The sound of sizzling fire and wood crackling came like music to the half-piglins ears, the wafting smell of burning wood filled the air around him, and he was not perturbed by it at all. He had long since taken off his pig mask, as it had hung on a low hanging tree branch. His crimson eyes stared up at the dimming sky, and his partly pink skin reflected the light of the fire.
The fire was controlled, and if it ever got too much, Technoblade would suffocate it for a few seconds before allowing it to swallow up the surrounding oxygen. He laid against a tree, his legs crossed, as he bit into one of the steaks he had on him.
He only had one, which was why he didn't give it to Dream, though thinking back to it, he should've. After all, Dream needed it more, but he didn't exactly think about that before Dream left, as things had been such a daze when he sent the man in green away to scavenge.
His braided pink hair was what he used as a cushion, along with his cape, so that he didn't have to sleep on the snow or on the rough bark of a tree.
It had only taken him 20 minutes to finish making the fire and an extra minute to move all of his possessions into a double chest he had created, which had been stored inside a small shack that he made out of the spare wood he had. It wasn't as if it was a hard task. He had made small houses before, pop-up bases as he called them, all around the places he had been at in the Greater SMP.
It had been at least 4 hours since he sent Dream to go look around for some food. He hoped that the reason why Dream was taking so long was that he had a massive haul of food with him and not that he was still looking. Because if that were the case, they would have to start growing crops if it proved to take this long to get food.
God, tell him he didn't need to get up to find his green ass out in the blistering cold. Because if he did, he was going to strangle him when he found him, regardless if he killed him or not.
A part of him worried for the man in green's health, both mental and physical. Being secluded and tortured for months on end had to have done something horrid to his mental state, and on to the fact, those he had seen as friends threatened to kill him if he ever broke out and escaped, or left the prison even on release, if that would even have happened.
Imagine that, people you trusted for years. People who cared for you for years. People you had cared for since you knew them, casting you aside because everyone else around them saw you as the enemy.
If that wasn't betrayal of the ninth degree, then he didn't know what was.
He knew what it was like to be betrayed, especially by those he thought were close to him. However, there weren't many people who he genuinely cared about.
Technoblade never really cared about those he had called friends. They were all destined to die after 100 years or so, maybe even younger. Being a Demi-God made it hard to get attached to someone.
If they were going to die before you could even blink, then why even get attached to them in the first place? Why build bonds? Why pretend to care?
While Dream was the same as all other mortals, he had yet to betray him out of all the people he saw as friends and allies. So there was that, at least. He was up there with Philza, Nikki, and Captin Puffy. Ranboo had been peer-pressured to hunt him down, so he couldn't blame him for Quackity's manipulations.
He sighed, looking down at his hands. How much blood had he spilled over the years he had been alive? How many wars had he been a part of? Millions of people died at his hands. Millions of people saw him as the last thing they'd ever see.
Not their families.
Not their comrades in arms.
Not their friends.
But their killer, a deranged psychopath, hellbent on killing anything or anyone that moved if it promised him blood.
But, he didn't want to be a violent individual. He really didn't. All he wanted was to farm potatoes, relax and bask in the sun, and maybe, just maybe, have a family when he felt like settling down.
But the voices. The voices prevented him from doing all of that.
They would not go ignored.
They refused to let him rest.
They required blood. They NEEDED blood.
They chanted his name in the battles he had fought. They demanded he massacred all that stood before him, regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or religion.
They demanded Blood for their Blood God.
If all mortals were going to die, why not be the cause of their pitiful deaths?
He let a small snarl escape his lips. He needed to calm down. If he didn't, he would get all worked up for nothing. The thrill of the hunt would have to wait.
Right now, he needed to go get Dream and lead him back to camp. Knowing him, he was probably lost since he was shit with directions.
Just as the half-piglin was about to get up, he saw that unmistakable mask show up in the distance, his free hand carrying a torch, but on his shoulder was something that unnerved him.
It was a person, dressed in a white robe of sorts, and from what he could tell, based on the hair, it was a girl, and from how short she was, she was probably young, but until he saw her face, he wouldn't be able to be sure.
"Dream, when I said to get food, I didn't say to kidnap children. We're not cannibals," Techno growled as Dream let out an exasperated sigh.
"No, I actually killed a wolf. I have its meat in my inventory. I brought the kid to give us information. She passed out from... fear? Yeah, fear, I think, on my way back to camp. I got lost on my way here, all the trees and stuff look the same, so it took me a while to actually get back here." As Dream spoke, he put the kid down by the tree and brought out a lead.
