Tanjiro Kamado had never been to the big city before.
He was born and raised in the mountains, and outside of the many trips to the nearby village to sell coal, that was where he'd remained. Even when his family was killed, he'd still stayed around the mountain training for two more years training before he definitely left his home, and outside of his stays in the Butterfly Estate, he'd been on the road since. However, he had nonetheless never been to an actual metropolis before, let alone the capital of all places. Still, he didn't think it would be much different from somewhere like Kaigara, which itself seemed plenty impressive when he visited it.
Turns out though he was wrong. As he stood in the middle of Asakusa, he couldn't help but experience sensory overload from all the different sounds, sights, and especially smells all around him. Despite it being nighttime, every single corner was lit by electric light with countless people going on and about along the streets, more than he'd ever seen gathered in one place before, as a matter of fact. And as far as he knew, this was just another normal night in Tokyo.
In the short time since arriving, Tanjiro had tasted foods and had seen contraptions of the likes he'd never thought existed. A good example of the latter was the large metal machines taking people back and forth along the city guided by cables connected from post to post. At first, he'd confused it for a large animal, but turns out the odd vehicle was actually something known as a trolley. The short ride he'd hesitantly taken in one had proved to be a very surreal experience, seeing something so large being moved around so easily with no sight of animal or manpower. The wonders of technology felt almost a bit overwhelming, even for someone who was very used to fighting and killing deadly, maneating demons at this point. He supposed though such were the consequences of the march of time, and he'd have to get used to it sooner or later.
That all though was not to say he'd forgotten the reason he was there in the first place. He'dd left Ubuyashiki Mansion and had made his way off without even stopping by the Butterfly Mansion, carrying only the money he had on him. Tanjiro admittedly did feel a bit guilty leaving the others behind to go off on a mission without as much as a word, but he felt as if they would get the memo in some way or another. Not to mention, even more overpowering than his guilt was his desire to find this Tamayo he had been told about by Kagaya. Supposedly, this doctor who was working on a way to reverse the process with demonification could help him regarding the problem with his sister, but so far, despite hours of going around asking locals if they knew of one doctor Tamayo, not one person had given him anything on where to find the mysterious woman. He'd been pointed to a couple doctors in the region, but none of them was a woman, and even the few he'd gone after and spoke to in vain hope could tell him nothing regarding her. It was if she didn't even exist at all.
As he walked through one of the less lit and crowded corners of Asakusa in an attempt to give himself some time off from the sheer sensory overload that was the big city, he couldn't help but curse his eagerness. He'd really gone all the way there with no information besides a name, not even a vague description or a clue to finding her. All he was told was to be careful with his blade and to wear his cloak, which was utterly useless information as far as actually finding her went. He sighed, wondering silently if it was all really just a waste of time. Maybe Kagaya didn't have the right information, maybe Tamayo wasn't there at all, and maybe it was just meant to be his way.
When first presented with the possibility of returning his sister's humanity, he didn't even think, he just took it. After all, before that, the only other option to even solving this situation seemed to be killing her, and needless to say the weight behind such a choice was beyond crushing. It wasn't like the idea of searching for another way had crossed his mind before, but up until Kagaya presented him with the possibility of someone who could actually achieve the reversal of demonification, that hadn't been anything more than a daydream. But the trip to Asakusa had been a fairly long one, and he had plenty of time to let those thoughts take root in his head. Now, the idea behind reversing Nezuko's current state didn't seem like the perfect situation anymore. As he'd seen with his own eyes, her hands were not clean. The blood of many a Demon Slayer had been drawn by her, and there would likely be more before it was all over. Would Nezuko really be impune to the consequence of those actions if he managed to turn her back into a human...? He wasn't sure...but he knew that whatever the case, he would stand by her. And it was undoubtedly the better option compared to putting her down. That though wouldn't be going anywhere if he couldn't even find Tamayo to begin with. Was there really no way of going down the easier path in this...?
Before he could continue on with his line of thoughts however, Tanjiro's nose would catch onto something. Something close. And he didn't need to smell it twice to know that this something was a demon. He didn't even think, he turned around in a flash, already drawing his katana with a diagonal slash. Though when he did so he still saw nothing, his nose said otherwise, and his blade proved it true when its tip made contact with something, a trail of blood splattering across the wall by his side as the form of a demon suddenly came into view, with it stumbling and falling back with his back to the ground. Before it could move another muscle, Tanjiro was upon it, with the tip of his sword touching the creature's neck.
Only then, with his attacker on the ground, could the boy get a proper look at the demon. He looked eerily humanlike, with barely any traits discerning him from a human at first sight other than the slits in his purple eyes and his slightly paler complexion. He had the appearance a boy maybe a bit younger than himself with pale green hair with black tips around his hairline, wearing a button-up shirt under a white kimono and dark blue pants. But despite his fairly harmless look, his smell told a different story by itself. Well, that and the other thing. Namely, that which was seemingly glued to his forehead, a piece of paper torn in two by his already healing slash across the boy's face, one Tanjiro quickly realized looked like that of a talisman, "Is that what he used to get the drop on me like he was invisible...?" He wondered, availing the demon with a raised eyebrow.
The demon, meanwhile, was down on the ground, glaring up at the red-clad boy irritatedly, "You Demon Slayers are all the same...attack first, ask questions later." He snarled angrily, "I still think its a stupid idea, but if it's really what is what milady wants, I can't really refuse..."
Tanjiro...was caught off guard by this, staring at the demon bemusedly for a moment before asking, "...come again?"
"You're the brat going around town asking for Lady Tamayo aren't you?" The demon asked, grabbing the blade being held to his neck and pushing it down with little resistance from its wielder, "Well, I'm here to take you to her"
"...you? You know Tamayo?" He asked, blinking in confusion, still not quite understanding what was happening, "But...but you're a..."
"A demon? Yeah, idiot." The boy grunted, rising up to his feet, "Now come on, she's already waiting for you." He began walking off, only to soon enough notice Tanjiro was not following, instead just standing there staring at nothing with his mouth hanging, "You coming or what?" The demon asked annoyedly..
