This is my first ever fanfic. I've decided to expand my horizon from reader to writer. Why not start with my favorite anime/manga at the moment: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

This fanfic will expand more on Wisteria houses in the series and the effect they have on the Demon Corps and the demon world. This story will also have tiny bits of historical facts sprinkled here and there, but this is no way a historical fiction!

Disclaimer: Kimetsu no Yaiba isn't mine. The rightful owner is Koyoharu Gotoge. Wish it was. God and jail said no. Brilliant

Chapter 1: The First Three

It's unfair to have someone else's blood on your conscience. It made things harder to forget than regret. Forgetting made things happier and no longer did she want to turn her back on tomorrow after a while. Mornings made her a different person from yesterday. It was freeing, so freeing to know anything could be lost if she tried hard enough. She does not pretend to herself that's the truth. It's been so in her head.

Time does not heal. It takes the hours, the days and the years and leaves the minutes and seconds as scraps. When you're none the wiser, seven years have been chewed and swallowed and nothing is left but shock and confusion.

"Iena-san." A frail voice appears through the slim crack of the *shoji. The door slides open, a spotted, wrinkled hand resting on the edges. The elderly woman steps into the room, polished in a big bun and a sunset kimono. Nana, her face small and harmoniously still, shuffles lightly across the wooden floor to the young teen of the house; a girl busy over grinding bowls and in it herbs she picked from the mountain not so far off from home.

With utmost respect, while the teen had instructed her to leave the honorifics when addressing her, it's still habitual for Nana to draw her hands together and bow for she's only a housekeeper.

The room is appropriately lit for perfect eyesight, lamps not too bright, but not too dull. It's much needed for what the girl is intensely focused on. The old woman doesn't pester her much, especially when it comes to devising formulas from the herbs the girl gathers from the wilderness, however the message she has received has to be said no matter if the girl likes it or not.

"Iena. A messenger crow has given word that three demon slayers will be resting here. They're expected to come at nightfall."

The girl listens, but makes not one move from the news received.

Fujido Iena continues her medicinal recipe for her aunt who has been having frequent coughs lately. The recipe is taxing to make and most of her attention stays on her finishing the procedures. She didn't venture straight into the spine of Hokori Mountain for nothing, and while she's attuned to going up and down that mountain to hunt and gather herbs, it's short of easy. There are a limited number of crude herbs to be selected in extraordinary patterns, and she hasn't prepared the peony decoction yet. Accommodating demon hunters isn't worthy of her worries.

"Nana, I'm busy making Komi-oba her medicine. Preparations for those people will have to wait," Iena replies, lips in a tight, thin line.

"We have to prepare for their arrival. Night is soon to come. They'll be hungry and tired."

"Komi-oba is hungry and tired." Iena quickly follows up. She surveys her *keishi-to and decides it's good enough to mix with the jujube. Komi-oba has to be hungry. She hasn't had a proper meal since this morning before her business meeting with Fukuzawa-san and Tsukabe-san, a business meeting she was forced to attend. Voices over other voices, conversations about percentages and profits became mere sound and another meeting is scheduled for tomorrow as well with only Tsukabe-san.

"Iena-sama." Iena stops everything. Her face loses focus and is left blank. "You must welcome them. They're the first group of demon hunters to come after we reopened our gates."

"Near a week ago." Iena shakes her head. "Rumors spread quickly, don't they?"

Nana nods. "I do agree." She gives time to speak again, a pause needed or appreciated, but no matter which one it is, Iena sits through it. "It's been a very long time but you, as the successor to the Fujido Estate, have to greet guests." A simple concept the girl refuses to grasp.

Iena chews on empty air, eyes open at the barest amount, her chin resting on the heel of her right hand.

"Now, please refresh yourself while I'll prepare for their stay."

Nana quietly walks out the room. She's right. Night is arriving soon, and like the proper future heiress she will never be, must greet them with all the loyalties the Fujido Estate has to provide for these demon hunters. Iena has no desire to grant pleasantries between any demon slayers to be frank. What was Komi-oba thinking when she made the choice to reopen their home to those squatters?

