"Found you."

The words said in a sing-song voice hung heavily in the air, almost like a dark omen that would bring nothing except misery and dread. Tanjiro felt a shiver run down his spine. Even without his fine nose being assaulted by the stench of rotten blood was he able to tell that they were attacked by demons. There were two different smells he could pick up which meant there were at least two demons. Due to the dust and the still falling debris and splinters he could not see them though. He hoped the same applied to the demons as well because it would give him enough time to evacuate the others.

"Nezuko, are you alright?" he asked his sister as quietly as possible, brushing a few pieces of broken wood out of her soft hair. Nezuko responded with a firm noise of affirmation, telling him that she was not hurt or anything else. Tanjiro released the breath of relief he wasn't aware of holding in the first place, smiling at his sister. "Thank god."

He turned his head sideways, his eyes searching for Tamayo-san and Yushiro. He found them kneeling a few metres away from him and Nezuko, Tamayo-san held protectively by Yushiro.

"Tamayo-san, Yushiro! Are you alright?"

The younger demon met his searching eyes. "Don't worry about us! Keep your eyes on the enemy instead!" he hissed lowly under his breath. In the short amount of time Tanjiro knew Yushiro, he had always been confident, but now there was the slightest tremor in his voice. It was unnerving the young demon slayer much more than it should have.

"Tanjiro-san, we are demons and capable of looking out for ourselves. Please focus on yourself instead. Our enemies must be formidable if they can locate this secret place." Tamayo-san added with an even voice. Despite the circumstances she didn't seem to be worried, radiating a calmness Tanjiro could only admire. He was glad that she was here with them because her unwavering will grounded him.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~" the same voice from before cooed, the tinkling of two Temaris ringing in the background.

"Have you decided how to kill them by now?" another voice rang out, rougher than the first one and with fewer emotions. There was a brief pause before the first voice answered, the tinkling of the Temaris stopping altogether. "Isn't that obvious? We will kill them as brutally as possible and offer the head of the brat wearing Hanafuda earnings to our master!"

Mad cackling and amused laughter followed as the two demons discussed their intentions. Tanjiro realised something from their words though. 'They are after me? Dammit! I have to lure them away from the others then, but how-'

Before he could formulate a proper thought, he smelled something getting closer, heading right to where he and Nezuko were laying on the floor. There was also the sound of something whizzing through the air with unbelievable force. Tanjiro became aware of what was about to happen again.

"Watch out!" he screamed at Tamayo and Yushiro before pulling Nezuko away from their current spot. It was just in the nick of time before one of the Temaris drilled into the ground where they had just been. Had he moved a mere moment later Nezuko and he would have been run through by the ball that was supposed to be a toy for kids. It made several things painfully clear to Tanjiro.

'These two demons are stronger than anything I have faced up to now. On top of that, I'm at a disadvantage because I can barely see their attacks in this enclosed room and they have me outnumbered... What should I do in this situation?'

Tanjiro looked at his sister again. She was as calm as one could be despite the tumultuous circumstances she was in, her reddish eyes staring back into his crimson ones.

'Should I let Nezuko fight as well?' he pondered while dragging her away from the deadly strike of the second Temari. It had bounced off the walls several times before it came crashing down, aiming to take their lives away with a single strike. The impact on the ground was heavy enough that he felt it with his whole body and Tanjiro suddenly remembered something. His head snapped to the door on the other side of the room, the chamber where the woman who was attacked by her transformed husband was currently resting.

Tanjiro cursed under his breath. How could he have forgotten about her? His mouth formed the words long before his brain had the chance to catch up.

"Nezuko, there's an injured woman in the backroom over there." He pointed in the direction, his sister following his finger. "Please take her outside." Nezuko nodded once, signalling that she had understood what he wanted her to do.

The Kamado siblings rushed to their feet, Tanjiro grabbing his katana with both hands as he took his battle stance, hoping he could buy enough time for Nezuko. His sister rushed to the backdoor as he had asked her to, ready to take the woman to safety. Suddenly Tamayo-san intervened.

