Hello! I'm OMG04!
This is a fun little story I came up with after watching the first episode of Chainsaw Manand immediately falling in love with it. I immediately started reading the manga afterwards. After three days, I'm already all caught up :)
Demon Slayer is my favorite anime/manga of all time, and I've been obsessed with writing fanfiction for it.
Basically, this story will take place in the CSM(Chainsaw Man) world but the characters are replaced with DS (Demon Slayer) characters.
Yes, that means no Denji, no Power, or any of the other goats, sorry. :(
I might make an alternate story one day involving all the characters somehow. Or maybe a DS story with CSM characters!
Since the characters are completely different, the story will take a different direction from the actual storyand slowly edge to a more Demon Slayer like story but be different enough to be entertaining. At least, that's the plan.
I'm not really that good a writer. I haven't really thought that far ahead, meaning I have no clue where this will end up.
Even so, I hope you will enjoy and support this story! Now let's begin!
P.S. I use Japanese honorifics in this story, sorry if I fuck them up :)
*I do not own Demon Slayer or Chainsaw Man. Both Anime/Manga belong to their respective owners.
"Tanjiro" = Talking
"Tanjiro" = Thinking
Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV
Japan - Middle Alignment = Location
"Tanjiro" = Flashback
Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect
Sun Breathing = Breathing technique
Somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, a boy and a girl walked on a dirt road to a nearby town.
"Let's see...we get 60 grand a month for cutting trees. I got 1.2 million for my right kidney. My right eye sold for 300 grand, and I just sold one of my balls. How much was that worth again?"
"100 grand."
"Right, right. Add that all together and subtract that from the loan...I am now 38,040,000 yen in debt."
The boy was fifteen years old. His single left eye was a dark red with the other covered with an eyepatch, his hair was ruffled and black with burgundy tips. he wore navy blue jeans, a white tank top, old red sneakers, a green and black checkered jacket, black fingerless gloves, and two Hanafuda earrings. He had a katana tied to his hip.
The girl looked about fourteen. She wore a black knee length skirt and blouse and a pink jacket with a hemp leaf pattern along with orange combat boots and black stockings. Her eyes were a light pink that became lighter around the edges of the iris. Her long nails were also a light pink and her teeth were sharp. Her hair was black, wavy, reached below her waist, and turned orange at the ends. A zippo lighter stuck out of her left hand between her thumb and index finger. On the left side of her forehead was a mark which resembled flames.
"Onii-chan (Big Brother), I smell it." The girl said.
The boy looked up from the paper he was holding from and put it in his pocket. He looked back at his little sister and smiled. "You ready, Nezuko?"
The girl smiled back at her adoptive brother. "Let's do it, Onii-chan!"
The Civilian Devil Slayer, Kamado Tanjiro, and the devil, Nezuko, made their way to the town where a tomato devil was spotted.
"A dead devil usually gains us 300 grand. I guess devil slaying pays the best after all."
Devil Slayer
Fire Man
Chapter 1 - Sister and Fire
Tanjiro Kamado
"Nezuko, move back!"
Tanjiro and Nezuko jumped out of the way of multiple giant seeds firing at them.
The tomato devil, a creature resembling a giant tomato standing on multiple human-like arms that has multiple eyes and shoots out seeds that vaporize anything they hit.
On top of that, the devil could regrow from those seeds if left alone long enough. The duo had to find that out the hard way.
"This thing is tougher than we thought. Nezuko, cover me. I'm gonna get behind it." Tanjiro said as Nezuko nodded.
She raised her left hand and opened the lighter attached to it. A small flame flickered from the lighter before Nezuko's hair rose. It turned completely orange and suddenly bursted into flames. Fire came out of Nezuko's glowing eyes as she breathed fire at the devil.
The devil took a direct hit and screamed in pain, shooting out seeds to no avail. While it was distracted, Tanjiro jumped above it and inhaled in specific pattern.
He flipped upside down and fell behind the tomato devil.
Total Concentration, Sun Breathing: Tenth Form - Fire Wheel
Tanjiro then quickly spun in a circle, inflicting a deep and fatal cut to the devil. It let out one final cry as it fell to the floor in a bloody mess.
Tanjiro walked over to Nezuko who closed her lighter and turned back to her normal form after burning the seeds. The two admired their handy work as an old man in a brown coat and fedora walked up to them.
Tanjiro turned towards the Yakuza member and smiled. "Hey, boss! We got that tomato devil you told us about ready to go! It can revive from its seeds so you should probably burn it."
The old man looked at the devil and turned to Tanjiro. "Well done, Tanjiro. This devil will fetch a pretty penny on the black market. I'll give you 400 grand for your trouble."
Tanjiro's eyes widened as his grin grew. "Wow! Thank yo-!"
"Of course, I'll be taking 170 grand to cover your loan and interest payments. Then there's the commission and referring you and associated fees..."
As the man went on, Tanjiro's smile slowly died.
-Later-
"In the end, I ended up with only 70 grand..."
Tanjiro and Nezuko were on their way back home walking through town after their kill. Tanjiro was counting the yen he had left in his wallet.
"And after paying the water bill along with the other loans. That leaves us with 1,800 yen. It's almost amazing how fast that 400 grand vanished into thin air..."
"We also ran out of food, and we need to make sure this lasts us a month until our next tree cutting job."
Tanjiro sighed as he put his wallet away. "Looks like we're splitting a slice of bread for dinner again, Nezuko..."
"Cheap bastards..." Nezuko muttered.
"Language, Nezuko." Tanjiro scolded the devil girl.
"But they are! Every time we kill a devil, they cheat us out of our cut. 'Loan and interest payments," my ass!" Nezuko argued.