Tanjiro blinked, snapping out of his daze and staring over at the demon still confusedly before nodding, "Yeah...right behind you." He replied, sheeting away his katana before beginning to follow, finally realizing now what Kagaya had meant by not drawing his blade unless it was necessary, and also that the Demon Slayer's leader might've intentionally held back on telling him some very important information regarding his mission
This was an odd experience for Tanjiro. Every demon he'd ran into up to this point had meant him harm almost immediately, and yet here he was, following after a demon on his way to meet an ally. Sure, the way he'd snuck up to him was suspicious, enough to justify immediate action from him, but it wasn't like he'd smelled any deception coming from the boy either. In fact, his nose told him everything he'd said up until now was true. And besides that, there was definitely something very different in his smell distinguishing this boy from other demons. After meeting Nezuko again, he'd almost discarded entirely the old hypothesis of a truly kind demon existing, one able to control their instincts and interact with humans without seeing them as cattle, the kind of demon that didn't require slaying. Had he really just happened to run into the living example of those beliefs...?
When the boy eventually glanced back to check on him, he'd realize Tanjiro was staring hard at his back with a very confused expression. He sighed despondently and turned around with a groan, "Fine, fine, I get it. It's the first time you haven't seen a demon that hasn't tried to tear your throat open, I know." He annoyedly told the boy, "No need to stare so hard..."
"...so does that mean you really don't eat any human flesh like the others?" The Demon Slayer inquired, taking the chance to maybe break the ice and strike a conversation.
"Thanks to Lady Tamayo's efforts, I am able to survive by feeding on a mixture made with a small amount of human blood once a week." The demon explained, "Well, technically, any demon should, really, but I hear it's hard to give up on human flesh once you get a good taste of it."
"Yeah, so I've heard..." Tanjiro said, "In that case though, you're lucky Doctor Tamayo found you before you could hurt anyone."
"Quite presumptuous of you," The demon glanced back at him with an annoyed frown, "But that wasn't in fact what happened. Lady Tamayo was the one who turned me into a demon for my own sake."
The swordsman blinked in surprise at hearing that, "Uh...what? SHE was the one who turned you into a demon...?!" He asked confusedly, "That's impossible...the only one who can turn people into demons is-"
"Muzan Kibutsuji, yes. Again, presumptuous of you to think so." The boy commented, catching the Slayer a bit off guard with how casually he dropped that name, "But yes, Lady Tamayo was the one to turn me. I was on the verge of death with a terminal disease and begged her for a second chance, which she granted. I was fully aware of what I was getting into, mind you, and for saving my life I have been serving milady faithfully ever since."
"Alright...she can turn others into demons..." Tanjiro restated, still finding that somewhat incredulous, but going on regardless, "What about reversing the process? Can she do that?"
"...so that's what this is all about." The demon murmured, letting out a quiet sigh, "She's been successful in the past, but only with those recently turned. The stronger a demon becomes and the more human flesh they consume, the harder it becomes to reverse that process. We currently lack the data necessary to progress past that stage as of present."
"I see..." The Demon Slayer muttered, "Of course it wouldn't have been that easy..."
The demon snorted and turned up to stare straight ahead. A good couple minutes of walking would go by then, with Tanjiro just following along in silent thought when the boy came to a sudden stop in what was essentially an empty street with walls on both sides leading down to a dead-end, "We're here."
The red-clad boy came to a stop, looking left and right to both walls and seeing no kind of gate or entrance in sight, "Uh...are you sure?"
Rolling his eyes, the demon just silently motioned for him to follow before walking straight towards the dead-end, which had Tanjiro standing there with a raised eyebrow for a moment before the boy just walked through the wall as if it was nothing more than a mirage, disappearing through it. Blinking, the Demon Slayer hesitantly followed in his guide's footsteps before he himself walked through the mirage of a wall, and emerged on the other end, a large garden with sakura trees around the corners and a large house in the center, not as big as the Ubuyashiki or Butterfly mansions, but nonetheless quite big.
"Wow...who would've thought, a house hidden here..." Tanjiro commented, staring up at the building as he approached it following the demon. As they did so though, he would notice the piece of paper resembling a talisman hanging right above the front door, "Hey, isn't that...?"
"Yes, it's a talisman, just like the one I used to sneak up on you, except far more potent. It is what hides this house and its presence from anyone outside." The demon explained, removing the torn piece of paper in his now long healed forehead and discarding it, both pieces fading to ash before they touched the ground, "Producing those is my Demon Blood Art."
Tanjiro nodded in understanding before pausing as he recalled the incident where they had met in just minutes ago, "Speaking of which, why were you sneaking up on me in the first place back then?"
"Just because Lady Tamayo told me to bring you here doesn't mean I'd let a complete stranger into our house." The demon told him with disdain, "I admit I was caught off guard by your...unexpected sense of perception, but I still think this was a terrible idea."
Frowning, Tanjiro was about to reply to that when he was caught off guard by the sudden emergence of an almost too sweet, perfume-like smell, but one with the same characteristics that had given away the boy's true nature. "Yushiro, you shouldn't talk so rudely to our guest." A female voice rang out as he suddenly stopped and looked off to the side, his gaze being followed by the light-haired boy just before a woman walked over from the around the corner of the house. She had brown hair tied into a bum and deep lavender eyes, wearing a purple kimono decorated with the images of tree branches and flowers.
"Lady Tamayo, I am deeply sorry! I didn't mean to upset yo- I mean, the kid here." The demon, apparently named Yushiro, declared while down on one knee and his head fully lowered, his whole personality having apparently changed with the flick of a switch. Tanjiro didn't focus on that too much though, seeing as he had his attention focused on Tamayo herself. She was a demon, of course she was a demon, how had he not realized that sooner? It really did recontextualize most of the conversation he had with Ubuyashiki, such as her avoiding the Corps for a long time as well as why someone working to reverse the demonification process would distance themselves from Demon Slayers. Most notable of all that though was the fact that the very same Tamayo was staring right at him with a clear look of surprise and he really had no idea why. "Uh..Lady Tamayo?" Yushiro called out at her lack of response, seeming to break the daze she was in as Tamayo turned to her assistant.
