Demon Slayer: The Tainted Sun Chapter 18, a kimetsu no yaiba/鬼滅の刃 fanfic

Hello, peeps! Did ya miss me!

Yeah, sorry it took so long, but at least it wasn't as bad as last time! I take that as a victory!

So yeah, there are two main reasons this chapter took so long.

1. I was trying to catch up on One Piece (I'm currently on Zou)

2. I recently started playing Ghost of Tsushima (Love it!)

Also, I recently just got a job so I'll have a little less free time than usual so...there's also that.

But anyway, this story now has nearly EIGHT-HUNDRED FOLLOWERS! I am so happy that my story has gotten this popular! Your support is the main reason why I love writing these stories, so keep it coming and I'll do the same!

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I like to think I put a lot of effort into it and I'm pretty proud of it! Well, off you go!

*I do not own Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba. The Anime/Manga belongs to Ufotable and its author, Koyoharu Gotouge.

"Tanjiro" = Talking

"Tanjiro" = Thinking

Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV

Japan - Middle Alignment = Location

"Tanjiro" = Flashback

Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect

Water Breathing = Breathing technique/Blood Demon Art

Chapter 18 - I Won't Run Away

Kaigaku

Shinjuku

Kaigaku had a hard time believing what he was seeing. It was already a shock to find out that Tanjiro Kamado was a demon in disguise who could apparently walk in the sun.

Now, he's been engulfed by black flames. When the flames disappeared, Tanjiro's appearance changed. His skin became more pale, the mark on his forehead turned black, as did his hair.

The cloak he wore turned from green to red, his eyes also became blood red, and his butterfly earrings now had black wings with a red outline and red body.

It wasn't just his appearance that changed, however, it was his whole attitude. Tanjiro seemed like a decent kid when Kaigaku met him, but now he looked way more cocky and menacing.

"Who the hell is that guy!?" Kaigaku thought as he fell back on his butt in shock.

Onijiro Kamado

"Well well well! This is an unexpected, but not unwelcome, surprise! To think that the thoughtful Tanjiro Kamado would allow his demonic half to take over during battle!"

"..."

"Wow! You must really be pissed, huh?"

"..."

"...Funny, I recall you being more chatty. No matter, just know that you made the right choice! Just leave this to me."

Onijiro turned towards Makomo who was clearly shocked to see him. "Hey, kid. I don't really give a shit about casualties but I know Tanjiro's gonna get moody if more people die, so you're on damage control, got it?"

Makomo took a second to process the command, but hesitantly nodded. "Y-Yes! But...what about you? Won't you need help fighting him?"

Onijiro chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'll manage somehow. Either way, I've been wanting to test myself against a Kizuki."

Wakuraba

Meanwhile, the Lower Moon Three Demon stared at Onijiro with shock and horror. His entire body was trembling.

"What is this feeling? When that kid was talking, I could've sworn that he turned into someone else."

When Kamado cursed him out for what he said, the boy was replaced by a slightly similar looking man with a red haori and a ponytail. His image alone sent chills down the Lower Moon's spine.

"Is this my memory? No, I've never seen that guy before. Then that means...these are Lord Muzan's memories? I've heard of other demons with his cells having similar episodes."

But when Kamado then changed his appearance and gave him that sinister smile, Wakuraba trembled for a different reason.

"Now the kid's entire vibe has changed. Instead of that man...it feels like I'm in the presence of Lord Muzan himself!"

However, Wakuraba's pride prevented him from admitting his fear. "Wh-What the hell is this? Y-You think an appearance and attitude change m-makes you any s-stronger?"

Kamado smirked at his fellow Lower Rank. "Oh, not stronger, just more ruthless. Now are we doing this or what, pussy?" He sheathed his sword while taunting his opponent to come closer with his left hand.

The Lower Moon growled before blades shot out from the tops of his wrists. "Don't get cocky! It doesn't matter what you change about yourself, trash is still trash!"

Kamado's smile didn't waver as he tilted his head while the girl with him backed up to keep her distance. "If I'm trash, what does that make you, ya shit stain?"

Onijiro vs. Wakuraba

Wakuraba dashed forward, crossing his blades before doing a double slash aimed at Onijiro's neck. Onijiro easily ducked under the attack and then countered with a left uppercut. "Too slow!"

Wakuraba was launched into the air before Onijiro fired out a chain made of black flames and wrapped it around his opponent's leg.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Black Flare Chain

With a look of glee, Onijiro swung Wakuraba around in a giant circle, slamming him through the spikes he summoned earlier and the walls of the nearby buildings.

Some of the corpses on the spikes were also thrown around in the chaos, much to Tanjiro's displeasure.

"Watch it!"

"What? They're already dead."

"Onijiro!"

"Hey, I don't want to hear it. You knew damn well what you were unleashing by calling me out."

"Guh!" Tanjiro groaned.

Onijiro let go of the chain, throwing Wakuraba into a building at the end of the street which led to a left turn.

Onijiro chased him down before stopping upon seeing a boy in a Demon Slayer uniform, it was that Kaigaku guy. He looked at Onijiro with a look of horror.

Onijiro narrowed his eyes. "What are you looking at, human?" He said with disdain in that last word. "Either make yourself not useless and help the shortie evacuate the area, or get the fuck out of here. Personally, I don't care which."

With that, Onijiro walked off, leaving a shocked and appalled Kaigaku behind.

Onijiro jumped onto the debris gathered at the hole Wakuraba made during his crash landing. "Yo, Lower Three! Where you at!?"

Onijiro looked around the darkened room with a busted up dinner table, Wakuraba was nowhere to be found. "Come on! Are you really that afraid of little ol' me!?"

"...I'm touched." He added with a smile and a hand on his heart.

Above Onijiro, Wakuraba hung from the ceiling with his blades planted in the walls to hold himself up. He spread his legs before shooting out blades from their backsides and turning them towards each other.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Scissor Legs

Wakuraba dropped from the ceiling, planning to close his legs around Onijiro's neck and cut off his head. Then, he would really go to town on him.

Wakuraba closed his legs...only to find nothing there.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Phoenix Flash

Before Wakuraba could react, Onijiro manifested behind him out of black flames. He lifted his right leg before setting ablaze.

Sun Conqueror - Flaming Kick

Onijiro then twisted his body in midair so that he could deliver a roundhouse kick to the side of Wakuraba's head.

Wakuraba was launched out of the room, through the hall, through an alley, and into a new room in a different building.

Wakuraba crashed into the wall as he finally stopped. He held the side of his head, feeling the burn inflicted by the kick.

He looked around to see that he was in some bedroom lit up by a lamp.

"Yaaah!" Wakuraba heard two screams next to him. To his right were two young girls hugging each in fear while hiding in the corner of the room.

With a wide grin, Wakuraba summoned his arm blades and leaped towards the helpless humans. His blades were inches away from the girls' flesh when something wrapped around his neck.

"Hey, asshole. We're in the middle of a fight to the death here." Onijiro, who followed Wakuraba through the hole in the wall, pulled the chain and threw his foe back outside. "You can take a snack break after I send your ass to hell!"

Wakuraba bounced off of the ground a few times before sticking his arm blades into the ground to halt his movement.

He growled and glared at Onijiro who jumped out of the building. Back where they started, both demons charged at each other.

Wakuraba went for a stab with his left blade only for Onijiro to sidestep it and hit him in the stomach with a knee strike.

Wakuraba retaliated by shooting out more blades from his chest, piercing Onijiro's chest. Onijiro grunted before lighting up his left fist and smashing the blades with a single swing of his arm.

He then kicked Wakuraba back, causing him to stumble while Onijiro went for a leg sweep which left Wakuraba up in the air.

Onijiro ignited his fist as the flames took the shape of a dragon which he drove straight into Wakuraba's gut, smashing him into the ground and creating a small vortex of black fire.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Solar Dragon Fist

The punch resulted in a large crater in the ground with Wakuraba in the middle. His upper and lower halves were separated with intense burns at their edges.

Onijiro stood up and prepared to stomp on his head when the blade-spawning demon shot out two blades from his back, propelling him upward.

Suddenly, four blades out of the bottom of his torso in four different directions. Each blade moved at a diagonal angle before bending downward and hitting the ground.

Wakurava retracted the blades in his back, turning himself into a four-legged monstrosity.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Blade Crawler

Onijiro raised an eyebrow at Wakuraba's "transformation", which the Lower Moon seemed to be pretty proud of given the shit-eating grin on his face. "Am...I supposed to be impressed?"

Wakuraba's grin morphed into a frown and glare. "You simple-minded fool! Did you really think the only thing I can do is shoot blades out of my body!? I can make these blades take any form I desire, for example!" Wakuraba's arm blades extended towards Onijiro.

Onijiro jumped over them before seeing the blades bend upward and chase him down. With wide eyes, Onijiro reached out his palms and fired two Scorching Blasts at the arm blades only for them to bend around the flames and aimed at his back.

Onijiro reacted quickly and used Phoenix Flash to disappear, dodging the arm blades. Wakuraba cursed as he retracted said blades.

He looked around while Onijiro reappeared behind him with both palms held out next to each other. Wakuraba turned his head just in time for the giant stream of black flames to hit him in the face.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Scorching Blast Inferno

Wakuraba was launched into another building. However, it wasn't long before multiple needles shot out from the hole he created.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Multi Needle Shot

Onijiro stuck his claws into the ground, sending his blood through it and creating a flaming wall that rose from the ground to protect him.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Flame Pillar

"Onijiro, you're using up too much energy. Don't be reckless."

"We're not gonna win this by holding back, Kamado. We gotta go all out from the start!"

"Hey, listen to me!"

Onijiro jumped through the flame pillar and charged towards the building Wakuraba was in. Wakurba jumped out of the hole before jumping onto the wall of the building, using his blade legs to crawl on it.

He shot out more needles at Onijiro who scratched his right arm and ignited the blood to form a shield of flames.

Sun Conqueror - Sun Shield

He blocked the needles with his shield before throwing it at Wakuraba like a disk. Wakuraba jumped onto the line of buildings to his left and continued shooting needles at Onijiro while crawling on the walls.

Onijiro ran after him while dodging the needles. After gaining enough speed, he put his palms behind him and launched himself forward with multiple fire blasts.

