Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Kill the demon slayer with hanafuda earrings and checkered haori. Make him suffer.”

It was a simple instruction. A command that came with an unmentioned generous reward for those who succeeded. It was enough to stir even the most dormant of demons. It was only one demon slayer, and not even a pillar.

Demons from every corner; on trees, in the river, in the shadows, all ventured out with a thirst to kill the one with hanafuda earrings and checkered haori. They all raced to be the first. To finally be graced and approved by Muzan.

But a group of demons thought differently. Why would Muzan instruct every nearby villain for the murder of one mere demon slayer? The four of them went around and investigated. And oh… The rumours they heard…

The one who could sniff them out with his nose.

The one who danced with both water and fire.

The one who killed former lower moon six. Almost killed lower moon five. Killed lower moon one. Stabbed upper moon two. Killed the sibling pair known as upper moon six.

The one with the persistence of an incurable disease.

The one with red demon-like eyes. And a blade as dark as the night sky.

The one… who traveled with his own demon sister.

Kamado Tanjiro.

The absence of the box on his back was palpable with each step. Not for the first time, Tanjiro wondered if his sister was alright. They were greatly ambushed by multiple demons the previous night, endangering the village he had visited for a short rest. Later that night, he had hesitantly requested Goto to take a sleeping Nezuko back to the Butterfly Estate without him. She had saved him from more than one fatal blow and dutifully protected all the villagers from death. It took a great toll on Nezuko’s body. It wasn’t the first time a swarm of demons had attacked them the past week either. So, Tanjiro had reluctantly passed his sister to the kakushi. He wanted to let her sleep in peace for as long as she needed.

It helped that he did not have any immediate missions. He wrote a short note for Aoi, thanking her for her care and stating his current whereabouts. He looked up to the crimson sky and promised to visit the estate in about an hour if he had no missions. He admitted to himself that a check-up wouldn’t hurt. He had accumulated a few minor injuries but was in no dire need of medical attention. 

Tanjiro had just sent his letter using his crow when he saw movement in his peripheral vision. It came from the edge of the forest he was passing by. He wasn't surprised as night was fast approaching and demons were waking to feast on human flesh.

“Hello?” 

Something moved in a small shrub and all of a sudden, a horrified face of another demon slayer appeared in between the leaves. One hand with dirty fingertips was outstretched desperately towards Tanjiro.

“HELP ME! PLEASE HEL—“ His plea was cut off when he was violently pulled back by an unseen force. His screams trailed off, indicating that he was being dragged into the forest.

Tanjiro quickly ran towards his comrade, following the terrified pleas and smell of the trail. The dense forestry made it hard for Tanjiro to even see the direction his comrade was pulled in. As he passed tree by tree, a sense of… wrongness made itself known inside him. Aside from hearing the cut off screams, Tanjiro had not seen his comrade after the initial encounter. Not a single glimpse.

While he would not admit to being the fastest person, he was rather quick on his feet. He also noted that the source of the sound did not match the distance. He should have been able to spot something if he could still hear the screams so nearby. In his head, Tanjiro constructed a list of possible demon blood arts. It could be camouflaging its victim and itself. That would explain why Tanjiro could still smell its trail but not see its body.

He was caught off guard when a demon suddenly cackled to his left. Tanjiro did not hesitate to withdraw his sword and attempt to cut the demon down.

‘Breath of Water…!’ He took a deep breath and angled his sword towards the ‘line of interval’. ‘Second Style Modified: Horizontal Water Wheel!’

“Gaaah..!” The demon cried out as its decapitated head and body crumbled.

Tanjiro focused back to the trail of his comrade and made haste to ensure the trail was not lost. It became a little harder when more and more demons showed up. There was no particular strong demons but they more than made it up with numbers alone. There were demons almost every five steps he took.

‘Damn it…!’ Not being at his peak strength was starting to take its toll. After using more than 4 water style breathing techniques numerous times, Tanjiro almost lost his footing. But a distant cry that sounded similar to his comrade's earlier cries renewed his strength.

Despite the demons showing up from his front, sides and back, Tanjiro confidently took another deep breath. ‘Breath of Water..’ He carefully sensed each and every single ‘line of interval’ and used minimal strength to deliver the killing blow. ‘Third Style: Dance of The Rapid Current!’ He moved like the waves of the sea and effectively cut off every demon in sight.

The demons dying cries were drowned by an even louder piercing scream. Tanjiro gritted his teeth and picked up his pace again. The scream of his comrade seemed to climb in crescendo, filling Tanjiro with desperate urgency. He followed the trail and finally broke through the tree line- Only to stop short.

Despite all the running he had done and all the demons he had cut down, Tanjiro could not breathe for a short moment.

In that small circular clearing, the bright moon highlighted dozens of bodies - hung by their necks from thin branches that elongated from the surrounding trees. Their heads were wrapped in a shiny brown material as a wood-like tendril was wound tightly around their necks. The tendrils were loosely growing out from the thin branches overhead. Tanjiro did not fail to notice that each body was wearing the familiar black uniform of the demon slayers.

“Hmm… How disturbing.” Kagaya’s face was grim as he received the news from one of his crows. “What a cruel band of demons.” He had more bodies to bury it seemed. “Secure the forest. No one shall enter except the pillars.”

A second crow cawed from above him, already sending an urgent update. They could not save those who have died. But perhaps one could still be saved. “Call upon the nearby pillars.”

Kagaya issued a second command to his crows after a thoughtful moment. “And keep an eye on Zenitsu and Inosuke please.”

“Eeeeeh? Tanjiro isn’t even here?” Zenitsu whined after seeing a sleeping Nezuko. She still had a few open wounds so it was logical for Tanjiro to be nearby as well.

Aoi frowned. “Nezuko came back with the kakushi last night after the attack. Tanjiro said he’ll be here soon.”

Zenitsu's face turned serious after he comprehended what Aoi had said. “He sent her ahead?”

“They were ambushed last night at the Crimson Village. She hasn’t woken up since.”

Zenitsu pensively looked away. The Sun had already set. And Tanjiro was alone out there. “Did he say where he was?”

Aoi wordlessly handed him Tanjiro’s recent letter. Zenitsu smiled assuredly after skimming its contents. “That’s not too far from here. He should be here soon-“

“HOORYAAAAAHHH!” Inosuke exclaimed as he burst into the room via the window, shattering its glass into pieces. “WHY ISN’T MONJIRO HERE?!”

“SHUT UP!” Aoi yelled at him. “Keep your voice down! We have recovering patients here! And clean up this glass! How many times does Shinobu have to tell you to use the door?!” She promptly left after pulling off the pig mask to twist Inosuke’s ear.

Inosuke was pouting but turned to Zenitsu with a neutral expression. “Oi. Where’s Kentaro?”

Zenitsu shrugged. “On his way most likely. Maybe he was making sure all the villagers were alright. I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Inosuke huffed and took a seat on the floor. After a while, Inosuke commented, “She looked bad.”

Zenitsu was almost impressed by Inosuke’s caring words. “Yeah, Aoi said they were ambushed last night.”

Inosuke’s response was accompanied with a frown and glare. “By what? Demons?”

“Obviously.”

“That’s dumb. Demons don't attack in groups.”

Now that Inosuke mentioned it… Zenitsu was struck with realization. Even the spider demon family didn't attack as a group. Demons were greedy creatures and wanted every meal for their own. But somehow, Nezuko looked as though she went through an army of demons. Why would the Kamado siblings encounter a mass of demons when all the other slayers were lucky to even share a mission every other night?

Zenitsu let himself imagine the Kamado siblings fighting their way to protect the villagers. He shivered from having to fight so many demons at once. There was no way Tanjiro escaped unscathed if Nezuko looked the way she did even after a day’s rest.

