Hinokami's Blessing
Chapter 17
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.
Zenitsu's POV
Zenitsu was in a bad state. He had been infected by the spiders and was feeling his limbs get paralyzed and reduced in size. He had been slowing his heart rate down as he was beginning to see his life flash before his very eyes. He was seeing his grandpa and the life he had before he went out exploring in the demon slayer world.
"Ugh… Ouch…" Zenitsu mumbled, "Why… Why did I leave them…" He mumbled as all he could do was stare up at the sky. For the most part, the moon was full, and he could see and hear the commotion going on.
"Oh right… I wanted to show Kanao, and everyone how capable I was…" Zenitsu mumbled as he was grunting.
"But they never seem to care… Perhaps I should just give up…." Zensitu sighed, as he felt his body giving up on him.
"Chu!" Zenitsu looked up to see his sparrow squeaking to him, clearly frightened and wanting him to not give up.
"Oh… Right… Guess you're still with me…" Zenitsu groaned as he tried getting up. "Guess I'll still fight, for you and Gramps…"
"I'll avenge you… For what Kaigaku did to you… I'll kill him, for him killing you…" Zenitsu tried to get up, only to fail.
He coughed, remembering everything. "Guess I'll just lay down, and rest... Yes... Some sleep... It's always whenever I sleep, does everything happen..."
He faintly remembers what Kaigaku did to Gramps. Zenitsu was forced to watch his gramps die, by the mercy of Kaigaku, as he was forced to watch Kaigaku kill Gramps. While Kaigaku didn't kill his gramps directly, he ultimately was the cause. His eyes hardened, as he forced himself up. This time, he managed to get up.
"I must end this here... The longer this battle goes on, the worse it'll get for me."
Zenitsu got up, new determination in his eyes.
"If I cannot kill this demon, then I won't be able to kill Kaigaku!" Zenitsu exclaimed as he forced his body beyond his limits.
But he was so limited…
He needed to do more. He had to.
For Gramps.
He needs to focus on his determination to make Gramp's pride and joy proud.
And so, he was focusing on being able to breathe his forms. He had to.
Zenitsu grunted as if he was trying to be formidable.
The demon he was fighting, merely looked down on Zenitsu.
"Go on guys! Pounce on him!" The spider brother demon shouted as he landed on the ground with his eight legs. He merely grinned at Zenitsu. "It's only a matter of time before you fall, you know?"
"Don't fault Zenitsu, even if it's one technique, you can use it to the best of your ability. Any mastery of a technique is an achievement." Jigoro explained as he smiled at a young Zenitsu.
"Hone it to perfection!" His gramps had always told him. Zenitus had the conversation with his Gramps for quite a time again, as he was reminiscing about everything.
As Zenitsu remembered his Gramps, his mind, unfortunately, went to his interactions with Kaigaki. At that, Zenitsue's tone changed.
He hated him. He hated how Kaigaki always felt superior. It was insulting, and Zenitsu had to endure his verbal abuse. He was no longer letting himself be the punching bag for people again.
Even when everyone looked down on him, only Gramps praised him, giving him some form of companionship and love. When he saw his Gramps dead from his injuries, he cried harder than he already did.
And in the hands of Kaigaki. He may have not been directly involved, but he was the sole cause of Gramp's death.
And for that, Kaigaki would pay. Zenitsu could put up with the torment he went through by Kaigaki and the bullying, but being responsible for Gramp's death, was unforgivable.
And so, he gripped his blade.
He dodged a spray of acid at the demon.
"Well, seems you still have some fighting spirit inside of you!" The spider demon brother smiled menacingly as he was looking forward to killing him more while making him suffer.
Once again, the spider brother (SB) demon stared at the yellow-haired demon slayer and smirked.
"Just wait, soon the poison will make you immobile." The SB demon smirked, as he stared down at Zenitsu. "Then you will become one of us."
And he could sense it. Zenitsu knew the spider demon was able to sense his weakness. He knew of his limitations. But... even then, he was still going to beat this demon. He would worry about anything else in the future if he had one.
The SB demon saw that Zenitsu was faltering, and so all he had to do was stall the demon slayer until he collapsed.
"Such a pity of a demon slayer…" The SB demon chuckled as he stared at the shaking figure of Zenitsu.
As Zenitsu grunted, as he focused on what Kaigaki had told him. How he berated him, how he was told to continuously give up, and how he was a failure.
"I'm not a failure! Gramps believed me!" Zenitsu gasped as he took in as much air as he could. He did not care if the poison was spreading throughout him.
He would kill this demon.
He would kill Kaigaki.
He would avenge Gramps.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash – Ending Slash
As Zenitsu sheathed his katana, he felt huge bolts of the lightning circle around him, and they then spread throughout his body, which included the spiders around him.
In a single display, all the spiders were blown away from Zenitsu's body, as a small thunderous boom echoed throughout the forest.
Even when it looked like the spiders were overwhelming Zenitsu, he had managed to blow them all away.
As the SB demon looked over, he felt the shockwave from him.
"What the hell? Where did that come from?" The SB demon thought right now.
"Whatever, just go!" The SB demon exclaimed as he continued to spite acid towards the demon slayer.
He was webbing his rear end and aligning himself to make sure Zenitsu went to sleep.
Before, the spider knew it, he could for a split second see Zenitsu barreling toward the demon.
The spider could barely see this as he quickly jumped and leaped away.
"That speed, what the hell was that? That was so fast!" The SB demon exclaimed in shock before he noticed something odd.
"M-My head?! It's been cut off?! By that demon slayer? But I dodged his slash! How?!" The SB demon exclaimed in his head.
However, what the SB demon didn't see was that at the last moment, Zenitsu had stopped exactly in his momentum, causing the ground and debris to be launched forward in the direction Zenitsu was in before he committed a circular slash across his body.
He had successfully predicted the angle at which the demon would leap away and had counterattacked the dodge.
Zenitsu sighed in relief, as he had defeated a major demon in the mountain.
However, he quietly lied down, slowing his breathing with his technique, as he was doing his best to slow down the poison.
Thankfully, more demon slayers were coming…
"Yoo-hoo!" A petite demon slayer girl with a butterfly haori similar to Kanao appeared next to Zenitsu.
All this time, Zenitsu was remembering the times he had with his only guardian... The only one who believed in him... The only one who didn't look down on him...
She merely smiled, "You did a good job holding off the poison from spreading throughout your body."
"G-Gramps?" Zenitsu mumbled, clearly out of it. Shinobu chuckled at this demon slayer. "Are you giving me another one of your forced compliments?"
"Must have had his life flash before his very eyes." Shinobu thought to herself, as she started to dispel the poison with her own medicine that she brought with her.
Taking out the syringe, she had her work cut out for her before the Kakashi could finish the job.
Shinobu, and Giyu
"Many of my children are being killed in Mount Natagumo. We are suspecting a strong demon, potentially a twelve Mizuki on the mountain." Ubuyashiki told the two demon slayers.
