☆•Yahaba POV•☆

He screams, aiming for my neck. I smile at him. My neck is too strong for his weak strength. Suddenly, another sword also pushes his, making it easy to cut my throat.

I gasp, my heart fully stopping. I look at him and behind him.

It's the girl! My eyes widen in realization. They'd planned this! They had planned this!

The girl had run around, making the illusion that she had run away when all this time. She'd been behind him.

"What–"

I feel the blade slice off my neck. They did it. They chopped my neck off!? My head hurts from the impact of ground rushing in. I gasped as air was already leaving me.

"It's not enough. I want you to suffer more!" I yell at him, lifting hands and facing it towards him. I look at the girl with a mask.

Why? Why?! "Why do you wear that stupid mask?!" I scream at her, I clench my teeth. "Is it because you're so ugly!? I think I'm right! Show some emotion, some tiredness or something, you emotionless freak!" I scream, boiling anger rise in my veins. I wanted her to feel anger. To be angry. To look angry.

•

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☆•Yashimi POV•☆

He keeps screaming at me to show emotions. He screams about me being ugly to the point that I have to wear this mask.

This half-black and half-white kitsune mask.

His mouth finally quiets down, but I look away for my sake. I didn't wanna see him die. If I did look at him, I'd remember my father. "I'm sorry." I whisper. I don't know what it was, but I feel something for him.

I turn to Tanjiro-kun as he stays on the ground, unable to move. I wobbly walk to him, trying to be as fast. Finally realizing the pain, I clutch my shoulder.

"Tanjiro-kun? Tanjiro-kun? Tanjiro-kun!" I say to him as I get down. I help him sit up. "Are you okay? I mean, obviously not." I chuckle.

"Come on, we still need to go to Nezuko-chan. Get your arm around my neck. I'll hold you for support." I grunt from the pain, but ignore it to help him stand up.

"Thank you, Fujimura-san," he smiles at me. I look at him, tilting my head, then back staring back at where we're heading. "Are you okay, too? You're shoulder.." He asks, his voice lowering.

"I'll be fine. It's just a small thing. It's not a big deal, Tanjiro-kun." I respond. "Slowly, Tanjiro-kun. Nezuko-chan is fine." I say to him, chuckling at his determination to get to his sister.

"I know, I'm just worried. What if something bad had happened?" His eyes furrow in sadness, "Pah-les, you should be worried of yourself. You basically just broke your rib and leg." I say as he continues to limp.

I'd say my legs are also broken, but I ignored the pain to make sure that he wasn't gonna be worried of me. We were so close to getting to Nezuko-chan.

Suddenly, we hear explosion. Wait, no, it's someone, two people, kicking a ball, hard. "You little brat!" My ears got the demon's voice. It's Susamaru's voice. "Nezuko!" Tanjiro insists we walk faster, but I hesitated.

Is she talking about Nezuko-chan? I can hear her growl growing, mixing with anger. I can sense their aura rising with frustration.

We did walk a little faster. A sudden thud of explosion makes our heart stop. Tanjiro-kun and I look at each other with fear glowing in our eyes. Our hearts dropping and breathing stopping. Did Susamaru manage to kill Nezuko-chan?

A familiar warm aura catches my senses. "She's fine, Tanjiro-kun. I can still feel her presence. Cold and determined." I reassure him. He lets out a breath as relief wash over the both of us. At least her and Tanjiro-kun will still be together.

I sense something else as we walk closer and closer. A blood spell? Is it Tamayo-san's?

"Please forgive me! Please forgive me!" We see Susamaru run to a tree, raising her arms to the pink Sakura tree. Our eyebrows raise in surprise. She looks so terrified, so scared, like something is going to happen if she doesn't beg for forgiveness.

"What is this?" I whisper, confused. It's that same smell again! She drops her handball, and it rolls towards us. A little in between of us and her.

We both stop in our tracks as Susamaru clutches her stomach, shaking terribly. Her skin turns into a different weird color, and her veins turn into a darker shade of gray.

She screams in pain, in agony, and blood gushes out from her stomach as two arms pop out and one from her mouth.

Tanjiro-kun gasps, and I look away, tightly closing my eyes. I hear bones crush, and Tanjiro-kun's gasp soon follows.

We walk a little closer, but I still look away. I wouldn't dare to look at Susamaru.

"Is she dead?" Tanjiro-kun finally asks. I open one eye, looking at where the unmoving body lies. Tamayo-san walks closer to her. Orange kimono covered in blood, and her chopped off arm lies near her.

"She'll be dead soon. This is their curse," Tamayo-san pause, feeling disturbed perhaps, "generally, it's a waste of time for demon's to kill each other. Only sunlight and the sword of a demon slayer can do so." She continues explaining.

Apparently, only Kibutsuji's cells can destroy them other than sunlight and a nichirin blade.

Tanjiro-kun looks down, feeling a sense of sadness, and I look at him, feeling disheartened.

I see Yushiro running to us with a cloth holding onto his hand. He presses it into Tanjiro-kun's mouth and nose. "Don't inhale Tamayo-sama's spell! It can be harmful to humans." He strictly instructs. "What about me??" I complain, "you already have a mask. Shut up."