"Nana may have already told her." Iena sighs, a sense of uneasiness coming to her, and knowing how much this feeling meant, all she can do is stay near her herbs and wait.

Nana passes on a message from Komi-oba: 'My sweet, stubborn niece. Service the demon hunters or all of your plants will become trash. No hiking for a week if you disappoint. I'll take my medicine once all of the hunters have eaten and are in bed. Please make them your delicious sweet milk bread and save a piece for your pretty aunt.'

Iena can't refuse, not her aunt who's in the master room trying to stay healthy being the matriarch. Stress will worsen her condition and Iena won't allow it. So, she sucks it up and gets to work on baking the bread. Nana had already cooked dinner, fetched yukata sleepwear for them and spread their *futons . Pastry and tea is her responsibility, she supposes.

As the lemongrass milk tea boils and the bread rises, Iena's mind moves so quickly through feelings and ideas, but the dread on her face reflects a life rushing by faster that she could make sense. They're the first group of demon hunters to come after the seven year ban and so fast too.

"Darn it. Only three nights they get then they'll leave. I don't care if Komi-oba disagrees." Lie. She cares a lot and her herbs are on the line.

The sky doesn't last long when day crumbles and night stands.

Iena's in a wisteria scattered yukata and is waiting inside the manor while Nana is outside beyond the *agari-kamachi waiting for the squatters to arrive. Iena wears her long, pendulum-like wisteria earrings that she forgot to put back on after washing her face after some splattered herb paste. Iena rubs the top of her white hair, calmly breathes.

Several muffled footsteps approaches. Nana and them are close to her. Iena tries to overcome the shadows lining her forehead, that naïve feeling that maybe she will derive some joy caring for the people who occasionally keep the nightly streets safe from the devils whom persistently lurk again. That is what her clan established it to be.

The door opens and the creek sounds so sorrowful.

"Tanjiro, I'm telling you she's a monster! That old lady is a monster! She moves too fast to be normal! How did she get to the top of the stairs so fast, can you explain that 'cause I can't! Old monster lady—"

"Stop it already!" WHACK!

And the sorrow flees.

Iena is stunned by the demon hunters whom enter the house in a heap of stupid noise. Because of it, she's late to catch that one of them called Nana a monster. When it hits, her eyes, color of the very wisteria swaying in the garden, sharpens. Flowers then fiercely wrap her body. They appear like different beats of lightning strikes, and in specific bunch.

Petunia: Anger

Yellow Carnations: Disdain

Of course, they can't see the flowers, but they're here at full bloom.

Nana, maybe noticing Iena's eye twitch, turns to the boys and hastily ushers them along. Nonetheless, Iena bows. She demands herself to lower the heat of her emotions, to think without the family blood bursting at her temples.

"Good evening, demon hunters. I am Fujido Iena. Welcome to our home. Please come inside. Your meals and your bed have already been made. A bath will be prepared before your evening dinner." She finishes with a bow.

The least expected happens.

G-GODDESS!" The blonde hunter shouts with a huge red blush on his cheeks.

He suddenly rushes to her and produces a flower from nowhere and gives it to her. "I, Agatsuma Zenitsu, asks for your hand in marriage!"

"W-W-what...?" Iena stutters, blinking in surprise.

The burgundy haired boy, called Tanjiro by the blonde one, hits him on the head again. "Enough!" He then looks at her with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about that. I'm Kamado Tanjiro. And he's," he points at the guy with a boar's head covering his face. Iena tries to hide her face of disgust, "Hashibira Inosuke. Thank you for allowing us to stay in your home." He bows.

While the behavior of his blond companion is unacceptable, Tanjiro has to admit the girl in front of him is a beauty. She looks like she's around his age. She has nice, smooth white skin, pretty hair, white at the top and a glowing shade of pinkish-purple at the bottom, a color he can describe or is close to wisteria flowers. Her eyes match it too. She's polite as well.

But...

Tanjiro sniffs the air. His earlier thought is right.

