Hi! I'm back again with another long-ass chapter for you guys!

First, I want to celebrate the fact that 100 users have favorited this story!

You guys have no idea how much this means to me! I'm so happy that over 100 people are enjoying my work!

Thank you all for your support, I only hope that I can continue to live up to it!

Now, onto the reviews.

First, Misaka Phenex wrote "x-rays…wth" (wth = what the hell?)

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that you're questioning the inclusion of x-ray machines in the Taisho Period.

Let me explain!

The Taisho Era is the time period between July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926.

I looked it up and apparently, x-rays were first discovered in December 1895 by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen.

X-rays were soon used in medicine by battlefield physicians by June 1896 to find bullets inside of soldiers' wounds. By 1912, x-rays were more commonly used in medicine and dentistry than anything else.

Bam! Little history lesson for y'all. Hope that cleared up any confusion!

Now, the same person also talked about the part where the Kamado family prays for Tanjiro, claiming the "amen" part was too American.

I truly apologize if I offended anyone with that scene. Please know that was not my intention. If you guys really want me to, I will happily remove the "amen" part of that scene.

With that said, I actually watched a video which taught the proper way to pray in Japanese. This video is titled "How to Pray in Japanese" and is on the YouTube Channel, Lifey.

In the video, it said that prayers in Japan are usually closed off with the phrase, "amen," or more specifically, "In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Search up "how to pray in japanese lifey" on YouTube if you don't believe me, it should be the first video that pops up.

Again, I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but there are people in Japan who say "amen" at the end of a prayer.

(Update) Please disregard everything said in the last four paragraphs. They are the words of an ignorant dumbass and should not be taken seriously.

Our old friend, StressedisDesserts, informed me that this Lifey channel was not an accurate source for Japanese religion.

I'd like to once again apologize if I have offended you with this lazy comment. I made up my mind and will completely change the praying scene in chapter 3 soon if I haven't done so already.

From now on, any research I do on Japanese history, culture, or religion will be more thorough.

Also, to my fellow authors, a word of advice in case you need to hear it.

When you write a story that takes place in a foreign country that you know little to nothing about except what you've seen on tv or read in books, please, for the love of god, PLEASE don't be lazy.

I know it's very tempting to say "fuck it" and ignore a country's culture, but it is not worth it, trust me. Please remember that by doing this, you are blatantly disrespecting an entire country and the people who share its culture.

StressedisDesserts, I'd like to thank you for your comment. You low key just saved my life...not literally, of course but...you know what I meant.

Also, I also saw your other comment about why Shinobu said a certain phrase in this chapter. I read it over and realized that it didn't make sense so I removed it. Thanks for the help!

I'd also like to thank all of you for not bashing me about this. I hope you will continue leaving your comments to make sure I don't make this mistake again. (End of Update)

Now, the final review last sent by Misaka Phenex said that Tanjiro should just stay a demon and not bother trying to become human.

I'm afraid we have to disagree here. Sure, if Tanjiro was power hungry and desired immortality so much that he'd risk the lives of the people he loves, he would definitely want to stay a demon.

But guess what? We're talking about Tanjiro, not Muzan. Even if Tanjiro can control his demonic desires, do you honestly think he would risk going berserk and hurting or even killing an innocent human being?

If you DO think that, I'm sorry, but I refuse to believe that you're a true fan of Demon Slayer.

Tanjiro is selfless, he will always put everyone else's well-being above his own. That's what makes him so likable (at least to me, I understand that others don't feel the same).

The only way I could see Tanjiro wanting to stay a demon is if his entire family became demons too through Tamayo's formula. Even then, that would mean the Kamados would never be reunited with Tanjuro. Knowing how much they all loved Tanjuro, becoming a demon wouldn't be worth it.

On that note, let's move on to the next reviews!

SentinalSlice asked if Tanjiro had any abilities that don't rely on sunlight. Well, sort of, but they have yet to be revealed yet.

Akuma-Heika asked if Tanjiro will learn how to manipulate his flesh, saying that doing so would increase the amount of energy he absorbs.

I like the idea, but I had a different one which I also can't reveal yet. But, I'll definitely consider your suggestion.

Finally, 'sstories suggested that Tanjiro perform the annual Hinokami Kagura Dance to stay connected with his family.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the Kamado family's tradition. It will be brought up later.

Also, thank you for the 8/10 rating. I honestly didn't think my story was so good. I mean, I didn't think it was a five or below, but I mainly expected a 6.5-7/10. Thank you for your kind words!

If any of you want to give a rating of my story so far, feel free to do so. If you want to wait until more chapters come out or until the story is complete, that's totally up to you.

Alright, I'm done now! Have fun reading!

*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 7 - The Demon Slayer…Demon?

Tanjiro Kamado

Open Field Near Tanazawa

"Training…Demon Slayer Swordsman…me?" Tanjiro asked Kanae, who nodded excitedly.

"That's right! You see, before I left for the mission, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps shared with me in secret that he wanted to recruit you as one of our swordsmen, and he assigned me to be your trainer." Kanae explained, proudly pointing to herself.

"Wait, he wants ME, a demon, to join the Demon Slayer Corps, the organization whose sole purpose is to kill demons?" Tanjiro summarized.

"Exactly!" Kanae replied as she took a folded up piece of paper out of her pocket. "He even gave me this letter to you."

Tanjiro took the paper from Kanae's hands and unfolded it. Tanjiro read the letter.

"Greetings, Tanjiro Kamado. I am the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki."

"I am delighted to finally have this opportunity to reach out. Tamayo has told many things about you and I hope that we can meet in person one day."

"But, on to more important matters. This letter is not just a letter, but an invitation to join the Demon Slayer Corps."

"If you accept this offer, you shall serve as Lady Kanae's temporary Tsuguko, the pupil of a Hashira. You will go on multiple missions under Kanae's supervision as a test run."

"Usually, swordsmen must undertake a recruitment process known as Final Selection, where you must survive for a week in a demon infested area."

"However, this area is surrounded by wisteria trees, which prevents demons from both leaving and entering on their own, so it would be difficult for you to take Final Selection. Even if you could get in, the test would be redundant, considering that you can't be killed through normal means."

"And so, I've come up with this alternative just for you. After going on and completing a certain number of missions, Lady Kanae will judge your ability and, if deemed ready, recommend you for Mizunoto status, the lowest rank in the corps from which all slayers start at."

"Once you officially become a Demon Slayer, you will be assigned a Kasugai Crow, given a uniform, and deployed on multiple independent missions all over Japan to exterminate any demon threat and protect the innocent. You will also be paid for each mission you complete depending on its difficulty, your rank, and your efforts."

"I understand if you are unsure whether or not you want to join us. I won't force you into anything, but I recommend that you think about it. Being trained by a Hashira is quite the honor and you will learn many skills that will help you tremendously in battle."

"I won't lie, it will be hard. You will likely experience pain and loss greater than anything you've ever felt. You will meet and befriend new comrades only to watch them die in front of you. You will try your best to protect everyone you can, but there will be times when you fail to protect those people. You will feel many different emotions, not too many of them good. You will suffer, that is what it means to be a Demon Slayer."

"I don't want to scare you, I just want you to know what you're signing up for. But also know that your power is special. You can hold in that power and hide away, or you can use it to protect others. I may not know you personally, but I think I know what you would choose."

"You've already suffered so much, Tanjiro. That is because you are kind, and the kind people of this world are always stepped on by this cruel reality. You suffer because you try to protect others from that same suffering. You can't help it, that's just how you are."

"I wish I could tell you to decline this offer, I want to tell you to try to live a normal life until Tamayo turns you back into a human, to stay away from all this. But, I can only imagine all the innocent lives you could save as a Demon Slayer. That is why I sincerely hope you say yes. I look forward to your response, please stay safe, my boy."

"Sincerely, Kagaya Ubuyashiki."

This was a lot to unpack on the boy, he must've read the letter three times. Tanjiro never knew being a Demon Slayer was so…grim.

Tanjiro looked up at Kanae, who was still smiling at him, as he wondered if she and Shinobu went through the same thing. If so, then it was a miracle that Kanae was still this sympathetic towards demons...No, it was a miracle that she could still smile.

"Well? What do you say? Do you want to join the Demon Slayers?" Kanae asked.

Tanjiro looked at the letter again. Even though they hadn't met, this "Kagaya" person had the young demon all figured out.

