Demon Slayer [One Shots]

11. {Karaku} ~ Blindness

AU: None
Words: 1191

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⚠️Reminder that blindness is a spectrum, some people can still see a bit !⚠️

   Karaku had been fighting for a while, alongside the three other clones. But he was getting bored as the demon slayers were way too weak to his liking. He watched as Urogi flew away with one enemy, while Aizetsu and Sekido took care of the second. And Karaku... well, he was left alone, not even participating anymore.

   Feeling something, he decided to leave the battlefield to find the source of it. He didn't have to walk for long though; soon enough, he saw a young woman standing in the middle of the forest. And the feeling he had was actually the scent of her blood, as he could see she had a bleeding knee. If he wasn't going to fight, he could at least terrorize that girl, it could be funny.

   He called out to her, wanting to see her face when she will see a demon -an Upper Moon-. But when the girl turned around, it was like she wasn't looking at him directly. In fact, it looked like she was staring through him, as if he was some sort of ghost.

   Karaku approached her a bit confused, but the woman wasn't moving her gaze to follow him. Could she really not see him ? What was happening ? He couldn't have turned invisible like that !  The demon stepped aside, observing her, but she was just sitting there.

"What are you looking at ?" He asks as he kept looking at her.

   The girl seemed to jump a bit, turning her face to look in his direction. But like before, she wasn't looking directly at him, it was really strange.

"I'm sorry if my staring offended you..." The woman finally spoke.
"I am blind, I can't see you or anything around."

Karaku's eyes widen a bit. In all his years of being a demon, he had never met a blind human. It felt strange in a way, but he was mostly intrigued. He could almost forget what drew him to her in the first place.

"Are you... completely blind ?" He asks curiously, wanting to learn more. After all, he couldn't imagine what it was like to not see anything.

"Not really, if there's a lot of light, I can make out colors but everything is completely blurry. If I focus enough, I can try to see a shape but not always. At night though, I'm completely blind." The girl explained, seeming to not realize she was in the presence of a demon.

"How come you're alone at night in a forest possibly full of demons ?"

"Long story short, it was a prank from a villager." She sighs, putting her face in her knees.
"Where I come from, people are cruel if you're different in any way."

Karaku stared at her. Humans could be so nefarious, it even made him a bit mad. But why though..? Karaku was the clone of Pleasure, he only did things for himself. He liked to play with his victims because it was entertaining to him, he couldn't care less about what other felt. So why would he feel bad for that girl ? She goes through heartless pranks from her own kind just because of a condition she couldn't do anything about. The worst part is that he could be one of the prankster since he basically do the same to others. But this time, he wanted her to be able to enjoy something like how he could find satisfaction in different things.

"What is your name ?" The demon ended up asking, not really knowing how to talk to someone without mocking them.

"Y/n... Y/n L/n." The girl responded, holding her head up towards where his voice came from.

"Y/n, you should get out of the forest before-"

Karaku was cut off by a loud voice he knew all too well: Sekido. Of course the other clones have finished their battle, and they noticed Karaku's disappearance. If they saw the human girl with him, they won't hesitate to kill her. After all, that's what demons are supposed to do, they don't befriend humans. It's their food.

Y/n had no idea of what was happening. For her, she met a man that actually cared enough to ask about her condition. And now, she heard other people coming. There was three different voices, so she assumed they were three. The way they talked to Karaku -the man she had met and had been called that name by one of the others- made her think they were either friends or the same family.
The young woman didn't try to talk, she was actually enjoying listening to them all. She's usually left alone because of her condition, so it is pleasant to hear a normal conversation.

"What are you doing with a human !"

Did he says «human»..? does that mean they're not ? Are they... demons !? No, it wasn't possible, Karaku would have killed her already. Y/n decided to not speak up, maybe they will let her live if she doesn't bother them in any way.

Soon enough, it sounded like the three other people left the area, the girl was alone again with Karaku. It was silent at first, before Y/n decided to break it.

"Were they like your family ?" She asks, not really knowing what to say.

"...Yeah, my brothers..." The demon responded, not sure if she realized he wasn't human.

It was strange to think demons also have a family. After all, they were portrayed as monstrous creatures that only fought or devoured humans. But because of this encounter with Karaku, Y/n was discovering a soft side to demons. They were now like any living being to her, and she kinda felt bad to know their two kinds were enemies. She wanted to learn more.

In the end, Karaku decided to guide the girl through the forest and back to her village. Why did he do that, he doesn't know. But he didn't mind either, he kinda liked being around her. Of course she wasn't judging of him being a demon since she couldn't see it. Maybe he should tell her...
Before he could talk, Y/n was quicker.

"Will I see you again ?" She asks before pausing, letting out a chuckle.
"I mean... not really «see» but you get my point."

Karaku was taken aback. She wanted to meet him again ? So she liked being around him. But there was still the problem of her being human and him a demon. He took some time before responding, smiling when he heard her chuckle.

"I don't think it will be safe, I'm a demon."

"Is that an issue ? I don't mind." Y/n exclaimed with a smile, her head tilted in his direction.

Once again, the demon didn't know how to respond as a smile grew big on his face. He nods before realizing she couldn't see it, so instead he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Then I would appreciate that !" He says happily.

After that, they say their goodbyes, and Karaku watched her as she walk into the village with no difficulties, as if the path was made for her disability.