“CAW!” A crow sounded from the broken window. “ALL HUNTERS STAY AWAY FROM MORI FOREST. ONLY PILLARS ALLOWED. ALL HUNTERS STAY AWAY FROM MORI FOREST. ONLY PILLARS ALLOWED.”

“…Mori Forest?” Zenitsu looked back to the small letter Aoi had passed to him earlier. Tanjiro’s last known position was right on the edge of that forest. Zenitsu would know, he had used that pathway numerous times before. Combining this information with the recent ambush on the Kamado siblings, a cold feeling settled into the bottom of Zenitsu’s stomach. “Tanjiro could be there right now. If he wasn’t, he should be here already.”

Inosuke scoffed. “I would’ve known if he was anywhere near here.”

Tanjiro’s soft smile and kind sound resonated inside both Inosuke and Zenitsu respectively. 

If it was any of them, despite the orders, what would Tanjiro have done? The crow repeated the orders again, as though mocking them. As a result, their resolve hardened.

“Inosuke, if we get close enough, would you be able to sense Tanjiro’s whereabouts?”

Inosuke huffed a smug grin as though Zenitsu had just asked a really stupid question.

Shinobu smiled when she found Aoi. “Is Zenitsu or Inosuke here?”

“Yes, they were in one of the training rooms earlier. They were looking for Tanjiro. He said he would visit tonight.”

Shinobu gave no response except another smile and a soft touch to Aoi’s shoulder as she walked past. If those two knew who was in Mori Forest, they would no doubt disobey the orders. Aside from investigating the forest with the other pillars, she had been instructed to prepare for incoming patients. They were expecting a massive wave of them.

When she did not find Zenitsu or Inosuke but instead found a pile of neatly collected broken glass under a shattered window, she sighed. Perhaps three familiar faces would be in her care by the end of the night.

Tanjiro forcibly slowed his frantic beating heart. ‘Calm down. This is no time for panic.’ He focused on his surroundings, discerning the dead bodies from everything else.

“…help… please…”

Tanjiro pinpointed the source of the voice and hurried to it. There was someone in the middle of the clearing, a tendril already secured around their neck as though preparing them as the next victim, holding them up by the tip of their toes. Tanjiro quickly cut off the green stem and caught the helpless body.

“Are you alright?”

The person seemed to breathe heavily for moment, catching his breath. “Thank… you…”

Perhaps it was the shock at seeing the hanging bodies, or the adrenaline to save a life, but it took Tanjiro a few seconds too late to properly scent the already cold body in his arms.

His eyes widened when the scent finally hit him. “..Y-you’re-“

The person- the thing’s head snapped up with a smile almost too eerie to be human. Tanjiro managed to discard the body with honed reflexes and dodged the incoming hostile tendrils from above him. He had even cut off some stems that got too close to his body.

The thing that wore the face and body of his comrade stood up shakily and giggled like a gleeful child. “They were right, they were right! Your nose can sniff out all of us, can’t it? Sharp nose, check!”

Tanjiro gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his sword. He was careless and almost paid the price. He kept his eyes on the human-faced demon and took stance.

A chilly breeze brushed Tanjiro’s nape and before he could react, someone flicked his left earring. Tanjiro jerked to his right and turned swiftly to face another sneering child-like demon, hanging upside down by its foot from a dangling tendril. “Hmm…hanafuda earrings… Check.”

A pungent smell hit him from below and Tanjiro made the quick decision to jump upwards. He narrowly avoided the rows of small razor teeth of an earth-like demon that seemed to be part of the grass. It laughed with a piece of Tanjiro’s haori in its mouth. “Checkered haori… Check.”

‘My… earrings? Clothes? Why are they-‘

“Let’s not forget…” A new voice called out from above. Another demon stood proud and smirking. It looked wet… dripping with a viscous brown liquid. “Those red red eyes of yours. Kamado Tanjiro…” The demon spread its arms theatrically, splattering its fluids everywhere, announcing merrily, “Welcome to our playground~!”

The branches from above rapidly grew and elongated, travelling like demented snakes, covering the tree line in layers of bark, trapping Tanjiro with the hanging bodies of former demon slayers and the four demons that were most likely responsible for it. Only the moonlight shone through from the holes between the branches above them.

"Shall we play~?" 

Uzui jumped from tree to tree, listening to any suspicious sounds. But there was nothing. He had not seen a single body or heard movement from any demons. All he had seen were signs of battle from other demon slayers. Or maybe just Tanjiro. The clean cuts on the bark were clear indication of the Water Breathing Style. Oyakata-sama had made it clear that Tanjiro was the main priority because he was the most recent victim of the forest and most likely the only one still alive. It was smart of the demons to utilize Tanjiro’s kindness. That kid could not possibly leave behind a fellow injured breathing demon hunter.

The Sound Pillar sighed and kept moving deeper through the forest. He and Shinobu were the only nearby pillars for the time being. Even then, Shinobu would join him a little later since she had to prep the estate for incoming casualties. Meanwhile, the other pillars were on their way but they were obviously not arriving anytime soon.

After a few idle minutes with no hints of the demons terrorizing the forest, Uzui heard the patter of running feet. When he caught sight of something distinctly yellow running with a half-naked person, he shouted after them instinctively, “OI! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?!”

He saw Inosuke and Zenitsu turning to face him but then-

From one blink to another, they disappeared. The noise went with them. Uzui stood still. He looked to his left, then his right. He had been there before. The trees were exactly the same. He had been moved somehow, back to where he started. He had been so focused on listening, he may not have realized that he had been transported before. That’s why he hadn’t heard anything. He was nowhere near the demons and one of them was making sure he never would be.

‘A blood demon art?’ Uzui smirked. It was a challenge he gladly took upon himself.

Tanjiro grunted as he blocked another series of blows. He had fought tens of demons before but these four demons were on another level compared to those, simply because they were working in tandem rather than just charging at him individually. Tanjiro sidestepped the earth demon’s snapping teeth that conjured randomly on the forest floor. He cut off more of the tendrils that viciously attempted to coil around his limbs. Simultaneously, he also avoided the weird brown viscous liquid being shot at him from above.

‘They’re not very fast individually but… I can barely keep up when they're all attacking at once with their techniques…!’

None of the demons had markings in their eyes but their coordinated attacks were just as good as fighting one of the demon moons. 

‘I have to find an opening. Get close to either one of them and eliminate them one by one.’

He analyzed the demons upon dodging their attacks. The doppelganger demon stood still, smiling to itself but its eyes constantly followed Tanjiro’s movements. Tanjiro had targeted it initially but was accosted constantly by the other three demons. The tree-vine demon was high up in a green cocoon, at one corner of the ring. The dripping demon was on top of the branches that were holding the bodies, right in the middle. The earth demon was the most unpredictable as it manifested wherever Tanjiro was bound to land as he avoided the aerial attacks of the dripping demon and the physical vine attack from the tree-vine demon.

Tanjiro also suspected another demon was acting behind the scenes because there were one too many times where he was sure he had avoided an incoming attack, only to receive at least half the blow if not having his skin bitten or whipped by the vines. It was almost too scary, how powerful normal demons could be if they simply worked together. 

‘Don’t falter. Don’t underestimate them. Get close, get one attack in.’

But one breath after another, Tanjiro could not get close to any of the demons. There was always one attack he had to avoid. There was no respite.

Tanjiro could not even find ground to pause and take breath. Attacks were raining on him constantly and the ‘lines’ of the demons… It kept changing, never in the same spot, never appearing for more than a few seconds. No matter which water breathing techniques he used, they kept on coming. It didn’t help that some of his attacks… missed. His precision training was one of the first he had mastered. Thus, it only fueled his theory that something was amiss.

'Maybe that combination will work...' Tanjiro recalled one of the training sessions he had under the Water Pillars and Makomo. Ideally, since the battle was in a closed space, he should be able to land some damage. He jumped to the side to avoid a vicious vine attack, predicting the earth demon would appear where he was expected to land. When he saw a glimpse of the mouth manifesting from the ground, he initiated his counterattack. 'Ninth Style: Water Splash!' 

