Golden Butterfly | Demon Slayer x Male Reader

Chapter XXII

11 days with no update brace yourselves, end of the fight and some juicy character exploration time! (I ain't fucking Gege that kills for shock value only)

I hope this long chapter suffices for the long wait! Next chapter we wrap this story arc!

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❀━━ (🗡️🌸🍶) ━━❀

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1903 outskirts of Kawagoe Village near Tokyo.

A tall and muscular young man beamed with pride. His short, black hair was slightly tousled, and his dark eyes sparkled with satisfaction as he carefully placed the last fish in his basket.

"I got seven," he announced. "How about you?"

Beside him stood his younger sister. She was tall for her age, almost a head taller than most of the other girls in the village but nowhere near her brother's imposing height. Her silver hair fell just past her shoulders and her icy blue eyes stared down at the empty basket she held with both hands. She wore a simple indigo kimono with a pale green obi, her sandals just barely keeping her feet from sinking into the soft soil. Right now, she looked as though she wished she could disappear into the forest.

With a hesitant glance up at her brother, she mumbled, "Um..."

Akio tilted his head, his smile fading as he noticed her uncertainly. He leaned forward slightly to get a better look at her basket.

Hiyori lifted the basket up, showing that it was empty.

Akio let out a hearty laugh. "You worked hard, eh, Hiyori?"

Hiyori's cheeks flushed and she looked down at the ground shuffling her feet. "I... I don't like killing, Nii-san," she murmured.

Akio leaned in closer, pretending he hadn't heard her. "Hmm? What's that?" he teasingly cupped his ear.

Hiyori bit her lip, her shoulders tensing as she tried to summon the courage to repeat herself. "I don't like violence," she whispered.

Akio raised an eyebrow. "Louder, Hiyori! I can't hear you."

Her face scrunched up in frustration and she stomped her foot lightly though her voice remained soft. "You're the worst, Akio!"

He reached out and ruffled her hair, his fingers gently messing up her carefully combed locks. "What happened to Nii-san, huh? Don't be disrespectful, Hiyori."

She immediately looked down with her earlier frustration melting into guilt. "S-sorry, Nii-san,"

Akio chuckled, crouching down so he was at eye level with her. "You take everything so literal, you know that?" he said, "I was just joking."

Hiyori peeked up at him from under her bangs. "I just... don't like hurting anything," she confessed, her voice. She gripped the edge of her basket tightly, "Even if it's just for food..."

Akio's expression softened further. He reached out and gently took her hand, prying it away from the basket and holding it in his own. "I get it, but hunting, it's not about liking it. We need to eat, and this is how we get our food."

Hiyori nodded slowly, "But... it's still killing,"

Akio sighed and squeezed her hand a little tighter. "I know," he replied, "But it's part of life. Everything needs to eat to live, and sometimes that means taking a life. It's not easy, but it's necessary."