ıllıllı 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙠𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙤 ıllıllı
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The meeting call was random and rather abrupt when Y/N received word of it. She was to help oversee a trial. She didn't know many of the details, but she did know the name of the boy who's trial she'd be hearing. Kamado Tanjiro, who was traveling with... a demon.
So here she was, scrounging around her estate, searching for her mask. She never misplaced her mask. Ever.
It was stressing her the fuck out.
Her kakushi were supposed to come today, and settle in around the estate. They had added on to the back of it, doubling the size of the home completely. It wasn't like she had a small home to begin with— actually, it was rather the opposite of that. She had so many rooms, that she didn't even know where to put all of her things. Many of them were desolate, besides some dust in a corner or a stray leaf.
Today, she was supposed to focus on training. Any and every kind. As a child, Y/N played in the water-filled chasm that encircled her home, and dunked her head underwater to see how long she could hold her breath. She had done it nearly every day for years, until recently where she had to schedule her training days to alternate with tending to her nature.
So she trained in the chasm, and trained in the shade by simply hanging off of a tree limb. She also did that in her free time. But even in doing all of that, it wasn't much. So her panic when she couldn't find her mask was rather.. intense.
She stood on her engawa, dress in her uniform with leg cutouts and a drooping sleeve. Her typical haori was on, along with her naginata strapped on her back.
The trees were swaying peacefully, the air taking in a draw of morning freshness. The sky seemed to radiate a coat of bright, baby blue, looking much like it had been painted to look perfect. Birds tweeted and the brook bubbled, everything was in resonating tranquility.
"GRAHHH! WHERE DID I PUT IT?!" Her hands were mercilessly sabotaging her hair, making it unseemly and disastrous. It was quite the sight.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to remember. She was driving herself mad with all of the thinking.
Y/N ceased when she picked up on something. A small chitter, and the gentle sound of rustling grass. A normal person would have missed it. But when it came to this, she knew good and well what wasn't ordinary.
She turned her head to see two small squirrels, engaging with each other under the protective shade of the trees. She saw a flash of white and green.
And she was seething. She lightly treaded to the spot where the squirrels were, seeing them fiddle so happily with her mask. She quickly reached down, snatching it up. The squirrels, used to her but not her attitude, were taken aback, and scurried up the tree.
"Stupid varmints..."
She felt slightly guilty, but at the same time... it was her mask!
She looked down towards the cat mask, inspecting it thoroughly. She visibly shrunk back when she noticed the new crack in the bottom.
It was a priceless heirloom! And squirrels had damaged it! Was all of her cautiousness and safekeeping for all of those years for absolutely nothing?
She sighed, and she felt the sting of tears on the back of her throat. It went raw, and Y/N really wanted to just sit down and cry.
This wasn't supposed to be stressful at all. She was just supposed to gather her things and go to the meeting. That was it.
She let out a shaky breath and bit her lip, another habit of hers whenever she was stressed. But there was no time to cry. She had to get moving. She had a place to be, and people to pass judgement onto.
She put the mask on, and tied the rope in the back. She fastened it, and fastened it again.. and again.
Then, Y/N turned to the mountains, and then to the direction of the Ubuyashiki mansion. She took a deep breath, and secured herself for anything coming her way.
•••
There was a shit ton coming her way.
"Bummer. I heard he was a Demon Slayer with a demon in tow, so I was looking forward to seeing someone more... flamboyant," Uzui chided, sliding a glance at Y/N in the process, "but that's one drab-looking kid, huh?"
Himejima's beads rattled, and Kyojuro spoke up from her right. "And we're here for his trial! I see!"
"Wh-Who are these people—" The frightened boy on trial was completely cut off when the kakushi who was supposed to be tending to his binds slammed his face roughly into the gravel. It made Y/N wince.
He had burgundy hair, and it reminded her of her blood roses. His eyes were like the deepest hues of red you could see in a sunset, and he had a fire-like scar on his forehead. Y/N could sense the power on him right away. He wasn't suppressing it, but rather hadn't tapped into it, meaning he didn't even know that kind of strength was deep within him. She knew he was powerful.
"Don't even think about speaking, you moron! Just who do you think is standing before you as of right now? You're in the presence of the Hashira!" The air around the entire group was tense. Power radiated off of them in strong waves.
