The trial

Guest review answer corner.

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Guest: Thank you~ I always do my best to have the characters stay true to themselves so I'm happy to hear I'm doing a good job!

Honestly, I am more of the type that begins to write the chapter and the rest flows but I do have a few important moments noted for when I have to write them, Genya and Ito's conversation was actually one of them.

Hey, Genya is awesome and he deserved a lot more spotlight! I love KnY with a passion but if there is anything I would have loved to see more is Genya interacting with the rest of the Sense Squad and Kanao and Tanjiro fighting together, at least once!

Well, you're going to find out what happens to him in the trial now so, fingers crossed? Haha

Thank you for the comment!

Guest: Okaaaaay! Hehehe.

BB3: I am aware about Ito's real form, I didn't forget; all I can say without giving spoilers is that I have a few ideas around it.

Thank you for the comment!

Guest: Thank you! I will update now!

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One quick thing, for the guest reviews that asked me when I will update.

First of all, it doesn't bother me that you ask, on the contrary I am really happy that you asked; it brings a smile to my face to know that you like my story and want to know when a new chapter will be up.

But I just don't have a way to answer guest reviews except by posting a new chapter and answering in the notes.

If you want, you can comment on the ao3 version of this fic, I can answer guest comments there.

Just wanted to say that, thank you for all the comments!

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Alright, another one!

Sorry this took a bit too long but there is a good reason for it!

And that reason is:

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

So, in case you don't read any of my other stories, I'll tell you now that I am a big TanKana fan and I have made the announcement for TanKana Week in twitter.

If you're interested, please check the account 'TanKana Estate ( TankanaW)'.

END OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT

With all that said, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kimetsu no Yaiba

I hope you enjoy!


"Is everyone ready?" Sabito asked, receiving four nods in response. "Let's get going."

"Yes!" Tanjiro and Genya answered while Giyu and Makomo simply followed him.

"Did the crow say anything else?" The Kamado asked.

"Just to bring you two to headquarters and to cover your eyes and ears… we should probably put some plugs in your nose as well." The Water Pillar answered.

"Shouldn't we already be blindfolded then?" Genya asked.

"We're only going through a main road for now, we'll put the blindfolds on you later." Giyu answered.

"I see." Tanjiro nodded. "Do you know what we should expect?"

"…a trial, would be my first guess." Makomo said, earning the two Mizunotos' attention. "Like Sabito said yesterday, we believe Oyakata-sama will give the order to leave Nezuko alone but the other Pillars may not agree."

"Yeah, Shinazugawa in partic…" Sabito trailed off, turning his head to look at Genya. "…would you happen to know a 'Sanemi'?"

"…he is my older brother." The black haired teen answered, averting his gaze. "We… don't really speak with each other."

Tanjiro frowned, remembering what his friend had told him about his brother.

"I won't pry." Sabito said. "But he, in particular, will be against it."

"Iguro-san will likely have some words to say as well." Makomo added.

Tanjiro tightened his grip on the straps of Nezuko's box as they walked.

"It's not like everyone will be against it, though." The black haired girl mentioned.

"What do you mean?" Genya asked.

"Tengen will probably at least be willing to listen." Sabito mentioned.

"Kocho as well." Giyu added.

"And if Oyakata-sama says that she is not to be harmed then they will all agree, even if they're not completely okay with it."

"What is Oyakata-sama like?" The Kamado asked.

"He is…" The Water Pillar trailed off, trying to think of the best way of describing him. "…calming."

"Yes, that sounds like a good way of describing him." Makomo giggled. "Don't worry, you'll understand when you meet him."

Tanjiro nodded.

The five talked a bit more until it was time to blindfold the two and then carried them the rest of the way.


"We're here." Tanjiro heard Makomo's voice after she took out the earplugs, letting him remove the blindfold and the nose plugs by himself.

"Thank you, sorry you had to carry me." He said to Sabito.

"Likewise." Genya said to Giyu.

"Don't mention it." The peach haired man shrugged, Giyu nodding in agreement.

"Well, let's see who else is here." The black haired girl mentioned, turning on her heel and walking forward.

'It's like Sabito's home but… bigger, a lot bigger.' Tanjiro thought as the group walked to the left of the main entrance and rounded the house, Sabito, Makomo and Giyu at the front.

A minute later, they reached a backyard, small white rocks forming a square pattern in the ground with some grass trimmed and several trees.

"Looks like we're the last ones here." The Water Pillar muttered, stopping as soon as he rounded the corner.

Tanjiro stood and looked at the people in the garden; he recognized the woman with the butterfly ornament that tried to kill Nezuko but no one else, at least from sight.

His three sibling disciples had given him a description of every Pillar and what he should expect from them.

"Took you guys long enough." A tall man with two swords strapped to his back and a painting around a left eye called out as he approached the group.

"I'm fairly certain we're still on time." Giyu answered, his expression unchanged.

Tengen raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything in response.

"So, you're that Kamado kid." He said, looking at the red haired teen.

"I'm Kamado Tanjiro, nice to meet you." Tanjiro bowed in greeting.

"Considering everything Sabito and the others said, I thought you would be more flamboyant."

"…sorry?"

"Well, whatever; I just walked over to greet you all." With those words, the Sound Pillar turned around, waving a hand as he walked back to where he was.

"What was that?" Genya asked in a whisper.

"When it comes to Tengen, you should take his words at face value." Makomo answered him.

"Oyakata-sama will probably be here soon." Giyu pointed out.

"He is right, let's go, no use in standing here." Sabito agreed and the five walked forward.

