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 12, 13 and 14

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WHAM

Unfortunately, three-horns disappeared into his swamp, garnering his attack useless. Tanjiro was ready to chase after the beast—

"Niichan!" yet the voice of the girl cut through his intention, stopping him from his next move, "don't pursue them too far! Come back to where I am, please!"

Ah right, the demon recalled, his mission is to protect this girl at any cost. He shouldn't get too carried away with his emotion and act professionally. So he jogged back, evading the Two-horns when he suddenly appeared from under his feet in ease. He kinda wanted to stick his tongue out just to spite him. Alas, could not because of the mouthguard hiding his mouth. If he didn't make a promise not to show his fangs to innocent civilians, he will rip this bamboo out from its place, honestly. It bothered him a little bit, but as he said, he promised. And he won't break his promise (not again. Not after his pledge to protect his family were destroyed, destroyed, destroyed he didn't mean to break his vow, he didn't mean to—)

Nezuko let out a sigh of relief when her brother arrived within arms reach. He was looking at her with a curious gaze, seemingly asking for the next step he should take instead of wandering on his own. Her lips had moved, wanting to say that he shouldn't do anything at all actually because she could handle this and—

"Nezuko," but she suddenly remembered Sakonji's voice that made her mouth clicked shut. He was whispering to her, watching Haganezuka who finally managed to get up—or her brother deemed he was not a danger to the little sister anymore, therefore, decided to let go of the Hyattoko mask wearer. Or because of his rumbling stomach, he wanted to snatch other snacks from the kitchen—and now was seen scolding the munching-daifuku Tanjiro, telling him about respecting elders and such. Sakonji put a hand to her shoulder, "remember that Tanjiro is currently still a demon. Which mean he isn't so weak that you need to protect him."

Of course, of course she knew. Tanjiro is the strongest person in their family ever since their father died, bearing all the hardest workload without even a single complain. And now this. If he's able to protect the two of these innocent civilians, she'll be able to concentrate on attacking.

Yet she couldn't help but worry anyway. Because he's her only family alive. She didn't want him to get hurt—

She didn't want to lose anyone anymore!

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A black fog slowly formed, blocking her view from the patiently-waiting Tanjiro

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She felt her feet sink. Then in an instant, the black swamp formed beneath her. It acted like quicksand, swallowing her up in a quick manner. The ginger-haired boy's eyes widened and moved to intercept. However, Nezuko stopped him with a shout, "Niichan, I'm going under!" the oldest sibling halted on his track, she gave him a reassuring smile, "please, protect those two, okay?!"

Then she was gone, leaving only the two humans and two demons alone in the middle of the deserted street. Two-horns suddenly stiffened, feeling the air pressure went down into a chilling temperature. The humans flinched back at the sudden killing intent but still stay rooted, not wanting to move from their only protector even when his expression was beyond murderous. Tanjiro turned to the despicable creature, nerves bunched from around his face and growled low, making the Two-horns unconsciously shiver.

The girl is gone. The girl he has to protect has gone.

Puff of breath seeped from under the thick, green bamboo.

He couldn't protect her. Not now. And these demons—

Nail sharpened, knee stiffened.

THESE DEMONS TOOK WHAT HIS AWAY FROM HIM!

He lept, the rage making his pupil contracted into a thin slit. The ginger orbs turning lighter even more, now it was almost golden-yellowish than reddish brown. It brightened like a flash of impending doom. Ready to tear the obstacle apart.

Unforgivable...unforgivable...

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Unforgivable...unforgivable...

Nezuko looked around the darkening marsh, watching the beautiful kimonos, sandals, bags dancing around the place in a horrible festival of merry-making. This is clearly the belonging of their past victims. So much, too much had they eaten—

Unforgivable...these demons are unforgivable!

