^ Chapter 31 - Tanjirō Rescue Mission ^


The Lady of the Jade Chamber smiled at Shinobu, Kanao and Amai, her extravagant dress enough to make them utterly speechless when combined with the rest of her home for a good minute or so. Seeing that she was even a demon made it even more shocking, with the first to recover and offer any kind of respond being Shinobu.

"You...you're the Lady of the Jade Chamber…?" she asked once she picked her jaw up off the ground, the Lady laughing softly to herself as she tapped her smoking pipe on her hip.

"That would be I, yes. But please, there's no need for any formalities." replied the Lady as she approached the Hashira and offered her a hand, her smile and the way her light red eyes almost twinkled in the ambient light of her home highly alluring. "Call me by my name, Níngguāng."

"Níngguāng-san...it's a pleasure. My name is-"

"Kochō Shinobu, Tsuyuri Kanao, and...you're Tamayo's other assistant, Amai. yes?"

Shinobu blinked again and Kanao covered her mouth to hide an almost inaudible gasp when the woman correctly named them without a single stutter. Níngguāng giggled softly to herself as she strolled by them and went up to her desk, taking a soft puff from her pipe and exhaling the white smoke, before sitting comfortably in her chair and crossed her legs over one another.

Amai was still looking around, too intrigued by Níngguāng's office to have paid much attention when she revealed she knew their names. She noticed her attention on one of the jade pots that stood behind her desk and she giggled to herself as she caught Amai's attention with the wave of her hand and told her she was free to look more closely at them as long as she was careful.

"I would ask you how you knew our names, Níngguāng-san, but I figure it must be from the network you have?" Shinobu asked when she walked up to the woman's desk, Níngguāng motioning to one of the nearby chairs for her to sit.

"Indeed, indeed. No secret flows through Japan without it reaching my ears...of course, I know your name because of my relationship with Kagaya-san." Níngguāng replied while smoking her pipe, the white smoke she exhaled coming from her nostrils. The way she carried herself oozed eccentricity and regality, as well as a hint of superiority because of her massive wealth. "But I'm sure you have a lot of questions that need answers, so please, let's not dawdle. Ask me anything that you want to have an answer to."

Níngguāng then snapped her fingers and in quick order the aide that had led them into the Jade Chamber brought out a readily made tray of hot tea, the teacups and pot all made from extravagant porcelain obviously imported from Níngguāng's home country. This was the first time Shinobu had seen anything from outside of Japan, especially from their neighbor across the Sea of Japan. It made this woman sitting in front of her all the more spectacular, as well as a dark horse who she was eager to learn from how they had avoided Muzan for this long.

When offered tea after Níngguāng had received her cup from her aide, Shinobu didn't object and smiled as she took one of the cups and sipped from it. Her taste buds were assaulted with a wondrous flavor that sent a spike of pleasure surging up and down her spine, a reaction that Níngguāng easily noticed and giggled.

"A-Anyways...Níngguāng-san, how is it that you know Oyakata-sama? It's the one thing I can't wrap my head around...that our leader has contact with, well...a demon." Shinobu asked with slight apprehension, which was dismissed by Níngguāng when she waved her hand and set her smoking pipe down.

"No need to be wary, it's perfectly understandable. Where to begin, where to begin…" murmured Níngguāng as she switched her legs, crossing her right over her left, and lifted a hand up to her chin to tap it. The gold finger claws she wore sparkled as she did that, making Shinobu wonder how much money Níngguāng spent on gold alone. "I suppose I should start by saying that I myself have been a demon for...around ten years or so. Before that, I was a normal human. Of course, I was still quite the businesswoman, and was making a name for myself as any merchant would."

"How did you become a demon then? The only way that can happen is when-"

"When that bastard Kibutsuji transforms you into one? I know all about it...that dà mó tóu has been the indirect result of some of my workers being killed. I hold no allegiance to that man, which is why I make it a priority to feed as much information about him as I can to your master."

Shinobu blinked again and held her cup more firmly to prevent it from falling out. A demon who, like Tamayo, the woman she had just met earlier, was completely independent of control from Muzan despite being a demon. That's when she began to put the puzzle pieces together on her own, and Níngguāng could see that herself.

If Tamayo had been the one to transform Tanjirō into a demon to save his life, using a method different from Muzan's than that same method must have been used on the woman sitting in front of her. Had Níngguāng paid Tamayo to undergo the process to become a demon?

"If you're wondering how, and guessed Tamayo, you're correct. I did not pay her for her serum, however." Níngguāng said while lifting her teacup to her lips and taking a slow sip.

"So, she didn't pay her...then what was the reason for her transformation?" Shinobu thought once she recovered and treated herself to more of the tea.

"You see, I've been able to amass a large amount of wealth for myself, because of my efforts through the art of business contracts. The art of trade and contracts allowed me to become who I am today, and it is my wish to continue this." Níngguāng explained while leaning on the right arm of her chair, balancing her cup of tea in her hand as she stared at Shinobu. "What I desire most in this world is more wealth to add to my own...so I'm sure you can imagine what I must have felt when I was diagnosed with lung cancer…"

"From your smoking, right?" said Shinobu while pointing at Níngguāng's smoking pipe.

"Quite. I have nobody to blame but myself for that, but as I'm sure you can imagine, for someone like me, I wanted to find a way to reverse the affliction that I put on myself...and the answer I found was Tamayo."

