Chapter Text
Snow was falling the night Giyuu Tomioka died.
He heard the screams through the forest. A woman, yelling for her children to run. He had weaved his way through the branches of the mountain trees, aiming to behead whatever low level demon had made its way into a village of innocent humans.
Except, there was no village. Just a singular house, isolated from the rest of the world.
And there was no low level demon.
Giyuu stopped in his tracks once he was within a stone’s throw of the small house. He could feel the demon. The malicious intent radiating in waves from one end of the wooden hut.
He approached slowly, so as not to alert whatever monstrosity awaited him to his presence.
He crossed the front of the house from the safety of the tree line, the path granting him visual access to the inside. The strange decorations caught his eye, perhaps for some celebration or event this family celebrated in winter.
Or so Giyuu thought, until the moon’s light was just overhead.
Body parts were strewn everywhere. The head of a boy, no older than 5, stared at Giyuu’s slinking figure with it’s one remaining, glass-like eye. The other socket was nothing but a hole through the child’s head, the body nowhere in sight. Swaying from the roof, was an arm decorated in the tattered remains of a light pink haori, some strands of which were caught in the splinters on the ledge, creating the look of a disturbing windchime.
A body, this one missing only the waist down, was suspended onto the wall of the house like a gruesome pinata by an axe that split through the boy’s chest. The neck contorted at an odd angle, likely signifying that the impact from being pinned to the wall was what did him in, and not bleeding out in agony.
‘At least he may have been spared somewhat.’
The woman’s screaming had allowed Giyuu to approach with less caution than the situation would have otherwise called for, but he needed to make sure he reached a spot that gave him an advantage over the demon. The cruel, sadistic aura he could feel was at least that of a Twelve Kizuki, and more than likely an Upper Moon. Even one of the Demon Slayer Hashira like himself would need to take every precaution against the demon elite.
Climbing into the branches above, he turned the corner of the house from the treeline, and was able to make out the demon’s form, as well as 3 more humans around it. The demon was tall, humanoid in its appearance. It wore some sort of white hat, with matching slacks and a black suit top . To an untrained eye, the demon would look to be a perfectly normal, everyday man returning home, if not for the splatters of blood staining the man’s attire. The sophisticated, human-like appearance was a stark contrast from the other Kizuki that Tomioka had heard reports of in the past.
Typically outlandish, fiery personalities. Demonic in all forms from appearance to their disposition. Outfitted with deformities and markings along their bodies, this demon possessed none of these traits from what Giyuu could tell. And yet, there was no mistaking the aura surrounding the figure.
With it’s back turned, Giyuu assessed the humans the demon was facing. A woman stood protectively in front of her young daughter, who in turn was covering a young boy from the monster. Giyuu couldn’t tell where exactly, but he could see the large pool of red leaking out from under the boy’s body. He wouldn’t last long in the cold, and with a demon staring him down, and no town in sight, he was already a goner.
The woman brandished a sword shakingly. Based on the carvings and intricate design, it was nothing more than a replica turned ceremonial at best.
“N-Nezuko, take Takeo. Run as fast as you can honey. Y-you need to get to the village. I’ll hold him here, you need to go.”
As noble as it was, Giyuu knew the woman’s sacrifice would be in vain. There was little chance she could hold the demon off, unless it took it’s time to eat her before giving chase to her children. And even then, there were slimmer odds the young girl could carry her dying sibling down the mountain to the nearest village before they were caught.
The girl seemed to come to a similar conclusion. “Mom I won’t leave you. You can’t fight it, and I-I can’t carry Takeo on my own.”
The woman gave a tearful look back at her daughter for a second, before returning her eyes to the demon again.
“I’m sorry honey, but you need to be strong here. Just find Tanjiro, and he’ll be able to help you. He should almost be home.”
They would all be slaughtered, unless Giyuu could kill the monster before. But he couldn’t engage it while it was alert. Despite the casual stance it took while facing the woman, the slight twitch of the clawed hands betrayed the demon. It was smart enough not to underestimate these humans, even if they were nothing but sheep before the maw of a wolf.