"While I would send Kanae to the mountain, I don't want to continue injuring her by sending her continuously to areas. She seems to be luring strong demons, so you will take her steed, alright Shinobu?" Ubuyashiki explained.
"Of course. Kanae was especially insisting to go since Kanao is also on the mountain." Shinobu explained. "She doesn't want to lose her, and I can explain why. I told her I would take her place in her steed."
"I appreciate that. I'm again sorry for not being able to promote you to a Hashira. The role has already been filled, and I cannot do any more than what you currently are." Ubuyashiki smiled sadly at Shinobu, who merely shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. I'm content with my role currently. I may not be a Hashira, but I've proven my skills and shown to be competent. Even if I cannot be a Hashira, I've appreciated everything you've done for me." Shinobu smiled.
"Very well, then I will let both you and Giyu go to Mount Natagumo, to stop many of my children from perishing," Ubuyashiki explained.
"Of course, for demons cannot stand, when they kill humans," Giyu explained, emphasizing his part strictly on the last part.
Shinobu merely stared at Giyu, who stared at the ground.
Ubuyashiki could see the whole ordeal and internal fighting Giyu was in. He was still worried for him considering everything, and his well-being, but if Giyu was willing to take this mission, then we would let him.
As the two made their way running toward the mountain. Shinobu made an interesting remark.
"Isn't the moon so lovely, today?" Shinobu asked.
While Giyu himself was a bit taken aback by the sudden statement, he grunted and shook his head internally.
"Don't say things like that, Shinobu. You'll make me think of your statements out of context." Giyu outright denied the statement, seemingly refusing to believe one specific meaning of the statement.
Shinobu only giggled, "At least he knew what I was saying. He's funny to be around."
As the two continued to make their way around the forest and mountain, they realized the sheer environment they were in.
"This is a massacre…" Shinobu mumbled before she saw a sparrow approach the two.
"Chu!" The sparrow was mumbling over and over again, and Shinobu eyes the sparrow.
"Odd, usually it's a crow… Why is a sparrow helping?" Shinobu asked.
"So you belong to a Demon slayer named Zenitsu?"
"CHU!" The sparrow chirped before flying towards the supposed demon slayer.
Shinobu ran towards the direction of the sparrow, whilst Giyu stared down, at the causalities.
He eyed the demon slayers, who seemed to have been killed by their blades.
At this, Giyu looked down, gritting his teeth.
Once again, this could have all been prevented if he had gotten here sooner/
"Why…" Giyu mumbled as he gripped his fist tightly. He was angry that this had to happen.
While he knew he ultimately couldn't save everyone, the fact that they all were dead meant he couldn't save at least one person.
Even the demon slayer with the sparrow, Shinobu was going to save them. He wasn't saving anyone.
And he hated how incapable he was of that.
With not much left to do, he made his way over. He heard a giant demon and sighed.
He made his way over to the demon and quietly made work of the demon. What he saw, was a bit unusual.
A slayer with a boar head was struggling to defeat the demon, who was named the Father.
"Stay away from my family!" The Father exclaimed as he focused on the demon slayers around him.
Inosuke was trying to cut the demon out, and decapitate them, only for his blades to break
"HOW?!" Inosuke exclaimed, in shock, before he growled, "I'll fight you with my bare arms if I have to!"
But it turned out to be a mistake.
"Stay away from my family! Get lost!" The Father roared as he grabbed Inosuke right in the throat, squeezing and crushing Inosuke's head.
As he felt his breath getting lighter and lighter, he had a weird vision.
"I'm sorry Inosuke…" A woman, who seemed to be around her late 20s, was crying, bloodied, and in a forest, near a cliff.
Inosuke, who was in the arms of this woman, could only remember being thrown off the cliff, as the woman was seemingly taken away somewhere.
"I hope you live, my sweet Inosuke… I'm sorry for everything…"
The last thing Inosuke remembered was the cold feeling of water surrounding him before his vision blacked out.
Before the demon could finish Inosuke off, Giyu leap high.
Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide
Polishing his range, Giyu charged toward the demon, before slicing off both the Father's arms, which successfully managed to free Inosukie from his choking hold.
"Agh!" The Father exclaimed before he growled and looked for whoever slashed his arms apart.
Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash
Before the demon could even retaliate and react to the sudden newcomer, he felt his head being decapitated.
Giyu had managed, in two slices, to save Inosuke, and kill the demon.
He leaped past the demon, and lunged at the demon, with a trial of water circling him, eventually, finding its way to the demon's neck.
Inosuke, who was unconscious, could feel through his touch that something was going on.
Giyu sighed, he had managed to save someone from death.
When he turned to see the boar head, he sighed. "This is the type of demon slayers I meet?"
"Oh well, at least I saved him, and at least he managed to survive against this demon…" With that, Giyu left, letting the kakushi care for the demon slayer's health.
In the meantime, he was going to head out to the foot of the mountain. There were still demons and demon slayers fighting.
Once he made it to the top, what he saw, was a surprise that even he wouldn't have expected to see.
However, at that moment, Giyu had an uncertain mindset to think about.
Kanao's POV
Kanao had made her way over to the mountain. For some reason, Genya found it suit to stray off in a different direction. He had decided that because of the number of demons, they should split up. Unless the demon was incredibly strong, it was a fine idea.
He had decided it would be best for them to split to deal with more demons. However, he also told her that he felt that many of the Kakashi were on their way, and thus he wanted to prioritize helping any injured demon slayers get the help they needed.
Kanao nodded at this, and let him go.
Truth be told, Genya was a nice individual when you got past his brash attitude, but Kanao herself couldn't find him noteworthy, besides his breathing style.
That, and that he noticeably was quieter around her, as if he felt awkward did not help matters.
Regardless, Kanao couldn't feel emotions. So she couldn't understand nor care for Genya, and that was vice versa.
Just like with Inosuke, and Zenitsu, it was only because they would see each other during missions quite often.
That fact that Genya had been launched quite a bit from a demon made his overall presence more unknown.
For all she knew, he could either be dead or with the Kakashi already.
Considering the forest was becoming increasingly calmer, she assumed Genya had been crucial in leading the kakushi to injured demon slayers.
So, she had that to thank him for, as he was taking his job as a demon slayer properly and seriously.
The noise Kanao heard next, made her stop and run towards the source of the sound.
It was a noise she thought was an injured demon slayer, but eventually saw, was that of a demon. Two demons. A male hurting a younger girl.
Already, Kanao stared at the two.
The male seemed to notice finally, "Hey! Get out of here! This is family business!"
The demon merely shouted without any care in the world to Kanao, who tilted her head, not believing what she was hearing.
This boy had just hurt this younger and weaker girl and claimed to others not to get involved because it was a family affair.
Kanao could see that despite his words, they weren't related. Far from it.