'They're staring.' Tanjiro thought, trying to not let his worry show. 'Except for those two… the man that seems to be praying must be Himejima Gyomei and the kid Tokito Muichiro… he really is younger than me.' The red haired teen noticed. 'The two that are glaring must be Iguro Obanai and… Genya's brother.' He couldn't help but notice that, unlike his fellow Pillar, Sanemi's glare seemed to be directed towards Genya instead of Tanjiro.

He also noticed that the younger Shinazugawa was making it a point to keep his head down, avoiding his brother's gaze.

'That guy…' The Kamado frowned as he looked at him and was about to open his mouth to say something when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Looking to the right, he noticed it was Genya who smiled weakly and shook his head.

Tanjiro's frown deepened but he nodded and respected his friend's wishes before looking at the rest of the people there.

'The woman I saw in Natagumo is Kocho Shinobu, that makes the other one Kanroji Mitsuri and the only one I'm missing is Rengoku Kyojuro… their scent, it's more of caution and a bit of curiosity than hate like Iguro-san and Shinazugawa-san.'

Reaching a tree that was a bit away from the rest of the Pillars, the five stood there to wait.

"Ara~ Ara~ You're not even going to say hello?" The Insect Pillar asked as she walked forward.

"Sorry, Shinobu; we're all a bit tense." Makomo answered her calmly.

"Yes, I suppose I can understand that." Shinobu nodded before turning to Tanjiro and Genya. "There are a few things I'd like to talk about but they will have to wait until the trial is over… well, it also depends on what the verdict is~"

"Did you need anything?" Giyu asked bluntly.

"Now, now, Tomioka-san; I just wanted to say hello, it's called being polite." She answered him, her smile not wavering in the slightest. "I guess this is another reason why everyone hates you."

"I am not hated." He said immediately.

"Well, why don't we ask?" Shinobu's smile took a slightly teasing edge as she looked back at the red haired teen.

"Kamado Tanjiro-kun, right?"

"Eh, yes."

"Tell me, do you hate Tomioka-san?"

"Hm? Not at all." He answered immediately, as if it was obvious. "He spared Nezuko and guided me to my master, I am very grateful to him." Tanjiro smiled.

"…is that so?" The Kocho said simply, her smile looking more… natural than before. "Well, I just wanted to say hello, I'll leave you to prepare until Oyakata-sama arrives." Shinobu turned around, her haori moving slightly with the movement, and she walked away.

"What was that about?" Genya thought out loud. "Is she someone else that we should 'take at face value'?"

"Not… exactly." Makomo answered, also looking a bit confused at the whole exchange.

"Something wrong, Giyu?" Sabito asked, noticing his slightly wide eyes.

"…no." The Tsuguko said simply, his expression going back to normal.

For the next few minutes, the five stood in their spot waiting and ignoring the looks they received.

'Makomo told me to expect a trial but… what can I say or do?' Tanjiro thought. 'Oyakata-sama already met Nezuko and, from what they told me, he seems to be on our side so that's a bit of a relief.' His hand moved to the pocket of his haori where the letter rested. 'Should I give him the letter before the trial? But if I mention Tamayo-san, the other Pillars may say something… I don't think they would let me be alone with him to give him the letter, regardless of the verdict.' The Kamado frowned once again. 'Perhaps I should wait until the trial is over and then give the letter to Sabito, he could probably give it to him without any problem.' He let out a sigh. 'I really should have thought about this before coming here but…' Tanjiro turned to the box in his back where Nezuko was resting, unconsciously tightening his grip on the straps.

Taking a deep breath, the red haired teen decided to deal with the trial first; what he does next can wait.

"Oyakata-sama has arrived." Two girls called out from the mansion in unison.

"Thank you for coming, my beloved children." A soothing voice said next as steps could be heard approaching the garden.

In the blink of an eye, all the Pillars had formed a line and taken a knee while Giyu did the same behind and to the left of Sabito while Makomo did so to his right.

Not wanting to be rude, Tanjiro and Genya did the same, taking a knee behind Giyu and Makomo respectively.

"I'm glad you were all able to arrive without issue."

'…he really is blind.' Tanjiro noticed, seeing the strange coloration that covered his forehead and just below his eyes. 'And… it's like they said, I feel calm.'

"We find it most honorable to be in your presence, Oyakata-sama." Sanemi spoke out. "We eagerly pray for much happiness upon you."

Those words got Tanjiro out of his thoughts and back to reality.

"Thank you, Sanemi." Oyakata-sama answered with a smile as he sat in seiza at the porch. "As you are all aware, I called this meeting to discuss the situation of Kamado Tanjiro who is traveling with his turned to demon sister."

"Oyakata-sama." Iguro said after he finished talking. "With all due respect, what is there to discuss?"

"If he has a demon with him, then we have to kill the demon; it's that simple." Sanemi added.

Tanjiro glanced in their direction, preparing to move at any sign of an attack.

"Now, now; I know that you have a point but these are unusual circumstances." Kagaya answered and, even though he can't see, he turned his gaze towards the five of them. "As I explained to everyone on the letter I sent, Kamado Nezuko was turned into a demon around two years ago, yet she hasn't attacked any humans in all that time."

"Oyakata-sama, how can we be sure that is true?" Rengoku asked. "I do not want to doubt Sabito, Makomo and Giyu's word but is there any other evidence to support the claim that she doesn't attack humans?" The last part was clearly directed towards the Water Pillar's group.

'They're telling the truth.' Tanjiro clenched his fist to stop himself from saying anything.

