Hinokami's Blessing
Chapter 11
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.
Urokodaki's House
In the Mountain of Sagiri, Urokodaki continued with his endeavors, as he continued to work on his swords.
It seemed that at the moment, Giyu was still present at the house of his mentor. Urokodaki was somewhat confused with Giyu's behavior. Usually, Giyu did not come back to the Urokodaki house. For reasons he felt were personal, yet he knew, Giyu rarely showed up to visit Urokodaki.
Once Nezuko and Tanjirou were sent up here, however, Giyu kept coming back occasionally, and ever since having both Nezuko and Tanjirou go out to slay demons, they both had spent some time together.
It was strange in Urokodaki's own opinion, but he did value the time he spent with Giyu. Even if he was awkward and quiet, Urokodaki knew the reasons. He knew the reasons for Giyu's problems and what he thought about all this time.
He even knew of Giyu's own struggles. Urokodaki had to sometimes look over and scan Giyu in the event of any injuries he usually tried to hide.
Most of the time, Giyu's injuries were due to demons. However, when Giyu was younger, especially after Sabito died, Urokodaki found a disturbing trend that Giyu. Something he had to help Giyu get out of. It was a terrible spiral that Urokodaki had to help Giyu get out of, for if he didn't, there was a high chance Giyu could have died due to his own hands.
Perhaps he shouldn't be thinking of that, it is a personal topic for Giyu, and it's something he shouldn't even think about. For now, he was glad that he could spend time with Giyu, and he was glad that, even if Giyu was still suffering, he was able to bring Giyu back from a dark place. He was glad that Tanjirou and Nezuko were able to give Giyu the determination he needed to live on, with a purpose.
Once they saw a crow flying toward the two, they immediately tensed. This usually signaled that Tanjirou and Nezuko had done something that warranted an update on their mission. Urokodaki knew Giyu was worried whenever the crow came back, for he worried about the state of Tanjirou and Nezuko.
"Caw! Tanjirou Kamado and Nezuko Kamado have defeated the Hand Demon responsible for the deaths of Sabito and Makomo!" The crow squawked, and immediately Urokodaki sighed in relief. Giyu too sighed, as he was relieved of a sudden stress.
He noticed the look Giyu was giving. It seemed to be a mix of guilt and closure. Urokodaki knew why. Giyu felt a sense of closure, as Sabito and Makomo's killer were now defeated. Tanjirou and Nezuko, both had done what he couldn't. But the guilt of not being able to kill the demon responsible was clearly taking a toll on Giyu's own mental health and personality.
Urokodaki knew Giyu wished he was the one to kill the demon. He wished he was the one to get revenge for his friends. However, Giyu was just glad that the demon responsible for killing his best friends was dead.
After all, the demon that killed Giyu's sister was probably still alive, and Giyu was willing to kill this one. He had to, for his older sister. He would get revenge through there, for he was relieved at least his friends' killer were dead.
And for that, he couldn't do anything but thank them. He may have failed to protect Sabito and his sister's life, but he will do everything he can to defend Nezuko and Tanjirou. Those two were the only people he felt some form of attachment.
Urokodaki knew this. For the most part, he saw how alone Giyu kept to himself. There was only one time before the demon siblings came into their lives was Giyu showed some form of attachment to someone. However, in spite of this, it wasn't an inherently good one.
For the time being, Urokodaki knew how Giyu was feeling.
He couldn't fail to protect someone, again. He had to do what he had failed to do.
Even though the killer of Sabito and Makomo were now gone, Giyu felt a sense of inferiority. In reality, he should have been the one to seek revenge on the hand demon, but since he was a Hashira, he couldn't go. Only trainees could.
Perhaps Giyu should have taken the possibility to go to the forest and Final Selection yet again, to find and kill the hand demon once and for all, but that was already vacated by Kanae, who wanted to go to make sure Kanao was safe and alive. And so, Giyu couldn't do anything to seek revenge on the Hand Demon.
Kanae had once again run into Upper Moon 2 and unfortunately was injured enough to be sent back. A demon slayer wearing a mask was responsible for temporarily holding the demon back for around half a minute, which was enough to get Kanae out of there.
Giyu and Urokodaki had a good idea who that demon slayer was. While the two were upset, it seemed that no demon slayer really knew about the individual underneath the mask. Nobody determined it was a demon that defended a Hashira against an Upper Moon, and nobody thought that demon slayer was alive now.
Either Tanjirou or Nezuko were extremely lucky, or skilled enough to keep their demonic presence to a minimum to keep other slayers oblivious. Regardless, the two got out of that situation without any issues or problems.
For the time being, Giyu was glad that the two were alright. Even if they were demons, and the chances that they died were slim, death was inevitable, and even demons could die unexpectedly.
He just had to be satisfied that the demon was now dead. And while he was glad, it still did not fill the guilt he had in his heart and thoughts.
It was the demons in his head that hurt Giyu more than the demons he slayed.
Urokodaki knew Giyu was suffering, and he wished he could have helped him more. Alas, he was hoping Tanjirou and Nezuko would be a good influence on them.
And so, once they were told Tanjirou and Nezuko had survived, they knew they had to keep their part of the deal. Both would become demon slayers and thus, were now in the corps.
While they may have had the protection, there was the risk they would be executed once captured by the Hashira. They could only hope that Ubuyashiki's approval and blessing would be enough to bypass the other Hashira's speculation.
Urokodaki had Giyu be sent down with a note to Oyakata-sama, with the intent of letting the master understand the unusual circumstances they had, with the idea that 2 demons were willing to fight alongside demon slayers to fight against demons. It was something that should have been impossible.
However, Okayata-sama had already known of the idea of demons fighting alongside demon slayers. This surprised both Urokodaki and Giyu, however, it was so far in between that it was unknown to others besides... Two individuals Giyu knew well.
Kanae Kocho, and Shinobu Kocho.
This surprised Giyu. They were perhaps the two closest individuals Giyu knew in the Pillars. Regardless, Giyu himself was not really that close to them.
The younger one, Shinobu even would remark how Giyu had no friends, and how disliked he was by everyone. Even when Giyu tried to deny it, he ultimately knew that if he left the corps, nothing would change that much. It was the sad reality, and it was the only reason why he was able to go out more often because he was merely forgotten a lot.
After around a day when the crow gave them the news, Tanjirou and Nezuko had gotten back. Urokodaki had given them a large hug, and Giyu thanked them immensely for avenging the deaths of Sabito and Makomo. Giyu felt like getting teary, but he couldn't. Not now. Not when he still had a lot of work left to do.
Tanjirou and Nezuko explained the whole story of their fight, and when Giyu asked him about a certain encounter, Tanjirou knew he had to be honest.
