Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

❝ And I will await the day when I will be loved for who I am and as I am❞ — Anjum Choudharry

 

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Prologue

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 delivering its wild anger with the clouds of snow dust colliding one’s pale cheeks, and lips dripping with the blood of an animal.

The ruby eyes slitted with hidden hunger, fear and distaste all mixing within those dulled crimson eyes.

Why did she believe that man had a cure for her incurable ailment?

When he’d turn her humanity into something deadly, some kind of monstrosity that craves a human flesh.

Years after years, she hide her tracks from that damn demon. All while, appeasing her hunger towards the animals be it deer, bear but not a human.

The silky lushes of lavenders dancing upon the gentle breeze, her sandals leaving a mark on the soft snowfields.

She wanted to die, not wanting to continue her immortality. She wanted to die in a human way, to die old with hair turning into a silvery-gray and one’s skin turning into wrinkly old.

What’s the purpose of having a long life when the people she loved and cared for had died due to their old age.

The pain drank on her sorrows as she witnessed them withered like a flower that’s been plucked off in a garden of youth.

Their life span already burn out as the heavens calls out to them, for them to return peacefully and happily.

While she did not grow old nor experience the hands of death, it’s as if time stops her from experiencing that kind of fragility which made a person be human.

The bitterness of iron made her eyes focused on the cold landscape as she blows a small air of tiredness.

And that sense of despair gripping and swallowing her little hope led her emotions to die, the numbing feeling became her support and the emptiness keeps her to survive through the harsh years.

How far had she trek through this cold land, her ankles is blistering with frost, the redness on her cheeks became apparent as she blows an air beyond this cold winter.

She was getting hungry and she didn’t like it. A shrill voice gathered the demoness attention, red eyes scanning the shadow figure running away from the predators’ clutches.

“Help, somebody help me!” A child’s voice shrieking in fear for his life.

And when she had reach their way, a male demon bathed in crimson blood grab the collar of a quivering boy. Thankfully, the two had yet to notice her appearance.

His eyes is like the color of a golden-brown hues—the softest shade of a warm spring when autumn comes.

As his tears starts to sink below his flushed cheeks, arms desperately tries to remove the grip of the demon.

“I don’t want to die yet, the girl I fell in love with is waiting for me?!” He yelped, his face is pale white with horror portraying in those eyes of his.

“Shut up! I already ate the girl along the man she’s with!” The demon answered, his grin widened in cruelty.

The black-haired boy’s eyes grows in terrors and more tears spilled out, “—then that means I’ve been cheated on?! No, no. I don’t taste good—“

The girl with the eyes of bright vermilion doesn’t bat an eye towards this scene. Why would she help a stranger when she was severely weakened due to hunger?

It’s best if she turned a blind eye on this situation, the demon girl already turn back. The sounds of an unsteady pleas of cries drowning the noises of a swirling wind.

“I don’t want to die young.” The human whimpered, his words caught her off guard.

It felt like there was something constricting of her voice as she swallowed a deep sigh.

“I don’t want to die young, but it seems that fate decided to end this way,” a small boy with a hair like the color of wisteria glanced tiredly at her.

Lots of dark red blood covered his stomach as he heaved his breath once more. Coughing out the iron rising from his mouth, he sends a rueful smile towards her.

“Don’t blame yourself, It’s never your fault to begin with.”

A huge pain began to claw in her chest as if she’s been suffocated by loss, her eyes dove to peak a glance towards the crying boy.

And she was stunned to notice that the boy was looking at her, begging for her to help him.

Her terrified Ruby eyes widened in a second, “You’re hungry right? I can help you. When I die, you can eat my flesh. And in return, promise that you must never ever eat humans again.”

It was only a brief second of their eyes meeting before the male demon gathered their attention to focus on him.

“Please, I—I don’t want to die!” He hiccuped in fear as he simply close his eyes from the cruel fate he was shoved in.

Breathing calmly to sooth the aching force threatening to choke her from this scene.

The petite girl’s lovely purple locks shaded her expression as she bowed her head—thinking if this was a right choice?

Was it really necessary to leave this poor thing alone?

Like a baby chick calling for someone stronger to protect it; her lips shaped into a frown, contemplating this shivering soul’s existence.

“I, I wanted to live a normal life and not die like this!” He yelped, his frame shaking like a leaf falling from the dying tree.

But it was enough for her to throw any cruel decision that a mere bystander would usually do in this kind of situation.

“Tch, look at you crying pathetically. No one would come to save you, give it up.” The demon sneered, his other hand reach to grasp the boy’s shoulder as its claws made his skin bleed.

The boy winces in pain, snots coming from his nose. He is really going to die right now, the demon is right. He is really pathetic, his former lover abandoned him with a large debt.

And when he met the love of his life, the girl betrayed him and run away. He followed her only to run in with a demon who’s feasting her with another corpse.

He sniffles, eyes shutting off from his reality.

Zenitsu heard a scream of pain, and a small hands pulling his collar to their warm side. And as a warm breath flows through the back of his neck, he shivered.

A sound of loneliness and emptiness made his heart ache as his heart speeds up when he heard his saviour’s voice.

“Stop.”

And he froze, his eyes filling with terror. As his muscles freezes up, Zenitsu watches the man eater demon stops on his tracks as well.

His ears heard a storm brewing on his savior’s heart, a sound that neither beats the same as those humans around him.

And he felt so, so terrified that he forgot to scream due to this new demon’s terrifying presence. Who is this demon that it’s sound is so capable of ruling them with fears?

He felt that demon dropped him on the snowfield as he hiccuped. His honey-brown eyes widened when he saw that demon girl with purple hair and ram horns standing in front of him.

“Who are you to interfere with my meals? Go away, this is mine!” The male demon roared.

The petite demoness crosses her arms as her red eyes coolly stared at the demon’s eyes. Making him froze in fear while his frame shakes upon seeing her eyes.

“Who are you to order me around? What I do is my own business.” The girl’s eyes sharpened, muttering her blood demon art spell.

“I usually don’t mingle with humans. But clearly this child doesn’t want to die.” Tilting her head to the side, she knew she got him trapped.

As she smirked with taunt, “Kneel for your crimes, you scum.” In an instant, the demon kneels down—unable to withstand her orders, he sweated in fear.

How come her eyes looked the same color as lord Muzan’s? He never mentioned a demon like this?! Nothing at all.

The demoness huffed, walking softly as if she is the one sentencing the death of all demons.

“Stop, don’t come near me,” the arrogant demon becomes frightened, his horrified gaze stuck on the small demon.

Uncrossing her arms, her hand reach out to grab the demon’s skull, “ Mah. It’s your karma that you met me.”

It’s over.

“Why is a demon like you protecting a human?”

Another paused of ominous silence drifted between them before the girl with ram horns hummed.

“I told you it’s none of your business, die.”

She said, her hand quickly crushed the demon’s head.

Its body collapses on the snowy ground as his skin turning to dissolve into dark particles which signify his death.

The demon girl gasped harshly, her energy is exhausting as she smelled blood from the boy.

Human blood?!

Her eyes glazed in hunger, slowly sauntering towards the crying boy, “Ah, don’t come here. Don’t eat me!” He begged, his face morphing into a funny expression.

She notices the blood from his shoulders, her stomach grumbles. No, she couldn’t eat this person. Not after she made an oath with her dead twin, she couldn’t break that promise.

Feeling her throat dry from the smell of blood, the purple head demon shook her head quickly. Resist, you must resist his blood.

Can’t go berserk and kill an annoying human, her pain expression immediately went blank as she focused on trying to treat his injury.

Once she’s done her part, she’ll leave him.

She collapses in one knee and Zenitsu couldn’t help but scream in fear, “I really don’t taste good?! I—I assure you that you don’t want to, I’m just all bones—“

He yelped when her hand stretches to touch his wound, his face paling even more with more tears descending down those chubby cheeks.

He’s really gonna die right now.

His sensitive hearing catches her voice muttering in a gibberish tone, and his eyes shifted to his injured shoulder.

Slowly, the injury caused by the dead demon closes up the bleeding until there was no trace of scars on his skin. And he let out another shrieked.

I mean, there’s no way that this demon is healing him. But then again, his golden-brown eyes notices the demon girl’s appearance and Zenitsu blushed.

Never had he seen a girl’s beauty in his life, not even his former girlfriend could compare to her. Her looks is just like a goddess, and he almost forgot that she wasn’t a human.

He didn’t know what to say to her, for he just remained in silence. Watching her movements like a prey, his heart almost leap out of his chest when she shrinks into a toddler’s size.

“Um, are you okay?” He asks unsurely, the demon girl blinked, “You think?” she sarcastically retorted before she gradually lose consciousness.

Zenitsu shouted in small surprise, his arms catching the sleeping demon. And he remained dumbfounded upon the aftermath.

He really did live, he was extremely lucky to survive from his near death experience. And his eyes gazed down curiously to the sleeping demon, but what do he do now that he had a strange demon who saved him.

His heart is torn between leaving the demon or taking her to repay her kindness.

“What do I do now?” He asked miserably, already knowing that the sky would never answer him.

He lets out a sighed, quickly carrying her in his arms. He hopes that he would never regret his decision for letting the demon stay under his roof.

He would repay her actions, after all she saved him. It’s customary to help them in return, even if they were a demon. He shakily took a step, his fears making him paranoid that what if this demon woke up and killed him?!

She may really kill him, but she did helped him right?!

Maybe, he should’ve left her behind, he swallowed a gulp. But he couldn’t do that, she is still a girl and she needs to be treated right.

Even if he was a coward at heart, Zenitsu do not want the demon to suffer in cold at night. He knows the feeling of being left behind, he couldn’t do that to someone.

More likely, he wasn’t capable of doing a heartless thing to a girl, like leaving her to fend herself alone.

Oh gods, he really is looking for death right now.

Zenitsu gulped, the nervousness climbing into his chest and when the demon nuzzles closer to him—the scared feeling immediately replaces with embarrassment.

Chapter Text

❝ Reciprocity, a symbiotic relationship, is a relationship in which two people have worked out certain terms. I am using you in certain ways; you are using me in certain ways. That is a balanced relationship—Frederick Lenz ❞

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The boy named Zenitsu

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“ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴏɴ goes up, the sun goes down,” the melody beguiles a bitter taste of sadness coming from her lips.

The pale cheeks of a girl turned hollowed whilst her shining eyes watches the beautiful blankets of stars in the night.

“The stars they shine and the clouds they frown,” despite the vicious illness weakening her immunity, her fragility eventually imposes the deep blues surrounding her heart.

“The rings of light glows bright with me and the eyes of red everything they see,” she continues to sung, drifting her mind from the countless of problem that her family faces.

“Take me away and let me go and be free.”

The ailing maiden knows her time is running out, no matter how short her life span is, she wish to make her day better than before.

Shuddering from the breeze running through her white skin, the short female was found sitting on her heels.

Taking her time to reflect on the good things that happened to her as the starry night captures her heart with its beautiful appearance.

“Open my eyes in reality, sky of black and the pattern of white. Just sing with me and fall into the midnight.”

With her purple hair dancing freely upon the wind’s soothing gesture, she rose her hand to the dark sky as if a child’s asking for a hopeful wish on the stars to grant her wish.

“What a beautiful song,” a voice startled her out of her daydream and she turned her body around as she let out a short yelped.

“Don’t be scared, my dear,” the figure in the dark shadows had a very ominous glowing red eyes.

Just the thought of that strange color landing on her figure was enough for her to shudder in unknown fear.

“Who are you?” The girl, no more than 15 years old had stood up fast upon the new presence. Because of her rush movements, the pain immediately wracking up her chest.

Kneeling slowly from the ground, the girl with purple tone hair had coughed up a lot of blood.

“You’re dying,” it spoke in a strange tone, almost curious and had a hint of emotion.

The black shoes she saw within her sight had near her crumpled form. A hand snugged on one of her frail shoulders and she shivered upon his touch.

She felt scared, disgusted upon his caring acts as if he’s merely a mask behind his kind gesture.

Immediately she slapped his hand, her eyes looked up to him. As her crimson hues glaring into the man’s deep ruby eyes.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Interesting,” he spoke, grabbing her chin as he smiled softly at her.

What a creep.

“—but that’s no way, to treat someone who’ll freely cure you from your sickness. Girl.” His nails digs into her skin as drips of blood manages to drop on his fingertips.

His slitted red eyes become untamed as he sighed upon her bleeding cheeks. He looks so not human, and her very instincts screaming at her that this man in front of her is dangerous.

“Would you like me to cure your sickness, little girl?”

“Why would you do that? And get off!” She shook her head from the other way as she gives him an angry glare.

“You sang a good song and I appreciate it. Most importantly, aren’t you tired of being sick? Lying in bed all the time, hoping for some miracle to cure you?”

She became rigid, her eyes widened in fear.

“What do you say? Little lady?”

Gulping a wisp of oxygen in her lips, the fear pummeling into her soul as she locked eyes with the same color of her sights.

It seems the fear once more locked her in place, to freeze up like a cornered animal in front of a hunter, foe or a monster beneath those kind smiles.

“Do you want to live?”

“If you can be able to cure my illness, will I be able to feel strong enough to not feel the recurrence of this pain?”

He smirked, almost pleased upon her response, “Yes. You will become strong and you will not be in pain anymore.”

His hand moves to wrap around her neck, “Your name, little girl?”

“Shinku.”

And just like Tamayo, Shinku fell from his trap.

The memory of the past awakens the fire in her blood, the sweet deceits that the man promised to her were simply a facade of wicked intentions.

Remembering it made her eyes blinded from reality in fueling hatred, Shinku would dare to stray from Muzan’s prying eyes.

And she will someday pay him back two-fold for making her unable to remember her dead family’s faces and to what had happened since the night she turned.

Curse that man to hell!

Consciously, sensing a shadow leaning to her sleeping figure.

“Okay, calm down. Zenitsu, you are only checking to see if the demon is okay or not. She will not eat you.” He gives himself a pep talk.

In the girl’s mind, she wanted to face palm upon this boy’s considerate behavior. She was fine for she only need an ample amount of sleep to regain her strength.

She didn’t need some human to care for her.

The figure hesitated to touch her cold forehead, before the warm fingertips grazing her skin.

Shinku’s pale skin gives her goosebumps from this boy’s soft touch. A silent warmth sending little sparks to her whole body, like a cool fire gently burning her soul.

She was so confused.

He was being gentle and caring to her.

A girl like her who has been nothing but a stranger. A demon who could possibly had the power to kill him.

What makes him will to do so to care for her?

Thinking about it, it certainly made her hands feel clammy to her sides.

She couldn’t understand nor make a time for explaining his unusual behavior to a demon like her.

This person’s hand then shakes ever so slightly, she could feel the doubt spilling out of the tip of his soft fingers.

What was he so afraid of? She wasn’t even doing anything! The girl with purple hair was only resting still. Her eyelids closed off from the world.

Yet the slightest movement of her turning around in this worn-out futon was enough for him to withdraw his hands and shriek like a dying cow she once feasted on.

The retreating warmth causes her insides to feel sick, an awful dose of grey thoughts submerged in the back of her mind.

This wimpy human shouldn’t take her with him, he should’ve left her alone in the winter’s night. If he was so much afraid of the mere sight of a demon.

Isn’t he too much kind despite the cowardly behavior he gives off.

The eyebrows of hers gently curls down on the sound, she hears a soft mumbling of trembling tone before he whisked himself away from the possible threat.

And when she opens her scarlet eyes, Shinku sat up. Her eyes witnessing the run down home of the boy who let her in.

The wooden floorboards were old, moving her torso a little bit. The wood flooring went creaking, and squeaking a tune almost like  songbirds as her foot pressed on it.

Staring to the owner of this house, she expected the boy to spur from the littlest noises in this room.

For some reason, the ebony-haired male was unresponsive, blissfully dreaming to his heart’s content with a smile returning on his youthful face.

He was leaning against the wall, his disheveled appearance with his mouth parted, a bubble forms when he snores.

Red eyes glancing towards the boy who’s clad in dark blue kimono with dark pants, his back uncomfortably slumped over the wall.

Was he abandoned by what he calls as parents? All alone without someone to look out for him at a young age of no more than 13 years old.

Horrible parents so it seems.

It happened again, the heavy pressure on her chest felt weird. It felt sore like something was pinching her heart, she wonders what she was feeling.

Something tells her that this feeling is unmeasurable, can’t be undone or broken by chance when she looked at him all alone by himself.

A flash of one petite purple head was seen alone crouching in the night, the tears pouring out as if all her emotions are put together, all in it.

Blood was everywhere in her line of vision.

A sound of banging grab her attention and her eyes went mad.

Sometimes the lines between humans and demons is blurred, both sides have flaws, they can be evil or good depending on what they choose to act.

Shinku’s feet stepping forward in his direction, a concentrated expression appears on her visage.

 The ghostly wind kisses the boy’s cheeks, his entire body shivers from it. Leaning his back more onto the wall, to seek the warmth he’s wanting for.

Zenitsu lets out a small sneeze, his closed eyes twitching slightly. The glimmering veils of light pierces through the tiny holes above the ceiling.

There she saw the sleeping face of his , glowing softly in a way of how the light spares its time to show his beauty to her.

Despite how his cheeks is tainted by dirt and the remnants of his tears washed up some of it, she can’t deny how he looks ethereal to her.

Almost as if he’s the morning light that shines the land with its great presence; both are beautiful yet a danger to her existence.

The girl crouching down, shrugging off her plain black haori—placing it on him to shield his body from the cold.

Should she leave him some money? Analyzing his figure once more, the red-eyed demon blinked.

She have some plenty money she keeps underneath her obi, that’s all she can repay to his kindness.

You give and receive kindness, one must also act on that manner—she’d know that custom from one of her memory she remembered.

A sound of buzzing fly distracted the demon from thinking, the insect circling the black-haired boy’s hair and her keen eyes notice how innocent he looks.

Like a soft baby chick.

Shinku pondered, curiously fanning the small flying creature away. She didn’t know that she was leaning closer to him until the demon accidentally slap the boy’s forehead.

His snot bubble pops, his eyes enlarges like the size of plates and then his chopped hair frizzle like he’s being electrified.

How funny.

“Oh,” she said, watching the slap mark on his forehead appeared. Feeling regretful by the fact she didn’t control her strength.

“Ah! Stop, don’t come near me!” He shrieked, his never-ending tears dropping on his cheeks.

The demon with horns blinked again, reeling back to give the boy some space. “Apologies,” the cowardly boy sniffles and hugged himself.

“You can’t eat me, not after I helped you!” He pointed his index finger at her while his tears continues to run down his face.

His crying halted once he felt something warm falling from his shoulders.

The haori had fallen onto his lap due to his movement, his brown-yellow eyes locked onto the clothing. His brain clicking something and when his mind registered on it.

Zenitsu’s cheeks heats up from the thought of someone caring for him.

How rare for him to feel some sense of safety towards this demon.

“Did you put this on me?” He nervously speaks, his fingers grabbing on it as he shyly glance to her.

“Yes. You look like you are going to be sick, sleeping without a futon.”

Once the boy heard her response, the boy immediately bawling his eyes out. Uttering the words of gratitude with snots falling from his nostril.

Seriously, if she was not kind at all. She wouldn’t learn to care about humans like all the other demons do.

They would jump on a chance to eat this screeching boy’s flesh in no time.

A bubble of glee is rising out from her throat before she snorted at his reaction. Is crying the only natural thing he’ll do whenever danger found him?

She had an inkling feeling that wherever this crybaby chick goes, he would alway crumbled down and cry like a baby bird.

“So why did you help me?” She blankly stared at the shocked boy, “what’s the reason?”

The female was indeed perplexed upon this human’s action, for no human would help a demon in need. Except for this boy, truly a rare creature in front of her sharp eyes.

Instinctively, the girl leans in. Eyes of red began to blinked in wonder, Zenitsu averted his eyes , not trusting himself to blush at the sight of a pretty demon.

Much less a demon who could kill him now, he breathes. “I—I was, you saved my life. So—“ he stuttered, his blush deepening the more the demon looks at him.

“You shouldn’t take in a demon, you fool.” She started, one’s stomach rumbled in hunger.

The dark-haired boy went rigid, his honey-brown eyes tearing up more at the notion that this girl will eat him because she’s hungry.

His sensitive ears heard it loud and clear.

“Your name, human?”

Zenitsu cried, feeling that this is the last peaceful conversation he had with a girl and now he will die.

Being eaten by one beautiful demon, “It’s Zenitsu Agatsuma, please don’t kill me,” he hiccuped, praying to the Gods that this girl won’t kill him.

“Zenitsu,” she pronounced his name and his skin shivers from the soft sound she emitted.

“I’m Shinku.” She pointed at herself, making the boy nodded his head fast.

“Zenitsu, I’m hungry.” She announced in a monotone voice.

“Wait a second, I don’t have—“ his mind formulated to explain the demon of his situation.

“I’m hungry,I’m hungry,I’m hungry,” she rambled and complained. The boy was shrieking in terror inside as he puts his palm on both of her shoulders.

“Calm down, I’m sorry but I don’t have food for you.” Another tears escaped from his eyes as he heard her heart thumping in disappointment.

Lies. Her nose smells the hunted deer from the back of his house, was he actually trying to lie to her, being a demon?

Or was he fully believing that she’ll kill him now and eat him?

Either way, she wanted that deer. She’ll have to try persuading him using other methods.

Scrunching her eyebrows in displeased, pushing her torso forward. Her knees touching against his. The demon with ram horns’ detect the beating of his heart paces fast.

Shall she use her blood demon art to make him listen to her? The purple-head’s mind geared into the cons and pros of using it to him.

But if she uses it once more, her body will be severely fatigue. If she uses it to her advantage, there’s no saying that she will be able to regain her strength in one night.

Blowing a small fog from her pink lips, her scarlet eyes accidentally meets the amber eyes of a scaredy-cat boy.

Well then, how about if she asks nicely to this human. Surely, he’ll be able to feed her since she saved his life. The crybaby was confused of her sudden silence , but any moment.

Her small hands gently tug the sleeve ends of the boy, knowing his eyes was looking at her, trying to understand what’s going on her mind.

“Zenitsu,” she cooed, his throat gulping as he watched the Ruby eyes gently gazing at him.

“I want to eat the deer, please?”

“I—I,” the boy was flustered, his cheeks steaming in shyness as this is the first time a girl is giving him an attention.

I can smell it , unaware that the boy could actually hear her heart’s intention.

“If I offer you the deer, you’re not going to eat me?” He questioned, some of the tears formed in his eyes, the demon girl hummed.

He heard her heart drumming in agreement to his conditions and he sighed in relief. “Okay, okay.”

His heart mellowed when the girl raises her chin, her face nearing to his. If Zenitsu wouldn’t die from a demon killing him.

Then certainly, his heart would have died upon the closeness of their proximity. A girl, a girl is this close to me?! His face exploded into a very deep red.

“I’m hungry,” she exclaimed not minding the closeness between them.

The tip of her nose brushing against his as she pouted at him. A soft warm tingling each of their skin, pulling the two of them into a beautiful silence through the dark.

His ears picking up the sound of gratitude, eye to eye—he noticed how her crimson eyes resembling the beautiful red roses that made his heart bloom from admiration.

How can a demon have such a beautiful sound? Her heart beat is singing in happiness, and gratitude to him. Nothing like a demon he’d encountered from before.

No girl was ever happy or satisfied to him, even when he helps them. Yet he was able to uplift this demon girl’s mood just by offering her the deer as her compensation for saving him.

And when the purple head nuzzles his nose, he could’ve sworn his heart died right now. The color of pink became more prominent to his cheeks.

Zenitsu was once again, blushing at the demon’s closeness to him.

She’s so cute.

A knocking of fists pounded the wooden door, both of their eyes glanced towards it. One was curious while the other began to shake visibly more.

“Come out boy, where’s my payment?!” A voice from a man who’s controlling his anger.

Zenitsu huddled in a floor, once again sniffling his sobs, “He did come. He’s here, they’re here.”

Shinku scowled at the continuous knocking of the door. These humans are really persistent, why the heck are they hell-bent on looking for this boy?

Was he being bullied? Tortured or ostracized by his people? It could be, her lips turned into a grim line as she slowly rises up.

Her focus is to answer the door like a polite person should do.

“Hurry up and open this door!”

“Or else, we’ll break this down!” Another one shouted from the outside.

“No,” the boy protested, much to the chagrin of those people.

The purple-head demon felt a grip on her arm, her eyes watched Zenitsu hugging her limb as if to stop her.

“You can’t!” He pathetically cried like a newborn.

“What are you doing?” She narrowed her gaze at him, he gulped once he saw her reaction.

He could hear her voice dripping in venom, the ferocious beat of her heart—she’s angry but she’s restraining her emotions.

The crying boy flinched,” You can’t go outside, they are debt collectors. They came to collect my debt because I borrowed a large sum from them.” He nearly screamed, closing his eyes in fear for the humiliation he might expect from the demon.

“—why did you borrow that money for?” A monotone voice filter in the air, the boy’s heart race nervously.

“I—I did it to impress the girl I liked,” he swallowed the heavy feeling coming out of his throat.

The knocking still continues until the door breaks down, Shinku and Zenitsu both looked towards the broken door.

Her eyes widened when she saw the bright rays shining below the dirt land, feeling scared that she might killed by sun burn.

“Wait, where are you going?!”

She tugged off Zenitsu’s arms, her hands reaching to the futon to cover her whole body as the weeping male watch her in confusion.

Zenitsu yelped when his arm was being pulled outside, he put his feet firmly down the floor in an attempt to stop the man from dragging him outside.

The haori was left forgotten, one’s dark red eyes searing in anger—watching how the man poorly treated the crying boy.

“Boy, you keep begging to us to borrow the money. And now, we’re here to collect it. Where’s the money?” The man’s voice lowly question.

The boy gulped, trying to pry off the man’s grip. “I—I don’t have it in me, I’ll work to pay off my debt. Please give me some time,” he answered.

He was yanked outside, Zenitsu felt a couple of kicks around his stomach. As he slumped from the ground, a foot stomp on his back as he grunted in pain.

“Huh? Are you kidding me?! That’s a lot of money, we need it now!” One of the three replied.

“If you don’t pay us, we’ll let you go after we teach you a lesson,” person 1 grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

The other two followed a series of cackles while the boy despair over his unfortunate fate, little tears escape from his eyes.

A blurred object zooms into their direction as it slam person 1’s forehead, his leg lifting his foot off Zenitsu while the two other were hit too in their foreheads.

The three debt collectors groaned in pain, their forehead had a red mark on it as they angrily called out the figure.

But once the objects had fallen into the ground, their eyes basked in greed as they saw three pouches with loads of coins on it.

“Zenitsu is my food supplier, no one can harm him without my permission.” They shivered upon the soft voice, their eyes looked on the dark room.

A pair of red eyes gleaming in the dark made their heart shook in fear, “If the money still doesn’t satisfy you lot. Feel free to come here and I’ll pay you,” they spoke.

If they did come here, she’ll surely pummel their faces hard to the ground ‘til their skin turn black and blue.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. She’ll teach them a lesson.

“Well, it’s not enough. We need 2 more of this,” Shinku had a dark expression  as she heard that.

“How about I pay the rest since the girl did offered much money to help the boy,” an old voice joins in the event.

A sound of something wood struck the land as his feet followed their direction.

The demon girl got an urge to flee, sensing the strong presence from a far where it draws near to them.

The bits of cold sweats dripping on her temples each time the ringing of those footsteps walking closer. The air turned heavy when that man’s aura crackles like the sound of lightning.

It felt like the arrival of thunderstorms brings the cold running in her back, burying herself more into the futon’s comfort. Shinku wanted to curse at the bright skies, for causing her luck to run out.

Running seems to be out of her options, the sun is still beaming down the outside world and she’s trapped in this boy’s house for safety reasons.

The spike of anxiety hits her hard when the said old man took a small glance at her. There’s no mistaking, that gray-haired jeezer had an aura of a hashira!

He voices something towards the three debtors as he finally throws down the last two pouches of money he kept at his side.

Making the three men already reveal their smiles as they took all the pouches given to them. Not sparing a glance towards them.

‘Greedy bastards,’ she sneered upon their bad behaviors.

All that concludes one thing. Zenitsu was cleared from his large debts.

Meanwhile, Zenitsu was touched that a demon and a stranger started to help him pay off his debts.

He had luck on his side when he least expected it.

