"Gah!" Yahaba exclaims, being beheaded.
"Ugh!" Nezuko huffs, 'I did it. The Whirlpool loses force when it's not under water. But thanks to my opponents attacks, it gained power, and I was able to use the arrows to my advantage.'
Yahaba's head lands on the ground.
"Ah..! Curse you! Curse you! Curse you! All I had to do was bring back your head, and I would've won His approval. I'll never forgive you! I'll never forgive you! Shoving my face into this vile dirt! You're going down with me!" Yahaba shouts.
His slowly disintegrating hands send an attack towards Nezuko. Several arrows appeared on her body.
"Ah...!" Nezuko exclaims, 'He's going to get me!'
She is sent flying.
'I'm getting pulled by a force stronger than the arrows he hit me with. I have to unleash move after move to go on defensive, or my body is going to get crushed.' Nezuko thought.
"Fourth Form: Striking Tide!" Nezuko says, releasing the attack, she hits the ground instead of a tree.
Another arrow immediately throws her in the air again.
"Ah.. Ngh!" Nezuko groans, 'The pressure is bearing on my body, and I can't swing my sword. Unleash one. Unleash a move. Not here. Don't let yourself get beat! Second Form: Water Wheel!'
She stops in the air, but an arrow sends her plummeting towards the ground.
"Ahhh!" Nezuko yells, 'Waterfall Basin!'
The attacked she unleashed stopped her from hitting the ground, but she was taken back up immediately.
"Ah! Water Surface Slash! Drop Ripple Thrust Curve! Whirlpool!" Nezuko made consistent moves, 'I've never made this many consecutive moves before. It feels like my arms are being torn off!'
Yahaba's head starts to disintegrate.
"Nowhere near enough! More... Suffer more!" Yahaba screams.
Nezuko continues to be tossed in the air.
'How many more times? How many?! Don't think about it, Nezuko. Just keep unleashing moves. Keep throwing them out.' Nezuko thought.
"Not yet! It's still not enough!" Yahaba yells.
His head completely dissolves and Nezuko falls to the ground on her back.
"Gah..." Nezuko groans, lying on her side.
She catches her breath and sits up.
'Tanjiro... Miss Tamayo... Yushiro...' Nezuko tries to move, but her leg muscles are too sore to move properly.
'I have a broken rib and arm.' Nezuko thought blankly, noticing the pain.
Nezuko reaches for her sword with her good arm, but can't grab it.
'N-No good. I'm too exhausted to grip my sword. I have to get over there. There's one more demon.' Nezuko gets on her stomach and grips her sword's handle with her mouth.
She starts army crawling towards the others.
'I'll be there soon. I'll be there soon! So be safe, okay? Please... be safe.' Nezuko continues.
Somewhere on the property, Yushiro is facing Susamaru. She bounces the temari rapidly, causing dust to be kicked up around them.
"Hahahaha!" Susamaru laughs.
She starts throwing the temari at Yushiro, he dodges all of them.
"Ridiculous! It's child's play for me to evade a linear attack like this! Locating you is a breeze, as well!" Yushiro shouts.
He eventually disappears.
"Heh." Susamaru giggles, 'The same goes for you! No matter how well you might conceal yourself, I can see you as clear as day!'
She throws a temari straight for Yushiro's head.
"Ah..!" Yushiro gasps.
A figure leaps into the dust and headbutts the temari. Tanjiro. He then picked up that ball and threw it to Susamaru.
The dust clears up.
"Haha! What fun this is!" Susamaru exclaimed.
"Mh." Tanjiro hummed.
"Hey you! Don't be so rash since you're immortal!" Yushiro scolded.
Tanjiro sees his younger brother in Yushiro and stares at him.
"W-What's wrong?" Yushiro said, starting to get worried.
Tanjiro puts his hand on Yushiro's head and pats his head.
"Mhm!" Tanjiro happily mumbles.
"Here it comes!" Yushiro warns.
Susamaru throws a temari at Tanjiro's head, he headbutts it back to her.
