Shinobu, Kamado, Shinazugawa and their guest/patient showed up at the Butterfly Estate just after sunrise. The girls that maintained the estate had already risen and were eating breakfast when Shinobu spoke to them about the situation briefly and assured them she would explain more thoroughly once she got everyone situated. Then she asked the girls to take their patient to one of the recovery rooms while she took care of Kamado and Shinazugawa.
Then she had the two demons follow her towards their cellar. It had been added on long after the estate had been originally built and was sturdy enough to give her at least some peace of mind when it came to demons.
That had been its original function.
She felt a little bad for taking them to one of the demon holding cells, though. She'd realized that she trusted Kamado… well, as much as she ever would be able to (she doubted she'd ever truly trust a demon, no matter their intentions), but she did not trust Shinazugawa. Not as he was now. Although he'd seemed more compliant since he'd eaten. About then, she realized he wouldn't have been able to eat once he'd been turned, like most demons did. Turning took energy, and he'd been severely wounded. No wonder he'd been so… intense about anything he'd considered food.
She still doubted that a single arm (and whatever else he'd taken from the woman) would have been enough, but it must have been better than nothing. And she also noticed that he'd begun to speak after he ate and had to write down some of her theories regarding that. Did eating the demon's arm jump start his recovery? Was he recovering? Would that have simply come with time? Or was it the memory of her sister that had somehow accelerated his growth? Was it just a coincidence and would he simply have started talking whether he'd eaten or not?
So many questions she didn't have the answer for.
So many implications for both good and ill.
This… would be a long day. And the least she could do would be to make them comfortable.
"I have to admit, I would feel more at ease if you and Shinazugawa-san would sleep in the cellar," she finally said to Kamado. He didn't look happy, but nodded. '
"I can't say I blame you," he replied.
Shinazugawa just growled, but didn't otherwise protest, so she took that as a win.
"In any case, I'll need you to help me carry the bedding down to the room you will be staying in." She walked to a closet and began to take down some futons she had stored in there. She didn't often use them as patients were easier to tend to in beds. She was grateful that she had these futons now, though.
"Will you lock us inside?" Kamado asked.
Shinazugawa's growl turned defensive… and it bothered her that she could recognize that change in tone. Was that because she'd known him before? Or had she just come to know him that well in the last day? Did it really matter?
"I have to protect my patients and girls," she replied with a smile. "I hope you understand."
He just sighed again and nodded, as if he'd been expecting that.
She refused to let that make her feel any guiltier.
"Shinazugawa-san, could you carry this futon?" she asked.
"Yeah," he muttered and took it from her, to her surprise and relief. He still didn't sound happy, but he also didn't sound or act like a demon either. Well, mostly. He still crept along in a slouch and walked on all fours (or threes as one arm carried the blankets) part of the time, and the growling… but it was still an improvement.
Kamado got the second futon and Shinobu herself decided to carry the blankets as she showed them to the cellar door and then down to the dark rooms below. It had no windows and there would be very little light once they closed the door.
"I realize you don't need to be away from the sunlight, but I do think this is the best option," she said, going to one of the rooms and opening it. Inside, there was just enough space for two futons. "I won't lock the room door, but I will lock the basement door," she informed them. That was the most she was willing to concede.
"It's more than we could have expected," Kamado said with a bow, as if reading her mind.
She decided she really didn't want to think on that possibility either.
Shinazugawa growled grumpily and nodded his head.
She smiled at them, realizing she'd given more real smiles in the last couple of months than she had since… well, Kanae.
She wasn't quite sure what to think of that.
Putting that aside for now, she helped them set up their futons, showed them where the lamps were and how they could light them if necessary (although she doubted that as Kamado could make fire at will, and while it didn't act like normal fire, it certainly gave off light as one would expect).
Then she watched them get situated, unwilling to leave them without knowing they'd gone to sleep as they should.
Within minutes, they were both breathing evenly – constant concentration even. Interesting.
She did call out to them to see if they were still awake, but neither one of them answered. Satisfied, she nodded and turned to go back upstairs. Once there, she locked the door and then took several seconds to just breathe herself because she really didn't know what to think of this whole situation.
There was just… too much right now, and she needed her own sleep.
She also needed to attend to her patient and that came first. Checking vitals and setting her up for observation would take at least an hour at this point, and they'd have to make some more bone broth for her to eat… just in case.
