Hey there! Welcome back!

First things first…

ONE…HUNDRED…FOLLOWERS ! ? ! ?

How does a story with only FOUR CHAPTERS get 100 followers!?

But seriously, I'm so happy that my story gained this much attention! I'm so touched by all the kind words and praise from you guys! Truly, I'm thankful!

Once again, I hope to continue to please you with this story of mine!

Secondly, I know I said I'd be focusing on others stories, but I was just too pumped to stop now after 100 follows!

Anyways, this chapter is a little longer than last time, but I hope you enjoy it!

And with that, let's move out!

*I do not own Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba. The Anime/Manga belongs to Ufotable and its author, Koyoharu Gotouge.

"Tanjiro" = Talking

"Tanjiro" = Thinking

Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV

Japan - Middle Alignment = Location

"Tanjiro" = Flashback

Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect

Water Breathing = Breathing technique/Blood Demon Art


Chapter 5 - Sun Conqueror, Tanjiro's Awakening

Tanjiro Kamado

Tamayo's House

-Night-

Tanjiro's Solar Power Level: Night - 6.3%, Day - 8.3% (Very tiny increase in stats)

(Note: Skipped ahead two days from the last chapter.)

Tanjiro was in the middle of cleaning the house, dusting and brooming. He was almost done, he just had to clean Miss Tamayo's room where they first had their talk.

She said that he didn't have to go through all the trouble, but he insisted. His old clothes were exchanged for a white haori over a gray shirt similar to Yushiro who "happily" donated his clothes to the boy at Tamayo's command.

He still had his old black pants which weren't as torn or dirty. Yushiro was kind enough to wash them for him…at Tamayo's command. Tanjiro didn't want to anger Yushiro for something like laundry so he offered to do it himself.

It had been two days since Tanjiro started living with Tamayo, whom he got along with. Yushiro, on the other hand, seemed to despise the boy.

It was obvious that Yushiro did not trust him, so Tanjiro wanted to prove that he meant no harm to him or Tamayo.

Tanjiro finally finished Tamayo's room as Yushiro came in. "Mr. Yushiro!" Tanjiro addressed him like an adult, recently learning that he was actually 35 years old. "I finished cleaning!"

Yushiro squinted his eyes at Tanjiro like he was trying to set him on fire. Then, Yushiro checked each piece of furniture before stopping and growling.

He turned to Tanjiro with a menacing stare that sent chills down the boy's spine. In his hand, he held a small speck of dust.

"What…the hell…is this?" Yushiro asked slowly as Tanjiro's metaphorical danger detector was buzzing wildly.

Tamayo

Tamayo went to check up on her newest guest who was currently cleaning her room. The boy hadn't even been in her house for half a week, and he already decided to take up chores.

He did dishes, did the laundry, cleaned the house, he even went shopping whenever she needed something for her work.

Tamayo said that he didn't need to go through all the trouble. But, he would always respond with a bright smile and an "I'm happy to help!" Honestly, every time the boy smiled like that, she simply couldn't say no.

The night Tanjiro came, Tamayo sent a message to Kagaya. It wasn't long before she got a response. Last night, a Kasugai Crow came to drop off the message.

"Dear Tamayo, I must thank you for letting me know about this. This development is certainly unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome."

"This Tanjiro's story breaks my heart. Like you and Yushiro, he serves as a reminder that most demons are not truly monsters, they are simply the victims of Kibutsuji."

"I believe that this boy will not only prove useful in your research, but also in our fight against the demons. I will be sure to inform Kanae and Shinobu about Tanjiro before they visit you. I will also make sure this doesn't get out to other Demon Slayers, I will put my trust in you, Tamayo."

"I look forward to new updates on Tanjiro. Stay safe."

"Sincerely, Kagaya Ubuyashiki."

"P.S. I'll be sending you some yen from time to time to help feed our new demonic friend."

She reached the door to her room and opened it. "Hello, Tanjiro. How is the cleanup…going?" Tamayo asked as her smile turned into a disappointed frown.

"YOU CALL THIS CLEAN!? This place isn't fit for a FILTHY COMMONER, let alone Lady Tamayo!" Yushiro scolded as he pulled Tanjiro into the air by his hair and holding a speck of dust in his face.

Tanjiro was yelling in pain and comedic terror, flailing his arms around. "All you had to do was make every room in this house SPOTLESS! You're saying you couldn't handle something as easy as that!?" Yushiro continued, not noticing Tamayo behind him. "And you took way too long! You started before nightfall but now it's midnight! I would've done this in less than an hour with one hand tied behind my back!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm SORRY ! ! !" Tanjiro yelled as he kicked his feet in the air.

"Yushiro…" Tamayo said softly yet sternly, causing Yushiro to jump and drop Tanjiro on his bottom. He turned around and stood at attention.

"Hello, Lady Tamayo! You are looking as beautiful as ever!" He responded as if nothing happened. However, flattery would not save him now.

"I believe I said something about hitting Tanjiro." Tamayo reminded the apprentice.

"Yes, my lady, you did. But as you can see, I was not hitting him, only pulling on his hair." Yushiro explained himself.

"Okay…then from now on, inflicting harm of any kind to our guests is forbidden. Am I clear?" Tamayo asked while trying to not lash out at Yushiro.

"Crystal, ma'am!" Yushiro replied as Tanjiro got back on his feet.

"Please don't be mad at him, Miss Tamayo! It's my fault for not being more thorough in my cleaning!" Tanjiro bowed his head in shame, tears of pain in his eyes.

Tamayo looked around the room to see a bunch of sparkles on the floor, furniture, and all the other knick knacks. It seemed pretty thorough to her…

"Right…In that case, I'll let this go." She said before smiling at Tanjiro. "Tanjiro, I think you did an excellent job. I made soup in the kitchen for you so please help yourself."

Tanjiro smiled brightly. "T-Thank you, ma'am!" He said as he left the room, leaving Tamayo alone with Yushiro. They stood in silence until Tamayo spoke.

"I won't say I'm disappointed…But I expected better from you, Yushiro. I understand that you don't trust Tanjiro, but that gives you no right to make his life worse than it already is. I mean no offense, but he has suffered as well so at least show a little sympathy." Tamayo said.

Yushiro seemed a little hurt by those words, which made Tamayo feel guilty. Yushiro had been a great companion and helped a tremendous amount in her research.

She still remembered when he was sick in bed in her basement, death knocking at his door. She asked him if he would rather live as a demon, to which he said yes.

After that, Yushiro had been completely loyal to her. However, that didn't give him a free pass to mistreat others.

"With all due respect, Lady Tamayo. I just can't trust that boy. I don't care what he says, there is always a chance that he is lying. Demons are not to be trusted." Yushiro argued.

"Hmm…Perhaps you're right, Yushiro. Maybe I should stop trusting Tanjiro…and you." Tamayo shot back, causing Yushiro to flinch from those words.

"N-No! That's not what I…We're different, Lady Tamayo!" Yushiro defended himself.

"And so is Tanjiro." Tamayo responded.

She couldn't blame Yushiro for thinking that way. In fact, she too was suspicious of Tanjiro. Before they spoke, she planned to take everything he said with a grain of salt.

But then…She saw his tears. That night, she heard a scream from the basement. She checked up on Tanjiro and saw that he was just crying. That isn't something you can just fake.

Everything he said, he said with a face that in no way signified deception. She could tell that Tanjiro was genuinely kind and would never kill anyone on his worst day.

"You say that you don't trust Tanjiro, but you trust me, correct?" Tamayo asked.

"Of course, with my life!" Yushiro replied. Tamayo gave a grateful nod before continuing.

"Well, I also trust you, as well as Tanjiro. So, if you don't trust Tanjiro, that basically means that you don't trust my judgment." Tamayo explained, leaving Yushiro in shock.