He would have to wait for the children to move, as that would be when the demon would strike their mother. And that would be when he could get the drop on it. Perhaps he could try to intervene slightly beforehand and stop the monster before it killed the brave woman. But to do so would endanger himself and the children if it caught wind of his movements before it fully engaged in an attack.
No matter what, he couldn’t let this demon get away.
Leaning forward, Giyuu made sure to not disturb the brush around him. Focusing his total concentration breathing, his body tensed as he gripped the hilt of his blade.
The demon took a step forward. The woman taking one backwards.
“Are you done saying your goodbyes yet? It’s not as though you two will be separated, so you really are just wasting your breath, and more importantly, my time. I would like to be on my way, and you are delaying me.”
The demon spoke with a chilling calm. The cruel words underlined with a soothing grace and refinement to them. The demon spoke as if admonishing a child for spilling a drink instead of sentencing three humans to death.
Giyuu closed his eyes, feeling the crisp breeze against his face. His mismatched haori shifted under the tugging of the winter air. A slight shift in his stance, his knees beginning to ache from the squatting position in the tree. An inaudible creek from the branch he perched on as his weight shifted forward, preparing. His eyes slitting open, waiting for the slight opening.
Still kneeling in the snow, the young girl - Nezuko , the mother had called her - shifted to put her dying brother on her back. She never took her eyes off of her mother as she faced down the monster before them.
Snake-like eyes looked beyond the woman, watching the young girl’s movements. Caution, even in the face of assured victory, was a key trait for survival.
Shifting the sword in her grasp, the mother sidestepped into the demon’s vision. Giyuu observed the way her shoulders hunched, but her base lowered, placing herself into a defensive stance. It wasn’t much, but she had seen someone wield a sword before.
Lilac eyes glared daggers into the demon’s blood red orbs. The woman moved a single foot forward, establishing the guard she would use to protect her children. It wasn’t much compared to a Hashira, or even a newly appointed Mizunoto of the demon corps, but the determination in her eyes could take her farther than any novice swordsman would get on talent alone.
A calm stillness settled. The only sound heard was the whimpering of the dying boy. The mother and daughter tensed, preparing for their respective bursts. The demon remained unfazed on the surface, but Giyuu watched their nails begin to elongate in preparation.
He released his breath. One slash was all it would take.
‘Water Breathing: First Form’
At once, mother, demon, and slayer launched. The woman moved to slash downward on the demon, whose right hand immediately grew into a grotesque amalgamation of muscle fibers to deflect the strike. His other hand struck out with intent to crush the woman’s heart. But as his claws pierced her chest and gripped her heart, he wavered.
Giyuu’s blade arched for the demon’s neck. A single strike, severing the head, as he tore through the woman’s body. A necessary sacrifice of one woman for the lives of countless others.
‘Surface sla-’
Giyuu’s momentum stopped, midair. He had timed his attack perfectly. The demon’s talons had pierced the woman’s chest, into her ribcage. His focus couldn’t be on Giyuu’s strike. He couldn’t deflect it with his other hand already blocking another strike, and he certainly wouldn’t survive if Giyuu completed his swing. There was no way for him to avoid the attack.
So he didn’t.
Giyuu was no longer moving forward to strike the demon. He was falling. The demon’s talons had pierced the woman, but sensing the incoming attack, at the last possible second he ripped his arm out through the side of her body, and used his momentum to turn until he came into contact with Giyuu’s side.
The demonic strength was more than enough to throw the Hashira off his intended strike path, with his nichiren sword no longer angled to sever the monster’s neck. Instead, it barely nicked him as it sliced through the rapidly healing shoulder blades. Ocean blue locked with crimson for a brief moment, before the force of the demon’s strike fully connected with Giyuu’s body, sending him crashing through the destroyed wall of the house.