"Uh...yes, thank you for bringing him here, Yushiro." She said, nodding to the boy before turning her attention back to Tanjiro, "So...you were the Demon Slayer asking around town for me..."
"Yeah...that's me." Tanjiro confirmed, "I've come here to ask for your help."
"I see..well, why don't you come in for some tea?" Tamayo then offered the boy, staring deeply at him, "I believe you and I have much to discuss."
Elsewhere not too far away, a hooded figure made his way through one of the less populated corners of Asakusa. His cloak blew in the wind as the streetlights cast an imposing shadow with his tall stature. The figure had been tracking his target for what seemed like ages now, but now felt closer to it than ever. First it had been Kaigara, where his target had first made his impact by bringing down Lower Moon Six. He'd visited the seaside town in hopes of getting a trace from his target, but he seldom got anything that useful out of the experience. The next place he visited though was different, as a while later he'd be informed that the boy had a run-in with the newest Lower Moon member down in Natagumo Mountain. The trail this time was far fresher, and he'd gotten from it a clear picture of his target for the first time ever, but had also lost track of that trail too. Now, there they were, Asakusa, and he was closer behind than ever before. It was only a matter of time until he caught up with the kid at this rate...
The figure though came to a sudden stop then as something caught his attention. Glancing to the side, he'd see a few small dark smudges of a dried liquid marring the side of a grey wall. He'd reach out for it, using his sharp nail to scratch at it to get a sample before bringing it up to his nose and getting a whiff at it. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he'd lower his finger and bring it to his mouth in order to get in a small taste to confirm his suspicions, "Huh...demon blood...how curious." He murmured, looking up as the electric light above reflected itself in his eyes, revealing the insignia for 'Lower Moon One' etched into his pupils, "Now...where exactly did you run off to, boy?"
Tanjiro sat cross-legged by a low wooden table, staring down at the dark cup of tea set in front of him. After entering the house and being given some proper introduction, Tamayo had insisted on not only serving him tea but also replacing the discarded bandages he'd traveled without upon noticing how the injury on his forehead was still fresh, adding a strong-smelling balm over the scar that she insisted would accelerate the healing process. She'd also asked Yushiro to take his cloak, hanging the dirtied red haori on the corner of the room. He really didn't expect to ever experience this kind of hospitality from a demon of all things, but life just kinda took a weird turn like that sometimes.
Either way, they did everything to make him comfortable enough to open up, even if they didn't need to. Regardless, once he and Tamayo were sat across from each other in the ground table, with Yuchirou at his side shooting him a glare every now and then, he would take a sip of his tea and begin his story. He told them only what they needed to know, from the fateful day where his whole family was slaughtered and him and his sister were mysteriously separated to the equally fateful reencounter they had at the peak of Natagumo Mountain years later, no more and no less.
As he finished his tale, Tamayo would set down her cup of tea on the table, looking at him in pity, "So your sister was turned into a Demon Moon...I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if there's much I can do in this specific case."
"I know. Yushiro did say you guys lack the proper data to reverse the process on anyone other than a recently turned demon," Tanjiro recalled before continuing, "but if your problem here is that you lack something, then why don't we help one another? Anything you need for this, I'll help you get it."
"It's not that simple, Tanjiro." Tamayo told him, "To reverse the process on something like a demon moon, we'd need samples on those around the same level as herself to work with, probably even higher so. You'd need to go out hunting some of Kibutsuji's most powerful servants if you really want me to make your sister a cure. It's the kind of job that might get too dangerous even for a Pillar if you happen to approach the wrong demon."
'I don't care about the danger." Tanjiro immediately told her without even a hint of hesitation, "I've killed Lower Moon Six and fought Nezuko to a standstill. They were strong, sure, but ranking doesn't scare me. I'll fight whoever it takes if it means turning her back, even if I have to raise my blade against Muzan himself for that."
Yushiro snorted at that statement, "Yeah, good luck. Even if you did well against a few Lower Moons, there are far bigger fish out there to fry. Let's see how well you do against something like an Upper Moon."
Tamayo sighed, "Unfortunately, Yushiro is right. Lower Moons are powerful enough themselves, but Upper Moons are something else entirely. Monsters, the likes of which have lived and amassed their strength for well over a century who, in the past, have taken the combined effort of several Pillars at once to even take down. And the Upper Moons themselves are incomparable to the power Muzan himself holds..."
Tanjiro frowned as he looked down frustratedly, thinking back to his brief spar against Giyu Tomioka and how despite it ending in a tie, he'd still been admittedly overwhelmed by the Water Pillar's superior skill and would've outright lost to him were they using real swords instead of bokken. Then there was the fight against Nezuko herself, which also had no conclusive victor, but deep down he knew that had she really wanted to, that fight would've ended with his whole head on fire rather than with just his scar reshaped. The burgundy-haired boy let out a deep sigh, reminding himself how despite having the drive to achieve his goals, but he still had a long way to go in terms of power. "Yeah...you're right. I'm getting ahead of myself, I'm sorry."
"It's fine, Tanjiro." Tamayo told him reassuringly, placing a kind hand over his own lying on the table, "I understand your eagerness. It's your sister, after all. The fact that despite everything that happened, you still didn't even consider giving up on her...that's not foolishness, it's the mark of a good person."
Tanjiro looked up at her then and saw the kindness in her eyes, the sympathy she felt for him, and the smell behind it confirmed her words were honest, "This..." He thought, comprehension fully dawning on him, "...this is what I was looking for...a truly kind demon." For the first time in a long while, he felt as if all that weight had been fully lifted from his shoulders for a moment, and with it he managed to produce an honest smile. That moment though was rudely interrupted when he realized Yushiro was silently glaring right at him with arms crossed from his position at the table. Blinking, his smile broke as he pulled his hand away from Tamayo's, "...thank you, Lady Tamayo."
"You're most welcome, Tanjiro. Just know that you can count on me and Yushiro to help you with your sister..." She said, before pausing, "Though...if you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you know to come looking for me in the first place?"