Níngguāng went on to explain how ten years prior to their current meeting, in the throes of her cancer she was trying to find any possible cure for the practically unbeatable disease. She had tried every conceivable method, with some considered to be rather sketchy in the medical community before she found herself at the doorstep to Tamayo's home. Coincidentally at that time, Níngguāng revealed that Ubuyashiki himself was being treated by her when she came asking for treatment, and it was Ubuyashiki who witnessed Tamayo administer her serum to her in order to save her life.

It sounded fantastical to Shinobu and Kanao, but with how Níngguāng explained it to them, and how Tamayo didn't seem like the person to lie to them, they couldn't doubt her words. Tamayo had tried to tend to Ubuyashiki's illness, and in the process ended up saving Níngguāng's life by turning her into a demon, and then did the very same thing to Tanjirō in the present day.

"It was that day when our relationship began too...Kagaya learned of the information network that I was building; he requested my services to help out your organization." Níngguāng finished as she placed her teacup down and picked up her pipe again to smoke from it briefly. "Of course, I accepted once I learned of his goal...and for the past ten years, I've been helping your cause from the shadows, providing you with every secret pertaining to demon activities that I can."

"That's...remarkable...almost too remarkable to believe." Shinobu uttered, her response triggering another light giggle from Níngguāng, followed by her nodding in understanding.

"You can trust me, Shinobu. While gaining more wealth is my number one priority in life...my second is to see that man Muzan crushed, with not a single trace left of that despicable man."

Níngguāng's smile turned sour and Kanao actually felt a hint of bloodlust come from the woman, an emotion that flowed like lava within her light crimson eyes. They could tell that even though Muzan hadn't hurt her directly, or taken a family member away, he had hurt her in another way like she had said.

After a few moments she returned to her original composed, elegant personality, and she rested one hand in her lap and used the other to hold her pipe to her lips when she told them that wasn't why they were really here.

"That's correct...Níngguāng-san, we're looking for a slayer by the name of Kamado Tanjirō, who disappeared several months back, and only recently just appeared." Shinobu asked, going directly to the point.

"Ah...that name rings a bell. His family was murdered by Muzan, right? Save for his sister...actually, that box you carry on your back, and those earrings...that's his sister and his earrings, yes?"

"That's correct. She's taking a nap right now, so I think we should just let her rest."

Shinobu smiled warmly at the merchant, who returned the gesture before she stood up out of her chair and left her pipe behind as she walked over to one of her nearby bookshelves right past Amai. She tuned into the conversation finally when Níngguāng brushed past her, the woman selecting a book off the shelf while consulting her memories briefly.

"If I remember correctly, there was quite an altercation that went on at the Red Light District, in Yoshiwara...two demons fighting one another? One of them was your Kamado." Níngguāng stated as she kept the book with her and brought it back to her desk to read later once her business with Shinobu was finished. "And you want to know where he went after that, right?"

"We want to find him as soon as possible, so we can bring him back home." Kanao said, finally speaking up and adding her voice to the discussion.

"Mm, I like your spunk...you'd make a good businesswoman." replied Níngguāng, who winked at her.

"So, do you have any information regarding his whereabouts?"

Níngguāng sat down in her chair once more, the book finding itself on top of a stack of signed shipping documents and other logistical pieces of information, before she fixed her gaze on them.

Her answer to them was simple. She did in fact have some tidbits here and there that she had gathered over the past few days regarding the movements of a certain "individual with black and red hair with horns". The only issue that came up was how, being the businesswoman she was, required payment for the distribution of this information to them. When asked what she needed from them, which they figured to be money, Níngguāng merely rested her elbows on her desk and gave them a hard gaze with her eyes narrowing and her fangs showing.

"Simple. I want you to promise me that Muzan will suffer for what he's done." Níngguāng said, her statement bringing a smile to Shinobu's lips as she nodded.

Níngguāng smiled back and she stood up while offering a hand to Shinobu, who stood up as well and shook it firmly. Kanao clapped her hands together and Amai held her's behind her back while sighing in relief, knowing that they weren't going to have to scrounge up money to pay the wealthy merchant for her information.

"With that, our contract has been established. For the information itself, your target seems to be on his way towards a rather...peculiar location. One that's out of the way and isolated from pretty much any town or city." stated Níngguāng, before letting go of Shinobu's hand.

"Where would that be? I can think of a few places that I know of…" she asked.

"All roads point to another location your organization has visited in the past...one that I'm sure all of you are quite familiar with."

"What place?"

"Natagumo Mountain."


Shinobu slowly opened her eyes as she recalled those two words from her memories, that meeting with the wealthy Níngguāng having been a couple days ago. She and Kanao were back home at the Butterfly Mansion with Nezuko, who was napping in Shinobu's room currently to build up more of her strength.

Unfortunately for Amai, she had to return to Tamayo's home once their business had concluded in Kobe, but once they had finished all of their preparations, they would go to her and enlist her help again. She had made it evidently clear that she wanted to help them bring Tanjirō home, so to deny her that wish was completely off the table. There was a problem, however.

The truth was that for a day or two, Shinobu had been ready to depart and pick up Amai for their journey back to Natagumo Mountain, as was Kanao. What was preventing them from leaving was the information that Níngguāng imparted onto them, which she had also done to Ubuyashiki as well.

