Everyone was now sitting back in their seats, with two new places added for Tanjiro and Nezuko, "alright, let's start now" Meliodas said, as the screen turned on.
A crow cawed as it flew over a small house and farm. The screen then showed Tanjiro pointing towards something, "pardon me Sir, would it be alright if I took that basket, and some straw and bamboo?" he asked politely. The man, who was working with who was presumably his wife out in the field, looked at the boy, "you're more than welcome for all the good it'll do you. The basket's full of holes" the farmer replied. "Thank you, I'll gladly pay you for it" Tanjiro replied. "No, you don't have to do that, I don't need it anyway" the man said, waving the offer away. "Please, I insist" the 13-year-old replied. "No, it's fine. Same goes for the straw and bamboo" the man said again, shaking his head. But Tanjiro was persistent, "LET ME PAY YOU!" he replied determinedly, reaching into his pocket to get the money.
This startled the man, "I said it's fine! just take it you stubborn kid!" he yelled. Tanjiro forcefully slapped the money into the Farmer's hand, "TAKE THIS SMALL OFFERING FOR YOUR TROUBLE PLEASE!" he said just as forcefully as he had handed over the money.
Many people were giggling now, including Nezuko, who giggled though her gag. Tanjiro flushed slightly, but looked just as determined as he had in the past, "the people are all doing their best to survive. In the less advanced areas where we live, money is a commodity that most don't get. That man deserved at least a little bit of money for what he was giving me. I just wished he would have taken it willingly." He explained. Uraraka, who's family was pretty poor, smiled at the boy, "that was very kind of you Tanjiro. But next time, if they don't want it, maybe don't resort to injuring their hand to give it to them" she replied. "Yeah, I would just toss it on the ground and go. If they want the money, they would pick it up- if not, someone else who needs it might find and take it instead" Ashido added. As Tanjiro thought on this, the screen resumed playing.
Tanjiro then carried the basket, bamboo and straw away. "And thanks a lot for your help!" he called back as he ran. Meanwhile the man yelled in pain, dropping the money on the ground.
*Scene change*
Tanjiro now crouched in front of a small cave, "Nezuko?!" he called, "Hey! Nezuko!?" Tanjiro looked into the cave, and didn't see his younger sister, "she's gone!" he cried, worried, before Nezuko poked her head out of a hole she had apparently dug into the dirt.
"Awe, she looks so cute!" Ashido squealed happily, causing the current Nezuko to look over at her. "Why did she dig a hole in the dirt?" Kaminari asked in confusion. The small Demon turned to him, miming holding her arms over her head to shield herself, and looking up at the ceiling. "Huh?" the Electric Quirk user asked. Koda turned to look at the blond and black-haired teen, "she was trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible, because, as Tanjiro told us during our break, if Nezuko goes out in the sun, she'll burn and die" he explained. Nezuko nodded, mumbling through her gag. "Oh, that makes sense" Kaminari replied with a grin.
She frowned worriedly moaning slightly at the sight of the sun behind her brother.
The episode title was then revealed as: episode 2: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki
Tanjiro watched his sister with slight worry, "hey Nezuko," he began. 'Why'd she dig a hole? Is my Demon kid sister turning int a mole now?' he thought, as Nezuko frowned more. 'And she doesn't look very happy about it either. Guess she really wants to avoid the sun'. Tanjiro then stood up, "hang on just a second" he said. Using his hatchet, the preteen cut up the bamboo, before weaving it around the outside of the basket to reinforce it. "Nezuko! Nezuko!" Tanjiro called, kneeling inside the cave in front of the hole his sister had dug, holding the basket, "you think you could fit in here? I wanna try to keep moving during the day too. But I can carry you, okay?" he asked. Nezuko sighed from her hole, "can you fit? In here? Ba-sket" he enunciated. Nezuko pulled herself up, before crawling into the basket, which was definitely too small for her.
She tried to push herself in, only succeeding in moving the basket a little. "Uh, guess not." Tanjiro sighed, before smiling, 'I can't believe how grown up she is. Seems like yesterday she was half that size' he thought in awe and pride, like a loving big brother would.
The current Nezuko groaned a little through her gag, looking at her brother with a look that clearly said: 'stop embarrassing me big brother'. Most of the students laughed a little at the exchange.
Suddenly a thought occurred to the boy, "hey, uh, Nezuko? Remember how you got really big the other day? I've got an idea, do you think you could get smaller?" Tanjiro asked. He then began patting her back, "come on Nezuko, get smaller for me" he said. Nezuko then grabbed the top of the basket and pushed it upright, climbing in as she did. Once she was fully inside the basket, Tanjiro looked at the Demon girl, who had indeed shrunk, "nice job! Who's a good girl!" he praised, stroking Nezuko's hair, which she liked, "you are Nezuko! I'm impressed!" he said.
