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Chapter Text

"I'm sure even someone like you can appreciate the irony in this situation."

Tanjirou didn't respond to the man - or rather, he couldn't respond because he was a little preoccupied with the excruciating pain coursing through his body. He screamed as he convulsed. It hurt, it hurt more than when he had broken his bone as a child, it hurt more than when the man stabbed his hand through Tanjirou's stomach and rearranged his innards, it hurt it hurt it hurt.

"It's impolite to not respond, you know," the man said conversationally.

Tanjirou let out another agonizing scream, so loud his throat bled. He felt hot, as if he was burning up with a fatal fever. Sweat drenched his entire form. It burned. His mind could barely even form a coherent thought, much less verbalize a response.

"Okay, seriously though," the man frowned. "It shouldn't hurt that badly. Why are you having such an adverse reaction to the demonization process?"

The pain was too much. Tanjirou fell unconscious, the overwhelming pain shutting down his mind.

"... and now he passed out. Of course he did." The man sighed. "Disappointing. This trip was disappointing. To think that his descendants would be reduced to this..." He shrugged. "Oh well."

Humming a cheerful tune, Kibutsuji Muzan stepped out of the small home. He briefly considered burning the home to the ground just for the extra bit of irony, but decided not to in the end. He was a generous man, after all. The boy and his sister, when awoken, would be hungry, and cooked human meat always did taste so terrible.

And they say he wasn't considerate.

XxX

Tanjirou was hungry.

Even before he regained consciousness, his body was already aware of that. He woke up with saliva pooling in his mouth and an overwhelming urge to eat. A delicious smell drifted to his sensitive nose, a smell so rich and sweet it nearly caused him to whimper. It was like a drug, causing everything else to fade from his mind. Only hunger, and the smell, remained.

Where was it coming from? Where was the source of the smell?

Sweeping his gaze around the small, dark room, Tanjirou caught sight of his brothers' mangled, bloodied corpse. His sisters' bodies, ripped to pieces, lay on the ground next to his mother, who was staring into the air with sightless eyes still wide with fear.

The smell was coming from them.

Tanjirou was still for a moment.

Then he took a step forward, his primal instincts taking over. They smelled delicious. He wanted to eat them, to drink their blood and sink his teeth into their soft flesh.

It wasn't until he had already knelt down next to his mother, saliva dripping from his mouth, that he realized his eyes were wet.

Crying? Why was he crying when there was such delicious food in front of him?

Because they're your family.

Tanjirou staggered back as his mind miraculously returned to him. Everything flooded back - the man, the pain, the death of his family.

His eyes went wide as he realized what had just transpired. Had he just tried to eat his own family? His mother, his brothers, his sisters... He nearly threw up at the thought. His hunger still remained, compelling him to devour their bodies, but he refused. He had to control himself. With all his willpower, he suppressed his hunger, pushing it to the back of his mind.

Oh gods. Tears streamed down Tanjirou's face. They were dead. They were dead. Hanako. Shigeru. Takeo. Nezuko. Rokuta. His mother. The man had killed them all, killed the people he loved the most on this earth.

He screamed, a sound of pure agony and sorrow.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I couldn't protect us, I'm sorry I couldn't save us, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" He repeated the words desperately, hoping with all his might that his mother would tell him that it's okay, that his siblings would hug him and reassure him that it's all right. But no. No amount of apologies could bring his family back.

Tanjirou sobbed, scrunching his eyes close in pain, unable to bear the sight of his dead family any longer. "Please," he begged. "Please - "

He froze when he heard the sound of shuffling. He glanced up, looking around the room before gasping out loud. He could've sworn he just saw Nezuko shift slightly. Was his imagination playing cruel tricks on his mind?

Slowly, Nezuko pushed herself to her feet and stood up.

Tanjirou stared at her, not daring to believe his eyes. "N-Nezuko?" he whispered.

Then the dam broke.

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou rushed forward, hugging her tightly. "You're alive. You're - "

He paused as he felt something wet on his shoulder. For a moment he panicked, thinking Nezuko was about to bleed out in his arms, but after pulling back and examining the situation, his heart dropped.

Nezuko was salivating, looking past him and at their family's bodies on the ground. At a closer glance, Tanjirou could see that her appearance had changed slightly. Her eyes were now a vivid pink color, her skin was paler than before, and she had fangs. The tips of her hair had turned red-orange. More importantly... her scent had also changed. She smelled like him. Different. Not necessarily bad, just fundamentally different, as if they were no longer human...

Demons.

Tanjirou absently recalled what the old man had told him. Could it be true?

He was broken out of his thoughts when Nezuko attempted to push past him, presumably in an attempt to eat their family.

Without any hesitation, Tanjirou hugged her again, albeit a hug meant to restrain. Nezuko growled, first trying to push him back, then, when she failed, she began ripping through his skin with her nails while biting down on his shoulder, hard. Tanjirou winced, but this pain was nothing compared to the pain of losing his family. He endured, murmuring soothing words to Nezuko in an attempt to calm her down.

"Please, Nezuko. They're our family. They're our family. Don't eat them. Don't let the hunger control you. Fight it! Don't give in! I know you can. Come back to me."

His words didn't seem to get through to her. She struggled, trying to break free.

"Nezuko, please," Tanjirou whispered desperately. "You're the only family I have left. I..." his voice broke.

"I can't lose you too."

Nezuko abruptly stopped struggling, her entire body tensing up as if some revelation had just struck her before she relaxed completely, going limp in his arms.

Tanjirou slowly pulled back from the hug, careful to keep himself between Nezuko and their family in case she was trying to trick him.

She wasn't. The tears in her eyes told him that much.

"Oh gods... Nezuko," and Tanjirou was hugging her again, comforting her. Even though she was trembling badly, she didn't sob or make any noise.

Was... was she trying to be strong? For him?

Tanjirou himself teared up, emotions suddenly overwhelming his mind as the full reality of their situation hit him. "We'll... we'll figure something out," he promised. "We'll be alright, Nezuko. Don't worry. We'll be alright. I swear it - " he finally registered the blood on her forehead. "Nezuko!" he pulled back and looked at her concernedly. "Are you okay? Is the blood yours? Are you hurt?"

Nezuko didn't respond and slowly, Tanjirou began to realize that something was wrong.

"Nezuko? Talk to me, Nezuko. Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

No response. She just stared at him uncomprehendingly, tears still in her eyes, as if she couldn't fully process his words.

"This... may be a problem."

As much as Tanjirou hated it, he couldn't bury his family just yet. Nezuko was top priority. He had to find out what happened to her, why she seems to have lost all rationality and coherency. He needed to talk to Saburo, the only person who had ever mentioned demons before. The only person who might know what happened to them.

But... demons don't exist. They can't exist. They're just stories told to frighten children. Right?

Tanjirou got a sinking feeling. The same sinking feeling that came along with the realization that even though Nezuko had clawed and bit his skin, it didn't hurt at all. He touched his shoulder just to confirm what he already knew.

His wounds had already healed.

XxX

Hot.

The moment they stepped out the door into the frigid cold, Tanjirou became acutely aware of just how hot he was. He was burning up. It was like a fever, only he had none of the chills and only the heat. It didn't hurt, though.

They began running, Tanjirou practically dragging Nezuko along. He tried to ignore how they were both faster than before, or that even though they were sprinting, they weren't growing tired. There was no point dwelling on it. The hunger was still there, but now that they were away from all the blood, it became easier to control.

Soon, they reached a familiar small cottage. Tanjirou wasted no time, immediately pounding loudly on the door. "Saburo! Are you in there? Saburo! It's Tanjirou and Nezuko! I need your help! Please, I'm sorry for bothering you right now, but open the door - "

The door opened. "What do you want?" Saburo asked blearily, wiping his eyes. "Do you have any idea what time it is-?"

The old man fell silent when he got a good look at them. "Ah. Demons." He hesitated for a moment, eyes flickering back into his house before a look of resignation passed over his face. Then a steely look entered his eyes and he nodded determinedly, as if he made up his mind on something. "Please, if you're going to kill me, do me a favor and exit those disguises. First off all, they're really bad. Borderline laughable. Nobody over the age of three would be fooled by them. Second, I'd rather not gaze upon Tanjirou's face as you eat me alive. I'm pretty fond of the kid, you see."

Tanjirou blinked, unsure of how to respond. "Err..."

"What, were you expecting me to scream and run? Cry a little?" Saburo raised an eyebrow. "I'm much too old to outrun a demon, and I don't have anything in my house that can hurt you two. If I'm going to die, then I'm going to go down with honor - "

"Saburo! It's me, Kamado Tanjirou!" Tanjirou cut in.

Saburo scoffed. "Right. I'm old, not blind."

"No, really! I really am Kamado Tanjirou!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Prove it," Saburo challenged. "Answer my questions correctly."

Tanjirou nodded. Saburo asked him several questions before frowning heavily when Tanjirou answered them all correctly.

"Now do you believe me?"

"There's always the possibility that you tortured the answers out of the kid, or you're possessing him right now - "

"Demon," Tanjirou whispered.

Saburo stared at him cautiously. "Yes. That's... what you are. The claws and fangs are kind of a dead giveaway."

"No, I mean..." Tanjirou shook his head disbelievingly, staggering back. "We're demons. Genuine, man-eating demons. I... I just realized."

His eyes suddenly widened before he quickly bowed. "I'm sorry, Saburo, for waking you up from your sleep. Thank you for your time. Nezuko, let's go."

"Wait," Saburo called confusedly as Tanjirou and Nezuko turned around and began walking away. They paused, looking back at the old man. "Why are you leaving?"

Tanjirou was silent for a moment. Then he spoke in a low, nearly inaudible voice, "We're... hungry. I... don't want to accidentally hurt you."

Saburo stared at him incredulously. Then, when he saw that Tanjirou was being completely sincere, his stare slowly morphed into a look of horrified realization.

"... oh gods. You're actually Tanjirou, aren't you."

Tanjirou nodded wordlessly.

Saburo hesitated for a long moment before he swallowed audibly and said, "Come in. Let's get you warm."

Tanjirou backed away, shaking his head frantically. "I can't! I might accidentally hurt you. I shouldn't have even come here."

"You're restraining yourself right now, aren't you? And besides, you have no intentions to eat me, correct?"

"Well, yes, but - "

Saburo nodded. "That's good enough for me. Come in."

"But - "

"Tanjirou. Trust me."

Tanjirou hesitated before relenting. "Fine. Just... stay far away from us."

XxX

"So you're saying that you two were attacked by a man who turned you both into demons and brutally murdered the rest of your family?" Saburo looked pale.

Tanjirou nodded from where he was sitting.

Saburo grimaced, rubbing his face. "Tanjirou, there are no words in this world that can express how sorry I am." He paused. "For what it's worth, I would hug you, but..." he trailed off meaningfully.

Tanjirou understood, nodding. "It's best if you keep your distance. I - " he choked back a sob.

"I almost ate my mother," he confessed quietly. "She was lying on the ground and she smelled so good and I just wanted to devour her - " he clenched his fists so tightly his sharp claws dug into his skin and drew blood.

"But you didn't." the old man said simply. "You managed to do the impossible and control yourself. Well done, Tanjirou."

"But how? Why am I normal while Nezuko is unable to even speak?"

"Why are you abnormal is the question you should be asking. From what little I know, demons are evil monsters who have no mercy or remorse. Their minds are lost, and they indiscriminately murder and eat humans. You, Tanjirou, are not normal. Nezuko is more like a demon than you are."

They both cast their gazes at Nezuko. She was sitting silently as they talked, blank eyes staring off into the distance. She decidedly did not look like an evil monster who had lost her mind.

"And even she's not normal," Saburo amended.

"How? How are we like this?"

Saburo shrugged. "No idea. Ask the demon hunters."

"The people who kill demons," Tanjirou recalled the story. "Do you think they can help us?"

Saburo shrugged again. "Tanjirou, I've only heard of them in passing. When they saved me from the rampaging demon, I was already unconscious. I don't know anything about them other than that they kill demons..." He paused. "On second thought, you probably shouldn't go anywhere near them."

"But we're peaceful!" Tanjirou protested. "We haven't hurt anyone, and we never will. I'm sure they'll understand if we explained it - "

"Don't!" the old man said harshly. "If you walk up to one and introduce yourself as a demon, expect to be killed on sight. I doubt they have an 'ask questions first, shoot later' policy."

"Fine," Tanjirou said grudgingly. "Do you know how to turn a demon back into a human?"

"I don't. I don't know if it even can be done." Saburo turned away. "I'm sorry, Tanjirou."

A heavy silence descended over them.

"Then I'll find a way," Tanjirou finally said.

The old man frowned. "Excuse me?"

Tanjirou looked at him, determination blazing in his eyes. "If there's no way to turn demons back into humans, then I'll find a way. I'll turn Nezuko back into a human, no matter what," he vowed.

Saburo looked taken aback, but then he nodded. "Then if you're going to do that, I have two pieces of advice for you. One: avoid the sunlight. Demons don't venture out into the daylight for a reason. Two: you have to grow strong."

"Grow strong?" he asked confusedly.

The old man sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "Grow strong because if you don't, then you will die. You can't turn Nezuko back into a human if you're dead."

He gazed into Tanjirou's eyes. "Everyone is against you now. The humans will hate you because you're a demon, and the demons will hate you because you refuse to eat humans and wish to turn back into one. You exist in two worlds. A demon who still lives like a human. You understand me?"

"Y-Yeah," Tanjirou nodded, even as his heart sank at the thought. "I do."

Saburo sighed, lighting his pipe. A thin line of smoke drifted upwards. They sat there in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

"It'll be dawn soon," Saburo said suddenly. "If you need to go anywhere, now is the time, before the sun comes up."

Tanjirou nodded, standing up and bowing low. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

"You're welcome."

Saburo sat there smoking his pipe, watching the Kamado siblings walk towards the door. "Tanjirou," he said. "If you ever find yourself about to kill and devour an innocent human... I hope there will still be enough humanity left in you for you to kill yourself instead."

Nezuko reacted for the first time since meeting him, whirling around and growling at him, baring her fangs. Her entire body had tensed up, and her pupils had dilated into slits.

"Nezuko, it's fine," Tanjirou murmured, placing a calming hand on her shoulder, before saying in a louder voice. "I understand. Saburo, we will never hurt humans. I swear it."

The old man let out a puff of smoke. "I believe you. Good luck, Tanjirou."

XxX

Tanjirou knew it was risky being out in the day, but it was cloudy enough that he wasn't very worried. It was worth the risk.

Five graves. In about an hour, Tanjirou had dug five graves and buried his family. The sorrow and sadness he felt physically hurt, and he struggled to not break down into tears every few minutes. Nezuko watched from inside their house, an impassive expression on her face. Tanjirou's heart broke thinking about how Nezuko may not even recognize their family anymore.

He had just finished praying when a man burst out of nowhere, dropping from the sky, his sword aimed to cut off Tanjirou's head. Tanjirou's eyes widened as he quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding certain death. He jumped back, putting some distance between himself and the man.

"Who are you?" Tanjirou stared at the man with no small amount of fear in his eyes.

The man stared back. Spiky black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Dark blue eyes that contained no traces of mercy. "Why did you bury them?"

"What?"

The man gestured at the five graves. "Why did you bury them? Are you trying to save your meal for later?"

"Wha - No! I buried them because they're my family!"

The man narrowed his eyes. "They're your - " he was cut off when Nezuko charged out the house, her pupils dilated into slits.

"Nezuko, no!" Tanjirou barely managed to stop her, grabbing her arm and holding her back. "You can't! He'll kill you!"

Nezuko growled, straining to break free.

"What do you mean by they're your family?" the man asked calmly, ignoring her.

"They're my family! My mother and brothers and sisters!"

The man tilted his head. "You're a demon. You both are."

"We're not!" Tanjirou paused. "Well, we are, but we've never hurt humans before."

"Do you seriously expect me to believe that?" the man asked dryly.

"It's true, I swear!" Fear shot through Tanjirou when the man took a step forward. "How could we hurt anyone if we just got turned into demons last night?"

The man stopped. "You were a human yesterday?"

Tanjirou nodded, tears welling up in his eyes despite himself. "I was. Me and Nezuko were both humans. And my family... Hanako. Shigeru. Takeo. Rokuta. Mother. They were still all alive. But a man attacked us. He murdered my family, leaving me and Nezuko alive, only..."

"Only you became demons," the man finished, his voice soft. "I see."

Tanjirou brightened. "You do? You believe us?"

"Yes."

Instantly, the man was in front of Tanjirou. Tanjirou froze up against his will, his muscles locking in place. He didn't even see the man move.

"I'll kill you before you lose what shreds of your humanity you still have left."

His blade blurred - and met flesh. Nezuko screamed in pain as the blade sliced through her wrist. However, that slowed the momentum of the blade, allowing Tanjirou to quickly recover his wits and kick the man as hard as he could.

The man grunted, leaping back.

Tanjirou ignored him, however, instead staring at Nezuko's bleeding wrist with wide eyes. It was a stump, her hand having been cut clean off. She had blocked the strike with her own body to protect him.

"NEZUKO!"

A crashing wave of unbridled madness overwhelmed his mind. The world around him faded until only one thought remained, a thought that filled Tanjirou with a rage he had never felt before.

This man just hurt the only family Tanjirou has left.

No. Not just that.

This man is trying to kill the only family Tanjirou has left.

Unacceptable.

Tanjirou roared, and the constant heat within him exploded.

XxX

Tomioka Giyuu eyed the demons warily. He hadn't anticipated the girl blocking his strike with her own arm. In fact, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it.

A demon protecting another by using their own body as a shield? It was unthinkable.

Furthermore, a new demon should be starved and insane, incapable of any rational thought. And yet, that clearly wasn't the case with this boy. He had buried his family's bodies. He recalled his past life, and judging by how the girl had protected him, she probably did too, albeit to a lesser degree.

Even now, with a limb cut off, the girl should've gone berserk. However, she just stood there growling, glaring at him with pink eyes, making no moves to attack.

These two demons were anomalies.

As Giyuu pondered on this, the demon boy roared in rage, an inhuman sound escaping his throat.

Immediately, Giyuu got the sense that something was wrong. It took him only a second to realize what it was.

The snow around the boy had melted.

Wait.

Where was the boy?

His instincts screamed at him, and only years of training saved him. He raised his sword as the boy blurred in front of him, his hand shooting forward to pierce Giyuu's chest, claws glinting dangerously. Giyuu barely managed to block the boy's attack, staggering back from the force of the blow. Simultaneously, he heard several loud cracks.

However, in that single strike, Giyuu already knew. He had won.

While the boy was fast and strong, his movements were rough and unpolished. Now that the element of surprise has been taken away and Giyuu was prepared for his speed, it was impossible for the boy to win. Skill would always reign supreme over brute strength.

On top of that... Judging by the loud cracks Giyuu heard when the boy's hand impacted with his sword, the boy had likely broken several bones in his hand.

An inexperienced, weak, newborn demon. He stood no chance against the Water Pillar.

Or so Giyuu thought.

Incredibly, as Giyuu weaved through attacks, the boy was somehow keeping up with him, snarling all the way. It was almost as if he was reading Giyuu's movements and predicting what he would do next.

The gap in their skill was immeasurable, and yet Giyuu was unable to land a single blow on the boy.

However, the boy couldn't break through Giyuu's flawless defense either. He telegraphed all his attacks, making it a simple matter for Giyuu to counter them effortlessly. It was like fighting a child - which, in a way, was true.

Giyuu jumped back, regarding the demon boy with dull blue eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Then he stopped holding back.

This entire time, he had been trying to kill the boy with the Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After a Drought, an attack that kills the target painlessly. Giyuu didn't use any other Forms out of mercy. After all, he owed this boy. If he had just gotten here half a day faster, he could've saved the boy's family. However it's apparent that the demon wouldn't go down easily, so he has no choice but to utilize the other Forms.

Oh well. There was a reason why the Fifth Form was only supposed to be used when the demon surrenders.

In a burst of speed, he appeared right in front of the boy.

Total Concentration. Water Breathing. Third Form. Flowing Dance.

To his credit, the demon actually managed to react in time, a feat countless demons couldn't even hope to replicate. He snarled, trying to move backwards to get out the range of the swing, but he was too slow, and he knew it.

In the instant before death, the anger and rage vanished completely from the demon's visage. Emotions flickered across his face. Sadness. Sorrow. Regret. Whatever madness had afflicted the demon disappeared entirely, and Giyuu knew instinctively that when the boy's head fell to the ground, he wouldn't die as a demon, but rather a human -

Giyuu's eyes widened slightly.

The sadness and regret clouding the boy's face suddenly cleared up, revealing soft pink eyes that were impossibly kind.

Eyes that reminded him of Sabito.

Warm, gentle eyes that made Giyuu feel like home.

Damn it.

Mere centimeters away from the demon's neck, the sword halted in place.

Giyuu gave a mental sigh. He must be getting soft, because he was seriously considering letting the boy and his sister live.

The concept of sparing demons should be anathema to him, a Pillar. And yet, nothing had ever felt so right before.

"You've never eaten a human?" he asked again, just to be sure.

The boy, who had frozen up, immediately nodded. "We never have, and we never will."

Giyuu regarded him. He saw the sincerity and truth in the boy's gaze.

Sabito. What would you do?

After only a moment of hesitation, Tomioka Giyuu, the current Water Pillar, sheathed his sword.

"What is your name?"

"W-what?" The boy looked lost.

Giyuu paused. "Do you remember your name?"

"T-Tanjirou. Kamado Tanjirou. Wait, aren't you going to kill me?"

"Are you going to hurt another human?"

"Never!"

"Then no." Giyuu walked forward. The boy backed up fearfully before Giyuu's words fully registered in his mind.

"N-no? You're going to let us live?" Hope shone in Tanjirou's gaze.

Giyuu nodded wordlessly before turning to the girl. "Can you speak?"

She growled at him.

"She can't," Tanjirou answered for her. "She's my little sister, Nezuko, but for some reason - " Then he caught sight of Nezuko's wrist and panic flashed across his face. "Her hand! You cut off her hand!"

Giyuu knelt down on the ground and picked up Nezuko's hand, ignoring Tanjirou's yelp. "Here," he offered it to Nezuko.

Nezuko stared at the appendage before looking up at Giyuu.

"It's easier to reattach limbs than fully regenerate it," he explained.

Nezuko hesitated before she tentatively reached out, keeping her eyes on him. He didn't move, so she quickly took her hand and held it to her wrist. It instantly began healing, bones fusing , muscles reattaching, and the skin stitching itself back together. Tanjirou stared with wide eyes.

"I can't leave you here," Giyuu said suddenly.

At the boy's confused look, he elaborated. "If you kill another human, then it will be my fault. I cannot allow you to remain here. But at the same time, I cannot take you with me either. Any other demon slayer would kill you on sight, regardless of whether or not you've hurt a human before."

Except for one, Giyuu remembered. That might work...

"Then what will you do?" The look of fear was back on the boy's face.

Giyuu tilted his head. "I'll have to ask Oyakata-sama," he mumbled to himself. "Perhaps Shinobu would take you in..."

"There's no need."

Instantly, Giyuu whirled to the side, unsheathing his sword in one smooth motion.

An old man stood next to him. White haired tide back in a ponytail that framed milky eyes. A blank, emotionless expression on his face. A strange mark on his forehead. A sheathed sword hung at his hip.

Giyuu hadn't sensed him at all.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

The man looked at him. "Good morning. My name is irrelevant. Just know that I will take in these two siblings."

"Are you a demon slayer?" Giyuu questioned.

"I was," came the short answer. "Not anymore."

Giyuu narrowed his eyes. "Even if I do entrust these two demons to you, how do I know you'll be strong enough to stop them if they go onto a rampage?"

The man regarded him impassively, his entire posture relaxed.

In retrospect, Giyuu shouldn't have blinked. Stare-offs were for amateurs, and dry eyeballs would only hinder him in a fight. However, in the literal blink of the eye, the man had somehow moved right in front of him, his sword held to Giyuu's throat.

"Rest assured," the man murmured. "My skills are more than adequate enough to incapacitate these two."

"I see," Giyuu replied calmly, mentally preparing himself to use Lull just in case this man actually decided to attack. At such a close range, it would be difficult but not impossible to deflect the damage.

The man tilted his head. "Your movements and breathing have changed," he observed. "A defensive form? However, they don't match any existing forms in Breath of Water. A completely original technique, perhaps?"

Giyuu's blood went cold. How? How had this man known?

"No matter. You won't need it." The man slowly lowered his blade, not making any sudden moves. "I apologize for my rudeness. Please, forgive me."

"Who are you?" Giyuu asked again.

"As I have said, my name is irrelevant. I will take care of these two children. I give you my word."

Giyuu hesitated. On one hand, he shouldn't be trusting random strangers he just met. However, this man was clearly a human. And he was strong, far stronger than Giyuu himself. He could handle himself against two newborn demons.

And besides... Giyuu got the feeling that the man wasn't exactly giving him a choice.

"Very well." Giyuu sheathed his own sword. "Then I entrust these two demons to you."

"Thank you," the man responded politely.

Logically, Giyuu knew this was a bad decision. He should at least ask Oyakata-sama first. However...

"Farewell."

He left the two siblings and the ancient man, his intuition and heart telling him that he made the right choice.

XxX

Tanjirou looked at the old man after the demon slayer had left. "T-Thank you for your help," he bowed. "My name is Kamado Tanjirou, and this is my little sister Nezuko."

"I know."

"You do?" Tanjirou asked confusedly. "How? I've never seen you before."

The man regarded him silently. Tanjirou shifted uncomfortably under his milky stare.

"You are a demon, and yet you retain your sense of self," the man finally said, apparently ignoring his question entirely. "The same with your sister. Two demons who swear never to hurt humans..."

He chuckled as a small, nearly imperceptible smile spread across his lips. "You truly are his descendant."

"What?" Tanjirou frowned at the man's cryptic words. The man ignored him again.

"Tell me, Tanjirou. Do you wish to grow strong?" he asked.

Tanjirou thought about how easy it had been for the demon slayer to defeat him. How weak he had been. How he had utterly failed to protect Nezuko. His reply was immediate.

"I do."

The man nodded, as if he had expected the answer. "It will not be an easy path," he warned. "You will face countless obstacles. Demons with more power than you can ever imagine. Humans who will hate you simply for what you are. So tell me, Tanjirou. What are you willing to do?"

Tanjirou stared back at the man, flames of determination roaring to life in his unflinching eyes. "Anything," he promised in an unwavering tone. "For Nezuko, I'll do anything."

The man smiled contentedly. "Good. From this day forth, I shall be your master."

Tanjirou nodded slowly. "Okay... But who are you?"

However, even as Tanjirou asked the question, he already instinctively knew the answer. A forgotten memory that was not his surfaced to his mind. The old man's name was -

"Tsugikuni. Yoriichi Tsugikuni."

XxX

So, umm... I've been told by Master Yoriichi that I should keep a journal. So here it is. Sorry if my handwriting is bad - my arms and wrists and hands hurt. They're trembling so badly, it's like they're leaves in a storm. But this pain in my arms must be nothing compared to what you had to go through when you shielded me from certain death. Don't worry. I'm training now to make sure you'll never have to experience such pain ever again. No matter what.

I'm worried about you, Nezuko. When you couldn't wake up that day, a raw panic filled me and I almost lost control of myself. I already lost our father and mother and brothers and sisters. I couldn't lose you too.

Thankfully, Master Yoriichi assured me that you would be alright. He said something about your body adapting and evolving, and how you needed to conserve energy by sleeping. I don't know why I'm not the same.

I miss you. It hurts, how much I miss you. Come back to me, Nezuko.

XxX

I had dodge training today to sharpen my instincts.

Everything hurts.

I don't think I like dodge training very much.

XxX

Nezuko! You won't believe what I learned today! Did you know that the Dance of the Fire God is actually the Breath of the Sun? I can't believe it!

Since I already know all the movements, all I need to do now is learn how to breathe properly. I wonder what Master Yoriichi meant by that...

XxX

My lungs hurt. My lungs hurt so much. I'm so tired. My body aches all over. I had to breathe into a gigantic gourd and make it explode using my breath alone. It took me such a long time, but I finally managed it.

I'm sorry Nezuko, but it looks like today will be a short entry. I can already feel my eyes slipping shut...

XxX

Wake up. Please just wake up. Wake up, Nezuko. Please.

XxX

I've noticed it before, but Master Yoriichi doesn't smile very often. Or frown. Or show any emotions at all, really.

But even if he doesn't outwardly display any emotion, I can still smell how he feels.

Master Yoriichi is sad. The scent of sadness constantly clings to him. Something devastating must've happened to him for him to feel this way.

But it's fine. Even if Master Yoriichi is sad all the time, I'll be happy for the both of us.

XxX

I did it! I finally landed a single blow on Master Yoriichi! I mean, sure, he had both hands tied behind his back and he was blindfolded and it was just a graze against the fabric of his haori, but I still did it!

Of course, he thoroughly pummeled me afterwards just to ensure I wouldn't get a big head. But I'm still so happy!

XxX

My speed, stamina, and strength have increased so much since I began. I'm strong now, Nezuko. I'm strong enough to protect you.

So please wake up.

I'm begging you.

Wake up.

XxX

I'm about to undergo the Final Test. Master Yoriichi says that if I pass this test, then he will allow me to leave and go search for a cure.

Isn't that wonderful? I can finally go find a way to turn you back into a human again!

I'm a little apprehensive about the Final Test, though. What will he do?

Oh well. No sense in obsessing over the what-ifs. Whatever it is, I'll do my best and succeed.

XxX

Tanjirou entered the clearing with a cheerful smile. "Master Yoriichi!" he greeted. "What is the Final Test-?"

His breath caught in his throat.

Yoriichi was standing in the middle of the clearing, towering trees surrounding him. It was snowing, just like the day Tanjirou and Nezuko were turned into demons. The night air was crisp and fresh, and the moon cast a silver glow over the snow on the ground.

In the moonlight, Tanjirou saw Nezuko laying on the ground behind Yoriichi.

The old man held his sword to her throat.

"Master Yoriichi," Tanjirou said slowly, carefully. "Can you... please not let your blade go anywhere near Nezuko?"

"I didn't teach you everything," Yoriichi said calmly.

Tanjirou froze. "What?"

"There is a Thirteenth Form in the Breath of the Sun. The ultimate Form, the culmination of all my skill and mastery. It is the most powerful attack in existence. With it, defeat is impossible for the user."

"Okay... what does that have to do with Nezuko?" Tanjirou slowly drew his own black blade that Yoriichi had given to him.

"I will only teach the Thirteenth Form to you if Nezuko is dead."

For a moment, Tanjirou thought he was dreaming. Or having a nightmare. However, this was real.

"W-what?" he gasped out.

"Emotional attachments do nothing but make you weak," Yoriichi said in a voice devoid of emotion. "The only way you can truly become strong is if you break the bonds that hold you back."

Tanjirou forced a nervous laugh. "You're joking, right?"

"I'm dead serious." Yoriichi's reply silenced Tanjirou. "If you desire power, if you desire to be the strongest, then you have no choice but to let Nezuko die. With the Thirteenth Form, none will be able to stand up to you. You will gain unparalleled power." He lowered his blade so that it was touching Nezuko's neck. "Just give me the word. I'll make it quick and painless, I promise."

Tanjirou clenched his fists. "Master Yoriichi, please," he begged. "Don't do this. I don't want to learn the Thirteenth Form."

Yoriichi tilted his head. "I don't believe you."

He raised his blade above Nezuko's sleeping body before swinging down -

Tanjirou moved.

He breathed sharply as desperation drove him forward. He moved faster than he ever had before, pushing his body to the absolute limit. In a split second, he entered striking range.

Breath of the Sun, Sixth Form. Burning Sun.

He unleashed a circular slash that deflected Yoriichi's blade, the force knocking him back slightly. Tanjirou immediately pressed the attack, all his concentration devoted on keeping Yoriichi away from Nezuko. Yoriichi was forced backwards from the sheer force of Tanjirou's strikes.

The snow underneath their feet melted from the heat they emitted as shockwaves shook the ground. Tanjirou breathed, shifting seamlessly from form to form, his eyes focused intensely.

Time lost all meaning as they fought. To any onlooker, they would be nothing but a blur of movement. Hundreds of blows were exchanged in the span of a few seconds. Desperation was etched on Tanjirou's face, but also a grim determination. Failure was unacceptable here.

"Why do you continue to fight me?" Yoriichi inquired, tilting his head to the side to dodge a stab. "You are far too weak. You have no hope of ever defeating me."

"I... Don't... Care! I still have to try!" Tanjirou hissed in pain as Yoriichi's blade sliced his stomach, leaving a nasty gash. "I can't just give up and let you kill her!"

"Even if you would gain unmatched power that made you the strongest in the land?" Unlike before, there was a strange, fiery intensity in his eyes that Tanjirou had never seen before.

"Even then! After all, who cares about having unmatched power... if there's nobody left to protect with it?!"

Yoriichi's eyes widened as his movements faltered slightly.

Tanjirou instantly took advantage of the opening and unleashed his attack.

Breath of the Sun, Ninth Form.

The Setting Sun.

A downward slash with a flaming blade that contained all of Tanjirou's strength, his desperation, his willpower, his desire to protect Nezuko. The fastest, most flawless attack he had ever performed.

Yoriichi looked down at the huge diagonal gash on his chest. A fatal blow. Blood slowly stained his clothing.

Tanjirou stared at him, trembling, falling into a defensive stance. Then his eyes widened as he saw something completely unexpected.

Yoriichi was smiling. Not his normal small, barely noticeable smile, but rather a bright beam of joy and happiness.

"Well... done, Tanjirou. You passed my Final Test."

Confusion was clear on Tanjirou's face. "What?"

Yoriichi coughed, flecks of blood falling to the ground "I'm sorry, Tanjirou. It was a selfish test, meant only for my own peace of mind. Putting you through it was cruel. I'm sorry. But I had to be sure. Please, forgive me."

"What do you mean?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I had an older brother once." Yoriichi's eyes glazed over, lost in memories. "I loved him with all my heart. He always said that he wanted to be the strongest samurai in the land, so I decided to follow his dream and become the second strongest samurai."

"Oh." Tanjirou paused before asking, "What happened to him?"

Yoriichi's eyes flashed with pain. "He willingly became a demon and killed countless innocents with the same skills I had taught him. He betrayed me in his own pursuit of power. All he ever wanted was to be the strongest, regardless of the cost. And that was why I gave you this Final Test."