She has an uninviting presence. Despite her polished look and her words of welcome, this is forced interaction smothering a not so friendly vibe. Yes, it must be her obligation to treat them with kindness and hospitality, but there's something deep rooted within her, he can tell.

However, the girl and the old woman are providing shelter for him and his friends so he won't dwell on it.

Nana hides her giggles behind a sleeve of her *kimono. "You are at an appropriate age for marriage."

Iena gives Nana the stink eye before she forcefully pleads her mind to forget what just happened not a second ago. "Please come in."

"She's fast, but weak," The boar head randomly says poking Nana's head. Iena scowls at the boy while the old woman just laughs it off.

The minute the boys pass, Iena's breath is almost knocked clean from her lungs. Her eyes become large and lips drastically dry. It's an intense tapping to her temple. A sense. A difference in the air, in feel, uncanny and palpable. People give off a distinctive aura no matter the state they're in. To Iena, it's lukewarm, light and has a small beating like a hidden heart.

When that boy Tanjiro walked by her, the aura turned heavy and there was no beating. Just silence.

Komi-oba has a similar sense.

She told her if she ever felt the latter, it means danger because humans don't give off something like that.

A demon.

How? The manor is flooded with wisteria trees. There's no way.

She watches them as they enter her home with a sour face. It's the box. It has to be the box without a doubt.

How and why is a demon hunter carrying around a demon? It has to be one of the most unfathomable of things. Such a dangerous contradiction screwing with the mind.

He brings danger to her home where Nana and Komi-oba are at and he does it so brazenly.

A new flower comes and blends with the petunias. Lavender.

Lavender: Cautious. Distrust

Nana had a silly idea to have all the demon hunters settle in one room. The many rooms that sit like empty pockets in the house, she chooses one for three boys to stay. Not that they mind. They were awed by the place and had wandering eyes when Nana led them to their one room.

Iena asks the old woman for a reason and she just puts it off as boys are closer when they're bare and together. The same applies to girls apparently.

The way she said did not sit well with Iena.

While Nana caters to the three demon slayers, Iena heads upstairs to Komi-oba's room. The woman has remained tucked in her room sick and undoubtedly lonely, but she'll never voice it. Komi-oba knows she can't hide it from Iena either. Iena can see her flowers too. Most times, they'll be pink carnations, representing Komi-oba's love. Her gratitude sprouts bluebells when Iena hands her medicine. Her thoughtful and caring side brings pansies to Iena's face.

However, sometimes Iena sees erikas.

Erika: Solitude

Sometimes she gets too sick to even go outside, and since most times Iena is in Hokori Mountain and Nana is full with chores, Iena guesses her aunt feels a bit lonely.

Iena reaches her aunt's room and slowly opens the door. Komi-oba's in her bed, relaxed in refined and crepe silks of contrasting textures, layered in complementary shades of red to white. Her hair is down and it covers her back like a lovely black robe made with the upmost care. She's also in a yukata, blue, ranging from the brightness of a high mountain pool to the near black of the evening.

Her eyes look off into an imaginary distance with an expression of imminent pleased surprise, and Iena wonders what the expression means before she opens her mouth to talk.

Komi-oba turns to face her and smiles. "Look at my beautiful niece." She then dawns a playful smirk. "With the way you're dressed, I'd presume you're trying to court someone."

"Don't start the teasing, Komi-oba. Your 'sweet, stubborn niece' is following orders because she doesn't want the herbs she's spent hours looking for while getting eaten alive by ugly bugs to end up in the trash!"

Her aunt laughs like a hearty old man. "Then be on your best behavior. Don't make our guests uncomfortable."

Realizing the main reason she hurried to her aunt's room, Iena shakes her head emphatically. Petunias and yellow carnations and lavender return as she grits her teeth. "No, Komi-oba! They need to leave now! They're putting all of us in danger!"

"Iena."

"One of them has a demon with them, a demon that can kill everyone in seconds! A demon hunter hiding a demon! What kind of st—"

"Iena, I know."