Tanjiro knew he would suffer, but there were hundreds of Demon Slayers who were also suffering. So many innocent people have been killed by the demons for no good reason and there were just as many who died trying to fight them. That is why he, someone who could not be killed through normal means, had no excuse to sit back and hide while good people sacrificed themselves for the greater good.

Tanjiro looked at Kanae with a determined look. "I accept! I will become your Tsuguko and become a Demon Slayer! Please train me, Master!" Tanjiro bowed.

Kanae smiled brightly. "Excellent. Also, you may be my pupil, but we're still friends. Please just keep calling me Kanae, okay?" Kanae asked as Tanjiro raised his head.

"Yes, Kanae!" Tanjiro answered back before Kanae's smile became…darker.

"That said…Don't think I'll take it easy on you just because you're my friend…In fact, I'll treat you even more harshly since you are a demon. Just wanted to let you know." Kanae said with an innocent but menacing tone.

Tanjiro gulped as he broke into a cold sweat. What on earth did he just agree to?


Shinobu Kocho

Forest

-Five Hours Later-

Shinobu had finished buying the herbs and travel food, so she dropped it off at the room Tamayo and Yushiro were in.

Unfortunately, she was unable to find anything that could properly protect Tamayo and Yushiro from the sun. In hindsight, they probably should've requested boxes to carry the demons in.

Shinobu was now surveying the area. She wanted to get a decent knowledge of the land and any vantage points for finding demons.

Cling! Clink! Slice! Whoosh! Clang!

Shinobu heard the sounds of swords clashing nearby and went to investigate. She silently landed on the branch of a tall tree as she saw a clearing, along with two figures sword sparring.

One of them was her sister, Kanae. The other was the demon, Tanjiro Kamado, who was now wielding a Nichirin Sword.

"Why am I not surprised?" Shinobu sighed. "So this must be the package she was talking about." She thought, her attention on the demon's blade. She listened in on the two.

"Not bad for a beginner, you're putting my teachings to good use." Kanae praised the demon. Kanae blocked his overhead slash above her head as the two engaged in a sword clash.

"Not to mention that your overhead slashes are quite impressive! You mentioned that you had experience with an axe, yes?" Kanae asked casually, a little too casually, even for a spar.

That only meant one thing, Kanae was crushing Kamado. She was obviously holding back a great amount against him, and the fool was still struggling.

The demon's body was covered with sweat and dirt. If he were still human, he'd probably be panting like a dog and covered in blood.

Of course, it was only natural for a rookie swordsman to struggle against a Hashira, the gap between their skills was as wide as an ocean.

Kanae pushed back Kamado's sword and threw off his balance, immediately kicking him in the gut and right into a tree.

The young demon lost his grip on his sword as his body slid down the tree onto the ground. He laid on his bottom, looking a little dazed from crashing into the tree.

"Oh my! You should really keep a better grip on your sword, Tanjiro." Kanae instructed her sparring partner, still casually smiling.

"I know what you're thinking. 'I knew she was strong, but she's completely overpowering me, even though I'm a demon and she's a human! How is that possible!?' Am I correct?" Kanae asked.

Kanae must've seen right through him as Kamado's eyes widened.

Kanae got into a certain stance that Shinobu recognized as her sister's signature breathing technique.

"Let me show you then. By the way, you might want to duck." Kanae warned before briefly vanishing. She then reappeared in front of the extremely surprised Kamado who immediately ducked his head, likely due to his demonic instincts.

Total Concentration, Flower Breathing: Fourth Form - Crimson Hanagoromo

Kanae elegantly swung her sword through the tree Kamado crashed against, allowing it to curve and twist gracefully.

Soon, after Kanae twisted her body along the trees as her momentum carried her body forward, the seven trees she had passed fell down one by one, sliced cleanly at the base.

Kamado watched in awe as he observed Kanae's work. "That…That was amazing, Kanae! How did you-?" He tried to ask before Shinobu jumped down from her branch and interrupted.

"Total Concentration Breathing." Shinobu answered. "Or in this case, Flower Breathing, one of the many breathing/sword techniques utilized by the Demon Slayer Corps."

Kamado stood up straight at the sight of the Insect Hashira. "M-Miss Shinobu! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were watching!" Tanjiro apologized.

Shinobu responded with a "hmph." "What you and my sister do in your spare time is your business, Kamado. I was merely surveying the area around Tanazawa when I heard the sound of swords clashing." Shinobu explained.

"Oh…I see…wait, what's Total Concentration Breathing?" Kamado asked while tilting his head to the left. Shinobu began to walk around the demon.

"It's a special breathing technique that Demon Slayers use. We take in the maximum amount of oxygen in our lungs with a distinct breathing pattern to increase our physical and mental prowess to their utmost limits." Shinobu continued.

"Total Concentration gives us superhuman physical traits like strength, speed, endurance, and stamina. We also gain a faster thought process, maximizing concentration and hyper-information processing."

"There are more advanced versions of this that increase your stats tremendously, but you don't need to know about that now." Shinobu stopped in front of Kamado.

"My sister uses Flower Breathing, which focuses on agility, mimics fruits and flowers, and replicates with her movements, techniques, and abilities."

"I, on the other hand, use Insect Breathing. This technique mimics insects, of course. Specifically, it mimics their lethal stings and movements."

Shinobu looked at the young demon with a menacing grin. "Would you like to see an…example?" She asked.

Kamado smiled and opened his mouth to answer before Kanae came from behind him and put a hand over it, stopping him. "I think he's fine, sister." Kanae answered with her usual smile.

Kamado looked up at her, confused. Kanae then leaned down and whispered in his ear, causing the demon to drop his jaw. Looks like Kanae saw right through Shinobu's plan, oh well.

"Very well, now, onto more important matters." Shinobu adopted a more serious look as she looked at the sky. The sun had almost completely gone down.

"I've got a decent lay of the land, I already came up with some vantage points where we can catch any demons trying to come in. We don't know if there's one demon or multiple so we'll have to split up." Shinobu started explaining as Kamado and Kanae put on serious faces.

"Kanae, I think it's best if you stay in town, just in case the demon or demons try to get in from the inside." Shinobu stated as Kanae nodded.

Shinobu turned her gaze to their demonic "ally." "Demon." She called out to Kamado.

"Where!?" He suddenly turned around and got in a fighting stance, his hand on his sword.

Shinobu almost facepalmed herself as she gave an annoyed glare to the demon before looking at Kanae, who gave a look that said, "What did you think would happen?"

Soon, Kamado ceased his foolishness and realized that she was addressing him. "Oh! You meant me! Sorry…" Tanjiro bowed in shame as Shinobu sighed.

"Kamado…You and I will patrol the forest. You'll take the east area, I'll take the west, understand?" Shinobu pointed in the corresponding directions as she instructed the demon who nodded.

"Yes, ma'am!" He replied before Shinobu gave him another glare.

"So help me, demon. If I find out that you disobeyed my orders or hurt another human, I'll show you that 'example' I was talking about." Shinobu threatened.

The demon gulped as he nodded. "Alright, get into position." Shinobu ordered. Kamado ran off towards the designated area.

Soon, Shinobu was left alone with her sister. After a bit of awkward silence, Shinobu spoke.

"So, you're training it to become a Demon Slayer." She summarized. "I assume this was a request from the master?"

Kanae nodded. "We both think Tanjiro would be a great addition to our ranks." She explained with a smile.

"I see…Well, if it's an order from Master Ubuyashiki, I won't say anything. But, you know the other Hashira won't accept this. Hell, I don't accept this." Shinobu admitted as Kanae frowned.

"This is a direct order from the master, they will have to at least accept that fact." Kanae retorted.

"Well, there is always a chance one of them acts out of turn. Like that boyfriend of yours." Shinobu said with a smug look as Kanae sighed.

"I already told you, sister, Sanemi is just a friend." Kanae stated as Shinobu rolled her eyes.

"'Just a friend'? You're literally the only person that he actually calls a friend. Hell, the only reason he even talks to me is because I'm your sister." Shinobu shot back as Kanae continued.

"And secondly, he couldn't even kill Tanjiro if he tried." She stated.

"I just want you to know that you and Master Ubuyashiki are playing with fire." Shinobu said before turning her back on her sister and walking away. "Don't blame me if you get burned…"

Shinobu heard Kanae yell out to her before she was out of earshot. "Before you go, you should know that Tanjiro has become my friend! If you give him the chance, he could be your friend too!" Kanae yelled out as Shinobu leaped into the forest.


