Kimetsu no Yaiba doesn't belong to me. This story is a translation of another fanfic of mine. I hope you like it!
Rengoku was leaning against the trunk of a tree, resting briefly after his last mission. This time, they had to go to a nearby village on the mountain where Sumiko and Nezuko had grown up, so after both asked, they decided to make a stop there to visit the graves of their family.
It was pitch-black night, and the two girls were kneeling in front of them. Sumiko cried silently, thinking about the future that had been taken away from them. If things had gone on as usual, she would have possibly accepted one of the marriage proposals from the boys in the village.
But that no longer mattered. Thinking about what could have been was pointless. Her present and future were hunting demons and killing Muzan Kibutsuji. She would also make her sister human again, she thought as she opened her eyes and glanced at Nezuko.
She stood up, and the demon imitated her. Both shook off the snow that had stuck to their clothes with one hand and approached Kyojuro.
"Thank you very much," Sumiko said, aware of the detour they had to take to get there.
"There's no need to thank me," he replied.
The three of them turned around and slowly walked away from the house. Nezuko turned around and looked at it for a second before losing sight of it definitively. But she didn't take long to resume walking and put herself next to her sister, grabbing her right hand and smiling a little.
What was important was that they were still together, she thought.
Rengoku led the way. The mission was a success, and Sumiko quickly took charge of the demon before the number of victims increased. If she kept up that pace, the Pillar hoped she could be promoted soon.
He hoped she would live long enough to succeed him as the Flame Pillar. He adjusted his cloak. It was autumn, and in that area of the mountain, it was quite cold. So it was best to leave there as soon as possible.
He heard her sigh with some resignation when her crow approached and began to assign her a new mission.
"Getting to Tokyo will take us more than a week," she commented when the bird finished talking and, as she turned and looked at him, she noticed her nervousness. "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," the girl lied, without much conviction. Rengoku observed her, not believing it for a second. With the time they had been traveling together, he had noticed that when Sumiko lied, she always avoided looking at him and bit her lower lip.
"Are you sure?" he pressed her a little. "If it's some injury, we can stop at a wisteria house to have it treated."
"I don't like very big cities," the girl confessed after a while.
Rengoku nodded, serious. "I can understand that you don't like them, but it's better that you get used to that kind of thing."
Demon hunters had to be ready to work in any type of terrain and possible situation.
"I know," was her brief response. She hoped to spend only the necessary time there and that it wouldn't be much worse than Asakusa, although she didn't have too many illusions about the latter.
Descending the mountain took them more than an hour, and Rengoku was grateful to have both of them, as they knew the direction perfectly.
"We used to sell coal to the nearby villages," Sumiko explained, smiling nostalgically as she remembered those times. "As the eldest, I used to take care of that."
"And how did you get that mark on your forehead?" Pilar asked curiously. He had been wanting to ask that question for a while, but he had never dared to for fear of being rude. Now seemed like the right time.
Sumiko touched her forehead before responding, "I was born with it. My father also had a similar one, and according to what I've been told, so did my grandfather."
"How curious!" It was the first time Pilar had heard anything like that. She continued walking, looking straight ahead and smiling slightly.
Since Senjuro had left the family home, the Pillar felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He didn't know what would happen to his father, but secretly, he hoped it would serve as a wake-up call for him.
Sumiko looked at him curiously but didn't comment on his sudden change in mood.
Douma sat down in front of Kanae, surprised by what she had just told him. Although the idea was not entirely unpleasant to him.
"Not a bad idea," he commented. "But which Lower Moon would you want to face?"
"I wanted to hear your opinion first," she admitted, and the demon's smile widened. He put his right hand to his chin and thought about what he knew about the Six Lower Moons.
"The First and Fifth enjoy special favor from our lord, so I don't advise you to request to face one of them," he said. He had not been particularly interested in them, so he barely had any information.
"I understand. Would it be a good idea to go for the Sixth?" Kanae wanted to know. Perhaps it would be more prudent to start with the lowest rank and then climb up.
"I can't give you much information, he's only been in that position for four months. But I think Akaza said his blood technique wasn't anything special," Douma said.
"Just in case, I'll keep getting stronger," she decided. Douma nodded.
"Anyway, you still have time. I don't think he'll accept the challenge so soon," he confessed. It was necessary for Muzan to give his approval first and then for the opponent to accept the challenge.
"Is there a possibility that he will refuse to face me?"
"Unlikely, unless he wants to appear cowardly. But don't worry, I'll let our lord know as soon as possible," Douma said. He doubted that he would oppose the possibility of having another former Pillar among the Twelve Moons.