This stops the girl in her tracks. Her rant comes to a deafening close and the only thing she can do is stare at Komi-oba. Her mind stutters for a moment and her eyes take in more light than expected. Every part of her pauses while her thoughts catch up to what her aunt said.

"What?" Truffles and begonias create a barrier on her skin.

Truffles: Shock

Begonia: Beware

Iena doesn't say a word.

"As soon they came inside, I sensed it."

Now, this is shaking Iena to her core. As soon as they reopen after so many years, demon hunters are already endangering the place with a selfish ploy, and Komi-oba is allowing it?

Iena's breath quickens. Time is no longer being measured in an orderly world. It's not constant. It lies. Reality is lying to her. She knows it is; each rapid breath she takes and lets go is a beating tick tock from present to past, past to present. A worried Komi-oba is there, a tick, then she's not anymore and she see multiple house workers, not old at all like Nana there, fixing up Komi-oba's room. There's another woman in the bed overseeing their work. A tock, her aunt comes back more worried than before, then a tick shows men in black, demon slayer uniforms, casually leaving the estate as they sheath their swords that were recently used.

"Iena!"

The girl flinches and releases an unknown sharp breath. Komi-oba's voice. It's just her voice, only hers. She notices her aunt is out of bed, a gentle hand on her shoulder and a frown on her lips. Her blue eyes are full of worry now.

"Oba..." When Iena speaks her voice trails slowly, like her words are unwilling to take flight. She then frowns herself. If she didn't know Komi-oba left her bed, she must've really been out of it.

Iena closes her eyes, steadies her breathing. She opens them. "I'm fine," she mumbles. Putting more confidence in her words, she nods. "I'm alright."

Komi-oba knows it's the opposite, and she hates making her niece sad. Komi-oba takes her into her arms and hugs her like treasure. Iena returns the hug. "Please do not resent me for this decision."

Iena clutches her aunt's yukata.

"The one who has the demon within his possession has the kindest soul I ever felt."

Iena looks at her aunt confused. Her aunt nods with such strong certainty, Iena can't find the will to doubt her. Komi-oba has greater sensing ability than her and could discover someone's character and motives from afar as if she can feel everything underneath her fingertips. Because of this, it's hard for her to question her aunt's judgment.

Yet, she still asks, "Really?"

"It surprised me too," Komi-oba hums sweetly, "but it was so warm, nice, and pleasant, I knew someone so kindhearted wouldn't wish harm unto this place. The demon is docile as well."

"A docile demon," Iena says as she parts from the hug, tone flat and in total disbelief.

"Unfathomable, isn't it?" Her aunt cupped her cheeks and squished them. "We're not in danger. Trust me."

"I do trust you, Komi-oba," Iena immediately replies though with a fraction of a frown.

The burgundy boy who has the box was well-mannered opposed to his freak of a companion. Him being a demon hunter, he must have his agility honed to an insane degree, senses knife sharp to detect anything within a great enough distance. He would not fail to notice her awareness. She isn't entirely sure he hadn't already.

"I will not force you to interact with them if you're that uncomfortable about it. Give the bread and tea to Nana and turn in for the night."

Iena nods slowly. Komi-oba winks. "You're missing out. If I were you, I'd snatch that boy up for marriage."

"Why is everyone talking about marriage?" She hisses, clenching her fists.

Her aunt snickers, but her snickers turn into quivers. Then she devolves into wet coughs.

Right in Iena's face.

"AAAHHHH!"

Iena stands in front of the shoji where the demon hunters lay, her milk bread and lemongrass tea on a plum blossom lacquered platter.

While she told Nana her aunt's words, Iena insisted in giving the baked goods to the guests. Iena's unsure if she'd chalk it up to curiosity or lurking desperation, but she oddly gained the courage to face them again. She'll come to her own conclusion about them, a casual assessment to confirm what Komi-oba says is true.

She senses them and the silence of the demon. It's weighing on her mind like before.

Iena lowers her head, arranging her face into something she hopes is friendly. Then she lifts her head and pushes the door aside.

"KYAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! P-P-P-PROTECT ME!"

