Chapter Text
Tanjirou stood up and carry the bag of charcoals on his back, he was planning on selling charcoals again. "Tanjirou?" a voice of a woman called, Kie Kamado, "Your face is covered in soot!" she said "Come over here", Tanjirou walk over to his mom who then wipe his face. She look at Tanjirou, "It's dangerous with all this snow, you don't have to go you know..." Kie continues. But Tanjirou refuse to stay "Well I want everyone to eat their fill on New Year's, so I'm gonna sell as much charcoal as I can" he said softly, Kie smiled "Thank you...".
"Nii-chan! are you going to the town again?" Shigeru came running towards him "Can I go with you?" he added, "I'm gonna come too!" Hanako also wants to come. But Kie was against the idea "No you're not" she said, "You can't walk fast like Tanjirou, besides he can't take the cart today...so he won't be able to give you a ride when you're tired" she walk over to the two. Meanwhile Takeo was watching the scenario from the back, "Nii-chan, do you really have to go? I really wish we can chop some woods together..." he pouted. Seeing his siblings like that, Tanjirou was questioning his decisions, 'Should I stay?' he thought 'But if I don't go, everyone won't be able to eat their fill...' he thought to himself again.
That's when the situation worsened, "Hush...hush Rokuta don't cry!" Nezuko was there trying to calm him down. But too bad it didn't work "Ah nii-chan, you're here" she called, "Is Rokuta crying again?" Tanjirou ask "Yeah...I tried to put him to sleep so he didn't make a scene when you leave, but I guess he woke up too early" Tanjirou grab Rokuta from Nezuko and begin to calm him down. To a miracle, Rokuta begin to calm down and sleep on Tanjirou's arm, but that means Tanjirou cannot deliver the charcoal since he had to hold his little brother.
"Nii-chan, why don't you stay here? everyone seems to enjoy your company, ever since dad passed away, they always look up to you" Nezuko suddenly offered. "But Nezuko...who will sell the charcoal then?" Tanjirou ask, "I can do it" she smiled, "Oh, Ne-chan can sell the charcoal so you can help me chop some woods!" Takeo said happily. Nezuko quickly snatch the charcoals in Tanjirou's back and put it on, "Wait- Nezuko are you sure about this?" the eldest boy tried to call out, "I'll be fine! take care of the others for me Nii-chan!" she waved. "Hurry back okay! Ne-chan!" everyone wave at Nezuko who turn and smile at them.
The Kamado family never had a easy life, but they're happy. But life could change easily like weather, it shift and move on, it's not like it always stays sunny, and it's not like it'll ever snow endlessly. But...whenever happiness is destroyed, there's always the smell of BLOOD.
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As Nezuko reaches the town, she was greeted by an old lady "Well now Tan- Nezuko-chan?" she was a bit surprise, "Ah, today Tanjirou is busy, so I was in charge of selling these charcoals" Nezuko smiled. "I can't believe you came down all the way from the mountain on a day like this" she said, "You're such a hard worker Nezuko-chan, you might catch a cold you know?" Nezuko smiled at the phrase "It's nothing really!" said Nezuko "By the way do you need any charcoal?" hearing the word 'charcoal' a man shout from the back.
"Hey you're Tanjirou's sister right? can I have some charcoal? say thanks to your brother for fixing my sliding door the other day!" he waved, "I'll have some charcoal too!" a lady said. Nezuko was shock, 'this is what nii-chan does everyday? wow!' she thought, but then there's a young man tried to run away from a tall old lady. His nose is bleeding, he saw Nezuko and called her "Ah! Nezuko!" he said, "Oh what perfect timing! you're Tanjirou's little sister right?! you probably have the same keen sense of smell as him!" he cried out. Nezuko wanted to tell him the truth, but if she do that, the man will be mercilessly beat up, "I've been accused of breaking this plate! help me out will you?" he pulled out a bag of broken plate inside.
He opened it and show the piece to Nezuko, "Sniff it!" Nezuko tried her best to sniff it, but then there's the smell of fish and saw a bit of fur. "I think it's a cat!" she look at the lady, "You see?!" the man look at the tall lady "Oh my! so it was a cat" the lady apologize to the man.
