Hello, my loves! Sorry for the long absence. Here is the next chapter for you


Agis was not a coward. He was not afraid to face the humans he so loathed, but now was not the time for him to come to blades with one. The sly elf distanced himself from the Ubuyashiki manor. His heightened senses could tell that more humans had come to gather around the master of the house. No doubt the mortals must be now hovering over the frail man. Agis shuddered in disgust at the memory of Kagaya's deformed body.

It is a fate well deserved... Agis thought to himself as he made his way through the thick woods surrounding the manor. The Ubuyashikis have manipulated innocents into fighting their war for centuries. It is only fair that they be punished for their misdeeds. They are the reason those monsters were born!

Agis ventured on through the woods. The elf was not very familiar with these woods. Japan was not his homeland, nor is is a land populated by many faes or elves. From the moment he stepped foot on this country, he could tell that this land was not at all like all other lands. The presence of Kibutsuji Muzan and his minions has scared away all creatures sensitive to the ancient magic that surrounded the world. Agis could smell the putrid scent of demons from the instance he arrived to Japan.

Agis wanted so desperately to return home. The elf yearned for the comfort of home, but he knew he could not return now. He had a mission to carry out. His brethren entrusted him to gather more information on Muzan and the Dragon. Lady Selene herself gave him this mission, and he will not fail! Even if he has to spy on the Demon Slayers, he will gain as much information as he can before returning home.


"An elf was here!?"

Ubuyashiki Kagaya sat across from his only son, Ubuyashiki Kiriya. Just moments after his encounter with the elf, several of his beloved bodyguards came to his aid. Some had insisted that he return to the manor to rest, but Kagaya demanded that he must speak to his son. There they sat across from one another, in his son's bedroom, as Kagaya explained to his son his meeting with the elf intruder.

"Yes."

"How strange. Elves are not native to this country. For one of them to have come all this way...Father...what did the elf want from you?" Kiriya asked.

Kagaya sighed. "Kiriya...You remember that story of how our family came to be cursed by the existence of Kibustuji Muzan and the Dragon, yes?" He closed his eyes, contemplating what he was about to say next. "Many years ago, humans and elves had an alliance to eradicate all of the evil that plagued this world. Our family was amongst the first to wage war against these evils. Yet, despite our pure intentions to fight for the greater good, within our family, there was much conflict. This conflict ended up giving birth to two of the greatest evils this world has ever seen." His cloudy eyes opened to look upon his son's face.

"Kibutsuji Muzan and the Dragon."

"Yes. In many ways, our family is entirely responsible for these two evils. Because of this, the elves began to distrust us and withdrew themselves from the alliance. Since then, the elves have retreated back into their secluded homelands. They have made it quite clear that they want nothing to do with our kind. Yet, now they are finally begging to rear their heads again, asking me questions about what I know about the Dragon."

"But the Dragon has not made itself known for decades." Kiriya said. "It only ever appears when Muzan's life is in peril, which has not happened for a long time."

Kagaya lips pulled back into a smile. "That is correct, Kiriya. But I recently received word from a reliable source that the Dragon has forsaken Muzan. It is no longer his protector, and somehow the elves are begging to suspect this. Which means-" Kagaya paused for a moment as he began to cough into his sleeve.

"Father!" Kiriya rushed over to his father, but the older Ubuyashiki raised his hand to stop him.

"It means..." He spoke in a raspy voice, wheezing out his words. "Change is happening, Kiriya...Muzan is no longer...invincible...the elves...are readying themselves...to fight the Dragon..." His lungs felt like they were burning, but he had to finish what he was saying. "Our family's...curse...our sins...will finally...be..." The older Ubuyashiki finally lost what little strength he had been holding on to, falling to the hard floor underneath him.

"Father!"


DearTanjirou-san,

Thank you for supplying both Nezuko-san's blood and the blood from those Twelve Demon Moons. The man in Asakusa who was turned into a demon by Muzan got his consciousness back. It is thanks to Nezuko-san's blood that now he can live a life free from Muzan's influence with only the need for small amounts of blood to feed on. I was surprised by the changes in Nezuko-san's blood. Its components changed countlessly in a very short time span. This whole time I have been thinking about the reason why Nezuko-san hasn't regained her consciousness yet and is still acting like a child. I think that inside of her, she is prioritizing something more important than her consciousness. Tanjirou-san, this is my speculation but I think that Nezuko can conquer the sun in the near future.

Tamayo sighed as she watched her loyal familiar leave to deliver her message. She watched the feline disappear with her letter with a sense of guilt washing over her. Closing the door to her home, she sighed once more.

"Is something wrong, Tamayo-sama?" Yushiro asked with concern lacing his voice.

Tamayo glanced over at her companion. "Yushiro...Tell me, am I wrong to keep secrets from the Kamado children? Should I not be more honest with them?"

Yushiro frowned as he contemplated what to say to her. "Tamayo-sama...it can't be helped...We can't get those two more involved in this mess than they already are. If the Dragon ever found out that you informed them of her existence, there is no telling what that madwoman will do to you or them. Tamayo-sama, you must try to understand that."

