Hinokami's Blessing

Chapter 13

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.


Giyu's POV (Back at the Hashira estates)


Pure, unadulterated shock, misunderstanding, confusion. Giyu was going through it all. The sheer shock of seeing Urokodaki's dead body in his own house. The desperation he showed in trying to get his mentor, and last family awake.

He had to save him. He needed him to be alive...

A demon attack.

Giyu had, unfortunately, gone through the same thing he had gone through previously.

"Tsutako… Sabito… Makomo… Why…?" Giyu pondered."Why did I have to lose Urokodaki, too... Am I really this weak...?"

He and Tanjirou had finished burying the body of Urokodaki, as the two remained silent. Giyu knew Tanjirou could smell his emotions, and while he was trying to help Giyu get through this sudden tragedy, Giyu just wanted to be alone. He stopped caring. This was the countless time he had come to see someone he cared about dead on the floor. Their dead body either eaten or damaged beyond repair.

All this entire time, Giyu had remained emotionless. He felt like a robot, as he performed the same movements over and over again. Digging into the ground to get some dirt, before he placed Urokodai's battered body into the ground, he then began to place the dirt back, burying the body of Urokodaki.

He had unfortunately lost everyone. He lost his sister, his parents, Sabito, Makomo, and now Urokodaki... When was he going to be next? When would it be time for him to die?

He had already lost everyone and everything. He had no reason to live, now. No one to protect... No reason to protect... No reason to slay demons now...

First, he lost his parents… Not through demons, but rather through illness and neglect. He had never really seen them before. His elder sister had told him stories about them, and it appeared that they died when Giyu was young due to illness. The result was that he and his sister became orphans during their early adolescent years.

When this happened, his sister befriended someone who eventually became her boyfriend and fiancee. Of course, Giyu was happy for his sister. To thrive in life was something he was willing to see his sister go through. Alas, that wasn't meant to happen, and the worst possible thing would happen.

Giyu remembers the man. He seemed to be a man in a cult, as he would frequently take his sister and Giyu over to the area, where apparently they believed in some god. Giyu never paid attention. He only went because he was super attached to his sister, and never wanted to leave her.

Then, his sister, right before her wedding, saved him from a demon. Giyu was too traumatized to even care what the demon looked like... All he could see, was his sister's mangled body, being absorbed by the demon as she screamed in agony and pain... The screams that Giyu felt, should have been placed onto him. He should have been the one screaming... But alas, there was nothing a child Giyu could do. He was just a child, who had watched his sister being consumed and absorbed by a demon... This shouldn't have happened... She should have had a happy life, with her soon-to-be husband… But she was killed, and the husband eyed Giyu with skepticism.

He blamed Giyu for the reason why his fiancee was dead. He claimed Giyu had gotten himself stuck in the river, nearly drowning from the fast current, only for his sister to come in, and save him, while in the process being swept away by the currents.

Because no semblance of his sister's body could have been found, and the fiancee had gotten the first say in saying what happened, many within his village, and family began to blame Giyu for the accident, they called it.

They blamed a child, and all Giyu could do was listen... Listen to the hateful things that they said, while telling him that he was cursed.

When he tried to tell them that a demon had mauled his sister entirely, they didn't believe him. They thought he was going crazy. They thought demons didn't exist. They thought Giyu was fabricating and exaggerated childish story to make himself seem cool. When in reality, it was the true thing. Alas, even Giyu's own family members forced him to go to a cousin for mental health treatment, as the village had started labeling Giyu as mentally ill.

The poor traumatic experience and social environment took a toll on Giyu, as a kid, as he wasn't sure what to do. He didn't even know what was going on. All he saw, was his sister being beaten by a demon, and now he was blamed for her death... Was everything always his fault?

Was everything that happened to Giyu warranted to him? Was it his fault for not being able to stop the demon from killing his older sister? What did he do?

"I DID NOTHING!" Giyu yelled to the village as he was clueless and traumatized. He was only a kid, and the entire village had called him names, shunned him, and ostracized him. When he tried to do classes, the kids would beat him up for the apparent accident...

The blame Giyu got from his older sister's soon-to-be spouse, was terrible, causing Giyu to run away, and find refuge with Urokodaki, Sabito, and Makomo.

Giyu was terrified of being blamed by everyone in his family, and the other one. And so, like a coward, he ran away. He almost died in the mountains after he had escaped the asylum for the mentally ill. Giyu didn't even want to reveal what he went through there. He was eight when his sister was killed, and he had spent two years in that hellish place. He was ten years old, but he had to remind himself that, by drawing on the wall with chalk, and counting to 365 days, that is if there wasn't a leap year.

He shivered, remembering the dark room, and the "treatments," they tried to do to him. He remembers how empty he felt after that. He remembers how unfulfilled he was... He remembers... the emptiness. Even when he escaped that dark, empty room, a malnourished, ten-year-old Giyu felt nothing.

Even as he felt the snow pile up on his malnourished body, he felt nothing. When the entire blanket of snow covered him entirely, and as his body began to freeze, he once again, felt nothing. Even on the cusp of death, Giyu felt nothing.

It took the combined efforts of Urokodaki, Sabito, and Makomo to get him to feel again. Those were the times when Giyu felt the most like a kid, being able to go what he wanted, and not be judged, or blamed.

When he ran away, he was trained to become a demon slayer, alongside Sabito and Makomo. Giyu had found friends who were willing to befriend him and be nice to him. They didn't judge him, but rather, helped him improve. He found friends he could spend his time with.

With a good mentor in Urokodaki, Giyu found himself smiling usually when he was training. He seemed to have forgotten the tragedy of his elder sister, and the blame he received from his spouse, which got violent and caused Giyu to run away. He forgot the terrible conditions he sustained in the mental institute. He forgot almost dying, almost giving up on life, and just laying, waiting for the snow to kill him.

Alas, not every good thing lasts forever...

Unfortunately, when he went to Final Selection, he got injured. He got badly injured and needed recuperation. Sabito had been there, and by protecting everyone in the Final Selection, was defeated by the Hand Demon.