Sun Conqueror - Scorching Blast Propulsion

Onijiro went up into the air until he found himself next to Wakuraba. He changed his direction by firing himself into Wakuraba, sending both of them crashing into another building.

Onijiro took a minute to get back up only to find himself in a larger room, the type of room you'd find in a mansion. There were some drawers, a table for writing, it was also quite clean.

Onijiro didn't have time to admire it though, even if he wouldn't anyway if he was given the chance. He turned around to see Wakuraba at the door, his legs finally regrown. Multiple blades come from his back and bender themselves to attach to the walls, allowing the Lower Moon to lift himself up.

"That Blood Demon Art is quite handy...and infuriating." Wakurba said quietly while glaring at his fellow Lower Moon. "I can see that I was wrong to call you trash...I see now that you are just an annoying pest!"

Onijiro smirked. "Aw, you're gonna make me blush!" As he said this, he could feel his eyelids start to droop and his muscles ache.

"Shit...can't believe I'm saying this but Tanjiro was right. I have plenty of solar energy, but using Sun Conqueror multiple times can put a shit ton of strain on this body."

Onijiro could feel his black horn slowly starting to shrink. "Not only that, but it's also taking a lot of effort to keep up Awakening."

Onijiro grabbed two Nichirin Pills from his pocket and swallowed them before flaring his nostrils as his strength returned to him.

"I need to wrap this up before I run out of strength."

Kaigaku

Kaigaku ran alongside the civilians, screams spread throughout the crowds.

"What the hell!? That Tanjiro guy is a demon!? But how was he walking in sunlight!? Not only that, but he's Lower Moon Six!?"

"And that guy he was fighting, I couldn't see it very well but I swear that I saw a similar marking in that other demon's eye! Is he a Lower Moon too!?"

"Screw this! I'm not getting myself killed fighting TWO Lower Moons!" As Kaigaku kept running, he saw that Makomo girl leading the citizens away from the fight and out of the city.

"Everyone! Get out of the city! It's dangerous here!" Why anyone was listening to a little girl, Kaigaku had no clue. People were probably just following what the majority was doing.

As Kaigaku ran passed her, Makomo noticed him. "Hey! Where are you going!"

Kaigaku stopped and glared at the girl. "Running for my life, obviously! And if you have any brains, you'll do the same!"

Makomo looked like she wanted to argue...but she stopped herself, opting instead to adopt a look of disappointment.

She sighed and turned away from him. "If that's what you want to do...then go..."

Kaigaku was confused by this behavior, she hardly seemed surprised by Kaigaku's actions, almost like she was expecting this from him...

"Tell me...why did you become a Demon Slayer...? Why do you wear that uniform...? Why do you carry that sword on your hip...?" Makomo asked.

"If you wanted to...you could just walk away and live a normal life. Well...at least as normal a life as you can live in this country. So...why? Why are you still here?"

Kaigaku stood there speechless as people ran past him. Soon, the street was empty except for the two of them.

"If you can't even answer that question...then you don't belong here." Makomo then ran off, probably to look for more civilians who hadn't evacuated yet.

Kaigaku looked down at his shaking hands before clenching them. "The reason I became a Demon Slayer..."

-Eight Years Ago-

Thunder Hashira Estate-

After an old man named Jigoro Kuwajima took Kaigaku into his home, the boy had a bath and then scarfed down his meal.

After finishing his tea, Kaigaku let out a satisfied sigh. "Thank you for the food..." Jigoro gave the boy some of his clothes which actually fit due to the man's short stature.

Jigoro, who sat across the table from Kaigaku, nodded and smiled. "Well I couldn't just leave you like that, now could I? I'm getting pretty old and would like to pass on with a light conscious, heh heh!!"

Kaigaku frowned and lowered his head. "I doubt it'll make a difference...I'm not worth saving..."

Jigoro hummed. "Hmm...and why is it that you think that? If you don't mind my asking."

Kaigaku hesitated to answer, he really didn't want to talk about it. Jigoro seemed to notice this and nodded. "I see...very well then. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

They sat in silence for a bit until the old man spoke again. "So, Kaigaku, what are you going to do now? Wander all over Japan, living off of the wilderness and the kindness of strangers. Sorry, but I'm not sure a child like you will be able to last long out there. Are you sure you don't want to stay with me?"

Kaigaku shook his head. "Trust me...you don't want me here...I'll just bring trouble..."

"Is that so?" Jigoro said. "Well...I'm just an old man with no living family or friends. If you ask me, I could use the company. What more could I lose?"

Kaigaku's eyes widened, shocked by how kind the old man was being to the boy. Almost immediately, his mind went to Himejima who treated him the same way. With kindness and sympathy, things that Kaigaku would never be able to repay him for.

Tears of guilt and gratitude fell from his eyes as he held the bottom of his new black yukata tightly. He cried for awhile. The old man got up and walked over to the boy to comfort him, letting him let out all of his pain...

-One Year Later-

"The Demon Slayer Corps?" Asked a seven-year old Kaigaku as he ate dinner with Jigoro.

"Yes, a secret organization of swordsmen dedicated to the complete and total annihilation of all demons. They've been around for centuries." Jigoro explained.

Kaigaku frowned as he recalled his first encounter with a demon. He remembered the paralyzing fear he felt when that monster was looming over him. The same fear that caused him to do something unforgivable.

"I'm assuming you have experience with demons, Kaigaku?" Jigoro asked.

Kaigaku's body jumped a bit before he lowered his head and gave the old man a hesitant nod. "I've...seen one before, yeah."

"...I assume it was a horrible experience?"

"...Yes."

"Are you willing to share?"

"..."

"You don't have to, I was simply curious is all."

"No...I'll tell you...It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me, Mr. Kuwajima."

"Mmm...If you say so, very well."

And so, Kaigaku told Jigoro his story. Being raised as a thief by his father, living in a temple in Ose, running away after a stupid argument, running into the demon, sacrificing his family to save his own skin...

Kaigaku was barely able to keep the tears back as he told the old man of his tragic life. "And that's why I said that you shouldn't take me in...because my selfishness always ends up hurting the people I love...If you want to kick me out, I'll go..."

Jigoro stared at the boy in silence for a bit before speaking. "Tell me, do you regret what you did?"

Kaigaku nodded solemnly. "Yes."

"If you could go back, would you change what you did?"

"Of course!" Kaigaku exclaimed like it was obvious.

Jigoro nodded. "Well, I have no reason to kick you out, then."

Kaigaku looked confused. "Wha-huh!? What do you mean!?"

"As far as I know, this happened over a year ago. People are capable of change and for the whole time that you've lived here, you've been one of the most well-behaved and obedient kids I've ever met."

"B-But I-."

"Kaigaku. No matter what you may think, you are a good kid. The only thing wrong about you is the way you were raised. Children are a product of their parents after all, it's unfair to blame a child for not wanting to die. Hell, hardly anyone wants to die."

"You encountered a demon and found a way to survive, even though it meant the loss of others. You want to atone? Then you must use that life of yours to help others so that no one may suffer like that again."

Kaigaku tilted his head. "What are you saying, Mister Kuwajima?"

"That demon you encountered, Kaigaku. If you ask me, that demon's actions are just as, if not more, despicable as your own that night. When you let your loved ones die, you felt remorse. Demons can kill hundreds of people without hesitation or regret."

"There are also families like yours who have their lives ruined by these demons. What I'm trying to say here is that I think you should become a Demon Slayer and protect others from suffering the same tragedy you did."

Kaigaku's eyes widened. "Protect others from demons...I can do that?"

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "Yeah, I can make up for what I did by saving people! If I'm gonna go on living, what better way to use my life!?"

"Now, I understand if you think it's too dangerous. I won't think any less of you if you say no. I'm merely-."

"I'll do it."

"Hmm?" Jigoro's eyes widened as they looked into Kaigaku's, which were filled with determination.

"I'll become a Demon Slayer...I won't let any more families get torn apart. I will protect those bonds, even if it kills me..."

Silence followed as Kaigaku and Jigoro stared at each other. The old man smiled. "Very well then. I can't fully train you. You are too young to do anything extreme. But I can do my best to prepare you. The many years of training before you will be nothing short of pure agony. Think you got what it takes, boy?"

Kaigaku smirked. "Bring it on."

-Six Years Later-

Kaigaku would officially start his training at the age of twelve years old. A year had passed since then and Kaigaku was making good progress.

He picked up on the basics of Total Concentration and Swordsmanship quite well and quite quickly. After only a year, he had basically mastered the second, third, fourth, and fifth forms during his training.

Jigoro called the boy a natural swordsman and was confident that he would take his place as the Thunder Hashira some day. This praise brought great joy to Kaigaku and motivated him to work even harder.

Sadly, Kaigaku was still struggling to get the first form down. This fact frustrated Kaigaku since the first form should've been the easiest to learn.

He'd wasted so much time trying to even perform the move before his master told him to move on. Aside from that, things were going great.

That was until...he arrived.

Kaigaku was just swinging his sword near the Thunder Estate when his master walked up to him with someone else walking behind him.

"Kaigaku, I'd like you to meet someone." Jigoro waved his hand to the person behind him. It was a young boy, about a year younger than Kaigaku. He wore messy and ragged brown robes and had a mop of black hair. His face was dirty and bruised, his eyes looked empty.

"This is Zenitsu Agatsuma. He's my newest student."

Kaigaku's eyes widened. "What!?"

"I just found him on the streets. Apparently, he had worked up quite a bit of debt and I decided to help him out. In return, he's agreed to be my pupil and train to become a Demon Slayer."

Kaigaku looked at his master in confusion. "Master, with all due respect, what's the point of getting a second pupil? You said it yourself, my training is coming along nicely."

Jigoro nodded. "Yes, and I meant it. I just thought I'd help the boy out and get a little something out of it. Besides, the Demon Slayer Corps can always use new members."

Kaigaku saw his master's logic but...this Zenitsu guy didn't really seem like Demon Slayer material. In fact...the look in his eyes kind of reminded him of someone...but who?

"Oh well. Might as well try to get along with him since we'll be training together now." Kaigaku introduced himself to Zenitsu. The boy's training would start tomorrow.