Techno watched as he tied the girl to the tree, hands first and feet second. "So, you're just going to let her contract hyperthermia out here? She's barely wearing anything, to begin with, and I'm sure that robe won't be warm enough for the night," Technoblade stated dryly as Dream rolled his eyes under his mask.
"No, obviously not. She's going to use your cloak. Hope you don't mind that." As Dream spoke, he finished tying the knot around her feet as Techno scoffed. The masked man was starting to get on his nerves a little, but he needed to keep his cool.
This was Dream, a person who loved to push other people's buttons, and if he was going to survive with Dream, he needed to learn to get used to that type of personality more.
"Fine, but only because I don't want the first person we meet to die in the cold. But my question, is why tie her up in the first place? Is she dangerous?" Technoblade asked, taking off his cloak as Dream shook his head.
"Nah, I just don't want her to escape. Plus, if she doesn't want to talk, I could always make her, when she wakes up, of course," Dream stated, holding his axe dangerously close to the girl as Technoblade felt a chill go down his spine.
Of course, Dream was always like that, and even he was, to an extent. However, the pink-haired man simply let out a breath of annoyance. Throwing the man his cloak, Dream put his axe away and caught it in succession. Draping it over the girl, he walked over to the campfire and brought out the meat he had collected.
One thigh, a few random big chunks of meat, and some thin strips. He placed them around the campfire, ensuring they balanced on the thick wood planks so that their food didn't all fall into the fire. He then walked over to the chest and dumped some more meat into it for reserves for later.
For whatever reason, the chests could hold the objects away from the effects of space and time, which prevented them from going bad. That was the main reason why their food was never spoiled back at the SMP. It was a godsend, so they never really questioned it.
"That much meat from a single wolf? You sure you didn't kill a pack? Judging by the blood on you, that would suggest you massacred a large number of wolves to get that much food," Technoblade huffed indignantly, crossing his arms as Dream moved his mask away from his face, putting it in the corner of his hood.
"Nope, it was a single wolf. The animals here aren't like the ones on the SMP. You have to physically scavenge the meat off the bones. It's quite... interesting. I've never done that before, and it was quite boring, but it reaped a lot more rewards than the animals in our lands."
As Dream finished speaking, he leaned against a nearby rock, huffing out a breath of air. The temperatures were so cold that a small puff of air came out from his lips when he did, almost as if he smoked a cigar.
Techno found that to be interesting, but due to his body heat, he wasn't able to produce those sorts of things. The only time that happened was when the temperature was in the negatives. Somewhere around negative twenty degrees Celsius was needed for him to even remotely get that sort of effect.
He decided to ignore Dream for a while as the man rested and instead focused on their... prisoner? No, she was a guest, well, a forced guest, but a guest in his eyes nonetheless. She was young, maybe around the same age as Tommy, if not a little younger.
He didn't like the fact that the kid was tied up like an animal, combined with the look in Dream's eyes when he did so. It felt off. He knew Dream to be a sadist, he enjoyed that kind of thing, and while he wasn't a kink shamer, it didn't mean he couldn't be concerned for the girl in front of him.
For all he knew, Dream would hurt her regardless of what she said. And knowing Dream, that could very well be the case, as things tended to be for the man in green.
"Hey, Dream?" The masked man turned to look at Techno as he spoke.
"Yeah, what is it, Techno?" Dream asked as the half-piglin sighed, gesturing to the girl.
"When she wakes up, let me do the talking, ok?" Technoblade asked as Dream rolled his eyes before closing them again.
"Sure, you do you big guy. I'm not going to stop you. Just make sure we get our information. That's all I care about, nothing more, nothing less."
Technoblade felt as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He knew how Dream could be from time to time, and if the girl said anything snarky to him, he probably would've tortured her in response.
He looked up at the sky. It was drawing close to nighttime, and that was usually the most dangerous time of the day. He couldn't afford for the kid to be asleep for too long, so he did what any sane person would do in this current situation.
Getting up from his spot by the tree, he walked over to the girl and crouched to her face, and with little to no force at all, he slapped her on the cheek, not hard, mind you, just a little wake-up slap. As her eyes started to flutter open, and with a small groan escaping the kid's lips, he knew that it had worked.
******
When her eyes opened for the first time in what felt like days, Nezuko was instantly set into panic mode when she saw the man dressed in green off in the corner of her eye. She wanted to run, and that was exactly what she tried to do, but when she felt something restricting her movements, she paled.
