DISCLAIMER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA BELONGS TO KOYOHARU GOTOUGE

(A/N): Hi. Still alive, yes.

Okay, soooo I'm not sure about the updating schedule from now on... I apologize for saying that I'll update every Tuesday. But! Here is a chapter 14 that isn't literary bleach and I hope you enjoy ,':-D Have a nice day (~-v-)~ (sorry)

Days passed and the pain in their ribs also healed. Soon, they got the doctor's approval to leave. On cue, Zenitsu received a letter from his Kasugai crow.

"Actually, Chuntaro's a sparrow," Zenitsu explained. "I'm not sure why, though."

Nezuko stroked the small bird and he hummed contently. "Oh, but he's so cute."

"Why does a bird get more attention than me?" Zenitsu complained and gave the sparrow a dark look. But Chuntaro had no damns to give and stomped his foot, swinging the letter tied to his foot around. Nezuko unwinded the paper and skimmed through it.

"We have a group mission as reinforcements to Natagumo Mountain, which is a half-day trip if we run." Nezuko summarized. "Multiple demon presences were detected, so we were also told to hurry."

"Reinforcements?" Inosuke said. "Why aren't I fighting in the front lines?"

"Maybe they just feel better with the strong Inosuke having their backs."

"I…" Inosuke grumbled but seemed pleased, "...'m not some support person."

Zenitsu was staring at Nezuko in awe.

The time of their departure dawned, and the trio stood outside of the Wisteria House with the little old lady standing to bid them farewell.

"Allow me to light sparks for you," she said before they left. The rock and black slate scratched out beads of light. The slate read, Victory is assured.

Nezuko smiled, "Thank you very much."

But Inosuke didn't share her sentiment, he raised his fist over the old lady, "What the hell are you doing, ya hag!"

Nezuko had to hold him back as Zenitsu threw himself in front of the elderly and explained how the sparks were lit to ward off evil spirits and how they were about to embark on a dangerous journey after all, you violent idiot.

"No matter what may happen, may you live with your heads held high." The old woman smiled, "I wish you luck on your future battles."

.

"What does the hag mean by wishing us luck in our battles and stuff?" Inosuke asked as the Wisteria House became further and further away behind the three as they ran.

Zenitsu looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes, Nezuko said: "Well, now that I think about it's a pretty hard thing to do. To live with our heads held high...means to truly try to understand our current standing, and from the standing we must follow the right course of action without any fear of shame and embarrassment." She paused, "I think."

Inosuke frowned, "Why would she say that? She doesn't even have anything to do with us! More like she doesn't understand her own standing—Hey! Why are you running ahead? A race? Bring it on!"

.

Nezuko usually liked mountains. After all, she grew up in one. But she decided that she would not like Natagumo Mountain.

The mountain was dark and cold, trees were a thick tangle all around except for a narrow dirt path which in the shadows looked like a balding streak. And even though it was summer Nezuko felt a chill down her spine.

"Nuh-uh!" Zenitsu said, "I am not going in there." He plopped himself unceremoniously on the road and wrapped himself in his yellow haori. Nezuko agreed with him. The mountain was giving her nothing but the bad heebie-jeebies.

But Inosuke wasn't going to have it, he tugged Zenitsu's haori with all his might, "You sitting there really piss me off! Stop burrito-ing yourself and get your ass in the mountain!"

"You're crazy! You can't expect me to go in that creepy mountain!"

"Kudako, kick some sense into him, he's getting on my nerves!"

"You're getting on me!"

Nezuko was about to do something but felt a presence behind her. Crawling from the shadows, was a bloodied boy looking no older than Inosuke; his demon slayer uniform was nearly slashed off his chest and his face was horrified under the cuts and blood.

"H-help," he rasped. "Anyone...help, please…"

Nezuko ran to the broken boy, digging into her pockets for any first-aid, he wasn't a lost cause yet. "What happened? Did you come in a group? Where are they now?"

The boy opened his mouth to answer, but his eyes went wide and there was a WHOOSH, when Nezuko registered what happened he was already in the sky. Reaching for the air as he screamed for help...

"What was that?" Inosuke demanded.

Nezuko knitted her brows, his shoulder had gone up first...something jerked him backwards like invisible hands.

She swallowed.

