Hinokami's Blessing

Chapter 25

12Thirtypain03

WARNING: This story is rated M for mature rated content. If some acts of violence, blood, or anything easily triggering makes you uncomfortable, please leave and do not read. Any change to a character, when introduced, killed, changed into demon/human, or more will be labelled in the chapter of occurrence. If a character has died in a chapter, that chapter will give a cause of death to that character.


Nezuko's POV (Butterfly Mansion)


In the midst of nighttime, Nezuko found herself up on a building, trying to mediate in the form of mastering total concentration breathing for the entire time.

Whilst she was still struggling, and not able to do it perfectly like Kanao, Nezuko could feel herself improving, and was making marginal progress with managing to catch up to Kanao.

There was, however a certain issue.

The specific time of day everyone was available with.

Many seemed to have ironically forgotten that Nezuko was a demon. The result was that she was only able to be around during the night. While this usually wasn't a problem before because she would be hunting when demons would mostly be around.

However now that she was actively communicating with fellow demon slayers, who would be sleeping during the night, it meant that Nezuko and Tanjirou both would have to train alone. It created quite the conundrum, for Nezuko only had a bit to train with Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanao, and Aoi.

The result, was that Nezuko had to specifically train alone, in mastering concentration breathing.

Thankfully however, there was one thing that made it easier.

And that was Giyu.

After Shinobu had called for Nezuko's help, Nezuko had learned that Giyu himself was undergoing some complications, and thus Shinobu had entrusted Nezuko to help with healing Giyu.

Nezuko was of course happy to help.

"He's done so much for me… I'd be glad to help him out!" Nezuko smiled.

"You are seriously nice… Even for a demon…" Shinobu gave the demon a smile, as Shinobu was starting to see why Giyu had spared them.

"Eh… My brother is honestly nicer, but that doesn't mean I'll let him be the nice one." Nezuko smiled.

"I see." Shinobu mumbled, before she sighed. "Anyways, about Giyu…"

Nezuko nodded immediately, "I already know what to do, Shinobu. Thanks for telling me in advance."

Shinobu smiled, "That's good, then knowing him, he'll probably be out right now. He's usually among the Hashira to remain the latest up."

Nezuko watched as Shinobu went down the building, probably to head to sleep. Nezuko did wave to Kanae earlier that day, when the sun had just finished setting.

As she sighed, she waited for around fifteen minutes. She was waiting for Giyu to approach her, as Shinobu had noticed that Nezuko and Tanjirou were both the only individuals he directly approached.

While Shinobu was also one he approached, it was more for other reasons, such as the help with injuries he sustained during a demon mission.

"You seemed to have messed up your concentration breathing." A male voice echoed in Nezuko's ear.

"Oh!" Nezuko facepalmed, "Sorry… Something distracted me…"

"That's the biggest reason and obstacle many fail to master it." Giyu explained to Nezuko, who could only nervously chuckled.

"That's sad… I guess I need to plan more." Nezuko tightened her hands, as she was trying to master it before her brother eventually woke up.

"Well, I guess I can help you." Giyu started up, which surprised Nezuko.

"Wait, you'll help me?" Nezuko asked.

"You are my tsukago, and my personal successor to the Water Pillar." Giyu explained, "it's only fair that I assist you in your endeavors."

"Oh… Do you ever think that you should try and remain in the Pillar, role?" Nezuko asked.

Giyu shook his head, "I'm not fit to be at such a position."

Nezuko remained silent, "I think you are worthy."

"But I failed you and your family. If I had gotten there sooner, I could have helped." Giyu sighed, clearly finding his actions when her family was being slaughtered unacceptable.

Neuzko smiled sadly, "You know, Tanjirou said the same thing."

"What." Giyu looked to Nezuko in shock, "How could he have done anything against a demon? Especially supposedly Muzan?"

Nezuko shrugged, "Probably nothing."

"But the thing is, brother knew he stood no chance. He knew he could have died too, and yet he still did his job, and tried to protect us." Nezuko smiled, as she looked down at her hands, the claws showing their purplish tint to them.

"The thing is, no matter how prepared brother was, the result would have been the same." Nezuko explained, "Even when you feel strong, and no matter the role you have, sometimes you can't save everyone."

Giyu's eyes widened a bit at that. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying, that you can do everything in the world to try and help everyone, but sometimes it's never enough." Nezuko looked down, "No matter what you do, sometimes it's never enough. And that's fine. As long as you at least tried, then it's better than doing nothing."

