Despite Shinobu gaining reputation for cannibalizing her own kind, there are still those who would try to take her down. Feral demons never learn that the demon swordswoman wields a nichirin blade and a former demon slayer herself. Not to mention, Akane allows Shinobu to wield her limited strength, claiming it's for the sake of their own survival.
This incoming pressure...
"What's the matter, Akane?"
The merged pair stops in their casual evening stroll in an open area in a mountain. Akane may not possess a physical body anymore, but Shinobu can faintly sense Akane trembling and intimidated even if the distance is far from their current location.
Shinobu, I need to be in the front right now
"What's going on? An enemy?"
It's someone I know...and it's best I'm the one in control
"..." Shinobu swallows her breath
Just have a little faith for now. You wouldn't want to meet someone like him
"...Fine"
If it's during the first few days, Shinobu would have little to no trust on Akane, but they have been actively communicating since that day. In the twist of a fate, Shinobu doesn't imagine she would actually learn to trust a demon who killed countless people for two hundred years. Shinobu raises both hands, complying with Akane's request.
"Sorry, Shinobu. I can't let you be aware of what's going on for now"
Akane stretches her back, having rarely be the one in control in Shinobu. She already misses having a full body, specially the one she loses because of Hirokuma's trickery and manipulation.
"I was wondering whether you kicked the bucket, but Kokushibou told me you're not actually dead" A familiar grumpy voice rings out form above
"I never thought you would personally visit me, Akaza-dono. You're only interested in strength and seek out worthy opponents" turns her gaze to a nearby tree
Upper Moon three Akaza, the demon with the most destructive fists, sits by a thick branch with his heels up. Despite his serious and battle-hungry impression, Akane both admires and fears his strength but not as much as towards Kokushibou.
"You're the one kid who remained standing, slaughtering the other brats without care and continued to test your technique. What's your goal of running around killing other demons?" Akaza angrily points out
"It's the former Pillar. The poison in her body is pushing me constantly that it's difficult to take control"
"We both know that's not true. You're not just some weak brat. Otherwise, Kokushibou wouldn't allow you to follow him around" Akaza jumps down
"I'm being patient, Akaza-dono. Before I settle my score with Hirokuma, I need to recover my strength while slowly wrestling control" Akane sighs
"You're not getting soft on a former Pillar, are you?"
"I'm not even letting her use my technique or my Blood Demon Art. Since this body belongs to her and the fact there's poison coursing through my veins, she has better resistance"
"Poison, huh..." Akaza grits his teeth
"Akaza-dono?"
"I just got irritated hearing poison"
Akane tilts her head in confusion, having seen the fearsome Akaza looking baffled at himself. Of course, she chooses not to point it out in order not to risk putting him in a foul mood. Akane may be stronger than other demons, she knows she cannot match the top three Upper Moons yet. It will take a couple of centuries before she can even challenge them.
"Don't worry. I haven't given up on growing stronger. I just feel exhilarated every time I overcome an opponent stronger than me" Akane gently smiles
"Fighting is what we're all about. Those who can't grow stronger should just die in a ditch" Akaza scoffs
(Should I really ask what awaits in the end after he achieved his only motivation?) Akane hesitates
"That smiling asshole said he's curious to see what became of you to laugh at your face probably"
"The annoying bastard who kept calling me a cat and lifts me up like a baby" Akane grits her teeth
"Well, whatever. I wanted to see what just became of you, the lone survivor of that bloodbath"
"That, huh. It was when I didn't bother waiting...and eliminated everyone" Akane shrugs his shoulders
Akane does grows soft and unknowningly regains her human nature with each memory she recovers, but she still remains unfazed and indifferent towards the bloodbath she is involved a long time ago.
"Just a reminder: don't let a puny former Pillar overwhelm you. I might end you myself if that happens" Akaza points right at her face
He springs his legs and musters enough force to cause a boom as soon as he leaps straight into the air, without even a proper goodbye of any sort. Akane gazes up and looks back down, watching Akaza disappear under the moonlight.