"Hehehe, do you feel the pain, you little brat?!" One-Horn whizzed pass her. A complete, utter madness painted on his pale face, manic smile was presented to mock the existence of her being, so contrast from the previous calm that was almost mocking, "there is almost no air within this swamp. Your body being entangled by the darkness of the swamp feels very heavy, doesn't it? HYAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You cannot move like you were above the ground. You had it coming!" Three-horns chimed in, circling around her while still grinding his sharp fangs, "stupid girl. But if we can't eat that woman, we can eat you instead. You may not be 16, yet you're clearly young. So it's a win-win scenario. GNASH"

"What a jerk. Think you can underestimate me?!" Nezuko thought, watching them moved around extremely fast even within this damp, disgusting mud, shooting at every corner in zigzagging move. She calmed her breath, eyelids dropped, "the air from the top of the Marrow Mist Mountain, the place I trained was even thinner than here."

Watching them getting closer, the ponytail girl changed her grip on her sword's handle. Rather than holding them in a normal way, she held them backward like some kind of tonfa. She then connected the two handles together and in a second, changing the weapon from dual sword to a double-edge naginata, each side has a sharp blade that will cut through everything. One of the design she asked Haganezuka to made. It shortened her option of attack, sure, as she needs to change hands frequently if she wanted to cover all of her bases, not as flexible when it was still the dual blade. But there is a reason for this. This weapon exists to be used as a shield. When she has to stand guard to protect people or even herself.

And this time, the staff-like-weapon is useful in this scenario. Along with an attack to complemented it to boot.*

Nezuko twisted the upper and lower body at the exact time, red eyes sharpened into clarity.

She saw the thread. Tightening even faster than before.

"Full Focus. Breath of water, Sixth Style" she unfurled from her twisting form, spinning the weapon along, making blue water surged wide from the blade and created a huge vortex so bright in this dank, swamp of the abyss. It was sharp and caustic, destroying everything around and slicing open anything caught in its way, including the neck of these demons she was aiming for from the very beginning. Blood sprouted from their exposed neck, body turned into dust, "TWISTING WHIRPOOL!"

And the battle ended in an instance.

Nezuko coughed once, swimming to the surface as her eyebrow furrowed. This is starting to get unbearable, the lack of air. She needed to surface. Killed the remaining demon, protect the civilians—

And protect her older brother!

Tanjiro punched his stomach—though he really wanted to puncture a hole in it, making a gaping wound. The girl's told him to left the last demon standing if they do find a Caster demon, she one day said after Sakonji told her about the existence of this type of creature. So he was holding back. He did. Well...maybe not that much, judging by the blood spurting from the open mouth—the demon let out a wet cough.

"This boy is so strong!" Two-horns grunted from the pain. He tried to pull back but the oldest sibling kept on advancing. His movements are too fast, he could not dive back into the swamp to launch a surprise attack. Two-horn clearly realized he was pulling his punches, the strikes are simple, the strength of the kicks vary each time; sometimes too hard it actually crushed his hands into bits—it already regenerated now—or sometimes too slow to even graze his skin.

Yet he still managed to corner him. Didn't even flinch when Two-Horn slashed his nails at his right temple in desperate attempt to put a distance, making it bleed and covered the burn mark with his own blood. Tanjiro still coming strong—a punch, a hook, a slash, he ducked—And when the demon thought he started getting used to the simple attacks, the checkered haori fiend threw a slow kick, in which the beast evaded. However, that made him fell into a trap of the fast kick he dished with a cartwheel side-flip from the left (did he literally learned this just now from watching his sister's attack moment ago?!), body spun in the air for a second as the ginger-haired boy nailed the landing. Two-Horn crashed to the ground face first, getting his horn stuck like a nail. The boy stepped on his back, pinning him to the ground. Those golden-yellowish eyes glowered at him with such contempt, the air literally choking him, "dammit, dammit, dammit! I'm not gonna lose here! I'm not gonna lose to this traitor of a demon!"

He tried to open up a portal now that he was close to the ground. But then—

BAM

SPLAT

"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

This demon...this weird demon stepped onto one of his hand using his unoccupied leg, crushing it good even to the bone and splattering fleshes like shredding a mere piece of paper. And after, Tanjiro did the same to the other palm, eliciting a pained outcry from the down beast. It didn't stop there. As the next second, the boy picked him using his leg. Then threw him like a sack of potato using the same appendage to the nearest wall, making him let out another wet cough.

