Thousands of colors of nail polish splattered across the floor. Blue mixed with orange, melting into magenta and faint pink, then suddenly diluting into the painful neon colors.
Kyojuro's eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward cautiously. The smell of acetone from the nail polish was strong, but he told apart the lingering demon reek underneath. His lips thinned into a line.
The apartment seemed bare. There was no furniture, only several empty drawers scattered around the equally unadorned rooms. Kyojuro slowly nudged the kitchen door. It creaked open.
Several cereal boxes and electronic transmitters lay on the floor. There was no dust on them. Kyojuro crouched next to them.
"Urara," he whispered. His eyes traveled up to the window. There was a pot with forget-me-nots. "Do a fingerprint analysis."
A scanner projected from his watch and hovered over the closest piece of carton.
"I'm detecting three pairs of fingerprints," Urara whispered back, even though she didn't have to keep her voice low. She sounded frightened. "Two of them are not going through, and it's saying that they're invalid. The third belongs to Oryo Inori."
So at least two demons and a human.
"Shun."
Kyojuro whirled around, ankle nearly twisting on the slippery nail polish. Thumb positioned on the hilt, prepared to snap it at any moment, the hashira straightened out and walked carefully out of the kitchen. Judging by the volume, the speaker was in the depths of the apartment.
The paint squashed quietly under his footsteps. Kyojuro warily eyed the somewhat closed door of the bedroom. Gripping the katana with one hand, his fingers lightly pushed the door, and it noiselessly swung open.
The breeze softly ruffled the translucent curtains. The traffic hummed distinctly out of the open window. The screwed off lid of the AC was tossed on the floor; several wall tiles were removed around the opening, creating a hole through which a grown adult could pass through. Kyojuro glimpsed at it, brows tightening above his eyes. This was the airway duct that the demons used to access the apartment without getting caught by the neighbors. His eyes returned to the center of the room.
"You must be Oryo Inori-san, correct?"
The old woman sat motionlessly in the wheelchair. Metal filaments poked out of the wrinkled skin, the entire half of the head replaced by a cluster of wires and chips. They occasionally sparked, a shot of electricity running through the worn out connections.
A tattered shawl draped over Oryo's shoulders, falling on the metal breast. The cyborg was slouched, but her fists were clenched tightly to the handles. She did not seem to see the hashira.
Frowning, Kyojuro stepped forward, but then Oryo opened her mouth. The man froze. For a moment, the old woman gulped air, like a fish thrust on a riverbank, before a gurgled, rusty sound echoed somewhere from within the chest. She painfully moved her neck, revealing the artificial chords within the metallic vertebrae cage.
"Shun," the cyborg rasped. The bulbs inside her eyes were unfocused. "Where are you, Shun?"
Kyojuro swiftly walked up to the woman and squatted in front of her. The end of his sheath lightly touched the spilled liquid, sending a single ripple across.
"Who is Shun, Oryo-san?" Kyojuro searched her face. His voice was firm. "Is it a demon?"
The cyborg's eyes darted on him. Abruptly, she unclasped her left hand. In slow motion, Kyojuro watched how a lighter, a small flame ignited on the tip, fell into the puddle of acetone.
It wasn't that much of horror as stupor.
The fire cascaded around the floor and walls, drawers and boxes, catching onto his sheath and shoes. Kyojuro sprang up and yanked the cyborg roughly off the wheelchair.
"Stop it!" The old woman shrieked and shoved him into the chest with sudden strength. His fingers involuntarily released her collar, and the woman toppled over, the living side of her face dropping on the floor.
There was a hiss and instant smell of burning flesh. Everything was illuminated with red and orange. The sirens blasted in his ears, and the chilly droplets of the sprinklers splashed erratically into his eyes and rolled down his lips, while the smoke clouded into his lungs. Kyojuro held his breath, trying to halt the smoke, while he stumbled to the window.
The curtains were already burnt to crisp, while the plaster crumpled rapidly off the frame from the heat. Losing consciousness, Kyojuro forced himself to group his muscles together. His brain shuddered violently at the effort, black dots freckling across his vision, but he stepped up on the falling apart frame.
