Ubuyashiki Kagaya couldn't say he was terribly surprised when Hinaki led both Kamado Tanjiro and Tomioka Giyuu into the room. He was a little surprised at how at-ease the Kamado boy seemed while Giyuu held a stiffness that belied his wary state.
So, he must have figured something out.
The time-traveler bowed deeply when he came inside, as did Giyuu.
"Welcome," Kagaya said with a smile. "Please be seated." He gestured to the other side of the round table he sat at. The boys both complied easily. Hinaki stayed for just a couple of seconds until Kagaya waved her away with a grateful smile.
"I will return with tea," she said quietly, then backed out of the room and left, sliding the door closed behind her.
"Now, then, Kamado Tanjiro, it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person," Kagaya started, smiling at the boy. The child returned the smile ten-fold, and even with his failing eyesight, Kagaya could make out long, sharp canines in his smile. Hmm…
"You too, Ubuyashiki-sama!"
Kagaya looked down at the papers in front of him. "Now, I have read over the reports of the raid of Mount Natagumo last week, but I would like to hear the full story from you, and perhaps some explanations?"
He said it as kindly and reassuringly as he could, but the boy still looked surprised.
"You don't already know? I thought Urokudaki-sensei told you…"
Next to him, Giyuu stiffened, likely at the mention of his mentor's name. Strange. Did he not know that he and Kamado had studied under the same cultivator? Or had he simply not put together that a 'new student' and Kamado were one and the same until now?
"Oh, he told me quite a bit. But I don't believe I have the entire picture. Would you mind filling me in on some details?"
The boy straightened and nodded enthusiastically. "Hai, Ubuyashiki-sama!" He settled in, closed his eyes to center himself, took a breath as he opened his mouth to speak, but Kagaya cut him off gently.
"Before you do, are you alright with Tomioka-san being here?" he asked, sending an apologetic nod to his Water Pillar.
The time-traveler blinked, but then waved it away nonchalantly. "Oh, that's fine. I usually tell Giyuu-san anyway."
Kagaya could tell how that confused Giyuu, but found it amusing seeing as the Hashira would learn everything he needed to know very soon. He wondered just how much everything the boy would say would knock Giyuu for a loop. He wished he had better eyesight to see it with.
"Very well. Please proceed, Kamado-san. And please start at the beginning, if you would."
"Oh, you can call me Tanjiro!" the boy returned almost instantly. "If you want, that is."
The Demon Slayer Head chuckled a little at that. So earnest. No wonder Urokudaki liked him so much.
"Very well, Tanjiro-san."
The boy nodded, took another breath, and began his story.
As requested, he started at the very beginning, explaining first how he woke up on the same morning time and time again, then proceeded through the first timeline. Urokudaki had, indeed, sent summaries of the boy's words – delivered them in person, even, but hearing all the details from the boy in question really put everything into perspective. How many lives had this boy lived? (When asked, he answered, 'Over 60, but less than 100, I think.' Somehow, that didn't help.)
Giyuu, for himself, just stared at Tanjiro throughout his entire explanation, looking suddenly very lost and like he was regretting his life choices. Again. Kagaya would have to speak with him privately later.
About half-way through his first timeline, Hinaki came back with a tray of tea which she set before everyone and carefully poured. Tanjiro stopped explaining until she'd bowed and left again, picking up almost right where he'd left off.
Tanjiro finished describing being turned into a demon for the first time, explained what he knew of 'the ultimate form' of his Demon Blood Art, and then went on to explain several of those first 'loops'. They didn't sound pleasant in the slightest.
Then he went on to describe how he found out that he could save his family by more or less sacrificing himself to Muzan and becoming a demon, how he learned through trial and error how to overcome the hunger for human flesh as a demon, and was about to go on when Giyuu stopped him.
"So… as a demon, you have eaten human flesh?"
Tanjiro's smile vanished. Something dark and disgusted replaced it, all underscored by a hard shame as he looked away from both Giyuu and Kagaya.
"Yes. The first couple of times I woke up as a demon…" he shook his head, his hands holding his teacup shaking.