Before she knows it, Iena is knocked to the floor by the crazed blondie from before. Everything, the bread, the tea, the kettle, the platter itself, falls on the floor in a loud clatter. Unfortunately, Iena is on the bottom of all the mess, the blond male on top of her and squirming around as they both groan in utter pain. She has double the pain from the hard floor and his weight destroying her insides.

When he comes to some form of sense, he looks at her, but instead of getting off of her like a decent human being, he holds her tight and with an awful screech, "GODDESS-CHAN! HELP ME!"

"Zenitsu!"

The burgundy boy rushes to the scene, eyes definitely horrified. "Zenitsu, look at what've you done! Please, get off of her!" He grabs blondie on the back of his robe and pulls him away with such force that instantly makes the blonde choke on his screams.

Iena is at a loss for...anything.

When she wants to be proven wrong, she gets railroaded and now she's on the floor with the sweet milk bread next to her. The tea is spilling out the kettle right near her thighs and she might've well have stars wheeling around her eyes. Her head's throbbing, but that'll go away...eventually.

Iena sits up. Now, she fully sees the wreck done by the crash, from the bread to the cups—one of them is broken—to her hot, drenched thighs; it's really taking all the strength for her not to have veins protruding from all parts of her face.

The burgundy boy, Tanjiro, gasps. "I'm really sorry, Fujido-san! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He kneels to her level. "My friends and I will definitely clean this up!"

"Friends!?" yells the third demon hunter, Inosuke, from inside the room. "We ain't friends, and I'm not cleaning up anything! It's all that annoying coward's fault! Make him clean it up!"

"Goddess!" The blond one called Zenitsu screams as he slams both hands on the floor and bows his head repeatedly to the point he forms a red bruise on his forehead. "I'm so sorry, so so sorry! Forgive me, please! Don't kick me out! I'll die! I'll definitely die if I leave this safe, warm house! Or maybe I'll die right here right now with that thing in the room!"

How can someone be this loud? It's nigh impossible.

"Zenitsu!" Tanjiro shouts seriously frustrated now

During all the commotion, Iena stands up, a lemony stain on her yukata.

And she starts to hum. Tanjiro and Zenitsu stop and watch the girl humming a tune that on the outside is pleasant, but, by Zenitsu, her hums are terrifying. Her humming is sharp and stormy and he's proven right once Iena fists both of their robe collar, Tanjiro with her right, and him with her left, and is thrown across the room like cheap packages. It wasn't a huge toss or anything, but still very surprising.

Realizing what just happened because this girl threw two demon hunters across the room like nothing, Tanjiro and Zenitsu gape at her as she serenely walks into the room, still humming away at her tune.

"Oh, are you talking about the demon in the box?" Iena asks in a sickly sweet tone. Just mentioning it starts to trigger her.

Tanjiro becomes tense and Zenitsu sucks in his lip.

"H-How do you know...!?" Tanjiro asks startled.

"Doesn't matter! How dare you bring a demon to my home! You have no regards for the life of others!" She balls her fist. "That's how you demon hunters are, inconsiderate and rude buffoons who thinks the world owes you a favor!"

"Buffoons!?" Inosuke, who lies on the bed, jumps to a stand. Iena flinches at the boar head mask again, but she keeps her irritation nonetheless.

"I don't know what the hell that word means, but it sounds like trash talk!" Stinky boar head yells, pointing a finger in her direction. "Monjiro and the coward lost to you, but I won't! Bring it, chunky thighs!"

Iena's face cracks. He just had to point that out. She checks her thigh. It's so wet she can see her entire right thigh poking out the fabric of her yukata.

In devastation, she covers that area and her face flushes. That's always been an insecurity, her big thighs. Around the age of thirteen, it was noticeable that she has thick thighs. While Komi-oba tried to comfort her about it and reassured that thick thighs are desirable, the words of neighborhood girls similar in age said otherwise.

"My thighs are bigger than two tree barks combined, I know, I'm well aware of that, I know, I'm well aware of that, I know..." and she drones on, obviously broken by the comment if that pity shadow over her face is a sign.

