Today, we bring a really "cool" character into the picture! A bit early, but hey, it's okay, it's an AU and we also hear him for a moment in the game before we actually see him. But, I digress.

Chapter 8

Polar Beast

"Are you sure Nezuko can't come to Final Selection with me?"

"She can't since she's a Demon. I don't even think she'll get past the Wisteria Barrier that keeps the Demon inside."

"Wisteria?"

"You heard me."

"How does Wisteria even keep Demons on the mountain?!"

"It just can Tanjiro. It just can."

Since Tanjiro cut through the boulder and was granted permission to go to Final Selection, Sakonji had also said that Nezuko would finally be able to take Final Selection as well. But, he never mentioned that Tamed Demons went through a different exam.

It made sense to Lizzy, since Demons couldn't actually kill other Demons unless they had a Blood Demon Art that could obliterate Demons or if they were Muzan himself, the Demon with the power to completely destroy Demons.

Either way, this meant Tanjiro would be going to Final Selection on his own.

Sakonji looked at Tanjiro one last time. "We will be leaving shortly. You will then head to Fujikasane Mountain, where you will take Final Selection." Giving Tanjiro his sword, Sakonji states, "Take this. And if you break it, I will break both of your arms."

Tanjiro took it wearily. "Y-Yes sir," Tanjiro responded.

The masked trainer nodded, before looking at Lizzy and Nezuko. "Lizzy, you've been to the Demon Slayer's Headquarters, correct?"

Lizzy nodded. "I have indeed been there with the previous master!" Lizzy took a deep breath and blew out smoke from her mouth, which took the shape of a doorway. "This will take us to the Demon Slayer's HQ!"

Nezuko gave her older brother a hug. "See you in a week Tanjiro."

"See you in a week, Nezuko," Tanjiro replied as he hugged back.

As he let go of Nezuko, the two Demons he had tamed as well as his Sensei watched him walk away. As Tanjiro left, he waved at his teacher, and said, "Tell Sabito and Makomo that I said hi, and thanks for training me!"

Tanjiro left before Sakonji could tell him to wait, and as he watched the boy go, Sakonji said loud enough for both of the girls to hear, "How does he know the names of those dead kids?" Confused by that, the three eventually entered the portal, and they all went different paths for right now.

After infiltrating the mountain once Final Selection began, Tanjiro began running around and slaying any Demons he could find, and saving any other Slayers he could save.

As he sat down and waited for a moment, he decided to take a break. No one seemed to be showing up right now.

As he began to rest, he looked up at the night sky, which he could barely see through the trees. The stars shone brightly tonight. Or maybe it appeared that way because of the Wisteria down at the base of the mountain. Regardless of the case, Tanjiro was glad he could finally get a breather.

"Final Selection is a bit tougher than I thought," Tanjiro said to himself, before standing up. "I need to move right now…" As he began to run through the forest, Tanjiro caught the scent of a Demon that was more potent than the others here, before deciding to go towards it. If that thing stayed, it was possible that more people would die.

After all, they were never told they couldn't help the other examinees.

As Tanjiro came face to face with the Demon, he found just how large Demon was, before the giant Demon laughed at him. "Ah, there you are, little fox cub," the Demon said. Tanjiro realized that, for some reason, this Demon was looking for him. Could it be that he was a Demon who was tamed in here by the previous Tamer, or was this one looking for him via the fox mask he wore?!

"Say, which period are we in?" The Demon asked, which confused Tanjiro as he put some distance between them.

"It's the Taisho Period!" Tanjiro responded.

"Taisho…" The Demon repeated, before he grew agitated and yelled. "Damn you Urokodaki! Damn you!" The many hands he had started causing a ruckus as he slammed them into the ground, trees, and clapped them together in anger. "Damn you!"

'He knows Urokodaki? Did Urokodaki bring him here?!' Tanjiro questioned. He readied his blade, as he knew a clash with the demon was inevitable. 'I-It doesn't matter! I need to cut off it's head!'

"At least I have one of the little foxes here to eat," the Hand Demon said as he looked at Tanjiro. "Prepare yourself fox cub!" What was he talking about?! Wait, was Tanjiro not the first to face him?!

"What are you talking about?!" Tanjiro questioned.

The Hand Demon began to giggle like a modern day school girl, before holding up his hands. "11…" He held up a new hand. "12… 13…" The Hand Demon began laughing. "You'll mark the 14th fox I've eaten while trapped in this domain. And you certainly won't be the last. But overall, I've eaten 40 or so Humans while trapped here." Sending out a hand to try and hit Tanjiro, he continued to talk while Tanjiro avoided his hands and countered wherever possible. "Ya know, the ones that stood out were those two…" As Tanjiro dodged an extended hand that broke a rock, the demon said, "The boy had an unusual shade of pink hair, and was far stronger than any of the students to date!" Tanjiro looked at the demon confused but still listened as he chopped off a limb. "The other was a girl who was the most agile too." The Demon laughed, before Tanjiro realized who he was talking about.