"What a scary person as usual...like any other Upper Moons. I wouldn't even think of fighting against them...but that might be inevitable if Shinobu helps the demon slayers"
Akane scratches her head, worried for her own safety this time since it's natural for her to fear challenging any of the Upper Moons, namely the top three of them. Namely, she fears going against her former mentor who wouldn't hesitate to cut her down should she ally with the demon slayers.
"Shinobu won't like it, but I have to do something when we're going to face Upper Moons..."
Right now, Akane has her selfish reasons for worrying her own survival. She's not foolish enough to challenge any of the six Upper Moons yet, and she fears Shinobu will ally herself with the demon slayer, thus marking both of them as traitors.
"I can't afford to die just yet, Shinobu. Both you and I...have a goal"
Akane isn't so foolish to bare her fangs someone far stronger than her, but Shinobu despises any demon in front of her.
The following night
The red light district, the place where brothels are most concentrated. Men of different status and ages all gather there like flies for the sake of pleasure. Right now, the new visitor isn't the least interested with the "food" flocking without demon slayers patrolling the district.
"Why are we here?"
Shinobu watches the crowd from within the shadows of a higher ground.
Actually, there's an Upper Moon who uses this place as their turf
"What?!"
It's difficult to explain, but there's a reason I came here...
"Akane, what are you up to?"
Shinobu is alarmed with Akane's trembling voice and possible hidden agenda for even making Shinobu come to a territory where an Upper Moon lurks and feeds.
"Why aren't you saying something?"
Shinobu, it's...
"It's what?"
I just need to talk to them, but I know you won't stand by even just for a minute
"It's an Upper Moon. What do you need from them?"
It's about what's happening that you tend to ignore
"Explain"
...
Every time Akane mentions the Upper Moons, she becomes cautious and anxious knowing very well how powerful and dangerous the Upper Moons are. She has seen them with her own eyes several times, so she grows to be afraid even facing them as time passes.
I...I can't have you be out in the open right now
"Akane?"
I'm sorry, Shinobu. I can't have you doing anything reckless
"What are you-!"
Shinobu's limbs grows numb starting from her legs until it reaches her arms. Her body trembles from an unknown force gripping her, infuriating Shinobu.
I'm really sorry, but this is for your sake too...
"A...kane..." Shinobu grows dizzy
I'll have to push you back for a while. You won't have to remember what will happen next
Shinobu surrenders one knee to the ground, having lose control of her body while her balance gradually grows unsteady. Little by little, Shinobu can sense she's being forcibly pulled away by every growing darkness. Her consciousness couldn't resist being pulled away, unable to even voice out how upset she is with Akane.
"Kekeke. Looks like the brat came to visit after all"
The true holder of the Upper Moon six, Gyuutarou, places his sickle an inch close to an unusually silent and still Shinobu.
"Nii-san, let's just kill her. That body used to belong to a Pillar after all" Daki suggests
"I heard from Hirokuma that he stuffed the brat in this body and managed to live. However, the one killing other demons is the Pillar, who somehow has control" Gyuutarou
"I don't really care about other demons though" Daki exhales
"Neither do I, but - are you even breathing? You're as stiff as a rock!"
Even with a sickle on her throat, Shinobu's body is completely unresponsive that Gyuutarou wonders if she has passed out while kneeling on the ground.
"...I'm sorry, what was it? I think I passed out..." Akane weakly groans
"So you do have control after all!" Gyuutarou yells as he removes his sickle
"Of course I have. This body may not be mine, but the powers belonged to me. This sorry Pillar is just serving as a rather stubborn and aggressive container" Akane swings her arm
"If you'd come here for that man's favorite butcher, then he went on his way. Kokushibou said you wanted to slice him up badly" Gyuutarou snickers
"What should we be asking if she's against us or with us"
Daki approaches Akane with her deadly sharp and flexible sash of a Blood Demon Art, intimidating Akane like a cobra bearing its signature look.
"I'm not helping the demon slayers the slightest, so I'm still aligned with that man. I just happen to hate weak demons bothering. Besides, I would never betray my mentor" Akane softly responds
"Kid's got a point. She never helped the demon slayers and even got hunted by more than one Pillar" Gyuutarou doesn't seem to care
"You're going easy on her" Daki frowns
"Akaza seems fine with her and said the Pillar is just a puppet. Besides, so long as she doesn't get in our way, I'm cool with it" Gyuutarou's voice deepens
It's as if Gyuutarou threatens and warns Akane at the same time regarding her shaky situation since it's uncertain who she sides. Akane has been allowing Shinobu to have control of her own body when it's actually Akane who has the dominant control despite her weakened state.