And so, Kanao stared the two down, not moving.
The demon boy stared back, not taking the presence of a demon slayer lightly.
"A family matter! Can you leave?" Kanao's mind went back to the present as she remembered what this demon was saying.
For the first time in a bit, Kanao felt something welt her.
She was recoiling at what this demon was telling her.
That's when it hit her. She was remembering the abuse she suffered back home.
Almost immediately, her body shivered, as she was trying to calm herself.
She had told herself she had moved on, but the sad reality is that she was remembering this.
After all this time of forgetting and denying it, all it took was for a demon to bring back those memories.
She sighed and took a deep breath, taking out the possession that her sister, who saved her gave her.
A coin.
And flipped it.
"Heads, I talk, Tails I walk away." She told herself, she grabbed the coin. i
It landed heads.
"You two are not real," Kanao said at last.
The girl demon looked at her with shock, almost like she was wondering what the girl was doing.
The voice of her sisters was echoing in her head.
As she was remembering the unfortunate reality that her early life consisted of, the sounds of her sisters were cleansing her mind of that tragedy.
She had moved on and was now in a better family.
"A family is determined by the connections you make, not whether or not entirely you are related by blood, but if they don't treat you well, then they aren't your real family." Kanae's voice was merely echoing in Kanao's mind as she felt a foreign feeling hit her.
"What did you say, you brat?" The demon boy asked, as his body turned to face Kanao, properly focusing on her.
"I said, you two aren't a family. A family does not run over fear. You terrify her, so this family is not real." Kanao explained as she stared down at the demon.
"No Rui! You are my family! Don't let- AHH!" The girl begged for Rui to not believe her, only for Rui to puncture her right in the eye.
"Shut up. I didn't permit you to talk." Rui told the individual and slapped her head.
"I will ask you again, did you mean what you said?" Rui asked Kanao, with a hint of anger and seriousness. His tone was dangerous, as his gaze began to pierce at her.
"You are not her real family. If you want to be a true family, treat her right." Kanae told Rui once again, and that sealed her fate, according to Rui.
"What a fake family this is," Kanao commented, further angering Rui.
"I'll kill you painfully for that," Rui told Kanao, as he prepared himself for a fight.
Before Kanao could even prepare, a demon slayer suddenly came into the clearing.
"Oh! A weak demon that's my size! Take this!" The demon slayer smirked as he charged.
"I can't wait for a pay raise and promotion!"
Rui merely flicked his hands toward the charging boy, and immediately, the boy's body was cut apart like butter. Rui had sent thin threads to cut his body.
Kanao had seen the entire thing and sighed. "What a stupid boy."
Rui then turned back to Kanao, "I will be merciful. If you retract your statement, I'll make your death as painless as possible."
Kanao shook her head, giving the demon the same facial expression. "No."
"Should've taken the easy way out, oh well.." Rui mumbled.
Similar to the action Rui sent to the boy, she saw the same thing. Kanao reacted, with her vision, and dodged the threads.
She knew this demon was the strongest of the bunch. There was no doubt she would have a difficult time managing to defeat this demon.
She kept dodging being dissected. It was the most important part of her fighting style, considering a single threat hitting her would be a decapitating injury.
Total Concentration – Flower Breathing, Third Form: Dance of the Lilley
Using Kanao's footwork, she managed safely maneuver herself closer to Rui, ready to strike.
She was currently stepping in the pattern of a flower, and using it to safely dodge all of the demon's threads.
Eventually, she cut through the distance, her total concentration granting her the extra strength needed to cut through the threads.
Kanao swing her sword, but Rui flicked his wrist again, and in came the threads.
Kanao gasped as she felt one graze on the top of her left shoulder, but she continued with her strike, knowing she couldn't hesitate now.
She managed to sever the threads that Rui had produced, and he was forced to back up.
Grunting, he merely created a web of threads to trap her.
However, Kanao skidded away from Rui rather than continue her onslaught.
Total Concentration – Flower Breathing, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo
With a mighty swing from her sword, Kanao swung her sword in a curve and arc that was meant for Rui's head.
Once again, Rui swung his arms to block the strike, with the threads. While it did injure his arm, it did lessen the blow.
"That's it," Rui commanded. "You've harmed my body and my health. I won't forgive you now."
Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Cage
In the span of a second, the webs around Kanao had turned red, implying he had begun to infuse his blood into the threads.
Kanao quickly got out, trying to block a thread with her sword, but she found herself struggling more to cut them apart.
Within the forest of trees, she was seeing the sheer amount of threads that were circling her.
She grunted and knew she had to try harder.
Total Concentration – Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility
With a mighty swing of her sword, she unleashed nine attacks around her, flowing and weaving across themselves to surround her from the threads.
She swung her blade across and managed to cut and stray the threads away safely.
She sighed, as she eyed Rui.
She wasn't done. She charged towards Rui, using her momentum to quickly surprise the demon.
Rui was shocked at this, seeing a demon slayer keeping up with him with his blood demon art. He backtracked, realizing he couldn't stop her momentum for now.
Once he got a safe distance, Rui threw threads and webs at Kanao, but she cut through them all.
Flower Breathing, First Form: Flower Cutter
Kanao leaped over some threads Rui had sent towards her before she aimed down to strike Rui's legs.
His eyes widened, as he noticed the searing pain that came towards his knees. Before he knew it, he fell, as his legs needed to regenerate.
He eyed up, noticing the decapitating strike Kanao was trying to strike him with.
He growled and gritted his teeth.
Blood Demon Art: Murderous Eye Basket
With his threads, he tried to power them as much as he could without his blood, so that he could stop, or slow the charged Kanao was performing.
He ignored her figure and form on the full moon, as he focused on powering his threads, turning them red.
Kanao's eyes widened at the change, as she gripped her sword more, as she was unable to cut through the threads, causing her to backflip at a safe distance.
"Damn... I couldn't kill him right there..." Kanao was upset with herself about that.
Rui took a sigh, before he eyed Kanao, "You didn't think I was serious, huh?"
He once again tried to spiral out threads to strike at Kanao. This time, they were red, and Kanao knew this demon was showing his full strength now.
She would have to be extremely careful trying to kill this demon.
She eyed the threads closely before she planned.
Total Concentration – Flower Breathing, Seventh Form: Cherry Blossom Strike
Kanao was breathing heavily, as she gracefully moved across the threads, dodging as she precisely strike the threads off.
Once she had enough momentum, she launched herself high in the sky and began to fall, spinning her body gracefully, as if she was mimicking the graceful ways cherry blossom petals are descending, or even traveling with the wind.
Kanao successfully struck off any of the blood threads as she gracefully closed the distance between her and Rui.
Rui grunted as he launched a thread at point-blank range, to catch Kanao hopefully.
But it was cut through by Kanao, who was beginning to lose momentum from the strike.
Rui took this time to back up, and he gritted his teeth.
