Fear. Rage. Determination.
Sitting in her little box, scratching fearfully at the wood inside, Nezuko felt a demon's presence and her big brother's fighting against each other. The sound barrier shattered many times in their collision, the earth rumbled and shook violently underneath her, and the smell of smoke and flames began to perforate the air. The battle was long and hard-fought. She could sense the intense rage and anger coming from him, the determination and the lack of sympathy for whoever he was fighting. She wanted her brother to be victorious, and come back to her as soon as possible.
Blood. Death. Pain. Agony.
A gasp was choked out of her at the smell that wafted powerfully through her nose. The sounds of screaming, crying, and wailing piercing through the box clear as day.
The sound of someone choking on their own blood and victorious mixed with the demon's pleasure and remorseless aura.
Nezuko's eyes went wide, her nails embedded sharply into the wood, and growls spilled from her mouth. She recognized the smell of that blood. Even though she was surrounded by at least a hundred different types that mixed and wafted through the air, she could pinpoint two familiar ones. It was Kagami's and... Brother's!
Nezuko rushed out of her box so fast she jumped high in the air and didn't hesitate to kick out a leg!
"I'll do you one last favor and show you how to decapitate your enemy-!"
THWACK!
The demon's head exploded into a million pieces and the force of the impact sent its body flying across the rooftop. It tumbled and rolled, crashing into electric wires sparkling and crackling with electricity, before crashing landing at the very end. Nezuko landed protectively in front of Brother and Kagami and stared dead-eye at the demon crumpled on the roof. She could hear them fighting for their lives, gagging and choking on their own blood behind her, their clothing drenched in the crimson red substance, and grew even more furious!
Almost every vein in her body popped out of her skin, hundreds of tiny black lines pierced the skin surrounding her left eyeball, her fists were clenched so hard her nails dug into her palm and dripped blood, she couldn't care less about the saliva dripping out of the corners of her mouth in water falls. Her body was reacting to the blood that surrounded her but she didn't care! Her brother was on the brink of death because of that foul demon! Just the thought of it was sending waves after waves of feral growls muffling against her gag. Not a second went by where she wasn't growling, seething, or snarling. Her entire focus, entire fury, was on that demon. She dared the demon to try and come after him, to come after her.
But Nezuko would be the one to attack first.
Seeing the gash in her brother's shoulder, and the stab wound in her friend's gut, flooded awful memories in her head. Her mother suffering a fatal slash to her side protecting Hanako. Shigeru suffering the same attack inflicted on his back as he tried to flee the house. To see such malice and remorseless attacks on her family then on her brother, the only family she has left...!
"You have some nerve doing that!" The demon shrieked in anger sitting up and grasping her half-destroyed head. "Wait a second! That filthy traitor, it's you, isn't it?! The one he was talking about has to be you!"
Nezuko took one threatening step forward and growled even harsher against her muzzle at the mere mention of him! The monster that killed her family!
The demon stood on her feet and whipped out her hands, now completely healed with her anger focused on Nezuko. "Lord Muzan! I will happily eviscerate this hideous little runt! Prepare to die, scum!"
At the sound of Brother collapsing unconscious behind her, Nezuko hunkered down and pushed off in a charge!
In a split second, she was in front of the demon with her leg reared back once again!
"Is kicking the only thing you know?! You bottom feeder!" The demon screamed swirling a sash in her direction.
Nezuko gasped at the sudden pain in her leg. She looked down and saw it had been severed clean from her body spilling blood like a river. Then, from the other side of her, a sash charged straight at her. She lifted her arm to deflect it, but it instead sliced into her body, embedding itself within her abdomen. She was forced to whip around and around the demon, feeling the sash cut straight through her, and thrown multiple meters away. With a painful crash, she fell through multiple buildings and collapsed under the impact.
She whimpered in pain under the debris she was crushed under. Concrete, wood, and stone threatened to pierce whatever of her body she had left. Her eyes landed shakily on her severed arm, she couldn't feel her legs at all, and she could barely move where she laid.
