𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝔹𝕚𝕥𝕖𝕤 - (𝕀𝕘𝕦𝕣𝕠 𝕆𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕚 𝕩 𝔽𝕖𝕞!ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣)

Chapter 11 - First Encounter

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"Let go kill this demon bastard" you said, clutching your katana tightly, a bead of sweat glistened on your forehead. Tanjiro seemed hesitant about your words, worry flooded his face as his eyes shot from your face to your shoulder repeatedly. 

"Are you su-" Tanjiro was cut off by you, your raised hand signaled him to stop. His eyes widened as he looked down into your eyes. They didn't have quite the shine they usually did, making Tanjiro assume that you were not in your right state of mind. 

"I'm perfectly fine, I have fought demons with injuries graver than this" you assured Tanjiro dryly, standing up and taking off toward the train car door. Tanjiro quickly grabbed Nezuko's small hand, following you to the car door.

"Come on Nezuko!" he said simply, following your lead. 

You stopped quickly as the mid-section of two cars. Tanjiro stopped right behind you, his eyes widening as he covered his face with the sleeve of his haori. You noticed the boy's disdain but chose to ignore it. You had to figure out where the demon was. It was likely a stronger demon compared to the one before, possibly even a moon. You knew that if it was a higher-ranked lower moon or even an upper moon, your skill set would not prove useful unless you managed to gain the upper hand. Kyojuro's assistance would likely be needed in this case. Your contemplating the situation was brought to a halt as Tanjiro's voice broke the whistle of the wind. 

"The demon's upwind" Tanjiro thought out loud. You looked over and managed to get a glimpse of Tanjiro climbing onto the roof of the train. You were caught off guard and mentally shunned yourself for getting distracted. You followed after Tanjiro, although a bit slower. Your shoulder made climbing a bit more difficult, but you managed to get on top of the car. "It's dangerous Nezuko, so don't follow me past here!" Tanjiro called out. "Go wake everyone up!".

You chose to run ahead and get a better idea of the situation, but you didn't have to run far before a figure appeared ahead of you. Their primarily black hair along with the end of his coat blew wildly in the wind. Their hands remained at their sides stiffly. You halted to a stop and clutched the handle of your katana tightly, preparing for a fight. The sound of feet behind you alerted your senses, making your head snap to the side. Tanjiro stopped behind you slightly, staring at the demon ahead. Your gaze fixed back onto the demon as it turned its head to face both you and Tanjiro. Its pale skin had multiple veins popping out as its cyan eyes landed on both yours and Tanjiro's form. 

"What's this? You're awake now?" it spoke, its voice oddly feminine yet still remaining masculine. The demon fully turned around, waving a hand at both you and Tanjiro. "Good morning" the demon started, before titling his left hand downward. A mouth formed on the top of the hand, a multitude of veins popping out along with it. "What a shame, you could have stayed dreaming forever".

An irk formed on your head as you realized that this was the demon that manipulated not just you but everyone on the train, showing them dreams to let their guards down. Even to a point where he would bribe a select few to do his bidding. Your grip on your katana didn't let up as you stared the demon down with hatred. 

"Why are you awake?" the demon started, making your shoulders tense. "Did I not show you a dream tailored to your every desire?" he asked, placing his hand on his chest. "If I had so wished it" the demon continued, leaning forward slightly, "it could have been a dream where your families were being slaughtered. Would you have liked that one better?" he asked. Your eyes widened as your mind raced to the moments when your parents were actually slaughtered in front of you before you were saved. Your eyes narrowed as you got into a striking pose, ready to unleash an attack when the opening was right. "Of course not. Much too distressing" the demon finished. You heard Tanjiro grunt beside you as he also took in the words the demon had spewed. The demon giggled at our reactions, closing its eyes for a brief moment. You readied to attack as its guard was lowered.