𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 × 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 [OLD]
𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖥𝗈𝗎𝗋
As strange as this bunch was, y/n quite liked them.
Sure, things got a bit loud when Zenitsu was doing literally anything, and even louder thanks to Inosuke, but it was always nice to have Nezuko around.
Ah, she was always such a joy.
Y/n did require her peace, though, and the large estate provided a lovely space for her to get some quiet practice in during the day.
She practiced her sword techniques for as long as she could, which was a rather long time, before it got dark and Nezuko came out to greet her. Other times, one of the boys would stop by to say hello and her quiet time would come to an abrupt halt.
One day, Tanjiro had stopped by and watched her train for a bit. He seemed really curious about her techniques, and y/n wasn't quite sure how to take it.
"You're so elegant and focused when you're practicing! It's like you've done this a million times before!"
"Can you train me as well? I want to get stronger!"
"You don't mind if I watch you train, right?"
Before she knew it, Inosuke and Zenitsu were there too. Though it was no longer peaceful activity she had become so used to, it was still enjoyable enough.
Y/n hadn't intended to stay very long, only to make sure that the other demon slayers recovered well. Alas... duty calls.
Perhaps about 13 days in, y/n received a message, from a crow who swung by at the last second. Natagumo Mountain... apparently, she was to ensure that ten demon slayers there would have extra help when they arrived.
Ten was an awful lot... so something else was at play here. Ten. Why did they need another?
Mm, it wasn't y/n's place to question it.
'I'm sure Shinazugawa-san will understand.' y/n thought, though she hesitated a bit, 'Ah. I wanted to make sure they all recovered first... perhaps I should wait a bit. But lives could be at stake.'
In the end, she made the decision to wait.
Then, during the early morning of the third day following the news of her next assignment, she left without a single word to the others.
It was better that she left. She was getting distracted, something she couldn't afford to do as a demon slayer.
The walk was a lonely one without Inosuke and Zenitsu's banter, and she missed Tanjiro's reassuring voice already. But she was used to being alone, there was no need to be getting lonely now.
When she reached Mt. Natagumo, she took a moment to stop and stare at the line of dark trees. Menacing...
"Have they already arrived?" y/n wondered aloud, before letting out a small sigh, "Haa... I guess I really was late. That's my own fault."
She contemplated just leaving, though a familiar head of yellow hair caught her attention up ahead. Was that...
"Zenitsu?"
"GYAHHHHHH!!!"
The terrified demon slayer whipped around, fear in his eyes, before he recognized that menacing oni mask and his eyes lit up, "Y/n?! Don't scare me like that!"
He started rambling about something but it was drowned out by white noise in y/n's mind. How'd he get here? More importantly, how did he get here before her?
She'd left early that morning, and did take a few detours, but surely they didn't take that long.
They did indeed take that long.
"Where are Tanjiro and Inosuke?" y/n questioned, interrupting Zenitsu's rambling, "Why are they not with you?"
"They ran in the moment we got here! Some slayer who was in really bad condition was crawling out, but he got dragged right in. Tanjiro was worried, and Inosuke was itching for a fight, and they both left me here!" Zenitsu whined, "It's scary here, that forest practically SCREAMS death sentence! I'm staying right here!"
"You know, if you don't wanna go in you'll be the only one left out here." y/n reminded Zenitsu, "Alone."
"Alone?" He squeaked.
The two were at a safe distance away from the forest, Zenitsu insisted that they back up so they wouldn't be dragged in, y/n remaining with the cheese head as she patiently waited for him to stand up.
"Huh!? You're gonna leave me out here alone!?" Zenitsu demanded, looking at the masked girl in shock only to recieve a nod, "B-But who will protect me then!?"
"You protect yourself." she replied, pausing for a brief moment before adding, "But, if you come with me, I can protect you."
Zenitsu looked like he was considering it but he decided way too slow, y/n turning and strolling into the forest with a, "Come on."
"I- but, it's-" Zenitsu sat there, trying to form a proper sentence as y/n disappeared from view, "NO, DON'T LEAVE ME OUT HERE BY MYSELF!!!!"
Y/n's mask did a good job of hiding her conflicted expression as she wandered further into the forest, ignoring Zenitsu's loud and obnoxious, "Y/NNNNNNN, COME BACKKKKK"
She heaved a sigh, "Good grief..."
Elsewhere, Tanjiro and Inosuke were making their way through the forest, the Boar Boy swatting at the many spiderwebs.
"There are spider webs all over the place! So annoying!" Inosuke snapped, waving angrily at them.
"Inosuke!"
"WHAT IS IT"
Tanjiro gave him the most wholesome smile in the world, "Thank you for coming with me. There's a strange smell in this forest that's making me a little nervous but I feel better knowing you're here."
(I don't ship it but they're interactions are so adorable in the manga and the anime, especially during the train arc)
Inosuke was silent, seemingly in a bit of a daze as Tanjiro spotted someone a distance away. What was this... fuzzy feeling? It was the same one he got when that old lady was sweet to him, and he got it when that demon face weirdo combed his hair for him.
"Ah, there's someone over there." Tanjiro pointed out, gesturing up ahead to a figure crouching behind some bushes, "They look like a demon slayer... let's go ask them about the situation!"
Before they could think about approaching, someone popped up beside them with a, "There you are."
Inosuke jumped a couple feet up in the air while Tanjiro choked on air despite being able to identify the newcomer as y/n. Both him and Inosuke still needed to get used to seeing her with such a scary mask on.
"Ah, y/n, it's just you..." Tanjiro exhaled a breath of relief as y/n tilted her head, seeming to realize what she'd down before she looked down with a sigh.
"Oh, it's the mask isn't it... sorry. I have to keep it on when I'm outside." y/n apologized, "Sorry I startled you."
