The Dancing Star
Chapter 2
12ThirtyPain03
WARNING: This story is rated M for mature-rated content. If some acts of violence, blood, or anything easily triggering make you uncomfortable, please leave and do not read. Any change to a character, when introduced, killed, changed into a demon/human, or more will be labeled in the chapter of occurrence. If a character has died in a chapter, that chapter will give a cause of death to that character.
Kamado House (Whilst Kie is pregnant with Tanjirou)
The life of a new family was always an exciting time for any person. The sounds of wedding bells signify a pact between two individuals, or individuals which was brought on by love until death. For many individuals, what followed afterward was pretty well known.
Children.
What usually followed adulthood were children. The passageway for a family, what was next for a couple.
For Tanjurou and Kie, that seemed to have been the case for them, and that should've been the case.
At this point, Tanjurou and Kie had their respective jobs. They were simple coal burners. A simple job, but it worked for their current standings.
Tanjurou himself was a proficient coal burner, and he was making a decent amount of money for them. He would take the trek down the mountain they lived on to the nearest village.
It was a tedious task, but it worked for him. He had been given this household by his ancestors, and his wife, Kie, would live in it.
It was currently, that Kie was unable to do much, for she was pregnant with their first child. The exciting venture for Tanjurou was ultimately one of a typical life, but also one of a new phase in life.
And that was the plan for him.
To live out his life with his family, and his newly found child that was developing itself in his wife's womb.
By all means, his and his wife's lives were meant to be simple.
And perhaps in an alternative universe, that might have been the case.
Otherwise, he could have been smiling, and excited.
He would have been able to go down to the village, to genuinely smile and talk openly to the villagers down the hill.
Alas, it seemed that a simple incident was all it took for Tanjurou's life to flash before his entire life.
Tanjurou was a strong individual. He was mostly healthy.
The only health risk he had was his lungs blackening, due to the constant burning of coal he performed. But other than that, he was healthy.
He was able to perform a dance that was also passed alongside his ancestors quite a while ago. It was a dance he had shown Kie one time when the two were in their teenage years. When Kie saw the movement and dance, Tanjurou knew his close friend at the time, had fallen in love with him.
Tanjurou chuckled internally at the memories. They were rather fond memories, reminiscent of when times were simpler for him. When times were happier.
So, what was the incident that caused their lives to switch drastically?
Well, it was one individual who was all it took to ruin his life.
And not just his life, but his wife, Kie Kamado.
And not just their lives, but also their children to be.
It was whilst Kie was still pregnant with their first child. She was nearing the stage and was about to go into labor within a month or two. The result was that Tanjurou had taken some time off of coal burning to make sure he would be there once the child was born. To make sure he was there for the exciting, first-time experience of witnessing a birth.
Alas, before the child was even born, that man came.
Kibutsuji Muzan. The progenitor of demons. It was something Tanjurou didn't know of. While he knew about the prospects of demons, his ancestors had managed to keep the house protected from demons for centuries.
Until now...
Kibutsuji Muzan.
The very individual who forced a massive change in the family dynamic.
The very individual who was a demon king. Tanjurou didn't even know that the king of demons was in front of his very own eyes.
Tanjurou himself had heard of demons before and for the right reason. He knew too well of the fates many families faced when they encountered a demon.
Death.
Almost immediately, he picked up a hatchet. However, he knew it was hopeless.
He had fought bears with their very hatchet, being able to kill it swiftly, but this was nothing like a bear.
He was proficient in the Hinokami Kagura, a dance he committed to. The result was that he was able to see through this individual.
What he found immediately confirmed his worst fears.
"Seven hearts, and five brains? That's not good… I don't have a nirchirin blade, so it's ultimately futile to try and defend myself and my wife… But I must try." Tanjurou quickly assumed, a stance.
The figure in question was ironically not that much taller than Tanjurou, but that alone did not show the sheer difference in strength and power the two displayed. The demon male, the plum-eyed individual was radiating far more strength than Tanjurou, and he knew it.
Despite the progenitor's pale skin, the aura of strength was over tenfold more than that of Tanjurou, who was already above average in overall fighting.
Within a matter of two minutes, Tanjurou had fallen, and Muzan was chuckling, without any injury, looking in disgust at Tanjurou, who could only grunt as he felt some blood coming out of his wounds. He was thankful that none of them were fatal.
Tanjurou coughed out blood as he felt his torso bombarded with slashes. They weren't fatal, but he knew that the demon king was playing with him.
"W-What do you want... You came here for something..."
"Heh, and what makes you think that?" Muzan asked, grinning down at the fallen human.
"You would have killed me on the spot." That was all Tanjurou explained. He may have been weak, but he was more perceptive than the average, or even athletic humans.
He was lucky enough to not suffer any major injuries, but he knew he was at the mercy of the demon king.
"Such a sad state, huh, Kamado?" Muzan sneered as he had one of his tentacles caressed Tanjurou's cheek. This was a testament to how easy it would be for him to quickly end Tanjurou's life right here.
"Your descendants, the legendary slayer who was so close to killing me, the very person I sought to destroy, have fallen so far to this." Muzan chuckled as he felt confident.
"What in the world did I ever worry about?"
Tanjurou gritted his teeth, but he had to hold it in. Perhaps whilst Muzan was talking, Kie could try and escape.
But the baby inside of her was preventing this from happening. It was simply too strenuous for her, and Tanjurou sighed.
They both were at the mercy of Muzan.
"Oh, how beautiful. You're expecting a child, huh?" Muzan purred as he made his way toward Kie, one of his barbed wires edging closer to her stomach.
Kie was simply frozen in her tracks, not being able to move.
"That baby will have the blood of those monsters, perhaps I can at least kill this baby and the father, but let you live, lady?" Muzan offered Kie, who merely gave Muzan an angered expression.
Muzan chuckled before he got an idea. "You know, to think your ancestors have fallen this weak. What was I worrying about? How about this…" He smirked.