-A Week Later-

While he had mixed feelings about no longer being the former Thunder Hashira's only pupil, Kaigaku was willing to give this Zenitsu kid a chance.

In fact, Kaigaku even saw this as a chance to create a new family, one that he would protect instead of betray.

However, there was one slight inconvenience. After only a week of knowing the guy, Kaigaku already wanted to strangle him.

"NOOOOOO! I DON'T WANNAAAAAAA!"

"STOP BEING A BABY! IT'S NOT EVEN THAT BAD!"

It was the middle of the day and Kaigaku and Zenitsu were in the middle of training. However, Zenitsu kept bitching about how tired he was and decided to run up a tree and not get down to get out of it.

Jigoro left the responsibility of getting him down to Kaigaku. Kaigaku was now trying to pull Zenitsu down from the tree by his legs while the boy hung onto a branch like his life depended on it.

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE! IF THIS GOES ON ANY LONGER, I'M GONNA DIE!"

"YOU'RE OVER-EXAGGERATING! NOW QUIT CRYING AND GET DOWN HERE!"

This was the fifth time he had to bring Zenitsu back to training by force, and Kaigaku had gotten sick of it very quickly.

"Master! That Zenitsu guy is absolutely hopeless!" Kaigaku complained to Jigoro as they both sat at a table for tea.

"He has absolutely NO motivation to be a Demon Slayer! Everyday, he whines about training and every night, he tries to escape! Forget becoming a Hashira, it'll be a miracle if that runt survives the walk to Final Selection!"

Jigoro took a sip of tea before looking straight at his pupil. "I know that the boy is a handful, Kaigaku. But I promise you, the boy has potential. We simply need to help him find it."

Kaigaku was baffled. "'Potential'!? What potential could possibly be found in a coward like him! I don't mean to sound pessimistic, master, but I just don't see this working out."

Jigoro sighed. "It has only been a week, Kaigaku. Give him a chance. You of all people should know that everyone deserves a chance."

Kaigaku was taken aback by that statement before lowering his head. "Yes, master."

It was at that moment that Kaigaku realized who Zenitsu reminded him of. He reminded him of himself when he was younger...a coward.

As they say, it takes one to know one.

-Five Months Later-

Kaigaku and Zenitsu were out in a field with a few trees nearby, taking a break from training. Kaigaku had picked a peach from a tree to eat while sitting on a tree stump. Zenitsu laid on the ground, panting from exhaustion.

Kaigaku shook his head as he glared at the younger pupil. He was the very definition of pathetic. "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Zenitsu sat up with a confused look. "What?"

"Ever since you've gotten here, you've done nothing but bitch and moan. Whenever things get too hard, you run away only to get caught in a trap and beaten. You've been here five months and you've barely learned the first form of Thunder Breathing. Do you understand how sad that is? I learned the second, third, and fourth in that time and even mastered the first two.

Zenitsu stood up and looked at the ground, the coward didn't even have the strength to look him in the eye. "B-But...Gramps said that-."

Kaigaku interrupted Zenitsu by throwing his peach at his head with a look of fury. "Don't you DARE address him so casually!"

For some stupid reason, Zenitsu began to call Jigoro "Gramps". Though Jigoro has scolded him for this, he never really forced Zenitsu to stop. This fact really got on Kaigaku's nerves.

"Master Kuwajima is a former Hashira! Someone who has reached the highest rank in the Demon Slayer Corps! Do you understand how lucky you are to even be here!?"

"I-I..." Zenitsu wrung his hands together as he found himself unable to speak.

"You're a a coward! One of the biggest cowards in the world!"

"Coming from you, that's rich..." Kaigaku said to himself in his mind, though he quickly pushed those thoughts away.

"Someone like you doesn't belong in the Demon Slayer Corps!" Kai turned away and began to leave. "I have no idea why master wastes his time on you..."

Leaving a dejected Zenitsu behind, Kaigaku grumbled to himself. "What makes it even worse is that master seems to care about the kid as much as he does me!"

Despite his many many shortcomings, Jigoro would always praise the boy's efforts as well as Kaigaku's. He even went on to say that he had high hopes for both of them to take the seat of Thunder Hashira.

Kaigaku knew that this was just his master trying to make Zenitsu feel better about himself (or so he thought) but it still irked him. He was determined to succeed Jigoro as the Thunder Hashira, and he found pride in being the man's main pupil. Thus, Kaigaku hated the attention the old man gave to that overly-timid loudmouth.

Another reason Kaigaku was always pissed at the boy was because unlike him, he actually learned the first form of Thunder Breathing. Kaigaku knew and could perform the rest of the six forms with his eyes closed, but his failure to learn the first would always irritate him to no end.

"No matter, that guy wasn't meant for battle. The first demon he sees will be his last. I am the only one fit to become a Hashira. I'll show them...I'll show them all."

Suddenly...Kaigaku stopped and looked at the ground. "Strange...I feel like I'm forgetting something important. Why did I want to be a Demon Slayer again? To become the Thunder Hashira?"

The faces of his old family at that temple flashed through his mind. Kaigaku's eyes widened. "That's right...I want to prevent...that event from happening."

Kaigaku recalled the bloody mess he found that night. The sight of Himejima beating that demon with his bare hands. The hateful look Sayo gave Kaigaku the day he left.

"My friends died because I was a coward, because I let that demon kill them to save my own skin. And Mr. Himejima, the man who saved me from the streets, was most likely executed for a crime he didn't commit. I was no better than Agatsuma...That's why I can't stand looking at him."

Kaigaku stared straight ahead. "But I'm different, I've changed. I've become stronger. Now, I can protect others instead of leaving them to die. I'll kill any demon that crosses my path!"

Kaigaku was confident in the strength of his resolve...that strength would be tested a few weeks later, during Final Selection...

Mt. Fujikasane

Kaigaku ran through the woods, Final Selection had just started and he was eager to cut down some demons.

"Where the hell are they!? I've been running around for half an hour already!" Kaigaku thought in frustration. He looked around tirelessly for hostiles to no avail.

But soon, Kaigaku would get his wish.

"AAAAAGH!" A blood-curdling scream came from Kaigaku's left. His shock was soon replaced by a smirk as he now knew where the enemy was.

He dashed towards the direction of the scream and stopped in an opening in the forest. He looked around to see if anyone was there...that's when he heard footsteps.

Bum!

Kaigaku turned around in the direction of the sound of earth-shaking steps, there was a fog beginning to form which made it hard to make out the large shadow in the distance. Kaigaku unsheathed his sword and prepared for battle.

"Alright, Kaigaku. This is it. This is what you trained for. This bastard will be the first obstacle on my path to greatness and atonement. This time, I won't freeze. This time, I won't be scared. This time...I won't...run...?"

Kaigaku paled as a giant demon covered in multiple limbs stepped towards him. In its many arms, it held the limp bodies of multiple young swordsmen. The look of terror and despair was glued onto their lifeless faces.

The tip of Kaigaku's blade lowered, the boy had been paralyzed with fear. The demon's large yellow eyes stared down at Kaigaku with glee.

"Ooo! Another one, I'm on a roll today! There sure are a lot of wannabe Demon Slayers out tonight. How lucky that they all just happened to come to me! Hee Hee Hee!" The demon laughed giddily.

Kaigaku hadn't heard the demon, he had completely spaced out. Suddenly, he was six again, at the mercy of that demon who had killed his friends...his family. All confidence and resolve that Kaigaku had was thrown out the window.

With a scream of mortal terror, Kaigaku ran from the demon who extended multiple arms to catch him. Fortunately, Kaigaku was quick and agile enough to avoid them.

As he ran, he spotted another participant. It was a young girl with brown eyes and long black hair tied in a ponytail. She unknowingly stepped into Kaigaku's path, causing him to crash into her.

"Oof!"

The two of them fell to the ground, but Kaigaku got back up quickly and immediately ran to his sword which he had dropped on the ground.

"AAAGH! No!" Kaigaku looked back to see the girl still on the ground, a large hand grabbed her leg. She reached for her sword which fell just out of reach.

The hand began to pull in its captured prey. Kaigaku acted quickly, he grabbed the girl's hand and pulled with all his might. Sadly, this only slowed down the demon's arm a bit.

"Shit! At this rate, I'll die with her!" Kaigaku thought in panic. Soon, more hands came and targeted the young teen. Kaigaku's eyes dashed all over the place from hand to hand. He was surrounded...

Time seemed to slow down as Kaigaku looked back into the girl's fearful eyes. For a second, just a brief second, his grip on her hands faltered. This was enough to change the girl's look from terrified to pleading. "Please...No...I don't want to die..." She whispered as tears fell from her eyes.

Kaigaku's own eyes began to burn from tears as he took another glance at the hands descending upon him.

"Remember, Kaigaku. You never lose until you die..."

"...I'm sorry." Kaigaku jumped back to avoid the hands, letting go of the girl in order to do so.

"NOOOOOO!" The girl cried out as she was dragged away. Kaigaku picked up his sword and ran until he was sure that he got away.

He stopped at a large tree and leaned back against it while he caught his breath. Once he recovered, he sat down on the ground and covered his face with his hands. Light sobs could be heard.

He thought he was ready, he thought that he was stronger now. And yet after all these years, nothing has changed. He was a coward, and always would be.

Kaigaku found an open space inside the tree he was resting against. He crawled inside in shame and hid there for the remainder of Final Selection. Somehow, no one found him.

While he was there, Kaigaku continued to blame himself for that girl's death. It happened again, despite his resolve to make sure it wouldn't. Someone died because of his cowardice.

He nearly drove himself crazy with guilt. At some point, he considered leaving his hiding spot and letting the nearest demon feast on him. Fortunately, his fear prevented him from doing so.

Kaigaku knew he couldn't live with this guilt, it was too much. So what could he do? Well, there was one alternative...shift the blame onto someone else.

"Those people died because they were weak...that girl died because she got in my way. If I held onto her any longer, I would've been killed along with her. If she expected me to give up my life for a stranger, she was probably a selfish bitch."

"You're just like me..." His father's dying words rang through his brain.

