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Chapter Nineteen: Hinokami W/C: 3555
"My...My sword snapped!"
Rui tilted his head slightly, "Well? Do you still refuse to take back what you said?"
Tanjiro dodged an oncoming spider web attack, watching behind him as the webs cut a tree into multiple pieces. He gulped.
"Ngh!"
"Well, that's fine. In that case, you'll get slashed to ribbons." Rui said plainly, snatching his arm to the side, a harbored spider web flying toward Tanjiro.
Tanjiro flinches, moving back just as Nezuko jumps in front of Tanjiro, sparing him the pain. Nezuko limps backwards into Tanjiro's awaiting arms, Rui's eyes widened in shock.
"Ah.."
Tanjiro gasps, "Nezuko!" Tanjiro grits his teeth, quickly running off behind a labored tree, trying to seclude him and his sister from the demon, Tanjiro pants nervously.
The slayer worriedly checks over his sister, but doesn't know what to do for her, "Nezuko! Nezuko!" He called out, sweating worriedly as he makes an effort to help her, "You protected me! I'm sorry!"
Rui stays standing quietly, pondering in a panic state, "A girl emerged from that box on his shoulders. But she has the aura of a demon!"
Rui's small body begins to tremble as he thinks of the authentic bond between the two, he seems to loll to the side.
"Hey, you... Is that... That girl... is she your sibling?"
Tanjiro glares at the demon, "So what if she is?!" Tanjiro is shaking, having to hold his sisters arm together so it doesn't fall apart.
The horrifying thoughts that eased into his mind, they scared him. Tanjiro hisses out as he hears Rui coming closer.
Rui tilts his head, "And Miyake-Sama... You... You're his younger brother too?"
Tanjiro nods proudly, though anxiously as he waits for Rui to change his calm demeanor into one of fury, "Y-Yes! He is my older brother, and my Sensei!"
Tanjiro keeps his burgundy eyes on his sister, as he chants and prays she would heal faster.
"Siblings... siblings.... The sister's been turned into a demon..." Rui thinks aloud, whispering below in a voice that mocked surprise.
The demon sister's eyes traveled to her 'brother', fear coated in them as she slowly witnessed Rui find something he wanted, and she knew that everything he wanted he would get.
She mumbled, "R-Rui?"
Rui ignores his 'sister', "Yet, she stays by his side. The younger sister protected the elder brother. Risking her own life... that boy, gets to be taken care of by Miyake-Sama... their bonds... they are genuine.. I want them!"
