𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳

19. HOME AGAIN

wonderful fanart by gram6v !!!! in love !!!

And on Sakiya's name, following the trend of flowers.

"咲夜" Sakiya

咲" is bloom.　"夜" is night.　

_

A brick wall stood in front of them, concealing their view to what was apparently home to Tamayo. It felt odd, Sakurai didn't want to be deceiving with her injuries, but to enter without some sort of pre-announcement like knocking felt weird. It really did look like a pity lure, being slung over Zenitsu's tired shoulders and both hunched with fatigue. Dawn was arriving soon.

"Caw! Hurry up!" the kasagi crow snapped to the reluctant slayers as it disappeared behind the wall.

Sakurai looked down suddenly, seeing a cat at their feet wandering with a little backpack and a talisman necklace. "Neko!" she suddenly cried, doing the little wiggly with her free fingers. "Pspspsps."

Zenitsu had no idea how to respond these days to a girl who could be on a murderous craze one second and innocently chase bugs and animals the next. It was making more and more sense to him that despite her good heart when it came to demons she was another breed, and perhaps her lying may not have been entirely selfish as the guilt her heart beat with.

The cat approached her and she, despite her current condition, squatted down to give it a scratch. It meowed softly before turning away, walking through the wall like her crow. When Sakurai didn't immediately follow, it poked its head back out.

"The trace left on the cat... maybe it's Tamayo-san's," she remarked, having Zenitsu help her limp after it through the wall.

Beyond, two demons with the cat and their crow were facing them. A young woman of gentle beauty, in a purple kimono and tied back hair and a boy with a more stern expression, and pale green and black coloured hair.

The woman must be Tamayo, and her concern showed through her gentle expression seeing their injuries.

Sakurai quickly waved her hands. "Wait, wait!—"

"She's beautiful!" Zenitsu cried.

The boy scowled and karate chopped Zenitsu on the head. "Don't dare look at Lady Tamayo that way!"

Sakurai caught Zenitsu before he fell forwards, but her strength only let her save his face as she collapsed to her knees with him. "Sorry, sorry! He says whatever when there are girls, I'm sorry!"

"Don't be violent, Yushiro," Tamayo scolded the boy, heading forward. "You're--demon slayers?"

"Yes, but we didn't stumble here by accident! We're not here to attack!" Sakurai held up her hand to halt her. "Don't mind our injuries right now! We were sent on behalf of the demon slayer corps to ask if you'd help us in defeating Muzan. We understand if you don't trust us, we're demon slayers after all, and we've just slayed a demon! Naturally, as slayers, we also don't trust you but this is at the trust of Ubuyashiki Kagaya, and my sister Ren Sayuri trusted you so I am able to put aside my personal feelings and give you this letter from the corps!" She pulled a letter, undamaged, from her box, holding it out. "The sun is going to come out soon, you should go inside!"

She took it with worry, hesitantly reaching out to grip it. "Yushiro, help them inside, their injuries are bad."

When he reached to help her up, she stared at him in wonder, seeing through the eyes, the clothes, the skin to the life flame. It wasn't like other demons—not in a Nezuko never eating humans way, but it was something else. Still, his initial violence made Sakurai wary.