"N-No! Not at all!" Yushiro quickly said. Tamayo gave a slight chuckle at her young companion's flustered behavior.

"Maybe if you got to know him a little, you two could become friends. If not for yourself or Tanjiro, at least for me." She said while putting a hand on Yushiro's shoulder.

Yushiro nodded. "Yes, my lady."

"Good," Tamayo said as she gave a smirk. "And I think I know just the thing to get you started."


Tanjiro

Living Room

Tanjiro was happily enjoying the vegetable soup Tamayo made for him. His taste had almost completely returned. There were times when the food tasted bland, but that happened rarely so it didn't bother him as much.

Then, Tamayo and Yushiro came in as Tanjiro finished his second fill. "Tanjiro, may we talk?" The woman asked. Tanjiro nodded as Tamayo sat across from him at the table he was eating on.

"Now, I've already told you that some demons or Demon Slayers would attack you. There's a good chance that you'll have to fight one day." Tamayo said as Tanjiro nodded in agreement.

"That's why I decided to have Yushiro teach you how to fight." Tamayo announced as Yushiro scoffed.

"Teach me how to fight?" Tanjiro repeated, stunned at the sudden proposition. "I didn't know Yushiro was that skilled."

"Well, he knows a few martial arts techniques from studying books. That's how he was able to knock you out when you first met." Tamayo explained.

"Really!?" Tanjiro got up and smiled. "Alright, in that case, please train me, Mr. Yushiro!"

"I was going to do that anyway. Calm down." Yushiro said as Tanjiro sat back down with an embarrassed look on his face.

Yushiro sighed. "Yes, I will teach you how to defend yourself should you ever find yourself in danger from either a demon or Demon Slayer. But, you have to listen to my every instruction, understand?"

Tanjiro's face became more serious. "Yes, sir!"


Backyard

Tanjiro vs. Yushiro

(Shared POV)

Tanjiro and Yushiro stood across from each other, with Tamayo spectating from the side. Both male demons assumed fighting stances, Tanjiro's a little more sloppy.

"Alright, come at me!" Yushiro said."Remember, I'm a demon, so you can't kill me. Attack me with maximum effort."

Tanjiro was a little uneasy after hearing that. Even against a demon, it was hard to develop any killing intent against another living thing.

"Focus, Tanjiro!" He scolded himself. "You got lucky with that first demon, there's a good chance that any other fights I have won't be as easy."

Tanjiro steeled his nerves and got ready to charge at Yushiro. He pushed himself off of the ground towards Yushiro in a small burst of speed.

He threw a right punch at Yushiro's head. However, Yushiro was faster as he sidestepped the attack, grabbed Tanjiro's arm, spun him around, and threw him back to his starting position.

Tanjiro rolled on the ground before stopping on his belly. "Pathetic! It's like you were begging me to counter that!" Yushiro criticized the boy's lackluster fighting technique.

"Never let your enemy predict your movements, you have to always keep them guessing so it's harder to block or counter you. That's one of the most basic tactics of fighting." Yushiro instructed.

Tanjiro got back up and dusted himself off. "You must also watch your opponent's movement at the same time. Never leave yourself open with a sloppy attack." Yushiro said.

Tanjiro went again, charging straight at Yushiro. This time, Tanjiro stepped left to Yushiro's right side, preparing to scratch at him with his left claws.

Yushiro was about to block the attacking arm with his right when Tanjiro pulled his arm away at the last minute and threw a right roundhouse kick to Yushiro's stomach.

Unfortunately, Yushiro was still fast enough to block the kick with his left knee. He gave a smirk to Tanjiro. "Better…But you're still too slow!" Yushiro yelled as he did a small jump off of his right leg and twisted his body in midair to use the same leg to kick Tanjiro in the face.

Tanjiro was sent flying once again, this time managing to roll into a crouched position and stuck his claws in the ground.

Yushiro hummed at this development. "Not bad. Not only did you manage to use your momentum to get back on your feet, you used your claws to stop your momentum so that you can get back in the fight as soon as possible." Yushiro noted.

"There may be hope for you yet, Kamado." Yushiro stated as Tanjiro used his claws in the ground to pull and propel himself forward. Slits appeared in his now plum red eyes as veins were bulging out of his forehead.

Tanjiro jumped into the air and brought his right leg up as he fell down. Yushiro jumped back as Tanjiro slammed his leg into the ground, kicking up a bunch of dirt.

A medium-sized crater laid where Tanjiro's foot was. He couldn't see Yushiro due to the cloud of dirt, but smelling him was no problem.

He looked around, sniffing the air. His mind visualized the smell as a red cloudy trail that pointed in one direction.

"Gotcha!" Tanjiro thought as he saw Yushiro jump into the cloud from the direction of the smell. Yushiro tried to throw some palm strikes at Tanjiro's ribs, but Tanjiro managed to catch both of his arms.

Tanjiro then tried to headbutt him, but Yushiro lifted both legs to kick Tanjiro in the chest in order to push him away.

Yushiro backflipped into the air and landed on his feet while Tanjiro fell on his back. "Heh, you weren't kidding. Your nose really is advanced." Yushiro said.

He didn't admit it, but Yushiro was actually impressed. "You did a decent job utilizing your sense of smell, but it's all worthless if you can't counter your opponent in time." He explained as Tanjiro got back up, notably a little more pissed.

"Damn it! Why is this so hard!?" Tanjiro wondered as he glared at Yushiro before realizing something. "Wait…Why am I getting so mad? This isn't like me at all."

Yushiro observed the angry demon. "Just as Lady Tamayo and I suspected. He has control over his demonic side as long as he's calm, but in a battle that gives one very little to no time to relax, his inner demon takes over."

Tanjiro suddenly leaped at full speed towards Yushiro, throwing caution and technique into the wind. Yushiro dodged the attack as he shot a quick glance at Tamayo, who nodded.

That was the signal to end it. Tanjiro recovered immediately from his failed leap attack and charged him again.

The boy swiped at Yushiro multiple times, but his foe dodged each sloppy attack with ease before grabbing Tanjiro's left arm and pulling him forward.

Tanjiro soon found himself on the ground, Yushiro holding down his head and arms with each hand. Tanjiro tried to break free before Yushiro dug his knee into the boy's back.

Yushiro held his breath as Tanjiro started to writhe around like a trapped beast, growling and snapping at him.

Suddenly, Tanjiro stopped making noise as he breathed in something strange. He saw a bunch of flowers surrounding him and Yushiro as he started to feel sleepy for the first time since becoming a demon.

Tanjiro stopped struggling as his breathing became very heavy and he found it harder to keep his eyes open. Eventually, he gave up and let the aroma carry him into unconsciousness.

Tamayo

Tamayo watched as the aroma from her bleeding arm calmed Tanjiro down and eventually put him to sleep.

Blood Demon Art: Blood Bewitchment - Demonic Lullaby

Yushiro got off of the boy as the illusion of flowers faded away along with its aroma.

Tamayo walked up to the two and kneeled next to Tanjiro, smiling. "Good try, Tanjiro." She said as she patted his head.

She got on her feet and addressed Yushiro. "Thank you, Yushiro. Can you take him to his room, please?" She asked.

Yushiro picked up Tanjiro's body and nodded. "Of course, my lady." Then, Yushiro walked off to the front of the house.

Tamayo was about to join him before noticing a bit of blood which must've belonged to Tanjiro. But, something was off about it. There was…steam coming from the blood.

Tamayo then heard a small crackling noise and turned around to see another trail of blood. However…this blood was on fire. The flames were tiny and flickering, but even so…

Tamayo went near the small flame and carefully moved her right hand to it. But, as soon as it touched the flame, Tamayo felt a sharp burning pain.

