Sunshine and Seven Colored Fire
(KnY with KHR elements)
"Umm..."
Kokushibo, formerly known as Tsugikuni Michikatsu, usually did not lose his composure. He always carries himself with grace and patience and aloofness befitting his status as Upper Moon Demon One.
Perhaps he may lose his calmness and consumed in rage. Once. Or twice. Or several times.
Usually it because somehow he's reminded of his piece of shit Younger Twin Brother (and no. He will not answer what exactly kind of relationship they had. For one, he will cut you into thin ribbon. For another, he need a lot of dictionary to find out the right word for it).
Or it was something regarding Doma.
The Upper Moon Two was such a piece of shit. Worse than Yoriichi ever be.
No one can stand him.
Not even Nakime, who was always silent. Kokushibo knew that the Upper Moon Four despised Doma.
He had front row seat whenever Nakime deliberately play the wrong tune to summon that blumbering idiot and then drop him somewhere. Usually face first.
No. He will not tell Doma about it. Never.
Thing is, while Kokushibo may, if rarely, lose his composure, it was because he was too angry to stay calm.
But this...
"GroaaaaaaAAAaaaaaAAA"
"Fucking fuckgoat!"
"Mishima-kun! Language!"
"Sorry gramps! BUT WHO THE HELL DECIDED UNLEASH ZOMBIE IS A FUN PASSTIME?"
"Less talking more bashing!"
...this scenery was... something.
There's army of undead razed the village. Strangely they were rather docile, only scares people by grabbing them and groaning and breathing close to their face. That was reciporate with they were bashed (usually in the face) with whatever weapon avaiable. From shovel to pot and kettle. And whenever one was taken down, it would dissappear in indigo mist-like thing.
Oh. Have he mention that some of the villager have their eyes glowed? Some have it red, some have it blue. Other have it green, yellow, purple, indigo. Mostly red. It reminds Kokushibo of rainbow... what missing was orange color.
Human's eyes doesn't suppose to glow, right?
Demon's doesn't have glowing eyes, either.
So...
"Uuuhhh,..."
If others knew, they would have laughed silly. But come on! What he was supposed to react in this situation?
"Ah, you there!" Kokushibo blinked. All six eyes of his stared at a granny who approached him. "Sorry to bother but mind you give us help? There's some that escape to Mountain Road. I would do it myself if I doesn't have to track down my lousy grandson and made him stop this madness."
"...okay...?"
"Thank you."
Stumped, befuddled, and in no small amount of confusion, Kokushibou seek out to the Mountain Road, following direction the granny had graciously showed him. His mind still reeled of the odd conversation... if he can call it that.
Normally humans were wary of demons. By all account the granny should look at him with fear, if not suspicious at the least, when he stares at her with six eyes instead of human's two eyes. But noo... she treat him like normal person. What kind of reaction was that?
A normal thing to do when you're facing undead who were not even demon. His mind supplied.
Shrugging it off, he will ask later, Kokushibou seek out the Mountain Road, and hunt down the escaping undead. He found some and quickly sliced them apart. He found them dispersed into indigo mist as very fascinating...
...and relieved that they doesn't stain his sword with rotten flesh, maggot, and whatever else.
Was this a new form of Blood Demon Art? What kind of Demon Art is this? Undead-Made-Out-of-Indigo-Mist something? He knew demon and demon arts can be very odd at times but this took icing on the cake.
If Kokushibou found who was responsible of it he will wrung the answer out of them.
"Ah, watch out!" Someone called.
Instinct kicked in, Kokushibou dodge just in time before a sword swung and beheaded two undead (ugh, he grimaces, they STINK!). The owner of the blade quickly landed on the ground and finished the last one.
"Phew. Hopefully that's all." The man said and Kokushibou freezes because he knew that voice too damn well. "Thank you for the he—nii-san?!"
Yoriichi stares at him with wide eyes.
His younger, twin brother.
Who by all account should be DEAD over four hundreds years ago.
Or at least be old man.
Not someone in his prime.
Slowly, a smile broke out in his twin's face (is this a dream? This have to be a dream!). Without a warning, Kokushibo was tackles into the ground by his (surprisingly) cheerful and chipper younger brother.
"You are nii-san!"
Not for the first time in that night, Kokushibou wonder if he landed in another dimension by accident.
Just... what the hell happened here?
~X~
Hinanoiro village was a normal village. Located at foot of a mountain, surrounded by thick forest with few path as way to connect with outside world, nothing unusual happens at this village. It was just usual, boring village.
Kokushibo want to strangle whoever made that statement. Preferaby by their own intestines after he cut their stomach open.
