^ Chapter 32 - Burning Passion ^
Kyōjurō and Michael stared at one another in complete silence, the Flame Hashira's crimson sword hissing as he pointed it at the angel, who's black ooze-like body reflected the glow of his flames. Michael snarled and growled at him like some wild animal, his one pure, priestly image completely replaced by this devilish other half.
Even compared to a demon, Kyōjurō thought, this person or thing, whatever they were, was nowhere near a demon or a human being at the very least. This was why he had to kill Michael here and now, because if he was allowed to live any longer, nothing would benefit from his continued existence. Only one of them was going to walk away from this fight, and he wasn't letting this creature be that one.
"Come on then Hashira...come meet your Salvation...I'll slaughter you!" Michael snarled as blades from his wings sprouted out from his body, turning him into an even more devilish angel.
"The only one meeting their salvation will be you, foul beast."
Kyōjurō's eye widened and he blinked out of existence, Michael doing the same as the two combatants met head on, their blows creating mighty shockwaves that shook the dirt around them in the immediate vicinity. Kyōjurō's crimson blade produced sparks each time it struck Michael's wings or any of the blades he spawned from his black ooze body, the scorching heat it was giving off, combined with his flames, making Michael grit his teeth and wince.
In all of his years, he had never encountered a blade such as this, one where it was hot enough to turn the air into steam around it. The very same feeling was coming from Kyōjurō as well, who's blazing hot passion was manifesting itself entirely through the flames that were coming off his limbs.
"Honō no kokyū, Go no kata: Enko!" bellowed Kyōjurō as even more fire burst forth from his sword, the next series of slashes producing a huge, raging tiger that consumed Michael's whole body.
He screeched in pain from the searing hot sword slashes and the flames that melted his black, tar-like skin, leaving him open for Kyōjurō to press his advantage and assault him yet again. His one eye widened when Michael fired off a storm of feather blades to try and impede him, and to his surprise they looked as though they were coming towards him in slow motion. The entire world around him seemed to turn dark around him, and he gasped when he saw right through Michael's body. The man only had a single, functioning organ, a heart that existed in the center of his chest, a white outline among a sea of black that comprised his body.
Not knowing what this world was, he pushed those thoughts aside and used this to his advantage as he easily ducked and weaved through Michael's feather blades, his body in the real world appearing as only a blur to Michael. He couldn't even sense Kyōjurō's bloodlust or his usually vast and bombastic battle spirit, something that he was almost entirely depending on as his eyes finished healing from the burns.
"Honō no kokyū, Ni no kata: Nobori en ten!" yelled Kyōjurō, his sudden appearance right in front of Michael catching him completely off-guard as he swept upward with his Nichirin blade.
A wave of fire followed his sword upward, its leading edge slicing clean through Michael's entire body from his crotch all the way up to his neck and head, until it exited the top of his scalp and consumed him in a huge explosion of fire. Michael unleashed an ear-piercing screech as his body began to destabilize, the black tar-like substance that comprised it bubbling out of control and twitching heavily from Kyōjurō cutting his heart and body in two.
Then with a guttural roar the two halves of his body collapsed in on one another and rapidly expanded in size, transforming from a humanoid shape into an utter monstrosity with huge gaping mouths filled with razor sharp teeth and no eyes whatsoever. Towering over Kyōjurō, what used to be Michael screeched again as several tentacles also lined with teeth and the blades that used to comprise his wings grew out from his body and swiped at the Hashira. Seeing them in slow motion thanks to his newfound ability, Kyōjurō easily sidestepped each tentacle and sliced them off with his crimson blade before leaping up high into the air. A trail of fire followed him upward as he locked his eyes on Michael's heart once again, the reconstructed organ buried deep inside of Michael's body to try and protect it from harm.
"Your life ends today! Honō no kokyū, Roku no kata: Tsuiraku Hoshi!" proclaimed Kyōjurō at the top of his lungs as he twirled once in the air before careening back down towards Michael.
At the tip of his flaming sword, a huge ball of fire akin to a meteorite or a sun as big as a train card formed, lighting up the entire area with its brilliant glow. Michael tried to stop Kyōjurō in the split second of time he had before impact, but even he was too late to react before the Flame Hashira brought the miniature sun and his blade crashing down right on top of his monstrous body.
With a loud hiss and a deafening roar, the flaming bomb exploded once it made contact with Michael's body, with Kyōjurō's blade driving deep into the black ooze-like flesh of the monster's body until finally finding his heart yet again. Kyōjurō roared as he slashed his blade through the organ a second time, scorching it with his crimson blade and causing Michael to once again screech at the top of his lungs in overwhelming pain. This time his heart didn't heal itself, and Kyōjurō withdrew himself from Michael's body as its form began to lose structure and break apart.
"Noooooo…! This can't...be happening to...me! Father..! Faaathherrr!" cried Michael as his body shrunk back to its humanoid form, his terrified face revealed again as he stumbled from right to left, clutching his chest.
His right leg was the first to give, turning into black mush that made him fall over onto his side, his head striking the dirt and rattling his vision. The angel continued to cry bloody murder as the rest of his body continued breaking down, the black goo that it was formed from hissing and steaming like acid.
"Enough of your cries...this is your just punishment." Kyōjurō said with a straight-faced expression as he lowered his blade down, the tip inches away from Michael's neck.
With one final slash, he decapitated Michael, his head rolling off a couple feet away with steam coming from where Kyōjurō's crimson blade had made contact. Michael continued to gasp and choke on his own breath, with his headless body twitched and gasping for air as a last ditch attempt to reach towards the heavens to obtain what he had so desperately desired.
After one last gasp, Michael's eyes rolled upward and his head broke down into black ooze, joining the rest of his body to finally signal his death at the hands of the Flame Hashira. Kyōjurō sighed and he felt his inner body temperature begin to decrease, the world returning to normal as the flames around him died out as well. His blade however remained crimson red, and he looked down at it for a few moments in intrigue before instantly remembering Shinobu and the others were still fighting Tanjirō.