The earth demon loudly screeched as its mouth was hit dead on. Tanjiro did not sense its 'line of interval' and knew his cut was not fatal but it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. He quickly followed up with the main attack that didn't require any footing, targeting the demons above. 'Sixth Style: Twisting Whirlpool!'  While the earth demon was down, Tanjiro could deal with the projectiles. Sabito had came up with it for when he was dealing with both ground and aerial demons simultaneously.

The brown discharge and all the vines got caught up in Tanjiro's attack. He kept twisting the projectiles until he saw the vines evolving. The vines caught in the water seemed to shoot out tendrils from its stems, piercing through Tanjiro's attack and effectively moving towards him. With panicked eyes, Tanjiro changed his breathing style to avoid getting caught. 'Dance of the Fire God...! Blue Heaven!'  The vines burned in the slash but Tanjiro also lost his momentum and futilely fell back to the forest floor. He was breathing harshly from the recoil of using two different breathing techniques and the impact of his fall. He didn't recover enough to cushion his fall. Still, he stood back up and took stance again. 

“You are pretty good, aren’t you?” The dripping demon smirked. “Most of your little friends couldn't even last 2 minutes with us. One slip and-“ He shrugged. “You keep slippin’ too but you know just how to readjust yourself.”

Tanjiro demonstrated his capabilities once more when he righted himself from falling into the open mouth on the forest floor after jumping away from a whipping vine.

The dripping demon grinned from his spot on the tree. He laughed cruelly when he noticed Tanjiro’s sweat rolling from his forehead. “But how long can you last, Kamado Tanjiro~?”

‘Don’t let them get to you. Think! Strategize!’

His subconscious conjured various observations in his head for his utilization. The dripping demon required about 5 seconds to collect its liquid before it could throw it at Tanjiro. The earth demon could only conjure one mouth on the forest floor, albeit anywhere it wanted to. The tree-vine demon seemed to only use its vines as an offense but it also seemed to avoid the brown discharge from the dripping demon. The demon’s tree bark was also thick enough that not even multiple water style slashes from Tanjiro’s sword was enough to break through it.

He had already used one technique of the Dance of the Fire God. To use anymore so soon would greatly affect his stamina and strength. There was no one to assist him if he collapsed from the recoil. His sister's face crossed his mind and he gritted his teeth. How many times would he have died if Nezuko wasn't with him?

Tanjiro held his sword with renewed determination. ‘Whatever it takes. Do whatever it takes! Stay alive!’

He counted the 5-second interval of the dripping demon as he avoided its throws. He righted himself from falling into the mouth demon and finally, Tanjiro jumped again, expecting the whip attack but he twisted mid-air and used one of the vines’ sturdy stem as a platform to push himself towards the dripping demon. He had two seconds. Just two seconds.

‘The fastest technique…! Breathe of Water…!‘ Tanjiro used the momentum from his jump and pushed- ‘Seventh Style: Piercing Rain Drop!’

He saw the dripping demon’s shocked face. But alas, the demon… suddenly wasn’t where Tanjiro’s blade would have definitely stabbed him. His attack missed (again).

Tanjiro fell from his failed attack and could only do his best to cut the vines that tried to catch him and gracefully twist his body to avoid the large and hungry snapping mouth of the earth demon. Tanjiro’s knees quivered from exhaustion. But he did not let his steps falter.

‘Once more… Go for it once more…!’

In the end, it was one mistake that became Tanjiro's downfall. One second of missed judgement. Tanjiro had forgotten about the fourth demon, the one that wore the face of his fallen comrade. It had always stood in the middle of the clearing, watching him with excited eyes. But when the avoidance of a three-way attack from the tree-vine demon, the earth demon and the dripping demon pushed Tanjiro to a shadowed corner of the tree ring, he noticed that the fourth demon was no longer where it used to be.

‘Wait… Where is-‘

As his back hit the tree wall, a sharp pain suddenly pierced three parts of his body - his left leg, his chest and his right shoulder.

Tanjiro screamed.

Zenitsu squealed in panic followed by a loud rant, “INOSUKEEE! UZUI DISAPPEARED! He was there! You saw him right? He shouted at us! At then he just- he was just-… GONE! Like he wasn’t even there in the first place! This was a terrible idea. Terrible idea..!”

“It was your idea to go get Kentarou!”

“Yes but have you seen this forest?! We’re going in circles, I’m sure of it. See that bush? I’ve seen it twice. TWICE. Same exact shape and- and- and- sound!“ He cupped his palms unconsciously around his ears.

Inosuke looked both impressed and annoyed. “You can hear plants?”

Zenitsu completely ignored him as he went on, “And Uzui just disappeared in thin air like-.. Like-!”

“That weird house.”

Zenitsu hushed down as he recalled the house where he and Tanjiro had first encountered Inosuke. “So like a blood demon art? That’s bad. Really bad. Wh-What if- It could be a Demon Moon. Former, current, we don’t know. We can’t let it confuse us. We gotta-“

Inosuke and Zenitsu jerked their heads up at the same time in one single direction. They both felt something. 

Zenitsu dry swallowed. He still had not heard Tanjiro yet but there was definitely something in that direction. “There?”

Inosuke nodded as he felt the changes in the air. “There.”

They both quickly forgot about Uzui and started running again to find Tanjiro.

Three swords had pierced him from his back. The fourth demon laughed from behind him. Tanjiro felt the swords being pulled out swiftly, sending him falling forward with a pained gasp. He staggered about two steps before he jumped away from the shadows. The pain messed with his concentration and he was too slow to avoid a violent attack from the vine whips. It was made worse when his new bleeding injuries became the vines’ targets.

One harsh whip to his chest caused him to slip and-

“ARGHH!” Dozens of small razor-sharp teeth caught him around his waistline and limp arm, cutting his haori in half and trapping his body effectively.

Hazily, Tanjiro saw the vines approaching him. He could only cut so few of the vines as he could only use the full strength of one arm. Tendrils descended quickly upon him and secured themselves around his limbs. He was forced to release his sword when one tendril in particular wrapped too tightly around his wrist, cutting off circulation and numbing his hand. Tanjiro felt himself being lifted from the bloody mouth of the earth demon. Despite the pain slamming his body like waves, he focused his breaths and attempted to close his wounds.

“Alright, alright, calm down everyone. Shall we start the final phase then? I heard we have some stray hunters around,” the dripping demon announced.

“Do they know him?” the doppelganger demon asked.

The dripping demon shrugged. “Probably.”

Tanjiro watched as the face of his comrade slowly morphed into his own scarred face. Even the clothes changed to match his haori and earrings.

The doppelganger smiled at him, looking every bit like Tanjiro himself. And even sounding like him when it cheerfully said, “I’m off then~! I’ll be sure to say hi to them for you.” It left the clearing by the will of the tree-vine demon that made an opening through the tree bark fort.

The earth demon simply said that it would guard the place from intruders.

Meanwhile, the tree-vine demon smiled sweetly, “I’ll just leave one more vine here before I go and have some fun~!” The demon carried itself towards Tanjiro and personally collared him with one of the tendrils. The thin vine did as it was intended and tightened itself, not enough to block his airway but enough for him to start gasping for air.  

Tanjiro could barely take in enough breaths to heal his wounds, much less to even breathe normally. ‘…don’t…panic… You can still breathe… Don’t waste-… a single… breath…’

He lost track of the demons’ conversation as he tried to adjust his breaths. Tanjiro only refocused his attention when the light of the moon started to disappear and all he could see was… something… brown. He recalled seeing all of the dead bodies with their heads covered with it earlier. And the dripping demon suddenly appeared in his mind. The viscous brown liquid… after it was thrown, it hardened upon contact with the grass.