"Wait, Tanjiro-san, Nezuko-san! It's too dangerous outside for the woman. At this rate she will only end in the crossfire." she warned sternly. "There's a basement beneath the tatami mat over here." Tamayo-san lifted said mat and opened a flap, revealing the basement. Nezuko looked uncertain at Tanjiro, but a slight nod from him was all it took to convince her. A moment later she had already disappeared into the backroom.

Luckily, the Temaris were withdrawn from the ruined room, so they had a short moment of rest in which they could prepare for the next onslaught that was bound to come. From outside resonated an irritated and annoyed huff as one of the demons caught the Temaris. "Another miss, huh? Looks like they are not half bad." A low chuckle followed. "Do you want my assistance?"

There was a prominent pause after that suggestion, almost like the calm before the storm. Tanjiro swallowed his saliva and tightened the grip on his sword as he awaited the next attack that could come at any time.

"Ha! That's quite a surprise, Yahaba! And here I thought you loath battling so much because it always dirties your kimono?"

"You're not false about that, Susamaru. I hate it with every fibre of my being. But I don't see why I can't help you a little bit." Yahaba said, the mild amusement in his voice never disappearing.

"Ha, ha! I'm really starting to like you, Yahaba!" Susamaru cackled in response, the sound of the bells attached to her Temaris vibrating in the air.

From their words, Tanjiro summarised their next strike was about to begin, but his sword felt so heavy suddenly. It had always been demons up to now, nothing more and nothing less. But now it wasn't just demons anymore. Instead, his opponents were named Susamaru and Yahaba, people that had been humans at some point just like he was. They had a family and friends, a life before their demonhood. The thought alone was enough to chip away Tanjiro's resolve bit by bit, making his soul waver.

"Pull yourself together, damn scoundrel!" Yushiro suddenly shouted from the side where he was still shielding Tamayo-san with his own body. "Only because they have names it doesn't make them any less demons! These two must have eaten dozens of people to obtain such strength! Don't let them fool you!"

Yushiro's rebuke pulled Tanjiro away from his traitorous thoughts, endangering his focus. "Thank you, Yushiro!" Tanjiro exclaimed. The demon only scoffed at his honest words. Yushiro said something else, but Tanjiro couldn't hear it anymore due to the bells of the Temaris. He still heard Tamayo-san's shocked gasp and how Yushiro exclaimed "It was a joke!"

Taking a deep breath, the young demon slayer calmed his nerves, the heat escaping his mouth fogging in small clouds of vapour in front of his face. His mind and body were ready to tackle the next attack head-on and push forward, hopefully far enough that he could finally go into the offensive. It should create a window large enough in which Nezuko could bring the woman into the basement and rejoin him in the battle.

However, the next attack of the demons went beyond the limits of what Tanjiro could have imagined, hitting him unprepared even when he thought he couldn't be caught off-guard. The dust had cleared enough so that he could see the outlines of the two demons standing outside of the small house. Furthermore, he could see how one of them pulled their right arm back, almost as if she was about to throw something.

'This must be the Temari demon, Susamaru which means the other one has to be Yahaba,' Tanjiro concluded. He saw how the female demon used the momentum she had built up and threw her weapons, yet he refused to believe what his eyes were showing him when the Temari left Susamaru's hand.

Tanjiro had expected a straight throw before the Temari would bounce off the walls again, but instead, the kid's toy zigzagged through the air without a pattern, ignoring the forces of gravity altogether. Tanjiro gasped as he barely managed to dodge by jumping over the Temari.

"How's this possible?!" he shouted in surprise and shock as he landed back on his feet and immediately jumped to the side to dodge the next strike of the Temari that had switched trajectory mid-air.

Urokodaki's words shortly before Tanjiro had left the old man for his first mission suddenly resurfaced in his mind. "Tanjiro, listen well. From now on, the chances are high that you will face demons that possess otherworldly abilities, unlike anything you have seen in your short life. Open your mind and expect the unexpected. Only then you will be able to overcome this threat."

'Is this what Urokodaki-san was speaking about? Demons with the powers to bend the laws of nature?!'

Bewildered, Toshiro looked at the two demons, finally visible to his eyes because most of the dust from prior attacks had settled. Susamaru wore a black haori. Underneath shone a vibrant orange-coloured kimono, the same colour as her feline-like eyes and the tips of her otherwise black hair. She was smiling widely, the carnal desire for blood radiating from her entire form.

