Disclaimer: I do not own Demon Slayer : Kimetsu no Yaiba or any of its characters/story.

Oh, and just a side note. The seasons and time periods are weird (I had to try and figure it out too, oops), however just be aware that it's the start of spring right now.

VIII: Assignment

A few months had passed. Four, she believed.

Everything was pretty much the same. School, training, come home, more self-inflicted training. Even if she was exhausted down to her bones, she would still drag herself to the room where she would already have equipment ready.

Now, Kanao found herself standing in the classroom, a little bit of time before the next school 'Practice' or whatever they decided to call it so it wouldn't be too suspicious for the normal students attending the academy.

Shinobu was in front of her, sitting at her desk with hands folded across her lap. "I assume you don't know why you're here." Kanao shook her head in a silent no. Her sister placed her elbows on the polished surface of the desk, intertwining her fingers and resting her head on them.

"You have an assignment. Or I suppose I could say 'mission', if you prefer."

Kanao's face didn't change at all on the outside, but inside she was shocked. It had been months, why would she only get her first mission now? Taking her coin out of her pocket, she watched as it flipped in the air and landed on the back of her hand. Heads.

Well, that was the side that basically meant don't talk. Oddly, she felt upset that she couldn't speak her mind. But no, that's only if I'm allowed, and the coin told me not to…

Shinobu watched her adopted sister, smiling sadly as she said, "You can speak, you know. I'm sure you have questions."

Rather suddenly, a question did come out of her mouth. "Why?"

Shinobu blinked. "Why?"

Kanao seemed to realize how weird that sounded, and apologised quickly with pink-tinted cheeks. "Um, nevermind. I meant… What is the mission?"

Her sister nodded, taking out a small black folder. "Here is your file. You are to accompany a few other students to a mansion said to have mafia activity. You aren't to go in unless needed. This is so that if the others are injured in battle, you can go inside to assist them in getting to medical care, and if needed, to fight alongside them."

Kanao opened the folder, seeing pictures and names across the several sheets of paper. After a bit of brief examination, she shut the file and held it at her side. "Who are the students I am to accompany?"

At this, her sister smirked. "Well, there should be three of them. But before that, I should let you know an important detail, There is a setup to this mission. One of the students is already there at the mansion, another is heading there, and the last one is waiting to leave alongside you. So really, I suppose you should be leaving now."

The unanswered question still shone in Kanao's eyes.

Shinobu grinned as she told her the names.

Kanao's eyes widened a little. Inosuke Hashibira, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and… Tanjiro Kamado.

"Did you happen to give me this mission, sister?" She didn't do anything, but Shinobu could practically see the raised eyebrows.

"Why yes, I did." She said maliciously, still beaming with innocence.

"And… and you gave him the same mission too?"

"Well no, he was already assigned. But I thought it would be, let's see, fun to complete an assignment with someone you are acquainted with. I am in charge of where you get placed, you know."

Kanao just stayed silent, before Shinobu sent her on her way to meet up with Tanjiro, who she'd be accompanying.

.

"Why do I feel like we're purposely being put together by everyone…?" Tanjiro, as it turns out, also didn't know who the mysterious person escorting him would be.

The two walked along a dirt road, surrounded by farming fields. It felt very quiet and peaceful, which was a nice change from the bustling city.

Kanao shrugged slightly. It was odd, but she wouldn't dwell on it.

As they kept strolling along the path, an interesting scene came into view. A familiar blonde boy, on his knees, was yelling something at a dark-haired girl.

Tanjiro ran straight for them, Kanao hesitantly following at a slower pace.

"Marry me!" Oh. That's what the blonde was shouting.

The girl looked very annoyed, as an understatement. Kanao could nearly see the frustration radiating off of her.

"For the last time, NO! I am not marrying you!" She crossed her arms.

The boy, who was still on the ground, was picked up by the back of his shirt by Tanjiro, who had reached them by that point. "Can't you tell that she doesn't want to?! Where did you even meet her?"

He narrowed his brow at the blonde, who looked shocked and confused. The boy seemed to realize who Tanjiro was. "Oh, are you the student that was supposed to meet me here? Maybe you can help me persuade this girl that I am a handsome young man who she should marry!"

At this, the two started arguing. Kanao had come over to the dark-haired girl, who almost looked relieved to have the boy taken off her hands. "I met him here around 5 minutes ago. He was lying down at the side of the road, so I wanted to know if he was okay. Then he just kept asking me to be his wife…?"

She threw a sidelong glance at Kanao. "I'm just happy you and your boyfriend got here to help me. I'm not sure what I would've done."

Kanao's mind stopped. And so did her breathing, apparently.

Boyfriend…?

It was all she could do to shake her head rapidly, hoping the other girl would get her message. We are not dating, that isn't right… I can't be dating him… how would that ever happen…

The girl looked at her, confused. "You aren't dating? Oh god, I'm so sorry, it must be weird for you to think of that…"

So while Tanjiro and the blonde boy argued, the raven-haired girl tried to get Kanao out of her temporary stroke.

.

"When did you even meet her?!"

"5 minutes ago, okay?!"

"5 MINUTES AGO?! How does that even… why would you possibly think that this girl, who you met 5 minutes ago, wants to marry you?"

"She's clearly in love with me! She asked if I was okay when I collapsed on the side of this very road!"

Tanjiro threw up his arms in exasperation, letting go of the boy's shirt and letting him fall to the ground with a thud. "You know what? I… nevermind. But one thing you should probably have enough common sense to know is that you can't marry someone you just met!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"NO! Why on Earth would that even…?" He sighed, composing himself a little. "Alright, your odd marriage complex aside,"

"It's not a marriage complex!"

"Yeah, yeah. Your odd sense of time in a relationship aside, are you Zenitsu Agatsuma, student of-"

"Nintendo Academy?"

Tanjiro blinked. "Excuse me, what?"

"D.S. Academy, yes I'm from there. Yes, I was sent on a mission. Yes, I'm Zenitsu. And yes, I am supposed to be at the mansion by now, but I had a holdup."

"One you caused."

"Maybe, but that's not very important."

"I- Okay." He sighed. "Well, since you're here and not at the site of the mission, Kanao and I will just have to go with you there."

"Who's Kanao? Heck, what is your name?"

"I'm Tanjiro Kamado, which you should have read on the mission file? Kanao is the girl I'm travelling with here, she's-" His gaze stopped on her, sitting on the ground and blushing furiously.

"Um, Kanao?"

.

Kanao had finally calmed down, at least a little bit. Tanjiro introduced her to Zenitsu, who immediately started flirting with her (much to everyone's annoyance). When Tanjiro, very irritated by this point, asked what happened to his proposal to the other girl, Zenitsu started asking her to marry him once again.

"For the last time, no! I already have a fiance you idiot! I only checked on you because it was the reasonable thing someone would do, not because I'm in love with you! Since you seem to be fine now, I'm leaving! Goodbye!"

She gave a grateful and sympathetic look to Kanao and Tanjiro, who now had to deal with him, before marching off.

Zenitsu shouted after her, eventually having to be dragged off by Kanao and Tanjiro so they could actually complete the mission they were assigned.

TTTTT

Well that took a while.

I started writing this chapter at around 11:00, and now, at 2:23, I am finished. It shouldn't even be possible to write that slowly, but okay then.

Hoo boy…

Anyway, I love writing these fun little comic relief scenes, along with fighting scenes. Everything else? A bit boring, but I will write it if necessary. I have somehow been persuaded to add more weird references and funny concepts into this fic, which is supposed to be dark and serious. That's hopefully alright.

See you next week.