Nezuko.

She didn't know where she was. On a river? In water? The ocean? It felt like she was floating, but… not cold. The small river by their home had always been so cold as it came off the mountain. But here, she felt warm. Safe. Secure. But…

Nezuko. Your brothers need you.

That confused her. She didn't open her eyes necessarily, but it felt like that somehow. The world around her came into focus. She was not floating after all, strangely enough. Instead, she lay in a field of wild-flowers. Above her, she could see blue spider-lilies waving in a calm breeze, matching the mostly clear-sky above. She smiled at the lovely view.

Nezuko.

She frowned and went to sit up. Her frown deepened. She couldn't feel her body… or she could but it felt… distant? It throbbed with pain, but that didn't seem important or distracting. It took her a minute to remember why she felt pain, but then she couldn't help but smile in pride. She'd helped to take out a Waxing Moon. She'd managed to be useful and helpful and protect her—

Nezuko!

Right, the voice! She turned her head and saw a river, wide and yawning and flowing so quickly in the middle. The other side of the river looked almost exactly like her side, except it was covered in… red spider lilies.

She blinked.

Oh.

Finally, she saw the figure on the other side.

"Tou-san," she said quietly.

He smiled, sad and wistful.

Hello, Nezuko.

"Tou-san… what…?" she asked, confused. She knew where she was, in theory, but she'd never thought of the river of death as an actual place (even if it did look and feel a little familiar…). "How am I here?" Was she dead? About to die? She didn't see a bridge… wasn't there supposed to be a bridge? Or a boat or something?

You still live and have many years ahead of you

"Oh," she felt both relieved and sad at that. Then she frowned. "Then how?" she asked again.

His shoulders slumped a little. You aren't entirely human anymore, he said. Or… he didn't say it because she could hear him as if he stood right next to her, not across a wide body of water.

She gulped. His words sent a cold shiver up her spine. She bit her lip and looked away.

"I…" she started, but he cut her off gently.

It is nothing to be ashamed of. This is what you had to do to survive – to help your siblings and mother survive. To not become a demon.

That surprised her and she looked up at him, returning his sad smile with one of her own. She wanted to ask what she was then, but sensed it wasn't the time. She didn't know why.

After a moment, the smile on his face faded.

But you are needed.

She frowned again. "Nii-san?" she asked.

Yes. But you cannot physically make it to them in time. You have to find a way to unlock your new power – you have to find them – bring them back, before one of them gets hurt, or leaves permanently.

"Leaves?" she asked, concerned.

He shook his head. Even here and now, I do not have the time to explain. Nezuko. this is up to you. I cannot help you any more.

Even as he spoke, the world around them began to fade.

Nezuko's heart lurched. "Tou-san… Tou-san, no!" She reached for him, but to no avail. The distance was just too great.

I love you, he whispered, his voice sounding far away. Don't show up too early. I'll wait.

It hurt, seeing him fade away like that – fade into darkness. Clutching her arms, she fell to her knees and yelled. She'd been so close to him… and now… He was gone again.

Something tickled her legs, though. That was…. Unexpected. She opened her eyes and gasped. Below her, she saw the clearest water she'd ever seen… and a veritable forest of vines growing through it, flowing with calm waves as the greenery broke the surface and stretched for the sky. She'd… never seen anything like it before. And… wait, was that lightning? She glanced up and saw clouds above her, not many, but still there, and still dark and flashing with lightning. Oh.

She stood (on the water? What?) and glanced around. She saw the same thing for as far as the eye could see. A blue sky outside of the clouds faded into a deep purple, and then a pink on the edges. It looked… almost unnatural, but felt perfectly normal.

She blinked in confusion as puffs of what looked like fire – but so much stronger – released randomly around her.

Where was she now?

Here. A new voice said. In your soul.

She whirled around and came face-to-face with… herself. Except… herself as a demon. Pink eyes and sharp fangs and a horn on the side of her forehead…

Oh.

"T-tou-san said I wasn't a demon," she blurted out, a little shakily.

Don't worry. I'm all that remains. Merely a figment of what could have been. The girl spoke softly, quietly, as if she chose every word with care. You wish to help your brothers.

Nezuko nodded emphatically. "I have to! I can't just leave them if I can do something!" She stepped forward a little, almost pleading. "What do I need to do?!"

The girl held up her clawed hand. I am just as much his memory as I am a remnant of your own transformations. Even as a demon, you only wanted to help your family. It is truly part of who you are. I can take you to him, if you can trust me. If you can trust yourself, because I am still you.

