Our Halcyon Days || Reader x Tanjiro | RESUME 2022!

* t w e n t y - e i g h t *

"Urk—"

The clash of steel against steel rung into the cool air.

It was your scimitar against the katana of another Demon Slayer, his body limp and movements jerky and unnatural. His dull gray eyes were open but unresponsive. No noises sounded from his mouth;

Not even a groan of pain at the twisting of his limbs, or the cracking of his bones as they shattered into pieces.

It didn't take you long to realize you were dueling with a corpse.

...Tanjiro should know by now. He is all too familiar with the scent of death.

Your throat tightened up when you saw a line of light glimmer above your opponent's body.

The spider webs.

It all made sense.

"I am sorry, my comrade," you told the corpse solemnly, forcing the shakiness from your apology. "I do not wish to harm your body, but I see no other way..."

The silken strings that controlled its movements would only be replaced by the small spiders when cut — only the death of the mastermind would end this game of marionettes. You had waltzed into a lair of spiders. You were out of your element.

I must cut off their hands and feet.

Gritting your teeth, you struck the puppet's sword from above with your own, sending it crashing to the ground. With the blade embedded into the soil, he struggled to pull it free; you took the opportunity to plant your foot on his chest and sent him flying away.

Cutting his hands off won't do anything, you had realized.

With hands or not, he could choke me to death with his arms. Even if I dice them all up into a million pieces, I'll run out of stamina, and...

You winced, ducking swiftly at the sight of another's fist swinging at you. It belonged to a girl — again, in uniform — who wailed in pain as the strings pulled her shoulder violently.

Some of them are still alive.

"There's no end to them," panted Tanjiro, skidding to a stop beside you. The poor boy, in his resolve to not maim any of the Demon Slayers' bodies, had suffered a few cuts along his face and arms. On the other hand, Inosuke was fighting brutally.

"We can't harm our allies, dead and alive!" Tanjiro yelled. He was guarding the Demon Slayer boy with black hair who had sent his crow to the higher-ups. His name, you learned, was Murata.

"SCREW YOU, MONJIRO!" garbled the boar-man. "LET ME FIGHT AS I PLEASE! I CUT THEM IN HALF AND IT'S QUICK AND EASY!"

"No! What the hell?!"

A puppet slashed at you vertically with an inhuman speed that the spider strings gave him. Pivoting to the right, you whirled and slashed all wires above the body, only to have them replaced a mere two seconds later. Still, it gave you an opening to retreat a bit.

"Inosuke!!" called out Tanjiro. "If you can find the demon in control with precision, please help us!"

He looked about to say something else, but he froze.

You rushed to his side, swiping the blood that trickled from the corner of your mouth. "What's wrong-?"

Sweat dripped down his temple. His only response was to look up.

Perturbed, you followed his gaze.

A small figure clad in a white kimono stood, suspended, midair, a bright contrast to the night sky behind him.