Giyu had to witness the hand demon eating Sabito alive. The sounds of Sabito screaming and crying in pain were enough to break Giyu. His only friend was gone. In an agonizing way, Giyu had to witness, while he couldn't do anything.

Then, Makomo…

Makomo was a nice girl, who helped Giyu train. She was nice and sweet. She too, was also in Final Selection, and unfortunately, died the same way as Sabito. She too, died an agonizing way, and Giyu had to bear witness to her death.

When he was the only one to come back from the Final Selection, he wished he too, died, or that either of them survived, rather than him.

He felt like a failure to Urokodaki, and when he came back, he too, died a bit in the Final Selection. As he progressed in the demon slayer corps, he felt more and more guilty, and when he was promoted to a Hashira, he felt undeserving of it.

Ever since he became a Hashira, he distanced himself away from the rest, feeling like he didn't deserve the status. He dissociated himself from the rest of the Hashira, for fear of feeling like a fake one. He felt fake.

He felt like every failure was his fault. Everything. He had an entire village blame him for the death of his sister at the hands of the demon. He had his cousin for the mental treatment he was to get, blaming him for being in this condition. He had to witness the death of Sabito and Makomo, while he was weak.

Just like witnessing his sister's death... He knew he would be blamed by Urokodaki for their deaths once he came back. He prepared himself, hoping that whatever he told Urokodaki, would not yield him any form of punishment.

However, it was to his shock... Instead, Urokodaki hugged him and cried when he came back. He never once blamed Giyu. He never once called Giyu weak. Instead, he always praised Giyu.

But perhaps the praise was too much, and Giyu felt that he was being told that he was too perfect.

Giyu knew he wasn't perfect. He knew he was a failure, and that Urokodaki must've been lying. And so, as Giyu progressed through his life, he accumulated self-blame, self-worthlessness, and all the hatred he felt he deserved...

He didn't deserve to be a Hashira. It should have been Sabito. His sister should have been alive and with a family. His friends should have been alive, and been in his place. Urokodaki should have been alive, living the rest of his life in peace.

Giyu Tomioka… should've been dead. And he felt that way, for a long time.

When he saw Urokodaki's dead body, due to a demon, every little bit of hope Giyu had in this world, was left with it.

Giyu couldn't feel his emotions. He couldn't really cry, even when Tanjirou was hugging him tightly, even when Giyu knew this was something Tanjirou and Nezuko had witnessed, he couldn't really feel better after that. Tanjirou himself didn't cry. He too was in a state of disbelief, probably also looking worried for Giyu's own mental state at the moment. Regardless, Tanjirou too, didn't cry for Urokodaki.

He was too busy coping with the deaths of Sabito, Makomo, and his sister, and now had to add Urokodaki to that list.

It was the most unexpected of all the deaths, and thus Giyu felt the most shocked.

Right now, he was in his own estate. His estate in question was rather empty. Just like how Giyu was feeling right now. Empty, with nothing worth of value.

Just like him...

The feeling of guilt in Giyu's mind was overwhelming. He wished he had died.

He felt guilty, and whilst he had gone through his own struggles and his own demons in his head, he had to fight the demons that were tormenting the others.

Giyu hated this. He hated the demons who wanted to be there. He wished he was disgusting to a demon. He wished he was strong enough to fight the demon off.

He wished he was as strong and powerful as Gyomei, wishing he could beat down a demon with his bare hands. He wished he was strong like Gyomei.

He wished he was as elegant as Obanai, wishing he could maneuver himself as much as the Serpent Hashira. He wished he was as gifted at tactical movement as Obanai.

He wished he was as resilient as Sanemi, wishing he could push through in the face of trauma and harm. He wished he was as resilient as Sanemi.

He wished he was as gifted as Muichiro, wishing he could be that strong at that age to defend his sister against that demon that killed her. He wished he was at ease, feeling at peace, like Muichiro.

He wished he was as outgoing as Mistsuri, wishing he could develop bonds with others as easily as she did. How she would go out with Obanai, have fun, and how everything seemed well for her. He was jealous of his outgoingness of him. He wished he was as extroverted as Mitsuri.

He wished he was as much as a role model as Rengoku, wishing he could have the charisma, the leadership, and the likeability as Rengoku. He wished he was as leader-like as Rengoku.

He wished he was as flashy and stylish as Tengen. He hated how he felt unmotivated, while others felt so confident in themselves. Tengen seemed confident in the person he was, something Giyu was not. Giyu wished he was as confident in himself is Tengen.

He wished he was as sympathetic as Kanae, wishing how he could empathize and have an outgoing mind as Kanae. He wished he wasn't just seen as a know-it.

He even wished he was as intelligent as Shinobu. As much as Giyu wanted to hate how annoying and insulting she could be, he had some qualities he wanted from Shinobu. He really wished he was as intelligent as her. Even if Shinobu had her faults, Giyu felt jealous that she was liked.

Perhaps... If Giyu had left the corps or even died... He would have been liked then... That did not matter to him... As long as he kept the fellow Hashira and Pillars away from him, then there was no way he would be blamed for everything.

As Giyu continued about himself to other Hashira, he felt even more like a filler Hashira. He didn't deserve to be a Hashira. It should've been Sabito. He did not deserve to be a Hashira.

He felt worthless. He felt unworthy, not fulfilling the roles of the Hashira. He didn't know what to do…

"Sabito… What would you do in this situation… I failed to protect Urokodaki…" Giyu thought to himself as he was in distress silently, trying to understand everything that just occurred.

He wished he had the courage to tell them how insecure he felt. He wished he had the courage to specify to Sanemi what he meant. He never thought of himself as superior to the other Hashira, but ironically, inferior. How Sanemi mistaken the opposite of what Giyu meant was beyond him, but he was just done at this point.

Even when Sanemi and Iguro berated him whenever he was alone, he didn't care for being insulted or blamed for anything. Once again, he felt that he deserved it. He felt that he deserved the blame. It was something that he had to come to terms with, and if he ever got close to anyone, they would end up dying in front of his eyes, and he would have been weak to stop it, as usual.

So weak, the Water Pillar was. Wait now, Giyu wasn't a Water Pillar, he was the FAKE Pillar...

