𝐑𝐞-𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 [Discontinued]

Chapter 12

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"Please train me!" Tanjiro spoke out, with a determined look. Zhongli stared at Tanjiro, right in the eyes for a moment; in deep thought about it. "Um.." Zhongli cleared his voice, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Tanjiro. But I don't think I will be able to train you well." Zhongli could tell that Tanjiro would not be suited to use a Polearm, it would be a hinderance to Tanjiro if he were to teach him.

Along with the fact that Zhongli is a ###, he had many years to train and refine his skills, and it would take Tanjiro too long to do what he can because, Tanjiro is a mortal.

"Oh?" Tanjiro looked confused, "but you seem really strong.." Zhongli chuckled a little at Tanjiro, "thank you, but I personally think that the type of weapon I use, and the type of training required won't suit you." He spoke, "We're here." Zhongli opened the door to the house and walked in with Tanjiro trailing behind.

"I'm going to go check on Nezuko." Tanjiro gave a small wave to Zhongli, and walked to Nezuko's room, but while doing so, Tanjiro thought back to what Zhongli said.

"I personally think that the type of weapon I use, and the type of training required won't suit you."

'Then..I can't become like Zhongli-san? What will suit me?' Tanjiro narrowed his eyes, but softened them, 'I could smell that he would've wanted too, but something stopped him.' Tanjiro opened Nezuko's door, and walked in, 'everyone has their reasons.' Tanjiro grabbed a chair, and sat down. He raised his hand and patted Nezuko's head while she slept. Soft snores, that was it.

Back to Zhongli, these days..he always felt like there were eyes everywhere, watching him carefully. He narrowed his eyes, he turned back around, opened the door back out into the cold outside world. He looked left then right then left then right, then up then down then forward then left.

He still felt like he was being watched, by something that did not have any good intentions. It was just..not in his field of view, and that concerned him.

'This energy..it's faint, this thing..person..who or whatever it is, it's doing it's best to hide it's presence from me. But that little energy that I can sense..it's familiar..' Zhongli narrowed his eyes once more, but walked back into the Kamado Household, not hearing the dark, and empty chuckle within the woods, hiding.

"We have our targets."

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"Look! It's Zhongli!" A flying creature floated over with her companion, the Traveller. "Hm? Oh, Traveller, and Paimon. What brings you both here?" Zhongli crossed his arms, "we are in urgent need for your help!" Paimon's voice began to sound panicked, which made Zhongli raise an eyebrow and look at them both in concern.

"The ##### ##### is planning on destroying all ##### ####### with their army!" Paimon exclaimed, the Traveller himself had an expression of panic, sort of. He seemed concerned, but not that all concerned for the amount of lives that could be lost eventually.

'Will she break our ########?' Zhongli narrowed his eyes, 'if so, then I will not allow this.' Zhongli took in a breath of air, and looked at the two. "I see, I will do everything in my power to help stop this upcoming war." The Traveller and Paimon nodded, "come on traveller! Let's go tell Venti now too!" They both scurried away quickly to warn the other Archon, but once they left his view, Zhongli turned around swiftly.

—

"This was not a part of the ########. ######." Zhongli crossed his arms at the female in front of him, she had her minions side by side, next to her. "Actually, Morax. You should've thought through it better, I didn't say that I wouldn't go after #####. I said I would leave it until it's all over. Which means, ##### is last." Once she finished speaking, Zhongli's eyes widened, "and, you also agreed to help me and the #####. I said that __________________________."

'How could I have been so foolish?' He thought to himself, "you're the god of contracts, yet you couldn't see the slip ups in the contract itself. In this contract, I have all the power, and you. You get nothing in return." She turned around and began to walk away, "you were just too desperate." She said finally, even though, she seemed like she would've said more, but decided to keep the rest hidden until the end.

Zhongli clenched his fists, sweat dripped as he glared at the floor.

"A contract..Is a contract..and it must..be fulfilled..Forgive me for such a foolish mistake I've bestowed upon myself."

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Zhongli closed his eyes for a moment, and opened them. Taking in the homey air that was around, tension was still present due to the incident. But it was calmer now.

'I won't let myself fall into the same mistake again.' So, Zhongli made a contract for himself, to not fall into the same rabbit hole he did many years ago. He still remembers it clearly, as if it were all yesterday. It still haunted him, no matter where he went, or gone. Each memory got layered over another, but he could never forget.

'I know she's back.' He clenched his fists, but soon relaxed them. He inhaled, then exhaled, and walked up to the window. Staring at the small pieces of snow, that are beginning to fall once more.

'I can't guarantee their safety sadly enough..' Zhongli thought back to when he met Giyu, he seemed like a capable person to help Tanjiro, because he saw that determination in his eyes, 'that will be his starting point if that stays.' He thought to himself, he looked at the white sky for a moment, then back down, looking straight ahead of the snowy forest, only to see something that he didn't expect to see here—

Zhongli's eyes widened, 'they shouldn't be here yet..' Zhongli took in a breath of air, 'I knew, if she is back now. Then they should be back now too..but I didn't expect them to be here..already..why here?' Then the realization hit him.

'I need to make haste.'

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"Tanjiro." Zhongli opened the door to Nezuko's room, Tanjiro got up from patting Nezukos head, and up towards Zhongli. "Hm?" He looked at him with question in his eyes. "Although I said I won't be able to train you to fight the way I can, I can teach you the basics, so that you can prepare yourself for what's coming ahead."

As those words spilled out, a little sparkle shined through Tanjiro's eyes, "yes please!" He yelled out, but covered his mouth, and looked at Nezuko, then back at Zhongli. He scratched his neck awkwardly, but Zhongli gave but a tiny smile, to Tanjiro. Too bad he didn't catch it, it went away far too quickly for anyone to notice.

"Would you like to get started now?" He questioned, and Tanjiro nodded furiously, "alright, follow me outside then." Zhongli had kept the door open the entire time, Tanjiro got up and walked out first, and Zhongli last. He took a glance at the sleeping Nezuko, then closed the door gently.

The door made a click sound, and both Tanjiro and Zhongli walked outside into the cold.

'I don't feel that presence anymore..it should be fine to start now.' Zhongli looked around carefully, but then gave a nod. "Let us begin."

"Right!"

Though, the creature that Zhongli saw moments ago, was unaware of the fact that it had been spotted— it just went off, to the hideout far off ahead, to report its findings, to the leader.