"The boy nearly killed me, but his sword broke when he struck my neck, and I bashed his skull in as a result!" The Hand Demon continued while Tanjiro's eyes widened in shock. "And I told the girl about the deaths of all of the students I've faced, she flew out in a rage, and I then tore her limbs off one at a time, before eating her corpse!" The Demon began to laugh, while Tanjiro grew agitated.

'Then… they trained me for this!' Tanjiro thought to himself, before charging with his sword. "I'll kill you and put all of their souls at rest!"

The Demon smiled at the boy's enthusiasm for death, before his limbs suddenly turned metallic as he punched an arm the Demon had launched at Tanjiro, breaking the bones in the Demon's arm which shocked the Hand Demon. Tanjiro then cut off his hand, before jumping into the air and preparing a downward slash.

"Water Breathing: Eighth Form!" Tanjiro called out. "WATERFALL BASIN!" He then cut down the demon's body with the strength of ten waterfalls, which exposed the Demon's neck, with Tanjiro jumping back up again.

'WHAT IS HE?!' The Hand Demon questioned, before he tried to attack with one of the arms on his left side, before a sword suddenly stabbed through it, thrown by someone outside of view, in the forest.

When the Demon turned to see the person, he instead saw the spirit of Sabito standing there with his hand outstretched, and the Demon thought that Sabito did it. "You're getting what is coming to you," Sabito stated, before the Hand Demon was brought back to reality, when Tanjiro shouted out:

"WATER SURFACE SLASH!"

Feeling his neck get cut, the Demon was thrown into shock as his head fell to the ground. 'No… No no no no! This cannot be!'

Tanjiro, realizing what had happened, stood up and sheathed his sword. 'This boy's face is going to be the last thing I see!' Tanjiro turned to look at the Demon, showing the saddened look to the Demon.

"I could've helped you escape this place if you had just let me talk… you were too driven by your blood lust to even let me talk, but I too am to blame for what has happened here," Tanjiro told the Hand Demon as he looked at his decaying body. "I didn't talk, but I acted in rage… since you…" Tanjiro balled one of his hands into fists. "...you killed Sabito and Makomo." Tanjiro looked at an opened hand of the Demon's lifeless body, before going to it and holding his hand, which caused the Demon to start crying from the sudden gesture. "O' God, please, let this demon be reborn in a new life… one where he isn't a Demon… and one where he can live free."

The Demon realized the sincerity to the boy's words and the tears pooled out of his eyes, before he passed on to the land of the non-living, and his body fully turned to dust, his tears on the ground being the only implication something was here.

Tanjiro took a deep breath, before turning around and seeing Sabito. "You…"

"We were dead," Sabito said as Makomo appeared from behind him. "And it was in your best interest that we said nothing about it."

"But-!" Tanjiro began.

"But nothing." Sabito took off his mask, and put a hand on Tanjiro's shoulder. "You did what you had to. And we did what we could." Sabito nodded. "Rest easy, Young Kamado… we'll still be nearby, if only in spirit." Sabito smiled. "We'll be going home now… to Urokodaki…" Sabito and Makomo, and the other students wearing fox masks then left, and Tanjiro slowly began to cry as they left, before wiping his tears.

He smelt something behind him, before turning around at the Demon and Human scents behind him. "Show yourselves!" Tanjiro said.

From the forest he was then suddenly headbutted as he got sent back a bit, before he heard the person responsible laugh as they picked up their dropped sword. "There! Happy?!" The man said, before Tanjiro saw that the sword that impaled the Hand Demon belonged to this boar headed man. Tanjiro realized the Demon scent came from him, but so did the human scent.

"What the-" Tanjiro was confused. "How in the world do I smell a Human and Demon scent coming from you?!"

"A good question!" The boar headed person said. "I could say the same for you! You have this vibe of a Demon and Human! But, though I sense the powers of Demons in you, it's different from most other Demons! So explain yourself!"

"My name is Tanjiro Kamado, and this is the first time I'm hearing about being part Demon or anything!" Tanjiro said.

"I am Inosuke Hashibira!" Inosuke announced. He went silent before saying, "So… you have no idea about being Part Demon until now, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I said!" Tanjiro told Inosuke.

"Then that means…" Inosuke went silent, before saying, "I found someone like me!"

Tanjiro was confused, before the air suddenly chilled, and Inosuke breathed out cold air that made snowflakes appear from his snouts. Inosuke sounded excited as he laughed. "Alright, fight me Tanjiro! Let's see who's Demon Power is stronger! My Ice, or your Steel!" Inosuke began laughing while frost coated his sword, and Tanjiro realized that Inosuke…

…had a Blood Demon Art.

What what?! Manga spoilers?! Not really, honestly.

But yes, Inosuke has an Ice-Type Blood Demon Art! I actually have plans for Inosuke involving a Demon later on, and this one is going to be an OC, not the other one that will be responsible for Inosuke's current predicament.

And also, his Beast Breathing is still the same as it is canonically. There will be some improved versions thanks to his BDA, but I will have his BDA be separate from his Beast Breathing attacks.

Okay, so you all next time!