Tanjurou and Kie could only look on in shock and desperation. Perhaps they were able to live through this. But this was the demon king, and they would have to pay the price of this encounter by itself.
The problem was, what was the sacrifice?
"Since you are the ancestor of that monster, perhaps a demonic version of you, or maybe one of your offspring's," Muzan once again pointed to Kie's pregnant body. "Will be able to withstand the sun. Since your monstrous descendant knows sun breathing, it's a matter of time before one of them has an affinity for it." Muzan smirked.
"So how about this?" Muzan added. "Have as many children as you can, and commit them to train the breathing style that closely matches that of that monster. Once your child has that breathing style, I'll let you and your family live, and that child, I'll consume." Muzan smirked.
Tanjurou's eyes widened. He couldn't let his children go through this. Why did Muzan have no empathy…
"Why would I force-"
"Alright, fine." Kie interrupted Tanjurou's rejection, and his eyes widened in shock. The mother was more diplomatic than the father, and in this case, she saw what Tanjurou didn't at the time. She saw no way out of this, and therefore they would just have to live with it.
Muzan instead smirked, "Good choice. You should listen to your wife, Tanjurou, for even the strongest men will fear their very own wife." He then chuckled, which only made Tanjurou furious.
Tanjurou sighed. Ultimately, since she was the one carrying and burdening the children, it made sense for her to make the final decision. "I hope you know what you are doing… Kie."
And so, their first son, Tanjirou Kamado, was born a month later.
What should have been a celebration for the two and newly started family, quickly tuned to angst and mellowness.
"He's such a cute boy…" Kie sadly smiled.
Tanjurou nodded, sharing the same sad smile, "I wish I could give him the life he deserves…"
"I understand, but with that man watching over us, we cannot risk getting on his bad side…"
"We have no choice but to follow his desires and instructions..." Tanjurou responded with a sigh, smiling sadly as he was observing the features of his new son.
"Look at the birthmark on his forehead. It's like yours." Kie commented, and Tanjurou chuckled.
Tanjurou nodded slowly. He hated everything that his family was suddenly thrust into.
Almost immediately, the two began to take care of Tanjirou. To Tanjurou's own conflicting opinion, the first son had the same faded mark as he did, on the left side of his forehead, which in the family books was a sign of high affinity to flames, and the sun... Ther very thing Muzan was eyeing...
This immediately made the father worry about the fate of his eldest son. Other than that, Tanjirou seemed very healthy, and upbeat. It made Tanjurou sadder at the fate he was now going to grow up in.
The next year, they had their first baby girl, which they named Nezuko Kamado. She looked more like her mother, which made Tanjurou content. He wished his children were born closer to look like Kie so that Muzan wouldn't see the threat in them, and perhaps maybe they could live a happier life than what they now had.
2 years later, the next boy in the family was born, which was named Takeo. He developed a look similar to his father but was also very closely looking to Tanjirou.
2 years after Takeo was born, Hanako was born. the second girl child of the family and she too took after her father, especially with the eyes. It was rather impressive, and Tanjurou wished he could do more to protect her.
After her, Shigeru was born and he seemed to be a mix, having his father's eyes, and his mother's hair.
The last of their children now was Rokuta. The youngest child had the same red eyes as Tanjurou.
Tanjurou sighed.
As of now, almost all his children were outside, practicing sword swings. The only exception was Rokuta, for the simple fact that he was too young.
He remembered the first time he went out, and bought some wooden swords, with the purpose of forcing his children to perform sword fighting skills and finding their affinity for breathing styles.
He wished he didn't have to do this. He did not even know about the breathing styles but was forced to learn after Muzan's arrival and obsession with Sun Breathing. And even then, he was unsure about the certain styles within each move. In short, he was unaware of how to make them use some forms to aid them in fighting.
He was forced to take some hidden books that his ancestors hid, as well as the accumulating of more recent ones his ancestors had taken closer to the present. But even then, it was mostly about the dance of the Hinokami Kagura, not any fighting styles.
There was a major shifting point in the Kamado lineage, that caused many of their ancestors to switch the coal burning. The reason? Most of the Kamado ancestors would die young and rarely produce offspring. Those who began to slay demons were more likely to die young.
That meant those who did the other job, coal burning, were more likely to survive and carry on the lineage. Of course, the aspects of their demon slaying past would occasionally pop up, as both Tanjurou and Tanjirou displayed the same scar as their ancestor, as it was believed those with that scar, if they went into demon slaying, would become a successful and long-living swordsman.
That was not a guarantee that every Kamado with the forehead birthmark was to become a skilled swordsman or woman. Tanjurou was a perfect example of this, considering he was still learning the basics of swordsmen and didn't even know about demon slayers.
However, the ancestors of coal burners also had some mixed results for the Kamados. For example, the constant exposure to coal burning their ancestors went through yielded, for the most part, stronger and more resilient lungs, especially when living high in the mountains. The Kamado Family yielded incredibly strong lungs, because of the mixed conditions of coal burning, and the high risk of high altitude sickness.
It was a fun time for Tanjurou to learn more about his ancestors, even if he was forced to commit to that.
But another appearance from the demon king quickly forced Tanjurou to switch the goal of what to do with his children.
The next time exactly, was when Tanjirou was a month old, as Muzan had repeated what he wanted from the children.
The next few times Muzan came back, he mostly shook his head, before leaving.
However, when Takeo was just born, Muzan decided he waited enough, at least with the lack of progress.
"I did what you wanted… I produced three children… What else do you want me to do?" Tanjurou asked as he was forced to bow down to the demon king.
Muzan kissed his teeth in frustration as he looked down at Tanjurou.
"Didn't I tell you? Make them swing their swords! I must find their affinities! I want to see if they can use that stupid sun technique!" Muzan yelled, slapping Tanjurou off his feet, and landing on the ground.
All Tanjurou could do was moan in pain as Muzan placed his claws right next to his neck.