His gaze turned sad. Regretful. "I couldn't permit myself to make the same mistake as before. I could never forgive myself if I taught you my techniques, taught you how to kill, only for you to turn it back on innocent lives. It was selfish and cruel of me. I'm sorry."

Yoriichi smiled widely again. "Tanjirou, when you fight, don't fight for revenge or hatred. It will only consume you. Instead, fight to protect your sister. Fight for Nezuko. Don't ever lose your kindness."

Tanjirou took a hesitant step forward. "Y-Yoriichi."

"Oh, and one more thing. You already know the Thirteenth Form. You knew it all along. Use it to do what I could not all those years ago and kill Kibutsuji Muzan, the man who murdered your family."

Yoriichi coughed again. His kimono was now completely soaked with his blood. "Goodbye, Tanjirou. When I see you and your sister again, I sincerely hope we will meet as humans." He gave one last smile as bright and brilliant as the sun itself. A smile he could never form in life. "I believe in you."

"Master Yoriichi - " Tanjirou took another step forward but then stopped.

He was all alone in the clearing.

Tsukiguni Yoriichi was gone.

For one long moment, Tanjirou didn't say anything as he absorbed Yoriichi's words. Then, softly, he spoke.

"I forgive you."

He was unable to tear his eyes away from the spot where Yoriichi had stood. He had lost yet another person in his life. His dear master - no. Yoriichi was not just his master.

He was family.

Tanjirou knelt down and prayed, closing his eyes.

Then he snapped his eyes back open as he felt a warm, comforting hand on his shoulder. His breath hitched as he whirled around.

His eyes widened before filling with tears once more.

Nezuko was standing there, her head tilted head adorably to the side.

"Nezuko. You're... awake," He breathed in shock, hesitant to make a move.

Nezuko had no such reservations. She reached out with her small arms and drew Tanjirou into a tight hug. In her warm embrace, he let all his worries and concerns melt away, relaxing completely. Tears streamed down his face as he hugged her back tightly, breathing in her comforting, familiar scent.

He was home.

XxX

This will be my last journal entry. I'm writing this as you sleep. In the future, when you're a human again, we can read these together.

Before the Final Test, Master Yoriichi told me to seek out a demon named Tamayo. She's a demon that broke free from Kibutsuji Muzan's control. She'll know how to cure you.

She has to.

We'll leave tomorrow. Traveling will be difficult since we can only travel at night, but we'll manage it. I'm sure we can.

I can't wait until you're a human again!

Chapter Text

Locating Tamayo was difficult, to say the least. Tanjirou had her name, a rough description of her appearance, and that was it. Seeing as how Yoriichi was a spirit and the last time he had seen Tamayo was centuries ago, he wasn't able to give Tanjirou a specific location. Not even a general area to start.

With no better ideas, Tanjirou decided to just wander around from village to village and ask people if they've met Tamayo. It was inefficient and had little hopes of success, but there wasn't anything else he could do.

The task was made even harder by the fact that he and Nezuko couldn't travel during daytime. Fortunately, there were plenty of mountain ranges with convenient caves that they could rest in during the day, so the risk of burning up was pretty much nonexistent.

And during the night - well, they were demons. They didn't develop muscle cramps and didn't have to worry about strained or overworked muscles due to their healing. Their speed and stamina were literally inhuman. They could easily run from one village to another in just an hour or so, giving them plenty of time to question the denizens of said village.

Tanjirou had initially been worried that they would get into trouble because they were demons, but his worries were soon assuaged. The villagers they met were either unobservant and just didn't notice their demonic traits or, if they did detect their fangs and claws, they would just make up plausible explanations in their minds: unusually sharp teeth, a strange disease, weird nail-cutting habits, an odd religion - people believed what they wanted to believe.

Of course, some people gave them wary and even fearful looks. Those were probably people who knew of the existence of demons, and had probably even lost friends and family to them. However, they never acted out. Perhaps if they were given enough time to gather their courage and conviction, they would have, but Tanjirou and Nezuko never stayed at a village longer than a single night.

Luckily, they hadn't encountered a demon slayer yet. That would've been bad.

They did, however, encounter several demons. Demons that were little more than mindless, violent beasts.

Tanjirou killed them all. Beheaded every one with his black Nichirin blade.

Oddly enough, even though Yoriichi had dematerialized after he had been "killed", Tanjirou's black blade still remained. Tanjirou didn't know how it worked - was it a spirit blade? - but he didn't question his good luck. It was sharp, it killed demons, and it would let him slay Kibitsuji Muzan. That was all he cared about.

After about a month of roaming around, searching for Tamayo, and dispatching any demons they met along the way, the two siblings finally reached a city. Not a village, but a genuine city.

It was loud. It was bright. It was crowded.

Nezuko had a calm expression on her face, completely unaffected.

The same couldn't be said for her brother.

Tanjirou twitched every few seconds, staring blankly off into the distance as he suffered the effects of sensory overload.

"I don't like this, Nezuko," he croaked out. "I really don't like this."

Nezuko's only response was to tug him lightly on his hand, as if reminding him of their task.

Tanjirou's gaze sharpened immediately. "You're right. This city is huge. It might take us a few days to search through it all. Let's get started."

Nezuko didn't nod, but her pink eyes did flicker slightly, letting Tanjirou know that she heard and, more importantly, she understood.

Unlike him, Nezuko had never fully regained her sentience. She couldn't talk, and her expression was blank most of the time. However, she still gave small reactions - flickering of eyes, an imperceptible tilt of the head, quiet hums - that told him that she wasn't mindless, far from it. She still possessed some sentience that allowed her to understand him to some degree.

Tanjirou wished she could talk though.

XxX

"Tamayo! Does anyone know Tamayo? She's a beautiful woman with pale violet eyes! Please, I need to find Tamayo! Does anyone know Tamayo?"

Obviously, asking every person he met individually would be way too slow, so he just stood in the middle of the street and shouted at the top of his lungs. It was embarrassing, for sure, and he received quite a lot of strange looks, but he didn't care. He had grown used to it by now.

Nezuko was standing next to him, eyes half closed as if she was about to fall asleep. He didn't blame her. It was boring work.

"Does anyone know Tamayo? I'm looking for Tamayo! She's a beautiful woman with pale violet - "

Tanjirou cut off abruptly as the burning scent of anger drifted up to his nose. Anger directed at him. He whirled around, and even though there was a crowd of people between them, he quickly located the source.

A young boy about his age with pale green hair was glaring at him with lavender eyes. The moment they made eye contact, the boy averted his gaze and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Tanjirou took another sniff.

Demon.

What were the odds that he knew Tamayo?

Low. Minimal. Nearly nonexistent.

But since those were the best odds Tanjirou had ever gotten in the past month, there was not a chance in hell he was going to let the boy slip away.

"Nezuko!"

Instantly, Nezuko was alert, all traces of sleepiness vanishing from her form. Tanjirou sprinted after the demon, pushing aside people with hastily muttered apologies. Nezuko was close behind him.

They had lost sight of the boy, but Tanjirou had already memorized his scent. They navigated their way through streets and alleys, Tanjirou tracking the boy's scent. Desperation and hope fueled his every movement. After a month of searching, did the gods finally smile down on them?

Soon, they exited the commercial district of the city and entered the residential area. It was dark, the only light coming from the moon, and the streets were empty.

Tanjirou continued running, turning several corners before freezing in place. Nezuko halted besides him.

"What...?" he breathed in confusion.

Up ahead was a T-shaped dead end, the street branching off to the left and the right. However, the scent ended there. He slowly made his way forward until he was right in front of the wall. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. There was no mistaking it - the scent trail ended here. But how? There was nothing here but a solid brick wall.

... right?

His expression grew contemplative as he regarded the wall. Then, experimentally, he reached his hand out to touch the wall - and gasped when his hand entered the wall. A secret doorway? He hesitated for only a moment before he strode forward, bracing for the pain of impact. It never came.

Tanjirou walked through the wall and emerged on the other side.

"Nezuko, are you seeing this?" he asked disbelievingly, his eyes wide as he took in the sight. Behind the dead end was a large house with an ornate door with beautiful cherry blossom trees decorating the courtyard.

Nezuko, who had walked in after him, blinked.

Then Tanjirou tensed up. He could smell two distinct scents.

One was the boy from before.

The other was an unknown demon.

Hope blossomed to life within him. Could it be?

"Tamayo!" Tanjirou shouted, abandoning all subtlety. "Is Tamayo there? Please! We're looking for Tamayo!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the door opened and the boy from before stepped out, scowling at him. "There is no Lady Tamayo here," he said brusquely. "I am the only demon living in this house." His eyes narrowed. "Leave before I decide to kill you both for intruding on my territory."

"But - but there's another demon in the house," Tanjirou protested. "I know there is. Please, we mean no harm. We need her help."

The boy glared at him hatefully. "You are testing my patience. There is nobody else here. Leave. Now."

"Please!" Tanjirou pleaded. "If Tamayo is actually there, then we need to see her - "

"Do not refer to her like that, you disrespectful mongrel," the boy snarled. "Address her as Lady Tamayo - No, I take that back. You're not worthy to even utter her name."

Tanjirou stared at him. "So... you do admit that Tamayo is here?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"She's not," the boy said with a straight face. A blatant lie.

"We need to speak to her!" Tanjirou begged. "Please! Master Yoriichi said that she could help!"

The boy scoffed. "Master Yoriichi? Don't insult my intelligence by making up fake names. I know that Kibutsuji Muzan sent you. That being said..." Rage filled his gaze. "You interrupted my precious time with Lady Tamayo. For that, you shall die."

Tanjirou blinked in bewilderment. The demon thought that Kibutsuji Muzan sent him?

Before he could say anything, however, the demon dashed forward, arm reared back in preparation to strike. Tanjirou tensed up slightly and a low threatening hum sounded from Nezuko's throat.

"Yushirou!"

The commanding voice rang out through the clearing, stopping the demon dead in his tracks. Another demon had come out of the house. A beautiful woman with pale violet eyes.

Despite the situation, Tanjirou couldn't help but let a smile of joy spread across his face. They finally did it. After searching through countless villages, they finally found Tamayo. He unconsciously relaxed, relief seeping through his form.

Yushirou whirled around. "Lady Tamayo!" he cried, worry clear in his tone. "It's not safe out here! Please, go back inside."

"Yushirou, it's fine," Tamayo said, stepping out into the courtyard. She regarded Tanjirou with curiosity in her gaze. She seemed to be especially focused on his earrings for some reason. "Who are you, and how do you know the name Yoriichi?"

"I am Kamado Tanjirou, and this is my little sister Kamado Nezuko," Tanjirou introduced, bowing low for a moment before straightening up. Nezuko remained upright, staring at Tamayo impassively. "Master Yoriichi was my teacher. He told me that if I wished to turn Nezuko back into a human, I should seek your help."

"I see." Tamayo narrowed her eyes. "Before anything else, prove to me that you are not under Kibutsuji Muzan's control."

"How?"

"Say his name," she answered simply.

Tanjirou blinked. "What?"

"Say his name," she repeated, an intense look entering her eyes.

"Uhh... Kibutsuji Muzan?" Tanjirou said confusedly.

For a few tense moments, Tamayo just stared at him, as if waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, she visibly relaxed, and even Yushirou's scowl softened a fraction of a degree. "Thank goodness," she murmured. Then she smiled at them. "You said that you wished to turn your little sister back into a human, right? I believe I can help with that. Come in."

Tanjirou beamed at her.

XxX

"You two were turned into demons just two years ago?!"

Tanjirou nodded, unsure of why Tamayo sounded so incredulous. "We were."

They were currently in the most luxurious room Tanjirou had ever set foot in. Tatami mats with intricate designs lined the floor. The candles cast a bright glow over the room, and a painting hung on the wall.

Upon entering the room, Nezuko had promptly laid down on the tatami mats. After a month of sleeping on the hard, uncomfortable ground in caves, Tanjirou couldn't blame her. He still chastised her reluctantly though, but Tamayo was kind enough to assure him that it was fine.

She was kneeling across from him. Yushirou sat next to her, alternating between glaring at the two siblings and gazing upon Tamayo in adoration.

"And yet you say you were trained by Yoriichi Tsugikuni?"

Tanjirou nodded again. "I was."

"That's impossible," Tamayo stated firmly. "The Yoriichi I knew lived nearly four hundred years ago."

Tanjirou blinked uncomprehendingly. Then his eyes widened as her words clicked in his mind. "Four hundred years?!" he blurted out disbelievingly. "Just how old are you, Miss Tamayo?!"

The scent of pure, unadulterated killing intent suddenly filled the room.

"So you have chosen... death."

That was all the warning Tanjirou got before Yushirou leaped at him, fully intent on ripping his head off. In the split second before the Yushirou reached him, several thoughts flashed across his mind. Tamayo was a lady. His mother had always told him that asking a lady her age was a cardinal sin. And he had just asked Tamayo her age.

"Forgive me!" Tanjirou blurred with how fast he moved, bowing down to Tamayo and inadvertently dodging Yushirou's strike. "I didn't mean to ask you your age! It was an accident!"

"That's quite alright," Tamayo reassured before saying in a sharper tone, "Yushirou, there is no need for violence."

"Yes ma'am!" In a flash, Yushirou was kneeling next to her again.

"However, you are correct, Tanjirou," Tamayo told him. "I am more than four hundred years old. Which begs the question: how, exactly, did Yoriichi train you?"

"He was a spirit," Tanjirou explained. "For some reason, his soul had lingered at my family's ancestral home."

Her eyebrows rose. "A spirit?" she mused contemplatively. "I see. That makes sense."

"But ghosts aren't real," Yushirou said, frowning.

Tamayo shook her head. "They are. I've met several before. Restless souls who were unable to move on due to regret or unfinished business in their life. And Yoriichi..." her gaze grew sad. "While he was undoubtedly the strongest being I've ever known, there is no denying that his life was filled with countless regrets."

She looked at Tanjirou. "Did he move on?" she asked softly.

Tanjirou nodded. "He did."

"Good." And she seemed to truly mean it.

They fell into a silence for a moment, Tanjirou laying a hand on his Nichirin blade, the only evidence that Yoriichi had ever existed.

Finally, Tanjirou asked the burning question that had been on his mind all evening. "Miss Tamayo, do you know of a way to turn a demon back into a human?"

"A way to turn a demon back into a human..." Tamayo looked at him with pale violet eyes. "It does exist."

Tanjirou's eyes widened. "You mean you can turn Nezuko back into a human?"

Tamayo shook her head. "At the moment, no." Tanjirou deflated, but perked up at her next words. "Nevertheless, no matter the wound or ailment, there is always a cure or treatment somewhere. I believe that I can discover a cure. However, towards that end, I require your assistance."

"What do you need me to do?"

"To produce such an elixir, I will need two things from you. First, I need samples of your and Nezuko's blood. As I'm sure you're aware, both you and Nezuko are... different." She looked down at Nezuko, who was laying on the floor, her eyes closed. "Nezuko was asleep for two years, and I presume her body underwent changes during that time to make it so that she regains energy from sleep."

"And as for you," she looked back at him, "I understand that you regained your humanity immediately after the demonization process. Such a feat should've been impossible. By studying both of your blood, I hope to unravel the miracle that will be the key to finding a solution."

"The second request is much more difficult to fulfill," she continued. "I will need the blood of demons with high concentrations of Kibutsuji's blood. In other words..."

Tamayo hesitated for a moment before her gaze turned deadly serious. "I need you to hunt down the Twelve Demon Moons."

Tanjirou stared back at her, determination burning in his red eyes. "I'll do it," he promised.

She regarded him, her lavender eyes once again momentarily flickering over to his hanafuda earrings. Then she smiled. "Thank you."

Tanjirou returned her smile with a brilliant one of his own. "If it will help turn Nezuko back into a human, then I'll do anything."

XxX

They were wandering again, only this time, instead of trying to find Tamayo, they were tracking down the Twelve Demon Moons themselves. The elite demons under the direct command of Kibutsuji Muzan himself.

Tamayo had offered to take Nezuko in to keep her safe, but Nezuko had firmly latched onto Tanjirou, her intentions clear. She wasn't going to be separated from him.

Unfortunately, Tamayo didn't know where the Demon Moons were. After all, she was a doctor, not a spymaster. However, she did hear rumors and whispers. And one recent rumor was about Mount Natagumo. The mountain that anyone who entered never left.

The odds of one of the Twelve Demon Moons being there was small. However, if there was even the slightest chance, Tanjirou would take it.

After two nights of travelling, they reached the base of Mount Natagumo. A dense forest surrounded the mountain, and the full moon shone brightly in the dark sky.

Tanjirou gazed up at the gigantic mountain, tensing up slightly.

It smelled bad. A twisted, harsh, ominous scent that irritated his nose.

The rumors were true. There had to be demons on this mountain. Nothing natural could produce a smell like this.

Tanjirou steeled himself, his eyes hardening.

"Nezuko, are you ready?"

Nezuko gave a soft hum in reply from his back. He was giving her a piggyback ride, her face nuzzled into his shoulder. He could easily run full-tilt for hours without getting winded due to his training and breathing. However, since she didn't have as much stamina, he would carry her on his back to conserve her energy. Not to mention how he was faster.

"Then let's go."

They entered the forest, prepared for anything.

And, at the exact same time, on the opposite side of the mountain, three more people entered as well.

XxX

Tsuyuri Kanao didn't feel emotions. She had lost them a long time ago. However, as she stared at her two companions, she couldn't help but feel the phantom flickers of annoyance rise up within her.

Agatsuma Zenitsu. A yellow haired boy that she had met when he was proposing to a girl. Also a snivelling coward that was currently yelling about how he refused to go any further.

Hashibira Inosuke. A shirtless boy wearing a boar's head that they had met inside the Tsuzumi Mansion. He was alternating between taunting Zenitsu and challenging her to a fight.

She ignored them, like she always did. She had been assigned a mission, and she was going to complete it. Without giving them another glance, she walked on ahead, entering the dark forests of Mount Natagumo.

"HEY! KEIKO! ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY FROM ME? HAHAHA! SO ONCE AGAIN YOU ADMIT THAT I, LORD INOSUKE, AM STRONGER THAN YOU!"

Kanao resisted the urge to flip a coin to determine whether or not she should beat him to a bloody pulp.

"Kanao! Don't leave me!" Zenitsu whined. "You're too pretty to die!"

Even as she continued to smile, a silent sigh managed to escape her. Never before had her patience been strained so much.

She missed Shinobu, she really did.

XxX

Tanjirou scrunched up his nose as a particularly irritating scent invaded his nose. The harsh, acrid odor overpowered every other scent, making him unable to sense anything. He was going in completely blind.

Even with his speed, locating the demon might take a while. It was a large mountain, after all, and without his sense of smell, there wasn't really anything he could do other than run around and search for demons.

XxX

"So most of my children are being slaughtered?" Kagaya said with a serene look on his face, absently stroking a kasugai crow. "If that's the case, we might find some Demon Moons there. It seems like I need to send in some of my Pillars. Giyuu. Shinobu."

"As you wish," came the twin replies from further inside.

"If only demons and humans could get along," Kochou Shinobu, the Insect Pillar, smiled. "Don't you agree, Tomioka?"

"Impossible," Tomioka Giyuu, the Water Pilar, responded emotionlessly. "Not so long as demons eat humans."

XxX

With her superior speed, Kanao easily evaded the demon slayers that had tried to stop her from advancing. She could see the threads controlling them. Those threads would lead her straight to the demon.

Her smile didn't even falter when a massive, headless demon leaped down in front of her. It was nothing but a puppet. There was no point in wasting time fighting this.

She breathed, boosting her speed even more. The demon puppet was far too big and slow to catch up to her.

Finally, Kanao arrived at a clearing. A female demon with long white hair sat on top of a large rock. Threads extended from her fingers. She was the puppet master, then. Once Kanao killed her, the demon slayers and demons would stop being controlled.

Total Concentration. Flower Breathing. Fourth Form. Crimson Hanagoromo.

Her sword passed effortlessly through the demon's neck, flower petals fluttering down from her attack. Behind, Kanao heard a loud crash as the gigantic demon puppet collapsed, its strings slack.

Kanao gazed at the disintegrating demon for a moment. Oddly enough, when the demon had seen her, she seemed almost... relieved. And if Kanao hadn't been mistaken, she could've sworn that the demon had opened her arms slightly, as if to welcome her attack. Even now, there were tears in her eyes.

Strange.

Kanao didn't dwell on it, of course. She didn't have the time. There were more demons to be exterminated. More demon slayers to save.

XxX

I... I hate myself more than anything else. I always think about how I have to get my act together already, but in the end I just end up cowering, running away, and sniveling.

Maybe that's why Kanao and Inosuke just left me. They couldn't stand being in the presence of such a pathetic coward any longer.

I want to change. I want to become a competent person too.

But what's the point? There isn't a single soul that has any hope for me. No one that believes I'll be useful to someone. That I'll manage to protect somebody and make them happy for once in my mind. Not even something as simple as that. There's no one with that kind of hope with me.

Except for one person.

Gramps never gave up on me.

He never abandoned me.

He believed in me.

If I die, I don't really think Inosuke and Kanao would care all that much. Sure, they might be a little sad, but they'll move on in just a day or two, and quickly forget all about me.

But Gramps would care.

I don't want to die.

For Gramps' sake...

I can't die.

Even if he's the only person in the world that believes in me...

I can't let him down.

"Thunder Breathing. First Form. Thunderclap and Flash - Sixfold!"

XxX

Tanjirou frowned as he heard the sound of thunder off in the distance. A lightning strike? But he could smell no thunderclouds around...

Oh well. It didn't matter. He still hadn't found any demons yet. Where were they hiding?

XxX

A massive demon crashed down in front of Kanao, roaring into the night sky. Kanao gazed up at him with a serene smile on her face. He was easily double, nearly triple her size, vaguely resembling a spider.

"My... family... Don't hurt... my family..." the demon growled before lunging forward with a speed that belied his size.

Kanao rotated her blade, redirecting the momentum of its punch, deflecting it. His powerful fist crashed into the ground next to her. The rocks exploded from the force sending shrapnel flying everywhere, but Kanao had already leaped onto the demon's hand and ran up the length of his massive arm.

In a split second, she was at head level with the demon. She slashed at his neck, which the demon blocked by crossing his arms.

Her eyes flickered as she saw several openings appear. She capitalized on them immediately, blurring into motion. A demon this strong might have Blood Demon Arts, and she didn't want to give him the opportunity to use them.

Total Concentration. Flower Breathing. Fifth Form. Peonies of Futility.

She unleashed a flurry of attacks that flowed so smoothly together, it seemed to be one single continuous strike.

In just a few seconds, it was over. The demon toppled over, his tendons severed and his head cut clean off.

Throughout it all, Kanao's smile remained on her face.

XxX

" - and I wanted to fight her but she ran off, and this Durara was way too weak to give me a good fight - "

"It's Murata!"

" - but you look really strong! So fight me!" Inosuke yelled, pointing his jagged blades at the man in the mismatched haori.

Giyuu narrowed his blue eyes slightly. "So instead of trying to exterminate demons or even running away in a tactical retreat, you're going around and causing problems for your fellow demon slayers by attacking them?"

"What if I am? I am Lord Inosuke! I am the strongest! What are you going to do about it?"

In response, Giyuu's sword hilt struck Inosuke's temple, knocking him unconscious immediately even through the boar mask.

Giyuu glanced at Murata. "Are you alright?" he asked, his expression returning to an impassive one.

"Y-Yeah," Murata replied, rubbing his sore jaw from where Inosuke had punched him. "Thank you - " he froze as recognition entered his eyes. "Wait, aren't you-?"

"The kakushi will be here shortly," Giyuu interrupted. "They will tend to your wounds."

With that, he turned around and sprinted deeper into the forest, ignoring how the ever-present guilt within him intensified.

Giyuu recognized Murata as well.

He had been in the same Final Selection as him and Sabito.

Damn it. And now he was thinking of Sabito again.

Giyuu quickly suppressed those thoughts. He had a mission to complete.

XxX

Kanao sprinted through the forest, her keen eyesight allowing her to easily detect the imprints and traces left behind by the demons.

As she followed the tracks, she tensed up when she heard a scream. Female.

"I beg of you! Please stop!"

Another scream ripped through the air.

Kanao adjusted her path, running towards the source of the scream, hoping that she wasn't too late.

She emerged in a clearing - and stopped dead in her tracks. A male demon with long grayish-purple hair stood over a female demon kneeling on the ground. There were specks of blood on the ground. The female demon was whimpering, almost crying, while clutching her face in pain. Her body language indicated that she was utterly terrified.

"What are you looking at?" The male demon spoke, gazing at Kanao with cold eyes. "We're not putting on a show, you know. This is a family matter."

Family matter.

Family matter.

Family.

Unbidden memories rose to the surface of her mind. Memories of a time she thought she had already forgotten. And yet, this familiar scene in front of her seemed to drag those memories to light.

Her siblings, beaten and tortured and drowned and killed.

Her parents, abusing them violently without a hint of remorse.

They would agree with this demon in front of her. They would agree that it was a family matter, that she shouldn't interfere, that everything was normal and alright. They would agree that this was how a family should be. Bonds between family members forged with pain and fear.

And yet...

Slowly, she felt something well up within her. Something foreign.

They weren't your family, Kanao. They shared your blood, but that was it. If the bond between family isn't forged with love and care, then it's no bond at all. They were never your true family. We are.

Kochou Kanae's words echoed around in her head, causing the feeling within her to grow in intensity until it almost seemed to burn. Her hands trembled slightly, but not from fear. She didn't know what it was, but it compelled her to move, to do something, to say something.

She breathed in deeply, but that did nothing to calm her suddenly turbulent emotions - emotions she wasn't even aware she still had. What was happening to her-?

Ah.

The emotion she was feeling...

It was anger, wasn't it?

Ever so slowly, she took out an old, familiar coin. She flipped it, watching it spin in the air.

Tails, I speak. Heads, I don't.

The demon stared at her, a slight bit of confusion entering his gaze. However, he didn't do anything, content to observe for now.

It landed tails.

"You are not her true family," Kanao said quietly with a blank smile. "If she is terrified of you, if you cause her pain, if there's no love or affection on her face when she gazes at you, then you are nothing but a counterfeit family. A fake."

A heavy silence descended over the clearing before the air suddenly filled with overwhelming bloodlust.

"R-Rui! Don't listen to her!" the female demon said frantically. "She's lying! You're my little brother! You're my family - "

"Silence." She shut up immediately.

"Hey, you. What was it you just said?" Rui spoke in a quiet yet dangerous tone, his intense gaze piercing into her. The suffocating aura crushed down on her, threatening to deprive her of breath, but she endured, simply smiling at him calmly.

"Let's hear you say it again. Come on." The bloodlust seemed to double in intensity as unbridled rage flashed in the Rui's single visible eye. "Say it, will you?"

With pleasure.

As Kanao opened her mouth, she dimly realized that she hadn't even flipped her coin this time. But strangely, she was fine with that. "You're not her real family," she smiled serenely, her expression as peaceful as a meadow of flowers.

"You're just a fake."

XxX

The acrid odor suddenly cleared up, allowing Tanjirou to smell again. Instantly, he caught the scent of a demon. No, two demons. And -

His eyes widened, horror filling his gaze. A human.

Oh no.

"Nezuko, we're almost there," he muttered.

This smell of overwhelming bloodlust and rage... Not to mention the sheer power...

It was a strong demon. Perhaps even a Demon Moon.

Tanjirou had to go even faster if he wanted to save the human. He increased his speed, practically flying through the forest with how fast he was moving.

Just hold out a little while longer. I'll get there soon.

XxX

"Your death will not be quick or painless. The very opposite, in fact," Rui spoke in an even voice, as if he was merely discussing the weather. "First, I'll carve up your fingers. Then I'll move to your hands and feet. You'll be begging for death by then, I imagine, but I shall not grant you it. After I break your arms and legs, I'll string you up and slowly devour you alive. And I shall savor every bite."

Kanao just smiled at him.

"Of course, I'm a reasonable demon," he continued magnanimously. "If you take back what you just said, then I'll kill you right now. It'll be quick and painless. A merciful death."

Kanao didn't respond, instead continuing to smile at him. Her smile faltered, however, when a new demon slayer strode into the clearing.

"Hey, look at that! A demon that's just the right size," the boy smirked, raising his sword. "Even I can take down a kid like him. Ah, time for a nice promotion and a hefty paycheck."

"Leave," Kanao commanded, inwardly amazed at the sheer foolishness of the boy in front of her. Did he not sense the bloodlust or the danger? "He's too strong for you."

"Shut up! This is my kill! Take this!" The demon slayer charged at Rui, an eager look on his face.

Without even looking at the approaching demon slayer, Rui whipped out his hand, and Kanao saw the glint of threads. She reacted instantly, leaping backwards, but the attack wasn't aimed at her.

The demon slayer's face split into several sections as sharp thin threads cut through his body like a knife through hot butter. He fell to pieces. Literally.

"I see," Rui didn't pay any attention to the boy he just butchered, as if he was insignificant, not even worth the time. "You have chosen your fate, then."

Rui looked down, clutching his left eye, his face obscured in shadows. "You should've just taken the easy way out. Because now..." He looked back up, his hand pushing his hair back to reveal his left eye with the kanji Waning Five inscribed on the pupil. "You'll get to experience the full wrath of a Demon Moon," he said with a crazed smile. "Prepare yourself."

Kanao raised her blade, tensing up slightly, her smile finally fading from her face. The Lower Moon Five... This would be a difficult fight.

For a moment, there was a stillness in the clearing.

Then Rui flung out his hands and threads exploded outwards. To the normal onlooker, they would be invisible, but to her extraordinary eyesight, she could see them as clear as day.

Total Concentration. Flower Breathing. First Form. Fluttering Rose Petal.

Her movements became irregular with her advanced footwork. Rui's eyes flickered back and forth as he attempted to land a hit on her, but it was useless. She was utterly unpredictable, dodging every thread by a hair's breadth, flowing smoothly to dodge his every attack.

In just a few seconds, Kanao crossed the distance between them. She swung her sword, attempting to behead him, but he merely flicked his wrist and she was forced back by the threads that suddenly erupted from the ground in front of her. Her eyes flickered momentarily - and then she sliced through the threads effortlessly before whirling around to evade yet another strike. She used the momentum of the spin to gain even more force, swinging her sword in a graceful arc aimed to take off his head.

Rui created a web of threads to stop her attack - and his eyes widened as she severed the web. Her blade neared his neck, and he raised his forearm reinforced with threads in an attempt to block. Her blade sliced clean through it, but the strike was slowed enough to let Rui leap back several times, getting some distance between them. Kanao tried to follow up, but threads suddenly surrounded her on all sides, and she was forced to disengage.

"You're strong," The Lower Moon said menacingly as his severed limb suspended by threads was pulled back to his bleeding stump, reattaching it. "Just one thing though... you didn't actually think that I was going full out, did you?"

Kanao tensed up as the threads turned crimson from the blood channeled into them. This wasn't good. A demon could easily double or even triple in lethality if they were given the opportunity to utilize their Blood Demon Arts. She didn't take him down in time.

"I've had enough. It's been a while since I've been this pissed off, you know. You damaged my body. You harmed my health." Rui's eyes flashed with uncontrollable fury as the veins on his face and neck bulged. "Such a thing is unforgivable. For that, you must die. Blood Arts. Cutting Thread Rotation!"

A massive circular wall of crimson threads formed in front of him, rotating around the singular point between his red palms. The dense mass of threads hovered in the air for a moment before shooting towards her, dicing everything in its path.

Even as she leaped back, Kanao's mind raced as she tried to think of a way to counter the devastating attack. Cutting through it was out of the question. It was too dense, too durable. The Breath of Flower wasn't suited to brute forcing things. Could she dodge it? Was she fast enough-?

Wait.

She saw an opening. The circular wall had a small weakness. A single section that wasn't as dense as the others. That would be her method of escape.

Kanao ran towards that side, pushing her body beyond its limits, raising her sword and preparing to cut through the weaker area -

"Blood Arts. Cutting Thread Cage."

Kanao's eyes widened as overhead, in the canopy of trees, threads dropped down from where they had hung in wait. Multiple layers of interconnected webs that surrounded her on every side, completely cutting her off. She was caged in with no avenues of escape.

He must've intentionally created the weakness in his wall, she realized, in order to bait her. It had been a trap, and like a fool, she fell for it.

There was no choice left except to make a last-ditch attempt to cut through the dense wall of threads. And that was no choice at all. Even the Breath of Flower's Final Form would be useless here. There was no point in perceiving the world in slow motion if she couldn't do anything about it.

But she still had to try.

She swung her sword, pouring all her strength into the strike, but it was futile. The instant her sword met the threads, it was carved into pieces.

This was the end.

I'm sorry, Kanae -

Kanao's eyes widened in shock as someone blurred in front of her, unleashing several powerful strikes with a blade covered in flames. In the blink of the eye, the threads were severed, practically disintegrating from the attack.

Her savior turned towards her, and she drew in a sharp breath at the sight.

A black-and-green checkered haori. Dark hair. Soft pink eyes filled with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Mutely, she nodded.

"Thank goodness!" He beamed at her, and Kanao was momentarily taken aback by the sheer warmth in his smile, as if she was gazing upon the sun itself. "I'm so relieved. I was scared that I had been too late."

She didn't reply, instead just staring at him with wide lilac eyes. Then she froze as she caught sight of something. Just to be sure, she glanced at his hands as well. There was no mistaking it.

He had fangs and claws.

This boy... was a demon...?

And he saved her?

For the first time in a long while, Kanao felt completely and utterly lost.

XxX

After making sure that the girl wasn't hurt, Tanjirou turned to the demon, who was staring at him incredulously.

"You are a demon!" The demon hissed. "Why are you saving a demon slayer?! Are you out of your mind?"

"I wasn't just going to let you kill her," Tanjirou answered resolutely. Then he actually registered his words, and he blanched slightly. This girl was a demon slayer?

The demon opened his mouth to speak but then paused when Nezuko entered the clearing, stopping next to Tanjirou. He had arrived first, since he was faster than her with his breathing and training. Nezuko cast the girl a single glance before facing the demon alongside him. The demon only seemed to grow even more outraged at her actions.

"Rui, who are those two?" the female demon standing at the very edge of the clearing behind Rui asked. He ignored her.

"The two of you dare stand against me? The Lower Moon Five?!" Rui snarled in rage.

Tanjirou's only response was to raise his black sword, his eyes hardening. "You're a Demon Moon."

"I am, you traitor," Rui seethed. "And if you decide to side with humans, then I will - "

He never got to finish that threat as Tanjirou breathed before vanishing in a blur of speed.