"Be careful, there are whispers in Japan among the demon folk about a mysterious helper to Muzan, a foreigner whose hair is the color of running gold." Shinobu thought to herself as she stared up at the ceiling of her office. Foreigners were not a rarity in Japan now that westernization was a thing and trade between her home and the outside world was on the rise. What worried her was how a foreigner would have knowledge of, and be working with, Muzan and his demons. "The existence of demons is kept secret from the majority of Japan...even the Emperor himself is completely unaware of them. How is it then that a foreigner would know?"

These thoughts were the problem that had kept her from leaving with Kanao and Nezuko for Amai, and then Natagumo Mountain afterwards. A mysterious foreigner with ties to Muzan's legion, it was strange, and it made Shinobu feel an itch in the back of her head that somehow, he had to be connected with what happened with the Infinite Train operation.

"I should check up on Rengoku-san one last time before leaving…" Shinobu told herself as she sighed and pushed aside her worries for the wellbeing of the Flame Hashira.

Shinobu stood up from her chair and slipped on her butterfly haori before walking out of her office and down the hallway to Kyōjurō's room, the very same one in which he's been trapped in a coma since his fall in battle. Every chance she had, Shinobu watched over the Flame Hashira and monitored his vitals with the assistance of the girls, since he hadn't shown any signs of waking up yet.

His father and brother had paid him a visit on several occasions, one being when she had received Shinjurō's letter directly from the man himself. It brought a smile to her face that day, to see Kyōjurō's family there to offer him wishes of a safe recovery from his coma and a rapid return to service. Shinjurō himself had made the comment before leaving how Kyōjurō was more than just a Hashira to the Demon Slayer Corps, he was one of their hopes for a better future in Japan.

It didn't take her long to arrive at Kyōjurō's room, and as soon as she walked in, she felt the same feeling of pain that she always felt. Seeing the most passionate member of the Hashira, in a different sense that Mitsuri, in such a sad state certainly made her feel as though the world had done him dirty. His wounds had since healed, including the eye that he had lost, where all that remained was the long jagged scar that stretched up from his cheek and across his eyelid, as well as the unique flame-like tattoo around it.

"I still haven't figured out where that mark of his came from, or how it occurred...but for some reason I get the inclination that it's the same as Tanjirō's in some way…"

Shinobu took a seat in the chair set up next to Kyōjurō's bed and looked at the sleeping Hashira, once again taking in the tranquil expression on his face as he slowly breathed while he was asleep. She longed to hear his fiery, passionate voice again, and equally as terrified at the thought she'd never hear it again.

"Rengoku-san...we're going to leave and find Tanjirō-kun. We know where he is, so we're going to bring him back where he belongs." Shinobu said softly in the silence of the room, her eyes dropping from Kyōjurō's face and to his hand. She lifted one of her hands up and held onto it, hoping he could at least feel her in some way, to know that she was there. "I just hope that by the time we're back...you'll be awake to see it…"

After a few minutes of silence passed, Shinobu then took a deep breath and steeled her resolve upon standing up from her chair. With one last goodbye, she left the room and closed the door behind her in order to fetch Kanao from her room in the mansion. As Shinobu was leaving, however, she failed to notice Kyōjurō's right pinky and ring finger twitch.

When she grabbed Kanao and also woke up Nezuko from her nap so that she could climb into her box, the trio then departed from the Butterfly Mansion and unexpectedly came outside Aoi and the girls waiting for them at the front entrance.

"Aoi? Girls? What are you doing out here?" Shinobu asked them out of surprise.

"Zenitsu and Inosuke just left on their own individual missions, and since you'll be leaving as well, we wanted to say goodbye too." Aoi replied with a tiny smile, the girls immediately clustering around Shinobu and hugging her tightly.

"Please, be safe, and come back with Tanjirō-sama! We miss him!"

"Yes, please! Bring Tanjirō-sama back!"

It didn't take long for the girls to start weeping for Tanjirō to return, which caused Shinobu to close her eyes and smiled softly as she crouched down to their level and hugged all three of them at the same time to help soothe them. Kanao smiled too and shared a brief gaze with Aoi as they watched the girls get out all of their tears and eventually let go of Shinobu so that she could leave.

Aoi took her turn in hugging Shinobu, thanking her and Kanao again for what they did in Yoshiwara, before letting go and stepping aside to let them pass. With a wave and a farewell, Shinobu and Kanao departed from the Butterfly Mansion in order to go and retrieve Amai from Tamayo's home, where the four could then journey as one to their final destination.

"To think he'd return to Natagumo Mountain...this can't just be a coincidence. If Tanjirō truly was brainwashed, he wouldn't have any memories of that place." Shinobu thought when they left the headquarters all together before they broke out into a jog to quicken their journey. "There has to be part of the old Tanjirō that remains...I'm sure of it!"


Natagumo Mountain was exactly the same as the Demon Slayer Corps had left it after they had exfoliated their forces from the area after the conclusion of the battle that took place there. This was the place where Shinobu and Kanao had first encountered Tanjirō and Nezuko, as well as Inosuke and Zenitsu, before bringing them to their first stay at the Butterfly Mansion.

They were fond memories for the two of them, while Amai was reminded of all the pain and suffering that she faced from being forced into Rui's fake family. It made it especially hard to return to this place for her because it had been where she had run off to when she had become a demon, so it had taken some time from Kanao and Shinbou to help calm her down when she got emotional. Even Nezuko played a part by coming out of her box when it was night to hug her, which greatly helped Amai control her emotions and ensure them that she was fine. The entrance to the mountain itself was directly in front of them, just like they had remembered it, with the ominous fog that flowed through the thick forest of trees it was covered by beckoning them in. Somewhere in there on that mountain was Tanjirō, and that was enough to make them step forward past the tree line without fear.

