Our Bond Can't be Severed by Anyone!

3 - Demon Slayer

"You must be careful," Urokodaki instructed her handing her the fox mask that would ward away danger. She smiled at it, thinking about how much it reminded her of Sabito and Makamo. She then walked over to her bed and lifted up her pillow.

"What are you doing?" Urokodaki asked.

Nezuko pulled out the hanafuda earrings and stared at them, "I didn't want to wear these... I wanted to give them back to Tanjiro when I found him."

"And?" Urokodaki asked.

"Tanjiro... I felt him last night and... I think he wants me to wear them," Nezuko murmured studying the earrings.

Urokodaki was unsure of what to make of the girl's mental connection to her demon brother. He feared that it could be used against her, but the girl was not a fool. She would recognize danger, Urokodaki had faith in that.

"Then, perhaps you should," he murmured.

Slowly, Nezuko slipped the earrings into her ears, piercing them as she went. It was a messy job but her ears healed immediately, solidifying the earings into her ears. They were unfamiliar weights on her ears, but she felt comforted by them. She put the fox mask on and looked to Urokodaki.

"Thank you sensei," she murmured bowing.

Urokodaki nodded, "Now... come home when you are done."

Nezuko smiled and felt the sword at her side, "I will."

She walked out of the door and down the path, turning only once to wave goodbye to Mr.Urokodaki.

"Say hello to Sabito and Makomo for me!" she called happily, wishing she could've said goodbye to her other two trainers. She turned and didn't see her master's reaction.

The wisteria trees were beautiful at final selection but Nezuko was awed by the number of people there. She wondered if they all had suffered just as she had. Many of them had scars, so she could assume that there were stories to be shared.

She wished he could talk to Tanjiro, but the connection had been unusually quiet, she hoped her brother was alright.

But, she couldn't worry about her brother.

She had seven days of endless fighting to endure. Final Selection had begun!

The demons she faced were easy kills. The training she had received helped her to no bounds, but with each demon she met, she asked the same question.

"Do you know a demon with bright red eyes?" she would demand.

"DIE!" some would yell, others would snarl, some ignored her... but those who listened would have wide eyes and would tremble uncontrollably.

"You know who I'm talking about!?" Nezuko would cry to those who listened.

"No," the demons would quake, "No... I don't know ANYTHING!" they'd scream, and Nezuko would have to kill them.

The demon she saught was obviously dangerous, terrifying most of the demons she spoke to. Something told her that he possessed immense strength. She'd have to get stronger to kill him - and she would kill him.

Perhaps it was fate that led Nezuko to the hand demon, perhaps it was a cruel irony, or perhaps the spirits of the warding masks desperately desired vengeance. Either way, Nezuko faced the green mass of grossly malformed hands and stared into the yellow eyes of her foe.

"Another little fox cub has come to play," the mass of flesh giggled.

Nezuko readied her grip on her sword, she had to kill this monster.