Hi there! I'm OMG04! I'm the author of this little story, but I'm sure you already knew that.
This will be the second story I've written, even though I'm still working on my first. I know I'm just asking for trouble writing two stories at the same time but I was too invested in this idea to just put it off to the side.
This story will be a standalone DS (Demon Slayer) story. It will be a reversal of roles for Tanjiro and Nezuko, but I'm doing it a bit differently than normal. You'll see what I'm talking about soon.
You know the drill, I'll go for two or three chapters before waiting for the reviews. If a majority of people like my story, I'll be more than happy to continue!
And with that, here is…Demon Slayer: The Tainted Sun
*I do not own Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba. The Anime/Manga belongs to Ufotable and its author, Koyoharu Gotouge.
"Tanjiro" = Talking
"Tanjiro" = Thinking
Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV
Japan - Middle Alignment = Location
"Tanjiro" = Flashback
Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect
Water Breathing = Breathing technique/Blood Demon Art
A boy ran through the woods at inhuman speeds. He was confused, he was alone, he was terrified, he was…starving.
His only company were the many trees and the snowflakes falling through the air.
"Tanjiro ! ! !"
He heard a voice come from behind him, he knew it came from that girl, the girl in the pink kimono.
That name, Tanjiro…Why…Why did she keep calling him that? It's not like they knew each other.
Granted, the boy didn't know exactly WHAT his name was. But, he knew he had no memory of this girl. But, if that's the case, why didn't he just eat her when he had the chance?
He wanted to feast on her. Oh, he wanted SO BADLY to feast. But, something deep inside of him told him that it was wrong.
Why, though? He was hungry, so of course he wanted to eat. Is it really a crime to eat when you're hungry? It wasn't any different from people hunting animals for food.
Back in that town, he could smell so many people. He could've eaten them all, he wanted to eat them all. But, deep down, he knew it was wrong.
"Tanjiro ! ! ! Come back ! ! !"
Damn it, this girl was persistent. Was she mocking the boy or something? He had her right in her grasp back at the clinic, but he suddenly ran away.
He had no clue why he was running away from his meal, it was like his body had a mind of its own. It was like he wasn't in control.
…No, that's wrong. It felt more like he was actually regaining control over his body, not losing it.
Why…Why…Why… why why why why why why why why why why why why WHY!?
WHY was this girl following him!? WHY did the boy want her to stay away!? WHY did he WANT to hurt people!? WHY did he NOT hurt people!?
WHY WAS HE CRYING!?
He stopped running as he held his head between his heads, shaking it in frustration. He fell on his knees while pulling on his black, burgundy tipped hair.
He could smell the girl behind him getting closer, and closer, and closer. He tried to collect his thoughts, having little success in doing so.
What felt like an eternity was actually fourteen seconds before…
"Tanjiro…"
There it was, that voice, that unknown yet familiar name. The boy got up and turned to see the girl in the pink kimono, panting from exhaustion.
The boy picked up the scent of fear and dread from her, but she also gave off the scent of concern and love. Just like that woman he bit into earlier.
How anyone could love someone who tried to kill them, he had no idea. But that wasn't important now.
The two stared at each other for what felt like hours before the girl broke the silence.
"Tanjiro, I know it's you…"
The thirteen-year old boy named Tanjiro Kamado made no response. He only stared at the twelve-year old girl named Nezuko Kamado with plum red, slit-pupiled eyes. The eyes of a demon.
"Please…Big Brother…"
*Screen cuts to black
"Please come back to us!"
Demon Slayer
The Tainted Sun
Chapter 1 - The Boy Who Never Made it Home
Nezuko Kamado
Mt. Kumotori
"Thank goodness, I was finally able to get Rokuta to sleep." Nezuko thought as she made her way up the mountain path to her house.
She looked at her youngest brother, Rokuta, who was asleep on her back all wrapped up in a blanket. "Hey, Nezuko!" A familiar voice got Nezuko's attention.
She looked up the mountain path and immediately spotted her older brother's signature black and green checkered haori.
Tanjiro was waving at her from a distance, carrying the basket he used to sell coal on his daytime visits to town.
"Hi Tanjiro!" Nezuko replied while returning the wave. Tanjiro made his way to the younger sibling.
"What are you doing here?" Tanjiro asked.
"I was just putting Rokuta down for a nap, he's become real clingy ever since dad died and I didn't want him knowing that you were leaving." Nezuko explained as she looked back at Rokuta again.
"People seem to follow you wherever you go, huh?" Nezuko said as Tanjiro patted Rokuta on the head. Nezuko looked back at her brother and slightly frowned.
