The Dancing Star
Chapter 1
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.
Tanjirou's POV
When Tanjirou was four years old, he was told about the fate of his ancestors. Considering everything that occurred, a young Tanjirou was shocked by what he learned.
On the surface, Tanjirou would have thought that his family were simple charcoal burners, who would then trade it around to profit. That was what Tanjirou assumed, considering that was what his ancestors and further did. It was logical. Albeit a bit weird that his ancestors never once tried to blend in within the larger village down the mountain.
What also intrigued Tanjirou instead, was that this house was given to them by a friend.
"Our ancestors are the result of two friends' children eventually getting together. However, how everything happened was very interesting. It originally belonged to my ancestors from my maternal side, but they eventually were given it as a present." Tanjurou, Tanjirou's father explained.
"Oh wow, that's amazing!" A young, excited Tanjirou was having the time listening to the story, considering it was something he liked hearing.
"Indeed, for the two friends unfortunately suffered a tragedy when they were young. Both of their wives died respectively, causing them to raise their respective children on their own." Tanjurou continued, and almost immediately, Tanjirou got teary-eyed because of this.
"T-That's terrible? How did both of their wives die?" Tanjirou asked.
"They died because of demons. Both suffered through a demon attack. While both were out, some other demons got in and killed their wives, thankfully, they managed to save their respective children. Eventually, both were able to raise their children, a 1-year-old girl, and a 3-year-old boy. Both were not blood-related, but became married, taking over the house as a result." Tanjurou explained.
"Wow, that's amazing… But what are demons?" Tanjirou asked his father.
At this, Tanjurou remained silent for a bit, before he decided to speak. "Demons… They are creatures that eat humans. In nature, almost every species has something to worry about. A creature that eats them. For us humans, they are demons." Tanjurou explained.
"But then how do we survive?" Tanjirou asked. "Wouldn't demons have eaten all of us by then if we couldn't defend ourselves?"
Tanjurou chuckled, "That is a good point, my son… However, we do have our defenses against them. For one, demons don't like certain flowers, as they are poisonous to them. Even the smell of these flowers can cause them great discomfort. The other is the fact that demons cannot remain outside during the day, for they burn up in the sunlight."
"But what about during the night? How do we survive when we sleep?" Tanjirou asked, clearly wanting to know more.
To Tanjurou, perhaps it was the hidden history of their family, but to see his son being so intrigued by demons made him very nervous, especially considering everything that had happened with him and Kie…
"You see, we can use the flower as incense, so the smell you have sometimes comes from those very flowers, keeping us safe from most demons. In addition, there are many humans out there. Humans, who are skillful enough with the blade to slay demons. They are called demon slayers." Tanjurou told his son.
"Wow, so brave…" Tanjirou looked down.
"Indeed…" Tanjurou smiled sadly. "And perhaps, one day you may become one to save this family…"
When Tanjirou was only five years old, he noticed a large switch in his father's overall aura and personality.
For one, this was the time when Tanjirou was beginning to be taught to burn charcoal. In the meantime, when Tanjirou came back, this was when Tanjirou noted something.
When Tanjirou came back up the mountain, he noticed many wooden swords outside the house, and his father coming around to lay them around. He also noticed how some of his younger siblings were outside, clearly eyeing his father as well.
From the back area, near the house and front door, laid Kie. This was the motherly figure of the Kamado family, considering everyone was eyeing what the father was doing.
However, it seemed that this was something only the parents of the family knew. As for the children, none of them could know exactly what was to come for them. Tanjirou had a strong sense of smell.
Smell sensed that Tanjirou could understand, even being able to smell some emotions. This meant that he could sense the panic and sadness that was coming from his father.
However, Tanjirou couldn't understand what exactly was causing his father to become so worried. From what he could tell, his father was always a calm individual. Always wearing a small smile. Even when he was getting sicker, it was something he held.
Almost like he was never in pain whenever he was sick.
Then, there was the bear incident that Tanjirou and his father witnessed.
A rogue bear out of hibernation was able to kill and eat six people because of being hungry and desperate. Tanjirou eyed his father's movement, as with nothing but a hatchet, in one swipe to the bear's neck, it fell.
In one strike, Tanjirou had witnessed his father kill a bear. How his father had managed to do this was a mystery Tanjirou would have to decipher for the years to come.
Even when he occasionally coughed up blood, he was able to calm himself and be able to do things that even Kie herself couldn't do.
And so, as Tanjirou and his siblings began to observe his father, it was here did Tanjurou eyed his children.
"Ah, so you all are here, that's perfect." Tanjurou smiled.
"Um, Father, what are we doing?" Takeo asked, clearly being the most curious of the bunch. Tanjirou too was also curious, but considering he was only eyeing and trying to decipher it from the smell, that was all he had to do.
Tanjurou gave them a sigh before he revealed, "Starting today, you all will be taught how to swing a sword."
"Huh? Why?" Shigeru asked.
Tanjirou looked very confused, but he let his father explain.
"There will be a time when you all are in trouble and will be needed to fight. As a result, you will pick up a sword, and become strong sword handlers." Tanjurou explained. Behind all of that, Tanjirou could only again smell a sense of fear coming from his father.
This was a mystery for Tanjirou. Why was his father afraid, and what was causing him to do this?
At this, Tanjirou raised his voice, "Is this something to do with that, demon slayer you told me about?"
Almost immediately, many of his siblings began to freak out about demons, as many thought they were mystic beings.
Only Tanjirou and his parents knew very well they were real creatures, and for Tanjirou, it was only because of what his father had told him back when he was a year younger. Therefore, he too was only going off the sayings of his father, which aligned with his grandmother.
Tanjurou managed to calm his children down after a bit, considering Tanjirou's unintentional revelation that caused them to freak out in the first place.
"I can assure you both that the concept of demons is a hoax, in the meantime, think of it as a way to bond with each other," Tanjurou concluded the introduction before he went into the next phase for his children.
Regardless, Tanjurou began to teach their siblings the basics. He had hoped the eldest of the bunch would be able to, however, to Tanjurou's shock, they would be the ones who would cause the most problems for him.
