Hinokami's Blessing
Chapter 23
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.
With Nezuko, Tanjirou, Shinobu, and Kanao
"B-Brother…?" Nezuko asked in shock, as she saw her brother managing to block the onslaught of Kokushibo from striking her.
Truth be told, Kokushibo had been the one told to fight Nezuko for a bit.
While Nezuko had put up a fight, in part because she was a demon, and also because of her training, Kokushibo was on a different level compared to even Akaza, and so Nezuko found herself being overwhelmed by Kokushibo's crescent moon blades before she could even counterattack.
Not that she wouldn't be able to. She ultimately knew it would be best to be on the defense.
"In a war, usually it takes 3 people to kill 1 defender… If I focus purely on the defense, then maybe I stand a chance." Nezuko thought.
As a result, she was able to last around 5 minutes from Kokushibo's own onslaught of attacks.
"Damn… These crescent moons are so unpredictable…" Nezuko thought, "And besides Rengoku, I'm the only one who is fighting against a demon…"
"Come on you guys! We need help!" Nezuko exclaimed. She was desperately calling for reinforcements but knew that they would prioritize Rengoku over her. It made sense, as they were banking on Nezuko's demonic regeneration to help her with the battle against the stronger Upper Moon.
The result was that none of them could help her. And Nezuko could tell it was blunt because of Rengoku's own condition. He was definitely doing worse, because he couldn't regenerate his limbs, nor did he have unlimited stamina.
He had neither, and so they had to work together to destroy and fend off this demon.
As for Nezuko, since she was a demon, they probably thought she would be able to fend for herself. Even Rengoku did, with how she handled herself against the Lower Moons. She had to pick up a fight against this Upper Moon.
Blood Demon Art: Karmic Blaze
Nezuko quickly unleashed her own blood demon art, and Kokushibo looked surprised, especially since he was forced to back up from the flames.
He couldn't pass through, as the flames began to burn across his body. He had to focus on getting rid of it before Nezuko could take advantage of that.
To make matters even worse for Kokushibo, Nezuko's blood demon art seemed to be getting rid of his crescent moon blades.
"So it gets rid of my demon art as well?" Kokushibo asked himself in his thoughts, as he made a noise of understanding.
This meant, that Kokushibo would have to rely solely on his moon breathing technique.
However, Kokushibo didn't mind that. Even without being able to use his blood demon art, he knew he was more capable than Nezuko.
And their swordsmanship said it all.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool
Nezuko tried to perform a whirling slash across Kokushibo, but he merely blocked it with his giant blade. He blocked it by planting his steps vertically, and retaliated back, putting in his strength, as he quickly overpowered Nezuko.
Nezuko felt herself lose balance, but she couldn't let herself be vulnerable. She quickly unleashed her pink flames to block any attack Kokushibo could use. She had to use it to cover herself from any potential side glances that Kokushibo could try.
The problem was that her blood demon art was also consuming some of her energy, which she was at a deficit of already.
"This girl… Even if she isn't adept with her breathing technique as Hashira, she does seem formidable. Not to mention the number of problems her blood demon art is giving me…" Kokushibo thought to himself, as he knew that this girl was seriously keeping up with him. "Seems she is really good with adapting to her opponents..."
And it wasn't even through her breathing style. She was using everything she had at her disposal, and it annoyed him. She was the ideal individual Muzan was looking for.
Total Concentration – Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves
Kokushibo slashed through Nezuko's pink flames as quickly as he could, in a circular motion, three times in an attempt to strike Nezuko through the flames.
Gritting through the pain, Kokushibo finally managed to strike Nezuko through his flames.
But it was a struggle. It took him five minutes to finally hit Nezuko, and that could be a problem.
Especially if she chooses to continue the fight until morning, it could be a battle of attrition, which while Kokushibo could win, was ultimately not ideal considering the environment that was changing around them.
He and Akaza needed to kill these two traitor demons as fast as possible.
But the problem is that these traitors found themselves with a Hashira to finish the rest of the lower moons off. Kokushibo didn't care, like Muzan said, they were all weak.
Nezuko quickly got up, as struck up to surprise Kokushibo.
He blocked with what was left of his blade. Since his blade was made of his skin, Nezuko's blood demon art was causing some problems with his blade. He had to regenerate a new one every time it went through her flames.
Nezuko continued to block all of Kokushibo's attacks.
It was almost like she was purely focusing on defense and endurance.
"Considering she is a water-breathing user, it does make sense for her to prioritize that. But even then, plus her blood demon art, it is annoying." Kokushibo mumbled.
As the two maintained their stalemate, Kokushibo was finally able to strike.
But it took him a powerful move.
Total Concentration – Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon
With a large strike, Kokushibo unleashed a multitude of curved slashes spiraling down in front of him. The moon crescents once again emerged from his swipe, as Nezuko had to somehow dodge all, and manage to counterattack them all.
Nezuko found herself in the middle of Kokushibo's onslaught, and she knew she couldn't block them all. The sheer amount of moon crescents out right now meant that Nezuko needed to perform the technique, that she thankfully knew and anticipated.
So, she had to adapt, using the breathing technique Giyu taught her.
Total Concentration – Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm
Nezuko ceased all her voluntary bodily movements as she focused on a total lack of energy altogether. She let her heart rate drop as much as possible, whilst she closed her eyes.
She let the infrared vision dictate where the danger was, which she quickly slashed away.
To her surprise, she was able to block and nullify most of them.
The key hint was most of them.
She, unfortunately, suffered some injuries to her sides and face as a result of the attack, but she avoided most of them.
"Now that's an interesting move… You've managed to avoid the most dangerous of my attacks… Your strength is respectable." Kokushibo praised Nezuko. "Unfortunately, I must slay you, for it won't be enough to save you."
Blood Demon Art: Crescent Moon Blades
To Nezuko's own shock, Kokushibo had reinforced his moon blade demon art. It now had a more bizarre and ragged shape, with more points coming out of the blade itself.
The flesh manipulation Kokushibo was showing, was phenomenal.
Now, his breathing style was a lot more dangerous than she even thought.
Try as she might, she, unfortunately, couldn't sand up to the full strength of Kokushibo.
She was just too inexperienced.
Still, she was able to avoid the most lethal of all injuries from him.
Considering Kokushibo had made it clear that he was trying to kill Nezuko, it all made sense.
Total Concentration – Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit
Before Nezuko knew it, she felt herself get directly hit by one of Kokushibo's slashes.
"Damn, that hurt…" Nezuko tried to get back up but was grabbed by Kokushibo.
Nezuko's eyes widened, "I-Is this it?" Nezuko asked herself.
"Is this all I could've done?" Nezuko once again asked before she anticipated a sudden bout of pain and even death.
Total Concentration, Sun Breathing, Twelfth Form: Flame Dance
But it wasn't.
She felt the warmth near her, and the next thing she knew, Kokushibo's arm was cut off completely, allowing Nezuko to gain distance from Kokushibo.