Not long after, there's another man carrying a luggage "Hey, you must be Nezuko" the man called, Nezuko look at him "Ah yes! I'm Tanjirou's sister" she walk over to him. "Can you help me with this luggage?" he ask, and Nezuko happily accept to help. The night came so FAST, all of the charcoals are sold, 'Ah it's already late! today ends so fast' Nezuko thought, but she's happy she's able to fulfill Tanjirou's wish. On the way she met old man Saburo, "Hey! Nezuko" he said, Nezuko turn to him.
"Are you going back to the mountain?" he peek through his window, "You better not, it's dangerous!" he added. "I've got a feeling it will be fine!" Nezuko smiled, "I'll put you up for the night, come on get back here!" he told the young girl, Nezuko frowned. "But-" "Don't argue come here!" he called, but his tone was more worried, "Before the demons shows up!" Nezuko flinched at the last line and decide to come with Saburo.
Saburo gave Nezuko some food inside his home, "Don't worry to much Nezuko, I won't put a hand on a girl especially from the Kamado family" he reassured, but that's not what Nezuko is worried for.
She's worried about her family, "Hey...Saburo-ojisan, what are demons look like?" Nezuko ask. "Man-eating demons have always prowled the land once it's dark!" Saburo answer while preparing the futon, "That's why you should NEVER stroll down at night" he added "When you're done eating go to bed". Nezuko quickly finish her meal and went to bed, "These demons won't come to your house would they?" Nezuko ask, "No, they'd come in" Saburo said "Then why don't they eat everyone?" the girl ask in concerned tone. "That's why Demon Slayers protect us from them, they also some around at night" Saburo take another shot from his cigarettes "They've been like that from WAY back then" he added.
Saburo puts down his cigarettes and went to his futon "Lights out now, go to sleep" he command, Nezuko look away and close her eyes. 'Saburo-ojisan was alone after loosing his whole family...he must be lonely, I'll bring Tanjirou and the others next time!' Nezuko smiled to herself and drift off to sleep.
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The next day, Nezuko wakes up and getting ready to leave Saburo's home, "You be careful now!" Saburo said Nezuko nod in response "I'll be off then Saburo-ojisan!" she waved. Nezuko make her way up the mountain where she live. But as she walk up, she have the feeling of something is not right.
Nezuko always have something that people called 'sixth sense' when something is up, there's a twisted feeling in her gut. Like when Takeo almost got hit by a tree, Nezuko was the first one to save him, when Rokuta was about to fall of the chair she's the one who catch him and when Hanako accidentally spilled the hot soup she immediately carry Shigeru so he didn't get burned. Nezuko always knew when something was up, but this time, it's worse than ANYTHING.
The young girl rushes to her home, she's running up the mountain. When Nezuko reaches her home, her jaw drop and her eyes widened...
She saw Tanjirou and Rokuta collapse on the snow outside the door, they're both also seems to lie on their own pool of blood, Nezuko scream and run towards her older brother "Nii-chan!! WHAT HAPPENED?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" but there's no answer from him. Nezuko look through the door only to find more member of her family being slaughtered, and their blood were everywhere. She peek, and tried to walk inside "Mom..." she muttered, but the smell of blood is TOO strong, the girl cannot bring herself to move.
Nezuko fall down on her knees, "Mom, Hanako, Takeo, Shigeru...Tanjirou, Rokuta-" . But no,Nezuko haven't give up yet, she check the pulse from every each member of her family, 'Atleast ONE of them has to be alive right?' she thought. But since she cannot bring herself to go inside, Nezuko only check on Rokuta and Tanjirou, she flipped her little brother first and HIS eyes are gone. Nezuko doubt that Rokuta was already dead without checking his pulse, she look through the door again, making sure if none of the body moves, and if one of them did, Nezuko will try her best to save them.
Takeo's and Shigeru's eyes were dull, Hanako and mom have been torn apart. There's NO way they're still alive, Nezuko quickly turn to the last person, Tanjirou, she check on him and he was still warm, 'Meaning he's alive!' Nezuko grab Tanjirou and tried to carry him on her back.