He didn't even think, just leaped down. His hand slowly, too slowly, slid the sword out of the sheath.
Fire Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation.
How ironic.
The fire wisped from the blade, going in a circular loop that instantly lowered his momentum. His feet touched the ground confidently, sparing his bones, and his muscles clenched a final time.
Then, his body automatically relaxed. Sword rolling out of his hands, Kyojuro pressed his hands into the ground to stop himself from shaking. His breathing was ragged and hungry, unable to shove out the smoke. It was ringing in his ears.
Pathetic, too pathetic to fall for such a little trick.
Kyojuro gritted his teeth, an immeasurable anger rising in his chest. His muscles cracked when he stood up, hanging the katana at his hip. Ignoring the pain, Kyojuro walked firmly towards the firefighter team that had already arrived, determined to join the efforts to evacuate the residents.
There was no point in searching for demons who already left.
The light shimmered in rainbow hues, reflecting off the black glass. Nezuko crunched up her face when a ray shone right into her eye and tilted her wrist. The watch fell into a shadow.
Urokodaki-sensei bought it for her during brother's training. The watch was one of the last products that the company manufactured before declaring bankruptcy. The wristband was sensitive to neurons which is why she easily interacted with Sabito. After all, that company was responsible for the creation of AutCos.
Well, the battery was dead right now.
Lowering her hand, Nezuko rolled over to her stomach. Her legs accidentally knocked over several old crates, catching onto the wire nets, and the raft boards scraped her stomach.
Folding her hands in front of her, Nezuko sighed and dropped her chin on her arms. Her eyes traveled up and to the sides without interest.
The tall buildings casted long shadows as the raft floated down the murky, shallow water. Cans, half-flooded, bobbled in the puddles near the ground. Boxes from take-out food were ripped on the pipes sticking from the water.
Nezuko shifted over to lie on her back. Her eyes followed a buzzing drone which limped over the water. It hovered next to some pipe and, extending a rusty arm, tried grasping it.
After several attempts, the drone was able to get a good grasp and, in a brief moment, yanked the pipe out of the river. It whirled over and flew into one of the alleys, probably to the scavenger who directed it.
Looking away, Nezuko closed her eyes. She had to get some sleep.
"Sorry, coming through."
Nezuko didn't bother opening her eyes. She giggled slightly into the muzzle as the kimono tickled her ankles when the robot stepped over her. Training her hearing, she listened in curiosity to the loud rustling of nets which was followed by a splash.
Then, everything seemed to still.
Nezuko opened up her eyes in surprise and lifted up on her elbows to see what's the matter.
Rubikku sat with legs crossed, chin propped into his palm. The red eyes slid in the direction of the demon girl, and he seemed almost resigned.
"Now we wait."
Flipping over once more, Nezuko scooted to the edge of the raft and glanced down. In all honesty, she was half-expecting to see fish there; however, the water was so dark, even the nets disappeared beyond the surface. Watching her, Rubikku grinned.
"I understand why you don't eat human food. One look at where it's coming from and..."
Nezuko rolled her eyes and punched him in the knee. The robot laughed.
"What? I'm telling the truth, ain't I?"
Nezuko glared at him. His grin widened.
"You could always tell me your argument, you know."
Very funny. The metal fist nudged her gently in the shoulder.
"I'm kidding," Rubikku said kindly.
Nezuko smirked and shook her head, letting him know that she wasn't hurt.
The raft bobbled peacefully down. There were several other fishers, and the demon girl examined them with curiosity; everyone used something different to float, being rubber tubes or repurposed engine parts.
"The traffic gets pretty bad during midday," Rubikku commented, lifting his hat to greet one of the familiar scavengers. He stretched his arms and, with a yawn, reached forward to tug the nets.
"I always sleep in, though."
Nezuko didn't look at him. Her eyebrows knitted slightly.
Deep inside, she knew there was no such concept as 'sleeping in' for Rubikku. His brain was functioning on a clockwise rotation, working for twelve hours and sleeping for the remaining twelve.
Sabito explained all of this to her while the robot was away selling in the Middle Level and she was sitting alone in the room with a low-ceiling and only a door separating her from the actual boy.
Her finger dipped into the black water, and ripples cascaded across the surface.
