Hinokami's Blessing
Chapter 9
12Thirtypain03
WARNING: This story is rated M for mature-rated content. If some acts of violence, blood, or anything easily triggering make you uncomfortable, please leave and do not read. Any change to a character, when introduced, killed, changed into a demon/human, or more will be labeled in the chapter of occurrence. If a character has died in a chapter, that chapter will give a cause of death to that character.
Douma's POV
It was rather a devious plan of his that Douma had for some time been planning. It was even more impressive for himself and the other demons that had been participating in such an action for quite some time.
How our master had yet to think about doing such a deed was a disgrace.
But alas, it was something Douma himself would fix. If you can't rely on someone to do something, do it yourself.
And that was exactly what Douma was doing.
In fact, in recent times, Douma had been trying his best to be as devious as he could for now. The reason was rather simple. He had been looked down upon by many within the Twelve Kizuki.
A simple battle, against a Hashira, that Douma had failed, and almost lost. By sheer fault of Douma's error, the Flower Hashira had managed to get away, whilst Douma was severely injured, desperately seeing him needing more of Muzan's blood.
It was an embarrassment for Douma, and he wanted revenge. He would never forget the individual who had caused him embarrassment, and humiliation for quite some time. Even to this day, he has Akaza and even some of the Lower Moons laughing at him for the event.
"That girl was at least pretty." Was all Douma could say, and was the only redeeming quality he could see from the girl that had beaten him up. Then again, Douma had a pretty poor opinion of women regardless.
And so, he had been working alongside some other demons, those lower ranked to not make Muzan suspicious. As for what he was doing, he could best describe it as a way to get back at that demon slayer.
That damned Flower Hashira had cost Douma his reputation and respect, as now both demon slayers and demons alike saw him as pathetic. Both saw him as not fit for his Upper rank, but considering he survived whereas those of the lower moon came and went, he was just hoping many of them would ultimately perish before they persisted. Upper Moons were meant to be the Hashira killers, and any instance of a Hashira living against a demon slayer was a sign of weakness. For Douma, that meant many demons trying to fight him, with the hopes of defeating him to take his place as the Upper Moon Two.
Of course, Douma would not allow this.
Unfortunately, it seemed that he had managed to find a certain group of Lower moons that had stuck for a usual amount of time. The result was that he was being made fun of by the other demons for not being able to eliminate one Hashira.
One may think the others are hypocrites for laughing, however, since many of the Upper Moons are meant to be the ones to eliminate the Hashira-level demon slayer corps, it was as if Douma had failed his job.
And so, as Douma continued with his plans, he was doing this for one, proving himself, and two, getting revenge on the other demons who had disrespected him.
After all, Douma was a narcissist, to an extent, and he was selfish in his desires. He's even had his cult before, where he would feast on them. He brought the worst desires out of people, and they died for it.
Douma chuckled, thinking of the possibilities of what could happen when his plans are put into effect. Though, with this, he did have quite a question.
Would some of the Hashira be sent over to contain the issue? If that's the case, then that would theoretically give Douma to perfect opportunity to seek revenge and finally kill the Hashira responsible for his embarrassment and humility.
Douma chuckled, as he nodded towards the demons who would be the ones to carry out the mission.
"Oh, how these are the best kinds of work, the ones where everyone else, except you, does all the work, while you sit down and watch everything unfold." Douma chuckled as he was waiting for everything.
"What are you laughing about?" Douma turned to see the sister of Lower Moon 6, Daki.
"Just a plan to seek revenge on the one who's embarrassed me," Douma explained. He chuckled maniacally, as if not caring if Daki was weirded out or not.
Daki, for her part, never tried to care about what Douma did. He was a dangerous individual, almost on par with the demon king, and so Daki knew that whatever Douma was doing, just let him do whatever. Even the demon king would be unable to maintain and stop Douma from doing what he wanted.
Douma was just too powerful and worth too much to be a troublemaker.
And so, they found it worth keeping him around over kicking him out or killing him.
And so, Daki went by, wanting to talk to her brother or even Akaza. Anyone else except for Douma that she ran into.
Douma chuckled as he continued with his plight. He began to head out of the mansion where he stayed. As much as he wanted to use Nakime, he decided against it, as he wanted to make this as private as possible. In doing so, in the event it goes wrong, he doesn't care, and at best, he's praised by everyone.
And so, as Douma continued with his endeavors, he was sure to avoid the two individuals who were more powerful and respected than him. Once everything was working out, Douma would be glad to see the reaps of benefit he would be receiving.
"So, when are we exploding the wisteria up?" One of the demons asked Douma.
Douma smirked, "Oh when the newest recruits of the demon slayers are to be trying. So, when the Final Selection occurs. This'll allow you all and the demons trapped inside to combine and kill all those recruits. That'll send a message to the corps, that their resistance is futile."
"But how would this help you regain your respect from that Hashira?" The demon asked, clearly regretting it once Douma stared at them in anger, evident in his rainbow, colorful eyes.
"Now, now, let's not get too ahead of ourselves, alright?" Douma chuckled at the demon as he pointed to him.
"Now you get the honors of being the first line of offense!" Douma chuckled eagerly, now wanting this demon to reap his own words.
"Uh, don't you mean-" The demon cut himself off before he could dig himself a deeper grave. "My apologies, very well." That was what he said instead. Douma chuckled. It really reminded him back when he was the cult leader. He loved and eyed the whole progress of everything.
Douma chuckled as he saw the demon runoff. "Oh the joys of running everything based on fear, how strong such emotion is."
With that, he was nearing the completion of his plan, to hopefully secure his place and respect back.
He knew that the flower pillar girl had too much of a good heart. He knew she would be among the first to want to help the recruits, and he knew she would recognize him and want to fight him, this time to finish him.
All that talk of feeling pitiful would be the downfall of those who felt cocky.