"Makomo and I performed a test on her to see how she would react if someone attacked her, I went against her with the intent to kill while Makomo kept Tanjiro pinned to the ground to stop him from interfering." Sabito began. "She never once retaliated against me and just continued to dodge my attacks, it wasn't until Makomo got a bit too rough with Tanjiro that she seemed to have an intention of fighting and, even then, she just went towards her brother to help him."

"That's still only your word." Iguro mentioned. "Were there any other witnesses to this?"

"Our Master, Urokodaki-san." Makomo answered.

"Yet someone else that has been sheltering a demon." Sanemi pointed out, glaring in their direction. "You all claim she hasn't attacked anyone but do you have any evidence of this?"

"Do you have evidence that she has?" Giyu asked back.

"…what was that?"

"I asked if you have evidence that she has attacked any humans." The Water Tsuguko repeated, his face as impassive as always.

"Giyu raises a good point." Kagaya spoke, earning everyone's attention. "While I do understand why the existence of a demon that doesn't attack humans is hard to believe, there isn't any evidence to suggest that she has."

The Kamado almost let out a sigh of relief at hearing this but froze when he heard the next words.

"Oyakata-sama." Tokito spoke, surprising more than one person since he is usually quiet. "What if Sabito and the others are under the influence of a Blood Demon Art that has made them think that this demon truly doesn't attack humans?"

"We aren't." Sabito immediately answered.

"So you say." The youngest of the Pillars shrugged.

"Tokito has a point, they could just 'think' they are telling the truth." Obanai supported.

"Well, I believe we should call for someone who is unlikely to be under the influence of such a Blood Demon Art, if that is indeed the case." Kagaya answered, once again earning everyone's attention.

"Oyakata-sama?"

"What do you mean?"

Sabito and Sanemi asked in turn.

"Amane, bring them here, please." He called out.

A few seconds later, the doors opened again and Amane walked in, along with two people wearing the corps' uniform.

Tanjiro's eyes widened as he recognized the two.

"These are Ozaki and Kaigaku." The leader of the corps said as they sat to the side. "They were in Natagumo during the encounter with Lower Moon 5 and witnessed Nezuko's existence with their own eyes."

Ozaki caught the Kamado's gaze and sent him and Genya a small reassuring smile while Kaigaku kept his eyes forward, keeping his face carefully blank.

"Ozaki was Tanjiro's overseer until a wound forced her to take a medical leave, could you please give us your honest opinion about him?"

"Of course." She bowed towards Oyakata-sama before turning to face everyone else.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, she began explaining how they met, the way he acted during their first mission together and even praised his knowledge of demons, willingness to listen to her advice as his senior and his skill with a blade, mentioning that she only interfered in his battle because civilians were, unfortunately, involved.

"Did you know that the box contained his turned to demon sister?" Kagaya asked next.

"I only became aware of that fact during the incident at the Natagumo Mountain."

"You didn't notice a demon right in front of you?" Sanemi asked, glaring at her.

Ozaki gulped.

"I only knew that the box was 'more important to him than his life', his words, but I didn't feel it was my place to ask why or to ask to see inside it, we were still just acquaintances at best at the time." She answered. "I thought that there was something inside that is precious to him, such as a gift from his family or that the box itself was the gift, I had no reason to suspect it had his sister in it."

"Tanjiro." Kagaya turned to the red haired teen. "Did you have your sister with you while traveling with Ozaki?"

"Yes! We haven't been separated until the fight at Natagumo." He answered.

"In all the time you were together with Ozaki, did your sister ever leave the box?"

"Well… not in her presence." Tanjiro began. "During a mission, the one where I met Genya and his overseer, Murata-san, Genya and I were forced to separate from Ozaki-san and act on our own; Nezuko saved us at the time and helped to defeat the demon we were hunting but she went back inside the box afterwards and Ozaki-san never saw her."

"That's how I found out about her." Genya added.

"Then, Ozaki, can you please tell us when you found out and how?" Oyakata-sama asked.

"I…" The Tsuchinoto trailed off, sending a fleeting glance to Genya but not saying anything else.

"Oyakata-sama asked you a question." Iguro hissed.

"Ozaki-san." Genya spoke up. "It's alright, I wasn't planning to keep it a secret anyway." He smiled slightly.

"…very well." The woman nodded while everyone but the ones aware of Genya's ability looked a bit confused. "During the battle at the Natagumo mountain, my squad and I were almost wiped out because of a Blood Demon Art, I am not exactly sure how but the demon was able to control our bodies and made us attack each other." She bit her lip, memories of what had happened coming back. "Most of us were already dead when Tanjiro, Genya and another swordsman I haven't met before showed up, they tried to immobilize us without killing us but the demon continued to force us to attack them, then…" Taking another deep breath, she looked at Genya one more time for confirmation.

The Mizunoto nodded.

"…Tanjiro told his sister to come out of the box, it was the first time I saw her but... I could tell she was a demon."

"And? She helped you?" Shinobu asked.

"…indirectly." That answer got a few raised eyebrows. "Tanjiro and…"

"Inosuke." The Kamado said after noticing the look sent his way.

"Inosuke; they both went ahead to find the demon and kill it while Genya stayed to keep us at bay… after drinking some blood from Tanjiro's sister."

This time, everyone's eyes went to the younger Shinazugawa.

"Drink her blood?" Kanroji asked, a confused frown crossing her features.

"What does that mean?"

"Why the hell would you do that?"

"Isn't that dangerous?"

Many of the Pillars began to ask one after another but all the questions stopped when Oyakata-sama raised his index to his lips, signaling for silence.

