the still unconscious human in another room.
Indeed, the young woman who had been injured earlier in Asakusa was still in the mansion. If by misfortune, the demons were going to attack the whole mansion, there was a risk that she would hurt herself even more; or worse. He therefore wanted to get her to safety as quickly as possible to avoid any incident.
《Tanjiro, wait !》Tamayo called him, to which the boy stopped in front of the door before turning back to the woman.《There is a basement in this mansion, please move her there...! It would be far too dangerous to put her outside or in another room...》
The checkered haori demon nodded quickly, before heading off to find the unconscious young woman, while his little sister stood up in turn, drawing her sword to prepare for the next attack of the two demons in front of her.
《Oh ?》The demon in the orange kimono asked, before continuing.《Ah, I see ! So you are the demon slayer with the earrings !》
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At these words, Nezuko looked at her, astonished.
'They... know me...?' She thought.
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《Yushiro... Yushiro...!》Tamayo repeated, capturing the attention of the slayer during the process who was a little further before her.
As the young girl half-turned to the two demons, she noticed the appearance of several red threads resembling to solidified blood emerging from the neck of the injured one.
These latter multiplied and then assembled as they went along, overlapping to create several increasingly clear layers before finally forming the lower part of his face, now intact.
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《I already told you, Lady Tamayo...》
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A weak but firm voice came from the demon's mouth.
Nezuko's eyes widened in horror.
Of course, she was both happy and relieved that Yushiro could get away with regenerating himself. But she didn't think a demon's regeneration process happened... that way.
She had seen the entire reconstruction of his lower face in great detail, from the makeup of his facial muscles to his skin.
And honestly, it wasn't a very pretty sight.
Especially considering the fact that his reconstitution had stopped at his nose, just enough to give him the ability to speak again.
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《You must stop helping demon slayers...!》He got angry, as the demon woman just listened to him speak.《I am aware of your immense kindness, but my concealment techniques are not powerful enough !! The more we are in the mansion, the more difficult it is to hide all of us !!! Helping the slayers will only get us in trouble ! They have even already found us !!!》
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The teenage girl felt a wave of guilt growing inside her.
Was it because of her that they had been discovered...?
It had put Tamayo in danger to welcome her and her brother into her home. She knew it and yet she did it... She felt stupid now to have doubted such a nice woman, even if it had only been out of prudence.
Gradually, the upper part of Yushiro's face formed in turn, revealing his enraged expression for all to see before uttering the following words :
《It robs me of even more time than I could have spent with you...》He said, as his hair was now grew back.《And all those who keep me from doing this...》
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《I will make them pay !!》
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In the distance, the orange-eyed demon chuckled.
《Oh really ?》She said, as she got ready to remove her black haori.《You are all fun ! So fun !!》
She then tossed it in the air, before undoing the top of her kimono which therefore fell on her hips, leaving uncovered her whole upper body except for her chest that was covered with a black bra.
Following this, two more arms grew on each side of her torso..
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《Then you should know that you'll have the honor of being killed by one of the twelve moon demons !》
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'A moon demon...?!' Nezuko repeated in her head. 'So she's one of them...'
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'Shoot... I need to be careful... This demon is much more powerful than all the others I've faced so far...'
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As she tightened her sword slightly, she subconsciously glanced next to the opposing demon, where her teammate was supposed to be.
But he was no longer there.
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'H-huh...?' She said to herself. 'But... where did he...'
But hardly had she time to ask herself the slightest question that the opposing demon prepared to attack again.
《Great !》She exclaimed, carrying four more balls in addition to the two at the start for her four new members.《Now, let's all play together until the sun rise...》
She therefore began to throw only one to start with, like the calm before the storm.
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《Let's play together until you die !》
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The balloon then headed straight to Nezuko at lightning speed, so quickly that the girl barely had enough time to think.
Without waiting further, she moved her right arm holding her sword back, while starting her breathing technique.
'Total Concentration, Water Breathing; seventh form-'
As soon as the balloon was close enough, the girl pushed her arm forward again, thrusting her sword right into it to block its movement.
'Drop Ripple Thrust-- Curve !'
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The effect was immediate. The multicolored balloon had stopped moving the instant her blade sliced it.