The demon looked pissed, "You think I've been trying this entire time?"
Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Rotation
Kanao's eyes widened once she realized the demon was now pumping his blood through the threads even more.
She was going to struggle with striking down this demon and the threads now. Even when she struggle before with him pumping some of his blood through the threads, she knew now he was directing all the blood flow to the threads now.
She gulped, knowing she had to fight still.
A massive wave of a circular wall of crimson threads formed in front of Rui, before he rotated them and launched them towards Kanao.
She leaped away but felt the threads catch onto her.
Total Concentration – Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum
Kanao rotated her sword to deflect the incoming threads that were moving in a circular motion.
Unfortunately, she felt herself being stuck on the thread, and slowly felt herself being pushed back. She grunted again as she felt the threads graze her body. While this helped her avoid many of the major attacks, her sides were hurting her as she felt the injuries hit her.
She managed to cross the distance yet again and tried to behead Rui, only for him to flick a thread at her.
However, unlike the last time when she could easily cut them apart, this time she struggled, before finding herself launched towards a tree. Her abdomen was struck by the thread, causing a deep incision wound. She grunted in pain...
"Ow... That hurt..." She told herself before she got up. "This demon is something else."
She grunted as she got up, a bit wobbly, as Rui stared her down.
Before she could focus, she saw the threads covering the air, before it was shot towards her.
She panicked and quickly hid behind a tree, which managed to block some of the threads.
Flower Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirling Peach
Kanao had to evade the threads. They were coming at her from quite the direction. At this rate, she couldn't dodge them all with her current physical capabilities. She needed to dodge for her life.
Thankfully, she had a move that managed to help her evade the threads. However, she was slow due to the wound on her abdomen.
She sighed, once stopping, deciding to take the chance to strike him while his threads were down. It was all she could do.
Flower Breathing, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo
This was probably her favorite move to perform, as she twirled her body and curved herself around the threads, trying to slice apart Rui's neck. To her dismay, Rui still had some threads reserved for this, and she wasn't able to dodge them all.
So, she did her best to dodge them.
Still, she felt some of the threads hit her. She got hit again, and she coughed out blood,
"This is bad…" Kanao mumbled as she didn't know what to do. She was on the ground, bleeding from her injuries sustained from Rui, while she was only able to cut his legs. Was she really this weak...?
"Yes... Even Father thought I was weak and useless..." Kanao's thoughts and worse insecurities were beginning open themselves as she was fearing her apparent death. She was thinking of the hurtful stuff her biological father would tell her while he abused her...
She hoped she could, maybe suppress her emotions... To avoid more pain.
Unfortunately, Rui wasn't letting up, and he managed to circle his threads above Kanao.
Her eyes widened. This was something she was trying not to fall under, but she was failing.
She had to leap out right now!
As she lunged forward towards Rui, she suddenly felt herself being held down by the threads.
"NO!" Kanao exclaimed in her head, as she realized she was trapped. He had purposely down a fake cage to motivate her into heading into the real cage trap!
"Now." Rui commented, "You were quite the annoyance… So for that, I'll make your death extra painful."
"Thought I will give you credit, for a demon slayer, you did well against a Twelve Kizuki. Rui revealed his eye, showing Lower Moon 5.
Kanao's eyes widened. She had to do something. She could barely move her arms, but her hand was still gripping her blade. She was fighting a twelve Mizuki the entire time, no wonder he was so difficult.
She had to try.
Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility
With the strength she could, she tried to slash the threads off multiple times. Unfortunately, she couldn't. Not only was she trapped, but also because Rui himself had projected his blood through the threads, empowering them more, and making them stronger.
"Is this it?" Kanao asked herself, trying to figure out if that was all she could truly do.
"I-I'm sorry Kanae… Shinobu… please forgive me for being so weak…" Kanao apologized to her sisters, thanking them for giving her a happy few years of her life, ignoring the suffering she went through as a kid.
However, it seemed she would live longer.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide, Turbulent
Before Kanao knew it, a demon slayer blurred through the webs and threads, charging towards Rui, putting themselves in between her and Rui.
When Kanao was going to ask who this person was, she felt free.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Eight Form Modified: Flowing River
Another demon slayer would launch towards the web, using feints and misdirections to confuse Rui. The sweeping movement the demon slayer used was very unpredictable and fluid.
Kanao realized that the person who swept around was doing this to destroy the cage that surround her.
Kanao gasped as she sighed in relief. She seemed to have suffered more injuries than she realized.
"Stay down, we'll take care of him for now." The demon slayer told Kanao, and she could tell that this demon slayer sounded like a girl.
When Kanao looked up, she was confused and shocked.
Both individuals were wearing the mask that she recognized from the Final Selection.
"There's two of them?" Kanao asked herself, confusingly. "But... I thought there was only one of them..."
She remembered the boy, with the burgundy red hair, and the checkered black and green haori. The girl, by contrast, was wearing a pink dress covered by a brownish coat. That was strange…
"Rui, who are they?" The demon daughter asked Rui, who merely remained quiet.
"Don't you mind? I'm trying to finish my business with that demon slayer!" Rui exclaimed to the two.
"Well sorry, but we're not letting you kill any demon slayers." The boy told Rui.
It was at this moment, did Kanao realize, that this was the same boy who had allowed them to fetch Kanae from Upper Moon Two from Final Selection.
Her eyes widened in shock, "This boy is still alive… But how?!" She couldn't believe it.
She wished she could get a good look at the two's faces, but their masks were covering their entire face, and their bodies were also covered in clothing.
Therefore, she could only watch as the two stood protectively over her.
Tanjirou and Nezuko
Tanjirou sighed in relief once he made it safely to the girl.
He looked down and somewhat recognized her. She was wearing the same butterfly hair clip the other Hashira wore, and he also remembered her from Final Selection.
"She looks pretty cute…" Tanjirou thought before he looked back. He noticed that the girl was now unconscious.
"Oh, shut up with those emotions... Don't let her be the reason your demonic side comes out now..." Tanjirou grunted as he was beginning to get annoyed by his demonic voice.
Therefore, he didn't stare too long as he continued to push Rui further into the forest, away from the girl, whilst Nezuko was not too far behind.
"Nezuko, protect her, I'll keep the demon distracted," Tanjirou told Nezuko, who merely gave a noise of disagreement.
"I cannot risk going towards the Kakashi as a demon, you know that, brother," Nezuko answered back.
"You make a fair point, sorry." Tanjirou thought to himself telling Nezuko as he continued to rush Rui. "At least make sure she's alright."
Rui was in the process of sending threads across Tanjirou, but they either missed or graced his body.
However, to the shock of both the demon daughter and Rui, Tanjirou remained steadfast in his attempt to cut Rui down. He was shocked that this demon slayer was not even flinching or reacting, or even bleeding from the strikes and slashes he was receiving.
To Rui, Tanjirou was a different breed than the demon slayer he previously fought.
