Purple Lotus [Kimetsu no Yaiba]

~Forty-Five~

"Tsu-chan, be careful!" Tanjiro rushed to her side and steadied her just as she was about to trip on a rock. "You don't wanna trip and fall, okay?" The marronette had been doing that a lot more lately. Ever since she lost her gift, Tanjiro had recalled Urokodaki's words saying he must look out for her more often and decided to do that to the best of his ability.

Usually, a quip like this would annoy her. Tsubasa knew she was a child but she also knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She was a Hashira, for Kami's sake! But now... she felt vulnerable. Without her gift, Tsubasa felt as weak as she'd been ten years ago. She needed to be looked after, to be taken care of, and... it was pathetic! She was pathetic. Without her key attribute, Tsubasa felt useless!

Tanjiro wondered why she still hadn't responded. Then she did respond. Tears silently fell from her eyes, watering the ground below. She wasn't whining or wailing like she usually did when she cried. She didn't even try to stop the tears. She just sniffled and hiccupped the whole time.

Tanjiro panicked. "Tsu-chan? Tsubasa, what's wrong? Does is hurt anywhere? Let me see, come on." When she didn't reply, he only worried more. But Inosuke knew, somehow, why she was crying. He was about to start yelling at her but held his tongue. No matter how well Tsubasa tolerated his outbursts, now wasn't the time. 

Instead, he pushed Tanjiro out of the way and crouched down to meet her gaze, then placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, Brat," he started, lowly. "Do you have any idea how stupid you are?"

"Inosuke!" the marronette exclaimed. "That's not nice!"

"SHUT UP KENTARO!!! I know what I'm doing!" the boar yelled then looked back that the girl. "I always knew you were a dumb-dumb but I never knew you were this stupid."

It was getting harder for Inosuke not to yell as more of her tears fell. "What kind of moron thinks they're pathetic when they're one of the most powerful Slayers in the Corps? If you really think you're so weak then you're more of a dumb-dumb than I thought Don't you have any idea how much you mean to all of us? To me? Tsubasa you're a damn Hashira! Why should some dirty trick a demon played make you feel this way when I'm the only one you care about?

I, Hashibira Inosuke, King of the Mountains, demand you stop thinking that way! Because you're making yourself look weak, and I don't love weak people but I love you so damn much it's annoying!!" Inosuke wiped the remainder of tears from Tsubasa's face as he took a breath. She stopped crying but it was obvious the girl was still upset. 

The boar sighed and brought her in for a hug, squeezing her tight. "You're a dumb-dumb, but you're my dumb-dumb. And I won't let you be sad if I can help it," he said. "I'll protect from the nightmares and the sadness, I promise!!" He broke away and Tsubasa gave him a small smile. "Now come on, let's go find that demon!!"

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"Do you hear anything?" Tanjiro asked Zenitsu as they wandered through the quiet village in the dead of the night in search of the gift demon.

The blonde shook his head. "If he was anywhere near, I would've at least heard him breath by now."

Tanjiro couldn't smell it either. He was dangerously close to asking Tsubasa if she could feel it, then remembered and knew it would likely end in more tears, so he kept quiet. He smelt the entire area for even the slightest scent and found it coming from a house that had all its lights on.

"Over there!" he pointed and the group dashed there. Inside, they found all four walls of the main room splattered with blood. Four dead bodies lay limp on the floor as a tiny form loomed over the fifth, mercilessly having at it.

"There you are!" Inosuke growled and was the first one to charge. He went at it with full force, aiming for the kill, and was very brutally kicked away which sent him flying and crashing through three walls.

"Oh my, it seems my friends have returned," Houko said, licking some blood from the side of his mouth and smiling. "Tsubasa, back for another game? Do you have another gift you'd like to give me?"

Tanjiro and Zenitsu ran protectively in front of her. "Stay back, Tsu-chan! We'll deal with him this time!" they exclaimed.

It was then Inosuke recovered from his fall, he went back at it again accompanied by the other two. And while it was a three against one, it was obvious which side was at the advantage.

"You all feel like agitated chihuahuas!" the demon exclaimed as he dodged swings from both Tanjiro and Inosuke, Zenitsu, on the other hand, cowered away in fear the second the battle unfolded.

"I-I'll just stand here with you, Tsu-chan," he whimpered and hid behind the girl.

"Oh! I believe I forgot to tell you!" the demon exclaimed as he managed to throw one sword out of Inosuke's hands. "If little Tsubasa wants her gift back, she's the one that has to beat me!! All on her own!!"

"LIKE HELL SHE WILL!!" Inosuke wasn't ready to back down just yet. He continued to fight Houko with no mercy, occasionally landing a few hits of him and even coming dangerously close to cutting his head off. But it still wasn't enough. He needed to do more. For Tsubasa's sake. He just needed to...

"Inosuke." The purplette finally stopped him and stepped forward. She was tired of being vulnerable. Even without her gift, she was still a Hashira as well as a capable Demon Slayer. That was a demon, so she had to fight with her very life to get rid of it, gift or no gift. "Houko says I have to deal with him myself? Fine."

Tsubasa drew her blade and took a stance. She didn't know what Houko was thinking or how he would attack so she just had to rely on pure instinct. And the fact that people, as well as demons, were now extremely predictable. "Alright Houko," she sighed and raised her blade. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

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~✨Blu<3✨