The Life Bet
“Brother, come back inside. It's freezing.”
Nezuko stepped outside, clutching her haori close to her body. The night was inky black, save for the one lantern that casts an ethereal glow over her reckless brother as he held his hatchet, in the middle of a neat circle of snow. His breaths came out in smoky white puffs as he moved, as if in a trance.
Tanjiro didn’t even react to her sentence, and Nezuko briefly feared that he was really in an actual trance, until he shook his head and turned to her. “N-No, I don’t need to. I’m fine, Nezuko.”
“It’s super late, and you have to go deliver charcoal tomorrow.” she walked over to him, frowning “Besides, if you don’t, then I’ll tell Mom. You have to sleep, brother.”. He still didn’t answer, instead staring straight off to the dark woods, something strange marred his usually peaceful expression. The look scared her somehow.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally turned back, letting out a breathy sigh. “Fine.”
Nezuko led him back inside, forced him to bed and draped his checkered haori over him. She brought in the lantern to where Tanjiro was sitting in his futon, watching the snow-drifted sky outside. It was the first moments of peace they had in a while, especially in a house with many siblings.
Especially since Father died.
Nezuko wished they could have more moments like this.
“You don’t have to do anything, Tanjiro.” she whispered to him, reassuring. “Everything’s fine. And you’ll protect us if you need to.”
“I know.” Tanjiro hummed, worry etched in his brows. “It’s just, I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“About what?” she asked. The light reflected in her brother’s mahogany eyes as he stared ahead.
“That something will go wrong.” he answered, and the shadows from the light danced across his features, making him look older by decades. “There’s something Father used to say whenever something bad happened.” And his next words would torment Nezuko for years and the rest of her life.
“Whenever joy is shattered, it is always accompanied by the presence of blood.”
“TANJIRO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
Tanjiro didn’t seem to hear her. Instead, he kept on trying to bite her, and the only reason he didn't is because she was holding him back by his throat. Tanjiro noticed this and tried to crush her arms with his grip, but she held on for all it was worth.
“Tanjiro! Stop, please! It’s me, your sister! Nezuko!!” Nezuko screamed, but he didn’t even listen, instead reaching forward and snapped his jaws, spittle flying everywhere, showcasing his sharp teeth.
So this is what Mr. Saburo was talking about. This is a demon.
No! It’s not true! Nezuko argued. He’s still Tanjiro, my kind older brother who wouldn’t hurt anyone! He’s a human!
And yet, he’d undergone a change that Nezuko couldn’t even explain.
His aura was completely different. A normal aura would always feel like a summer day to Nezuko, warm and fluffy, inviting her to come in and explore if said person allowed. It was like a small ball of light, living inside them. Every living being has one, a connection of their very existence.
But Tanjiro? His current aura was cold, sour, and bad. There was zero logic or rationality within it, only raw ferocity and hunger. Nezuko felt like she was about to retch, touching and feeling his aura at such closeness. It felt like a venomous snake, getting up and ready to strike, making her want to stay as far away as possible. It was as if the thing that made Tanjiro Tanjiro had been stripped away, leaving this monstrosity as what’s left.
And despite it all, Nezuko didn’t believe that he was the one who killed their family.
For one thing, despite being sickened and terror struck upon discovering him, she noticed that the blood was mostly along his torso, legs, feet, and clothes. There was none on his face, hands or mouth, which meant that he was attacked, not the attacker.
There was also the hatchet that her brother used. It was the only weapon they had, and she’d noticed it outside, the stick smashed in and the steel bent in an awkward manner, the blade clean of any blood. It had been thrown so far that it was near where Nezuko saw Tanjiro’s earrings.
Even though there was little evidence and possibly wishful thinking, Nezuko clung onto it, knowing deep down that her brother would never just snap and kill his whole family. Tanjiro would never ever do this.
But it still didn’t explain why he was like this, attacking her.
Nezuko snapped back to reality just as Tanjiro lunged at her, getting a lot closer and forcing her to push him back with her hand.
“Tanjiro, please! Snap out of it!” she pleaded. She knew that he was too far gone by whatever had made him go insane, but she couldn’t help it. A small incessant part of her hoped that he could still remember her, helping him to get out of his daze. “Please, Tanjiro, please!!”
Tanjiro only grew more agitated, and he started to growl, pushing against her until he wriggled out of her grip, slowly but surely. Nezuko gasped, fear spiking in her pulse when she realized how he did it.
Somehow he’d grown to the size of a man.
How did he do that?
It was, unfortunately, the least of her worries. He took advantage of his new strength and immediately grabbed her neck.
Nezuko immediately felt the air leaving her lungs and her throat choking. She gagged and wheezed, trying desperately to claw his arms as he squeezed with a crazed look on his face. When that proved futile, she kicked at his legs, hoping she could get her body to move, for him to let go.
But he was too big and strong, and he only kept squeezing tighter and tighter with every one of her attempts to escape.
Nezuko tried one last time to plead to him, but the only sounds she made were gurgling gasps, punctuated by chokes. She felt tears welling and wondered if they were from fear or the fact that she was about to be killed by her own brother.
Kind, sweet Tanjiro who’d rather perish than harm another living soul, was about to murder her.
As her vision slowly faded to black, she looked at Tanjiro and softened her expression. If she was really going to die, she wanted to see her brother’s face as the last thing she’ll ever see, demon or not. She prayed that a part of him could see her, and understand that he knew she forgave him.
I’m sorry, Tanjiro. Nezuko hoped he could sense what she was saying. This isn’t your fault.
You must’ve tried to protect everyone last night, didn’t you? Because I wasn’t there.
I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything.
I’m sorry.
Please, forgive yourself, Tanjiro.
This isn’t your fault.
With that, she closed her eyes and waited for the depths to consume her.
…
…
…
And then, the grip over her neck loosened.
Her eyes shot open, confused. Just mere moments ago she was about to get choked to death. She rolled on the ground, hands on her throat and tried to take a moment to just breath, live, and exist. Her neck was ringed with bruises.
What just happened?
She got her answer when a hand touched her shoulder. Yelping, she scrambled backward straight into the rocky cliffside, panic evident on her face. She kept a hand on her throat, and she grew even more nervous when she realized that only her and Tanjiro were here.
Tanjiro, who had just choked and tried to kill her.
Who was now sitting beside her, a confused and pensive expression on his face, staring at his outstretched hand.
He tilted his head and tried to speak, but all that came out was garbled groans, as if he was an animal. His slitted eyes sharpened as he stared at his clawed hands, just now realizing how big it was. Tanjiro stared at his hands, now large and bloodied, fear growing in his eyes. He growled and whined, his breathing quickening as he realized the changes in his body.
