TanKana

Market Mishap

Nezuko spent her days sleeping to recover her strength, and only left the shelter of the butterfly estate when the sun was down. Today, Zenitsu told her of a nearby town, and expressed his want for a date there. He had a mission that day, and she hadn't felt like bothering him to go with her. She wandered the streets of the market on her own, unaware that it was the wrong market.

The Black Market.

She strode into the market, looking around for the things a normal market would have, but instead found alcohol and toy shops. She never bothered looking inside the toy shops, who would she shop for? Alcohol stores never took her interest, and so she just strolled around the shops.

"What's a little girl like you doing at the black market?" A man with a toothpick strolled with her, and even held her hand so she wouldn't get lost. He gave her some sticky notes since the muzzle wouldn't allow her to talk. She wrote down where she came from and what she was there for. He looked over the sticky notes written in messily written kanji, and realised what she truly came to the market for. Normal things, not the stuff you buy illegally. He held her hand and guided her in the correct direction

As much as Nezuko hated it, men eyed her like candy in a vegetable shop. They would often whistle as she walked by. When one got especially close, the man let go of her hand to push him away. She was then swept up by other men, and taken into an alleyway to be stabbed and hurled against a building. She never thought of resisting, that would be attacking. If she resisted, she might be killed by the demon corps, If she didn't resist..She suddenly understood where this was headed. She started crying. There was no way out of it. The bamboo muzzle muffled her screams, so no one could hear. She watched the man she was walking with get roughed up and hurt, and no one did anything. They only stopped when the market slept. They'd forgotten about her, and directed all their time to abusing him. She broke through the bamboo with the strength of her jaw, and yelled as loud as she could.

"Yamete!" They all paused in hurting him, and directed their attention to her. The man gave an apologetic look before running away in the direction of the nearest police station. The drunken men all closed in on her, evaluating what to do. "Tasukete, Nii-San! Zenitsu-San! Inosuke-San! Onegai Tasukete!" She suddenly remembered her brother was out on a mission, assuming that she was asleep. She cried silently not knowing what was to come.

"Onegai Tasukete!" Her cry had touched def ears, but one young girl heard the voice from a little ways away. A young man heard her cry as well from halfway up the mountain. He tried to go to her, only to be stopped and questioned by his fellow travelers. Upon hearing his reasoning, they rushed down the mountain, hurrying with him.

Kanao ran toward the direction of the cry, and arrived within minutes of the last call. She jumped down from the building, kicking a man away from the small girl's petite frame. She turned to the victim with a small smile, and unsheathed the sword she wielded. "A slayer's sword shall never be turned in the direction of a human." She gave it over gently. "Would you mind watching it for me?" Nezuko took the sword from her hand, gently curling to it as a mother would her child.

Kanao grabbed the sheath, holding it as if it were her sword. Men laughed at the twelve year old girl standing in front of the childlike demon. "Do you really think you can save her?" They mocked. "Looks like we've got another playtoy." Their insults ran to Kanao's head, but never really hit the expression she wore. She smiled gently just like before all her kills, and bloodied them all with one strike.

"Let's leave, Nezuko. I'll escort you to the rehabilitation room in our estate." Nezuko handed her the sword, and proceeded to walk alongside her. When they got to the estate, she immediately fell asleep. This time, she donned no muzzle.