Yahaba, on the other hand, wore a yellow and brown coloured kimono. Around his neck hung a large necklace consisting of blue beads and for some reason he had his eyes constantly closed? Tanjiro was unsure of that because the male demon had also a pair of eyes in the palms of his hand, wide-opened. The pupils were formed like arrows and stared menacingly at Tanjiro. The udon he ate earlier this night began to stir in his insides as his stomach began to twist.

'I hate to say this, but these eyeballs in his hands are creeping me out! They are fucking disgusting!' his inner voice screamed inside his mind, but he had to force the nauseating sensation away from his consciousness. He could barf out everything he had ever eaten in his life so far later, once his life wasn't endangered any longer.

There was also a confident smile plastered on Yahaba's lips and if anything, he looked pretty smug about the sudden shift in the battle. Tanjiro's sharp mind immediately counted one and one together.

'These irregular movements of the Temaris that defy common sense... it must be him, his Blood Demon Technique. But does this mean these two are combining their powers? Dammit! How am I supposed to counter this?'

Tanjiro briefly glanced at the basement where Nezuko had vanished into. 'Please hurry Nezuko. I can't win against these two on my own.'

He had to return his attention to the demons a second later though. The smell of the Temaris was coming for him again, this time Susamaru had thrown both of her weapons. To Tanjiro's surprise though, Yahaba was nowhere to be seen anymore and it worried him. His sense of smell didn't work that well at the moment through all the fine dust still lingering in the air, so he couldn't sniff him out either. Tanjiro was concerned greatly about this, but for the moment he had no choice but to concentrate solely on dodging the now-advanced barrage of Susamaru's attacks. This was difficult enough on its own already.

Tanjiro jumped, stepped sideways and twisted his body to avoid every attack aimed at him. With every dodge though, the strikes came closer and closer to hitting him because he had no clue how the Temaris would move. He could smell that something had changed about them, but he couldn't see anything. Either way, he couldn't keep this up for much longer anymore. It was simply a question of time before he would be hit by one of the Temaris, so he had no choice but to try striking back.

'Remember your training. Remember everything Urokodaki-san has taught you. Water has no set form and can adapt to every situation. Do your best, Tanjiro!' He pumped himself up, took a deep breath, and filled his lungs with the oxygen needed to perform one of his techniques.

'Cutting them apart is out of the question. It will just increase the number of projectiles and since it's impossible to predict their movements that would worsen the situation. Which means I have to...'

Tanjiro's face hardened with conviction when his plan of action was completed. He sharpened all of his senses and waited for the perfect opportunity to execute his plan. He didn't have to wait for long as one of the Temaris was heading frontal at him. Tanjiro planted his feet firmly on the ground as he raised his sword.

Total Concentration; Water Breathing; Sixth Form: Drop Ripple Thrust, Curve

Tanjiro thrust his sword forward. The moment the tip of his blade made contact with the Temari all of its momentum was lost just like the disturbances on a lake's surface after something dropped inside would vanish instantly. With a second push, Tanjiro impaled the Temari, rendering it useless for its owner. He allowed himself to rejoice for a brief moment since his plan had worked just as he wanted it to, but all joy left him a few seconds later.

"Nice one, kid~" Susamaru sang from outside, showing no signs of worry about the fact that her arsenal has been reduced to half. "But if you think something like this will stop us you are poorly mistaken!"

Before Tanjiro had the chance to fully process her words, the Temari stuck on his blade began to vibrate intensively. Even using both of his hands Tanjiro couldn't control his blade anymore as it developed a will on its own or rather the Temari became its new master. A strong pull and the Temari hit his face hard, ripping his lip open before it was free again. Instantly, his mouth was filled with the taste of iron, yet Tanjiro had no time to inspect his injury because he had to dodge the next strike of the Temari already.

"You imbecile!" Yushiro yelled from the corner of the room. "What the hell are you doing? I thought you were a demon slayer and not a punching bag for them! Deal with them already. We can't allow them to endanger Tamayo-san any longer!"