"Mh!" Tanjiro growls.
"Hahahaha!" Susamaru cackles.
She continues to throw temari at Tanjiro, though he headbutts them and deflects them. Tanjiro didn't get a single bruise on his head, either.
"Ngh... Ngh... Ngh..." Tanjiro pants.
"Look at him... Lady Tamayo...?" Yushiro looks at Tamayo.
"Grrr!" Tanjiro growls.
He headbutts a ball back to Susamaru.
"Ah...!" Susamaru caught the ball.
"Ngh..." Susamaru groaned, 'You little brat! You brat! So, now you can headbutt my temari back at me?! So insolent!'
She drops the ball and kicks it to Tanjiro's head level. He headbutts it back to her. The two end up serving the ball back to eachother.
"Ngh... you damn brat!" Susamaru shouted.
"Ngh!" Tanjiro grunted.
"Unbelievable. Lady Tamayo, is this..." Yushiro asked her.
"I used a healing serum on him, nothing more. Made exclusively for demons." Tamayo answered.
"Grrrr!" Tanjiro headbutts the temari back to Susamaru.
"It doesn't make one physically stronger. What we're seeing is Tanjiro's raw power. Without devouring human blood, solely on his own. Tanjiro is gaining strength at a rapid rate." Tamayo pointed out.
"Ngh... Ngh...!" Tanjiro headbutts the ball at Susamaru's head.
She barely dodges the temari.
"Ah..." Susamaru muttered.
'However, his opponent is also formidable. If she were to go all out, Tanjiro wouldn't stand a chance. I have to do... something.' Tamayo thought, pulling up the sleeve of her kimono.
"Hahaha! You're an amusing little boy! This time, I'm going all out! I wonder how long you can hold up!?" Susamaru exclaimed.
"Mhm..." Tanjiro growled.
Tamayo walks in front of Tanjiro.
"Twelve Kizuki demon girl there..." Tamayo says.
"You're in my way! Step away, damn fugitive!" Susamaru scolds.
"Just tell me one thing. Are you aware of Jackson's true identity?" Tamayo asked.
"Ah...! What the hell did you say?!" Susamaru yelled.
"The man is nothing but a coward. He lives in constant fear of something." Tamayo says.
"Stop it! Damn you! Stop it!" Susamaru grasps her hair with two hands.
"Do you know why it is demons work alone? The reason why demons cannibalize each other? It's to prevent demons from banding together and attacking him. He manipulates demons to act this way. Demons like you." Tamayo explained.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut! There's no way He's that petty!" Susamaru exclaimed, pointing a finger at her.
"Ah..." Yushiro realized, 'Lady Tamayo's... casting a spell.'
Tamayo scratches her hand and a scent wafts from it.
"The power he wields is mind-blowing! There's no one stronger than Him! Not Lord Jackson. Ah..! He hates it when we call Him that!" Susamaru covers her mouth frighteningly.
"You've stuttered that name out loud, haven't you?" Tamayo says, "That will trigger the curse."
"Ah... Ahh!" Susamaru starts to hyperventilate.
'Magical Aroma of Daylight. It weakens its target's brain functions, rendering that person unable to lie or keep secrets. It's immensely potent, Lady Tamayo!' Yushiro thought.
"I do feel sorry for you... farewell." Tamayo muttered.
Susamaru runs away.
"Ahh! Ahhh! Please forgive me! Please forgive me! I'm begging you! Please forgive me! Please!" Susamaru begged.
Her body began to degrade.
"Ah... ahhh... ahhhh!" She screams
Arms burst from her mouth and upper body.
Susamaru happened to run in front of Nezuko while running, so she saw the whole scene.
"Ah...!" Nezuko exclaims, dropping her sword from her mouth.
"A-Ahh..." Yushiro gasps.
The arm coming from Susamaru's mouth crushes her head.
"Ahh!" Nezuko exclaims.
"Huh?!" Yushiro exclaims.
Susamaru's body was broken apart by the arms until it was just her arm and a single eye left on the ground in a pool of blood.
