okay sooo
i know i said i was gonna take a short break for this week buttt
i caved because i was too excited to write this chapter..
whoops!
(edited as of 4.19.24)
WARNING : Swearing , Blood , Violence
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You were frozen.
Unable to move a single muscle; you couldn't even bring yourself to blink.
What were you supposed to think of this? Your brother—he was in front of you. It had been years since you'd last seen him, and now.. he—
He was a demon. An Upper Moon, at that.
Your breaths picked up in pace, growing irregular as you choked out a sob. "(B-B/N)..?! What— What's going on?! How are you— you're..?!"
You couldn't form any words—you were blubbering and confused.
"Don't act so surprised," (B/N) rolled his eyes, slowly making his way toward you and Akaza. "You saw me in that dream— or, well.. nightmare, I suppose."
The Butterfly Estate.
Where he had told you: you had come too late.
By the looks of things, his words seemed to be proven true.
"That— you.. you were actually in that dream..?" You spluttered, eyes wide. Your breath hitched as you recalled every detail; the dream still haunted you.
"What do you think you're doing here, Upper Moon Zero?!" Akaza furiously hissed, glaring at your brother. "This is my goddamn assignment, not yours!"
"Ah, well— you see," (B/N) slyly smirked. "I heard my sister would be here; I couldn't contain myself. I wanted to help you bring her back to Muzan!"
"What a perfect family reunion, wouldn't you think so?" He added.
"(B/N)— stop.. stop joking around! This isn't f-funny, this isn't funny at all..!" You choked out, shaking your head in disbelief.
"I will not repeat myself twice. Let the girl go, or I won't hesitate to attack," Rengoku boomed, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Hah! What's your name? Kyojuro, was it?" (B/N) scoffed. "You're kidding, right? You do realize you're in the presence of two upper moons? Or.. perhaps you're truly idiotic?"
Soon, Inosuke and Eli appeared from the train, joining Tanjirou's side. "Hey! Is everybody okay?! We heard an explosion, so we came to see if everything was—"
He paused, his breath hitching at the sight of (B/N). "—alright.."
He lowered his blade to his side, his expression contorting into one of pure shock. "Holy shit— (B/N)..? Is that.. really..?"
Eli's gaze then trailed over to you—catching sight of your hysterical expression—just before locking onto Akaza who restrained you. "..(Y/N)..?"
Inosuke immediately drew his jagged dual blades, roaring angrily, "What do you think you're doing with (M/N)?!" He quickly pushed off his heel, rushing forward.
"INOSUKE, NO—!!" You screamed.
But it was too late.
With a mere snap of his fingers, time slowed down drastically—everything had turned into slow motion. Aside from (B/N), who walked forward with complete ease.
He casually made his way to Inosuke, who had been running in slow motion, just before delivering a full force kick to his stomach.
With another snap, time had returned to normal; Inosuke then barreled into Eli, causing both boys to fall to the ground.
"Inosuke!! Eli!!" Tanjirou worriedly shouted.
"Are you two all right?" Rengoku questioned, maintaining eye contact with the two upper moons.
Angrily shoving Inosuke off of him, Eli surged to his feet. "No!! Of course we're not fucking alright!! (Y/N) is being held captive!! And— and (B/N) is..!!"
"I don't want to waste my time on weaklings," Akaza sighed exasperatedly. "If I were to fight anybody, it would be Kyojuro. But.." He looked down at you, "I have a certain brat to deliver to Muzan."
The mere thought of being within Muzan's possession made your blood run cold; the possibilities of what he'd do to you were endless.
You were practically dead, if that were to happen.
'Think, (Y/N), think! Deal with your feelings later, focus on getting out of Akaza's grasp!!'
Your gaze flickered down to your restrained, bloodied hand behind your back—your eyes hardening as your determination grew.
You reeled your leg forward, just before kicking him directly in the groin—showing no mercy whatsoever.
At this point, it was a signature move of yours.
Akaza released an agonizing scream, immediately releasing you in order to cup his pelvis. Blinking away your tears, you delivered a harsh slap to his cheek—your blood burning his cheek almost instantly.
As it sizzled and popped, Akaza clenched his eyes shut, yelling out in pain once more.
Releasing a short exhale, you quickly unsheathed your sword, swinging it at (B/N)'s neck; he wasn't suspecting your move—you could end it all right now.
Though, just before your sword made
contact with his skin—you faltered. A distant memory you'd shared with him quickly flashed through your thoughts.
『✦』
It was just a few years ago—you couldn't be older than ten. It was the anniversary of your mother's death, and to no surprise—it was pouring.
Contrasted to your brother, you hardly showed your negative emotions; you were his rock. You were there when he needed you: it was rarely the same, as you refused to ask for help.
You left the refuge of the porch, choosing to seek optimism on such a bleak day. You stood within the rain, twirling.
"(B/N), see? It's a sign from mom— I'm sure of it! She always loved the rain!" You called, the rain drenching you entirely.
