^ Chapter 34 - Where all Swords are Born ^
Tanjirō waited patiently outside the front entrance to the Butterfly Mansion for the contact that he was told would come to meet him. With the sword crafting request from Kyōjurō inside of his haori, which he had fully remade for him thanks to the Kakushi, and his sword at his hip, he was ready for the long journey ahead.
Nezuko was also finally back with her older brother inside of her box, which he had actually missed wearing on his back ever since he had been separated from her. They had gotten her a new mouthpiece that was a bit more durable than the last, and instead of regular bamboo with a ribbon, it was a solid, crafted wooden mouthpiece that had the kanji for "Worthy" carved into it. That was a nice touch specifically requested by both Shinobu and Kyōjurō, which made Tanjirō overjoyed to see that once she had it back on to prevent her from lashing out, if she still did that.
It was more of a precaution now rather than an actual limiter, since she had shown restraint when she had bitten through it during his rescue mission. All it took now was just a little bit more proof in order to allow her to go without a mouthpiece entirely.
As he was waiting Tanjirō found himself tugging a little sometimes at a cord that he was now wearing around his neck, underneath his uniform. The chain itself was part of a necklace he had received as a gift from Shinobu the night before, after the festivities were over. He had celebrated for quite a while with Kyōjurō's family, and he had also spent time with Amai in order to catch up with her and whatever she could tell him about Tamayo after their paths had diverged.
Reminiscing about the prior day's events made him pull the necklace out from beneath his clothes and hold the pendant that the cord was attached to in the palm of his hand. It was a small, wooden carving of a butterfly that Shinobu had made herself for him, which made Tanjirō smile even more because of it. It was such a small thing, a small gesture, but to him it meant the absolute world.
He was so engrossed with his own thoughts and the necklace that he didn't even hear the sound of footsteps approaching him until the person they belonged to appeared in front of him. It was a female Kakushi, and when she greeted him he laughed with a little blush as he stuffed the necklace back down his collar.
"Ahah, sorry, I was somewhere else...nice to meet you! My name is Kamado Tanjirō. I hope we can get along." Tanjirō said back to her while rubbing the back of his neck, the Kakushi seeing his eyes and immediately getting a chill that made her wary of him. He noticed her reaction and waved his hands a little, smiling at her still while laughing again. "Trust me, I'm fine! I know my eyes are scary, but you don't have to worry, really!"
"R-Right...anyways, I cannot give you my name since I'll be serving as your guide to the Swordsmith Village, since Oyakata-sama gave his permission. Now here, take this." replied the Kakushi when she held out a blindfold with some plugs resting on it.
"What are these for…?" Tanjirō asked inquisitively, before the Kakushi motioned to her face and nose under her face covering.
"A blindfold and earplugs. The village is hidden, so I'll be carrying you there on my back. Also I was told your sense of smell is very good, so you'll need these too."
Before Tanjirō could make any sort of argument against her, she shoved a nose plug into each of his nostrils, shutting down his sense of smell instantly. The blindfold and the earplugs followed afterwards, until Tanjirō was then hoisted up onto the back of the Kakushi once all of his senses had been nullified and taken onto the first leg of their journey.
In a similar fashion to how the location of Ubuyashiki's home, and the greater Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters as a whole, was kept secret from the outside world, so too was the location of the Swordsmith Village. Naturally, the female Kakushi who was carrying Tanjirō first had no clue about its actual location either. This fact was shared with anyone that wished to travel to the hidden village, which is why a transportation route was made for the sole purpose of taking people to the village while nullifying the chances of its location becoming known.
Every time the person being transported and their Kakushi guide travelled a set distance, they'd get passed on to the next Kakushi who was waiting for them. Furthermore, both the paths and the Kakushi frequently got changed, adding another layer of protection to the whole process. As the icing on top, the crows that guided the various Kakushi along their routes were also swapped out every so often. The methods in which the beating heart of the Demon Slayer Corps were even more complicated, which Tanjirō knew from all the times he went to and from there on missions after his first trip to Natagumo Mountain.
Such a journey with so many complexities could make anyone go a little insane, especially for the Kakushi who were taking Tanjirō, but thanks to the young man himself, it was anything but. Whenever he was transferred from one Kakushi to the next, he always thanked them for their work and hoped that the rest of their day would turn out well.