"...Lord Kagaya, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. He was the one who told me about you." Tanjiro confessed, much to the two demons' evident surprise. He knew this was not the kind of information he could hide from the two, even if they didn't react well to it. He certainly didn't when he was told Shinobu had kept him under watch, and he wasn't trying to hide like these two were."
"The Demon Slayers know our whereabouts?!" Yushiro exclaimed confusedly as Tamayo looked down worriedly, "How is that even possible...?!"
"Lord Kagaya said the Corps had been keeping an eye on you for a long time. Initially, I thought he meant a couple of years, but now I'm starting to think this might've been in play well before his time." He tried to explain, "He told me though he was looking to recruit your aid for our efforts against Muzan, but never managed to figure the right way to approach you...until..."
"...until you came along." Tamayo realized, seeming to have a far better understanding of the situation now, "The Ubuyashiki family have always been known for the information they have accumulated throughout the years, but I couldn't have imagined their knowledge went that far back..."
Tanjiro raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding what she meant by that, but for the moment decided not to push it further, deciding to instead focus on the mission he'd been trusted with, "Doesn't look like you're too keen on taking him up on that offer..."
"We're demons, kid. We've got no business getting mixed in with Demon Slayers." Yushiro rudely told you.
"That might be true, but you're not like most demons." Tanjiro argued, "Lord Kagaya already wants your help, so I'm sure we could convince everyone else to make an exception for the two of you. I know the Corps have customs to how they approach Demon Slaying that even I disagree with, but you'd be able to go a lot further in your research if we collaborated."
"You don't understand, Tanjiro. I have done too many terrible things in the past and hurt many people in the process." Tamayo told him, looking down shamefully, "Things that, if you knew their full extent, would make forgiving the likes of me near impossible. I've barely done so myself, so I can't expect the Demon Slayer Corps to do it too. If anything, they would be right in putting me down. However, before I die, I at least want to right my wrongs as much as possible. Until then, I can't risk joining forces with the Demon Slayers and must avoid them at all costs."
"...if you're so adamant in staying away from the Demon Slayers, why did you have Yushiro bring me here instead of staying hidden?" Tanjiro finally asked the question that had been scratching at the back of his head since he got there.
Tamayo paused as she was asked that, taking a long, quiet sip of her tea before lowering the cup with a small, nostalgic smile, "Well...to be perfectly honest...even from Yushiro's secondhand description of you, and even more so when I actually saw you..." She looked at him, her smile unfaltering, "...you really reminded me of a dear old friend of mine."
The Demon Slayer raised an eyebrow curiously, "A friend...? Who-" Tanjiro caught himself mid-question then when his nose caught onto something. A third smell, of a third demon, but this one nowhere near as pleasant as the two benevolent demons' smells. Yushiro seemed to notice too, as he immediately grabbed Tamayo and pulled her to the side while Tanjiro stood up. Just in time too as numerous white spikes suddenly broke to the ground from one corner of the room, growing exponentially fast with more emerging towards their direction. Tanjiro knew the other two were demons and thus decided to prioritize his own safety in the sudden crisis knowing either could survive whatever this was while he couldn't and, as a white spike pierced through the ground table sending their cups of tea flying into the air, the Demon Slayer would have already dived off to the side, crashing through a window moments before the entire room was filled all the way to the ceiling with the emerging white spikes.
The boy rolled on the grass upon landing, immediately feeling the cold the night wind blowing with the lack of his cloak. He turned to the house where he'd come from in time to see the spikes burst through the ceiling, causing an entire section of Tamayo's mansion to collapse down onto itself. Silently cursing the loss of his cloak and hoping the two demons weren't too hurt inside there, Tanjiro breathed in before turning his attention to where the third smell had come from in order to face their sudden attacker.
Standing not too far from the house was a cloaked and hooded figure, kneeling with his right hand hanging open inches from the ground, a white appendage emerging from his palm and making contact with the ground to create the trail of growing white spikes leading to the house. As he rose to an imposing height, the figure would turn his attention to the Demon Slayer, his hood not doing much in hiding the bearded lower half of his pale face and the wide smile strewn across his lips, "There you are..." The demon said gleefully, "I've been searching you for quite a while now, hanafuda boy..."
"Have you now...?" Tanjiro inquired with a somewhat nervous smile, knowing by smell alone that, whoever this guy was, he was undoubtedly strong, "What exactly did I do to earn that honor exactly?"
"Nothing personal, really..." The demon chuckled as he walked towards him, "But whatever it was, you must've screwed up pretty badly to draw the ire of That Man in particular..."
"...so Muzan sent you." Tanjiro deduced, his hand taking a cautious hold on his sword's hilt as his foe approached, "But I doubt he'd send more low-level demons after me, especially after I took down Lower Moon Six...I can tell already though that you are stronger than he was, so why don't you lower that hood so I can get a look at your eyes and spare myself the mystery?"
"Oh, of course. Where are my manners?" The demon inquired, stopping his stride still a fair distance away from Tanjiro, his hands raising to take a hold of his hood and lower it, his facial features now fully in view. He looked like a man in his thirties or forties, with long, dark hair matching the beard and black, vein-like marks running down from his forehead and golden eyes, the left of which had the marking engrained for the man's rank, the highest of its kind, "My name is Rokuro, Lower Moon One. Pleased to make your acquaintance, young swordsman."
Tanjiro narrowed his eyes, trying to keep his cool given the situation, but he still couldn't prevent a bead of cold sweat from running down his temple. "Lower Moon One, huh...? I could tell at a glance this guy felt totally different than Kamanue or even Nezuko, but who would've guessed he's this high up...?"
"Having second thoughts?" Rokuro inquired, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. "I hope not. Hardly would be fitting for such a long hunt to end with such an underwhelming opponent..."
"Well, it's unexpected, sure..." Tanjiro admitted, before his other hand gripped onto his scabbard, his feet shifting into a drawing stance, his eyes staring his opponent down hard, "But turns out I'd have to go after your kind sooner or later. If anything, I should thank you for saving me the trip."