"The point of this whole thing is to survive. If you die, you lose, that's just how it is. I did nothing wrong...I...did nothing wrong..." The more he said it in his head, the more he began to believe it. This would become Kaigaku's mind set as a Demon Slayer.

What did it cost? His reason for becoming a Demon Slayer in the first place.

At the end of Final Selection, only eight out of over thirty participants survived. Needless to say, it was a slaughter.

Kaigaku showed no emotion as he picked his ore for his new sword and they placed a strange insignia on the back of his hand.

After that, he walked all the way back to Shinjuku. Jigoro praised the boy, but Kaigaku didn't really care. Every time the old man praised Zenitsu, Kaigaku found himself valuing his kind words less and less.

His relationship with his master and sibling student would only continue to deteriorate from there. He completely gave up on learning the first form of Thunder Breathing.

After getting his uniform and sword, he would go on missions and let his comrades do most of the work. He'd tell himself that he was strong despite his cowardice. Everyone around him would judge him fit his arrogance. Yet, he didn't care, because he was still alive.

...And you only lose if you die.

-Present-

"Kaigaku?"

Kaigaku was shaken out of his flashback and looked up to find Jigoro standing in front of him with a look of concern and relief. The Thunder Hashira Estate was to his right.

It seemed that Kaigaku kept on walking while he went down memory lane until he reached the estate. He looked back at Jigoro with disheartened eyes.

"Kaigaku, are you okay? I heard there was something happening in town, was it a demon?" Jigoro asked.

Kaigaku looked down at the ground and let out a humorless laugh. "I'm pathetic..."

Both former student and master stood silently before the old man argued. "No, you're not-."

"Yes, I am!" Kaigaku snapped. "I'm a heartless coward! I run away at the first sign of trouble and leave everyone else to die!"

"Kaigaku, if you were truly heartless, then you wouldn't be saying these things." Jigoro argued once more.

"I always talk about how strong I am but I never actually use that strength! Even though I'm too stupid to do the most simple form of Thunder Breathing, I could still do SOMETHING!"

"Do you have any idea how many deaths I could've prevented!? How many lives I could've saved!? But I didn't, I only ever cared about my own survival! I'm exactly like my father! I'm just a rotten scumbag that uses everyone around him as stepping stones! I'm the most pathetic human being who ever lived!"

Kaigaku breathed heavily with tears falling onto the ground and gritted teeth. Jigoro stood there silently, letting his pupil get out his frustrations.

"Then do something about it."

Kaigaku looked up at his master with confusion on his face. "W-What?"

"If you say that you're pathetic, then do something to change that." Jigoro stated.

Kaigaku clenched his fist and looked at the ground solemnly. "So what, I just get rid of my fear and become a brave warrior? Like it's that easy-."

Bonk!

"OW! WHAT THE-!?" Kaigaku held his head after Jigoro smacked it with his cane.

"You idiot! That's not what I'm saying at all!" Jigoro yelled.

"Then what are you-!?"

"Fear doesn't make you pathetic, boy! It makes you human! Having fear means acknowledging your limits! If you outright get rid of your fear, you end up charging recklessly into battle and dying like a fool!"

"Almost everyone fears death, even demons! Those who don't fear something else! There isn't a person alive who doesn't have a single ounce of fear in their body!"

"But even though we all fear death, there are still those willing to risk their lives to fight and protect others because they fear something greater then their own death, and it's the death of everyone around them."

"There aren't as many who have this fear, but it's present in almost every Demon Slayer...including you."

Kaigaku was caught off guard by those words. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Jigoro answered. "You despise watching others die, don't you? Every time you leave someone to die, it fills a part of you with guilt and self-loathing. You act like you don't care but I know you do."

Kaigaku lowered his head while his master went on. "But your fear of dying is too great, causing you to run away from danger. If you want to change that, you must fear the death of others even more so."

Kaigaku looked up at Jigoro. "I'm not sure that's possible..."

"Of course it is. You must've done so at one point or another. Think back, my boy. Remember a time when you feared the death of others more than your own."

Kaigaku closed his eyes and reflected on his life. He focused long and hard, but soon found what he was looking for.

The one time he feared the death of others more than the death of himself...the door he condemned his found family to being slaughtered by a demon.

When Kaigaku let that demon inside and ran away, he ran back after realizing what he had just done. The thought of dying was, for the first time in his life, not so terrifying anymore.

Kaigaku ran back to that temple with a knife in his hands, prepared to stab the hell out of that demon to protect his friends.

In that one moment, Kaigaku went against the selfish beliefs his father beat into his skull and put someone else's life above his own.

He didn't run away...

If he could just tap into that again, things could finally be different. But... "There was a time like that...but it was for people I cared about. How can I do the same for strangers? Everyone I cared about is either dead or hates my guts..."

Jigoro put a firm hand on Kaigaku's shoulder. "Remember why you became a Demon Slayer, Kaigaku. You said you didn't want anyone else to suffer the fate your friends did, right?"

Kaigaku's eyes widened. "Yes...you're right."

"That means that you fear something like that happening again, you always have. Remember your goal, Kaigaku, and you will unlock power you didn't even know was possible."

"How?" Kaigaku asked.

Jigoro smiled. "By taking that fear and turning it into rage. Rage against those who would go against your goals, against those who would bring the same suffering upon others as they did to your loved ones. Do you understand?"

Kaigaku nodded with a determined look. "Fear the deaths of others more than my own, remember my reasons for fighting, destroy those who would go against my ideals."

Jigoro also nodded. "Then you know what you must do now, yes?"

Kaigaku smiled. "Yes, master." He then bowed. "Thank you...for everything."

Jigoro beamed. "Kaigaku, you'll do great things. I've always been sure of that."

Zenitsu

Meanwhile, Zenitsu was listening from inside the house. With a solemn look on his face, he sat against the wall and hugged his knees.

"Fear the death of others more than your own, huh?" Zenitsu quoted his Gramps in his head. "Is that really possible...?"

Suddenly, Kaigaku walked into the house and headed towards his room. "Kaigaku?" Zenitsu called out.

He flinched as Kaigaku turned towards him but...something was different. There was no hostility or animosity in his glance, something that Zenitsu was beginning to get used to.

"Agatsuma. Protect our master with your life while I'm gone. I'm not sure I'll be coming back." Kaigaku requested...well, more like ordered.

Zenitsu stared at the Demon Slayer like he'd grown two heads. "Huh!? Why me!? I'm still in training, I don't even have a proper sword!"

Kaigaku turned back to his room. "I don't know how you summoned the balls to kill that demon when I couldn't, but you've proven that you can be brave."

Zenitsu was appalled by his sibling student's words. "Why does he keep talking about that? For the last time, that didn't happen! All I did was pass out! Why does he keep trying to give me credit for that!?"

Kaigaku laughed while Zenitsu was on the verge of freaking out. "Man, how sad is this? Master has one student whose a coward and can only use the first form of Thunder Breathing and a cocky student who can do all forms except the first. Talk about shit luck."

Zenitsu notice a small smile form on Kaigaku's face. "But despite that, we're still a part of Master Kuwajima's legacy. If we both fail, the old man will have wasted his time with us. Let's both do our best to become Hashira...Zenitsu."

Zenitsu was speechless as Kaigaku walked into his room. He looked at the ground and reflected on his words.

Kaigaku

Kaigaku walked up to a drawer in his room and pulled out one of the sections. Inside was a yellow haori with a white triangle pattern.

It was a replica of the haori his master used to wear. He had given it to Kaigaku as a reward for passing Final Selection, but Kaigaku rejected the offer saying he didn't care. But he did care, he simply didn't feel like he had earned it.

Kaigaku grabbed the haori and flipped it around himself while putting his arms through the sleeves. Once he had changed, he went outside and ran towards the main area of Shinjuku.

Meanwhile

One of the monks from the local temple was making sure everyone was safe and accounted for. However...

"Sayo? Sumire? Where are you!?" The monk called out to the two missing girls.

Back to the Battle

A young girl named Sayo was sneaking around the empty town, trying her best to avoid the battle around her. "Sumire?" She whispered loudly. "Sumire, where are you!? It's me, Sayo! We have to get out of here!"

Crash!

"YAAH!" Sayo yelped as a figure came out of the building next to her and crashed into another building on the other side of the street.

After the dust cleared, Sayo saw multiple long blades coming out of one building and piercing the other.

She saw a young man with black ruffled hair about her age pinned to the wall by these blades which stabbed his torso and limbs. Blood fell from his wounds, creating a puddle on the ground.

Sayo gasped in horror as the young man spat out blood and glared at the other building. Then, another person came from the hole in the wall.

It was a rough-looking older man. He ran across one of the blades and leaped towards the young man with a fist covered in spikes.

The young man, of course, was Onijiro and the older man was Wakurba.

Blood Demon Art - Steel Blood Blades - Spiky Punch

Onijiro stared at Wakuraba approaching him with his fist before vanishing with Phoenix Flash at the last second.

Wakuraba punched the spot where Onijiro was, leaving a large hole in the building. Onijiro reappeared above him and grabbed Wakuraba's hair before throwing him back into the other building and following him with a backwards Scorching Blast

Meabwhile, Sayo was back on the ground trying to figure out what exactly she just witnessed. "What was that!?"

Sayo knew she had to get out of there fast, but she wasn't going anywhere until she found Sumire.

Sniffle

Sayo was startled by the sudden noise behind her. She turned around to see a crying little girl peaking out from behind a box in a red kimono with black hair that barely reached her shoulders and blue eyes.

Sayo's look of surprise was replaced with relief. "Sumire!"

Sumire's eyes also widened in recognition. "M-Ms. Sayo...?" The little girl ran out of her hiding spot and towards Sayo to give her a big hug, which the older girl happily returned. "WAAAAH! I was so scared! When everyone started freaking out and those two guys started fighting, I got separated from everyone and didn't know where to go so I-I-!"

Sayo soothed Sumire while patting her hair. "Shhh. It's okay now." She then got up and grabbed her hand. "We have to get going, the others are waiting for us. It's not safe here. Stay close to me and we'll be out of here soon, okay?"

Sumire looked up at Sayo and nodded. "Mm hm!" With that, they ran into the streets and away from the battle.

