A/N: So I told myself I wasn't going to write more so soon since I have a large amount of work and projects to finish for my classes, but I ended up writing anyway. However, I probably won't update so soon as this time since midterm is coming up for me and I need to start preparing for my exams. It's not that I am saying I won't write another chapter (given how my track record is with my stories), but I will say it will take time for me to write the next one. Also, a huge thank you to all those that favorited, followed and reviewed. I honestly didn't think anyone would even like what I wrote, so it made me even more excited to write more. Thank you so much!

Mermaid's Magic: Thank you and Inosuke won't be a demon in this story. However, I might write a bonus scene of him being one and the pillars' reaction to Tanjiro's collection of demons. It's too funny of an idea to not write. XD

jrmin: Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy reading this story!

LittleChomper: Thank you!

Chapter 2

Zenitsu stared wide-eyed at the illuminated large buildings around him. Tanjiro's crow had ordered them (more like screeched at them) to head to a new destination a day before, which happened to be Asakusa, a large city in Tokyo. Although slightly nervous, Zenitsu was all the more happy to be able to venture into a city. It had been so long since he even had the chance to go into a large city like Asakusa. Near the place Gramps lived beyond the orchid of peach trees and mountains in the distance, there was a city as well. Although it wasn't as large in size as in comparison to Asakusa, it still was a bright place to see during the night. Gramps would often take him on special occasions. It was always memorizing to walk around the city as it was illuminated by the bright lights. Those moments were the times Zenitsu looked back to the most.

And now, he was lucky enough to be able to enjoy another moment in a brightly lit city with his companion.

Speaking of his companion…

"Tanjiro?" Zenitsu asked as he turned towards the red-haired boy.

The boy in question didn't respond, only staying silent as he stared wide-eyed at the city of lights around him. Next to him, his demon sister, Nezuko, dozed on peacefully, as she shifted her head up and down with each breath she took. Zenitsu stared at the two worriedly. From what Tanjiro had told him, the two had come from the countryside where they had spent their whole life growing up. Who knew how the two would take in a city full of lights and people, especially in a city as large as Asakusa? They were bound to become overwhelmed.

And much to Zenitsu's fear, that was indeed what happened. Tanjiro's face began to go deathly pale as his whole body began to tremble. It was apparent that Tanjiro was becoming dizzy from the overwhelming size and advancement of such a city. Before Zenitsu could even question the boy and offer his help to calm him down, Tanjiro took his hand and Nezuko's and guided them down the crowd of people. Zenitsu tried to call out to Tanjiro, but the other boy wouldn't respond. In fact, it seemed like Tanjiro couldn't hear him. It was as if Tanjiro was far too sucked into his own thoughts of the city around them to notice that Zenitsu was trying to talk to him.

The three had run through the city blindness for a good hour before they finally found a spot where there were no large buildings and blinding lights- a location that was on the far side of the city that was far less overwhelming and crowded. Tanjiro led the two demons to the barely lit area in a daze where a lone udon stand stood. Zenitsu watched as the exhausted red-haired boy walked towards the udon stand with him and Nezuko in tow and ordered a bowl of noodles. It wasn't until the three sat down at the nearby bench that Zenitsu decided to try to talk to Tanjiro again.

"Tanjiro, are you okay?"

Tanjiro huffed as he shook his head, obviously still too dizzy from the experience. "I've never been to a place like this before. It's way too crowded."

Zenitsu hummed in agreement. It was indeed too crowded, much more than he ever experienced in a city. But unlike Tanjiro, Zenitsu still had the experience of actually seeing a city. Tanjiro never had that experience being a country boy that grew up in the mountains. It was no wonder that he was in culture shock from the grand scale of a city like Asakusa and the life people experienced in a city. Zenitsu was glad that Tanjiro had led them to a spot that was less crowded with people and barely lit with lights. It would give Tanjiro time to relax and catch his breath.

