Use both arms.
Steady your legs.
Tighten your grip.
...and take a deep breath.
Those words instinctively echoes within the farthest thoughts of Shinobu. Those aren't her memories as in the scene is a young girl with short black hair and eyes the reflects the azur sky. It is inside a dojo where a man past his prime is constantly and strictly instructing the girl no older than ten.
"Why do I have to learn this so-called breathing, old man? The heck am I going to use it for?!" The girl throws a tantrum and swings her wooden sword in the air
"..., you always bask in the day and sleep peacefully at night because people like me have to live through the night with our eyes open and our swords raised"
The man with a large scar on his forehead bends one knee just to gaze at the child with a sincere and worried expression. He gently places both of his firm and trained hands on her two fragile shoulders while he softly speaks to her. It is a man who looks like he has seen the horrors that delves in the shadows but remains gentle till to this day, especially towards the clueless child in front of him.
"In this world, you can lose your own life or the life of others right before you know it. Everyday there are people who mourn and grieve. I no longer want to see that. How about you?"
"O-of course I don't want to see other people cry. I mean...I lost dad after all..." The child lowered her head
"Each swing, I intend to cut without hesitation. That's because even if I fail to decapitate one demon, ten or more people can die"
"A de...mon? A what?" The child scratchs her head
"I used to be part of a group that dedicate themselves to ensure no demon can bring harm to innocent people. Night by night, we risk our lives so no other people will lose theirs. I retired a long time ago, but I realized I can't let you without knowing the world where demons exist and they mercilessly feed on humans"
"Demons kill people? People kill people too? What's the difference? My dad is gone because he stood for what he believed was right!"
The child raises her voice and throws her wooden sword to the ground as she let out grief that continues to linger in her heart.
"Perhaps demons are monstrous and repulsive because human hearts are the same" The man gently pets the child's head
"...?"
"Even so, that isn't an excuse to succumb to our own selfishness and greed. Don't add to the cruelty of the world, ..."
"Old man..."
"Who knows? Perhaps one day you will find someone who will remind you of what I've been teaching you"
The child who grieved for the loss of her father gradually return to her gentle demeanor.
"I'm weak. I couldn't do anything...like how I couldn't do anything about Isane. My old man as well. It's because I'm a weak child that I couldn't do anything to protect dad.." She then laments on her weakness this time
"That won't do!"
Just as the old man believed she had encouraged the child to loosen her sadness, she sulked ok her inability to protect her own family. Furious at the child's lack of courage, he mercilessly smacked her head with a wooden.
"That fricking hurts!"
The child rolls on the wooden ground with her two hands on top of her head, in pain from the brutal and sudden strike from her ruthless mentor. He may be old, but his training all those years still makes his body firm and strong.
"The wind is both gentle and fierce. Just like falling leaves, you must learn to sway with the gentle breeze" The old man begins to lecture her
"How about if there's like a storm? Leaves are nothing when the whole trees gets blown away" The child sits back up
"Then you must learn the flow of the wind around you. It will not bend to your will so long as you remained a weak breeze in the afternoon"
"What's with this wind talk? Am I going to fly or something, old man?"
"Idiot little child..."
"Learning how to swing a sword is too tiresome! I mean why do I have to focus my breathing anyway?"
"Controlling your breathing is a must for you to master a Breathing style"
"Uuughhh. Too much work..."
The child lies back down on the ground with how the rest of her motivation instantly vanishes. She dislikes tedious effort, specially if she doesn't think it would benefit her in any way. It's only natural for a child to be impatient and short-tempered, but she has to grow up faster with her situation.
"You have potential to learn Wind Breathing...but you're mentality is still to immature and impatient" The old man grunts
"I'm just a kid!" The child reminds him
"My body is weak now, and I don't think I can fight demons for long. You must learn to protect yourself because I may not be able to swing this sword for you anyway"
"Old man..." The lazy child sees how serious he is
"..., the world is not kind to young ones like you. You must not bend to the cruelty of the world or you might find yourself losing your way. Only spineless people toss blame in their surroundings, so you once you decide something...you must be prepared to take responsibility for it"
"Here you go lecturing me again..."