For an unknown amount of time Tanjirō went along for the ride, being transferred from one Kakushi to the next, until he felt himself come off the shoulders of his most recent ride and land on his feet. Then the blindfold was unraveled and his eyes widened when they were treated to the wonderful sight of an empty throughway of a huge village built among some rocky formations, with a huge network of trees stretching above the buildings overhead. The midday or midafternoon sunlight, he didn't know which, shined through the leaves above, making the buildings almost glisten around him in a fantastical way that further added to the mysteriousness of the hidden village.
"Whooaa! This place is amazing! I've never seen a village like this before, especially with so many trees!" Tanjirō remarked as he looked around in awe of the craftsmanship it took to construct the buildings. He took his ear plugs and nose plugs out as well, his nostrils almost instantly picking up so many different smells, more than what it knew what to do with. "Wait, I know one of these smells. There's a hot spring nearby!"
"Yeah, there is one. It's for demon slayers that want to rest during their stay here, or the smiths themselves." replied his last Kakushi guide, who smiled at him from behind his face coverings. "Up there you'll see a large house when you turn left. Make sure to go there first and foremost."
"Can do! Thank you so much for taking me the rest of the way here!"
Tanjirō and the Kakushi bowed to one another, the latter then taking his leave since his duty had been fulfilled, which left the former looking back down the road towards another street perpendicular to the one he was on. After bouncing a little on his feet and adjusting the straps to Nezuko's box somewhat, he made his way down the road and took a left like the Kakushi had suggested he should.
It didn't take him long to find the giant house he was looking for and he walked in through the front entrance, immediately being greeted by two men wearing kimonos and goofy masks like Haganezuka and Inosuke's smith wore. Like his first Kakushi guide, the men were immediately put off by his eyes, but Tanjirō quickly reassured them and apologized for the reactions they had because of them.
Afterwards he was taken into the home's inner recesses to a large room where inside an audience was waiting for him, particularly two more masked men and a third, much smaller and older man whose mask had an extended mouth with upward facing eyes.
Immediately sensing the older gentleman was someone revered in the village, considering how the two other men with him were sitting on either side of the pillow he sat on in a respectful manner, Tanjirō dropped to his knees and rested his hands on top of them. The last thing he wanted to do was insult an elder right after he had rejoined the corps.
"Hello there, you must be the young lad I heard was coming. I am the chief of this village, Tecchikawahara Tecchin. Very nice to meet you." said the elder man with a slightly raspy tone, his age showing through the way he spoke and addressed Tanjirō. "I may be the smallest in this village, but I am also the best at my craft. Now, bow your head so low it touches the mat."
"Kamado Tanjirō, sir! I'm very honored to meet you!" Tanjirō replied while immediately bowing to the man.
He had bowed so quickly that he even accidentally smacked his forehead against the tatami mat flooring, which barely even affected him at all, and brought a chuckle out of the village chief. Tecchin then motioned to one of the men sitting beside him and he received a bowl of dough cakes from one of them, to which he then set down on the floor in front of him.
"What a good boy. Come over here and have some dough cakes, so I can have a good look at you too. My eyesight isn't what it used to be, after all." stated the old man, who rested his hands back in his lap.
"Thank you so much! I am feeling a little hungry!" replied Tanjirō as he scooted forward to the bowl and picked it up so he could start chowing down. "I will say though, sir, I hope you're not put off by my eyes or anything...considering what they are."
"I was informed ahead of time about your prior condition. So do not worry. There are more pressing things to attend to, like the reason why you're here."
"Oh, right! I have a request from the Flame Hashira for a new sword!"
"I'm aware, the problem is that your specific smith, Hotaru, has gone missing. We're doing our best to look for him, so please be patient."
"Hotaru?"
"Yes, Haganezuka Hotaru."
Tanjirō blinked as he kept eating the food Tecchin had given him, this being the first time he had heard his swordsmith's full name. What's more, he was apparently missing for reasons he did not know. Reasons that the swordsmith elder were going to tell him.
Before that happened though, Tecchin requested he see Tanjirō's sword in order to examine it. Once the black blade had been unsheathed and laid out before the elder, it only took one swift look from hilt to tip in order to draw out a lengthy sigh from him. Tanjirō was caught off guard by the sigh, and he respectfully asked if there was something that he did wrong or if his blade was unsatisfactory.
"It's not that you did anything wrong, it is the blade itself that is the problem. You're not at any fault in the blade's damage." stated Tecchin rather coldly while pointing with one hand at the leading edge of Tanjirō's sword, bringing to his attention some visible chipping in the blade. "It's Hotaru's fault for constructing a sword that could actually break."
