HOLY SHIT TYSM FOR 100 READS???
I CANT THANK U GUYS ENOUGH !!
honestly wasn't expecting this many people to read my story, especially bc i have no clue what the hell im doing most of the time 💀💀
i appreciate all the support !
edited as of 4/22/23
Warning : Swearing , Blood , Violence
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You each stared at each other with widened eyes and jaws dropped, not moving a single inch - nor making a single sound.
The boy accompanying Eli eyed him, "What the fuck are you doing!? Stop bothering this random girl—"
You suddenly bolted over to Eli, tackling your old friend into a hug. From the sudden weight, you each fell to the ground - but you both didn't care.
Your eyes welled up with tears of relief, "ELI! WHA— WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?! OH MY GOD—!" Eli began to tear up as well, squeezing you tightly, "YOU'RE A HYPOCRITE! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN—?!"
You each burst into laughter, taking in the moment. It had been years since you'd seen each other — you were each in a sheer amount of disbelief.
Tanjirou blinked, awkwardly watching the scene unfold. He was puzzled - just exactly who was this boy? He had also noted that he must've been a foreigner too, considering you each spoke the same language to each other.
He then locked eyes with the ashy grey-brown haired boy. His dark blue eyes narrowed his eyes on Tanjirou suspiciously, before he raised a brow and averted his gaze to you.
The boy then walked up to Eli, placing his hands on his hips and looking down at him, "What the hell are you doing?! You can't just tackle random people like that, dumbass!"
Eli glared at the boy, "SHUT UP, SŌTA! I DIDN'T EVEN TACKLE HER! PLUS, WE'RE HAVING AN EMOTIONAL REUNION, HERE!"
Eli then wheezed, looking at you, "AND YOU—! GET YOUR.." He snickered to himself, "FATASS OFF OF ME! HOW AM I GOING TO BEAT DEMON ASS IF YOU'RE CRUSHING ME TO DEATH?!"
You raised a brow, before pinching his arm in retaliation, "Oh, really? I'm a fatass, now?" Eli yelped in pain, before trying to swat your hand away, "(Y/N)-! Stop it! That hurts— fuck!"
You pinched even harder, smirking at the suffering boy while speaking in a sing-song voice, "Take back what you said, and I'll stop~!"
Tanjirou widened his eyes in a panic, sweatdropping, "E-EH?! (Y/N).. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Sōta, the boy accompanying Eli, snickered into his fist, "Pfft—! He looks so pathetic!"
Eli threw his head back in defeat, "Okay! You're not fat! I swear! Uncle, uncleee!!"
By this point, you had gained attention of the other participants of final selection — and all eyes were on the two of you.
You let go of his arm, before getting off of him. You stood up, dusting yourself off while you chuckled, "Don't think I'd go easy on you.. even if it's been years!"
He shortly stood up after you, sticking his tongue out and pettily turning his head, "Man.. this is how you treat me after, what.. three years? You're unbearable."
You nudged him playfully, "Hey, come on! Don't give me that! We just found out we're both alive, right!" You raised both your hands up rhythmically, "Woo-hoo!"
Even though you were joking with Eli as if a day hadn't gone by since you last seen each other - you were inwardly still in disbelief, 'Is this.. even real? I'm not dreaming, am I?'
You felt a familiar calloused hand gently place itself upon your shoulder, "(Y/N).. do you.. know this person?" You turned your head back, glancing at Tanjirou, "Yup! He's an old friend back from America!"
You turned back to Eli, who was bickering with his friend, Sōta, "We've been best friends for years, but I haven't seen him since Urokodaki took me in. Tanjirou, meet—"
Eli perked up, before instantly cutting you off, "Hugh Jass. The name's Hugh Jass. Nice to meet you.. shit.. what's his name? Ta.. Tabasco..?"
You choked, your face paling.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me. Hugh Jass? You chose to take the name.. Hugh Jass?"
He smirked, chuckling to himself triumphantly, "You jealous?"
You stared back in pure shock, before raising your voice, "YOU'RE SO STUPID! YOU DIDN'T EVEN SAY TANJIROU'S NAME PROPERLY!"
The boy in question sweat dropped, "Nice to meet you, Jass! Although, uh.. my name's Tanjirou. Tanjirou Kamado."
Eli waved him off dismissively, "Totally, whatever you say, Tabasco. Also, call me Hugh. No formalities needed!"
