Tamayo looked up, recognizing that the barest link she still had with Muzan was active. She'd thrown his curse off, but she hadn't been able to get rid of every connection to him. It was just small enough that he hadn't noticed – or if he had, he couldn't do anything about it. She wouldn't have noticed herself had she not been adamant on trying to banish every trace of him from her body. Unfortunately, that was the best she could do.

Or 'fortunately' in this case, she supposed.

"Yushiro," she said quietly as she stood.

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Dress in the Demon Slayer Corps outfit as quickly as you can. It's tonight's."

He paled. "But… Tamayo-sama! You—"

"Yushiro," she cut him off firmly, "I am sorry to leave you so soon, but this is what will make me happy. It is what I have been fighting and researching and living for for over 300 years. You… made my life far happier, and I thank you for it. And I apologize again, but I must do this."

She hated seeing that heartbroken look on his face, sort of half-way between stricken, horrified and depressed.

"Please, live for me," she said quietly. "Destroying that man and knowing you are living on… that is what will truly make me happy. So that is my request of you."

A single tear dripped down his face, but otherwise he showed no hint of a waver. "Hai, Tamayo-sama."

She gave him her most grateful smile. "Thank you, Yushiro. Now quickly, let's go."

"Hai, Tamayo-sama."

xXx

Nezuko had finally reached a point where she would say she was comfortable with her new body. More than comfortable, really. Yes, she had to eat a lot to maintain it, but her new-found strength was more than useful in several areas of her life, not to mention her Breath style and abilities had taken a huge leap forward once she'd gained more control of her limbs and core.

It was… thrilling. Part of her thought she could take on the world.

But then she'd remember Nii-san and Mitsuri fighting the Waxing Moons and realize she couldn't stop or coast here. She had to keep working.

Which was what she had done every day since she'd returned to Mt. Sagiri. Between that and checking in on an obviously distraught Hanako as well as packing what belongings they had in the house into carts, her days tended to be very full, but she was also ready to get back out there and restart her missions. She wanted to do her part in taking Muzan down, after all.

She also took time to speak with Senjuro and encourage him, as well as Shigeru, who had insisted he be taught at least how to swing a sword. To be fair, he was starting at about the same age Hanako had, but it still felt like each one of them had started earlier and she couldn't help but wonder what kind of effects that had on their minds.

Then again, if it gave them a better chance at surviving…

She sighed and glanced up at the darkening sky. The sun had already set and she was losing what little light they had left. She really should head back for dinner. It might be a little late because Kaa-san had been out training today too and had likely only just gotten back herself.

Huh. She'd never asked her mother for a spar before. Or, well, not since she'd gotten back in any case. Perhaps she should.

She took a few minutes to stretch before beginning her trek back to their home. Tonight would probably be their last night if Takeo arrived tomorrow. Then they'd all head to wherever the Demon Slayer Corps had set up for them. She felt a little bad for Urokodaki-sensei, though. He'd been here long enough that leaving hurt him more than the rest of them, she could tell, but they couldn't take the chance that the demons could search the area and find them. She was positive she hadn't been followed all the way here, but still…

Her thought shuttered to a halt when she heard something skitter off to her left. She froze and looked deeply into the dark forest, trying to make out what had made that sound. It seemed awfully big…

And then she saw them: two red eyes with no pupil. Even though they seemed to flinch away from her, she knew those weren't human or even animal eyes.

She drew her sword and held it in front of her.

"Gotta make this quick… real quick… kill the girl and go… make Muzan-sama happy," she heard the voice begin to whisper in the woods and tensed. She couldn't tell where the voice was coming from.

She called out to her crow, not taking her eyes off of the woods. "Go to Urokodaki-sensei's and tell him I am under attack. Then inform the Swordsman Smith Village or Oyakata-sama, whichever one he tells you to."

"Caw!" the crow said and she heard it fly off. She hated how that made her feel particularly alone against this monster.

Then she saw the demon skitter – on all fours – from behind one tree to another. There was just enough light for her to make out his form… and she gasped. That was Waxing Moon Four. She was sure of it from her brother's descriptions.