Giyu remained silent, as he also looked down, trying to decipher the message Nezuko was telling him.

"But how can you forgive yourself for feeling the failure of protecting your family? What about Tanjirou?" Giyu asked.

"I don't know about Tanjirou, but what I do know is that I have to accept what happened, and try and move on… Even if my family blamed me, I can't let that get to me. I just have to live…" Nezuko sighed.

Giyu looked on in sadness. He was clearly reminiscing about what his sister and friends had told him when he was feeling guilty. They knew of the guilt he felt and the depression he suffered. The demons inside his brain.

Giyu looked onto his arms, clearly piercing through his clothes, with the scars on them a testament to the hatred he had for himself. The blame he placed on himself, he thought he deserved.

But what Nezuko was telling him, and with Tanjirou asleep, she could relate to him.

And now, Giyu was looking outwards. There was no doubt in his mind that everyone had regrets. Everyone felt that they could have done something differently in life. For Giyu, he felt that he was no different.

What made Giyu different, however, was the blame he was given. Specifically, how both his remaining family, and the family of his sister's spouse reacted.

They all blamed him. When a young Giyu tried to explain to everyone that a demon attacked both him and his sister, they didn't believe him. Instead, they thought that Giyu was the one to have killed his own sister. He was condemned and forcibly sent to an asylum. An early asylum for those who was troubled.

When that occurred, Giyu was sent to a place where they would fix Giyu's demented behaviour. What Giyu went through there, he ultimately came out worse mentally. What they did to him was something he had completely forgotten. He didn't want to remember. It was horrific.

Giyu, after two years in that place, had escaped. He had tried to escape previously, wanting to get back to his family despite what they thought of him, as they accused Giyu of killing his own sister.

Whenever he tried to escape, he was locked down. When he continued repeatedly, the chains became tighter, the sessions became more brutal, and he felt himself losing a sense of his body.

He felt disconnected, unloved, and ostracized. He couldn't remember what had happened. It was that traumatic.

He only remembered his sister, and the guilt of the demon who killed his sister. He was angry, but that was ultimately replaced by guilt and regret.

He shivered as he remembered the sinister cold wind that would always cause a shiver down his spine. Giyu shook his head. Once he eventually escaped, he ran away. He didn't care where he went. He couldn't remember anything. All he remembered, was the time he spent with his older sister, and the gruesome death she underwent.

Giyu's only notable memory was the death of his sister. It was the only thing he remembered so clearly, yet nobody believed him.

After all, who would believe someone who was in an insane asylum?

When Giyu escaped, he found himself malnourished, and almost died. That's when Urokodaki came, with Sabito and Makomo. Giyu was shot mentally. All he remembered was his sister, from the trials and turbulent ships he went through.

Makomo, Sabito, and Urokodaki all helped him. They all managed to get Giyu to speak, to get him to move, and to get him to do his own things. Eventually, they taught Giyu to live, to fight, to survive.

When he explained to them how a demon killed his sister, he described it with such detail, such events, and such tragedy that the three were shocked. However, to Giyu's relief, they believed him. They believed in demons, most particularly because Urokodaki was a demon slayer.

Giyu was, finally smiling and happy again that he was being trained. He thought that this time, he would be able to protect those close to him. He thought that finally everything would work out. He could move on from seeing his sister mauled by a demon, the beating and ostracization he received from the family after, the accusations he received, and the trials he underwent in the asylum. How he nearly died trying to escape, and the scars he had. He did his best to suppress it, because he finally felt happy with a family.

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last. Makomo had died. Never coming back from the Final Selection. Giyu and Sabito were devastated, and Giyu felt himself in a trance of disbelief.

When it was time for both him and Sabito to take the same test, they had run into the exact same demon that ate Makomo.

That same demon, ate Sabito. Giyu was too injured to do anything. He was too weak, and Sabito was strong. He was supposed to be the one to survive, not him.

Giyu watched as Sabito died a violent death. He thought that was how Makomo died. They both died the same way, and Giyu felt like he deserved to die the same way.

But Sabito's last words, haunted him.

"Giyu! Run! Live for us! Finish what we started!" Sabito yelled through the pain and agony.

And so, Giyu did what he did best when he went through tragedy.

He ran. He ran, and ran.

That was all he could do. He was injured, and while healing, unable to fight properly.

On that day, Giyu felt that he should have died.

How he had gotten out unscathed while Sabito died, was beyond him.

When he came back to Urokodaki, he looked down, and Urokodaki understood why.

Giyu was afraid.