"Now that's more like it..." Rokuro grinned delightedly, "I suppose you'll be providing me some fun after all. I appreciate having to fight for my reward." He then glanced off to the side to the collapsed section of the house, "As for those two demons with you, if you can even call them that, I might not understand what they were doing conspiring with a Demon Slayer, but I'm sure the Master will be more than happy to punish some traitors once I hand them off alongside your decapitated head."
Tanjiro's gaze hardened at that, the grip around his katana tightening. He was used to threats being directed at himself, but to have a bystander threatened because of him when neither Tamayo or Yushiro had anything to do with this was enough to anger him. He didn't care if they were demons. After talking and getting to know them, he knew those two were no different than humans, and should be treated as such. The same could not be said for the Lower Moon standing before him. He could smell the blood from his previous victims in him, people killed for nothing other than satisfying this monster's selfish hunger. Contrary to Tamayo or Yushiro, this was not someone deserving of his mercy, "I won't let you lay a finger on them." He snarled, stepping forward as he slowly drew his katana from its scabbard, its dark edge already surrounded by bright flames that quickly began growing brighter, "Breath of the Sun, Sixth Dance: High Noon Flare!"
In a flash, Tanjiro moved, reappearing right in front of his opponent with his drawn blade already being swung towards the demon's neck at blinding speeds. For a moment, he thought he had him, but of course, it wasn't that easy. The flames of his blade halted as Rokuro intercepted the blow by simply raising his forearm. Though the sword had cut into it somewhat, it was unable to pierce even halfway through as it was stopped entirely when it made contact with a surprisingly hard surface, "Is that all?" The Lower Moon inquired a moment before his other hand shot out in a fist at the Demon Slayer's chest, though he, in turn, was able to intercept it with the hilt of his sword, being sent flying back, forced to stab his blade in the ground and even then skid for quite some distance in order to stop his own momentum.
"That...was my fastest attack. And yet he managed to react to it like he knew exactly where I'd throw it." Tanjiro thought in surprise, pulling his blade off the ground and raising it at the demon, "Not to mention, he's incredibly tough. Just like Lower Moon Six...except he isn't turning his skin into anything. I cut past his flesh and muscle just fine, but...I just couldn't get past his bone."
"Figured it out yet?" Rokuro inquired, striding towards him as he rolled up his sleeves, "My Demon Blood Art...it is named the Dead Bone Pulse." He exclaimed as two thin white blades each the length of a kodachi emerged from his palms. "It allows me to reshape and weaponize every single bone in my body, not to mention naturally making my entire skeleton harder than any kind of metal. Normally it isn't something I'd like to start any fight with as to not become too reliant on those powers, but given the stakes of the matter, I feel like I can make you an exception."
"Bones, huh...? So that's what those spikes were..." He thought, glancing briefly to the side where the collapsed section of the house was, the rising spears of bone still piercing past the mass of rubble. Immediately as he did so though, his Forescent would flare up and he'd glance back forward just in time to see Rokuro upon him after lunging in at Tanjiro in his brief moment of distraction. Luckily, his sense of scent kept him sharp and allowed him to deflect the horizontal slash of one of the demon's blades upwards while backing up. He kept himself on the defensive then as Rokuro attacked fiercely swinging both his bone blades, knowing going on the offensive with anything other than a good blow to the neck would just give his foe a chance to attack him while his guard wasn't up.
At one point amidst all his blocking, Tanjiro would raise his katana to intercept one of the swings but would end up having their weapons locked together for a moment. This was enough for Rokuro to suddenly slide his blade up to its base and wrap his fingers around the katana's steel, trapping and pulling it down for a moment as to swing at the boy with the blade in his other hand. In spite of his precarious position however, the Demon Slayer would manage to avoid the worst of the blow without having to let go of his sword as the demon intended him to. He'd instead lean back at the last moment just enough so that only the tip of his sharpened bone would graze the unscarred side of his forehead, in the process cutting the bandages around his forehead Tamayo had just recently replaced and sending them flying like ribbons through the air.
Groaning at his failure to strike at the boy, Rokuro tried to drag him closer by his blade and deliver a powerful kick to his gut, only for Tanjiro to suddenly pull his blade back out of his grasp while backing away just out of his kick's range, leaving a quickly healing cut along the demon's palm. Rather than chasing him, the Lower Moon would instead op to extend both his arms towards him palm first, almost as if aiming in his direction with the blades emerging from his hands. And sure enough, not a moment later, he'd watch the muscles on one of his arms bloat for a moment with pressure before releasing it by sending the blade flying right out of his hands like an arrow released from a bow's string.
Though not having expected that, Tanjiro was still sharp enough to see the attack coming and counter it appropriately by raising his blade to prevent the projectile from hitting him, instead being deflected and sent spinning over his shoulder. He did however expect the second projectile, quickly remembering Rokuro had taken aim at him with both of his arms at once and, sure enough, just after deflecting the first projectile, in would come the second. He thought so, anyway, but turns out it came with an unexpected twist either. He just stood there confusedly for a moment at the lack of any Forescent appearing for him before the attack hit, having grown very quickly used to it by then despite having learned the skill somewhat recently. But it never came, as the attack flew by in his shoulder and missed entirely, the intent behind the move not being made clear until it moved right past him and Tanjiro noticed the presence his own bandages, the bone having been shot through them in order to entangle itself with the cloth and, not hit him, but rather have the bandages cover his line of sight for a moment and allowing Rokuro to quickly close distance and attack again, his now bladeless palm shooting out to grab him by the neck. This time though, his Forescent did work and, though the bandages blinded him briefly, he regardless managed to sidestep the demon's grab and gripped his hilt tighter as he prepared to counterattack. Except rather than disappearing as it usually did, the smell of his Forescent changed from a choking move to a decapitating one instead, and Tanjiro could only lean back as a scythe-like blade of bone newly sprouted from the outside of Rokuro's forearm narrowly flew by over his lowered head.