"You didn't scare me!" Inosuke snapped, pointing at her, "Nobody can scare me! Especially not you!"
"Hm... that's very admirable. Not being scared of anything." y/n hummed before glancing in the direction of the strange person in the distance, "Who's that?"
The trio silently approached and y/n gently tapped the person on the shoulder, startling them.
"I-" he took one look at her mask and began screaming at the top of his lungs.
Tanjiro slapped his hands over his ears while Inosuke recoiled like a startled animal. Y/n, on the other hand, started freaking out.
"H-Hey! Calm down!" y/n protested in between the screaming, "I'm human! It's just a mask, don't worry!"
The screams came to a sudden halt. "A mask?" the demon slayer demanded, "Why would you wear a mask like that!?"
"Personal reasons." y/n said simply.
"There's no need to worry, we're here to help!" Tanjiro chimed in, "I'm Kamado Tanjiro! Rank Mizunoto!"
"Mizunoto-" the demon slayer echoed before seeming to panic, "Why didn't they send a pillar!? This is pointless, what the hell is a-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Inosuke punched him, sending him to the ground. Woah... wild.
"Inosuke!" Tanjiro protested while y/n stared at the demon slayer on the ground, almost impressed.
'...nice punch.'
"Nice punch, Inosuke." y/n said aloud.
"D-DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM, Y/N!" Tanjiro yelped as he tried to hold Inosuke back.
"If you think this is pointless then your very existence is pointless!" Inosuke snapped, grabbing the terrified demon slayer by the hair, "NOW HURRY UP AND EXPLAIN THE SITUATION ALREADY!!"
"Alright, alright! After we received our orders, a group of us came here! However, after entering the woods, the other demon slayers started killing one another!" the demon slayer squeaked then his eyes widened as he spotted something a distance away, "EEK!"
It was another demon slayer, nothing scary about that. Although... something wasn't quite right here. The way he moved reminded y/n of some sort of a puppet.
Odd movements, jerking and twisting almost unnaturally. The most frightening part of it?
'This person has been dead for a while.'
More and more of these odd slayers appeared, approaching slowly with unsteady, unnerving jerks and staggers. As y/n watched them close in, the puzzle pieces came together in an instant.
She was still, "Huh. How strange."
Tanjiro, Inosuke, and the slayer he'd punched looked at her, all wondering just what kind of expression she was wearing under that snarling mask of hers.
When she spoke, her voice was quiet.
"They're being controlled. Like puppets." she murmured, "Whether it's with threads or by some other means, I don't know. We'll have to test it."
"Huh—"
Tanjiro wasn't given any time to question y/n's words as one of the strange moving slayers swung at him, almost chopping off his head.
The other odd slayers attacked Inosuke and the mf who's name they still had yet to learn, but y/n's words lingered in their mind as they ducked, dodged, and parried. Dodge parry dodge parry.
Underneath the stench of blood and the strange, sour smell piercing Tanjiro's nose, the smell of death was unmistakable as it wafted from a few of the demon slayers who were attacking them.
"HELL YEAH, YOU WANNA FIGHT!? Let's go, I'll kill you all!" Inosuke cackled, immediately drawing his serrated swords.
"Inosuke, no!" "HAH?"
Tanjiro gave Inosuke a fierce little head shake, "Some of these slayers are still alive! Besides, we can't go stabbing their corpses! They're our allies!"
"But they're dead!"
"Still, we can't— AGH!"
Inosuke had headbutted Tanjiro in the gut violently, leaving him to keel over in pain as the boar thing angrily waved his sword at him, "Quit denying me my fun, damn it! I do whatever the hell I want
As those two were bickering, that slayer they found was getting cornered by the... puppet slayers. He let out a frightened shriek as they closed in on him, only for them to drop after y/n swiped at the air above them with her sword.
The two watched as the puppet slayers laid motionless on the ground, before a small "ah" came from y/n.
"Threads it is." she decided before calling out, "Tanjiro, Inosuke! They're being controlled by threads, like puppets. Try cutting above them!"
A pause.
"...sorry. I said too much." y/n whispered.
"N-No, not at all!" Tanjiro said quickly then sent a smile her way, "Thank you, y/n! Now we have a way to defend ourselves without hurting them!"
Y/n was silent before nodding, "Mhm."
"I was already gonna do that!" Inosuke shouted back as he launched himself over a group of those puppets slayers, slashing at the air and landing with triumphant laughter as they all fell to the ground with heavy thuds.
"No, never mind." y/n interrupted, ignoring the confused 'huh' from Tanjiro as she pointed to some of the fallen puppet slayers who were beginning to get up, "Cutting the threads doesn't stop them for good."
"Let's chop them up into tiny pieces so they can't attack us again!" Inosuke declared, only to flinch back when both y/n and Tanjiro turned on him with a simultaneous and uncharacteristically loud, "NO!!!"
One look at Inosuke, all rigid and seemingly taken aback and y/n hunched over a little, suddenly miserable.
"Sorry for yelling..."
"STOP APOLOGIZING, DEMON FACE!"
"Don't worry, y/n, maybe we should just immobilize them! Like throwing them over a tree! That'll work!"
"Really?"
"Mhm!"
"Ah... you really are smart, Tanjiro."
The demon slayer whom Inosuke had punched was staring at y/n as Tanjiro comforted her, a little look of disbelief on his face despite the dire situation.
'What's her deal, huh????'
____________________
- Y/n didn't want to leave Zenitsu behind but she was a bit more focused on making sure Nezuko was okay
- Inosuke likes compliments from y/n
- Y/n can appreciate a good punch. It doesn't matter who's getting hit.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: ZingTruyen.Xyz