The Dreaming Pillar ✩ Kimetsu no Yaiba

✨Forty-Fifth Dream✨

"And I'm tired," you breathed out, collapsing into the ground, it felt nice and cool. "This floor sure feels nice."

The wooden sword tapped on your arm slightly. Tanjiro, who did the sword tapping, also collapsed to the ground from how tired he was.

Who would've known it would take Tanjiro a week to get a hit on you? Certainly not you.

"I did it," he rejoiced in between huffs as you sat upright, crossing your legs. "I finally got a hit on you."

"Congrats, you got a hit on me. That means you're going to Mitsuri nee-san's training next," you informed him. You looked around the place to look at the demon hunters who still sat dejected, unable to have hit you after at least or more than 2 weeks of staying here.

"Oh right, I wanted to ask but after the attack in the swordsmith village. The scent you have changed," Tanjiro brought, piquing your interest. "Before you had this smell of sadness in you, like you were lost. But then after the attack, your smell seemed to have improved for the better." When he finished, you backed off a bit and stared at him with eyes of disbelief.

You knew his sense of smell was unique but this...... This was too much for you, who had a normal sense of smell.

"You're really creepy Tanjiro," you smiled, getting up and turning to the other demon hunters in the room. "So, do any of you want to go? You might get lucky."

•••

"Nee-san, are you really going to do this?" you hesitantly, looking at Shinobu for an answer. Though your question was incredibly vague, she understood.

Right now, you were having tea in her office because you wanted to ask her something.

"I don't really have a choice, this is the only way for me to defeat someone like Upper Moon Two," Shinobu sighed, looking at her hands. "I can't even slice a demon's neck because I'm so short."

The rational response to something like this but you were not that kind of person, so you answered, "Yeah, you are pretty short."

"(Y/n), how many lives do you think you have?" she asked, a smile of irritation flashed on her face as she turned to you.

"I only have one life, I'm not a demon," you replied, taking a sip of your tea.

"Then I suggest you watch what you say," she advised, hearing the “Clink” coming from her cup as she set it down. "I may love you but that doesn't mean I'll hesitate to kill you," she added. The only noise in the room was her refilling her tea. "So I'll ask, what did you say about my height earlier?"

"Whay are you talking about?" you asked. You picked up your cup of tea and looked away from her as you drank. "I never said anything about your height."

"That's good," she replied, bringing the cup up to her mouth and took a sip.

"But are you really sure you're going to do this?" you asked again, worry filled your eyes as you set the cup down. "If you do this then you'll, you know......"

"Die?" she finished for you.

"Yeah, if you go through with this then who'll take care of Kanao when you're gone?"

"Well. For one, there's Kamado Tanjiro, Kanao has taken a liking to him," she smiled at herself, reassuring that Kanao would definitely not die in the confrontation day, whenever that was. "And there's always you. You may not know this but Kanao looks up to you, so I'll be fine knowing that you'll look after her."

Her words made you pause. It wasn't that she entrusted Kanao to you (you wouldn't mind that). It was the other thing she said. "Nee-san, you shouldn't entrust Kanao to me. I'm a Pillar, so that means I'll also be fighting in the front lines. Against demons, Upper Moons, and especially against Kibutsuji Muzan. Unlike how you're sure you're going to die, I'm not even sure I'll survive," you spoke, you're hands slightly trembled. Even though you lived knowing that each day could be the day you die, that didn't mean you weren't scared of death.