"Let's go in. We...have to save him."

Inosuke shoved his way to the front.

"I'll lead the way! So you can just bring your shaking asses and follow me!"

"I'm hungry!" He shouted into the sky. Then turned to Nezuko expectantly.

Nezuko found her tongue, "Ye—Yes!"

The forest was thick with trees and paths choked with fallen logs, but what was really weird was how many spiders and webs there were. Spider silk would stretch over their heads sometimes like cottony overhangs, trees lined with stringy lengths of silver. And sometimes the threads would span thinly between their legs like tripwires. As if the entire mountain was under the webs of a spider.

Inosuke spat out some webs, "Why the hell is there so much of this stuff?"

"Inosuke," Nezuko said.

He jumped, "What do you want?"

"You saying how you would lead the way made me feel better. I was shocked and scared of the mountain...I get how Zenitsu felt," Nezuko smiled, "But with Inosuke here I feel reassured, thanks."

Inosuke was loud and brash, he's impatient and crass but Nezuko realized that he wouldn't leave people. But he's not one to force someone against their wills. Even if it was cowardly.

From the corner of her eye, Nezuko caught onto a white kanji for Destroy amidst the black. A demon slayer uniform! "Inosuke, look!"

The uniform belonged to a boy looking a little older than her, the back of his head was short black hair, and when Nezuko tapped the boy's shoulder she found it very silky.

Silky yelped and fumbled for his sword, but his face flashed with recognition as he saw Nezuko's uniform and sword.

"Rank Mizunoto, Kamado Nezuko," Nezuko said. "I am here as reinforcement."

"M-Mizunoto?" Silky sputtered. "But-but that's pointless! Why didn't they send a pillar—"

Inosuke punched him.

"Your rambling is pointless! Hurry up and explain the damn situation, coward!"

The boy squeaked under Inosuke's mask, "A-after—after receiving our commands from the crow, we started off as ten members. But after entering the woods...some demon slayers started acting weird. Then they—" he swallowed, eyes darting to Nezuko and Inosuke anxiously, "They started to kill each other!"

"Liar!" Inosuke shook his head, "It's forbidden to draw your sword on your own comrades!"

"Inosuke…!" Nezuko set one hand on her blade and one hand on her friend's arm.

Before them was a boy around the same age as the senior Inosuke was threatening, but blood was a stagnant stream on his mouth and on his abdomen it was weirdly sunk in and red...with an opening that Nezuko recognized as a sword stab.

The boy drew his blade.

Inosuke stiffened beside her, "He doesn't have a presence…?"

"You mean he's dead?"

A blank, unseeing eye peered from behind the boy's hair, and Nezuko got her answer.

.

"He's dead!" Inosuke confirmed. He whipped out his swords as the body lunged to attack, "That means I can fight 'im!"

The boy's arms jerked and Nezuko parried a slash at her away, "No, their movements are very strange...I think they're being controlled by something!"

"Aight, then I'm gonna chop them in half now—"

"Don't harm other demon slayer's bodies! Deflect their sword strikes until…" she hesitated, thinking, "until we figure something out!"

Behind them, Silky yelled: "More are coming—AUGH!" He stumbled backwards and held his sword like a baseball bat as two demon slayers staggered towards him.

Nezuko shoved him to the floor while Inosuke tackled the other boy. Her mother would frown, but as the boy fell he sort of jerked in the air as if he was tied to something. Nezuko passed her hand warily under his back and her hand caught something stringy, she fisted the threads but they would not snap.

"Slash above them!" Nezuko shouted over her shoulders, "There are wires attached to them!" She sliced the air above the boy and he fell, his sword clattering to the floor.

"I know that already!" Inosuke yelled, in a leap in the air he scissored the air and below him demon slayers slumped and fell.

Where is the demon controlling them from? Nezuko wondered. Suddenly, her arm jerked from her side into the air. And crawling around her sleeves were spiders.

Then this would mean...Nezuko whipped around, fallen bodies were already being collected by the small spiders.

"We can't just cut the strings! There are spiders that'll reattach them so—"

"Then we can just squish them all!" Inosuke said.

"Too many!"

