|| 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐧 ||

ꨄ︎

y/n kamado pov

there stood in front of us, a man wearing a tengu mask. he had this comforting aura that can be trusted but i will never let my guard down when things go the wrong way.

"then how is one supposed to kill a demon?" questioned tanjiro as he turned to look at the man.

"don't ask other people, you have a brain right? so use it." said the man.

his footsteps are so light that even i couldn't hear them at all. he must be someone from the demon slayer corps but he isn't wearing the uniform. is he on leave?

i stared at tanjiro waiting for him to do something. this could be his first demon kill, i must watch as it would be entertaining. but clearly he can't make up his mind. he held a rock on his hands, ready to slam on the head to crush it but he didn't. all he did is stand and think, he's wasting his time. this won't do.

the man who wore a tengu mask then shook his head before leaving tanjiro alone to decide for himself. if i were to help tanjiro then he wouldn't learn at all, he must have been thinking that crushing that demon's head would hurt him, well that is exactly the point. he's supposed to be killing him, all he did is stand and think. it's better to leave him alone to his thoughts so he could sort it out.

"come nezuko, let's enter the house as the sun would rise soon." i said as i grab nezuko's hand.

nezuko glance over to tanjiro before shrugging. she followed me without any fight and we stayed inside the house waiting for tanjiro to finish off the demon.

i heard yawning coming from rokuta, i glance down and find him trying to find a comfortable position in my arms. his eyes slowly closing and finally he had fallen asleep, he must have been tired.

"here." the man approached as he gave me a cloth, "you must be tired from carrying him in your arms, wrap him from behind with a cloth to relax your arms." continued the man as i reached out grabbing the cloth he had given me.

with the help of the man, i was able to put rokuta on my back with the cloth tied in front of me holding his weight. just like what nezuko usually do whenever they take a walk outside.

"nezuko." i called out as i saw her hiding in the basket.

the sun has finally risen yet tanjiro is still outside deciding whether he'll kill the demon or not, took him long enough of what strategy to use when killing the demon. he won't be able to kill demons when he hesitates like that.

"too hesitant!"

said the man followed by a loud slap. i then step out of the cabin and found tanjiro holding his cheeks that had turned red from the impact of the slap he had gotten.

"you are too hesitant on everything. you didn't even manage to kill the demon before morning!"

"you also could not answer my question immediately. do you know why? this is because your resolve is too shallow."

"if your sister wants a human, there are two things needed to be done. kill your sister and then slit your own stomach. this is the kind of resolve needed in bringing your sister along with you."

then the scolding continued as tanjiro stood still, staring at the man with pure interests. i can confirm that this man is a demon slayer, if he wasn't wearing the uniform does that mean he's an old demon slayer? he must have resigned or something.

"hoist your sister onto your back and follow me." said the man as he waited for tanjiro to fetch nezuko.

"and you, if you think what you're doing is for the good of this young lad. then maybe do something that could also benefit the two of you, do not leave him hanging!" said the man as he pointed his finger towards my direction.

that is true but if i were to always warn tanjiro of what to do, then how could he handle himself when we accidentally split apart. i do understand where the man is coming from but i'm also doing this to benefit tanjiro and to enhance his own thinking without relying to someone.

"quick, you and that young lad follow me." said the man as he started running towards the direction where we're headed.

third person pov

both tanjiro and y/n followed the man who's now ahead of them. they had been running for quite a while without stopping which causes this action to exhaust them.

"why is he so fast?" questioned tanjiro as he pants loudly.

y/n who was too focused on her thoughts didn't heard tanjiro's whining and loud pants. she had concluded earlier that he was a member of the demon slayer corps. his footsteps can't be heard at all which alerts her that he must be someone from the higher rank.

y/n knew the demon slayer corps when her father had told her about them, he wasn't in the corps but he does kill demons to protect his family. he had regretted not being home that day when muzan came and slayed y/n's mother, after that he and y/n had moved to another village to erase the hurtful memories that happened in that house. but after moving he had gotten an illness causing him to leave y/n behind.

suddenly the masked man stopped running, this causes y/n and tanjiro to stop as well. tanjiro bent down holding his knees as he huffed loudly on the other hand y/n remained the standing position before using a breathing technique to calm her nerves.