"To help us out with the search…" Amai murmured as she brought her hands up and concentrated, the two slayers glancing at her in wonder. Before their very eyes, from the tips of her fingers manifested tiny little white spiders with red markings on their bodies, Amai smirking a little when she created them. "To think these things that Rui gave me would come to help others, and not harm them...it's fitting."

"Can you see through those, Amai-san?" questioned Kanao, the demon nodding her head as she overturned her hands to let the spiders fall onto the ground.

"These spiders are what I used here on the mountain as the first line of defense for Rui...it's what I used to…" Amai started before she choked on her words again, Kanao's expression softening as she put a hand on her shoulder.

"Forget it...I trust you. Let's focus on why we're here."

"R-Right...I'll tell you if I find anything…"

Amai smiled a little as she then sent her spiders out into the wilderness of Natagumo Mountain, the small, tiny insect's speed surprising Shinobu with how quickly they scurried away. While their demon companion was busy scouting the area around them, the group continued to move slowly forward in case there were any other unwanted visitors on the mountain. For all they knew another demon could have made the mountain their home, and they chose to distance themselves from Tanjirō because of the power he held, and the natural hatred that exists between demons towards one another.

"I guess it should no longer be called natural anymore, considering Tamayo-san, Amai-san, and Níngguāng-san...they're all just like Tanjirō." Shinobu thought before she looked to the stars through the tree foliage and smiled softly. "Your dream is more alive than ever before, Nee-san…"

As they slowly penetrated Natagumo Mountain, at the same time there was a pair of eyes watching them from above that squinted lightly when the person they belonged to smiled devilishly.

"Kukuku, seems like we have our first batch of visitors…~ This is going to be fun to watch~" Michael chortled to himself before he disappeared from the top of the tree he was standing on, reappearing a few moments later in the center of the clearing out in front of the large, ruined house that Rui had once made his family live in. "I was thinking of testing this one another one of those rabid dogs that call themselves Upper Moons, but this would make for a far more entertaining show. Time for some...adjustments~"

"Once you're done there, my Son, return home for another assignment. You've been doing a fantastic job so far, and you've earned yourself some respite."

"Oh, Father~! Oh what an even more joyous occasion this is now!"

Michael immediately dropped to his knees after the voice had spoken to him directly into his mind and cupped his hands in prayer, looking skyward while silently thanking the heavens under his breath. He had been eagerly awaiting this moment after arriving here on this mountain and disposing of a few unwelcome guests who had taken up residence there.

They had provided him with some rather nice sustenance, since coming to Japan had severely limited his food intake, because he couldn't go around snagging Demon Slayers everywhere he went. The first time he was there he did, that's how he was able to gain his magnificent wings, but now? Not so much.

"I promise to return to you as quickly as possible once this task is complete, Father. And I'm most certain that you'll have the partnership you're seeking with that disgusting animal!"

"Good, good. You're doing well, my Son. God is most certainly looking down on you with a smile."

"Thank you, thank you! My love only grows for you Father~!"

By that time, Shinobu's group had fully invested themselves in searching through the forest of Natagumo Mountain in search of Tanjirō, with only negligible results coming back to them so far. However, after another minute or two of searching, Amai finally got some worthwhile information in the form of her memories, where she remembered the ruined house that she had called home before Rui stole it away from her. Thinking that to be their best bet at where Tanjirō was, she redirected her spiders towards its exact location and, sure enough, she was able to spot him sitting on the front porch by himself with his head up towards the stars.

They then broke off into a sprint, following Amai since she knew the way, and after leaping skillfully through the trees from branch to branch, they were able to find their way to the road that led up to the home. Amagi took point as she led them slowly up the winding road, until they eventually came to the clearing where at the far end was the house itself, and who they were looking for.

"Tanjirō...it really is him…" murmured Kanao when they saw the young man exactly where Amai had seen him through her spiders.

"Let's approach slowly…" Shinobu said, taking the point position from Amai as she kept a wary hand near her sword while leading them towards the house.

He didn't lower his gaze from the sky when they got close enough for him to hear their footsteps, if he didn't already, and Shinobu glanced once at Amai and Kanao before she cleared her throat silently and took one more step forward.

"Tanjirō? Tanjirō-kun, are you there?" she asked out loud, hoping to draw his attention to her. When he didn't budge again, Shinobu bit her lip a little and cupped a hand to her mouth while smiling somewhat. "Yoohoo! Tanjirō-kun!"

"So, so sorry sweetheart...Tanjirō isn't home at the moment~"

Shinobu gasped and Amai squeaked when they heard the new voice, the two of them plus Kanao shooting their heads upward to the roof of the house to find Michael lounging on it with a pure smile while looking down on them. Almost instantly all three became tense when they recognized the golden blonde hair that he had, with Shinobu and Kanao immediately drawing their swords and widening their stances.

"You! You're the foreigner! The one that's associating themselves with Muzan!" exclaimed Shinobu, her accusation prompting Michael to cover his mouth and laugh innocently at her.

"Oh, really? Is that how you know me? I suppose that's true, for heathens like you, it's an apt statement."

