THE COLOR OF THE WORLD
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Disclaimer: Kimetsu no Yaiba belongs to Koyoharu Gotouge
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Genre(s): Adventure/ Hurt/Comfort
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Warning(s): Typo is my most loyal fan, spelling mistakes because English is not my mother language, Possibly OOC and a lot of Angst. I hope. Not Beta.
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Manga: Chapter 6 & 7
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A demon's weak point is its neck. Cut it and they'll die.
However, when using a normal blade, even cutting its neck won't kill it. The swords that the demon slayer corps use are made from special steel. We call them Nichirin Swords.
Thanks to my training with Sabito-san and Makomo-chan, I've learned to look out for 'an opening thread'. That's how I won.
When I'm fighting someone, I saw the fog coloring their being tightened at a certain point; circling them like a band and guiding me where to strike to give the utmost damage. When I want to go for an immobilizing strike, the fog will circle around their legs or arms. When I want to go for the 'killing' strike, it'll circle around the enemies weakness; be it the heart or the neck. The thread is loose like a wavy wave then goes taut the moment it tells me to strike. Guided by that thread, my blade cut into that spot.
Nezuko was still gaping at the split boulder, shocked beyond belief that she didn't realize the old man in tengu mask was walking towards her. He looked at the wrecked stone, caressing the hard surfaced with his wrinkled palm. She unconsciously straightened her back when he turned to him, the scowling mask still intimidated her even now.
"I did not intend to send you to the final selection," was his opening statement, making Nezuko tensed and ready to interject. He cut through that intention, however, "I had no wish to see another child die. That was why I order you to split this boulder, did not believe that you could ever, ever do it."
"But you did well."
"Nezuko," that hand he used to touch the boulder now patting her head. It was warm, soft and full of care. She was aware that tears started springing from under her eyelids, sight blurring, "you are an amazing child."
Go to the final selection and be sure to return alive. Your brother and I are here waiting.
Sakonji gave her a mask, a fox mask like Sabito and Makomo had; It was white and have a pink ribbon under the left ear, along with two pink dots over the corner of it smiling lips. It's called a warding mask. Apparently, it offers protection from evil. Tanjiro was ready to come with her, was already shrinking his self and pointing at the basket she used to carry him. But Sakonji prohibited him to come along. He said there's Wisteria forest at the entrance of the temple, a plant that the demon-slayer used to ward the demon and sealing them inside. Sure, he may bypass them by hiding inside the basket, but it cannot be said so to the security hunter wandering around. Especially as some of them are known to sense the demon' presence and have a motto of 'kill immediately without asking'. Not counting that, knowing Nezuko bringing a demon voluntarily, they'll throw her away from the Final Selection and she could never become a demon slayer to cure her only family. Tanjiro was sad, eyes drooping and gaze pleading. But Nezuko agreed with Sakonji, even if she was torn by it also.
So instead, the older brother gave her something as a replacement. A hair tie with a pink, sakura flower made by wood as its decoration. Sakonji said the brother made it alongside him while he crafted the fox mask. The idea came up when the old man mentioned how long Nezuko's hair was and he was worried it'll be taken advantage by the demon if she was off guard; long hair are often establish the bearer's strength. You have to back it up with your skills for the blatant display of confidence.
And because Nezuko rejected the notion of cutting her hair away ("your hair is so beautiful," her mother said to the little Nezuko as she combed and started braiding it. "even I am jealous of it") her brother used the alternative and gave her a hair tie.
I'm going to cherish this for the rest of my whole life, she vowed, asking Tanjiro to braid her hair. It was messy and uneven, yet she was happy with the result anyway. And I'm going to hunt everyone who dared lay a hand on it!
Sakonji thought she should tone down the brother-complex a little bit, but she ignored it. Clearly, the old man didn't know a treasure when he sees it.
"I'm on my way, Urokodaki-san!" with the fox mask on her left side of her head, she clutched the katana and waved to the spectator, "give my regards to Sabito-san and Makomo-chan!"
The girl's back was already turned back on him. That was why she couldn't see how Sakonji suddenly tensed, the waving hand stop in the midair. His eyes were clearly widening and, ignoring Tanjiro's concern whine from behind the door, he mumbled, "Nezuko...how is it you—"
—know the names of those deceased children?