"Do you really have to go? With all you've done for us, I'm sure we can survive for one day. Who knows what might happen to you with all that snow." Nezuko said, earning a smile from Tanjiro.
"Of course I do! As the eldest sibling, it's my job to make sure my brothers and sisters' bellies are full for New Years." Tanjiro stated as Nezuko sighed.
"You push yourself way too hard, you know that?" Nezuko said as she decided to give up. "Just be careful, okay?"
Tanjiro gave his signature smile, a smile that was as bright and warm as the sun. "I promise, I'll be home before nightfall."
"You better…" Nezuko pouted, "Or else, you're gonna get earful from me."
Tanjiro laughed nervously before saying his goodbyes and leaving. "And so help me, if you get a cold, I'm tying you to your futon again so you can rest!"
Tanjiro slightly jumped after hearing that, likely remembering when Tanjiro insisted on going down the mountain despite being sick and Nezuko had to tie him down with a rope to stop him.
"G-got it! See ya!" Tanjiro called out while waving. Nezuko returned the wave as she smiled brightly.
"Sigh, you really are something else, big brother." Nezuko said to herself before continuing her walk home once she wasn't able to pick up his scent anymore.
Nezuko always had an advanced sense of smell from as far back as she could remember. Tanjiro also had an advanced nose, though his was stronger and more efficient than hers.
She finally made it to the Kamado household and was welcomed by two of her younger siblings, Hanako and Shigeru.
"Big sis, Big sis, you're back!" Hanako greeted first while jumping with joy.
"Where've you been, you just missed Tanjiro!" Shigeru said, also excited to see their older sister.
"I was just on a walk, putting Rokuta to sleep. I just passed by Tanjiro." Nezuko explained while patting the heads of her little brother and sister.
Shigeru looked at Nezuko's back and saw the toddler in question. "Hey there, little guy! How are you doing?" Shigeru asked the sleeping boy as Hanako joined him.
"Awwww, he's adorable!" Hanako exclaimed as Nezuko lowered herself so they could pat Rokuta's head.
"Nezuko," Nezuko looked up to see her mother, Kie Kamado, standing at the door to their house and smiling. "Thank you for putting Rokuta to sleep, I really appreciate it."
"No problem, mom! I'm happy to help!" Nezuko said, returning the smile. She got up and walked towards her mother.
"Did you see your brother off?" Kie asked.
"Yep! He promised to be back by nightfall. And I plan to hold him to that!" Nezuko said with a bright smile despite her malicious intent.
Kie put on a nervous smile. "Yes well, please take it easy on him. He works much too hard, but he does it for us."
"I know, I know…I just get a little worried sometimes." Nezuko admitted, frowning a bit before Kie cupped her face with both hands.
"We all do, sweetheart. But Tanjiro has gone down the mountain with your father more times than I can count. I think he can take care of himself." Kie assured the preteen before giving her forehead a kiss.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I'm being paranoid." Nezuko admitted, her smile returning. "Besides, with Tanjiro's nose, it's nearly impossible for someone to get the drop on him."
"Well, tell you what. How about you help me make lunch? That should take your mind off it." Kie offered.
"Sure! Oh, did Tanjiro already have lunch?" Nezuko asked. Her mother nodded.
"Yes, he said he had a few rice balls…He tried very hard to hide his face when he said that." She added.
Nezuko kept smiling as a tick mark appeared on her forehead. Tanjiro was many things, a good liar was not one of them. In fact, every time he attempted to lie, his face would contort as he strained to get it out. "Ah, I see…"
The two ladies went into the house before Nezuko turned around and called to Shigeru and Hanako. "Shigeru, Hanako, get the rope ready please."
"Yes, mamm!" The two kids yelled out, knowing exactly what Nezuko was going to do to their older brother when he got back.
Tanjiro Kamado
Bottom of the mountain
"Atchoo!" Tanjiro sneezed as he finally made it to town from the mountain path.
"Someone must be talking about me…" Tanjiro said to himself as he rubbed the underside of his nose with his left index finger.
"Alright, time to sell this coal!" Tanjiro announced to no one in particular as he made his way to town.
-A few hours later-
Tanjiro was content with his earnings, he managed to sell all of the coal. He made multiple runs to make sure he didn't miss anyone.
He also took the time to help the civilians in town, who were more than happy to accept his help.
There wasn't a single person in town who didn't know about Tanjiro's kind acts. He helped people with chores, groceries, fixing doors, you name it.