And who knows, maybe he could even show Tanjiro around! Having that experience of visiting a city was actually handy. Zenitsu could help Tanjiro become adjusted to what life in a city was like. He could show him around the shops and heck, even introduce him to good food (not that he himself could enjoy it). Sure, he was a demon, but it was also night time. Zenitsu had already taken off his mask and fastened it to the side of his head and placed his scarf up a little to cover his mouth to hide his teeth. If he was careful enough, no one would be able to suspect what he was, which meant he could show Tanjiro and Nezuko around!

"Zenitsu?"

Zenitsu blinked and looked over to the red-haired boy, who looked far more calmer now that he had a moment to catch his breath. The kind-hearted boy gave him a gentle smile as he spoke.

"You looked like you are not as shocked as me when we first entered the city. Have you been here before?"

Zenitsu shook his head. "No, but I've been to a city like this one. My Gr-.. er the one who trained me used to take me to the city near where his home was."

"Ah, that explains why you seemed so happy. It must be nice to be in a place like this for you."

Zenitsu's curved his lips upward as he nodded. "Mmm..."

It was nice, more than Zenitsu could ever admit. Just being able to actually see a city bathed in light during the night was something that never crossed his mind after turning into a demon. It was the last thing Zenitsu expected to see given how cities were packed with people. Who knew what a starving demon like him would do? But Tanjiro's presence was keeping that hunger at bay. At least for now, but Zenitsu had no idea how long that would last.

Growl.

Zenitsu flinched and placed in hand on his stomach mentally berating himself for even thinking that again. He turned towards Nezuko, who had dozed off once more, barely being able to keep herself upright. Tanjiro had explained everything to him about how his and Nezuko's family had been massacred by a demon with only Nezuko being left alive, only to have been transformed into a demon. From what Tanjiro had told him, Nezuko got her energy from sleeping and not from eating human flesh, which always explained why she was always seen asleep. Zenitsu admitted that he had been initially jealous of Nezuko's ability to get her energy that way. He could never do that and he was still struggling to ignore the hunger that Nezuko always seem to have no problem ignoring. But once Zenitsu put more thought into it, the more he began to realize how strong Nezuko was. Ignoring the hunger was one thing, but being able to get the energy by sleeping was a whole another feat. Zenitsu knew he could never do such a thing.

That was why Zenitsu found himself admiring the beautiful younger demon sister.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Zenitsu heard Tanjiro asked, snapping him from his thoughts.

Zenitsu clenched his teeth from underneath his scarf and nodded as he glanced down at the ground, ashamed that it was something he had to admit. Yes, it was becoming easy to ignore the hunger since Tanjiro's gentle sound was there to clear the fogginess from his head, but it was also becoming impossible to ignore how the hunger was affecting him. Zenitsu was sure Tanjiro was beginning to notice how tired he was becoming every day. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, demons got their energy from eating human flesh and HE was a demon. Although Zenitsu could never eat human flesh, he had no idea what he could do to find a solution for his hunger. At this rate, he may die from it.

"I'm sorry, Zenitsu," Tanjiro said with sincerity in his voice. "But I promise I'll help you. Maybe you can sleep like Nezuko? I can still carry you in another box."

Zenitsu turned to Tanjiro with a blank look, stunned that Tanjiro would even suggest that. There was no way he could do that. He was not strong like Nezuko. There was no way he would be able to sleep in exchange for energy. He could barely sleep as it is. And anyway, there was absolutely no way he was going to let Tanjiro carry him. He had initially strongly disagreed with the red-haired boy when he first suggested it when they met. Why couldn't the big airhead see that Zenitsu didn't want to be a burden for him when he already had his sister to take care of?

"No." Zenitsu decided to say as he shook his head. "I already told you I won't do that. Besides, there's no way I'll be able to breathe in a box! Think about me first before you suggest that again, Tanjiro! How can you protect me if I die from suffocating?!"

"I see…" Tanjiro said simply as his lips curved into a smile. He opened his mouth to say more, but he was cut off by the udon stand man who brought him his bowl of noodles.

