A Cook, A Doctor, and A Ghost + A Swordsman

Shenanigans In The Middle of Graveyard

"Glad everything's gone okay." Zenitsu (Brook) wipe the cold sweat on his head. How long has he sweat? It's been years already.

Tanjiro's slowly walk to Zenitsu while Inosuke is wrapped on his shoulder. Tanjiro is worried by What Brook is doing on Zenitsu's body. He thought that the ghost has already lose the interest of chasing them all the way down here, but it appears not the way it looks. No wonder Zenitsu has been acting creepy all this time, he even fight against a demon without a scratch on his face.

Brook noticed that Tanjiro's comes for him, "Oh? How's Boar-san been doing? Your sister is just fine, she's a total cutie if I must say." Brook looks at her and started pinching her cheeks. Nezuko's whips her hand in the air and her face expression looks uncomfortable with it.

"Stay away from Nezuko!" Tanjiro warns Brook. What did the ghost wants? He heard that the ghost only punish ones who commit unforgivable crimes, so why would it after them?

Moreover, where's the real Zenitsu? The ghost has the same smell that Zenitsu got. Did it do something to Zenitsu? "Where's Zenitsu?!" Tanjiro put up a tough act even though he is extremely exhausted.

Brook stare at Tanjiro, he thought that Tanjiro got it yet it seems he didn't. Brook smiled, "You're looking at it right now."

Possession?  Tanjiro forget that ghosts can possess someone. It means that Zenitsu's been possessed. That makes fighting it harder, Tanjiro don't want to fight his friend, they're important to him. He needs to negotiate with the ghost for now. Ghosts scared of salt, but where can he find one?

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you or any of your friends." Brook stated. Tanjiro's still not buying it.

 "How can I trust you?" Tanjiro asks for validation of his word.

"You can choose to trust me or don't. Either way, I'm fine with any choices." Brook sees both choices as the same thing. He's dead before, he can't die again can he?

Brook shifted from Tanjiro to Inosuke. Inosuke is bleeding badly, he looks like he's about to pass out anytime. Brook doesn't want someone to die tonight so he would do something very responsible.

"Follow me." Brook starts going up the mountain. Expecting Tanjiro and Inosuke to follow him. He carry Nezuko in his arm, patting her head.

"To where exactly?" Tanjiro decided to trust Brook. Brook seems like a good person. If he really wants them dead, Brook can kill him easily kill them like he did with the demon earlier.

"To my domain of course, we need to get you back in shape. You guys are beaten black and blue. Are you sure you're walking out of the village like that?" Brook is worried about these kids.

Tanjiro responds with a nod. He follows Brook as the skeleton man guide him to its safehouse. Brook open the door and goes straight to the kitchen to cook something. He might not be a cook, but he can cook pretty decent meal for himself when he lives alone back in Ringo.

Supplied with the offerings that was gifted by locals, he proceed to make a stew or precisely, oden hot pot. He discovered this dish when he was strolling down the streets and came across an empty street vendor that sells oden. He's intrigued by the taste and in his spare time, he tried to recreated it. And it actually works, after trying countless times.

He light up the flame in the living room and put the pot on it. The smell makes Brook salivating with saliva. While dinner is cooking, Tanjiro is putting a bandage to stop Inosuke's bleeding. He clearly a bit inexperienced with it so Brook offered Tanjiro his help.

Inosuke and Zenitsu is sleeping while Nezuko, Tanjiro and Brook is in the living room. Nezuko is resting in her brother's lap, just dozing off after the fight they encountered. Brook scoops the oden, put it in a bowl and serve it Tanjiro.

"You two must be hungry. Here, eat. Kids like you need a lot of nutrition." Brook also put a bowl for Nezuko. He makes sure to leave some for Zenitsu and Inosuke too.

"Little lady, you should take off the bamboo muzzle on your mouth. Or else, it will make it harder for you to eat. Let me help you." Being a responsible adult he is on a teenager's body, he offered his help.

Brook's hand were grabbed by Tanjiro, the looks on his eyes changed. He's a protective brother, good for him then. Brook break out of Tanjiro's grip.

Tanjiro's face struck with a realization. "I-I am so sorry, Hanekichi-san!"

Brook just smiled, "It's okay, Tanjiro-san. She must mean a lot to you." Brook understood his feeling, him and his crew would fight to death for each other's sake. Just like he did in Whole Cake Island.

"But if I may ask, why did she got a bamboo muzzle on her face?" Brook has been thinking about it for a while now.

Tanjiro's face turns pale, he knew that this question will be asked, but he did not prepare for it. What if Hanekichi attack them after he revealed Nezuko's secrets? "Don't worry, you don't have to tell me if you want." Brook begins to eat his homemade oden before it gets cold.

"She's actually a demon." Brook's bowl fell, Tanjiro draw his sword, he will protect his sister at all costs. Her sister hasn't eat anyone yet. She didn't hurt even a single creature before.

"Hot! Hot! Too hot! Why did I make it too hot?!" Brook fan his tongue as fire and smoke comes from out of him mouth. It leave Tanjiro stunned.

"You. . . You didn't care that my little sister is a demon, why?" Tanjiro questions why Brook didn't do it.

"Hmm? Its because you're a good boy with a kind heart. And there must be some circumstances that goes to this. You must have a reason behind this." Brook is an open minded person. Just because one man did a mistake, the whole family is involved. Brook didn't like that. Everyone has kindness in their heart. That's what Brook believes.

Tears starts raining down from Tanjiro's cheeks. No one has ever said things like that to him, except Giyuu and Urokodaki. Brook start to panic, did he said something that offended the little kid somehow?

"Th-thank you again, Hanekichi-san!" Tanjiro thanked him again.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho! You can call me Brook." Brook smiled gently.

Brook? That's a weird name. Is he a foreigner or something of sorts? Tanjiro never heard such name before. "I almost forgot to ask you something." Brook put his bowl down.

"What is it, Brook-san?" Tanjiro ready himself for any question.

"What are demons again?" Brook scratches his skull. An awkward silent filled across the room. The only thing that is making noise currently is Inosuke and Zenitsu snoring in the next room.

" It's actually simple. Here, let me explain." Thus, Tanjiro began to explain everything that he knows about demons. From A to Z, he also tells Brook about Demon Slayer Corps, Kibutsuji Muzan and his own past. The explanation lasts for two whole hours, and Brook never took eyes of Tanjiro for even a split second.

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"I see... So they like vampires then, right?" Vampires and demons both of them had a same weakness, sunlight. That's what Brook can understand from it. 

Demon Slayer Corps? He despise them. Even the navy didn't hire child soldiers, and yet they did it. What kind of heartless bastard employs teenager like Tanjiro and his friends as soldiers? Brook understood that they did it to save others from getting devoured by demons, but why kids? What are adults are doing in this place?!

"Brook-san, Brook-san, do you hear me?" Tanjiro wakes Brook up from his daydreaming.

"Ah! I'm sorry, my mind is somewhere else. What about the technique that you use alongside the breathing thing, mind telling me?" As Tanjiro wanted to explain about it, the shoji of the next room was tore down with blade. A blade with serrated edge. Guess who's blade it is.