"so--"

"so did i pass the test?" questioned tanjiro as he continued panting and along the questions comes a few coughs that he could not hold in.

"the test has just begun, follow me up the mountain." said the masked man, this causes tanjiro to fall on his knees. y/n then stared at the lifeless tanjiro who had a horrified look plastered on his face.

✰★✰

y/n kamado pov

"from here you will descend the mountain to where my house is at the bottom." explained the masked man.

"this time i won't be waiting until dawn." he continued before vanishing with the swoosh of the wind.

"eh?!" let out tanjiro as he turned around trying to find where the masked man went.

"come on, don't just stand there. we have to reach his house before dawn." i said before running down the mountain leaving him behind.

he must have been confident as he had a keen sense of smell but knowing every test made by someone from the demon slayer corps, he must have set traps that could hassle us from reaching his house.

not that i mind, i wasn't trained when i was a kid but i was taught the breathing techniques. i might not be able to smell the traps like tanjiro can, but i do have sharp eyes that could spot where the traps are laid.

i suddenly heard tanjiro scream from behind, i stopped from my tracks and noticed rocks being thrown at him. he then made a step which is the biggest mistake he could have done as he had fallen in a hole.

"how can you not know there are traps in here. hurry!" i said running towards the hole and helping him up, he then accidentally pressed a thread that was laying on the ground.

"hey watch out!" i said before tackling him down the hole as a single log came down trying to knock tanjiro.

"be careful!" i stated as we climbed the hole once again.

tanjiro stood up panting heavily. the air in this mountain is very thin, thanks to my breathing techniques i could breathe normally but that does not apply to tanjiro, if we stay here longer then we're doomed.

"calm down tanjiro. breathe." i comforted as i rub his back, he then calmed down before determination spread through him.

"i can smell the traps as it is designed by a human which will leave distinct smell. i could use that to our advantage." said tanjiro as his heavy breathings had stopped.

"i can detect where the threads are, if we combined our skills then we can reach the house before dawn." i said.

he then nodded his head before sprinting off and me joining him from behind. he couldn't see the threads but i can see them clearly, his feet had been touching the threads but he can easily avoid the incoming log.

even so, he couldn't avoid all the traps as those bamboos are on the way. i then followed, rushing towards the front wherein i was able to jump before the bamboos gets to me, it was quite easy avoiding them but tanjiro's body isn't agile enough to be able to avoid them all.

"doing alright?" i questioned as i avoided a thread seen down the ground.

"yes!" he shouted back, i then saw him step on the thread and a log came by hitting on the side, knocking him down on his feet but that didn't stop him from getting up and following behind me.

"alright, i can see at least 5 more threads, jump when i say so to avoid it." i stated as tanjiro screamed from behind as a response.

✰★✰

y/n kamado pov

"we are back!" stated tanjiro as he opened the sliding door before falling on his knees.

it was a tiring journey down the mountain. it was exhausting but worth it, we're able to reach his home before dawn which means we pass the test.

"i have recognized your abilities kamado tanjiro." stated the man as he helped tanjiro up his feet.

"and you, giyuu had never mentioned you in the letter but seeing you for the first time. i knew you had what it takes to be a demon slayer." continued the man as he look my way.

that's right, i never knew the man's name and learned it from tanjiro. it was tomioka giyuu was it? he must have recommend tanjiro to this man and i just happen to come along with tanjiro that is why he had tested may skills as well.

well not that i'm complaining.

"rest assured. tomorrow is the start of the training." said the man as he ushered for me and tanjiro to enter a room, and there he had treated our wounds.

i am quite excited about the outcome of this. i do know the breathing of the hinokami kagura but this man probably had a different breathing that i could learn and use for battle.

i'm quite excited for tomorrow's training.

ఌ︎

Third chapter is up, what do you think about it?

Updates every:
Sunday