An hour before…
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Looking off into the distance from a high cliff, a gray haired Lily smiled sweetly. Hearing footsteps coming behind her, she looked to see the newest member of her Stars. Smiling she spoke.
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"Do I look pathetic to you, Minoru?" Lily asked, waiting for a response.
"No, you don't. In fact, it surprised me to see you aging like a human." Minoru spoke as he began to approach Lily. Seeing a star emblem on the top left side of his forehead made Lily smile. "Is something the matter?"
"No, nothing. It's just…" As she paused, Lily looked up once more towards the stars. "It's almost time."
"Your death?" Minoru asked.
"So, you've known. Well that is to be expected." Getting up to her feet, she turned to Minoru and spoke with no fear in her voice. "Tell Chosuke that from this point forward, all the Stars efforts should be focused on Kaguya. She is the only one who will be able to slow down Kibutsuji."
"Is that all?" Minoru asked once more hoping to see if there was anything else to her words. "That's all. Besides, Kaguya already spilled her blood on Nezuko, so the memories I suppressed in Nezuko's mind should resurface at any point after my death."
"So, this Nezuko girl, I'm supposed to support her?" Minoru had begun to question Lily's words.
"No, there is no need." Lily responded to Minoru's curiosity. "I'm leaving that to her. She'll know what to do." Then once again looking off into the distance, Lily smiled once more. "The horizon is beautiful, isn't it?"
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Looking towards the horizon that Lily was looking at, Minoru looked and responded as a tear began to fall down his cheek.
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"Yeah, it is." As he then looked back, he noticed that Lily was no longer standing where she was supposed to be, but instead cherry blossom petals, which began to fly in the wind from where she stood. "Goodbye, Lily."
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As Minoru looked into the distance, he set his sights to a train that had just passed the clifftop he had been standing on. Without a second to waste, he jumped from the cliff and onto the passing train.
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Back at the Butterfly Estate…
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After hearing about Kaguya's collapse, Tanjiro and Nezuko both went to see her in the room provided by the estate just for the young demon. But when they saw her, they noticed her a bit older than the last time they saw her and noticed that she was in some sort of deep slumber.
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"How long as she been like this?" Tanjiro asked Shinobu, who was just outside Kaguya's room.
"For several hours." Shinobu answered honestly. "I was making amends last night with someone I once knew in the past, and when I finished I noticed her collapsed on the ground, looking like she was in a lot of pain. Is it common of her to collapse like this?"
"No, it's not." Tanjiro replied with a worried tone. "It's not like her to just collapse without a reason. Unless…"
"Unless…what?" Shinobu looked at Tanjiro with confusion as to why he cut himself off.
"She could be trying to restore some of her lost energy that she used in battle." Tanjiro finished his sentence as he looked toward Shinobu.
"Oh, is that so? Then we have nothing to worry about." Shinobu answered with a smile. Seeing that smile caused Tanjiro to smell a different scent coming off of Shinobu, something that was different then when he began to train to do Full Focus Breathing. Seeing this, Shinobu spoke up. "Is something wrong, Kamado?"
"Oh, it's just…you don't seem as angry as you were before." Tanjiro answered honestly.
"I don't?" Shinobu answered sheepishly, not really understanding her own actions.
"No, you don't. Before you always smelled like you were angry about something, but know, it seems like that anger is gone." Tanjiro spoke honestly.
"Kamado, come with me." Shinobu ordered, then Tanjiro followed.
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Outside in the Butterfly Estate's Garden…
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Shinobu began to walk into the main garden of the estate, with Tanjiro following just behind her. As they made it out into the garden, Shinobu turned around and faced Tanjiro.
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"Allow to explain, my sister's wish." Was all Shinobu said to grab Tanjiro's attention.
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Roughly Seven Years Prior…
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"It was about 7 years ago, myself and my elder sister, Kanae, were both sent out on a mission in Sensei's stead. As we arrived, it was already nightfall."
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As both the Kocho sisters kept their surroundings checked, they had their hands on their swords just in case they were attacked. Kanae sensing something in the distance looked into the shadows and noticed a figure moving. Not wanting to alarm her sister, she turned away from it.
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"Are you sure there is a demon here?" A young Shinobu spoke, while looking with disappointment. "You sure that old man hasn't gotten a few screws loose."
"Now, now." Kanae answered with a bright and cheerful smile. "Sensei wouldn't send us out unless it was extremely important. And since he did, it must be important." Once again seeing something move in the shadows, Kanae focused all her attention in the shadows, but could barely make up a figure. Then after a few moments, she spoke. "Hey, Shinobu. I think we should split up. You know, cover more ground." Kanae suggested.
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"I wish I had said no then. But since I knew how strong my sister was, I agreed."
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As Shinobu left Kanae's sight, Kanae waited a few more moment, before speaking up.
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"It's alright, you can come out now. I know you mean no harm." Kanae spoke softly and smoothly.
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Out of the shadows, emerged a still milky-skinned Koharu looking like she just ran away from the devil. Seeing her figure, caused Kanae's chest to tighten with sorrow. Then pulling out a rice ball, she offered it to Koharu.
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"Here, your probably hungry. Oh, wait you guys don't eat human food." But before she could take it back, Koharu spoke up.
"No, I'll take it." Koharu answered sheepishly, as she began to stretch out her hand. "Thank you."
"It's my pleasure." Kanae responded to Koharu's thanks.
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After eating the rice ball, Koharu looked far too satisfied, which caused Kanae to look with confusion. Seeing her face, Koharu spoke up.