Tanjiro

East of Tanazawa

-One Hour Later, Evening-

Tanjiro's Solar Power Level: 9.8%

Tanjiro was perched on a tree branch, looking around and sniffing the air for demons. "All clear here, so far." Tanjiro thought as he decided to move somewhere else.

As he jumped through the trees, the young demon pondered something. "Total Concentration, a special breathing technique…Why does that sound familiar?"


Kanae Kocho

Tanazawa

Kanae patrolled around the entire town, checking for any ways the demon or demons could get in.

She left no stone unturned as she repeated these trips multiple times while checking around the middle from time to time.


Shinobu

West of Tanazawa

Shinobu waited patiently as she jumped from tree to tree at rapid speeds, never missing a beat.

"We're not letting a single person die here tonight, this ends now." Shinobu said in her head as she heard a faint rustling sound.

She immediately looked towards the source of the noise and saw a bush with something inside. Shinobu dropped down from the trees and picked up a rock before throwing it into the bush.

Almost immediately, a rabbit came running out of the bush and fled somewhere else.

Shinobu smiled to herself, "Huh, guess I'm getting kind of jumpy lately." She said to herself as a demon snuck behind her and swung its claws at her neck.


Tanjiro

Tanjiro continued sniffing the air, trying to pick up any demon scent. Unfortunately, he came up empty.

"Where could it be?" He wondered. "I have to find the demon before someone gets hurt.I also have to be prepared for the possibility of multiple demons."

Tanjiro began jumping off of tree branches once again, taking short breaks to sniff out any trace of a demon. Soon, Tanjiro picked up a scent, but not what he expected.

"Wait…this smell…it's human, but it's not from Miss Shinobu or Kanae. It must be a civilian!" Tanjiro realized as he picked up another scent in the same direction.

"A demon! Someone's in danger! I have to help, hurry!" Tanjiro told himself as he leaped from tree to tree, his right hand now on his sword.

As Tanjiro neared the scent, he saw an opening through the forest. There were three children backed up against a large boulder on his left, and a demon reaching out to them on his right.

He recognized the three kids from this morning with the missing posters. There were two long black-haired twin sisters with red kimonos, and a slightly older boy, who stood in front of the girls, with spiky black hair and black robes.

The demon in front of them wore a black, sleeveless tunic and red pants. His skin was a grayish-green color, his eyes were yellow irises and slit pupils. He had a mohawk made of bone-like spikes, and had more bone spikes sticking out of his exposed shoulders and elbows.

The demon's right hand almost reached the boy's face as Tanjiro jumped high into the air with his sword drawn above his head.

Before the demon noticed him, Tanjiro swung his sword through the monster's arm. Before the demon could recover from his shock, Tanjiro threw a right sidekick to the demon's chest.

The spiky demon was sent back a few feet before recovering. He glared at the boy. "You son of a bitch! I'll have your fucking head for that! This is MY kill, go find your own!" The enemy demon yelled as Tanjiro faced him while assuming his stance.

"I won't let you hurt these kids!" Tanjiro stated as his pink eyes turned into their plum red, cat-like counterparts.

"Huh!? Who the hell do you think you are, kid!? You're obviously a demon too, so don't act like you're better than me!" The spike demon yelled back.

The boy behind Tanjiro started speaking with a tremble in his voice. "P-Please, j-just leave us alone…You already t-t-took our p-parents away…Isn't…Isn't that enough…" The boy pleaded as Tanjiro's eyes widened.

"Wait, so he's the one who killed these kids' parents?" Tanjiro thought as the spike demon scratched the top of his head.

"Your parents? I don't remember eating anyone's parents. Then again, it's hard to remember every person you eat. At some point, the faces all start to blend together." The demon said before laughing.

Tanjiro felt his blood boil inside of him, literally. He gave his enemy a death stare as he got ready to charge. But first, he had to calm down.

"Remember, Tanjiro, you must never let your emotions guide you in battle. That is the number one way for someone to get killed in battle. But, even if you can't die, you can still be put out of commission through injury or knockout. You must always remember that there are people counting on you to protect them, so do not get reckless."

Tamayo's words rang through Tanjiro's head as he took a deep breath. Once he felt himself calm down, he stood in stance and didn't move.

"You demons are all the same, you're nothing but cowards. You go after the weak and hide when someone strong comes along." Tanjiro taunted the demon, who was not happy about it.

"The fuck did you just say, brat!?" The spike demon yelled, the scent of hostility intensifying. His right arm had already started to regenerate.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it as many times as I have to. I am nothing like you demons, don't think that we're the same, because we are not." Tanjiro stated confidently to the angered spike demon.

"Cocky Bastard! I'm gonna tear you to shreds!" The spike demon threatened before charging at Tanjiro, not knowing that that was exactly what he wanted.

"This demon seems weaker than the last one I fought. Good, I haven't fully recovered my strength from that fight yet so I doubt I could take on another one like that." Tanjiro thought as the spike demon neared him.

The demon's right arm hadn't fully regenerated, so he threw a left punch at Tanjiro's face. Tanjiro sidestepped the attack to the right and lifted his arms with his sword in both hands.

Tanjiro brought his arms down in an overhead slash as the spike demon was thrown off balance. Tanjiro sliced the demon's left arm off before kicking his left ankle and forcing him to fall on his knee.

Tanjiro then immediately turned his sword horizontally and brought it next to his neck on the right side before swinging it to the left, targeting the spike demon's neck.

The spike demon looked up from the ground to see the blade coming towards him. He tried to stop it with his right hand, which had just regenerated, but Tanjiro simply cut through that as well.

The Nichirin sword cut through the spike demon's neck, causing the head to fly off of its body.

The head landed with a thud as Tanjiro sheathed his sword. The spike demon's body went limp as it fell forward.

Tanjiro looked down at the headless body, then at the head itself. The spiky demon had a shocked expression on its face which was soon replaced by a look of anger.

"YOU! YOU CUT MY FUCKING HEAD OFF! YOU PIECE OF SHIT, now I can't FUCKING REGENERATE!" The spike demon cursed out Tanjiro.

"You used one of those FUCKING SUNLIGHT SWORDS, DIDN'T YOU, ASSHOLE! You fucking Demon Slayer WANNABE! Like they'd accept a demon like YOU!" The spike demon kept screaming.

At this point, Tanjiro had pretty much given up on cleaning up demons' language. It was clear that most demons were naturally foul mouthed.

Tanjiro stared at the spiky demon's head with a look of kind sadness. The spike demon seemed to confuse this for pity.

"STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M SOME WOUNDED ANIMAL, DICKHEAD! I DON'T need your FUCKING PI-!" Was the last thing he said before his head finally faded away along with his body.

Tanjiro put his hands together and prayed for his fellow demon. "Rest in peace…"

Tanjiro looked back at the three children by the boulder who looked at him in astonishment. Tanjiro smiled warmly at them. "Don't worry, you're safe now." He assured them.

"Y-You're one of them, aren't you? W-Why did you s-save us?" The younger boy asked as his sisters hid behind him, holding on to his legs.

Tanjiro's smile remained. "You're right, I am a demon. But, I would never hurt another person, nor would I stand by and watch an innocent person get eaten. That would go against everything I stand for." He stated as the children all seemed to loosen up at the sight of Tanjiro's smile.

It seemed like everything would be okay…until Tanjiro picked up a new smell. "Another demon! There was more than one!?" Tanjiro realized as he and the kids heard loud footsteps approaching them.

Tanjiro turned around and looked at the kids. "Get behind the boulder! Don't make a sound!" He told them. The kids did as they were told as Tanjiro faced towards the direction of the smell, assuming his stance again.

Soon, a large demon was in front of him. He was at least twice as large as Tanjiro and wore a large, stretched out, dark blue samue with the long sleeves torn off.

The demon had huge muscles, even for a demon. He also had pale skin, a bald head, and eyes with red irises and black cat-like pupils.

Tanjiro picked up a horrible stench from the large demon. "This guy's strong, much stronger than that other one. I…I don't think I'm strong enough to beat him." Tanjiro thought as the enemy demon stood over him, his shadow covering the boy's entire body.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" The large demon said with a sneer as he looked down on Tanjiro, his voice was deep and gruff. "A little demon acting like a demon slayer. Guess you must've escaped HIS control, huh? Lucky you!"

Tanjiro kept a firm grip on his sword while keeping eye contact with the large demon. "The name's Asahi, and this little town is the feeding grounds for us demons. What's your name?" The demon named "Asahi" asked, earning no response from Tanjiro.

