Tanjiro was resting his head on Y/N's shoulder, comfortably sitting on her strong back. His body was dirty and slightly beat up, yet he was still conscious. Y/N was walking slowly, not wanting to overstimulate Tanjiros systemic circulation. Tanjiro let out a sad sigh.
"I.. Was I to naive, Y/N? None of the demons I asked talked to me.. They all just.. They all just tried to kill and eat me."
Y/N's eyes where focused on the path before them, carefull not to trip. Her spear was now strapped onto Tanjiros back. The weapon was pretty light so it shouldn't be a problem at all. Thinking a little, the adeptus replied.
"That is not your fault, Tanjiro. Demons are vile and disgusting creatures, Nezuko excepted. I don't think they have enough self-control to even think about what you asked."
Y/N continued walking, muscular arms hooked under the back of Tanjiros knee in order to carry him properly. Her hair was bound into a ponytail so it wouldn't disturb the boy she was carrying in his rest. Tanjiro closed his eyes, nuzzling his head into Y/N's neck, breathing in. She smelled good. Like a flower. Y/N had once told him that where she was from, there where flowers called "Qingxin", which where her favorites. It was probably that one. The boy looked at the path ahead of them, his eyes and body heavy.
"Are you sure you can carry me all the way? I don't want to exhaust you Nee-san."
Y/N's lips formed a gentle smile as she shook her head.
"No worries. I am just fine. Your weight is nothing to me. I've lifted things that weigh 30 times your weight"
Tanjiro smiled. She was strong. Really strong. Perhaps, one day, he could become as strong as she was. After a few more hours passed, the two finally reached Sasagiri mountain once again. Night had already fallen as the two reached the hut Urokodaki resided in. With a loud 'PANG' the door flew off its hinges, landing on the ground as a short figure stepped out of the building. Y/N's and Tanjiro's eyes widened as they recognized the familiar figure. Y/N immediately placed Tanjiro down, taking her spear from his back. Tears welled up in Tanjiros eyes as he looked at the figure before him. It was Nezuko. She was awake. Relief washed over him as he ran over to her, Y/N slowly walking up to the siblings. She placed her spear on the ground and walked up to the two, now hugging, teenagers. Y/N gasped shakily as she knelt down, hugging both of the children in her strong arms. Nezuko calmly hugged the older woman and her brother. She might not have spend as much time with her as Tanjiro did, but Nezuko knew. Nezuko knew that this was the woman who had saved her life. The young girl looked at the golden-eyed woman, raising her hand to pat the womans head. Y/N's eyes went wide as she felt the young girl pat her head, her eyes turning glassy. She hadn't felt this in a long time. A sense of belonging. Y/N softly embraced the siblings, Tanjiro weeping bitterly.
"Oh Nezuko! Y-you're alive! I was so worried.. I.. I tried everything to wake you up.."
Y/N looked over Nezuko's shoulder. There stood Urokodaki, a pile of logs in his hand, which soon fell to the ground as he saw the two newcomers hugging Nezuko. The man rushed towards the three, kneeling down and joining their hug. Y/N gave him a soft, gentle smile. Urokodaki had rarely seen her smile like that and it made relief wash over him once again. They where back. They made it. And most importantly, they where safe. Y/N closed her eyes, enjoying the affection as Urokodaki spoke.
"I'm glad.. You have returned."
Y/N looked at him as she spoke up, voice filled with warmth and affection.
"Did you ever doubt that?"
Urokodaki smiled under his mask.
"Not once. I knew you could do it."
Hearing those words, Tanjiro started sobbing more violently, leading to Y/N softly caressing the back of his head. They sat like that for a while, embracing each other. A few minutes later, the four went back into the hut. Tanjiro was freshly dressed and bandaged, sitting on a bamboo mat, Y/N next to him. The girl was wearing a casual kimono, her dark locks falling down her back.
"I see. And then you defeated the demon.."
Tanjiro nodded, before looking at Y/N.
"Yes. Even tho I had help.."
Y/N shook her head.
"No. You would've made it without me. I just helped because I wanted too."
Urokodaki nodded.
"After all this time.. I'm glad you're back healthy. As you have noticed, there are different types of demons, some of which use bloody demon arts. Those are special abilities. In the future, you will be forced to fight such demons as well and defeating them will be far harder than anything you have experienced before. But I'm sure you'll overcome these obstacles together, Tanjiro. You, Nezuko and Y/N."
Tanjiro nodded.
"Thank you."
Y/N carefully listened to their conversation as she thought about Urokodaki's words. Bloody demon art? Special ability? She couldn't help but wonder what that meant. Nevertheless, she sould protect Tanjiro and Nezuko. She would eliminate any obstacle in their way. The girl looked at the maroon-haired boy next to her as he spoke up again.
"But.. I have a feeling that Nezuko is different from the other demons. Is that also because of those.. arts?"
Urokodaki shook his head.
"No. In her case, it's different. She has not mastered a bloody demon art. This is only an assumption so far, but instead of drawing her energy from eating people, she gets it by sleeping."
Tanjiro smiled gently, looking at Y/N. If that was the case, they would protect Nezuko, even if she was sleeping.
A few days had passed, 15 to be exact. Y/N was currently exercising infront of Urokodakis hut. The woman was doing push-ups, her younger brother figure sitting on her back, marveling at her strength.
"Wow! Y/N! That's the 500th push up! You're amazing!"
Y/N switched from two arms to one, smiling softly as she heard the boy speak.
"It's nothing."