"Alright, once you picked up the sword, and hold it like this-"
And that was the daily occurrence of Tanjirou's life. He would usually go, either with or without his father, trading charcoal.
Once that was done, Tanjirou was expected to make it home, where he would have to be learning and progress on his sword techniques. He would have less time than the rest of his siblings since he was capable to hold his father sell coal.
For now, Tanjurou made sure they were purely focusing on their respective stance and forms. It would take around two years usually, for a teenager or kid to be able to completely learn a breathing style.
Though, Tanjurou wouldn't blame any of his children if they would take some time, or even longer considering they were younger and only kids. Even Tanjirou, the eldest, was five and a half years old.
That's the smell Tanjirou could smell from his father. The emotion from his father as he would teach his children a sword technique, was a mix of regret and sadness.
Almost like he was being forced to do this. Almost like his father did not want to teach his children this.
In the meantime, Tanjirou decided it would be best if he just allowed himself to follow it. Who knows, it could be useful in the future, Tanjirou wasn't sure.
Throughout the entire ordeal, that was the daily life of Tanjirou. It, for the most part, remained the same, besides the extra activity he and the rest of his siblings had to perform.
That was until they began to try actual forms.
Tanjirou wasn't sure what this was, but he could see the water coming out of Nezuko's blade, as she was the first one to be able to perform a breathing technique.
It was unpolished and rough, but the element was there, showing what her affinity was. This was the first sibling of the bunch to be able to perform a form that showed something out of their sword.
At this time, Tanjirou and the rest of their siblings began to try and learn their respective affinity and forms, out of fear, for their father was now willing to bring any form of punishment into the picture.
Their father began to change somewhat rapidly at this time, as he was now seemingly possessive of wanting his children to learn their affinity.
And that even included physical punishment.
Whilst that was something Tanjirou was familiar with beforehand, the physical abuse he and his siblings would endure after this, was horrendous, immediately.
It was when Tanjirou was still five years old, but they were nine months into their training, and their father was giving them a more forceful tone regarding progressing.
While his father was originally fine with it taking more than two years, he quickly changed, and was now demanding it quicker.
Unfortunately, Tanjirou was unable to get his affinity unknown, considering both Nezuko and Takeo were able to perform and get their affinity known.
Tanjurou was getting upset that he was unable to perform anything, not being able to get his affinity well known.
Well, that isn't if you count something else.
For, sometimes whilst the siblings were living their lives, and were self-teaching themselves the art of swordplay, Tanjirou was being sent off, for something else.
Tanjirou was not sure why his father did this, but he was occasionally kicked out of the house forcefully. This occurred occasionally, during a week, at least twice. According to Tanjirou, and from his experience, it was whenever his father got sick of his lack of progress.
To make matters worse, Tanjirou had been performing worse in selling coal due to his exhaustion and fatigue.
"You worthless being," Tanjurou told his eldest son around the summer, six months into the start of their training.
That was the first time Tanjirou was ever kicked out of the house… But the most infamous time, was when it was nearing New Year's Eve.
However, his father demanded Tanjirou do something while he was down in the village.
"The least you can do is follow this book, and dance for the townspeople in the church." Tanjurou's words caught onto Tanjirou as he was determined to do such a thing, to make his father proud.
Tanjirou quickly got up, shivering as a blizzard was going on. He was unable to properly insulate himself from the cold and harsh environment, forcing himself to run down the mountain to find warmth.
He was thankful that there was someone who was able to help him and lived closely.
Saburo.
Interestingly, he was also someone who knew a lot about demons. His entire family was killed by one, and he's been living a sad, lonely life ever since.
"But if your family was killed, why don't you fight demons for revenge?" Tanjirou asked.
Saburo looked on, "Because my family would want me to live… I don't think they would want me living a reckless life for their meaning."
Tanjirou remained silent, as he was thinking about what he would do in this situation.
"I see… I don't know what I would do if that happened to me…" Tanjirou sighed.
"Why exactly were you running down the mountain in the middle of a blizzard, Tanjirou?" Saburo asked. "You've recently been coming over to my house intending to stay the night usually. Is everything alright at home?"
Tanjirou sighed, "Father wanted me to go to the priesthood, giving me this book." He couldn't tell Saburo the true reason, for he was threatened by his parents with serious consequences if he revealed what he was going through.
While Tanjirou was a terrible liar, the circumstances and fear his parents brought into the mix were enough for Tanjirou to develop a proper poker face for lying when he needed to. However, this was only under that condition, otherwise, he would still struggle.
Therefore, he remained quiet. Only acting like his family life was normal.
When that was far from the case.
He saw his siblings progressing in sword fighting, all the while he was failing. Even if it was the smallest of elements, it was enough to determine the affinity of their siblings, at least, only Takeo and Nezuko,
Tanjirou however, was unable to.
The result was that he would be subject to the abuse his father would give. To make matters worse, he would also target some of the younger ones, especially Takeo and Shigeru.
"I told you all this, but I want my family to progress together, and since you have yet to show progression, you all will be punished," Tanjirou remembers the betrayed looks Takeo and Hanako gave him, as he could only feel the sense of guilt running through his veins.
Adrenaline and guilt were exactly what he was feeling.
"Please Father, let them go… Just punish me if I'm the reason solely…" Tanjirou begged his father.
He was immediately met with a slap to his cheek, and the noise shocked him.
"Idiot… Don't grovel on the floor like that. And never beg for forgiveness. If you failed at something, get up and try until you succeed!" Tanjurou yelled at his eldest son with such ferocity it caused many of the younger siblings to run into the house, except for Nezuko.
"You are just wasting your time by crying and living over your failures! Let those failures consume you and keep trying until you get the progress!" Tanjurou added before he forced Tanjirou up to his feet.
"Try again, alone. If I don't see anything by nighttime, you better hope Kie will be merciful towards you." Was all his father stated, as he went inside.
Once that was done, Takeo and Hanako finally came out from their hiding spots, eyeing Tanjirou. They were bruised a bit by their mother, however, it was nothing severe.
This caused them to give a bit of glare to Tanjirou, as they were blaming the eldest brother for the reason why they got hurt.