Meanwhile, Onijiro was bouncing around the building he was currently in, hopping from wall to wall as he dodged the multiple blades chasing him down from Wakuraba's fingertips.

"You can't escape me, brat! These blades will chase you down to the ends of the earth!" Wakurba gloated as he stood in the center of the large room.

Onijiro jumped from one wall to the one across from him to avoid more blades only for another blade to come out of nowhere and stab him in the gut.

"Ngh!" Onijiro grunted before the blade piercing him pushed him through another wall and into another building.

Before the blade could push him further, Onijiro snapped the blade with his fist and fell onto the floor. He bounced off of his back before landing on his front.

Onijiro got up as fast as he could before Wakuraba bursted into the room and launched a storm of needles from his palms.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Multi-Needle Shot

Onijiro reacted quickly by using his claws to cut through the skin of his arms, drawing blood. He swung his arms around, sending his blood forward before igniting it and controlling it to form a protective dome.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Hinokami's Protection

The flaming dome easily blocked the deadly needles which were all turned to ash upon contact. Onijiro quickly took out his last remaining Nichirin Pills, he had two left.

As he swallowed them, he and Tanjiro both realize that they were both a little in over their heads. "Shit, this isn't good. At this rate, we're gonna tire out before we can kill this son of a bitch."

"Let's switch. I know I said I wanted you to make him suffer but this is bigger than vengeance. If we fail here, more people will die."

"Screw that, I've got this!"

"You're just gonna keep using Sun Conqueror and wasting energy! Sure, you're better at using our Blood Demon Art but that won't be enough to beat this guy. You don't know how to use Hinokami Kagura as an alternative, the worst that does is slow us down after multiple consecutive uses."

"I said I've got this, asshole! I'm not gonna run away from this cocky fucker!"

"Onijiro, this is not the time to argue, just give me control! Don't make me force my way back out!"

"We demons have our own pride! I'm gonna be Demon King someday, what kind of king runs away and leaves someone else to fight his battles!? I refuse to be a pussy like Kibutsuji!"

"This is not the time for that, stop being stubborn!"

"Screw you, Kamado! I'm ending this now!"

"Onijiro, wait!"

"I may not know your fancy sword techniques, but I don't need a sword to kill that bastard." Onijiro smirked as he sniffed out Wakuraba's location.

He then lit his claws on fire before dashing out of the safety of his dome. Wakuraba greeted him with a cocky grin. "Ah! I was wondering when you were gonna stop cowering!" More blades shot out of his torso and moved towards Onijiro.

Onijiro cut through them all with his flaming claws while charging towards his fellow Lower Moon.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Fire Claw Frenzy

Wakuraba jumped into the air after Onijiro reached him. Two extremely long blades shot out from Wakurba's wrists. He crossed his arms in an x position and slashed through the ground and walls.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - X Slash

Onijiro jumped back in time to dodge the blades. He then lit up his arms and smacked Wakuraba out of the air with a giant right hand made of flames.

Sun Conqueror - Arms of Akuma

Wakuraba was launched into the wall and back out into the streets. He got up just in time to see someone in the air falling towards him.

It was Onijiro coming down with two giant fists to smash him into paste. Wakuraba quickly leaped forward and dodged the blow only to get blown back further by the wave of flames that followed.

Wakuraba rolled on the ground before coming to a stop. He got back on his feet and glared at Onijiro whose arms were back to normal, he stood in the middle of a large crater.

However, before Wakuraba could even think about revenge, he sensed someone fast approaching him from behind. Trusting his instincts, he extended a blade from his right wrist and swiped at the air behind him.

Below his blade was the young Water Breathing girl, Makomo. Wakuraba sent out multiple blades from his body to stab her. Makomo countered by unleashing a rising spinning slash that cut through all the blades.

Water Breathing: Sixth Form - Whirlpool

Before Wakuraba could continue his assault, Onijiro came from behind and kicked his back, launching him forward.

After bouncing off the ground onto his feet, Wakuraba saw Onijiro and Makomo charging towards him.

"Don't get in my way, human! He's mine!" Onijiro said to his comrade.

Makomo pouted. "We're supposed to be working together, you know. You can't do everything by yourself."

"Oh yeah? Watch me!" Onijiro charged ahead of Makomo before reaching out his hands. He made a circle with his left hand and put it over his right palm, he then shot out flames in the form of an arrow.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Hachiman's Arrow

Wakuraba saw the flaming arrow and tried to catch it with his blades, only for them to all end up burnt. The arrow pierced the Lower Moon demon and carried him up into the air.

Onijiro sent him flying through multiple buildings and even made him spin in circles to make him dizzy, the young demon laughed like a madman the whole time. Wakuraba felt like he was in a tornado. "WHAT...IS...HAPPENING!?"

Eventually, the arrow vanished and Onijiro's fun ended with Wakuraba crashing into the middle of the street. "Rat bastard...! I'll make him pay for that!"

Wakuraba got up and placed his palms on the ground and grinned. Onijiro and Makomo both recognized this technique.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Spike Pit

Multiple bloods shot up from the ground, covering a large portion of the streets. Onijiro jumped onto the building to his right and stuck to it with his claws.

Makomo remained where she was and pointed her sword to the right at a downward angle. As the spikes approached her, she took a deep breath and remained still.

Water Breathing: Eleventh Form - Dead Calm

All blades within a foot of her were slashed to pieces, Makomo was unharmed by the attack. However, the technique she used up quite a bit of energy since she hasn't mastered the move yet, leaving her breathing heavily.

Wakuraba took this opportunity to jump onto the tips of the blades and hop over to Makomo. He leaped towards her while the girl caught her breath.

Fortunately, Onijiro leaped at Wakuraba and crashed into him. The two went flying through the wall of another building.

Makomo managed to recover enough to get back on her feet when Onijiro was thrown out of the building, knocking down many of the blades sticking out of the ground.

Onijiro used his claws to recover by sticking them into the ground. Onijiro got back up only to stumble forward. His black shrank until it became nonexistent. "Shit! I'm really low on energy, I can't keep Awakening up any longer!"

Soon, Wakuraba hopped out of the building and snarled at the two Demon Slayers before everyone heard yelp in the distance.

Onijiro's and Makomo's eyes widened, the former staring at the latter. "I thought you evacuated everyone!"

Makomo was in shock. "I-I must've missed one..."

While this was going on, Wakuraba looked into the direction where the scream came from and grinned menacingly before dashing off towards it.

"NO!" Tanjiro cried out in Onijiro's head, causing the latter to hold it between his hands. Onijiro was engulfed by normal flames. Tanjiro appeared in his original attire.

"Hey! How about a little warning next time, asshole!?" Onijiro whined before Tanjiro started chasing after Wakuraba with Makomo following along.

Meanwhile, a wounded Sayo tried to tend to her leg while Sumire hovered over her in worried. Those blades suddenly came out of the ground and took them by surprise.

Sayo managed to push Sumire out of the way but ended up getting a nasty gash on her left calf which reached all the way to her ankle.

"Sumire, you need to run! Don't worry about me!" Sayo told Sumire.

The younger girl shook her head with tears falling from her eyes. "No! I won't leave without you!"

"Sumire..." Sayo mumbled, touched by how much Sumire cared. However, she would not another person she cared for die because of her. "It's okay, I'll be right behind you. But I'll feel a lot better knowing that you're safe, okay?"

Sumire hesitated, but she eventually nodded and began to run away. Sayo smiled in relief to see that the younger girl would be safe.

Unfortunately, that relief would soon turn into horror as someone appeared in front of Sumire who stopped skidded to a stop and fell back in surprise.

"SUMIRE!" Sayo yelled as the little girl froze in fear of the Lower Moon Demon, Wakuraba.

"Sorry, kid." Wakuraba green blades out of his fingertips and wiggled them with a smirk. "But you're not going anywhere, I need a quick pick-me-up before I crush those Demon Slayers."

Sumire cried while Sayo tried to run towards her, only to grunt in pain and fall on her face. She could only lift her head to see Wakuraba get ready to cut Sumire to pieces. "NO!"

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Wakuraba halted. "What's that noise?"

Before he could figure out the answer to his question, a new figure appeared and dashed around him at blinding speed.

Wakuraba couldn't even make out the figure's identity before he started getting slashed just about everywhere.

His arms were cut into pieces, his legs had several large cuts on them but were still intact as was the rest of his body. Wakuraba felt a searing pain course through his body. It burned, but in a unique way. It sort of felt like...electricity.

Total Concentration, Thunder Breathing: Third Form - Thunder Swarm

Wakuraba also noticed that the little girl was no longer in front of him. Instead, she was in the arms of a black-haired boy in a yellow haori who stood in front of the other girl.

He set Sumire down, allowing her to run towards Sayo and hug her. "Sumire! Thank God!"

Sumire cried into Sayo's shoulder. "Wahaha! Ms. Sayo!"

Sayo looked up at the girl's savior, her eyes widened. She could've sworn she recognized this boy's face. Her suspicions were confirmed by the necklace around his neck.

Suddenly, she felt like she was four years old again, playing with everyone at the temple and just being a happy family.

Of course, those days were gone, along with all of her loved ones. All except...

"K-Kaigaku...is that...really you?" Sayo asked silently, shocked to see the boy she once thought of as her brother in front of her once again.

Kaigaku stared down at Sayo with soft green eyes and a light smile. "You two should get out of here, it's not safe." He turned back around and faced his opponent who was already gradually from his wounds.

Sayo was still in shock as tears formed in her eyes. She was suddenly struck with deep guilt.

"I HATE YOU!" Those were the last words she had said to him eight years ago. Three words that she regretted saying ever since. "Kaigaku...I-I..."

"Hey!" Sayo was interrupted as Tanjiro and Makomo ran towards her and Kaigaku. Kaigaku noticed that Tanjiro has changed back but knew they had more important things to worry about.

"Perfect timing, I need you two to get these girls out of here. One of them is hurt, so be quick but careful." Kaigaku requested.

Tanjiro and Makomo looked at each other before looking back at Kaigaku. "What will you do?" Makomo asked.

Kaigaku smirked, flicking his sword out of his sheath with his thumb. "My job, of course."

Tanjiro and Makomo stared at Kaigaku wide-eyed but then smiled at him and nodded. Tanjiro picked up Sayo while Makomo carried Sumire.