Suddenly, a thin shadow fell in Nezuko's face, she looked up—

A boy stood above her, balancing on thin wires that looked like...spider webs. His skin was so pale it was tinged blue. His white robes seemed to glow coldly under the moon, and his white hair seemed to claw his face like spider's legs. He had hard eyes, icy blue irises that seemed to sit in a pool of blood. He stared down at them.

"Do not disturb our family's peace," His voice thin, soft and suffocating. "For in a few moments, you all will be killed by Mother."

Mother?

Inosuke jumped onto a demon slayer's back, trying to reach the mystery boy, but he was too far of reach. The boy looked down at Inosuke in mild distaste, before walking away on his threads.

"Hey! I'm not done with you! Fight me!"

"I don't think he's the one who's controlling the threads," Nezuko said, "So first—"

"I get it! Pink Eyes' so annoying..." Inosuke slammed his swords into the ground and thrust his hands outwards. His head lowered in deep concentration. A gust of wind passed and Nezuko felt chills run down her arms. As if she just entered a metal detector; everything was being picked up on sharp senses and scanned over.

"Aha!" Inosuke said triumphantly, "Found it!"

"Wait! We can't be rash—"

"Nezuko, right?" Silky finally spoke. "Leave...leave it to me, I'll take care of this."

Nezuko hesitated. But despite his zero contribution to the battle, Silky had a hard gleam in his eyes. He held his sword, face grim but determined.

"What is your name?" She said.

"Murata."

"Murata, I'll leave this to you."

He straightened and readied his blade, "Got it!"

.

"Hatsuko, are you sure about trusting Silky for that kinda thing? I think he pissed his pants when those two guys jumped him." Inosuke said as they sprinted through the woods to where Inosuke had sensed the demon.

Nezuko hesitated and sighed. "I don't know...I think he should get a chance. I think...he reminds me of Zenitsu."

Inosuke made a sound a cross from a snort and a scoff, "I bet Pinkatsu is still back there shaking his ass off."

"Now, now. Don't say stuff like that…"

She hadn't ever seen Zenitsu fight, Nezuko told herself. Even so...she trusts Agatsuma Zenitsu.

Inosuke stopped mid-run and raised his blades in defense. "People wanna kill us."

From the shadows a figure emerged. A girl probably around Murata's age, she wore a demon slayer uniform and a sword in her hands. Her steps were jerky like the people Nezuko and Inosuke had encountered with Murata, except she was awake and seemingly unhurt. But hair was slipping from her ponytail and dark eyes shined in terror.

When she saw them she screamed, "Stay back! Get stronger slayers to come help! Go!"

"What is going on—"

"Don't take another step forward!" The girl walked out fully from the shadows, and Nezuko tried not to gasp.

In her hand held a limp body by his hair, and in her other hand was a sword.

And at the end of the sword was the throat of a bloodied boy.

The girl met her eyes pleadingly. "Run—or I'm going to end up killing everybody!"

.

The girl's sword made a wide arc, wind buffeted around her and Nezuko was shocked to see such speed.

As if reading her mind, the girl said: "I'm being controlled—we're usually not this strong!"

We? Nezuko whipped around to see two other demon slayers slowly being pulled up. She held back a yelp, the two boy's arms were bent in horrendous angles, their faces deathly pale and it made the blood on their face even more gruesome.

"Look out!" the girl swung her blade downwards, Nezuko managed to roll away before she could get skewered.

"Kill me." the boy said. "Free me from this…!"

"You got it!" Inosuke shot forward, blades flashing. "The great Inosuke-sama will make your wish come true!"

"No, Inosuke just hang in there!" yelled Nezuko, she turned to the bloody demon slayer. Her stomach twisting. "Please just wait a little longer."

Inosuke tsk-ed, but his stance shifted to defense and he and the boys engaged into a swordfight.

"I'm sorry," the girl sobbed, "please…hurry and get he—AHHH!"

Her arms snapped violently behind her; the sound of her shoulder blades crushing against each other was the worst thing Nezuko had heard. The girl's eyes glazed with pain. She aimed another blow at Nezuko. Bones creaking like old furniture.

Nezuko's gut were in knots. There was no regard to the body's limits, the demon didn't see them any more than puppets. What did the demon see humans as? Her fists curled. Cruel…

Her eyes went to the strings dancing above the demon slayers and vowed to herself that she will end this all without killing anybody.