She gasped in astonishment the moment she arrived at the entrance of the temple. The wisteria flowers are so pretty, hanging low on their trunk, glinting with a color of calming purple. Blooming so healthy even though they're out of season. She wished her brother could see this magnificent view himself; someday, when she finds the cure and turn him back to human. Maybe invited Sakonji for a picnic under it, along with the lovely crescent moon on the night sky full of stars. As she climbed the stairs, she let out another gasp.
There are so many people lounging around the field—ranging from scary boys with bruises and wounds to beautiful girls that look meek at first yet surely kicking. Nezuko felt intimidated with the competition but shoulder on through. She has to be brave, she won't waste her trainers' training in vain when they took his chance with her; whereas it was clear that, sometimes, Sabito just wanted to throw his hands up and leave her to her own volition. Makomo only response was giggling cutely, though.
"Greetings, everyone," said the girls (?)* at the very front of the crowd. They are clearly twin, having different hair color; one is black and one is white, straight and went past their ears but not reaching their shoulder. They are wrapped in an extravagant, purple kimono speckled with light purple flowers across the cloth, along with green obi to tightened it. They also wear the same purple wisteria flower hairpin on their head but at the different side, Nezuko feels like she was looking at a mirror. On their hands, clasped a lantern lit by a candle, "thank you for gathering tonight for the demon-slayer corps final selection"
"Mount Fujikasane holds demon that demon-slayer swordsmen have taken alive and trapped here," they said, now talking alternately, "demons hate wisteria flowers, which bloom here even out of season. They cover the mountain from its foot to halfway up the slope."
"However, from that point on, the wisteria does not bloom. So demons roam free," their swirling, black eyes gave that statement a whole lot eerieness in it, making her gulped in trepidation, "you must survive there for seven days. If you do, then you have passed the final selection."
"Now, go!"
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Nezuko stood at a standstill while he watched the two demons argued over there. The long-haired demon with weird tongue was choking the short-haired one, shouting and battling over who's going to eat the weak-looking girl. Her heart hammered under her ribcages, steeling herself when they finally decided to just go for it and leaping at the same time. She blocked the first punch and let the second kick flew her away, minimizing the damage with the blade and putting a distance from the bloodthirsty demons. It was clear they won't stop until they consumed her flesh, they're hungry enough they almost eat each other just a moment ago. So, bracing for another attack, she inhaled and weapon to the fore, "Total concentration..."
The air whispered. The black bands are now circling their neck. Loosening, tightening.
"Breathe of Water," the blue color of an ocean wafted from her sword, beautiful but deadly to the beasts. She moved, making the wave danced in smooth double-curves, "Fourth form, STRIKING STRIDE!"
And chopping the neck of the demons cleanly within one strike.
Letting the last howl of the enemies echoed through the forest, she took a large, deep breath. Orbs widening and hearts still pounding.
"I...I did it," she thought, the grip around the sword handle is trembling a little bit, "I beat two demons. I've gotten stronger!"
"All that training worked!" Nezuko want to cry, or at least laughed in relief, "thank you so much, Sabito-san! Makomo-chan!"
The second siblings turned to see the last remnants of the evil beings turned into dust, crumbling away and leaving only their clothing. When she used the katana Sakonji provided to her, even the bones are gone. It's true when he said only special blade could down them within one strike, she didn't know what other weapons could do something like this, cutting through the flesh of living being. Then incinerating them enough, they transformed into nothing; truly, like a paper being consumed by the hottest fire, hot enough the fire doesn't even manifest. Nezuko clasped her hands and bowed her head. Even if they've killed for survival or for fun, those two were just a normal human before nonetheless. It's sad, tragic, and it's only right for her to offer them condolence even if others thought they didn't deserve it.
When she opened her eyes, it was dark, dark, dark, this is not the calming dark of night. This is something else. This is something terrifying!
"UWAAAHHH!" a horror-filled scream rang and Nezuko immediately went into hiding. A boy wearing a dark green haori emerged from the bushes, body shivering like a leaf and complexion pale like someone pour a white paint over him (she doesn't even need to see his quivering magenta fog to know this boy is running for his life), "what was that huge deformed demon?! Nobody told me there's going to be something like that!"
BOUM
The earth shook, the air pressure lowered, Nezuko breath quickened.