"Could you be any weaker? You've barely consumed any humans. It's a miracle you were able to escape Lord Muzan," The demon mocked with a smirk landing on the street not too far from her.
Nezuko tried not to pay any attention to her. She grit her teeth against her muzzle, clenched her remaining fist, and began to concentrate with all her strength! The demon noticed Nezuko trapped under the debris and giggled sadistically. She seemed to be thinking the grunts that were fleeing her mouth were of pain.
The demon coo'd antagonizingly, "Aw, you poor thing! Your torso and lower body went their separate ways. I wouldn't try moving if I were you. After all, there's no way a half-developed demon like yourself could possibly regenerate quickly enough to continue fighting. But since we're both demons, I'll quit toying around with you, and instead I'll absorb you into my belt and expose you to the sun in the morning." Her sashes curled around her like claws at the threat, and she added with a chuckle, "Like I'd waste my time finishing you off when I have a Hashira to kill."
Nezuko was done. She could finally stop listening to the demon's annoying rambling.
She slowly emerged from the rubble revealing her newly regenerated leg. As she did, she didn't look at the demon. She kept her eyes on the ground, but she felt her confusion. Her disbelief at not just Nezuko's leg but at her entire regenerated body.
Setting her jaw, with immense focus, Nezuko lifted her stub and a brand newly regenerated arm popped out in its place in less than a second. She bit down on the bamboo muzzle so powerfully it shattered under the impact. She heard the remains plop to the ground a moment later. The demon had mocked her for not being able to regenerate as fast as she, but she was too busy wrapped up in her supposed-victory she didn't realize Nezuko was focused on healing herself for battle! Because the real one is just about to start!
Her core flared with anger, with fury, that could no longer be contained. The power that laid dormant inside of her awakened at her unbridled rage. At the thought of protecting her family.
The length of her black hair tipped orange reached the ground, touching and tickling the ankles of her feet. Her body grew taller and matured more, the cleavage of her chest exposed to the world. A short white horn protruded from the right side of her fore-head designed with an irregular crack pattern. Red and green vines curled and circled her arms, legs, and chest, illuminating her new transformation. With her new appearance came with a new sensation of power, determination, and bloodlust.
She turned her eyes on the stunned demon and they narrowed drastically.
"Brother, you and Sister sure do take after one another. You're gentle, but scary when you get mad... like Sister."
Standing in the middle of a snowy forest, snowflakes softly cascading down from the cloudy sky, kissing his skin lightly, was Takeo. A trail of footsteps lead to where he was silently staring off into the distance.
"When that scary grown-up bumped into a kid and hurt him, she got in his face, demanding he apologize. I mean, luckily there were tons of adults around, but it still made me nervous. People who get mad at others don't tend to have any regard for their own safety. Because of that, they risk losing so much, which... well... it scares me."
He turned around, revealing solemn eyes, and his figure was washed away in a storm of ice and snow.
At the memory of Takeo, and what became of him, Nezuko lifted her head high and snarled viciously!
She didn't hesitate to charge for the demon. She moved so fast she left a crater where she had been standing momentarily. The demon's eyes widened seeing her suddenly appear in front of her with her leg reared back!
The demon quickly threw out her sashes, cutting off Nezuko's right leg and arm, screaming, "There goes two of your limbs! Now for your neck!"
Nezuko's eyes widened-but only for a moment.
In less than a split of a second, a new leg popped out of her stub and she slammed her entire weight, and as much as power as she could, into the demon's back! She heard the demon groan and gasp in shock, pain, and fear before she was driven into the ground! The earth vibrated harshly under the impact, the demon's blood staining the ground with Nezuko's foot now embedded inside her back, and she pinned her there with a cold, menacing glare.
The demon beneath her was reeling in pain, shock, and disbelief. She struggled to breathe, her lungs gasping desperately for air, her eyes shakily trailing Nezuko's leg and arm.