"Not much of a talker, eh? By the way, no point hiding the fear, kid. I can see it in your eyes. Not the fear of death, no. This is the fear of failing to protect someone." Asahi says while nodding his head towards the boulder behind Tanjiro.

"Damn it, he already knows that those kids are back there! I can't let him near them!" Tanjiro said in his head as he glared at the buff demon.

Asahi cracked his knuckles. "Look, kid, I'm gonna give you a choice. You can either step aside and let me eat those little bastards that you're hiding or you can get beaten to a bloody pulp and left to rot away in the sun. Your choice." He said in a menacing tone as the two demons engaged in a stare-down.


Shinobu

The Insect Hashira stood in a field of poisoned demon corpses, completely unscathed, as the demon who first tried to sneak attack her crawled away in fear.

The demon was a blond female in a purple kimono and black tabi socks. Its skin was gray with a touch of purple from Shinobu's wisteria poison.

The demon looked back at Shinobu with terror in its eyes as the Hashira got closer. It gagged, coughed, and wheezed as the poison slowly, and painfully, killed it.

Shinobu looked at the demon with disdain. "Maybe next time, you'll know better than to sneak up on a Hashira." Shinobu said before giving a confident smirk. "Oh wait! There won't be a next time."

"P-Please…*cough* *cough* *gasp* PLEASE…JUST *gag* *cough* JUST KILL ME ALREADY!" The demon begged.

"Oh, I don't think so." Shinobu responded with a cruel look on her face. "You see, I became a Demon Slayer to make sure that each and every one of you filthy demons all suffer for the lives you've taken. Now, do me and this world a favor and rot in hell."

The blond demon continued to crawl like the filthy beast it was. And it continued to crawl until its body fell limp. Shinobu walked up to the demon and flipped it with her foot. The demon had a look of pure horror which brought Shinobu great pleasure.

"That was a bit excessive, sister." Shinobu heard Kanae behind her and turned to see a disappointed but concerned look on her face.

"We've been over this, Kanae. You have your methods of dealing with the demon threat, and I have mine." Shinobu shot back with a neutral look.

Kanae sighed. "I assume these are the last of them?" Kanae asked as Shinobu nodded in response.

"I'm sure of it. How were things in town?" Shinobu asked.

"There were quite a few demons who made it to town, but I disposed of them before they could hurt anyone." Kanae replied.

"Good, and what about Yushiro and Lady Tamayo?" Shinobu asked again.

"They were able to convince everyone to stay inside. Everyone is safe." Kanae said with a relieved smile.

Shinobu sighed, also in relief. "Any word from Kamado yet?" Shinobu asked.

Kanae shook her head. "I was just about to check on him." She stated.

Shinobu nodded in response. "Well, it seemed pretty quiet over there. Let's go see if that thing actually made itself useful." Shinobu said, earning a frown from Kanae before hopping through the forest to town to meet up with Tamayo and Yushiro.


Tanazawa - Motel

Tamayo and Yushiro stood in front of the motel that they were staying at and noticed the two Hashira heading towards them.

"Lady Tamayo, Yushiro, I am glad that you are both okay." Kanae said with a warm smile before looking around. "Has Tanjiro not come back yet?"

Tamayo shook her head. "No, I think he might still be patrolling the forest. Is the demon attack over already?" She asked.

This time, Shinobu spoke. "Yes, Tanazawa is now a demon-free zo-."

CRASH!

Everyone's eyes widened at the sound of a distant crash coming from the east of Tanazawa. "What the hell was that!?" Yushiro asked in alarm.

They all jumped onto the highest building nearby and looked towards the direction that the noise came from. That's when they saw something get launched into the sky, something white and red.

Suddenly, a larger figure appeared beside the first. This one was a bit easier to describe. It was a buff pale male demon in a torn up Hakama, and it kicked the small figure down to the ground with an axe kick before descending back into the forest with another loud crash.

Shinobu looked beside her to see looks of horror on Tamayo's and Kanae's faces. Tamayo was a demon, which meant she had enhanced sight. Kanae had always had better vision than other people, even if not nearly as good as Kanao's, it was still useful in battle.

It seemed that the two women knew exactly what the first figure was, and Shinobu could probably guess as well from their expressions.

Yushiro was the first to speak. "D-Do you think that was…?" Yushiro tried to ask with slight concern in his voice before Kane finished the sentence for him.

"Tanjiro…" Kanae answered before leaping off towards the direction of the figures.

"Damn it!" Shinobu thought before leaping after her sister. "So there was another demon in the east. That demon looked tough, too. We have to hurry and kill it before it hurts someone."


Tanjiro vs. Asahi

The giant demon looked down on the crater he created in the ground, and the young boy at its center.

Asahi was completely unscathed, excluding some dirt and cuts in his hakama, Tanjiro was not as lucky. His right arm and left leg were torn off and, along with his sword, thrown away. His right eye had been smashed by one of the muscle demon's punches as the young demon's blood covered it.

His left eye rolled to the back of his head, leaving only the white bloodshot sclera. His broken body twitched on the ground, unable to move after being kicked into the ground with such impressive force.

"This is your last chance, kid. Give up and step aside!" Asahi told Tanjiro, who was starting to raise his body from the ground.

His left leg was already in the middle of regenerating and was soon able to get up on both legs with his right arm not far behind.

Tanjiro looked up at the larger demon and glared at him. His right eye had healed but the sclera became redder due to the blood dropping into it.

"I…I won't…give up…not now…NOT EVER!" Tanjiro replied with steeled nerves. Asahi wasn't very happy about this, however.

"Your funeral, brat." Asahi said coldly.

Tanjiro jumped up and threw a kick at his opponent's jaw. The kick landed, but the muscle demon completely tanked it.

Tanjiro then grabbed the buff demon's head with both hands, including his regenerated one, and headbutted him.

But, Asahi simply laughed it off. "HA HA HA! Did you really think that pissant attack would do anything to me!?" He taunted Tanjiro as the demon parried his head with his own.

Tanjiro was left in the air, defenseless, as he realized Asahi's head had turned metal. Asahi, who's fist also turned metal, threw a left punch to the boy's chest as Tanjiro held up his arms to guard.

The punch made contact with Tanjiro's arms, which were shattered upon impact. Tanjiro was launched into a nearby tree next to the boulder where the kids from earlier were hiding.

Tanjiro's back hit the tough bark with devastating force, nearly knocking the tree over. Tanjiro managed to land on his feet in a crouched position, his pain tolerance becoming slightly better.

Tanjiro's broken arms hung by his sides as he struggled to stand. Unfortunately, Asahi did not give the boy much time to rest.

Asahi turned his chest metal and jumped into the air in an attempt to bodyslam Tanjiro, who immediately jumped out of the way upon seeing this in time..

"What the…!? Was that a Blood Demon Art!?" Tanjiro wondered as he landed away from Asahi who had just hit the ground.

Tanjiro's arms were still broken as Asahi was already recovering from his failed attack. "You've probably figured it out by now, this is my Blood Demon Art!" Asahi announced as his entire body was being covered with metal.

Blood Demon Art: Iron Man

Tanjiro watched in awe as his enemy encased himself in a coat of iron. "This is bad, it's gonna be really hard to cut through his neck with a sword." Tanjiro thought as he came to a conclusion.

Asahi charged at the boy, each footstep creating loud thuds. "I have no choice. I have to fight fire with fire!" Tanjiro said in his head as he charged at Asahi.

"Heh, you've got balls, kid, I'll give you that!" Asahi thought upon seeing the young demon charge at him. "But you don't stand a chance!"

Asahi got ready to throw a right punch while Tanjiro did the same, his arms now healed. However, as he did, his scar started to glow orange and his irises became bright red.

"Sorry, Miss Tamayo. But this is definitely an emergency." Tanjiro thought as he sent his solar blood cells to his right fist.

Blood burst out of the knuckles in the form of fire and covered Tanjiro's entire right hand.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Solar Fist

The two demons' fists collided, resulting in a small shockwave moving through the area.

Asahi immediately noticed something was wrong. Not only did this kid set his hand on fire and matched his strength, now his own hand seemed to be burning.

He reeled his fist back from the sharp pain and checked his right hand. Despite his iron coat, his knuckles had been burned to the bone and were not regenerating as quickly as usual.

Not giving Asahi the time to heal, Tanjiro leaped towards the larger demon's neck and prepared his next attack.