Chapter Text

"Protect those who protect you." —Evangelos Venizelos

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Safeguard 

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

ᴛʜᴇ ғᴇᴀʀ was unspeakable, feeling the four pair of gazes on her figure made her want to react in aggression.

Like a hunted rabbit Shinku was, she got the feeling that she was cornered by that former hashira. 

They were talking with each other in a happy aura surrounding the both of them. Watching their human interactions for a moment made her stand out like the sore thumb. 

The one who didn't belong in the group. 

And she hated being different from them, how she wished that someday she'd be a human but that kind of dream is impossible for her to reach it. 

The place where she watched them touched by sunlight were one of the things that made them human.  The sun that blessed them for their safety,  and the same sun that curse her to drive her away from looking forward to it. 

They needed it to ward demons ,and demons hated the sun. 

They run from it, she run away from it. 

It seems that life hated her throughout her existence, her heart's filled with bitterness almost as if it's slowly poisoning her will to live, to survive the chaos of tomorrow.

To hate her own self. She was a monster. 

What was she feeling? She couldn't understand it, the pain keeps on piling up inside of her as she bit her lower lips in a desperate attempt to control whatever grasp of emotions she held. 

"Shinku-chan?"

A small,  soft voice pulls her attention away from the negative things. His yellow- brown eyes speaks of concern for her well-being,  he looks as if he'd cry if ever he saw her in her pitiful state.

She wouldn't want that, she still has pride left.

"Are you okay?" the female demon turned her body in an opposite direction, the futon cocooning her small body.

"You know, the old gramps said that I can stay under his wing. But he said that I needed to get permission from you since most of the money has been paid by you."

She listened to his reasoning, sensing him drawing close to her tiny figure just like a moth flying close to the beautiful flames of candle. 

"Do whatever the hell you want."

"But what about you? "

Shinku clicked her tongue, the warmth from that human radiating on her back. 

Why was he suddenly being gentle?! 

Earlier he was scared of her then now, he wasn't afraid. What was wrong with this creature? She was annoyed, very annoyed. 

"Go with him. You'll be able to live well. Forget about me. It's not unusual for me to be left behind." 

She spoke in a faraway tone just like the fragments of memory she gained, she had a family but they were gone because of her. 

In an instant, the futon that shelters her was stripped away from her small fingers. Her vibrant red eyes widened before it turned into anger. 

"What do you—" A hand wrapped around her wrist started pulling her towards the out side and her body started sweating. 

The sun?! 

"Wait, I can't go out with you!" She was flustered, the boy stopped for a second as he carefully looked at her with his face slightly bruised.

"Why not, Shinku-chan?"

So casually, he said the word chan?!  The feeling of embarrassment hits her for the very first time,  she could feel that hashira watching her movements like a hawk. 

"The sun hurts me, it kills me." She painfully tried to utter her answer,  the heat spread on her cheeks as she gripped her fists in shame. 

The silence became awkward for the purple head only, but it was enough to push away the humiliating emotions she felt. 

"If you understand that, you can go now."

There now, go away and leave me alone. 

Refusing to meet his eyes, she was in her child form so maybe he'll listen to her. She lowered her head, hearing the pitter patter of light footsteps walking further from her.

It made her heart slightly squeeze in pain? Don't kid yourself, Shinku. It's best if the boy is separated from you. Don't you dare to give in to your emotions,  she berated herself. 

The blood from her bitten lips draws a little blood to her chin. While she was self-hating and pitying herself. A familiar haori was cloaked around her tiny frame. 

She squeaked like a small animal when a pair hands covered her with warmth. 

Feeling the air brushing into her skin, her crimson eyes further widened when the boy shyly smiles at her. 

He was holding her close to him, arms tighten around her to keep her safe. "It's okay, I won't let the sun harmed you. You can come with me."

His eyes filled with honesty and security to his words, and it made Shinku so scared. 

So scared that this boy had the gall to protect her, a demon like her who's nothing but a pest to his kinds. 

The frustration caved in her eyes, and he seemed to be prepared for her outburst at any chance. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, human. I—I haven't fallen enough to be helped by the likes of you?!" The heat was forming once again on her cheeks, she hissed at him like a baby cat.

The black-haired boy turned mushy against her words, he goofily grin at her like he was a lovestruck idiot. 

"Don't worry, I'll protect you with my life!"

Oh gods, she regretted saving him. With one quick move, his hand bravely pull her tiny head to hide her face in the corner of his neck.

And Shinku stiffened, how dare he?!  The purple head demon felt his arm tightened around her when he steps outside. 

Shinku was afraid of the sun, thankfully the haori was big enough to shield her child form from the sun's blazing heat. The girl pressed herself into Zenitsu, tiny fingers gripping the front of his blue yukata. 

"Who is that girl in your arms, Zenitsu?"

"She's my very own lucky charm." Way to go, Zenitsu. What a way to introduce her, she's not some kind of object that blesses people's life. This idiot. 

She could feel that hashira's skeptical gaze over the two of them. After all, what were the chances that a human and demon can have a symbiotic relationship?

It's unlikely to happen, but it was a surprise for her and that old man to think that this is real. 

For the first time, Shinku slips out the slew of curses from her lips. 

"You're a demon right? Aren't you aware that Zenitsu is training to become a demon slayer?"

Once again, Shinku blames Zenitsu for causing her trouble. 

‘Damn food supplier, how dare you leave me alone in the presence of a hashira.’ Shinku pouted.

The cowardly boy was so trusting to his new teacher that when the old man told him to fetch some peaches in his backyard. 

He was suddenly alright of leaving me under this old man's care. That stupid crybaby chick, an irkmarked formed around her temple. 

A short elderly man with large moustache, wearing a jinbei kimono with a pattern of triangular shapes was looking at her as if she's a new creature in front of his eyes. 

"Of course, I know. Your aura is one of hashira's. I didn't want to come here in the first place—" she played safe, not wanting the elder to slice her neck. 

Her keen red eyes notices the blade on his right side, he didn't trust her. She's a demon, and he's hunted demons for all his life. 

"Let's make a deal, I wanted my disciple safe here in my abode. I'll let you go off in your own, treat it like nothing happened, just stay away from Zenitsu."

Shinku raises one of her eyebrows, crossing her arms in defiance. Kuwajima's eyes turned into steel, his thumb exposed his blade—hinting her of a warning. 

And she grinned, "I believe the food supplier had a say on this." she huffed, the two of them narrowing their eyes because of their stubbornness. 

"Food supplier?! You—you intend to eat him?!" Jigoro exclaimed in anger, the accused word thrown at her made her mind filled with red and she growled. 

"Watch your tongue, old man," the tension became so thick with bloodlust in the room. Like two opponents watching each others moves, "I could've killed you in an instant."

She taunted and that was the last straw. 

"Thunder breathing, fifth form: heat lightning."

A crack of lightning roared in the room, the sounds of large explosion creating large craters filled the walls, and the floors. 

She shifted into her original form (teenager size), dodging the thunder forms was getting a little difficult on her part. This old man was seriously wanting to eradicate her. 

A slash made her right arm chopped off and she growled at him. He's fast, shifting her body to the right; her left leg arch in the air landing a blow to the former hashira's abdomen.

Jigoro got crashed in the wall, but he got up. The blood pouring out from his lips, spitting it out. "It's been a while since I've fought a demon."

Shinku's eyes stared in anger at the old man,  her arm already regenerated as the two figures ran towards each other. Preparing for the final blow. 

Getting too focused on defeating the old man made her open for any attacks. Her leg was sliced and she collapsed on the ruined floorboards. 

A katana was above her head, if Jigoro pulled down his weapon in one final cut. He could now behead her and die in peace for once.

The chance of being granted to rest for a long time finally arrived. She could die here and it will be all over, her sufferings and loneliness could end at this person's hands. 

Closing her eyes for her wish to come, Shinku awaited for her head to be sliced. But a gentle warmth spreads to her body, covering her with a sense of homey comfort.

It almost brings her into a nostalgia of tears, "Please stop!  Gramps, don't hurt her!" a strained voice filled with sadness made her eyes open wide.

His body shielding her small frame from Jigoro's point of view. 

"Step aside, Zenitsu. Let me do the honors of killing her," Jigoro gravely explained, it felt like that old man intends to end her suffering. 

She was sure that he notices her eyes foretelling her pain when they were battling against each other. 

"You—what the heck are you doing? Get away from me!" she shouted with a lot of hatred that it made him flinched. 

‘Leave me be for once’, this were the words she wanted to engrave to his mind. But his tears rolling down his flushed cheeks rained down the parts of her face. 

And Shinku hold her breath when the boy gently gazed at her with something unfamiliar gleamed in those eyes of his. 

What was that? 

"I—I won't move not until gramps promises that he won't hurt nor make Shinku leave," Zenitsu rises his voice, making their eyes gaped in surprise.

She didn't question how he'd learn to know that. The demon assumed him to have a fine sense of hearing. 

Since when was this crybaby became so courageous to protect someone? 

It was almost like he swore loyalty to protect her just like when he spoke to her last time. 

What was this? Why does it feel like her scarlet eyes burning? And her lips slightly shake from his oath, his words of truth that it made so much impact to her

"If you can't accept her, then we will leave this place. Shinku help me many times and so, I will help her in return." His arms around her shakes in fear, but he was handling it well for a boy at his age. 

Kuwajima Jigoro was at a loss for words, he could only mutter the name of his disciple in wonder. 

It comes as a surprise that Zenitsu was the one who ended their fight and resolve their matter of conflict within a minute. 

When the night settles in the sky, Shinku decided to grab this chance to get out for her sanity’s sake. Not wanting to get too attached with the boy’s kind gesture to her, the demon with ram horns sneakily opens the door and closes it.

The transparent wind sending a breeze over her purple locks, her sandals making feathery noises for she opted to make a small noise as quiet as possible.

She couldn’t handle being a burden in somebody’s eyes, all she wanted is to be gone as soon as she can.

Breathing the sweet air of the night, the tension in her shoulders gradually relax. For now the black haori will serve as her shield against the cold, silent night.

Jigoro approved of her staying ,but she didn’t want to burdened them. So she left while hiding in the eyes of that former thunder pillar.

Nevertheless, she will go back as a wandering maiden. ‘If only that was possible,’ she bitterly thought.

“Wait! Where are you going?!” The vibrato of that childish voice trembling in concern.

Shinku side glances at the boy who’s shaking like a newborn cub, her stature is a head shorter than his; a body built like a teenager around his age.

“Anywhere, away from demon slayers even you.” She muttered, her voice devoid of any emotions.

Zenitsu flinched upon her cold tone, “—Do you have any place to stay?”

“No.”

“You could get hurt, why don’t you stay for a while?” The demon faces him, her feet seamlessly stride to reach him.

“How ironic. A demon and a soon to be demon slayer living together.” The petite girl chuckled in humorless tone, “Boy, you should be on guard at all times. I could’ve rip your heart out if I want to.”

‘ Don’t get too close.’

His heartbeat speeds up that her ears could detect and red eyes seemed to notice the fear veiling in those pure eyes.

‘ Fear me and forget about my kindness. You must have a strong heart to kill demons. And that includes me.’

And the black-haired boy stiffened as the girl places her cold palm on his cheek, craning his head to look at her—eye to eye. And he shakes upon her touch on his skin.

So trusting, so innocent and pure. He’s a rarity.  One of a kind she met; a cowardly and nice human who appears once in her lifetime.

That’s how a human should be, not the ones who were filled with greed in their heart.

“Don’t trust someone so easily. They might stabbed your back. Nor giving a demon some chance to kill you,” she whispered as if she’s telling a story to a child as she gives a rueful smile.

“You mustn’t trust me, what if I turn out to be bad? You would’ve died by my hands.”

“You’re wrong!” He denied with all his heart, glaring with determination at her.

“Your sound makes me cry from the bottom of your heart. You sound in pain like a storm roaring in the sky. I heard it clearly, there’s no way you’re a bad person!” He argued, tears already slipping below his cheeks.

How could he know what I feel when he’s just someone I met?

The purple head’s eyes slightly gaped in surprise, a soft warmth spreads around her chest. And a tear streak down on one of her sad eyes.

Why do I feel glad when someone knows what I feel? Why do I feel hurt yet felt the sensation of comfort?

What’s this emotion?

This time, Zenitsu was not the one crying.

He held his breath as his face blown into the color of red, observing the purple head’s appearance. Zenitsu was flustered because of the beauty’s reaction. “Ay, don’t cry. I’m sorry?!”

“How you managed to become an apprentice of that hashira astounded me. Keep practicing, one day you’ll grant me a peace of mind.”

‘And that is to for him to keep on living.’ she thought. Her tears already stopped as she calmed herself down.

Zenitsu blinked in confusion, her hand withdrawing from his face as she moved to pat his head and the boy let’s out an embarrassed squeak.

“Your potential lays dormant within you, you should harness it. It’s okay to fear, that’s what makes you drive to become stronger. Good luck,” she whispered softly, the eyes of her becoming gentle.

Brown eyes trembling upon the soothing sounds he heard from her voice, the tears burst out and he sobbed upon her words.

Really, is this girl a demon?

He really couldn’t believe it because of the sound of her gentle heart.

“Can you not go?” He desperately ask, his hands gripping the black haori of hers.

“Why should I? Clearly I’m not needed here,” Shinku simply told the truth, the fingers around her sleeve gripped hard.

Making her stay put, and the demon girl was confused. He had a really strong grip for a cowardly person.

“I’ll take care of you! You are one of the reasons why I am alive. I didn’t even feed you the deer yet!”

And the purple-head maiden’s eyes widened, that’s right how could she ever forgot her meal. She gulped, when she saw him smirking as if she had been caught right in his plan.

It was a surprise for her to witness his behavior  change. One minute he was crying, and then the next thing she knows, he appears to be confident in his actions.

“If you stay here with me. I’ll hunt some deer for you tomorrow after my training ends with gramps.”

At his statement, Shinku’s scarlet eyes sparkles. “Deer? You’ll give me some?”

She asked softly, eyes widening in hope.

Zenitsu could hear her heart beating in happiness and her reaction was so innocent and cute enough to make his heart swoon at the sight of a happy demon.

He then giggled, his face turning bliss with red dusting on his cheeks. “Yes.”

His body swaying in complete happiness, before he latched his arms around her waist. “So Shinku-chan. You can’t go and leave me, I promised that I will take care of you.”

The red-eyed demon blinked when the black-haired boy hugged her. Feeling the warmth enveloping her body, she was confused as she felt the fluttering feeling tickles her chest.

The purple-head girl sighed and let her hand tug on Zenitsu’s mop of black hair, slowly weaving her fingers through the black strands.

“Fine, I’ll stay.” Damn this boy for knowing her weakness.

For food.

The food supplier boy emits a full shade of pink coloring his cheeks. As if he couldn’t contain the happiness growing inside him, he delivers his language of love to the beautiful demon.

He laughed gleefully, “ Shinku-chan, please marry me!”

“What’s marry? Is that food?”

“No, it’s when two people promised to take care of each other. “ Zenitsu bashfully explained to her, his chin resting against Shinku’s head.

Cuddling with a beautiful girl is the best way for him to be happy after training. He grin happily, little flowers bloom around him.

An idea formed inside of Shinku.

If he promised to feed her, then she’ll protect him from demons.

Then it’s official, for today onwards. Zenitsu is her personal food supplier.

“Alright.”

Not minding if the purple head would reject his proposal, he fully expected her to say no. The moment when the black-haired boy heard her answer, he couldn’t believe it.

So he asks again and he got the same answer that made his heart burst in joy to the point it made his skin burning in red as the smokes passed through his ears.

“I’ll hold you to that.” The final blow struck him in his chest.

Needless to say, Zenitsu Agatsuma fainted from pure happiness that night.

Chapter Text

❝ What a plot twist you were.❞—faraway

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Affinity

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

Shinku was staring intensely onto the two people in the room. One was grinning while the other’s reaction was exuding an aura of purely shyness.

The girl with purple tone hair blinked before directing her questioning gaze towards the gray-haired elder.

“What do you think, does it suit him?” An excited voice made someone’s eyebrow twitch in reflex.

Didn’t they just fought before? How come this old man acts so friendly with her?

And what in the world happened when Zenitsu decided to talk with his mentor and leave her out of the dark?

She was so confused about these two humans.

Red eyes skimmed to the red face Zenitsu who immediately found an interest to stare at the wooden floors.

A bright yellow kimono with the same pattern of white dorito shapes like Kuwajima Jigoro’s. His sleeves painted in an orange and yellow gradient styles, overall looking at him.

He looks strangely adorable like a small bunny.

His brown eyes trembles with tears, and hands gripping his black hakama pants in sheer nervous.

Waiting for her answer, her opinion.

Does it really matters to him, what she thinks of him?

“Well?” Kuwajima’s voice implies his impatience for her response.

Shinku nodded, but Jigoro was unsatisfied of her reaction.

“Talk more!”

Zenitsu’s shoulder slumped upon her lack of reaction, he looks as if he wanted desperately for her compliments.

Feeling bad towards the gloomy boy, Shinku sighed in exasperation. He was like a puppy, wanting for compliments as a treat.

Crossing her arms in thought, “It doesn’t look bad on him. It’s pretty,” she fluidly replied, her scarlet eyes watches Zenitsu’s eyes sparkles in delight from her words.

“Do you think I’m pretty?!” His voice shifted into a happy tone with a mix of excitement.

Shinku blinked from his question, sensing him staring at her with a hopeful look. It causes a strange warm feeling to clog in her throat, and she swallowed slowly once she feel something fluffy in her stomach.

Averting her red eyes to one’s honey-brown eyes, she breathes before she nodded once.

Kuwajima felt confused as he watched their strange interaction, the heart eyes shaped was found on Zenitsu as the background between them seems bright and sweet.

“Wah! Shinku-chan, help me!”

The crybaby teen forcibly pulled the door open, barging inside the dark room.

His yellow eyes searched for one cute demon and strangely, there’s a mountains of clothes cluttered in the center of the room.

When the girl didn’t respond to his call. Zenitsu’s eyebrows shot up, his heart getting antsy upon calling out the name of his future wife.

And when he checked the dark corners, the cabinets and underneath the table—he found nothing. No sight of a purple-head demon and his paranoia kicks in.

What if Shinku already left?! The nervous feeling possesses him, making him circle around the area—a couple of times, he heard a slight movement from the nest of clothes.

Having at his wits end, the black-haired boy traveled by foot to near it. His eyes found a curtain of soft purple strands, her petite body buried in the covers of a pile up clothes.

And he throw some of the bundles of clothes. Wait, those yukata. All of those bright yellow clothes were gifted to him by gramps. It made him feel flattered that this young demon is missing him.

He saw Shinku peacefully snoring during the day while he was skipping training behind Kuwajima’s back. She was curled up beside the nest of clothes like a lazy cat, sleeping without a care.

To witness her sleeping face made Zenitsu think of her like an angel, and that thought sends the same warm to his cheeks.

He didn’t have a heart to wake her up anymore when shes looking so cute in his eyes. While he was fawning on her appearance, Shinku opens one of her eyes and yawned softly.

“Food supplier? Why are you here?”

“I—I” his mind tries to make excuses as his voice stutters for being caught right on the act.

Sitting up slowly, her hands rubbing her sleepy eyes before she blankly gazed at the blushing boy.

“Go back to train. You are supposed to learn from that mentor of yours,” the demon girl sleepily muttered, and sends a scolding stare to Zenitsu.

Zenitsu’s happy expression changes into a sour mood, scrunching his face akin of disappointment made him whine about her cold behavior.

“—But the training was so hard, it could’ve made my arms limped from practicing gramp’s swordsmanship style!”

A couple beads of tears drops into his cheeks, his face resembling more of a kick puppy in front of Shinku’s view.

As expected, the food supplier throws a fit; complaining that she was supposed to side with him.

The purple head maiden deadpanned upon his whiny behavior, “it’s natural that your training is difficult. You will be fighting against demons, you know?”

“How cruel of you! I’m scared of fighting them!” He tearfully cried, the fear stuck on his mind upon thinking of his cowardly self going against demons.

“Look, food supplier—“ the demon girl sighed.

“It’s Zenitsu—“ he interrupted her.

“You can’t just skip from your training.”

It’s happening again, almost every single day. He was visiting Shinku to complain to her and all he got was a full blown of lecture on how he was supposed to attend with his gramps’ training.

Every time he listens to her scolding, he was quickly sent off to go to Gramps training field.

Unable to handle another set of scolding from the girl, Zenitsu launch himself to the sleepy demon. Hoping to take her mind off of his training and he prays that his hugs would work.

Secretly, he wanted to hug a beautiful girl like Shinku!

His soon-to-be wife.

Shinku blinked drowsily when the boy scrambled to leech on her, his arms enveloping her tiny frame.

She could feel his body shaking, pressed into her as the comforting warm lulling her to relax.

Another sighed passed from her lips, leaning forward to rest her chin on his shoulder. At one point, she became so used to his antics of affection that it didn’t bother her anymore.

How many weeks was he training? Was it three weeks already?

Even so, his efforts of visiting her made her feel touched upon his considerate acts. Making her remind that she wasn’t alone , that she has someone who looks out for her.

He made her feel warm for some reason, and she liked this feeling for a time. As the comfortable silences drifted into them, Shinku notices the redness creeping onto Zenitsu’s ears.

‘What a dork,’ she fondly thought.

“What were you practicing for today’s training?”

“Running in the mountain, avoiding gramps traps and swinging that stupid bamboo sword for a thousand times!” He ranted, the stress making him more whiny and tired from all those arduous tasks.

“That’s a lot,” Shinku blinked in response.

“It’s horrible, I feel like dying from that training!” Such a crybaby, feeling the soak tears falling on the top of her head.

When the dose of sleepiness floats in her brain, Zenitsu’s incessant rantings filter out of her ears. Her body is deliciously succumbing to rest and without fighting back.

She drags Zenitsu down to the floor and he lets out a very undignified shrieked, similar to a sound of one startled baby chick.

The embarrassed male laid atop on her, his body turned rigid and she could feel that his heartbeat is in a frenzy.

“What are you doing?!”

If he screams a little higher, his voice could’ve killed her ears. Having no energy left to get irritated onto Zenitsu’s reaction, she voices a hum near to his ear.

One thing she learned from him, was that he was easily flustered by her presence. He was like a human torch right now, her arms gently cradling his back.

So tired and sleepy she was, Shinku’s half-lidded eyes stared to one’s golden-brown eyes with glassy tears on it.

“Sleep. You must be tired,” she softly murmured, the crybaby’s face erupted into flames and yet again shrieks in embarrassment.

“It’s too early to sleep, it’s still morning!” He pretty much yelled in a flustered tone.

‘He could be a very good singer if he was able to scream in a high note,’ Shinku muses.

“Then get out and train. Don’t be noisy and let me sleep,” the dark-haired boy started complaining about her being cruel to him.

Zenitsu hesitated to her response before he softly landed his head on her chest, his arms drawn to hug her waist. Little by little, a beaming smile was planted on his burning face.

He felt giddy that Shinku allowed him to cuddle with her, was this how it felt like to have someone who treat him with equal respect and care?

If so, he wishes that his time with her would stay forever. And when he felt the sleepiness arriving to him, Zenitsu slowly closes his eyes.

Sadly, his sleep was cut short. A kicked was all it took to open the door, and a grinning elder found them. More specifically, his eyes snapped to Zenitsu and the said boy releases a terrified scream.

“Zenitsu, you damn coward. Slacking off again!”

“Wah, I don’t want to go!”

He earns a huge bump on his head for disobeying his mentor and for skipping his training.

“Quit it, there’s so much lessons for you to catch up. I’ll be lenient on your training boy,” Kuwajima guffawed, and as for Zenitsu, the pitiful boy who keeps on struggling against his gramps hold on him.

He was tied up in ropes, to prevent him from escaping again. The crying boy just wanted to run away and return to Shinku’s arms.

And he was back to square one, the former hashira dragging him off to train while the girl with purple hair color was peacefully dozing off. Unaware that the boy beside her was taken away.

It’s been two months since she agreed to stay here.

Sleeping in the day, Zenitsu training and hunting her a deer at night. For some reason, every time she woke up. There was a pot of colorful flowers beside her, and a letter written from Zenitsu complimenting her beauty.

He’s such a weird human at first.

Sending her flowers and yesterday, a red kimono with a pattern of white roses on each sleeves. But she’s come to appreciate his gestures, and it was a first for her to be gifted with some precious material.

‘Shinku-chan, your sleeping face reminds me of an angel.’ That cowardly boy had the time to write such an embarrassing words to her.

Thinking about the past letters she received from Zenitsu causes her cheeks to burn brightly in red.

Stupid crybaby chick.

It was unusual for that boy to not visit nor gifts her flowers today. An uneasy feeling swells inside of her as she sat upon her room, glancing each time for the door.

To wait for a certain someone who always gave her a smile of happiness. It was weird that she look forward to his appearance.

A weird human who can make her feel weird just by his stupid smiles.

And when the door opened hastily, she didn’t notice that she was fully facing the direction of that opened door.

Shinku’s face turned bored when she notices Jigoro panting harshly, his face paling from whatever horrible thing he witnessed.

“Where is the crybaby chick?”

The elderly man showed a nervous expression and she didn’t like the sick feeling growing inside of her.

“Zenitsu—“ Kuwajima hesitantly spoke, and the demon girl gritted her teeth in impatience.

What happened? Why was he taking so long to explain?!

Was her food supplier in danger?

She was almost close to exploding her anger, the second that former hashira drag his sentence any longer.

“What happened to him?!” She demanded.

“—He got struck by lightning during training.” And she gets her answer.

Shinku felt a cold feeling swept on her heart.

“Girl, why don’t you take a rest and see the boy tomorrow?” Kuwajima suggested, placing the platter of sliced peaches beside her.

Shinku remained silent, her eyes not straying from Zenitsu’s unconscious face. Watching his chest rise and fall marks as a sign that he was alive and breathing.

“He’ll be alright, that boy is strong enough to survive the lightning and my training.”

A warm hand lands on her shoulder, squeezing her in comfort. Shinku wore a blank expression and stared in a daze before snapping out of it.

“I don’t want him to feel alone, is that a bad thing?”

Remembering how scared he looks in her thoughts, “Can I stay and watch over him?”

Jigoro nodded in understanding, and smiled in a reassuring look. “Sure, if that’s what you want to do. I’ll respect it.”

And the elderly man left, opting to rest for the night.

When the young girl glanced back to Zenitsu who had his hair changed into the color of gold. She notices him grunting in sleep. Murmuring the words of apologies and something that causes her stomach churning in a bad way.

“I’m sorry for being a loser and a failure.” He whispered and her sensitive hearing caught the meaning of it.

Was that how he view himself all along?

A displeased expression replaces her blank feature.

Why does he think so lowly of himself?

He wasn’t a loser, she knows that he was desperately trying to live to that old man’s expectations.

She knows it because she listened to all of his complains.

The pain and concern is clear on her ruby eyes, her fists clenched in undeniable signs of worry and anger.

“Brother, why was I born sick? Why do you guys still care for me when you could’ve just given up on me?”

“Shinku, we never thought of giving up on you. You are precious to us, do remember that.” A shadowed figure caressed the top of her head.

Gritting her teeth, “Don’t apologize, you weren’t a loser or a failure to begin with.”

The purple head demon throws him a glare of disapproval, “Listen up, you crybaby chick. We never thought of you as a failure. You are much worth than that.”

She have no idea on why she hated seeing Zenitsu unawakened, laying vulnerable within her sight.

So why did it hurt so much when saw him like that?

“So you better get well soon and feed me,” she mumbled before turning her head away.

Three days later. Zenitsu finally woke up.

“You’re awake, how are you feeling?”

It seems the stress is taking a toll on his mind, the yellow-haired male sat up and let out a cry.

His outburst causing the demon to jumped in shock, eyes widened upon the crying teen moving closer to her personal space.

“Shinku-chan,” he whimpered, tears and snot all over his face. The girl twitching slightly when his two pairs of large hands covering both of her small fists.

She freezes up when those two huge brown eyes looked at her. And she gulped in nervousness. How unusual of her to act so conscious in his presence.

“I can’t take gramp’s training anymore. Let’s run away, Shinku!” He wailed.

“But I’m hungry.” She retaliated, looking away from him.

“I’ll feed you later, come on.”

In the end, the purple head maiden complied. As long as food is involved, she’ll wordlessly agree to partake on his escape plan.

At night. The two figures sneaked outside to escape.

