Grimm Slaying Blade

by Weebobobo

To dispel the regrets of those killed, to stop any more victims from appearing, he will relentlessly wield his blade against any monster, even in a world more dangerous than his last. Tanjiro finds himself in another hidden war with his goals unchanged: To protect those who couldn't defend themselves and cure his sister!

4. Becoming Friends

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Grimm Slaying Blade

Chapter 4

[Becoming Friends]

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Upon first setting sight on the Kingdom and City of Vale, Tanjiro could only describe it as majestic and incredibly dense with life. The night skies in the vicinity of Vale lit up from the light that emanated from the numerous buildings and other sources that laid over the smoothly paved grounds of the City.

Not long ago, he had been dropped off at the port by the Captain and his crew, bidding his farewells and wishing them well before plunging himself into the depths of Vale.

He was left in awe at the innovative technology that could be found nearly everywhere in the city, finding it difficult to wrap his head around the advancements in human innovation. It only served to further remind him of just how different Remnant was from his home as he walked through the bustling streets.

Citizens roamed all over even when the broken Moon was at its apex. The people were of a more diverse stature, their appearances differing and unique compared to what he was used to, with each person having their own style of representing themselves. Bright and vivid hairs seemed to be typical for this land, something that was rare for Tanjiro back in Japan. The number of people he could list with brightly colored hair before arriving in this world could be counted on one hand.

And it wasn't just their hairstyles that were colorful; their clothes were also very different from what he had grown accustomed to. No longer were there elegant and comfortable kimonos and haoris, but instead, there were snappy suits, beautiful dresses, and casual wear such as shirts, jackets, hoodies, and jeans—though there were even more. A clothing store was one of the first buildings he had seen, filled with all sorts of unfamiliar apparel. The quick introduction to the multitude of clothing types had made his head spin a little.

Currently, he walked through the streets of Vale, getting a feel for the city and land around him. He had only ever been to two other cities, and when comparing them to Vale, he couldn't really find the appropriate words to describe it. He didn't want to say Vale was superior to Yoshiwara or Asakusa, but he certainly didn't think it fell behind them—far from it. The buildings were just as tall, the area was just as bright, and the people were just as active. But Vale felt and looked different compared to his previous two ventures in cities. It may sound obvious, but it really felt like another world.

He couldn't help but feel out of place, being a countryside charcoal burner and Demon Slayer. It was somewhat like how he was in Asakusa but in a more restrained manner, deciding it would be best not to get stunned and dazzled again by the bright lights surrounding him.

Translucent cyan light posts and crosswalks were placed around the streets, several glass windows etched onto every building gleamed, and horseless carriages called cars rolled by with lights on their back and front. Thankfully, he had slightly gotten used to bright environments due to his stay in Yoshiwara.

At least the streets weren't as crowded; they were more organized and open than Asakusa and Yoshiwara. Whenever he traveled through the streets of those two cities, it nearly felt like he was suffocating from the lack of space. The free and open paths dedicated to walking would always be a welcome aspect to Tanjiro, as he didn't feel as though he was getting enclosed by clusters of individuals.

Tanjiro continued wandering the streets, noting down any noticeable landmarks so he wouldn't get lost entirely. Eventually, he reached a staircase leading to a small, lower-elevated area with a raised platform at its center encircled by banners made of the translucent cyan material (he was sure it was hard-light Dust now). It was a square park, with sections of greenery occupying quarters of the square.

He went over to a wooden bench and placed down Nezuko's box, then settled himself beside it to relax for a moment.

His knuckles lightly tapped against the box's door.

"Nezuko, do you want to come out and see Vale for yourself? It's amazing and really bright."

". . ."

No answer. She must be sleeping.

He sighed and sat back against the bench, checking the park for anything of interest. Nobody else besides him was in the area, leaving him alone with only his thoughts to keep him company. His eyes placed themselves over Nezuko's box and reminded himself of his objective while in Vale.

He needed to find a skilled Doctor. One that could identify Nezuko's problem and be capable enough to undo her demonization. He didn't think he'd be able to find one anytime soon, but Vale was a big place, and the Village Chief said he could at least find someone who could point him in the right direction here. He hoped he could meet that kind of person sooner rather than later.

Moments later, he felt the urge to begin training his breathing and meditating. But before he could do so, he saw a figure in the periphery of his sight, making his head snap forward.

Standing a distance before him was a fair-skinned, freckled girl with curly orange hair adorned with a pink bow at the back of her head. She stood across the path from him, staying oddly still in her frilled shoulder blouse and gray dress with spiking light green trimmings on the hem, highlighting the lower part of her dress. Her bright green eyes bore into him, filled with curiosity. And he swore he could smell... metal?

The girl kept her eyes trained on him, and upon their gazes locking, she raised a hand and waved at him with a cheerful greeting.

"Sal-u-tations!"

Tanjiro blinked at the girl, only managing to force out the words, "Uh... Hello." in his surprise.

How long had that girl been standing there? How didn't he notice her approaching?

"Are you new to Vale?" The girl's question shook Tanjiro out of his stupor.

"Yes, I am."

"That's what I thought! No wonder...but that doesn't explain..." After confirming her suspicion, her fingers thoughtfully touched the bottom of her lips as her voice lowered to a murmur, mumbling about something he couldn't hear properly.

She stood there in near silence afterward, blatantly staring at him for another long minute, making a bead of sweat trickle down the side of Tanjiro's face. Did she want something? Why was she here?

Her continuous and watchful gaze made him feel conscious of his appearance. Was she looking at his clothes? But he was sure that she was staring right at his face. Maybe it was his scar? If it was, then it was quite rude of her to be doing that. But he detected no disgust or malice, just innocent curiosity.

Nonetheless, Tanjiro kept up a polite smile under her scrutiny. The girl herself just stood there, unblinking and still unmoving, with an amicable grin engraved on her face, like a statue. And so the awkward silence continued for a little longer, with the pair staring directly at each other, one more perplexed than the other.

". . . . ."

"Uh..." Seeing fit to break the awkward silence, Tanjiro patted the spot next to him on the bench. "Would you like to sit down?"

Only after his question did the girl seem to become lively again. "Oh! That would be wonderful! Thank you." She sauntered over to the bench and sat beside Tanjiro and continued training her gaze on him.

Their close proximity made Tanjiro realize just how bright the girl's eyes really were; they practically glowed in the dark. And that metallic scent became more prevalent; it wasn't anything like blood, but more like cool steel or a sheet of metal. It was always on her.

To keep the mood from getting awkward again, he spoke up. "Um. My name is Tanjiro Kamado."

"Oh! I apologize for not introducing myself." She placed a hand over her chest and said, "My name is Penny. It is a pleasure to meet you!"

Tanjiro bowed his head in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Penny. Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

Why else would she have kept staring at him?

"Oh, yes; quite a few questions, in fact." Her eyes narrowed at him as if inspecting something dubious. "Are you not from any of the four kingdoms?"

The question made Tanjiro's eyes widen. "Yes... but how did you know that?"

"So, have you come from a village?" Her response was immediate.

"I-I have," Tanjiro stuttered. "But I was only there for a week."

"Hmm..." Penny's hand came up to hold her chin. "Then you must not have been in any of the villages nearby the kingdoms. Are you perhaps from the unnamed continent? How long ago was it that you—"

"Hold on just a minute!" Tanjiro threw his hands up and interrupted Penny's interrogation. "H-How do you know all this? And isn't it rude to ask these kinds of questions so suddenly?"

Penny tilted her head. "Is it? I am sorry if I come off rude, but I am genuinely curious as to why you have no—" She paused her words and corrected herself. "—I mean, why you are here, of course. Hic!" Her hand immediately covered her mouth, but Tanjiro paid it no mind.

"Why am I here?" His eyes glanced at Nezuko's box. "I'm here to find a skilled Doctor."

"A skilled Doctor? Are you suffering from some sort of illness?"

Tanjiro shook his head. "No. It's for my sister. And it's not something any Doctor can just cure; it has to be someone who knows how to work with blood."

"Hmm... Well, what are her symptoms?"

Tanjiro broke into sweat. He couldn't just tell her that one of the symptoms is craving for human flesh, could he? He was afraid it would freak Penny out. It was something he could only say to the Doctor who would cure Nezuko.

Quick! Think of something!

"Ah... Um... She can't go out into the sun."

"Oh, my." Penny's face dropped into a contemplative look before her head perked up and said, "Does your sister's skin get easily burnt in sunlight?"

Tanjiro's jaw dropped slightly.

Could the people of this world already have ways to cure Nezuko? The notion made his heart peak and let his words come pouring out desperately.

"Y-Yes! Very easily! She can't be in sunlight at all, or she may die."

"The symptoms are quite severe..." Penny mumbled. "If it was only recently, then perhaps your sister has progressive Xeroderma Pigmentosum."

