THE COLOR OF THE WORLD

.

Disclaimer: Kimetsu no Yaiba belongs to Koyoharu Gotouge

.

Genre(s): Adventure/ Hurt/Comfort

.

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

.

Manga: Chapter 44

.

.

Nezuko ran.

She ran with all her might. Ignoring her wounds and jello legs. Bringing her brother along who, with all his might, turned himself smaller so she could carry him easier as they didn't have any time for him to properly go inside the box. The only thing she could do right now was run. Away from this forest and away from the dangerous lady with blank eyes that unnerved her to no end—

"I'll kill him with a sweet poison that won't leave him in pain~"

She stumbled.

Of course. Of course, Nezuko knew that lady didn't mean anything bad when she said that. In a sense, she was actually being nice to her; offering a peaceful way for her brother to pass on to the afterlife. Just like what Nezuko did to Mother, using the Fifth Style to behead the demon so she doesn't feel any pain when her life was extinguished. But! She embraced her only family closer to her chest, protecting him from the cruel world of this Demon Slaying fiasco. But Tanjiro is her niichan. Her too-much-human-yet-too-much-demon-for-the-hunters-taste niichan. Even if that lady was just trying to do her job, was being very nice towards Nezuko who already lost her family, she could not let her take away her last sibling. The only one who grounded her in this world because if he's gone then I don't have any will to live anymore I might just kill myself and end this suffering—

"I have to pull out of the Demon Hunter Association", Nezuko decided, coughing as her lungs were screaming in pain, "as long as Niichan is safe, I don't care. I have Tamayo-san who promised me to create a cure for Niichan. Urokodaki-san will allow me to keep carrying the Niichirin Blade and tracking Muzan even if I am no longer a part of the association. I'm sure he can convince Haganezuka-san to keep forging a sword for me as well."

"It hurt, this merciless life. No matter how much of a brother Niichan is—"

She didn't realize Tanjiro had opened his eyes. Energy still depleted but a lot more energetic after a brief nap.

Nor had she realized a set of feet landed on a thick branch of the high tree behind her. Followed by a figure in a white cloak and black uniform who descended like a hawk upon her.

"—THEY CAN NEVER ACCEPT A HUNTER WHO CARRIES A DEMON AWAY!"

WHOOSH

DUAK

"GAH!"

"I-Impossible!" Nezuko thought, her body skidding through the dirt painfully, unwillingly relinquishing her hold on her tiny, oldest sibling. Her back hurt, she was sure whoever stepped onto her only aggravated the wounds even more, "and after Tomioka-san give me a chance to run too, she still managed to chase after me so fast?!"

The figure (who she didn't recognize, with her hazy sight, that the slayer who had bounced on her like a springboard was actually a different one. This one wore the same ornament as the Poison Lady, but her hair was tied in a side ponytail. Her coat doesn't have an intricate design or glittering pollen like the previous hunter either) raised her sword into the air, ready to chop Tanjiro's neck, now that he was in a vulnerable state. Except, Nezuko won't let her do that. With determination lit behind her burgundy eyes, the ponytail girl snatched the fluttering cloak and pulled. Making the other person stumble backward and causing her swing to go off course, only grazing the earth on top of the ginger fiend's head (too close. Too close to his neck. God, she was too close to snatching her only family away from her—)

"RUN, NIICHAN!" Nezuko desperately shouted. Tanjiro struggled to get up as his sister kept hollering, hands extended and eyes started watering, "RUN! DON'T THINK ABOUT ME AND JUST SAVE YOURSE—"

DUAK

The oldest Kamado could only stare in incredulity when the girl with a soft smile that was too unnerving kicked his sister's head down using the back heel of her white boots. His body shivered when he saw how the cheerful life reflected in those red eyes abruptly dim. How her body slumped like a puppet without strings. Blood oozing from the gashes on her milky face and something within him snapped.

.

"Niichan!" Takeo—Nezuko—he didn't know, their voices overlap each other—screamed, "run awa—"

.

A foot descended right at Takeo's—Nezuko's—their head and—

.

The blood splashed, his red eyes widened—

.

His ginger eyes widened—

.

"What's wrong with this girl?" Side-Ponytail mused as she picked up her sword from the ground, "that boy is clearly a demon but she tried to let him get away? Isn't she a hunter just like me—"

White slayer swiveled her head to the left when the surroundings suddenly turned hotter, the atmosphere turned tense, she lept—

FWOOOMMM

And dodged the fire in the form of four claw marks, letting the unexpected attack whizzed past her face without harm.

