G. Shinazugawa x Fem!Reader

Chapter 6

   The pair had been walking for a while now before finally ending up in a village that had a lake running through it. This was where Mizuki and Chuntaro has led them and it certainly did feel like a place for a demon. The atmosphere was eerie as tendrils of fog eveloped the buildings.

   (Y/N) gently tugged on Zenitsu's haori causing him to start to shriek. She had known him a while now and recognized when he was about to yell so she quickly clasped a hand over his mouth and shushed him.

   "Zenitsu-kun! Pipe down, there's a demon here that's been eating people and we don't want it to know where we are before we know where it is. Calm down, please," she said in a rather loud whisper. She could usually be quite quiet which was in direct contrast to her friend but right now she was on edge too.

   The girl took her hand away slowly. Zenitsu was still shaking as he hasn't gotten over the startle but he was far better than before.
   "Sorry, (Y/N)-chan, it's just that the shadows look like they're moving and it's dark and I can't see anything," he whined, holding tightly onto the hand that had previously covered his mouth.

   "That's okay, I can't see anything either, but can you hear anything?" she asked, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. He paused. He'd been so focused on trying to calm his breathing and out of control heart he'd completely forgotten to pay attention to the sounds around him.

   He brought a hand to his ear and listened. He wasn't getting anything and his lack of response was wearing on (Y/N)'s nerves as she tried to will away her anxiety. This demon would no doubt be far stronger than the ones at final selection. It had been eating, didn't have to be constantly surrounded by wisteria trees, and no doubt would have a blood demon art.

   Zenitsu's eyes sprung open and his head darted to the left.
   "I heard something in the water," he mumbled.
   "C'mon, we need to go see," (Y/N) whispered, taking hold of his hand in an attempt to comfort not only him but herself as well.

   They treaded slowly, feet begining to sink more and more into the ground as it grew more muddy and wet. The shadows started to seem more sinister as they neared the lake and the sound of movement in the water became more apparent. (Y/N) silently prayed Zenitsu would stop shaking as she started to lose her nerve.

   The resolve she felt to avenge her family seeped away. She was stopped by Zenitsu who had stopped moving forward, keeping her hand in his own.
   "(Y/N)-chan. You sound scared. Are you okay?" Zenitsu asked softly, his voice was laced with concern for his friend's mental state.

   "Yeah. I'll be okay, thank you-" there was a song that rang out, stopping (Y/N) from completing her sentence. She turned towards the lake. There was a form rising from the murky water as some of the fog cleared. Zenitsu dropped her hand and made his way towards the lake.

   "What are you doing?!" (Y/N) asked rather frantically. Zenitsu didn't spare her a glance and continued on, seemingly in a trance. The demon, still singing, smiled at the girl before swimming closer to the edge. She had sea green colored hair and pale gray skin. Her lips were a sickly blue and her eyes looked like a dead fish's.

   She brought her arms up, clawed fingers reaching up towards the boy who continued on, captivated by her song. (Y/N) snapped herself out of the obscurity of the fact that Zenitsu walked calmly towards the clutches of a demon and pulled him back by the neck of his uniform and haori.

   The siren demon continued to sing the sickeningly sweet melody as Zenitsu roughly tugged away from (Y/N)'s grasp. He continued onward towards the demon, his trance remaining string as ever. His foot reached the edge of the water and the siren lunged, snacking at his leg. He would have been pulled in but (Y/N) had grabbed him much more forcibly than before and caused him to fall.

   With Zenitsu at least a little further away from danger she jumped forward, swinging her sword for a simple horizontal attack. The demon ducked under the water, effectively putting an end to her song and allowing Zenitsu to come to. (Y/N) stepped out of the water quickly and went to Zenitsu's side.

   "I'm sorry I threw you to the ground, Zenitsu-kun!" the girl said, offering her hand to help the boy up. He had a look of dazed confusion on his face as he stood.
   "What happened?" he asked in complete confusion.
   "Do you not remember?"
   "Uh, no? You were thanking me and then I was on the ground and you were apologizing," he said, furrowing his brows slightly.

   "Oh. Well, we found the demon,"
   "We did?!" he exclaimed, frantically looking around and bringing his right hand to his sword's hilt (he had no intention of fighting but if he could intimidate a demon to leave him alone he'd certainly try).
   "It's a siren. It's in the water and can sing a song to put you in a trance and walk towards her," (Y/N) explained, "That's what happened before."

   He looked as though the soul had left his body at the information.
   "So it doesn't effect you?" the girl shook her head in response, "Ah okay. Well. In that case. Live a long happy life in my stead, (Y/N)-chan," he finished.

   "Zenitsu-kun! That's no way to talk! If anything, you can get lured while I work on cutting her head off, she doesn't seem to have any interest in me and I can get her to stop singing so you can jump in to help!" (Y/N) begged, tugging on his sleeve. He shook his head vigorously.

   "(Y/N)-chan, you're better at this than me, I'm going home," he said, beginning to walk away from the lake.
   "But I need you for this!" the girl called.
   "You only need me for bait! I'm going somewhere safe!" he yelled, turning around and pointing a finger.

   (Y/N) felt anger bubbling up in her core.
   "God damnit, Zenitsu! Would you quit being such a baby? Why do I always have to be the one protecting you?! You're a slayer too y'know!" (Y/N) yelled back, pointing her sword at him. He was nearly cut by it but had managed to stumble back in time.

   "Well at least I'm not dedicating my life to people who are already dead! You're family's gone, why are you trying so hard-"
   "Shut the hell up!" (Y/N) shouted, effectively cutting Zenitsu off.
   "Why should I? The people I'm in debt to are at least still alive!" Zenitsu fired back.

   "Y'know what? Maybe you should go home. All you're going to do is hold me back. If you'll excuse me, I have a demon to kill," (Y/N) said lowly, her voice laced with venom. She turned back towards the lake and stepped into the shallow part of the water and tried to spot the demon in the black, murky water. The knuckles gripping her sword were white and the nails on her other hand were begining to make her palm bleed.

   Zenitsu rolled his eyes and turned away once more, crossing his arms and walked away to go back to Jigoro's home. There was a movement in the water and they both forgot their frustrations for a moment as a giggle was heard.