Am I Home? (Demon Slayer x Fem!Reader)

Chapter 24: Highs and Lows

The next two days were quiet as you and Uzui watched over each of the designated establishments.

There was a chill in the air that you couldn't describe and the look of concern on Uzui's face didn't make you feel any better.

Was the demon here more dangerous than he had first thought? Could that be why he wasn't able to get in contact with his wives anymore?

So many questions roamed in your head, all you want to do is help him out as he did for you.

As the sun began to rise, it was time for you and Uzui to have a morning meet up with the boys, but one was missing.

You could practically hear Inosuke yelling about a Demon in the establishment to Tanjiro as you followed Uzui to the rooftop they were sitting on.

With Zenitsu nowhere in sight, you could feel your heart rate pick up. The Demon probably had him in it's clutches.

"Zenitsu isn't coming."

Uzui was first to speak up as the two of you finally landed by the others.

"What do you mean Zenitsu isn't coming?" Tanjiro's concerned voice had you closing your eyes for a moment.

You spent a second steeling your nerves. After surveying with him for the past 48 hours, you knew that Uzui had come up with the conclusion to make you and the other three to leave. It was a hunch, but you had a feeling that this was not your average Demon. Not with how it hid from the both of you so well.

"I think I've put you all in real danger." Uzui paused in his words for a moment, only giving you a glance before looking away. "I wanted to help my wives, but that led me to make some bad choices. Now Zenitsu is missing. I haven't heard from him since last night."

Uzui began to stand up as he spoke, not once turning around to face you or the other two.

"You three leave the hanamachi*. The four of you are not up to this. If there's an upper-rank Demon here, you can't handle it."

It was as if you had done absolutely nothing. All you did these past few days were keep watch with Uzui. Crawling along the rooftops and keeping an eye out for each establishments the boys were at.

"When someone disappears, we must count them as dead."

No, there was no way you were going to give up, on either Zenitsu or Uzui's wives.

"From now on, I'll operate alone."

"Brother-!"

Uzui paused at your voice, only looking back at you from the corner of his eyes. "There's no shame in this. To survive means victory. Don't squander this chance."

"Wait!"

Tanjiro yelled out after Uzui as he disappeared from view. Your eyes traced the direction in which he left as Tanjiro and Inosuke began to talk amongst themselves, something about their ranks.

Pushing yourself into their conversation, you cut right through their words. "If Zenitsu was taken from the house he was in, but Inosuke claims there's a Demon at his... Then the Demon must be traveling between each house by a passage or else Uzui and I would have seen it." Your action and words had them pause.

You could feel the cogs in their brains turning.

"If the Demon is working at the house... It must be good at pretending to be human..."

You continued Tanjiro's thoughts. "Then they'd have to be careful on how they kill people so that no one notices."

Inosuke nodded along. "Bloodstains don't come out easily. Hiding a murder is hard work."