He was scared he would be blamed for Sabito's death. He had trained. He had gotten stronger, and yet that didn't matter. He still failed to protect the people he loved. Everyone he cared for, was dying to demons.

However, Urokodaki hugged Giyu, thanking that he was alive. Even when Sabito had died, Giyu was still alive, and that was all that mattered. Urokodaki had never blamed Giyu for what happened to Sabito, but Giyu had never forgiven himself.

He isolated himself, and he focused purely on his missions.

He was to kill demons. He was to not care for them, for they never cared for the people he once loved, the same ones he would never get to see again. Giyu stopped caring for demons, and would kill them all.

He may have had a slight anger towards demons, but he felt a sense of righteous. He did this to right the failures and wrongs he did for failing to save everyone.

But even through that, it was never enough. After all, he would never be able to kill the very demon who killed Makomo and Sabito.

When he became a Hashira, he didn't deserve it. Throughout his battles, and trials, Giyu felt like he deserved to be hurt.

He was so confused why he got out without any lesson. Sabito had paid with his life, and Giyu had escaped with not one injury from that demon. He couldn't come out and at least justify he tried.

Even as he fought demons, he felt that he deserved to be hurt. He deserved to be injured. He didn't deserve to fight the demons this easily. He doesn't deserve what he has.

Giyu looked on, looking at his blade.

"I should have been the one to been hurt at least…" Giyu mumbled to himself.

He pushed his sleeves and haori to the side, as he placed his blade hard on his arm.

"I hate myself." Giyu mumbled, as he felt his own blood pouring out of his wounds.

"At least I'll pay for my failures." Was all Giyu mumbled, as he walked off, his arms bleeding as he even fought demons.

Before Giyu knew it, he purposely cut his arms with his blade, so that demons would be distracted by his blood.

Giyu was not a marechi. He knew that. But demons regardless were entranced by human blood regardless, and Giyu would use that to his advantage, especially if it gave him some vigor, and some ability to suppress his guilt and sadness.

When Shinobu found out, Giyu didn't know what to say, other than, "I'm sorry."

"Giyu." Giyu's mind came back to him as he quickly looked around.

"What?" Giyu mumbled.

"You blanked out for five minutes, I was trying to call for your name for so long, you alright?" Nezuko asked, clearly concerned for Giyu.

Giyu looked down, "S-Sorry, I was just thinking…"

Nezuko looked at him in concern, before she got something from her bag.

Giyu looked at her in confusion, as he noticed it was a booklet. "What is this?" Giyu asked.

"I figured you probably have a lot going on your mind. So, I thought I'd give it to you to help you with your thoughts." Nezuko explained.

"Why would I need this?" Giyu asked.

"It's just… you never seem to be focused. You always seem distracted with something, and I figured in a mission, it would be very bad for you in the event you fight a demon." Nezuko explained, "So, if you write here every day, you can unleash your mind, without having to speak."

Giyu looked at the book, a bit unsure, but tempting Nezuko eventually made him cave. "Do I have to give it back to you?"

Nezuko shook her head, "No, of course not! It's meant to be only for you!"

"Oh, I see. Thanks, I'll write into it tonight." Giyu responded, clearly knowing what he was going to write.

A way to express his thoughts without having to speak to anyone was rather vital and valuable for him, he thought.

He placed the book in his haori pocket, which was surprisingly big. In the meantime, Giyu had promised to help Nezuko with her breathing constant.

And so, both Giyu and Nezuko began to practice it.

"I'll be with you when you sleep to ensure you retain your breathing constant." Was all Giyu explained.

While Nezuko smiled and nodded to Giyu, all he could do was think about everything, that he wanted to write in his new journal.

Once they eventually went at the training for a couple of hours, Giyu allowed Nezuko to nap, for he too needed some sleep. He was human after all.

However, as Giyu watched Nezuko sleep, looking closely at her breathing style, he eventually got an idea.

"Nezuko's breathing seems to be different, in spite of practicing total concentration breathing…" Giyu mumbled, as he thought closely.

Nezuko's breathing seemed to ironically have a longer interval between breathes. It seemed slower, but also calmer. To Giyu, it reminded him of the tranquil-like trance he felt whenever he performed Dead Calm.

Giyu understood that whenever he performed Dead Calm, his bodily functions changed completely when he used it. However, for Giyu, it was a relatively new form he himself had created, and only taught Nezuko.

But Nezuko seemed to be expanding upon the Dead Calm Form.

He knew Nezuko was modifying some of the current water breathing forms, to match that of the style.

