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.

Beta'ed by LamboLover36. Thank you so much~

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Manga: Chapter 30 and 31

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"Ufufufu," the demon sitting on top of a big boulder chuckled eerily. She has white hair, flowing down her back, with long bangs that were tied into a simple low tail. She was wearing a white kimono that covered her slender body, although her boobs were splayed out for the world to see. Her hands were moving in tandem, invisible threads running from her fingers to the darkness of the forest. She was the mastermind. The one who controlled the unconscious and dead seniors, "the closer you get to me, the larger the threads will become. And the stronger they will be. So come, if you dare. I won't hesitate to give my warm welcome~"

"Mother."

Her glee was abruptly halted, however, when a familiar voice rang through the open-field. Her body immediately tensed, sweat rolling down her forehead and her face went pale. Behind one of the trees' trunks, stood another white-haired fiend. A child. The same demon who had appeared before Nezuko and company. There's no expression on his smooth, milky face. Yet that send dread through her entire back anyway, chilling the already cold night and scaring her so much that she almost couldn't breath, "R-Rui?"

"Can we win?" his mouth slightly opened, uttering the sentence like it was an announcement of doom, an opening speech that will throw her into the depths of hell, "will this take too long? And take up too much time? If you don't—"

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"I will tell father."

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And here it was. Words that sent her reeling.

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No. She remembered. The very first weeks they started gathering as a family. She remembered when that man hit her. Punched her. Punished her. When in his anger and blind fury, he tore her flesh open, blinding her left eye in the process. She was begging. Pleading. Apologizing. Because she was wrong. She won't do it again and tell me. Why are you mad? What displeased you?

Your fault lies with not knowing why he is mad, was what Rui said, looking over the events from above. No remorse on his face at all, even after seeing his mother hurt. But how could he? How could he say that to her? She's his mother, she is his family. Why won't he tell her what was I doing wrong so I can rectify my mistakes and be a good parent to you—

Rui's older brother laughed mockingly from behind the bushes, watching the drama with pleasure clearly written on his deranged face. While Rui's older sister just silently stared as she sat on top of the branch of the tallest tree. They didn't help. They didn't move a single muscle to rescue their mother. They didn't even blink when Father grabbed a clump of her hair forcefully, ready to rain another verdict to the oblivious woman please help me. Help me, help me, help me—

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"Mother?" her youngest's voice snapped her from her flashback, making the muscles under her skin bunch in trepidation, wrinkling the red, continuous dots on her forehead, her nose, and at each side of her lips into ugly, horrendous lines.

"E-Everything will be fine!" she screeched. Eyes bulging and pupil dilating, "Mother can do it! I will definitely protect you! So please! Don't tell Father! Don't—"

"Then hurry," he spoke as his way of saying goodbye before he disappeared into the dark. She waited for another second, huffing and puffing. Ready to steady herself if Rui thought that threat was not enough to 'encourage' her and came back to give her another. When he didn't, she faced forward once more, determination lit in those desperate, white gaze.

"UURRGGHHHH! Die, die, die, DIE all of you!" she growled, hands now moving even more fiercely, causing the threads that looped around her fingernails weaved crazily, "or else I'm going to...I'm going to end up as...!"

At the other side of the forest, where Nezuko and Inosuke were halted on their trek by the black-haired girl, the hunter screamed, "RUN!" as she dashed towards the pair. Her body moved against her will, slashing the air with intent to kill even though the girl's desire was nothing but that. She was clearly being controlled, her movements were completely different. A level ten such as Nezuko and the senior herself was not that strong. They may as well just as weak as a newbie hunter, never mind the experiences they had after finishing off a mission. The burgundy eyes hunter watched in horrified fascination as the senior's arms cracked, moving so awkwardly to her back before it swung back to the front, blade whizzing past her face, almost nicking her ear and chopping some strands from her ponytail. The invisible threads were forcing drastic actions upon the body. Yet, it means nothing to the demon. So long as they have their puppets in their clutch, no matter if the bones break or the human dies in the process, they'll use it till they drop. This is cruel. Too, too cruel—

While she dodged the girl's incessant onslaught, the bushes behind her rustled. Two other hunters came out from behind the foliage. Broken, beaten, bloody, and arms twisting in grotesque directions, Nezuko didn't know how they could still be gripping onto their weapons that tight. Although, at the back of her mind where she had shoved all of her negative thoughts aside, it must be that they didn't even feel the nerves on that hands anymore, numb. That the demon used the thread to wrap their fingers around the handles and make them wield the heavy swords even at the cost of their mobility.