Despite wanting to head to bed herself, she stood straight and turned to hurry down the hall towards her patient. She may not get much sleep today, but she could sleep when she died, she supposed.
Such was the life of a demon slayer.
xXx
Kaiyo woke slowly, her eyelids felt and difficult to move. Nothing sounded familiar and everything felt different. She didn't know why. The best she could come up with to describe it was… muddy or perhaps blurry. She didn't want to sleep anymore, despite being so tired, but waking up was a trial.
Something kept niggling at the back of her mind…
Her stomach let out a loud growl.
Oh. She was hungry. But it didn't seem so bad for some reason.
Eventually, she managed to pry her eyes open and found herself staring at the wooden beams of an old-fashioned ceiling. At least, it looked old, but well worn and taken care of. She turned her head to look around and found she lay in a bed instead of a futon. She frowned. She didn't remember owning a bed. Those were luxuries for the wealthy, come from the west recently (as the country had just opened up) and no one else could afford them.
What was she doing in a bed in a wealthy old estate? At least, that was the conclusion she'd come to, and moving to sit up didn't change her mind. Her bed was one of three in a sparsely decorated room away from the shuttered windows. She wanted to shy away from them, but didn't know why.
Eventually, she managed to gain a sitting position but it did little to enlighten her more. Had she been brought here for healing? For quarantine? Both? Neither? She remembered so little…
She closed her eyes and put a hand to her temple rubbing it in circles as she forced herself to remember…
She did recall her dream. Or nightmare. What a terrible dream it had been. She'd become an Oni who had killed and eaten people alive. Just the flashes that began to come back made her stomach churn.
And she remembered a man… with red-purple eyes, slitted and cruel. He'd… offered her something, hadn't he?
Oh, right! She'd been sick! And it hadn't gone away. He said he could heal her.
She opened her eyes and looked around the dimly lit room again. Apparently that had been a dream too, although being here in this estate at least let her know she'd gotten some help. Actually, she felt better than she had in over a year.
She smiled. Ezume must have gone to some great lengths to get her illness treated. She looked forward to seeing Etsuko and Chiyo again. Ezume had kept them away once she'd gotten sick, for fear of spreading her illness. Had he sent them away to family? She couldn't remember. It was coming back, but still felt… fuzzy. Like it had all been another life. After effects of the illness?
Kaiyo sighed and then realized she had to relieve herself. With how her body felt, this likely wouldn't be a fun experience. Still, she braced herself and moved the blankets aside, then she forced her heavy, heavy legs to move. They hurt… a lot.
She managed to get to her feet and steady herself by the bed. She'd need a comb for the mess her hair had become, but she supposed that was what came of laying in bed for… who knew how long.
Once she was sure of her footing, she began to walk towards the door. It was slow going, but she felt firmer and better the more she moved. She'd almost reached the door when it opened suddenly, startling her. She let out a surprised sound and tried to catch herself, but didn't have the coordination. She fell to the floor with a thump, registering a shriek coming from whoever had opened the door. Then she looked up to see a girl with pigtails on either side of her head, each held with a butterfly clip. She wore a white shift over a dark uniform similar to what she'd seen the police wear in recent years.
But why would the police have brought her here? Was her illness that dangerous?
The girl just stared at her for several seconds and she stared right back until she realized how undignified she looked in her white hadajuban*, sprawled on the ground simply from being startled. She tried to regain her feet.
"Please excuse me," she said as she focused on her hand-eye coordination. "You startled me. I simply needed to relive myself."
"Oh… let me help you," the girl said, sounding a little unsure, but her hands were steady as she helped Kaiyo to her feet.
"Thank you," the older woman smiled at her. "Are you an apprentice here?"
The girl tensed for a moment, but then nodded slowly. "Kanzaki Aoi, at your service." Well, only nodding was a little rude, but she was also young and it wasn't Kaiyo's place to say anything.
"My family recently adopted the name Suzuki**, and I am Kaiyo," she said with a bow. She had to concentrate to not fall over again.
The girl seemed to study her for several seconds before nodding to the nearest bed.
"Before I can let you leave the room, I must check you over."
Kaiyo supposed that was fair enough, even if the idea of backtracking didn't appeal to her. Still, she managed to get to the bed and sat down. The girl began looking her over, checking her hands, asking her to open her mouth, checking her eyes and ears as well as her feet.