"I should kill you for not fulfilling my request so soon, but I ultimately am feeling nice. So, here's the deal." Muzan stared Tanjurou right in the eye.
"You will make sure your children can all swing their swords and perform those breathing shit that these demon slayers perform. I want ONE of them to perform that damned breathing style, and if one of them can, that child can be sacrificed, and you and your family can live their lives for all I care." Muzan explained, with a deadly tone showing how on edge he was. "I don't care if it takes ten of your children to get one or even fifty! Just get me a child who can use that damned breathing style!"
"B-But many children aren't able to perform breathing styles until their ten with proper breathing training," Tanjurou explained. The reason he knew this was because of a book he found on his ancestor's bookshelf; hidden away in the very house he had been living in for quite some time.
"I don't care." Muzan bluntly told Tanjurou. "I've already told you, make ten or fifty children if it means giving me one that can do that sun breathing! You should be thanking me for letting you and your pathetic family live for as long as they have!" Muzan added.
"But I can't let my kids force themselves to train at such a young age. My eldest is only 4 years old! He's under half the age to be able to start learning!" Tanjurou explained.
"Well do anything in your power to let them learn!" Muzan yelled back to Tanjurou, "Remember what is on the line."
Tanjurou remained silent. What did Muzan mean by that?
"You know…" Muzan commented, "I hate your eldest child the most."
"T-Tanjirou, why?" Tanjurou asked.
Muzan gave the downed human a disgusted look, "He's the spitting image of that man." Muzan grunted in pure distasted hatred, "That red hair, the eyes, and even that mark on his forehead, it always reminds me of that despicable monster… Even the mark on you infuriates me..."
Tanjurou could only look down as he was unable to say anything. He wasn't able to at the mercy of the demon king.
"Beat them." Muzan then spoke out. "I want to see the result of rapid success."
Tanjurou's heart skipped a beat at that, his facial expressions dropping once he heard that. "W-What…?"
"I don't care what you do, beat them into learning the breathing styles!" Muzan yelled at Tanjurou, even slapping the father to get his point across. "Use fear to get them to do what I want," Muzan explained. "Use fear to motivate them! I better sense injuries as proof of fear being used to pressure them into this."
"A-Are you serious?" Tanjurou hoped the demon king was joking. But alas, Muzan took it to offense.
"I don't care for your children, because if everything goes right, I'll eventually eat them, and their life will be over regardless. It doesn't matter if they're malnourished, as long as they're alive, it's good enough for me." Muzan added. "I can eat them, and still consume their demonic abilities, inevitably."
"So their condition, I don't care for. But what I do know is the more injuries and scars they have, the more resilient and faster they grow, and I want those kids to be mature quickly to learn those breathing techniques! So hurt them! Strike fear into them! Burn them! Starve them! Make their lives miserable unless they show progress! I don't care about your kids unless they know Sun Breathing!"
Tanjurou looked down. He didn't want to do this. He wanted to care for his children, but now he was being forced to teach his children a breathing style, in the hopes that Muzan got what he wanted.
"It is a matter of inevitability. Eventually, you and your family will die, for being humans. So you might as well help me, for when I'm able to withstand the sun, you and your family will have already passed." Muzan pressed, and Tanjurou sighed deeply, but also in hidden frustration.
Even if it meant hurting his kids, he had to abide by the demon king's demands.
And so, both Tanjurou and Kie abided by the demands. Forcing their kids to learn breathing techniques and styles, beating them, and making their lives miserable to hasten the progress, in the hopes that the fear the kids would possess, would make them more determined to learn the breathing styles.
Tanjurou only began to hate himself even more, and he knew Kie was feeling the same way. The circumstances that Muzan had placed on them had become a larger, more serious ultimatum that they were forced to follow.
And all Tanjurou could do, was accepted.
He was weak. He hated it. All because of his worsening illness. He wasn't sure exactly what caused his illness, however, he knew it was acquired during his expeditions and traveling. He had suffered a particularly bad cough, and before he knew it, his breathing was ragged, and he was coughing out blood occasionally.
Tanjurou knew his life was limited. Especially with the chronic stress that was now being inflicted.
So much to say that Muzan was killing him slowly, by forcing him to commit such egregious acts onto his family. Acts he never thought he would do. Acts that made him feel like a terrible father and an abuser.
He felt worthless...
And that was not counting the demoralization he forced Tanjirou to go through.
Forcing their children to train themselves to death was bad enough, but being forced to beat their children on the demands of Muzan was a straw to be broken.
Both Tanjurou and Kie did not want to do this, but Muzan would come back and would want to see the signs of abuse and injuries on the children. This was to make sure Muzan's request was being fulfilled, meaning Tanjurou and Kie had no choice but to hurt their children.
Muzan was a paranoid individual and would go through every ounce of detail to make sure there were no loopholes. He could sense the injuries, and feel the aura of misery and fear coming from individuals, which he would use to see if everything was working. He refused to let any of the kids see him. He pretty much ruled the family, with a ruthless, iron fist.
The mental toll this put on both the parents and children, was strenuous. At this point, both Tanjurou and Kie did not want to ask for forgiveness. They already knew what they did was beyond redeemable. Even if they were forced, the acts of harm and misery they performed on their children were harrowing.
Muzan smirked, before he eyed Tanjirou, and asked Tanjurou and Kie for a selfish, despicable act.
"Beat the eldest boy more, I just hate how he looks." Muzan chuckled as he walked off. "I want him to suffer more." He smirked as he could sense the pain Tanjirou was already going through.
Tanjurou and Kie merely nodded, at this point desensitized to the entire ordeal and disaster that Muzan was.
Poor Tanjirou would suffer most of the beating, and throughout this entire time, Tanjirou could smell something strange from both parents. Even when they hurt him, or even stomped on him, he could smell hesitation and regret from them.
Tanjurou and Kie were forced to be extra hard on Tanjirou, all because of the birthmark on the eldest son's forehead. Immediately from birth, Tanjirou was birthed, a curse... But also... A gift...