The surprise to Nezuko, however, was who had cut Kokushibo's arm.
She also noticed how she was moved out of the way.
"Eh? This is a surprise, so the brother finally shows us to save his distressed sister. Guess I can kill two birds with one stone." Kokushibo commented as he stared at none other than Tanjirou.
While Nezuko was glad to see her brother back, she knew that he was different.
His eyes… seemed emotionless, yet full of determination. Nezuko wasn't even sure how he was able to show such specific emotions, but none at the same time. He also gripped his blade and already positioned himself in a battle position.
Kokushibo seemed to realize something was different with the boy.
As Nezuko listened to the little conversation Tanjirou had with Kokushibo, she too was shocked at the information they were receiving from the demon.
How did a demon like him and the demon king know so much about their family?
"Why do I feel different around this boy?" Kokushibo asked himself. He tried to use the transparent world to look into Kokushibo, but to his surprise, he could see the boy doing the same to him.
"I-Impossible! This boy can see me in this world too?!" Kokushibo was shocked. It seems like the brother was going to be a lot more of a pain to deal with. Seems Muzan had severely underestimated the Kamado family, or at least the capabilities of these two demons.
"Well then… Seems I'll beat you down, then kill your sister." Kokushibo said at last, as he pointed his blade at Tanjirou.
"Breathe… Hinokami…Become… Hinokami…" Was all Tanjirou responded back, causing Kokushibo to look at the demon boy in confusion, but he digressed.
Total Concentration – Moon Breathing, First Form: Evening Palace
To the surprise Nezuko, Kokushibo began to move at speeds faster than even she could expect.
But what surprised her, even more, was the speed Tanjirou moved in.
Tanjirou blurred in a heap of orange flames in front of her eyes, charging to block the crescents that were meant for her.
Whilst Kokushibo had created a large arcing crescent that left even more sharp moon crescents across the ground, Tanjirou maneuvered around them all skillfully, as he leaped up once he was near Kokushibo and to avoid any further movement of his crescent blades. This was only from a single horizontal swipe Kokushibo had performed, and Tanjirou had to purely focus on all of the crescent moons that could easily cut him apart.
"Hmmm. Even if you weren't a demon, you would be capable of enduring it… Perhaps you may be worth my time." Kokushibo commented as he seemed to be getting serious against Tanjirou. "Master has told me to be weary of you, and to make sure both of you are dead."
This time, Tanjirou took offense.
Total Concentration – Sun Breathing, Third Form: Raging Sun
Tanjirou stared down Kokushibo, who merely stared him down right back.
Nezuko knew and worried about Tanjirou, but she also had hope that her brother would be fine.
Tanjirou unleashed two consecutive strikes across his blade as it approached Kokushibo's grotesque one.
But the demon moon blocked it effectively, a loud clank ringing out once the two demons made contact with each other.
Tanjirou had to quickly back up when Kokushibo's own crescent-shaped projections fired out of his blade and toward him.
It seemed that Kokushibo's demon art was specifically designed to be as unpredictable as possible so that no demon slayer could properly predict what he was planning.
But Tanjirou... He was not just noticing any patterns.
No…
He was just anticipating and reacting to his movements.
But how…
To Nezuko's own eyes, Tanjirou and Kokushibo were moving at speeds unpalpable to react to. Tanjirou must have gone through something to increase his reaction speed massively.
Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form: Fake Rainbow
Once the crescent blade dissipated, Tanjirou went back to close quarters towards Kokushibo as he launched himself towards Kokushibo.
In spite of this, he still remained tactical and resourceful, as he skillfully dodged an attack from Kokushibo's blade, twisting his body.
Of course, Kokushibo's own projections would strike and slash Tanjirou across his body.
Tanjirou blurred and disappeared in thin air, but Kokushibo knew what was happening.
Once Tanjirou came back to her sights, her brother was already using the next move.
Total Concentration – Sun Breathing, Tenth Form: Fire Wheel
Once in the air, Tanjirou struck across the back of Kokushibo's head, as he was trying to get behind the demon. Kokushibo turned around and swiped horizontally.
Total Concentration – Moon Breathing, Ninth Form: Waning Moonswaths
Kokushibo struck his blade out, swinging multiple times in a second upwards that eventually unleashed more of his crescent shards.
Tanjirou maneuvered himself, twisting his body to avoid the moves, but also used his fire wheel to strike the crescent moon shards apart.
"Such a shame with your talent…" Kokushibo mumbled, "If you weren't a traitor to that man, and the spitting image of my brother, then I would perhaps let you live, that is if you became my sparring partner… Alas, you would probably just exceed me like my brother, and for that, you shall die."
Kokushibo wasn't letting loose anymore. Kokushibo was staring at Tanjirou with pure hatred.
The strangest part was this entire time, Tanjirou maintained his steady state. He was not showing any strong emotional background. It seemed that Tanjirou was seriously inflicting emotional damage on Kokushibo.
"You call me the shameful individual here?" Tanjirou asked Kokushibo at last. This caused Kokushibo to raise an eyebrow at Tanjirou.
"What are you insinuating?" Kokushibo asked.
Tanjirou merely eyed Kokushibo, with the same stare that reminded Kokushibo of his former brother. "This kid is really an annoyance. But even then, he still is not as strong as that man."
"You wanted to become the best samurai in the world, huh?" Tanjirou asked.
Kokushibo remained silent, "You better count your days right now."
Tanjirou continued, however, "You sacrificed who you were, to become what you thought would satisfy you. You became a demon, spending centuries trying to learn the very thing your brother excelled at."
"Shut up you freak," Kokushibo mumbled.
"But through it all, your desire of becoming the best samurai soon clouded your judgment and jealousy you had for your brother. That jealousy caused you to take the side of your very own brother, just so you could prove to him that you were stronger. I'm assuming since you still are worked up over him when he's long been deceased, means even becoming a demon didn't guarantee you the strength to defeat him?" Tanjirou asked.
At this point, he wasn't just emotionally playing with Kokushibo, he was analyzing him entirely. Revealing his insecurities to the world. It was only a select few who were hearing this, as Tanjirou had ultimately accessed Kokushibo's spiritual core.
It was something Kokushibo realized.
"Is this kid using the transparent world to access my spiritual world?" Kokushibo asked in his mind. "I see, so even if he isn't like him, he has his own unique abilities that make him dangerous. I see why Master wants him removed. He could even be more dangerous..."
But it was here did Tanjirou get some additional help that he may need. While for now, Tanjirou seemed alright against his one on one with Kokushibo, more help came.
However, some of the moon crescents had caused Tanjirou to be overwhelmed, causing him to get some injuries across his torso and face.
Tanjirou was still struggling to deal with the moon crescents since Kokushibo was able to produce as many of them as he desired.
Thankfully, Shinobu, Kanao, and Nezuko all came to Tanjirou's defense.