"I'm doing my best here! I promise you, Yushiro!" Tanjiro shouted back, slightly irritated about the words from the demon. "But it's hard for me to read the movements of the Temaris. I know something changed about them, but I can't pinpoint exactly what it is!"

"For fuck's sake. Don't focus on the damn balls. Follow the arrows! They point in the direction the Temaris will go!"

"Which arrows?" Tanjiro asked confused as he dodged yet another attack. Yushiro groaned in annoyance and was about to explain what he was referring to, but he was stopped as the second Temari was aiming for Tamayo-san.

"Watch out, Tamayo-san!" He pushed his body between her and the attack and tried to slap the Temari away by hitting it from the side, yet the Temari suddenly changed its direction mid-air again and avoided his attempt to block it. Then it began spinning like a torrent before it darted forward, shredding Yushiro's head into tiny pieces. His body went limp immediately and dropped to the ground.

"Yushiro!" Tanjiro screamed as he bore witness to the gruesome scene, Tamayo-san's words from earlier that they would be fine since they were demons doing little to calm his racing mind. "Dammit!"

Suddenly the Temaris were drawn back by their master. "That's one down. Three more to go~! Susamaru sang again. Tanjiro was enraged and gritted his teeth at how happy she seemed to be about what she did to Yushiro. It was incomprehensible for him how afflicting harm to others could bring anyone joy. Everyone felt the same pain and suffered from the same agony if they got hurt. So why?

Before Tanjiro could lose himself in his thoughts though, his ears picked up a sound he had never heard before. Curiosity got the better of him so he glanced sideways and regretted it immediately. He had to suppress a choke at what he was seeing. Yushiro's body, laying in the protective arms of Tamayo-san was in the middle of reconstructing his head. Half was already finished, the lower part of the jaw with teeth and tongue struggling with words. Tanjiro loathed himself for thinking like this, but this image would haunt him for the rest of his life. An anatomy lesson he could have done without.

"Tamayo-san," Yushiro gurgled. "I warned you something like this would happen if we interact with the demon slayers. I hate them for endangering you!" The older demon looked to the side, for a small moment giving off the scent of shame. "But," Yushiro continued, "I hate the demons even more for disturbing our peace. I despise them with passion!" he yelled from the top of his lungs, his head now complete.

He grabbed into an inner pocket of his bloodied kimono and pulled out a shining blue sheet of paper. "Tanjiro!" he yelled. "I will grant you mine sight. Use it to defeat these two demons!" Throwing the sheet of paper, it somehow found its way to Tanjiro's forehead, a weird red pattern decorating the surface now. The moment it attached itself to Tanjiro, the world around him became clearer than ever before. Never before was he able to see like this and he wondered if this was a part of Yushiro's Blood Demon Technique. It was amazing!

A flash of red caught his attention and Tanjiro finally understood what Yushiro had meant by focusing on the arrows. 'So that's how it works!' Before he had struggled to avoid the Temaris but now that he could see the arrows leading them, things became a lot easier. Due to his training and his athletic build, he dodged every attack swiftly and with a certain amount of grace, one of the basics for Water Breath users. He didn't come close to Urokodaki-san's level though, but it was enough for the moment.

Furthermore, Nezuko finally returned from the basement. It was finally time to turn the tables. When an annoyed huff resonated from the outside and the Temaris were withdrawn once more, Tanjiro saw the opportunity immediately. "Nezuko! Let's go outside. We will have better chances in the open space."

A firm nod from Nezuko and the Kamado siblings followed the Temaris outside, facing Susamaru from face to face. "Sooo, you finally came out of hiding, huh? Let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest then~" the female demon cooed. Nezuko growled at her and if Tanjiro was honest, he wanted to mimic his sister's reaction. But he had to focus, for there was another demon somewhere around. Since the air was fresher than in the house, it was child's play to locate the exact spot Yahaba was hiding.

"Nezuko. I will deal with this one. You go for the demon hiding in the trees over there." Another nod and Nezuko was already on her way.

"As if I will let you go just like-"

"You are dealing with me, Kamado Tanjiro, Susamaru!" the young demon slayer yelled as he intercepted the female demon with a downward swing of his blade before she could throw one of her Temaris at Nezuko. A dissatisfied sound escaped her mouth before she smirked wickedly.