And she was facing him alone.

xXx

Sakonji smelled the demons before they showed up.

Yes, demons. As in two.

And they were Waxing Moon level.

"Kie," he said quietly. She looked up from where she'd been making dinner and saw him staring into the distance. "Take the children up the mountain. Go."

"We were too late?" she asked, her face paling.

"Yes."

She dropped everything, grabbed Rokuta and her sword and hurried out of the other side of the house to grab the boys and Hanako. Meanwhile, Sakonji took his own sword up and looked towards the nearest presence.

"Are you simply going to hide?" he called.

A chuckle answered him.

A familiar chuckle.

The demon that appeared almost took his breath away and certainly made him sick. He had familiar yellow and red hair over red, orange and yellow scales coating the sides of his face and all down his hands, ending in the sharp claws. He had clawed feet (also covered in the same scales – in a flame pattern, similar to the Flame Hashira cape) and a long, serpentine tail moving from side to side behind him.

It was the eyes that got to Sakonji, though. Familiar shape, familiar iris color on black sclera and a large smile with fanged teeth.

Instead of pupils, the words 'Waxing Six' stood out, mocking. Not the eyes themselves, those seemed to have a spark this man had been missing for so long (which also made Sakonji sick), but like Muzan himself was simply flaunting his newest Waxing Moon, just to hurt them.

Sakonji, like everyone else in the corps, hated Muzan. Demons had attacked his family when he was young and he'd been saved by the corps. He'd trained and trained and never found the demon who had taken his family from him.

Sometimes he didn't know whether that was a blessing or a curse, but he'd made peace with the knowledge that he'd likely never find that demon a long time ago, and had just focused on destroying the demons he had come across.

He'd run into his fair share of Waning Moons, had even taken their heads, but he'd never gone against a Waxing Moon.

"They told me you'd be good," the demon said, looking pleased.

"Rengoku," the Former Water Pillar said, glad his voice sounded as firm and steady as ever. He remembered when this man had become their Flame Pillar. He remembered encouraging the man, hearing about his engagement and the births of his children. He remembered learning about the man's family, his brothers who had both been killed in the line of duty and his sister who had been killed at far too young of an age as well.

It hurt to see him like this. He'd never had to face someone turned into a demon. Not like this. The closest had been watching his student slowly become a demon, and that had hurt, but it had still been his student in the end – the kind, loving and determined child who he'd met that first day.

He doubted this would end the same.

The demon before him frowned. "Who?"

Knowing that he'd lost his memories hurt as well, and it meant they had a fight on their hands, but it would have been so much worse if he'd remembered and still been willing to fight them.

"My name is Sienahi," he corrected. "Fu Sienahi."

Unholy fire. Corrupted Fire.

Sakonji sincerely doubted the name was a coincidence.

"You used to be Rengoku Shinjuro, a former Flame Pillar." He wanted to see the new demon's reaction.

He got surprise. "Really? You knew me when I was human?"

"Yes."

"Interesting! Unfortunately, I don't have time to listen as we're on a bit of a time crunch. So…" he held up his sword.

"So be it," Sakonji said, hating the stab of pain he felt at the other's dismissal and raised his own sword.

He would do his duty and protect the Kamados.

Even if it meant destroying one of his best friends.

xXx

Muichiro didn't know why he remembered certain things and others he just… didn't. He remembered his missions, his training, his instincts and routes to take when traveling. He remembered things but not people. And maybe if he did remember, it would bother him more, but he didn't, so it didn't bother him. He suspected it was a rather sinister spiral, but just couldn't bring himself to care.

"So, you're the newest Pillar," the old man at the safe house commented. Muichiro frowned. Had he met this man before? He didn't think so. He may have actually remembered the old man's missing leg and resulting peg if he had. Yes, he fully expected to remember that leg in the future but not the man.

Said man grinned and nodded. "Kuwajima Jigoro, Lightning Cultivator," he introduced. "Ya did good, escorting the twins back here."