Zenitsu lets out a sudden sound, turning to the boar head with the most ridiculous glare. "You fool! Don't you know thighs are one of the best parts on a girl! How can you say it as an insult?! Girls have gentle hearts, you heartless pig head!"

"Gentle?! She threw you and Pachiro across the room!" Boar head crosses his arms. "Gentle my ass!"

"Everyone, it's the middle of the night, we're too loud," Tanjiro shushes.

A rattle ends the noise and opens silence.

Iena focuses her whole attention as carefully as she can on the box. The heavy aura emerges once again as it rattles some more. She bites her lip and starts to fidget, wary more than anything. She breathes quickly as the door to the box clicks and slowly becomes ajar.

Zenitsu starts to shake uncontrollably. "IT WASN'T LOCKED!? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! HELP! INOSUKE, COME OVER HERE AND PROTECT ME!"

"Get away from me!"

Iena lowers her eyebrows in anger. If this demon tries anything...

"THAT'S IT! I'M HIDING!"

Finally, the door opens completely and Iena sucks in her breath as she rests a hand on her chest.

A girl pops out, no grotesque being or a horrible manifestation of one. An innocent faced girl.

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro beams.

Her pink eyes blink at everyone as she crawls out the box, Iena receiving her full appearance. At first, she's tiny, but she gradually grows as she takes to her feet in a quiet stand. A pink ribbon ties some of her hair to the side while the rest flows down her back in an elegance of lustrous black and sunset orange. Her mouth holds a bamboo stick which strangely makes her more appealing. Underneath her black haori is a neatly patterned pink kimono.

The closing and opening of her delicate fingers, the inclination of her head in one direction or another as she beholds the room in polite surprise, the way her smile begins in her eyes as a sincere expression.

Iena is astonished.

She slightly parts her lips and says, "This is..."

"Nezuko," Tanjiro finishes. "Nezuko is my sister."

Sister? How...?

She continues to stare. The demon returns the stare looking harmless as ever. While she doesn't sense any ill will from her, Iena is still unwilling to believe. She slowly steps towards her and reaches for her hand. The demon allows the contact. She concentrates on the feel of her hand. Within seconds, flowers surround the demon like pink snowfalls:

Cherry Blossoms: Kind, Pure, Gentle

Next, white, bouncy petals twirl into existence.

White Lily of the Valley: Sweet, Innocence

Iena blinks owlishly at the demon girl who seems to enjoy her holding her hand; she hears a 'mmghmm' from her in a delighted tone as if it's a greeting, her own untold, 'Hello, nice to meet you, I'm,'

"Nezuko," Iena says, unexpectedly whimsical.

Nezuko, the cute demon girl, hums brightly.

This is the first time she ever encountered a demon that isn't bloodthirsty and may be kinder than humans. Komi-oba's right. She is a docile demon. Docile isn't the right word. Kind fits. She's a kind demon girl. A sense of safeness eases her body.

Iena feels inclined to give introductions as well. "My name is Fujido Iena. It's nice to meet you, Nezuko." She smiles. Iena knows behind the bamboo stick is a smile as well.

Tanjiro watches the exchange with a smile. He was aware that the girl was cautious the moment she neared their room. That may have stemmed from her unwelcoming presence. But, now that she's met Nezuko, things can calm down just a smidge. He's still confused on how the girl knew Nezuko was in the box, but his suspicions aren't bothering him too much.

Iena shifts her attention from Nezuko to Tanjiro which startles him, especially since her stare is full of scrutiny.

Iena walks his way. Komi-oba was right about Nezuko, but what about this boy? She still has maybe/maybe not in her head despite being proven wrong about the demon girl. She doesn't stall. She takes Tanjiro's left hand and holds it, maintaining a blank expression. Flowers grow around him and her eyes widen.

Anemone: Sincere

Azalea: Patient, Humble

Edelweiss: Courage

Hibiscus: Gentle

Honeysuckle: Generous

Pansy: Thoughtful, Caring

"Ok, I've seen enough." She quickly let's go of his hand and the flowers die. If she didn't, it would've left her stunned. It was like a garden, a garden of kindness that can only be cultivated by this boy alone.