He wished he had something that made him stand out, at least then he could point to that being the reason. However, he couldn't. He wasn't as strong as Gyomei, intelligent as Shinobu, or empathetic as Kanae, Kyojuro.

And with the death of Urokodaki, he felt like he had no one. No one to help him through anything. No one he could vent to.

"No one…" And it was all because of demons.

Giyu sighed as he lay down on the bare, flat floor of his estate, pondering over everything as the day went by.

Ubuyashiki and the rest of the pillar had heard about the tragic developments and had given their condolences, but Giyu did not want to see any of them. He had silently walked back, locking the door to his estate before they could turn back to him.

Giyu, was mute now, even more so than what he usually was, according to Shinobu.

What was Giyu supposed to do?

Mitsuri had her family, and Rengoku.

Rengoku had his younger brother.

Obanai had his pet snake and Mitsuri.

Sanemi had Obanai as a friend, and Kanae as a love interest, Giyu could tell.

Gyomei always seemed at peace, alongside Muichiro, as he knew the two talked a lot.

And Shinobu, had her older sister, Kanao, and all the other girls at the Butterfly Mansion.

Giyu, now had no one. Even when one could ponder if they had no family or friends, they at least were able to speak out. He had no one anymore.

Giyu could not anymore. His only family, his older sister, had died protecting him from a demon.

Giyu had no friends nor family. The very question that Shinobu would always tell Giyu...

"This is why nobody likes you." That very saying, to Giyu, sends a shockwave to his brain every time.

"Of course nobody likes me... They all blame me for everything..." Giyu thought to himself. He couldn't handle this... He was truly, alone now.

Oh well, perhaps being alone meant that he didn't have to fear losing anyone close to him anymore.

Both Makomo and Sabito also perished from a demon.

Urokodaki was dead after a demon attack.

And all of that, Giyu was left either witnessing it or seeing the dead, rotting body of those he cared about.

In all of that, all Giyu could ask was, "Why am I still alive?" Giyu unconsciously looked towards his arms and legs, debating on whether he should pull them back, but he held himself back.

"I'm not going to go back to that, again…" Giyu told himself, as he knew going down that path again would not yield good results. He was glad no one knew about it, but he had to keep it down before he was at the center of attention again.

The sounds of knocking were what caught Giyu's attention off-guard, briefly.

"Do we have to talk to Mr. Lonely?" Giyu could hear that voice. It was a girl, and clearly Shinobu.

"Of course! We have to help him! He just lost his mentor and teacher!" Mitsuri exclaimed.

"If only you both knew how much I've truly lost… At this point, I'm a man with no family, a man with no purpose, a man with no value…" Giyu told himself as if he was speaking to them.

"I..." Giyu sighed, "I'm a man of no worth... No more family... No one to care about... No one who cares for me, or loves me..." Giyu sighed as he mumbled to himself, thinking about everything over. He for a bit forgot about the annoying Butterfly girls outside of his mansion.

"Indeed, imagine how you would feel if I died, or if Kanao died?" Kanae's voice echoed outside, and Giyu knew he had to answer. The girls were always the empathetic ones, as so they would naturally be the first to check in on Giyu.

But he didn't want them to. At least Shinobu. She was always teasing him, and he did not want her to talk about anyone close to him, or how he failed to make a single friend, now that he no longer had anything.

Giyu just wanted to lie down on his floor and die.

As he thought about the stark difference between the different mansions.

The Butterfly Mansion was always lively with the girls... The Flame Mansion was always lively with the father and younger brother.

Even Tengen's Mansion was very loud because of his three wives, especially on Friday Nights. Giyu wasn't sure why, but all he remembers was failing to ask him what he was doing during that time.

He didn't want to answer the door and talk to people. He just wanted to be alone. He didn't want sympathy. He actually wanted to be hated. He was more used to that, and being left alone.

He really just wanted to be alone now, for he no longer wanted to be around anyone, in fear of them dying, and causing others to blame him.

Just like his elder sister's fiancée, he didn't want to feel responsible for the death of other people.

He wasn't even there for the Hashira meeting that involved Urokodaki's death announcement. Considering he was a former water pillar, some older individuals would have known and been saddened by his death.

"My children, it is with great sadness that we confirm the death of former water pillar, Sakonji Urokodaki. He was unfortunately killed by an Upper moon, supposedly, whilst in his own home."

The largest of the current Hashira, Gyomei, clasped his hands together, crying from his nonexistent pupils, "May he rest in peace."

"Namu Amida Butsu."

The rest of the Hashira looked on in shock.

"For those wondering where Giyu Tomioka is, he has refused to come out of his estate ever since the tragedy. As some of you know, Urokodaki was Giyu's mentor and only remaining guardian." Ubuyashiki revealed.

To say many of the pillars were shocked was an understatement.

Mitsuri and Kanae were both shocked, a hand covering their mouths as they felt bad for Giyu. Obanai, by contrast, seemed less reactive, but a tragedy was a tragedy, and he would send his condolences to Giyu.

Sanemi felt a bit bad for Giyu, but he shrugged.

However, Muichiro was the only one who seemed very out of it, instead looking up at the sky, or at least that's what everyone thought.

"May he be reborn a happier individual in the next life" He looked up as if he was watching Urokodaki's own soul moving onto the next body and life.

Even Tengen, who was a rather outgoing and flashy individual, was rather silent. Not cracking any jokes, he was silent as a sign of respect and sadness. He was wanting to comfort Giyu, but the guy was so awkward to him that he didn't know what to do.

Even Rengoku was quieter, realizing the severity and seriousness of the situation.

Then, there was Shinobu. As much as she tried to get close to Giyu, he always seemed to stay his distance. As for why, Shinobu never understood why. She tried so hard but was rejected by Giyu to the point of hating Giyu at this point. But even when she wanted to hate him, even when she wanted to despise him, she felt bad for him.

But that did not mean she wanted to talk to him. Kanae, however, was trying to pursue Shinobu to talk to him.

"Why!" Shinobu asked.

"He's mourning, we have to be there for him, especially you," Kanae explained.

"He hates being around me, why should I keep trying?" Shinobu asked her sister again.

"Shinobu?" Kanae put a soft hand on her sister's shoulder, "Remember when our parents died?"

