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 19
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The humongous hands didn't stop on that. Not only crushing her head, but it also destroyed every single bit of her flesh, wrecking the organs inside out, breaking the bone and turned it into dust. Nezuko didn't want to see it, she didn't. Yet her red orbs were glued to it like the world wanted her to memorize every single detail of the horrifying event happening in front of her. Tamayo managed to tear her gaze away, Yushiro's complexion was white beyond reason. And her brother's body trembling in fright. It lasted for fifteen seconds—fifteen seconds that felt like it was forever—before she was nothing but blood smear on the ground, leaving only her kimono and one eyeball. Nezuko spat her swords to the ground and clasped her mouth shut, covering it with her trembling fingers, trying to keep the bile stuck to the throat so she could swallow it back. That was...that was so disgusting, her stomach twisted.
"This is the curse," the pretty doctor explained. She slowly approached the corpse—could she really call the red liquid and chunks of flesh corpse anymore, though? Her figure literally gone from existence—and crouched, staring at the eyeball, "Kibutsuji's cells destroyed the body of the demon from within. Basically, fights between demons amount to nothing and are pointless. Because apart from sunlight and the blades of demon slaying swordsman, nothing will cause lethal damage to demons. However, it seems that Kibutsuji is able to destroy demon cells..." the air suddenly stilled.
Where is this sweet fragrance coming from? Nezuko thought belatedly. Yushiro turned to her with a snap, it kind of startled her, covering her mouth and nose with a white handkerchief, "wha—"
"Don't breathe in Tamayo-sama's technique," the student hissed, "it's harmful to humans."
"Nezuko-san," Tamayo called, bringing her attention back to the lady, "this person wasn't one of the Twelve Demon Moon."
W-What?
"See here," her index finger pointed at the remaining parts of Susamaru, at the yellow eye with horizontal pupil, "if she was one of them, a number would've been carved on her eyeballs. As you can see, she doesn't have it. I'm afraid the other one isn't one of the demon moons as well. Because he was too weak."
T-Too weak?! Nezuko's face paled. These demons were too weak?! And after he broke my ribs and legs too, what the he—
Tamayo produced a syringe from her sleeve, draining the blood from—the second sibling gulped—the demon's brain, "with that, I will now examine Tanjiro-san," the said brother perked when he heard his name. The boy was kneeling beside the sister, fussing and checking over her wellbeing, "when I was using my technique to pluck out the information from this demon, he breathed in a lot of the smell as well. My apologies."
After pulling Tanjiro's away from Nezuko—it took a few times, as his pleading gaze told them to take care of Nezuko first before him. The dual blade wielder was clearly sporting the most injuries here. While the oldest already healed and replenished his energy by consuming the snacks from the box (he directed an apologetic hum to Nezuko at this fact, as he promised not to eat any more food today. She waved his apology away with a smile. This was an emergency case, over-eating was something she could care less as long as he's healthy). So Tamayo healed the black-haired girl with her power and Yushiro bandaged it for good measure, though with a lot of complains and grumbles—the three demons went to the dungeon, the only area inside the house that was not ruined by the attack. Leaving Nezuko alone when the girl said she wanted to take a small break before following them. She propped her body to leaned on to the broken wall, breathing through the handkerchief to slowed her thundering heart and rested her eyes.
"The ball..." Nezuko opened her eyelids sleepily when she heard the voice, however, glancing to the open field under the night sky. Somehow, the remnant of the kemari player could still speak, producing a weak voice (that hurt Nezuko's being, clenching her heart in a tight squeeze. She was a victim as well. Every demon are victims of that man's cruelty). With a grunt, the demon slayer slowly crawled to the smear, picking up the ball Susamaru dropped when those hands crushed her into nothing.
"Here's your ball." She whispered, putting it on top of the kimono.
(The black fog swayed happily. Laughing, like a child playing with friends, happy and innocent. And she wanted to sob)
"Come play,"it cheered. As the sun started to rise and the light burned the remaining flesh into dust, her voice echoed. Crying, searching for someone who will accept her, "come play. Come play."
"Come play with me someday..."
Nezuko stared at the sky as tears fell down from her eyes. So sad. So, so sad. These demons, their fate are so sad it made her heart hurt. Coerced, lied to, and forced to do battle, all because for the sake of Twelve Demon Moon title. Then die the moment Kibutsuji's curse activated.
Is this the only fate deserved for these obvious, obvious victims? For taking the lives of other people when some of them didn't even want to be a demon in the first place?
(Is this going to happen to niichan? Is this the fate that awaits him if I cannot find the cure?)
Kibutsuji, that man, he even killed someone who admired him this much. He is—
He is the real, real demon.
And Nezuko will hunt him till the end of the world. Will slay him for the sake of humanity. Will make him apologize for the misery he spread thorough the world. Will make him realized that nobody, nobody could treat other people lives like it was a mere plaything.
She swears and so mote it be.
When she descended into the basement after she retrieved her pink haori from her side of battleground, Tanjiro literally zoomed and tackled her for a tight hug, letting out a concerned grunt. In which she accepted the embrace almost greedily (he's alive. He's alive. They didn't take him away from her. They didn't take her only family away from her—). The oldest of Kamado's sibling then snatched her sleeve, bringing the confused sister to the doctor's and the student's side. Before pulling them all in into one, giant group hug; Yushiro didn't look too happy about this, however.
"Tanjiro's has been in this state ever since things ended," Tamayo said when she saw the ponytail girl's confused gaze. She patted his back soothingly, making him snuggled into the crook of her neck even more, Yushiro was totally growling in irritation, "I don't know what's wrong with him..."
"Get off of me, stupid boy!" the lime-haired boy snarled, trying to push him away but to no avail.