Tanjiro’s heart was gripped with fear when the light slowly disappeared and all he could see was… darkness.

“It’s nothing personal, Kamado Tanjiro,” a voice whispered from everywhere all at once. “You were a formidable opponent. But he wants you to suffer before your final breath.” It was followed by a cruel chorus of laughter.

Tanjiro finally understood when he felt his body being released from all the vines except for the one around his neck, when he could only gasp what little oxygen he had left from the confinement around his head, when his various wounds were still bleeding sluggishly, unable to be stopped because he could barely breathe.

Tanjiro understood… He was going to die.

Chapter Text

“Something’s coming!” Inosuke suddenly said.

Zenitsu kept his ears opened and braced himself. He heard and focused on the incoming being. ‘It’s right there…!’ They jumped over a row of bushes and- both of them stopped abruptly upon seeing who it was.

“Guys!” Tanjiro smiled happily at them.

“…Tanjiro…?” Zenitsu asked in shock.

Tanjiro laughed just like he always did. It was the same laugh, the same expression- “I’m guessing that should have been obvious right? What are you guys doing here, anyway-“

Inosuke pointed one of his blades to Tanjiro.

“…G-Guys…?”

“PIG ASSAULT!” Inosuke charged and swung both his swords.

Tanjiro narrowly deflected the blow with his own sword and shouted in distress when Inosuke’s sharp chipped blade clipped his shoulder. Tanjiro jumped backwards to make some distance between them. “What’s gotten into you guys?!”

“Shut up.” Zenitsu vehemently spat.

Tanjiro glanced at him with a shock and terrified expression. “Z-Zenitsu…”

“I said SHUT UP!” Zenitsu gestured with one hand as he determinedly protested, “You sound nothing like Tanjiro! Stop wearing his skin!”

Tanjiro seemed to look frightened by them, cowering with forlorn eyes, his hands shakily holding his sword. At then suddenly, he was smiling crazily. Tanjiro threw his head back with a hearty laugh, his hand at his face – an act so uncharacteristic of Tanjiro. “WOW! Are all the new hunters this acute with their senses?”

Inosuke’s voice dropped into a dangerous low tone as he pointed one of his swords again at the demon wearing Tanjiro’s face. “Where is Tanjiro, you piece of shit?”

Through the gaps of the fingers still on demon-Tanjiro’s face, Inosuke and Zenitsu saw an ugly sadistic smile. “You’re not that far y’know. You can probably hear him by now, can’t you?”

Instinctively, Zenitsu listened and Inosuke searched using the vibrations around him.

Almost simultaneously, they felt him. They felt Tanjiro in their senses.

Somewhere north of their current position… Insouke could feel a large barrier but there was something inside. Something moving in the air… Inosuke focused and mapped out Tanjiro’s position… He was off the ground, hanging somewhere… struggling…

Meanwhile, Zenitsu focused on the sound that he knew belonged to Tanjiro. He would have been relieved to locate it, but accompanying Tanjiro’s soft unique sound was the overcompensating heartbeats of a weak heart and the small desperate gasps of someone… suffocating.

The demon laughed at their silence, taking it as good news – the death of their main target. “Or maybe he’s already dead-”

The demon’s sentence was cut off, just as its head was in one lightning strike. The fake head of Tanjiro rolled off and morphed back to the typical face of a demon. Its body crumbled into nothing as Zenitsu sheathed his sword.

Zenitsu looked back to Inosuke with fierce closed eyes, “Hurry! We’re losing him!”

The thought of Tanjiro’s fate was enough to send them running again. They took great leaps in the forest, using Tanjiro as a beacon.

Inosuke rallied what he could sense ahead, “There’s something blocking us. Something big!”

In mere seconds, the barrier came into view, a gigantic fortress of rows and rows of thick bark stacked on top of one another.

Zenitsu could not deny he was intimidated. “Can we break through?”

Inosuke riled up both their spirits. “HECK YEAH“

With only their minor experience of fighting side by side against upper moon six, they launched a successive attack – Inosuke dove in first with a series of repetitive slashes, creating the much needed dent for Zenitsu to penetrate with a single thunderclap flash.

Part of the barrier crumbled from their combined assault.

The demon in the sky anxiously moved the dimensions of the Sound Pillar again. None of them were expecting pillars coming so soon. The target wasn’t dead yet. From its current position, the demon had an aerial view of the whole forest. So far, including Kamado Tanjiro, there were four humans in the forest; one pillar and two normal demon hunters.

The demon sighed in relief when he saw the doppelganger demon confronting the two normal hunters. At least it didn’t have to worry about changing targets because the Sound Pillar was vexing to keep up with alone. The problem with the demon’s blood art was that it was limited to only one target at a time. It was already hellish enough when the demon had to keep an eye on the fight in the tree barrier and on the Sound Pillar simultaneously. Kamado Tanjiro was fast.

Suddenly, the demon saw the two hunters take down the doppelganger demon with a single strike. ‘Why… How could that happen?’ Not a single demon slayer had lived upon meeting them in the forest... This was their territory.

The demon wanted to shift the two demon hunters but the Sound Pillar had gotten too close to the tree barrier again so the demon shifted the dimensions of the Sound Pillar instead and promptly lost track of the two demon hunters. The demon shook its fists in anger. Everything could have gone smoothly if Kamado Tanjiro just died already! “Tch. Stupid kid just won’t die! Stupid stupid stupid!”

“My my, what a dirty mouth you have~”

The demon froze. It looked down to see a human girl perched on one of the tall tree branches. A warding mask rested on her hair, slightly to the side – it looked like a fox. She was sitting with her legs dangling in a carefree manner. Her soft expression was coated with false sweetness, the façade reflected in her cold aqua blue eyes. It both contradicted and complimented her pink flowery haori. She smiled at the demon in the sky and looked anything but friendly.

“INOSUKE LOOK OUT!”

Upon entering the clearing, a weird large mouth manifested from the ground, almost engulfing them with its rows of tiny sharp teeth.

“Shit!” Inosuke cursed when he was caught up in the stupid dangling vines after avoiding the mouth demon. “YOU LITTLE SHIT!” He forcibly freed his arms and sliced every single tendril that held him captive.

Zenitsu listened for the mouth demon that seemed to travel underground. He was distracted however when he heard the muffled voice of his friend. Zenitsu’s head snapped upwards and among all the eerily still hanging bodies, one was still moving. The distinct haori, despite how tattered it was, was a dead giveaway. Being this close, Zenitsu could hear the unmistakable dripping sounds of blood. “Tanjiro!”

Inosuke looked to where Zenitsu was looking and felt his anger rise again. He heard laughter from above him and turned to see a green-looking demon. It had white feet but everything above was green and leafy-looking. The demon grinned at him. “Kamado Tanjiro might as well be dead anyway~”

“SHUT IT, YOU DAMN LEEK!”

The demon sputtered, “Did you just call me a ‘leek’?! You’ll pay for that!”

Inosuke avoided all the vines’ whipping motion and promptly grabbed one of the tendrils. He used it to climb with incredible animalistic speed. The demon screeched as Inosuke reached its cocoon, “WHAT ARE YOU?!”

His swords were drawn but just before he could slice the damn vegetable, he felt something flying towards him from behind. He retracted his attack to swerve away from the projectile and landed back on his feet. Although, Zenitsu had quickly pushed him away from where he had landed as the massive snapping mouth almost got them again from beneath.

“I almost had you, shitty leek!”

“Stop calling me a leek!”

Another demon laughed, attracting Inosuke and Zenitsu’s attention. It stood high and mighty, right over the branch that was holding Tanjiro captive by his neck. The demon dripped with fat globs of brown liquid that solidified upon hitting the forest floor, creating the mess that was the forest floor of the clearing.

“What a pleasant surprise! It’s shocking to see anyone here really…” The demon ominously looked up, as though it was angry at the sky. “No matter. You two are of no consequence once Kamado Tanjiro dies.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Inosuke was riled up enough to jump towards the demon, swords drawn and glinting in the moonlight.