Nezuko removed herself from the demon's back and lifted her bloody foot high in the air.
There was no mercy in her eyes when she stomped down on the demon's left arm, severing it from her body.
"AAAHH!" The demon wailed painfully in the air.
At the demon laying helplessly at her feet, her regenerative powers now paling in comparison to Nezuko's, crying and wailing like a frightened little baby at her mercy, Nezuko gazed down at the demon... and smiled sadistically.
"Brother!"
Tanjiro laid unconscious against the rooftop. He had collapsed in exhaustion and had no telling how long he had been asleep for. Then, he heard someone crying. A familiar voice reaching out for him with tears in their voice.
"Brother... please help her!"
It sounded... so much like Takeo's voice. He was crying out to him. He was mentioning... her. Who's her? Is he talking about... Nezuko?
"If you don't... she'll never be the same!"
Tanjiro immediately gasped awake and jumped on his feet. His head immediately whipped side to side searching for Nezuko but his eyes fell on Kagami sweating profusely and gasping for air near him. Her hands clutched painfully at her side, her hands coated with blood, and her eyes shakily met his, but she gave him the stern shake of her head. She wanted him to focus on getting Nezuko back, not her. He gave an appreciative nod and quickly took off.
Kagami laid helplessly on her back gasping desperately for air with tears in her eyes. Her hand clutched the stab wound in her gut applying as much pressure as she could but it didn't seem like it wanted to stop bleeding. Each inhaled breath she forced herself to take sent a lightning bolt of pain throughout her body. It took everything she had not to scream out in agony. She suppressed the sobs, the whimpers, and the cries that threatened to rise from her throat.
She has to stop the bleeding. She has to. Tanjiro, Nezuko, they need her help! Even if they didn't, she'll die if she doesn't do something about her wound. But it feels like there's nothing to do. Every part of her body is telling her to give up, that she'll only be a burden to Tanjiro, to her friends. The demon drank a substantial amount of her marechi blood. Any more and it might just overpower them all easily. If Nezuko hadn't saved her, the demon would've killed Tanjiro and everyone else trapped in the district with just the flick of her hand. She should've known better after what happened with the Tsuzumi Demon. She needs to be careful with her blood. If only she wasn't so stupid!
If she hadn't shown up, if she had just gone with Inosuke, the demon wouldn't have gotten stronger. If she hadn't been born, maybe the demon would've been dead by then. Why did she think she'd be helpful at all?
A painful sob choked out of her throat and she reached a bloody, desperate hand into the air. "Father, mother... M-Mister Rengoku..." She cried weakly into the air as waves of tears spilled down her cheek. "Help me... Please help me..."
"You're bleeding from the gut. Regulate your breathing. Take full control of it. Picture your nerves reaching all through your body."
A gasp left Kagami's mouth. "Mr. Rengoku?" She shakily breathed out.
Her eyes looked beside her and another sob fell from her mouth. The ghostly figure of Mr. Rengoku smiling down at her knelt beside her bleeding body. He placed a finger at her fore-head and she swore she felt it press deep into her head. "Can you see the torn blood vessel? Stop the bleeding. Focus. Concentrate," He instructed her just as he once instructed Tanjiro.
Kagami forced herself to use Total Concentration Breathing and fought through the pain that was thumping throughout her body. She could feel it. She could see where she was bleeding. Where the demon impaled her with her belt. It took every bit of concentration she had to imagine the torn blood vessels that wouldn't stop bleeding to reattach themselves. To regrow the severed vessels and reach across like a bridge and reform stronger, better. It was painful, almost forcing her to halt her breathing, but she managed to get it done.
She slowly opened her eyes and flitted out another gasp.
Kneeling beside her wasn't Mr. Rengoku... but Uzui Tengen.
"Nice, you were able to stop the bleeding in less than a minute. In a flashy way, too," He spoke down to her removing his nail polished finger from her fore-head.