"Well, unfortunately, Nezuko herself had gone to sleep after she was thrown by the demon and hit her head on a rock," Tanjirou explained, and Nezuko looked down in shame at her apparent weakness throughout the last time.
"I'm sorry…" Nezuko mumbled. "I let my demonic state get the better of me, and it caused me to act irrationally..."
"Don't be!" Tanjirou exclaimed, with a smile, "You gave me a critical chance to defeat it! It's what makes humans capable of defeating demons! At the very least, you didn't lose control!"
Nezuko sighed, still upset but taking the compliment from her brother. She thought in her mind that she ultimately had to become stronger, so that she could eventually defeat stronger demons, or else her brother may outpace her. She didn't want that. She wanted to fight alongside her brother.
"Anyways, as I was trying to escape with my sister, I ran into two people," Tanjirou explained to both of them. "One of them was a human girl who seemed to be a young adult, and the other was a demon boy."
"Go on." Giyu nodded, as he was taking in everything. "Did you engage in a fight with them?"
Tanjirou looked a bit shocked at the question, before nodding, "I did for a bit, before the demon blew me off with his blood demon art, at least I think it was. At least I was able to fend off the demon from finishing the girl."
Giyu's eyes widened in shock at this, and even Urokodaki had a scent of shock. For Tanjirou, all he could do was ask, why were both of them shocked.
"What's going on?" Tanjirou asked, "Why do the both of you look so shocked?"
"Do you think that demon had an idea you, yourself were a demon?" Urokodaki asked.
"He never explicitly told me, nor did I smell that he had that idea, all he probably thought was that I was unusually strong or determined to fend him off," Tanjirou explained, clearly confused about why both of them were taking this seriously.
"Well, even I struggled to realize he was a demon, so probably the demon himself was unable to see that Tanjirou was a demon..." Giyu mumbled.
"Tanjirou, that was Upper Moon two you encountered, and the person you defended was a Hashira, the Flower Hashira," Urokodaki explained.
"What?" Tanjirou asked. "What is a Hashira and Upper Moon?"
Giyu sighed, "I guess it's a matter of time before we have to tell you, especially since you've encountered both so early in your training."
"You are already aware of who Muzan is, right?" Giyu asked.
Tanjirou nodded, "Yes, I do. He was the one who killed my family, and the person I described to you, Urokodaki."
Urokodaki nodded, with Giyu as well. "While we both were confused as to who you were describing, considering the circumstances with both you and your sister turning into demons, it made sense to conclude he was responsible, as he's the only one able to turn others into demons."
Giyu coughed, clearly aware he gave them the wrong information originally. "I wasn't aware."
"Anyways, as for Muzan, he also has something called the Twelve Kizuki. These are designated through the twelve strongest demons Muzan has at his disposal. The Twelve Kizuki can be divided into Upper Moons and Lower Moons." Giyu started.
"The Lower Moons are usually capable of killing many demon slayers, and it takes the Hashira, the strongest demon slayers to kill them. Usually, the Hashira were capable of being able to kill some of Muzan's strongest demons. Unfortunately, the Upper Moons, or the stronger six of the Twelve Kizuki are designed to kill many of the Hashira." Giyu explained. "In the Sengoku era, the demon slayers were deemed to be legendary, and powerful beings, but alas, the reason for this is unknown, especially since many died in their early to mid-twenties."
"So, I witnessed the power of some of the strongest individuals?" Tanjirou asked, and once Giyu nodded, he shuddered, "No wonder they smelled so strong…" His hands began to shake as he realized the situation.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Demon Tanjirou mumbled to his human counterpart. "You should listen to me more. I know more about demons than you do."
"Yes, you made your point." Tanjirou sighed as he was hearing everything out. "As long as we both have similar goals, then I will listen. As long as we match goals, I'll work with you."
"So, why exactly is it a big deal if I run into them, despite how strong and deadly they are?" Tanjirou asked. It wasn't him being arrogant, but he smelt that there was a hidden threat behind them.
"It is rumored and highly theorized that Muzan can see through the eyes of other demons. He will usually prioritize the strongest of the demons." Giyu explained, "In a way, your smell can help you determine what demon you are getting involved in for a fight. If your smell tells you how strong the demon is, there's a high dance Muzan will look through the demon's eyes." Giyu told Tanjirou, warning him.
"Oh, then what about me and Nezuko?" Tanjirou asked. "If we're demons, wouldn't Muzan be staring at us?"
Giyu shook his head, "It depends on how much blood he gave you, and despite this, considering how much both of you adapted from your original body and demonic traits, we assume you managed to overcome this curse."
"Though I will need to speak to the Kochos more about this, considering they are working with some demons behind our backs..." Giyu thought to himself.
"Well, that's a relieve…" Tanjirou sighed, looking to Nezuko who merely nodded. She was still somewhat tired and thus was wanting to sleep.
"When I was fighting that demon, I was forced to use the Hinokami Kagura... I didn't want to use it... For Nezuko's sake..." Tanjirou thought to himself. "Not to mention the demon instincts inside of me were coming through... It's like I'm on a scale when it comes to emotional control... If I have too little, I can let my breathing style thrive, whilst if I use too much, the demon instincts thrive..."
"Every time I use the Hinokami Kagura, I keep thinking of my father..." Tanjirou grunted as he tried to not think about that.
"So... This means if I feel neutral in my emotions right now, I maintain a balance between the two... However, if I let any drastic emotions thrive, my demon instincts come out, but at the cost of my breathing style..." Tanjirou sighed. "This is a strenuous mental struggle I deal with every time I'm in a fight..."
It seemed that he was starting to realize that his breathing technique and demonic traits were conflicting with each other at the moment. Perhaps there would be a way to manage both at the same time. For now, Tanjirou had to accept that he was still weak.
"If only I could have a perfect balance between the two..." Tanjirou sighed.
"So useless... So worthless... So weak..." Tanjirou quickly shook his head, as he was trying not to think about the statements he would hear about himself, both through his father, and Muzan.
"I worry that if I use the Hinokami Kagura, she'll think I"m excelling quicker than her..." Tanjirou added to himself as he reflected on everything. "But on the other hand, I don't want to be seen as weak..."
"I'll let the both of you get some rest. We have a lot to talk about regarding everything that occurred at Final Selection." Urokodaki explained as he motioned for the both of them to get some rest.
Tanjirou obliged after everything, and both he and Nezuko went to sleep.
Urokodaki sighed as he looked at Giyu, "So, what do you think about this situation?"