Nezuko looked at the hands, dark claws open and waiting. She didn't like this vision of herself – of what she could have been. But… she'd do anything to help her brother.

She only glanced up to those slitted eyes once before nodding firmly and then grabbing the appendage.

The other her smiled. Now, run!

They did, both hurrying through the vines, almost flying across the water. She didn't know how long they ran, breathing styles and demonic (or not demonic? Once demonic?) power pushing them farther and farther, even if it didn't look like they were getting anywhere.

Then, finally, they reached the edge of… of what? Her soul? The water and vines sort of tapered off into darkness, but beyond that darkness, she could see two lights – suns, both feeling infinitely cold and infinitely hot at the same time. One was significantly smaller and flickering.

He needs you more, her demon self said, pointing to the flickering light. But this is as far as I can take you. You must go the rest of the way yourself.

With that, the demon she could have been (likely had been in one life) let her go and stepped back. Nezuko glanced between her, the ledge, and the lights in the distance. The larger one flared angrily. It didn't feel right. Her instinct was to go to him, but…

But she needed to trust herself.

So she took a deep breath, then took a running leap into the darkness.

xXx

Takeo found that if he inched forward – if he crawled – he could outlast the waves of wind and power that kept knocking everyone else away. Sometimes he stood up and rushed forward, and was able to drop down when it looked like Nii-san and the Demon King would clash, but he couldn't predict every time, and he had lost a lot of ground that way too.

Now, as he climbed up the side of the tiny mountain, he practically hugged each and every rock below him, staying as close to the ground as he possibly could. He had to get up there. He had to. Something was driving him on – something he couldn't truly name – deep inside of him. It went deeper than even the demonic hunger and instincts.

Then, just when he'd climbed over the last ridge, the two demons clashed again and he fell backwards, down the hill. It wasn't far, but it felt like miles.

"No! Nii-san!" he yelled before crashing into some rocks painfully and losing his breath. He knew he wasn't truly hurt – he was a demon after all, even though that thought still made him sick – but he still felt pain.

Gritting his teeth he looked up again and went to push forward.

"Another demon?!" Takeo looked to the side to see a dark-haired boy standing above him, nichirin sword held high above his head. Takeo's eyes went wide and his heart stopped for a moment. He had to move but… it shocked him. He hadn't really thought the slayers would try to kill him! But why wouldn't they? He was a demon. "Good thing I came to make sure no one would try and help that piece of filth."

The sword swung down. Takeo tried to dodge or bring his sword up or something, but his body still hurt and was only starting to really listen to him again. He wouldn't make it, and he knew it.

NO! he silently screamed. An orb of light appeared over his hands but he had no idea what to do with it. He knew instantly it was his blood art, but it did him no good. He would die and… and what would happen to Nii-san?! And his family?! And the slayers? And—

Cling!

Takeo hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes, but he felt no more pain. After a moment, he looked up to see Nezuko standing over him, holding the man's sword back with her own. But… something about her seemed… different. She almost looked like she was glowing and… wait, could he see the forest and sky through her? Like her body wasn't even there entirely?! And her hair floated around her like she was under water…

What?

"Stay away from my little brother," she warned, her voice low.

The man sputtered. "But… he's a demon!"

"So are half the Pillars at this point, but they're still fighting Muzan!" she shot back. "He, like them, aren't Muzan's demons!"

"What even are you?! A blood art?" the man growled.

"No," Nezuko replied. "I'm a sister."

Takeo let out a half-grateful, half-hysterical laugh at that. Nezuko managed to shove the guy back a little and turned to him, face melting into a soft smile. "Hurry. Get that sword to Tanjiro."

He breathed in sharply. "How did you know that's what I was trying to do?" he asked.

She opened her mouth for a moment, then paused and closed it again. "I'm… not entirely sure."

"Wait," the man who had tried to kill Takeo said. "Tanjiro? As in Kamado Tanjiro?"

Nezuko and Takeo exchanged glances, both wincing as another blast of air and power flew by them. Thankfully, the rocks around them created a sort of alcove that didn't allow them to be blown away. Small mercies, he supposed.

"He's our brother," Nezuko said slowly, pointing up at the clashing progenitors.

The man looked back and forth between them, blinking rapidly. Then he leaned a little closer, squinting at Takeo.

"Wait… that haori… You're telling the truth." He sounded so shocked.

"H… how do you know?" Takeo asked, relieved but still wary.

