#WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND THREATEN TO KILL NEZUKO WHEN HIS FAMILY JUST FUCKING DIED YOU ABSOLUTE WHOREEEEEEEEEE

[runabout-river]

Demon Slayer - Avatar

Masterpost

Fire (4)

Nezuko always found it funny that it was her and not her older brother who got to be the firebender in their family. Tanjirô was the one who was going to inherit the family business, (the business being the production of coal for which you needed a lot of fire) and what made it even funnier was that he was a waterbender.

Their father was a nonbender so their mismatched bending powers never led to more than a few chuckles because they knew firebending was not needed for their work. Waterbending on the other hand had to be kept hidden in these times but the Kamado family never feared anything from the inhabitants of their island. They were quite loved and respected for being an upstanding and honest family, reaching back many generations.

So why, she thought while her brother frantically rowed a small little boat they stole from a neighbour, did this happen? The day started like any other, work around the house, go to the town, go to school with the younger ones, do more work, cook. Tanjirô went back to the town again in the evening and was supposed to come back around sunset.

Tanjirô was not there yet but a couple of soldiers were. There was basically no talk, no greetings, no we are here for this and that from them. They came to their house, surrounded it even, and said give us the waterbender. The first fireball burned through the wall, the second Takeo’s feet. It happened fast. There was no time to answer. They didn’t really want answers. They wanted to kill.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Just like that man with red eyes who was barely visible in front of the trees.

Nezuko did not want to remember more of that night, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Tanjirô rowed until they were on unfamiliar shores and all Nezuko heard were her mother’s screams to please not hurt her children. They walked and walked to find someplace for shelter and food and Nezuko wondered, not really seeing where they were going, if she did or didn’t tell their attackers to take every possession they had but to please leave them alone.

Would her begging have made a difference?

Tanjirô slowly coaxed her into eating food and Nezuko realized that she did not have much of a will anymore to do that or anything else for that matter… if not for her big brother. She would rather just sit there and not do much else. Except that is, when a stranger threatened to harm Tanjirô (and herself). She attacked, dark-haired stranger defended, dark-haired stranger attacked, she attacked. Tanjirô went in-between to stop them.

Talking and pleading do not work, Nezuko thought but she halted her, sometimes aimless, sometimes fireless, assault and did as her brother told her. She realized that she was missing context, that her head had been in the clouds (in the blood of her siblings) and she made an effort to listen to them talk. It was hard but she realized that the strange man, a waterbender actually, relented and then offered to help them.

She did not believe him at first but… he was a waterbender and not a firebender... like her. They went to a new place, to a house that belonged to an old man. That old man was also a waterbender and easier to be around than the younger one. Nezuko and Tanjirô decided to stay there, or more like, Tanjirô asked her if she wanted to stay and she had no real alternatives to offer to him so she agreed to do what he wanted. They stayed, and Tanjirô learned to bend water (from an actual master even, as it looked like).

Only once did the old man approach her to ask if she wanted a firebender to teach her as well. Not only did she say no to his question, but she also rejected the notion in itself so much that she involuntarily set a nearby lit candle ablaze, setting the ceiling of the house on fire for four seconds before Sakonji put it out again.

It wasn’t only firebending that set her off like that, even everyday chores like cooking yielded sad results sometimes. She wanted to cook, but sometimes she just sat in front of the pot and did nothing. When food was in there it boiled to mush, when there wasn’t enough water in the pot it burned. Sometimes she made too much food for just the three (or four) of them and sometimes she became so aware of her shortcomings (in cooking of all things, something she learned to do since she could walk, her mother taught it to her) that she got unbelievably angry and stormed off screaming somewhere.

(She hated herself when a flame was nearby and she made it burn high and mighty)

The place they found was good for her and Tanjirô. Tanjirô could imagine staying with the old waterbender for a long time as the man had become something like a grandfather to them and even Nezuko had to admit to that.

But, Tanjirô said to her, this hidden house isn’t the best place you could be.

In the two years they spend there, Nezuko’s mental health had not really gotten better. Sure, she was better off than at the beginning and no one really wanted to think about where and how they would have ended up if Giyû hadn’t found them first… but it was also really isolating to both of them. In search for security they had stayed away from other people and that, Tanjirô thought, was only good as a temporary solution. Neither Nezuko nor Tanjirô were made for such a lonely life.

So, Tanjirô said easily one afternoon, they should travel. Not far at first, of course, but they should go around and see the world. Come back to Sakonji to visit and stay for a while. See how it goes. Staying hidden in the lonely mountains makes the world seem scarier than it is.

And that’s what Nezuko needed, right? To finally see past the killing of her family that still played behind her eyelids every day, she needed to see new things, experience the world and make new connections with others outside of her two water guardians. She needed to confront her fire, which she shied away from near constantly.

She admitted to herself that first and foremost she needed change, she was sick of looking at the inside of a black pot all the time, and there was no one better than her brother who could help her with that. So, together they packed some belongings and decided on the first route to take. Sakonji’s only wish for them was that they come back unharmed.

Hand in hand, they undertook their first major adventure together, two years after losing everything they had once known and Nezuko could finally see up into the night sky and see stars again.   

#demon slayer #avatar #atla #avatar the last airbender #nezuko kamado #tanjiro kamado #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #urokodaki sakonji #tomioka giyu #crossover #muzan kibutsuji

[shealolz]

“I wanna be your favorite boy” - Zenitsu Agatsuma - PART ONE

Summary: moments with you and zenitsu <33 also him realizing he doesn’t love nezuko but he loves you

Warnings & Notes: some blood bc demon-slaying,

Genre: fluff, some bits of angst

Zenitsu Agatsuma x Tanjiro’s Agender Twin Reader

PART ONE!!

word count: 4,565

——

when Zenitsu first got a glance at you he was drawn to your eyes. those curious eyes with smile lines next to them. but he could tell by the furrow in your brow that you were just as angry as the boy next to you.

“you know this counts as harassment right?” you said, glancing at the other boy who was apologizing to the beautiful girl he’d been weakened in the knees by.

“harassment?!” Zenitsu stammered. “no, no, no! I’m just trying to find someone beautiful to marry before I die to demons!” he wailed, wiping at his running nose.

you knelt down to sit next to him and he caught sight of the sword tucked against your hip. were you and the other boy demon slayers too?

“Have I met you before?” you asked, tilting your head. Zenitsu shrugged. “I think I saw you at the final selection. it was hard not to miss, there weren’t very many left.”

Zenitsu shuddered. he survived purely out of luck. sure he had gruesome dreams about defeating the demons but it never actually happened, he was weak!

you stuck out your hand. “I’m (name) Kamado. a pleasure to meet you...uh...” you trailed off.

“Zenitsu Agatsuma.” he supplied, feeling a tiny smile creep at his lips. “a pleasure to meet you Zenitsu.”

he shook your hand. it was warm.

the boy you were with walked over, Zenitsu’s messenger buried in the mess of auburn locks. “(name),” he said. “I see you’ve made a new friend. Tanjiro Kamado.” the boy—Tanjiro—introduced himself, giving Zenitsu a strained smile.

so he was your brother. and he was also still upset over Zenitsu’s wailing. “let's get off the dirty ground shall we?” you prompted, pulling yourself up with ease. Zenitsu followed.

before you and your brother could leave, Tanjiro turned around. “would you like to join us Zenitsu? I see you a slayer after all.”

Zenitsu nodded frantically and walked into sync with you guys. he bets you guys are strong, he’s unlikely to die with you guys around.

digging around in his uniform he found a riceball. he split it into three pieces with his hands, handing you and Tanjiro a piece each. “a gesture of my gratitude.” he mumbled, holding the riceball to his mouth.

you gave him a smile and Tanjiro voiced his thank you as he nibbled on the rice.

silence quickly fell in between the three of you and Zenitsu tuned into your sounds to see if either of you had bad intentions. he didn’t want to hang out with the wrong crowd y’know!

but as soon as he did all he could hear was the soft matching melody of your twin-like hearts, beating with sincerity and kindness. you both had a sound so soft and gentle it made Zenitsu want to cry.

he was in good hands, he knew it.

——

“I dont like creepy houses!” Zenitsu wailed, his hand gripping your hoari. you didn’t tell him off for it but you did raise a teasing eyebrow at it.

“Please! you’ve got to save our big brother!” the tiny children pleaded, pointing wildly at the house.

before Tanjiro could speak to calm them down a body is thrown out the window and it’s very bloodied up. Zenitsu let out a shriek.

you and Tanjiro were obviously idiots because you ran towards the body! still, he tip-toed over in time to see the man let out his final breath.

you glanced over your shoulder to look at the terrified child. “is...is this your brother?”

they shook their head. “our brother has short hair. that can't possibly be him.”

Tanjiro nodded. “then we can still save him!” he smiled. you nodded, smiling equally as wide.

“c’mon let’s go.” you hummed, making your way for the door. “ARE YOU CRAZY?! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IN THERE!” Zenitsu screamed, almost turning white with fear.

“it’ll be fine. we can protect you.” Tanjiro said, slipping off the box on his back to lay it under a tree. “yeah, and here, you can hold my haori if you're so scared.” you stuck out the end of your haori for Zenitsu to grab onto.

slowly he grabbed it, bundling right up into your side, only a couple inches from your back as he peered over your shoulder.

the five of you only made it a couple of feet before the house began to rearrange itself. Zenitsu's knuckles turned white from gripping your haori so the two of you would stay together. just one kamado sibling! please!

once it stops you quickly depart, your haori ripping, a tiny piece of fabric in Zenitsu's palms as you bang your fists against the walls, screaming for your brother. "TANJIRO!"

"c-calm down! the demon will hear you!" he whimpered, biting his nails nervously.

you turned your angry gaze to him. "No! I will not calm down! my brother could die because I'm not with him!"

"do you really have such little faith in your brother?" the little boy, Shoichi, spoke up.

you sighed, the tenseness in your shoulders loosening. "no, that's not it. it's just he's one of the few family members I have left. I don't want to risk losing him."

Shoichi bit his lip. "then let's find your brother and my siblings!"

you gave the kid a smile and patted his head softly, Zenitsu kinda wished you'd do that to him too. just to ease his worries a bit.

"i- um. I ripped your haori." he stammered out, wanting your attention back on him. you clicked your tongue. "it's fine, I can just stitch it back later. or you can keep it, I don't mind."

he nodded, holding his hand to his chest.

"now let's search for an exit and then re-enter the building," you said, clapping your hands.

"aha! I found one!" he chirps pulling open the door he had found.

you sent him a warm smile. "good job, Zenitsu!"

he fumbled with his hands, his cheeks heating up greatly and he was about to stutter out a thank you when he saw a boar in the corner of his eye.

snapping his head to the side it turned out it wasn't a boar but a man with a boar's head. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" he screeched, running over to you to hide behind you.

but the boar-man hybrid paid them no attention and just ran down the hall, dual swords in its grip.

"I don't know," you muttered, hand resting atop your own sword.

the three of you walk in silence, suspense high as you crept through the house.

"Why are you being so cowardly. stop attaching yourself to (name), you got a sword for a reason don't you?" Shoichi insults and Zenitsu lets out a shriek, frightened by the sudden noise.

there's a deep rumbling laugh and loud footsteps before a large demon with a long tongue steps out, licking its sharp teeth that gleam under the yellow lights.

"fuck." you mutter under your breathing, pushing out your arm in front of Zenitsu and Shoichi.

"you're not gonna fight it are you?!" Zenitsu whisper-screams, trembling fingers gripping at his hair. you take in a breath. "as a demon slayer my job is to slay every threatening demon I come across, so yes, I will fight it."

"Zenitsu, bring Shoichi to the back wall, make sure nothing happens to him," you order and Zenitsu practically drags the boy to the back wall.

The demon chuckled. "this is going to be an easy fight." he muttered, cracking his knuckles.

you unsheathed your sword, holding it out to the side as the demon runs forward. Zenitsu's fingers stop shaking and both he and Shoichi wait in bated breath to see what you would do.

you don't move other than a slight shift in your feet and when the demon is about three feet away you gripped your sword harder.

"Water Breathing Seventh Form: Piercing Rain Drop."

before the demon could wrap his claws around you you step forward and stab your sword into its stomach before pulling out and doing it again while the demon stood in shock that you landed a hit on him.

your stab had stopped the demon from moving and before it could try again you pulled out your sword and jumped up, using the tall roof to your advantage.

"Water Breathing Second Form: Water Wheel."

your sword crashed down on the demon's arms that he had held up to shield himself and barely scraped his head. "Wow..." Shoichi breathed from next to Zenitsu and he couldn't help but think that it was an understatement.

but your minor victory was short-lived as the demon wrapped its huge hand around your calf and foot and squeezed.

