Zenitsu Agatsuma sat alone on the side of the dirt road, his back slumped and his sword lying beside him. The soft glow of fireflies danced faintly through the darkening forest, but their beauty did nothing to lift his spirits. His yellow-and-orange haori, usually bright and lively, looked dull beneath the pale moonlight. He hugged his knees to his chest, a deep frown tugging at his face as his thoughts spiraled into self-pity.
"Ughhh…" he groaned dramatically, staring blankly at the ground. "They really left me behind. I can't believe it. Tanjiro, Inosuke… they actually went in without me…" His voice wavered, a mix of despair and betrayal. "What kind of friends do that? I thought we were supposed to stick together! Doesn't that mean anything to them?"
The night air was still for a moment before a tiny fluttering sound broke the silence. Flap. Flap.
Zenitsu's Kasugai Sparrow, Chuntaro, landed beside him on the road, tilting its head curiously. "Chun-chun!" the little bird chirped, hopping closer.
Zenitsu turned his teary, miserable eyes toward it. "Oh, what do you want? You're here to mock me too, huh? Go ahead, everyone else already thinks I'm useless."
The sparrow fluffed its feathers indignantly and let out a rapid string of chirps and squeaks that only Zenitsu could somehow understand after so much time together.
"Chun-chun! Sulking won't help anything! Tanjiro and Inosuke need you, you big crybaby! If you just sit here, they might get hurt—or worse!"
Zenitsu blinked at the bird, momentarily stunned, before pouting. "You don't get it, Chuntaro! They didn't need me! They left without saying anything! If they actually cared, they would've dragged me along, right? Or at least… tried to convince me. But nooo, they just went off like I'm some weakling who can't handle it!"
"Chun-chun!" the sparrow chirped again, hopping up and down furiously.
"What do you mean 'stop whining'?!" Zenitsu whined back, clutching his head dramatically. "You don't know how terrifying those mountains are! What if there are more demons up there? What if—what if I go and end up being eaten before I even see Tanjiro again?!"
At this, Chuntaro's patience snapped. The little bird fluttered onto Zenitsu's shoulder, leaned down, and bit his hand sharply.
"OW! HEY! What the hell, Chuntaro?!" Zenitsu yelped, shaking his hand frantically. "You bit me! What kind of messenger bird bites its master?! You're supposed to be cute and supportive!"
"Chun-chun-chun!" the sparrow retorted loudly, puffing up its chest, as if saying, Then stop acting like a coward and do something!
Zenitsu scowled at it, though his lower lip trembled in that familiar, overdramatic way. "You're so not cute when you're angry! You should take notes from Nezuko-chan! Now she's cute—adorable, sweet, perfect—" He froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening. "Wait… Nezuko-chan…"
A cold realization hit him like a thunderclap.
"Nezuko-chan is with Tanjiro! Which means—" His voice rose in pitch, his pupils shrinking with panic. "—she's up there! In the mountain! Surrounded by demons!"
He sprang to his feet so fast that Chuntaro barely managed to cling to his shoulder. "No way, no way, no way! If something happens to her—if one of those disgusting demons so much as touches her—I'LL NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF!"
His heart pounded, his earlier exhaustion replaced by frantic energy. He grabbed his sword from the dirt, dusted off his haori, and started pacing in circles. "This is bad! What if Tanjiro's being reckless again? And Inosuke's probably charging around without thinking! Ughhhh! Why am I the only sensible one?!"
Chuntaro chirped encouragingly, though a bit smugly this time. "Chun-chun!"
Zenitsu took a deep breath, his face set in exaggerated determination. "Fine! Fine! I'll go! But only because Nezuko-chan might be in danger! Not because I'm scared they'll die or anything! They can handle themselves!"
He slung his sword onto his back and stomped down the path toward the forest. His legs trembled, but his pace was quick.
Each rustle of leaves and distant screech made him flinch, but he forced himself onward. The deeper he went, the darker the world became—the trees thickened, the moonlight vanished, and the oppressive weight of the mountain's demonic aura pressed against him.
Yet for all his shaking hands and fearful glances, Zenitsu's eyes burned with something fierce.
"Don't you worry, Nezuko-chan!" he shouted into the night, voice cracking but full of passion. "I'm coming for you! And anyone who dares to hurt you—well—they'll regret ever being born!"
Chuntaro let out a proud chirp as Zenitsu marched into the darkness, trembling but resolute, his fear fueling his courage in the only way it ever could.