A/N: I can't believe I'm in my last year of college. It feels so surreal to think that I'll finally be graduating in the spring. Anyway, I'm still alive. Although I am tired while dealing with my ongoing health issue. This chapter went through many rewrites, and although I'm still not satisfied with it, I have to move on. Can't say when the next update will be considering that I'm busy with my thesis projects, but I hope to have the next chapter finished and ready to post by the end of November. We'll see. Once again, thank you for your amazing support and patience. Every follow, favorite, and review has kept me writing despite everything I've been dealing with. Thank you so much!
Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet: It will be a while before Zenitsu figures that out and thank you. I'm trying.
Kyunei: Indeed it does. And the movie was so nice. Really love the breathtaking animation.
Hekka: Once again, I'm deeply enthralled by your analysis. Lots of information for me to consider. And don't worry about feeling that you're getting carried away. I enjoy reading what you have to say.
5543mj: I actually sketched Zenitsu's mask some time ago, but never got around to actually finishing the sketch. I guess anyone is welcome to draw their own interpretation of his mask until I get around to finishing my drawing... eventually...
BlueCore: Thank you!
EmikoSato: Thank you!
Mrtyu666: Glad to see that someone also shares the same headcanon.
Bella: So sorry for the sporadic updates. I'm dealing with a lot of things irl so it's hard to write sometimes. I'm always trying to update when I can.
AnxiousMessBugg: Thank you! I'm honored that you think that.
Chapter 9
Crimson red.
It was a color that Zenitsu was beginning to grow tired of seeing.
So much of it oozed down the thin pale wires that entangled its prey from high above. The crimson liquid stained the wires, sliding down to the ground below, landing onto the dark vegetation with a deafening sound.
A sound that continued to haunt Zenitsu's ears with each passing second.
"Nezuko!" Zenitsu vaguely heard Tanjiro screaming in the distance. His voice was wrapped in pure horror obviously at the sight of his beloved captured sister.
"Cease your screeching. My threads won't kill her. She's a demon." Rui carelessly remarked close by. "But she must learn her role. If she won't obey me. I'll leave her like that until sunrise and let her get scorched a bit."
Scorch Nezuko with sunlight? No, not that. He couldn't. Not to Nezuko, the one who had accepted him so quickly only after being introduced to him by Tanjiro; the one who continued to understand how he felt, who knew the struggles of being a demon, and the one who even risked being burnt by the sun just to listen to him complaining. No, Rui couldn't do that to such a kind girl; a kind sister that would go through such lengths just to protect those dear to her.
"No!" Zenitsu yelled, his head whipping away from Nezuko at Rui. He clenched his jaw and yanked his body upward, ignoring the burning sensation his abrupt movement caused to his body. He couldn't care less as the threads sunk deeper into his body. He had to escape and save Nezuko and Tanjiro. He couldn't let them get hurt.
"Shut up." He heard Rui say, irritation flaring from his voice.
A wave of searing pain lashed at Zenitsu's outstretched wrist, twisting itself around it and tightening, digging into Zenitsu's bone. Zenitsu could not hold in his desire to scream nor stop the torrent of tears that escaped down his cheeks. The thin thread that had seized his wrist tightened and tightened until finally, all Zenitsu could hear was a loud popping sound. The pain immediately subsided, but Zenitsu was left feeling disoriented and nauseated. His head pounded as a chilling warmth swept through his body. Zenitsu tried to make sense of the surging warmth, but he was too absorbed by the buzzing in his ears to make any coherent thought. Instinctively, he tried to move his hand, but nothing moved. He realized he couldn't feel it.
Finally, Zenitsu looked down.
What he saw sent him reeling back in shock.
Detached from his hand laying in a large pool of dark crimson blood was his hand still grasping his broken sword. Zenitsu gasped, but no air went in. His remaining hand shook without his control as his heart thudded loudly in his chest. He wanted to release the contents of his stomach but his throat was so dry that it was hard to even swallow. Too quickly, his vision began to grow blurry with black spots consuming his sight. Zenitsu fought to stay awake. He really tried, but there was no strength left to give. As Zenitsu succumbed to the comfort of the darkness a second time for the day, one thought managed to echo in his pounding head, leaving nothing but guilt to pierce his aching heart.
