Chapter Text
- The demon! I can hear it! It’s over there! TANJIRO! AAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHH!
With a shrill, ear-piercing scream, the silence of the night, that of which the Demon Slayers and Demons alike had used to cloak themselves from the eyes of unsuspecting humans, was torn. The source of the scream was none other, than the young blonde of the Demon Slayer Corps, Agatsuma Zenitsu.
- Stay outta my way, Monitsu! A master’s gotta protect his underlings! RAHHHHHHHHHHH!”
The boar-headed boy jumped forward in front of Zenitsu, raising his indigo-gray, dual Nichirin Blades to perform his Breathing Technique. In a quick and erratic movement, Hashibira Inosuke delivers his Second Fang: Slice to the demon’s neck.
- Ha! Don’t ever underestimate the Lord of the Mountains again!!
Even though the demon’s body was already disintegrating and crumbling into ashes, flying away in the cool breeze of the night, that didn’t stop Inosuke from continuing to slice and chop up the cursed being’s body even further with his chipped blades. The only thing that stopped the poor demon’s ashes from being mutilated even further was the gentle, yet seemingly stern scolding of his teammate, Kamado Tanjirou:
- Come on now, Inosuke! The demon’s already been punished for its crimes. You shouldn’t harm it further. Let’s give our respects for its soul and get back down to the village.
- Hmph, if that’s what you want, Jokirou! A master has to please his underlings!
- Please, it’s Tanjirou…
The boar-headed Inosuke puts his swords back into his belt, and as he turns his back to walk down back to the village that hired him and his teammates to exterminate the demon on this mountain, Tanjirou, out of sight, goes to help the panicking Zenitsu, get up from the ground.
- Come on Zenitsu, let’s get up. Inosuke’s already defeated the demon, there’s no need to be scared anymore.
Tanjirou’s warm smile, bright as the sun itself, shone as he extended a helping hand to his fear-stricken comrade.
- Don’t tell me, you haven’t smelled it yet Tanjirou?... Th-there’s another demon… We’re not done yet…
Zenitsu being unreasonably scared of everything wasn’t uncommon to Tanjirou. He was always just scared around everything. So when he saw Zenitsu shaking uncontrollably on the ground, he didn’t think about that possibility. One look at Zenitsu’s pale, frightened face was enough to tell him that this wasn’t just another one of his jittery rounds.
A quick sniff of the mountain’s air, a scent of blood lingering ever so light in it. There, over by the large Cedar tree! Another demon! How could Tanjirou not have noticed it before? Tanjirou’s hand flew to his blade. The scent of blood was ever so faint, which means the demon hasn’t eaten that many humans, but how was it able to hide its presence so well if it’s Blood Demon Art was that weak? The thought slipped out of Tanjirou’s mind as quickly as it had entered. What matters the most now was alerting Inosuke, and for him to start exterminating this demon as quickly as possible.
- Inosuke! Come back! There’s still another demon!
- Haa??!!
The demon, realizing now that Tanjiro and his friends had noticed him, began to start moving towards them, and was getting closer by each blink of an eye. The demon’s violet pupils, surrounded by her black sclera, glew ever so brightly as she approached them with her hand reaching out. Tanjirou unsheathed his blade, ready to perform Hinokami Kagura, at any moment now to protect his shaking comrade.
Tanjirou's blade left the sheathe with a swift click to the tsuba and a flick. Inhaling, he prepares for his technique: Setting Sun Transformation.
The demon, was in front of him now, her messy long white hair spilling all over on top of her crimson yukata bedecked with patterns of the Ume flower. Her fingers, outstretched from each other and their palm, stopped at the space just in front of Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke who just ran back to them. Her joyful, fanged smile made Tanjirou suspect that this demon is quite like the others he had fought. Truly, a demon who doesn't eat humans are quite rare, save from the case of his dear sister.
- Blood Demon Art: Temporal Transportation!
- Guh!!
A barrage of Sweet Pea flowers stemmed from the demon’s hand, enveloping Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke in a sphere of Sweet Pea petals, branches, and leavess.
- Damnit! Soichirou!!! Too slow! Now the demon’s got us trapped in its Blood Demon Art!