Zenitsu watched as Tanjiro thanked the man and blew on the steaming bowl of noodles before taking a long sip of soup's broth. Zenitsu frowned and looked back down to the ground, wishing he could do the same. He missed eating human food. Especially sweet and expensive food like eel. Oh how much he wished he could eat that again. He had actually tried to eat food that Tanjiro had offered to give to him after the red-haired boy had learned about how hungry he was. Sadly, it didn't work. As soon as Zenitsu had taken a bite out of the rice ball given to him, he had spat it out, completely sick to his stomach. Zenitsu had profusely apologized to Tanjiro for wasting some of his food that he couldn't even eat and yet Tanjiro, being the kind-hearted boy he was, easily forgave him. Even though some of Tanjiro food was wasted, it did allow Zenitsu to see that eating human food was completely out of the question. After all, he was no longer human to do that.

CRASH!

Zenitsu felt his body jumped up in fright as he turned to where the direction of the sound came from, finding Tanjiro standing up with a horrified expression, breathing heavily as his nose began to twitch. The bowl of noodles he had just barely begun eating laid on the ground in a mess of food and shattered glass. Zenitsu widened his eyes in concern, scared for his red-headed companion. He had never seen Tanjiro with an expression that spoke of true horror as his sound echoed with anger and fear. The boy was always seen with a gentle expression as the gentle melody of his heartbeat echoed with kindness. But this was a whole new side of Tanjiro that Zenitsu had never seen.

And he was afraid of what made Tanjiro become like that.

"T-Tanjiro?" Zenitsu hesitantly asked. He reached out to grab on to Tanjiro's haori, but Tanjirou took a step away, nose twitching as he looked from one direction from the other. Before Zenitsu could even reach out to Tanjirou again, Tanjiro moved his gaze to the street they had come from and took off without even sparing a look back. Zenitsu called out to Tanjiro, hoping that the red-haired boy would listen, but it was to no avail. Tanjio's form had long disappeared beyond down the street.

"Tanjirooo!" Zenitsu called out, huffing as he turned towards Nezuko who was still asleep. He frowned and took her hand when he realized something- Tanjiro would never leave her behind. She was his only family left and he protected her fiercely as her big brother. Zenitsu had seen the lengths Tanjiro was willing to go for Nezuko. He even carried her in a box! Which meant whatever made Tanjiro took off with that horrified expression was something big enough for him to leave his sister behind.

"Nezuko-chan," Zenitsu quietly said as he shook her shoulder gently with his hand, trying to shake her awake. "Please wake up. Tanjiro took off without us. We have to find him."

Nezuko opened her eyes with a dazed look, turning her head from one direction to another. She stopped once she realized her brother was no longer by her size. Zenitsu felt his lips curve into a frown as he headed over to the wooden box that laid on the ground next to where Tanjiro had sat and placed it over his back. Once he had made sure that the bowl of udon that Tanjiro had so carelessly dropped was paid for (much to the udon man's angry expression), Zenitsu gently grabbed Nezuko by the hand and began to lead her to where Tanjiro had run off to.

It didn't take too long for Zenitsu to pinpoint where Tanjiro was. Zenitsu knew the gentle sound Tanjiro made by heart now. But the closer Zenitsu guided Nezuko to Tanjiro's sound, the more uneasy he began to feel- like there was something else by Tanjiro that was dangerous. It wasn't until Zenitsu entered the street that was a corner away from where Tanjiro was that he heard something- a sound that immediately caused his body to fail him. Zenitsu widened his eyes in fear as he collapsed to the ground, breathless and body trembling. His body was trembling so much that he realized he couldn't even feel his legs. He barely felt Nezuko grab onto his arms and tug on him to get back up. No, all he could focus on was the sound that was right by Tanjiro's sound.

It was a sound filled with malice.

It was a sound that Zenitsu had never heard before. And he had heard his fair share of sounds that sometimes left him shaking and crying from fear, but this one was different in the fact that it belonged to…

"A demon…" Zenitsu breathed, his eyes wide with horror. He gritted his teeth and tried to push himself back up from the ground, but found it was useless. His body wouldn't respond as if it knew that the demon that was up ahead was a monster that Zenitsu should never face. He felt tears begin to form in the corner of the eyes as his ears began to listen closely to the sound the demon was making, realizing one crucial thing.

It sounded just like the demon that had turned him into a demon. Different and yet, so similar.