"Did she just die?" Nezuko asked, lying down on the ground.
"She will die momentarily. That's the curse. Her physical body will be destroyed by Jackson's cells still inside her body." Tamayo explained.
"Oh..." Nezuko sighed.
Tamayo the continued, "in general, battles between two demons is futile. It's pointless because they can't inflict fatal wounds on each other. Only sunlight and the Demon Slayer swords can do so. Jackson alone appears to be able to destroy demon cells."
Nezuko takes a breath in, but she is interrupted by Yushiro slamming a cloth on her face.
"Mhm!" Nezuko says, muffled.
"Don't go inhaling Lady Tamayo's spell! It's harmful to the human body! You got that?" Yushiro says.
Nezuko nods.
"Nezuko... she is not of the Twelve Kizuki. The Twelve Kizuki have numbers engraved on their eyeballs. This demon doesn't have one. Most likely, the other demon wasn't a member of the Twelve Kizuki, either. They're too weak." Tamayo said, pointing to Susamaru's eye.
"Huh? Too weak? At that level?" Nezuko asked, removing the cloth, knowing it was safe.
"If Lady Tamayo says so, there's no mistake. Still, who knew there were such stupid demons? She physically injured Lady Tamayo. She got what she deserved." Yushiro crossed his arms.
Tamayo bends down and picks up a blood sample from Susamaru's arm.
"I hope this blood with be instrumental in developing the healing serum. I'm going to take care of Tanjiro. Not only did I medicate him, but he also inhaled my spell inadvertently. I'm so sorry." Tamayo apologised, tucking the blood sample in her obi.
"Ah! Don't move a muscle! You're on your own now! I don't want to leave Lady Tamayo's side! Not even for a second!" Yushiro shouted at Nezuko.
Yushiro runs off with Tamayo into the basement in the clinic before the sun rises.
"Ma...ri..." Susamaru mumbles, hinting to her ball.
"Hm?" Nezuko hums.
"Mari... Mari..." She hints.
Nezuko ignores the pain in her arm from getting up and grabbed the temari. Nezuko lightly rolls it over to Susamaru's eye.
"Here's your mari." Nezuko smiles.
"Play with me. Play with me." She whispers.
'Your just like a little kid, even though you've killed scores of people.' Nezuko thought.
The sun rises and Susamaru's arm and eye disintegrated.
'You were deluded into thinking you were one of the Twelve Kizuki. Deceived... compelled to fight... and now, you were killed by Jackson's curse. There's no salvation. Even after you die, not even your bones with remain. Is this the price you pay for killing others?' Nezuko scoffs.
'Jackson... this is how that man treats even those who revere him! He's a true demon.' Nezuko kicked some dirt and walked into the clinic.
"Tamayo! Yushiro?" Nezuko calls, going down the basement stairs.
"Over here." Yushiro calls.
"Huh?" Nezuko follows his voice.
"Not that you need to come at all. But if you want to, then get down here." Yushiro said.
"Yushiro!" Tamayo frowned.
"I'm kidding!" Yushiro admitted.
"Hurry down, then, Nezuko." Tamayo says.
"Oh! Right!" Nezuko walks down the basement stairs.
"Ah... Tanjiro!" Nezuko opens her arms for a hug and Tanjiro goes in for one.
"I moved him to this basement, where the sunlight won't reach him, ahead of daylight." Tamayo said.
Tanjiro pulls away from Nezuko.
"Oh? Tanjiro?" Nezuko says.
Tanjiro hugs Tamayo.
"Ah.." Tamayo returned the hug.
"Ngh...! Why you! Step away from Lady Tamayo! That's so rude!" Yushiro scolded.
"Stop it, Yushiro. I don't mind it at all." Tamayo said.
"Yes ma'am!" Yushiro listens, 'You have such a kind heart, Lady Tamayo. You're too beautiful to believe!'
"Mhmm~!" Tanjiro hums.
He starts to pat Yushiro's head.
