Chapter Text
Life has been terrible. I lost my biological family, then I lost the Kamado family.
My biological family were killed by something unknown around a year ago. My parents had sent me out to collect some products from the village just below the mountain we lived on. That mountain were full of tall trees, which caused us to have not only little space to walk but little sunlight too. When I came back from the village, my house’s door was broken down. I slowly crept in, only to see crimson red blood splattered on the walls of my house, my parents body lying motionlessly on the floor. Shocked, I stood on the spot, not knowing what I should do. Soon, I heard footsteps, soft and steady, with each step as it moved, sounded nearer and clearer. I dropped the supplies in my hand, grabbed my father’s katana and ran out of the house. I ran and ran. I ran down the mountain, through the village and went up the other mountain. I stopped running when I saw a house on the mountain, someone was living in there. I slowly walked up to the house, knocking it twice. When the door opened, I collapsed due to exhaustion.
After that incident, the Kamado family brought me in. They treated me like their own family member, each one of them became very nice to me. The Kamado never asked what had happened on the day they brought me in. As the year passed by, I grew closer to Nezuko. Her and I had many similarities and differences. Some days, she should teach me how to sew and knit. On the other days, I would teach her how to pick spices and make herbal medication. A few days before the New Year, Kie Kamado sent Tanjiro and I to go sell charcoal in preparation for the New Year. We were done selling charcoal when the sun was down, and it was dark. We were about to head into the dark mountain when a guy who lived on the foot of the mountain and invited us in. Tanjiro tried to convince him that we did not need to stay and needed to go home ASAP. Yet, the guy remained persistent and insisted that we stayed. Tanjiro looked at me before nodding at that guy. The guy fed us and allowed us to stay for the night. The next day when it was first light, Tanjiro and I left the guy’s house and went back home. When we reached the house, we saw the door open and Nezuko and Rokuta lying in a pool of blood.
“NEZUKO!” Tanjiro ran towards Nezuko and kneeled beside her. I ran into the house, hoping for survivors.
Unfortunately, all of them were lying on the floor, motionless. For a second, my parent’s motionless body flashed before my eyes. I was in the same scenario again. I was useless. Tears formed in my eyes. I could not hold them back anymore.
“Mum…” a voice mumbled. I turned around to see Tanjiro. “Mum… Hanako… Takeo…Nezuko… Rokuta…!”
Tanjiro fell onto the ground, I walked towards him to comfort him.
“Tanjiro… Nezuko’s body should be the warmest, if you get to the nearest doctor, she might survive,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Alright! Thank you, Y/N!” he exclaimed, running towards Nezuko, and picking her up.
Just as he was about to run down the mountain, he jerked to a stop.
“What about you Y/N?” Tanjiro asked, looking at me.
“Its fine. You should bring Nezuko down the mountain by yourself. I don’t think I can catch up to your speed!” I lied. The truth is that I did not want to be a burden to Tanjiro.
“No! I’m not losing you too!” he shouted. “I’m pretty sure you can catch up with my speed!”
“Fine! But if I can’t catch up, you have to bring Nezuko down the mountain yourself alright?” I asked, looking at him with puppy eyes.
Tanjiro nodded and we set off, down the snowy mountain.
*
Tanjiro and I were running down the mountain, as fast as our legs could bring us. I looked at Tanjiro, his eyes were filled with a conflict and determination. I heard growling and I looked at Nezuko. Her eyes were white, and she pulled Tanjiro, causing them to roll of the cliff.
Dang. I mentally cursed to myself as I ran down the hill. Where are they? I kept running until I saw footsteps. I quickly followed the footsteps and saw Tanjiro glaring at someone. I looked at the direction where Tanjiro was glaring at. Only to see a guy with shoulder length bushy hair, holding a struggling Nezuko and a sword.
“TANJIRO!” I screamed, causing him to look at my direction.
“Y/N!”
I sprinted towards Tanjiro, standing in front of him protectively. Looking up, I saw the one and only Tomioka Giyu, the person whom I was supposed to marry.
“My job is to slay demons. Needless to say, I am going to decapitate your sister,” Tomioka stated.
So, he’s part of the demon slayer corps huh?
“Hold on! Nezuko has not killed anyone! Back at my house, there was a scent I have never smelt before! That’s probably the one who killed my family! It wasn’t Nezuko!” Tanjiro argued.
“It’s quite simple-” Tomioka started, but I cut him off.
“Tanjiro, her wounds were exposed to demon blood which caused her to turn into a demon. That’s how man-eating demons multiply,” I explained calmly, trying to stop the argument and allow my ears to rest.