Giyu looked over, "I'm not sure if the demon was aware that Tanjirou was a demon, as he seemed to have been wearing his mask when he was engaging in everything. However, I'm more inclined to see Kanae's reaction."
"How is she doing, by the way?" Urokodaki asked, referring to Kanae Kocho.
"She's recovering fine. The ice in her lungs may cause her to take longer to recover her breathing, but Kocho thinks she will make a recovery. Tsuyuri was nervous for her well-being, but I think everything will work out." Giyu explained.
"That's good." Urokodaki nodded, as he then began to think, "I understand the younger Kocho sibling gets on your nerve, but I think this is her way of communicating with you."
Giyu sighed, "She doesn't have to annoy me and say hurtful things to me. I won't talk to her."
"Giyu." Urokodaki looked at the Water Hashira, "You don't always need to avoid talking to people."
Giyu merely looked towards Urokodaki, "I'm afraid I cannot. The damage is already done, and many within the Hashira already hate me. I shouldn't even be in the Hashira, that role belongs to Sabito."
Urokodaki sighed, a bit in frustration, at the same thing Giyu was rambling about, "You managed to achieve such a role because of him. Perform that role to the best of your ability, for his sake, alright? You defeated a Lower Moon, the strongest of its time, you definitely deserve the position."
Giyu nodded, "Got it." Urokodaki could only hope that Giyu was true to this role. Giyu merely nodded without thinking sincerely. He just did that to get Urokodaki off of his back.
"Good, now let's figure out what to do regarding these two demon slayers now." With that, the two began to send messages to Ubuyashiki, who had gotten the message about Kanae's condition over her crow.
While Ubuyashiki was glad Kanae had survived her second encounter with the Upper Moon 2, albeit being in worse condition than last time, she still survived and could give more crucial information about him.
Once Giyu had informed Ubuyashiki that Tanjirou and Nezuko both would be involved in the Final Selection area to help contain the demons within the area for them to resolve the issue properly.
Once that was done, both had begun to inform the swordsmith village, so that they can be prepared for their swords.
Eventually, Nezuko and Tanjirou woke up, before they were shown a multitude of orbs by Urokodaki. Giyu had returned to the estate when he was informed about the prospects of a meeting.
Tanjirou eyed the orbs, seemingly amazed by the overall quality, before he allowed Nezuko to see them as well.
"They're so pretty!" Nezuko exclaimed.
"Under many certain circumstances, the sun orb would be placed on the blade of your choice which would then give you the color you get with your overall qualities as a demon slayer." Urokodaki explained, "In this case, your nirchirin blades are already forged in the solar orb. That is responsible for embedding your blade with the sunlight properties that allow you to decapitate demons successfully."
"Oh, I see…" Tanjirou and Nezuko both mumbled.
"However, we will soon see your color, as the new nirchirin blade will come," Urokodaki explained.
"Oh wow! We get to see our colored blades so soon?" Tanjirou asked.
"Yes, you both have officially shown adept katana skills that you will most likely be able to see your coloured swords, which will fit the affinity of your spiritual core," Urokodaki explained.
"For example, Giyu's blade is a pure blue, which represents an affinity for water breathing," Urokodaki explained as Giyu raise his blade to represent it.
Nezuko too, was excited, and Tanjirou smiled as well. Both were excited and were able to grasp the idea they would soon be demon slayers.
Eventually, both Tanjirou and Nezuko noticed an individual coming toward them. Through the entrance of Urokodaki's house, both Nezuko and Tanjirou looked at him in apprehension. Both were glad they were wearing their masks to hide their demonic traits.
The aura for this individual, thankfully, wasn't malicious, Tanjirou could smell that, and Nezuko could sense that.
That was when Nezuko realized it was a Noh theater mask. It was something she had seen during festivals in the village, as they had usually comical expressions, that made Nezuko laugh, almost.
She remembers wanting to ask her parents if she and her siblings could go down to observe everything, however, her parents merely told them they had to work harder in their katana training, which then allowed them to go.
Of course, all of their siblings were able to go, except for Tanjirou. Tanjirou was unable to please his parents and ultimately was forced to stay alone with them whilst the rest of his siblings were allowed to go.
When Nezuko came back, she could have sworn she saw signs of Tanjirou crying and in pain, but when she confronted him about what happened, all he did was smile sadly.
Nezuko knew Tanjirou was hurt badly that day, and he was all alone so nobody could help him. Nezuko froze at that thought. For those reasons, she tried her hardest not to leave Tanjirou home alone with their parents after that. Alas, it wasn't always guaranteed.
This man was carrying some long wooden boxes and was mumbling something. Nezuko could tell this man was short-tempered, as a result, would be best not to get on his bad side. Nezuko hoped Tanjirou would not accidentally irritate him.
"Urokodaki!" Nezuko called out to him. He had come out, once Nezuko called him.
"Yes?" Urokodaki asked.
"Who is that?" Nezuko asked yet again, as she pointed to the man with the comedic Noh theater mask.
"Oh, that is the swordsmith, he's the one who will bring the blade you made from the ore you picked back then." Urokodaki explained, "He'll be the one giving you both your customized nirchirin swords."
"Oh! I need to bring Tanjirou down!" Nezuko called out to Tanjirou, only for Tanjirou to be comedically deadpan.
"I'm right here," Tanjirou mumbled, with Nezuko realizing and apologizing. "Hehe..." She chuckled.
Eventually, the individual came in, and placed the wooden boxes down, looking straight at Nezuko and Tanjirou.
"He's wearing a mask as well... Why?" Tanjirou asked Urokodaki.
"Because they are a vulnerable target for demons, so to hide their identity," Urokodaki explained. Giyu too was behind, watching everything unfold.
"Wait a second..." The swordsmith mumbled. "Are you a demon?" He pointed to Nezuko.
"Uh... Yes," Nezuko mumbled.
"This might be a problem..." The swordsmith responded.
"Uh, and why is that?" Nezuko asked.
"I can't give my creations to demons..." The swordsmith mumbled.
All the while, Tanjirou was eyeing the blade.
"Say, swordsmith guy, how do you create these blades?" Tanjirou asked suddenly.
"Eh? With a special ore! What do you expect?!"
"Um...My bad, let's continue with seeing our katanas." Tanjirou gave the swordsmith a smile, before he felt like the swordsmith was eyeing him too. "I was just curious, was all."
"Does he see the demon inside of me as well...?" Tanjirou thought to himself.
"If you let your panic thrive, then yes." His demonic voice warned Tanjirou, causing the boy to calm down and eye the swordsmith back.
"I assure you the master of the demon slayer corps has allowed for this to happen," Urokodaki explained, which managed to calm the swordsmith down.