Shinku blinked innocently and tilted her head, “Why are we running away? Crybaby chick?”

“It’s Zenitsu,” he mumbled in slight annoyance, gently tugging her small hand.

“Are you sure about this? What if that old man chases us?”

“There’s no way he’d know. I heard him sleeping, he’s still inside.” Zenitsu reassured her, glancing at her with a warm smile.

The demon girl felt wary, something’s amiss. For all she knew that old man often has something on his sleeve.

It was never this easy to escape, Zenitsu is his pride and joy. He was willing to pass down his teaching to this boy.

There’s no way that old man would back down so easily.

Her eyes noticed something—the strange greenery leaves centered on the ground that Zenitsu’s feet almost stepping it.

A trap.

The girl’s crimson eyes widened, lips parted in haste. “Wait, don’t step—“

The boy looks back on her in innocence, his feet touched the ground. All of a sudden, the gravity pulling him down to the dark place.

Zenitsu shrieked in fear.

“Food supplier!”

Fortunately, he’s being lucky. Small pale arms grab on him. And in one pull, Zenitsu was saved from falling into the pitfall.

“Careful now,” Shinku frowned as she quickly sets his foot to land on the ground.

“I can’t afford you to get harmed. You just got hit by a lightning,” her eyes searching for any injuries, slowly her worried expression dwindle in time.

“You’re okay,” the girl said, Zenitsu heard it—her frantic heart puts into ease when she glanced at him.

“You’re so clumsy, are you even trying to become a demon slayer?” She huffed, using her sleeves to wipe the dirt on Zenitsu’s cheeks and along his tears.

When the girl was busy on cleaning the dirt on his face. He heard a beautiful sound from her heart. And it’s like music playing to his ears—so peaceful and warm to him.

“Shinku-chan, you really have to marry me!” He tearfully gazed upon her with big, puppy eyes.

Shinku scoffed, lifting two fingers to poke his forehead. “You’re being weird again.” Acting annoyed towards the yellow boy’s antics.

Shinku’s heartbeat brings back the blush on his cheeks, and he giggled.

Zenitsu was truly grateful to have such a reliable girl by his side. His lovable demon.

The blonde one jumps on to hugged Shinku, simping towards her. As the purple-head sighed in relief, that moment when the boy started falling down on his own. Shinku felt her heart jump out in fear.

My goodness, this canary is much of a magnet for danger.

“Come on, let’s go back.” Nodding without a fight, Zenitsu is sniffing with tears.

“Knowing your master, he still had a lot of traps set in here.”

While Shinku quickly grabs on Zenitsu’s hand, pulling him to head back towards the house.

Meanwhile...

“Tsk, why did you help him? Girl ,” Kuwajima clicking his tongue behind them, watching how the demon saved his student from his trap.

Escape plan 1: failed.

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

ᵀᵃⁱˢʰᵒᵘ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗ

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

When Shinku received those flowers and letters, she didn't realize she was secretly being courted by Zenitsu.

Chapter Text

❝ There’s always a person that you hate for no reason. ❞

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Bad blood

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

A brilliant gold drifting in the sky, the sweet sounds of the day were caused by the chattering of birds; and the air ruffling the crown of green meadows.

It was a beautiful day to begin with.

The sun rays finding its way to warm one’s skin underneath its presence, one boy was kneeling  on the ground with a huge lump forming on top of his golden, messy hair.

Eyes like the color of marigold were brimming with tears collapsing on his red cheeks, he lamented upon the tons of scolding he endured from his master.

“Gramps, can we take a break? I’ve been practicing for more than three hours straight!”

“Zenitsu, we talked about this.” Jigoro’s eyebrow twitching in irritation, sighing once more before he pinched his nose bridge.

“Any more of this training, I feel like I’m gonna die from exhaustion!” The boy argued, both of his hands fisted as the tiredness made him snapped.

“Please, Gramps!” Zenitsu desperately begged the former hashira for a practice break.

Behind the crying student and the teacher, was the other man with turquoise orbs glaring on one certain person.

His footsteps is filled with heavy rumbling of noise which first attracts the attention of the crying blonde and then the master.

A delighted smile breaks out on Kuwajima’s face, his wooden staff pound into the ground—expressing his joy towards the appearance of another disciple of his.

“Kaigaku, welcome back!”

A black-haired man, older than Zenitsu was wearing a black kimono with blue obi and multiple necklaces adorned in his neck.

Kaigaku bowed his head in respect for Kuwajima, making the old man nodded in pleased for his older student’s behavior.

“I see that you have passed the final selection, and return here.” Pride blooming inside the elderly white-haired hashira.

Zenitsu was blinking in confusion, his tears stopped when he noticed the man’s heart sounded so angry.

And his yellow-brown eyes widened when he learned where that sound was directed on.

As if he was correct on his notion, Kaigaku’s turquiose eyes were not hiding his obvious dislike of him and simply stared at him.

With hatred.

Zenitsu’s blood run cold and he shivers upon the look that Kaigaku gave him.

“Pardon me master, but who’s this new fellow?” The tone of his is dripping with dissatisfaction.

And it causes Zenitsu’s heart to be pricked with insecurity and doubts on himself.

Kuwajima didn’t notice between the two students’ interaction and simply smiled out of joy, “This is Zenitsu, he is your junior. I intend to train him and teach him the breath of thunder.”

The senior fakes a smile and act as if he was happy, “Do help him whenever you have time to spare to him.”

“Of course, it will be my utmost pleasure to help my junior.” His voice slipped into a hiss, the beating of his heart terrified Zenitsu.

“As expected of my prodigy, I can count on you.”

It sounded so ominous and so much jealousy that he almost wanted to flee, out of the older student’s presence.

“Coward,” his sensitive hearing catching the words from Kaigaku and it made his eyes feel warmer than his cold heart.

The yellow-haired teen felt ashamed of himself.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kaigaku.”

“I’m Zenitsu Agatsuma, pleasure to meet you.”

A loud sound of dissatisfaction and annoyance filled in Zenitsu’s ears, and the boy felt like crying.

He knows that he is weak, but to think that this man was not acknowledging him as one of Gramps’ student.

It hurt him badly. With just a mere glance from Kaigaku, he felt like all of his dignity was insulted without sparing a word to him.

That much was obvious to him.

“I hope you two will get along from now on , treat each other like brothers.” Kuwajima voices with a firm tone.

‘Gramps is asking the impossible,’ the boy gloomily thought.

And Zenitsu shrinks, he could feel the stare which almost burns a hole on his head. It didn’t help when his gramps patted him on his shoulder.

“You two will inherit my teachings that I bestowed to you lot.”

There it was, the sound of Kaigaku’s jealousy was amplified.

The older student of gramps gaze on him became intensified, and he could feel his sweat rolling down to his chin.

‘ Where was Shinku when he needed her at this time?’

“—nitsu.”

“Zenitsu,” and the boy with yellow haired color, snapping out of his thoughts.

Blinking fast when his vision returned to the present, his eyes wandered to the purple-haired demon.

The girl’s eyebrows went furrowed, her lips turned into a grim line.

“Where did you get those bruises in your hands?”

The boy followed her line of perception, there were patches of blue and purple covering the sides on each of his hands.

“I was training, and it’s because I made a lot of mistakes. That it turns out like this, don’t worry about this, Shinku-chan.”

The demon with ram horns erased the worried look etched on her face, within a second her aura became cold.

“I see, so it’s the least of my concern when the tea you’re now pouring for me is overflowing.” The sarcasm hinted in her soft voice.

Watching Zenitsu blinked out in a daze, and fussing over the brimming tea cup led Shinku to think that something is wrong with this crybaby chick.

“I’m sorry! I’ll clean this up.” The boy quickly stand up and grabbed on the rag from the other room.

Shinku blankly stared at the empty seat that Zenitsu once occupied. Opting to give a cold smile, her left cheek pressing against the palm of her hand—and her elbow resting on the table.

Deep ruby eyes shining in thought, “Heh, the yellow chick started lying under someone’s nose.”

And the demon’s eyes turn narrowed, “A scent of another human, they’re living here in this place?”

Was he the reason why the yellow-haired boy becoming more silent and not like his carefree attitude before?

The other disciple of that old man.

“Shinku-chan, I’ve brought the rags. After I clean the mess, let’s drink the cups of tea I made. Okay?” A joyful voice called the petite girl’s attention.

And by chance, her red eyes turned soft-looking.

“Demons don’t eat human foods for some reason,” she playfully banters.

Zenitsu glanced with curiosity showing on his golden-brown eyes. His hand pressing the rag to absorb the spilled tea on the corner of the table.

“It tastes bad,” she teased him after sipping the green tea.

“That can’t be true, I practiced brewing this tea for you; for a beautiful girl like Shinku-chan!” His cheeks burst into a rosy shade of pink.

Restraining the chuckles rising out of her, she pressed the back of her hand over her lips.

Surprisingly, it fits to her palate of choice. Her spare hand putting the cup on the table.

“It’s a tea, a drink. Maybe, you could at least try to finish it?” Zenitsu whined.

The amusement filling in her crimson eyes as Shinku watches Zenitsu sulking in front of her.

“It’s still a human food.”

“Shinku-chan!”

Shinku rose one of her eyebrows upon the new sight she witnessed, there was a smear of peach on one side of Zenitsu’s cheek.

And he looks so out of his surroundings when he visited her, after his training ends.

Arriving here in his battered appearance was highly unusual of him. And it greatly bothered Shinku to no end, her eyes quickly noticing his hands gripping his dark hakama pants.

And his eyes, they looked so sad and hurt.

“Oi!”

Once again, her voice bringing him out of his dark thoughts. And he swiftly changes his mood when he saw her.

“Shinku-chan, did you miss me?” He smiled goofily to her, a flowery background spreads behind him.

And Shinku glared towards Zenitsu, irritated at the fact that this boy is acting like he was fine.

When he wasn’t fine in terms of emotionally.

Something is causing him distress and she will have to find out the cause of it.

“What’s wrong?” He questioned innocently, smiling a bit too forceful for her liking.

“That stain on your cheek—“ she pointed it out, and Zenitsu immediately brush the dirt on his face, laughing it off that he was being careless again.

And Shinku had enough of his acts, she raised her fist and pound it into the table—her strength causing the table to crack under the pressure of her punch.

The boy wincing in reaction, “Quit hiding it. Stop lying to me,” the purple head maiden bluntly told him.

“I’m tired of your excuses, and lies. Do you think I’m stupid enough to fall for it?”

And Zenitsu shakes under the pressure of her intense stare. “Tell me the truth, human. You said that we should take care of each other.”

“Obviously, you aren’t feeling alright for the past weeks, or maybe months.” She swiftly talked, her eyes stuck on Zenitsu’s yellow eyes shining with tears.

“Come here,” lifting her arms open, motioning for Zenitsu to give him a warm of comfort.

A strangled sob releases from his lips when he saw Shinku’s gentle gaze on him.

“Shinku-chan,” his tears already pouring out of his emotions. Immediately he draws to her figure and glomped her.

And he cried for his hurting heart.

In the middle of the night, the boy dragged the purple-head girl outside of the house.

Figuring to alleviate her bad mood, Zenitsu plans to make a flower wreath for her.

But this wasn’t what he planned for their date to go!

“Ack!” A yellow-haired figure was hurled on the ground, and he heaved a breath.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you won’t be holding back,” he complains with a lot of tears escaping from the corner of his eyes.

“Get back on your feet. Crybaby chick,” Shinku crosses her arms, the frown returning to her face.

“This is crazy! Why are we suddenly fighting against each other?!” The boy with yellow hair complain with all his heart, fixing himself to stand up.

“I think sparring is the appropriate word. You need to shape up, demons are the bane of danger. When you face one, you need to use that old guy’s teaching.”

“That’s why I’m here with you. To make sure that you survive from encountering demons,” she glanced into his eyes, “—and the best thing you can do is to fight back in order to live.”

“There will come a time when I couldn’t help you. By then, you needed to depend on yourself and rely on your instincts!”

“Shinku-chan,” he sniffled with tears.

The demon girl’s foot lifts the bokken and throws it in the air, grabbing it before she tossed it to Zenitsu’s who quickly fumbled to catch it.

“And I heard you haven’t utilized one of the breathing forms, I assume?” It made Zenitsu flinched as he didn’t look at her. Shame filter through him.

The bokken on his hand shakes, and his head hanging downward.

“You’re an eyesore. Get out of my sight! Why are you here? Why do you insist on clinging here?!”

“—But it’s true, I’m a failure who can’t even mastered one form from grandpa’s teaching.”

“Shut up, crybaby.” Shinku growled in warning and the boy shrieking upon the sound of her angry heartbeat.

Walking in an intimidating steps, she heard Zenitsu gulping in fear when she fisted the front of his yellow kimono.

Pulling him towards her ‘til their noses brushes against each other. She had enough of him lowering his self-confidence and ability.

Hearing Zenitsu—belittling his own self made her patience snapped.

“So what if you haven’t mastered one of the forms! You can fail a hundred times, get up and try it again! But you must never ever give up! You hear me?!” The female demon shouted, her voice engulfed in fearless and confidence.

The young girl sneered with fire lacing on her eyes. Zenitsu couldn’t help ,but nodded to her.

And it was a second time that Zenitsu’s heart paces fast from her words,  she worries for him. The golden-haired boy felt guilty for making her feel that way.

But Kaigaku’s insults wounded his heart far more deeply, he could still feel the stabbing words in his mind.

“You’re such a weakling and a coward too.”

“Shinku-chan, I’m sorry for not meeting your expectations. I’m sorry for being a coward who runs away from training,” he hiccuped, more tears cascaded down his cheeks.

Slowly, the anger in her eyes been doused. Releasing her hold on his clothes, she became quiet when Shinku watches him cry for a long time.

“You are more than what you think of; you are valuable to me. You can’t be a failure, you are growing from your mistakes. That’s what matters.”

And she clicked her tongue in ire, instinctively her right palm grab the back of his head and pulled his crying face to her neck, to offer him some sort of comfort.

“This is the last time, I’d do this with you,” the demon girl sighed, her eyes looked at the shining moon above their heads.

She heard the sound of a bokken falling into the ground and the sounds of whimpers reaching into her ears.

Feeling the warm arms around her, hugged her in return. Shinku listened to his soft cries, the painful cries she first heard from him.

The two disciples of Jigoro were found in the training hall (dojo), a great distance was formed between them.

An obvious way for the others to know that they can’t stand each other.

Jigoro’s face was scrunching in disapproval, baring an angry expression towards Zenitsu and Kaigaku.

“I heard the two of you weren’t getting along, what seems to be the problem?”

The male with dark short haired, scoffed. “We were fine master, there’s nothing for you to worry about.”

He plainly stated, and gives a look of warning to Zenitsu. “Isn’t that right, brother? ” A tone of mockery was directed to him.

And Zenitsu nodded, not wanting gramps to get worried for him. He was alright. His shoulders slightly trembling from unease but he fought the tears that threatens to come out of his eyes.

Jigoro glared at Kaigaku, he knew that kind of tone his student used. And he was unhappy of him not accepting Zenitsu as part of a family.

A brother that was supposed to fight and stand by his side against demons.

“Kaigaku!” He scolded, and gave him a warning look.

“Anyways, what are we doing here? Master,” the man suddenly changes the subject, opting to not anger the elderly man.

At the same time, Jigoro relaxed his stance and coughed a bit. “Well, I wanted the sparring session to add to your training!”

“So, you want me to spar against this boy?” A hint of excitement was found in one’s turquoise eyes and Zenitsu felt the chills running down his spine.

He was going to get beaten up again.

“No, not Zenitsu. He will spar with me.” Kuwajima announced, the two disciples shot their eyebrows up, confused.

“Then who will be sparring against me?” Kaigaku asked, baffled as of now.

A sound of a sliding door went passed to their ears as if that person’s waiting for this moment.

And Zenitsu’s eyes widened in realization, that light footsteps and that sound of a beating heart.

“That will be me, the old man gave me his permission.” A purple head girl with ram horns was seen leaning on the wall, folding her arms between her chest.

Her red eyes bearing the intensity of heat, her lips twitching upwards as she bestowed them a beautiful smile.

She wears a red kimono with a white intricate design of roses engraved to her sleeves and below her yellow obi.

Kaigaku shivered when he felt the strong aura from the girl. “Master, what’s the meaning of this?!” Feeling outraged upon what he saw.

“Ah, I allowed her to stay here. Don’t worry, she won’t eat humans but the blood of animals. She just want to help one of my students in sparring.” Jigoro smiled. And his eyes meets with Shinku in a knowing look.

The demon girl smirked. “Zenitsu makes sure that she comes with no ill intention. You can ask your junior about her, if you want?”

“—But Master, why do you allow her here?!”

“She’s dangerous!”

“You, who the hell are you?!” Kaigaku gripped his bamboo sword in fear, not wanting to portray his fear towards his supposed opponent.

And Shinku’s eyes showed dark satisfaction, tilting her head as her purple locks sways in the wind that it resulted to Zenitsu to swoon at her look.

“I’m a demon, you scared?” She taunted, one’s red eyes flares in the room, like a couple of fireworks ringing in the starry sky.

“Who do you think you are talking to, you demon!”

Zenitsu’s face morphing into a rage upon Kaigaku’s disrespectful behavior to Shinku.

“Come along, Zenitsu.” Jigoro pulled the back collar of Zenitsu and dragged him to the other side—to start their spar.

“Wait—there’s Shinku-Chan!”

“You’re gonna be a stepping stone for me, I bet that you will get defeated by me in just one form.

Furrowing her eyebrows, her red eyes turned dark. Smirking coldly, she removes herself from the corner and moves to place herself in the center of the room.

Facing Kaigaku head on, “Oh really now, boasting oneself isn’t the way to reflect your strength.”

“That’s just a way of bluffing your opponent, like what a coward should do.” She delivered her thoughts.

“No, a trash that should be disposed of. That’s what you are.”

And that redness swallowing his whole face brought a smile on her face.

Besides, she’s got a bone to pick up with this man.

Needless to say, at the end of the sparring. Shinku broke four of Kaigaku’s fingers. And she gives him one black eye for making Zenitsu cry.

Thankfully, Jigoro didn’t get mad at her. Only scolding her for being rough against the dark-haired slayer.

She can’t believe that her suggestion; the idea of his students sparring with her—to get some fighting experience was permitted by Jigoro.

And Kaigaku got what he deserved.

“Shinku-chan, you can’t be violent against Kaigaku.”

The girl huffed, “I don’t like him. If he ever so much do something bad. Then I’ll dispose him immediately.”

“—But!”

“You are mine to take care of. Deal with it, crybaby chick.”

“Shinku-chan!” A blurred yellow figure tackled the demon, lots of flowers were filled in the background.

“Get off, your snot and tears are sticking to my clothes.”

“Don’t be mean!”

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

ᵀᵃⁱˢʰᵒᵘ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗ

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

Kaigaku detested both Zenitsu and Shinku.

Chapter Text

❝ Trusting you is my decision. Proving me right is your choice.❞

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Lifeline

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

An elderly short man glanced towards his older student wearing the standard uniform of demon slayer corps, he found him sitting in a seiza style.

On Kaigaku’s lap was his newly delivered nichirin sword which was crafted by one of the blacksmith known as Jubei, the man with a blue hyotokko mask who departed as soon as he gave the katana to the intended owner.

Jigoro wore a strict expression, a serious gaze inflicted over the dark-haired slayer, “It seems the time has come for you to become a real demon hunter.”

“Yes, master. I know I’ve been working hard to master the thunder breathing forms. I’ll make sure I’ll stay alive as long as possible.”

“That’s right, the art of thunder breathing is your best defense when it comes to battling demons.” The former hashira relayed and his stony gaze faltered when he looks at his former student.

“—Kaigaku please be careful on your way to your mission. And soon, Zenitsu will follow your footsteps of becoming a demon slayer like you. Do help him if you guys are assigned on a mission together.”

“Master, don’t tell me you still intend to teach him? He’s hopeless,” he opened his mouth, feeling the bitterness dripping out from his words.

“Kaigaku, he is not hopeless but a fruit budding in raw talents. He has potential in him, Zenitsu is a very hardworking yet an enthusiastic individual.”

“How can you say that, he cries all the time.” He provoked, refusing to believe his master’s insight.

“Zenitsu is my disciple and I have given my word to teach him until he is deemed fit to work for the corps!” Jigoro strictly implied, leaving no room for the dark-haired man to talk.

Kaigaku gritted his teeth, his turquoise eyes ignoring Kuwajima’s pointed stare on his face. Inside he felt the spike of envy tainting his heart, the emotions led him clutching firmly onto the hilt of the nichirin sword.

“Kaigaku won’t you say your farewell to your junior and Shinku?” Kuwajima kindly asked, his face painted into a sad and proud smile.

‘ It’s always Zenitsu he talks about! Zenitsu this and that!’

At the same time, a black spot of shadow figure was speeding to their way. Few black feathers drops below the polished woody flooring between them.

“Kaigaku, you’ve got a mission. Head to southwest, lots of young women went missing! Hurry, you must go! “ The crow cawed before flying out of the window.

The annoyance driving the man on edge, feet clattering in haste when he rises, his pair of hands fixing his weapon as he roughly placed it next to his white belt holster.

“Master, it seems I took up a lot of my time here. I’m going to excuse myself now, take care master.” Kaigaku spoke in a heavy tone, Kuwajima’s words impacted him deep to his chest.

The world seems to be picking on him, it was like he was bound to admit reluctantly that his master wouldn’t have a change of heart when it comes to that boy’s ability.

It was ridiculous.

No. Zenitsu is the ridiculous one.

The anger in his veins haven’t cooled off.

“Kaigaku!” Jigoro called and the man with turquoise eyes side glances to the former thunder hashira.

“Hatred breeds destruction. I saw how you looked at Zenitsu, and I want to give you a parting advice. Do not look down on others so easily, you may not know that someday they might surprised others with their talents.”

Kaigaku coldly gazed onto Kuwajima, “I understand, if master thinks my junior has talents on becoming a demon slayer. Then so be it.” He replied in a clipping voice as he sets his feet on motion.

The new demon hunter leaves the former pillar’s home in searing fury, causing the pulsating veins around his temple to protrude.

Controlling his anger through breathing, the steam of heat passes onto his nostril while he exhales a breath.

‘Master Jigoro, I can’t even understand why were you so adamant on teaching that boy.’

Remembering the wimpy male upon their previous sparring with him. He lost against him in the beginning of their match.

That stupid boy, he’s really an eyesore.

Why can’t you just give up on that boy?! He was so much better than him. He performed all of the thunder breathing forms except the first form.

So why can’t he inherit Jigoro’s will alone?!

He was the first one he picked up so naturally he should be the one. The very best student he had.

“Master Jigoro, you think I’ll let that cowardly boy to get off scot free?” Kaigaku had a dark expression, his eyes spoke of destruction.

As if he was the storm bringer of chaos, wanting to destroy other people for his selfish reasons.

He’s like a monster hiding in human skin.

A man who would do anything to achieve his goals.

Even if he betrayed the people who are close to him. Just like what he had done to Gyomei and to the other temple children.

His heart pounding in thrill upon what action he should take, and his malicious intent seems pouring out of him.

“I’m sorry brother , but eliminating you out of the picture—is the best way for master to focus on me. His best disciple.”

“Oi crow, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Kaigaku head to your mission right now. People are missing! Hurry up!”

“Shut up, I’ll head to my mission. But first—“ his turquoise eyes sparks in ill intent, his hand grabs on the piece of letter from his sleeve.

“I want you to send this letter to the head of the demon slayer corps.”

“Caw! Why should I do that?!”

“I’ll give you some treats when you come back. So do it.”

“Caw, alright. What does the letter entails about?”

Kaigaku cruelly grinned, his eyes becoming darker like his cold heart. “Tell him—“

“—that a demon is accompanying the soon-to be slayer. And that boy’s name is Zenitsu Agatsuma. ”

‘I feel sorry for you Zenitsu. However, I’ll do anything to climb to the top even if it means I used underhand methods.’

So don’t break easily, the fun is about to start.

Six months flows fast in a blink of an eye, the season of fresh autumn greets them in morning—the trees leaving little trails of apricot leaves on its wake, it twirled softly like a set of butterfly wings in the whistling air.

One demon girl willingly encounters the gray-haired senior, heavy frown lines formed on each of their expression as they sat down.

The atmosphere in the room was solemn and strained in worry. It all points out to the main focus of their meeting which pertains to Zenitsu.

The golden-haired male with a cowardly heart.

It has been more than a month of his training started yet he haven’t shown a slight improvement on performing one of the thunder breathing forms.

Hence Kuwajima’s concern led him sought the ram demon for advice.

They have talked with good will; the former hashira telling all the necessary things he plans for his rebellious student.

As peaceful the conversation went on, it instantly turned weary for one of the two.

One drags a long drawn-sighed, those cherry red orbs expressing mild ire and concern.

“Be honest with me. Are you going to allow Zenitsu to attend the test for slayers?” The purple-head female intones.

“The final selection,” Kuwajima corrected.

“And that they have to survive 7 days there?”

“That’s right,” the elderly man nodded.

“I planned to.”

Shinku’s face morphed into a dark scowl, “You’re literally sending him to his own death.”

“Not until I deemed him prepared for that.”

The young demon inclined her head, her gaze turned bored and calculating.

“He hasn’t mastered one of the forms, the last time I heard from him.”

The former hashira scrunched his face in worry, “Yes, he hasn’t progressed in his training. But I believe—“

“I have a plan.”

“What about it?”

“A plan that will either make him run away or stay behind. A test of courage specifically for him.”

“Listen if he ever backs away, I wanted you to agree on his opinion.”

Jigoro raises both of his eyebrows, shooting the girl in disbelief expression.

“We are putting the test to tell if Zenitsu had the potential to become a demon slayer.”

“That’s right.”

“And that’s why when he can’t do the test I planned for him. Let him quit on his own, he had the right to live a normal life.”

Shinku stared bravely into Kuwajima’s eyes, daring him to disagree with her plans. But the former pillar guffawed, his hand slapping the table.

“Very well, let’s hear this plan of yours.”

The evening night prevail into the sky, its shadows covering the land in peaceful silence.

With the noise of insects ringing in the shaded bountiful of large trees.

A gentle rub on the top of her head made her stirred from slumber, the sweet words sends the sensation of tickling warmth to her skin.

The sweet scented of peaches and onigiri invaded her olfactory senses, another tapping into her cheeks resulted the demon to twitch until she slowly opened her scarlet eyes.

“Shinku-chan, wake up now.” The yellow-haired human shamelessly cooed to her.

Gently wiping her sleepy eyes, Shinku yawned while the boy blushed, fawning her appearance, “So cute.”

“What is it?” She muttered in a sleepy tone, half-lidded eyes still in a daze of laxity—the temptation to sleep is too good to miss.

“Come on, I want to show you something Shinku-chan.” The boy persuaded her to accompany him during the night.

Shinku shook her head, “No. I want to sleep.” The demon girl pouted, refusing to move an inch even if Zenitsu tries to complain her lazy behavior.

“I promise it won’t take a lot of time. Please, Shinku-chan,” he begged her with big, puppy honey-brown eyes.

“Go on your own.”

A drift of silence floated in the air.

When she have thought that this boy learns to give up, reality decided to slap her in the face.

“I can carry you if you don’t want to walk. Here climb into my back,” he replied, quite happily as he smiled brightly to her dumbfounded face.

Shrugging her shoulders in defeat, the girl went crawling to near the thunder user’s crouched figure.

Honestly, Shinku wanted to smack Zenitsu’s head for waking her up. But she refused to, sensing that the crybaby will cause a fuss.

Circling her arms around his neck, she leaned on his back and redness creeps up into Zenitsu’s neck.

“Hurry up, let’s get over with this.” At her statement, Zenitsu hesitantly grabs the back of her thighs and lifts her up.

“Let’s go then!” The male laughed jovially, in an instant he stood up. The wind began to rush fast, everything became blurred in her vision.

Tightening her arms against Zenitsu’s, Shinku blinked. This boy was sprinting fast as the familiar sound of lightning rings in her ears before it came to a stop.

“We’re here.”

Another paused of silence before she registered his statement.

They’re here already? Weren’t they were just inside the old man’s house, minutes before?

The purple-head maiden cautiously sets her foot in the green mossy floor.

This didn’t make sense to her.

When she was in a state of pondering, the golden-haired boy swiftly caught her hand and  he releases a chuckle under his breath upon noticing her reaction.