"She's even cuter now Ribbit!" Tsu exclaimed with a smile, making the said Demon eye-smile at her.
Later that day, the sun was beginning to set and Tanjiro could be seen walking with the basket with Nezuko in it on his back. He had wrapped a cloth around it, to keep the sun from shining into it and away from Nezuko. "Mt Sagiri? If you really want to go there, the fastest way is over that mountain. But the sun's about to set, and you're hauling an awful lot of luggage. It's dangerous" a woman said, her son playing a short distance away, before running back over to her. "Please don't worry, I'll be careful." He bowed in gratitude for the directions, "and thank you for the directions" he said. Before turning and heading in the direction the woman indicated. "A lot of people have been going missing on that mountain lately. Don't get lost, okay?" she called worriedly. Tanjiro turned and waved to the mother and son as he walked.
*Timeskip*
It was now nighttime, and Tanjiro and Nezuko were walking side by side through the forest. They stopped when the boy saw a light from a temple on the path. "It's a Temple," he began, looking at his sister, who held his hand, "looks like the lights have been left on, so somebody must be there. Let's check it out" Tanjiro suggested. Suddenly his smile turned into a worried frown, as he looked up at the Temple, "that's the scent of blood. This path can be pretty rough, somebody must be hurt!" the young teen cried, he and Nezuko running up the stairs to the Temple.
"It couldn't be a Demon could it?" Iida asked, worried about the people in the Temple. Tanjiro didn't respond, just frowned.
Soon the siblings reached the Temple doors, Tanjiro opening them, "is everyone okay?!" he called, only to gasp in shock and fear. A Demon crouched on the ground, eating the people from the Temple.
Many people shivered at the sight. Tanjiro looked down at his sister, to see her looking away from the scene, a little bit of drool starting to drip from her mouth as she shuddered. "Nezuko, it's okay" he said softly, bringing the young Demon in for a hug. A few people looked over at the siblings as Nezuko moaned softly through her gag, trembling. "Is she okay?" All Might asked. The older brother rubbed his sister's back, whispering comforting words in the girl's ear as she gasped through her nose, "she's fine. She doesn't attack or eat humans, but something like this still makes her instinctively crave human flesh. She only calms down when I'm around, which is pretty much all the time." Tanjiro explained. "Easy Nezuko, it's okay. You did good that time, okay? I'm so proud of you. You're a good Demon and you'll never eat humans, right?" he asked. Nezuko forcefully swallowed her saliva and kept her eyes closed.
"You can continue Meliodas-Sama" Tanjiro said, holding his sister close and making sure that she couldn't see the screen.
Tanjiro dropped Nezuko's basket, alerting the other Demon to their presence, "the hell are you doing here? This is MY territory. Anybody who sets foot on my turf, is gonna have to pay!" the Demon growled, sitting up, blood on his face and mouth. Tanjiro was in shock, as he took in the scene. Meanwhile Nezuko stared at the dead bodies, saliva dripping from her mouth at the sight of human blood and flesh. Her eyes shook as she watched the other Demon lick the blood from his hands, "ah, something's not quite right about you." He said before he stood up, "hang on, are you two human?" he asked. Tanjiro stepped back, watching his new enemy's movements. Suddenly the lamp went out. The enemy Demon leapt at the boy and knocked him out of the temple. While still in the air, Tanjiro pulled out his hatchet and sliced his chin.
"Urgh!" Ochako groaned, many of the others feeling the same way.
The Demon backflipped in the air, landing back on the ground as blood dripped from his mouth. Tanjiro sat up, while the Demon laughed and lifted a hand to his wound, "ha, ha, ha. A hatchet. Not bad kid. Just a little scratch though. Should heal in no time" he said, as he stopped bleeding. "See that? The bleeding's already stopped" the Demon said.
"Seriously! Demons can heal that fast?!" Mineta exclaimed, terrified. "Heh, that's nothing. I can reattach my severed limbs in a minute!" Meliodas chuckled, hands behind his head. "Woah, really?! I don't think Nezuko can do that. The last time she lost her leg, she had to be given medicine to make in regrow" Tanjiro muttered. Nezuko nodded, glad to have something to distract her from her the conflicting hunger/nausea at the thought of eating humans, "mhm!" she mumbled through her gag. "Wait, Nezuko lost a leg?!" Sato asked, shocked. Many people looked down at the 12-year-old Demons legs, "she looks fine to me though?" the sweets-loving Hero-in-training asked. "You'll find out about that later" Meliodas replied.
