Doom & Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Xover

Chapter 43

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

.
.

.
.

"I've retrieved the Blue Spider Lily." The Marauder states as he presents the plant to Muzan much to the demon king's amazement as Muzan's eyebrows raise in shock. Muzan didn't believe that the Marauder would be capable of retrieving something that he was incapable of finding for centuries. Regardless, what matters now is that the Marauder has found it and it's his for the taking.

Tanjiro felt the Marauder let go of him in that moment. As the boy was released from the Night Sentinel's grasp, he turned towards the demon and realized that Xernex was giving Muzan exactly what he wanted. This made him plead with the demonic Night Sentinel, "Don't give it to him, Xernex!" Muzan smirked at the sight of Tanjiro in front of him, not only did the Marauder retrieve the Blue Spider Lily but he also managed to snag the boy with hanafuda earrings. The last warrior he saw wearing those earrings nearly killed him, that's why he wasn't going to take any chances with this boy as well who wore the same exact earrings. Muzan praised:

"I commend your work, Marauder. You really are efficient, not only did you manage to bring back the Blue Spider Lily but you also brought back the boy I've been hunting down as well."

Upper Moon Two, Doma, sized the boy up before turning to Akaza while still pointing at Tanjiro, "Say, Akaza, do you know this child?"

Upper Moon Three, Akaza, crossed his arms out of distaste as he answered, "Yes, he was the one accompanying the Hashira I nearly killed."

"Oooooh! A Hashira, you say? I encountered one recently as well! She was quite pretty, let me tell you. Apparently, she was the sister of another Hashira I killed a while back so she came storming in, declaring that she was going to kill me! It was a lot of fun but too bad it was short-lived. She didn't taste as good as her older sister, though. She was really bitter compared to her sibling. Do you think it's because of all that anger she held?"

Akaza shook his head in disappointment as he turned towards his peer and complained, "As always, you lack standards."

"You're the one depriving yourself, Akaza! Maybe if you started eating women as well, you'd actually get stronger!"

Tanjiro understood immediately who Doma was referring to as he whipped his head towards the demon and shouted, "So you…! You're the one that killed Lady Shinobu!"

Doma returned a cheerful smile towards Tanjiro as he said, "So Shinobu was her name? How pretty!" Tanjiro grinded his teeth together out of frustration as he looked at all the demons in front of him. He hated them all for different reasons. Muzan took his family from him, Akaza nearly killed Rengoku and Inosuke, and Doma has taken Kanao's only family away from her. He may have learned to accept demons and forgive them but he has no plans on forgiving ANY of the individuals in front of him. His veins pressed against his skin due to the fury building up in his body, he readied his body to lunge at the demons as he yelled:

"YOU'RE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING KANAO GRIEVE! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT TOOK HER SISTER AWAY!"

Doma seemed intrigued as he questioned, "Kanao? Oh! Is she Shinobu's younger sister? How ironic! The cycle continues, then. I wonder how she'll end up tasting." That was the straw that broke the camel's back for Tanjiro as the boy attempted to lunge towards Doma in a blind fury but the Marauder gripped Tanjiro's shoulder to hold him in-place, preventing him from attacking. The boy stopped moving once he felt the Marauder hold him back gently. Tanjiro looked back in surprise at the Marauder who made eye-contact with him. Xernex wasn't death-gripping Tanjiro to hold him in-place, he was being gentle and only applying enough force to keep the boy in place. Xernex stopped him from attacking the demons in front of him just now… Was he trying to protect Tanjiro?