The crybaby teen then softly pulled her to their location.

The garden of flowers.

“You can sit down while I finish making a wreath.” Shinku looked at him in incredulity as the ram demon listened to his request.

The eyes of crimson red casually observed the busy human, his hands began to fold each of the flowers stem and one by one he weave it.

“Food supplier.” Zenitsu hummed, acknowledging her response.

“If by chance you become a slayer, be careful when you’re traveling alone on the way to your mission.”

The golden-eyed boy rotates his body to face her, his face expressing pure confusion. “I’m not going alone by myself. I’m taking you with me, Shinku-chan.”

What he said made her feel shocked not by his usual flattery but the sincerity behind his meaning.

“I did say that I will take care of you, you know. And that means finding out the way of turning you back into a human. So that we can be married.”

Did she heard it right? He wants to help her out in finding a cure to turn her back?

She has known this human for several months, never had he shown a hint of disgust to her and treated her only with kindness.

And he wants her to be a human to marry her?

The feeling of doubts creeps into her heart, red eyes shining in confusion and hesitance.

“You don’t find me scary anymore?” She stated the one question that keeps on bothering her for awhile.

“No, not at all. You’re too lovable to be anything but scary.” She received a goofy grin from him, the little hearts sprouted in the air behind him.

Zenitsu is truly a weird creature. The consoling words he gave her felt like a warm breeze, tinted with his gentle emotions.

It rouses the same warm feeling as though her heart been fully unlocked. It’s like a beautiful memory she wished to engrave in her soul when she locks eyes with him.

The yellow-haired boy smiled sweetly to the shocked demon, his cheeks turning red. The more the girl continues to stare at him, “Uhm, Shinku-chan?”

The girl blinked out of stunned and red eyes glanced onto the beautifully crafted art in his hands.

“A wreath.” She uttered.

The golden-haired male peers towards Shinku with hopeful eyes. His hands holding carefully the wreath to her direction.

“Do what you want.”

His yellow-brown eyes beam upon her permission, his smiles filled with shyness and his cheeks produces a deep pink.

“It looks beautiful on you, Shinku-chan.” He said, putting the crown of flowers in her head.

His words evoking the warmth spreading to her chest, feeling a bit confused to what she’s feeling. The girl raise her arm and placed it on top of her beating heart.

“What’s wrong, are you in pain?”

“No, I feel warm. Warmer than before.”

Zenitsu shrieked in worry, his figure nearing to her as the back of his hand pressed on her forehead.

Shinku’s vermilion eyes widened when he leans his forehead to his warm palm. Closing his eyes to sense the temperature from her.

A little time passed, and Zenitsu opens his eyes.

“Oh, you don’t have a fever,” he mumbled.

The girl blinked when she saw the relief dancing on his eyes, his body moving away from her in a respectable distance.

And she soon finally breathes and relaxed.

Zenitsu’s face went red, placing his hand to cover his face. The girl questioned him upon his strange action.

“I’m alright.”

He just discovered something that made him absolutely happy.

The thunder breath user can’t help but inwardly screamed in delight.

When he saw her shocked face near to his face, Shinku became a blushing mess. And that causes his heart to speed up.

After all.

How come Shinku looks so cute effortlessly to his eyes?

On the next night, Zenitsu was excited to visit Shinku in his spare time. Running with hurried steps, he found her door.

Shyly, the boy with yellow-haired tone knocked twice. Confused upon the absence of her voice, the young male uses his hearing to detect one’s heartbeat in the room.

But there’s no sound.

Zenitsu’s face were filled with stark-white, quickly he pulled the door opened forcefully.

The girl he wishes to meet was gone. It sends his heart to sunk in sadness, and he moves steadfast to search for the missing demon in the room.

Frantically, he pulled off the scattered futons near the corner. He felt so terrified for her since the night is almost coming to an end.

His knees bumped into the edges of the table, and he found a piece of paper with a message on it. His hand dives to seized it and he reads it fast.

“If you’re looking for me, I’m at the backyard.” And he found relief a second he read it, but the relief he felt vanished instantly upon the next sentence.

“Bring the nichirin sword, I’ll be waiting.”

A sound of footsteps disturbed his brooding, and he almost cried upon the appearance of his master who holds a katana on his left hand.

“I take it that she went somewhere,” Jigoro assumed, his posture seems calmed and relaxed.

“She wants me to bring a sword, gramps.”

Jigoro widened his smile, he reached to his student and throws the weapon to his arms. “What are you waiting for? Don’t keep the lady waiting!” He urgently told him.

Zenitsu felt a moment of confusion before he bobbled his head in respect to the former pillar. Grasping the katana’s hilt, his feet went to run past the old man. Hoping to find fast the demon girl.

“Good luck, Zenitsu. You’ll need it,” Kuwajima watches the faint figure of his student before he release a tired sighed.

“—And I hope your plan will workout somehow, girl.”

Zenitsu was heaving a deep breath by the time he had tracked her using his hearings. His lungs felt like on fire, inhaling and exhaling with all his strength.

And his knees felt like it was about to collapse in exhaustion as he saw her sitting on top of the Boulder. The air around her was different, and the young male gulped for oxygen to enter his system.

He didn’t like the uneasy feeling settling on his gut.

His yellow-brown eyes widened when he saw Shinku in a red kimono with no haori that would serve as her protection against the incoming break of dawn.

“You’ve come at a right time.” Shinku’s eyes turned bored-looking.

“Shinku-chan come down, the sun is about to come out,” he pleaded to her. The fear started to strike in his nerves, his eyes becoming misty-eyed.

“I won’t.” The ram demon narrowed her gaze at him and Zenitsu shakes upon her next words.

“I won’t come down until you cut down this Boulder. And show me what you learned.”

“But I can’t do it!” The yellow-haired boy protested, the feeling of insecurity coming to attack his mind and soul.

“—then I guess I’ll die here. Just like what I wanted.” She bluffed, hearing the sniffles of his cries made her feel guilty.

But she needed to do this. To teach the human that running away and not facing their fears could lead them to their death.

And she never wanted that to happen to Zenitsu.

“People fail and fear of the outcomes. If they could just stop the fear reigning in their minds, then maybe they could’ve done it. They could’ve reached their goals.”

The more Shinku talks, the more the heavy waves of insecurity and guilt hits him. He promised that he would take care of her!

Isn’t it the time he proved it to her? But his body refused to listen, the mocking and insults of Kaigaku instilled him to be nothing than a failure.

Was he really capable of accomplishing that feat? To cut down this boulder is simply beyond impossible for him.

And he hated himself for disappointing Shinku’s expectations for him.

Zenitsu shivered, his forehead sweating with bullets upon noticing the faint golden light rising from above.

“If you really wanted to run, then I permit you. Turn back and quit becoming a slayer. I have discussed this with Jigoro. It’s your choice,” Shinku formed a smile on her face.

Already the tears dripping down from his honey-brown eyes, she’s so cruel to make her do this to him.

“But if you continue to trek the path of a swordsman. Do question yourself upon what’s making you stay here.”

“Zenitsu, who do you fight for?”

“For gramps and you.” He whispered softly, his voice sounded so unsure.

And it pains her to know that this boy is might thinking of quitting right now.

The purple-head maiden’s eyes seem blank and cold-looking,” Your knees are trembling in fear. Do you have what it takes to become stronger?”

“To cut down this boulder?”

Shinku notices the yellow boy visibly shaking, the fear to fail is embedded on his soul. Her red eyes glowing softly when she spotted him, watching Zenitsu tearfully shut his eyes.

“I know that I’m weak. I’ll be much stronger than now. So please come down, Shinku-chan.” He begged her.

The vermilion eyes of hers shakes upon his caring voice, and her chest squeezing in pain when she saw the look he gave her.

She knows that expression of insecurity, she could always see him sink in blues, that knowing that he felt no one would stand by his side.

That he felt incompetent upon his current skills. But she believed that he can do it. He can cut down this boulder for he have trained so hard to reach here.

He endured Kuwajima’s training, he endured that stupid trash’s insults and he accepted her existence.

Yet he still stays despite the cowardice festered in his bones. He still do it to impress her and the old man.

‘Why can’t you just see how much you have grown? You crybaby chick,’ her lips turned into a wry smile.

You are so much more than you think so little of yourself.

At this time, it felt like there was a huge gap between the two of them. Right in this moment, Shinku calmly glance to him.

“Zenitsu,” she called.

And he looked at her with those crushing hope hidden beneath in his glassy chocolate eyes.

“I will never blame you. Know that I’m glad that I met you.”

‘Stop making me feel bad, you could’ve blame me if I’m so incompetent.’

“Zenitsu you might not believe in yourself. But I trust you.” Her words impacted his chest, there it goes again. The yellow-haired male’s heart pinching in terrible ache.

Opening his eyes, he peers to her face and saw her gifting him a sweet smile.

“It can’t be helped. I really trust you with my life.” Something warm stuck on his throat, his skin burning up from her confessions.

Crap, at this rate. Shinku might die from the sunset!

What to do, can he really cut this huge boulder?!

What if he fails, then it would feel like he killed the girl of his dreams.

And when the pressure of the situation finally takes a toll on his mind. Zenitsu suddenly collapses with tears drawing the sides of his cheeks.

I’m sorry, Shinku.

I’m sorry for being a coward.

Shinku simply closes her eyes once she notices Zenitsu’s slumped form. And breathes heavily, preparing herself for the sun to come out.

He needs to know the reality of how much danger he’s in. Especially if he wanted to bring her along with his mission.

And when the sound of footsteps rang around the field, her eyes widened when she saw him rise on his toes with his eyes closed off from the world.

The huge canvas of orange lights spreading out the skies, she could feel her skin starting to burn her alive.

The atmosphere surrounding him seems different, he looks so calm when he performs that stance countless of times during his training.

“Thunder breathing, first form...”

A zip of yellow electricity dances across his fingertips and when he breathes, Shinku swore she could hear the distinct beats of a wild thunder.

Strong, deadly and fast.

“—thunderclap and flash,” a large strike of electricity moves speedily into her direction.

A sound of boulder being sliced into pieces and a pair of sturdy arms capturing her, she was pulled into something warm.

It all happened within a second, the time of change evidently courses her fate.

As the sun peaks out, her eyes flipping open to see a familiar kimono of bright yellow. Hovering around her was Zenitsu, hugging her in hopes to cover her small figure against the glaring sun.

Those yellow eyes of his seems to scold her as she involuntarily gulped. Shinku was saved, he moved her against the tree bark, the green canopy from a tree created the shadows underneath it.

Still, his warmth serves as a reminder that she witnessed the day. “You’re so cruel to me, how can you just entrust your life to me?”

His arms trembling around her form, his tears falling onto her cheeks as he pressed his cheeks on top of her purple head.

“I could’ve failed and cause you to die under the sun’s heat.” He whimpered, he was holding her close to his chest.

“I would’ve lost the only girl who agreed to marry me, so don’t do that to my heart. Shinku-chan,” he gently scolds her as he leans his weight on her—she was tucked into his arms, safe and sound.

“You said that we are supposed to take care of each other. I just reminded you that you have enough strength to protect me. And I to you,” she expounded her actions from before.

“Congratulations of successfully performing the first form, Zenitsu.” Shinku tiredly smile, her hands gripping his front yukata.

Once again, Zenitsu loudly cried. “Stupid Shinku! How dare you make me feel sad and scared for you!?” He complained to her.

“I’m sorry.”

“You better be sorry, Shinku-chan.” He sniffled his cries, it was a beautiful morning for her.

To Shinku, Zenitsu was the sun to her darkness.

Chapter Text

❝ A strong understanding: this is what will bring you closer.❞— seeker

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Final selection

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

“No! I don’t want to—“ Zenitsu was clinging onto Shinku’s waist, his tear stained face buried to her stomach for comfort.

“Cut it out, you fool! This is no time for you to act like a wimp, soon the final selection is starting.” Jigoro harshly exclaimed, he keeps tugging off Zenitsu away from Shinku, but the boy wouldn’t budge in.

Three years have passed since the event when Zenitsu fully utilized the first form unconsciously.

To say the least, when the elderly former swordsman heard her story about Zenitsu’s unique ability. Jigoro was greatly influenced to put more rigorous training for Zenitsu’s well-being.

It took three painful years for Zenitsu to be deemed as fully prepared to partake the final selection exam.

In which the latter wholeheartedly refuses, having heard from his master that countless of participants soon meet their fate upon the severity of danger they faces in the exam.

“Shinku-chan, please do something. I don’t want to go—“ Zenitsu’s voice turning whiny and afraid for his future, his eyes catching her attention as she simply sighed upon their rambunctious energy.

Finally, the shrieking male was forcibly separated from her. An angry former pillar clobber his student for being a scaredy-cat, “Quit thinking that you’ll die. Have some little faith in yourself, you moron!”

Clutching his head in pain, the yellow ball of sunshine snapped a retort to his mentor.

“But gramps, how can I not be afraid?! When you intend to send me to a battlefield without an armor?! Don’t you think this is unfair to me, I’m incredibly weak to fight against demons! Heck, seeing them would cause me to run in fright!”

He howled, sensing the old man would refute his comments.

“Zenitsu, you damn coward. You got a nichirin sword to protect yourself. I wouldn’t send you off without a weapon, you brat!” Kuwajima swinging his wooden cane, threatening to whack Zenitsu’s noncompliance attitude.

“Eek!”

Zenitsu’s face were filled with terror-stricken and his fear multiplied.

The shivering disciple drops into the solid ground, slamming his fist to the wooden flooring, to portray his indignant behavior.

“This is unfair, gramps you’re too much.”

“Let me handle him, old guy.” Shinku steps in, wanting to put an end to their fight.

Releasing a breath of relief, Kuwajima glanced towards the demon with a grateful look. The young demon then traipse her way through the crying thunder boy, he shot her a look of petulant eyes.

“Don’t try to talk me out of this. I refuse to go,” he turned around the other way, avoiding her in fear that she might change his mind.

“Human.”

“No.”

“If you could just listen—“

“I’m not listening.” He abruptly cut her off.

A mixture of being offended and amused crosses into her face, she peers back to Kuwajima who looked at her in a helpless face.

Before she moves her gaze onto the huddling form of the yellow human. An idea formulated into her mind, “Zenitsu.”

And when the boy twisted his head to give the quick reply of no, his eyes momentarily widened in stunned—his once fear melted when he felt something soft and warm gently landed on his forehead.

He was loss for words, his yellow eyes instinctively fixated on Shinku, who slightly leans back before she pressed her forehead against him with her eyelids closed tight.

The unspoken affection reached his heart, a lump formed in his throat. If he listened close to the gentle constant beating of her heart, he’d know that it echos with the reminder of their promises.

A melody that he heard from her heart strangely calming the sum of all his fears just like the silence of her action touched him deeply.

His tears magically stop and the eyes of a golden sun holds the adoration alone for the maiden in his sight. The lovely sounds coming from her soul, it filled him with ecstasy.

Completely warmth to his likeness.

He’d come to like the feelings from her heart singing in reassurance, delivering her truest message to him as if it tells him, ‘She’ll be here. Waiting for him to come back.’

In an instant, he felt himself burning like a blazing candle from her sudden intimacy.

“Shinku-chan,” he stammered.

The young purple-head chuckled, her hand smoothly grasp his hand in a gentle squeeze. “Come back alive, I’ll be waiting.”

It seals his fate once those ruby eyes softly stares into his eyes and he gulped upon her attention on him.

All his will to fight back and stay here went downhill and all he wanted was to prove to her that he can be a man for her. To take care of his future wife.

“Fine.” He grumpily stated, his eyes diverting from her red ones—feeling the pounding of his heart racing, he softly exhaled his breath.

Let it be known that Shinku got Zenitsu wrapped around her little finger.

Kuwajima Jigoro attested to that as he watched the young teens immersed in their own world.

“Alright, I can see that you somehow agree. Then get moving to mount Fujisakane.”

“Gramps, how could you?!”

From then on, Zenitsu went on his journey to the final selection exam.

2 days passed since Zenitsu attended the final selection. Shinku searches for Kuwajima, seeking for advice in her combat training--since she'll accompany the crybaby chick to his first mission onwards.

What the purple-head demon didn't expect was that old man agreed to her request and now he'll be the one to guide her during training session.

In the training hall, Shinku was performing a round house kick a set of times. On both of her ankles were covered in small, heavy sandbags that put pressure on her muscles.

It seems Zenitsu wasn't kidding when he claims Jigoro to be a slave driver when training is involved.

Breathing harshly upon the exercise, sweats falls to one of her eyebrows.

The demon girl swings her right leg high in the air, occasionally Jigoro would tap his wooden cane to fix her position.

"Put a little bit more force to your kick. In that way, you can kick the demon's head off with your brutal strength." The former pillar explained.

"Now start over again."

Shinku's lips went downturned as she blows a small air. Barely nodding to Jigoro's observation.

The young demon scrunched her eyebrows in concentration, whirling fast as the wind carries her long hair. The petite female lifting her knees to kick, extending her legs a little in the air as she releases a kick.

Jigoro laughed, his eyes gleaming proudly. "That's how you do a kick. Girl. "

"if only you are a human. I would consider teaching you the thunder breathing," Kuwajima disappointedly talked to her.

Shinku scoffed, changing the trajectory of her kick to Jigoro's face. Alas, the hint of his smug grin cause her to frowned.

His wooden cane casually raise to stop her kick next to his smiling face, "What's wrong? Did I hurt your ego, girl?"

Narrowing her red eyes for a second, "I don't want to learn your breathing. Zenitsu already got that job.”

Upon learning her answer, the elderly man chuckles in his breath. "I see. You trust my student enough to protect you."

Shinku flinched before giving her own reply, "Old man. You were listening from that time, you eavesdropper!"

She accused the former pillar as she placed her foot down. Stomping the wooden floorboards in a combination of rage and embarassment.

"I was just making sure that Zenitsu will turn out fine," the old man sheepishly answered.

"Well, you're still guilty of eavesdropping." She pointed out.

The ground form a large crack upon the strength she utilized as one of her sandals snapped.

Silence dragged on the training area for a moment before the former pillar break it.

"Looks like Zenitsu would have to pay the expenses of your damages. Considering that he confidently proclaims himself as your husband."

Shinku sweatdropped.

"I'll fix your sandals and upgrade it. However, I'll add it to the percentage of expenses."

"—But."

"Consider this as an indication that I'm being kind to you." He lightly warned her.

'What a stingy old man.' The demon girl bitterly thought.

"I'm sorry."

I'm truly sorry, food supplier.

Meanwhile...

Day 2 of final selection phase.

In the middle of the greenery forest, a yellow blonde stood out—looking terrified of his surroundings.

Paranoia seems to keep him on his toes, his sensitive ears sensing the rumbling of noises in the bushes.

He shortly yelped upon hearing a series of bloodcurdling screams in the distance.

“What was that?” That sounded so terrifying that demon’s heartbeat seems strongly malicious.

Why was he even here trying to risk his life to work in the field that didn’t suit his behavior at all.

He was supposed to stay behind and cuddle with Shinku. But he was quickly encouraged by her trust in him.

“I’m such a pathetic man. I wonder why Shinku bothers to stay with me?” He sniffled, his negative mind starting to deflate his self once more.

“It’s no use for a coward like me to survive here. I’m so sorry gramps and Shinku for being so weak,” he whimpered.

A sound of a breaking twig resulted him to shrieking loudly, slowly he shifts his head to the source of that noise.

Zenitsu breathes faster than he expected, his blood running cold upon the appearances of three hungry demons.

As they glanced at him like a fresh piece of meat, his body shivering madly in unknown trepidation.

“Look, he’s a little lost and afraid like a small bunny.” The demon with dark-blue haired mocked him, Zenitsu‘s tiny whimpers went unnoticed.

“We’ve got ourselves lucky, I’ll kill him.” The second demon push his step in front.

“No, I’ll be the one to hunt him.”

“Well then, why don’t we all attack him once. He seems pretty easy to get trampled on.”

In that exact moment, the three demons automatically jumps to attack the yellow-haired male and so Zenitsu felt a sudden rise of adrenaline.

“Ay, don’t kill me! I do not want to fight! Stop it!” He tearfully complained.

His pleas went ignored by the hungry demons, all the more they want to capture and kill him.

“I’ve got dibs on his head!”

“Mine’s his arm and leg.”

The blonde swordsman uses his speed to outrun them while consecutively screeching for his life. A huge dust formed upon the impact of his running footsteps, “Somebody help me! Anyone!”

“Ack!”

And when he had tripped over a rock, his head hit the hard ground as he fell unconscious.

The demons in tow pursuing him, watches Zenitsu in bewilderment.

“Is he really a slayer?” One scratches their head.

“He looks kinda pathetic.” The other demon told, walking nonchalantly to draw closer to the asleep honey-haired boy.

“Well, let’s take this chance to kill him.” A huge mistake on his part.

A sharp cut flashes in the air, and a rippling sound of a loud thunderous lightning streams into Zenitsu’s frame.

“What the hell is that?!” The demon with dark blue haired cried while he leaped back.

The unfortunate third demon with his neck cut off by Zenitsu had meet his demise, the black sands of death swallowing him whole until he vanished.

One down, two more to go.

“Hey, that one human kills our brother in one strike.” The demon with dark eyes pointed his index finger to a slayer who’s standing composed as he sleeps through the fight.

The sleeping blonde went to fix his stance, the steaming white fogs expelling from his lips.

“Thunder breathing, first form.” In a calm tone, the electrifying currents crackles and snaps in a deadly warning for its incoming arrival.

The pair of demons felt the intense pressure from the boy, fear overruling their body—forcing them to become rigid like stones.

“Thunderclap and flash.” And all the demons could think of in their final moments, was the sound of lightning ripping through the sky.

Upon sheathing the weapon, Zenitsu finally woken up. His terrified yellow eyes found the demons bodies dissolving into dark ashes and their heads been chopped off.

The yellow-haired male jumps in fright and screamed very loudly.

“If I knew this test to be extremely dangerous, then I should’ve runaway with my Shinku. And never get involved with this!” Zenitsu lamented, the boy started running as he searches for some place to hide.

“I’m gonna die here, I’m gonna die without being married to Shinku! This sucks! I miss Shinku!” The tears cascading down his dampened cheeks.

For now, he needed to make sure he’ll get out of this place for 7 days.

“It’s the end of the final selection, and I’m confident that the brat survives from that exam.” The former hashira bragged.

Kuwajima was drinking his beverage of hot tea, enjoying the peaceful silence permeated in the room.

A jingle of bell chiming in the room.

He ignored it.

‘Inner peace,’ he prayed in his mind.

Another loud ringing of bell repeatedly flows into his vicinity.

An irk marked of annoyance plastered on the old man’s temple, inhaling a couple of times as his patience finally snapped.

“Will you quit doing that?!”

“I made sure that your footwear won’t be damaged this time. Keep doing that and it will break!” He lectured the purple-head demon.

Shinku seemingly blinked in innocence, she was tapping the heels of the geta clogs with bell attached to the rim of it that Jigoro repaired.

“Oh, sorry for that.” She announced, quite not sorry for her action.

Jigoro’s eye twitching because of the girl’s attitude.

“If I knew you’re going to act like a brat when Zenitsu’s not here,” the elderly man muttered, exasperation imbued in his eyes.

The young female hummed, “He’s still not here. The crybaby chick sure took his time a little longer,” blowing the side of her cheek in impatience.

Suddenly, an idea formed in the retired swordsman’s head. “I made something that can help you travel with Zenitsu. Wait here.”

Jigoro rises on his feet as he opened the other room behind him. A pattering of light footsteps distinctly beats around the place.

Shinku became confused when she saw the elderly man pulled out a wooden box and set it on top of the table.

The old man beamed, “Zenitsu can carry you while he is on mission. You just hide here in the box during the day and come out at night.” He presented his work to her like a salesman in the marketplace.

“That’s very handy. Thank you.”

Jigoro planted a happy smile on his face, “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Oh, you can rest assured that the sunlight won’t pierce into this box. It’s made from a special wood so when he carries you, it would feel like lightweight to him.” Jigoro bubbled, glowing happily upon the work he made.

While the former pillar is busy on explaining the special details on the wooden box, Shinku’s eyes widened as she smoothly moves towards the door and exited.

Applying more force to her feet, the sensation of excitement and hope gripping onto her heart. It felt like her lungs are burning as if she’s running on a mile.

With the twilight surfaces in the boundless sky along with the twinkling gems floating above.

Shinku takes a step outside the house, and her breath felt like it was stolen away from the view.

She found the boy with his messy hair resembling like the golden dawn of a gentle sunset, her feet floundered when she saw him bursting in tears upon her arrival.

Before she even knew it, her feet rushed close to him when he struggled to stand and tripped on his toes—her arms moving to support his figure.

He’s alive.

It brings her a sense of relief which made her a little teary-eyed. And she held that warm feeling, not wanting to worry the crying male in her arms.

“Shinku-chan, the exam was terrible as many people died. I thought I was gonna die and never see you again,” he cried loudly, “—and I was so so scared of that thought!”

The yellow-haired male hiccuped, leaning his head to her shoulder.

“—Then I met some rude guy snapping to a little girl. And there was also a fearless guy getting mad for the girl.” He babbled his complains as the ram demon listened until her hands drawn to hugged his back.

Zenitsu halted from his incessant complaints, “Zenitsu. I missed you,” she spoke, her cheeks flaming with the warm blooming inside her.

“Eh?” A steam of heat covers Zenitsu’s whole face.

“You idiot human. What took you so long?”

The golden-haired swordsman became shy, opting to hide his reddened face into her collarbone. “I’m sorry.”

He returned her gesture, hugging her back.

“Anyways, welcome back,” Shinku awkwardly stuttered.

“I’m home,” he shyly whispered.

A sound of fleeting footsteps drawing near to them.

“Zenitsu, you’re finally back! I knew that you will survive since you are trained by me. ” Jigoro exclaimed with tears running on his eyes, running towards the two figures as he joins them with a big, warm hug.

“Gramps!”

Chapter Text

❝Maybe all of the schemes of the devil were nothing compared to what man could think up.❞— Joe Hill

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Overtaken

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

It was late afternoon by the time they reached one of the rural towns in Okinawa, this small countryside is infamously known as the village of lost souls.

Many spoken tales about this place, some say children who aren’t obedient to their parents were swept away by evil beings. Others would tell a different version that this town was the cemetery of the dead.

One of the passerby he meet by chance told him that many children mysteriously went missing two months ago during evening period, it’s like they vanished within their sight.

Sometimes, they would hear ghostly whispers in the night. A children’s voice wailing in sheer terror and that made the mizunoto more frightened upon the facts.

Now that Zenitsu’s center of attention is on the rumored town, his prickly nerves went haywire when he senses the uncomfortable dark energy representing the whole place.

“Chuntaro, are you sure that this is the town I’m assigned with?”

The young man with honey-haired cautiously take a quick look on every side of the town, his ears catching the brewing noises of sadness tracing over there.

A heavy feeling grew within him, his throat bobbled, voice coated in obvious fright and panic.

Beyond the image of that strange town, it gives off a vibe of dilemmas. Fear touches his mind, leaving behind the shred of pretense confidence he has.

His hand tremors briefly, drawing his palm to hold one of the straps connecting to the box he carried.

And he heaves.

“I don’t think I can go there. This town basically screams danger to me,” Zenitsu grumbled.

The sparrow felt a spark of anger against its slayer, beating its wings close to Zenitsu. It delivers a painful peck on top of his yellow head.

“Ouch! What’s wrong with you?!” The boy yelping in pain, gawping at the bird in mild ire.

“Chu!”

Smack.

Zenitsu was caught off guard, hearing the resounding slap from the distance wherein all the voices were booming in anger and pain.

“It’s your own fault! All of this happened because you didn’t watch over Izumi and Kaito. And now they’re gone.” A red hand printed on the woman’s cheek, her head inclined low in sadness.

The circle of civilians watched in pity, and despair when one middle aged woman started the heated argument against the red-haired woman.

“I even asked you to watch over them. You wench brings the bad luck here in our neighborhood.”

“Give back my children, you dirty rat!” The female was vexed and broken, pushing the red head to the ground.

The emotions making her act more hysterical.

“I’m terribly sorry. I’m so sorry.” The woman who’s in her 20s with flaming short hair, kowtowed for forgiveness to the mourning woman.

“Cut it out, Mai. It’s no one’s fault. It’s a work of a demon, not her.” The husband rubs the back of the grieving mother.