"Eh?"

He has never heard of that term before.

"Xeroderma Pigmentosum," Penny repeated, raising a finger in a teaching manner. "A rare autosomal recessive genodermatosis that results due to mutations in nucleotide excision repair. The condition is characterized by severe photosensitivity, skin pigmentary changes, malignant tumor development, and occasionally progressive neurologic degeneration. Neurologic symptoms are progressive over the patient's life regardless of sun exposure. Neurologic manifestations are secondary to loss of neurons, cortical atrophy, and dilation of the ventricles. Neurologic symptoms may include neurodevelopment deficiency and or sensorineural deafness. Additionally, patients may also present with microcephaly, hyporeflexia, spasticity, or ataxia. The goal of the management of patients with xeroderma pigmentosum is to decrease the number of malignant tumors the patient develops, early detection and treatment of malignant tumors, and to improve the patient's quality of life as much as possible. The most effective method of decreasing the number of malignant tumors in patients with Xeroderma Pigmentosum is strict sun avoidance and protection. Patients and their caregivers should be educated on all strategies to keep UV radiation exposure to a minimum. Patients should avoid going outside of their homes during daytime hours. If they must go outside during the day, patients should be covered head to toe with sunscreen. Broad-spectrum sunscreen requires application every two hours. Patients should also use a lip balm with sunscreen. Patients should wear sun-protective clothing with long sleeves and pants. They should also wear a hat and sunglasses with side shields. All windows of the home, car, and school should have a covering with a UV-blocking film. Given the strict sun protection and avoidance, patients should take vitamin D supplementation regularly. Patients can also obtain vitamin D by consuming vitamin D-rich foods such as fish, eggs, mushrooms, and fortified foods. Regular total body skin exams should be performed by a dermatologist as well as by caregivers. Patients should see a dermatologist at a minimum every three months throughout the patient's life. Caregivers should perform daily skin exams at home and receive education on changes to bring to the attention—..."

Frozen and blanching at the absolute amount of words that came pouring into his ears, Tanjiro sat utterly still as Penny carried on with her ongoing explanation. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Tanjiro's brain had simply turned itself off as a defensive maneuver to the sudden cascade of information and words he had no idea what meant. He would've probably passed out at all the knowledge flooding him.

He had no idea how much time Penny's rambling was taking up, but all he knew was that it would be rude of him to ignore her blatantly, so his attention would have to be on her for the whole duration, even if it was a half-conscious effort.

Could he have interrupted?

Perhaps. But that would also be rude, as she supposedly did this to help and inform him.

"...—Unfortunately, neurologic symptoms are progressive and not slowed by sun protection," Penny finished, noticing Tanjiro's blank stare. "Did you get all that?"

Tanjiro absently smiled and blinked cluelessly, taking a second to reactivate his brain and regain his bearings.

"...No... I'm sorry, but I didn't catch any of that at all..."

"Oh dear. I guess I should have condensed it more." Penny rubbed the back of her head as she sheepishly grinned.

'That was condensed?!'

"Um, Penny... are you a Doctor?"

"No. I very much am not. In fact, I am an Academy student."

"Then, how did you know all of that information?"

"That's easy," she claimed. "I pulled it all from the net, of course!"

But didn't she need something like a computer or a scroll for that? He's seen both of them back at the village when the other teens showed him what the internet was (the amount of information and content was shocking, to say the least), and he didn't see either with Penny. Did she memorize all of that, then?

Tanjiro stared at her in awe. "You must be a genius, Penny. You're amazing!"

"Thank you!" was her obligatory response.

Tanjiro was, indeed, quite impressed, but he quickly set his focus back on Nezuko's actual affliction. "Thank you for trying to help me; it sounds similar, but I'm confident that Nezuko doesn't have that Xerdema Pigmintosa."

"Xeroderma Pigmentosum," Penny corrected.

"That."

Penny tilted her head and held onto her chin, now unsure of her prediction. "Well... If it is not Xeroderma Pigmentosum, then I believe you should have a professional in this field check on your sister."

"Do you happen to know of any?"

"Apologies," Penny let out guiltily. "but the only ones I know of are in Atlas."

Tanjiro's mood visibly dampened at that, his shoulders hunching over and his eyes looking straight at his feet with a wistful smile. He really had his hopes going there for a moment.

He should've known it wouldn't be that easy. If Nezuko's condition were a simple problem to solve, then he wouldn't have needed to go on this journey. This only reminded him of how far he was from achieving that goal.

His lamenting elicited a frown from Penny. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"Ah, no!" Tanjiro worryingly held up his hands to reassure her. "You've helped plenty enough. I couldn't have asked for more. So please don't blame yourself."

Her eyes peeked up at him in search of approval, similar to a puppy's. "Really?"

He vehemently nodded his head. "Of course! It's thanks to you that I remembered this wouldn't be an easy task. I shouldn't expect someone to come and give me the answer to all my problems, so I have to work harder to do what I must and find a solution."

His input brought out a small smile from Penny. "You must be a hard worker." She redirected her rueful gaze to her hands resting over her lap. "There haven't been many times where I've been able to help someone. Most people tend to be better off without my assistance, but there was a time when I tried helping my friend fight some bad guys."

"A fight? Did everything turn out okay?"

"I managed to eliminate most enemies, but the biggest target got away. Thankfully, no one was badly hurt." Her tiny smile faded away into a more crestfallen look. "I was prohibited from speaking to my friends after that. I haven't had many chances to talk to others since then. Just my Father, Uncle, and my handlers."

She was restricted from speaking to her friends? How awful!

The girl's dejected look made Tanjiro want to go and argue with her guardians. Having friends and not being alone was a blessing. To restrict a person of such a wonderful aspect of life was harsh, but he had no right to deny her guardians' wishes, plus he didn't know their reasons for doing so.

Although... there is a way for him to help the ginger girl feel much better. An idea that popped into his head.

He gave a sidelong glance over to Penny. Seeing her sulking form had only emboldened Tanjiro's thoughts and ideas, spurring him to try and offer her a little compromise.

'Alright! I've decided!'

His resolute gaze secured itself onto Penny. He patted her on the shoulder, eliciting a blink from the girl and pausing her sulking to meet with Tanjiro's eyes. She took notice of his serious expression and listened intently in anticipation.

"Penny, if you don't have anyone else to talk to, then I can speak with you if you want," he offered with a confident smile. "If no one else, then I can at least lend you an ear."

Penny gave an incredulous stare with her mouth parted, speechless, as if something impossible had occurred. But as quick as it appeared, it was supplanted with the gleaming of her vibrant green eyes and the stretching of a wide grin that practically glowed, her gloom long replaced and forgotten.

"Do you mean... becoming friends?" She uttered the last word with an odd reverence.

Tanjiro nodded his head.

"Of course. Let's be friends."

She gasped.

In a blur, Penny grabbed at Tanjiro's hands and pulled him up with her, shaking his hands up and down rapidly in excitement. "Oh, this is absolutely sensational! To think I would have made another friend so soon! Sneaking out into the city at such a time has truly been a fortuitous encounter!"

Her actions reminded Tanjiro of a child receiving their favorite sweets and looked at her with an amused grin. It was most certainly a heartening sight.

But he couldn't help but notice something.

He kept an eye on their locked hands with a slightly raised brow. Her tightened grip around his felt firm and rigid, like iron. He didn't think he could break out of it if she were to hold him at full strength.

She was strong.

"New friend Tanjiro!" Giddy with her new friend, Penny finally released his hands and bounced back and forth between her feet. "What shall we do as newly certified friends? Shall we talk about cute boys and girls? Should we play a fun game? How about we..." she trailed off, the placement of the Moon suddenly catching her attention.

Penny sighed as her excitement died down, turning into disappointment. "It's beginning to get late. I'm afraid my watchers will notice that I am gone if I stay out any longer. Sorry, Tanjiro."

"Don't apologize for that; I understand. Go home. I'm sure they would be worried about you if you were missing."

"They would definitely be shaking in their boots and panicking!" Penny added jubilantly.

"We can meet here again tomorrow morning if you want," Tanjiro suggested.

Penny bounced on her feet. "That would be wonderful! What would we do, though?"

"Well..." A useful idea suddenly popped in his head. "How about you show me around Vale? I only just arrived today."

"Sure!" she accepted easily. "Although I am not a native, nor have I been here for long, I would find escorting you around the City a marvelous endeavor!"

Penny began trotting off toward one of the staircases, where she stopped and turned around to wave at him. "Bye, Tanjiro! I will see you in the morning!" She continued on her way up the stairs and vanished from Tanjiro's sight behind the buildings that encompassed the land.