Giyu could tell that Nezuko, and Tanjirou were both skilled if they were able to modify certain bodily movements.

But it wasn't just those two who were able to do that.

The boar head, or Inosuke. When Giyu saw him, he noticed how the boar head was moving his muscles and body organs even to a limited degree.

Giyu found it impressive, but he suddenly had an idea.

What if he performed a variation of the breathing constant, to match that of dead calm. What if he kept his heart rate that low?

While many would see that as strenuous to the human body, Giyu knew it could ultimately that the body could adapt.

And so, as he saw Nezuko sleep, performing a specific breathing constant, Giyu decided to copy that, and try to form his own constant style.

Perhaps it wouldn't be just his, but also Nezuko's, since she was unintentionally giving him the idea.

He had to resonate with the tranquility of the water, like a pond, in contrast to the rip current that an ocean could have.

While Giyu had already trained his body to withstand multiple trials and different conditions, Giyu wanted to do something extraordinary now.

He wanted to create his own constant breathing, in the form of a resonance. He would have to focus on the resonance between his body and mind, whilst also being able to suppress everything else.

That was what total concentration breathing did when it was constant, but for Giyu, he wondered what an altered version of that would do.

And before Giyu knew it, he opened his new journal that Nezuko had given to him, and begun to write his thoughts down. Both, his proposition to using a new style that could help him when it came to fighting demons, and his past and reflections that Nezuko had told him.

He managed to keep himself breathing at the same rate, the new rate, that would ultimately reflect a new style.

He had to not just carry on, but expand upon Urokodaki's wishes.

When Giyu finally went to sleep, he decided to sleep in the same room as Nezuko and Tanjirou, for these demons were people he cared deeply for.

He wouldn't let anything happen to them, and he would protect them. While he may have felt he failed them, they thought the opposite, and thought that Giyu had saved them.

Before Giyu managed to sleep, he could have sworn he saw the masks of his friends and sister, all staring down at him.

Giyu immediately opened his eyes, before sighing.

"Guess my insomnia won't go away anything soon… I guess I'll work on this new breathing…" Giyu sighed.

When Shinobu got up, he saw Giyu was meditating with Nezuko right next to him.

"Well, this is a surprise. Why didn't you tell me you were going to sleep at the mansion? I could have made a separate spot for you." Shinobu smiled.

"I was told to look over Nezuko for her breathing." Giyu explained.

"She's not performing the breathing constant." Shinobu mumbled.

"I know. She's doing something new, that I've been influenced to perform." Giyu answered her.

"What?" Shinobu asked.

Giyu merely siged, "Nezuko seems to be performing an altered version of it. It has the same repetitive and constant action as the breathing, but she seems to be using it in similar conditions to my Eleventh Form."

"I see, so you want to make yourself be at that motion constantly?" Shinobu asked.

"Yes, for now. The possibilities may be intriguing, and it may even present itself of use. Even the least, it can at least help strengthened my Eleventh Form more." Giyu explained to a confused Shinobu.

"I see…" With that, Shinobu went on to walk away, but Giyu interrupted her.

"Hey, you aren't mad with me, are you?" Giyu asked, causing Shinobu to stop.

"No, why would I be?" Shinobu asked innocently, but Giyu knew she was lying.

"You seem angry…" Giyu mumbled, "I can imagine why."

"Well then why did you ask that?" Shinobu asked yet again.

Giyu sighed, "It's something I'm not comfortable talking about… But…"

"It's just Nezuko wanted me to talk to you, so I'm trying to." Giyu explained.

Shinobu gave a small smile, "Did she now?" She smirked, "What exactly did she say?"

Giyu shrugged, "I don't really know, she said to take you out to eat or something." Giyu mumbled, "So do you?"

Shinobu was shocked at the sheer obliviousness that Giyu was showing. "Goddamnit Nezuko, Mitsuri is bad enough, but now you?" Shinobu sighed.

"T-That begs the question, aren't you supposed to be looking after Nezuko's constant breathing?" Shinobu asked.

"Well yes, but I do want to explain something to her." Giyu nodded, "Her breathing got me thinking of something that could help her and myself immensely."

"I-I see, well I'm not… a-against… going out with you…" Shinobu mumbled.

Giyu hummed, "I don't know if we can today for there may be demon missions for us, so would you like if I just cooked at my mansion and we ate there together?"

Shinobu gave a smirk. She wasn't that against going to his mansion to eat. The fact that he offered her to visit his mansion was enough.