"I don't have the slightest intention of being a hindrance to an Upper Moon, specially that this is your feeding ground. Although I'm after Hirokuma, I learned that the demon slayers sent spies here" Akane assures them
"Yeah, well Daki is taking care of them. They're just regular humans" Gyuutarou points at an angry looking Daki
"I don't need any help disposing three normal women" Daki crosses her arms
"They will end up sending reinforcements sooner or later. I'm certain Pillars will show up"
"Then let them come. It's been a while since I last killed a Pillar" Gyuutarou licks his blade
"Then if there are nuisances along with the Pillars, then may I take care of them?"
"The Pillars are mine if they come. I don't need weak trashes so go clean them up" Gyuutarou doesn't really mind
"I haven't tested my techniques on a demon slayer for a while"
Akane gently touches the hilt of her sword safely sheathed at the side of her hip. She claims to seek target practice for possible demon slayers, but that's only to mask how even Upper Moon six intimidates her. She doesn't stand the slightest chance with how handicapped she is thanks to Hirokuma's sadistic curiosity.
"You know, if you eat more humans, you might just become an Upper Moon. Well, if that man gives you more of his blood" Gyuutarou snickers
"While that's a still a long way for me, I still need to polish my techniques. I can't work hard to rise up if I feel unsatisfied with how I fight now"
"Battles and getting stronger. You're sounding like Akaza" Daki complains
"...I took his advice to a heart"
"Hahahaha! You actually listened to that guy?" Gyuutarou bursts out in laughter
"He's the only person I know who knows about polishing techniques. I can't really approach shishou knowing how he acts..."
"Ah right. He's a snobby and uptight bastard" Gyuutarou clicks his tongue
"Then there's this his menacing stare and randomly cuts things just to remind us he's Upper Moon" Daki complains
(They don't really like shishou, but that's understandable. What's important is that they're willing to think I'm not helping the demon slayers. Well, I'm not really helping them so they're cut me some slack)
Akane manages to take a small sigh of relief seeing how the two holders of Upper Moon six title isn't as suspicious and ruthless as he expected. She's been allowing Shinobu to kill other demons but never help the other demon slayers against demons.
(I have to find what Hirokuma came here for. Why would he need to visit these two...? I need to find out without making an enemy out of them)
Akane's main purpose of forcing Shinobu to be incapacitated right now is to learn more of Hirokuma's goals while tracking his latest tracks, but she can't properly do that if she allows Shinobu to remain in control. Gyuutarou and Daki would be more hostile if they stumble upon her much earlier. For their own survival, Akane is willing to set aside Shinobu's thoughts and retaliation because the Upper Moons are the very demons she doesn't wish to confront the slightest.
Tanjiro's group, with the addition of Kanao, are all forced to sit quietly and their attention towards the Pillar inspecting each one of them. The culprit is none other than the Sound Pillar, Uzui Tengen, who also proclaims to be the most flamboyant.
"Alright, you all understood what I just said?" Tengen points with both hands
"With all your yelling, I don't think they understood a single word"
Other than the four young and currently extremely confused demon slayers, Giyuu is also present within the room. It's difficult to understand whether he's confused as well with how he never loses his stoic composure, but it does appear he's slightly annoyed.
"You don't have to be here if you don't want to, Tomioka" Tengen scoffs
"If we're up against an Upper Moon, then one Pillar isn't enough. You have to remember one Pillar will easily lose" Giyuu retaliates
"We'll do the most of the fighting. These little brats will just come along to pinpoint the exact location since I lost contact of my three wives"
"I don't want to come if it's an Upper Moon!" Zenitsu protests
An Upper Moon is on a completely different level than a Lower Moon in a sense that even a boosted Enmu is merely an ant compared to Upper Moon six. The thought of having to risk his life just to draw out an Upper Moon kicks in Zenitsu's flight or fight response, with his obvious choice being the former.