- Sorry, Inosuke! Get up, Zenitsu! We still got to fight that demon!
- Ah…alright!
The citrusy fragrance of the Sweet Pea was clogging up Tanjirou’s nose, blocking out the pungent scent of the demon’s blood. The only thing he could do right now in this situation, was to observe his surroundings and devise a strategy to defeat the demon.
- Ughh, Tanjirouu… I don’t like this at alllll… The demon was so pretty but her Blood Demon Art sounds so malicious! Temporal Transportation?! Did it teleport us to sometime else??
- Hold on, Zenitsu. Let me see.
When Tanjirou looked around, he found at the top of the Sweet Pea-sphere, was a knot of what seemed to be dead branches. Perhaps that was the sphere’s weak spot, he thought, raising his katana to pierce the knot.
The moment the edge of Tanjirou’s blade touched the knot, the entire sphere composed of Sweet Peas crumbled into the ashes that were often seen after decapitating a demon at once.
As the sphere of flowers crumbled, the view of the world outside of Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke was unveiled.
Before the red-eyed demon attacked them with its Blood Demon Art, they were in a forest on top of a mountain near a small village called Fumagushi. The mountain was comprised of Cedar trees and maybe some Japanese Red Pines. A normal forest for an average mountain near a common village.
However, in front of them now, was a strange scenario indeed. It was still night-time as they stood tall and lonely in a large field. The field had a scent of fresh, dewy grass. As he continued sniffing, Tanjirou could sniff out the smell of people in the air, a lot of them! Has the demon teleported them somewhere more populated, to have more human meat and prey?
- Hoh!! Michirou! Look! Look at that Giant of the Stones!
- Giant of the Stones? What do you mean, Inosuke-
As Tanjirou turned around to see what Inosuke was talking about when he saw the massive creation of stone towering behind him.
- It truly is the Giant of the Stones! Come, Inosuke! We must pay our respects to the Giant.
- No! I’m gonna fight it! GYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
- You country bumpkins! It’s not a giant! Just a really… really… large… Western-styled building…
Their somewhat educated and knowledgeable teammate, Zenitsu spoke, albeit quite nervously. It’s true, having grown up in the city, Zenitsu had a bit more knowledge about technology and the comings of the new world. But he would be jesting with himself if he said that there’d be a building of this size, even in the Edo capital.
At the Yoshiwara District, the Red Light District of lust and entertainment, they had the most magnificent buildings and architecture known to the Taishou Era of Japan. Yet, even so, none of those infrastructures can compare to the magnificent erection of cement and stone Zenitsu was looking at here.
- Ughh… that thing is seriously huge…
- Well, putting the matter of the Stone Giant aside, I think we need to reassess our situation right now. We were warped here by that demon girl’s Blood Demon Art right? So we just need to find a way to get back!
- … you simpleton…
- Hm? What did you say Zenitsu?
- Nothing…
- I’m tired of all your muttering and blabbering, Kamitsu, Zenirou!! Let’s just find that demon so I can cut off its’ head!
- Yeah, let’s go.
With Zenitsu clutching at the sleeve of his haori, and Inosuke marched in front, loudly shouting his intent to wage battle with the first person he sees. They ventured a bit closer to the “Stone Giant” when Tanjirou smelled an approaching man.
- Zenitsu! Inosuke!
- I know! I heard him! This is so scary! What’s he gonna do to me?!
- Ha! I already felt someone in the air ages ago! You’re all too slow for me!
- It’s not a competition, you dumb boar…
- Hah?! What was that?! You damn Ichitsu! Fight me!! GYAHHH!!!
- Stop it Inosuke!
Like always, Tanjirou had to step in and break the fight between his two friends. And to do that, all of his attention was diverted from detecting the incoming stranger to separating the fighting boys. So, when a slightly alarmed and immensely sleep-deprived Aizawa Shota walked out of the dormitories to find three strangely dressed teenagers brawling in U.A. during the middle of the night, Tanjirou was not able to detect that. Only when Aizawa spoke did Tanjirou’s team spin around to see him.
- You… What are you doing on private school grounds…
- GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! Oh... It’s just a normal human. That scared the crap outta me!
- This is private grounds?! I apologize for my intrusion upon your private quarters, and we’ll be duly leaving in short notice, Sir.
