Both (Y/N) and Tanjiro had successfully survived their time in the Final Selection. Now, as the sun peaks through trees, they race to the top. Hardly seeing anyone else, (Y/N) wonders if they're late.
"Hey, we're almost there. We better hurry!" Tanjiro said, picking up the pace. The (H/C) haired girl nodded in agreement, catching up with him.
As they reached the edge of the Wisteria, they slowed their pace, seeing three other people before them.
How odd... (Y/N) thought to herself.
The Wisteria surrounding the place caught her eye, as it somewhat glistened. She reached up to touch it, gently caressing it between her fingers.
A crow could be heard overhead, which surprised her. She stretched her arms towards the crow, and it perched itself on her forearm.
She hadn't been paying attention for a while, and had to guess what some of the instructions were. Eventually, the (H/C) haired girl paid attention, only when she was being dismissed.
* * *
Now a part of the Demon Slayer Corps, (Y/N) follows her crow, which she named, (C/N), towards her first mission. Dressed in a (U/C) uniform, and cloak, she walked along the dirt path.
"Hey, (L/N)-san!" Tanjiro called out to her.
(Y/N) stopped in her tracks, turning around to face him.
"It looks like we're headed the same way!" The boy continued.
The (H/C) haired girl gave a small nod in agreement, as he stood a few feet in front of her.
(Y/N) sensed something up ahead, but it was too far away to properly see. It caught Tanjiro's attention.
"Something wrong?" He questioned.
"No," The girl replied blankly. "There's just a couple people up ahead."
She didn't mention that there might be a problem, for the Demon Slayer was more concerned about the task at hand.
The (H/C) haired girl squinted her eyes, trying to get a better view of the people ahead.
* * *
This is gonna be a long day... She internally sighed.
"Stop that! She's clearly not interested in you!" Tanjiro protested, trying to reason with the blond boy.
The girl repeatedly slapped the blond boy, and Tanjiro was taken aback.
The (H/C) haired Demon Slayer was off to the side, not taking part in the solution.
In her mind, it was an obstacle that would slow her down the longer she stayed in that space.
Tanjiro held the girl back, as she attempted to lash out at the blond boy, who cried out in pain. A red hand mark on his face.
This is giving me a headache... (Y/N) thought to herself. But something caught her eye...
She noticed that the boy had a sword. Along with a uniform somewhat similar to Tanjiro's.
It caused her to be slightly suspicious, since she hadn't seen him during the Final Selection. Or maybe didn't remember him.
She decided to approach him, only wanting to see for herself. The (H/C) haired girl didn't know for sure, but it piqued her curiosity.
"Hey, are you a Demon Slayer?" She questioned, taking a seat next to him.
He wiped his tears and said, "Y-Yeah. I saw you during the Final Selection. You don't remember?"
She paused. Maybe she did remember him...
The (H/C) haired girl thought for a moment, then replied, "No. Nothing comes to mind."
The boy stared at her blankly and asked, "You seriously don't remember?"
The girl shook her head and said, "To be fair, I wasn't really paying attention."
The boy sighed and changed the subject asking, "So, where's your mission?"
(Y/N) replied, "I'm not sure. My crow only told me to go certain directions."
"You should tag along with us!" Tanjiro said, taking a seat next to him.
"That reminds me. I'm (Y/N) (L/N)." The (H/C) haired girl introduced. "And that's Tanjiro Kamado."
"I'm Zenitsu Agatsuma." The blond boy said.
"We better hurry to the mission. We don't know what to expect." Tanjiro pointed out.
(Y/N) gave a slight nod in agreement, and stood up. She reached her hand towards Zenitsu.
"Come on, we don't have much time." The (H/C) haired girl remarked.
He nodded, and took her hand. She helped him up, and the trio went off to their intended destination.
* * *
They stared at the open balcony of the house in confusion. Pondering if any demons were inside or not.
"I can smell blood, but... It's strange." Tanjiro stated.
"Blood? What about that horrible noise?" Zenitsu questioned.
(Y/N) stayed silent, feeling multiple presences at once. But a few in particular stuck out to her the most. Humans.
Tanjiro turned his gaze to the (H/C) haired girl. Taking notice of her focus, and frustration.
"Hey, something wrong?" He questioned.
"This place is filled with demons. Their presences are everywhere, so it's hard to tell how many there are." The girl paused. "However, there are a few humans in there. One of them is dying."