"Besides, stop screwing with us with your lies! There's now you have three wives!"
Rather than disbelief, Zenitsu's outburst stems from the fact that an eccentric man like Tengen is in a polygamous relationship.
"You sure none of them are dead-"
Before Inosuke can finish his own sentence, Tengen smacks him in the head with so much force that the impact of Inosuke's forehead to the ground almost destroyed the tatami.
"Well, our plan is simple. You three are to be sent to the brothels where Uzui's wives infiltrated while Kanao will help me with the surveillance" Giyuu clears his throat
"How come she gets to ditch the dangerous work!" Zenitsu complains again
"Kanao has a keen eyesight that she can't miss even a small details. Giyuu responds
"Stop whining! We don't have much time to waste. Besides, why are you even a demon slayer if even a spider scares the hell out of you" Tengen scolds Zenitsu
"Of course, it's natural for him to be angry since he doesn't know what's happening to her three wives now" Giyuu looks at Zenitsu
It's Giyuu's form of comforting Zenitsu, who is on the verge of tears. If Tengen scolds him even more, he might pass out from the shock which will be problematic once they head to the red light district.
"I needed extra hands on this one since before one of the last messages sent to me is that a masked swordswoman met up with the suspected Upper Moon. It's the one wearing a butterfly haori, so it matches with the demon Rengoku saw"
"...!" Giyuu and Kanao gasps
Upon hearing an unexpected news for their mission, Kanao and Giyuu instantly reacts in disbelief. The fact that it's mentioned that the swordswoman has a distinctive butterfly haori means there's a strong chance it may be Shinobu.
"Rengoku told me that it might be Kochou. I don't know all the details, but I find it hard to believe she came back from the dead" Tengen scoffs
"If we ever see that demon, then let me face her" Kanao nervously requests
"Kanao..." Tanjiro worries
"Then that demon is yours to handle it you happen to see her. Tomioka and I will have to deal with the Upper Moon while the three little idiots will provide backup"
Tengen momentarily hesitates, but allows Kanao to be the one to fight the demon knowing she wants to confirm whether the demon is her former master. The three idiots he refers is clearly Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu. Tanjiro dryly laughs, Inosuke grunts, while Zenitsu fumes in anger.
Red light district
Tengen, along with the three idiots consisting of Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke currently horribly dressed as girls for sale. The people around them try to resist repeatedly glancing at their horrible makeup, but the three stands out too much.
"Remember my underlings, you three are here to infiltrate the Kyougoku, Ogimoto, and Tokito house to find out what happened to my wives and pinpoint the demon that is suspected to be an Upper Moon" Tengen pokes each of their foreheads
"Can't we just kick the doors open and make the demon come out?" Inosuke scratches his ear
"That defeats the purpose of infiltration" Tanjiro whispers
"I still don't like this" Zenitsu trembles
"You're a demon slayer. Grow some spine"
Tengen restrains shouting in public since if he shouts in the open area, there's a chance the demon might overhear their conversation in the shadows.
"Enough idle. I need to seel you three to the target houses. If I can even sell you guys for cheap"
The three are then dragged before the crowd could start staring at them and gather unwanted attention. Night will fall in a few hours, so they must hurry before sunset. The demon won't certainly wait for the demon slayers to track their whereabouts and will move as soon as sunlight fades away.
"How is it, Tomioka-san?" Kanao whispers to Giyuu
"I've been going around as well, but there's nothing here"
Naturally, just like Tengen and the trio, both Kanao and Giyuu are in regular clothing in order to freely wander from house to house while the demon is still restricted by the sunlight.
"The only way to find the demon is infiltrate the house themselves, but that's up to those three boys and Uzui" Giyuu sighs but confident they will track the demon
"Our goal is find out whether it's truly master, right? It's why you came along in the first place" Kanao guesses
"You had the same intentions too, right?" Giyuu returns the question almost immediately
"I just want to know if it's really her because she...was my former mentor. How about you?"
"...I just want to see her again. Do you find it strange?" Giyuu looks away
"No. Whenever I see you two, it looked like you didn't really hate having master around"
Giyuu honestly responds to her intention to why he wants to confirm whether the demon swordswoman is indeed the Shinobu they know and not just an imposter.