He clicked his tongue, pointing finger guns at a tense Tanjirou. Shortly after, Sōta whacked him on the head, "Hugh, stop messing around with this poor boy! Don't make me beat your ass!"
He then turned towards the two of you, bowing at a direct 90° angle, "Please forgive Hugh! He's a dumbass and doesn't know basic manners nor social cues!"
You snorted into your fist, "Already know that, get with the memo, random boy."
Eli glared at you, "I swear to god, if you open up your big mouth one more time I'll— ACK!!" Sōta smacked him on the head once more, an irk mark appearing on his own forehead, "WHY ARE YOU SO RUDE?!"
Tanjirou waved his hands out dismissively, "Don't worry! It's okay, really! A friend of (Y/N)'s is a friend of mine!" You chimed in, "Yeah, it's all good. El- ahem, Hugh, can be extremely annoying. After enough time of hanging out with him, you get used to it."
Eli lunged for you, yanking you by your hair, "IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS, AND YOU'RE ALREADY PULLING THIS SHIT AGAIN?! YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT?!"
You yelled in alarm, trying to pry him off of you, "ACK! YOU'RE LIKE A PEST! GET OFF OF ME, YOU'LL GIVE ME COOTIES, YOU MORON!"
Tanjirou and Sōta briefly stood there, swallowed in pure shock by both of your behavior. They then both approached the two of you, prying you each off of each other.
Tanjirou furrowed his brows, "(Y/N), don't be rude! You can't go around and call your friends morons!" Meanwhile, Sōta was scolding Eli - very loudly too, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! FINAL SELECTION HASN'T EVEN STARTED, AND YOU'RE ALREADY TRYING TO KILL SOMEONE? TOMOE-SAN WILL KICK YOUR SORRY ASS, ONCE I TELL HER ABOUT THIS!"
Eli's face immediately paled, "Wait—! Don't tell Tomoe-san! Please! She'll make me train even more, once we get back! I'm sorry! I'll never do it again, swear!" Sōta glared at him, sighing through his nose, "That's what I thought."
You approached Sōta, placing a hand on his shoulder, "It's fine, I've known this dumbass long enough to know he's like this. Anyways,"
You sent him a smile, "I'm (Y/N)!" You then pointed to Tanjirou, who sent him a wave, "That's Tanjirou! From what I overheard, you're.. Sōta, right?"
Sōta returned the gesture, "Nice to meet you, (Y/N), Tanjirou." He then chuckled to himself, "Yeah, you're right. I'm Sōta. Sōta Hidaka."
Eli crossed his arms, glaring at Sōta, "Why did your mood completely flip like a switch?! You're absolutely unbelievable!"
Before the two could bicker any further, the two twins chimes in simultaneously, gaining the attention of everyone in the area, "Greetings, everybody. Thank you all for joining the Final Selection tonight."
You shuddered at how eery their voices were.
"There are a lot of demons held captive on this mountain, which were brought back by swordsmen. They are unable to leave, because from the mountain foot to half way up, there are many wisteria flowers, which act as demon repellent."
You began to anxiously tap your foot, biting your lip, 'I'm so nervous.. what if I mess up?! What if I can't perform my techniques correctly?!'
The twins drowned out your thoughts, "However, from here on out, there is no more wisteria - only demons. If you can survive for 7 days, then you pass Final Selection. Now, let the Final Selection begin."
The four of you eyed each other, before Sōta spoke up, "Do you guys want to stick together? Or..?"
You genuinely thought about it - you didn't want to say goodbye to Eli so soon, after all. However, your mind trailed back to the hand demon, meaning you'd inevitably have to split up.
You replied moments later, "What about.. we try surviving on our own for a few days? Then, we can meet up in the East!" Your mood lightened, "Wait, we can make this a game! Whoever kills the most demons.. gets to make someone do whatever they want!"
Tanjirou sweatdropped at your competitiveness, "(Y/N).. I don't thin-"
Eli interrupted Tanjirou almost immediately, slapping his fist into the palm of his hand, "Deal. I'll beat your ass. Watch your back."
He then extended his hand, to which you grasped. You each shook on it, nodding with determination, "It's a deal then, moron! You already know, I'm gonna win!"
You released your hold on his hand, turning to Tanjirou, "Tanjirou, ready to kick some demon ass?"
He nodded, lightly laughing at your words, "Let's go, (Y/N)!" You parted ways with Sōta and Eli, and as you were about to leave their sight, you turned back and shouted, "See you in a few days! Remember, the East!!"