Flower Breathing, First Form: Flower Cutter
Dane of the Centipede: Hundred-Legged Zigzag
Kanao and Nezuko both used the same move, managing to slice down some moon crescents, whilst Shinobu used her centipede-like move to destroy multiple crescents.
The sheer fact that someone was keeping up with the second strongest demon on the planet was significant for them, and if this was the closest chance they would have for defeating him, then they would take the chance regardless.
"Go, brother! We'll take care of the crescent blades! You focus on the demon!" Nezuko told her brother in his mind. Tanjirou nodded at this.
As for the time being, Rengoku, Inosuke, and Zenitsu were all focusing on Akaza.
Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves.
Moon Breathing, Fourteen Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon
Kokushibo quickly rotated his blade around his path towards Tanjirou, as he unleashed many more of his moon blades towards Tanjirou.
By the time Tanjirou dodged the attack, Kokushibo was already unleashing another strike, this one was multidirectional, and was expanding out in increasing size.
All the while Shinobu, Kanao, and Nezuko all carefully sliced apart the crescents, despite themselves too suffering from some injuries.
It was so powerful even Akaza, Rengoku, and the others felt the move.
Alas, Tanjirou had barely managed to block the move, using his blade to swipe a path to save himself. He was still feeling the effects of the strike, but Tanjirou had managed to avoid the worst of them all.
Unfortunately, some of the other demon slayers weren't as lucky, as they began to suffer from some of their wounds sustained from the moon crescents.
"Impressive, demon or not, almost nobody could block or even survive that. Everyone would get decapitated by that move." Kokushibo commented. "Even the other slayers, managed to get up after this. You all have phenomenal potential. Too bad you all are humans."
But Tanjirou was in no mood to talk. Right now, he was focused on saving everyone from this demon. He was hoping the other demon wasn't causing them as many problems, but for now, Tanjirou could only handle so much.
Sun Breathing, Fourth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun
Tanjirou quickly retaliated, as he managed to slash in a spiraling motion to extend himself from the rest of Kokushib's attack.
But Kokushibo was charging toward Tanjirou, and he was forced to dodge away from what Kokushibo would attack.
Kokushibo struck his blade out to hit Tanjirou, with his moon blades again spiraling out towards Tanjirou, only for Tanjirou to strike back.
This went on for most of their battle, as Nezuko noticed throughout the battle, Tanjiroi was showing no sense of emotion or battle presence. Tanjirou had accessed the transparent world.
But right now, he wasn't just in the transparent world.
He wasn't just in a selfless place… He was in a selfless state.
Tanjirou had kept a distance away from Kokushibo to give him extra time to react, and he skillfully reacted and found the best place to avoid the strike.
Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form: Fake Rainbow
Tanjirou vanished in thin air, before appearing to Kokushibo's side. However, Kokushibo knew where Tanjirou would reappear, and he struck back, only for Tanjirou's blade to meet Kokushibo's. Tanjirou gritted as Kokushibo eyed Tanjirou.
To his shock, Tanjirou's appearance remained to be human. Kokushibo couldn't sense any form of demonic presence within Tanjirou. Throughout their entire battle, despite extending his limbs to match the range coverage Kokushibo had, and the undoubtedly extended physical capabilities, Tanjirou was not in his demonic state.
"This kid is able to keep his demon instincts at a completely suppressed state... Did this kid consume any of Master's cells?" Kokushibo asked. He knew the battle some demons could have, and seeing Tanjirou, it looked like he was the few demons who were able to fight a dualistic mind.
However, what made Tanjirou different, was that his demonic counterpart and mind seemed to have been consumed completely by his humanistic counterparts.
"Impossible..."
For a moment, it seemed the two would retain their own stalemate, but it eventually broke once the moon blades came back, and Tanjirou had to react.
Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance
The move ignited his own body as he struck the blades incredibly quickly, just before catching Kokushibo's blade mere inches away from his face.
In spite of this, Tanjirou remained stern. He remained calm. He was truly in a selfless state, and Nezuko could only wonder what was happening.
How was her brother even able to keep up with the second most powerful demon in history?
Tanjirou reacted, as he focused his attention on Kokushibo's center body. He pushed his own body further, as he wanted to teach Kokushibo a lesson. He wanted to show him his battle fortitude, and even if he knew he would lose eventually, he firmly focused on what was in front of him.
He had no distractions. Just this demon to fight and fend off.
Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance
Tanjirou charged toward Kokushibo with the intent of striking him in a downward fashion. Kokushibo saw this and merely raised his blade to meet Tanjirou's own.
Whilst Kokushibo was preparing to strike Tanjirou with his own technique, Tanjirou did something he didn't expect.
Sun Breathing, Fourth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun
Using the slash down, Tanjirou quickly changed the orbit of his blade to spin in a spiral in front of him.
Kokushibo was surprised at the sudden technique shift, and adjusted to counter.
Moon Breathing, Fourteen Form: Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon
Kokushibo unleashed his own spiral of purplish moon blades that struck Tanjirou's own spiraling blade. Tanjirou had come with such force that the resulting strike of multiple of Kokushibo's own moon blades caused dust to spill across the field between the two.
But Tanjirou wasn't done with his form.
Sun Breathing, Eight Form: Sunflower Thrust
Within the dust, it quickly spread apart as Tanjirou blurred towards Kokushibo, his blade pointed directly at his chest.
Kokushibo was forced to back up and swing his blade back to try and attack Tanjirou, but the Kamado brother continued his onslaught of strikes.
Sun Breathing, Third Form, Modified: Solar Eclipse Dance
As Kokushibo pushed himself back, Tanjirou immediately turned to Kokushibo and swiped across his direction. The first strike seemed very close range, which somewhat confused Kokushibo before the second, much larger and faster strike came out.
Kokushibo was slashed across his torso. It was a shallow slash, but one, nonetheless.
"Impressive, that's a new combination of techniques I've never seen before…" Kokushibo mumbled, "And you used it as a finisher for multiple techniques in a row… You are a formidable demon slayer, even if you were just a mere human."
"Unfortunately, you aren't the only one who can combo their strikes together in tangent with their breathing style," Kokushibo warned, as he went by his own strikes.
Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace
Kokushibo started with a single horizontal slash again, which Tanjirou dodged. However, Kokushibo twisted his body to slash out multiple times, immediately going to his fifth form. The number of moon blades protruding out of his blade was exponentially rising.
Then, Kokushibo lashed the moon blades out in a long amount of angles and arcs around him, mimicking his seventh form.
Tanjirou couldn't dodge all of them. He was slashed across his body from the strikes, as Kokushibo's sheer experience and strength were showing in the quality in which that combination of techniques was performed.
To make matters even worse for Tanjirou, the blades protruded out erratically, mimicking the ninth form of Moon Breathing, which only managed to injure Tanjirou more.
While Tanjirou grunted, he continued to say the same thing s he battled, not paying attention to Kokushibo anymore.