But in the end, it was futile, as all the children would be forced to undergo ruthless training and abuse, and forced neglect, not because their parents wanted to, but because they were forced to under a new leader of their family. It was the conditions that Muzan had set on them.
Tanjurou was thankful that Muzan only visited sometimes, and not all the time. As the kids grew up, Tanjurou could only watch his kids become older but also look malnourished. It was tragic, and something he couldn't control. He had, to satisfy Muzan's requests. It was part of his training, to hopefully get a demon that could conquer the sun.
He was the father, and yet he couldn't protect his family, only having to abuse his children to keep them alive.
It was cruel and despicable.
But what could he do? Die to the demon king, and let his family perish shortly after? Tanjurou knew how strong Muzan was.
Try and escape? Muzan was simply faster and would probably be able to track them.
That left him to just accept the conditions, and hope his family made it out, regardless of what he and his wife had to do to his children.
But that did not mean he would sit down and accept the new reality. He was going to rebel, in the safest way possible.
Tanjurou knew his eldest son had an amplified sense of smell. He could smell the emotions of others and other stuff. When there was blood far away, Tanjirou could smell it. When Kie was cooking, Tanjirou could smell it. Whenever something was wrong with them, Tanjirou could smell it. He could even smell the emotions.
Tied with the fact Tanjirou had very strong lungs because of the Kamado ancestors' history of coal burning, and living on a mountain, Tanjirou could take in a large amount of air, which also helped in the breathing techniques.
Tanjirou would be the first one to notice something.
Likewise, when Muzan was approaching the house, Tanjirou was the first to notice.
Despite this, Tanjurou and Kie would always force their children inside their one-bedroom when this happened, threatening to hurt them if they ever chose to come out.
Muzan made it clear that if one of their children saw him, he would murder the family immediately, so Tanjurou and Kie had to strike fear in their children to prevent a potential massacre every time Muzan visited.
The result was that neither of their children saw the man known as Muzan, but Tanjirou was able to sniff the demon out.
A smell that Tanjirou would come to know too well, sadly. A smell he would forever, remember.
Like Tanjirou, Tanjurou also had his sense. Unlike Tanjirou, Tanjurou could detect the affinity between those and their breathing technique.
It was perhaps thanks to his ability of the see-through world he wasn't sure. But every individual had their muscle composition, and breathing technique that immediately exposed them to a sense of affinity for breathing.
The result? Tanjurou was able to tell what breathing style each of his children could theoretically excel at.
And that was where Tanjurou was running into some issues.
He could tell Nezuko had an affinity for Water Breathing.
Takeo had an affinity for Flame Breathing.
Shigeru, by contrast, had an affinity for Thunder Breathing.
Hanako had an affinity for something strange that Tanjurou couldn't put his finger on.
Rokuto… was too young to be capable of even performing or detecting an affinity for a breathing technique.
However, it was his eldest son whom Tanjurou worried for.
Tanjurou could tell that Tanjirou was the most like him in a way.
For, Tanjirou was able to have an affinity for the Hinokami Kagura, just like him. Tanjurou read his ancestors' books. The oldest and newest ones. He knew that the Hinokami Kagura was derived from Sun Breathing. The very breathing Muzan was seeking. The one that Muzan said, was the key to turning himself immune to the sun...
It was a breathing style, specifically for sun breathing. The one that his ancestors had given them to dance to, as a way to protect it and keep it strong in the bloodline.
The very breathing that Muzan wanted from one of his children.
The result Tanjurou had to make was difficult. The fact that one of his children would be sacrificed, was something he couldn't let happen.
If Muzan found out, Tanjirou would have been turned into a demon and then consumed by Muzan...
And that terrified Tanjurou. He had to make a crucial, difficult decision, that would cause him mental strain.
Either teach Tanjirou the Hinokami Kagura openly, and sacrifice Tanjirou to the demon lord to save his family, with one less child, or secretly train Tanjirou the Hinokami Kagura, hoping Tanjirou could one day defeat the curse that Muzan had placed onto his family.
When it came to the defense of his family, the answer was the second.
Plus, Tanjirou was the backbone of the children. If he was gone, he feared the family would fall apart...
He had to protect his entire family. He had to make sure they all lived.
Even if they had to suffer injuries from him. Even if his children grew up to hate Tanjurou and Kie, as long as they lived, and were strong enough to take on the demon lord, that was all that mattered to Tanjurou.
And Tanjirou would be key. It was ironic that the very child that Muzan hated the most out of the six children Tanjurou and Kie had, was the one who secretly possessed the breathing technique that could kill him.
The result was that Tanjurou had to balance, both hurting and abusing Tanjirou to satisfy Muzan's desires and to make sure that Muzan could not sense anything secretive from the two.
On the other hand, Tanjurou wanted his eldest son to learn the Hinokami Kagura. After all, it was a dance the eldest child would do from sunset to sunrise to request the Sun God for purity and safety from danger.
Tanjurou had to secretly teach his eldest son the Hinokami Kagura, in a way that made it secretive, but also whilst letting Muzan be oblivious...
Something they so desperately needed right now.
The only problem Tanjurou knew, was that Muzan would see such a display of purity from Tanjirou.
Tanjurou stopped committing to the dance for this reason, and he wanted to apologize to the Sun God for the sudden stop in the tradition, but the situation caused them to stop. Tanjurou hoped his eldest son would be able to fix and make up for it.
But this came with quite a commitment.
How was he supposed to get his eldest son to perform the Hinokami Kagura in secret?
The answer, or the only plausible thing Tanjurou could see himself doing, was to throw Tanjirou out for every New Year's Day, hoping he would perform it in an isolated area away from the mountain, and near the village.
The reason was that Muzan simply didn't care for the villagers. He only cared for the Kamado Family, and even if he saw a light show in the village, his ignorance would make him turn a blind eye to the Hinokami Kagura there.
And so, once Tanjurou tried teaching Tanjirou the Hinokami Kagura, his shock was amplified when his eldest son was learning the moves and dance much quicker than even himself.