Quick as lightning he ran from the burnt down home and entered the forest, following the sounds of battle further down the mountain than from where he had arrived to them, and found yet another devastated scene. Kanao had been knocked out of the battle after sustaining too many injuries, particularly to her abdomen, and Amai was tending to her while Nezuko and Shinobu were still locked in combat with Tanjirō.
Portions of her butterfly haori had been torn and made bloody by the wounds she had sustained, and her hair had come loose, causing it to hang down to her shoulders. Nezuko had even taken point between them, acting as her protection because even though she knew her brother wasn't himself, she still couldn't bring herself to hurt Tanjirō.
The young man himself was about to use another technique when out from nowhere, Kyōjurō appeared right beside him and socked him hard in the jaw. Shinobu gasped from the brutal attack and watched Tanjirō's body smash into a collection of trees like several times before, the Flame Hashira leaping back to her and drawing his crimson sword.
"Stay out of this Kochō-san, your small frame isn't built for extended fights like this against strong opponents." Kyōjurō said while glancing back at her with a stern expression. "Don't take this as an insult, it's an order."
"Y...Yes, Rengoku-san…" she replied, defeated. Her shoulders slumped and her sword tip dropped to the ground, Nezuko looking at her with a worried expression before turning to Kyōjurō. "Were you able to win…?"
"Yes, that man is dead, I executed him. Which means he won't have direct control over Kamado any more. That means one thing, and one thing alone. We must draw him back out to the surface!"
Kyōjurō's sword was consumed by fire as he dashed at Tanjirō, catching him off guard with his blinding speed for only a few moments before he countered with a Moon Breathing technique. The Flame Hashira once again used the strange new slow motion world to easily dodge the spinning crescent moon blades and lunged at Tanjirō, plunging his blade into his clavicle and falling on top of him.
He used all of his strength to pin Tanjirō to the ground, using his foot to stomp on his sword-wielding hand so he couldn't attack him. Then Kyōjurō looked him dead square in the eyes with his one good eye and began to yell at him with the highest possible tone he could muster.
"Kamado, my boy! Wake yourself up from this hellish nightmare! You have to break free! You are not an Upper Moon!" he bellowed, a grunt escaping his lips as Tanjirō thrashed beneath his sword, swiping at him with his other hand and missing his face by a few inches. Still he kept the pressure on, without budging. "You are Kamado Tanjirō! Your sister is Kamado Nezuko! You both are Demon Slayers! Sworn to kill Kibutsuji Muzan!"
"Break free, Tanjirō, please! We're begging you! Break free!" cried Shinobu, her will finally cracking enough to allow for her first tears of the night to begin flowing down her cheeks.
"Mmnpphnmm! Mmpnhhh!" Nezuko said with a muffled cry when she ran to her brother's side, kneeling down next to him and holding back his free arm with a loud grunt.
"We're all here, Kamado! Rouse yourself! Get fired up, deep from within! Ignite your heart! Tanjirō!"
Right as he said that, Tanjirō's eyes shot wide open and his body seemed to freeze for a moment. The words were reaching through to him, beyond the barrier that had been cast over his mind to keep the true Tanjirō suppressed. Kyōjurō saw the hesitation and grinned a little, seeing that what they were doing was working.
He kept it up, not caring about his voice or if he went hoarse from yelling so much, he kept reminding Tanjirō of who he was, of what he wanted to do and why he wanted to do it. He reminded him of who his family was, who his friends were, all while keeping the young boy pinned to prevent his darker side from taking back control. Tanjirō grunted and snarled like a caged animal, closing his eyes tightly as he began to struggle not against Kyōjurō's blade, but against himself, with his veins bulging out all over the place.
That's when Nezuko, finally conquering her fear and remembering her Blood Demon Art in the heat of the moment, reared her hand back and sliced her own arm against Kyōjurō's sword so that her blood was spilled onto her brother's abdomen.
"Mm-Mmmngh...nnghh…!" uttered Nezuko, cracks beginning to emerge from her bamboo mouthpiece before with a cry, she bit right through it and shattered it to pieces before throwing her head back, eyes shut tight with tears coming down her cheeks. "Kekkijutsu - Bakketsu!
"Ignite your heart, Tanjirō! Ignite your heart! IGNITE IT!"
Tanjirō grit his teeth and pulled harder against his restraints, his frail body gaining strength little by little as he felt the darkness around him slip somewhat. He could hear voices calling out to him, voices that he recognized, distant and far away, but there nonetheless. He had to reach them, no matter what.
"I won't...be trapped here...any...more…!" he grunted, his eyes widening as he pulled harder and harder, the ripples he was making in the black liquid around him becoming larger.
Suddenly his whole body was consumed by Nezuko's pinkish red flames, and almost instantly his restraints were burned away into ash, allowing him to climb to his feet and stare at himself from the flames. He recalled the same thing happening to him on the Infinite Train, and he smiled proudly of his sister as his strength almost instantly returned to him. He became healthy again, his clothes being filled out by muscle, and he gripped his hands tightly as he looked around the pitch black expanse around him.
"Why couldn't you have just stayed there? You're ruining everything!" spoke his voice from the void, which made Tanjirō frown deeply and grip his sword.
"This isn't who I am! I'm not a demo, not one like Muzan! I'm not going to let you control me either, not any more!" yelled back Tanjirō, the blackened space around him rumbling once Nezuko's flames died down.
"When will you learn...you're different from them...you're a monster...you know it just as much as I do. All it takes is one slip up, and it's all over!"
"I'm willing to take that risk, as long as I find a way to cure my sister, and to protect the ones I love! My friends, my new family! All of them!"
Tanjirō's eyes widened when a vicious presence came running at him from behind and he whirled around, blade drawn, and clashed swords with an unbelievable sight. Standing across from him with their very own blade was a carbon copy of himself, with all of his demon features in full effect and darkened eyes with black sclerae. It was everything that he didn't want to become, given physical form.