“Tan…Tan…jiro?” Nezuko rasped, her voice weak and breathless. She forced herself to stand and approach her brother. Tanjiro focused on Nezuko, but instead of attacking, he stumbled backward, uncoordinated and frightened. He tried to speak but could only manage growls and cries.
He didn't notice the edge of the cliff behind him.
“Wait! Stop!” Nezuko cried out, rushing toward him. She slipped on hidden ice, colliding with Tanjiro. They both toppled over the ledge.
As they fell, Nezuko blacked out, missing the moment when Tanjiro wrapped his arms around her, shielding her with his body as they plunged into the snow below.
Slowly, Tanjiro opened his eyes.
A grey sky loomed above, snowflakes gently falling. He lay on his back, clutching something warm. The smell was incredible, making his mouth water and stomach growl. He looked down to see a human girl in pink.
He had tried to eat her before.
Why did he stop?
Just eat and you’ll feel better.
He moved her onto her back, her scent—light, fragrant, delicious—beckoning him. His body ached, his head was foggy, his stomach hurt, and his throat was parched. All of it would go away with this meal.
Eat and you’ll feel better.
He leaned forward to grab her arm when something tightened around his neck, making him gag. He growled, seeing a long blue scarf under his knee. He wrestled it off, tearing the fabric, and threw it aside.
Wait, it was his scarf.
But I gave it to Nezuko.
Who was Nezuko?
“Nezuko.”
She paused and turned around. He threw the blue scarf at her from his bed. She caught it and smiled.
“I know you’re going to do great things one day. I’m here for you too, wherever you go and whatever you decide to do. I promise.”
She nodded, a warm smile on her face, bright pink eyes shining. She put on the scarf and headed outside, saying goodbyes to their family. He hobbled to the doorway, catching her eye as she walked away.
He waved. She smiled.
He was so proud of his little sister.
His little sister...
Nezuko...
Nezuko...
Nezuko...
Mom...
Takeo...
Hanako...
Shigeru...
Rokuta...
Father...
Nezuko...
NO!
Tanjiro launched himself backward, away from Nezuko’s body as though it burned him. He plunged his head into the freezing snow, digging his claws into his hair, trying to breathe. It only increased his panic, making him take in more of Nezuko’s scent.
What have I done?!
He didn’t know. The previous night was a blur. The fog in his head lifted slightly, but he couldn’t remember clearly.
He remembered screaming and blood. Holding the hatchet and swinging. His sister’s scream, his brother’s crying. His mother said everything would be alright.
Pain, red eyes, something dark awakening in him.
Did I hurt them?
He couldn’t remember enough. But there was blood all over him, sharp claws on his hands, large fangs barely poking out of his mouth, and hair much longer and thicker than he remembered. And there had been a moment where he had grown larger, but was now smaller.
Something had changed him, and he didn’t know what.
A sharp pain stabbed through his gut, making him cry out and clutch his middle. Tanjiro squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth, trying to ignore the terrible instincts urging him to do something unspeakable. He was so hungry, it felt like his body was eating itself. He wanted to lift himself up and devour the unconscious body next to him.
But no, that was Nezuko, and he refused to eat his sister.
But you almost did.
His eyes snapped open. He made a wounded sound, tears gathering. He almost attacked and killed Nezuko.
No, he did attack her.
Memories flooded his head. Hearing someone call his name. Being carried through the cold. He sat down and had his scarf wrapped around his neck. Finally standing, the first thought upon seeing Nezuko was to eat her.
He pinned her to the ground. Tried to rip her throat out. Choked her.
He tried to kill her.
I almost killed Nezuko.
Tanjiro looked up, horror-struck. Her haori and kimono were stained with his blood. Some of her hair had fallen out of her buns, her eyelids red and swollen. And her throat...
Her throat had dark red handprints circling it.
I did this to my little sister.
He had become a monster.
Without another thought, Tanjiro bolted.
He didn’t care where he was running; he just had to get away. Bare, snow-covered trees blurred past him. All he knew was he was heading toward a more secluded part of the mountain, away from the path and family necessities.
But that didn’t matter. As long as it was away from Nezuko and her scent, it was fine.
Get away… Get away… Get away from anyone you can hurt…
He wasn’t going to hurt anyone.
But that doesn’t change what you did.
Tanjiro stepped on something slippery and fell, pain bursting from his right foot. He stared at the odd angle of his bare foot, but soon, the pain vanished.
That was the foot he injured yesterday.
The same one that healed itself today.
The same one that failed to protect them.
He growled, fury and frustration building inside him like a growing flame. His breaths quickened, claws digging into the ground, teeth clenched so hard his jaw ached. Everything inside him was fighting and lashing out, growing stronger and hotter until something animalistic reared its head.
And Tanjiro exploded.
He screamed and roared, pounding the ground, sweeping snow away with flailing arms, throwing stones. He let the wild fury consume him, uncaring of the pain erupting from his hands or how he was acting like the beast he had become.
He tried to be the man his father wanted him to be. He looked after his family, provided for them, and was prepared to protect them from harm. His father had been a role model, and Tanjiro did everything to be like him, so his spirit would be proud and at peace.
It was this desire that pushed him to make extra trips to town, tell his siblings stories about their father, stay up late to quell his nightmares, and practice the Hinokami Kagura in the dead of night.
But he had failed.
He couldn’t even take charcoal to town. He couldn’t save his family from whatever attacked them. Everything he did to prepare was for nothing, destroyed in a moment of broken hatchets and dead bodies.
A monster… A monster…
I’m a monster.
Tanjiro’s energy drained away, leaving him with a deep, bone-weary sorrow. He collapsed to the ground, curling up and hugging himself, crying quietly into the snow. Everything hurt, and he just wanted the pain to disappear.
He longed to be a child again, free from all this pain and burden, for this to be a horrible dream that he could wake up from and be comforted by his mother or father.
He wanted Mom to hug him and tell him everything would be alright.
He wanted Dad to tell him stories and hum the soft tunes he used to sing to his children.
He wanted his younger siblings to ask him to play and laugh with them.
He wanted Nezuko to just sit with him while they watched the snow fall when he had been outside for too long, practicing the Hinokami Kagura until his feet were numb.
He wanted his family. He wanted to go home.
I want to go home…
I want to go home…
Please let me go home…
Tanjiro didn’t know how long he lay there, sobbing and wishing he could turn back time. He desperately craved someone to comfort him, but no one would. The empty feeling and numbing sadness were all that remained.
He was content to lie there forever.
But then…
A new scent wafted into the air.
Just eat and you’ll feel better.
The primal instinct within him reared its ugly head once more, taking advantage of his hiccuping breaths and strong sense of smell. He felt a shift, forgetting his sorrow and stopping his crying, a need to find the source of the scent taking over.
He slowly lifted his head and looked behind him. A dark figure stood a distance away, watching him. When the energy came to him, he stood, and they began making their way over to him at a leisurely pace, but with purpose and confidence.
