'Demon Slayer' Slayer

Chapter 32: Kahane

I followed Nensho outside, wondering what she had to tell me. When she suddenly stopped in the middle of the forest, I looked past her, wondering why she didn't keep going or turn around. Then I saw Yuuko.

What!? Yuuko?! Is it really her!? I stared at my mother, who was kneeling on the ground and looking terrified. I drew my sword and went to stand next to her. "Good to see you, Yuuko. Why are you scared?"

She seemed to pull herself together, standing up and pulling me into a hug. I hugged her back, taking comfort from her solid form. For a moment, I let myself believe that everything would go back to how it had been. Yuuko would protect me, and I would hunt for her. I had never joined the demon slayers, and the sword in my hand was replaced by my bow. If anyone threatened our lives, I would shatter their skull. Then Nensho kicked me away.

I rolled to a stop, then stood up, watching Nensho create a length of rope from her flesh. Yuuko tried to scratch her, but her nails just bounced off of Nensho's tough skin. She looped the rope around Yuuko's neck, cinching it tightly and tying her to a tree.

As Nensho pulled the rope, taking Yuuko's feet off of the ground, I ran at her, slicing at the rope. She slammed her leg into my ribs, and I was sent flying into a nearby tree. It took me a minute to catch my breath. By the time I did, Nensho had another rope around my neck. She tied the other end to the tree, but didn't hang or choke me. I couldn't pull the rope off, but I could at least breathe.

I tried to raise my sword and cut the rope, but my sword was in Nensho's hand. She had stolen it when she kicked me. I reached for my knife, but Nensho threw her sword at it, shattering my knife. Fine then! I took out my bow, putting an arrow to the string. I didn't have room to fully load up the shot, but I got enough power to hit the rope that Yuuko hung from. The rope didn't even fray.

Nensho grabbed my arrow and stalked over to me. I reached for another arrow, but Nensho stabbed through both of my hands, pinning them to the tree behind me. She took my bow and quiver and tossed them aside, well out of reach. "Sorry, Kahane, but this has to be done."

"What has to be done? What are you going to do to us? What happened to you, Nensho?" I tried to yank myself free, feeling the flesh of my hands tearing, but I was securely pinned. If Nensho wanted to come and eat me alive, she'd be able to do it.

Nensho didn't reply. She was looking off into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. Then she looked back at me. "You need to be punished. You killed Gyokko, even though we made an agreement. We won't kill you, but only if you also don't kill Upper Moons. Master Muzan has decreed that you will be punished."

"Then what's Yuuko here for? You could just punish me instead. She has nothing to do with me." Is she going to torture Yuuko? Or kill her? She'd better not kill her. If she kills her... that would be my only chance at happiness, gone. I won't let her take that from me. But she pinned me with my own damn arrows.

"Why say that? Wouldn't you rather watch someone else suffer than suffer yourself? Unless you know that it won't hurt. No, I don't think I'll do that."

That was the thought process. I guess I'll have to watch Yuuko get tortured. "What are you planning?"

Nensho didn't respond again. Maybe she's talking to Muzan in her head. Asking for orders, or something. And that's why I don't want to become a demon. At least as a demon slayer, I can hide and do stuff on my own. The master can't talk to me in my head. If he could, he wouldn't have long to live.

"You know what, since you asked for it, let's give this a try." She walked over to me, her long bloodstained fingernails flashing in the dim moonlight. Then she sank them deep into my shoulder, drawing a trickle of blood. "This won't turn you into a demon, because I'm just an Upper Moon, but it should hurt. A lot."