"Cut... that... out..." Yushiro growls, Tanjiro doesn't listen.
"Tanjiro has been acting like this since he awoke. Do you think he's all right?" Tamayo asked Nezuko, genuinely concerned.
"There's nothing to worry about. He's fine. He probably thinks you're someone in our family." Nezuko smiles.
Yushiro tried to remove Tanjiro's hand, but his grip was too strong.
"Cut it out!" Yushiro yelled.
"Family? But I thought the spell Tanjiro is under causes him to see humans as family. And Yushiro and I are demons." Tamayo asks.
"Cut it out!" Yushiro yells.
"I guess Tanjiro perceives you two as humans. That's why he tried to protect you." Nezuko says.
Tanjiro gives up trying to pat Yushiro's head, so he hugs Tamayo again.
"Ahh..." Tamayo says.
"At first, I didn't like the idea of Tanjiro being under a spell, but since it looks like he still has a will of his own, I'm glad that—" Nezuko looks up to see Tamayo teary-eyed.
"Ah! I-I'm so sorry!" Nezuko exclaims, "Tanjiro! Tanjiro! S-Step away from her! It's rude, all right?!"
"Thank you... Tanjiro... Thank you..." Tamayo returns Tanjiro's hug.
"Ah.." Yushiro remembers when Tamayo turned him into a demon
"Do you still wish to live? Do you wish to live on even if you're no longer human? If this goes on, you will likely succumb to your illness. However, losing your humanity will cause you pain and grief. Do you still wish to live?" Tamayo asked him kindly.
"Yushiro and I will leave this region." Tamayo said.
"Oh?" Nezuko says.
"We've gotten too close to Jackson. We must conceal our whereabouts soon or the risk will be too great. Not to mention, even if I've concealed my identity, when I interact with humans as a doctor, people sometimes see through my disguise as a demon. The young and elderly are particularly perceptive." Tamayo explains, "Nezuko..."
"Yes?" Nezuko asks.
"Would you like us to take Tanjiro with us?" Tamayo suggests.
"Wha...!" Yushiro shakes his head violently.
"Huh?" Nezuko gasps.
"I can't give you an absolute guarantee that he'll be safe, but I believe it will be less dangerous than taking him into battle." Tamayo says.
Tanjiro trots to Nezuko's side.
'That might be true. She's right. It would be better for Tanjiro to be in their care.' Nezuko thought.
Tanjiro takes Nezuko hand into his own.
"Ah... ahh..." Nezuko sighs.
She squeezes his hand in return.
"Miss Tamayo, I appreciate your concern. But... Tanjiro and I are staying together. We're not going to live apart from each other. Never again." Nezuko says.
"Very well, then. In that case, I wish you long-lasting good fortune in battle." Tamayo bows.
"All right. We'll be leaving after we erase all traces of ourselves. You two get going now!" Yushiro waves them off.
"Right! Bye Miss Tamayo, Yushiro, we wish you well! I hope we can write soon!" Nezuko says, bowing to the pair.
"Let's go, Tanjiro." Nezuko says.
Tanjiro goes rushing up the stairs.
"Don't go rushing off like that!" Nezuko exclaims playfully.
Nezuko follows after him.
"Nezuko!" Yushiro shouts.
"Huh?" Nezuko turns around.
"Your brother... he really is handsome." Yushiro admits.
"Oh. Haha!" Nezuko waves goodbye.
Nezuko is walking down the road with Tanjiro in his box.
Matsuemon swoops down and tells her, "South-southeast! South-southeast! South-southeast!"
"I heard you! I heard you! Give me a break!" Nezuko shouts at it.
"PLEASEE!!" A high-pitched male voice screams.
Nezuko and her crow silently turn to the boy, begging at another boy's knees.
"PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE MARRY ME! I COULD DIE AT ANY DAY, YOU KNOW! THATS WHY I WANT YOU TO MARRY ME! SO PLEASE! PLEASE, IM BEGGING YOU!" He screamed, bawling his eyes out.
Nezuko mutters, "What the hell?"