'I'm sorry…'
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Strum
Zenitsu snapped his eyelids open, his eyes quickly coming to a stop to the direction where the sound echoed from. It was pitch black around him, suffocating him in a deep void of emptiness, but he could hear it- an instrument being played not too far. The instrument seemed old, and slightly out of tune as if the sound came from an instrument that was barely usable, but the melody that was being played from it was familiar to Zenitsu.
Almost too familiar.
Slowly, Zenitsu took a step forward, his feet carrying him to where the song was calling out for him. He walked in silence with only the sound of the song ahead of him to listen to. Zenitsu had no idea how long he walked nor how far he went, but once he found his destination, a wave of lethargicness washed over him. He could feel his eyelids and feet becoming heavy as his surroundings became much too hazy. He realized he couldn't concentrate on anything except what was in front of him. It was all his drowsy mind could focus on.
In front of him sat a seated shadowy figure playing an instrument, their face shrouded in black that made it impossible to make out their facial features. The one thing Zenitsu could see was how they played the instrument in their hands. They strummed the instrument delicately with long slender fingers, never making any mistakes as they hummed to a distinct but beautiful melody. There was something about the vibrations from the instrument that felt so heavenly to Zenitsu, as if it were a warm summer embrace that could wrap tightly around his arms and chase all his fears and worries away. Soon, Zenitsu found he couldn't stop the tears from flowing from his droopy eyes. The song- no lullaby was calling for him and it was telling him to go to sleep.
So Zenitsu moved forward, his head nodding off with each step. His body swayed to the flowing rhythm of the lullaby, getting closer with each step to the figure as they continued to play the instrument in their hands. The song paused and Zenitsu blinked in a daze, seeing the shadowy figure now holding their hand out for him to take, offering all the unconditional love he could hear from their sweet mesmerizing lullaby.
Yes, that was right, he just needed to let everything go.
"Z...t..!"
Zenitsu paused, his hazy mind managing to grasp onto one thought. He was forgetting something... What was it that he was letting go? He couldn't remember what he was, but… it was important, right? But why, why couldn't he remember?
"Z..n..su!"
That voice. He knew the voice, but who was it? It had to be someone important to him. The voice had a sense of comfort and tranquility to it, sending so much warmth to Zenitsu's aching chest. He knew the voice but from where? He couldn't see the face it belonged to. The thought was there, but it couldn't be grasped no matter how much Zenitsu tried to reach for it.
Strum
Zenitsu blinked, his sight focused on the shadowy figure in front of him once more. That's right, it didn't matter who was calling him. The figure in front of him was so close to touching now. They, too, were familiar. His heart ached to see at least any feature on their face to recognize who they were. To his surprise, the sweet lullaby whispered to his ears that if he allowed the figure to pull him to sleep, he would have his answer.
'Just one more step.'
"Zenitsu!"
Zenitsu flinched, his eyelids flickering open, his mind snapping from the drowsiness that had him in its tight hold. He looked back to where the gentle voice had called from, his golden eyes widening in realization.
"Tanjiro…" he whispered.
That's right. What was he thinking? Tanjiro and Nezuko were in danger and they needed him. He couldn't fall asleep at a time like this- not when the two siblings needed his help. He had to protect them just as they have done for him. To think he was letting a simple children's lullaby pull him to sleep when Tanjiro's voice had been calling him all along. How could he have done such a thing?
Zenitsu gritted his teeth and turned back to the shadowy figure with frustration, but he was unprepared for what he saw. The shadowy figure now stood in front of him, their hand so close to his cheek. It was small and petite, the fingernails slightly grazing his cheek, but never drawing any blood. And he could smell something from the figure. Sweetness? Yes, it definitely smelled sweet, but mild in that it didn't overpower his nose. However, his ears couldn't pick a single sound from the figure's heartbeat. There was only silence to listen to.
No, wait… that wasn't right. There was a sound he could detect from the shadowy figure's heartbeat. A rich, percussive sound wrapped with a distinctive buzz that spoke of deep fondness for him. He didn't understand what it meant. The figure was unrecognizable to him and yet they seemed to know him well enough.