"Genya, could you please explain why you did that?" He asked calmly.

"I… don't know why but I can temporarily acquire demon-like traits by eating demons' flesh or drinking their blood; I first found out about this during the Final Selection when I received a mortal wound after defeating a demon and, in my desperation to survive, thought I could maybe regenerate if I ate a piece of it that hadn't disappeared yet… and, by some miracle, it worked." He explained, his eyes moving towards his brother.

Everyone stayed silent at this revelation, some with shock in their faces and others with curiosity… except for one person whose eyes had gone wide and his expression turned into a snarl.

"You did what?" Sanemi asked; he didn't raise his voice but, in the silence that had settled, it was heard very clearly.

Before anyone could say anything, the Wind Pillar had dashed from his spot straight towards his brother, the index and middle fingers of his right hand aiming for Genya's eyes.

'Wha-?!' Genya didn't have time to react, he watched as the fingers approached, the shock just beginning to register.

Just before they would reach his eyes, Makomo used her arms as support and kicked the older Shinazugawa's arm upwards from her prone position.

Tanjiro reacted and pulled Genya away from him while Sabito jumped and grabbed the back of Sanemi's head and one of his arms and pushed down.

Makomo used her other leg to sweep Sanemi's feet, making him lose his balance and fall to the ground, Sabito making sure that he stays there.

"What are you doing?!" Tanjiro yelled, standing between the Shinazugawas.

"What? I was just going to take his eyes so he quits the corps." The white haired man answered, trying to overpower Sabito.

Giyu and Makomo quickly moved to help his friend in restraining him, the former grabbing his legs while Makomo grabbed his other arm, completely immobilizing him.

"Ni… Aniki…" Genya whispered.

"Can't you see that Genya wants to fight too?! You don't have any right to force him to quit!" The Kamado continued.

"Shut up! I don't care what a brat like you thinks! He doesn't have any talent with the sword and has to eat demons to fight?! Don't fuck with me! Doesn't that make him a demon?!"

Genya reeled back as if struck at those words.

"You…!" Tanjiro growled.

"Then why not cut off his head?" Giyu asked.

"…what was that?" Sanemi asked, his eyes moving towards where the Tsuguko was but unable to see him since Sabito was keeping his head in place and he was on his blind spot.

"If he is a demon as you say he is, why make him quit? Why not cut off his head?"

"Tomioka…" The Wind Pillar's rage seemed to double, as well as his efforts to get out from their grip but, try as he might, he wasn't able to.

"I believe that's enough." Kagaya spoke up, his tone unchanged. "Sanemi, I believe I can somewhat understand your feelings but I can't condone your actions just now; refrain from attacking other members of the corps."

"…as you wish." The fact that it took a long time for him to answer wasn't lost on anyone. "Let me go, I won't try to attack."

Very slowly, Sabito, Giyu and Makomo did that and the Wind Pillar moved back to his spot without saying a word.

"Are you alright, Genya?" Tanjiro asked him.

"Y-yeah…" He mumbled. "L-let's get back on topic, please."

"…alright." The Kamado nodded and moved to kneel where Genya was before, making his friend take his place.

"Ehm…" Kanroji raised her hand to speak.

"Yes?"

"I don't know how Genya-kun's ability works but, shouldn't a doctor take a look at him?"

"I second that." Shinobu said.

"I tend to agree." Kagaya nodded. "Is that okay with you, Genya?"

"Eh? Ah… yes, I don't mind." He nodded.

"Very well; could you perform the examination, Shinobu?"

"Of course." The Insect Pillar nodded.

Oyakata-sama nodded again.

"Now, let's get back on topic." Kagaya turned to Ozaki.

"Oyakata-sama." Himejima spoke up. "I do not agree with Shinazugawa is actions, however, are we sure it's safe to keep Genya around? Or that he won't turn into a demon if he continues to eat them?"

"I don't believe that he will but, for the time being, I will wait to take any action until after Shinobu performs a medical check; I won't be sending him in any mission so there shouldn't be any need for him to eat any demons in the meantime; is that acceptable?"

"Yes." Gyomei nodded. "May I ask why you believe that there is no risk?"

"Just my intuition." He answered before turning to Ozaki. "Could you continue, please?"

"Ah, of course." She nodded, recovering from the surprise. "There… isn't much else to tell if I'm honest, while Genya kept my squad and I at bay, Tanjiro and Inosuke must have defeated the demon since their control over our bodies was lost; I received treatment and blacked out after the Water Pillar and his friend showed up and questioned what happened." Ozaki frowned. "I… didn't say anything about Tanjiro's sister or Genya's ability at the time." She added.

"I can't blame you for that; it was a strange situation, to say the least." Sabito shrugged.

"Thank you." The Tsuchinoto bowed her head. "I recovered a few days ago but was told to stay put and wait for further orders; I can only assume it was because Oyakata-sama wished to have me as a witness today."

"That is correct." Kagaya nodded. "Thank you for giving your account of the events, are there any questions?"

"The demon's existence was revealed by Kocho so I understand why no one questioned you about it; but why didn't you say anything about Shinazugawa's brother is ability?" Iguro asked, glaring in her direction.

"They saved me, I wanted to at least listen to what they have to say before revealing anything."

"How come no one else said anything?" Tengen asked next.

"I honestly don't know, I was sure someone else would have reported it but no one ever questioned me further in the matter."

"I think I can answer this one." Sabito spoke up. "After Oyakata-sama stopped the fight at my estate, I checked the reports from Natagumo and there are mentions of Nezuko as well as an 'abnormal demon', and other similar descriptions, since we were all focused in just Nezuko's existence, we must have ignored that part or thought they all referred to Nezuko and not someone else."