"I am preparing you because there will be a time where you will set out to the world on your own. I cannot shelter you for the rest of your life. We live in a world where you must take the jump before the shadows consume you"
"You mentioned demons earlier. What is that all about?" The child scratched her head
"If you can master at least three forms, I will reveal about my old days...as a demon slayer"
Reluctantly, the child decides to lift herself since there is no way she could ignore the old man's seriousness. At that time, she is unaware of the world once the night falls. All she knows is that she lost people dear to her because of human's selfishness. That's why...she begins to hate other humans.
I hate humans, but I hate demons even more...
That's why I hate myself too...
...but I had forgotten after living for so long...
What I went through had become nothing but a fleeting dream...
All that remains is a flickering instinct to hate demons...
It is the dream of a child who has yet to grow out of its naiveness. That dream is then crushed by the reality drenched in blood. That same blood splatters her and forcibly brings her to the world where humans and demons cut each other down.
"Another dream..."
Shinobu awakens from another fleeting dream while she is tightly holding her katana. She may be a demon who is stronger than regular demons, but she is aware that there are stronger enemies lurking out there.
"It's already night, huh..."
When she feels the cold breeze of the night and the darkness engulfing her, she immediately knows she can roam outside her. It's frustrating that she is restricted to be active at night because she is a demon now, but being a demon makes it possible for her to decapitate heads while maintaining her ability to use Breathing styles.
"Akane" Shinobu calls her out as walks outside
What is it?
"The powerful demon that appeared last time..."
Oh, shishou? He's the strongest Upper Moon and demon swordsman, so I admit I'm afraid to clash with him
"Upper Moon. The strongest demons that can easily kill a Pillar. The last one that was killed was about a hundred years ago" Shinobu bites her lip
To become an Upper Moon, you have to defeat at least one of the six. You have to cross out the top three since they're way above the league of any humans
"I see..."
Do you plan on ascending to Upper Moon level, Shinobu?
"No, I don't want to...but my demon nature is urging me to grow stronger by feeding on humans. I know sooner or later I will give in to my instincts"
Shinobu stubbornly resists her demonic nature, but it's still dragging her down with each days that passes. Akane is no longer directly influencing her, but a demon is still a demon. It's her forced merging with Akane that turned her into a demon.
"Before I lose grip of my humanity, I must cut the head off that demon called Hirokuma"
That means we shouldn't be relaxing for too long
"There's also the threat of other demons"
It's not a surprise they're going after us since we've been going around killing other demons
"I have no choice but to take risks of further revealing myself. I can't sit idly anymore...especially after the encounter with Rengoku-san" Shinobu clenches her fists
During the last time she is active, Shinobu encounters Kyoujouru and briefly clashes with him. The battle is only interrupted by the appearance of Kokushibo, the strongest Upper Moon. Thankfully, Kokushibo spares the Flame Pillar because of Akane's plea.
Let's go down the mountain for now. The demons are being too relaxed right now even with our presence
"Sometimes, the demon we face would start shaking and freeze" Shinobu is curious
It's the weak and strong thing. Regular demons would tremble at the presence of a much stronger opponent. Neither one of us is Upper Moon level yet, but we're above Lower Moons
"What makes you say that?"
The two continue to chat while they carefully descend the mountain since there might be a sudden appearance of a demon or demon slayer far stronger than both of them.
To be specific, I can overpower a Lower Moon with no problem. I don't just use my Blood Demon Art to win since I usually fight using Breathing Style for some reason
"How can you use Breaths? Were you a demon slayer before becoming a demon yourself?"
I no longer remember who I was once. I probably learned it from someone two hundred years ago
(The dream I've been seeing. There's a child there practicing a Breath style. What if it's...)
Recently, Shinobu has been dreaming of experiences of an unknown child whom she suspects is probably Akane's human past.
"Since we're fused together, is it possible to know each other's memories?" Shinobu raised the question
It's possible. I mean I'm aware of your life as a demon slayer, but not all of them
This basically makes it more suspicious that Shinobu may be truly dreaming of Akane's past which she has forgotten after being a demon for about two hundred years. They're both focused together save for their individualities, so it increases of the possibility.
I told you this before, my old life isn't really important anymore. Everyone connected to my past has been dead a long time ago, so I have nothing to return...I think
"You don't at least wish you can remember what were you like before?"