"What the hell are you?" Rui asked before his eyes widened.
"No…" He mumbled before he knew what he had to do. He had a suspicion, and now needed to confirm that.
And so, he began to strike the threads toward Tanjirou's face, but he blocked it all.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux
Tanjirou ran forward with his blade rushing with water, as he continued to chase down Rui and the daughter demon.
When Rui stopped, he merely eyed Tanjirou.
Blood Demon Art: Murderous Eye Basket
Before Tanjirou noticed, he found himself surrounded by the red threads, and he quickly realized what was going on. He realized the threads were growing smaller, so he had to act.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash
Tanjirou managed to slash the threads apart, as he charged as fast as he could towards Rui.
Only to be grabbed by the face and mask, before being kicked away by the demon.
Grunting as he found himself exposed in his face, he kept flying back until he rolled safely down.
When he got up, Rui was angry.
"What is a demon doing fighting alongside demon slayers?!" Rui asked angrily. "You must be why Mother left."
Tanjirou grunted, knowing his face was now exposed. His overall flaming pattern on his left forehead was now showing, and Rui's face quickly showed a personality of fear. He found himself injured as Rui had struck him with his threads while he was tumbling back.
Blood Demon Art: Thread Dash
Rui, with no hesitation, threw multiple chakram-shaped threads toward Tanjirou's direction.
Tanjirou quickly smelt it and tried to dodge it, but something foreign stopped him from moving, and he felt his body being struck by five of the chakrams.
One to his left shoulder, one to his collarbone, one directly to his heart, one to his stomach, and the other on his right leg. They all caused Tanjirou to bleed out, as all he could ask, was why he couldn't move his body suddenly...
The next thing he knew, he blacked out.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Eight Form, Modified: Flowing River
Nezuko, angered by how her brother was being treated by Rui quickly attacked Rui. Charging forward, she used a powerful momentum of her body to create momentum. This continued, by using misdirection and feints yet again making it hard for Rui to be able to properly strike Nezuko. She eventually got him quite a bit away.
He backed up, as the daughter demon ran off.
"So you both are demons, huh?" Rui asked.
Nezuko nodded, "Yes we are, and you are a Lower moon huh?" She looked down at Tanjirou, who was bleeding heavily, but was regenerating. She was glad they had plenty of energy saved. It seems Giyu was also preparing them for this, as the training also helped in their energy consumption as demons.
"Yes, so what's it to you? Or are you competing for my place?" Rui asked, smirking.
"Like hell, we would want to be associated with Kibutsuji Muzan," Tanjirou grunted as he got up.
Rui's eyes widened at that, "So, you both are traitors, that makes sense. Guess if I kill these traitors, then your majesty himself will give me more of his blood."
Nezuko growled, "Tell us about him."
Rui yawned, "I don't think I will."
Blood Demon Art: Thread Dash
Quickly summoning a three-lined thread, he promptly unleashed the threads forward toward the two.
Nezuko was able to dodge the attack quickly enough.
Tanjirou… Not so much. Tanjirou was once again hit by some stray threads, as his body was hit back on the tree as the chakram-like thread pierced his face, striking his right eye out.
He then fell to the ground.
"Brother!" Nezuko exclaimed before she growled at Rui. "I'll fucking murder you! Then Muzan!"
She felt her demonic urges coming back to hit her, as she saw red.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Twelfth Form: Raging Ocean Style, Riptide
With a massive breath, Nezuko rushed toward them as she charged and used her momentum. She began to twist her body in a circular motion, drawing Rui himself towards the slash. Almost like an ocean current or riptide, Rui was struggling to escape the style, having to use his demon art to counter it.
Blood Demon Arts: Murderous Eye Basket
When Rui tried to trap Nezuko, she did the same as Tanjirou, she continued, managing to get through the cage. Unfortunately, her mask too fell off as the masks were split apart. She grunted, as her face was now exposed. The purplish vines on her face were now apparent, as she continued to strike towards Rui.
Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool
Nezuko spun her body around, hoping the breathing would snap the threads. Thankfully, they did, as she was back on her feet, avoiding much of the threads Rui would send towards her.
She tried to leap towards Rui, but that was a bad idea, causing her to once again perform the form, as she was trying to avoid hurting herself from the threads. She may have been a demon, but if she was damaged too much, she would fall asleep.
That could result in her death, especially if she was left out in the sun, or worse... Brought in by Muzan.
She couldn't allow that.
Total Concentration - Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust
Nezuko had another idea. Seeing another caged thread coming towards her, she decided to pierce through it.
Just like paper, the threads ripped apart as the remaining spiraled away from her.
Throughout this, she was slowly making her way towards Rui. It was a difficult feat, but she was managing it. Even if she didn't get any hit on Rui yet, neither did he.
It was almost a neutral battle, that at this rate would be won by endurance. Since Nezuko was a demon, Rui was not always at the advantage he thought he was.
Rui's eyes widened in surprise as it seemed that Nezuko was an unstoppable force. And so, he began to run.
He quickly turned back and unleashed a large barrage of threads toward Nezuko.
Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Rotation.
Nezuko saw the massive wave of threads coming toward him.
"No! Don't let him get away Nezuko! Do this for your brother!" Nezuko yelled in her mind.
Water Breathing, Twelfth Form: Raging Ocean Style, Riptide
Nezuko continues to strike Rui's threads, as she was forced to strike down the threads Rui had set down.
"Rui seems to have anticipated that he would be fighting demon slayers, so he placed threads across the battlefield, trying to catch me into a trap!" Nezuko realized as she was trying her best to avoid them.
Thankfully, she had experience before.
"I remember how my brother and I would try to get up a mountain avoiding traps. Of course, before we failed, but this time, we have the experience to avoid and strike them down!" Nezuko exclaimed in her mind as she was able to skillfully maneuver around them.
As she continued, she was trying to catch up to Rui's threads.
She didn't care if she felt herself being pierced in her chest by a thread, she didn't care if she felt like tripping, she had to slice this demon down!
"Stop running! You coward!" Nezuko yelled toward Rui's retreating figure. She was trying to get closer to them, but she was feeling Rui's features getting smaller.
She gritted her teeth. She had to push the blood to her legs to move as fast as she could.
But, the problem, was that she was being trapped by the thread traps that he had set.
Nezuko realized just how many threads were coming toward her.
Her eyes widened. "Shit! I need to get rid of these... That's it! This is it! Use Giyu's technique!"
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm
Suddenly remaining still, Nezuko did her best to cease all body movements to become a tranquil force. It was a rapid shift from the aggressive wild style that she was performing before.
She was slicing across the thread traps that she had accidentally activated. All in all, Nezuko was surprised, with the swift speed she was sipping down, she sliced through all of the threads.
She felt the threads coming towards her and quickly slashed them apart easily with her blade, as most of them struck her side. It still hurt, but it was able to prevent any deep injuries.