What the fuuck? ( ・'д・´) huhu

"She's not part of the Twelve Demon Moons," Tamayo-san points to her eyeball that is near to her body, "their eyeballs are engraved with a number, but she doesn't have any." Tamayo-san stands up. "I'm afraid the other demon isn't too. They are too weak."

Tamayo-san shakes her head, disappointed, and I nod in agreement. Tanjiro-kun shifts his body in shock.

"Too weak?! They are considered too weak?!" If he hadn't had his cloth on his mouth, his jaw would've already dropped to the ground.

"Yeah, actually. Pretty weak." I bluntly say, and he turns to me as if I'd said something disturbing. "If only I hadn't gotten hurt, I could've had more focus. But Susamaru's words about Kibutsuji's lover had gotten stuck in my head."

☆★☆★

"Oh, look, Yahaba. Our Lord's little lover is here. Maybe he'd want to see her again,"

"Especially after not seeing her for a hundred years now."

"Oh, Susamaru, you were right. Our Lord's little lover is here. I wonder what would happen if we turned her in to him."

★☆★☆

Their words ring in my head, and I quickly shake them out. "It's my bad, sorry, Tanjiro-kun." I look down as guilt eats me up from the inside.

"Ah, it's okay, Fujimura-san, we could've been stronger." He says, reassuringly.

"What Tamayo-sama said is right," Yushiro butts in, looking at the dying demon. "But I don't believe such brainless idiots would dare injure the precious body of Tamayo-sama." An unexpected smile lands in Yushiro's face.

For the first time since I've met him. This is a first, and blood slowly boils on my cheeks. I shake my head, throwing the thoughts aside.

Tamayo-san stands up, putting a needle inside a brown box. "I'll check on Nezuko. I injected her with my serum, and she inhaled my spell." She lowers her head then up again, "I'm sorry." She walks away, feeling rather guilty somehow.

Yushiro gasps, "Stay here, don't move! I don't want to leave Tamayo-sama's side even for a moment." He says, his face back to its natural angry form, running off to Tamayo-san."

"Such a lover boy." I say in my thoughts.

Tanjiro-kun looks at the orange kimono. "Hand.. ball," a voice weakly whispers. I instinctively turn my head to the orange kimono. "Handball, hand.. ball," her voice repeats, as if desperate.

Her aura still has that same immature, childish sense. I shouldn't even be pitying her, but I can't help myself.

Tanjiro-kun and I stand up, "Come on, let's give it to her. She's just a child anyway." I whisper, trying to be optimistic. We slowly walk to her.

I pick the handball, and we both sit a little far from her. I put her handball next to the orange kimono. "Uhm, your handball, Susamaru." My voice sounded uncertain but soft nonetheless. It feels like I am talking to a child.

"Let's.. play.." her voice is so weak, soft, and low. You can barely hear it. It's because she is a child, that's why she has this childish aura.

Her eyes, her laugh, her actions, her words. Everything she said and did and look was what a child should be. Besides all those six arms, fangs, and sinister eyebrows and smile. She was a child at heart.

Unexpected light hits my eyes, birds chirping. It is now morning. She's gonna burn away soon. I'd pray for her to be reborn as a human, but.. she killed too many people. It's unforgivable.

Tanjiro-kun and I stand up and head to where the others are.

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♥︎•lil time skip•♥︎

We enter the house, noticing the damage that had happened during last night. I feel bad for Tamayo-san and Yushiro. They'd have to stay here until nighttime and move to another place.

"At least we got your haori back, right, Tanjiro-kun?" I chuckle. Last night, his haori got snatched from Yahaba. Luckily, we found it hanging from one of the Sakura trees.

"Yeah, good thing he didn't wreck it or tore it to pieces." He smiles. We walk into a hallway. We both call out for the trio. A voice calls out from the opposite directions, "We're down here!" It's Yushiro's voice!

"It doesn't matter if you come down or not. Come down if you want!"

"Yushiro."

"I'm just kidding!"

I giggle at Yushiro's foolishness. We walk down slowly because of our injuries. In one corner, we see Yushiro, Tamayo-san, and Nezuko-chan waiting for us.

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro-kun's voice lit brightly. Nezuko-chan runs to Tanjiro-kun, hugging him with the aura of relief to see her brother alive.

"Before the sun comes up, we moved here to this basement where we won't be exposed to it." Tamayo-san's lips curves into a small, soft smile.

Nezuko pulls away from the hug and *cutely* runs to Tamayo-san, hugging her. This surprises Tamayo-san and angers Yushiro.

"Stay away from Tamayo-san! You're too disrespectful!" He yells, wanting to get Nezuko-chan out but can't. I can sense jealousy from him. Is it because he wants to hug Tamayo-san?

I giggle at the thought and at them. "Stop that, Yushiro. It's fine." Tamayo returns the hug. "Okay!" Yushiro immediately quiets down. He didn't even look embarrassed.

Nezuko-chan turns to Yushiro, reaching out her arm and rubbing her palm against his head. This startles Yushiro, making him blush in embarrassment.