The Lower Moon Demon came to a quick stop once his newly created forearm blade was dodged, switching his momentum to spin around and swing at the boy with the same kind of blade sprouting from his other arm, but Tanjiro had by then backed away to evade the blow. Rokuro growled, not letting up as he chased the Demon Slayer vigorously, another two short blades sprouting from his palms paired with the scythe-like ones in his arms to make his pattern of attack even more unpredictable, pushing back the swordsman as he desperately dodged and blocked his foe's aggressive slashes, his Forescent working overtime in making sure he was aware of every single blow coming and could react to it in time. However, as much as he was keeping up for time being, he knew just sticking to the defensive wasn't going to work out, and that he would have to find a way to switch the momentum of the fight if he wished to overcome his foe. Worse yet, he soon noticed that, with being forced back constantly, he was quickly approaching an incoming wall behind him, one that if he was pressed against, he would have nowhere to run off to when Rokuro attacked.
In an attempt to escape such a fate, he'd suddenly move backwards quickly before lunging to the left in an attempt to circle the Lower Moon, but Rokuro moved to the side with him, outstretching a palm and forcing him to move back to the other side when one of his palm blades was fired as a projectile in his trajectory, that moment being enough for the demon to close in again and aim a forward strike with the blade on his forearm, one that Tanjiro managed to block at the cost of being sent skidding even closed to the wall by the force of the blow. Before he could even properly recover from that, Rokuro had knelt down and slammed his bladeless palm down in the ground, "Demon Blood Art: Rising Bone Graveyard." He announced with a grin, more spikes of bone rising from the ground, but not with the intent to impale him. Rather, they sprouted in a clear line to either side of him, creating a tall corridor of bones to trap him with the wall on one end and his opponent on another. While he did that though, the demon would extend his other hand at him and fire the blade in it as a projectile to keep Tanjiro busy while the wall around him rose, one he ducked under fairly easily despite the limited space, but kept him distracted enough for Rokuro to close distance again, swinging fiercely with his scythe-like blades and further forcing the Demon Slayer to block while being pushed down the corridor and, consequently, closer and closer to the wall.
The narrow corridor made it even harder for Tanjiro to wield his longer katana without having its swings be stopped the demon's bones, which in turn wasn't much of a problem for his opponent and his shorter forearm blades. That said, he'd keep his blocking to a minimum, instead relying mostly on dodging to evade his swings, but that by itself was not enough, and when he was eventually required to raise his blade at an undodgeable swing, the force in it again pushed him further back. This time, however, he used the momentum to jump back, which allowed him to open some space from his foe on one end, but in the other had him stop with his back just barely touching the wall, with bones rising at either side to prevent an easy escape and a grinning Rokuro rushing him with both his blades posed to strike. Despite the dire situation and little time to react, Tanjiro kept his calm, breathing in while quietly wondering what was the best way to escape this debacle. What advantage did he have over his demonic foe at the moment? Given some more time, he could've figured something better, but in the rather tight situation he was in, the only thing immediately obvious was that Rokuro was certain he had him cornered. The demon expected him to try something stupid and lash out as your usual prey with no other options might've in this situation, but Tanjiro was no prey.
He waited until the last possible moment, when the Lower Moon Demon was upon him with both his blades closing in for different directions aiming to tear him apart, to spin around holding his katana over his shoulder with a two-handed grip to intercept the two blades while raising a foot to press against the wall he was facing. Though the attack came with more force than he could really block properly, especially from his position, he also didn't need to. What he did instead was use that momentum to run up the side of the wall before breaking their lock while flipping himself right over Rokuro. The demon was surprised, but still attempted to stop himself and slash at Tanjiro while he was still mid-jump, but this time his shorter blades worked against him as he failed to reach the Demon Slayer, who in turn spun midair and lashed out with his own longer katana at Rokuro, not managing to get into range to aim a proper decapitating blow, but nonetheless achieving his first real hit in the battle as the tip of his blade grazed the demon's throat and opened a wide gash along the front of his neck.
Tanjiro landed before the demon, facing him with his blade already raised readily. Their situation having been reversed in a matter of moments, with the Demon Slayer now in the position of a predator against the preyed Lower Moon cornered in between the walls of his own creation. Gripping his hilt tightly, the swordsman breathed in as the edge of his katana burst into flames, its tip pointed directly at the demon's wounded neck, "Breath of the Sun, Seventh Dance: Piercing Sunlight!" He declared, swathes of fire exploding in all directions from the katana as it was thrust at Rokuro's still-healing neck. The surprised demon reacted by crossing his forearm blades and using them to intercept the attack, deflecting it upwards while leaning back to avoid the tip reaching his head. Tanjiro was not done though and used his momentum to jump in, landing with a foot on the demon's chest while pushing down his thrust blade to begin overwhelming the Lower Moon's block and force his blackened sword towards his foe's neck. He'd only get halfway there before his Forescent flared again and he had to jump away as several white spikes of bone burst from the demon's chest where his foot had been a moment earlier. Despite his attack failing, the swordsman still used the jump to vault himself over the wall of bones created by Rokuro, landing safely outside the deadly corridor that had nearly cost him the battle just seconds earlier.
Tanjiro landed before the demon, facing him with his blade already raised in a readied stance, their situation having been reversed in a matter of moments with the Demon Slayer now in the position of a predator against the preyed Lower Moon cornered in between the walls of his own creation. Gripping his hilt tightly, the swordsman breathed in as the edge of his katana bursting into flames, its tip pointed directly at the demon's wounded neck, "Breath of the Sun, Seventh Dance: Piercing Sunlight!" He declared, swathes of fire exploding in all directions from the katana as it was thrust at Rokuro's still-healing neck. The surprised demon reacted by crossing his forearm blades and using them to intercept the attack, deflecting it upwards while leaning back to avoid the tip reaching his head. Tanjiro was not done however, and used his momentum to jump in, landing with a foot on the demon's chest while pushing down his thrust blade to begin overwhelming the Lower Moon's block and push his blackened sword towards his foe's neck. He'd only get halfway there before his Forescent flared again and he had to jump away as a series pf white spikes burst from the demon's chest where his foot had been a moment away. Despite his attack failing, the swordsman still used the jump to vault himself over the wall of bones created by Rokuro, landing safely outside the deadly corridor that had nearly cost him the battle just moments earlier.