Tanjiro, meanwhile, got to his feet and stretched his arms, sighing in relief after having sat down for so long. He thought it was about time to find a place to lodge at, like an inn. His hand reached for Nezuko's box but, to his surprise, he saw that the demon girl had cracked open the box and peeked through the slit.

"Ah! Nezuko, you're awake. Penny just left. Did you want to see the city after all?"

The box opened up fully when the little Demon Girl crawled out onto the bench, looking up at Tanjiro and offering him something in her hand.

Tanjiro looked at her extended hand, seeing a piece of candy on her palm, a little treat wrapped in a small paper cover. He picked it up and examined it.

"Where did you get this from, Nezuko?"

Nezuko took back the candy and unwrapped it. "Mmph!" She pointed at Tanjiro's mouth while her other conspicuously held up the small treat.

"Do you want to feed it to me?"

"Mmhmph!" She fervently bobbed her head.

Tanjiro chuckled, "Alright then. Ahhh," and opened his mouth wide for Nezuko to pop the confection into it.

"It's so sweet!" he cried out. The candy was incredibly soft and chewable, equally delicious and tasteful; he savored it as it melted in his mouth, the flavorful piece exploding with sweetness. He's never had candy like this!

"Thank you, Nezuko!" He patted the girl on the head, bringing out a happy look on her face.

"Hmmph!" She raised her arms triumphantly, seemingly proud of her achievement.

The grin that appeared on Tanjiro's face wouldn't be going away anytime soon, as a little treat from his sister would be that effective in upping his mood and would never fail to warm his heart.

"I promise I'll get you something nice too, Nezuko! Just you wait!" he declared somewhat competitively.

The Kamado siblings sat in the Park Square for a while longer, their smiles brightening up the surrounding area in their joy.

. . .

---

. . .

Slowly.

Quietly.

Carefully.

She crept up to the facility without a sound; her eyes scanned around for any signs of life. Her sensors locked onto a pair of officers standing by the large gate, keeping watch of the area.

She went around, jumping over a high wall in one bound and landing on the other side with minimal impact, and quickly moving to stay out of the light and out of sight.

Under the veil of the shadows, she ran over to the facility's inner wall across from her and pressed her body against it. She began shuffling her way around the wall, stepping around and over the invisible detection lasers placed all over the inner section of the mobile base and avoiding the sight of the cameras with practiced ease.

Upon reaching a point where an overhanging metal bar stuck out from the roof above, she hopped up and grabbed onto it. She flipped herself over the bar and onto the rooftop, swiftly crawling over to a sizeable odd tile of metal plating, its corner bent and sticking out. She carefully removed the roofing and revealed a hole leading into a dark room. She slowly lowered herself into the hole and hung onto the roof, placing the metal tile back above her before quietly dropping into the room.

She made it! And no one's noticed her!

The lights in the room suddenly switched on, flashing away the darkness that filled the room.

"Miss Penny Polendina," A steel voice sounded out through the room, serious and penetrating, making Penny freeze in place.

Penny dropped the confident and assured smile she had held. She looked down at her feet and hid her hands behind her back like a child who had just been caught doing something wrong.

And she had indeed been caught.

General James Ironwood stood up from the chair he had been sitting on by the door, apparently waiting for her arrival. Imposing and well-built underneath his white overcoat and gray waistcoat, he stood tall and robust, years of military training and experience—and perhaps technology as well—provided a body befitting for a General of the strongest military force on Remnant. His silver boots stepped along the pearly white flooring of the room and he soon stood over Penny, looking down at her with exasperated solid black eyes under his short black hair with strips of gray on its sides.

James sighed as he lifted a hand to rub at his temples. "Penny. I understand that you are curious about Vale and the world around you, but you must remember that discretion is an absolute must while we are here."

"I... I know, Uncle Ironwood. And... I-I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to be out for that long." Penny stammered.

James stepped away, giving the girl some needed space, and continued scolding her, his tone stern. "Again, I cannot stress this enough; you going out into Vale puts your secret at risk whenever you interact with someone. How many times must I tell you to limit your exposure in case someone were to see your synthetic parts?"

". . ." Penny's eyes avoided his.

His voice gradually became softer, adding a more gentle touch to his reprimanding. "It's good that you're inquisitive; it shows your desire to learn and grow. That, in and of itself, is something that shows you're becoming a natural person and not just some machine. But sometimes, as a person, we must suppress those desires to focus on what is needed to be done right now."

". . ." Penny still avoided eye contact.

At her silence, James pressed for an answer. "Penny. I need you to stop sneaking out so much. If you want to go out, then notify an officer and bring a handler with you. Can you do that for me?" he asked in earnest.

Penny finally looked toward him. "I... I can do that, but..." she trailed off.

"'But...?'" James pushed.

"Can... Can the handler hide themself when I am with my friend?"

"Your friend?" James's thoughts quickly flashed to Penny's first friend in Vale. "I believe we had asked you not to talk to her unless necessary. Including all the trainees from Beacon."

"It's not Ruby or anyone from Beacon!" Penny quickly denied. "It's someone else; I met him at the City Square and became friends with him all on my own!"

"Penny..." His voice became stern again, ready to scold her about the risks involved.

But before he said anything else, the sight of Penny's puppy-dog eyes made him quell his words and sigh instead, stopping the scolding before it could begin again. He really disliked that feature Pietro added.

Repeating himself won't do any good. He'll try a different approach.

"Who is this new friend of yours?"

Penny seemed to brighten up at the topic, much more willing to talk openly now. "Well, his name is Tanjiro. He carries around a big wooden box and is new to the city. He's also really nice. He has a sword. And wears this big checker coat! And—And..."

James continued listening to Penny's childish ranting about her new friend, the girl excitedly listing off things about the boy she had met. It was all very incohesive. Taking her actual age into account, this immaturity was natural. From what James could understand, the boy was from outside the kingdom and new to the city.

Despite his chiding, he was glad that Penny was able to interact without giving herself away and subsequently making a friend. The girl had a passion for companionship; it was something she desired from the bottom of her heart. Or was it core? Either way, seeing her talking so excitedly about her friend had put a hint of a smile on the General's face. It would always be warming to see the young Penny developing all on her own.

But one thing about the descriptions had bothered him.

Not once had Penny mentioned any files or history of this 'Tanjiro.'

Normally, whenever James asked her about a person, the first thing she'd do was begin giving personal and private information she had taken from their records in the Cross Continental Transmit System, to which he would have to stop promptly. She has a built-in facial recognition scanner that could match faces and names to their records in the CCT Towers. It allowed her to look into their history and previous misconducts to judge if they were worth approaching or were a criminal to be apprehended, coming quite in handy in Atlas.

This was the first time she hadn't done that. Did that lesson of not giving out private information to him finally get through to her? But if that was the case, then it wouldn't explain how Penny had only mentioned superficial aspects. She would at least base her judgment on the records she would have seen and give descriptions that are biased toward those.

All he heard were things like 'he was nice' and 'his uniform looked familiar' and 'he has a scar on his forehead.' The only thing that could indicate his motives was the mention of his sister. This was enough to make James think. There wasn't much known about this boy.

And unknowns were dangerous after all, and it worried him that such an unknown was close to Penny.

"Penny," He interrupted her chatter and posed the question, "is there anything you know about him before he came to the kingdom? Anything his files could show?"

It was at this that Penny blinked and fell quiet for a moment and fidgeting before worriedly saying, "Um... about that..."

When Penny first met the boy known as Tanjiro, she had attempted to use her facial recognition software on him. And when she searched him up on the CCTS...

"There were... no records of him."

Now this was something that needed attention.

"None?"

"None at all, sir. Nothing from Vale, Atlas, Mistral, or Vacuo. Or even the villages outside the kingdoms. There was no Tanjiro Kamado listed anywhere or anyone that matched his appearance."

James's brows furrowed in thought as suspicion sprouted within his mind.

Was this boy simply someone who wasn't accounted for in the populace? People having no records was rare but not unheard of; the kingdoms couldn't keep track of every single person in the entirety of Remnant after all. The most likely case to having no records were often people who were in isolation and out of touch with society. The boy could be someone who's just left isolation... Or...

He couldn't help but let his suspicion dictate his next thoughts.

'Perhaps he was a pawn.'

Usually, he would write it off as a mistake on their part for being unable to gain any documents on a person. But for that kind of person to only appear as the Vytal Festival was approaching, and signs of her beginning to move being revealed, it would have to be quite a coincidence. Call him paranoid, but he wasn't the type to rely on coincidences. It was his duty to protect the welfare of the people as General of the strongest military force on Remnant; he had to be prepared for anything.

If the Queen were to strike during the Vytal Festival, then the timing would make sense. If the boy were a pawn, they would have to act immediately to capture him. But he was sure she would have taken more precautions to send someone to infiltrate a kingdom. Sending someone without any records at all was too bold and noticeable. Could the boy just be somebody who happened to be missed by their registers? Was he just overanalyzing things?