But whenever his father was laying a beatdown on Tanjirou, he could always smell an intense amount of regret, pain, and sadness. It was the same for their mother.
But why?
Why was his father being hurt for hurting his children? Well actually, if this was the case, why was he sad about it when he didn't need to do this?
It was almost like they were being forced to commit such acts, but why?
Tanjirou was beyond confused, and even with his younger siblings giving some form of animosity towards Tanjirou, he at least had Nezuko being nice to him.
Nezuko never once blamed him for it, but it never helped Tanjirou, as he began to develop a sense of worthlessness.
"It's alright brother, I'm sure you will be able to do it eventually." Nezuko smiled at her elder brother before she went inside. "I'll try and smuggle some food for you if you don't get enough."
Tanjirou thanked his little sister before he continued onwards.
Tanjirou sighed once he thought about it,
"There's some time before New Year, I suggest you get warm before you go back out in the blizzard." Saburo gave Tanjirou his advice.
Tanjirou nodded, realizing where he was, before he picked up the book, and began to read from it. It was the same book he was familiar with. The same book his father would give him whenever he kicked him out.
By the looks of it, Tanjirou could tell that the book was something from his ancestors. It was rather old, and it was the first volume of something it was later called, the Hinokami Kagura.
"So, this what Father wanted me to do for the town… Is this also what our ancestors used to do? If that's the case, then why does the father have to kick me out to do this?" Tanjirou asked himself as he began to read it.
"If I remembered correctly, the dance requires one to breathe in sync in such a way the body will be able to maintain the dance for as long as they wish." Tanjirou reminded himself, feeling a bit unsure if he could do it.
This was something he knew about too. He saw his father himself dance the Hinokami Kagura.
But to think Tanjirou was going to do it in front of a crowd was something he was unsure about. Perhaps it was stage fright, or the fact he was going to commit it, Tanjirou was unsure why he was so nervous.
He had practiced before when he was down in the village.
He only had a couple of days before New Year's Eve to be able to do it now, but thankfully had quite the time to practice. He had around half a year, as he remembered the first time, he tried it.
The first time Tanjirou tried the dance, he immediately collapsed, breathing in air desperately, as his body was incapable of adapting, for now.
However, Tanjirou didn't give up. Rather, he continued, and eventually, made the progress he was at now.
Perhaps it was his father's words catching up to him, "You are just wasting your time by crying and living over your failures! Let those failures consume you and keep trying until you get the progress!" That stuck with Tanjirou, and even when he collapsed and felt like burning across his skin, he got right back up and continued to dance.
The failures of his actions before, with sword swinging and breathing forms, began to beat down on Tanjirou, and suddenly he felt determined. Maybe it was to make his father proud or to help his slowly developing insecurities, but Tanjirou felt obligated and wanted to dance.
And so, whilst Saburo went to go for a smoke, Tanjirou went out, sneaking towards the village. The one good thing about the village Tanjirou was in was that since he was known for selling coal and helping the villagers, he would at least be able to get some solitude regarding the dance.
He needed to be able to do this if he wanted to prove himself.
And so, once he found someone who knew Tanjirou as the charcoal seller who also did some deeds for the villagers, he got the materials and continued to properly begin to practice the dance.
Almost immediately, Tanjirou could feel the strain on his lungs and chest as he was trying to dance.
But after telling himself about the breathing he needed to do, he had to perform it, to perhaps get his chest and lungs to adapt.
All in all, he had six months to master it, and with the book, he was trying to at least get the stamina properly.
He deciphered that if he could manage to at least do it for a couple of hours, then his body could adapt to it too as much as he could. Even if his body shut down afterward, he felt that he could do it.
For the days, he was practicing the Hinokami Kagura, only using the words of the book, and the vision of his father dancing. With the actual event coming closer, he wanted to make sure his body could do it. The words of his father continued to cloud his mind, as he was desperate to do something he could be praised for.
Recently, this was never the case, instead, his father just looked at him with a mix of disappointment and sadness. It was all Tanjirou knew now. Whenever he was looked at, a mix of sadness and disappointment.
He sighed as he stared off into the basement, he was in. Ultimately, when the time came, and Tanjirou had to perform the Hinokami Kagura, he was able to do it.
And then the time came. He saw the large swats of people in the place of worship, clearly wishing for a prosperous and safe year for their families and friends respectively. Tanjirou had approached the priest, who recognized him and smiled at him, motioning to go forward and to dance for the Sun God, Hinokami.
And so, Tanjirou danced into the night, whilst some people were intrigued enough to leave tips or to watch for a while. Some people left early and came back a couple of hours later before sunrise to praise Tanjirou when he eventually ended.
Albeit not perfectly. There were three instances throughout the dance when Tanjirou's breathing faltered causing his chest to pain, however, he quickly calmed himself, steeled through, and managed to complete it.
With a small smile, and applause by many of the villagers, he felt himself smile. He felt content, as he was being shown a sense of pride and accomplishment. He felt something other than disappointment and sadness.
But most of all, Tanjirou didn't feel useless. He felt like he had accomplished something big.
For the first time in a while, he was being complimented by people. For the first time in a while, he felt empowered. Even as his body and muscles were strained beyond what he thought was possible, even as Tanjirou clutched his chest trying to get some needed oxygen to rest his lungs, Tanjirou felt at ease.
He had made quite a large amount of money, through tips, and could send home for his family. There was no doubt in Tanjirou's mind that he could be praised by them, rather than being stared at with fear by the younger siblings, and disappointment and sadness from his parents.
He had done something within 6 months of learning, especially something as difficult as the Hinokami Kagura. From what his father told him, it took him years to do it, and Tanjirou was able to do it by just reading from an ancestral book, and the vision of his father doing it.
"Not only did I do something properly, but I did it quicker and better than my father…" Tanjirou, for the first time in a while, smiled at himself, as his eyes, having just a red and black hue to them, revealed the small white pupil, showing a bit of joy he was feeling.
Tanjirou felt content, as he was walking up the mountain, to see his family.