Kanae nodded, hoping it would be soon. Until then, she would make sure to feed every night without fail.
Douma watched her walk towards the door. He had done well to turn her into a demon when she was on the brink of death. If he had waited a little longer, the other hunter would have arrived and she would not have been able to. Although he had made sure to leave some of Kanae's personal items to make it look like she was dead.
"I'm sure you'll make it, Kanae, dear," he said before she left the room.
"Do you have that much confidence in me?" There was some skepticism in her words, although he didn't take offense.
"I know your abilities," he replied. She nodded and after saying goodbye with a gesture, she left.
Suma was uneasy, they had been infiltrated there for months but they couldn't find out anything and the killings continued to occur.
The worst part was that they didn't follow a specific pattern and, in many cases, she couldn't say for sure that the culprit was a demon. And the apathy of the workers in the area didn't sit well with her.
They were experts at pretending that nothing was happening, they almost seemed not to care and continued with their lives as if nothing was going on.
She had managed to improve her position to become an oiran, just like Hinatsuru and Makio. They exchanged letters with Tengen every fifteen days, but they tried to be brief and use Morse code to prevent the content from being read if intercepted. Any concern was small when it came to something like this.
She looked out the window and watched people walking the streets. The fact that it was a neighborhood with nightlife made everything more complicated.
It had been 5 months and they had no leads, she bit her lip. Tengen was starting to feel uneasy too. There had to be a way to make the demon reveal itself, but how?
No one had ever managed to give them the slip for so long. And she knew that it was starting to drive her husband crazy.
Shinjuro sighed. He had lost count of the days that had passed since his two sons left. He didn't care to know, all days were the same.
He knew his eldest well enough to know that he wouldn't completely abandon them and that, most likely, he would continue to visit and send part of his salary home.
He smiled with bitter amusement at the thought of his two sons. It made him sick to remember Kyojuro's insistence on saving lives. Did it even matter? Demons always had the upper hand and it wasn't uncommon for the confrontation to end with the death or transformation of the hunter into a demon.
Shinjuro had lost count of the number of times he had been forced to kill one of his allies before it was over. If he closed his eyes, he could still hear the pleas of those wretched souls begging for death before losing their humanity completely.
He didn't know if Kyojuro had encountered such a scenario in his six years of service, although he didn't care to find out, and if it had happened, Kyojuro never mentioned it.
He sighed, he missed Ruka so much... Why did she have to die? He had always been the one with the dangerous job, never her. Fate had been cruel to them and, on many occasions, Shinjuro thought it was his fault.
He lay back on his futon and thought. Maybe now that his sons had turned their backs on him like this, it was time to be reunited with Ruka. Yes..., it wasn't a bad idea, the man thought.
Kyojuro lay down on the bed after placing his katana nearby. They had covered quite a bit of ground and the rest was much appreciated. Although they still had a ways to go before reaching the capital.
It had been a while since he had set foot in Tokyo, he thought as he closed his eyes and tried to drift into a light sleep. He wasn't really tired, he was used to traveling longer distances without rest, but he had to adapt to Sumiko.
She was a quick learner, he thought, talented even, and the young man was increasingly convinced that he had made the right decision that cloudy day. And this mission in Tokyo would help her get used to it. If she couldn't overcome the disadvantage that her acute sense of smell posed in cities like this as soon as possible, she would be lost.
His thoughts then turned to his brother. Senjuro was growing at an accelerated rate and Kyojuro swore that every time he saw him he was taller and more mature. And he was sure that, under Shinobu's wing, he would do very well.
Sumiko remained silent as Rengoku spoke. As he had told her before, they had just under a day left until they reached their destination. The girl felt her stomach knotting with nervousness at the thought of being in the capital, but Rengoku counted on her, and she couldn't show fear. Plus, Nezuko was with them, and she couldn't let her see her afraid.
"Thanks to the police reports, we've been able to pinpoint the area where the demon usually acts," Kyojuro informed her, serious. "I don't think it's particularly powerful. From what I've been able to deduce, it must be someone who was recently converted."
These demons were usually careless and didn't bother hiding themselves, making them relatively easy to detect and eliminate.
"Shouldn't they evacuate that area?" Sumiko asked. That would be the first thing she would do in that situation.
"It's not that easy. We'd only make the fear worse. It's better to get there as soon as possible and take care of the demon so they can go back to living normally."
"I understand," Sumiko replied.
"We have a couple of days left to get there. We'll head straight there and wait for it to show up," he instructed her, and the young girl nodded.
"Okay."