"Hino… Kami…" Tanjirou mumbled repeatedly, as he was forcing himself to stay up. Right now, it had been an hour, with one more hour left before sunrise. If Tanjirou could hold on for another hour, he would perhaps be the demon slayer, the only one, to survive against Kokushibo.
He would be able to perform a feat only done by Kanae and the Upper Moon Two.
However, there were some causes for concern. Specifically how Kokushibo was clearly trying to kill Tanjirou, and was now using his full knowledge of his own technique to strike Tanjirou, which was proving effective.
If Tanjirou wanted to win, he would have to either twist his own moves into combinations or find an effective way to block and dodge all of those crescent moon blades.
While the others were giving Tanjirou some space for Kokushibo's strike, the sheer amount of Kokushibo's moon blades made it difficult for them to get close to him regardless.
Thankfully, Tanjirou maintained his stance, his wounds healing as he stared down Kokushibo.
"Hino… Kami…" Tanjirou spoke again, and Kokushibo was getting a bit annoyed by the repeat the demon boy was saying. "I... Will win this..."
Kokushibo merely looked at Tanjirou, "You think you can win this battle? How optimistic you are."
"No." Tanjirou responded, "The only victory I see is everyone here surviving. It'll be your loss when you nor Upper Three were unable to kill any of us."
Kokushibo once again struck towards Tanjirou, using his fourteenth form of Moon Breathing yet again, to remove all sources to potentially avoid his attack. Here, Kokushibo wanted to make sure he put down Tanjirou.
However, as Tanjirou braced himself, he too unleashed his own technique.
Sun Breathing, Sixth Form, Modified: Solar Mirage
Tanjirou propelled himself forward, as he began to strike at the moon crescents in a precise and effective manner. For every slash Tanjirou was making, he was easily destroying multiple of Kokushibo's crescents. In fact, Tanjirou was moving his blade so widely, that it was difficult to tell the true magnitude and scope of where his blade currently was.
It was pretty much masking its trajectory, and Kokushibo knew he had to respond appropriately to such a move.
"That's another move I've never seen… Not only are you the spitting image of my brother, but you are also just as capable… even creating new modified forms for precise situations… I must destroy you!" Kokushibo exclaimed, with a shout, as he yet again forced himself forward.
Blood Demon Art: Bloodmoon Blades
Kokushibo pressed his own blood on some crescent moon blades, which turned them crimson red and caused them to lash out toward Tanjirou with lightning speed.
"For the first time in decades, I've had to do this..."
Tanjirou again slashed down in the process of his technique, but the blood-infused crescent moons were now stalling Tanjirou, and eventually, it took eight of Kokushibo's blood-infused crescent moons to completely stop Tanjirou's advances, and he slowly felt himself being pushed back.
Shinobu, Kanao, and Nezuko were all trying to slash and strike down the rest of the moon blades, unfortunately, they were struggling now, and some even suffered some injuries from the cuts of the moon blades.
Tanjirou had to think of something new to get these blades off of him, especially when Kokushibo was approaching him.
Sun Breathing, Eight Form, Modified: Sunflare Strike
With a quick strike, that mimicked the curve form Nezuko did with her water breathing, Tanjirou combined the strength of Sunflower Thrust, and Curve from Water Breathing to mix it into a quick and done pierce.
Tanjirou's blade struck inside all of Kokushib's crescents, which then shattered upon impact.
He then quickly had to pull back to stop Kokushib's own blade from hitting him.
"This boy, seriously… He's keeping up with me… Just why do you have to torture me, even through your descendants and interactions with others… Why are you so annoying…" Kokushibo mumbled to himself, as he focused all of his strength. Even if he was getting some hits on Tanjirou and the others, it was not enough to stop nor hamper Tanjirou.
There was no use playing with this boy. Muzan was right to call him a major threat, and if he hadn't dealt with him now, then the consequences would be evident. Tanjirou and Nezuko would only get stronger with time, eventually passing Muzan. For the time being, it seemed that they too couldn't stand the sunlight, so Kokushibo knew they were placing themselves at risk, just as he was.
Moon Breathing, Eight Form, Modified: Lunar Cascade
Kokushibo decided he'd tried and use an altered version of his technique, as he unleashed his own slash downward. This slash created large craters and marks on the ground, causing much debris to be launched into the air. This was causing a bit of a vision deficit for Tanjirou, as he had to be careful if Kokushibo chose to strike.
And he did. The Upper Moon One, unleashed his moon blades, blood infused, and launched them towards Tanjirou in all directions.
However, Tanjirou smelt something. He could smell the crescent moons that were connected to Kokushibo's own blade arm.
That meant, if Tanjirou could cut off his arms, then Kokushibo would be vulnerable. Perhaps he could use his other limbs to create blades from them, but he'd have a noticeably difficult time projecting his moon crescents if that were to happen.
With Tanjirou's target set, he acted now. Nezuko, Shinobu, and Kanao all continued to strike down some of Kokushibo's moon blades, but it was becoming increasingly tricky as fatigue kicked in.
Sun Breathing, Eight Form, Modified: Sunflare Strike
Tanjirou took charge of Kokushibo as he tried the same move. Of course, Kokushibo predicted such a move. However, Tanjirou quickly did it to the other side, using the momentum to strike a different place. He originally used the first strike to go toward Kokushibo's torso but quickly switched it to his arm.
Kokushibo's blood fell down across his hand as the wound slowly began to heal.
"Well, that's new…" Kokushibo mumbled, as the moon blade crescents yet again made their way.
At this point, Tanjirou was adapted to this and was capable of easily dispatching them. Of course, that is if he quickly subdued them before they became plentiful in numbers.
Sun Breathing, Sixth Form, Modified: Sunstorm Uprising
Taking advantage of how useful his multi-strike was in dealing with Kokushibo's crescent moons, Tanjirou released a torrent of slashes whilst he was in the air. It wasn't anything significant, but Tanjirou saw it useful if the crescent moons got too close to him.
For the time being, he and Kokushibo were merely even in their battle. Even if Kokushibo was slightly winning, due to managing to strike Tanjirou more times than Tanjirou, who managed to get three strikes in, it could also be a win for Tanjirou, considering he was successfully stalling Kokushibo.
Every strike Kokushibo was doing, was successfully nullified by Tanjirou, and only a few times did he manage to strike Tanjirou. But because Tanjirou was a demon, he was just as durable as Kookushibo.
Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night Lonely Moon
The wall of crescents stopped any advance Tanjirou could make, as Kokushibo launched more of his blood-infused crescent moons toward Tanjirou.
Tanjirou was breathing heavily now, as the amount of strain he was putting across his body was becoming apparent. He was pressuring himself to keep up with a demon he was outclassed by. In spite of this, he was managing well, and able to do what he was telling himself to do.