"I better see a red blade." The swordsmith chirped up after a bit, and Nezuko knew she was right about her assumptions. Tanjirou, for his part, seemed surprised for a split second before calming down.
"He's a child of brightness. Haven't seen them in so long." The swordsmith explained as he pointed to Tanjirou.
Tanjirou, for his part, seemed a bit surprised again, as he was never mentioned as a child of brightness before.
"Um, but I'm the child of Tanjurou Kamado and Kie Kamado. What is a child of brightness?" Tanjirou explained, then pointed towards Nezuko, "We both are, the children of them..." Tanjirou sighed. Why was everything coming back to his parents, when he didn't want to remember them for everything...
"WHAT?! A CHILD OF BRIGHTNESS IS DESTINED TO BE SOME OF THE STRONGEST SWORDSMEN EVER!"
"Eh, whatever, just give me a red blade!" The swordsmith was also impatient, it seems, and after his yelling, he eyed Tanjirou. "But you boy! You have red hair and the earrings. It's clear you both are charcoal workers from your bloodline!"
"Oh…" Both individuals mumbled as they had no way to respond to such a claim. He wasn't wrong...
"Anyways, let's just see the color of your blades then!" The swordsmith exclaimed.
Both of them nodded as they have begun to lift over the box.
"I'll let you go first, Nezuko," Tanjirou told his sister, and she nodded, thanking her brother as she opened it.
"I'll open it then," Nezuko told them as she noticed the silver katana, just like the ones both she and her brother was using before now.
As she quickly opened it, she then lifted the sword and placed it down.
"You need to hold it in the air." The swordsmith deadpanned, and Nezuko chuckled at her embarrassment.
"Got it."
With that, she held the blade up.
Somewhat expectedly, Nezuko's blade began to change from the base to the tip.
The blade was turning dark blue.
"Well, that's a nice color." Urokodaki commented, "As expected of a water-breathing user. However, there is something unusual."
True to his statement, it seems that some parts of Nezuko's sword, or maybe the color itself was a shade closer to a light pink than the typical water-breathing user.
"What does that mean?" Nezuko asked.
"I don't know, but considering how most of your blade is the usual blue color, I would assume it means you are affluent in water breathing," Urokodaki explained.
"Yeah, yeah yeah, what's new? You!" The swordsmith pointed to Tanjirou who looked alarmed. "Now is your turn!"
"Alright, alright…" Tanjirou mumbled as he took out his blade. He seemed a bit nervous as he was unsure what kind of color he would get.
He knew Nezuko was better at using the water breathing style and technique than him, as he had a harder time learning it. Meaning, if Nezuko had an issue getting the proper color, Tanjirou did not want to know what his sword would look like.
Eventually, he lifted the blade in the air, and it began to manifest.
Tanjirou closed his eyes, before opening it, only to see black.
Pure, pitch black. It was on the base of his blade before it went and manifested to the tip.
There was no other color that could have possibly been visible. It was the purest of black anyone could ever see. Tanjirou could bet that if he was in the dark, his blade would be impossible to see.
"Black…" Even Urokodaki was shocked, unable to speak. Giyu looked on, a bit confused at it. While he knew Tanjirou wasn't as skilled at water breathing as his sister, he was at least expecting to get some answers here.
This, was not what he expected, and only gave more questions for Giyu.
"WHAT?! I WAS EXPECTING A RED BLADE! CURSE YOU!" The swordsmith unexpectedly got violent as he began to tussle with Tanjirou comedically. Tanjirou, doing his best to hold him back began asking questions.
"What's wrong with black?" Tanjirou asked.
"It's not bad, per se, but rather those with black blades don't live long, and struggle to learn breathing styles," Urokodaki explained.
"Well, at least one of those statements was correct," Tanjirou mumbled before the swordsmith gave up. "But I'll still use water breathing, I don't want to fill Nezuko's mind with inferior thoughts."
"And besides, even if it's based on the Hinokami Kagura, I feel unworthy to use its strength, at least yet... That demon forced me to use it."
"Even if I struggle myself, I will use Water Breathing, just to make Nezuko feel comfortable with her style. The last thing I want to do is demotivate her." Tanjirou thought.
"Even when I used the Hinokami Kagura, I only used it because that demon was so powerful, and Nezuko was unconscious, so she couldn't see me do that..."
"Worthless…" The guy mumbled, and Tanjirou immediately flinched.
That word...
"So useless... So hideous... So worthless... Why was I ever threatened by you..." That one word... Worthless. Tanjirou was not worthless.
He was something. He was a demon slayer. He was a demon, who killed demons. Why else would not be worthless?
Unbeknownst to the others, Tanjirou was beginning to emit a demonic aura again. Giyu and Urokodaki looked alarmed before Tanjirou eyed the swordsmith, who too was clearly seeing Tanjirou becoming a demon.
"I'm not worthless!" Tanjirou yelled at the swordsmith with all of his muscle for his vocal cords as he panted from the sheer force he yelled. He could tell some birds began to fly out of the forest in panic as a result of Tanjirou's loud voice.
He huffed and panted very quickly. "I'm not worthless..."
The swordsmith for his part looked very shocked, "Who the hell is this kid? Why are you giving demons my katanas?"
Urokodaki sighed, "I think you said something triggering to him... These two don't have the best childhood what I'm telling... The eldest one particularly seems to be struggling with his ability to perform goals, so please do not infuriate him further."
The swordsmith, for his part, looked unexpectedly shocked before he mumbled an apology. All throughout this, Tanjirou went back to his human form as he was managing to calm his anger quickly.
"I may say, however, that is perhaps the darkest, and blackest blades I think I've ever seen…" Urokodaki commented,
"Does that mean I'll struggle?" Tanjirou asked.
"As I've said, it's not guaranteed," Urokodaki explained.
And so, Tanjirou nodded, clearly getting over it.
Before the two could talk more, they received a surprising occurrence.
"Caw! Tanjirou Kamado and Nezuko Kamado! Head for a town to the North! Night after night! Young girls are disappearing!" The crow told both of them.
"Seems we already have a job for us, right brother?" Nezuko asked her brother, who nodded in response.
"Girls are disappearing?" Tanjirou asked himself, clearly concerned, as he stared at Nezuko with paranoia.
What if Nezuko herself disappeared in front of him?
Tanjirou knew he had a job. He had trained so hard for this, and he was finally going on his journey as a demon slayer, with his sister. He had a lot to do to protect Nezuko and the others who have lost their loved ones.
He stared at his nirchirin sword, as he was told more about them. He was told that they could change their color depending on the wielder and that the color, represents characteristics.