Nezuko blinked and stared at the back of her brother's head, "niichan," the ginger-haired boy whined, she continued, "do you...remember? Remembered your time as a human?"
The answer she got was the tightening of his hug, not wanting to let go.
"Aah...is that so," she blinked, caressing his hair with a soft smile decorating her white complexion. She turned to Tamayo who was giving her an inquiring stare as she explained, "I think niichan deems that the two of you reminded him from people he knew from our old home. Because you may be demons, but you retained humanity just as much as he did. That he decided to treat you as humans as well," she chuckled, the pretty ladys eyes widened when the insinuation sets in, "I'm glad."
"That means you're our family now."
Tamayo cried at the revelation, basking on the warmth of other people that treat her not based on her kind but on her heart, while Yushiro stared with thinned lips. The student remembered. He remembered the past. Remembered when the nice lady approached him in his deathbed; eyes sad and full of unshed tears.
("a non-human life is very difficult and very painful," she said, gripping his sweaty palm, "do you still want to be one? Do you still want to follow this dangerous path?")
(I will, Yushiro vowed inside his heart that day. I will)
(As long as I can wipe that oh, so sorrowful expression from your pretty face. As long as you're happy, I will willingly go down the path of hell myself if I have to)
(As long as you're happy...)
"We will leave this place," Tamayo announced, giving the blanket to the wife as she decided to rest near her demon husband, still stuck inside the cell so he could not attack anyone, "this place is too close to Kibutsuji. If we don't hide ourselves quickly, we will be in grave danger. And even if we are able to hide through some crafty means, as a doctor that needs to come into contact with other people, there will eventually be a day when people find out that we are demons. The senses of children and old people are especially sharps"
Ah, yes. Nezuko recalled the old man Saburo from her old town. He has an uncanny instinct about this otherworldly myth as well. The one who was responsible for her salvation from the tragedy that befell her entire family.
"Nezuko-san," the pink haori wearer stood up straighter when she heard the firm tone in it. Tamayo stepped closer, eyes sharps as she said, "are you willing to leave Tanjiro-san here with us?"
"...eh?"
"Even though we can't say for certain that we can keep him away from harm, it's still much safer than bringing him into the battlefield," the doctor continued, hand on her chest. Yushiro discreetly shook his head in the background, definitely didn't want the hunter to accept the offer, "especially as somehow, the demon wanted to take him to Kibutsuji. It'll be hard to keep your attention to the battle while the other beast tried to kidnap him away."
That...that was true. If Tanjiro stays here, he could hide. Yushiro said his hidden technique is not complete yet, but he's improving. Especially now that Kibutsuji knew about their apparent survival, he needs to step up his game. If Tanjiro come along with them then—
"No."
They blinked when a voice they haven't heard before resounded in the silent room. The oldest sibling stepped towards Nezuko, holding onto her fingers tight and reddish-brown orbs glinted with determination. He shook his head repeatedly and lips moved, not noticing the slack jaws of the occupants around, "no. No...go. Will stay with...pink girl."
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"N-Niichan?" Nezuko staggered, her other hand reached towards his face, trembling, "N-Niichan? Did you just...speak?"
Tanjiro turned to her and tilted his head. His mouth slowly opened like before. However, instead of sentences just like seconds ago, he was back to whining and grunting. Confusing the sister and disappointing her a lot. Tamayo though, she giggled.
"He really cares about you, huh," she spoke, "if he was determined to stay with you, enough to make him speak for a moment to make his intention clear, then it's settled" the doctor put her hands to each of their shoulders, smiling and expression serene, "good luck."
"I wish you the best for your upcoming battle"
Before continuing their adventure, they decided to give the nice demons a hand to erase their presence inside the house, bundling their important goods into one cargo and transporting the wife and the husband along for further examination. When everything is done, the Kamado's siblings finally leave the haven, promising to stay in contact to give each other update whenever there's a new discovery involving the cure. Kasugaigarasu of the demon slayer association descended upon her once more, giving her new mission to finish. This time, they have to travel to the southeast. Southeast. And...that's it. The bird didn't give her any other information—about what the mission itself entails, what kind of demon she'll face. Just like what it did when it ordered her to go to Asakusa town, jerk—it screeches is really annoying too. She already said she'll be there soon, please wait a moment because she is still injured. Could still feel her ribs twinge even after the heal. And if you won't shut up soon, you'll have to face my hook. And you know you don't want to deal with this hook.
The crow immediately shut up.
Her apparent peace was not long-lasting, nevertheless. Because right after that moment, "PLEASE!" she heard another loud, high-pitched voice, making her ears hurt. Furthermore, that voice was a lot more irritating than her animal companion too. And that's saying something as the crow had cawed right on her ears for the past one hour.
(Although this yellow fog, she mussed. She felt like she saw this sunny, electrifying fog before...)
In the middle of the road separating the rice fields were two people; a girl with braided black hair, styled in pigtails and a boy with yellow hair wearing the haori with the same color, multiple small, white triangles decorated the cloth. The boy was hanging onto the girl's waist for dear life, tears and snots running down his face, "PLEASE! PLEASE MARRY ME!" he begged, clutching onto the kimono like there was no tomorrow, "I don't know when I'll die so PLEASE! Marry me, I BEG YOU!"
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What the actual heck was Nezuko first thought.
(A/N): The crow name is Matsuemon Tennoji. I don't think the manga tell us this? Or I just miss it somehow? Must be in Taisho Corner Manga Version too or something. But well, I think I'm just gonna use 'the crow' or 'the messanger' or 'the bird' to describe it. Because I honestly will forget this within a day as he's not really that important to the main story. Besides, I'm too lazy to check every chapter of my fanfiction it was featured in and changed some of the description just to include its name lol :'D