Did they even know what he was? That he was dangerous?
When the figure got close enough, they stopped, standing with a relaxed posture that did not match the intensity in their eyes. The man, dressed in black, exuded a scent of mint and something bitter, with a hint of sweetness like fruit.
Even from meters away, an instinct within Tanjiro warned him about the stranger. He tensed, becoming more alert and fearful.
It hit him.
This man knew exactly what Tanjiro was.
This man is here to kill me.
His painfully empty stomach clenched and growled. Drool dripped from his mouth as he panted, inhaling the delicious human scent. His muscles burned, his head pounded with each heartbeat, and everything in his body screamed to lunge forward and devour the meal standing before him.
NO!
No, Tanjiro couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t. That wasn’t who he was. He wasn’t going to harm another human being.
But I hurt Nezuko.
He couldn’t remember everything clearly (a voice whispered he could remember if he just ate), but he recalled fragmented memories from the night before and the fear in his sister’s eyes when he had almost killed her.
He had become a monster.
“Everything is okay. And you’ll protect us if you need to.”
Maybe the only way to protect his family was to kill the monster threatening them.
The stranger’s posture changed as he reached behind his back, drawing a long, sharp blade that glinted bright yellow. The weapon was pointed at Tanjiro, and his new body screamed to run, to get away, to fight the human, devour their flesh, and avoid the blade.
“Remember who you are and protect your family, Tanjiro. Will you do that for me?”
Yes, I will.
He blinked, and the figure disappeared. The sound of something whistling toward him rang in his ears. But he didn’t run. He didn’t try to defend himself or attack the human. Everything in his body hurt, and he just wanted it to go away.
I will protect my family.
Even from myself.
Tanjiro fell to his knees, raised his arms, and lifted his head heavenward. As he lost the battle to stay conscious, he had one last thought before closing his eyes.
I’m sorry I hurt you, Nezuko.
I love you. Please forgive me.
With that, he was finally blessed with peaceful darkness.
…
…
…
But if he had stayed awake just a second longer, he would have witnessed Nezuko grabbing him at the last moment, hugging him to protect him, redirecting the blade and cutting her hair instead of him.
Nezuko and Tanjiro tumbled through the snow, their bodies rolling uncontrollably from the force of the impact. They only came to a halt when Nezuko's back collided with a sturdy tree trunk. She lay there for a moment, panting heavily, her arms wrapped tightly around her brother in a protective embrace. Her heart pounded in her chest as she glanced down at Tanjiro, her eyes widening in fear. His eyes were closed, and he appeared deathly still, almost as if he wasn't breathing. Panic surged through her, and she quickly moved a trembling hand to his neck, letting out a sigh of relief when she felt a steady pulse.
He must have passed out, she thought.
The realization of what had just happened hit Nezuko like a tidal wave. This had to be the most terrifying moment of her life, second only to discovering her murdered family. When she had broken into the clearing, she couldn't believe her eyes. Her big brother, Tanjiro, was surrendering himself to be killed by a stranger. He was allowing himself to be killed. He truly believed that he deserved to die. He seemed so broken, so defeated, ready to give in to despair.
But that scream she had heard when she woke up...
It was devastating, filled with a raw, primal fear. Her brother was struggling against whatever had happened to him, fearing that he was going to lose himself. So he had given himself over to... whoever that stranger was.
A voice broke through her thoughts, harsh and demanding.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" the stranger said harshly.
Nezuko nearly forgot about the stranger in her panic. She snapped her gaze up and saw the man—a figure she had never seen before—rising from the crouch he had landed in. He slowly turned toward her and Tanjiro. Before Nezuko could say anything, a large snow cloud blew between them, obscuring her view. She closed her eyes against the cold breeze, and when she opened them again, the man was much closer, allowing her to see him more clearly.
The stranger had slightly short dark hair and odd turquoise eyes that were hard and filled with a hatred Nezuko had never seen or felt before. He was dressed in a black kimono with thick white lining and a dark blue obi around his waist, loosely tied to expose his chest and reveal a black uniform underneath. He wore black kyahan leg wrappings with white triangle patterns, each tied with three white ribbons, along with black tabi socks and white-laced zori.
What stood out the most were the numerous necklaces and bracelets he wore. The blue strings holding them together were wrapped tightly around him, with yellow magatama-like pendants dangling from them. Each wrist held two pendants, while his neck had one, adding to his regal yet intimidating presence.
In his left hand, he held a sword with a dark yellow blade and a jagged dark gray stripe down the middle, resembling a lightning bolt. The handle was circular with four slight indents, dark gold in color with a dark silver center and smaller triangle marks. Nezuko had never seen such an elegant weapon before.
The stranger's aura felt overwhelmingly cold and powerful, even from a distance. It wasn't like Tanjiro's current aura, which had a feeling of wrongness that made Nezuko feel sick. Instead, it was as if the stranger's soul had hardened into jagged stone with sharp edges, preventing her from sensing any warmth or kindness within him. She could only deduce that it was the result of a hard, sad life that had driven away any remaining warmth.
And yet, she could vaguely sense cracks in the stone. She wondered what that was about...
The stranger's voice cut through her thoughts again, deep and smooth, yet filled with a dignified authority that his words contradicted.
"Hey! Girl! Did you hear me, or are you just stupid?" he barked at her.
Despite the situation, Nezuko couldn't help but feel offended. "Excuse me?"
The man narrowed his eyes. "I said, what the hell is wrong with you? Why did you get in my way?"
Nezuko sat up, cradling Tanjiro's prone body closer to her. "B-Because this is my brother! And he needs help! Something's wrong with him! He's not himself!"
The man stared at Nezuko with a hard glare. If the situation had been different and she wasn't still feeling the adrenaline high from everything that had just happened, it probably would have left her cowering. His turquoise gaze drifted down to her brother, staring at him as though Tanjiro were a rotting carcass and not a fifteen-year-old boy. The man leaned against the nearest tree, crossing his arms loosely while keeping a firm grip on his blade.
"You call that thing your brother?" he said with an air of disbelief.
"Thing? Everything this man was saying was rubbing her the wrong way and only making her feel more frustrated. "Tanjiro is not a thing! He—"
Her words were cut off abruptly as she felt Tanjiro squirming in her grip, a low growl emanating from his throat. Nezuko's heart raced as she looked down at her brother. His eyes, now open, held none of the recognition from before on the cliffs. He was snarling, trying to escape her hold, much like he had when he first attacked her after becoming a demon.
"Wait, Tanjiro, it's me! Remember?" she pleaded to him, struggling to hold him in place.
Nezuko's plea seemed to fall on deaf ears. Tanjiro's eyes were wild, filled with a violent mindset, as though everything that had just happened was wiped from his memory. Panic clawed at Nezuko's heart.