'I-I did it...!!' The teenager's eyes twinkled at the success of her plan. She had done it somewhat roughly, and wasn't sure that modifying a breathing technique's form was possible, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
However, her amazement didn't last any longer as the balloon had magically started to move on its own again.
Nezuko watched it with a confused look before jumping when it finally slipped out of her sword to ransack the room behind her back.
《Hahaha !!!》The demon laughed in front of her.《Now let's increase the fun a little !! The more the merrier !!!》
She then tossed all of her other balloons one by one in the same direction, all moving faster than the last few times and causing much more damage.
The demon slayer could only watch the movement of the balloons, helpless, only able to narrowly dodge the few which fell on her.
'Oh no...' She said to herself, pushing back a ball with her saber again. 'They are all so many and so much faster than before, I'm not sure if I can avoid them all...'
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'Their trajectory can change on its own at any time, so it's impossible for me to predict where they are heading and when they will strike...'
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As she continued to dodge the balloons, she remembered the teammate in the green kimono that the demon girl had.
'And this demon...' She thought. 'He was next to her when they first attacked, but he disappeared when we were too preoccupied with the balloons... Did he follow Big Brother ? If so, then would that mean...'
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Suddenly, she saw two balloons wounding Tamayo and Yushiro respectively in the head.
《M-MISS TAMAYO--》
《No, do not worry !!》She cut her off, holding the bleeding side of her head.《We will regenerate quickly, so do not think about us...!》
But as she was about to answer her, two more balloons interrupted her by attacking her.
She quickly pushed them away with her sword, trying to stay on her guard.
It had been twice now that there had been wounded people in the room... Even though they were demons, she felt bad for letting them get hurt without being able to do anything. Plus, even though demons can regenerate quickly, they would still suffer from the pain the attack gave them.
So even though she knew they weren't going to die from the demon's attacks, she didn't want them to suffer either.
On her side, Tamayo watched the balloons carefully.
'I can not use my abilities yet... that would affect Nezuko too badly...' She thought, before looking up at her green haired companion. 'As for Yushiro, he must prepare himself before attacking, and wait for the right moment which has not yet come...'
But as she was deep in thought, the slayer with the pink haori was increasingly swamped with balloons attacking her from all sides.
She was used to pushing back objects thrown at her with great speed. She had done that a lot during her training in the trap forest of Urokodaki after receiving her sword.
But this was a whole new level.
Firstly, the balls were at least two or even three times faster than in her training. Secondly, it was impossible to predict their movements, and thirdly, it was all the more stressful.
Stressful, because if she got hit even only once on her arm, leg, chest or head, then it would be the end. Dying, being seriously injured or losing a limb meant in any case the end of her life as a demon slayer, and therefore, that she could never find a cure for her brother nor see her family's killer again.
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And she wouldn't accept this, ever.
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'Dang it... it's getting harder and harder to push them all away...' She said to herself.
Just as that sentence crossed her mind, she narrowly missed a ball that fell down on her as she moved slightly to her right, tearing part of her haori in the process.
But barely had she had time to notice that another balloon had been thrown at her.
'If it continues like this...' She continued, in her thoughts. 'At this rate, I'm afraid I...'
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《Hey !》
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Yushiro called out behind her back.
With that, the young girl turned to him, still on her guard in case another balloon would came to attack her.
《If you're having too much trouble, you can use the arrows to give you an idea of where the balls are going !》He told her.
After pushing back yet another balloon, she finally gave him a confused look, having no idea what he was talking about.
Seeing this, the green haired demon let out a long groaning sigh.
《Seriously... you can't even see them ?》
He then made a sort of talisman appear between his fingers, then threw it in the direction of the teenager who watched it gently fall down on her forehead.
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《Here, I lend you my sight !》
Nezuko stared at the talisman hanging over her eyes for a moment.
She couldn't see what the piece of paper looked like right now, but from what she had seen of it while it was still in the demon's hands, there seemed to be some sort of red eye drawn in the center of the sheet.
But as she finally looked away from the paper to observe the balloons again, she could finally understand what Yushiro was talking about moments earlier.
Indeed, where she only saw flying balls in the first place were actually large red arrows piercing them, which seemed to constantly direct them.
With that, the girl's eyes widened.
'-- I see them !!'