Kagami couldn't help but stare up at him in wonder and amazement.
He hefted one Nichirin Cleaver over his shoulder and his stern gaze met hers. "You're not seriously going to let something get the best of you, especially a bratty demon like that, are you?" He asked her suddenly. Kagami was taken back a bit. "I can tell you're scared and feeling worthless, and I get that. It's ok to feel like you're weak and vulnerable, even though it's quite unflashy, but not when your friends are in danger. Not when you have the ability to do something. When you're strong, brave, and powerful as you are, you can do anything. So, are you just going to mope around here waiting for your friend to die? Are you going to get up and do something?"
Kagami wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and stared determinedly up at his face.
Over, over, and over again, Nezuko stomped relentlessly on the demon's arms and legs, forcing a cry out of her and kicking her in the face for it. Every time she did so, every new fresh coat of blood that painted her foot, that sprayed against the ground, widened her smile more and more.
"Get off me, you damn brat!" The demon screamed desperately lashing out her belts.
The lashes met their target. They sliced clean through Nezuko's leg and her neck. Her eyes widened seeing and feeling her head come clean off her body accompanied with a trail of blood. She was stunned to say the least.
The demon took advantage of the pause and leaped backward regenerating both her back and her limbs. With a nasty growl, the demon screamed, "I'll chop you into pieces and stuff you into my belt!" lashing out even more belts, slicing off the remaining limbs of Nezuko's body. They twisted around to mince her into tiny pieces but the demon gasped in terror at the sudden new development of the situation.
Nezuko, even in several pieces, managed to grab hold of the belts and tether them to her body.
The blood that had spilled from the severing of her limbs had coagulated in the air keeping them connected.
It took only one glance, one exhale of her breath, to activate her Blood Demon Art, Exploding Blood. Her blood that soaked the demon's skin started to glow a fiery hot pink and burn ablaze! It swirled high into the air like a fiery tornado, coating every single inch of the screaming demon with its beautiful colors, burning and cooking her alive! "Her blood... it's burning me! Just like that day! Fire... Fire!" She heard the demon whimper in the bonfire of pink she was trapped in, clutching fearfully at her face, then wailed out loud in agonizing pain, "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Nezuko's limbs snapped back in place and she watched the demon wail in agony. A chuckle of pure delight spilled from her lips at the demon's torment.
As soon as the flames died down, Nezuko leaped forward and high in the air. With a loud roar, she slammed the heel of her foot back down on the demon's back! A large crater opened up beneath them with the demon desperately picking up her half-burned, red, smoldering, disgusting face only to meet the bottom of Nezuko's foot! A trail of spit spewed from her mouth at the impact and her face was thrusted back into the ground, even deeper than before.
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
Over and over again, Nezuko stomped the demon's face into the ground with an almost child-like smile. A sadistic laugh of glee spilled down at the demon who couldn't even fight back anymore. Who had been boasting of killing so many Hashira, so many Demon Slayers, and so many civilians. So confident and cocky about being a strong demon, a Twelve Kizuki, an Upper Rank one at that, but look at how far she has fallen. She has become nothing more than Nezuko's bitch. It was almost sad, but in a pathetic way. Nezuko has no remorse for her.
Nezuko kicked her off the ground and then down the street. She chased after the hurtling demon, sliding across the ground with such ferociousness it mimicked that of a fearsome lioness hellbent on killing the monster that tried to murder her cub, and violently kicked her in the chest again! She used such immense force the helpless demon's body went flying and exploding through several houses before finally crash landing!
The demon collapsed in darkness underneath rubble and Nezuko followed.
Panting, and growling insanely, Nezuko stepped into the dimly lit building approaching the demon-
SPLATTER!
A horrified gasp spilled from her mouth at the sound of liquid spilling against the ground. At the sudden new, delicious, unsettling smell that wafted through her nose. She turned her head and saw three women cowering in the room adjacent to hers. One of the women clutched at their arm painfully, a wound so deep it spilled inconsistent drops of blood.