"But that can't be true! Haganezuka-san is a great swordsmith! It's my fault that my swords keep getting broken or chipped, not his!" Tanjirō countered, the village elder shaking his head and resting his hand back with the other in his lap.
"False. It is entirely Haganezuka's fault. That, and another thing, is the reason why he has disappeared. Ever since he was a child, if something did not go his way, or something upset him, he'd throw a tantrum and then leave to go off somewhere by himself."
"Another thing? What other thing? Does it have to do with what happened to me?"
"Once he is found and brought back, you can ask him that yourself. Until then, you need not worry. The hot spring in our village is open for your usage, so please, spend some time there and relax."
Tanjirō's meeting with the village chief ended right after that, and he was allowed to sheath his sword and leave the premises. The masked guide who had greeted him at the door to Tecchin's home was the one to lead him back outside into the village itself and down the road towards the village hot spring. The calm and serene setting of the village, with its mostly empty streets, allowed him to think of Haganezuka and wonder if everything was alright with the man since their last meeting had been less than happy.
Those thoughts preoccupied him throughout his walk to a heavily wooded hill near the village chief's home, the trees only adding to the immense tree cover that hid the village from above and brought it much of its shade. Tanjirō thanked the guide and waved at him before he began climbing the winding stone steps that went up the hill towards the hot spring, the sun peeking in through the leaves here and there on his way until he reached the summit.
"Whoa...now this is cool!" Tanjirō exclaimed when he stopped at the top of the steps, standing before a cozy looking onsen built around the hot spring.
He could see the steamy air coming out from around the side of the building, which is where he presumed the actual hot spring was located, and smiled to himself when he imagined dipping himself in the soothing hot water.
Stepping inside through the front doors he was greeted by the masked attendant to the onsen, who greeted him and led him through the establishment to the room he'd be allowed to sleep in for the duration of his stay in the Swordsmith Village. The attendant then said he'd be preparing his meal while he was using the spring, and that it would be ready for him by the time he returned. m
"Oh, thank you very much! What exactly will you be-" Tanjirō started to ask when the man left him alone in the room, before he could finish. He frowned a tiny bit at getting cut off, but he shrugged and looked around the room momentarily, finding it to be somewhat minimalist but comfortable at the same time. "This is just fine for me...but I can spend time in here later, I've got a hot spring to try out!"
Tanjirō slid off Nezuko's box and deposited her in the corner of his room before opening the door so he could check on how she was doing after their piggyback journey. Finding her asleep inside, he smiled softly as he closed the door without saying a word and left her alone to nap as he changed out of his clothes and put on a towel.
Certain that he'd have a fresh set of clothes and a dish ready to eat waiting for him back in his room, he tightened the towel around his waist and set out to find his way to the spring so that he could unwind and think. In the few days he had been back from his trip to the dark side, so many things had happened in such quick succession that he had little to no time to truly think about everything. Becoming the Tsuguko of an idol of his, having a relationship with a girl like Shinobu, and being recognized by almost all of the other Hashira overwhelmed him. If he could catch some alone time in the spring here, he could devote himself to processing all of it and really come to grips with the reality he found himself in.
Eventually he found the entrance to the spring on the right hand side of the building, it being an open doorway with some hanging curtains blocking the view.
"This hot spring is going to feel amazing on my-" Tanjirō began to say as he parted the curtains and took only one step out before his nose instantly picked up a familiar scent. His eyes noticed the pink and green hair next, before said person stirred and turned their head to glance back over their shoulder and see who was the one talking.
"Ahhh! Tanjirō-kun~! It's so good to see you!" Mitsuri exclaimed with the biggest of smiles as she turned her body and stood up out of the water of the spring, waving her arm at him. Doing that made Tanjirō see literally every single inch of the second female Hashira's naked body from the thighs up, a sight that caused the young man to become red in the face. "I didn't think you'd be here this soon! Are you going to join me in the spring~?"
"K-Kanroji-san?! You're...you're here too?!" stammered Tanjirō back to her as he averted his gaze, attempting to hide his rapidly reddening face from her view.
This of course was not his first time seeing the naked body of a woman he had seen, bathed with, and laid with Shinobu while she had been naked and took a lot of enjoyment from it. He was used to her, because of the relationship that they had with one another.
For anyone else though, like Mitsuri, the other female Hashira that was close friends with Shinobu, he still believed a woman's nude figure was something sacred. This belief and his reaction was what made Mitsuri lower her hand and cover her mouth, giggling cutely at him before she bent over and rested her arms on one of the larger rocks that the spring was contained within.
