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Chapter 41

○ Chapter 41: ○
○ "Nezuko" ○

《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》

"Tanjiro, hey, Tanjiro!"
I keep calling to him, a massive thud breaking my train of thought, shaking the entire building we sat on.

Worried, I glance towards Nezuko, thinking she might've gotten hurt, but to my surprise, that's not the case. She's got the demon pinned down with her foot... Something's amiss, though.
She's... so angry.
She's far too angry.

Tanjiro heaves again, his breath weak.
"Ah! Hold on, ok?"

I help him best I can, only able to offer him enough air to sustain him while his body recovers from the shock of overexertion.
He's slowly starting to move.

"Let me go, you brat!"
The woman's shrill voice calls out after another thunderous impact, and the sound of falling blood fills my ears. This is terrible! Until Tengen comes to help, we have to hold out!
Tanjiro's in no shape to fight, a demon-on-demon battle could wage on forever, and even my own wounds are starting to get to me, the cold air of the night stinging more than ever.

Crashes, explosions, and all sorts of sounds echo out into the night.
A bright fire erupts, followed shortly after the pained screams produced by the demon.
It's gotta be Nezuko's Blood Art!

Vicious stomping follows, and Tanjiro grabs my arm tightly.
My attention is forced back onto him.
"Tanjiro! Can you hear me now?"

He only grips tighter in response, choking out something under his breath.
"Speak up."
I lean closer.

"Ne...Nezuko."
His eyes are filled with panic, and only once the stomping halts does it click as I see a frail woman trembling before her.

Even in our condition, we quickly jump down off the rooftop towards the intense battle.
Tanjiro came up to Nezuko from behind, pulling her back, sword in her mouth to muzzle her ferocious bite.

I rush and get the woman away, mostly unharmed except for her bleeding arm.

"Nezuko!"
I shout.

"Don't do it! Fight the hunger! Fight it!"
He shouts, Nezuko thrashing against him, like a feral animal.

She tries to slip out from under him, and with the spilled remnants of water inside the ruined homes I freeze her legs, the two falling on their back.

"Run to safety!"
I call to the woman, who quickly obeyed and go to help Tanjiro.

She's screaming and growling, trying to reach him with her claws, and successfully digging her hand in his cheek.
I grab still her arms, ignoring the lacerations she's producing on my skin, struggling against her.
Heavens, she's strong!

"Nezuko! Please, forgive us!"
I shout.
Her blood is softly burning around us, boiling and producing a terrible air.

"We never should've made you fight! We're sorry!"

She starts kicking, flinging me off like a bug into a house, and I even heard the crack of one of my arms. She's overpowering Tanjiro, too.

"Your big brother is here to protect you! You're safe! Calm down, Nezuko!"
She throws him off as well, but his grip was strong enough to take her with him.

He's holding her down, but now we have an even bigger problem!
The demon moves again! She's up! Her skin is burnt, and she's boiling with fury.
Fuck, there's survivors here, too!

"Everyone stand behind me! Look out!"
I grab my blade, eyes fixated on the woman.

Her only good eye is twitching, and she seems even more fixated on Nezuko than me.

"I can't believe it. You can even use Blood Demon Arts. A strange Art that only burns demons."
Her eye twitches, hands contorted in a tense position.
"Even for me, it'll take a while to heal. It's really infuriating!"

Damn it, ok, breathe.
Tanjiro's holding down Nezuko, who's thrashing around. If either of them attack the building, the entire thing is coming down... There's bystanders I need to protect, too. It's ok, I can do this!

I ready myself, then a figure flashes right before me, and familiar crystals shimmer in front of my eyes.
"I told you to go home, surprised you're still in one-piece!"

Tengen!

"Wow! Is that really Nezuko Kamado? Her demonization moved very fast! Flashy indeed!"

He breaks the atmosphere so quickly, Tanjiro confused.
So calm...

"For all the big talk you gave Master, how's she really doing?!"

The demon mumbles something about the Hashira, and I'm quickly reminded of my position.

"Shut your mouth. Not talking to you."
Tengen cut in swiftly.
"Beat it. You're not the one I'm looking for. You're too weak. No way you're an Upper Rank."

In an instant, her head falls off her shoulders.
What?! When did he cut it? He's so fast!