Wisteria beneath the moonlight ll Kimetsu no yaiba

十二 Something more important than life

     I walked along the walls, using my hand to guide my path. I had my eyes closed but I could feel the presence. After a few mishaps, I learned that the rooms only changed when the tsuzumi rang, so staying in the hallway was the best option. I closed my eyes since I could feel I was nearing a human presence, and the closer I got, the more alive it seemed. I wasn't sure at first, but the drum noises always rang in that direction first so it was suspicious. Even with all the demon's auras, the closer I got, the more I was sure. Finally, I came across a closed room, the lights on and bright inside. I came closer, my hand on my sword's hilt, ready to go in.

I mumbled under my breath, mentally preparing myself to go in, hoping that it was what I hoped. I slid the shoji door open abruptly, only to see a human boy. He raised his hand, about to hit the tsuzumi, "Wait! Don't I'm not a demon. I'm here to help. He looked at me suspiciously, even though he didn't show it completely, I could tell he was scared. He lowered his hand. I came in, sliding the door closed, walking in quietly.

"I'm-" Before I could introduce myself, I felt the two presence come towards us. Just to be safe, I put my hand on my sheathed sword. I knew it was nii-san and the girl, but I could never be too certain. The door opened slowly, the anticipation so threatening, "Kiyoshi nii-chan!"

I lowered my guard when I saw the girl come in, running to her older brother's arms, giving him a big hug. "Onii-chan! Onii-chan!" She cried, hugging him. He hugged back, tears welling in his eye, "Teruko,"

I got up, still not believing the odds, and went to my own brother, hugging him lightly, "Nii-san...I was scared..." I said, hugging him closely. He immediately hugged me, much tighter and buried his face into my shoulder, "Gomen, Fujiko. I promised that we would always be together and I broke it...gomen," I could feel how sorry he was, but rubbed his back, "I'm okay, see? I'm still here, remember, you have to trust in my abilities,"

"W-who's he?" Kiyoshi asked, looking at nii-san. I just remembered what I was doing before, "Oh! Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Kamado Fujiko," I said with a smile, giving a small peace sign. Tanjiro came up beside his sister, with a gentle smile, "I'm Kamada Tanjiro, Fujiko's nii-san. We've come to defeat evil demons,"

I knelt down in front of him, taking a roll of bandages from my pouch behind, "Now, then, show me your wounds," I said. Nii-san knelt down beside me and gave him an encouraging, "Good job on hanging in there on your own,"

He looked at me, then put his hand on his face, relieved tears falling down his face, crying into his hand. I gave him a , my heartwarming that he can finally feel a little mroe secure. He must've been so scared. I grabbed his injured leg lightly. I looked down and began to clean it with my handkerchief, "You know it's okay to cry, you must have been so scared. I was scared when I first met a demon, it's no easy feat and it doesn't get easier either. You did good, I'm proud of you Kiyoshi-kun,"

I felt his eyes on me but didn't look up. What's wrong with these times is that we teach our male children that it isn't okay to cry and men don't so they should be ashamed if they do. I looked at nii-san and he gave me a knowing look. He reached into the sleeve of his checker haori, pulling out a neatly wrapped brown parcel, "Now this slave is wonderful!" he exclaimed, lifting it up above his head proudly, "My master and sister made it and gave it to me!"

He handed it to me and I opened the tin lid with a satisfying 'pop' and started to rub the balm on the boy's leg while my nii-san talked about our sensei, "My master always wear a tengu mask," he said, as I smiled at the memory of his all too familiar trademark.

"Tengu? Really?" I felt their gaze on me, their looks asking me if it was true. I nodded, wrapping the wound with the bandage, "Yes, it's true,"