"Fine then Tanjiro! I, Susamaru of the Twelve Kizuki, will play with you first. Better make it worth my while because I will hear a lot of whining from Yahaba on our way back to the master with your head as a present because his kimono will be all dirty." she said, not even trying to hide her wicked intentions.

"Tamayo-san," Tanjiro exclaimed, not daring to take his eyes away for even a second. Instead, he trusted his sense of smell, telling him that Tamayo-san and Yushiro had moved close to the gaping hole in the wall of the house. "Are these two demons closely related to Muzan?"

"If it's true that they are members of the Twelve Kizuki, then undoubtedly yes. But be aware," she warned."They are formidable opponents you mustn't underestimate for even a second, Tanjiro-san."

"I will not so don't worry, Tamayo-san. I will make sure to extract their blood as well!" he proclaimed with confidence. It earned him a dark chuckle from the female demon he was facing.

"Extracting my blood, you say?" Susamaru drawled a hint of something sinister hiding in her voice. "I would like to see you try!"

"So filthy! Stay away from me!" Before the Temari Demon could say anything more though, Yahaba's voice suddenly rang out from the trees he was hiding in. A second later Nezuko, a red arrow piercing her abdomen, came flying from the same direction his voice came from before she was smashed against the walls of the house with unbelievable force, a painful yelp escaping her muzzled mouth. The impact was strong enough to leave an imprint on her body behind.

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro screamed full of panic, immediately running to his sister's side. He only managed to take a few steps towards her though before a powerful kick into his stomach sent him against the walls of the house as well. He felt something inside of his body snap under the enormous pressure of the kick.

"Gah," he exclaimed in pain as precious oxygen was pressed out of his lungs, trying to cope with the sudden loss of air with short and quick recovery breaths. "Didn't you say you were facing me, Tan-ji-ro~?" Susamaru sang, pronouncing each syllable of his name mockingly. "Better not turn away from me then or you will be in for a world of pain~"

The painful groan leaving his lips as he stood up again, holding his injured side, must have been like music to the demon's ears because Tanjiro was sure he saw how she began swooning. His whole body was hurting from the single blow and somehow he doubted that she had kicked him seriously. At least, his instinct was telling him that much. These two demons were without a doubt the strongest foes he had to fight until now.

And to make things worse, Yahaba had come out of his hiding spot and was standing behind his companion, dusting off his kimono. Susamaru alone was strong enough already, but now they were facing both of them at the same time again. Tanjiro cursed under his breath as he raised his katana for the upcoming battle.

"Susamaru, have you noticed it too?" Yahaba asked as the eyes in his palms flicked from side to side until narrowing down on one particular person, another one immediately jumping in front of said person to shield them from the grotesque sight.

"Noticed what? That we are dealing with a bunch of cowards and weaklings?"

Yahaba only sighed at the answer, though he couldn't say it was entirely false. "Not that. I'm talking about the demon woman over there. The demon slayer called her Tamayo-san, so could it really be her, the Tamayo, I mean?"

"Dunno. I haven't seen her before, so I can't say. The only thing I'm sure about is that there's something off about her. She's a demon like us, but she feels different." The female demon eyed Yushiro and Nezuko for a second before her gaze returned to Tamayo-san.

"Then again, the same could be said about her little lapdog over there and that demon girl. Looks like our master will get lots of heads tonight."

Yahaba snorted at her choice of words, needing a few seconds before he had collected himself enough to answer. "No, it will be just the head of the demon slayer and Tamayo. Our master does not need the rest of them."

"Fine by me. This means I can have much more fun with the other ones!" Susamaru cackled with delight, raising her arms so she could throw her Temaris once more. At the same time, Yahaba stretched out his arms, hands wide open, ready to add his Blood Demon Technique to Susamaru's.

A sudden battle cry startled all participants of the battle though, as Susamaru was suddenly punched out of nowhere across the face. She stumbled back, eyes wild with feral intent as she searched for the culprit only to be punched again.