She wondered how he trusted his devices so much, not worrying that they would give up on him in the middle of the night.
The red eyes watched her cautiously, glimmering from underneath the hat.
"Watch it," Rubikku finally called out. "A fish might bite off your finger. It'll regrow, of course, but isn't it nasty if some tadpole is chewing you for breakfast?"
Nezuko closed her eyes and gave him a half-hearted splash, not really paying attention to where the water was going.
For a while, they sat in comfortable silence. Nezuko dangled her arm in the water in satisfaction, while the robot gazed aimlessly at the passing buildings.
Their laziness was disrupted by a harsh bang of the window frame and suppressed coughing. Nezuko glanced up at the apartments stacked on top of each other. A corpulent, but sickly-looking man in a white, sleeveless shirt squinted down at them from the window.
"Oi, Rubikku-kun," he rasped. Nezuko whirled her head to the robot in surprise. Rubikku waved easily.
"Something up, Ō-san?"
The man scoffed at the sarcastic greeting and tossed something out the window.
"Shut up and do yourself a favor."
A plastic bag landed on the robot's lap, the contents ringing loudly against the metal. Without another word, the man closed the window, the glass shivering from the strong impact.
Nezuko sat up and moved up to the robot. Her fingers lingered at the straps of the plastic bag, and her eyes glimpsed questioningly at his face. She didn't want to pry without his permission.
Rubikku nodded. He was also looking at her. "It's okay."
The corners of her mouth relaxed slightly. Pulling apart the straps, she peered into the bag. Her heart clenched suddenly, and a wave of embarrassment flooded her face. Feeling completely tactless, Nezuko released the bag and averted her gaze.
Rubikku tilted his head. "Done?"
Nezuko glanced up at him, but almost immediately looked back down. Her ears burned from shame.
Taking the bag with a business-like air, Rubikku outstretched his arms and released his hold.
Nezuko's eyes widened, and she lurched forward, but the bag already disappeared in the water.
It was medicine. Bottles, boxes with pills, and several apparati with syringes and tubes for self-conducted injections.
Nezuko wheeled over to Rubikku, and her eyes flashed, confused and upset. What in the world are you thinking?
Rubikku sighed, craning his head back to look at the sheathed sky. The red in his eyes compressed slightly.
"I've got no use in them."
Nezuko shook her head. She was agitated, and for some reason, she couldn't shake that anxiety off. Half of her wanted to jump into the water, believing with some ridiculous certainty that she would find it. His ease threw her off, and she hated it.
Rubikku sighed and looked up at the buildings. His fingers were locked together, lying limply inside his legs.
"I know that old man means well, and I've told him several times that I don't want it. He doesn't seem to get the message."
He lowered his head, the red eyes gazing thoughtfully at the water. There was no sadness or even resignation. Only pragmatism.
"My condition is set. I'm not waking up tomorrow as an able human." A glimmer of amusement flickered in his red eyes, and, with a smile, he turned to Nezuko.
"I'm sure your brother would disagree with me." He joked softly.
Nezuko answered him with a long, closed-off stare. She felt uneasy, especially that she could hear Tanjiro's intonation, the one promising to make her human and the one that kept her going forward, in her head.
Nezuko sighed, bringing her legs forward and hugging them with her arms. She remembered when they first met, five years ago. The astonishment in Rubikku's voice when he heard that she was a demon striving to become human was almost as strong as that of the hashiras.
Nezuko tucked her chin deeper. Her eyes traveled discreetly to the robot. It was probably because he gave up so long ago that he couldn't believe in Tanjiro. Her fingers tightened into a fist. She wanted to argue back so much, but didn't know what to say. She was just as far from human as he was.
The water erupted in loud splashes next to the raft, and Rubikku reached forward to tug the nets.
"Oi, Nezuko? Nezuko!"
Nezuko blinked and lifted her face up slightly. The fish thrashing in his hold, Rubikku glanced from underneath his hat.
A tall demon slayer was standing next to the river bank. Nezuko stared for a moment, then her features relaxed in recognition. Genya.
She was surprised, but the unaccounted appearance helped her get distracted from the nagging rotting inside of her.
