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ch. 7

“You’re leaving so soon? How sad.” Karasu smiled, leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed. “Just kidding.” Tanjiro laughed, Karasu motioned for the boy to lean in. “When you’re in a dire situation, just say…” She whispered in his ear and moved back, smiling as Tanjiro turned to leave.

“You seem to fancy the child.” Iguro commented.

Karasu scoffed, “And you seem to fancy stalking me.”

“In your dreams.”

“As if I would ever dream of that.” Karasu rolled her eyes and walked away, she saw Sanemi come out of the lab. She didn’t spare him a glance and continued talking to Iguro. Sanemi looked at her, opening his mouth but thinking better if it and closing it. He grabbed her hand and Karasu immediately slapped his, she glared at him.

Sanemi bit his lip, and finally throwing away his ego, he murmured “Let’s talk.”

Karasu laughed, “Hah! Talk? Sure, let’s talk. Here.” Sanemi furrowed his brow, having to do something so unsightly in front of one was embarrassing let alone two. Sanemi rubbed his neck as Karasu tapped her fan impatiently, she opened it and fanned herself “3 seconds. 3, 2”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry for, for, provoking you. I will do anything for you to forgive me!” Sanemi bowed, his face beet red. Iguro tried to contain his laughter as Karasu closed her fan shut, “Anything you say?” Sanemi nodded, to which Karasu threw her fan behind her and smirked. “I want a Nichirin Sword, and I want to see it made with my own eyes.”

“Wha-”

“If you’re going to the Swordsmith Village, you might need to disguise yourself as a demon slayer so that you won’t arouse any panic. I’ll go ask Mitsuri for an extra set of uniform for you.” With that, Iguro left.

“I can never tell what’s going on in that head of yours.” Sanemi looked troubled as Karasu smirked.

“It fits like a glove, I must thank you for your kindness Mitsuri!” Karasu smiled at the other woman. She rolled up her sleeves and the kanji on her eyes disappeared. Mitsuri gasped, “Wow, you look so pretty! Like an angel that has descended from the heavens!”

“An angel? But I’m looking at one too right now?” Mitsuri turned red and buried her face in her hands.

Once Karasu had gone through the necessary procedures to travel to the village and the sun had set, the group set out to get a sword. They attracted attention everywhere, no matter where they went. After Karasu finished talking to the swordsmith, they looked around and bought some food. Iguro took the food from Karasu’s hand and ate it as Karasu just rolled her eyes and continued talking to Mitsuri.

The group separated, leaving Karasu and Sanemi alone. Mitsuri had hoped they would break the tension between them and thus suggested the separation. Karasu eyed the forest nearby and started walking, her expression was eager and impatient. Sanemi noticed this, and followed her. They stopped at the densest part of the forest. Karasu sank her nails into her arm and scratched it, not flinching even when blood started pouring out. She sighed, “This won’t be enough. Hey, wind boy. Give me your sword.” Sanemi hesitantly listened and watched in anticipation as to what she was going to do. Karasu raised the sword and sliced her hand off, Sanemi shouted “Hey! What are you doing?!”

Blood poured out of her hand like a fountain, she ignored Sanemi and triggered her eye color change. She breathed, as a whirlwind of darkness surrounded her and blacked out the sky “乃ㄥㄖㄖᗪ  ᗪ乇爪ㄖ几  卂尺ㄒ : 匚乇几ㄒㄩ尺ㄚ  ᐯ乇几Ꮆ乇卂几匚乇” As she casted the art, her arm healed bit by bit and by the end of it her arm was restored with only a few cuts.

The sky returned to its original state and Karasu turned around and walked back to the city like what happened just now was just a dream. Sanemi wanted to interrogate her about why she had casted the art and if she had any ill intentions but she looked tired and fatigued so he left it for later. While walking back, the hanafuda earring Karasu was wearing started glowing red.

“Ah shit. Why now…” Karasu mumbled under her breath, she stumbled and tried to hold onto her consciousness as long as possible. Sanemi held onto her, “Hey! Are you okay? Someone get a doctor, now!” The villagers gathered around them, curious as to what happened before someone came with a doctor. She coughed out blood and the crowd gasped in shock, moving back and soon, her arm started bleeding alarming them even more. Her eyes flickered from red to white as she tried to maintain the glow in the earring before she gave out and collapsed. “Tanjiro…”

“Tanjiro! Protect the passengers! They're our top priority!” Tanjiro rushed into action, he took quick glances at the hashira and Upper moon 3 fighting while stopping a girl’s bleeding. Rengoku was not looking good, he had severe wounds while Akaza was still healthy and strong. Tanjiro quickly tightened the cloth around the girl’s leg and rushed to the hashira’s side despite his fatigue slowing him down and causing him to fall halfway. He screamed, remembering what Karasu had told him “乃ㄥ丨丂丂千ㄩㄥ  尺乇爪丨几丨丂匚乇” His hanafuda earring glowed red and a pink fog filled the air. Tanjiro and the hashira seemed unaffected, except for Akaza who suddenly stopped attacking and was in a daze.

Rengoku took this opportunity to attack him but Akaza’s art subconsciously protected him from the attacks. He fought against his art and managed to break through it, his blade was inches away from beheading the demon’s neck but the glow weakened and Akaza was back. Now the only thing stopping Akaza from dying was his hand. Before the demon could kill the hashira, the sun rose and posed a bigger threat. He fled into the forest as Rengoku slumped to the ground, exhausted. The Kakushis rushed to demon slayers’ sides and tended to their wounds, assuring them to allow their eyelids to shut.