Nezumi To Inoshishi (ねずミ と いのしし) || InoNezu

8- What are we?

Dinner was finished 3 hours ago and they were all back to their rooms. Zenitsu tried his best to go sleep next to Inosuke but got dragged away by Tanjirou. He couldn't do anything about it because Tanjirou was obviously stronger.

Inosuke was left in the room with Nezuko again. Nezuko had been asleep since after Tanjirou's visit and it doesn't look like she's going to be awake anytime soon.

Inosuke heaved a sighed and laid on his futon. He used the blanket this time, though it was just covering the lower half of his body. His head on top of his arms while he thought about things, as awake as he can.

His thoughts centered at his new-found family and current experiences. In the end, he fell asleep. He had a mission tomorrow anyway so he didn't mind it much. Thinking too hard about something would just waste time.

....

It was just a few hours before the sun rises and Inosuke was already up and about. He had a mission that day and he definitely won't make a pass at it. Inosuke had his breakfast and left in a hurry.

He didn't feel the need to say 'good bye'. They knew he had a mission. They'll understand.

....

Inosuke ran and ran, with occasional water and rest breaks, to the direction of south south-east. He was told that there will be a town surrounded by dense forests and the demon will be at a temple.

Inosuke clicked his tongue. It wasn't the time to think but he found himself thinking about his friends. His underlings. Like those rats he personally trained but then Nezuko's image flashed in his mind and he clicked his tongue again.

"Damn Neyuki." Inosuke cursed as he continued to run through the forest trail. With his boar mask on, he scared off every person he came across with. Their reactions made him laugh.

The sun was soon setting and he found a seemingly abandoned hut. "The great Inosuke's coming through!!" Inosuke shouted then kicked down the door. He nodded twice, satisfied with his work as steam went out of his boar mask's nose.

He casually entered the hut and found kids - four boys and three girls, he noted - cuddled up next to each other, trembling in both cold and fright. Inosuke swore he saw one of the girls before but he couldn't remember where and when.

The boy, that also looked oddly familiar, bravely looked up and immediately beamed at the sight of Inosuke. He left the other kids in their cuddle and headed to inform Inosuke of what had happened.

"Inosuke-san! A demon! At the temple! She- she ugh I don't know anymore." He sighed and frustratedly run his hands on his now messy hair in attempt to calm down. "It captured everyone in the temple! You have to save them!"

Inosuke stood motionless, his head tilted to the side while trying to figure out who the kid was and wondered how he knew his name. The kid was looking somewhat expectant of what Inosuke was about to say. Inosuke pointed at the boy while grinning madly beneath his mask. "Pochi!!"

The boy, with a disappointed smile, pointed at himself and said his name. "Shoichi," Shoichi protested softly. "Jūichi!" Inosuke insisted and Shoichi sighed and gave up. He had all the evidence needed to know that Inosuke won't listen to him anyway.

"The priestess... she was a demon after all. Teruko was almost taken away!" Shoichi shouted at Inosuke, pointing at Teruko in the corner.

Inosuke thought about it for a small while but he did agree. He was led to the temple by Shoichi and the others. Inosuke wasn't as thoughtful and cautious as his friends was and let the kids tag along with him.

....

Inosuke greatly regretted having the kids tag along. "DAMN IT!" Inosuke screamed in frustration, busying himself in dodging the demon's attacks. He was having a hard time protecting the kids and being on the defense.

He usually just attacks randomly and is always low on his defense. Not low but he's always focused on offense, always wanting to deal huge blows to his opponents.

Inosuke eyes flitted to where the kids stood frightened and back again to the hysterically laughing demon, pupils dilated, darting here and there. Her face distorted into an obnoxious grin.

"Why are you here?! I avoided you and now you're back again?! You want to take them away from me!? Huh? HUH!?" The demon

The priestess demon grinned maliciously, knives that appear to be floating, glinted sinisterly. "IF YOU WANT THEM, THEN PAY THE PRICE!! HAHAHA!!" The knives that were just floating idly launched and attacked Inosuke.

Inosuke dodged and tackled the kids on the ground. His body full of knife wounds, blood oozing from each cut. "Stay down or loose your head!" Inosuke warned and the kids started tearing up, letting their tears fall freely but never letting out any sound. It was better that way and Inosuke was grateful for that.

Inosuke glared through his mask while covering the kids from the knives. "Leave the kids out! You crazy old hag!!" Inosuke shouted and swiftly cut all of the strings and the knives immediately fell to the ground.

"RUN!! GO BACK TO THE SHED!!" Inosuke pushed the kids away and braced himself for another round of knives coming at him, but it never did. The demon went back in the temple. A futile attempt in hiding from him, she doesn't know though.

Inosuke sprinted into the temple and went behind the priestess, his chipped blades cutting her neck. Her head rolled down a few more times before it faced Inosuke, the rest of her body reduced to ash.

She looked shocked, tears falling as she sobbed, explaining why she did it. But Inosuke didn't care to listen and looked away from her pathetic form.

"Boy, I shall ask you one last thing..." Inosuke stayed silent and listened. "Do you also find yourself wondering what your relationship is with a friend? Haha.." The head then reduced to dust, floating away with the wind.

Inosuke finished his mission. There were five survivors that were smart enough to hide from the demon and the rest had to be buried. After the burial, Inosuke walked his way to the mansion that had a wisteria ingraved on the gate, body heavy and vision blurry from blood loss. He arrived at his destination, he was unconcious though.

....

Inosuke lay in bed, body full of bandages and his mask beside him. Inosuke groaned feeling his throat dry with wrinkled brows. He opted standing up and getting himself water but he can only sit up and so he did.

The small old woman -the same old woman he called old hag before- sitting beside his bed, offered a cup of water for him to drink and he accepted.

After finishing his drink, Inosuke sighed and laid back down on the futon. He drowsily looked up the ceiling, thinking about all the good stuff there is to his life. The last thing he thought of was Nezuko. Slowly letting himself lose to unconciousness, he wondered to himself, 'What even are we?' He droned out after that and fell asleep.

••••

Hey guys!! Since I think that I am being unfair, I have decided to publish this chapter today/tonight. And I do feel bad that I haven't updated anything after the new year special. After this, please wait until late February and we'll be back to the normal span of updating. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!!