Kimetsu no Yaiba doesn't belong to me. This story is a translation of another fanfic of mine. I hope you like it!
Douma watched with little interest as the two women stood in front of him. Despite the time that had passed, they still had not been able to find any clues about the flower that Muzan desired so much.
It wasn't like they could do much as humans. So, within their capabilities, they weren't doing so badly. If only his lord shared that opinion, but that wasn't the case.
What he didn't like was having Muzan's attention on him. He preferred it when he could act on his own without any problems. He sighed a bit and smiled, focusing his attention on the humans.
"You've done very well," he told them. "I'm sure you're hungry and want to rest. I've asked for something to be cooked for you."
"Thank you very much, high priest," the two said in unison, and after bowing, they left.
Douma stretched, feeling a bit hungry himself. Going hunting wouldn't be a bad idea, he thought as he left the room and walked down the hallway until he stopped in front of one of the rooms. He knocked a couple of times and entered.
There, looking out the window, was a tall woman. She had olive-green skin and dark hair with pale pink tips that reached down to her waist. She turned around, and their gazes met. The woman's sclera was completely black, while her eyes were purple, with pupils slit like a snake's. She wore a pink kimono with a white obi.
"How are you, Kanae? Are you hungry?"
The demon licked her lips slightly and smiled. "A little. I was about to go hunting now. How about you?"
"Me too. Do you want to go together?"
Kanae shrugged, indifferent to the suggestion. The important thing was being able to feed themselves. Douma took that gesture as a yes and smiled a bit.
"Then let's go, dear."
Sumiko lightly rubbed her side, since they had left the house she had been bothered by it, although she hadn't expressed it out loud. Carrying Nezuko inside the basket since dawn didn't help either.
" Marble eyes, give me my swords already!" The boy with a boar head, who had introduced himself as Inosuke Hashibira, kept insisting on that, not willing to stop shouting.
"I've already told you no," Rengoku replied, with more patience than Zenitsu and Sumiko would have.
"But are you stupid or what!?" the blond boy shouted, looking at the other "How dare you speak like that to one of the Pillars!?"
"What's a pillar?" Inosuke shouted back.
The other three looked at him, the question had caught them off guard and Inosuke soon realized that.
"Why the hell are you looking at me like that!?"
Zenitsu was increasingly certain that he couldn't stand someone like that, he got on his nerves, had he lived under rocks or what?
"It's possible that he doesn't know," Sumiko murmured after a while, feeling a bit sorry for him.
Inosuke looked at her, grunted something unintelligible, and continued walking ahead of the three of them.
Kaname, Rengoku's crow, then perched on his owner's shoulder.
"There's a wisteria house nearby!" the bird informed them energetically. Inosuke, who didn't take his eyes off the animal, approached them.
"Can I eat it?" he asked, at the same time he reached out his arm, intending to grab Kaname.
"No, I'm afraid you can't!" exclaimed Rengoku, as he moved away and began to walk in the direction indicated by the crow.
Ubuyashiki listened in silence to his wife. Amane was reading him the letter that Kyojuro Rengoku had sent her.
"What do you suggest, Kagaya?" the woman asked once she finished.
The man thought for a moment, the Pillar was right that that kind of behavior was not acceptable. But, at the same time, he knew Hashibira's circumstances and knew that it was a matter of getting used to living with other humans.
"I think that this time, a warning will suffice," the man decided. "But if it happens again, a sanction will be applied."
Amane nodded and began to draft the response diligently. Since her husband had gone blind, she had taken care of those kinds of things, acting as the representative.
She whistled and Kaname landed on her arm. The woman took the opportunity to tie the missive to its leg. The animal flew away.
"Done," she said as she helped her husband stand up.
A young boy dressed in the uniform of demon hunters ran as fast as he could. He didn't look older than sixteen, with long black hair tied in a ponytail and blue eyes that betrayed the fear he felt at that moment. His forehead was covered in sweat and his breathing was heavy, but he didn't stop.
He had to flee before they found him. It was pitch dark and he could hardly see what was in front of him.
He had fallen several times and in one of those falls, he had lost his katana. He didn't have time to look for it; his only option was to run and hope that his pursuers didn't catch up to him.
He didn't understand when everything had gone wrong. Why had they been assigned a mission that was more suited for a Hinoe or higher rank instead of a Kanoe like him?
He had sent his crow for help, but he had less and less hope of getting out of there alive. He was lost, so focused on running that he didn't pay attention to where he was going. He didn't even know which way to go to get out of the mountain.
He didn't want to die; he had only lived nineteen years. It wasn't fair; he hadn't even been able to avenge his family. He also wouldn't be able to avenge his fallen comrades.
He could hear the footsteps getting closer, no matter how much he ran, he couldn't leave them behind. He began to cry out of pure desperation. He was going to die.