Tamayo sighed again. "I do understand, Yushiro...but..." Her eyes met the ground. "The components in Nezuko's blood...I can clearly see traces of that man's blood in her, but the second time I tested it...I saw more of her blood mixed in with Nezuko's."

Yushiro's eyes widened. "Tamayo-sama, you don't mea-"

"I think the Dragon was there the night the Kamado family was slaughtered. I think she had a hand in Nezuko's survival." Tamayo raised her gaze only to narrow her eyes in thought. "I think that she shared her blood with Nezuko so that Nezuko wouldn't be under that man's influence. And it is my belief that ts is because of the Dragon's blood that Nezuko's body is in constant change."

"How can you be so sure?" Yushiro asked.

Tamayo stared deeply into Yushiro's confused gaze. "Because it is exactly what she did to me. Long ago, when all I wanted was to be free from that man's influence, the Dragon appeared before me and gave me just a few drops of her blood." Tamayo broke her gaze from her companion. She passed by him, heading towards her lab.

Yushiro followed after her. He watched her quizzically as the older demon made her way towards a small vile filled with red liquid. "Tamayo-sama?"

"Those few drops of blood were enough for me to break free from that man's grasp. This and Nezuko's blood..." She grabbed the glass vile, bringing it closer to her face. "...could very well be the key to the end of Kibutsuji Muzan."


Seven days after the attack on the Swordsmith Village, every remaining Pillar was summoned to the Ubuyashiki manor. Tensions were high. No one had expected for an attack like this to occur. Everyone was nervous, not knowing what to expect next. Even the news of the death of another Upper Moon was not enough to quell people's concern. But the sight of all the Pillars entering the manor was enough to put some weary hearts at ease. Their presence was enough to inspire hope.

The Pillars were escorted to a large room. Each individual was seated comfortably on the floor. Seeing as how their master was not there yet to begin the meeting, the Pillars began to talk amongst themselves.

"Agh! I envy you guys." The Wing Pillar, Shinuzagawa Sanemi, said in a bored tone. "Why can't I bump into an Upper Moon?"

"It's not like people bumped into the all the time." The Snake Pillar, Iguro Obanai, huffed. The dark-haired man glanced over to his right. "But how are you two doing, Kanroji, Tokitou?"

"Oh yeah! I'm feeling a lot better!" The Love Pillar, Kanroji Mitsuri, said with a blush on her cheeks.

The Mist Pillar, Tokitou Muichirou, sighed. "I...am not at my full strength yet..."

"If we lose anymore Pillars, the Demon Slayers will be in serious trouble..." The Rock Pillar, Himejima Gyomei, said as tears streamed down from his blank eyes. He clapped his hands together in prayer. "But defeating two Upper Moons with no casualties is very noble, indeed..."

The Insect Pillar, Kochou Shinobu, spoke to her companions with a smile on her lips. "You two recovered surprisingly quickly this time. Did something happen?"

The Water Pillar, Tomioka Gyuu, addressed his companions with a monotone voice. "Oyakata-sama probably wants to discuss with us about everything that has happened so far, including this."

Their conversation went silent when a new presence entered the room. "I apologize for the wait." A young familiar woman entered the room. She made her way to the very end of the room, two little girls trained behind her. The three of them sat down, facing the pillars with mystical purple eyes. "I am Ubuyashiki Amane." The woman said. "For our pillar meeting today, I will be attending in place of my husband. Right now, the disease affecting our master is getting worse. He sends his apologies for not being able to attend the meeting."

The Pillars responded with a respectful bow. None of them showing any distaste for this new arrangement.

"I understand...I will pray for Oyakata-sama's flickering flame to burn just a little bit longer, even if is just for a day, and for you to remain strong, Amane-sama..." Himejima said mournfully.

At his words. Amane closed her eyes and sighed. Right now, all she wanted to do, more than anything, was to be by her husband's side. but that was not what her beloved needed her to do. "He would like to thank all of his Pillars..." She took a deep breath and lifted her chin. "I'm sure many of you have already heard of this, but we now have a demon who has conquered the sun. She is here...Kibutsuji Muzan has most likely altered his goal to come after her, so that he can conquer the sun himself. The time for an all-out battle is approaching."

Amane paused to watch their reactions. As expected, the Pillars were skillfully hiding their emotions behind stone expressions. "We have also received word of two things that may alter the outcome of such a battle. The first is that we have received reports of strange markings appearing on Kanroji-sama and Tokitou-sama's bodies during their battles against the Upper Moons. So I would like to ask you two how you got those markings and what conditions must be met to acquire them." Her mystic eyes landed on the two mentioned Pillars.

"Marks?" Kanroji raised an eyebrow in question.

"During the Sengoku era, there were some swordsmen of the first breath that came very close to ending Kibutsuji Muzan." Amane began to explain. "They all had markings that resembled demon crests." At this information, several members of the Pillars' eyes widened. "This knowledge has been passed down though, so some people should know about this."