Shinobu's eyes widened at that, before they turned to anger, "Don't remind me…"

"I had to be the one to help you back in your spot, sister. You know how Giyu is feeling right now…"

Shinobu shook her head, "He's probably in his house sleeping and being his usual self. It's not like he even cries!"

"Shinobu…" Kanae gave her sister a disapproving tone.

Shinobu eyed her sister for a bit, before sighing. "I'm assuming you are going to drag me to the water estate?"

Kanae nodded.

"My children, please, send our condolences to Giyu Tomioka." Ubuyashiki had concluded, having been led back into his estate with assistance.

With Gyomei wishing for his master's health, the meeting was eventually done.

Kanae had dragged Shinobu to Giyu's estate as Mitsuri had decided to come by because she saw the two, and also wanted to cheer Giyu up.

Eventually, as they continued to knock, Shinobu ticked.

"See? He won't answer now. He's probably sleeping, let's just go-" Before Shinobu could tell her comrades to go, the door opened.

To their shock, they saw Giyu Tomioka, who clearly looked dejected.

Shinobu looked up in shock, clearly shocked at how Giyu looked. For the most part, he seemed normal.

Until you looked at his arms and face…

He was gripping his own arm…

And his face…

Specifically his eyes…

They seemed dead, as they had lost any little emotion she could see. They looked dead, and bloodshot, as if he was crying his eyes out, almost to the point of being blind. Shinobu couldn't say anything, she couldn't. She hadn't expected Giyu to react this harshly... But considering it was his last guardian, she guessed that he must have had a good relationship with him.

Shinobu's shock was what she was feeling. She was observing Giyu closely, only to notice how lost he looked.

Ironically, in seeing the tiniest of emotions in Giyu's face, it was here, Shinobu saw how broken Giyu was. He wasn't just introverted, or hiding himself, he was genuinely broken and emotionless.

"What have you gone through, Giyu?" Shinobu asked, suddenly feeling invested in helping Giyu, even if their relationship isn't the best.

"Hey Giyu, how are you doing?" Kanae asked the water pillar.

"I'm fine," Giyu spoke after a bit. But his voice was not like how it used to be.

Usually, his voice was calm and quiet. It was as if talking to the calming water, just after a tsunami.

Usually, people would talk about the atmosphere that was calm before the storm. But no one ever talks about how calm it is after a storm.

After the wreckage of a storm, the atmosphere is usually calm, from the fact no one was around so soon after a storm. Shinobu could relate Giyu to the calm after the storm with his voice.

Now, however, it seemed so full of pain. So full of apathy, as if he was trying to not worry everyone. Almost like he stopped caring for himself and the world.

It pained Shinobu to see Giyu like this. Perhaps, she had him all wrong. Perhaps, she got him wrong this entire time.

"Perhaps, I saw him in the wrong light… Maybe he isn't the person I thought he was…" Shinobu pondered to herself.

"You should come out of the estate." Mitsuri urged Giyu, who seemed unwilling to.

"I'm sorry, but I'll probably train or something right now," Giyu commented, "I'll do something on my own, don't worry about me."

"We can train with you!" Mitsuri exclaimed, clearly trying not to let Giyu remain alone during a difficult time.

"It's fine, I want to refresh and focus on my own self. Don't bother worrying for me, you'll only make me sadder." Giyu spoke.

"But at the cost of our own sadness, Tomioka?" Shinobu asked Giyu, and at that, he didn't know how to respond.

"Leave it to Shinobu to be passive-aggressive…"

"Leave me alone, Shinobu. Didn't I give you a message for this?" Giyu asked. "I honestly am in no mood to deal with your remarks... I know you are going to say, this is why you have no friends, and all that other bullshit."

"As much as I want to, I cannot. I can't let someone close to us fall due to this. You are a Pillar, and we need you to be on the best of your capabilities on all grounds, at all times," Shinobu explained, "Regardless of what you think, you are a pillar, and you be one until your death. That's what you accepted in the conditions. So if you will train, you will train with us."

Unbeknownst to this, while Giyu's back was turned, as he was about to shut the door, his figure stopped when Shinobu told him those words.

"You are a pillar, and you will be one until your death."

It may not seem like a lot, but to Giyu, who felt confused about whether he was one or not, it was all he needed to hear. Considering that someone had told Giyu that he was a pillar, it did, by a bit, make him feel a bit more worthy of the title. His eyes did widen a bit at that from Shinobu.

In spite of that, he still failed to protect those close to him. If he couldn't do that, how could he protect others close to him?

He may have been able to protect Tanjirou and Nezuko, but he failed in getting there too late, when the demon had already killed their family, and turned the two of them to demons. How was one supposed to respond, when they kept failing? He couldn't see himself as a pillar regardless.

"I don't think I want to train with the lot of you." Giyu said at last, "Right now, I just want to sleep."

"Giyu…" Kanae mumbled, "Please, talk to us."

"What is there to talk about?" Giyu asked. He was currently putting on his haori, and as he stared at it, he was remembering the faces of those whom he held close to.

Those whom he had befriended and cared for, only to die a horrible death. Only to bear witness to their deaths. Only to see the remains of what their body once was.

Why was he to suffer?

He noticed something right next to him. Urokodaki's face mask.

It was too small for Giyu, but he had planned to get someone to make a new one to fit his size. And so, Giyu would wear a mask similar to Urokodaki, to honor his memory.

Just like how he made his haori to honor his sister and Sabito, he was putting yet another belonging, to honor someone he witnessed dead. Someone he failed to protect.

Giyu sighed as he continued to think about them. He gritted his teeth as he was hearing the noises of Mitsuri, Kanae, and Shinobu, he was losing it. He didn't want to talk to anyone.

"Just leave me alone!" Giyu yelled out loud, shocking the three girls who had visited him. "I don't want your pity! I don't want you all suddenly being nice to me! This is selfish for all of you! You don't actually care for me, you are just letting your emotions give me pity! Well, guess what, I don't want it!"

The three girls were more shocked that Giyu was capable of raising his voice, they had never heard Giyu yell before. His voice was always calm, but now, it was broken, and the raised voice, in its mask, was showing so much emotion.