"K-Kill us..." said the first one with cracked forehead, gushing out red liquid that was sticking into his shoulder-length hair, gluing the strands onto his black and blue face, "the bones within our arms...and legs are all broken..." his voice was hoarse, like he had screamed his lungs out in pain for hours. Where a long, long time of him being forced to be a puppet of this cruel beast had passed and now he was too tired to continue, "our internal organs are broken...and damaged. We are...being forced to move. This...this pain...we'd rather die. No matter—cough—what option we take—cough, cough—the results...is death."

"Save us, please. Stop this...finish us..." the second one with short hair and bloody, vertical slash from his left eye to the right side of his mouth, chimed in. His body trembled, tears stinging his droopy eyes that the sight itself hurt Nezuko's heart so much no, no, no, no. Don't say that. Don't make me banish your beautiful color. Your aquamarine. And your rosewood, no—

"KILL US!"

"Okay! I got it!" Inosuke unsheathed his dual, chipped katana from its scabbard, crossing them with each other to show the gleam within. He jumped towards the male hunters, already squatting to elude their incoming attacks, "I'll fulfill your wish!"

"W-Wait, Inosuke!" Nezuko stammered, still dodging the puppet girl's blade, "there must be a way to save them. I'm sure we..."

"Aaarghhh! Shut up, Nedukon! You talk too much!" he ducked, letting the weapon of the short-haired teen whizz past his head. Pig Mask sent his left leg upward, snapping the broken bone of the Short Hair's left arm to another direction. The force made his grip on the handle slip and the weapon tumbled to the ground. He then jumped upward, escaping the downright slash of the Shoulder-Length hair, "they said it themselves. They want to die! This bunch is fast and we'll be the one killed if we dawdle! I'm trying to think of a way to deal with them fast and try not to make them suffer that much if you prefer it that way. So just shut your mouth for a second!"

Even so, I still don't want to kill them. To kill a normal human who was just trying to live their life to the fullest. She grunted when Horse-Tail's next strike almost cut her chest open. There must be a way to stop them because honestly, hacking at the thread was useless, they immediately reattached the moment the line was cut. Right. Maybe that'll work!

Nezuko bent before she rushed, running away from the Horse-Tail senior. She thought she heard Inosuke angry shouting. Saying that there's no point in running around, it won't solve this conundrum are you kidding me? But she didn't pay any attention to his sulking as she skidded to a halt, Horse-Tail's next swing went above her crouching body. Nezuko grabbed her waist and threw her to the sky with a loud cry. The senior went flying, her eyes widening and jaw agape, as she sailed through the air, passed the tree and—

Stop. She whimpered when her whole figure halted abruptly in the middle of the descent. When Horse-Tail opened her eyes, she realized that the threads on her person were tangled up on the branches, rendering it worthless for the hiding demon to use her any longer.

Alright! Nezuko cheered inside. Now onto the next target.

Mother silently observed from the spiders around the forest. When the Pig Mask gleefully repeated the trick and turned another puppet of hers ineffective; it was the Shoulder-Lenght one this time. And when Inosuke guffawed uproariously, demanding attention from his companion, which the pink hunter gave almost distractedly. Pretty sure she didn't see his gallant move yet she praised him anyway just to appease the hot-headed boy. Mother's smooth complexion scrunched up once more, teeth gnashing and eyes murderous, "in that case, I'll have to release that doll!" she growled, the wires on her hands tightened, she yanked, "I don't need these weak puppets anymore! Useless, useless, useless—"

The neck of the seniors suddenly snapped, making their heads roll and faced their own back. Inosuke's breath stuttered and Nezuko's voice choked, red eyes shivering in horror.