The two Tanjirō's grunted as their swords grinded against one another, creating tiny little sparks here and there, before his dark half leaped away and snarled at him angrily.
"This is who you are, this is what you've become! You've felt the hunger, the temptation! The scent of human blood!" exclaimed dark Tanjirō while roughly beating his chest, his red eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.
"I refuse to believe that! I'm as much of a human still as I am a demon! Demons aren't inherently evil, they're tragic, their lives ripped away from them by Muzan!"
Tanjirō ran at his dark half and clashed swords with him again, the two Tanjirōs exchanging blows left and right with one another, unable to outmatch the other because they were the exact same person. They both knew what their opposite would do next before they even did, which led to their swords clashing every single time and not even getting close to actually injuring one another.
What's more, each time their swords clashed, tiny little cracks began to appear in the blackened space they were in, with rays of light peeking in through them from the outside. Clang after clang of metal against metal, the cracks continued to grow in size and scope.
"Why can't you accept who you are?! Stop trying to fight it!" snarled dark Tanjirō, the real Tanjirō grunting a little bit before he pulled back and lowered his sword.
"I already have accepted who I am." he replied with a warm smile, which both confused and infuriated his dark half.
With a battle cry, it ran at him with his sword ready to strike him down and assert control, before Tanjirō dropped his sword and threw his arms around his dark self before any attack could be made. Dark Tanjirō gasped, his entire body freezing on the spot, unsure of what to do. His hand shook slightly and led to his sword falling out from his grasp and disappearing in the water like it never existed at all.
For what seemed like an eternity, Tanjirō kept his arms wrapped around his dark half as a sign of acceptance of himself and what he had become. After a few more moments of silence, the cracks in the blackened space around them finally caused the whole thing to shatter, revealing once more the bright blue sky and sun of Tanjirō's mental space around them as well as the dozens of small little fire beings that populated his soul.
"I know I'm not human anymore, and I'm okay with that...as long as I can transform my sister back after what Muzan did, I can handle anything thrown at me." Tanjirō said as his dark form closed his eyes when his body began to break down. "I have to go now...I have people waiting on me…"
"O...Okay…I...trust you..."
A few more seconds passed before Tanjirō opened his eyes and found his dark half completely gone, leaving him alone with the small little dwarfs that huddled around Tanjirō and hugged his legs. He laughed at them and their mannerisms, the young man squatting down to hug them all back, before he heard the voices calling out to him loud and clear.
"I'm back, guys…"
Tanjirō's eyes blinked a few times before he looked straight up into Kyōjurō's one eyed gaze, his mouth opening a little before he turned his head somewhat and saw his teary-eyed sister without her bamboo mouthpiece looking at him. Seeing his beloved sister was enough to make him start to tear up, his advanced demon features starting to regress as well and return to a more normal appearance. It was at that moment when Kyōjurō realized that they had him back, and he couldn't be any more happy than right then.
"N...Nezuko…" Tanjirō said softly, as he too started to tear up. The mentioning of her name was enough to immediately draw her attention to his eyes and away from where Kyōjurō's sword was stabbed through his clavicle, her lips quivering as she then threw herself onto him and wrapped her arms around his neck out of joy.
"Rengoku-san…? Is he...is Tanjirō…" Shinobu uttered before she saw the answer to her question herself. Kyōjurō smiled warmly as he withdrew his blade and cleaned it before sheathing it, then stepped aside to allow for her to see the crying Tanjirō embracing his sister for the first time in half a year. Her heart and all of the damages it sustained were inexplicably healed in that moment, and her relief so overwhelming she ended up collapsing to her knees. "T...T-Tanjirō!"
"W-What? Shinobu? Shinobu!" Tanjirō exclaimed when he turned his head to the sound of her voice, seeing her stumble a little as she ran towards him from her knees.
From her own exhaustion she collapsed to the ground again thankfully right into Tanjirō's other arm, which wrapped around her and held her close to the surprise of Kyōjurō. He wasn't expecting her to be like that with him, but after a few moments of watching how she cried into his chest alongside him and Nezuko, he saw past the veil and he chuckled to himself at the truth.
"Can you help her stand?" Kyōjurō asked Amai upon turning around and approaching her and Kanao, who had a thick layer of threads wrapped around her abdomen to act as bandages.
"Oh, yes! Give me a moment...come on Kanao-san, give me your arm…" Amai said as she looped one of Kanao's arms around her shoulders and gently helped her to her feet.
"Ow...ow…that hurts…" Kanao said with a wince, as she looked past Kyōjurō with a smile at Nezuko, Shinobu and Tanjirō.
Understanding what Kyōjurō was going to say next, Amai with his help led Kanao out of the area back up towards the clearing where the ruined house was to wait. After being separated for so long, it was only right that they give the two siblings, and by extension Shinobu through a relationship Kyōjurō himself was able to figure out, some time to themselves.
It took several minutes of crying from all three of them to clear out all, or at least most, of their emotions out of their systems so they could speak. Nezuko was unable to keep herself away though, after worrying so much about her brother for so long, she ended up falling asleep right there next to them with the happiest, most tranquil expression on her face. Even after all of the hours that she spent asleep, that one moment where she willed her blood to wake Tanjirō from his stupor had spent all of her energy in one go.
"Looks like we'll have to fashion a new mouthpiece for her…" Tanjirō said with a light laugh, Shinobu adding her own giggle as she got off him. He leaned up and grabbed his head a little, feeling immensely dizzy all of a sudden, which led to him falling back down flat on his back once again with a grunt. "Ugh, my head...that felt terrible…"
"It's okay now though...just rest, Tanjirō-kun...it's been a long time since you were yourself…" said Shinobu softly while resting a hand on top of Tanjirō's.
"How long was I...gone?"
