𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙸𝚂𝙽'𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚃 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂|| KNY||

CHAPTER 7

The demon didn’t even finish its sentence before Michirou appeared in front of it like a blur—her blade sliced cleanly through its head.

“How dare you say that to me,” Michirou muttered coldly, her voice laced with fury as she hacked at the demon’s limbs, stabbing the corpse over and over again.

“You have no idea what I’ve been through just to move on,” she added, her expression void of emotion as blood splattered across her face and soaked into her clothes.

She didn’t care. Not one bit. The demon's words had stirred something deep, something raw. Her past surged back into her mind, each memory cutting deeper than her blade ever could.

Rias suddenly appeared, eyes widening at the scene before her. Blood covered the walls, the floor, and Michirou.

'It was just a weak demon—why the torture?' Rias thought, but she said nothing, choosing instead to turn her gaze away.

Michirou severed the demon’s head one final time to prevent regeneration. Its remains dissolved into ash. The blood on her face dried into flakes. A cold, ominous aura surrounded her.

She didn’t like this mission—not one bit.

Her eyes dropped to the floor, dull and empty. She gripped her katana tightly, haunted by the one thing that always returned: the bitter truth that she was never anyone’s favorite. For a moment, she wondered—did she even deserve to be loved?

“Are you alright?” Rias asked gently, approaching through the shadows.

Michirou didn’t answer. She walked past her, stepping out of the abandoned house in her blood-soaked appearance. She wasn’t in the mood to talk. Rias understood—she needed time.

Then—

“CAW! CAW! FOLLOW ME! THIS IS URGENT!!”

A crow screeched above. Michirou glanced up, confused, but didn’t bother asking questions. She had already completed three missions today. She sighed.

Still, she followed the crow. The sun had begun to rise, casting long shadows as she walked—unclean, unbothered. 'There’s time to clean up later.' she thought.

After a long trek, she arrived somewhere familiar. A large mansion stood before her.

“You sure this is urgent?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“CAW! YES!”

Her gaze shifted to a group of masked figures nearby. Only their eyes were visible, but even through that, their fear was unmistakable. They immediately bowed to her.

'It’s Tokito-sama! She’s back!'

'Bloody as hell… Is she insane!?'

Michirou ignored their thoughts and presence, trailing the crow toward a gathering. She saw a line forming, a man at the far end, someone perched in a tree—and then her eyes locked onto a familiar face.

“Tanjiro,” she said softly.

Everyone turned toward the sound of her voice.

“Michirou!?” Tanjiro exclaimed, stunned.

‘She came back…!’ thought the Serpent Hashira, eyes wide.

‘What happened to her? Why is she covered in blood?’ Mitsuri wondered, resisting the urge to embrace her.

Michirou didn’t understand their reactions and didn’t care. Her focus was fixed.

“Tanjiro…” she repeated, stepping forward. “Where’s Nezuko?”