"So why should we believe that if you continue in your current state that it will be any different?" Giyuu asked. Ah, so the boy had told them something earlier. This must be a follow up from that.
Tanjiro's eyes narrowed and he puffed himself up. "Because I overcame it. For dozens of resets, I didn't eat a single bite of human flesh."
"You haven't eaten any humans since then?" Giyuu pressed.
From the change in his countenance, Kagaya could tell they'd begun to tread on dangerous paths. The boy before them wasn't the sweet, kind boy Urokudaki had described, but a cold, hard war-veteran who had died dozens – if not hundreds of times. This was a man who did not fear death or the other people around him. This was a man who had been pushed too far a few too many times and likely was not as stable as he wanted to present himself.
"Giyuu-san," he said quietly, "if Muzan captured you – as a demon – and set a dead human before you, then told you if you ate the body he would spare the lives of the living children in the room, what would you do?"
That, apparently, had not been what the Water Pillar had expected because his eyes widened and he looked distinctly paler. To be fair, Kagaya hadn't expected something like that either…
Yet another horrific act to place on the pile of grave sins Muzan had committed.
"Why would he do that?" Giyuu returned, trying to regain his normal state of calm (and failing).
Tanjiro snorted mirthlessly. "Because it's Kibutsuji Muzan. He likes torturing people; manipulating them, either subtly or blatantly to do what he wants, and if it isn't what they want, then so much the better. He is a sick, twisted and disgusting being worthy only of pity for the fact that even after a thousand years, he still cannot see the kind of damage he has done to himself and everyone he comes into contact with."
This was going too far, Kagaya thought.
Perhaps it was time to move on.
"You sound like you've been through quite the ordeal," Kagaya said softly. For several seconds, Tanjiro just sat there, stiff as a board while he came back from whichever horrific memory had swallowed him.
"Yeah," the boy finally managed to say, although his voice sounded tight, like it had barely squeezed through his throat. "These last few loops have not been… easy."
Hmm… there was still one thing Kagaya wanted to know, so he decided to venture carefully. "It sounds like he began to target you. Do you know why?"
Tanjiro took several deep breaths before he turned back to Kagaya, face blank but eyes showing so much pain it almost took his breath away. No one – let alone a child (because he was, no matter how many lives he'd lived) should have those eyes.
"When one is turned into a demon, Muzan is able to create a mental link – some kind of thought connection with them. It is why when they say his name they die. He can hear them and he kills them. Some demons can – and have – thrown off that link and thus the curse of his name that goes with it, but it takes time and effort.
"During a recent loop, I decided to infiltrate the upper ranks of the Kizuki. I challenged Waxing Three to a fight and managed to win. In doing so, I got the information on all the Waxing Moons that I was after, but…" He paused, seeming to gather himself.
"Did you know," he began softly, "that whatever Muzan uses to mark his Kizuki also marks their souls?"
His hands had balled into fists and he stared at the table hard, not willing to look up. Kagaya didn't know what to say to that, and could only wonder if the horror of Muzan's acts ever ended.
"I didn't," the boy finally said. "Not until I had to enter my own soul while fighting Waning One in this loop and saw it for myself. In the next loop after my infiltration, when he turned me, he must have seen a memory of me being one of his Kizuki. That's the only explanation I can think of that makes any sense. It… did not go well."
"Why did you not simply end the loop, then?" Giyuu asked.
Tanjiro shook his head. "Because I didn't know what had changed or why, and… I couldn't let him do anything to my family. He held them hostage and… I couldn't see them dead again. I couldn't…"
Kagaya was beginning to make some very uncomfortable connections.
This… this poor boy. And yet, he burned so brightly. His utter strength of will was just… astounding.
Tanjiro cleared his throat, finished off his cold tea and then continued on.
"I finally killed him, you know… in the last loop… when he made me his Waxing Zero. He went back on his word and I attacked. He was expecting it, but I… caught him off guard with something he hadn't expected from me. Then I… managed to burn him with my fire and pull him into the sunlight while he was focused on that. I'd conquered the sun before as a demon, in other loops, but not that one. I couldn't give that to him, no matter who he held hostage. So we both died.