Tanjiro gasped in shock and fear. Meanwhile Nezuko was still standing at the door to the Temple and staring at the dead bodies, gasping raggedly, eyes shaking as she tried to fight through the starvation so as to retain at least a little bit of herself. Sweat and drool pooled at her feet. Back with Tanjiro, he lifted his hatchet, however the Demon vanished. And reappeared to pin him to the ground with his hand around Tanjiro's neck.
Nezuko glanced at the screen and snarled through her bamboo gag. 'Tanjiro was in danger that time! And there I was struggling to keep from letting my bloodlust take over! I'm a horrible sister! What if he'd died back then! Damn that Demon! Why did it take so long for me to protect him!' she thought, clenching her fists around her brother's haori. "Nezuko, it's okay. I don't blame you for what happened. It's only natural that you'd have to fight though your new urges as a Demon before you could save me. I'm just grateful to you for saving me at all" Tanjiro whispered to his sister after noticing her state of mind. The young Demon looked down sadly and shrunk into her smaller size, before climbing into her brother's lap, "mmmmmm" she moaned sadly, clinging to him. The Demon Slayer wrapped his arms around Nezuko in comfort, hiding her view with his haori's sleeves, "shh. We're both okay, that's all that matters" he said softly with a gentle smile on his face. Many of the girls smiled at the adorable sight.
As the older boy stroked his sister's two-toned hair with gentle hands, Meliodas continued the video.
Tanjiro struggled with trying to push the Demons hand off of his throat, 'so fast! And insanely strong!' he thought. "You got lucky but it won't work again. And now, I'm gonna snap your neck!" the Demon snarled, a sick grin on his face. Nezuko continued to struggle with her hunger, before her older brother's yell rang out, causing her iris to turn into a slit.
"Uh, what's happening?" Kaminari asked in confusion. No one answered him.
Something was shown running towards Tanjiro and the Demon, who looked up, just as Nezuko kicked his head off.
"Holy-! How strong is Nezuko now?!" Izuku exclaimed in shock, pen stilling in the process of writing down information about Demons. "Well, she's definitely as strong as a fully grown man. And I've heard that her strength can increase without even consuming human flesh or blood, like what most other Demons need, right Nezuko?" he asked, rubbing his younger sister's head, who looked up and smiled at him. 'So cute!' most people thought. Mineta might have been contemplating some dirty things, but most of those thoughts had disappeared once he'd seen the cute Demon kick another Demon's head off, not to mention the sword her brother had. 'I think I have to give this one up. I want to keep my head. But damn, she was such a cutie!' the purple student complained mentally. Suddenly Tsuyu's tough whipped out and smacked him out of his chair. Aizawa stared at the frog girl, "and what was that for Asui?" he asked tiredly.
"Sorry Sir. With the look he was giving Nezuko-Chan, I thought it was the only right thing to do" she apologised. Tanjiro suddenly got a dangerous look on his face, "oh? And what look was he giving my little sister?" he asked in a dangerously calm voice. "Mr Kamado, I understand your feelings, but please don't kill my students. I will deal with Mineta after this 'episode' is done. You can be sure of that" Aizawa assured with a deadly look at the short teenager. Mineta whimpered, but no one stepped up to his defence. In fact, all the girls outright glared at him. The Sticky Ball student whimpered.
The enemy Demon's head was flung into a tree, where he coughed out blood. Tanjiro gasped in shock, before looking back at the now headless body in fear as it fell down. The boy quickly pushed the Demon's body aside with a disgusted sound, looking up at Nezuko who was still panting through her nose. 'She- Nezuko, you killed him! Wait a minute, but he's a Demon!' Tanjiro thought as the headless body began moving and reaching for him.
Many people screamed at the sight. "What the fuck?! It's still alive?!" Koda shrieked, covering his face with his hands in fear. "Demons can only be killed by the sunlight or with Demon Slayer blades, like these" Tanjiro explained, holding out his sword in demonstration. "These swords are made by ore and sand saturated in sunlight all year long, and so these are the only weapons that can kill Demons. Something that would kill a human, even having their heads kicked off or destroyed completely cannot kill a Demon. They can just regenerate, some faster than others" he continued. "That's terrifying" Yaoyorozu muttered. When no one else said anything Meliodas continued the video.
"Ne-Nezuko-" he stuttered, not noticing the hand reaching for his head. Nezuko kicked the body away from her brother, where it, too, slammed into a tree. Tanjiro was shocked and terrified, 'I don't believe it, did that body just move? And, without a head?!' he thought, staring at the headless Demon. "You bastards!" another voice shrieked, causing the boy to look over at where the head had been kicked. The Demon's head was still alive and glaring at him, "so the girl's a Demon after all huh?! I couldn't tell with that weird vibe ya gave off. BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TEAMIN' UP WITH A HUMAN?!" the head demanded to know. Meanwhile Tanjiro was completely shocked, 'HOW'S HE STILL TALKING?!' he thought.