Sayo looked at Kaigaku, worried about his safety. "Kaigaku..."

"Don't worry, Sayo." Kaigaku said, never taking his eyes off of his opponent. "I'm not the weakling I used to be. I'll protect you...I won't run away this time."

Sayo shut eyes tightly, letting her tears fall. "I'm sorry...I-I'm so sorry for what I said that day! I didn't mean it!"

Kaigaku shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for. Just get to safety."

"...Okay." Sayo said before Tanjiro ran off with her. Makomo remained for a moment while Sumire got comfortable on her back.

"Urokodaki. Thank you for what you said, I know my purpose now." Kaigaku said.

Makomo smiled and nodded. "He can manipulate his blades to any length and shape, watch out for that. Tanjiro and I will be back shortly to back you up, be careful." With that, she followed Tanjiro to the less modern part of town.

Wakuraba, who had just finished healing laughed. "You really think you can take down one of the Twelve Kizuki? You humans never fail to amuse me with your pathetic confidence!"

Kaigaku could feel his heart pounding, chills running down his spine. He clenched his fists tightly and remembered the people he loved being brutally murdered. His fear turned into anger and determination. "Never again. I won't let anyone else die."

Kaigaku grabbed the hilt of his sword which was still lying in its sheath, waiting to strike like a cobra. "Talk is cheap, so let's skip to the part where I cut your head off."

Wakuraba scoffed. "So be it." He dashed forward and stopped in front of Kaigaku who prepared to attack.

Suddenly, Wakuraba sprouted blades from his back and had them bend towards the ground to pierce it. Wakuraba then extended the blades to push himself up high in the air, dodging a horizontal slash from Kaigaku.

Wakuraba then sprouted more blades and had them stick into the ground around the Demon Slayer to trap him.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Cage of Death

Kaigaku looked around to see that he was completely trapped by the blades, running was not an option. "Not that it ever was." He thought.

Wakuraba pointed his palms down at Kaigaku. "Try to survive this, brat!" He fired multiple needles which rain down on Kaigaku.

Kaigaku didn't falter, however, and put his sword back in its sheath as he got down into a low leaning stance.

As soon as the needles got close, multiple omnidirectional bolts of lightning came from Kaigaku and destroyed the needles as well as the cage. At least, that's what Wakuraba saw.

What really happened was that Kaigaku swung his sword in every direction, reaching as far as he could and destroying everything around him.

Thunder Breathing: Fourth Form - Distant Thunder

When he was done, he quickly re-sheathed his blade, making it look as if he never took it out.

The surprised Wakuraba fell down towards Kaigaku who jumped up towards him. In one fluid motion, he took out his sword and unleashed an upward slash before quickly re-sheathing it.

Thunder Breathing: Fifth Form - Heat Lightning

Wakuraba tried to maneuver himself out of the way to avoid the attack, but the best he could get away with was a large cut across his chest all the way to his left eye.

Both combatants landed away from each other. Wakuraba's nails grew into extremely long blades that reached above the buildings. He brought all ten of them down onto Kaigaku, covering the entire street.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Cleaver Chopping

Kaigaku quickly jumped into the nearest building to avoid the attack. Wakuraba followed him inside. They found themselves in the main lobby of some inn. It was a average-sized room with two hallways on each side leading towards stairs to the upper floors.

Kaigaku looked around the very enclosed space. "This is bad, I'm at a disadvantage in enclosed spaces. It'll be harder to dodge this guy's attacks."

Wakurba grinned before sending out multiple blades to chase after Kaigaku. The boy dashed down the left hall and jumped over the stairs while trying to avoiding the blades coming for him.

He followed the stairs up to another hall with multiple doors lined up. There were also a few windows on the opposing wall.

Kaigaku jumped out the window in cannonball formation and hit the ground rolling. He turned his head to see Wakuraba's blades still chasing him so he jumped onto a smaller building.

Wakuraba ran outside of the building and followed Kaigaku onto the building while retracting his blades.

Kaigaku faced his opponent who fired a Multi-Needle Shot at him. Kaigaku gripped his sword tightly before drawing it and deflecting all of the needles with lightning fast reflexes.

However, Kaigaku barely noticed Wakuraba above him with his wrist blades extended, crossing them into an x.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - X-Slash

Kaigaku jumped back in time to avoid Wakuraba's attack which left a giant x on the roof. Wakuraba then leaped towards Kaigaku with a flying kick which the boy sidestepped.

Wakuraba turned back around after landing while extending the blade on his left arm and swinging it to take Kaigaku's head.

Fortunately, Kaigaku saw it coming and ducked under it before dashing at Wakuraba. Before the demon could react, Kaigaku drew his sword and unleashed five arched slashes in the blink of an eye.

Thunder Breathing: Second Form - Rice Spirit

Wakuraba tried to guard himself by sprouting out more blades from his body and bending them into front of him to form a shield. The best that did was keep him from getting cut to pieces. The blades were torn apart and five cuts simultaneously appeared on Wakuraba's body.

Wakuraba jumped back and sent out more blades to chase down Kaigaku, forcing him off of the roof and back onto the streets.

Kaigaku had to jump back again as the blades struck the spot where he was standing. He prepared to dodge then again only to find that they weren't moving anymore.

"Keep your guard up, Kaigaku. Who knows what he'll-." Kaigaku's thoughts were interrupted by a rumbling in the ground.

Suddenly, four blades came out of the ground, all directed at Kaigaku from four different sides. "SHIT! I CAN'T DODGE!"

Kaigaku tried to prepare himself for his inevitable demise before he felt something wrap around his waist.

Before he could figure out what it was, he was suddenly pulled up into the air. He managed to land safely on the roof of a taller building. That's when he saw two figures dash past him.

It was Tanjiro and Makomo. "Sorry to make you wait!" Makomo called out.

"Thanks for holding out while we were gone!" Tanjiro yelled out. The two younger slayers landed on the ground where Wakuraba was.

Kaigaku looked down at them and smirked. "About damn time!" He said before joining them on the ground.

The trio of swordsmen got into their respective battle stances and glared at their enemy. Wakuraba blinked before laughing at them.

"Ha ha ha! Am I supposed to be intimidated by you brats!? Do you even know who you're dealing with. I am one of the strongest demons in all of Japan! Lower Three of the Twelve Kizuki! Direct servant of the Demon King himself! I've been killing you brats for decades! Do you really think I'll get taken down by a bunch of random nobodies!? Don't make me laugh!"

Wakuraba sent out a storm of blades from his body at the three slayers who all held their ground. With an inhale, they prepared their techniques.

Thunder Breathing: Sixth Form - Rumble and Flash

Water Breathing: Tenth Form - Constant Flux

Hinokami Kagura - Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance

Kaigaku jumped towards the wall of another building while slashing any blades in his way, then bounced off of the wall onto the wall of a different building while once again slashing the blades. He repeated this process multiple times as he bounced around as a bolt of lightning.

Makomo dashed forward while making multiple rotations to gain more momentum and power. She slashed at the blades while dancing around Wakuraba. Sometimes, she even used the blades as footholds to jump off of.

Tanjiro dashed forward while twirling his body as if he was dancing. He slashed at any blades in his way and got closer and closer to Wakuraba.

Wakuraba sent out blade after blade to replace the broken ones, leading at first to a stalemate. But the Demon Slayers' perseverance paid off as they were slowly gaining ground.

"We're wearing him down!" Kaigaku thought.

"We're so close now!" Makomo thought.

"We can do this!" Tanjiro thought.

During this battle for dominance, Wakuraba remained suspiciously calm and quiet. He looked down at the ground with shadows over his eyes.

Tanjiro finally managed to get in front of Wakuraba only for a single horizontal blade to blocking the way, aiming to cut Tanjiro in half.

Tanjiro raised his sword, ready to finish the fight with a vertical slash to take out the blade followed by a horizontal slash to take the Lower Moon's head. "You're finished!"

...

"Hey, brat..." Wakuraba said before grinning. "Did you really think my blades were at their full strength?"

Suddenly, all of Wakuraba's blades turned red as he infused his blood into them. Tanjiro, Kaigaku, and Makomo were caught off guard, but didn't falter.

Tanjiro went through with his planned attack...

Hinokami Kagura - Flame Dance

SHINK!

After that, the boy found himself separated from his lower body and arms which now held a broken blade. The shocked Tanjiro fell face first onto the ground while his legs fell back and his arms landed in front of him. "What...just happened!?"

Makomo and Kaigaku noticed Tanjiro's dilemma and shared his thoughts. What happened, indeed...

Kaigaku stopped trying to cut through Wakuraba's blades seeing as there was no point. Instead, he put all his energy into simply avoiding them.

Makomo, however, did not have such a luxury as she was practically in the middle of the blade storm. She stopped dead in her tracks as multiple blades charged at her from the front.

"If I can't cut them, I'll just deflect them!" Makomo thought, trying to keep a cool head. She got into the required stance for her ultimate technique.

Water Breathing: Eleventh Form - Dead Calm

As the blades came closer, they suddenly changed direction out of nowhere while sparks flew around. Of course, all Wakuraba had to do was have them turn back around and attack the young girl.

Makomo was able to deflect all of them so far, but it was taking a heavy toll on her arms. "Arms...tired! Can't...keep this up!"

At first, it seemed like Makomo was standing completely still. But as her arms grew more and more fatigued, it became increasingly obvious that she was simply moving her arms extremely fast.

It wasn't long before a blade managed to hit Makomo's blade at an angle and push it aside, causing the now exhausted girl to lose her grip on her sword. "No!"

Makomo could only watch as another blade aimed at her heart. She couldn't go anywhere but back as that was the only direction where there weren't blades waiting to claim her life.

And so, Makomo jumped back as far as she could but it was no good. The best she could do was try to catch the blade with her hands. She managed to grab it but only managed to cut both of her hands and shift the blade off target.

The blade stabbed through Makomo right below her left kidney area. Makomo barely had time to scream in pain before the blade pushed her through the wall of the same inn that Kaigaku escaped from.

Makomo was launched through the front desk and pinned to the back wall. The blade was then retracted, leaving the now unconscious Makomo to go limp against the wall and slide down into a seated position. Blood fell from the top of her head.

