Shigeru was cold, tired, and the air was still hard to breathe. His head kept nodding and then he'd shake awake, trying not to jerk too much as a sleeping Rokuta lay curled in his lap. One of them had to stay awake, right? He couldn't see much, but he was positive he'd be able to see his breath if he could. It felt so cold! But at least Rokuta was warm.
A little too warm…
It felt nice, despite the cold and if he just closed his eyes for a second…
He nodded again, felt his head fall before jerking awake. Then he sighed. How did all the demon slayers stay awake all night? Seriously, how?
And an unknown number of seconds later, he jerked awake again. If it had been any other time, he would have pouted and grumbled, but he didn't dare just then. Not after demons had been on the mountain and Okaa-san hadn't come back yet. He wished she would soon… He didn't want to think about her not coming back at all…
Suddenly, Rokuta's face scrunched in his sleep and he whimpered. Then it happened again.
Oh, no! A nightmare! Should Shigeru wake him up? Okaa-san said not to wake someone from a nightmare unless they'll hurt themselves or someone else… but he didn't want to listen to his little brother whimpering…
"Nii… san," the little boy whispered weakly. That broke Shigeru's heart a little. He wanted his family to be safe too.
He reached down to shake his brother but paused.
No, if he woke Rokuta up, he'd probably scream and that could get the attention of predators… Shigeru grit his teeth and just held his brother tighter, trying not to let the sounds of distress get to his heart.
Eventually, Rokuta's whimpering calmed, but his face never did. So Shigeru laid him down and curled up by him, holding his hands and snuggling close. They'd have to keep each other warm tonight, and he'd be there for his brother, just like Okaa-san asked. But he just can't… stay awake… any longer…
He drifted off to sleep, despite the cold and worry.
xXx
Giyuu hated this. He hated being chased through the forest in the dark. It reminded him of bad times when he'd failed. It reminded him of his sister and running and running and running away from the smell of blood or Sabito and the Final Exam where he should have died in his friend's place and…
No, he had to remember, he hadn't failed tonight. He'd been instrumental in taking down Waxing Four and he'd lured a demon away from an innocent family. His only real complaint was that he hadn't gotten the chance to heal like he'd needed. Oh, he'd used his breathing to speed up his healing, but there was only so much one could do in a couple hours' time.
Not for the first time, he thought about stopping and fighting the demon – killing him. Rengoku didn't seem to be in his right mind at the moment as he'd left his sword behind, so it likely wouldn't be an extremely difficult battle.
But Kamado had wanted to save him, and the man's son was back at the house, waiting for his father to come home.
(He brushed aside thoughts of Urokodaki-sensei as forcefully as he could. His jaw hurt from clenching his teeth too hard.)
He couldn't do that to Senjuro, or Rengoku the current Flame Pillar either. No, he had to keep going until Rengoku Sr. came back to himself.
His senses screamed at him and he dodged to the side. Where he'd been, a flower of flame grew, engulfing everything in its path before burning out, leaving a barren circle behind. Had those powers grown?
Giyuu's fist clenched but he just moved on.
xXx
The three Ubuyashiki siblings sat there, staring at what they could see. None of them seemed able to speak.
"Nii-sama," one of Kiriya's sisters managed to say – his ears weren't working very well and he didn't know which one had spoken. She sounded distant. He felt bad for not knowing, but his mind kept trying and failing to process what they all saw.
They'd been winning! All of the Waxing Moons were either dead, turned, or under control. Kamado had gotten to Muzan and was thoroughly destroying the demon king but…
But the Kamado Tanjiro he'd met – who had liked to sit on the roof and look at the moon after training, who had been so kind and bright when he'd stayed at the estate, as little as it was – Kiriya had only met him a couple of times but he'd been so… kind. So determined. So inspiring.
This… this wasn't him.
It was bad, and they all knew it, even if they couldn't really quantify why. Kamado was still winning, but his demons had gone mad. Muzan was getting torn apart, but Kamado wasn't killing him like he should. And he just seemed so…
Demonic.
That was the only word for it.
"Kiriya-sama," one of his sisters tried again. "Orders?"
He didn't know…
He didn't know…
Wait, had he said that aloud? Did it matter? What could they possibly—?
Sudden pain on the side of his cheek and his head snapping to the side pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Kanata standing over him, clutching the hand that had hit him to her chest as tears leaked down her cheeks.
"Keep yourself together, Oyakata-sama!" she yelled angrily. "Give your next orders now! The Fight isn't over yet!"
