◇INDIGO◇ (Inosuke x OC)

Chapter 26

The soft snoring of the boys reminded me that they were still asleep as I stood next to Tanjiro. Nezuko hummed softly, concerned for our friends.

"What do I do?" Tanjiro muttered under his breath before shifting.

"Rengo-" The boy was cut off by someone charging at him, carrying something I could only assume was a weapon. The way they moved wasn't demon like. This was definitely a human, and a small one at that. Tanjiro gasped, jumping out of the way, shielding Nezuko from the attack.

I stepped forwards, grabbing the stranger's wrist, taking her weapon, then kicking her back. I sensed other humans getting up where I had kicked the girl.

"What!" She gasped, falling to the ground.

I tilted my head, noting this behavior as strange. Is this girl controlled by a demon?

"Don't try to stop me! It's you people's fault for showing up! Stopping me from having a good dream!" She yelled, dragging herself up off the ground. I held her weapon in my hands, gently running my fingers along it. The object seemed like a small knife, almost needle like.

By her words, she seemed to be in control of herself. However, it was clear that she was promised something. A dream perhaps? Like the one I was just in? I suppose people would desire to be in an eternal bliss. A happy ending for a change.

How sick.

How could this demon prey on the minds of the broken? How could he take advantage of somebody like this? And what's worse, they seemed to all be children, no less.

That must've been why that girl was in my dream. She was fulfilling a deal. Her everlasting dream where she could finally be at peace.

The thought of these innocent people being used made me sick to my stomach, disgusted by the way their sorrows were being exploited.

"Why are you still in a daze?" The girl shouted, her voice filled with hostility. I sensed another person sitting on the bench behind where Tanjiro was previously sitting. The human didn't move though, sniffling quietly. Was he crying?

"If you're awake, hurry up and help! I don't care if you have tuberculosis or whatever! If you don't do things well I'm going to tell that-" The girl paused, breathing heavily as she clenched her fists.

"I'm gonna tell him not to let you dream!" She finished, still not pulling a reaction from the boy. I perked up at the words.

'Him?' She must've been talking about the demon. How sad. All this boy wants is to escape his sickness. These kids are desperate, and they'll do anything to escape reality.

"Did you hear me?!" The girl yelled, still not getting a response. The other children backed her up, standing behind her in poor fighting stances.

"I'm sorry." Tanjiro spoke up, gently pushing Nezuko to the side. "But I have no choice but to fight back. You wanted to stay in a happy dream, I know." Tanjiro sighed, a hint of sadness suddenly filling his tone.

"I also wanted to stay in my dream. Even if it was a dream..." He muttered, and I sighed. Who wouldn't want to stay in their dream? A perfect world where nothing went wrong. The horrors of the past erased so you could live forever in peace.

Both Tanjiro and I stepped forwards, painlessly knocking the children out to get them out of our way. The boy still sat on the bench, clearly giving up in killing us. Perhaps he had a change of heart. An awakening.

"Are you okay?" Tanjiro asked, approaching the boy. Nezuko ran to Tanjiro, hugging him as he pet her head.

"I am now. You must be careful." He replied, standing up from the bench.