It's the second chapter. Yay. Peace, Peace.
-SpiritOfErebus
"And that's a day's worth of work well done." Sakamoto sighed, waving as the last of the students left the schoolyard. The sun was still up in the sky, but it was slowly leaning towards the horizon.
"Nice job, young man! The schoolmaster said. "You teach history so well, you've practically lived it!"
"It's always important to know one's roots." Sakamoto said, grinning.
"Indeed it is." the schoolteacher said, crossing his arms and nodding. "I've seen people walk around on the streets without knowing your namesake!"
"You lie." Oryou snarled.
"No, no, young lady." the schoolmaster said. "Not many people know about history these days. Most of us are concerned with… just living. Farming. Tending to our lands or shops. You two may come from rich families, but most of us do have to work hard to survive, and sometimes, school just isn't an option. Besides, with the war going on, so many youngsters have left to fight."
"The war?" Ryoma said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. The war against the Germans in Tsingtao." the schoolmaster said. "We're helping the allies secure the seas."
"An admirable cause." Sakamoto said. "I'd join up if I could, but-"
"No war for Ryoma." Oryou said, hugging Sakamoto's arm tightly.
"Yeah, yeah." Sakamoto chuckled. "I'd rather not get into fights all the time."
"Very well then. We need some of our young men home to tend to our lands." the schoolmaster said. "Though I don't exactly like the idea of japanese men dying for western causes."
"It's one way to show the world that Japan isn't weak." Sakamoto said, reminiscing about the many, many assassinations of politicians and political opponents before the Meiji Restoration took place. Sadly, he had been stabbed one year before the great change occurred in 1868, but he was still proud of the progress he had made.
"Indeed. Now, you best get going. I was just about to close up. And be wary of the streets at night, lad. I've heard that there are demons that prowl more rural lands."
And with that, the schoolteacher returned to sweeping the yard.
"Demons, you say?"
"Oryou-san will defeat all of the demons." Oryou said reassuringly. "Don't worry, Ryouma."
"I'm not exactly worried, just more… doubtful of the fact that they actually exist." Sakamoto shrugged. "Anyways, what do you want for dinner?"
"Oryou-san demands frogs."
"Okay, then. Let's see if we can find a place that serves frog sashimi."
…
"Just a couple more hours now." Warukaba, the Lower Moon Three muttered.
"Just a bit more until the sun goes down." Kamanue, the lower moon six demon said, his mouth salivating. "Delicious, fit meat… The blood… It's been a while since I've eaten."
"We can't move yet." Warukaba said, snarling at the demon with the strange, green, anchor-like mark. "Has the water from your Blood Demon Art clogged your mind?"
"Well, at least it's better than your boring old enhancement Blood Demon Art! That speed of yours is just great at running away from slayers, but not much else."
"Hey! I can survive against anybody with my speed, and my strength is nothing to scoff at either!" Warukaba said, gripping a tree branch and turning it into powder as a black pulse of energy throbbed through his arms.
"Good luck facing the upper ranks or Enmu, then." Kamanue said. "They're physically stronger than you anyways."
"Somebody's crushed a tree branch?" the schoolmaster said, carrying a broom while rubbing his brow in frustration. "Damn, those no-good petty thieves… Maybe I should call over some authorities…"
Kanamue grinned, before he flexed his arms and muttered.
Blood Demon Art… Vengeance of the drowned!
Moisture all around the air began to vibrate, acting as if there were a strong wind sweeping through the clearing. Then, slowly, the vapor condensed, mimicking Kamanue's arms. The watery appendages reached out, and dragged the schoolteacher into the shadows.
By the time the sun set and two figures sailed away atop the rooftops, only a pair of glasses remained.
…
"There are two people following us." Oryou said, looking back. The streets of Tokyo were crowded as always, but this time, Sakamoto and Oryou were circling further and further in order to find one store in particular.
The legendary frog sashimi had been a mere rumor in modern Japan, but the legend had to have its roots. Perhaps it did originate in this tumultuous era, where access to the seas were slightly hampered by the Great War.
"If Oryou-san does not acquire her frogs, she shall be displeased." Oryou said, crossing her arms.
"In the end, we can always catch frogs in the wild, right?" Sakamoto said, trying to appease the specter following him around like… a vengeful spirit.
"That defeats the point of being an offering." Oryou said. "But if no frogs are to be found, then sushi will do."
"I'm so glad that you understand." Sakamoto said, ruffling Oryou's hair. To be perfectly honest, it was like trying to jostle industrial steel beams, given the hair's (and Oryou's) incredible durability, but the effort was what counted, and the hair even moved to accommodate the affectionate gesture.