The mist pillar looked past the old man to see the twin girls calmly enter the safe-house they'd been staying at for a couple of weeks now. (At least, he thought it was a couple of weeks. Could be months or years for all he could trust his memory.) Another man, this one far more familiar with the red mark around his eye, hair so light it could be white and large stature, shot him a nod as he held the door open for the girls.

"Tokito Muichiro," Muichiro said, a little tired and a little annoyed. He just wanted to go. "I'll take my leave now."

"Don't ya want dinner or somethin'?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Mist Pillar paused. He hadn't had anything to eat for a while now… had he?

(His memory… and why was food not on the list of things he remembered?)

Before he could respond, though, a dark-haired boy with a necklace in the shape of a yellow tomoe came running from the house.

"Sensei! There's an attack on the head's estate!" he yelped, holding a very tired looking crow in his hands.

Muichiro didn't pause any longer. He turned and began running in the direction of the Ubuyashiki estate immediately.

"Kaigaku, go with him."

"Hai, Sensei!"

Muichiro heard steps on the ground behind him, but didn't care. He turned his focus to the few people he could remember.

He would make sure he wasn't too late.

(Please don't let him be too late, not like with…)

A sharp pain shot through his head, and he frowned but then shook it away. Now was not the time. Now he was needed.

And this time, he would save the people he loved.

xXx

Kimiko woke in the dark. Alone. To massive rumbling and loud noises. She shrieked and covered her head with her hands… all six of them.

Only after nothing followed up did she look up and around the small, dark space she was in. What… what had that been? And why had it woken her from sleep?

Slowly, she got up and crept down the dark hallway of the cellar-like basement she found herself in. She didn't like it here. It was empty and cold and so dark… except for the light from down the hallway. She hurried towards it. The warm glow flickered and moved. She didn't understand why until she saw the house above her… or what was left of it, burning away. She peeked her head up, realizing she was in a half-destroyed, stone stairwell – likely why it had stood up to… whatever had happened. And she had no idea what had happened, but she could see nothing but fire and debris in the area surrounding the stairwell.

She thought back, trying to work out some explanation. The memories came back slowly but steadily. Her past, her brother, her mother (she winced at that), chasing down and eating people for years and years (how old was she, really? And why hadn't she cared before?), then the new demon – the kind boy who had given her her memories back… and then she'd gone to sleep.

So where was he now? Was he alright? He was a demon and they could live through anything… right? Even this? (She'd never seen so much destruction at once…)

And then she saw him out of the corner of her eye.

He was nothing more than a skeleton slowly rebuilding itself. She ducked out of sight, but she knew him. She could feel it in her very bones. That was the bad man… the one who had turned her into a monster.

Her blood froze, and part of her wanted to run and never look back, or continue to hide in the basement rooms. However, more than a small part of her wanted to do whatever she could to completely obliterate him. The bad man. The very bad man.

And somehow, something within her knew what to do – knew that she had to wait for the right time. She didn't know how, but… it felt like the kind boy… Tanjiro? Yes, that was his name, and she was sure of it.

She had to wait for the right moment.

Something flashed out of the corner of her eye and she got the barest scent of flowers…

This was it.

She raised a hand to her razor sharp teeth and nicked her finger on one of her fangs. Then she flung her hand out like she had a hundred times before, willing the blood out of her, to shoot through the air, half in control, half on a whim. She wished she had more control of her power right now, but this would have to do.

"Demon Blood Art: Hundred Hand Technique."

The blood landed on the bad man and her hands grew from it, all different sizes, wrapping around him.

"What?!" he yelled, his mouth only half reformed, so it came out as more of a garbled mess.

She even made hands grow from where her blood landed on the ground, reaching up and holding him in place, wrapping around him in so many arms.

It wasn't enough to hold him for more than a couple of seconds. She didn't know how she knew that, but… she did.

She hoped it would be enough for…

There!

A woman became visible, as if she hadn't moved at all but simply appeared, hand shoved into the bad man's chest up to her elbow.

Kimiko gasped.

Then she saw more movement as multiple people approached the bad man, coming straight for him.

"NAKIME!" the bad man yelled. The little demon gasped and flinched away, into a pair of arms.

