Opening: Inferno by 9mm Parabellum Bullet

It had been a rather slow day for Kanao as she performed her usual daily routine with Shinobu: train, learn about medicine, do some chores, and the other essentials that are needed throughout the day. Occasionally, some wounded demon slayer would come in and they would have to patch him up but they were out as quickly as they showed up. Despite all of this, none of them quite intrigued her as much as Tanjiro did. Everyone dismissed Kanao's presence as she was usually behind Shinobu most of the time, doing as she was told. She's gotten a lot more comfortable with talking openly but now it was a matter of if she wanted to talk at all. Nothing quite compelled her to talk unless it was with the other residents of the mansion. She remained silent towards the patients she helped treat. Tanjiro was the only patient who acknowledged her and treated her as an equal. He was the one who helped her open up to the idea of having a free will. She wasn't quite sure if she missed him or just wanted someone else to talk to.

It was approaching dusk and the sun was slowly setting when Kanao decided it was time for her to go to bed. She was making her way to Shinobu's room, first, to tell her "goodnight" before heading off. As she approached her adoptive older sister's room, she heard the woman curse to herself, "Damn it, none of this is making sense!" Kanao had never heard Shinobu swear since she was a child. Shinobu used to be a lot more stern when she was younger and very easy to irritate. However, she seemingly discarded those traits upon Kanae's death and has tried to maintain Kanae's image by acting like her. Perhaps she had been fooling everyone for the longest time and she only gets to act like herself in isolation. Kanao peaked into the woman's office to see Shinobu resting her head on her hand as she sorted through an assortment of papers spread across her desk.

Shinobu looked irritated, and not playfully so like she does around some of the Hashira. Kanao called out, "Uhh, is everything okay?" The woman almost jumped out of her seat when she heard Kanao, looking towards the young girl and calming down upon realizing who was at the door. Shinobu immediately tried to cover up her irritated expression with her usual, cheerful one as she called out:

"Kanao, you could've knocked." before giggling. Kanao could see through the act but thought it best not to pry the woman about the situation. The girl entered the office and took a closer look at all of the papers. It was like Shinobu was trying to uncover a mystery with ink marks connecting different sections of various papers; certain parts were highlighted as well. It reminded Kanao of a detective agency. The girl gave her adoptive older sister a puzzled expression to which Shinobu decided to answer, "Oh, this? I've been gathering reports from across the country, trying to find the demon responsible for Kanae's death. So far, I've had no luck. Sorry for startling you like that, I was very focused." Kanao did a simple nod of acknowledgement before looking around and finding something she hasn't seen in quite some time at the edge of the desk: An old romance novel that Kanae used to read when she was around.

Shinobu took notice of Kanao's little discovery and said, "You recognize it, huh? It's not the same exact book Kanae had but it's close enough. I read it here and there to feel a bit closer to Kanae. I don't understand how she's into that stuff, it all feels so fake and forced, definitely not my kind of story to read. However, I keep it around for sentimental value, I feel like if I got rid of it, I would be willingly tossing aside an important part of my life."

Kanao commented, "She used to read this to me when I was younger but I didn't understand what any of it meant."

Shinobu couldn't help but chuckle at Kanao's innocence and joked, "That's romance novels for you. Even after reading it several times, it still doesn't make sense to me." Shinobu couldn't watch Kanao stand while she was sitting so she pulled a chair close to her and urged her younger sister to take a seat. The girl did as told and asked:

"What's it about?"

Shinobu took the book in her hands as she tried her best to explain the plot in the simplest way possible: "Well, it's about these two childhood friends, one of them was in love with the other but the feeling wasn't mutual. The one who was in love was treated harshly by everyone around him and the reason he loved the girl so much was because she treated him fairly and was one of the only person who looked out for him. The story pretty much revolved around the boy growing up and trying to make a name for himself so he could get out of his brother's shadow. The two childhood friends don't see each other for a couple years but when they do, the boy finds out the girl he loves has feelings for another boy she met. It's not until the boy starts proving himself and growing stronger when he begins to get his friend's attention and by the end of the story, he finally confesses to her, and in public no less!"

Kanao seemed so captivated by the story despite it being a very vague synopsis and asked, "What happened after that?"

"Well, the boy was presented with a choice: to fulfill his duty or to follow his love. He chose duty and left the girl behind. There was a sequel in the works but that never got finished. It's definitely a very absurd story if I've ever seen one but it's got a slight charm to it in all honesty."