Zensitu wanted to question the figure, impatience and anger bubbling from his chest, but before he could even get one word out, the figure strummed the instrument in their hands and vanished, leaving only a gentle wind to brush against Zenitsu's skin. Zenitsu blinked, confused and alone, but the warm light that began to shine from up above him drove all his concerns away for the moment. He was no longer wrapped in an empty dark void devoid of any sound. He was back with a familiar sight and now he had to save his friends.
Closing his eyes and finally relying on his ears, Zenistu was met with a familiar dark forest, ringing with so many sounds from the vegetation around. He slightly shifted his hearing away from the plants to where the most noise was coming from, finding Tanjiro charging forward at Rui with his broken sword clenched tightly in his shaky hand. Rui, without making much change to his heartbeat, reacted nonchalantly to Tanjiro's attack. He raised his hands that were drenched in a dripping substance and his threads moved slightly in response. Multiple cobwebs suddenly appeared in front of Tanjiro, encasing him in Rui's deadly trap.
Horror and fear rang from Tanjiro's heart and Zenitsu gasped in response. His friend was mere seconds from an unavoidable death and all he could do was listen to his heartbeat.
At that moment all Zenitsu could think about was the people he had met thanks to Tanjiro.
He saw Nezuko, quiet but all so beautiful, offering him a blanket as she listened to his concerns for the future, never complaining about his ugly crying.
He saw Inosuke, so prideful and loud, swinging his sword forward for him and Tanjiro to follow behind, but never doing a good job to hide the sudden sense of companionship he found in who he now traveled with.
He saw Tamayo, sorrowful eyes full of kindness, as she gently pushed him to her chest as he sobbed uncontrollably and Yushiro, eyes looking at him with disdain, but still willing to help him and Tanjiro for Tamayo's sake.
He saw Chuntaro, a loyal and caring sparrow pecking at his scalp to take care of himself while making sure he never strayed from the wrong direction in front of him.
And he saw Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy offering him a warm callous hand, leading him outside to a world from a cold damp house back to a life he never thought was possible for him to continue to pursue.
Tanjiro, the one who had helped take a step to a world that did not need him nor care for his condition, was going to die.
No!
Heat surged from Zenitsu's chest, traveling to his neck and face to the tip of his head where a searing pain exploded with a blinding whiteness. Zenitsu grimaced, his body unable to deal with the crushing weight on his skull. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that it felt like Zenitsu was getting struck by lightning again. It made him reel. It felt like needles were being jammed into his skull, tearing him open as something protruded from under the skin.
Just as quickly as the pain ramped up, the agony faded to a dull throb, but Zenitsu realized he could hear a low rumble begin to build up in sound from above. Something hot was crackling around him, pricking his skin as it danced around him. He realized he could no longer hear Tanjiro or Rui or anything else around him. All his ears could hear was the buzzing sound piercing the air. It was strikingly loud. His head pounded with each beat and blinding whiteness overtook every thought he could make. Except for one.
"Demon Blood Technique: Scarlet Lightning." Zenitsu muttered incoherently.
And thunder roared in response.
Everything burned. Tanjiro's limbs felt so heavy, weighted with exhaustion and soreness. He struggled to keep his focus on the demon before him, his mind wanting to fall to the comfort of sleep creeping up from behind him. Despite his spotty vision, the pounding of his beating heart kept him gripping his sword. He continued to move forward with every glide of his blade. He couldn't stop now. Not when Nezuko and Zenitsu needed him to protect them. If he stopped now, he'll suffer the recoil from forcibly changing water breathing to the dance of the fire god. And then there would be no way of stopping Rui from getting what he wanted.
No, he would not let that happen.
Eyes narrowing, Tanjiro slashed through the threads in front of him and brought his sword straight for Rui's neck. He saw the threads that quickly surrounded him in response. They were now in front of him at his neck and face. But Tanjito only gritted his teeth as his sword continued to swing forward at its target. If the only way to cut Rui's neck was to get sliced into pieces from the threads, then that was what he was going to do. Whatever it took, he would follow his strike.
For Nezuko and Zenitsu's sake, he would protect them.
BOOM
Tanjiro widened his eyes as something yellow flashed through his vision followed by surging red that ignited the threads around him, easily snapping them in half. He felt the warm fire lightly caress his skin as angular shapes of yellow bolts buzzed and hissed around him, but never touching him. As the fiery heat enveloped Tanjiro's broken sword, the bolts of lightning around Tanjiro headed straight for Rui, striking him with a booming clap of thunder. Wreaths of steam rose from Rui's burning body with crude jagged scarlet marks moving across his pale skin, scarring him.