Tanjiro had no idea what was happening, but he wouldn't let this golden opportunity slide by unused. Pushing off the ground, he catapulted his body forward, blade already raised above his head as he was aiming for Yahaba's neck. He picked up the scent of the opening thread and brought his sword down.

"This is your end!" he roared, certain that he could end Yahaba with a single attack. But just at that moment, he felt how the opening thread snapped. "Stay away from me, filthy brat!"

Tanjiro knew that he was running forward, yet he moved backwards for some reason, his blade slicing through the air in front of Yahaba, missing the arrow demon entirely. Looking to the floor he found himself standing on a large arrow, pulling him away from his target with tremendous speed.

Luckily, he was able to jump off the arrow in time. Otherwise, he would have been smashed into the side of the house as well. Yahaba was far from finished though as he sent multiple arrows towards Tanjiro, the demon slayer athletically avoiding each of them. From what he saw had happened to his sister, one hit of the technique could be fatal, so he had to avoid each arrow at any cost.

Therefore, he was unable to rush to the other battle and make use of the opening thread he could smell. Susamaru was on her knees, gasping for air as Yushiro became visible in front of her, pointing an accusing finger at her. "How dare you interrupt my precious time with Tamayo-san, wretched demon? Unforgivable! I will make you pay for it!"

"Yushiro! Watch out!" Tanjiro tried to warn the male demon, but it was already too late. One of Yahaba's arrows had switched direction and was heading straight for Yushiro now. Tanjiro's warning came too late though, for Yushiro had only time to tilt his head before the arrow had already pierced through his chest, pulling him along.

Tanjiro watched in horror as Yushiro was tossed around like a rag doll as multiple more arrows were shot at him, each throwing him in a different direction before he came crashing down with a cry of pain in front of Susamaru. Demon or not, his whole body must be in agony.

"Damn brat," Susamaru growled as she stood up and raised one of her feet above Yushiro's broken body. "I will make you pay tenfold for what you did!" she screamed before she stomped down on Yushiro. He tried to block her, but she was too powerful. There was an audible crack as her foot made contact with his forearms, breaking them in the process.

"Yushiro!" Tamayo-san screamed as she had to witness how her assistant was trampled over and over again brutally. Tanjiro saw how she freed her right arm from clothing but stopped suddenly. Her eyes roamed to Nezuko first, then to him before she looked over her shoulder into the house. She bit her lip before she ceased whatever she was about to do.

Another barrage of arrows aimed for Tanjiro, so he had no chance to aid Yushiro and save him from the onslaught still raining down on him, no matter how much he wanted to. One arrow was enough to possibly kill him, so he had to prevent each of them. However, there was someone who could rush to Yushiro's side.

"Nezuko! Please help Yushiro!" Tanjiro yelled across the battlefield. He didn't like that he had to ask his sister to endanger herself, but under these circumstances, he had hardly a choice. They needed each fighter available to overcome this threat.

His sister, having understood what he wanted from her, jumped back to her feet, fully recovered from the earlier impact. With another leap she jumped right in front of Susamaru, her right leg pulled back before it snapped forward with violent force. The female demon had to use both her arms to block the powerful kick, but even then she was pushed back several metres by Nezuko's strength.

His sister landed safely on her feet and stood between the demon and Yushiro who was already pulled back from the front lines by Tamayo-san. Nezuko growled at the Temari Demon. "You damn brat!" Susamaru seethed, enraged that her mindless beatdown was interrupted. "I will make sure to teach you a lesson!"

A feral grin appeared on her lips as she summoned her Temaris again and pulled her left arm back before she through her weapon. "Eat this!"

Even without Yahaba adding his technique, the Temari's were terrific projectiles, fast and almost impossible to block head-on. Despite that, Tanjiro had to watch in pure horror as Nezuko pulled her leg back once more, seemingly attempting to send the Temari back to where it came from.

"Nezuko! Don't! Dodge it!" he screamed desperately, hoping his voice would reach his sister in time. "You mustn't kick it, Nezuko-san!" Tamayo-san yelled at the same time, but both their attempts to prevent the inevitable were in vain as Nezuko aimed for the Temari.