The woman fearfully gazed up at Nezuko but she couldn't meet her gaze.
A cold sweat ran down her back, her fingers twitched uncontrollably at her side, and her eyes couldn't stray from the bright red blood spilling freely in front of her. Her breathing became ragged, her growling interrupted every few seconds with every hitched breath caught at the back of her throat, her mouth salivating savagely, her teeth chittering frantically biting down on where there should be a muzzle. She needs to turn away! She needs to turn away!
Nezuko knows she cannot drink human blood! She can survive just fine without it! Humans are supposed to be her friends! Her family! She's supposed to help save and protect them! But right there at that moment, she knew she wasn't herself. The Nezuko that would've turned her head away, shunning blood just like she did with that tall, mean man that stabbed her multiple times, wasn't the one in control. The one in control was a demon who was fanatic for the death of the monster that tried to kill her brother and her friend. Her brother told her to never allow a drop of blood to grace her tongue. She cannot succumb to it!
Except it smelled so delicious! No matter how hard she fought down the urge to slash the woman into pieces and slurp up every single ounce of that delicious blood that thrummed in her veins, the temptation was too much! If she drinks her blood, she'll have enough power to kill the demon! She'll have to stop toying with her like a cat playing with its pet mouse. She has to drink it! Nothing can stop her! Nothing can tame her!
Nezuko took one step toward the frightened woman, making up her mind in killing her and drinking her blood, and leaped forward!
"RAAA!" Nezuko viciously snarled reaching forward with a clawed hand-!
"NEZUKO!"
With his heart in his throat, Tanjiro leaped forward from the darkness of the outside and shoved his scabbard in Nezuko's mouth from behind!
"NEZUKO!" He had belted into the air stopping her from sinking her fangs into the woman.
Her large fangs clamped down hard on the lacquered wood now acting as a muzzle but she still tried to push herself forward to the injured woman! Tanjiro planted both feet into the ground, gripping his scabbard and his sheathed sword with both hands, and used all of the strength he managed to gather to hold her back! She was so strong and wild! She was acting a like a feral animal desperate for a meal! "No, don't! You have to stop it!" He begged her frantically.
They both dropped to the ground and Tanjiro immediately wrapped his legs around her waist! Pinning her back to his chest, Tanjiro kept a steel grip on his scabbard and on her waist. "Listen to me! You can pull through this!" He begged of her as he desperately clung to his little sister.
Nezuko viciously thrashed in his grip, slashing and slicing carelessly in the air with her claws, trying to pull herself free with such violence and tenacity. Her growls never lessened, they only worsened at the new restraint being placed on her. She shook, waved her head, and screamed against her new muzzle, angrily biting down on it possibly hoping to shatter it under her jaw. Even when her claws slashed at his head and his arms, his strength never wavered.
"Please forgive me! It's my fault you had to fight!" He cried.
Tanjiro, on his way over to where Nezuko was, noticed the entire area reeked of her blood. He could tell just how badly she was wounded during the time he was passed out.
"It hurt you, didn't it?!" He choked out above her growls. "I know you suffered! I'm sorry! But it's all right now! I promise I won't let anyone hurt you ever again! You've got to go to sleep, Nezuko! Go to sleep so you can heal yourself!" He screamed into the air trying to push himself in her mind, the mind that was going rampant with adrenaline, violence, and the scent of human blood, but she wasn't listening!
He gasped when she suddenly pushed herself on all fours!
"Nezuko! Please!" He pleaded staring down at the demonized girl who didn't hold a bit of resemblance to his little sister and gasped when she leaped up.
The air his lungs managed to grab had been stripped away in less than a second. Nezuko slammed his back and both of their bodies through the ceiling and onto the second floor of the building. He still didn't let go! Even if he was to be stabbed, kicked, punched, and shot at, he will never let go of his sister! Planting his feet against the floor, very easily aware of the four civilians trapped in the same room with him, he tightened his grip and pulled back against his make-shift muzzle in Nezuko's mouth. He was trying to reign her in, trying to reign in the terrible emotions that was coursing through her veins, while trying to remain conscious!