"Niichan?! What happ—are you okay?!" he was still trying to catch his breath when his gaze snapped at the familiar voice. It was the accursed girl, literally teleported near them in a blink. She ran to her brother's side and inspected the wound on his forehead, fussing over him. Two-Horns thought he saw her paused for a moment when the siblings' eyes met. Nevertheless, he didn't really care that much because he was too focused by the fact that the ponytail girl was still alive, he hacked. Was his other selfs killed by this...weak-looking girl?!

"How dare you..." Nezuko snarled, she stalked toward him. The weapon was different than before, Two-Horn identified, now it was as long as a normal staff, "not only you hurt niichan, your color is as disgusting as your swamp, I could literally smell the putrid odor of evil, even without my niichan's nose! Exactly how many people have you all killed?!"

"What that got to do with you?!" he spat, "the one I killed are all women! If they continue living, they'll become uglier and nastier! Clearly, you should be thanking us—"

SLASH

He felt it before his mind registered it. The girl had sliced his mouth, tearing it up vertically and making his jaw kind of fall over. He screamed, loud and guttural. It hurt, it hurt! With his weakened body, the pain was a lot more prominent now that his regeneration factor turned down to almost nothing. Dammit, it hurt so much!

"I don't care if you had trauma with the girl you've dated when you were still a human or not, you're despicable. Plain and simple," the moonlight cast a shadow on her face, blocking her expression yet somehow, still highlighting the red eyes like she was the devil herself, resurfacing from hell and ready to deliver the judgment long coming. She thrust the weapon, stabbing the tip to his left side and cutting some of his dark blue strands. The threat was clear, she ordered, "Now...let's talk about what sort of information you know about Kibutsuji Muzan."

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"...say"

"Huh?"

"I can't say..." he was trembling, sweat flowing and lips trembling. The usually hollow, red eyes shown the utmost fear unimaginable and he was shaking, "I cannot say!"

(The demon remembered. He remembered the sensation of fear. Of wanting to run for his life. Of wanting to bury himself to the ground and never come out. He remembered when that man raised him to the ground by the neck, blood flowing from his nose and mouth, black dot started spreading from the corner of his sight. He knew he cannot die just because of someone choking the life of off him. However, he still fears for his life. Fear that this man may actually manage to do it. Because it's him. Because he is the man who—)

("You can't tell anybody, okay?" his voice was almost smooth, buttered up good like a gentleman. Yet it sent a chill to the demon very being. Sending dread to the demon very being, "you cannot tell anybody anything about me. If you say something, I'll know immediately—")

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("I've always been watching you.")

"I CAN'T SAY!" the demon hollered, voice laced with immense horror as he shook his head, "I can't say I can't say I can't say I CAN'T SAAAYYY!"

"Wha—what happened to him?" Nezuko thought, perplexed. She saw how his black fog waving up and down, a clear distinction when someone was in distress, "just hearing the name of this person was enough to shook him right on the core. Even when in the midst of getting his neck chopped off by me, he never showed any emotion. But with only a name—"

"I can't say I can't say—" the demon was so in a panic he literally jumped and tightened the muscles on his hands, making the destroyed palms healed in an instant before he thrust, "I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"

WHOOOSH

Nezuko moved her body to the side with a grunt, ignoring some strands from her ponytail that was cut off by the sharpened nails. And—

SLAASSSHH

She beheaded him, watching the blood from his neck spurted like a waterfall with a grimace, "aah..." Nezuko lamented, "I couldn't get an answer again..."

