Chapter Eleven:
I guess this is goodbye...
For now...

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Oh! Good morning, Y/n!" Tanjiro exclaimed, catching everyone's attention. Y/n yawned, rubbing her tired eyes. She waved her hand in response, looking at them through half-lidded eyes. "Good morning, " Y/n muttered, her voice hoarse and groggy. "Did you sleep well?" Tanjiro asked. Y/n hummed in response. "I'm still tired, though, " Y/n said. "Oh! Y/n, I have a favor to ask of you, " Zenitsu said. Y/n raised an eyebrow. She watched as Zenitsu grabbed a piece of paper, then handed it to her. She took a look at it, reading the contents. "Is this a poem?" She asked. Zenitsu's eyes widened, immediately snatching the paper. "Sorry! Wrong one!" Zenitsu exclaimed. Y/n mentally facepalmed as Zenitsu handed her another paper. "That poem of yours needs improvement, " Y/n said, then turned to the new paper. "Fine. I'll give it back to you later, " Y/n said. Tanjiro raised an eyebrow, watching as Y/n went back into her room. "What was that?" Tanjiro asked. "Well, I heard that Y/n's breath style is the breath of flowers, so I asked her something related to flowers, " Zenitsu said. Tanjiro hummed in response. The boys got up from bed, then went to the other room to have breakfast. It was a slow meal, except for Inosuke shoving food into his mouth. About ten minutes later, they had finished both eating and cleaning up, and we're already back in their room. "Oi, Zenitsu, " Y/n called. All three of them turned to her. Her hair was fixed and she seemed a lot less tired. She threw a folded piece of paper in his direction, which he caught. "I suggest you give it a good read and look at the garden, " Y/n said. Zenitsu nodded, then went out to look. "What was that?" Tanjiro asked curiously. "I answered his questions about the language of flowers, " Y/n said. "Anyway, based on the report I had sent to oyakata-sama, you should be back on your track by tomorrow. Thanks to the serum, all of you had recovered quickly, so we'd probably receive our orders for tomorrow by tonight, " Y/n said. On cue, Iro flew through the opened doors of the wisteria house. "Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu, and Hashibira Inosuke are to receive a mission by the time they have recovered! Based on L/n Y/n's report, they are to receive a mission by tomorrow! L/n Y/n is to report back to headquarters once the three leave!" Iro exclaimed. Y/n nodded. "Orders received, " Y/n said. "Oh, Iro, before you go, " Y/n said. Y/n handed her a small pouch, which she happily took. "What was that?" Tanjiro asked. "That's the second time you've asked me that. Anyway, that was food, " Y/n said. Tanjiro nodded, while Y/n sighed. "Looks like I won't be coming with you guys tomorrow, " Y/n said. Tanjiro pouted, making Y/n giggle. "What's with the look?" Y/n asked. "I thought you'd accompany me every mission..." Tanjiro trailed. Y/n sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck, laying her head on his chest. "Orders are orders, Tanjiro. I'll make sure to check up on you guys once oyakata-sama dismisses me, " Y/n said. Tanjiro wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. He sighed as he placed his chin atop her head. "Promise?" He asked. Y/n smiled. "Of course. You know I never break promises, " Y/n said.

"Hey, Y/n- TANJIRO YOU LUCKY BASTARD!" Zenitsu yelled, making the two slightly pull away from each other, their arms remaining where they were. "DAMN YOU! HOW ARE YOU SO LUCKY?! YOU GOT TO HUG THE GODDESS!" Zenitsu exclaimed. An irk mark appeared on Y/n's forehead, while Tanjiro sweatdropped. "Quiet down. What do you want?" She asked him. He lifted his arm, presenting her a few flowers. "Are these the right ones? You know, the forget-me-not, the Nadeshiko, and the Fukujuso?" He asked. Y/n looked at the flowers, clearly impressed. "Nante sugoi(how amazing)! The information I gave was sparse, and yet, you manage to grab the correct flowers. Hōnto-ni sugoi(truly amazing), " Y/n said. Zenitsu smiled. "Hmm... I suggest you grab about three of each flower, except the forget-me-not. The bouquet should consist of more than three forget-me-nots. It would look elegant, " Y/n said. "Really? Arigatou!" Zenitsu exclaimed, running back into the garden, completely forgetting about earlier. "So what exactly is he trying to do?" Tanjiro asked, pulling Y/n closer to him again. Y/n returned the gesture, securing her arms around his neck. "Well, he asked me what kind of flowers he should give a girl based on the language of flowers. I listed a few and included their meanings. He chose Forget-me-nots, Nadeshikos, and Fukujusos. The Nadeshiko symbolizes admiration, passion, capriciousness, affection, love, and gratitude. The Forget-me-not symbolizes true love and memories. It is also given to a person in hopes that the receiver would not forget the person who gave them the flower. The last flower he chose, the Fukujuso, symbolized happiness and eternal fortune, " Y/n clarified. "The combination sounds nice, " Tanjiro said. Y/n smiled. "Hōnto-ni(truly). He seems really sentimental. He chose a good combination even without my aid, " Y/n said. "Anyway, if you need me, I'll be in my room. I have to compile a few files, " Y/n said. "Oh... Alright then, " Tanjiro said. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before they pulled away.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