Tanjiro sighed again and looked at his sister with a sad smile. Nezuko was a really kind person, but she also had a tendency to get angry very easily. Especially when someone hurt or mistreated Tanjiro.
Meanwhile, a car drove beside the two, the old man being in the backseat.
The driver who was smoking looked at the kids and spoke to the old man. "Soooo...Tell me again why we're using some brat as a Devil Slayer."
"To get back the money we're owed." The old man replied. "His piece of shit pops was supposed to cough it up but he hung himself before paying."
"I don't know..." The driver replied. "I just don't think it's a good idea to use that little shit and his monster 'sister' as Devil Slayers. What if they decide to bite the hand that feeds them.
"Well look at it this way. Real Devil Slayers don't let the Yakuza keep the body and sell it." The old man explained. "Kid's got a good heart and wants to take care of his little pet. That's why he'll do just about anything you tell him to for even the smallest amount of yen. He's as obedient as a dog."
"As for them turning on us, I wouldn't worry. That devil bitch has an attitude, but she won't do anything without the boy's permission. And he doesn't have the balls to take a human life no matter who they are. As long as we don't antagonize him, of course."
The driver hummed as if he had an idea.
"Oi, brat!"
Tanjiro looked to the car coming up to him, the driver took the cigarette out of his mouth. "I'll give you a hundred yen if you eat this."
Tanjiro's eyes widened. He was hesitant but...A HUNDRED YEN!
"O-Okay!" Tanjiro took the cigarette from the man's hand and with a look of disgust, popped it into his mouth.
Gulp!
Tanjiro suddenly started coughing while holding his throat. "It burns! It burns!"
The driver was laughing at him while Nezuko patted him on the back. "Hahahaha! You're fucking hilarious, kid!" The driver dropped two hundred yen out of the car before driving off. "There, I threw in a little extra for ya! Hahahaha!"
Before they left, the old man spoke to Tanjiro. "If we find another devil, we'll call you. Remember, try to run and we'll gut you and use your 'sister' as a sex toy."
As the car drove away, Nezuko glared at it. "You can sure try, assholes!" She yelled.
Tanjiro finally stopped coughing and picked up the two hundred yen. He smiled brightly. "Look, Nezuko! This should cover another six days of food!"
Nezuko looked at Tanjiro and frowned. "Tanjiro. Why do we let them step all over us?"
Tanjiro looked back at Nezuko with a confused look as she continued. "We can't keep living like this. If we go on, you'll die of old age before you pay off that debt."
Tanjiro sighed. "I know that, Nezuko. But we don't have any other choice."
"But we do."
Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "Nezuko?"
"Look, I know we already discussed this but-."
"No." Tanjiro interrupted, realizing what she was gonna say. "We are not murderers."
"The hell do you mean!? We literally kill devils for a living, how's that any different from killing a bunch of dickheads who clearly deserve it!?"
"Nezuko, the Yakuza is not some low level devil. It's a huge organization of dangerous people that basically run crime in Japan. The only people more dangerous than them are real Devil Slayers and devils."
"They aren't the type of group we can just walk in and kill. On top of that, we'd be no better than they are."
"Have you ever considered that some of them have families that they love and perhaps even love them back?"
"We only kill devils because it's the best way for us to survive without ruining other people's lives. But it's also because I'm not letting you risk your life on a potential suicide mission."
"You can't solve all your problems by killing them. Nezuko. I taught you better than that."
Nezuko was stunned by Tanjiro's words and looked at the ground with a look of guilt. "S-Sorry...I just...I hate seeing them treat you like that...Like you're nothing but garbage."
Tanjiro felt guilty himself for scolding Nezuko like that, thinking he might've been a bit harsh.
"I just want you to be happy, Onii-chan..."
Tanjiro smiled sadly and wrapped his arms around his sister who hugged him back. "As long as you're with me, I'm the happiest boy alive."
After their hug ended, Tanjiro took his sister's hand and the two started walking back home.
Back in their house, if you could even call a tiny tool shed a house, Tanjiro and Nezuko were in their bed which they shared. They each took a bite out of a slice bread before passing it to the other.
The rain provided a small continuous tapping sound on the roof that made Tanjiro feel at peace. It reminded him of the worst and best day of his life.
Eventually, the boy spoke after passing the bread to his sister. "You know, I heard normal people usually put jam on their bread before eating it."
"What's jam?"
"Hmm...I don't know..."
"As long as it's edible, I guess. I wonder if I'll get to try it one day." Nezuko passed the bread to Tanjiro.
"Hmm, tell you what. If I can get some extra cash next month, I'll buy some of that jam for you."
"Sounds nice. In return, I'll try to get you a girlfriend."
"Heh heh. Good luck with that, no girl with any sense of taste would come to this dump." Tanjiro took a bite and passed the bread back to Nezuko.
"Minor inconvenience, my dear brother. As soon as they see your signature smile, you could be living in the sewer and they'd still fall for you."
"Well, at least I'd know they liked me for me."
The two shared a laugh for a bit. While Nezuko finished off the bread, Tanjiro stared out the window and looked at the pouring rain knocking on it.
"Hey, Nezuko. We met eight or seven years ago, right?"
"Hmm, yeah that sounds about right."
"Wow, it's only been that long? Call me crazy but, sometimes it feels like I've known you my whole life."
"I know what you mean, I went from place to place for who knows how long. But now, I couldn't imagine myself living anywhere else."
Tanjiro smiled to himself, he closed his eyes and remembered the day his life changed forever.
-Eight Years Ago-
A seven-year-old Tanjiro was in the woods near his house, chopping firewood in his green and black checkered haori and black shorts. It was hard work, but he wanted to make himself useful to father instead of a burden.
Tanjuro insisted that Tanjiro already did enough, but the boy knew that wasn't true. He finished chopping the last log and stepped back to admire his handiwork.