"Well, let's go!" he said, picking up the pace and forcing Sumiko to run faster. She was still impressed with the speed he could reach.
The capital was worse than she could have imagined. They had arrived early in the morning and the amount of people walking on the streets was, in the eyes of the girl from a small village, overwhelming.
Instinctively, she held onto Rengoku's cape tightly and tried to relax her breathing. The smells and noises were overwhelming her, but she had to get used to it, she told herself, forcing herself to lift her head. As she did, she met her master's concerned gaze.
"I'm fine," she said, more to convince herself than him. Rengoku nodded and allowed the girl to continue holding onto him. This way, he made sure she didn't get lost.
"This way, we should get there in less than an hour," he said, as they started walking, dodging people.
"Have you ever been to Tokyo?" she asked.
"Several times, and I have to say it's a beautiful city, especially at night."
"Is there always this many people?"
"Of course! That's why it's the capital!"
The girl was paying attention to the different shop signs, and mentally trying to read them. It was something she enjoyed doing ever since she had learned to read and write thanks to Rengoku.
She already owed him a lot and she would do anything not to disappoint him. If it hadn't been for him, Nezuko wouldn't be with her, she thought. She would do her best, she promised herself.
Rengoku smiled slightly as he saw the determination shining in his successor's eyes again.
Shinobu placed the bouquet of flowers in front of her sister's grave. Although there was nothing but an empty tombstone, as she was never able to find Kanae's body, which still haunted her after all these years.
The only things she had left were the haori that Kanae always wore and the butterfly-shaped hairpin that Kanao used.
Once again, as so many times before, she felt the hatred boiling inside of her, threatening to break the mask that Shinobu had created to hide her true feelings.
She wanted to create the world that Kanae dreamed of, and now, with the existence of Nezuko Kamado, it didn't seem like such an impossible task. A world where humans and demons could coexist in peace.
She tried to force a smile, but she couldn't. At least she was alone, and no one would see that.
She stood up and silently swore to find and kill the demon who took Kanae from her, even if it was the last thing she did. She would make sure of it.
She turned around and headed towards the exit. Only when she got there did she smile again, putting on that mask once more. She took the path to the left and headed home. Kanao, Senjuro, and the others must be waiting for her.
Thinking of them, her smile briefly became more natural and sincere, although it didn't last long.
Kanao nervously waited in the training room for Shinobu to arrive. If she had known where she was going, she would have accompanied her, but the older woman left without saying anything.
She looked towards the door when it opened and saw that it was her teacher. Without hesitation, she got up and took a few steps towards her.
"Shinobu..." Kanao was the only one in the Butterfly Mansion who called the Insect Pillar by her name.
"Is everything okay?" the petite woman asked as she closed the door.
"I would have liked to accompany you to the cemetery earlier. Why didn't you tell me?" Kanao was aware that her words sounded like a reproach.
Shinobu looked at her surprised, it was the first time Kanao had done something like this. It wasn't the first time she had visited the grave alone, but the younger girl had never protested. Relieved that she was gradually expressing her emotions, she hugged her.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, "it wasn't right of me not to ask you if you wanted to come with me. Next time we'll go together, okay?"
Kanao nodded and relaxed a little, feeling better now that they had talked about it. Shinobu stepped away from her and took a few steps back.
"Well, shall we start training?" the Insect Pillar asked, in a good mood.
Kanao nodded again and assumed her position. With Shinobu, she usually worked on speed and reflexes, although she was still not able to match the level that the adult had. Among the Pillars, Shinobu was the only one who, given her height and lack of strength, could not decapitate demons, although she compensated for it with her knowledge of poisons and her speed.
Kokushibo watched the demon hunter who, upon seeing him, had knelt before him and begged for mercy. The demon had gone to a fishing village to hunt, and upon leaving one of the houses, he had come across the boy.
It was truly pathetic. Had the Demon Slayer Corps been reduced to this?
He stopped in front of the boy, serious. "Why should I spare your life?" he asked, and the boy began to tremble, desperately trying to think of what to say.
"I want to become stronger," he admitted. His voice was hoarse and he spoke hastily, causing the demon's displeasure to increase and his left hand to reach for the katana, ready to unsheathe it.
"And what?" That didn't matter to him. The boy began to tremble when he heard the other pointing his sword at him. "Are you asking me to turn you into a demon?"
The boy swallowed, if that was the only way to stay alive, he wouldn't hesitate. Without daring to lift his head yet, he nodded.
"And what would you bring? You're not even a Pillar," Kokushibo commented disdainfully. His betrayal would not be a heavy blow to the Corps. He doubted if anyone would even notice.
