The Shadow of the Insect

~Chapter Seventeen~

Morning broke and Neltha had to get ready for his mission with the Water Hashira Tomioka Giyuu. This duo was very special. Both are introverted assholes and rarely speak to people around them. Still, they get along pretty well, that's because they both enjoy the quiet. Their job was to wipe out a clan of demons that killed a group of other younger Players who never returned. The two of them received the instructions directly from Ojakata. "Both of you. Please go to the place and release the demons from their agonizing lives. Unfortunately, we don't know how many demons there are. That's why I'm sending two Hashira to solve the situation faster and without further deaths."

Both nodded and looked up at him with respect. Tomioka started to say, "We will destroy the demons." At the same time, they disappeared at high speed and ran straight to their mission site.

After half a day they arrived and came up with a plan how to best implement it. They sit together in a bar and wonder how to proceed. "Neltha. I don't feel like talking to you, but we should come up with a plan to stamp out the demons."

The addressed only sipped on his Sake. "Don't you feel how weak the enemy's aura are? We don't need plans for them and shouldn't waste the time making plans." Tomioka turned his head slightly to the side in ignorance. "You can feel the auras of these demons from afar?" Neltha was annoyed again. "Tze. You should be able to do that too. You are a Hashira. Now, only Gyomei and I can do that. Don't you train Hashira harder? What else do you do in your freedom?" Tomioka just ignored him and drank his tea. "Oi, Tomioka. Let's finish the mission. I'm tired of the place." They both got up and paid for the drinks and gave the waitress a generous tip so that she would not pass on the information she had heard.

Neltha kicked open the door in which the clan of demons are sitting. "Which of you fuckers is the strongest in this room! I'll slaughter him first!" he cried out of his lungs. The demons were all shaken awake. "What is this guy thinking about? I'll take you down quickly." said the little demon. He jumped up from the corpse he was killing and ran to him with his claws extended. Neltha quickly took out his sword and cut it in half. "ARGHHHHHH! H-how can he just ...?"

The other demons flinched in fear. In front of them stood a beast who had almost the same strength as one of the Upper Moon's. Neltha was soaked in blood again. "I'll ask you again. Who is the strongest here?" A demon who is about two meters came out of the room. "What is that noise?" he said in a menacing voice. The world turned from his perspective. The demons near him looked at him, startled. With a thud, his head lay on the floor. "Wh-wha-what? This can't be true. How fast was he?" The demon disappeared completely from the surface only the dust blew through the room. The rest of the demons were frightened. They ran away. "OI! Don't run away! Fight me!" The demons were almost at the entrance. "Water Breathing: First Form: Water Surface Slash!" With just one blow, Tomioka killed all the demons.

"Tomioka you bastard. I wanted to kill them." he said while brushing his hair back. "You said we shouldn't waste time." he said in a calm voice. "No wonder that few people like you." said Neltha with sarcasm. "See Kochou? Neltha said that few people like me and not all of them dislike me..." With a slight grin, Tomioka went to the headquarters with Neltha.

"Giyuu? Why didn't you kill the Kamado siblings back then?" Tomioka was stunned. Neltha never used his first name unless it was serious. "I can only tell you one thing. When I tried to hit Tanjirou again, the girl jumped between him and me. It looked like she was protecting him."

Neltha scratched his chin. "As if fate had big plans for both. Actually, I should have been given the mission, but thank God, I refused it, otherwise both would be dead now."

Out of nowhere asked Tomioka. "Are you a couple with Kochou now?" Neltha stumbled and landed on his nose. Slowly he got to his feet and gave Tomioka a fatal look. "How do you get that my friend?"

"HE CALLED ME HIS FRIEND!"

"You two spend a lot of time together, she worries when you are on missions, she makes you something to eat. As if the two of you are married." The cheeks grew warmer, and he became slightly angry. "You can quickly forget that. Inosuke has only got used to her as a mother figure, apparently Kanao sees me as her father. So, we help each other." He tried to talk his way out of it. "Why don't you make it official? So that both of them have real parent figures." he asked stupidly. Now was angry. With a single hard blow on the head, Tomioka lay on the floor. A bump formed on his head. "Now stop talking and go on Tomioka."

"...h-he still called me his friend..."

On arrival at home, Neltha was greeted warmly by the little ones as always. "Ara Ara. There you are. We got you something to eat." she said singing as she walked towards the living room. Rice gave me vegetables and of course melons. Shinobu sat across from Neltha at the Irori table with her hand on her chin. She watched him eat. Neltha found it uncomfortable that she was watching him. "Sorry to bother you or something, but do you have to stare at me like that when I eat?" Shinobu just smiled. "How do you like the food? I cooked this for you." He replied shortly, "It tastes very good." The answer was short, but that was enough for her.

Aurora the Eagle of Neltha and the Crow of Shinobu entered the room at the same time. The two-winged animals quarreled over who should deliver the message. "Aurora, please restrain yourself!" said Neltha. The Shinobu Crow continued. "KRAHHHH! TO ALL HASHIRA. THE SUMMER FESTIVAL OF THE DEMON SLAYER IS COMING SOON. THIS TIME ALL HASHIRA WILL PERFORM A SONG. THAT IS NOT A CHOICE BUT THIS TIME A DIRECT ORDER FROM OJAKATA!"

"I don't do that. I have better things to do than sing for them. I didn't even know we had a summer festival." said Neltha, confused. Shinobu just laughed out loud. "Apparently we have to sing ... we have no choice."

"Fuck me. I don't want too." he said pissed. 

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Authors Note:
Moin Moin!~
I apologize very much for not posting anything. My laptop broke and I couldn't access my data. As smart as I am, I haven't saved my chapters in the cloud... that's why about five chapters were lost... I have to write everything all over again. But whatever. Shit happens. I hope you will forgive me for my ineptitude. A Bonus-Chapter is planned for next week. Just to warn you. I will not publish the Bonus Chapter on Monday, but at some point during the day. First of all, I have to come back with chapters so that I can publish a chapters every Monday. Forgive me.
Bye Bye ~ till next chapter!