"MAKOMO!" Tanjiro cried out from the outside as he desperately tried to weld his body back together with help from his Crimson Flare Chains. He looked up at Wakuraba with murder in his eyes, not that the Lower Moon cared as he was giving him a shit-eating grin.

Kaigaku was still jumping around when he saw what happened to their companion. "Damn! This bastard!"

Kaigaku had enough, he spotted an opening in the storm of blades that led straight to Wakuraba. He dashed through it and prepared to cut his head off.

"DIE!"

Schlick!

Tanjiro's eyes widened in horror at what he was seeing. Instead of getting decapitated, Wakuraba turned around towards Kaigaku at the last second and stabbed him right through the chest.

"KAIGAKU!" Tanjiro screamed. He tried to get up and attack Wakuraba, but he found himself quickly losing strength as his eyelids began to droop. "Damn it! Not...now!"

Kaigaku's body went into shock, he's dealt with painful injuries before like bruises and such. But this was the first time he was truly wounded. "Shit...! This hurts...!"

Wakuraba stared at his foe in delight before kicking Kaigaku in the gut, launching him off of his blade. Kaigaku was thrown back a few yards before rolling to a stop.

Trying his best to ignore the pain, he got back on his feet. However, he saw that Wakuraba was no longer where he was just standing.

Kaigaku looked around to find him, only for his instincts to suddenly take over when he felt a dangerous presence to his left.

Wakuraba threw a right roundhouse kick at Kaigaku's head. The Demon Slayer reacted quickly, using his arms to block. His right arm supported his left, but that did very little to stop the blow.

Kaigaku's left arm was broken on contact, his right arm barely endured the force. His arms were pushed back towards his cheek, causing some of the force to go right into his face.

Kaigaku was launched into the door of yet another building which was ripped off of its hinges. Kaigaku then flew through the back of the building before hitting another wall. The force of the impact caused Kaigaku to get stuck in the now dented wall.

Wakuraba, satisfied that he'd gotten those two brats out of the way, proudly started to walk over to his true target. But the moment he turned around, he found five flaming claws waiting for him.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Fire Claw Frenzy

Tanjiro swiped at Wakuraba furiously, trying to finish this as quickly as possible before he passed out from exhaustion. Wakuraba dodged every swipe, causing Tanjiro to become more and more desperate with his swings as he began to tire out.

Tanjiro charged forward with a left swipe at his foe's neck. Wakuraba ducked under Tanjiro's arm with ease.

Before the boy could turn around, he lost his balance and fell on his face, his claws extinguished. "Get up...you're not...done yet!"

Tanjiro tried to call upon any strength he had left, anything...but his body would not listen. His scar kept flickering on and off like an old lightbulb. His body was getting hot, really hot...excruciatingly hot.

Flames sparked to life all around Tanjiro's body only to flicker and die just as quickly. Soon, steam started to rise from Tanjiro's body.

Meanwhile, Wakuraba walked up to Tanjiro and scowled. "Tch! You just don't know when to quit, do ya, kid?" Wakuraba raised his foot to stomp on Tanjiro's head and knock him out.

At the last second, Tanjiro's eyes widened before he rolled out of the way of Wakuraba's foot. The Lower Moon growled before Tanjiro set his entire right arm on fire.

Sun Conqueror - Arms of Akuma

Tanjiro's flaming hand grew as it pushed Wakuraba into a nearby wall. Tanjiro retracted his giant hand before launching a devastating punch at Wakuraba, sending him through the wall.

Tanjiro panted heavily as he struggled to stay on his feet. But just then...

"NGH!" Tanjiro felt searing pain on his right arm as the flames went out. His other hand reached for it out of instinct.

Tanjiro looked at the arm to see what was wrong. The moment he looked, his skin grew even more pale and his heart froze.

His right arm...was covered in burns. "...H-Huh?"

"...What the fuck is this!?" Onijiro yelled, equally baffled.

Sadly, there was no time to process what was happening before Wakuraba jumped back out of the hole he was pushed through with some burns of his own and a very pissed off look.

Without a single word, Wakuraba ran at Tanjiro screaming bloody murder. Tanjiro lifted his left hand in response and aimed his palm at Wakuraba's head.

Just as Wakuraba was almost right in top of him, Tanjiro sent solar energy to his left palm and prepared to release it right this demon's face.

However, Tanjiro was too distracted to notice that his left hand as well as his forearm was starting to glow.

"Wait! Don't do that, you fucking idiot!"

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Scorching-

BOOM!

Suddenly, Tanjiro's arm up to the elbow exploded, launching both fighters back into opposing walls. The blast created a giant hole in Wakuraba's chest and burned half of his face off.

Tanjiro fell forward after his collision and tried to figure out what happened. His question was answered by the burning pain creeping up what remained of his left arm.

"GNH! GAAAAAAH!" Tanjiro let out an ear-rupturing scream as he flailed on the ground while holding his left arm.

Ashes flew out of the bleeding hole as more of his arm slowly burned away. "It hurts! It hurts so much! Why...Why is this happening!?"

In that moment, Tanjiro's greatest ally had turned into what it was for all other demons...his worst enemy.

Wakuraba managed to pull himself back to his feet with some effort. While he had no idea what was going on with Tanjiro, he'd be lying if he said he didn't absolutely relish those screams of his.

Wakuraba slowly extended a blade out of his right wrist and walked over to Tanjiro. It was time to end this...

Rumble...

Stormy clouds filled the dark sky. Thunder could be heard in the distance.

"...Damn it...this sucks..." These were Kaigaku's thoughts as he laid on the ground against the broken door his body smashed against.

His left arm was busted. His chest wound was losing blood at an alarming rate. Even with Total Concentration Breathing, he would probably die of blood loss within the hour. Yep, things weren't looking very good.

"I finally grew a backbone after all these years...just to end up like this. How pathetic...I've avoided fatal wounds my entire Demon Slayer career because I always ran away when things got bad..."

"And now, the moment I fight back, I get my ass handed to me. Fuck...I really hate my life sometimes."

Kaigaku remembered his master's words. "Sorry, master. I managed to turn my fear into rage...but I was no match for a Lower Ranked Kizuki."

"I wonder if Makomo is still alive, I hope so. She's a pain in the ass, but that doesn't mean I want her to die."

"I hope Kamado can finish the job. He certainly stands a better chance since he's a demon. Yeah...what's up with that, anyway? Maybe I'll ask him later...if we survive, that is."

"Oh well...at least we managed to get everyone out. I'm glad I got to see Sayo again. I'm happy that she doesn't hate me anymore...even if I don't deserve her forgiveness."

"It's like mother always said, the strong are responsible for protecting the weak..."

"...Mother." Kaigaku used the last of his strength to lift his right hand and clutch his necklace. "I can only imagine how disappointed she is in me...in the person I've become...My father was right, I am just like him..."

"Mother...even though I don't deserve it, please forgive your cowardly son..."

Kaigaku slowly let his eyelids drop and awaited the cold embrace of death...

...

"...-aku...!"

...

"K-...ku...!"

...

"Kaigaku, wake up!"

Gasp!

Kaigaku opened his eyes to find himself still laying on the floor. However, he was no longer in Shinjuku. He was in a dark area covered in light mist.

But that wasn't what got Kaigaku's full attention. No, it was the faces of his deceased friends from the temple staring down at him in concern. The kids were all lined up in a circle.

Kaigaku looked at everyone's faces from oldest to youngest. "Daisuke...? Akane...? Izumi, Kouji, Seiya, Mitsugi, Keishi! Everyone!" Kaigaku began to sit up as he listed off their names.

The children all smiles at Kaigaku with relief and warmth. "It's us, Kaigaku. We're here, we're all here. Well, excluding Sayo." Daisuke said.

Kaigaku beamed at the sight of his second family. But soon, his grin turned into a look of deep guilt. He remembered what he'd done to them, how he sealed their fate by letting a demon inside the temple to save his own skin.

It wasn't long before the tears started falling. "I'm...I'm sorry! I'm so sorry...!" Kaigaku broke down into sobs. "I-I...I can't even BEGIN to make up for what I've done! I never should've done that! If I could go back and change it, I'd do it in a heartbeat!"

The kids all looked at Kaigaku with deep sympathy, sympathy that he (thought he) didn't deserve. "You all took me in when I had nowhere to go! You were my brothers and sisters! We didn't have much, but we were happy! And I just threw that away! No matter how happy I am, I just can't be satisfied! Just like my father, I ALWAYS want MORE!"

"..."

Everyone was silent, waiting for the mood to become a little less intense. But Kaigaku didn't care anymore.

He let out a dry laugh. "You know...Zenitsu once told me something that I didn't get at first..."

"He said that the reason I was always so unhappy was because there was a hole in my heart. You see, he had this stupid idea that hearts are like boxes. And those boxes are where 'happiness' is stored."

"He said that my 'box' had a hole in the bottom where my happiness leaks out. No matter how much happiness is poured in that box, it will always end up empty eventually."

"I didn't know what the hell he was talking about so I just insulted him and walked away as usual. But now...I get what he meant. I'm never satisfied with my life because there's a hole in my heart. Where did that hole come from? I'd say it was from when I lost my mother."

"...You guys remember what I told you about my past, right? That my mother was nothing more than my father's slave. That son of a bitch raped her and she got pregnant with none other than me."

"Apparently, my dad came from some wealthy family but he wasted all of his riches on gambling, slaves, and sake. After he got broke and raped my mom out of anger, he resorted to thievery. Shockingly enough, he turned out to be natural at lying and cheating, the damn prick."

"Why did my dad stay with my mom? To this day, I have no fucking clue. It's not like that sort of thing is uncommon in this screwed up country. It was your typical abusive relationship."

"Yet, despite the events that led to my birth, my mother loved me with all of her heart. She took care of me the best that she could. Told me stories, worked hard to get food. I don't think there was a single moment where she wasn't starving or tired. She always told me about important values like compassion, empathy, protecting others, etc."

Kaigaku clutched the necklace around his neck. "This necklace belonged to her, she gave to me for my fourth birthday. It's the only physical thing that keeps me connected to her."