She winced and pulled her hand back, she looked at her hand to see the skin on her palm burning away. Ash rose from the skin as Tamayo looked on in surprise.

She couldn't regenerate. This wound seemed like a simple burn but it wouldn't heal, at least not as quickly as usual.

After a few minutes, her hand finally healed its burns which had nearly spread across her whole hand. The flames on the blood flickered away a while ago, leaving Tamayo to try and understand what happened.

"I wonder…Could it be?" Tamayo thought before running back to her lab to grab a needle to get a sample.

After settling into her lab, she touched the vial where she kept the first sample of Tanjiro's blood…it was warm. Tamayo spent the rest of the night studying the samples of blood.


Tanjiro

-Morning-

Tanjiro was in his room when he woke up in bed, his memory a little foggy. "What…happened?" He asked himself as he opened his eyes, the window drapes were closed as candles lit the room.

He looked around the room before his eyes landed on a shadow-covered Yushiro standing next to his futon with a pillow in hand.

Yushiro lowered the pillow over Tanjiro's face and…wait a minute…

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH ! ! !" Tanjiro screamed as Yushiro was stunned. He jumped out of bed and went to the nearest corner, throwing whatever he could find. Clothes, blankets, pillows, his now empty food basket, etc.

"HEY, YOU IDIOT! CALM DOWN! It's not what it looks like, so SHUT UP ALREADY!" Yushiro yelled as Tanjiro finally calmed himself.

"S-Sorry…Mr. Yushiro…" Tanjiro said as he was still slightly shocked. "I thought you were trying to suffocate me."

Yushiro scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, that wouldn't kill you anyway. We don't need to breathe, I was just fluffing your pillow and putting it back."

Tanjiro's eyes widened as he walked up to Yushiro. "You fluffed…my pillow…for me…" Tanjiro repeated with a neutral look on his face.

"That's…what I said, yes." Yushiro confirmed while giving Tanjiro a confused look. Tanjiro then started smiling wildly.

"YOU'RE WARMING UP TO ME ! ! !" Tanjiro yelled happily as he tackled Yushiro with an unintentionally aggressive hug.

The next second, Tanjiro found himself on the floor with a bump on his head after Yushiro kicked him there. "Keep dreaming, demon scum!" Yushiro snapped.

As Tanjiro got back up, Yushiro crossed his arms. "I'm doing this because Lady Tamayo has taken a liking to you…for some reason…" he muttered.

"Once my lady sees what a kind and considerate person I am to even a demon, she'll be so proud!" Yushiro smiled confidently before looking at Tanjiro who was also smiling.

Yushiro was confused by this. "What are you so happy about?" He asked.

"Yushiro…You really like Miss Tamayo, huh?" Tanjiro asked, catching the elder demon off guard. His face turned bright red before as Yushiro lashed out at Tanjiro once again.

"MIND, YOUR, OWN, DAMN, BUIS, NESS!" Yushiro yelled, throwing a poke attack to Tanjiro's throat at each syllable.

Tanjiro fell on the ground choking as Yushiro walked over to Tanjiro's futon and sat on it, facing away from the boy who had just recovered.

Yushiro was silent as Tanjiro stared at his back. "I owe her my life…" He said. "When I was a human, I was frail…weak…and sick. My family did the best they could but…It was never enough. I was a dead man walking at just fifteen years old."

Tanjiro said nothing as he listened. "Then, I was attacked by a demon, it killed my family and wounded me. The demon was chased off by a Demon Slayer, who didn't notice my mangled body. I passed out in my home…that's when she found me."

"She brought me to this very same house and treated my wounds, but that wouldn't cure my illness. Lady Tamayo offered to turn me into a demon."

"She can do that?" Tanjiro asked, earning a nod from Yushiro.

"It took her two centuries to learn, but yes. Make no mistake, I became a demon of my own accord. Lady Tamayo said she would only turn me if I was fully sure I would rather become a demon than die a human. Ever since then, I promised that I would follow that woman through the gates of hell and help her in any way that I could."

"You may call that 'liking someone,' Kamado. Perhaps you are right. But I prefer to think of it as paying a huge debt to the person who saved me." Yushiro finished.

Tanjiro couldn't help but smile as he sat next to Yushiro. "That's sweet, Mr. Yushiro." Tanjiro said as Yushiro sighed.

"Look, can you stop with the 'mister' stuff? I know I'm older than you but it feels weird with a body like this, Yushiro is fine." Yushiro stated as Tanjiro nodded.

"Of course, thank you for telling me that story, Yushiro. I'm really sorry that happened to you." Tanjiro said as he gave a sad smile.

Yushiro scoffed again. "Yeah, whatever. I don't even know why I just told you all that." He said as he got up, Tanjiro was doing the same.

"Well, my mom always told me that I was a good listener, maybe that's why?" Tanjiro guessed with a bright smile.

"Heh, maybe." Yushiro said as he started to walk out of the room.

"I'm glad we had this talk! Let's do it again sometime!" Tanjiro called out.

"Go jump off a cliff, Tanjiro." Yushiro replied. Tanjiro smiled as he decided not to mention that he had finally said his first name.

Tamayo

As she saw Yushiro walk out of Tanjiro's room, Tamayo smiled at the fact that Yushiro was finally warming up to their guest.

She then went into the room herself. "Good morning, Tanjiro. I hope you are feeling well." She said as Tanjiro looked back with his own smile.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking! But…" Tanjiro's smile faded. "What exactly happened last night?"

Tamayo frowned. "Well, during your training with Yushiro, you got frustrated and lost control of your demonic self. I used my Blood Demon Art to put you to sleep." She explained.

Tanjiro's eyes widened. "I…what…?" Tanjiro asked with a look of horror. "D-Did I hurt anyone!?"

Tamayo shook her head. "Don't worry, we were prepared for this so we were able to stop you before you could do anything." She assured Tanjiro who let out a sigh of relief before realizing something.

"Wait…you expected this to happen?" Tanjiro asked to which Tamayo nodded.

"This is very common among demons. This happened to me many times in my first years as a demon. Fortunately, it never happened to Yushiro since I was the one who transformed him. It's the same reason he doesn't need as much blood as I do." Tamayo explained.

"Oh…" Tanjiro replied before looking down at the floor. "But even so…getting mad over something as stupid as sparring…That's not like me at all. I thought I had control over that but…" Tanjiro sighed with a look of shame.

Tamayo stared at the poor boy before speaking again. "Tanjiro…do you know why this sort of thing happens to newer demons?" She asked as Tanjiro looked up at her with a confused look and shook his head.

"It's because the more experienced demons are almost always more powerful than they once were." Tamayo explained. "They rarely get frustrated because there are not many that can put them in that position aside from Demon Slayers or the Twelve Kizuki."

"However, one can also break through this habit through sheer will. Even when I was freed from Muzan's grasp, I still had my own fair share of demonic episodes. After all, being all alone as a demon in a world full of both people and demons who despise you was not exactly stress free."

Tanjiro spoke up. "Were you able to get over your anger?" He asked.

Tamayo nodded with a sad smile. "One time, I almost devoured another human. I was wounded by a Demon Slayer and barely escaped with my life, so I became very hungry and went on the hunt. But, then I remembered my family. The people I loved brought me back from the darkness, albeit only for a little while. But, every time I was about to go into a rage, I remembered their faces. This worked every time until I could do it without even thinking, then I never worried about going berserk again."

Tanjiro seemed amazed by this tale before he had a look of realization. "Actually, I think I know what you're talking about. Remember that demon I fought after Muzan? Well, I think I blacked out in the middle of it. One second, I'm getting slammed into the ground. Next thing I know, the other guy's face was smashed in."