BOUM
A green, humongous hand appeared from the darkness, flattening the ground like a mere mud.
BOUM
And the monstrosity is now in full view. It was grotesque beyond measure, nerves after nerves bunched out of its every little skin. Its body formed solely on tons of hands, hugging the body from head to toe. The said head itself was peeking under the hands circling its neck, yellow eyes with black, cross pupils are wandering in manic glee.
While in its one of many hands was a corpse of a teenager, throat crushed by the sheer enormity of its palm.
A deformed demon indeed! What is that? It looks so disgusting!
The tiny little hands littered around its body quickly fused into one, forming a giant hand. It shoots like a bullet and immediately grabbed the running boy by the ankle.
"GYAAAAAAAA!" the boy screamed in dread. Nezuko's teeth were chattering. Scary, scary, scary! But—. The boy was devastated, he's flailing and flailing, sweat drenched his entire being, "someone, help meeee!"
Yes. Help him, help him, help him! I'm not powerless anymore! She unsheathed her blade, head bowed but gaze locked onto the enemy. I'm not useless anymore! Let's go!
Water breathing, second form. She jumped and let her body tucked into a ball, weapon sticking out from the extended hand. Blue liquid started forming on the blade. While her tucked-and-roll position making the wave formed into a large circle of water, "WATER WHEEL!"
Then cut the demon's hand and releasing its-supposed-to-be prey.
The beast itself looked dumbfounded, shocked that his hand is gone and food was nowhere to be found. It craned his head to the side, looking at a girl in a ponytail now shielding the frightened boy with her body, blade glinted under the moonlight. However, its sight was not rested at how determined her expression was. Rather, to the fox mask perched crookedly on her head. It laughed, chillingly so, anybody who heard it involuntarily shuddered.
"Another of my dear foxes has coommeee~~"
"Sabito-kun. Do you think...Nezuko-chan can really do it?"
"...I don't know. But no amount of effort is too much—"
—and you know that, right?
Nezuko tensed when the yellow orbs of the demons trained its gaze at her, she tightened the grip on the sword handle and muscle on the knee ready to jump at a moment notice. The many fingers it has were cracking like a rolling stone over the cliff, somehow the voice was ominous enough that it sent shiver down their back, "tell me, fox girl", it started talking, "right now...what Meiji emperor sits upon the throne?"
Meiji? "The imperial family is Taisho." She answered, a bit hesitant.
Hearing that, the aura around the demon suddenly stopped. It was silent for a minute before the intimidating air was back in an instant, now a lot denser than the previous.
"GRAAAHHHHH!" It shouted to the sky, hands that propped up his body stomping the grounds in irritation. The earth shook, the tree shuddered, the sleeping bird scampering in fright. The girl was also almost a second away from running away with tail between her legs. Yet the boy she shielded, curling like a ball behind her back, won't move. It was clear his legs felt like jelly, too caught up with the danger and dread, hence the ponytail girl cannot move from her position. The beast was still pounding, "I've been here so long! That dynasty has risen and fallen!"
"Again and again and again! All while I've been trapped here! Unforgivable! Unforgivable!" the temper tantrum continued, they could only watch in horrified astonishment, "damn, Urokodaki! Damn you, Urokodaki! Damn him, damn him, DAMN HIIMMMM!"
She jerked when she heard the familiar name, blinking, "You..." her quivering mouth parted, "you know Urokodaki-sa—"
"OOHHH I know him!," it cut through her unfinished question, yellow orbs gazed back at her in contempt, "Urokodaki was the one who captured me! I'll never forget that day. It's been 47 torturous years! Back then, when he was still a demon slayer—"
"—in the Edo period, the Keio era!"
...what?
E-Edo Period? Nezuko was astounded. No, no way. There's no way a demon could still be alive in this mountain for that long. Especially with how limited their 'food' here, they should have starved a long time ago. This monstrosity, who clearly need more intake of 'protein' than the normal devil should have starved a long time ago!
And the boy she protected was on the same train of thought. As he immediately shouted the disavowal, saying that the demons in this mountain could only have eaten two or three humans. Not counted them getting killed by the attendee during the final selection. Or them eating eat other for survival just like what Nezuko experienced moment ago, "so..." the boy's voice wavered when the beast giggled ominously, "you...you should've..."