Another half second and Giyuu would have succeeded, but instead he was left writhing in agony on the splintered floor. Rolling over, he gasped as a bolt of pain shot through him. Definitely some broken bones. Likely some damaged organs too. The state of his damaged body was second on Giyuu’s mind however. He had looked into the demon’s eyes, and the pieces fit into place. Why the malevolent aura was so strong. Why the demon didn’t possess the traits of the Twelve Kizuki despite his obvious power level.
Because those eyes didn’t belong to one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Giyuu had just come face to face with Muzan Kibutsuji himself.
A grunt of pain escaped him. ‘ Why of all places would Muzan attack some random mountain folk.’ It just didn’t make sense.
A crunching sound caught Giyuu’s attention. Muzan was stepping over the wreckage of the wall Giyuu just slammed through.
He heard his sister Tsutako’s voice. ‘ Get up Giyuu. Now is not the time to take a nap. ’
Glancing over, the Water Hashira had somehow managed to hold onto his blade through impact. His finger trembling, he managed to grip the sword as he staggered to his feet.
Muzan stopped across the room from the wounded slayer. As he lifted his sword, Giyuu was sure he heard his heart pounding in his ears. If it weren’t for his total concentration breathing minimizing any unnecessary functions, he’d likely have already passed out from the injuries and internal bleeding. Or worse.
The King of Demons tilted his head. “What’s a demon slayer doing near this mountain? No demon has been here for decades, so there’s no purpose for patrolling this region.”
Giyuu didn’t know why Muzan cared about demon slayers patrolling a mountain, but if he could buy time for the girl to run, and perhaps get Muzan to lower his guard, then he’d play along.
Shifting himself to prepare one more desperation strike, Giyuu responded. “I was on my way to another location. What’s so special about this mountain that no demons have been here?”
Muzan didn’t seem interested in Giyuu’s question, his face remaining impassive. “So you’re just a poor slayer who happened to be too courageous for his own good. A shame. Although,” Muzan paused, giving Giyuu another once over.
A smile cracked through his calm facade. “To be so confident in your ability to attack just any demon without backup, and to take my attack head on and still be standing, you must be a Hashira.”
“I hold the title of Water Hashira.”
Muzan took a step forward. Giyuu’s muscles tensed.
“You don’t sound very convinced of yourself. Aren’t you Hashira supposed to be the Demon Slayer Corps best and brightest?”
“I hold the title for now until a suitable successor to the Water Hashira comes along. If you’re going to assume I’m of the same caliber as the other Hashira you’re mistaken.” The longer they talked the more time Giyuu had to find a crack in the demon’s defenses.
Muzan simply shrugged. “I’ve not encountered any Hashira in quite a long time, but very few have managed to impress me even then.” He took another step towards Giyuu, now only a few feet away.
“However, I haven’t met any slayer that has ever snuck up on me before. I don’t particularly care to remember the thousands of humans I’ve satisfied my hunger with, but I would certainly remember if one managed to not only catch me off guard, but take a direct strike as well. I think you sell yourself short, Water Hashira.” Another step.
Giyuu’s time was running out. His total concentration breathing had kept him upright for this long, but the damage to his body was starting to overwhelm his technique.
“I didn’t expect the King of Demons to be so flattering. I’d almost think you were intimidated.”
Sabito’s voice filled his head. ‘Really, taunting? That’s the best you can do? He’s about to skewer you and honestly, I don’t think I’d blame him. ’
Muzan’s smile twitched.
“Hmm. Well, I try my best to be accommodating.” His eyes closed as his smile turned mocking.
“And I am in a good mood, after all-”
Again, Giyuu launched himself at Muzan. However this time, he barely moved a foot before the demon king stopped him with a decisive strike through his abdomen.
His slumping body caught by the other hand of the demon king, Giyuu heard pints of his blood drop to the floor below Muzan’s arm. His view of the floor obscured as the arm now pierced through the Water Hashira’s body.
Leaning in close, Muzan whispered in his ear. “I just thought of something interesting.”
Before Giyuu could wonder what the hell the demon was talking about, the creaking of the wooden floor and a loud yell gave way to the young girl from before, Nezuko, attempting to strike the demon from behind with her fallen mother’s ceremonial blade.