"Then I woke up in my family's house, as if from a nightmare. I… don't remember much, except that I had to get away from everyone, so he wouldn't hurt them. I must have been making noise in my sleep, because my sister had come over to check on me, and she was there when I woke up. I… only remember that urge to just get out… on our mountain, in the dead of winter… and I didn't even feel the snow as I rushed outside in my sleeping yukata.
"Once outside, I didn't know where to go, but I knew I was human again, and I just had to see – to make sure…" he paused, taking several deep breaths. "We aren't a wealthy family – never have been – and don't own much that can show me my reflection, so I went to the nearby river, that can. I looked completely normal… But I couldn't really trust my own eyes.
"My sister followed me with my winter clothing – that was the first time I'd even noticed the cold – and I asked her if she saw anything in my eyes. She told me they looked normal, but that when I woke up, I'd had the kanji for Waxing Zero written in them."
The cup in his grip let out a noise somewhere between a 'pop' and a 'crack' before suddenly crumbling in his hands, causing everyone to jump. Tanjiro shot to his feet, dropping the shards as if they burned. Fortunately, there was no tea in it. Thankfully, he had managed to not cut his hand. Kagaya wasn't exactly sure how, but wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, Oyakata-sama! Please, let me clean that up!"
And there was the kind-hearted boy that Urokudaki had described.
"It's fine," Kagaya said. "Please make sure you don't cut yourself. I'll call for Hinaki."
"Oh, no! I broke it, I can clean it up!" the boy said as he knelt and began gathering the pieces. Thankfully, Hinaki came quickly and took the shards of the cup from him as he sheepishly apologized again, to her this time. She simply promised to bring a new cup as well as a refill of tea.
Kagaya honestly had such amazing and wonderful children.
"Sorry about that," Tanjiro muttered again as he knelt down where he'd been before.
"It really is fine," the Corps head insisted. It was better than fine, actually. It had given them all a much needed break from the story. The story that they would now have to return to. "You were telling us that your sister saw your eyes change when you woke?"
Tanjiro seemed to sag a little under a heavy weight. "Yeah. I… I thought it was just… a holdover from the previous loop. But… I just couldn't handle it anymore. I…" He paused and looked to the side. "Broke, I suppose." Then he chuckled mirthlessly. "I never have been strong enough."
"I disagree," Kagaya said, making sure to smile so the kid knew he wasn't just saying it. "I suspect most people would have broken long before you did. That you held out that long is most certainly commendable."
The boy blinked, and then sent a watery smile Kagaya's way. "Thank you, Oyakata-sama."
"Of course. Continue when you are ready."
Tanjiro was silent for several seconds and Kagaya could hear him using his breathing techniques to calm himself down.
"So, because Nezuko saw my eyes and teeth and I acted so differently, my mom believed me for once and she had a good idea that I hadn't thought of before that had a chance to help us all escape. I… was desperate at the time and willing to try just about anything to keep everything from turning out as bad as the loop before. So we squeezed into our small boat and took it down the river, stopping to lay some false trails here and there.
"It… worked." He shook his head, incredulously. "Even now I can't believe it. I was so thrilled I could stay human and become a demon slayer again.
"Even though I didn't meet Giyuu-san, this time," he nodded at the Water Pillar, who looked to be on the verge of a bit of a breakdown himself, "I still took my family to Urokudaki-sensei's place and asked him to train us. I'd forgotten how hard it was to train my body as a human the first time, but I pushed myself as hard as I could, took the Final Selection and began going on missions, as you know, Oyakata-sama. They weren't missions I'd ever gone on before, but they also weren't usually very difficult.
"And then, a couple of weeks ago, I was sent to examine a situation: ferry passengers – and sometimes entire ferries – disappearing for no reason. Turns out it was a demon I encountered in my first life – as well as a couple of loops after that. That was Waning Moon One. He would send people forcefully to sleep and give them happy dreams until he had them where he wanted them. Then he would turn those dreams into nightmares before he ate them.