What?! They'd reached down and just plucked Kimiko from where she'd hidden. She flinched again and flailed, but instead of letting her go, the strong arms encircled her gently but firmly as she saw the ground speed by and then fall away below her.

"I got you, kid," a low but calm voice said. And when he said that she felt… safe. Well, safer. She stopped flailing and looked up to see a man… with pink hair. He didn't look at her but he wasn't hurting her either. She didn't know why he made her feel safe except that he reminded her of the kind boy.

"Wait!" she suddenly said, realization rushing through her. She turned and scrambled to look over the shoulder of the pink-haired man and thrust her hand out. She could make her hands sharp sometimes. They needed that here. It just took more concentration and it would be her last contribution.

"Demon blood art, ten sharp hands!" More arms grew out of the blood, rigid and sharp as her own nails – sharper even. They pierced through the mess of tangled arms just as the bad man broke through them with a powerful yell, throwing off all of the hands she'd made before. He couldn't throw off the new ones though.

He'd still break the spiky hands, she knew but… they needed… to hold him in… place.

She began to feel very tired again. And hungry. But thankfully, the person holding her didn't smell good to eat.

"You did that, kid?" the voice asked. She looked up blearily. The man's eyes had turned towards her, strangely colored with kanji written in them. She got the sense he was a sort of 'senpai', but didn't know exactly what to do with that.

"Y-yeah," she said.

He smiled. "Impressive. Good job, kid."

"'M tired," she muttered.

The man said a bad word. It was kinda funny, but even that couldn't seem to wake her up.

"Fine, sleep. I'll watch over you," he said, sounding exasperated as he continued to leap around. Maybe if she'd been more awake, it would have been fun.

Just as he said that, he leaped and a door opened in the air in front of them. The pink-haired man looked at it grimly, but Kimiko wondered what house they'd come to. She didn't remember that being there.

The last thing she remembered was looking over the muscled shoulder at the bad man held in place by her hands. He looked far away now. How far had they gone? (Not far enough, she suspected.) In her quickly fading mind, she saw a similar image of the man held in place, not by hands, but by sharp, thorny branches colored such a dark red they were almost black. She wondered where that had come from…

Then she slumped in the pink-haired man's arms, and knew no more.

xXx

Takeo and Tomioka-sensei stared at each other for several seconds. Then, to Takeo's surprise and utter embarrassment, the Pillar turned around and offered his back to Takeo.

"I will carry you."

The Kamado boy blinked, and then looked ahead worriedly. Then he looked down at his knee and his hand went up to the bandages across his chest. He felt his resolve harden.

"No, Sensei," he said.

Tomioka-sensei looked back. "We do not have time for you to walk"

"How much faster can you go without me, though?"

The Water Pillar frowned and stood to face Takeo. "It will not be a significant difference."

"But it will be a difference."

Tomioka-sensei frowned again. "I cannot leave you—"

"Please," Takeo said, practically begging. "I know you can push yourself faster and you'll be more ready to fight when you get there if you leave me behind. There are Waxing Moons there! It's my family!"

"You'll be in danger!"

"They're in danger now!" Takeo said back, hating how he felt tears come to his eyes.

"As my Tsuguko, I'm responsible for you," Tomioka-sensei argued.

That made Takeo come up short. But… his family. He was willing to put himself in a little danger for his family's sake. Tanjiro and Nezuko and even Kaa-san did it all the time!

"As your Tsuguko, please put your faith in me," he finally said. "I can't fight Waxing Moons like this. I'll just be in the way. But I can keep myself safe from bandits and non-Kizuki demons." His tears began to roll down his cheeks harder. "Please, Tomioka-sensei," he finally begged, bowing. "Please keep my family safe!"

The Water Pillar looked concerned. But finally, he shook his head. "Let me carry you to the edge of the territory, and then I'll leave you."

Takeo bit his lip, but then he nodded in acquiescence, realizing he wouldn't get a better deal than that.

"Okay," he said and climbed onto his new Sensei's back.

Then they vanished.