‘Dammit. ’ Giyuu thought. ‘All this for nothing. Wasting all that time for her to run and she’s just throwing her life away. ’
Taking his supporting hand off of his body, Muzan turned and caught the girl’s pitiful overhead strike.
“Thank you for saving me the trouble of having to chase after you in the snow. It makes this whole process much faster.”
Giyuu could just see over Muzan’s shoulder the trembling form of the young girl. Despite her obvious fear however, Giyuu could see the fire in her eyes, similar to that of her mother. Barely 14, if that, and she was staring down the most feared demon on the planet, but she wasn’t backing down.
Giyuu watched almost in slow motion, as she steeled herself and slowed her breathing. Almost like in a trance, her stance shifted, and Giyuu noticed the signs before Muzan. Her trembling stopped, her muscles tensed, and her breathing slowed to the point where there was no mistaking it; she was using a breathing technique.
In a snap her bright pink eyes opened, and she let out a yell as her improvised breathing effect took hold, her ceremonial sword now seemingly hotter than any fire and as sharp as any nichiren blade, and sliced it down Muzan’s palm.
The demon king recoiled with a hiss at the sudden burning on his palm, causing Giyuu to slide off the arm in his stomach.
Muzan brought his other hand to cradle the now injured one, snarling. “Why you little-”
Thudding to the ground, the pain threatening to take hold, Giyuu heard another voice. ‘Oh c’mon now Tomioka, that can’t be all you’ve got. There’s still more work to be done. ’
Gritting his teeth, Giyuu found his sword again from the ground. Muzan stalked towards the girl, suddenly much more apprehensive of the faux sword she wielded.
Not waiting for an opening this time, Giyuu lunged at the demon from behind.
‘Water Breathing Fourth Form’
His strength was quickly leaving him, so a single strike to the neck wasn’t possible, but he managed to propel himself close enough that he could still deliver strikes to hurt the demon.
‘ Striking Tide!’
Wildly, Giyuu began twisting himself at Muzan’s back, catching the demon king off guard. Imprecise, but he felt his blows strike the demon’s back and arms once he turned to defend himself from the surprise assault.
Immediately, Nezuko jumped into the fray as well, trying to recapture the power she’d had a moment ago. Hoping to maybe help kill the monster that had murdered her family.
And for a moment, Giyuu saw Muzan’s facade finally break, and the fear showed in his eyes. They had a chance, if they could just keep Muzan on the defensive until one of their strikes hit home.
That hope was short-lived.
Muzan’s back hunched, his spine becoming more visible through his clothes. A second later thin, razor lined whips tore through the back of his suit out towards Nezuko as she brought her sword down. The first strike deflected one of the whips, causing Muzan to hiss once more at the burning sensation.
Two of the whips chased after Nezuko as she was deflected. Swinging wildly, she knocked one back, but no burning occurred with this strike. The other whip slashed along her torso, causing her to cry out in pain.
Two more of the whips spun around to deflect Giyuu’s wild strikes, giving Muzan the opening he needed.
Immediately Muzan took the offensive. Spinning away from Giyuu, his spine whips took the opportunity to begin assaulting the injured demon slayer.
Parrying as best he could, Giyuu’s body couldn’t keep up with the speed of the serrated tendrils striking at him all at once. He struck at one and blocked another, but two slipped past him and sliced at his achilles, while a third struck his torso, bringing him down to one knee. Strike one, block another, swing for a third, and the other five slashed across his torso, arms, and shoulders to disable his sword arm.
Nezuko didn’t have much of a chance against Muzan, but he wasn’t going to give the girl an opportunity. He lunged forward immediately, grabbing her with his hand and with his inhuman strength turned and tossed her right into Giyuu’s kneeling form, sending the two humans crashing into the far wall of the broken house.
This time, Giyuu couldn’t fight back the blackness as the pain began to overwhelm him. Distantly, he thought he could hear the voices yelling for him to stand once more, but they were too far away.
The glaring face of Muzan Kibutsuji, and one last self satisfied smirk, was the last thing Giyuu saw before the world faded away.