Of course, that made the trip longer than usual, but it was worth it. That was until he looked up and saw the dark orange sky.
"Looks like it'll be nightfall soon. I better hurry back before the others get worried." Tanjiro said to himself, remembering his promise to Nezuko.
Ever since their father, Tanjuro Kamado, passed away, Tanjiro had been picking up the slack. Of course, for a young teen, that was no easy task.
Tanjiro constantly pushed himself despite the pleas from his family to rest. He would always say that he was fine no matter how tired or sore he was.
One may think that he was lying, but he really was fine. At least, that's what he believed. But when one day, Tanjiro came home sick and continued pushing himself, Nezuko put her foot down.
After that, she became very strict when Tanjiro pushed himself too hard. Sadly, that didn't stop the boy from working himself ragged from time to time.
Tanjiro went to buy those goodies that he promised Shigeru and Hanako. He'd also get some for Takeo, Nezuko, and toys for Rokuta. He put all of his things along with his earnings in the basket he had on him.
The sky started to become black as Tanjiro was almost at the start of the mountain path. That's when he picked up a new scent.
Tanjiro froze in shock. This smell was unlike anything he'd experienced before. It seemed like it came from a human, but it felt like a monster.
Tanjiro sensed that the smell was coming from behind the rows of houses on the right of him. Tanjiro wanted to see what it was, but he decided against it, not wanting to cause trouble.
But as he started to walk away, he tripped on a pebble and fell face first into the snow. "Ow…" He mumbled as he lifted his face.
He got up and checked his basket to make sure nothing fell out. Everything seemed to be in place. "Wait, where's-?"
Meow!
Tanjiro turned around to see a stray black cat holding in its mouth what appeared to be a candy bar he got for Shigeru.
"Hey, kitty!" Tanjiro called out with a smile on his face, trying to reach out for the candy bar. "I know you're hungry, but that isn't good for cats. Could you give it here, please?"
The cat stared at Tanjiro for a bit before running away from him. "Hey! Get back here!" Tanjiro yelled as he gave chase, leaving the basket behind.
Normally, he wouldn't care about a little candy bar, but he didn't want that cat to choke on it by accident, he hated to see animals suffer.
The cat ran around behind the rows of houses on the right and Tanjiro followed. Tanjiro was starting to catch up and made a dive for it.
He grabbed the cat's tail as it yelped and let go of the candy, it ran off before giving Tanjiro a hateful hiss. Well, at least the cat's not too hurt.
Tanjiro grabbed the candy bar and turned around to head back before accidentally bumping into someone's shoulder mid-turn.
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry! I got distracted and didn't notice you!" Tanjiro said to the figure he bumped into. He was a tall man with black wavy hair, a black tuxedo, white dress pants, and a white fedora.
The man had his back turned to Tanjiro as he realized something. This man was where that malicious scent was coming from.
Tanjiro felt his blood freeze and heart stop as the man gave off an angry, annoyed scent. The man turned around and gave a close-eyed smile that almost looked sincere.
"Why that's quite alright, young man." The man said in a deep voice that commanded respect, no, fear. "If anyone should apologize, it's me."
Tanjiro struggled to get his words out, what was this feeling he was having? Tanjiro knew he had to get away as fast as possible.
"W-well, there's no need for that. But, I have to get going. Sorry again!" Tanjiro apologized as he slowly backed away before the man started opening his eyes.
"I see. Well, farewe-." The man cut himself off as his eyes suddenly widened. Suddenly, the scent of anger increased tenfold.
Tanjiro almost passed out from the intense pressure coming from the man who scowled at him. His body felt like it was being crushed, he began spitting up blood from the force.
The blood stained Tanjiro's blue scarf as he barely had enough strength to look up and get a good look at the man's face.
The man was extremely pale, almost to the point that Tanjiro worried for his health. But the most terrifying detail was the man's plum red, sharp, almond-shaped eyes that pierced the boy's soul.
Tanjiro begged his body to move, but he was completely paralyzed with fear. "Those earrings…So, you're the one…" The man said before vanishing.
Tanjiro was still frozen as he felt a hand on left shoulder. "Sorry, boy. But I can't just let you go now." The man whispered as Tanjiro gathered the strength to turn his head.
He barely saw the man on top of him before he gave a left back-hand right into Tanjiro's burn scar. Tanjiro was sent flying into the woods, his blue scarf coming off during the trip.
He only stopped when his back hit a tree with tremendous force and he fell face first from at least ten feet. He could feel that most of his ribs had been broken and struggled to breathe. His spine also seemed to be broken as he could no longer feel his lower body.