They had tied her up to the tree. What did they plan to do to her? She had heard horror stories from other girls from the village that when someone tied you up, it usually wouldn't end well for the person who had been tied to whatever the person in question tied you to.
"Good, you're awake," the man in front of her said, his voice cold and monotone. His eyes looked like they belonged to something out of a ghost story. His skin was an inhuman pink, and his legs didn't belong to a human at all. They belonged to a pig.
"G-Get away from me! SOMEONE HE-" his hand clamped over her mouth like a magnet to a piece of metal, and his eyes became dangerous.
"Do not do that again. Please." The... thing said as Nezuko narrowed her eyes at the thing in front of her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Dream, the man in green over there only tied you up so you wouldn't run away."
The thing spoke the same language as she did. The same went for the man in green, who was apparently named Dream. An odd name for sure, but that was the least of her concerns right now.
As the thing took its hand away from her mouth, she glared at him with a look of anger and distrust. "What makes you think I'll believe you. You tied me up, restricted my movement. Whatever you wanted to do to me, do it. But when my family finds out, they'll report you to the police," Nezuko spat as Techno sighed.
"Kid. Don't threaten me. You're not in the position to do so. Also, if we wanted to harm you, we would've done so while you were asleep. We waited for you to wake up so we could ask you a few things," The thing said as its eyes turned back to a more calm look than a dangerous one.
"I'll say it once, and I'll say it again, I'm not going to hurt you. All you got to do, is answer some questions. That's it. Think you can do that?" The thing continued as Nezuko kept her glare even. She didn't want to trust this... thing. She dared not call it a person because it wasn't. It was some sort of monster.
She remembered stories of monsters living in these woods, and she often heard them when she would walk to the village.
A hermit in the woods was the culprit of these tales, and he usually told them to her whenever she made trips for food. He would ask her for some in return for grand stories, and each time she did as he asked, knowing that the man was too weak to get food for himself. These stories were stories of Demons. Monsters who lied, manipulated, killed, and devoured anyone and anything in their path, whether they be human, animal, or what-have-you.
They looked slightly human, but they had something to change them from looking normal, whether it be cat-like eyes, an abnormal body part, multiple limbs, or a difference in skin tone beyond the usual tan, white, or black.
And this thing that stood before her was just that. She had every reason in the book to believe that this thing was a Demon. Even with her sparse knowledge of these stories and folklore, it fitted the bill to a tee.
"You think I'd trust a Demon... Just kill me already. I know that's what you want to do," Nezuko growled as the thing lowered its gaze. Its crimson eyes bore into her pink ones. He was unflinching, but so was she.
She refused to give him any lee-way in this conversation. Not one bit. She refused to let it lower her guard. She needed to for her family.
"I mean it, kid. You're pushing my buttons. Drop the tough guy act, and answer my questions. That's all I want you to do. Then, I'll escort you back home. It's starting to get late, and I don't want this little interrogation to continue for too long. If you want me to kill you, then keep acting the way you are," the Demon growled as the man in green sighed.
"You're not good at this, are you, Techno," the man named Dream said as he pulled an axe out of nowhere. Her eyes widened. How did he do that? Was he a Demon? She had yet to see his eyes, so that could be a possibility.
But that wasn't the only thing that made her want to scream and run.
It was the axe the supposed man held. It was the same axe as before. Though the blood on it was dry, she knew it to be the same. Her heart began to race as the man shouldered it.
"Kid, tell you what. If you don't want to speak, that's fine. Really, it is," Dream said, his voice mocking in nature, which only furthered to boil her blood.
But there was something in his eyes, his normal, human eyes, that made her squirm. When his eyes landed on her, she felt an oppressive energy leak off of him and spread to every muscle in her body. They all simultaneously locked up in fear as a sick smirk graced his pale skin.
"However, I know that you're hungry. I can tell just by the look in your eyes. So, if you answer our questions, we'll give you something to eat," The man started, and as he continued, she could've sworn that his right eye changed to a deep, evil red, just like the Demon's eyes beside him.
"But if you don't, we'll keep you there till you starve to death, then, we'll throw your body to a pack of angry wolves, and the only thing that will be left of you will be a half-eaten corpse. I'm sure you don't want that, do you?"
He was right. She didn't want that. In fact, she didn't want any of this. All Nezuko wanted was to leave and be with her family, her siblings.
It was then when something clicked in her mind...
Siblings...