However, he figured that he was losing steam. He couldn't, he still had twenty minutes to sunrise. Even if he himself was going to be in a difficult situation, he knew exactly where to go.
Unfortunately, Tanjirou noticed a bit too late that Kokushibo's crescent moons were quickly approaching Tanjirou. He acted too late and would be cut if he didn't act quickly.
Even Kanao, Shinobu, nor Nezuko could all try and slice them, as the moons surrounded Tanjirou.
Blood Demon Art: Hinokami's Blessing
Just in time to protect Tanjirou, was his blood demon art. He quickly surrounded himself in flames across his body, the mark spreading, as Kokushibo's crescent moons were quickly engulfed in flames, of Tanjirou's blood, being disintegrated in the process.
"Eh? What is this…" Kokushibo asked before he felt a foreign figure.
He looked to Tanjirou, "Could it be this kid's blood? It's hurting me, by traveling through my blood demon art to my hands… What is this kid?" Kokushibo asked himself before he was forced to do something to ultimately save his life.
He sliced his arms off swiftly.
He sighed in relief.
"This was the first time in so long that I've been near death… In so long… And it's all because of that kid's blood demon art…" Kokushibo mumbled.
Unfortunately for Kokushibo, he was also getting some other individuals charging him.
Seeing as Kokushibo's arms were temporarily in recommission, Tanjirou focused on himself. As for the crescent moon blades…
Water Breathing, Second Form, Modified: Vertical Water Wheel
Nezuko pushed herself through the rest of the moon blades, as the coverage of her move was able to destroy most of the Moon Blades.
Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice
Whilst Shinobu didn't have many slashes she was at least able to effectively strike through many of the moon blades.
Flower Breathing, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo
Kanao took the opportunity to stroke and slash across to finish the rest of the crescents, managing to help Tanjirou.
"Tanjirou, focus on the demon, we'll take care of the moon blades. Use your demon art." Shinobu told Tanjirou.
They had fifteen minutes left before sunrise. For the time being, they were all working together. All the while, many of the other demon slayers focused on the crescent moon blades that came out of Kokushibo's blade, while Tanjirou did his best to strike Kokushibo.
They were all working in tangent with each other. Tanjirou focused on Kokushibo, performing his sun breathing to try and pressure and hopefully strike Kokushibo down. Whereas the others were focusing on the moon blades, trying to ease the pressure.
Tanjirou struck his blade out, but Kokushibo quickly regenerated his arms and struck back. At this point, even when Tanjirou was struggling, and tired, he continued with his pursuit.
"Hinokami!" Tanjirou yelled in his mind, as he felt himself explode.
Total Concentration – Hinokami's Infusion, Eleventh Form: Fake Rainbow
Tanjirou breathed in, with the flames on his sword now embedded with his blood, he once again dissipated into thin air, before appearing right behind him.
Right after that occurred, Tanjirou's blood was seen in a line of trajectory that Tanjirou had gone. While Kokushibo had seen where Tanjirou went, he wasn't expected what would happen next.
Tanjirou ignited his own blood, setting Kokushibo's chest on fire. Tanjirou had finally managed to land a direct hit onto Kokushibo.
"ACK!" Kokushibo roared, as he felt his own chest quickly becoming infected by the flames and blood of Tanjirou.
However, even despite this entire ordeal, Kokushibo did something Tanjirou didn't think would be effective.
Kokushibo struck his blade into his chest, where Tanjirou's blood was.
Kokushibo was altering his muscles right on the site of infection from Tanjirou's blood art, trapping it, or at least slowing it down. He then stabbed himself to make the blood drip out of him or trap into his arm, which he then cut off.
As radical as it was of a move, it did effectively rid Kokushibo of the poison that was Tanjirou's blood.
"Brother! The sun!" Nezuko exclaimed to his brother, "We have to run!"
Kokushibo noticed the sunlight begin to shroud the environment as well, and he knew he had to run.
He grunted, staring down at Tanjirou and Nezuko before he ran off. Akaza was not too far behind him as they made their way to safety. In the meantime, both Tanjirou and Nezuko made their way inside what remained of the train. It was the only place of nearby shelter away from the sun, but it also meant they would be at the mercy of the remaining demon slayers.
Tanjirou was tired. The demon art he had just performed hurt his head, and he felt himself lose a lot of blood. He had used a lot to hopefully mortally wound Kokushibo. While he wished he could have used it earlier, he knew that using it too much would yield consequences for him that would have caused him to tire out quicker, which he couldn't do.
That's why Tanjirou only just used his blood demon art now since they were at the finish line, and so he could go all out now.
But he hadn't expected Kokushibo to perform such a radically successful tactic to remove his poison and flames.
He had to use his blood demon art more, to hopefully increase his endurance for its fatigue and side effects.
With Rengoku, Zenitsu, and Inosuke
"Guys! We have to help Rengoku!" Nezuko exclaimed. Every time she tried to approach Akaza, he would only kick her away, and focus on Rengoku.
To Nezuko's surprise, the yellowed-hair boy began to move in his sleep.
"What…" Nezuko mumbled as she noticed this.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash
Zenitsu had launched himself forward towards Akaza, whose eyes widened at the sudden speed. While he was unable to hit Akaza, the fact of another individual coming to fight to help Rengoku was useful and was something Rengoku desperately needed. He needed some form of allegiance, a cooperative group, and it seemed both Inosuke and Zenitsu were going to help Rengoku against Akaza.
"MEBUKO! GO AND HELP GAMBACHIRO!" Inosuke yelled, "WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THE DONUT MAN AND ALFONZA!"
"The names, Akaza, damnit!" Akaza yelled at the boar head.
"My name's Rengoku, how am I a donut man?!" Rengoku asked clearly surprised.
"WAAA I'M GONNA DIE! INOSUKE PROTECT ME!" Zenitsu exclaimed as he began to cry behind the boar's head.
"COME ON ZORO! FIGHT THIS DEMON CAN YOU CEN BECOME LIKE THE GREAT INOSUKE!" Inosuke's voice echoed as he charged the demon.
Beast Breathing – Fourth Fang: Slice 'n' Dice
Inosuke began to run towards Akaza, who looked confused at the boar.
"Your funeral, boar." Was all Akaza commented, as he unleashed his hands out.
Blood Demon Art: Disorder
Akaza took the opportunity to punch Inosuke, who merely launched himself upward, as Inosuke launched a large number of slashes with his swords.
Akaza had managed to offset Inosuke's own technique.
"Well, you seem to have a new technique I've never seen before… I commend you for this!" Akaza chuckled, as he was able to push Inosuke away.
This only gave Zenitsu the time to charge towards Akaza, while he was asleep of course, which Akaza found somewhat odd.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Sixfold
Zenitsu took a deep breath in his sleep, as he charged forward, performing six quick succession blows to Akaza, as he quickly dodged.
He would have managed to strike Zenitsu, if it weren't for Rengoku and Inosuke, he would have been struck by Akaza.