It was night already. The boys spent most of their time messing around, while Y/n quietly sat in her room, finishing her job. She sighed as she ran her fingers through her now disheveled hair. She got up, making sure to stretch. "Finally..." Y/n trailed. She opened the door, revealing the three about to leave. "Oh! Hey Y/n! Just on time! We were about to have diner!" Tanjiro exclaimed happily. Y/n smiled. "I'll be there in a bit. I just need to clean up, " Y/n said. Tanjiro nodded, then headed to the dining room. After fixing the desk and trying her hair, Y/n followed the boys into the dining room. As per usual, she sat beside Tanjiro. It was like any other night. Zenitsu and Inosuke would end up arguing, Tanjiro either laughing or trying to stop them, while Y/n remained quiet. Her silence sometimes haunts Zenitsu. Did she dislike their company? Did she find them annoying? Did she want to leave them behind? What scares him more is the fact that he can't even tell what she feels based on her sound. To him, she was a book with no words; unreadable and unpredictable. He finds it irritating. How he can hear people's intentions, but not hers. How he can hear thoughts, but not hers. Was she blocking him out somehow? He wanted to know. More like he needed to know. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable, Zenitsu, " Y/n said, shocking everyone. "I'm always like this during diner. You can ask Tanjiro to confirm that, " Y/n continued, not even sparing them a glance. "How..?" Zenitsu questioned. Y/n pointed at her ear. "When people space out, their thoughts are incredibly loud. And you were obnoxiously loud, " Y/n said. "And to answer your other question, technically I am blocking you out, but it's also your fault. Hashiras have certain training to avoid being predictable. That includes hiding our intentions. Even though some struggle to do it, it became a natural thing for the rest. I'm at the point where I do it subconsciously. This technique works on mostly demons, but it also works on people who's senses aren't developed enough. If you develop your hearing, you'd be able to hear my thoughts, " Y/n said. "Oh..." Zenitsu trailed. Zenitsu turned to Tanjiro. "Is she actually always this quiet when she eats?" Zenitsu asked. Tanjiro nodded. Y/n stood up, cleaning up her place then walked towards the door. "If you need me, I'll be in the garden, " Y/n said.