"…hm, that does sound like a plausible explanation."

"I know I wouldn't believe that a human can temporarily turn into a demon if I just read it in a report from someone that almost got killed." Rengoku and Uzui said in turn.

"Any other questions?" No one raised their voice. "Very well, thank you for your time, Ozaki."

"It was no issue." She answered with a bow.

'Thank you, Ozaki-san.' Tanjiro smiled.

"Now, as for the other person that I invited today as a witness." He turned to Kaigaku. "Kaigaku, could you please tell us how you met Tanjiro?"

"Certainly." He nodded.

'Kaigaku-san sounds… weird.' The Kamado thought, noticing the polite tone of his voice. 'I guess it's because he is in front of all the Pillars and Oyakata-sama.'

"I was travelling with the swordsman I was overseeing and he happened to be going in the same direction; we didn't talk much after introductions were over and the crow ordered us to hurry to the demon's location." Kaigaku began. "I also wasn't aware that he was traveling with a demon until the battle at Natagumo; although I found out under different circumstances."

"Can you tell us your honest opinion of him?"

"I… don't like him." The Breath of Thunder user answered with a frown. "I won't deny that he has skill with a blade but I can't say I like his attitude and the way he talks back even when someone has seniority over him."

"Huh?" Ozaki let out that sound and almost immediately shut her mouth.

"Do you wish to say something, Ozaki?" Kagaya asked.

"Ah, well… Tanjiro was always respectful when he was with me…" She turned to Kaigaku. "Can I ask in what circumstances he 'talked back to you'?"

"…"

"Please, answer." Oyakata-sama requested.

"…when I was berating the swordsman I was overseeing, who also happens to be my… sibling disciple." Kaigaku said the last words through gritted teeth, as if calling him that was wrong. "He told me to, excuse me, more like demanded that I apologize to him."

"And with good reason." Tanjiro spoke up, staring at the older swordsman. "You weren't just 'berating' Zenitsu, you were treating him like garbage."

"That guy continued to cry about how he was going to die and that he doesn't want to go on missions; I can't be holding his hand or drag him along every time I go to fight a demon, calling him that is the only way to make him move." Kaigaku answered, staring back at him.

"That's not your reason." The red haired teen refuted.

"Now, now." Kagaya chimed in. "I'm afraid there are other things we need to discuss right now, let's please get back on track."

The two maintained the staring contest for a few more seconds until Kaigaku broke it.

"In any case; the demon was hiding in a mansion and, after defeating it, I went ahead to a wisteria house to rest; however, my crow ordered me to go to a different mission before I got there so we parted ways, I didn't see him again until Natagumo where we happened to cross paths again, he was with another swordsman, he had a boar mask."

"Inosuke." Tanjiro reminded him.

"The guy with the boar mask said that they had defeated the demon that was controlling the others and, before we could talk more, another demon showed up; it ran away as soon as it saw us but then called for another one, this one was considerably larger and absurdly strong; it managed to send Kamado flying through the air."

Tanjiro grimaced at remembering the 'father' of the spider family.

'I genuinely thought he was the Lower Moon at the time.'

"Inosuke and that demon continued their fight elsewhere while I went to chase the demon that had escaped; it turns out she had run where the head of that group was, a Lower Moon." No one reacted at that information, they had heard that a Lower Moon was present. "I hid and watched him fight while waiting for an opportunity to strike but… to put it simply, he was outmatched, I didn't see any way that he could defeat that demon and even thought he was about to die, that's when the demon in his box appeared." Kaigaku sent a look towards Tanjiro. "I wasn't sure what I saw at the time; like I said before, I don't like him but I didn't think he had a demon in that box of his… in any case, the Lower Moon had ordered that other demon to go somewhere and, since I didn't see any way I could be of use there, I decided to chase after her instead so I wouldn't have to fight two demons at the same time." His gaze moved towards Shinobu. "I happened to run into the Insect Pillar and guided her where Kamado and the other demon were fighting."

Several eyes moved towards Shinobu.

"That's correct, Sabito-san happened to get there before me and the Lower Moon was already defeated by the time I got there but I saw Nezuko-san so I attacked, everyone already knows what happened after that in my end." The Kocho explained.

"While they were fighting I chased after Kamado, another slayer got to him first and was about to cut off his sister's head but he got on the way and told the demon to run; it looked like he intended to continue to interfere so I stood in his way and… I don't know how, but he managed to knock me out."

"…didn't he just finish fighting a Lower Moon?" Rengoku asked. "Unless I'm mistaken, he should have been exhausted after that." He directed the last part towards Tanjiro.

"I was, I barely managed to knock out Kaigaku-san by head-butting him but I couldn't move at all afterwards." The red haired teen said.

"I found him just after that; Genya was there and, after realizing he knows about Nezuko, I told him to get Tanjiro out of there." Makomo chimed in.

"I woke up the next morning, found out what happened and gave my account of the events." Kaigaku finished.

"Thank you." Kagaya said. "Are there any questions?"

"Were you aware of Genya's ability?" Uzui asked immediately.

"I wasn't, this is the first time I hear anything like that... I didn't even know such a thing was possible." He answered with a frown.

"Any other questions?" No one raised their voice. "Then, Tanjiro, Genya, could you tell us where you were and what you've been doing this past week?"

The two exchanged a look before Tanjiro spoke up.

"We were resting… in the home of a demon that doesn't eat humans."