"But I haven't heard of this." Sanemi commented. "Why are we hiding this?"

"Because a lot of people were brooding over not being able to obtain it, and obtaining it makes you a target. That is why information on these marks has become hazy with time. It was never laid out in stone. So many times the Slayers were on the brink of annihilations, perhaps the succession might even have been lost. Yet, we do know that once one has it, then others begin to acquire it, as though they are resonating with one another. As of now, there is one person who was the first to acquire a mark. Not any of the Pillars here, but Kamado Tanjirou. He is the first to acquire a mark. When we asked him about how the marks appeared, it was hard for him to explain it. We would have left it be, but now that two of our pillars have received these marks..." Amane returned her gaze to Kanroji and Tokutou. "Kanroji-sama, Tokuto-sama, if you could please explain these marks in more detail?" She and her daughters bowed their heads.

Kanroji squeeled internally."O-Okay! So, like, back then, my body was super light!" She began to explain whilst waving her arms around her. "And uhhhh...It was like BADAAM! and my heart was going babum babum! My ears were like SCREEEE and TIIIN!" Kanroji looked around her, searching for validation, but all she saw was the blank expression of everyone in the room.

Obanai sighed in exasperation as he slapped his forehead.

Kanroji barried her face in her arms. "I-I'll just jump in a hole somewhere..."

Luckily for her, Muichirou decided to finally speak up. "I wasn't aware of any marks, but I did realize that something was different during my battle." All eyes turned to the shortest person in the room. "If you fulfill these conditions, then maybe everyone will be able to get these markings. So let me tell you how it works now."

Muichirou began to explain his experience with these mysterious marks, the accelerated heart rate, the rise in temperature, the adrenaline rush, and the fact that he felt like his entire body was tingling with sensation. All eyes and ears were focused on him. Kochou wondered how he could possibly move with such a high temperature, but Muichirou dismissed her 'concerns.' "At the end of the day, I think it all comes down to whether you will die or not. That's probably the difference between those who have the mark appear and those who do not."

"A heart rate of two hundred beats per minute and a fever of over thirty-nine degrees..." Amane pursed her lips in thought.

"Yes. When I was being treated for my wounds, Kochou said that my heart rate was abnormally high and my temperature was thirty-nine." Muichirou said.

"It's that simple, huh?" Sanemi hummed.

"I envy those simpletons who can call this simple." Gyuu commented next to Sanemi.

"What!?"

"Nothing."

Seeing that tensions were begging to rise, Kochou decided to cut in. "So I guess that obtaining this mark will be a high priority for us Pillars now. But, Amane-sama, there is one thing you said that I would like to revisit."

Amane looked at the Insect Pillar with a raised eyebrow. "And what is that, Kochou-sama?"

Suddenly, everyone's eyes were now on Kochou. "Earlier you said that those who bear these marks often are targeted, may I ask by whom would we possibly be targeted?"

Amane swallowed silently. She knew that this topic would have to be discussed soon, but that still didn't help her prepare for this moment. "That would actually lead us to the second news we received recently. " Taking a deep breath, she continued on. "For centuries, Kibutsuji Muzan has always had a hidden protector, someone who has always rescued him in the rare occasions his life has been in danger...someone who has perhaps had always been an even more dangerous threat than Muzan himself...This person is known as the Dragon, and recently we have received news that the Dragon has forsaken Muzan."

"Amane-sama, if this person is truly as dangerous as you say, why have we not been made aware of its existence?" Himejima asked.

"The Dragon is more powerful than Kibutsuji Muzan, but is also much more elusive. She has not appeared before us in a very long time. No slayer has been able to spot, let alone engage the Dragon in battle, for many years. But now...we have it in good faith that she has decided to involve herself in this war and betray Muzan. For now, we can neither confirm nor deny whether or not she is our ally."

"So, is this Dragon after those who acquire the mark?" Kochou asked. "Does that mean that Kamado Tanjirou is at risk of encountering this person?"

"Little shit probably already has," Sanemi interjected.

"I'm afraid we can't say for sure." Amane sighed. "All we know is that that person has always sought to possess those who have the mark. We are not sure why..."


Ruby eyes stared out through the large, glass window. Her eyes scanned the night sky with little interest. How many centuries has she been forced to stare at the same moon and stars, never being able to see the sunshine peeking through white, fluffy clouds? How many decades has she had to hide from the daylight? That soon won't matter anymore... Her hand went straight to her abdomen. She listened closely for a small heartbeat. Her lips curled into a satisfied smile when she heard the beating of her child's heart.

Finally, Finally...she had found the ideal donor. How ironic that the donor just so happened to be Kamado Tanjirou. She giggled.

"Muzan-sama." Anne approached her mistress. "The others have finally arrived. We can begin the meeting whenever you want."

Muzan turned to her servant. "Good. I was beginning to get impatient. Let's get this started."