He was silent for a moment, before taking notice of something else.
The (H/C) haired Demon Slayer didn't break her gaze from the balcony, as she concentrated on picking apart each presence.
"There... Are kids here?" Zenitsu questioned.
(Y/N) paid no attention to them, or their conversation. She was more focused on figuring out how many demons were inside the house.
One presence sticks out the most. It's the most powerful demon inside. Perhaps the one in charge..? The (H/C) haired girl thought to herself.
"Our big brother got taken away..." She heard the boy say.
It caught her attention, and she snapped out of her focus.
"We were walking down the road at night, and this thing appeared in front of us." The child continued. "It went straight for our brother, never giving us a glance."
(Y/N) clenched her fists. There was one thing in this world that shared an equal hatred for her father. Demons that take families, separate loved ones, leaving them isolated, and afraid. Just the thought of it pissed her off.
The (H/C) haired girl tuned out everything else, and only focused to overhear their older brother's appearance.
But something drew closer, and it snapped her out of her focus. She grew worried about what was coming her way.
It couldn't be a demon, right? She internally debated.
It suddenly became clear. It was human. Precisely the one that was dying.
"Cover their eyes." She mumbled.
Both Demon Slayers looked at her with confusion. The beating of a drum could be heard, getting faster, and louder.
(Y/N) lowered her head, closing her eyes. She dared not gaze upon a mortal death again.
A little girl screamed in terror, and Zenitsu trembled.
The (H/C) haired girl tuned everything out. She didn't want to hear that the human was dead. She didn't want to hear their final words. And she didn't want to see the corpse.
"He was wearing an orange colored kimono..." (Y/N) heard the boy say.
It snapped her out of it. She opened her eyes, tilting her head to face the door.
The (H/C) haired girl now knew a brief description of their older brother. And she was ready to find him.
"H-Hey, it's dangerous in there!" Zenitsu said, trying to stop her.
(Y/N) walked towards the door, but stopped at the porch.
She sighed and said, "I'm going in there. You can come or not."
Tanjiro nodded in agreement. "Let's go, come on Agatsuma-san."
The blond Demon Slayer shook his head, still trembling from the corpse earlier.
The (H/C) haired girl sighed and said, "Fine. Don't come. We'll just go on our own..." Her tone grew coarse, and frustrated.
The blond boy shrieked, and quickly clung to the (H/C) haired girls arm.
"Fine, you win! I'll go!" He cried.
The girl sighed saying, "Alright..."
"Let's go." Tanjiro said, walking into the porch, and opening the door.
The atmosphere was dim, as the trio stepped inside. The lights flickered, and Zenitsu's teeth chattered.
"B-Before we continue. You guys will protect me, right?" Zenitsu asked, shaking a little.
"I'd hate to say this, but... In my last fight, I broke a leg, and a rib. Neither of which have fully healed just yet." Tanjiro said.
He had broken bones?! This makes things a little harder... (Y/N) internally sighed.
"WAIT WHAAAT?! YOU HAVE BROKEN BONES?!" The blond Demon Slayer yelled in panic. "(L/N)-chan," He stuttered. "You're not injured too, are you?!"
The (H/C) haired girl blinked and said, "No, this is my first mission."
"Surely you'll protect me, r-right?"
(Y/N) thought for a moment, then replied, "I suppose so, but that'll depend if we get separated or not."
The blond Demon Slayer tightly clung to the (H/C) haired girls arm.
"I don't want to get separated!" He cried.
"Hey, you two shouldn't be here!" Tanjiro said, as the two children rushed inside.
"We're sorry, there was just some weird noises coming from that box." The boy apologized.
"Still, I wish you hadn't left it behind. That box means more to me than my own life." Tanjiro sighed.
(Y/N) turned her gaze to the hallway, tuning out Zenitsu's trembling. Which was surprisingly audible.
It seemed like the house started shaking violently. Zenitsu screamed, quickly ducking. And then it all went quiet.
Bam.
The house stopped shaking, and everything was silent. But on thing had changed... Tanjiro and the little girl had disappeared!
Zenitsu screamed, "WE GOT SEPARATED! WE'RE GONNA DIE!!"
"Hey, Teruko-san? It's Shoichi." The boy called out, hoping for a response.
"Now wait just a minute, you can't be so loud! The demons will find us!" Zenitsu cried.