The result was that once Tanjirou knew the moves, he abruptly stopped him.
At the age of 6, Tanjirou was kicked out of the house for the first time. Onto the cold snow, with only a book to read. It was a blizzard, and Tanjurou could see the shivering boy eye the book, and beginning to run down as fast as he could. All Tanjurou could do, was pray he didn't die of hypothermia before he started dancing.
To Tanjurou, he couldn't risk Tanjirou performing the Hinokami Kagura dance close to their house. Therefore, he kicked his eldest son out of the house for the night and day. He had purposely written what little he could in the book to lead him to a quiet, indoor place with space to dance. This included wearing the Hanufuda earrings and the robe-like attire to wear. Tanjurou had managed to get some of the villagers to take Tanjirou into dance.
The added benefit was the audience within the village, which Muzan did not care for. As a result, Tanjirou would come home with some extra money for them. Tanjurou wanted to cry every time his son did that. Even when he treated him terribly, he came back with something to give back to his family.
With that same sad smile on his face. Tanjurou wanted to cry and hug his eldest son. To tell him everything would be alright. To explain why an evil man who could easily kill his family and the world was forcing him to do this.
He couldn't show his family and children love... Neither could Kie... All they could show was care, before fear, and neglect... All because of Muzan...
Sure he was the one acting, and he took part of the responsibility ultimately, but Muzan was the mastermind behind all of this.
Thankfully to Tanjurou's heart and mind, his eldest son had done exactly that. While he didn't see his eldest son perform it, he could feel a sense of ease in his heart. The first in a while, indicating his eldest son, Tanjirou, had successfully followed his instructions to go to the village to dance. Tanjurou didn't know how well his son did it, but if his heart was easing, then the dance was working, and Tanjirou did it in the night. A sheer testament to how affluent he was to the dance.
The circumstances hurt both Tanjurou and Kie. It hurt them mentally, having to be cruel to their children just to satisfy Muzan's desires.
The next time he visited, he was upset about the progress.
"And about the eldest trash?" Muzan asked.
"He's been unable to perform any of the breathing styles," Tanjurou explained. "He's been a useful trash that is unable to perform anything." Tanjurou didn't mean it. He just had to play the role to make sure Muzan didn't get suspicious. Any semblance of hesitancy from Tanjurou could be picked up as lying, and his family could pay the price.
When he kicked Tanjirou out of the house, all Tanjurou could do again, was pray to the Sun God that, not only would his son be fine, but to also ask for forgiveness, for his actions towards his kids should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
"If I have to go through hell for my family, then I'll gladly do so…" Tanjurou mumbled to himself.
"What uselessness. I guess my hatred for that kid was exaggerated…" Muzan mumbled, "If he can't even learn any breathing styles, then perhaps the fear for him was not needed. Still… I hate that kid… I hate him so much more than the rest of your children… And to know he can't even do a breathing style; it makes me hate him more…" Muzan grumbled. "If he at least knew Sun breathing, I could have the joy of eating such a horrid being."
Tanjurou couldn't even defend his son. All he could do was keep this façade that Tanjirou was not a threat to him. If that happened, then Tanjirou would be killed and consumed by Muzan. Either that or his entire family died, and Tanjurou just didn't want to lose anyone. Kie didn't either. Neither parent wanted this, but Muzan forced their hands to commit such acts.
The truth was that he was affluent in the Hinokami Kagura, or the deviation of Sun Breathing. However, to protect his eldest son, Tanjurou could only lie to the demon lord to diminish the threat Tanjirou played.
Muzan sighed, "At least the eldest girl is promising. Even if it's not the technique I want, it's close. You are making progress, Tanjurou, I better see some flames soon." That was all Muzan told the father of the family, as he left, almost seemingly instantaneously.
Tanjurou sighed heavily, as he panted somewhat. Another meeting with the demon lord and his family survived. Every time he survived a conversation with Muzan, another risk he took with his life and his family's life.
As the year continued, both Tanjurou and Kie were forced to continue training their children. Of course, because they were children, the rate at which they learned their breathing styles was a lot slower than the typical rate seen in those starting to reach adolescence.
The only benefit, it seemed, was making their children's bodies stronger, and more prepared.
Usually, the actual breathing styles that each demon slayer performed did not yield the elemental cue that is seen. Instead, it is a fabricated visual cue that many demon slayers see to know that their breathing style has gotten to a level of being able to slay demons.
When Tanjirou told his father timidly that he was seeing flames protrude out of the Hinokami Kagura, when he was only 8 years old, his father was shocked.
"Within two years of performing the Hinokami Kagura twice, he's already seeing the flames of the sun…" Tanjurou mumbled, "Could Tanjirou be able to kill this demon…?"
It was a question Tanjurou didn't know if he could answer, for he still had to worry. A testament to the potential Tanjiou had. And so, Tanjurou knew he had to keep his son alive, he already wanted to, but it strengthened even more.
After all, Tanjirou was only eight years old when this happened, and a kid was still a kid. He would stand no chance against a demon, or at least one of the power that Muzan had.
Perhaps it had to do with the book.
However, there was an instance of abuse to Tanjirou that Tanjurou would never forgive himself for.
And that was when Tanjirou was ten years old and had decided to wear the hanufuda earrings that he had found in the back pocket of the same journal he had given him all those times when he kicks Tanjirou out.
Tanjurou lost it.
He beat Tanjirou so badly, Tanjirou almost died.
Even Kie was appalled at what her husband did.
Tanjurou, when he realized what he did, apologized to his eldest son, as he was scared. He was terrified that if Muzan saw those earrings, their family would be killed.
While many did not forgive Tanjurou, Tanjirou did and agreed not to wear the hanufuda earrings.
"You can wear them, Tanjirou, just only when you are going out to perform the Hinokami Kagura, alright?" Tanjurou told Tanjirou, who nodded. Tanjirou had given his father that same small smile to make Tanjurou feel incredibly terrible about what he had done. He wanted to cry again… But he couldn't.