To his shock, his father gave him a small smile, clearly knowing that Tanjirou had completed the Hinokami Kagura. He could see the tips Tanjirou was bringing up.
Tanjirou could smell the surprise, shock, and contentment coming from his father's face. However, those emotions all held a bit of sadness in him.
Why was his father always smelling of sadness?
"What did I do to be shown sadness again, Father? Did I disappoint you again?" Tanjirou asked himself.
Tanjirou was not sure why.
For the time being, he was for once allowed to rest, as his body was now going to need to recover from the days of dancing nonstop.
When Tanjurou went down into the town, they praised his eldest son for being able to dance so well.
"That kid was able to dance almost nonstop until sunrise, you must have taught that kid well how to dance!" One of the villagers explained, as they merely went on with their lives. All Tanjurou could do was express shock at what appeared to be Tanjirou's success in the Hinokami Kagura.
"My son was able to dance until sunrise. There is no doubt that he would have been able to do it perfectly, but the fact he continued until sunrise… Could he be a foreshadowing of what his affinity possibly could be? Is he the one that man is looking for? No…" Tanjurou shook his head, probably to hide his angst at the sudden realization.
"My eldest son will now be a target, just as I feared this entire time…" Tanjurou thought to himself in fear as he was trying his best to smile at the rest of the villagers.
For the time being, while Tanjirou was resting, and managing to pick up his wooden sword and swing, trying to activate his vision to see his affinity.
Unfortunately, he was unable to see it perfectly.
However, when his father came back, Tanjirou tensed. Considering the last time he saw him, he was being kicked out of his house, he was incredibly tense. He held the book about the Hinokami Kagura right in his hand, as it was now acting as a crutch to hide his building stress and anxiety.
However, to Tanjirou's shock, his father complimented him.
"You did well with the dance. You probably are better than me at it." Tanjurou smiled at his eldest son before he went into the house. Once again, Tanjirou smelt a bit of sadness, and panic in his father's tone, but also a bit of pride…
That was perhaps the first time in a while that was Tanjirou able to smell some form of happiness and contentment coming from his father.
Tanjirou was shocked. His father had not even mentioned his lack of progress in the art of the sword again but instead focused on his apparent achievement with the Hinokami Kagura.
At this, Tanjirou eyed the book, as he was beginning to feel a connection to the Hinokami Kagura. Perhaps this book could be something Tanjirou could use to gain back the trust and empathy his father had.
Unfortunately for Tanjirou, that would become more of a clutch for him, considering the years that developed for him.
The years following became some of the toughest parts of life for Tanjirou.
For multiple reasons.
For one, despite Nezuko and Takeo being able to show their affinities, there wasn't much progress made overall.
Tanjurou did not know any of the breathing forms, and thus could only have them practice until they could show their affinity. The result was that now Hanako was able to show his affinity.
Nezuko had Water breathing affinity. Takeo had Flame Breathing affinity, and now, Hanako had a breathing technique that seemed to show crescents. Regardless, he couldn't put his finger on it...
The only sibling unable to get their affinity it seemed, was Tanjirou. And that made him even more hated, especially since the rest of the siblings would get some form of punishment, severely because of Tanjirou's failure to progress.
Despite this, Tanjirou was willing to take the abuse and beatings on his own, as he felt that his siblings were not needed nor deserving of punishment.
"Father, please, just punish me for this… Nezuko, Takeo, Shigeru, and Hanako don't deserve punishment for my inability…" Tanjirou mumbled, clearly begging, and standing protectively in between his younger siblings, and his father.
Even when trying to be threatening, Tanjirou could smell that same scent on his father: regret. Even as Tanjurou eyed his children, giving them a warning or, when not so luckily, a beating, before turning to his own eldest son, once again regretting what he was about to do.
Even when he felt his body sting, he could smell the pain his father was suffering mentally. And even when he felt his body being burnt by the charcoal he would send down, he could sense hesitation from his father.
But Tanjirou never learned why.
He was failing to progress in his breathing and sword techniques, whilst his siblings were able to. Now, he was being burnt by the very charcoal he would sell. He looked at his body and could see the now developing burn scars that spread across his body and torso. Like the one on his forehead, except that one was a birthmark, that he had when he was born.
This resulted in Tanjirou never really being looked at by his father. He was once the eldest, the strongest, and most respected.
Now, his father preferred every other sibling, other than him.
Tanjirou would stay up, and hear his father seemingly talk to an unknown figure. While he originally thought it was his mother, he eventually realized that whoever this individual was, he smelt incredibly foul.
And full of strength. There was no doubt in Tanjirou's mind, that this individual he couldn't detect other than by smell, could easily massacre his entire family if he wanted to. And the threat he placed on his father was clear.
For the time being, Tanjirou was told by his father never to go out of the room whenever it was nighttime. While Tanjirou was assuming his father was becoming paranoid of demons coming to slay their family, he was not sure.
"The boy is useless, I assure you. All he can do is trade charcoal and dance." The voice of his father was something Tanjirou could hear very well, as it was something he was familiar with it.
"I see… I hate that kid…" That was a completely different voice. It was the voice of what sounded like a monster to Tanjirou. The voice caused Tanjirou to almost puke, and his heart to stop, from the sheer trauma and shock he was undergoing right now.
"And why do you hate him the most?" Tanjirou's father asked.
"He's the spitting image of your ancestor. Even that mark on his forehead, infuriates me." The monster explained, and Tanjirou could smell an everlasting sense of hated spewing from that man talking to his father.
Tanjirou began to feel a bit hurt by everything that was being told. He was the only one who had a birthmark on his forehead, and he was learning that he was being discriminated against because of it.
"A-Am I that hated… Useless…?" Tanjirou asked himself. "Was I just told to be the most hated in the family?" Tanjirou continued to ponder, as he unintentionally clutched the book in his hands, the one talking about the dance of the Hinokami Kagura.
"What did my ancestor ever do for you to garnish that response?" Tanjurou asked, and Tanjirou could smell some fear coming from his father.
"It's simple he almost killed me. And he's infuriated me ever since. It's nothing personal, rather just the blood you carry throughout your body that I cannot let stand, especially if it is a threat towards me."