Was it just a one-time occurrence? Was that the only moment he was able to be himself again?
Is he going to be like this forever?
Her thoughts raced, a whirlwind of fear and desperation.
The stranger scoffed, his voice filled with disdain. "This is ridiculous. It’s obvious what’s happened: your ‘brother’ has become a demon."
The words hit Nezuko like a physical blow. Hearing it from someone else finally made it sink in. The truth was undeniable, leaving her feeling almost paralyzed with shock and terror, as though it was the first time she was having this realization. She could have denied it before, claiming that she was letting Mr. Saburo’s words and old memories get the better of her, but now the truth was staring her in the face.
Tanjiro had turned into a demon.
In that moment of realization, Tanjiro put on a burst of strength and broke free from Nezuko's weakened grip. She fell back into the snow, her eyes wide with horror as Tanjiro turned to face her, his growl low and menacing. Nezuko braced herself, ready to repeat what had happened on the path to stop her brother.
But then, in the blink of an eye, Tanjiro vanished.
Nezuko stared at the empty space where her brother had been, confusion and fear swirling in her mind. She heard his growling and snarling again and looked up to see the stranger, now holding Tanjiro by his wrists behind his back. The stranger's grip was ironclad, his expression one of contempt as he looked at Nezuko. Despite Tanjiro's violent struggles, the stranger didn't seem to be exerting any effort at all.
I didn’t even see him move this way.
How fast is this man?
The stranger's turquoise eyes were hard and unyielding, filled with a cold, calculating hatred. Nezuko's mind raced, trying to comprehend the stranger's overwhelming power and presence.
"Please, let him go! He's my brother! He needs help!" she screamed, hoping he’d stop it and help her.
But the stranger's grip remained firm, and the look in his eyes made it clear that he saw Tanjiro as nothing more than a threat.
The stranger's voice was harsh and unyielding, cutting through the cold air like a blade. "Listen, kid, it'smy job to kill every demon I find, and due to some unfortunate circumstances, that now includes this thing." At the last word, he gave Tanjiro a rough shake, causing the demon to shriek and glare at him. The stranger met Tanjiro's gaze with an unflinching, fearless stare. "I have to decapitate this demon before it does any real damage."
Nezuko pushed herself back to her feet, her heart pounding with fear and desperation. "No, wait, you can't! Tanjiro wouldn't hurt anyone!"
The man raised an eyebrow, his expression cold and skeptical. He pointed at Nezuko with his sword, the blade glinting menacingly. "Those handprints on your throat say otherwise."
Nezuko's eyes widened, and her hands flew to her throat, wincing at the pain. She had nearly forgotten that her brother had tried to choke her when he went into a frenzy. "Th-This was—"
The stranger cut her off, his voice dripping with disdain. "And there's blood on your clothes." He gestured to Nezuko's body, his turquoise eyes hard and unyielding. "Everything about your appearance suggests that you got into some sort of fight with something much bigger and stronger than you. Same with the demon." He shook Tanjiro again, but this time her brother had a more muted response, only growling a little and keeping his gaze trained on Nezuko. The man didn't seem to notice. "So tell me again how your precious 'brother' wouldn't hurt another living soul or even his sweet sister, huh?"
Nezuko knew, to an extent, that this stranger was right. Tanjiro had changed and was in a much more feral state of mind that pushed him to attack her. The evidence was all over her. And based on the pain she was feeling, she could only assume that there were more bruises on her arms and shoulders from when he had been gripping her.
But still...
"Tanjiro is still in there, I know he is," Nezuko replied, clenching her fists and doing her best to meet the deadly stranger's gaze without letting too much of her fear show. "He was protecting my family when they were being attacked, and he stopped attacking me all on his own, and tried to get away. He was protecting me from himself. It's the reason he ran away, it's the reason that he surrendered himself to you! That has to count for something, doesn't it?"
The stranger's aura was overwhelmingly cold, like a winter storm that had frozen his soul. His turquoise eyes bore into Nezuko, filled with a hatred and contempt that made her shiver. He seemed unmoved by her words, his expression remaining hard and unyielding.
"You think that counts for something?" he scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Demons are demons. They kill, they destroy, and they don't care about anything or anyone. Your brother is no different."
Despite the stranger's cold logic and unyielding demeanor, Nezuko refused to back down. She took a step forward, her eyes blazing with determination.
"Tanjiro is different," she insisted, her voice steady and unwavering. "I know he's still in there. I won't let you kill him. I'll find a way to bring him back."
The stranger's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Nezuko thought she saw a flicker of something—perhaps doubt, or maybe even a hint of understanding. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the same cold, unyielding gaze.
"We'll see about that," he muttered, his grip on Tanjiro tightening. "But don't expect me to go easy on him. Or you."
"Besides," Nezuko continued before she could be interrupted, "back at my house, when I was checking the bodies, there was another presence that had been there. It was faint, but traces of its aura were still there over the bodies. It…It was probably the one that attacked my family!"
The memory of that presence was something Nezuko had tried not to dwell on until now. It was a feeling she could barely sense at the time, initially mistaking it for Tanjiro’s new demonic aura. But now, with everything coming together, it made sense. The overwhelming feeling had made her sick at the sight of her family’s corpses. It reminded her of the cold, terrifying sensation she had felt the night she came home.
Did she pass by her family’s murderer?
Her words didn’t seem to have the effect she hoped for. The man's glare hardened, and his grip on his blade tightened. "Alright, you’re clearly not understanding a fairly simple situation, so I’m gonna spell this out for you. That 'presence' you felt was the demon that attacked your family. And somehow, during that fight, your brother’s wounds were exposed to demon blood. That’s how these man-eating monsters multiply and cause more death and carnage."
Nezuko desperately pleaded to him, "But Tanjiro is different! I know he is! Please, just—"
"Just what?" The man spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "Oh for god’s sake, it was just a lucky fluke that somehow the demon remembered who it was and ran away! It’s not your precious brother anymore, it’s a starving monster looking for human flesh to eat!" He plowed on, ignoring how Tanjiro stiffened and became quiet. "I’ve been tracking this demon since I checked your home, and you know what I saw after it ran away from you? It had a rage-induced meltdown that definitely could have resulted in your death had you found it and tried to step in. This demon is a wild animal whose only instincts now are to hunt and feed on humans. It wouldn’t care if you were its family. Once it’s reached its limit on how much it can handle starvation, the demon will become incredibly dangerous and not care who you are."
"No!" Nezuko yelled, her voice filled with desperation. "You’re wrong!"
A pause. An unreadable expression passed over the man’s face. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "What did you say to me?"
"I said you’re wrong!" Nezuko felt her fists hurting from how hard she was clenching them. She took a step forward, speaking as loudly as she could despite the sparks of pain in her throat. "He knows I’m his little sister! He knows I’m his family! I won’t let him hurt anyone, and I’ll find a way to help him, to cure him!"