"My 'dear old' dad on the other hand, had other ideas. He taught me in the way of thievery and even murder. He'd keep trying to get me to kill, but my mom always saved me. Of course, at some point, I'd have to look for my own ways to get out of doing his dirty work."

"Eventually, my father pissed off the wrong people and hunted us down. My father grabbed me and ran away from home, he saw value in me since I was so small and pretty quick for my age, good qualities fit a thief to have."

Kaigaku scowled. "My mom ran with us but she was too tired to keep up. I begged my father to go back for her, but he refused. He called her useless dead weight. After we escaped, he told me that people only lose when they die."

"We traveled together for weeks, jumped from village to village. It was exhausting, it felt like we were always on the move. As time went by, I found myself hating my father more and more. I was never fond of him, but my dislike grew into a deep burning hatred. I wanted to kill him, but I was too scared. I was a little boy, he was a grown man who actually has experience in killing, I wouldn't stand a chance, I thought."

"But then one night, I overheard him badmouthing my mother. He cussed her out again and again as if it was her fault his life was so shit. He said that he wished he had killed her himself when he had the chance. That's what finally pushed me over the edge."

"I grabbed his knife from a table and charged at him. Right as he turned around, I shoved the blade deep into his chest and twisted with all my might. I stabbed him a few more times just be sure. When I was finished, I nearly threw up. All that blood...By the time I processed what I had done, my father did something I never heard him do."

"He...laughed. I had never even seen him smile before, and yet at that moment, he looked at me with a proud grin on his face. It was...disgusting. I couldn't take it anymore, I slit his throat and got the hell out of there."

"Eventually...I made my way to Ose. And you guys know the story from there...Even though I had a last name, I never used it because it reminded me that I was his son. My mother never had a last name of her own, so I just went by Kaigaku."

"To this day, I don't know if my mother is still alive. I like to think so, just to keep myself from completely falling into a depression..."

"Every time I gain something, I subconsciously remind myself of what I lost, even if I don't realize it. And of course, thinking about what I lost, my mother. made me think about the person responsible for me losing it, my father. And thinking about him makes me grumpy and bitter. That's why I'm always wanting more, so that I can find something to cover up that hole and distract myself from those thoughts."

"I wonder if my old man had a hole in his heart. Heh. Yeah right. I doubt that miserable bastard's 'box' ever even had a bottom. At least I can take comfort in knowing that I'm capable of being even a little happy."

Kaigaku looked around at his friends. "If you guys couldn't even cover that hole in my heart, I'm not sure anything can. Maybe my father was right...maybe I'll never be truly happy."

"...That's not true."

Kaigaku's head snapped towards a pouting Izumi. "I-Izumi..."

Izumi shook her head in defiance. "That's not true Your dad doesn't get to choose how your life will go and you shouldn't let him! You're nothing like him! After we died, we watched you torture yourself for years over what you did, and it was heartbreaking!"

"Don't say you'll never be happy! That's not true! Anyone can be happy if they just let themselves be happy!"

"She's right!" Kaigaku turned to Seiya. "No matter what you did, life goes on! You survived that night and you regret the way you did it! So how do you make up for it? By living your life!"

Daisuke put a hand on Kaigaku's shoulder and smiled playfully. "He's got a point. I mean, if you continue to mope for the rest of your life, then we all died for nothing. Sayo and Mr. Himejima understand that."

"Speaking of," Akane interrupted. "You need to make sure you apologize to Mr. Himejima as well."

Kaigaku paled. "That's right, Mr. Himejima is still alive. I still remember when I heard master talking about him. Damn it, he's probably the most pissed at me!"

"Hey, Mr. Himejima is a very kind person, he still is!" Kouji attempted to reassure Kaigaku. "I'm sure if you just apologize, everything will be alright!"

The rest made noises of agreement while Kaigaku smiled sadly. "I don't deserve you guys...Thanks for taking the time to cheer me up."

"What are friends for?" Daisuke asked. "Now, get back down there and kick that demon's a-!"

"LANGUAGE!" The other kids yelled, causing Daisuke to chuckle sheepishly. After laughing at the boy's expense, Kaigaku looked at his friends one more time with a wide smile.

"For so long, I thought I had nothing. But that was never once true. I have plenty of people who care about me. People that I have to protect."

"Thank you, everyone. I swear...anyone who wants to hurt the innocent...will feel the wrath of thunder.

Boom!

The sound of thunder caused Kaigaku's eyes to snap open. It was now raining and extremely windy in the area. He could hear the low rumble of distant thunder followed by the louder booms of lightning nearby.

Kaigaku summoned the last of his strength along with the full force of his willpower and got back on his feet. His left arm was broken, but that was fine.

He still had one undamaged arm, and it was the only one he needed. He slowly walked towards the street where Lower Moon Three was.

Wakuraba kicked the fallen Tanjiro in the ribs once more, launching him further down the street. Tanjiro was completely out of strength. He was in too much pain from his burns to focus on using Sun Conqueror. His left arm still wouldn't regenerate even though it was no longer burning away.

Despite the rain, Tanjiro's body was still steaming hot and felt agonizing for the poor boy. The constant screaming from Onijiro telling him to 'stop being a bitch' wasn't helping either.

Tanjiro was lying face down before trying to get back up before Wakuraba crouched down and grabbed him by the throat. He slammed Tanjiro into a wall multiple times, putting multiple dents in it.

Tanjiro was barely holding on to consciousness as Wakuraba grinned. "It's over, kid! You never stood a chance!"

Wakuraba raised his other hand as he prepared to crush the kid's skull. "Take comfort in knowing that you will play a crucial part in the destruction of the Demon Slayer Corps and humanity itself!"

"I can just imagine all the fun I'll have with these pitiful humans! You know, I used to be a pretty well-known serial killer in my human days. The fun of slicing up people brings me SO MUCH JOY! I always RELISH the look on their faces as the lights fade from their eyes! It's just so...SO-!"

"Will you...shut up already..."

Wakuraba paused before looking to his left.

BOOM!

Lighting illuminated a lone figure standing in the middle of the street with a sword in hand. It was the thunder brat from before. "Tch! Still alive, eh?"

Kaigaku smirked. "Sorry to...disappoint you." He said while breathing heavily.

Wakuraba shook his head. "You Demon Slayers are a new breed of stupid. You could've just run away to lick your wounds. Instead, you've come here to die."

Kaigaku gave out a weak chuckle. "As if...I'd run away...from scum like you. If I ran...that'd be the same as admitting defeat...which would mean that...I lose."

"You never lose until you die."

"Not quite, old man. I think a better way to phrase that is...You never win until your enemy is dead."

"I've said it before...and I'll say it again. I won't run away..."

Wakuraba simply stared at Kaigaku with an annoyed look, no longer paying any attention to Tanjiro. Tanjiro took advantage of this and grabbed Wakuraba's neck with his remaining hand.

"What the-!?" Before Wakuraba could react, Tanjiro's scar flickered to life once more as his right hand began to heat up and burn the higher ranked demon's skin. "GAAAH!"

Tanjiro gritted his teeth due to the burning pain in his right hand, but he pushed through and gripped Wakuraba's neck as hard as he could while sending out more heat.

Wakuraba grabbed Tanjiro's hand and ripped it off of his neck before pulling back his hand and punching Tanjiro right in the face.

Tanjiro's nose had been broken and he was now rendered unconscious as his eyes rolled back and he fell forward. "...I did...all I could...I weakened...his neck...Kaigaku...it's all up to you now..."

After knocking out Tanjiro, Wakuraba glared at Kaigaku and ran at him like a mad beast with his wrist blades extended. "I've had it with you fucking BRATS! JUST DIE ALREADY!"

Kaigaku dropped his left leg back into a lunge stance. He placed his sword in its sheath and inhaled.

Shhhhhhhhhh...

"When using Thunder Breathing, the most important thing to focus on is your legs." Kaigaku's thoughts drifted to the first time he learned Thunder Breathing.

"Most humans aren't aware of the dimensions of their bodies or the shapes of their muscles. Only by being conscious of all of these things do you truly achieve Total Concentration."

"Circulate the air through every fiber of your muscles and every blood vessel. Build up the strength in your legs and keep building it up."

"It's strange...I never once felt like I could do that form. The reason was because I always felt like I was missing something. And I don't just mean in the form itself, I've just felt like...I was missing a part of myself."

"But...it feels different right now. I feel like I have everything I need to do it now. It's as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders..."

"I feel...complete"

Total Concentration, Thunder Breathing

"Finally, after you've built up that strength, let it all go in one big blast."

Kaigaku moved forward, faster than he ever did before. In less than a second, his sword was already an inch from Wakuraba's neck.

First Form

"A blast that cuts through the air like a thunderclap!"

BOOM!

...

At that moment, it was as if time had stopped. Both Kaigaku and Wakuraba were still in the air with their backs turned to each other.

The only difference was...Kaigaku still had his head.

Thunderclap and Flash!

WHOOOOOOOO! That's another chapter done!

I hope it was worth the wait! I can't wait to see what you all thought about it!

I was gonna add a flashback of Kaigaku with his parents, but the chapter was already getting really long so...yeah. Maybe another time.

Okay, now let's talk about the elephant in the room, Tanjiro's little...incident. It's another limiter on Tanjiro's power to add some extra stakes to fights.

Don't worry, it will all be explained next chapter!

I also want to address the amount of solar energy Tanjiro has...

So...I kind of stopped keeping track of that a long time ago. Look, I just kept forgetting how much he has and I kept having to read pretty much the entire story and keep track as I went along and at some point, it got tedious and really damaged my motivation to continue.

Plus, there's so many ways that Tanjiro can gain more energy that it just became too much.

Now, I just kind of give Tanjiro/Onijiro however much energy I think is just enough to help win the fight but low enough to raise the stakes.

Yeah, yeah, call me lazy, but I just couldn't work with the old system anymore. That's why I added a new limit to Tanjiro to make up for it.

Anyways, thanks for your support as always! Love you guys! Remember to please leave a review if you have any questions or comments! As I've said, I don't mind if your critical as long as you keep it respectful!

See you next time!

Next Time - Chapter 19 - The Tremendous Trio...Plus One

(The "One" is Onijiro, in case you're wondering lol)