“Nezuko would never eat humans!” Tanjiro yelled.
“You gotta be kidding,” Tomioka scoffed while I gave Tomioka the “please shut up” look. “Just now, you were about to be devoured.”
“You’re wrong! I’m sure she knows who I am! I won’t let him hurt anyone! I’m going to turn Nezuko back into a human! I swear I’ll heal her!” Tanjiro swore.
“Tanjiro, she can’t be healed, I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “Once you become a demon, you can never go back to being a human.”
“I’ll find a way, no matter what! So… please don’t kill her! I’ll hunt down the one who slaughtered my family!” Tanjiro begged. Tomioka readies his sword, putting it at Nezuko’s heart. “I’ll make everything right! Please! Please don’t do it!”
Tanjiro got onto his knees and bows with his head on the ground. “I’m begging you not to! Please… don’t kill my younger sister! Please don’t do it! I’m begging you…”
“Tanjiro! Stop-” I started but Tomioka beat me to it.
“Don’t give others a chance to murder you!” Tomioka growled, shocking Tanjiro. “Stop that pathetic groveling! If it was the least bit effective, your family wouldn’t be dead! Can a weakling who can’t take the initiative in such a situation heal his sister? Hunt down the enemy? Don’t make me laugh! The weak have no rights or choices! Their only fate is to be relentlessly crushed by the strong! The demons might know how to cure your sister but don’t think a demon would respect your will or wishes! Naturally, I have no respect for you either! That’s reality! Why did you throw yourself over your sister earlier? Was that your way of protecting her? Why didn’t you swing your hatchet? Why did you show your back to me? All those blunders led to your sister’s capture! I could have skewered her along with you!”
Tomioka glared at Tanjiro before readying his sword again to kill Nezuko.
“NO!” Tanjiro yelled.
Nezuko started growling as Tomioka stabbed her in the chest.
“STOP!”
Tanjiro picked up a rock and threw it at Tomioka who bounces it off with his sword. Then, Tanjiro got up, grabbed his axe, and ran towards the trees, throwing rocks at Tomioka. When Tanjiro got close enough to Tomioka, Tanjiro ran and attacked him.
“Baka,” Tomioka mumbled and hit Tanjiro with the butt of his sword, knocking Tanjiro out cold. Nezuko stops struggling and stared at her brother’s body on the ground.
“TANJIRO!” I yelled, running towards him, and pulled out my katana, protecting him. “You know, you could have at least told your wife that you’re a demon slayer”
Tomioka’s eyes widened for a moment before Tanjiro’s axe came flying towards Tomioka from above, striking the tree behind Tomioka’s head. Nezuko roared and broke free from Tomioka, kicked him away and ran towards us. She kneeled in front of me shielding us before lunging towards Tomioka and began attacking him while he dodged her attacks with ease. Nezuko jumped to a tree and lunged at Tomioka again as he sheathes his sword, striking Nezuko at the side of her neck, knocking her out cold.
“I guess its my turn,” I stated, glaring at Tomioka.
“I don’t want to hurt you-” he started.
“Cut the crap Tomioka. You attempted to kill someone’s last biological family member, knocked him and his sister out cold. Do you have any feelings at all?” I interrupted.
“I do,” he said.
“Then why? Why did you have to do all of that?” I asked, tears rolling down my red cheeks.
Tomioka walked towards me, kneeling to me and used his fingers to brush away my tears.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!” I yelled, moving behind. I got up and readied myself to fight him. “I guess I have to do it.”
“What-”
Breath of stars, first form: midnight sparkle. I charged towards Tomioka with my katana swinging it at him, hitting his shoulder bone.
“How?” he breathed.
“My parents were demon slayers. They thought me how to fight and how to create my own breath. I was supposed to go for the test last year, but because of their passing, I didn’t go. To be honest, I haven’t fought for at least a year,” I explained, smirking a little. Honestly, my parents were right, once I fight, I have a weird mood swing. From sad to happy. “Back to the topic of the siblings, I beg you not to kill them. They’re different.”
“Fine,” Tomioka decided. “But you should not go to the same place as them. They need to be together while you need to practice before going to the test which is on the following spring, you will go to Osaka Hanemi, and tell her that I sent you here.”
“Right, but please pass Tanjiro this letter when he wakes up,” I begged, passing Tomioka the letter. “It was nice seeing you again Tomioka Giyu, goodbye for now.”
I bowed and quickly ran to Nida Mountain where Osaka Hanemi resided.