"Giyu…" Kanae mumbled.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot hang around you all. I'm going out. Don't follow me." Giyu spoke at last, as he pushed past the three girls. Avoiding everyone, he began to walk out a specific route. Wherever we went, he didn't care. He needed to be stronger, to be bolder in his stance.

In doing so, however, he knew the life he lived was never destined for happiness. He had lost everyone and was now going to lash out at the world for this. He was merely adapting to the environment around him. In doing so, however, he also had to avoid connections.

He couldn't afford to be near those he considered close, else he risked losing them, which seemed to be guaranteed due to every circumstance. The demons, his inability to protect them, he couldn't afford to.

All he had to do, was train strong enough so that he could slay any demons. That way, he could do his job, whilst not caring for those lost in the progress. He didn't care for his life anymore. He couldn't. He had lost his friends, family, and any semblance of a normal life.

He wouldn't get a family, he wouldn't develop connections, and he couldn't even have children. He was a man of no worth, and he would work hard to bring down the bad demons in this world, for a man of no worth was better suited for a risky job, than a man of worth to many.


Tanjirou and Nezuko's POV


"So, Urokodaki is really dead, brother?" Nezuko asked, clearly not believing what Tanjirou had told her.

"Sadly, yes. Giyu and I had to bury the body, and the house, we don't know what'll happen…" Tanjirou sighed, "For now, we have to continue our missions…"

"Where are we going right now?" Nezuko asked, clearly saddened by the news she had woken up to.

"Asakusa." Was all Tanjirou answered.

"Do you think Giyu is alright?" Nezuko asked.

Tanjirou sighed, "I don't know."

With that, the two remained quiet, as they continued on their journey to Asakusa.

They weren't really going for a mission, but rather to gather some intel. Apparently, Ubuyashiki wanted to send a letter to Urokodaki, informing Tanjirou and Nezuko of demon allies who would be of great use to the two of them. It said a lot, that they were demon allies, and so Tanjirou and Nezuko nodded along as they made their way to find the demon allies.

With the risk of other demons finding them, and sending their location to Muzan, Tanjirou, and Neuzko both had to be careful about where they were going, as one wrong demon move now, would cost them their life. Tanjirou and Nezuko knew they couldn't risk that.

They merely weren't strong yet. They would have to get stronger, for Urokodaki's own stake. He had to be there for Giyu.

And so, Tanjirou continued to send letters to Giyu, hoping he would answer back. Even if Giyu didn't, Tanjirou would continue to. He was stubborn and consistent with what he wanted. He was not going to leave Giyu alone.

He relied on the water pillar, as much as Urokodaki did. He knew Giyu cared for them, as he would frequently visit them when possible.

So, Tanjirou and Nezuko would visit Giyu in any way they could.

As they continued on their trek, they eventually made it.

To say both of the demon siblings were shocked at the sheer size. How they would manage to maneuver was beyond them.

"So, are we looking for these demon allies?" Nezuko asked.

Tanjirou nodded, "We're trying to, whilst also trying to rid any demons that may be of a threat to them."

"I see." Was all Nezuko answered back, before they noticed something.

Tanjirou especially since he could smell it, and before he knew it, he gravitated towards the food that smelled so good.

Nezuko chuckled at her brother's own actions, "Brother will always be brother, haha…" Nezuko chuckled as she followed Tanjirou towards the ally of the food. A simple food store and Tanjirou ended up getting some noodles that he happily slurped up.

Nezuko stared at Tanjirou, and specifically the food, feeling a bit jealous that Tanjirou was able to enjoy the taste of food again. While Nezuko could sleep well, Tanjirou could do both, and gain energy back from them. Whilst Nezuko had to sleep, Tanjirou had to carry her back to Urokodaki's house when he was dying.

In truth, Nezuko hated how she was sleeping whilst all of this unraveled.

As Tanjirou looked over to his food, he and Nezuko continued to talk about some small stuff. As he noticed their crows circled around them, keeping a bird's eye view for them, they continued to eat, whilst talking about Urokodaki, and Giyu.

"I feel so bad for Giyu, do you think he'll be fine?" Nezuko asked.

"Again, I don't know, all I can hope is he takes it fine and moves on. I've already tried to console him, but I don't know if it worked…" Tanjirou revealed. He sighed sadly, as he felt his emotions ruining the smell of the food. His appetite was disappearing the more he thought about it, but he figured it made sense.

"Should we continue to look around for this demon ally? Do we even know their names?" Nezuko asked.

Tanjirou shook his head, "No, but apparently Ubuyashiki told me I would be able to smell the kindness from these demons."

"Well, that's nice, at least they know your nose doesn't lie," Nezuko explained, with Tanjirou agreeing.

"I know! We should probably move on." Tanjirou explained.

"I agree, let's see what we can do." With that, both Tanjirou and Nezuko made their way across the city, thanked that it was nighttime.

For some reason, once they were finished with Asakusa, they had to return back to the same area as the mansion. The two of them sighed at the constant running back and forth they had to make.

And so, as they continued to explore around, Tanjirou suddenly smelt something strong.

It started with a smell. Once they made it toward the center of the city, he smelled something very foul. It was a demon, but the scent was so incredibly strong, Tanjirou felt like his head was about to explode.

Instead, he got an instant headache, his mind was racing, and he forgot to breathe for a bit.

"Brother, are you okay?" Nezuko asked her brother in concern. She noticed this after he dropped his bowl of ramen.

"Demon… So… Strong… Incredibly…" Tanjirou mumbled, "I can smell the demon."

Nezuko looked concerned as she was trying to find the demon by using her own vision. She could make out the smallest of them. Seeing the conflicted look on her brother's face, she knew it was only one demon that Tanjirou was smelling.

"No way…" Nezuko mumbled, "Is brother smelling him?" Nezuko asked herself.

Before she knew it, Tanjirou started to run toward the source of the smell. His entire body was telling him to run away, but he couldn't.

That smell felt so familiar, almost like he had experienced it before. The only other time he had smelt something like this was when…

No…

How…

It's HIM.

Tanjirou's eyes widened, and Nezuko managed to catch up to him, due to him stopping.