Tanjiro didn't know what had burned the threads or where the lightning came from, but they had saved him. They were proof that he could not die yet.
With that thought, Tanjiro finally connected his sword with Rui's neck. The neck was hard and tough, but Tanjiro persisted. And gradually, the sword broke through the iron neck. With one final push, he slashed through the neck in one clean cut, screaming as loud as he could to Rui's now headless body.
"Nobody can ever break the bonds I have with Nezuko and Zenitsu!"
Tanjiro immediately fell to the ground on his stomach breathless, his lungs heaving for air. His limbs trembled and he could barely keep his grip on his sword. His vision was spotty, but he could make out Rui's headless body before him. The smell of thick blood was slowly disappearing from the area so he had succeeded. Rui's head was nearby and anger was pulsating from his scent. Rui was talking incoherently. It was hard to understand what Rui was saying with the buzzing in Tanjiro's ears, but he was eventually able to make out what the pale demon was saying.
"…..How?! How did it not work?! That stupid boy! I'll kill him! And the girl! I'll make them both pay!"
Tanjiro blinked drowsily and glanced around, seeing Nezuko wrapped in Zenitsu's chest not too far away from him, both on the ground unconscious. Tanjiro felt the salty tears slide down his cheeks at the sight of both of them safe. He crawled towards them, grunting and heaving in pain with each movement he made. His body felt so heavy that he had to dig his nails into the dirt just to lift himself forward. It was painfully agonizing. His body screamed at him to stop- to just rest and go to sleep, but he ignored the strong desire. He willed his weakened body to keep moving and endure. It was all he could do. Once he was close enough, he took both Zenitsu and Nezuko's warm hands into his own, trembling as he tried not to squeeze their hands too hard. He choked at the relief he felt at the sight of their sleeping forms.
Nezuko and Zenitsu were both safe.
They all were.
"I hate you…."
Tanjiro flinched and turned back, seeing Rui's headless fading body standing over him. It collapsed, its hands close to his shoulder. Tanjiro widened his eyes, his nose twitching at the unbearable scent of sadness coming from the body. It was heavy, weighing him down with its melancholic scent. Grimacing, Tanjiro placed his other hand on Rui's back, gently rubbing it. Immediately, he was overtaken by the smell of remorse. Tanjiro was struck with sympathy for the demon- no child. The child took the wrong path, but in the end, he regretted what he did.
So, Tanjiro offered a silent prayer for the dying child.
Once Rui had completely faded away, Tanjiro turned back to his sister and Zenitsu, his eyes scanning the pair for any injuries. Rui's threads had cut them excessively, but it seemed they both were physically okay. However, Zenitsu now had two tiny horns on each side of his head. He stared at the horns questionably, wondering where they had come from and why they were there. Zenitsu still had the familiar scent of peaches that belonged to him, so they didn't change anything in regard to his inner self, but they still made him worried for his friend.
"T-Tanjiro?" Said a rough voice, thick with sleep.
Tanjiro blinked, shaken out of his thoughts as he caught Zenitsu beginning to stir. The yellow-haired groaned and turned to him, scrunching his eyes at the bright light that slipped through his closed eyelids.
"Zenitsu!" Tanjiro yelled, his body moving closer to Zenitsu in concern without thinking. "Are you okay?"
Zenitsu nodded shakily, but his face contorted in pain. He finally opened his eyelids, his golden eyes falling onto Tanjiro with such intensity that it made Tanjiro stiffen in surprise.
"What about you idiot? You're the one that was fighting Rui." The older boy pointed out hoarsely. He coughed and turned his sight at the younger girl that was still on him. "Is Nezuko-chan okay?"
"I think so. Thank you for catching her" Tanjiro said, his lips smiling in gratitude before quickly remembering why they were in this situation. He frowned and bowed his head forward to the ground apologetically to his friend.
"Zenitsu, I'm so sorry. I allowed Rui to catch you and Nezuko when I should have been protecting you two."
"Honestly, you're an idiot. A hard-headed idiot that cannot stop being so reckless." Zenitsu replied completely breathless.