Zenitsu could hear the loud crack over your scream.

you tumbled for the floor but still managed to tuck and roll before you hit your head, your sword plunging into the floorboard as you gripped at your ankle. it was probably broken.

the demon turned around but gave a quick glance to Zenitsu and Shoichi first. "you two look weak, I can have a quick snack first." the demon decided before picking you up.

the demon's tongue slithered out and licked against your cheek and Zenitsu promptly passed out.

a shocked gasp.

"zen---wake---you---save---(name)!"

a slicing sound along with the squirting of blood.

"Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap And Flash."

a thud.

Zenitsu's eyes flutter open and stare into your own giddy ones. he sits up, rubbing at his head before his eyes snap open at the sight of the decapitated and decaying demon.

"did you and Shoichi do that?" he asks, tilting his head. you furrow your eyebrows and Zenitsu's even more confused.

"What no- never mind, sure, whatever. but I need you to carry me because of my leg," you babbled, laying a hand on his shoulder.

oh yeah, you had broken your leg. does that mean Shoichi killed the demon? his eyes flick down to your leg which was covered but he didn't doubt it looked horrendous underneath.

he stands up and kneels down for you to jump on his back and he rests his hands under your thigh. "Shoichi, could you grab my sword for me?" you ask the dark-haired boy and he nods, plucking your sword from the ground and helping you sheath it.

he hopes Tanjiro won't yell at him for not saving you before your leg broke but he was scared and passed out! besides Shoichi ended up killing the demon anyways.

the three of you walk around again, calling out for Tanjiro and Shoichi's siblings every once in a while and praying you don't run into a demon because one, Shoichi was just a kid. two, Zenitsu was a coward and ran away when he got scared. and three, you, the only skilled one here, had broken your leg protecting them.

suddenly the house shifts again and the three of you scream as your thrown out a window, freefalling for the ground.

in a moment of quick-thinking Zenitsu turned mid-air and wrapped himself around you and Shoichi so he would take most of the damage. he could at least do this one thing to try and keep his saviors safe.

all he remembers is a sharp pain in his head before he conked out again.

----

when he comes to it the boar-man hybrid is back and is storming for the box that you sit in front of, glaring at the half-naked hybrid.

"touch it and you’ll be asking for a fight," you say lowly, the threat was empty of course but the hybrid man didn't have to know that!

Zenitsu recalls back to Tanjiro's words when they had been walking.

"This box is more important to me and (name) than our lives, we'd give anything to keep it safe."

Zenitsu knew there was a demon in the box, it wasn't hard to tell with its irregular heartbeat but if you and Tanjiro cared for it that much he had to keep it safe.

"Shoichi! get (name) away from the box!" he yelled before curling around the box's entrance.

"huh," you mumbled as Shoichi began to drag you away. you couldn't put up much of a fight other than scratch at the boy's hands as you shouted profanities.

he took kicks and punches to the side but he had to keep the demon in the box safe, for you. ahh--um for you and Tanjiro he means.

the boar-man hybrid raised its sword, the metal glistening in the light, and he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain.

except it never came.

"WAIT!" was that Tanjiro?

slowly he peels his eyes open to see the boar-headed man's attention on Tanjiro who had his sword at the ready.

before Zenitsu can process what's happening Tanjiro punches the boar-man (which now that he thinks about it he swears he's seen him before, maybe at final selection) in the ribs and Zenitsu can hear the crack.

"so we're gonna fight bare-handed? fine with me!" the shirtless dude shouts, throwing his swords to the floor. "what? no!" Tanjiro stammers.

the man charges Tanjiro and in a moment of quick reflexes Tanjiro smacks his head against the guy's and he sways a bit.

slowly, almost painfully slow, the mask slips off and a very girlish and beautiful face is revealed as blood drips down the guy's forehead and nose.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" he groaned. "PRETTY YET SO BRUTAL!”

the guy chuckled. "what did ya say 'bout my face? I'll punch your lights out for that!"

but before he could go through with it (Zenitsu is sure the boy would) he collapses, probably due to a head injury.

"wow. I knew you were hard-headed but not that hard-headed," you comment dryly from a couple of feet away, still limp in Shoichi's arms. "my arms are starting to feel numb." Shoichi complains.

Tanjiro walks over to you. "what happened? why can't you stand?"

"broke my ankle trying to defeat a demon. I did some damage though, so good for me." you cheer weakly as Tanjiro helps you stand without putting pressure on your foot.

"Shoichi your siblings are over there," Tanjiro says softly with a jerk of his chin. Shoichi grins and runs over to his sibling's waiting arms, crying with joy. damn, Kaigaku never greeted him with tears or hugs.

then again Kaigaku would probably skin Zenitsu alive if given the choice.

"Zenitsu I know your hurt but could you use your haori as a pillow for the guy on the ground?" Tanjiro wonders. "I need to find something to splint (name's) leg."

Zenitsu nods and shrugs off his haori, shoving it beneath the shirtless guy's head. he really needs to figure out this guy's name.

he takes a moment to listen to the guy's sound and instantly want's to tune out. it's loud and annoying and wild like the guy was always hyped up with energy. it was surely something.

he much rathered you and Tanjiro's shared sound.

Tanjiro managed to find a stick to split your leg and had you watch the box that held the demon.

"c'mon. let's bury this guy's body then find some ice for your bruises, eh?" Tanjiro suggested, hoisting up the long-haired dead guy from earlier. Zenitsu nodded and began to dig a hole for the boy.

----

it's night and honestly, Zenitsu was tired but the crow said they'd bring them somewhere to rest up and who was he to deny that?

Inosuke, the shirtless guy (they figured out his name), kept trying to coax Tanjiro into fighting him but the auburn-haired slayer just wasn't having it. he was too busy fussing over your ankle.

the group ends up at a mansion with a wisteria crest on it and Zenitsu relishes in the calming and safe vibe it gives off.

the crickets chirp in his ears and he lets a smile coat his lips. a warm hand wraps around his own and he turns his head to face yours.

your smile isn’t wide and cheerful but instead fond and small. Zenitsu couldn’t help but think you looked stunning even with the grime coating your arms and cheeks.

his tongue felt dry and his heart seemed to pause and in the corner of his eye, he focused on the confused look of Tanjiro as the red-haired boy’s nose twitched.

“I just wanted to say…thank you for saving me back there. you barely know me yet you still helped and I couldn’t thank you enough,” you said softly, averting your eyes to the cracked ground.

Zenitsu rubbed at the back of his neck. “I didn’t even save you… I just passed out. I’m too cowardly to save someone as cool as you.” he didn’t understand your praise, Shoichi killed the demon, hadn’t he?

you shook your head. “you need to learn to take credit for your feats Zenitsu, even if you don’t remember them.” you clicked your tongue before gesturing for Tanjiro to continue walking.

Zenitsu was thoroughly confused, what had you meant by that?

brushing it off he walked after you, listening to your and Tanjiro’s heartbeats. the beautiful melodies you had seemed to overpower Inosuke’s wild and crazed one but he couldn’t help but think that Inosuke’s sound fit right in with the rest of them.

something creeps out of the house and it was obviously a smiling old lady but he couldn’t help his yell of, “MONSTER!” that really did a strain on his probably broken ribs.

you lightly slapped the back of his head. “be polite!” you scolded, not unlike how his Gramps would whenever they went to town.

he muttered an apology to the lady who just laughed wholeheartedly and beckoned them inside.

“Not that I don’t like your kindness ma’am but why are you doing this?” Tanjiro asked as the woman clattered around to prepare food.

“a while back a couple of demon slayers like you four saved my family from some demons and now we tend to injured slayers to thank them, even if they are long gone.” the woman explained, serving them bowls of steaming udon noodles.

“once you finish your dinner I have some clothes for you to change into and then I’m going to have to wrap your ribs and leg.” the woman said, pulling out clothing for them to wear.

“thank you!” you and Tanjiro say simultaneously, picking up your chopsticks. Inosuke, like the menace he is, eats with his hands, shoving the noodles in his mouth messily.

you grimace but pat his back lightly when he almost chokes. Inosuke squints at you. “you tryna fight or something?”

“no, I just don’t want you to die due to noodles.”

Inosuke huffs and continues to devour the noodles, not caring about the mess he made.

after food and changing a family doctor came to wrap their ribs and your leg along with giving you a crutch to use till your leg is healed.

the four of you head to the bedroom you were gifted, Inosuke plopping down on a futon and claiming it as his.

you sat down on your own, fiddling with the sheets. you were probably bored.

“hey Inosuke, why’d you become a demon slayer?” you asked, kicking your good leg back and forth.

“well, I joined after I beat up a member who came to my mountain! then I heard about demons and final selection from the guy and decided to join to beat up demons!” Inosuke grinned, resting his head in his arm as he stared at you.

you snickered behind your hand. “amazing story, bravo.”

“I know.” Inosuke shot back. Zenitsu almost face-palmed.

“uh.” Zenitsu started, not really knowing if now was a good time. “Tanjiro, (name), w-why do you have a demon in the box you carry around?”

and with stupidly good timing the demon scratched at the box’s door, the thing swinging open.

a clawed palm sticks out and Zenitsu backs into the closet, trying to climb into it.

but when it crawls out his eyes widen. long black longs of hair that lighten at the tips, bright pink eyes, and smooth skin.

the demon was a beauty, that’s for sure.

but comparing it to you its eyes seemed dull, its hair didn’t shine, and no matter how cute it looked it couldn’t compare to the flush on your cheeks when you thanked him earlier.

though the demon was still pretty, and Zenitsu tended to gravitate to pretty people.

wait…was Tanjiro carrying her around to have a cute demon girlfriend?! Zenitsu refused to allow this! even if you were in on it!

“TANJIRO I WILL SET YOUR EXECUTION DATE! YOU CANNOT CARRY AROUND SUCH A BEAUTY AND NOT TELL ME!” he screeched, beginning to chase the boy around as he tried to stutter out a response.

sighing, you crawled over to the demon and let it hug you, thin arms wrapping around your shoulders before tiny hands patted your head.

“did you have a good sleep, Nezuko?” you asked kindly. the demon, Nezuko, let out a happy hum and began to incoherently babble around the bamboo gag.

adorable, his mind supplied, yet his eyes were on you.

“you all talk too much. it takes up thinking capacity.” Inosuke says dryly before promptly passing out.

“Zenitsu!” Tanjiro squeaks, trying to be quiet. “Nezuko’s my sister! not my girlfriend! calm down!”

Zenitsu blinks once. twice. before shrugging and responding with a simple “okay.”

after that fiasco, Tanjiro ‘talks’ with his younger sister before stating he was heading to bed, leaving just you, him, and the demon who perched herself on the end of your futon.

silently he climbed from his futon and crawls to yours, trying to ignore the eyes of the demon.

the grime was still on your cheeks from earlier and absentmindedly Zenitsu reaches out and scrubs at your cheek with his sleeve.

you flush again and look down at your lap. “what was that for?” you mumble.

“there was dirt on you, didn’t want you to go to be coated in dirt y’know?” he laughs but it’s obviously a nervous one.

“Oh. well uh, goodnight Zenitsu, have good dreams,” you say, patting his arm before lifting your blanket over yourself.

Zenitsu retreats to his own futon calmly but his mind was going a hundred miles a minute.

oh god- why did he do that? he was so stupid. what if you think he has a crush on you? no, no, no, he has a crush on your beautiful sister Nezuko, doesn’t he? he has to! he loves pretty people! but he also finds you pretty…does that me he likes you too? no that can’t be possible your just a friend!

and he falls asleep like that, internally anxious.

——

the next day the group is eating breakfast when a kasugai crow appears, annoyingly screaming in their ears.

“TANJIRO MAKE IT SHUT UP!” he yells, resisting the urge to smack the boy with the bowl of food in front of him.

“Zenitsu calm down! I can’t talk to it if you keep screaming!” Tanjiro yells back.

you are glaring at both of them from the rim of your bowl as Inosuke runs around having successfully stolen as much food as he could.

“could you both shut up?” you groan, putting down your chopsticks.

the crow lands on your arm when you stick it out and tweets into your ear, telling you about whatever mission they had to do now.

you nod and pat the crow's head before it flies off. “Inosuke sits down,” you order, pointing at the seat next to you.

He hesitantly does and Zenitsu silently thanks whatever god that’s out there that he does. he really doesn’t want to face your wrath.

“were supposed to go to Mt. Natagumo. apparently, there are multiple demons, seemingly in a group, roaming around and killing whoever comes to the mountain,” you explain.

Zenitsu pales. that sounds scary. he really doesn’t want to die, especially alone.

