Shingeki no Yaiba (Demon Slayer x Attack on Titan crossover)

Smell of blood

Now that everyone had left, a sudden panic struck Tanjiro's chest as he spun and started running as fast as he could back towards his house.

It'll be fine. I'm sure they've already gotten out and are waiting for me. There's no way anything could've happened to them!

But as he approached, the smell of blood kept getting stronger and stronger. Huge rocks littered the street, many having people crushed underneath them, dead or dying. Tanjiro didn't let himself stop no matter how much he wanted to help them. He had to get home. He had to see that they were fine. He had to—

The moment he rounded the last corner a desperate scream escaped his lips.

A Titan was in his house. The giant naked monster was covered in blood, chewing slowly as if enjoying its food. Maybe five meters tall, its face was trapped in a tired smile, eyes half lidded, teeth spread wide across its face and around its cheeks.

It found our cow. It ate our cow. That's what that blood is.

"Nezuko!" He screamed, throwing off his pack to run faster towards his house. "Mom..." he stumbled, his lungs protesting as he forgot to breathe in his panic. He pushed himself off the ground, gasping for air and continuing on. The smell of blood burned so strongly in the air around him, he felt like it was coating the inside of his lungs, soaking into his clothes and skin.

After what felt like hours of running, he stumbled into the crushed doorway of his house. The Titan was too busy licking its lips to notice him, but he knew it would be done with its meal soon.

"Everyone?" He yelled into the house, "Are you here? Are you okay?"

"T—Tanjiro?" A weak voice called back.

"Nezuko!" He dashed into the broken house, ignoring the Titan standing in what used to be the living room and yelling again, "Nezuko! Where are you?"

"I...over here..." She sounded even weaker than before.

As he ran into the house, a crushed body caught the corner of his eye and he looked away quickly before he had to throw up. As he moved on, the titan moved behind him, grabbing the body and slurping it up like a mouthful of noodles.

This is all my fault. But the rest of them have to be safe, right?

Finally he found her, crushed under one of the main beams of the collapsed ceiling. Her white dress was covered in blood and her eyes kept flicking open, like she was keeping herself awake by pure willpower.

"Nezuko! What happened? What's going on? What happened here!?"

Tears gathered in the girl's weak eyes and she just barely was able to shake her head.

"I—I'm sorry. I couldn't...protect them. I'm sorry!"

No.

Tanjiro's heat dropped to the pot of his stomach, and although he tried to hold them back, tears gathered in his eyes. They were gone. All of them.

"Get...get out of here." Nezuko weakly pushed at his leg.

"No!" He grabbed the beam, using every ounce of strength he could to lift it. Nezuko's eyes widened as she was able to pull herself out from under it.

"We have to go! Where are the others?"

"T-Tanjiro..." the tears fell from her face freely, staining the cracked floor dark brown under her. "It was too fast—I— I tried...they tried to run but it smashed the house and—" she was cut off by blood dripping from the corners of her mouth, joining her tears on the floor. She coughed, more blood falling out.

"We have to get out of here!"

I can't think about them right now. If I couldn't be there for them, I have to save Nezuko at least!

"Tanjiro! My legs got crushed! I can't run away!"

"We have to try!" He got down on his knees, extending a hand to her to get onto his back. "I'll carry you. We have to go!"

"I'll slow you down too much!" she cried. "Please, just leave without me!"

"No way, no way I'm leaving you!"

He looked around him in a panic for anything that could help, anything...no, how could this situation even be helped? Could he use a piece of wood as a splint? As two splints? No, that wouldn't help.

"I...I can't..."

"Nezu—" his words were cut off with a gasp when he saw her eyes fluttering slower and slower. Her grasp on his hand weakened.

"Nezuko!"

"So strange...can't keep my eyes...open..."

"No!" He put another hand over hers, hiding it up off the ground. "I know it hurts. You're suffering, aren't you? I'm sorry I couldn't save you. This is all my fault. I'm so..."

As Nezuko's head started to slowly drop towards the floor, the bottle of clear liquid around her neck hit it with a clink.

Keep it with you always. It may very well save your life one day.

That was what their father had said when he'd given it to them, just a few days before he died. So then what was it? A healing potion? How could anything even save her once she was this badly hurt?

No, he didn't have time for those worries. Nezuko was going to die if he didn't do something, just like everyone else—don't think about that. Just focus on saving her right now!

"Here." He pulled the necklace over her head, tangling her long hair in it in the process.

"Drink this. Maybe it can heal you!"

"Big brother—?" Her voice was small and weak, but she lifted her head and opened her mouth without opening her eyes, every moment wracked with shudders.

Hurriedly, Tanjiro popped off the lid of the middle and poured its contents into her mouth. She closed it and swallowed, her face puckering at the flavor.

Please, please, please! Please save her, father!

For a few, painful seconds, the only sounds around them were faraway screams and the noises the titans made as it chewed.

Then Nezuko started glowing.