Unfortunately, despite the three working together, Akaza was able to fend himself off the three demon slayers, which included a Hashira-level demon slayer.
Rengoku was panting heavily. He was at least glad that Tanjirou and the other girls were fending them from Upper Moon One, but for the three of them, they were fighting a demon that seemed to be adept at martial art and was capable of defeating them all.
Blood Demon Art: Air Type
Akaza, with his own fists, had single-handedly blasted the entire three demon slayers away from him.
However, none of the demon slayers found themselves injured badly, and so they continued their pursuit of the demon moon.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Eightfold
Beast Breathing, Fifth Fang: Crazy Cutting
Total Concentration – Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation
All three of them used their respective moves at Akaza. Rengoku struck Akaza from his right, Inosuke to his left, and Zenitsu came forward since he was able to easily charge at incredibly quick, almost lightning-like speed.
The three sighed as they continued their onslaught.
"You all are rather formidable opponents, especially when working together!" Akaza commented, "You all would be formidable demons! That is if the master gets his way with those two."
"Like hell, we'd let you take those demons, they are of importance to us." Rengoku commented, "Likewise, I wouldn't become a demon, I already gave you my reasons why."
"Such a shame…" Akaza mumbled. "What about the two of you?" He asked the other two.
"No!" Zenitsu exclaimed, "My gramps would not want that! Also, Nezuko is a beautiful girl! Why would I give my future wife away?!"
Rengoku hoped Nezuko didn't hear that.
"SAFCEASC" Inosuke gurgled as he stabbed himself with his own blade on the hand.
"Eh…?" Azaka asked, "Why would you do that?"
"To show how weak of a demon you are!" Inosuke exclaimed as he continued with his movement. "I don't need to be a demon to do what I want!"
Zenitsu was the first to get within Akaza's range, and he quickly stomped, allowing his compass clock to do his work.
It managed to strike Zenitsu, but it was nonfatal as it glanced at his side and jaw. Still, it managed to knock Zenitsu out of his path.
He then focused on Inosuke, as the boar head jumped above Akaza's own move.
Thankfully, Inosuke had made him a bit vulnerable for Insouke, and a kick to his abdomen sent him back. Before Inosuke could fall back, Akaza jumped and proceeded to stomp on Inosuke's ribcage, threatening to dislocate his lungs.
That left Rengoku, which was the most difficult of the bunch.
Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation
Rengoku had charged forward managing to spiral his sword to protect Inosuke, forcing Akaza to launch himself back.
Akaza attempted to strike his own hand directly into Rengoku's stomach, but the blade that Rengoku was swinging made it a tad more difficult.
To be fair, all of them were swinging their blades, but Rengoku's blade seemed to be the most potent.
Akaza sighed in frustration, he decided he was going to continue his onslaught, specifically on Rengoku.
If he could finish the donut-lover, and turn him into a donut, then it would make the other two easier.
Blood Demon Art – Leg type: Explosive Furry
Akaza utilized his legs as he launched them toward Rengoku, which created a shockwave on his sword. Rengoku was affected by the shockwave through his sword, but he maintained his stance, not giving up.
As he grunted, he pushed Akaza back, and to his surprise, it worked.
"How…?" Akaza asked himself, as he stared down at Rengoku.
When he spotted the mouth of Rengoku, it became clear what caused Rengoku to suddenly gain an increase in strength.
Right around Rengoku's mouth, on both his jaw, were flaming, red marks that spread across his face, spreading from his sideburns to the tips of his lips.
"What the… You have the mark…?" Akaza mumbled as he knew he would have to focus on Rengoku. "Impossible... I thought this was only possible if there was another person with a mark... But who else has the mark to sync them together?!"
"I don't know how you manifested that mark, but don't think for a second that means you can beat me!" Akaza exclaimed as he focused his attention and pure strength on Rengoku.
Thankfully, Rengoku felt stronger. He felt faster. He felt lighter.
He felt like a demon. For once, he never once felt like he was at a disadvantage. He felt like he could actually keep up with this demon, and he, with renewed confidence, went to close quarters towards Akaza.
Azaka grunted as he combined most of his demon arts and martial arts skills to try and overwhelm Rengoku.
However, Rengoku was able to keep up with Akaza, due to the manifestation of his mark. He was able to keep up, to the point that both Zenitsu and Inosuke remained still, watching Rengoku in awe.
However, they eventually managed to get themselves moving to assist Rengoku.
"REMI!" Inosuke exclaimed as he charged toward Akaza, "Give me the opening!"
Rengoku merely grunted to tell that he understood, as he leaped back from Rengoku's kick, as successfully sliced it off. Akaza quickly regenerated his lost limb, as he backed up, knowing that reinforcements would catch up to him.
He briefly looked around, sadly seeing Kokushibo fighting with Tanjirou.
He growled. "NO MORE!"
Akaza growled as he charged specifically toward Inosuke.
Inosuke was not prepared for this, and could only block the strikes with his twin nirchirin blades. Still, he felt himself getting hit with the shockwaves, as blood began to seep out of some of his wounds.
Zenitsu took the chance, as he charged toward Akaza, but he was surprisingly slow, at least enough for Akaza to quickly respond to Akaza, who merely swiped his blade down before flip-kicking Zenitsu away from him.
Zenitsu felt himself being sent upwards, but Zenitsu was going to come back, with the same breathing style. He was still asleep, but he gripped his own blade tightly, to the point of his veins bulging somewhat.
Not compared to Rengoku, however, whose veins were bulging across his face and arms. That was obviously his body maximizing its oxygen intake to push pasts the limits.
A large thunderous noise echoed throughout the battlefield, as Zenitsu barreled back into the field, still asleep, but providing annoyance for Akaza and coverage for Rengoku.
Insouke had gotten back up, mumbling about how strong he was and how weak Akaza was, as he continued his onslaught alongside Rengoku. A testament to Inosuke's own body tolerance, he was still able to fight at full capacity.
Akaza was able to easily subdue Zenitsu and Inosuke, but Rengoku was giving him a surprising problem, considering he had unlocked the mark.
Akaza couldn't remember the last demon slayer who had that mark, and it made him forget how difficult demon slayers could be when this occurred.
He had one more shot, before the sun would rise to the point of burning him. Kokushibo was still fighting, and seeming to have the same results as Akaza, that is, none.
And he was fighting both Tanjirou and Nezuko. They would fail this mission, and here was no doubt Muzan would turn towards more drastic measures to take them, or kill them as soon as possible.
The possibilities were endless.
Akaza crouched. He had one more chance to do this.
Blood Demon Art – Final Form: Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow
Akaza put out his hands, and with a noticeable effort to the point of his blood vessels dilating extensively. Before the three knew it, a large shockwave blew out towards three in an omnidirectional pattern.
All three were sent flying, as they felt their nervous system shut down for a bit, being unable to move.