Once she finished with the cursory check, she took a step back and put her hands on her hips, as if puzzled. "How do you feel?" she asked.
"Sore," Kaiyo answered truthfully. "It feels difficult to move my arms and legs – as if I'm moving through water. But otherwise better than I've felt in a long while."
"I… see," the girl said, a calculating look in her eye. "You were sick, correct?" Kaiyo frowned. Shouldn't the girl know that? But she nodded anyway. "What were your symptoms before?"
Something wasn't right here… but Kaiyo saw no reason to withhold her answer.
"I had difficulty eating and pain in my stomach, as well as my side here," she pointed to her left rib area under her armpit. "It very slowly spread and was making my daily life very difficult. I thank you for your and your master's help in my healing because that has completely vanished. I feared it would be the death of me."
The girl looked a little stricken for a moment before her face returned to her usual stern expression. Then she nodded.
"If you would like to relieve yourself, please follow me."
Why did Kaiyo feel as if the girl was hiding something from her?
To her surprise, the girl led her to a sectioned-off part of the estate and showed her to a room instead of a wood-covered pit outside as Kaiyo was used to. It seemed to be a strangely covered pit inside with a bowl-like structure over it.
"What is that?" she asked.
The girl blinked, then slowly ventured.
"I know this might sound like a strange question, Suzuki-san, but what year did you get sick?"
Kaiyo couldn't help but be taken aback at the question. "Seven Meiji* by the reckoning of the Meiji government…"
The girl just blinked. "I see. This is a western invention called a toilet. You sit on it and… do your business." She seemed a little uncomfortable with that as she explained, but it wasn't exactly polite conversation. Necessary, perhaps, and so understandably awkward.
"Thank you," Kaiyo said, once the girl finished, hoping to alleviate her worry before going in and closing the door.
It was… strange, but she could see why the people of the West had come up with such a simple concept.
Once finished, Kanzaki showed her back to her room. The walk had done her good, and she felt better about controlling her body again, but the trip had also tired her out.
Still, she had questions she wanted answered. Could she see her family soon? What was going on with her treatment? How long had she been out? Surely not more than a couple of weeks… or perhaps months.
Such a concept made her want to shudder. And the way the girl had talked about years…
No, surely it couldn't have been a year… could it?
On the way back to her room, they ran into some other girls doing some cleaning. They were awfully young to be apprenticing, but they didn't seemed to be future ladies of the estate so she didn't think they could possibly be anything else. Servants perhaps? But again, why so young?
Kanzaki-san called out to them and then pulled them into a quiet huddle. The three younger girls all glanced fearfully at Kaiyo and she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. They must be shy…
Then the three girls nodded their heads and ran off down the hallway. Hmm, definitely improper but Kaiyo hadn't exactly grown up in splendor like this. Perhaps the rumors of propriety and emphasis on being proper were exaggerated?
"My apologies, Sazuki-san," Kanzaki-san said with a slight bow to her patient before turning and continuing down the hallway. "The head healer, Kocho Shinobu, will be here to explain everything to you shortly."
"I would appreciate it," Kaiyo said demurely. "I will admit I have very little idea as to what is going on." Was it her or did the girl tense up for a moment there, almost to a point of pausing in her step. But if she did, she got over it quickly and simply continued on her way.
She showed Kaiyo back into her room and the woman gratefully made her way back to the bed she'd been sleeping in. Even that short walk had exhausted her.
"I'll return with some broth for you," the young apprentice said with another bow before leaving and shutting the door.
Hmm. This place was definitely strange, but if Kaiyo had been healed here, then she'd happily sing their praises to her village. And she planned on enjoying this luxury until she had to go home… but she did look forward to going back to her small house and her husband and children.
For a moment, images flashed before her eyes of the houses around her as she literally tore through doors to get to the people hiding inside, of others running for their lives… of Ezume crying and pleading and… bleeding—
She shook her head. No, that had just been a nightmare. An extremely realistic nightmare but nothing more than a bad dream.
Because things like that didn't happen in real life. She'd never truly believed that the old Youkai from the stories existed. She was a practical woman who took care of her house and her family. Strange happenings had explanations that didn't deal with Youkai or Oni. That just seemed like an easy answer to her. And she would not change that stance now.
