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 9

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"I'm...I'm so stupid..." was what going on through Nezuko mind right now.

She was on the way home. Slowly, painstakingly, dragging her feet away. Her entire body felt so heavy, tired and exhausted. She was sure if it was not because of long stick she found along the way down from the mountain propping her up like an old woman, the long-haired girl will totally slump in the middle of the road without care; actually, she already fell for like, two or three times as she scaled the rice fields. A mother and a son was looking at her weirdly and asked concernedly, but she shook her head and tried to give a smile, persuading them that she was okay; keyword, tried. Nezuko felt like she was, instead, convincing them that she needs doctor, badly, and was second away from pulling her down to their own house themselves. She refused though, saying that she almost arrived at her house—a little white lie. In fact, with her speed, she won't arrive at Sakonji's residence before dawn—so they didn't need to worry. They still gave her some mochi to replenish her energy, as a token of their kindness.

"I...I was too naive," she thought, wiping the dust from her forehead and accidentally brushing the wound the green demon inflicted on her days ago. She winced; really need to change the bandage soon, with all the sweat pouring like a waterfall, "Even though I encountered eight demons in the final selection, I killed them. Without even having a normal conversation with them."

After all the roller-coaster of emotions she had—her head still pounding for crying her heart out even now—Nezuko regretted that she totally forgot her main objective in seeking the demons out; asking them if, no, how to turn a demon back into a human. She did remember it on the third day though, so the ponytail girl tried to talk to them. Some of them she went ahead and trapped their body between the root of trees growing around the forest because they just won't stop moving. Alas, it was futile. Their mind was already lost in their battle of hunger, making them a mere machine of destruction. And when that happened, she couldn't do anything besides beheading them off.

"I'm sorry, niichan. I'm so sorry," she was originally wanted to return as soon as possible. But her body hurt so much. Even the stone and uniform she got—now tucked safely inside a sling bag the twin provided for them—felt like a lead. After climbing down Fujikasaneyama, a wave of weariness slammed her like a horse-drawn carriage, leaving her utterly helpless in her fatigue. Nezuko stopped on her track and take a short break, "but I'm going to come home soon. Please, wait for me for a little bit."

The sun now had set over the western horizon, painting the sky orange before it turned completely dark. She stood over the low hill overlooking the wooden house, huffing, puffing. Watching as her brother sleepily chopped the wood and the old man instructed him how to do so by the side. The view of them doing daily things was so ordinary, so soothing, making all of the bad things that had happened to her—Her family were killed. Tanjiro turned into a demon. Her trainers turned out to be dead, dead, dead all along—felt like just a bad, bad dream.

Sabito-kun...Makomo-chan. Nezuko was staring at them for too long, they felt her gaze on them. The ginger-haired teen happily waved at her. While the old man was shocked, caught off guard. Sabito-kun...Makomo-chan. She flung the stick away and ran towards them. Sabito-kun...Makomo-chan. With gaze started to get hazy and hands wide open, she immediately crashed onto the surprised Sakonji's chest, pulling Tanjiro's sleeve along with her.

"Huwaaaaaa! I'm sorry, Urokodaki-san. I'm sorry!" Nezuko cried. Fresh and fat tears rolling down her cheek as she hugged the life out of her (only) family. Her brother let out a questioning grunt but she was too far up into her own apologies that she almost didn't hear anything happening around her. Didn't even knew, after freezing for a minute, Sakonji wrapped his wrinkled arm around them both, "I'm sorry I couldn't save Sabito-kun or Makomo-chan. I'm sorry I couldn't protect anyone on the Final Selection exam. I'm sorry I couldn't make you happy. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"

"It's okay," he shushed, cradling his fingers on Tanjiro's and Nezuko's hair, letting out his own tears, hidden behind the unblinking mask of the red tengu, "it's okay..."

"I'm just glad that you came back alive..."

When she opened her eyes, the first thing that met her was the wooden ceiling with the low, hanging lamp. Turning her head to the right side, she saw her brother's sleeping face, laying beside her while clasping her palm like a lifeline. Sakonji was also there, writing something on his desk. When he heard a little scuffle behind him, he turned, looking at Nezuko who tried to sit up but couldn't because Tanjiro's hold was bringing her down, "you finally wake up? Are you hungry? It may be a bit late but I can prepare a dinner for you."

"N-No, it's okay. I'm still too tired to eat," she rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked, "what...happened?"

"You cried yourself to sleep," he answered, putting the quill down near the ink stone. He pointed at the curling demon, "you made your brother worry when you suddenly fainted like that, bear with him a little bit."

"I'm sor—"

"Stop that."

His stern tone made her instantly clamped her mouth. She could feel the piercing gaze behind the mask, scolding her, "rather than saying sorry, you should learn how to say 'thank you'. Instead of 'I'm sorry I worried you', you should've said 'thank you for taking care of me.'"

"H-Huh?"