The remaining body turned into dust and gone as it was blown by the night wind. The second sibling clasped her hand for praying the safety of his journey to the next life—for a despicable demon like him, he may not deserve a good luck orison. But she should at least pray to the God not to turn him into a demon when he is reincarnated. If he was a human, he can pay for his crime and not getting killed by the demon slayer instead. A second chance for a living, for a future of a good life—then turned when she felt a vibration from her back. Tanjiro was rummaging the box she still carried, pulling out dorayaki and anpan before proceeding to devour the sweet snacks. He tilted his head in question when Nezuko was gazing at him a bit too long for a mere stare.

"Ah, no. Is your forehead okay?" her finger reached to the wound. It was still there, although it was a lot transparent than before. Looked like it already heal. Was the reason he eats now was to regained back his energy after it was used to heal the injury? (The burn mark on his left forehead was a lot clearer too. Although maybe she was just imagining it. Maybe it was just because of the blood smearing the burn and nothing had really changed). She let out a sigh, "I'm glad that you're fine."

Tanjirou let out a fond grunt and keep on munching. Nezuko laughed at his childish act, happy that it only took a little effort for him to smile. Then it slowly vanished as she took a glance at his eyes. It was ginger. It's not his original orbs, of course, as it was the beautiful burgundy. It was the original color he got after he was turned into a demon. Yet Nezuko was sure, when she emerged from the disgusting swamp and immediately went to him to check on her brother, she saw the color of his eyes changed. From the dull, dull, dull ginger to terrifying, appalling, horrifying yellow. How his cheerful expression and warm, warm, warm aura were gone, exchanged into something cold and empty. Cold and empty as the truest evil of a demon who never regret their action, like the beast she just slew.

"Niichan," she uttered, garnering the attention of the ginger-haired boy. She looked at him with such intensity that he hold off of his usual eye-smile, "will you promise me not to put yourself in danger like that again?"

(She didn't want to see it on his brother's face anymore, that murderous glare. The uncaring gaze of a demon. Tanjiro is human. A lot more human than a demon. She didn't want to see that on his face anymore)

The oldest was blinking in confusion at her request. But nodded anyway.

(If that's what she want. It's his job to make her happy anyway so he'll do it even though he doesn't really understand why. As long as she is okay, he doesn't really care about his own safety)

The night had fallen and the sun started rising on the horizon. Tanjiro was already back to hide inside the box the moment his survival instinct told him to. Nezuko then approached the two civilians who were sitting on the ground far away from their confrontation. The girl was still unconscious while the boy staring at nothing in particular, skin pale and tears still flowing from the reddened eyes, "Kazumi-san?" she crouched down, worried at the unresponsive teen, "are you okay?"

He didn't twitch for a while longer, making her concern turned up the notch. His lips started to part after a whole five minutes, sound almost gone, "I've already lost my fiancee..." he sobbed, "do you think I'd be alright after that?"

"Kazumi-san," her head lowered, casting a shadow that obscured her face, "no matter how much you have lost, you don't have a choice but to continue living with strength. No matter how severe of a blow you took—"

Nezuko couldn't finish her sentence when the depressed boy suddenly grasped the collar of her pink haori, making her head lolled to the side. He started exclaiming, despair, despair, despair was clear in his throaty voice, "HOW COULD A KID LIKE YOU KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THIS?!"

"HOW COULD A CIVILIAN LIKE YOU KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THIS!"

Kazumi jolted at the abrupt shout from the fragile-looking girl. She was crying now too, teeth chewing her bottom lips and orbs trembling, "I've lost my whole family—my mother, my younger brothers, my younger sister—then my older brother was turned into a demon, you saw it yourself," the ponytail girl's hand clasped his wrist, shivering, "And even with my training, the thought will always fester within my mind. 'what if I cannot find the cure?' 'what if I cannot turn niichan back to human?' 'what if niichan die along the way and I lose my only family again?' 'what if I die along the way and niichan will be alone? Still a demon and scared? Because other hunters won't look at him twice and will straight up kill him no matter how human he acts?'"

