Chapter Text
Tanjiro was climbing the steps of the mountain as fast as his tired legs could, the torii gates passing by and the vegetation becoming more and more dense.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally made it to the top of the stairs, panting, only a few yards to go.
He couldn't afford to stop for a second to catch his breath as the immense golden door that stood in front of him, carved into the rock, was almost closed, already leaving only a glimpse of the familiar silhouette.
There she was, dressed in a luxurious shiromuku, just within reach if only he could make it in time.
"Nezuko!" he yelled in despair.
At his call, she turned to him, her gaze betraying her anguish.
The opening was no more than a slit, it was only a few steps away but, as if she knew that deep down it would not arrive in time, Nezuko gave her brother a beaming smile, and this was the last image he had before the door finally closed in a loud bang.
"NO!" Tanjiro slammed his fists on the building before collapsing to his knees, sobbing. He had failed.
Six months earlier, her sister had gone to their native mountain in search of herbal remedies. Several hours later, not seeing her return, the family had gone in search of her. They only found her hair ribbon and her basket, with the carefully picked herbs, scattered on the earthy ground, accompanied by traces of struggles ... Nezuko had been kidnapped.
After weeks of research, Tanjiro had finally managed to find her trail.
The culprits were a cult of fanatics, worshiping the God of Lightning, and they needed, in order to ensure the fertility of their land and the blessing of their God, to send a young girl as a bride, as they were doing every fifty years. However, their cult and their village only had women who were already married or too old, or children who were much too young. The decision was therefore taken to select the future bride from the neighboring villages. And it was Nezuko who was chosen. Of course, her opinion on the matter was unnecessary.
Tanjiro could not accept that his little sister was sacrificed like this, no matter the god. He had found where she was going to be sent with a lot of tough interrogations, breaking his values, taking four whole days to make the trip.
And he had failed to bring her back.
"What are you doing here, it's a sacred place! Get out there!"
The impetuous voice of an old lady echoed in his back. Tanjiro turned to her, his eyes full of tears, feeling the anger rising in him.
"You kidnapped my sister! To sacrifice her!" he cried with hatred. The lady simply shrugged, unfazed.
"Your sister has received the immense privilege of becoming the new bride of the God of Lightning. From now on, she will live in unparalleled luxury with the sole obligation not to displease the Lord and to honor him when he asks her to. Isn't that a sublime life for a young girl from a poor family like yours? Don't be ungrateful! "
"She's only fifteen!" he choked with outrage.
"Like every girl that has been sent so far."
"You have completely lost your mind! You have no right!"
The lady looked annoyed.
"It's a tradition that dates back to the Sengoku era, kid! Have a little respect for the God who blesses these lands! What do you think you can do?Maybe break in? No human has ever been able to open the door."
Tanjiro was speechless. Indeed, what could he do to bring Nezuko back? What could he hope to do in the face of a god, if it was indeed a god? Nothing. He was just a simple human. And all he could do was grit his teeth and lament his incompetence.
Once the lady was gone, Tanjiro took a deep breath to calm himself down. There was some of the scent of Nezuko left, the trees surrounding the mountain and a strong smell of thunderstorm.
Whoever this God was, he would never forgive him for tearing his sister away from him.
And that day, he had no idea that it was only the beginning ...