"Tanjirō-kun, this is a hot spring you know. Being naked is part of the experience! Plus I'm Shinobu-san's friend, so it should be perfectly fine for you!"
"S-Still, Kanroji-san...I'm not...I mean...it's just that…"
Tanjirō stuttered to himself while keeping his gaze averted, which made Mitsuri giggle again before she raised herself up out of the spring and walked towards him completely exposed. Before he could do anything, once she had stopped right in front of him, with surprising strength she grabbed him by the arm and launched him backward clear up into the air.
He cried out as the force he was thrown at made his towel come off almost instantly, exposing his loins to the open air, before he came splashing down into the spring and creating a plume of water that cascaded outward onto the surrounding rocks before the spring eventually settled down. He was laying down half submerged in the spring, which was big enough for a small group of maybe five or six people, somewhat dazed by Mitsuri launching him so suddenly.
"Coming back in~!" announced Mitsuri as she jogged back to the spring and leaped in, making another loud splash that startled Tanjirō out of his stupor.
"What was that for Kanroji-san?! Also how are you so-!" Tanjirō exclaimed once he was sitting back up before he saw the smiling Mitsuri sitting right there next to him after the water had settled. His blush returned in force when he saw his towel laying down on the rocks a few feet away completely opposite of where he was past Mitsuri, which meant it was impossible to retrieve now. "U-Uh...like I was saying…"
"I did what I did because you were taking too long! Like I said, we're friends now, so this should be perfectly fine for us! Especially when it's just the two of us!"
Mitsuri smiled happily at Tanjirō as she leaned back some, stretching her arms up and over her head and causing her large breasts to rise up somewhat out of the water practically right in front of him. He tried to keep himself composed while sitting next to her in the spring, with not even the awesome feeling of the relaxing, steamy water dissuading the normally conserved young man from taking a not so conservative glance at her body.
Like Shinobu, the other female member of the Hashira was beautiful with her wildly unique bright green and pink hair, as well as a rather mature body for her age of nineteen. Being only one year older than both Shinobu and himself, Mitsuri looked like a proper woman, with a fun and loving personality to go along with it. Plus that monstrous strength that she portrayed, which even he wasn't expecting, made her even more interesting. If ever given the chance, Tanjirō wanted to learn why she was stronger than her body type and frame let on.
During her stretching Mitsuri looked at Tanjirō and caught him in the act of staring at her chest, which made her own cheeks turn a little more red beyond what the steam and water was doing. She knew he was a young man, and that young men like him during this time of their lives would do things like this, but that didn't mean she didn't feel a little embarrassed.
"He's looking at my chest...I know I wear my uniform in a way that exposes my cleavage, but being naked is still different! Oooooh, why do you have to be so cute, Tanjirō-kun!" she thought to herself as she lowered her arms and gently covered her boobs with them, smiling softly at Tanjirō. He blinked as the action brought him back to the real world and made him quickly look away after realizing what he was doing, which made him even more self-conscious of the situation. "Tanjirō-kun, I know we're friends and we're in a hot spring, but that doesn't mean you have to stare…"
"I-I'm very sorry, Kanroji-san...I...it's just...being with Shinobu...and...you know...I...um…" Tanjirō replied with a heavy stutter, the words coming out as a jumbled mess.
"I know all about it, Tanjirō-kun. Shinobu-san and I are close friends for a reason, after all. I am so jealous of you and her! You both are so cute it's unbelievable!"
"Ehh?! She told you about what happened?! That's supposed to be something that's kept secret!"
"I wouldn't stop bothering her until she told me! I wanted to know about everything~!"
Tanjirō's embarrassment went through the roof and he turned as red as a tomato from head to toe, which made Mitsuri laugh out loud at him and his discomfort, her own embarrassment disappearing as she uncovered her breasts and pointed at his face while laughing still.
Eventually, after having enough of her laughing and despite Mitsuri being a Hashira, Tanjirō smirked a little when he decided to get back at her by splashing some of the water at her in a playful manner. Caught off guard by the move, Mitsuri immediately splashed him back in response with a challenging glare in her eyes.
Staring one another down for a minute, they eventually both laughed at one another and finally relaxed in the spring as they should have from the start. Finally comfortable with Mitsuri's company and over his prior awkwardness, Tanjirō allowed himself to sink down to his chin in the water and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Ahhh...this feels so pleasant...I haven't been in a hot spring like this in ages…" he said in a soothed tone, Mitsuri nodding as she leaned back against the rocks, her chest fully emerging from the water.