"Brother! What's wrong?" Nezuko asked.

"It's him… Kibutsuji Muzan…" Tanjirou told Nezuko, whose eyes widened.

"That can't be…" Nezuko mumbled.

"It is…" Tanjirou nodded, "He's here."

With that, Tanjirou and Nezuko continued to pursue Muzan, unbeknownst to Muzan.

"Tanjirou, I think we should wait until Muzan is away from the rest of the crowd." His demonic voice spoke, whilst Tanjirou began to stalk Muzan without any form of hesitation.

"Good point, let's go."

Nezuko herself felt her veins bulging, whilst her pupils turned to slits. Tanjirou was the same, but they both were wearing masks thankfully, which made it harder for the citizens to observe their demonic features.

It seemed that both Tanjirou and Nezuko could pass as humans by citizens, but not by demons.

Turning through several corners and alleys, the two siblings continued their maneuvers, as they both felt adrenaline enter their bodies.

Eventually, whilst they turned a corner, they noticed the exact individual, who had caused so much damage to both Nezuko and Tanjirou. The individual who probably was responsible for the death of Urokodaki, and the person who turned both of them into demons.

Kibutsuji Muzan. He was here, right there. He was rather tall for a Japanese male. He had pale skin, typical of a demon. His attire consisted of a very formal dress, including a tuxedo, fedora, and ribbon.

He currently, was preoccupied with something, his hand on his head, as if he was staring into the eyes of another demon.

"Kill him." Was all Muzan said, and what the two siblings could hear. No doubt was he ordering his subordinates to perform a command.

"You," Tanjirou growled, and Nezuko too growled. They both couldn't be seen due to their masks, but Muzan could tell who they were to an extent.

"Two demons? Why can't I see you or detect you?" Muzan asked, clearly not worrying about the angered demon siblings in front of him. "Wait, is only one of you demons?" Muzan suddenly asked.

Both Tanjirou and Nezuko stared Muzan down, as their vision focused purely on him.

"Kibutsuji Muzan," Tanjirou answered back, again notifying Muzan of who these demons were. He eventually decided to assume that the boy was a demon, for he could feel a bit of his blood residing in the boy.

But if he couldn't access their minds and vision.

That meant...

These were traitor demons. And they had found him, ready to kill him.

His eyes widened a bit at that, before they turned slit-like.

At that, Muzan eyed the two, "The two of you dare say my name? Do you want to die?" Muzan threatened the two of them, clearly not caring, though a bit terrified he had traitor demons in front of him.

In response, both Tanjirou and Nezuko unsheathed their blades, pointing them toward Muzan.

"Who are you two?" Muzan asked before he acted out. "Why do you fight with blades if you are demons?"

"Because only decapitation and the sun can kill you," Tanjirou explained as he gripped his black blade tightly. He was under a lot of strain and anger, so much so that his black blade was glinting slightly. It was only for a millisecond, but it showed the potential behind Tanjirou.

Blood Demon Art: Black Blood, Brambles

"Watch out Nezuko, those are the very things that impaled me at our house when he killed our family," Tanjirou warned his sister, Nezuko, who nodded.

"Got it." With that, that, Muzan used his whips to lash out and Tanjirou and Nezuko.

Whilst they managed to dodge and slash out most of them, Muzan wasn't trying to kill them or attack them. He was trying to slash the masks off their faces. He had to see their faces to get an understanding of what was going on.

Even at dodging, Tanjirou and Nezuko were struggling. They knew Muzan's intention right now. He wasn't even trying to kill or hurt them, while Nezuko and Tanjirou were trying to.

This sheer differing, less extreme goal that Muzan was doing meant that, if Muzan really wasn't just playing with them, if he really wanted to kill Nezuko and Tanjirou right here, he could have easily.

He wasn't even trying... And yet Tanjirou and Nezuko couldn't do anything to him.

"He's so strong… I can't even get closer!" Tanjirou thought to himself, whilst Nezuko was thinking the same thing.

"We're clearly not strong enough to stand up to one of his higher subordinates, so of course we can't even stand against Muzan himself…" That seemed to be the main thought running through the two of their minds, specifically Tanjirou.

"Damn... To think you are fighting and watching the demon king right here and now..." Demon Tanjirou chuckled, "Seems you'll need all the demonic help you need..."

Tanjirou however ignored his demonic urges. Perhaps if he kept a human-look, and if his mask wasn't destroyed, Muzan wouldn't see much about him. For now, Tanjirou had to stay on the defensive alongside Nezuko, while Muzan tried his best to slash the masks off of the Kamado siblings.

And eventually, he did, for both of them.

Muzan, with his barbed wires, managed to slice the masks off of Tanjirou and Nezuko's faces, with one swipe.

Upon seeing both of their faces, Muzan's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"I-It's you two…" Muzan mumbled, as he looked at Nezuko, before Tanjirou, and his eyes widened again, as he was shocked.

"H-How did you survive… I killed you! I tortured you! I made your entire family hate you!" Muzan angrily pointed to Tanjirou. "How dare you break from my curse!" Muzan's entire body and his cells were shaking. He was scared. The boy still had his long hair, and with the marks, he looked like that monster.

"Wait... What do you mean, making my family hate me?" Tanjirou asked as he gritted his teeth, "You telling me you knew my family beforehand?"

Muzan smirked and chuckled. "That is for you to find out, Kamado."

And so, Tanjirou breathed. He was breathing, and as he breathed, he felt the heat envelop his body. He could see Nezuko too was breathing heavily, as she too was focusing on her breathing. She may not have been as talented as Tanjirou when trying to perform total concentration breathing constantly, but she was still trying, and her affluence in water breathing was good for her.

However, for Tanjirou, as he charged toward Muzan, saw the barbed wires. As they approached him, he ultimately realized that there were just too much. He couldn't dodge them all.

His eyes widened.

"Shit, if I die, then I can't get my revenge! I won't be able to turn Nezuko back into a sister!" Tanjirou exclaimed as he felt his body heat up. His heart rate also increased. Despite only using his human strength, he suddenly felt himself increasing in his perception, strength, and speed. He felt faster, and able to actually keep up.