She then began to repel the balloons again, much more skillfully and confident than before. Arrows would bend and change direction before the balls followed them, making it easier for her to guess where they were heading and when they were hitting.
It all suddenly became much more easier.
《Thanks a lot, Yushiro !!》She addressed the demon again, a smile on her lips even though she preferred not to turn around for him to see it so that she would remain focused on her fight.《Thanks to you, I can see them now ! It helps me a lot !》
《In that case hurry up and kill her instead of chatting !!!》He grumbled.
Nezuko felt a slight wave of embarrassment grow deep inside her..
'He's right... I better concentrate more...'
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After repelling about ten balloons, they slowed down little by little, until finally stop moving at all.
At the same time, the young girl heard footsteps behind her.
《Ah, Big Brother !!》She exclaimed, turning to the redhead.《Are you okay ?? Did you manage to protect the girl without getting hurt ?》
Tanjiro simply nodded in response, a little disturbed by her question, which allowed the brunette to relax a bit.
《Ah, thank god... I thought the demon boy had followed you...》She said smiling after a long sigh.《Oh- When I think about it... Maybe you could find him with your sense of smell ? If he didn't follow you then he must surely still be near here... Do you think you can do it ?》
The boy nodded again, confident. He already had an idea of where the demon could be, even from where he was. Besides, it wasn't like his scent was very faint.
《Awesome...!》She answered him, before continuing.《... Um... when you'll find him, could you... occupy him a little...? I'll take care of the demon girl at the same time, so, they won't be able to help each other... is that okay with you...? Oh-- but if you think it's too difficult, you can refuse !! I don't want to force you...》
Tanjiro nodded for the third time, this time giving his younger sister a slight smile in hope to reassure her. He suspected that if he had to find him, he would have to face him anyway. Plus, he knew he couldn't beat a demon, so all he could do to help the teenage girl was to hold back one.
Seeing this, Nezuko could only smile back at him.
《Good luck, Big Brother...》
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And so, the demon stepped outside before jumping into the trees under Susamaru's gaze, while the brunette repositioned herself in front of the orange-eyed demon.
'I hope he'll make it...' She thought, tightening her sword in her hands. 'Do your best Big Brother... I'm by your side...!'
Suddenly, the balloons that were still hanging in the mansion's room went back to the demon girl, without hurting the slayer.
As soon as they were all in her hands, Susamaru laughed again.
《Ohhh look at how lucky we are !!》She said, as she stared at the place where the demon in the checkered haori had headed.《The muzzled demon as well as the demon slayer with earrings ! This is the jackpot !》
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Nezuko frowned.
'They are after Big Brother too...?!'
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《Anyway ! I'll let him have fun with him !》The demon said, turning to the slayer.《For now...》
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《I will be having fun with you !》
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Immediately after these words, she threw her balloons again in the direction of the demon slayer, who hastened to avoid them, yet with a little clumsiness.
But as soon as they were all behind her, they rushed back to her like a boomerang to chase her across the courtyard.
This was now yet another level harder from the attacks made inside the mansion.
They were now in a much larger space, which no longer restricted the movement of the balloons as much. The demons could use the whole yard if they saw fit.
However, if it was a benefit for them, then it was also one for Nezuko as well.
More space to attack equals more place to dodge. She would feel less cramped than in the small room, and could even use her breathing techniques without risking to injure Tamayo or Yushiro.
'I can't use my breathing technique... not until the balloons are immobilized.' The pink-eyed girl thought, as she fled the toys in pursuit. '... I hope Big Brother is doing well... maybe it wasn't a good idea to let him take care of this demon on his own...'
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'... No... Focus, Nezuko ! Now is not the time to worry !!'
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Meanwhile, Tanjiro was still jumping from tree to tree in search of the opposing demon.
His hiding place was rather ingenious. The cherry blossoms were so plentiful that it was difficult to see through them, especially if you were far away.
Seen from the inside, there were still some flowers that could obstruct the view, but it was a little less complicated. Especially since Tanjiro's sense of smell made things even more easier for him.
As he landed on a branch again, he could sense that the demon was no longer far.
So he continued down this path for a while longer, until he saw a piece of black and green fabric hidden behind a few branches.
The redhead then hurried to rush at the demonic figure, preparing to attack him while his back was turned to him.