"You can stop the denial, kid. The proof is right in front of you. I survived. In this damn prison of wisteria blossoms," one of the hands pointed at its belly, "I have eaten 50 of you to survive, after all~"
The second siblings swallowed her trepidation. So many people he had killed. So many innocent people lost their future and lives. It reminded her at one of Sakonji warning. He told her that a demon strength comes from the number of people it has consumed. They'll grow stronger, faster, some physically change, gaining unnatural powers. With the old man sense of smell, he could recognize which one was the new demon and which one is the serial killer. Nezuko may not have his nose. However, she did have other skill. She could see. And then she paled.
(A lot of colors fog, albeit transparent because of the passage of times, were accumulating inside its fog. Lifeless, powerless, consumed by the darkness of the demon's own thread. But still there as the proof of their existence even when they're long gone)
(Nezuko wanted to vomit)
Her horrible realization had to be cut short when the demon spoke again, his index fingers pointing, counting invisible number, "12...13...and..." one of it now directed at her, "you are number 14."
Something inside her tightened in a knot, butterfly fluttering and she suddenly had a very, very bad feeling, "w-what are you talking about?"
"You don't understand? That's how many of Urokodaki's students I've eaten," it laughed, three of its hands covered it smirking mouth, eyes shone with demented glee, "I've decided to kill ALL of his students~"
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Her stomach dropped. Immense cold washed her entire being.
"Thirteen of Urokodaki's students are skillful. But two of them...yes. I'll never forget the two of those," it gazes rolled upward. Like it was trying to recall fond memories and that only made the black-haired girl's dread grew and grew, "one of them is a boy. He had a colorful jacket and was the strongest by far. He had peach-colored hair and a scar by his mouth. The other was a girl—brat whose kimono was covered in flowers. She was small and not so strong but she was very agile."
Sabito-kun. Makomo-chan.
H-How? How could this demon have killed them? They trained me!
"I recognize you," the orbs rolled back onto her, piercing its full of venom gaze onto the porcelain mask, "those fox masks, I know the grain of those masks that Urokodaki carves. They carved the same way as the tengu mask he wore. Did he call it a 'warding mask'?"
"I ate them all because of the mask they wore."
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Nezuko's heart thundered.
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"They're all inside my stomach. It's like Urokodaki fed them to me, hehehehehe," its body trembled in euphoria, nerves after nerves bunched from under its green skin a lot more than before, trying to contain his pleasure but to no avail, "hehe...heheheheh. I remembered. The girl brat wept and grew angry when I told her that. Soon, her movement got shaky...hehehe"
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Nezuko's breath quickened.
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"THEN I RIPPED OFF HER ARMS AND LEGS! AHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!"
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Nezuko saw RED.
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"S-Sabito-kun!"
"Tsk. Calm down, Nezuko! Your breathing is uneven! Don't worry about us! Just focus on what you must do!"
She lept, sword drawn forward, roar howled under her constricted throat.
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How dare this beast...
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It sent torent of arms toward her moving figure. She hacked it away. Again and again and again.
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—Sabito's grouchy face flashed—
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How dare it...
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—Makomo's smiling face flashed—
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How dare it!
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—her family's death faces flashed—
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Agonized scream tore through her mouth, tears started springing out from her reddened eyes.
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HOW DARE IT!
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WHAM
One of the hand managed to sneak under the opening, punching her right on her side. Nezuko coughed, her body careened through the open field and crashed harshly to the trunk of the tree, she hacked. Her view started dimming, black spot coloring her eyesight. She thought the frightened boy was running away on his own, now that the demon gaze was centered toward her. But she didn't really care. She was busy by the fact that the mask on her forehead cracked—ah, it's a warding mask indeed. Unfortunately, it could only prevent one attack from the demon—and her consciousness slowly fading, fading, fading—
The demon grinned wide, and sent other hands that reached towards her so fast, it dispersed the air—
(Within the darkness of her mind. One of their younger sibling, Shigeru, cradled her cheek and shouted—)
(WAKE UP, NEECHAN!)