"I think I might've gone berserk then, as well. But, before I could hurt anyone," Tanjiro took a photo out of his pocket, wearing a sad smile on his face. "I saw this picture of my family on the ground, and I was back to normal."

Tamayo nodded, still smiling. "Then you know exactly what I'm talking about. In order to conquer your demon side, you must remember those you care about and who care about you. Do that, and you may be able to suppress your demonic side for good." Tamayo said as Tanjiro gave a determined nod.

"Yes, ma'am!" He responded.

"Good," Tamayo said before continuing. "Now, as for why I'm really here."


Tanjiro

Lab

Tanjiro was led to Tamayo's lab where she took out the sample of his blood he gave her. She then dropped a tiny amount of the blood sample onto a Petri dish before placing said dish under a microscope.

"Please look through here, Tanjiro." Tamayo requested as Tanjiro obliged.

He looked through the tube to see a bunch of flat red disks that he assumed were his blood cells. However, some of the cells seemed different. There was some sort of yellow-orange energy surrounding some of the cells.

"What is this, Miss Tamayo?" Tanjiro asked as he continued to look.

"Last night, after your match with Yushiro, there was a small trace of your blood on the floor. When I noticed it, there were small flames coming from the blood" Tamayo stated as Tanjiro listened, taking his eyes away from the microscope.

"When I touched these flames, my hand, of course, burned. But, it was much more painful than usual and I found that I couldn't regenerate as fast. Those flames felt familiar, they felt exactly like when I was almost taken by sunlight a few centuries ago."

"Tanjiro, I believe that your body is storing solar energy from the sun. Not only that, but you may already be starting to awaken your Blood Demon Art." Tamayo said as Tanjiro's eyes widened.

"MY Blood Demon Art?" Tanjiro repeated in shock.

Tamayo nodded in response. "Yes, and the fact that you are beginning to awaken this ability without consuming humans shows that the stored sunlight in your body may be making you stronger."

This was a lot for the young demon to take in. He knew he always felt better in sunlight than in shadows, but to think that sunlight actually made him stronger.

"Now, to test this, we'll have to keep you in sunlight for as long as possible while keeping tabs on your strength." Tamayo stated, shaking Tanjiro out of his shock.

"If this ability of yours works how we think it does, you may be more powerful than we originally thought."


-Two Weeks Later: Nightfall-

Backyard

Tanjiro's Solar Power Level: 17.3% (A small increase in stats, pretty noticeable)

(Note: Remember folks, this story started before New Years so this takes place in the winter where days are shorter. The whole 12 hours of sunlight thing really only happens during summer and late spring.)

Tanjiro stood in front of a pile of bricks stacked on top of each other as Tamayo and Yushiro observed.

"Alright," Yushiro said as he looked at a clipboard. "Your previous record was six bricks, let's try for ten this time."

Tanjiro got ready as he raised his right hand. He took a deep breath before swinging it down at full force in a mighty chop, completely obliterating the ten bricks.

"Well done, Tanjiro." Tamayo praised the boy. "The growth that you've shown in the last couple weeks is quite impressive."

Tanjiro scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile. "Oh come on, Miss Tamayo. I really haven't done that much."

Yushiro then stepped up to Tanjiro. "Alright, now it's time to spar. Make sure to put my teachings to good use."

Tanjiro had learned a lot from Yushiro. Fighting techniques, tactics, pretty much everything one would need to know about fighting.

Even if he felt that he hadn't earned the strength he gained from sunlight, he could still prove himself with his skills.

"Right!" Tanjiro answered before the two demons went to their positions.

"Ready…" Yushiro said as the two got ready. "Go!"

Tanjiro vs. Yushiro

Tanjiro and Yushiro charged at each other, clashing arms in the middle of the yard before jumping back. Yushiro ran at his foe and threw multiple palm strikes to Tanjiro's head.

But Tanjiro, who's speed and reaction time had improved, was able to move his head out of the way each time before catching both arms.

Yushiro then lifted both legs to kick Tanjiro's chest, deja vu. Tanjiro wasn't falling for the same truck again, he let go of Yushiro's arms and backed up just enough for Yushiro's kick to miss him.

Taking advantage of Yushiro being stuck in midair, Tanjiro grabbed his legs and spun around before throwing him back where he was.

Yushiro was able to recover by using his hands to flip himself over and land on his feet. "You've certainly grown, Kamado." Yushiro said in his head.

This time, Tanjiro made the first move as he leaped at Yushiro with a right sidekick. Yushiro bent backwards to dodge the kick, but Tanjiro knew this would happen.

As soon as his body was over Yushiro's, Tanjiro twisted his torso and pulled his right fist all the way back. Yushiro was unable to react in time before Tanjiro slammed his fist right into Yushiro's face.

Yushiro lost his balance and fell on his back hard, leaving a crater around his body. Tanjiro landed on his feet behind Yushiro and jumped high into the air, raising his left foot to stomp Yushiro down.

Yushiro saw this and immediately got on his feet, he then turned around and jumped towards Tanjiro while preparing a payback punch.

Tanjiro tilted his own body back to dodge…or so Yushiro thought. In reality, Tanjiro was preparing his Hail Mary.

Just as Yushiro got near the boy, Tanjiro shot his head forward and headbutted Yushiro's skull, almost completely shattering it as his body tilted back.

"He wasn't…trying to dodge…he was trying…to hide…his head!" A dazed Yushiro realized.

Tanjiro wasn't done, however. He grabbed Yushiro's legs and threw him down while they were still midair. Yushiro landed on his front as Tanjiro raised his foot and hit the ground, and Yushiro's back, with a powerful stomp.

Tanjiro jumped away from Yushiro, preparing for the worst. But, as the dirt cloud Tanjiro's attack kicked up blew away, Yushiro was revealed to be lying still minus the occasional twitch.

"I don't think…that last kick was…necessary…" Yushiro mumbled with his face still on the ground.

Tanjiro

"OH NO! Mr. Yushiro, are you okay!? I'm so sorry!" Tanjiro yelled out as he rushed to Yushiro who pushed himself off of the ground.

"Damn it! I thought I told you to knock it off with that 'mister' shit! 'Yushiro' is JUST FINE!" Yushiro shouted at Tanjiro who pouted in response.

"There's no need for language like that, Mr. Yushiro…" Tanjiro muttered, earning a punch to the face.

"SHUT IT, KAMADO!" Yushiro shot back as Tanjiro fell on his back.

"Yushiro, how many times do I have to tell you to stop hitting him?" Tamayo asked, clearly not happy.

"I apologize, Lady Tamayo. But, he should not have let his guard down." Yushiro stated as sweat dripped down his forehead along with blood from the headbutt.

Tamayo sighed before giving a small, somewhat forced, smile. "Why don't we all take a walk to clear our heads.


Town

Tanjiro, Yushiro, and Tamayo walked through town together. They went to a restaurant to relax, even though Tanjiro was the only one who could actually eat anything. Tanjiro felt bad as he ate his third bowl of ramen but it couldn't be helped. If he didn't eat, he'd go on another rampage.

Tanjiro tasted everything again, he was so happy to finally be rid of that bland taste! But that only made him feel worse since he knew what Tamayo and Yushiro were missing out on.

Strangely enough, however, they didn't seem bothered one bit. Well, considering how long they lived, it was only natural that they got used to not getting to eat the delicious food.

Tanjiro finished slurping up the broth of his fifth and final fill and placed the bowl on the table they were sitting at. "Thank you for the meal!" He said while putting his hands together.

"Uh huh…right…" The elderly shopkeeper said, giving Tanjiro a weird look. Tamayo told Tanjiro that children and the elderly are the best at telling apart a human from a demon.

Why, they had no idea. But, Tanjiro decided not to worry about it too much. Besides that, everyone in town seemed nice to him, especially when he was with Tamayo.