Her siblings... her brothers and sisters...
ROKUTA!
In her panic and fear of the current situation, she had completely forgotten about her youngest sibling, Rokuta. What if these people attacked him? What if these people killed him?! Fear dressed her face as the man's smirk seemingly widened, if only ever slightly.
"M-My brother, where is my brother!" The ravenette near screamed as the man named Dream frowned. He dropped his axe to his side as he walked up to her before grabbing her by the chin, forcing her to stare into his eyes, an action which she hated.
"You mean that kid? That kid I saw in the woods, right? Black robe, short black hair, scared, pathetic brown eyes? You mean him?" Dream taunted as the other thing stood up and folded its arms. A tinge of fear sprang through her body as she squirmed under his touch.
"What did you do to him," The second eldest Kamado spoke, trying to sound threatening but ending up sounding more scared than anything else.
The man let go of her chin, forcefully yanking away, leaving a slight scratch on her chin. He scoffed, his smirk returning as he spoke again, his tone condescending.
"Ah, nothing really. I left him for wolf bait after he ran away from me when I tried to stop and ask him for directions. Whatever happened to him doesn't concern me, but it probably concerns you."
She slowly felt guilt flood into her soul. It would be her fault if her brother were dead. Had she paid more attention to him, none of this would've happened. She should've been a better older sister.
And what was worse was that this man spoke as if he knew her guilt, as his smirk only widened even more.
"But my guess is that he went back home. He seemingly knew these forests well, so for your sake, let's assume that's what happened, why don't we?" The man said, his green eyes boring into Nezuko's scared pink ones.
She felt a rush of fear bloom throughout her body. She desperately wanted to run away. This guy was bad, downright evil, and a part of her wanted to make sure he ended up in prison. But that other thing, Techno was his name, it simply watched.
But it wasn't looking at her. It was looking at Dream. It was as if it was studying him. His eyes seemed calculating, and they held back what could possibly be a monster. He was restraining himself. Nezuko couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But whatever it was, she couldn't bring herself to care, as right now, she was solely focused on whether or not her youngest brother was safe or not.
"Dream. That's enough," Techno spoke with a sharp tone of voice, causing the man to back away, as she looked away from the monster in human skin. But with his backing away came the Demon's approach. "Now, it would be best if you answered our questions, kid," Techno stated bluntly as Nezuko felt her fear spike once again.
But then, just as soon as it came, it left and left behind an epiphany.
If that meant she could leave unharmed, then she would take it. It was clear that she had no power in this situation, which she should've realized prior to all of this. She guessed she had the same thing as her brother, that being his stubbornness, or perhaps that was a trait she inherited from her mother.
Regardless of that, Curse it because had she not had it, she wouldn't have gotten into this mess. Right now, it only gave her trouble.
"O-Ok, fine, I will...." Nezuko stammered, her resolve breaking as Techno uncrossed his arms, looking down on her with a slight glare.
"Good. Now, just so that you know, we're... foreigners, yeah, let's say that. But, we don't know where we landed. We were... let's just say we escaped from a not-so-great situation from where we came from. So tell us, where in the world are we. What is the name of this continent?" The thing asked as Nezuko wanted to call them stupid.
But... she didn't want to know what would happen if she said something snarky in response. Who knows? She might've died if she did. Resisting the urge to snap at them, she answered honestly.
"Japan. You're currently in Japan, Kumotori mountain, Okutama County, in the Tokyo Prefecture. Is that all you wanted to know?" Nezuko bit back a snarl as Techno huffed. He seemed content, but she could tell he wasn't done yet.
"Hmm, Japan? Never heard of it. Then again, where we lived, we were... secluded from the world beyond, so-to-speak. Ok, next question. You called me a Demon, now, I'll be reminisced to correct you, but I don't think that's needed. I've been given several a name, but what exactly is a Demon?" Techno asked as Nezuko scoffed.
"That's rich, coming from one. I only know what a Demon is thank's to the old man who lives on the hill. He tells stories of them, saying their inhuman beasts that feed off of people and blood. That's what a Demon is. And you are one, so don't even lie to me. You know what one is because you are one!" Nezuko spoke with anger in her voice, to which Techno seemingly seemed indifferent.
There was a pregnant pause in the air. No one said a single thing. The tension in the air was palpable, and she could feel that fear rising again, and her heart began to race. Had she finally crossed the line? Was she going to die!?
The tension only kept rising and rising, her heartbeat racing faster and faster...