"Compared to other springs I've been too, this one is always my most favorite...the water is too perfect to not be number one. I even fell asleep one time, eheh." Mitsuri replied with a light giggle. Her chest seemed to bounce a little when she laughed, which did draw Tanjirō's gaze somewhat, but he respected her wishes and didn't let his eyes linger for too long.
"So...Shinobu really did tell you...I guess it's not something I should be super worried about, considering you're both good friends…"
"Mhmn, and like I said, hearing about all the cute things you two have done together has made me pretty jealous, especially because it looks like both of you are going to reach my own goal before me!"
Mitsuri's exclamation with the slightest hint of a blush made Tanjirō raise an eyebrow up in confusion while looking at the Hashira, an action that made her realize he'd need an explanation from her about what he meant. With a slightly embarrassed look on her face, Mitsuri laughed a little as she told him what she meant by her goal and how it related to her.
Talking about her reasons for joining the Demon Slayer Corps, a question that Tanjirō would have most likely asked her later on after they had relaxed for a little, she told him the sole reason was to find somebody to marry her. A cute smile and reddened cheeks later, Tanjirō felt his heart skip a beat about how this woman, like Shinobu, could possibly be this spunky and adorable in an entirely different manner to his girlfriend.
What also tickled his interest was how Mitsuri herself didn't say specifically who she wanted to marry. She hadn't said a "man", which made her statement of wanting to find a partner all the more interesting. He brought that fact up to her and Mitsuri waved her hand at him slightly out of embarrassment, looking off to the side as well, before she gave him a rapid explanation for that peculiarity.
Tanjirō was surprised with what she told him, mostly due to the fact it was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing for a woman to believe in. He had always grown up knowing that a man and a woman can fall in love with one another and eventually marry, since he had seen it at a very young age with his own parents. But to hear a woman having an interest in both genders, especially from one of the Hashira, was surprising to say the least.
"That's...not something you were expecting to hear, wasn;t it, Tanjirō-kun?" Mitsuri asked with a soft smile as she leaned forward, resting her arms in her lap beneath the water.
"Not exactly, no...but it's not something that's going to change what I think about you, Kanroji-san." replied Tanjirō with a similar smile.
"Really? You don't think it's strange?"
"Not at all! It's just another thing that makes you unique from everyone else!"
Mitsuri's whole demeanor brightened from what he said, and for the rest of their time in the hot spring, she had a smile on her face that Tanjirō shared with her. Eventually they left the water in order to not prune up too bad and to return for the food that would be ready for them inside.
Going to the eating area, they found a rather modest meal waiting for Tanjirō and right next to his spot was an amount of food equivalent to breakfast, lunch, and dinner combined. Mitsuri clapped her hands happily at the sight while Tanjirō was baffled by the sheer amount of nutrition assembled on the table.
After taking their seats and they had their drinks poured by one of the onsen attendants, they began to eat while talking some about what they had been up to, with Tanjirō talking more about what happened before his untimely kidnapping and temporary allegiance to Muzan. Of course the information she was most interested in hearing was all of the details surrounding his relationship with Shinobu, which of course he was still a little shy about, before Mitsuri reminded him of her friendship with her.
The rest of their time together was spent like that, talking and enjoying one another's company, before both of them finished eating and bid farewell to one another for the rest of the day. By the time Tanjirō returned to his room, the sun had already set behind the trees that covered most of the swordsmith village, which meant that Nezuko, who had awoken from her nap, could explore the onsen if she so wished. She did just that after she emerged from her box and waved at Tanjirō before leaving, her brother returning the gesture before he opened up one of the sliding doors of his room that was part of the outside wall of the Onsen so he could get some fresh air.
Coincidentally at that time, he happened to spot a familiar looking figure walking around the circumference of the Onsen in the same clothes he and Mitsuri had been wearing, picking at something in his teeth as he did. The young man had a large mohawk, large, angry looking eyes and dozens of visible body scars that dotted what could be seen of his chest. A light bulb went off inside of Tanjirō's head when he saw him and he immediately recognized him from years before. That, coupled with a memory of seeing him once before at the Butterfly Mansion and learning his name from one of the girls, and a recognition of similar features to another person he's met a few times already, told him exactly who it was.
"Hey, I know you! You're Shinazugawa Genya, the Wind Hashira's younger brother!' Tanjirō exclaimed while pointing at the young man.