Zenitsu clutched his stomach at that realization as he doubled over, wheezing and gasping for air. He felt his throat tightened as his lungs no longer responded to him, becoming almost impossible to breathe. As his vision began to go hazy, Zenitsu found all he could really focus on was the malicious sound that echoed in his ears. He was terrified of it. He knew that the demon that made the sound was dangerous. And although Zenitsu was scared of that, he was more terrified of the demon finding him.

However, just as quickly as the sound was heard, it quickly began to fade, only to leave behind sounds of horror and fear that belonged to humans. Zenitsu gritted his teeth as the screams reached his ears as he heard a new demon awake, beginning its rampage. He heard the sound of Tanjiro mixed in with the sound of the newly transformed demon becoming clear that Tanjiro was trying to take down the demon.

Which was all the sound Zenitsu needed to hear to give him the strength to get back up and find Tanjiro.

When Zenitsu and Nezuko finally made it to the crowded street where Tanjiro was, Zenitsu found just what he had expected to see from what he heard- Tanjiro on top of a newly transformed demon. He moved to help Tanjiro when he heard two more sounds that made him freeze in place. Although they were not sinister sounds, they were still sounds that belonged to…

Demons…

Zenitsu widened his eyes and quickly began to look around, placing himself in front of Nezuko. It didn't take too long for him to find where the two demons were and he eyed at them with wary as he took in their appearance. The older demon was female and was quite beautiful in appearance, wearing a dark Japanese kimono with red flowers. Her eyes were serene, bluish lavender in color. Meanwhile, the male demon next to her appeared younger in appearance, with pale skin and bright lavender purple eyes. Zenitsu stared at the two demons, unsure what to do. While the sounds the two demons were making were nowhere near as malicious as the sounds demons usually made (especially the one that had just left), they were still demons. He was afraid of what they might do.

Zenitsu shook his head as he turned his attention back Tanjiro, who was still struggling to keep the demon down he was on top of. Near him was a woman grasping on her bleeding shoulder as some bystanders kneeled down to help her apply pressure to the wound. Zenitsu frowned as he decided he would worry about the demons later. He needed to help Tanjiro. However, just as he took a step forward, he was quickly pushed aside by a group of officers that stomped towards Tanjiro. They grabbed on to Tanjiro and relentlessly began to try to pull him away from the demon he was on top of. Of course, Tanjiro declined, with every pull, shouting out words that he couldn't get off of the person he was on, which soon made things escalated. Zenitsu, wide-eyed, watched as one of the officers raised his weapon to hit Tanjiro. He couldn't help but growl with narrowed eyes and prepared himself to launch forward to stop the officer when a woman's voice made him freeze in place.

"BLOOD BEWITCHMENT: AROMA OF VISUAL FANTASY."

Zenitsu took Nezuko's hand and pulled her closer as colorful patterns appeared, surrounding the crowd of people in the vicinity. He eyed the patterns with fear, hesitant to touch them, but as he listened to the people around him become lost in the patterns, the less fearful he became. The patterns themselves were not harmful. In fact, judging by how the people were reacting, the patterns hindered the vision of those affected, causing them to only see the colorful flower patterns. Zenitsu just hoped that whenever Tanjiro was in the sea of patterns, that he was safe. After all, he still had to take care of and protect his sister and him, of course.

A few agonizing seconds ticked by and finally, the patterns faded away, allowing Zenitisu to see where Tanjiro was. Without any hesitation, Zenitsu rushed forward with Nezuko in tow to the red-haired boy and grabbed on to his haori, his eyes glimmering with watery tears. He felt Tanjiro stiffened in surprise and confusion, most likely not realizing that he had left the two back at the udon stand.

Even so, that didn't excuse what he did and Zenitsu made sure to give Tanjiro an earful which the kind boy took in stride (much to Zenitsu's frustration).

Once Zenistu had calmed down, Tanjiro began to explain why he had left them so suddenly and what happened after. When Tanjiro explained that Kibutsuji Muzan had been there and the one that Tanjiro had left to find, Zenitsu felt the color drain from his face, realizing why his body had suddenly failed him. Even so, he kept that information to himself and allowed Tanjiro to continue, learning who had made the patterns that had hindered the crowd of people's vision. It was the demon art of the same female demon Zenitsu had spotted in the crowd of people.