The sad reality was that Muzan also had a fun time showing up.
When Muzan saw the injuries that Tanjurou had inflicted on Tanjirou, he laughed and gave a smile. He didn't see Tanjirou, but he could tell and sense the injuries since Muzan was a demon. He could feel and sense any small wound a human had on them.
When Muzan demanded Tanjurou burn his children, he gave them burn marks. When Muzan demanded Kie to whip them, she lashed them...
Of course, they did it to the point that all their kids survived... They could never consciously want to kill their children...
"I love what you did to him. Punish him just like that more, and maybe I'll be more generous to you." With that Muzan smirked and laughed. "I hate that kid. But if you keep doing that, I'll be content with his suffering, after what the monster did to me."
Tanjurou was now stuck in a dilemma. The demon king Muzan had liked what Tanjurou did, an accident, and was now telling to be more brutal to Tanjirou.
Tanjurou cried alone after that day, not wanting to put his children through this any longer.
"Why must I do this to my children… Why must Tanjirou have to go through this… Why does Muzan hate him…?" Tanjurou was confused about everything. He couldn't handle this.
What was he supposed to do?
What would you do if a demon offered conditions of basically treating your child as shit with the hopes of being able to save your family?
Tanjurou growled as he hated everything he did.
After another year had passed, Tanjurou watched as his children continued to train. He had begun to teach the rest of his children the sword techniques.
It was all he could do. The rest, he had to let the children figure out on their own. He was simply letting his children into the path of demon slaying.
And he hated it.
He spotted the eldest son, Tanjirou, failing at the breathing technique Tanjurou had told him to do.
And it was because he knew what breathing technique Tanjirou would fare well in.
Sun breathing.
The very one that Muzan wanted from his family.
But he couldn't just give up his eldest son to Muzan. Just like how he couldn't give up his family to the demon king.
He had to fight in any way, shape, or form to protect his family, and even if the process was brutal, then he would do it.
He had to.
Like his wife, who continued to cook, even when threatening the kids with no food or meal if they couldn't perform a simple breathing style.
She would further have to prove it by making Nezuko or Tanjirou skip meals and instead be outside, even when it rained or snowed.
Tanjirou sighed, knowing the stress of this entire ordeal and what it put on the family.
He felt bad for Tanjirou. He was the one who could perform Sun breathing, and yet he was unable to learn it openly for the risk of being consumed by Muzan was too great.
The fact that Muzan hated him because of how he looked was adding insult to the wound, and the only way Tanjurou could save Tanjirou, was the further label his eldest son as trash so that Muzan would let his guard down and not deem Tanjirou a threat.
Nezuko was ultimately having the opposite problem. She was performing too well, to the point that Muzan was seeing potential in her.
Not to consume her, but rather to have her as a demon. Tanjurou was disgusted. He did not want his eldest daughter to become a demon serving under him.
"Now I have to worry for Nezuko's sake..."
Ultimately, the rest of his siblings went through the same deal, but to a less degree. Muzan did not yet show any important attention to them, and purely on Nezuko and Tanjirou, for opposing reasons.
When Muzan wanted them to hurt Tanjirou more, the two parents were forced to. When Muzan wanted them to teach them their breathing styles to see their affinity, they were forced to.
But if there came a time that Muzan would consume one of their children for his selfish gain, that was when Tanjurou would step up, and willingly die for his family.
When he kicked Tanjirou out of the house, this time he was ten years old, he was desensitized, and so was Tanjirou. He had come to expect being kicked out of the house sometimes when he couldn't properly perform a single breathing style, that Tanjurou purposely chose for his son to fail.
Ultimately, the Hinokami Kagura was the only thing that Tanjirou would remember him for. Even if his father abused him, even if he kicked him out of the house, to die. Tanjurou knew that maybe Tanjirou would be adept in the Hinokami Kagura, to defeat Muzan. He didn't care if Tanjirou learned the truth, and likewise, he didn't care if his children hated him for what he did. All that matters, is that Muzan was killed. If not by his family, then by someone.
He was already failing his family, and all he could do was watch, as his children suffered, as his wife suffered, and as he too, suffered.
The pure guilt and continuation of burning coal were getting to his body. His lungs were giving out, and it was progressively getting harder for him to breathe. He knew his time was coming up, and that this was the Sun God's way of punishing him for treating his children how he did.
Not like he had a choice. This was the punishment he accepted, waiting for the worsening illness to take his life.
In the end, it finally did.
The illness he suffered was chronic stress and heartbreak. The damage he was forced to do to his kids and the stress of keeping the family together in the face of Muzan, caused his body to fail, exacerbated by the burning of coal
And he found himself in the grey zone of heaven and hell.
While what he did was noble, wanting to save his family, the sheer fact that he abused his children, Tanjirou especially, kicking him out to secretly perform the Hinokami Kagura, was pure, but the fact that he left a kid out in the cold to potentially die was horrendous.
And so, Tanjurou lived in the grey zone of the aftermath of life, hoping his dreams would come true.
That left Kie to perform the conditions set by Muzan.
She too, hated it. She never wanted to hurt her children. Her husband knew this, and would always be the one to perform the actions. Now that her husband was gone, she had to teach them. She had to beat them if they didn't work, to satisfy Muzan.
She had to kick Tanjirou out.
And to make matters worse, she now had to force Tanjirou to go down to the village to sell and burn charcoal, taking up the job and labor his father did. The same one who hurt and abused him to satisfy Muzan.
Now, Tanjirou was doing what his father did.
And Kie was sick of it. But what was she to do? She couldn't do anything. She never picked up a sword, and she never learned to fight.
She only had a hard head. She only headbutted a boar threatening her family.
That was it. What was she supposed to do, besides following the conditions?
She did the same thing as her husband. She cooked, but kept her children malnourished else they showed the progress of some form.
She cared for them but also hit them if they didn't behave, to satisfy Muzan.