There was a moment of silence as an unmoving Tanjiro kept his blade raised in preparation for what might come next before he heard a cracking sound and noticed several cracks spreading throughout the spiked walls of bone, followed by them all suddenly disintegrating simultaneously, creating a white cloud of dust from which Rokuro emerged, his dark cloak blowing in the wind like a large shadow beside him, staring down the Demon Slayer intently with his mismatched golden eyes, the blades on his forearms having now disappeared entirely. "Seems like you've got some bite to your bark after all…" He commented, "I think I can understand That Man's interest on you a bit better now…"
"Flattered," Tanjiro replied simply without lowering his blade in the slightest. "I just wish I'd been able to bite off that neck of yours before you'd realized as much."
"Well, shame, because you won't be getting that chance once again." Rokuro told him as he raised his arm, opening his hand into a palm as a single bone blade sprouted from it just as before, followed quickly by several others as the bone sprouted further out, growing in length until it had extended some six feet, taking the form resembling that of a flower with several spiked bones extending forward at its very tip, "Demon Blood Art: Pale White Lotus." He announced as the bone disconnected from his palm, allowing him to twirl it with his fingers and take a hold of the weapon with his other hand, pointing its numerous blades at Tanjiro, "Even back in my human days, I always favored the spear above any weapon. I think it would only be right to put my best foot forward against another formidable warrior…"
Tanjiro's lips twisted into a nervous grin, seeing the change in the demon's stance and immediately noticing a different air about him. Seemed like he was really getting serious now…and he couldn't afford himself to meet such a foe with anything less than an equal intensity. Not when the man before him held in his body the secrets needed to take the first step in regaining his sister's humanity. Losing with so much at risk was simply not an option, "Alright then…" He murmured, breathing in as he twirled his blade, flames dancing around its edge before he pointed it straight at Rokuro, "Bring it."
A/N: So we end another chapter, admittedly one I could've finished a bit sooner if I didn't laze off on writing it in the last few days, and for that, I apologize. But well, it is here. And it's an important one too, meeting Tamayo and Yushiro is a big deal for Tanjiro's character, as it reaffirms a set of beliefs that were previously challenged by meeting his sister and somewhat regains his faith on the possibility of fixing the demon problem in a non-fatal way. Bet you didn't all expect me to throw Lower Moon One into the mix though. Kind of a massive difficulty curve, I'll admit, going from Lower Moon One, then to Five and Four, then immediately to one, but it's all part of the plan of the guys. You've followed me for a quarter of a hundred chapters now, so have some faith.
Anyway, despite me kind of procrastinating the final few thousand words, this chapter flowed fairly easily, with none of the usual blocks that annoy me so coming to delay it further. Its working name was initially 'Boy in the Big City', which I discarded cause it sounded silly and the Big City really wasn't much of a focus point aside from the start. Then I decided to focus on Tamayo and renamed it 'The Kind Demon', but that still didn't sit fully well with me, which was why I changed it slightly and settled for 'The Kind Doctor', which is just vague enough a title so that the new readers glancing through the chapter names won't figure the series of events too easily, which is exactly how I like my chapter titles despite having so much trouble with them normally.
Writing Yushiro in all his simpness for Tamayo was pretty fun, and the exchange Tamayo and Tanjiro later share was something I also felt was particularly informative. Maybe not for a reader who knows the canonical facts of this story, but the characters do get to learn some interesting stuff. I alluded vaguely to Yoriichi, as he is an important part of the chapter despite not even being directly mentioned here, being the reason Tanjiro was even able to talk to Tamayo here in the first place. I don't remember if Canon ever really justified her approaching him when by all means she should be trying to avoid the Demon Slayer Corps. Initially, I reckoned it was because of Nezuko, but I don't think she was even there when they met. Well, either way, I'm too lazy to go back and check now. Maybe she also saw some of Yoriichi in Tanjiro there despite him not looking like the man nearly as much as he does here, so that's a headcanon.
Either way, its too early for Tanjiro to learn anything too signficant about that, so we'll use the old 'demon attacks and interrupts the conversation' trick. I'll admit I initially wanted to end this chapter at the point Rokuro and Tanjiro meet, right before they begin to fight, but that would've made for way too short a chapter, not to mention making next chapter way too bloated as it would have to fit the entirety of that battle. Speaking of Rokuro, some of you might've noticed that the name I gave his Demon Blood Art, the Dead Bone Pulse, is ripped straight outta the Kaguya Clan's Bloodline in Naruto. But...well, this is fanfiction, I don't earn no money from this, so no one can sue me over it. Plus its, in my opinion, the coolest sounding technique name in Naruto, even in Japanese. Like, the Shikotsumyaku, just say that aloud if you can and you'll see how badass it sounds.
Anyway, that's where Rokuro's bone ability was inspired by, and even then it's not that original, but its still a hella cool ability in my opinion, and will be pretty fun writting when I start getting a bit more creative with it. A small tidbit about this too, but there's a character in Black Clover who I believe has yet to appear in the anime with a similar ability as well. I drew no inspiration from that. In fact, I came up the concept of Rokuro's ability the day before the manga chapter he was revealed to have Bone Magic came out. I swear, it was really weird. Still, I wanna make the way he wields that ability distinct from either that character or Kimimaro, and we're yet to really dive into it as much as I want to, so keep an eye out for that. Oh, also, I understand it kinda seems like I forgot Tamayo and Yushiro existed around the end of the chapter to focus on Rokuro instead, but trust me when I say they'll have a role to play on this fight as well come next chapter. Stay tuned and see.
So, thanks for DownwardDive, whom I recently gave a recommendation of an amazing fan comic of Kimetsu no Yaiba that I believe is currently untranslated. Its name is What If I Know Too Many Reasons I Can Be Strong? and it has a somewhat similar premise to this fic, except times a hundred. Tanjiro essentially turns into Guts from Berserk and proceeds to violently crush every obstacle in his path with zero dificulty and ridiculous bloodlust. Totally recommend it.