Everyone but the ones aware of that turned to him, clearly ready to say something.

"Oh, Tamayo-san, right?" Oyakata-sama asked, his ever present calm smile still present even when everyone suddenly turned his eyes towards him.

"You know Tamayo-san?" The Kamado asked with wide eyes.

"Not personally but I do know of her." Kagaya answered. "My family has a bit of history with her; this goes back a long time but, to summarize, a member of the corps happened to meet her one day and told the head at the time; this information was kept secret, with only members of the Ubuyashiki family ever learning about this."

"Oyakata-sama, why not reveal this information? A demon that old… we should hunt it down immediately; who knows how many people it has eaten?" Iguro exclaimed.

"Tamayo-san doesn't eat humans, she found a way to live without having to do that and is working on a cure for demons." The Kamado quickly spoke up.

"You expect us to believe that?" Sanemi said next, standing up, one hand on his sword. "Tell us where that demon is right now or I'll beat the information out of you."

In response to the threat, Sabito stood up, his hand also moving to his sword.

CLAP

"You two." Himejima spoke up after loudly clapping his hands together. "You're in the presence of Oyakata-sama, behave."

The Water Pillar immediately let his hand go of the hilt of his weapon while Sanemi did the same a few seconds later.

"I can understand why this information would surprise you and why you would want to go after her but I assure you, there is no need." Kagaya continued to speak, unbothered by what just happened. "More importantly, you met her under unexpected circumstances, didn't you Tanjiro?"

"Eh, yes."

'Does he… does he know?' Instead of delving on that thought, Tanjiro decided to speak.

"I met her in Asakusa… after I ran into Kibutsuji Muzan."

For the second time, everyone suddenly stared at him.

"You ran into him?!"

"What did he look like?!"

"What abilities did he have?!"

This and many other questions were thrown his way until, once again, Oyakata-sama signaled for silence and everyone immediately complied.

"Tanjiro, please explain the circumstances of your encounter with both Tamayo-san and Kibutsuji Muzan."

"Yes!"

The Kamado explained to everyone what happened like he had told Sabito and the others the night before; he only let out the part about sparing Ito in Natagumo, at the behest of Sabito and Makomo.

"To answer some of your questions; I don't know where he might be now but, at the time, he looked like a man in his late twenties with really pale skin, black hair and red eyes… he was also pretending to be human, even having a wife and child."

"A what?!" Sanemi hissed.

"Are you sure his 'wife and child' weren't demons?" Shinobu asked, her smile gone from her face.

"They weren't… they were humans." Tanjiro confirmed. "I'm afraid I don't know anything else; like I explained before, he turned a man that was just passing by into a demon as a distraction and then escaped without showing any other abilities."

"Still, this is the first time in a long time that we have gotten so close; I don't want to let go of the tail that Kibutsuji has shown us." Kagaya added.

"Oyakata-sama." Iguro spoke.

"Yes, Obanai?"

"Even if he encountered Kibutsuji Muzan, I fail to see how that is reason to spare the demon he carries on his back."

"I agree, that is no reason to spare Nezuko." Kagaya nodded. "The letter, please." He signaled to one of his daughters.

"We received this letter from the former Pillar, Urokodaki Sakonji-sama; I will read an extract from it." She began. "'Please forgive Tanjiro for being with a demon; Nezuko has a tenacious spirit and she retains some human reasoning. Even when she's starving, she doesn't eat humans and she has stayed that way for more than two years. You may find this sudden and difficult to believe but this is the unmistaken truth. If by any chance Nezuko ever attacks someone, Kamado Tanjiro as well as I, Urokodaki Sakonji, Sabito, Makomo and Giyu will all cut our stomachs open as an apology.'"

"Eh?" Tanjiro looked up at that part, then moved his gaze to his three sibling disciples.

Giyu didn't show any sign of even noticing, Sabito looked at him from the corner of his eye and did a small shrug while Makomo turned a bit to see him and offered a small smile.

"Excuse me." Genya raised his hand. "That last part… I wish to add my name."

The Kamado turned to him and then looked down.

'Thank you.' Tears began to fall.

"So what?" Sanemi's words cut through his thoughts. "If they want to die then let them, there is no guarantee in this."

"Shinazugawa is correct!" Rengoku supported. "If she kills someone, nothing can be undone! The dead can't come back to life!"

"That is very true, they can't guarantee or prove that she won't attack people." Oyakata-sama agreed. "But, like Giyu said before, can you provide any evidence that she will?"

The ones that still opposed Nezuko's existence recoiled at those words.

"I believe that Nezuko has been living without eating anyone for two years and six people are putting their lives on the line for her; if you wish to deny this, then you will have to present something more than just words."

"…then we only need to prove that she will attack humans, correct?" Sanemi asked, getting up and turning towards the Water Pillar's group.

The five got up as well, although Genya couldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm not letting you attack her." Sabito said, moving forward and in front of the Wind Pillar.

"You attacked her for that 'test' of yours, didn't you?" The white haired man asked back. "I just want to perform a test of my own; if you really believe that she won't attack humans then there is no issue, is there?"

The Water Pillar groaned, not having an argument against it.

"It's alright, Sabito." Tanjiro spoke up, walking forward. "Nezuko will never attack humans." He declared, meeting the Shinzugawa's glare.

"Heh, so you're that confident?"

"If I see your sword moving anywhere near her neck, I'm stopping you." The Water Pillar moved one hand to his sword, partially unsheathing it.

"No problem." Sanemi unsheathed his own sword. "Now, let that box down."

Carefully, Tanjiro did as told, letting the box down in front of the Pillar.