“Well, what if she’s a demon in human disguise?! We should burn her!” The raging wife spouted with so much hatred in her eyes.

“Enough! Leave the young woman alone. Can’t you tell she’s apologizing for the mistake she hadn’t done?! Stop pointing fingers on the innocent.” The husband had enough of his wife’s acts, pulling her out of anyone’s sight.

“Poor thing, taking a blame that wasn’t her fault to begin with.” Some of the elders shook their heads, their eyes sending the woman with sympathy filled gazes.

“Let’s go,” and that signals for every single folks to depart and hides behind their house, hoping that the demon won’t target next their precious child.

The red-haired woman bite her lower lip in attempt to restrain the sobs emitting out of her hurting heart.

“Uhm, are you all right, miss?” Zenitsu, a gentleman in his nature. He moves to help the woman , pulling her up for her to stand on her own.

“I’m fine, thank you. Young man.” The woman brushes the dirt off her long sleeves.

His hand quickly removes his hold on her, and gives her space. Although this older woman is a great beauty, if he did not have Shinku by his side.

Then probably he would grovel to the floor and cling to this woman’s leg, begging for her hand in marriage.

Once again, the blonde slayer was thankful for Shinku’s existence.

A light thumped of noise produces from the  wooden box, pulling him back into reality.

“Are you alright? I tried to call you but you weren’t responding.” The woman’s voice tinged in concern.

The flustered mizunoto laughed out of awkwardness, scratching his head. “I’m fine. I was just thinking something.”

Maybe, if luck wasn’t on his side. He wouldn’t meet Shinku and he’ll definitely be a little crazy asking girls for marriage.

Chuntaro was flying for a moment before the sparrow landed on his shoulder, proceeding to give him a look of judgement.

‘I’m not doing anything wrong?!’ He mentally cried, feeling hurt upon his companions accusation towards him.

He’s loyal to one girl, okay! He wouldn’t think of replacing his beautiful Shinku.

“I heard there were rumors of missing children occurred here in this town? And I take it that those kids are missing too?” He gently asked her.

The scarlet-haired female hardened her eyes, once she observed the sword sticking to Zenitsu’s side.

“You’re a demon slayer, right?”

Zenitsu nodded dumbly.

“Let’s not discussed the events here in the open area. We might cause another emotional arguments in here.” She finished.

“You can follow me to my house, and I will answer all of your questions regarding the missing children.” She eyed him in unreadable look.

The young demon hunter winced at the thought, “Right, thank you for your nice hospitality.”

“No problem, by the way. I’m Risa Hakurei, nice to meet you.”

“I’m Zenitsu Agatsuma, nice to meet you too.”

They entered a homey cottage while Risa set the brewed cups of tea on the table. Zenitsu shyly thanked the woman as he puts the wooden box on his lap, occasionally tapping gentle onto it.

It didn’t take long for Shinku who’s inside the box to tap back to him and he giggled at her actions.

“Agatsuma-san, you’re acting weird over a box.” Risa stated as a matter of fact, making the boy jumped in shocked.

“I—I happened to liked this box, you see it brings me good luck when I have it with me.” He made an excuse as Risa chuckled at his lame excuse.

“Anyways, the rumors?” He mumbled, wanting to change the subject of the matter.

Within a second, the lighthearted atmosphere turned into a tense silence filling the room.

“I formerly babysit Kaito and Izumi. Well, not anymore. Three days before the incident happened, I tucked them in their beds at night. Informing the parents that they were asleep and left them.”

“However, the following morning after that. They were gone, no one witness the two kids where they run off to. Neighbors tried to search party for them at least three days before they given up.”

“The stress took a toll on miss Mai as she was on her last straw when she saw me. She finally snapped, pushing the blame on me.”

“But Agatsuma-san, someone saw the culprit with two horns yesterday night before it vanished into thin air. We believed it’s a demon. Please help us.”

He heard the knowing guilt coming from the woman, the helpless feeling that she couldn’t help nor protect the children.

The young teenager could understand what the woman is feeling right now. So even if he is a coward at heart, he would try to help Risa and the villagers in need.

He’ll try to be brave for them and for Shinku.

...

Not likely, Zenitsu was being paranoid as usual when the darkness painted the sky. Pure horror was like his enemy, sinking him to cower and shy away from his duty as a slayer.

He was in the other room settling for the night rest. In which he was given permission by Risa to stay for the night in hopes for catching the perpetrator in action.

Not a wink of sleep visited him. Zenitsu was on his guard beside him, he was tightly grasping the nichirin sword as he intake a gulp of full air.

Exhaling it out of his body, he continued the breathing patterns before it eases his bubbling nerves. Shinku taught him how to do that whenever he is in a peak of hyperventilating from his fear.

The wooden box made a scratching noises as he heard her muffled soft hums which surely made a smile on his face. Little by little, he morphs into his love struck attitude when it concerns to the ram demon.

“Shinku-chan.” He cooed, wishing for her to come out of the box.

“You can come out, now.” He called, but he heard the sound of snoring belonging from the box and he sighed in dissatisfaction.

Of course, sleep matters to her. His jealousy spikes up, his lips turned into a grim line. The thunder breath user hugged the box and complained. “Come out please, Shinku-chan.”

However, the noise of footsteps outside made him silent.

That fumbled steps seems as if Risa was in a hurry at the same time, the feeling of intense guilt, sadness and anger causes his eyes to widen when he looked towards that direction.

Thud .

A sound of a closing door? He guessed.

What was going on? Why was he hearing the frantic and scared sounds from the woman?

It felt like he was missing a clue to solve the puzzle and it strangely made him want to wrack his brain in efforts to impress Shinku.

Chuntaro, his sparrow which decided to scare the hell out of him. The bird casually chirps near his ear, his scream similar into a shrieking banshee.

“What the—Chuntaro, how could you scare me like that?!” He wailed, grabbing the sparrow in his hand.

“I almost got scared to death, you know?!”

Chuntaro sharply nips his hand and it escape from his hold, glaring him as it circled on him before it moves onto the door. Releasing another chirp of annoyance.

“You want me to follow Hakurei-san? No way, I’m absolutely terrified!”

A loud slam of the wooden box made him flinched as if Shinku’s telling him to quit being afraid and get over it.

How cruel of her.

Another pounding of fist resounded on the box before he surrenders, “Fine. Fine, I’ll go Shinku-chan, is that what you want?”

And he heard her sound turning soft and lovely to his ears.

“You’re so lucky that I liked you,” the yellow bean pouted with tears on his eyes.

Zenitsu prep himself into his standard uniform and his signature haori. Carrying the box on his back, he shakily slide the door wide open.

Roaming his yellow-chocolate eyes across the empty room, he noted the absence of Risa’s presence. He caught a strange noise lingering somewhere in this area.

Though, it’s faint sound. He could hear it very clearly thanks to his heightened senses.

But what if he checks on that strange sound and face the danger itself. Then he would put his and Shinku’s lives in jeopardy.

He wouldn’t want that?!

His feet went backwards, his mind jumping to the scary possibilities of events he might’ve encountered.

And he trembles in reaction.

A scratch of noises filters in his ears, hearing the soft tunes from Shinku’s warm soul instantly wiped the fear tracing on his face.

And a tapping echoes from the box, Zenitsu’s cheeks turned flushed when he heard her voice whispering him the comforting words; clear enough for him to hear Shinku.

‘Okay,’ he’ll do it.

It’s just a small step of change yet he had made a difference on what his usual self would do. He wasn’t alone. This time someone is beside him, the young slayer put his trust on Shinku to keep him safe.

...

Following the hints of a creepy noise, he found a wooden door below the stairs in the right corner. Gathering his courage when he steps down, the thunder breather pulled the door and felt the cold breeze rushing to his skin.

He shivered a little.

But what made his heart stopped in terror, was something unimaginable to him.

A daunting fear.

His mouth felt dried when his feet steps on the brittle skeleton lying in front of the door. The young male silently screamed in horror, clamping his mouth shut.

Shinku slightly makes a scratching noise on the box, opting him to calm down.

“This is too scary! I didn’t sign up for this. Should I run away now?” He cried in tears.

Bang!

“Sorry, Shinku-chan.”

Zenitsu moves forward albeit hesitant, his eyes wandered to the stone walls then to a rocky terrain, and he gulped.

How can a cottage have an underground cave?!

‘This is so utterly strange,’ he thought.

Even if the place is swallowed by darkness, Zenitsu could see with the help of flaming torches attached in the walls—illuminating the shadowy pathway.

Where is Hakurei-san?

“Hakurei-san?” He whispered, his voice tinge in terrified tone.

The yellow-haired male heard the whispering voices floating in the air. Feeling something nagging the back of his head, he rotates his body.

What he saw made Zenitsu freezes up.

He saw the two children in a pitiful state. One boy was soaked in his blood, his neck bleeding profusely staining the ground in deep rustic remains.

The other one was a girl who’s skin was ghostly white, she had a missing arm and bandages around her lower face.

“Be quiet!” The pair of children shushed him, their index finger placing above their mouth.

“Don’t make a noise, he won’t find out about you if you stay still.”

“That man doesn’t like rotten flesh, they liked the young rich blood.”

Zenitsu’s face dawn horror , the longer he listened to their foretold grisly stories.

“Mama’s been keeping the outsider safe ever since that evil man kidnapped us. She has been taking care of him, but don’t kill her.”

“Risa is a nice person and we see her as our mother figure. She tried to protect us but that man quickly found out her plan. And punished her.”

An unearthly scream of a woman echoes in the pitch-black cavern. Making the place seem eerily for Zenitsu’s liking.

The blonde swordsman’s tears descended below his stinging cheeks, placing his hands over his mouth to silence his cries.

“That’s right, keep quiet. We’ll lead you to where that outsider is being kept.”

A pin drop of silence passed over a few minutes. The little kids sighed in relief, directing their attention to him.

“It’s okay, they seemed to quieted for a while.”

“Let’s go, big brother.” The small boy shot him a look of reassurance.

How could Zenitsu be relieved when he’s unable to sense the beating sounds from these kind children?

It took him a second to get it, the melancholy features they give off.

Life was truly unfair to them.

“Big brother as soon as this is over, can you tell our beloved father. That we loved him so much.” The girl smiled gently despite the frail condition she has.

Seeing them giving him their brightest smiles, it deepened the gloom in his chest, his eyes stinging in understanding and pain.

Zenitsu hiccuped, “Come on. Don’t lose your way, we’re almost there.” He could hear Shinku’s soft humming from the box, lessening the heavy feeling surrounding him.

Another round of trekking ensues and when they turned a corner. They could see one person being bounded by ropes, his figure shining upon the torch’s light.

The crybaby male felt a gentle tapping on his arm before he felt himself pushed softly towards the kidnapped victim.

“Good luck, big brother.”

“Don’t die.”

The children’s voice were filled with warm as their voices fainted in his head and when he took a glance behind him.

The two kids who accompanied him was gone like the wind.

It seems fate loves to surprise Zenitsu with how unlucky he was on his mission.

One particular person he noticed was enough for him to gape in surprise, it seems that the captured individual was a demon slayer like him.

Even if he is currently tied up and restrained, the young male had a feeling that this man is in a bad mood.

The fellow comrade is shooting daggers at him with annoyance and displeasure shown on his face.

“Kaigaku!” What’s he doing here?

Was he the previous slayer who have gone to take this mission before him? He felt anxious now that Kaigaku is assigned on the same mission with him.

“Tsk, hurry up and release me!” The turquoise eyed man snarled.

...

“Can’t believe that I was helped by someone like you,” he snapped, his senior was very furious with  him. Just like the first time they saw each other after three years.

Zenitsu shrinked from the man’s remarked.

All of a sudden, a wave of deep blue waters strikes towards them. Zenitsu yelped, his reflex kicking in. He gathers the momentum of speed on his feet and leaped through the other side, narrowly avoiding it.

Kaigaku was holding his nichirin blade, moving in fast-paced. He performed a few deadly strikes to the unknown demon.

The demon managed to dodge Kaigaku’s attack, stepping into the light; their identity was immediately revealed.

It made Zenitsu gasped when he saw Risa in a demon form, her cracked skin forming around her entire face.

The deep forest green eyes shrouded in dark, “Hakurei-san, you’re a demon?” Zenitsu uttered in shocked.

“No, to be precise. I’m a halfling, a part demon and human.”

So that’s why she could walk under the sunset.

“I don’t care what you are, but you needed to die.” Kaigaku shouted, “How dare you put a sleeping drug on my food and kidnapped me!” His face expressing a maddened rage and vengeance.

“That person was the one who put you here. I was only keeping you safe from him. I pretended to work for him, but I am actually trying to help you.” Risa tried to defuse Kaigaku’s anger and it did not end well.

Zenitsu was hesitant upon the upcoming verbal arguments.

“You liar. All those rumors were indeed true. You are the cause for most of the children’s death.” He accused her, the halfling flinched.

“—Aniki, that rumors were not real.” Kaigaku glared at him, “You shut your trap.”

“It’s not me. I’m not the one who killed them!” The woman’s lips shakes with tears flooding her eyes.

“Lies, you’re still a demon. How could we just believe you!?” Kaigaku sneered while Zenitsu tries to explain to his so called senior.

“I’m a halfling, I told you already.”

Risa’s sound was filled with honesty, he knew it from the bottom of her heart. She didn’t lie to either of them.

“She’s telling the truth. We can listen to her,” Zenitsu stated but Kaigaku did not listened at all.

“I don’t care. A demon is still a demon and we have to kill her.” Kaigaku concluded, twisting his body as he jumps in mid air.

The red-haired halfling was in a mental breakdown, her eyes turning hopeless, “I wasn’t the one who caused it. I was here to amend my mistake.”

A long time ago, there was a girl who’s green eyes barred in steel. She was never meant to be happy nor free, that monster taught her an unforgettable experience.

Risa saw it with her two eyes, that wicked soul ate her mother alive and once his eyes locked on her shivering figure, he smiles in a cruel way.

Ever since that horrible night, she became a puppet in the palm of his hands; his marionette who was bound to his orders alone.

That demon said he was her daughter, an abomination born from the belly of her human mother with the cursed blood flowing in her veins.

“Get close to the villagers and kidnapped their children behind their back.”

That order came from his lips had set her fate in tragedy.

She followed those orders numbly as she whisked the sleeping children, knowing that they trust her and loved her.

How horrible of a monster she becomes.

The scarlet-haired female was scared of the consequences if she failed to kidnap them.

She knows that she would be tortured and whipped consecutively in her back to remind her that she belongs to him.

That she must serve his will alone.

But she had a change of heart once those two kids lead her into the light, Kaito and Izumi become her pillar of hope.

And when she tried to protect them and refused to follow his orders. He set out on his way to catch them, he tortured them in front of her eyes.

Just like her beloved mother, those children who wormed their way in her heart had become a distant memories of her.

She wanted to atone her sins and help the slayers this time. But it seems they do not trust her change of heart.

And so she was ready to pay her crimes in hell.

The yellow-haired swordsman yelled for his senior to stop.

Kaigaku beheaded Risa, the woman teared up; the sadness and regret written on her face.

“It’s not me. But it was him who caused their deaths and forced me to keep quiet.” The half-demon sobbed, the black patterns covering her entire body as she disappeared.

He killed her, disbelief painted on Zenitsu’s face—staring at the empty space where Risa once stood alive there.

“You killed her,” he mumbled in an angry tone.

“She was trying to help you and you just killed her, how could you?!”

Kaigaku widened his smile, and chuckled at the boy’s enraged eyes. “We’re slayers. We get rid of the wicked demons polluting this world,” his turquoise eyes locked on the wooden box.

Zenitsu flinched, when he saw Kaigaku staring at the box he’s carrying. “Don’t touch her,” he growled at him.

The two demon hunters staring off, challenging each other to back down.

“You ordering me now? You stupid crybaby.”

Suddenly, the ground they stepped on, trembling in great intensity. This sheer power of display was enough for the boy to feel a dose of fear on his heart.

The stony wall across from them were blown into pieces.

A large crater formed on the broken wall with smoky dust covering the whole place. They heard a deep laugh that made Zenitsu cowered in fear.

“So that stupid daughter of mine died. She was worthless to begin with,” the smoke parted and they saw a huge demon with green hair. His height towering their sizes like 8 feet tall. And that demon had two horns placed between his forehead.

“I’m Orc, pleasure to meet you all. I’m the one who caused the death of those missing children and it’s not Risa. That pitiful thing,” he mocked his daughter and directs them a cruel gaze.

Kaigaku clicked his tongue, he runs straight towards the orc demon and he forces his feet to jump high.

“Thunder breathing, second form: Rice spirit,” the dark-haired slayer fiercely releases a waves of dark electricity while he delivers five fast slashes, making the demon roared in pain.

“Kaigaku!” Zenitsu worriedly shouted for his brother.

A finishing blow!

The man with yellow magatama necklace swiftly swings his metal blade to the Orc demon’s neck, “You’re finished!” He bellowed.

His turquoise eyes shimmered in victory but it turned into confusion. “What!?”

The Orc demon’s neck was covered in hard diamond, protecting his head from being beheaded.

“Hate to break your short victory. But my blood demon art can make my skin as hard as diamond; strong enough to protect my neck from slayers like you!”

The male demon grinned, grabbing Kaigaku’s blade as he snapped it on half.

He thrust his fist to Kaigaku’s face, breaking the slayer’s nose. The swordsman was blown meters away, hitting the ground, and landed near Zenitsu’s feet.

The terrified blonde shook the man and he notices Kaigaku suffering in pain after the demon’s punch. His nose began to bleed profusely, spitting out the blood staining on his lips.

“Damn, how could that demon be so strong.” Kaigaku gritted his teeth, slapping Zenitsu’s hand from helping him.

“I don’t need your help.”

The golden-haired male paid no attention to Kaigaku’s rude behavior, “Kaigaku. Thanked God you’re alright.”

“Let’s escape from this place, we can’t defeat him. We’ll die.” The crybaby teen exclaimed, begging his fellow swordsman to run together.

“Kekeke, don’t think of ever escaping this place alive. You fools,” the demon releases a loud shriek of laughter.

“You guys will be my substitute meals for this night.”

That let Zenitsu to scream for his life, Kaigaku who was feeling afraid of this Orc demon.

Wanting to survive, his eyes locked on the crying male. And he chuckled humorlessly, grabbing Zenitsu’s collar he throws him to the demon’s direction.

“Here, take this wimpy male instead.” Kaigaku made an offer, the Orc demon disgustingly laughed at the human’s snake-like behavior.

“You wanted to be recognized by me, right? Then sacrifice yourself for my sake.” He ordered, his eyes showing a sliver of distaste for Zenitsu.

What an asshole of a guy he is.

Orc was amused by Kaigaku’s survival instincts. He allowed him to run off like a cowardly sheep he was.

Really, that’s why he hated humans.

“Kaigaku.” Zenitsu whimpered, his eyes crying in betrayal and hurt. He shakily watched his brother’s figure fading from his sight.

Sniffling in dismay, he knew that he was going to die by the hands of this big demon.

Why was misfortune always loved to pick on him?

“Blood demon art: Brilliant Smash!”

The brawny demon’s skin transforms into hard diamond spreading on his body, Orc letting out the bloodlust displayed on his blurring movement.

“Sorry, brat. It seems like your time ends here.” The demon charging the vulnerable slayer in order to crushed him to death.

Meanwhile, Zenitsu stared like a deer in headlights. The fear stealing the strength on his knees to run away in danger.

“Eek! No, don’t come near me!”

He huddled himself, tears dropping on his cheeks as he closed his eyes for the pain to come. Not noticing the box behind him was shaking wildly.

A loud explosion of destroyed rubbles flew across the surroundings.

The large plums of white smoke rose from the collision of heavy hit and the wind tossing the thick fogs; breaking it apart until the two figures emerged.

The wind increased its pace, blowing the folds of one’s black and yellow haori. When the figures became clear in Orc’s vision, he felt his sweat rolls down his temples.

The Orc demon’s heart trembles when he saw the eyes of crimson red as deep as blood falling in the setting sun.

“This presence...”

“Hey, don’t you think ganging up on a defenseless crybaby makes you look like a bully?” A monotone voice rang in the area.

“Why don’t you pick someone your own size?” A petite girl with hair like the color of amethyst, she had a dark expression casted on her features.

A new voice had joined the fight.

“Shinku-chan.” Zenitsu’s eyes floods in tears, he was bridal carried by Shinku—moving him away from the danger.

“You’re really a high maintenance of a baby bird.” Shinku draws her gaze on the crying male on her arms.

Chapter Text

❝ Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.❞— Sun Tzu

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Connection 

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

“Shinku-chan, please protect me!”

The purple-head maiden ignored his request and gently helped him land his footing to the ground.

“Zenitsu you’re already a man. Stop crying every single time.” That shut up the yellow-haired slayer.

“So that’s why I smell something strange from the boy. One of you is a demon,” the demon with huge stature sneered towards the two.

“Such a disgrace to our kinds to think that you are a man-eater as well!” His furious eyes glaring on the petite demon’s figure.

It resulted to Zenitsu who shrieked in fear and hides behind Shinku, his fingers tugging the back of her black haori.

Shinku whistled when she surveyed the large appearance of the demon. Her wine red eyes shine in mischief, “We’re gonna fight that big ‘ol demon, food supplier?”

Zenitsu threw her a look of disbelief and anger, “Are you kidding me Shinku! I do not have a death wish. I’m going to die if I fight him! Look at him, he’s so big and strong enough to kill your frail husband?!”

“We’re not married.” Shinku deadpanned, her hand pushing Zenitsu’s face to stopped him from clinging to her.

“—yet.” He added in mind.

Shinku’s cherry red eyes sparkles in amused, “It won’t happen not ‘til you survived this mission.”

Zenitsu paled once he grasp the meaning of her words; the honey-haired boy screamed in consecutive high notes, fear seems to collapse in his eyes.

“It’s not funny, you are supposed to comfort me as my wife!”

“Come on, protect me! I’m gonna die for real!” He was beyond hysterical to the point that he wouldn’t listen to her, the cowardly swordsman  hugged her arm as he cried like a cornered bunny.

The demon girl won’t be able to help the mizunoto if he was restricting her movement.

Sighing for an nth time, her eyes carefully turned towards the brawny demon who growled at her.

“Scary, scary. That demon is too scary, let’s run away!” Zenitsu was shaking in terror, lips trembling in unease, “I’ll die if I face him!” He added.

An idea flashes into her brain when Shinku’s attention went to Zenitsu, it’s better if she’ll take care of this problem now.

“Stop being a wimp, and sleep.” She knocked out Zenitsu by simply hitting the back of his neck. The ram demon catches his falling figure in an instant.

“You traitor, why do you side with humans?!” Shinku carefully sets Zenitsu on the ground and side glances the enemy.

That’s a simple question. It’s because Zenitsu feeds her well and takes care of her. Not like she’ll tell him.

“Hmph, I don’t need to state my reason to the likes of you.”

“Demons who betray the King should die!”

“Blood demon art: Diamond Armament!” Orc dashed, his feet sending the flurry of dirt smokes behind him. His arm rising in the air as his skin becomes like a hard diamond.

“Bring it on, crush me if you can.” At the same time, the purple-head maiden zooming sharply as the increasing wind matches her pace.

Both fighters are facing directly within a seconds, Orc fluidly throws a punch straight to Shinku’s.

In a nick of time, the ram demon maneuver her footsteps to rotate her torso in retrograde motion as she hops a little force to roll and throw a spinning kick, almost like an axe kick—her right sandal heel slamming Orc’s chin.

It hit him!

“What? That’s all you’ve got. I expected more from you, little girl.” Orc mocked while Shinku glared.

The large demon grinned, his hands catching Shinku’s calf as he grappled on it. Lifting her up from the ground and proceeded to throw the small demon mid air.

Orc followed her figure, leaping towards Shinku as he bends his knee to pull a front kick on her abdomen.

“You’re just a pathetic demon.” Reading his opponent’s movement, the purple head maiden uses her arms to blocked his attack.

Bang.

A large masses of foggy air springs up when she crashes into the rocky walls, the fragments of rubbles collapsed on the ground.

“Hmph, I knew a weakling when I see one,” Orc the demon bragged, laughing at the situation.

Shinku with blood raining on her forehead slowly staggers to stand, her gaze turned cold and subtly smiled. When the dirt smokes cleared up, Orc’s expression shifted into rage and confusion.

“Seems like you’ve got a missing arm,” she casually brings up the conversation, nonchalantly holding Orc’s ripped arm in her left hand—she opens her lips to take a bite on the flesh.

As blood drops on her chin, Orc yelled in a mixture of shock and hatred. “Since when did you tear off my arm, you bitch!”

The male demon regenerated his left arm, as his anger rises up. More veins erupted into his face, growling to the girl.

Shinku dropped the ripped arm, and gives him a mocking smile. “You were busy trying to put me in my place.”  She was now walking to the center of the field, “For a fool like you, you fight only with your fists and forget to use your brain.”

Each time the crimson eyed demon talked, the more Orc was becoming enraged as his nostrils flares in steam. Bestowing him a sadistic smirk, she was pushing his buttons well.

“You’re the pathetic one.” That was the final straw, Orc was blinded in fury—running hot on her trails, the enemy throws a barrage of punches as Shinku dodges it effortlessly.

“How dare you try to eat me, I ought to send you to hell, little girl.” Narrowing her eyes, it was time to move on to the next plan.

Planning to catch him off guard, Shinku stopped moving. She received his punch on her cheek, spitting out the blood forming in her mouth.

Orc moves his right hand to grab Shinku’s head and puts more strength on it to try to crush her head.

“Little bitch like you should die now.”

“Blood demon art, diamond armament!” Prior to his words, Shinku settled her hand to grip Orc’s right wrist.

And she grinned when the demon threatened to crush her head.

“Blood demon art: order of time...” She spoke all of a sudden, shuddering out of pain.

What a fool.

As long as his focus is on her, she can use her blood demon art.

“— decay.”

Orc’s right hand was rapidly aging until it reduced into bones spreading around his arm.

“My right hand won’t regenerate!” He freaks out loudly, the boney hand gripping into Shinku’s head turned brittle into dark ash.

“What did you do?!” The creature bellowed, his eyes gleaming of murderous intent.

His torso is wide open.

Orc’s eyes widened when he saw the purple-head lifting her right arm as she spears it straight into his stomach; her punch creating a hole out of the demon’s abdomen.

“You little bitch!” Coughing out the red substance from his lips, the male demon growled at her. His spare hand quickly, executing a great punch to the girl’s face.

A gust of a strong wind blows the multiple sharp debris around them.

The huge demon widened his eyes shocked, his fist had been blocked by the purple-head demon’s other hand.

This girl’s strength is not ordinary. To think that he thought of her as a weak demon.

He have made a grave mistake!

“What a thoroughly annoying demon you are.”Shinku releases a small voice as she replied in a monotone voice.

A burst of tremendous earthquake struck the ground, electrifying sparks surging in the air.

“Thunder breathing, first form.”

‘Hurry up, Zenitsu. I can’t last any longer.’

Using that blood demon art was taking a toll on her energy.

‘Now’s your chance to decapitate him while he’s not using his blood demon art.’

Orc the demon froze upon her cold glare, her vermillion eyes drawing the insignia of yellow crown.

They could feel the strong yellow static of a deadly current fluctuating around them, giving off intense shock towards the male demon’s skin.

“Thunderclap and flash!”

At the same time, Shinku parted her lips with a deadly calm voice.

“Don’t move.”

A glimmering of silver crescent arc cuts through the soundless night.

The vicious demon who reigned terror in the village was vanquished, Zenitsu is scared shitless while he was carrying the sleeping demon in his arms.

“Thank you big brother and sister.” A phantom voice softly whispered behind him. The yellow-haired male gulped before turning his head to find an empty spot.

Right, he must’ve heard it clearly.

“Chu!” The sparrow appeared near to him and circling happily upon knowing that he survived his mission.

“Eek, don’t do that!” His heart jumps out in surprise when Chuntaro rubs its head to Zenitsu’s cheek.

And directs its attention onto the ram demon as it flies and rest on top of Shinku’s head.

Chuntaro came to pick them up once and guide them towards the mouth of the dark cavern. The young demon slayer felt guilty for letting Shinku engages a fight with that demon.

If only he was strong then he could’ve defeated it, but when he woke up from his slumber. He immediately thought that Shinku defeated that huge demon and was grateful to her.

As soon as they made their way outside of the cave, he saw the couple of trees and Kaigaku who was walking circle around the forestry.