Tanjiro perked up. He finished his meal, then cleaned up, and went to follow Y/n. He opened the door to the garden, looking up to see Y/n on the same branch she always sits on. Tanjiro smiled, then approached the branch. "You really like that branch, huh?" Tanjiro asked. Y/n hummed in response. "I get a good view of the garden and the moon from up here, " Y/n claimed. Tanjiro jumped up, landing beside her. He looked around, viewing the garden. "Hmm... You're right. You do get a good view from up here, " Tanjiro said. Y/n smiled. "Isn't the moon beautiful tonight?" Y/n asked, looking up at the bright moon. "I can't tell if you mean that literally or figuratively..." Tanjiro admitted, chuckling. Y/n giggled. "Why not both?" Y/n joked, making Tanjiro laugh. Tanjiro sighed happily, wrapping an arm around Y/n's waist to pull her closer. Y/n smiled wider, leaning her head on Tanjiro's shoulder. "I want to spend some time with you before we head on our mission..." Tanjiro admitted, his grip on her tightening. Y/n laughed. "Goodness, you sound like we'd be apart for years, " Y/n jested, causing Tanjiro to pout. Y/n giggled. "You're adorable, " Y/n said, pinching Tanjiro's cheek. Tanjiro's cheeks reddened. She smiled cheekily. "You said that to me the other night too. Now look who's the one getting all blushy, " Y/n teased again, making Tanjiro's cheeks turn a deeper shade of red. "You're no fair..." Tanjiro muttered. Y/n let go of his cheek, smiling at him. She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She asked knowingly. Tanjiro nodded, making Y/n laugh. "Ah... I know this is sudden... But... C-can I kiss you..?" Tanjiro asked. Y/n's cheeks reddened. "What do you mean..? You've kissed me before, right..?" Y/n asked turning to him. Tanjiro turned his head, looking into her eyes. He blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Well... Yeah, on the forehead... But... But I was asking if I could kiss you on... On your lips..." Tanjiro trailed, his eyes darting away from hers. Y/n's eyes widened and her pupils dilated. A red hue spread itself across her entire face. Her heartbeat skyrocketed at an unhealthy pace. "A-Ah, I see... Of course... You... You can kiss me anytime..!" Y/n said, her face turning an even deeper shade of red if that was even possible. Tanjiro's warm, burgundy optics glanced into her e/c ones. The arm he had around her waist pulled her even closer to him, while his free hand went up to cup her cheek. Y/n's arms found themselves wrapping around Tanjiro's neck, bringing them in even closer proximity. Not a minute later, they closed their eyes as their lips connected with each other. The wind timidly blew a cold breeze against their skin as their lips moved in sync. The kiss was chaste and sweet. It was wonderful.