Kanao seemed puzzled now as she begged the question, "What is it like to love someone? I've heard the word but I don't know what it feels like."

Shinobu never thought that Kanao would ever ask such a question in her entire life. However, Kanao's changing, she's growing up into her own person so she shouldn't be surprised. The Hashira leaned back in her seat, trying to come up with a simple explanation as she's never explained it herself before. Shinobu tried to explain, "Well, love is… it's a strong feeling you have for someone. A feeling that makes you want to go out of your way for someone or something else. Huh, this is harder to explain than I thought."

Kanao still wasn't following, asking, "Is there an example?" Shinobu was caught off guard. She's always assumed love is just something that everybody figured out. However, considering Shinobu has a distaste for such emotions and hates romance novels, it's much harder for her to come up with a feasible explanation to someone who has no concept of what it is.

"Well… you can express how much you love someone by saying "I love you" to them. It's mostly used by family members towards each other, but it can also be used for other people you would like to consider family. Like, if a boy and a girl love each other, they can get married and become a family, that type of thing. So, when you say it to someone, it's serious because it means you have a lot of respect for that person and will do anything for them." Kanao processed the Hashira's words as she tried to tie what she just learned to her own experiences but she still wasn't understanding as much as she should be. Shinobu could sense Kanao's confusion and decided to give her a firm example by placing her hand on the girl's shoulder and stating, "I love you, Kanao, you're my younger sister and the only family I have left. I don't want you to see me as your master, just your older sister. We're siblings and I am so proud of the woman you're growing into and I am willing to die for you because you are my family. Do you understand? You can say it back if you feel that same way."

Kanao tried her best as she stuttered in her speech, "I love you… too?" Shinobu could tell that Kanao was embarrassed because she wasn't sure if she was doing it right. The woman decided to assure her sister by stating:

"There you go, you'll get the hang of it. I'm curious, though, what brought about this sudden interest in love? You usually never ask about these types of things." Kanao didn't know why she was interested so she remained silent as a result. Shinobu gave her sister a playful look as she pointed out, "It's Tanjiro, isn't it?" Kanao jumped when she heard this and scrambled to find the words to respond with but Shinobu told the girl, "Kanao, it's fine, you don't need to hide anything from me, I'm not blind. Tanjiro is a fine boy, if there's anyone I'd have you like, it would be him. The fact that you feel this way in general overjoys me." The Hashira pulled the girl in for a hug as she continued, "I'm so grateful that he was able to open your heart. I've waited so long for this and it finally happened."

Things started to make a bit more sense to Kanao. Yes, she did respect Tanjiro a lot, he went above and beyond to help her and she would gladly return the favor to him. She only wished he was around more so she could talk to him. For now, she'll gladly take the comforting company of her loving older sister.

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Tanjiro evaded an incoming attack from Yorichii and countered with an attack of his own. The legendary swordsmen effortlessly blocked Tanjiro's attack before twirling the blade out of the boy's hands before pointing his own towards Tanjiro and explaining, "You're not concentrating enough. You aren't focused on what you're doing. If you want to defeat your enemy, you must concentrate on the battle, not on whatever else is occupying your mind at the moment." Tanjiro walked over to his blade and picked it up as he complained:

"I'm trying to focus, I'm using my hatred of demons to keep pushing me forward."

"You're thinking too much about your hatred rather than the fight at hand. Even the slightest break in concentration will get you killed. I've seen many novice swordsmen lose a fight because they broke their concentration."

Tanjiro cried out in frustration, "What am I supposed to do, then? Forget I'm angry at the demons? How am I supposed to use it as a driving force of motivation if I have to discard it?"

Yorichii sheathed his blade as he realized they were going in circles and pointed out, "It's as I said, you need to calm yourself to focus on the battle. However, I think it's best that we discuss your frustration now. Leaving it be is detrimental to your training. So tell me, what's bothering you right now?"

Tanjiro exclaimed, "All of this! You, the Hellwalker, the demons, and myself. I still can't get over the fact that I was stupid enough to show mercy to all the demons I fought. I cried for them! CRIED! What type of idiot does that?! I guess I do, which makes me a big ol' idiot! One demon killed all of my master's former students and I have the audacity to show him sympathy despite him wanting to murder me just like the rest. Every single demon I fought wanted to kill me without a second thought and I showed them remorse. Then the Hellwalker points this out and says he'll ignore me and when I finally change my ways, he still ignores me! What type of bullshit even is that?! And YOU, don't even get me started with you. I can't even look you in the eye after you told me you let Muzan live. Look, you already gave me your whole apology and whatever but how do you think I feel having to look at you and only seeing the guy responsible for allowing my family to die?!"