For Tanjirou, since many people were not documented with black nirchirin blades, Tanjirou just had to experience the effects of it. Nezuko had an easier time since her blue blade correlated perfectly with water breathing.
As Tanjirou looked around, the both of them wielded their nirchirin blade, alongside some uniforms made by the demon slayer corps.
Soon, the both of them looked around as they explored the village observing the surroundings. They also had their respective masks on, preventing the others from seeing them as demons. Of course, it was more difficult for them to talk to others during the night, but it also helped in finding demon-like activities.
Nezuko was observing around, and Tanjirou could tell she was sensing something. In particular, she looked at an individual who seemed to be in distress. This individual was a boy who seemed very sad and pitiful.
Tanjirou used the conversation of the other villagers to decipher what was going on, and once he heard some girls gossip, Tanjirou knew what to do.
"Kazumi is looking very bad right now…"
"Probably because of Satoko's disappearance. Ever since then, he's been miserable."
Tanjirou immediately knew that this condition fit the rest of the other ones. Therefore, if he could talk to Kazumi, then he could gather more information about this demon.
"It's so creepy. When night comes, another girl will disappear, all young too…" The women commented yet again, and Tanjirou decided to confront Kazumi.
"Excuse me, are you Kazumi?" Tanjirou asked.
Said the individual, Kazumi nodded. "Yes, what is it?"
"I would like to learn more about the disappearance of Satoko," Tanjirou explained.
"W-Why?" Kazumi asked, a bit nervous.
"Well you see, me and my sister are demon slayers, and we assume that the disappearance of many young girls may be due to a demon," Tanjirou explained.
Kazumi nodded nervously as he began to walk toward the area Satoko disappeared. Tanjirou could smell the sense of sadness and loss in his smell. Tanjirou felt sorry for him and wished his sister a more prosperous life next time.
Eventually, Kazumi stopped, and Tanjirou could immediately smell something.
Nezuko too could sense something.
"What's going on brother?" Nezuko asked his brother as he immediately went to smell the scent.
"I smell two individuals… One of them must be the girl you mentioned, but the other…" Tanjirou mumbled, "Is a demon."
Kazumi could only ponder everything as he did not know what to do in this situation. The best he could do was follow and let this demon slayer do his job.
Tanjirou looked on. He needed to do something.
Eventually, he looked at Nezuko, a thought popping up, and for a second, he was debating using Nezuko as a pawn to feint the demon, but he decided against it.
That was something he would never do to his sister. However, to Tanjirou's surprise, Nezuko was willing to do something like this.
"NO!" Tanjirou exclaimed, "I'm not putting you through this."
Eventually, Tanjirou smelt something. "The demon's here! Alright fine, Nezuko, let's get this over with…"
With that, Tanjirou quickly skidded away.
Kazumi merely looked at Nezuko who smiled. "I'll be alright, Kazumi, this is all meant to be a feint, alright?"
Kazumi nodded nervously, and so both Kazumi and Nezuko acted like they were walking together. This was perhaps the best way for Tanjirou to observe the demon responsible for this.
Tanjirou noticed this due to the smell getting stronger, and being able to map out the specific demons.
And so, when the demon's arms began to wrap around Nezuko, Tanjirou blurred.
Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash
Tanjirou quickly slashed the arms of the demon, who yelled in pain, before disappearing.
Kazumi, for his part, seemed to be in disbelief. Whether it was about the prospects of demons and demon slayers, Tanjirou wasn't sure. But he made sure to keep Kazumi away and protected, for the demon way try to get rid of him by a sense of evidence.
"Where is the demon gone?" Nezuko asked as she was trying to find the demon. Thankfully, Nezuko could see the infrared trails of the demon and the girl they most definitely had in their possession.
Likewise, Tanjirou himself could also smell the demon's scent. Considering this demon didn't seem to be visible with the typical, naked eye, both Tanjirou and Nezuko both had to utilize their other senses to detect the other demon.
Eventually, both Nezuko and Tanjirou could tell the demon was trying to grab Nezuko yet again.
This time, Nezuko countered and grabbed the demon, as if trying to yank it into sight.
Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust
Before the demon could once again go back into its realm, Tanjirou struck his sword near Nezuko where the demon was.
Almost immediately, the area began to ooze a black cloudy aura, which eventually manifested into another girl showing up, unconscious, and not moving.
Tanjirou feared the worse and sighed, knowing he failed to save another girl. Backing up, he noticed another figure manifesting itself above the plum of black aura.
"This is a demon…" Tanjirou mumbled as he was glad he moved out of the way.
"With a blood demon art… I've learned about blood demon arts because of the encounter with that Upper moon demon I encountered. By comparison, this one looks much easier and weaker to maneuver through!" Tanjirou exclaimed to himself.
"A blood art huh? This'll be fun, eh Tanjirou?" His demonic voice began to speak in Tanjirou's mind. Tanjirou grunted as he knew his panicked emotion was spiking due to the presence of a blood demon art.
"Where are the girls you kidnapped, huh?" Nezuko asked once the demon came out, and her hand was freed by a slash towards the demon's arm to free Nezuko's own.
"Grrrr…." Was all the demon mumbled, as he decided to just go back into his black dimension.
"Crap!" Tanjirou exclaimed. He began to think of something to counter this blood demon art. The only thing he could tell was that the demon was still visible through his nose.
"Nezuko! Can you sense the demon?" Tanjirou asked his sister.
His sister, Nezuko nodded, "I can, the remnants of the infrared light are still residing where he was."
"Alright, we'll have to wait for the demon to come out," Tanjirou told her sister.
"But if the demon could travel anywhere, we would be constantly chasing it…" Nezuko countered Tanjirou's statement, and he sighed.
"Well, then we'll have to follow the demon through." Tanjirou then told Nezuko, to revise his strategy.
"That's risky! We don't know what will be in there!" Nezuko exclaimed, worried for her brother. "You are not going to just jump in recklessly!"
Tanjirou sighed, knowing he couldn't just put his sister worry for him.
Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide
Nezuko quickly slashed apart another opening the demon was about to make. To the surprise of both Tanjirou and Nezuko, there were three demons.
Tanjirou had to rush to Nezuko's side to grab hold of her, to prevent her from being sent down in the black aura.
"We need to calm down, let's try this," Tanjirou explained.
Water Breathing, Eight Form: Waterfall Basin
Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent
Tanjirou had successfully managed to strike down the three demons using this form, whilst Nezuko severed the lower torso of one of them.
"Brother, you are going to have to strike their vital organs and area to strike them down!" Nezuko exclaimed.
"I'm trying, but the sheer fact there are three of them makes it more difficult!" Tanjirou answered back.