Rui's eyes widened as he attempted to defend. However, Tanjirou cut through all of the threads, and in just a split second, he was in front of Rui. The Lower Moon desperately tried to kill Tanjirou before he could kill him, threads slicing in from all sides, but Tanjirou severed them all effortlessly.

The opening thread.

Rui fell backwards, panic etched on his face.

Breath of the Sun, First Form. Waltz.

Tanjirou slammed his blade into Rui's neck in a single downward slash, cutting through the flesh in a graceful diagonal arc. Rui collapsed to the ground, his head separated from his body.

The Lower Moon Five was defeated.

XxX

Grief.

Even as his small body began to disintegrate, Rui was giving off the scent of overwhelming grief.

Right now, this wasn't the Lower Moon Five, a murderous demon who had killed hundreds of people mercilessly.

Right now, this was just a tragic, hopeless creature. A human, probably just a boy, who was turned into a demon.

And it appeared that now, moments before death, Rui regained his humanity. Tears welled up in his eyes.

Tanjirou didn't hesitate at all. He knelt down and laid a comforting hand on his back, gazing at the demon empathetically with kind, warm eyes. With his other hand, he reached out and held Rui's hand. Neither of them spoke, but tears flowed freely down Rui's face.

He stayed like this until Rui's body disintegrated into ashes and only his clothes remained.

XxX

Hands as warm and gentle as sunlight.

Eyes filled with kindness.

Is... is this what a true family feels like?

"Yes, Rui. It is."

Rui looked up with a gasp.

His mother and father smiled at him, love and affection clear in their gazes.

"And if you've forgotten what family feels like, then we'll just have to show you again," his mother said, kneeling down next to him.

"Even if we have to follow you to the depths of Hell itself," his father said, kneeling down as well.

Rui stared at them with wide eyes, his hair slowly returning to black and his eyes reverting to bright blue. Then he sobbed as guilt and happiness and regret flooded his mind. His parents drew him into a warm embrace, tears appearing in the corners of their eyes as well.

"I'm sorry!" Rui cried. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

And around them, their world burned.

XxX

Tanjirou was silent for a moment before the cat Chachamaru appeared. He used the syringe to collect the blood on the ground before placing it on the wooden box on the cat's back. The cat vanished, its job done.

Then he stood up. The other female demon had already fled in the middle of the fight. Tanjirou walked back to where the girl and Nezuko were and smiled. "Hello! I'm Kamado Tanjirou, and that's my little sister, Kamado Nezuko. It's nice to meet you!"

"Hello," she said quietly. "I'm Tsuyuri Kanao." Then, after a slight pause, "Why did you save me?"

"Because I didn't want you to die," he responded cheerfully.

"So you can eat me yourself?"

"What?!" Tanjirou looked appalled. "No! Of course not! Why would I ever want to do that?"

"You're a demon," she said simply. "You kill and eat people."

"Never!" Tanjirou exclaimed. "Nezuko and I have never hurt or eaten a human before."

Kanao tilted her head. With her eyesight, she could see that he was telling the truth. But that was impossible. Right?

"Are you going to kill me now?" she asked. With her blade carved into pieces, she was completely defenseless. And she wasn't sure if she could take him even if she had her blade. She was at his mercy.

"No! I promise you, we mean no harm," Tanjirou proclaimed sincerely. Then he tensed up as he sensed someone approaching fast.

A new figure burst into the clearing. Tanjirou reacted immediately, blocking a blow meant for his head. He could only thank the gods that Nezuko wasn't targeted. The newcomer skidded to a stop a few meters away from him, then turned around to regard him with dull blue eyes.

"Release her," he commanded. "If you harm her, I - " his eyes widened in shock as recognition entered his gaze. "You!"

Tanjirou frowned in confusion before his eyes widened as well. "You're the demon slayer from that day!" he paused. "I don't think I ever caught your name though."

"Tomioka Giyuu," Giyuu replied, still staring at him in shock. "And you're Kamado Tanjirou..." his gaze shifted over to Nezuko. "And Kamado Nezuko..." His eyes narrowed in rage. "So you two finally showed your true colors, did you? Everyone dead on this mountain - you're responsible for it? It appears I've made a mistake." He raised his blade. "Allow me to rectify it."

"What - no!" Tanjirou raised his hands defensively. "I came here to stop the demon doing that! I even saved Kanao!"

Giyuu looked over at the girl he recognized as Shinobu's Tsuguko. She gave a single nod in confirmation.

"And you haven't harmed a single human?" he asked him, just to be sure.

Tanjirou nodded vehemently. "Not a single one. Nezuko and I are able to regain energy through sleeping."

For a tense moment, Giyuu didn't say anything. Then he lowered his blade. "I see. Forgive me for my outburst."

"It's fine - "

Tanjirou's eyes widened as another figure burst into the clearing. This time, a woman with black hair with dark purple tips, gradient purple eyes, and a smile on her face. She gave off the scent of anger. He hastily deflected another stab aimed at him, and she too came to a graceful stop next to Giyuu, facing away from him.

"Tomioka," she said pleasantly. "Why are you just standing here and not rescuing Kanao?"

"Shinobu," he greeted. "This situation isn't what you think it is - "

"Oh?" Shinobu turned around to look pointedly at Tanjirou and Nezuko. Then at Kanao, who was standing next to them. Then at her broken sword on the ground. She raised an eyebrow. "Then enlighten me, Tomioka. What is this situation?"

He remained silent.

"Oh my," Shinobu raised a hand to her mouth. "You don't know either, do you? So instead of killing those demons to save Kanao, you're just standing here uselessly. Do you really trust those two demons that much? Weren't you the one who told me that demons and humans could never become friends? How should I put this..."

She smiled at him. "This is exactly why nobody likes you, y'know."

There was a long moment of silence.

"I'm not..." Giyuu began, Shinobu and Tanjirou both unconsciously leaning forwards in anticipation of his response. "I'm not disliked by people."

Another silence descended over them.

"Ah, my apologies," Shinobu said. "You have yet to realize what people think of you, huh? That was uncalled for. Please forgive me."

Tanjirou looked over at Giyuu in concern. The older man didn't have the healing factor of demons. Would he be okay...?

"Boy," Shinobu called to him. Tanjirou snapped to attention. "If you don't release the beautiful girl next to you right now, then I'll cut it off," she said sweetly. "Repeatedly."

Both Giyuu and Tanjirou flinched.

"W-what?" Tanjirou gasped.

"Did I stutter?" Shinobu continued, her smile not even faltering. "If you harm even a single hair on Kanao's head, then you'll experience the worst pain imaginable for the rest of your short life."

Nezuko growled at her threateningly, and Giyuu, Shinobu, and Kanao all tensed up.

"Nezuko, calm down. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it," Tanjirou placated with a nervous chuckle. "Kanao, you're, uhh... free to go, I guess."

Kanao stared at him.

"Please go?" He tried again.

Hesitantly, Kanao walked past him, shoulders tense as if she was worried he was going to attack her from behind. She didn't relax until she was next to Shinobu.

"I'm surprised," Shinobu breathed. "You actually didn't do anything..."

"Where's the old man?" Giyuu suddenly asked.

Tanjirou frowned before he understood. "He's gone."

Giyuu's gaze softened minimally. "I see. And I presume he gave you his blade?"

"He did."

"It's a fine blade," Giyuu offered tonelessly. Shinobu looked at him incredulously as if she couldn't believe he was discussing blades with a demon.

"Thank you!" Tanjirou smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you again, Tomioka, and you two as well, Kanao, Shinobu, but we should get going soon," he said, looking at the east. Dawn was approaching.

Shinobu raised her blade, and Tanjirou belated realized that wasn't a normal blade. It had a needle-like tip. And the scent... poison. "Not before I get some answers," she said, the smell of her anger increasing. "Who are you? Why are you here? Why didn't Tomioka immediately kill you two?" The last one, she directed it towards the man in question, who just gazed back emotionlessly.

Tanjirou hesitated, taking a step back. "I'm sorry, but we really should be going now."

Shinobu smiled. "I won't let you."

Chapter Text

As he gazed upon the scene in front of him, Giyuu was struck by a sense of uncertainty that he hadn't felt since he was a child.

Shinobu was smiling at Tanjirou, her blade held at the ready. Meanwhile, Giyuu could see Tanjirou biting his lip nervously, clearly hesitating on what to do.

Giyuu still couldn't believe they were here. The two demons he had spared on that fateful day. He had returned to the snowy mountain where he first met them more than once, but every time, the old man had stopped him from seeing them, promising him that they were being taken care of.

He still remembered just how extraordinary they were. The demon girl who protected the boy without a second thought, blocking an attack aimed at him with her own body. The demon boy whose eyes had been so kind and warm, eyes that had reminded him of Sabito.

And now they were here, on a mountain surrounded by demon slayers. Facing against two Pillars to boot.

Emotions warred agitatedly within him even as his expression remained impassive.

What should he do? Should he help Shinobu? But he didn't want these two demons to die. Yet at the same time, if he betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps and aided these two demons...

"Please let us leave?" Tanjirou asked, a pleading note entering his voice.

"Nope!" Shinobu replied cheerfully.

Giyuu saw the moment Tanjirou realized that he would have no choice but to fight.

He saw the determination appear in the demon's eyes as he steeled himself.

And, most importantly, he saw how Tanjirou had shifted his body so that he was standing in front of Nezuko, shielding her from them.

A boy who wanted nothing but to protect his sister...

At that moment, Tomioka Giyuu made up his mind.

XxX

"Nezuko," Tanjirou said quietly. "When I say run, run. I'll hold them back." Nezuko looked at him, the only sign of emotion being the faint flickering of her pink eyes.

"Oh?" Shinobu smiled. "You're trying to save your sister? How noble of you."

Tanjirou didn't respond, instead gripping his sword tightly.

There was another moment of tense silence.

To Shinobu's surprise, it was Giyuu who broke it.

"Kamado Tanjirou," the Water Pillar spoke, his tone betraying no emotion. He regarded Tanjirou with dull blue eyes. "Go."

Before Shinobu could comprehend what he meant, Tanjirou abruptly exploded into motion. Shinobu tensed up but blinked when Tanjirou merely bowed down.

"Please forgive me!" he yelled, somehow sounding genuinely apologetic. "Thank you, Tomioka!"

Then Tanjirou promptly sheathed his blade, spun around, crouched down to let Nezuko climb onto his back, then ran away without looking back.

Shinobu blinked again, her expression disbelieving. Just for a second though. She regained her composure a moment later, her muscles coiling as she prepared to hunt them down -

When Giyuu grabbed her arm in a vice grip.

A beat.

"Tomioka?" Shinobu said sweetly. "Unhand me so I may capture those two, please."

"I cannot."

"I don't understand. Are you going to let those two demons get away?" Shinobu's smile didn't waver, but something dark appeared in her purple eyes.

"Yes," came the short reply.

Shinobu hummed. "You do know that you're breaking the Demon Slayer Corp rules, aren't you?"

There was a short pause. Then, "I know."

"Very well then," Shinobu nodded. Kanao watched on calmly as the two Pillars remained in their positions for a second.

Then Shinobu moved, whirling around and thrusting her palm into Giyuu's stomach. He grunted as he was forced to let go, and she jumped back to gain some distance. Simultaneously, Kanao exploded into action, taking advantage of the opening to sprint on ahead after the demons with only a broken sword.

Shinobu's smile finally left her face when Giyuu drew his sword and entered a stance.

"You would raise your blade against me?" she asked, and despite her lighthearted tone, she couldn't quite mask the sudden hurt in her voice. Imperceptible to most people, but not him. A pang of guilt shot through him. However...

Giyuu raised his blade, his message clear.

You shall not pass.

"I see," Shinobu smiled at Giyuu. It was a terrifying smile. "Then I'll just have to go through you."

XxX

Tanjirou ran, pushing his demonic body to its very limit, the forest around him but a blur. On his back, Nezuko shifted around to get into a more comfortable position.

Behind him, he could hear the sound of combat - Giyuu was fighting Shinobu so they could escape. Tanjirou needed to thank him later. For now, however, he had to focus on getting away.

Unfortunately, Tanjirou smelled one pursuer chasing after them. It was the girl he had saved - Kanao. Somehow, she was easily keeping up with his pace.

They made it to the base of Mount Natagumo. Thankfully, there was another mountain off in the distance - they could stay the day there. But...

He glanced up at the moon worriedly. Would he have enough time? Dawn was approaching.

Damn it. He had no choice; with demon slayers now swarming the mountain, he couldn't double back lest he risk fighting them. There should be enough time until the sun rises. He began sprinting again, praying that he hadn't miscalculated and doomed Nezuko and himself to a fiery death.

And Kanao was still right on their tracks. He needed to lose her.

After about ten minutes of nonstop running, they arrived at the base of the smaller mountain with the moon still thankfully shining safely in the sky. He quickly located a cave for them to stay in for the day.

That was about the time when Kanao finally caught up to them.

Tanjirou whirled around as she materialized in the clearing, an empty smile on her face. She had only a broken sword with her. Tanjirou eyed it incredulously. She couldn't possibly be planning on fighting him with that?

Apparently, she was planning on doing exactly that because she readied her blade. She didn't say anything though, instead smiling at him.

As the silence grew, Tanjirou only grew more and more uncomfortable. "Umm, I don't want to fight you. Could we - "

He was cut off when Kanao blurred. He hastily drew his blade to block her attack. They exchanged blows, Tanjirou fending off her relentless attacks. Oddly enough, however, her heart didn't seem to be in the strikes; there was no real intensity behind them, as if she was merely going through the motions as a formality. It felt more like a spar than a real fight -

Tanjirou's eyes widened as the first rays of dawn streaked across the landscape.

The sun was rising.

Panic shot through him before he breathed.

Breath of the Sun, Fourth Form. Fake Rainbow.

His footwork pattern changed as he began utilizing high-speed twists and rotations to leave behind afterimages. Kanao's eyes darted around, trying to track him with her extraordinary eyesight. However, the afterimages oscillated and shifted in and out of focus, throwing her off.

For a brief moment, worry flashed through her.

What if she was wrong about him? Was she about to die?

Then there was a sharp pain in the back of her neck. An effective, but nonlethal strike.

Ah, she thought as her vision went dark. So I was right, after all.

XxX

Tanjirou quickly caught Kanao as she collapsed, having fallen unconscious from the edge-hand chop to the nape of her neck. Guilt shot through him but he suppressed it. Daylight was coming. He had no choice.

"Get into the cave! Hurry!" he shouted to Nezuko. She made a noise of assent, swiftly entering the cave.

Tanjirou then glanced at Kanao. For a second, he considered just leaving her lying in the middle of the forest, but he quickly dismissed that idea. His mother would never forgive him if he treated a lady like that. Besides, it would be a scummy move.

But what should he do-?

He winced as his skin began steaming.

There was no time to waste.

He made his decision in a split second, rushing into the cave as the sun slowly rose overhead, Kanao still in his arms.

XxX

Nezuko looked at him.

Then she looked at Kanao, who was lying on the ground, Tanjirou's rolled-up haori serving as a makeshift pillow.

Then she looked back at him.

"I didn't want to leave her unconscious in the middle of the forest," Tanjirou explained.

Nezuko gave a quiet hum of understanding before curling up beside him. He absently stroked her hair, leaning back against the wall of the cave from where he was sitting.

"We did it, Nezuko," he whispered, a smile spreading across his face. "We defeated a Demon Moon. Now we're one step closer to turning you back into a human."

All Tanjirou heard in response was soft, even breathing. Nezuko had already fallen asleep.

He laughed quietly.

"Good night, Nezuko."

XxX

Kanao woke with a start, her eyes snapping open. She was lying on a hard, uneven surface. There was something soft under her head.

Everything came rushing back to her. She had followed the demon - Tanjirou - to a cave, where he had knocked her unconscious when the sun rose. After that, what happened?

Kanao sat up, observing her surroundings. She was in a dim cave, the only source of light coming from the entrance a solid five meters away. Glancing down, she saw that her head had been resting on a rolled-up black-and-green checkered haori. Her sword was nowhere to be seen.

"You're awake."

Kanao snapped her head around to see Tanjirou sitting against the wall of the cave. Nezuko was snuggled against him, fast asleep.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Tanjirou continued, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "But... well, the sun was coming up, so I panicked and knocked you out. I hope you're alright."

Kanao smiled, her pink-lilac eyes emotionless.

After waiting several seconds for her to respond, Tanjirou coughed awkwardly before smiling back, and Kanao was once again taken aback by the sheer kindness and care in his smile. "If I may ask, why did you attack us?"

Kanao continued smiling.

"You weren't fighting for real earlier, weren't you?" Tanjirou pressed. "I could tell by the intensity of your attacks. Why did you hold back?"

Kanao regarded him for a moment with the same empty smile. Then, she reached into her haori and withdrew a single well-worn coin.

"Oh, what's that?" Tanjirou asked enthusiastically, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

She didn't respond, instead flipping the coin into the air.

Tails, I speak. Heads, I don't.

It landed heads.

Something rose up deep within her. It felt similar to the anger she had felt when facing Rui, although of a much lesser degree. Annoyance or irritation, perhaps? She didn't know. Whatever it was, she didn't like the feeling of it. It was unpleasant.

However, the coin had landed heads. And so, she wouldn't speak.

She looked back at Tanjirou and smiled.

Slowly, Tanjirou's smile dimmed as he realized that she wasn't going to respond. "Oh," he said, seeming crestfallen. "I-I'm sorry. I just remembered that I'm a demon and you're - well, a demon slayer."

No, it wasn't that. It was just because she couldn't make choices of her own, so her coin made it for her. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was a demon.

"I'll stop bothering you," Tanjirou said, his smile becoming sad. "You may leave if you want. I won't keep you here. Just... please, I beg of you, don't bring back the demon slayers." The sun was still out, meaning that he couldn't escape.

She wouldn't do that. He had saved her, after all. It may be against the Corps rules, but...

I truly believe that someday, there will be a demon who has never harmed a human. And if I ever meet such a demon, I will gladly give them my cherished love until I die, for demons are tragic, hopeless creatures. Peace will come one day, Kanao, and when it does, we must be prepared to accept it with open arms.

When given the option between following Corps rules or fulfilling Kanae's dream... The choice was clear.

So there was no reason for his smile to look so sad. No reason at all.

Tanjirou let out a heavy sigh. "You may not believe me," he said, his tone dejected, "but I was telling the truth when I said that we had never hurt a human before. I swear."

She knew that he had been telling the truth. Her supernatural eyesight had confirmed that - his body language and expression had been entirely sincere. Sure, at first she hadn't fully believed it, but after he had used non-lethal measures and she woke up unharmed, she knew that he was being genuine.

So why... why was his smile disappearing?

"But... I'm a demon now," Tanjirou's gaze was downcast, and Kanao felt a pang of something shoot through her when she saw his smile completely disappear. She... She didn't like this feeling. "I understand why you wouldn't trust me - "

"I believe you."

The words escaped her before she realized it.

Tanjirou glanced upward sharply, hope suddenly entering his eyes. "You do?!"

Kanao nodded, still not believing that she had spoken. "I have good eyesight. I know you weren't lying."

Tanjirou beamed at her, exuding pure relief and happiness, and the unpleasant feeling within Kanao instantly vanished. "I'm glad!" Then he tilted his head. "Wait, so why did you attack us earlier?"

"... orders."

"Oh," Tanjirou paused before asking, "Did you want to attack us?"

Kanao was silent.

Tanjirou smiled. "I see. Thank you."

Kanao didn't respond, but her smile did seem slightly more natural. She stood up. "I need to go now," she said softly.

Tanjirou nodded. "Alright. Stay safe. It was nice meeting you!"

Kanao inclined her head before making her way out of the cave. At the entrance, she paused for a moment, turning back slightly to look at him.

"Once I catch up to my comrades, the sun will have already set. You'll have more than enough time to escape."

Tanjirou's eyes widened before his smile widened. "Thank you," he said. "Bye Kanao!"

Several foreign emotions flickered across her eyes.

"Farewell."

With that, she exited the cave and began returning home.

It wasn't until she was leaping from tree to tree to get back to the Butterfly Estate when a realization hit her.

Kanao had just disobeyed the coin.

But strangely enough? She was perfectly fine with that.

XxX

True enough, Kanao kept her word. By the time night fell, not a single demon slayer had come, to Tanjirou's immense relief. Then he felt guilt for doubting her.

Even though they had killed Rui, there were still more Demon Moons to hunt. As such, Tanjirou and Nezuko prepared to start roaming again.

XxX

Unfortunately, for the next few weeks, luck was not on their side. Aside from a few demons that Tanjirou dispatched with ease, they didn't meet any of the Demon Moons whatsoever.

Then, three weeks after the events on Mount Natagumo, they finally found someone.

They didn't meet a Demon Moon, though.

Instead, they met Kibutsuji Muzan himself.

Needless to say, things did not go well.

XxX

It had all started with a smell.

They had just arrived at a city and were asking the local populace if there was anything suspicious happening recently, any missing persons, and so on, when a familiar scent entered Tanjirou's nose.

He immediately froze up in shock before his breathing became shallow and irregular, nearly hyperventilating.

Tanjirou knew that smell. He would never forget that smell as long as he lived. The smell of that man.

Nezuko looked at him curiously.

"H-He's here," Tanjirou whispered, his hands shaking. "Kibutsuji Muzan."

A growl escaped Nezuko as veins bulged on her face, her pupil dilating into slits. Tanjirou probably looked the same, judging by the wary looks the passing-by pedestrians were giving them. He didn't care.

They broke into a sprint, Tanjirou tracking the scent. Adrenaline pumped through his body and his heart was hammering so hard it felt like it would break out of his chest.

After several turns and corners, the two siblings found themselves in a dark, secluded alleyway. Standing in it was a man with unnaturally pale skin. He wore an embroidered black tuxedo and had on a white fedora with a red ribbon. And that face... The cruel red eyes that had haunted many of Tanjirou's nightmares...

There was no doubt about it. This was Kibutsuji Muzan.

Tanjirou's vision became tunneled as he stared at Kibutsuji, his internal temperature rising rapidly.

Kibutsuji didn't appear to have noticed them yet. He was currently holding up a human by the throat, and Tanjirou realized with a start that Kibutsuji's fingers were digging into the man's throat.

Before Tanjirou could say anything, the man began screaming, thrashing around in pain before stilling. Kibutsuji dropped him and the man landed in a heap on the ground. Dead. Tanjirou's heart squeezed painfully as the anger within him grew.

Beside him, Nezuko growled, her claws lengthening. The sound drew Kibutsuji's attention. He turned toward them, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh? Two demons?" he spoke, a hint of confusion creeping into his deep voice. "Why didn't I sense you...?"

"Kibutsuji Muzan," Tanjirou growled.

Kibutsuji's eyes flashed when Tanjirou said his name. "You dare?" he seethed before freezing when he caught sight of Tanjirou's hanafuda earrings. Recognition entered his gaze. "You're that kid." His gaze shifted over to Nezuko. "And you... You two were his descendants - "

Tanjirou breathed, the heat that had been building up within him detonating. The scar on Tanjirou's head darkened - the Demon Slayer Mark. Tanjirou had awakened it after a particularly brutal training session with Yoriichi.

Simultaneously, a strange calm settled over him as the world became slower - or rather, his perception of the world became many times faster. He had only ever entered this state twice before, once when he had fought Giyuu all those years ago on that snowy mountain and once when he had fought Yoriichi during the final test.

Transparent World.

Kibutsuji's form flickered before Tanjirou saw his muscles and bones and blood flow and - was that seven hearts and five brains?!

No matter. Tanjirou just had to destroy them all then.

Breath of the Sun, Seventh Form. Sunflower Lance.

Flames erupted along the edge of his sword as he blurred forward, crossing the distance in a blink of the eye. Kibutsuji's eyes widened in shock as Tanjirou's sword pierced through one of his hearts, blood splattering outward. "What-?! That blade," he breathed disbelievingly, looking down at the black Nichirin blade. "It's his."

His blade still implanted in Kibutsuji's chest, Tanjirou slashed outward, tearing through flesh with ease. Kibutsuji coughed out blood. Continuing the slash, he rotated in place, spinning around and redirecting the momentum of his blade to cut into Kibutsuji's neck.

Flesh burst out of Kibutsuji's side, a massive appendage twice the size of Tanjirou's body that blocked his strike. At the same time, barbed whips exploded out Kibutsuji's midsection, streaking towards Tanjirou.

Breath of the Sun, Second Form. Clear Blue Sky.

Tanjirou spun vertically, slicing in a circular arc perpendicular to the ground that severed all the whips. He landed in a low crouch before spiraling into the air.

Breath of the Sun, Tenth Form. Beneficent Radiance.

Flames whirled around them in a raging inferno as Tanjirou unleashed a powerful slash that was blocked by even more flesh that surged outward.

Suddenly, Tanjirou saw with his Transparent World that Kibutsuji's torso and upper body morphed into a gigantic beastly mouth. He barely had enough time to brace himself before a piercing scream slammed into him, the force of the shockwave damaging several of his internal organs and causing his entire body to lock up.

Tanjirou coughed out blood as he struggled to regain his bearings. Fortunately, instead of taking advantage of the opening, Kibutsuji turned around and fled with astounding speed, disappearing into the darkness.

Was - was he running away?

"Come back, you coward!" Tanjirou screamed. Kibutsuji cast a murderous glance over his shoulder before snapping his fingers.

Two demons materialized in front of Tanjirou - a girl holding temari balls and a man with closed eyes. They blocked Tanjirou's path. The girl smirked and began to say something.

Breath of the Sun, Fifth Form. Fire Chariot.

Tanjirou didn't even spare them a glance, leaping into the air and cutting them all down in a single burning strike. Their heads dropped to the ground and their bodies began disintegrating as Tanjirou rushed past them, chasing after Kibutsuji.

He burst out of the alleyway - and he drew in a horror-filled breath.

People were turning into demons on the street, small wounds on their necks. He saw Kibutsuji running away, disappearing into the crowd of panicking people.

Tanjirou gritted his teeth. If he got distracted now, then Kibutsuji would get away. However, it wasn't like he could leave these people either.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!

"KIBUTSUJI MUZAN!" Tanjirou roared. "I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY! NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO!"

Demons fell to the ground as Tanjirou dashed around the street, a veritable inferno of flames surrounding him.

"YOU WON'T EVER GET AWAY FROM ME! I'LL FOLLOW YOU TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL ITSELF, AND MY BLADE WILL CLAIM YOUR HEAD!"

He was just a blur of movement by this point, but even as he cut down the horde of demons, his eyes were solely focused on Kibutsuji's retreating form. The Demon King was almost out of sight now. Anger coursed through Tanjirou's veins.

"FOR AS LONG AS I BREATHE, I WON'T EVER FORGIVE YOU!"

With that, the final demon fell. Tanjirou breathed heavily, his Demon Slayer Mark and Transparent World disappearing. He briefly contemplated following Kibutsuji's scent, but that would only result in more people being forcibly turned into demons. He couldn't allow that.

Thank the gods nobody else had been hurt; he'd managed to protect all the humans from the rampaging demons. But as for the demons themselves...

"Damn it," he whispered one last time, clenching his fists so hard his claws drew blood. A tear slowly trickled down his cheek, of sadness and rage and frustration and bitterness.

Nezuko ran up next to him. She took one look at him before reaching out and hugging him tightly. Tanjirou buried his face into her hair, his entire body shaking like a leaf. He stayed like that for several moments.

Finally, he pulled away, wiping furiously at his eyes.

"Let's go. We need to leave before the police come."

Nezuko gave a hum of understanding. Together, they ran away, leaving behind nothing but piles of ash.

XxX

Fear.

Pure, unadulterated fear coursed through Kibutsuji Muzan's body. His entire body trembled and his pupils dilated in and out.

What the hell was that? What in the utter hell was that?

Even though he was a demon, the boy was able to resist Kibutsuji's control and even break free of his curse.

And, more importantly...

Just like that man, the boy knew the Breath of the Sun. Just like that man, he had a mark on his forehead. Just like that man, he had no battle presence whatsoever. And those hanafuda earrings and that black Nichirin blade... Those were the exact same.

The memory of Yoriichi Tsugikuni looming over him flashed through his mind, sending a fresh wave of primal terror cascading throughout his body.

Kibutsuji took several deep breaths. Slowly, he calmed down, rational thought returning. The boy was weak. Compared to that man, it wasn't even a contest. Kibutsuji could've easily defeated him if the irrational fear hadn't consumed his mind. The boy wasn't a threat to him. Not at all.

However...

That boy still irritated the living hell out of him.

He made his next decision instantly without a hint of hesitation.

For the first time in centuries, Kibutsuji Muzan summoned the six Upper Demon Moons.

XxX

He hadn't been strong enough.

Fundamentally, he knew that it made sense. Kibutsuji was literally centuries old with far more battle experience than him. He had evaded the Demon Slayer Corps since it had been founded and had slaughtered countless skilled demon slayers. He wasn't the Demon King for nothing.

And yet...

It still hurt.

Knowing that he was too weak, knowing that he wasn't able to avenge his family, knowing that the only reason he hadn't died was because Kibutsuji was apparently a coward...

Tanjirou took a deep, calming breath, counted to ten, then released it.

Well, there was no point in wallowing in self-pity. He needed to work hard, harder than he had ever worked before.

If the gap between him and Kibutsuji was immeasurably wide...

Then he would just have to close it.

Drawing his blade, he prepared to train once more.

A sound drew his attention. He turned around to see Nezuko there.

"Huh? What is it, Nezuko?"

Nezuko's claws sharpened and veins pulsed to life on her face.

Tanjirou frowned momentarily in confusion before understanding dawned. "You want to train too?" he asked.

Nezuko made a noise of agreement, her typically impassive eyes aflame with determination.

And Tanjirou remembered. He wasn't the only one who had suffered at the hands of Kibutsuji Muzan. Nezuko had been there too, and she was probably just as furious as him, if not even more so.

"You're right. I'm sorry. During that battle, I completely forgot about you - I just rushed at Kibutsuji Muzan without thinking."

Tanjirou smiled, an identical look of determination appearing in his eyes.

"Next time, we'll defeat him together."

XxX

And so they trained. They stopped roaming around - it was unlikely for them to just randomly run into a Demon Moon anyway.

Until one night, the cat Chachamaru appeared in front of them, a letter on its back.

Tanjirou brightened at the sight. Tamayo had probably sent them more information.

Under the moonlight, he scanned the letter - and froze in horrified shock at what he read.

Oh no. This... this was bad.

"Change of plans, Nezuko," he muttered. "We need to get to the Ubuyashiki Estate. Now."

Nezuko tilted her head questioningly.

Tanjirou looked up from the letter, his face pale.

"Tomioka Giyuu is about to be executed by the Demon Slayer Corps. And it's all because of us."

Chapter Text

Approximately a month ago.

"Tomioka Giyuu, do you have anything to say in your defense?" Kagaya asked. For once, his serene smile wasn't on his face; instead, he was frowning, imploring Giyuu with sightless eyes to say something, anything.

Giyuu remained silent as he knelt before him.

"Nothing to say?" Shinazugawa Sanemi, the Wind Pillar, snarled. "You filthy demon-loving traitor. I say we make an example out of him. Behead him in front of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"Oh ho! A public execution?" Uzui Tengen, the Sound Pillar, perked up. "That sounds grandiose indeed. In that case, I'll be glad to be the one to decapitate him with grandeur. I will show you the most beautiful blood splashes the world has ever seen. I'm talking max grandeur here."

"Whoever is the one to do it, they must give it their all!" Rengoku Kyojurou, the Flame Pillar, proclaimed determinedly. "Make sure it is a death that will be remembered!"

"Umm..." Kanroji Mitsuri, the Love Pillar, spoke up hesitantly. "We don't... have to kill Tomioka... right? Can't we just punish him a little?"

Iguro Obanai, the Serpent Pillar, appeared to be conflicted between agreeing with her and arguing against her. Thankfully, Sanemi spoke up for him.

"Huh? Of course we have to kill this bastard!" he shouted. "Not only did he let two demons live, but he also attacked a fellow Pillar!" He gestured at Shinobu, who had bandages wrapped around her left arm. "There has never been a more blatant violation of the code before in all of history!"

Shinobu's face was uncharacteristically blank as she answered. "It was just a scratch," she said. "I made sure his injuries were a lot worse than mine."

Indeed, Giyuu had bandages wrapped around his torso, shoulder, and right leg. He had been holding back in the fight; his only purpose had been to stall.

Now that had been awkward - after Giyuu had surrendered the fight once the two demons were too far away to chase, Shinobu had still bandaged him up, emitting a menacing aura the entire time. Of course, she did rub some poison into his wounds so they would sting like crazy, but it was just an honest accident.

To Obanai's objections, Giyuu was also unrestrained since he had come without resisting.

Tokitou Muichirou, the Mist Pillar, vacantly gazed up at the sky. Those clouds look pretty...

"The poor soul," Himejima Gyomei, the Stone Pillar, murmured as tears ran down his face. "I never thought Tomioka would descend upon the path of darkness. Let us put him out of his misery before he falls even further. Namu Amida Butsu."

"The only question is why," Shinobu said, her stare piercing into Giyuu. He refused to look at her. "Why would he fight on the behalf of two demons? Why would he let two demons live?"

Mitsuri perked up. "Shinobu's right! Giyuu's been our trusted ally for a long time. He must have had a good reason, right?"

Sanemi snorted. "Please. There is not a single good reason in the world to save demons." He clenched his fist tightly. "Just accept the fact that he betrayed us."

"Back when I was a monk, I've seen even the most noble and virtuous of people turn their backs on good and become corrupted," Himejima said regretfully. "When you face the darkness every day, sometimes, it becomes a part of you."

"There is no use in pointlessly arguing amongst ourselves," Uzui cut in. "It's far too unsightly. Let us hear what Tomioka has to say and then decide."

There was a long moment of silence as the Pillars awaited his response.

Giyuu said nothing. Indeed, the sheer calm and serenity he exuded was impressive, as if he was peacefully relaxing in an aesthetic garden instead of facing imminent death.

Uzui clenched his fist against his heart, briefly overcome by emotions. "While Tomioka may have violated the code, at least he's doing it with maximum grandeur," he uttered. "That, I can respect."

"My children, I urge you to reconsider," Kagaya spoke. "There is no need for an execution."

"I respectfully disagree!" Rengoku declared. "We Pillars are supposed to be the leaders of the Demon Slayer Corps. As such, we must be held to a higher standard than the others. Besides, what if those two demons go and kill even more people? Tomioka must take responsibility."

