❤ ~ The Greatest Gift ~ ❤

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Exiting the tree line, Tanjirou moved cautiously as he awaited any sort of sounds. He could still pick up the scent of both bodies, leaving him to follow it carefully. To take into consideration that danger lurked rather close. Of course, that danger seemed meaningless when Tanjirou considered that Giyuu could be hurt. Or worse, killed. It was a thought that made those cautious footsteps turn into a sprint as he finally broke the thick fog, reaching a spot where it thinned. Where his sight picked back up to the silhouettes that were fighting. To the sounds of battle and faint lingering stench of blood that made Tanjirou's stomach turn. 

Tightening his grip along the hilt of the sword, he stepped closer, finally seeing the area before him. Viewing how the fog was thick beyond where the fight happened to be. A demon art of some kind. One that made Tanjirou irked to think about. Without his nose, he probably wouldn't have found Giyuu.

That said, he was able to notice the clash as he saw Giyuu avoid a strike, the opponents foot hitting the ground before soil was upturned. Before dirt was tossed and met Giyuu's eyes, along with a foot that hit him dead on, leaving his body to tumble as Tanjirou moved on instinct. He stepped where the impact would be, letting most of Giyuu's weight press into him as he stabilized the other. It left those ocean-like eyes to meet maroon ones, a slight shock apparent. "Tanjirou? How did you get here?"

"I used my nose, how else?" Tapping along his nose, it left Giyuu to sigh with relief. He gripped his side a bit, grunting to the faint pain as Tanjirou narrowed his gaze. Let those eyes fall to the opponent. 

Truth was, Tanjirou wasn't entirely expecting much. That said, it wasn't like he anticipated a girl demon. A demon with long blackish hair that held such light hues along the end. A girl Demon who wore vine like tattoos along her body that seemed to extend with every moment. Seeming to embrace that somewhat fair skin slowly. "Is Kyoujurou alright?"

"He's being patched up. I need to get you to Shinobu, but I'm assuming it won't be easy..." Giyuu nodded, attempting to shift his weight before he curled in on himself, a grunt from the pain filling the space. It left Tanjirou to rise, his hand placing his other sword down before he drew the one that had been reforged. The past sword of his father, Yoriichi.  

"What are you doing? You're not seriously going to fight them, are you?" Tanjirou sighed, biting his lip lightly as his voice filled the space. 

"What other choice do I have, Giyuu... I don't fight and I have no choice but to leave you behind."

"Then do that. You're strong, but even two of us couldn't take this Demon on..." Tanjirou felt a small puddle of irritation grow in him before he dismissed it, his feet shifting one step before he breathed in, his eyes locking along the figure of the Demon. Meeting eyes with the Demon that bore the smell of the past. A smell that made Tanjirou's mind seem to trip over his thoughts. But hesitation was costly. He knew that. It left him steadying his breath and emptying his mind as he began, the blade seeming to illuminate with a fire that dripped and shined brightly. A fire that allowed him to view that sudden rise of concern along the face of the Demon. The same Demon that before seemed content to fight, this time seeming to hesitate. 

With a rapid movement, Tanjirou shot forward, his sword slicing through the air as the blade seemed to skim the region the Demon once stood. Noted the strands of hair that were cut and left to fall to the floor. It left those maroon eyes to shift toward the sounds where someone landed, Tanjirou standing straighter as a voice seemed to reach him. A voice that seemed to innocent at first sound. But a Demon was a Demon, right? "What's your name, Demon Slayer?" 

Confusion seemed to press to Tanjirou, who was caught on what to do. He didn't really desire saying his name aloud. "What does it matter to you?"