"That's what I wanna know!" Hagakure cried, clinging onto the sleeve of the closest person to her, which happened to be Todoroki, with invisible hands.
Suddenly the Demon's body was shown to be running towards them, when it jumped and sent an axe kick at Nezuko, sending up a huge cloud of dirt. Nezuko tried to defend herself from the headless body as it attacked her, but she was unprepared, and still trying to shake off her bloodlust.
"Oh no, Nezuko! How dare he hurt a sweet baby like her!" Ashido fumed. She turned towards where the young Demon was still cradled in her brother's arms, "was she okay?" she asked in concern. "Yes, Nezuko was fine, but thanks for your concern" Tanjiro replied, Nezuko also eye-smiling.
"Leave her alone!" Tanjiro yelled, picking up his hatchet and running to attack the headless body, but was distracted as the Demon's head, somehow having grown arms, ran and leapt at him. The boy tried to attack it with his hatchet, but the head bit into the blade, hands grabbing Tanjiro by the shoulders. The teen was more preoccupied with Nezuko's situation, as the Demon's body knocked her to the ground. As the young Demon tried to stand up, the body kicked her back to her feet, Nezuko letting out a yelp of pain as it did, "Nezuko!" Tanjiro cried as he watched the body kick his sister, before grabbing her by the shoulder and throwing her into the trees.
Everyone was now worried about Nezuko's situation. They knew that she was a Demon herself, but watching her get kicked and beaten by the Demon's body and hearing her crying out in pain made them worried and furious. Nezuko peeked out of her brother's arms, seeing everyone watching the screen in worry. She frowned, not liking seeing everyone so upset. The still shrunken Demon girl climbed out of Tanjiro's lap, "Nezuko?" her brother asked, confused. Everyone watched Nezuko as she grew in size and walked around, either patting everyone on the head or giving them a gentle hug to calm them down. Tanjiro smiled at his little sister, even if she thought they were their siblings, she was still so kind to all of the other children here.
Asui smiled at the hug she received from the young Demon. The frog girl hugged her back, "awe, thank you Nezuko. You're very sweet, ribbit" she said kindly. After making sure everyone got a hug, even the Teachers, which she saw as her Father, Nezuko went and sat back down next to her older brother. Everyone chuckled or smiled at the sweet young Demon's actions.
The Demon's body leapt into the forest after Nezuko, while Tanjiro watched in worry, "no, Nezuko!" he cried, as the Demon's head began to grow more hair. When the 13-year-old noticed, he blanched, while the Demon, who was still biting into the blade of the hatchet, smirked at him. 'What the hell is with this guy? Who grows arms out of the side of their head?!' he thought in shock as the hair tendrils began to wrap around his wrists. 'I've gotta help Nezuko!' Tanjiro thought, as the Demon's smirk fell from his face. "Out of the way" the teenager yelled, headbutting the Demon as hard as he could, who gasped in pain. Tanjiro let go of the hatchet as he landed the blow. 'So hard!' the Hair Demon thought, before Tanjiro grabbed him by his hair again, 'this kids head is- damn hard!' he thought as the boy slammed his head into the Demon's again.
"That's cool. Hey, I wonder who's head is harder, mine or yours?" Kirashima asked with a pointed grin. "Huh?" Tanjiro asked, turning to the 1-A student, "what?" he asked. "Well, my Quirk is Hardening," he explained, hardening his body, "so I just wondered who's head was harder. Let's find out!" the red-haired teen exclaimed excitedly. "No Kirashima, you're not going to potentially crack Tanjiro's head just to find out who's head is harder" Aizawa replied. The Hero student wilted, "awe man" he groaned.
Tanjiro braced himself before tossing the hatchet with a yell. The Demon's head yelled as it and the weapon spun through the air before impacting with the back of a tree. "Yes!" Tanjiro cheered, running off to find his sister. The head opened it's eyes, "wrapping my hair around his hatchet wasn't a great idea! Damn!" it groaned, now stuck.
"Ha! That's what you get you monster!" Uraraka cried, many others agreeing with her.
Tanjiro was then shown running through the forest, looking for Nezuko, "Nezuko! Where are you?!" he called.
"Why are you yelling for her, it's not like she can answer you, dumbass" Bakugo muttered, annoyed. "Oh, yeah, I guess she wouldn't have been able to answer, would she?" Tanjiro muttered, now realising how ridiculous that had been. But Nezuko simply cuddled up to him, glad that her big brother was trying so hard to find and help her.