"We'll do it!" Tanjiro hums. Inosuke gives a boyish grin. "let's kick some demon ass!"

the kind lady walks up to them, taking their bowls of food. "the doctor says your injuries are healed so you're free to go." she smiles. "come back if needed."

"thank you for the kindness ma'am!" Tanjiro bows his head. she waves it off with a laugh. "no need to thank me, deary."

"well," you announced. "let's get changed and head to Mt. Natagumo!"

----

"we've been walking for hours. how tall is the mountain?" Zenitsu whined, dragging a hand down his sweaty face.

"hold on- I smell something!" Tanjiro shouted, holding a hand out. "it smells like blood."

and of course, Tanjiro runs towards the danger. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" he bellowed after Tanjiro who had been followed by not only you but Inosuke as well.

"To fight some demons!" you chirped, hands cupping your mouth. "you can stay here if you want. we'll be back in no time."

"what (bad take on your name) said!" Inosuke grinned.

Zenitsu huffed and brought his knees to his chest. "HAVE FUN DYING!" he snarled.

----

how stupid could they be? who the hell runs towards the danger? what in the...

he will not go, he refuses to go into that hell hole.

they're all gonna die.

wait... they're all gonna die!

he scrambled up. you and the idiots took Nezuko!

when he looked at the sky he realized the sun had been begging to set and he'd sat there mumbling to himself like a mad man.

he has to keep you safe! and Nezuko of course.

Zenitsu runs for the mountain, calling out you and Nezuko's names, hoping one of you would hear him. and for the second time, he wished there was at least one kamado sibling with him.

as he's pushing his way through the forest on the mountain he hears little clapping of spikes hitting the ground and a shiver goes down his spine.

"oh god, I'm an idiot. why did I come here?" he mumbled to himself, turning his head in all directions.

though he froze when he saw it.

a tiny spider with a bald human head.

what the actual fuck.

screaming, he scrambles to get away, getting slapped and scraped by multiple tree branches whilst doing so.

but then he comes across an even bigger spider with a human head. Zenitsu wants to cry. he wishes you were here, you'd be able to slay the demon and protect him.

"I see you've met my creation." the spider demon laughed, a cruel grin growing on its lips. "as the eldest son, I have a powerful ability. I can turn humans into little spiders that must obey my orders. and I want you to be next."

Zenitsu babbles nonsense as he fearfully climbed up a tree, hugging its trunk.

"I'm sorry!" he cries. "I'm sorry I couldn't become the demon slayer gramps wanted me to be! I'm sorry I'm a pathetic and sniveling coward, I don't want to be one! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, (name)!"

his hands come to cover his head and Zenitsu realizes chunks of hair are starting to fall out as his eyes focus on the bite in his palm.

he bangs his head against the tree lightly.

why couldn't he do anything?

----

it was getting too long so ima have to split this into parts but here's part one!!

@ilyimagines @mychemicalangel @songbird-writer

#zenitsu agatsuma x reader #zenitsu x reader #zenitsu agatsuma #kny #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #demon slayer x reader #kimetsu zenitsu #agatsuma zenitsu #nezuko kamado #tanjiro kamado

[vulpes-z3rda]

how you met them

a/n: how are we all feeling?? i apologise if the writing isn’t the best, its old content from my wattpad that i’m moving across!!

Tanjiro

Well, you met at the Final Selection. He was running through the wisteria flowers on the trees and had finally reached the end of it all. Before he could walk further into the opening, he walked right into someone. "Hey. Watch where you're walking, will you?" You grumbled, saddened by the loss of your friends in the forest. He gulped at your facial expression and rubbed the nape of his neck in embarrassment. "Ah, I'm sorry... I'm Tanjiro Kamado! It's nice to meet you..." He trailed off not knowing your name. You huffed and gave him a small smile. "Y/n... Y/n L/n! It's nice to meet you too Kamado-Kun!" He smiled and walked with you over to the twins that stood before you all to explain your swords. "I hope we work together L/n-Chan." Giggling you nodded. "Me too!" With that, the pair of you stood together, a sense of pride and happiness surrounding you both. "Hey, Kamado-Kun?" You said quietly. "Hmm? What's wrong?" He asked, concerned about you. "I promise to protect you and stay by your side!" You pledged with a wide smile. He chuckled and nodded. "I promise to do the same L/n-Chan."

Inosuke

You both met at the butterfly estate. You had already become a demon hunter and was working under Rengoku. This is what attracted him to you originally. I mean Rengoku was strong so in his mind, you would be a worthy opponent to fight right? He was right about that, however, he could never get to ask. So he charged at you with his pig assault as he usually does. "Huh? What happened?" You asked in a daze as he'd made you hit your head rather harshly on the floor. "Fight me!!" He yelled as steam came out of his boar mask's nose. "Get off me, you idiot!!" You yelled as you pushed him off you and stood up dusting yourself off. That was until you froze and looked up at him in pure rage. "You... YOU RIPPED MY HAORI INOSUKE!!!! YOU DUMBASS!!" You screeched as you chased after him. "AHAHA!!! ARE YOU GONNA FIGHT ME NOW Y/N!?" He yelled back in near-psychotic joy. "Fight you? I'm gonna beat your ass, you damned idiot!!" You quietly threatened as you ran at him. "Rengoku? Shouldn't we stop this?" Tanjiro asked as he and Zenitsu stood beside him. "Hmmm, no. Let them teach young Inosuke a lesson."

Zenitsu

You were the baker's daughter at a village at the foot of a mountain a few miles east of the Demon Slayer Corps. For two weeks teens and children had been going missing, adults had started to go too. So naturally, people began to suspect a demon was behind the disappearances. Your village elder sent for some demon slayers to come and help but it was too late. "HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE!!" You screamed as a demon had begun to chase you after killing your father. "No one is coming to help you, brat!" He screeched as he pinned you by the neck to the wall of a house. A flash of yellow flew past you and stopped to your left. "HEY! Get your hands off them!" A blonde boy yelled as he drew a sword out on the demon. "Ah, a slayer? This should be fun..." He smirked as he dropped you to the ground. Before he could even react, the blonde had sliced his head off. "Are you okay?" He asked with obvious tears in his eyes. "No.. my dad... he killed him!!" You wailed in pain. "Hey... come with me so we can protect you. My name is Zenitsu." He exclaimed trying to comfort you. You stood up and grabbed his hand. "I'm y/n... please don't leave me Zenitsu.." You whimpered, scared of anything and everything at that moment. "I wouldn't dream of it Y/n-Chan."

Giyu

You were a simple first aider at the Demon Corps who worked under Shinobu at the butterfly estate. At first, he gave you no attention. I'll be honest, he didn't even know who you were. That all changed when he was injured after a mission in a village that had more demons than anticipated. Aoi and Shinobu had forced him to go to you as you were one of the best aiders there. "Y/n? We have one more for you to help." Aoi sai giving you a slight smile. "Hmm? Ah, okay. Just place him on that bed there and I'll get right to it and help him." You stated blandly looking at them with dull e/c eyes. Despite this, upon seeing him, they lit up slightly. "You were injured on a mission right Tamioka-San?" You asked as you cleaned his cuts. He looked at you curiously and nodded. "How do you know my name?" He asked blandly. "It's my business to know everyone who Shinobu works alongside so I can welcome them if I need to. I'm Y/n L/n by the way." A small, unnoticeable chuckle left his lips as you bandaged his wounds. "Thank you L/n." You smiled at him and carried on. "I'm simply doing my job, there's no need to thank me."

Muzan

He was strolling through a random village in which he knew demons had been attacking continuously for a few days or so. The pained cries of devastated families were like music to his sinful ears. What can I say? He has lived for a thousand years and has come to enjoy killing humans and seeing them as less than worth sparing. Well... that was until he saw you. A particularly aggressive demon had trapped you in an alleyway. "Oh god... I'm going to die..." You whispered as the demon lifted his hand to hit you. Now he was just as confused as you must have been when he grabbed the demon and immediately snapped its head clean off. "Sir? How did you..." You looked up into his eyes and for some reason calmed down. Heaving out a sigh he helped you up and helped you. "Thank you for saving me... I'm Y/n L/n." He chuckled at the bluntness of your reply. "You're welcome. I'm... I'm Muzan." Smiling you kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Muzan.." A blush overcame his pale face and he smiled slightly. More to the point, he was surprised you hadn't recognised his name.

Genya

You met him before everything when you were both kids and grew up together. However, when your father was killed by a demon, your mum took you away from everything and forced you to move in with her friend Ubuyashiki Kagaya. It wasn't until he became a demon slayer did you meet again. "Y-y/n? Is that you?" He asked looking at you, unsure of whether he had called the right person or not. "Huh? Genya?" You asked in confusion. "Why're you here? You know where you are right?" You asked with a small smile. "I'm a demon slayer... where did you go way back then?" He mumbled as he walked up to you and hugged you. Giggling you shook your head and hugged back. "My mum brought me here and I was trained to be a demon slayer. I'm a pillar alongside your brother!" The shock on his face was priceless as he stared at you in disbelief. "YOU'RE A PILLAR!?"

Kyojuro

"I need to get away from here..." You whispered as you ran, well tried to, away from the demon who was once your brother. "Y/n!? Come back, I only want a piece of you and then I'll let you go~" He tormented gaining on you. "NO!" You yelled before tripping on a tree root. "Oh no... no no no." The crazed and human meat starved demon stared at you hungrily. "There you are." He growled as you scooted away from him. "B/n... please... please don't do this!" You cried. "Well, why would I spare y-" You looked up to see his head cut off and rolling over the floor and a tall blonde man stood there with a katana. "Are you okay?" He asked holding a hand out to help you up. "He... My brother... I." Stuttering for a reply you looked up at him crying. "Please... please don't leave me..." You begged quickly standing up and gripping onto his haori. He gave a small chuckle and patted your head to try and comfort you. "I won't... I'm Kyojuro Rengoku." After introducing himself, you pulled away and looked up at him. "I'm y/n. y/n l/n."

Sanemi

You were a demon much like Nezuko. You'd never eaten or harmed a human and wished to help them against Muzan and to make your situation better, it was Genya who brought you back to the Demon Slayer Corps. "Another one? Why are so many docile demons appearing??" Gyomei questioned as he stared at you. You smiled back at him and looked over to Genya. "What's gonna happen to me Genya?" The pillars looked on in shock, apart from Sanemi, and fussed over how you were able to talk. "Will you guys shut up? They're nothing amazing. Just another demon like that other one." He grumbled as he glared at you. Giggling you sauntered over to him. "Y/n? Don't annoy Sanemi..." Genya mumbled, being flustered about the demon he brought home annoying his brother. "I'm simply checking out something that's captured my interest!" A blush spread across the Wind Pillars face like an out of control wildfire. "Will you shut up? You're fucking annoying." You laughed and smiled tilting your head. "But I want to get to know you Sanemi-kun~" You teased and you smirked at him. "GENYA!! GET Y/N AWAY FROM ME BEFORE I HIT THEM!!" He shouted. "Sanemi!! Don't you dare!!" The pillars yelled as they held him back. "I'm going to like you a lot I think..." You said with a light blush.

Mitsuri

You met Mitsuri when she was on a mission with Obanai. You weren't the demon they were after but you know if they found you, they'd kill you. However, after seeing them fight and both become injured by the demon which has been terrorising the village you lived in, you decided you'd help them and heal their wounds. "You. You're a demon." Obanai glared at you after you had swiftly chopped the head of the demon off and turned to face them. "Yes. A demon that just helped you. I could've left you to suffer." You said as you kneeled beside Mitsuri and looked over her injuries. "Which ones hurt more?" You asked as you got ready to heal them. "These one do.." She whispered as she pointed to the deep scratches on her arm. "HEY! Get away from Mitsuri!!" Mitsuri told Obanai to calm down as a pink light surrounded her and her wounds healed rather quickly. "See Obanai? They helped me!" She exclaimed as she smiled at you. "You're another docile one... like the one that kid has." Obanai still glared as you turned to face him. "It's your turn. Let me help you." Reluctantly he allowed you to heal his wounds. "What's your name?" Mitsuri asked as you stood up and stretched. She smiled and walked closer to you, much to Obanai's dismay. "Y/n... y/n l/n." You answered as you went to turn and walk away. "Hey wait! You can come with us back to the Butterfly Estate! There's another demon there so you won't be alone and you can continue to help us!!" She exclaimed as she giggled at your confused expression. "Hmmm, I'd like that I think Mitsuri..." You said with a small smile. "Yayyyy!!! Come on!! Everyone is going to love you!!"