The strings stretched from all the way to the trees… That's right—the trees!

"Excuse me for a moment," Nezuko ducked under the attack and wrapped her arms around the girl and with all her might she threw the demon slayer to the sky—the strings looped around the crude branches and went taut to a stop—Right on!

Feeling pretty pleased, she turned to the other two demon slayers who were still fighting Inosuke.

Inosuke's eyes were already on her, "What was that?" he demanded, "I wanna try!"

"Go for it—but be careful with their injuries and—"

A body was thrown into the air, threads catching onto tree branches and stopping to a halt.

Nezuko clapped her hands in encouragement, "Good job!"

"O-of course!" Inosuke stuttered. He pointed to a boy Nezuko was fighting, "Then you can leave that one to me!"

The boy stumbled forwards—but he did not attack.

"Wait—"

His sword clattered to the ground. A thin strand of silver flashed, and the boy's neck was snapped backwards. He fell limp. Strings were receding.

All around the clearing heads were twisted, then Nezuko was staring at three bodies of her comrades.

Inosuke blinked, unsure what to feel. He and Nezuko were just tossing some kids up to trees, and then...and then… Their heads twisted like cabbages and Nezuko was being very quiet.

Inosuke stamped his foot in frustration, "Bastard! Now they're all dead! What the heck?" he turned to Nezuko. "Yo—"

His friend knelt down to close the bodies' eyes.

Words died on his tongue.

He had never seen her so angry. It reminded him of a phrase an old man had said to him: Beware the fury of a patient man.

Finally, Nezuko rose. "Let's go."

He took a step back as she spoke, his words took a beat longer to get out. "...Yep."

Inosuke found himself staring at the box on Nezuko's back and Tanjiro. Monjiro had a really, really nice presence, like Nebuko. But staring at her back as they ran, Inosuke was afraid of the day if either one of the siblings lost control of their anger.

His skin prickled.

"Over there!" He said, "We're super close! But I sense another demon presence—"

Nezuko's eyes went wide, "Wait, look!"

"I know, I'm the one who found it!"

"But that's not the one who's manipulating the strings!" Nezuko yanked on Inosuke's loincloth.

"What the hell are you doing—"

"He doesn't have a head!" Nezuko pulled him back as if he was going to do something stupid like charge head-first (bad pun, sorry) and yell something awesome like PIG ASSUALT.

But much to Inosuke's frustration, the monster really didn't have a head.

It was obviously a demon and wore only a pair of ripped pants. The shirtless chest showed off bulging arms that melted into spider pincers with black and white fuzz like a zebra. The demon was very, very muscled. Like, a two-meter-tall figure of muscle, which Inosuke thought was kind of cool.

"But that thing doesn't have a weak spot, how are we gonna kill it?" If he couldn't kill the monster, how in the world would he get stronger?

"Calm down," Nezuko closed one eye and held out her hand as if she was getting a picture. "We can cut diagonally, from the base of the neck...there's a spot in his shoulders. It's a large area so it probably would be tough, but I think we can do it!"

Inosuke stared at the demon, then found that Nekudon was right, then got excited and charged forwards. "YEE-HAW," he said. "Take THIS!"

But the demon didn't take anything, it moved faster than Inosuke thought he would. The size didn't add up to it's speed. Pain and something warm clamped all over his arms and legs, there was a gash that ran over his hip.

Woah, he thought. This hurts.

He can dodge, he was sure of it. He raised his left arm but found it stuck in the air, something crawling up and down his forearm.

Spiders! He cursed, I can't move! He looked up to see a pincer narrowing the distance to his neck faster than he would've liked. Only a few seconds more, then his throat would be ripped from his body.

But a blur of black and pink appeared in front of him, an earring swinging like a wrecking ball as a sword parried the pincer away with such force that the monster jumped back.

Even after that feat, Nezuko barely broke a sweat. And Inosuke didn't like this butter-warm feeling in his chest. He's strong, not butter.

"Inosuke, we fight together!" Nezuko said again, "We'll think of a way to—"

"Stop getting in my way!" He stopped, "BEHIND YOU!"

The girl was quick, she rolled onto the ground as the demon swiped above her. The demon's back was wide open—

"My back, Inosuke! Step on it!"