"Well, I'll say yes." Shinobu said at last, "But we'll have to find an appropriate day."

"Well, the demon slayers will be getting a resting day within three days, so we could then?" Giyu asked.

"Of course, can't wait for that, Giyu." Shinobu gave Giyu a smile, before he walked off.

Shinobu smiled, as she felt that she was at least helping Giyu, especially if Nezuko was doing such a good job.

Unfortunately, Shinobu had other issues to deal with. The giant known as the Love Hashira had somehow heard the conversation between her and Giyu. Now, Shinobu found herself being picked up by an ecstatic Mitsuri.

"SHINOBU! DID HE ACTUALLY ASK YOU OUT?!" The eccentric Love Hashira known as Mitsuri ran straight towards Shinobu with such a tone that Shinobu knew she couldn't outrun or escape this.

She turned to Iguro, who looked shocked that the emo-boy, known as Giyu Tomioka had actually done something like ask Shinobu out.

However, considering the little conversation he had with Giyu, he guessed the guy wasn't all that bad. "Well, I guess he's coming out of his box." Was all Iguro said, with Kaburamaru hissing in agreement with him, but also seeing Giyu in a better light.

"For being so cold to everyone, his neck was very warm." Was what Kaburamaru was probably thinking about Giyu.

Shinobu sighed as she watched the fading figure of Giyu. Who had went back to speak to Nezuko.

As Giyu had managed to successfully get away from the girls and Iguro, he quickly made his way back to see Nezuko.

"Oh! Giyu! How are you?" Nezuko asked as Giyu watched the other demon slayers try and beat Kanao in a cup game, that they failed miserably.

"How is blowing into the gourds?" Giyu asked.

Nezuko smiled, showing a shattered small gourd, "I got one! I'm making progress!"

"That's good. There's actually something I want to speak to you about. Can I borrow her, Kanao?"

Kanao nodded as she watched Nezuko and Giyu walk out.

"What is it?" Nezuko asked.

"Well first, I want to thank you for the journal book, it was useful for explaining my thoughts, but also…"

"Also, what?" Nezuko asked.

"While I was watching you sleep." Giyu started, "I noticed the way you were breathing. It wasn't right onto concentration breathing constant, but something altered."

And so, Giyu began to explain to Nezuko about the idea of creating a new form. A new breathing technique that could help them specifically with their own breathing style.

It made sense to Nezuko, but Giyu wanted her to first master total concentration for a constant time, before she tried. For Giyu himself had to master this new technique, so that he could see the benefits and changes before he recommended it to Nezuko.

Nezuko agreed with the entire ordeal, and smiled, thanking Giyu before she ran back to practice her concentration yet again, with Kanao.

As Giyu made his way out all he could think was how everything came to now. How he was being the person he was now.

He had to thank Nezuko, and Shinobu, both for being with him now.

He looked up to the sky.

"Urokodaki… Sister… Sabito… Makomo…" Giyu in his mind asked. "Do I deserve forgiveness for my failures…? Did I deserved to be locked away in that asylum?"


With Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Kanao (Couple Weeks Later)


Nezuko had followed through with Giyu's own advice. Nezuko explained to Kanao everything she needed to do.

Needless to say, Kanao had nodded, and allowed Nezuko to do her own thing.

Considering Nezuko was an abnormality for demon slayers as a whole, she figured Nezuko was adept at training alone.

Within the course of the remaining three days, Nezuko had focused on her breathing constant, and trying to blow and shatter the gourds to the best of her ability.

She was finally making progress, and also managing to keep up with Kanao in the cup game. In fact, her performance and improvement was so apparent that it made Zenitsu more willing to go at it, to impress Nezuko, and Inosuke to prove his strength.

Kanao merely smiled at the group, as she was now with her elder sister, Kanae.

Aoi was also present, but was looking at them intently. She was staring at the three, observing their progress. While it was nice to have some individuals cheering, Nezuko found herself alone most of the time.

The butterfly girls were obviously nice, but Nezuko could tell they had their guards up whenever they were around her.

She didn't blame them, for she was a demon after all.

In the meantime, she blew into a size 5 gourd, and managed to get it to crack. It didn't shatter, but she was so close.

She felt confident, and once she was prepared for that, she would then perform the same technique that Giyu had hypothesized.

Speaking of Giyu, she noticed that Giyu looked a bit more relaxed. He seemed calmer, as if his mind was freer.

Nezuko smiled at that, as she knew the journal that gave Giyu some place to express his emotions and feelings was giving him a sense of calamity, and not a constant state of holding things back. Giyu looked prouder and stronger. Even if he was still the quiet person he was, he didn't seem outright distracted, and that was a good thing.