The ginger-haired beast—now in his teenager form—used that to his advantage to lash out another strike, with speed that was almost blinding. Claws after claws went after her, that turned bigger and bigger as time ticked by. They slashed the air, they chopped the trees, they crushed the earth. One of them missed yet somehow, it came back. Now was attacking her from above, almost catching her off guard, if she didn't vaguely feel the burning in the air (from the shape and size, that claw was the same one as the one that missed. How could it attack me from above? Even if it acted like a boomerang, it would just turn around and strike me from behind). The returning claw managed to graze her black hair and almost burned the locks to a crisp, if she hadn't immediately clasped them with her bare hand and snuffed the fire out (it…doesn't hurt? Wait. Actually, the fire went out before I could extinguish it. His previous attack doesn't burn the area either, even though it was fire. Is he…not trying to harm me?). Another duck and jump to the back, and Side-Ponytail was now a good distance away from the fainted slayer. That one move she made was a mistake the demon needed because now, he stood over his fallen comrade, body crouched and nails out. Her lips thinned in apprehension and she dashed, weapon to the fore as she hoped the blade reach the beast in time before he could ever think of eating the poor hunter—

A pillar of fire sprouted from beneath, swallowing her sword instead.

Side-Ponytail pulled the blade as soon as possible (it's not broken? The fire came so suddenly, it felt like lead. She fearfully inspected) and the onslaught didn't stop on that. Ginger Demon planted one foot on the ground, the other extended. With arms spread, he spun in place, ginger fire blazing from open palms and ankle. Before long, an enveloping dome made of fire was created, barricading the demon and the pink girl inside.

No. Side-Ponytail gulped at the grim insinuation and went for another move, slashing the fire like her life was depended on it. Yet it was useless. No matter how hard she struck or how fancy her skill was, the fire didn't budge. Her sword kept disappearing whenever it connected to the barrier, like she was slashing at air. Void. No outer force could ever disturb its standing. No. She huffed and puffed, straightening her back while the lavender eyes widened in realization, horror started settling in. Did I just…

…fail?

Burned leaves slowly fell, crumbling into dust as they reached the ground.

"I believe it was two years ago…"

"This is going to be a problem if you're going to start from such a long time ago. This is harassment. You just have a grudge because I said everyone hates you, right?"

"Uuh…"

Shinobu and Giyuu, still at the battleground of the final fight, were now at a standstill. The obviously larger man managed to trap her in a position she couldn't escape from—both her right hand and half of her upper body were locked in place by one arm, right beneath his armpit. That position made her sight rest at the left side of his green-yellow patterned haori. While her left hand was restrained as well, his grip on her sword handle was too strong. Something to be impressed by because she couldn't even yank her weapon away. But at least the pointy end of it went through his sleeve, making a hole in the red-side of his coat, her petty revenge for this obvious disobedience—the butterfly lady pouted.

She was clearly not in the wrong here, she was just doing her job. Killing every demon she could find before those monsters could consume another victim. Most of rank 10's that were sent here were annihilated already, she was just trying to avenge them. So she's not violating any rules. Instead, it was Giyuu that was. And the girl in pink as well. For protecting the beast they had to slay and now arresting her in this embarrassing lock so she could not chase after them. There must be a reason, surely. Especially as the Water Pillar here was ready to tell her said reason a minute ago. But she was too pissed to even care. Why were these people trying so hard to hold her back? Didn't they understand letting a demon go is such a fatal thing to do? That demon will kill anyone in its sight, without remorse nor mercy as he slew her who was just trying to understand them how could he—

(She didn't want to see other people trapped in that same fate again; bloody, broken, not an ounce of life remaining in that usually happy, cheerful self no—)

So Shinobu took another measure. If Giyuu didn't intend to let her go—her right foot skidded to the back, pulling out a hidden knife she installed at the heel of her sandal. Her comrade let out a silent gasp as she bent and raised the foot to the sky, small blade ready to pierce his shocked face.

—she'll just have to create an escape path on her own instead!

"CAW CAW!" unfortunately, her next move had to stop when a Kasugaigarasu landed near them and started cawing. It flapped its black wings fervently then shouted, "we have a message. We have a message!"

"Restrain the ones named Nezuko and Tanjiro. And brings them to headquarters, caw!" what? "Nezuko is a girl with a ponytail and is wearing a pink haori. The demon Tanjiro has a scar on his forehead and is biting onto a piece of bamboo!"