"Of course this isn't going to work in every instance such as if you caused actual harm" he continued, "when you say 'thank you' instead of 'I'm sorry', it creates a more balanced social dynamic and gives you back power. You're grateful instead of being apologetic. You're not asking for someone to feel sorry for you nor you're seeking for reassurance. So, repeat after me. Thank you for your hard work."

"T-Thank you for your hard work." Nezuko parroted.

"Thank you for being there for me."

"Thank you for being there for me."

"And..."

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"Thank you for staying alive."

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Nezuko though she dried her tear duct for the day after her outburst moments ago, but it seems that she's not. As the night went by, Sakonji caressed her head while she sobbed and hiccuped, with Tanjiro's soft snore as their song of serenity.

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"I'm so—"

The old man glared.

"I-I mean...thank you for bearing with me."

He nodded, satisfied. Then turned back to his desk to continue writing. Nezuko was too awake to fall back asleep now. So she spent some minutes stroking her brother's hair, waiting for the sleepiness to come back in.

"Nezuko," Sakonji started another conversation, his back was turned away from her. She hummed, "I've been wondering since that day you mentioned Sabito and Makomo," Her head immediately shot up when those names were uttered. She saw his Adam apple bobbed, a gesture of someone choking back their imminent sob. She knew because she often did that herself, "—were they the one who trained you these past six months?"

"...yes."

"And you managed to kill the demon who...devoured them?"

"Yes."

The tenseness on his shoulder—that she didn't realize existed after it was gone—vanished, a soft sigh was exhaled from the parted lips. His grip on the pen got tighter to hide the subtle trembling yet voice still held firm, "...thank you..."

"...you're welcome, Urokodaki-san."

He nodded and stood up, plucking the letter he wrote from the desk. Along with the alloy from her bag before he bundled those two items inside the white cloth. Sakonji extended his arm. The crow that was perched calmly at the corner of the house understood the gesture and flew onto it. Nezuko, realizing what he was doing, raised her voice. Not too much as she didn't want to wake her brother up, "wait. Before you send that, can I ask for a request? I've made some changes for my weapon."

His finger stopped moving and he turned to her, "oh? Do you?" the old man plucked the neatly folded letter from the package and went back to his desk, "okay, tell me. I'll write it for you."

"You know you'll have to relearn your stance with this kind of weapon, hn?"

"Yes. That's why I'm gonna train hard these...fifteen days? Yes. Fifteen days. Will you train me, Urokodaki-san?"

"Sure. I don't think it'll take too long anyway, as you already grasp the base. But it'll still be hell. Because I'm not letting you out there with half-baked skill. You'll die."

"Right. Thank you"

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"Where did you get the idea for this, if I may ask?"

"...Makomo-chan."

"...of course, it is."

"She may not be there but...she helped me. When I fought the green demon, I remembered my training with her and used her moved to deflect one of his attacks. I'm not as strong as Sabito-kun. But I'm quite confident I am as fast as Makomo-chan now"

"There's where you're wrong, Nezuko."

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You're way faster than her.

The day where it was anticipated that the blacksmith had finished forging the sword, Nezuko opened the door while nursing her black and blue cheek. Sakonji was not kidding when he said the training will feel like hell—even more so than Sabito-kun's training and that said something. Tanjiro was conflicted between fussing over her and glaring at the old man for being so rough. Although he knew it was his little sister's idea so he couldn't really get mad at him. At the horizon of the entrance to the forest, the second sibling saw someone approaching. Judging from the build, he was a man in twenty or more so. He was wearing a black yukata wrapped by the sunflower-pattern haori. On his head, a large woven hat overshadowed his entire face and a lot of floral wind chimes decorated by tiny, pink flowers hanging from the said hat, making a melodic sound as he walked. Nezuko was still staring, astonished at his weird fashion sense when the man stopped in front of her.

"My name is Haganezuka," he introduced himself, "I am the one that has forged the blade that will be used by Kamado Nezuko."

"Ah, thank you very much. I am Kamado Nezuko," she bowed, before opening the door wider, "please come in and have a seat...uh..."

Instead of accepting the good invitation though, the man immediately sat on the ground, opening the casket he brought, "this is the Nichirin Blade," he started to explain, totally ignoring the black-haired girl presence, "I forged this blade that you've requested."

Thinking that it'll be a while before this blacksmith stop running his mouth, Nezuko dusted the front porch and crouched, even though she really wants to serve some drink for him. It's just good hospitality, something her mother taught to every single Kamado's children, "the nichirin blade's raw materials are iron sand and ore from the highest mountain that is closed to the sun," he clarified, "' Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand' and "Scarlet Crimson Ore". They are metals that have absorbed the sunlight."

He placed the wooden lid on the soil. His bag is going to get mud on it, though Nezuko was sure he didn't care a single bit, "the mountain the materials are from the sunlight mountain, is bathed in sunlight all year round. Never troubled by clouds or rain."

"I see that this guy is still his usual self," Sakonji appeared from behind her, patting her head as he watched the debacle went on, "sorry about this. He never listens to what other people say."