Tanjiro was still suffering drawbacks from using Hinokami Kagura and going beyond his stamina threshold. The last bit of breath Nezuko ripped away from him had been his lifeline. He was straining his muscles so much just from holding her back, they had no more oxygen to rely on. He was concentrating so hard on fighting back her raw and uncontrolled strength he could barely process breathing!
Suddenly, three obi sashes spiraled into the room and knocked down the wall in front of him.
Standing at the end of the other room was the horrifically burned Upper Rank Six. The skin of the entire right half of her face was burned off. There were multiple patches of blistering meat on her chest, arms, and legs. Her white hair was singed black from the flames. The eyelid of her right eye was burned off, but she was so furious the left was pulled all the way back to reveal a dangerous menacing glare. Her lips melted off to reveal the seething of her fangs baring down at the two of them. Whatever skin left was twitching with irritation, frustration, and anger.
"You've got some nerve doing that to me," The demon hissed glowering down at them. "So, you can use Blood Demon Art as well? I've never heard of a Blood Demon Art that only burns demons. Whatever you did is taking me forever to heal from. You're starting to irritate me like no other. I'm through playing around."
Tanjiro's eyes fearfully flitted from the demon, to the civilians trapped in the room with him, and down at the still thrashing Nezuko in his grip!
This is bad! There are people here that I have to protect. I have to think and take action!
The demon began to take menacingly slow steps towards them, her belts curving around her like the devil's claws.
Her attack will come any second now, which will shred this whole building! I can't just let go of Nezuko. But if I don't... these people will get hurt!
Tanjiro didn't know how to choose; his rampant little sister or the member of the Twelve Kizuki! He knows he should protect the people who will surely die at the demon's hands, but the sole reason he became a Demon Slayer was to cure Nezuko! If he lets her go, she'll turn her bloodlust on the humans! He'll be forced to kill her and not only he but Kagami, Mr. Urokodaki, Mr. Tomioka, and Miss Tenshi will have to perform seppuku! But if he doesn't, and chooses to rescue only her, the demon will kill everyone and betraying what he believes in!
He still couldn't choose. He still couldn't move. Even as the demon took one final step forward and unleashed her obi-sashes on them-
Tanjiro gasped at the sudden appearance of a tall man standing in front of him, little pieces of the demon's belt cascading to the ground like confetti. It was Mr. Uzui! He ran in from behind the demon, slashed away her belt, and stood before him in less than a second! Everyone stood in silence, and wide eyed, at him, with the exception of Nezuko still grunting and convulsing against him.
"Hey," Mr. Uzui spoke down to him looking and sounding intrigued at what was in front of him. He didn't seem to care about the demon standing dumbstruck behind him, just the one writhing in Tanjiro's grip. Kneeling down in front of them, he tilted his head to the side and hummed, "So is this Nezuko Kamado? Quite the flashy way to demonize."
Full of relief at the Hashira's appearance, Tanjiro choked out, "When did you get here?"
Mr. Uzui suddenly went berserk!
"All that fancy talk in front of the Master, and you let her wreak havoc like this?! No one said she could demonize so flashily!" Mr. Uzui growled annoyed in his face. Tanjiro could only gasp at that.
"Tanjiro! Nezuko!"
He lifted his head and watched Kagami fly into the room through the window. "Kagami! You're here! But the wound in your gut-!"
She waved away his concerns and knelt down by his side. Nezuko's body stiffened, her eyes narrowing at the sight of crimson red soaking her uniform, the whiff and sniff of her nose at the new scent of blood wafting through the air, and it took even more of Tanjiro's strength to hold her back. The last thing he wanted was his sister consuming marechi blood from one of their friends! He will never forgive himself if something happened to Kagami.
