The eye of the storm (Sanemi Shinazugawa X Reader)

21| Perpetual smile

A quick reminder: there are spoilers from both the manga and the anime in this story! Now, I hope you enjoy the read <3

Running as fast as my legs would allow through the forest, I felt the nerves gnawing at me. I feared for my brother's life; the fact that his sparrow had made such a journey alone to fetch me meant nothing good. It was nighttime, but thanks to my heightened auditory ability, I could run at full speed without colliding with anything; every element of nature emitted its own characteristic sound.

I also feared for Tanjirou, Inosuke, and Tengen. Truth be told, I wasn't cut out to be a Demon Slayer because I couldn't bear the loss of someone close. I could never get used to it. I didn't want anyone to die, and even less if I could prevent it.

While running and pondering all this, I detected the presence of someone in the forest. It wasn't a demon; it was human and emitted a sound I knew well."Iguro?" I called out when I saw him in the woods, my eyebrows furrowing. "What are you doing here? Weren't you summoned for a mission?" I asked, though I didn't want to stop and chat for long, but Iguro might be helpful if he accompanied me to the district, as I didn't know what awaited me there or who we would be facing.

Iguro looked at me as if I were a nuisance. "I was sent as reinforcements for Tengen, but I'm sure he can handle it. I have another important matter to attend to," he said indifferently, turning his back to me.

"No, Iguro, something is wrong with Tengen and the others, my brother's sparrow..." I trailed off when I noticed he was holding a bag of dango in his hands. "I can't believe it! Is that important matter delivering food to Mitsuri?" I asked, starting to get angry.

"It's none of your concern," he replied curtly. And on top of that, the guy had the nerve to get annoyed with me!

I couldn't hold back any longer; between nerves and anger, I exploded at Iguro and raised my voice. "I can't believe you're being so irresponsible. You're neglecting your duty as a pillar! Everything else can wait. Your feelings for Mitsuri shouldn't get in the way of any mission. You've truly let me down."

Iguro looked at me in silence for a moment; it was the first time I had left him speechless. Then he turned his back on me. "I've never cared what you think of me," he snapped, intending to leave.

"Great, then leave if you want, I'm going to the district, and I'm going to help Tengen. I'll fulfill my duty as my pillar even if it means I'll die in battle today," I spat, furious. Without stopping for a second longer, I focused all the blood in my legs and ran off towards the entertainment district.

As I approached the district, I saw people running and screaming. I could see some columns of smoke rising from collapsed houses and felt the heat from nearby fires. That district was no longer habitable, but incredibly, almost the entire population had been saved because they had managed to evacuate in time. Behind all the chaos, I focused and listened for the sound of my brother; he was close.

Entering the district, I searched for him and didn't take long to stumble upon the battle that was unfolding before me - none other than with the Upper Sixth Moon.

The first person I searched for was my brother. With the intensity of the battle, I expected him to be trembling in fear, but just like that day in the forest with Kaigaku, his eyes were closed, fully absorbed in the fight. It was hard to believe he was the same person. That's the real strength of my brother. He, along with Inosuke and Tanjiro, was facing off against a demon woman, who appeared to be the Upper Sixth Moon.

I wanted to rush to his side, but then I noticed that the girl wasn't the only demon in the area. I sensed an even stronger presence. The Upper Sixth Moon must be close by; that woman was just an extension of it.