[A/N: Hi! It's been a while! A lot of things happened irl, so I sadly had to take a break. Anyway, I will try to post regularly. Tryyyyyyy. Also, who else is pumped to finally see the entertainment district arc animated? It just so happen that this chapter's events are the same as the latest episode! I hope I could post weekly, to keep up with the anime. Anyway, I hope you're all well, and as usual, thank you! Thank you for reading, votes, and comments!]
I can't recall how sunlight feels against my skin. Was it warm like freshly baked bread? Or was it as hot as licks of fire, tickling the skin as it burns its way deep into the flesh to bite into the bone? Being a demon, I couldn't just reach out and let sunlight touch my skin. As I am now, there was no way for me to find the answer myself. So why was Nezuko able to stand directly under it without burning into a crisp?
It didn't feel like a dream, no. It's a vision – I was having a vision, I'm sure of it. Nezuko stood in the middle of a field – lush and green, and bathed in sunlight. She wasn't smoking – not bursting into flames. She was perfectly fine. If it weren't for her eyes and hair, one would think she was human again. And this being a vision meant that this will happen. Nezuko is a demon that would conquer the sun.
Suddenly, my vision of Nezuko faded – as if it was all just fog being blown away. This new scene was much more confusing. Akaza stood in front of me looking completely devastated; utterly heartbroken. His cheeks were tear-stained; eyes almost bloodshot due to the amount of crying he seemed to be doing. Why was he crying?
I stepped towards him; hand raised to wipe his tears yet he shook his head. He opened his mouth but no sound came out – no, he was saying something, I just couldn't hear it for some reason. Then my sight blurred, making me realize I was crying as well. A deep feeling of hurt and betrayal wrapped around my heart, squeezing it but also ripping it apart. I hoped it was just a dream and not a vision.
"Hhhmm mmhm!"
I was suddenly somewhere else. And it was carnage. Blood and limbs littered the floor, and barely anyone had any time to scream before they were cut into pieces and were added to the pile of the dead. It was horrible yet it smelled appetizingly sweet to me. It smelled like a feast, sweet and mouthwateringly-delicious. A grotesque monster – Kibutsuji Muzan – stood over the mountain of corpses.
"Mmmhmm!"
"Ah! Nezuko-chan?" Her brows were wrinkled in concern, and while I couldn't completely understand what she was trying to say, I'd wager she was worried. I patted her head, making her lean into my hand and look completely content. "Sorry, did I wake you? Seems like I was having a dream." It wasn't just a dream, though. It was a vision, I'm sure of it.
That's not good. Kibutsuji on a murder spree is never a good thing. Nezuko conquering the sun is complicated since it meant that there's also a chance for Kibutsuji to be able to do that as well. I better tell Ubuyashiki-sama about this. As for Akaza…
"Y/N-chan!"
"Ah!"
"Mmmhh!"
How in the world could someone slam open a sliding door? Kyojuro did it loudly so, surprising Nezuko and me. He laughed, hearty and loudly before apologizing. "Sorry about that, let me just put back this door…" "Mpft! Mpft!" Nezuko angrily lectured him before crawling over to her box and hiding inside it. Kyojuro and I just exchanged looks before quietly giggling.
Kyojuro sat beside me, a warm and friendly presence right by my side. I'm glad things turned out the way they did. Reuniting with him was possibly one of the best things to ever happen. And to think that he and Akaza actually do get along is really nice. Well, at least I think they get along – in between those silly showdowns they keep on having.
Our quiet laughter died down, and we sat in silence for a moment. It was nice. He cleared his throat, breaking our peaceful silence. "I'll be going now. My first mission in a while." Ah. Of course. He's better now, so he no longer needed to stay here. And he is a Hashira, he's needed in his territory. "Be careful not to be sent here right after this mission, Kyo-kun."
"Hmmpft, sounds like you don't want to see me anymore." He teased, nudging me as he snickered. "No! I meant… well, this is sort of a hospital so you better not be injured again so soon. Ahh! You know what I mean!" His laugh rang in the room, booming and bringing light and cheer to the atmosphere. I hushed him, whilst laughing. "I know what you mean." "Of course, you do. You understand me well."
He nodded, "I do, yes. And that's why I know that in this fight, Akaza has me beat." His eyes pulled away from me, attention now focused on his hands. My first instinct was to play innocent and ask what? very loudly. There's no need to play coy, though. "I can tell. I – ugh, I know you like him." He said, taking a deep breath right after.
"Yes," I said without a single doubt. I think I've always liked Akaza. "Do you remember that story I told you and Tanjirou on the train? About the friend who stopped me from eating someone?" The realization was quick, "that was him?" I couldn't help but smile as I nodded. He did the same, nodding as if he had some sort of realization. He never told me what it was, as he stood and said goodbye right after.
I found Akaza standing alone in the yard once I walked out of mine and Nezuko's room. "It's gonna be quiet around here now without Kyojuro." He said, totally forgetting just how Zenitsu is just as noisy, before turning to me, head tilting to the side as his face crumpled into confusion. "What happened to your hairpin?" I probably looked equally confused. "What hairpin?"