"I managed to cut 48 logs today! This should last us through the first couple months of winter!"
Tanjiro took the firewood and made multiple trips between his house and the wood. After unloading the wood next to his house, Tanjiro walked to his house and opened the front door with a wide grin.
"Tou-san (Father), you'll never believe how much-!"
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…
Tanjiro's excitement was replaced with...confusion. The innocent light in his eyes faded away.
"T-Tou-san...?"
From the ceiling, a rope swung limply...with Kamado Tanjuro attached to it.
Tanjiro's confusion was replaced with dread.
"Why, Tou-san...? You said I wasn't a burden...so why?"
Tanjiro dropped to his knees, tears forming in his eyes as he gazed into the lifeless orbs of his father.
-Later-
Tanjiro stood in the rain at an empty field next to a road. In front of him was Tanjuro's grave. The headstone was a simple cross.
Tanjiro's eyes were almost as lifeless as his father's. He felt nothing...nothing but pain, sorrow, and the rain drenching his body.
In his right hand, he held his father's Hanafuda earrings.
"Tanjiro. One day, I'll have to go to the afterlife. When that happens, you will be the only surviving member of the Kamado Clan."
"When I die, you will inherit these earrings. I will also teach you the Sun Breathing Technique passed down for generations."
"You must look after others who need help, no matter who they are. You have a kind heart, son. That is both your greatest strength and your biggest weakness in this world."
"I am confident that you will be able to become a Devil Slayer like your great grandfather and those who came before him. I am confident that you will return our clan to its former glory and save it from the shame your cowardly grandfather and I brought to it."
"But...if you can't...that's fine. Just live the best life you can, I will be proud of you and love you all the same."
Tanjiro just couldn't understand, his father always seemed so happy. Even when his mom died, Tanjuro treated his son with care and didn't look like he was even capable of suicide. So why...why did he leave his son behind?
He heard footsteps, the Yakuza Boss was one of the only two people besides Tanjiro who attended.
The old man stared at the grave before spitting on it, Tanjiro made no reaction besides a slight jump.
"The motherfucker really killed himself to get out of paying this month." He said. He then looked at Tanjiro. "Oi, you have 'til tomorrow to rack up 70,000 yen. You got that, boy?"
The old man then turned around and walked away. "Begging, whoring, I don't care how you do it. Just bring the money your old man owed and we promise not to cut ya into pieces and sell the parts."
After that, Tanjiro stood alone in the rain. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to kick something, he wanted to headbutt a wall, but he knew it would all be pointless.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Growl!
Tanjiro snapped his head to a tree behind him. Behind it, a dark figure was peeking out, glaring at the boy with pink eyes and cat-like pupils.
"A...A devil!" Tanjiro backed up before falling on his bottom. The the devil showed more of its body as it stepped into the light.
It was a little girl who looked about a year younger than Tanjiro with short black hair with orange ends that barely reached her shoulders and a torn up pink kimono. She was barefoot, had long claws, sharp teeth, and a lighter sticking out of her left hand.
Tanjiro knew he had to run, but he was paralyzed. "First, Otou-san kills himself and now this!? Why!? What did I do wrong!? Is this because I drove Otou-san to kill himself!?"
Tanjiro remained stunned as the devil slowly walked up to him with a menacing look and fangs bared.
Tanjiro shut his eyes tightly. "If you're going to kill me, just do it already! I'm dead either way..."
More tears fell from the boy's eyes as he awaited his inevitable death...
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Thud!
Tanjiro slowly opened his eyes, confused on why he wasn't dead yet. He got his answer in the form of a Devil on her knees, one hand to her chest which was covered in bullet wounds.
Breathing heavily, the devil collapsed onto her side while glaring at the boy. Her eyes were becoming darker by the second, and her breathing began to slow.
Tanjiro's eyes widened as he saw this. "She's injured. Probably by a Devil Slayer..."
"She's going to die too..."
The light returned to Tanjiro's eyes.
After a moment of silence, Tanjiro found the courage to move. He made his way to the devil and placed her head on his lap, much to her confusion.
Tanjiro then held out his left arm above the girl's mouth. "Here, devils recover when they drink blood, right? So take mine."
The devil looked at Tanjiro suspiciously. Eventually, she struggled to lift her head just enough to bite the boy's arm.
Tanjiro winced from the sharp pain, he could feel his blood getting sucked away. Slowly, the girl's wounds started to heal.
After a few seconds, she finally let go and stood up. She looked at Tanjiro who was still on the ground holding the wound in his arm.
"Why did you help me...?"
"I'm a devil, a monster. You had no reason to save me. How do you know I won't eat you now?"
Tanjiro looked up at the devil who regarded him with cold eyes. After a moment of silence, he gave his answer. The rain began to let up.
"My father always told me to look out for others who need help, no matter who they are. I couldn't just let you die."
Tanjiro then smiled at the ground as the rain stopped. "It's fine. Like I said, I'm going to die anyway."
The sun shined on the two kids through a crack in the clouds.
He looked at the devil with a smile so bright that it rivaled the sun. "I'm just glad that my life wasn't meaningless...that I was able to save someone's life."
The devil's eyes widened at the boy's words as he got back up and walked away without another word. The girl stood there for a while...
-That Night-
Tanjiro was back at his house, laid down in his bed. He was curled up into a ball, trying to sleep.
70 grand...by tomorrow.
Ridiculous. Where was a kid supposed to get that kind of money?
When Tanjiro came home, he found a letter...A suicide note from his father.
Tanjiro didn't bother reading it. He ripped it to shreds and threw it in the trash, that man left him behind. Because of his actions, his son was going to die with him.