“INOSUKE WAIT-!”

Right before Inosuke’s blade connected with the demon’s neck, he was shot with the brown discharge from the demon’s arms, sending him flying across the clearing. There was a horrifying sound of metal piercing flesh when Inosuke landed on the tree barrier that was almost too dark to see clearly.

“GUWAARGH!”

“INOSUKE!”

In his distracted state, Zenitsu was not quick enough to react to the rumbling earth beneath his feet. So, he was viciously caught by the mouth demon, both his feet trapped in the clamps of sharp teeth. His cries were melodious for the demons.

The swords of the fallen demon hunters had all been planted in the shadows of the tree barrier after such attack was proven successful against Kamado Tanjiro. Five swords had pierced the pig head demon hunter and the brown goop would solidify around his body and keep those swords in. Additionally, handicapping the legs of the blonde demon hunter probably saved all of them from an instant death. The demons had collected rumours for these two as well. They were lucky the blonde could only master one technique and needed to perform it in a particular stance.

The dripping demon sighed disappointingly as he gave a disapproving look at both demon hunters. “You guys didn’t even last half the time Kamado Tanjiro did. Speaking of which…” The demon crouched from where he was balanced on the tree branches and reached out to abruptly pull the tendril that was wrapped around Tanjiro’s neck. “This guy really knew how to put on a fight."

Tanjiro’s body spasmed frantically, his fingers clawing at the thing wrapped around his head and his makeshift noose. His legs flailed uselessly.

Zenitsu, who had heard the painful choked cry, cried out with tears in his eyes, “STOP IT!”

The tree-vine demon looked worried for a moment. “Shouldn’t we just kill Kamado Tanjiro for good now?”

“He’s already dying. And so will these two hunters. So-” The dripping demon gestured towards the sky. “We should check on that idiot before we all go claim our reward.” The demon looked down towards the earth demon before he left the clearing. “Join us after you finish bleeding him out.”

The earth demon chuckled, jostling Zenitsu torturously.

It hurt.

His throat was burning. His lungs felt tight. His head was… muddled. He couldn’t think straight.

‘Don’t… lose focus…’

Tanjiro struggled to conserve oxygen because of his injuries. His heart was trying to compensate for all the blood loss.

He could feel the sweat trickling down his back, the numbness of his cold hands, the fatigue from all his battles settling in.

Faces of his friends and beloved sister seemed to appear in front of him. In the loneliness of the darkness, Tanjiro let his tears fall. He may never see them again.

'Idiots.' Inosuke had sensed all the stupid swords before even reaching the place. It was still careless of him to get caught by the stupid mud stuff though. He had shifted his organs just before he was impaled on the stupid swords to avoid fatality.

Zenitsu didn’t look any better with that stupid mouth demon. Actually he looked worse than Inosuke himself. At least all he had to do was break the brown stuff. He grunted and expanded his muscles, exerting all his strength to push against the solidified goop.

Just a little more. He looked up to Tanjiro’s body. Just a little more.

“Ow ow ow ow ow…!” Zenitsu gritted his teeth.

He really couldn’t find an even footing to perform thunderclap flash and stabbing the demon did nothing to deter it. The teeth clamping his legs were still excruciating and wouldn't let up. At least Inosuke was still alive and was actively trying to break from his prison.

Tanjiro was… Tanjiro was…

Zenitsu looked up. His ears were ringing with how badly he was focusing on Tanjiro.

Every heartbeat. Every gasping breath.

They watched him, listened to him. Tanjiro’s legs no longer moved. His hands seemed slow in their movements. The fear grew in the pits of Inosuke and Zenitsu’s stomach. It only heightened their desperation to escape from their captive.

Suddenly, they both froze in place.

Inosuke could feel it in the air, the heat leaving Tanjiro’s body.

Zenitsu heard the gaps increase from one heartbeat to another, until… There wasn’t one. 

Tanjiro’s hands fell limp to his side and his head hung dejectedly.

A rawness was clawing out from their very souls. Something inside them had snapped.

“TANJIRO!!!”

In that moment, nothing else mattered. Nothing else mattered except Tanjiro.

Inosuke burst from the solidified brown liquid with a loud cry and physically extracted himself from the swords that had pierced him.

Meanwhile, Zenitsu wasn’t sure how he had done it but he performed thunderclap flash. He didn’t care what it did to his legs as they were still trapped in the mouth demon when he initiated it. The recoil seemed to have eradicated the mouth demon but Zenitsu couldn’t care less. He just wanted- needed to get to Tanjiro. Zenitsu hastily severed the tendril and branch that held Tanjiro captive. He caught his friend’s body and began falling to the ground.

Their momentum was broken when Inosuke jumped to catch them. They landed in a heap on the forest floor. Tanjiro was immediately positioned on his back and Inosuke was quick to withdraw his sword. He pointed it at Tanjiro’s forehead just as Zenitsu dragged himself to Tanjiro’s body.

Before Zenitsu could caution him, Inosuke swiftly swung his sword downwards. The blade did not even touch the brown surface but the delicate powerful cut through the air was just enough to tear open the thin material that clung so tightly to Tanjiro’s face.

Inosuke immediately pulled the material open and-

Tanjiro gasped weakly but he was breathing again.

From where he sat on Tanjiro’s left, Zenitsu broke down in sobs, clinging to what was left of Tanjiro’s haori. They almost lost him. They almost lost him.

Inosuke took off his mask, revealing his tearful face. “Idiot!” But there was not much heat in them as his voice broke.

There was so much blood. And Tanjiro didn’t seem to have even registered their presence. He was just doing his best to breathe. His skin was so cold and pale. And he was breathing too fast. Zenitsu picked on the injuries first. He took off his own haori and ripped it to pieces of strips. Inosuke followed his lead and began securing all the open wounds he could see, especially the tiny ones that formed a ring around Tanjiro’s torso.

Once secured, Zenitsu said, “He still needs help. You have to get him out of here, go to the Butterfly Estate-“

Inosuke immediately understood the implication when he looked to Zenitsu’s shredded legs. He took two strips of the yellow haori and went to kneel in front of Zenitsu. Inosuke started wrapping the bleeding legs furiously. “Like hell I’m leaving you here.”

While he appreciated it, Zenitsu took one look at Tanjiro and shook his head. “I can’t go with you guys right now! I’m only going to slow you down and Tanjiro’s gonna- gonna-“ Zenitsu couldn’t even say it. He just gestured wildly, hoping it got through, “-if you don’t get him help! And right now, my legs are useless-“

“MINE AREN’T!” Inosuke snapped harshly.

Not waiting to hear more of Zenitsu’s rants, Inosuke turned and stubbornly pulled Zenitsu’s arms around his neck.

“W-Wait-!”

“Hang on.” Inosuke grumbled as he adjusted Zenitsu on his back before carrying Tanjiro in his arms. He didn’t wait any longer and started running out of the hole they had made in the tree barrier.

The distance to the Butterfly Estate seemed shorter than before. But that was perhaps because Inosuke knew exactly which direction to return to. In no time at all, Inosuke and Zenitsu were facing a shocked Aoi at the entrance of the Butterfly Estate.

“GAAAAAAH!!!”

Makomo was still smiling as she pinned the demon’s right foot with a nichirin kunai. It would be the seventh kunai she had used to pin the demon to the large tree. She had promised a quick death if the demon gave her the information she needed. It wasn’t being very cooperative. She had figured out its blood demon art and was using pain to distract it from performing it on her. For a demon, it had a pretty low pain tolerance. Then again, maybe kunai made from nichirin was just that agonizing for demons. It was the newest item from her blacksmith.

Suddenly, someone’s voice cut through Makomo’s thoughts, “Knew I heard a sound coming from here.”