#demon slayer #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer imagines #demon slayer scenarios #demon slayer headcanons #kny #kny x reader #kny imagines #kny scenarios #kny headcanons #tanjiro kamado #tanjiro x reader #inosuke hashibira #inosuke x reader #zenitsu agatsuma #zenitsu x reader #giyu tomioka #giyu x reader #muzan kibutsuji #muzan x reader #genya shinazugawa #genya x reader #kyojuro rengoku #kyojuro x reader #sanemi shinazugawa #sanemi x reader #mitsuri kanroji #mitsuri x reader

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Butterfly Estate Zine! Spoilers for later events in the manga, for anime-onlys.

…

…

…

…

Shinobu pressed her fingers against the coin, feeling the imprint of the hard edges on her skin. Even in the warm, spring sunlight, the metal felt cold. “Kanae gave this to you, right?” she asked, idly turning it over on her palm.

 Standing next to her, Kanao nodded her head slowly. “To help me decide,” she explained, a fond smile on her face. There was a hint of sorrow in her expression, something Shinobu saw in the mirror whenever she thought of her sister. It was less than it was yesterday, less than it was a year ago, and while it would be ever present, the pain had eased.

 Shinobu glanced at her younger sister. A chill breeze blew through, ruffling her hair and the butterfly clasp keeping her locks together. Would she wear a second one, when Shinobu died? A memento from both sisters? Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Shinobu closed her hand around the coin. “Despite how she acted, she always knew what to do.”

 Kanao clasped her hands in front of her, nodding. “She did.” Peeking up, she added shyly, “And so do you.”

“Do I?” Shinobu questioned, looking up at the Wisteria trees that bordered her estate. Their sickly-sweet scent lingered in the air, the purple blooms fluttering in the wind, and even after all this time, Shinobu couldn’t get used to their scent. She felt small and impermanent in comparison to the eternally blooming giants. The problem she faced was bigger than her, almost as old as the trees themselves.

 A part of her feared it would continue long after she was gone.

 A soft touch brought her out of her thoughts and she looked down to find Kanao’s hand wrapped around hers. In front of her, her sister uttered simply, “Yes.”

 For once, Kanao looked self-assured, no doubt colouring her voice. Shinobu swallowed. It was wrong of her to lean on Kanao so much, to need this confidence. Despite herself, she raised her other hand, sandwiching Kanao’s between hers. “I guess you’re right,” she finally said, keeping her voice from cracking.

 This settled it. Any reservations she had about her idea, Shinobu let go. Her time was limited. It had always been the case, ever since she’d picked up her sister’s sword. No, even before that, when her parents had died, when she’d taken the Master’s hand, her body trembling from fear. It was just more so now; she knew her expiration date better than most.

 Only, this wasn’t just revenge. It couldn’t be. Not when Kanao was standing in front of her, love and belief shining through her eyes.

 No, this was about protecting. About keeping her family, however small it was now, safe.

 “Thanks.” Shinobu pulled her hand free. The coin was still on her hand, heavy as ever.

 “Do you need to make a decision?” Kanao asked, her eyes flickering from the coin to Shinobu.

 “I guess. Heads, I’ll do it.” Shinobu flipped the coin, watching the bronze gleam in the sunlight. She already knew what side it’d land.

 Tomorrow, she’d talk to the Master about the Wisteria poison.

 -x-

 “AHHHH!” Tanjirou roared, his sword high in the air as he charged forward. Shinobu could almost see the rush of an incoming wave, the clash against the rocks when he struck. If Giyuu’s technique had the tranquility of a pond, Tanjirou’s was the aggressive stream coursing ever forward.

 And she was the water spider, gliding above it all. She jumped, flipping through the air and landing behind him. Unable to change his course or stop his momentum, Tanjirou crashed into one of the trees surrounding the training grounds. He rolled backwards, falling flat on his back.

 “Good effort,” she praised, tucking a lock behind her ear as she bent over him.

 “T-thanks,” he wheezed. He lay there and tried to catch his breath.

 “You’re getting better.” Shinobu lifted her right arm and inspected her uniform. Poking her finger through the hole he made, she chuckled. All this from a boy who just learned to keep his breathing constant. “You’re a quick learner.”

 Tanjirou’s eyes lit up and he sat up quickly. “Really?”

 “Really,” she nodded, humming her agreement.

 “G-great.” He’d moved too quickly, and his body struggled to keep him upright before giving up entirely. Falling flat on his back, he closed his eyes and sighed happily. “I can try again in a minute.”

 There was something utterly refreshing about his earnestness and honesty. It reminded her a little of Rengoku. Maybe she should have them meet properly after this. Sitting next to him on the cool, wet grass, she leaned back and enjoyed the cool breeze. “It’s fine, take your time.”

 “Thanks.” His breathing had yet to even out.

 Glancing over to her right, she observed their audience on the veranda. Hidden in the shade, Nezuko was watching them curiously, her pink eyes bright despite the gloom. Kiyo was sitting behind her, braiding her hair, while Sumi and Naho neatly folded their laundry. At first, they’d run away at the sight of her, but now, they looked almost too relaxed next to her.

 Nezuko. A demon that didn’t hunger. Shinobu’s eyes flicked back to the panting Tanjirou. “You’re going to kill Muzan for her,” she asked without thinking.

 Tanjirou’s eyes flew open and he stared at her in surprise.  “How…”

 She chuckled. “It’s not like you hide it.” Or, even if he tried, could hide it well. Tanjirou was far too frank for deception.

 “R-right.” Tanjirou gave a sheepish smile, his cheeks colouring a light red. No doubt he was remembering past declarations of Muzan’s death. He sat up slowly and waved to Nezuko. “It’s the only way to save her.”

 Shinobu imagined her expression was the same whenever she looked at Kanae—tender, soft, a little sad. Picking a strand of grass, she methodically tore it to pieces. “You could die.”

 “I won’t,” he replied immediately, filled with the confidence of youth. For a moment, she believed him. There was something in Tanjirou that she hadn’t seen in ages, a hopeful belief in the future mixed with a tragic understanding of the present.

 Perhaps Muzan could be defeated in her lifetime.

 Still, wishes didn’t make things so, and Shinobu tossed the grass pieces at him. “You could die,” she repeated firmly.

 Tanjirou looked at her now. Recognizing the seriousness of the question, he frowned, crossing his arms as he considered it. “I…” He lowered his eyes, taking a deep breath before offering a sad smile. “That doesn’t matter. Nezuko’s family; I have to try, no matter what.” Once more, he looked at his sister. “She’d do the same for me.”

 “That, I can understand.” Even now, she could smell the Wisteria, hear the click of her nail flipping the coin. Kanae’s blood had been so warm, her body so cold. There were things you did for family, no matter the cost, and she found herself looking for Kanao even though she wouldn’t be here. “There are some things more important than your life.”

 “Yeah.” Tanjirou nodded.

 Shinobu turned to him, sizing him up. He’d survived grief, managed to stand even when sorrow threatened to swallow him whole. Kanao would need someone like that when she died. Selfishly, she asked, “Would you be friends with Kanao?”

 His eager nod eased the load on her shoulders ever so slightly.

 -x-

 Sitting on the porch, Shinobu gently swirled the sake in her cup. It was a rare night she got to relax, to just sit here and admire the night sky. The moon hung low in the heavens, full and heavy, and the gentlest of breezes rustled through the grass.

 Behind her, quiet footsteps approached her and she smiled. “I thought you didn’t like drinking,” she teased, glancing over her shoulder as Giyuu stepped out into the moonlight.

 “I don’t,” he stated, slowly sitting down next to her. As usual, his blank expression and dry tone gave away nothing.

 “Could have fooled me,” she muttered, taking a sip. She wasn’t quite sure when this had started, this almost-habit of late-night drinking. At some point, he’d started joining her when she relaxed and watched the moon. At some point, she’d stopped minding it.

 “I don’t think anyone could fool you,” he answered bluntly, his eyes on the moon.

 She chuckled. For a man who didn’t know how to joke, he was constantly unintentionally funny. “No, I suppose not.” Her wits were the only thing that made up for her stature. Leaning forward, she smiled teasingly. “So did you miss my company or the view while you were away?”

 Giyuu’s brow furrowed, the only indication that he was frowning. He fell silent, more so than usual, and she hadn’t expected him to consider her question so seriously.

 Perhaps she should let him off easy this time. It had been a while since they’d last sat together like this and despite her attitude, she did enjoy his company. Somehow. It wouldn’t do to scare him away. “You don’t—”

 “Both,” Giyuu finally admitted.

 “—have to…” Shinobu trailed off, blinking as she processed his answer. Staring at him, she tried not to gape. “Both?”

 He merely nodded. Nothing about his straight back, the profile of his blank face, or even his hands, neatly tucked into the opposite arm’s sleeves, gave away his emotions.

 Both. Shinobu bit her lip, stopping herself from asking what exactly he meant by that. Did he like this quiet hour together too? Did he just miss the calm of it all? And would it be worth the frustrating hours of trying to pull the words from his lips?

 No, definitely not. Still, in a rare moment of honesty, she smiled into her cup. “Me too.”

 He glanced at her when she said that but still said nothing.

 She swirled her sake once more. The moon’s reflection rippled in the clear liquid. Butterflies danced in the nearby wisteria trees and even when she died, that scent would follow her to her grave. Taking advantage of the atmosphere, she asked, “Why did you spare Tanjirou and Nezuko?”

 From the corner of her eyes, she watched as he bit his lip, his frown growing deeper as he grappled with an answer. After a long silence punctuated only by the soft chirp of the cicadas, he finally answered, “She protected him.”

 “That was unusual for a demon,” she agreed. His expression was dark and she wondered if that reminded him of some incident in his past, some haunting memory he hadn’t finished wrestling with. For all her talk about becoming friends with demons, she would have killed Nezuko on the spot. Almost had, in fact, if not for the Master’s intervention.

 And now this unusual demon and her brother could be the very key to ending centuries worth of conflict. She set down her sake, no longer thirsty. “They’re going to come for her soon.” Shinobu could almost feel it. The new training, the Master’s changed tactics, everything was coming to a head.

 Her days were numbered. A year’s worth of poison had to be enough to bring the demon down. Tomorrow, or maybe the day after, she’d have to tell Kanao. She wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.

 “Yeah.” Giyuu nodded, finally looking at her. “We’ll be ready.”

 Shinobu raised a brow. “That’s surprisingly hopeful of you.” He didn’t say anything but she had a feeling it was Tanjirou’s influence.

 Something started changing after Tanjirou had arrived, and it wasn’t just the demons who’d transformed. She heard the quiet clink of a coin, saw gold flipping against the bright blue sky. The coin would land, the die set, and there was no time to say it but now. Fiddling with her sleeves, Shinobu asked quietly, “Could you take care of Kanao?” Impassive eyes stared at her and she smiled, giving nothing away. “If something happens,” she clarified.

 “No,” he answered just as bluntly as he normally did.

 “How cruel.” Shinobu sighed.

 “She has you,” Giyuu continued, as steady as a river, and for all the deaths they’d experienced, it seemed hers had never crossed his mind.

 Shinobu took pride in the compliment. She hoped it wouldn’t hurt him too much when he found out he was wrong. “She does.”

 There was a small gap between them, a space that had shrunk in the past years. She wondered if it would have disappeared in the coming months, if their fingers would have overlapped and thighs brushed one another.

 A question she’d never know the answer to. She felt sadder at that than she’d thought.

 -x-

 The demon’s strikes were harder than she’d expected. Shinobu lay on the wooden platform, gasping as she tried to breathe. Her ribs were cracked, a trickle of blood escaping her lips, and she barely had the energy to open her eyes, let alone grab her sword.

 No wonder he was an upper moon. He was far too strong, and she couldn’t kill him with her weapon.

 She’d hoped and hoped, but it seemed there was no wiggling out of her fate.

 Shinobu, Kanae stood by her head, her expression sad. You know what to do.

 Shinobu closed her eyes. Somewhere, a coin glinted in the sun, flipping through the air. Somewhere, the wisteria trees perfumed the air with their sticky, sweet scent. If she were honest, she’d made her decision long before that. The second she’d picked up her sister’s abandoned sword, rage swirling in her petite body, she’d known one way or another this was her destiny.

 Grabbing her sword, Shinobu took a deep breath. Maybe she should have closed that gap, reached over and grabbed Giyuu’s hand. Or prepared Kanao better, there were so many things she’d wanted to teach her.

 Damn it all, she thought she’d prepared herself for this, but there were so many things she wanted to do, to say. Her sister stared down at her and Shinobu hoped she wasn’t disappointed that she was going to die the same way she had.

 “Is that all?” Doma sighed, his voice grating her ears.

