The Dancing Star
Chapter 6
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.
Urokodaki's POV
Mt. Sagiri. The homeplace of an individual, who lived by himself. He was a trainer of the water-breathing technique.
Giyu's formal trainer, he had since been living off on his own, retired as a trainer. However, there was a reason for this.
Most of the individuals Urokodaki trained never passed the Final Selection. That is if they managed to get through his ruthless training regime. For Urokodaki, these two individuals that Giyu had mentioned, it truly was nothing he thought of.
Though, the breathing technique the boy knew did intrigue Urokodaki to an extent. Regardless, he would make his assessments on the demon siblings when he met them himself. Giyu usually had a knack for predicting the true desires and motivations of others.
But even then, the idea was incredibly rare that it caused Urokodaki to wonder if a demon had done this to purposely make him lower his guard.
Regardless, the handwriting did look like Giyu's and thus he decided to trust his former student on this.
Therefore, if Giyu trusted the siblings, then so could he, to an extent.
When he walked down, after realizing the morning would approach within an hour, he decided to wait outside to make sure they were safe.
However, it seems that the scene he walked in on, was quite the conundrum.
There, there were two demons, a boy, and a girl, alongside another demon's body tied up inside the house. Of course, it would've been difficult for Urokodaki to see them, if it was not for the window that was shining directly on them.
"Seems they purposely tied the demon to be exposed through the window..." Urokodaki thought, "Pretty clever... But I must see these individuals."
Whatever intrigue Urokodaki had for the demon siblings, was immediately amplified by what one of them was doing, next.
The demon boy was eating the tied by the demon's body. And before Urokodaki knew it, the tied-up demon was no more.
"Is he... eating other demons?" Urokodaki asked himself, clearly surprised. Giyu did find a strange duo of demons.
Urokodaki had a strong sense of smell. It was almost superhuman, and with it, he was able to smell the emotions and true intentions of individuals.
And so, he would have to wait for the two demons to come out of the house. Of course, he was risking it by letting the demons come to him, but once again, his trust in Giyu was stronger.
Giyu may have been a man of very few words, but he was honest with the few words he spoke.
Immediately once he saw both of the demons, he could tell the emotions of both the boy and girl as they looked at the demon. The emotions of how they were feeling during the entire ordeal.
"They're too kind, and that will make them hesitate when slaying demons." Urokodaki quickly concluded and deciphered between the two." Though the boy seems to have some battling inside of him, he could tell that inherently, the boy was nice.
Urokodaki saw how they fought the demon. It was with hesitation, and even though the boy was a demon, he seemed to have been weak compared to even the demon he saw. And when smelling, the demon they fought was nowhere near the strongest that demons could be.
"With that being said, they will fight for their views and righteousness. Them struggling against a demon makes sense, but they will need some training to fight against them better." Urokodaki could notice, but he couldn't notice anything unusual with both.
While they both had their human-like traits, Urokodaki couldn't sense the unusual breathing technique the demon boy theoretically had. Perhaps it was during a stressful situation, Urokodaki was unsure. What Urokodaki did realize, was that the demon boy was hiding his demonic presence extraordinarily well.
If this boy was newly transformed and was this good at hiding it, he was only going to get better at hiding his demonic instincts and appearance as he lived.
What he did know, was that they both had already developed the basic knowledge of demons, as the boy had told him the specific ways demons could die. On the other hand, the boy had eaten the demon whole, managing to kill the demon right there and now. Even though they struggled, the result was interesting.
And Urokodaki was not going to let this opportunity pass by him. Not when they were so pure, even as demons so far. Even if the boy seemed to be struggling with some dark thoughts, he never let it out through his actions. Rather, his niceness was the only thing that showed.
As described by Giyu, the boy was thoughtful, and tactical when he needed to be. The girl seemed strong too, perhaps stronger physically than the boy, but she was just following orders, as if she was unable to dictate and tell her brother what she wanted, or at least she couldn't.
And that went well with what Giyu had said in her notes, in that the girl, Nezuko was unable to speak. She was effectively mute.
Almost immediately, however, both the boy and girl began to look around.
The boy began to sniff around before he turned and noticed Urokodaki staring at them from quite a distance. This made Urokodaki think the boy had a strong sense of smell like him, even as a human. However, Giyu had already confirmed this to him.
The girl was equally as impressive, as she was almost seeing Urokodaki, with the clear visual angle she was in. It seemed that Giyu was right with his honest description, with the demon boy being able to smell very well, no doubt even better due to being a demon.
"So, he is like me, with a strong sense of smell." Urokodaki thought as he concluded the phenomenon he observed.
"Where did the demon go?" Urokodaki asked loudly.
The demon boy, Tanjirou looked at him, "I ate him." Urokodaki could tell the boy was nervous about him, but even then, as shocking as it was, he was telling the truth. Meanwhile, Tanjirou could smell the power that radiated from Urokodaki.
For Urokodaki, the boy looked nothing like a demon. By all means, the one scar on his forehead could be seen as normal. The only hint of a demonic status were his eyes, being extraordinarily orange-reddish, with a piercing glare. Even then, some humans had eyes like that.
"Why did you eat the demon, exactly?" Urokodaki asked afterward, curious about the two's position they left the demon on, "Do you know how to kill demons?" He asked this as he walked down the hill to face the demons' face at an even elevated level.
Tanjirou nodded, "You kill demons either by some poison, decapitation or by the sun. We don't have the proper weapons to decapitate, so the sun is our best bet."
"But why did you eat the demon?" Urokodaki asked. It wasn't because he was against it, but rather he was curious.
Tanjirou seemed very conflicted about what he was about to say next, "I don't know, all I remember my mind telling me, is that if I wanted to beat the demon inside of me, I had to eat it entirely... I guess in my panic I let that get to me..."
Urokodaki looked impressed, "Regardless, you managed to kill the demon. Good job."
In addition to Tanjirou being able to eat demons, it also seemed Tanjirou knew enough about killing demons.
But not many people knew anything about demons. Whilst Urokodaki would assume that both of them would know since they both were demons, if Giyu's analysis was correct, it would've been only under a day since the two become demons, meaning they wouldn't have been able to get the experience then.
That meant that these two must have had connections to demon slaying.
"And how do you know this?" Urokodaki asked.