Hinanoiro was anything but NORMAL!
What normal village have their villagers have superpower?! Whatever this Flames was, they are on par with powerful Blood Demon Arts, and completely outclassed and outpowered weak Blood Demon Arts by wide gap!
Really, a indigo mist that could create undead army out of nothing ("actually it can realize whatever its owner had in mind"—okay, what the fuck?), a bright yellow light that feels like sun but doesn't burning (seriously, what?), blue water-like thing that made him drowsy and want to sleep, crackling green lightning that enhance physical endurance, cloud wisp that multiplied power like strength, endurance and speed (the fuck?) and red flame that evaporize ("the right word is Disinitegrate, nii-san") anything it touches (okay. That was so bullshit).
Not to mention about the villagers reaction. When they knew he was demon, Kokushibo half-expected half-hoped he would get the usual reaction. Fear. Hatred. Discrimination. Stuff like that.
What he get was "So what?"
It was as if his status as demon, as Upper Moon One, was just a "Meh" in their eyes. Like they were used to deal with crazier things (he later found they actually had). It deals significant blow to his pride.
And of course he can't forget the fact his brother, who should be DEAD and buried several feets under the ground, was alive, chirpy, and happy. And totally not a demon but not quite human? Yoriichi drag him to house on top of mountain, citing he should meet the Kamados.
"You would like them Nii-san! I assure you. Especially Tanjirou-kun! He's such a sweetheart."
By time the dawn arrives, and they arrived at said house, Kokushibou was just so done.
The first thing he do was to find a dark corner, safe from that damned sunlight, and just crashed down. Manners be damned.
He wake up hours later, with terrible mood as he find it was NOT a dream, a blanket covered his body from head to toe. Giving him extra protection from the sunlight. There's also a pillow who-knows-since-when under his head.
When he wake up, he saw a boy, who yelled to someone else.
"He's awake!"
A pair of man and woman entered the room and smiled. The woman had black hair and dark pink eyes, while the man bore striking resemblance to Yoriichi, except he was more gentler and did not have that accursed mark on his body. The woman also carried some food.
"Oh good. I thought you will be out till nightfall." She said and settle down the food. The man helpfully pull a foldable table (that thing actually exist?) close to Kokushibou, and helped the woman to set down the foot. "Eat up."
Kokushibou threw them a look. "I am demon. I can't eat human's food." He told them. Mentally wondering why he didn't just ate them. Such stupidity should not let be.
"Silly. You can eat this food." The man assured him.
Kokushibou stared at him, before skeptically pick up the chopstick and put a tiny bit of food in his mouth. There's no need to take a big bites since the food...
"...it's tasty?"
Okay. This may be getting old, but What?
By the time Kokushibou realized it, the bowl was empty. He unconsciously licked his mouth, before he caught himself and thanking the couple for the food. Still wishing he can ask for seconds.
Sue him. The food is actually tasty.
"I glad you likes it." The man said, as the woman gather the dishes and bring it to the kitchen. "Ah, right. My name is Tanjurou. Kamado Tanjurou. The woman is my wife, Kie, and you had see Takeo." He waved his hand at the door. Kokushibou could see the boy from earlier with two other boys and a girl. Seeing they were caught, the kids blushed and quickly hides from view. "Oh. That was Hanako, Shigeru, and Rokuta."
Kokushibou nodded. "My name is Kokushibou... but I was born as Michikatsu."
He rather not use his birth name but... knowing his brother, might as well get used to it. Speak of that... "How do you know my brother?"
"Yoriichi-san?" Tanjurou ask. "Ah, it was quite complicated."
...yeah. Kokushibou can see why.
"You must be overwhelmed by last night's events." Tanjurou chuckles. "Every newcomer always have. If you like, I can tell you how this all began. It was quite a long story, though."
Finally! Some explanation! "I have time. Please tell me."
"Alright. It begin with my Ancestor, Kamado Sumiyoshi..."
To summarize it, about four hundred years ago, conveniently when Kokushibou was still Tsugikuni Michikatsu, before he was a demon, before Yoriichi founded Demon Slayer Corps, Kamado Sumiyoshi born with unusual power. Ability to create Orange fire out of all thing. Fire that can burn and can't burn. Depends on what he want. He also blessed with super powerful Hyper Intuition it may be clairvoyance. He lead quite life here. In this mountain.
He meet with people whom he befriended, then because of an accident that led them to near death experience, his group of friend gained power of their own. Their fire have various color.
Then it goes downhill from here. More and more people spontaneously gained power. Some gained it because near fatal accident. Some gained it after stress. Some gained it because they are too passionate. One thing for certain, the person have been in contact with Sumiyoshi for quite a time.