"There's someone I want to take revenge on!" He was already desperate, but that seemed to stop the demon, so he chose to continue down that path. "It's someone who always gets in my way."
Kokushibo stopped the blade of his weapon just inches from his neck. "And why should I help you? You're one of the lowest ranks, I don't think it's worth it."
"If I have some time, I'm sure I could become a member of the Twelve Moons!"
The demon thought for a moment. "Four months. If you haven't achieved it by then, I'll hunt you down and finish you myself."
He finally withdrew the weapon from his neck and the young man began to breathe with some relief. Kokushibo instructed him to cup his hands together and, after making a long and deep cut so that blood would flow, he deposited it there.
"Drink it all," he ordered, serious. "The transformation, given that you practice breathing techniques, should take several days. That's if you survive the process, of course. By the way, I haven't asked you, what's your name?"
"Kaigaku," the human murmured as he brought his hands to his mouth and obeyed the order, trying not to leave a single drop.
As soon as he finished, excruciating pain spread throughout his body, and the young man screamed as his legs lost all strength and he collapsed to the ground. He could barely see what was around him, his vision was blurring by the moment. Everything hurt, as if every cell in his body was screaming in pain and he couldn't find a solution.
Kokushibo approached and, with ease, lifted the boy onto his shoulder and left the place. He would seek shelter before dawn, and to be honest, he was curious to see if that human was capable of achieving it. He had given him enough blood to have a chance, although everything would depend on him.
Sumiko cut off the demon's head easily. It had been easy to defeat him, just as Rengoku had told her before, he was a newly transformed demon, so he didn't fully master his new abilities.
Nezuko watched as the remains of her enemy turned to dust and couldn't help but shudder. There was nothing left of him, almost as if he had never existed, the only evidence of his existence were the damages he had caused to nearby buildings with his hands.
Rengoku approached his pupil, smiling. "Well done! If you keep this up, you'll soon rise to the next rank!"
Sumiko cleaned the blade of her weapon and then noticed that it was slightly chipped, but it didn't seem too serious. The Flame Pillar noticed and, after asking for the weapon, examined it.
"Maybe it's better for you to get it fixed, you can't have your katana in poor condition," he commented. "But you have to be more careful, try to make sure this doesn't happen again."
"Okay!" she said right away.
"We'll go to my family's house and wait there for it to be returned to you," Rengoku said, so he could also take the opportunity to see how his father was doing. He was worried and wanted to make sure he was okay.
It took them several days to arrive and they had to make several stops to rest. Moreover, every night Nezuko would come out of the basket and walk with them so she could stretch her legs for a few hours.
And so, when the eighth day of their journey dawned, they finally arrived at the Rengoku family's house.
But as soon as they entered the hallway, a nauseating smell of decay hit them and both hunters covered their noses. The stench was so strong that Sumiko felt her eyes stinging.
Rengoku looked pale, as if he had understood the origin of the nauseating smell before she did.
"Sumiko," he called her by name, "get out and, no matter what happens, don't go in. Under no circumstances. It's an order."
Without saying anything, the girl obeyed as quickly as she could and left. She didn't stop until she reached the entrance, when she finally removed her hand from her nose.
Rengoku held his breath and, summoning all his strength and courage, began to advance towards the interior of the house. His legs were trembling and every instinct was telling him to turn back and not continue.
As he ventured further into his home, the smell became more and more unbearable and, even with his nose covered, he could still perceive it.
He stopped in front of his father's bedroom door, the place where the odor seemed to be emanating from. He raised his right hand and placed it on the knob. By this point, he was trembling uncontrollably and swallowed before slowly turning the handle of the door.
If the smell was unbearable before, now it was a hundred times worse. The first thing the young man saw was the number of flies buzzing around the bedroom, but after looking to his right, all of that faded into the background.
There was a body propped up against the wall. If it weren't for the hair, Kyojuro would never have been able to recognize him by appearance alone. It was his father.
He took a step back, he had seen hundreds of corpses in his years of service, but never in such an advanced state of decomposition. He couldn't take it anymore and vomited right there.
His father's skin had taken on a greenish color and there were flies buzzing everywhere. He couldn't stand it anymore and vomited again.
Unknowingly, he had started to cry. He couldn't be there any longer, he was barely aware of his surroundings. He just wanted to leave, although the image of his father's corpse would haunt him for life.
He stumbled towards the exit and tried to move towards where Sumiko was, but his legs wouldn't respond and he fell to his knees. He could hear the girl calling him, but it seemed far away and he could barely hear her.
See you soon with the next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! I would love to hear your thoughts!