"Oii! Y/N-san, Akaza-san!" Shinobu-san suddenly summoned us inside. I guess we'd talk about that odd question of his later.
"This demon, Tamayo, already told me how she has both of your blood, and Nezuko's. It only makes sense now that we prioritize going after the other Demon Moons." Shinobu-san shook her head, that smile of hers never leaving her face. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Oyakata-sama is aware of her. Oh! He's also aware of Akaza-san being here." The air around us was suddenly heavy, and while the smile was still on her lips, Shinobu-san looked extremely serious.
"I won't pretend and think that Oyakata-sama's trust in you means much or anything at all to you. But I do know that Y/N-san's opinion is important to you. So, I hope for your sake, you won't do anything that would require us to kill you." I turned to Akaza, who looked unfazed and amused. "As exciting as fighting all of you would be," Akaza's attention drifted to me looking like he wanted to say something. "I know, I know. Just so we're all clear. I love watching all the sappiness and pettiness going on here, but I have to write back to both Oyakata-sama and Tamayo-san." Shinobu-san stood up, ready to go about her business when I decided to tell her to include my vision in her letter.
"Nezuko will conquer the sun?" They were both surprised, Akaza a little more so. "Yes. I also saw a fight, but it was more like a one-sided slaughter." I proceeded to tell them more details about my vision, keeping the one about Akaza to myself. I wasn't really sure what to do about that – what to think of it, really.
"That means we need to move quickly," Akaza stated, almost vibrating in excitement. "I know where two Demon Moons are – Upper Six and Upper Two." Doma? "Well, you're really open to helping us huh, Akaza-san." He just smirked, because we heard a scream before he could say anything else.
"Ahh! No!"
"Let us go!"
The commotion came from the entrance of the estate – it sounded like Sumi-chan and the others were screaming before a loud voice told them to "just shut up." Right in front of the Butterfly Estate stood a huge man who was carrying both Aoi and Naho-chan.
"What do you think you're doing, Uzui-san?" I felt literal chills at the bite and coldness of her voice, despite her perpetual smile. The huge man – Uzui-san who I remember was a Hashira – turned towards us. But instead of answering Shinobu-san, he looked at me and dropped the girls he was carrying. "You!" A finger pointed straight at my face, "you're flamboyantly perfect. I'm taking you with me."
In barely a blink of an eye, Akaza was right in front of me. Between him and Uzui-san, he was the shorter man, but his presence was instantly so strong. "Don't touch her." His voice, while soft, was firm. It exuded authority that Uzui-san questioned when he boldly stepped forward and towered over all of us. Of course, he wasn't intimidated.
Shinobu-san let go of a heavy sigh before walking closer and explaining to Uzui-san what Akaza was doing with us. He scoffed, "I didn't know demons could quit being a Demon Moon." Akaza was still very tense, ready to jump and attack at any moment. I grabbed his hand in an attempt to calm him down. And to lighten up the mood, I decided to ask Uzui-san just what in the world he was trying to take me for. I don't think it lightened the mood, though.
Tanjirou, who arrived moments ago, spoke up. "Yeah! What are you even planning?" The girls chimed in chanting "pervert!" over and over again. It clearly irked Uzui-san, and Akaza looked smugly pleased with the turn of events. Uzui-san took offense, "What are you smiling for, you smug fuck? And you damn plain and boring brats! Who do you think you're mouthing off to here? I'm a Hashira!."
Shinobu-san smacked an open palm to her forehead, saying she'd leave us to it since it seemed less tense now and she just wasn't interested. "She won't help clear this up?" I whispered to Akaza, who just shrugged.
"I don't accept you as a Hashira! Hmph!" Tanjirou declared, making Akaza chuckle and clap him on the back as if they're the best of friends. Seriously, he looked so proud of him. "What the hell do you mean you don't accept me? You lowly brat! Is your brain completely dead?"
"That's the smartest thing Tanjirou has said since I met him, actually." Added Akaza, only helping to further rile up Uzui-san. "I think it's best you just ignore them." I finally said, causing both Akaza and Tanjirou to glare at me. His attention now on me, Uzui-san declared, "I need a girl on this mission. And you look perfect for it."
"But I'm a demon." He shook his head, "You're flamboyant enough for it. Exactly what I need." I'm sure I know what flamboyant means, but I don't think he's using it correctly, because me - Flamboyant? I don't think so.
"We'll go in her stead." We? Ah. It was only then that I noticed both Zenitsu and Inosuke there. After a very short moment of contemplation, Uzui-san actually agreed. Akaza decided then that it has nothing to do with us, so he motioned for me to follow him inside. A very short-lived relief that was.
"But she's still coming with us." Akaza looked ready to argue once more, so I stopped him before he could. "It's alright. We need to do our part, Akaza." Thank goodness he didn't put up a fight, and Uzui-san looked pleased. "So, where are we going?" Akaza asked.
"To the most flamboyant place in all of Japan, filled with lust and greed. The 'Red Light District' where the demon lives."
