*•Crystals in the Moonlight•* a Demon Slayer fanfiction

Chapter 17: What I Couldn't do Before

"...We're family, joined together by a powerful bond. And as far as I'm concerned, this is between me and my sister. So I would suggest you to not interfere...unless you'd prefer to be sliced into bits."

"...all I can sense in you two is feelings of terror and hatred! That isn't what you would call a strong bond, it's one that's forged!"

A sharp pain pierced through my leg as I collapsed onto the gravel, his thread cut a deep wound into my thigh as blood began to spill out.

"Y/N!"

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I couldn't feel anything except for the pain shooting from my leg. The blood continued to stream from the gash as my breathing increased steadily.
Tanjiro looked as if he was about to burst into rage. He aimed his katana for an oncoming thread, but it sliced through his Nichirin blade like it was nothing. The string was headed straight for his face, as it landed a swift slice across. My companion was thrown back from the sudden attack, as he stared at his severed blade shock.

Tanjiro was able to get back up again, catching his breath as several more strings came flying at him. He landed next to me, as his breathing started to become heavy. "Y/N, if you can stand...I want you to get as far away from here as possible, I don't want you getting any more hurt." Tanjiro panted. "No way...I'm not leaving you here. I told you I'd stay with you no matter what!" I grunted, trying to put pressure on my wound.

"Well? You two still won't take back what you said?" The youngest spider sibling asked. "No? In that case, I'll slice you to ribbons." With a flick of his wrist, a web came closing in on Tanjiro and I. My eyes widened as he held onto me, using his own body to shield me from the deadly threads. "Tanjiro, no!" A splash of red and my face clouded with fear.

Blood poured onto the forest floor, and out of nowhere, Nezuko broke out from her box and used her body to protect her big brother from the threads. However, it left wounds deeper than mine into her arm and torso. She collapsed into Tanjiro as he clutched her injured shoulder, his sister's wrist close to falling off. "Nezuko!" We both shouted in horror. Tanjiro grabbed me as he pulled the both of us behind a bush.

"No, no, this can't be happening! You two shouldn't have gotten hurt! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" My companion cried out as his voice cracked. "Nezuko's arm...why isn't it healing?" I panted, rummaging through my haori pocket to look for something to hold her arm in place. I found a small strand of bandages as I tried to move over to the younger Kamado sibling, but the wound in my thigh prevented me from doing so as I hissed in pain.

"Hey, hey, please take it easy, Y/N. You need that more than she does. You're both going to be okay, I promise." Tanjiro stressed, placing his hand on top of my head. I croaked a smile back at him as the two spider siblings remained in place.

"That girl...she jumped out from the boy's box to protect him and his close companion. Yet, she gives off the aura of a demon." The sister spider recalled. The younger brother's hands were shaking as he pointed at us, "Hey...that girl...is she your sibling?
"And is that other slayer...your...beloved?"

"So what if they are?" Tanjiro replied. His hands were shaking as he tightly grasped Nezuko's heavily injured arm.

"Siblings...and a beloved...both the sister and the slayer refuse to leave his side. The elder son...protected by the younger sister. And the elder son...protects one that isn't his own blood. One that he holds dear...one that of which he cares for. Those are true bonds!"