Demon slayer and Citrus

2 - Travel buddy

"Excuse me. Would it be okay if I took that basket, straw and some bamboo?" Yuzu asked an old couple, while pointing at a basket with holes. "Sure take it, but that basket's full of holes." The man said. "Sure. I'll pay you for it" Yuzu then reached to her pocket and took out some coins, handing it to the man "No, that's alright. I mean, It's a basket with holes" The man pushed Yuzu's hand away. "Yes. I will pay you!" "No, It's alright. You can have the bamboo and straw for free too" Not wanting to deal with this, the man walked away but the blonde pulled him close telling him to take the money. "No! I said it's okay! You're one stubborn kid!" In the end the man took the coins, and Yuzu then made her way back to the cave where she left Mei with the materials she took.

"Mei? Huh? Mei?" Yuzu looked into the cave, she did not see Mei. "She's gone!" Yuzu panicked, but calmed down after she saw that Mei dug a hole, and stayed inside. 'She dug a hole? Miss perfect is turning into a mole...' Yuzu chuckled at her thoughts. 'And she's frowning! She must really want to avoid the sunlight' 

"Wait there for a second!" Yuzu took her hatchet and started to cut the bamboo, soon after she fixed the basket so that she could carry Mei during their travels without being spotted or burned by the sun. 

"Mei?" Yuzu went into the cave with the basket and asked Mei if she could fit inside. "Think you can fit inside this, Mei? I want to keep moving during the day. I'll carry you, okay?...Can you fit? In here? Basket" Yuzu said, voice calm and patient. If I were in her situation I would shove Mei into that basket.

Mei went in the basket, head first, but was far too big to fit in. 

Yuzu smiled 'I can't believe she grew up. Yesterday she was so tiny' Yuzu looked at Mei, who was just lying on the ground, with her head inside of the basket. "Mei? Remember how you became big like an adult earlier? You think you can do the opposite? Get smaller" "Smaller, Mei. Get smaller" Yuzu patted the back of Mei. The demon shrunk and went in the basket, almost tipping over. 

Operation 'Get Mei in the basket is successful!'  

"Good job, Mei! Good job! That's a good girl, Mei!" As Yuzu praised Mei, the noirette blushed at the attention her Yuu-Chan is giving her, and savored the moment.

Hours later

The sun was about to set. The duo decided to stop by at a random lady's home.

"Mt. Sagiri? If you want to go to Mt. Sagiri, you'll have to cross over that mountain, but...The sun's about to set. Are you really heading there with all that luggage? It's dangerous you know?" Said the lady. Yuzu insisted that she will be okay and thanked her, and then proceeded to walk down the dirt road.  

As Yuzu and Mei were traveling, the blonde noticed a temple. 

"There's a temple over there. There's light leaking through, so someone must be in there. Let's check it out" Yuzu said before picking up the smell of blood. The two rushed to the temple, thinking that someone must've gotten themselves hurt.

"Are you alright?!" Yuzu opened the doors, expecting a human to be inside, but instead there is a demon, eating a man and his friend. 

Yuzu gasped as she saw the creature. "What the hell? This is my turf. If you break into my territory, I'll make you pay!" 

Yuzu stood there, frozen in shock. 

'It's a man-eating demon!' Yuzu thought as Mei focused on the dead bodies behind the demon. She drooled as she watched blood drip from the bodies to the floor.