Yahaba didn't even have time to realize the other boy's presence before suddenly taking his foot in his face, causing him to immediately unwittingly cancel his power.
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Suddenly, the balls circling Nezuko stopped in motion as the red arrows guiding them evaporated into the air.
'T-the arrows...' The young girl thought as she skidded on the ground after her long run. She then widened her eyes slightly at her next thoughts. 'Was that the blood demon art of the other demon...? So that means Big Brother managed to find him...!!'
The pink-eyed brunette then moved her hands holding her sword to her right, while resting firmly on the ground..
'Good job, Big Brother !'
She then began her breathing technique, which caused her blade to squirt the water she needed for her next attack.
'Total Concentration, Water Breathing : Third form...'
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Moving first to the left, she moved so smoothly between the balloons that one would have mistaken her attack for a dance.
The water left behind her sword seemed similar to that of the water currents in a rough sea, which cut all the balloons around in two.
But she wasn't done. Being so close to her opponent, it would have been a shame to miss such an opportunity.
The brunette then took the opportunity to propel herself towards the demon while preserving the elegance and the fluidity of her technique in her movements, then quickly cut off her six arms before finally closing her attack.
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'Flowing Dance !'
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When she found herself on the girl's back, she could see her severed limbs falling to the ground without having the slightest reaction from the demon.
《Ahah... you're very funny, you know...》She said, in a tone as amused as it is flat.
Immediately, its limbs pushed back almost instantly, while those on the ground evaporated into the air.
This simple action reminded Nezuko of something she had discussed with Tamayo earlier.
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"In order to create a cure, I need you to draw blood from moon demons for me."
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'That's right...' She remarked, before getting up.
《Miss Tamayo !》She called her, capturing the demon's attention in the distance.《If she's indeed a moon demon, then I'll do my best to draw blood from her !》
The woman in the purple kimono was silent for a moment, before gently nodding her head with her worried gaze still plastered on her face.
《Watch out, kid !》Yushiro interrupted her.《If they're both moon demons, then they're way more powerful than any other demons you've come across ! You must always stay on your guard !》
Nezuko nodded at him quickly, now confident as to what to do.
《Yes !》
With that, the green haired demon turned to the older demon.
《Lady Tamayo,》He began, as the respondent turned to him in turn.
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《Let's run away while they distract them !》
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LE GASP.
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Tamayo looked at him, scandalized.
How did he even thought of...?
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《...》
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《...》
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《...》
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《DO NOT WORRY ! IT WAS A JOKE !》
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With that, the orange-eyed demon laughed.
《And it only gets better and better !!!》She said mockingly.《You pretend you can take blood from me ?!》
She then turned to the slayer, all smiles despite her threatening and intimidating gaze.
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《Well go ahead... try and see.》
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After Tanjiro hit him in the face, the demon groaned in pain.
He hadn't expected him to have that much strength... plus, he hadn't even seen him coming, too focused on the arrows he was controlling moments earlier.
But his blow was so sudden that he lost all control over his power, negating its effects.
However, even though the teenager was faster than he imagined, he still managed to place an arm between his face and the boy's leg on the impact, cushioning the shock a bit.
But he was still dissatisfied.
《Don't stir up dust when you are fighting...》Yahaba said, almost like a whisper, before raising his tone.
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《It's disgusting !》
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With that, the eyes placed inside the palms of his hands closed instantly at the result of his words.
Before he could even realize what was happening to him, Tanjiro felt himself being thrown back by an unknown force, leaving the cherry tree to go crashing down to the ground.
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A shiver ran through Nezuko's back.
This demon was really terrifying...
Not only in her power, but also in her behavior.
But she couldn't afford to let that feeling grow any more. Fear and doubt were the last things she needed right now.
Now it remained to be seen how was she going to attack her again ?
Which form to use ? Was now even the right time ?
We have to admit that she was in a pretty awkward position. Not only was she intimidated by the creature, but she was also not in the best position to attack.
Susamaru stood still in front of her without attempting anything, as if she was waiting for her attack to be able to ward off her. No matter what move she makes, there is a good chance it will end in failure.
But as she was trying hard to think about the right approach to take, she suddenly felt something approach her at high speed behind her back.
The girl turned around quickly for fear it was the demon, but was even more surprised when she recognized the figure.