 “No,” she gritted out, forcing herself to stand.

 It was too late for regrets.

 The coin had landed heavily, the symbol digging into her skin. Heads, she had declared, her heart heavy with resignation. I guess I’ll do it.

 Shinobu raised her sword and charged.

#shinobu kochō #tomioka giyuu #kanao tsuyuri #kamado tanjirou #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #fanfic #giyushino #if you squint

[thatringboy]

Nezuko thought that she was going to pass out.

The air on the top of Mt Natagumo was much thinner than the air on her home mountain. That on top of her aching body made the young girl want to give up. She reminded herself that this was necessary to revert Tanjiro to his human state.

Hisa led her up the mountain a bit farther and stopped. By this time, the two had been climbing for hours and the sun had gone down. She turned to face Nezuko with a kind expression - not the one of a person who just ran for hours and then climbed a mountain in the same day.

“Alright, return to the bottom of the hill by daybreak and I will take you as my student. I will watch over your brother until you return.” She descended down the mountain at the same speed that she went up, leaving Nezuko in the evening light.

A heavy fog set in almost on cue. Nezuko wondered if this was a test of some sort.

Of course it is, why else would she be doing this? She wants to see if I’m truly dedicated to saving Tanjiro.

She brushed her hair out of her face with a smirk, being careful to not touch her wrists on anything. By this time the wounds had healed, but the thin layer of scabs and dried skin threatened to peel off at any second.

It reminded her of when Tanjiro first took on the responsibility of making charcoal to sell in town. He put his hands directly onto the burning coals and couldn’t move his fingers for a month. That was around the time that their mother was pregnant with Hanako and Rokuta couldn’t speak yet. Nezuko had to learn First Aid and how to make charcoal at the same time to pick up where Tanjiro’s clumsy mistake left off. She never minded and the scenario became a lighthearted memory in the Kamado household.

The memory gave Nezuko a shot of adrenaline. She sniffed the air and picked up the scent of Hisa. She could follow the scent down like a lit pathway. This would be easy!

She started down the slope at a run with a smile on her face. Trees whipped past her and the sleeves of her pink haori flew in the wind. Her lungs burned even more than before, but Nezuko didn’t mind at all. She was going to get to the base of Natagumo Mountain by dawn and nothing would stop her now.

She thought too soon. After a few minutes of a full sprint, Nezuko tripped on what she thought was a fallen tree branch and face planted into the dirt only to see a large log attached to a thick rope swing from the mist right where she had been standing.

Nezuko squealed and flattened herself to the forest floor to avoid the log. “Is she trying to kill me?!”

She glanced back and saw that she had tripped on a small rope that had been strung between the trunks of two trees. The rope and log smelled faintly of Hisa.

Did that old woman really set traps along the path? I guess having me run down a mountain isn't much of a test, but she didn’t look strong enough to hoist that log up. Then again, she didn’t seem strong enough to run for hours and here we are.

Once the log had vanished, Nezuko got back to her feet and continued her run. She could smell faint whiffs of Hisa all over the place and figured that the places where the scent was stronger would be where traps were laid. Of course, being able to smell the traps didn’t mean that Nezuko could dodge them all and found herself being hit by bamboo poles and falling into covered pits.

Little by little, Nezuko raced down the mountain knowing that not a single minute could be spared. Her joints hurt and small pebbles had become stuck to her wrists where she landed on the ground. They burned badly, but the wind from running soothed her pain a little bit. Her legs wanted to give out. Nethertheless, she pushed on. Instead, Nezuko focused on the words that Shinobu Kocho had told her.

“You are too weak! You were too weak to save your family and you were too weak to save your brother from his fate.”

Nezuko vowed to get stronger.

“Don't you dare show weakness to me! Women who do this get taken advantage of and killed! If groveling at the feet of death worked, then your family would still be alive!”

She swore to never appear helpless again.

“It is the right of the strong to trample out the weak and that is what sets us apart.”

She was determined to cross the gap and reach Shinobu’s level of strength one day.

“And it is my job as a Demon Slayer to eliminate all such monstrosities.”

Nezuko knew it down to her core that she would never let any else’s family suffer the fate of her own as long as there was life in her body. Life was precious and she vowed to protect it with every fiber of her being.

Flowers, Sounds and Stones on Ao3 by ThatRingBoy Chapter Three; Become The Flower

(basically I make a demon slayer role swap au if you guys wanna read it)

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #role swap au #nezuko kamado #tanjiro kamado #Hisa #my writing #fanfic #fanfiction #Ao3 #I’m posting snitbits of my own writing because I like to read my own stuff

[saintheartwing]

Demon Slayer: A Full Review

So! At long last, the excellent manga series Demon Slayer’s reached its end. I’m very sorry its over...I’m going to miss it, the same way I’m going to miss reading new “The Promised Neverland” every week or so. But with Kimetsu no Yaiba, also known as “Demon Slayer” finished, I can now dive in deep into the story and explain why its so good. Warning. 

SPOILERS.

Let’s begin with the basic plot. Tanjiro lives out in the woods with his mother and his brothers and sisters. His father, alas, passed on a few years back, now Tanjiro’s a primary breadwinner as oldest man in the house, and his sister Nezuko remains behind with the rest of his family one day as he goes into town to sell his wares. 

That night, it’s getting dark out. It isn’t safe to return home. Not because of bears or the like...but demons. So he stays the night at an old man’s house who talks about demons. Tanjiro doesn’t exactly fully buy into it, but...then the next day when he gets home, his family is slaughtered. It’s a horrifying scene. But...Nezuko is heavily injured, not dead. So he tries to carry her to town...only for her to turn into a demon as he’s trudging through the snow! And he can’t bring himself to hurt her. 

That’s when a demon slayer appears. The Water Pillar himself! He tells Tanjiro he has to kill his sister, she’s turned, she’s dead now, he’s not going to get her back. Tanjiro however, is able to impress the demon slayer with his skills, and when the demon slayer sees Nezuko trying to save her brother’s life...he realizes MAYBE there’s something special about her. 

And so Tanjiro sets out to find a way to cure Nezuko, becoming a demon slayer himself along with Zenitsu, the cowardly Breath of the Lightning user, and Inosuke, a youth raised in the wild who wears a wild boar’s head as a mask. The culprit who murdered his family? Muzan, who’s been alive for eons, who can change his appearance, and has incredible powers, and can convert other people into demons like him! Can Tanjiro defeat him? Can he save his sister? All this and more in...DEMON SLAYER!

The characters are what makes the story so engrossing. Tanjiro is a sweet, kind, compassionate sort. He recognizes that demons have to be defeated, but he recognizes that they too are victims as well, many of whom were FORCED into becoming what they are. The cycle of abuse is very prevalent in the story, many of both the good guys AND the villains are the way they are because of abuse. Zenitsu was always being put down and emotionally abused by his comrade in training, fellow compatriot of the Lightning Breath, whom he viewed as a brother and his mentor as a grandfather figure. The Snake Pillar was abused by his family, only raised to be eaten by a snake demon who enjoyed eating the infants of the family he belonged to, but who was keeping him alive because of his unique heterochromatic eyes. The Wind Pillar’s father was abusive to him and his brother, forcing him to become, when their dad died in the street in a drunken brawl, to become the head of the family and try and protect their mother...but then when the mother became a demon and a murderer, the Wind Pillar was left with an even bigger responsibility. Now with only his brother left and the rest of his family dead, he ALSO became abusive because of the additional responsibility heaped on him AND the pressure AND because he wanted his brother to stay as far away from his demon slayer life as possible, so he thought being overly harsh and ignoring him would make his brother give up and just leave him alone. Several of the “Moons”, the main enforcers of Muzan who are demons, endured horrible abuse when they were young and that abuse led them to lash out at the world and, in their desperation to get out from their horrible life...to become demons. Akaza was dirt poor, forced to steal to buy medicine for his dying dad, and nobody sympathized with him, instead just beating him for stealing and threatening to cut his limbs off. He loses his father...then, just when he finds another father figure at a dojo, and true love, and spends years training as a martial artist and growing closer to the two and becoming happy...they get poisoned by a rival dojo. Akaza’s world is shattered, he becomes a demon because everyone he wanted to help and protect...is gone. The cycle of violence and abuse is continued and he becomes the sort of bully and coward he once hated so much.

That cycle CAN be broken...but it takes concern for others, and love. It is the love of others, and the desire to want to do right by them that helps lift them out of that cycle, that redeems them in the end. 

That DOESN’T mean Tanjjiro won’t kill the demons. He has to, and often does. But when he can, he tries to be honorable about it, even to make it painless. He’s not a coward, nor cruel, and he’s totally devoted to his sister.

Nezuko, in turn, doesn’t speak much in the story because, to keep her from going wild with demonic power and eating humans, she has a “Seal” over her mouth. But she gets a lot across with her actions, like her dramatic refusal to drink blood or attack a Pillar that stabbed her earlier, even when he’s offering his bloody arm for her to sup on. Her gentle treatment of others, the way she can shift her size and tries to avoid fighting unless absolutely necessary speaks to a pacifistic but strong soul. 

And no, there’s no ass shots or breast shots of her. The clothing she wears covers that up completely. There’s no fanservice-y shots of her. I appreciated that. 

Zenisu is a cowardly moron, but has hidden talent within that can be awakened when he’s asleep. When he dozes off, its as if his inner warrior rises up, and with a single sweeping cut, he can slice through ANYTHING. He’s also a pervert, who likes letting women touch him, or touching women. Naturally, he gets beaten the hell out of for this. At the same time though, he’s portrayed as being very compassionate too. He KNEW Nezuko was a demon, just as Tanjiro has a superpowered sense of smell, HE has a superpowered sense of hearing, he could “hear” that Nezuko, (kept in a box that Tanjiro carries around because, as a demon now, she’d burn up in the sunlight), was a demon...but because Tanjiro’s so kind, and because Tanjiro said the box was more important than his life...Zenitsu lets Inosuke beat the living SHIT out of him just to defend the box. ANYTHING to keep Inosuke from hurting Nezuko inside it. He doesn’t even raise a fist to defend himself.

Inosuke, at first, starts off as a roughshod, rowdy jerk who, beneath that boar’s head mask, has a BEAUTIFUL, almost girly face. But it makes some sense, because he grew up without any family. No mother, no father, raised by boars, and only barely able to read because of the kindness of a few strangers whom he hung around their porch sometimes. Nevertheless, he’s got incredible raw power and skill and has a very strong code. He’s not emotionally open...but he when he DOES show it, his heart is on his sleeve and he’s able to cut right to the point. 

Tanjiro is a good straight man for these two rather rambunctious, ridiculous types. He’s also clearly the heart and moral compass of the group, and the story. He’s able to touch people, to reach out to them and connect to others by being earnest, compassionate, and down-to-earth. 

The story, aside from diving into themes of how terrible abuse is and how it affects people and how we should break free from it, also dives into “what makes a human being a human” as it looks at the sad lives of many of the demons. Is there anything human left of them? What does it mean to BE human? The demons are just as much victims as victimizers, they’re pitiable, pathetic creatures as Tanjiro insists. 

Another thing the story has for a theme is that family. Many of the main characters have unusual families, or else tragically LOST family members, and this impacted them heavily. The Flame Pillar’s father was a good, sweet, loving father until he lost his wife, and then he turned into a despondent drunk. He’s too angry at the world and also, himself, to cry when he hears his son is dead, but when he hears his son’s final words were for him to take care of his body...in essence, “please stop drinking, you’re better than that”, he can’t help but sob uncontrollably. Tanjiro’s family is tragically taken from him and that loss motivates him to become strong. Inosuke was raised by boars because, alas, his mother and father aren’t around...but not by choice for his mom. She was FORCED to drop him off a cliff into a river after writing his name onto his diaper because she was being chased by a demon and she couldn’t think of any other way for him to survive. Zenitsu was abandoned himself, his only family was his grandfather mentor figure, and his brother Kaigaku. Both of them were very harsh on him, but his “grandpa” did truly love him and wanted to bring out his potential, despite not being of flesh and blood, and Rui, the Spider Demon, who ended up killing his own parents when he became a demon, ends up creating demons to replace his parents and to make a “happy little family” because, deep down, he wants to be happy with his family again...but he no longer really remembers what it means for a family to have a true bond. It takes dying and seeing Tanjiro protecting his sister to remember it again. Not everyone has to be family by blood...family can come from anywhere. But at the same time, there’s a responsibility that does come from it...a responsibility to be decent. To be kind. To protect those you love, and to try and do right by them. 