Apparently, she had cured and cared for many of the civilians who came to trust her with their lives. Even most of the elderly trusted her.

The demonic trio left the restaurant, deciding to return to the house. That's when…

Sniff…Sniff…Sniff, sniff, sniff.

Tanjiro picked up a strange scent from far away, and as they got closer to the house, Tanjiro recognized the smell. "Blood!"

Before he could inform Tamayo, everyone heard a woman scream from a few blocks to the right of where they were.

Tanjiro wasted no time as he sprinted away from Tamayo and Yushiro. "IDIOT! DON'T RUN OFF ALONE!" Yushiro called out to deaf ears.


Tanjiro made his way to the source of the scream, there was a huge crowd surrounding a house. Tanjiro pushed his way through with a bunch of shoves and apologies.

Once he made it to the front, his eyes widened. There was a spiky black-haired man, beaten down to a bloody pulp and barely hanging on, being held by a woman with brown hair tied up in a bun.

"Darling! Please, hang on!" The woman said to the man who was most likely her husband before glaring at the crowd. "Why are you all just standing there!? My family's in danger!"

Suddenly, a teenage boy who looked similar to the man was launched out of the one story house, not looking much better than the latter. "YAMI!" The woman cried out as she rushed to the boy's side. "Are you okay, sweetheart!? Answer me, please!"

The young man coughed up blood before managing a single short sentence. "Mom…that thing…it's got…Hana…" He muttered.

It was at this moment that a shadow jumped into the lit streets of town. Tanjiro counted six arms on the lanky figure (one pair placed in its normal position, another coming out of the back, and the other coming from hips), along with two long black horns. It wore black shorts and nothing else. It had long, blue hair, pale skin, and slits for pupils.

Tanjiro could instantly tell from the rotten sme that it was a demon, and one more powerful than that farm demon. But the most important detail was the unconscious black-haired little girl wearing a blue kimono being held in one of the demon's hands.

"Finally, I managed to get my hands on a marechi!" The demon announced as everyone either ran or backed away. "Once I gain the strength from her rare blood, I'll slaughter this entire town!"

The demon lifted the girl by the head to his mouth, preparing to take a bite. "NO! DON'T DO IT!" The mother pleaded, striking a cord within Tanjiro.

"Tanjiro…why…?"

Tanjiro's fists clenched tightly.

"T-Tanjiro…please…we're…your family…"

"Please, Tanjiro…this isn't you… I love you…we all…love you…son…Don't…don't do this!"

"TANJIROOOO!"

Before he knew it, Tanjiro ran straight towards the demon, who still hadn't noticed him, with black slits in his eyes.

Before the multi-armed demon could take the first bite out of the girl, Tanjiro came in and grabbed her as he kicked upward at the demon's lower jaw, forcing his mouth closed.

As the demon got launched into the air, he was forced to let go of the girl. Tanjiro immediately brought the girl close to him and ran towards the mother and elder child.

He handed the girl into the mother's arms. "Run! Get to safety, I'll hold him off!" He ordered.

"Okay…but, what about my husband?" The woman asked, ignoring what just happened.

"Don't worry, I've got him." Tanjiro heard Tamayo's voice, she was carrying the man's body on her back while Yushiro helped evacuate the area.

The woman's worries seemed to have disappeared upon seeing Tamayo and took her children away from danger.

The enemy demon landed on its feet, glaring at Tanjiro. "You little shit…Do you know HOW LONG it took to find that marechi!?" The demon asked in a menacing tone.

"So, that girl was a marechi, huh?" Tanjiro thought. A month ago, he would've had no idea what the demon was talking about, but Tamayo filled him in on that subject.

Marechi are people with rare blood types that to a demon is worth at least fifty humans. Most demons try to join the Twelve Kizuki through finding and devouring marechi, another reason to keep this demon as far away from the girl as possible.

"I don't care, I won't let you hurt anyone!" Tanjiro stated as the other demon looked at his opponent with a confused look.

"Won't let ME hurt anyone? Are you fucking serious, kid!? You do realize you're a demon too!" The demon reminded Tanjiro.

"That may be true, but don't think for a second that I'm anything like you! Deep down, I am still as human as ever!" Tanjiro shot back.

The multi-armed demon then started laughing hysterically. "Hah hah hah haaaah! Yeah, and I'm the FUCKING EMPEROR! Hah ha ha ha hah!" The demon mocked.

While it was laughing, Tanjiro came in and threw a left roundhouse to its face, knocking it back a few meters.

The enemy demon recovered and gave Tanjiro another glare. "Alright, brat! You want it, come at me then, motherfucker!"

Tanjiro vs. Six-Armed Demon

"Kamado! The civilians have been evacuated, I'll go with Lady Tamayo to help the wounded! Just hold him off and I'll join soon!" Yushiro announced as he ran away to follow Tamayo along with the wounded man and teen.

"Right!" Tanjiro responded, earning another laugh from his six-armed foe.

"Oh that's fucking cute! You think a little bitch boy like you can keep me here!?" The demon said before laughing again.

Tanjiro's left eye twitched. "Okay, seriously, have these demons never heard of manners!?" Tanjiro thought as he prepared to attack.

Tanjiro charged his opponent with determination in his eyes. "Alright, this guy has six arms, that already gives him an advantage in close quarters. I have to be smart about this." Tanjiro thought as he neared the demon who got into a fighting position.

At the last second, Tanjiro turned to the left and rushed to a barrel nearby while the multi-arm demon was disoriented.

Tanjiro grabbed the barrel with one hand, leaped towards his foe, and smacked his body with the now busted barrel.

The six-armed demon skidded back a few yards as he blocked the attack with four of his arms. "Is that all you got, 'human!?'" The demon mocked Tanjiro again with quotation hand signs from the arms on his back.

This time, the enemy demon charged first at Tanjiro with surprising speed. "So fast!" Tanjiro thought as the demon was already on top of him.

Tanjiro reacted quickly and threw a right jab at the demon's face, only for it to be caught by its main left arm. The six-armed demon then threw its own right punch with the middle at Tanjiro who blocked it with his left arm.

Tanjiro jumped up, the demon still keeping its grip on his right arm, and shot out a right roundhouse. But, this attack was stopped by the demon's top left arm catching the boy's foot.

Tanjiro immediately went for a left chop to the head, but that was caught by the demon's top right hand.

The six-armed demon then used its remaining arms to throw multiple punches at Tanjiro's gut.

(AN: I'm gonna call him "Six- Arms" from now on because I am tired of saying "six-armed demon.")

Tanjiro managed to kick himself off of one arm to avoid the other attacks with his left leg before he finally managed to yank his right arm out of Six-Arms' grip.

Tanjiro lifted his free leg above Six-Arms' head while grabbing his top right arm which tried to stop it. Tanjiro managed to land an axe kick on Six-Arms' head before kicking off of his chest and freeing his other limbs from its grip.

Tanjiro did a flip in the air before landing a distance away from Six-Arms, who had just recovered.

"Heh, you've got skills, I'll give you that. But playtime is over." Six-Arms said as his lower hands reached into his pockets and pulled out two daggers that were thrown into the air and caught by its top arms. "I'll cut you to pieces and leave you to burn in the sun!"

Tanjiro knew that wouldn't do anything to him, but he also knew that he couldn't let this guy get away and hurt more people. He had to end this…now.

Tanjiro charged at Six-Arms who did the same. As they met in the middle, Six-Arms reached out with both arms to grab Tanjiro. But, Tanjiro jumped and twisted his body in midair so that he went from a front flip to a backflip.

Tanjiro was trying to backflip so that his right leg would kick Six-Arms' head on the way down as he landed in front of him. However, Six-Arms used his upper arms to block the kick and aimed a punch at Tanjiro's chest.