Zenitsu pulled himself up from the ground and carefully handed Nezuko to Tanjiro's chest while glaring at the red-headed boy with heated anger in his golden eyes. Tanjiro noted that the smell of anger wasn't that of hate or fury but that of deep concern and worry.
"You cannot possibly think that this was your fault. If anything, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I know I said I wanted you to protect me, but…"
Zenitsu shook his head angrily and looked back at Tanjito with narrowed eyes.
"You need to protect yourself too, Tanjiro! Stop charging in without thinking! At least for Nezuko's sake, think about yourself as well. What would she do if you died while trying to save her? Who would she have to help cure her then?"
"Zenitsu…" Tanjiro hesitantly argued. "I…"
"I know," Zenitsu interrupted. "It's who you are, but at least take yourself into consideration next time. Please."
He groaned and placed his hand on his forehead, eyebrows furrowing in a grimace. Immediately, Tanjiro moved closer to his friend and placed his hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Zenitsu was trying to hide it, but Tanjiro could see how exhausted he was. Zenitsu's breathing was shallow and the boy felt perhaps too warm for Tanjiro's liking. It seemed Zenitsu was making every effort to hide his health but Tanjiro could see. He wondered what the cause could be though.
"Where's Chuntaro?" Tanjiro decided to ask. "You need to let yourself heal."
Zenitsu shifted his body away from Tanjiro's hand with an icy glare.
"There's no way I'm doing that when you're hurt." Zenitsu shook his head stubbornly. "No, let's just find Inosuke and get out of here. Who knows how injured he is without us to keep him in check."
Zenitsu was right. They did need to find Inosuke. Tanjiro had been pushed away from Inosuke's side in the middle of a fight against a tough opponent. He had screamed for Inosuke to not die until he returned to help him. Inosuke was strong, but there was no way Inosuke could face a demon like that on his own without their help. He was terrified of the idea that Inosuke had been killed and eaten already.
"You're right! We have to go help Inosuke!" Tanjiro exclaimed, his voice raw with panic. "We got separated in the middle of a fight with a demon."
Zenitsu widened his eyes in shock but nodded. "Fine, I'll carry Nezuko-Chan. You need to-"
Zenitsu froze and right away his body began to tremble. Confused, Tanjiro reached for his friend in concern when his nose suddenly twitched at a new scent not too far from them. It was a familiar scent, a clear herbal fragrance that reminded him of a gentle calm body of water untouched by the breeze. He realized that the familiar scent was that of one that he had not sensed in a long time. The person the scent belonged to was running towards them, with a clear conviction in each step they took. Instinctively, Tanjiro sprung into action.
"Zenitsu!" The red-headed boy cried, grabbing onto Zenitsu and pushing him to the ground just as a gust of wind blew at the spot Zenitsu's head had been at. Shakily, Tanjiro looked up, seeing none other than Giyuu Tomioka staring down at him with his stoic dark blue eyes. His sword was outstretched above Tanjiro's head. Tanjiro felt his heart thump loudly against his chest at the sight of the sharp blue blade. If he had been a second late, Zenitsu would have been surely killed.
"Why are you on that demon?" Giyuu asked tonelessly, though there was no sign of recognition in his eyes. Did the dark-haired demon hunter not recognize him?
Tanjiro shook his head. Still, this was his chance. While Giyuu was a demon hunter, he had spared Nezuko that fateful day two years ago and had helped Tanjiro by sending him to find his master. Giyuu had become someone he could trust. Perhaps, if he explained everything, Giyuu would do the same for Zenitsu and spare him. He had to.
"Tomioka-san!" Tanjiro shouted, hoping that the man would at least recognize his voice. "Zenitsu is like Nezuko! He hasn't eaten another person! He's not a monster! You can't kill him!"
"Nezuko?" The man questioned. He turned his gaze to Nezuko, who was still deep in sleep by Tanjiro's side. The man stared at the girl, studying her face for a few seconds in silence before turning back to Tanjiro.
And slowly but surely, Tanjiro saw Giyuu widened his eyes in recognition. Giyuu finally understood who he was.
"You're…"
From behind Giyuu, a new scent caught Tanjiro's nose and unlike Giyuu's scent, this one carried ill intent for his sister and friend. Tanjiro barely had time to pull Nezuko and Zenitsu to his chest and lean over them as he felt the wind caused by a swipe of a blade upon him. But then he heard it. A loud clang as the blade was deflected. Giyuu had protected them.