Too many questions were popping up, and his suspicion only rose.

He looked at Penny, asking a quick question to himself.

'Should Penny gather information?'

He was confident in Penny's combat capabilities, hence her constant statement of her being 'Combat ready.' If the boy was a threat, then he was sure Penny could handle him herself, especially with a helper by her side. If he was confirmed to be a pawn, then they could capture him and wring out any information he held. And if he was indeed someone dangerous and was left alone, who would know what havoc would be brought to the kingdom? Just look at Roman Torchwick; a simple criminal running Vale dry of Dust.

He needed to know if this boy was a threat or not before something occurred. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"You do understand that this boy is suspicious, correct?"

"Yes," Penny replied hesitantly.

She thought back to her meeting with Tanjiro. She remembered how nice he was being and offered to become her friend when she was sad. He didn't have to become her friend. He could have just left her alone and ignored her. Would a bad person try to cheer up someone they didn't even know?

Even if he seemed slightly suspicious for having no records, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt as she didn't like it when a friend who had treated her as nothing but polite was being suspected of something.

"But I don't think he's a bad person," Penny added. "I was the one who approached him first and acted strangely, and he treated me kindly anyway. If he were a bad person, I don't think he would want anything to do with me."

'The boy could be acting,' James thought, but wouldn't voice it out in front of Penny.

Penny continued her defending of Tanjiro. "I'll be guiding him around Vale tomorrow. If he's a bad person, then I'm sure he'll show it then. So please don't do anything rash! If he shows any signs of being a danger, then I'll apprehend him myself! But I'm sure he won't—"

"Alright, alright." James could only chuckle at her persistence with an amused grin. "That's enough. It's only a suspicion, not a confirmation. If you're absolutely sure, prove his innocence tomorrow. Try to get at least some information that will support your argument. But do remember that the both of you will be under surveillance from here on out. We can't afford to have you exposed."

"Yes, Uncle Ironwood!"

"Good. Get some sleep. A girl needs her beauty rest."

Penny saluted the General away as he left, finally leaving her alone in her room. Once the door shut behind him, she strode over to her bed and plopped herself down on it.

She didn't really need sleep. Her core was self-sufficient and needed no external energy sources, allowing her to operate all day, every day. And in cases where she's expended too much energy, she can enter power-saving mode or shut down to regain the lost power. Her father and Uncle Ironwood always gave her amenities to help her simulate actions of an ordinary girl, making her feel more like a real person.

So yeah, she could mimic sleep if she wanted to.

But sleep was the last thing she had on her mind.

She fell wholly onto her bed, letting her back sink into the mattress as she absently stared at the blank white ceiling.

"Tanjiro... You're not a bad person, are you?"

. . .

---

. . .

The City of Vale during the day felt quite different from its nightly self. More people were out and about, walking the streets with relaxed and idyllic moods, along with increased traffic on the roads. The blue skies with sparse clouds were a far cry from the dark evening atmosphere filled with artificial light. Daytime was the period when most people would get up and get to work or handle any other obligations they had, and Tanjiro was no different.

Having rested well enough at a Hotel he had found the night before, he sat on the same bench he met Penny at, Nezuko's box placed right beside him as he waited.

Two hours. He had been waiting for two hours for Penny's arrival.

He had, multiple times, thought that she might not be able to make it today but pushed those doubts aside and remained steadfast. Then again, perhaps waking up and waiting so early wasn't the best idea. At least he was able to practice his breathing and meditate while waiting.

It was only after several more minutes crawled by that Tanjiro spotted a familiar ginger girl making her way down the stairs to him, her signature smile and general exuberance at the ready.

"Salutations!" Penny greeted him.

Standing up with Nezuko's box, he offered an amiable smile to the girl. "Good morning, Penny. I hope your morning's been great so far."

"It was stupendous!" she exclaimed. "And it will only get better today. Are you ready for our trip around Vale?"

Making sure to secure the box's straps over his shoulders, he nodded his head with a grunt of confirmation.

"Please take care of me!"

"Sensational! Let's be off, then!" Penny turned away and went up the staircase onto the streets toward the center of the Commercial District, with Tanjiro close behind her.

Unlike last night, most of the stores were now opened up and ready to receive customers, with various people entering them and cluttering up the areas in the middle of their shopping. Stores ranging from clothing stores to restaurants to weapon shops and more lined the streets, offering a variety of numerous goods to procure during one's time here and showing them off within massive glass displays.

"The Commercial District is a place filled with a diverse set of cultures," Penny explained as she and Tanjiro glanced around the neighborhood. "Vale is open to all sorts of goods and products, so you can find a little bit of everything here. If you're hungry, there's always a restaurant nearby to fill your stomach. If you're in need of a tailor to fix up your clothes or order brand-new ones, there'll be one just around the corner. And if you happen to be running out of Dust, most stores will sell it."

"Oh!" Penny stopped in her tracks with Tanjiro eyeing her curiously. "Sorry, but forget what I said about the Dust. Currently, Dust prices have skyrocketed with the recent thefts, so finding a store that still sells Dust is uncommon as of now and will be priced much higher than they used to."

"Are the thefts that severe?" Dust wasn't something Tanjiro needed, but thefts are never a good sign in any settlement.

Penny nodded. "With the recent activity of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick, a considerable amount of Dust robberies have occurred, leaving the kingdom with a lack of Dust supply for the citizens. Any stores selling any right now will most likely have increased prices due to the scarcity of Dust."

After her little explanation, they continued their walk, talking as they did so.

"Are the authorities close to catching them yet?"

"Unfortunately not," A worried look came over Penny. "The White Fang and the criminal Roman Torchwick have proven to be difficult to apprehend. There are numerous members of the White Fang; stopping them would require a more focused and direct approach to catch all of them. And Roman Torchwick is slippery; I've seen him personally and was unable to capture him."

Tanjiro remembered hearing about the White Fang a couple of times. A once peaceful Faunus activist group turned into a radical terrorist organization. He found it disappointing that they turned to violence in the end. He had agreed with their more pacifist movements, as he believed their hard work would have been noticed eventually and gained more prominence. Defending themselves was perfectly fine, but resorting to violence and instigating things would only lead to more violence and fear, a brutal cycle that brings continuous hatred.

Maybe their actions right now could cause a decrease in discrimination from apprehension, but that was only a shortcut, an easy way out. Achieving mutual trust and understanding requires effort in having both sides agree to be less hostile, something that needs time and positive reinforcement.

Tanjiro hoped they could realize their actions wouldn't be effective in the long run.

Their stroll continued until Penny stopped in front of a modest store, having reopened recently. Tanjiro read the name at the top.

From Dust Till Dawn

Penny pushed open the wooden oak door, a chime jingling to notify of her arrival, and ushered Tanjiro in.

"This shop is one of the only stores still selling Dust despite the recent robberies. It is also a general store for most of your needs."

Penny happily waved her hand at the shopkeeper, her clear jubilance bringing out a small grin from the old man's face. Tanjiro also made sure to greet him respectfully.

The store was larger than it seemed from the outside; the inside was nearly twice as spacious as Tanjiro had thought. Plenty of items sat stocked on the shelves—snacks, ammunition, figurines, magazines, and plenty more. The more special merchandise, like Dust crystals, sat securely in reinforced glass display cases. On the sides of the store were long tubes of powdered Dust that came down from the ceiling; colors of red, blue, orange, yellow, and white Dusts held within.

Tanjiro's eyes wandered and marveled at the stacked store as Penny brought him over near the aisles.

"You're new to Vale, right? Since it's your first time here, how about a souvenir?"

A souvenir?

The idea sounded pretty good to Tanjiro. He could buy something for Nezuko with the Lien he received from the villagers.

He walked around the aisle, skimming the products on the shelves for something that could catch his interest. Maybe Nezuko would like a figurine? Or perhaps he would get her something special, like an ornamented hairpin. The options were vast, but due to Nezuko's condition, most were unfitting.

He spent a few more minutes meandering the store, heading into an aisle filled with accessories. On one of the shelves, the colorful ribbons caught his eye; he grabbed a pink one. He flipped it over and around, examining the ribbon, and compared it in his mind to the one Nezuko had.

'This is kind of like Nezuko's ribbon. I'm sure she'd like this.'

But another black ribbon grabbed his attention.

Then, an idea popped into his head again.

He brought both ribbons to the front desk, laying them on the table before the shopkeeper, who gave him the price for both items. His hand stuck into his sleeve, fetching the Lien the villagers had gifted him and using it to pay for the two accessories. The ribbons weren't expensive, only slightly dipping into his funds. He pocketed the pink ribbon into his sleeve, thanking the shopkeeper as he did so, and turned back to Penny.

"Are you ready to move on?" she asked.