《B-big-Brother--?!》
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The boy then crashed on her, causing them both to collapse to the floor in front of the demon girl.
《Ah ! Perfect !》Susamaru exclaimed in the distance.《The muzzled demon and the slayer with the earrings are together, I can kill two birds with one stone !》
She therefore threw several balloons in the direction of the teenagers nailed to the ground, but the two managed to avoid them thanks to Tanjiro who had risen slightly in time to propel himself and his sister to the left.
The pink-eyed brunette slowly opened her eyes, realizing what had just happened before addressing her brother again.
《Are you okay Big Brother ? Are you hurt ?!》She asked him worriedly, while turning slightly to him.
The older boy simply nodded, although it was obvious he was at least in a bit of pain. But this gesture allowed the slayer to relax a little more.
Following this, she could see out of the corner of her eye the demon once hidden in the tree descend from it to stand behind them while the demon girl was still in the front, ready to attack them.
That way, they were surrounded.
'This demon... He's the one who was there earlier...' She remarked, before being surprised by Yushiro's voice.
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《Hey !》He shouted, capturing the attention of both Kamados.《Go fight the demon guy ! We and your brother will take care of the girl ! Go on !》
Nezuko looked at him for a few more moments in silence, hesitant.
But that immediately changed when she felt the boy slowly pull away from her.
《WAIT !!》She told him, as he turned to her.《It's way too dangerous !!! It's a moon demon... she's way too powerful...!》
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《You got hurt when I asked you to distract one... it's my fault, I shouldn't have asked you that...》She lowered her head sadly, before resuming and look at her brother in the eyes again.《But it's even riskier to ask you to beat one... I-I can't let you take that risk Big Brother, it's way too-》
But she stopped at the gesture of the boy who raised his two hands in the air as if to tell her to stop.
Before she could say anything more, he pointed to Tamayo and Yushiro, who were both still in the half-destroyed room.
The young girl looked at the two individuals, in silence.
'... That's true...' She realized. 'He's... not alone...'
Yushiro had clearly specified "We and your brother". They would therefore help each other in case of danger. Thus, there would be less risk.
In the end, she was more the one to be worried about. She was the only one who could suffer fatal wounds without having the ability to regenerate.
Ordinarily, her brother would have categorically objected to her being subjected to danger.
Yet he made an effort to trust her.
And he had been doing it for two years now. He was trying as best he could to suppress his fear and desire to protect her to give her a chance to prove herself and grow instead.
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So if he had been doing it for so long...
It might be time for her to do the same.
Her hand fell slowly to her side, while the other tightened the handle of her sword.
She then took a deep breath before speaking again.
《... Okay.》
The two Kamados then turned their backs, the younger one facing the demon controlling the arrows, and the older one facing the other three demons he would be with for the remainder of the fight.
They stayed there a few more seconds before the young girl said these few words :
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《.. Let's go...!》
And so the two parted, going their separate ways.
As she ran, Nezuko was already thinking about a strategy.'I better be done with him as soon as possible...' She said to herself, moving ever closer to the creature. 'Since he's certainly a moon demon, his power far exceeds that of other demons, as well as mine...'.
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'But I have to defeat him at all costs...'
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At these thoughts, the slayer began her breathing technique.
Water began to gush from her sword as in most of her techniques.
'Water Breathing : First form--'
When she was close enough, the young girl cut him off.
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Huh...?
She had carried out her attack well, hadn't taken the wrong position and had breathed well according to the water breathing...
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However, her blow was not dealt.
It was only by lowering her eyes to the ground that she could see it :
A red arrow.
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One of the same red arrows that had been controlling the balloons a few minutes earlier was now under her feet, pulling her back.
《What a filthy child...》Yahaba said suddenly, before the eye on his hand closed.《Stay away from me...!》
The young girl couldn't even take the time to move her feet off the arrow before another came out of nowhere and stabbed her in the ribs to carry her away to the right.
She bumped violently against the fence, making her growl in pain before several more arrows made their appearance to each take turns piercing her in various places on her upper body and making her move in all directions at lightning speed.
'W-what the...' She thought, as she gritted her teeth so as not to scream. 'W-what's going on...?!!'