I laugh at them. "Stop it!!" Yushiro warns but Nezuko-chan dismisses it and continues to rub her palm. Tamayo looks at them, her calm aura changing to a sense of nostalgia, perhaps?

"Ever since just now, Nezuko-chan has been in this state. Is she okay?" Tamayo-san asks, genuinely concerned for Nezuko. "Don't worry about her. She's fine." Tanjiro-kun smiles.

Tanjiro walks a little closer, and I follow just behind him. We maintain an appropriate distance.

"I think she takes you two as our family members." Tanjiro-kun explains as Yushiro still tries to push Nezuko's hand away gently. "Family?" Tamayo-san repeats, looking a little surprised but happy.

She says that the hint panted on Nezuko was treating humans as family. And that confused us because They were demons. Why would she look at them as if they were humans.

"But Nezuko determined you two are humans, so she wants to protect you two." Tanjiro-kun explains. Nezuko-chan stops reaching out and continues hugging Tamayo-san.

"I don't like the fact that Nezuko-chan has that hint. Thank goodness she still had her own consciousness." He sadly smiles.

Suddenly, tears start forming Tamayo-san's eyes. "AH! N-Nezuko! You're making Tamayo-san cry!"

"N-Nezuko! Nezuko, let go now. You're making her cry!!" Tanjiro-kun lifts his hands to his chest height. He feels embarrassed because Nezuko-chan made Tamayo-san cry.

Tamayo-san buries her head into Nezuko's neck, whispering a low, "Thank you." I stop trying to verbally get Nezuko-chan to stop hugging Tamayo-san.

In truth, she's healing her. Giving her a relief of assurance somehow. "Nezuko, thank you." She says, smiling. Lifting her head, she also smiles at us, and our faces soften at her words.

Nezuko-chan pulls away from the hug and runs to me, giving me an unexpected hug. "Thank you for not leaving my brother's side." A female child voice slips and rings in my head.

My eyes widened, and I looked at her, realizing the voice. My eyes softened, whispering, "You're welcome."

"We need to leave this place now. This place is too near Kibutsuji." Tamayo-san says, "If we don't hide quickly, we'll be in danger even if we try to hide. I'll be in contact with many people as a doctor."

Nezuko-chan walks to Tanjiro-kun's side, leaving me alone with her warmth.

After Tamayo-san explains, she turns to Tanjiro-kun with a soft expression, her hand on her chest. "Tanjiro. Leave Nezuko in our care." She says. It's not even a suggestion or anything. She didn't even hesitate to ask.

The room fills with silence, and Yushiro, from Tamayo-san's back, keeps throwing ex signs for Tanjiro-kun to say no. A sudden shift moves in Tanjiro's body. And I look to where their hands are.

"I can't quarantee her safety," Yushiro shakes his head in disagreement, "but it's safer than bringing her into fights."

Nezuko-chan held his, and he held hers. Look at him as if saying no. Tanjiro-kun turns to her. He refuses the offer. "We won't part ways again." Tamayo-san softly smiles.

"I understand, then I wish you three well on your future battles." She says, putting a hand on her chest. "See you," Yushiro reluctantly crossed his arms over his chest, looking away.

"We'll leave after removing all the tracks. You three better leave now." He turns his body away, and Tamayo-san looks at him with a smile. "Okay!" Tanjiro-kun smiles brightly at them. Nezuko-chan slowly runs away and goes up the stairs.

"Eh? You don't have to run, y'know." Tanjiro-kun was about to follow his sister when Yushiro stopped him.

"Your sister is beautiful." He begrudgingly says, looking away even more.

"Kuwaa~ Yushiro, you're so cute!!" My thoughts come out of my mouth, and I smile at him. Tanjiro-kun laughs and goes up the stairs where Nezuko-chan is waiting.

I was also about to turn around when Tamayo-san stopped me with a hand on my shoulder, her hand.

"I'll meet you up, Tanjiro-kun!" I shout to him, and he replies with a small hum.

"I don't want to scare you, Fujimura-san. But," Tamayo-san lowers her voice cautiously, "Kibutsuji did have a lover. I'm not sure about her name, but it's Tsuyazouki. No one really knows her because he doesn't like to mention her name. Saying no one deserve to know it." She says.

"Maybe I'm wrong for saying this, but maybe you are his lover. A past lover. Kibutsuji has been here for over a thousand years. And–"

"I'll be fine, Tamayo-san!" I cut her off, titling my head to the side with a smile. "It's definitely a different person. Those two hadn't seen my face. They could've mistook me for anyone. Please don't worry about me." I hug her and bid my goodbye as she did too.

I feel reluctant to go back, but I have no other choice. If I really am, somehow, Muzan's lover, it'd be impossible.

Tanjiro-kun and I walked until we finally separated, saying our goodbyes in hopes of meeting again on another mission.

I slowly walked to Daisuke-sama's house because of my aching legs. I was born with a condition that made small cuts even more painful, so although my leg is a little bit broken. My body thinks it's almost dying. Which is melodramatic.

It was already sundown when I reached my house. I had my biggest smile plastering on my face.

Excitement fills me but then disappears when I get the strong smell of blood.

Daisuke-sama's blood.