However, she was still not properly complete with the technique and thus felt herself being struck quite a bit by the threads.
Despite this, she was performing the technique well.
She then looked up to Rui, who stared at her angrily, and all Nezuko did was walk calmly towards Rui.
Rui looked confused at what Nezuko was doing before Rui began to run.
Nezuko quickly shortened the distance as she focused on running, knowing she had dealt with all of the traps.
"What the hell are you doing? How did you deflect my threads?!" Rui exclaimed.
"I'm going to behead you!" Nezuko yelled, as she leaped and focused her vision on Rui's neck.
Rui's eyes widened, as he tried to quickly bring up some threads.
Using the reserve, Rui sent some chakrams to Nezuko.
Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel
Whirling her body around, she took care of most of the threads, with a few more hitting her on the sides, but that didn't stop her much.
Rui grunted as he could feel the sword nearing him.
Cutting Thread Cage
To the shock of Nezuko, with all the blood he could infuse into his threads, he created a cage around himself.
Nezuko growled as she was having to use her demonic strength to easily cut through the threads now.
But now, she was unsure if even that would be able to cut through them. Rui, despite looking like a small child, was incredibly strong. He was a Twelfth Kizuki for a reason.
"Breathe properly Nezuko! Focus on your breathing and footsteps!" The voice of Tanjirou echoed into Nezuko's mind. "I'll be back soon!"
Nezuko yelled.
Total Concentration - Water Breathing, Eight Form Modified: Flowing Dupliactes
Nezuko, using her speed and breathing properly, maneuvered around the thread cage, so that she would be able to slice it all apart.
She did it with such speed that it seemed that multiple afterimages of Nezuko were cutting apart the threads simultaneously.
Eventually, the thread cage that Rui surrounded himself in collapsed, and Nezuko took that as her chance.
"Now! Before he tries to set it up again, or by running, slice! Him! Down!"
Before he could react, Nezuko charged forward, and with the watery fluids across her blade, she cut the head of Rui.
"S-She cut it!" Rui exclaimed as he felt his head fall and body drop.
Nezuko sighed, as she dropped tiredly.
"I-I did it brother…" Nezuko mumbled as she felt so tired.
"Good job Nezuko… I'm proud of you…" Tanjirou told her sister.
"Are you alright...?" Nezuko asked.
"Better than ever, I have complete control over my body again, as I should," Tanjirou explained.
"W-What do you mean by that, brother?" Nezuko asked, very confused.
Nezuko lay on the ground, as she noticed Tanjirou getting up and walking towards her. His eyes were fully healed, and his body seemed fine. He still held his black Nichirin blade and didn't seem too tired. If anything, he looked different than what she recently saw from him.
He looked like himself. Somewhat happy, happier than he used to be, smiling a tad bit more than before their family died and abused them. It still had the tragic field to them, but she noticed it had more ease behind it. Like he wasn't going through a great deal of stress now.
It was the same smile that made Nezuko think her brother was back to how he was before turning into a demon. He wasn't full of hate as much, but rather at ease, like he was in complete control.
However, the unexpected happened for both of them.
"You didn't think I'd go down that easily." They both turned to the head of Rui. In a shocking display, Rui's head regrew on his body, while the old one disintegrated.
"How…" Nezuko mumbled, as she tried to get up, but was so tired.
"Come on body! Regenerate!" She exclaimed, before she sighed, "It's no use, I'm almost out of energy…" Before Nezuko knew it, she fell asleep.
Tanjirou's eyes widened before he growled.
"I guess it's my turn to fight you, Rui," Tanjirou growled as he gripped his sword tightly.
Rui merely looked uninterested, "Perhaps, but will you be as close to cutting my neck as your friend there?"
"Nezuko is my sister, and I know I will be certain to cut your neck off this time, for her," Tanjirou growled.
"Oh, what's this? She's your sister?" Rui asked, clearly shocked.
"Yes, what's wrong with that?" Tanjirou asked as he stood over gripping and pointing his blade towards Rui.
"I want her." Was all Rui thought, before he unleashed his threads? Tanjirou tried to block the threads from hurting Nezuko, but it only went through Tanjirous's left arm and shoulder and picked Nezuko up. Nezuko being lifted by the threads caused Tanjirou to be knocked down by a body uppercut from Nezuko.
Tanjirou blinked, and the next thing he saw, Nezuko was hoisted upside down with a thread on a tree. Nezuko realized how quickly serious Tanjirou got.
Tanjirou's eyes narrowed, as he glared at Rui.
He was not going to let Rui take his sister away from him.
"I won't let you." Tanjirou monotonously said, as he stared at the demon with the most disgusted face he could ponder.
Before he smirked insanely. His pupils dilated, whilst his smile stretched wide, and he tilted his head a bit to the left, before he chuckled, "I'll kill you before you take my sister away from me."
Tanjirou knew how Rui moved. He could see the demon. But he could also smell the demon and his threads. He saw how they usually formed before launching.
He calmed himself down, remembering to breathe.
There was no way he could use water breathing to protect Nezuko. He had to use the Hinokami Kagura.
It was the very thing he used to even defeat his own demons, once and for all.
"Remember, to breathe and dance like Hinokami, and our family will be protected from the harms of the outside and evil." Tanjurou's voice echoed in Tanjirou's mind, as he stared up at the demon. Despite his smirk, he was calm, and composed. He was focusing on his breathing. His smirk did eventually convert back to a neutral facial expression.
However, instead of letting his father's words get to Tanjirou, he listened. Even if his father wasn't the best, and even if he treated his son poorly, saying bad things, he will at least listen... After all, what he did say stands in line with what he learned about the Hinokami Kagura. And so, he was willing to tolerate his father's own words, for now.
Before he knew it, he felt his body heating up, before he launched himself forward.
Total Concentration – Hinokami Kagura, Twelfth Form: Flame Dance
Tanjirou committed to a two-strike combo, beginning to effortlessly strike down all the threads Rui threw out at him.
Tanjjirou eyed Rui, noting how he was moving back. He had to speed towards Rui faster than he could anticipate.
Good thing he too was learning new moves.
Total Concentration - Hinokami Kagura, Twelfth Form, Modified: Solar Flare Dance
With a massive charge, Tanjirou burst forward at speeds almost as fast as Zenitus's own Thunder Breathing, as he unpredictably moved towards Rui.
Rui noticed the images of Tanjirou as if it was trying to dazzle and disorient Rui.
"What the hell is this kid doing?" Rui asked himself, as he focused on a direction to run.
Tanjirou didn't care, he was closing the distance between him and Rui who was running.
Eventually, he slashed the second strike, which Rui barely dodged by throwing a webbed thread toward Tanjirou, forcing him to maneuver around the webs safely.
But that was only a temporary distraction.
Total Concentration – Hinokami Kagura, Third Form: Raging Sun
Tanjirou slashed in an arch to further strike down the threads, as he once again charged towards Rui.