"Drop dead! Don't even try to talk to me!" yelled back Genya, his gaze like razor sharp daggers.
Tanjirō clammed up and watched Genya disappear from view after continuing to tug on something in his mouth, pulling out something he couldn't see before he left. He sighed and dropped his arm, leaning back on his hands while remarking mentally how he definitely was Sanemi's younger brother.
"I really wonder why they're always so angry...at least the Wind Hashira can actually show a calm side, but that's only with Oyakata-sama…" thought Tanjirō as he looked up through a gap in the trees above, seeing the evening sky start to darken. He was still a little astonished how the journey that he was taken on by the Kakushi to reach the hidden village had taken up almost more than half a day, and he felt grateful for the effort put in by the corps to hide one of their most important locations. "I wonder if Haganezuka-san will be able to repair my sword...if they can even find him, that is. Hopefully it's soon!"
"Tanjirō-kuun~! I found something adorable that might belong to you~!" called out Mitsuri down the hall, disturbing Tanjirō's thoughts and bringing him to his feet.
"What do you mean?" he asked when he poked his head out from his room, seeing a second later that Nezuko was clinging on to her right leg.
"Your cute little sister came up to me while I was going into my room and started hugging me~ I think she remembers all the attention I gave her at Rengoku-san's little celebration party for you!"
"It might be that, and she's just somebody that's affectionate to those she cares about too."
Tanjirō laughed as he walked up to the Hashira and managed to pry Nezuko away from her, returning her to his side so that Mitsuri was free to go into her room when she wanted to. Instead, she lingered rather then leave and giggled with him at Nezuko's antics, crouching down to rub the top of her head like a big sister would, before Tanjirō's smile faded somewhat and he let out a sigh.
"Hey, Kanroji-san, do you know about the other person that's here in the village? The one with the mohawk?" asked Tanjirō, the Hashira lifting her gaze up from Nezuko to his eyes.
"Oh, yes! He was really mean to me…! He didn't want me to talk with him at all!" Mitsuri replied with one of the cutest pouty faces Tanjirō had ever seen, one that even rivaled Nezuko's before she became a demon.
"I've met him before, he was someone from my batch that passed Final Selection. His name's Shinazugawa Genya, the Wind Hashira's younger brother."
"Really? But he told me that he didn't have one...do you think they don't get along that well? If they didn't, that'd be really tragic."
"I'd hope so...it would be pretty tragic. I mean, I've always got along with Nezuko, and the rest of my family too, before they got, well...you know."
"I understand, no worries. I know the same thing, since I have five siblings! I don't know what I'd do if they got taken away from me, like your family was taken from you."
Mitsuri smiled softly at him and took hold of one of his hands, Tanjirō's eyes widened a little at the friendly gesture from the Hashira, with the warmth of her hand and the softness of her skin surprising him. He knew why she did it, though. She wanted him to know he had someone who sympathized with him, about the meaning of family.
He was sure that she knew plenty about Shinobu and how she had lost her sister, and in that regard he and Shinobu were similar, but Mitsuri wanted to relate to him in her own way. And for that, he appreciated her gesture, with one of his smiles being what he returned to her as thanks.
Before either of them could say something else to keep the small conversation going, the sound of footsteps approaching Mitsuri from behind alerted them to a Kakushi that came to a halt a few feet away.
"Kanroji-sama. Your sword will be done very soon, so it's been requested you come to the workshop in order to oversee the final touches." reported the Kakushi, Mitsuri's shoulders dropping and a small laugh escaping her lips.
"Aww, alright then. Looks like I have to go now. I was even looking forward to getting a quick nap in before leaving." Mitsuri remarked, holding a hand to her cheek while shaking her head.
"Oh, would you like me to see you off? I don't mind!"
"It's fine, it's fine! I'll probably have to leave in the dead of night, so I wouldn't want you to wait on me."
Her response made Tanjirō's smile from offering his services drop and his shoulders slump, his reaction causing Mitsuri to give him one of her small smiles with a light blush. To help alleviate some sadness from him, she held his hand again and smiled a little more, something that made his eyes widen a little.
"Tanjirō-kun...I don't really know if we'll be able to see each other alive next time, but let's just do what we can. You've killed an Upper Moon, and survived being an enemy, and so many other great things...you've experienced everything a Hashira has and more." Mitsuri said to him, grabbing Tanjirō's full attention as she held his hand and looked into his eyes. In her gaze and demeanor, he could see why she was such great friends with Shinobu, and because of that it made him feel at ease to be in her presence. It was as if he were standing there with Shinobu herself, and even Kanao, who was continuing to come out of her shell and live her life free from the restrictions her past and her coin had put on her. "Practically speaking, with what you've done, it's equivalent to years of intense training. You should still be careful though...even if you're a demon, Muzan is still a threat. Maybe even more so now than ever, because Rengoku-san and Shinobu-san were able to bring you back. Because of that, Kanroji Mitsuri fully supports the Kamado siblings!