"—they are all so useless!"

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They...They're dead. Inosuke blankly thought, staring at their previous assailants in shocked silence. Before it changed into anger and he screamed in frustration, "AARRGH! Bastard! Now they're all dead! Oi, Nedukon!" he swiveled his head to the girl, who was bowing at the side of the battlefield, touching the Short Hair's body tenderly with her calloused hand, "look at this! We've done a good job at not killing them and yet—"

And yet, he halted. Yet, he didn't finish his whine the moment he sensed Nezuko's darkening mood. The air around her chilled to a certain degree, shadow that somehow covered her face didn't help in calming Inosuke down. It only made the hair on his nape stand even further. The Water Breath User slowly rose up, back still to him, the box Tanjiro was in rattled with unease. It seemed the demon inside also sensed his sister's change. Nezuko didn't pay any attention to that and simply started speaking. Her voice was just as soothing as before. But in this tense silence, it was like she was shouting in blind anger, "let's go."

"...yeah."

So, for the third time, they continue their journey. His skin prickled, it sensed that the demon—the manipulator—was nearby. And he knew Nezuko knew that fact too, as her eyes were rolling, seeing something only she could see. Except again, for the third time in a row that it started being repetitive, their trek had to be stopped when a shadow that vaguely shaped like a human stood in their way. His stomach twisted when he saw who the hell dare to get in their way when he was (when Nezuko was) clearly in a bad mood. It was a body. Like, literally a body without a head. Judging from his half-naked form, it was a male. Wearing only pants that were badly torn, showing his thigh and knee; the left side of his pants managed to hold onto his muscled leg just because a piece of its clothes were still hanging desperately onto the ankle. Both of his arms were not human arms. Instead, from his elbows to his palms, they changed into the leg of a spider. Striped, hairy, and pointy. Inosuke was sure that legs...err...arms—whatever!—were used as some sort of weapon too, a short spear that will slash then pierce them mercilessly.

"Disgusting!" was Nezuko initial reply.

It was. And, "this guy doesn't have a weak spot!" Pig Mask blinked in realization. He stomped the ground in a childish pout, annoyed at the weird creature that was presented before their sight, "wha—huh? The heck—I can't chop at him if he doesn't have one!"

"C-Calm down, Inosuke. Let's stop for a while and think," while the monstrosity stays rooted in its place, not charging at them like the weapon of destruction he was. He didn't know why the manipulator didn't immediately use this surely-stronger-than-the-previous-puppets to send them away like headless chickens. But they thank whatever-deity that exists who listened to their plea for a small reprieve, even if it was just a split second, "I know. Let's cut at him from a diagonal angle. From his shoulders! Let's try to slice that thing from the bottom right side of the neck to beneath its left armpits. It's a large area so it'll probably be tough. But it'll be the same as we are cutting his neck. So—"

"Got it!" the hot-head interjected, not wanting to hear any more explanation and difficult jargon, "I'm going first! YAHAAAAA!"

"Wait! We should do this together—"

Both of them—Inosuke and the headless fiend—lept at each other—

SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH

But the only one who received damages was the pretty boy in the Boar Mask, blood pouring from the scratches on his cheek, knuckle, arms, stomach, and thighs. The movement of this puppet was clearly faster than the previous ones. Even if he managed to dodge at the very last second, it still injured him with its speedy thrust. Not good. For the first time in his life, Inosuke felt dread. The spiders of the hidden manipulator were around this area as well. Landing on his skin and every one of his limbs, his body abruptly stopped in motion. Not good. Not good, not good, not good!

I can't move! His widening green eyes peered from beneath the headpiece, staring in terror as the arm/leg slash spear descended upon his head. I can't move and I'm going to be killed—

Nezuko appeared in between them all of a sudden, catching the weapon with her own and used the other to give him a wide swing. It didn't hurt the puppet, yet it made him jump back, away from the teenager and that distance was enough for them to take a breather. The ponytail girl cut the strings that contained Inosuke's movement and glared, "I told you we should do this together, am I? Look at you now, you're hurt! You really should take better care of yourself, Inosuke! Think about your future!"