Just like before, Rui tried to surround himself with a thread cage, whilst shooting threads outside to strike Tanjirou. However, Tanjirou merely strikes them all down with his own flames, whilst also piercing right through the cage.
Rui fell back, as he decided to once again use his final trap.
Rui launched his own threads into the air, and before Tanjirou knew it, all of his threads, that were connected by trees, began to fall down in the form of a spider's web.
"Well, that's not good..." Tanjirou mumbled as he tried to think. All he could think about was focusing on Rui. He had to find a way to dodge it, but also kill Rui.
He had an idea. Quickly managing to get close to Rui, he grabbed Rui by the collar.
Rui's eyes widened in shock.
"What do you think you are doing...?" Rui asked before he was thrown right above Tanjirou.
This allowed Tanjirou to get some easier coverage from the web.
"Just as I thought... Rui himself is immune to his own threads. That way, he doesn't accidentally hurt himself." Tanjirou deciphered.
"That's it!" Rui commanded loudly as he eyed Tanjirou with pure hatred.
"I'll have to use a final form!" Rui exclaimed.
Blood Demon Arts: Whiplash Rotation
With a giant thread, it acted as a whip and managed to, after Tanjirou finished his strike, whip Tanjirou away.
The sudden attack caused Tanjirou's neck to be partially injured as he struck behind a tree.
"You are not running away you coward!" Tanjirou exclaimed as he saw Rui running for his life.
Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Rotation, Whiplash Rotation
Rui launched all the possible threads he could towards Tanjirou, who despite seeing this, decided to charge right through it as fast as he could.
"You are not getting away!" Tanjirou yelled as he slowed down, breathing heavily as he breathed in again. Unbeknownst to Tanjirou, his body temperature spiked up, and the marks on his face became orange, from their normal red marks.
Similarly wise, the vines on Nezuko's face and arms lit up in pink color.
"Nezuko! Wake up! Your brother needs your help!" Nezuko was hearing the voices of her family, as she was sleeping upside down.
"Nezuko! Please! Do it now, or your brother will be hurt badly! Tanjirou needs your help!" The siblings called to Nezuko, who quickly opened her eyes.
Blood Demon Art: Karmic Blaze
With her vines across her face and arms glowing pink, she opened her arms, pointing them between Tanjirou and Rui, and moving her blood to her hand, unleashed it.
The pink flames manifested themselves as Nezuko gripped her hand. In a swift motion, the pink flames exploded and removed all the threads Rui had unleashed. Nezuko had single-handedly removed all of Rui's threads, including the one hoisting her on a tree, causing her to drop to the ground, tired.
Tanjirou's eyes widened, and before he knew it, he saw that he was free. The pink flames were not hurting him, and thus he plunged through, eyeing Rui.
All the while, Tanjirou's marks on his face, forehead, and neck all glowed bright orange.
Blood Demon Art: Hinokami's Blessing
Before Tanjirou knew it, the flaming marks on his face and neck quickly went down throughout his body, from the top to the bottom of his feet, and to the arms and hands. The flaming marks quickly split apart from his arteries, opening Tanjirou's body slightly to unleash his blood him.
Shortly after, scarlet, red flames began to come out of Tanjirou, as even his blade, covered in the Hinokami Kagura, was now infested with Tanjirou's blood, and mixed to become a crimson flaming color.
It seemed that Tanjirou's blood had begun to mix around the flames his cells would make.
Tanjirou, noticing this, quickly deflected it, and charged towards Rui.
Total Concentration – Hinokami's Fusion, First Form: Dance
Tanjirou, with the new scarlet flames surrounding his body and sword, quickly ran to the running figure of Rui, before he caught up.
His scar burned orange as he let out a mighty, blood-curdling roar as he wanted to put all of his efforts into that attack.
Blood Demon Art: Cutting Thread Cage
"NO!" Rui exclaimed as he quickly unleashed the threads trying to keep Tanjirou still. Tanjirou cut through them like he had a needle popping a balloon.
"This is the end for you!" Tanjirou exclaimed as he slashed down on the threads.
While Tanjirou slashed downward in an arching motion, the blood in Tanjirou's flames and blades spread out, acting like the solar flares of the sun.
The flames acted out in the form of multiple whips, as multiple protruded out, in a flaming orange flame that extended beyond his blade to strike Rui in the face. Some also went out further to maneuver past to strike more of Rui's threads. However, the threads that were cut from Tanjirou's blade were the most deadly for Rui. The blood from Tanjirou's blade and his flames began to infuse into Rui's remaining threads.
Rui gasped as he backed up and quickly ran. The feeling he was feeling when he got cut by Tanjirou's blade felt very foreign.. Very wrong... Yet... Nostalgic...
However, it was too late for him. He collapsed, as his arms began to swell with painful lumps.
"W-WHAT I-IS THIS?!" Rui gargled on his breath, as he was clearly in pain.
Tanjirou was confused, as he felt his blood demon art finally subside. The flaming marks that encompassed Tanjirou's entire body, which was sunlit orange in color, began to fade back and revert to its red color. Likewise, the little breaks in Tanjirou's skin near his arteries closed up swiftly, as the flames subsided.
By now, Rui was staring at Tanjirou in fear, as he felt his body giving away. He couldn't feel his arms anymore, and they had begun to turn dark red and purple, as the swellings began to get worse.
"T-This is like the medical condition I went through back when I was a human… These are tumors!" Rui exclaimed in pain to himself, as he felt something foreign move within his body.
Whatever that foreign object was, it was causing a trail of destruction in his body, and he suddenly felt ill again.
This was the first time since a human, did he ever feel this sick.
He began to cough out blood, as he felt his shoulders begin to swell as well.
Tanjirou sighed, knowing whatever Rui was going through was causing a lot of pain, and so, he put the demon out of his misery.
Total Concentration – Hinokami Kagura, First Form: Dance
A simple strike to Rui's neck ended his life, and the demon's head plopped on the ground.
All the while, Rui's remaining body continued to be engrossed in swellings and purple marks across the body.
Rui at least sighed in relief, knowing whatever that was wouldn't reach his head.
Tanjirou sighed, as he too went on his knees.
"I defeated a lower moon… I did it… A Twelfth Kizuki…" Tanjirou mumbled.
"Nezuko… I did it…" Tanjirou again told his sister, as he immediately picked up a syringe he had remaining, from Chachamaru. He then quickly got the blood of Rui, noticing that it was pure crimson red.
"If my blood was scarlet red, then I should look for crimson red in the demon… Kind of ironic if the flames are crimson when my blood is infused…" Tanjirou thought to himself, once he successfully got the correct blood, which was on Rui's head.
Calling for Chachamaru, who meowed, Tanjirou smiled, knowing Kie had made it back successfully. Placing the syringe of the Lower Moon 5, the cat made its way back.