His companions were chasing him, victims of the demon's blood technique that they had come to kill. Now they were nothing more than his puppets, and if things continued like this, he would soon face the same fate.
He stumbled over a rock on the path and almost fell to the ground. He screamed in pain when Kagome, the girl who had attacked him, ran her katana through his right shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Takeshi!" Kagome cried. She was also crying, but she couldn't stop her movements.
The hunter didn't respond and tried to continue running, ignoring the loss of blood he was suffering. But his companion extracted the weapon from his shoulder and attacked him again, this time piercing his left side.
From the top of a tree, two demons watched the scene with amusement.
They looked like children no older than ten years old. A boy and a girl who were quite physically similar. Both had white hair and skin and wore kimonos of the same color.
The girl had long hair tied in two ponytails, and the other demon had short hair.
They were aware of what was happening and didn't get up until the hunter was dead.
"Well, I think that's it," the demon murmured, pulling one of the thin threads that came out of her fingers, causing the human's neck below to twist until she died.
"Yes, there's no one left alive."
"They'll come again," she warned. "Wouldn't it be better if we left now while we still have time, Rui?"
"Are you suggesting we run?" Despite the anger in his companion's voice, she didn't stay quiet, risking making him even angrier.
"Yes. We're attracting too much attention, and you know what that means."
"This is our home," he insisted, hoping to end the conversation with that.
"We can build another one somewhere else," the demon replied immediately.
Rui looked at her seriously. He could see the fear in her eyes, and he didn't like it at all.
"We're not as strong as you," she reasoned. "Besides, if they send one of the Pillars..."
Rui didn't answer and simply left. The demon sighed, exhausted. She had tried her best.
Kyojuro was reading the response sent by his boss with a serious expression. He frowned slightly, wishing he could impose a harsher punishment, but he couldn't disobey orders like that and he knew it.
He hoped that such an incident wouldn't happen again, but he couldn't always be vigilant. After completing the mission, their paths would separate, and once dawn came, Sumiko, his sister, and he would return to their family's home.
Rengoku wanted to check on things there and make sure his brother was okay, although their last conversation left a bad taste in his mouth, he knew Senjuro was right.
He peered out the window, unable to sleep, and let out a sigh as he tried to clarify his thoughts. He wanted to help his brother, but he didn't know how. Should he ask him to go to the Butterfly Mansion? As tempting as that idea was, he would have to talk to Kocho about it first, and he didn't know if it was a good idea to leave his father alone.
He had promised his mother on her deathbed that he would help others, that he would dedicate his life to that, but he couldn't even save his own family. He shuddered a bit and mentally slapped himself. He couldn't doubt himself now.
He was a Pillar, and they were counting on him to do his job well. What would his mother say if she saw him doubting himself like this?
Senjuro took the pot off the fire. He was somewhat tense that morning, unable to sleep well the night before and had dark circles under his eyes. The fact that his father was at home didn't help either.
Although he was good at avoiding him, it was something that wasn't always possible. However, if he was lucky, his father would sleep until noon.
With his father, one could never be completely sure, especially as the anniversary of Ruka's death approached. He hoped his brother would refrain from visiting them during these times. Shinjuro's mood would be even more volatile than usual, and if he already became more unpredictable after each visit from Kyojuro...
Thinking about his brother, he couldn't help but remember their last conversation. He had been too hard on him, but it was time for him to accept the truth.
He poured some tea into a cup and took a small sip of the liquid, savoring the infusion. It helped him relax somewhat. Lately, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he wasn't going to get anywhere in life. He wanted to be useful to the Corps, as his family had always done, but how?
He thought about that for a while until he remembered the existence of the hidden. That was his only way, he told himself, to try to get in there, so at least he would help someone and wouldn't be left doing nothing.
Plus, that way he wouldn't have to set foot in that house again. He held no grudges against his father, but living under his roof was becoming increasingly unbearable.
He smiled a little at the thought of that future. Yes, he was determined to do that, he just had to tell his brother, and he was sure Kyojuro wouldn't have a hard time pulling some strings for him.
With that determination in mind, he left the cup on the table and went quickly to his room. He opened one of the drawers of his desk, took out a paper and a pen, and began to write a letter to send it.
Inosuke tightly held onto Sumiko's right sleeve, as she was the closest person to him. They had left the inn in the village just minutes ago and he felt uncomfortable seeing all the people around him.
He wasn't used to being in places like this. He felt completely lost, everything was new to him.
"What is that?" he asked with less energy than usual, as a person pulling a cart passed by the four of them.
As Sumiko explained it to him, Zenitsu looked at him incredulously, where had this weirdo come from, he thought, while the boy with the boar's head bombarded Sumiko with questions.
Rengoku laughed, finding it all quite amusing. When they reached the outskirts of the village, they stopped for a moment to say goodbye and finally, Inosuke let go of Sumiko's sleeve and stepped away from her.