"Shinazugawa." Iguro called out. "It won't work here, you need to get it out of the sun or it won't even come out."

"Oyakata-sama, forgive my rudeness." Before anyone could react, Sanemi had grabbed the box and moved below the roof of the porch where the sun didn't reach.

"Remember what I said." Sabito stood at the other side of the box, having followed him just a second after.

"My sword nowhere near her neck, right?" The Shinazugawa smiled an almost maniacal grin. "No problem!" In one motion, he stabbed through the box, the muffled yell showing that his sword made contact.

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro yelled and leaped forw- "Gugh!"

"Stay there for a bit." Iguro ordered, pressing down on his back with his elbow.

'This is… the same thing Makomo did back then during their test.' The Kamado realized.

And, like that time, it didn't matter.

He tried to use Total Concentration Breathing to move but the Snake Pillar continued to press on his lungs; unlike Makomo, he wasn't letting up or just hitting him to get the air out of him, he kept his elbow there and completely stopped him from breathing.

"Shina-"

"I'm not near her neck." Sanemi interrupted before retrieving his sword, some blood covering the end. "Get out demon, here is some of your favorite; human blood!" With those words, he made a cut in his own arm and let it fall on top of the hole he had just made in the box; then he stabbed again and swung the box open with his sword.

Sabito could only grit his teeth.

'He won't break his word, much less in front of Oyakata-sama, so I'm sure he won't kill Nezuko but…' His gaze went to the wound the swordsman had just inflicted on himself. 'His blood… please endure it, Nezuko.'

"Iguro-san." Makomo called out. "Let go of Tanjiro."

"If I do, how can I know he won't try anything?"

"Tanjiro." Instead of answering, she kneeled and spoke to the red haired teen. "Believe in Nezuko; I know you want to protect her but, right now, you can only believe in her."

Iguro let out slightly, just enough to let him talk.

"…sorry, Makomo." Tanjiro tried to get up only for Iguro to push him back down. 'I can't, I can't stay still when that is happening!' He continued to try to get up, ignoring his body's protests against it. 'And this scent… Genya's brother is a 'marechi'?!'

"Wha-?!" Obanai suddenly felt his arm being yanked upwards. "Tomioka!"

Using the opportunity, Tanjiro moved forward.

"Nezuko!"

'It hurts!' That's the first thing Nezuko thought when a sharp pain suddenly woke her up. 'What…?' She noticed a few drops of liquid falling through the hole made in the box. 'This scent!'

Her mouth started watering, the veins around her head bulged and her pupils became slits.

'Blood… human blood… rare human… no! I must not-ahhh!' She let out a scream when she felt a second stab before the door was flown open.

Making her body grow to normal size, she stared at the one that had just woken her up.

'This… person…' Her eyes went to his arm where blood continued to fall. 'Blood… want-no! Human… won't… attack… blood… want…' She didn't register what the white haired man was saying, only that he shoved his injured arm forward. 'Can't… won't… attack… want… blood… eat…'

"Nezuko!"

Her name, she did register, moving her eyes towards the source.

"It's alright." Tanjiro smiled. "Your big brother believes in you."

Nezuko's eyes widened before she looked back at the swordsman.

'Humans…' Thoughts of her family began to invade her mind. 'Protect humans… don't hurt them…' The scent of blood assaulted her nostrils once again. 'Don't ever, ever, hurt them!' Keeping an image of her family in her mind, she closed her eyes and looked away from the offered 'food'.

"Wha…" Sanemi recoiled as if being struck when Nezuko turned away.

"What happened?" Kagaya asked.

"The demon girl turned the other way." One of his daughters answered. "Even though Shinazugawa-sama cut himself, stabbed her and thrust his arm in front of her, she held back and didn't attack him."

"And that's proof that Nezuko will not attack humans, right there." Oyakata-sama concluded.

Five people let out a sigh of relief at this.

Sabito sheathed his sword and called out for the younger Kamado.

"Sorry, I couldn't do anything." He apologized.

"Hm, hm." Nezuko shook her head three times, her smile clear despite the muzzle.

The Water Pillar smiled back.

"Tanjiro; despite this, there will still probably be people who won't willingly accept Nezuko."

The red haired teen quickly moved back and kneeled in the ground.

"You have to just prove that, from this point on, you and Nezuko can be useful enough to fight with the demon hunters."

'What's this feeling? It feels soft… is this what Sabito and Makomo were talking about? His voice is strange.'

"Defeat the Twelve Demon Moons. If you do that, then everyone will acknowledge you and the gravity of your words will change, Tanjiro."

"I… Nezuko and I will defeat Kibutsuji Muzan! We will wield our swords and cut the chains of agony!"

"You can't defeat him as you are now, Tanjiro. So first, try and defeat one of the twelve moons."

Hearing the calm and matter-of-fact way he spoke, Tanjiro blushed in embarrassment at his declaration and muttered a 'yes, sir.'

'You can't laugh!' Mitsuri thought, holding back her laughter. 'Don't, don't.'

There were others that also tried to hold back their laughter, some that didn't find it funny and.

"Putting your mask on just gives it away, you know?" Makomo asked with a giggle.

Sabito, who had placed his mask on his face, didn't reply but his shoulders continued to shake for a few seconds.

"I believe you understand this due to your interactions with Sabito but the Pillars achieved their rank by training to the point they coughed blood and that's why they are to be treated with respect; you should also be careful about how you speak with them, Tanjiro."

"Y-yes, sir."

"Also; Sanemi, Obanai, don't bully the younger ones too much."