"I'm grandiosely opposed as well!" Uzui spoke, pointing a thumb at himself. "If Tomioka can't prove that he had a justifiable reason, then he must receive the most grandiose punishment there is."

"Ah. Even if you desire Tomioka to live," Himejima said, tears flowing down his face, "I'm afraid I must oppose you on this matter. Let us take pity on his poor soul."

"Death is the only thing scum like him deserves," Sanemi growled. "I respectfully request that we execute him so nobody would ever even think of helping a demon again!"

"Kill him," Obanai said flatly. "There is no way I can trust him after the stunt he pulled."

"I - I think we should let Tomioka live," Kanroji said hesitantly. "We can give him a different punishment."

"I'm fine either way," Muichirou said tonelessly. "I'll just forget anyway..."

Shinobu was silent for a moment as she gazed at Giyuu. Then, she nodded. "We have rules," she intoned quietly. "And Tomioka broke them. Pillar or not, he has to face the consequences." She then hesitated. "Perhaps death may be too harsh, however. As Mitsuri said, we can give him a different punishment."

Giyuu showed no outward reaction.

"A compromise, then," Kagaya decided with a tone of finality. "We shall hold off on the decision for now." The Pillars erupted into objections, but he simply raised his finger to his nose and they all quieted instantly. "Giyuu shall be placed under house arrest for a month," he continued. "After that, if no further evidence is uncovered, then we shall proceed."

Evidently, Kagaya was hoping that in that month, he would be able to come up with some way to salvage the situation.

"Just one moment," Sanemi growled. "What if he's working with Kibutsuji Muzan?"

All the Pillars tensed up.

Giyuu spoke for the first time since the meeting began. "I'm not," he stated calmly.

Sanemi scoffed. "And you expect us to believe that?"

"I believe him," Shinobu said. "Besides, if Tomioka had met Kibutsuji Muzan before, then he would've been turned into a demon."

Himejima nodded. "I agree. Whatever reason Tomioka decided to betray us, it wasn't because of Kibutsuji Muzan."

"Tch," Sanemi crossed his arms but let the issue go. "Fine."

"Are we in agreement, then?" Kagaya asked.

There was a muttering of agreement.

Once Himejima and Sanemi returned from restraining and escorting Giyuu away, Kagaya sighed. "Now that we have that unpleasant matter finished, let us move onto other topics. First off, we need to schedule funerals for all the demon slayers that perished..."

XxX

Kagaya sipped his tea, a thoughtful expression on his face. Giyuu sat across from him, expressionless. They were alone in the room, the meeting having already been finished and the Pillars having left.

"They're truly remarkable, aren't they?" Kagaya said after a long moment. Giyuu furrowed his brow in confusion. "Tanjirou and Nezuko, I mean. Two demons that have never harmed a human before."

Giyuu's eyes widened slightly when he realized he'd never told Kagaya their names. "How do you - "

Kagaya smiled serenely. "I have my ways," he answered. "I know you didn't betray us, Giyuu."

And perhaps it was the incredible stress of the day, of being condemned by his allies and nearly executed, or perhaps it was the sheer unshakable faith in Kagaya's tone, but whatever the case, emotions surged up within Giyuu, momentarily overwhelming him. He didn't tear up - he was no longer that crybaby from so long ago - but he did have to take several seconds before he was confident he could speak again without his voice wavering.

"Thank you," Giyuu bowed his head.

"The only problem is the other Pillars," and Kagaya suddenly looked so very tired, his smile disappearing. "Convincing them will be difficult. I don't even blame them - the idea of there being a good demon is inconceivable; something that only exists in the realm of impossibility. I presume that's why you didn't try to defend yourself during the meeting?"

Giyuu nodded. "Yes. I was aware that no matter what I said, they would not believe me. It would have simply been a waste of breath."

Kagaya nodded, taking another sip of tea. "Fortunately, I've already set a plan in motion. You will not be executed, Giyuu, that I swear to you."

Giyuu inclined his head. Then he paused. "A plan?"

Kagaya gave an enigmatic smile. "Have you spoken to Kanao yet?"

XxX

"Tomioka is at risk of being executed?" Kanao asked, blinking in shock. Shinobu had just returned from the Pillar meeting and told her about what happened.

Shinobu sighed. "Yes. I can't say I'm really surprised, however. His actions were a massive breach of the code. Letting two demons escape as a Pillar..." Her gaze turned pensive. "Tomioka, just what are you thinking?" she muttered under her breath.

"Did the Pillars already decide?" Kanao questioned.

"No," Shinobu shook her head. "Oyakata-sama placed Tomioka under house arrest for a month. I suspect he hopes that the Pillars will cool off in that time, as well as allowing him to come up with some way to deal with the situation."

Kanao was silent for a moment.

Shinobu smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, though. As much as I hate to admit it, Tomioka did betray the Demon Slayers - "

"No he didn't," Kanao said.

Shinobu frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kanao looked at her, and Shinobu was startled to see a trace of determination in her normally emotionless gaze.

"The Demon Slayer Corps' mission is to eliminate demons that kill and eat humans," Kanao said, her voice soft yet unfaltering. "Tanjirou and Nezuko have never eaten a human before. Therefore, Tomioka didn't violate the code by sparing them."

There was a moment of silence.

"How do you know that?" Shinobu asked, an indecipherable look in her eyes. "Tomioka didn't tell me anything."

Kanao paused, hesitating. Her hand wavered slightly, drifting toward where her coin was kept before it halted suddenly. After several seconds, she spoke. "I was defeated by Tanjirou and knocked unconscious. When I awoke, I was in a cave with them, completely unharmed. He let me go free. And when he told me that they hadn't killed or eaten any humans before, I could see that they were telling the truth."

Shinobu had gone dead still at her words, her body tense and her face pale. Her customary smile had disappeared, replaced by a look of shock and fear. "What?" she breathed. "You were captured by those two demons?"

Kanao nodded.

"But the Kasugai crow said that you were safe!"

Kanao blinked in confusion.

"It was the only reason why we didn't go look for you - your Kasugai crow said that you weren't in any danger!" Shinobu continued frantically before her eyes widened. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" She rushed forward and began checking Kanao over for injuries.

"I'm fine," Kanao assured her. "They didn't hurt me."

Shinobu looked at her worriedly. "Are you sure?" Kanao nodded. Shinobu relaxed somewhat, though she was still tense. "That's good." Then, after a brief pause, she asked, "What happened?"

Kanao retold the events: her chasing them through the mountain, Tanjirou knocking her out, her waking up in the cave and him letting her go. She also told Shinobu about how Tanjirou had saved her from Rui's threads, and how her supernatural eyesight had revealed that he was being completely sincere.

By the time she finished, Shinobu's purple eyes were wide.

"Is... is it really true?" she asked disbelievingly.

"It is," Kanao said quietly.

Shinobu appeared deeply troubled. "I'll inform Oyakata-sama about this tomorrow," she finally said. "If this is true, then Tomioka needn't be executed after all." She paused. "Although, considering the Kasugai crows," she muttered, "I wouldn't be surprised if he already knows."

XxX

"But what if you were wrong about those two?" Giyuu questioned after Kagaya's explanation of the events that afternoon. "What if Tsuyuri really was in danger?"

"Do you think Tanjirou or Nezuko would've been a danger to her?"

Giyuu shook his head. "No, but that's different. You've never met them before."

Kagaya regarded him with sightless eyes. "Do you trust me, Giyuu?"

"Yes," Giyuu answered immediately.

"Then please trust me when I say that I knew there was absolutely no chance at all of Kanao getting hurt," Kagaya said with conviction. "My intuition, if you will. I would never gamble with my children's lives like that."

The Water Pillar inclined his head acceptingly after a moment. The Ubuyashiki family always had a legendary intuition. "Very well. So now what do we do?"

Kagaya smiled. "For now, we wait. Let the tensions cool down first. After that... I'll need to send an important letter."

XxX

Dear Kamado Tanjirou,

Hello. I am Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. Lady Tamayo, a good friend of mine, informed me about you and your little sister Nezuko. Two demons who do not consume humans and are hunting the Demon Moons in pursuit of a cure. It is truly remarkable.

You have gone through much pain and suffering. Your entire family has been killed by Kibutsuji Muzan, and you yourself have been turned into a demon. I cannot imagine just how painful it must've been. And yet, despite staring death itself in the face, you continued fighting, you continued advancing. You never gave up. From the bottom of my heart, I admire you, Tanjirou.

I am writing to you because your actions may lead to the death of one of my children. Allow me to explain. As you may know, in order to cover your escape, Tomioka Giyuu decided to engage in combat with Kochou Shinobu, and in doing so violated the code. Naturally, the Pillars took offense to that. The majority has decided on execution as a punishment, and though I have delayed it for a month, they will make the final decision tomorrow. Needless to say, I wish to prevent that.

There will be a trial tomorrow night held at the Ubuyashiki Estate. I humbly beseech you to come give your own side of the story. Show the Pillars that you and Nezuko are truly good, peaceful demons. This will also aid in your quest to find a cure, as you will then be able to work together with my Pillars to hunt down and defeat the Demon Moons.

I understand you may be wary of journeying to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, but I give you my word that no harm will come to either you or your sister. I promise that you both will be safe.

I have attached directions to the Ubuyashiki Estate. If you choose to come, please arrive at the North entrance - there shall be two of my children waiting for you. They will guide you. Please follow their instructions.

One last thing. Both my identity and the location of the Ubuyashiki Estate are highly classified, and I'm putting my life and my family's lives at risk by even telling you. However, I believe that you are trustworthy. That being said, I implore you to not tell anyone else.

Save Giyuu. Please.

Best regards,

Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

The 97th Leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.

The Ubuyashiki Estate was a simple yet elegant building with a fountain in the courtyard. As Tanjirou neared, he winced slightly at the scent of wisteria. It was extremely uncomfortable, and he felt Nezuko shifting around agitatedly on his back. Fortunately, they were able to endure it.

As promised, two children were waiting dutifully at the North entrance.

"Hello," Tanjirou greeted them with a smile. "I'm Kamado Tanjirou, and this is Kamado Nezuko."

"Thank you for coming," one of them said.

"Right this way," the other continued, turning around and leading them deeper into the Ubuyashiki Estate.

Tanjirou hesitated for only a moment. However, he didn't smell any deception, so he followed them inside, Nezuko walking beside him.

They stopped outside a sliding door. Tanjirou could distinctly hear voices beyond the door.

"Wait here," one of the children instructed. "Father will give the signal when he's ready for you two to come out."

Tanjirou nodded. "Alright - Nezuko!" he whispered when Nezuko wasted no time in laying down on the comfortable tatami mat floor.

XxX

"Thank you all for coming tonight, my beloved children," Kagaya greeted, the moonlight illuminating his warm smile.

"I am pleased to see you in good health, Oyakata-sama," Sanemi said reverently, his head bowed. "I fervently pray for your ongoing luck and prosperity."

"Thank you, Sanemi," Kagaya replied with genuine gratitude.

Then, in the exact same tone, Sanemi continued, "If I may, Oyakata-sama, shall we proceed with due haste in deciding whether or not to forcibly separate Tomioka's head from his body? I admit, I've had a sick taste in my mouth for the past month as he continues to breathe despite his atrocious crimes."

Giyuu, who was kneeling in front of the Pillars, didn't react at all to Sanemi's harsh words.

In contrast, Kagaya frowned slightly. "Sanemi..." he spoke reproachfully.

The sheer disappointment in his tone left Sanemi wilting. Fortunately, Rengoku came to support him.

"I agree with Shinazugawa!" he declared. "Tomioka had attacked a fellow Pillar and allowed two demons to escape. It's been a month since then - I wouldn't be surprised if those two demons had killed several humans in that time!"

"And what if I say they hadn't?" Kagaya returned smoothly.

Rengoku faltered.

"And what if," Kagaya continued, "I say that not only have those two demons not killed any humans in the past month, but they have not consumed - or harmed - any humans ever since they became demons?"

"Then I would assume that you have taken up the hobby of storytelling!" Rengoku replied with a smile. "Because such a thing could not conceivably happen in real life!"

Kagaya chuckled lightly. "Not quite. For you see, that's exactly the case with Kamado Tanjirou and Kamado Nezuko, the two demons Giyuu had let escape."

There was a moment of silence as the Pillars stared at him incredulously.

"I assume you have objections," Kagaya smiled. "Feel free to gather your thoughts. I'll wait."

"That's impossible!" Rengoku was the first to declare.

"Indeed," Himejima agreed. "Demons are beings of pure evil. I too find it impossible for there to be two demons who have not eaten or harmed any humans."

"It just doesn't happen," Obanai added.

"A grandiose tale, for sure," Uzui nodded in approval, "but a tale nonetheless. Something that only exists in imagination."

Muichirou, as usual, said nothing. Why did Oyakata-sama call the meeting during the night?

"I don't know what lies Tomioka has been feeding you in the past month," Sanemi growled, "but he's obviously taking advantage of your kindness. Please do not fall prey to his deceptions. A demon that doesn't kill or eat humans... It's absurd."

Kanroji nodded hesitantly. "Yes, while it would be nice for good demons to exist, I don't think it's possible either."

Shinobu said nothing.

Kagaya, who had been listening to the Pillars speak with a thoughtful gaze, nodded once they finished. "A valid point," he conceded. "I understand it's difficult to accept such a preposterous concept. However, I promise you that it is an indisputable fact."

"I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes," Sanemi said, his eyes narrowed.

Kagaya smiled. "How fortunate it is, then, that we have them here with us. Tanjirou, Nezuko, if you two would please come out?"

It took the Pillars a moment to fully comprehend his words. By the time they did, the sliding doors had already opened and Tanjirou and Nezuko walked out, their claws and general aura making it perfectly clear that they weren't human.

There was a moment of stunned silence as the Pillars stared at them disbelievingly.

"My children, do not be alarmed," Kagaya said soothingly. "They are here as my guests. Please do not attack them."

Tanjirou smiled in greeting. "Hello there! My name is Kamado Tanjirou, and this is my little sister, Kamado Nezuko. It's nice to meet - "

The Pillars exploded into action.

Tanjirou's eyes widened as Sanemi blurred, appearing in front of him with his blade drawn and aimed to bisect him. He quickly drew his own sword to block, grunting as Sanemi's strike knocked him back several steps. They exchanged blows, Sanemi forcing them off of the raised veranda and onto the ground of the rock garden.

Rengoku, Obanai, Muichirou, Himejima, Uzui, and Kanroji surrounded them, their blades drawn.

Tanjirou glanced around nervously. "Wait, we - "

Tanjirou's eyes widened. "Nezuko, stay behind me!" he shouted as he blocked Sanemi's ferocious attacks. Nezuko growled, moving in coordination with him. And it worked, for about a single second, before the other Pillars joined in, working together to produce a devastating combination attack.

Sanemi in front, unleashing a slash coated in wind.

Rengoku on his left, preparing an upward cut, his sword covered in flames.

Muichirou on his right, about to thrust into his chest, mist surrounding him.

Uzui above him, his dual blades resonating loudly.

Obanai behind him, his sword somehow curving through the air with an image of a snake overlaid over it.

A spiked flail and a flexible sword streaking at him through the air from Himejima and Kanroji respectively.

For a moment, Tanjirou felt fear.

He... he might actually die from this.

However, if he died, then Nezuko would die as well.

And that was unacceptable.

His vision flickered for a microsecond before the Pillars turned transparent and everything slowed to a crawl. The rising heat within him reached a climax as the mark on his forehead burned. He analyzed the attack, trying to come up with a plan of action.

There was no such thing as a perfect attack. There had to be a way out of this.

He pushed his senses to their absolute limits, his mind working in overdrive, even as the Pillars neared -

There it was! The opening thread!

Tanjirou breathed.

Breath of the Sun, Fourth Form. Fake Rainbow.

He grabbed Nezuko by the arm and flickered out of existence, a single afterimage being left behind. It wouldn't do much - already, it was disappearing from the sheer force of the shockwaves generated by the Pillars' speed, but the distraction gave him a split second to reposition himself, and that was all he needed.

Breath of the Sun, Eleventh Form. Solar Halo Dragon Dance.

He spun in the air, a crimson dragon of flames roaring to life around him. He deflected Sanemi's slash first before knocking aside Uzui's blades with an explosive sound and continuing his strike behind him, forcing Obanai to dodge back, before rotating to his left, his sword arcing diagonally and blocking Rengoku's sword, Kanroji's sword, and Himejima's flail in one strike.

In a single continuous motion, Tanjirou had countered the combination attack of seven Pillars. They recovered instantly, however, and dashed toward him.

Breath of the Sun, Fourth Form. Fake Rainbow.

Sanemi slashed apart the afterimages with frustrated yells while Himejima was already turning to where Tanjirou had reappeared.

"Allow me," the giant man's voice reverberated across the garden.

Total Concentration. Stone Breathing. Fifth Form. Arcs of Justice.

He swung his massive spiked flail and axe in the air before letting loose a powerful barrage of attacks that pulverized the entire surrounding area. Rocks were pulverized and huge craters appeared in the ground. Tanjirou stared at one of the craters in disbelief before flipping into the air to dodge Kanroji's flexible sword.

Just how strong was this man?

Experimentally, Tanjirou tried to block one - and instantly pain flared in his arm from the impact, the destructive energy in the strikes nearly breaking his limb.

Yeah, not trying that again.

As he dodged the flail and axe, utilizing a derivation of Fake Rainbow to use advanced footwork to keep his movements unpredictable, his eyes widened as Muichirou suddenly appeared next to him, seemingly out of nowhere.

Total Concentration. Mist Breathing. Fifth Form. Sea of Clouds and Haze.

The Mist Pillar's sword blurred as he unleashed a flurry of slashes.

Breath of the Sun, Third Form. Scorching Crimson Mirror.

Tanjirou sliced twice horizontally, the Transparent World allowing him to strike Muichirou's sword at the perfect angle to deflect it upward and giving him an opening.

Or at least, it would've been an opening if mist hadn't suddenly clouded the battlefield and Rengoku blurred in front of Muichirou encased in the fiery form of a tiger.

Total Concentration. Flame Breathing. Fifth Form. Flame Tiger.

Rengoku charged at Tanjirou with blinding speed, the ground cracking underneath his every step, swinging his sword multiple times in a single second.

Tanjirou leaped backward before planting his heel into the ground to meet Rengoku's charge head on, blocking all the strikes before Uzui crashed into the ground next to him and he was forced to spin to the side as the ground cracked even further and a sound like thunder was released, the directed shockwave slamming into him.

"My children - " Kagaya began, a note of agitation in his voice, but was cut off by the ear-splitting screech of wind and the hissing of snakes.

Tanjirou's eyes widened as he realized his fatal flaw. In dodging Rengoku's charge, he had left Nezuko alone and wide open.

Sanemi had a bloodthirsty grin on his face as he rushed Nezuko, Obanai dashing toward her from behind, trapping her in a pincer.

Total Concentration. Wind Breathing. Second Form. Claws - Purifying Wind.

Total Concentration. Serpent Breathing. Second Form. Venom Fangs of the Narrow Head.

Sanemi leaped into the air, prepared to slash downward while Obanai disappeared in a burst of speed, appearing behind her to cut off her head.

NO!

Tanjirou breathed, his lungs straining as he blurred toward Nezuko to protect her - when Himejima's heavy axe and a horizontal slice from Muichirou cut him off, and he had no choice but to dodge to the side.

He watched helplessly as Sanemi and Obanai's blades neared Nezuko's neck, moving too fast for him to block in time. Despair appeared in his eyes as an anguished sound tore through his throat -

Total Concentration. Water Breathing. Eleventh Form. Lull.

- when Giyuu materialized in front of her standing completely relaxed, a calm expression on his face, his sword pointed downward.

Sanemi and Obanai's blades were knocked aside by an invisible force, as if there was an unseen barrier surrounding Giyuu and Nezuko.

The other Pillars seemed to grow even more enraged at his actions.

"Again?" Obanai hissed. "You would turn your blade against your fellow Pillars again?"

Giyuu didn't have enough time to answer before Rengoku and Obanai rushed him and he had to focus all his concentration on not being eviscerated.

It was complete chaos. The sound of clashing blades filled the air, a disjointed cacophony of ringing metal and deafening explosions. Anyone watching the fight would see only hazy blurs of insanely high-speed movements with the occasional afterimage left behind.

Only Shinobu hadn't entered the battle yet - she was observing uncertainly, her hand hovering over the handle of her blade.

As Tanjirou leaped back, just barely dodging a spiked flail from Himejima, he turned his head slightly to look at Kagaya, his pink eyes filled with fear and panic.

"Ubuyashiki!" he yelled desperately. "You promised!"

Sanemi grew even more enraged. "Don't you dare utter Oyakata-sama's name, you - "

"ENOUGH!"

All the Pillars instantly froze at the sound. Sanemi was still in the middle of a downward cleave, his blade suspended in midair.

Slowly, they turned to look at the one who had spoken.

Kagaya's eyes were narrowed. "That is enough," he repeated.

The Pillars could only stare in shock. Kagaya never raised his voice. Ever. Not to mention how they didn't even think it was possible for him to show any sign of anger on his face.

"But - " Sanemi started to protest. "Oyakata-sama, those are demons - "

Kagaya silenced him with just a look.

"Sheathe your blades please," he commanded. "Now."

They all complied, even Tanjirou.

"Words cannot fully express my disappointment in all of you," Kagaya said softly, each word feeling like a physical blow to the Pillars. "These two are my guests whom I had invited into my home. I gave them my word that no harm would come to them."

"Oyakata-sama, they're demons," Obanai stressed.

"Do you trust me?" Kagaya asked.

Obanai hesitated. "Yes."

"Then trust me on this," Kagaya said simply. "I would not have invited Tanjirou and Nezuko here if I didn't have full faith in them. Hinaki, what are the damages?"

One of Kagaya's children stepped forward. "The rock garden is completely destroyed," she relayed. "There are approximately thirty craters in the ground" - Himejima coughed softly - "as well as countless cracks that I'm surprised haven't destroyed the foundation of the mansion itself." Rengoku coughed loudly. "Several windows appear to have shattered from the shockwaves as well" - Uzui began whistling a tune quietly - "and the outer paint is scratched so badly, it's simply beyond economical repair." Sanemi decidedly avoided everyone's gaze.

As she spoke, the other Pillars grew more and more uncomfortable, their expressions becoming increasingly mortified.

Kagaya sighed. "I see. I do hope you all will apologize to the kakushi later, as they are the ones who will have to repair this mess. More importantly..."

He then turned to Tanjirou and Nezuko and, to the immense shock of everyone present, he kneeled down into the dogeza position. His two children kneeled alongside him. "I sincerely apologize for the actions of my children," he said, prostrating so that his forehead touched the floor. "I have no excuses, and can only ask for your forgiveness."

"It - it's fine!" Tanjirou said frantically. "There's no need to bow to us. I forgive you. Just please raise your heads!"

The Pillars erupted into vehement protests as well, looking panicked and just a little fearful. They seemed to have completely forgotten about the two demons, and were instead trying their best to convince Kagaya and his two children to raise their heads.

Finally, Kagaya and his children rose, and all the assorted Pillars plus one demon breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," Kagaya said, bowing his head one last time to Tanjirou before his usual serene smile returned. "Now then, may we please have a civil conversation without trying to behead one another?"

The Pillars, though they didn't look too happy about it, nodded in assent, kneeling back down.

Tanjirou relaxed as he and Nezuko knelt as well - it only seemed right. The entire fight had lasted for only about ten seconds but it felt like an eternity longer. If Kagaya hadn't been able to end the battle... Tanjirou shuddered to think what might have happened. His hands were still trembling slightly.

On the other side of the coin, the Pillars were regarding him warily.

Even though Giyuu had helped, Tanjirou had still managed to match them for a staggering ten seconds before Kagaya stopped the fight. He had successfully defended against the full unrestrained power of seven Pillars without taking a single injury while protecting his little sister to boot. And throughout the fight, he had radiated no murderous intent or even battle presence whatsoever.

This demon...

He was extremely dangerous.

Uzui was the first to break the silence, laughing exuberantly. "What a grandiose showing! You may be a demon, but the sheer flamboyance you just displayed was impressive. Very well. I shall hear what you have to say."

Tanjirou nodded as he began his story. "Around two years ago, Kibutsuji Muzan killed my entire family and turned me and Nezuko into demons - "

There were multiple sharp intakes of breath.

"You've met Kibutsuji Muzan?!" Uzui asked, his eyes going wide. "What did he look like? What were his abilities? Were there any Upper Moons with him?"

"What was Kibutsuji doing?" Sanemi demanded. "Did you find his stronghold? Hey, answer me!"

"Shut up! I asked him first! Tell us what his abilities are!"

"Did you fight him?" Muichirou inquired.

At this, both Uzui and Sanemi also went silent, also curious of the answer.

Tanjirou's face darkened. "Yeah, I did."

All the Pillars' eyes widened, and even Kagaya looked surprised. Uzui reared back in shock, and Sanemi stopped breathing altogether.

"It was just about a week ago," Tanjirou said, a pained expression passing over his face. "I was in the city of Tanzaku looking for the Demon Moons when we came across him by pure coincidence in an alleyway. He - he was killing a human. I wasn't able to stop him."

"Namu Amida Butsu," Himejima murmured, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"I attacked him," Tanjirou continued. "And... he was insanely strong. He had perfect control over his flesh and was able to manipulate it freely, even creating barbed whips. And he was able to morph his torso and upper body into a beastly mouth which let out a shockwave scream that dealt massive damage, incapacitating me."

He clenched his fists tightly. "The only reason why I lived was because he chose to run away instead of fighting back."

"Was he stronger than all of us when we attacked you?" Rengoku asked.

Tanjirou hesitated before nodding. "His scent... it was terrifying. He's on a whole other level."

The atmosphere became grim.

"Then we'll just have to train harder and grow stronger!" Rengoku declared.

There was a muttering of agreement.

"As for your other questions," Tanjirou said. "Kibutsuji Muzan was extremely pale, and his eyes were plum red. He wore a black suit and a white fedora. There weren't any Upper Moons with him, and I have no idea where his stronghold is."

"How do we know you're not lying about him though?" Sanemi asked, a suspicious note entering his voice.

Tanjirou paused, unsure on how to respond. He didn't, after all, have any way of proving it.

"You said his name," Shinobu said suddenly.

Tanjirou frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"You said Kibutsuji Muzan's name."

There was a moment of silence before realization dawned on the other Pillar's faces.

"Oh, right," Tanjirou smiled. "I somehow broke free of his control, so his curse doesn't affect me. I'm not sure how I did it, though."

"I see," Shinobu murmured. "And the wisteria lining the Ubuyashiki Estate? How did you bypass those?"

Tanjirou blinked in confusion. "The wisteria? It felt bad, but other than that it didn't do anything."

Shinobu shared an uneasy look with the other Pillars. "Perhaps stronger demons are able to withstand the wisteria's repelling effect?" she hypothesized.

"It's certainly a possibility," Obanai said slowly. "Though that means the Ubuyashiki Estate may not be as safe as we thought it was..."

"At any rate," Kagaya interjected, "I think that proves Tanjirou is not aligned with Kibutsuji Muzan. However, if there are still any lingering doubts, consider this. If Tanjirou and Nezuko truly were working with Kibutsuji... then shouldn't the Demon Moons and Kibutsuji himself be descending upon my Estate to kill me?"

There was a moment of silence.

Kagaya smiled. "Indeed. The fact that we're not currently under attack is proof that Tanjirou and Nezuko have broken free of Kibutsuji's control and are acting independently of him. Also, there's something else I wish to relay to you, my children. During the Mount Natagumo mission, Tanjirou had saved the life of Shinobu's tsuguko, Tsuyuri Kanao, protecting her from the Lower Moon Five."

"Oh, that's right!" Tanjirou exclaimed. "Is Kanao alright?"

"She's fine," Shinobu replied after a small pause. Tanjirou smiled in relief.

"On top of that," Kagaya continued. "Kanao had informed me that Tanjirou and Nezuko truly hadn't eaten or harmed any humans."

"He could've tricked her," Sanemi objected.

"Doubtful," Shinobu murmured. "Kanao's eyesight is perhaps the best in the Demon Slayer Corps - even better than all of ours. She's capable of detecting any lie and falsehood. If she believes Tanjirou, then I believe Tanjirou."

"I think the evidence is clear," Kagaya declared softly. "The two demons, Kamado Tanjirou and Kamado Nezuko, not only haven't harmed or eaten any humans before, but they even saved Kanao Tsuyuri from death. They are, without a doubt, good demons."

Shinobu glanced over at Giyuu. "Then..."

Kagaya nodded. "Correct. Giyuu's actions on Mount Natagumo are therefore justified. Granted, perhaps there were better methods he could've used, but ultimately, his act of defending Tanjirou and Nezuko does not violate the Demon Slayers Code. A technicality it may be, but it is still the truth."

He smiled. "My children. I ask you all to try to accept Tanjirou and Nezuko into our ranks. I understand it's difficult, but they are on the side of humanity. Together, we shall take down Kibutsuji Muzan."

Dead silence.

There was a loud crack as Sanemi punched the ground, bloodying his fist. "No," he growled. "I can accept Tomioka not being executed - it's obvious he thought he was justified. However, there is not a chance in hell I'll ever accept these two demons. They're tricking you, Oyakata-sama, just like how they tricked Tomioka and Shinobu's tsuguko. They're putting on a facade to get us to lower our guards - and when we least suspect it, they'll strike."

"We would never - " Tanjirou was cut off when Sanemi drew his blade once more.

"Oyakata-sama, I'll prove it to you myself!" The Wind Pillar shouted. "The sheer wickedness of demons!"

Without any hesitation, he sliced his forearm open. Blood immediately began dripping out of the wound.

"Come," Sanemi gave a bloodthirsty smile. "Show us your true colors and let us obliterate you right here!"

Tanjirou would have responded if it weren't for a delicious smell filling the air and the sudden drool filling his mouth.

Huh?

Beside him, Nezuko was in a similar state, letting out low growls. She took an unconscious step forward, her gaze focused on the open wound.

Sanemi's homicidal grin grew even wider.

It... It smells so good... Tanjirou's mouth watered as he too lurched forward. This sweet scent with a tinge of saltiness... It's so familiar... What was it? It was... It was...

Rice crackers, he remembered. One of his favorite comfort foods that his mother would always make every week.

A smile slowly spread across Tanjirou's face as his mouth watered even more. Mother's cooking truly was the best -

Mother.

The memory of him about to eat his mother's unmoving body flashed across his mind.

Bile rose up in his throat as he turned to the side and retched violently. He likely would've vomited if it weren't for the fact that he hadn't eaten anything in about two years now.

Even as he dry-heaved, Tanjirou's eyes widened in horror as his mind returned to him. He - he had almost lost control again. Disgust and self-loathing welled up within him, but he quickly forced it down. Nezuko still hadn't returned to normal yet.

"Nezuko," he gasped between coughs. "Don't give in."

Nezuko stopped abruptly, beads of sweat on her forehead. There was a long, tense moment. Then, with an audible grunt, she turned her head away, shutting her eyes tightly.

Sanemi's smile disappeared, replaced by a heavy frown.

"What just happened?" Kagaya inquired.

"The demon girl turned away in disgust," one of his children reported, "while the demon boy nearly threw up."

Kagaya smiled. "I see. So, with that it's proven that Tanjirou and Nezuko won't harm any humans, right?"

Nobody said anything.

"Of course, I'm sure that even after all's said and done, there will be some who still can't accept Tanjirou and Nezuko. Am I correct in assuming that?"

There was some slight hesitation before several Pillars nodded their heads.

"I apologize, Oyakata-sama!" Rengoku stated, "but the idea of a good demon is still incomprehensible to me. I'll need to see it with my own eyes to believe it!"

"Indeed," Himejima nodded. "It is... difficult for me to believe."

"I'll never trust those two demons," Obanai said venomously. "Not now, not ever."

"I'm sure I've made my feelings very clear," Sanemi said.

Kagaya hummed. "Perfectly understandable. It would, after all, be as if I suddenly told you one morning that the sky wasn't blue, or that pigs could fly. But then we arrive at a conundrum. I admit, I don't know how else to prove to you that these two are on the side of humanity."

He paused before turning to Tanjirou. "Unless Tanjirou has any ideas?"

Tanjirou understood Kagaya's intentions immediately. "I do," he responded. "I need to hunt down the Demon Moons. We can work together to take them down," he suggested.

"Why are you hunting down the Demon Moons?" Shinobu asked curiously.

Tanjirou beamed at her. "So I can turn Nezuko back into a human, of course! I need to acquire the blood of Demon Moons for a cure to be made."

Shinobu blinked.

"An admirable goal," Kagaya inclined his head. "What do you say then, my children? It would be greatly beneficial for us to combine our forces against Kibutsuji Muzan."

"I think it's a brilliant idea!" Rengoku said wholeheartedly. "It would be a fine way for Tanjirou and Nezuko to prove themselves as good demons. Actions speak louder than words, after all!"

"And, if they do turn out to be evil, then we can focus on eliminating them," Obanai said, his mismatched gaze piercing into Tanjirou. "I approve as well."

The other Pillars also expressed their agreements, some (cough Sanemi cough) more reluctant than others, with only Muichirou staying silent as he absently tried to remember where the constellations in the night sky were.

"I'm glad we've come to an accord," Kagaya said with genuine joy in his voice. "It just so happens that I have a mission available. There have been reports of people disappearing on the 'Infinity Train' in a nearby town. I've already sent several lower-ranked demon slayers to investigate, but none have returned. There may be a Demon Moon there."

"I'll go!" Rengoku volunteered immediately, his hand shooting into the air.

"Very well," Kagaya nodded. "Anyone else?"

"I'll also go," Shinobu said sweetly. "I wish to find out exactly what it was that made Tomioka turn his blade against me."

Tanjirou swallowed nervously at the unusual glint in her purple eyes.

"Excellent," Kagaya smiled. "Two Pillars should be more than enough. It's been decided then. Tanjirou and Nezuko shall accompany Kyojurou and Shinobu to investigate the Infinity Train. Since you cannot venture out during the day, you will set out tomorrow night. I'll have special boxes manufactured just in case something unexpected occurs so that you two will be shielded from the sun."

Tanjirou brightened at the kind offer. "Thank you!"

"For the time being, you two may stay in the Ubuyashiki Estate with me."

"Absolutely not, Oyakata-sama," Sanemi instantly put his foot down. "That's way too dangerous."

"I can take them into the Water Estate," Giyuu spoke up for the first time since the meeting began.

"That works as well," Kagaya said. "Thank you, Giyuu."