"A little over half a year…"
Tanjirō's chest tightened up immensely and he choked a little on his own breath as the crushing reality settled on him, the images in his mind of everyone that he left behind hitting him as hard as a boulder. Zenitsu, Inosuke, all of his friends that he must have worried with his absence, he felt terrible just thinking about it.
What hurt him the most however was thinking of all the suffering that Nezuko and her must have gone through, since they were the closest ones to him. That was enough to bring his arms up around Shinobu's small frame, once she had laid herself back down on him, and hug her as closely as possible without injuring her any further than she already was.
"I...cannot even begin to say...how sorry I am, Shinobu...I...I can't…"
"Shh...just having you back now is more than enough…"
As Nezuko snored softly next to them, Tanjirō closed his eyes and graciously enjoyed the feeling of Shinobu's warmth as he laid there on his back. With his body fully back under his control, he was going to take advantage of it and do what he wished he could have done during the entire time he had been under control.
Shinobu felt the exact same way as she laid there, legs curled up slightly and chest pressed against Tanjirō, she couldn't stop herself from making fresh new tears that dripped from the corner of her eyes onto Tanjirō's uniform. Once he felt the wet spots that were created from them, he gently leaned her head back some in order to use a finger to wipe them away with a soft smile on his face.
"Wait...my earrings...you're wearing them?" Tanjirō asked, Shinobu nodding her head as she sat up briefly to take each one off from her ear and smile back at him.
"Yes...Nezuko entrusted them to me after they were left behind, and I've worn them ever since...waiting for you to return…" answered Shinobu as she gently put them back where they belonged, until Tanjirō had his hanafuda earrings once again.
"They honestly looked...pretty on you, Shinobu…"
"You really...think so? Maybe...I could get some made for myself then...if you'd like…"
"Yeah…"
Tanjirō and Shinobu looked one another in the eyes for a few seconds before, as the tiredness of the night set in on them, they felt it was fine if they dropped their guards now. Their cheeks flushed red almost at exactly the same time, but before anything could happen, Tanjirō noticed the bruises and scratches that she had and asked if she was fine.
She told him they were what she had gotten while fighting him when he wasn't himself, and reassured him that every single mark or blemish was worth it for the end result. That didn't stop him from feeling bad still, so to help cheer him up again, she did the only sensible thing any person in her position would do. Shinobu leaned down and gently cupped both of his cheeks, smiling softly as she did, before pressing her lips against his in a warm, loving kiss to symbolize their reunion. That kiss, similarly to one of their very first kisses half a year earlier, felt like it lasted a lifetime, where both people involved conveyed all of their emotions into one, heartfelt moment.
Eventually Shinobu pulled her lips away first and giggled softly as she rested her head on Tanjirō's chest again to hear the sound of his heartbeat. All of her worries and lingering pain seemed to fade away as she listened to the gentle thump of his heart, and it brought him comfort to know that.
"As much as I want to stay like this...I think I'd rather do this at home…"
"That does sound better...here, let me."
Shinobu got up off of him and grabbed him by the hand, lifting him up off the ground and away from Nezuko, who they tended to next by picking her up and placing her on Tanjirō's back. Despite being tired, he was definitely going to be the one to carry his sister as they went back up the hill to the clearing, where Kyōjurō was waiting for them with his arms crossed over his chest and his usual confident grin present.
"I see the young Nezuko has fallen asleep. Her box is over there, I believe, next to Tsuyuri-san and Amai-san." Kyōjurō stated while motioning to them with his thumb, Tanjirō glancing that way and nodding.
"Thank you, Rengoku-san...I'd ask you what happened to you while I was gone, but...I'm too tired to…" he replied with a little smile, the Flame Hashira laughing.
"I understand. I'll gladly tell you perhaps in the morning, once everyone has gotten sleep."
Tanjirō nodded his head in understanding and proceeded to carry his sister over to Kanao and Amai, the latter perking up as he walked over and lowering her head somewhat shyly when he reached them. Kanao on the other hand was overjoyed to see him, instantly putting her arms around him while being careful of the sleeping Nezuko.
"Kanao-san, It's good to see you again too...it looks like I hurt you too...I'm so sorry." remarked Tanjirō when he saw her injuries, the Tsuguko smiling at him and waving her hand.
"Don't think too much of it, Tanjirō-san...it was worth it to see you and Shinobu-san so happy…" Kanao replied softly after letting go of him. "There's someone else here next to me who's been wanting to see you back just as much too."
Tanjirō turned his body to look at Amai, who was still looking shyly at him, before she smiled and held her arms behind her back when she asked him if he remembered her. After saying that the name didn't ring a bell, she produced a couple of her spiders in the palm of her hand to remind him of who she was, and he immediately gasped in surprise.
He instantly began to ask her a trade of questions about how she was doing and if Tamayo was taking good care of her, all of which Amai tried to answer as much as she could before telling him to calm down. One finger pointing at Nezuko was enough to remind him about what he was doing and he squatted down next to where they had set her box down after retrieving it. It looked a little banged up, but it was still serviceable for its purpose, so he gently lowered his sister inside of it and closed the door.
As soon as Tanjirō was standing back up straight and rubbing the back of his neck, Kanao took that as her chance to put herself immediately into his arms and hug him firmly. It surprised him, since his last memories of her were when he flipped her coin for her to follow her heart, but he gladly took it with a smile and hugged her back. Amai smiled softly at the two of them through the duration of their embrace, before Kanao removed herself from him and blushed a tiny bit.
"I never got to say thank you...for what you did before you disappeared…" Kanao murmured shyly, her eyes dropping down to Tanjirō's feet. "Thanks to you, I...haven't used that coin at all...and I've...been trying to speak more too…"
"That's great, Kanao-san! Really! And I'm sorry for what happened...I don't know how I can even begin to make it up to everyone…"
"Coming back home is a good start…"
While they talked with one another and Amai, wanting to catch up with Tanjirō after he had been gone, Shinobu stood next to Kyōjurō from a distance, watching them with smiles on both of their faces. He then noticed Shinobu's loose hair and he pointed to it, catching her attention and reminding her about her lost hairpin, which she waved her hand at and told him not to worry about it.