Tanjirou sighed, "A friend whose family was killed by demons told me. And I guess... Now ours were..."
At this, Urokodaki looked more confused. It seemed that his thoughts about them having connections to demon-slaying was exaggerated... Instead, they were probably the few groups of people who believed what some people told them.
"Very well, but what if the demon may be able to escape?" Urokodaki asked. Tanjirou shook his head in response.
"We could have just let the sun do the job, I'm not sure exactly... We don't have those blades to properly kill them," Tanjirou explained. "The demon's head is facing East tied to a tree, and the sun should come up soon, burning him dead." Tanjirou was confident that he and Nezuko had managed to deal with this demon but was still showing some hesitance due to Urokodaki's strength.
Urokodaki looked a bit unsure, but knowing both the demons in front of him running the risk of also being burned up, he decided to take them in. It was notable if Giyu spared these demons, for Giyu held a firm stance on slaying demons.
"Very well, let me set you up in my house," Urokodaki told the two at last before he began to walk off, with Tanjirou and Nezuko following behind him.
The sun would be up in around half an hour, and thankfully they were close enough to his house, so he merely brought them up.
"So, what will you do if you both eventually fall to your desires?" Urokodaki asked the two.
"Our desires? What do you mean eventually?" Tanjirou asked, clearly defensive regarding the topic.
"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!"
"You know what I mean," Urokodaki responded.
"Well don't say eventually, because we won't," Tanjirou remarked, holding his grasp firm.
"Is that so?" Urokodaki asked. "How will you survive with energy then? Demons only need human blood and fresh to do everything. If you did that, you have no way of getting energy. The more energy you use, the more you will want for human meat."
Tanjirou, himself was unsure about it, and Urokodaki could sense it. He was then slapped by Urokodaki, before repeating the question. "Answer quickly! Don't show hesitation!"
"I'll find a way! Nezuko and I just became demons not even two days ago, we're trying so hard right now, and we've managed to go this far!" Tanjirou exclaimed after the second time getting slapped, as he was eyeing Urokodaki with a determined look, despite the slap he received. However, Urokodaki could smell a bit of fear spiking in Tanjirou when he slapped him.
"Seems he has a good reaction to being hit... And with those determined eyes... Regardless, that won't be enough to make you progress through the world..." Urokodaki thought.
"And how can I be sure you won't try in the future?" Urokodaki asked, grilling Tanjirou who was feeling the pressure.
Tanjirou stammered, looking towards Nezuko, "We both cannot think of leaving each other behind."
"Elaborate," Urokodaki responded. He could smell the determined nature in Tanjirou, however, he needed confirmation from Tanjirou's own words, himself.
"If one of us goes down that path, then we leave each other behind, which is something neither of us thinks we can do," Tanjirou explained. Urokodaki raised an eyebrow at that.
"Hmm, so if one of you goes down that path, then what will you do?" Urokodaki asked. Unlike before, Urokodaki began to grill Tanjirou about this. He needed to see if Tanjirou was certain about their fates, and the potential of the two to go down terrible routes. Both his, and Giyu's very own life depended on these two demons.
"I…" Tanjirou's mind raced as he considered Urokodaki's slap, "I'd kill myself." Tanjirou responded. It was somewhat true, considering he had done all of this so far for his sister.
It wasn't something Tanjirou didn't need to think about. If hypothetically, Nezuko went down that path, then it meant that he failed, and thus he would have to atone for his failures in moving his remaining family on the right path.
Urokodaki smiled behind his mask. "He must think highly and confidently that both he and his sister will never eat humans for him to think of that punishment. Very well, Tanjirou, I'll believe you, for now."
As Urokodaki led them into his house and gave them a room to sit on, he quickly began to cover the window with more wood, so that the sun's rays wouldn't reflect and land on the demons. The last thing he needed to do was tell Giyu that both demons he found were dead.
Once Urokodaki finished, he decided to go back to the area where they tied up the demon. As what he expected, but was a bit skeptical, the demon had indeed burned from the sun's rise.
Urokodaki merely shrugged, knowing that at least that was taken care of. Heading back, to then check up on the two demons he was to train with time.
"Seems these two may have some sort of potential, it seems." Urokodaki thought to himself. "Even if the two weren't demons, they would have alone been remarkable demon slayers..."
Once he approached his house, he could smell both demons. This makes sense due to the sun now being out.
Upon entering the house, what he was shocked about, was to see both Tanjirou and Nezuko sleeping.
"Well, that's new." Was all Urokodaki could mumble and comment on, as he had never seen demons fall asleep before. "I don't think I've ever seen demons sleep before... I guess they are restoring their energy..."
For now, Urokodaki decided to let them rest. Considering the routine they would have tonight, it made sense for them to get the rest they need. Especially since they are demons, and therefore will be trained harder to compensate for their advantage.
As Urokodaki prepared for everything, he knew he had to add to likely stuff to make sure they wouldn't be able to detect his traps. If the boy's sense of smell was as good as his own, then he would have an advantage. The girl, herself, whilst doesn't have the same sense of smell as her brother, clearly made up for that in her other senses, as she seemed to have spotted Urokodaki before Tanjirou, who had to smell the air before he managed to spot him.
He had to amplify the difficulty of his tests to match the handicap these two demons might have.
But then again, was he supposed to be doing this? To train these demons to slay other demons?
The only reason he was thinking of training them, was simply because of the breathing technique that Tanjirou was doing.
As a result, he spent the entire time making the worst of the worst traps that he could. He also decided to surround it with candles and incense to prevent Tanjirou from smelling any potential dangers.
Regardless of their demonic nature, he would make it as difficult as possible. Even surpassing the difficulty that Sabito underwent when he was being trained Urokodaki, Tanjirou, and Nezuko were about to go through hell.
And so, once the sun set, Urokodaki immediately woke up the two demon siblings.
"Wake up." Urokodaki immediately began to try and get the two demons up. Tanjirou grumbled in tiredness, whilst Nezuko woke up, not making a noise, to no one's surprise.
"W-What…" Tanjirou mumbled before he noticed Urokodaki's mask staring him down.
"Both your and Nezuko's test starts now," Urokodaki told the two before he walked out. He could hear the footsteps of the two siblings trying to catch up to him, as he made his way down the mountain.
"W-What test?" Tanjirou asked.