Tanjiro raised his arms to block the punch as he was knocked back by a few meters, bouncing off the ground before recovering with his claws like he did when sparring with Yushiro.

"I have to find a way to counter his multiple arms, I won't be able to win like this." Tanjiro said in his head as he looked around for anything he could use as a weapon.

He looked to his left where the house of that family was and noticed a bloody axe. The boy from before must've used that to attack the demon. Tanjiro saw Six-Arms leaping at him with his daggers and dodged out of the way before running to the axe.

Tanjiro picked it up and turned around just in time to move his head out of the way of a dagger. Tanjiro jumped back before Six-Arms could do anything else.

The enemy demon noticed the axe in Tanjiro's hands and scoffed. "You think that piece of shit will protect you!? Hah! Be my guest, I'll just take it and shove it into your fucking skull!"

Six-Arms charged Tanjiro once again, but Tanjiro was ready for it this time. Six-Arms used his four lower arms to grab Tanjiro before Tanjiro started sliding on the ground and dodged.

As Tanjiro went between Six-Arms' legs, he took the axe in his hand and sliced through his enemy's ankle, causing Six-Arms to grunt and fall on one knee.

Tanjiro then got up behind Six-Arms and swung his axe through Six-Arm's top arms. The arms were cut off before the wrists of the dismembered arms flicked and threw the daggers at Tanjiro's eyes.

Tanjiro's eyes widened as he raised his left arm to catch the daggers which pierced through his skin. Before Tanjiro could recover, Six-Arms' ankle healed and turned around.

Six-Arms then ripped the daggers out of Tanjiro's arm with his remaining left hands and swung them at Tanjiro's head.

Tanjiro was able to move out of the way, but not before receiving two large cuts on his forehead. Tanjiro jumped back only to be followed by Six-Arms who went just a little bit faster.

Six-Arms then grabbed Tanjiro's left arm, which held the axe, with his middle right arm and pulled him in to stab his right hip with both daggers. Tanjiro winced in pain before retaliating.

He took his right hand and shoved the nail of his thumb into Six-Arms' left eye while using the rest of his fingers to dig into his skull. Six-Arms screamed in pain before tearing his daggers out of Tanjiro's hip, making the wound even wider.

Six-Arms tried to pry Tanjiro's right hand out of his head with his lower right, but Tanjiro intercepted it by catching the wrist with his mouth, biting down hard and breaking the skin.

Before Six-Arms could stab Tanjiro's eyes out with his daggers, Tanjiro double kicked his chest multiple times until his left hand broke free and sliced his opponent's middle right arm off.

Tanjiro then went for the head, but Six-Arms took his two left arms and stabbed Tanjiro's left arm, holding it in place.

Tanjiro then saw that Six-Arms' upper arms were already regenerating. Tanjiro knew that he couldn't waste time and chewed off Six-Arms' last right arm.

Six-Arms grunted again, wondering what the boy was doing as Tanjiro suddenly wrapped his legs around the demon's torso while pushing his right hand further inside of its head.

"What the fuck is with this kid!? Why is he fighting so hard to protect some piece of shit humans!?" Six-Arms thought as Tanjiro tilted his head back

Tanjiro then headbutted the demon, who was dazed for a few seconds, as Tanjiro's left arm broke free of Six-Arms' two left arms and tried to cut off the regenerating upper arms.

"Damn it! DON'T FUCKING UNDERESTIMATE ME!" Six-Arms yelled as he recovered from the headbutt and used his legs and charged into the nearest house wall, slamming the boy's back into it.

However, it was actually the demon who underestimated his opponent as Tanjiro didn't seem fazed despite the pain he was in.

Six-Arms used his lower left arm to stab Tanjiro's left arm to hold it in place again while using his middle left hand to slice off Tanjiro's right hand. Tanjiro let out a pained yelp.

Six-Arms then started repeatedly stabbing Tanjiro's chest and belly, causing Tanjiro to cough up blood while trying to break free from the arm holding back his left..

"Calm down!" Tanjiro told himself while being hit. "Stay calm, don't lose control! Just…CALM DOWN!"

However, that was easier said than done, as Tanjiro could not bring himself to focus on the memory of his family. He'd practiced remembering his loved ones during combat with Yushiro, but this was way more intense.

Tanjiro's haori and shirt were stained with dirt and blood, the bleeding from his forehead stopped but it was already dropping into his eyes. Tanjiro had no choice but to close his right eye as his blood started to cover it.

"GET…THE…HELL…OFF!" Six-Arms commanded, stabbing Tanjiro's exposed ribs at each syllable. Tanjiro bit Six-Arms' middle left arm and turned his head to pull the arm away from his right arm, along with the dagger.

"NOW!" Tanjiro immediately swung his axe with his now free hand past Six-Arms' head and cut off the back arms which had almost regenerated.

"Shit! If I had just recovered those arms, I could've destroyed this kid!" The demon thought.

Tanjiro still had his legs wrapped around the demon while Six-Arms buried the dagger in his lower hand into Tanjiro's heart, causing extreme amounts of pain for the poor boy.

Six-Arms then charged into the same house's wall with Tanjiro and slammed him against the wall again. But, Tanjiro was able to recover quickly.

Tanjiro still had his right hand free and cut off Six-Arms' middle left arm as he unwrapped his legs, leaving the demon with only one dagger. Tanjiro then kicked the demon's jaw with his left leg before slamming it back down to crush the demon's skull.

Tanjiro swung his axe down onto Six-Arms' head, splitting it in two. Tanjiro then let go of the axe and used his right hand to rip his detached left hand out of Six-Arms' head.

Tanjiro used both feet to kick Six-Arms' chest and push himself through the broken house wall, leaving the axe behind in his haste and getting the dagger out of his heart.

Six-Arms was knocked back as he looked to see himself with two arms, his lower right and lower left, the former having grown their hands back and the latter losing the grip on his last dagger.

"Fuck! When I get my hands on that little-!" Six-Arms thought as he pulled the axe out of his head before Tanjiro jumped out of the hole he made in the wall and gave a left roundhouse kick to the ribs.

Six-Arms was knocked away again, barely managing to land on his feet. His middle right arm and right eye had already regenerated with his upper arms not far behind, he used his arms to hold his head together while it healed. Despite all the damage he'd taken. Six-Arms would be back in business in less than a minute.

Tanjiro, on the other hand, wasn't as fortunate. His forehead scars had healed and his left hand was reattached, but the hole in his right hip hadn't fully regenerated.

Tanjiro was on all fours, growling and glaring at Six-Arms with plum red, piercing eyes.

"Hah! What's wrong, brat? But off more than you can chew?" Six-Arms mocked as Tanjiro took out the daggers in his arms and threw them to the side.

"You've put up a good fight, but there's really no point in us fighting. A battle between demons is pointless." The demon said while walking towards the angered Tanjiro.

"You need to stop acting like you're the hero, and embrace your demonic desires. Trust me, you'll be a lot better for it." He assured the boy.

"Hey, tell you what, you let me get the marechi and I let you eat everyone else. Of course, I also want those traitors who were with you. Master will be pleased when he hears that I've captured Tamayo the fugitive!"

Tanjiro then leapt towards Six-Arms, trying to scratch his eyes out. However, Six-Arms arms were almost all healed and caught Tanjiro by the throat with his middle right arm.

Six-Arms then threw Tanjiro into a brick wall on Tanjiro's left. Before Tanjiro knew it, his demonic foe was already on top of him.

"So, no deal then? Fine! In that case, I'm ending this now!" Six-Arms announced as he pulled back his five arms with his middle left arm almost regenerated.