"When demon slayers came along, he'd bribe people – often broken, orphaned or sick children – with sweet dreams if they would go into that demon slayer's mind and destroy the spirit core of the demon slayer. I found one such girl in my soul. She wanted to see her family again… I could relate." He paused and looked into the distance for several seconds before shaking his head and looking back at the Corps Head. "I stopped her, and managed to talk her down – and I knew how to get out of the dream, but I had to go to sleep to lure him out, but was regretting doing so right then. So I… left the dream and told her I knew somewhere she could go. I was planning on taking her to the Butterfly Estate to see if Shinobu-san would be willing to accept her."
"Very thoughtful of you. What would you have done if Shinobu-san said no?" Kagaya asked.
"I would have taken her to my mom and Urokudaki-sensei and we would have adopted her."
This child… thoughtful, intelligent and ever so kind. Even after everything he'd been through. This was awe-inspiring. He was so very lucky to have such a child in his corps.
"What happened?" Kagaya encouraged softly, gently. This had to be on his terms.
He took a deep breath and suddenly looked so sad. "I… got arrogant. She was held hostage, but I thought I could save both her and the people sleeping on the ferry that Waning One attacked in his death throes, and… I couldn't. I wasn't fast enough. She… She died in m-my arms."
Giyuu had long since looked down, staring at his own cup while Kagaya could only smile encouragingly. Fortunately, at that point, Hinaki came back with a cup for him and some more warm tea. Kagaya thanked her as she bowed and left. He'd definitely remember to tell her how proud he was of her.
For now, though, he was still sure he didn't have the whole story, and he needed that before he could make any final decisions. He hated putting this child through this kind of interrogation, but felt it was necessary.
"You informed me of Waning One's defeat, and then asked for a break. I didn't ask questions at the time, so I will now: why did you feel you needed one?"
Tanjiro sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Because while I was on that boat, while I held that little girl's body in my arms, I reacted as I had in so many loops before… and activated my Demon Blood Art."
Shocked silence.
Kagaya felt his eyes widen. "How is this possible?"
The boy bit his lip, then winced when the large canine punctured it. Giyuu stiffened at the sight of blood in front of a potential demon, but Tanjiro just put a finger on it to stop the bleeding and continued his story.
"Ouch, sorry. As for how I could activate a Blood Art when I hadn't been turned into a demon… well, I didn't know… and I had to find out. So, once I buried Miki-chan, I wrote to you and then went to visit someone else I know."
"Oh? Who?"
For the first time, Tanjiro looked truly nervous as he contemplated telling Kagaya, but eventually he must have decided the leader of the Demon Corps was trustworthy because he explained.
"Hundreds of years ago, Muzan turned a woman into a demon. She'd been sick and would leave behind a husband and children, so she looked for a cure. She found Muzan. He turned her into a demon, she killed her entire village before she came back to herself. So upset and devastated at what she'd done, she vowed to kill Muzan… but we all know how difficult that is. She almost gave up hope, but eventually was able to shake off Muzan's curse and modify her body so that she could subsist on a very small amount of blood and even be around blood without losing her mind.
"She is now a doctor and strives to save as many lives as she can in compensation for those she has taken."
"That cannot be possible!" Giyuu interrupted suddenly. "We have never heard of a demon doing such in the history of the corps!"
Kagaya put up a hand and the older boy immediately calmed down, even though he still looked agitated.
Tanjiro simply looked over at him and said some of the wisest words Kagaya had ever heard. "Simply because it makes no sense to you does not make it untrue." He didn't say it cruelly or haughtily, just matter-of-fact, but with a soft smile Giyuu didn't seem to know what to do with. He looked taken aback by the words as he just stared at Tanjiro. He'd likely need some time to digest that.
"In any case," he turned back to Kagaya, "I have visited Tamayo-san in multiple loops. Her clinic is often where I go to sleep when I become a demon so my body can change. Sleep is how I gather energy as a demon and I need a safe place to stay for several months. She is almost always happy to take me in and she almost always ends up working on a cure to turn demons back into humans. In my first life, she even succeeded."
Kagaya felt his eyebrows almost raise into his hairline because that… that could change everything.