Giyuu inclined his head. "My pleasure."

"With that, I believe we have discussed everything we needed to," Kagaya gave one last warm smile. "Have a pleasant night, my children."

XxX

"Thank you very much for everything!"

Giyuu stared at Tanjirou, who was bowing deeply. "You're welcome," he said tonelessly.

"I'm so sorry you almost got executed because of us!"

"It's quite alright."

"If there's anything I can do to repay you, please let me know!"

"There isn't." A pause, then: "You can raise your head now."

Tanjirou finally straightened from his bow. They were in the Water Estate, a compound several times smaller than the Ubuyashiki Estate.

Nezuko was currently asleep in a different room. When Giyuu had shown them to their room, Nezuko had collapsed onto the soft futon, let out a contented sigh, and immediately passed out. Tanjirou had realized with a start and some shame that it was the first time in months Nezuko had slept on a futon. He resolved to do something nice for her later.

Giyuu and Tanjirou were in the living room, kneeling across from each other. Tanjirou took this opportunity to ask Giyuu a burning question he had been wondering about for quite some time now.

"Why did you defend us?"

Giyuu blinked before going silent for a long moment.

"Why indeed," he finally muttered. "I suppose... it's because I saw something special in you two."

Tanjirou tilted his head. "Something special?"

"There have never been demons like you two before," Giyuu elaborated. "Nothing has changed in the war against Kibutsuji Muzan for a millenium. To shift the tide, we need to try something new."

He paused before saying in a voice so quiet Tanjirou almost didn't hear, "Also, you reminded me of him - "

The door slammed open and an old man in a blue haori wearing a red tengu mask stepped into the room.

"Giyuu! What happened?!"

"I was fully pardoned and will not be punished," Giyuu answered impassively.

Then the current Water Pillar's eyes widened and his entire body stiffened up when the old man crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye and embraced him tightly.

"Thank the gods," the old man said, the scent of overwhelming relief and joy flowing off of him. "You're safe."

"Master," Giyuu said, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

Finally, the old man pulled back before turning to Tanjirou. "And this is the demon, I presume?"

"Yes," Giyuu nodded before adding. "Please don't attack him."

Tanjirou smiled brightly. "Hello! I'm Kamado Tanjirou. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Giyuu's master, Urokodaki Sakonji," Urokodaki said after a moment's hesitation. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Tell me: is it true that you've never eaten or harmed a human before?"

Tanjirou nodded, his eyes shining with sincerity. "It is."

Urokodaki regarded him for a long moment. Tanjirou heard him breathe in deeply. Perhaps Urokodaki also had a good sense of smell?

"I see," Urokodoki murmured. "You're telling the truth, impossibly enough." He shook his head in amazement. "Incredible. What are your goals?"

"To hunt down the Demon Moons and turn my sister back into a human."

There was another lengthy moment of silence as the scent of incredulity drifted off of the old man's form.

Finally, Urokodaki spoke. "That's a noble goal to have." He tilted his head. "Perhaps, in another life, if you had remained human, I could've taken you in as my student."

Tanjirou laughed brightly. "I think I would've enjoyed being your student. Perhaps, in another life."

XxX

"I wish to go as well."

Shinobu drew in a sharp breath at Kanao's sudden words.

Kanao herself seemed surprised that she had spoken, but she didn't back down.

Shinobu recovered her composure quickly, smiling at Kanao. "Well, alright then."

XxX

"Umm..." Tanjirou began hesitantly as they waited for the train to arrive. "Would you really have killed Tomioka?"

"Probably," Shinobu responded cheerfully. "The Demon Slayers code exists for a reason." Though her expression didn't change, her scent wavered slightly, a trace smell of sorrow mixing in with the customary anger. "Tomioka would've been executed if Oyakata-sama didn't step in."

Tanjirou winced. "I-I didn't mean for that to happen." A small smile appeared on his face. "I'm so relieved. Oyakata-sama is a good man."

"How odd!" Rengoku suddenly exclaimed, startling Tanjirou. "A demon relieved that a demon slayer is able to live? What a perplexing paradox!"

"You - you think I want Tomioka to die?" Tanjirou looked aghast.

"Indeed!" Rengoku nodded with conviction. "That would be the natural inclination of your species, would it not?"

Tanjirou opened his mouth but then paused when he realized that Rengoku had a point. He looked down, his hands balling into fists by his sides. "You may be right," he said in a quiet voice. "But..." he looked back up, staring Rengoku in the eye, sincerity exuding from his form. "Is it really so unthinkable that there are good demons out there too?"

Rengoku's gaze sharpened momentarily as he held Tanjirou's gaze, seemingly considering his answer. Then he nodded once more. "Yes, it really is so unthinkable!"

Tanjirou deflated, glancing away. "Oh," he mumbled dejectedly. "I see."

The Pillars tensed up as Nezuko stirred before stepping closer to Tanjirou, slipping her hand into his. Tanjirou smiled at her, grateful for the show of support.

"Anyway," Tanjirou tried to change the subject of the conversation, "What are we waiting for?"

Shinobu blinked. "The train," she answered.

"Yes, but what exactly is a train?"

A loud whistle filled the air.

Shinobu turned and pointed. "It's that."

Tanjirou turned around - and promptly jumped back, his eyes widening in shock. A large black train was rapidly approaching in the distance.

"M-magic!" Tanjirou gasped. "Is it a dragon? Or perhaps the mystical guardian of these lands?"

Shinobu laughed lightly. "It's a vehicle for transportation," she corrected. "It's entirely mechanical - no magic is involved."

"Really?" Tanjirou said disbelievingly. "How does something that huge manage to move?"

"It runs on steam," Shinobu replied.

Tanjirou stared at her. "Steam," he echoed doubtfully. "Are you sure it isn't some guardian spirit?"

Shinobu smiled amusedly. "Yes, I'm sure."

The train screeched to a halt in front of them and passengers began disembarking, stumbling off with heavy bags under their eyes.

"Hey, you! Kid!"

Rengoku, Tanjirou, Shinobu, Nezuko, and Kanao all looked over to see two train security guards running at them.

"Is that a sword?!" One of them shouted disbelievingly. "Kid, explain yourself now before we call the police!"

Tanjirou blinked before glancing down at his sheathed Nichirin blade. "Oh, this?" he asked confusedly. "This is for killing de - "

"It's a toy sword," Shinobu interrupted, stepping forward. "Sorry about my nephew - he really likes samurai. Don't worry, it's not real."

And she smiled pleasantly at them.

The security guards both blushed heavily.

"That's alright then," the one who had shouted said before asking shyly, "Umm, you're really pretty. Do you want to go out sometime - "

"Dude," the other guard hissed, elbowing him harshly while eyeing Rengoku nervously, who was smiling brightly while watching the proceedings. "Her boyfriend is right there!"

The first guard's eyes widened before he bowed deeply. "I-I'm sorry!"

"It's quite alright," Shinobu waved him off, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Now, I believe we should board the train now. Have a nice night, you two, and stay safe."

"Y-yes!"

"You didn't correct them when they called me your boyfriend," Rengoku noted as they made their way onboard. "Why is that?"

Shinobu hummed. "It wouldn't have been worth the trouble."

"Yes, but wouldn't Tomioka be offended?"

There was a moment of silence as Shinobu stopped abruptly.

"And what, pray tell," Shinobu smiled sweetly, a smile that screamed danger and sent shivers down Tanjirou's spine, "does Tomioka have to do with this?"

Rengoku paused before showcasing the superb self-preservation skills of a Pillar. "I take it back!" he declared. "Please disregard everything I just said."

"Better."

As they went deeper inside the cabins to get to their seats, Tanjirou stopped for a second to help an old man put his luggage in the overhead compartment. Rengoku's brow furrowed slightly at that.

"By the way, you need to hide that when you venture out," Shinobu said, gesturing at Tanjirou's Nichirin blade. "Swords are outlawed in the Meiji era."

Tanjirou frowned. "But all of you are..." he trailed off slowly when he realized that Rengoku had his sword concealed within his haori and Shinobu and Kanao had their blades in thin cloth bags. "Oh," he finished lamely, flushing with embarrassment.

"I'm surprised you weren't stopped before," Shinobu remarked. "You must've been very lucky." She paused as she looked at the overhead number. "These are our seats." She and Rengoku placed their respective boxes that Kagaya had ordered into the overhead compartment.

There was a brief pause as the two Pillars then turned to stare at Tanjirou and Nezuko.

"What?" Tanjirou asked nervously.

"We're trying to decide our seating arrangements," Rengoku answered exuberantly. "Kochou, I do not believe it is wise to let them sit together."

Shinobu nodded after a moment. "Very well."

Nezuko shifted closer to Tanjirou, clutching his checkered haori.

"We're not going to try anything," Tanjirou protested.

"Correct, because you two will be separated," Rengoku nodded. "I'm glad you understand."

"But - " Tanjirou sighed heavily. "Fine. Sorry Nezuko."

"She can sit next to me," Shinobu said, stepping aside to let Nezuko have the window seat.

Nezuko tilted her head, looking at Tanjirou questioningly, to which he just shrugged helplessly. She must've understood because she let go of his haori and slid into her seat. Shinobu sat down after her, Kanao taking a seat across from them.

Meanwhile, Tanjirou and Rengoku sat on the other side of the aisle, the Flame Pillar sitting with perfect posture.

With a loud whistle, the train began moving once more, Tanjirou tensing up for an instant before relaxing. He looked out the window as the train picked up speed. The landscape blurred around them.

"Amazing," he breathed before turning back and catching sight of Kanao staring intently at him. When their eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze, looking away.

Bemused, Tanjirou glanced over to check if Nezuko was doing alright - just in time to see Nezuko close her eyes and lean over to rest her head on Shinobu's shoulder.

Shinobu stiffened, her entire body going taut.

Rengoku noticed immediately. "What's the matter, Kochou - " he faltered as he took in the situation.

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou whisper-shouted, but Nezuko didn't give any indication that she had heard; she was fast asleep. "I'm so sorry!" he apologized profusely to Shinobu. "Nezuko doesn't eat any humans, so she has to sleep a lot to compensate. I guess she's really tired today."

"It's fine," Shinobu smiled. It evidently wasn't fine, judging by how strained her smile was. The Insect Pillar tensed up even more when Nezuko nuzzled deeper into her shoulder, a soft contented sigh escaping her.

"I can switch places if you want," Tanjirou offered.

Shinobu shook her head. "No," she smiled. "I'll be fine."

"I don't think I've ever seen a demon sleep before," Rengoku said.

"Since Nezuko and I don't eat humans, we recover our energy by sleeping," Tanjirou explained.

Rengoku nodded. "I see, I see."

They fell into a silence for several minutes, Tanjirou returning to staring at the scenery out the window.

The silence was broken when a train attendant walked up to them. "Hello," she smiled. "Would you like to order a bento for dinner?"

Shinobu nodded. "I'll have two, please."

"Beef or pork?"

"Beef for me, and..." Shinobu paused, glancing at Kanao. Kanao merely smiled back at her. Shinobu sighed. "Two beefs, actually."

"Thank you for your order," the train attendant turned to Rengoku and Tanjirou. "And what about you two gentlemen?"

"I shall have ten bentos, five beef and five pork please!" Rengoku said with a large smile.

The attendant blinked. "Pardon?"

"I said, I shall have ten bentos, five beef and five pork please!" Rengoku repeated.

"... could you pay upfront for that?"

Rengoku nodded, taking out a wallet. "How much will it be?"

Only after the attendant had the money in her hands did she smile. "Thank you for your order, sir. And what about you?" she asked, directing her gaze at Tanjirou.

Tanjirou shook his head. "Nothing for me. Thank you, though."

The train attendant left and swiftly returned with their orders, having to make multiple trips due to how many bentos Rengoku had bought.

"Itadakimasu," the demon slayers muttered before digging in.

Tanjirou stared forlornly at Rengoku's meal for a moment before letting out a silent sigh. As a demon, he was unable to eat normal human food; it all tasted like ash to him.

"Delicious!" Rengoku uttered, startling Tanjirou out of his thoughts. "Delicious!" Another bite. "Delicious!" Another bite. "Delicious!"

... right. So apparently, the Flame Pillar was extremely eccentric.

"So tell me, Tanjirou," Shinobu began after she finished her meal, "How did you and Tomioka meet?"

"I was burying my family," Tanjirou recalled. "Tomioka thought that I killed them, so he attacked me. He easily defeated me and I should've died but for some reason, he spared me."

"Do you know why?"

Tanjirou shrugged. "I don't know. He just stopped in the middle of this sword strike."

Shinobu sighed. "Of course he did." She tilted her head. "Also, during the Pillar Meeting, you mentioned that your goal was to turn Nezuko back into a human. What about yourself? Do you not desire to turn yourself back into a human as well?"

"I do," Tanjirou confirmed. "But... Nezuko comes first, no matter what. Me becoming a human again is secondary in priority."

Shinobu hummed. "You must love your sister very much."

Tanjirou nodded. "She's the only family I have left."

Shinobu's gaze softened. "I understand," she murmured. "One more thing. Back on Mount Natagumo..." her purple eyes pierced into his pink ones. "Why did you save Kanao?"

Kanao straightened imperceptibly in her seat as her eyes flickered over to look at Tanjirou, awaiting his answer.

"Because I didn't want her to die," he replied.

"Why?" Shinobu pressed.

Tanjirou scrunched up his eyebrows, confused. "Do I need a reason to not want someone to die?"

Shinobu blinked, taken aback.

"A person's life is precious," Tanjirou continued. "To take it away..." his eyes narrowed as memories of his family's bloody and broken bodies flashed across his mind. "It's something truly unforgivable."

Rengoku laughed spiritedly. "Well said! You may be a demon, but your ideals are certainly noble. I approve!"

Shinobu regarded Tanjirou with an indecipherable gaze. He met her gaze, his pink eyes sincere and unyielding.

"I see," she finally murmured. "Hey, I never did thank you for saving Kanao, did I?" She smiled brilliantly at Tanjirou, and it seemed a shade more genuine than before. "Thank you."

Tanjirou's eyes widened before he blushed slightly. "I-It's what anyone would've done."

"Not any demon," she said simply.

Throughout all this, Kanao was just quietly watching Tanjirou.

They settled in a more comfortable silence than before as the train rumbled along.

A ticket conductor approached them, his movements slow and lethargic. "Your tickets, please," he mumbled.

They each handed the conductor their tickets, Shinobu having to rouse Nezuko, and the conductor punched holes into them.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Click.

And thus, the nightmare began.

Chapter Text

Tanjirou frowned in confusion, glancing around at his surroundings.

Huh? Where was he? This was the... snowy forest of his hometown? Why was he here? Wasn't he on the train -

"Nii-chan?"

His breath hitched.

XxX

Rengoku stared down at the tatami mats.

His father's words... hurt. Rengoku didn't show it and he would never admit it, but... It still definitely hurt.

He still remembered a time back when his father acted like a father.

He missed those days.

XxX

Shinobu blinked.

She was kneeling down in a seiza position, her Nichirin blade in front of her.

Where was she? What just happened?

Ah, that was right. She remembered this day. She had just returned from a meeting with Oyakata-sama where he had appointed her as the Insect Pillar. However, instead of feeling satisfaction or pride in her achievement, all Shinobu had felt was an overwhelming sense of loss and sorrow because she wasn't there to see it -

"You became a Pillar? I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it!"

Shinobu's purple eyes widened in pure, unadulterated shock at the familiar voice. She whirled around and promptly froze, her brain unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

Kochou Kanae was standing there with a happy smile on her face. "Oh, we need to go out to celebrate tonight! I can't believe my little sister is a Pillar now."

"Kanae?" Shinobu breathed disbelievingly.

Kanae smiled. "Yes?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I... don't remember what I was about to say," Shinobu frowned slightly, looking puzzled before shaking her head and smiling. "Anyway, a new restaurant opened up the other day. Shall we go there?"

Kanae nodded. "Sure! I'll go call Kanao and the girls."

As they made their way to the city, Shinobu was struck by just how different Kanao was. The younger girl was talking with Aoi and the others, openly giggling and laughing with them. She looked like a normal girl.

Shinobu smiled. "Kanao seems happy," she said quietly. "I'm glad."

Out of nowhere, Kanae poked her on the cheek. Shinobu jolted away with a small yelp before glowering at Kanae.

"Now now," Kanae said in a teasing tone, "Just because you're a Pillar now doesn't mean you need to start acting all old and wise. You're still my adorable little sister."

"I wasn't - " Shinobu let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh whatever."

Kanae laughed.

XxX

Nezuko narrowed her eyes at the sudden change in her surroundings, her pupils beginning to dilate and her claws beginning to lengthen.

Then all the tension dissipated from her body as she felt a pleasant sensation on her head.

"Ah, Nezuko," Tanjirou smiled warmly as he patted Nezuko's head. "My little sister really is the cutest!"

Nezuko stared at him for a moment before her pupils and claws returned to normal. It was just a normal day, after all. Nothing to be alarmed about.

"She really is," Shinobu agreed as she too gave Nezuko a headpat. She had an intoxicating scent, sweet yet oddly dangerous. Nezuko wasn't sure if she liked it very much. However, the headpats were nice.

A flicker of movement to her side. She turned to see Kanao standing next to Shinobu. Nezuko regarded her for a second, Kanao merely staring back with a blank smile.

Then, Nezuko reached out and patted Kanao on the head.

Kanao blinked but Nezuko had already shifted her attention to Rengoku, who was standing off to the side. Nezuko wasn't sure where he came from - she hadn't sensed him at all - but she didn't question it.

"Ah, I see! You wish to have a headpat from me as well, don't you!" Rengoku smiled spiritedly. "Then I shall give it my all!"

And his hand came down on Nezuko's head with surprising gentleness. Nezuko closed her eyes and basked in the warmth for several seconds. Then her pink eyes snapped open and she suddenly began running away.

"Hey, Nezuko! Where are you going!" Tanjirou called.

Nezuko didn't look back, instead continuing to advance. Finally, when she was a good distance away, she stopped.

Giyuu, who was leaning against a tree, opened his eyes and looked down at her.

Nezuko looked back up at him with an expectant gaze.

No words were exchanged from either of them.

Slowly, silently, Giyuu reached out with a hand and patted her on the head.

Nezuko let out a contented sigh, her eyelids drifting shut.

Headpats, she decided, were nice.

XxX

Kanao watched the butterfly settle on her finger with a serene smile on her face. She recognized the butterfly as a purple emperor. As its name suggested, it had purple wings with a black outline.

"Kanao!"

Her thoughts were cut off as she felt arms wrap around her, drawing her into a warm embrace.

"I missed you!" the voice continued.

Kanao froze.

She knew that voice.

"... Kanae?" she asked hesitantly.

The person pulled back to reveal Kochou Kanae smiling at her. "I'm finally back from my mission! Have you been doing well?"

Kanao just stared at her, refusing to believe her eyes.

"Say, do you know where Aoi is? I bought her a small souvenir that I think she'll like - "

Kanae was abruptly cut off when Kanao lunged forward and hugged her tightly, her entire body quivering like a leaf.

Kanae looked startled before she smiled and returned the hug. "I'm back now, Kanao," she murmured softly. "I'm back."

XxX

"You know what to do," the mouth on the severed hand said, turning away from the unconscious conductor. "Don't mess this up, else you'll never return to your dream."

The assorted people nodded their heads, grim looks of determination on their faces.

Perhaps if they were in their normal states of mind, they would've hesitated and thought twice about what they were about to do.

But they weren't.

How could they be, when they weren't in their dreams?

XxX

They reached the restaurant, ordering Shinobu's favorites to celebrate her becoming a Pillar. The food was delicious and afterward Kanao went to go play with the other girls outside, leaving Shinobu alone with Kanae.

As the waiter came to clear their plates away, Kanae suddenly spoke. "You know, I'm really happy," she smiled. "My dream is finally about to be achieved."

Shinobu blinked. "Your dream? You mean your dream for humans to get along with demons?"

"Yup!" Kanae said delightfully. "That's the one."

Shinobu smiled bemusedly. "Why would you think that? There are no indications that demons are even remotely close to coexisting peacefully with humans."

Kanae raised an eyebrow. "Really? Are you absolutely certain about that?"

Shinobu opened her mouth to respond but then paused when the world shifted, colors turning muted and time seemingly slowing around them.

"Because," Kanae continued - though they weren't in a restaurant anymore but rather in a clearing in the Butterfly Estate, butterflies flying around them, the moon and stars shining in the night sky. "I think that Tanjirou and Nezuko are pretty close." She smiled. "Don't you agree?"

Shinobu froze, her blood turning to ice.

"... what?"

XxX

This is a dream, Tanjirou thought frantically as he was confronted by the faces of his family. This isn't real. This is a dream this is a dream this is a dream.

"Don't leave us," Rokuta begged, his lips quivering.

Tanjirou gritted his teeth before turning around and running away, tears flowing freely from his eyes.

It... It wasn't fair. This was the life he would've had - should've had if Kibutsuji Muzan hadn't massacred his entire family.

XxX

Everything had been going so well.

She had located the Flame Pillar's spiritual core and was about to pierce it with the bone awl, crippling him forever. All according to plan.

And then things went catastrophically wrong.

In the real world, through nothing but pure force of instinct, Rengoku's hand shot out and grabbed the girl by the throat. She choked, and the only reason she was still alive was because it was ingrained into every grain of the Flame Pillar's being to never hurt someone weaker than himself.

The sheer strength of Rengoku's willpower had allowed him to bypass the spell and react to the threat in the physical world. However, they were now in a stalemate. The girl couldn't attack his spiritual core, but neither could Rengoku wake up.

All they could do now was wait for something to happen. And something did.

XxX

The brown-haired girl finally found the outer boundaries of the dream, tearing through it with a bone awl. She stumbled through the opening, pausing momentarily as she took in her surroundings.

She was standing on the surface of what appeared to be a lake, stretching as far as the eye could see in all directions. A crimson blood moon hung in the sky, and under its red glow, the water looked like blood.

Wait.

She inhaled deeply. A metallic scent filled her nose.

It didn't just look like blood - it was blood. What sort of subconscious was this? Was she in the mind of a serial killer or something?!

But she didn't have time to dwell on that. She needed to return to the dream. And to return to the dream, she needed to destroy the spiritual core.

She quickly began searching for the spiritual core. However, no matter where she looked, she couldn't find it.

A flicker of movement caught her eye. Curiosity overtook her for a second, temporarily quashing her desire for the dream, and she knelt down, staring at her reflection in the red liquid. There were faint ripples across the surface of the blood, though there was no wind and she wasn't moving at all.

She frowned. Strange. What could be causing the blood to ripple?

Unless...

Steeling herself, she reached out and touched the blood with her hand, first cautiously, then with reckless abandon as she plunged her entire arm in.

She gasped when she felt cool air on her hand. There was open space underneath the lake. What in the world?

...perhaps the spiritual core was hidden beneath the lake of blood?

She took her bone awl and dragged the sharp tip through the surface of the blood. It cut through effortlessly, separating before her to reveal what was underneath.

She furrowed her brows at what she saw. There was a girl sleeping peacefully on a futon, her hands folded across her stomach. Her frown deepened as she realized something. The sleeping girl looked similar to the girl in the pink kimono whose dream she had entered on the train, though there were some small differences.

There shouldn't be anyone inside a person's subconscious. This was unnatural. A split personality or something?

Whatever the case, this must be where the spiritual core was hidden.

Taking a deep breath, she plunged through the opening, wrinkling her nose as blood soaked her clothes before dropping to the ground with a thud. She winced in pain before scanning the room she was in. The walls looked old and shabby, as if she was in an old ancestral home.

The spiritual core was hovering in the corner of the room. It looked... faded. A muted yellow color, as if it had once been as bright as the sun but now it was just a dim sphere. A shadow of its former self. What could've caused this?

Well, no matter.

She thrust the bone awl at the spiritual core.

It didn't hit.

Blood had flowed into the room through the opening above, knocking the spiritual core out of the way in a rushing current so it wouldn't get pierced.

Even more blood surged into the room, drenching the girl completely. She spluttered in shock and disgust but regained her wits, forging forward and grabbing the spiritual core, refusing to let go.

"I've got you now," she muttered, a wild look in her eyes.

With a scream, she forcefully brought down the bone awl onto the spiritual core.

Exploding Blood.

The bone awl was just mere millimeters away from hitting when all the blood in the room burst into vibrant red flames, engulfing the room in an inferno.

The brown-haired girl screamed.

XxX

"Shinobu tells me that you've been stalking Tanjirou recently," Kanae said, a teasing glint entering her eyes. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Kanao didn't flush red, but those who knew her well enough could easily tell that she was flustered. Unfortunately for her, Kanae was one of the two people in the world that was close enough to Kanao, so she reacted predictably. That was, she raised her hand to her mouth in shock before a gleeful smile spread across her face.

"Ara ara," Kanae's eyes were filled with mirth. "My little sister really is growing up. So, what is it that you like about him? Is it his smile? His personality? His dark red eyes-?"

"Pink."

Kanae blinked. "Sorry?"

"He has pink eyes, not dark red," Kanao said, a growing sense of dread building up inside of her.

Kanae smiled. "Oh, I see."

There was a moment of silence.

"You're not real, are you," Kanao finally murmured.

Kanae laughed lightly. "Who knows? Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Reality becomes blurred when in a dream. In the end, it's up to you." She smiled. "I like to think I'm real though."

Kanao nodded slowly.

"You didn't answer my question, by the way," Kanae said suddenly, a teasing glint appearing in her eyes. "Consider it a gift to your elder sister?"

Kanao's eyes widened before she quickly regained her composure. "His smile," she finally answered quietly. "It was... warm. Like you."

Kanae blinked in surprise before she beamed at her. "I see. That's good." She let out a contented sigh. "I'm really glad I was able to have this talk with you, Kanao." She tilted her head. "Ah, I almost forgot to mention." Her expression became impossibly gentle. "It's fine that you didn't cry. I understand."

Kanao's breath caught.

"Oh, and do me a favor?" Kanae gave her one last bright smile. "Try to live for yourself, alright? Listen to what your heart tells you."

Kanao hesitated for only a moment before nodding.

And the world around her disappeared in a sea of red flames.

XxX

Rengoku let out a thoughtful hum as his younger brother continued practicing his sword swings. His eyes unfocused for a moment before regaining clarity.

"Oh, I understand now!" he exclaimed.

Senjuro glanced at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Rengoku smiled at him. "This entire time, I was confused as to why my instincts were screaming at me. This is a dream, is it not?"

"Huh? What are you saying?"

"In which case..." Rengoku gave a single nod. "Farewell, little brother! I'll meet you again in the real world in a few hours."

And the world around him disappeared in a sea of red flames.

XxX

"Tanjirou."

Tanjirou's heart constricted painfully even before he consciously recognized the familiar voice. He knew that he shouldn't look back. But it was too hard. He whirled around to see his father smiling at him.

"You've grown strong," his father said. "I'm proud of you."

Tanjirou's eyes watered. "F-Father... I-I can't stay."

"I know," the older man reached out and placed a comforting hand on Tanjirou's shoulder. "Continue protecting Nezuko. Know that I will always love you two, no matter what."

Tanjirou nodded, feeling a hard lump in his throat.

His father smiled at him, a smile of pure joy and pride. "Now Tanjirou... Dance."

And the world around him disappeared in a sea of red flames.

XxX

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?" Kanae remarked. "Two peaceful demons. Demons who protect humans - who saved Kanao. It's truly amazing."

"You're not real, are you?" Shinobu said, backing away slowly.

Kanae laughed. "Oh, my dear little sisters. You two really are similar, huh?" Shinobu frowned, confused. "Who knows?" Kanae continued. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Reality becomes blurred when in a dream. In the end, it's up to you." She smiled knowingly, as if she was enjoying an inside joke. "I like to think I'm real though."

Shinobu simply stared at her, transfixed.

Kanae placed a gentle hand on Shinobu's cheek, smiling brightly. "That being said... You have the perfect opportunity in front of you. I won't try to push my ideals onto you, but... just give them a chance, will you?"

Shinobu swallowed. "Yeah," she said quietly, her ever present smile nowhere to be seen. "I will."

Kanae beamed at her. "Thank you. I love you, Shinobu."

"I love you too," Shinobu whispered. "Wait, but how are you - "

"Now then... I believe you have a mission to attend to. Wake up, little sister."

And Kochou Shinobu opened her eyes.

XxX

Flames. Bright, crimson flames were the first thing the Insect Pillar saw. Understandably, she panicked for a moment before she realized that though she was in the middle of the inferno, it didn't hurt at all. It felt pleasantly warm, as if she was basking in the sun's rays.

It took her another moment to realize that the flames were being emitted by Nezuko. Shinobu tensed up, leaping out of her seat - and promptly colliding with Rengoku.

"My apologies!" Rengoku said. The Flame Pillar was gazing around at the flames, a contemplative expression on his face. "It appears that we owe our thanks to young Nezuko," he remarked. "She saved us."

"Huh?" Shinobu frowned, confused.

"Look at your wrist."

Shinobu glanced down to see a piece of rope tied around her wrist, still burning slightly from Nezuko's flames. And the aura the rope was emitting... She drew in a sharp breath.

"It's a Blood Demon Art," Rengoku confirmed. "Nezuko's flames were able to burn it away, and in doing so, allow us to awaken."

He glanced around at the smoldering inferno again. "Incredible!" Rengoku declared with a bright smile. "Absolutely incredible! As the Flame Pillar, I must say I approve!"

Shinobu nodded. Flames that were able to negate another demon's Blood Demon Art... It was definitely a priceless ability. Already, she was thinking of the possible applications it could have, the lives that could be saved as a result.

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou shouted. "Nezuko, it's alright now. You can stop the flames."

Nezuko, who had been sitting in the center of the inferno, gave no response that she heard. Then, she nodded and the flames died down. Quickly, she got up and ran to Tanjirou, hugging him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

Tanjirou smiled, patting her lightly on the head. "Thank you, Nezuko - "

He tensed up as Shinobu spun around to block a strike. Her brow furrowed when she realized that it was a human girl who had just attacked her with a bone awl. Three other humans joined her, each holding a bone awl.

"What are you doing?" Shinobu inquired politely.

"We need our dreams," the leader - a brown-haired girl with bags underneath her eyes - said before turning to a black-haired man sitting in the seat behind Tanjirou's. "Hey, you. You're awake, aren't you? I know you have tuberculosis, but if you don't help, you won't get your dreams - "

"I'm out," the black-haired man interrupted. "Good luck."

"What-?!" She collapsed. A second later, her comrades also collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Really?" Shinobu asked Rengoku in amusement, who was now standing on the other side of the cabin.

"I am already ashamed of myself for being caught off guard once!" he responded. "I'd rather it not happen again."

Shinobu laughed lightly. "Fair enough." She turned to Tanjirou and Kanao. "We need to locate the demon before it can do any more harm."

Tanjirou was already rushing to the door, opening it and stepping out onto the platform. Even in the strong wind, the scent was overpowering enough for him to determine its location. He quickly located the source of the scent. "It's coming from upwind!" he shouted.

Rengoku was next to him in an instant, flipping onto the roof of the train. "I see it!" he called down to the others. "This will only take a moment."

Then, he disappeared in a burst of speed, red-orange flames being left in his wake. The entire train shuddered, the metal groaning and creaking under the tremendous force.

Total Concentration. Flame Breathing. First Form. Unknowing Fire.

The demon didn't stand a chance. It was decapitated even before it could even use a single ability. The Flame Pillar was simply too fast.

Rengoku jumped back down next to Tanjirou, an exuberant grin on his face. "That was the Lower Moon One!" he informed them.

Tanjirou blinked. "Wait, what?"

"YOU!"

Tanjirou and Rengoku both jumped back as a decapitated head connected to a dark purple tentacle appeared in front of them. It had the kanji Waning One inscribed on its pupil, and its expression was furious.

"Not only do you behead me before I could even say anything," the demon ranted, "but you also leave before I could reveal that I was still - "

In an arc of flames, Rengoku decapitated the demon once more.

"There we go," he nodded satisfiedly, but then blinked when the tentacle lashed out and quickly reattached itself to the head.

"As I was saying," the demon growled, "This isn't my main body. While you all were asleep, I've fused myself with the train. I was originally going to have some fun with you all, but since you pissed me off, I'll just kill everyone on this train immediately." He smirked. "Prepare to die." With that, the tentacle and head receded, disappearing out of sight.

Suddenly, the entire train pulsed before flesh began rapidly growing on the interior of the cabins. Within seconds, everything was covered. Tentacles slowly began growing from the wall, ominously approaching the sleeping passengers.

Tanjirou tensed up, glancing around worriedly.

"Interesting," Shinobu mused, stepping forward. "The demon probably fused with the train because he hoped it would make him harder to kill."

Then, strangely, she laughed, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

"Huh? What's so funny?" Tanjirou asked in bewilderment. "Isn't that bad?"

Shinobu smiled amusedly. "I'm a poisons specialist."

"Oh." Tanjirou's eyes widened in realization as the dots connected in his mind. "Oh."

"Indeed."

With that, Shinobu drew her sword, twirling it around before stabbing it into the wall of flesh. Tanjirou smelled something sickly sweet - the scent of wisteria. A dark purple immediately began rapidly spreading from the contact point, branching outward like a bolt of lightning. Several moments later, a high-pitched scream sounded from the train itself before tentacles lashed out, latching onto the sleeping passengers' necks to crush their windpipes -

Before Rengoku and Tanjirou blurred, severing all the tentacles in all the train compartments in the literal blink of the eye. Rengoku had protected the front few compartments, Tanjirou took care of the rest.

The flesh began disintegrating, signifying that the demon was dying. Shinobu was perhaps the worst opponent the Lower Moon One could've had - her poison directly countered his fusion.

Fortunately, the train hadn't been on a curve, otherwise it might've derailed. While it did bounce up and down a little due to the scream and tremors, it remained on the tracks.

Rengoku laughed. "The demon clearly chose the wrong Pillar to pick a fight with. Good work, Kochou."

He blinked a cat materialized out of nowhere, startling the demon slayers.

"Chachamaru!" Tanjirou said with a smile as he took out the syringe. "I need to collect the blood so a cure could be created," he explained to the others as he siphoned the blood from the still-disintegrating flesh into the syringe before placing it into the box on the cat's back. The cat promptly disappeared afterward, off to deliver the blood to Tamayo.

Rengoku, Shinobu, and Kanao stared at where the cat once was.

"What?" Tanjirou asked, a bit defensively.

"How fascinating!" Rengoku exclaimed. "However, that's a topic for another time. Come, let us ensure that everyone is safe!"