And then Techno snickered.
"Ha... haha... ha ha ha ha, oh, that's funny... actually, wow, ok, that's a new one. I've never been called a Demon before. But, last time I checked, I haven't eaten a person, I mean, unless you count cows and pigs as people. But yeah, no. I'm not a Demon. I'm a piglin, half-piglin, actually, but I'll keep that in mind," Techno said, brushing off her comment as if it meant nothing to him.
"Is there anything else you want to ask, or can I please leave?" Nezuko asked impatiently as Techno hummed. The tension came back again, but this time with a vengeance. The air felt thick, and she felt as if her breathing was restricted. When he stopped, he pulled out an axe, and her heart began to race even more than before.
Was he going to kill her?
Was he going to torture her?
He kept coming closer with the axe.
She was going to die.
He was going to kill her.
He raised the axe high above his head, and in response, she closed her eyes.
Rokuta... Hanako... Tanjiro... Taeko... Shigeru... she was never going to see them again.
She waited for her end to be met... but as the seconds passed, those seconds became a minute, and her wrists didn't feel tight anymore, same as her ankles. She opened her eyes and saw that she had been freed.
"There, you answered our questions. But I don't think it'd be safe for you to leave by yourself. It'd be better for you if we accompanied you. Dream, let's go, we have a guest to return," Techno stated as his axe... disappeared? Where did it go? Was he hiding it?
"H-Huh?! What, you-"
"You don't have a choice," the Demon stated as he glared at her. "It's dark out, and they're probably wolves and monsters out. Without something to defend yourself, especially in this blistering cold, it'd be for the best if we accompanied you."
Nezuko sighed. Unfortunatly, he had a point. She had nothing to defend herself, and it was extremely cold. Hell, it was the middle of winter. She should've put on a haori before she left. That way, it would've been better for her.
Dream huffed, bringing out his axe again as he shouldered it, as did Techno. "We should get going now. Dream, keep the fire lit, so we know where to go when we come back."
As Techno spoke, Dream nodded as the so-called piglin picked her up by the shoulder, making her stumble for a few seconds. "Ok, kid, lead the way. You know where to go, don't you?" Techno asked as Nezuko begrudgingly nodded, pointing forward.
"This way. Try to keep up, ok?" The ravenette stated bluntly as Techno scoffed.
The walk was quiet, and it unnerved her, even if it was only slightly. She stayed between her two captors. Oddly enough, it provided a sense of protection. She didn't know why it was, but she thought it had something to do with the fact that they had weapons, and she didn't.
The walk continued for what felt like an hour, and after several turns, she came across a straightaway that was familiar to her, what with the familiar torches that she knew to be here. But something was off.
The torches were blown out.
They were never blown out, not unless someone did so as a precaution that something dangerous was nearby. Maybe it was Rokuta's doing, but she needed to know for sure. She picked up speed, as did the others. Her heart began to race, and she could feel adrenaline sore throughout her body.
"Hey, kid, is something wrong?" Techno's voice was faint, as her heartbeat was ringing in her ears. She ignored them as she decided to pick up the speed.
"Hey, kid! Get back here!" Dream's voice shouted out to her as the footsteps behind her quickened in pace as she continued to run.
But she came to a full stop as she saw her house. When the others came up behind her, she heard them talking, but it quickly stopped.
There had been a massacre. Blood staining the outside walls, all fresh, and the bodies of her family, sans Tanjiro, were all in a neat pile, with two stragglers.
Her family had been massacred.
And that was when she passed out in front of her own house.
-To Be continued-
Finally, the resolution to the last two chapters, huzzah! But with that comes changes in canon! That's right, Nezuko will not be turned into a Demon, and I didn't do what most people probably assumed I was going to do, that being making Tanjiro a Demon. Plus, we get some more insight into how Technoblade will think.
Also,... 5K words, for serious?! I didn't even notice that when I was writing. I was so entranced that I hadn't noticed! Well, chalk it up to me being passionate.
Also, for those worrying that I'm pumping these out too fast, trust me, I'm taking breaks between writing these things. Most of these chapters are either pre-written or parts of them, at least in my notes section of my phone, or I've already planned out interactions in my head.
Also, Thank you, Danneriscringe, for beta-reading these chapters. You're a godsend.
Anyways, that'll be it for this chapter, nexttime, we'll get to see what Technoblade and Dream will do in this situation,and we'll get to see Tanjiro in the next chapter, as well, and his reaction toTechnoblade. With that, peace out!