Yorichii's expression grew more stern as he commented, "The only thing I can tell you is to prioritize the mission. I understand your frustration, but you're letting it consume you. I get how it feels to be angry at yourself, but you have to get over it. It happens, we make mistakes, but no amount of mopping and being pissy now will change what happened then. All you can do is accept what happened and move on."

Nearby, the Doom Slayer just watched Tanjiro scream into the air and is sitting as still as a statue. The Slayer thought there was some commotion happening nearby but it's just the kid losing his mind. Perfect, the boy is starting to lose his sanity now, no need to waste his time here any longer. The warrior made his way back to the cart of Nichirin he had been hauling behind him. He was getting ready to bring it back to Sagetsu's house so they could make some more tools.

Tanjiro smelled the strong odor of hatred and blood that belonged to the Hellwalker. The boy whipped his head towards the direction where he thought the man was but didn't see him there. He knew he had to be nearby. Yorichii said to Tanjiro, "Talking to him isn't going to change anything." Tanjiro dismissed the man's words as he turned the corner to see the large warrior clad in green quickly hauling away at a large cart full of Nichirin. There was a large stack of Nichirin that no human could possibly pull but the Hellwalker was dragging it along with ease. Tanjiro didn't care though, he wanted to talk.

As the Slayer continued forward, he heard Tanjiro's cries for him to stop but the Hellwalker refused to do so. Tanjiro raised his voice for the Slayer to hear, "Hey! We need to talk. You said you'd ignore anyone who acknowledges demons, right? I did as you asked, I hate demons as much as you do now so what's wrong?! How about this, let me make a promise to you right here and now: I promise to destroy all demons, I will devote my life to it. I will stop at nothing until all demons are destroyed."

The Slayer has heard enough of this nonsense. He let go of the cart which created a loud sound upon hitting the floor and making Tanjiro freeze with fear. The Slayer turned to look at Tanjiro and responded in a cold tone, "Kid, if you keep going down this path, you're going to end up like me. That's not a route anyone should take." The warrior picked up the cart once more and continued on his way, leaving Tanjiro behind who was in shock of what he had just heard. All Tanjiro wanted was to be like the Hellwalker, he admired the warrior's strength and ferocity. What's wrong with being like the Hellwalker? With that amount of power, he would accomplish his goals effortlessly. Tanjiro didn't know what to say at that point, the warrior's words completely silenced him as decided to walk back to where he was training. Yorichii was right, nothing did change.

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It was in the middle of the night now and Murata was hanging around Sato and his friends. They were situated on top of a tree, waiting for a criminal to pounce on. One of the demons gathered the group's attention as they pointed to a nearby burglary occurring nearby. They saw a young man break out of someone's store with a bag full of stolen items. The group of demons got up and followed the man through the trees as he ran away from the village. Once the man was nearby, Sato and his group dropped from the trees and landed on the thief who crashed to the ground. With four demons on him, it took no time for the poor thief to get dismembered as his limbs were ripped apart one by one by the group. Murata couldn't bring himself to do it as he stood back and watched the carnage unfold. He had spent a bit of time with this group so he got to see how they operate. They were true to their word and only went after criminals so Murata's instincts to stop them never really triggered. He didn't want to take human life though so he left that task up to the other group members. Sato ripped off a leg and offered it to Murata who reluctantly took it.

He drooled in anticipation of his meal. It wasn't the first person he had eaten but he never felt right doing it. As he bit into the flesh and slowly ate away at the leg, he couldn't help but cry. It tastes so good but he hated that fact. His human side was screaming at him to stop, but his demonic side was telling him to dig in even more. The tears rolled down his face as he ate the food, he was so angry at the situation despite making peace with it. No amount of acceptance will change that this isn't right. Murata called to the group and asked, "How do you guys do this every time and not feel sick inside? Like, I know this tastes good, but don't you guys hate the fact that we're eating like a bunch of animals?"

Koji responded after taking a large bite out of the torso, "Not really if it's a scumbag like this asshole!" before digging in even further.