Y/n loved the feeling of Tanjiro's lips against hers. The euphoria she felt was elysian, it was spectacular. As for Tanjiro, he too enjoyed the feeling. Her lips were even sweeter than he thought. They were soft and felt amazing to kiss. It was addicting and took most of his self-control not to go further. But it's not like he was alone in that domain. Both of their bodies ached for more, but it wasn't the time. Not yet. But who knows, maybe someday in the distant future, fate would allow them to do more. They pulled away, gasping for air as they stared deeply into each other's eyes. "I love you..." Tanjiro muttered. Y/n smiled. "I love you too..." She muttered. The hand Tanjiro had on Y/n's cheek moved behind her head, pushing her into his chest for a tight embrace. Y/n's arms, that were still around Tanjiro's neck, remained there. Electricity shot throughout Y/n's body as Tanjiro finger-combed her hair. She'd always melt at his touch. It always felt so natural, so right. His touch was her salvation. His touch would send her to a world free from all the struggles of the real one, satisfying her small case of eleutheromania. A simple touch from his warm, calloused hands set her free, free from this world devoid of it. She's always wanted to roam the world, free from all sorts of concerns. But so long as bloodthirsty demons roam the earth, she cannot rest until it is all over. She hummed in contentment, pleased to have a few days of peace, spending it with someone she held dearly. "We should head back inside. After all, you three need some rest before your mission tomorrow, " Y/n said. Tanjiro nodded. "Right, " he muttered.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Alright, that's it. You three are free to go, " Y/n said. Tanjiro smiled. The not so sonorous flapping of a crow's wings entered the range of Y/n's ears. "It seems like your crow is about to arrive, Tanjiro, " Y/n said. On cue, the crow flew through the open door, landing in front of Tanjiro. Tanjiro held out both of his hands, the crow happily hopping into them. "Northeast! Northeast! Your next destination is the northeast! You three are to head to mount Natagumo! Head to mount Natagumo! L/n Y/n will not accompany you for this mission! She is to proceed to headquarters! Once she is dismissed, she is to head to mount Natagumo to supervise!" The crow exclaimed. "Orders received, " Y/n said. Tanjiro looked up, already seeing her in her uniform. "EH?! HOW ARE YOU ALREADY IN YOUR UNIFORM?!" Zenitsu asked. "While Tanjiro's crow was giving you your orders, I left to change. I didn't necessarily have to listen since I already know what to do. Anyway, you three better get ready, " Y/n said prior to walking out of the room. The three nodded, then went to get ready. Several minutes later, they walked outside, the old lady following behind them. Y/n was already there. "Well, we're off now, " Tanjiro said. "We're extremely grateful for your hospitality, " Y/n said. Y/n, Tanjiro, and Zenitsu bowed, while Inosuke looked at them, raising an eyebrow underneath his boar mask. "Here's a flint, " the old lady said. "Thank you, ma'am!" Tanjiro exclaimed enthusiastically. The three of them turned around, while Inosuke was left clueless. The old lady began lighting sparks, startling Inosuke. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Inosuke exclaimed. Tanjiro ran behind him, holding him back, while Zenitsu ran in front of the old lady, protecting her. "Baka, " Y/n muttered. "You idiot! She's lighting sparks for good luck! She's doing it cause we're going on a dangerous mission!" Zenitsu exclaimed. After the commotion died down, the four of them line up again. "You should be proud of yourselves and strive to survive at all times. Good luck in your fight, " the old lady said. Tanjiro and Zenitsu bowed. They proceeded to walk ahead, stopping before they get too far. Y/n walked in front of them, turning to them with a smile. "I guess this is goodbye... For now, at least, " Y/n said. She walked up to Tanjiro, giving him a peck on the cheek. His cheeks flushed red, while Zenitsu looked as if he was about to explode. Y/n backed up. "I guess I'll see you all later. You three better not die, " she said. She smiled, leaving a small gust of dust as she disappeared. 'She's fast.' Inosuke noted. "TANJIRO YOU LUCKY BASTARD! FIRST YOU GET A HUG FROM A GIRL, AND NOW YOU GET A KISS?! LET ALONE THAT IT WAS Y/N! SINCE WHEN DID YOU TWO GET ALL KISSY-KISSY?!" Zenitsu exclaimed, making Tanjiro sweatdrop.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Welcome back, Y/n, " Ubuyashiki greeted as Y/n landed in front of the estate. "Good day to you, Oyakata-sama, " Y/n said, kneeling down in respect. "To what may I have the honor of being called by you today, oyakata-sama?" Y/n asked. "I'd like to talk about the letter you and Urokodaki had sent to me two years ago, " Ubuyashiki said. "What about it, oyakata-sama?" Y/n asked. "I'd like you to confirm if Nezuko really won't attack humans. Can you?" Ubuyashiki asked. Y/n nodded. "Indeed. I figured there wouldn't be many cases where she would be exposed to human blood, so I've done the test myself. She didn't attack me. She instead hugged me and ushered me to wrap the wound, " Y/n said. "And besides, if she ever does attack a human, I'll be there to make sure she can no longer do any more harm. And as promised, I'll tell onii-chan and oto-san about it before committing seppuku, " Y/n said. Ubuyashiki smiled. "I'm glad you're true to your word, Y/n. But please make sure that this will not happen. After all, it would be terrible to lose both the flower and water Hashira, " Ubuyashiki said. Y/n nodded. "Of course, oyakata-sama, " Y/n said. "Why don't you come in? Giyu and Shinobu are here too, " Ubuyashiki invited. Y/n smiled. She got up, bowing gratefully. "Thank you, oyakata-sama, " Y/n said. She followed him inside the estate, seeing Shinobu and Giyu sitting there. Shinobu's expression brightened as her smile grew bigger. "Ara ara~ it's been half a year since we last saw you, Y/n, " Shinobu said. Giyu nodded in acknowledgment. Y/n smiled. "Good morning Shinobu, onii-chan, how have you two been?" Y/n asked politely, sitting down beside Giyu. "Fine, " Giyu said bluntly. "I've been doing well, thank you for asking, " Shinobu said, leaning forward to make eye contact with Y/n. Y/n leaned forward, smiling at her. "How's Kanao?" Y/n asked. "She's doing well, too. She's already reached Tsuchinoto, " Shinobu said. Y/n perked up. "That's great. She's climbing the ranks really fast, " Y/n said. "Just like you, no? I guess that's what happens when someone like you trained her, " Shinobu said. Y/n scratched the back of her neck. "Ah, you're referring to how I climbed the ranks, " Y/n said coyly. Shinobu nodded. "What else would I be referring to? Besides, you told her few tips on climbing the ranks, right?" Shinobu asked. Y/n nodded. "You know, your Hashira-Tsuguko relationship with Kanao is rare. Usually, the Hashira's older than the Tsuguko, " Shinobu said. "It doesn't really bother me. It doesn't seem to bother Kanao either. It's okay to be different from the rest, you know, " Y/n said. Shinobu nodded. Y/n's eye twitched. She turned to the direction oyakata-sama was at. "It seems that we need to send in some Hashiras, " Ubuyashiki said. "Giyu, Shinobu, Y/n?" He called expectantly. "Orders received, " the three chimed in unison. "Wouldn't it be lovely if humans and demons could get along?" Shinobu chimed. "That's impossible. So long as demons continue to prey on humans, there will never be peace, " Giyu said. "I wouldn't say it was impossible. In fact, it's quite the contrary. But I'd be lying if I said that you weren't at least a tad bit right. But it seems that you've forgotten one factor that could be the key to peace, " Y/n said, looking at Giyu as she got up. Giyu and Shinobu followed, Giyu raising an eyebrow at her statement. "There's someone out there known as the chosen demon, " Y/n said. Shinobu perked up, while Giyu grew confused. "And we were the first official corps members to meet her."