Suddenly, all of his arms were healed. What's more, more arms started shooting out from his back by the dozen, taking the same position as his main arms. "Sorry kid, nothing personal!"

Blood Demon Art: Hecatoncheires Smash

Six-Arms released a flurry of rapid punches with his nearly one hundred arms, each one landing on a different part of Tanjiro who held his arms up to block, but his attempt was in vain.

Tanjiro felt every bone in his body being shattered bit by bit, even his lower body wasn't spared. These weren't just random punches, each one had a target.

The brick wall behind Tanjiro was about to give out when the flurry stopped and Six-Arms used his middle left hand to grab Tanjiro's neck and hold him in place. "GET FUCKED, BRAT ! ! !"

Six-Arms took his middle right fist, reeling it all the way back before punching Tanjiro's gut with maximum force. His fist was buried deep in Tanjiro's stomach, causing the boy to spit out a large amount of blood which got on Six-Arms' face, not that he cared.

Tanjiro's eyes rolled back as he was sent straight through the brick wall and through the house behind it before he was in another street.

Tanjiro bounced on the ground before his back hit another house. His head bounced off of the wall and dropped down.

Tanjiro's face was covered with blood, scars, and bruises. His clothing was also bloodied, his white haori slightly torn in some spots.

Tanjiro was in incredible pain despite his tolerance, he no longer had the strength to move. "Get…up…You have to…get up…!" Tanjiro told himself while barely clinging to consciousness, white lights covering his vision.

"Miss Tamayo…and Mr. Yushiro…along with…that family with…the rare-blood…they need you…! So…GET UP!" But, Tanjiro's body did not listen for it was in too much pain.

Suddenly, Tanjiro heard Six-Arms land in front of him and weakly moved his head up to look at his foe, who sported a cocky grin.

"So, what'd you think of my Blood Demon Art? Pretty sweet, huh? It not only gives more arms, but it even speeds up my regeneration. I've killed at least thirty Demon Slayers with that move! Sadly, I can't use it too often or I get worn out. But, once I get my hands on that marechi, I'll make the Twelve Kizuki in no time!" Six-Arms bragged.

Tanjiro tried to move, he really tried. But it wasn't enough, he just couldn't muster the strength. His bones still felt broken, his body had been beaten to a bloody pulp.

He could feel his face and body healing, but he was still vulnerable. What was stopping Six-Arms from breaking his body again before it healed, nothing.

Six-Arms then grabbed Tanjiro's hair with his right top hand and pulled him until his feet no longer touched the ground. "You thought you were hot shit, didn't you? 'Hey, I'm a demon now! That means I'm invincible, right!?'" He said in a mocking tone.

"Well, here's a lesson, being cocky is a death sentence for a demon." Six-Arms said as Tanjiro stared at him.

"Look…who's talking…" Tanjiro thought before he was thrown to his left again and rolled onto his stomach, his face hidden in the ground.

"You tried to be the hero, and look where it got you! Getting the shit beaten out of you like a fucking punching bag!" Six-Arms continued talking.

"Well, if you're not gonna get up, I'm just gonna find that marechi if that's cool with you. I'll let you live this time out of kindness so just leave as soon as you finish healing, see ya!" Six-Arms started to walked past the broken Tanjiro as he moved his head to stare at the demon's back.

"Damn it…! He's going to kill that girl and her family…along with…everyone in town! I have to move…NOW!" Tanjiro said in his head before…

"What's the point…?"

Tanjiro's eyes widened. "What…did I just… was that…me?"

"You're too weak to protect them…You'll just end up getting hurt…"

"What is this…? It sounds like my voice but…I would…never think such a thing…"

"You should run…At least you'll still be alive…just give up on the humans…it's not like they'll thank you for helping them…"

"Shut up! Don't think like that! I have to protect them! I can't stand by and watch innocent people die!"

". . . . . . . .So you'd rather help others than mind your own business…Isn't that how you became a demon in the first place…?"

Tanjiro's eyes widened even more.

"Th…That's not…"

"You know I'm right…why do you do this to yourself…? Is it really worth it…all this pain and suffering…?"

"…"

"Just stop…let your body heal and run away…Don't be a fool…just give up…"

Tears filled Tanjiro's eyes as he buried his face into the ground in shame, his attempts at getting up halted. Maybe he was right, he's not strong enough.

What's worse, that's not even the strongest demon out there, not even close. It was almost hilarious how easily he was beaten down. Tanjiro laid down on the ground, letting himself go to sleep.

At least, that was the plan.

"Get up, Tanjiro."

Tanjiro's eyes widened again as he looked up, not noticing that his body was fine. What did get his attention was his father standing in front of him, enveloped in a white light.

"You can't give up. Don't listen to that other voice, it is your demonic self speaking, not the real you." Tanjuro said with a slight frown.

"I know it hurts, I know that you're afraid that you aren't strong enough. But you are, I know it, and so do you. That's why you must fight."

"I understand that that's not fair. You are a demon, but you are still a child. It shouldn't be you who has to suffer, but it is. So, get up, my son." Tanjuro started to smile.

"If not for yourself, if not for those innocent people, if not for me…do it for the rest of your family."

Tears fell down from Tanjiro's eyes. "You may not realize it, Tanjiro. But you have been blessed, blessed by Hinokami. Hinokami stands with you, he will be your sword and shield. But, a sword is only as strong as the hand that wields it."

"You alone have conquered the sun, you must show everyone that. Use its power as your own to protect the innocent and to destroy evil."

"I know you can do it, you are my son after all. I love you, Tanjiro. Your grandmother and I both long for the day that we can hold you in our arms again when we are reunited in heaven. Stay safe, my son."

And with that, Tanjuro vanished into thin air. Tanjiro lowered his head, which was covered in shadow, and got back up.

Six-Arms was still walking, thinking about his meal, when he heard something behind him. He turned around to see Tanjiro back on his feet.

"Oh come on! Again with this!? You just don't know the meaning of 'give up,' do ya!?" Six-Arms said, becoming very annoyed at the boy's persistence.

However, as he got a closer look, Six-Arms noticed something about the boy. Tanjiro opened his eyes to reveal bright red irises with cat-like pupils, replacing his plum red and pink eyes. The scar on his forehead was also glowing brightly, going from red to orange.

Tanjiro held his arms out, raising them until his body looked like a giant "t." Six-Arms charged at Tanjiro and tried to crush his head with a clap from his middle arms.

But Tanjiro ducked below and the veins on his arms started bulging as he sent a good amount of his blood to his hands.

The blood pushed against the inner walls of his fingers before bursting out in the form of flames. Fire enveloped Tanjiro's fingers as he swiped them through Six-Arms' torso with both hands, separating the lower arms and legs from the top.

Six-Arms was stunned as the top of his body fell back along with his other cut off part. He watched as the flames from Tanjiro's fingers disappeared, that's when he saw that the fire resembled…claws.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Fire Claws

Six-Arms recovered by using his middle arms to grab his lower half while his upper arms propelled him back by pushing the ground below him with great force.

Six-Arms went up into the air as he tried to reattach his lower half, emphasis on "tried."

"Something's wrong! My body…it's not regenerating!" He realized before Tanjiro leaped into the air as well. Tanjiro was right on top of him as he launched a left roundhouse kick to his head.

Six-Arms held his upper right arm to block. But, Tanjiro's blood gathered at his left leg as it bursted out of the veins and his leg was enveloped in flames.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Flaming Kick

Tanjiro's leg went right through Six-Arms' blocking arm which flew off as he moved his head back. "Why did it get so hot all of a sudden!? What the fuck is happening!?" Six-Arms asked himself as he felt a bit of panic.

Six-Arms fell on his back as he managed to get his lower body only slightly reattached, but it was still falling apart.

He then looked up to see Tanjiro raise his other leg in midair as it also caught on fire. His pants were burned up to the knees.