Tanjiro's left leg was set ablaze as he threw a left roundhouse kick to Asahi's neck with the intent to behead him.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Flaming Kick

Tanjiro's leg neared Asahi's neck as Asahi leaned his head back to avoid the attack, his body still covered in metal. The kick barely grazed the neck as the flames caused the metal on it to fade away.

"Those damn flames! They're negating my Blood Demon Art! It feels like I'm being burned by the sun, what the hell is this kid!?" An alarmed Asahi wondered.

Tanjiro observed the cut he made on Asahi's neck in midair. "Miss Tamayo told me how sunlight negates Blood Demon Arts, meaning that my Blood Demon Art can stop other demons from using their spells."

Asahi reached out with his left hand, trying to grab Tanjiro. But, Tanjiro headbutted the hand to push himself upwards over the hand, allowing him to land and jump off of Asahi's arm.

Asahi stared at the boy with wide eyes as Tanjiro landed a few meters away.

The two demons glared daggers at each other before Tanjiro stepped forward…he stumbled.

"Wh-What the…!?" Tanjiro wondered in panic as he felt his strength leave him. His scar stopped glowing and his eyes returned to plum red.

"Damn! My body's already getting tired!? I only used Sun Conqueror twice! It's probably because I haven't regained my original strength from my fight with the six-armed demon, I went too far!"

Asahi grinned at this sight. "Gotcha!" He said in his head as he charged ahead and grabbed the stumbling Tanjiro by the head, reactivating his Blood Demon Art.

He lifted the young demon off the ground and threw him into the boulder where the three siblings were still hiding behind, peaking their heads to watch the fight.

Tanjiro's body left a human sized crater on the side of the boulder. He bounced off of it and fell on his face. He tried to get up before his nose told him that Asahi was already standing over him.

Asahi picked Tanjiro up by the collar of his shirt, lifted the boy over his head to throw him into the ground before stomping his stomach, causing him to cough up blood.

Tanjiro was given a moment to breathe as he rolled onto his belly. But, this was only because Asahi was busy chopping down a tree with a single chop.

Tanjiro noticed this while struggling to get on his feet. "What is he doing now?" He wondered as Asahi picked up the fallen tree with little effort.

Asahi immediately threw the tree onto Tanjiro's back, forcing him to drop to the ground again. Tanjiro tried to push himself up, but his strength failed him.

"I can't move! Damn it! Get up, Tanjiro!" Tanjiro told himself as he tried to crawl out from the tree.

Asahi crouched in front of the boy. He had Tanjiro's sword in his right hand and grabbed the boy's wrists, pinning his hands on top of each other.

Asahi then took Tanjiro's sword and impaled both of his hands, sticking them in place. Tanjiro let out a pained grunt before glaring at the large demon who gave a confident sneer.

"That's some annoying ass Blood Demon Art you got, you bastard. But now it's time that you had a little time-out." Asahi taunted before walking towards the boulder, and the kids behind it.

"Stay put, I'll deal with you later." Asahi said as he picked up the boulder and threw it to the side, revealing the three crying siblings holding each other.

"NO! STAY AWAY FROM THEM!" Tanjiro yelled, but Asahi simply ignored him.

Asahi smiled cruelly at the children. The eldest of them holding his arms out to defend his sisters. "Alright, kiddies! Who wants to go first?" Asahi asked.

Tanjiro could only look on in horror as Asahi made his way to the defenseless children. "I have to protect them! I have to get up, I have to!"

Tanjiro tried to use his impaled hands to pull his sword out of the ground, but his efforts were fruitless. "Come on! This isn't the time to be weak! GET…UP!"

"Please! Just leave us alone!" Tanjiro heard the other boy plead to the buff demon who seemed to be in no mood to talk.

"They'll die if you don't hurry! Get up, already!" Tanjiro told himself, not noticing the movement of his lost blood.

"I'll protect them, I'll protect them all! I swear! I won't let anyone else get hurt!" Asahi reached out to grab the little boy in front of him, also not noticing the blood moving in a circle around the children.

Tanjiro's scar started flickering between its normal red and glowing orange like a broken light bulb. Tanjiro's eyes became brighter as he felt his strength return to him.

He focused his mind on protecting the children, at all costs, and unleashed the fire within him.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Hinokami's Protection

The blood around the children began to glow as Asahi's hand almost reached the little boy's face. Suddenly, a wall of fire appeared around the children and burned Asahi's iron-coated hand.

He screamed in pain as he pulled his hand back and watched the wall of fire spiral around the children and close up into a protective sphere of sun fire.

"Fuck!" Asahi thought in frustration. "That little shit must've manipulated the blood he lost so he could use his Blood Demon Art to protect these brats!"

Tanjiro used his enhanced strength to push the tree off of him and get up while tearing his sword out of his hands with his teeth.

Asahi smashed the fire barrier with both fists, only for them to get burned up and pushed back. Asahi stumbled backwards as he looked at his burned off hands.

While Asahi was distracted, Tanjiro managed to take his Nichirin Sword, which was covered in his blood, out of his hands and held it again. He leaped at incredible speeds at Asahi who turned his head to look back.

Despite Tanjiro's sudden burst in speed, Asahi managed to figure out Tanjiro's intentions from where his eyes were looking. "He's staring at my legs, he wants to cut off my legs and knock me down!" Asahi realized as he quickly covered his legs in metal.

"I can't dodge or counter in time, but that doesn't matter. He's probably using a sword because using his other tricks makes him too tired. But, he'll never cut through my metal coat with that tiny thing." Asahi thought, not knowing that Tanjiro had a plan.

"I can use 'Sun Conqueror - Exploding Blood' to turn my blood into fire made up of sunlight while setting whatever it's on ablaze, and Nichirin Swords absorb sunlight. So, what would happen if I covered my sword with that sunlight?" Tanjiro wondered as the blood on his sword began glowing.

Tanjiro neared Asahi's metalized legs and swung his sword at them from the right. "It's useless, brat!" Asahi announced. "Your puny sword can't cut through-!"

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Red Hot Blade

Tanjiro's sword suddenly burst into flames and turned from its normal metallic color to a bright red color. The sword ended up negating Asahi's Blood Demon Art and cut through his tough legs like butter.

Asahi's upper body was slightly sent upwards as Tanjiro passed through the opening. Asahi landed on his back hard, cracking his skull on the ground.

Asahi became dazed, trying to refocus his eyes. He lifted his head to look at Tanjiro, except he wasn't there. It was only the three children from before.

Asahi looked around frantically before looking up. Tanjiro was in the air above Asahi, descending with his sword in hand.

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK! He's going to cut my head off! I have to get away!" Asahi thought as he panickedly tried to recover from his daze.

But it was too late, Tanjiro descended quickly, only about 100 feet from Asahi's neck. Asahi could only cover his neck in metal as Tanjiro took a deep breath.

For some reason, the memory of his father went through Tanjiro's mind as he closed his eyes.


Mt. Kumotori - Kamado Household

-Over One Year Ago-

Tanjuro had fought his illness for many long years, but his battle would soon be over. A twelve-year-old Tanjiro sat in seiza beside his father's deathbed with tears in his eyes.

His siblings had been sent out of the room, Kie left Tanjiro and Tanjuro to have some alone time.

Tanjiro held his father's hand tightly, the same hand that touched his head when he was a baby. Tanjuro looked at his son with a sad smile.

"Tanjiro…it's time…" Tanjuro said to Tanjiro, who nodded. He knew exactly what he meant by that.

Tanjuro removed his Hanafuda earrings and gave them to Tanjiro. "I pass these earrings…onto the new head…of the Kamado Clan…" Tanjuro chanted as Tanjiro put on his father's precious earrings, the family heirloom of the Kamado bloodline.

"I…also entrust with you…the sacred *cough* *cough* …Hinokami Kagura."

Tanjiro's heart broke a little after hearing that cough from his own father, a man who single-handedly killed a giant bear only a week ago.

"Is there really nothing we can do, father?" Tanjiro asked, trying to find even the tiniest bit of hope.

Tanjuro kept smiling while shaking his head. "I'm afraid not, my boy. The doctors have tried everything, but it is useless now."

Tanjiro suppressed a sob after hearing that. This was actually happening, his father was dying. It seemed that Tanjuro noticed this.

"Don't cry, my son. Please…smile. I've lived a good life, you should be…happy." Tanjuro said, catching Tanjiro off guard.