(Now if only she could repeat it enough to convince herself.)
By the time Kanzaki returned with her broth, Kaiyo had already fallen back asleep.
xXx
Akatsugi looked out over the wall of the estate. The Ubuyashiki estate that Muzan had been looking for. It consisted of old buildings and a wall that looked to be falling apart from the outside – something anyone looking for it could easily dismiss as abandoned. No wonder Nakime hadn't really had any luck finding it. Well, her or any of the previous demons…
But it was only a matter of time.
And the entire Ubuyashiki family knew it.
He actually found it a little inspiring, seeing how dedicated they all were to ending Muzan and his demons. He got a sense of surrealism when he remembered that he would have been one of those targeted… Although actually accomplishing destroying the demon king and his ilk would have been… difficult for them, to say the least. However, as he glanced down and saw Rengoku and Himejima sparring, he could honestly believe they could do it. Working together as they tended to…
Muzan hadn't ever wanted his demons to work together. Too much of a threat.
His loss.
Funny, he hadn't realized up until that point that getting his memories back had made him far more sentimental (although he didn't find it surprising either).
He glanced down at the sparring Pillars again and held back a sigh. He'd been training with both of them earlier today and it had been… well, if not fun, then enjoyable at least. Then they'd wanted to spar each other to see how they'd improved. Now he wanted them to hurry up and finish so he could go back to—
"Excuse me. If you would all follow me," a new voice spoke and he glanced down from where he sat on the warm roof tiles (the more he was in the sun, the more he enjoyed it). One of the Ubuyashiki children, one of the girls with white hair, stood in the doorway to the house. She even looked directly up at him. "Even you, Akatsugi-san."
The two Hashira stopped fighting and the very surprised demon simply nodded, jumping down from the roof and landing in front of her as he saw no reason to deny the request.
She led them to the room he realized the Ubuyashiki head liked to meet people in. Currently the two Hashira, one of their students Akatsugi hadn't actually met yet, and Akatsugi himself had remained there with the family. He'd basically slept and trained, slept some more, gotten to know the remaining Hashira (who tended to get very edgy when he approached any of the Ubuyashiki family) and realized that he rather liked Rengoku. He could respect Himejima – the man was likely the strongest Pillar Akatsugi had ever met personally – but Rengoku was just fun. And he had so much fighting potential.
Still, few people actually approached him and he found himself missing… well, too many people, he supposed. He almost missed the other Moons simply because he had known them and maybe Tanjiro (at least the boy actually spoke to him… and cared), Kanroji had been a fun sparring partner… but most of all, he missed Koyuki and Sensei. These people tolerated him. Those people had cherished him. Even if he couldn't understand why they had cared for him so…
Entering the room with the Ubuyashiki head brought him back to the present. The other Hashira dropped to their knees. Akaza simply bowed at the waist. It was more respect than he'd shown everyone else willingly, but at least this man had given him a chance… much like Tanjiro, and he deserved acknowledgment for that.
"I have received some news," Ubuyashiki-sama said quietly. He wasn't smiling or facing them. That… couldn't be good. "Kamado Tanjiro and Shinazugawa Sanemi – our Sun and Wind Pillars respectively – had an extremely unlucky run-in with another Waxing Moon." He took a breath and let it out. "Waxing One."
Akatsugi felt his blood run cold. No… that' couldn't be… He'd know if Tanjiro had died… wouldn't he? But he also knew Kokushibo. The man was a storm in demon form…
"Did he kill them?" the former Waxing Third asked, heedless of the glares the others shot him at his disrespect speaking out so abruptly. "Capture them…?"
Ubuyashiki-sama shook his head. "No. They lost but were able to get away… well, Kamado was."
"So… Sanemi-san is gone," Himejima said, tears beginning to run down his cheeks as he clutched his prayer beads.
Ubuyashiki-sama shook his head again. "He was dying and… to save his life, Kamado-san made a very difficult decision."
Akatsugi felt his jaw drop as he put it together. "He turned him into a demon?!"
The other men jumped, eyes wide and shocked. Rengoku seemed particularly vocal about how that couldn't have happened, but the demon didn't take his eyes off of Ubuyashiki-sama. The ill man just sighed and nodded. More exclamations followed.