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Not many are alive..." Y/n trailed, landing next to Giyu. "Two demons in the north, one in the west, " Y/n claimed. Giyu nodded, while Shinobu hummed. The three began running north. "Isn't the moon lovely tonight, Tomioka-san?" Shinobu asked. Y/n rolled her eyes, a smile etched into her features. 'Says the girl who claims that nobody likes him.' Y/n thought to herself. "I believe it's best if we split up. I'll take the west, you two take the north, " Shinobu suggested. Y/n hummed in response. "Very well then, " Giyu muttered. Shinobu turned to the said direction, dashing off. "I'll go on ahead. There are several people still alive. I'll try to reach them and help with their injuries, " Y/n said. "Alright. Be careful, " Giyu said. Y/n nodded, running off ahead of Giyu. In less than five minutes, Y/n caught view of Inosuke. She unsheathed her sword, running at her target even faster. With a quick one-arm slash, she severed the arm of the father spider demon, freeing Inosuke from his grip. 'Who the hell..? Isn't that (mispronounced name)?!' Inosuke questioned silently. The demon growled in pain. It quickly regenerated the arm Y/n severed, then quickly charged at her. Y/n turned her body to the demon, watching as it ran towards her. Once the father spider demon got dangerously close, Y/n pivoted her foot to the side, dodging the attack. In quick succession with the dodge, she slashed at the demon twice, severing his arms and legs. The demon's body landed with a thud. It screeched, making Y/n roll her eyes. "You're the least of my problems, " Y/n muttered, eyeing the father spider demon. 'Incredible! She's on a whole other level! I've never seen someone as incredible as her!' Inosuke praised silently. Y/n sheathed her sword, turning to Inosuke. "Oi, (mispronounced name)! Shouldn't you behead that thing?!" Inosuke questioned. Y/n cleared her throat, walking over to Inosuke. Inosuke glanced behind her, seeing the demon had regrown its limbs. Before it could do anything, another attack came, severing all the demon's limbs and beheading him in the process. 'Another one!' Inosuke noted. He stared at the two in awe, not bothering to pay heed to Y/n, who was wrapping his wounds and injecting him with serums. 'These two are incredible! Just what are they?' Inosuke questioned. Y/n exhaled, catching Inosuke's attention. "Alright, that should do the trick, " Y/n said, getting up from her spot in front of Inosuke. "I'll leave him to you. There's something I need to take care of, " Y/n said, turning to Giyu. Giyu nodded. "Oi! (Mispronounced name), you with the mismatched haori! Fight me!" Inosuke brought about. "If I can beat you, that means I'm the strongest!" Inosuke exclaimed, pointing at himself. An irk mark appeared on his forehead as Y/n ignored him, running off. Her face scrunched up as she passed by several corpses. She skidded to a halt as she heard a voice. "Please... Help me..." A voice weakly called. Y/n turned to the side, seeing a demon slayer laying on the ground. The boy was a few years older than her. Y/n assumed that he was a kanoto based on his aura. He was almost lifeless and was on the brink of death. Y/n ran over to him, checking on his injuries. She quickly took out several boxes and bandages, then got to work. She injected the needed serums into his wrist, then skillfully wrapped his wounds with bandages. After finishing up, she pulled him towards a tree, laying him there. "You were lucky I arrived just on time. Now sit there and wait for the kakushies, " Y/n said. The boy nodded. "Thank you..." The boy muttered. Y/n nodded in acknowledgment, before running off to Tanjiro's direction. 'That took longer than expected. Let's just hope he's okay...' Y/n thought to herself.