The man stared at Nezuko, his expression a mix of frustration and something almost resembling pity. "There is no cure!" he said, his voice softer but still firm. "Once you become a demon, there’s no turning back! It’s too late to do anything!"
"I don’t care!" Nezuko screamed, her voice breaking with emotion. She barely noticed how much she was shaking or if she really did sound insane, only being fueled by the power and volume of her words. "There’s a way, there has to be, and I’ll find it! I’ll kill the demon that murdered my family! I’ll do whatever it takes, I’ll make everything right, I’ll fix this! JUST LET HIM GO! DON’T KILL HIM PLEASE!"
Nezuko's voice cracked with desperation, her eyes pleading. "Please…Please don’t take anyone else away from me."
The stranger's gaze softened slightly, a flicker of understanding crossing his cold, turquoise eyes. He sighed, his grip on Tanjiro loosening just a fraction. "You’re determined, I’ll give you that. But determination alone won’t save him. You need to be prepared for the worst."
Nezuko fell to her knees, the weight of her violent outburst taking everything out of her. She bowed her head into the snow, tears streaming down her face and freezing in the cold air. She couldn't remember how many times she had cried that day, but the tears kept coming with every tragedy she faced.
"Please, please…I'm begging you," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Don't take my big brother away from me. He's all I have left. He shouldn't be punished for trying to do the right thing. He's hurting…he's scared…but he's not a monster. He's my big brother."
Her voice was filled with a desperation that echoed through the cold, still air.
My big brother who I let down.
Nezuko knew there was nothing she could have done to change the past, but the guilt weighed heavily on her. She wished she had paid more attention to Tanjiro, and had voiced her support for him sooner. While she and her mother focused on taking care of the younger ones, who was looking after Tanjiro? It was in her older brother’s nature to shoulder burdens and protect those who needed it, but he often forgot to think of himself. He only wanted to do what was right, and yet Nezuko had waited until the last moment to tell him he could lean on her, right before their family was killed.
She thought back to the night before last, how she had woken up to the sound of slight noise outside. Investigating, she found Tanjiro practicing the Hinokami Kagura in near darkness. She could only imagine how long he had been out there, what was driving him to keep recreating their father’s dance. She had watched him perform the ritual for a while before finally making her presence known and bringing him back inside. They had sat together, watching the snowfall for a time before going to bed.
And what had she said to him?
"Everything is okay. And you'll protect us if you need to."
Why did she say that?
How much had she unintentionally burdened Tanjiro to the point where he nearly crumbled under the pressure? Tanjiro was willing to work himself to the bone, putting himself in danger to protect his family. He must have been suffering so much.
And how was he rewarded?
By being turned into a demon and driven to do things he would never, ever do.
I did this. Even if I didn't turn him in, I wasn't there enough for him.
I let him down.
I let him down.
"Please," Nezuko begged, her voice trembling. "Leave him alone. Don't kill him. Please, please," she lifted her head and yelled, "PLEASE!"
Her scream echoed through the clearing, filled with raw, unfiltered desperation. She barely noticed how much she was shaking, or if she sounded insane. Her voice was fueled by the power and volume of her words, the desperate need to protect her brother.
Was it enough to save him?
Kaigaku had seen his fair share of demons in the four years he had been slaying the monsters. He had watched them curse his name, beg for their lives, even attempt to barter with him to let them go. He thought he had seen everything.
But he had never seen a demon surrender its neck before.
The demon had been a kid, and based on the strange markings on its forehead and the fury it displayed in the clearing after running away, was definitely going to grow into a powerful creature if it devoured enough humans. It looked ready to snap and strike at him the moment it sensed his presence.
And yet, the moment he drew his katana and lunged at it with blinding speed, the demon had fallen to its knees and made itself vulnerable.
It could be a trick, or possibly a way for it to activate its blood demon art if it was responsible for the deaths at the small home, Kaigaku thought. But still…
It just gave up. Why?
It didn’t matter, he reasoned with himself. It’ll kill the moment it’s free. Consider this an easy kill.
Then the unthinkable happened.
One moment, the demon was alone on the ground, awaiting death. The next, a girl dressed in pink dove in front of the sword, hugging it protectively.
Kaigaku barely had time to redirect the motion of his blade and narrowly avoided decapitating the girl. Something soft was cut instead, and snow exploded around them. He landed gracefully and swiftly rose from his crouch, seeing that he ended up cutting the girl’s hair so it was short and looked horrendous.
Oh well. It was hair. She would get over it.
Especially when he would explain that he nearly severed her neck and that she was protecting a demon.
And yet, this girl—probably no older than twelve or thirteen—kept insisting that the dangerous and very deadly creature that had once been her brother was still safe and wouldn’t hurt her or anyone despite everything about her appearance suggesting otherwise. She was very stubborn and wouldn’t change her mind on the matter, turning a slightly annoying situation into a very frustrating one that prevented him from doing his job right.
Because the last thing he needed—wanted—was for this naive kid to get killed due to being blinded by her familiar bond with it.
He tried to reason with her, give her the facts straight and just get her to listen, but then she told him he was wrong and that struck a nerve (and brought back some thoughts that he was still trying to let go of) and then the kid yelled more nonsense and then got on her hands and knees and started begging and then she looked up and—
The snow was gone. The air was way too humid. The scent of blossoms was sickening. He could feel their overwhelming presence behind him, waiting. And in front of him was a crying boy, kneeling and bowing into the soil, begging.
"Please, please don’t…" Then the kid looked up, amber-gold eyes wide and desperate and GOOD.
"PLEASE!"
She was going to end up just like him.
"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP YOU STUPID BRAT!"
Kaigaku’s voice cracked with unexpected emotion. The desperate, pleading look in Nezuko’s eyes mirrored something deep within him, something he had buried long ago. He felt a stab of pain, a reminder of his own past and the sacrifices he had made.
She doesn’t understand. She’s just a kid. But… Can I really take away her brother?
The girl nearly fell back in surprise, and the demon jerked a little in Kaigaku's grasp. When has it gotten so quiet? Kaigaku knew, somewhere deep in his mind, that he was about to be an unreasonable jerk—more so than he had been since their conversation began. He was acting out of response to memories, but he was at his wits' end. It had been a bad day from the very beginning, and now too many emotions were swirling through him to process what the right thing to do was. So he reverted to what he did best when dealing with something frustrating him.
Asserting that he was in the right by being an asshole.
"Don’t you dare grovel like that and make yourself weak," Kaigaku growled. The girl looked at him in confusion, tears in her eyes, and cowered a little when he yelled at her. "All you’re doing is making yourself vulnerable, submitting yourself to a stronger opponent in place of someone else and allowing for your own slaughter! Do you know what that’s called? Throwing your life away for a meaningless cause!"