She did also have to thank Shinobu for pointing out that Giyu was still healing, and with her help the two would be able to help Giyu recover from whatever demons his mind had in store for him.

In the meantime, Nezuko focused on her own training. As she knew Giyu and Shinobu were planning on going to eat together. She knew Giyu was surprisingly good at cooking, as she had once visited him. While she couldn't eat the food, it looked and smelt good.

He clearly knew how to properly cook and take care of himself.

Sort of like, Tanjirou.

Nezuko sighed as she turned her head to her sleeping brother. She was hoping he would have woken up after a week or two, but alas, he was still sleeping. He was still in the same position, and not really moving, besides his chest going up and down occasionally.

And through it all, he had that same breathing that Nezuko was trying to perform.

Sometimes, she would use her brother's current breathing paradigm to mimic and work off mastering the breathing constant. For Nezuko, it was really difficult unless she was aware of what she was doing.

She had to learn to make a voluntary action, involuntary, and it was a struggle.

In the end, Tanjirou's own breathing was helping Nezuko somewhat as she was able to synch it with her brother to make sure it was working. She could already feel a bit better, her mind raced clearer, and her body felt fine, actually it always did since it never rendered aches and other complications.

For the meantime, Nezuko spent the night trying to mimic her brother's breathing, so that it could help her master it, and beat Kanao in the cup game. Not to mention she also needed to break the gourds.

She was on her sixth right now, and while that may have meant she was making progress, she knew that progress was futile unless you actually completed it.

And so, Nezuko tried even harder. She wanted to show herself to being strong, and not inferior to her brother.

When the day came for relaxing, Nezuko decided to continue practicing, and using the gourds. Only Kanao was inside, and Nezuko could tell from her body language that Kanao was somewhat shocked that Nezuko was still here.

Right now, Nezuko has still trying to shatter the sixth gourd, but to no avail.

She sighed, taking in a deep breathe, as the memory and tone of her brother's breathing played in her head. She then mimicked it now, and was trying to keep the breathing still. She even tried meditating to the best of her abilities, but knew that was a new learning curve for herself.

"Hey Kanao, how are you?" Nezuko asked.

"Good." Kanao spoke after flipping her coin. While Nezuko was curious about the coin, she thought nothing of it. That was just what made Kanao, herself.

"Are the others resting?" Nezuko asked.

"Yes they are. Believe it or not, they are aching from the exercises. I would have expected you to remain here, since you are a demon." Kanao explained.

"You'd be right." Nezuko responded as she chuckled at the circumstances.

"Hey." Nezuko asked Kanao, "If you don't mind, can you check on my brother?"

"Why?" Kanao asked.

Nezuko chuckled, "I just want to continue with my training, and I worry that he'll sometimes fall off the bed. Can you just watch over him for me?"

Kanao was unsure, but she eventually shrugged, "I guess… It'll be quiet too, so it's fine."

Nezuko smiled internally, before outwardly beaming, "Thanks Kanao!" She hugged the butterfly girl before Nezuko went to the gourds, and began to blow air into them.

She wasn't getting the actual cracks… yet. But she would, eventually. She knew she would.

She watched as Kanao left to check on Tanjirou, and part of her wanted to follow and eavesdrop if anything were to happen.

Alas, she knew nothing short of some small talk.

What Nezuko was excited about, was Shinobu and Giyu. She was wanting the two to go out.

However, Giyu had told Nezuko that Shinobu and him would just dine inside his mansion. She was upset at first, but after being reminded of Giyu's amazing cooking skills, Nezuko thought it wasn't that bad, if Shinobu was getting a taste, hehe.

Nezuko stretched, looking around. She made some progress that day, considering it was a rest day, and she was going to head back to her dorm. It was around sunset, and so she had to be careful of the sun.

Thankfully, she was able to get back since her actual room was within the butterfly mansion.

When she got back, she saw something interesting.

"What are you doing to my brother?" Nezuko asked.

Kanao jumped, clearly a bit confused and flustered before she answered. "I was feeling his scar. I was wondering if it would feel different from the rest of his skin."

Nezuko chuckled, "Wow, I'm not sure when brother got that scar, but I do know that's a mark! Brother did have a scar on that place when he was a human, but I don't really remember why or how he got that scar. Now that you mention it, even father had that same patch of scar on his forehead…"

"I see…" Kanao offhandedly responded.