"Just tell me... Those earrings-" Her words faltered when Tanjirou once more attacked, the blade missing barely. It left her stumbling a bit as she once more weaved a strike. The blade this time seemed to cut her shallowly along her shoulder, though she felt the fire that seemed to bring a pain to her body. Made her try to get away. Granted, she was closer to the figure of the stranger. To the nameless boy. It left her viewing the details as he dodged another strike, her wound healing slowly as she noted the earrings. The haori. The swords and breathing technique. A technique she'd learned of from a certain someone. It left her at a loss as she finally gained distance, her eyes glowing as Tanjirou readied another strike. As he went to attack if not for the sudden thick fog that rolled in. That blocked his view as he frowned heavily, his shoulders relaxing as he could smell the Demon's scent seeming to vanish. It left him to turn back to Giyuu as the fog seemed to finally disperse, revealing Shinobu and a stumbling Kyoujurou not too far beyond. 

"Well... I'll be damned..." Giyuu's words made Tanjirou focus on the present as he smiled weakly, though his mind was caught on the words earlier. He couldn't help but stare to where the Demon fled, his fingers rising to the hanafuda earrings as he brushed the tips of his fingers along the material, his words like a whisper into the silence of the moment. 

"Why didn't she fight me... I wonder..."

Back in the home of Muzan, Nezuko landed roughly as she felt the wound in along her flesh finally seal. It left her to breathe a heavy breath. She trailed the halls slowly, aware the blood along her clothes was a concern. However, she had information. She had questions, especially with the last encounter. It ultimately left her to simply barge into the meeting area where Muzan was mid speech, his gaze falling to her as she bowed her head slightly. Of course, Yoriichi had been present, simply bored out of his mind until Nezuko appeared. "You're back, and with quite the rude entrance, I must say."

"I apologize Muzan-sama, but I have something important to ask." Muzan seemed unaffected as he waved his hand, awaiting the news. However, Nezuko instead spoke once more. "Something of importance for Otou-san and you, Master Muzan."

Those words alone caught both attention as Muzan sighed loudly. He waved his hands to the Demons present, sending them off as Nezuko waited for them to be alone. After a few moments, what she sought fell upon them, her gaze showing her serious nature on the situation. A gaze that worried Yoriichi more than Muzan. "You may speak now that it is just us three." 

"I'm grateful." Nezuko took a moment, turning her focus to Yoriichi. "You once told me about the child you lost. Tanjirou, that was the name; am I correct?"

Yoriichi seemed startled at the sudden mention of his first kid, but he nodded, leaving Muzan to speak with a heavy irritation. "What does this matter, Nezuko. You best heed your words, so help me-" 

As much as Nezuko knew to respect Muzan, she needed answers. She needed clarification if her thoughts were correct. So, she cut of Muzan, ignoring the anger that rose up like a wave of danger. "You lost your Hanafuda earrings a while back, ones you showed me the design to. Ones that were simply one of a kind. On my mission Otou-san, I saw someone wearing those exact earrings. A boy with maroon hair that was long and a scar along one side of his forehead. He possessed the same breathing you did, as well as a checkered haori of a minty green and black."

"Did you get a name?" Yoriichi spoke with a hint of hope, leaving Nezuko to shake her head. 

"I did, though he refused to tell. Tanjirou was the name one of the Demon Slayers called him." 

"But wasn't your firstborn dead, Yoriichi?" Muzan's question drew Yoriichi's focus as they both noticed his sudden concerns. 

"I didn't find a body, only the keychain... He was alive this whole time?" Nezuko couldn't help but smile, seeing as her investigation had led somewhere good. It left her viewing how for the first time, Yoriichi seemed truly happy. Hopeful, even. It ultimately left Muzan to take the focus of Nezuko, his words thick with the past anger, but a sense of gratitude. 

"I want you to bring the boy here. I want to be sure of this or not. If this isn't Yoriichi's dead son, I'll dispose of him myself. That is an order, Nezuko." She gave a short nod, viewing how Yoriichi met her gaze, giving a silent smile that said everything. She may have been adopted as a child of Yoriichi's, but she couldn't help but want to bring back the happiness her newfound Otou-san had lost. Even if she would be replaced, she couldn't help but want to see this through. So long as Yoriichi was happy, so would she too be happy. After all, Yoriichi was the first to welcome her with a warmth after the death of her family. She owed Yoriichi everything.