Makomo turned and smiled genuinely, “Uzui-san!”

The demon’s eyes widened with fear at seeing the Sound Pillar.

Uzui smirked at the demon. “I think I’ve been toyed with the whole night!”

Makomo nodded. “You’re not wrong. This demon can move things. It was probably keeping you away from something. I have yet to find out what.”

“I think I already found it. At least 30 bodies of our juniors in a weird clearing. Place was covered with thick tree barks but someone blasted a hole through it.”

Makomo’s momentary silence reflected her anger. “Any survivors?”

“No. But I saw fresh blood. And I think I heard those three running out of the forest just now.”

“Tanjiro is alright, then?”

“Should be, I heard three different heartbeats-“

The demon cut off Uzui, “That’s not possible! KAMADO TANJIRO IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! WE ALREADY HANGED HIM! HE’S DEAD, HE’S DEA-“ The demon was suddenly silenced by a kunai piercing its mouth, pinning its head to the bark. The blade burned. “GUWWARRRGGHH”

Makomo’s cold expression was the only thing the demon could see. Her voice was soft and gentle as she spoke, “I changed my mind. You’ll be begging for death before I’m through with you.”

Shinobu rushed back to the estate when her crow informed her of the boys’ incoming return. She wasn’t surprised Zenitsu and Inosuke were the ones to bring Tanjiro back. They were the earliest to embark to Mori Forest. Following them, only Uzui and possibly some of the successors had entered the forest.

Upon arrival at the estate, a tearful Aoi rushed her to Tanjiro first. They had only just finished cutting up his uniform. She quickly assessed his injuries and instructed the nearby healers to bring her what she needed. His neck was her main priority. She made sure to lower down the swelling in the neck area first before anything else. Aside from that, Tanjiro had so many puncture wounds. If any of them were infected, she would have to treat them fast. Thankfully, Tanjiro seemed to have stopped most of the bleeding using the proper breathing technique so Shinobu was able to perform the treatment much faster without worrying that Tanjiro was going to bleed out.

Throughout the entire time, she was surprised Tanjiro remained conscious. The startling purple bruise marks around Tanjiro’s pale neck, like a damn collar, stirred the ugly repressed emotions Shinobu reserved only for demons.

When she was done with Tanjiro’s treatment, she deemed him in need of rest and sleep. She sedated him but Tanjiro refused to go under, his eyes still bright and aware despite his soft breaths. Shinobu understood then. The adrenaline of a near death experience was something she had seen in many people before. Hypervigilance.

Gently, she soothed Tanjiro’s hair and caressed his forehead lightly. “It’s alright. You’re safe now. You may rest.” She smiled when his eyes flicked to her in recognition. “Sleep, Tanjiro.”

Tanjiro’s eyelids fluttered drowsily before his eyes finally closed and his tense body relaxed on the bed.

Shinobu then moved to her next patient but Inosuke didn’t seem to need her anymore. The other healers were panicking though since he had puncture wounds near his vital organs. Aoi cleared up the fact that Inosuke was capable of temporarily moving his organs which was why they could not find any internal bleeding or ruptured organs. Besides, Inosuke was already asleep, drained from both physical and mental exertion.

Shinobu’s final patient had the most delicate injury. Zenitsu’s insistence on using thunderclap flash while his legs were being clamped by demon teeth almost costed him his legs. Luckily, thanks to the immediate treatment from the healers, permanent damage had been avoided. Shinobu only had to make sure they had dressed his wounds correctly with proper elevation. Zenitsu was the only one out of the boys who was still awake but he was surprisingly quiet and subdued.

“You could have lost functionality in both your feet if the cuts had been any deeper,” she admonished him for his recklessness.

Zenitsu said nothing at first. But then, he spoke, “I could hear him.”

Shinobu looked at him but he was still staring at the ceiling. His eyes were distant, as though he was reminiscing a memory.

“If he wasn’t already bleeding so badly… If his heart wasn’t trying to compensate for all that blood he was losing… Tanjiro would’ve probably lasted longer. He’s used to having little oxygen. He lived in the mountains after all.” Zenitsu’s fists clenched the blanket that covered his body but his voice was hollow, dripping with the hopelessness that must have reflected the situation at the time. “I heard his heart slowing down. The beats were getting… far apart.”

Anger finally flickered in his eyes and laced his words. “I heard him suffocate- Tanjiro’s body was screaming from pain- He couldn’t even see us. He was going to die thinking he was alone- Someone like Tanjiro…!” His expression softened then. “Someone like him should never have to suffer like that.”

Zenitsu finally locked eyes with Shinobu and all she could see was the resolution of a dedicated soldier as he said, “If I could save Tanjiro from that fate… losing my legs would be a small price to pay.”

“My my, it’s not often to see you two at this estate.” Shinobu chuckled softly as she sat down on the engawa facing the butterfly garden. “I believe the instruction was to investigate Mori Forest, no?”

Sabito nodded from where he sat on the edge of the veranda. Giyuu was standing on the garden level beside him. Sabito smiled cordially. “Of course. Makomo already went ahead and I heard the boys were resting here. Figured we’d get the news personally.”

Shinobu inclined her head and began, “Inosuke will recover after two days of rest. His puncture wounds were not severe thanks to his ability to move his organs. Zenitsu took great damage to both his legs. It’s not permanent but he will have noticeable scars. He’ll need a week at least.”

Sabito took it all in quietly. Then he asked, “Tanjiro?”

“He has three puncture wounds on a shoulder, leg and upper torso. There are also superficial wounds around his hips that look similar to stab wounds. It avoided all his organs but several are deep enough and could be prone to infection. He has a few cracked ribs from blunt impact and internal swelling from a suspension strangulation injury. He had been deprived of oxygen for an unknown period of time but seemed cognitive while I was treating him. None of these injuries would incapacitate him if taken individually but collectively, it will be a slow recovery. Nezuko is fully healed though. She just hasn’t awakened yet.”

Shinobu did not miss how her words had slowly affected the twin Water Pillars. They were very protective of their youngest adoptive siblings and Tanjiro had been painted as a target somehow. Tanjiro was the only demon slayer who encountered large groups of demons almost on a daily basis lately and it was starting to take its toll based on the injuries accumulated by both Kamado siblings. Shinobu wouldn’t be surprised if Makomo was already having a go at the demons responsible if she had known what they had done to her brother.

Sabito got up, face smiling politely as he bowed and thanked Shinobu for her care. Giyuu did the same and they both left without another word. Their wrath was carefully hidden but the kakushi who met the twin Water Pillars along the way to Mori Forest knew better than to approach them.

Chapter Text

Uzui would have left Makomo to her own devices after she started tormenting the demon but then she changed tactics and Uzui stayed to observe. It was an open secret among high-ranking demon slayers that the former Water Pillar dealt with mind arts, specifically hypnosis. Sabito was shit at mind arts but Makomo and Giyuu had a great talent for it and had extensively studied the rare technique from Urokodaki. So, Uzui was standing there, watching Makomo gentling the demon, dropping it into a tranquil state. She then convinced the demon to give her what she wanted. The result was fascinating and very fruitful.

“Why have you been targeting Kamado Tanjiro?”

The demon’s voice was even and its eyes were staring at nothing, “He asked us to kill him.”

Makomo knew of the curse Muzan put on his name, so she didn’t ask the demon to clarify on that part. “He asked you specifically?”

“No. He gave the command to all his demons.”

Makomo’s eyes widened. An all-out command to kill Tanjiro? No wonder the Kamado siblings were being ambushed so much lately.

“I see you’ve made progress.”

Makomo wasn’t surprised to hear Sabito approach them. Uzui probably heard him much earlier as well. She didn’t turn to meet Sabito’s eyes but she answered him nonetheless. “Of course. Have you been to see Tanjiro?”

“No. I don’t think Giyuu would be in the right mindset if he saw how bad the outcome was.”