Happy? What was there to be happy about? The man he looked up to for the last decade was leaving his family, much too soon.

"You must keep smiling…for your mother and siblings…you must be *cough* *cough* *cough* you must be strong for them." Tanjuro said as Tanjiro looked at his knees.

"But…father. I'm not strong. I'll never be as strong as you…I can't do this without you." Tanjiro said while shutting his eyes tightly, holding back the tears as best as he could.

"That is not true." Tanjuro scolded the boy's modesty. Tanjiro opened his eyes in surprise at his father's words. "You are strong, Tanjiro... Do not say otherwise ever again…understand?"

Tanjiro hesitantly nodded as Tanjuro's smile returned. "You don't realize it yet, Tanjiro…but you are actually…quite special…I can tell. You will likely go on to do…great things."

"You are a protector, Tanjiro. It's in your nature to help others in need…even if you get hurt in the process…Or have you forgotten how you got that scar…?" Tanjuro grinned while pointing to the burn mark on Tanjiro's forehead, this caused the boy to give a small smile himself.

"Tanjiro…I want you to promise me…Promise me that you will use your strength to protect not only your family…but anyone else who needs your help…Promise me that you'll comfort those around you…with your warm smile…and that you'll never let anyone else get hurt."

Tanjiro looked at his father's eyes for what would be the last time and nodded. He opened his mouth and said…


"Yes, father…I promise."

Tanjiro's eyes snapped open as he was near Asahi's neck, his red eyes shining through the darkness, the fire on his blade burning brightly. He held the long breath he took earlier and exhaled as his breath became hotter, and hotter until it became as hot as the flames on his sword.

"I will protect whoever I can! I will keep smiling for those around me! I will stay strong! I will NEVER STOP FIGHTING!"

Tanjiro held his sword with both hands and prepared a mighty horizontal swing. Asahi looked on in horror as he couldn't do anything to defend himself.

Hinokami Kagura

Tanjiro was right above his neck and swung his sword through Asahi's neck while twisting his body with the swing.

This allowed Tanjiro to do a 360 slash, resulting in an upright ring of fire that expanded in all directions.

Clear Blue Sky


Kanae

East of Tanazawa

-Half a Minute Ago-

Kanae and Shinobu ran through the forest as fast as they could. "We're coming, Tanjiro. Just hold on a bit longer." Kanae said in her head.

The two sisters eventually made it to the site of the battle to see a large demon on the ground, his legs were…cut off?…. Burned off?…Both?

They also noticed some sort of bubble made of fire, was Tanjiro inside of it? Was this his Blood Demon Art at work?

That's when they heard a battle cry and looked upwards. It was Tanjiro, his clothes shredded and bloody, his scar glowing, and his sword red and on fire.

Tanjiro was descending upon the demon and prepared to cut through the demon's neck. The demon turned metal, likely his Blood Demon Art.

Before Tanjiro finished off his foe, Kanae heard him yell out one thing.

"Hinokami Kagura - Clear Blue Sky!"

Tanjiro made a 360 slash and released a ring of fire into the other demon's neck, cutting it off with no effort.

It was so bright and, in Kanae's opinion, so beautiful. "I have never seen such an intense sword technique, where did Tanjiro learn that?" Kanae wondered.

The force of the technique boosted Tanjiro forward into the air until he bounced off of the ground, dropping his sword in the process.

He came to a stop on his back, Kanae ran to his side and lifted his head and torso with her hands. Tanjiro's eyes were closed before they opened to see Kanae over him, revealing their usual pink.

Tanjiro gave a weak smile. "Hello, Kanae…I didn't worry you did I?" He asked as Kanae returned the smile.

"A little bit, yes." She replied.

"Oh…S-Sorry…Is everyone safe, at least?" Tanjiro asked with a little embarrassment in his voice.

"Yes, all demons have been taken care of. It's finally over." She answered.

"What about…the kids?" Tanjiro asked, causing Kanae to tilt her head in confusion.

"What kids?" Kanae asked back as Tanjiro looked towards the sphere of fire he created which was starting to fade away.

As the flames died, they revealed three children, the same ones from this morning at the missing posters, hugging each other tightly.

"I see, Tanjiro used his Blood Demon Art to protect those kids." Kanae realized, her smile growing wider.

"Yes, they're fine." Kanae finally answered Tanjiro's question before looking back at him. "Thanks to you, of course."

Tanjiro looked ready to argue, but he seemed too tired and gave up. "That's good to…hear…" Tanjiro replied before slowly closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

Kanae's shut-eyed smile remained, Tamayo had already told her about how Tanjiro's Blood Demon Art caused him to pass out from exhaustion. "Get some rest, my little demon friend. You've earned it."

Kanae looked around and watched the larger demon fade away to ash with a look of shock on his face. She felt sorry for him, but found that she couldn't help but glare at him for hurting Tanjiro, a child, so badly.

She also spotted a severed arm and leg lying around and fading away, leaving two puddles of blood.

Tanjiro's sword, still on fire, was stuck in the ground. Kanae observed the red blade until the flames died out, leaving no blood on it. The Nichirin Sword returned to its original metallic color.

Kanae then noticed Shinobu looking at Tanjiro over her shoulder. "He used a breathing technique." She stated, Kanae nodded in response.

"There was something familiar about it, it sort of reminded me of Rengoku's Flame Breathing. But, this was different." Kanae said in response.

"'Hinokami Kagura..." Shinobu said while holding her chin in her left hand and her left arm in the other. "I will need to send a message to Master Ubuyashiki to ask him or Rengoku about it."

Kanae nodded before picking up Tanjiro and placing him on her back. She went to pick up his sword, placing it in his sheath which she had untied from his hip.

Kanae sees Shinobu comforting the children. "It's alright, you're safe now." She said with a warm smile.

The eldest of the three, the brother, held his sisters close to him. He looked at Tanjiro with a look of concern.

"Miss…are…are you going to kill him?" The boy asked, referring to Tanjiro. Both Kanae's and Shinobu's eyes widened at that question.

"Please don't kill him, he's not like the other monsters. He protected me and my sisters, he saved our lives. He's a good person, I swear." The boy said, his little sisters nodding in agreement.

Kanae once again couldn't help but smile as Shinobu looked at her. She gave the Insect Hashira a smug look as if to say, "I told you so."

Shinobu gave her an annoyed look before sighing and looking back at the three kids. "Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt him, you have my word. Now, let's get you home. Do you have any parents?" She asked, earning a saddened look from the kids.

"They were…taken…by those monsters. We're living with our aunt and uncle." The boy answered, earning a look of sadness from the two Hashira. If anyone knew what it was like to lose their parents, it was them.

Shinobu patted the boy's head with a sad smile. "I'm very sorry, I've lost my parents too so I know how much it hurts. But, you have to keep moving forward for them, that's what me and my sister did."

Kanae felt proud of her little sister. She could be overly aggressive with demons, but she still had a good heart. The kids seemed to cheer up at those words and were led back to town.

The children's uncle expressed his gratitude to both Hashira, and especially to Tanjiro whom the man seemed concerned about.

Kanae assured him that Tanjiro was tougher than he looked and left. They soon ran into Tamayo and Yushiro.

Tamayo looked at Tanjiro with concern and relief. "What happened?" She asked.

"There was a strong demon that attacked some children. Tanjiro protected them and killed the demon, it seems that he used his Blood Demon Art." Kanae explained.

Yushiro sighed. "Yes, that certainly sounds like him." He said in annoyance. Tamayo smiled with a bit of pride at Tanjiro.

"I see, well I'm glad you're all safe and sound." Tamayo said.

Kanae and Shinobu nodded in response before the two demons went back to their motel room. The two Hashira followed them.

Kanae looked at Shinobu with a victorious smile. Shinobu noticed this and slightly glared at her.

"What?" Shinobu asked, earning no response but a shut-eye smile before sighing again. "Fine, MAYBE his intentions are pure." She admitted.

"But, we cannot let our guard down. Even if he is on our side, we cannot ignore the possibility of him going berserk." Shinobu stated.

"Whatever you say, sister." Kanae responded, still smiling as a tick mark appeared on Shinobu's head.

"Hey! If you've got something to say, let's hear it!" Shinobu snapped at the elder sister.

Kanae started giggling, annoying Shinobu even more. "And just WHAT is so funny!?" She yelled as the two sisters walked on.


Tanjiro

? ? ?