Y/N was in between the Flame Hashira and the Love Hashira, the latter being rather obvious when she was staring her down, a rosy blush tinting her cheeks. Kyojuro, too, stood a little bit closer to Y/N, and this did not go unnoticed by her. But she didn't complain, because he was like a natural heater.
"This is the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters! And you're about to be put on trial, Kamado Tanjiro." Shinobu replied sweetly, but Y/N could hear the slight twist of her voice, and how she drew out words such as trial and his name.
"Before we begin the trial, would you kindly explain to us the reason for your crime—"
"There's no need for a trial!" Kyojuro boomed, cutting of Shinobu.
"Protecting a demon is a clear and undeniable violation of our code! We're within our right to deal with him on our own! We'll just behead him with the demon, too!" His words sounded jovial, but they had a malevolent edge. He was suggesting killing him on our own accord. Y/N fought back the feeling of nausea.
Killing someone was rather different from killing a demon.
"In that case, I will gladly volunteer to behead him with great style. I'll show you the most flamboyant blood spray you've ever seen. I'm talking max flamboyance here." Uzui added, making Y/N's stomach lurch at the thought of the boy's head rolling on the ground.
"Ah, what a pitiful sight this boy is. This poor soul, I pity him for ever being born at all." Himejima's baritone voice nearly shook the life out of her.
The boy looked frantic, but Y/N decided to stay quiet as of now. His eyes were darting in different directions, and he seemed to be looking for something... or someone.
His sister. He's looking for his sister.
The absolute pity and terrible dread Y/N felt was so deep, she fought the urge to look away. How were they all so comfortably talking about killing him and the one he loves so casually in front of him? She felt dizzy thinking about it. He was just trying to protect, not do anything outrageous. Is it so wrong that he wanted to protect someone he loved?
"Hey you, what are you looking at? The Hashira are speaking. These are the most powerful and highest-ranking swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps." The kakushi ground out, obviously very displeased.
"Let's put him out of his misery."
"Right!"
"Let's do it flamboyantly."
"Nezuko... Nezuko? Where's my Nezuko? Zenitsu! Inosuke! Murata!" He was listing off names, and the dread Y/N once felt in her stomach seemed to deepen tenfold. She couldn't let this happen.
"Forget about all of that. What are we going to do with Tomioka? Seeing him here with us acting like nothing happened and with no restraints is giving me a headache. Based off of what Kocho has told us, he's just as guilty to breaking the rules as the boy. So? How will we deal with him?" The Serpent Pillar, Iguro Obanai said, pointing a finger in Tomioka's direction.
He was involved? Y/N didn't know that. And if she had a stomach to even feel the dread of the situation once more, it was long gone. She was beyond grateful for her mask, because she was 100% sure she was grimacing in everyone's direction. She tried to avoid the boy's scratched up face.
"Do you have anything to say, Tomioka?" Iguro spouted. Everyone looked in his general direction. Iguro didn't even use honorifics. How much did he look down on him?
This just kept getting worse.
"I think this is okay for right now. I mean, he did come along willingly. We will come up with a penalty for him later." She lowered her head, and looked straight at the Kamado.
"What I'm interested in hearing is this boys story. He reason behind him going on missions with a demon in tow... even as a slayer! I'd like to hear the explanation from the boy himself. Sadly, what he has done nevertheless goes against the Corps rules. You are aware of that, correct?" Kocho questioned.
Kamado looked terrified and beat. He was exhausted, Y/N could tell just by looking at him. He had several small wounds and a couple of mild injuries. It was a miracle he was even conscious. He exhaled rather warily.
"Kamado Tanjiro, why were you traveling with a demon when you are a Demon Slayer?" Shinobu asked innocently. Yet, no matter how innocent her voice made it seem, the boy felt nothing but anger from her.
"There's no need to ask!" Uzui stated, grasping the hilts of his blades.
"You can take your time. Just tell us why." She was beginning to become pushy, strands of her purple-tipped hair swaying in the wind.
"She's my— Sh-She's my younger—" he began to sputter and hack, his mouth awfully dry. Y/N took a step forward, but stopped when she saw Shinobu approaching him.
Shinobu continued to talk to Kamado. Y/N only heard bits and pieces.
You're thirsty...your jaw is injured...it contains a painkiller.
The boy looked up, directly at Shinobu, water dribbling down his chin as he began to speak.