"Restrain them and bring them to headquarters, caw!"

.

.

.

What is actually going on here? Shinobu mused as she and Giyuu hopped from tree to tree, reducing the time to get to their destination because they didn't want to get caught by the leftover spiderwebs scattering on the lower branches that will hinder their trek. She stared at his back, hunched and defensive yet still showing her his weakness as plain as day. Maybe he's silently asking her to stab him if he decides to defect once more, an act a prisoner should have when their mistake was already out in the open. At least Giyuu knew his fault so she tried not to point the blade on him, figuratively and literally. But still, the usually serious Tomioka-san break a rule? I cannot believe the day would ever come.

They arrived at a clearing that was almost near the entrance of the forest. Shinobu saw her protégé there, along with a bunch of Kakushi (the black uniform people with black headpiece that covered most of their complexion. They were the post-processing squad that deals with everything after the demon hunters and the demons fight, people who didn't get a privilege to wield a niichirin blade themselves. That doesn't mean their presence is not as important as the Demon Slayer itself, however. She respects them, for risking their safety in this dangerous occupation while they don't even have a weapon to defend themselves) that were standing around in a circle, confusion palpable in the atmosphere around. And she could understand that. Because she was gazing at a dome made of fire crackling not too far from them, still and unmoving, not burning any other grass or trees in its surroundings. The Poison User landed near the only girl there and tapped her shoulder, "Kanao, what happened here?"

"Shinobu-nee," Side-Ponytail nodded in acknowledgment. She pointed to the barrier as she explained, "it was the fire of the demon Tanjiro. He made it and trapped Nezuko and himself inside."

"Really?" one of her eyebrows shot up, "you didn't try to vanquish it with your skills?"

"I tried," Kanao shook her head. She stepped towards the dome and swiped her blade at it. The sword didn't pass through like Shinobu expected it too. Instead, It disappeared, swallowed inside before she pulled it back; intact and without a scratch, "it didn't work. We threw a rock at it but the rock didn't fly to the other side of the fire. It almost like we're throwing the rock into a deep well. The fire also didn't hurt us," Kanao proved that by touching the surface with her whole palm, "but because we didn't know what is this fire doing to the blade and rock, we hesitate to just…waltz in there."

Shinobu hummed. Logical conclusion. The fire doesn't wound them yet it was still unclear what its effect will be towards the normal human. They're talking about a Blood Demon Art after all, "then let's just wait until morning. If he doesn't intend to move anyway, we can just wait for the sun to burn him."

"But Oyakata-sama asked us to bring them alive."

"You're right. But with the time we waste in trying to break this barrier open, the demon must've eaten the girl already," she shrugged nonchalantly. Guilt ran through her entire being at the notion of a new victim; they had encountered too many corpses in this single night already, she didn't want to see another if she could. It only lasted for a quick second, however. She tried to warn the pink slayer about the danger of the beast. But she was too stubborn to hear her out. So it was solely Nezuko's fault, "we can't let a demon who eats a human live. That's why, much to our chagrin, we have to disobey Oyakata-sama's order."

Kanao agreed.

"No. The girl's alive," Giyuu, who haven't speak any of his opinions towards their conversation, finally said. The butterfly lady let out a sound of refusal at that. Thought he immediately cut her with another sharp sentence, "believe me. That demon will never eat his own sister."

Even if he says so, and with a tone so sure it was like saying the sky is blue and the grass is green, she couldn't. That was such a ridiculous idea, Shinobu had never met a demon who didn't eat humans (no matter how much she insisted they exist). Nevertheless, Giyuu was so adamant with his words that he confidently strode to the dome, Kanao politely stepped back, then crouched. He put one of his hands on the ground while the other touched the barrier, "Kamado Tanjiro. I know you can hear me."

"Do you remember me? It's me, Tomioka Giyuu. The one who tried to kill you before," Shinobu blinked. He did? Was this the past he tried to tell her just a moment ago? An explanation of his disobedience? That they already knew each other? "can you please turn your skill off? I'm not going to hurt you. Not anymore."

No answer. Giyuu plowed through, "I saw your sister's condition. She's hurt, right? The Twelve Demon Moon did a number on her," The Butterfly hunter heard a choked sob from somewhere inside that fire, "you may not trust me or the other hunter but you should at least get your sister checked. You don't want her wounds to get infected and worsen her condition, am I right?"