In fact, the ONLY decent thing the Wind Pillar’s dad does...besides dying...is giving his wife company. She, becoming a demon, murdered her children. She can’t go to where they’re going...she’s going to Hell for that. And the Wind Pillar, on the verge of death, is happy to give her company. But...nope! His dad is there. It’s not time for his son to die yet. HE’S going to keep his wife company, punishment for his own sins and his own pathetic life. The Wind Pillar has to keep living...and stay strong. So he literally saves his son from slipping into Hell as a final act of remorse. The only good thing he did in life...or rather, after-life. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve Hell...but at least his final act was to try and do right by his son. And that does mean something.

So yeah, you should know this. The story is NOT afraid of death. It’s not uncommon at all for major supporting characters you’ve gotten to know very well to die. Quite a lot of them die. And I won’t give away any more spoilers beyond that. But..like, a LOOOOT of them die. A LOT a lot. Remember when I said the flame pillar tragically dies? He’s, like, the FIRST major death. Keep that in mind. He’s just the first indication that the manga’s willing to kill off its characters no matter how important or likable they are.

The villains of course are very memorable in their own ways. Some of them are just incredibly powerful swordsmen, others have magical abilities, and others are just so raw-powerful with their martial arts they’re a force to be reckoned with. And their leader exemplifies another theme of the story...that of selfishness and the disregard for life. Muzan is a selfish, egotistical, thinks-himself-perfect type who only desires to conquer the sun to be truly perfect. He’s insanely powerful, has NO value for human life or even much demon life, is manipulative, abusive, cruel, capricious, and quite sadistic. He’s like a baby, everything has to be HIS way and if he doesn’t get it, he throws a temper tantrum. 

It’s a bit of irony. When he was born, he was born dead. They were about to burn his body when he started crying, coming back to life. So in essence, EVERYTHING he’s done can be boiled back to that. It’s all about just staying alive and f-k the consequences for anyone else or really, EVERYONE else. He doesn’t care how he does it. And he’s killed COUNTLESS people over the years. 

So who leads the Demon Hunters to oppose Muzan’s Twelve Moons?  Kagaya Ubuyashiki. He’s got a lovely wife and...creepy kids.  Kagaya Ubuyashiki, tragically...can’t fight. He can’t even swing a sword properly. He tried, but he’s terrible at it. All he has is his money, his cunning, his wisdom, his MIND. He’s the brains behind their organization...and he’s also been blind for years. He’s slowly dying, in fact, which everyone’s aware of in the Demon Hunters. He’s not a king though on the board, he’s a pawn too, and he’s perfectly willing to kill himself if it means he’d hurt Muzan at all. And on top of that, he’s memorized every single name of every single individual who joined the Demon Hunters. It’s the least he could do. 

But I know what some of you are wondering. “Are there any...problematic elements in the story?” 

Well, several of the characters talk about being stuck in slavery, but its portrayed as clearly a disgusting practice, and society is viewed in the wrong for its horrible treatment of the poor. A magistrate angrily yells at one character to just get a f--king job instead of stealing, ignoring the fact that the medicine the character has to buy for his sick father is INCREDIBLY expensive, he can’t just go out and GET a job, nobody would hire a violent kid like him, and he’s desperate. Many girls are forced to be prostitutes just to get by, and it’s a somber thing, portrayed as a tragedy that they’re often at the whims of abusive johns or women who own the whorehouses they work at. 

There is also some clear bigotry against the demons from the Pillars, but this makes some sense. They’re supposed to fight and kill demons, and the overwhelming majority kill and eat humans, often very cruelly, so if you’re exposed to that type of being constantly and never see any demons being kind or decent, you’d think ALL of them were like that. For them, the human inside died when they turned into a demon, you shouldn’t pity them. But as Tanjiro says, that’s the wrong way to look at it. 

There’s also two demons that are friendly, “nice” demons. Tamayo and her assistant, Yushiro. Tamayo is an expert doctor and chemist, who seeks to try and help Tanjiro return Nezuko back to being a human, and she opposes Muzan. Tamayo was one of the first people Muzan converted and she was also a victim of his manipulative behavior. She was dying from a disease, all she wanted was to see her children grow up, and Muzan said sure, he’d cure her, all she had to do was drink his blood. Well, she did...and she became a demon and killed her family and a host of other people, and regretted it ever since. Since then, she’s sought a way to defeat Muzan...to kill him! It’s difficult though. You can’t cut off his head, his body is too strange. But the sun? The SUN can kill him, the same way it can kill other demons, who dissolve away in the sun. With her and her assistant Yushiro, the Demon Slayers finally have a way to beat Muzan.

Also, the anime is really gorgeous as well. I highly recommend it AND the manga. So anyway, the story’s great, check it out if you can. 

#demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #manga #anime #review #spoilers

[mizukixtsukiyomi]

Could you do a scenario revolving around Muzan Kibutsuji?? (Kimetsu no Yaiba) and how you think his first meeting with Kagome would go? Please and thank you

Tilting her head to the side, strands of her black hair swayed to the left. Blue eyes blinked as she saw the young female demon sitting on the wooden bench outside an udon stall mimic her movements and follow the tilt of her head. A smile decorated the priestess’s lips which gifted her one back from the young black haired girl with an orange ombre tint.

“Kagome-san! Careful, the udon is hot!”

Turning her head to the right, Kagome blinked out of her observation on the demon before standing up from her squat. “Ah, thank you, Tanjirou-kun.” She took in the bowl of udon in her hands before sitting down on the wooden bench in front of theirs. “Are you sure it’s okay...? I can pay for my food-”.

“No, no!” Tanjirou smiled, shaking his head. “It’s the least I can do when an outsider saved my sister.”

Kagome’s eyes landed back on the said demon. Fate had her whole life planned out from the start. She believed her role was done when Naraku was finished, but when she went back down the well, she found herself in the Tashio era. And worst part? Something in the air did not suit well with her. She arrived and her stomach churned.

The gut feeling continued to pound her until she fell unconscious a few feet away from the well. Next thing she knew, she had woken up in a house with a female doctor. But immediately, Kagome had sensed the auras of the young beautiful woman dressed in a kimono and the boy with teal hair standing behind her.

Demons.

At first, she believed with time demons acclimated to the eras and blended with humans. But that was not the case when the said female doctor she later learned to be, Tamayo, asked her what she was. It was not a question of ‘who’ but of ‘what’.

Her heart clenched the moment Tamayo explained the ongoing war against the demon even demons themselves feared. A demon causing disruption in the night. A man who had placed curses on his own kind, but the ultimate goal of his yet to be known. Whatever the case was with this demon, Kagome feared it was Naraku. There was something in the air that gave her tinge it was him.

Something was here.

“Asakusa is quiet scary.” Tanjirou sheepishly laughed, lowering his chopsticks down to his bowl. “I have never to a city like this!”

“Really?” Kagome’s shoulders relaxed. Looking at the said city, Kagome took in the sights of a vintage Asakusa as they sat in a park and away from the bustle. Nothing to what she recognized from her modern era. The bustling of new cars, electricity, and the mix of western clothing and their traditions awed her. Nothing like the feudal era either. A small smile returned to her lips. “It is...different.”

“I do want to thank you again, Kagome-san.”

Her eyes glided back to the demon slayer.

“Many would fear my sister, Nezuko, because of what she...is, but you helped her find shade. The sun is-”.

“Deadly to them.” Kagome finished. She nodded as she took a look at Nezuko who quietly moved her legs back and forth on the bench. “I was told about the demons of this era. Looks like with time they have also changed...”.

“Huh?” Tanjirou tilted his head.

“N-Nothing!” Kagome laughed. “I’m just glad she is safe.” Although, the question continued to pester her. Looking at the siblings before her, she wondered. “How...?” She whispered, although she knew the question was caught by Tanjirou. “Excuse me if the question is rude, but how is it that you have a demon sister?”

Shoulders dropping, Tanjirou took a look at Nezuko from the corner of his eyes before his view dropped back on the udon. “A certain demon turned her into this. It was the night my entire family was killed...”. A soft smile graced his lips, “Nezuko was the only one who survived that night.”

Pupils widening, Kagome looked back and forth from the girl to the boy. Killed his entire family? Was it-?

A crash of ceramic jolted her out to see Tanjirou’s bowl on the floor. Both food and bowl mixed into pieces as the broth puddled below. “Tanjirou-kun...?” Looking up, Kagome noticed his horrified expression. Both she and Nezuko watched as Tanjirou’s attention was pulled to the center of the city. Kagome carefully set her bowl to her side. Something did not sit well with her.

“Kagome-san...”.

She blinked at the call of her name.

“Please take care of Nezuko.”

“Eh?” Before she could question him, Kagome watched as he sprinted off towards the city. “W-Wait! Tanjirou-kun! Tanjirou-kun!” Left standing and confused, Kagome looked back down towards Nezuko to see her worried. Nezuko’s eyes remained glued on Tanjirou’s back as he disappeared into the blinding lights of Asakusa. Kagome exhaled as she turned to sit next to the young demon.

A cold and ominous wave reached her, freezing her before she could sit. Kagome’s head slowly turned to the direction Tanjirou has ran to.

This was...Naraku’s aura.

Lips quivered and palms began to sweat. Her body felt heavy with the fear. There was no way that could have been Naraku. There was no way. She had defeated him. She did it with her own hands. Purified him into nothingness.

A tug at her light yukata caught her attention. Looking down, Kagome noticed Nezuko giving her the same concern before noticing the girl’s finger was pointing towards the city. “You want me to go after your brother?”

Nezuko nodded.

Looking back at the city, Kagome felt the strings of fright keeping her in place. But staying in one place was not going to get her the confirmation she needed. If Tamayo said was true about this demon, then she needed to know herself.

See it with her own eyes.

Patting Nezuko on the head, Kagome smiled and ran.

Kagome paced her run following Tanjirou’s aura. Her fear multiplied the closer she got to Tanjirou’s aura, but the closer she got, the intensity of Naraku’s aura grew. Were both of them together? Pushing through the crowd, Kagome caught sight of the teal and black squared pattern haori. “Tanjirou-kun-!”

Kagome’s entire body immediately froze; red eyes locked in with her blue.

“Kagome-san...?” Looking over his shoulder, Tanjirou’s body was taken down by the push of two auras clashing in the air. The pressure in the air locked him to down to one knee. The scent of rage engulfed his entire senses before seeing the demon’s hatred painted clearly on his face. This was the demon that had turned his sister into a demon. This was the demon who had caused nothing but turmoil and anguish for him and for many. 

Kibutsuji Muzan.

“You...”. Kagome’s voice cracked under the boiling anger she caught. There was no mistake her aura immediately sparked the moment she made eye contact with the demon holding the human child in his arms. A demon dressed in a black and white suit blending in with society, but the sins he stacked could not be hidden from her.

Muzan’s eyes narrowed darkly. The blood inside of him continued to boil. That was the girl. The person he had felt arrive a few days ago in Asakusa. That was the reason he had come. His entire being shook a few days ago and it angered him.

But he didn’t know why.

But something about this girl had him exasperated. Claws slowly emerged from his shortened nails.

Kagome quickly pulled Tanjirou back up on his feet and pushed him behind her before setting a pink barrier in front of them.

Tanjirou watched the claws of the demon graze above the pink barrier before smoke danced in the air. But both actions occurred in a blink of an eye. The audience around them had not caught the millisecond of kill that transpired before them. Both Kagome and Muzan at each other’s throat without a word. Checking on the girl in his arms, Tanjirou noticed her calm. She definitely did not see a thing.

“Who are you?” Muzan’s voice threatened.

Kagome’s eyes thinned into a glare of her own. “I think you know”.

#scenario 816 #kagomeinteractions #muzan kibutsuji #kamado tanjirou #kimetsu no yaiba #kagome higurashi #scenarios #fanfiction #anime #crossover

[rirururu]

Happy birthday, Zenitsu! o(*≧□≦)o

I’m so happy I got this prompt because it’s an excuse to write something for Zenitsu’s birthday. Here is my next TanZen fanfic to help celebrate.

WARNING: There are manga spoilers in this one!

Click here for ao3 version or go to “Keep Reading.”

“Tomorrow’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

Zenitsu looks up from where he nearly collapsed on the ground, ropes tied tightly around his shoulders. With each step he took, the boulder he carried left a trough in the dirt. At the top of said rock sat the very figure who asked. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“We should celebrate-” The old man cuts himself off in exchange for whipping out his stick and landing a solid blow to the back of the black-haired boy’s knees. He yelped abhorrently. “Legs straight! I’m not getting any younger, Zenitsu! We still have a mile left to go before we reach home!”