No. There's no use of forcing myself to remember. What's important is what I'm like right now...
"I see. So that's your choice"
Shinobu won't force the demon Akane to rethink of her choice not to try remembering her past. Akane has been a demon for two hundred years and lived without questioning her past. She doesn't even know what kind of human Akane used to be, so she Shinobu decided not to delve into it as well.
"This makes me think of how we're still stuck together. Our bodies have merged, but our minds remained separated"
In a way this has its own advantage. The strength I accumulated didn't disappear yet
"Aren't there any risks to be sharing the same body? Aside from me becoming a demon?"
I'm not certain since it's not everyday a human and demon are merged
"I see..."
As the merged pair are about to reach the foot of the mountain, they come to a stop as Shinobu gazes at the corner of her eye.
"You're the one killing your fellow demons" A demon with three short horns appears behind a tree
"I've heard a demon swordswoman has been going around killing more demons than humans" Another demon with four eyes appears behind Shinobu
Soon, Shinobu is surrounded by not just two demons, but at least twenty of them. Fortunately enough, none of them are even Lower Moon level so eliminating them would only be effortless for her. Shinobu may still be far from the level of Upper Moon, but the demon she is fused with isn't to be trifled with.
"Ggh! It's that dead Pillar that escaped Hirokuma!" One of the demons recognizes her
"Hmm? So you know about that bastard. I guess I'll kill everyone save for you"
When it comes to demons, Shinobu is completely merciless unless they have their uses. She is always angry, but she is angrier now that she is forcibly stripped off her humanity and secretly live as a demon, away from her former allies.
"...!"
Using the Breath of Warer fourth form, Shinobu makes quick work of the regular demons by swiftly going through the demons and violently swinging her sword at their necks like a harsh tide.
"Eek!"
After each demon fall before Shinobu, the last one freezes in complete fear as it horribly learns why no other demons manages to subdue Shinobu yet. Shinobu may be weak as a swordswoman as a human, but her fusion with the demon Akane not only finally allows her to decapitate demons but access Akane's strength as well.
"Now then, if you're smart enough you'll tell me about Hirokuma. You know about me, so start talking"
Shinobu swings her sword and splashes some of the mixed demon blood in her blade away. Her piercing glare silences the demon even though she needs it to speak everything it knows. Pure murderous intent seethes through her demonic eyes while she approaches the cornered demon.
"E-eek! That can't be right! How can the human still remain in control?" The demon falls to the ground
"That's none of your business. I may be a demon now, but I will continue slaying other demons" Shinobu points the tip of her sword between its eyes
"Don't tell me that little brat is cooperating with you? Now way. She hates humans and will kill even a child-"
The demon continues to whine and complain in disbelief, irritating Shinobu to the point she swings her katana in the air with so much force that it creates a shockwave, sending dirt and leaves flying around.
"Where is the bastard Hirokuma?!" Shinobu angrily demands
"H-he doesn't stay in one place. That sick bastard keeps changing himself by going one place to another" The demons finally starts talking properly
"Tch! A moving bastard" Shinobu clicks her tongue
"E-even if you find him, turning back into a human is impossible. Separating from that brat who's keeping you alive will kill you...so it's pointless!"
"Then keeping you alive any longer is pointless"
Shinobu immediately loses her patience towards the cowering and trembling demon. She raises her katana and swiftly swings down her blade, decapitating the demon in one fell swoop. Although she manages to defeat the weaklings that tried to corner her, Shinobu reels back as if she is in pain.
Shinobu? What's the matter?
"It's hard to control three urges...for human flesh" Shinobu complains
You've been holding yourself back for a week now
"It's been a long time since I ate humans. The more days pass, the less I can hold myself back"
Shinobu regains her composure and holds back her growing hunger for human flesh. Since she has eaten humans before, she will crave for more as part of her nature as a demon.
It's all my fault. Now that she's beginning to crave for humans again...it won't be long until she decides to stop being human...
Akane isn't completely ignoring that fact that Shinobu's current situation is worsening is because of her. Some time ago, the one who takes control of Shinobu to eat humans is her, so it's oddly affecting her seeing Shinobu's demon nature punishing her for resisting.