Although it was hard to believe that the female demon was good, it was even harder to believe that she was a doctor. In fact, Zenitsu found himself scratching his head at that thought. What kind of demon would even decide to be a human doctor? Didn't all humans eat human flesh? Treating human wounds would be near impossible for a demon doctor since the smell of human flesh at that point would be so strong to ignore. So how was a demon doctor able to accomplish such a feat?

A few seconds later and Zenitsu quickly realized that he didn't think about himself and Nezuko, demons who also chose not to eat human flesh. It was funny really. Here he was, judging a demon he had never met when in fact, he was the same species as her. If anyone was to be judged, it should be definitely him. After all, he still couldn't hold his sword! Some demon slayer he was. However, if there was anything to be positive about, Zenitsu was glad that he was also bad at being a proper demon.

After Tanjiro finished explaining the situation, the three began to make their way to the meeting point where the male demon would meet them. It didn't take the three that much time to find the boy, who only glared at them with an irritated expression.

"Sorry that we are late," Tanjiro apologized with politeness in his voice.

"It doesn't matter." The boy muttered, still glaring. "Besides, aren't those two by you demons? They're an eyesore to boot."

Eyesore?

Zenitsu blinked as he processed the other demon's words. While he had been called many things in the past, an eyesore was by far not the worst. In fact, it was probably true that he was an eyesore. He couldn't do things properly and always experienced bad luck. There was also the fact that no one liked to be around him since he was a coward at heart. If he had to be honest with himself, being called an eyesore was probably the best thing anyone could call him, especially since he was a demon now. So there was no way that rude comment could affect him.

Until Zenitsu realized that the other demon had also called Nezuko an eyesore.

"Who in their right mind would call Nezuko [Nezuko-chan] an eyesore?!"

Both Tanjiro and Zenitsu shouted in defense of the poor silent girl.

"Just take a look at her features!" Tanjiro yelled as he directed his heads at Nezuko. "She was the beauty of our hometown!"

"That's right!" Zenitsu added with a raised fist. "Nezuko-chan is beautiful! She has a wonderful body and smells just like flowers! The way she moves is delicate and perfect! And the way she looks at you when you're feeling down! Ahh, there's no way someone like her could be an eyesore!"

The demon boy narrowed his eyes in irritation and simply turned, ordering the three to follow him, but that didn't stop Tanjiro and Zenitsu from making more comments about Nezuo's beauty for what the boy had casually called Nezuko without any remorse.

"Oh, I know what it is! It's the muzzle, right?" Tanjiro asked, still highly defensive of Nezuko's beauty just as the group stopped in front of a wall.

"Well then behold Nezuko-chan's beauty without the muzzle!" Zenitsu added.

The two turned to Nezuko and Tanjiro prepared to take off her muzzle when the two realized that the demon boy was no longer in front of them. In fact, it seemed like he had just vanished out of thin air. The two boys looked around confused when the demon boy's head poked out of the wall in front of them, ordering them to walk through before someone sees.

Slightly hesitant, Tanjiro still nodded at the boy's command and gently took Nezuko and Zenitsu's hands and walked forward with them. When the three pass through the wall, they found themselves staring in front of a large house with a white paper with a strange symbol on it nailed to the building.

"There's a house here?!" Zenitsu asked in shock, turning his head back and forth from the wall behind them to the large house.

The demon boy ignored Zenitsu's comment and walked forward to the house's door. He stopped and turned towards the three, narrowing his eyes even further.

"Listen. Make sure you don't offend her in any way."

His eyes directly fell onto Tanjiro with such intensity that it immediately made Zenitsu shiver and sent him cowering behind Tanjiro to hide.

"Personally," The demon boy said with a scowl. "I couldn't care less about what happens to you and your demon companions, but I've brought you here because she insisted. However, if you do offend her, I won't hesitate to kick you out."

The boy lifted his sight away from Tanjiro and turned his body away back to the door and opened it, directing the three to follow him. Zenitsu watched as Tanjiro looked back at him and gave him a comforting smile and gently took his and Nezuko's hand, guiding them forward. Zenitsu had no idea how Tanjiro could still look so calm. They were heading into a demon's house! Any sane human would never trust a demon.