Uzui asked, “Where is Tomioka anyway?”

Sabito smiled innocently. “Hunting. I’ll join him after I’m done exchanging info with Makomo. You’re free to hunt too, though.”

Uzui shrugged and gestured at the demon. “At least now I can search without restarting over and over again.” He left the so-called water siblings and joined the hunt for other demons. He knew he could leave Makomo to deal with the dimension-moving demon in his stead.

Makomo still wasn’t looking at Sabito when she asked, “How is he?”

Sabito spoke in detail and relayed exactly what Shinobu had and hadn’t said. The only indication of Makomo’s rage was the twitching of her fingers. She summarized from Sabito’s explanation, “They were torturing him.”

Surprisingly, it was the demon who responded, “They wanted to see which would kill him first, suffocation or blood loss.” Not deterred by the water siblings’ stare on it, the demon’s loose tongue freely admitted, “It was hard to make him slip. He would have killed us ten times over if I had not interfered. He was fast and always righted himself no matter how many times I changed the dimensions around him.”

Makomo’s smile returned. “That’s impressive. I had thought you could only focus on one target.”

“Yes... If the Sound Pillar hadn’t entered the forest, we probably would have been able to kill Kamado Tanjiro much faster.”

“Probably?”

“…he lasted so long for a human being. Our attacks were coordinated. He should have been dead. We hanged him. We left him bleeding. He should have been dead…” the demon trailed off weakly in disbelief.

Makomo took a step closer to the demon. “Why did you choose to kill Kamado Tanjiro this way instead of perhaps, an instant kill?”

“Because that man wanted Kamado Tanjiro to suffer before the boy died.”

It was quiet for a short moment before soft, gentle hands touched the demon’s face. “I know I promised you a quick death if you gave me the information I wanted but-“ Makomo swiftly planted a kunai to the right of the demon’s neck, and slowly but crudely, dragged it across, purposefully making an uneven cut. “-I hate you too much right now to show you that kind of mercy.” She watched the demon gurgle a scream of pain, its body as though in seizure as it tried to escape from where it was pinned. Its eyes rolled wildly as blood dribbled from its mouth and neck.

The demon’s head eventually rolled off its pinned body, both crumbling in a few seconds.

Ignoring the brutality that Sabito had seen more than he ever needed to, he asked evenly, “How many are we looking for?”

Makomo deftly cleaned her weapons and stowed them back in her pouch. “Tanjiro already killed most of the lower class demons in the forest and Zenitsu killed a demon that could impersonate any living creature. Uzui-san mentioned seeing a crumbling demon at the clearing that seemed to have manifested from the ground. So, you’ll be looking for two demons. One that can control vines and trees. And another that can shoot a solidifying brown liquid. They’re the only ones left who had a hand in… nearly killing Tanjiro.”

With a grateful nod, Sabito patted her shoulder. “Go on to the estate and fuss. I know it makes you feel better.”

Makomo glared at Sabito. She hated that he was right. At least some of her anger had subsided knowing she had killed the demon ultimately responsible for almost killing her brother. “Fine.” She left after Sabito promised that he’d do much worse than she did.

The tree-vine demon felt the exact moment its tendril around Kamado Tanjiro’s neck was broken. They went back to the clearing and saw that the earth demon was dead, leaving behind only a weird gaping hole in the forest floor. The two demon hunters were missing and so was Kamado Tanjiro’s body.

In their panic, they raced to the demon in the sky, only to hear its screams. From afar, they saw a demon hunter wearing a flower haori tormenting their comrade. They would have intervened if it wasn’t for the appearance of the Sound Pillar.

As they retreated, they made more and more close encounters with other pillars. They didn’t plan to fight any more hunters. Their only target was Kamado Tanjiro. All the previous hunters had been their practice dummies. They had killed so many without sounding any alarms, they were certain Kamado Tanjiro would have been just another casualty. In their panicked state, they moved far away from the crime scene but not out of the forest. They had seen this kind of tactic from the demon hunters. Some would go in while some stayed in the perimeters to kill any demons that tried to escape. Other pillars might be waiting for them right at the tree-line. They were trapped.

Eventually the two demons bickered on a tree, its location secluded enough from the clearing with the dead bodies where a demon hunter was directing a bunch of humans to take down the bodies.

“I told you we should have killed him!! Now there’s pillars everywhere! And Kamado Tanjiro is no longer here!”

“He could still be dead!”

The tree-vine demon deadpanned. “We’re the only demons left in this forest. There are four pillars, the butterfly chick and that crazy flower girl! Even if Kamado Tanjiro was dead, we won’t get the credit if we don’t make it out of here alive!”

“…we’ll kill them. We’ll kill the pillars.”

“We only worked well when there were five of us! Our attack only works when there’s five of us-“

“WE’LL MAKE IT WORK!”

A third voice responded, “Oh? How’d you do that?”

The demons froze. They were so far out, practically on the other side of the huge forest. How were they found so soon?

On the opposite tree branch, one of the Water Pillars, the scarred pink-haired one, stood idly, leaning on the bark with his arms crossed. His expression was curious and his stance was relaxed but they knew what they all said about the twin Water Pillars. ‘If you ever see them, run.’

“See Giyuu, you have to actually say something for them to notice you,” said the first Water Pillar to somewhere on his left.

They didn’t know how they had missed it but right there, on the forest floor just beneath them, stood the second twin, his face blank except for the clear hatred and disdain in his eyes.

The demons immediately launched themselves away from their initial position, creating space between them and the twin Water Pillars. The dripping demon shot some of its discharge towards the twin on the forest floor while the tree-vine demon attempted to swiftly wrap the pink-haired twin by manipulating its vines.

Both pillars seemed to disappear upon contact of their projectiles though, as though they had attacked an afterimage instead.

“Don’t worry,” a voice echoed ominously above them, “We’ll give you the same courtesy you gave our brother.”

The demons only managed to comprehend the sentence before an invisible agonizing pain slashed through their bodies from all sides. Over their screams, the voice continued, “We’ll make sure you suffer just like he did before you expire.”

Hearing the diagnostics and actually seeing the aftermath of the attack was more painful than Makomo would like to admit. Sabito was right not to visit Tanjiro before entering Mori Forest. Makomo would have definitely killed every demon on sight. While that would be the main purpose, she wouldn’t have been able to make them hurt the way they had hurt what was theirs.

Tanjiro looked so small on his bed. He was bandaged from his neck to his feet. To her surprise, on the side of the bed was a small Nezuko. She probably chose that size so she could plop on the bed, right beside her sleeping brother. Nezuko must have awakened only to find Tanjiro indisposed for unknown reasons.

Makomo cautiously approached the bed since Nezuko had her back to her. She softly called out as to not startle the younger Kamado, “Nezuko.”

Nezuko turned to her in surprise. The poor child was crying her eyes out, rivulets of tears cascading down her cheeks. Her small hand was clutching Tanjiro’s limp one on the bed. Nezuko had been holding back her sobs, most likely to not disturb her brother.

Makomo came closer and opened her arms. Nezuko seemed hesitant to let go of Tanjiro but eventually relented. She held onto Makomo as she continued crying silently. Makomo sat down on a visitor chair beside Tanjiro’s bed and patted Nezuko’s back as she assured her, “Tanjiro will be alright. He’s strong.”

Nezuko nodded curtly, her tears had subsided a little.

From where she sat, Makomo could see the obvious signs of fever and a fitful sleep. Not to mention the dried blood that was not cleaned properly. While she knew Tanjiro would eventually be cared for since he was well loved by all those in the Butterfly Estate, she also knew that Aoi, Sumi, Kiyo and Naho were busy attending to the ones in Mori Forest.

“Why don’t we make him more comfortable, hmm? I’m sure Tanjiro will appreciate it.”

The distraction was good for Nezuko. She perked at being able to help and hurriedly went to get wash cloths and a basin of water.

