"𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋, 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐃. 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋. 𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄,
𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔, 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔."
ೃ⁀➷
nezuko didn't have the brightest clue on what exactly happened the night almost everything in her life had been taken away. what she could thoroughly recall that had impacted her the most when mentioning about the incident was simply how her entire family was wiped out in a single scratch of atrociously long, and filthy nails.
those foul nails that had reached out for their foreheads and seemed to be inserting something she couldn't recognise as what, in a disgustingly large and unbearable amount. the more she tried to think, the more she feels that was the major cause for their deaths in the first place.
an exceeding and harmful amount of something that seemed fatal to begin with, had been forcefully inserted into their bodies in hopes of something that the culprit wishes to happen. the following question being, what did the culprit want to happen― and why their family exactly?
why bother travel with exceptional effort and time that could've been used for something else, to a small and barely noticeable home far in the peak of a tall and cold mountain? surely there was a reasoning behind it and clearly, a set motive as well.
but nezuko couldn't focus on figuring all of that during her supposedly final moments. she thought and she knew that she was dying, but while she had easily embraced and accepted that fact of reality― she felt slightly guilty.
with all of them gone, tanjiro would've been left all alone. they were each other's family, and there never have been another one of them to replace each other. her brother would have nobody by his side. he would grow and age without anyone to witness the prime of his golden life― and die without having anyone to hold his hand and cry for him.
what would happen to him after this? would he be hunted down as well, and witness the same fate they went through? surely he won't, he is the strongest among all of them after all. but she couldn't exactly support the idea of him surviving all by himself.
not after what she'd heard from the conversation the two men were having. it was the only thing she could make out from the short and direct talk they had, but she heard it loud and clear. in fact, too loud and clear that she almost shivered from their tone of talking alone.
"i've come out here, to the peak of a mountain, to a house of humans barely capable of handling a single drop of my blood and i have been met with not a single outcome. it seems i've been more naive than i thought with this visit in the first place, haven't i?" the man with more clothing irritatingly spat, frustration having engulfed his tone as he stares down the dead bodies of her family.
the man that seemed to have been taller than him shakes his head, slightly lowering his head as he spoke, "not at all, my lord. i have been the one mistaking this plan for a fruitful one, and i have shamelessly lead you to it as well. i am the one in the wrong here,
not you, it has never been you."
the response has caused the man being addressed as "lord" to turn towards him, lips having curved slightly upwards. it slowly turns into a look of amusement, as he closes the distance between them to look into the taller's eyes.
so bright, yet so dull, the man thinks.
so beautiful.
"how humble of you. in front of these weak humans as well? i didn't take you as one of generosity, m/n."
m/n. what a peculiar name, nezuko thinks. m/n looks at the man with an indifferent expression, "they have no more life in them. it's only in front of you, muzan-sama."
there was a moment of utter silence before muzan-sama, as he was called, turns with a repulsed look towards the dead bodies that laid at their feet. the thick scent of weak human blood that disgustingly mixes with his, he despises the stench of them. the fact that he'd come down himself, with hopes of seeking one considerable enough for him to at least use once; yet, all he gets is the gross realisation of himself being foolish enough to even believe in humans in the first place― it feels repulsive.
their weakness and fragility has him in complete denial that this was what he used to be before he arose to the glory he is at present.
"enough of this. the air is burdening. we'll make our leave now." he scoffed and turned to leave the estate first, with m/n left behind to follow.
m/n gazed around the house for the last time, from the bloodied corners to the bloodied corpses. he makes no expression and walked out of the house, following the man he addresses as lord.
he is then met with a look of disappointment.
"perhaps i've been dreaming too much— i forgot how disappointing reality is."
m/n couldn't truly understand, but he only lowered his head as a sign of remorse. he interprets it as him leading his lord to having too high of hopes, and being let down after.
"i assure you i will do better for you, my lord."
"i know you will. you were made for that, weren't you? or is the whole point of your existence is to bark under my command and get nothing after?" muzan nears him and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"or will you strive? strive to serve your powerful lord and be the reason to his glory?" he says with a low voice, almost sounding like a whisper as he matches his gaze with those of m/n. should it sound like a threat, only ones of fragility would hear.
"yes, i will. i will be the best for you, so that you will be the best above me, and everything else. with nothing in your way."
muzan lifts a side of his lips, pleased with the response. he knows m/n will make his words. that's what he is made for.
"i know. let us make our leave now." he walked ahead, not waiting for m/n to catch up. a single more second breathing the cold air, combined with a dreaded scent of human blood could make him feel as if he's gone weaker.
as he walked ahead to leave, he expects m/n to follow behind as he always did. yet, he couldn't sense any movement from the male, causing him to stop and look behind.
"m/n? what are you-"
he only ceased himself from talking to be at least a little taken aback by what played in front of him. his expectedly dominant uppermoon zero lowered to the ground with a dying human clinging onto him like a lifeless dog.
it was a droll sight that almost made kibutsuji muzan generously snicker.
m/n only stared at the scratch that drew little drops of his blood on his arm. it didn't feel a thing, nor does the weight of the hand clutching his arm at the moment. his gaze then moved to the girl, that seemed to be mumbling something, only for it to come out incoherently.
nezuko didn't realise her sudden movement, and she doesn't know where the courage came to latch onto a complete stranger related to the person who just killed her family and soon, her as well. but she felt as if it was a need. she was just going to grab his shirt, but perhaps her being a step closer to death made her unable to control her strength.
she said as loud as she could, even if it came out as an inaudible mumble. she tried her best to warn the male, and she hoped he heard her.
he didn't.
"entertaining. you're still breathing after i inserted my blood into you continuously?" the voice of that man made nezuko shiver as her body shook, sensing him nearing her weak body.
"let's see if you can handle just a bit more." he ends the sentence with a chuckle, shoving his nail into her forehead. nezuko failed to suppress the pained scream that escaped from her throat, suddenly feeling dizziness flooding her head. the same feeling she felt when he first forced his blood into her returned, in a form worst than she could ever imagine.
her eyes blinked slowly, and before she could do anything, darkness was all that she saw.
that man is dangerous.
was what she wanted to say.
ubuyashiki could only hold back a tear.
"poor you, my dear nezuko." he whispered as he looked at her pitifully. there was nothing else he could say that could possibly make the girl feel any better, even if that's probably what she needed the most.
seeing her condition, she clearly had no one to ask her whether she was doing fine. it was always whether others were doing fine when she was around, as she is a demon— an enemy. it was always like that; a demon being considered the enemy and humans, the hero. even if it were the cruelest human.
what if it'd been the purest demon, then? the obvious answer would be they won't be a demon in the first place.
would they?
his eyes widened swiftly. he then straightened his form, as he looks as if he finally found the answer he'd been looking for. he calls for his daughters, and they arrived instantly, immediately bowing before his form.
"i've made my decision," he says as he turned to them with a look of determination and genuine hope.
"assign the flame pillar—
to the mugen train case."