"It must be a demon split into three." Nezuko told Tanjirou. "So if we focus on one of the demon bodies, the rest may fall."
"Indeed, we should find a way to split them up," Tanjirou exclaimed as he realized the demon was trying to get the young girl in Kazumi's arms again. "Find the real body!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Nezuko exclaimed.
Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel
Nezuko had managed to yet again cut the arms off the demon in protecting Kazumi.
"Stop interfering with my meal!" The demon exclaimed, chilling right out of his blood demon art. "The girl is fresh right now!"
"What does that mean?" Tanjirou asked.
"Isn't it obvious?!" The demon asked. "She's at the prime of her age for tastiness! Once they get past sixteen, they get less tasty for every moment that passes!"
To say what was said, Nezuko has incredibly pissed at what was just said.
Both Kazumi and Tanjirou both were also angry, but Tanjirou held his anger back a bit. Kazumi was more disgusted at what was told.
Still, the demon continued, "I've eaten quite a few sixteen-year-old girls in this town, but despite this, I'm so hungry! Not enough and not good enough for me!"
"You monster!" Nezuko exclaimed in anger, as she felt her veins bulging. She was already trying to hold in her demonic instincts, but it was going ahead. She was fighting alongside her demon appearance.
The demon continued to tease Kazumi, as he began to show the hairpins he accumulated throughout his meals. Tanjirou knew he had to kill this demon.
Nezuko, however, went for the kill first.
Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance
Unfortunately, Nezuko missed, and he sank into the ground.
"DAMNIT!" Nezuko yelled as she sighed.
"Nezuko, calm down," Tanjirou warned his sister. "Don't let your demonic instincts take over."
"You're right, sorry..." Nezuko sighed as she calmed down, before looking at the black pool, "Tanjirou, I'm going in as a distraction, the real demon will come out, so defeat it and I'l sever their connections to the swamp world that this demon has." Nezuko exclaimed.
Nezuko looked determined to finish the demon off and proceeded to jump into the pool.
"No, Nezuko, do-," Tanjirou's eyes widened in shock, "Why Nezuko! Didn't you just say you wouldn't do the same for me?!"
Tanjirou exclaimed as he began to worry for Nezuko.
He was once again trying to find a puddle to enter with Nezuko. He was panicking. He was worried... He was angry.
"Damnit kid, you are losing yourself again, do you really want to risk this?" His demonic voice was once again warning him. Tanjirou, could only stare at the place Nezuko had jumped in, all the while hearing the sheer lack of care that demon had for human life.
His fists began to clutch, his teeth baring, which thankfully was behind a mask, meaning neither Kazumi nor the demon could tell he was a demon. At least, for now.
"Alright kid, I'll lend you my strength for this, but you better not lose control... I can't let you overuse me, else you may go down a path of no return..."
Once Nezuko jumped in, she tensed at how bad it smelt.
"This demon has terrible odor…" Nezuko commented as she continued to manage her way through the void of the demons.
Eventually, she spotted the demon, who was trying to grab onto her. Nezuko could feel the air thinning in the void, but thankfully, she was able to handle it due to the harsh mountain she trained on.
"You won't harm anyone ever again!" Nezuko angrily told the demon. "You are the scummiest of all demons!"
Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool
With that, Nezuko began her onslaught on the demon.
She continued to try and attack the demon, as all he was doing, was chuckling.
"What are you laughing about?" Nezuko asked.
"Oh, you don't know? You should be running out of air soon. The air here matches that of some of the highest altitudes of mountains in Japan!" The demon grinned.
However, to his shock, Nezuko chuckled.
"You don't know who we are, huh?" Nezuko smiled as she grinned, knowing the demon's trick had failed her. "Our family and ancestors were coal burners that lived on the top of a mountain, so our lungs are refined to be powerful as humans. We've adapted to the conditions and stress our lungs give, so your air conditions here won't hurt me as much as you anticipated."
"H-How?! What are you?!" The demon alarmed, asked.
"I, and my brother, are the KAMADOS!" Nezuko yelled, as with her blade unleashing water, began to charge towards the demons in the swamp dimension, with the intent of severing the connection.
Tanjirou growled once he noticed the remnants of the other demon attacking him. His demonic, jagged scars encompassed his appearance, and his fangs and claws grew.
But despite this, he seemed to have tamed his demonic urges, at least to primarily focus on the demon in front of him. Any semblance of hesitation Tanjirou had for the demon, he no longer cared.
"This demon was also a scum. A true scum as he shows no remorse for his actions! At least as a human, I don't smell anything irredeemable. He was at least better as a demon than Miyasaki as a human... But then again, eating underage girls is pretty predator-like..." Tanjirou thought, as he continued to clash with the real demon outside, who was wanting the unconscious meal Kazumi was holding.
Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust, Curve
Managing to strike the demon right in the mouth, and pushing him into the wall, Tanjirou stared the demon down with his mask, before punching the demon in the head.
"What the hell? Why did this demon slayer punch me with his bare fists?!" The demon asked himself confusingly.
The demon tried to go back into its puddle, before appearing on the other side to backstab Tanjirou.
"Damnit, the girl is messing with my swamp connections, I can't go further than a second in the dimension before I'm kicked out..." The demon grunted as he was struggling with these two.
Tanjirou merely tried to swipe from behind, but the demon caught his blade. Tanjirou merely used his free hand to punch the demon back into his puddle.
Since Tanjirou knew where the previous puddle was, he had an idea.
He eyed around, using his smell to try and find any intel on the demon. He knew the previous puddle was on the ground, and so he gripped his sword.
Water Breathing, Fourth Form, Modified: Flashing Tsunami Dance
"Below! On the ground!" Tanjirou exclaimed to himself, as he jumped, and swiped his sword down to intercept the demon.
The demon for his part was still recovering from the punch Tanjirou gave, as Tanjirou took the opportunity. Instead of a flowing combination of slashes, Tanjirou used his breathing to swing his arms as quickly as he could, to strike a pattern into the demon's torso.
It was so quick, almost superhuman-like, that with the naked eye, it looked like Tanjirou was dancing, spinning, and surrounding the demon as he slashed from all directions. It eventually ended with a flying kick to the demon's face, as it grunted, and fell back, blood spilling out the demon's body.
Still, the demon did not give up, as he tried to retaliate before he was decapitated by the demon slayer. The demon once again clanked with Tanjirou's blade, but Tanjirou had gravity on his side. Before Tanjirou could even land, from the flying kick, he used another technique.
Water Breathing, Eight Form: Waterfall Basin
Tanjirou swiped down vertically while he was falling down, with yielded extra force the demon had to withstand, which ultimately was not the case. The puddle closed, and Tanjirou was on top of the demon, stomping on its throat.