Tanjiro got up from the bed and walked to the nearest wall. He headbutted the wall over and over and over again. A normal person would've knocked themselves out from head traum, but Tanjiro inherited a special trait from his mother. His head was as hard as a rock.
Tanjiro kept banging his head until he heard a knock on his door.
"Coming..." He mumbled.
Tanjiro slowly walked to the door and opened it. He was greeted by a pair of bright pink eyes shining through the darkness of the night.
Tanjiro yelped in shock until his eyes adjusted. The shape of her body was illuminated by moonlight, leaving her face in shadows. It was the Devil girl he saved.
"It...It's you. What are you doing here?" Tanjiro asked.
The devil girl stared at the boy for a bit before she spoke.
"You need to make money, right? I can help."
Tanjiro stood at the doorway with a stunned look. "Help me? What do you mean?"
"I heard you talking with that old fart by that grave, you need 70 grand, yes? I know a way for you to get 70 grand easy. I want to make a contract."
"A contract?" Tanjiro said.
"Yes, a contract."
The devil looked at the ground while talking. "You see, I'm not very strong or smart. I've been trying to find someone to take care of me, to protect me."
"As soon as people find out I'm a devil, they run away or attack me. I eventually gave up on my dream of finding a protector...Then I met you."
Tanjiro was wondering where this was going as the girl made her proposal.
"Here's my offer, I'll help you with your money problems. In return..."
"You'll take care of me as my new Onii-san!"
Tanjiro stared blankly at the devil. "Huh...?" He said with a tilt of his head.
"I'll be your cute imouto (younger sister) and you will protect me. That's what big brothers do, right!?"
"Whoa, hold on! You don't want ME to take care of you, I mean...Look around!" Tanjiro waved to the entire house. "I'm sorry but, you'd be better off with someone else."
"And how do you know that, huh?" The devil got in Tanjiro's face. "How do you know that there's someone else who will accept me. Face it, you're my only option. Besides, I said I'd help with your money problems, didn't I?"
"Well, I mean..."
"Do we have a deal or not?" The devil pouted and crossed her arms.
Tanjiro was lost, he had no idea what to say. He couldn't take care of a devil, he can't even take care of himself! That said...
Tanjiro found this girl injured, she would've died if not for him. If he tells her off, she'd most likely get attacked again. And this time, a random stranger likely wouldn't give her blood out of kindness.
Tanjiro looked into the girl's desperate eyes and sighed. "Fine...I'll take care of you."
The devil girl's eyes widened before she smiled. "Good. Now, do you have a weapon?"
Tanjiro looked back at the room and saw his father's sword resting against his bed. The sword forged by the Sun Devil from an enchanted indestructible metal and gifted to the Kamado Clan.
"Yeah..." Tanjiro muttered.
"Excellent, let's go Devil Slaying."
Tanjiro snapped his head back to the devil. "Huh!?"
-Next Morning-
In an alley in town, the Yakuza boss stood in shock as he tried to comprehend what he was looking at.
The boy, Kamado Tanjiro, was standing over a small green devil with a bloody sword and a young girl who was obviously a devil peeking over his shoulder.
Breathing heavily, the boy looked at the man with fire in his eyes. "Hire me as a Devil Slayer..."
-Present-
"Ever since then, Nezuko and I have lived together and worked as Devil Slayers for the Yakuza."
"I was hesitant about being her Onii-san but...for some odd reason I fell right into the role. I always made sure to take care of her."
"It's gotten to the point where our situation feels less like a contract and more like an actual family. I don't even pretend anymore, I genuinely think of Nezuko as my precious imouto."
Tanjiro and Nezuko were in bed, trying to catch some shut-eye. Sadly, Tanjiro was unable to sleep because he was too hungry.
When he couldn't sleep, he starts thinking about the debt, which only made it worse. Tanjiro's dilemma didn't go unnoticed.
"You can't sleep either, huh?" Nezuko asked.
"Nope..."
After a few seconds of silence, Tanjiro said more. "On the bright side, I know what I want dream about if I do sleep."
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"I'll dream about eating bread with jam all over it with you. I'll go to school, make friends, fall in love. Just live a normal life."
"I know it's not the most glamorous dream, but-."
"What are you talking about? That sounds like an awesome dream!"
Tanjiro smiled at that comment. "Thanks, Nezuk-."
Tanjiro felt a sudden pain in his chest which caused him to sit up and go into a coughing fit. Before he knew it, he was coughing up blood.
"Onii-chan!" Nezuko got up and checked on her brother. "Tanjiro, what's wrong!? You...You're bleeding."
Tanjiro looked at his hand which was now covered in blood along with the sheets. He stared at it with wide eyes as he remembered his mother...
"Funny...My Okaa-san died from a heart disease that made her cough up blood."
Nezuko's eyes widened at that statement. "What does that mean?"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Tanjiro, it's me." Tanjiro heard the Yakuza boss outside his door. "Get your ass up, we got another devil for ya."
Tanjiro stared at the door before reluctantly getting up.
"Can't you just let me dream...even a little?"
Tanjiro and Nezuko were driven to an abandoned warehouse in the boss's car. Tanjiro didn't bother putting on his jacket and just went in his tank top.
When they got out, Nezuko sniffed the air.
"Yep, there's a devil here alright, reeks too." Nezuko confirmed.
The three of them walk into the large building. They spent a bit of time wandering until Tanjiro broke the silence.
"Are you sure there's a devil here, I don't see anything."
"My nose has never been wrong before. Although, I think there might be something up with it today. I can't pinpoint its location." Nezuko said.
Suddenly, the Yakuza boss stopped in his tracks. Without turning around, he spoke to the boy.
"Tanjiro, my boy. I really am thankful for you and your sister." He said.
Tanjiro was not expecting that. "Oh...um...thanks?"
"Obedient, just like a dog. All these years and you haven't once dared to bite the hand that feeds you."