Inosuke understood immediately; jumping around was his specialty! He launched himself onto Nezuko's back and found that she had positioned the timing perfectly so that he would get the maximum momentum, in seconds he was airborne in the air, right behind the demon.

But the demon was fast, his shoulders twisted to turn—

"THIRD FORM—THE BEATING TIDE!" Nezuko's voice from the ground yelled and cleaved off the demon's legs. The demon stumbled as if caught in a riptide.

"NOW!" She yelled.

Inosuke saw how fluidly the plan was now. From the jumps and the timing to the attack she just made...all for it to lead up to a sword down the demon's chest. And man, does it piss Inosuke off. Everything was under her control, like water flowing through a current into a stream. But instead of getting swept away, she understands her current standing and reads the flow.

Bro...I wanna do that too!

Want to? Inosuke slashed through the demon. The slice was clean and thorough and he got a rush of tingles. I can do it!

He jumped to the ground, the demon disintegrating behind him.

Inosuke sprinted and caught Nezuko in the middle. Heaving upwards, he tossed her into the air with all his strength.

"I CAN DO WHATEVER YOU CAN DO!"

.

Inosuke stared at his wounds. It had been a while since he had gotten such injuries. Blood was still trickling sluggishly like lava, and it was warm all down his arms but he felt cold. Like he was running a fever.

I don't get sick, he told himself. So I won't get sick.

But the weird hot and cold didn't stop. That made him mad.

He wasn't sure where Nezuko went, he had tossed her into the air because he was getting frustrated. Also because there was the demon there. Jeez, she better not be having fun without him.

Suddenly, the demon presence vanished, and although he was a bit miffed about missing it out. His injuries burned and he was all stupidly buttery that Uezuko was there to take care of it so he wasn't dealing with demons alone.

Inosuke could feel the girl's presence coming up, he stood as she saw her approaching.

"Hey—"

"Inosuke—you're bleeding so much!" Nezuko took one look at his wounds and started to bind them up. She looked so remorseful about so many things that Inosuke lost the gusto to tell her to not interrupt the great Inosuke.

"Stap—stop it! I don't need that," Inosuke tried to swat his arm away but the girl was so strong it wasn't funny.

"Okay, done," Nezuko patted his arm. "Let's go."

She was right, his cuts were feeling a lot better and they really should go. But he didn't like how she was always right, as if she was some boss.

"Don't tell me what to do," he reminded her. And they went on their merry way.

.

They were wading through a river when Nezuko turned, "That sound...did lightning just strike?"

Inosuke heard it too, but he was too salty to care. "Hell if I know."

"Weird...there aren't clouds or anything, though."

"I don't care."

"Inosu—"

"What?"

Nezuko didn't seem to notice his impatience, "Inosuke, I think I'll try going to the other side."

"Do whatever you want, I don't care!"

Then she said, "Inosuke, you should go down." When Inosuke stared at her she repeated, "Down. The mountain."

"Why—"

"Because you're seriously hurt," Nezuko said.

"I am NOT hurt!" He said as he felt blood ran down his arms.

"Uh, your injuries are bleeding through—"

Sploosh.

On the other side of the river, was a teenage girl about a little older than Inosuke. She reminded him of the other kid he saw with Silky, white hair and white clothes. But her hair was long and tied into tails, held together with big blue beads. On her face were these weird red dots that looked like moles. Her eyes were pale and surprised. Inosuke wondered if she was the other kid's sister or something.

And that got him fired up, he wanted to fight that kid!

"I'm gonna chop you up!" He declared, splashing to the other side.

The girl opened her mouth and Inosuke saw fangs. "FATHER!"

"I ain't your father—"

Water exploded in front of him. And in front of Inosuke was a towering demon almost twice his size. He looked like the headless demon he and Nezuko fought back then, big and shirtless.

Except Inosuke would rather have headless, because "Father"'s head was nasty. He had the face of a spider, dark and bristled with coarse hair. His eyes seven glassy orbs. His teeth were a nightmare, and he had two rows of teeth, like a shark's. And Father must've been working out, because he had biceps as big as melons.

"Oh," he said. So this was Father.

"GET AWAY," —Father slammed his fists into the river— "FROM MY FAMILY!"

BOOM.