Tanjiro lifted his head to reveal blood pouring down from the top of his skull over his scar. He had to use only his arms to get up and lay against the tree he crashed into.
"What…What just happened!?" Tanjiro wondered as he started to panic. "There's no way he was human, there's just no way!"
Suddenly, the pale man appeared before him in a flash, to Tanjiro's surprise. "I couldn't even sense him coming! How fast is he!?"
"Disappointing…" The man said as he looked down on the wounded boy. "You're supposed to be HIS descendant, and yet I've seen Mizunoto put up more of a fight."
"Descendant…Mizunoto? What is he talking about!?" Tanjiro asked himself as he struggled to get his voice out.
Tanjiro tried to call for someone, anyone. "H-h…Hel…HELP-!"
Swipe.
Before Tanjiro could finish, his voice was caught in his throat as he felt a warm liquid pour down his neck…
…That's when the pain kicked in.
Tanjiro started gagging and coughing, his hands instinctively holding his neck as he tried to stop the bleeding with no success. The boy didn't even realize that the pale man had just slit his throat.
Blood shot out of Tanjiro's mouth with every cough as the man held a finger to his lips and shushed him.
"Sorry, but we can't have that now, can we? I'd hate to have to kill an innocent person for interrupting us. And I have a feeling you don't want that either." The man stated.
Tanjiro knew he was right about that, he didn't want someone to die because of him. Those words almost made Tanjiro scold himself for doing something so selfish.
However, he had bigger problems than a scolding as he tried so hard to stop the bleeding from his neck. The man squatted down in front of the boy and looked him in the eyes.
"Hmmph, pathetic. It seems I was worried over nothing." The man said before lifting a finger and pointing it at Tanjiro's forehead.
"However, since you are his descendant, I may still have a use for you…as a demon, that is." He said before giving Tanjiro a cruel smile.
"A demon?" Tanjiro thought. His grandmother had always told him stories about demons, man-eating humanoid monsters who only came out at night.
But, she also said that demons weren't real, that there are no demons, right? The man placed the sharp nail on his pointing finger on Tanjiro's forehead. After a little effort, the nail pierced Tanjiro's tough head.
Tears started falling from his eyes as a tiny bit of blood ran down his forehead. Every part of him was shaking. Was he really about to die?
"Now, just relax. It'll all be over soon." The demon made a mock attempt to console the boy as something seemed to be running through blood vessels to his finger. "And remember, this will hurt you a lot more than it hurts me."
Ba-dump!
Tanjiro's eyes widened as all his bodily functions ceased for a second. Veins started bulging from Tanjiro's head. Then, once again, that's when the pain kicked in.
Tanjiro's whole body started spazzing out as he fell to his right side from his previous position against the tree.
Tanjiro couldn't decide on whether to hold his head or his neck, as both felt like they were on fire. He rolled onto his belly and tried desperately to crawl away from the demon, but that only made the man laugh.
"Ha ha ha! Oh, that's adorable. The poor little human is trying to escape from me." The man mocked as he continued laughing. "Sorry to tell you, but you can't escape me now. My blood is inside your veins and spreading throughout your body."
"Soon, you will become a demon, my loyal servant. Your thoughts, your actions, your memories, your will. They will no longer be your own. You will become an extension of my being. You shall live to serve under me, for the rest of eternity."
Tanjiro tried to block out the demon's voice, he really did try. But he couldn't, something inside of him would not let him.
He saw his nails start growing, until they turned into claws. He felt the canines of his teeth slowly grow into razor sharp fangs. There was a burning in his right eye as the pupil went from a white circle to a black slit and the iris went from a dark red to a plum red like the demon speaking to him.
"It hurts…" Tanjiro thought. "It hurts…it hurts…it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
"Don't be sad, you'll see that being a demon is so much better than being a weak human. One day, you will thank me. And who knows, you may become the one who conquers the sun."
Tanjiro continued crawling until his body refused to listen to him anymore. He could feel himself slowly losing consciousness.
"Is this really it…Am I going to die…?" Tanjiro wondered solemnly as he began to lose hope. "No, please…I can't die here, not yet, not like this…My family…My family will be so sad…I can't let that happen…"
Tears continued filling Tanjiro's eyes as they began to close for good, blurring his vision. His left eye started to morph as he tried to cling on to his humanity.
"Mom, dad, I'm so sorry…I'm so pathetic, I couldn't keep my promise to take care of my family."
