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 32, 34, 35, 36
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This feeling is just like being showered by a gentle rain.
No pain...no agony...
Only warmness.
I...never thought there could be such a peaceful way to die...
And now...I'm—
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—free
Nezuko swerved her head to the left, staring at the night sky above their heads in wonder. She thought she heard thunder clamoring in the distance. But the sky didn't flicker, the clouds didn't even manifest. Maybe it was just her imagination. She mistook Inosuke thundering complaints—saying that he's not injured (which, he clearly is) and he didn't need any treatment at all (which, he clearly did!)—for the natural occurrence of rain and storm. She was still bandaging Inosuke's wounds despite his stubbornness as she recalled what happened minutes ago. After she killed the manipulator. After that disgusting, disturbing black fog turned into a pretty, sorrowful, sad, sad, sad peach why? Why are you so sad? Even after you've turned into a demon, you still have your family, right? So why—
(Nezuko knew why. She knew from the very beginning. Because—)
Mother was crying, yet peace was evident in her face that slowly turned into dust. She smiled at her, grateful and thankful, she said, "there's a Twelve Demon Moon here. Please, be careful"
(Because they were not her 'family')
(It does not matter if they're not real. Adopted children are just as precious as your blood-related child. No. The thing is, this 'family' of her doesn't exude any warmth. Doesn't exhibit any protection)
(Instead, it was full of fear, disdain, and decay, it hurt, it hurt, it hurts so much—)
(The thing is, Nezuko was very lucky. To never be a part of a family that despises each other. So she didn't know and didn't understand how a family could hate their own members. How could older siblings hurt their own younger siblings. How could parents mock their own children)
(The thing is...the only thing she could do for her was...pray. Pray that, in her next journey of the afterlife—)
(She'll reincarnate into a caring and loving family she wished she had)
So, after that revelation, Nezuko was adamant that they had to go back to check on Zenitsu and Murata. Then, when they reconvened, they have to get out of this forest and called for a backup. She won't run away, she needs the Twelve Demon Moon's blood as it was one of the main ingredients in creating a cure for Tanjiro. Yet, she knew, deep down, that she was not strong enough. Her fight between Yahaba broke most of her bones. And don't ever forget about Kyogai with his spinning room, her unfinished-healing ribs shattered once more. That's why she wants to ask Kasugaigarasu for reinforcement. She'll just stealthily drain the demon's blood after the stronger slayer finished the job. It's cowardly, Nezuko admitted, especially when she agreed on Tamayo's task to handle the job—
"But your survival is just as important as this mission, Nezuko-chan," the beautiful doctor told her that day, after helping them in packing their belongings and before they departed for their next journey. In the background, Tanjiro was seen humming happily as he loads buckets and buckets of medical equipment to the cart. While Yushiro chased after him and indignantly screamed to handle Tamayo-sama's things with care or I'll sue you for property damage! Tamayo clasped her hand and stared at her burgundy orbs, "so if you think there's still time and you're not strong enough to fight them that time around, please retreat. For the sake of your brother. And for your own survival."
She promised to stay safe. So stay safe it'll be.
Nevertheless, Inosuke didn't agree with that sentiment, as expected. That's why he took off, literally. Jumping from tree to tree like some kind of ninja to the place he sensed the remaining demons were accumulating. He was as swift as he was agile, she couldn't reach him, not before he tripped—the wounds on his thigh must be the factor of his subtle wince—and fell from the branch, damaging himself even further.
"Don't run, Nedukon!" he exclaimed, anger and spitting mad, "if you're waiting and waiting and waiting, you won't get stronger! If you keep fighting the lesser demons instead, you'll stagnant. And I don't want my stepping stone to become that kind of unworthy trash!"
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Aah...he's right.
What am I doing, getting cold feet after going through the ordeal this far? Just because the forest had been emanating some disturbing fogs?
Sorry, Tamayo-san. Nezuko wryly smiled. But I think I'll break that promise from now on.
"Ah! There it is!" Inosuke said, she blinked in question. Across the small river with a natural bridge made by flat stones, stood a demon. She was a teenage girl, having the same white hair that was styled in simple pigtails—for both of her long bangs and the rest of the locks behind her back—the same white eyes and the same white kimono. Four red, continuous dots decorated her milky complexion; two on her forehead and two under her mouth, it looked like the marks were making an unfinished cross across her face, disappearing before it reach her nose. The moment her sight landed at them, she instantly turned back to where she came, Inosuke guffawed, "she's scared! let's chop her up now, Nedukon!"