Tanjiro panted a bit, looking around, before running off. Running through the trees, he came to a cliff, where the Demons body was kicking Nezuko to the ground again. "Nezuko!" he cried, lunging at the body and knocking it off the cliff, "get away from her!" however, he fell off the cliff as well.
"Tanjiro!" many people cried in worry. "I can't watch!" Mineta cried, covering his eyes.
The boy cried out as he saw how high the drop was, but before he could begin to fall, Nezuko reached out and grabbed the collar of his haori. The Demon's body fell and hit a rock at the bottom of the cliff, splattering blood all over the ground.
"Shit, that's nasty" Kaminari flinched when the Demon's body hit the ground.
The Demon's head flinched harshly, the sound of snapping could be heard. He spat out a bit of blood, before going still.
"Is the Demon finally dead?" Ojiro asked. No one answered him.
A little later, once Nezuko had pulled her brother back onto solid ground again, the siblings stood before the trapped head, Tanjiro pulling a knife out of it's sheath. 'I wonder, how many Demons are their?' he thought shakily. He stared at the unconscious Demon head, 'this isn't the scent I found at my house. It's different, but, I still have to finish him off,' he thought, beginning to breath harshly, 'or he'll keep killing people. So, that means, I have to do it.' Nezuko watched the scene calmly, standing behind her brother.
Tanjiro was now hyperventilating, his hand shaking.
"What are you freaking out for, it's a man-eating monster! Just kill it already!" Mineta cried incredulously. Tanjiro looked over at the small teenager, "I had never killed anything before. Plus, that Demon used to be a human, just like Nezuko, so it was hard for me" he explained. Izuku smiled at the Demon Slayer, making a note on Tanjiro's page: he is very kind.
'Just do it!' he thought, while a hand moved towards him from behind.
"Ahhh! It's another Demon! He's gonna die!" Mineta screamed. "WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY!" Bakugo yelled in annoyance. "It can't be a Demon. All the Demons we've seen so far have had claws on their hands. Even Nezuko has them. But that hand doesn't have any claws, so it must be a human" Iida said factually. "Good eye kid" Meliodas replied with a grin.
The hand landed on his shoulder, making Tanjiro gasp. He turned around and saw a man in a blue haori with a cloud pattern, a white head wrap and a goblin mask. He was so high strung that the sight of the man made him gasp in shock.
"Geeze kid, calm down, you're gonna give yourself a heart-attack or hyperventilate at this rate" Recovery Girl muttered.
"That knife isn't going to do the job" the man said in a deep voice. 'What's with the mask? And, I couldn't hear his footsteps' Tanjiro thought. He turned to face the mysterious man, Nezuko standing beside him, "okay, h-how, do I kill him then?" he asked. "Think for yourself. Or aren't you capable of solving your own problems?" the masked man asked.
"That's a bit harsh. Tanjiro's never fought Demon's before now, how's he supposed to know?" Uraraka asked, pouting. The said 15-year-old smiled, "well, he was still right, I could have tried to figure it out for myself" Tanjiro replied.
Tanjiro looked down, 'stabbing the head won't work,' he looked over at a rock on the ground, 'so I'll have to crush it' he thought.
Kirashima wrinkled his nose, "eh, really? That's the only way to finish the Demon off?" he asked. Tanjiro sighed, "it still wouldn't have worked. Like I said before, even completely destroying a Demon's head with anything other than a Nicherin sword or the sunlight would just allow it to grow back. I know a Demon who's head was completely destroyed and after a couple of minutes he grew it back. Although, like Nezuko, this particular Demon was an ally, so that was a good thing. For all I know, that hair Demon could have grown his body back eventually too" he explained. "Woah, seriously? That's freaky as hell dude" Sero replied. Many others agreed.
The boy picked up the rock and walked over to the Demon's head. 'I'd probably have to crush his skull completely. Which means hitting him with this rock over and over. I bet he'll suffer. Isn't their any way for me to finish him off with one blow?' Tanjiro thought, looking down. The man with the mask sighed as he watched the boy. Bluish whisps of something waved over the screen, 'this kid's not going to cut it. He's far too kind and far too indecisive. He stands against a Demon, yet the scent of kindness remains. He still has empathy, even for a Demon. Giyu, this boy will never make it' he thought to himself.
"I personally think that's a good thing" Meliodas commented. Many people looked over at the short Demon. "One of the things I cherish the most is my kindness. I'm ashamed to admit that until I met Elizabeth I was a horrible person- so much so that I'm terrified of who I used to be. But thanks to her, I learned what it meant to be kind, what it meant to love. I was able to change myself thank to Elizabeth. Even when I fight, I still try to stay as myself. Try to continue being a kind person. The one that the Elizabeth fell in love with. Thanks to her, I now like how I am. And I will never become the old me again" he explained with a soft smile. Tanjiro nodded with a smile, "I'm happy for you" he replied.