As Tanjirou continued to breathe, with the heat enveloping his body, he felt his own body losing all the tension. He felt he could move it easily, like the wind. He felt at ease, despite eyeing Muzan with rage. His breathing was making his body feel quick and elegant.

"Well damn, Tanjirou... You seemed to have gotten the weapon of a demon slayer... Are you going to leave me behind?" Demin Tanjrou asked.

"What are you talking about?" Tanjirou asked.

"It's simple, as you fight with less emotion, you will be using me less." Demin Tanjirou explained.

"Well, I'm managing to keep up with him even without your help."

"But he now has seen you. He knows you are a demon."

"You make a fair point..." Tanjirou sighed, "But I must continue like this. I have to show him the threat I pose!"

As Tanjirou continued to fight, with his body temperature increasing, and his heart rate rising, Tanjirou's jagged scar began to suddenly turn into a flaming scar, instead of the jagged scar, the flaming scar now became orange.

However, Tanjirou noticed something as he continued to breathe like that. As he continued, he felt his vision flicker, yet again. This time, he was able to analyze enough to get some crucial information from Muzan.

While Tanjirou had noticed this for some time, this time, it seemed very useful, as Tanjirou could see the body of Muzan. He could briefly see the muscles, blood, and bones of Muzan, but also…

"Nezuko, he has seven hears and five brains…" Tanjirou told Nezuko in his mind, as even she was shocked at that.

"How?!" Nezuko asked.

"I don't know," Tanjirou mumbled, as he breathed in, his total breathing combined with the Hinokami should help him.

Total Concentration – Hinokami Kagura, Third Form: Raging Sun

Tanjirou charged toward Muzan, spinning and twisting his body to slice apart Muzan.

However, Muzan underestimated the speed of Tanjirou, as he explosively charged towards Muzan, catching him off guard.

Twirling around the barbed wires, he managed to get himself near the vulnerable target of Muzan: one of his brains. Thanks to his flickering vision and sense of smell, he was able to deduce where a vulnerable point was, which he took advantage of, eyeing the shock Muzan was showing when he notice what Tanjirou was going to do.

He quickly maneuvered himself safely across, avoiding Muzan's barbed wires skillfully, as he sliced through one of Muzan's brains.

Muzan's eyes widened in shock as he tried to attack and strike Tanjirou down, only for Nezuko to come and strike him.

"He's... He's using that breathing technique..." Muzan mumbled in shock to himself. His eyes widened. "But his father told me he wasn't capable... Unless that bastard hid him from me... DAMNIT!" Muzan yelled internally in his head.

Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux

Nezuko spun herself around rapidly, perfectly to safely maneuver around the barbed wires, striking one of Muzan's hearts. Even Nezuko was managing to provide some useful strikes, which was a testament to her strength.

Tanjirou could see that Nezuko was letting her demonic urges out, as she was growling towards Muzan.

The orange flames of Tanjirou's breathing were what caught Muzan off guard.

Tanjirou had released a powerful slash, as Muzan attempted to strike it down, but he was getting burned by the strike as he felt his own flesh struggling to regenerate even. Nezuko's water technique was performing well, as she had elegantly out-maneuvered Muzan.

Suddenly, Tanjirou's vision once again flickered, and in that split second, he could see his torso and body morphing rapidly into a strange beast.

Tanjirou tried to gain access to whatever, but he could have sworn it was to do with a mouth.

That was when he realized what was coming.

Blood Demon Art: Shockwave Energy Blast

"Nezuko! Look out!" Nezuko's eyes widened when Tanjirou tackled Nezuko underneath him, and Muzan's shockwave was blown out of proportion.

Tanjirou was hit with a side glance, as he and Nezuko went tumbling quite a bit. Tanjirou felt the left side of his body shaken, and he could have sworn his heart moved inside his body from that. By comparison, Nezuko remained unharmed due to Tanjirou's quick thinking in protecting her.

However, when Tanjirou got up to quickly get back into the battle, he was shocked to see Muzan running away.

"Oh no you don't!" Tanjirou exclaimed as he charged towards Muzan, Nezuko not too far behind him.

Unfortunately, Muzan seemed to be quietly slashing some of the necks of other civilians, and thus many of them began to cough and thus began to convert into a demon.

Tanjirou sighed, clearly angry that Muzan was bringing bystanders into their own situation.

"Nezuko, stop the demon from killing anyone, I'm going after Muzan," Tanjirou told her sister, who nodded.

As Tanjirou continued to chase after Muzan, he, unfortunately, had to fight against more demons. Unlike this time, with using the citizens around in the city, many of these demons seemed to be manifesting themselves out of nowhere.

They were probably demons that have served under Muzan for quite some time.

Breathing in heavily, to adapt to the total concentration yet again, he lashed out, moving faster than anyone else could.

Total Concentration – Hinokami Kagura, Twelfth form: Flame Dance

With the flames manifesting on his sword, he managed to move quicker.

Even then, Muzan was running faster than Tanjirou. It made sense, he was the demon ing, with the strength and speed uncanny to that of humans, and even any demon.

If Tanjirou wanted to catch up to Muzan, he had to utilize everything he had.

"Are you ready now?" Demon Tanjirou asked. "Only your demonic version will be able to catch up to him!"

"Alright! Let's go!" Tanjirou yelled as he growled and yelled.

As his demonic form came on, instead of the three jagged scars on his face, they were now replaced by three flame-like scars that protruded his left forehead, connected down to one on his right neck and jaw. There was also a flame mark on his right forehead.

"Just a warning, you won't be able to access that X-ray world under a demon." Demon Tanjirou explained, as Tanjirou rushed to Muzan, with his demonic state managing to catch up barely.

With a backstab, he had managed to catch Muzan who was running away from the both of them. Stabbing Muzan in the abdomen, Tanjirou remembered that was where another of Muzan's hearts was at.

Unfortunately, Tanjirou felt himself being slashed apart by the barbed wires from Muzan, a surprise attack that caught Tanjirou off guard. Still, Tanjirou gritted and powered through, not caring. With the demonic power he was receiving from his demonic counterpart, he was able to somehow catch up to Muzan.