"W-Wait, Inosuke—" Nezuko said, trying to stop him from dashing recklessly towards the enemy once again. However, she was too late when—
"FATHER!" the fiend screamed.
WHAM
Something—or someone—fell from the sky—
"GROAAARRRRR!"
And then it—he—roared at them. A beast with the body of a human. But the face of a spider head. Along with long, flowy white hair, seven blank black orbs, and several sharp teeth that added the horror factor of this being representation.
"DISGUSTING!" was, again, Nezuko initial response.
"Get away..." he growled, fist pulled back. Before he slammed it to the ground. So fast, so strong! It cracked the earth into a big dent, splattering chunks of big boulders to every direction, "get away from my FAMILY!"
BOOM
"Breath of Water, second Style—" Nezuko, in mid-leap, swung one of her swords downwards, ready to split his head vertically, "WATER WHEEL—"
WHAM
But the demon blocked it with his arm alone. Her blue blade was stuck. It didn't even go through the whole arm at all, only managed to cut into two centimeters of his skin. The human spider used that opening to send a punch to Nezuko, who was struggling to pull the weapon out. Inosuke immediately interjected, stopping the onslaught with both of his swords. Alas, just like Nezuko, his retaliation was futile and the demon decided to throw them away instead, now that both of the hunters were stuck on him and he couldn't use both of his arms at that moment. The instant they were away from the beast's personal space—cartwheeling through the air and landing to the ground with grace, in Nezuko's case. And landing on his knees, skidding to a halt that left a trail of dust, in Inosuke's case—the fiend pounced. Big, burly arms swung with intense speed. The moment he brought it down, it smashed the earth under the river like butter, splashing the water and shattering the whole chunk of its base, creating another small crater in it.
I can't cut him even with the Second Style of Water Breath, crap! Is he the Twelve Demon Moon Mother's told me about? But I didn't see any number. Maybe he hid it like Kyogai? She didn't know and she didn't really care at the moment. One thing she took notice of though, was Inosuke using that small opening to lash out another vertical slash. The demon instantly turned around and backhanded him away, right under his chin. Nezuko—internally apologized for using Inosuke's opportunity to create her own attack—went to the opposite direction of the battlefield. If she cannot cut him when his attention was trained onto them, in which it made him easily recognized their movement and blocked their strike with the utmost force possible, then—, "Breath of Water, Second Style Modified," (she used this once, she hoped she's strong enough to use it again and the skill will not leave her breathless because of her inexperience) she moved both of her weapons horizontally to slashed at one of the many trees, "HORIZONTAL WATER WHEEL!"
Inosuke watched with bated breath when the tree slowly fell. Right on top of the ready-to-leap demon.
("She cut down a tree with that stick arm of hers? Pig Mask belatedly thought, silently impressed. That's so cool)
Alright! He's trapped! Nezuko ran with all her might, not wanting to lose her chance now that the demon was pinned down by the big trunk. Her grips changed, water started flowing from her blade, "Full Focus. Breath of Water, Tenth Style—"
"NO, NEDUKON! STAY AWAY FROM HIM—"
Unfortunately, his warning came a tad bit too late. Because one second she thought she had it and the next second, the human spider was standing up. Pushing the log away from his back, hands grasped onto the end of the humongous log, lifting it and swinging it like a bat—
WHAAAAMMM
—right into the advancing pink slayer. Flinging her to the sky like she weighed nothing at all.
"NEDUKON!"
NO! Nezuko wailed, teeth gnashed. She softened the blow to her body with the hilt of her sword while jumping back, so the demon couldn't kill her with the physical force. But still. She could not descend to the earth on her own accord. She was flying. Away from the battleground. Away from Inosuke. Away from her friend, no, no, no, no, NO—
"INOSUKE! That guy may be one of the Twelve Demon Moons! One of Muzan's underlings. So, under any circumstances, don't die!" she screamed, her cracking voice halting the hunter from trying to stand up, body trembling—a sign of blood loss. She knew she had to properly heal him, despite his protests, darn it—Tears started springing from her eyelids, frustration clear on her furrowed eyebrow, "don't die, don't die, PLEASE, DON'T YOU DARE DIE! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME ALONE. NOT AGAIN! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANYONE ANYMO—"
Then she's gone, leaving the dumbfound Inosuke with the growling demon, ready to continue their dance of danger in this night without stars.
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"WATER WHEEL!"