"Rather, it's like you're enjoying each other's company in a strange way. One time when you were at the Butterfly estate, I even saw you smile a bit"
"I didn't smile..." Giyuu crosses his arms
"I have keen eyesight, Tomioka-san" Kanao points at her eyes
"That must be your imagination then..."
Kanao's can precisely tell the slightest change in human movement and expression, specially up close, and warmly smiles at the unusually honest side of the Pillar known for being stoic and unsociable. Before Giyuu averts Kanao's piercing gaze, the latter smiles because she briefly spots a somewhat embarrassed expression from Giyuu.
"...?" Kanao jolts
"Kanao?"
"I think I just saw a shadow move in that alley" Kanao whispers
"A shadow?"
Kanao turns her head to the narrow alley where light barely pierces the path. Giyuu narrows his eyes, but the patch is completely free of any obstacles or objects for even a child sized demon to hide. He couldn't even sense bloodlust directed at them, a trait present to every demon.
"I don't see anything" Giyuu whispers as well
"It's already gone, but I'm not imagining it. A shadow just moved in that corner...as if it was watching us"
Right now, chasing the possible demon presence is impossible without their nichirin blades on their side, so they have no choice but to let the opportunity of taking down the demon slip by. At each end of the alley are within sunlight's reach, yet not a single speck of shadow flinches not crawl its way out.
Kyougoku house
The shadow slips by each corners and passes by the oblivious women. It doesn't make the slightest sound or even touches the slightest living being or object as it continues to slide from one corner to the other. Its like a tiny round serpent racing through the corners at the ground at the ceiling, rushing deeper within the house.
"It seems they arrived here. The Pillars and other demon slayers"
Akane, patiently and nervously sitting in front of an impatient Daki, reports back as soon as the shadow restracts back to her left index finger pressing the ground. The information instantly flows through her and processes the useful ones as fast as she could seeing Daki rapidly taps her fingers on her folder arm.
"Pillars? There's more than one?" Daki viciously grins
"There's two and they brought four regular demon slayers"
"I have no need for runts! You finish them off tomorrow night" Daki angrily orders Akane
(It's the Water Pillar and Shinobu's tsuguko. Why are they here?!)
Akane refrains from showing her frustration and displeasure as much as possible. She couldn't help but feel intense emotions right now since the two people closely connected to Shinobu are the same place and same time as if it's intentional.
"Hey, brat! Did you hear what I just said?"
"Yes, I did. I'll take care of the fodders since the Pillars are your prey" Akane calmly responds
"I'm pretty sure your strength hasn't been weakened in that puny vessel of yours"
"It may take while, but I managed to recover enough strength to reuse my Blood Demon Art. Although, I don't think it's suited for battle so I rely on my sword"
"I don't care how you fight. All I care about is you doing your job"
"..."
The way Daki scolds Akane only sparks a greatly annoyed feeling, but it's obvious why Akane can't complain. Her position is only a regular demon that just happens to be connected with one of the Upper Moons, so Daki treats her like a lowly underling.
(If only I had my old marked body back. No, my focus is to deal with the tsuguko or Water Pillar who are moving in a pair rather than let Gyuutarou and Daki kill them. Aaaah! How can I move without betraying them?)
Akane begins to consider Shinobu's feelings and connections rather than her, but she still finds it hard to oppose the Upper Moons. If she helps the demon slayers, it will immediately brand her as a traitor and possibly be killed by her former mentor.
The demon slayers and demons are now in place in the Red light district - a sure show for someone who barely contributes any situation he is in. Hirokuma adorns his room with a dying young man whose arms are twisted but not torn to the opposite direction. Thorns protrudes from all over his tongue, forcing him to keep his numb and swollen jaw open. He loses his speech but the blood spilling from his mouth and the tears begs himself to be killed, but his tormentor cheerfully claps at his every second of excruciating pain.
"A failed development, huh. You were so close though Oh well, I'll take note of what went wrong"
Hirokuma nods in agreement to himself while the young man desperately screams in a high pitched and muffled manner, desperate to be put out of his pain and furious at the culprit. His legs no longer function with barbed wires tearing through his skin and flesh. In Hirokuma's eyes, the pain of his unwilling guinea pig is merely a lesson to be learned which he will apply to his next unwilling target.