Kyōjurō kept his gaze on her for a few short moments, seeing how happy she was and sensing that it was genuine rather then a facade, and chuckled to himself. That caught Shinobu's attention again and she glanced up at him once he fixed his gaze on Tanjirō once more, his smile stretched from cheekbone to cheekbone.
"What is it, Rengoku-san? Are you laughing at my hair?" Shinobu asked, slightly puffing her cheeks out a bit.
"Oh, no, no, not at all. What I'm laughing at isn't your hair, Kochō, it's the relationship that I can see between you and Kamado." Kyōjurō replied, the Hashira meeting her gaze with his one eye. Shinobu's lips parted slightly and her eyes widened when she figured out what he meant, her cheeks quickly turning a slight shade of red that made Kyōjurō chuckle again. "You and the young lad have fallen for one another, haven't you?"
"W...Was it that...obvious?"
"Even though I've been out of commission for quite a long time, just seeing how you reacted to his return and hearing what you said...it brings back some memories of mine."
Kyōjurō then placed a hand on top of Shinobu's head like a big brother would to their sibling, the action surprising Shinobu since she had never had someone rub the top of her head before. Not even Kanae did this, because she would've shaken her hand off if she had. Instead of doing that with Kyōjurō's hand, however, she kept looking up into his eye and watched him smile proudly at her while pointing at his chest.
"I can sense you've changed, Kochō, changed for the better. That boy, Kamado...no, that young man, he has one of the largest hearts I've ever come to know. To me, he is no demon. He's one of us, and I can say the same of his sister. He's a perfect choice."
Shinobu's mouth opened slightly in shock at Kyōjurō's confession, the older Hashira keeping his hand on top of her hair for a few more moments while beating his chest with his fist a few times. He was referring to his heart, and he wanted Shinobu to know that's what he meant because without saying it, he was telling her to do what he told Tanjirō, but in a different sense.
Kyōjurō then removed his hand from her head and crossed his arms once more, giving her a thumbs up and nodding his head afterwards. Shinobu's lower lip trembled when she read his unspoken message loud and clear, a couple more tears coming out and rolling down her cheeks.
"You're...absolutely right...he means...more to me than you can probably even guess, Rengoku-san…" murmured Shinobu as she wiped her eyes to clear away the tears, Kyōjurō chuckling a little.
"I'm sure. Tell me something, Kochō. Was I the first one other than your Tsuguko, I'm assuming, to figure out your relationship with him?" Kyōjurō asked with a warm smile.
"No, actually...Uzui-san found out after we returned from Yoshiwara…"
"And did he approve? He was just as adamant as I was during our trial of the Kamado siblings to end their lives."
"He did...though he told me that if it went wrong, he'd kill me as flamboyantly as possible."
The two Hashira shared a laugh with one another over the typical Tengen response, before they heard Tanjirō, Amai and Kanao approach them with Nezuko's box resting snug on the former's back. He still looked tired, but he still had plenty of energy left to make it back to the headquarters even with Nezuko on his back. Of course, that reality didn't last long, and by the time they were leaving Natagumo Mountain's forest, it was only Kyōjurō and Amai still walking, with Shinobu, Tanjirō and Kanao split between the two of them on their backs in a deep sleep from their own exhaustion and injuries.
Neither said anything, only smiling at one another, as they left the barren mountain behind and covered as much ground as they could before Amai would have to depart back for Tamayo's home. Once that did happen, of course Kyōjurō being the older brother figure he was, he took them all onto his back and arms with little to no effort and continued on his own all the way back.
Tanjirō felt an obscene amount of pressure on his shoulders as he sat there on his knees in the garden of Ubuyashiki's house once more, his head bowed low so that he was only looking at his hands resting on his knees. Kneeling behind him in a line were all of the Hashira, just like when he had been brought there the first time after defeating Rui for an impromptu trial.
He could feel Obanai and Sanemi's eyes boring holes through the back of his head, but he didn't feel any threat at all because he knew that Kyōjurō, Shinobu and Giyū were behind him as well. He wasn't certain about Tengen, but if what Shinobu said was true, he didn't have anything to worry about from him either.
After another minute or so of dead silence, the back doors of Ubuyashiki's home were opened and the man himself, barely able to stand without the help of his two children and his wife and caretaker, came out in order to greet all of the Hashira and Tanjirō. Small step after small step he shuffled forward, maintaining his smile even when everyone could see just how much pain he was in. Mitsuri had to lower her head somewhat and close her eyes in order to gather herself, since seeing the father of their organization in such a sorry state was making her extraordinarily saddened.
"Good afternoon, my children...it's always a pleasure to have you here, even if this meeting was rather unexpected, to say the least." Ubuyashiki said in the same kind and gentle tone that Tanjirō remembered from their first encounter. "Especially so to you, Kyōjurō...it's absolutely wonderful to have you back. I'm sure all of your comrades have expressed the same feelings on the matter as mine, too."
"Hmn! Indeed, Oyakata-sama. Granted, it was a rather fantastic nap, part of me still feels rather embarrassed by the whole ordeal! That won't affect my mindset at all, however! I will still pursue my goals with all of my heart!" Kyōjurō exclaimed with one of his passionate smiles, his vibrant personality relieving some of the tension within Tanjirō and even making him smile a bit.
"I won't keep all of you waiting...I know that all of you must have other business to attend to. Let's move on to why we're here, a reason that I'm confident all of you know already." Ubuyashiki said, referring primarily to Tanjirō, who was the closest to him with his head still angled downward both out of respect and humility. Even while knowing that he wasn't himself during the half a year he's been gone, he still felt absolutely terrible inside. "As you can see, Tanjirō has been returned to us, thanks to the efforts of both Shinobu and Kyōjurō, as well as the former's Tsuguko. From what I've been told, it would appear that Tanjirō was made into a puppet by means outside of his control...a technique that rendered him someone else entirely."