Although, Tanjiro wasn't exactly normal. He was traveling with him and Nezuko after all.

The three followed the lavender eyed demon, following him into a room where the same human woman that had been injured by the transformed demon laid, being treated by the demon doctor. She looked up as the four entered the room and smiled, as she turned towards them from the chair she was seated on.

Zenitsu couldn't help but stare at the demon doctor as he listened to her sound now that they were much closer. It was nowhere near sinister and scary as a normal demon's sound, but there was something in it that made Zenitsu ponder about why it made him feel at ease. Only Tanjiro's sound gave him a sense of security, so it was baffling to hear a demon make a sound that made Zenitsu less scared and unsure of himself. If he had thought that they were in danger due to Tanjiro's trust, he didn't think so anymore. The demon in front of them was someone they could trust.

Zenitsu just hoped that the demon doctor could help them at least.

OMAKE

Zenitsu screamed in fright as the box that belonged to Tanjiro shook. It was an hour after the sun had set when Tanjiro's box had begun to shake, prompting the boy to set the box down and try to introduce Zenitsu to the demon that was inside the box. However, Zenitsu was absolutely petrified. Yes, he knew that a demon was in there already and that Tanjiro completely trusted it (not to mention the fact that he himself was a demon), but that still didn't stop him from cowering behind Tanjiro and trembling in absolute fear.

"Zenitsu," Tanjiro gently said, as he tried to comfort the other boy. "It's okay. Nezuko-"

"Noooo!" Zenitsu yelled, cutting Tanjiro off as he rapidly shook his head. "Even if I am a demon, I can't trust it! What if it decides to eat me as well?! I mean, I know I'm a demon too, but it could be possible! Protect me, Tanjiroooo! I'm not strong enough to protect myself! Don't let the demon eat me!"

Just as Zenitsu said those words, he heard the unmistakable creak of a door being opened. He yelped in fright, burying his face into Tanjiro's back as he heard the demon shuffled away from its confinement taking a step onto the dirt road they were on. He trembled as he heard the demon began to walk towards him and Tanjiro, but Zenitsu made no move to open his eyes and let go of Tanjiro. He didn't want to see the demon as it feasted upon him (even if it was impossible since he himself was a demon), but still, he was scared to see what a demon might do to a cowering idiot of a monster like him.

That was until Zenitsu felt something soft and warm press itself against its cheek. He felt his body freeze on contact, immediately no longer shaking in fright, and opened his eyes, turning to see what had touched him.

Finding a beautiful girl in a pink kimono with a star pattern and long black hair with orange on the bottom flowing behind her back. She stared at him with her bright pink eyes, gently patting Zenitsu's cheek to comfort him.

"Zenitsu," Zenitsu heard Tanjiro say near him as the yellow-haired boy continued to stare at the beautiful female demon. "This is my sister, Nezuko."

"Nezuko-chan…" Zenitsu murmured with awe as the young female demon took her hand off his cheek and took a step back to next to her brother.

Zenitsu felt his lips curve into a smile as his cheeks heavily turned red. Never did he think that he would meet a girl that sounded just as lovely as Nezuko. Maybe it wasn't so bad then he thought that he had turned into a demon. He had something in common with Tanjiro's beautiful sister.

And that was how Zenistu found himself doing the rest of the night- gushing over Nezuko's beauty as Tanjiro politely tried to get him to stop.

A/N: So I have things I would like to explain. It's my personal headcanon that Zenitsu has seen a city before. Although he probably hasn't seen a city as large as Asakusa, I like to think that he has seen a city with enough to know what it's like, which explains why he was not as culturally shocked as Tanjiro was. Also, this chapter establishes when Tanjiro finds Zenitsu. There is a reason why I wanted Zenitsu to be there when Tanjiro meets Tamayo, which will be explained next chapter. Also, the circumstances of Zenitsu's transformation into a demon will be explained in time, but I wrote a small snippet to raise some questions. Don't worry, I won't leave you guys in the dark for too long (maybe).