"Huh?"
"The hell'd you just say, dickhead!?" Nezuko added.
"I don't like this..."
The old man still did not look at the sibling duo. "The thing is...I've always hated the stench of fucking dogs."
Schlick!
Tanjiro and Nezuko gasped as pain shot through their bodies. Two men had just stabbed them with tanto swords. Nezuko through the heart, Tanjiro through the left lung.
Both siblings spit out blood before the swords were pulled out and they dropped to their knees. The man behind Nezuko pinned her down and cut off her left hand, the hand with her lighter, preventing her from transforming.
"GAAAAAH!" Nezuko screamed in pain, causing anger to rise in Tanjiro. Not that he could do anything in his state.
"Guh...! Can't...breathe!"
"You see, kid. Us Yakuza, we have plenty of power and money. But compared to strong devils or Devil Slayers, we might as well be children. We needed more."
Tanjiro looked up at the old man and was stunned by the sight. Something appeared to be attached to his back, it carried him into the air towards a new large figure.
It looked like a giant headless human torso except green, purple tentacles came out the bottom and a bran stuck out of the neck. A face came out of the chest.
"That's why we took a page out of your book and made a contract with a devil. We wanted the power of a devil..."
"And I wanted the death...OF ALL DEVIL SLAYERS!"
Tanjiro looked around to see the Yakuza men morph from normal people to mindless rotting zombies.
"Devil Slayer boooooooy! You would not believe how stupid these people were! I simply said that I'd give them my power...anxiety they WILLINGLY became my slaves!"
"That's why they changed into the abominations you see now, because I'm the Zombie Devil."
Tanjiro was coughing up blood, panic slowly but surely rising within him.
"I hate Devil Slayers. They slaughter us devils like animals. I think it's high time that the tables are turned."
"Hey guys, cut that kid to pieces and toss him in a dumpster, him and that traitor devil."
The zombies all had swords and were making their way towards the Devil Slayer duo.
Whether it was out of fear, rage, courage, desperation, and plain stupidity, Tanjiro didn't know nor did he care, he grabbed his sword and spun around.
He managed to decapitate the two zombies behind him and Nezuko while keeping the ones in front at bay. He also dropped his sword in his panic.
Tanjiro grabbed his injured sister, picked her up bridal style, and ran as fast as he could with one functional lung.
Needless to say, he didn't get very far. Blood kept shooting out of the boy's mouth as he stumbled and tripped.
Nezuko opened her eyes and saw her brother struggling to keep them both alive.
"On-n...nii-san...I'm...s-s-sorry...I should've...smelled...t-the...the-."
"Nezuk-KAH!" Tanjiro spit out more blood. "S-Save *gasp* your strength!"
"I'll get you out of this, I swear! As soon as we lose these guys, I'll give you blood so you can run away! I might die, but I'll keep the promise I made!"
"You'll take care of me as my new big brother!"
"I'll do it...I've got you, Nezuko. Your big brother's got you!"
Tanjiro looked back and saw that the zombies were catching up. He became more and more frustrated.
"Damn it...! LEAVE US THE HELL ALONE!"
Slash!
Tanjiro was slashed across the back and tripped. He lost his grip on Nezuko and she rolled forward onto the ground.
Tanjiro fell next on his face, he tried to get up but was stopped by another sword piercing his spine. Tanjiro couldn't even bring himself to scream.
He saw the zombies gather around Nezuko, one of them, to Tanjiro's horror, raised their sword to chop her head off.
Tanjiro tried to reach Nezuko's mouth, but she was just too far away.
"Nezuko! *cough* *cough* *gasp* H-Hurry! *gasp* Drink *cough* my blood! Fight...back! *cough* Save yourself!"
Nezuko was on her front side and raised her head just enough to look at Tanjiro with her fading pink eyes.
"Get up, Nezuko! *cough* *gag* *gasp* *cough* *cough* RUUUUUUN!"
". . . . . . . ." Nezuko said something Tanjiro couldn't hear due to the ringing in his ears.
Chop!
Thud...
Next thing he knew, Nezuko's head rolled onto the floor...
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"Why...?"
"Why, God...?"
"I just wanted to dream about a normal life..."
Zombies gathered around Tanjiro and were about to chop him up like they were doing to Nezuko.
Tanjiro threw his head up and looked to the ceiling window with tears in his eyes, which were full of rage.
"YOU COULDN'T EVEN LET ME HAVE THAT, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!?"
The next minute was something out of a horror movie. The poor boy was repeatedly stabbed as his body parts were slowly cut and ripped off.
His shirt and eye patch were cut off during the carnage. His pants still somehow managed to cover his privates, leaving him with a shred of dignity. Not that it did him much good.
Tanjiro's blood curdling screams echoed throughout the warehouse until the universe finally decided to have mercy and let him bleed to death.
His head was cut off after that...
Nezuko
Sniff...Sniff...
Nezuko slowly opened her eyes, she still had one foot in the grave. It smelled awful and saw that the place was quite cramped. They were in a dumpster.
Nezuko looked around some more until spotting the separated head of her brother. Grief and guilt struck the weakened devil. She only had enough strength for a single tear.
"Tanjiro..."
...
...
...
...
"Nezuko?"
...
...
"Nezuko."
"Nezuko."
Nezuko woke up to find Tanjiro at the door in his tank top holding an axe. The boy smiled. "Come on, sleepyhead. It's time to work."
-Two Years Ago-
In the nearby forest, Tanjiro chopped down the last tree. He and Nezuko put the chopped up trees in stacks and sat on one of them.
The two chatted for a bit and caught their breaths. That was until Tanjiro went silent for a few minutes and then said something odd.
"Nezuko, I have a feeling I might die Devil Slaying."