Not a minute later, she caught sight of Tanjiro and what seemed to be a lower moon. She muttered incoherent curses, running towards the two faster. Once close enough, she jumped. 'Breath of flowers, ninth form: lavender trail.' Y/n chanted quietly. As she descended, she passed over Tanjiro. Putting her form into use, she sent a barrage of slashes towards the webs. The pieces fell to the ground right next to the petals as Y/n disappeared from sight. 'Someone's here... Who is it..? Is it Zenitsu..?' Tanjiro asked himself. "I'm sorry you had to put up with this, " Y/n said, appearing behind Tanjiro. "You did a good job. Leave the rest to me, " Y/n said. Her voice was too familiar to him. He glanced behind him slightly, met with Y/n's back. "Y/n... Wait..." Tanjiro muttered. "You're like a stream of endless lowlifes, always getting in my way, " Rui said, annoyance laced in his voice. "Blood demon art: cutting thread rotation, " Rui muttered. He laid his arms out, his threads immediately obeying his call. The webs formed some sort of rotating circle, hence its name. 'I could use my second form for this one, but that would only deflect it. It isn't necessarily made for cutting. I guess the breath of water would be more suited for this.' Y/n said to herself watching as the demon boy sent the threads towards her direction. "Breath of water, eleventh form, " Y/n muttered. "Eleventh form..?" Tanjiro questioned. "Who cares about some eleventh form?!" Rui exclaimed in annoyance. The threads got closer to Y/n, alarming Tanjiro. "Y/n..!" He called out. "Dead calm, " Y/n muttered. The two boys' eyes widened. 'What..?' Tanjiro questioned. 'The threads we're slashed... My strongest threads were slashed?! They didn't even reach her..!' Rui said to himself. "N-no..! Once more..!" Rui said to himself. He repeated his previous movements, laying his hands out. Rui flinched as Y/n started walking towards him. Rui gulped in nervousness, blinking in the process. His eyes widened when he was met with trees and the stars of the night sky instead of the female demon slayer that was supposedly in front of him. A ringing sound filled his ears as he heard an extremely loud thud. His neck had been severed in less than a blink of the eye. 'Gotta thank onii-chan for teaching me his eleventh form.' Y/n said to herself. She swung her blade, flicking off the demon blood that remained. She sheathed her sword, then ran over to Tanjiro and Nezuko. She kneeled in front of them, engulfing them in a hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you. Some supervisor I am, " Y/n muttered. She took out a few boxes and bandages, then got to work. She injected Tanjiro a serum that would help him regain his energy, then one that would help make the pain more tolerable. Before she could inject him with a third serum, she froze, her eye twitching. She looked around, seeing a few butterflies. "Crap, " Y/n muttered. She stood up and unsheathed her sword, looking around. Her eye twitched again. She got in front of Tanjiro, holding her sword out. "Y/n, what's going on?" Tanjiro questioned. His eyes widened when he heard the clashing of metal. It was another demon slayer. A girl. "Ara, what are you doing, Y/n?" Shinobu asked, pivoting her body upwards. She landed a few meters behind Y/n. Y/n turned around. "Why are you protecting a demon?" Shinobu asked. "Says the one who wanted peace between humans and demons, " Y/n retorted. Shinobu slightly furrowed her eyebrows, smiling at Y/n. "You've got a point, Y/n, but you know that it's against the corps rules, right?" Shinobu announced. Her eyes landed on Tanjiro. "Boy, are you aware that the girl you're hugging is a demon? Please move aside. It's very dangerous, " Shinobu said. "N-no! You're wrong! Well, you're also right... But, she's my younger sister!" Tanjiro said. "I see. How pitiful. Well... I won't let her suffer any pain. I'll help you kill her with a gentle poison, " Shinobi said. "You know, Shinobu, it's been five years since we've met, and you should be well aware of how relentless I am when it comes to demons. I've tortured them, poisoned them, and killed them with no mercy. But you see, I don't trample on the lives of the innocent. I am well aware that the girl is a demon. But if she were hostile, don't you think I would've killed her already?" Y/n asked. Tanjiro's eyes widened.

