Solar Blade

Massacre

Tanjiro and [Name] were sitting inside Saburo's house. They were both fed, and [Name] was particularly quick in eating it up. Tanjiro knew that they could eat very quickly. He'd challenge them to a speed eating challenge, but [Name] always emerged victorious, while Tanjiro ended up with a stomach ache. This meal had made Tanjiro think about [Name]'s favourite snack. What was it again? The snack came very slowly to his mind, probably de to the fact that [Name] hadn't been able to eat it in a long time. Tanjiro squeezed his brain for [Name]'s favourite food.

"Ohagi!" Tanjiro shouted, the name of [Name]'s favourite food coming to him.

[Name] and Saburo both turned to Tanjiro curiously. Saburo scratched his head with his long finger, while [Name] cocked their head to the side. Tanjiro could see however that their thoughts were spiralling with ohagi. [Name] always made it with Father, and ate it all up as quickly. [Name] had quite a sweet tooth, given that ohagi was a ball of sweet rice.

"Sorry. Too loud?" Tanjiro asked.

"No... not really. Just very... conspicuous," Saburo answered.

Tanjiro gave an awkward chuckle. [Name] began to break into soft laughter, before placing an arm on Tanjiro's shoulder. Saburo looked down at the two Kamados. He couldn't help himself but smirk at the sight. [Name]'s hand snaked outwards and grasped Tanjiro's ear, before giving it a gentle tug. Tanjiro grasped his ear as his eyes twitched in shock.

"[Name]! Not now," Tanjiro chuckled, "And thank you for the meal, Saburo-san!"

"What are 'demons' like? You mentioned them before we entered your home," [Name] asked curiously.

"Man-eating demons have always prowled the land once it gets dark. That's why you should never stroll around at night. If you're done eating, go to bed. You can set off for home at first light," Saburo speaks, taking a drag of his tobacco pipe.

[Name]'s expression darkens in a way Tanjiro has never seen. He asks Saburo a question, as if to distract himself from [Name]'s countenance, "These demons wouldn't come inside your house, would they?"

"Yes, they'd come in," Saburo answers him.

"Then, everyone would get eaten up by the demons," Tanjiro states, [Name] nodding their head accordingly.

"That's why the demon hunters protect us by slaying them since way back then. Lights out now. Go to sleep," Saburo spoke sharply as he turned out the lights.

Tanjiro and [Name] nestled into their beds. Demons? They didn't exist, did they? Tanjiro never had a firm belief in them, and he didn't think [Name] did either. Old Man Saburo is all alone after losing his whole family, so he must be lonely. Tanjiro ought to bring the rest of his brothers and sisters next time and say, "You don't have to be scared. There are no demons. You're safe.". But, come to think of it, their grandma used to say the same thing when she was alive. Demons prowled this world, but it mustn't be true. Right?

𐙚˙⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩

"Be careful now, you two!" Saburo shouts from his house as Tanjiro and [Name] begin the ascent back home.

"Okay! You too!" Tanjiro called back, before taking a step.

Suddenly, Tanjiro sniffs the air. His eyes contract and [Name] notices. His brows shot up, before creasing in worry. He'd smelled something horrible. His fingers began to tremble, and [Name] rushed to Tanjiro's side, wondering if he was feeling any pain. Did Saburo have any medicine with him? Tanjiro then looked up to [Name], his teeth clenched together and his lips curved downwards. The smell of blood?

𐙚˙⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩

Tanjiro stood before a horrific sight. A pool of blood was found at the entrance of the house. And his dear sister, Nezuko, and younger brother, Rokuta, were in the middle of it. Tanjiro lets out an ear-piercing cry as he drops his basket and runs towards them. [Name] tries to grab him by the shoulders, but he quickly slips through. [Name] felt a shiver go down their spine as Tanjiro screamed. His voice sounded shaky and pained. As if his vocal cords were being shredded.

[Name]'s eyes averted around the trees, watching for anything that could've done this. Tanjiro was screaming Nezuko's name, "What happened? What's going on?! What happened here?!".

"Tanjiro, please don't shout! Whatever did this could be near-" [Name] started as they rushed to Tanjiro's side. They immediately cut themselves off when they saw the rest of their family members dead inside. Their eyes were still open, and their faces were covered in blood. Their own blood. [Name]'s hand flew to their mouth as they choked by a cry.

"Mom... Hanako... Takeo... Shigeru... Nezuko... Rokuta...!" Tanjiro sobs.

He's about to freeze on the spot, when [Name] dashes to Nezuko's side. They placed their hands on her neck, searching frantically for her pulse. [Name]'s expression turned into shock and desperation as they pulled Nezuko up, feeling that her body was still warm. Everyone else was dead. Except for Nezuko. [Name] felt a bubbling pain and anger in their heart. First, they had been swatted with the death of their father, soon followed by the murder of their mother, three other brothers and a sister. Only one of their siblings was clinging to life. And that one sibling was Nezuko.

"Tanjiro, hurry! We have to get her to a doctor!" [Name] exclaimed as Tanjiro took Nezuko onto his back. [Name] had sped up while running down the mountain. Tanjiro could easily see that. This was a moment of complete urgency after all. Nezuko's life was in their hands. Tanjiro had collected his hatchet before he left the house, so he had given to [Name] to carry down. Suddenly, Nezuko began to make a growling sound. [Name] and Tanjiro both looked to at Nezuko, who had suddenly perked her head up in an eerie way. Her eyes are completely white.

Nezuko then tugs on Tanjiro's shoulders, makign him topple backwards... tumbling off the edge of the cliff. His hand shoots out to [Name] who makes their way to the edge of the cliff. [Name] outstretches their arm, feeling Tanjiro's fingers graze against their fingertips. Before they can get a good grasp, he slips between their fingers, toppling into the snow below. 

A/N 

Helloooooooooooo. Um, so when I was writing this, at the very end... I came to a realisation. Remember when Tanjiro goes, 'OHAGI!' at the start of the chapter? Yeah, that's meant to be [Name]'s favourite food. And then I realised that a specific Wind Hashira also likes ohagi. Eh, I'm keeping it though. If there's anything I misspelled, let me know!

So should I do Taisho Era Secrets?...