"Your test to begin the communication of becoming official demon slayers," Urokodaki revealed.
"Wait, what?" Tanjirou asked, "But if we're demons, why train us?"
Urokodaki looked very pensive, at least underneath his mask, "Let's just say, like Giyu, I have my hunch about both of your potential."
"Normally, I would let my subordinates, descent to the house on the foot of the mountain before sunrise, but for the both of you, I've realized you both can probably notice the pathway back up," Urokodaki explained, as he was beginning to let these two go down the mountain, and then back up.
"And so, I've tweaked the mountain around to make it match your level of difficulty." Urokodaki explained, "I'll hopefully see you before sunrise. This is perhaps the most difficult form of my tests any student of mine has ever faced." Urokodaki warned, which caused Tanjirou to become nervous.
"Is Nezuko going to come with me?" Tanjirou asked.
Urokodaki decided before he nodded. "If she wants to."
Tanjirou looked at Nezuko, who at first seemed rather out of it mentally before she nodded. "Hm!"
That surprised both of them, for it was the first kind of noise she had willingly made.
With that, Urokodaki left, leaving Tanjirou and Nezuko alone to solve the puzzle on their own. To make the starting phase of their training equally as difficult for his other students, Urokodaki made sure to add some more severe punishment in his traps.
Whilst it may be brutal, it was necessary, and with the thin air that they were on due to the mountain, it made sense for them to struggle.
And so, Urokodaki waited for the two. He continued with his life as if nothing was different. Almost as if he had never met the two demon siblings, as he was debating on whether the two would be worth it.
Was it worth training demons to slay other demons?
Urokodaki wasn't sure, but if Giyu, out of all people was fine with it, then he too was fine with it.
"These two students, besides what Giyu had mentioned, don't seem to be extraordinary. They seem above average at best, and that may be due to their demonic nature only." Urokodaki thought. "Besides the breathing style, what does Giyu see in them?"
The only student, from experience who had finished the quickest, was Sabito, who finished a whopping 7 hours after the starting training.
Sabito was first by quite a margin. The only few individuals who had managed to properly succeed barely passed, just before the sun came back up.
Unfortunately for Urokodaki, the two demons failed the mission. Tanjirou and Nezuko came back the next night, after daytime, where they revealed they found some caves and thick trees that allowed them to survive the daytime. However, they still failed to make it up the mountain before sunrise...
"You two failed." Urokodaki bluntly told the two, a sense of disappointment spreading across his body. "I would just let you both wander off, telling you two to live a normal life, however, both of your demonic nature means I have no choice but to watch over you until Giyu informs the Master about you two."
Tanjirou and Nezuko both gulped, as they were nervous about the term Master.
From what they imagined, their master could be a very strict kind of individual. If that were the case, the two could probably die soon.
And so, their needing to pass Urokodaki's test was something they had to do.
The result was that Urokodaki would make them go back down to try and get back up the mountain before sunrise. Usually, this gave them a 12-hour time period.
All he could ask, as he watched the figures of both Tanjirou and Nezuko go down the mountain for the third time, was, "Why… Why these two…"
The next day, they failed again, they panted, having been tired. They weren't even managing to complete it properly for a day, considering they had to hide from the sunlight.
"If you two cannot complete my tests, then I will have no choice but to kill the two of you." Urokodaki threatened, which caused both Tanjirou and Nezuko to flinch.
"B-But sir-" Tanjirou mumbled.
"No buts. You two are demons. You two have the advantage, and even if I increased the difficulty of my tests for the both of you, that doesn't mean it is harder for you compared to the other students I've trained." Urokodaki told the two before he went back into the house. "You better complete this test soon, or else I cannot help you, in the event a demon slayer tries to kill you."
This caused both of them to sigh, as Urokodaki looked onward.
As he went back, observing the two demons deciding to go to sleep, Urokodaki instead went around the back of the house.
It was here did he see something that made him a bit conflicted.
A bottle of alcohol.
Urokodaki wasn't the type to drink. He hadn't touched one for quite the years.
The most recent time he did, this was when he was training Giyu and Sabito...
"Urokodaki! When are we going to Final Selection?" Urokodaki looked onward to see his two children, and students, specifically a young Sabito and Giyu practicing and sparring with each other, preparing for the Final Selection.
"You both will be going in 2 weeks," Urokodaki told his students, as while he did want to smile, he, unfortunately, couldn't.
The reason for this was because of the other students he lost. In total, before the two of them, he had 14 other students.
And unfortunately, all of them were dead.
One of them, Sabito and Giyu knew. One year after he took Makomo in to train her, Sabito entered the field, and he too was being trained to fight for the Final Selection.
Then, a couple of weeks after that, Urokodaki found a near-dead Giyu covered in a couple of feet of snow.
And so, Urokodaki continued to train them. These three students worked well together. They were working together, and managing to complement and have a strong friendship.
Urokodaki was especially happy to see that Giyu was getting along with the two very well. It wasn't a matter of favoritism, but rather one of gratitude.
Urokodaki was just glad his students were able to get along and progress well. In the entire scene, it made him optimistic, that these three could potentially survive, and become strong demon slayers.
For he couldn't handle losing 3 more students. He already lost 13 students, which he might as well thought of as his children.
Each of them had their own story. Each of them had a unique personality...
Each of them made Urokodaki feel like he was a parent... It was times like these that made Urokodaki no longer feel guilty.
Urokodaki remembers when Makomo was about to go to Final Selection. He had given her a warding mask, clearly hoping Makomo would live, and pass Final Selection.
Imagine his, Giyu, and Sabito's surprise when Makomo never returned...
Sabito cried, and Giyu could only stare in shock.
And even though Urokodaki wore a mask, he was the one who was crying silently.
"How many students, or children must I lose... Why must I suffer the loss of children, at the hands of demons...?" Urokodaki cried to himself when he was alone.
He didn't have to feel strong when he was alone, especially when Giyu was trying to comfort Sabito, even when Urokodaki was also crying, he was merely alone and allowed to indulge in his guilt and sadness.
This was the 13th student and child he had unfortunately lost... And it was the same towards the Final Selection.
All the while Giyu and Sabito were comforting each other, Urokodaki picked up a bottle of alcohol and drank himself to sleep.
When Giyu and Sabito were about to head off to the Final Selection, Urokodaki had a bad feeling. A terrible feeling at what was to come.
