‹Demon Slayer Nezuko› : A Kimetsu no Yaiba Story

Chapter 2: Farewell

Nezuko opened her eyes. A faint light was seeping into the house from the windows.

It's bright.... it's morning.....

Her entire body felt heavy and dull. Especially her head -- a strange sensation was stuck on her forehead, like something sticky had dried...

It felt like she was having a nightmare.

Her eyes were dry: she must've been crying while asleep.

——"You. You become a demon."

Nezuko remembered those cold, blood-red eyes in that moment, and the words he had told her.

"Ah.... Aahhhh!!??"

Nezuko got up, pulling her sprawled limbs back to herself. She blinked a few times.

What spread out in front of her vision was a nightmare.

"Mother.... Shigeru..... Rokuta..... Takeo.... Hanako...."

As she called their names, tears started to wet her vision.

She lowered her gaze at the figure sprawled next to her.

"Onii-chan...."

Tanjiro was laid face-down on the floor. A hand extended was reaching towards Nezuko.

Blood had stained his entire kimono -- just remembering the level of injury he had sustained during that night sent shivers up Nezuko's back.

Trembling without control, she reached her hand towards Tanjiro's head.

"I'm so sorry.... Onii-chan... everyone..."

I'm sorry, mom. For not being able to save our family.

I'm sorry, Takeo. I couldn't answer you when you told me to run.

I'm sorry, Hanako, Shigeru, Rokuta. Big sister couldn't protect you.

I'm sorry, Onii-chan. You were hurt so much as you tried to protect me.

I'm sorry for being alive when all of you.....

Nezuko slowly touched Tanjiro's hair. She shifted her body to turn Tanjiro over so she could see his face.

"Onii-chan....."

A tremor went through Tanjiro's entire body. Nezuko instinctively pulled back her arm.

"Eh.....??"

He's.... alive!!??

"Onii-chan!!!" Nezuko cried, her voice cracking up because of her dry throat. She quickly reached towards Tanjiro, to lift his body up...

Tanjiro's head snapped upward.

What came in Nezuko's sight was his face matted in blood.

His open mouth dripping with saliva revealed four of his canine teeth extended into sharp fangs.

The scar on his face was nowhere to be seen.

And... his eyes. The whites of his eyes were dark red, and his pupils were constricted like a cat's.

Seeing her older brother's warped face sent a shock through Nezuko's body.

She was even more shocked to find that her fear towards Tanjiro had overwhelmed her emotion of happiness at finding him alive.