"I have no respect for people like you." Kaigaku gave her a cruel smile and laughed. "If this is the best you have to offer, then I guess I was right about you. You’re nothing but a weak, pathetic little child who’s only good for crying. You think begging is going to convince me to spare your older brother? Hah! You’re delusional. I shouldn’t be surprised, you’re stupid enough to think that you can cure this demon."
More tears started falling from her bright pink eyes, and the girl hunched her shoulders, lowering her gaze to the ground.
Good, she’s listening. Keep listening, kid.
"Then again, even if a cure did exist," he continued taunting her, "how would a weakling like you have any hope of finding it? Or even just killing a demon? Don’t be ridiculous. Your weak resolve will do nothing for you, it’s the very reason why you can’t help your brother and why your words have no effect on me, let alone a demon!"
The girl made herself look smaller and smaller with each word. Her gaze kept flickering between him and the ground in front of him as though she were trying to make sense of his words.
Just one more push.
"Look at me, kid, and listen!" Kaigaku yelled louder. The girl raised her head again, this time looking more anguished and despairing. Kaigaku gave her his coldest glare and pointed his sword at her, so the engraving on it that said "Destroyer of Demons" glinted ever so slightly. "The weak have no rights to living! Only the strong can stand alone and decide what is right and wrong. It’s a matter of survival of the fittest. Those who choose to make themselves weak, to throw away their lives…they deserve to be relentlessly crushed!"
And just like that, the tiny bit of fire that was lit in her eyes dimmed as she once again lowered her head in defeat.
He had done it; he had crushed her spirit and any hope she may have had. It was for the best. After all, he was preventing her from throwing her life away for a brother that had essentially died in the demon attack. There would be people in the world just as cruel as him (perhaps even more so), and this was her first lesson in dealing with them and moving on.
Don’t cry, Kaigaku told the girl in his head. Don’t let my words consume and devour any hope you may have of moving forward. I know you’re devastated by what has happened, to your family and your brother. None of this was your fault.
Maybe if I had gotten here half a day sooner, I could have prevented all of this from happening and spared you this pain. I wish I could have done that, and prevented you from being tainted by this evil world of demons.
But there’s no turning back time. Dwelling on the past changes nothing and only serves to hinder how you will become stronger and better because of it.
Kaigaku closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the freezing air to cool his head. He slowly released it, focusing on the freezing burn and the tightness of the cords wrapped around his wrists and neck to bring him back to his duty.
Feel it…Feel the building rage of never forgiving and let it fuel you towards your goal, to take action. Do what needs to be done in order to save those that still can be.
Atone for your sins. Never allow yourself to falter again.
Never forgive the demons.
Kaigaku opened his eyes and poised his sword at the demon, ready to kill it with the girl distracted and looking away. But the demon cried out, as though calling to her and giving her what looked to be a desperate expression. The girl looked up, and the panic returned.
"No, wait, stop!" she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Do it before this gets out of hand.
Kaigaku wasted no more time and stabbed the demon.
It roared in pain the same moment the girl screamed.
"DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM!" she screeched.
And the fire that burned in her eyes when she had been yelling at him earlier reignited, filled with pain and determination.
Nezuko grabbed a stone nearby and hurled it at Kaigaku. He easily deflected it, but at that moment, she bolted straight at him. A gust of wind blew by, creating a large snow cloud that temporarily separated them. Kaigaku could still see her footprints and caught sight of her running through the trees on his left. She picked up something from the ground and threw a snowball at him, forcing him to shift and dodge out of the way.
With a battlecry, Nezuko charged at him head-on, hands to her side, as if preparing to swing something at him.
"Idiot!" he hissed. He used his blade hand to backfist the girl when she got too close, causing her to put her hands up to protect her face. His hand made contact with something hard, and the girl went down, flying back before landing in the snow.
There was a moment of silence. Even the demon was quiet, no puffs of air escaping from the girl’s mouth as though she weren’t…even…breathing?
Something wasn’t adding up.
And where was the weapon she was holding?
Kaigaku carefully approached her body, slightly dragging the demon alongside him since it seemed just as interested in what had happened. When he got close enough, he peered down and saw the girl sprawled on her back, clutching a rock tightly in her left hand.
Was that what he hit?
His eyes widened.
I didn’t knock her out.
He barely had time to process this when several things happened.
Nezuko gasped for air and threw the rock at him.
Kaigaku deflected it, stepping back in surprise.
The demon roared and tried to pull away.
Kaigaku stepped on something slippery, momentarily losing his balance.
Nezuko shot up and kicked his hand. Hard.
Both things he had been holding escaped his grasp.
Kaigaku watched as his yellow sword flew out of his hand and lodged itself high in the bark of a nearby tree. Out of pure instinct and anger, he gave Nezuko a right hook, seeing a moment of shock on her face before she cried out and fell to the ground for real. He stood there, panting and holding his hurting left hand, trying to process what had just happened. It wasn’t until he looked down near his foot that he realized what happened.
He slipped on ice. She knew he was going to step back.
She planned this.
When she was running in the snow, she pretended to pick up a weapon before charging him with nothing but a stone hidden in her hand. When he backhanded her, she used the stone to block the blow and pretended to be out cold. When he got close enough, she startled him into backing into a patch of ice so she could knock his blade out of his hand.
But how did she know about the ice?
Unless…when she was looking down in defeat…
"Fuck."
When I was giving my speech to her, she was looking at the ground. She was seeing where the ice was and tried to land near it so I would lose my balance. Even if she didn’t have a plan at the time, she was still trying to find a way to fight me. How was she even strong enough to kick my sword out of my hand?
What is up with this kid?
Kaigaku barely had time to process this when he heard growling and twisted out of the way just in time to avoid being clawed in the face.
Holy crap I forgot about the demon!
The demon appeared to be incredibly agitated, making threatening sounds and very close to snapping. Kaigaku instinctively reached behind him for his sword but panicked when he remembered the girl had sent it flying.
Fuck!
The demon growled, poised to strike at Kaigaku when Nezuko whimpered. The demon tensed and whipped its head toward where she was pushing herself to her knees, cradling her cheek with a pained expression. Kaigaku felt his blood freeze as the demon roared and lunged for her, claws outstretched and mouth displaying its sharp teeth.
Fuck!
He was already trying to formulate a plan to either grab the girl and run or tackle the demon when—
"Tanjiro wouldn’t hurt anyone!"
The demon forced itself to stop just in front of her.
"He knows I’m his little sister!"
It turned back to face Kaigaku.
"Tanjiro is different! I know he is!"
And Kaigaku could only stand there, watching in disbelief as the scene unfolded before him.
He’s going to kill her!