At this rate, she probably had at least a few broken ribs. It wasn't really the arrows piercing her that was the problem; no blood was coming out of where the arrows pierced her since they weren't really doing that. But it was mostly the movements they made her do that were so fast and powerful that her body couldn't stand it.
Another arrow then appeared below her to point her straight high in the sky, letting all the others disappear to the ground.
But then again, the same thing happened. She continued to wiggle in all directions, but this time in an even larger area. The only thing she was grateful for was that she could no longer bump into trees or the ground during the attack.
Fortunately, after a while, the arrow's movement ceased, and it evaporated into the air.
The brunette was somewhat relieved at first, her suffering was pending for at least a little moment. But that was only before she realized she was hanging in the air right now...
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Several long meters from the ground.
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She then began to fall slowly but surely before the speed gradually picked up.
'... O-oh no... that's bad...' She said to herself, her eyes widening. 'I need to cushion my fall- and quickly !!'
The pink-eyed teenager then swiveled in her fall to face the ground and drew her sword. But this gesture only made her suffer more after the many wounds the demon had inflicted on her.
She clenched her teeth, holding back every wails or screams she could to focus on her landing. The injuries were significant yes, but less so than the death itself.
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'Water Breathing, Eighth form : Waterfall Basin !'
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After pointing her blade up, she suddenly lowered it with a brutal gesture, causing a powerful impact that helped her land unscathed.
The young girl then finally landed on the ground, gasping in pain while keeping her eyes locked on the demon she had to bring down.
Strangely, the talisman Yushiro had given her didn't come off at any time during all these shaking. Was this the the power of the young demon ?
Either way, Nezuko didn't really care. She was far too busy recovering from her emotions and channeling the pain in her ribs as much as possible to care about such a small detail.
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On his side, Tanjiro was busy avoiding the balls that the demon girl threw at him relentlessly.
Even though she did intend to give him to Muzan, she obviously enjoyed "playing" with him at first just as she did with Nezuko.
Susamaru then continued to shoot her balloons in his direction, and the fact that he managed to avoid them all even narrowly only made the game longer, and therefore, her fun.
But as she continued her match with the boy, she saw the green haired one running towards her with a determined step, without even making the slightest effort to appear discreet.
Well, well... he had said earlier that she and Yahaba were going to suffer his wrath for depriving him of free time to spend with this demon woman whose she had forgotten the name (it wasn't really important anyway...), but with the level he has, he was surely not going to be able to do much to them.
She therefore prepared to counter him while stopping her throwing balloons at the other demon guy.
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It was almost too easy.
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'Huh--?!'
The demon widened her eyes in surprise.
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'He... disappeared...?!'
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POW !
But she didn't have time to ask herself more questions with all the blows she was getting out of nowhere.
Well, "nowhere".
It was indeed Yushiro, who, after making himself invisible, attacked her from all sides with both force and speed.
After a few more additional punches, the demon fell to the ground as the demon guy reappeared in front of her, looking furious.
《You hurt Lady Tamayo...》He started, pointing at her.《THIS IS AN UNFORGIVABLE ACT !! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS EASILY !》
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《"Tamayo"...》Yahaba repeated the demon's name, before turning to her.《Hey, thinking about it...》
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《Wouldn't she be that one fugitive demon ?》
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Susamaru slowly got up.
《Hey, you're right...》She said smiling.《Tell me, don't you think she would make a good present for him ? We could even bring him the four while we're at it...!》
《... No.》Her teammate replied, as he moved back to face the slayer.《The fourth one will be of no use to us. We will just bring him back the slayer, the muzzled demon and the fugitive.》
《... Well... as you wish...》She continued, taking her balloons back in her hands.《It'll always be fun anyway !》
The balloons were thrown again towards Tanjiro, but this time also in the direction of Yushiro who quickly moved away before fleeing to his left so as not to interfere with Nezuko in her fight.
While she was only throwing one at a time when playing with the redhead, this time, she had thrown three at the same time on each side.
It was certainly much less difficult than what they had endured in the mansion moments earlier, but the sudden change was still enough to destabilize.
That's why the red-eyed demon had a little harder time dodging all the balloons.
After jumping back to get more time as the balls came closer, he jumped to his right to avoid one and did another jump back to avoid the second.
But this one led him to put himself directly in front of the third balloon.
《Tanjiro, look out !!!》Tamayo warned him.