"(Y/N), what are you doing?! You're getting soaked!" (B/N) scolded, blinking in surprise as he watched you.
Releasing a giggle, you fixed your gaze toward him, forcing a believable smile. "Come on, don't be such a pessimist! Come here!"
You carefully made your way toward the porch, grasping his wrist tightly. Despite his complaints, you pulled him out into the rain, releasing a laugh.
"(Y/N), let go!! I'm going to get soaked—just like you! Seriously, I—!"
"So what, if you get soaked?! Look, (B/N)! It's the anniversary of mom's death, but she sent us a sign! Shouldn't we be taking advantage of it?"
You twirled around him, smiling. "Can't you live life for once? Live in the moment!"
His shoulders relaxed, and soon, his lips curled into a smile. "You're.. actually right for once." He shook his head, giggling. "Okay, fine! Only because you're the worst sister ever, and I feel bad!"
You playfully scoffed, feigning offense. "Ugh! How dare you, (B/N)! Admit it— I'm the best sister you could ever ask for! You know it!"
"No way!" (B/N) teasingly fired back.
"You know you wanna!" You urged.
"Okay, okay— fine! You're the best sister ever!"
『✦』
You stilled, swallowing bile down your throat. As you met his unamused, lightless eyes, you couldn't help the sob that broke free once more.
Your shoulders shook and heaved as you fought to regain your composure, but it was futile.
"It's like you're asking to die, at this point," He scoffed, his tone loathing.
'What?'
Immediately after, he delivered a harsh blow to your ribs—his sheer firepower sending you shooting back into a tree.
Upon impact, your back emitted a crack—your ribs aching; they were definitely bruised. You released a pained scream, losing your grasp on your sword.
You slumped to the ground, your ears ringing—vision blurring. Pain ricocheted through your entire body; you were completely helpless.
Why couldn't you have just slashed him?
Why couldn't you help yourself from hesitating?
Within seconds, you could already sense yourself losing your own consciousness. In turn, despair filled your chest.
You had trained so hard— you had put so much work into preparing for this mission.
Nothing had happened in the way it was supposed to, and now—now you were haunted.
It were as if it was all for nothing, in the end. You were completely and utterly without hope.
'Why.. did you do this, (B/N)..?'
In the distance, you could just barely make out the muffled screams of your friends—they were panicked, that's for sure.
You were almost sure Rengoku had broke out into a duel with Akaza, as well.
"No," You whimpered. "This— this isn't how.. things are supposed to go..!"
You slowly began to crawl, despite the fact your body was as heavy as lead. "No," You whispered.
"No..!" You raised your tone, desperately reaching for your fallen sword, fighting through the excruciating pain.
Just before your fingertips grazed your sword, (B/N) had caught up to you, kicking the sword further away from your grasp.
"NO!" You gasped, wincing from the pain that filled you.
Your mind was constantly reeling—you couldn't make sense of what was happening. Was your brother forced to become a demon?
Hell— how did he even get here?
You blinked erratically, desperately trying to bring your vision back to focus. You slowly looked to your brother, breathing heavily.
"Oops, my foot slipped," (B/N) crooned sadistically.
He then crouched beside you, propping his cheek up with his hand. "Hey, loser. Hey, weakling. Hey, hey! You there?"
You blankly gazed up at him through tearful eyes, your jaw clenched as you fought back the urge to burst into a sob once more.
"Firework Breathing, Ninth Form, Roaring Rocket!" Eli yelled.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form, Constant Flux!" Tanjirou shouted.
"Beast Breathing, Eighth Form, Explosive Rush!" Inosuke roared.
You widened your eyes as you made out the figures of your attacking friends, an array of flashing colors approaching (B/N) with urgency and haste.
They were fools to believe their counterattacks would work.
Bored and unamused, your brother rolled his eyes, snapping his fingers—slowing down time once again.
He stepped to the side, just before returning time to its normal state. With this, they all barreled directly into a nearby tree, causing you to seethe.
"Tanjirou!! Eli!! Inosuke!! Are— are you okay?!"
To your advantage, your brother had directed his attention to the three boys, which granted you the opportunity to reach your sword.
Sucking in a breath, you willed yourself to continue crawling toward your sword once more. Finally, you tightly grasped it—using it to help you stand to your feet.
With your knees shaking, you called to (B/N); just before he could reach the three. "(B/N)!!"
He paused, turning to face you.
"Can— Can we please talk?! I'm.. I'm so confused! How— why did you become a demon?! Why are you doing this?!" You urged, trembling.
"Fine—I'll entertain this," He started. "I became a demon for one purpose: simply because I wanted to."
You shook your head, your bottom lip trembling. "You're lying—stop that! Tell me the truth," You started, just before raising your tone, "Tell me the fucking truth!!"
"It's nothing but the truth, (Y/N)." (B/N) insisted.
You swallowed a lump deep down your throat. "Please.. it's not too late. You can— we can figure out a way to fix this. It was always me and you, (B/N). Us against the world."
