Hashira With A Demon

Chapter 8: Vocies.?

...

Changed, tanjiro walks out of the changing room in his new kimono. He walks over to giyuu's side ready to go. Without a word they head out of the village.

---
The next day: evening
---

They walk up to the edge of the forest they were sent to. Tanjiro sniffs the air but doesn't smell anything.

'I don't smell anything...'
Tanjiro thought

Regardless the pair run into the forest their guard up as always. They stop running to look around but spot nothing it the end. Tanjiro looks over to giyuu confused, giyuu shurgs in return.

Giyuu' a gaze falls as he thinks about what to do next. Soon enough realization hits him, he groans then turns to tanjiro.

"He meant mazoku not misu-ru...We're two villages away from it"

"That's why I couldn't smell anything"

"Mh, let's get going"
Giyuu states

They Turn to leave the forest. They start running out the forest to hurry to where they were supposed to go.

- - -
Next morning
- - -
(Mazoku; demon, devil or evil)

They have non stop been running and are almost half way there. Giyuu stops for a moment to rest, he leans against a tree while breathing heavily. Tanjiro walks over to giyuu's side just to plop his head down on giyuu's shoulder. Giyuu pushes himself off of the tree, tanjiro lifts his head up.

"Let's keep going"

"Okay"
Tanjiro agrees

They carry on, walking at a steady pace.

- - -
Mid day (half way there)
- - -

Tanjiro bows at an elderly man before jogging over to giyuu. They had asked for directions- tanjiro had asked.

"We're going in the right direction"
Tanjiro said

Giyuu nods then they both carry on.

'Tanjiro...'

Tanjiro stops in his tracks bewildered by the sudden voice. He looks around but doesn't see anyone. Giyuu watches the teen look around confused.

'Soon tanjiro...Soon.'

He looks around one more time but still sees nothing. Tanjiro is on high alert as the voices keep coming seemingly speaking to him. He looks at giyuu who isn't alerted and doesn't seem to hear the voice.

He comes to the conclusion that only he can hear the voice. Tanjiro's gaze falls, he closes his eyes to listen closely to the voice.

'I will find you eventually.'

'What..?'

The voice stops. Tanjiro opens his eyes still frozen from what just happened. As he tries to process what happened giyuu puts a hand on his shoulder. Tanjiro shakes his head looking up at giyuu.

"I'm..ok"

"You sure?"

"Yes.."
Tanjiro mumbles

Giyuu becomes slightly concerned but shakes it off. They start walking again with tanjiro in the back as he is still thinking about the voice. He begins to daze off and is know walking mindlessly. Tanjiro only snaps out of it when he bumps into giyuu who had stopped.

"You're not acting like yourself today"

"I-I just heard something. That's it"
Tanjiro reassured

Giyuu wasn't convinced but let it go for now. Tanjiro began to shrink before giyuu could turn away. Tanjiro looks up to him waving his arms in the air. Giyuu sighs then picks him up like a baby. Tanjiro drifts off to sleep in giyuu's arms.

- - -
At the village (night)
- - -

Night falls as the two enter the village. He walks into the village, tanjiro in his arms looking around. As they walk everyone seem to be going into their house. This let's the two know that they are in the right place. Giyuu stops to put tanjiro down. He starts to grow back into his normal size.

Giyuu quickly scans the area and sees a couple seemingly waiting for something. He walks up to the couple whom looks relieved when they see him. The women pulls back the other as she spots tanjiro who isn't in his human form. On seeing the demon teen the two of them back up a bit concerned.

Giyuu stops once he has reached them and notices their reaction. He looks over to tanjiro to see him just standing their not moving a muscle. Tanjiro just stands there staring blankly. He soon notices the couple and backs up so he's a foot away; behind giyuu.

"Is he- safe..?"
The man asks

Giyuu just nods trying to avoid any further human interaction. Giyuu also doesn't question that the whole village seems to know about demons.

"Where's the demon"

"Well they usually attack you if found alone... Their-"

Tanjiro drowns out the voices of giyuu and the couple unknowingly. He can't help but feel like somethings wrong. He also can't seem to stop the voice.

'Tanjiro, you aren't a human. You're better then them'

'No...'

'You're a demon'

'No. I'm...I'm human...'

'You're a demon! You're less of a human now, a demon!'

'No, I'm not a monster and I'll never be one!'

Tanjiro's eye's snap open in a flash. He looks around frantically only calming down when he sees giyuu. He just finishes talking to the couple. Tanjiro goes to his side. He looks at the couple, he just stares at them. Tanjiro walks up to them which they back up a bit. He pats their head, the couple and giyuu are confused.

Tanjiro knows what he's doing, he knows who the couple reminds him of. He sees his father and mother in the couple. The two stand there calmly, they have put their trust in tanjiro. They trust that he won't do anything. They just know that he's good.

"Let's go tanjiro"
Giyuu says

Tanjiro stops patting them and turns to giyuu. He bounces past and behind giyuu. The couple bows at them, thanking them for helping with the demon. They walk away from the couple and head into the alleyways. Giyuu jumps onto the roof tops to spy around the area.

Tanjiro stays on the ground to lure the demon out. He stays put, seemingly acting as if alone. He transforms into his human form.

---
Few minutes later
---

Watching from the roof top giyuu sees something in the shadows. Tanjiro has been walking back and forth, waiting. He waits no longer as he is in the demons perinatal vision now. Tanjiro and the demon stare at each other, the demon smiling.

'Use what I gave you. You well become the best demon king'

Tanjiro hears the voices again. He stops moving, he narrows his eyes trying to ignore the voices.

"Well, well what do we have here? You don't smell that of human"

"Of course not.."

.
---

Anddd done!

Ima be honest...

.
I became obsessed with genshin impact. Play it 24/7. Anyway. Bye