-Four Days Later, Late Afternoon-

Tanjiro's Solar Power Level: 9.4%

(Note:Same situation as with the last time Tanjiro passed out. The reason Tanjiro passed out for four days this time is because he used both Sun Conqueror and Hinokami Kagura. If Tanjiro simply uses Hinokami Kagura, he'll be fine. But using both will cause him to be out of commission longer than usual as both techniques cause great strain on his body. Tanjiro started his fight with Asahi with 9.8%. He used "Solar Fist," using up 1% of solar energy. He then used "Flaming Kick," using up 2%. Then, he used "Hinokami's Protection," using up 0.5%. Finally, Tanjiro used "Red Hot Blade," using up 0.1%. This left him at 6.3% solar energy before the four day skip.)

Tanjiro opened his eyes to a dark room lit by a single lamp, he was laying in a comfy futon. He noticed that his destroyed clothes were replaced with casual, white robes with a purple flower pattern.

He looked around and saw Yushiro lying back against the wall across from Tanjiro, reading a book.

Yushiro lowered his book and looked at Tanjiro with a smirk. "About damn time. Lady Tamayo and Lady Kanae were about to have a heart attack. Shinobu suggested putting you out of your misery."

Tanjiro sat up from his futon. "How long was I out?" He asked.

"About four days." Yushiro answered, causing Tanjiro to nearly choke.

"FOUR!?" Tanjiro exclaimed as Yushiro's face became serious.

"You need to be more careful with that Blood Demon Art of yours. If you overexert yourself and pass out in the middle of battle or protecting someone, who knows what might happen." Yushiro scolded the boy who lowered his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, but I had to. Someone was in danger from a strong demon and I wasn't strong enough to beat him without 'Sun Conqueror.'" Tanjiro explained.

Yushiro nodded. "Yes, Lady Kanae informed us of what you did." He responded before smiling again. "You know, those kids actually begged Kanae and Shinobu not to kill you."

Tanjiro's eyes widened upon hearing this. "Huh? Really?" He asked, to which Yushiro nodded. Tanjiro felt grateful to those kids for defending him, despite knowing that he was a demon.

Tanjiro looked around the room again. "What is this place?" He asked as Yushiro went back to reading his book.

"A Wisteria Family Safehouse in the Takamatsucho ōaza in Tachikawa. We'll be staying for the night so that Lady Kanae and Shinobu can rest." He answered, earning a confused look from Tanjiro.

"Wisteria Family Safehouse?" Tanjiro repeated before Yushiro went into more detail.

"This house is one of many owned by a family once rescued by Demon Slayers. The family has cared for Demon Slayers free of charge ever since to show their gratitude."

"It took a little convincing to let you, me, and Lady Tamayo in here. But luckily, we had Lady Kanae and Shinobu to put in a good word." Yushiro explained.

Tanjiro's eyes widened again. "M-Miss Shinobu defended us!?" Tanjiro asked in shock.

Yushiro nodded in response. "I know, I can barely believe it myself even though I was there. Although, she didn't say much in your case." He added.

Tanjiro nodded his head sadly, not surprised by that last bit of information. "Cheer up, Kamado. The fact that she hasn't tried to kill you in your sleep should count as a victory." Yushiro stated.

Tanjiro chuckled at that remark. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Tanjiro agreed. "So, where is everyone else?"

"Lady Tamayo was taken to a lab in another district to continue her research, I would have joined but she wanted me to look after you. Shinobu and Lady Kanae are asleep in their rooms." Yushiro said before…

Growl!

Tanjiro's face turned red as his belly started growling like crazy. The mention of food seemed to wake up Tanjiro's stomach.

Yushiro sighed as he got up. "Stay here, there's some leftover onigiri and udon from dinner. I'll bring you some." Yushiro said as he began to walk out of the room.

"Thank you, Yushiro!" Tanjiro said with a thankful smile before Yushiro closed the sliding door behind him, leaving Tanjiro to his own thoughts.

His mind went to that fight with Asahi, when he did something quite odd. He used one of the forms of Hinokami Kagura to kill Asahi.

"Why, though? Hinokami Kagura is a dance, not a sword technique. I mean, it worked but still. That said, the breathing technique of the kagura and Total Concentration do seem similar." Tanjiro thought to himself.

"Total Concentration Breathing increases one's strength, speed, and stamina. Hinokami Kagura makes it so that the user never gets tired."

"I remember father telling me and Nezuko about Hinokami Kagura and the breathing technique that went with it."


Kamado Household

-Five Years Ago-

A younger Tanjiro and Nezuko sat in seiza at the feet of their father's futon. Tanjuro's illness had been acting up, forcing him to stay in bed to rest.

"Tanjiro, Nezuko, I think it's time that I started teaching you two the Hinokami Kagura." He said his first and second born child.

"I won't be around forever. One day, my illness may claim my life. When that happens, one of you will have to take my place as head of the Kamado Clan."

Tanjiro was saddened by the thought of his father dying while Nezuko tilted her head in confusion. "Me too, papa?" She asked.

Tanjuro nodded. "Yes, just in case something happens to your brother, god forbid, or he is not able to perform Hinokami Kagura and you are by the time I die. If either of these are the case, you will become the clan head instead."

Nezuko looked at Tanjiro with concern on her face, Tanjiro noticed this and smiled at his little sister. "Don't worry, Nezuko. Both father and I are just fine." Tanjiro assured the girl while petting her head, this seemed to satisfy her.

Tanjuro smiled at the two kids before his face became serious. "Tanjiro, Nezuko, you must make sure that this kagura and these earrings are passed down to either of you uninterrupted. It will not be easy to learn this dance, are you sure you can handle it?"

Tanjiro and Nezuko looked back at each other, smiled, and nodded in understanding before looking back at their father. "We're ready!" They said simultaneously.

Tanjuro smiled again. "Good. Let's start with the breathing technique that goes with Hinokami Kagura. This breathing technique is what allows me to perform this dance, as it prevents one from becoming tired. Once you master this technique, you will be able to dance forever."


Tanjiro smiled to himself after the memory, he recalled how difficult it was to learn Hinokami Kagura. After every practice, he and Nezuko were left panting on the ground, unable to move.

Tanjiro was able to perform the dance from sunset to sunrise, but only with multiple breaks and he still ended up bedridden for a week. Nezuko was close but wasn't able to master it either.

Tanjiro then remembered the first time he performed Hinokami Kagura after his father died and how…wait.

"CRAP! I didn't perform Hinokami Kagura at New Years!" Tanjiro finally realized as he shot up from his bed.

It was tradition for the head of the Kamado Clan to perform Hinokami Kagura at the end of each year from sunset to sunrise and offer this dance to Hinokami, the Fire God, as a way to ward off threats and disease from the entire family.

"I was so preoccupied with trying to become human that I completely forgot about it! And it's now near the end of January!" Tanjiro started to panic.

Of course, there was always a chance that Nezuko had become the new head of their clan and performed Hinokami Kagura in his place. His family thought he was dead, so they would still be in their mourning period where they couldn't participate in celebrations or entertainment. But, Hinokami Kagura was neither, so it should be okay.

However, Tanjiro didn't want to risk it. It was almost sunset. If he hurried, he could make the proper preparations.


Backyard of the Safehouse

-Sunset-

After eating the leftovers given to him by Yushiro, Tanjiro kindly asked his fellow demon for spare yen, promising to pay him back.

Tanjiro went into town and bought an outfit similar to the one his father wore when performing Hinokami Kagura.

A long-sleeved dark brown dress with golden and crimson-red flames, as well as a large blindfold that covered his face with the kanji for "flames." There wasn't a dress in Tanjiro's size so he had to get a larger one which hid his hands in his sleeves.

Tanjiro also managed to find a wooden replica of a Shichishitō, the seven-branched sword. The one thing he couldn't replicate was the hanafuda earrings.

Tanjiro asked the staff at the safehouse if he could borrow any torches, a request to which they obliged.

Tanjiro stood in the backyard of the house in a beautiful garden. He took multiple torches that he lit using the lamps from inside the house and placed them in the form of a circle.

Tanjiro changed into the proper attire and stood in the center of the circle, holding the wooden Shichishitō in his right hand.

"I was extremely lucky to be able to find all these things for the dance. The sun has almost set." Tanjiro said in his head as he made a silent prayer.

"Hinokami…Please forgive me for giving you this dance much too late. I beg you, do not take it out on my family. I alone will accept any punishment for forgetting my family's most precious tradition."