"I have heard of this 'Tamayo' before, but never reached out to her as she had no reason to trust us. I think I would like to get in contact with her now," the Ubuyashiki head said finally. Giyuu looked gobsmacked.
Tanjiro smiled. "I thought you might. You have before. I'll write to her and ask if that's alright."
"Thank you."
"Oyakata-sama! That's a demon you'll be speaking to!" Giyuu said, far more agitated than Kagaya had seen him in quite a while.
Kagaya took a breath and then looked firmly, but kindly at his Water Pillar.
"Giyuu-san, our organization has been around for hundreds of years. We have made little progress towards killing Muzan. If I have to use unconventional means to gather more information and even gain an inch of ground towards killing that monster, I will."
Giyuu sat there looking kind of helpless for several seconds as he thought that over. Eventually, his brow furrowed, troubled, but he nodded and sat back again.
Kagaya turned back to Tanjiro. "What did Tamayo-san have to say about your… current condition?"
Tanjiro sighed. "She theorized that it was a combination of Muzan's mark and the fact that I came back in time because of my own Blood Demon Art that has caused my condition. I currently do have demonic cells in my bloodstream, but they are unusual – dormant until I activate them. They don't attack my human cells at all as far as she could tell.
"However, when I use my Demon Blood Art, they multiply ten fold – or more. Once I deactivate it, I return to my human form… but have consistently had more demonic cells in my body than before I activated it. I will gain more and more demon-like qualities the more often I use it until… I won't be able to revert to being human at all."
Giyuu frowned. "So when you said you were turning into a demon because of a Demon Blood Art, it was your own, you meant?"
Tanjiro nodded, a little sheepishly. "Yes."
"So, the other night, when you faced four of the Waning Moons," Kagaya said thoughtfully, "you ended up having to use your demonic power, which is why you now have fangs when you didn't before?"
The boy blinked at him, then shook his head ruefully. "That's the Ubuyashiki Kagaya I know." Strange, had Tanjiro met him in previous lives, as a demon perhaps? How interesting… Giyuu almost looked offended. Had he come to the same conclusion then? Kagaya chuckled.
Then Tanjiro lost his smile again. "They wanted to capture me. I'm afraid that turning into a demon put me under the curse again and he must have seen something. He certainly saw my demonic form when I fought the Waning Moons," he said, rubbing his forehead, right over that strange, flame-like mark. "He's going to want to come after me now… which is why I have to ask for more time off."
He sighed and bowed deeply. "I do not wish to do this, Oyakata-sama, but… I need to rest. My body resting as long as it is now may mean I will need to sleep as much as possible so it can continue to adjust to the demonic cells as it has in previous loops."
Giyuu looked like he was about to speak, but Kagaya held up his hand again. "You know I won't be able to simply let you go find Tamayo-san to sleep. Letting go of someone who may very well become a demon would be the height of irresponsibility on my part." The Water Pillar relaxed a little at that.
Tanjiro looked troubled then and frowned as he thought. After a minute, though, his eyes lit up. "Then let me go home!"
Kagaya tipped his head to one side. "To your mountain?"
The boy shook his head. "No, to Sagiri Mountain! Urokudaki-sensei can look after me and I can see my family again! Giyuu-san can even escort me there!"
Hmm, not a bad solution. Although...
"And if Muzan finds you there?"
Tanjiro blinked, and then his face darkened. "Then he'll have to go through me and the former Water Pillar to get to them – or take me."
Honestly, it was likely the best they'd get at this point.
"Very well. I will send Urokudaki-san a letter explaining everything and you and Giyuu-san can begin your travels after the Hashira meeting."
The boy looked startled. "Right… I forgot why we were here… so, why am I coming to a Hashira meeting?" The nervousness from before was back. It made him look so young…
"As a rank Kinoe, you defeated not only one, but four Kizuki. I know you had reservations, but I wanted to try and persuade you otherwise. You've certainly earned the rank. It's just unfortunate you will have to go on leave so soon after gaining this."