"Just a moment." He extended his arm toward Penny, and in his hand was the black ribbon he had just bought, offering it to the girl.

Upon looking at the ribbon, Penny simply stood there and glanced at the item. It wasn't until Tanjiro brought the ribbon closer to her and didn't take it away that the realization of what he was doing dawned on her.

Penny's fingers went over her parted mouth as she gasped, her eyes widening at the sudden gesture. Her eyes flicked between the offered black ribbon and Tanjiro before delicately reaching for it.

"For me?" Her eyes gleamed with expectation.

"Mm," Tanjiro admitted with a gracious grin. "Thank you for taking time out of your day to lead me around Vale."

Penny carefully brought the ribbon up close and examined it entirely. It was as simple as it could get; a black ribbon, no unique material, no special form. Anyone could have gotten this ribbon; the next person in this store could very much buy this exact accessory. And it wasn't like Tanjiro had prepared especially long to get it ready. It was a small, straightforward gift from a friend.

Of course, she had received plenty of presents from her Father and Uncle: the latest tech floating arrays, her numerous identical clothes, the first doll she had received, and more. She certainly wasn't lacking when it came to commodities. So this ribbon wasn't anything special compared to everything else she's received.

Except for one thing.

This was her first gift from a friend.

For a moment, it appeared like she was about to burst into tears. But the girl simply giggled in pure, unbridled happiness. Instead, she threw her arms up high, then brought them down to pull Tanjiro in for a tight hug, and spun around on the tip of her toes. Her beaming, wide toothy smile was nearly blinding, unceasing, and incredibly adorable from a bystander's viewpoint. Tanjiro hugged her back, just as friendly, trying to ignore the feeling of his chest getting compressed by the powerful hug, squeezing the air out of his throat.

"I've never received a gift from a friend before! Thank you, Tanjiro! I'll be sure to treasure this!"

"I-I'm glad you like it, Penny...!" he choked out, his smile becoming increasingly strained.

'Stay strong! Utilize your breathing!'

Once Penny finally released him, Tanjiro fell into a cough and quickly gasped for air, soon recovering with the feeling of oxygen in his lungs and steadying his breathing. This only confirmed to Tanjiro how strong the girl was, and just like he thought, he couldn't break out if he wanted to, not without risking injury. With how strong a seemingly normal girl in this land is, it looked like he'll really need to up his training when he gets the chance.

Penny happily grinned at the ribbon for a little longer before attentively stowing it in a pocket on her silver backpack. Right after, she grabbed onto Tanjiro's wrist and hastily pulled him out of the store.

"Come on, Tanjiro! We still have several more places to go to that I want to show you!"

"Yes! I'll be in your hands. Please take care of me."

And so, an enthusiastic young girl dashed off into the streets with her friend in tow toward their next destination.

. . .

---

. . .

Something new that Tanjiro learned about Vale was how was how easy it was to gain information. After bringing him to several other locations to help him better traverse the city, eventually, Penny had brought him into a ginormous building filled with shelves upon shelves of books. The vast open area was decorated with numerous tables and chairs for people to sit and study the many pieces of literature around them. The number of books placed on the extensive amount of shelves that stretched across the walls and hall had made Tanjiro's eyes zoom around and gawk at the huge assortment of books and space when he first came in. The noise he'd been making upon entering elicited a mass shushing from nearly everyone in the library, causing him to apologize and get shushed again.

Soon after, he and Penny sat down at a nearby table for her to explain to him in a low whisper about Vale's City Library.

"Vale's City Library is the most extensive out of all the four kingdoms. It contains all sorts of arts and literature that can cater to anyone's hunger for knowledge, having a long list of Remnant's history, stories, and more. Vale has had a history of tending to all types of cultures and details about the four kingdoms."

Despite Penny's exposition, Tanjiro kept staring at the books that surrounded them, and even the rows of what he believed to be computers that sat a distance away from them (though apparently, he would have to schedule a time to use those computers).

Libraries weren't exactly a common thing for Tanjiro—in fact, he had never actually been in one before. Books were hard to get for a poor family like his and were usually meant for those who could afford such commodities. It's not like he was uneducated, though; his parents had passed down all their knowledge to him and taught him everything he knew, and he's read a few books before as well. But the number of books that lined the shelves left him a bit overwhelmed.

But despite the extensive collection of literature, he couldn't help but notice the lack of people in the library, only seeing a handful in certain areas.

"How come there aren't many people here if this library is the biggest? There doesn't seem to be many who are taking advantage of this."

"Well, besides various factors, that is most likely due to the Cross Continental Transmit System," Penny began. "Even though this library is the most extensive, most people use their scrolls and the internet for information. The CCT is Remnant's largest pool of communication and knowledge gathered from all around the world. It's quicker and more convenient to search something up online, either with a scroll or at a CCT Center than coming to the library. Although, there is quite a number of the population that still comes here despite what you may see."

He knew that scrolls and computers could give access to tons of information, but he didn't know they could provide that much information. This entire library's worth of knowledge and more sat inside such small objects?

Now he wished he had a scroll, just for the convenience.

"Do you have a scroll, Penny?"

The girl shook her head. "I do not."

"Then how do you access the internet on the go without one?"

Penny averted her gaze. "I have my ways."

Whatever Penny meant by that, he didn't want to question it. Instead, his thoughts went over to the CCT—specifically, how he could utilize it.

"Could we maybe go to the CCT Center in Vale?"

For some reason, Penny took a moment to answer. "Might I ask why do you want to go there exactly?"

"It's about what I told you last night."

If the CCT system was such a powerful resource of information, then maybe he could find something of help toward curing Nezuko there. It was hopeful thinking, but it was worth a shot. He wouldn't have his expectations too high up in case this also came up short.

Penny's brows knitted. "I'm sorry, Tanjiro, but I don't think you can," she said guiltily, her eyes avoiding his to prevent herself from seeing his disappointment. "The CCT Center in Vale is located within Beacon Academy grounds, and the general public is normally not permitted to enter the campus without a pass or invitation, so your chances of using the CCT Center are quite slim."

The idea was brought down before getting started, but Tanjiro persisted. "Is there a way I could get invited to Beacon? As long as the method isn't questionable, of course."

"Well," Penny thoughtfully drummed a finger on her chin. "you could be brought in as a student, but not only would you have to pass the exams and initiation, but there would need to be enough people left over to form another team, as a team of four is required to attend Beacon."

'If only Zenitsu and Inosuke were here,' Tanjiro lamented.

"Is there any other way to get in besides becoming a student?"

"Ah! The Vytal Festival will begin later this year; that is a time when the general public is allowed to visit the academy grounds—though you do need to buy a ticket for entry."

"And how much is a ticket?"

Penny leaned over the table and whispered the amount into Tanjiro's ear.

"...! That much?!" Tanjiro cried out, causing several people in the library to shush him again irritably. "I'm sorry..." he muttered under his breath.

Safe to say, he most likely won't be able to gather enough Lien to afford a ticket by the time the Festival begins. The money he had received from the Villagers wasn't limitless, nowhere close. Without the help from Wisteria Houses, he would have to rely on Inns and Hotels to rest, slowly exhausting his funds. That, coupled with other resources like food, wouldn't allow him to so much as think of buying the ticket even if he worked for money. So that option was also off the table.

"Anything else...?"

"Hmm..." Penny took a minute to come up with another answer. "Apologies, but with your questionable situation, there aren't many ways for you to get into Beacon. You may have to go somewhere else to access a CCT Center. Although... there could be one last way."

Tanjiro eagerly jumped at the possibility. "What is it?"

"You could be invited by someone of high authority within the Academy, such as the Headmaster. Such an occurrence isn't unheard of and, for some reason, happens more frequently than one may think. But the problem is that you would have to get the attention and acknowledgment of the high authority figure, who isn't usually met so often. Typically, this kind of offer only extends to those who are influential or have some sort of relation to the figure."

His eagerness quickly deflated. Was that really the last option? What were his chances of meeting someone inviting him to the academy grounds? It was certainly a possibility, but the chances were still quite slim. He couldn't help but hold a contemplative frown.

Penny scrambled to help Tanjiro improve his mood and got out of her chair. "How about I show you a spot where you can get a wonderful view of Beacon later? Perhaps you will gain some insight into what to do next. I believe it was about time we moved on to the next location."

Tanjiro simply nodded and stood out of his chair, grabbing Nezuko's box and soon following Penny out of the library and back into the streets of Vale.

It was then that an ironic thought came to him. For all his marveling and gawking at the impressive display of books, he didn't actually read any of them while he was there. Maybe he'll come back another time; it's not like anything else important would be happening soon, right?

As Tanjiro and Penny made their way down the street, through one of the displays of a store showcasing Televisions and other electronics, one of the sets broadcasted a news channel with the headliner:

—

Sudden rise in White Fang Activity! Dust prices are skyrocketing! Stocks are at an all-time low! Report any White Fang attacks and Dust Thefts immediately!