As for Tanjirou, he grabbed and hoisted Nezuko up, and went back to where Kanao was, hoping the Kakashi had found her and taken her for her injuries.
A.N / Quite the long chapter this time, but I did want to finish up the fight with Lower Moon 5, Rui, and not give any cliffhangers. Even if it meant going beyond the work and word limit I set for myself, I thought finishing this fight would be more proper at least.
The biggest thing to talk about is the Blood Demon arts and the new Breathing Styles I made up! I hope they aren't too confusing, I will explain them below. But Nezuko's blood demon art is mostly the same, with some small alterations. Whilst Tanjirou's blood demon art is meant to be in a similar vein to that of Kokushibo's. The added pathogenic vibe that Tanjirou's blood has just made it more dangerous. Like I said, I'll explain it all soon.
Finally, I want to make clear that Kanao and Genya are only fellow demon slayers who cooperate. Genya hangs around Gyomei a lot in this story, so the two do see each other the most out of all the rest. She did meet Tanjirou a couple of times, and now Nezuko for the first time, and they will meet more in the future chapters.
As for what happens to Tanjirou and Nezuko, well you'll have to see the next chapter.
Character Profile:
Rui: Male, 30 years old.
Status: Dead, Demon COD: Killed by Tanjirou's Blood Demon Art and Breathing Style. Height: 4'5" (135cm) Weight: 65IbsSpider Demon (Daughter): Female, 25 years old.
Status: Alive, Demon Height: 5'1" (155cm) Weight: 95IbsSpider Demon (Son): Male, 26 years old.
Status: Dead, Demon COD: Killed by Zenitsu. Height: 5'4" (162cm) Weight: 117IbsAbilities: Breathing Style
Zenitsu Agatsuma:
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash – Ending Slash
A strong, modified version of the first form of thunder breathing. The user dashes forward at blinding speeds but can stop whenever they want with a giant arching slash that can catch any demon trying to dodge the dash Zenitsu performs.
Kanao Tsuyuri:
Flower Breathing, Third Form: Dance of the Lilley
A movement that replicates a dance that forms the shape of a Lilley. The user dances whilst avoiding any potential strikes, before launching in for a strike directly in the center. Through maneuvering and closing the distance, the user eventually shortens the distance for striking distance. Is meant for long periods of fighting.
Flower Breathing, Seventh Form: Cherry Blossom Strike
The user launches themselves high into the hair, falling gracefully and skillfully to avoid any potential strikes while using the gravity force for a devastating strike. It is meant to emulate the graceful movement of cherry petals that are carried by the wind, or how they fall gently to the ground.
Nezuko Kamado:
Water Breathing, Eight Form Modified: Flowing River
The user rushes forward, utilizing quick speeds to change course in their maneuvering. Once in close quarters, the user strikes to control the flow of battle, to off-balance the opponent. It thrives off its unpredictability and graceful movements.
Water Breathing, Twelfth Form: Raging Ocean Style, Riptide
A more aggressive form of maneuvering. Here, the user strikes forward in an aggressive form to mimic the waves of an ocean. The user will use sweeping, circular movements to emulate whirlpools and currents, such as riptides, which may even draw some opponents toward the strike.
Tanjirou Kamado:
Hinokami Kagura, Twelfth Form, Modified: Solar Flare Dance
Mixing both aggression and speed, the user launches forward similar to thunder breathing, first form, however, whilst running, the user creates a burst of fear, using unpredictable movements by moving in fast ways. This may also help the user in confusing and disorienting their opponents, through random movements and feints.
Abilities: Blood Demon Arts
Rui:
Blood Demon Arts: Thread Manipulation
Users can create thin threads using their flesh and can manipulate the threads to extend them further. They are usually very sharp and durable.
Blood Demon Arts: Cutting Thread Cage
The user creates a web-shaped string that can surround the opponents to cut them to pieces.
Blood Demon Arts: Murderous Eye Basket
The user creates a spherical cage that slowly shrinks until the opponent is cut.
Blood Demon Arts: Cutting Thread Rotation
The user creates a rotating wheel to cut opponents to pieces.
Blood Demon Arts: Thread Dash
The user creates a chakram or a small weapon out of their threads, launching it at quick speeds to strike a target.
Nezuko Kamado:
Blood Demon Arts: Karmic Blaze
The user manipulates the blood around their body to eventually release blood that can turn to pink flames. These pink flames will harm based on the justice and moral balance of an individual. Those with a high will to uphold moral principles, such as righteousness, fairness, justice, and integrity will be healed by the flames. Many of Muzan's demons will be harmed by Nezuko's flames, whilst many humans, except terrible ones can be healed, due to its ability to negate other blood demon arts. This will also be emphasized due to Nezuko's ability to manipulate and move her blood extraordinarily well, even when the blood is out of her body. Nezuko can control the half-life of her blood cells when she needs it, which determines the prolonged nature of her flames. Nezuko's vine marks will turn pink when activated.
"Karma refers to how a person's actions will determine their fate/destiny, with the pink flames manifesting that. Karmic Blaze counteracts the negative effects by neutralizing them with purifying pink flames. Seen as a divine retribution, punishing those who acted unjustly or immorally."
Tanjirou Kamado:
Blood Demon Arts: Hinokami's Blessing/Fusion (Yes the title of the story, how lame).
The user's body will be cut open near the artery, allowing for blood to spill out of the user, which then activates to cover the user in orange, scarlet flames. These flames are dangerous to other demons with Muzan's blood, as the flames are mixed with Tanjirou's blood, which can infect demons. If a demon is burned by Tanjirou's flames, the blood may seep into the demon's blood demon art, or their bodies, which can then infect their body, causing cancer-like symptoms of painful swellings, tumors, and necrosis in patches of the skin, as it begins to spread, and will eventually kill them unless they decapitate the site of infection before the blood spreads. Tanjirou will have his flame marks spread throughout his body and glow orange when the blood demon art is activated. Tanjirou can also create a new blade made of his flesh if needed, to properly utilize his blood demon arts for the following.
When Tanjirou combines this with Sun Breathing or Hinokami Kagura, the blade will also become infused by his blood cells, which causes the edge to become crimson red as a visual effect. Hinokami's Fusion can allow for the breathing style to unleash flares of flames, like a solar flare of the sun, which Tanjirou has limited control over. These flames are also infused by Tanjirou's blood, so any demon of Muzan's that comes into contact with this will also suffer from the infection Tanjirou's blood cells cause. Tanjirou's blood cells can infect Muzan's cells and produce tons of his blood cells, quickly causing abnormal growth in the demon's body, causing internal damage. Muzan's cells may try to fight the infection, but will only further damage the demon's body. Tanjirou himself produces Muzan's blood cells, but uses them to create his blood cells, but is limited to avoid abnormal growth. The foreign entity of Tanjirou's blood cells, combined with the cancer-like symptoms makes his cells like oncogenic viruses.