"I've stopped the bleeding and cauterized the wound with Mr. Uzui's help," She quickly explained lifting up her shirt revealing a burn mark where she had been stabbed. Her solemn eyes landed on Nezuko's demonized and rampaging form. "I can't believe it's come to this," She said softly and sadly. Tanjiro was just as sad as she was.
"Thanks for coming. You're a Hashira, right? I've been here waiting for you," The demon spoke up above their conversation, demanding full attention from everyone, and landed her scorched eyes on Mr. Uzui.
Mr. Uzui didn't regard her in the slightest. Not even the turn of his head to acknowledge her presence. Instead, he only huffed, "Shut up. I'm not here to waste my time on you. Get lost. After all, you're no Upper Rank demon. Not when you're that weak. You're not the one I've been searching for, so beat it."
"Come again? How dare you speak to-UCK!"
Tanjiro and Kagami watched, eyes wide in shock, as the demon collapsed to her knees with her head following after! Landing on her hands folded on her lap, the demon's head separated from her neck! Her eyes were wide in surprise and stared up at Uzui in disbelief. A small, confused, "Huh?" was the only sound she made.
She's beheaded! But how? Was it Mr. Uzui who did that? He's unreal!
"Hey," Mr. Uzui piped up forcing Tanjiro's eyes back on him, and firmly commanded, "the battle here's far from over, so get her under control."
Nezuko reached out with both clawed hands toward Mr. Uzui, slashing wildly for him, but Tanjiro held her back. "Nezuko!" He called her name but she wouldn't listen. She continued to growl, seethe, and snarl against his scabbard, fighting tooth and nail to get away from him and attack the Hashira.
Mr. Uzui stared down at Nezuko with distaste. "Brats who throw temper tantrums don't belong on the battlefield," He huffed then half-heartedly suggested, "Can't you sing her a lullaby or something?"
Instantly, Nezuko slammed her foot into the floor and kicked them through the wall! Mr. Uzui and Kagami watched them fall out of the building and onto the street outside!
Tanjiro groaned, grunted, and screamed holding Nezuko back! She was even more violent than before! More determined to release herself from the prison Tanjiro made for her with his arms and legs! He won't let go! Not until she is back to her normal self! Even then, with every passing second, he was starting to lose hope. The previous attempts he made to snap her back into reality were met with blood, scratching, and growls.
It's no use. My voice isn't reaching her. She's not listening to me at all.
Despair, sorrow, and grief began to worm its way through his core. What if Nezuko doesn't goes back to normal? What if there is no way for her to regain her mind? Her memories? What if he... failed her by not protecting her? By not being strong enough... just like that day with Mr. Rengoku?
Mother... w-what do I do?
"Can't you sing her a lullaby or something?"
Tanjiro gasped in realization and grit his teeth!
Hush, hush, baby rabbit
Up there on the h-hill
Tanjiro struggled to sing weakly against the fierce and wild Nezuko who continued to thrash and claw wildly through the air.
Uck! Why are your-uck-ears so v-very lo-ong?
"When I was small, Mother-" AH!
Tanjiro screamed in pain when Nezuko bashed the back of her head into his face. He groaned again when she did it a second time but didn't let go! He didn't stop! He grasped her hand stretching toward the night sky tightly and kept singing no matter how much it hurt and pained him!
"Ate the leaves... Of a tall tree...
And that's why... My e-ears... are so LOOOONG!"
Nezuko's eyes popped open at the familiarity of the song flowing through her ears.
She didn't find herself in the Entertainment District, or in Brother's arms. She was in a space enveloped in bright yellow glow. It was beautiful, peaceful, and full of love and warmth she didn't think she'd ever feel again. Her head was cradled against something soft and warm, gentle hands were folded delicately over the top of her chest.
"Nezuko... Nezuko..."