"But I'm not here to compare my tragedy to yours. A tragedy is a tragedy. Nobody can judge how miserable someone's life based on the difficulties they have to overcome," she slowly lifted his weakening grip from her clothes, now clasping his hands in a firm grip. Nezuko gave him a watery grimace, trying so hard to looked sincere even if the thing she wanted to do was lay there and hope everything is just a nightmare (if only I came here sooner. If only I was quicker—), "I'm here to tell you that you still have a future. You still have a life to live. You don't want—"

"You don't want your fiancee's death to be nothing, aren't you?"

Kazumi broke down. Cradling his face as he mumbled an apology to the ponytail girl. Again and again, while she hugged him, murmuring reassurance that it's okay. Nothing to be sorry for. You're just drowned by your sorrow. If you can feel better by shouting at me then so be it.

(No, it's not okay. Kazumi bawled. It's not okay. Those heart-breaking pair of hands. That tough and strong thickness. A young girl's hand shouldn't be like that. It shouldn't. Yet you have it. For the sake of your only family. For the sake of everyone else. For the sake of someone like me—)

(I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry—)

(But I'm grateful)

(I'm grateful that you save the girl's life. I'm grateful that you save my life. I'm grateful that I'm still here to see the sun and greet another day—)

(So, thank you. Thank you—)

(Thank you...)

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Nezuko gave the torn coat of a demon that contained the previous victim's hairpin to Kazumi and asked that, if he knew any of the owners of the said trinket, maybe he could help her in giving them back. Left it in front of their porch because she didn't want the black-haired boy to get punch, their parents thinking that he was the reason their daughters are all gone just for delivering the goods back. She waved at him and walked away. Clenching her fist when she was out of his sight, eyebrows furrowed and gaze glaring, "Look like it wasn't just me," she grinds her teeth, "there are a lot more people they have been killed. Tortured and in pain because of him."

Kibutsuji Muzan...I'll never forgive you!

The black crow that worked as an informant of demon hunter association flew down from the sky and perched at her shoulder, "The next location is Asakusa in Tokyo Prefecture, CAAAWW!" it screeched, startling Nezuko from her muss, "there are rumors of a demon hiding there, CAAWW!"

"Eh? Wait, is it time to go to the next location already?! But I—"

"No but!" the crow cawed, flapping its wings, it started pecking her without remorse, "go now!"

"W-Wait a minute," PECK, PECK, "can you—" PECK PECK PECK, "will you sto—" PECK PECK PECK PECK PECK PECK PECK PECK—

GRAB

Nezuko grabbed the bird by its neck and growled, "I said stop that."

"I'm sorry. Please, don't punch me."

The day after tomorrow, Nezuko finally arrived at Asakusa town. One word she would use to describe this city is; big as heck. And so full of people too. It was already night but there are tons of them still meagering about. The buildings were so tall, the lights were so bright. It was just too overwhelming for a countryside girl like her that she actually get dizzy. Tanjiro, who was out of the box now that the sun is not hanging over their head anymore, pulled her along the crowd, eagerly brought her to the noddle stand that located at the less crowded side of town. Nezuko ordered two—no, three actually, when her brother was still pointing at the menu and shaking her shoulder—bowls of Yamakake Noodle. The heat of the broth calmed her twisting tummy and she sighed in relief, drinking the ocha to chased away the fatigue. First time ever been to a place like this, Nezuko huffed, the culture shock was enough to send her reeling.

It was nice though, she admitted. After niichan is back to normal, we're going to travel around the world to see more and more gorgeous places like this.

Her happy thought had to be cut short, however, when the seat she sat clattered. She blinked when the said ginger-haired boy—now wearing a scarf on his head to hide his face if he had to pull down the mouthguard even when other people were around. Sakonji prepared these clothes for them when they have to travel to a colder area too—suddenly stood up, nearly budge the empty bowl to the ground. His nose twitching, eyes widened, the reddish-brown orbs within it pulsated. Before long, he took off, startling the second sibling. Nezuko was ready to call him back—

Then she saw it. The black fog. So, so black it was like she stared at the abyss itself.

This...this is the same fog...

Nezuko paid the vendor for his service and followed the disappearing form of the checkered haori boy.

This is the same fog that was lingering at our house.