"That demon is my sister. When I was away, my family was slaughtered by a demon. When I got home, they were all dead. My sister may be a demon, but she has never eaten a human, and never will. She'll never hurt humans, no matter what!" Y/N's chest tightened. He had no family except her. He was just protecting his sister. And if she really hasn't hurt a human, then why are they treating him so cruelly? Do they truly know everything about this situation?
"Spare us of your absurd ravings. If she's family, of course you're going to defend her. I can't trust a single word that you are saying. I, for one, don't believe you." Iguro said bluntly, his heterochromatic eyes glinting in the light. Y/N could only think of gemstones when she saw them.
"Ah, he's been possessed by a demon. Let us kill him and set his soul free." Y/N's whole entire world swayed. Her head became light and her body didn't feel like her own.
Did they not just hear his story? Are they not going to give him any benefit of the doubt? Do none of these people have hope to spare?
As the Hashira continued talking, Y/N stared at the ground through her mask. She didn't want to be here anymore.
She felt a small tug on her haori, and looked to her right to be met with beautiful, wide lime-green eyes. It was the Love Hashira, and she looked at her with those big irises, all full of worry.
"Y/N-san— Ah! I meant Chikyuu-san, u-uh are you alright?" She stuttered. Y/N found her act of concern quite cute.
"Yes, Kanroji-san, I am alright. And please, call me Y/N." Kanroji's cheeks erupted into bright red shades of blush, and Y/N was sure she had never seen something as deep a shade as it.
Ah! Y/N is so sweet! Her voice is so nice and it makes me feel so cozy and warm!
"O-oh, really? Then you call me Mitsuri! It's only fair!" She said, a huge smile crossing her face as she put her palms flat on her cheeks, trying, and failing, to quell the redness. Suddenly, the situation in front of her caught her attention, causing her to draw up her brow in concern, and lower her hands.
"Excuse me... but I don't think that the Master is aware of this. Should we really deal with him on our own?" Mitsuri asked, and Y/N saw a chance to slip in her opinion.
"I agree. We need to wait for Master, I'm sure he knows more than we of this situation." Her words were firm, yet still seemed fluid.
"Hm, maybe you're right, Y/N-san!" Kyojuro spoke up from beside her, giving her a smile.
I was able to change his opinion that fast?
The Kamado boy looked absolutely frantic once Y/N finally turned to face him. His eyes darted from Hashira to Hashira.
"My sister, no matter what, will fight alongside me! She can fight as a Demon Slayer and protect humans!" His voice broke, and as it did, Y/N's heart broke a little more. Though she wouldn't let anyone see that.
"Well well. I see there's some fun brewing up in here. Is this the stupid Corps member who brought a demon along with him? What the hell are you tryna pull here?"
The Wind Hashira has arrived.
Y/N flinched at the sound of his voice, remembering when they first met, and the hard stares and rude comments that were spat at her. They had burned. And now, the scar-littered spawn of hell itself was standing in front of them, holding a box fashioned from wood and metalwork.
There's a demon in that box. No doubt a female...
It's his sister.
Y/N stood there. She just stood there and watched. She watched as he drove the sword in the box, and ripped it out with zero mercy. And again. And again.
How many times have I watched him do this? How many times is he going to inflict wounds on someone we can't even see? How many more grunts and sighs of pain do I need to hear before I do something I regret?
Everyone's words blurred and blended together, echoing through her head.
How are they all so calm? How are they not freaking out? She's a demon, yes, but what if he's telling the truth? What if?
What if.
What if.
What if.
"STOP! The Master will be arriving soon!"
She heard the crack of bone on bone, and looked up to see a bleeding Shinazugawa on the ground, next to Tanjiro.
It was silent, besides Mitsuri giggling, bashfully excusing herself.
"If you can't tell the difference between a good and bad demon, you shouldn't be a Hashira at all!" The Kamado boy seethed openly to Shinazugawa.
"You damn brat. I'll destroy you!"
"Stop!" Y/N couldn't stop her words.
"What you're doing is wrong. Not only are you going against Master's will, but doing it so crudely and mercilessly? What if he is telling the truth? What will you do then? Beg at his feet for forgiveness? I doubt that. You'll scrounge around for the rest of your days in guilt for bringing harm to an innocent being! You should be ashamed. Think of all of the variables before you become set on one and only route." She rhythmically tapped her fingers together in the silence that followed.