Was he hearing the mocking tone of the old man or was he done making his point of how awesome the weapon is, she didn't know but he indeed lifted his head abruptly. Nezuko was taken aback when a face covered in Hyotokko Mask greeted her; it was red, having bulging, unblinking eyes just like what Sakonji wear. However, rather than a long nose, the mask had a long mouth like a tube instead. She eeped when the man suddenly went into her personal face. If her first trainer didn't stop him by holding his head back, pretty certain he'll examine her within closed proximity.

"You have red eyes," he said, tilting his head, "are you, perchance, 'a child of a Burning Crimson'?"

"A what?" she blinked at the strange title.

"If a family is a business of making fire, then they'll have a child with a red coloration. Often they have red hair," he then pointed at her orbs, "and red eyes."

"Uuh well...I only have red eyes. But my brother has both of them." Had. As his colors are now ginger and not the glistening burgundy (Yet, she is sure it'll turn back to normal the moment she managed to cure Tanjiro. It has to!). Nezuko slowly retreated from the prodding finger, not wanting it to poke her eye.

"Really? Where is he now?" he asked, now sounded oddly passionate and, somehow, mad, "why won't he become a demon-slaying swordman just like you do?! If he did, his sword may turn red, you see?"

No, I didn't see, "Uum..."

"Because he has his own reason not to. That's all you have to know, Haganezuka," Sakonji answered for her behalf instead. Nezuko couldn't really tell that they're harboring a demon now, could she? He may be just a blacksmith and not a demon slayer. Doesn't mean he won't tattle to the other hunter, however. The old man tone turned a bit assertive, he spoke, "can we move on to the sword now?"

"Yeah, yeah," the man in festival mask waved his order carelessly, picking up the big bundle under the casket and shoved it to the startled girl. He finally decided to come into the house, "Nichirin blade's other name is the blade of color change. It'll changes color based on each individual owner. So, hurry. Come on in."

After pouring the long-awaited tea she intended to serve from the very beginning, Nezuko opened up the white cloth enveloping the weapon. The sword is just like she imagined it would be. It was dual medium sword, with a wide blade that curved at the tip of it. The moment she pulled out one of the weapon and held it to the air, the blade started changing its color from its base to the tip; from clear silver to magnificent blue. Beautiful, like an ocean (like Urokodaki-san color).

"So pretty..." she mumbled, mesmerized by the glint.

"It is," Sakonji let out his own impressive hum, "I've never seen a blade this shade of blue either..."

Unfortunately, though, Haganezuka was not as impressed as the two audiences. He literally threw his head to the back and growled loud, "GRAAAHHH! I thought I could finally witness a bright crimson colored blade this time! I know the percentage of seeing it decreased because you didn't inherit all the red color but still! I thought I can finally fulfill my long, life wish, damn you!"

The blacksmith was totally on the verge of crying, so blinded by his frustration he actually intended to tackle Nezuko—still holding the sword in her palm. Which, dangerous!—But her brother, who was content on listening from under the protection of the blanket a moment ago, didn't think so. He threw the cover, jumped onto the mid-leap Haganezuka and pin him to the ground.

"Gah?! What the—what are you doing to me, you brat?!" Tanjiro sat on his back with blank, uncaring eyes as the forger struggled to get up.

"That's your own fault for trying to attack a girl," Sakonji snorted, "especially with her brother right near her. You're just asking for a punch to the face. Be glad he didn't do that much to you..."

Nezuko let out a small giggle at the funny scene in front of her, wondering how ridiculous it was to age that much yet still act like a little kid. Her gaze swept upward, however, when she heard wind rustled and flapping of wings. Before the black crows—Kasugaigarasu, who was stretching its body out of the house yesterday night—flew inside and landed on top of Tanjiro's head. The beak opened and screamed.

"CAAAWWW! Attention! Attention, Cawwmado Nezuko!" the bird said with a loud and a bit of a squeaky voice. Oh wait, it can talk? She balked. She didn't know there exist an animal who can actually speak human language. Parrot is, but in their case, it's more like repeating the word they often hear. This one definitely has its own intelligence to form full sentences. Nezuko was not sure when people said 'crows are clever' means this clever, "Hurry and go to the Nort West town, CAAWW!"

"Go there and hunt the demon! This is your first assignment, CAAW!" her eyes sharpened at once, full attention rest solely on the bird telling them the important news, "remember this well! In the North East town, young girls are constantly disappearing! Every night, every night—"

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Far, far away from Sakonji's residence, the day before they have this conversation, a couple was walking along side by side. Accompanied by the light of the lantern and shiny moon hanging in the middle of the beautiful night sky speckled with stars. They looked so happy, having a passionate yet cherry conversation. The boy told his partner a joke, the girl laughed. The boy asked her a question, the girl let out a startled yelp. The boy turned around—

And the girl was gone.

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"—there are girls...constantly disappearing!"