"It was a pleasure meeting you," said the young woman, smiling a little, content.
"The same goes for me!" exclaimed Rengoku, watching the two boys. "I hope you do well on your missions!"
Zenitsu made a face when hearing that word. Missions. He truly feared them.
"Well of course I'll do well! I'm the king of the mountain!" Inosuke, having overcome his earlier shyness, was as loud as ever. And the blonde once again doubted his sanity.
"That's the spirit, young Hashibira!" agreed Kyojuro. "Until next time!"
Inosuke watched them walk away and turned to his companion.
"What are you going to do now, Chinitsu?"
"Huh? My name is Zenitsu," said the other calmly, trying not to lose his cool.
"That's what I said! Monitsu!"
"Zen-it-su!"
"You are so annoying! I said it right!"
The crow with Senjuro's letter caught up with them after several hours of traveling. It perched on the Flame Pillar's shoulder and extended its foot with the paper, waiting for it to be taken.
"A letter?" murmured Rengoku as he carefully untied it and unfolded it to read.
"Is it a mission?" asked Sumiko, curious.
"No, it's from my brother," replied Kyojuro, folding it and putting it in the left pocket of his pants.
Sumiko refrained from asking any further upon realizing that he was not willing to say more. Although his silence made her fear that something bad had happened.
"Let's go, I'd like to arrive before it gets dark." He wasn't even smiling anymore, and Sumiko noticed his concern, but nodded and tried to pick up the pace to catch up with her master, who, unaware, was walking quite quickly.
Senjuro sat in front of his brother on the floor of the room. Kyojuro and Sumiko had arrived less than an hour ago, and as soon as they entered, the elder indicated that he wanted to talk to him.
Senjuro swallowed when Kyojuro took the letter out of his pocket and showed it to him.
"I've already made up my mind about it," he defended himself before the other could speak.
The Pillar sighed a bit and looked at him. "Senjuro, you can do anything else, you don't have to serve the Corps."
"But it's what I want!" exclaimed the young man energetically. "It's what the family has been doing for generations!"
Kyojuro sighed again. "It's not an obligation, you know?"
"I want to do it," Senjuro was not willing to back down. "I have to help in some way, I'm just wasting time here."
"Is it because of father?" Kyojuro asked after a second of hesitation.
"Not entirely, I just want to help," Senjuro confessed. "I know that to be part of the Hidden, you need to have first aid knowledge. They still teach it at the Butterfly Mansion, don't they?"
"I don't know, I'll have to ask Kocho."
"Can you write to her as soon as possible?"
"Sure," Kyojuro stood up. It was clear that his brother was not going to change his mind. At least, being part of the Hidden meant he wouldn't be as exposed as if he were part of the hunters.
"Thank you, brother," Senjuro smiled, happy and relieved to have gotten the older brother's approval. Kyojuro thought it was worth it just for that. But now came the most unpleasant part of it all.
"I'll be the one to tell father," the Pillar said, serious. Senjuro paled a bit at the thought of Shinjuro, but nodded. Those kinds of things were better left to him.
"What's that to me?" Shinjuro asked, completely disinterested. He didn't even bother to turn around and look at his son.
"He's coming with me to the Butterfly Mansion," Kyojuro replied.
"And why should I care?" the adult repeated, setting aside the book he had been flipping through. "Do you want me to congratulate him? You're both useless and you won't amount to anything in life."
Kyojuro looked at him seriously. "I think you should, at least, encourage him to follow that path."
"Shut up! You're just a brat who doesn't know anything!" Shinjuro shouted, losing his temper and grabbing the sake jar and throwing it. Kyojuro easily dodged it, and it smashed against the wall, breaking and staining the area where it hit.
"Senjuro is worth a lot, and if that's the path he wants to follow..." Shinjuro didn't let him finish speaking, as he continued to spew insults. Kyojuro, unperturbed, stood up. There was no reasoning with him.
He left without saying another word, and when he was alone, Shinjuro relaxed and returned to his previous position.
So, the ungrateful children had finally decided to completely abandon him. That thought made him let out a bitter laugh. Years of raising them, supporting them as best he could, and this was how they repaid him. Damn ungrateful bastards.
It was up to them. They could do whatever they wanted, he wouldn't be responsible for their idiocy. He reached out his arm and grabbed another sake jar, opened it, and took a long drink.
Shinobu listened, serious, to Kyojuro. Senjuro was beside her, nervous, unable to look the woman in the eye.
"You can have a trial period here, helping Aoi tend to the wounded," Shinobu proposed. "It's the best way to learn, and if after several months, you still want to be a part of the Hidden, I will personally recommend you to the boss."
"Thank you so much!" Kyojuro exclaimed.
Shinobu laughed at that enthusiasm. Someone with that attitude would be useful, she thought.
See you soon with the next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! I would love to hear your thoughts!