And Douma would be the only one capable of performing such a feat.
Once he got the go, he was ready, born ready, for a second rematch. This isn't a matter of being ordered around by a boss, but rather it was an intrinsic motivation for one's self-image, and Douma needed this regardless.
He would, inevitably, get his revenge, and respect. If he didn't now, he will eventually.
Tanjirou's POV
It has been around three months since Tanjirou and Nezuko were sent out by Urokodaki and Giyu to target and slay the demons responsible for the deaths of many demon slayers whose lives had been cut short due to these demons.
The demon slayers that were killed, were all unable to reach their full potential because of these demons. If they had been given more chances to grow up and gain experience, then they may have made the difference between life and death.
Unfortunately, they were dead, and the least they could do for their dead families was avenge them. In the end, they had to move on.
That was what Tanjirou and Nezuko did. Whilst Tanjirou was hesitant and felt bad for how demons had to live, Nezuko had to remind him these were the same demons who had caused pain and agony to a family. It was also Nezuko who had to remind Tanjirou how he had snapped at that demon in the village, even stomping on the demon's decaying head.
Tanjirou chuckled nervously. He didn't mean to let his emotions run through, but considering everything, he had a tough time holding it in sometimes.
As for Nezuko's own statements, Tanjirou would then sigh and agree. The same demons that killed families were doing the same thing as Muzan and thus were no better nor different than that monster in Tanjirou's eyes. Still, he was going to give every demon he slayed a peaceful send-off unless they deserved none of it. Case in point, the very first demon he met after completing his training.
After their demon in Mukojima Village, they had found and were sent to other villages, including Setagaya, Hachioji, Takinogawa, and Ome, the last one is close to where Tanjirou and Nezuko themselves lived, or at least, the village their mountain was nearest to.
Regardless, Tanjirou and Nezuko were sent to those villages, for the sheer purpose of slaying the demons that, not only terrorized the villagers, but also those who were responsible for the deaths of demon slayers.
Tanjirou and Nezuko cut them down, slain immediately, Nezuko especially. Whilst Tanjirou had some mercy in slaying demons, it did not hamper his ability to kill them. He fought to free the demons of their curse. Nezuko, by contrast, was more for vengeance. She was unfortunately developing some hidden anger, and Tanjirou could smell the anger accumulating inside her. This of course changed, when Tanjirou got angry. Unlike Nezuko, Tanjirou's anger would spike, and it ran the risk of activating his demonic appearance. For Nezuko, who was already demon-like in her natural appearance, it was fine. But for Tanjirou, who could get away with looking like a human, it was a stark difference she was uncomfortable with.
Tanjirou had tried his best to calm her sister down, but it seems she was going down this path. Likewise, Nezuko could only calm her brother down sometimes. Although the two were having some struggles, they were at least making progress. They weren't hurting anyone, and they were slaying the demons that they were assigned to.
They were returning from their most recent mission, and after slaying the demon from that area, they were now returning to the mainland.
Tanjirou sighed as both he and Nezuko got on a train, and began to head back. It was during the day the train would last, and so they spent the entire ride sleeping, and resting, after having such an extreme battle. They also had a bit of struggle, after realizing that some demon slayers were getting in trouble for showing their swords out in public, which prompted Tanjirou and Nezuko to hide their weapons so authorities didn't see them as a threat.
All throughout the fighting, it had a message for Tanjirou.
It made Tanjirou realize that despite all their practicing, they weren't strong to easily take down even the weakest of demons. Unless Urokodaki was giving them harder than average demons that they expected, they were currently relatively weak.
Once again, the words of his father, and Muzan were both coming back to onslaught Tanjirou.
Tanjirou could remember the cold feeling on his abdomen when his father kicked him, the words his father had told him, had hurt more so than the actual physical abuse sometimes.
"That trash cannot even learn a single breathing technique. I wouldn't recommend spending your time on that brat." A young Tanjirou gritted his teeth once he heard that. It didn't sound like something his father would say, but Tanjirou could imagine that his father was upset at him for being unable to perform something even his younger siblings were able to perform.
Tanjirou remembers the words of his father bashing his eldest son...
"Why did he say such things... He already hurt me enough... He didn't need to go there..." Tanjirou, who was around seven at the time, began to cry his eyes out at the pain his own father was inflicting on him.
Of course, there were times when Tanjirou no longer was able to cry. Times when he just silenced himself from the world around him. Whenever he was outside selling coal, walking down the mountain, or walking up, it was the only sense of calamity he got. The only time he was allowed to relax. The only time, he didn't feel in fear of being hurt by his parents. Of course, not every good time lasts forever, and eventually, he would have to walk up that mountain to go back to that place.
His father would then force him to continue swinging the sword until he was pleased. Of course, his father was never, and Tanjirou would almost daily encounter some form of abuse. And that face his father made whenever Tanjirou looked up. Some of his siblings, if they impressed their father with their progress, would always be allowed to go inside, eat, and relax.
Because Tanjirou was almost never able to properly use a breathing form like his siblings, he was always the last outside... The one to get beaten... The one who usually skipped meals. The result was the scars on Tanjirou's body, specifically across his thigh, hips, and abdomen. Some scars were also intruded on his chest, and arm, as he would try to block himself from being hurt more on instinct. Of course, Nezuko and his siblings were all in this together... They would sometimes try and smuggle some small food for Tanjirou to eat, especially when it would darken, and father would still force Tanjirou to be outside.
Then, there were the times when Tanjirou was kicked out on New Year's. Usually, it was very cold, and Tanjirou couldn't wear warm clothes because he had to wear the robe for the Hinokami Kagura. It seemed that the area around the mountain and village always snowed around the New Years, for Tanjirou was always met with the barrage of snow falling whenever he was kicked outside for New Years, forced to make his way to the village, to a church to perform the dance, before he was able to come inside the house after the night passed.