『✦』
You each sprinted through the forest, side by side. The pale moon shone through the trees, as stars hung overhead.
Tanjirou then abruptly skid to a stop, gripping the hilt of his sword. You caught on quickly, mimicking his stance.
You felt a bead of sweat slide down your cheek, waiting for Tanjirou's cue. He looked around frantically, before shouting out, "Above!"
You snapped your head upwards, locking eyes with a demon lunging straight towards you. You widened your eyes, "SHIT—!"
You jumped back, immediately unsheathing your sword. You pointed at the demon, letting a bit of sarcasm sneak out of you, "Hey, that's not so fair, is it?"
Shortly after, a second demon appeared, causing the first demon to be visibly angry. Veins bulged from his forehead as he argued over his prey - the two of you, "Hey! Go over there! I get to eat these humans, not you!"
The second demon quickly fired back, "Hell no, you get out! I was waiting for the perfect moment to strike before you appeared!"
You tightened your grip on your sword, furrowing your brows. You glanced over to Tanjirou, noting that he was doing the same.
"THIS IS MY PREY! GET LOST!"
"NO! I NEED TO EAT THESE HUMANS!!"
They suddenly each snapped their heads towards the two of you, before pushing off the ground - one lunging for each of you.
You took a deep breath in, 'Water Breathing, Third Form, Flowing Dance!'
You lunged for the demon as well, at an immense speed. While midair, you gracefully sliced its head off, before making contact with the ground once more - sliding your feet.
You sheathed your sword, letting out a breath you didn't even realize you were holding in. You turned to Tanjirou, observing him sheathe his sword as well - a decapitated demon head a few feet ahead of him.
You jumped up and down, pumping your fists in the air, "Tanjirou! We got our first kills! Can you believe it?!" Tanjirou smiled, turning to you, "It's good to see our training wasn't wasted! We really have gotten stronger!"
He then made his way over to the already disintegrated demons, clasping his hands together - before making a prayer. You walked over to him, performing the same.
You then each opened your eyes, turning to each other once more. Tanjirou inhaled deeply, before he covered his mouth with his fist, whipping his head the other way and gagging.
You raised a brow, "Huh? Tanjirou, are you okay? I don't smell that bad.. do I?"
It then dawned on you - the hand demon.
Tanjirou swore under his breath, before mumbling, "It smells.. just like a rotting corpse..! Eugh!"
A scream pierced the air, followed by a panicked boy running right by the two of you, "AIIIEEE!! WHY IS THERE A MUTANT HERE?! I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS!!"
Continuous thumps were heard in the distance, gradually getting louder the closer it came.
As soon as the hand demon came into view, you wanted to puke. You widened your eyes at the sight of it; despite knowing what it already looked like, seeing it up close and in person shook you to your core.
The demon was monstrously large and veiny with rotting olive green skin, blood red fingernails, and pale yellow eyes with cross-hatched shaped pupils.
When you said it was monstrously large - it was more than that. It towered over the three of you, practically the same height as the trees.
Even with the current situation you were in, you couldn't help but let a joke slip out of your lips, "Somebody clearly hasn't heard of a gym."
You slapped your hand over your mouth instantly, inwardly praying that the hand demon hadn't heard you.
Luck was in your favor, for he was too focused on the boy running away. He snatched the boy up by his leg, dangling him above his mouth, before slowly inching him towards his teeth.
Despite your initial fear, you pushed it away, focusing on saving the boy from certain doom.
You hadn't trained the last three years for nothing. You were becoming a demon slayer to save people - not to watch them die.
'MOVE!'
You launched yourself forwards, making a beeline straight for the demons arm. You jumped as high as you could, 'Water Breathing, Second Form, Water Wheel!'
You successfully hacked off one of the demon's arms, making blood ooze like a tsunami from the new wound. Regardless, it didn't matter, since it regenerated with ease.
Luckily, Tanjirou caught the boy before he could make contact with the ground, making you realize something crucial, 'Oh, shit!! I just stole Tanjirou's moment, fuck! Why the hell did I do that?!'
The demon locked eyes with you, before panning it's eyes to Tanjirou. "My my.. more cute little foxes came my way..? Hey foxes.. what year of the Meiji Era is it?"
Your face blanked, having no clue what he was talking about. All you knew that it was the Taisho Era. As you opened your mouth to answer, Tanjirou beat you to it, "It's no longer the Meiji Era! It's the Taisho Era right now."