"I also apologize for not bearing my family's earrings, I thought that buying or creating a copy of them would be disrespectful. Please accept this dance which I dedicate to the Fire God." Tanjiro finished his prayer as he got into his starting position and as the sun finished setting, he breathed in and began the Hinokami Kagura.

Tanjiro moved around gracefully, swinging his wooden sword with elegance. Tanjiro performed the twelve forms in order.

Dance; Clear Blue Sky; Raging Sun; Burning Bones, Summer Sun; Setting Sun Transformation; Solar Heat Haze; Beneficent Radiance; Sunflower Thrust; Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance; Fire Wheel; Fake Rainbow; and Flame Dance.

(AN: Don't ask me how they use these moves to dance, I genuinely don't know.)

Tanjiro finished the twelfth form and repeated the forms all over again. He did this over and over for hours until sunrise.

The memories of his family flashed through his mind with each technique, as if the kagura was bonding his spirit with those of his loved ones.

As he danced, Tanjiro noticed a great strain on his demon body, especially when he messed up his breathing, which caused him to mess up or slow down at times.

Fortunately, Tanjiro was able to push past it thanks to his seemingly endless stamina. As long as his breathing was under control, Tanjiro could complete the kagura with some difficulty. And he did.

After many long hours, Tanjiro completed his last cycle of the twelve forms as the sun peeked over the horizon. Tanjiro exhaled one last time as the strain caught up to his body, falling onto his knees and onto his hands.

Tanjiro didn't feel tired like he usually did after performing Hinokami Kagura, he just felt weak. Fortunately, the strain went away after only about half an hour as his blood started to boil again.

As Tanjiro recomposed himself, he smelled a familiar sweet smell before hearing the sound of clapping. Surprised, Tanjiro jumped and turned around, lifting up his blindfold to find Kanae sitting on the back porch of the house.

She was clapping happily with eyes full of wonder and fascination. "Oh my! That was beautiful!" She exclaimed.

"K-Kanae!? How long were you sitting there!?" Tanjiro asked.

"Right around the last hour of your dance." Kanae answered, still smiling.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Tanjiro asked with guilt in his voice. Kanae shook her head.

"No, we Demon Slayers simply have a habit of waking up early. So, what was that wonderful dance?" Kanae asked with curiosity.

"Oh, it's the Hinokami Kagura, a dance dedicated to the Fire God. The head of our family performs it at New Years to ward off threats and disease. But, after everything that happened, I forgot to do it." Tanjiro explained as he fully removed his blindfold.

"I see, isn't there someone else who can do that? Since you're supposed to be…you know…" Kanae said while trying not to be rude.

Tanjiro smiled sadly. "My little sister was supposed to become the head if something happened to me, but I just wanted to make sure that my family would be safe. After all, they're likely still in mourning."

"And to be honest, doing Hinokami Kagura…It sort of made me feel connected with my family, even though we're so far apart now." Tanjiro admitted, earning a warm smile from his Demon Slaying friend.

"That's very sweet, it's always important to stay connected with your family." Kanae said while clapping her hands together.

Tanjiro nodded in agreement before the Flower Hashira continued. "By the way, you did a great job in Tanazawa. If it weren't for you, those kids definitely would have perished at the hand of that demon." Kanae praised the boy before adopting a look of guilt.

"I'm very sorry I wasn't able to join you sooner, it looked like you got hurt badly." Kanae said before Tanjiro waved her off.

"That's fine, Kanae! You don't have to apologize for anything. I'm a demon, so pain and injury are pretty much meaningless to me." Tanjiro said with a shrugging smile.

"Even so, you are still just a boy, it's unfair to expect you to fight all these battles on your own." Kanae said with genuine concern in her voice.

Tanjiro's face became serious as he looked at his hand. "To protect not only my family, but anyone who needs my help, that was my father's dying wish. He made me promise that I would protect anyone who needed me. I like to think I was given these powers for that exact reason and not what Kibutsuji had in mind." Tanjiro explained.

"Last night, I found out that I could use my power to protect and not just destroy. To destroy demons before they can hurt anyone and to protect anyone in danger, this ability allows me to do both which makes it perfect for me." Tanjiro looked up and smiled brightly at Kanae.

"That's why I want to learn to fully control my power and join the Demon Slayer Corps, so I can protect as many people as I can!" Tanjiro finished, earning yet another smile from Kanae.

"That's a marvelous goal, I'm sure you'll achieve it, Tanjiro. I believe in you!" Kanae said to a blushing Tanjiro.

"Th-Th-Thank y-you!" Tanjiro stuttered as Kanae giggled.

"Well, let's get you some more breathable clothes. After breakfast, we'll be starting your training again until nightfall since the boxes we requested to carry Lady Tamayo and Yushiro haven't arrived yet." Kanae stated.

"I sent a request to the corps for a new trainee uniform for you which did arrive at this house yesterday. They should be in the room you were sleeping in along with your sword."

"Right, thank you!" Tanjiro replied before moving to his room to change clothes. After changing, he left his dancer clothes with the residents of the Safehouse who promised that they'd take good care of them.

Tanjiro also ate breakfast after finding out that the leftovers from last night did not do much to fill him up after four days of sleep.

He had grilled fish, fried egg, steamed rice, and some vegetable side dishes. As he ate, he started thinking of his family and felt really guilty.

"I've been enjoying all this great food paid for by the Demon Slayer Corps while my family has probably been struggling to get enough yen without me and dad. Maybe I can request to move some of the money that goes into feeding me towards helping my family." Tanjiro pondered the idea.

After eating, Tanjiro entered the backyard again but now in his new uniform. He sported a white hakama with a white top and a dark blue bottom along with zori sandals with black tabi socks. His sword was sheathed at his hip.

On the back of his hakama, the phrase "Become the Blade that Destroys Demons" was inscribed on the back in kanji form.

Shinobu was at the end of the backyard leaning against the wooden fence in her Demon Slayer uniform and butterfly haori, she noticed Tanjiro's new look and scoffed.

"A demon in a Demon Slayer Trainee uniform, now I've seen everything." Shinobu said while crossing her arms.

She gave the young demon a glare, except Tanjiro noticed that it was a bit softer than usual. He also thought that he just smelled a trace of pity from the Insect Hashira.

Suddenly, Kanae came up from behind and put her arms around Tanjiro's neck. "Well I think he pulls it off!" She said in response to Shinobu's remark.

Tanjiro looked up at Kanae. "So, what are we doing today, Kanae?" Tanjiro asked the young woman.

"Ah yes! I came up with the perfect idea for training while you were dancing!" Kanae announced, slightly confusing Tanjiro who wondered why she felt the need to mention that.

Kanae let go of Tanjiro and grabbed a bunch of wooden boards which she had placed behind her and placed them near the center of the garden.

She signaled to Tanjiro to come closer, which he did. Tanjiro and Kanae each stood on either side of the boards while Shinobu spectated.

Tanjiro looked down at the boards, there were about fifteen of them stacked on top of each other. "Do you want me to slice through this, Kanae?" Tanjiro asked.

Kanae nodded. "Yes, but first," Kanae paused as Tanjiro awaited her next words.

"Draw your sword and show me the Hinokami Kagura."


Aaaaaaaaand DONE!

Phew! That was a long chapter…

I would've made it shorter but I had a hard time finding a satisfying way to end it, hope you guys didn't mind.

Alright, so let me explain Tanjiro's newest abilities.

Solar Fist - Tanjiro fills his fist with solar blood cells and releases the blood out of his knuckles in the form of flames which not only covers his entire hand, but also increases the power of his punch.

Hinokami's Protection - By manipulating his blood, Tanjiro can form a circle of blood around his target and ignite it. He can then manipulate the flames into a small protective bubble of fire. This can also be used to trap demons but it takes a few seconds for the barrier to close up, giving demons plenty of time to escape.

Red Hot Blade - Tanjiro spills his own blood on his sword and ignites it, creating a fiery blade which allows him to cut down most demons with ease. This ability uses up the least amount of solar energy as it doesn't require much to set the sword ablaze.

I love coming up with new ways that Tanjiro can utilize Sun Conqueror, the versatility of his Blood Demon Art really allows my imagination to run wild! If you guys have any ideas for potential moves, along with cool names instead of just "fire 'insert term here,'" I'll be happy to hear you out!

As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review or PM if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Until next time! Laters, Gators!

Next time: Chapter 8 - The Sword Hidden in the Dance