Whenever the bystanders asked why he was looking so dirty, Tanjirou merely smiled sadly, telling an excuse like he was tired of practicing for it... It was partially true...
No, he was tired from being beaten, malnourished, and shunned by his parents, because he couldn't do something his siblings easily excelled at. All he could do better than even his father was the Hinokami Kagura. But he couldn't do that else his father always beat him more severely than the other times. Not to mention that incident with the hanufuda earrings... The very ones he was wearing now.
But whenever father was about to hit him, Tanjirou could always smell sadness... His face...
It was full of regret.
"Why did you give me those faces? I would have rathered your face to show actual hatred for me, just like how bad you talk about me... At least be honest about your emotions, and stop trying to make yourself feel bad for abusing me and my siblings!" Tanjirou gritted his teeth.
Of course, the work intensified when my father died due to an illness. Instead, his mother picked up the work. While she was less lenient on hurting her children, Tanjirou was, unfortunately, having to run down the mountain to sell coal, whilst also burning coal. He also was still subjected to abuse from his mother instead. The only advantage he had, was feeling a sense of serenity when walking on the slope of the mountain. The snow made him feel calm.
However, it also gave him some of the most traumatic memories.
That was, the times he would be kicked out the house in the blizzard to perform the Hinokami Kagura at the village, and the second, was seeing the dead corpse of his family, and his eldest sister almost being killed by that man.
"So useless... So weak... So ugly... So... worthless... Why did I ever worry for you?" Tanjirou remembered the words that the man had forged into his memories. Not that he would care under normal circumstances, but reinforced by the constant complaints his father made about him, it hurt and left a mental scar on Tanjirou. Even now, he wasn't sure if he was worthy of being strong, if he had proved father wrong... He still had some trouble holding his emotions down whenever he was in a battle, and thus sometimes activated his demonic instincts...
Tanjirou sighed as he woke up and, both he and Nezuko had woken and begun their trek back. It was quite the journey they had last time, but because both of them were demons, they were fine with performing such large journeys.
If anything, it gave them both a sense of exploration.
It was a good brief way of taking Nezuko's mind off of things temporarily. For now, Tanjirou was briefing over everything.
He was looking out for any crows, but did not see any. That meant that neither Giyu nor Urokodaki had any new missions for them.
Therefore the two were just left to their own devices.
It was strange that both had very little to do, after everything they did when it came to demon slaying.
Now, the two were just chilling, waiting for their next mission.
Their next mission would be critical, as they knew with each passing mission, they would be closer.
After half a week of more missions, Tanjirou and Nezuko were sighing based on their mission.
They were panting somewhat, as they stared down at the most recent demon they were facing.
Tanjirou looked at Nezuko, hiding around a damaged column of the wall due to the demon's own hands.
"Seems this demon's hands are very strong, best to remain at a mid-range to swipe the demon's throat without getting too close to be blasted off…" Tanjirou thought to himself.
Without much thinking, Tanjirou got out of his spot, dashing towards the demon.
Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow
In a display of pure elegance and strength, pouts of watery steps began to pule the battlefield as Tanjirou swung himself towards the demon, quickly ducking underneath the demon's fist.
With a mighty swipe, Tanjirou sliced the arm of the demon, making them a bit more vulnerable.
"If this demon's strength is its arms, then I'll strike them down!" Tanjirou exclaimed in his thoughts, slicing apart the demon once again, using his own demonic body to tank any hits from the demon's legs, which were much weaker by comparison.
Nezuko once again took the opportunity to strike.
Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel
Nezuko, performing a backflip to avoid the demon's remaining swing arm, which Tanjirou grabbed, began spinning and swiping the demon right at the neck.
The demon was only barely able to survive by kicking Nezuko away, but the demon had lost her arms as a result of Tanjirou.
"Damn, you!" The girl yelled watching her arms slowly regenerate.
"Her regenerations are not fast enough! That's the cue!" Tanjirou exclaimed as he performed the final move.
Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool
With a mighty snap of his wrist and body, Tanjirou concocted a whirlpool that caught the demon off guard, as he was moving so freely it was hard to keep track.
"Where did he go?" The demon asked, before noticing he was right to her left side.
"Shit!" The demon exclaimed, trying to kick Tanjirou away, only for the whirlpool to catch her off guard, and she lost her balance.
Tanjirou anticipated this, and swung his sword lower to compensate, striking the neck of the demon, her head falling off.
"Damn, you!" The demon girl yelled in pain, "You have those swords!" The girl yelled, and Tanjirou sighed.
"May you be human in your next life, you may rest now." Was all Tanjirou said, as he gave the demon a sad smile, with his mask, before leaving.
The demon girl could see that Tanjirou himself was also a demon, due to the teeth and fangs he had shown briefly. She then assumed Nezuko was also a demon, and before the girl knew it, she was crying.
Tanjirou kneeled and placed a hand gently on the crumbling head of the demon girl as he watched her disintegrate.
At least the girl did not die alone.
Sighing, Tanjirou got up, with Nezuko waiting for him.
"Do you have to comfort them near death?" Nezuko asked.
"Yes, Nezuko, wouldn't you want the same?" Tanjirou asked, and Nezuko went quiet at that. "I can smell that this demon... As a human..."
"What?" Nezuko asked. "What did this demon go through to make you sympathize with them?"
"This human was left without no parents... And was turned into a demon because it was easier for her to survive as one." Tanjirou sighed.
"How many demons have we slain so far?" Nezuko asked after a bit, clearly not wanting to continue with that conversation.
Tanjirou counted, "Around eight I'd say, almost nine with this demon."
"I see, how much more do you think we have to kill, brother?" Nezuko asked.
"I'd assume a dozen, but I could be wrong, that's the least, and the most may be like fifty." Tanjirou mumbled, "Actually now, that's the amount needed to become a Hashira!"
