Third Person:
Nezuko ran down the mountain with Tanjiro. She had to get him help. Since he was the only person showing signs of being alive, Nezuko thought she could attempt to get them help.
Tanjiro's the only one who's still warm. She thinks. If I can get him to a doctor, he might live. How could something like this happen? Maybe a bear... that couldn't find a place to hibernate? ...I can't breathe! The air is icy! My lungs hurt! Just keep moving. Move those legs of yours faster! We've still got a long way to go to get to town. Hurry! I won't let you die. No matter what it takes, your little sister will save you!
Suddenly Tanjiro gurgles. He starts growling. He pulls Nezuko's body and causes them to fall off the short cliff.
Oh no!
Nezuko screams before landing on the snow.
The snow saved me... but the snow is the only reason I fell.
Nezuko: Tanjiro?
Nezuko looks around until she spots Tanjiro. He's standing in front of a tree with his head down.
Nezuko: Tanjiro, are you okay? You don't have to walk!
Nezuko runs up to him.
Nezuko: Let me carry you to town, alright? Tanjiro!
Tanjiro looks up at him growling. He has fangs, light red eyes, and is super angry. He snarls and pushes Nezuko.
Nezuko uses her axe to stop Tanjiro, who's teeth are on it. He pushes her to the ground still snarling.
H-He's... a demon!
Nezuko realizes that Mr. Saburo was right. There are really demons. And her brother was turned into one.
He's a man-eating demon? Impossible! Tanjiro's a human from the day I was born. And this angry feeling, doesn't feel like Tanjiro's kind one! He couldn't have liked our family! He was lying on top of Rokuta like he was protecting him, and his hands and mouth weren't covered in blood.
Suddenly Tanjiro makes his body grow.
Nezuko: How are you getting bigger?!
Tanjiro continues to growl.
And he's getting stronger too! While I was sleeping like a baby at Saburo's, you were all being brutally murdered! It must have hurt. You suffered didn't you? I'm sorry I wasn't to help. I have to at least save Tanjiro, though! But she's too strong for me to do anything!
Nezuko: Tanjiro! Hang on, Tanjiro! Don't give in! You gotta hang on!
Running can be heard in the distance.
Nezuko: Don't let it take control! You gotta stay strong! Just hang on! Please!
Nezuko is surprised to feel teardrops on her face. Tanjiro was crying. He was weeping.
Suddenly Tanjiro hears a noise behind him. He moves Nezuko. The swords person is surprised at this and ends up slicing Tanjiro's hair.
Nezuko and Tanjiro roll away until Nezuko's back hits a tree. Her legs are around Tanjiro's waist and her left arm is on his head. Tanjiro shrinks to his normal height.
What the... Who's that?
Tanjiro looks up and sees a woman with long black hair pulled into a braid. She had blue empty eyes and was wearing an special uniform. Nezuko gasps while holding Tanjiro close to her.
A sword.
Sword lady: Why are you protecting it?
Nezuko: He's my brother! I was taking him to get help!
Tanjiro snarls while the sword lady looks at her unfazed.
Tanjiro tried leaving her embrace, but Nezuko held him.
Sword lady: You call that thing your brother?
The woman charges at the two. Nezuko puts her body down, only to realize she's not holding Tanjiro anymore. He looks up and see's the woman holding him.
Nezuko: Tanjiro!
Sword lady: Don't move!
Nezuko stands still as Tanjiro continues to snarl.
Sword lady: My job is to slay every demon I find, which means I have to decapitate your brother here.
Nezuko: No, wait! Tanjiro hasn't hurt anyone! Back at my house, there was feeling I'd never felt before! That's probably the one who killed my family! Tanjiro didn't do it! I don't why he's changed into something like this, but still-
Sword lady: It's really quite simple. He's turned because her wounds were exposed to demon blood. That's how the man-eating monsters multiply.
Nezuko: Tanjiro would never eat a human!
Sword lady: You must be joking. If I hadn't gotten here when I did, he would've devoured you.
Nezuko: You're wrong! He would never hurt me! He knows I'm his younger sister! And I won't let him hurt anyone! I'll turn him back into a human! I will heal him!
Swords lady: He can't be healed. Once you become a demon, no one can ever be turned back.
Nezuko: There's a way, and I'll find it no matter what it takes, so please let her live! I'll hunt down the one who slaughtered my family! I promise I'll make everything right! Please! Just let him go!
The lady points her sword towards Tanjiro's neck.
Nezuko: Please don't do this!
Nezuko kneels down and starts begging.
Nezuko: I'm begging you. Please... don't kill my older brother. Please don't do it! I'm begging you.
The swordswoman sputters and finals speaks again.
Swordswoman: DON'T GROVEL LIKE THAT AND GIVE YOUR ENEMIES THE CHANCE TO KILL YOU! All you're doing is making yourself vulnerable! If it were even a little bit effective, your family would still be alive right now! How can a weakling like you have any hope of finding a way to heal her brother or hunt down a demon?! Don't be ridiculous! The weak have no rights. They don't get to make choices! All they can do is be relentlessly crushed by the strong! Now maybe the demons know a way to cure your brother. Maybe! But don't think for even a moment that anyone of them is going to respect your wishes, just like I have no respect for you! That's reality.
Nezuko stares at her blankly. She eventually starts crying.
Don't cry, the swordswoman thinks. Don't succumb to sorrow. This isn't the time to despair. I know you're devastated right now. Your family massacred. Your brother a demon. I know it hurts. I know you want to scream. I understand. If only I'd gotten here half a day sooner, maybe then, your family would still be alive. However, there's no way to turn back time, so feel it. Feel the pure rage of being unable to forgive. Let it be what gives you the strength to take action. With that fragile resolve of yours, you can't protect your brother or heal him, and you'll never get revenge for what happened to your family!
Nezuko: No!
Tanjiro growls loudly. The swordswoman stabs her arm.
Nezuko: DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!
Nezuko throws a pebble at her. The swordswoman uses her sword to dodge it.
Nezuko runs to her axe and picks it up as Tanjiro growls. Nezuko runs up to her with more pebbles. She throws one at the swordswoman who dodged it. She then swung her arms back.
You let your emotion drive you to charge at me.
Swordswoman: You are a fool!
The swordswoman knocks Nezuko out. By hitting the safe end of the sword into Nezuko's back.
Tanjiro looks at this surprised.
Huh? What happened to the hatchet?
The swordswoman looks up and sees the axe swinging towards her. She dodges just in time.
Right before she went behind that tree... she threw the rock, and at the same time, she tossed the hatchet. She was only pretending to attack me so I wouldn't realize she was unarmed. She knew she had no way of beating me. Her whole plan was to bring me down after I'd knock her out. This kid...
Tanjiro growls at this. He brakes loose of the swordswoman's grip and kicks her. He then dives towards Nezuko.
Damn it! He'll kill her!
The swordswoman gasps as Tanjiro, instead of killing Nezuko, stands in front of her, protecting her, from the swordswoman.
Tanjiro charges at her. The swordswoman puts her sword away.
I wonder if... just maybe... these two are different.
The swordswoman chops the back of Tanjiro's ear, knocking him out.
To be continued...
読んでくれてありがとう! 💛