Of the past 13 students he sent to Final Selection, none of them survived. Just how was Urokodaki supposed to feel at ease when it came to these two?
Giyu and Sabito, he wondered if they would be batch to survive this time.
He hoped they could.
But alas, he hoped for the other students he trained and sent off.
And in the end, they all passed. Never coming back to his home...
And in all of those instances, Urokodaki drank himself, not wanting to face the reality of the individual students and children that have been taken away.
He knew that this was unfortunately normal.
Too many times, were a human's family killed by a demon, which caused the remaining family member to seek revenge and want to kill as many demons as possible.
In the end, it was a cycle.
For many, Urokodaki was just another case of a teacher sending his students off to war.
After all, the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps was the same.
They all sent their students and children off, with the potential of passing into action.
Being killed in action...
Just like war...
It changed people.
Even for those who didn't directly face the battlefield, the deaths of an individual affected a network of people they were connected to.
Urokodaki lost so many children, that he wondered if he was the lucky one to survive after everything.
He was a former Hashira, and yet he was unable to let his students complete the Final Selection...
He was pitiful, and shameful as a Hashira if he couldn't find a worthy successor...
It came to a point that Urokodaki began to drink himself as his students were in Final Selection.
The idea was to hopefully forget about everything, as he was too fearful in finding out if they would survive this time or not.
In the end, Urokodaki had no idea of how to cope. He had to undergo this 13 times already, and even if he tried something different, it all ended the same...
And so, as Urokodaki send Giyu and Sabito off, their masks accompanying them, Urokodaki did what he told himself he wouldn't do.
And that drank himself. Of course, he did it.
He fell asleep and wished his nightmare was over, but even in his sleep, he would deal with alcohol-induced nightmares.
It was a lose-lose situation, and he didn't exactly know how to respond.
In the end, he decided to get out of the house and do some simple things to get his mind off of the stress of his students, instead of wanting to get off of potentially becoming an alcoholic.
It was a tragedy that he already knew a fellow Hashira who was also becoming an alcoholic...
If Urokodaki didn't want to find himself in that position, then he had to act now.
And so, that was what he did.
Over the seven days, he had found countless acts that helped him forget about the stress he had waiting for him.
And then, that fateful day occurred.
The seven-day mark since he sent Giyu and Sabito off to Final Selection. And he was anticipating, anxious, and paranoid.
He was hoping by some miracle, that they both survived... Even if one of them survived, then perhaps that was fine too, but he just didn't want to lose any more children.
In the end...
Only Giyu returned.
And Sabito didn't.
When Urokodaki noticed this, Giyu was clearly in a tense mood, as he was already saddened by the death of Sabito.
And it was here did Urokodaki realize, that now he had to be the role model...
Not when Giyu was also suffering. The poor child had just been saved and made a friend, who was now dead.
A child had just lost their best friend and was now suffering. Urokodaki was an adult and should have been one right now.
He had to help Giyu mourn over Sabito but also get him back on his feet.
In the end, Giyu was the only student, to have passed the Final Selection.
And while Urokodaki wishes he could've been happy that at least one of his students passed, he wished he could have done something to save his other students.
"Giyu..." Urokodaki tried to ask Giyu, only to get a faded stare back.
It was a stared Urokodaki knew of. It was the same one he had when he was lost over the loss of his students.
And how could he critique Giyu? All he could do was try and help Giyu manage the loss. That didn't mean Giyu would recover... He probably never would.
It was the sad reality of war... Some scars, one way or another, would just never fade or recover fully.
Especially not when every student, every child, and every individual Urokodaki trained had their own story, their name, and their own life that they had ahead of them. Even if they seemed to be the only ones left, they were only getting started in their experience as demon slayers.
To have it all taken away before they could even grow and mature over their past skills, and become stronger, they were gone.
Taken away before their prime.
And Urokodaki hated that. He hated how potential was lost. So much potential that the demon slayer corps needed.
There was a time when Urokodaki didn't want to send any of them to the Final Selection, considering how much he's lost, but he had to follow the protocol.
Even though now, he no longer was, harboring demons, he hoped Giyu had already informed the Master.
"Giyu, you must be hungry, I'm going to cook you some dinner, get a nice shower as well, to clean your mind as well." Urokodaki softly spoke to Giyu, who only nodded.
Giyu got up and went to shower.
When Giyu finally came down, after Urokodaki had to fetch him from the room, he tried to get the boy to talk, but when he tried to get Giyu to reveal what happened, all he could say was, "It's all my fault... I was so weak... Sabito had to save me..."
What made this even more shocking and saddening for Urokodaki and Giyu, was that Sabito was the only causality from that Final Selection.
"What did the demon look like?" Urokodaki asked.
"I grotesque, green, hand demon," Giyu responded numbly as he hate his food, undoubtedly cursing himself. Urokodaki knew exactly what Giyu was feeling because he too was going through it.
But alas, he wasn't going to be quick to assume stuff when it came to the thoughts of others.
Almost immediately, Urokodaki began to remember the names, stories, and personalities of all the demon slayers he trained.
Of the 14 children and students, he lost the Final Selection.
Fujita Kiyoshi.
The first of his students. He was an energetic and outgoing individual who loved to chop wood. He was from a family surviving in the woods. He grew up with his parents and younger sister. He was a child in a family of four.
However, a demon attacked causing him to be the only one to remain.
Needless to say, he was both angry and sad.
He sought revenge, wanting t kill demons.
The once nice individual was corrupted by the experience and trauma he had undergone.
He was sent to Urokodaki to train, as his mind was clearly in the field of demon slaying.
Urokodaki taught him everything he had. To Urokodaki, this would be his chosen successor.
That was, until the Final Selection. Urokodaki gave him a warding mask.
However, seven days later, he never returned...
He had been killed in the Final Selection.
Suda Hiro.
She was a nice girl. A nice individual who pitied everyone in life. She had an extraordinary sense of being able to tell how people were feeling and their emotions.
He was unsure if it was because she had a strong sense of smell or not, but Urokodaki was intrigued by her sense of morals.
She didn't become a demon slayer through tragedy, but rather through loneliness.
She had been split apart from her family after a divorce, which was followed by her sole caretaker passing due to an illness.