"Excuse my doubt, Oyakata-sama...but how credible is that information? His eyes are proof enough. He was an Upper Moon, after killing the previous owner of the position in Yoshiwara. How can we be so sure that it was all an act?" questioned Sanemi, his gaze rising to meet Ubuyashiki's blinded eyes.
The man held his smile and nodded his head, with Tengen looking to Shinobu for her to start the discussion. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and maintaining a soft smile on her face when she stared at her comrade at the end of the line of Hashira.
"It's the truth, Shinazugawa-san. Both my Tsuguko and I encountered a man with Tanjirō, someone who was not a native of Japan. A foreigner." Shinobu stated, the straight-to-the-point response causing Mitsuri to gasp and Sanemi's eyes to widen. Even Obanai looked genuinely surprised in the slightest bit to the revelation, which was a rarity for him. "However, if you won't take my word for it, listen to Rengoku-san. He experienced even more than I did."
"Hmn! It is indeed the truth, for after we successfully rescued the passengers of the Infinite Train from a Lower Moon, we were assaulted by a demon of the Twelve Kizuki. The Upper Moon Three."
Kyōjurō used that as a segway into his first-person account of the life-or-death battle that he waged with the demon, which led to his drastic injuries and resultant coma after the battle had subsided. He spoke of how Zenitsu and Inosuke, the other two slayers who were there present with him and Tanjirō, as well as Nezuko, had been knocked out cold by the foreigner before the demon engaged him.
His most damning piece of evidence was when he spoke in great detail of how the foreigner, named Michael, utilized a technique that inserted a strange black ooze into Tanjirō that brainwashed him and turned him into an almost mindless puppet that was easy to control. Kyōjurō ended his talk of what he remembered there because he felt unconscious soon after that, but he reiterated Shinobu's claim once more by speaking of his arrival to Natagumo Mountain and of his short-lived battle with the foreigner.
"This thing was unlike any demon any of us had ever seen before. In fact, I'm not certain if it even was a demon at all. It possessed no internal organs save for a heart, and its entire body was composed of the same black sludge that was implanted into Tanjirō."
"If all of that is true...then would that mean there's another breed of demon that we aren't aware of? One that exists outside of Japan, created by another being like Kibutsuji?" questioned Obanai while looking up at Ubuyashiki, who lowered his head somewhat and shook his head.
"That I am unsure of myself, Obanai. But what is certain, without a doubt, is that Tanjirō here was not in control of his own body during his time away." Ubuyashiki stated, his words bringing such a feeling of relief to Tanjirō's heart that he felt as if he were floating. He almost felt like he wanted to stand up and hug Ubuyashiki, but he restrained himself since that would be disrespectful and out of place. "Because of that, I see no issue in reinstating him as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Do we know if he attacked or consumed humans during his absence? Even if not in control of his body, that is still blood on his hands that cannot go unpunished." Sanemi said to prolong the hearing, which drew towards him the ire of Shinobu.
"I can answer that, I think. I oversaw the Kakushi's clean-up efforts in Yoshiwara after the battle had concluded, and I received a couple interesting tidbits." Tengen said, adding his hat into the ring while glancing at Sanemi. "Specifically there was one that stood out among the rest. In the face of the Upper Moon Demon, the Kamado kid still protected a human from harm, even though we know now that he wasn't acting like himself."
Tengen then looked back up at Ubuyashiki, leaving his commentary on the situation at that and shutting down Sanemi's last bid to find something to hold against Tanjirō. When nobody else spoke up, Ubuyashiki then smiled down at where he believed the young slayer to be and repeated himself and what he said.
Effective immediately, Tanjirō was to be given his position back in the Demon Slayer Corps, with an added benefit of being bumped up in rank from his position at the time of the Infinite Train operation all the way to the very top, to Kinoe. Feeling overwhelmed by it all, Tanjirō couldn't stop himself from bowing his head to the pebbles he was sitting in seiza on, his entire body quivering. He was so utterly speechless, this was the only possible thing he could do to express his thoughts and thankfulness for his readmittance.
In short order, the meeting was adjourned and Ubuyashiki was walked back into his home, with Amane dismissing the Hashira for him when he began to cough from exerting himself. Sanemi was the first to leave while grumbling to himself, with Obanai lingering around a bit longer with his gaze set on the still bowing Tanjirō before he too left.
"Young one...to defend the defenseless even when you were not sound of mind…" said Gyōmei, the hulking mammoth of a man standing up and addressing Tanjirō with his hands clasped together around his beads. The remaining Hashira looked at him as he did this, seeing his lips curl up into a small smile while closing his eyes. "Perhaps my initial judgement of you...was a little too harsh…"
Shinobu smiled happily and Mitsuri did so too while clapping her hands lightly together, Kyōjurō crossed his arms and nodded his head confidently, while Tengen smirked and chuckled to himself and Giyū merely stood up and didn't say a word. Tanjirō was able to recover from his shock and finally pick himself up off the ground, with the young slayer managing to catch the Water Hashira right before he left. Leaving him with a simple nod, Giyū was off without saying goodbye, which to Tanjirō was enough for him. Gyōmei took his leave soon after, which left just Tanjirō alone with Shinobu, Mitsuri, Tengen and Kyōjurō.
Shinobu hugged him happily with a giggle and Mitsuri clapped her hands again, since she never really truly hated him from the start and was always a believer since she and Shinobu were rather good friends with one another. The Sound Hashira only gave him a fairly flamboyant thumbs up, and Kyōjurō boisterously laughed and clapped him on the shoulder while congratulating him on making the rank of Kinoe.
"Oi, brat. You remember what I told you during the trail we put you through, right?" Tengen asked of Tanjirō, the young slayer looking up at him with an expectant expression on his face. "You definitely proved you belong here, especially after coming back even after going through what you did. That's pretty damn flamboyant. Keep it up."