But Tanjirou is heavier than Nezuko, so Nezuko struggled a lot, 'No! I have to keep moving! nii-chan can still be save!!' she pull herself together and make her way down-town. "If I get a doctor nearby I can save nii-chan! how did this happen anyway..." she question herself "was it a bear?..." the young girl tried to run. But she's running out of energy to even walk properly.
The girl close her eyes and use the only strength she had to run, 'There's no time to overthink it!' Nezuko grip Tanjirou tightly and run down the mountain. That is when she heard a growl from her brother, Tanjirou was awake, but his eyes were white, Tanjirou moves and makes Nezuko fall down. "AH!" she cried, but the girl was save by the snow, she sit and look for Tanjirou. "Nii-chan?" she search on her left and right, then she found Tanjirou standing with his head down "Nii-chan, are you alright? you don't have to walk! I can carry you to the town okay?" Nezuko run towards her brother.
Tanjirou look to his sister, with inhuman eyes, it was bright red. In a second, Tanjirou was attacking his sister, "Nii-chan don't-" Nezuko tried to hold her balance, but Tanjirou keep on pushing her. The girl quickly snatch the hatchet from Tanjirou's wrist and put it on his mouth, both of them fall and Nezuko tried her best to keep Tanjirou from biting into her, 'He-he's...a demon!' Nezuko thought. The brother she once knew, is becoming a DEMON. 'I just remember what Saburo-ojisan told me...NII-CHAN IS A MAN-EATING DEMON?!' the girl keep on holding the hatchet, 'No way! nii-chan will never be a demon! he's human ever since I met him' Tanjirou's body suddenly becomes bigger.
That means his strength was also increasing, Nezuko already lost against the normal Tanjirou, and now she had to deal with this?! 'Nii-chan's wounds are healing so quickly, he also look inhuman!' the girl tried her best to keep Tanjirou away from devouring her. And now that he grew in size, it was worse! "NII-CHAN! HANG IN THERE!" Nezuko shout, "DON'T GIVE IN! YOU GOTTA HANG IN THERE, DON'T TURN INTO A DEMON!" Nezuko let her tears out, she was crying, she didn't want her beloved brother to turn into a demon!
And then she felt tears, she open her eyes and saw Tanjirou crying, "Nii-chan..." she muttered...
*SLASH*
A figure came running towards them, Tanjirou notice it, and Nezuko quickly tried to protect him. She push her brother away to the side, the sword slash Nezuko's bun and her hair fell down, 'What the...who's that?' Nezuko opened her eyes and saw the figure. She had a black hair fade into purple, she also seems to wear a butterfly-like haori, her eyes are purple and look lively. "Ara ara~? young girl? why are you protecting it?" she ask, "It's not an 'it'! it's my brother! he's my older brother!" Nezuko hug Tanjirou tighter, the woman look at them in confused face "That's...your brother?".
Shinobu run towards them and Nezuko close her eyes, she tried to hug Tanjirou but...he's gone?! Nezuko look up to Shinobu again. And she was holding Tanjirou, "Nii-chan!" she called "Please don't move!" Shinobu kindly told the girl, "My job is to slay demons! and since your brother had turn into one, I have to kill him!" she smiled. Nezuko widened her eyes "But-" "Don't worry young girl! I will use a poison that will kill him instantly, so he'll not suffer" Shinobu added.
"Wait! but Nii-chan hasn't killed anyone!!" Nezuko tried to protest, "Back at my house, he was trying to protect my littlest brother! he's not the one who killed our family! he's innocent!! I don't know how he turn into...well, that thing, but still!" she cried out. "It's quite simple..." Shinobu said, "Because his wounds are exposed to demon blood, he turn into a demon! that's why he's not the person you used to know anymore.." the woman give Nezuko an explanation. But Nezuko was still refusing, "Nii-chan will never kill anyone!" she demand.
Shinobu chuckled, "Ara...young girl, you were about to get devoured by him earlier" Nezuko shook her head "No! you're wrong, I'm sure nii-chan knows who i am! I won't let him devour anyone, I promise I'll turn him back into a human!" Shinobu frowned "Sadly, he can't be healed" she look at Nezuko with pity. "Once you're a demon, you can't go back into a human" she informed, Nezuko was still against the idea of Shinobu killing her brother, "I'LL HUNT THE PERSON WHO SLAUGHTERED MY FAMILY! JUST PLEASE...PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM-" Shinobu draw her sword to Tanjirou's neck, "NO DON'T DO IT! DON'T KILL HIM, don't anyone else away from me..." Nezuko kneel down and bow to Shinobu.