When she waved, a small blush appeared on the demon slayer's cheeks.
Rubikku grinned and turned around to Nezuko.
"Can you hold these, please?" He shoved the nets in her hands. Nezuko gritted her teeth when the entangled fish rolled all over her overalls, immediately getting wet, but the robot was already walking past her.
Stopping next to the lever, Rubikku maneuvered skillfully around other rafters and pushed towards the bank. The raft bumped against the protruding, half-sunk platform.
The fish was slapping her palms with its fins. Annoyed, Nezuko dropped it unceremoniously into one of the boxes and rubbed the slime off her hands against the boards. While Rubikku was anchoring the lever, she jumped off the raft and ran up to the Genya
Without prelude, she threw her arms around his neck. The demon slayer grew a deep shade of red.
"Hi there, Nezuko." Nezuko tilted her head, crunching up her eyes in merriment. Regaining his composure, Genya smirked and pushed her away by the waist.
"I've heard you've been living rent-free at fish-crap's place."
Nezuko rolled her eyes, but Rubikku's voice behind her made her burn from embarrassment.
"No joke, man." The robot was leaning on the lever. His eyes were twinkling. "She doesn't need to eat, drink, or go out for a walk three times a day. A perfect tenant I've seen for a while now."
While Genya laughed, Nezuko glanced over her shoulder in surprise. It was the first time she heard of someone other than her living at Rubikku's place. Was he joking or did he actually lease his basement?
"Are you on patrol?" Rubikku asked curiously. He walked up to them, arms folded inside his kimono. Genya nodded, tucking his hands into his pockets.
"I'm temporarily doing this region after Kamado's been shoved up." He shot Nezuko a look. "Can you tell your jerk not to get assed all the time? This is the second time I'm stuck doing his work."
"She can't talk," Rubikku noticed nonchalantly.
Nezuko rubbed her forehead, not knowing with whom to be more annoyed. She decided to let Genya's comment slide over her ears. Lowering her hand, she reached forward and touched the demon slayer's collar. It was sprinkled with blood. Genya shrugged and removed her hand.
"How's your brother?" The robot asked carefully. Nezuko tossed him a brief look. Genya grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Beats me. There's some shit going with the hashiras. Himejima-san cries more than usual." He tsked in irritation. "There was another bad case just an hour ago."
Nezuko sensed his quiet anger at his helplessness. She glanced at Rubikku and saw that the robot stiffened. Neither of them had checked the news since morning.
Genya's eyes flickered on the demon girl's face. Hesitantly, he lowered his arm.
"About Tanjiro… the crows got a leak that the trial would be held in the coming days. Hopefully, the zoo'll end with it."
Rubikku thoughtfully rotated his wrists on an axis. He seemed to be listening to the creaking of the bolts. "So a total of two weeks? That's quicker than typical."
He shoved the accidentally dislocated wrist back into the joint socket.
Nezuko gazed pensively at Genya. A brief, anxious shudder ran across her face, and she clenched her fingers.
Tanjiro's absence was nothing new. There were times when his missions took two, three, seven days, and she wouldn't even notice it. No matter how strong the demon was, for some reason, she always knew that he'd come back.
The Court wasn't a demon.
A hand landed on her head and clumsily ruffled her hair.
"Don't fret, the fool will be okay," Genya said gruffly, but earnestly. He was slightly blushing, unused to such gestures. "Your brother's no different than the rest of us." Nezuko gave a small smile, small enough so that the straps wouldn't dig into her lips, and nodded. Genya glanced at the robot.
"You better be doing a good job of looking after her, fish crap."
Rubikku propped his elbow on his knee and swayed it back and forth, mimicking a goodbye gesture.
"Roger that."
Genya smirked, but then smiled. He gently squeezed Nezuko's head one last time and, without another word, stepped away. The demon girl watched him go, gradually receding in the alley until he disappeared completely.
She heard how the kimono rustled next to her as Rubikku walked back to the raft.
"Let's go, Nezuko."
There was no point in standing. With a sigh, she turned around and stepped off the platform.
A/N: Hi, hi!
No notes for this chapter, so I hope you've enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your feedback, it means a lot to me. See you next week!