Michael then leaped down from the roof onto the ground in front of the porch where Tanjirō was sitting, his pure smile striking them all as rather odd despite the words coming out of his mouth. He looked like a priest, but the way in which he spoke and how he associated himself with demons was strange and uncharacteristic of one.
They watched him warily as he pressed his hands together and looked skyward, offering up a quick prayer with the greatest of zeal before laughing at them one last time. In a split second his heavenly expression turned drastically demonic, with his mouth lined entirely with razor sharp teeth.

"Tanjirō...would you care to introduce yourselves to our guests?" Michael asked in a vile, raspy tone. Almost immediately Tanjirō's head snapped back down from the command and he stood up, his eyes focusing on them as veins bulged out around his face and hands when he reached for his sword. "Show them just how content you are with what you've become~!"

"Tanjirō-kun! You can't-!" exclaimed Shinobu before he was on them in an instant, her reaction purely instinctual as her stinger blade buried Tanjirō's, creating a shower of sparks around them. "N-Ngh…Tanjirō...kun…why…?"

"Get off...my mountain…" Tanjirō said in a low tone as he pushed Shinobu back with brute force, his eyes flicking towards Kanao when she lunged at him with her own blade.

"Don't aim for his neck!" shouted Shinobu once she recovered, Kanao grunting as she swung at one of his arms to disable him, even if for a moment.

Tanjirō easily saw her attack coming and deflected it before assaulting her with a whirlwind of sword jabs and slashes, pushing her into a defensive stance to try and protect herself from his blade. At the same time Amai, who recovered from his surprise attack, quickly wound her hands together and grit her teeth as she summoned all of the courage that she had from within.

He needed her, just like she had unknowingly needed him back then. She wasn't going to let him down!

"Let's hope this works…Kekkijutsu...Kumo Shurui: Tsuchigumo!" Amai exclaimed before throwing her hands out to the sides, some veins bulging out from her face as two sets of spider eyes emerged above her normal eyes and her body instantly became far more muscular.

Her feet sunk into the earth somewhat and Michael was genuinely surprised when the demon then bound forward with great speed, appearing right beside Tanjirō as he was in mid stroke towards Kanao and driving her elbow right into his temple. With a deafening boom he was launched to the side, taking out several trees on impact and creating a plume of dust and splinters that shot out in all directions.

Gasping at Amai's transformation, Kanao quickly shook the awe away and readied herself with her sword with Shinobu as Amai told them she'd take point. She then latched onto the ground with her threads and with a loud grunt she ripped the earth right below her free and twirled once, using her own strength and centrifugal force to hurl the chunk at Tanjirō with blinding speed. He slashed clean through the earth and landed back on his feet, two puffs of fire emerging from the sides of his mouth while his blade was instead consumed by rapidly flowing water.

"Mizu no kokyū, Shichi no kata: Shizuku Hamon Tsuki." Tanjirō uttered before darting at Amai with blinding speed, his blade only stabbing through Amagi's right arm when she moved out of the way at the last second, the torrent of water that followed after the pierce harmlessly shooting out behind her.

"N-Now!" she grunted as she curled her arm up, trapping his blade inside of her own flesh as she then used her other arm to rapidly attack her threads to Tanjirō's back to restrict his movement.

"Mushi no kokyū, Hōga no mai: Manabiki!"

"Hana no kokyū, Ichi no kata: Tōtoi Himawari!"

Tanjirō grunted when Shinobu's blade pierced right through his sternum, the force of her powerful thrust blowing his hair upward, while Kanao's downward swipe entered through his shoulder and very nearly cleaved off one of his arms. Hurting him like this chipped away at their wills on the inside, because neither of them wanted to hurt him, but the situation called for it.

Whatever technique that Michael had put on Tanjirō, assuming it was his doing, had turned him into a completely different person. If they were to bring back the Tanjirō that they knew, they were going to have to fight for their lives to get it back.

"Snap out of it, Tanjirō! You're not yourself!" Shinobu shouted while grunting to keep her blade implanted in him as he tried to break free.

"Listen to us, Tanjirō! It's Shinobu, and Kanao!" added Kanao, some sweat dripping down her forehead.

"Don't you remember me, Tanjirō? It's me! The demon you saved here! You have to...remember!"

All three women struggled with Tanjirō as he kept trying to break free from them, his teeth grinding together a few times before, with a mighty roar, he managed to throw all three of them off. His sword came with him as Amai was tossed away, and in a split second he was right on top of her mid-flight, eyes blazing with fury and his sword reared back, ready for the finishing blow.

Amai's new, happier life flashed before her eyes as she watched the blade come in, and she wondered if Tamayo would miss her if she never came back. With a rush of air, however, and an explosive kick to the head, Nezuko, who had emerged out of her box at the scent of danger to her, blasted Tanjirō away from her and saved her life before he could unknowingly end it.

Tanjirō's headless body smacked into another nearby tree and broke it in two, the log falling on top of him once he hit the ground, while Nezuko stood in front of Amai as Kanao helped her to her feet. She growled at him, not recognizing him immediately, before her whole demeanor shifted once Tanjirō's head regrew back from his neck and he threw the shattered tree trunk off himself, standing up soon after to stare them down.

"Nezuko, I know it's your brother, but he's not himself…! That man is controlling him to make him violent!" exclaimed Shinobu while pointing at Michael, who waved innocently at her with his toothy smile.

"Maybe that's who we should be fighting…" Amai grunted once she was back on her feet, her buff form fading as she returned to her original self.

"We'll handle Tanjirō then. Amai-san, Nezuko, try to deal with him."