- Nevermind that. What the hell are three teenagers doing in the middle of the night here? You know what, I don’t have the energy to deal with this right now. You can come in the dormitory and stay for a night. Then, when morning comes, we’ll figure out who you are and why you’re here.
- Th-that’s quite alright. Thank you for your concern but we can manage on our own, so there’s no need to worry about us, sir.
- Just come in already. You won’t be a hassle if you refrain from making too much noise and waking up my students. Anyhow, the protocol for opening the security gates to let you out at this time of the night is gonna require a lot of paperwork, so it’s gonna be a hella lot more convenient if you just stay the night here.
Students? So this must be an academic institution! Tanjirou thought while bowing so deeply that his head was grazing the grass and thanking the man for his hospitality.
Although he didn’t want to intrude on their residence, the scruffily tired man was quite insistent that he did. Zenitsu seemed to be quite pleased with the idea of staying indoors instead of having to go out in the open to fight demons, so that was that. Inosuke refused at first, but when the man said something about food, he managed to settle down, thank God.
The scruffy man, or as he told them to address him, Ireiza Heddo(?), walked them through the glass mouth of the Stone Giant, and into a separate room. The room itself was as big as the infirmary at the Butterfly Estate itself!
- Your boar friend there wanted some food right? Cup ramen sounds good?
- Uhh, sure! Thank you once again for your hospitality sir.
- Don’t call me sir. I already said so, it’s Eraserhead.
- Of course, Ireiza-san.
- It’s Eraserhead–but never mind… I'm not even going to bother asking why you all are equipped with swords.
The last part was unheard by the young boys, for they were only muttered under his breath as "Ireiza" trudged into another room, which Tanjirou assumed to be his kitchen to prepare the cup noodles. Is that what it was called?
He looked over at his two friends. Zenitsu fell asleep instantly the moment he sat on the large Western-styled couch. Inosuke was calm now, only giggling erratically and glancing around at the large room.
“Please don’t cause a racket, Inosuke. I’m begging you not to.”
“Ha?! How dare you tell me what to do!”
“Please, just don’t make any trouble. Ireiza-san was already kind enough to let us stay the night. Can you just try to stay calm for today? Just this once?”
“Hrm, well, I suppose I’ve got to do it, since my underling asked me to! A good master always considers his underlings’ feelings!”
Right outside the Stone Giant’s mouth, Tanjirou had to try and do everything he can to make sure that Inosuke won’t cause any problems. In the end, Inosuke agreed not to cause a ruckus in the Stone Giant, but Tanjirou was still nervous. Inside, he was praying for "Ireiza" to prepare whatever cup noodles were as fast as possible, because he could feel Inosuke’s restlessness growing by the second.
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3:00 AM, CLASS 1A DORM
At this ungodly hour, in the Common Room of Class 1A, three oddly dressed and out-of-place teenagers were sleeping peacefully on the couch. A boy with a scar on his forehead and hanafuda earrings, with a boy that has layered blonde hair sleeping on his lap. Sleeping at the other end of the couch was an even stranger boy, who had a masculine body with toned and muscular abs, yet his face resembled that of a sleeping fairy, with long eyelashes and a face perfectly framed with his fine, luscious hair. Two folded haoris, four Nichirin Blades and one boar head-mask, were properly put away on a glass table. Next to the glass table was an oaken box.
Another period of time passed, and the boys kept snoring and sleeping on, and the box was slightly shaking from the inside. Then, as it slowly opened, a tiny, childlike hand reached from within the box. Slowly, a little demon girl, wearing a bamboo muzzle. silently crawled out of the box made for her protection against the sunlight.
Kamadou Nezuko stood up, regaining her true height and form, and took a brief look around the room with a look that seemed mildly surprised and confused. But, spotting her brother sleeping nearby, she paid no more attention to her strange surroundings and made her way over to Tanjirou. As she kneeled at the edge of the couch, Nezuko silently watched her brother’s peaceful expression as he slept and snored with intense focus.
And when a hungry Shinsou Hitoshi stepped out of his room to get a late-night snack, he wasn’t expecting to see a toddler-sized girl crouching by the couch, watching three other very strange boys sleep.