Giyuu wondered if they had done enough. He still felt… a boiling rage inside. The two demons were weak compared to so many others. But he could see how five demons could overwhelm Tanjiro, no matter how much they trained him. Sabito had told him about each demon and how they could have coordinated to almost kill Tanjiro. The main source was definitely the dimension demon. Sabito had mentioned the demon admitting that Tanjiro would have killed them ten times over if dimensional displacement was not its blood technique. 

Giyuu had just sheathed his sword when he heard the Flame Pillar greet them.

“Ah! The Water Pillars! Have you-“ Rengoku cut himself off when he saw the absolute bloody massacre that covered the area in front of him. Only Giyuu and Sabito stood in the middle, seemingly unbothered by it all. They also seemed uninjured so it was impossible it was their blood. “Well! Seems like I’m no longer needed here!”

The Sound Pillar was close behind with a familiar boar mask in one hand. Uzui made a loud whistling sound upon close inspection of the messy area. “While I appreciate the flamboyant display… What did you guys do? Butcher them? How many were there?”

“Just two.” Sabito shrugged.

For a moment, Uzui looked over at the bloody scene and then just looked back at the twin Water Pillars with a flat look. Then he remembered Makomo’s demonstration earlier and nodded to himself with his eyebrows raised as though everything made sense. He made a mental note to himself. Never trigger the water siblings. They’re vicious in their revenge.

“But!” Rengoku suddenly voiced out to Giyuu, “How is there so much blood if neither of you are injured? Demon blood vanishes with their body once they die!”

Sabito smirked as Giyuu tilted his head and responded, “Who said they were dead?”

Morning dawned on the forest as the Kakushi brought out the last of the bodies of their fallen comrades. The pillars and other demon hunters left Mori Forest with the echoing screams of two demons behind them as the demons were slowly baked by the rising Sun.

Once Nezuko was put back into her box due to the Sun, Makomo returned to the residence of the Water Pillar. It was, of course, to Sabito and Giyuu actively pinning each other on the training mats, both took turns putting the other in a choke hold to find effective ways to escape from it. They had discarded their haori and upper uniform to ease usage of their arms.

Not one day had passed and they were already planning a new training regime for Tanjiro.

Makomo sighed and fixed the incorrect situational simulation. “He already knows how to defect that hold.” Hand-to-hand combat was one of the basics she had drilled Tanjiro with even before he had completed his training with Urokodaki. She effectively used ropes to replace the vine/tendrils that defeated Tanjiro and proceeded to hang the Water Pillars as she guided them from below.

Of course, the three of them took in consideration that the circumstances for Tanjiro had been different. They were lacking factors like fatigue, blood loss, lack of sight and the lack of oxygen. Still, if a similar situation ever came up, they wanted him to be prepared for it.

Zenitsu woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. Not because he wasn’t tired, because he was. The emotional breakdown from the previous night had drained him. His paranoia also made him in tune to Tanjiro’s sound. He could pick it up above all other sounds. It was the source of him being unable to sleep because it sounded distressed. He wasn’t sure if Tanjiro was awake. He just knew that Tanjiro was not… comfortable or maybe he was having trouble sleeping.

Either way, Zenitsu couldn’t sleep. It was broad daylight, he was bedridden and he couldn’t even sleep.

Inosuke was gone to wherever he went. Aoi had announced that Inosuke was issued bed rest for two days while Tanjiro and Zenitsu were stuck for a week at least. Zenitsu sighed as Tanjiro’s sound exponentially got worst. He fervently wished Tanjiro wasn’t stuck in a private observation room. The closer Tanjiro was, the better Zenitsu could comfort him.

The door to the infirmary was suddenly slammed open and Zenitsu jolted from shock. He sputtered in both annoyance and shock because Inosuke was the one who came walking in and he never used doors, “What are you doing slamming doors open this early in the morning?!”

Inosuke ignored the question as he strode to Zenitsu’s bed and promptly picked him up in his arms.

“Inosuke…! What are you doin- PUT ME DOWN RIGHT N-“ Zenitsu went from whisper-shouting to full out shouting but he was cut off with a strict, “Shut up!”

Surprisingly, Inosuke was gentle as he transported Zenitsu into one of the rooms in the estate. A large futon had already been laid out in it and that was where Inosuke deposited a bewildered Zenitsu. Inosuke worked silently with a scowl and propped a folded blanket under Zenitsu’s feet. Then he got up and left the room but kept the door open.

Inosuke came back a few seconds later and Zenitsu already knew who he had brought with him even before appearing at the door because Tanjiro’s sound had gotten louder and louder. Inosuke laid Tanjiro half on the futon and half on Zenitsu himself. He propped an extra soft cloth under Tanjiro’s head and neck. Then he laid out a large blanket over them and proceeded to crawl into it and nestled himself on Tanjiro’s other side.

Without disturbing the blanket or the sleeping Tanjiro, Inosuke fixed their positions so that he would spoon Tanjiro from behind as Tanjiro slept facing Zenitsu.

When Inosuke was finally done, Zenitsu asked incredulously, “Are you even allowed to move him?”  

Inosuke frowned at Zenitsu. “His bed was too small to share.”

“…”

Nightmares were common for those in their line of work. Tanjiro especially so after he had personally found his massacred family. The nightmares were something they had discovered during their days recuperating together at the houses bearing the wisteria family crest. Tanjiro often mumbled his siblings’ names alongside broken apologies in his sleep. Sometimes, he'd cry softly, his body shaking with soft sobs. It crushed Zenitsu’s heart every time it got that bad. Eventually, they found out that Tanjiro slept better with others around him. Especially those he knew and trusted. Nezuko was not always available to support her brother especially during daylight, so it fell to Inosuke and Zenitsu to soothe Tanjiro in his sleep. It was one of the things Inosuke never questioned and he would voluntarily close the proximity between them when Tanjiro needed to sleep during the day.

Zenitsu looked down at Tanjiro’s slightly shiny forehead. He had a mild fever. And his eyebrows were twitching as his fingers gripped whatever they could find. At that time, it was Zenitsu’s yukata. There were no mumbles but Tanjiro’s face was not at peace.

As Inosuke shuffled closer till he was nuzzling Tanjiro’s head, Zenitsu snaked his arm and held Tanjiro closer in a one-armed hug. He closed his eyes and focused on Tanjiro’s sound. Tanjiro’s body slowly became lax and his breathing evened out. As time ticked away, the fuzzy noises that corrupted Tanjiro’s sound slowly died.

‘Ah…’ Zenitsu thought happily, ‘It’s better now…’

The three of them slept the afternoon away and didn’t awaken until after sunset. Not even Aoi or Shinobu had the heart to move them when Tanjiro was finally in deep sleep and his fever had somehow broke. As night fell and Tanjiro still had not woken up, Zenitsu and Inosuke reluctantly left the futon for meals and a change of clothes. Before they left, Inosuke had lifted the blanket and ushered Nezuko inside it. Nezuko's head popped out of the blanket on the other side and she gave him a thumbs up before she crawled back under Tanjiro’s arm. Inosuke huffed in satisfaction.

When Tanjiro woke up, despite his sister being the one sleeping in his arms, he could feel the phantom scents of his friends and found family. He caught the scent of Makomo, Sabito and Giyuu all around his head where they liked to pat him. Shinobu and the girls’ scent also lingered somewhere in his room. There were also traces of Uzui and Rengoku from somewhere behind him. Perhaps they lingered at the door.

But mostly, he could smell the familiar mixed scents of Zenitsu and Inosuke. He swallowed thickly knowing they had been there with him. He wasn’t alone. He almost felt their ghosting warmth cocooning him the way they always did on lazy afternoons during their recovery days. Tanjiro hugged his sister closer and relished at both of them still being alive. He started to feel sleepy again and didn’t fight it anymore. This time, he knew he was truly safe.