Tanjiro's left pupil became black and started to become thinner and sharper. He blinked and started to imagine his family right in front of him, smiling at him, welcoming him into their arms.
He made one last push to stay alive and reached out to the hallucination, but he knew that it was pointless.
"Takeo…Hanako…Shigeru…Rokuta…Nezuko…I'm sorry…"
Tanjiro's eyes closed as his strength left his body and he collapsed face first into the cold snow. The flickering light inside Tanjiro faded away and was replaced by darkness.
"Your big brother. . . .Isn't coming home."
…
…
…
…
Tanjiro Kamado…
A boy who brightened everyone's day with a shining smile that rivaled the sun…
A boy who selflessly helped those in need, asking for nothing in return…
A boy who did absolutely nothing to deserve such a cruel fate…
…
…
…
…
Tanjiro Kamado…was no more.
Nezuko
Kamado Household
Nezuko paced back and forth across the front door while the other Kamado kids were fast asleep. Well, not all of them.
"Sis, you're stressing me out. Please go to bed." Nezuko looked at her little brother, Takeo, who was staring at her from his futon.
"I'm sorry, Takeo…" Nezuko sighed. "I'm just worried. I thought Tanjiro was just running late because he was helping some old lady or lost kid or something. But, it's not like him to be this late."
"I'm sure he's fine, he probably missed the time and decided to stay in town. Either way, Tanjiro wouldn't want either of us staying awake for him." Takeo said.
Nezuko knew he had a point, but she still couldn't help but worry. What if Tanjiro had to stay in town because he injured himself or something? What if he slipped and fell off of a cliff on the way home and now has a broken leg?
There were just too many possibilities for her to relax, she wished that she had a way to know he was okay. She had gone outside and sniffed the air for over an hour, trying to pick up Tanjiro's scent until her mother begged her to come inside along with Takeo who had been chopping wood all afternoon.
"He's probably right, Nezuko. You're overthinking it." Nezuko heard her mother say as she came back from her bath. "Tanjiro's a big boy now, we need to trust him."
"I do trust him, mom. It's just…You know how he is. As far back as I can remember, Tanjiro has been the type of person to listen to other peoples' problems without ever acknowledging his own." Nezuko said.
"Yes, you're certainly right about that." Kie sighed before smiling at her eldest daughter. "But even Tanjiro is smart enough to know his own limits. It's most likely he's just staying with the townsfolk for the night. They're good people, Nezuko, who all care for your brother. If you ask me, he might be safer down there than he would be here."
Nezuko returned her mother's smile, she could always make Nezuko feel better without fail. It was one of the things she and Tanjiro had in common, besides the rock-hard forehead.
Kie took Nezuko's hands into her own. "Now, come on. Let's head to bed. I'm sure Tanjiro will get here in the morning. If not, you and I will go down and see if he's alright."
"Right!" Nezuko replied. She got into her futon before giving her sleeping siblings a good night kiss. She gave one to Takeo too who did not appreciate it despite the blushing.
Before Nezuko fully went to sleep however, she noticed that her mother was staring at the door with an uneasy look on her face.
Nezuko had always heard about a "mother's intuition" and how mothers had some sort of telepathic connection with their children that let them know when they were in danger.
Nezuko knew it was a lie, of course, but she always did wonder if there was some truth to that fact. Her mother looked as if she knew something was wrong.
Nezuko tried to ignore it and go to bed. She was sure that everything was just fine.
Meanwhile
The Demon King looked down upon the human boy who had ceased all movements. Once he confirmed that the boy's heart had stopped beating, he sighed in frustration.
"What an absolute waste of my time…" said the demon who's name was none other than Muzan Kibutsuji. "I didn't even give him that much blood, and he died almost immediately."
Muzan spat on the weakling's corpse before turning around and walking away. "Nakime. I'm done here." He called out before hearing the sound of a biwa cord being struck and a door appeared before him.
"I'd search for the boy's family but they'd probably die as well, and I've wasted enough time here already. I guess I'll never be able to create a demon who can conquer the sun." Muzan thought as he walked through the door and vanished with the sound of a biwa cord.
-The Next Day-
The town was experiencing another peaceful morning. Kids were playing in the streets, couples were ogling at each other, everyone else went about their own business.
Yep, another ordinary day, except for one thing…
"Hey, what's this basket doing here? Does this belong to anyone?" A shop owner asked out loud, drawing everyone's attention to a basket with arm straps and a bunch of goodies inside.
One guy in his early twenties looked into the basket. "I don't know, but finders keepers!" He said before reaching for the yen in the basket, but a woman around his age smacked his hand.