He had to admit, it was rather amusing to see the boy kneel there, opening and closing his mouth rather like a fish. A very sharp-toothed fish. To be fair, Giyuu-san seemed to be staring at him too, mouth agape. Kagaya had to stifle a laugh.
"Well," he said instead as he put his last mark on the page in front of him that would finalize the new ranking, "There are three empty Hashira places to fill. I will be very pleased to mark two of those places off today."
"T-two?" Tanjiro managed to get out.
Kagaya smiled at him. "Why, yes. Kanroji-san has killed off her 50th demon as a Kinoe. She will also be joining our ranks with her 'Love' style. Speaking of, you use the Water and Sun breathing styles, correct?"
The boy just nodded, looking a little dazed.
"Well, since Giyuu-san, here, is doing an excellent job of filling our Water Pillar place," because he really needed to know that Kagaya valued him and that he did deserve to be there – although, judging by the half-squawk that came out of his mouth, he still didn't. It was a work in progress, "You can be our Sun Pillar."
Tanjiro struggled to get words out. "I told you I didn't want to be a pillar!"
Kagaya gave him a sympathetic smile. "Because you didn't want to draw attention to yourself, correct?"
The boy blinked, knowing he'd already lost this one as he sat back, still dazed.
"According to your report, Muzan already knows about you, and the Corps needs your strength."
Tanjiro shook his head. "B-but I'm half demon right now! Shinazugawa's going to try and take my head the moment he sees me!"
Giyuu looked utterly flummoxed as he turned and stared, his mouth slightly open, at the time-traveler, probably at how easily he threw out how well he knew the current Pillars.
Kagaya, for himself, blinked. "Can you not stop him?"
The teen blinked back. "Well, yes… but isn't that besides the point? Don't all the pillars need to be able to work together?!"
The Demon Slayer head simply chuckled again. "If that were true, I would not have promoted Shinazugawa-san to begin with. Although he used to be able to work with other pillars, so perhaps that isn't quite accurate."
Giyuu had gone back to just staring at Kagaya.
"In any case, I do believe that if it came down to killing Muzan or his pride, he would choose Muzan."
Tanjiro didn't look convinced, but eventually he conceded with a nod. "Well, he is a very strong pillar."
Kagaya returned the gesture. "Indeed. Thank you for your service, Tanjiro-san. Please rest well. You can return to the waiting room now. I will send Hinaki with you to retrieve Kanroji-san."
The boy nodded and stood, as did Giyuu. Before they left, Tanjiro turned around, brow still furrowed.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Oyakata-sama?"
The Demon Slayer Head's smile widened as much as he could without causing pain. "I am."
Tanjiro studied him for several seconds before nodding and turning to leave. Hinaki stood outside, ready to escort him back.
"Oh, Giyuu-san, before you leave, would you mind staying for a moment?"
The dark-haired man looked torn between following a still dazed Tanjiro, already walking behind Hinaki down the hall, and staying. Eventually, though, he turned and knelt down again.
"Oyakata-sama," he said softly, "that story was…"
"Terrifying? Horrifying? Completely unbelievable?" Kagaya mused.
Giyuu nodded. "Yes. So why do you believe him?"
What a coincidence. That had been exactly what Kagaya had wanted to discuss. "Two reasons, Giyuu-san," he said gently. "Firstly, you know Urokudaki-san. You know his nose can smell when people lie. He has vouched that Tanjiro is not lying."
The Water Pillar's eyebrows drew together as he thought over that.
"And the second, Giyuu, is that I think you underestimate how strong that boy is."
Giyuu's frown deepened. "What do you mean, Oyakata-sama?
Kagaya looked over at the still open sliding door. "You seem to think that he will simply turn on us when the time is right."
The Water Pillar nodded slowly. "That is what demons do," he said, warily.
"But you don't seem to understand that he doesn't need a 'right time' to destroy us all. Giyuu, from what I've seen, if he wanted us dead, we already would be."
xXx
AN: So, a little bit shorter chapter last time, a little bit longer chapter this time, and earlier, so I hope it all works out.
Thank you to TimeLordTim, Found and Quathis for their help on this!
Discord Link: discord. gg/PChdnmNEc5 (no spaces)