She especially when hard on Tanjirou, because of Muzan's continued hatred for the boy.
She also kicked Tanjirou out of the house during the winter time, with the book to perform the Hinokami Kagura at the village.
It was the only thing that Tanjirou had to connect with his father. He only read the parts his father told him to read, being obedient as a habit to avoid more pain in his body.
To make everything more tragic, Tanjirou hated his father, but ultimately wanted to be close to him, and thus saw the Hinokami Kagura as a beacon of light that proved his father's kindness.
Kie wanted to cry at the words that her eldest son was spitting out.
"Why is he so kind… After everything we've put him through… after everything…"
Despite being treated the worst of the family by his father, Tanjirou, while traumatized, still wanted to connect and be like him. Perhaps in some areas, and not in others, Tanjirou found the Hinokami Kagura to connect with his father, even if it brought back bad memories.
Kie did not know Tanjirou's progress on the Hinokami Kagura, especially since Tanjirou had to focus on taking coal down to the village, he was straining himself extra hard now that he had to work the labor.
The time after Tanjurou's death, life became harder for Tanjirou since he had to become a labor worker, still got beaten by his mother, was thrown out of the house occasionally, and ostracized and hated because Muzan showed extra hatred specifically towards him. A reason Tanjirou, who had yet to see Muzan, wondered why.
Throughout the entire ordeal, only Kie and Tanjurou had ever seen Muzan, and the reason was to protect them. Ultimately, most of the children were sleeping when Muzan showed up, and he could catch a glimpse of them.
They couldn't let their children see the monster behind their actions.
Kie sighed, it was a difficult time for the Kamado family.
Kie, who was told about the breathing styles by the very book her husband had given her, was now the one teaching them.
Unfortunately, she wasn't that good. She wasn't as affluent in breathing styles, and thus the children slowed down in their progress of sword styles.
Needless to say, Muzan was getting tired of waiting.
"Why aren't the rest of your family not able to use the breathing styles!" Muzan yelled at Kie, who took a deep breath.
"Tanjurou was usually-" She felt her throat being constricted as Muzan grabbed her neck, stopping her from continuing her pleas.
"I don't care if you aren't the one to usually teach your children to swing a katana! You are a mother, you are supposed to be able to teach your children!" Muzan yelled, as he then dropped Kie to the ground, as the poor mother was gasping for breath.
"Get your family to learn the breathing styles that they are affluent in, or else I will kill your family." Muzan threatened as he left.
Kie began to cry shortly afterward.
"Tanjurou… What would you do…" Kie sobbed as she was at this point done.
She had to get her children to learn the styles or to run away.
The next month, Kie slapped her eldest son.
"Learn the movement! Breathe properly! Not like that!" Kie yelled at her eldest son, who merely sighed.
"I'm sorry…" Was all Tanjirou said, with the other children looking by, in horror at their mother?
Alas, Kie was now the one who had to pick up the slack due to Tanjurou's death.
And it all accumulated to that day.
"Tanjirou, you have a black spot on your head. Here." Kie gently rubbed the spot off of Tanjirou's head.
She did not respond to the flinching Tanjirou made when she raised her hand. She silently apologized to Tanjirou for everything she was doing.
In the end, she brought Tanjirou down, but with the risk of Muzan coming back, Kie told Tanjirou to come back due to the risk of a snowstorm.
Both Tanjirou could smell the signs of a snowstorm, and Nezuko could sense the heat in the atmosphere.
Kie gently waved goodbye, alongside the rest of her children to Tanjirou.
Kie silently was smiling. At least the simplest of things brought their family together. At least the children got along well. Even if there was some distrust between the children and the parent.
Whilst Kie was inside the house, trying to care for her children, as she was preparing for the snowstorm, Nezuko warned Kie.
"Someone's coming… I recognize that heat…" Nezuko mumbled.
At this, Kie's eyes widened. "Get in the room, don't be afraid to run if you need to," Kie told her children to get inside, even threatening them if they needed to.
Almost all of her kids got inside. Shortly afterward, the entrance to their house was yanked off.
Kie's eyes widened. "M-Muzan?!"
That was the only thing she could get across to her voice, as the next thing she knew, her neck was snapped, and she lost consciousness immediately, her life ending right there.
...
When Kie woke up, she was met with the majority of her children, and her husband, Tanjurou.
"Hey, Kie…" Tanjurou smiled sadly at his wife.
Kie, not being able to hold it, cried. She hugged her husband, who too cried for the circumstances. She had spent so long being strong for her kids, for her husband, for everyone, and in the end, even the hopeful outlook they had, resulted in their premature deaths.
Tanjurou was feeling the same way. Truth be told, once he reached the afterlife, he bawled his eyes out, wishing the went to hell. While he wasn't in heaven, he was in the mix, clearly even fate did not know where to place him in this world, considering everything.
Because they were in the afterlife, they both knew they were dead.
But to Tanjurou's horror, his youngest children were here with Kie.
"He killed them too?" Tanjurou asked, clearly horrified.
Kie nodded, sobbing. "Only Nezuko and Tanjirou survived!" She sobbed s Tanjurou continued to hug his wife.
"It's alright, Tanjirou knows the very breathing style my ancestor knew. Tanjirou and Nezuko will be able to kill him." Tanjurou relieved Kie's worries.
"Takeo… Shigeru… Hanako… Rokuto… I'm so sorry!" Kie sobbed as she hugged her children, who died alongside her.
"No, Kie. We're sorry. The two of us are sorry for putting you into this world of pain and abuse… we're both sorry for hurting you all, forcing you to train yourselves until near exhaustion…"
"It's fine Father… We know why you did this… You wanted to protect us, right?" Takeo asked both his parents, whose eyes widened.
Both parents were shocked.
"H-How did you-"
"We knew," Hanako revealed. "We all knew of that man, who was forcing you two to do this. We knew… We're sorry we weren't strong enough to stop him."