With nothing left, she merely found her way to Urokodaki. She too was trained like Fujita. She was optimistic, and determined to complete what she started.
She had a strong sense of morals, which helped her to complete his test.
Then, the Final Selection came, and Suda was on her way.
Giving her the warding mask, she waved a cheerful bye, and a "See you later!"
That was the last time he saw her.
Once again, Urokodaki had lost another individual, another child. By that time, Urokodaki hoped his next student wouldn't have to suffer.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Kawahara Shizuka.
His third student. She was incredibly soft-spoken and quiet. She seemed to be one of few words due to her personality.
She didn't like to speak a lot in front of people.
For a while, she was amongst the hardest students of Urokodaki to train at the time. In the end, she was a strong-willed girl, for she was incredibly secretive about her personal life.
However, when she didn't return from Final Selection, her little sister approached Urokodaki.
In that, she revealed Kawahara was a dying individual. She had contracted a blood disease that was cursing her throughout her life.
She revealed she was always weak, always sick, and never able to escape her bed.
Urokodaki did remember the times Kawahara would be resting for long periods.
Urokodaki was told that her condition had gotten better, but because Kawahara knew her life was shorter than it should be, she risked her life in demon slaying, since she had nothing else to lose. Her younger sister was the only family she had left because they were raised without a home.
Urokodaki cried after hearing that story, and it was the first time he had begun to drink alcohol as a means to cope.
He could believe and imagine the suffering his latest student had gone through while going through his training.
It was there when he began to look out for his students' health afterward. He wouldn't let another one of his children suffer a long and inevitable death as Kawahara had.
Tajima Kou.
His fourth student...
He was someone who had undergone many tragedies.
First, his mother died giving birth to him, causing him to be hated by his father.
Immediately upon birth, he was alone, and struggling to survive. That was when he was sent to be raised by a monk. However, even then, he did not have the best life. He did describe the monk as very kind, however.
In the end, he was a strong individual, who radiated joy despite his past. It was somewhat shocking.
He was abandoned and hated by his father, to live in an orphanage. He couldn't necessarily try and tell him how to act.
All he did was teach him how to train.
In the end, once Urokodaki gave him a warding mask, he smiled genuinely... The first and final smile he had ever seen from Tajima.
Nakano Yuki.
His fifth student.
He was by contrast a very serious and cold individual. If Urokodaki was to compare him and Giyu to openness, Nakano would score lower.
Whereas Giyu was more nervous and quieter, Nakano was outright denying to those trying to get close to him.
All Urokodaki knew about him was that his family died due to a demon, and in the end, he wanted to become a demon slayer to avenge them. It was something not known to Urokodaki, considering demon slayers were usually built from revenge and hatred for demons.
In the end, Nakano too was another victim of the Final Selection. It was incredibly tragic, and with nothing else Urokodaki could do, having no students of his return, he drank himself yet again, out of despair.
It was at this point did he realize; he must have been cursed, with the number of his children who have died.
"Am I not a good teacher...?" Urokodaki didn't know there was a specific demon in the Final Selection that openly targeted the students of Urokodaki.
Hayashi Kin.
The sixth student.
Urokodaki at this point was wanting his children to succeed and beat the Final Selection.
And so, that was when he began to develop a stronger, more ruthless training regimen. It wasn't something he wanted to do, considering how much he had lost, he had to adapt and make sure his students were properly adapted to fighting Final Selection.
This included going up his mountain to survive the natural wilderness.
It also made him change the goal of the Final Selection.
He now prioritized survival over slaying as many demons as possible. It was a change that Urokodaki regretted taking, but if it was something that would improve their chances of survival, then he would gladly continue it.
Of course, he had many students who came to him wanting to be trained in demon slaying. However, for the sake of his new training test, many of them were intimidated by that alone to find another teacher.
Those who tried failed usually and continued to fail until they gave up.
Hayashi was his first successful student.
He was unfortunately in an orphanage and forced to run away from a demon attack. He eventually was sent to Urokodaki since his stamina was very strong.
And so, he trained him immensely. He trained him as hard as he could. He did everything, as he even told them to properly fix their breathing.
In the end, Hayashi managed to properly complete it and go to Final Selection.
Urokodaki help stressed out, as he was giving Hayashi his warding mask.
Once Hayashi left, Urokodaki was tense for seven days,
Even before the seventh day, Urokodaki was already drinking, clearly assuming the worst.
In the end, his assumptions were true.
Hayashi did not return.
Another one of Urokodaki's students did not pass.
Another one of Urokodaki's students passed the Final Selection.
Once again, he had failed his students…
And Urokdaki drinks himself to sleep.
He was incredibly pissed but also guilty about everything.
Otani Shinju.
His seventh student.
This was his other student who passed, who was ironically alongside Hayashi. She was a year younger than him, but also was an orphanage, clearly managing to go alongside him.
Otani, by contrast, was more open, and more outgoing. She was a happy soul…
Alas, she too was a bit of a troublemaker when it came to learning and training.
She didn't take it seriously, considering she was somewhat young.
However, when Hayashi died in the Final Selection, Otani suddenly changed.
She became more serious, colder, and less outgoing. She had lost her smile after the death of her close friend.
In the end, Otani too ended up dying in the Final Selection. This was one year after the death of Hayashi…
In the meantime, Urokodaki once again had to mourn. He was getting older, and he was unable to find a proper successor for Water Breathing.
To make matters worse, Urokodaki continued to become more guilty, and with that came more drinking.
In the end, Urokodaki wanted to give up after the deaths of the duo. He had to continue regardless of the tragedies.
He had to become stronger, a better teacher, so that he would no longer fail his students once again.
He made his training even harder. He became more ruthless with his students. Of course, this made many other students run away, and those that passed were badly scarred but stronger…
It was almost as if Urokodaki had become a changed man as well. Even though he was older, he was still human and dynamic.
He was still learning, and even in the event of him losing his children, he was, unfortunately, still suffering.
Growing up was not always a good thing, and Urokodaki was learning that even being a teacher and watching your student go on and live their short-lived life was stress-inducing.
You would think they were no longer your worry, but they still would be, for the impact they leave on you would never leave.
And so, as Urokodaki stacked the amount of dead and lost students he had, the more he changed… Both for the better, and worse.