"I— I won't be able to take this; I can't take another blow. So.. please. I'm begging you—it's not too late to take all this back; it's not too late for you to join me."
"You know," He started, his tone amused. "I've heard what Enmu put you through. It's funny, honestly—how he forced you to kill mom. It's what you deserve. For.. well, you know.. killing her the first time."
You had reached your breaking point, no longer able to contain your sob.
"You're lying. You— you don't mean that. I know you don't."
"Oh, but I do," He spat, hatred in his voice. "You want to know something, (Y/N)? I've always despised you. Everytime I look at you, it makes me want to gag."
He scoffed. "You're the bane of my existence, you know that? God, you wanna know how many times I've wished that you were the one who was dead, instead of mom?"
"You're absolutely nothing to me, and if Muzan hadn't order Akaza to bring you back alive, I wouldn't hesitate to end your miserable life right here." He snapped.
You gasped, falling to your knees.
"You..! I'll fucking kill you!!" Eli roared, pure fury lacing his every word.
"Hugh, don't—" Tanjirou attempted to stop him.
"Tanjirou, shut the fuck up!" Eli snapped, completely livid.
"How dare you?!" He yelled, turning back to (B/N). "You have the fucking audacity to turn up out of nowhere after three goddamn years?! And now— now you're spouting all this bullshit?!"
(B/N) widened his eyes.
"Do you have any fucking idea how much (Y/N) worried for your sorry ass?! Do you know how much hard work she's put in, just for the sake of seeing you again?!"
"She's been to hell and back, all for you! You have a lot of fucking nerve turning up, and acting like you're better than her! You don't fucking deserve her!!" Eli screamed, tears pricking his eyes.
"Mark my fucking words, (B/N)!! I'm going to make you pay for what you just did! I'm going to bring you to your goddamn knees, and make you beg for her forgiveness, you hear me?!"
You gaped at Eli in utter shock, sharing a similar expression to Tanjirou and Inosuke.
"You were my fucking friend, (B/N)!" Eli seethed, his voice trembling. "But— but not anymore. As of today, you're completely dead to me."
"You're despicable," Tanjirou seethed, veins furiously bulging from his forehead as he clenched his fists. "I'll make you pay."
"Rot in hell, asshole!! Aghhh!!" Inosuke joined, yelling with hatred.
"G-Guys," You whispered, in a state of utter shock.
An explosion shook the very earth itself, rumbling and roaring. You gasped, redirecting your attention to Rengoku and Akaza.
Blurs and streaks of blue and red zipped across the battlefield, and only then were you reminded of your key objective to save Rengoku.
So, despite yourself, you rose to your feet, locking gazes with (B/N) once more.
"Goodbye," You croaked, just before you turned to your friends.
"I'm sorry."
With that, you forced yourself to pivot, running away and toward the battle. You sprinted, a harsh wind blowing against your face.
'Don't be too late.'
Your steps were heavy and desperate—your breath ragged and uneven.
Catching a glance of Rengoku's condition, you shivered—he wasn't looking good whatsoever. His left eye was completely obliterated, and he was bleeding all over.
"What a wonderful fighting spirit!! You have so many wounds—yet your drive, your fortitude, and your stance has no openings!!" Akaza yelled, smiling.
"You should really become a demon, Kyojuro!! Let's continue to fight for all of eternity!!" He declared, his yells raspy.
You quickened your pace, desperate and panicked.
"Ninth Style: Purgatory!! Destructive Kill: Obliteration Style!!" Akaza called out, just before he lunged for Rengoku.
At the very last second, you had managed to successfully save Rengoku.
However—you had gotten hit in his stead.
Behind you, you could barely make out Rengoku's shaky exhale.
Your friends screamed in horror—choking on sobs of their own.
You didn't necessarily process what happened—all you knew was that Akaza's fist had impaled you directly in the abdomen.
How ironic; two abdomen injuries in a single mission.
What you also knew, was that it was for the best if you didn't look down.
Adrenaline immediately kicked in—coursing through your very veins itself. You knew that you had to take advantage of it. It was all that was keeping you breathing, at this point.
Akaza released an agonizing scream, your blood beginning to burn his arm almost instantly. In a dire attempt, he fought to yank his arm out of your body.
There was no way in hell you were going to let him, though.
If you were going to die, you were sure as hell going to take him with you.
You released a determined yell, and with a surge of power, you grasped his arm with as much strength as you could muster.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! IF I DIE, THEN YOU BET YOUR SORRY ASS THAT I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!!" You roared.
'I've already lost it all, anyways.'
With your blood fighting to heal your wounds, it had gotten too stressed—causing your eyes and ears to ooze the coppery liquid.
It didn't stop you, though.
The sun was due to rise soon, and all you had to do was stall until then.
It was a race against time.
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Word Count : 2776
(edited a/n: omg i'm on a roll w these)
yeesh what a rollercoaster 💀
see ya in the next update ;)