Tanjirou listened to everything carefully.
"Well as much as I think, I highly doubt he is unable to even pose a threat. The kid couldn't even use the proper breathing technique that you talked out. My other three younger children have been able to show their affinity, but how worthless and useless my eldest one is, there's no point in finding a use for him."
"He has no value." The voice and sentence of Tanjirou's father saying that, and the fact Tanjirou was hearing this would undoubtedly cause irreparable, irreversible damage to Tanjirou's mind and his thoughts.
"I-I'm a failure… But what do I fail at? Just because I can't properly do a breathing technique?!" Tanjirou asked himself, clearly in disbelief.
"Well, no wonder. How ironic that his descendants became as puny and worthless as that kid. I bet if he was able to see him, he would laugh at how weak he was." The mysterious man chuckled as Tanjirou felt his father remain silent.
"As much as I do enjoy hating your son, I must know of his affinity regardless. I want one of your children to show an affinity for the same breathing technique your ancestors had." The man explained.
Tanjirou no longer heard anything after that, and he quickly ran back to bed, pretending to sleep as he was clutching the book about the Hinokami Kagura in his hands.
As he thought about everything that his father was telling that stranger about Tanjirou, he felt hurt.
More than the times he's been kicked out of the house. More than the times he's been struck by his father. More times than the times he's been stomped down while he was on the ground.
Every time he bled, it hurt, but it was still less than what he was hearing.
Even as he felt his skin being burnt by heated charcoal, it hurt less than the words that came out of his father's mouth.
Now, Tanjirou was told he was useless, worthless, and of no value.
What exactly could this mean?
Was the way Tanjirou acted and behaved what made him worthless? The lack of progress in his sword?
Perhaps Tanjirou had to try harder and commit more to finding his affinity. He was already trying as hard as he could, but in the end, he was a failure...
"At least in Father's eyes…" Tanjirou sighed as he tried to fall asleep…
Everything he did was futile.
His father would still punish him and his siblings, and in turn, most of his siblings would stay away from him.
Not because they hate him, but because they now associate Tanjirou with pain and suffering. They merely stayed away from Tanjirou to avoid punishment from their father. Even their mother got involved, preventing Tanjirou from eating or forcing him to do some house chores to get food.
Tanjirou used to be the caretaker of the siblings, as he felt he still was, at least under his father's guidance. He sold coal, came back, swung a sword, and would be lucky if he went a day without being hurt mentally or physically, by either his parents or siblings.
Whenever he wanted to talk to his siblings, they would stay their distance from him, associating Tanjirou with pain and suffering at the hands of their parents.
This hurt Tanjirou, as he felt alone. Coupled with the beatings and mental slanders, Tanjirou took a hit on every front. He only had the book about the Hinokami Kagura to help him.
Whatever form of comfort Tanjurou and Kie gave to their children, was now gone.
They know were the cause of fear within the house, and Tanjirou was a source of beatings and punishment.
As Tanjirou continued to fail to unlock his affinity, he was still being taught by his father. His father had each of them breathe slightly differently, due to their differing affinities. And for Tanjirou, he could have a sense that his father knew.
He was very tempted to ask his father what affinity he could have, but his fear of his father eventually caused him to stay back.
However, considering everything, he wanted to get better.
He wanted to unlock his affinity, and he hoped that he could.
And so, he eyed how Nezuko and the others breathed.
But there was one thing that caught Tanjirou off guard.
"Nezuko?" Tanjirou asked.
"Yes, brother?" Nezuko responded, clearly content with seeing her elder brother.
"Can you… Ask Hanako and Takeo how they are breathing?" Tanjirou asked.
"And why is that?"
Tanjirou sighed, "I want to see and maybe mimic to find my affinity… I feel like the breathing father is telling me is wrong… And to also prove a nagging suspicion of mine I'm suspecting."
"Why can't you ask them yourselves?" Nezuko asked.
"You know why…" Tanjirou mumbled as he eyed Takeo, Hanako, and Shigeru from afar, and almost immediately, they went to the other side of the house.
"Takeo!" Tanjirou yelled, clearly wanting to get his attention.
However, to his shock, Takeo raised his wooden sword towards Tanjirou, which caused the elder brother to remain still, in shock.
"Takeo… Hanako… Shigeru… Why?" Tanjirou asked in shock.
"Please… Stay away from us…" Tanjirou's eyes widened in shock at what Hanako was saying.
"But why?" Tanjirou asked.
"Every time we're around you, we always get hurt by Father…" Shigeru explained, clearly looking down.
It seemed that was enough to cause Tanjirou to freeze up, which gave the three younger siblings to get away.
That was perhaps the first time in a long time, did Tanjirou cry from a sense of loss.
He had lost his three younger siblings. Only Nezuko was around him now, and that was probably because she was nice enough.
Tanjirou sighed, as he sat down on the ground, trying to decipher everything.
The only thing he could do, when he was feeling this down, was to think of the Hinokami Kagura dance.
He clutched the book he had saved for himself, clearly not wanting to let go. The Hinokami Kagura was the only thing that gave him some form of empowerment.
It was the only thing he felt useful for, considering it was the last thing he was once praised for.
But then again, there was a traumatizing event regarding the Hinokami Kagura that Tanjirou couldn't forget.
And it was the time his father beat him senselessly.
It was so bad that even the rest of the family was shocked at the injuries Tanjirou sustained. Even his father was shocked at how badly he had hurt his son.
Tanjirou could smell a sense of panic and fear as he was being beaten by his father.
Tanjirou was bedridden for a week after that incident.
However, despite this, Tanjirou learned his lesson.
He was only to perform the Hinokami Kagura down in the village.
And that was what Tanjirou did.
Whenever Tanjirou was feeling down, or useless, he would go down to the village, and perform the Hinokami Kagura.
Sometimes, he'd go back down to the area of worship and dance, for those were the only two things he was ever praised for doing right.
The other was coal burning. Either that or the other was all he could do.
It was what his father told him, and the overall environment he lived in, he felt hopeless.
Every day, he would feel himself becoming more useless, more isolated, and more hated.