"Oh, why are you getting in my way, Tomioka-san?"
Tanjiro watched as a woman with shoulder-length dark hair and a pale complexion gracefully landed on the ground from the sky, skidding to a stop with a smile that looked forced. Her blank purple eyes gazed forward as Giyuu turned forward from where he had crouched down, placing himself in front of Tanjiro and his demon companions with his sword hanging protectively in front of them.
"You said we can't get along with demons, but here I see you protecting two of them? If you do this, everyone will hate you, you see?"
"I am not hated." Giyuu bluntly replied.
The woman widened her eyes and lowered her sword, her lips slightly frowning apologetically.
"Ahh, that- I'm so sorry, but you didn't realize? Pardon me for saying that much."
The woman turned her gaze from Giyuu to Tanjiro, calling him out much to Tanjiro's surprise.
"Boy, you're protecting two demons. It's dangerous so please get off of them."
"N-! I mean you're not wrong, but uhh. This is my little sister and friend. That's why-"
"Oh?" The woman said, interrupting Tanjiro's sloppy explanation. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes looking over at him with sympathy.
"Is that so? What a pity. Okay then…"
She lifted her sword up to her face, her lips curving upward dangerously that it sent fear trickling down Tanjiro's spine.
"I'll kill both of them with a sweet poison that won't leave them in pain."
Terror stabbed Tanjiro's heart at what the woman remarked back to him. He had protected his sister and friend for so long just to find a cure for them and yet, here was a woman that did not care about his familial ties to them. Although she said she would kill them with a gentle poison, Tanjiro could not stand it. Dread twisted in his stomach and Tanjiro was overcome with the feeling that he might throw up. How could this woman say such a thing?
"Can you move?" Giyuu suddenly asked, silencing the beating terror in Tanjiro's chest momentarily.
"Even if you can't will yourself. Take your sister and friend and run."
Tanjiro widened his eyes in shock. Giyuu still was willing to help him? Would he get in trouble for going against the woman, his comrade, in front of them? No- why was Giyuu making such a decision that would ultimately affect his position as a demon slayer.
"Tomioka-San…" Tanjiro murmured, beyond astonished.
He shook his head and looked down at Nezuko and Zenitsu. Nezuko was still asleep, but Zenitsu was silent, holding his gaze on the pale woman before them. His face was ashen and his golden eyes were wide with panic. But what frightened Tanjiro the most was that his friend had a scent of acceptance around him. Zenitsu was actually accepting the idea that the woman might kill him.
At that realization, Tanjito did the only thing he could do. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up from the ground and took Nezuko in one arm, bringing her to his chest, and pulled Zenitsu up with his other hand. With all the strength he had left, he willed himself to run away, taking his sister and friend away from the woman that wanted to kill them.
"I'm sorry! Thank you so much!"
Tanjiro stumbled with each step he took, but he never stopped moving. Even when his body screamed at him to stop, Tanjiro continued forward. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, his mind would not stop replaying the words the woman had told him. He knew she had been kind by offering to kill Nezuko and Zenitsu in a painless way, but it still hurt. They were precious to him. Nezuko was his only family. His whole family had been taken away and Nezuko was all he had left. And Zenitsu was a friend that he cared too much for. They both gave him something to fight for. The pale woman couldn't take the two away. If she did, he didn't know if living would be worth it then.
"Do I have to pull out of the demon hunters?" Tanjiro asked himself, lungs heaving in an effort to catch a breath.
"No, that's okay. No matter how human Nezuko and Zenitsu appear to be, they won't accept them. Even if I'm no longer part of the association, I'll still find a cure for them. Tamayo-San will help. I'm sure of it. In the meantime, I just have to protect them."
"Tanjiro!"
Tanjiro widened his eyes as he felt a sudden weight pushing him forward, sending him and Nezuko crashing to the ground. He blinked, dazed, seeing Zenitsu kneeling by him, panic flaring in his eyes at the sight of a dark-haired girl standing in front of them with blank eyes.
"How?!" Tanjiro thought with horror tightening in his chest. "I ran with all I could!"