"Huh!?" Nezuko jumped. "Hey! Don't joke around like that, Onii-chan!"
"I'm serious. One day, I might get in over my head or make a fatal mistake. I'm just a kid, after all."
"Onii-chan..."
"But if I died, you'd have nowhere to go. You'd probably be killed by another Devil Slayer."
"I once heard that some devils are able to take over a human's dead body and use it as their own."
Tanjiro smiled brightly at Nezuko. "Nezuko, if I ever kick the bucket, I want you to have my body."
"WHAT!?"
"If you wait until they bury me, the Yakuza will forget about me. You can leave town, start over, live a normal life, die a normal death."
Nezuko had no words, she was stunned.
"I want you to live my dream whether I'm here or not. As long as you're happy, Nezuko, I don't mind dying as much!"
-Present-
Flames began to connect between Tanjiro's body parts. Slowly, the boy was being put back together.
Nezuko's face could be seen pulsing from Tanjiro's chest like a giant heart...
Tanjiro
Gasp!
Tanjiro opened his eyes and found himself in a dumpster. Miraculously, his entire body was still in one piece.
"Where am I?" He wondered before Nezuko appeared in front of him, smiling brightly.
"N-Nezuko...?"
"Hi, Onii-chan."
Tanjiro smiled brightly as he realized...
"Heheh...So I guess you took over my body after all. Good, at least I can pass on knowing you'll live my dream."
"..." Nezuko didn't answer. She simply kept smiling.
"Nezuko?" Tanjiro said, expecting her to be sad or something.
"Tanjiro, these past few years with you have been the happiest I've ever been. I always loved it when you talked about your dreams." She said, confusing the boy.
"Nezuko, what are you-?"
"This is a new contract. I want you to show me more of your dreams."
"Wait...what? Nezuko, I-."
"In exchange..."
...
...
...
"I'll be your new heart."
Tanjiro's eyes widened. "Wait...What the hell are you talking about!? This isn't how it's supposed to go!"
Nezuko smiled brightly. "I love you...Onii-chan. Go live your dream. If not for yourself...then for me."
"NEZUKO!"
Tanjiro's body popped out of the dumpster. He looked at himself and was shocked to find that he was alive.
"My wounds...They're all gone..."
Tanjiro felt his entire body, it was true, he had been healed up. Not only that...he had regrown his right eye.
Then, Tanjiro saw a zippo lighter sticking out of his left hand. Normally, this would've terrified him...but this lighter seemed familiar. He then noticed the discarded remains of Nezuko's kimono. He found a piece of glass and looked in its reflection. He found a fire marking on the left side of his forehead.
An image of Nezuko flashed through his mind...
Tanjiro's eyes widened in realization.
"I'll be your new heart."
"Nezuko..." Tears filled the boy's once bright eyes which had begun to fade in despair.
"What!? You're still alive!?"
Tanjiro was brought out of his grief by the voice of the Zombie Devil. Tanjiro looked towards the hoard of zombies in front of him.
"GROSS! I REALLY HATE DEVIL SLAYERS! YOU GUYS, MAKE YOURSELVES USEFUL AND EAT THAT FREAK!"
As the zombies slowly made their way to the dumpster where he was, Tanjiro was deep in thought.
"Look at you guys...You were doing just fine before, and you threw it all away for power?"
"Why would you want a better life when the life you have now is just fine...?"
"I get it. Everyone has dreams. Power, money, woman. It's natural for people to have dreams. But to sacrifice everything for that dream...?"
"Oh God..."
...
...
...
...
"Is that how I was...?"
"As long as you're with me, I'm the happiest boy alive."
"I said that...and yet, did I really mean it?"
"As long as I had Nezuko, that was more than enough. We didn't have much, sure...But, we were happy, weren't we...?"
"But it wasn't enough, not for me, anyway. Deep down, I kept wanting a better life, a normal life. Nezuko died to give me a chance at my dream..."
"Nezuko offered me a way out...If I had just grown a pair and killed these assholes, none of this would've happened."
"Is God trying to tell me...that I can only have one or the other? That I could either live a crappy life but be happy with Nezuko...or live a normal life without her?"
"If that's the case...then to hell with my dreams. I don't care about a normal life. Nezuko is all I need..."
Tanjiro looked to the ceiling once again, the moon shined through the glass. He gritted his teeth shouted with tears flowing down his face.
"I TAKE IT BACK! I DON'T WANT A NORMAL LIFE! I WANT NEZUKO!"
"I DON'T CARE WHAT KIND OF LIFE I HAVE! AS LONG AS I HAVE HER WITH ME, I'LL BE HAPPY!"
The zombies were only a few feet from Tanjiro, but he didn't care anymore.
"SO GIVE HER BACK! GIVE BACK NEZUKO! PLEASE! GIVE ME BACK MY LITTLE SISTER!"
...
...
...
...
...
The zombies were right in front of Tanjiro...
The boy looked at the hoard, his grief slowly turned into something...darker.
"You...It was you...You killed her..."
"You backstabbing bastards led us to a trap and tried to kill us. That's why Nezuko is gone...It's your fault."
"Shut up, brat! Die already like the scum you are!"
"You...you'll pay for what you've done...You hear me?"
Time began to slow down in Tanjiro's eyes as he brought up his left hand, his thumb pressing against the lighter.
"You're dead...dead...dead...Dead...Dead...DEAD...-DEAD...DEAD!"
The zombies jumped towards Tanjiro who opened the lighter and flicked the wheel with his thumb, a small flame appeared...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
Zombie Devil
The devil watched as its zombie slaves formed a dog pile on the Devil Slayer, tearing him apart and consuming him.
"Finally. There's no way he'll survive being eaten."
The Zombie Devil was satisfied thinking his enemy was vanquished...