His father seemingly hated him for not being able to perform a proper breathing technique.
His younger siblings stayed away from Tanjirou out of fear of getting hurt by his father and mother.
Kie was mostly merciful, but even then she too was abusive. Both of his parents were.
Not to mention the burn scars he accumulated across his body, the trauma of it, and being kicked out of the house.
All the while he was trying. All through this, he was mentally told he was useless and worthless.
Unable to do anything. Unable to perform to expectations.
His life was an expectation, and he failed at everything.
That was why Hinokami Kagura became such an integral part of Tanjirou. It acted as a silver lining, a saving grace for Tanjirou, as it was something he needed if he wanted to retain his mental health.
Regarding that, the only person in the family he could reside with was his sister, Nezuko.
Because Nezuko was the one who was making the most progress, she was now able to be overlooked by the family, since she was capping their expectations. They found her affinity, and that was all they needed.
Nezuko had to do the rest, performing breathing styles.
All in all, Tanjirou was among the least skilled, just because he was unable to learn his affinity.
But despite this, Tanjirou felt that his father knew it all along.
As Tanjirou held the book in his hands, his face was being wiped by Nezuko, who was not being able to hold it in sight without breaking.
She tore a bit at Tanjirou, and while he too wanted to cry, he couldn't as the eldest brother.
A couple of years later, Tanjurou died.
Tanjirou was the one to find his dead body, on his bed. He had coughed out quite a lot of blood until his body couldn't handle it.
Tanjirou smelt death emitting from his father's body, and through it all, he didn't cry.
He wasn't sure why he didn't cry when his father died. Perhaps it was because of what he had gone through under his father, or just because he was told not to cry.
He wasn't entirely certain.
When Tanjurou passed, Tanjirou began to work full-time as a coal burner, while trying to swing a blade.
With Tanjurou out of the picture, Tanjirou's mother, Kie came into the scene to take control of the wooden swords.
Unfortunately, she wasn't as skilled at Tanjurou when it came to teaching her kids something she didn't know. At least his father was able to know breathing and sword styles.
This was not the case for Kie. She wasn't aware of the dance nor the ancestry of her husband. She couldn't teach her kids as well.
And it showed, for she too began to punish her children.
Once again, Tanjirou found himself having to endure the beatings, all the while smelling the same emotions.
It was almost as if his father had taken over the body of his mother.
And Tanjirou was conflicted.
Whenever he found himself down in the village recently, he was at least able to dance a bit with the help of solitude from some of the villagers.
It was a kind gesture that Tanjirou found, even if he deserved it for his contributions to the village.
Many had heard of his father's death and sent him their condolences, however, Tanjirou once again deflected his mind from it.
He didn't want to remember it and thus retained his mind to just selling coal and the dance.
Those were the only things that were keeping Tanjirou sane. It was what kept him going.
Tanjirou knew that if he couldn't properly be able to do anything correctly, then he would have gone down a darker path.
The brightness and the empowerment of the flames of both coal burning and the Hinokami Kagura provided Tanjirou with a light outward of the dark path he could have taken.
As Tanjirou continued to reflect on everything, he felt his mind and heart shatter from confusion.
"Why…" Tanjirou thought. "How come my father always showed a sense of remorse, regret, and fear whenever he did that to me… Why couldn't he at least be ruthless, and his intentions would have been clearer…"
Tanjirou lowered his head as he found himself in a clearing. It was after he had finished selling coal for the day, and he made his way back up.
He could feel the air become colder and less apparent, but centuries of living up and high into the mountains allowed for the Kamado gene to have strong lungs, clear by their breathing style.
Tanjirou was no different. Whereas many people would struggle to even jog or hike up the mountain, it was something Tanjirou did every day.
The job Tanjirou did was incredibly difficult, and something nobody else could do.
But this did not go to Tanjirou's head. In Tanjirou's head, he was useless.
It was something he wouldn't forget, for Tanjirou didn't know why he seemingly failed.
He did everything he could.
But in the end, only dancing the Hinokami Kagura was the one thing Tanjirou was praised in mass by. There was no doubt Tanjirou was a good dancer, considering he did it from sunset to sunrise.
However, for everything else, he was considered a failure. His father said so to that mysterious man.
And now, he was suffering from the mental battle of insecurity and weakness. He didn't know what to do.
And so, as Tanjirou got older, he decided he would do something that would change himself.
That was to act as his father. Not to be rude, but to be the father he was meant to be. He remembered how fond his father was before he was five years old. He remembered how tranquil and gentle he was.
A complete switch up from the person he was near the final years of his life. While Tanjirou was hypothesizing on the switch-up was due to potential brain damage, that could have caused it, and aligned with his worsening illness, Tanjirou wasn't sure.
Plus, the illness that killed his father was chronic and affected his breathing and blood, rather than his cognition. Despite this, Tanjirou was willing to think some external factor was what caused his father to change.
And not just his father, but also his mother.
There had to be a reason why they did what they did. Nobody wants to, through internal motives, treat their kids like this. There was always a reason.
Once Tanjirou grew up to his young teens, he was too focused on coal burning. Sure, he picked up a wooden sword from time to time, a couple of days a week, it wasn't how he was before his father died.
Of course, Kie still hammered him whenever he failed to make progress, but compared to the abuse his father put him through, that was nothing.
Tanjirou began to act like his father, or more like a fatherly figure. He was always calm now, always smiling sadly, and just acting calmly.
Kie could tell something changed in her son, and so could Nezuko. Many of Tanjirou's siblings at this time began to approach Tanjirou once again, since Kie was more willing to specifically target Tanjirou for his lack of progress.
The timing of this was coincidental, and Tanjirou thought it was because of how he changed his personality.
But then again, when someone goes through a tough environment, like he and his siblings, wouldn't one's personality change to adapt?
Heck, Tanjirou's siblings did this to adapt and protect themselves from harm, and he did not blame them.
Even when Tanjirou felt like crying, he just gave a sad smile.
This worried Nezuko the most, who while also getting her fair share of punishments, was not as severely broken as Tanjirou was.
She could tell that Tanjirou was struggling with his identity now.