There goes her aunt being right again.

"Umm..." Tanjiro mutters, hesitant to speak.

"Tanjiro..." someone calls his name lowly.

Everyone in the room turns to Zenitsu. He has a wide threatening stance and an ominous aura, his head down as if he's glaring at the floor. His shoulders are hunched and his mop like hair covers more than half of his face. He whispers, "Listen...Listen right now..."

Iena can feel wrath gathering in him. She tilts her head, really lost now. What's with the sudden overwhelming anger? She's really clueless about it. Just a minute ago, he was wailing and was about ready to jump into the closet to hide. Now, he looks ready to rip Tanjiro's throat out with his bare hands.

The burgundy boy finds it odd too. "Z-Zenitsu?" He says nervously.

A huge one man riot begins:

"JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! SO YOU'VE BEEN TRAVELING WITH A GIRL THIS CUTE EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. GOING ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY WITH JOY, HUH?! GIVE ME BACK THE BLOOD I SHED FOR YOU! LISTEN TO ME! I DIDN'T GIVE IT MY ALL SO YOU CAN SMOOCH AND BE ALL LOVEY DOVEY WITH A GIRL! I GOT PUMMELED BY THAT WILD BOAR OVER THERE, YOU SAW IT! DON'T TELL ME I GOT BEAT UP JUST SO YOU CAN HAVE FUN!"

"Zenitsu, please calm d—"

"BUT YOU'RE A TWO-TIMER, A BIG TWO-TIMER. YOU HAVE SUCH A CUTE GIRLFRIEND, BUT THEN YOU COME AND FLIRT AND TRY TO SEDUCE GODDESS-CHAN! AND YOU DIDN'T STOP THERE! YOU TRIED TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD IN FRONT OF HER! YOU RUINED MY SECOND CHANCE AT MARRIAGE! HORRIBLE! DESPICABLE!"

"Eh? What're you tal—"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS IS? DEMON CORPS ISN'T SOMETHING YOU JOIN FOR FUN YOU SELFISH, TWO-TIMING JERK! GUYS LIKE YOU NEED TO BE PURGED IMMEDIATELY. TOO MANY CRIMES YOU'VE COMMITTED AGAINST ME TODAY! YOU NEED TO BE PURGED RIGHT NOW!"

*sound of sword unsheathed*

"PURGE IMMEDIA—AAAAAAMMMHHHH!"

The plum blossom platter lands right in his mouth and sends him barreling into the closet.

"Agatsuma-kun, please do not take out such a dangerous weapon and please clean up the mess outside the door before the floor becomes sticky. I will lend you some cleaning supplies."

"...Yes Goddess-chan."

"Fujido is fine."

Iena calmly makes her way to Komi-oba's room after her bath. Nana had graciously taken her clothes to wash and hugged her goodnight before continuing her rounds for tonight. In her yellow nightgown, Iena approaches her aunt's and pushes it open.

Maybe it's her comeuppance for throwing the platter at Zenitsu. As soon as she enters Komi-oba's room, a pair of scissors shoots her way and she instantly dodges it, jumping to the right a mere second before the scissors impales the door.

"Your evasion skills improve by the day," Komi-oba says happily.

"It has to. You throw like a bullet," Iena says.

It's not a comeuppance. It's normal in the Fujido household. Since the tender age of 12, her aunt finds it hilarious to randomly throw different items at her when she's inattentive. Many days of cuts and bruises, it took her a year and a half to actually dodge one of her throws. She offered an excuse saying it helps her avoid aggressive animals when she hikes the mountain. And it did and it still does.

Doesn't make it any less annoying.

"I have your medicine." Iena walks to the bed and whips out a small bottle, the liquid dark green in color. She hands it to her aunt.

"Thank you."

Iena tilts her head to the side on an incoming arrow like hairpin.

Komi-oba sighs. "Didn't I tell you everything's fine? You went down there and caused a ruckus. I heard all of you from up here."