Once again he made his obstacles much more intensive. More brutal, more threatening. He wanted to make sure that whoever was wanting to become his student would be adaptable, and prepared to fight whatever was killing his students down in the Final Selection.
And that was when Kurokawa Aimi joined. His eight students.
She was someone whom Urokodaki enjoyed being around. She had an infectious aura around her that made everyone smile. She was always smiling, and always caring.
Even if Urokodaki was the one to care for his students, Kurokawa was no slouch in the protectiveness and caring field.
And perhaps those exact traits may have caused her death in the Final Selection.
Urokodaki remembered the revelation and confirmation of her death in the Final Selection.
Instead of she coming back, a roughed-up demon slayer did.
"Who are you?" Urokodaki asked.
"****** ranked Mizunoto. I was amongst the demon slayers within the Final Selection this year." The demon slayer revealed. This made Urokodaki very tense, especially since he was returning to him.
"Why is this demon slayer coming to me having completed the final selection?" He thought/
That was until he brought out a warding mask.
"Was your student's name Kurokawa Aimi?" The demon slayer asked.
Urokodaki nodded, a bit of a bad sense was tingling, and he prepared himself for what was to come.
"Your student saved my life against a giant, grotesque, green-hand demon… But in the process… She got herself killed… I had to hear her last words… Please give him back his warding mask…" The demon slayer then picked out a warding mask from his pocket.
Urokodaki gasped. It was the same one he gave to Kurokawa…
He had just lost another student… Another demon slayer… Gone before they could properly develop…
Why…
Urokodaki merely nodded, thanking the demon slayer, wishing him luck on his new journey, before he went back inside, and opened up his number 1 trauma juice, alcohol.
He couldn't believe that another one of his students was gone, and this was a student he got close to, as the girl was infectious in her smiling… She was not nice, and a breath of fresh air. Urokodaki would miss her alongside the rest of his students…
Eguchi Minori.
His ninth student.
Another student who had undergone a tragedy, and was brought to him as a result of shared connections. The kid was insecure about his face, so he loved to wear a mask…
The kid was always hiding something, even lying about his identity…
In the end, he was a mask of Eguchi or truth…
He always portrayed himself as a timid, yet morally strong boy. However, he was confident…
His confidence caused him to accidentally get himself into a tricky situation with a demon. His guardians were the ones to save him, but they died in the process,
No doubt was Eguchi suppressing his confidence, due to the immense guilt he had for the demon-killing his parents… The very demon he picked a fight with openly…
And not, he was unsure if he deserved to be strong after that.
Urokodaki did his best to maneuver the kid past his trauma and guilt, but once again, the kid was a mask of the truth.
In the end, the kid did not stand a chance in the Final Selection…
Even he knew it. He was too timid now.
However, when the Final Selection ended, Urokodaki got the news from another demon slayer, that he protected her from the same demon.
The same hand demon…
That demon sounded familiar to Urokodaki.
And that was when he realized.
The hand demon was the exact one he had defeated, and trapped into the Final Selection all those years ago, when he was still the Water Hashira.
Almost immediately, Urokodaki went back to drinking, to cope with the revelation, for that was more painful than learning his children were dying.
His children, and students, were dying because he was being targeted by the very demon that he trapped. No doubt because of a grudge…
Kase Hisoka.
His tenth student.
He was very reserved, and very quiet, but bold in his actions. He radiated power, and when he completed Urokodaki's training with a few tries, Urokodaki saw him with hope.
Maybe he was the one who would be able to defeat that demon and survive the Final Selection. Maybe he was the successor for Water Breathing.
Kase lived in Asakusa, where he was the only child in a family. His mother had given birth to him with complications, and although she was alive, she couldn't have any more children.
Then, his mom was severely injured, with degenerating neurons, causing her tremendous pain. In the end, he began to work odd jobs around the city to gain money to hopefully gather treatment. In the end, it was futile, and her mom was dead in front of him on the bathroom floor.
Kase was devastated, and the sight caused him to become mute for some time. His father was supportive, but he was working himself hard until he collapsed from overexertion.
In the end, Kase abandoned the city and found the woods and mountains. He had no meaning left of life, in his mind, and so he took the idea of demon slaying, since he didn't care if he died or not.
He just wanted to be supported until his death.
And that's what happened.
Urokodaki trained him, fed him, and made sure he was healthy. Of course, he also overworked Kase, to the brink of over-exhaustion. Even if Urokodaki was kind, that didn't mean he would work them hard.
He would do whatever he needed to do.
And when the Final Selection began, Kase charged right into the forest, ready to take on whatever came at him.
It proved too much, and he too died… Probably to the same demon…
Urokodaki was devastated yet again, but he held himself high. He didn't drink that time, as he was trying his hardest to find other ways to cope. In the end, he merely chopped wood to get his hidden frustration out of him.
Then came Yoshimura Kenta. His eleventh student. Unlike the others, Yoshimura was a powerful individual.
He stood over 6'3" tall, and he wasn't even sixteen. This kid was powerful and wanted to learn water breathing. He was so powerful he beat up some kids in his school. He was an isolated individual regardless, and he was only really accepted potentially into the demon slayer corps.
That was enough to make Urokodaki hopeful.
This individual thought he was great and full of life. It reminded Urokodaki of the Flame Hashira in his time, with how open to the life he was.
Regardless, Urokodaki took him in, and all he remembered about this student, was how much of a glutton he was.
The kid loved to eat, and that was apparent, considering his still-growing body.
He learned water breathing with ease, and passed his tests relatively easier than the others, but still wasn't the best. He was the best in pure strength, but he couldn't utilize it to the greatest potential possible.
In the end, Yoshimura was prepared after 3 years to go to the Final Selection. The kid was now an adult and was towering over Urokodaki.
He hoped that Yoshimura would return from the final selection, but unfortunately, he didn't.
That was the end of Yoshimura's story.
Student number twelve…
Konishi Katsumi.
Perhaps the individual amongst Urokodaki's group with the most tragic backstory.
The kid was abused by a poor family that he learned he was not related to. Apparently, as a kid, he was bought by the family with the intended purpose to become a slave. That meant immediately being raised, he was pulling manual labor and the like.
If he didn't want to, he was abused ruthlessly. He was also starved, and mentally unstable.
He had tried to find his biological family, only to learn that he was an unplanned pregnancy. The family only wanted a girl and a boy, and he was the unplanned third pregnancy.