He did it. He defeated this demon, without losing control of his emotions this time. He was improving.
"Alright Tanjirou, it's time you see why you and I are different." The demonic version of himself explained, as Tanjirou merely wasn't paying attention. He was tired from fighting this demon. He had used just enough strength thanks to his demonic nature as if he used it for brief periods of time, he could use the extra physical strength without turning into a demon.
He did so, again.
He picked up the demon and threw him towards a nearby wall. The demon groaned in pain, as he stared in fear at Tanjirou.
"How is this kid throwing me so far?!" The demon thought as he stared down.
Tanjirou felt his emotions change, as he eyed the demon with disgust. The hatred he had for this demon was amplified, as his morals told him this demon was a scum, at least as a demon. As a human, he was better than Miyasaki or whatever.
"That is enough, now." Tanjirou glared directly at the demon, pointing his blade. "Tell me about Muzan Kibutsuji."
"I cannot!" The demon exclaimed in shock and fear.
"And why is that?" Tanjirou asked, clearly not caring for his fear and rejection.
"B-Because…" The demon mumbled, "I can't!"
Tanjirou merely stared the demon down, "I don't care." He then raised the blade very close to the demon and continued to cut the demon apart, ignoring the cries of mercy from the demon.
"Please! Stop! Just let me live… I cannot tell you anything about him if that's why you're here!" The demon begged.
"Why is this demon slayer being so cruel... Unless..." The demon groaned as he stared into the eyes of Tanjirou, and his eyes widened. "He's a demon?! What?! But, he was a human when I fought him? Is he like, a hybrid?! Did his demon version come out? No wonder he feels different!" The demon alarmingly thought.
Tanjirou just stared at the demon now, before chuckling in a deprecating way.
"Let you live? After what you did to those other girls? Don't you think they would be begging for the same thing? How do you think Kazumi feels?" Tanjirou asked, as he was trying to get his spouse to wake up, before crying and tearing up. "Yeah, sure, let you live, haha."
"You ask for the very thing you denied others, and so, you will suffer." Tanjirou eyed the demon. "Unless you tell me about Muzan."
The demon gulped as he was busy dealing with Nezuko.
"Please… I cannot." The demon mumbled.
"Then I'll kill you most painfully, through two hundred and forty cuts," Tanjirou said, not knowing nor caring that the demon's eyes were widened and full of fear.
Tanjirou could tell despite this, he did not care for what he did. Tanjirou could not smell the regret or purity of this demon, so, Tanjirou would not give him any mercy.
This was a scum of a demon, in Tanjirou's mind. He could only hope Nezuko was faring well whilst he was trying to coerce the demon to reveal anything.
"Why 240?!" The demon asked.
"It's simple, each cut represents the number of years for each victim of your desires. You killed 15 young girls, with you saying they are no older than 16 years. So a simple multiplication method. If you cannot tell me about Muzan, then you can tell me about his subordinates." Tanjirou explained. "What's wrong, can't handle a bit of torture?"
"W-What?! I'm a demon! Of course, I can!" The swamp demon exclaimed.
Tanjirou grinned eerily, "Is that so?"
Almost immediately, he swiped at the demon's chest.
"Ack!" The demon crackled in pain, hissing as he felt the burning sensation of the nirchirin blade encompassing his skin.
"Shit.. That hurts more than I thought..." The demon mumbled.
"You can't even handle one swipe? How pathetic. Imagine being pierced by this blade numerous times, as a human, until your limbs fell off one by one. Your bones shattering one by one. All your nerves dying until you couldn't feel anything? You are pathetic. You may be a demon, but you would crack before any human in the same circumstances." Tanjirou smiled maniacally. "Now, I'll take the pleasure-"
"O-Ok… All I know are the lower moons! One of them has a family, as has white hair!" The demon explained.
"Do you know anything about their whereabouts?" Tanjirou asked, cutting the demon's extremities, teeth, and spine to keep the demon immobilized.
"Oww… Some mountain…" The demon mumbled, "Mount Nagatumo..."
Water Breathing, Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After the Drought
Tanjirou sighed, "Guess this is all the information I'll get. Goodbye." That was all Tanjirou told the demon as he sliced the head off. The demon disintegrated before he could yell.
"Oh, oops! I forgot to tell you that I was going to decapitate you regardless. Oh well! Now you know!" Tanjirou chuckled as he ignored the cursing from the demon.
"Be glad I purposely used a move that you wouldn't even feel." Was all Tanjirou told the decaying demon as he waited for Nezuko to come back. Around this time, so did his human instincts, as he felt himself feeling tired.
"Damn... I really need to get my emotions in check..." Tanjirou thought to himself.
"I agree, at least you aren't hurting any bystanders. But you got some issues kid, want to talk about them?" His demonic counterpart asked him, and Tanjirou wanted to laugh at the irony of that.
"No thanks, nothing to talk about." Tanjirou sighed.
"Please, I know your thoughts, you were forced to undergo training for sword styles before the age of 5, being abused, neglected food and a bed for failure, and even kicked out in blizzards. Nothing out of the ordinary." His demonic counterpart sarcastically mumbled.
"I don't want to talk to you anymore." Was all Tanjirou commented as he started to block his demonic voice from his mind.
"We have a long way, kid..."
Tanjirou sighed, as he stared at the traumatized head. He looked at the face, and saw so many emotions... So much pain...
"It's like... He's remembering his human life in front of his very own eyes..." Tanjirou thought as he started incredulously at the demon.
He sighed, approaching the swamp demon, who could tell Tanjirou had switched back to his human form.
"I'm sorry for my ruthlessness, but I cannot let demons like you live. With that being said, I hope your next life as a human, is not full of suffering as what you may have gone through." With that, Tanjirou gave a prayer to the Swamp Demon who began to cry, before he turned around.
Tanjirou looked towards the area where Nezuko jumped in, and in turn, was silently praying that Nezuko was alright.
He didn't get any information about Muzan, but he managed to at least get some on his subordinates.
Tanjirou sighed, "I only got some information about Muzan's subordinates… Maybe if I ask that subordinate, with time I can get more information."
Before Tanjirou knew it, he noticed Nezuko jump out of the pile.
"Nezuko! What happened?" Tanjirou asked, as he ran to make sure Nezuko was alright.
"The demon mostly tried running and tiring me out, but I just dodged and slashed him away. Suddenly the demon just disintegrated before I could slice their neck." Nezuko explained.
"Guess the form I had outside was the real one…" Tanjirou mumbled. "Regardless, your plan worked... I just worried for you..."