Nezuko turned around and nodded her head at Shinobu, before she stood side by side with Amai and stared down the foreigner Michael, Nezuko's turning instantly back to her anger-filled demon eyes as a low growl came out from behind her mouthpiece.

"Kukuku, turning on me now? But I haven't done anything yet~" Michael said as the two demons then rushed him down, his eyes narrowing and his smile widening as he urged them to come at him. "Come on then, you vile pigs! Come meet your salvation~!"

Nezuko leapt and bounded at Michael, going for the straight-on approach that he could see coming from a mile away. Several large feather blades emerged from his right sleeve as he easily hacked through her leg and thigh in an instant. To his surprise though, far faster than any demon he's seen before, outside of the Upper Moon's, her limbs immediately reattached themselves just by staying connected through her blood alone. Her eyes turned bloodshot as the anger from what she heard about her precious brother being controlled by him boosting her power even more, leading to dark crack markings appearing around her left eye and her veins to bulge out even more.

"Mmppnnghh...mmnhh!" Nezuko said in a loud, muffled tone as she viciously punched Michael through the way of the home, creating an explosion of debris that consumed him in the blink of an eye.

"Gyyaghhl!" he exclaimed from within, his assumption of Nezuko's power completely being overwhelmed.

Amai, shocked at first by her rapid regeneration and power, pushed that aside as she looked down at her hands and slowly clenched them. The power she had released earlier wasn't enough, she needed to go even further beyond. And to do that she closed her eyes and let out a slow breath.

She had been gifted her demon powers by ingesting Rui's blood, and that had made her strong. But that wasn't going to be enough to fight Michael or Tanjirō, she could feel it. That power that she received from Rui, she had never wanted to touch it before, but there was no other option for her at this point. In order to protect her new friends and save the very first friend she had ever found, she was more than willing to make that leap of faith into the unknown.

"Rui...maybe you really did give me something worthwhile…" she murmured when, starting from the tips of her fingers, her hands and forearms up to her elbows turned dark red as she pumped her blood through them and into her threads. "With the power you used to harm me and others...I'm going to use it to protect! Nezuko, move! Kekkijutsu - Kokushi rinten!"

Swinging her arms forward she manifested a large rotating wheel of blood-red threads, exactly like what Rui could do, and hurled it forward right at where Nezuko had punched Michael into the home. The girl herself leaped clear of the technique to avoid being shred to pieces and, thinking on her feet, used her own Blood Demon Art to ignite Amai's technique with her blood that struck the house and created a huge explosion that obliterated the home.

Immediately after the house's detonation, a plume of fire shot straight up into the sky and revealed itself to be Michael, his clothes burnt and scorched while his expression had devolved into utter madness, his eyes wide open and his smile unnerving. Amai gasped at the huge angel wings he was using to stay up in the air, the metal feathers that comprised them glistening in the moonlight as clouds began to roll in from the distance.

"That's it...you deserve instantaneous salvation...by the grace of God, I will annihilate you!" Michael snarled before soared down towards Nezuko and Amai, a storm of his feather blades shooting at them from his wings.

Nezuko grunted as several of them pierced and skewered her body even when she tried to dodge them, while Amai skillfully used her threads to deflect and cut through any that came near her. Bloody tear-like markings appeared under her eyes as she then began to attack Michael with her threads, the maniacal angel laughing like a crazed heathen as he ducked and weaved through them, not totally realized that she was crafting an interlocking web with her threads and hidden spiders.

"Nezuko, attack him! It's going to take him everything to try and break through my threads!"

"Mmpnghh!"

At the same time, the fight between Shinobu, Kanao and Tanjirō had pulled them away from the now destroyed house and the clearing into the forest, where every single technique they used felled trees left and right. Burning splinters were a constant threat when the trees they came from were destroyed by Tanjirō's Hinokami Kagura, with both Shinobu and Kanao struggling to keep up with Tanjirō in his enhanced demon form.

Shinobu's poison, no matter how many times she injected it into him with her powerful jabs, only worked to slow him down temporarily because he had developed an immunity to it. Kanao had already used most of her Flower Breathing techniques against him as well, with Shinobu telling her firmly not to use the final technique only if it was absolutely necessary. The situation was rapidly turning that direction however, with the two running out of stamina little by little while Tanjirō showed no signs of slowing down. Every injury he sustained he healed, while the scratches and bruises Kanao and Shinobu were getting only served to hinder them even more.

"Mushi no kokyū, Gokō no mai: Hyakusoku jabara…!" bellowed Shinobu before her body turned into a purple blur, the rapid dashes she made in a zigzag pattern catching Tanjirō off guard.

His eyes darted left and right, trying to keep up with the nimble Hashira before she was right in front of him with her stinger blade poised to impale him entirely. With a grunt he took the full brunt of her attack as her stinger blade plunged through his chest with enough punching power to blow a hole out of his back and send both of them flying backward, carried by Shinobu's speed and forward momentum, into another grouping of trees.

"Why won't...you snap out of it…!" begged Shinobu, practically on the verge of tears, as she stared Tanjirō dead in the eyes as she held him pinned to the fifth tree in a row of trunks they had blasted through. "It's me, Tanjirō! It's Shinobu!"

Tanjirō growled at her, not even bothering to answer her as he used his legs to hurl her small body off of him and free himself from her sword. Kanao was there to fill the void she left as soon as he was up, attacking him with all of her vigor and drive.

"Please, snap out of it! Tanjirō!"