When that man senses his stare, Kaigaku saunters to their direction. An ugly feeling swept inside him once he saw him scanning Shinku’s injuries and back to him.

“So did you run away from the demon like a coward you are?” Kaigaku insulted, his sweat buildup on his eyebrows.

The two fellow thunder breath users watched warily against each other. A cold silence spreads over them. One was anxious while the other was disappointed and irritated.

“I may be a coward, but I’m not the type of guy who leaves behind others. I got someone who depended on me.” Zenitsu breathes deeply, calming the rage swirling inside of him when he saw his brother.

How could he be so selfish and uncaring to others? When Gramps considered the both of them as his family.

They are brothers, but is he worthy enough to be called as a brother when he push him to a demon’s feet.

Ready to sacrifice another human for the sake of survival. To save his own skin and forget about the bonds they shared in the past.

Agatsuma Zenitsu wanted to believe that there are kind people in this world, but he should consider that there are people who are ready to backstab others for their selfish ways.

It was terrifying to admit that he could sometimes read a person’s mind just by listening to their sounds.

Just like now.

‘Disappear from my sight! You crybaby!’

He could hear again the soul of his heart, burning in jealousy and hate towards him.

And it worried him that someday Kaigaku would fall deeper in the darkness if he keeps up this acts any longer.

“You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you? You failure of a man! Since you’ve got some bitch of a demon beside you.” Kaigaku taunted.

Zenitsu’s jaw tightened, his blood searing in deep anger like it was about to reach its boiling point; waiting to explode until his wrath quells its thirst.

The blonde swordsman halted from his steps, the veins protruded on the side of neck and he glance back to Kaigaku.

Shinku was peacefully asleep in his arms, her head snuggled on the crook of his neck. It won’t do good if he start a fight with Kaigaku.

He can’t put her in a harm’s way again. She needed to rest. Don’t lose composure, keep it in. For Shinku.

“Kaigaku.” His voice was quite calm and terrifying.

“I may consider you as my brother and senior. But the next time, you utter some bad words against Shinku.” He side glances and muster the coldest glare on Kaigaku.

“I won’t hesitate to punch your face, brother .”

Kaigaku flinched, the cowardly boy seems like a different person. What’s up with him?!

“You think I’m scared of you?! You’re just a weak crybaby and everybody thinks the same about you.” He shouted with so much anger.

Zenitsu decides to ignore the screeching slayer, determined to trudged forward despite the heavy feeling weighing on his ochre eyes.

“No matter how much you try to change. You will always be a weakling who hides behind your demon!”

Kaigaku’s words felt like a slap to his face, his lips downturn—silently shaking with the pain streaking straight from his broken eyes.

A gentle tug on his bright yellow haori made his amber eyes connect to Shinku’s half-lidded eyes—the soft glowing of fiery embers basked him in gentle warmth, offering him the unsaid words of consolation.

“Zenitsu, I’m here with you.”

The warmth of silence envelops between them.

He heard the sound of comfort within Shinku’s heart, a beautiful melody that puts him in peace as it quieted his pain; his red rimmed eyes flickering in light, knowing that she was there to stay.

He subtly nodded, “Together.” Just like they have promised with each other. Chuntaro, his sparrow chirping above Shinku’s head as if telling him that it was on his side.

The sparrow cooeing towards the both of them as the boy with golden eyes shakily smiled at the two beings.

And without looking back, Zenitsu leaves the raging thunder breath user out of their sight.

“Zenitsu! Don’t ignore me!” He roared.

Watching Zenitsu’s blurring figure, his face contorted into a furious reaction. And he snaps, his bare fist repeatedly punching the tree trunk.

“I’ll make you regret that! Just you guys wait.” Kaigaku didn’t like the feeling back when Zenitsu told him off—it reminded him that he was never wanted by anybody.

Kuwajima Jigoro was nervous, his mind delve into a question of possibilities on why on earth he was requested to come in Oyakata-sama's mansion.

Despite of old age, his sight is still durable enough to witness the young man with black-shoulder length hair who was smiling in ease.

The two children serves them both the cups of tea before they bowed and left.

Their soft series tapping of footworks were barely detected by him, though the overpowering leash of anxiety holds his breath to speak, to try to break the awkward silence in the room.

"Jigoro-san, how are you doing throughout this year?" Kagaya's gentle voice manage to loosen the former hashira's tense position.

"I'm doing fine, thank you for your concern. Oyakata-sama," Jigoro smother his nerves, steeling his eyes for any circumstances that his master would ask.

A fluttering of dark wings invaded his vision as it sets to land on Kagaya's shoulder, cawing softly before it delivers the news which sends his blood to run cold.

"Caw! Zenitsu and the demon completed the mission without Kaigaku's help."

The former thunder hashira immediately bowed deep to the tatami floor, afraid for his other successor's fate.

Kagaya's attention went towards him, following the source of the noise the former pillar caused.

"Please, forgive me for not informing you about this matter. We have committed a grave mistake, it's my fault! Let me take responsibility and atone for my student's actions!" Jigoro desperately plead, the fear overtaking his rationality upon his student's future.

"It's alright, I was curious upon why would you allow your student to bring a demon with him?"

Swallowing the gulped of nervousness, the elderly man began to speak. "Zenitsu trusted the demon girl, Shinku. He trusted her enough to protect him, and he wanted to find a cure for her."

Kagaya smiled, his expression turning soft unlike before he had questioned the retired slayer. "My, it's unusual for the demon hunter and a demon to work together. It's surprising for me since you're not the only one who's disciple had tagged a demon to their mission."

"Pardon me?" The former thunder pillar confusedly questioned.

Another slide of the door rang in their area,  a couple of steps near them.

And Jigoro's expression turned into surprise and disbelief.

"I apologize for arriving late, Oyakata-sama." An elderly former swordsman with a red tengu masked had joined them.

"Welcome, you've arrived at a perfect time. Urokodaki-san."

It was a bright and sunny day, a beautiful saturated skies with brilliant gold tracing behind the cloudscape.

Chuntaro directed him to south-southeast as his serene expression morphed into frustration, and fear settling in his soft chocolate-yellow eyes.

“Another mission?! I don’t want to, I luckily managed to escape death because of Shinku. But going to another one without Shinku’s help—I’m seriously gonna drop dead!”

The amount of stress and fear made him grovel into the uneven surface, banging his fist repeatedly on the ground.

With tears falling from his eyes, “I don’t want to—“ The bird was angry upon the mizunoto’s behavior, Chuntaro scratched the box to wake Shinku.

The scratching noises brought the young swordsman out of his negative thinking, his eyes locating the small bird trying to wake the sleeping demon in her box, and it made him frowned.

Zenitsu notices the sparrow’s intention, and swat it gently away from it. “Hey, don’t wake her! She’s still hurt from our last mission, Shinku-chan needs her beauty rest.”

“Uhm, are you alright, mister?” A woman’s voice, and slowly his head shifted to the dark-haired girl with two low ponytails style in braids.

Beads of tears rapidly rolling below his cheeks, he sniffles. Come to think of it, Shinku obtained injuries from her forehead and it was bleeding bad.

She said that she’ll sleep it off, relying on her regeneration ability to closed up the wounds.

Still, he was worried for his future wife’s sake.

In a haste of urgency, Zenitsu tearfully clings to the young woman’s leg, and cried. “Please help, I need some bandages for my wife.”

The young woman freaks out upon Zenitsu’s actions, and tried to shake him off. “Get off, I don’t carry the bandages with me?!”

“Bandages!”

“I don’t have one!”

It didn’t take long for a hand to grabbed on his back collar, dragging him away from the woman. “Stop making the girl uncomfortable, have some shame will you?!”

“Go on your way, miss. I apologize for his actions.” Tanjirou smiled and the girl replied to him with gratitude, bowing as she left them.

“Wait, stop! What about the bandages?!”

A burgundy-haired boy with a scar on his forehead scolded him. “Knock it off, your sparrow is distressed because of your behavior!” Chuntaro chirps behind them.

“You’re that boy from final selection?! You remember me, right?!”

“I don’t recall a face like yours, let alone remember you from that time.”

The yellow-haired male gives a strain noise of disapproval from his words, he was quite offended.

As soon as Tanjirou fires a set of lecture towards the cowardly slayer, his nose twitches as he detects a scent of demon from the boy.

Pausing for a second, his gaze skimmed towards the wooden box that Zenitsu was carrying.

What a coincidence.

“Caw, Tanjirou. Zenitsu, you’ve got a new mission. Hurry now.” The crow loudly announce above their heads.

To think that him and that boy held a sort of attachment towards their demons.

“Let’s go, we have to go to our next mission.” Tanjirou gently remind the panicking male who’s tugging his own hair in annoyance and fear.

“No!”

Their journey takes a short time to arrive to their assigned mission which was a mansion with a sound of tsuzumi drums ringing loudly inside of it.

Zenitsu watched Tanjiro consoling the two scared children they found outside the mansion.

And when a boy had fallen through the window of that building, he knew that it was a sign of looming danger that he wouldn’t want to participate.

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

ᵀᵃⁱˢʰᵒᵘ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗ

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

Shinku’s blood demon art is command inducement.

Chapter Text

❝If any honor existed in war, it was in fighting to protect others from harm.❞— Christopher Paolini

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Tsuzumi Mansion

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

Waking up in a pool of silvery white land, the huge gulped of icy wind tickling into her soak fingers.

As fatigue passes into her crimson eyes, a soft cry from someone catches her eye. Wheeling her sight into the boy with purple hair, his eyes weeping in a tale of sorrow and relief.

Feeling a foreign of familiarity blooming around her when she took a glance to this boy. Why do she feel a deep sense of regret when she sees him?

Who was he to her? Shinku's thought went blank, like a sheet of paper haven't been written by a writer's hand. Full of plain, and white abyss just like this land of snow.

"Who are you?"

Deep blue eyes reflect the pain beyond the depths of his soul, it confused her as the pain she felt in her chest been multiplied.

"I'm your brother," he draws his palm to place in her icy cheek and his eyes show the unconditional care for her.

It made the demon girl swallowed bitterly, feeling the waves of unfamiliar emotion flowing into her.

His warm fingertips rubbing her cheeks in a gentle manner, she felt ease.

"It's good to know that you are back," he chuckled before he spouted flecks of blood in his mouth. Removing his hand on her, covering his mouth with blood spilling between his fingers.

"Why are you hurt?" The eyes of bright red shakes in unknown emotions, but a ton of confusion and heavy guilt churned her inside.

The boy around her age was severely injured from his abdomen, and it was profusely bleeding.

Shinku's nose itches and her mouth drooling from the scent of metallic blood.

Turning her head in an opposite way, her breath stopped when the demoness witness the lifeless bodies with their pools of blood.

The pain in her chest gets worse as her widened eyes gets drowned in sadness, "Did I--? " she stuttered.

Her heart's ramming loud when her eyes flew to her blue kimono speckled with dried blood and two palms stained with red blood.

Two pairs of hand grabbed her cheeks and her attention draws to this person with purple hair like hers.

"No! It's not your fault!" The clear blue eyes frantically meets hers, "That man is the cause of it; he did that."

But her mind gradually pulls her into thinking that she had done something terrible to them and to him.

Warm liquid sinks into her cheeks, and her lips curled down. "I am a monster," she felt the despair strangling her heart when she notices the state of this familiar people.

She knew them, but she couldn't remember them. And it was her fault that she accepted that man's offer, the only memory she knows from the past.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" the girl with ram horns instantly crumbles, everything was not okay. To them, she caused despair and chaos in their circle of lives.

She caused it; their death.

"Shinku!" A harsh pain stings on her left cheek, it distracted her for a second.

The male gripped both her shoulders and shakes her in fury, "Listen to me! You are not a monster, you are my twin. My sister, my family. You were never a monster to begin with!"

He shouted and she watched his chest heaves slowly, his skin turning pale and lips becoming blue like the icy sky.

"So please, don't lose yourself out there." He hiccupped, the tears invading his soft bluish eyes.

The strength of his fingers on her shoulders slacked. "Live." Before he touches once more her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, sorry for leaving you." He cried to her.

He felt cold.

She felt numb.

The inevitable death was nearing for him and she knows that he will not make it.

That she will be alone forever in this world.

To live a cursed life by herself.

This is what the consequences of her actions, and she felt terrible.

Her brother's fingertips went cold to her cheeks, Shinku loudly sobbed.

"Why are you asking me to live?! You should've hate me! I must've done something to them or to you?!"

Her bloody hands clutched her brother's hand on her cheek, heavy tears keep pouring out from her heart.

Don't die.

'Don't leave me alone, please.'

And his eyes become lifeless as his hand dropped.

No.

Shinku stared for a moment, tilting her head back. The girl releases a loud wail full of pain and anguish over her being.

It's as if the heaven heard her suffering, the dark gray sky were filled with tears, the rain was cold to her skin. It mixes with her tears as she tasted the bitterness to her lips.

If she keeps on crying until her voice withers away. Will he notice it from the sky? Will he heard her sorrows?

It wasn't the world that was breaking. But she was the one making dire mistake for once in her life.

She was truly a fool.

A sharp sound rumbling in the stiffened air, the place she woken up was dark and quiet. As her monotone red eyes acutely senses the demonic presence around her, the ram demon was on guard.

Quickly pushing the opening of the box, the beaming light greeted her eyes—scrunching her face from the light source above the ceiling, Shinku blinked a few times as she adjusted her sight to the lighting.

The room was spacious and it was filled with shoji doors across from her view. So Zenitsu leave her behind to guard the kids,  but they run away from her. Them.

And it's because of that scratching noises beside her.

She was irritated per say when her dark red eyes stuck on the wooden box that the other boy holds.

That boy said to them that it was more precious than his life (she can't helped but heard their conversation due to her acute senses.)

"If you could just not scare those children away then they wouldn't run off to them. They could've finished their job sooner to kill those demons."

Shinku spoke, eyeing the other wooden box, feeling sure that it heard her voice.

A muffled voice came from the box, it sounded distressed when her ears focused to the demon.

It surprised her to know that this demon's aura was unlike the demons they faced with an aura of bloodlust but nothing like this strange creature.

Its aura is like a tamed fire, burning gently in kindness as if it spoke to her that it was a friend, someone who would protect others.

Just like what she did to Zenitsu.

This is so strange for Shinku to meet another demon like her who was acquainted with a demon slayer.

But...

Something flashes into her wine red eyes, it was a feeling of concern. An instinctual feeling of worry and protectiveness towards one yellow-haired slayer.

Climbing out of the box, Shinku reverted back to her original build. Her hands lifting the wooden box, placing it behind her back.

There were demons inhabiting this mansion. At least four of them are here, she could hear the sounds of crying children.

The fighting and the sound of one crybaby slayer.

The noises of drums reverberates outside the hallway, she could feel the vibration of the place moving, and changing into a new direction.

It was like flipping the whole place.

Her feet runs towards the other wooden box as she snugged it to her arms as if to protect it from the sudden arrangement of the rooms.

The drumming continues like a strain music floating around the area before it stops in dead silence.

Shinku sighed, gently placing the wooden box on the tatami floor.

"Do you plan on to keep waiting and be stuck like this 'til they come back?" the purple-head demon questioned, shifting her direction towards the front door.

"If I were you I wouldn't sit still here, not knowing if someone I care had gotten hurt without my protection. I'd hate to imagine if Zenitsu was harm if I'm not there for him." She idly talked fondly of the boy.

"God knows he'll shamelessly cry like a baby without me guarding him." She continues on chatting, not minding if the demon in the box would answer her.

"Even if we're not humans anymore. At the very least, we had enough strength to support them."

Shinku took one step and advance her palm to gripped the edge of the sliding door.

Surprisingly, the wooden box in the corner of the room began to shake. The maiden heard the sound of the door opening coupled with a girl's voice filled in a soft tone of confusion.

"Mphhmf?" The petite demon girl turn her head around and found the other demon girl to be quite harmless in terms of appearance.

She saw a young girl with bamboo muzzle, who inclines her head in a cute manner. Before returning to her original height and picking up her own box.

The noirette followed her with burning curiosity in her rose pink eyes.

"Hmmph." The two demon girls stared each other and blinked.

Shinku watched the pink-eyed demon tip toes to pat her head before she goes to tug her black haori.

Once again, the ram demon blinked and chuckles shortly. "Interesting, so you finally got the guts to help too?"

The bamboo girl nodded, and hummed softly to her.

The dark-haired beauty's action caused Shinku's lips to quirked up. "Well then, let's find our dumb slayers. Pink eyes."

The tsuzumi drums beats changes the route of their destination, the floors and the walls were tilting, and flipping. It was chaotic.

The two demons got sprawled on the ground, Shinku wrapped her arm around Nezuko. Cushioning the younger girl's fall as she took the impact of falling.

"It happened again, that drumming sound is becoming an annoyance." Shinku snide a remark.

"Ummph," Nezuko proceeds to help her up  as the purple-head demon brushes the dirt off her clothes.

Something caught their attention, a strong rotten smell of blood and corpse. Its aura was malicious enough for them to be alerted in their surroundings.

A hurling black figure comes into their way, and  the pair of female demons leap a distance from it.

When a harsh slam created a large crater on the floor, sending the broken pieces of woods flying in different directions.

"It missed." The smoke dirt spreads over the hallway and as soon as it dispersed.

Shinku launches forward, jumping in front of a male demon with blue skin. Drawing more force to her legs, packing a powerful kick as she hits it three times in a row.

She hit it twice in the chest and landed a last kick on its face.

The blue demon was inflicted in damage, coughing blood.

"This is our turf, get off our territory. Damn demon," He roared in pain, he yanked Shinku's collar as he pulled to throw a fist on her.

Nezuko swiftly kicks the enemy's head as she jumps on the demon's shoulders. Grabbing the demon's head in order to crush it.

"You guys are teaming up against your kind?!"

"You get off me!" The bamboo girl grunted, applying more strength in her hands to crush the demon's skull.

With Nezuko distracting the demon in a panic, Shinku jumps on her feet in the air. Using the heels of her sandals to kick forward the male demon's chest.

It releases his hold on her as the purple head girl falls backwards, swinging her hands downward to touch the ground—she support her weight, flipping in the air before she landed on her toes.

"Thanks, pink eyes."

Marching forward in speed before Shinku execute another low kick on the demon's calf, breaking his bones. He collapsed in one knee as the demon hollered in pain.

"Get off me, you vermin." He shouted at Nezuko. His arms trying to remove the bamboo girl off his shoulders.

Shinku immediately delivered a blow on the demon's back, and the male demon yelped from her attack before Nezuko finally crushed his skull.

The demon girls heaved a breath before glancing at each other in approval. Watching the demon they defeated had turned into a pile of dark ash and disappeared completely.

"Not bad, pink eyes. You did well." Shinku praised as Nezuko hummed in satisfaction. Catching Shinku's hand as she place it on top of her black head.

Shinku recognized what the demon wants. Giving her headpats for a job well done. "Thanks for helping me. Pink eyes."

"Hmmph." Nezuko did a closed eyed smile.

"I sense a demon!  Where was it?! " A loud boisterous voice cackled not far from them.

Shinku and Nezuko panicked before the two opened the shoji door as they hide from the loud voice.

They heard that person run ahead with dust colliding on their feet as they waited until the laughter fainted in their surroundings.

Another sound of drums echoes on the place as their previous location had been switched.

And when they opened the door, a very distinct shrieking voice from a male causes Shinku to sweatdropped.

"We don't taste good, I'm sure I taste awful!" Zenitsu's shrieking voice in a distant made Shinku and Nezuko glances at each other as they both nodded.

They need to hurry fast to help them. For they scent a demon's presence around them.

'We're coming crybaby, so you better hold on your ground before we get to you.'

"I'm going to guzzle your brains through your ears!"

The tongue demon's statement was enough to cause a shock to Zenitsu, the fear overtaking his mind as he fainted in horror.

"Zenitsu-san!" Shoichi cried for the fainted slayer, worry filled into his eyes as his heart thumping wildly in fear for their lives.

The small boy was shocked when he notices that Zenitsu was fast asleep despite the fact that they were in danger.

In the presence of one scary demon, he had the gall to sleep?!

"What's up with him?" The tongue demon crawls to them, little by little.

The terrified expression of the boy made him try to drag the sleeping blonde for safety.

Slowly dragging the yellow blonde each time the tongue demon moves closer to them.

Shoichi was afraid when he felt the wall touching his back, having no more room to escape. They're bound to get killed and eaten by this terrifying monster.

It seems it noticed their futile attempt to escape as it laughed at him.

"Die!" The tongue demon stretches its tongue like a serpentine cord to strike them in a flash.

It didn't take long for two shadowy figures to sprint and slash the tongue in a precise movement as two demon girls crouched down and landed in front of the humans.

"What?! You guys are demons!" It shrieked in rage.

Nezuko was growling while Shinku had a dark look in her red eyes.

"Don't touch them with your filthy tongue." She hissed, the angry veins erupting around her forehead; flashing the tongue demon with her sharp teeth.

"Or I'll rip you apart." She threatened it. As Shinku and Nezuko stood up.

"How could you guys side with humans?!" the demon regenerates his tongue, bewilderment colored his tone.

A sound of metal reached into Shinku's ears as she moved her attention towards the sleeping male who's standing beside her.

"Thunder breathing, first form."

It seems Zenitsu uses this opportunity as a chance to perform his thunder breathing form. Looking at that tongue demon, he felt confused upon Zenitsu's sudden change of behavior.

"Thunderclap and flash!"

They all felt the flickering static currents flowing through the room, and the crackle of lightning roared and moves in a blurring speed that not even Shinku could follow it.

The tongue demon's head was instantly decapitated as he was turned into solidifying dark particles drifting in the air.

Zenitsu's snot bubble pops and his chocolate yellow eyes opened. When he shifts his attention towards the dissipating demon he flinched and jumped.

"He's dead!" He whined with tears on his cheeks.

Shinku sighed as Nezuko looked confused upon Zenitsu's behavior.

"Sadly, he can't seem to remember that he defeated the demon." Shinku explained, and Shoichi heard her as he looked at them in wary gaze.

When Zenitsu realized her sound, his trembling figure stops. "Shinku-chan, and—“ His eyes moved to Nezuko's figure who hummed at him.

"Who's she?" He pointed at the bamboo muzzle girl, suddenly embarrassed that he have shown them his cowardly nature.

'She was a cute girl, but Shinku's much more beautiful,' he thought.

"Your fellow slayer that you traveled with. Pink eyes is with him." Shinku crosses her arms, "Although, it's nice to see that you are alright." She smiled faintly, and Zenitsu blushed as he dashes to her side and hugged her.

"Thank you my love. You saved my life!" He yelled and embraced her.

"See, he didn't remember that he was the one who defeated it." Shinku tiredly spoke.

"What are you talking about? You know that I'm weak and in need of your protection." Zenitsu claims.

Nezuko pulled on her dark sleeve as she watches the girl pointing to her box before she shrinks into her child size and enters the box.

Since they have found them, it's time for the two of them to return to their boxes.

"Zenitsu I have come to check on you, but you must focused on your mission and bring the boy to safety." She lightly reprimanded him.

But he sniffled and complained. "No, the demon was scary and I was so weak to protect Shoichi. That's why you came and defeated it for me."

Shinku sighed before she bends down and whispered something to his ears. Zenitsu's blushed deepens as he let's go of her sleeves and avoids her gaze.

"Alright, if you say so." He pouted.

The ram demon was satisfied before glancing at the flinching boy, "Thank you for staying with him. Even though, he is being whiny and a coward."

Shoichi was flustered, sweating a little when the demon girl stared at him. "It's no problem, I just did what I have to do."

The human boy was cautious around her. It’s understandable to her because she is a demon and that he thought it’s unusual for a demon to be working with a demon slayer like Zenitsu.

”Don’t worry, me and pink eyes do not harm humans. I’m just here to check on this whiny human in case he was in danger.”

Though, it’s a little disheartening for Shinku to know that Zenitsu hadn’t realized how strong he has become.

The proof of his skills as a hunter is commendable, his speed is somehow similar to that former hashira. If he keeps on training seriously, it’s possible that he might soon surpassed both Jigoro and Kaigaku.

"Shinku-chan," Zenitsu called for her attention. Her red eyes shifts to Zenitsu's yellow brown eyes.

Poking the tip of his nose in an affectionate manner, "See you soon, crybaby chick." She teased, ruffling his messy yellow locks.

"—No fair, you can call me Zenitsu. You know?" He squeaked like an embarrassed squirrel.

Shrugging in nonchalant attitude, Shinku transform into her childlike size and went inside to her wooden box.

"I'm proud of you. Don't forget that."

Chapter Text

❝ When people are protecting something special to them. They truly become as strong as they can be.❞— Masashi Kishimoto

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Redamancy

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

Now that the tongue demon was defeated, Zenitsu already carrying two wooden boxes—one on his back (Nezuko) and on his front (Shinku).

The young swordsman was huffing out of breath, moving out from the room they were previously found in.

He could still detect the creepy sounds exuding from this place and he notice that Tanjirou’s sound was there too.

Zenitsu hope that his friend will turn out fine after all this mission. Since Tanjirou was injured from his last mission.

Sweats accumulating on his forehead with his right hand leading the small boy within the darkening narrowed hallway, running in circles around this place.

“Tanjirou, please come out!”

The thunder breath user yells for his friend’s name as they searched for the exit doorway.

Unexpectedly, the drum’s discordant sound filled the vicinity as it beats in command to upturned the place in a sudden impulse.

“The room.” Shoichi stammering in surprise.

“—just flipped!” Zenitsu shouted, his heart rapidly beating in nervousness.

Gravity began to pull them down, Zenitsu and Shoichi slips into the darkness with their screams intensifying; the more they plummet down fast.

The sliding doors casually opened for their falling figures until they were thrown out by the owner of this mansion.

With how fast they fall, Zenitsu was unable to control his landing as he wept in tears upon the incoming pain he would soon to feel.

He had Shoichi on his side as he prepared to take all the damage from their fall.

The wooden box in his front react on instinct, he heard Shinku’s murmured voice saying something like blood demon art.

The last thing he knew before he blacked out was the wooden box he hold was becoming bigger than him. As it takes all their weight when it crashes on the surface.

...

Shinku felt drain after using her blood demon art to help the troublesome slayer. It’s a good thing that this wooden box that Jigoro crafted was sturdy.

However, she felt the cracks forming the sides of the box. It needs to be repair soon and she hoped that those birds should deliver the good news detailing about their rest day.

The demon girl felt her mind is spinning from the way how that crybaby fell down, her muscles aches for a while as she seemed to take the brunt force from their fall.

Thankfully, Shinku was a demon. And that this injury of hers will heal in no time unlike Zenitsu and the others, they might suffer from concussion upon this incident.

It would be a good time for her to sleep now. But that loud booming voice was beginning to grate on her nerves.

That harsh footsteps seems to come closer to them and Shinku felt uncomfortable from the vibe of this strange individual.

Was it a slayer?

She could hear Zenitsu talking about this “boar monster” he was looking at.

That unknown person’s voice was gruff and filled with impatience.

Shinku froze when she felt someone’s killing intent directed to her. “Hey, I found it. Two of them are here.”

Shit, he sense them!

That person laughed as if slaying them would be nothing more than a child’s play.

She felt him rushed towards them, Shinku fisted her sweaty palm. The purple head was in no condition to defend herself and Nezuko during the day.

The only defense they’ve got is their wooden box to hide them from the sun. But they were good as dead once this slayer slash them with their nichirin blade.

The ram demon almost wanted to spout a string of curses on her lips, all she knew was that they were in a hell of trouble when this slayer intends to kill them on sight.

“Cut it out!” Shinku was stunned from hearing Zenitsu’s enraged voice.

She felt his presence and scent close to her, it took her a second to recognize that he was protecting them.

Somehow relief comes to release the tension on her shoulders, and felt like she could breath in ease. Knowing that Zenitsu was there to protect her.

“Don’t tell me what to do! If you know that we’re both allies then shouldn’t you know better that we need to get rid of this two things!”

“Move away and let me deal with it!”

A sound of metal rings within them, and Shinku felt a gut instinct that this slayer was not going to warn Zenitsu next time.

“Even if it’s a violation against the corps rule, I won’t move I’ll protect Tanjirou’s box and Shinku.”

“I won’t let you harm them!”

“Why you..” The slayer growled in anger.

“—because inside this box is Shinku and the other one was from Tanjiro. It’s precious to him more than his life. And Shinku’s precious to me that’s why I can understand why he keeps it.”