The unknown girl didn't give Tanjiro a chance to respond. She dashed forward, stopping in front of Zenitsu with her sword raised to the air ready to chop off the yellow-haired boy's bare neck. Tanjiro widened his eyes in horror and reacted the only way he could. He launched himself at the girl and clung onto her waist, sending the two of them backward away from Zenitsu. Waves of agonizing pain shot from Tanjiro's limbs at the force of the fall, but he only gritted his teeth and turned back to his sister and Zenitsu, the pair looking back at him with wide eyes.
"Run Nezuko! Run Zenitsu! Run-"
Tanjiro was interrupted by a searing pain crashing down on the back of his head that sent his face slamming to the ground. There was nothing he could do to fend off the darkness that abruptly took him in its hold.
It was over for him.
"Tanjiro!" The petrified yellow-haired boy by Nezuko screamed with horror in his voice.
Nezuko could only look at the red-haired boy in silence, her eyes slowly widening at the scene before her. The boy had been slammed to the ground by the unnerving girl, his chin slamming against the hard surface with such an impact that it sent the boy into complete unconsciousness. She wanted to save the red-haired boy, the one that made her chest squeeze with emotions she couldn't explain why she had, but he had shouted at her and the yellow-haired boy to run. She understood why though. No matter how much she wanted to protect him, she knew that she couldn't disobey him. Not when the girl in front of her had that blade in her hands aimed at her and the yellow-haired boy by her. She knew that she had to listen to the boy with kind eyes and protect the golden-eyed boy from harm.
With a huff, Nezuko took the yellow-haired boy's hand into hers and pulled him away, beginning to take him away from the girl with blank pink-lilac eyes. She could feel the yellow-haired boy try to pull his hand away from her, but her grip wouldn't budge. Nezuko would not let the yellow-haired boy run back, not when the red-haired boy told them to run.
"Nezuko-chan!" The yellow-haired boy screamed from behind.
Nezuko turned back, her eyes catching the sight of a sword coming dangerously close to her neck. Quickly, she pulled Zenitsu to her chest and shrunk her body, managing to miss the sword as it swiped at the air above her. She continued to run forward with the screaming boy held tightly in her petite hands, dodging each swipe of the sword the pink-lilac girl lunged at her. She was careful to not let the sword touch her and the yellow-haired boy in her arms. Even if she could stop the pink-lilac-eyed girl, she would not fight the girl. The boy with red hair would be hurt if she did that. No, she would continue to run away and protect the yellow-haired boy in her hands. That was what she must do.
"CAW! CAW! A message! Message! We have a message!" A voice suddenly rang out from above.
Nezuko stopped as the girl with the sword paused as well. Nezuko looked above, finding a blackbird flapping its wings as it continued to speak.
"Restrain the ones named Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Zenitsu and bring them to headquarters! Tanjiro has a scar on his forehead! The demon Nezuko is biting onto a piece of bamboo and the demon Zenitsu has yellow hair. Restrain them and bring them to headquarters! CAW CAW!"
"Are you Nezuko and Zenitsu?" The pink-lilac-eyed girl asked, her face turning away from the crow to the pair of demons. She leaned forward to Nezuko, studying her and the yellowed-haired boy she still had in her arms.
Nezuko only stared back silently. She didn't understand what the blackbird meant but it seemed that the pink-lilac girl no longer wanted to hurt her and the boy she was carrying. She glanced down at the boy, watching as his body trembled with fear. She blinked and placed her hand on his soft hair, rubbing it gently. The boy froze, but Nezuko never let him go.
She didn't understand what was happening, but she did know that she was not going to let any harm come to the yellow-haired boy she had in her arms.
She would continue to protect him and the red-haired boy always.
A/N: I've recently received some emails over how canon this story has been. I guess this is the point that I'm diverting a bit or adding my own spin to it. I can't write to everyone's expectations, so I'm sorry if what you read isn't how you feel things should go. Anyway, the dream Zenitsu has is an important plot point so I'll leave it to you guys to guess the meaning of this dream. Also, Zenitsu's demon blood art was shown (yay), though it was not specified what it is. However, considering that it stopped Rui from cutting his own head off before Tanjiro did so, his ability has something to do with momentary stopping a demon's blood art or their ability for a few seconds. The drawback is heavy though, so don't expect Zenitsu to be using this ability continuously. Okay, I think that's all. As always, thank you for your support!