Nezuko's expression brightened and she mumbled something under her breath while standing next to her brother, who's eyes were wide and his body rigid in place. He was feeling the same way that he had felt when he was told that he'd be his idol's Tsuguko.
He felt exceptionally blessed in that moment in time to have someone like Mitsuri proclaim their support for him, even though he figured from the start that she would. She had been nothing but kind and supportive of the pair, even through their darkest times, and to hear here double down on that support, it made him feel as light as a feather.
"I may be a demon, and I may have been, for a time, an Upper Moon, but I still feel as though I have a long way to go in order to beat Muzan! It won't keep me from working hard to not only break the cycle that's gripping Japan, but to create a world where we can all coexist!"
It was Mitsuri's turn to give him a surprised expression, the Love Hashira's cheeks turning another shade red as she wiggled a little from side to side and giggled to herself. Remembering that the Kakushi was waiting on her, she let go of his hand and leaned forward until her face was close enough to his for him to feel the warmth of her breath.
His own face flushed red at her proximity to him, but he kept himself under control as she lifted a hand up to her mouth in order to whisper something only to him, a secret only she wanted him to know.
"If you're going to stay here a little longer, I heard there's a secret weapon in this village that makes you stronger. Go look for it, Tanjirō-kun. I believe in you~" she murmured to him, his eyes widening a little more.
Mitsuri then stepped away from him, winking at him before she joined the Kakushi and left with her, waving at Tanjirō as she did. He finally smiled and waved back at her with Nezuko by his side, the two siblings soon returning to their room for the night in order to rest.
Once laying down, ready to go to sleep, Tanjirō was unable to close his eyes and drift away because his mind was twisting and turning over what Mitsuri had told him. A secret weapon hidden in the Swordsmith village? Just what kind of weapon was it? And where could he find it?
"I'll find that out tomorrow...for now, another thing…" Tanjirō thought to himself as he tugged the covers of his futon a little closer to his chin and blushed a little. "Why is it that the girls in the Corps are so cute!?"
"Your henchman, son, whatever you called him failed me and led to the loss of the one demon in my ranks that was even capable of accomplishing what I was seeking!"
Muzan was severely unhappy with what had happened regarding Tanjirō and he let it show on his face and his body language, the demon lord tapping his shoe repeatedly against the floor in the Infinity Fortress.
Standing across from him was the pitch black figure made of black ooze that had manifested for the first time to Muzan from Michael's body, back when they had decided to work together. The figure didn't look all too pleased either, especially when he had heard the news of Michael's death at the hands of the Demon Slayers. It had been a long time since he had a follower of his that had been killed, but it wouldn't be something that couldn't be rectified.
He could adapt, he could adjust to the changing situation he was presented with. Clearly the slayers they were dealing with were more of a problem than he anticipated, especially because they now had one less Upper Moon they had to deal with.
"There's no reason to be this upset. You've shown the ability to garner more supporters, yes? I know of the same thing, it won't take long to fill the void that my Son left empty." spoke the figure deeply, his eyes coming to rest on the heavily scowling Muzan. The demon lord narrowed his eyes and he crossed his arms, his fingers digging into the crooks of his arms. "The loss of one person after the deaths of two prior changes nothing. The pieces are still being set, so you can stop looking at me like that."
"I'm beginning to question the feasibility of your plan, especially considering I haven't seen your face, nor have I seen you actually contribute. I have spent years attempting to find what I seek, and I will not have the failures of another incompetent insect impede me!"
As soon as those words left Muzan's mouth, the figure's eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch before he let out a steady sigh and put his hands behind his back. He did not want to do what was coming next, in fact he actually detested it. The figure would have preferred this certain situation come up later at a different time, when they were closer to success, but he would absolutely not tolerate Muzan's personality any longer.
The little to no room for failure, the obscene expectations that the demon lord put onto his followers and soldiers, all of it was perfectly fine to an extent. To rule through fear was plausible, but to garner true results required more than that. And it was time that he taught this lesson to Muzan.