The demon still had the feral look in its eyes and posture, but its presence had…shifted. It was growling slowly, with its arms outstretched to the sides, creating a barrier between him and the girl. She was staring at the demon with a look of shock and awe as though she couldn’t believe what she was witnessing.
The demon was protecting her.
How…How was this possible?
Kaigaku remembered hearing stories of the demons since he was a child. He’d met demons up close and knew that the only thing they cared about was devouring humans and doing whatever it took to accomplish that. He himself had witnessed the carnage they brought more times than he could count, before and during his time as a Demon Slayer.
A demon’s only goal was to destroy and grow stronger.
But this demon, who was covered in blood and starving from healing its injuries. Who he had watched destroy its surroundings after working itself up into a rage.
Who afterwards collapsed upon itself and began crying…
Who became silent at times whenever Kaigaku spoke lowly of it or the girl…
Who was now standing before him, ready to fight for the girl’s safety…
Kaigaku had never seen anything like it before.
What are you?
Nezuko didn’t think she would get this far.
For one heartbreaking moment, Nezuko thought that she was going to lose her brother and that she would be powerless to do anything. No one had ever spoken so cruelly to her before, making her feel small and weak. She knew there was some truth to the man's words, but the feelings coming off of him…the emotions were bitter and soured yet real.
What had this man been through to see life like this?
But then Tanjiro called out and there was a look in his eyes for a second that was almost pleading, and when he was stabbed—
Nezuko felt the fire urging her to try one last time.
And somehow she kicked a sword out of the stranger’s hand (because at the time the only thought she had was to just disarm him) and got punched in the face and nearly blacked out again. And then Tanjiro had been freed and protected her.
She could hardly believe all of that happened in the span of minutes, and yet here she was, lying on the ground with a bruising cheek that hurt almost as much as the time her older brother had accidentally headbutted her when they were playing in the snow as children (he’d actually knock down trees with that forehead of his), staring at him now standing above her ready to fight the stranger if he got any closer.
"T-Tanjiro?" Nezuko whispered. Her brother didn’t respond, only growling threateningly at the man, who was staring at them in shock and disbelief. But he eventually shook his head and the angry expression from before returned. Tanjiro roared in response and chose that moment to charge him. "Tanjiro, wait!"
The demon had barely taken a few steps before the man was much closer than before and used his right hand to chop the side of his neck. Tanjiro made a choking sound and immediately went down. Nezuko crawled toward him and grabbed his body, quickly finding his pulse and reassuring herself that he was breathing.
"What a pair you two make."
Nezuko looked up and saw the stranger walking away, shaking his head and grumbling to himself. He stopped by one of the trees and jumped, taking the form of a blur before materializing back on the ground, a small ring of snow dusting him. He had his sword in his right hand and spun it a few times before looking back at Nezuko. She felt her grip on her brother tighten.
"B-But you saw," Nezuko pleaded as the man made his way back over. "You saw he protected me! Please, there has to be a way—"
"It doesn’t change the fact that your brother’s now a demon," the man spoke over her. His words didn’t sound like they were trying to be purposefully cruel this time; only stating facts. "Listen, I can’t let it go because there’s the chance that something will go wrong and it’ll devour someone. As the demon slayer who found it, it’s my responsibility to kill it. That’s just the way it is."
Nezuko’s eyes widened. Demon slayer. Didn’t Mr. Saburo mention them?
"The Demon Slayers protect us by killing as many as they can. They always have."
So they were protectors who took responsibility for the demons they killed. Then maybe there was still a way out of this.
"What if I became a demon slayer?"
The man blinked, his expression shifting from anger to surprise. "What?"
"I’ll become a demon slayer. That way I can protect Tanjiro and take responsibility for him. Would you let him live then?"
The man stared at her blankly. Then he started laughing like she had just told him something hysterical.
"I-I’m serious!" Nezuko said, her dislike for the man returning. She hated the feeling of being mocked, especially from him. "I can do it! Whatever it takes, I—"
Slam!
Nezuko yelped and hugged Tanjiro closer when the man thrust his sword into the ground with an excessive amount of force that she feared he cracked the ground beneath the snow. His expression changed to one of immense fury as he pointed a finger at her and got very close to her face.
"Listen here you annoying brat," he hissed with enough venom to match the words from his speech earlier. "You can’t just become a demon slayer. It’s not some easy task and takes years to even master the techniques. This is a serious profession that people die from. The fact that you think you can just pick up a sword and magically become someone who can protect that thing and earn respect from people like me is disgusting. Little girls like you don’t belong in the Corps, so don’t you dare go around saying stuff like that."
"I can! I swear I can!" Nezuko tried to find something, anything to say to convince this man to let her brother go. Then it hit her. "If you let me try and I fail, then you can kill Tanjiro."
The man narrowed his eyes. "No."
"Just listen to me please. You’re not going to lose anything hearing me out. Just please give me this chance to explain."
The man looked one second away from just retrieving his sword and killing her brother (and maybe her too with the murderous look in his eyes), but eventually he sighed, rubbing his eyes and muttering something under his breath before gesturing with his hand for her to continue.
At least he’s going to listen.
"You said that as a demon slayer, it’s your responsibility to kill whatever demons you come across. But what if someone took over that responsibility for you? If I became a demon slayer and took Tanjiro under my care, then I would be responsible for him and you wouldn’t have to deal with him or me anymore."
The man groaned. "Kid, no, that’s not how this—"
"You said my weak resolve will keep me from protecting my brother. What if I prove you wrong? I’ll become a demon slayer and take any sort of fallout regarding Tanjiro. If I fail…" Nezuko squeezed Tanjiro tighter and took a shaky breath. "If I can’t do it, then…you can kill Tanjiro and I promise I won’t fight you anymore. You have my word."
The two stared at each other. Nezuko could feel the chaotic amount of emotions battling within the stranger as he had an internal battle over what to do. It seemed like his logical side was telling him to just kill her brother and get it all over with. But there was a tiny irrational part of him that was completely irritated (like she was by him) by what she had said to him during their argument(ahem) earlier.
And that part of him HATED being told he was wrong.
Nezuko silently prayed that the illogical side would, for once, win.
The man grabbed the hilt of his sword, pulled it out of the ground, and stared at the yellow blade for a moment. His turquoise eyes moved between the shining steel and Tanjiro, his brow furrowed in either concentration or frustration. At one point his gaze landed on Nezuko again, eyeing her critically before closing his eyes and shaking his head.
Memories of his own struggles and the harsh reality of being a demon slayer flashed through his mind. The countless battles, the lives lost, the sacrifices made. He had seen too much, endured too much. But there was something in Nezuko's eyes, a determination that reminded him of his own past.
Those golden eyes, the scents…
The pleas for his life that he didn’t deserve…
And then…
He sheathed his sword.
“Alright.” What? Nezuko could hardly believe her ears. “Y-You’ll let me-”
“Shut up and let me speak, girl!”