Well that just right pissed Zenitsu off. “GRAMPS…! Before you talk about celebrating, why don’t you consider my health for a second?! This training is hell! I’m living in hell on earth. I’m thirsty and hungry. I feel my life flashing before my eyes! I won’t LIVE UNTIL TOMORROW AT THIS RATE, and you’re asking me to think about my birthday?!”

And there goes another whack this time on top of a dark nest of hair. “If this level of training is enough to kill you then you’re better off dying now rather than on the battle field.”

“SO MEAN…! WHAT THE HELL, GRAMPS?!”

“STOP CALLING ME GRAMPS!”

They do make it home without anyone dying, much to Kuwajima’s approval and Zenitsu’s horror that this only meant his inevitable end would be even more gruesome. Both retire for the night without his birthday being mentioned again. Zenitsu thought that was the end of that topic. But when he woke up bright and early out of habit for his morning training, adorning a plain blue haori, he ends up nearly kneeling over when what awaited him on their tiny tatami mat isn’t a wooden sword but a cake brightened up by peace slices on a low table.

Zenitsu gaps. Kuwajima grins, patting the spot next to him. “Come eat your treat, boy! I spent all morning preparing it and I’ll be damned if we leave this room without singing a happy birthday for you. Don’t forget the wish and gifts. That’s the most important part!” Before he can even react, Gramps whips out something from behind his back.

It’s a haori, one matching the old man’s very own with triangles decorating it in patterns but in a shade of bright yellow.

“G-Gramps…” He’s speechless. He’s utterly speechless and doesn’t know what to do without himself when he feels that familiar sting behind his eyes that indicate tears. However, his old man answers that question for him when he stands. Kuwajima struggles a little, whether physically or mentally, to wrap his arms around the taller and sobbing child.

Zenitsu knows it’s stupid but in that moment, he’s happy. Gramps always had the sound of a crackling fireplace. It was rustic and old but still strong.

“There, there, Zenitsu.” Wrinkled fingers pat his back. “What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing…!” What he doesn’t say remains in his head; that his memory can’t even go back far enough to when he was able to sit at a table and eat cake with family. The best that living on the streets could offer was a small leftover loaf of bread handed to him by bakery owners out of pity. The most comfort as an orphan that he got came from the neighborhood stray cats. For the life of him, Zenitsu can’t remember the last time anyone sang happy birthday for him.

Kuwajima senses the mood. He isn’t pleased at his student’s sworn silence but doesn’t push it. Instead, the old man opts to distance himself from the blond enough away to give him a right threatening glare. “Boy, you better promise me something.”

“What is it…?”

“Promise me that you’ll never celebrate your birthday alone anymore.”

“What are you talking about, Gramps…?” Zenitsu lets out a little giggle past the tears. He quickly wipes them, breathing his snot back in ungracefully. No matter how much he complains, he likes listening to that fireplace. “That’s not necessary at all! I have you.”

His Gramps hums, smiling in a way that the Zenitsu from back then didn’t know held any sadness. “True. I suppose that you do.”

Looking back on it, Zenitsu wonders if his old man knew what was going to happen. He wouldn’t be surprised if he did. Kuwajima’s biggest weakness was his gullible heart and kind sound that took in any stray that he saw potential in. He dedicated his life to them. Zenitsu never met someone as giving and sacrificial as his Gramps. Otherwise, the old thunder pillar was sharp as a blade and strong as a strike of lightning.

“Tomorrow’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

Gramps…? He shoots his head up from where it was staring silently at his rice bowl. But the image of his gramps, proudly seated on a rock is nowhere to be found. The vision fades, and what he sees instead are the gentle amber eyes of Tanjirou. “H-Huh…?”

Tanjirou hums. And when his next words echo exactly as Kuwajima’s, Zenitsu feels a tinge of pain behind his eyes. “We should celebrate.”

The blond gulps his food down, sighing. It was a coincidence. He was paranoid. He was just thinking too much about it. “What did you have in mind?” He says it but doesn’t sound so much excited more than tired.

“We didn’t have any time to prepare since we just got back from a mission.” Tanjirou notices the lackluster mood but smiles anyway, trying to life the air. “But I’ve done this for my brothers and sisters before. I don’t mind getting up early tomorrow to bake a cake. Inosuke could go into town and buy some candles. I’ll even ask Nezuko to set the table! We could sit around it and sing happy birthday. Don’t forget the wish and gifts, too! That’s the most important part.”

All of a sudden, Zenitsu felt sick to his stomach.

“Don’t.”

The sound of Tanjirou snaps nearly shut, lowering into a tirade of sadness. He feels horrible, especially when good and kind-hearted Tanjirou looked so delighted at the prospect of celebrating someone else’s birthday. He’s a good guy, an idiot, but a really good person. At this moment, though? Zenitsu couldn’t explain that lurch in his gut as anything but a burning desire to see his Gramps again. “I have plans to go somewhere tomorrow.”

His friend tilts his head. Rather than leave it at that though, Tanjirou huffs in a pout. He slams his chopsticks down on the counter, not even flinching when Inosuke silently steals another stick of tempura from his plate. Indignant is what he sounds like, and Zenitsu doesn’t know whether to be grateful or frustrated at the melody. “Great. We’ll all come with you.”

“Thanks, Tanjirou, really.” They’re words that he’s said to him twice now. Perhaps if Zenitsu repeated them, he’d know when to take a hint. “But this is something that I have to do on my own.”

Rather than relent like before though, the sun breather does the unthinkable and increases the intensity of his worry tenfold. His pout now transcends into concerned anger. “Oh no. Not this time, Zenitsu! I know sometimes that you have to do things on your own. I let you go before but there’s no way I’m letting you celebrate your birthday alon-”

“I won’t be alone.” Zenitsu snaps before Tanjirou can finish his sentence. Despite the front though, the only word that’s running through his mind is similar. What Tanjirou was spouting was much too similar to his Gramps and he couldn’t stomach hearing the rest of his statement. The other seemed crushed, so Zenitsu reassures him. “I promise.”

Given, buying two cheap pastries at the local market and laying one in front of a gravestone wasn’t exactly not being alone either. Knees on the concrete and the rest of his body seated on top of his calves, Zenitsu held both hands together in prayer. “Hey, Gramps. How have you been?”

He doesn’t get a reply, of course.

“I’ve been practicing seventh form more. I think I’m getting the hang of controlling it better.”

“I tried that red-bean mochi from the vendor that you really like for the first time ever. It’s all right, I guess. The paste is a little dry and too sweet though. I can see why you kept raving over the texture. It was perfect. But you still made it better.”

There’s a weight in his heart. He doesn’t know what it is.

“So get this…! The other day, I saw Tanjirou walking by and holding his sword really funny. I ask him what happened, and he has the nerve to tell me that he chipped it! He needs to stop doing that! Did no one teach him how to handle a blade so it wouldn’t break? You’d have my head if I ever so much as dented my sword, Gramps. You said so yourself! And you know what? I haven’t broken it once. Maybe that hellish training was worth it.”

He’s rambling. Zenitsu knows he’s rambling. It’s a hot autumn afternoon and the icing on the pastry is already melted into a sticky mess. It’d be gross to eat it now. Still, the blond takes the tiny confectionary in one hand and stuffs the entire thing in his mouth like it’s his last food source. The sun is beginning to set but he doesn’t feel ready to leave.

Maybe he fell asleep at some point in that position. Maybe he was too up in his head space to notice, but it isn’t until there’s a soft gasp from behind him that Zenitsu whips around in surprise. It’s Tanjirou. Crate carefully held between two arms, eyes trail the gravestone in silent and horrified realization. He’s quick to apologize. “I-I’m so sorry, Zenitsu. I followed your scent here. I didn’t know.”

Rain, there’s rain in his soul. Tanjirou is upset- what, he shouldn’t be feeling that way! Stop it! Stop it right now! I should be the one who’s upset around here!

But the fact of the matter was that Zenitsu wasn’t. He doesn’t feel embarrassed or even angry at being caught, but weirdly relieved at seeing him. He shoots out of his spot, that heaviness in his heart dissipating the slightest. He’s quick to grab the boy’s cheek and pinch it out, anything to get rid of that sad expression. “Yeah right, you didn’t know…! I told you that I had to do this on my own, yet you followed me here anyway?! I know you’re worried but that’s just STUBBORN! You’re a stubborn idiot, Tanjirou! I’m sure of it!”

The other cringes, feeling ashamed. He manages to mumble past his stretched left cheek. “I am.”

“SAY IT…!”

“I am a stubborn idiot.”

“GOOD.” Zenitsu finally lets him go, but Tanjirou doesn’t seem any happier. On the contrary, one listen to his music is all it takes for him to decipher that the brunet is close to tears. “H-Hey…! Why are you crying? Cut that out. I’m not mad at you!”

“You should be, I think.” What kind of response was that? The blond didn’t understand, so Tanjirou hurries to wipe his wet eyes but to no avail. More water simply forms. “Because even though I apologized and would agree I shouldn’t have come, I don’t regret it at all. I’m so glad that I did. I would do it again.”

“HAH…?!” Okay, now Zenitsu was mad. “No, that’s definitely not what you should say! Besides, it’s just a dumb birthday. There’s nothing to get all emotional over! You should turn back around now, admit the error of your ways, and never do it again! That’s how responsible adults handle making a mistake, Tanjirou. Just do that and I assure you that I’ll forgive you!”

“No.” Tanjirou puffed out his cheeks. It looked ridiculous combined with the tear tracks on his face.

“ARGH…!” All he could do was screech in response. “I DON’T GET IT…! You’re impossible! You’re a child! I don’t understand you at all! Why on earth are you like this?! I can feel ten years being shaved off of my life span-!”

“Zenitsu.” It’s amazing how much that name being uttered from this one person managed to make the blond take pause. Tanjirou doesn’t look any more willing to admit defeat. He’s still indignant, practically yelling his words like he was trying to personally attack Zenitsu with them. “I- WE’RE ALL HAPPY TO HAVE MET YOU! That’s why your birthday isn’t dumb! Don’t call it that, please!”

“Did you just say please?! Oh my god, you’re so bad at this arguing thing!”

“I’m not good at being angry with people I care about. Does it matter how well I do anyway?! What’s important is that I get my point across and you know how much you mean to me!”

“WHA-?!” His cheeks burn red. “Y-You don’t mean that!” Zenitsu knows he does.

“I do! If you weren’t born… if you weren’t here, so many of us wouldn’t be where we are today. You don’t have to celebrate by yourself anymore. You have me. You have Inosuke. You have Nezuko too. Genya and Kanao would gladly join in. All of the other pillars would wish you well. I’m glad I came because then I can tell you this.”

There it was again. Those words hurt in a way that wasn’t necessarily bad. And past his vision, he can hear the slightest hint of a crackling fireplace around them. Gramps…? When Tanjirou offers the box in his hands, the addressed accepts it. Golden eyes peer at him in question but all his friend does as any form of explanation is wipe at his wet face again and smile.

“Happy Birthday.”

Zenitsu opens the box. It’s a homemade cake decorated with peach slices.

Oh.

Oh.

Tanjirou, you idiot…!

You win this time.

Taking the victory that they both knew he had in stride, Tanjirou holds out a hand in offering. The tears still aren’t quite gone from his amber eyes. Yet, his melody is serene. “Let’s return and eat it together with everyone.”

Zenitsu reaches out to take that hand, and gasps when he feels the gentlest nudge pushing him forward.

Go, boy.

He turns around but no one is there.

#kimetsu no yaiba #kny #agatsuma zenitsu #kamado tanjirou #zentan #tanzen #otp prompts #don't make fun of me ;-; #and my obscure ships #my stuff #fanfic

[fictionerd]

Good to see you, friends!

Please merciful gods... if any are listening, let me get caught up today. The sooner I can get on a proper schedule the better off I’ll be. Having a single show per day to write about would be great. Pretty please.

If you want it so badly quit praying and get synopsizing already I have some frustrations to vent. 

Full agreement. Less invoking higher powers and more talking about the show. Last time we had a god-thing visit the library it did NOT go well.

Don’t you have the thing suspended in a giant tube full of glowy green liquid powering something in your workshop?

Yes, but the damn thing nearly tore a hole in the library and all but ripped off one of your wings in the process. Remember that?

Yeah... yeah point taken. No more invocations. Time to talk about Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Synopsis: Our hero is the kid who looks horrified in the eyecatch. His name is Tanjiro, and his life is about to be fucked sideways by Murphy’s law.

Tanjiro lives alone on a mountain with his mother and FIVE siblings. Their dad apparently passed away sometime before the series began. One thing I can tell about Tanjiro is that he’s apparently spec’d into every Charisma skill he can. Dude’s a people magnet and seems to be an all-around nice guy. 