Because Tanjirou was slowly becoming the ideal father he saw and wanted back, he never had the time to process his personality.
He was dictated and ordered to follow instructions throughout his entire life, and when he failed, he was punished. So much so, that he took them to heart. He felt useless still, and even through that, he hid it all through a sad smile.
The least his useless self could do was worry others.
And so, he hid them all through a smile. He was the eldest brother, and now the figure of the house, and so he had to be strong for them.
He had to show them what it was like to be. Who they should strive to be, even if they avoided Tanjirou throughout those times.
When Tanjirou was able to hug his younger siblings for the first time in six years, he was so close to crying, especially since the other siblings did.
But he was told crying was useless, and that there were more meaningful things he could do other than crying.
And so, he held them tightly, focusing on the ease of his mind, slightly.
All the while he hid this all behind his sad smile.
He was calm, showing very little emotion.
That wasn't to say he was emotionless, he was the type to initiate a conversation, but his voice held so much experience for someone so young.
Almost as if he learned that being too loud would have caused trouble. And that was exactly the case.
Not to mention that's how his father and mother would talk.
Tanjiro didn't hate his father or mother. He could smell how conflicted they were with the lifestyle they gave their children. It held such tragedy that Tanjirou knew they wished they could have given their children a better life, one free of fear, and one full of love and compassion.
Alas, this was not the case. They had lived for years in fear of their father, and mother.
Even if Kie was more caring, she was still brutal when the situation garnished it.
Not to mention that she was beginning to talk to the mysterious man.
Now, when Tanjirou went down to the mountain, his siblings would be around, swinging their wooden swords, or helping Kie with the house while Tanjirou sold coal.
It was a difficult life, especially as they were growing up. And even then, it was still difficult, and ran through fear. The only difference was that Kie made it apparent she didn't want to do this, so encouraged her kids to try as hard as they could, and that was all they had to do.
Unfortunately, Tanjirou wasn't as lucky, and he would sometimes find himself still being burnt by the coal, or kicked out of the house with the Hinokami Kagura book.
The very thing he had on him to help him through periods of insecurity.
All the while, he merely got up and walked down to the village, before he would return, having performed the dance, with tips and provide.
Tanjirou didn't like the life he lived, but it was simple, and it kept his family functioning.
And sometimes, that's all that mattered.
Even if Tanjirou suffered… Even if he didn't get to see his siblings grow up for they feared pain and suffering because of his failures… Even if he didn't get to have a fatherly talk with his father, now that he's dead, and had been abusive to him over those years… Even if his mother did the same thing, but openly showed her hesitation and regret for her actions…
Even if he was told he was useless, worthless, and of no value…
Tanjirou remembered it all. But through it all, he had to keep going.
Even if he was useless, that didn't mean his family was. He would be something.
He would be useful so that his family could step out and do more amazing things than he possibly could.
For all Tanjirou knew, he was only good and selling coal, and dancing.
That was it.
And that was what everyone told him. And that was what Tanjirou told himself, considering how he grew up.
He also stopped caring for the prospects of love or close bonds.
After all, he had never been told about the feeling since he continuously lived through fear. He had never known what it was like to be flustered over a girl, since he stayed away, focusing on providing for his family.
All he knew was that his mother was trying to get him to marry a girl in the village, setting up a marriage, however, Tanjirou declined.
He felt afraid.
He felt that the girl would run away from him, for Tanjirou didn't see anything in him that would make a girl stick to him.
If he was useless and worthless at everything other than dancing and coal burning, then he would probably be useless at caring for his supposed wife.
And so, he declined marriage and focused on what he was good at. There were times when he would pick up a wooden sword, and try again, only to fail.
The only time he could see something coming out of his blades was during the Hinokami Kagura, when he was dancing, he would see orange-yellow flames, like that of the sun, spewing out, as a visual.
Perhaps Tanjirou had an affinity for some flame breathing, he wasn't sure, but considering his father was no longer there to confirm, he decided to push it aside.
The more Tanjirou thought about his life and experience, the sadder he got, considering how much he suffered, and how much he endured as a young kid.
He was, for a time, the black sheep of the family, the one who caused pain, and the one who was deemed useless at everything, where his siblings would succeed. The punching bag.
He was everything that represented a failure in the family, all because of his father and mother talking to a mysterious man that they were never able to spot because his parents made sure they couldn't.
That didn't mean that Tanjirou didn't know who it was. His sense of smell enabled him to ensure he would never forget about him.
Tanjirou gritted his teeth, and for the first time in a while, revealed the tired face he had. He was so tired of his life and what he was doing…
He looked through his clothes, at all the burn scars he had from the abuse he suffered for being a failure. No doubt would someone be horrified by it, and no longer want to be around him.
Tanjirou looked down, at the wooden sword. He punched the sword until it shattered in anger that he wanted to let out.
He then spotted the book. There was more than one volume, and Tanjirou eyed the book, as he gently picked it up, before he gripped it.
Remembering the cheers of everyone once he managed to properly perform the Hinokami Kagura dance inside the place of worship, he felt incredibly proud of himself.
The sounds of applause gave Tanjirou a foreign feeling that he wished he could feel more of.
Alas, it was only a couple times he would get it, whenever he was allowed to go down the village and stay there.
As he pondered, he continued to question the guilty smell his father and mother would have whenever he found himself being punished.
He still asked himself why they acted like that if they didn't want to. They didn't have to, but even through their emotions, they did.
Tanjirou didn't know why. But he didn't hate his parents. Sure, they were very hurtful and probably shaped him into the person he is today, but he was told not to cry about it.
He was told to get up and try. To work hard, and to be critical in thinking, so that he could eventually build himself up in the skill department.
He only wished he could see the outcome of his skill as he grew up, but alas, he couldn't. For he was scarred by the thought of always being useless by his father and that man.
It was a losing battle that he was going through. A losing battle he had to accept, but keep fighting.
After all, it was never over, until either he died, or won.
Saburo had once told him, "If you want something you never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done before."
Tanjirou took that to heart, and so, he tried everything he could think of. But that never eased his ever-demoralized mind. His scarred body and mind, through the years of training and abuse…
He didn't know what to do.