WHUMP
GRASAK GRASAK SKIIIDD
"Okay. Okay, okay, okay, I somehow landed safely..." Nezuko took a deep, long breath. Sweat poured from her forehead, drenching her bangs and making them stick to her face, she swiped it away. The pink hunter blinked multiple times to chase the tears away, not wanting her vexation to cloud her judgment. Now that her impromptu take-off was over, she needs to get back to Inosuke. That demon was too strong, his strength was borderline monstrous. Nezuko didn't mean to underestimate the Pig Mask's skills, but her teammate was injured. Blood covering half of his body, fighting with that kind of open wounds in the middle of the water was like playing inside a stack of needles; prickling and painful. So she needs—no—has to help Inosuke. She won't let her friend die. She won't let her precious people go from her life not again—
"KYAAAAAAHHHHH!"
However, a blood-curdling scream rang through the entire forest, stopping her in her tracks. Because of her own panicking, Nezuko didn't even realize that, not too far from her position, was the demon she met at the riverside. Before Father came to them like a devil ready to bring them doom. The pigtails beast was kneeling on the ground, covering her face with both of her palms, trying to stop the blood from flowing or just a knee-jerk reaction after her whole complexion was cut up mercilessly. How did Nezuko know, when the demon girl's face was hidden by her own hands? Because the perpetrator was right there. Stringing the thread on his fingers slowly, almost lovingly. Red liquid (that certainly belongs to the girl on the ground, what the fu—) dripped from the thin, invisible strings. He was the very first white-haired demon she saw, the one who overlooked their previous struggle from the vantage point. The kid that was younger than her—judging from his physique, of course. For all she knew, this demon was a lot older than her—he slowly turned to her, yellow eyes staring in boredom, "what are you looking for? This isn't for show"
Her black fog swayed pitifully. It cowered from the thick, horrifying black of that kid. It reminded her of Mother's fog, coiling around her body, trying to make itself as small as possible. Like it was afraid something will strike it down. Like she was afraid someone will strike her down and it made Nezuko's stomach churned—
"Wh-What are you doing?" she numbly asked. Before her tone turned aggressive, a low growl rose from the back of her throat, "What the heck are you doing?! Isn't she your ally?"
The demon kid tilted his head, confusion shining on that blank, uncaring expression, "Ally? Don't liken it to such a shallow thing," he strummed the deadly thread, wiping the blood away as he continued, "we are family. We are tied by strong bonds. This is between me and neechan. If you're gonna meddle in this needlessly, I'll dice you up."
"Did you even listen to yourself?!" Nezuko snarled, her burgundy eyes popped, "both family and allies are tied by strong bonds. They're valuable! There's nothing shallow about it even if you're not connected by blood. Their fog will look happy, bouncing and dancing merrily around their companion. But you guys..." she clenched her hands, gripping onto her dual swords so tight, her skin turned white (So he was the one. Who planted desperation into these family. Who planted sorrow into Mother. Deep enough she begged me to kill her how could he, how could he, how could he!), "fear, hatred, and disgust is all I see! This is not bond. Everything is a sham. A fake—"
"Your family is nothing but a PATHETIC DISGUISE!"
OMAKE
Chapter 32-35
I'm having a dream. Zenitsu breathed through his mouth. Huffing and puffing, trying his best to hinder the blood clogging his throat or else he'll drown and die.
A dream where I'm strong. Stronger than anyone else.
I could help weak and troubled people anytime. Nobody will leave me. Nobody will abandon me.
A dream...where I was so useful to everyone.
Zenitsu choked on his sobs, sweat pouring from his forehead. He couldn't do this. He tried evening his breath as his jii-chan (illusion) told him to. To delay the venom from spreading and surviving for a moment longer. But he knew he was reaching his limit. Every time he remembered the fiend—body of a giant spider yet head of a normal human. Short, white hair and green eyes on top of red scleras. Red continuous dots that started from his left temple to his left chin, the other circling his right eye. The devil. The one who bestowed him with this illness he didn't want—every time he remembered the perpetrator, the poison inside of him boiled. Like it knew they had to do this job at least right. The owner is dead, but that doesn't mean they can't bring the sun-haired kid along with them to hell.
He wanted to weep. To roll over and sleep. To curled in the embrace of his lovely, precious jii-chan. The one who saved him when he was financially supporting the woman who eloped with him and riddled with debt (although maybe he bought him as a potential student he could mold into a fine swordsman, Zenitsu didn't really care). The one who was always there to protect him. Supported him, shouting encouragement at him. Even when his students mocked him, sneered at him, spat at him—
("Get lost, you coward!" one of Jii-chans apprentices angrily threw a peach at him. He was frowning and growling. The golden Magatama that was tied by a blue thread around his neck gleamed under the peeking sun. Black, unkempt hair swayed because of the breeze, "sensei was a 'Pillar'. He was a person who received the title of 'the strongest Demon Hunter'. But all the time sensei spent teaching you were completely useless! Why is a worthless orphan like you are here? You're an eyesore! Disappear! Disappear, disappear—")
("Stay with us," Jii-chan said. Smiling and eyes determined, "you can run, you can cry, but you can't give up. You can only use one technique out of six? Then so be it! You have a talent, Zenitsu. If that talent is using one skill rather than another, then take that one ability. Honed it until you can't anymore. And bring it to the distance!")