"I thought putting two opposites would work, but it's slower than I expected. Akane is regaining her old strength...but her full strength wouldn't return unless she rids of the Pillar"
He continues to ponders about his escaped experiment and how they are progressing, focusing on Akane this time. As he turns the unnamed young man, the latter's screams fades with each passing second with his throat running dry and his lungs seemingly like close to implosion.
"Hi-ro-ku-ma~! How are we doing tonight?"
Upper Moon two, Douma, pounces from the edge of the end of the window and greets the occupied curious demon without the slightest warning. Even if Hirokuma can sense Douma's presence nearby, his undivided attention is towards the young man whose death is deliberately slowed down.
"Oh, if it isn't Upper Moon two?"
Hirokuma snaps his fingers and has a canine-like demon with humanoid paws and protruding rib cages drag away the weakly trembling young man away, painting floor with a straight trail of freshly spilled blood. Douma makes himself at home inside Hirokuma's personal workshop and twirls around about three times, taking a whiff of tonight's mess.
"Do you want me to decorate new girls again? I'm a bit busy tonight"
Douma stretches his arms before settling down in one corner and using his right hand as a stand for his chin. As he patiently waits, Hirokuma carefully wipes the blood stains on his torso, specially around his shoulders before inserting both of his arms back into his kimono.
"I heard you've been real busy. You even went to the red light district" Douma snickers
"I'm still curious about the circumstances of others demons up until to this day. Gyuutarou and Daki's lives are intertwined, so both of their heads must be successfully decapitated" Hirokuma ties half of his hair into a half bun
"How about Akane-chan? I heard she's stuck with a former Pillar?"
"Akane has the dominant control over the Pillar, but she's unsuually submissive. I'm testing whether the body of a weak Pillar can adapt to a demon who used to follow Kokushibou around. If the Pillar proves to be disappointing, then Akane would regain her old body by erasing and reshaping the current one. If the Pillar overpowers the demon, then her technique and strength would be her own"
Hirokuma raises his left index finger first before the right one as he explains the two possible outcomes of his experiment. A smile curves on his lips, seeking to sate his curiosity whether the outcome may be against him or in his favor.
"A tug of war, huh. That really happy face of yours is telling me...there's a third one, right?" Douma raises his head
"There is"
"Oh, oh, oh! What would it be? Is it what you're looking for?" Douma jumps on his two feet
"A new demon is born. Two actively contradicting substance will surely blend into each other if the proper force is applied"
Hirokuma gently presses his hands together and responds in an obvious enthusiastic manner, but not as much as the laid-back Douma.
"That sounds even more fun" Douma's eyes sparkle
"The third option is less likely to happen with how Akane is surprisingly smart enough to place a boundary to prevent both of them from losing their individuality" Hirokuma shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders
To Douma's dismay, he drops his shoulders and plops back to the floor, disappointed at the fact that he shouldn't be getting his hopes up too much.
"Thankfully, Kokushibou-dono doesn't seem to mind with Akane-chan used as a dummy for your little tests" Douma couldn't hold back his laughter
"He's a rather cold man who couldn't be bothered with. He's impressively skilled swordman...but that's just about it" Hirokuma isn't interested
"Hmm~ You have a lot of free time in hand. Why not join me in my quest to save people from being burdened by their miserable lives?" Douma quickly offers
"Hahahaha. I have my goals to fulfill as of the moment, and I'm still halfway there. That's why I'm only playing along for my own sake" Hirokuma winks
Rather than be specific about his goals, Hirokuma chooses to leave what it is that he seeks for a long time now. Douma, uninterested with using his mind for complex thoughts, scratches his head and repeatedly throws his head left and right instead. Whatever his goal may be, Hirokuma is motivated by his selfishness and personal interests, evident by his calm yet sharp expression and demeanor.
Chapter 18: When commotion of a battle rises, Akane emerges from the shadows...but she unfortunately encounters Giyuu and Kanao. When she is confronted by two about whether Shinobu is alive again, Akane finds herself in a dire situation, conflicted whether she will spare the two and be a traitor as well or kill them and prove her loyalty.