"I'm gonna have to agree with Agatsuma-kun on this one. What's most important is that we don't get separated." The (H/C) haired girl said. "But to be safe, we should see if the exit is still there, just in case we got transported somewhere else too."
The blond Demon Slayer quickly opened the door, assuming it was the exit.
"It's not here?!" He exclaimed. "Maybe I misremembered."
He opened another door, "Here?!" And another... "Maybe here!" And another... "Or here!"
One of the humans! (Y/N) internally exclaimed.
The masked man quickly ran out of the room, sprinting down a hallway. Zenitsu screamed, assuming it was a monster, since the man wore a boar mask.
What a weirdo... The (H/C) haired girl internally sighed.
"We should find the others, and fast. Who knows how many demons are here." (Y/N) stated, walking into the room.
"Hey, Wait! What if-" Zenitsu had said, but was quickly cut off.
Bam.
"'What if' What?" The (H/C) haired Demon Slayer questioned, turning around.
Both Shoichi, and Zenitsu had disappeared, and now she was alone.
"Oh, I see..." The girl said aloud, realizing her dense-ness.
I'm such an idiot... She internally cursed.
She shook her head, and decided to find them. Kicking open a door, she sprinted down the hallway.
Just my luck, I got separated...
* * *
(Y/N) quickly screeched to a stop, pressing her back against a wall. She covered her mouth, so her heavy breathing wouldn't be noticed by an unexpected stranger. She hesitantly peeked her head from the corner, spotting a demon.
That's one of the demons!
The (H/C) haired girl tightly gripped her sword, slowly pulling it out of her scabbard. But she sensed it wasn't alone...
Shaking her head, (Y/N) charged at the demon, uncovering her mouth, and grasping her sword.
'Self-Taught Astronomy Breathing Fifth Form: Saturn's Rings'!
The demon cried out in pain, landing on the floor, sliced into multiple pieces.
One down... How many are left to go? Two?
Landing on one knee, the (H/C) haired Demon Slayer sheathed her sword. Sighing, she stood up and turned her gaze to the man in the boar mask.
"Hey, I was gonna kill that demon!" He angrily stated.
"And I needed to get passed here. Don't get so worked up, because I beat you to it." (Y/N) scoffed, crossing her arms. "Besides, I got separated from some people. So, I'll be going."
"Oh no you don't! Fight me!"
"I'm in a hurry actually."
And with that, the (H/C) haired Demon Slayer fled.
"Hey! I'm not done with you yet! Get back here you girly coward!"
He seemed to chase after the girl, and was catching up fairly quickly too.
I can lose him in a room, but there's a 50% chance that I'll get transported or not...
(Y/N) quickly turned right, sprinting into a hallway.
Oh screw this...
She rammed her arm into a door, falling inside.
Crash!
She got up, dusting herself off.
"YOU-!"
Bam.
The masked man vanished before he could finish his sentence, and the room changed. The (H/C) haired girl breathed a sigh of relief, pressing her back against the wall. But she sensed something...
Two familiar presences, and one demon...
Catching her breath, (Y/N) kicked open the door, and sprinted down the hall.
She knew what it was like to lose an older sibling to a demon, and would never wish that upon another soul.
~ ~ ~
(Y/N) trembled in her older sister's embrace, as they both hid in the closet.
"Don't worry, Onee-chan will protect you!" Yuki whispered reassuringly. "We just have to escape!"
The young (H/C) haired girl sniffled and said, "Ok Onee-chan... Promise me we'll make it out of here together, alright?"
"I promise." The older sister gave her a reassuring smile.
Yuki slowly creaked the door open, poking her head out. She shut the door and nodded that the coast was clear. They both stepped out of the closet, creeping out of the bedroom.
"This way." Yuki grasped her younger sister's hand, leading her out of the front door.
(Y/N's) vision was blinded for a minute, by her older sister's hand, which trembled.
"Onee-chan..." The (H/C) haired girl whined, moving her sister's hand away. But when she did...
Their mother lay on the floor, surrounded in a pool of her own blood. Her severed head, gone.
(Y/N's) breathing grew shaky, as she stared at her mother's lifeless body on the floor.
"Come on Imouto-san!" Yuki said, urging her sister to pick up the pace.
The front door slowly opened.
Creak...
The siblings both ran outside, hand in hand, never looking back.
"We did it Imouto-san!" Yuki cheered.