That ended being a fatal mistake...
Sizzle...
Whoosh!
"What!?" A burst of fire shot out of the zombie dog pile before the zombies were blasted away by a tornado of flames.
After the fire cleared away, the Zombie Devil witnessed a truly horrifying being.
The boy had transformed. Red flame marks decorated his arms and torso. Steam rose from his body. His nails grew long with fire covering them. His teeth grew into long jagged fangs, his mouth curled into a wide menacing grin with fire coming out of it.
The upper half of his head was burned off from the top of his head to his eyes and ears, revealing part of his skull. A black silhouette of the skull could be seen in the flames, the hollow holes in his skull where his eyes used to be were glowing brightly.
The Devil Slayer charged forward, slashing through the zombies with his flaming claws. He found his sword among the carnage and grabbed it.
"What...What the hell ARE you!? Don't tell me...Did that devil runt take over your body!? But then that means you're a devil like me!"
The boy leaped into the air, gripping his sword tightly as flames engulfed the blade. He landed on the Zombie Devil and looked it dead in the eyes.
"REALLY!? YOU DON'T SAY!? WELL I'M REALLY SORRY THEN, BUT I'M AFRAID I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS!" The boy replied.
He raised his sword before he swung with all his mind and proceeded to cut the monster to pieces.
Tanjiro...?
Tanjiro stood over his fallen foe, zombies surrounded him from all sides and slowly creeped towards him.
Tanjiro looked around with a cruel grin. "Look at you guys...You really are devils, aren't you..."
Tanjiro let out an earthshaking roar before slicing through and burning each zombie.
"And since I'm a Devil Slayer, that means I have to kill ya! FUNNY HOW LIFE WORKS, HUH!?"
Tanjiro showed neither remorse nor mercy as he slaughtered the zombified Yakuza members. In fact, he looked like he was on cloud fucking nine. For each zombie he sliced, he burned another to ash with fire shooting from his hands.
"GYAH HAH HAHAHA! THIS IS GREAT! ONCE I FINISH OFF YOU BASTARDS, I CAN KISS MY PIECE OF SHIT DAD'S DEBT GOODBYE!"
Tanjiro soon found himself getting lost in all the chaos, his mind flashed back to happier days.
"Hahaha! That's right, devils! Cower in fear! When me and my big brother are together, nothing can beat us!"
"Burn..."
"Onii-chan, your sister requires snuggles, NOW!...P-P-Pretty please..."
"Burn...!"
"Onii-chan."
"Burn!"
"Onii-chan!"
"Burn!"
"...I love you...Onii-chan..."
"BUUUUUUUUURN!"
...
...
...
-Five Years Ago-
Click!
Click!
Click!
After completing their first job as Devil Slayers, Tanjiro and his new Devil sister laid on their backs on the grass outside his house and stared at the starry night sky.
"Say, how did you do that thing where your hair and eyes started glowing?" Tanjiro asked.
The devil pointed to her left hand and opened the lighter attached to it. "I make a flame with this lighter to transform, simple as that." She said as she kept flicking the wheel over and over again.
Click!
Click!
Click!
Tanjiro looked at her. "Why isn't making you transform now?"
"I can control when I transform so that it only works if I want it to. That way, no one can physically force me to transform."
"I really like flicking it open and closed. It's really soothing."
"Huh..." Tanjiro looked back at the stars. "So...what do you want to do now?"
"Hmm...well, maybe we can start with telling names. We're supposed to be siblings now, after all. It would be weird if I didn't know my brother's name."
"Oh, right!" Tanjiro sat up, as did the devil. "I'm Kamado Tanjiro, nice to meet you!" The boy introduced himself with a smile.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too." The devil returned the smile before looking back at the sky.
"...And?"
"Hmm? And what?"
"Aren't you gonna tell me your name?"
"Oh...I don't have one."
"Huh?"
"I don't have a name, I'm just the Fire Devil."
"Hmm, well I don't just want to call you 'Fire Devil'..."
Tanjiro thought for a moment and looked around for any ideas. He rummaged through his pockets and found some red beans, as he ate them, Tanjiro got an idea.
"Nezuko...That's your name. Nezuko."
Nezuko's eyes widened, she stared at Tanjiro who started feeling nervous. "S-Sorry, do you not like it!?"
Nezuko continued to stare until her face morphed into a smile. "It's perfect, I like it a lot."
Once again, the two new siblings smiled at each other. Nezuko raised her arm to Tanjiro for a fist bump. "I look forward to working with you, Nii-san!"
Tanjiro bumped his knuckles against hers. "Likewise!"
After that, the two laughed together until they fell asleep on the ground...
That day was the day Tanjiro felt the most normal in his entire life...
-Present-
Click!
...
Click!
Click!
...Tanjiro was standing in the middle of a field of zombie corpses, opening and closing the lighter...his only source of comfort...
His face continued to burn, it really hurt.
"N-N-Nez...z-zu...ko..." Tanjiro stood there until morning...
Giyu Tomioka
-Morning-
A black car drove through an old town, inside its interior were two Devil Slayers. A crow flew ahead of it, leading them to their destination.
Tomioka Giyu, the Water Hashira, was in the driver's seat. Next to him sat Kocho Shinobu, the Insect Hashira.
They'd gotten a report of the Zombie Devil being spotted at an abandoned warehouse, they had been sent to investigate.
Shinobu rested her legs on the dashboard, Giyu was impressed her legs could reach it at all even with the seat moved up.
"It's too bad we have to kill another devil. If only humans and devils could get along. Don't you think so too, Tomioka-san?" She asked in a sweet and cheery voice.
"Don't be ridiculous, humans and devils can never get along. Not as long as devils kill humans, that's why they must be killed." Giyu responded.