Tanjirou shook his head, as he decided to leave it at that. He noticed two crows when he looked up at the sky. One was going away, and he assumed that was the crow that was going to inform Giyu and Urokodaki about Tanjirou and Nezuko's progress.
But the other one was flying towards them already.
Nezuko and Tanjirou both anticipated another mission.
What they got instead, was something completely unexpected.
"Caw! Tanjirou Kamado and Nezuko Kamado are to return to Urokodaki's estate and house! You will be attending this meeting as well!"
Both Tanjirou and Nezuko looked at each other in confusion and worry, before they decided that going back was their best bet now.
Packing up, and ordering some food, they began their trek to make it back to Urokodaki's.
Over the course, they would stop to practice their sword skills, by sparring each other to improve one another. In the meantime, they were also weary of the sun, however wearing clothing to cover their skin did act as a protection.
It did make both of them wonder why demons didn't just do that. They weren't sure, but they instead just went along with it. They were able to be in the day, at least when it wasn't humid or in the afternoon. Early morning and late evening were now times when the two could get out without worrying about burning.
This gave them more time to travel across the area, and eventually make it back to Urokodaki's house.
It only took them around a day and a half, which counting how far they were, the most East they've ever been, it was something they were happy about.
"Hey, Urokodaki!" Both siblings hugged their teacher, who hugged back.
"Glad to see the both of you making progress. I've gotten every report by the crows, and they all seem very emotional." Urokodaki explained, "You both are doing fantastic jobs."
"Thank you Urokodaki…" Both siblings mumbled, clearly unsure what to say.
"So, why did you call the both of us back to your house?" Tanjirou asked.
At this, Urokodaki looked over towards the house, "Let us wait for Giyu to come out."
"Alright." Both siblings nodded as they waited patiently for Giyu to come out.
After a bit, Giyu finally came out, but he looked a bit different. More stressed. While it was not evident with facial expressions, Tanjirou could smell the stress from Giyu, and Nezuko could sense from the heat proportion from his body that he was tense and stressed.
"Is everything alright, Giyu?" Nezuko asked.
Giyu sighed, "Not necessarily, but rather we had an unexpected development occur."
"What happened?"
Giyu looked at Urokodaki for confirmation, to which he nodded.
"As you both know, there is currently Final Selection going on, where trainees go to prove their worth to become demon slayers corps. That same Final Selection area, or Mount Fujikasane, has unfortunately been attacked by demons." Giyu started.
"But how? I thought the Wisteria was protecting them from outside demons?" Tanjirou asked. Nezuko nodded, clearly confused
"That was the main defense against external demons." Urokodaki jumped in to fill in the information, "Unfortunately, It seems some external demons managed to subdue and kill the wisteria out."
"What…" Tanjirou mumbled.
"It seems mass amounts of wisteria had mysteriously died, exposing the area to demons from the outside coming in. However, it also is allowing many of the demons trapped inside the foot of the mountain to come out." Giyu explained.
"That's…" Nezuko couldn't say anything. That was pretty serious.
"So, we have a different final test for the both of you." Urokodaki started, and immediately both Nezuko and Tanjirou piped up once they heard this.
"You will be assisting many of the trainees in managing to contain and slay any demons that have gone loose within Mount Fujikasane." Giyu started. "In doing so, you will be tested, both for keeping your demon presence quiet from any demon slayer, and will be tested among demons of a particular strength you are expected to surpass."
Tanjirou and Nezuko both looked at each other. They were officially being tested to the point of assisting in a major mission. A serious one where they would be working with other demon slayers. The possibility of everything going wrong was enormous, and neither of them knew what to do.
"This may seem nerve-wracking, but just remember to keep the face masks on you, and zip up your mouths, and make sure you evade any demon slayer, especially when trying to hide in the daytime," Giyu warned and advised the two.
"As for the demons, they shouldn't have any blood demon arts, unless you are unlucky to run into an external demon, but those will likely be countered by higher-ranked demon slayers," Giyu added.
"Understood, so we're going to slay and contain some demons who've escaped because the Wisteria mysteriously died?" Nezuko asked.
Giyu nodded, "For the time we don't know how the Wisteria died, but our expert in medicine, Shinobu is working on it."
"Is Shinobu your girlfriend?" Nezuko asked, causing a tick to appear on Giyu's forehead.
"No." He bluntly said, and Nezuko's eyes lightened.
"OH MY GOD SHE IS! THAT FACE OF DENIAL SAYS IT ALL!" Nezuko screamed, and both Tanjirou and Giyu recoiled.
"Why are girls like this… She's not even my friend… I have no friends, as she would say." Giyu mumbled to himself.
"If you both manage to succeed in the demands, then you both shall start your journey as demon slayers," Giyu concluded moving past Nezuko's outburst of glee.
Urokodaki sighed, "Also, if you can defeat this green, hand demon, I may try to increase your rank, and prioritize your ascension to an official demon slayer."
"A green, hand demon why?" Tanjirou asked, and he noticed a somber look from Giyu.
Before Tanjirou could continue, the images of Sabito and Makomo popped up. When they had turned to ghosts and dissipated, Tanjirou got the memory of how they died and how they were eaten by a hand demon.
It all made sense, and Tanjirou's eyes glared with determination, "I will avenge Sabito and Makomo for the both of you."
Both Giyu and Sabito were shocked to hear Tanjirou say their names.
"How does he know about them?" Both Giyu and Urokodaki asked, clearly shocked.
Regardless, the two of them bid them farewell, made them dress appropriately to make sure they would not be identified for a demon characteristic, and they were sent on their way to Mount Fujikasane.
It took them around half a day, and they were thankfully allowed in, as they noticed the blades both individuals had. Tanjirou could smell a lot of demons, and Nezuko could trace the heat off of them.