The girls head turned when she heard the jingling of bells in some distance, gesturing for Tanjiro to get of her back. The two of them got up and Y/N looked towards the source of the noise. Tanjiro blinked in confusion as he saw a figure approaching. The person was tall and he couldn't quite see their face, due to the hat they where wearing. Y/Ns' face formed a frown. That hat.. It reminded her of someone she met once, back in her life in Teyvat. And she did not like that person at all. Shaking off those thoughts, Y/N looked at the strange figure, standing protectively infront of Tanjiro.
"And you are?"
The figure spoke up. Their voice was deep and masculine, making Y/N raise a brow.
"My name is Haganezuka. I forged Tanjiro Kamado's katana. I brought it with me."
Tanjiro softly pushed Y/N aside, bowing.
"That's me. I am Kamado Tanjiro. Please come in!"
Y/N's frown came back as the man completely ignored Tanjiros greeting and started talking again.
"This, is a nirichin blade. And I forged it."
Okay, no shit. He said that already. Y/N stood behind Tanjiro, looking down at the man sitting on the ground.
"The material this blade is made off, is harvested on the mountains that are the closest to the sun. You need crimson iron sand and crimson ore.This is the only way to obtain the steel that has the ability to absorb the sunlight."
Y/N's eye twitched, a vein appearing on her temple. The audacity that guy had.
"Excuse me. He was talking to you."
Y/N spoke up. The man turned around. Y/N was faced with a obscene mask, hiding the mans face. Still frowning, the young adeptus looked at the mask, glarring daggers at it. She could feel the stare the man was giving her from behind the mask.
Neither of them wanted to blink first, well, you couldn't see the mans face, but Y/N held "eyecontact". Soon, the figure spoke up.
"I see! Young Woman, your eyes. They are quite beautiful. Golden, like the rays of the sun. I'm sure you will become an amazing demon slayer! Maybe even a hashira! Or.. Are you even a demon slayer? Where is your katana? Why didn't they commission me to make a katana for such a wonderful woman?"
Y/N made an annoyed 'Tsk' sound. What even was a hashira? She would have to ask Urokodaki later. The figure looked past Y/N, now finally acknowledging Tanjiro.
"Hmm? And you! You are a child of the embers! That's a good omen."
Tanjiro gave a confused look. Y/N blinked, clearly annoyed. What a weirdo. He even outweirdoed the screaming scar guy she had met during Tanjiros training period.
"No! Uhm.. I'm just the son of Tanjuro and Kie!"
"That's not what I meant."
The figure pointed at Tanjiros hair.
"Your eyes and hair. They have a crimson hue. If such a child is born into a house working with fire, it is considered a good omen."
Y/N shrugged. That made sense.
"Maybe, because of that, your katana will become red! Aren't I right? Mister Urokodaki?"
Y/N let out a sigh. Shaking off her annoyance, she followed the others back into the house, sitting next to Urokodaki. She fiddled with her fingers inside her lap, watching as Haganezuka explained the katana to Tanjiro.
"Go on, pull it out! Nirichin blades are known for changing color. What color it will be depends on the wielder of the weapon."
Tanjiro grasped the sheath of the sword, slowly pulling out the weapon.
His eyes went wide as the Blade turned a greyish-black. Y/N, who had now put her hands on her thighs, watched the scene with mild interest.
"BLACK?!"
Haganezuka let out a breath, his words sounding disappointed. Urokodaki nodded, confirming what Haganezuka had said.
"It's black."
Y/N looked at the two men next to her. Was a black blade a bad thing? That exact moment, Tanjiro said what she had thought.
"Black? Is that a bad thing? What does it mean?"
Urokodaki looked at the adeptus sitting next to him and then started talking again.
"Not really.. It's more about something else. A black katana.. Let's say you don't see it often."
Y/N looked past Urokodaki, at the trembling Haganezuka. She was about to hit him as Haganezuko yelled out.
"And here I thought I'd get to see a nice crimson katana!"
The man lunged at Tanjiro, immediately beeing grabbed and pressed onto his stomache by Y/N, who held his arm onto his back and was sitting on his back. It all happened so fast, Haganezuka couldn't process what had just happened. Y/N looked down, an irk mark appearing on her forehead.
"Try that again and I'll make sure all you see is crimson."
Haganezuka looked up at her, eyes going wide under his mask. He couldn't help but be attracted to this merciless woman on top if him. Even if the situation he was currently in was, well, rather unpleasant for his body.
"Huh? How are you that fast? I thought you were old!"
Tanjiro exclaimed.
"I'm thirty-seven you brat! And tell your pretty friend to get off me!"
Y/N frowned.
"37 and you act like a child. Pathetic."
Y/N perked up as she heard the sounds of a crow approaching. Two of said birds, one that she recognized as the one assigned to her at the final selection, flew through the window, landing next to the four.
"Listen Kamado Tanjiro and Y/N Alatus! You two have a new mission! Set off for the city in the northwest. Girls have been going missing there lately.."
Tanjiro's crow croaked out. Y/N's crow nodded, jumping onto the woman's shoulder, affectionately nuzzling her head against the young woman's cheek.
"Night after night, one after the other disappears. Find the demon hiding there and kill him."
Y/N's crow finished. The golden-eyed adeptus looked at Tanjiro, nodding, a determined look in her eyes. Tanjiros crow spoke up again.
"Tanjiro Kamado and Y/N alatus, this would be your first assignment as demon slayers!"
Tanjiro locked eyes with Y/N.
"Our first mission.. Let's do this Y/N!"
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Taisho Secrets:
- Haganezuka secretly liked the way Y/N was holding him down.
- Urokodaki was worried about Tanjiro and Y/N day and night.
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A/N:
New chapter! For record, I always watch the episodes while writing the chapters. Thats why it takes so long 🤞
Anyways. Longer chapter again! Hope you enjoyed<3