"Don't you even think about it!" She scolded before observing the basket. "Isn't this the basket Tanjiro uses when he sells coal here?"
Another man who was in his thirties came by. "Don't be ridiculous, we don't know it's his. Anyone could have a basket like that, and it doesn't even have coal in it." He stated.
That's when a young man in his mid teen years stepped up. "I don't know, I did hear Tanjiro say something about buying gifts for his siblings when he sold coal to my family yesterday."
People gathered around to solve the mystery of the basket.
"Maybe he was in a rush to get home and forgot about it?"
"I doubt Tanjiro's the type of person who'd forget to bring his siblings gifts."
"Let's just bring the basket to the Kamado house, it's the least we could do."
"But what if Tanjiro stayed overnight with someone here and is coming to get the basket?"
"Then he would've come and gotten it by now. Stop complaining, you just don't want to be the one to carry it!"
While this was going on, old man Saburo was observing the whole thing. "What a bunch of idiots. Instead of gathering around for a basket, how about you just bring the damned thing to Tanjiro?"
Saburo decided to walk back to his house to eat breakfast, when he noticed footprints in the snow leading behind the rows of houses.
The old man's curiosity got the better of him as he started following the prints. He noticed the prints of large winter boots and what he guessed was a cat.
"Hmm. Could these be Tanjiro's footprints?" Saburo asked himself as the prints came to a sudden stop in a small circle. "That's odd, I didn't see any prints trailing back."
Saburo looked around for a bit until he spotted a blue scarf in the snow. He immediately recognized it as Tanjiro's.
"Why is his scarf here of all places?" Saburo wondered before he noticed what looked like a red stain on it, a trace of…blood. "Oh no…"
Saburo saw a small trail of blood near where the scarf was and followed it. The trail got wider, slowly but surely. Saburo continued following the trail, his worry increasing and imagination running wild.
Saburo was panting as he finally reached his destination…and his fears were confirmed.
Saburo froze as he looked at the brutal scene in horror. First there was a tree with a dent in the middle of its stem and a bunch of blood around the bottom.
However, that wasn't what terrified him. What did was the long trail of blood that almost resembled crawling. The trail led to a sight Saburo would never unsee.
Tanjiro laid on the snow, face down, his hands covered in blood. His body and hair were slightly covered by the falling snow. "Tanjiro!" Saburo said as he rushed to the boy's side.
He shook him to wake him up, when that didn't work, he flipped Tanjiro's body over onto his back. That's where the real damage was.
Tanjiro's burnt scar was covered in dry blood and instead of a graze, it changed into some strange red pattern.
There were three claw marks across Tanjiro's throat, along with some dry blood around his mouth and forehead. And to top it all off, he was deathly pale.
"Damn it, kid! Stay with me!" Saburo continued shaking the boy before putting his ear to Tanjiro's chest.
ba-dump…ba-dump…
Saburo gave a sigh of relief as he heard a heartbeat, it was weak and slow, but it was there. There was also a quiet, raspy breathing coming from him.
"Shit!" Saburo cursed as he started running back to town.
Back in Town
"Come on! Put your back into it!" One guy cheered as one of the younger men of the town tried to lift Tanjiro's basket, goodies and all.
"I'M PUTTING EVERYTHING INTO IT ! ! !" The young man said, struggling to even get the basket off of the ground. "How strong IS that kid anyway!?"
"Everyone!" The civilians all looked to old man Saburo who was running from behind the houses. "Come quick! It's Tanjiro! He's wounded!"
There was a gasp from the crowd as most of the men followed Saburo.
"Dear god…!" One of the men said as they observed Tanjiro's cold, barely alive, body. "Who could've done this!?"
"Maybe it was a bear or a pack of wolves?" Another of the men suggested.
"Not even bears nor wolves are that brutal, nor precise! And they definitely aren't strong enough to launch someone twenty meters into the woods!" The first man responded.
Saburo had to agree, there is only one creature that could do something like this. The same kind of creature that took his wife and kids away so many years ago. No doubt about it, this was the work of a demon.
"Well!?" Saburo yelled at the men who all jumped at his voice. "Are you gonna stand there, slack jawed or are you gonna help me carry this kid to the clinic!?"
"R-Right!" The men said as three each took one of Tanjiro's limbs, with Saburo taking the fourth, and lifted him up, trying to keep him as steady as possible.
"Hey, you!" Saburo called out to the shop owner from this morning. "Go let the Kamados know what happened!"
"You got it!" He said as he started running towards the mountain path.