《Quick, move !!》Yushiro shouted at him.
But despite warnings from his companions and the fact that he had noticed the balloon and tried to dodge it, it had hit him anyway.
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The lower part of his left leg was severed, causing the boy fell to the ground helplessly.
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《BIG BROTHER !!》Nezuko shouted in despair.
She had never seen him lose a limb. The worst wound he had suffered since his transformation was the saber cut that the slayer had planted in his back the first day after the massacre; and that alone had scared her to death for him.
However, her cries had no effect on the orange-eyed demon who quickly moved behind the boy to kick him into the destroyed room.
《HAHAHA !!!》She chuckled, even louder than the other times.《That's funny ! So funny !! I'm having so much fun right now !!!》
Nezuko was about to rush towards her, full of rage over what she had just done to her elder brother and forgetting her own opponent who was still waiting in front of her, but stopped at the sight of Tamayo who rushed inside the mansion in turn.
《Yushiro ! Please hold her back !》Asked the woman in the purple kimono, as the respondent turned to her.
《Understood, Lady Tamayo !》He answered her, before facing the balloon-demon again.《Tch... what a bum... He should have been able to dodge such a simple attack...!》
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'Miss Tamayo, Yushiro...' She thought, as her expression softened slightly. 'That's right... he's not alone...'
The teenage girl then turned back to the arrow demon, frowning.
'What should I do...' She said to herself, observing her enemy who smiled in front of her with his eyes closed (well, the eyes on his face). 'I can't get close to him, otherwise he'll still get me with his arrows...'
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'... But there has to be a way... I must find a way to defeat him...!'
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With that, the demon attacked her.
'Thanks to Yushiro's talisman, I can dodge the majority of his arrows...' She continued her thoughts. 'Even if it hurts, I just have to ignore it...!'
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'... however...'
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Suddenly she was carried away by one of his arrows.
'There always comes a time when the pain gets too difficult to handle... which makes it difficult for me to avoid them all...'
She banged against the fence again hard, this time not being able to hold back the cry of pain she gave as the wall hit her back and ribs.
This time, the impact was so powerful that she let go of her sword, too focused on her pain and thoughts of the demon she had to kill.
'Come on... think... There must be a way...!!'
Just as she was about to fall to the ground, another arrow came to carry her up into the air again, but it only took her pink haori patterned with hemp leaves.
The young girl then fell on her knees, defenseless in front of the demon while her jacket in turn fell to the ground a few meters away from her.
The latter didn't advance further towards her. He preferred to keep his distance and avoid melee even though she had run out of weapons.
When Nezuko recovered, she tried to pick up her sword in order to get up to continue the fight, but something prevented her :
Indeed, Yahaba had sent an arrow wrapped around her arm, clutching and twisting it slowly and painfully into a position it was never meant to have.
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《Now, I'm going to twist your arm before I'm done with you.》
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At those words, the arrow squeezed her arm even tighter and twisted it with greater speed.
The demon slayer stared intently at her arm as she thought for a solution, until an idea came to her mind.
She got up quickly to rush towards a trunk of cherry tree on which she jumped and made two big steps before leaving it by making a long back somersault.
This action served her to free herself from the arrow that had unfolded during his somersault.
Indeed, if the arrow went in one direction, then it was simply necessary to direct it in the opposite direction to make it let go of its grip.
She then landed next to her sword; which she managed to take this time, then turned back to the demon in the green kimono.
The demon looked quite unhappy with his blow. He hadn't expected her to parry his attack this way.
《Stupid monkey...》He said, before raising his hands to his face.《Die.》
The eyes on his palms closed again, sending another flurry of arrows at the demon slayer.
This time there were a lot more than before. She would surely have a hard time avoiding them all...
'But I can't waste any more time...'
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She tightened the handle of her saber.
'I can't keep avoiding them indefinitely... I have to face them in a way or another...!'
As the arrows came closer and closer to her, the brunette braced herself for the movement she was about to perform.
'By combining these two forms, I'll have a better chance of defeating him...!' She said to herself, turning her upper body to her right while pressing her feet into the ground. 'The stream of the first one will keep the arrows at bay, and the footsteps of the second will allow me to get close to him !'
Thick water spurted from her blade as she began to move smoothly around the yard.