While Nezuko proceeded to scold the living heck out of him, Inosuke realized the puppet was prepared to pounce once more; weapons ready to the fore.

"Uh...Nedukon..."

"Okay, I'll let you bend your bones in whatever your body allows you to, as long as it's within your limit. But jumping without a plan, when we are clearly fighting the bigger demon here, is a no no. For a small fry, sure—"

"Nedukon," the headless demon was almost within their distance, "you should turn around and—"

"And then there's your reckless fighting! Just because you lived on a mountain before, doesn't mean your skin is as thick as a stone! It'll tear if you're pierced by a sharp object. You'll bleed the same red blood because you're just as human as I am—"

"NEZUKO! BEHIND YOU!"

"STEP ON ME, THEN!"

Inosuke jumped, using the box on her back as a springboard. He slashed his dual katanas with frightful speed, cutting off both of the puppet's hands. Pig Mask did another leap, now putting his position right at the top of the demon's blind peripheral—

Nezuko, using her head as her impromptu footing, twisted her body and moved her swords to the same direction; now in double-edged Naginata mode so the skill she'll use will focus onto one spot instead of scattering everywhere, "Breath of Water, Third Style," her niichirin blade let out a gush of blue water, forming a single, wavy wave of a clear liquid that sliced the beast's legs apart. Making him lose his balance and he stumbled forward, "THE BEATING TIDE!"—

Then Inosuke swung his chipped sword at the same time, cutting the shoulder, along with his right hand and leftover neck in one strike. One strike that ends it all.

"Yes! A beautiful slice! You did it, Inosuke! Good job!" Nezuko smiled so wide, it was almost painful to see. She giggled, sounded nearly manic in this tense atmosphere, "and you called me by my name too! I know you were, I heard it loud and clear! You can't pretend you didn't this time, ha!"

What's wrong with her, it's really pissing me off! Inosuke landed with a loud thump, he placed the weapons back in its sheaths. Everything is under this girl's control. It's like this development was meant to happen. Just like water flowing through current into a stream. This guy doesn't step forth to handle things by herself. Instead—

"Inosuke?" she questioned when the Beast Breath User rushed to her, the eyeball of that headpiece glinted with unnamed emotion.

—she reads the entire flow of the battle and holds it within her mind!

"GRAAAHHH! I CAN DO WHATEVER YOU CAN DO TOO, YOU BASTARD!" the pretty boy roared, as he clamped the girl from the waist down, she let out a small yelp. With another loud exclamation, he threw the pink haori wearer into the open sky, ignoring her shriek and letting out a huff of satisfaction, "that'll teach you not to underestimated my thinking process, hmf!"

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"It's defeated! It's defeated, it's defeated, it's defeateeedddd!" Mother was sweating, face turned whiter than ever before, staring at her threads that slowly fall to the ground; losing strength now that no one was there for it to reattach itself. Her body was trembling, white orbs swiveling right and left, up and down. She was definitely in distress, she almost hyperventilated, "that puppet was the fastest and the strongest but now! Now it was defeated!"

"This is all because Rui came and threatened me!" she wailed, hugging her slender figure with her hands, trying to stop the quivers to no avail, "which is why I panicked! I panicked and I—"

The wind whistled and the leaves crackled. The white-haired devil jolted, her head moved skyward. Reflected on her demonic eyes, she saw the demon slayer—the girl one. The cheerful one. With a wide smile and easy laugh she looks so happy even in this perilous situation I'm jealous—up in the air, dual blade pulled to the back of her head ready to be used. Her darkening form against the shining, full moon frightened her like no other, "No!" she paled, fingers moving jerkily, "no! I'm going to be killed! My head is going to be chopped off! Hurry up and think! Hurry up and think—"

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("If you don't..." Rui's blank face resounding inside her mind, "I will tell father.")

(He will tell father. Even if I survived this, he'll tell father and I'll be punished I'll suffer, suffer, suffer—)

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("If I die...")

