Luminous (KNY X READER)

Thirty-Three

I hope you all enjoy this extra extra long chapter!
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You remain kneeling on the ground, head lowered with your hair acting as a curtain, blocking the view of your face from the multiple people talking around you. Despite the pain of the ropes digging into your injured wrists, you remain unmoving. Even as someone drapes their haori over you with the explanation 'She must be cold! She has nothing covering her feet!' you remain frozen. Next to you, Tanjiro begins to wake up, confused and worried as he fails to spot his sister. He does, however, calm down just slightly once he notices you next to him. Yet as he calls out to you, you still don't show any signs of hearing him.

You drown in your thoughts, the voices of everyone around you sounding muffled and unintelligible. The scenes from the mountains play over and over in your mind, a constant loop showcasing how you're a failure. You didn't sense Rui at all before he spoke leading to your own capture. You weren't fast enough to attack before he wrapped his webs around your wrists. You were unable to break free, left dangling in the air like a damn puppet. You've been on a few missions, yet you still keep failing to do anything.

Why are you even alive?

Unaware of your struggles, Tanjiro continues asking the people around him where his sister is. The Hashira ignore him, simply talking amongst each other as they debate both his and your execution. Hearing that you're on trial as well sends a jolt of panic through him, yet when he looks at you he sees you're still in the same position. It's as if you don't care that you're potentially going to be executed, or perhaps are simply unaware. Are you even awake? Your scent shows that you are, yet you remain still.

"What I'm more interested in is this boys story." Tanjiro's attention is drawn away from you as he sits up to look at a girl in a butterfly haori. "The reason he's going on missions with a demon in tow despite being a Demon Slayer. I'd like to hear the explanation from the boy himself. Needless to say, what he's done is against the Demon Slayer Corps rules. You are aware of that aren't you? Why are you traveling with a demon when you're a Demon Slayer?"

"No need to ask." A tall man with white tied back hair and red face paint reaches back as he grabs the hilts of his blades.

Ignoring him, the butterfly girl continues. "You can take your time. Just tell us why."

"She's my... She's my younger-" Tanjiro is cut off as he begins coughing harshly. The butterfly girl gives him some water, telling him that it contains some pain killers to help with his injured jaw. Once he catches his breath, he finally answers the girls question. "That demon is my younger sister! While I was away, my family was attacked by a demon, and when I got home, they were all dead! My sister got turned into a demon but she's never devoured anyone! She never has and never will! She'll never hurt humans no matter what!"

"Spare us your absurd ravings." The pinstriped man in the tree points down at him. "If she's family, no wonder you're defending her. I can't trust a single word you're saying. I, for one, don't believe you."

Tanjiro turns slightly to glance at you, seeing you still bent over with your hair hiding your face from view. He wants to call out to you, ask you to explain things to the people threatening your lives since you've been there from the beginning and you're not related to either of him, but he hesitates. Should he really drag you even further into this? Your life is currently on the line because of him. Asking you to defend himself and Nezuko... that will only further your risk of execution. He couldn't possibly do that to you. So, he remains silent, listening as the others speak.

"She's been possessed by a demon." A tall man with prayer beads in hand and tears streaming down his face speaks up. "Let us kill this poor child immediately so that she can be liberated!"