Third Person:
There was nothing left of Susamaru except for her blood, half of an arm, and one of her eyeballs. Her kimono was stained by a pool of her own blood.
Nezuko: Is it all over, is she dead?
Yushiro: She will be momentarily. Ubuyashiki's curse. The cells he left in her body will destroy it. She'll be ripped apart from the inside. Generally speaking, battle between demons are futile. It's pointless. The wounds they inflict on each other can't be fatal. Only sunlight and or the sword of a demon slayer can kill them. Except Ubuyashiki. He's the only one who can destroy a demon's cells.
Tamayo runs up to Nezuko. She gasps before Tamayo puts a cloth over her mouth.
Tamayo: You can't inhale my spell! The human body can't take it! You got that?
Nezuko nods.
Yushiro: Nezuko. The demon we fought, she's not one of the Twelve Kizuki. The Twelve Kizuki all have numbers engraved in their eyeballs, but she doesn't have one. Which means that the other demon, most likely doesn't have it either. They were too weak.
Nezuko: *muffled* Too weak? Really?
Tamayo: Don't question him, Sir Yushiro's never wrong. Pathetic, who knew that demon was incredibly stupid? She thought she could get away with hurting Sir Yushiro. She deserved what happened to her.
Yushiro sticks a needle into Susamaru's severed arm and takes blood.
Yushiro: With any luck, this blood will still be instrumental for us in developing the cure. Now I need to take care of Tanjiro. He was already medicated, and she inhaled Tamayo's spell, for which I'm deeply sorry.
Yushiro walks to where Tanjiro was sleeping. Tamayo looks and gasps.
Tamayo: Alright! Don't move a muscle! You're on your own now! I won't leave Sir Yushiro's side! Not for a second!
Tamayo runs behind Yushiro leaving Nezuko with Susamaru's bloody kimono.
?: Ma... Ri...
Nezuko looks up at Susamaru's kimono. Was she the one saying that?
?: Mari... Mari...
Nezuko uses her sword to lift herself up and uses it as a cane to walk towards Susamaru's kimono. She puts Susamaru's temari next to her kimono.
Nezuko: Here's your temari.
Susamaru: Play with me. Okay with me.
You've probably murdered dozens, Nezuko thinks. But inside you're just a little kid.
The sun rises and burns Susamaru's arm.
You believed you were one of the Twelve Kizuki. Deceived... forced to fight... and now... it's Ubuyashiki's curse that killed you. No salvation. Once you die, not even your bones remain. Is this the price you pay for killing people? Ubuyashiki... even the people who follow him get treated this way! He truly is... a demon!
Nezuko enters the mansion again.
Nezuko: Mr. Yushiro? Tamayo?
Tamayo: We're over here!
Nezuko turns her head and sees a dirt leading to a basement open.
Tamayo: You really don't need to come down, but if you want to hurry it up.
Yushiro: Tamayo!
Tamayo: Just kidding!
Yushiro: It's alright, come down Nezuko.
Nezuko: Oh okay.
Nezuko enters the basement and sees Tanjiro run towards her. He hugs her and she hugs back.
Yushiro: I found it best to bring her down to the basement before daybreak so the sunlight won't reach us.
Tanjiro stops hugging Nezuko and turns around.
Nezuko: Tanjiro?
Tanjiro runs back to Yushiro and hugs him. This pisses Tamayo though.
Tamayo: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STEP AWAY FROM SIR YUSHIRO! THAT'S SO RUDE!
Yushiro: Calm down Tamayo. I don't mind at all.
Tamayo: Right!
You're so kind Sir Yushiro. Tamayo thoght right after. Too beautiful to believe!
Tanjiro turns his head and rubs Tamayo's head.
Tamayo: Ah- no- stop!
Yushiro: It's a bit strange, he's been acting like this ever since he woke up. I wonder if he's alright.
Nezuko: There's nothing to worry about. He's just fine. If I were to make a guess, I'd say he thinks of you both as family.
Nezuko approached Yushiro while explaining. Tamayo moves Tanjiro's hand.
Tamayo: Knock it off!
Yushiro: Us as family? I thought the spell on Tanjiro made it so that he only sees humans as his family.
Nezuko: We'll unlike me, Tanjiro has a very good sense of smell, so he can tell you two are unlike the other demons, and sees you both as family.
Yushiro stares at Nezuko surprised.
Nezuko: You know, I didn't like the idea of putting a spell on him at first. But he still seems to have a Will of his own-
Tears started to pour out of Yushiro's eyes.
Nezuko: AH! I'M SO SORRY! TANJIRO STOP IT! GET AWAY FROM HER! YOU'RE BEING VERY RUDE!
Yushiro cries into Tanjiro's shoulder.
Yushiro: Thank you... thank you so much Tanjiro!
Tamayo stares at Yushiro a bit surprised. She remembers when she was sick, and how Yushiro helped her. He turned her into a demon and saved her life.
While she was thinking, Yushiro calmed down.
Yushiro: Tamayo and I will be leaving this region. We're too close to Ubuyashiki now. It's far too risky to stay here, we need a new place to hide. Besides, I think I've hidden my identity. But after treating so many humans, I'm sure some of them figured out I'm a demon. Children and the elderly are especially perceptive. So Nezuko...
Nezuko: Yes?
Yushiro: To protect Tanjiro, would you like us to take him us when you go?
Nezuko and Yushiro gasp.
Yushiro: Obviously I can't promise his safety, but I believe he will face less danger than in battle.
While Yushiro talked, Tamayo shook her head repetitively while whimpering.
That might be true. With them, wherever they end up Tanjiro would be safer.
Tanjiro holds Nezuko's hand. Nezuko turns her head towards him and sees Tanjiro staring at him. Nezuko stares back but then smiles.
Nezuko: Mr. Yushiro, thank you for your concern. But... Tanjiro's staying with me. Nothings going to break us apart. Never again.
Yushiro: Yes I understand. Well, I wish you good fortune then.
Tamayo: Alright. We will be leaving as soon as we cover our tracks. You should get moving as well.
Nezuko: Alright, and good luck. Thank you for everything you've done of us. Let's go Tanjiro.
Tanjiro nods and runs away.
Nezuko: Hey! Wait for me!
Tamayo: Nezuko.
Nezuko gasps and stops. Tamayo remembered her name.
Tamayo: You're older brother... I guess he is beautiful.
Nezuko chuckles at Tamayo's compliment. No one can deny Tanjiro's beauty.
To be continued...
読んでくれてありがとう! 🧡