"Now, now. What about the devils we form contracts with? They don't kill humans." Kocho countered.
"We have to give them a piece of ourselves to form a contract. Otherwise, they'd be more than happy to watch us die."
"Then they get all pissy and abandon us when we end up making a mistake and they get hurt in the process. Like we don't suffer worse than that."
"It doesn't matter if they're technically on our side, that's all it is, a technicality. If you ask me, they're just as bad as the others."
Giyu took his eyes off the road and risked a look at Shinobu. "Tell me, Kocho. Have any of your attempts to make friends with the devils we work with bore any fruit?"
Shinobu thought for a moment. "I guess you have a point. But still, it would be cool to encounter a nice devil."
Tomioka let out a humorless chuckle. "I wouldn't bet on it."
For some odd reason, Shinobu wanted to become friends with devils. It was the same dream that her older sister, Kocho Kanae, had before she sadly died to the Ice Devil four years ago.
She acted sweet and friendly, but Giyu could tell that it was an act. Something about her just seemed...off. He wondered if she truly believed in this dream.
The Water Hashira looked back at the road and saw the warehouse from the picture. "We're here."
"Excellent!" Shinobu exclaimed with her hands together. Giyu parked the car parallel to the front of the building.
The Devil Slayers stepped out and grabbed their swords from the trunk. The two stepped inside to see...
"What the...!?" Giyu said breathlessly with wide eyes, Shinobu looked just as surprised.
It was a complete massacre, dead bodies and blood covered nearly the entire ground. Up ahead, they spotted the deformed corpse of the Zombie Devil.
"Looks like a civilian beat us to the punch, good for them!" Shinobu recovered from her shock and was back to her cheerful act.
Giyu looked around for anyone still alive. "Let's look around, there might be some survivo-."
Click!
Both Hashira drew their swords halfway after hearing a loud clicking noise.
Click!
Click!
Click!
"Who's there?" Giyu called out before spotting something far in the distance. A strange figure stood in the middle of the building on top of the zombies.
It was a devil...
His body looked human enough, if you could ignore the flame markings, sharp nails, and lighter sticking out of his left hand.
The devil's face was what gave him away, and it was anything but handsome. He had jagged teeth and the upper part of his face from the eyes and up were completely covered in fire. From his charred ears hung two Hanafuda earrings.
Giyu was able to make out a silhouette of his skull, his hollow eyes glowing faintly. The flames appeared to be dying.
"Keep your guard up. It looks weak and low on blood, but you never know what these devils will try." Giyu warned his comrade.
Shinobu simply smiled brightly. "Come now, Tomioka-san. I'm not an amateur. Besides, we don't even know if it's actually an enemy."
She stepped forward and waved to the creature. "Hi there! It's a lovely morning, is it not?"
The devil remained silent, he kept opening and closing the lighter while staring down at it. He didn't even spare the two Devil Slayers a glance.
"Ah, the strong-silent type, I see! That's fine!"
"Say, did you do all this? We're Public Safety Devil Slayers who were sent here to kill the Zombie Devil. However, it seems you got to him first."
"I wonder, are you a fiend? You're obviously not human with that face, but your body is still quite human."
The devil continued to remain silent. It kept opening and closing the lighter, staring at it as if his life depended on it.
"Hello? Do you hear me?"
Finally, the devil stopped and looked up at the Hashira. Its mouth began to move.
"H-Hu...rtsss..."
Giyu and Shinobu shot each other confused looks before looking at the devil who continued to speak.
"Head...hurts...H-Help...me..."
The devil lowered his hand and began limping towards the sunlight shining through the entrance of the building.
He managed to move two feet before he tripped on a corpse and fell on his face, dropping the sword he had in his right hand.
As the devil got up, Giyu prepared to kill it. That was until his mouth started to melt off. Soon, a normal mouth with spiky teeth was revealed.
The fire on his head began to vanish as well, leaving behind ruffled, black, burgundy tipped hair. The boy got in his knees and looked up at the Hashira with dark red eyes that held nothing but grief, despair, and confusion...
"He's...human!?" Giyu's eyes widened at the sudden development.
"Unbelievable..." Shinobu said breathlessly.
The boy looked around before spotting his sword and picking it up and using it as a crutch to get back up.
He breathed heavily as he struggled to stay on his feet. His sword slipped out from under his weight and the boy fell forward again.
This time, Giyu sped forward to catch him. "Well, this situation just got a lot more complicated."
"So it would seem." Shinobu said. "What do we do with him?"
Giyu thought for a moment, he looked down at the boy and laid him onto his knees. Giyu himself took a knee and looked the boy straight into his lifeless eyes.
"Alright, kid. I'm gonna give you a choice." The boy said nothing.
"You can either be killed like a devil, or you can become a Devil Slayer and have a chance at a decent life."
The devil boy's eyes widened, light had started to return. "Decent...You mean...a normal...life?"
"If you want to call that sure. But this isn't charity, you're gonna have to put in work. In exchange, you'll get food, money, shel-."
"Stop..."
Giyu raised eyebrow before tears began to fall from the boy's eyes. His mouth curled into a wide smile.
"You had me at 'food'...I'll do it." He said with tears of joy. He put a hand over the lighter in his left and cried into it.
Giyu had no idea what this kid had gone through. It must've been pretty awful if he'd rather risk his life fighting real devils...Especially if the offer alone made him so happy.
And that's Chapter 1! I hope you all enjoyed!
This took me a while to write. No matter how many times I rewrote it, it felt like there was something...missing. Eventually I gave up and posted this final version.
Remember, the overall response to this work will determine whether I continue or not.
I'm not sure where this story will go yet, so there will be times when something doesn't seem that well thought.
If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them!
Sayonara!
Next Time: Chapter 2 - The Devil Slayer Corps