His words immediately caused the hand demon to throw a tantrum. He stomped his feet into the earth, making the ground shake, "THE ERA NAME CHANGED!! JUST HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN IN THIS PLACE?! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE HIM, NEVER! DAMN UROKODAKI!"
Your breath hitched upon realizing what inevitably was coming next.
Tanjirou gulped before intercepting the hand demon's tantrum, "You.. know Urokodaki-san..?" The demon screamed back, "OH, I KNOW HIM ALRIGHT! I'LL NEVER FORGET HOW I WAS CAPTURED BY UROKODAKI 47 YEARS AGO!!"
You grasped your sword tighter, waiting for the moment to strike.
"He was still hunting demons back then. It was during the Edo Period.. during the Keio Era.."
The boy, who you saved, screamed from behind Tanjirou, "Y-YOU'RE LYING! NO DEMON HERE HAS LIVED THAT LONG! T-THE DEMONS HERE SHOULD HAVE EATEN ONLY TWO OR THREE PEOPLE..!"
The hand demon glared at him, "I still remain alive. In this wisteria prison, I've devoured a total of 50 of you weak demon slayers!"
He pointed to Tanjirou, "You're the fourteenth," then pointed to you, "..and you're the fifteenth." Despite knowing the answer, you swallowed, before spitting back, "What are you talking about!?"
The demon began to chuckle, "I was counting the number of Urokodakis apprentices I've devoured, of course! I've decided to kill every single one of them to pay for his mistakes."
The demon then placed one of his hands on his chin, "Speaking of which.. the salmon haired boy with the scar was the strongest. The other was a little girl with a flower printed haori. She wasn't as strong as the boy, but she was super quick with her movements.. they were the ones who left an impression on me the most."
You bit your lip, 'Please let this dialogue be over. Please.'
He then pointed to your mask specifically, "The fox mask - it's a mark. I remember the style that damn old man used to carve the masks. It's the same exact carving of his Tengu mask."
He continued, "It's a warding mask, right? That's ironic - just because his disciples chose to wear it, their lives all ended within my hands. It's as if Urokodaki is begging for me to kill them."
You glanced over at Tanjirou - his eyes widened, brows furrowed, and sweating bullets.
"Fufu! Once I said these words to the little girl, she got so enraged that she started crying! After that, her moves became too rigid! So, you know what I did? I plucked off her limbs, one by one!"
It took all you had not to fall for his trap. However, Tanjirou wasn't as fortunate as you. He dashed forwards at an incredible speed, rage filling his eyes.
You called after him, "Tanjirou, wait! It's a trap!" However, your calls were blocked by his fury, making him run even faster.
The hand demon launched his arms at the crimson haired boy, to which he slashed through almost instantly. The demon punched Tanjirou into a tree almost immediately after, rendering him unconscious.
You swore under your breath, before running over to him. The demon neared Tanjirou's figure, licking his lips, "Well, another fox to be added to my collection!"
He propelled his arms towards Tanjirou's limp body. However, just as they were about to reached them, you slashed through them.
You put a protective hand out in front of him, scowling at the hand demon, "Hey! If you think you'll be killing us, you're delusional! I swear, you really going to be the one to die tonight, you understand?!"
The hand demon stomped once more, "SO ANNOYING SO ANNOYING!! DIE..!" His arms beelined towards you and Tanjirou, making you snatch his body and dodge at the very last minute.
You set Tanjirou next to a tree, before turning to the demon once more, "You don't have to do this! You don't have to suffer any longer! Let yourself and all the spirits of Urokodakis apprentices rest once and for all!"
The demons eyes slightly widened, before turning even more furious then before. He began to scream once more, "SHUT UP! YOU KNOW NOTHING! DIE, DIE, DIE!"
You yelped as he sent more arms catapulting towards you. You jumped to the side, immediately cringing at the cracks your bones made.
Once the arms boomeranged back to you, you prepared to attack once more, 'Water Breathing, First Form, Water Surface Slash!'
As you skid to a stop once more, you turned to the towering demon, "Listen, it's really not too late! You can— ACK!"
The hand demon sent an arm from behind, which snatching you up, causing your sword to fall to the ground with a clatter.
Your heart dropped as you began to squirm within its grasp, suddenly being overcome with a panicked sweat, "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
Your eyes darted to Tanjirou as you neared the demon's mouth. As a desperate last resort, you yelled to his unconscious figure, "T-TANJIROU! PLEASE, NOW'S A GOOD TIME TO WAKE UP!"