Her heart twinged at the familiar voice that called her name so gently, so lovingly. Her eyes burned at the light and kind tone it held. The intense rage, anger, hunger, and frustration she let herself envelope moments ago began to deplete, her clawed fingers shaking erratically at her side, as sobs started to make their way out of her throat.
A beautiful sunset streaking colors of warm red, yellow, pink, purple, and orange across the sky illuminated the forest she was journeying through. Nezuko gleefully jumped over the dirt rocks in the path beneath her, clutching wild daisies she picked from the nearby bushes, as she held the hand of her mom beside her. Holding Nezuko's hand and a basket of vegetables in the other, a baby Takeo deep asleep fastened to her back with a large white cloth, the three of them were making their way home following the incline of the mountain they lived on.
Nezuko smiled brightly and cheerfully up at her mom, listening intently to her mom's beautiful singing the wind carried throughout the peaceful forest hearing it echo among the trees.
Hush, hush, baby rabbit
Up there on the hill
Why is it your eyes are so red, my little rabbit?
"You see, before I was ever born
My mother decided one day
To eat the red fruit of the tree
So little bunny that I might be
My eyes are red from that tree."
Nezuko smiled up at her and felt extremely smart when she innocently chimed, "I think I'm starting to get what happened now. So the reason Brother's eyes are red is because you ate red berries when he was inside your tummy!"
Her mom gazed down at her. Her purple eyes sparkled against the light of the sunset, her face half-covered in shadows and half-covered in the light, when she gave Nezuko a genuine, beautiful smile. A smile so full of life, tenderness, delight, and security. A smile that promised everlasting love and happiness. A smile that was supposed to stay with her until she grew old and died peacefully in her sleep of old age. The smile that Nezuko... will never see again. The hand she will never hold again. The love she will never feel again. The voice... she will never have the joy of listening to again.
Tanjiro was so desperate to snap Nezuko back to reality he didn't notice her hesitating. He didn't notice her struggling slowly softening to nothing. That her eyes that had been snapped tightly shut opened in pure anguish staring into the night sky. The flooding of memories from years ago, memories of better times, memories of the beautiful family they had, passing through her mind acting as the perfect antidote he needed to bring her back.
He was startled when Nezuko, all of a sudden, broke down crying.
Eyes wide, he removed his scabbard from her mouth and watched her sob painfully into the night sky. Waterfalls of tears streamed down her cheeks, her shoulders shaking, her chest heaving, as she continued to cry and wail out in agony.
"Nezuko," He softly said her name staring through wavering and burning eyes.
When he gazed upon his little sister crying at the lullaby their mother used to sing for them, he realized Mr. Uzui was wrong. Nezuko wasn't a brat. She wasn't a demon. She never belonged on a battlefield. She wasn't throwing a temper tantrum. She was just a little girl who was never given the chance to grieve or mourn over the loss of her mother, brothers, and sister. Over the loss of their family. Over the loss of the amazing, wonderful life they had together.
Tanjiro felt horrible for never giving her the chance to.
While she was asleep for two whole years, he came to terms with the death of his family. It hardened his resolve to become a Demon Slayer and kill Muzan Kibutsuji, but when she awoken she was forced to fight just to survive. She had done nothing but fight for her survival and worry over his well-being. Never was she given a moment to process, to understand, that her family was gone.
Slowly, surely, her body began to shrink.
Tanjiro silently watched her body become smaller and smaller, de-aging to that of a 1-year-old. Her clothing hanging off of her like an oversized dress, tears still gracing her cheeks and eyelids, she fell sideways and laid her head against his lap. With that, she closed her eyes and fell deep asleep, breathing softly with her hands cradling her chest.
He laid a small hand on her body and stared down at her in wonder.
"It worked," He breathed out... and finally let his body sag in relief. Tilting his head up to the sky, shedding a few tears of his own, he sobbed lightly into the air, "You hear that, Mother? It worked. She's sound asleep."
Tanjiro gathered Nezuko in his arms and silently cried into her hair.
I'm sorry... I promise I won't let anyone hurt you ever again...