Her eyes flew wide open, she tucked—
BOUM BOUM BOUM
—and rolled, evading the impending doom of those big, burly hand who will definitely flatten her dead, judging from the crater it made or the crooked three. Her hand rested on an abandoned sword, definitely not hers, laid uselessly on the rough dirt—who's sword is this? Is this from the dark green haori teen? No, she was sure the sword was attached to his hips. So, was this from the corpse this grotesque devil trapped inside its monstrous palm minutes ago?—and immediately grabbed it when the beast didn't stop its advance—two swords, sure. This one has already broken in half anyway, she could use it as a distraction. Nezuko stored it at her person.
After the botched surprised strikes, the ruthlessness of the onslaught turned up the notch. Hands after hands after hands. Swinging the blade and chopping the flesh after flesh after flesh. There's no end to this, Nezuko knew from the get-go. If she could not stop its growth somehow and dashed to its face, the battle will continue until whoever-how-long. And she's just a human. She doesn't have infinite strength or stamina like this demon clearly have.
A black fog burst from under her
She jumped, barely managed to distance herself from the hidden arms that tried to grab her from below the earth. The green demon was shocked. How could she discover its sneak attack? Jumping up so high like she had a pair of wings behind her? But, it grinned evilly, forcing another part of its body to grew exponentially and shot it to the girl, she cannot dodge this attack in midair!
The ponytail girl scowled. She pulled out the broken sword, wielding both of the weapons with the same intensity. Before her eyes widened, she spun her body forward—
SLASH SLASH SLASH
—slashing the attack so many times within two seconds, the tendon inside it snapped; it lost its strength to prop the weight up and immediately changed the trajectory.
What the hell? I thought she's a single blade wielder! The girl landed on its extended hand, running on to it. Her katana was back in both of her grasps, already tossing the broken weapon away after it had done its job. The beast sprouted another couple of hands; small yet fast as bullets. Trying to catch her or at least trip her. But she just swung her blade left and right, cutting them without even blinking. At the last second of the attack, she leaped, now was completely in front of its face. Dammit! The fox-brat is right in the striking range!
But my neck is hard. It tried to console itself. Even the peach-haired boy couldn't cut it.
Fine. Come, then you brat! Its yellow orbs slit. It could felt the stumps of its left-over arms are emerging another. The moment your sword break, I'm gonna crush your head just like what I did to that scar boy!
"Total concentration," Nezuko inhaled a large gulp of air, sword drawn to the back of her head as the initial stance for the skill she's going to use. (A black fog started circling its neck, pointing her to its weakness even though the demon clearly tried to protect it by warping its bulky hands around it. Loosened then tightened), "Water breathing—"
A sigh of relief, "hey, Sabito-kun. Is it possible that Nezuko-chan will lose too? That thing neck is so hard..."
"She may lose. Or she may win. But one thing is for certain. This boulder that Nezuko cut—"
"—was bigger and harder than anyone had ever cut before"
"UAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"First form", the wave made a sharp, horizontal line, "WATER SURFACE SLASH!"
SRAAAASSHHH
And decapitated the green demon neck in one, clean cut.
(A/N): *The reason why I put (?) after the sentence was because, in 'Taisho Whispers and Rumors', the mangaka said one of the twins is actually a boy. They didn't tell us which one tho.
So, I realized that in the first chapter, Nezuko can also see the weather changing. Even tho' I clearly said she could only see the color of the living beings (lol). So, here's my reason. Nezuko can see The Color of The World (ha!). However, it is not as prominent as her usual Sight. She couldn't really see it and can only do it in chapter one because Tanjiro said so in the first place. You know, like that subconscious thing you did; whenever people said 'oh, that cloud looks like a dog' so you started seeing that cloud as a dog too because others already planted that idea inside your head. When Tanjiro said he could smell the weather changing, Nezuko subconsciously heightened her sight to see whether that was true or not.
Soooooo that's how Nezuko's Sight work. Totally not an excuse and didn't use this convenient explanation because I'm too lazy to fix the mistakes. Naaahhh, totally noooottt :'D
(Putting it here so people know that Nezuko's synesthesia is a lot more exaggerated than you think it was. Although I'm not going to touch this subject if this doesn't really help in the main plot of the story. Just like how people always forget that Edward Elric didn't just sprout those humongous stone in a whim. Or Roy Mustang didn't snap his finger without thinking to create those devastating flame. But they need to think the alchemical within the material they want to change to create those Alchemy attacks. Seriously, people always forget that Fullmetal anime is a lot more complicated than it looks :'D )