She pushed the throng of people away, eliciting a squawk of indignant from them. Tanjiro was right there in front of her, nails already out to slash at whoever his nose pointed him to (of course. Of course, he realized it too. He was there. He was there when their siblings were massacred. He was there when that man killed their family). Nezuko tackled him to the ground (there are too many people around. Even if that man was a demon, others didn't know. They'll think Tanjiro is just a mass murderer, killing everyone in sight and Nezuko will not let her only family to be jailed because of this misunderstanding. Because of this foul creature that deserves to die in the first place—) stopping him from his next action. The demon brother struggled, roaring behind the protection of his green bamboo as her gaze turned upward, staring from behind her messy bangs. Staring at the man who looked back at the commotion happening behind his back in wonder; a man with white fedora decorated by a red ribbon, which covered his black, wavy hair that reached his ear. Wearing an extravagant suit that made him looked like a businessman in work. Plum red orbs along with vertical pupil like cat gazed at them, wondering. It was him (the black fog like abyss is there too. The same black fog that stained her precious family like mere trash). It was him, it was him, it was him—

KIBUTSUJI MUZAN!

Her mouth open, ready to threw accusation at him, but—, "daddy," a melodic voice reached her hearing, stopping her from talking. She watched with bated breath and unbelieving stare when he finally turned to them fully. When he showed them he was carrying a small child with her; a girl in a dress. Braided, low twin-tail were fastened by the pink bow. Her wide, innocent eyes blinked at them as she asked, "who are they, daddy?"

Daddy? DADDY? Nezuko was disoriented, heart hammering like crazy. This guy. This guy this guy THIS GUY! He's living...HE'S LIVING AS A HUMAN?!

"Do you have something you want from me?" His smooth voice and sweet smile only made her stomach churned even more. The disgusting feeling was back in a second, slamming her so hard, she almost vomited. Muzan took a glance at growling Tanjiro, giving them a faux confused expression, "is your...friend okay? He looked a bit pale."

"Husband, what's wrong?" another woman, now a lot older approached from the huddle; she looked like she was in twenty. The black, low bun she sported was covered by the lime, puffy hat that snuggled her head close. Her smile was so pure and Nezuko hated the fact that she directed that quirk of lips to someone such as him, "are they your acquaintances?"

These are humans! She covered her mouth, disbelief and horrified. The girl and the woman...their color fog...they're human!

Do they not understand? Do they not know that this guy is a demon? A demon that eats human for a living?!

"No...these are just children we don't know. Seems that they're in some sort of trouble," he cradled his chin using index finger and thumb, "might it be that—"

"—you mistook us for someone else?"

Then Nezuko saw it. It was too fast to follow but she saw it. She saw how his hand moved like a bullet, swiping his nails to the unfortunate passerby then—

SLASH

Tearing the skin on the innocent civilian open, making the nape bleed.

And within a second, turning the normal human into a man-eating demon.

Tanjiro bucked her sister away from his back, crouching low. The moment the man—who was walking around with his wife. This disgraceful devil just created another victim. He just ruined another happy family life!—turned feral and went into a rampage, her brother launched his entire body to him. The force sent them tumbling away, rolling to the ground with loud whomp that sent the entire crowd into full-blown panic. He was a bit late and the woman's shoulder was already bitten but it was not too deep. The sight of the wife crying at the sudden turn of event making something within Nezuko snapped, as she almost unsheathed her weapon and killed the man right there and then, consequence be damn—

But...but she couldn't let her emotion control her, "husband...hic. W-What happened to you?" cannot let her rage blind her from the obvious victim here. So she tended her injury, reassuring her that her husband will be okay and she should prioritize her safety first.

She could not kill that man right now, no matter how she wished to see him turn into dust. That doesn't mean she could not remind him of the doom that will come his way. Therefore, she did exactly that at the retreating back of the (fake) family, letting her eyes burn and sent him the very intention behind the glaring red eyes.

