ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴ sʟᴀʏᴇʀ: ᴀɴɪᴍᴇ sʜᴏʀᴛs "ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs x ᴏᴄ"

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-WARNING: SPOILER ALERT-

Demon Slayer: Entertainment District "Gyutaro's past"

*Right after getting killed by Tengen, Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu, with the help of Nezuko and Tengen's wives.

            Daki complained, cried and cried, as she and her brother argued about not being able to kill four demon hunters. Tanjiro sat beside Gyutaro's head while covering his mouth as Daki's head started to fade away. "Onii-chan", shouted Daki again and again until her voice was gone, along with her head. "Ume!", shouted Gyutaro, upset for not being able to save his little sister. Ume was Daki's real name, and they weren't always bad. They just had a bad life, born to a village where children were a burden, a poor village. Gyutaro had been born and well, he wasn't much of handsome healthy boy. Maybe because of his mother's lack of care, she did try to kill him multiple times, even before ever being born into the world. It was true, Gyutaro hated the world, the people in it even, he was bullied for being so dirty, so thin, and for smelling so bad. People, children, would throw rocks him. At a young age, he wanted rid of the world, but... there was someone who he wanted to save from it. It wasn't Ume at first, sure he wanted to save Ume from this wretched world, but before Ume was born, he had a friend. Her name was Itsuki. Her hair was dark brown, along with her dark purple eyes. Her smile was so sweet. Itsuki was the only one who stood up to the kids bullying Gyutaro. "Hey, stop! You're only throwing rocks at him, because at home, you're all burdens!", she was brave enough, and Gyutaro admired that. Though, he thought Itsuki were only doing it, because she wanted herself to bully him. Itsuki sounds a lot like Daki. That's how Daki got her name.

            Unlike Gyutaro, Itsuki may had hard life, she was a burden to her father, but never her mother. "Why are you good to me?", asked Gyutaro confused, he was hideous, he looked like a monster, why would anyone be good to him? Itsuki smiled while helping him get up. "I'm only good, because others won't. Besides, you look like you're starving", she said and off they went to her house. It was bad, to get some food when her father specifically told her not to, but she would defy her father for anyone who needs help. She didn't care about him, anymore. She snuck into her own house, where her father hid the food, and she gave them to Gyutaro. "Thank you", Gyutaro said with such joy of eating something other than rats and snakes. Itsuki was overjoyed seeing Gyutaro smile for the first time. For her, he wasn't hideous, though he was really dirty and smelly. She took his hand and they ran deep into the forest. "Where are you taking me?", Gyutaro asked, scared for his life. What if this nice girl, turns out to be demon, or worst a killer? But what could be worst than a demon, he thought. Itsuki didn't answer, but instead kept running, until they both saw a river. "Come on", Itsuki said. Itsuki went to the water and played with it, encouraging the skinny greenish-haired boy to come play with her and have a bath, but Gyutaro refused. Itsuki did not know why, but she never asked, nor forced him.

            Years had gone, Gyutaro played a little with Itsuki, but he was still cold and distant with her. Children kept bullying him still and sometimes, Itsuki wasn't there to save him. Even the adults of the village were scared of his monstery-looking face. When Itsuki was there, his hard life, became a little bearable.

            As Ume was born, she was beautiful, the most beautiful really. Different boys would fall over their feet looking at Ume. Gyutaro somehow, with Ume being born, became a protective brother. He deeply loved his little sister. Ume and Itsuki got along with each other so quickly. And which each time Ume and Itsuki would play together, Gyutaro wasn't there. Instead, he was complaining about life. Ume and Gyutaro's mother died and he had to take the responsibility of providing for them. "Your brother hates me, doesn't he?", Itsuki asked. "No, he doesn't, he can be a little like that sometimes", Ume said as they were fixing some flowers. Itsuki has never seen Gyutaro for days, until she heard him working as a debt collector. Itsuki had a life with herself, of course. She wasn't exactly poor like Gyutaro and Ume, but she and her mother would always be off to the road. Her mother didn't care about her father either, but she could not leave him. Itsuki felt like that with Gyutaro, not that she hated him or didn't care about him, but she couldn't leave him. When they got home one day, they found Gyutaro on the street, stepping on a man. "Gyutaro?", she called out. Gyutaro slowly turned around looking at Itsuki's shocked eyes. She gasped upon seeing a messed-up man who she could have save, turn into a monster debt collector. Gyutaro didn't care. Itsuki distances herself from the siblings, which she wished she did not do, but she was terrified with Gyutaro and was scared for her life. It was selfish, she thought.

