𝙴𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 | ᴋɪᴍᴇᴛsᴜ ɴᴏ ʏᴀɪʙᴀ

III: Stubborn

Warnings for this chapter: self-deprecating thoughts

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    "I can't–I can't breathe. It feels–my lungs are being shredded…" Hanako collapses forward, panting heavily. She quickly forces herself to get up and stubbornly continues to sprint after Sakonji. The basket on her back weighs her down and almost makes her collapse again when she stumbles down a hill with it banging against her back. Her pants came out as harsh wheezes and the edges of her sight was growing darker by the minute.

  "N-Nīchan… Nē-Nēchan… sorry," The 11 year old internally apologises for the rough travel in the basket when she topples over herself and barely moves herself to not crush the basket.

  I am going to test you to see if you're fit to become a Demon Slayer member.

  Hanako wheezes, trying to get control of her breathing, staring down at the ground. She clenches her eyes shut and tries to stand up again, only to fall back to the ground. He was already a good distance away, almost an impossible distance away for such a short time collapsed on the ground, but Hanako was determined to stay in pace with him.

  "Get up. Get up!" Hanako's knees buckle and make her collapse for a third time. Her wheezes start to sound painful as she clenches her teeth. She forces her screaming legs to bear her weight and the weight of her siblings and starts to run, forcing herself to go faster.

  Her jaw pops at how hard she was clenching her teeth together when she sees how far away the old man really was. She growls in frustration and starts to sprint. She is going to do this. She will do this. For her siblings. She promised.

  "Faster. Hanako, faster!" Hanako ignores the searing pain, the burning, the bone-deep exhaustion. She ignores it all and slowly starts to catch up to Sakonji.

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    Hanako tried desperately to calm her wheezing breaths, collapsed in front of the small house at the base of Mt. Sagiri. Sweat drenched her kimono and the basket with her older siblings inside was carefully placed beside her.

  It was night now. Hanako had ran non-stop for the entire day, determined to at least stay a few meters behind the old man.

  "W-was–was–" Hanako coughs wetly, tasting something metallic at the back of her throat. "Is there–there m-more?"

  She looks up with spotty vision, watching as Sakonji takes off his head wrap and slides open the door. "The test starts now. We're going to climb a mountain."

  Hanako could feel tears of frustration and anger burn her eyes. She won't–she won't be able to stand. She's already pushed herself past her limits she–

  "It's your fault and you're quitting now?" A small voice in the back of her head sneers in disgust. "Fucking worthless. Who's going to save Nīchan and Nēchan? No one except you, the worthless, weak younger sister. The one who survived."

  Hanako clenches her eyes shut and shuts out the voice. She slowly brings her wheezes down to heavy panting and shakily stands up. Her knees buckle and she almost collapses back to the ground, but familiar arms wrapped around her waist, holding her up.

  "Nīchan…" The 11 year old girl trails off, glancing up at her demon brother. She gives him an exhausted and pained smile before finding her balance. She gently walks out of Tanjirō's arms, knees almost buckling again. Tanjirō watches his little sister stumble towards the house before grabbing the straps of the basket, gently lifting it onto his back, and walks into the house.