The man sighed and lowered his sword a little. "He saved my life during our Final Selection. I told him I would never need to be saved again." He snorted. "I was a fool."

Takeo saw Nezuko's face soften from the back somehow (it was very strange) as she smiled. "Everyone has problems they need to overcome. I'm glad you overcame yours."

The other slayer snorted. "Overcome? No. But… I'm working on it." He sighed and looked at Takeo. "Something I would have never gotten the opportunity to do if not for your brother." Then he frowned. "A demon, though? How? Why?"

Takeo sighed. He really didn't want to go over it again. "I don't have time," he decided to say. "I have to get this to my brother."

"Your…" the man paused, then looked up as the two progenitors clashed again, enormous arms the size of tree trunks batting at each other. "Oh my… he's the demon Hashira everyone's been talking about, isn't he." He didn't say it like a question, sounding very resigned.

Again, the two siblings exchanged glances before looking back at the slayer and nodding.

"I need to get this sword to him so he can finish off Muzan once and for all," Takeo said, surprised his voice came out so steady.

The man seemed to think that over as he studied them for a couple of seconds. Then, finally, he nodded.

"Then I will speed you on your way and… apologize for trying to kill you."

Takeo shrank in on himself a little. "It's… it's fine. I mean, I am a… a demon now," he said. The words tasted bitter and sour on his tongue.

"Thank you," the man said as he rose from the bow. "I… don't know what's going on, but if you need to help him, then go. I—"

Suddenly Nezuko cut in. "Thank you, Yamamoto-san, but we must hurry."

With that, she grabbed Takeo – feeling far more real than she looked, even if it didn't feel normal per se – before she shot up the side of the mound of rocks, dragging her brother with her. Just as they left, Takeo heard the man ask himself:

"How did she know my name?"

He wasn't sure either because Yamamoto-san hadn't introduced himself.

"Nee-san?" he asked worriedly. "What's going on?"

She didn't speak for a moment as she launched herself onto the next rock. "I'm… not entirely sure myself. But… Tou-san said you needed help. I think he's helping me help you."

Takeo's eyes widened. "You saw him too?"

She paused, almost tripping, but finally nodded. "Yes," she said.

The youngest Kamado there frowned. "Nee-san, you take the sword to Nii-san." He held the sheath out, kind of hating how she'd cradled him against her like a little kid.

She just shook her head. "I don't know how long I can stay like this. And I get the feeling I'm going to be paying for it."

Suddenly something occurred to Takeo and he felt himself pale. "Nee-san… are… are you…?" he couldn't finish the question.

Thankfully, Nezuko blinked and shook her head. "No. I'm not dead. I…" she paused. "I'm pretty sure."

That didn't put him at ease.

"Nee-sa—" he started again, but Nezuko's gasp cut him off. He looked up to see her staring in horror above them. She'd scaled the mountain easily while timing her jumps so she wouldn't have to worry about being blown back, and now they'd almost reached the summit, where Tanjiro held Muzan in the hold of his too-enormous arms.

"Any last words before I eat you?" Nii-san said. Takeo could see a smile on his brother's face that he'd never seen before. It scared him. More than anything else ever could. Nii-san shouldn't look like that. Nii-san was kind and wise and protective. Nii-san had gotten sad since that morning, and he could definitely get angry but… this? This wasn't angry. This was… cruel. This was…

Demonic.

"Nii-san," he managed to whisper before Muzan broke apart, shooting out in all directions as if he'd exploded. It didn't blow Nezuko back – somehow it passed through her – but it did hit Takeo, who flew right back through his sister (beyond weird) and out over the side of the rocks, about to drop below again.

He shrieked and scrambled for a hold of some kind, not wanting all of that progress to be lost, but he knew it was in vain. Before he could truly fall, though, Nezuko had spun around and grabbed his arm. He yelped and fell against the side of the hill, hanging on only due to his transparent (and apparently sometimes intangible) sister. She looked even more see-through than she had before. Was she really not dead?!

Nee-san opened her mouth to say something, but then Nii-san yelled out and Takeo's mind went completely blank.

xXx

Akatsugi's heart sank when he saw his former master break apart. One last, desperate gambit. Then Kamado yelled something and his awareness faded out. He'd felt that before, when Muzan had… forced them to do something. It didn't take long for Akatsugi to come back to himself, but when he did, he found himself in front of what looked like chunks of flesh. Chunks of flesh with a certain smell.

He sneered at the weakness of what he used to think was the strongest being on the planet.

"T-traitor," the little thing managed to squeak. So, it knew who stood before it. Good. Akatsugi grinned.