"…as you command." They answered.

"Now, I believe the matter about Tanjiro and Nezuko is settled; you are free to leave." He turned towards Ozaki and Kaigaku. "You two as well, thank you once again for coming."

The two bowed and moved to get up.

"One moment, please." Himejima spoke. "Could Kaigaku stay until the meeting is over? I wish to speak with him."

The Breath of Thunder practitioner seemed to flinch for a moment.

"Of course." He answered.

"Amane, please take him to a room where he can wait."

"Of course." She nodded.

"Uh, excuse me." Tanjiro raised his hand. "There is one more thing, it involves Tamayo-san." He looked through the pockets of his haori and took out the letter. "She told me to give this to you and that… no one else is to read it."

"I'm afraid that will be a bit difficult." He smiled, not at all bothered. "Would it be alright if Amane is the only other person to read it? I trust her with my life and I know she won't speak of the contents of that letter with anyone unless it is indicated otherwise."

"…yes, that's alright." The Kamado nodded after using his nose to get both of their scents. 'They really trust each other.' He couldn't help the small smile that formed.

Without a word, Amane approached Tanjiro and received the letter before guiding Kaigaku and Ozaki inside the mansion.

"Well then, anything else?"

"One more thing." Tanjiro pointed to Sanemi. "I have to head-butt him." He declared.

"…pardon?" Even Kagaya seemed surprised for a moment at that statement.

"For hurting Nezuko, I have to head-butt him; let me head-butt him just once."

"My apologies, Tanjiro." Oyakata-sama answered. "But could you let it go just this once? We still need to talk about a few things and I have a feeling that Sanemi wouldn't be able to participate for a few hours if you did that."

"What?" Sanemi asked, confused at the statement.

"…I promise to hold back so he doesn't black out."

"I don't think we'll get anything better than that." The Water Pillar shook his head with a grin.

The Wind Pillar glared in his direction.

"Even so, I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"But-ouch!"

"Contradicting Oyakata-sama after he gave his order is a bad idea." Muichiro said, throwing a few more rocks to his head.

"Even –ouch- so –ouch-… I won't head-butt him today but I will one day." The Kamado compromised.

"Pff, bring it whenever you want brat, but don't expect I'll just let you hit me." Sanemi scoffed.

"By the way." Shinobu raised her hand. "I'd like to give Tanjiro-kun a check-up about any injuries he may have and I also need to check Genya-kun is condition; could the two go to my Estate?"

"I can guide them there." Makomo chimed in.

"Very well; is that okay with you two?"

"I don't have a problem with it."

"Me neither."

Genya and Tanjiro answered in turn.

"Then, I wish you two a safe journey; until we meet again." Kagaya said; the three bowed before Tanjiro grabbed Nezuko is box and they all left.


At the entrance of the headquarters.

Tanjiro and Genya walked there after Makomo told them to go ahead since she needed to do something.

"You really surprised me when you suddenly bowed and thanked us." Genya commented as they walked.

"You put your lives on the line for Nezuko, it was the least I could do." Tanjiro answered. "I also have to thank Urokodaki-san, Sabito and Tomioka-san."

"Oh, hey you two." Ozaki called out from the gate.

"Ozaki-san." Tanjiro greeted back, then suddenly bowed. "Thank you so much for your words during the trial."

"And for not telling them about my… ability, at least until I got here." Genya added.

"Don't mention it." She waved her hand in a 'don't worry' fashion before turning serious. "Tanjiro"

"Yes?"

"I'll be honest; while I am inclined to believe in you, more so after what I just witnessed, thinking that demons that don't harm humans exist is… difficult." She explained with a frown. "I wanted to hear both of your stories before saying anything but… I can't say I have enough faith in your sister to do what Genya did and put my life at stake for her… with that said, I do hope you prove that everything you said was true."

"I understand." The Kamado nodded with a smile. "It's alright; Nezuko will never harm humans."

"I hope you're right."

"Excuse me, Ozaki-sama?" A Kakushi showed up. "I will be your guide back into town, I need to put this on you." He showed a blindfold and earplugs.

"Alright." She nodded. "Well, until we meet again."

Tanjiro and Genya nodded.

A minute later, the Kakushi had taken Ozaki away.

"I wonder where we are." Genya thought out loud. "A lot of trees are covering the area and that road is well maintained but it's probably hard to find the entrance."

"Probably." Tanjiro agreed. "I think I could catch the scent of this place now that we've been here once but… maybe they have a way to mask the scent as well?"

"Sorry for the wait." Makomo's voice interrupted. "I had to ask for a Kakushi to help me carry you two." She motioned to the Kakushi that was following her.

"My name is Goto, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise."

"Now then, please put this on and we will go to Shinobu's home."

"Alright." The two grabbed the blindfold and earplugs, and nose plugs in Tanjiro's case, and put them on.

After Goto made sure they were well placed, he put Genya on his back while Makomo did the same with Tanjiro.

"Here we go." With those words, Makomo began to run.

"W-wait! I can't go that fast." Goto called out, trying to catch up.

"Oh, sorry." Makomo apologized, slowing down to a pace he was able to match.


And done!

Phew, this was long overdue.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

And, once again.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

So, in case you don't read any of my other stories, I'll tell you now that I am a big TanKana fan and I have made the announcement for TanKana Week in twitter.

If you're interested, please check the account 'TanKana Estate ( TankanaW)' in twitter.

END OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Alright, I think that's it.

As always, I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to comment!

Until next time!

PS: Next chapter, Tanjiro and Kanao finally meet.

WOOHOO!