"My dear Muzan, might I remind you of an undeniable truth? You would not exist as you are now if it weren't for me. I am the cause to your effect." spoke the man as he turned and faced Muzan, keeping a seemingly calm and composed demeanor.
"Are you attempting to say you are my origin? I am the demon lord of Japan, the progenitor of all demons in this land. The only origin I have is that of the Blue Spider Lily, given to me by the doctor to cure my mortal sickness."
"A doctor whom I gave that infernal plant to. A flower that I created, by using the genes of the original flower from which your abilities stemmed from. Your immortality is but a gift of God, as a way of purification upon the human form, a rite of Salvation to atone for the sins of Adam and Eve."
Muzan's eyes widened a fraction of an inch and he suddenly felt himself get pressure by an unseen force emanating from the figure, their pitch black body of ooze resonating on an entirely new level. It felt as though the center of gravity in the chamber in which they stood had shifted to rest solely on this man, who's gaze pierced Muzan's very soul.
He had his thoughts and doubts about who this man was, and why a foreigner would be so interested in him and the demons and Japans. Preaching about God? About Salvation? It made no sense, and furthermore, how could the Blue Spider Lily not be a mutation of the normal spider lily, but of an entirely different kind of plant.
"Allow me to give you a history lesson, you insufferable creature. I come from a time that preceded your own, a time of conquest, war, and famine. Like you, I was a miserable human who was cursed with weakness, with sickness. I despised myself, I desired nothing more than to rid myself of this form, these shackles that bound me so." explained the figure, his deep, grating voice cutting deep into Muzan with a kind of power that even made him stop and listen. Never before had he encountered such a person who spoke like this person, whoever they were. It almost felt as though he had met his match. "Hearing my calls for Salvation, God himself directed me to the place in which he birthed a flower, a plant capable of bestowing the cause for purification upon the human soul. This plant was the origin of your coveted Blue Spider Lily."
"An original flower? Preposterous. How could a flower cause the creation of the Blue Spider Lily when this supposed flower must have come from where you live, outside of Japan?" questioned Muzan, attempting to pick apart this man's argument and identify any cracks and holes in it.
"This is the part where your own ego prevents you from seeing the bigger picture. You see, after obtaining this form by that flower, I finally saw the light. I could see the salvation that God wishes to enact upon the human populace, and it was at that time when I took up the call to help bring it about. For Salvation to occur, of course, it needed to not just begin in Europe, but elsewhere. For that, I needed a testing ground, and a guinea pig."
Being called a guinea pig immediately struck Muzan in all the wrong ways, and in a fit of fury he instantly lashed out at the figure for daring to call him something as weak and small as one. Expecting to end this person's life and rid himself of their troubles so he could focus on what mattered, he instead got the exact opposite.
Not only had his hand, with which he wanted to sever the figure's head, touched nothing but open air, he gasped when the rest of his arm followed it forward. His entire right arm had been severed at the joint in the blink of an eye, and it had happened so painlessly that he hadn't even felt it. Faster than even his instantaneous regeneration the man then grabbed Muzan by the throat and slammed the demon lord onto his back, pinning him to the floor with just a single hand. The figure's other hand then rammed itself into the wound he had caused, digging past his bone structure and entering his body in order to split up into several different tendrils that touched every corner of Muzan's body from head to toe, utterly paralyzing him and preventing him from moving.
"To attack a servant of God is to attack God himself...for this, I could so viciously pacify you, your miserable existence would be wiped clean off the face of the earth." the man spoke with a hiss, as his black, amorphous body began to bubble somewhat. Then, one by one, eyes with red eyelids and yellow pupils appeared from his body, as well as a pair of huge wings with golden feathers tipped with wide open, unblinking eyes that bore a resemblance to a peacock's feathers. "Now where was I? Ah, yes...I remember now...in order to see if God's Salvation could be brought into fruition, I needed a testing ground. I needed a person to receive a fraction of the gift I received, administered through another source, one that was a natural commodity. I needed the Spider Lily, and I needed you, Muzan."
A/N Hello everyone, sorry for the delay on this chapter! I needed a break at first after releasing so many chapters back to back, but then when I started I encountered a little bit of writer's block, and going to work didn't help with that either! So sorry about that! I was able to get back to it though and here it is, Chapter 34! Things are starting to get spicy now, yeah? And Im not just talking about the beautiful Mitsuri Kanroji either! XD
Leave a favorite and a follow telling me what you guys think, and I'll hopefully see you in the next chapter soon! Stay tuned, because now we're starting the next all new arc!