"You interested in my brother?" Nezuko asked.

"No. I don't think so. He's intriguing, but that's it." Kanao responded, not really showing emotions.

"Hey I won't blame you if you think Tanjirou's good looking, that was the fact in our village, especially with how hard working he was." Nezuko chuckled. However, she didn't want to overly make Kanao uncomfortable. "Do you want to go for another round of the cup game?"

Kanao looked a bit unsure, but nodded. It was training after all. "Sure, we can."

"Thanks Kanao!" Nezuko smiled, as the two went out. Nezuko gave her sleeping brother a look back, before she walked off.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Tanjirou's hand twitched.

As the days went by, turning into weeks, Nezuko and Kanao had developed a good friendship. The two were rather different in their overall atmosphere. Nezuko was clearly the one who talked a lot, while Kanao was the one who listened. That wasn't to say that Kanao wasn't entirely quiet. She would sometimes talk to Nezuko, and the two would sometimes meet with each other later at night, in the room, watching a sleeping Tanjirou, with Nezuko hoping to see the day her brother would wake up.

Kanao would eye Tanjirou before looking at the sister in concern. Nezuko would sometimes tell Kanao some stories about their life in the mountains, how it was difficult, but peaceful.

When Nezuko would ask about Kanao's life, she would flinch. While Nezuko did tell Kanao that she wouldn't judge her or react, she told the butterfly girl that she was still the person she saw today.

When Nezuko heard Kanao's backstory, she was shocked and in disbelief. The sheer trauma this girl had gone through was brutal, and she could only thank both Shinobu and Kanae who rescued Kanao before it was too late.

Suddenly, Nezuko realized that maybe her life wasn't that bad compared to Kanao's.

She eventually shook her head at the thought.

"At the end of the day, everyone suffers tragedies. Everyone deals with hardships, and regardless of whether one thinks one was tougher or more brutal, they all change a person." Nezuko remembered the saying that Shinobu and once given to reflect Giyu's own personality at one point.

That was clearly true here. Both of them suffered tragedies, and there was no point in comparing them to who had a tougher life. All that did, was change who they were and the path they took.

Nezuko had a newfound respect for both Kanae, and Shinobu, but also Kanao, for the trials she went through, and being strong.

"You both became demons and watched your family die… You two are stronger for being able to resist your demonic urges." Kanao had told Nezuko, but she merely smiled.

"It's fate. I won't question it, I'll just be glad that at this point in life, everything is almost satisfactory. Also, don't downplay your own struggles. Everyone has their own story of how they got here, and we learn to respect them."

"Your brother?" Kanao asked, pointing to the sleeping Tanjirou.

"That's why I said, almost." Nezuko emphasized before she chuckled.

"Well, in the brighter news, I've noticed that you've remarkably improved in total concentration, you've almost gone through the gourds, and you are catching up to me in regards to the cup game." Kanao explained.

"I will beat you, but don't feel bad." Nezuko chuckled, "At the end of the day, I'm just glad we're at this point. To think brother and I were afraid of being caught by the Pillars." Nezuko smiled. "Now we're pretty much living here!"

Kanao nodded at her statement.

The two has sometimes been joined by Kanae, who would act like an appropriate mother figure to Kanao. Sometimes, Sanemi would join, causing Nezuko to flinch and tense herself in the event he lashed out, however, so far, he has yet to even acknowledge her, which she was thankful for, and thought was best.

She had sometimes seen the other Pillars, but that was few and far between. After Kanae, Shinobu was the other one she saw a lot, alongside Giyu.

Speaking of the two, Shinobu was grilled by Kanae about her outing. Apparently, she stayed the whole night after falling asleep. Giyu was nice enough to give her a spare room, but in a twist, Shinobu had unexpectedly woke up in the same bed as Giyu.

Apparently, she sleepwalks, after tracing back everything. Shinobu was blushing like crazy, and Giyu was oblivious, but they both enjoyed the time, and even agree to meet again some other time when they both were free.

Otherwise, Nezuko found herself enjoying being around the others in the butterfly mansion.

It was times like these that made her realize how causal everyone was. Despite the risk of death for everyone for every mission they pursuit, they all still functioned like a community.

Their profession didn't dictate their personality, and it made them have their own opinions, for everyone at least had the same goal as training to hopefully take down demons.

For Nezuko, it was noble that even in such a circumstance, everyone was still living their lives to the best of their ability.