“Zenitsu, you stubborn fool.” Shinku swallowed hard, why was he making things difficult for her?

He keeps making her feel warm from his words and actions as the same warmth travels on her cheeks.

“So you can just back off!”

Shinku bang her fist on the wood, and yelled. “You should move away, food supplier. You could get hurt from protecting us. So don’t do it anymore.”

She was worried for his sake, it sounded like he was set on putting himself on the line in order to stop the slayer from harming them.

When she heard the sound of beating, her body went stilled. Eyes hardened in rage, emitting a burning fury within her.

The fiery veins in her blood protruded on her temples, growling low towards the one who’s harming Zenitsu in her presence.

It’s the smell of blood!

How dare that slayer tried to hurt the food supplier, she’ll give them a beating even if there’s a sun out there.

To heck with it, someone’s out there bullying the crybaby chick.

Silence covers the area for a moment before she delivers a kick onto the box’s opening door.

It didn’t move an inch, confused as the ram demon was. She moves to give a harsh shove on it, grumbling in ire.

“No! Don’t come out, Shinku-chan. I can deal with this.” She heard him whimpered in pain.

“Zenitsu you’re being beaten up. How can I just stand by—“ She was even more angry, he needs her help.

Another heavy fist resounded outside and the purple head demon forcefully tried to open the box to help him.

However, Zenitsu’s determination to protect her made him hugged the box consciously with all strength; taking the hits from his fellow slayer.

If it’s the only thing he could do to protect Shinku without instigating a fight, he wanted to be as much help to her.

The purple head demon was recuperating from their previous mission, Zenitsu wouldn’t want her to be in danger during the day.

It was his duty to protect her, she promised to be with him.

Zenitsu spit blood from his mouth as the boar masked male performed a kick on his right cheek.

It surely hurts like a bitch, his eyes soaking up in pain.

“You spineless coward, come and fight me!”

Endure it, don’t collapse. Not until Tanjirou arrives here.

He noted the sound of pain and worry from Shinku as his lips turned to smile towards the box—his spare hand grabbing Tanjirou’s box and hugs it while he shudders in pain.

“It’ll be alright, Shinku-chan. Don’t worry, I’m here. I’ll protect you guys.”

Inosuke let’s out an annoyed noise from his throat, his arm elevating his two jagged blades in mild aggression.

“If you don’t want to move out of the way, I will skewer you along with those two demons.” The boar masked boy snapped.

“Stop it!” Tanjirou finally arrived at once. He tackles the boar boy out of Zenitsu’s way.

Needless to say, Tanjirou ended the fight with the boar masked slayer, who’s face was blessed with beautiful feature similar to a girl’s beauty.

Zenitsu was tired from all the events that occurred, he hoped that there will be no more mission prepared for them after this mission.

He just wanted to sleep and spend time with Shinku. And maybe ask Tanjirou to know his reason for traveling with Pink eyes.

His muscles screaming in pain when he assisted Tanjirou and along with the kids to bury the corpses for a proper burial.

Still, he couldn’t help but think that maybe Tanjirou wanted to find a cure to turn demons back into humans. The same objective him and Shinku tries to find the solution of.

When his yellow-brown eyes landed on Shinku’s box, her sound emitting a wave of concern and little anger. A warm fuzzy feeling surrounded him, making him glow in happiness that Shinku was looking out for him.

It didn’t take long for his moment of happiness been wiped out when the blue-haired teen woke up, and shouted from the top of his lungs.

As it surprises Zenitsu, fear jumps into his heart and he shrieked upon the boar-head male glancing at him.

“He’s awake!” He then goes to hide behind Shoichi, and calls for Tanjirou’s attention.

Gods, he wanted this to be over soon.

Wisteria House

The group of boys have arrived to the wisteria mansion in order to rest as ordered by their messenger crow and sparrow.

Good thing, the old land lady wasn’t offended by Zenitsu’s remarks of labeling her as a monster instead was amused when Tanjirou scolded him and apologized for his behalf.

Their injuries were tended one by one as all three of them were examined and confirmed to have broken ribs. Having all changed their demon slayers attires into their spare of yukata given to them by old lady, Hisa.

They enjoyed their leisure breaks for most of the part, even though Inosuke tends to act more annoying to Zenitsu’s displeasure, eating a mouthful of tempuras and throwing him a pillow to his face when he didn’t make Tanjirou mad at him.

Seriously, that boar headed boy was a lot of headache for the blonde boy. It didn’t help when that pig ignited Shinku’s anger even more.

...

“Tanjirou-kun, Shinku-chan is intentionally making Inosuke angrier.” Zenitsu was stunned, he grips on the boy’s sleeve for comfort.

“If this goes on—“ The young blonde hesitated, the injuries on his face had been treated with a bandage placed on one of his cheek.

“I’m afraid that they’re gonna beat each other up.” Tanjirou gravely spoke, behind them Nezuko was peeking over her brother’s shoulder.

“Hmmm?”

It was during their bedtime that Tanjirou decided to introduce Nezuko to his group and at the same time, Zenitsu introduced Shinku to everyone.

All was well for the time being, but when Inosuke started on making fun of Zenitsu’s cowardly behavior.

Shinku was raging, marching off to where the boar boy was laying on the futon. Giving a swift kick to Inosuke’s side and the blue-haired boy coughed in pain, laying his arm on his side.

“Oy, what the heck is your problem? You damn ram demon?!” He shrieked in anger, veins bursting on his temples when he stand toe to toe against the purple-head demon.

“My bad, I must’ve stepped something dirty and I tried to throw it away.” The female rose an eyebrow, her tone underlying a sarcastic tone in it.

Zenitsu and Tanjirou flinched in unison, ‘She’s going to make Inosuke angry at this rate!’

“Huh? Are you looking down on me, fight me!” Inosuke steps one foot forward, clenching and unclenching his two palms.

“I did not come here to fight in the first place,” she intone, red eyes in boredom while she tilted her head to the side.

The boy clad in blue yukata shoot her a mix of confusion and irritated expression.

“I demand you to apologize to Zenitsu for beating him a couple of times.” She spoke sharply.

‘ This is not good, he needed to resolve the incoming fight brewing between the two of them,’ Tanjirou anxiously thought.

“Zenitsu, we need to stop Inosuke. He might really fight her,” the burgundy-haired boy was worried, he looked at Zenitsu and sweat dropped.

“That’s right! He should apologize to me, Shinku-chan!” Zenitsu was crying in joy as the ram demon gets angry for his sake.

Nezuko was beside him, nodding her head in agreement as she pumped her fist in encouragement with eyes shining in determination.

“You’re not helping, Zenitsu. You’re trying to make everything worse. Help me stop them.”

“Huh, no way! Who are you to order Lord Inosuke?!” Inosuke crosses his arms and glared at her.

“I see, it seems a good talk would not work on you. I would have to use force by any means.” She says, Inosuke was laughing as he was thrilled upon the challenge.

“Bring it on!” The two exchanges a blow of fists, both were dodging and movements becoming quicker than the naked eye.

“Please don’t fight,” Tanjirou scolded them, sweats dripping on the side of his cheek.

“Inosuke, you’re still injured and you need to rest.”

In a blink of an eye, Shinku uses the heel of her sandal to sweep off Inosuke’s ankle, knocking him off his balance as he fell down to the ground.

The demon girl lightly stomp her foot on his abdomen while the three onlookers watched in astonishment.

“Oof, get off. What are you doing?!” Inosuke was enraged upon being knocked down so suddenly.

“How are you so fast anyway! I want a rematch!”

Shinku scoffed, flipping her purple hair to her back. “How obnoxious. I was putting you in your place. Since you messed with what was mine.” She input.

Zenitsu madly blushed from her words and giggled as Tanjiro looked at him weirdly.

“Stop looking at me like that?!” The yellow-haired male screeching in complaint.

“So what if I hurt him? He was a coward anyway!”

The purple-head demon narrowed her eyes, putting more pressure in her feet which leads to Inosuke who’s flailing like a fish on the land.

“You are to apologize since you harm him. Or are you not man enough to own up your mistakes, you coward?” She taunted before removing her foot on him.

Inosuke smirked, “I can apologize too. Who are you kidding with!” He stand up as he push his right foot backward and raised his arm holding his weapon, the pillow and slam it on Shinku’s face.

“Take this, Lord Inosuke’s revenge!”

Upon the impact, the poor pillow exploded in a mass of soft, white feathery materials scattering the air.

Zenitsu and Tanjirou paled as Nezuko curiously observed the scene in front of her eyes. Her hands catching the strays feathers like drops of snow raining above them.

Shinku shivered in anger as Inosuke cackled at her appearance covered in feather pillows.

“It fits you, feather woman!” An irk marked formed on her head, and Shinku screams a war cry.

“You stupid pig, I’ll roast you alive!”

At the sound of her voice, Zenitsu and Tanjirou went to stop them.

“Ah, don’t kill him. Shinku-chan, I know he’s stupid—“ Zenitsu moves to hug Shinku’s waist and tries to pull her off from lashing against the blue-haired slayer.

“Let go of me! I’ll teach him a lesson by myself!” Shinku was mad, she was pulling harshly Inosuke’s blue hair out of anger.

“Just apologize already! You stupid pig!”

“Why should I apologize?! That yellow mop hasn’t earned my respect!” Inosuke’s face got smashed by a pillow, he spitted out the feathers from his mouth.

The boar boy growled before his arm dives to clutch Shinku’s long purple strands and tug it towards his direction causing Shinku to yelped in pain.

“You ugly hag!” He insulted her.

“I’ll teach you how to respect! Let go of my hair!”

“Shinku-chan, stop it now!” Zenitsu’s arm was starting to get tired from stopping the purple-head to charge against Inosuke.

“No, you let go of my hair first! You feather woman!”

Tanjirou also hold off Inosuke as he felt him struggling against his arms. “Inosuke, cut it out! No more fighting, you have broken ribs. You need to rest!”

“Get off me, Gonpachiro! Our fight’s not over yet!” Inosuke was mirroring Shinku’s actions, if she wants to pull someone’s hair then he can do it too.

He’ll prove to her that he can do better than her.

Behind him was Nezuko joining the fight, the bamboo muzzled girl had grabbed Inosuke’s strands too.

“Ouch, you wanna get your hair pulled too, you bamboo girl!”

“Mphhhmf!”

Tanjirou had enough of them fighting like kids. “Enough!” He moves Inosuke to face him and head butted him again, the boar boy collapse out of pain letting go of Shinku’s hair, he fainted.

In turn, Shinku let’s go of Inosuke’s hairlocks too, once she saw him falling in the ground.

Nezuko also backs away, sensing her brother getting mad isn’t a good idea.

He then head butted Shinku’s forehead making her snapped out of anger, the red mark forming on her forehead as she grunts in pain.

“That hurt,” she spoke in pain as tears slipped into her cheeks.

Zenitsu removes his hold on her, his yellow hair shadowing his eyes. A surge of electricity trickles around his frame, “Come to think of it, Tanjirou. You send Shoichi-kun away, got myself beaten up to protect your sister, and you prevented me from getting bandages for Shinku.”

He grabbed on his nichirin blade with tears flowing below his cheeks, “Moreover, you head butted Shinku until she cried in pain. Guys like you should get purged immediately for hurting a beautiful girl, much less my soon to be wife.”

“Wait, Zenitsu. Listen up,” Tanjirou was sweating as he felt the threatening aura rolled over Zenitsu’s frame.

“Come here, you bastard. I’ll slice you up!”

“Zenitsu, stop it!”

Shinku’s eyebrow was twitching as Nezuko went to her direction and watched them running all over the place.

Her hands brushing away the feathers sticking to her red kimono while she rubs her forehead gently.

That Tanjirou’s forehead is like a rock and it almost crack her forehead because of it.

“Let’s leave them be, pink eyes. I’m done with their shits.” Shinku holds Nezuko’s hand as they moved to another room for some peace and quiet time.

They’re too noisy.

It was midnight when Zenitsu stirred up from his slumber, his eyes wandered to his new found friends sleeping peacefully beside him.

Tanjiro was cuddling his sister while Inosuke was snoring loudly, his arm resting over Tanjirou’s rock forehead.

For once in his life, he felt complete and happy. It was a new thing for him to have friends and he enjoyed their presence. He was thankful that their mission was finished as soon as Tanjirou eliminated the demon.

He thought he wouldn’t have the strength to be here without Shinku encouraging him that he has the potential to be a slayer.

For he was a coward like Inosuke said to him, but it was Shinku and Gramps who have refused to leave his side and that’s why he wants to show them that even a coward is capable of being strong.

Now that he thought about Shinku, the ram demon was acting unusual when they arrived here in the wisteria mansion. Maybe, she didn’t like the smell of wisteria? Was it the cause of her sour sound from before, she seems to be out of it.

Zenitsu quietly remove himself from the futon and reaches to the wooden box. He stopped and frowned upon not detecting Shinku’s sound in there.

She was wandering at this time?

He slowly rise up on his feet and trudges towards the doorway and once he goes outside and saw the demon girl sitting on the engawa.

His cheeks flushed brightly when he saw the moonlight illuminating Shinku’s figure, it looks as if her pale skin was glowing like those beautiful fireflies fluttering freely in the wind behind the forest.

The yellow-haired swordsman needed to pull himself together, now is not the time to fawn upon her beauty. He needed to make sure if she’s alright.

As it’s one of the things that can soothes his worry for her.

The purple-head sense him the moment he comes to find her here in the engawa. The female was ashamed of herself for letting the human be harmed without her interfering the fight.

She took pride in protecting him countless of times, but that time she couldn’t protect him because of her weakness against the sun.

The red-eyed girl bites her lower lip before releasing it, her ego was bruised. How could she ever face that kind expression he gives her when she lets the harm comes into his way.

She was useless to him.

“Do you regret traveling with me?” Shinku’s voice masking the pain, the pool of red eyes look ahead the stars floating above the dark canvas.

It was silent for a while as her fears continues to grow in her mind, awaiting for his response.

Zenitsu breathes before moving to sit beside her, his arm brushing against her shoulder. Shinku didn’t move, merely locking her sight onto the silver moon watching over them.

“What makes you think of that, Shinku-chan?”

“Back when that brute was beating you, I couldn’t do anything to help you. I was so angry at the fact that I was unable to help you and you were dealing all the pain.” Shinku rambled, she didn’t know why she shared all of her troubling thoughts to him.

And that painful feeling when she heard him in pain from Inosuke’s attacks.

This feeling infuriated her, it was so weird for her to feel this overwhelming emotions when it concerns him.

“You were reckless, so reckless that you’re actually willing to get yourself hurt just because you’re protecting my existence! You could’ve just let himself be and take away Pink eyes to safety. I could’ve—“ She was speaking nonsense, and she halted her ranting when she felt his hand placed over the top of her back hand.

“Shinku-chan, I don’t care if I got hit by that pig. What matters is that I was finally protecting the one who always protect me when I was being a wimpy boy.”

Shinku whipped her head to him, her wide eyed expression brings a pure smile onto Zenitsu’s lips.

“Of course, it’s a bonus points for me to protect two beautiful girls!” He cooed, he was back to his silly self and the purple-head girl was twitching in anger.

Typical Zenitsu.

Removing her hand onto his grip, Shinku was beyond irked; the redness on her cheeks was apparent and she hissed at him when she fisted his front collar.

“I was actually telling you my problems. And you just—Really, that behavior of yours when it comes to girls is starting to get on my nerves?!” She was shouting at him, tears seem to flood in her eyes.

This wannabe womanizer!

To think that she was starting to see him in a different light, she was sorely mistaken about that.

“You think that you could just play with what I was feeling?! Dare to make fun—“ Shinku blinked when she was suddenly pulled forward, and felt her lips burn just like the searing heat of the rising sun; her heartbeat leaps out of her chest when he grabbed her cheek and steal her breath.

“Sorry for making you angry, Shinku-chan. You just look so adorable to me, my love.” With bated breath, Zenitsu watched in amazement as the rich color of rose tinted her cheeks.

It’s the first time he heard Shinku’s heartbeat so loud to his ears, it was intense like thunder striking the stormy sky, and yet the sound is so lovely to him.

It’s like a feeling he’d known from her, a beautiful noise filled with pure emotions that endears him to listen to it.

“You!” Shinku was flustered, jumping away from him. She pointed her index finger to Zenitsu’s cheeky grin with a hint of blush surfacing on his cheeks.

“You shameless perverted guy!” Zenitsu was rewarded with a full-blown blush on Shinku’s entire face as she hissed at him like an adorable kitten.

“You’re lucky that you are injured or else I would have slap you now!” The thunder user knew she didn’t mean that.

He watches Shinku’s figure scurrying inside as the warm keeps on creeping up to her ears.

The young blonde flashed a bright smile to her fleeing form.

“I hope you have a pleasant dream, Shinku-chan.”

To Zenitsu, he lose the battle but win the war.

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

ᵀᵃⁱˢʰᵒᵘ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗ

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

The next morning Inosuke reluctantly apologized to Zenitsu, courtesy to Tanjirou.

Chapter Text

❝ We try to hide our feelings, but we forget that our eyes speak.❞ —Healthyplace.com

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Blues

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

It was an early dark morning, the golden sky  was yet to engrave its special place on the sleeping, earthen land.

It was quiet when Shinku steps outside the engawa, everyone is asleep except Nezuko who she drags with her as they both venture to the backyard.

The silence was heavy even the pink-eyed demon felt the aura of sadness emitting from the red-eyed girl. And she had no idea why Shinku felt that kind of emotion.

Upon the pair arriving to the wisteria-filled trees, Nezuko scrunches her forehead towards the scent of demon repellant flowers.

“Mphhhmf?”

“Forgive me for bringing you out of here, pink eyes. You see it’s important for me to do this, and I wanted someone to accompany me.”

The ram demon’s voice were tinged in slight desperation, it’s almost as if the pain and fear in her tone were alive.

Nevertheless, the bamboo muzzle girl was confused at her fellow demon’s behavior as she nodded her pretty head to Shinku’s request.

The nerves spiking on her muscles lessened, her tight expression went relaxed for a sliver of seconds in her deep ruby eyes.

“I owe you one.” The purple-head spoke gently before gradually releasing Nezuko’s hand while she sets her track on the largest wisteria tree, stopping before the visible tree roots.

Her nose itches from the wisterias smell, and her breathing turned ragged. Nezuko looked alarmed and step her foot forward.

“Nezuko, don’t come any further. I’ll be alright,” she promises, Shinku kneels to the dirt path—much to the noirette girl’s confusion.

The petite demon grabs a small purple pouch from her obi and she swallowed a breath, her throat bobbling up as the warm spreads into her eyes, it felt like her eyelids is burning from the rays of a blinding sun.

With her sharp claws, she dug a huge amount of dirt and buried the purple pouch within the soil. Shinku’s shoulders is trembling, the deafening silence arousing the grief which pangs her beating heart.

“Live.” Those haunting words keeps on reappearing on her dreams, it was him all over again.

It seems those words intends to taunt her as if she haven’t been surviving all this time. What does her brother wanted to tell her?

Why could she hear him in her dreams, pleading for her to be happy? To be free from her burden? When she’s the one who deserved to experience the taste of pain, to grief for their loss.

And to continue to beg for their forgiveness each time she wanted to die...

That was before she got to know one of the strongest human she’d luckily encountered.

“Thanks for accompanying me here, pink eyes. I needed this.” She uttered, a distant look covered the depths of emotions swirling inside her vibrant, teary eyes.

The purple-head female didn’t have a heart to tell this to Zenitsu, she knows that it will cause him to worry about her.

And most importantly, she’s afraid that once he knows; a tiny fear planted in her mind that Zenitsu might hate her because of her dark past.

She’s scared to admit the truth to him, her lips wobble and when she bowed her head with her purple strands dropping like a curtain to cover her pain-filled expression.

Shinku forgot to realize that Nezuko went to reach her and hug her shivering form. It was a comforting feeling that distracted her mind for a while, and she tear up.

The dams of huge emotions suddenly poured out from her soul and as she cried like a broken child who had lost everything; a loving family and a brother whom she never got to remember.

“I lost them! And it’s because of me that they died, he died while he’s in pain.” The pink-eyed demon releases a soft hum, her fingers running through Shinku’s purple strands as the crying girl sobs with all of the pain she’s releasing.

“It’s my fault, everything’s my fault!” It was painful, the hot tears sliding down her cheeks tasted so salty as her mind drifted to her brother’s corpse.

His eyes were staring blankly at her from that time. Comparing the color of his eyes to the blueness of ocean swarming the parts of the land were now withered out of life.

It causes her to choke up more in tears.

She could see her own reflection in his dead eyes, and she hated herself for what she’s become.

A monster in the eyes of a human beings. Just like how her existence is damned when that evil man set his eyes on her.

A tainted blood running in her veins had changed her whole life in a drastic turn of tragic fate.

She prayed to the gods to forgive her, and she prayed for her once family that they may find happiness in the afterlife. The girl further leans into Nezuko’s embrace, withholding the anguished cries slipping from her lips.

May her family forgives her for being a demon.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of saddened yellow eyes watching the ram demon cries in sadness. Her sound was screaming in hurt, and it woke him abruptly.

He heard how her heart beats differently than the other night they’ve talked with each other.

Right now, the sound of sorrow is so strong it could’ve bend the ocean’s waves; the mountains breaking and the storm screaming in anguished—that’s how Shinku’s heart sounded to him, and it pains him to know how much he wishes to comfort her at this moment.

“Oi, ram demon. I challenge you for a rematch!” Inosuke announced in a loud voice, Shinku sends him a dry look, “Denied.”

The purple-head demon had a cup of tea that Zenitsu brewed for her as she sipped it to her liking.

“Hah, why not?!”

“Why won’t you help Zenitsu and Kamado on their task then?” She inquired, her crimson eyes sweep to Nezuko’s sleeping face, the bamboo girl’s head was nestled on her lap while she caressed the young demon’s black hair gently.

“No way!”

Shinku’s eyes twinkled in mischievous idea, “I see. It seems you are too weak to work on an easy task with them.”

The boar-head male flinched, “Don’t worry, they can handle it—it’s not like they’re asking for your help anyway,” she knowingly smirked.

An annoyed irk marked surfaces on the blue-haired male’s forehead and he shrieked angrily at her. “Huh?! I can do what they can do too. Just watch!”

Inside the spacious room, Tanjirou was repainting the two wooden box’s door and was enjoying chatting with the blonde slayer.

Zenitsu’s cheeks emit a dose of pink, and he shyly giggled while his eyes never stray from sewing the dark tattered sleeves of the haori from his hands.

“So how did you meet Shinku-san, Zenitsu?” Tanjirou politely asked, his attention is solely onto repainting and fixing the straps attached to their makeshift boxes.

The two teenagers didn’t mind that Inosuke had come to help them.

At first, the boar boy was confused upon the paint and brush he received and upon by watching Tanjirou’s actions he soon was able to get a gist on how to do it, saying, “He will show them how great his painting skills are.”

“It was a cold winter night when I meet her. I was being attacked by a demon on that time. I thought I was gonna die for real. By chance, Shinku was there and she came to my rescue and protected me until she defeat that demon.” He gushed like a maiden in love.

“That’s quite a story, but why were you attacked by a demon in the first place?” Tanjirou inquired, blinking his curious eyes onto the blushing male.

“Well, I was a fool to follow my former lover since she abandoned me with a large debt. Unfortunately, when I followed her during the night she was ambushed by that thing. I saw that demon eating her and I tried to escape but I was caught in the end.” He continued to stitch the tears on the dark sleeve of the haori.

“Tsk, not only you are a weakling but a stupid fool in love!” Inosuke mocked, haphazardly painting the box’s opening door and some of the paint had dropped on the floor.

Tanjirou frowned, “Inosuke, don’t be rude to Zenitsu.”

Zenitsu’s eyebrows twitching in irritation upon noticing the smeared paint on the floor. He screeches slightly, “Goddamnit, Inosuke. Some of the paint is dropping on the floor, you know that paint is given to us by the monster lady! And treat the box with care, will you?!”

The yellow-haired boy got a lump formed on top of his head (due to Tanjirou) when he described Hisa again as a monster.

“Be more respectful to grandma Hisa, Zenitsu!” The burgundy-haired boy scolded the crybaby male.

“But Tanjirou!” The yellow-haired male had tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Shut up, I’m doing a better job than the two of you! Monitsu and Gonpanchiro!” Inosuke cackled.

“It’s Zenitsu, get it right on your head. You stupid pig!”

“It’s Tanjirou!” The two slayers exclaimed in unison as the boar boy laughed at their irritated expression.

It was nice to watch the three slayers bonded in a short time of meeting each other. However, there’s something prickling on her chest. One’s red eyes were shadowed by insecurity upon noticing them interact freely with each other.

Was it by the fact that they were humans that the three of them were able to get along easily, despite the difference of their behaviors against one another?

She couldn’t help the thought that suddenly comes to her mind. That if she were a human, she’d want to engage in their conversation and have fun too.

To have something she’d want to call as friends like Zenitsu.

But she have to stop being greedy because what if they learned all the truth behind her past. Would they leave her, would the crybaby chick abandoned her?

The ram demon wasn’t sure of their reactions, his reactions and she was terrified for them to learn about it.

Everything faded in her sight melting into darkness, the happy sounds tuned off in her ears. It didn’t help that the wordless longing she felt for some company courses through her.

It’s all in her, heavy and dark as her feelings was like the silent twilight missing the light of the moon and the guidance of the stars which once aligns the vast sky to create a beautiful scenery for the world to feast their eyes on.

It was bittersweet to her when the truth comes to knock her senses.

Something warm flows into her hand, it was gentle like the indigo breeze chiming to foretell the remnants of its comfort to her cold, pale hand.

“Shinku-chan, I finished repairing the tears on your haori.” A flicker of doubts emerged in her eyes, and Shinku remained quiet.

Wordlessly, the thunder user provided a tiny smile on his lips, and in one quick move, he drapes the black haori on her shoulders—the cloth blanketing her with warmth.

Vexation ignited into her scarlet eyes and swiftly connected with one’s soft ochre sights. Zenitsu’s eyes tells everything she didn’t consider.

It was a look of concern, care and honesty. And his eyes never lies to her as she was simply drawn by the gentle warm of his yellow gaze.

His stare seems to bring the redness crawling to her cheeks, and she refused to look at him when he gave her that look.

Nezuko suddenly stirred up from her slumber, the ebony-haired demon in her child size was found to be sitting on Shinku’s lap.

Her half-lidded eyes flutters for a few seconds before she produces a cheery hummed when she saw Zenitsu within her sight.

“Mhhnmf!”

“Hello, Nezuko-chan!” He greeted the bamboo girl before his focus went to Shinku who immediately scowled.

His chocolate-yellow eyes gaped when he saw her slightly pouting. It made his heart skyrocketed in happiness, and he made a silly dance in front of the two demons, shocking them.

The blonde slayer’s red cheeks intensified as he brings a small flower to Shinku’s palm. And it brought a goofy smile out of him, “This is for a beautiful girl like Shinku-chan,” he giggled.

He also gives a yellow flower to Nezuko who accepted it within a second and hummed at him. The black-haired girl was quick to showcase her gift to her brother who’s patting his sister’s head.

All the while, Inosuke who had finally done his part correctly had jumped and rammed his boar masked onto Tanjirou’s back.

“Why’d you do that, Inosuke!” The poor brother rubbed his back in pain, staring at the proud boar boy.

“Let’s have our rematch fight, Gonpachiro!”

“We can’t fight, we’re still injured!”

“Pig assault!”

“Mphmmmf!”  The three were running around the room since Inosuke was pursuing the two siblings for a fight while Shinku and Zenitsu were busy conversing with one another.

“Why is mine the color of violet?” Shinku casually asked, her eyes were in a myriad of blues; it’s as if the extent of pain stirring into her darkened eyes.

“Well, it represents you.  And it’s because this flowers had a meaning behind its appearance.” The blonde became shy, his fingers fiddling in nervous feat.

Shinku arch one of her eyebrows in confusion, “This flower is called?” She humored him, anything to distract her mind from her depressing thoughts.

“An alyssum.” He mumbled, his cheeks becoming rosier in each seconds.

“And its meaning is—“ His answer became gibberish, his voice is too small for her to catch his reason for giving it to her.

“What?”

His uneven golden choppy bangs covers his eyes, and he hesitantly spoke a little louder.