"Nezuko?" Tanjirou asked. "Should we split up?"
Nezuko shrugged, "Maybe we should and try to meet up at the foot of the mountain?"
Tanjirou nodded, "Alright, I'll head North, you head South, alright?"
Nezuko nodded and hummed in agreement.
However, before both of them could, they were attacked by four demons.
Both had the same panic, "Four demons at once?!"
Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel
Thankfully, they both managed to split them in half, perfectly utilizing the angle their form could cover to slice two demons down at once, for both Nezuko and Tanjirou.
Sighing in relief, they knew that there was much more, yet to come. And so, as they continued to push forward, Tanjirou told his sister one thing.
"Keep ahold of your anger, alright?"
"Same to you, I don't want you to be dealing with your demonic instincts, again brother."
With that, Tanjirou leaped off, to find any demons that he could notice or see. He had left Nezuko to go her way, as he was focusing more on his part of the deal.
As he looked towards his area, he quickly sliced apart another demon that was just standing there. While he was hoping the demon was a human-like individual like himself, he ultimately knew the demon was probably dazed from lack of human flesh.
And so, Tanjirou found it suit to rid the demon of their agony. Tanjirou quickly charged toward the center of the mountain, his mask tightly sealed on his face to hide his demonic features. If any demon slayer sought after him as a demon, he would no doubt be screwed, for he had no easy way to escape.
Tanjirou sighed, praying once again for the demon who had died in his hands.
For the time being, Tanjirou continued to look towards the center, as he made his way.
As he continued to progress, he cut down every demon he came across with little to no strain on his body. He did not care if a demon could attack him. Tanjirou could heal from his injuries, compared to a demon if he managed to slice their neck off.
The main area of action came around a clearing, where some demon slayers were getting attacked by quite an amount of demons.
Tanjirou could smell that the demons attacking these demon slayers this time was much stronger than the usual demons he usually fought.
At the moment, it seemed only one demon slayer remained alive. And he didn't even have a sword. This demon slayer seemed slightly taller than Tanjirou himself, He had a goatee black hair, and was the only one alive.
"How is this dude still alive?" Tanjirou asked, clearly confused, especially once he saw the dead bodies of other demon slayers.
That alone showed Tanjirou how stronger these demons were compared to the others Tanjirou could just slice off.
Tanjirou noticed the demon attempting to strike down the demon slayer.
Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash
Tanjirou quickly made his way toward the demon, which she saw once Tanjirou got close enough to her.
To Tanjirou's surprise, his sword was only able to slice her arm, with the velocity and momentum he had being stopped by how thick her body must have been.
"Well, what's another demon slayer doing here?" The demon asked, clearly intrigued by Tanjirou, "Good luck trying to slice me entirely, my muscles will make it difficult!"
Tanjirou looked on to notice the girl demon, who was muscularly built. This was going to be quite a difficult battle.
The girl demon quickly charged at Tanjirou, attacking the demon boy with quick successive punches and kicks, which Tanjirou could feel was hurting him.
"Got to keep resisting!" Tanjirou mumbled to himself, as he spotted the opening he needed.
Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Trust
Quick as he could, Tanjirou slashed the demon right in the eyes, temporarily blinding the girl demon. Using this opportunity, Tanjirou kicked the demon away before the demon's regeneration allowed her to see again.
Needless to say, the girl demon was pissed.
"You little shit, you'll pay for that!" The girl, quicker than Tanjirou expected jumped high in the air, punching the ground with her fist, creating an indent and shockwave, causing both Tanjirou and the other demon slayer to skid back until they were stopped by a tree.
"What the hell was that?!" Tanjirou exclaimed. "That was too strong to be normal, or even demon-like…"
The girl demon chuckled, "Yes! Hit two birds with one stone."
Tanjirou quickly shrugged off the attack, and the girl demon looked at him.
"So one of you still stands, huh? Guess I'll just have to continue beating you down!" The girl grinned as she once again ran towards Tanjirou.
Tanjirou's eyes widened yet again at his, "Got to keep her at the midrange!" He exclaimed to himself, telling himself not to get too close to this demon.
He quickly turned to see the other demon slayer getting up, though struggling a bit.
Once again, Tanjirou was sent flying towards another tree, which this time he prepared for, landing feet first, before jumping back towards the demon.
The demon looked shocked as Tanjirou went for the killing blow.
Water Breathing. First Form: Water Surface Slash
Tanjirou attempted a quick sweeping slash from his sword, only for the demon to quickly raise her arms to block it again. The blade managed to sweep and slash both her arms, but it gave her enough time to move her head back, and she just glared.
"I'm not done with you yet!" The girl demon exclaimed as she launched her legs out, slamming it on the ground, once again causing a shockwave, this time being more powerful, and launching Tanjirou in the air.
The demon girl then kicked Tanjirou into a tree. Tanjirou couldn't land this time, and fell on the tree painfully, coughing a bit of blood. Still, he stood up.
The girl for her part looked confused, "How the hell are you still standing?!" She quickly grabbed the demon slayer who had tried to pounce on her, and slammed him down to the ground, stomping on the demon slayer.
Tanjirou's eyes reddened after that, and he was going to make the demon pay. He wasn't trying to kill this demon, he was now trying to save the demon slayer.
Water Breathing, Seventh Form, Modified: Curve
Tanjirou went to face the charging demon yet again, this time managing to stalemate her advances, before his blade stabbed right through her, and he continued his momentum until he struck a tree.
The girl demon for her part also coughed out blood but was still alive.
"If you want to survive! Then help me!" Tanjirou yelled, "I don't know why you are just sitting there, but if you want to survive, then it's best to cooperate!"
The boy for his part gritted his teeth, "I didn't ask for your help!"
Tanjirou sighed, "Well you're getting it, now what's your name?"