Renju answered Murata's question, "We did and still do to an extent. It's just that you reach a certain point after eating so many people that you kind of stop giving a shit. Like, yeah, what we're doing is wrong. But that doesn't change the fact that we need to eat. It helps us feel better if we eat criminals so it feels like we're doing a good deed. You'll get used to it, trust me."

Murata complained, "Is this really the life we have to live?!

Sato pointed out, "What? You think people will just accept us with open arms? We're demons, dude. They don't give a shit if we're good or not. The simple fact that we're demons makes everyone hate us, regardless if we're pacifist demons or not. So yeah, this is all we got. Either that or you want to be a murderous psychopath like the rest."

Murata felt fairly embarrassed upon hearing all this and apologized, "I'm sorry if I misjudged you guys. I had no idea that you demons had it this rough. One minute, you're just living your lives and then, BOOM, you're a demon and discriminated against by society. I'm awfully sorry for treating you guys as harshly as I did."

Sato didn't take any offense to Murata's actions and accepted the apology, stating, "It's fine, at least you're willing to understand. Well, not like you had a choice like the rest of us." Everyone ate the rest of their meal in silence and once they were done, they were on their way to another location. As they walked away, they heard someone call out to them from behind:

"You monsters! You ate that innocent civilian without a second thought, didn't you?! I'm going to end your lives right here, right now!" They turned to see a member of the demon slayer corps raising his blade towards the group of demons. He was a young boy around Murata's age. Murata turned towards Sato and cried out:

"What do we do?!"

Sato quickly informed Murata, "We run. We don't have any intention of fighting a demon slayer." The group ran the other direction with the demon slayer in hot pursuit. They were outpacing the boy with ease so the demon slayer had to get creative and used his breathing techniques to propel himself off a tree and launch towards the group. With his blade ready, he quickly decapitated Mako and prepared to finish off the others. As he approached, Murata drew his blade as well with both combatants' swords clashing against one another.

The demon slayer raised his eyebrows in shock as he called out, "Y-you! You betrayed the demon slayer corps, didn't you?! You're too dangerous to be kept alive, I need to end you!"

Murata cried out towards his ex-comrade, "That's not true, I would never hurt anyone!"

"Spare me your excuses, I've heard enough from you, demon." Both Murata and the demon slayer went back and forth with their blades but Murata had a clear and overwhelming advantage. Not only was he a demon which made him stronger, his breathing techniques allowed him to channel his spiritual energy which further enhanced his already heightened strength. Murata may have his loyalties towards humanity and the Demon Slayer Corps but he wasn't going to let anybody kill his friends, not on his watch. The demon slayer murata was fighting was put on the back foot as he lost ground. However, he was still a novice and the moment an opening was made by Murata, the demon took it as he cut the boy's chest open. The demon slayer fell to his back, wide-eyed with pain and shock as he looked at Murata and uttered his last words, "Why…?"before his remaining life faded away as he bled out.

Murata fell to his knees as he muttered to himself, "What have I done…?" the demon had never felt so defeated in his life before. Despite coming out victorious, he felt as though he had suffered the greatest defeat in his life. Sato and the remaining members of the group came to Murata's side and tried their best to comfort him, claiming that Murata had to do what he needed to for his own survival. Before any more comforting words can be shared, they heard the cries of a Kasugai Crow up above. Murata's heart sank as he realized what was going to happen. The Crow fled the scene as fast as it could and the group took notice of Murata's fearful expression. They wanted Murata to explain what was the matter. That's when the boy spoke up, "I have to get out of here. That Crow's going to go back to HQ and tell everyone about me. Once they hear about a demon slayer who's become a demon, they won't stop until I'm taken out!"

Sato interjected, "It's alright, we can go into hiding and just be extra careful with our little hunts."

"No! You don't get it, they might send a fucking Hashira after me, dude! I can't stay with you guys, I'll be putting you all in danger if I stay with you."

Renju asked Murata, "What are you going to do, then? Just run? If they're going to be after you, you'll never stop running."

"I don't know… I'll figure something out, but I don't want you guys to get killed because of me! Please, keep your distance if you know what's good for you. I'm indebted to you all for what you've done, but it's time for us to part ways." Everyone in the group wanted to say something in retaliation but they couldn't think of anything. They had to face the facts and accept the situation. Sato and the other embraced Murata and bid the boy farewell. As they turned their backs towards one another and began walking away, Murata was formulating his next plan of action. With his family out of the picture and his friends having to stay away from him for their own safety, who's left that he could reach out to?