—

. . .

---

. . .

Red leaves fell like snow, painting the dirt all around in its vibrant color. The sky was filtered with lush trees of red, only being able to see dots of blue past the red leaves and dark branches that hung over them. The smell of spring leaves still arose despite the appearance of a never-ending fall, the mystical forest seemingly alive and thrumming with life.

In daytime, the forest known as the Forever Fall glistened with the efflorescence of thousands of vermillion trees and foliage. Even during Winter, the trees maintained their crimson appearance.

In the middle of this forest, Tanjiro kept pace with Penny, who walked just a few steps ahead. The red trees and leaves that crunched underneath his sandals made him feel as though he had been walking through a sea of crimson waves.

They had been walking for a few hours now and hadn't stopped for any rest. Traveling long distances on foot like this was something Tanjiro was used to during his time as a Demon Slayer, spending multiple hours and even days walking to get to his destination. Honestly, he welcomed this journey through the forest; it was always serene and idyllic to stroll through the woods and listen to the sounds of nature.

It reminded him of his home.

But through his reminiscing, the voice of a young ginger girl brought him back to the present.

"We should arrive at our destination in approximately an hour."

Tanjiro nodded and made a sound to let her know he heard her and was still good to keep going. And because she broke the prolonged silence that had hung over them for the last ten minutes, he decided to continue an earlier conversation.

"So, Penny... You're also new to Vale?"

Penny nodded. "I've come to experience the world outside of Atlas and test myself in the Vytal Festival Tournament. My Father and Mr. Ironwood have been looking forward to my performance during my time in Vale—My Father especially."

"There's a tournament?" he asked. He couldn't picture a festival representing peace and unity hosting an event meant for fighting each other. It seemed a bit contradictory to him.

Penny turned her head back to him with a surprised look on her face, all without breaking stride. "Have you never heard about the Vytal Festival Tournament before, Tanjiro? There's one every festival to showcase the prowess of upcoming Huntsmen in a safe, friendly, and competitive environment. I was sure everyone had heard of it."

"Ah, sorry." Tanjiro sheepishly grinned. "I'm still new to all of this. I haven't seen much about this land; it's a whole new world to me."

Quite literally...

Penny's hands clapped together. "So you're like me! How wonderful it is to share our similarities and shortcomings like friends!" Her jubilant demeanor felt infectious and brought a similar feeling to Tanjiro as she continued. "If that is the case, then let's both explore and learn about the world around us!"

"Yes!" Tanjiro approved.

Despite feeling like a stranger in an even stranger land, Penny had helped him feel less overwhelmed, a sort of kinship between two people learning about the same thing. He found it fortunate that she was the first person he met in Vale; he wouldn't have known what to do without her.

Their trek through the Forever Fall went on for another hour, with banter and various informative topics sprinkled throughout their trip. Tanjiro continued learning about the tidbits of knowledge Penny held—not only about Vale but of Remnant as well.

How Academy students are trained into Huntsman. Various applications of Dust. A better understanding of the currency. Atlas being the only Kingdom to own a military. Several facts about guns... A mix of trivia and essential info. Some he may need to remember for specific situations.

After hiking uphill for a little longer, they cleared another set of tree branches and bushes and discovered a short cliff that overlooked a vast expanse of red canopy down below.

"We have arrived!" Penny announced, her voice sounding out against the still air.

It was here that Tanjiro's eyes caught sight of a grand and impressive figure standing tall in the far distance. His attention was immediately drawn to the magnificent structure, and he couldn't help but fixate on its scenic grandeur. The now orange-fading sky drew light to the sets of connecting towers and spires, adding a near-magical feel as if the area radiated a powerful light that fought against the encroaching night. From those sets of installations arose a much larger and taller tower that shone with an emerald firefly-like glow at its pinnacle.

The Academy seemed more like a fantastic castle rather than a school, surrounded by forests of effervescent green expanding as far as he could see. He had never seen anything like it, so grandiose and over the top with its architecture. From where he stood, Beacon felt out of this world, something he would never believe existed until he saw it himself. Of course, he's heard about Beacon during his time here, but no amount of second-hand accounts would prepare him for such an overwhelming appearance of a mystical castle from fairy tales.

Would he ever get to see what was held within? As of right now, he could only imagine what it would be like to stay in a place like that. To think thousands of students stayed there...

Penny's grinning face leaned into sight. "So? How's the view?"

Tanjiro finally pulled his gaze away from Beacon Academy. "It's certainly more grand than I was expecting."

"I am pleased to hear so." Penny went over to the edge and sat herself down, her legs dangling off the cliff side. "Come. Let us admire the view together."

Tanjiro followed her actions and observed Beacon Academy. From this far away, covered in shadows, it looked like a mountain range.

Huntsmen Academies were supposedly institutions to train future Huntsmen. Penny was a student at one of them, destined to become a protector of the people, fighting against monsters that preyed on humans. It was something all too familiar for him, drawing several parallels between a Huntsman and a Demon Slayer. He couldn't help but wonder what made her choose this path.

"Why did you decide to become a Huntress?" Tanjiro asked.

"'Why?'" Penny took a moment to think, her eccentric demeanor taking a more serious tone. She opened her mouth to reply but immediately held back her words and closed it instead. Her eyes switched between her hands and Tanjiro, her uneasiness all too evident to him.

A few seconds later, she opened up with, "...You are my friend, right?" her seeking of approval was entirely without her usual optimism.

"Of course," he replied in a heartbeat.

Penny smiled again. She reckoned it was okay to tell him then.

"I... Becoming a Huntress was not something I had chosen to do. But this is my duty. One day, it will be my job to protect the weak and hope to save the world. It is my purpose."

"Save the world?" How extravagant and admirable, if not a little childish. But could one person make that much of a change in a world like this? Especially with how the Grimm are. "That's incredibly respectable, Penny, but how do you plan on accomplishing such a dream?"

"Dream? That isn't my dream, silly."

"Eh? But you said it was your purpose."

Penny's smile became wistful as she absently kicked her legs over the edge. "It is my purpose, the reason I was made. But my dream is something else entirely."

She looked up, watching as the sun's orange light slowly hid behind the horizon and the dark blue sky of the evening took over. A lone star appeared beyond the atmosphere; she reached out to it.

"Tanjiro... Have you ever looked up at the stars and made a wish? Wished for something you long for so desperately? Something so close, but seemed just out of reach."

"I have." Numerous times. How he wished everything back at his home had just been a long nightmare. How he wished he was stronger to cure his inadequacy in protecting others. How he so wished to turn Nezuko back into a human, oh so many times.

"Then, I hope you can understand how I feel. I... I just want to have genuine friends and be accepted. To be a real girl."

"Real girl?" Tanjiro's confused look said it all. "...What do you mean by that?"

Penny sat there in prolonged silence, her smile fading. "I'm sorry, Tanjiro... but that is something I can't tell you right now. Maybe someday, but not now."

He could see how much it pained her to keep secrets, and he couldn't blame her for doing so. Whatever her reasons were, they must have been sensible. He wouldn't pry.

"That's okay. Take all the time you need," Tanjiro reassured her. "I'm sure, one day, you'll reach that dream of yours. And once you do, I believe you'll tell me whatever it is you want to tell me when you're ready."

Penny closed her eyes, her smile growing slightly wider, though still faint. Although she had oddly taken his words without much outward reaction, inside, she was beaming. Her programs and codes couldn't truly replicate the feelings of a real person, but she was sure that this feeling within her was as real as it could be. She felt so excited, yet so calm.

A few words of encouragement had sent her emotional software into a loop, much like when her Father had praised her, or when Ruby talked to her, or whenever that one professor visited. This feeling... She couldn't understand it completely, but she felt as though that dream of becoming a real girl became increasingly tangible.

If Tanjiro and Ruby were by her side… She was sure of it. Her dreams didn't seem so far-fetched to her; they seemed closer than ever before. At this moment, she made a promise to herself. One day, she would tell Tanjiro and Ruby the truth about what she was. And once she did, she was certain they would accept her completely. Because they were her friends.

"Tanjiro..."

The boy in question turned to regard her. No longer did her legs dangle off the edge; instead, they were pulled toward her body, with her forearms folded over her knees and the side of her face resting on them. She beamed at him, her eyes of luminous mint gazing at him intently in gratitude.

"Thank you for being my friend."

Tanjiro softly smiled at her sincere tone. His own thank you went unspoken, and he responded with a deferential nod instead. After all, it was thanks to her that he had learned more about Vale and Remnant. Without her as his guide, he would probably still be bumbling around Vale with no direction. And for that, he too, was grateful.

