ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴡɪꜱᴛᴇʀɪᴀ •》ꜱᴀɴᴇᴍɪ x ᴏᴄ《•

☆~• Genya •~☆

"Nee-chan.." Genya awkwardly looked at Ruri. He did not expect their reunion to be like this. She looks so different compared to before.

However..

He felt so disappointed at himself. How could he let her leave like that? He was so blind at her suffering. Of course there must've been a deep reason why she suddenly left! To think that she's a demon now and has been enduring it for two whole years.

What kind of suffering and hardships did she experienced? Being alone and transforming into a demon without anyone knowing? She hid it for so long and left for so long because she wanted to protect them from her.

He was a fool for not realizing this sooner.

"Hello, little brother. You look like you've seen a ghost." Ruri said with an indifferent smile.

She beckoned for him to come closer.

"You've grown taller again. It's ridiculous. I'm a demon now but I'm still a midget compared to you? What kind of food have you been eating?" She teased, wanting to ease his tension for a little bit.

"T..That.."Genya couldn't form a sentence.

"Hmm.. All I eat everyday is poison. Wisteria leaves and flowers. They aren't very tasty. They're quite lethal actually. But they can atleast satisfy my cravings. It would be good if eating them could help me grow taller.."

Genya took a step closer.

"Riri-san.."

"Ah!" She exclaimed. "Genya-kun, you should continue calling me 'nee-chan'. It makes you seem cuter!"

He blushed at her teasing and even though his eyes were watering, he forced his mouth to speak.

"Riri-san, I'm glad... I'm r..really.. glad.. You and nii-chan are both o..okay.."

"Hah." Ruri sighed. "You're like him. You're both tsunderes.. It's so frustrating. "

She came forward and pulled him into a hug.

♤♡◇♧

"Oyakata-sama, it's been a while. I would like to express my gratitude for accepting me once again. "Ruri said in a respectful tone as she bowed her head while kneeling.

"Ruri..You endured a lot. Remember that you will always be one of my children."

Ruri blinked. Her body shook.

"Y..Yes.. I'm honored. "

Even though this man reeked of death and decay, Ruri still respected him. She knew that he won't live long. Oyakata-sama's body was failing him. He couldn't see. He could barely move. He's coughing up blood randomly.

It felt rude of her to be intruding on his bedroom in the middle of the night. Why did he even allowed her to meet him? Did she really trust her, a demon? That much?

"Ruri, as long as you continue to persevere, a bright future awaits you."

Ubuyashiki Kagaya, commonly known as Oyakata-sama is known for his foresight even among the demon slayers. Ruri wanted to believe him, she really did.

But does she even have the right?

She could smell his death, soon approaching but knew that there was nothing she could do to prolong his life.

She left with a heavy heart and immersed herself in research along with Shinobu - the Insect Pillar, Lady Tamayo and Yuishiro.

There was obviously tension in the air. Shinobu wholeheartedly trusts Ruri but the same cannot be said for Lady Tamayo and Yuishiro.

Despite that, they were all forced to work together to come up with a cure. Four brilliant and diligent minds, even if their cooperation wasn't genuine, they were all highly motivated to finish the miracle drug that would turn a demon back into a human again.

Sometimes, Genya would visit Ruri when he's done with training. Naturally, Tanjiro and his group would come along, wanting to support him which embarasses the scarred boy very much.

"Genya-kun! You're here!" Ruri's smiling again. Atleast she's happy when Genya and his friends are there. She is given the leeway to feel human again even though it was only a short time.

But eventually, they have to go back to trainig since it is anticipated that Muzan would soon make his move.

"Tanjiro.." Ruri called before they could leave.

"The bag I gave you before. Have you looked into it?" She was smiling gently as she said this.

"Ah! That's right! I'm not sure what it is but it's some kind of ointment? But it smells like blood.."

Ruri grinned. "It has my blood."

"Ah?!"

"Don't worry. Aside from my swordsmanship, my demon art is related to healing. Unexpectedly, my blood has strong healing properties. I also have a quick regeneration rate than most demon. If you're really injured or in a pinch, a drop is enough to restore your vitality and stop most wounds from bleeding out. Of course, please use it moderately. It's still demon blood." She advised wisely.

"Thank you so much!" Ruri smiled at him.

"Riri-san, when are you going to talk to.." Genya trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

She immediately understood what he wanted to say.

"Nemi's really a princess... He knows how to throw a tantrum. I really want to talk to him soon but he's scary as hell when he's pissed. Still!! He tied me up like a dog before! I'm still mad at him for doing that!" She rages, waving her fist.

"But you'll talk to nii-chan, right..?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Seeing you so eager makes me highly motivated. When my cute little brother is asking so nicely, how could I even refuse? Of course, I'll go see Nemi!" Ruri said. "But..later.. when he's calmed down. "

Of course, the hotheaded Wind Pillar took weeks before he was calm enough to talk to Ruri again and even their encounter was not a memorable experience.

To put it simply, they fought with their swords while screaming curses at each other and shouting. This was usually how they resolve their issues and even if Ruri has turned into a demon, the way they communicate still has not changed.

It's always been fighting and wielding his sword that makes Sanemi easier to talk to.

"Nemi hasn't changed~"