"You're not getting away from me!" Tanjirou exclaimed as he continued his pursuit.

"Don't you think you can run away from me, Kibutsuji Muzan! No matter where you go, I will follow you to the depths of hell, and my blade will slice your head, all five brains, and seven hearts! If I don't then my sister will! AND YOU WILL TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT MY FAMILY"

With a mighty swing, Tanjirou tried to swing his sword directly at Muzan's back.

Hinokami Kagura, First Form: Dance

Just before Tanjirou's sword could strike the back of Muzan, to another of his hearts, he disappeared in a small light of doors, that as soon as they opened, closed immediately.

"Nakime!" Tanjirou heard Muzan exclaim in pure fear before Muzan himself disappeared. Tanjirou growled in rage, stomping on the ground before he stared at the multitude of demons Muzan had brought to defend his retreating figure. Tanjirou had managed to evade and dodge, focusing on Muzan, but now he's focusing on killing these demons.

One by one, with a simple strike, from his Hinokami Kagura combined with total concentration, he made work with every demon Muzan summoned.

He didn't care for this demon. He was given more questions, more anger, and more yearning for vengeance. He was grunting.

He was still weak, still worthless, and still not a threat to Muzan...

He then noticed Nezuko herself was also assisting, seeming to leave the demon he told her to subdue behind. While Tanjirou was confused, once the two of them finished slicing off and removing the demons Muzan summoned.

"Nezuko, what happened to the demon you were subduing?" Tanjirou asked his sister, ignoring the wounds he had, that were clearing up for now.

"Well… It's best you come, and I can show you." That was all Nezuko told her brother.

Once the two make their way back to where they were, Tanjirou felt his wounds heal, as he noticed what he thought was something he didn't think he would see.

Two demons, who were looking over the injured.

What was more interesting, was Tanjirou being able to smell the kindness of the demon.

"T-This is the person Ubuyashiki wanted me to meet!" Tanjirou thought.


A.N / Chapter 12, done! So as we can see, we see the aftermath of Urokodaki's death and Giyu's unfortunate development. I personally do like how I evolved the Giyu and Shinobu relationship. I feel that in the manga and anime, Shinobu never really understood the struggles Giyu was going through, and here, we're seeing more through simple body language. Additionally, with the little hints of darker subjects that Giyu went through, I hope this fits his character, while exposing more traits they all go through.

As for Tanjirou and Nezuko, they have continued their mission, and have seemingly met Muzan, and the two demons they were looking for. As for the sheer power level of both, Tanjirou is stronger than Nezuko, but they are still outclassed severely. Tanjirou and Nezuko are both Mizunoto. However, they're actual power level for Tanjirou would be closer to a Tsuchinoto to a Tsuchinoe, whilst Nezuko would be a Kanoto to Kanoa rank. Or, if you want to compare by twelve kizuki, both Tanjirou and Nezuko are too weak to be able to deal with any of them, unless Tanjirou could maximally utilize what he is previewed to have, and Nezuko could master water breathing, but even that they'd barely beat the lowest 3 lower moons.

As for the next chapter, not much, besides an update on Giyu, more character introduction, and a discovery of what's going on in Tanjirou and Nezuko's bodies! Finally, we may also see a bit of Muzan'We are close to Mount Natagumo, so there'll be some small changes, and perhaps some major changes, but for now, we'll see what happens.


Character Profile:


Tanjirou Kamado: Male, 14 years old

Status: Alive, Demon Height: 5'7" (170cm) Weight: 132Ibs

Nezuko Kamado: Female, 13 years old

Status: Alive, Demon Height: 5'2" (157cm) Weight: 112Ibs

Kibutsuji Muzan: Male, ~1000 years old

Status: Alive, Demon Height: 5'11 (180cm) Weight: 162Ibs

Giyu Tomioka: Male, 19 years old

Status: Alive, Human Height: 5'10 (178cm) Weight: 155Ibs

Kanae Kocho: Female, 21 years old

Status: Alive, Human Height: 5'7" (170cm) Weight: 128Ibs

Mitsuri Kanroji: Male, 19 years old

Status: Alive, Human Height: 5'6" (167cm) Weight: 135Ibs

Shinobu Kocho: Female, 18 years old

Status: Alive, Human Height: 5'0" (152cm) Weight: 85Ibs

Kagaya Ubuyashiki: Male, 23 years old

Status: Alive, Human Height: 5'10" (178cm) Weight: 148Ibs

Abilities: Breathing Styles


Tanjirou Kamado:

All forms of water breathing (except 11th form) All forms of Hinokami Kagura (except 13th form) Total concentration breathing, constant. Vision flickers for up to a second.

Nezuko Kamado:

All forms of water breathing. Total concentration breathing, constant (learning).

Giyu Tomioka:

All forms of water breathing. May create some new forms later, idk.

Abilities: Blood Demon Arts


Kibutsuji Muzan:

Black Blood – Brambles: user can utilize their own flesh and blood to manipulate and transform them into black spiked-barbed wires to entangle or pierce the target.

Shockwave Energy Blast: By manipulating their torso and upper body into a gigantic beastly mouth. The mouth can project an energy attack in the form of shockwaves that can damage the individual's nervous system, causing seizures, convulsions, and shortness of breath.


Abilities: Breathing Styles


Tanjirou Kamado:

Demon Slayer Mark: Taking on the form of flaming marks, that spreads just above and under his left eye, the demon slayer marks give the user large boosts to their physical capabilities, resistance to poison, and agility. Because Tanjirou was born with a faded burn-like scar on his left forehead, just like his father, it is unknown of the true faith that Tanjirou will suffer regarding the curse of the mark. It can be theorized since he and his father were born with a part of the mark like Yoriichi, he may be able to live a full life, however, others think he may succumb to the curse, dying before the age of 25, unless he either survives due to the birth scar, or if he remains a demon. For now, the outcome is uncertain.

Nezuko Kamado:

Total Concentration Breathing Constant: By managing to breathe a certain way, the user can unlock a permanent increase in physical capabilities. Whilst Nezuko is in no way able to perform it yet involuntarily and consistently, she is able to use the breathing in preparation for a breathing style.