The Demon's head woke up then. 'I blacked out for a second there,' he thought, looking around. 'Does that mean that my body's dead? I think I'm gonna be sick'. It then looked up, seeing Tanjiro in front of him. The arms began to swipe at the air in the boy's direction, "you bastard. I'll kill you! Get over here! I'll devour you damn it! get over here where I can reach you you little brat!" the Demon cried. The sun began to rise, making Tanjiro look over at it, 'I took too long, the sun's already coming up' he thought. "I'm gonna enjoy eating you- AAAAAAARRRGGGGHHH!" the head continued to yell, before screaming in agony as he tried to use his arms to protect himself from the light. He screamed as the sunlight began to burn him, before being turned to ash completely with one final scream.
Tanjiro dropped the rock in shock, gasping in horror, 'it only takes that much sunlight to melt him!' he thought, 'no wonder Nezuko was hiding!'
"Oh yeah, Nezuko! Is she okay?!" Ashido cried, worried. "She's literally sitting right there" Aizawa replied, pointing to the small Demon girl who was snuggled into her brother's arms. "Oh good. She must have hidden in time" the pink-skinned girl sighed in relief.
Tanjriro then realized that his sister was no longer by his side, "Nezuko! Nezuko!" he called, looking around worriedly. For one horrible moment he was afraid that she'd burned up to while he'd been in shock. The he had a realization and ran back to the Temple. He sighed when he found his sister hiding in her basket with the sheet covering her. "You're alright" he said softly, smiling in relief. He then looked around, "hang on, where's the old guy?" Tanjiro asked. Walking around the corner of the Temple, he found the old man kneeling in front of several graves and praying, 'he's holding burial for the people who got killed'. Tanjiro walked closer to the man, "excuse me?" he asked. The masked man stood up, "my name is Sakonji Urokodaki. You're the one Giyu Tomioka sent my way, correct?" the now named Urokodaki asked.
"Oh, so he's the old man you were supposed to find" Ochako said, nodding to herself.
"Ah! I am! I'm Tanjiro Kamado! And my sister's name is Nezuko" Tanjiro introduced himself and pointed towards the Temple where Nezuko was hiding. Urokodaki turned to the boy, "Tanjiro. What do you intend to do if your sister eats a human?" he asked. Tanjiro gasped softly. The older man walked over to him, before slapping him in the face. The maroon-haired teenager turned back to the masked man, raising a hand to his cheek. "You're too indecisive! You must learn to make decisions quickly! That's why you failed to kill that Demon before daybreak. Do you know why it took you so long to answer my simple question?" Urokodaki asked. "Because your resolve is too weak! Their are two things you must do if your sister eats a human. First, you kill her. Then slit your own belly and die. That's what travelling alongside a Demon like your sister means." The man said. Tanjiro stared at him in shock at both the words and the slap.
"But you must never allow this to happen, no matter the cost. Your sister, taking the life of an innocent person, is the one thing that can't happen, ever!" Urokodaki then turned away, "have I made myself perfectly clear?" he asked. "Yes!" Tanjiro replied. "Very well. I will test weather or not you are fit to become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Carry your sister and follow me!" he ordered.
*Scene change* Tanjiro was then shown running behind Urokodaki during the day, Nezuko in her basket on his back. Despite being younger than the man and all the muscles he'd gained from traveling up and down his home mountain previously, the man with the blue haori was still several meters ahead of him no matter how fast he ran.
"Impressive. He is extremely fast for an ordinary human, and an older one at that." Iida said with a smile. "Oh yeah. He defiantly is. I trained under him for two years and I still can't match his speed. And I'm pretty sure he still holds back on me" Tanjiro replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Two years? Woah" Sato said, impressed.
Tanjiro gasped and panted as he struggled to keep his current pace up, 'so fast. But I thought he was an old man? And still, I can't hear his footsteps at all!' he thought in shock. 'Nezuko, the ride may be bumpy, but just hang on. But then, you always did know how to be patient'. A flashback then occurred. 'Didn't you, Nezuko?'
(Flashback) The young girl was shown as a human, sewing up her Kimono. "Fixing your Kimono again? That settles it, we'll have to buy you a new one" Tanjiro said as he watched her. Nezuko turned to her older brother, holding her hand up, "no, no, it's fine, really. This Kimono is my favourite!" she said with a smile. "Besides, it's not important. I'd rather feed our brother's and sister's" Nezuko replied, closing her eyes and smiling brightly at her brother. (End flashback)
'I swear! I'll turn you back into a human! And then, I'm gonna buy you a beautiful Kimono!' Tanjiro thought, tears in his eyes as he shut them in pain. 'Everything I wasn't able to do for the others, I'll do it all for you!' he thought, as mountains were shown ahead of them.