Turning into an alleyway, the couple began to turn back… only for two figures to emerge in the alleyways behind them.
"Aren't you the sickening couple?" one of the hooded figures said.
"Oh… What a strong, dangerous scent." the other said. "I think I'll have the first shot at you."
"Ryoma, stay behind me." Oryou said. Sakamoto looked at his lack of sword, sighed, and brought his katana out from his spirit form. Apparently, being a counter force agent had its perks.
What wasn't a perk, however, was the reduced power that he was running on. Whatever alternate universe this was, Gaia was especially strong. This world was a strange one, but Sakamoto supposed that he was sent here on some sort of vital mission.
And he couldn't afford to be defeated now, even though the two in front of him probably posed no threat.
Of course, his expectations were shattered when one of the figures pulsed with a dark energy, before leaping forth, claws (wait, claws?) growing longer and sharper. With the moonlight, he could see a scar in the shape of an X on the creature's forehead, and the words that read Lower Three brutally carved into the creature's eye.
And then, his expectations were shattered again when he realized that the leap… was actually pretty slow. It was more on par with an attack from a D-list servant than an actual threat. Even Okita in her sick, tuberculosis-ridden, bedbound state could probably do better if it was demanded of her.
Drawing his sword, he ducked under the wild slash and retaliated with his own strike. Glowing with a blue light, his sword lashed out with all of its mana-enhanced glory.
Cleanly, the demon's arm was cut off, and he quickly bound off the brick walls back to its companion.
"Are these bastards Demon Slayers?" the Lower Three demon hissed at his companion. The stump of his arm pulsed for a second, before a limb grew out of the stump, replacing the missing arm.
As Sakamoto looked at the other figure, he saw the words Lower Six carved into his eyes and determined that the other demon was even weaker than the one that had just attacked.
"Hey, Oryou, don't they seem more like ghouls?"
"Oryou-san agrees. These are not dead apostles. They are too weak."
"Too weak?" I'll show you who's weak, woman!" the insecure Lower Six demon shouted, extending his arms outwards in an unnecessarily dramatic fashion.
"Blood Demon Art… Vengeance of the Drowned!"
The whole alley seemed to vibrate as dewdrops grew and grew in the air. The waste water from the gutters shook free of their grime and gathered into two large, hand-shaped constructs in the air.
Sakamoto raised an eyebrow. Was it just… water? Was there nothing else involved with it other than moving water?
Then, the demon dramatically cast its hands behind itself, and the water seeped into the ground, covering the alleyway with a shallow puddle.
Oryou looked thoroughly unimpressed.
"You're now within my territory." the demon said, smirking.
"Oryou-san does not like this copyright infringement." she said, pointing at the offending demon.
"I don't think copyright laws exist yet." Sakamoto said. "But how is this similar to your-"
Oryou promptly sank the tips of her rapidly growing hair into the alleyway, creating a puddle of shadow. Then, when the water came up in sharp spikes and… splashed harmlessly against Oryou's sailor uniform, her hair came up from the shadow puddles and impaled the Lower Six demon.
"I…Impossible!" the demon rasped, its lungs probably split into several pieces.
Then, the hair began to writhe. The body of the demon was completely shredded as the sharp spikes that protrude out of the ground whirled like a blender. It's head spiraled out into the distance, hitting the ground a couple of meters away.
The Lower Three demon slowly backed away, before remembering his mission.
"Kanamue!" he shouted. "Are you okay?"
"Take care of yourself, first, Warukaba!" the Lower Six demon shouted.
"Okay, I have a question." Sakamoto said. "How can he still speak without lungs? I'm incredibly confused."
"The power of demons is immeasurable." Warukaba said, "We can't be killed at all!"
"Oh, I'm sure that something can eventually kill you." Sakamoto said. "Oryou, eat them."
"E-eat?" Kanamue said.
"They look disgusting. Oryou-san does not like their markings."
"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Warukaba shouted. "And what is it with you and that guy in the white suit? A demon traveling with a slayer without a Nichirin blade?"
"You don't know Ryoma's name." Oryou said with a dead calm. Slowly she began to sink into the ground.
"Stop, Oryou!" Sakamoto shouted. "We don't have that much mana! Gaia's influence is too strong here."
"Unforgivable. Unforgivable. Unforgivable!" Oryou's tone changed. "He did so much for Japan, but you don't know him?"
"Why should us demons care about the world?" Warukaba said haughtily. "We're the strongest and we are immortal. The world should kneel at our feet!"