"You wannabe newbie Hashira, I'll kill you, too—"
"I'm afraid that will not happen Shinazugawa-san! I will not allow it!"
"The Master has arrived."
And with that, everyone went down on one knee. Including Y/N. She had learned from her previous experience quite well.
"Good morning, everyone. The weather is strikingly nice today. Perhaps with a blue sky? It pleases me to say that we have made it to our semiannual Hashira meeting, with no personnel changes, besides adding to our highest ranks." His voice was melodic and smooth, and put Y/N's troubles and worries at ease in a mere instant.
Shinazugawa shoved Kamado's face into the ground.
"I am pleased to see you in good health as well, Master. I fervently pray for your continued good fortune." He said smoothly, as if he hadn't just stabbed a child and buried another's face into sharp rocks.
"Thank you, Sanemi." He replied.
"Master, if you didn't mind before we started, could you enlighten us about this swordsman, Kamado Tanjiro, who is traveling with a demon?" His words came soft, but everyone knew they had a meaning behind them.
"Yes, right. I'm sorry for surprising you all. About Tanjiro and Nezuko, I've sanctioned their situation. An I would like you all to agree with it." He kindly requested. Y/N felt relief seep into her bones like never before.
"Ah, even if it is your will, Master, I will not accept this." Himejima spoke.
"I, too, must firmly oppose!" Tengen added.
"I shall do whatever it is you wish, Oyakata-sama!" Mitsuri said swooningly.
"I'm fine either way...since I'm going to forget about it anyways." The Mist Hashira levied.
"I won't trust them. I won't trust them. In the first place, I loathe demons." Iguro grunted.
"Although I respect you with all my heart, that is an incomprehensible notion, Master! I oppose it with everything I've got!" Kyojuro exclaimed.
"If what we are hearing is true, I am not opposed. My loyalties lie with protecting those in need and helping the Corps." Y/N acknowledged.
"The entire Demon Slayer Corps mission is to completely annihilate demons. I request you punish both Kamado and Tomioka." Sanemi advised.
The favors were not in the boy's hand. The scale was tipping in the opposite direction. At this rate, he was likely to get his head cut off willingly by many of the people in front of him.
"Alright, then. The letter." The Master spoke softly.
There was a letter written by the former Water Hashira that Nezuko, the demon sister, was harmless and had never consumed a human in the two years she had come to be a blood-thirsting fright. In the letter, it also detailed that he, along with Kamado and Tomioka, would all commit seppuku, if she were to ever eat human flesh.
Tanjiro began to cry openly, and Y/N felt the familiar burn of tears at the back of her throat, scratching their way out. But she fought them and buried them deep, deep down in her heart. She would not cry.
"So what if the commit seppuku? If they want to die, they can rot for all I care! A damn letter doesn't guarantee anything!"
"Shinazugawa is correct! If she kills and eats a human, it is irreversible! The dead don't come back!"
It was silent for a moment after the counter argument was made.
"You do, indeed, have a point. But we can't prove nor unprove it. He truth is Nezuko has refrained from eating for over two years, and that there are three people staking their lives on her. Those who reject it must come up with a more convincing argument. Do you all intend to do so? There is also another piece of information that I would want to relay to you, my children. Tanjiro here has crossed paths with Kibutsuji Muzan."
It was dead silent, like those still couple of minutes in the night where everything is asleep. No one moved. No one breathed. And no one dared to talk. All eyes were on Kamado.
"That's impossible!"
"Not even a Hashira has!"
"Kibut...suji..?"
"You mean this kid," Uzui knocked over Mitsuri, who toppled into Y/N in the process, "what did he look like? What were his abilities?! Where was he?"
"Did you battle him?"
"What was Kibutsuji doing? Do you find his lair?"
"Hey, answer me!"
"You shut up, I asked him first!"
"First, tell us of his abilities!"
Oyakata-sama raised a finger to his lips, and everyone straightened and went back to their original positions before harassing Kamado with questions.
"Kibutsuji has sent pursuers after Tanjiro. And while they may just be to silence him, Kibutsuji has shown his tail, and we need to grab it and not let go. I also believe that something is happening to Nezuko that Kibutsuji never saw coming. Can you try to understand?" Y/N dusted off the dirt from the gravel on her clothes, looking at all of the Hashira's faces. She couldn't discern a single one. There were so many emotions under every one, it was hard to see a single protruding string of anger, shock, detestment, or anxiety.