"And my brother had been in contact." Conclused Kokushibou, now snacking on some candied hawthorn. He find out the reason he can eat them was because they were coated with blood or has blood as ingredients.
Genius.
"Well," Tanjurou shrugged. "Yoriichi-san has been named as Godfather for my ancestor."
"That doesn't explain how did he was still alive, or so young."
"And here things become complicated." Huh? "Yoriichi-san gave my ancestor his earrings, which was passed down for generation to generation alongside his Sun Breath technique." Kokushibou had to bite the hawthorn hard to stop himself from commenting. "When I passed it to my eldest son, Tanjirou, he somehow... for lack of better words... summoned Yoriichi-san."
Okay. What.
"It was weird." Tanjurou agreed. "But Orange fire not always appears in the family. They rarely do. But whenever they do appears, the user can summon previous owner's soul even though for short time. Tanjirou is Orange, and his was so far the stronges and purest fire anyone ever encounter. I think that's why Yoriichi-san can stay for hours on end. Perhaps it has something to do with the earrings and Orange fire?"
...
...
...
...that was definitely something.
Guess he can't escape from his always-better Brother, huh? Figures.
"Tou-san, Kaa-san, everyone! We're home!" A pair of voice called.
A boy with strong resemblance to Tanjurou, only with much shorter hair, and a thrice-damned Demon Slayer mark on his forehead went inside, followed by a girl with pink eyes and wearing pink kimono. From the look alone, Kokushibou know who was the cause of Yoriichi's "Miraculous Return". That hanafuda earring was attention catching. Based on their age and appearance, the boy is the eldest child and the girl is second eldest.
"Tanjirou, Nezuko, this is Michikatsu-san... or you may call him Kokushibou."
"Nice to meet you!" They chorused.
Dinner served up shortly thereafter. Kokushibou knew he should not be here, but damn it, he likes the taste and flavor of normal food, even if it have to tainted with blood to make it palatable for demon. The fact he can eat tasty human food again was such a novelth.
How does they come up with it?
"Oh that." Tanjirou smiled. "I was thinking, since Rui-kun love to visit whenever he can, I want to show him around, and since Demon drink blood, so half-cooked meat or blood-tainted food and drink would work. Surprisingly it is!"
So... basically they lucked out. Huh. Wait a minute here.
"Rui? Ayaki Rui? Spider Demon? Boy with thread ability? Has Number 5 on his eye? That Rui?"
"Yep." Nezuko nodded. "You know him?"
Mentally made a note to grill the weaker demon for hiding such informaton, Kokushibou cleared his throat and answered, "He's... my subordinate... of some sorts."
"Oh."
The dinner continues. It was after the dishes were to washed that Kokushibou notice something.
He haven't seen Yoriichi yet.
Staring at Tanjirou, he ask, "where is my brother?"
"Oh. Yoriichi-san is asleep." The young, potential Demon Slayer, remarked. "I mean there's some leftover craziness after last night so we ended up breaking fight and preventing homicide. Add with he have been appears since last night, Yoriichi-san was burnt out."
Ah. Made sense. Yoriichi was living on borrowed time.
"I'm surprised he's burnt out. As I recall, he was such a resilient." Because he lived till eighty-something when usually Demon Slayer barely reach age fourty. Twenty five if they actively use their Mark.
"Ahaha... Flames-related issues is always taxing." Laughed Nezuko. "Though it was nowhere near as bad as Tentacle Madness summer ago. Remember it?"
"Of course." Huffed Tanjirou. "That was one crazy summer. I doubt Yoriichi-san would like you bringing it out again."
Oh, why?
"He was tied in..." Nezuko stiffled a giggle. "Very funny and compromising position."
"...really?"
"Yeah!" Nezuko nodded. "Want to hear it?"
"Gladly." Kokushibou purred. A chance to embarass his brother? Sign him up!
"Nee, Nezuko. Yoriichi-san would be very angry if he knew." Said Tanjirou hesitantly. Considering his hearing "host" Yoriichi, Kokushibou understand how he felt. But damn. He want to hear what his little brother did!
"Oh please brother." Nezuko waved her hand. "Michikatsu-san is Yoriichi-san's older brother, and an older sibling have the rights to know their little sibling's embarassing moment for teasing purpose, so Michikatsu-san have all rights in the world to know." She then turned to Kokushibou and proceeds to entertain him with hillarious, outrageos, and highly amusing misadventures his brother had gotten into. It amuse him to no end, he had to fight urge to laugh and rolling on the floor.
Kokushibou decided right there and then, Kamado Nezuko is his favorite human.
TBC