Susamaru's grin widened as the Temari sliced like a blade through Nezuko's leg, sending her face first into the dirt. She glimpsed briefly sideways before she returned her attention to the other female demon. "Nezuko!" Tanjiro cried, forgetting everything around him as he rushed to his sister's side, only to find himself suddenly without footing.

He was hovering a metre above the ground unable to do anything, one of Yahaba's arrows piercing through his abdomen, curving before pointing upwards. Tanjiro's blood froze as he processed what had happened, understanding why Susamaru had briefly looked elsewhere. The two demons had communicated silently, leaving him in the dark about their plan until it was too late for him to counteract.

Cold sweat run down his face as he observed how the Temari Demon was pulling her other arm back, still holding her remaining Temari, her feline-like eyes staring right into his soul. "Bye, bye Tanjiro~" she sang playfully as he could see how the muscles in her arm flexed.

Images of his family appeared in front of his inner eyes. Alongside, countless flashes of his past surfaced from the depths of his memories. Many were so mundane and normal, yet he was happy that he could recall them so vividly. Back then his world had still been alright, demons nothing more than scary products of his mind. He wished he could go back there and continue the life he loved so much. He knew that it was impossible, so he wondered why he was seeing this now of all times.

Tanjiro had no answer to this question. He didn't even feel the need to search for an explanation. "I'm sorry." For whatever reason, he found himself mumbling an apology to no one in particular. It just left his mouth without his permission, leaving him behind confused. The only constant was his fixation on the Temari in the female demon's hand, the world seemingly coming to a halt as he perceived nothing else anymore.

'Am I going to die?' he asked himself silently as he watched how Susamaru was about to throw her weapon at him. 'No!' he scolded himself, his survival instinct suddenly washing over him like a tsunami. 'Think Tanjiro! Think! There has to be a way to get out of this somehow! You can't die just yet! Not before you have turned Nezuko back into a human!'

However, Tanjiro only drew a blank as no idea came to his mind. Precious time was slipping through his fingers and with every moment he lost, he felt how invisible claws were grabbing him, their touch as cold as a grave.

But suddenly there was a thunderous bang resonating within the air, a noise he had never heard before and so loud that his ears became deaf for a few seconds. It Was followed by a howl of pain and a moment later, gravity pulled him back to the ground.

Tanjiro yelped in surprise, unable to catch his fall in time. Thus, he landed ungracefully on his behind, throbbing pain shooting up his spine from the hard impact on the solid ground. He moaned in agony before his senses started working again, his eyes frantically searching for what has happened just now.

Yahaba had jumped back and Susamaru was holding her right arm, blood oozing from a circular wound. Her Temari lay motionless on the floor in front of her. Her face was nothing more than a vengeful expression, a wild beast that was about to lose its last bits of sanity.

"Who was that!" she yelled full of wrath. Tanjiro expected her to glare at one of them, but Susamaru glanced in a completely different direction, the same direction Yahaba was looking to. Tanjiro allowed himself to follow the demons' glares and tilted his head to the side. And there at the entry to the hidden area, she stood, the reason why he was still drawing breath.

It was a girl around his age, her blond hair as golden as the sun itself with a singular strand of crimson hair dangling in front of her face. Her eyes were the same colour as his, but the clothes she wore were not familiar to him. They reminded him slightly of the attires he had seen throughout Asakusa, though they had looked more formal than what she was wearing. Nonetheless, he recognized the black haori she wore over her clothes swaying in a soft breeze, the silken fabric adored by circular patterns of many different forms.

In her right hand, she held something though Tanjiro had no idea what it was. He blinked several times, trying to get a clearer image of the object, but nothing came to his mind as he observed it. However, he was fairly certain it was some sort of weapon, for there was smoke emitting from it. Furthermore, he could pick up the smell of a Nichirin sword from it, further cementing his belief that it was indeed a weapon.

'Is she a demon slayer like me?' he wondered. He had no idea of knowing for sure and it made the one question roaming through his head painfully obvious.

XXX

Laura stared at the ground as three became five. She had followed the trail of footprints for a while now, but she stopped when two more pairs joined the other three. However, they were left behind at a later time. That much she could tell. It still worried her though that her eyes showed her four trails in total which belonged to demons.