Because they were short on money at the time, they sold him off to slavery…
Konishi was so angry that he killed his own family…
He couldn't remember what happened, but he saw red, and the next thing he knew, his entire family was dead.
To some amazing twist of fate, many thought a demon killed his family.
Therefore, Konishi was sent to live with Urokodaki.
However, he held the guilt of killing people beforehand. He had never wanted to kill anyone… He only wanted to see and gather intel about his life.
When he was told how useless and easily dispensable he was to his family, he snapped, and couldn't remain near them, even though they trapped him and kept berating him.
That caused Konishi to bluntly punch his father on the head until he was no longer breathing.
The result was that Konishi no longer did anything on his own.
He always asked for permission to do anything.
To eat, to rest, to train more, even to go swimming or the smallest of things. Konishi was a restrained individual who no longer did things on his own, as he feared hurting others badly if he let himself go unrestrained.
He placed a metaphorical chain on him, rather than the chains he would have been in if not for the suspects of demons being responsible.
It took Urokodaki time for Konishi to open up. But even then, he was still restrained and only started training on his own.
Urokodaki knew he had talent and a burning sense of making those around him proud.
And so, when he went through the Final Selection arc and didn't come back, Urokodaki mourned the death of the boy. The poor boy had so much guilt and to die with that guild must have been tragic…
Urokodaki would never find students like them ever again…
That was until Makomo, Sabito, and Giyu call came into the picture.
Makomo came first, having been orphaned by their families, due to reasons unknown. She was incredibly young at the time, and almost immediately, she showed interest in the wooden swords Urokodaki had.
She was quiet, and kind of dreamy. She seemed to have a bit of interest in ghosts, with her even claiming she could sense a lot of ghosts around Urokodaki.
Whether those ghosts were of the fallen students of his or not, he didn't want to think about it.
Nonetheless, Urokodaki began to train Makomo, who completed the test on her third try.
Six months later, Sabito came.
He was the opposite of Makomo, but also similar in his upbringing.
He too was orphaned, for reasons unknown. But he had a more strict personality, which collided with Makomo's very relaxed, almost dream-like state.
Sabito soon took on the sword as well, clearly wanting to compete with Makomo.
He had a playful attitude, that was rather competitive compared to Makomo, but the two got along relatively well.
Then, Giyu Tomioka came into the fray.
Around a year after Makomo started her training and six months after Sabito, Urokodaki found a nearly dead Giyu, covered in a blanket of snow around him.
He quickly picked up the boy and nursed him back to health.
The boy was in terrible condition. He was malnourished, frozen, and in a state of trauma. Urokodaki didn't want to imagine what Giyu had gone through.
Alas, he did. And he was appalled at what the poor boy had gone through during the limited years he lived so far.
Thankfully, Makomo and Sabito helped Urokodaki take care of Giyu. Giyu was perhaps a traumatized kid, who went through a lot. Urokodaki saw it. The kid's eyes were always aware yet in a daze.
Whatever Giyu was going through, Urokodaki knew it was incredibly traumatic for the young boy.
But thankfully, Sabito and Makomo got close to Giyu, and with Urokodaki, they helped the boy feel at home.
Made him feel like a family again.
There were times when Giyu even called Makomo and Sabito his motherly and fatherly figures, with Urokodaki more of a pop figure. This caused Urokodaki to chuckle at ease at how normal this felt, whilst Sabito and Makomo both blushed.
"WHY WOULD I BE A FAMILY WITH HER?" Sabito yelled, denying the idea of him and Makomo being together.
"Aww, then why is your face so red? Have you perhaps seen your ghost in my reflection?" Makomo asked back, smiling.
Sabito cursed, "Damn you…"
Urokodaki was laughing at how normal everything was.
Giyu felt like he had family and friends yet again. The very thing he was missing.
And as Urokodaki trained the three. He learned the three were perhaps the most skilled of the bunch he had.
Sabito became his only student to complete his training entrance the first time, while for Giyu, it also took him three times like Makomo.
The three began to train, laughing, and talking, like normal kids.
It made Urokodaki feel like a parent, and he was at ease with that.
Even if the peril of Final Selection was approaching, he felt optimistic that these three could survive.
Because Makomo was trained before Sabito and Giyu, she was the first to go to the Final Selection. Giyu and Sabito wished her goodbye, with Makomo smiling that she would see the three of them again.
How unfortunate were the times…
Makomo never returned, and Urokodaki had to be the one to break the news that Makomo was no more…
It devastated Sabito, and Giyu could only look down in shock. Another one of his friends, or family killed by demons…
Just how was Urokodaki going to help his children, when he couldn't even help himself?
And so, Urokodaki trained the two even harder.
He had to make sure these two survived.
He did everything.
He trained them to the bone.
He made them run in the forest.
He made them swim against the current.
He did everything, with the hope of them surviving.
And so, when the two left, Urokodaki prayed that they would survive…
In the end, only Giyu returned, a shattered look on his face, as he returned with two warding masks, his and Sabito's, and the remains of Sabito's haori…
Urokodaki was devastated to have lost another one of his students, but at the very least, one of his students had finally survived…
Giyu Tomioka had survived… Shattered and mentally shot, but fine.
Urokodaki cried as he picked up Giyu, who also cried at the loss of Sabito.
Urokodaki knew that even if he had to mourn the death of Sabito, Makomo, and his other students, he had to be there for Giyu.
Giyu was no doubt devastated. He had just found another family to be around, and it was now being taken away from him.
To Giyu, he had lost everything.
And so, despite Urokodaki also wanting to mourn, he knew he had to help Giyu, who was spiraling into a depressive guilt-stricken state.
Even when Urokodaki tried to help Giyu, he couldn't get rid of everything Giyu did.
When Urokodaki started seeing Giyu start to bleed on his arms and thighs, Urokodaki did his best to remove everything sharp around his house.
Alas, Giyu found more. It came to a point that Urokodaki sent Giyu off early to fight demons. To find a purpose in his life. To perhaps heal and find someone who could help him, just like how he found Sabito and Makomo.
All the while, Urokodaki felt like he failed all of his students, including Sabito, Makomo, and Giyu.
As Urokodaki saw the two demon siblings go down the mountain for the second time, all he could do was hope they failed.
He wanted them to fail, for he didn't want the risk of losing more students.