As if on cue, his eyes snapped open. They slowly drifted towards you, before looking as if they were going to pop out of their sockets.
He sprung up onto his feet, snatching his sword up, "(Y/N)! Hang in there!" His words immediately caused you to deadpan - seeing as you were literally hanging upside down in the demon's grip.
'Water Breathing, Fourth Form, Striking Tide!'
Tanjirou gracefully sliced you free, catching you before you hit the ground. You caught your breath, before smiling and playfully nudging him,"Woah look at you! What a gentleman!"
You quickly set yourself free from his arms, before picking your sword up. Before you could say anything else, Tanjirou yelled to you hurriedly, "JUMP!"
You immediately abided to what he said, jumping several feet within the air. You looked downwards, observing hands rising up from the earth itself, leaving cracks in the surface.
You both landed on the ground, locking eye contact once more. Tanjirou smirked, "Wanna dance?" You sent a wink his way, "Tanjirou, I'd never thought you'd ask!"
You each launched forwards - you went to the left, while Tanjirou went to the right. You then both jumped up, simultaneously calling out, 'Water Breathing, Third Form, Flowing Dance!'
You each gracefully dodged and slashed every arm that came at you, each of your bodies bending in sync with your swords. Just as you both were about to reach the neck, you gave Tanjirou a boost, pushing him up with your feet.
'Water Breathing, First Form, Water Surface Slash!'
You fell to the ground, dropping to your knees and gasping for air. You then watched Tanjirou as he sliced the head off, causing it to fall onto the ground. Shortly after, Tanjirou stuck the landing next to it.
You let out a relieved sigh through your nose, "Thank god.. it's finally over.."
You caught sight of the pity littering Tanjirou's face, making a frown creep it's way onto yours. After finally composing your breathing, you stood to your feet, making your way over to him.
You honked him lightly on the head, sending him a small smile, "I'm glad you're okay.. I was so worried when you got knocked unconscious.." You shook your head, "For god's sake, Tanjirou.. you're going to give me wrinkles.. and I'm only fifteen!"
Tanjirou returned the gesture, "I'm sorry for worrying you like that.. and I'm also glad you're okay. But.. at least it's over now.."
He averted his focus back to the now disintegrating hand demon.
You hesitantly made your way over to the demon's hand, placing your palm in it, "Please find peace in your next life." You then turned back to Tanjirou, who was crouched over the demons head praying, "God please, allow this person to never become a demon again when he reincarnates."
You walked over to Tanjirou, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling before helping him stand up. You instantly cringed upon seeing the bloody wound on his forehead, "Oh my god—! That.. that does not look good.. Are you.. feeling okay?"
Tanjirou's eyes widened in surprise, "E-Eh?! Really?! I feel fine.. I barely feel a thing..!" You pulled out some bandages that Urokodaki had given you - to which you kept on the inside of your haori, "I don't have any disinfectant.. and I barely know first aid.. but these will be enough!"
You wrapped the bandages around his forehead, before tying it securely. Once you were satisfied enough, you put them back into your inside pocket, "Let me know if you need me to change the bandages at all, okay?"
He nodded in acknowledgment, before lightly blushing, "Thanks for worrying so much for me, (Y/N). I appreciate it."
You sent him a smile, "I'm just glad you're okay. Although.. you could totally pay me back by grabbing a wisteria flower for me on the way out!"
Tanjirou stifled a laugh, feigning ignorance to your antics, "Follow me! The sun rises in the east first!" With that, he broke out into a run, to which you followed, "Hey! Don't ignore what I just said!"
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Word Count : 4083
( edited a/n - nothing to say tonight! )
extra long chapter today 😈😈
just an fyi, i literally never proofread any of my chapters 💀 so if u come across a typo or incorrect grammar don't be too surprised LMFAAOO
once again, tysm for all the love on this story !!
also.. eli is back in the story WOOOO
i honestly had no idea where to introduce him back in, bc i was originally planning to have him "isekaid" with y/n and be with her for urokodakis training, but i ended up not going with that route
additionally, a new character is introduced!
lmk how you guys feel ab sōta, and give me some criticism if needed !
what do u guys think elis and sōtas breathing styles will be ? i already have it planned but i wanna see what you guys think !
im BEYOND excited to start writing about the missions and introducing the characters into the storyline, i hope u guys are too !
for now, i'll see ya later !