Rengoku groaned in pain, as he eventually was able to move after around five seconds. He sighed, gripping his blade as he got up, and looked at Akaza.
"Oh, you're still alive?" Akaza asked in shock. "You really are a strong pillar… Master would be worried at the lack of success all of us had done…"
"I don't care, it's our job to protect the weak, something you clearly cannot see." Rengoku mumbled.
He looked and noticed Zenitsu and Inosuke were in a worse condition after the technique Akaza had performed.
"This was bad…" Rengoku mumbled. In truth, he was only alive and in a better condition because he activated the mark somehow.
He didn't even know what the mark on his face was, but he felt great, and he was trying to protect everyone.
Thankfully, he could see that both Inosuke and Zenitsu were alive and breathing still, but their nervous system was temporarily shot for now.
Therefore, Rengoku would be the one protecting them from Upper Moon Three. Despite that, he had one saving grace.
The sun.
Once Rengoku noticed this, he sighed in relief, as Akaza and Kokushibo both began to run.
Rengoku sighed as he leaned on one knee.
"Rengoku!"
"I-I'm fine… I'm fine. The other two are hurt…" Rengoku mumbled as he turned to Zenitsu and Inosuke. "How are the rest of you?"
Shinobu looked at her and Kanao, "We're mostly fine, with a bit of injury… None fatal I believe."
Kanao nodded, mentioning that she was somewhat alright.
"Where are Tanjirou and Nezuko?" Rengoku asked. "Inosuke and Zenitsu need medical attention... But so do I..."
At this, Shinobu and Kanao looked around frantically.
"D-Did they get dissipated from the sun?" Kanao asked.
"N-No, they ran towards the remnants of the train…" Shinobu explained as they turned to the train.
Rengoku sighed, "Make sure the kakushi gets injured in their care." He slowly got up and made his way toward the train.
"Yes, that will include you, Rengoku," Shinobu explained as she eyed the injuries Rengoku had suffered.
There, they saw the two demons, hiding out from the sun.
As Rengoku and Shinobu found themselves demons at a vulnerable place, they ultimately knew, neither of them could just kill them.
They had just fought against some of the strongest demons, to save demon slayers. Demons did that.
And the brother managed to fight Upper Moon One alone, and the sister helped them fight them.
"P-Please… We haven't eaten anyone…" Nezuko begged.
"After that performance, we have no reason to hurt you, nor kill you…" Rengoku sighed. "I was wrong about quickly assuming you both were threats to humans…"
Rengoku smiled, "Not only did you risk your life to save the humans on the train, but… You showed pain, sadness, and empathy when you realized those humans were killed by Lower One. That showed the value in which you hold life. And, fighting against the second-strongest demon on this planet, just to protect us. I see no reason to disbelieve your previous statements."
"T-Thank you…" Nezuko's head bowed to Rengoku.
"Oh please, raise your head, you both have been of much help."
Shinobu then talked, "You saved both my sisters, you and your brother, and Kanao here has told me you both can sleep and, in the brother's case, eat normal human food to maintain your energy. Whilst previously unknown, in humans… I've seen it.' Shinobu mumbled.
"Also, Giyu has told Ubuyashiki about his tsugakos being demons…" Shinobu sighed.
"S-So you'll let us go?" Nezuko asked, her eyes shining with hope.
"No." Rengoku and Shinobu shook their heads.
"W-Why..?" Nezuko asked.
"You and your brother must realize how significant of a battle this was. We survived three Lower Moon and two Upper Moon attacks in a row. We have to tell the entire corps about the help we got. Plus, the kakushi and crows will tell the story to everyone. As much as we may try to let you go, we will be caught for lying." Shinobu explained.
"Oh…" Nezuko sighed, looking down, "So you both would be suffering consequences if you let us run?"
"Yes… I was only able to previously because no crow spotted you, and Giyu had blackmailed me into, it back in Mount Nagatumo." Shinobu sighed. "You both will be put on trial, to see your fate."
"W-Will I and brother be executed?" Nezuko asked.
"Honestly, it's highly unlikely. You both have a respectable record in saving people, being successful in missions, and slaying other strong demons. You both will probably be accepted, though with some resistance." Shinobu explained.
"Alright… But we have a problem…" Nezuko sighed.
"I understand it's day, but we can wait until it's night, or find some box cases to put you in." Rengoku smiled. "We got some powerful demon allies!"
"N-No, it's not that… It's my brother… Something's wrong with him…" Nezuko explained.
When the demon slayers looked at Tanjirou, even they were confused.
"I… am… Hino… Kami… Breathe… Like… Hino….-" Tanjirou mumbled to himself, while his eyes were fixed, yet at peace as if he was speaking a chant.
"He's probably traumatized from fighting such a demon, but with his skill, he was impressive!" Rengoku smiled, "Let's get you both to the estate!"
"I-I'm alright Nezuko, just needed to be very controlled whilst fighting him... His strength almost made my own heart stop, and my breathing rise... I had to do that just to let my body function properly." Tanjirou explained as he forced himself out of the trance.
Nezuko looked a bit worried for her elder brother, but she eventually sighed. At least Tanjirou's body seemed to be mostly fine, or his mind.
In the meantime, both Tanjirou and Nezuko were at the mercy of the demon slayers. They were trapped inside the fallen train.
However, he felt his body's breathing rate and heart rate rising again, clearly the aftermath of a stressful event.
And so, Nezuko was placed in a box, with Tanjirou in his own separate box. Throughout this, Nezuko worried for her brother.
A.N / Another long chapter, I know. Hope this makes up for a slight delay in updates. I wanted to go out with the fight against Kokushibo. If there's anything of confusion or a problem for you, let me know. I'm going to keep author notes short, because we have a lot to explain regarding character profiles, abilities for demon art, and breathing styles.
Also, the next chapter will discuss what is happening with Tanjirou, as the two are finally revealed to the rest of the Hashira! Finally, I know, I kind of skipped a minor arc, but we let that happen. As for the future, afterward, you probably have an idea of what will happen, but we will catch up and focus on some other characters and their growth. I do want to check in with both Tamayo and Giyu next chapter, so be on the lookout for that.
Finally, I will fix any grammatical errors later, as I've focused on typing and getting the chapters out as soon as possible. I will get them fixed later on, and maybe even add onto parts I feel is lackluster. Thanks for the criticism and praise!
Character Profile:
Akaza: Male, 300 years old.
Status: Alive, Demon Height: 5'9" (175cm) Weight: 170Ibs
Kokushibo: Male, 480 years old.
Status: Alive, Demon Height: 6'3" (190cm) Weight: 205Ibs
Rengoku: Male, 19 years old.
Status: Alive, Human Height: 5'10" (177cm) Weight: 159Ibs Accessed Demon Slayer Mark: produced red flames that spanned from his sideburns to the tips of his lips, on both sides of his face.