That's why he went over the limits this time.
This time, he made it so that no human, not even he could pass. They would be hurt so badly that they would cry in agony, in despair, and hopelessness.
There would be nothing they could do to stop the onslaught of injuries they would receive.
The reason? It was simple.
Urokodaki didn't want to train any more students, out of fear of losing them again.
Coupled with the fact that the two were demons, even if the brother seemed a bit strange…
He could only hope the two failed and perhaps found a way to live.
But that's the other issue…
Tanjirou Kamado and Nezuko Kamado were both demons… There would be no way for them to live a normal life ever again…
They would be stuck until nighttime, encountering demons and demon slayers.
They would be hated for their status, by both sides.
Demons would hate them for not wanting to indulge in eating humans, if anything Tanjirou seemed to rather eat demon flesh instead.
Demon slayers would hate them because both were demons.
They were in the middle of the spectrum, accepted by none, hated by all, for they didn't agree on the middle ground.
Tanjirou and Nezuko had a difficult road ahead of them, and Urokodaki was unsure if he wanted them to take this route.
However, even though he knew that this was the only choice he had to give them the closest thing to a normal life.
Urokodaki was strict, but kind.
He was wise and experienced, and he could see that the two siblings have gone through a lot. He saw the fear rise in Tanjirou when he mentioned their failure.
He saw how Tanjirou only looked down, tensing as if preparing for something.
Urokodaki could smell a sense of shame and fear coming from both siblings, which made him surprised about what they were afraid about.
But then again, Urokodaki didn't know their story, other than the fact they were turned to demons, and the rest of their family was killed by a demon.
That was all he knew.
In the end, Urokodaki saw the two demons, and his mind flashed with thoughts.
"Perhaps this is fate's way of playing with me when it comes to that demon…" Urokodaki thought to himself, as he was unsure what to do.
He didn't want to train these demons for many reasons, but he also didn't want them to leave, for the risks they faced outside the demon slayer corps were uncertain.
But he still didn't want them to go so far… And so, with that, he made his training as hard as it possibly be, after 3 revisions, and 15 students making it to the Final Selection.
In the end, only one made it through.
"Tanjirou and Nezuko… You both are tragic, and it makes me torn on what to do with you two… If Giyu wants me to train you, I will. But until you pass, whatever happens with you two is on both of you."
A.N / Nice little storyline for Urokodaki. I've tweaked it a bit to make it so that Giyu and Makomo knew each other, for I do also want to change Giyu's backstory as well. This isn't meant to be cannon, but rather a chance and AU from the storyline. I do have plans of perhaps looking at other people's POV, as I've done with Urokodaki.
In the meantime, I feel like giving each character their own time in the spotlight, because even though I want Tanjirou and Nezuko to be in the limelight, I do want every character to serve their purpose and use. So some characters may have their personality toned down a bit, to specify their thoughts and feelings. Tanjirou's character will also change a bit in how he treats some demons, but we'll still see the demon's backstories, either because of Nezuko, or the kind-hearted person Tanjirou is on the inside.
Training arc for Tanjirou and Nezuko will begin next chapter and with that, character progression. The pace will be a bit slower to emphasize everything, but I think for the bigger picture, it'll be nice. That way I can also emphasize some of Tanjirou's thoughts, with the battle he still has with his demonic self, and his thoughts about his father. Once again, the question about him forgetting Muzan will come up when they meet Tamayo, so yes I am aware of this inconsistency, but it's intentional.
Character Profile:
Fujita Kiyoshi: Male, 15 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'5" (165cm)
Weight: 125Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Suda Hiro: Female, 14 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'2" (157cm)
Weight: 114Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Kawahara Shizuka: Female, 16 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'0" (152cm)
Weight: 105Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Tajima Kou: Male, 15 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Weight: 140Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Nakano Yuki: Male, 16 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'8" (172cm)
Weight: 138Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Hayashi Kin: Male, 14 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'5" (165cm)
Weight: 128Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Otani Shinju: Female, 15 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'4" (163cm)
Weight: 120Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Kurokawa Aimi: Female, 16 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'6" (167cm)
Weight: 125Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Eguchi Minori: Male, 13 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'5" (165cm)
Weight: 127Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Kase Hisoka: Male, 16 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'10" (177cm)
Weight: 150Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Yoshimura Kenta: Male, 17 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 6'5" (195cm)
Weight: 167Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Konishi Katsumi: Male, 13 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'4" (163cm)
Weight: 120Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Makomo: Female, 12 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'1" (155cm)
Weight: 112Ibs
Sabito: Male, 14 years old
Status: Dead, Human
Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Weight: 135Ibs
COD: Eaten and killed by Hand Demon
Giyu Tomioka: Male, 18 years old (13 years old during the flashback)
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'10" (178cm)
Weight: 140Ibs
Urokodaki: Male, 40 years old
Status: Alive, Human
Height: 5'8" (172cm)
Weight: 138Ibs
Abilities:
All of Urokodaki's Students:
Water Breathing: All of Urokodaki's children and students have been taught under the swordplay of Water Breathing, a breathing style that emphasizes adaptability, endurance, flexibility, and defense. It is among the more defensive breathing styles, emphasizing on counterattacking the demon after the demon strikes. The form has subpar offensive capabilities compared to other breathing styles and has above-average speed and agility.
Trained Physical Capabilities
Urokodaki:
Water Breathing
Advanced Smell: Similar to Tanjirou, Urokodaki's smell is advanced, more so than a human's. This allows him to develop and identify certain dangers, and even smell the emotions of other humans.
Trained Physical Capabilities
Giyu Tomioka:
Water Breathing: Alongside knowing water breathing, Giyu has also created his 11th form, called Dead Calm, and a Twelfth form, called Lull (Made up because Lull and Dead Calm confuse me)
High Pain Tolerance: Giyu has extraordinary pain tolerance due to his training with Urokodaki, as well as his past, which will later be revealed.
Sensitivity to Liquids and Fluids: Giyu, having trained near a river and waterfall, has become extremely sensitive to the sounds of water flowing. This gives him a calming effect especially when splashed with water. All it does is calms his mental state.
Trained Physical Capabilities: In addition to higher physical capabilities than an average human, Giyu has extraordinary emotional suppression, being able to control his emotions in the heat of battle, preventing him from making mistakes.