"Blood Demon Art… Full Body Enhancement!"
With a roar, the blood vessels across the demon's body burst. Blood coursed through the demon's skin like a crimson cloak, weaving into each and every muscle fiber like it was thread. A baleful, red glow bled out into the night as the transformation was complete, revealing a humanoid figure that almost blended into the dark save for the glowing red eye. Then, his eye flickered like a streetlight, before the whole body slowly disappeared into the shadows.
Then, a kick came at Sakamoto from the back of his head. Oryou flew back to deflect the kick, her hair coming up into a counter-slap. The crimson figure was slapped back and destroyed a section of the wall. Regenerating some broken bones, the demon got back up and prepared to continue its assault.
"He's three times stronger." Oryou said. "Still no match for Oryou-san, though."
"How about this, then?"
With a growl of effort, Kanamue bled into his water constructs via his half-formed torso. The once clear water gained a bloody tint and slowly, very slowly, turned into a pulsing purple.
Sakamoto looked at the spikes, and then with great dignity and self-respect, submitted himself to a piggyback ride from Oryou.
"Should Oryou-san transform?" Oryou asked, looking back at Sakamoto.
"I don't think they're threatening enough. I mean, they're just ghouls."
"Oh, really?" a snide voice said.
The black blob ricocheting across the narrow walls of the alleyway reached out with another claw, but Oryou's hair wrapped around Ryoma just as he turned to fire a shot at the demon. The bullet clipped an edge of the blurring figure and made him yowl in pain.
Just then, purple spikes began to sprout out of the ground. Water was pulled from all around the area, from the sewage system below to the clouds above, giving the whole area a tint of mist.
"The Lower Six ghoul is pretty physically weak…. While the Lower Three ghoul is physically strong but weak in ranged attacks" Sakamoto observed. "Let's take out the one with the troublesome power, and then we can interrogate the Lower Three ghoul."
"Okay. Oryou-san will start being serious now."
Slowly, a black mist began to spread in the clearing as Sakamoto felt their mana reserve draining. Then, Oryou seemed to blacken as the mist slowly condensed onto her skin. Her claws elongated and her maw slowly began to shift, and Sakamoto's piggyback was seeming more and more natural.
"This is Oryou-san's great partial transformation. Survive if you can. Yay. Peace peace." Oryou said monotonously, holding out two peace signs.
"Is that… a flying snake?" Kanamue said, muttering past broken lungs.
"Aren't we supposed to be the demons?" Warukaba sighed. "Whatever, let's just get on with it and kill them."
"So, that woman is a rogue demon. No wonder the master wanted this pair dead."
Water crawled up the walls and struck out at Oryou, but the purple spikes were totally ignored by Oryou.
"Your spikes are weaker than stone. Pathetic." Oryou said, swatting away the futile attempt by the Lower Three to attack the two again.
"What are you going to do, impale me?" Kanamue said, his eyes embroidered with Lower Six shining with mirth. "That didn't work last time, did it?"
With a twist of effort, Oryou's human face morphed into that of a person's. The face roared, before biting at the demon's face.
Enhanced blood-water spikes were blasted into the maw. Nothing happened. Oryou didn't flinch, and Kanamue had to sacrifice his arm to Oryou's mouth in order to dodge his head being munched.
Finally regrowing his legs, Kanamue held out the stump of his arm and taunted Oryou.
"You fools! Did you really think that trying to eat me would do anything? We are unconstrained by such… such…"
"Regenerate your arm, idiot!" Warukaba shouted from yet another crater in the wall, his bones clicking back together.
"I… can't…."
"Anything that Oryou-san consumes feeds my spirit origin." Oryou said. "I can and will eat your soul. It's disgusting, but I can do it."
"Oh, fuck! These guys really can kill us! We have to take them down right now!"
"Boost me with your Blood Demon Art. The woman is the only thing that's threatening to-"
Sakamoto shot Lower Three right through the head. Blowing smoke from his pistol, he smirked. "Did you really think that we would just float here and let you monologue? You're dead apostle minions, and despite somehow still having your souls, we cannot let you all continue to live. Consider this an apology from the Counter Force for your situation."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Warukaba's regenerating face said, his skin reappearing before his blood demon art reapplied itself.
"...You don't know mage language?" Sakamoto said, raising his brow. "I thought you were at least in the loop."
"...All of your bullshit is magic?"
"Yeah," Sakamoto said. "And I really thought that you were-"
"You talk too much." Oryou said, lunging down and biting down on the Lower Six demon's head. Sakamoto's hat fell on the ground in this sudden motion, landing next to where the demon's blood was.