"KIBUTSUJI MUZAN!" Nezuko shouted, tears started gathering at the incredulity of this situation—so close, yet so far, "I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY! NO MATTER WHERE YOU RUN TO, I WILL PURSUE YOU TILL THE END OF HELL ITSELF! I WILL REMOVE THAT HEAD OF YOURS WITH MY BLADE! I WILL NEVER—"

(The second oldest of Kamado's family didn't realize as she was too far up in her head to make her threat clear. But Muzan's shoulders tensed when the burgundy eyes were finally revealed from her black locks. When he saw the intensity in it and remembered the same eyes of a certain someone. A certain someone that almost killed him decades ago)

(Those eyes...THOSE ACCURSED EYES!)

"—I WILL ABSOLUTELY NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

It was not too long before the racket grabbed the attention of others besides the anxious gawker. Nezuko jolted when she heard the commotion coming to their ways, jarring her from the blind hatred. It was the imperial guards, ordering the onlooker to stay away from the scene of the commotion. Not good. She stood up when the uniform guy started separating Tanjiro away from the new demon. They were trying to restrain the beast with their own power. It was a good intention, yet will end badly because human's strength—a normal human strength without intense training like Nezuko or other demon hunters—cannot detain their kind. They'll only endanger people around and them themselves because the demon is too strong and it will eat them, killing others, she cannot lose any innocent lives anymore—so Nezuko held onto one of the imperial guards' waist for dear life, shocking them at the sudden attack from behind.

"W-What are you doing, little girl?!"

"Don't do that! Don't pull niichan away from him! Let him restrain that man!" she said, tightening her grip when she felt the other officer trying to pull her off. Tanjiro's grunt could be heard between the noise, it sounded like he was asking for her wellbeing, only that he could do nothing because he was occupied with other things as well, "that person hasn't killed anybody yet! That person is still innocent! Don't—

"Don't interfere with us, I beg of you!"

(One of the spectator—a woman—pull her kimono sleeve back until it showed her entire hand to the world. Her nails sharpened and proceed to scratch the exposed arm. So deep, blood started gushing out from the wounds of four slashed mark like a waterfall)

(Blood bewitchment. AROMA OF VISUAL FANTASY)

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Huh. a fog whizzed passed her. It was black—meaning it was a demon—though, she saw other colors too. Red, yellow, green, blue—wait, this one does not belong to whoever-demon-besides-Muzan was. These colors were actually—

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"Uwaahh! What is this?!"

"I can't see my surrounding!"

Then suddenly, the town fell into a silent hush. The bright town turned dark for a moment before it was covered by a lot of patterns, for the lack of better word. Colorful flower, lines or waves, patterns that she saw in a kimono. Beautiful, enchanting. The officer she grabbed onto was nowhere to be found and she stumbled at the abrupt loss of her support.

—an illusion!

What is this? She stood near her brother and the newly turned beast, dual swords are out and ready to use. Is this some sort of attack? That Muzan sent to kill them both? Nipping the bud right on the root before it could grow into an annoyance?'

However, the one who approached her was nothing evil like she thought it was. They are still demons, sure (their black fog will always be the definitive marker of their kind, no matter how they disguised themselves) yet they didn't look aggressive. Well, the pretty woman with a low bun in pretty kimono doesn't look aggressive. The male student with a short lime hair with a black highlight at the bottom, on the other hand, was glaring at her with such fury, Nezuko was wondering if he hates her, a literal stranger at that.

"You..." the woman spoke. Her voice was soft and alluring, the pink haori wearer felt like she was listening to a lullaby, "even the one who has turned into a demon, you still refer them as a person. And you are trying to save him," her sight rested at Tanjiro who was watching the conversation with blank eyes, now sitting at the demon's back casually. Though his stiffening hands on the nape and the legs were a clear distinction he was still committed in his job at restraining the struggling man. He looked a lot calmer, now that Muzan is nowhere to be found, "was your conviction come because of your brother's condition?"

She shifted her body, blocking the ginger-haired boy from the view of the curious interrogators, "what of it?" she scowled, lifted her chin in defiance, "demons were human too. My brother, this man, even you two. What's wrong if I have sympathy for them?"