He stared up at his younger sister, who somehow seemed far older and more mature than him in that moment and saw the echo of his mother… his mother who had never slapped him or raised her hand to him, but who had been kind but firm. Which made him think of his father again… his father who always had praise for them and who had loved them so dearly.
His father who had left this to him.
Right. He was in charge of this. His father had left this to him so he could cure their family. So he and his sisters wouldn't have to live in fear of their bodies decaying of terrible diseases as they lived. It always came to the head of the family the fastest, but the others by blood had not been spared.
He… he had to do this.
For them.
He didn't have time to panic over a (frankly terrifying) turn of events.
He had to pull himself together.
Like his parents would have.
"Inform the Hashira to be ready. Yushiro-san? Where will you send Kamado-san and Muzan to?"
The green-haired demon responded a little slowly, his voice cracking and the most unsure Kiriya had ever heard. He pushed aside how much that scared him.
"To where I sent the demons."
"What about the Tsugukos?" Kuina asked.
"We need to make sure all the demons are contained. It's more important to completely finish that man off." The demon sounded so insistent… and sad. Kiriya's heart went out to him.
"So be it," Kiriya said. "Tell the Hashira and the rest of the corps to get ready to move to the southwest. Tell them to be ready to fight him."
"Hai," Kanata said.
"What about Kamado-san?" Kuina asked quietly.
Kiriya bit his lip. He really didn't know. If he didn't come back to himself… could they kill him? He didn't think so. Not only was he their comrade, but they couldn't exactly kill him by keeping him out in the sunlight, and would taking his head off even work if worst came to worst?
"Pray," he said quietly. "And do everything else we can. Warn the Hashira about him. Try to contact Shinazugawa-san or Akatsugi-san. They seem to be the most coherent of Kamado's demons right now. If we can get a description of what they're feeling…"
He knew what they were feeling, though; leakage. Kamado's rage had finally reached a point where it couldn't be contained, and it was affecting his demons. Hence the slaughter going on in the demon area just then…
Still…
"Hai, Kiriya-sama," Kuina said firmly. And they got back to work.
One way or another, this would end tonight.
Now he had one more thing he had to do.
"Kanata, Kuina," he said quietly, but still loud enough for his sisters to hear, "thank you."
"Yes," Kuina whispered. Kanata didn't say anything, probably embarrassed and recovering from her own extreme actions. Extreme, but necessary, and he was grateful she'd taken them.
He didn't see their wet, relieved smiles, but he felt them.
xXx
Pain… and the world blurring around him, and… he didn't know who he was anymore. No, that wasn't entirely true. He was a demon. That was all he remembered and it was all that mattered. That and his master, Muzan-sama. (Always address him with honor because otherwise the Demon King would tear him apart – he didn't know how he'd known that, but he did.)
Everything had been fine. He'd had food to eat to his heart's content and his master had even deigned to give him more blood!
There had been another demon in the room, someone who seemed to tickle something at the back of the younger demon's mind, but nothing he could be bothered to really examine. His master had called him, after all. And then given him blood! And he would be stronger and in his good graces and…
And then everything seemed to fall apart. He couldn't even move because he was still adjusting to the new blood – the new power in his veins…
The other demon had grabbed him. And stabbed him… in the neck. He could feel something else flow into him… more blood? Why? What was this demon doing? He couldn't compare to Muzan-sama! No one cou—
And then the pain started anew, so harsh and strong he couldn't even scream. He could only sit there while he felt the other demon's blood work through him, burning, burning, BURNING!
Takeo… he could hear a voice as the world around him faded in and out. Takeo… get up. Your brother needs you.
His… what?
In his mind, he saw a flash of kind—if worried—eyes, sunken cheeks, and dark-red hair. The face looked so familiar… like the smaller demon fighting in front of him, but older and… sicker? Wait…
Almost as if a dam broke, memories began to play across his mind. Memories of a mountain in all seasons, though most recently winter, of working hard and taking care of his siblings (he had siblings?!) and how happy they'd all been… and the other demon was his brother! His older brother! Tanjiro!
Wait… what?!
He strained past the agony, looking over in time to see the two progenitors clash again, a huge shock wave destroying many of the rooms around them. Takeo (his name was Takeo!) had to close his eyes as wind and wood and debris flew by him, raining down over his still mostly unresponsive body. When he looked back, he saw them exchange blows again, each going for the other's throats and hearts, tearing and scratching and roaring at each other.
It was a fight between demons. Pure demons…
And that didn't look like his brother.
Well, it did (even with, was that a horn growing out of his head?) but… something was wrong. Very, very wrong, and Takeo still couldn't move. His arms still burned and it hurt. Wait… was he a demon now? Judging by the claws sticking out of his fingers, that was probably a yes. And he still had something that tasted very good in his mouth…
Blood?