There was dead silence. Slowly, the headless, bleeding corpse fell to the ground and began to fade as if dissolving.
Slowly, Oryou swirled what remained of the demon's brain matter in her mouth, before forcing it down.
"He was a person that had almost drowned to death with a crew of sailors, and then was turned into a demon by somebody that looked like the person that bumped into Ryoma."
"That's the Dead Apostle that we're looking for, right?" Sakamoto said.
"Indeed. And I bet that ghoul knows where his master is."
"He… He's dead?"
"Yes. And you're about to be Oryou's snack, too." Oryou said monotonously. "What's a threat? Hmm… Yay, peace peace? No, that's not right…"
The demon leapt back in fear, before colliding with the walls behind him.
"Oh, right. This alleyway is a dead end." the demon muttered. "There's no other way out, then."
He poured almost all of his blood into his skin and muscles, making him feel dry and drained. However, that would give him more power and speed to escape.
"It's going to be a long shot, but if I can do this, I'll punch above to knock back the snake woman, then get out of this damn alleyway. Or, well, I could destroy the alleyway, but-
"How do I stop him from escaping? Eating all his limbs?" Oryou said, slowly slithering down.
All of the demon's plans ceased as he stared into the abyss that was Oryou's blank eyes. The primal fear of being stared at by an incredibly large beast ran in his veins, rooting him to the spot.
Sakamoto got off her back and drew his sword, preventing the demon from escaping below Oryou.
"You'll be giving out some information about your boss. And since you're a demon…"
"Oryou-san will nibble on you until you submit, snack."
It was going to be a long night for the demon.
…
"I'm so sorry for the demons wrecking your place, ma'am." Tanjiro said, bowing.
"Yeah, you should be!" Yushiro shouted. "How could you possibly destroy Tamayo-sama's dwelling?"
"Now, now. It wasn't his fault, Yushiro." Tamayo said. "And it was us that approached him as demons to converse with him, so in the end, it was our own actions that destroyed the hut."
"But…" Yushiro said, gritting his teeth.
"Anyways, child, you should run on with your journey. Tokyo is writhing with demons."
"Shouldn't I… stay… to deal with it?" Tanjiro asked, a look of righteousness in his eyes.
"Try not running away from the upper ranks first, and then maybe you'll stand a chance." Tamayo said, chuckling.
"Okay, okay…" Tanjiro said, smiling good naturedly. "Now, where were we going?"
"Tsuzumi Mansion!" his crow cawed. "Tsuzumi Mansion!"
…
Muzan honestly considered recalling Kyogai, if not for the fact that he was incapable of eating any more humans… because two of his lower moons had died.
The worthless Lower Six, with a Blood Demon Art that was only dangerous in theory but couldn't even puncture stone… was defeated almost instantly. Lower Three had surpassed his expectations and lasted until morning, before disappearing in the sun.
He was… quite angry. The day before Lower Six died, two more of his somewhat powerful demons had been killed by the boy with hanafuda earrings. It turns out that the young child was surprisingly competent, and the intelligence he had received from traveling demons wasn't wrong after all.
As expected of those who wear the earrings.
Back to his newest frustration… somebody that looked disturbingly like Sakamoto Ryoma. He certainly didn't make that man into a demon but, somehow, he was still alive.
And he was dangerous.
Should he act to kill this person, and his dangerous companion? Would he wish to join forces as people who should be dead but cheated nature somehow?
Muzan's eyes hardened.
"No… There's only one way that this can end."
Snapping his fingers, he prepared to gather his next candidates to fill in two vacant Lower Moon roles. Lower Three had proved to be competent against this unknown, and his thoughts about killing all of the Lower Moons had ceased. Maybe they were more useful than he thought.
"There can only be one immortal being in this world."
You may have noticed that there were some canon errors that I committed last time. If you didn't, then good! We can be ignorant together. However, Muzan didn't know that Tanjiro existed, apparently, until he bumped into him.
Which is kind of weird, considering Muzan, well, killed the family that supposedly had the hanafuda earrings and Tanjiro went out wearing the earrings. So, when Muzan killed Tanjiro's family, he wouldn't have seen the hanafuda earrings, meaning that he should know that there's still somebody out there with hanafuda earrings.
But whatever. I guess that's how Demon Slayer rolls. So, I changed the Tamayo encounter and the Muzan discovery of Tanjiro through my above descriptions. Hopefully, that makes sense.
Discord link: discord . gg / 9t9MK3jHmV :Roast me for my Demon Slayer Lore inaccuracies.
-SpiritOfErebus