Zenitsu Agatsuma: Male, 15 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Weight: 130Ibs
Inosuke Hashibira: Male, 15 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'5" (165cm)
Weight: 135Ibs
Kanao Tsuyuri: Female, 16 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'2 (157cm)
Weight: 122Ibs
Shinobu Kocho: Female, 18 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'0" (152cm)
Weight: 85Ibs
Tanjirou Kamado: Male, 15 years old.
Status: Alive, Demon
Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Weight: 135Ibs
Nezuko Kamado: Female. 13 years old.
Status: Alive, Demon
Height: 5'2" (157cm)
Weight: 115Ibs
Abilities: Breathing Styles
Rengoku:
Flame Breathing style
A breathing technique that is directly derived from Sun Breathing. Rengoku knows all major forms but only showed Fourth Form for now.
Accessed Demon Slayer Mark, providing improved battle performance, including strength, agility, speed, endurance, defense, and perception, at the cost of lifespan. Those with the mark do not pass the age of 25.
Zenitsu Agatsuma:
1st Form of Thunder Breathing style
A technique derived directly from Sun Breathing. Zenitsu is only able to use the first form but is capable of creating different alterations to make himself seem less predictable. This includes different folds to strike in quick succession, even slashes at a specific point.
Heightened sense of hearing, being able to hear the demonic sound from Tanjirou and Neuzko, but among demons finds it almost human-like.
Inosuke Hashibira:
Beast Breathing style
A technique derived from wind breathing, Inosuke Hashibira performed the move of the fourth and fifth form, but is able to use more, due to training on a mountain on his own before illegally becoming a demon slayer.
Heightened sense of touch, being able to sense slight vibrations from footsteps of other individuals.
Kanao Tsuyuri:
Flower Breathing style
Kanao utilizes a flower breathing style derived from her sister and water breathing. She is able to use most of the forms, with the exception of the last form. She is a tsuguko and is very capable of fighting, almost rivaling that of Shinobu due to the butterfly girl not being a pillar, and being preoccupied with her role as a medic.
Heightened sense of vision, being able to sense the truth in individuals, and the emotions in their eyes. She could tell Tanjirou and Nezuko had not eaten any humans, nor plan to.
Shinobu Kocho:
Insect Breathing style
Derived from flower breathing, the insect style is designed for Shinobu to not be required to decapitate demons to slay them. Using poison, she usually goes for piercing strikes, to effectively inject demons with a lethal amount of wisteria.
Is very skilled in medical assistance.
Tanjirou Kamado:
Sun Breathing style
Originally the Hinokami Kagura, Tanjirou had ridden the wasteful steps within the move to access the same Sun Breathing as his ancestors once used. Somewhat ironic since Tanjirou tells himself to continuously use the Hinokami Kagura, in his mind they are now intertwined with each other.
Sun Breathing, Third Form, Modified: Solar Eclipse Dance
The user swings their sword across to the right and left, at deceptive range the first time. The next strike, however, comes quickly and covers more range to trick opponents into the true range of the attack.
Sun Breathing, Sixth Form, Modified: Solar Mirage
The user charges forward, circling and twisting their body to repeatedly strike the target in quick and precise patterns. The patterns are designed to be so quick that are meant to make the opponent lose the trajectory of the user.
Sun Breathing, Eight Form, Modified: Sunflare Strike
The user mimics the curve form of Water Breathing and the strength of Sunflower Thrust, and Curve from Water Breathing to mix it into a quick and done pierce.
Sun Breathing, Sixth Form, Modified: Sunstorm Uprising
In another modified version of the sixth form, the user twists their body in the air, combining the second form to unleash a myriad of consecutive strikes in a solar wind-like form, or whirlwind, with the purpose of overwhelming the opponent with the strikes, that get powerful with each swing and momentum built.
Water Breathing style
Whilst not using it as much, Tanjirou was a proficient user of the move, and still uses it to some extent. Cannot perform some styles, unlike Nezuko.
Transparent World:
Tanjirou, whilst originally only able to access it for brief intervals, during the fight with Kokushibo, was able to access it for most of the fight, allowing him to predict and react to what types of attacks Kokushibo was going to use. Whilst under the transparent world, Tanjirou can even use his sense of smell to access an individual's spiritual core.
Nezuko Kamado:
Water Breathing style
Unlike her brother, Nezuko is much more proficient with water breathing and even used some modified versions to make them more unpredictable. In essence, Nezuko is stronger at using water breathing than Tanjirou.
Flower Breathing style
Whilst extremely limited to only the first form, for now, Nezuko shows early signs of being able to use Flower Breathing.
Kokushibo:
Moon Breathing style
Some may call it the derivative or opposite of Sun Breathing, but it is derived from Sun Breathing. Kokushibo has created a whopping 16 forms of the move allowing him to use a wide array of forms to trick his opponents.
Moon Breathing, Eight Form, Modified: Lunar Cascade
A downward slash, creates large craters and marks on the ground, causing much debris to be launched in the air.
Ability: Blood Demon Art
Kokushibo:
Blood Demon Art: Crescent Moon Blades
Using his moon breathing and blades, the blood from his blade and blood can be manipulated to form sharp crescent moons that can change in size and projection, becoming unpredictable. The nature of these crescent moons is chaotic in nature, which also allows him to manipulate the shape and range of his sword. Many of his techniques have been made for their own benefits, such as increasing the range of his slashes.
Blood Demon Art: Bloodmoon Blades
A stronger version of his original blood demon art, where he can infuse his blood into the crescents to manipulate and control them however he wants, further adding to the unpredictability of his demon art.
Akaza:
Blood Demon Art: Disorder
Akaza rapidly punches the target, creating shockwaves to destroy anything in front of him.
Blood Demon Art: Air Type
Akaza can punch the air around him to fling a shockwave toward the target like a projectile. The air projectiles can be made multiple times and unleashed either in the sky or ground.
Blood Demon Art – Leg type: Explosive Furry
Akaza uses his legs to lash out a flurry of kicks that create afterimages and shockwaves.
Blood Demon Art – Final Form: Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow
Akaza's most powerful form, where he unleashes a spiraling motion shockwave all around him, negative many defensive options. The power of this move makes it almost impossible to dodge, also able to temporarily disable a person's nervous system for an interval.
Tanjirou Kamado:
Blood Demon Art – Hinokami's Blessing
Tanjirou unveils himself in his flames using his blood, managing to negate the damage of other blood demon arts, protecting him. The flames can hurt any demon too close to him, but won't cause an infection.
Hinokami's Infusion, Eleventh Form: Fake Rainbow
Tanjirou can disappear in thin air, with the help of afterimages. However, after Tanjirou finishes his technique, his blood covers the trail he takes, which can be lit on fire to damage and infect demons with his blood.
Nezuko Kamado:
Blood Demon Art – Karmic Blaze
Once again, Nezuko can use her blood to summon pink flames that can damage demons, heal humans from demon attacks, and even negate their blood demon art. I've already talked about this.