The woman actually smiled at her word, happy. Though the male student was scowling at her blatant shows of disrespect, "then I shall lend you a hand as well," she cradled her bloody hand and explained, "I may be a demon but I'm also a doctor. And—"

"I want to eradicate that man as much as you do. That man that called himself Kibutsuji Muzan."

In another place at the same town, Muzan—after telling his wife that he wanted to ask the officers about the commotion they witnessed just now, a little white lie—was now standing in the middle of the empty back alley. Behind him were three corpses of unfortunate civilian that accidentally bumped into him, annoying him further when it was clear he was already in a bad mood. However, the man didn't care. He never cares about the life of a pitiful human when he was a creature that closes to perfection himself. Nobody could ever surpass him and nobody could ever kill him.

(Yet the appearance of the burgundy-eyes demon hunter rattled him bad. Reminded him of the dark, darker, darkest day of weaknesses. Unnerved his entire being that it offends him. Anger him. Terrify him—)

He snapped his finger loud and clear, destroying the corpse in a plume of smoke and summoning two of his subordinates.

"What is your bidding, my lord?" they asked, bowing low.

"I want you to kill that demon hunter. A girl in a ponytail with burgundy eyes," her plum red orbs shone deadly under the shadow of his fedora.

.

"Bring her head to me, whatever it takes"

(A/N): *Nezuko's version of this skill is a little bit different than canon!Tanjiro. In canon, Tanjiro used this technique by making a barrier around him as a shield. But with Nezuko's double-edged Naginata, she can control the skill whichever way she wants. She's using the weapon like a fan. And by spinning the weapon then pointed that spinning weapon to somewhere else, she can launch the whirlpool like a bullet, directly pointing the skill to the demon. She didn't use this version of a move because there are two demons who bounced around the place and coming at her from a different angle. If there's only one, she can use this version because, even if it misses, the current will still pull the demon towards the whirlpool.

When people want to chat and unload their problem to you, sometimes, they just want someone to listen. So when you say something like "man, just be glad that you have this, this, and this' or 'remember. Other people out there have a lot more serious problem than you', rather than caring, you'll sound like a callous person. Of course, they knew other people who suffered worse exist, but that doesn't mean their problem will disappear the moment they knew about that fact. 'That person worked twice as long as you', 'yeaah. Doesn't mean my sore back will be gone just because you said that'. Just stay silent, listen to them. If they don't want any opinion, say something like 'you feel better now?' or 'what do you wanna do about this problem then?'. If they do want your opinion, give them encouragement as best as you can. Or something that you yourself may do though they don't have to do it if they think that will not solve their problem. As long as you didn't say something like the previous statement.

Honestly, people will only feel worse if you say that :/

Setting that aside. I like the manga version, that Nezuko was forced to go down into the swam. Instead of willingly went inside like how they portrayed it in the anime version.

And I also realized that canon!Tanjiro's burn mark changed from a normal burn mark to the red mark after his encounter with the green demon in Final Selection arc. Where his forehead was bleeding and all. You can actually see the difference in between episode 4 to 5 of the anime too. Was the wound the reason why the burn mark change? Because the blood smeared it? He keeps bleeding from his forehead like Edward from Fullmetal Alchemist every time he fights so maybe that's the reason why #noIt'sNot :'D

And of course this is a Reverse-Role AU, Tanjiro cannot get the mark as Nezuko was the one who fought the demon and got injured. Then while I wrote this chapter I realized "oh yeah, canon!Nezuko actually got the same wound here too". So I decided, here it is. The moment Tanjiro's scar changed from the normal burn to 'something more cool' :'D

Uuhhh also...I don't really know if the man who almost killed Muzan really did have burgundy-eyes like Nezuko. But I mean...we already know he has burgundy hair like Tanjiro so there's a high chance he also had the same eyes color. Idk man! I just need a valid reason why Muzan need to kill Nezuko as she didn't wear the earrings :'D