*Scene change*
Tanjiro was bent over, leaning on his knees and gasping for breath as the sun started to set. He and Urokodaki were shown to be in front of a small house. "Okay. Does this- does this mean- please tell me that this means that I passed the test!" he gasped, exhausted. Urokodaki slid open his door, before taking off the scarf around his head, revealing short scruffy white hair. "We're just beginning the test." He turned to look down at the boy, "we'll be climbing a mountain" he explained, making Tanjiro gasp like it was his last death rattle.
"Holy-! Isn't that a bit much!" Sero complained. "Yeah, I think I'd die if I had to do so much work!" Mineta groaned. "Well, think about it. It was a test to see if I was capable to be a Demon Slayer. Demon's aren't easy to beat, and some even have special powers. If I wasn't able to handle a run and climbing a mountain, there was no way I could fight Demons that would be trying to eat me" Tanjiro replied with a smile. "Yes, the training was hard, but it was worth it! Now I can save others from going through what Nezuko and I did. And hopefully one day I can kill that monster" he continued, hissing the last part, eyes darkening. Many people were confused about this, but Tanjiro refused to say a word. Looking over at their Host, they found Meliodas with a similar dark look on his face. Some of the audience gulped at the darkened mood in the theater.
Soon the screen continued to play.
Inside the house, Tanjiro lay a sleeping Nezuko down on the floor, placing her head on a pillow and making sure that she was far enough away from the door that the light of the setting sun couldn't reach her. "I promise I'll take care of your sister for you while you're gone" Urokodaki said, tone gentler than the previous times he'd spoken. The boy looked up at him, "I do appreciate that Sir" he said gratefully.
*Time skip* The sounds of the night rang out as the Demon Slayer led Tanjiro up the mountain. Tanjiro breathed harshly as he walked, 'oh man, I'm so exhausted, my legs are starting to buckle. And I'm getting dizzy too.' he thought, before looking up and noticing that Urokodaki had stopped about a meter ahead of him. He turned around, "now, find your way back to my house at the foot of the mountain" the masked man ordered. "This time I won't wait until daybreak" he said, as mist washed over him and he disappeared, making Tanjiro gasp. 'That' the test?' he thought. The burgundy-haired boy looked around, 'I get it, because of the fog, he thinks I might get lost. All I have to do is get back by daybreak? No problem, not with my sense of smell' he thought confidently.
"You seem pretty confident Tanjiro, ribbit" Tsyu said. The Demon Slayer let out a huge sigh, "yes, and that was my big mistake. I underestimated Urokodaki" the teenager drooped in his chair, making his sister look up at him curiously. Noticing this, Tanjiro smiled down at her, "I was okay in the end Nezuko, really. It just hurt a lot, heh, heh" he replied, hugging the young Demon close. Nezuko smiled and cuddled up to her brother happily. Izuku watched the two with a smile, 'they have such a great sibling relationship. Even when his younger sister is a Demon. It kind of makes me wish that I had brothers or sisters' he thought to himself.
'I've memorized Mr Urokodaki's scent.' Tanjiro was then shown running back down the mountain, only to trip on a rope, making him stumble forwards a few steps. The boy looked around warily, before being hit by several rocks. 'What the-?' he thought to himself. Shifting to get his footing back, Tanjiro suddenly fell into a pit trap. Several bats were disturbed and flew off. The 13-year-old groaned as he looked up at the sky, 'a tiger pit?' he thought. Tanjiro gaped as he tried to calm down, 'of course, there are traps all over the mountain! That's why this is a test!' he thought, pulling himself back up and out of the pit. However as he did, he accidentally put his hand down onto another rope. Tanjiro flinched back, 'oh no!' he thought, as he leapt back and to the side, only to get slammed into by a log and knocked to the ground.
"Damn, this is a brutal test" Sato winced. Todoroki nodded, "yeah. But he's going to be going up against man-eating monsters. He just might need a bit of brutal training. No offence Nezuko" the white and red-haired teen replied. The black and orange-haired Demon simply smiled at him.