But even then, he didn't cry. Just like when his father died, and he was the one to find his lifeless body, he never cried. He had lost the ability to do that, through trials and errors of adaptation.
In the end, Tanjirou merely got up, placing a calm expression on his face, hiding the tired, hopeless look he gave off before he went back to work.
He had to think positively despite everything.
"There are probably people out there who live with no hope…" Tanjirou sighed as he got back up.
"Even if I am a man of no value, I will continue to work to hopefully, one day show my value and contribution to the world."
A.N / I feel like I should put an extra warning for the contents of this story since they contain abuse, harm, and demoralizing thoughts that some people may find disturbing. I didn't necessarily want to create specific scenes in the story that some people could find disturbing. I'd rather keep it subtle but let the reader instead picture what they get from reading this chapter.
Tanjirou is the one to have suffered abuse and punishment, considering he was unable to properly perform a breathing style, or show his affinity, compared to the rest. Tanjurou knew of the affinities towards a certain style, but he was not aware of the actual forms and moves that contributed to breathing styles such as Water Breathing, Thunder Breathing, or Flame Breathing, so all their children ended there, except for Tanjirou. But if you count the Hinokami Kagura dance, then that explains it. The purpose of this chapter is to show Tanjirou's POV of his life before inevitably demon slaying. I will also include a bigger picture chapter next, and maybe a Nezuko POV chapter soon.
You will notice that the book containing contents of the Hinokami Kagura become significant towards Tanjirou, and the dance itself, as the idea here is that because Tanjirou is pasted as a useless child, it means the one thing Tanjirou was praised for, the dance, is something he would hold deep towards. Also, don't think of Tanjurou and Kie as purely terrible parents, for they have their reason, even if what they did is irredeemable. The situation when you look at the bigger picture is complicated, and so everyone will have differing opinions.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Dancing Sun, the rework of Hinokami's Blessing.
Character Profile:
Tanjurou Kamado: Male, 36 years old.
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'10" (177cm)
Weight: 127Ibs
- Cod: Disease impacting his lungs and blood.
Kie Kamado: Female, 34 years old.
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'4" (164cm)
Weight: 112Ibs
Tanjirou Kamado: Male, 13 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'5" (165cm)
Weight: 114Ibs
Nezuko Kamado: Female, 12 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'1" (155cm)
Weight: 102Ibs
Takeo Kamado: Male, 10 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Hanako Kamado: Female, 7 years old
Status: Alive, Human
Shigeru Kamado: Male, 5 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Rokuta Kamado: Male, 2 years old.
Status: Alive, Human
Abilities
Tanjirou Kamado:
Advanced Lungs: Because of the Kamado ancestry of living at a high altitude for centuries, and constant exposure to coal burning, the Kamado family as a whole have developed larger capacity and more resilient lungs. This enables a wide variety of benefits for both withstanding low oxygen places, holding their breaths, and even breathing styles. The Kamado's lungs are resilient to withstand, for the most part, the stress breathing styles given to the lungs of their affinity type. For Tanjirou, his advanced and more resilient lungs give him a more potent sense of smell, as he can take in more air.
Advanced Smell: Tanjirou's sense of smell is more advanced than the average human, and can even rival that of some demons. Because of this, he can smell the differences in environment and even the emotions people are feeling. This is further strengthened by his advanced lungs, as he can take in more air to smell. His sense of smell may also help him with his reaction speed.
Hinokami Kagura: A derivative of Sun Breathing, the Hinokami Kagura is a dance that originated from the Kamado family. Tanjirou has an affinity for the dance, and thus Sun Breathing. The dance over centuries has sustained wasteful steps, which is unknown whether it was intentional or not. Some theorize it is to prevent the Kamados from developing the demon slayer mark, cursing them to a short life, whilst others think is years of error in the dance. Regardless, it is more a dance than a breathing style, despite even following a breathing technique specific for the Hinokami Kagura to become in sync with the individual.
Faded Birthmark: The early stages of a demon slayer mark, like his father, Tanjirou was born with the mark. However while seeming to be the demon slayer mark, it is not activated since Tanjirou at the moment is not a demon slayer. As a result, it is unknown if Tanjirou will suffer the curse of the mark.
Hard Head: Tanjirou Kamado's head is unusually hard, and can break the skulls of humans, and even damage the heads of some demons. At the very least, can temporarily disable and stun demons for a couple of seconds to give them time to recuperate.
Nezuko Kamado:
Advanced Lungs: Because of the Kamado ancestry of living at a high altitude for centuries, and constant exposure to coal burning, the Kamado family as a whole have developed larger capacity and more resilient lungs. This enables a wide variety of benefits for both withstanding low oxygen places, holding their breaths, and even breathing styles. The Kamado's lungs are resilient to withstand, for the most part, the stress breathing styles given to the lungs of their affinity type. For Tanjirou, his advanced and more resilient lungs give him a more potent sense of smell, as he can take in more air.
Infrared Vision: Nezuko has an unusual sense of sight and vision. She can see and observe more wavelengths than that normal humans and demons. This allows her to see both infrared light and UV lights, giving her more ability in seeing demons' trails, and where humans go. She can also use this to predict the weather pattern, and heat regulation of an individual, or even emotion-intel.
Water Breathing: Nezuko has an affinity for Water Breathing, allowing her to perform the early forms of the techniques. At this point, both she and her siblings, except Tanjirou only know the proper handle of a katana and some breathing forms. Because of how disorganized their training was, they still don't know how to properly perform breathing techniques, only able to activate them from time to time.
Rest of the Kamados:
Advanced Lungs: Because of the Kamado ancestry of living at a high altitude for centuries, and constant exposure to coal burning, the Kamado family as a whole have developed larger capacity and more resilient lungs. This enables a wide variety of benefits for both withstanding low oxygen places, holding their breaths, and even breathing styles. The Kamado's lungs are resilient to withstand, for the most part, the stress breathing styles given to the lungs of their affinity type. For Tanjirou, his advanced and more resilient lungs give him a more potent sense of smell, as he can take in more air.
Affinity to Different Breathing Styles.