^ Butterfly Mansion, Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters ^

Aoi hummed to herself as she changed out dirty towels in the patient rooms of the building, greeting some of the slayers who were there on her way through. Once she finished the last of the rooms, she thought to go to the urgent care area and check on their most important patient. She didn't recall if Shinobu had checked on him before departing with Kanao and Nezuko, so she thought to be proactive and do that.

"I hope they're all okay…" Aoi thought as she arrived at the door marked by a sign that read "Rengoku".

Turning the knob and stepping inside, she expected to see the Flame Hashira still asleep in his bed under the effects of his coma. All she would've had to do was make sure nothing serious had happened to him since his last check up and do other regular check-up procedures before leaving to go to bed. Instead, she found the man himself alive and well, standing in front of the floor mirror looking at himself and his face, specifically his scarred eye and the flame marking over it.

"R-R-R-Rengoku-sama?!" stuttered Aoi at the top of her lungs, the Hashira turning when he heard her and giving her the largest of smiles.

"Haha! You're one of Kochō-san's aides here, right? What was your name again?" Kyōjurō asked boisterously, his lips stretching ear to ear.

"A-Aoi, my name's Aoi, but...but...you're awake!"

"I am! That was certainly one of the best naps I've ever taken!"

"You...were in a coma, sir…"

Kyōjurō's smile dropped when he heard her say that and he sat down on his bed, looking at her with a serious expression. He immediately asked her if that was true, and when she responded yes to affirm her statement, Kyōjurō sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

He must have made both his father and brother worry so much about him, which made him resolve to meet them as soon as possible once he was clothed and had his weapon on him. Before that, however, his curiosity spiked, and he requested of Aoi to tell him everything that had happened since he had gone under. Aoi gulped, knowing that what she was going to tell him might upset the Hashira, but she went forward with it anyways and told him everything that she had learned from Shinobu to the best of her ability.

Throughout her explanation, Kyōjurō's expression shifted from boisterous laughter to hear that an Upper Moon had finally been killed, to dead seriousness upon learning of Tanjirō's replacement of said Upper Moon with himself and Shinobu's thoughts on his defection not being of his own will.

"So, you're telling me Kochō-san, her Tsuguko, and Kamado's sister all left to go find him and bring him back? Even when he's now an Upper Moon. who is possibly under control by someone else, Kibutsuji or otherwise?" questioned Kyōjurō, Aoi slowly nodding her head while feeling herself cracking under the gaze of the Hashira. "Where? Tell me where they went, now!"

"S-She said something about Natagumo Mountain! It's where Tanjirō and her first met, and where he killed a demon a long time ago!"

In a flash Kyōjurō was off his bed getting changed into his uniform, Aoi immediately blushing and whirling around to not intrude on his privacy. He pulled on his pants, his top, and everything things in between before hurling his flaming haori over his shoulder and grabbing his sword, which was leaning up against the chair upon which his clothes had been placed and slid it under his belt.

Kyōjurō then glanced back at Aoi and gave her one of his passionate smiles before saluting her, disappearing in the blink of an eye a split second later. All that Aoi felt was the gust of wind that blew by her as the Hashira sprinted past her out of his room.

"If my hunch is correct, that blonde man has to be there with Tanjirō, and if he was able to take control of him, the same could happen to them! I've got to hurry!" thought Kyōjurō as he arrived outside the Butterfly Mansion in under a minute, his eyes darting towards the direction of where he remembered the mountain was located. Bending down low and feeling the flames burst to life within him as he sucked in a breath, the air shimmered around him as he then propelled himself forward at blinding speeds. "Taiyō furea!"


"Gyaghk!" gasped Shinobu when her back struck a tree branch, blood droplets hurtling out of her mouth before she fell to the ground onto her stomach. She grunted as she wiped the blood from her lips and stood up, flinching only slightly from the broken rib she had gotten. "Suck it up, suck it up…! You can't give up yet! Nezuko is counting on you!"

Standing across from her and Kanao, who was in a similar state as her, was the unscathed Tanjirō with his sword at his side and half his face and right arm covered in his Iron Blood Armor. The trees and earth around them had been turned inside out or slashed to pieces by the man, who had started to use his Hinokami Kagura in conjunction with the unknown Breathing Technique they heard as "Moon Breathing".

When it had been Amai helping them, it had been somewhat easier against Tanjirō, but with just the two of them alone against him, who clearly fit into the role he was given as Upper Moon Six, it was almost like they were fighting a losing battle. If this was what it was like to fight an Upper Moon, Shinobu could only imagine what it would be like to fight any of the higher-ranked demons in the Twelve Kizuki. She could hardly think about that though, because her mind was preoccupied on trying to stay alive and keeping herself from breaking down at all of the injuries she had inflicted on Tanjirō. Every single slash or stab she made on him was like a crack on her heart, even Kanao could see that, and it killed her inside to see the pain on the Hashira's face. They had to figure out what was keeping Tanjirō from recognizing them, and fast.

"Kanao...I know I told you not to use it...unless absolutely necessary…" Shinobu murmured through her heavy breaths, her Tsuguko glancing at her. "I think now...is that time...to use it...the Equinoctial Vermillion Eye…"

"No need, young one!"

A bright light appeared above, Shinobu lifting her head to see a flaming pillar shooting down towards them and striking the ground between them and Tanjirō. The fierce winds produced by the flaming whirlwind, as well as the heat, caused Shinobu to shield her face with her arm and Kanao to turn to the right a bit.