Behind them, on the road, a little eye stepped out from under the bushes, as if to verify they'd gone, then it hurried back into the undergrowth, leaving an empty road behind it.

xXx

"We have to go, now," Himejima-san said urgently to the other demon slayers. Tanjiro and Shinazugawa-san nodded.

"We can't just leave this place unprotected," Mitsuri pointed out worriedly as they all turned to rush back to the village. "Someone needs to stay here to protect the people here!"

She wasn't wrong, and they knew it. Still, no one answered, and no one volunteered.

Finally, Himejima spoke. "We should draw straws."

"Too many of us have ways around that," Tanjiro pointed out worriedly. Mitsuri blinked, because she certainly couldn't… or… well, she probably could, but it just hadn't occurred to her to cheat.

She bit her lip. Should she stay? She hated Muzan, sure, but… she didn't have a personal vendetta against him like the others had. But she was also a pillar and wanted to prove how much she could help! And she'd worked so hard for the level of strength she had now!

"Let's talk to Tecchikawahara-san," the Love Pillar suggested.

The other three exchanged glances (or something like that in Himejima-san's case) and nodded.

Two minutes later, they'd all basically bombarded the Swordsmith leader's room through any window and door that led inside. The short man jumped and shrieked, arm out as if in protection. But then he slumped in relief, hand over his heart.

"What is wrong?" he asked. "Have you dispatched the demon?"

"We've been misled," Shinazugawa-san growled, shooting an accusing look at Tanjiro, who didn't seem to notice. Mitsuri felt herself bristle, but didn't say anything just yet.

"Muzan must have known we'd prepared here," the Sun Pillar spoke up. "He's attacked Oyakata-sama, but we need to keep someone here to—"

"Don't worry about us," Tecchikawahara-san said quietly but firmly. "Even if it is an effort to draw you away from us, no one left here is essential to running the new Swordsmith Village. Protecting Oyakata-sama is more important!"

"But—" Tanjiro started, however the older man cut him off.

"Go. And thank you all for putting your lives on the line to protect my village. But you need to leave. Take what you need and go now. We will gather what is left of your things and send them to you."

The four (well three, as Himejima-san couldn't) demon slayers all looked at each other, a silent conversation between all of them. Mitsuri nodded. She hated leaving this man and his people alone, but he wasn't wrong. Protecting the head of the Corps was more important, as much as she hated to put value on life like that.

Tanjiro felt the same, she could tell.

"Very well," Himejima-san said, bowing low. "Please take the best precautions you have to protect yourselves."

"Of course," Tecchikawahara-san replied with a nod of his head. "Now go."

And they did. Mitsuri rushed through the window she'd come through, Tanjiro through the window he'd come through, while Shinazugawa-san followed his sensei through the door.

They were on the road within thirty seconds, rushing along. Himejima-san had even scooped Shinazugawa-san onto his back, much to the boy's embarrassment.

They'd not gotten out of sight of the village before another caw made them all pause.

"Caw! Caw! Attack! Attack!" the incoming crow shrieked.

"Yeah, we kn—" Shinazugawa-san started, but the crow went on.

"At Mt. Sagiri!"

Mitsuri's blood ran cold, but she was positive it was nothing compared to Tanjiro. To confirm, she looked over to her friend, seeing his face pale significantly, eyes wide enough to almost fall out of his head.

"No…" he whispered.

"A likely story!" Shinazugawa-san yelled, suddenly angry. "How convenient that his family was attacked right now!"

"He… he wanted… he figured it out…" Tanjiro whispered to himself, his skin taking on a distinctly green tone, even in the darkness of the night. They were up in the tree tops, so the waxing moon gave a little light.

"This is obviously fake! You just wanted—" Shinazugawa-started, but Tanjiro seemed to have finally reach the end of his patience as he turned to the other boy angrily, tears in his eyes.

"Have I ever given you a reason, besides my completely involuntary turn into a demon, for you to question my loyalty to the corps?!" Tanjiro yelled. "I thought you were starting to understand! I want Muzan dead."

And he said it with such vehemence, the glow in his eyes growing brighter for just a moment, that everyone who could see it flinched back.