Tanjirou and Kanao nodded, going along with Rengoku to check on the passengers. Shinobu remained behind, eyeing the still-standing black-haired man who hadn't attacked them.

She had something she wanted to ask him.

XxX

"We found him."

"Finally! I've been going crazy staying in this confusing place. Where is he?"

"With the Lower Moon One. There are two Pillars with him, as well as another demon slayer." A contented sigh. "I'm so excited. Two of them are girls."

"You're disgusting, man, you know that? But whatever. Hopefully, they will be strong. Is the Lower Moon One still alive?"

"No, he died instantly to the Flame and Insect Pillar."

"Tch. Weak. Anyway, let's go. I've been itching for a fight for ages. Hey, Nakime. Mind using your biwa to get us the hell out of here?"

The thrum of the string echoed throughout the now empty fortress.

XxX

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair it wasn't fair IT WASN'T FAIR!

He didn't get to do anything yet. He had received so much of Kibutsuji's blood, but he died in a single instant anyway. All of his strategies, all of his meticulously crafted plans, all down the drain.

Why was the Flame Pillar so fast? Why was he so strong? Why was he able to behead him before he could use his Blood Demon Art to force him to go to sleep?

And that other Pillar. The Insect Pillar. She had looked so weak, he doubted she even had the arm strength to cut through his neck. But in the end, that didn't even matter, because she used poison. That had to be cheating. She didn't even fight him - she just stabbed his flesh, and his body broke apart.

There was so much he wanted to do... so much he didn't get to do...

It wasn't fair.

Ah... What a terrible nightmare this was.

XxX

Shinobu twirled her blade before sheathing it. Since the demon had been so large after fusing, she'd had to inject all the poison stored in the blade. Her modified sheath slowly began reloading the poison into her Nichirin blade.

She turned to the black-haired man who hadn't fought - the only one Rengoku didn't knock out. He was still sitting in the seat behind Tanjirou's.

"Hello there," Shinobu began, smiling.

He looked up at her, and Shinobu was briefly taken aback to see tears in his eyes.

"Why didn't you try to attack us?" she asked curiously.

He was silent for a moment. "The ropes given to us by the demon allowed us to enter your subconscious realm," he explained. "We were supposed to destroy your spiritual core."

Shinobu's eyes widened in shock. A demon slayer's power originated from their spiritual core; all their sword techniques were fueled by their spiritual energy - their swordsman spirit, so to speak. In turn, their spiritual energy was controlled and amplified by their breathing techniques.

The elements generated by the Breathing Styles - water, flames, flowers, lightning, and so on - were simply illusionary manifestations of a demon slayer's swordsman spirit. For example, Water Breathing didn't actually create water; it created the illusion of water formed from the swordsman spirit drawn from the spiritual core.

Of course, while it was an illusion, it was still capable of doing damage because illusion or not, it was still concentrated swordsman spirit. For instance, Shinobu knew from Kanae that Urokodaki, the previous Water Pillar, had required all his students to cut a massive boulder in half in a single strike.

Naturally, it was impossible to do normally. No matter how strong a person was, their sword simply wouldn't be long enough to cut through a boulder in a single strike. It didn't have the necessary length. However, the illusionary water was able to lengthen their slice and allow them to cut a boulder in half.

Shinobu supposed it would be more accurate to say that the elements themselves were the illusions, but the swordsman spirit was real and could affect the physical world. You couldn't get wet from the "water" from Water Breathing, yet the swirling tides could still rip you apart.

And if the spiritual core was damaged or even destroyed... Best case scenario, the demon slayer would just be unable to use any Breathing Styles anymore. Worst case scenario, their entire consciousness would be destroyed forever, and they would suffer total brain death.

Shinobu breathed another silent thanks to Nezuko for saving them with her Blood Demon Art. She shuddered to think what would've happened if the ropes hadn't been burned in time.

"And when I entered the subconscious of the kid with pink eyes," the man continued, "it was beautiful. The air was fresh and the skies were clear. I was met with these little sprites - incarnations of his soul. And... And even though I was trying to destroy his spiritual core," a tear trickled down his cheek, "the sprites still led me straight to it. Just because I needed to."

The man looked at her, his cheeks still stained with tears. "He was just... so warm," he smiled, his entire face lighting up with joy at the memory. "It reminded me of a time when I wasn't sick and in constant pain. It reminded me of hope."

Nezuko walked up to him. Shinobu eyed her warily, relaxing when Nezuko merely reached up and patted the man on the head.

He gave a quiet laugh. "After I saw all that... How could I possibly try to fight you all afterward?"

Shinobu regarded him for a moment. Then, she smiled.

"Come by my clinic after this is over. I think I can help with your tuberculosis."

His eyes widened before he bowed deeply. "Thank you. I am in your debt."

Shinobu inclined her head before turning to where Rengoku and the others had returned.

"All the passengers are safe," Rengoku reported. "They're still fast asleep."

Shinobu nodded. "That's good to hear. Now that the Lower Moon One has been exterminated, I think it's safe to say the mission is complete - "

She was cut off when a loud BOOM ripped through the air and the entire train tilted sideways before derailing, flying off the tracks.

Even as Shinobu flipped in midair to land lightly on her feet, she frowned.

What just happened? A malfunction? An attack?

"What was that?" Tanjirou asked worriedly once everything settled around them. Thankfully, none of the passengers had awakened in the ruckus - probably due to the residual effect of the sleep Blood Demon Art. A good thing, because mass panic was the last thing they needed right now. "Is this normal for trains-?"

His breath stopped.

"What's wrong?" Shinobu instantly asked.

"Demons," Tanjirou said, his tone tense. "Three of them. They have the strongest scents of Kibutsuji I've smelled out of all the demons I've met so far."

Shinobu's eyes widened slightly. "You don't mean - "

Tanjirou nodded grimly. For the first time since the demon slayers had met him, his pink eyes were narrowed.

"I think all three of them are Upper Moons."

The demon slayers stilled.

"Three Upper Moons, huh?" For once, Rengoku's voice was quiet, his expression deadly serious. "I see - "

His eyes widened before he suddenly leaped back. Not a moment too soon, because an invisible missile of condensed air crashed through the window a second later, forming a miniature crater behind him.

"Hey, hey!" a voice called through the newly formed opening. "Are you guys coming out, or do I have to come in?"

They exchanged silent glances before Rengoku slashed his sword in a circular arc, cutting a hole in the side of the train. They all quickly got out, blades at the ready.

Standing in front of them were three demons that practically radiated power.

A red-haired man with black tattoos covering his entire body grinned lazily at them. The kanji Waxing Three was inscribed on his pupil. The Upper Moon Three.

A tall man with blonde hair dressed in some sort of religious clothing smiled from behind his fan. He had bloodstains on the top of his head, and the kanji Waxing Two was inscribed on his pupil. The Upper Moon Two.

And finally...

Tanjirou drew in a sharp breath. The third demon was the most monstrous out of all of them, with six glaring red-and-yellow eyes, and yet, despite that... It was unmistakable.

He looked like Yoriichi.

But how-?

The memory of Yoriichi's words flashed through him.

I had an older brother once. He willingly became a demon and killed countless innocents with the same skills I had taught him. He betrayed me in his own pursuit of power.

Tanjirou's eyes widened. "There's no way," he breathed quietly.

"Why hello there! It's very nice to meet you." The Upper Moon Two called cheerfully. "My name is Douma. How are you all doing this fine evening?"

"I am doing well, thank you," Rengoku responded automatically even as he lowered into a stance. "And you?"

Douma chuckled. "Well, it hasn't been great so far, but..." he eyed Shinobu and Kanao. His smile widened. "It's about to get a lot better."

Tanjirou glanced over at Shinobu nervously. Her customary smile had completely disappeared, replaced by a cold, impassive gaze that barely concealed her overwhelming fury. The scent of pure hatred cascaded off her in waves, and her hands were trembling slightly - not from fear, but rather a devastating anger that refused to be quelled.

"Douma, the Upper Rank Two," she began softly, dangerously, "He's the one who killed my sister." Kanao tensed up at that. Shinobu's eyes flashed with venom. "He's mine."

Douma merely smiled apologetically at Shinobu. "Your sister? I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more specific. I've eaten many people's sisters - "

His gaze flickered down to the haori she was wearing and recognition entered his eyes. "Ah. You mean the Flower Breath girl from before?" Shinobu's suddenly murderous glance confirmed his guess. "I see. She was such a sweet and cute girl. I missed out on eating her because of the sun coming up, if I recall correctly." He sighed dejectedly. "It was truly tragic."

"You..." Shinobu seethed.

Douma clapped his hands together happily. "Don't worry, though. Since I didn't get a chance to eat your sister, I'll make sure to savor you instead - "

He coughed as the Upper Moon Three promptly turned around and planted a fist in his gut. Literally. Blood dripped out from the wound as the Upper Moon Three extracted his fist, leaving behind a gaping hole that was already regenerating.

"Akaza," Douma whined, not even looking pained. "What was that for?"

"For being a disgusting creep," Akaza responded, his eyes narrowed. "I'm here to have a good fight, not to watch you be a repulsive lowlife."

Douma sighed. "You really need to learn to enjoy life more."

"Both of you. Silence. We don't have much time before the sun rises."

They both instantly fell silent as the Upper Moon One stepped forward, his gaze focused on Tanjirou. Or rather, focused on his hanafuda earrings and his black Nichirin blade.

"So it's true," The Upper Moon One murmured. "Tell me, boy. How did you come to possess that sword and those earrings?"

Tanjirou gazed at him warily. "The earrings were passed down in my family for generations. And as for the sword... Well, that's a secret."

The Upper Moon One narrowed all six of his eyes.

"You're Master Yoriichi's brother, aren't you?" Tanjirou asked a question of his own.

The Upper Moon One blinked in genuine shock. He hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "I see you're extremely well-informed. Yes, you are correct. I am Tsugikuni Michikatsu, though I am currently known as Kokushibo, the Upper Moon One. We were sent here by that man to kill you, Kamado Tanjirou."

He drew his sword, a massive frightening blade with several spikes poking out from the side, and leveled it at Tanjirou. Akaza lowered into a martial arts stance while Douma snapped his fan shut, smiling in anticipation.

Kokushibo tilted his head as he gazed coldly at Tanjirou.

"Prepare to die."

Chapter Text

"I'm not alive."

Tanjirou blinked, distinctly wondering if he had misheard. Perhaps the exhaustion and pain of the training session had addled his mind. "I'm sorry, what did you just say? I don't think I heard you correctly."

Yoriichi turned to regard him with emotionless eyes. "I'm not alive," he repeated, his expression completely serious.

Tanjirou laughed nervously. "What are you talking about? Of course you're alive. You're standing here talking to me, aren't you? Besides, I don't think a dead man could beat me up like you just did ten minutes ago."

"I don't know," the elderly man mused. "With the way you fight, I think a dead man would have a decent fighting chance."

Tanjirou paused. Did – did Yoriichi just make a joke? Then his words registered in his mind. "Hey!" he protested. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Yoriichi's lips twitched. "I'm jesting. You've improved drastically in the last few months, Tanjirou." Then his gaze sharpened. "Anyhow, I meant what I said. I'm not alive, Tanjirou. I died four hundred years ago. Right now, I am here as nothing more than a spirit."

"A ghost?"

Yoriichi nodded. "In essence, yes."

"Huh," Tanjirou considered it. Well, demons existed, so why not ghosts? "Okay," he accepted before furrowing his brow slightly. "Hold on, so you've remained here at my family's ancestral home for the past four hundred years?"

Yoriichi nodded. "Yes."

"Why haven't you moved on to the afterlife yet?" Tanjirou asked curiously before his eyes widened. "Ah – I'm sorry! That was a rude question to ask."

"It's fine," Yoriichi looked up, gazing at the moon in the sky. "They say that people become ghosts when they have unfinished business left in life," he murmured. "Their spirits are tethered to the physical plane by an overwhelming sense of regret and the feeling that they cannot be allowed to move on."

Tanjirou frowned. "What do you regret?"

Yoriichi was silent for a long moment, so long that Tanjirou was worried he had crossed a line. Before he could apologize, however, his master spoke. "When I was alive, I was... strong. The strongest." He said this all in a matter-of-fact tone. "I was blessed with incredible abilities that were often described as godlike. From a young age, I had always wondered why. Why was it that I was the one chosen to possess such exceptional powers?"

He turned to Tanjirou. "I discovered the answer on the day I met Kibutsuji Muzan." His expression hardened, and Tanjirou unconsciously tensed up as Yoriichi's aura suddenly shifted. "The moment I laid eyes on that abomination, I understood. All my powers, all my abilities, all my skills – everything was for the sole purpose of slaying Kibutsuji Muzan. In that instant, I knew it was the reason I had been born in this world."

Tanjirou stared at him, speechless.

"However, I failed," Yoriichi's voice was low and full of self-loathing. "He escaped and hid away for the next century, and I never saw him again. I couldn't achieve what I was supposed to achieve. I am a man of no worth."

Tanjirou's heart clenched at his words. "That's not true!"

"It isn't? Why not? I was never able to protect anything precious to me. My comrades slowly perished due to the marks I had spread to them. Countless innocent lives were lost because I let him escape. My own wife and unborn child were slaughtered because of my foolishness."

Tanjirou drew in a sharp breath, eyes widening.

"I couldn't even protect your family because direct interference is forbidden to spirits by the natural laws of this world," Yoriichi closed his eyes in pain. "I'm a failure, Kamado Tanjirou. I appreciate you saying otherwise, but it is the truth. Otherwise, I would not still be here, living on as a spirit."

"So you're to stay here forever, doomed to never move on?" Tanjirou asked desperately.

Yoriichi hummed. "Who knows? I personally like to think that if I ever find someone to pass the torch to, someone who I fully trust will be able to end Kibutsuji Muzan, then I'll be able to finally move on."

Tanjirou was silent for a moment. Then his face set in determination. "I'll work hard and grow strong enough to kill Kibutsuji Muzan," he vowed solemnly. "You can leave it to me."

And Yoriichi smiled. "I'm glad."

「」

Now, years later, as he stood across from the three Upper Demon Moons, Tanjirou once again reflected on the promise he had made to Yoriichi. When he had set out with Nezuko on the journey, he had been confident that he would be able to defeat Kibutsuji Muzan.

Only for all his confidence to evaporate when he had fought Kibutsuji Muzan. If Kibutsuji Muzan hadn't run away like a coward, Tanjirou had no doubt that he would've lost. It had been a humbling experience, as well as a confusing one.

After all, why had Yoriichi allowed him to leave if Tanjirou wasn't ready? Why hadn't he trained Tanjirou for longer? Had he somehow misjudged Tanjirou's strength, or had Kibutsuji Muzan grown stronger than he had expected?

Tanjirou didn't understand. Yoriichi must've had a reason, but no matter how hard Tanjirou racked his brain, he couldn't arrive at an answer.

Regardless, Tanjirou didn't let his weakness crush his spirit. Giving up simply was not an option. Instead, he worked harder, trained harder, so hard his tendons tore and his bones cracked and his skin split. It hurt, but he had his demonic regeneration, and compared to the pain of losing his family it was negligible, and so he pushed on.

All so he could not only close the gap between himself and Kibutsuji Muzan but surpass him altogether.

And now, he had the chance to test himself, to see how much progress he had made and how far he had advanced.

The three Upper Demon Moons.

The three strongest demons under Kibutsuji Muzan's rule.

Kokushibou. Douma. Akaza.

Tanjirou narrowed his eyes as he readied his blade. A tense stillness had fallen over the battlefield as both sides regarded each other. It was immediately apparent to Tanjirou that the difference between the Upper Moons and Lower Moons was inconceivably vast. If there had been any hope that this battle would be as easy as the ones against the Lower Moons, it was immediately quashed.

The three Upper Demon Moons practically radiated power. From the relaxed martial art stance of Akaza to the lackadaisical smile of Douma to the overwhelming aura of Kokushibou, it was clear that even though they stood against two Hashiras and a practitioner of the Breath of the Sun itself, they were supremely confident in their abilities to crush them in an absolute victory.

An incredible pressure had settled over the clearing, weighing down on their bodies as if the air itself had grown heavier. Such was the raw presence the Upper Moons commanded.

It was fortunate, then, that they had Shinobu on their side.

Indeed, the collective auras of the three Upper Moons were nothing compared to the sheer hatred emitting from Shinobu's form. Veins pulsed on her face and neck and her purple eyes seemed several shades darker as she glared at the Upper Moon Two, pure unadulterated murderous intent rolling off her in waves. The tension in the air was nearly palpable, suffocating and chilling in its miasma.

It was rather terrifying, if Tanjirou had to be perfectly honest. She may not be the most powerful or the most skilled of them, but in terms of killing intent, she had them all beat.

"So Kibutsuji Muzan sent you three to kill Young Kamado?" Rengoku asked, stepping forward, his sword at the ready. All traces of cheer and joviality had disappeared from his face, replaced by a grim expression that told just how serious the current situation was.

"Yup!" Douma confirmed cheerfully. "That man is awfully set on having the boy's head be separated from his body."

"I see," Rengoku's eyes flickered. "Kamado, it appears that I owe you an apology – "

"Enough talk," Kokushibou interrupted, his voice cold and emotionless. "Under normal circumstances, I would offer to turn you demon slayers into demons, but unfortunately that man has commanded us to massacre every demon slayer here. A pity indeed, but unavoidable."

Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form. Catastrophe, Temple of Crescent Moons.

Tanjirou's eyes widened as Kokushibou swung his massive blade. Monstrous arcing slashes of moonlight layered with countless spiraling crescent blue moons scythed through the air in a devastating vortex of death that spanned nearly fifty meters in radius. It was as if a small mountain of death had come to life and was bearing down on them. The entire attack smelled demonic in nature; had Kokushibou somehow combined his Moon Breathing with his Blood Demon Art?!

Whatever the case, the tempest of blades rushed at them from all directions, curving through the air and ripping everything it grazed into shreds. Total obliteration was the only fate for anything caught in its path –

The train!

Panic flashed through Tanjirou's mind as he suddenly realized that if they dodged Kokushibou's attack, then the derailed train behind them would take the brunt of the attack. Everyone inside would surely be killed. Which meant they had to block the attack in its entirety.

The demon slayers appeared to have realized this as well and were already in the middle of utilizing their forms. But... damn it. Would they even be able to block it all? The attack was so powerful and fast, and if even a single crescent moon got through, then lives would be lost –

Next to him, Nezuko stepped forward, blinking once as she stared down the murderous vortex.

Then she raised her hand.

Blood Demon Art. Exploding Blood.

Bright crimson pink flames exploded outward, meeting the crescent moons head-on a mere millisecond before they struck. Instantly, the vortex erupted into a whirling inferno, the flames negating the attack and halting it in place. Though they were close enough that they could reach out to touch the flames if they wanted to, none of them were harmed; indeed, it felt warm and pleasant.

Tanjirou blinked before he smiled. "Good job, Nezuko." She had saved the entire train with her Blood Demon Art. Nezuko beamed at him happily.

"Impressive," Douma remarked, rainbow eyes wide with fascination once the inferno died down. "A Blood Demon Art that targets anything demonic in origin? How interesting – "

He paused. Primarily because of the sword that had slipped past his hand and pierced his eye. "Oh?"

Kokushibou was already moving, having swung down even before Douma was stabbed. However, it was blocked by a black Nichirin blade.

"That was reckless," Tanjirou growled. If he hadn't already entered Transparent World, then he wouldn't have seen Shinobu launch the surprise attack and been able to move in tandem with her to defend against the counterattack.

They both disengaged a moment later, leaping backward as Douma and Akaza respectively sent out ice lotus flowers and destructive shockwaves. Tanjirou slashed his sword across the air, vibrant red-orange flames blooming into existence and blocking the attacks. Akaza tried to rush after them, only to be driven back by a tiger of flames, courtesy of Rengoku.

"My thanks," Shinobu inclined her head as she immediately sheathed her sword.

Click.

"I'm impressed," Douma smiled, touching his eye with his fan. Blood was flowing out freely and the kanji in his eye was distorted. "That was one beautiful stab. I couldn't stop it in time. It's unfortunate, really, that you can't kill a demon by stabbing..." He blinked. "Oh. This is poison, isn't it?" He sighed. "How irritating – "

He cut off in a scream of pain, dropping down to his knees as the veins across his entire body turned a sickly purple. Blood splattered to the ground as he coughed, his entire body spasming and seizing.

"Poison?" Akaza repeated, a strange tinge to his voice as he stared down at Douma. Whereas before he had had an amiable smile on his face, now his entire presence seemed to have shifted, a cold, clinical quality to his gaze.

"Douma," Kokushibou said. "Decompose it."

"A bit easier – hah – said than done," Douma gasped out before a violent coughing fit racked his body. "But, well, if – if you insist – " And suddenly, the tremors abruptly left Douma's body as his veins pulsed before returning to normal, the purple tint receding. "Ah, that's better," he smiled at Shinobu as he stood up. "Looks like it didn't work. Now..." His rainbow eyes flashed, a kaleidoscope of colors. "My turn."

"Tanjirou! The forest!" Rengoku suddenly shouted.

Tanjirou understood immediately. If he remained here, then the train behind them would be in danger of getting caught in the crossfire of their fight. Since the Upper Moons were after Tanjirou, then if Tanjirou ran into the forest, then they would have to follow.

Douma slashed his fan across the air and whips of ice lashed outward, only to be countered by Rengoku. A cloud of dust and ice slivers billowed outward from the ensuing impact, demonic art clashing against swordsman spirit.

When the dust cleared, the demon slayers and two demons were gone.

Douma blinked. "Did they seriously just all run away?"

He turned to the side, looking at the forest to the left where they had disappeared off into, his posture unconcerned. Slowly, his face morphed into a smile. "I haven't been on a good chase lately. This will be amusing – "

He paused when he realized both Kokushibou and Akaza had already disappeared as well.

Douma sighed. "One of these days, someone will let me finish a sentence."

「」

Mere seconds after they entered the forest, purple beams of moonlight cut fissures through the ground behind them, forcing them to scatter; Rengoku to the right, Shinobu and Kanao to the left. A few seconds later, Tanjirou's eyes widened as Kokushibou seemingly materialized in front of him. He was fast – but then again, that was to be expected.

After all, this was a demon who had been alive for four hundred years. The demon who had clawed up the ranks to gain the title Upper Moon One itself.

And, more importantly, this was Yoriichi's older brother. The same brother who had perverted the techniques taught to him and used it to slaughter innocents, all in some depraved path to become the strongest.

For Yoriichi's sake, Tanjirou had to slay him. His sword brimmed with crimson flames as he charged, his practiced footwork accelerating him until he was just a streak in the air.

Kokushibou watched him approach impassively, his six demonic eyes not revealing anything. For some reason, Tanjirou got the feeling that Kokushibou was looking through him... Transparent World, he realized. Kokushibou was Yoriichi's brother; it made sense that he too would possess this power. And the black mark on his neck... A Demon Slayer Mark.

Well then. Tanjirou wouldn't hold any advantages there, it appeared. It would all come down to who had the superior swordsmanship.

Breath of the Sun, First Form. Waltz.

Tanjirou swung his sword downward, Kokushibou effortlessly blocking it with his own blade. A moment later, the second part of Waltz struck; a delayed arc of flames that followed the sword's path. The Upper Moon One merely twisted his blade, causing crescent moons to fly out and cut through the flames and continue toward Tanjirou.

Tanjirou immediately leaned back to avoid his counterattack before rushing forward again. They traded dozens of blows. Stab. Block. Spin. Slice. Parry. Stab –

He jumped backward, barely managing to dodge the rotating crescent moons that expanded outward suddenly. He narrowed his eyes.

In combining his Moon Breathing and his Blood Demon Art, Kokushibou had created a style that was uniquely difficult to fight. Tanjirou not only had to keep track of Kokushibou's massive blade but also the countless razor-sharp crescent moons that changed size at will.

"You're exceptionally skilled," Kokushibou complimented as he blocked a stab before sending out a wave of razor-sharp crescent moons that Tanjirou barely dodged. "You possess the same mark as I do, and you see the same world as I do."

Tanjirou spun around on his heel and unleashed a horizontal strike. Kokushibou blocked it before slashing down diagonally – and narrowing his eyes when his sword passed through Tanjirou's afterimage.

"He wasn't lying when he said that you knew the Breath of the Sun," Kokushibou mused as he suddenly spun around to block Tanjirou's downward slice, reacting perfectly to the attack that came from his blind spot.

Two streams of moonlight pierced toward Tanjirou, who was forced to leap back.

"I must ask. Are you one of Sumiyoshi's descendants?" Kokushibou asked almost nonchalantly.

Tanjirou froze, his entire body going still. Memories that were not his own flashed through his head. Inherited memories passed on through centuries. "How do you know that name?" he found himself whispering, his eyes wide.

"I came across records a few years ago written centuries ago by a simple coal burner," Kokushibou recounted. "It told of a man who could wield the powers of the sun itself. Apparently, the coal burner had been a good friend of this man."

Tanjirou felt as if he was just drenched in freezing water. A terrible, horrifying sensation nestled in the pit of his stomach, and his vision seemed to tunnel inward until Kokushibou's face was all he could see.

"If my brother had any children, there was a small chance he had left them with the coal burner's family," Kokushibou continued in that cultured voice of his. "If my brother's children intermarried with the coal burner's children, then that would mean there still existed descendants of my brother in this world. It was of little difficulty to track down where the coal burner had resided and then pass on the location to that man for him to investigate." He tilted his head. "I take it that you were one of the descendants?"

Tanjirou was completely, utterly silent.

This demon...

He was the one who had sent Kibutsuji Muzan to kill his family.

It was his fault that his mother, Rokuta, Shigeru, Takeo and Hanako were dead.

Everything that had happened...

It was because of Kokushibou.

An emotion welled up within him, crackling and hissing and burning as it spread throughout his entire body. It was not anger, it was not rage, it was not fury. Those emotions tended to be much more forthright, passionate, explosive.

This, however... This was like a toxic wildfire, a malignant pestilence that made him want to annihilate the demon standing in front of him. No, not just that – death was not enough. The desire to cause pain to this demon, the desire to torture this demon, the desire to make this demon suffer...

For the second time in his life, Tanjirou felt the withering hands of hatred grip his heart.

"You..." His entire body trembled not with pain or exhaustion but rather inextinguishable hatred as he glared at the Upper Moon One. "I'll fucking kill you."

Several of his veins burst as he pushed his Total Concentration Breathing to and past its limits. He barely registered the pain, far too focused on turning Kokushibou to ash. A snarl tore its way through his lips as flames sparked to life in the air, Tanjirou letting loose every technique his master had taught him.

The two demons exchanged untold numbers of blows. Moon Breathing against Sun Breathing. Bright roaring flames against crescent blades of demonic moonlight. The air around them literally became a whirlwind from the tremendous pressure exerted from their blows as the ground underneath was torn asunder.

Tanjirou gritted his teeth as he unleashed a flurry of chain attacks, unwilling to let up even for a single moment. He needed revenge. He needed to tear Kokushibou apart piece by piece. He needed to crush his bones and shred his muscles and gouge his eyes out –

Moon Breathing, Fifth Form. Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy.

It happened all in less than a second. As Tanjirou leaped back to avoid a devastating horizontal strike, Kokushibou flicked his blade and tens – no, hundreds of crescent moon blades intersecting with moonlight suddenly shot outward of his blade, instantly curving around and surrounding Tanjirou.

Tanjirou reacted immediately as the blades converged inward toward him.

Breath of the Sun, Tenth Form. Beneficent Radiance.

His muscles straining, Tanjirou leaped backward, spiraling so that the flames would coil around him, acting as a shield. The crescent moons were sharp and lethal, but the potent flames protected Tanjirou from harm –

Tanjirou's eyes widened as Kokushibou tensed up his upper body, bringing both arms backward before thrusting forward in a straight unbending beam of moonlight, his demonic sword lengthening as he manipulated the blade formed of his own flesh. It streaked forward, piercing through the flames and headed straight for Tanjirou's chest.

Breath of the Sun. Fourth Form. Fake Rainbow.

Tanjirou was already in the middle of utilizing advanced footwork to create an afterimage of himself and evade the thrust when Kokushibou stomped on the ground, sending tremors through the ground underneath and disrupting Tanjirou's footwork.

And then it was too late to dodge. Tanjirou hastily tried to block, but he could only offer up a paltry defense which Kokushibou easily penetrated. Tanjirou tensed up his body as he awaited for the blade to reach his chest.

He was a demon, fortunately, which meant it wouldn't be fatal for him, but it was still going to hurt immensely.

That was when the world around him erupted into bright crimson pink flames. The crescent moons were burned away as Kokushibou's blade was knocked away by a powerful kick, the sudden inferno warding the Upper Moon One off.

Nezuko growled at Kokushibou, her veins bulging and her normally calm pink eyes narrowed into slits. Then she turned around and –

Tanjirou blinked as his head snapped to the side. Kokushibou blinked as well, lowering his sword slightly. Slowly, Tanjirou raised his hand to touch his cheek. Unless he was mistaken, Nezuko had just slapped him in the face.

"Nezuko...?" he asked in confusion. "Why did you – "

He paused when he saw in her eyes blatant worry and concern and... frustration?

Ah. That was right.

After the fight against Kibutsuji Muzan, Tanjirou had promised Nezuko that they would defeat their enemies together, hadn't he? And yet, here he was once again rushing into a fight by himself, leaving her behind. Worse yet, she had watched him almost be impaled in the chest and had to save him.

He had really messed up.

"You're right," Tanjirou smiled. "Thank you, Nezuko. I'm sorry. Shall we fight him together, then?"

"Mmm!" Nezuko nodded, her eyes filled with more clarity than Tanjirou had ever seen before.

"How intriguing," Kokushibou observed, staring at Nezuko. "I can understand you being strong, as you possess breathing techniques. However, the demon girl cannot have eaten more than a few humans, yet she still holds such formidable power. And both of you are resistant to that man's control as well..." His gaze darkened. "It appears the world is still as unfair as ever."

"Huh?" Tanjirou frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Kokushibou shook his head. "It is of no matter," he dismissed. "Come, Kamado Tanjirou."

Tanjirou breathed in deeply, feeling his entire body tense up like a coiled spring, before he shot forward, Nezuko close behind him –

When they both abruptly came to a stop as something flew through the air in front of them, crashing through several trees before finally coming to a stop when it slammed into one particularly sturdy tree.

Tanjirou froze. Slowly, he turned to look – and drew in a sharp breath when he saw Rengoku's battered and bloodied form.

The Flame Hashira was not in good shape. The left side of his face was covered in blood, and his left eye was shut and slightly sunken in as if the eyeball beneath had caved in. He was bleeding from the stomach, and his flame haori was ripped and covered in dirt and wooden fragments.

"R-Rengoku?" Tanjirou's eyes were wide with shock and disbelief as he stared upon the Flame Hashira.

There was the sound of ice cracking to the left, causing Tanjirou to shift his gaze toward the source of the sound. A second later, Shinobu and Kanao flew through the air as well, barely dodging the shards of ice that streaked after them and landing in the clearing next to Rengoku. Tanjirou's eyes widened further as he took in the sight.

Shinobu was heavily injured – she had countless cuts scattered across her entire body, and blood had completely soaked through the upper left part of her uniform. She was limping slightly, and her arm was slung over Kanao's shoulder as the younger girl supported her weight.

Not that Kanao was in much better shape; she too had countless lacerations covering her body. She had a strange mark on her left cheek, and her breathing was heavily labored. As he watched, she coughed up blood, suggesting damage to the lungs. There was a large gash across her back, staining her white cloak with blood.

Tanjirou took a single hesitant step toward them, nearly lurching forward. He couldn't breathe; he felt as if his lungs were constricting as the scent of blood, delicious and exquisite and sickening, filled his nose. His mind couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

"... w-what?"

「」

When the purple beams of moonlight tore through the forest, Rengoku was forced to separate from the others in order to avoid the attack. He spared a brief moment to glance at the damage caused, his eyes flickering when he saw the massive fissures left behind. So this was the strength of an Upper Moon.

He quickly tried to regroup, but something crashed down to the ground before him, sending up a cloud of dust. Rengoku raised his sword as the dust slowly cleared to reveal the Upper Moon Three –

Total Concentration. Flame Breathing. Fourth Form. Blooming Flame Undulation.

Rengoku reacted immediately to Akaza suddenly crossing the distance in a flash, swinging his sword down in a circular arc in front of him and cutting off Akaza's hand. Not fazed in the slightest by the loss of his limb, the Upper Moon Three delivered a powerful punch with his remaining hand to Rengoku's head which he dodged – and Rengoku's eyes widened as Akaza's other fist suddenly streaked toward his stomach.

Total concentration. Flame Breathing. Fourth Form. Magma Storm.

Planting his foot into the ground as a pivot and twisting around, a whirlwind of flames burst into life around Rengoku. Akaza immediately disengaged, displaying astonishing agility as he flipped backward several times without making a sound, putting some distance between them.

"As I had thought," Akaza smiled in satisfaction. "You are strong. Your fighting spirit has been honed to the utmost limit, and I can tell that you are close to the realm of the highest. You shall be my opponent tonight. What is your name?"

"I'm the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyoujurou," Rengoku introduced, his impeccable manners taking over even as he inwardly analyzed what had just transpired. In less than a second, Akaza had instantly regenerated his severed limb. As expected of an Upper Moon.

"I'm Akaza," Akaza returned before sliding into a stance. "It is a pity that that man ordered us to leave no demon slayer here alive. Otherwise, I would make an offer to turn you into a demon so we could continue fighting forever."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Rengoku responded resolutely, not bothering to even consider such a proposition. "I would have never accepted such an offer."

"Oh? And why is that?" Akaza tilted his head. "If you become a demon, then you'll be able to train for a hundred, two hundred years, perhaps more, and ultimately achieve the realm of the highest. As a human, however, you are doomed to grow old and lose your strength and die. Knowing that, wouldn't it be better to be a demon than a human?"

"To become a demon is to trample over the lives of the weak," Rengoku stated. "It is to destroy innocent lives and crush precious dreams. My duty is to protect the weak, and becoming a demon would be the very antithesis of that."

"Protect the weak?" Akaza shook his head. "Such childish ideals. Protecting the weak is pointless. A wasteful effort. They only exist to be trampled over. I would've expected this foolish sentiment from someone like that poison wielder, not someone of your caliber."