Kie Kamado
On the Mountain Path
Kie woke up to find that Tanjiro had not arrived yet, confirming her belief that Tanjiro stayed in town. At least, that's what she hoped.
That's why she decided to go down there herself along with Nezuko whom she promised to bring along. Kie was certain that her son was fine, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She frowned at the thought of something happening to her firstborn.
"Mom?" Kie was snapped out of her thoughts by Nezuko. "Are you okay? You seem a little out of it."
Kie smiled at her eldest daughter. "Of course, Nezuko. I'm just tired is all." She assured the preteen.
"Don't worry, mom. It's like you said, he probably just stayed overnight." Nezuko consoled the mother of six.
"Yes, of course." She agreed. But then suddenly…
"Kie! Kie!" The two females heard a man yelling out to them and saw a man running up the mountain path. Kie recognized the man as the local shop owner in town, Mr. Otokawa.
"Good morning, Mr. Otokawa! To what do I owe the pleasu-?" Before Kie could finish her greeting…
"It's Tanjiro! He's…He's hurt really bad!" The man said, earning a gasp from Nezuko and a shocked look from Kie.
"Where is he…?" Was all she said as the shop owner led them to town, all the way to the clinic. During the whole trip, Kie prayed that she was wrong about her bad feeling.
Local Clinic - Outside of Tanjiro's Room
The clinic didn't look much different than your average house in Japan. A few sliding doors, pretty designs, a few rooms. The only difference was the medical equipment in some of the rooms.
"I managed to get my hands on some of the newest x-ray technology and scanned Tanjiro's bones." The doctor told Kie who broke into a cold sweat.
"…And?" She asked, earning an earnest sigh from the doctor.
"I'm not gonna lie, Mrs. Kamado. It's not looking too good. A minor skull fracture, seven broken ribs, a broken spine, and not to mention all the blood he's lost. He also seems to be suffering from hypothermia after spending the night in the snow." He explained as Kie's heart sank more and more.
"You can save him…Can't you, doctor?" Kie asked hopefully, trying to hold back tears.
"I'll do my best, miss. But…" The doctor sighed again. "But, I'm no miracle worker. That boy is lucky to still be breathing. We can't be sure that he won't pull through, but we can't be sure he WILL either."
Kie lowered her head and stared at the ground as the doctor continued. "I'm not trying to bring you down. Just…Try not to get your hopes up is all."
"…I understand…Thank you, doctor. I'll make sure you are paid handsomely for your troubles." Kie offered, to which the doctor shook his head.
"That won't be necessary. Your son's helped me out a bunch of times before without ever being asked or compensated. It's time I returned the favor." The doctor said with a small smile.
"Yes, thank you very much." Kie replied, forcing a smile of her own until the doctor walked away to grab some medicine and equipment he ordered this morning. Once again, she was proud of her little boy. Of course, hearing that only made her want to cry more.
She felt so guilty. Last night, she slept with her family without a care in the world while Tanjiro, her first child, was suffering. She was a failure as a mother and as a person.
She wished it had been her instead, but she knew that's not what Tanjiro would want. She then heard the door to Tanjiro's room slide open to reveal a teary eyed Nezuko.
Kie caught a quick glance at Tanjiro. The doctor was right, it wasn't looking good. Tanjiro's breathing was slow and raspy, and his skin was pale.
Tanjiro's haori and robes were undone to reveal his chest which was covered in bandages. His neck and forehead were also covered in bandages.
"Mom…" Nezuko mumbled as she closed the door behind her and walked towards Kie who went to give her a hug. Nezuko returned the hug and cried into the woman's shoulder.
"Mommy…! I'm-I'm scared…!" Nezuko sobbed as she clung to her mother.
"I know, baby…I know…But it'll all be okay, we'll get through this together. I promise." Kie swore as she held her daughter tightly, one arm stroking the back of her head and the other wrapping around her shoulders.
"How's the kid doing?" They both heard a voice and turned to see Mr. Saburo come up from behind the two. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, it's fine. Tanjiro's…" Kie struggled to tell the truth about Tanjiro as she let go of Nezuko. She finally gave a sad sigh. "Tanjiro's hanging in there, but it's still up in the air."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Kamado. He'll make it, I'm certain. The kid's tough, if he managed to survive that long in the cold with those injuries, there's no doubt that he'll keep fighting." Saburo stated.
"Thank you, we appreciate that." Kie said with a sad smile before turning to Nezuko. "Nezuko, can stay with your brother, I need to talk with Mr. Saburo."