That all said, guess its time for the reviews, huh?
clone59yahoo com: I wanted it noted that you played me so hard with the scene when Kanao ask Aoi what is the word for longing for someone you miss and want to be near. Your answer was Shinobu. I died so hard of laughter when I thought Aoi would assume it was Tanjirou, but instead assume it was Shinobu. Great chapter once again!
Well, yeah, that was kinda the point of that one scene. I am glad you enjoyed it though.
Warhammerx12: Nice chapter, I wonder if you will follow the anime for Tanjiro opponent ( arrow demon and ball demon at tamayo home) cause they clearly already outmached by him at this point.
And i love your nezuko version. I hope we will see more of her pov.
You might've forgot, but the demons you mentioned, Susamaru and Yahaba, were already defeated by Tanjiro back in the first time him and Kanao met, Chapter Six, I believe. You're right though that current Tanjiro wouldn't have that much of an issue dispatching them, but Rokuro here is a different matter altogether.
Wolvmbm:Great update and nice bonding moments for Aoi in this chapter as she got Zenitsu to open up more and see himself developing into a capable fighter despite his wounds. Great moment between Aoi and Kanao too showcases a sisterhood bond between them in a sense.
Kanao slowly developing feelings for Tanjiro and it makes one wonder what would happen if she tries to help Tanjiro save Nezuko ?
Overall nice update. Keep up your fantastic story.
Nice to see you appreciated the character moments of the last chapter. It probably wasn't the most interesting or emotionally packed one to read through, but those things really are needed when you wanna build character development. Kanao and Aoi is also something I've wanted to touch upon for a while now since technically they should've known each other for a very long time before the series even starts.
Regarding Kanao, I do admittedly wanna have her meet her future sister-in law face to face sooner or later. Chihime probably won't be all that receptive though.
AnikaSukino 5d: New chapter! great!
I'm really ashamed of what you say, I say it is the first time that I comment the same story this long on different platforms. It's that you write super cool. How I wish I had that narrative like you have.
Now with the chapter!
-Zenitsu and his depression. I was quite surprised that it was Inosuke who motivated him and not Tanjiro (Although he did it ... little but he did it), that dictates the maturing process in Hashibara ... dammit! The talk with Uzui did work. It's good that he started training regardless of the limitation that he now suffers. I like the interactions with Aoi though, it's rare to see this shipp crack when I ship Inosuke x Aoi. Maybe this time I will make an exception.
-I already said about Inosuke but I insist, see him mature ... wow
-With Tanjiro, pos ... Kagaya's conversation was interesting. Although Kagaya is a careful and cautious man, sending Kamado to watch is a low but required blow. Asakusa is coming as well as Tamayo and Yushiro, I have to see what are the factors that differentiate your story with the anime / manga canon, I look forward to reading it!
That would be it, I was going to send my review yesterday but I had to finish publishing the final chapter of Curse Blood (My Kimetsu no Yaiba fanfic)
See you! I hope you're well and safe from all this madness of the pandemic!
Ah...another double review. And a big one too. What a treat. I'm happy you like the story enough to go through the trouble.
Yep. HAving Inosuke be the one who brings Zenitsu out of it was kind of a 'two birds with one stone' kinda deal, because it triggered Zenitsu's change while showcasing Inosuke's, kind of like the later scene between Aoi and Zenitsu was meant to showcase Zenitsu's. Regarding the pairing...well, its more of a plot choice than anything. Zenitsu's character calls for romance more than Inosuke's does, and since Nezuko isn't around, things kind of turn out differently. I do hope you grow to at least tolerate that pairing though.
But anyway, we've now arrived at Asakusa, and though the similarities are obviously there, there is also plenty different from the canonical version of the arc. That said, I do hope I get to hear your thoughts on it as well.
gogo bananas: ZENITSU BADASSERY LEGGO
Leggo indeed. Big plans for Zenitsu in the coming chapters.
YoungTaoist: Love the update and seeing how the characters had grown from the dangerous encounter on the mountain. I am curious to see whether Tanjiro heads of on his own or goes with the Five Senses to the city, as well as if he will meet another Moon over there. As always, looking forward to your next update. Stay healthy and have a fantastic a day!
I'm sorry if it kind of disappoints you, but this is a Tanjiro-only mission. It didn't seem dangerous enough to justify dragging someone alongside him, not to mention being a secret mission of sorts as well. He did meet another Moon as you predicted, so you can be happy about that.
HamburgerLife: Thanks to the moment you gave them, I can see Zenitsu and Aoi happening. It was very well-written! Me and my high standards are satisfied. Well done
Low-key left me hanging when Aoi thought Kanao only missed Shinobu and not in love with Tanjiro ヽ(ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ
Tbh, a marinated headless boar doesn't sound too bad if you ask me \_(ツ)_/
I'm glad to have met your standards. And yeah, I do wanna take advantage of the point of her character development we're in to drag Kanao's cluelessness a bit further. Also, you're right, marinated boar sounds delicious.
gvillamia: FINALY! I felt like I've been waiting for age! This story is so damned Good!
I hope this one felt faster.
Cieszesi Niezmiernie: So you decided to go with meeting Tamayo after all... Well I am kind of confused. In canon even when you are a demon and you kill somebody u still end in hell... I never really understood that cuz you are a completly different person. I am just wondering if Nezuko will be able to life with herself when she will turn back to being a human(after all people she killed). But it's a really interesing development, I am hoping for more
Glad to see you reviewing again, Cieszesi. And yeah, it is a bit confusing, and it isn't something I tackled last chapter, but was adressed by Tanjiro's POV about it in this one. Ultimately, there is a lot of uncertainty about turning Nezuko back into a human, but hwen the only possible alternative seen by Tanjiro is outright killing her, the choice becomes a lot easier. What happens if she does turn back into a human though, that's way down the line.
That's that then. If you liked the chapter, be kind enough to leave a review, that always puts a smile on my face. If not, also leave a review, and I'll try to improve. I'm fairly close to becoming the most reviewed Kimetsu fic in FF dot net, so each review is another step forward. I'll see you all soon when we come back next time for the exciting conclusion of the short Asakusa arc. Sky signing out .