Nezuko shut her mouth and watched as he opened his eyes and straightened himself a little more, suddenly becoming just as regal as he had been when she first saw him in the clearing. “Here’s what’s going to happen. Out of the tiny shred of mercy and pity I have for you and the demon, I’m giving you the chance to become a slayer before I kill that thing. This is going to be an official wager between the two of us to determine whether or not you can become a demon slayer. And I get to set the rules for this little, “experiment.” You got that?” The girl nodded.
The man then held out two fingers. “I’m giving you two years to train before you have to take Final Selection on Mt. Fujikasane. That’s the entrance exam that determines whether you become a demon slayer or not. If you pass that,” he said as he pointed a finger at Tanjiro, “the demon gets to live, and he becomes your problem, and I no longer have any involvement with this issue.”
“However,” the man continued, his tone becoming ominous as he leaned in closer to Nezuko and jabbed a finger at her, making her flinch. “If you are unable to master the skills you need before time is up, die, or give up, I get to kill that thing. If you run out of time and try to run away, I will find you and the demon and kill you both. You can run to the most desolate village, take a boat to a whole new continent, hell, live on the moon! You can go anywhere in existence, but I will find you. And when I do, I’ll take the greatest pleasure in killing that demon AND you for all the trouble you caused me today and are going to cause me later. Mark my words; you can’t hide from me, so you have no choice but to see your way through this.”
The man leaned back, and held out his hand. “So, do we have a deal?”
Nezuko stared at the hand for a moment, feeling a stab of doubt within her. She didn’t need to agree to know that he wasn’t lying about anything he was saying; he would let her and Tanjiro go for two years as long as she worked to become a slayer. But he seemed dead serious about hunting them down if she decided to chicken out and try to hide from him. He was dead-set on upholding his end of their wager, so it was up to her to go through with hers. Was two years even enough time? She wasn’t even sure what to do, where to even begin. For all she knew, becoming a demon slayer took more time and she wouldn’t be prepared for whatever Final Selection was.
And what if I die?
Nezuko began to panic.
What if I put all that effort into preparing, and die right at the beginning or the end?
It would have been all for nothing. But then she thought of Tanjiro, who had done nothing but put his life on the line for the family even when the situation seemed hopeless and tried to protect her. Even when he struggled against his demonic transformation and urges, he tried and was rewarded with having moments of his humanity return to him.
Her brother spent his entire life being the one putting himself between his loved ones and danger.
It was time she did the same.
For Tanjiro.
“Deal.”
Nezuko took the man’s calloused hand and shook it. He grinned sharply and gripped hers tightly. “I’ve never lost a wager before, so good luck.”
Nezuko met his gaze with a glare. “There’s a first time for everything.”
He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “I guess you do have a little fire in you after all.”
With that, he let go and began walking away, lifting a hand in a half-hearted wave. “See you in two years, brat.”
“W-Wait!” Nezuko called. He stopped as she sat up a little. “Where do I go to train?”
“I don’t know. Figure it out yourself.” He sounded pissed. “This has nothing to do with me.”
“It won’t be much of a wager if I can’t even learn how to fight, right?” Nezuko asked in a smart-alecky voice.
The man narrowed his eyes before groaning. “Fine.” He turned around and reached into his kimono, grabbing something and tossing it to her. “Here.”
Nezuko reached out and caught the object. Opening her hand, she saw that it was another magatama pendant, but the blue string was snapped so the ends were fraying. The pendant itself was also heavily cracked with blue markings spider-webbing from the small opening.
“Head east.” Nezuko looked back up at the man. His back was turned to her, the winter wind gently blowing at his kimono as he spoke. “There’s a peach orchard where an old man named Jigoro Kuwajima lives.” He turned his head a little so she could see some of his face. “When you find him, tell him Kaigaku Inadama sent you and show him that. He may consider teaching you something.”
“Thank you,” Nezuko whispered, bringing the broken pendant to her chest. The man looked forward again and started walking away. But he stopped again, hesitating.
“Never let the demon be exposed to sunlight.”
Nezuko clutched the pendent and her brother tighter.
“It’s cloudy, so it should be fine for now. But find shelter for it during the day. Also, find something to muzzle the demon. Even if you claim it to be good, it needs precaution.” A pause. “Words alone are never enough to convince others.”
And without another word, the mysterious man, Kaigaku Inadama, vanished in a cloud of snow.
Hours later, Nezuko found herself back at her home, kneeling before five freshly dug graves in the falling snow.
She whispered prayers for many things as she said her goodbyes to her younger siblings and mother. She prayed for their safe passage into the spirit world, that they would find happiness there, and perhaps reunite with their father. She prayed that she would never forget them and carry their memory with her for however long she lived. She prayed that they would watch over her as she and her brother embarked on a new mission that would decide their fate in the years to come.
And most of all, she prayed that they would help Tanjiro remember who he was, so that he might fight against the demonic curse plaguing him.
When she finally forced herself to finish her farewells and lifted herself off the ground, Nezuko glanced at Tanjiro. The demon was staring ahead, a softer, more calm look in his strange pink-red eyes. She had dressed him in his normal day-to-day clothes, right down to his favorite green checkered haori. She left his newly bright red hair down, as the ties he normally used were too thin for how thick it had gotten. Per Kaigaku’s instructions, she had found Tanjiro’s scarf in the snow and tied it around his mouth so it acted as a mask/muzzle for the time being.
All he was missing was…
Nezuko reached into her kimono and pulled out the crumpled hanafuda earrings, now wrapped carefully in a soft cloth. After lying in the snow for so long and being damaged, Nezuko feared there was nothing to be done about their family’s most precious heirloom. She refused to think about how, when she cleaned up Tanjiro, there was blood caked over his earlobes. Still, she refused to just throw them away. So, she held onto them until she could decide what to do with them.
"I’ll figure this out, all of this," Nezuko said to herself. She put the earrings away, took one last look at her family’s graves, and gently grabbed Tanjiro’s hand. "It's time to go now."
Tanjiro didn’t respond, but he allowed his sister to guide him away from the graves. As they slowly walked away from their home for the last time, Nezuko felt his hand squeeze hers, and suddenly remembered what her brother had told her just yesterday as she was leaving for town.
"I know you’re going to do great things one day. I am here for you too, wherever you go and whatever you decide to do. I promise."
Nezuko let out a soft gasp, and looked at Tanjiro. His gaze remained unchanged, but his grip remained tight. It was a small gesture, but it was all the encouragement she needed.
You can depend on me now, big brother. I promise, I’ll protect you. No matter what it takes.
With that, Nezuko took a deep breath, set a determined look on her face, and began walking with Tanjiro, leaving everything they knew behind.
Together, they took their first steps into the world of demons, and never looked back.