The boy, for his part, looked very troubled, clearly not wanting to work together with someone he knew little about.
However, considering everything with the demon in front of them, he had no choice but to accept.
"Fine, Genya Shinazugawa."
Tanjirou nodded, "Tanjirou Kamado, and we're going to have to work together, now, why don't you have a sword?"
"Argh… I lost it." Genya explained, and Tanjirou sighed.
"Alright fine, but why are you choosing to continue pursuing the demon, then?" Tanjirou asked Genya, and he knew he was hiding some stuff about himself.
Under many circumstances, Tanjirou knew not to pursue other people's secrets, but in this situation, it seemed to be about his battle against the demon, which was something he needed to know about.
Genya knew this was something he would have to tell someone, especially in this situation.
"Fine! I can fight by eating demons." Genya revealed.
At this Tanjirou's eyes, it was widened.
"Wait, this guy eats demons to fight?! What kind of breathing style is that?" Tanjirou was confused, as this was something he was not aware of, or even possible.
"So you need an opening to bite into the demon to fight them?" Tanjirou asked, and Genya nodded.
"I could give him some of my blood if he so desires, but risking myself to being a demon could be a bad idea… I might have to make up a story to make him believe I'm human somehow…"
Tanjirou was stumped, clearly not knowing if this was a good idea.
In the end, the demon girl just looked at the two angry.
"Are you two having a conversation whilst I'm here!" The girl asked angrily.
"Hey, it's your fault you are allowing us to have this conversation," Tanjirou responded offhandedly.
"Grrr!" The demon girl lunged at Tanjirou, with the intent of choking the boy to death. She managed to grab Tanjirou and trap him by a tree, as she began to choke Tanjirou out. Tanjirou could feel himself losing it... Why was he unable to push this demon back? He was a demon for Christ's sake!
However, as it seemed to come to him, a strange voice began to play in Tanjirou's head.
"Hehehehehe, the reason is simple, Tanjirou-kun." Tanjirou's eyes widened when he heard what appeared to be a voice talking back at him.
Almost immediately, his vision flashed. Once in a forest, he was now in what could only be described as a firey storm.
"Where am I all of a sudden?" Tanjirou asked himself.
"Oh silly Tanjirou, I'm you!" The unknown individual chuckled maniacally, which creeped out Tanjirou. "You don't remember me?"
"Umm, no?" Tanjirou shrugged. Despite being in what appeared to be a firey storm, Tanjirou did not feel uncomfortable. The storm reminded him of the times when he was out on the snowstorm performing the Hinokami Kagura.
"Oh, silly boy... I helped you defeat your first demon! Remember?!"
Tanjirou's eyes widened at that, "You mean, the demon who abused their children when they were human?"
"That's right!" The figure, which appeared before Tanjirou himself, chuckled.
It was here did Tanjirou's eyes widened. "Wait... What are you... Why do you look like me? Except..."
"I'm you, dimwit. What do you expect? I'm the true representation of your demonic instincts." The demon inside Tanjirou explained, which got Tanjirou's eyes to widen.
"WHAT?! But I thought I was the demon... What?" Tanjirou mumbled, turning to his demonic counterpart.
Whereas Tanjirou himself only had some jagged scars on his face to represent some form of marking for a demon, he was still human-like. This figure, however... He appeared more demonic and menacing. He glared down at Tanjirou.
This demonic counterpart for Tanjirou... He looked more menacing... There was a flaming scar on this demon's face encompassing the left side of his forehead, passing through his left eye, and even connecting with another flaming scar under his right jaw, they connected. Not to mention ANOTHER one on the right side of his forehead that extended below to cover the right side of his neck, connecting further down to the right side of his body. He also had red flaming scars that spread across his arms, biceps, and shoulders.
Then there was the blood-red hair that changed dramatically from the crimson-tipped hair Tanjirou had.
This really was the demon Tanjirou speaking to him.
"So why are you speaking to me now?" Tanjirou asked.
"Isn't it simple? You are being overpowered by a lowly demon." Demon Tanjirou sneered.
"What... But I'm a demon... I should be able to keep up with them!" Tanjirou exclaimed.
"That's what you thought... But you don't know how the demon inside of you works, huh?" Demon Tanjirou asked.
"Huh?" Tanjirou asked.
"Exactly. Short put, I'm the demon part of you. You are the human part of me." Demon Tanjirou explained.
"Well... So I'm still a human?" Tanjirou asked.
"Yes. Whereas I'm the demon that Muzan's blood accumulated towards. Because you got the bare minimum of Muzan's blood inside of you, managing to survive, and even fend it off, Muzan's blood now symbiotically lives inside of you..." Demon Tanjirou explained.
"So, I'm assuming that demons usually have their blood overrun by Muzan's blood cells?" Tanjirou asked.
"Indeed. As a result, we are split in our minds... Your blood and body have managed to assimilate the blood in a way that you retain your own body... At the very least... Unless you get ahold of your emotions." Demon Tanjirou explained.
"What? My emotions?" Tanjirou asked.
"Yes, whenever your emotions run rampant, your blood level rises, and with that, so does Muzan's cells. The demon cells inside you." Demon Tanjirou explained.
"So then I become a demon for that time, huh?" Tanjirou asked.
"Exactly, and that's where I come in to take care of you, so that you don't do anything stupid." Demon Tanjirou explained.
"W-What? I thought you'd be the one to want to eat humans?" Tanjirou asked.
"Please, like I said, your body has found a way to incorporate the demon blood inside of you. In short, you don't need to eat humans, and likewise, I don't have to neither." Demon Tanjirou explained.
"Well, what makes us different then?" Tanjirou asked.
"You'll have to find that out yourself... But if you want to win this battle, you'll have to risk and give myself control for now." Demon Tanjirou explained.
"But why should I trust you?" Tanjirou asked, clearly not trusting still.