"Ara, you have a point, Y/n. But I'm not willing to argue for any longer. Please move aside and let me do my job, " Shinobu said. "Can you move?" Y/n asked Tanjiro. "Even if you can't, you should be able to in a few seconds. That serum will help without a doubt, " Y/n said. "Carry Nezuko and run, " Y/n said. "Y-Y/n..." Tanjiro trailed. "Just listen to her and run, " Another voice implored. Y/n looked up, seeing Giyu descend and land beside her. "T-Tomioka-san..!" Tanjiro called. "Are you deaf? How many times must we tell you to run?" Giyu asked. "S-Sorry..! Thank you..!" Tanjiro exclaimed, picking up Nezuko and running. "Are you two for real..? I know that both of you are well aware that this is against the corps rules, " Shinobu said, eyebrows furrowed. Giyu and Shinobu ran at each other, their swords clashing. Both jumped back, keeping their stance. "I can't believe there would be Hashiras that would protect a demon, " Shinobu said. Y/n gasped. "Kanao..!" Y/n noted. "Onii-chan, " Y/n called. Giyu nodded, understanding what she meant. Y/n ran off, chasing after Tanjiro, Nezuko, and supposedly Kanao. She jumped tree to tree, immediately catching up to Tanjiro and Nezuko. Y/n's eye twitched. She jumped, seeing Kanao. As Kanao's foot landed on Tanjiro, Y/n tackled her to the side. Tanjiro fell to the ground, dropping Nezuko. 'Crap. What was that?!' Tanjiro questioned. "Tanjiro! Get up now and run!" Y/n exclaimed, getting up from her spot. 'Y/n?!' Tanjiro called quietly. "Get your ass off the ground! Take Nezuko and run! Run until you can't anymore! And don't look back!" Y/n implored. Tanjiro nodded, then ran to pick up Nezuko. He ran away, Nezuko in his arms, leaving Y/n and Kanao. "You surely remember me, right Kanao?" Y/n asked. "Yes, " she said. "That's good. Now stand down. That's an order, " Y/n said.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Trivia:
1) Y/n and Shinobu are good friends.
2) Y/n and Kanao first met when Y/n became a Hashira.
3) some Kakushies think that Y/n and Giyu are actually siblings because of their eyes.
4) Kanao really looks up to Y/n.
5) Shinobu had told Kanao that Y/n was another person to take orders from.
6) despite her weak will, Kanao was supposed to defy Y/n's orders. In the end, she listened, which was the result of her upbringing.
7) despite not introducing herself to Inosuke, he learned Y/n's name because of Tanjiro.
8) if you hadn't stopped to help the fallen demon slayer, he would've died and Tanjiro wouldn't learn about Hinokami. It was a win-win for both of them.

Behind the scenes from the author:
Hello everyone!
Yes, this is a new addition I decided to add. Here, I'll explain why a chapter took so long(if it did), my thoughts while writing, and answers to questions people might ask.

Why did Chapter Eleven take so long?
So, as most of you may know, the manga series of demon slayer had recently ended. That would be the primary cause of my reason for taking so long.

Demon slayer is my favorite anime and manga series, so naturally, I had gotten extremely attached.

Everytime I opened up wattpad to write, it would always pain me to do so.

It was unhealthy for me to write in that condition, considering how severe the heartaches were.

I know, it sounds extremely surreal, but some others might be able to relate to this kind of sensitivity.

So, yeah, I took long cause it would've been unhealthy for me to write in that condition.

Why did I not include the fight in episode nineteen?
As most of you know, a lot of X Readers don't include scenes in which the reader isn't involved. Similarly, I skipped that scene because y/n wouldn't be part of it.

Additionally, for those who hadn't noticed, I updated the info page and changed the breath of flower's ninth and tenth form.

Anyway, feel free to ask me questions. You may also ask for the meaning of a word that I missed. You can also ask for a simplified description of a scene.

And with that,

I thank you all for reading, have a good day/night!

| Author-chan