He directed his attention back to Beacon Academy, the evening sky having already washed out the orange light. From this veiled twilight, the emerald luster of Beacon's large tower still shone brightly in the night.

Like a fire that would never disappear.

For some reason, that fire felt close at hand.

---

Author's Note

Heya. It's been a while. Three months to be exact... But as I've said in the first chapter, updates won't be consistent.

And if you were wondering why I hadn't updated in three months, well... For a short answer, I'll just hit you with the 'Life got busy. Had some personal stuff.' thing that most others say. I'm really no different; we've all got other things to do. For some reason, if you wanted a longer and more specific explanation, feel free to look at the thing below.

. . .

Right after I released Chapter 3, I had immediately begun working on this chapter. I got about a few thousand words in before deciding, 'I don't like how this feels.' So I scrapped and deleted it. I really had no other way to explain it; I just wanted to write it differently than what I currently had at the time and didn't like it. And then, halfway through the chapter's rewrite, I literally said, 'Fuck it. I'm deleting this again.' And so I began a second rewrite, delaying this upload for a month.

But it was during May and June that really held this thing back. My finals were coming up and I had to make sure my grades weren't falling. You could say I got stressed, but I was honestly just tired from all the writing I had to do in both this story and in school (I hate essays and writing assignments. For some reason, they take so much out of me... Kinda funny to me actually.). So, I stopped writing for this story to finish up things in school and make sure I don't bomb my finals. And after that? Well, another thing I said in the first chapter happened...

I got lazy.

Yep. I forgot about FanFiction for a couple of weeks while in my summer break, and so the progress on this chapter came to a complete halt halfway through. And when I finally did remember this story, I just couldn't bother actually writing. I had the chapter planned out and everything when I was working, but I couldn't bring myself to write it out. This isn't me being sad or upset or anything. I really did just procrastinate.

But thanks to a friend of mine, he eventually got me off my lazy ass to finally continue working on this chapter, and so I did.

For the span of two days.

This chapter had unexpectedly given me a lot of trouble. I don't wanna say it rubbed me the wrong way like earlier, but more like I wasn't satisfied with some of it. And while racking through my brain to keep writing, I got fed up with that feeling and stopped again for a while.

And so, I eventually managed to continue working on this chapter with some help. Decided to scrap a thing or two, ignore that feeling of dissatisfaction, and mayhaps rush another thing or two just to get this thing done. I was tired of being held up on this one chapter, and didn't want to keep you waiting for another year or two. And finally made the decision to post this version.

I guess that's enough explaining for this section, though.

. . .

So here you go. Chapter 4 is finally out to those who still care.

Half of it, that is...

Yep. This is actually either half, or three-quarters of what originally should've been Chapter 4. I split a portion of it. The thing was getting too long, so I decided to cut off the rest and move it in place as the next chapter. Hopefully, that won't take me another three months to finish. Maybe I'll try to shorten the word count.

And man, the previous stuff wasn't actually what I wanted to talk about—I wanted to talk about the contents of this chapter, but I feel that I should at least be open with how I'm developing this story.

Now, enough about me. Time for the tangent I actually wanted to go on.

Tanjiro finally gets to meet a member of the RWBY cast and makes his first friend in Vale! I wasn't confident in how I had them meet, but I guess it was enough for me. Plus, that whole thing with Penny explaining about Xeroderma Pigmentosum was supposed to be skimmed through or skipped. Props to you if you decided to read the whole thing; I guess you learned something new.

Quite honestly, I didn't really know how to write Penny that well, which is part of why I struggled with this chapter. I reviewed some of her scenes in Volumes 1, 2, 3, and even Ice Queendom, and I still don't fully understand how she should've acted. In original RWBY, she's actually quite good at acting like a living person, albeit a weird and eccentric one; she feels a whole lot more emotional. In Ice Queendom, though, it's like she goes full robot mode. I guess I wanted to make her a mix of both?

She's childishly curious about the world and kind enough to help out our boy Tanjiro in her quest for friends. I tried to make portions of her interactions robotic to make her seem more like...you know...a robot.

Really hoping I didn't butcher her or Tanjiro's characters here; it's been a while. Feel free to call me out on any issues.

And if you're thinking that I'm pairing Tanjiro and Penny, think whatever you want; I don't particularly mind; I knew this would be shipping fuel to some. But let me tell you that romance is not a big focus of this Fic. This is where that friendship tag comes into play.

Unfortunately, not much screen time for Nezuko, and not for the next chapter either, but surely the one after should have her play a big enough role if it goes according to plan.

This is basically still resting time for Tanjiro with heavy exposition and setting stuff up for me later. I promise that something more action-related will appear next chapter.

There's still several things I want to say and perhaps address, but I'll save those for the next chapter.

But one important thing I wanna say:

Thanks to all of you who leave a review. Upon coming back to this app, I read through the reviews, and it helped me to follow through with continuing this. Feedback is something that I find essential, and receiving your thoughts is half the fun for me in this story. So, again, feel free to give your thoughts, opinions, and criticisms; I feel that I certainly need the advice with how much I struggled with this chapter. And I would've liked to address a couple other things, but as I said earlier, I'll save it for the next chapter; this Author's Note is getting too long.

Also, I didn't forget about the bonus. One of you guys actually managed to guess it was Penny. The "Magnetic" hint was supposed to throw you guys off, and the same guy who guessed it managed to find out that "Sustain Alto" is an anagram of "Salutations," so props to him. I told you I twisted it. But since the omake was meant for the whole of Chapter 4, I'll also have to split it in a sort of way.

Anyways, thanks for reading, hope you've enjoyed.

See you in the next chapter.

---

Grimm Slaying Blade

Omake/Bonus

[Remnant Rumor 1/2]

---

In the vast darkness, a spotlight shone on a lone boy in a checkered haori that lay unconscious. He stirred in his slumber, sweating as he turned himself over left and right as if experiencing a vivid nightmare.

A few seconds later, though, he gasped awake, sitting up, finding himself in a place he didn't recognize. He was no longer in the comfort of his hotel bed.

"Where am I?!" Tanjiro's head whipped back and forth at his surroundings.

At his questioning, multiple lights turned on to take away some of the eerie darkness that blinded him. It was enough to allow him to see his environment.

The room was massive, stretching upward into shadowy heights that seemed to disappear into infinity. Rows and rows of empty chairs rose up at the far end of the auditorium, arranged to face the stage he sat on. The stage was a large platform of white stone, intricately carved and gleaming in the dim light. It looked like a place of grand importance, a place of honor and power.

Tanjiro swallowed hard, trying to get his bearings. He was alone in the vast hall, the only sounds being his own nervous breathing and the steady tick of a clock on the wall. The clock's hands were frozen in place, and he had no idea how much time had passed.

He slowly rose to his feet, his legs trembling slightly as he scanned the empty theater. What happened? How did he end up here?

As if to conveniently answer him, the humongous curtains behind began to shift and pull to the sides. He turned around to see the curtains reveal a large sign inscribed with the words: "Remnant Rumor."

And at the foot of the sign, he spotted a familiar girl.

"Penny?"

The ginger robot girl stood proudly with a great smile, her hands on her hips, legs spread apart, and her head held up high as if she were announcing, 'I am here!'

Relieved at seeing a familiar face, Tanjiro moved to group up with her and asked, "What's going on? Do you know what happened?"

Penny finally got out of her pose and pointed at the sign behind her. "Isn't it obvious? I was told you've done these kinds of things before."

'Done these kinds of things before?' Tanjiro racked his mind to remember ever doing anything remotely similar to this.

Suddenly, as if a light bulb flared up over his head, his eyes widened when he remembered a certain strange thing he had to do when telling a secret like trivia.

"You mean that!" he let out confidently.

"Yes. That!" Penny confirmed jubilantly.

And although he had found out what he had to do, he was left in a dilemma as to what secret he even knew in Remnant. He's barely been here for over a week; how would he know any secrets? He had nothing to share!

Thankfully, it seemed Penny had been prepared to share something in his stead.

However, as she was about to speak, the doors on the other end of the hall they were in opened loudly with a prominent thud! Light from the outside mostly silhouetted the figure that stood in the doorway with their hands still on the doors. With a harsh, crackling breath, they got into some sort of crouch, their eyes digging a hole into Tanjiro specifically.

And like a snap of a finger, the person vanished from the doorway and beamed down and across the chairs straight toward the stage and at the checkered boy and screaming,

"TAN—JII—ROOO~~!"

"AACK!!!"

Tanjiro found himself hurtling off his feet from the force that struck him and fell onto his back, skidding against the flooring of the stage. The figure that had slammed into him tumbled further past him and collided against the sign that held firm, not even flinching from the impact.

Tanjiro clutched his aching stomach as he slowly got up, with Penny rushing over to pull him back onto his feet. It felt like he got hit in the gut with a metal bat that was shot at him with a cannon! He took a moment to regain his breath; having the air knocked out of him interrupted his constant total concentration breathing.