"What the hell is going on here?" She had to make a decision. Keep following the footprints or turn around and pretend she had never seen anything. It didn't take her a single second before she decided on how she would proceed. Of course, she would continue to follow them. The thought of the demons devouring the poor human who was seemingly accompanying two of them would haunt her forever if she didn't see this through to the end.

Still, her hands checked if everything she needed for battle was within her reach and in the spot where it was supposed to be. The cold feeling of the metal her fingers were brushing over calmed her mind as she began to move again. She also reached for her blade. 'Give me strength, master.'

She walked through dark alleyways and busy streets alike until she arrived at a dead-end. All trails suddenly stopped in front of a wooden fence. She raised her eyebrows in suspicion. Something was fishy here because she was unable to find any more footprints. She even checked the closest streets but still, nothing.

Standing in front of the fence with closed eyes, she crossed her arms as one of her feet tapped the ground constantly. 'This makes no sense at all. It's like they vanished into thin air. How's this possible? Is this one of the so-called Blood Demon Techniques master told me about?'

At that, her eyes snapped open as a thought came to her mind. Could it be? Carefully, slowly, Laura reached out her left hand, trying to touch the fence before her. Her fingers passed right through it. Instantly, she grabbed one of her guns and took a deep breath. When she felt ready, she stepped through the illusionary wall.

The scenery behind the fence was mesmerizing, to say the least. Tall trees with beautiful white leaves surrounded a small cosy-looking house. Laura would have gotten lost in the sight, but the loud commotion in front of the house caught her attention.

She could see six people in total, five of them being demons and the last one a human. She had absolutely no idea what she should make out of this though. The only thing she could tell was that they were in the middle of a battle, confusing her even more. Why would demons fight each other? And why would a human side with demons? At least, that was what the redhead was doing from her view. Questions over questions filled her mind, but then her eyes found the woman close to the gaping hole in the house.

Due to her aura, Laura could easily identify her as a demon. She was beautiful though. Soft eyes resembling the colour of the fields of lavender she had seen in France, pale skin as white as snow and a gentle face free of any form of bloodthirst. By all means, she was the epitome of beauty, but there was more to her. For some reason, she looked somewhat familiar? Even though Laura would remember a person this remarkable and thus, was certain she had never seen her before.

Something stirred in the back of her mind, but she had no time to ponder about it. The female demon with the balls in her hands threw one of them with enormous power. For any ordinary person, the ball would have probably looked like it had vanished, but Laura's sharp gaze detected it without problems.

The demon girl with the muzzled mouth tried to kick it back, ignoring the warnings shouted at her and ended up in the dirt with one of her legs now missing. It was a cruel sight to behold because she looked so young to suffer such a fate. But she was a demon as well, so her lost limb would eventually grow back to its prior glory.

"Nezuko!" The scream originated from the redhead wearing the checkered haori of forest green and black, the only human aside from her and Laura was surprised by all the emotions she could hear in his voice. It was genuine concern, worry and fright for the demon that had just lost her leg. It contradicted everything her master had ever taught her.

Before he could reach the girl though, a red arrow pierced his body and lifted him into the air, rendering him utterly defenceless. At the same moment, the demon with the balls raised one of her hands and aimed at him. Even a fool could tell at whom she was aiming.

The world slowed down around Laura as she glanced at the demons standing close to the house. The girl and the woman Laura found so striking had horrified expressions on their faces and it was all she had to see to make her split-second decision.

Her brain was telling her to stop and wait until she had more information available, but her guts screamed at her to act now. In the battle of brain versus guts, the latter came out on top. Laura pointed her gun at the female demon about to strike and shot, the bullet piercing the arm of the demon with ease.

She howled in pain and cursed, turning to Laura with murderous intent shining in her feline-like eyes. At that, all eyes snapped to her and after a brief silence, it was the redhead she had saved who asked the one question all of them probably wanted to know.

"Who Are You?"

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It has been quite a while since I last wrote anything related to battle, so I hope this turned out to be alright. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I hope it mirrors within my writing as well. Furthermore, I took some liberties and shifted the course of the battle a bit so it would fit better with the story I want to write. Exploring Susamaru's and Yahaba's teamwork was really interesting as well. ^^

I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and I will see you in the next one!