Release and Loyalty

Hunting

"what happened? where is he?" Kanao aked when they got back.
"we couldn't get him." Inosuke atmited.
"I'll go with Aoi and Senjuro next." Kanao said.
"yeah, maybe you can get Aoi to poison him or something" Zenitsu said.
"just don't kill him..." Nezuko added quietly.
"we would never." Kanao reassured her.

Sanemi and Tengen were tracking Tanjiro not knowing where he stayed.
"can't we just ask Nezuko where he is?" Sanemi asked.
"that wouldn't be flashy." Tengen remarked.
"does it have to be flashy?" Sanemi asked.
"that's a stupid question, of course it does!" Tengen snapped defencively.

Tanjiro was sitting in the corner of his room, he was still in pain but he had been told the shade would help by Shinsetsu and Forowā.
"Am I a monster? I tried to kill my own sister. I even eat people...no. I'm not a monster, I'm a perfect being with no weakness!" Tanjiro thought.

"Master, are you okay?" Shinsetsu asked.
"Am I a monster?" Tanjiro said half to himself.
"No! You're wonderful, Tanjiro-sama!" Shinsetsu hastily reassured him.
"He's right, my liege." Forowā said.
Tanjiro stared at them with a sad smile.
"Thanks..." he said.
Forowā slowly walked over, she carefully hugged Tanjiro making sure not to touch his back. This reminded him of his family.
"Forowā, stop!" Shinsetsu told her.
She saw that Tanjiro was crying.
"I'm sorry, my liege! Please forgive me!"
She frantically said.
He hugged her and said: "don't apologize, you did nothing wrong."
He beckoned Shinsetsu over, he looked nervous but he did not deny his master.
"I'm going to hunt..." Tanjiro said.

It was nighttime and Byōjaku was trying to fall asleep when he saw a figure in his window. "Hello?" I said nervously.
"You smell...familiar." Tanjiro said.
His glowing eyes scared Byōjaku, Tanjiro stepped into the room, his feet barely making a sound on the floor. Tanjiro stared at Byōjaku, he did know him...they met on a train...he had tuberculosis.
"I know you...we met on a train...your name?" Tanjiro asked.
"Byōjaku." Byōjaku responded.

"Uhm...i'm sorry I tried to kill you." Byōjaku said.
"It's...fine." Tanjiro told him.
Tanjiro walked back and forth on all fours across the floor until he found a comfortable spot. Byōjaku was glad he stopped because his claws made a horrible clacking sound on the floor. Tanjiro fell asleep in the moonlight, Byōjaku could see the spikes on his back. He got up and went over to Tanjiro, Byōjaku touched one of the spikes. Tanjiro woke up and snarled.
"Sorry! Did I hurt you?" Byōjaku asked.
"Yes." Tanjiro growled.
"Hey, sir! It's dangerous to leave your window ope-" someone said from outside. "Mareachi..." Tanjiro said staring outside.
"Tanjiro!" The man said looking through the window.
"Who?" Tanjiro asked.
"Sanemi, the wind hashira." He said.
"Sa-nem-i?" Tanjiro repeated.
"You found him?" Asked another man with a missing eye and arm.
Tanjiro ignored him and focused on Sanemi.
"You have...mareachi?" Tanjiro asked.
"I think you should run, this is the demon king." Said the other man.
"Yes...mareachi...stronger than normal." Tanjiro said.

"I can take him, that medicine they gave him made him weaker." Sanemi reassured him.
"But he's starving and your blood is quite strong." The other man said.
Byōjaku went behind Tanjiro while he was distracted and grabbed the spines on his back. This severely hurt Tanjiro, so much so that he fell over and tried to take his own eyes.
"What's wrong with him, Tengen?" Sanemi whispered.
"From Nezuko's account, he grew those spines out of his back on accident and it hurt him severely." Tengen whispered back.
"Let...go!" Tanjiro snarled through the pain.
"Why are you trying to kill them?!" Byōjaku asked. "And why did they call you 'the demon king'?!"
"He's a demon, and may eat you." Tengen said.
Tanjiro kicked Byōjaku into the wall and got up. Tanjiro walked over to Byōjaku and sank his fangs into Byōjaku's leg, he had died on impact.
"Tanjiro, stop!" Sanemi shouted.
Tanjiro proceeded to eat Byōjaku as fast as he could, he was truly starved. Tanjiro looked up at Sanemi, his mouth dripping with blood and saliva.
"Sanemi, run!" Tengen said. Sanemi and Tengen got out the window and ran.

713 words, this was four pages long