"No!" Akaza was red with anger. I can't blame him, really. Turns out, Uzui-san's plan was to have me and the others infiltrate some houses of the entertainment district as a 'woman of the night'. Alright, just a trainee – a glorified slave, really, but still… "I don't care about those three, but I'm taking Y/N out of here." I felt numb. Part of me wanted to run off and let Akaza drag me away, but there was also something inside me telling me to stay. This was my chance to help – to give back to the Demon Slayers.
"Ha?! You don't get to decide that, demon." The taller man turned his attention to me, "Y/N is as flamboyant as my three wives – "
"Three wives?" Our jaws simultaneously hit the ground. Zenitsu recovered earlier though and was so angry at the fact that Uzui-san had not one, but three wives. Well, he looked a little jealous as well. As they tumble around, Akaza took their distraction as a chance to walk out of there.
"Wait, Akaza." He turned to look at me, eyes suddenly so gentle it felt like I hit a wall. How could he switch like that? Gone were his earlier aggressions. How is it that him just looking like this at me made me feel like I'm the only one that mattered to him? I suddenly had the strong urge to caress his face. To just cup his cheeks and just stare at his eyes. But the noise the Demon Slayers were making pulled us out of our little bubble, leaving me a bit weak in the knees and a little breathless.
After lightly shaking my head, I finally told Akaza that I wanted to stay and help. "It's scary, but I trust I'd be okay. They're skilled, you know that. And you'll be there too, won't you? I trust you." With a deep and heavy sigh, Akaza closed his eyes. He spent a moment, just quietly thinking to himself. Once he opened his eyes, he did what I wanted to do to him earlier and cupped my face.
"Alright. Besides, we need blood samples, don't we?" Grabbing my hand, we returned inside to find Zenitsu still complaining. Akaza cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "Hashira, I have two conditions. One is that I'll be there. Two, Y/N's safety is the top priority." To say I was uncomfortable was accurate. Shouldn't people's lives be the priority? Uzui-san smirked, "You're in no position to demand anything, demon."
With the haughtiest air he could muster, Akaza revealed that he knew exactly which demon made the entertainment district their home. This bit of info clearly intrigued the Demon Slayers, which was exactly what he wanted. "Oh, I have another condition. Before killing them, we get to extract blood samples from the Demon Moons."
"Demon Moons?" We all exclaimed almost the same way we did when we found out about Uzui-san's many wives. A quiet chuckle escaped Uzui-san, "alright, let's hear about these Demon Moons."
"Wow, you look so pretty Y/N-chan!" Exclaimed Tanjirou as we looked over ourselves. Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke would be going undercover with me… as young girls. "That's only because we look ugly. Ah! It's so hot!" Inosuke was about to rip off his kimono, so Tanjirou and I stopped him. "You need to keep this on, Inosuke-kun! You're supposed to act like a girl, remember?" He growled, clearly irritated, but stopped fighting us.
We were almost ready, Uzui-san just putting some finishing touches to Zenitsu. I don't want to sound mean, but Inosuke was right. I don't know what possessed Uzui-san to make the three look as ugly as possible, I'm just thankful he didn't insist on doing it to me as well. Now I wonder what his wives look like. For someone who says 'flamboyant' too much, he sure doesn't seem to understand the word much.
As for Akaza, he said he'd just wait outside as there was no way he'd let anyone shove him inside a box. See, we put on our disguises at one of the many Wisteria Houses. And with wisteria flowers being poisonous to us demons, we had to be sneaked inside with Nezuko, as Tanjirou said he did it before and Nezuko was fine.
When I was about to manipulate my size and enter Nezuko's box so we could leave, Uzui-san approached me and just threw a blanket over me. "Come on." He urged as if that was perfectly normal. Alright.
"What the – hey, is that Y/N? The hell are you doing?" I could feel Akaza grabbing the blanket, and yanking it off as Uzui-san answered, "protecting her from the wisteria. Now let's go!" Once the blanket was off, I was finally able to see Akaza. He looked surprised when he saw how I looked, but I felt the same.
"Ah! Even Akaza gets to look normal?" Zenitsu complained as he followed behind the other Slayers. Normal, huh? In all the years I've known him, this was the first time I've ever seen Akaza manipulate his appearance. His skin was no longer pale and decorated with thick blue lines. His hair was no longer pink, and his eyes were no longer slashed. He looked like he was perfectly human.
"You look, uh…" He cleared his throat, funny how all the pink that was gone from his hair was suddenly on his cheeks. "Ah, your hair!" The blanket messed up my hair, a few strands getting loose. He touched it, seeming suddenly mesmerized before catching himself again. "Here."
"Wow, it's beautiful." He gave me a hairpin, beautifully decorated with snowflakes. I eagerly fixed my hair and put it on, bringing a smile to both our faces. Caressing my face once more, he whispered something that was probably meant to be sweet but only brought me confusion. "It's like what you used to wear. Come now, when I was in town buying that I heard talks of fireworks. It'll be like before."
As a demon, my memory was never good. There were a lot of gaps and questions. But somehow, these memories Akaza spoke of, I have a feeling that they never happened. Or if they did… it wasn't with me.