"What?" Iena protests. "I didn't cause anything! I went to their room to give them bread and tea, and I got tackled...!" Iena dodges another sharp hairclip.

"That's the first problem: you got tackled. If you can elude me, you could've easily prevented that from happening."

Iena huffs. "You're being unfair, Komi-oba."

"Continue," she simply replies.

Iena sighs heavily. "I got pushed down by one of the demon hunters, Zenitsu his name is. He's a rampaging idiot. The tea and the milk bread fell to the floor— " She bends her back from an onslaught of hairpins and brushes.

"The milk bread fell on the floor!?"

That's the only thing you care about, I bet, Iena thinks with squinted eyes. It's flattering how obsessed her aunt is over her milk bread, but in this instance, it's not beneficial. She maybe should or shouldn't tell her about the broken cup either.

Komi-oba groans in lament. She pinches the bridge of her nose. "Go on."

"He wouldn't get off of me so the other one, Tanjiro, had to pull him off me."

"That's the kind boy, isn't it?" Iena twists her lips and looks away. Her aunt grins. "Why must you doubt your aunt?" Komi-oba pinches her left cheek lightly. "What did you see?"

Iena casts her eyes on her ever grinning aunt. Without knowing it, her face softens. "I saw a garden of niceness. From anemones to hibiscus to honeysuckle, it was shocking."

Her aunt, still having a hold on her cheek, rocks it to and fro, "And the *hanakotoba for it?"

"Um," Iena removes her aunt's hand from her cheek, "Anemone which means sincere. Azalea is patience and humble. Edelweiss was there too; that means courage. Hibiscus for gentle, honeysuckle for generosity, and pansies for thoughtfulness."

Komi-oba remains silent for some time. Her face is serious and her rosy lips firm.

"Komi-oba?" Iena says uneasy.

The woman leaves her bed without a sound, sidesteps Iena and strides to the door, which funnily still has the scissors embedded into it. She calmly opens it.

"Oba, where are you going? Oba...?"

She turns to Iena with much serenity imbued in her face. "Why, I'm going to arrange a marriage with you and the Tanjiro boy."

"Stop! Don't' do this to me!"

"I want him as an in-law!"

"I'm never going to marry a demon slayer so cut it out and drink your medicine!"

"Never say never!"

"Komi-o...! Don't walk out the do—Komi-oba!"

"Nana, oh Nana~!"

"NNNooooo-uah!"

Iena goes to bed way later than she expects.

***Petal Falls ***

Petal #1- Zenitsu picked flowers from the entrance of the Fujido Estate when no one was looking. Those are the flowers he gives to Iena for his marriage proposal.

Petal #2- Iena is clearly insecure about her thighs and becomes a bit happy when Zenitsu defends her.

Petal #3- Nezuko was a bit sick from the many wisteria trees around the manor but didn't show it not wanting to worry her brother.

Petal #4- Tanjiro can smell Iena's dislike for them.

Petal #5- Inosuke is fascinated by Nana for some unknown reason.

*Japanese Terms

shoji- a Japanese sliding door

keishi-to- a Japanese herbal medicinal formula designed to improve a person's physical constitution and cure common cold.

yukata- a light cotton kimono or a lounging robe

kimono- a long, loose robe with wide sleeves and tied with a sash, originally worn as a formal garment in Japan. It's the traditional garment of Japan

futons- Japanese quilted mattresses rolled on the floor to use as beds

agari-kamachi- a small step area where guests enter the living space and remove their shoes

haori- traditional kimono styled jacket

hanakotoba- language of flowers

End of Chapter 1

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm glad Kimetsu no Yaiba is getting the recognition it deserves.

This the first time I've ever written in a girl's perspective, so I hope you guys can tell me if it's good or not. Leave a review about what you liked or disliked about the chapter. Let me know. I'm writing this for you and me. Meet interactive with interactive.

Thanks.

-NeverComeTrue

P.S- The Petal falls are little tidbits I'll add to certain moments of the story. I guess you can describe them as footnotes to the overall chapter. Just wanted to explain.

Ok, NCT's out.