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"Is something the matter?" Koharu question as she turned her head to face Kanae.
"I've never seen a demon eat human food before. So, I was caught off guard a bit. Sorry if I made you worry."
"It's fine. Honestly, I just woke up after a long slumber, so I was pretty hungry. But for some odd reason, my appetite for human flesh has decreased significantly." Koharu replied with a small smile.
"You were asleep?" Kanae looked at the young demon girl with astonishment. "Wait, if I could bring her back, then maybe, just maybe…"
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But in that moment, Koharu, rushed in front of Kanae, and both girls had begun to tumble away. Hearing the sound of ice scratching against rock, Kanae looked to see icicles pierced through Koharu's back.
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"Hey, are you okay?" Kanae then realized she didn't know her name.
"Koharu. That's my name. I'll ask for yours later, but for now I have to deal with him." As Koharu looked back she noticed a man with a moderately toned and muscular body, who was of a notably pale complexion. He also wore a blood-red turtleneck of a design that made it appear that the section between his neck and upper chest was covered by a black substance that looks like it's dripping slightly down his body, this same design repeated at his wrists and down his hands, as well as on the small, circular "blood stain" he adorned on his head. Below this, he wore a pair of straight, tan-colored pants of a pinstriped design, their cuffs visibly loose, which he secured with a pale green-tinged golden belt, its buckle a bright silver. Seeing this, Koharu rose to her feet, at the same time pulled out the icicle spears, and spoke. "That was pretty rude, you know. Who goes off and attacks an unarmed girl?"
"But you're not just any girl, you're Lily, right?" the young man spoke
"If your relying on smell to catch your enemy, then you're a much bigger idiot than I thought."
"What did you say?" the young man answered.
"Stay back. I may only be strong enough to hold him back just a bit." Without taking her eyes off of her enemy, Koharu whispered to Kanae.
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Then he disappeared, then reappeared in front of Koharu. This caused Koharu to step back a bit, but it was just enough to get her to dodge his oncoming attack. Sliding her hand on his abdomen, Koharu slid past her enemy, and pulled on something that caused her enemy to fall back. Then jumping up, into the sky, she extended her hands out and spewed out a ton of webs, which in turn trapped her enemy towards the ground.
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"We got to go!" Koharu yelled in a panic as she grabbed Kanae's hand and began to run off.
"Why are we running? That's a demon, isn't it?" Kanae asked.
"That just not any demon. That's an Upper Moon. I know cause, I saw the insignia etched into his eyes." Koharu answered back while still focused on running. "I'm still weak, so if I delayed my fight with him, I would've died.
"Then allow to end your suffering." A voice spoke from behind Koharu, who instinctively, tossed Kanae into a building.
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As Kanae emerged from the small hut, she noticed Koharu's head missing from her body, and the demon who she was fighting just before with his hand on her body. Not even wasting a second, Kanae rushed forth and swung.
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"Breath of the Flower, Fourth Form: Safflower Robe!" Then in a matter of moments, a strike came into view, but even though Kanae's attack was dodged, it gave Koharu the opportunity she needed.
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Twisting her body onto the Upper Moon's arm, then locking her legs onto his neck, she twisted herself and caused the demon to fall to the ground, face first. As Koharu got up to her knees, she began to pant very heavily. But still getting up to her feet, she looked over to Kanae.
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"You must go. You have someone waiting for…for you, right?" Koharu continued to speak, only for Kanae to see her enemy move closer to her with a fan in hand.
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Making a quick decision, Kanae moved in front of Koharu and took her enemy's attack. Seeing this caused Koharu to snap and using all the strength she had left and punched the heck out of the Upper Moon. But it didn't do much, since Koharu was the one who was sent flying back. But in the midst of her flight, Koharu tried to grab hold of something, only to feel something in her hand. As she landed, she looked at her hand and noticed a butterfly hairpin. Scared as to what had happened to Kanae, Koharu rushed forward, only for her eyes to be blinded by the sun's morning rays. Quickly hiding within the shadows that the trees provided, her sight came back. As she tried to look back, she noticed Shinobu there with Kanae holding onto her pleading for her to hold on. Feeling immense guilt, Koharu ran, only to grab the attention of Shinobu.
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"Demon!" She yelled. "Get out here and fight me! You're not going to get away with what you did!" Angrily, she tried to chase after Koharu, only to be stopped by Kanae.
"Don't be angry with her. She…" Kanae coughed up a huge amount of blood. "Don't be angry with Ko-ha-r…" without being able to finish her sentence, Kanae had died due to immense blood loss.
"Kanae. Kanae!" Shinobu continued to repeat her sister's name, only to receive silence in return.
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Present Time…
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"I had always believed that Koharu was the one who killed my sister, but after she returned with my sister's hairpin, and explained her side of the story, I never felt so much relief than yesterday." Shinobu finished speaking, then looked at Tanjiro. "I know I asked for you to continue on my sister's legacy, but if I can be selfish for once and ask to take back that promise?"
"Sure. Hearing you, I know it must've been difficult to keep on smiling, but now…" Tanjiro smiled brightly at Shinobu. "Now, you can continue your sister's legacy. And I'll wait for the day when you ask me to continue it for you."
"Thank you, Tanjiro." Shinobu whispered as she turned her back to the young boy.
"Did you say something?" Tanjiro asked.
"Nope. I didn't." Shinobu answered with a more genuine smile. Then coming to the realization of something she spoke again. "Oh, by the way, Sensei asked for you and your sister to go to him."
"Huh?" Was all Tanjiro responded back.