(Y/N) covered her mouth, sneezing into her arm.
"Yeah, but it's raining Onee-chan..."
"We just need some shelter! Come on, we'll find a place!"
"B-But what if father finds us?" The younger (H/C) haired sister asked, worried.
"Don't worry about that old fart!"
(Y/N) chuckled a little, and said, "Yeah! He's an old fat fart!"
Her chuckling soon stopped, as she spotted her father behind her older sister. She started to tremble, and pointed behind her older sister.
Yuki was quickly dragged away, a black tendril constricting her body.
"ONEE-CHAN!" (Y/N) called out, as tears poured out of her eyes.
Her older sister was torn in half right in front of her. Her tears were too much, and she choked on her words.
Blood flooded the sidewalk, seeping into the cracks on the concrete. Her organs, and intestines poured onto the sidewalk, drifting into the street.
"YOU MONSTER!" The young (H/C) haired girl cried, burying her face in her hands as she ran away.
~ ~ ~
As the presences drew closer, there was no mistaking the feeling of a bloodthirsty demon.
Crash!
Tightly grasping her sword, she pulled it out. The demon quickly turned it's head around.
"HUH?!" The demon said, stretching out it's blade-like tongue at the girl. "Take this!"
'Self-Taught Astronomy Breathing First Form: Shooting Star Slash'!
She severed part of the tongue, dodging the demon's attack. Skidding across the wooden floors, she stopped herself in front of Shoichi, and a sleeping Zenitsu.
"I bet you'll be a tasty one..." The demon taunted.
The (H/C) haired girl stuck her arm behind her back, glaring at the demon. Her eyes were empty, as she was still lost in her memory.
'Self-Taught Astronomy Breathing Second Form: Gliding Comet'!
Most of the demon's limbs had been severed, and was dead. (Y/N) sheathed her sword, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Y-You saved us!" The young boy said.
The (H/C) haired girl turned her gaze to the both of them.
The girl sighed and said, "I'm glad I made it just in time. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to find you guys again."
Zenitsu suddenly woke up, rubbing the back of his head.
"(L/N)-chan," He stuttered. "You're back!"
The blond Demon Slayer tightly clung to the girl.
"I tried to tell you not to go back in there, but you didn't listen!" He yelled.
"I know I know, but we should get out of here before anything else happens." (Y/N) stated.
They nodded in agreement, and quickly ran down a hallway. But it seemed like they'd been running in circles...
* * *
"Is it just me, or are we running in circles?" The boy questioned.
"I was thinking the same thing. Maybe we should go a different route." The (H/C) haired girl said.
"Now that you mention it, we have been running for a while..." Zenitsu sighed.
"Let's try going through here." (Y/N) said, reaching for a door.
She sensed the blond Demon Slayer's unease in his presence, and reassured, "We'll go together, so we don't get separated."
Bam.
The room started rotating, and the trio fell. Multiple doors opened up beneath them, and the boys screamed.
Bam...
Bam..
Bam.
Bam!
A bright light could be seen, and the (H/C) haired girl assumed it was the exit.
She grabbed Shoichi, trying to protect him from the fall. (Y/N) closed her eyes, maneuvering mid-air to not fall on her back.
They landed outside, but Zenitsu was unconscious. Surprisingly, the (H/C) haired girl landed on her feet.
She set the boy down and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," He replied. "Thanks to you. But... What happened to the other guy?"
"He's unconscious since he landed on his head. I wouldn't worry, he should wake up soon."
* * *
The (H/C) haired girl was leaning against a wall, and Zenitsu woke up. She hadn't been paying attention, and instead daydreamed. But a familiar voice snapped her out of it...
Crash!
"Coming through!" The boar man yelled, breaking down a door.
Not this guy again... (Y/N) internally cursed.
Zenitsu shrieked and yelled, "It's the terrifying boar monster!"
The boar man laughed loudly then said aloud, "Picking up a demonic presence here..."
"Hey wait, I recognize that voice! He's the fifth survivor from the Final Selection!" Zenitsu stated.
Wait a damn minute... He was in the Final Selection? Never seen him... The (H/C) haired girl pondered internally.
The boar man turned his attention to Tanjiro's box and said, "I've found you demon..."
Quickly, he rushed towards the box, wielding both of his swords, ready to attack.
Tanjiro's box? WAIT-
Zenitsu rushed in front of the box, protecting it from the boar man.