"Because we both want to kill Muzan, but for different reasons." Demon Tanjirou explained.
The next thing Tanjirou knew, he went dark again, as his firey storm turned into a calming, watery heaven-like land.
Instead, he woke up but was seeing the world in a different light. Almost all of his senses were amplified, and he was seeing beyond what he thought he was capable of. The only sense that wasn't amplified was his smell, and that was because he was already able to smell beyond what was reasonable.
However, that didn't change anything. He still was wrestling a demon who was winning.
Suddenly, to the naked eye of Genya and the demon, if they saw what was through Tanjirou's mask, they would freak out, for a maniacal smile went across Tanjirou's face.
To the demon's surprise, Tanjirou was not hyperventilating, instead grunting, and eventually, after a bit of time, began pushing the demon back. Albeit it hurt Tanjirou a lot, he was managing to do such a thing.
"This kid, how is he pushing me back?!" The girl demon was beyond flabbergasted, as she found herself being thrown off.
Tanjirou breathed heavily, as Genya too looked in shock. Tanjirou chuckled.
"Is that really all you can do, you demon scum?" Tanjirou asked, his voice shocking both Genya and the demon.
While the demon was shocked, Tanjirou took this time.
Tanjirou quickly ran to Genya, as he looked at Tanjirou in a bit of an apprehensive tone. Then, Tanjirou cut open a part of his wrist. Genya looked at him in confusion, before he cupped some blood and told Genya to drink.
"If that'll help you fight, then just drink it," Tanjirou told Genya. "Unless you want to keep remaining weak, then drink it up."
"I drink demon blood to do this, not human blood," Genya told him.
"I'm not entirely human, I should have some demon blood cells in me that should help you." Tanjirou told Genya, who was shocked at the revelation Tanjirou had given him.
Regardless, he gladly took the donation, and Tanjirou himself could see the demonic transformation Genya was going through. It was rapid and immediate, and even the demon girl was able to see it.
"What the hell are the both of you?" The girl asked confused, "Whatever, I'll kill both of you!" The demon launched herself forward to Tanjirou, but Genya was able to intercept and swipe at the demon who growled in pain.
Tanjirou took the opportunity to utilize his attack to fight against the demon. Whilst this time, Tanjirou was not actually looking like the Demon Tanjirou in his mind. He had the marks across his face and body, but they were jagged scars, rather than the flaming marks Tanjirou had seen.
Despite Tanjirou's move, she would not budge. She stomped her feet and caused yet another shockwave. This time both Genya and Tanjirou were able to evade and continue their onslaught.
"That shockwave of hers seems unusually powerful. She's on the cusp of turning it into a blood demon art... BETTER REASON TO SLAUGHTER HER NOW! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Tanjirou thought, and it wasn't farfetched to think about. The demonic version of him was out, but not completely awakened.
Tanjirou knew about the aspect of a blood demon art, as even he was considering if he would unlock one. He then chuckled, "What am I saying, of course I'll get a blood demon art! And a flamboyant one at that!"
After all, both Urokodaki and Giyu said that demons can manifest their blood demon arts into their passions and fighting techniques.
There was no doubt in Tanjirou's mind that this demon was manifesting a blood demon art, to the point it was making her more difficult to fight.
Knowing what was at stake, Tanjirou eyed the girl demon with cruelty and focus, as he knew this demon was more difficult, and he was right. At least, he had another demon slayer with him, who may know about his demon blood, at least benefiting him for now.
Genya momentarily blindsided the girl demon with his powers now that he had some demon blood in him, whilst Tanjirou used his water breathing to slice and dice the body of the demon girl.
If he could at least slice off her extremities, then he would make the torso vulnerable to a neck slash, which was exactly what Tanjirou was going for. That's what he wanted to do. He chuckled maniacally.
He grunted when the demon got a hit on him, but at least smiled when Genya took the bait and got a swipe in.
Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin, Destruction
Tanjirou, with a mighty swing let down his sword onto the demon girl, who raised her arms.
Once again, Tanjirou made sure to slice through both of her arms, to give Genya the room to do his move.
The girl once again backed up but was anticipated by Genya who purposely tackled the demon onto the ground, deciding to bite into her torso rapidly.
The demon girl howled in pain, before kicking Genya harshly into a tree, who at this point was exhausted and could only watch Tanjirou finish the job.
"Weak..." Tanjirou mumbled.
Tanjirou eyed the girl demon, focusing on the neck of the demon as he continued to combine water-breathing techniques into the combination, almost like a dance.
"Remember Tanjirou, remember to dance…" His father's words came back to talk to him, and suddenly, Tanjirou focused on his breathing, now moving quicker, stronger, and almost like lightning. The demon couldn't outrun him now. Not when the demon inside of him was helping him now, the demon blood now assisting him, landing a helping hand.
Tanjirou's eyes widened, before they turned to anger, "LIKE HELL I NEED IT! I won't listen to you anymore! I will do things MY WAY."
Tanjirou eyed the demon, smelt the demon, and he could have, for a split second, seen the demon's organs, muscles, nerves, and everything. However, he chopped it to his mind playing games with him and focused on cutting the demon's head off.
Tanjirou saw the opening thread towards the demon's neck, and he sliced it right open. The girl's eyes widened in shock and surprise.
"You bastard! Why couldn't you have just let me escape this wicked mountain!" The girl cried. "I was trapped here against my own free will!"
Almost immediately, Tanjirou gasped, as he felt himself coming back to reality. Despite this, he wasn't feeling merciful for this demon.
"I am the manifestation of all your intense emotions, Tanjirou. Whenever you need me, just let your emotions run wild!" The demonic version of Tanjirou told his human counterpart. "Now you will see how different we truly are, Tanjirou Kamado."
"You were sent here for a reason." Tanjirou told the girl sternly, "That reason was for hurting other humans."