It was silent for an awkward ten seconds that felt too long. Waiting for something that sounds wishy-washy, it made her agitated. Shinobu was ready to give him her pity speech after another ten seconds of nothing but then took a step back. Because the barrier slowly faded. Opening up like a gate before it snuffed itself out completely, the Kakushi around let out a surprised exhale. The ginger fiend was there, exhausted and on the verge of fainting; trying to keep his skill up must've drained a lot of energy. He was holding the unconscious pink slayer in a bridal style oh so carefully, it was almost protective. Or actually, it was, as Shinobu saw concern clearly written in those reddish-brown eyes of his. They flitted to the women hunters, who immediately tense at his judging stare. But he didn't do anything besides that. Instead, he walked closer to Giyuu and whined at him, jolting the girl in his arms to make his intentions clear. The Water Pillar tilted his head.

"You don't want to tend to your injuries first?" he asked, Tanjiro instantly shook his head. He pointed to the box, then his mouth, Giyuu nodded in understanding. While the other spectator around were scratching their head in confusion as of what had actually happened. Was this something only minimal-speaking people understand? Giyuu doesn't like to talk if he has to—this night was actually one of the few times she had heard him speak so much—so did he understand the demon's silent conversation because they were basically two peas in a pod? Shinobu thought she should have mastered this skill by having Kanao alongside her for years, as she doesn't like to converse too much either, "alright. The Kakushi will treat her. I promise you they will be fair in their treatment and will not rough her at all," said Kakushis trembled when, not only the demon piercing eyes but Giyuu's blank ones landed on them, sweat drenching their backs like a waterfall. That was definitely a threat, "you should go back to your box. Morning will come and your sister will kill me if you turned into dust when she is fast asleep."

Tanjiro nodded. The black people with headpieces slowly loaded Nezuko to a stretcher—that they hastily made using branches and rolls and rolls of bandages—and started checking her there and then, wanting to close the heavy injuries she attained so she didn't lose too much blood. The oldest Kamado went to the side of her impromptu bed, pulling her hair-tie off and letting her long, black hair flow down till her waist to make her rest more comfortable. Shinobu watched in disbelief when Tanjiro caressed Nezuko's hair lovingly, eyes crinkled upward in a worried gesture. He clasped the hair-tie a bit tighter, put it inside his haori's sleeve and shrank himself down. With one last glance toward the fainted pink hunter, he went inside the wooden compartment and closed the door shut. Giyuu then slung the bag on his broad back, "let's go. Oyakata-sama is waiting."

"Sooo…" Shinobu started the conversation, making her steps a bit faster so they could walk side by side, "mind telling me how you know them? You look so chummy with them, Tomioka-san. I'm pretty sure you didn't get a girlfriend on one of the missions you took beforehand. And an okay from her brother to boot too!"

"She's not my girlfriend. She's actually my kouhai," he answered, '' I tried telling the story but a certain someone won't listen. So I won't try to tell it again."

Shinobu gasped as she stopped in her tracks, "was that sass that I hear from you Tomioka-san? You're sassing me?"

The weird haori wearer didn't deign to listen to her words and just kept on moving.

"Oh my god, you did!" Shinobu laughed out loud, the lady almost coughed. She dashed without a sound and literally tackled Giyuu, he stumbled a bit, "I can't believe you actually sassed me! You've grown up, Tomioka-san! I'm so proud of you!"

"Knock it off, Kocho."

"No way! I saw so much of your new side today. This is so going into my journal! Kanao!" she snapped her fingers. Side-Ponytail teleported right to her side, a book and a quill that she definitely didn't have before was already in her grasp. A Kakushi was also there to hold the ink when the protege needs it for refilling, "write this. 'Tomioka-san surprised me so much today. First, he was…"

"I said knock it off!"

(A/N): Even if Tanjiro's skill sounds OP as heck (Infinite Defense FTW~), doesn't mean he can use it infinitely. Not only he'll become tired and exhausted, he'll get hungry a lot faster.

And you know that drawback is not a good thing if he…lost himself. Cough cough Red-District Arc cough cough I can't wait to write that.

Small detail: Giyuu knew about Tanjiro consuming normal food to survive because he exchanges letters with Urokodaki.

Another small detail: Nezuko finally strapped the bamboo back to her brother's mouth when she escaped from the battlefield. Didn't want the mouthpiece to fall off somewhere when she was too busy running