            Gyutaro remained a debt collector, and Ume worked at a brothel, where one day, she stabbed a samurai with her hair pin. When they tied Ume both arms and feet, Itsuki tried to stop them from doing further damage. She called out for Gyutaro, again and again. She was pushed aside and held by people. She fought her way to Ume. "No! You're making everything worse, stop!", she pleaded, but she could not break free of the people's grip. Her tears started to fall and she shouted. But they burned Ume like she was a nobody. They let go of Itsuki right after Ume was burned into a crisp. Itsuki cried, and then Gyutaro came. He ran to his little sister's body. "I'm sorry, I couldn't save her", she said tears falling down in her eyes. "Who did this?", he said angrily, gripping on the body of his sister. "WHO.DID.THIS?!?", he shouted at her. He held his sister's body even more and shouted at the sky. "Stop! Stop! Stop! Turn my sister back the way she was. You dare collect from me!", he shouted so loud. Itsuki cried with him, she was beside him. When she looked behind her, a samurai had slapped her in the face so hard and slashed Gyutaro in the back. Itsuki's face was on the floor. She heard a woman speak, and the voice of the samurai. Itsuki stood up and tries to protect Gyutaro, but then she was put down again. Harder this time. Her body was aching. The samurai was about to finish Gyutaro off when he jumped so high, the samurai did not see him. Gyutaro killed the woman first. "That's a fine kimono you're wearing, huh", the samurai turned around slowly, shocked as to how Gyutaro is still standing. Itsuki tries to stand up, her face still on the floor, aching with pain. "I bet you had a good life, you ate delicious food and slept in a clean bed. You are so lucky!", Gyutaro's voiced was full of hate and rage. The samurai was about to finish Gyutaro off. "Gyutaro!", Itsuki shouted, warning him. And then he killed the samurai. Itsuki was scared looking at him, she gasped upon seeing the brutality that Gyutaro displayed, but that was nothing compared to what they did to Ume. Gyutaro ran to his sister again and walked off. Itsuki followed them. "Get away from us!", he shouted. "No, I won't", she said. She stood up in front of Gyutaro while he was holding Ume's body. He fell to his knees and looked down, not wanting to see disappointment from Itsuki's face. But then, everything became quiet and he heard a gagging sound. "Now what is this girl doing with a hideous boy? What a pity", Doma says while his hand was gripping Itsuki's neck. "She looks rather delicious", Doma says as he licked Itsuki in the face. "Gomen nasai, Gyutaro and Ume", she said between breaths. Doma, as arrogant as he is, eventually breaks Itsuki's neck without a single care. Gyutaro upon seeing Itsuki dead on the floor, he could not speak, speechless that us. "I'll make you into like me, you poor creatures. Now, you'll become demons", and with that Gyutaro and Ume became demons.

            Gyutaro wakes up in limbo seeing Ume shouting at him, but she was like what she was before. Beautiful, with long white hair and blue eyes. Gyutaro tries to sever ties with her, because he wanted Ume to go into the light. But Ume as stubborn as Gyutaro, jumped in his back and reminded him of his promise. He promised her that no matter what, they will always be together and that they're stronger. Then, out of nowhere, a hand holds him. He slowly turns to his side seeing, none other than, Itsuki. "What are you doing here?", asked Gyutaro confused. "I'm coming with you, Ume and I", Itsuki said as Ume kept crying still. "Come on, you look like you need a friend", she said and held his hand. "Why?", asked Gyutaro confused again with Itsuki's actions. He thought to himself, why is she here? Why is she holding my hand? She could have had peace if she stayed in the light. She was indeed a light, the light that kept Gyutaro from going insane with the world hating him so much. Itsuki looks at the man she is holding and smiles gently and brightly. "I'm only good because others won't. And besides, I'm willing to come with you, if you'll have me", her eyes sparkled and he gasped slightly, mixed with joy. He holds it tightly and holds Ume with the other as the three of them walked into hell, together.