"Besides, we too treated brother terribly... When we were young, we stayed away from him because we always associated him with pain, from you..." Shigeru revealed, and that only made Tanjurou feel more guilty for what he put his family through.
"We're sorry..." Takeo sighed, as Hanako sobbed, begging for forgiveness from Tanjirou and Nezuko.
Tanjurou's eyes widened, and for the first time, without any worry, he hugged his children, and he began to cry in front of them.
"I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have brought you to this world of suffering…" Tanjurou sniffed as he felt his nose clogged up. "I'm sorry for leaving you all…"
"Please don't blame yourself, dad…" Shigeru sighed, "It was the fault of that man who made everything happen… And even if it is your fault, we all forgive you both... And we were no better..."
Tanjurou smiled sadly. His children were forgiving him for the abuse he and Kie had put them through, all the while admitting to their own faults.
"I love you all..." Tanjurou and Kie hugged their children as they no longer had to hide it. "We're so sorry we couldn't have shown you the love and compassion you all deserved..."
"We love you too... Mom and Dad..." All the siblings and parents began to hug and cry together, as they all blamed one man for their circumstances.
This was all because of Muzan, he made his family go through a living hell.
"Mother, Father?" Rokuto asked the two, "Can we look over brother and sister in the world? The two still alive?"
Tanjurou smiled, "Of course, I would."
"They both are demons…" Kie sadly revealed.
Tanjurou smiled, "They are both the descendants of that man, that Muzan fears. I'm sure even Muzan will underestimate my children. I've trained them both, and I have confidence they both can defeat him."
"As cruel as everything was, at least some of our children were able to survive." Kie sadly smiled.
The two saw their four children. "Come mother, father. Let's watch our big brothers and big sister live their lives. We all sacrificed ourselves so that they could live. Let's see the fruit of our results." Hanako smiled at her parents.
Both Tanjurou and Kie looked at each other. They both felt unworthy of their children's forgiveness, but they all already had forgiven them a while ago.
And so, the Kamado family who had died that night from Muzan, after years of being under his finger and rule, were finally free, and now they could see both their remaining children survive, live, and seek revenge for the man who caused their family to become so dysfunctional.
"Please… Tanjirou and Nezuko, defeat Muzan, and I hope that with time you can forgive your father and mother for what they've done to you throughout your childhood." Both Tanjurou and Kie spoke.
"I've trained you, Tanjirou in a way that would make you mature, decide actions on your own, and fight for as long as your mind lets you... It may have not been an ethically virtuous way, but I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me during your journey..."
"Nezuko, you've got the best of this, and I applaud you for staying with Tanjirou when he was at his lowest... I may have also hurt you, but you and your other siblings were praised... Please be there for Tanjirou when I wasn't... Be a better caretaker for him than I ever was..."
"You may think of me as nothing as an abuser, and you're right... I'm a monster for what I did to you, for how I insulted you, and forced you upon the worst kinds of punishments... But I'm confident that your clinging to the HinokamI Kagura is the key to defeating Muzan... I saw it once you managed to dance within 6 months of trying... You are of tremendous value, my son, now it's up to you to decide your path in this world, to give back to."
"Thank you, Tanjirou and Nezuko, and I love you. I always have, and I'm sorry I couldn't have given you a better life."
A.N / I decided to write a prelude since I want to stray this story away from both the canon and to make it darker. I like making my stories darker to fit the atmosphere, and because it's rated M, I should take advantage of the mature-related stuff I could put into this story. The idea of the Kamado family being abused might seem a bit weird considering in canon how nice of a family they seemed to have.
That's why Muzan was added to have been a part of the Kamado Family, in influencing everything. In a sense, both Tanjurou and Kie were forced to abuse their children to satisfy a demon. In a way, if this confuses you, then think of it like a mix of Obanai and Kanao's backstory from the canon.
Both families were under the influence and mercy of a demon who wanted their selfish gain, which included abusing their children, even if they didn't want to. The difference is that both parents of Tanjirou and Nezuko truly loved their children and felt deep regret and pain for doing such actions, and ultimately no demon slayer came to save the Kamado Family until reports of slaughter were caught by Giyu's crow.
In the end, a tragic end to the Kamado Family, as Muzan simply gave up, and decided to just turn the most promising child in the family, Nezuko, into a demon. Tanjirou turning into a demon was ironically the accident of Tanjirou himself, so while Muzan is aware that Nezuko is a demon, he is unaware of the fact he turned Tanjirou into a demon.
Likewise, both Tanjirou and Nezuko will forget about Muzan's influence on the family, but the scars on both of them, particularly Tanjirou will still be there as demons since the scars occurred before they turned into a demon. The result is that Tanjirou and Nezuko will only remember their family as abusers, who hurt them for reasons they didn't know. Tanjirou and Nezuko will have internal fights with their minds about their family, with Tanjirou being reminded of the Hinokami Kagura, and seeing the purity on his father's face, which will confuse him. Both Tanjirou and Nezuko will eventually learn the truth and influence that Muzan played in their lives as soon as they were born.
Anyways, hope this clears everything up! I'm still reworking the story a bit, and I'll let you know how everything comes up, and what changes, talk to you later!
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
Cod: Killed by Muzan, spine severed and neck snapped. Hypothermia.
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: Dead, Human
Cod: Killed by Muzan, head decapitated, separated from spine. Hypothermia.
Hanako Kamado: Female, 7 years old.
Status: Dead, Human
Cod: Killed by Muzan, blunt force trauma from being stomped repeatedly. Hypothermia.
Shigeru Kamado: Male, 5 years old.
Status: Dead, Human
Cod: Killed by Muzan, bleeding out from a neck and face injury.
Rokuta Kamado: Male, 2 years old.
Status: Dead, Human
Cod: Strangulation by Muzan, Hypothermia.
Kibutsuji Muzan: Male, ~1000 years old
Status: Alive, Demon
Height: 5'11" (180cm)
Weight: 142Ibs
Abilities: Breathing Styles
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.