Rengoku narrowed his eyes. "Kochou is an admirable Hashira, and it is an honour for me to fight alongside her – "

"She is weak," Akaza hissed. "All humans are weak. No matter what pretty words you use, the reality is that humans are nothing more than contemptuous weaklings," he snarled vehemently. "And weaklings are disgusting, abhorrent creatures – "

He stopped abruptly as if suddenly realizing what he was saying. "My apologies," he said, his voice returning to a calm tone. "I've been stuck in the same room as Douma for about a week now, and my sanity is getting rather strained." He bowed his head slightly. "Forgive me for that unsightly outburst."

For the past week, Akaza had been ordered by Kibutsuji Muzan to stay together with Douma and Kokushibou in the Infinity Fortress while waiting for Kamado Tanjirou to appear. Considering how Akaza could barely stand being in the Upper Moon Two's presence for three minutes before wanting to punch him through the face, it had been a living hell. His patience had quickly evaporated after just a day, and he had found himself unconsciously becoming more discourteous and crude, his speech and demeanor deteriorating into a manner that was strangely familiar.

It was certainly odd, though. Akaza was confident he had never met the poison wielder before, but for some inexplicable reason he found her existence utterly loathsome...

"You and I have fundamentally different values," Rengoku spoke up, breaking him out of his thoughts. "You believe the strong exist to trample over the weak. To use them as food." His expression hardened with iron conviction. "But you are mistaken. The strong exist, not to feed off the weak, but to protect them!"

The Flame Hashira raised his sword and pointed it at Akaza, his expression burning with unfaltering resolve. "I will say this again: I will never, ever become a demon!"

Akaza sighed in disappointment. "Kyoujurou..."

"There is one thing, however. You said that protecting the weak is pointless. A wasteful effort. So tell me, Akaza..." Rengoku's voice grew soft. "Why did your eyes look so pained when you said that?"

Akaza froze, his entire body stilling.

"Could it be because you once failed to protect someone precious to you before?"

As if a barrier was just shattered, the sound of voices suddenly filled Akaza's mind. They were faint, barely audible, as if they were yelling from across a large distance, but he heard them nonetheless. He thought they were trying to say something but he couldn't tell; their voices were far too quiet and all blended together into one incomprehensible stream, but he could swear he somehow recognized the voices, and along with that recognition came unexplainable emotions of sorrow and sadness and guilt that hurt –

He didn't want to feel that pain anymore.

The ground beneath cracked as Akaza stomped down, a light blue snowflake-shaped compass expanding outward, his stance emitting pure lethal skill. The voices instantly vanished, his mind clearing of all extraneous thoughts as he entered the flow state, becoming hyperperceptive of every minute fluctuation of Rengoku's battle spirit.

Technique Development. Destructive Death. Compass Needle.

"Let us fight, Kyoujurou!"

「」

Moments after they had split from the others due to the Upper Moon One's attack, a wall of ice immediately rose up in front of Shinobu and Kanao, blocking their paths. They whirled around to see the Upper Moon Two standing there.

"Now, now," Douma smiled, expertly twirling his fan in his hand. "You can't stab me in the eye and poison me like that for free, you know."

"Kanao," Shinobu said quietly as she kept her eyes on Douma. "You should return to the others. I'll handle him."

Kanao didn't move.

"Kanao," Shinobu repeated, her voice tense. "You don't need to be here – "

"He murdered Kanae, right?"

Shinobu blinked. She cast a glance at the younger girl, and was surprised to see Kanao's typically blank gaze replaced by an intense expression of – hatred?

Indeed, if anger had been the emotion Kanao had felt while facing Rui, then standing before the demon who had killed her sister, the emotion she was feeling now was pure overwhelming hatred. It washed over her, pulling her under in its oppressive tide, threatening to overflow her – and she welcomed it. After all...

"This demon was the one to kill Kanae, wasn't he?" Kanao said, emotions long thought forgotten leaking into her voice. "So now we must kill him in turn."

Shinobu stared at her for a long moment. Then, she smiled, grim, but also with a trace of sadness to it.

They truly were sisters.

"Very well."

She turned back to Douma, who had been content in watching them. Quickly, she flashed through several hand signals. Kanao blinked before nodding in understanding.

"Oh! What was that?" Douma asked excitedly. "Secret hand signals? How fun! Why don't you let me in on the secret as well?"

Shinobu smiled. "Sure. We'll share it with you."

And then she vanished.

Total Concentration. Insect Breathing. Dance of the Centipede. Hundred-Legged Zigzag.

A series of rapid explosions ruptured across the ground caused by seemingly nothing as Shinobu moved at speeds that rendered her little more than a blur. Douma's eyes flickered around as he tried to track her, but her weaving movement pattern made her approach entirely unpredictable. Douma didn't even have any time to blink before she was on him.

The Upper Moon Two slashed outward with both his fans, unleashing two devastating arcs of ice. A smile began forming on his face as the ice cut into Shinobu – only for him to blink as her form shimmered before disappearing. An afterimage created by her sheer speed. But where was she-?

His eyes widened as the ice in front of him shattered and Shinobu burst through. He didn't have any time to react before he felt a sharp excruciating pain in his chest as Shinobu thrust her sword into his solar plexus. He was forced back by the powerful blow, Shinobu continuing to charge forward with him impaled on her blade. A split second later, he slammed into a large tree behind him, splintering the bark underneath.

Ice lotus flowers and crystal shards exploded outward but Shinobu was already gone, leaving nothing behind but a shadow on the ground – hold on. Shadow on the ground?

Douma snapped his head upward, shock spreading across his face.

Above him, Shinobu spun in the air, her body nearly parallel to the ground, and in that single still moment she appeared to be a flying butterfly, the moon a shining backdrop behind her.

Douma smiled. Beautiful.

Then she completed her spin and with all her speed, she stabbed downward.

Total Concentration. Insect Breathing. Dance of the Dragonfly. Compound Eye Hexagon.

Even as six strikes struck Douma virtually simultaneously, Shinobu was already flitting through the air again, instantly switching directions and flipping back, landing lightly and sheathing her sword to refill the poison.

Douma fell to the ground, folded over as blood spurted out from wounds on his face, throat, and chest. "You really are fast!" he complimented with a wide grin. "Perhaps the fastest Hashira I've faced so far. Not fast enough, sadly."

Shinobu let out a gasp of pain as her left shoulder and chest flared up in searing pain. Douma had... cut her? She hadn't even seen him move!

Even as she collapsed to her knee and blood started gushing out, she ignored the pain and forced herself to stare forward, her keen eyes observing Douma.

Three. Two. One.

"Now!" Shinobu shouted.

Douma's entire body gave a shudder as the poison took effect, his veins once again pulsating with a sickly purple color. Kanao moved immediately, pushing herself past her limits as she breathed. Shinobu had given her this opening, temporarily incapacitating Douma with her poison. She needed to make it count.

Her encounter against Rui had been an eye-opening experience. If even the Lower Moon Five could nearly kill her, albeit due to a trap, then what chance did she have against her sister's killer, an Upper Moon?

And so she had trained, harder than she had ever trained before. Though it had only been about a month, she had improved so dramatically that even Shinobu had remarked on her progress, saying it was reminiscent of the meteoric rate of growth of Muichirou himself.

Everything had culminated in this single moment. Douma in front of her wide open, still struggling to decompose the poison.

Total Concentration. Flower Breathing. Third Form. Nightshade Trumpet.

Purple petals fluttered from her as she spun, gathering more and more momentum with every rotation. Like its parent Breathing Style, Flower Breathing and Water Breathing both tended to be softer forms, preferring to utilize an elegant stream of movements to take down their opponent instead of forceful, powerful blows like Sound Breathing or Stone Breathing. However, both styles still recognized the importance of having a form capable of utterly annihilating their enemy.

For Water Breathing, it was the roaring water dragon of the Constant Flux.

For Flower Breathing, it was the deceptively powerful petals of the Nightshade Trumpet.

In the blink of an eye, Kanao crossed the distance between her and the Upper Moon Two, a whirlwind of flower petals swirling around her light pink blade, Douma staring at her with wide numbered eyes –

Blood Demon Art. Freezing Clouds.

Kanao's eyes widened as the air in front of Douma suddenly chilled to subzero temperatures, shining ice particles billowing outward in a white cloud. She was forced to slam her eyes shut to avoid her eyeballs being frozen as her entire body instantly began shivering, and though she tried to finish the attack, her sword met something hard that was decidedly not flesh.

Leaping backward, she opened her eyes to see that a humanoid woman formed from ice with the base of a lotus blossom had blocked her attack.

Kanao had failed.

"My," Douma stood up as his wounds healed, the poison neutralized. "That was a close call. Well done, you two!" he beamed. "A magnificent display of teamwork. Tell me, what are your names?"

"I... am Tsuyuri Kanao," Kanao said, her limbs still shivering from the residual effects of the immense cold. Her lungs hurt, and when she coughed, blood spilled out from between her lips. She must've inhaled some of the demonic ice mist. Regardless, she carried on. "And she... is Kochou Shinobu. We are Kochou Kanae's little sisters, and we shall be the ones to end your life tonight."

Douma blinked. "Sisters? But you two clearly aren't blood-related... Well, whatev – not this time!"

He blocked Shinobu's surprise attack with his fan before slashing outward with his other fan, unleashing a torrent of ice shards and lotus blossoms.

Shinobu leaped back, landing next to Kanao before immediately dropping to her knee, breathing heavily. Blood was soaking heavily through her uniform now, and while she had dodged the largest ice shards, countless little ones had still struck her, causing numerous gashes to open up.

"Shinobu!" Kanao rushed to her side.

Shinobu gave her a weak smile. "Sorry. I was careless." Her eyes flickered. "He was a lot faster in neutralizing the poison than before. It appears he's slowly growing more and more immune every time he's exposed. I estimate I can poison him at most one or two more times before it becomes completely ineffective – if it hasn't already."

It was unfortunate she had yet to implement her plan in which she ingested poison in order to make her body itself a weapon. She had been planning on getting started after this mission, but now, she may never get the chance to.

Damn it. Shinobu wanted to kill him so badly it physically hurt. If only she wasn't so small. If only she didn't need to rely on poisons. If only she was strong enough to cut off his head.

Too late for regrets now, though. It appeared she would meet the same fate as her sister. Even now, she could feel herself growing weaker and weaker.

Shinobu's purple eyes flickered over to Kanao. Well, even if she no longer had a future, she was still going to try her absolute hardest to save her little sister. It would be fine if she died, but Kanao... Shinobu wanted her to live.

"Run, Kanao," Shinobu said, her breath growing ragged. "In our present state, we can't defeat him. I'll hold him off as you find the others and – "

"No."

"Kanao, listen to me!" Shinobu snapped desperately. "This is a direct order. We can't defeat him! Just obey my command and run – "

"I won't!" Kanao said adamantly before reaching into her uniform and withdrawing a familiar coin. "You and Kanae always told me to follow my heart, didn't you? To make my own choices for myself?"

With that, she flipped her coin high into the air, the metal glinting in the moonlight.

"Well, I've decided!" Kanao declared, her lilac eyes filling with determination and resolve, her voice strong and unflinching. "I won't run away! I'm going to fight!"

Shinobu's eyes widened in shock, and for a brief moment she almost couldn't recognize the girl standing in front of her. Was... was this really Kanao?

Then, the coin still falling through the air overhead, Kanao blurred into motion.

Total Concentration. Flower Breathing. First Form. Fluttering Rose Petal.

Douma laughed in delight as ice lotus flowers streaked through the air, but Kanao dodged them all, smoothly flowing between the lethal projectiles with her irregular footwork. It was like watching a flower petal flutter down to the ground, capricious as it drifted back and forth.

"How heartwarming!" Douma cried as he blocked Kanao's slice with his fan. Ice whips lashed out a moment later, but she was already gone. "Disobeying your older sister's orders in an attempt to save her. Futile, but heartwarming!"

Kanao assaulted him from every direction, utilizing Fluttering Rose Petal to its fullest. Tiny ice powder hung suspended in the air around Douma, forcing her to hold her breath whenever she got near in order to prevent further damage to her lungs, and if it weren't for her regulating her body temperature, she would probably freeze. Her eyes were working in overtime, her supernatural sight allowing her to predict and dodge his constant attacks. She had to. A single misstep would mean her death.

Icicles formed over her head and speared down, but Kanao was already on the opposite side of the clearing.

Total Concentration. Flower Breathing. Fifth Form. Peonies of Futility.

A massive flower blossomed into the air, its outline being traced by Kanao's blade as she unleashed the combination attack. She narrowed her eyes as Douma seemed to anticipate where her sword would be. With her eyesight, she could see that he was moving before she attacked, almost as if he knew where she was going to strike –

"I remember this one!" Douma smiled, his tone completely relaxed as he fended off her strikes. "The previous Flower Hashira used this attack on me as well. It nearly cut off my arm last time, so I won't make the same mistake with you."

Blood Demon Art. Scattering Lotuses.

An honest-to-gods blizzard formed out of nothing, thousands of ice shards in the shape of lotus petals crystallizing in the air, spiraling around a central point in a vortex formation three times taller than the trees around them. The lotus petals hovered in the air for one peaceful moment before Douma swung down with his fan in a grand sweeping gesture and they shot forward.

Kanao was once again reminded of Mount Natagumo, where the Lower Moon Five had unleashed a similar attack. Flower Breathing was countered by large powerful area-of-effect attacks like these, lacking a technique able to instantly brute force through. Even Nightshade Trumpet required some preparation in the form of footwork and rotations to gather momentum.

It was fortunate, then, that Kanao had spent the last month creating a new technique.

Well, perhaps creating wasn't the correct word. It would be more accurate to say she had derived a technique from the parent Breathing Style, Water Breathing.

An original technique of the current Water Hashira, no less.

Total Concentration. Flower Breathing. Seventh Form. Meadow of Tranquility.

Like a single tiny flower weathering a harsh unrelenting storm capable of felling trees, Kanao stood completely still. Rather than attempting to face the attack directly, her swordsman spirit instead formed an invisible barrier around her, the spiritual energy redirecting the lotus petals around her like the wind flowing around the delicate flowers in a meadow. While there were several differences from Tomioka Giyuu's original technique, Lull, the general mechanics were extremely similar.

And then it was over. Douma looked surprised as the blizzard dissipated and Kanao was revealed to have not perished. Numerous cuts and tears had opened up on her body due to the technique not having been perfected yet, but she had managed to avoid the worst of injuries.

"Now that's new," Douma remarked. "I must say, I'm impressed. If only you had an extra year to grow stronger, then perhaps you would be able to surpass your older sisters in strength." He sighed. "Sadly, you're still far too weak. But don't worry!" he added, smiling. "I'll accept you anyway. First things first, though, before I forget..."

In a blur of speed, Douma disappeared. Kanao's eyes flickered around, trying to detect which direction he would attack from –

Her eyes widened as she heard Shinobu let out a small gasp.

Kanao whirled around to see Douma gripping Shinobu's throat, smiling down on her as Shinobu clawed at his hands, struggling to breathe.

In her mind's eye, Kanao could see what was going to happen. In less than a second, Douma was going to crush Shinobu's throat. Blood would fill her windpipe and lungs as she suffocated on her own life fluid. It would be a painful, excruciating death, and there was nothing Kanao could do to stop it.

After all, she was too slow, far too slow. She wasn't fast like Shinobu or Tanjirou or Rengoku. She wasn't even on the level of a Hashira yet. As Douma had said, perhaps if she had had another year to train, she would've become strong enough, but she didn't have a year. She didn't even have a second.

Kanao needed speed. Kanao needed speed right now.

Otherwise...

Images flashed across her mind, of Shinobu throwing the money into the air on the bridge that day, of Shinobu always making time to talk to her no matter how busy it got in the Butterfly Estate, of Shinobu smiling at her with warmth and love.

Kanao didn't want to lose another sister.

And something within her detonated; a roaring unquenchable heat that exploded out from the center of her core to the tips of her fingers, her heart rate instantly skyrocketing, beating so fast and hard that she heard it in her ears –

"Huh?" Douma blinked in confusion. One moment, he had been about to squeeze the life out of the Insect Hashira. The next moment, she was gone, and he was missing his two hands. Slowly, he turned his head to see Shinobu in Kanao's arms several meters away.

"Kanao?" Shinobu breathed as Kanao set her down. "How did you...?" She trailed off as her eyes focused on something on Kanao's left cheek.

In the fraction of a second, Kanao had somehow severed both of Douma's hands and saved Shinobu. Kanao had no idea how she had managed it; all she knew was that her mind had gone blank in that instant as she moved. She felt hot as if she was burning up from a strong fever, but she didn't feel weak at all; instead, an unknown strength seemed to be flowing through her entire body.

"I stand corrected," Douma looked bemused as his hands regenerated. "It appears you are strong, after all. Where were you hiding this speed?"

Kanao ignored him as she analyzed the situation. She and Shinobu were both heavily wounded, and despite her sudden second wind, she wasn't sure how long she could sustain it. They needed to retreat and regroup with the others.

"Can you run?" she asked quietly.

Shinobu hesitated, her eyes flickering down to a particularly grievous wound on her left thigh. "Not well."

Kanao nodded. "I'll support you."

"Running away?" Douma called. "And here I thought we were becoming friends."

Thorny whips of ice lashed out, but Kanao and Shinobu were already gone. The landscape around them blurred as they ran, Shinobu's arm slung over her shoulder. If it weren't for Kanao's sudden inexplicable increase in speed, they probably wouldn't have been able to escape.

Even now, Douma was chasing after them, ice shard petals and lotus blossoms shooting through the air. Kanao let out a gasp of pain as she shielded Shinobu with her body, a large gash opening up in her back, but she pushed through the pain and continued running. They just had to make it back to the others –

Kanao and Shinobu burst into a clearing, and immediately Kanao's eyes flickered around and took in the scene. Rengoku was heavily injured, the Upper Moon One was observing them with his six demonic eyes, and Tanjirou... Tanjirou was staring at them with an expression of disbelief and fear on his face.

「」

Tanjirou remained unmoving as he stared at them with a horrified gaze, utterly transfixed. It was only when Kanao suddenly collapsed to her knees that he was snapped out of his trance. "Kanao! Shinobu! Rengoku!"

He rushed to their sides. The strange marks on Kanao's cheek – had those been dark pink flower petals? – had disappeared, and she was practically hyperventilating, blood spilling out her lips with every gasp. Standing right in front of them, their injuries seemed so much worse, and as Tanjirou stared at the blood, his vision flickered slightly, images from that day superimposing over the present reality. "Oh gods. Oh gods."

His hands trembled as he hovered around uncertainly, not sure what he should do. He wasn't a healer or doctor like Tamayo. He didn't know any medicinal techniques. Damn it. Not again. Not again.

"Tanjirou," Shinobu said weakly, and for a second Tanjirou didn't see Shinobu but rather his mother and he couldn't breathe –

"No, no, no," Tanjirou said, his voice frantic. Kanao, Shinobu, and Rengoku were all humans. Strong humans, as strong as demons due to their Breaths, but humans nonetheless.

Unlike Tanjirou, they couldn't heal from fatal attacks like it was nothing. They didn't have inhuman regeneration or functional immortality. Their wounds didn't close up that easily. Their bones didn't instantly heal once broken. Their limbs didn't regrow once lost.

They were human – strong, yet so incredibly fragile.

Tears burned at Tanjirou's eyes from sheer frustration. It wasn't fair. Why was he perfectly whole, not even a scratch on him, while these three were falling apart?

"You've finally finished," Kokushibou spoke as Akaza and Douma meandered into the clearing. Both of them were in perfect condition, undoubtedly already having healed whatever wounds were inflicted onto them. "You two took longer than I expected."

"Sorry, sorry," Douma clapped his hands together in apology, smiling apologetically. "I ran into some unexpected difficulties – but nothing too troublesome in the end."

Akaza was silent, his expression unreadable.

"That was certainly a fun fight though," Douma smiled, licking the blood on his fan, his multicolored eyes focused on Shinobu and Kanao. "I look forward to becoming one with you two forever~"

"Douma," Akaza said, his voice low. "Please, cease your depravity."

"Oh? So polite," Douma raised his eyebrows. "Just yesterday you would've attempted to rip out my throat. You must've had an enjoyable fight just now if you're in such a good mood." His gaze then shifted over to Tanjirou and Nezuko. "Hey, hey, Kokushibou. How come they're still standing? Are your skills getting rusty?"

"Hardly," Kokushibou said smoothly. "I merely wished to test the boy. I have seen everything that I needed to see, however. It appears that compared to my brother, he is nothing but a pale imitation." He glanced at the setting moon for a moment. "Daybreak will come soon. Douma, Akaza, don't interfere."

Tanjirou tensed up, eyes narrowing and flames flickering to life on his blade as he stood protectively in front of the three demon slayers –

It happened in slow motion. Literally. The supernatural lens of Transparent World distorted time itself, which meant Tanjirou saw with crystal clarity how Kokushibou's form flickered before shooting forward. However, despite him being fully aware of the incoming attack, Tanjirou's body wouldn't respond to his commands, not due to a poison or a Blood Demon Art, but simply because he wasn't fast enough.

Kokushibou's speed had doubled from before, and with a sinking feeling Tanjirou realized that the Upper Moon One had probably only been toying with him this entire time.

With all his strength, he managed to bring his blade up and block the first strike, but the force behind the swing knocked him off his feet, ramming him to the side. He flew through the air, breathing in as he prepared to –

Moon Breathing, Sixth Form. Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon – Incessant.

A barrage of crescent slashes slammed into him, too fast for him to react to. A cry of pain escaped him as the moons tore into him, cutting into his shoulders, chest, arms, legs, blood spurting out. Kokushibou didn't even give him a second's respite, already moving onto his next attack.

Moon Breathing, First Form. Dark Moon, Evening Palace.

A single monstrous slash twice the size of his body exploded outward from Kokushibou's blade, swordsman spirit and Blood Demon Art combining in a formidable manner. Pushing through the pain, he brought his sword up.

Breath of the Sun, Sixth Form. Burning Bones, Summer Sun.

Tanjirou unleashed a circular slash in front of him that countered Kokushibou's attack – and his eyes widened as even more crescent moons materialized. He cycled through forms, his muscles straining through their injuries, but it was futile.

Kokushibou was a force of nature itself. Trying to stop him would be like trying to stop the moon from pulling on the tides; it simply wasn't done, and to attempt such a thing would be nothing but sheer mortal arrogance.

That didn't matter to Nezuko, though.

Exploding Blood!

Crimson pink flames roared to life, burning through Kokushibou's moons as Nezuko jumped in, growling in rage as she kicked away Kokushibou's blade – and she blinked as she found herself suddenly missing a leg.

"The same attack won't work on me twice," Kokushibou said coldly.

"Nezuko, cover me!"

"Mmm!" Nezuko nodded, her leg already regenerating as Tanjirou breathed.

Breath of the Sun, Eleventh Form. Solar Halo Dragon Dance.

He vanished in a blur of speed, spinning around rapidly as a crimson dragon of flames ignited into existence. His injuries screamed at him but he refused to slow down, instead pushing himself to go even faster.

Tanjirou refused to lose here. He couldn't lose here. For the sake of Kanao and Shinobu and Rengoku, he needed to win.

In the blink of an eye, Tanjirou was in front of Kokushibou. The Upper Moon One was already counterattacking, crescent moons forming, but they erupted into flames a moment later, Nezuko's Blood Demon Art negating his defense.

Tanjirou's blade neared Kokushibou's neck, the dragon's fangs about to strike –

Oh.

So he's that fast, huh.

"It's simple, really," Kokushibou spoke calmly. "All I have to do is not combine my Blood Demon Art with my Moon Breathing. After that, it's just a straightforward matter of being fast enough to cut you before her flames can negate my attack."

In that single moment, Kokushibou's blade had blitzed through the air like moonlight itself, too fast for Tanjirou to react, and sliced clean through Tanjirou's upper arm. The attack hadn't given off a demonic scent, indicating that Kokushibou had only used his Moon Breathing.

Tanjirou's eyes flickered to the side as he watched his arm still gripping his blade fall to the ground, no longer connected to his body. Behind him, Nezuko let out a scream, a blazing firestorm rushing toward them, but Kokushibou reached out and grabbed Tanjirou by the throat before jumping up, dodging the attack.

"Once you no longer have your sword," Kokushibou continued evenly as they fell through the air, as if he was merely discussing the weather, "then it becomes a relatively easy matter of incapacitating you to prevent you from running."

The world became pure agony as Kokushibou's blade flashed and Tanjirou found himself suddenly missing the rest of his limbs. He crashed into the ground a moment later – then coughed up blood as Kokushibou formed a fleshy cylindrical spike in his hand and speared it through his chest, pinning him to the ground. Blood gushed out from his wounds, soaking into the earth.

He needed to heal. He needed to heal. Why wasn't he healing?

Because you haven't eaten any humans, a traitorous voice whispered in his mind. Because you haven't slept for two years to build up energy.

Nezuko screamed as she charged at Kokushibou, only to be bisected at the waist by a casual blow too fast for the naked eye to perceive. She crashed into the trees off to the side. A moment later, beams of moonlight crashed down from the sky onto her, sending up a cloud of dust and wood splinters.

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou cried, and he felt something inside him shift. His limbs twitched before beginning to slowly regenerate – only to be immediately severed once again by Kokushibou. He roared in pain, physical and mental anguish overwhelming him.

He was weak.

He was far too fucking weak.

How could he possibly hope to defeat Kibutsuji Muzan if he couldn't even cut down Kokushibou?

Damn it. Damn it!

Despair flooded him as he fully realized just how doomed they were. His eyes dimmed and his strength ebbed as the will to fight slowly began dying out within him.

The situation was hopeless. It was over. They had lost. He was pinned to the ground, completely helpless. Nezuko was cut in half, struggling to regenerate. Shinobu and Kanao were both heavily injured, and Rengoku was –

Wait.

Tanjirou drew in a sharp breath as he turned his head to stare at the Flame Hashira. Rengoku had assumed a stance, a fierce, determined smile on his face.

"Kyoujurou..." Akaza breathed out, his eyes wide. He and Douma had been silently standing off to the side, obediently watching Kokushibou fight, but now the Upper Moon Three stepped forward, gazing at Rengoku in shock. "You..."

"Do not give up hope, Kamado Tanjirou!" Rengoku shouted, his voice strong and thunderous. "The fight is not yet over! No matter how much despair you feel, no matter how devastated you are by your own weakness, no matter how much you want to give up..." Flames exploded out from his form, illuminating the entire clearing in its indomitable light. "Set your heart ablaze!"

Esoteric Art. Ninth Form. Rengoku.

And the Flame Hashira shot forward in a beam of flames, the very forest trembling from the sheer pressure emitted from his charge. Bright flames coalesced into a destructive dragon, snarling through the air.

Moon Breathing, Tenth Form. Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves.

A cyclone of curving crescent moons formed in front of Kokushibou, rotating rapidly as it expanded outward – only to dissipate as Rengoku burst right through, the maws of the flame dragon overwhelming the whirlwind.

Kokushibou narrowed his eyes and was forced to raise his blade to block. A shockwave tore through the clearing as their blades clashed, a sharp ringing sound accompanied by a massive gust of wind.

It wasn't enough, however. Rengoku's arms trembled as he poured in all his strength into the attack, but it was clear that his attack didn't possess enough power to break through. Already, crescent moons were emerging, ready to tear Rengoku apart –

Then, Rengoku roared.

Breath of the Sun, Fourth Form. Burning Bones, Summer Sun.

Tanjirou and Kokushibou's eyes simultaneously widened in absolute shock as flames of a different shade erupted across the surface of Rengoku's blade, vibrant and potent. At the same time, a dark red mark formed on Rengoku's face, a flame design that stretched up to above his eyebrows, nearly covering the entire left side of his face.

Kokushibou's demonic sword let out a crack before shattering under the exponentially more powerful attack, and before the Upper Moon One could take a step back, Rengoku was ripping into him, his blade cutting into the demon's chest and slicing through flesh, nearly cleaving Kokushibou in two –

Gigantic blades of flesh burst out of Kokushibou's midsection and would've skewered straight through Rengoku if Shinobu hadn't suddenly blurred out of nowhere and knocked him to the side. Even so, the sheer shockwave generated by the explosive attack knocked them back, sending them flying through the air. They crashed into the ground next to Kanao, landing in a heap.

Kokushibou shot a glance at Douma, who raised his hands innocently.

"Sorry for letting her slip past!" Douma smiled apologetically. "I wanted to play with my food a little longer after you kill the boy, so I'm keeping them alive for now. I'll keep a closer eye on them."

Tanjirou's eyes were wide with shock as he stared at the Flame Hashira. Had Rengoku just used Burning Bones, Setting Sun? Was Tanjirou hallucinating things?

"Breath of the Sun," Kokushibou murmured as his wound healed, staring at Rengoku and confirming that Tanjirou hadn't temporarily lost his mind from the pain. "And the Demon Slayer Mark as well. Impressive. Truly impressive. To be able to unleash such a splendid Breath of the Sun form... you are undoubtedly one of the strongest swordsmen of this era."

But… how? Tanjirou didn't understand. Had Rengoku somehow managed to reverse engineer a Breath of the Sun technique after just seeing Tanjirou perform it once?! Just how skilled was the Flame Hashira?!

"However..." Kokushibou continued, and with dawning horror Tanjirou realized that Rengoku wasn't getting up. Rengoku's entire body was shaking involuntarily, and he was practically hyperventilating. "Your body isn't suited to wield the devastating power of the Breath of the Sun. Your attack was praiseworthy, but sadly it isn't enough."

Then, he turned back to Tanjirou. Belatedly, Tanjirou registered that his limbs were starting to regenerate once more. Before he could do anything, though, Kokushibou flicked his hand and crescent moons sliced down, once again cutting off his limbs. Tanjirou let out another scream of agony.

"Now then..." Kokushibou strode over to where Tanjirou's black Nichirin blade had fallen. He gazed at it for a moment, clearly recognizing it to be Yoriichi's sword. "This is... Well, it doesn't matter." He picked it up and walked back to Tanjirou, the blade looking comically undersized when held in the massive demon's hand.

"Farewell, Kamado Tanjirou."

Then he swung down the sword.

「」

For the longest time, she had dreamed.

Ephemeral scenes of smiles, of laughter, of warmth, of love were all she knew.

She didn't remember who she was. She didn't even remember her name.

She existed, and she dreamed, and that was enough.

However, no dream could last forever. Everyone had to wake up eventually, and she was no exception.

What initially prompted her awakening was the sound of trickling water. Amid the pleasant laughter of her dreams, she heard the unmistakable sound of flowing liquid. Then, a metallic scent hit her nose, and a moment later, she felt her surroundings heat up, the noise of crackling flames reaching her ears and causing her to stir from her sleep.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and sat up, and the reason for her awakening immediately became clear.

What she had believed to be flowing water was actually blood streaming into the room from an opening in the ceiling. The blood appeared to be burning, vibrant pinkish red flames dancing across the surface of the crimson fluid. The floor, walls, ceiling were all set ablaze, though instead of causing her pain, it instead made her feel warm and comfortable.

How curious.

She stood up from the futon she had been sleeping on and walked around, examining the room. There was a sphere hovering in the corner of the room, a muted yellow color, and she inspected it with an intrigued gaze.

What was this place? Where was she?

"Nezuko."

She whirled around to see a woman standing in the room with her. She had dark purple eyes, and she wore a purple and cream checkered kimono with a white smock on top. Her black hair was covered with a white cloth, and tears were streaming down her face.

"Nezuko, please. Wake up. You need to save your brother."

She blinked at the woman. What was she talking about? Brother? She had a brother?

The woman's face seemed to crumple as she stared at her blankly.

"Nezuko."

She whirled around again to see an old man standing in the corner of the room next to the floating sphere. He had long white hair tied back into a ponytail, and he had a strange dark mark on his forehead. His expression was stern, but it softened as he gazed at her.

"For a long time, you have slumbered," the old man murmured. "But now, it is time for you to wake up. Rise, Kamado Nezuko."

Then he set his hand on the sphere and breathed, and the sphere exploded in brilliant blinding light, so bright and intense it was like staring into the sun itself –

And Kamado Nezuko remembered.

「」

The black Nichirin blade sliced into Tanjirou's neck, drawing blood – and then was sent flying through air.

The Upper Moon One blinked but before he could react, his entire body exploded in a conflagration of flames and a powerful kick sent him skidding backward several meters.

Nezuko stood in front of Tanjirou protectively. Her entire appearance had changed; she looked older now, her size increasing to mature proportions. A horn protruded from the right side of her forehead, and vine-like patterns encircled her body. An onlooker might have thought she had fully embraced her primal demonic side if it weren't for the words that came out of her mouth a moment later.

"Don't you dare touch my older brother," Nezuko snarled.

The clearing was silent for a moment except for the crackling of flames.

"N-Nezuko?"

She turned around to see Tanjirou staring at her, his eyes impossibly wide. In his shock, he appeared to have forgotten completely about the blade still pinned through his chest.

Nezuko smiled.

"Hey, nii-chan."

Tears welled up in Tanjirou's eyes as emotions overwhelmed him. "Nezuko – "

Nezuko whirled back around and slashed across the air with her hand. Flames exploded outward, consuming the crescent moons that had streaked toward her.

"We can talk later," Nezuko said, her eyes narrowing. Her mind was still hazy, confusing memories whirling around turbulently, but she still understood enough to know that the demon standing in front of her was bad.

"So you've regained your sentience," Kokushibou observed. "Interesting."

"And you've seemed to enjoy carving up my older brother," Nezuko returned. "Allow me to pay you back. Tenfold."

She brought her arms in a cross shape and slowly dragged her claws across her forearms, drawing blood. Then, she flung her hands outward.

Blades of Blood.

The blood that had drenched her claws flung outward, expanding in the air until it was several meters long, ten curving slashes that streaked through the air.

Kokushibou raised his sword to block, but upon striking the blade, the blood lost all shape and cohesion and splattered onto Kokushibou's body.

Exploding Blood.

Kokushibou's body lit up in flames once more, the attack exponentially stronger than before. Nezuko didn't know how she knew how to perform this technique. The knowledge just appeared in her mind as if it was there all along. It was completely instinctual to her, like knowing how to blink or breathe.

Before the flames had even died down, Nezuko was attacking again, slashing her claws across the air over and over again.

Exploding Blood.

Exploding Blood.

Exploding Blood.

Every crescent moon Kokushibou tried to form was immediately burned away as he was engulfed in the unending inferno. It soon became clear that she didn't have enough power to completely burn him away, however. She had to engage in melee.

The ground underneath cracked as she shot forward, and briefly she was surprised at how fast she was moving. But, well, she was a demon now, so she supposed it shouldn't be that big of a surprise.