—he was always there, strict as hell but was extremely patient no matter how many times Zenitsu ran.
Jiichan is a diminutive man, with grey hair, bushy eyebrows, and a bushy mustache. A scar under his left eye told him an unspoken story that he had been through so much. Too much, that Zenitsu wanted to cheer him, wanted to thank him by living up to his expectations; be a swordsman he was proud of and could protect weak people like Jiichan did in his prime time. Yet Zenitsu couldn't produce any results. A failure through and through, the world hated him just as much as he hated himself that it struck him with lightning. Changing his black hair to a blinding, electric color.
And now, it happened again. He was careless, got bitten by the spiders and was slowly being turned into said monstrosity he killed seconds ago. Every limb of his was going numb, he was starting to lose control of his eyesight. He shuddered, tears rolled down his bruised cheek, mixing the salty water with the blood pouring out of his broken nose. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't stay strong, Nezuko-chan. I'm sorry I couldn't show how brave I was to the demon who did this to me. I'm sorry I couldn't face the world with my eyes wide open. I'm sorry. I'm sorry—
I'm sorry for disappointing you...
Jiichan...
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"Why, hello there~" Zenitsu's wavering gaze turned to the newcomer. Who—she silently descended from the night sky, he couldn't detect her even with his keen sense of hearing. Wearing a white, pretty butterfly haori and black hair tied with a butterfly ornament. She was so beautiful, and at the back of his mind, he thought he was already in the afterlife and an angel was there to greet him. But one look at her black uniform and sword on her hips told him that, no. This woman is one of the Demon Slayer members. He's not dead. Not yet. She smiled serenely and clasped both of her hands, giggling cutely, "thank you for surviving for this long. Don't worry, boy. Help is coming"
"You can rest easy now~"
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Chapter 36-38
To think I, the great Inosuke, needed help to kill one demon. That damn swordsman with weird haori and using the same Breath as Nezuko. Who is he, her long-lost sibling? Inosuke solemnly thought. His whole body that was tied to a branch swayed slowly, limp figure was caught by the light breeze of night. Then he trapped me in this measly knot with no way out, bastard. Humiliating me and abandoning me.
Just like what that woman did to him. With tears and words not comprehending, she abandoned him. Leaving him alone to fight the harsh life of the wilderness.
...wait. What woman?
It was a glimpse of his past. When the Human Spider demon, cornered to the highest branch, transformed; Skin literally tore itself apart like an egg splitting. Head got bigger, horns after horns formed on top of his scalp, spikes growing from beneath the continuous red dots that ran from his arm to his wrist. It even grew from beneath his thigh that it pierced his baggy pants. When that demon blocked every single strike he unleashed, breaking his katanas in half as he tried to chop his neck. When the beast choked the life out of him with only one hand, causing his sight to go hazy, dots gathering at the corner of his orbs, spinal cord nearly crushed. He saw scenery past by. A flashback of his life that he led so far.
Nezuko and Zenitsu, waiting with concern in their eyes.
The nice grandma that prepared him that nice yukata and nice meals.
Him, playing with a wild dragonfly, letting the animal landed onto his raised finger.
...and that woman.
A bloody, battered woman with black hair and tears on her face. Looking at him and doing nothing at all as his body falls, falls, falls. To the cold water of a cold river.
Who was she? Someone he knew?
There's no way. He was raised by boars, the only humans he met before was a weak, frail grandpa and a stupid looking boy that kept shushing and hushing. Trying to kick him away from the premise when the grandpa was clearly in the middle of reading Inosuke some good, bedtime story, noisy brat.
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Aah...I don't really care. His head lolled, green eyes beneath the headpiece stared blankly at the silent forest. It's not like it matters anyway. I'm still useless. Can't kill a single demon because I'm not strong enough—
"Come on, Nezuko," Inosuke whined to no one, he was pouting, "I've survived the ordeal. So come back already and help me out of this annoying rope. 's so itchy..."
(A/N): I'm not forgetting how in the world Zenitsu fought the spider demon when he was clearly with Murata, don't worry. I'm gonna explain it in the future chapters. It's not that important tho', I just want to keep the consistency `3`