Two days after getting mercilessly beaten by Upper Moon One, Rengoku Kyoujurou spends his time training even while he is recovering. He presses both of his hands on the ground and screams while doing vigorous and seemingly intense push-ups.
"You can do it, Rengoku-san"
"Do your best"
"Keep it up"
Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho all cheer for the injured Pillar while he's pushing his physical body despite not in full recovery. The Flame Pillar then switches to sit-ups and squats while the trio of helpers are providing moral support.
"I may have almost died, but it only means I need to improve to the maximum!"
He is unfazed even if the one who nearly kills him is Kokushibo, the Upper Moon One. Kyoujurou uses this opportunity to train his physical body even more even if he's not supposed to be straining his still injured body.
"Hey! I told you to stop breaking your bones even more! You just can't push yourself just because you're a Pillar"
Aoi runs to the scene and scolds the energetic Flame Pillar for ignoring his well-being while recovering from a recent fight. Kyoujurou stops for a brief moment when Aoi keeps scolding and reminding him on what not to do while resting.
"If I don't stretch out, my body and skills might rust too soon! As a Pillar, I must remain in top shape all the time" Kyoujurou proudly defends himself
"You're human, you know. It's not like you can put yourself back together after falling apart. You want an early retirement?" Aoi is angry because she is concerned
"If I retire so soon, I won't be able to protect everyone"
"I get you want to go back out there, but you'll just extend your stay here with how you aren't halfway to recovery just yet" Aoi pouts
"Hahaha! My apologies. I will now focus on resting so I can go return to my duty as a Pillar"
Fortunately enough, Kyoujurou is reasonable enough to realize he shouldn't hurt himself even more by physically straining his barely recovered body...unlike the brash and impatient Inosuke.
"You're energetic even after breaking your ribs"
The Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyuu, enters the scene with his usual stoic and indifferent demeanor. Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo move to stealthily grab and drag the puzzled Aoi away to give the two Pillars a room for a private and comfortable conversation.
"Giyuu! I'm glad you visit me, my worried friend!" Kyoujurou slaps his back
"I'm not worried, and we're not friends. We're just allies..." Giyuu sighs
"Hmm. It seems you're worried...but not exactly for me"
Kyoujurou crosses his arms and analyze Giyuu's real intentions through his tone and gestures. It's odd he actually plans on guessing Giyuu, who always looks distant and emotionless.
"I'll get to the point. I heard you fought the demon sword user" Giyuu slightly frowns
"That's right! Only Oyakata-sama knows the real truth per his request" Kyoujurou confirms
"What do you mean?"
"Not only I fought her, I also saw her face before I got knocked out"
"A woman? Wait, you also saw her face"
Even with his default stoic expression, Giyuu's curiosity is as clear as day for the Flame Pillar. The latter has been endlessly talking about tracking down the rumored Breath-using demon...and he fulfills his goal in a short amount of time. The bonus part is learning of her identity during their encounter.
"At first, I thought Mitsuri is exaggerating about her encounter because of how she is and all" Kyoujurou starts to narrate first
"Just to the important point..."
"The demon swordswoman is Kochou Shinobu"
"...!"
The moment Kyoujurou reveals that the Breath-using demon is the deceased Insect Pillar. Everyone believes she has indeed perished in combat even if her body is never found, so it truly shocked Giyuu to hear her name to be the identity of the demon Breath user.
"That's not possible. Kochou died...months ago..." Giyuu clenches his fists
"Giyuu, she was wearing a mask. When I managed to break it, I clearly saw her face. It's the face of Kochou Shinobu...minus the fangs and demon eyes"
"That can't be right. We all know Kochou died fighting a demon"
"Her body was never found when she chased a demon while she was heavily wounded" Kyoujurou points out
Everyone knows Shinobu died fighting a demon, but no body has been found and recovered. Since her sword has been found in a pool of blood, it has been assumed her body has been destroyed during the fight.
"We also have rumors of missing demon slayers reappearing as demons, so it's not entirely impossible" Kyoujurou adds
"You're not someone who lies...but...I don't want to believe such things..."