"You disgust me," he said, then used his demon blood art to completely obliterate the pieces before turning to search for more. It felt freeing.

xXx

Sanemi wasn't entirely sure what happened when Muzan exploded. Had Kamado just squeezed him too tight? He could swear he saw pieces (ew!) of the demon fly everywhere. Would that actually kill him?

The remaining demon progenitor started yelling. "NO! NO! YOU COWARD! YOU UTTER COWARD!"

Oh. So that had been one of Muzan's defenses. Sanemi swore in his head as he dropped the two brats he'd been carrying and went to rush forward, looking for whatever was left of—

"Find him! Kill him now!" Kamado screamed with such power, Sanemi lost himself for a moment and came back only when he'd found a half-dozen piles of… flesh? They looked like homeless snails of varying size.

For a moment, the Wind Pillar shot a glare up at Kamado (he was not Tanjiro like this). Sanemi had been fully committed to destroying Muzan already. The progenitor didn't have to do that.

For now, he brushed that aside and used his wind style to slice the things into several pieces until he came to the last one…

That one he looked at for several seconds. It was neither the largest or the smallest piece of the demon king there but… He was getting hungry again, and it did smell very good. Should he try?

He thought about it for several seconds before finally dismissing the thought and slicing the Muzan piece into far tinier pieces. It continued to shrivel away until it became dust like the others had. Now was not a time to take chances like that.

"You cannot escape me, Muzan! I will find you! I will obliterate you and everything you've ever touched! Do you hear me?!" Kamado screamed. Sanemi didn't know how long he'd been out. It could have been minutes or much longer, but… something was wrong. He turned to hurry back up the side of the hill, getting to the top just in time to see Kamado cut his own arm off.

For a moment, Sanemi just stared because what? But then he saw the amount of red liquid and it clicked. He was going to use his blood art.

Whenever the Wind Pillar had seen Kamado use his blood art before, he'd noted that the kid had only seemed to need small amounts of blood for the relatively powerful and versatile effect he got. Even when he bled heavily, Sanemi had the distinct impression the kid just used the blood as a spark and had simply controlled the fire from there, with maybe the exception of when they'd confronted Waxing One. But even then, it had been a last, desperate gambit and had likely gone out as soon as they'd been out of danger. That wouldn't happen here, and everyone knew it. This would be a bonfire the size of Mt. Fuji, And with the anger – the hatred – Sanemi still sensed from the kid, did he have the presence of mind to not destroy everything living around him? Because he very much could.

Sanemi cursed loudly and rushed forward, stomach dropping in worry. (Not fear – he didn't fear the kid! He didn't!)

"Demon blood art," Kamado started. Sanemi swallowed. He wouldn't make it.

"Kamado!" he yelled. "Tanjiro!" He wasn't the only one, but nothing seemed to get through to the boy. He could see others approaching from other angles – other sides of the mound – but none would get there in time to stop him. Were they all about to die, by the person who had persuaded them to trust him?

(Sometimes Sanemi hated being right.)

Then, one voice stood out above the others.

"Nii-san!"

And the world froze.

xXx

OMAKE (crack):

"T-traitor," the little thing managed to squeak. So, it knew who stood before it. Good. Akatsugi grinned.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the Infinity Castle beyond the Sunlight. For my will is as strong as yours and—"

"STOP!" the little thing squeaked, trying to reform into a small version of something vaguely humanoid. "I gave you everything! My power! My attention! You have no right to do this to me!"

Akatsugi's grin just widened. "My will is as strong as yours and my allies as great."

"You dare…?"

The former Waxing third chuckled. "Isn't that the line from that new play just brought over from the other countries? The one you hated because the little slip of a human girl defeated the Demon King?

Muzan (or what was left of him) growled (or tried to).

Akatsugi, on the other hand, just leaned down.

"NO!" Muzan said. "You are nothing without me! You are—"

"Far better off. Because you know what, Muzan? You have no power over me."

The demon king began to melt and fizzle away. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo…ooo…o…o…"

Akatsugi just stared down at the pile of ash on the ground blinking. He… hadn't actually expected that to work.

xXx

AN: Yes, that is a Labyrinth reference. I got the idea from Kaylessa. LO

*Is now trying to get out the idea of Muzan singing 'Dance Magic, Dance' out of her head.* It hurts us, precious.

Thanks to Quathis, Found and Kaylessa for their help on this chapter! :D

Discord: discord. gg/xDDz3gqWfy (no spaces)