Once the flames died down and dispersed into embers, they were shocked at who they saw standing there in front of them, sword over their shoulder and flaming haori billowing somewhat in the leftover wind from their self-made inferno.

"Sorry that I'm late, I was too busy napping! Hmn!" Kyōjurō exclaimed with a confident smile as he looked at them, his one eye focused on Shinobu.

"Rengoku-san! You're awake!" Shinobu said, completely baffled by the Flame Hashira's explosive entrance.

"Indeed, I am, Kochō-san! Thanks to you, my body healed up better than ever! Thank you!"

Kyōjurō then turned his attention to Tanjirō, his eyes making his smile falter somewhat as regret overtook his body. Seeing the young man who he had forged a brotherly bond with through battle turned into the demon he saw before him was heartbreaking, like a searing hot knife right through the heart.

He had failed in his duty as a Hashira to protect those beneath him, he accepted that, which was why here and now, in this very moment, he wasn't going to let anything stop him from performing his duty.

"On my way here, I sensed two other demonic presences nearby. Would one of those be the young Nezuko?" Kyōjurō asked without looking back at both Shinobu and Kanao, the two able to relax for a short while.

"Yes, the other is a demon like her, she's friendly. They're fighting the man who's controlling Tanjirō." Shinobu replied.

"Hmn! I will immediately take care of him then. I will send them your way to help deal with Kamado! Keep him occupied until then!"

With that, Kyōjurō was off once more, leaving flaming trails in his wake as he departed for the wrecked home, where Nezuko and Amai were still locked in combat with the crazed Michael. He had just knocked back the two demons before the Flame Hashira made yet another fiery entrance by dashing right between them and cleaving clean through Michael's abdomen with his flaming sword, surprising the Angel with how quick he had appeared and attacked him.

"Mmmpnhh?!" Nezuko muttered in shock when Kyōjurō leaped back to them after Michael had been incapacitated by his attack, the two halves of his body lying on the ground with flames still licking at his wounds.

"Worry not, I'm an ally! I hope you remember me, little Kamado?" Kyōjurō said with a laugh at Nezuko, while Amai's eyes were wide in awe at him. "Ah, and you must be the other demon friend that Kochō-san mentioned! Hurry now, both of you assist her and her Tsuguko!"

"What? Are you going to fight him on your own?! He's just like one of us!" exclaimed Amai in shock.

"Hmn! Even better! Now go, I won't say it again!"

Kyōjurō turned his back on them and stood confidently in the face of danger as black tendrils began to reconnect Michael's body, which he estimated would finish in just a matter of seconds. Nezuko didn't argue with him and grabbed Amai's hand, running off with her to where she could hear the sound of gushing water striking more trees somewhat down the mountain from the clearing.

"You...bastard…! I'm going to slaughter you in the name of Salvation!" snarled Michael once he was back on his feet, his robes completely burnt away by Kyōjurō's fire to reveal a pitch black body made of the black ooze, with only his neck and head appearing human. "Wait...I remember you...you're the one that we left behind at the train. Kukuku, to think you survived!"

"Quite so! But enough about me, you vile creature...you have done something utterly unforgivable. And as such, I have made my decision."

Kyōjurō's passionate smile then shifted to a purely serious, determined gaze as his roaring flames erupted to life around him, his one eye blazing with fury. The air shimmered and seemed to turn to steam around him as he tapped into his own strength, which felt even more profound than before. He recalled the experience he had when fighting Akaza to the death, the pain his body experienced from all of his injuries. Fighting for his life on the verge of death, the same burning sensation that filled his soul reached the surface of his body and, before Michael's very eyes, his gleaming sword hissed as the blade itself turned a bright crimson red.

"For your crimes against the Demon Slayer Corps, and for taking away a precious ally...I shall not hold back! I will not stop until I have burned your body to cinders! So says I, the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyōjurō! Hmn!"


A/N YEAAAAAA BOIIIIIII. KICK HIS ASS! Maaaan I have been waiting to do that forever, ever since he first entered a coma. But he's back now boys (and girls, if there are any among my readers, that is). But you all know what this means, right? The climax of this arc is right around the corner! Hope you guys are prepared for the next chapter, because if that ending wasn't enough of a sign, it's gonna be AWESOME. Not much to say outside of just stay tuned for the epic conclusion of this arc!

If you liked this chapter, and the story so far, if you haven't done so already, leave a fav, a follow, and a review telling me what you think! A lot of work goes into making this stuff for you guys, so I'd appreciate it if I heard back about it! Oh, and before I forget, fun fact! This story is officially the largest Demon Slayer fanfic (by Word Count, we're breaking 300,000 words with this chapter!) on the whole of FFN! And Im not even close to stopping yet! :DDD

Translation(s):

Kekkijutsu - Kumo Shurui: Tsuchigumo

- Blood Demon Art - Spider Type: Earth Spider

Mizu no kokyū, Shichi no kata: Shizuku Hamon Tsuki

- Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Piercing Rain Drop

Mushi no kokyū, Hōga no mai: Manabiki

- Insect Breathing, Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter

Hana no kokyū, Ichi no kata: Tōtoi Himawari

- Flower Breathing, First Form: Noble Sunflower

Kekkijutsu - Kokushi rinten

- Blood Demon Art - Cutting Thread Rotation

Mushi no kokyū, Gokō no mai: Hyakusoku jabara

Insect Breathing, Dance of the Centipede: Hundred-Legged Zigzag

Taiyō furea

- Solar Flare