Kyoujurou loses his enthusiasm earlier and turns serious and Giyuu starts to feel frustration because of denial. He refuses to believe Shinobu is alive again but as a demon. It would be better if Shinobu somehow miraculously survives the last battle, but being a demon is not something he wants to hear.
"She uses Water Breathing just like you. I guess she learned it from keenly observing you all the time" Kyoujurou adds
"A mask. Water Breathing. Don't tell me..."
Just hearing those two distinct features, Giyuu suddenly thinks of someone who fits the description, but he has no full confirmation yet.
"What's the matter?" Kyoujurou tilts his head
"Some time ago, I met a masked swordswoman who uses the Water Breathing like me...and knows both about the Demon Slayer corps...and me"
"Giyuu, do you think..."
It's clear that both of them believes that the swordswoman Giyuu met could possibly Kochou Shinobu as well.
"Whoa! So you met her before me!" Kyoujurou widens his eyes
"Be quiet" Giyuu frowns
"If Kochou did come back as a demon...why not evade you or attack you?"
"I don't know, but she...might be after something to hide her face while going around killing other demons"
"Giyuu, do you think you can reason with her once you two meet?"
"I don't know...but I need to see her without hiding herself anymore. I want to know what happened to her"
"I see. So you want to ask her how is she a demon and what is her goal?"
Giyuu slays demons without mercy because that is his job as a demon slayer, so he feels conflicted now that one of his former allies becomes a demon, even if he doesn't know it's unwillingly in Shinobu's part.
"If the other Pillars sees her, they will cut off her head without a thought..." Kyoujurou is concerned
"I can't let that happen yet. If Kochou retains her humanity...then I can still reason with her"
"What if she tries to kill you? Will you fight back?"
"...If that time comes, then I must put down Kochou myself. I can't let go a demon knowing they will kill more"
Giyuu retreats back and sits in one corner, with doubt stirring inside his heart. Even if he says he would kill Shinobu if the situation becomes necessary. His clenches his shaking hands and restrains his frustration, but Kyoujurou can easily recognize that this is a situation Giyuu doesn't want to be put into.
"I can't tell Tanjiro and the others about this, especially to her tsuguko. I will track down Kochou and deal against her myself" Giyuu decides
"I'm guessing you'll demand explanations" Kyoujurou sighs
"I want to know what she is planning to do with her status as a demon"
"Then I will help you in any way I can...because that's what friends are for! Besides, I want to see whether she had lost her humanity or not"
"You don't have to tag along. I'll face Kochou before the other Pillars learns of this..."
Giyuu closes his eyes eyes and drifts into a past memory of Shinobu back when she is still human and part of the Demon Slayer corps.
"Do you really have to stare at me while I practice my swings...?" Giyuu raises an eyebrow
"Fufufu~ Who knows? I may learn Water Breathing like you, Tomioka-kun" Shinobu teases her
While Giyuu practices his Breathing forms, Shinobu quietly observes him from the side as if memorizing his every movement. She doesn't have enough strength to decapitate demons yet she is studying how Giyuu uses Water Breathing.
"If you can learn other Breaths, go learn other types instead..." Giyuu scoffs
"I don't want to. I'm impressed with your skills that I want to learn the way you fight"
"Is that one of your sarcasm again?"
"There's no sarcasm~" Shinobu responds in a cheerful manner
"Just go home. I prefer to train alone"
Giyuu tries to shoo her away, but his grumpiness towards her is a source of her entertainment. He can't concentrate with Shinobu standing there and gleefully observing him...which is oddly awkward for Giyuu.
"I'm not lying when I said I'm impressed with your skills. You're a strong person who I never hope I can be..." Shinobu dryly smiles
"Kochou..."
"Well, I'll be going now. You have a katana to sharpen after all"
Shinobu immediately gives up and decides to leave Giyuu be while the latter himself is born curious and puzzled to how it sounds like Shinobu admires him to a degree. He can't tell about the exact emotion since Shinobu would always tease him. Now that she's back as a demon, be can't tell his own emotions this time.
Kochou, I hope I don't have to swing my sword at you...
Chapter 15:
Continuing her travelling as a demon slaying other demons, Shinobu encounters the demon doctor Tamayo who learns of her unique condition and offers her help. Meanwhile, Giyuu is determined to track down Shinobu after learning she is alive but as a demon.