The woman look at Nezuko, she gritted her teeth "Don't let ANYONE got a chance to murder you!" she shout. Nezuko widened her eyes, she lookup to the woman, "Stop with the groveling! if it was the least bit effective, your family wouldn't be slaughtered" Nezuko begin to sit.
"A demon might know the cure to your brother, but, do you think a demon would kindly give you the cure? they have no respect for you...they're just man-eating demons!" Shinobu was back with her normal tone, "When you push your brother to the side...is that how you would protect him? you have his hatchet why don't you attack me? why don't you fight for HIS life?..." the younger girl begin to tear up, 'no, don't cry! you can't cry at a situation like this Nezuko!' she quickly wipe her tears. "Young girl...if you want to save him that bad, the you must fight!" Shinobu didn't really mean to say that she must fight her.
'Young girl, I know it's not easy for you...your family have been massacred, and your brother have become a demon...I know that pain very well! I get that you want to do everything for me to not kill your brother, if only I got here sooner, your family will be saved' the woman thought, 'With such fragile resolve like yours, you won't be able to cure or heal your brother...' she pull up her sword again and stab Tanjirou's chest. "NO STOP!" Nezuko grab a nearby rock and throw it at Shinobu who quickly dodge it.
Nezuko run towards the hatchet she used earlier, and another rock. She threw the rock from the side and it missed, Nezuko run towards Shinobu with anger and rage 'A straightforward attack driven solely by emotions...' the woman thought, Shinobu quickly turn her sword around and hit Nezuko's back with it. The girl fainted "Ara-ara...I'm sorry young girl, but I have to to that" she look down, Tanjirou look at his little sister, but then Shinobu notice 'Wait, where's her hatchet-' just before she finish her thought, a hatchet came flying to her.
She dodge it but also shocked, 'Just before she hid behind the tree, she threw that rock at me at the same time, toss the hatchet in the air...she hid her hands in the back as she pretend to attack, so I wouldn't she was unarmed...she tried to bring me down after I struck her, this girl..' Shinobu was off guard and got kicked by Tanjirou. 'No good! he's going to devour her' but then Shinobu's eyes widened. Tanjirou is protecting Nezuko from her, the boy run back at Shinobu and tried to attack.
'Long ago, someone said the same thing only to get devoured by demons...when a demon is starving, it will kill and devour even it's own siblings and parents, because they're nutrient-rich, I've seen it more times than I can count, this boy has been wounded and he's expending energy to heal those injury, he must've been starving...he wanted to feast a human right away even if it's his sister, yet he protected her...' Shinobu keep on thinking as Tanjirou tried to attack her. When Tanjirou jump to a tree and tried to scratch Shinobu, the woman put back her sword ' I wonder...these siblings might be different from others...' she knock Tanjirou out by hitting his neck.
Nezuko wakes up clinging to Tanjirou's haori, she couldn't believe her eyes, Tanjirou is lying there, alive, with a muzzle on his mouth? she let her tears out as someone called her "Ara? you awake?" she said while leaning on a tree. Nezuko protectively scoop Tanjirou to herself, "Go see my older sister named Kochou Kanae who lives at the foot of mt. Sagiri" Shinobu told Nezuko, "Also tell her Kochou Shinobu sent you, he seems to be alright since it's cloudy right now...but never let him be exposed to the sunlight" in a blink of an eye Shinobu disappeared.
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Nezuko thank the woman, even after she left. They both went back inside their house and Nezuko burried her family, with the help of Tanjirou of course, he help carrying the corpses. When they're finish, Nezuko prayed at their grave "Let's go nii-chan..." she turn to Tanjirou, they both walk together when Nezuko turn to look at her family, she waved to them as if they're still alive. And grabbing Tanjirou's hand, they ran down the mountain, the journey of Kamado Nezuko whom brother turn into a demon named Kamado Tanjirou. has begin.