Nezuko responded with a silent nod as Kie walked off with the elderly man near the entrance to the building. "I heard that you knew what caused this." Kie said.
"Yes." He replied. "Tanjiro was attacked last night. He was attacked by a demon."
"A demon? Aren't those just myths?" Kie asked, remembering all the stories her late mother used to tell. To her surprise, Saburo glared at her.
"They are not myths! They are the ones responsible for killing my family!" Saburo snapped, causing Kie to back up in defense to which Saburo sighed and held his head in his left hand.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to snap, you have enough going on right now without me going psycho." Saburo apologized sincerely.
"No, it's okay. It's clear that you yourself have been through a lot as well. I'm the one who should apologize." Kie said. The two stood in awkward silence for a bit until...
"Tanjiro? What are you doing!? You shouldn't be up so soon! Go back to bed!" Kie heard Nezuko's voice. Wait…Tanjiro?
Kie and Saburo both ran to Tanjiro's room.
Tanjiro…?
-Five Minutes Ago-
"…What's happening…?" Tanjiro thought as his mind drifted through darkness. "…Where am I…Who am I…?"
Tanjiro's body started shaking, his hands twitching as he started to get up. His torso rose as his head hung back, he unknowingly released a growl. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, revealing only the white, bloodshot sclera.
"…What am I…?" Tanjiro wondered before getting on his feet, he took an instinctive sniff of the air and picked up multiple scents.
Some were far away, others were very close. He sensed at least over a hundred people in the area. They all smelled delicious, it was like one big feast for him and him alone.
…Wait, why was he thinking like that? That didn't feel right coming from his mind. Then he realized why when his mouth started salivating.
"Oh, that's right…I'm hungry."
Nezuko
Nezuko had no idea what to do, she felt so helpless. Her brother was at death's door, and all she could do was cry in her despair.
"Tanjiro…Please…Please don't leave us…" She pleaded, seeming as if she was talking to herself. She stood next to the door to Tanjiro's room, trying to muster the strength to go in again.
Then, suddenly, she picked up a change in Tanjiro's scent. She couldn't tell what it was, but she was hoping that her brother had woken up.
She slid open the door to his room, and there he was. Tanjiro stood right in front of where the door was. "Tanjiro?" Nezuko knew immediately that something was wrong.
First off, Tanjiro was not smiling and telling her that he was fine. Second, he looked down at the floor as his upper face was covered in shadow and his mouth hung open with a bunch of drool dripping from it. Lastly, Tanjiro's scent was completely different.
Tanjiro's scent was always so sweet, brimming with kindness and warmth. That was no longer the case. All Nezuko could smell from Tanjiro was bloodlust and savage hunger, two scents that Tanjiro would never give off on his worst day.
Despite that, it was still Tanjiro. Nezuko immediately put her hands on Tanjiro's shoulders. "What are you doing!? You shouldn't be up so soon! Go back to bed!" She begged, not wanting him to push himself again.
Tanjiro said nothing, he breathed heavily and slowly. "…huuunn…gryyyyyy…" He muttered almost too quietly for Nezuko to hear.
Nezuko started to back away as she removed her hands from Tanjiro's shoulders. "T-Tanjiro?" Nezuko called out, her worry increasing.
Suddenly, Tanjiro's salivating mouth morphed into a smile. Not the warm smile he would always give Nezuko and their siblings to feel better.
No, this was a cold, sick, twisted grin that held nothing but malice behind it. Tanjiro tilted his head upwards and revealed his eyes.
The dark red eyes that once held a gaze which always made Nezuko feel safe, were replaced by two plum red bloodshot eyes with black slits for pupils that felt like a gaze from the Grim Reaper himself.
Nezuko froze, paralyzed with fear. She could only watch as her older brother crouched and tried to leap towards her.
Nezuko would've died had it not been for Mr. Saburo who pulled her out of the way just in time. Tanjiro leaped with his right hand held out.
That's when Nezuko noticed the claws on his hands. Tanjiro struck the wall with tremendous force as his hand easily pierced through it.
He pulled it out and glared at Nezuko, his mouth still drooling with that twisted smile. "…T-Tanjiro…" Nezuko heard her mother beside her, who had a face of pure dread.
She stepped towards Tanjiro before Mr. Saburo, who was holding Nezuko closely, intervened. "Stop! Don't get near him!"
Nezuko looked up at her savior and noticed the panic in his face. "He's…He's a demon!"
And I'll end this chapter here! I've already finished the second chapter so it should already be posted. See you there!
Next time: Chapter 2 - The Demon who Conquered the Sun