He yelled, "Stop that!"
As the two argued, (Y/N) devised a plan. She turned her attention to Shoichi.
"Your name is Shoichi, correct?" She asked him.
"Yeah..." He replied.
"Alright then... Shoichi, you're going to have to hide somewhere, while I distract the boar guy." The (H/C) haired girl explained. "I'll draw his attention away from the box, for as long as possible until Tanjiro comes back."
Shoichi nodded, and hid by a tree.
(Y/N) slowly walked over to match her standing position to where the boar man stood, keeping a distance of a few feet.
"Now move..." The boar man said.
The (H/C) haired girl dug her heels into the ground, and charged at the boar man. She only knocked him a few feet away, and he fell over.
"Why are you helping him?!" He yelled.
(Y/N) glared at the boar man and replied, "Because I know why that box is important to him, so I won't let you hurt what's inside. But I won't raise my sword against another Demon Slayer..."
"A challenge, huh?" The boar man laughed. "Perfect..."
He dropped his swords, and lunged at the (H/C) haired girl. She quickly jumped back, as he used low attacks that aimed for the stomach, and legs.
(Y/N) dodges each of his swings, but struggled to find an opening to land a single hit.
This guy is really getting on my nerves... He's so unpredictable it's infuriating...
"It almost seems like you don't even want to fight, girly coward!" He taunted.
Rage seeped into the (H/C) haired girl's veins, and she spotted an opening.
He quickly swung his leg up, balancing his weight on his hands. She dodged, grasping his ankle and shin, tossing him to the side.
(Y/N) dusted her hands off, rubbing them together repeatedly, thinking: He's filthy...
The boar man started laughing, as he lay on the ground a few feet away.
"A girly girl has never thrown me that far before!" He said, jumping back onto his feet.
He continued laughing, as he lunged at her again. His swift, and low attacks continued, but at a more random, and indecipherable pattern.
It's like I'm fighting an animal... His attacks are so low, but then again even animals have weaknesses.
She dodged his punch, and found another opening. Grabbing his arm, and twisting it behind his back, she had pinned him to the ground.
She dug her knee into his back, grabbing his other arm, and pinning it between his shoulder-blades.
The boar man laughed once more and said, "I can't remember the last time a girl had me pinned to the ground!"
He swung his legs back, standing up.
The (H/C) haired girl nearly fell off, but wrapped her legs around his waist. She placed her forearm around his neck, and used her other arm to keep it in place.
It felt nearly impossible, for she was at a disadvantage with her small figure.
The boar man stumbled back a little, but laughed loudly. He purposely jumped backwards into a tree.
Crash!
(Y/N) felt herself get somewhat crushed, but it didn't matter all that much. All it left was a scratch.
And the boar man continued to jump backwards into a tree. A different one each time.
Crash!
Crash!
Crash!
A small trickle of blood ran down the (H/C) haired girl's nose. Her right cheek, bleeding from the scratch marks from the tree-bark.
Crash!
Crash!
Crash!
Then, it all went black after a final...
Crash!
* * *
(Y/N) opened groggily opened her eyes, finally waking up after being unconscious. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but assumed it was for a while.
Zenitsu looked like he had been beaten up, and now the two siblings were reconnecting with their older brother. Tanjiro had come back, and was facing the boar man.
Tanjiro grabbed him by the shoulders and yelled, "Now calm down do you hear?!" And bashed his head against the boar man's.
Zenitsu shrieked and yelled, "That sound! Did your skulls get fractured or something?!"
The boar man stumbled backwards, and his mask fell off. All was silent for a little while.
The (H/C) haired girl rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't hallucinating, as she was completely awoken.
He's calling me a 'girly girl' when he LOOKS like a girly girl...
The blond Demon Slayer yelled, "Are you kidding me?! That's what you look like?!"
"What the hell..." The unmasked boar man began. "You got a problem with my face or somethin'?"
(Y/N) leaned her head against the tree, just wanting to fall back asleep. She was too tired to deal with this shit...
"How about I tell you my name! It's Inosuke Hashibira, and don't you forget it!" He said.
"And How is that spelled exactly?" Tanjiro questioned.
"Huh?! I... I don't know how to read or write, ok!"
He doesn't know how to read or write? That explains a lot...
The (H/C) haired girl sighed in defeat, and closed her eyes. She'd rest for a little while before they would leave, so she could have some energy for the journey.