"He's after my family! He…" the tears in Tanjiro's eyes began to roll down his cheeks and he heaved a sob, eyes somehow getting wider. Then he put his hands up to either side of his head, a low keening sound coming from his throat.

"He's making me choose! That monster is making me choose!" And then he screamed. Mitsuri put her hands over her ears, as did the other two demon slayers. It was only a couple of seconds, but it felt longer. Much, much longer.

When Tanjiro looked up again, the boy Mitsuri had come to think of as a little brother was gone. He had such an expression of anger and hatred on his face it… it terrified her. Shinazugawa-san must have felt the same, because he ducked down behind his sensei a little, wide eyes fixed on the demon.

"And he'll regret it," Tanjiro growled… literally. "I'll make him regret it."

She believed him. In a way she'd never believed him before.

Then he took a deep breath and shook his head slowly. He closed his eyes and took more deep breaths. Then he looked up at them, eyes pleading. (At least it looked like Tanjiro again.)

"I have to go save them," he whispered. "I can't… I can't lose them again. I can't. I'm… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

He looked so broken there that it almost erased his previous visage of absolute hate from Mitsuri's mind. Almost. Gathering her courage, the Love Pillar steeled herself and leapt onto his branch, glad it was thick enough, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"We understand. All of us have family we have either lost or would give anything to never lose. Rescue your family. Then come and help us defeat him. Okay?"

Tanjiro turned his red eyes – in more ways than one – up at her, pleading with her to understand and hoping that he'd heard her correctly.

"I…" he started.

She shook her head, though, and put her arms around him, drawing him into a hug despite many of her instincts screaming at her to run away from him.

This was Tanjiro.

He wouldn't hurt her.

She had to believe that.

"Go," she whispered. "Use your fastest speed. Save our adorable younger siblings. We'll keep Muzan busy in the meanwhile." If they didn't manage to kill him first.

For a second, he just froze, staring at her, before he threw his arms around her in return.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mitsuri," he cried. After a couple of seconds, he stepped back and looked over at the other two. "Thank you, too, Shinazugawa-san and Himejima-sensei. Please survive… please."

Then he bowed, turned, and took off in a flash of what looked like lightning and fire. Combined.

Mitsuri's eyes grew wide.

Oh.

He…

Wow.

"L-let's go," she finally said, turning to continue on their way towards Oyakata-sama's home. She pushed off, putting all her effort into maintaining the fastest speed she possibly could while keeping steady before propelling herself just a little faster. If she was a little out of breath when she got there, well, she'd deal.

Meanwhile, her best wishes went to Tanjiro, and then to those already fighting Muzan.

Then she prayed to the kami to help them defeat Muzan that night.

Finally, her thoughts strayed to Obanai-san. Obanai-san who wanted to court her. Obanai-san who made her feel like she had nothing to make up for.

Obanai-san who was already at Oyakata-sama's with Rengoku-san if he'd arrived on time.

This… this wasn't fair. Not when everything she'd ever wanted was right there!

Okay, maybe she did have a personal grudge against Muzan.

And he would die tonight.

For Tanjiro, for Obanai, for every Demon Slayer who had died against any demon… he would die. She would do everything in her not inconsiderable power to make that happen.

"Please, Kyojiro, Tanjiro, Nezuko… Obanai-san," she whispered so only she could hear. "Be safe."

xXx

*Fanart! I absolutely LOVE this fanart! By A_green_frog on AO3. Thank you SOOOOO much, hon!

Tanjiro with long hair: i. imgur (dot com) / 0GzGrYp. jpg (no spaces)

Demon Tanjiro with long hair: i. imgur (dot com) / pZDtViT. jpg (no spaces) (Would like to note that Tanjiro in this story still has his normal hair, but I love these pics).

Kimiko short hair: i. imgur (dot com) / CS8tgrB. jpg (no spaces)

Kimko long hair: i. imgur (dot com) / WkxLoie. jpg (no spaces)

(OH MY GOSH, she is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute! - You can also see all these pictures on my AO3 chapter, same story name - Sunlight from the Ashes - under Demon Slayer)

Also, thank you to my lovely betas: TimeLordTim, Found, Kaylessa and Quathis!