One day Tanjiro takes a load of Charcoal into town to sell. There he’s shown to be rather well liked and trusted, as stated above. On his way home, however, he’s stopped by some old dude and told not to go all the way home because it’s dangerous. He’s all like, “Nah, it’s cool my passive perception is BEAST”

“Get your ass in my shack, kid. There’s demons about what’ll use you for bubblegum and the last thing I need in my nightmares is the image of your face stretched over three feet of bubble yum.”

So Tanjiro, being the people person he is, obliges the old man. He wrangles a free meal out of the deal and quietly goes to sleep. He is rewarded for this by getting home the next day to find his entire family torn apart like a bunch of poorly-guarded pinatas at a five-year-old’s birthday party. He, naturally, fails his will save and freaks the FUCK out. However, it seems that not all the eldest of his younger siblings (That was a sentence) is still alive! 

Our hero does what any good TTRPG hero would do in his situation: Grabs his sister and starts booking it in the direction of town looking for a doctor. All’s going well until his GM rolls some dice behind the screen and winces.

So his sister has gone demon. Show of hands who’s suprised? Ah, no one it seems. You must have read the series synopsis same as I. That’d be why I’m leaning into the D&D metaphor so hard here. I need to do SOMETHING to differentiate this bit.

So Tanjiro is keeping it cool. He’s just barely making the strength checks he needs to keep his now demonic sister from using his intestines as sausage casings when the GM does another hidden luck roll and sends in a demon hunter to save his ass. 

Of course Tanjiro is kinda partial to keeping his sister alive, demon or not.. TJ is absolutely no match for the big-dick demon hunter, so he leans into his Persuasion checks and manages to sway the demon hunter just enough to piss him off. Hunts McGee tries to give TJ the “Hard Truths” of the whole demon biz, and taking cues from the NPC TJ goes for complicated set of bluffing tactics to try and catch the guy off guard and save his sister. These ALMOST succeed in decapitating the Demon hunter and ACTUALLY succeed at getting Demon-Sis free. The GM decides to offer one last out and rolls a final luck check... Which resolves OVERWHELMINGLY in TJ’s favor. Demon-Sis, instead of chowing on his face, Turns and starts protecting him from Hunts McGee. 

The GM decides to roll with this as the plotline and tells TJ to go seek out a new NPC who might have a lead on how to heal his sister’s demonitis.

Aria’s Thoughts: I REALLY didn’t like the demon hunter’s “Only the mighty have a chance at success” schtick. He might be right to one degree or another, but COME ON, dude. The kid’s just had the worst day of his life. He’s seen his entire family turned into hamburger helper. He nearly got eaten by his sister. YOU showed up and threatened to kill her. If I were “TJ” as Fic has named him I’m pretty sure I’d be fucked up to the point of begging too. That or so pissed I tore his throat out myself before using the knowledge he just gave me to join my sister in Demon-hood. Could go either way personally.

Do we need to talk about some shit, Aria?

I’m being realistic here. It’s not like the Demons are particularly evil. At the very least Nezuko (Whose name you never said btw) just seemed to be hungry. Also, before Justine can bring it up: Yeah I know that the Demon Hunter was just testing TJ. They did a decent job making it clear that was the case, but still fuck the whole “Only the strong survive” bullshit.

Justine’s Thoughts: This was a fantastic show. Despite hand-drawn characters being placed in at least partially CG backgrounds nothing seemed too out of place. I do have questions what time period this is supposed to be taking place in since the town they showed in this episode appeared to have power lines. As far as atmosphere goes, however, the episode did a great job delivering. They telegraph the shift in tone hard, but it doesn’t feel forced. The way the music shifts when Tanjiro discovers what’s left of his family struck some mainline of emotional resonance and really sold the moment. Personally I’m looking forward to more. Can we just go watch some more? Like right now?

Actually yeah. We’re a week behind on this one so it’s double feature time.

Oh, sweet. To be continued, folks.

See you in a bit!

#Anime #Let's Talk Anime #Kimetsu no Yaiba #Blade of Demon Destruction #Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba #Demon Slayer #Fictionerd #Aria White #Justine Beacon #In-Character #Spring Anime Season

[drink-n-watch]

  Alright, I think we can make it official, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is really an exceptional horror-action anime. Whatever else it may be. Man, this episode made my skin crawl, all puns intended. We are going to get into all the creepy, dreadful and just plain sad details of episode 16 in just a bit. So you know, spoilers and all that. But First, Hi Crow! It’s been a rough week all around I think. How have you been?

  Oh! I’m bold this week. Good to know… Yes, it’s been a rough week. Nothing compared to what others have gone through, certainly. But, strangely enough who writes for hours each day, I still can’t talk about it. It’s good to have something like this to focus on. So, buoyed by Inosuke’s excellent use of powers in the last episode, let’s dive in!

  are you sure? there’s spiders…

I have been in a bit of a daze so the few seconds recapping episode 15 were actually pretty welcomed, and it was all I needed to get me right back on track. Inosuke and Tanjiro are in a creepy spider filled forest, tracking down a demon that uses spider webs to manipulate people like puppets. All the while, Zenitsu having been left behind is trying to track them down, mostly to get Nezuko back and then get out of there.

Right off the bat, we get to see the injured Demon Slayer Murata show us how he earned his place in the corp by stepping up and offering to cover Tanjiro and Inosuke’s retreat, buying them some time to get away from the possessed slayers. Because they’ve essentially given the main cast super powers, it’s easy to forget that all corp members are exceptional. No one survives the final trial by luck. I was cheering Murata on (even remembered his name and all!)

I almost cheered for Murata-san! Fear can overcome any of us. What’s important is how we react. Murata took courage from Tanjiro and (though he likely wouldn’t admit it!) from Inosuke, and he was ready to get back into the fight. He was better armed, now, too — with knowledge! He knew why his comrades were attacking him, and he knew how to counter them.

he looks a little like Levi

Pretty soon, our two heroes make it to a second wave of entangled slayers and this is where things go from creepy to gut-wrenching. The sheer amount of psychological and emotional trauma on that girl’s face, having been forced to murder her comrades by her own sword, her own body mangled in the process. The few slayers still alive made to move through excruciating pain on completely broken bodies. I have seen a lot of bleak anime but this was hard to watch even for me. 

The contrast with Inosuke’s carelessness (thankfully toned way down) and the occasional almost funny action moments, made it all the more horrific to watch. As if puppets weren’t disturbing enough already.

it was a lot rougher in the moment

What hit me hardest was that she hadn’t given up. She was still in the fight, even though the webs controller her every motion. The only thing she knew to do was beg Tanjiro and Inosuke to flee and bring back more powerful Demon Slayers. Her desperation hurt, and her continued bravery made it even worse.

I had speculated last week that they may be some happy demon family that just wants to live in peace. Well, we got our first clue that I was wrong about the happy part. A point that’s going to get gracelessly hammered in later on. Still, this first scene of the younger demon boy we saw last week (apparently named Rui), coldly scolding his mother for taking too much time to eliminate the intruders and threatening to tell his father as the woman completely panics, added yet another layer of unsettling. What did you think of that scene Crow? 

 I went from wanting Inosuke and Tanjiro to put her down to wanting to protect her! Did you see the look of panting terror on her face after Rui walked away? You mentioned last week how the design of her face used colors and designs that were at once beautiful and terrifying. Now, combined with her fear, the whole experience was surreal. At this point, she’s acting purely out of terror.

That was an awesome moment!

you don’t hear monsters say that too often

I guess the show figured we needed a little breather at this point because we cut o a crying Zenitsu in the forest calling out specifically for Nezuko. Even though he’s doing his usual whiny coward schtick, it’s subdued. I liked it this week, as I did last week for that matter of fact. He’s grateful his sparrow comes back for him and so far, despite it all, he’s not running away. 

When we meet up with Tanjiro and Inosuke, they’ve figured but how to incapacitate the victims without killing them. Get the threads tangled up in threes. Simple but smart! I liked that solution. Unfortunately, this does nothing but push the already distressed demon to panic furter and she twists all the slayers necks in desperation. 

My notes at this point simply say, when Tanjiro gets mad, even Inosuke gets quiet.

I also don’t know what to say

The anger of a gentle man… And yeah, Inosuke was quiet. Not sure if he just sensed that was a good idea, or if he couldn’t speak.

At first, I was all like “Look how excited Insouke is! He loved the idea of tossing everyone into the trees so the webs would get tangled!” Then, as you said, the demon twisted all their necks and killed them.

There’s something about seeing something horrific when you’re in the middle of something frothy that makes the horror even more penetrating.

concise

Without time to mourn, the demon unleashes her strongest “doll”, which appears to be a large headless demon body. I’m not exactly sure what made this thing stronger than the slayers other than it being bigger (and implied that the skin was thicker). Since the same demon has been physically controlling all of them, we can assume they all have the same sword skills. They mention something about the threads getting thicker and stronger the closest you get to her (good explanation), but they’re more or less at the same place as the last batch of slayers they fought. 

Maybe physics has the answer? The demon’s joints were more powerful than the humans’. Too much pressure and striking strength had shattered the bones in the humans. With the demon, it had a tougher frame. It made more sense before I wrote it down…

turns out I managed to avoid taking a pic of the guy

Anyways details. It’s a good excuse for some of that trademark gorgeous animation, and I’ll take it. This said, for me, the grimness of fighting was is a very dead headless corpse only enhanced how sad the situation was for all the victims.

The story slowly built the horror and unleashed it in that fight. Very well done!

Possibly to mirror this serious turn we go back to Zenitsu, for just a moment, and there is a second while hearing a disturbance in the forest, where Zenitsu seems not quite himself, muttering that he’s about to get mad. This is the fully conscious Zenitsu so maybe that part of him isn’t buried as deep as we think.

Sidenote, even though he wasn’t there, Zenitsu has probably heard everything, including the other slayers laments and explanations of the situation, yet he still went in. That’s impressive. Oh, yeah! His super power is hearing! Dang, Irina, you’re right — even knowing what was in that forest, he still went in. 

bird on head is a great look

After defeating the big bad headless thingy, it’s finally time for Tanjiro to confront the demon directly and as has become something of a Demon Slayer tradition, in the end, she was more pathetic and miserable than truly monstrous and Tanjiro was ever merciful. 

This time, I thought giving us the demon’s background was the wrong way to go. Her interactions with Rui and her dread of the mere mention of the father were more than enough to tell us exactly what was going on and seeing it actually play out on screen, I believe lessened the emotional impact. It was one step too far. Do you agree?

as below

When Tanjiro saw her switch from attack to acceptance, he changed his strike to Fifth Form, Blessed Rain After the Drought. He still decapitated her, but it was painless. She just felt a warm release. 

And did you notice in the mid shot, you could see her head slowly tracing Tanjiro’s trajectory while her long hair, which his sword had severed, floated to the ground? That was a beautiful moment. It said as much about her as it did about Tanjiro (who I am not convinced is the combat form of Tooru Honda). 

And of course I agree with your insight here. The scene should have ended there. Her fear before told us everything we needed to know about her past. I thought that was a rare misstep after such a meticulously crafted episode. 

I liked the bob cut

So once again, we didn’t really get to see Nezuko at all. The series has used her sparingly so far, giving her plenty of excuses not to be there (i.e. sleeping off injuries or avoiding daylight), but this time they were fighting other demons in a dark forest at night time (we see the moon in several scenes) yet she stayed in a wildly swinging box. I’m wondering why this is. Any ideas?

Best I can figure, they want to show her sparingly. Cute is powerful, but its strength wanes with use. That sounds almost scientific, doesn’t it? Given how seldom we get to see her, each occasion is worth a celebration! 

That said, I’d like to see more of her; I’d like her to lose the bamboo bit. But maybe the point is to keep me wanting that so I keep watching episodes in suspense! 

that’s what we want to now

I liked this episode. I like the entire series when it sticks to its strengths (which in my opinion are flashy action to show off that animation, tense adventure and schlocky horror). As it seems we are in for more deep dark forest, having learned that one of the 12 kizuki is here, I’m thinking we still have a few pretty intense episodes coming our way and that’s great!

I want to see what happens when Zenitsu gets mad. That might be something to see!

Reviews of the Other Episodes

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 01: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 02: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 03: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 04: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 05: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 06: A Friend fo All Humans

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 07: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 08: The Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 09: Temari Demon and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 10: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 11: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 12: The Boar Bears Its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 13: Something More Important Than Life

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 14: The House with the Wisteria Family Crest

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 15: Mount Natagumo

you know how it goes, all the screeancaps for you!

  Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 16: Clearing away the Cobwebs Alright, I think we can make it official, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is really an exceptional horror-action anime.

#action #anime #Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba #Horror #shonen #supernatural