"I'm sorry, brother, but I hope everything helped... Do you think the demon went out anticipating we would charge into his blood demon art?" Nezuko asked.
"Not entirely false," Tanjirou explained.
Despite that, the demon was now gone, and Tanjirou silently prayed he was at least born a human in his next life. He may have done very bad things and did not regret it, but Tanjirou would at least wish he would have a better life than what the circumstances gave him.
Kazumi was nearby, crying over the death of his fiancé, named Satoko.
Tanjirou sighed, knowing it was a tragedy. The sad reality was that he would not be able to save everyone, no matter what he did.
He was just going to have to accept them and move on.
Nezuko went over to Kazumi, "Kazumi, I'm so sorry…"
Kazumi was still teary, before looking up.
"How are you feeling?" Tanjirou asked.
"I just lost my fiancé… And all you ask is if I'm alright?!" Kazumi then grabbed Tanjirou's shoulder. Nezuko looked angry in return, trying to grab his hand, but Tanjirou raised his good hand to stop Nezuko.
"I wanted to ask so that I could give you advice to move on." Was what Tanjirou meant, giving Kazumi a sad smile. He then took off his mask, showing his demonic eyes and marks, including his teeth.
Despite Kazumi's initial shock and nervousness, he saw the sad smile that encompassed Tanjirou's face. A smile is full of loss, pain, and confusion. Kazumi could see very human eyes and the face of a human, even if Tanjirou, in reality, was a human.
He grabbed Kazumi's hands with his own, roughed up, and smiled again, "Regardless of what you've lost and how you've fallen, you have to keep living, as that's the beauty of our species."
"What do you know?! You are just a kid!" Kazumi exclaimed.
"I may be, but that doesn't mean I know tragedy," Tanjirou told Kazumi. The eyes in Tanjirou said it all, and Kazumi felt immense guilt. "From the moment I was born, I was subject to pain and suffering. From the moment I grew up to now, all I know is pain. Why do you think I'm out here? If I was this young, wouldn't I be with a family?"
"Brother's right... Our family life wasn't good, and ultimately, even after that, the circumstances we live is hell. You want to talk about tragedy, we're both demons fighting on the other side that may not even accept us." Nezuko explained.
Despite Tanjirou's passive guilt and Nezuko's clarification, as he put back his mask, Kazumi tried to grab Tanjirou again, this time to apologize.
However, his hand was blocked by Nezuko. "You had enough to say to my brother. Move on."
She then gave Kazumi a hair tie, Satoko's.
"I hope you can remember her and cherish what moments you spent with her while you could. Hope you recover fine." That was all Nezuko told the boy before she too went with her brother.
"Did this happen to you as well?" Kazumi asked, and Nezuko remained still, for a second, before continuing to walk and catching up with her brother.
But in that small action, Kazumi had his answer. He could see that Nezuko and Tanjirou had gone through a lot, and were trying to help.
He shouldn't have gotten angry at them for asking a simple question. He shouldn't have yelled, he should've thanked them.
But now, it was too late. Just as it was too late to ask for Satoko to come back.
"Both of their hands… Even if they're demons, I could see the hardness and roughness from the training they did… I could feel the hurt they have... The scars in their brains... It's so much..." Kazumi mumbled before he cried his tears into the night.
Tanjirou and Nezuko both could hear the cries of Kazumi and as their respective crow came by to congratulate them on their mission, all Nezuko could think about was revenge.
"I'm going to kill you, Kibutsuji Muzan, not just for my sake, but for all the other people who have died in your hands," Nezuko mumbled while Tanjirou was thinking of someone else. "If not me, then my brother..."
"How many people do you have to kill until you are satisfied, huh Muzan? Why must you cause premature death and suffering to those around you?" Tanjirou asked.
"I won't forgive you, for the damage you've caused this world. After all, you came into our house and killed our family, torturing me to death, turning us into demons, so expect your karma to come for you." Tanjirou mumbled as he gave an unexpected scowl, as his eyes had become darker briefly, as he sought vengeance on the demon responsible for killing his siblings, torturing him, before turning him and Nezuko into demons.
"As for my parents, I won't forgive you for what you did to me. I won't forgive you for forcing me through training, abusing me if I failed, not letting me eat as well... Sometimes not letting me sleep on a bed, and throwing me out in a blizzard and cold... I hope you stop coming into my mind..." Tanjirou grumbled.
"And I will find out, what you know about my family, Kibutsuji Muzan, for that smell that preceded your appearance, was a reoccurring smell throughout my childhood. I will find out who you are, to my family."
A.N / Well that is Chapter 10! Hope you enjoyed it. Tanjirou and Nezuko both had their first mission. In all honesty, I had no real difference or anything new regarding this. I thought it was fine how it was.
Also, I know Tokie is the one who is saved by the Swamp Demon, but in this story, Kazumi is given the dead body of Satoko, I know, I'm dark.
As for the next chapter, they will be doing something different, with a different timeline. In a sense, Tanjirou and Nezuko won't meet Muzan next, but instead the former demon moon, maybe. They will also have a different plot and different fight scenes, which I hope I can do well as time goes on. This may include a new demon character with a new blood demon art, but for now, I'll see what I come up with. Take care!
Once again, the history for the Kamado family is vastly different than in cannon, for Tanjirou and his siblings were abused by them, due to the conditions Muzan had set for the family. As for the abuse itself, I'll only show hints of the emotional toll it had on the siblings, and some noteworthy instances, but you can imagine this occurred every day since Tanjirou was five years old.
Character Profile:
Kazumi: Male, 20 years old.
- Status: Alive, Human
Satoko: Female, 18 years old.
- Status: Dead, Human
o COD: Eaten by Swamp Demon
Swamp Demon: Male
- Status: Dead, Demon
Abilities: Blood Demon Arts
Swamp Demon:
- Swamp Domain: Can summon a swamp dimension to navigate freely, manifesting as a puddle traveling into the ground, allowing him to kidnap others through houses or without realization. Can also swim in the dimension to outmaneuver his victims.
- Self-Replication: Can split himself into three clones. The real clone if killed will kill the other clones, but each clone can function on their own, traveling in their puddles.
Abilities: Breathing Styles
Tanjirou Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Giyu Tomioka
Water Breathing, Fourth Form, Modified: Flashing Tsunami Dance - A modified version of the fourth form, it was a move Nezuko used alongside Giyu when learning new moves, and modifying it to help her. The move, instead of using flowing consecutive strikes, emphasizes speed to surround the demon, striking the demon across their body as fast as they could. The strikes and movements are so quick to the naked eye, it looks like they teleport around. This breathing style is very strenuous for the user, even for Tanjirou and Nezuko.