Flipping him a peace sign, Tengen disappeared in a flash and a slight gust of wind that made Kyōjurō's haori flutter a bit around behind him. He looked at Shinobu and the way she was hugging her and chuckled again to himself before catching her eyes and smiling at her while giving her the thumbs up.
"I can tell that you want to, Kochō. Just go for it! Hmn!" he said, catching her off guard with how passionately he had said it. Knowing what he meant soon after, Shinobu blushed a tiny bit and nodded her head. "Ignite your heart!"
"Eh? Go for what? What do you meeeeehhhhhhh?!" Mitsuri began to ask before her jaw dropped to the floor when she watched Shinobu cup Tanjirō's cheeks and gift him with a kiss right on the lips.
Tanjirō's eyes shot wide open at the sudden smooch from the Insect Hashira, his eyes darting back and forth between her, the madly blushing Mitsuri and the laughing Kyōjurō who was giving them both a thumbs up as he watched them. The kiss lasted around half a minute or so, before she finally pulled away and stepped back a few steps, standing on her tip toes while smiling happily at Tanjirō.
He blinked and stared at her, flabbergasted over what just happened, before he too smiled at her and he began to laugh out loud. Kyōjurō joined in, continuing his laughter, while Mitsuri was left completely outside of the loop and begging to be let in on what had just happened between her friend at Tanjirō. Taking it upon herself, since she had caused Mitsuri to react that way, she told her the same things that she had told Tengen and Kyōjurō before, which made the Love Hashira blush and absolutely coo at her in an adorable voice that embarrassed Tanjirō.
"I think that's enough for today, why don't we leave these two alone for the day? I'm sure they've been looking forward to that ever since they came here." Kyōjurō remarked while placing his hands on Mitsuri's shoulders to stop her from pestering Shinobu and Tanjirō with questions.
"Oh, okay then! Shinobu-san, you promise to talk to me more about this right? I want even more details!" Mitsuri demanded, the Insect Hashira giggling and nodding in agreement.
"One last thing. Kamado, my boy, come by my home tomorrow after a good night's rest. There's something that I want to talk with you about! For now, I should pay a visit to my own family and spend time with them myself."
"Of course, Rengoku-san! I'll see you then!"
Kyōjurō then waved with Mitsuri as the two left Ubuyashiki's back garden, leaving Tanjirō all alone with Shinobu. The two looked at one another in the eyes, both blushing softly, as they held each other's hands for a few moments and savored the silence and the serenity of nature around them. Tanjirō had already been greeted by Aoi and the girls back at the Butterfly Mansion, and Zenitsu and Inosuke had yet to return from missions they had been sent on, which meant the rest of the day was theirs.
Without even having to say a word, Shinobu began to walk hand in hand with Tanjirō out of Ubuyashiki's home and onto the road, the couple taking their time in returning to the Butterfly Mansion. As they walked they kept their hands firmly in one another's, unafraid of what anyone would think of them if they were seen like this. That time had passed.
"Is there anything that you'd like to do, Tanjirō-kun? Anything at all?" Shinobu asked, her smile radiating joy when she glanced at him.
"Outside of just being with you and Nezuko...I can't think of anything. Is that okay?" Tanjirō replied back with his own smile.
"It sounds perfect to me~"
"W...Would you like to...bathe with me…?"
The question had come to Tanjirō from Shinobu so suddenly that he didn't even know how to respond to it at first. They were in her room after spending the rest of the day together with Nezuko, who by now was fast asleep in her own room close by, and he had been sitting on Shinobu's bed when she had asked him that question.
He stared at her with wide eyes, seeing just how shy she looked with her arm hugging herself across her chest and her eyes glancing off to the side, the absence of her haori and hairpin making her look exceptionally cute in her uniform.
"S...Sure...Shinobu…" Tanjirō replied back slowly with a little blush.
"Let me...prepare the water then…"
Shinobu gave him a soft smile before she stepped into her bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaving Tanjirō to lean forward with his elbows on his knees and grip the sides of his head in utter shock. He had just agreed to bathe with another girl, something that he had never had to do outside of when he was made to do it with his mother when he was young.
This was uncharted waters for him, and already he could feel his heart was pounding outside of his chest at the very thought of being with Shinobu in such an intimate environment. It was going to be the first time he ever saw her without clothes on, a sight that he was absolutely certain he'd be the first man to ever see. He quickly clapped himself on the cheeks a few times to get his mind right, before he heard the bathroom door crack ever so slightly and turned towards the sound.
"You can...come in if you want…" said Shinobu softly through the crack, her eye and part of her face being seen.
"O-Oh, right! I'm coming!"
Tanjirō quickly took off his haori and entered the bathroom through the door, immediately feeling the steam in the air from the warm water that had been poured into the lone tub in the room. Shinobu was standing next to it with her hands behind her back, looking shyly off to the side with the same thoughts that he had about her crossing her mind.
"I'm...going to get undressed now…"
"Me too…"
Shinobu and Tanjirō then both turned away from one another to hide their reddening faces as slowly, piece by piece, they began to strip out of their uniforms. Each article of clothing they took off was deposited on the ground by their feet, leading to more and more skin showing until after what seemed like an eternity, they finished.
Tanjirō audibly gulped before announcing he was done, with Shinobu doing the same, which prompted both of them to then turn back around to face the other. Being grown up about it, neither sought to cover themselves out of embarrassment, which meant that they were given a view of the other person without anything restricting their view. Shinobu's eyes immediately darted up to Tanjirō's face when they had drifted too low to his crotch, and Tanjirō had to do the same after he looked at Shinobu's ample bust, completely exposed.
Not wanting to spend any more time awkwardly staring at one another, Tanjirō quickly offered to climb into the bath tub first. Shinobu nodded and followed him as he went to the side of the tub and eased himself inside, his body sinking below the steaming warm water until only his upper chest, shoulders and head were above water. Then she climbed in with him, sitting herself down between his outstretched legs, the water level rising around them a bit to the point some spilled out over the edge onto the tiled floor before returning back to normal.