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'Total Concentration, Water Breathing; Third and Sixth forms Combined : Whirlpool Flow !'
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The current carried all the arrows falling on her, protecting her from their effects.
But her sword was getting heavier and heavier with each passing second.
This technique wasn't really meant to be used on the surface. In addition, the dozens of arrows carried by the current contributed to the weight of her blade.
However, she had to make it, no matter what.
The brunette then clenched her teeth and continued her movement.
'Water Breathing : Second form--'
As expected, her footsteps brought her closer to the demon, who failed to escape the girl's blade approaching his neck despite his attempts.
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'Water Wheel, Lateral Version !'
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And in one slash, the demon's head was cut.
Author's Notes
- Come to think of it, I don't think I mentioned that in the notes from the previous chapter so I'll write it down here...
In the original story, it's always Tanjiro who protects Nezuko from the balloons...
Here, considering the fact that he's a demon, it's rather understandable since Nezuko is human and takes greater risks :0
... BUT IN THE MANGA/ANIME THIS IS NOT THE CASE ;-;
SO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE HIS LITTLE SISTER AND ALL THAT BUT PLS GIRL YOUR BRO HAD CHANCES OF DYING IN THIS SCENE YOU COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING LMAOO TAT
- Nezuko and Tanjiro are especially worried about Yushiro when he was beheaded.
Not because he's the first demon to have his head chopped off by something other than a Nicchirin Blade (Let's remember Tanjiro's kick in the chapter 2 just like Nezuko has did in the canon...), but simply because they care about him, just like in the canon :3
- I imagined that Nezuko might think that Yahaba had gone after her brother "/o-o)/
It seems logical to me as reasoning... after all, the two had disappeared around the same time...
But hey, we all knew that wasn't the case xD
I think Tanjiro didn't care about that in the canon since he could already smell where the demon was hiding, and therefore knew full well that he hadn't gone looking for his sister :'3
- When Tanjiro gets hit by Susamaru's balloon, he didn't hit it like Nezuko in the original version, but just got caught by accident...
If Yushiro and Tamayo understood that it can be dangerous to hit these balls, I think it's logical that Tanjiro understands it too, especially if we add his sense of smell which could perhaps help him ? (Yes I know, I don't see how either, but the guy can smell people's emotions sooo uh ;u;)
Nezuko may not have understood it in the canon because she acts rather impulsively, plus she has like the mentality of a 4 year old girl if I remember correctly :")
So she didn't really think about the power generated in the balloon and just kicked into it like she was in a football game qvq
- After talking about Tanjiro, let's talk about his little sister again !
(Never one without the other as they say...)
In the scene with the arrow twisting the slayer's arm, she does pretty much the same as her brother in the canon, although I altered a few tiny details ovo.
First of all, Nezuko doesn't climb on the fence, but on a cherry tree. Firstly because I find it easier than climbing a perfectly flat surface, but also because I wanted the cherry trees to play a small role in this chapter, both for Nezuko and Tanjiro :3
I took a moment in the previous chapter to focus on the cherry trees in the mansion's courtyard, how they reminded Nezuko of her home and the happy days she spent with her entire family. They had a certain importance during this little passage, and in the next chapter (the one you just read hehe) they serve not only in the passage of the pursuit of Tanjiro to find Yahaba, but also for Nezuko to free herself from the arrow around her arm.
See it as a kind of foreshadowing if you will ! :D
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(... actually I hadn't thought about it at all, it's just today, on my way to go to school in the train, that I was writing the chapter and thought "... hey that would be kinda cool")
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The second point would be that she doesn't run full speed against the tree trunk to do a long spin back, but simply takes two big steps on the trunk before doing a somersault.
And on this point... um... I don't really know what to say actually x'DD
There is not always a particular reason for these changes, I just imagine Nezuko better doing this kind of movement in my head... these kind of changes are not very important but always contribute to the difference that there is between the two characters :3
- Ahh... I don't really know what to put here TAT
Everything is already more or less explained in the chapter... there's nothing very interesting to tell in the "Author's Notes" space for this chapter ;-;
(It will make you something less to read, you will save time like that UuU)
Well, I hope this chapter comes out as planned in October 2021 :'D
(Yes yes old me, don't worry, I gotchu beech)
With that, see you soon ~ o3o