Tanjiro was thrown to the ground, 'crap! Crap! Crap! If I keep walking into these traps, I'll never make it down the mountain by morning!' he thought, getting up. The preteen was panting harshly, his body aching from the abuse it had been through. 'Not to mention, besides the traps- the air here is- the air is thin on this mountain! A whole lot thinner than on the mountain where I grew up!' Tanjiro thought, gasping for air. He gripped his chest, 'it's no wonder I feel so dizzy! I can't breathe!' the boy grit his teeth, before running back down the mountain again, 'I hope I can make it! I might pass out!' he thought, before sliding to a stop through the fallen leaves, 'no! I have to make it!' Tanjiro was breathing heavily, but slightly slower than before, 'control your breathing. Then sniff out all of those traps!' he thought, as he managed to calm his rapid breathing.
The screen turned dark as the teenager focused all of his attention on his breathing and nose. Soon Aquamarine coloured wisps began coming through, symbolizing Urokodaki's scent. Tanjiro gasped, before beginning to run again. The boy ran, jumped and dodged out of the way of the traps as they tried to trip him up.
"Go Tanjiro!" Ashido cheered. Nezuko also cheered, although her words were mumbled. The Demon Slayer smiled, "thank guys" he said gratefully.
'Yes! Got it! Piece of cake!' he thought as he ran, 'These traps were set by a human. Which means their scent sticks out to me!' However he couldn't dodge all of the traps, and a bamboo branch whipped out of the ground and whipped him up into the air, before slamming him back down to the ground.
Many people winced, "damn! How are you even still alive after all that abuse!" Hagakure asked in shock. Tanjiro looked around for the speaker, "over here!" the invisible girl waved her shirt sleeve at him. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to miss you there" the teen said sheepishly, still a little weirded out by the fact that one of the children here was invisible. Heck, by everyone's powers. He was sued to the only creatures having special abilities being the Demons he fought, so it was a little off putting for him. "Well, I mainly pushed through it for Nezuko's sake. It still hurt. A lot!' he groaned slightly at the memory of just how much it had hurt. 'So many bruises and cuts!' he thought.
Tanjiro began to stand up, before the bamboo slammed down on him again, 'but I guess, that doesn't solve all my problems!' he thought. ''Cause I'm still not athletic enough to dodge every single one of them!' the boy was not staggering as he made his way through the forest, 'I'll make it back, no matter what! for Nezuko!' he thought in determination. The screen panned up to the crescent moon.
*Scene change* Nezuko was then shown to be sleeping soundly back in Urokodaki's house, with the man readjusting the futon's blanket over her as she'd turned onto her side. He looked out the window at the early morning sunlight. Slow footsteps could be heard before a dirty and beaten Tanjiro slowly slid the door open. He had blood on the side of his head and splattered on his haori and was gasping harshly. "Urgh, I made it- back down-" he groaned as he collapsed to his knees in the dirt, unable to even move to enter the house he was so sore and exhausted.
"Yay! You did it!" Ashido squealed happily. Many people clapped for the Demon Slayer, "well done Tanjiro" Yaoyorozu said, happy for the younger boy. "Thank you very much!" Tanjiro exclaimed gratefully.
Urokodaki watched the boy, as Giyu's voice began to narrate and a flashback took over:
(Flashback) "Dear Urokodaki Sir, forgive the intrusion," a crow was shown flying through the air with a piece of paper tied around it's feet, "there's a boy headed your way in need of instruction. He wants to be a Demon Slayer. He was fearless enough to try to attack me unarmed," the voice continued to narrate as the crow reached Urokodaki's house and landed on his arm. "A Demon killed his family, except for his younger sister, who's been turned," the man took the letter before the crow flew away. "But I'm certain she will not attack humans. They're different. I can sense something about these two. The boy has a keen sense of smell, much like yourself." Urokodaki read the letter before going back into his house, "so maybe, just maybe, he'll be able to find a way to break through."
The older man then left his house, his scarf now covering his head, "I'm asking for you to train this boy. This may seem like a frivolous request, but, please, hummer me." The screen showed Giyu standing in the snow, "if I'm not mistaken, this will all make sense one day. Take care of yourself. Yours truly, Giyu Tomyoka." (Flashback end)
After the screen had returned to the present, Tanjiro was again shown kneeling on the ground at the open door, unconscious and injured, but having completed the test. Urokodaki watched the boy as the sun rose over the mountains, "you're now my new student, Tanjiro Kamado" he said.
The screen then faded to black.
Everyone sighed, "Well, that was quite a test" All Might said as he relaxed in his seat. Tanjiro nodded, "yep, now comes the hard part" he replied. Many people blanched, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'THE HARD PART!?' YOU MEAN IT GOT WORSE!" Mineta shrieked. "Oh yeah, much worse. I trained until I felt like my arms were gonna fall off, and my lungs were gonna explode. But it was all worth it, because I was able to become a Demon Slayer, and help lots of people" the burgundy-haired 15-year-old replied. Many people were shocked into silence by this. As no one protested, Meliodas started the next episode.
To Be Continued