The demon girl seemed to deny the fact she hurt anyone and was just looking after herself.
"Don't give me that bullshit, you scum," Tanjirou spoke, a dark tone coming over his voice.
The demon immediately flinched, as Tanjirou began to stomp on the demon's head.
"Have fun in hell, you good-for-nothing brat. Also, next time in your life, grow some hair. It'll cover the hideous muscles on you." Tanjirou bluntly told the decaying demon as he walked off.
"Alright, that's enough..." Almost immediately, once the battle was over, Tanjirou managed to calm himself down, which in turn caused him to revert back to his human form. He panted, as his head was beginning to hurt.
"Wow... So letting my emotions run wild causes my demonic urges to activate... The demon me comes out... So far, it just seems to be more unforgiving, more cruel, and more stoic..." Tanjirou thought to himself.
All in all, it was somewhat cool, but he had to hold it back, for he had a mission right now.
All Tanjirou had to do was point at the decomposing bodies of the demon slayers she had killed, giving her a serious face. He may have been an honest individual who would give demons a peaceful death, but for those who continued to lie about their wrongdoing, Tanjirou saw no reason to comfort them.
This demon girl was a perfect example. Justifying her acts of causing death to her being trapped, scared, and looking out for herself. It was something he did not see as a legitimate excuse. Tanjirou himself was an example of a demon who did not need to eat human flesh and so was Nezuko.
Therefore, Tanjirou knew that with enough willpower and hesitance, any demon could withstand their desires. Tanjirou knew this and thus wanted to wish every demon could overcome their desires, and eventually become human with time.
Once the demon was disintegrated, Tanjirou picked up Genya and turned towards the demon slayer girl, whom he smelt whilst he was finishing off the demon. He couldn't react to the girl knowing it could have distracted and inhibited his ability to slay the demon.
"He's been injured when I found him fighting the demon. The other demon slayers over there are dead. Take him for his injuries." Tanjirou told the girl.
Said girl had large, lilac colors. She had a noticeable butterfly ornament on her ear, with a purple demon slayer uniform. She seemed to be Tanjirou's age, with black hair tied up. And a smile that seemed very forced, if Tanjirou could say.
Regardless, he couldn't focus on her. He had to focus on reaching the center of the mountain, where he would meet up with Nezuko. In the meantime, he nodded to the girl, giving her Genya's unconscious body to lie down properly before he was on his way.
"That was a close one, that girl was eyeing me up, I hope she doesn't think I'm a demon…"
A.N / Well that's chapter 8! We get to see a bit of action between Tanjirou, Nezuko, and the rest. We also see the introduction of Genya, who I think is an underrated character. Yeah, he's a jerk in the beginning, but seeing what's expected of him, I can understand why he is how he is. With that being said, Tanjirou and Nezuko both have increased their overall fighting capabilities.
As for individuals who think Tanjirou and Nezuko are demons, only Genya would be suspicious due to the resulting increase in strength he got, and no, this is not Tanjirou's blood demon art, but rather it's Genya's unique form of battling demons. Tanjirou gave him a boost when he needed it because it suited his battling style overall.
As for the next chapter, we'll probably see more of this battling for the Final Selection, and perhaps a surprise visit from someone already. The plan is simple for now, but we'll see how everything is executed. In the meantime, I'll see you for chapter 9.
Character Profile:
Genya Shinazugawa: Male, 15 years old.
- Status: Alive, Human
- Height: 5'10" (177cm)
- Weight: 152 Ibs
Abilities: Breathing Styles
Genya Shinazugawa:
American Breathing: (Uses a double barrel shotgun lol).
Demon Consumption: Can utilize the powers of the demons he eats.
Tanjirou Kamado:
Emotional Scale: Tanjirou Kamado's emotional variety, in how much he shows varies more so than the average human and demon, which is a major contributor to his demon and demon slayer fighting style. He has an emotional scale spectrum, that acts as a bar, from left showing no emotion, and right showing exaggerated emotions. On the left side, will he have the most potential as a demon slayer, whilst on the right side, will he show the most potential as a demon Both have their own strengths and weaknesses. Lacking emotion will give Tanjirou a better advantage with his breathing style and techniques, whilst exaggerating emotions gives Tanjirou a boost in his physical capabilities and eventually his blood demon art. A balanced emotional state is the usual, but difficult for Tanjirou to maintain for long periods in a battle. It is the best of both worlds, as it can allow Tanjirou to eventually use both his breathing style and blood demon art together. When under enough emotional stress, Tanjirou activates his demonic form, which also causes a change in personality, to become darker and more gloomy, seeking morals. In spite of this, neither yearns for human meat, but struggles to resist marechi to an extent. Likewise, center left and center right give their own strengths while maintaining traits from the other side.
Consume Food: Despite being a demon, Tanjirou can gain energy in the form of food to satisfy his desires. This also allows him to go through long stages of no sleep if he is able to eat enough.
Nezuko Kamado:
Demonic Control: Before falling asleep, Nezuko had fallen to her demonic instincts, which thankfully have gone away when she slept for almost four months. Now, she is able to control her demonic instincts. The difference, however, is whilst Nezuko is less likely to turn into her full demonic state when she does, she starts to yearn for human meat. This makes Nezuko more dangerous, as she is able to be identified as a demon easier than her brother. In addition, even if she is able to fight as a demon slayer. Even when Tanjirou becomes a demon, he is only a threat to the individual he is fighting, for he can mostly resist humans. Nezuko is considered more demon-like because of the risk of falling to her demonic instincts, and also still occasionally acting more demonic. (Basically, Nezuko's demon is a part of her, while Tanjirou's is split down into 2 versions of Tanjirou).
Increased Sleep: Because she is a demon, Nezuko is required to sleep a lot more than the average human, to retain her energy, for unlike Tanjirou, she cannot consume food.