"The water feels...really nice, Shinobu…" murmured Tanjirō as he tried to control himself with Shinobu being so close to him, completely naked.
"It does…? I'm glad…" she replied in a soft tone.
The tension in the air was practically just as thick as the steam that had been formed by the water, and both of them could feel it. Their hearts were both beating at the same rate, and the heat they had wasn't just from the water. It was hard to ignore, and it wouldn't take long for one of them to give in to the pressure and let go.
That person was Shinobu, who turned her upper body around somewhat as well as her head so she could look into Tanjirō's eyes. Even when they had been carved over and given the markings of Upper Moon Six, she could still see the gentleness and warmth they gave off. She had longed to see those eyes again, and it was those eyes, and Tanjirō's presence, that made her lean in and kiss him on the lips without any warning.
Rather than react in a surprised manner like he had earlier that day in front of Mitsuri and Kyōjurō, he accepted her love and gave it back to her, his eyes soon closing as they kissed. With each second, their love for one another continued to build up inside of them, leading to their kiss becoming more passionate and deeper as well.
Old, buried primal instincts began to surface, and as they kissed, Tanjirō found himself instinctually lifting his hands out of the water and cupping Shinobu's breasts in them. Instead of jumping or pulling away, a light, muffled moan escaped Shinobu's lips during their kiss, an act that made his confidence grow and led him to start slowly massaging her breasts starting from the bottom.
They were quite large for her body size and type, with a good weight to them, and just the right amount of perkiness. What he soon found out as his fingers spread across them was that they were incredibly soft to the touch as well, which only continued to excite him. Touching turned to groping, and soon enough Shinobu broke away from the kiss to let out a cute moan from her lips, which made Tanjirō's eyes widen.
"D...Does it feel good...Shinobu? I just...started to do this...I don't even know if it's right…" Tanjirō said, his hands stopping.
"It does...you are...doing the right thing...as far as I know…" Shinobu said back to him, her breathing a little more heavy when she looked down at the water, noticing their kissing and his groping of her chest had gotten his member almost fully erect. "You've grown, Tanjirō-kun...I can see it…"
"What should we do…?"
"Go to bed…"
Tanjirō blinked, confused by what she meant at first, before Shinobu then stood up out of the bathtub and grabbed his hand to pull him out behind her. Then without speaking, only smiling softly at him, she walked themselves right out of her bathroom without even drying their bodies all the way to her bed.
Only then did he understand what she meant when Shinobu began to kiss him again, her wet, naked body pressing against his as she did. Tanjirō's hands found her hips and he rubbed them, feeling again the softness of her skin, before he discovered her cute, plump for her size ass that he cupped each cheek with and gave a soft squeeze. Shinobu moaned softly again from his touch, her legs almost giving out on her as she fell backward onto her bed, with Tanjirō landing on top of her.
Their kissing hardly let up, becoming more passionate yet again as Tanjirō hugged his knees against her hips and began doing what they already established as the right thing, where he groped her breasts yet again and produced more cute moans from the Hashira. This continued for several minutes, before they both had to take a break and pull their lips away so they could catch their breath.
Shinobu's chest rose up and down with each breath she took, her mounds rising and falling with it like some kind of mesmerizing spectacle that made Tanjirō's staff thorb even more. He had never felt this way before, and neither had she. Both of them were completely new to this side of living, and they were about to dive head first.
"Tanjirō-kun...down there...I'm…" Shinobu uttered cutely while rubbing her knees together. Tanjirō followed her eyes down to the junction of her thighs and saw for himself what she meant. Light, glistening fluids were leaking out from her pink folds, which released a scent that Tanjirō's sense of smell caught instantly and made his cheeks turn an even darker shade of red. "Would...you like to…?"
"D-Did you say something, Shinobu? I spaced out a little bit…" Tanjirō replied, his eyes coming back up from her groin to her face.
"I asked...if you would like to…"
"Like to do...what…?"
Shinobu gave him a soft smile as she took one of his hands and entwined her fingers with his, while the other reached down between him to his shaft and held it gently. Feeling her fingers wrap around him made him shiver, but what he could see in her eyes, even for virgin who's never experienced sex, was enough of a sign for him.
She wanted him, and he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't feeling the exact same way. Asking if she was sure, Shinobu gave him a nod as her consent, before letting go of him and moving her hand to her labia and used her fingers to gently pry them apart. With a single gulp of air to steady himself, Tanjirō looked down so as to make sure he was at the correct angle, before he pushed his hips forward and felt the tip press against her. Not stopping he kept going forward, a squeak coming out of Shinobu's mouth when his rod began to enter her, sliding past the front lips and going deeper inside until he was fully sheathed by her soft, fleshy canal.
"A-Aaahh….T-Tanjirō….you're...you're in me…..we're...together…" Shinobu uttered, her voice shaking as much as her body was as intermingling waves of first-time pain and pleasure flowed through her body.
"Shinobu...you're...squeezing me...it feels good...you're really warm…" he said back to her, a groan escaping his own lips as he kept his hand holding onto her's.
"It feels good for me...too...I...I want you...to have this...I want to have this…"
"Shinobu…!
"Tanjirō…~!"
A/N :}}}}}}}}
You guys have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this with these two. Hope you guys don't mind that lemon-scented ending! That's it. That's the Author's Note. XD
If you liked this chapter (i dont know how you couldnt! XD), please leave a fav, follow and review telling me what you thought of it! I'd love to see how you guys reacted to this one, so please, speak up!
Anyways, see you next time!
Translation(s):
Honō no kokyū, Go no kata: Enko
- Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger
Honō no kokyū, Ni no kata: Nobori en ten
- Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun
Honō no kokyū, Roku no kata: Tsuiraku Hoshi
- Flame Breathing, Sixth Form: Crashing Star
Kekkijutsu - Bakketsu
- Blood Demon Art - Exploding Blood