She watched as Kanae and Shinobu talked, clearly about Shinobu's stay with Giyu. Giyu seemed to be meditating, as he was trying to focus on something new that he would eventually teach Nezuko herself. Iguro and Mitsuri were doing their own thing, with Kaburamaru slithering between the two.

As for the other pillars, they seemed to be focusing on their own circumstances, while also training.

For Nezuko, she was getting along well with the other butterfly girls, especially Aoi, and Kanao.

For the meantime, she also had to deal with Zenitsu, with Nezuko trying to keep him at a distance.

It was roughly two months later when Nezuko reflected on everything. Two months since the fight on that train, two months since both Tanjirou and Nezuko underwent a Hashira trial.

As of now, Nezuko was now managing to perform total concentration breathing for twenty four hours. She felt stronger, and her mind felt clearer.

"Is this what brother always feels like?" Nezuko asked as she was looking down and realizing everything she was witnessing. It was quite the experience.

This was evident when Nezuko had finally beaten Kanao, spilling the cup's content onto Kanao's figure. The butterfly girl looked very shocked, but Nezuko had quickly given her a towel to wiper herself off.

Despite this, Kanao was still drenched and smelling, and so she would have to take a shower to clean herself up.

In the meantime, Nezuko told Giyu the news of her progress.

"That's good to hear." Giyu responded,

"So, how is the other technique going?" Nezuko asked the Water Pillar.

Giyu, for his part, was pondering how to speak it out.

"I think I've gotten it. In recent times especially when going out to slay some demons, I've done my best to mimic it. I've personally seen some potential in it." Giyu explained.

"How so?" Nezuko asked.

"Well I've first noticed that my heart rate has dropped below to that of my usual one, which at first, made me thing that it would inhibit my movement, but to my surprise, it's actually managed to increase my speed and agility. I'm able to accurately strike demons better." Giyu explained.

"So, it seems to have the same benefits as what we already do?" Nezuko asked.

Giyu sighed, "Well, that's what's different. Because my heart rate is very low, it can act as a natural barrier to dealing with poisons. Also, with the specific heart rate, I'm able to properly distribute my blood to my brain, lungs, and extremities."

"Oh, I see. So if we do this new constant style, you think it can help with accurately kill demons directly?" Nezuko asked.

"Indeed. Those with water breathing are able to place emphasis on their defense. They are above average at best for mobility, and below average in attack. Therefore, since this breathing focuses on the idea of resonating our thoughts to our actions, it's able to bypass the speed barrier to help us approach the demons quicker, and the below average offense can be mitigated by a simple oneshot." Giyu explained.

Nezuko's eyes widened, "That's so cool!"

Giyu nodded, "It really is, but this is something you need to practice well."

"Wait, you want me to practice it?" Nezuko asked.

Giyu nodded, "You are a water breather, right?"

Nezuko nodded

"Well then it makes sense for you to learn it." Giyu explained.

Nezuko chuckled. "I guess I sh-"

Before Nezuko could even speak and tell Giyu her answer, Kanao came running down, her face uncharacteristically surprised.

"Nezuko!" Kanao panted slightly.

Nezuko turned to see the purple girl and was concerned, "What's going on, you okay?"

"Tanjirou is awake!" Kanao explained to Nezuko.

Almost immediately, Nezuko began to run towards the room Tanjirou was sleeping in.


A.N / So, Tanjirou has finally awaken. The other significant fact is that I will include a debriefing for Nezuko, Kanae, and Kanao regarding Flower Breathing, as I do plan for Nezuko to learn some of those moves.

Also, I am aware that not everything I said in the story is actual canon for Giyu's life, but I altered it slightly to make him feel a bit more troubled for Shinobu, Nezuko, and Tanjirou to fix.

Finally, a new move and concentration constant variation is now shown, with Giyu and Nezuko making it up, I'll explain more in a bit. I don't really have anything else to say, anything that needs to be cleared will be answered through reviews.


Character Profile:


No new significant characters were introduced or altered.


Abilities: Breathing Style


Giyu Tomioka:

Water Breathing Style

Emotional Control

Extraordinary Endurance

Extraordinary suppression, potential selfless state

Omnipresent Rage

Aqua Resonance

A new form of the total concentration constant, where the user will drop their heart rate and bodily functions to reduce wasteful energy consumption, and to slow poisons down significantly. The user will specifically gain increased resonance between their mind and body, able to think at superhuman speeds to make for precise movements, to deal with water breathing user's underwhelming offensive capabilities. The high resonance allows for the user to flow with their movements incredibly quickly with such precision it can one-shot demons, or damage them by quick thinking and debriefing.