Meanwhile, the figure rose to his hands and knees. With proper lighting and closer view, the person of average height and fair skin could be seen wearing a dark brown uniform incredibly similar to Tanjiro's—Actually, it was exactly the same as Tanjiro's! Over his uniform was a gradient haori patterned with white triangles. His unevenly bowl-cut hair ended squarely at the bangs and matched in color with his haori. The new boy trembled in place as Tanjiro finally got a proper look at him.

"Zenitsu!"

Zenitsu hastily clambered over to Tanjiro, grabbing onto the rim of the boy's checkered haori and letting out a stream of tears and snot cascading down his face.

"Tanjiro! How could you just up and leave us like that?!" the yellow-haired boy cried. "I didn't actually mean it when I told you to go drop dead! Just apologizing would've been enough!"

Tanjiro got down on one knee to face the crying boy properly. "Zenitsu! Calm down! You can't just barge in here like that; you're not supposed to be here!"

"Oh yeah!? Why NOT?!" Zenitsu's brows came together and scrunched up in absolute anger as he remembered why he wasn't implemented into the story. "Just because that stupid jerk who can't write said so!?!? You're one of the only people that got sent to a world filled with beauties and even got a second chance at life! You even brought my precious Nezuko with you! How is this allowed?!"

Taken aback by the sudden yet familiar outburst, Tanjiro tried to reel in the offended boy. "I'm sure the author had his reasons. Don't think too badly of him."

"Eh? Don't give me that shit." The sobbing and tears Zenitsu had let out suddenly stopped as his voice became incredulous, staring in disbelief at Tanjiro. "How can I not think badly of him?! He said that 'we weren't needed for the main story!' The rest of us don't have a role to play in this story! Meanwhile, you, Nezuko, and two other dipshits get to frolic around a world without demons and filled with cuties! I heard Remnant has plenty of girls and that they're DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS!!! This is UNFAIR!!! I'm calling it here! THIS IS FAVORITISM!!!"

"Z-Zenitsu, calm down, I said!"

"NO! I ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT!!!" Zenitsu shouted. There was no way Tanjiro could understand how it felt to be dismissed and forgotten! The bastard author didn't include either him or Inosuke in the story! Didn't he know that the three of them plus Nezuko were the main squad?! Was something wrong with his brain?! It was utterly cruel and retarded to separate them like this! Someone else should try writing this story! Hell, even he'd be a better writer!

Zenitsu's teeth gnashed and grinded at the thought of that bastard author. The very notion that Tanjiro and Nezuko alone could go on adventures without meeting a single demon made his blood boil! Not only that, but the myriad of beautiful and cute girls Tanjiro could meet and the amount of guys that would try to poach his precious Nezuko made him want to cry out again and call out the injustice in his jealousy! In fact, he'll do just that!

"I'M SO DAMN JEALOUS, GOD DAMMIT!!!" Zenitsu clutched Tanjiro by the shoulders and began to shake him violently. "YOU'LL GET TO MEET ALL THE GIRLS A MAN COULD ONLY DREAM OF!!! CUTE AND ADORABLE ONES! SEXY AND MATURE ONES! COOL AND STOIC ONES! PRIM AND PROPER ONES! IF I COULD LIST OUT ALL THE TYPES OF GIRLS YOU COULD MEET, I WOULD PRACTICALLY BE WRITING OUT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES~!!!"

"Ze-ni—tsu! Quit—it!"

"NOT ONLY ARE THERE GIRLS ANY MAN WOULD DROOL OVER, BUT THERE'LL ALSO BE ANNOYINGLY PRETTY AND DISGUSTINGLY HANDSOME GUYS OUT THERE TO PREY ON MY DEAR NEZUKO!!!"

Zenitsu let go of Tanjiro and crumpled backward onto the floor in his outrage, rolling around erratically on the floor as he continued. "BUT THE WORST PART OF IT ALL IS THAT I'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH INOSUKE ALONE NOW!!! DIDN'T THAT DUMBASS AUTHOR KNOW THAT YOU WERE BASICALLY THE GLUE THAT HELD US TOGETHER?!?! WHY DO I HAVE TO MANAGE ON MY OWN WITH THAT IDIOT?!?! I'LL DIE OF STRESS BEFORE I DIE TO A DEMON!!! EEYAAAAAAAHHHH~!!!"

"Zenitsu! You have to calm down!" Tanjiro urged the shrieking boy. He looked at the frozen clock, noticing the clock's hands slowly beginning to move. "We're running out of time!"

"Excuse me, but I think my friend Tanjiro wants you to stop," Penny, too, joined in to stop Zenitsu's uncontained outrage.

Upon hearing her voice, Zenitsu froze in place. "Oh yeah... That's right..." he murmured, remembering the events that had just happened earlier in this story.

The yellow boy soon got to his feet, his face veiled in shadow from the angle of the light. The air around him abruptly became ten times more cold, chilling to the bone, and anguished echoes sounded out. The chattering noise that came after was revealed to be coming from Zenitsu, his teeth unceasingly grinding against each other to the point it sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Tanjiro's heart dropped when he saw the lights around them begin to dim. He turned to his comrade Slayer, and stammered out, "Zen-Zenitsu?!"

Please don't tell him the other boy was about to do something reckless again!

Zenitsu's hands thrust upwards, showing off his fingers, wriggling as if they wanted to strangle something, and popping their joints as veins bulged against his skin. Steam left his breath; the air around him then became simmering, his fury boiling like a kettle about to explode. He raised his head, his eyes screaming, 'Bloody murder!' as they glared at Tanjiro. The boy tightly seized the handle of his nichirin and, like a snake getting ready to launch forward and strike its prey, it menacingly hissed as he drew his blade.

He totally is!

"Y-Y-You..." Zenitsu raised his blade over his head, the sound of electricity beginning to crackle and pop over it. "HEATHEN!!! YOU GET TO GO ON A DATE ALL DAY WITH A KIND, STRONG, AND QUIRKY GIRL WHILE I HAVE TO BUST MY ASS FIGHTING DEMONS!!! DON'T YOU FEEL ASHAMED~?!?! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY REMORSE~?!?!"

"Zenitsu! It's not like that! Don't misunderst—"

"QUIET, YOU CRETIN!!!" Zenitsu pulled his blade's handle back over his shoulder, pointing the tip of his sword in preparation to spear the perverted beast! "I misjudged you, Tanjiro... I thought you were the virtuous kind who wouldn't fall for such temptations... But now I see you for who you truly are...!"

"You're being overly dramatic, Zenitsu! Calm down! I told you it wasn't like that! Me and Penny are just friends!"

"DON'T LIE TO ME ANY FURTHER YOU BEAST! I'll put you down not only for your sake, but for mine! You must ATONE! ATONE FOR YOUR SIII~NS! ATONE WITH YOUR LIFE! GO AND DROP DEAD A SECOND TIIIIIME~!!!"

Penny turned to the boy in danger, making sure to keep an eye on the seething boy that was ready to pounce. "Do you require assistance, Tanjiro?"

Tanjiro nodded sheepishly, embarrassed over the display his friend was making. "I-I'm sorry about this. He only gets like this when he's really riled up."

"AND TO FLIRT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!! AM I THAT MUCH OF A JOKE TO YOU?!?! YOUR SINS KNOW NO BOUNDS!!! I DEMAND JUSTICE!!! I DEMAND ORDER!!! YOU'LL RUE THE DAY YOU MADE FUN OF MEEEE~!!! I'LL—MAKE—YOU—"

Zenitsu lunged forward in a mad dash, his thirst for blood overwhelming the entire stage as he sought to run his blade through the sinner's heart!

"PAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!

*bonk*

Zenitsu fell over right before his blade could reach Tanjiro, with an accompanying bruise on the back of his head. Hovering over him was a floating sword, seemingly attached to nothing.

Tanjiro stared down at Zenitsu's unconscious body in utter disbelief, then at Penny, who had her hand held up toward the sword.

At Tanjiro's stare, Penny simply stated, "I'm always Combat Ready!"

The boy didn't know how else to respond to that but managed with a, "T-Thank you..."

He looked back at the clock, noticing the time and the now-present movement of the hands. All the time they had to gossip about the rumor was up, having been spent all on calming Zenitsu.

"Looks like we're out of time," said Penny, being the first one to mention it.

"Yeah..." Tanjiro agreed as disappointment filled his tone. "We'll have to save the rumor for next time."

"Yep! 'Till next time!" Penny smiled carefree as she waved goodbye.

Tanjiro bowed down in apology. "Forgive us! Until next time!"

And with that, the curtains of the stage shifted back and closed as the lights of the amphitheater shut off, returning to total darkness.