“—Worth beyond beauty.” At his response, he quickly escapes from her sight. He left a trail of lightning currents on his previous spot.

Shinku’s eyes widened in shock, her lips slightly parted open.

“Ah, I messed things up!” The blonde immediately cried in shame and she could detect the flustered tone hinted behind his screaming voice.

Zenitsu was then chased by Inosuke too, joining the siblings on the run to get away from the boar-masked male.

“Come back here and fight me, you weaklings!”

Chapter Text

❝ If you can only do one thing, hone it to perfection. Hone it to the utmost limit!❞

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Mount Natagumo

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

The golden dawn brings good news, in the beginning of the day one might think the morning was greeting the people.

There now comes a time, grandma Hisa had called upon the doctor to give a check up on the three teenagers’ health conditions.

Upon a quick health examination for the boys, the doctor in tow concluded that their injuries are all healed up.

This good news seems to uplift a bright smile on Tanjirou’s facial features. His uncontained chuckles led Inosuke and a worried Zenitsu to glance at him.

A few hours passed, Matsuemon beating its strong wings to the sky as the crow landed its crow feet onto the wooden flooring.

Tanjirou was sitting nearby the opened shoji doors; he moved Nezuko’s box beside him, his attention diverting to Matsuemon, his crow messenger.

Inosuke had steams flowing through his nostrils, watching a blushing Zenitsu holding a purple flower close to his wooden box.

“The next mission is north-northeast!” The crow repeated the words, “All three of you are assigned to head to Mt. Natagumo!”

Prior to Matsuemon’s announcement, the three locked gazes—their eyes all wondering why were the three of them are assigned in a single mission.

By the urgent news of Tanjirou’s crow, this mission could be dangerous. For one thing, Zenitsu could tell was his gut telling him that he wouldn’t like what their next mission is all about.

Dusk hovered the black clouds in the sky, by the time the three demon hunters trek to the northeast.

Zenitsu took a sighting at the shadow of the hill, it was a dark mountain with a very creepy sounds springing on the inside of the forest.

The yellow-haired teen could hear the numerous cries for help, and the sound of a sharp noise silencing the thrumming beats of a living being.

His heart dropped down to his stomach, his skin turning pale as he sweats in a dawning realization.

Someone had died in there.

He felt nauseous, so sick and scared of thinking to venture inside that horrible place. Even Shinku’s sound couldn’t keep him calm.

His fear is like a poison consuming his body and mind until he no longer stands, but sits himself on the ground; afraid of hearing again another person’s heart to die.

Tanjirou and Inosuke apparently felt confused upon the thunder user’s sudden scared reaction.

“What’s wrong, Zenitsu?” Tanjirou question in concern.

“Can’t you even tell that right now I’m utterly terrified?!” His voice reaching a high octave, followed by the warm beads of tears rushing to his cheeks.

“Why the hell is he sitting like that? He has that ram demon to protect him, I don’t even get that spineless coward.” The boar masked boy stated, his index finger pointing to the wooden box that the crybaby carried.

“Shut up, you pig face!” Zenitsu tearfully yelled in frightened tone.

“Still, we can’t expect ourselves to stay here. Someone might be in trouble there.” Tanjirou pondered, his worried eyes lingered to the mountain.

“Can we just leave him be here? Let the ram demon babysit his cowardly self.” Inosuke pointed out, he places his hand on each sides while he’s tapping his sandals in an impatient manner.

“Hey, don’t talk about Shinku-chan like that?!”

All of a sudden, Tanjirou’s concern expression changed into an alarming look.

“This smell..” Immediately, the burgundy-haired male runs fast, straight to the mountain Natagumo. Inosuke followed close behind him.

“Guys, don’t leave me here by myself!”

‘I wonder if they hate me?’ Zenitsu blankly thought, ‘Would you really leave your friend by the roadside?’

‘Poor me left alone here.’ The wave of intense self-pity covered him, the yellow-haired male glumly watched the scene in front of him.

A soft clicking of wood been opened, and an outline figure of a person crept out of the box. Gradually changing into one’s original height.

“How long will you keep on sitting there, crybaby chick?”

Zenitsu shrieked in surprise, his yellow-brown orbs found the red eyes glowing in the dark.

Chuntaro, his sparrow chirps in as it plops itself on top of Shinku’s head.

“—but the mountain, it rings a sound of twisted, scary noises! It scared me to not enter the forest,” he whined, his eyes noticing a frowned expression etched on her pretty face.

Having deal with Zenitsu’s antics, Shinku grab a hold of the back collar of the thunder user and proceed to drag him towards the mountain.

“No! I’m gonna die, I don’t want to go in there. Shinku-chan!”

“That’s not an excuse for you to back out on this mission. Kamado and the boar needs your help.” Shinku taking notes of their surroundings once they entered the grim forest, the stench of blood floating around the place.

The girl with purple tone hair almost drools at the sweet scent, but she uses her other sleeve to block her nose from smelling it.

‘Calm down, Shinku. It’s human blood, you can’t eat humans. You can’t.’ Some sweats rolling below her chin and she heaved a gulp of air.

“—but they don’t need me here. They left me alone by myself!” He sniffles in tears, the snot running down his nose.

“Are you blind? Am I not here to drag your heavy ass in this mountain?” Shinku sneered, making Zenitsu blushed at her statement.

“Shinku-chan, my butt isn’t that heavy!” He cried with an offended look.

“Then walk on your own.” In an instant, Shinku removed her grip on his collar. She waited until Zenitsu stands up and shakily pulled on her haori’s sleeve end.

“Tanjirou! Nezuko-chan! Wild boar, where are you guys?” Zenitsu raised his voice as it echoes throughout the area.

The female in red kimono shot a deadpanned look towards the crying teen—somehow, he resembles like a lost child in a strange place.

“I advise you to stop yelling in a middle of the forest. It might attract some unwanted attention to us,” upon her explanation, the thunder user clings to her waist.

“Don’t leave me here,” he hiccuped in tears.

“Silly human, I won’t abandoned you. Rest assured that I’m on your side.” Shinku muttered, her right palm placing on the top of his yellow head as Zenitsu look at her in a shy gaze.

“Shinku-chan!” He cooed.

“Now get up and wipe your tears off.” He complied to her request.

“Is that a—spider webs?!” Zenitsu was gasping out of fear, hiding behind Shinku as he gripped on her sleeve.

Following his line of vision, there’s an appearance of several spider web between the gaps of each rigid trees.

“Oh god, please protect me. Shinku-chan!” His voice trembling in horror.

The ram demon hushed him, her crimson red eyes narrowed when her ears caught a strain of pattering noises.

Was it left?

Where was it moving towards to?

One’s red eyes darkened.

“What an irritating sound.” Shinku intone, rotating to face a bemused crybaby—her left hand grab on his waist and pulls him to her arms.

Zenitsu’s face was beet red. On the other hand, Shinku sharply sense something white nearing the human and swiftly thrust her right palm to snatched and crushed it.

It shook the lovesick boy in her arms, “What was that?”

Shinku let go of the crybaby as she backs away, and glared to her hand with blood seeping through her fingers.

“There’s a pest. A sneaky little insect thinks that it could slip under someone’s nose,” the purple-head demon smirked coldly, shaking off the blood in her hand and wipe it off using her sleeve.

“Shall we exterminate the demon, food supplier?” A gleam flashing on her crimson orbs.

Chuntaro happily chirp above her head.

The blonde froze in fear before he sobbed uncontrollably, “I can’t do it, I’m weak against fighting demons!” He latched on her back, anything to halt her from pursuing the demon.

“Yes, you can. You are no longer a weak crybaby, but an incredibly strong swordsman.” She whispered, her sandals roving on the path. Not minding the weight of a crying person behind her back.

“Now, you are just flattering me!”

The smell of a demon got stronger as they moved closer to its destination. Shinku had her guard up, the deeper they walked—the more she could hear those rustling spiders tapping the uneven, dirt ground.

“Zenitsu? What do you hear?”

“Eh? I heard a loud, terrible sound from there.”

“Where?” She’s still carrying the swordsman on her back, hands resting on the back of his thighs.

The ram demon heard him whimpered, and whirled back to find a human head with a small body of a spider, looking at them with its deadly stare.

“Now, that’s something I can call as horrifying.” Shinku calmly noted.

“Stop saying such creepy stuffs!” Zenitsu started screaming hysterically behind her back.

Zenitsu got a hundred of complaints running in his mind, first is that he regret coming here with Shinku as they find a spider with a human face.

Second was that Tanjirou and Inosuke left him alone, heck he even take away his cute sister to face danger. That stupid idiot of a brother he is.

Third, he thought that Shinku is taking him to somewhere safe when every parts of the forest went blurred in his vision. The rest of his complaints were all about how ominous this mountain seems to be.

“Let this be a dream, oh god. I’m so so scared!” A trail of tears lines down his face as he shrieked in high notes.

“No, sorry to break your fantasy. But we’re here.” Shinku declared, putting down Zenitsu on the ground.

It dampened his mood, what he saw shocked him to the core.

There were victims tangled by spider webs and a floating house which is supported by a sturdy, white thread surrounding on it. Not to mention, they detect a strong acrid smell coming from above them.

“What the heck is that?!”

“Zenitsu, it appears that the victims are changing. It looks like they’re turning into a spider.” Shinku stated, her steeled eyes surveying the captured demon slayers with a thread on their bodies.

The floating house rattled a noise, a thin thread came out of it as a large body of a spider with a human head emerged and hanging below the house.

“It’s huge!” Zenitsu exclaimed.

Shinku craned her head and her eyes narrowed before she spoke, “Chuntaro.”

The sparrow drops down on her palm and peer to her serious expression. “Things will get messy soon. I suggest for you to hide and wait ‘til the fight is over.”

Upon her grave tone, the sparrow nodded and hide itself under her black haori.

The ram demon got a feeling that the mizunoto would run away so when the boy attempted to escape.

A hand yanked on his back collar, “Stop, let go of me. If you’re suggesting that I fight that demon, I’ll die!”

“You’re not escaping crybaby. Better yet, you are going to hack that thing’s head off.” She explained, her red eyes never straying from the wide-eyed spider demon when he took notice of her.

“No, Shinku-chan, stop having such high expectations of me!” He whined.

“Why is a demon like you traveling with a human?” It spoke, the spider demon’s reaction was filled with disgust.

Shinku responded in a cold tone, “Maybe because I don’t want to associate myself to him and towards the likes of you.”

It causes the brother spider demon to be agitated as he laughed it off, “Whatever, that human of yours is already losing.”

“What are you talking about?!” Zenitsu snapped, already facing the demon as Shinku removed her hold on his collar.

“Just take a look at your hands, you stupid human. It’s a poison that makes you turn into a spider.”

The mizunoto glanced at his hands, his face went confused. “But there’s nothing wrong with my hands,” he showed his palm to the spider demon.

“Impossible! You should already been pricked with my poison!”

“Ah, that filthy thing tried to do it. But I guess it failed to do its job,” Shinku giggled, her deep ruby eyes conveyed mockery.

“You wench!” The spider demon growled at her.

“Hurry up, and prick the guy with poison!” The spider brother demon ordered its minions of spiders.

A cry from her left causes Shinku to kick some of the human hybrid spiders away from Zenitsu.

“You crybaby, are you alright?” When she shifts her head towards the swordsman, Shinku blinked when she found him climbing on the tree.

“It’s useless, he is now already pricked with poison!”

The girl’s red eyes shot wide open, and throw a scolding look to the slayer. “It’s all the more reason for you to defeat that thing. Get your ass down here and fight.”

“I know that, but 90% of my fears is all about me turning into a spider! I hate it, I hate this!” He whisper-yelled, unaware that the spiders are climbing on the tree too.

“How amusing, that boy is too cowardly to fight back!” The spider demon mockingly laughed at the blonde slayer.

She continues to evade the human hybrid spiders within her space, her sandals trampling down some of the spiders that tried to prick her.

They got thirty minutes to defeat that thing, but the problem is, Zenitsu was still panicking over becoming a spider.

“Once the poison makes it rounds, and you turn into a spider. You’ll lose all your intelligence too!”

“No! That’s what I just don’t like about this! Shinku will not like me anymore if I turn into a bald human-spider!”

That’s what he worries about?

Shinku was dumbfounded a little, keeping the human hybrid spiders in a distance.

It didn’t take time for the blonde to faint in fear once he notice his hair falling out due to the poison. As he falls down from the tree, Shinku knew things will get serious from the moment Zenitsu decided to fight.

“Thunder breathing, first form.” He twists his body upright, his feet pressed on the tree as he launch at the spider brother demon.

The ram demon give a minuscule smile, “Took you a long time,” she dodges another spiders as she delivers a kick, throwing a couple of spiders across a distance.

But that thing just spewed a poisonous substance to Zenitsu’s direction, in a quick reaction he was able to dodge it midair and descended on the ground.

The poisonous substance splattered over the tree, its acidic property rapidly dissolving the tree trunk.

At any rate, the spider brother demon spewed a lot of poison to interrupt Zenitsu from finishing his form. It seems he knows that the young slayer only knows one form.

Shinku observed, he needed some sort of help. And she’ll buy him some time.

“Allow me to offer my assistance, crybaby chick.”

Smelling the blood from Zenitsu cause her eyes slitted in anger before turning her attention towards the army of little spiders.

“Quick, poison the boy ‘til he die from the toxin!”

Her eyes darting through the numerous spiders crawling towards them, mainly targeting to sting their poison to Zenitsu.

Stomping one pest around her foot, “Blood demon art,” her nails pricking the inside of her palm.

Moving in front of the yellow-haired boy, her red eyes gleaming in protectiveness. She’ll give him time to prepare himself.

A drop of blood pour down as the little spiders along the spider demon watched her. A red sphere forming around the field until it disappears.

Smirking, both of her red eyes had a symbol of yellow crown with tiny stars embedded on it.

“—Queen’s royal judgement.”

“Obey my orders. Stand down, dirty insects. ” All of the human head spiders halted, the orders from the spider demon went forgotten.

“What did you do? You vixen!” The spider demon spouted with such anger.

And a burst of lightning roared behind her back, the shockwaves of the lightning rods threw off the little spiders around them.

“Thunder breathing, first form.” The ground is vibrating, the air turned heavy when she felt a heavy spike of electricity trailing everywhere in this area.

“I’m just helping out the food supplier,” she shrugged, a smug ass grin on her face.

Drawing her left leg backwards, and lifting it in ease.

The spider demon growled at her, he couldn’t move because of her blood demon art. She has the ability to control demons and humans too, against their will.

“Thunderclap and flash,” she could hear the boy whispered his form, the little sparks of electric waves become intensely strong.

“Sorry, but it seems like you’ll be the one who is going to lose.”  She moves her leg in a horizontal position, and sharpened her gaze in concentration.

“Ready, Zenitsu?”

Shinku boredly talked, watching the spider demon immobilized above their heads, it slew a lot of curses to her.

“—Six-fold!”  From that moment, Shinku felt the sudden weight on her raised leg and her lips upturned into a grinned.

“He’s all yours to kill, human.” She teased.

Putting pressure on her right foot, she swings her left leg with such speed and force; hurling the sleeping Zenitsu in the air—to the spider demon’s direction.

Modifying the first form to his advantage, the girl with ram horns just pump her fist and hums her encouragement.

Then the purple-head whistles in impressed, the crybaby can be strategic.

He makes uses of the spider webs as his leverage to jump, his speed is like a lightning bolt and when he reached to the top.

A sound of thunder erupted in the forest.

The battle has ended.

Shinku utilized the strength in her legs to reach the floating house where Zenitsu laid down on the roof. A sick feeling formed on the pit of her stomach when she saw him pale with blood dripping on his nose.

The poison is spreading fast. There were black veins sprouting on the back of his hand. Seeing his terrible condition, it made her feel miserable.

The ram demon kneels down beside him, she removes the wooden box he carries and settle it on her left side.

She needs to treat his wounds, her sharp hearing senses his beating heart thumping slow.

Shinku pulled out some bandages from the box, cleaning the blood off his dazed face as she held back the tears flooding in her red eyes.

“Don’t cry, I’m sorry for making you cry.” Before she even registered her actions, her arms instinctively moves to hug Zenitsu.

Please, don’t die. Don’t die...

“Shinku-chan?” The blonde slayer tiredly asked her. He felt the warm tears colliding on his cheek, and his yellow eyes noticing Shinku’s sad, tearful eyes.

“You were amazing, you did a good job in defeating it.” Her tone scarcely suppressed her heavy emotions, she speaks in a trembling voice.

“I did?” He drew a shaky breath before replying in a muffled voice, his chin leaning on her shoulder.

“Yes, you did. And it’s not a dream anymore. You can be strong if you want to. You are a powerful swordsman.” When Zenitsu heard her words, his watery golden eyes glistened like raindrops falling in the sky.

The boy opened and closed his lips, it was unbelievable to hear the fact that there exists a person who acknowledged him for his strength and effort.

That there is someone who believed in him after all this time. One that never abandoned him during his times of insecurity and self-doubts. And someone who’d stay with a coward like him other than gramps.

She is that someone who appeared in his life. No words could described how grateful he was to her. It makes him want to cry more, to express his untold pain as the warm in his chest swelled.

The injured slayer weakly gripped on each of her sleeves albeit trying to reciprocate her affection.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, his eyesight had little dark spots on his vision—Zenitsu was in excruciating pain, bringing his mind into a state of half-wakefulness.

Shinku shuts her eyes tight, her arms tightened her embrace on Zenitsu. “Don’t give up, just stay awake. Help is soon to come.”

Zenitsu barely nodded and let out a tiny smile.

He still wanted to live. Deep inside the young blonde knew, he was all she’s got left in this world. Inhaling sharply, he uses the breathing technique in order to slow down the poison until help arrives. 

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

ᵀᵃⁱˢʰᵒᵘ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗ

─── ∘°❉°∘ ───

Chuntaro seeks to find help for Zenitsu. Shinobu is arriving.

Chapter Text

❝ Be strong now, because things get better.  It might be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever.❞

╔ .▲. ═════════╗

Trials and Tribulations

╚═════════ .▼. ╝

The full moon faintly shimmers through the twilight hour, the dark forest breathing a sound of flute whenever the wind carries the nature’s voice.

It was a low whisper tune , but cold to her ears.     Zenitsu’s skin was considerably paling as white as snow. His arms and legs continues to get smaller.

Shinku was sick with worry for the boy’s health. As the mizunoto maintained his breathing technique, his forehead resting on her chest.

‘Shinku-chan, I’m sorry.’ The blonde slayer thought.

The increasing fear remains in her vermillion eyes, a lock of purple hair hanging over worried-filled eyes as her lips turned into a grim line.

For a moment, she noticed a few colorful butterflies fluttering their wings close to her.

A sharp noise came from behind her, more like a clanging noise of a metal thrusting in powerful speed to aim her.

Swoosh.

The transparent air ferociously blows around them, some of her locks gets sliced up in the wind and a clean cut form on her other red cheek.

Within a span of seconds, the ram demon swiftly grasp the relatively thin blade in her palm, applying strength to halt the tip of the weapon to prevent it piercing into Zenitsu’s face.

Blood oozing from her hand, her eyebrows scrunched in slight pain as she masked her emotions in the presence of a hashira.

“Hello, it was a surprise for me to know that you stopped my sword. Demon girl,” it was a soft tone from an unknown woman, to Shinku it sounded like the human was being sarcastic to her.

“Tell me, are you planning to feast on one vulnerable demon slayer?”

The purple-head demon could feel her body sweating, her heart’s speeding up. The wound from her bleeding palm is stinging in pain and when she side glanced her injury.

The wrist on her vein spreading purple patches on her skin, Shinku shuddered a painful breath—she could feel her strength drastically reducing and her hand shakes ever so slightly from holding the woman’s nichirin sword.

But she maintained her ground, not showing the obvious signs of pain towards the female hashira.

“Can you not speak, demon girl?” She could sense this swordswoman’s gaze burning holes on her head, “He needs medical attention, he’s been poisoned.”

The purple-head girl calmly replied, twisting her head slightly to look at the hashira.

Shinku found the woman’s purple eyes to be quite frightening. Beneath those soft-looking eyes lurks inside the deep emotions; raw agony, hatred and vengeance reflecting her appearance.

It was obvious to her that the pony-tailed female despised her, a living demon in the flesh.

The swordswoman seems startled upon her response. Blood and tears runs down to her cheeks, she could tell the woman was only doing her duty to protect her members.

And Shinku respected her actions, she could never blamed her on this part.

“Please save him,” the ram demon’s voice cracked in the end, her body began to shiver in intense pain as she gripped tight the nichirin blade stained with her blood.

“What?” An incredulous expression morph on the pony-tailed female.

“Zenitsu has been through a lot. I want him to live,” the purple-head felt the drips of blood falling from her chin, using her spare hand to cover her blood-filled lips.

“Even if your life is in danger, you still placed concern over his life?” Shinobu was baffled, a curious tone hinted in her voice as her smile faltered a little.

“You can behead me after you cure him. Just help him!” She desperately begged, and the woman’s eyes further widened—stunned upon what she had witnessed.

A demon pleading to save the human’s life instead their own? It was unheard of, an impossible dream that her beloved sister someday wish for it to become true.

But right now, Shinobu was witnessing a miracle in front of her purple sights. She didn’t know what to make out of this situation.

For the first time in her life, Shinobu is at a loss of words.

Shinku shrink to a child size, body feeling weakened from the blade’s poison. Her field of vision began to spin—loosening her hold on the nichirin sword.

The insect hashira suddenly pulls her weapon and sheath it in place to her white belt holster.

“Unfortunately, I lack strength to decapitate a demon’s head. However, I make use of my poison to my advantage to finish the demons.”

The small demon’s body uncontrollably sways, she falls forward to Zenitsu’s direction, his back crashing into the rooftop.

“I will save him since you asked so nicely, and in return, I gave you the weakest dose of my poison. I can spare your life should you answer one of my questions.”

Shinobu did a close-eyed smile to Shinku, the hashira crouching low and grab onto Zenitsu’s wrist all while she inject him an antidote for the poison.

Being poisoned is the first time Shinku experienced it, the pain numbing her limbs; the after effects of it becomes unbearable leading to her shallow breathing.

Her eyes went half-lidded by the time she sense his heart beating returns to a normal rhythmic pattern which calms her mind.

“Demon girl, tell me. Have you ever killed a human or have you eaten one?” The woman’s voice turning faint to her buzzing ears.

“I never killed a human nor will I eat them. Zenitsu wouldn’t want me to do it...” Shinku groggily answered, the ram demon felt cold as if she was being submerged below the icy waters in the winter season.

“I see.” Shinobu briefly nodded though a pondering look etched on her face when she directed it to the ram demon.

“Will he be alright?” And that’s the last thing the purple-head girl asked before she completely blacked out.

So far the insect hashira couldn’t detect the purple-head for any signs of lying. It was a pure answer filled with honesty and truth. Or it could be that this girl is good at making up lies.

Shinobu hoped that it’s a latter part for that girl’s sake. She was often a ruthless demon slayer who doesn’t bat mercy upon her targets.

If it’s the other way around, a cold smile shaped into the woman’s lips. And a spark of bloodlust envelopes inside her pretty purple eyes.

The purple-eyed female will not hesitate to finish her if Shinku tries to fool her. In a blink of an eye, she vanished into the thin air, leaving a trace of illusionary butterflies to her previous spot.

For now, she’ll leave alone this demon girl for a while. If she could survive the wisteria poison flowing into her veins, Shinobu will once more interrogate her with other questions she’d want to ask her.

An awake Zenitsu is covered up with bandages from head to toe and a sign of treatment pin to his chest. His golden teary eyes sweep beside him, the ram demon had fallen unconscious and her condition wasn’t faring well.

To make matters worse, a rope was securely tied to her wrist in case, Shinku got hungry and attacked them. The young blonde was offended, trying to change their mind to remove her bindings. But they refused to do so.

The group of kakushi shooks their head and opted to tell him that ‘they can’t afford to lose more human lives on this tragic night.’ Still, he swallowed the burning fury arising from his chest and he took a deep inhale.

Chuntaro softly chirps above his head, his bird companion made things a little better for Zenitsu.

The wooden box is gently set to the girl’s right side, several Kakushi tried to distance him from Shinku but he refute their concern as he states to them that the girl means no harm.

None of them believed him, his ears could hear their sound emitting a strong reaction of fear and uneasy when it comes to the purple-head girl.

And it hurt him inside when they avoid her like a plague in front of his chocolate-yellow eyes. He had questioned the kakushi upon why the demon girl turned out like that.

Their response sends a chill running down his spine, “Lady Kocho seems to spare the demon’s life as she gave it a weak dose of wisteria poison.”

Honestly, if Zenitsu’s movement was not restricted of bandages he would’ve scare off that male kakushi right away.

Shinku was not an it! She’s a living being with feelings too. She may be a demon ,but she was once a human. How could they have disregarded that thought?!

With that in mind, he instinctively jumps in shocked when a crow loudly announces a cold message.

“Tanjirou, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Shinku are to be brought back to the headquarters! Bring them back!” The bird’s voice resounded throughout the forestry.

Either way, Zenitsu had a bad feeling about this. They have violated the corps rule, and he didn’t want to think about the punishment.

Oh god, they’re going to be in a huge trouble. He’s so scared to the point that he fainted when he heard some of the kakushi murmuring words such as “execution” and “death.”

Zenitsu was rudely awakened by a loud rough voice. The glaring lights of the sun almost blinded him, but he blinked his eyes slowly until his vision adjusted.

Lo and behold, his very being shook with nervousness upon the Kakushi declaring that he was in the presence of the hashiras, the most high ranking position that a demon hunter could attain.

His brimming eyes found Tanjirou laying beside him and he shouted with so much joy. “Tanjirou, you’re all right?!” He cried in a river of tears.

“Zenitsu, thank goodness you’re fine!” Tanjirou mirrored his reply, his sound giving off a sense of comfort and familiarity and it eases his bubbling nerves.

“Quit yelling, show some respect to the hashiras!” The kakushi scolded them both.

To his certain dismay, the yellow ball of sunshine was still wrapped up in bandages over his entire body, but Tanjirou had his arms bounded.

“This is so unfair, why am I still covered in bandages while Tanjirou’s arms wrapped in ropes?!” The blonde complained, he heard the female hashira with braided hairstyle giggled at him and he ignored it.

The kakushi slap his head, and an irk marked formed on the thunder user’s temple.

The audacity of that kakushi is making him more irritant and whiny to his surroundings.

“I heard these boys are mizunotos who traveled with two demons, they’re not looking so flamboyant at all.”

Zenitsu sobbed silently, he could tell just by their sounds that they’re angry, confused and disappointed at the two of them.

“Who are these people?” Tanjirou questioned and his head got slam on the stone pavement by the kakushi, “ Don’t open your mouth just yet, you moron!”

“This is the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters,” Shinobu kindly informed them about their whereabouts based on Tanjirou’s confused facial expression.

“—and you guys are about to be put on trial,” horror painted on Zenitsu’s tear stained appearance, “Tanjirou Kamado and Zenitsu Agatsuma.” Shinobu concluded.

“Before we begin the trial, why don’t you guys state your reasons for the crimes you’ve committed?” the woman with butterfly clip inquired.

“There’s no need for the trial!” The man with flame-like hair vocalizes.

“Giving protection to the demons is a serious offense to the demon slayer corps rule.” The flame hashira exclaimed.

“Let’s behead them along with the demons!” Rengoku strongly suggested.

“In that case, allow me to flamboyantly decapitate their heads.” Uzui talked.

Meanwhile, the mist pillar wasn’t listening in the entire conversation—his mind drawn to the beautiful misty clouds surfacing on the deep blue sky.

“Ah, what pitiful souls they’ve come to be.” The dark-haired man uttered with tears flowing in his white pearly eyes, “I pity them for having been born at all.”

‘That’s way too harsh!’ The thunder user thought.

No, he didn’t want to die young yet.

Zenitsu let out an ear-piercing shriek upon listening to the hashira’s opinions. “Be quiet!” The kakushi harshly lectured him, but he couldn’t give a single damn about it.

“Zenitsu, calm down.” Tanjirou tried to console him, but to no avail the fear became so prominent to his eyes.

“Tanjirou,” he choke with tears.

The scared male was greatly concern on both his and Tanjirou’s lives. Not to mention, he was worried about Shinku and Nezuko too.

More tears slipped into his cheeks , ‘How ruthless. Their superiors just suggested to execute them without hearing their voice of reason!’