He wanted to reel back in horror because he had eaten another human, raw.
He wanted to be sick.
No… No he couldn't…
And he still couldn't move! He could only watch as his brother's arms grew larger than any arms should be, meeting Muzan's same attack, exchanging blows… and every now and then, wherever his brother would touch the other, a hole would appear in Muzan's (not his master's! Never his master's) flesh. He actually saw Tanjiro cut and tear and eat… and with that smile on his face…
That wasn't his brother.
Yet… it was.
And he still couldn't do anything…
He… he felt so angry! And hungry… but he had his memories. It was hard to keep focused on them and not the anger, but Nii-san. He was right there… and that was more important than everything else. Something was wrong and his brother needed him.
He tried to force himself to move, to cry out, to do something, but the best he could get out was a soft, weak, "Nii… san."
The pain in the rest of his body began to fade, but not in his stomach. He was so hungry…
"Nii… san," he tried again.
But no one heard and the fight went on.
xXx
Tanjiro grinned. It wasn't a nice grin, but he didn't care. It matched the red haze the world had fallen into. Or was that his fire? Did it matter?
He grinned at the thought of destroying his enemy.
He grinned at the thought of finally satiating that howling agony in his stomach.
He grinned at the thought of showing this… this nobody what real strength was.
'Centuries too early,' he'd said. Tanjiro wanted to laugh, even through his rage and anticipation. He would enjoy every second of this.
He'd never felt all of that at once before.
But that was fine. It didn't matter.
All that mattered was the prey standing before him.
He attacked, moving and striking in the blink of an eye. He let loose almost a hundred lifetimes of pain and anger; of watching his loved ones die again and again. It was almost as if his rage had gone so far it curved back around to something more positive… not right but better. It curled through his gut. He could only focus on the progenitor in front of him – the progenitor who barely dodged Tanjiro's swipe.
Who was the weak one here? Pathetic.
But then Tanjiro had always known this man was pathetic.
Now it was just time for the prey to get up-to-date with that fact. Tanjiro needed him to understand – would make him understand… and if he had to tear him apart piece by piece? That would just be the icing on the cake.
He liked that panic in the other's eyes.
They both knew who the dominant predator was.
"NAKIME!" the monster yelled, but nothing happened.
Tanjiro's grin widened as his arm brushed the 'Demon King's' enormous appendage as it flew by him, growing to a size that should have been impossible to control or hold up. It was meant to be overwhelming. It wasn't. A hole appeared in the flesh and that ever-present hunger stopped for just a second. It felt so good, he did it again, absorbing the other demon's cells as he redirected or dodged every attack. His body just acted while he reveled in the feeling of being full for once. Plus, his strength grew every time he absorbed the other's cells. Bonus!
Strike after strike came at him. Tanjiro lost himself to the battle and the red haze. He dodged and attacked, swiping and clawing and punching and breathing (though that felt wrong – not bad or painful, just off – why did it feel wrong? He didn't know and couldn't be bothered to figure it out just then).
The walls around them blew away and the ceiling collapsed from the kickback from one of their strikes meeting, sending energy shooting away from them. Then, of course, the prey's fist disappeared as Tanjiro absorbed it where they'd been touching.
So good.
"NAKIME!" the prey sounded desperate this time.
But he wouldn't escape. Tanjiro would make sure.
The monster turned to run, but Tanjiro put everything he could into catching him and managed to brush his back. His torso vanished and oh… yeah, that… actually filled him up for more than a couple of seconds.
"What have you done?!" the prey hissed, growing his body back, but it filled in more slowly than Tanjiro had expected. Interesting.
The younger progenitor didn't answer – couldn't be bothered to. Instead he went for the man's head this time. The prey tried to duck, but not enough and Tanjiro adjusted, taking the monster's head off. Horrified expression frozen on his face, it went flying, but the body just grew another one and he came at Tanjiro again. Perhaps out of anger? Or desperation? Certainly out of stupidity. Tanjiro wasn't hungry anymore, but he could always use more – keep that hunger away and maintain that drive and anger and loathing.
Then the prey changed direction and Tanjiro's hand-swipe missed. Growling, he took off after the supposed demon king, bursting through walls and destroying everything around them. The coward! He. Would. Not. Escape!
They didn't see a small figure weakly move rubble aside, shaking as he forced himself to his feet and eyed the remnants of the red fire that still burned.
"Nii-san."
xXx
AN: Thanks to Found and Quathis for their help with this! Thank you all so much! And thanks to all my lovely readers!
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