Ubuyashiki-sama held up a hand and waited for silence. "According to their Kasugai Crows and the report I just received from both Kamado-san and Shinobu-san, he has not been out of sight and has not eaten a bite of human flesh. Currently, he is sleeping in the demon cells at the Butterfly Estate." He looked in the direction of the largest Hashira. "I would like to tell Shinazugawa-san's little brother personally."
Himejima didn't stop muttering prayers under his breath, but he did nod in acknowledgment.
"I will send Hinaki to escort him," Ubuyashiki-sama continued. "You are all dismissed. Thank you for coming." He shot them all a tired smile and they filed out the door, Akatsugi between the two Pillars. He didn't know what to think of this. Kamado had already turned someone else into a demon? And he'd been a Pillar before? Did that mean he would become stronger than Akatsugi? The only Kizuki who knew a breathing form was Kokushibo, second only to Muzan.
Was he being replaced?
… He didn't know. Kamado wasn't like Muzan… and yet…
A niggling worry squirmed in the back of his mind, small but painfully obvious. There were only three demons in this 'line' and he was potentially the weakest of them…
He couldn't let that happen… He wouldn't.
Ahead of him, Himejima turned to head towards his current rooms and Akatsugi paused.
"Akatsugi-san?" Rengoku asked with a bright smile and those wide eyes.
He turned to the man. "Teach me a breathing form."
The Pillar looked taken aback. "What?"
Akatsugi shook his head. "I have to get stronger. I have to be able to compete with a demon who can use breathing forms…"
The man looked utterly confused. "You are already plenty strong, Akatsugi-san!"
The demon shook his head. "No… I'm not strong enough. I was only third under Douma and Kokushibo and I wasn't catching up, no matter how hard I tried. Now with… I can only sleep to gain energy and stamina and… it isn't enough!" Because he couldn't bare the idea of letting someone else overtake him again. The very thought of becoming obsolete terrified him… he couldn't be left behind again. Never again.
Right then, he missed Koyuki so much it physically hurt.
She hadn't meant to leave him, but she had.
"I don't think that is a good idea!" Rengoku said with a huge smile on his face. Sometimes, Akatsugi couldn't help but be convinced that the Flame Hashira didn't know – or care – how to read a mood. He could respect that, but he also found it extremely frustrating at times.
"Ask Ubuyashiki-sama, then," he shot back, agitated, but realized that the Flame Pillar had no reason to acquiesce to his request. So he tried to think of a different angle – one that helped the Corps. It only took him a couple of seconds to come up with something. "Besides, having stronger opponents to train with will help you become better and faster too." Okay, it wasn't the best. Akatsugi had never been a good strategist outside of actual battle.
Fortunately, Rengoku bought it hook, line and sinker.
"You make an excellent point! I shall return to Ubuyashiki-sama immediately!"
The demon felt himself relax a little. "Yeah, thanks." He wasn't normally the type to give acknowledgment or gratitude, but this was definitely a special case. "Meanwhile… I'll go sleep."
"Yes, you do that! I shall find you tomorrow!
Akatsugi sighed and rubbed the back of his head tiredly as the Flame Hashira hurried off. It occurred to him that he had been left alone in the Ubuyashiki household. If he were still Loyal to Muzan, this would be his chance to do some serious damage. Fortunately, he wanted nothing to do with that person ever again.
With another sigh, he turned and began to walk back to his room. He would need all the strength he could get in the coming days.
xXx
AN: *Traditional Japanese Undergarment
** Many Japanese families didn't take surnames because they thought they would be taxed for them. In the late 1800's, during the Meiji era, a law was passed requiring every family to take a surname. Suzuki has been a common surname since that time according to the website I visited… so take that with a grain of salt.
Also, I did try to do some research on this, but toilets of the Meiji era looked to be fairly communal and some of the pictures I saw were simply pits covered by a wooden platform with walls and a movable wooden plank. Simple but effective, I suppose. Once the idea of a toilet seat began to catch on with the middle and lower classes, they would often cover pits with toilets, much like an outhouse. Some areas and schools still use these to this day (which is a little strange, considering everyone thinks of the high-end/complicated toilets from Japan… but hey, if it works, right?).
Thanks to TimeLordTim, Found and Quathis for beta reading! Luv you guys!
Discord: discord. gg/xDDz3gqWfy (no spaces)