Sun Conqueror - Flaming Kick

Six-Arms rolled out of the way as Tanjiro smashed the ground with his leg, launching a wave of fire that grazed Six-Arms' body.

"Fuck! That hurts!" He yelled out while still trying to keep his body together.

Even though the halves of his body weren't fully attached, Six-Arms got on his feet and used his own Blood Demon Art.

"I don't know how you got a Blood Demon Art, I bet you haven't eaten a single human." He stated as the cloud of dust blew away to reveal Tanjiro. "But don't think for a second…THAT YOU'RE BETTER THAN MEEEEE!"

Six-Arms' torso and lost arm finally healed as more arms sprouted from his back. At the same time, Tanjiro held out his right hand with a determined glare.

Blood Demon Art: Hecatoncheires Sma-

Blood Demon Art; Sun Conqueror - Exploding Blood

Tanjiro closed his fist as the blood on Six-Arms' face, which got there after Tanjiro was punched in the gut and spat on his face, started glowing. Before Six-Arms knew it, the blood turned into flames and his face was set on fire.

Six-Arms let out a terrible scream as he held his face with all of his hands, only for them to get set aflame as well.

Soon, all of his arms were burned to ash until the blood was all burned away, leaving Six-Arms with half of his face burned to the bone.

"Y-You…! What the hell…are you!?" Six-Arms asked as he backed away from Tanjiro who stayed silent.

"You will pay for all the lives you've taken, then I will put you out of your misery." Tanjiro finally spoke.

Six-Arms continued backing away from the boy. "What are you talking about! A demon can't kill a demon! You're out of your fucking mind!"

Tanjiro stepped up to Six-Arms while taking in a deep breath while summoning his blood to his neck. He felt his blood bursting into his throat as he breathed out, letting the blood turn into fire and shoot out of his mouth.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Dragon Breath

Tanjiro breathed fire at Six-Arms whose body was completely covered in flames. Once again, he screamed in agony as he dropped to his knees.

Tanjiro walked up to him and put a hand on his head. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon." Tanjiro said to the screaming demon.

After a minute of suffering, Six-Arms was no longer recognizable as his body had been completely charred. He no longer screamed as his vocal cords were also burned.

Six-Arms started fading away with the flames, completely turning to ash. "Rest in peace." Tanjiro said as he put his hands together in prayer.

Tanjiro

Tanjiro watched as the demon's body faded away, not caring that he had actually killed a demon with his own hands.

He hated that he made that demon suffer like that, but it was clear his foe didn't regret killing all those people. He owed it to the dead to avenge them properly.

But even so, he couldn't help but feel that he went too far. Suddenly, Tanjiro felt very tired as legs collapsed. He fell on the ground and closed his eyes, falling into unconsciousness.

Yushiro

Yushiro had just made it back to where Tanjiro was with the Nichirin Sword that Lady Tamayo kept in the house. Only to find the six-armed demon vanquished by Tanjiro who had just collapsed from exhaustion after unlocking his Blood Demon Art.

"I don't believe it…he actually killed a demon…!" Yushiro said to himself, still trying to process current events.

Yushiro went to Tanjiro and picked up his body, holding an arm over his shoulder. He looked at the younger demon and smirked. "Heh, probably just beginner's luck. But you did good, Tanjiro." He said as he walked back to the house.


Kagaya Ubuyashiki

Demon Slayer Headquarters

-Two Days Later-

"I apologize for the surprise summons, but I have just received a message that the town that Tamayo is located in was attacked by a demon." Kagaya said as he sat in a small room with two of his children, Hinaki and Nichika, and two others.

"We believe there is a chance that Tamayo's location has been compromised. We're not sure, but we can't take the risk. Which is why I want you two to escort Tamayo to a new location in Asakusa."

"Muzan has been wanting to destroy Tamayo for centuries, and if he finds out that she's vulnerable, he'll send whoever he can to catch her."

"You two are not only Hashira, you are the only ones in the entire Demon Slayer Corps who know about Tanjiro Kamado. That is why I can only trust you two with this."

"He is another demon who must not fall into Kibutsuji's grasp. I know that I'm asking for much, you both have your duties at the Butterfly Mansion. But I hope you will accept this mission, Shinobu, Kanae."

The two figures kneeling before Kagaya bowed their heads in respect. They were two young women, both sporting butterfly hairpins.

One was a petite girl with a haori that had the pattern of butterfly wings and large, compound-like eyes that faded to purple and lacked pupils. She wore a purple-tinted uniform, had black wavy hair that faded to dark purple and was styled at the back of her head into a yakai-maki bun with the hairpin on top of the bun.

The other was a taller and slender woman with a flower patterned haori and pale violet eyes with white sparkles. Like the girl next to her, she had a purple-tinted uniform along with long straight black hair that reached below her waist, worn down with two shorter clumps over her shoulders and arched, ear-length bangs on either side of her face along with two pink butterfly hair pins on either side of her hair.

Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho and her older sister, the Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho.

"Of course, master. We'd do anything for you and our cause." Kanae answered.

"Just give us the order, and we will see this mission accomplished." Shinobu added.

Kagaya smiled to hear his children accept the mission so gladly. "Very well, you will head off tomorrow, take the day to get ready for the trip. And stay safe, my children."

The two Hashira nodded and walked out after bowing. "One more thing." Kagaya said as the two young women looked back.

"I know he is a demon, but please be kind to Tanjiro. Tamayo told how admirably he defended the town when the demon attacked. Anyone who sheds blood to protect a human, human or demon, is a good person in my book."

Kanae happily nodded, but Shinobu gave a slight frown. "With all due respect, master. None of us have even met the...boy, how do you know we can trust him?"

"That's a good question, Shinobu. I guess I just have a hunch. But, I think you'll know when you meet him." Kagaya answered with a bright smile.

Shinobu didn't seem satisfied with that answer, but nodded anyway as the two walked out of the room.


And that's all, folks!

Holy Shit, this chapter was long! Sorry about that, I think I went a little crazy with the details.

If you don't mind long chapters, awesome! I like to give people the most out of every chapter so that works for me.

Tanjiro has finally unlocked his Blood Demon Art! Let's go!

Tanjiro's Solar Power Level: 6.5% (Weaker stats, Blood Demon Art unlocked.)

(Note: I know what you're thinking. "Wait a minute, wasn't it at 17.3%?" Yes, it was. But, Tanjiro's Blood Demon Art requires some of the energy in his blood and is used up with each attack. Every fire claw attack takes up 1% per hand, and Tanjiro used it two times when he used both hands. Every flaming kick takes up 2%, and Tanjiro used it twice. And dragon breath takes up 4.5% per use. Tanjiro also lost 0.3% of his energy when he coughed up that blood that he used for Exploding Blood. Tanjiro loses tiny amounts of energy when he loses blood.)

Tanjiro's Blood Demon Art is powerful, but like Hinokami Kagura, it takes a lot of energy to use.

Don't worry, though. As Tanjiro learns to control his power, he'll learn to use these moves at a lower cost while learning new moves. Tanjiro will also be able to absorb sunlight and power up faster in the far future.

Also, Kanae gave her haori to Shinobu as a gift for becoming a Hashira and has own own original haori decorated with images of all kinds of flowers.

Also, I want to do fan locations for future arcs based on real locations in Japan. The problem is, I don't know what most towns in Japan were like during the Taisho Era.

If any of you have ideas for locations, I'm hoping that you can tell me about its culture and circumstances during the Taisho Era so I can paint a picture in my head of what it looks like in order to give the best details. Don't worry, I'll be sure to give credit where it's due!

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I'll see you next time, Peace!

Next time: Chapter 6 - The Flower Hashira's Dream Comes True!