She kicked at his head, which he managed to block with his forearm, though not without injury. There was a loud snapping sound as his forearm fractured under the force of the blow. Nezuko continued to turn, spinning around to deliver a powerful kick with her other leg –

Pain exploded in her mind as her leg was cut clean off, but she gritted her teeth and paid it no mind. She was a demon now. These injuries should no longer matter to her. Sure enough, a split second later her leg regenerated instantly and she was able to finish the kick which slammed into Kokushibou's chest, feeling several ribs crack under her foot.

Without letting up for even a second, she detonated the blood that had splattered onto Kokushibou when he sliced off her leg.

Exploding Blood.

Kokushibou grunted in pain and jumped back. His regeneration had slowed notably, and exposed patches of muscle littered his body. Despite that, however, he didn't look concerned in the least. "Irritating," he said. "You are irritating."

Nezuko let out a growl as she bent her knees, preparing to rush after him again –

And then screamed as an excruciating pain exploded in her stomach. She tried to detonate her blood, but before she could concentrate a sword pierced through her head and she let out another scream as agony overtook her.

"Allow me to remind you," Kokushibou said as he methodically ripped her to pieces. "Before becoming a demon, I used to be a demon slayer. You only just awakened your demonic form and have not even come close to mastering your powers yet. Please do not think you are on my level."

Her vision went dark as he took out her eyes before moving onto the rest of her body. Ten, twenty, thirty slashes – she lost count as he rained down blow upon blow. Straining, she managed to muster enough energy to unleash an Exploding Blood, but even as Kokushibou undoubtedly started burning away, he didn't cease his attacks in the least –

"Nezuko!"

Her eyes regenerated in time to see Tanjirou push Kokushibou back with a fierce snarl on his face. His limbs must've finally regenerated. That was good. He could take over for now... right?

Tired. She was so tired. She wanted to sleep.

Yes. Sleep sounded like a really good idea.

「」

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou yelled again in concern as he saw her collapse to the ground, her body shrinking until she had returned to a child's size.

Breath of the Sun, Twelfth Form. Flame Waltz.

A massive shockwave boomed outward as flames met crescent moons. Tanjirou immediately used Fake Rainbow to dodge Kokushibou's next strike and materialized next to Nezuko's unconscious body. Picking her up, he vanished again, reappearing next to the demon slayers.

His mind raced as he took in the situation, trying to think of a way out of it.

Rengoku was completely incapacitated, still suffering from the backlash of using Breath of the Sun.

Shinobu was frighteningly pale from blood loss, and her leg injury seemed to have worsened from when she had saved Rengoku.

Kanao was in a similar state, and she appeared to only still be conscious due to her breathing.

Nezuko was sleeping, undoubtedly needing to recover energy after her fight.

It was all up to Tanjirou.

"This has gone on long enough. The sun is about to rise soon," Kokushibou spoke. "It's time to finish this."

Tanjirou swallowed heavily as he stood in front of the demon slayers and Nezuko. Across from him stood Kokushibou, Douma and Akaza to each side.

"Hold on," Douma protested. "At least leave the two girls alive for a little while longer – " His mouth snapped shut at the look Kokushibou sent him. "Man, you're scary," He sighed. "Fine, fine."

"Are you certain we cannot convince that man to let us turn them into demons?" Akaza asked. "Kyoujurou needs to become a demon."

Kokushibou shook his head. "That man was clear in his orders. They must all die."

Akaza seemed genuinely despondent, but accepted it with a nod. "Very well."

Tanjirou raised his blade, sweat trickling down his face as the three Upper Moons turned to him. Akaza lowered into a stance, Douma twirled his fan, and Kokushibou breathed in.

Moon Breathing. Sixteenth Form. Moonbow, Half-Moon.

Destructive Death. Annihilation Type.

Barren Hanging Garden.

Massive crescent slashes soared down from the night sky as powerful shockwaves shot forward with frozen streams of ice rushing close behind it, and in that moment Tanjirou knew with every part of his being that there was no blocking this combination attack. The unstoppable barrage would smash through whatever defense he attempted. The demon slayers would all undoubtedly be killed, and he and Nezuko would die soon after.

He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't fast enough.

And yet...

Set your heart ablaze.

Tanjirou couldn't give up. He refused to give up. Even if he was devastatingly weak, he still needed to find a way.

If he didn't stop this attack, then they would all die. Tanjirou didn't want to see anyone die in front of him ever again. The image of his mother and siblings' bloodied corpses flashed through his mind, causing him to grit his teeth. He couldn't let that happen again.

He needed to protect Kanao, Shinobu, and Rengoku.

He needed to protect Nezuko.

No matter what.

And within him, something stirred to life.

Blood Demon Art. Sacred Barrier.

Tanjirou roared as a crimson pink barrier materialized around them in a dome. A fraction of a second later, the attacks struck – and were completely negated. The shockwaves dispersed harmlessly, the ice turned into ash, and the crescent moons vaporized into nothingness.

It was so sudden that Tanjirou didn't even have time to blink. One moment, he was facing certain death, the air filled with a lethal barrage. The next moment, he found himself in a peaceful clearing, the three Upper Moons staring at him with almost incredulous looks on their faces.

"Well," Douma said slowly, blinking. "That's unexpected."

Tanjirou recovered quickly, his face hardening in grim determination. "I won't let you kill them," he growled, the barrier pulsing with energy. "I won't let anyone die."

Before the Upper Moons could respond, light began streaming through the forest canopy. They all turned over to stare at the sun which had slowly begun rising in the horizon, causing prickling sensations on their skin.

Kokushibou turned back to Tanjirou, his eyes narrowed. "You realize that you'll burn to death as well if you leave the barrier up."

"Only if you three stay here and force me to maintain the barrier until the sun rises," Tanjirou returned. "At which point, you three would burn up as well. And if that's what I must do to save them..." His eyes burned with unswerving resolve. "Then so be it."

There was a moment of silence.

"Well maneuvered, Kamado Tanjirou," Kokushibou finally murmured. "You get to live another day." He sheathed his blade. "However, the next time we meet – "

"I'll make sure to kill you," Tanjirou promised.

Kokushibou seemed amused. "We'll see."

"I knew I should've eaten those two while you were fighting," Douma muttered, looking truly saddened as he stared at Kanao and Shinobu. "This is truly tragic."

Akaza, for his part, shot Tanjirou a fierce stare. "Don't let Kyoujurou die. I wish to fight him again."

Then, the three Upper Moons turned around and vanished into the darkness of the forest.

Tanjirou remained still, not moving until he smelled that they were fully gone. Once he was certain they weren't coming back, he collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily as the barrier faded. He was exhausted, his body and spirit completely drained. But he couldn't rest yet.

In a blur of speed, he rushed back to the train and retrieved the two boxes Oyakata-sama had given them. Off in the distance, he saw the uniform of the kakushi and he relaxed slightly. Help was finally coming. He couldn't stop, however. Immediately, he rushed back and got Nezuko inside her box before shrinking in size himself and climbing into the other box. Just in time for the sun to fully rise and sunlight to stream into the clearing.

And inside the darkness of the box, safely shielded from the sun's rays, Tanjirou finally closed his eyes.

Against all odds, despite nearly losing hope multiple times...

They had survived.

Taisho Secret: It was rumored that a demon's Blood Demon Art reflected the essence of their soul itself. A manifestation of an integral part of their being. While never confirmed, it generally seemed to hold true. Douma, a demon unfeeling of the emotions of others, gained the ability to control ice as cold as himself. Akaza, a devoted martial artist, gained the ability to take his skills to the next level. Rui, a demon who wished to create familial bonds, gained the ability to create threads that linked himself to others.

So for Kamado Tanjirou, a demon whose entire purpose revolved around protecting others – protecting Nezuko?

Was it really any wonder when his Blood Demon Art didn't manifest as a powerful attack, but instead as an impenetrable barrier that no demon could ever hope to break through?

Chapter Text

As the kasugai crow flew away after relaying its message, Amane Ubuyashiki glanced over at her husband in concern. He was staring up silently at the sky, shadows cast over his sightless eyes from the shade of the trees in the graveyard. He hadn't reacted at all the entire time the crow was giving its message, and even now his face remained unchanged, nearly impassive in its serenity.

"Oyakata-sama?" She asked quietly. "Is everything alright?"

He didn't respond, though he did let out a shaky breath. She could see his hands trembling slightly underneath the long sleeves of his haori. From what, she couldn't tell. Concern? Frustration? Disappointment?

Her worry grew, even if she didn't outwardly show it. Touching his arm gently, she tried once again.

"Kagaya, I understand if you're feeling frustrated that they weren't able to eliminate any of the Upper Moons. However, they all survived, and we acquired valuable information on - "

"Frustrated?" Kagaya interrupted softly. "You think that I feel frustrated?"

Amane paused. "Do you not-?"

He whirled to face her, and the largest smile she had ever seen him display burst across his face, a beam so bright and joyful that she reflexively took a step back. For a moment she could've sworn she was staring into the visage of the Flame Hashira himself.

"What in the world do I have to feel frustrated about?" Kagaya let out a delighted laugh, borderline manic in nature. "They survived against the top three Upper Moons! This is wonderful news, exceptional news!"

Kagaya's entire body was trembling – not from frustration, she realized, but rather from pure overwhelming euphoria. His joy, almost childlike in nature, was infectious, and she couldn't help but smile herself.

"We now know their names, we now know their abilities, and most importantly, we now know that it is possible for humanity to stand up against those monsters," Kagaya clenched his fist, looking utterly revitalized, utterly unlike a man afflicted by debilitating sickness. "This right here – this is the turning point. For centuries, we have been rooted in place, incapable of overcoming the indomitable mountain – until now. A simple stone rolling down the mountain that would grow into an unstoppable avalanche, ultimately resulting in the end of Kibutsuji Muzan himself!"

Kagaya gasped for breath before continuing. "And do you know what that means?" He swiped his hand through the air, gesturing at the hundreds – no, thousands of stone graves that lay around the cemetery. "It means that all the demon slayers' lives – all my children's lives – were not given in vain."

He gripped his left breast tightly, right over his heart, his sightless eyes dangerously bright. "Their sacrifices will be worth it," he managed to choke out. "My children, so many of their lives unfairly cut short by this world, will finally be able to rest easy, knowing that Muzan will be taken down. Their precious lives, their heroic sacrifices, were what allowed us to arrive at this pivotal moment in history."

And suddenly, all the energy evaporated from Kagaya's form and he seemed so utterly drained.

"It will all have been worth it," he whispered.

Amane's gaze softened. "Indeed."

There was nothing more she could say. Because she understood his pain, the pain of being too weak to wield a sword himself, the pain of being forced to constantly send people he regarded as his own children to the frontlines to die. No parents should ever have to bury their children, and Kagaya... Kagaya had buried far too many already.

Knowing that, could she really blame him for losing his composure in what was likely the first time in his life?

Of course not. So she merely laid a hand on his back in a show of support and asked, "What do we do now?"

He stirred. "We let them rest," he said decisively. "My children have battled well. Now is the time for them to recover and grow even stronger in training, so the next time they face off against the Upper Moons and perhaps even Muzan himself..."

He smiled. "They will finish them for good."

「」

Shinobu woke up to the unique sensation of her entire body feeling as if it had been doused in oil, lit on fire, crushed underneath a boulder, before being carved into a thousand pieces and made into some deluxe sashimi.

Was she dead? She hoped not. If this was what the afterlife felt like, then she wasn't sure what she would do. Lead a revolution against the Shinigami in protest, probably.

Letting out a groan of pain, Shinobu opened her eyes only to be greeted by a white ceiling. Ah. She was in the Butterfly Mansion. Still alive, then. She made to sit up, only to let out a gasp of pain as her entire body protested, sharp pain shooting through her limbs.

"Kochou!"

Shinobu heard the sound of rustling as someone rushed over. That voice... She knew that voice. She managed to turn her head slightly to see Giyuu's normally emotionless gaze filled with worry and concern.

"Tomi-" She coughed, her throat parched and sore.

"Here, drink."

Gently, Giyuu lifted her head and held a cup of water to her lips. She slowly sipped the cool liquid, feeling it soothe her throat and rejuvenate her. And... yup, there was the unmistakable taste of painkiller laced in as well. Before she knew it, she had drunk it all, and he set the empty cup back down on the bedside table. The painkillers worked quickly, and already she felt a lot better.

"Tomioka," she said, her voice still quiet and raw but at least usable now. "Help me up."

"Your wounds – "

"Please don't make me repeat myself."

Giyuu knew her well enough to listen, stepping forward and helping her sit up straight. His hands were warm and calloused, unlike the smooth, freezing hands of Douma as he had gripped her throat–

She closed her eyes, willing those images away. This sort of response was normal after any near-death experience, and she had plenty of practice suppressing such memories. Granted, she had never been this close to death before, but that was understandable. After all, their opponents had been the three Upper Moons themselves.

...

Shinobu leaned back against the pillow Giyuu had placed between her back and the headboard, facing him. His dark blue eyes, normally so dull, were alert and tracking her every movement, staring at her with unnerving intensity. She had never seen him like this before, though she didn't mention it. There were more important matters to attend to.

"Who died?"

Giyuu blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"On the mission," Shinobu said, already bracing herself. She paused, sudden fear coursing through her. "Is Kanao alive?" she asked desperately. Please, please let her still be alive. Shinobu had already lost three tsuguko and an older sister, she couldn't lose Kanao now–

"She's alive," Giyuu said, calming her racing thoughts. "Everyone is. Nobody died."

Shinobu froze, unsure if she had heard him right. "What? But... What happened? Last I remember, I had used the last of my strength to knock Rengoku aside to avoid an attack, only to pass out afterward. All of us were out of commission, and there was no way Tanjirou was able to stand up to all three Upper Moons himself. How did we live?"

"I don't know," Giyuu said. "We haven't had our debriefing meeting yet."

"I see... All the others are alive? You're absolutely sure?"

"They are," Giyuu confirmed. "They have already woken up and are recovering in the common hospital room right now. We were going to wait until you had woken up as well before moving you over."

"I see..." That explained why she was in one of the private rooms. Unbidden, a sigh of relief escaped her.

"I thought we were all dead," she whispered. Kanao, Rengoku, even Tanjirou and Nezuko... She smiled. "I'm glad we're alive."

"As am I."

There was a moment of silence.

Shinobu paused. Hold on... A glint suddenly appeared in her eyes as she turned to look at Giyuu, and he must've sensed something was wrong because his gaze suddenly became guarded. "Were you waiting in here the entire time?"

"...no."

"Oh? And if I asked Aoi, would she be able to corroborate that?"

"..."

"Would you like to try again, Tomioka?"

"I was waiting in here the entire time for you to wake up," Giyuu admitted.

"My, my," Shinobu raised a hand to her lips, ignoring the twinges of pain that came with the motion. "One has to wonder why you would feel the need to lie about it." Her eyes flickered around the room. "There's not even a book or newspaper lying around. You must have been awfully bored staring at the walls, Tomioka – unless you were staring at someone else? A certain maiden's face, perhaps?"

"I-" Giyuu hesitated, and to her delight, he looked away. As blatant of an admission of guilt as she can get.

Shinobu capitalized on it instantly. "I was right?" she breathed. "Why, you scoundrel. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I was scared you were going to die and wanted to make sure that you were still alive."

His blunt answer cut through her teasing like a blade through bamboo, and she fell silent.

"Ahh," she said after a moment. "Well, you don't have to worry. I'm still here, as you can see."

Giyuu grunted.

"It's a pity, though," Shinobu said, her cheer disappearing as she narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't able to kill the Upper Moon Two. I had dedicated my entire life to avenging my sister, but when I finally had him in my grasp, I failed." Her voice was filled with anger and self-loathing. "I was too slow, my poison not strong enough, my body too weak."

"At least you're still alive."

Shinobu inclined her head. "There is that," she acknowledged. "I'll just have to prepare for the next time I fight him–"

"Don't."

Shinobu turned her head to look at him. "What was that?"

"You shouldn't fight him again. It's too dangerous."

Shinobu narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me? I may have been inadequate this time, but I can improve. That's what training is for. If I just work on my speed and devise some new more potent poisons…"

"And what if it's still not enough?" There was an odd quality to Giyuu's voice as he stared at her. "What if he's still stronger than you?"

Shinobu hummed. "Then I'll just die, I suppose. Does it matter–?"

"IT DOES MATTER!"

Shinobu froze as Giyuu roared – quiet, silent, reticent Giyuu who barely talked on the best of days, who she needed to constantly cajole and annoy and wheedle to get even a few words out of him, had willingly raised his voice to a nearly deafening volume. She wasn't aware he even could be so loud.

"You were nearly dead when they brought you in!" Giyuu shouted, anguish clear in his voice as she stared at him in shock. "If they had been even ten minutes slower, you would have died! Do you understand? Your lungs, damaged! Your windpipe – nearly crushed! A massive gash across your shoulder – inches away from striking your heart! Enough cuts and lacerations on your body that you literally almost bled out!"

"So what?" Shinobu snapped back. "I'm a demon slayer, I know the risks. We fight, we get injured, we die. Every mission we go on has a possibility of being our last, and we accept that! What are you getting all worked up about?"

"Because your first reaction after waking up is to immediately think about fighting him again when you already know that you can't possibly hope to match him!"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees.

"Then how do you suggest I react?" Shinobu asked, her voice dangerously low. "Accept that I'll never be able to beat him and give up?"

"No, I want you to realize what your limits are and reevaluate your strategy. Because while you may have gotten lucky this time, at this rate if you rush in to fight the Upper Moon Two head-on again, you will die!"

"Then let me die!" Shinobu snarled. "It's what I was planning on, anyway!"

The moment the words left her lips, she instantly regretted them, but it was too late.

"What do you mean?" Giyuu asked, his dark blue eyes piercing into her. "What plan?"

Shinobu was silent for a moment. "I was going to infuse my blood and body with wisteria poison," she finally said. "My blade can only hold a limited amount, and he's already shown that he can neutralize it with ease. If I use my body as the carrier, though, then according to my calculations the concentration will be seven hundred times the normal amount – more than enough to cripple or even kill him."

"At the cost of him eating you," Giyuu said, his eyes slowly widening in shock and his face growing ashen.

Shinobu nodded. "It would be a worthy sacrifice."

"Don't say that!" Giyuu said harshly. "Your life isn't something to throw away so easily–"

"And yours is?" Shinobu said as a sudden wave of anger rushed through her. "Don't act as if I had forgotten what had happened before this whole thing. We were about to execute you for breaking the Demon Slayer Corps rules – and you were going to let us! You didn't even try to defend yourself at the trial!"

"This isn't about me–"

"Well, I'm making it about you, so deal with it!" All the rage and frustration and resentment she had suppressed the last month came flooding out. "Because what the hell, Tomioka? You lecture me about planning to sacrifice myself, but you seem to have no issues with letting us, your own comrades, prepare your execution! You didn't say a single damn word as they discussed how to kill you! At least I'm planning on making my death useful – you were willing to throw your life away for nothing!"

"And what difference would it have made if I did say something?" Giyuu was no longer shouting, but his voice was somehow even more fierce. "You saw how our fellow Hashira acted. They attacked the demons even when Oyakata-sama invited them to the headquarters and personally vouched for them. Do you think they would have believed me?"

"I would have believed you!" Shinobu shouted. "Even if you didn't tell them, you could've at least told me!"

Giyuu reeled back, eyes going wide in surprise.

"You idiot!" Shinobu said, almost disbelievingly at just how dense he was. "You didn't even realize, did you! You were so obsessed with being all cool and silent, that you forgot that maybe, just maybe, not everyone hated you?"

"You literally said on the mountain that nobody likes me!"

"Oh my god, you still remember that?" Shinobu cried in exasperation. "That was a joke, you imbecile! Dear heavens, forget me training to fight Douma – you need to brush up on some basic social interaction skills!"

"Wait, so you do like me?"

"Yes!" If she wasn't so injured already, she would've thrown her hands up. "Why on earth would I try to talk to you all the time otherwise?"

"Because you're naturally annoying?"

"For your own health and wellbeing, I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that." Shinobu huffed out a long, frustrated breath. "But yes, I like you, Giyuu Tomioka. So I would appreciate you telling me next time you pull something like that, so that I wouldn't feel like you had betrayed me and raised your blade against me for no reason at all! I could've helped defend you, but instead, I was forced to watch on the side helplessly as you were nearly killed! Your blood would have been on my hands!"

She breathed heavily, all the words she had wanted to say the past month finally spilling out in an uncontrollable rant. She had been so unbelievably stressed, worried that the Hashira would condemn him to death, and she could do nothing about it...

"You're right," Giyuu said, sagging slightly as the fight drained from him. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Good."

"But in return... please don't go through with that plan."

"That's not for you to decide."

"I don't care," Giyuu said stubbornly. "You're not killing yourself to take down the Upper Moon Two. I won't let you."

Shinobu laughed. "Do you think you can stop me?"

"Yes," Giyuu said simply.

She scoffed. "Yeah, sure. I don't have time for this." She shifted to get out of bed, only to stop as Giyuu stepped forward and grabbed hold of her wrist.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I need to get back to work."

"You need to rest."

"I can rest later." She made to get up but Giyuu pushed her down. She narrowed her eyes. "Let go of me."

"No."

"Tomioka..."

"You need to rest," he repeated. She resisted weakly as he gently maneuvered her back into a resting position, careful to not put pressure on any of her injuries while holding her in place.

"Let go of me!" Shinobu snapped, lashing out with a fist, which he grabbed, then blocked her other fist as well. She continued struggling, trying to get herself free or, failing that, injuring Giyuu badly enough that he'd have to set her free.

"Kochou, your injuries–"

"Damn my injuries! They'll heal, you won't if you don't let go–"

"You're going to rip your stitches–"

"You'll be eating food through a straw for a month–"

The door opened, Sanemi rushing in. "Kochou! You're finally awake..." He trailed off slowly as he took in the sight in front of him.

Giyuu and Shinobu both staring back at him with wide eyes. Giyuu's hands pinning her wrists to the headboard behind her. His body over hers as he leveraged his weight to keep her down. Her mouth an inch away from his ear, about to bite down. Their forms practically entangled from all her struggling. Their faces, still flushed red with anger but could easily be misconstrued for something else...

"Shinobu!" Mitsuri's voice rang out as she stepped into the room as well, a worried expression on her face. "I heard what happened! Are you okay..."

"What a flamboyant accomplishment!" Uzui declared as he too entered behind her, a large smile spread across his face. "Fighting against the Three Upper Moons themselves..."

They too fell silent as they saw the position Shinobu and Giyuu were in.

"..."

"..."

"This isn't what it looks like," said Shinobu.

"Eep!" Mitsuri squeaked. "I'm so, so sorry for interrupting!" She spun around one-eighty degrees and flew from the room.

"Tomioka, you sick bastard," Sanemi snarled. "You couldn't have waited until she had at least recovered first?" He stepped forward, intent on ripping his head off, only to choke as Mitsuri popped back in to grab him by the back of his shirt. Sanemi clawed at his collar and sputtered out curses as she bodily dragged him out of the room.

"Ho ho!" Uzui laughed. "I have to say, I didn't expect this, Giyuu, you sly dog you." He grinned. "Well, have fun, you two!" He shot them a double thumbs-up before he left, shutting the door behind him.

There was a long moment of silence.

"Before you do anything reckless, I just want to remind you that you are still injured, and Lull is unparalleled in its defensive capabilities–"

"You are dead."

「」

Tanjirou shifted nervously underneath the Hashiras' gazes, desperately wishing that he was anywhere but here. When he had awoken, he had found himself in the "Butterfly Mansion": the medical clinic for the Demon Slayer Corps. Despite being demons, he and Nezuko had been brought there as well, and surprisingly they hadn't even been chained or bound – though that was probably due to the fact the medical team had been too busy performing emergency surgery.

For several terrible hours, Tanjirou had been worried that Shinobu, Rengoku, and Kanao had succumbed to their injuries, and when the news came that they would all survive, he had nearly cried from relief. Even then, however, they had still remained unconscious, their bodies needing all the energy possible to recover.

Rengoku had woken up first about a day later, a testament to his sheer vitality. It appeared that not even broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a crushed eye could keep the Flame Hashira down for long.

Kanao had been the next to wake. Thankfully, her wounds had been relatively straightforward: mostly just cuts and lacerations that were easily stitched up. Her lungs had suffered damage as well from when she had breathed in the demonic ice mist, but there was nothing that could be done about that except to have her drink some herbal medicine to accelerate the healing process and wait for it to naturally recover.

Shinobu had been the worst off, mostly due to how little she had weighed. Even Kanao was a solid nine kilograms heavier than her. It was the reason why Shinobu had to rely on piercing attacks and poison; she simply didn't have the necessary muscle mass to fully behead a demon. Because of that, the blood loss had severely affected her, and from what Tanjirou had heard, she had been touch and go for a while. Thankfully, they had been able to stabilize her in the end–

Tanjirou was interrupted from his thoughts by Rengoku's loud, boisterous laughter.

"... and as I fell unconscious, I had thought that it would be the end, but young Kamado managed to come through," the Flame Pillar said, recounting the story. "I don't know how, but he defended all of us from the three Upper Moons until the sun rose!"

"Most flamboyant!" Uzui grinned, looking at Tanjirou, who was sitting on a chair by Rengoku's bedside. The curtains were arranged so that no direct sunlight would hit him. "How did you do it?"

"I unlocked my Blood Demon Art," Tanjirou explained. "It allowed me to form a barrier that negated their demonic attacks."

"So your Blood Demon Art is a barrier to protect others?" Mitsuri smiled, clapping her hands together. "How amazing!"

"Tch," Sanemi crossed his arms. "It could also be used to keep someone inside, trapped and unable to escape as he devours them."

Tanjirou's eyes widened. "I wouldn't!"

"Yeah, likely story–"

"He wouldn't," a soft voice cut in. They turned to see Kanao regarding them with her usual emotionless gaze. She was lying in the bed next to Rengoku, and had been listening silently as Rengoku talked. Tanjirou had honestly forgotten she was there until she had spoken up.

"Tanjirou saved us," Kanao continued, looking at Sanemi. Her voice was still raspy from the ice mist she had inhaled, but her tone was even and insistent. "He protected us all. Whatever you think of him" – her eyes flashed – "you're wrong."

Sanemi looked stunned that she had said anything at all, much less talked back to him.

Tanjirou felt a smile spread across his face. "Kanao..."

Mitsuri let out a noise that was a mix between a squeal and a coo before immediately covering her lips with her hands and going bright red when they all looked at her. "I'm so sorry," she said, mortified. "I just... look, she's defending him! Kanao's defending him! It's so cute!"

Tanjirou flushed and even Kanao's expression cracked a little, making Mitsuri's smile widen behind her hands even more, but fortunately for them, Rengoku came to their rescue.

"I'm defending him as well!" Rengoku declared. "This mission was a test for him, and he performed admirably – both him and his little sister. Though they may be demons, Kamado Tanjirou and Kamado Nezuko have proven themselves to be true demon slayers." He smiled. "I, for one, am proud to have fought alongside them."

"Rengoku!" Tanjirou's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You really mean that?"

"Of course! Even if you may have fangs and claws on the outside, it's clear as day that your humanity within still shines as brightly as ever!" Rengoku grinned. "I do not know about the others, but just know that I accept you two wholeheartedly."

Tanjirou beamed. "Thank you!"

"Well, if Kyojurou approves, then I do too!" Mitsuri smiled brightly. "Besides, you saved them all. Thank you, Tanjirou."

Then she stepped forward and before he could react, she leaned down and planted a kiss on his left cheek.

Tanjirou blinked. Then his eyes widened and his face went bright red. "I-It was my pleasure," he spluttered as Mitsuri giggled at his reaction.

"Well, facing off against three Upper Moons at once — and engaging the Upper Moon One in direct combat before that…" Uzui grinned and spread his arms wide. "It appears, Tanjirou, that you have grasped the true essence of flashiness. You have the approval of the God of Festivals, yours truly himself!"

"Thank you!" Tanjirou smiled so widely his cheeks hurt. "I—I won't let you down."

Then, he turned to the last person in the room. Sanemi scowled when Tanjirou's gaze landed on him.

"What?" He snarled fiercely. "You want my approval too, is that it? Maybe a compliment and a kiss on the cheek as well?" He shook his head. "Don't bother, you're not getting it."

"Sanemi..." Mitsuri said reproachfully.

"They're demons," Sanemi hissed. "Besides, the only reason why–"

"Sanemi," Uzui said warningly.

Sanemi growled. "Whatever. I need to get back to patrolling," Sanemi turned around and left the room. Before he stepped out the doorway, he looked over his shoulders to send Tanjirou one last withering look, and then he was gone.

"You know, I get the feeling that he doesn't like me very much..."

Mitsuri sighed. "It's not personal, Tanjirou. Sanemi just... had a really rough past."

"Most of us do," Uzui said solemnly. "Which is why it was difficult for us to comprehend the idea of there being a good demon. It wasn't anything against you, specifically – just, most demons are remorseless, disgusting, vile, evil beings–"

"What Uzui's trying to say," Rengoku spoke up, his gaze serious as well, "is that we're sorry for attacking you back at the Hashira meeting. If Oyakata-sama hadn't spoken up in time..." He looked down. "We would have committed an unforgivable sin."

"Ah..." Tanjirou winced as he remembered how close he and Nezuko had been to dying. "It... It's fine."

"No, it's not," Mitsuri said quietly.

Tanjirou sighed. "You're right, it's not. But that's all in the past now. There's no point in dwelling on it – and besides, it's clear that you regret your actions." He smiled gently. "I forgive you."

"You would forgive and forget that easily?" Uzui asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tanjirou shrugged. "What's the point of holding a grudge? We're all on the same side, anyway." Then he narrowed his eyes and his expression darkened. "That said... if anyone tries to hurt Nezuko again, I'll destroy them."

"Hoh? Quite the flashy threat," Uzui smiled. "You, my dear Kamado, have the markings of a true emissary of flashiness. I'll be keeping an eye on you."

Turning around, the Sound Hashira let out a loud laugh as he left the room.

"Don't worry," Mitsuri held up a fist, her face set with determination. "If anyone tries to hurt Nezuko, I'll defend her with all my might."

Tanjirou couldn't help but smile. "Thank you." He paused. "By the way, how's Shinobu doing?"

Oddly, Mitsuri blushed and refused to meet his eyes. "S-She's awake."

"Really?" Tanjirou brightened, Rengoku sat up straighter, and Kanao leaned forward. "I'm so glad!"

"Is she okay?" Kanao asked.

"Y-Yes."

"Giyuu was with her, wasn't he?" Tanjirou asked. Strangely, Mitsuri let out a keening sound. Tanjirou shot her an odd look but she didn't say anything. "I don't think he slept at all these past few days while he waited for her to wake. Aoi says that he was waiting by her bed the entire time."

Mitsuri paused. "Truly?"

"Well, he had to leave in the night to go on his missions, but even then he returned as quickly as possible." Tanjirou smiled. "He must really care for her." He looked down as his smile fell. "And I forced him to fight against her on Mount Natagumo..."

"It'll be fine," Rengoku said. "She'll understand."

"I hope so."

"Oh trust me, I think she does," Mitsuri muttered. "Anyway, I should get going too. Rest well, Kanao, Kyojurou, Tanjirou. See you later!"

With that, the Love Hashira left as well, leaving behind only the scent of lingering perfume.

The moment they could no longer hear her footsteps, Rengoku suddenly lurched forward, bending over as his body was racked with coughs.

"Rengoku?" Tanjirou asked in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Rengoku wheezed out in between coughs. "Just... My body still isn't in the best shape. I didn't want Kanroji to worry..." At Tanjirou's questioning look, he elaborated. "She was my apprentice."

Tanjirou nodded in understanding. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine – "

The door to the common room slammed open and one of the butterfly girls, Naho, poked her head in.

"Tanjirou! Your sister's awake!"

「」

"Nezuko!" Tanjirou gasped as he entered the room. Did she retain her sentience? Was the change from the fight permanent?

It was dark, the curtains drawn tightly shut, and as the door shut behind him it became darker still. The only source of light in the room was a candle on the bedside table that illuminated Nezuko sitting up on her bed, looking straight at him.

She was smiling.

"Nii-chan! There you are."

Tanjirou broke. "Nezuko!" He rushed over, stumbling slightly in his haste to get to her, and practically crushed her in an overwhelming hug. She hugged him back just as tightly, and for several seconds they just stayed like that. And if she heard several sniffles coming from him, she didn't mention it.

Then, he stepped back and smiled at her, full of warmth and joy. "You're finally awake."

"Yeah," Nezuko smiled. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was... in a very long dream."

"I'll say. You slept for more than two years!"

"Ugh. That explains why my breath smelled so bad."

Tanjirou laughed. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, though my memories are still really hazy. I don't remember much these past few years..." She paused. "How did the fight end? Did you manage to kill that big bug-eyed demon?"

Tanjirou shook his head. "He got away. All of them did. On the bright side, we all survived as well."

"You know what? I'll take that." Nezuko touched her head, and Tanjirou's heart tightened as he suddenly remembered how Kokushibou had quite literally torn her apart in his attacks.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you," he whispered. "You were forced to protect me instead, and got hurt for it. I'm really a good-for-nothing older brother, huh."

Nezuko stared at him for several seconds. "Can you come closer for a moment?"

"Huh?" Tanjirou blinked but complied, stepping up so he was right next to her. "What do you – OW!" He winced as Nezuko's hand snapped out and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him down.

"Don't you dare ever say that again," Nezuko said mildly even as Tanjirou flailed around in pain. "You're the best older brother I could ever ask for – and hey, you protected me all this time, so it's only fair I return the favor."

"My ear!"

"Oh don't be such a baby," Nezuko gave a casual twist and Tanjirou screeched.

"Mercy, mercy!"

Nezuko giggled, relenting and letting him go. Tanjirou leaped back, grumbling to himself as he brushed himself off while shooting a betrayed look at her.

"I'm serious, though," she said. "You always put so much pressure on yourself, to do everything, to protect everyone. But you're only human – well, demon. Please don't blame yourself."

And she had such a resolved glint in her eyes that he didn't dare argue against her.

"Alright, alright."

Nezuko smiled in satisfaction. "Good." She paused. "So... what happened these past two years?"

Tanjirou smiled. "Well, I met a new teacher. Yoriichi Tsugikuni. He was strong, the strongest person I've ever met, and he trained me in a swordsmanship style called the Breath of the Sun..."

It was good to have her back.