"No, I do not understand this at all, Master. If she were a human, it would be okay for her to live, but she's a demon! This isn't fair after all of the battles and people we have lost to them! Its plain unacceptable!" Sanemi spouted. He then proceeded to unsheathe his blade, and cut a deep gash into his arm. Y/N gasped, taken aback due to the blood now pouring out aimlessly all over the pristine ground.
"Master, I will prove it to you. The sheer ugliness of this demon!" The sound of his blood hitting the white pebbles on the ground was gut-wrenching. He snatched up the box, and it tumbled to the ground. He placed his foot on top of it, his blood now pooling on the door of the box.
No matter what anyone thought, this was purely cruel and outright terrible. Y/N but back her words as she watched the scene in front of her. Shinazugawa was stronger than her, no doubt. But she had never seen his fighting style before. So if they were to get into a heated spar, which is what it would most likely lead to, she would have no clue what was coming.
"Come on out, you filthy demon. It's time to eat. Sink your teeth into this! No need to hold back. Just show us your true colors and I'll obliterate you right here!" He snarled.
"NEZUKO!" Kamado yelled, belly on the ground. He was fighting to get up, and the struggle on his face was apparent in more ways than one.
"Shinazugawa, it's smarter to not do this in the light. We have to go into the shade, or the demon won't show her face." Iguro suggested blandly.
"Master, please forgive this discourtesy." And with that, Shinazugawa was on Oyakata-Samar's engawa, and in his estate. This made Y/N audibly grunt, and she took a step forward. She was planning to take another, but Kyojuro out his arm out in front, as if warning her not to take another step.
The Wind Hashira roughly threw the box onto the floor, and stabbed his katana through it once more. A painful growl of pain could be heard from the outside, it sounded like a whimper, or a plea for help. For protection.
"STOP IT!" And in an instant, Iguro had his elbow in between the Kamado boy's shoulder blades, pressing deeply into his spine. He groaned in pain, wriggling under the pressure.
Shinazugawa kept stabbing the box, over and over and over. Every time a scream of pain was heard, and the panicked breaths from Kamado got faster and shallower. Y/N felt powerless. She couldn't do anything. Kyojuro would surely stop her if she tried to step forward. She clenched her hands in anger.
Can't they see this is wrong? What is wrong with these people? Where is their hope?
"Come on out you filthy demon, come and get this human blood that you so dearly love!" He dislodged his sword, and used the top of the blade to flick open the box. A girl, who's stature looked no older than the age of 13, arose from the box. She had wavy brown hair with orange tips, and striking pink eyes that looked like pink roses. Drool was dripping from her muzzle, and she looked utterly strained. But she was refraining. Y/N had faith.
"What's the matter, demon? Go on. You know you want it." He dimly remarked, his arm seeping crimson.
Kamado was still writhing on the ground. Iguro tightened his hold.
"Iguro-san, you're being a bit to rough. Won't you loosen your hold?" Shinobu requested, concern lacing her features.
"I'm only pressing down this hard because he's trying to break free." He remarked, enthralled by the boy for being so passionate about evading him.
"Kamado-kun, if you use any breathing techniques while your lungs are being squeezed, your veins will burst—"
"His veins will burst! I like that! It sounds flamboyant! Come on, burst 'em!" Uzui butted in.
Y/N didn't want to listen to their outright unconcerned nature of the situation. She could only thing about how Nezuko was drawing blood from her own palm in attempt to deter the desire of eating Shinazugawa's blood. Y/N wanted to leave. She wanted to go home and never come back. Was this how they treated all of their members? No faith and no hope?
Y/N focused on Nezuko. She watched painfully until she turned her head, denying her animalistic desires. Only then did Y/N breathe. She had been holding her breath the entire time without even knowing it.
"What just happened?" The Master asked, sensing a change in the atmosphere.
One of the twins that guided him answered, "The demon girl has turned away in disgust, even after being stabbed 3 times by Shinazugawa, and despite him flailing his bloody arm in her face. She restrained herself and did not bite."
"So, now, it has been proven, that Nezuko will not eat humans."
•••
Hello everyone! I just wanted to say thank you for 150 reads! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it's really just a super long filler. Love y'all!
-Ray
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