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Nezuko took a deep breath, burgundy eyes sharpened (and the black thread circling her neck loosened before it tightened), "First style—"

Mother's hands moved, the strings on her fingers cutting apart and fell to the earth.

Then the hunter saw it. She saw something change in the fiend's demeanor. Saw how her palms were wide open, no weapons in sight. Saw how her eyes shifted. At first, it was bleak without emotion. Terror with a tint of desperation. Then—

—acceptance. Hopeful for the next journey of the afterlife. The next journey full of happiness that will accept her in a warm, warm, warm embrace of a caring family—

("If I die..." that widening pupils silently said, "I shall be released. I'll be able to feel happy again—")

Nezuko changed her grip; from clutching the handle with fervor to a soft hold with appeasing reassurance, "Breath of Water, Fifth Style—"

"Nezuko," she recalled Sakonji's words from before. It was their second week of training the ten Water Breath Techniques, she was chopping up the logs around using the skills the old man in Tengu Mask taught beforehand. He was seeing Nezuko's work from afar, leaning on the bamboo almost lazily, "do you remember the first demon you encounter on your journey in meeting me that day?"

Of course. She could never forget that. When the thing she thought was a mere myth all this time, a story parents told so their children won't play after the sunset, was actually real. When those demons are actually alive, kicking, disgusting. Sad. When she broke down and shouted accusation at her trainer (she apologize the moment her mind was clear. In which Sakonji waved it away. As long as she used that spite to becomes stronger, a verbal insult will never rattle him) for questioning her resolve. When the reality sank in as she saw her brother kicked the head of the demon apart. That Tanjiro was now a demon as well. That it's not a dream. That her family were now gone, gone, gone—

"That was your first fight. And I understand that you hold sympathy for them, knowing that they were previously human. That they must have their own feeling and emotion," he continued. The unblinking stare of the mask's bulging eyes gazed, "but, for a kind person such as yourself, think about it this way. If you find a demon that retained their humanity as much as your brother does..."

"Will you wait for the sun to come up again, making them suffer and die in pain?"

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Nezuko gulped.

Sakonji was right. That was...if she did the same thing to the first demon she met—hesitating. Waiting. When that time comes, he was suffering. His agonized scream still haunted her even today—she was just as cruel as the demon she will slay in the future. Torturing them, letting them drown in misery by the sole weakness of their kind. She couldn't do that to them, no matter how evil the demon was. Because they were human. They had a family. They had a life. Just like Nezuko did. Just like Tanjiro did.

She couldn't—

"I want you to resolve yourself," the old man said, jolting her from her dilemma, "Killing them may be harsh for the first time around. But it'll also release them from their struggling. Some of them must not want to be turned into a man-eating monster that killed their own family."

"And if you do find a demon that is just as nice as your brother one day, willing to atone for their sin of killing innocent civilians," he walked up the her and unsheathed his own katana, pulling his legs back while standing in a stance she didn't recognize, "I want you to use this technique."

Nezuko landed gracefully to the ground behind the boulder Mother sat on, hands spread at each side of her body before they slowly drew forward; like a bird closing their wings to sleep. The air rippled, showering the beast with water droplets. A rhythmic drizzle that calmed the crying baby and soothed even the most violent person ever. The small rain continued for the next second, accompanying the distressful fiend with its melodic sounds as her head lolled, chopped off from her shoulder by the smooth trail of a gentle water.

THE MERCIFUL RAIN OF A DRY DAY, was the name of that skill. There is little to no pain when sliced by the fifth style. Because this is a sword technique only used when the opponent offers their own neck.

The sword strike of kindness.

(A/N): It's not much of a problem. But I'm curious how canon!Tanjiro killed those demons in the Final Selection easily. I meaan...when he first met a demon, he was too hesitant to finish him, the sun was already up and kill the demon instead. I don't think someone as nice as him will change his mind even after 2 years of training. So when I saw how the Fifth Style Work, I thought "huh...maybe this is how Urokodaki convinced him". At least I think so `3`

(LL: To me it seems like when Tanjirou decides on something he'll see it through, even killing demons.)