Thanks @AkuzaiShiron for the request!
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The last thing I ever want to do is hurt anyone. It’s hard for many to believe once they find out what I am but it is still the truth. In my human life I had been calm and careful, considerate to everyone around me. I loved being helpful and would always look out for those around me. It wasn’t fair that I had been turned into a demon that could never be seen as someone to trust. Everything I’ve built while alive has crumbled with a single bite.Â
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Now, wandering helpless and miserable through the forest far away from my home, I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I didn’t ever plan on going back. It was better if my friends and family thought I was dead than a monster. At least in their eyes I had died honorably rather than become twisted and bound to hell. Even though it hurt me so bad, I had to protect them and make this as easiest as possible for them. No matter what happened to me now, it didn’t really matter.Â
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And yet I couldn’t seem to die yet. Even though I’ve briefly thought about my true death, there’s still something about it that pushes me away. The only explanation I could seem to give myself is that my time isn’t complete yet. I still serve some purpose even in a new vessel. It would be far more difficult to do good in this form with everyone automatically fearing me but I had to stick around long enough to try. It would be worse for me to know I could’ve helped someone if I had only stuck around longer.Â
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The wait was going to be the death of me though. Weeks passed and passed with me wandering through the forest, now very lost. I’ve seen no one in this time and was beginning to become very lonely without human interaction. I didn’t want to risk stumbling across someone though, fearing what my new instincts might lead me to do. The horror of what could occur kept me sane and anxious. I’ve still thankfully managed to chase my appetite away with animals though. At least I had that going for me.Â
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The night my fate changed was an unassuming one. I had been stoking a fire, craving warmth to heat up my constantly cold body. It’s weird how I miss something I didn’t even realize I was doing now that I didn’t have warm blood to soothe the chill of the breeze. I had eaten plenty early on in the night and was ready to nap before I heard the snapping of a branch nearby along with a soft whimper that made the hair on the back of my neck rise in alarm. There was no mistaking the sound of a wounded organism.Â
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I had taken an instinctive step towards where I had heard the meek sound when a wave of a metallic scent hit me. My hands shot to my face to block the smell but it was already coursing through my body and making my breathing a bit heavy. Surprisingly though, I still felt like myself even as the smell grew stronger and the person drew nearer.Â
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I was then faced with a decision. There was obviously someone approaching me due to the light from the fire. Someone who was clearly injured and in need of medical assistance that I could help. Or I could leave and ensure that my demonic instincts didn’t lead me to violence and bloodshed that I would internalize for the rest of my existence. When another soft cry echoed through the air, I decided to risk my insanity and do my best to restrain any urges I had as I darted forward to find who was trying to break through the brush.Â
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“Hello? I’m not going to hurt you…oh my. Are you alright, Miss?” I panicked as I found a young woman panting against the trunk of a tree, her hand clutching her side that showed a large gash. Blood seeped through her shirt and onto her delicate looking fingers. When her head lifted to stare at me, I felt my face heat up despite the situation. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Snapping out of it quickly though, I crouched down close to her but didn’t touch her yet.Â
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“Hey there. My name is y/n. I’m going to gently pick you up alright? My fire is over there and I’ll try to patch you up so you don’t lose any more blood,” I quietly told her, watching her intently as she nodded weakly. I took a deep breath before carefully wrapping my arms around her, making sure I didn’t touch her wound. As I lifted her up onto her shaking legs, she let out a quiet cry and it took everything in me not to drop her. She sounded like some of the prey I’ve hunted to kill. With the scent of blood thick in the air, I had to remind myself that she was a human who needed my help.Â
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I set her down by the fire a safe distance away before taking a moment to calm myself. Once I was absolutely sure I had a hold on myself, I went to my bag full of things I took with me when I originally left my home. I wasn’t quite sure what I would need on my journey at the time and had thankfully forgotten that as a demon I didn’t need a first aid kit. Now I pulled it out in victory, moving close to the girl with bright pink and lime green hair who watched me through pain ridden eyes.Â
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“You’re a demon,” she stated matter of factly. I felt my body tense but decided to try to help her before freaking out. She didn’t sound a bit scared and didn’t try to stop me from helping her as I unraveled a large bandage and moved over her. She only stared at me without any worry or concern. Perhaps she was more injured than I had originally thought but I pushed the thought aside as I began to carefully wrap up the gash on her side over her clothes.Â
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“Yes I am but I promise I won’t hurt you. I only want to help you,” I assured her, tying off the bandage before sitting back to look her over for any other injuries. She seemed to be wearing a uniform and once I spotted the sheath at her side, I came to the realization of who she was. Only demonslayers would fit her description and I began to wonder if I was the one who should be worrying over their life. When her hand gently touched mine, I snapped out of the trance to look at her pretty smile.Â
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“I’m Mitsuri. I’m not going to hurt you either. There’s something about you I trust,” she whispered softly, gazing at me with comfort. My face once again grew warm and a smile of my own twitched onto my lips. When her eyes closed in what must’ve been exhaustion, I decided to stick around and watch her to make sure no one hurt her while she slept. There was something keeping me here with her and keeping me restrained from my demon tendencies. It felt like a sign to stick by her.
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