"I never thought I'd meet two demons like you," Zenitsu told James and Susamaru as he stared at them with amazement in his eyes. "Especially someone as pretty as you, Susamaru-chan!"

"No thanks," she replied, annoyed by his fawning over her. "My heart is for someone el-" She then stopped herself, realizing James was in the same room. "I mean, just, whatever, okay?"

"I'm glad to see you two are alright," Tanjiro told them. "You sure outsmarted those three demons who came to the house after me and Nezuko-chan left. Speaking of, does the manor owner know you two are demons?"

"Well, uh," James replied out of worry. "Eheheh… Yeah, she doesn't. I'm afraid that the corps will try to kill us even if we hunt demons ourselves."

"It's why he was reluctant to even stop here," Susamaru added. "I managed to finally convince him, though."

"So you two are sleeping together?" Zenitsu was floored by the idea of sleeping in the same room with a girl. "James, you're a lucky man…"

Susamaru blushed again as James looked at him, confused. "Erm, Zenitsu, nothin' is gonna happen. We ain't in a relationship. I respect people's boundaries."

"I've never heard of a name like Jeimaku Koraki," Inosuke then asked them both, completely confident in his terrible mispronunciation of James' name in Japanese. "You must have gotten that name as a demon, Koraki! Is that true, Murasama?"

"Uh, no," corrected James. "It's James Colby. My personal name is James. Where I'm from, family names are last, not first. I've had the same name since I was born as a human. I already went over this. My friend's name is Susamaru. Again, we already went over this, pal."

"Don't mind him," Tanjiro replied to James. "I keep telling Inosuke our actual names and he still gets them wrong. It's a lost cause at this point. I'm sure he doesn't mean offense."

…

Later that night, James and Susamaru slept apart from each other in different beds in the same room. As they looked up at the ceiling, Susamaru asked him, "James, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?" James turned his head to face her. "Go ahead."

"Why me?" Susamaru had asked him a question he knew was inevitable, but was not expecting so soon. "Why did you decide to try that spell on me of all people? I don't really consider myself special, and I've killed people. I'm surprised you didn't try it on that one boy's sister."

"Nezuko didn't need it," James explained. "If she did, she would have been murdered by Muzan the minute she began protecting us from you. I'm not sure how, but Muzan has no control over her."

"That is true," Susamaru replied. She then sighed. "I guess why I'm asking you is because I'm not too special, like I said. Due to my kill count, I'm not innocent. Nezuko has never killed a human. I've killed at least 100 in the span of ten years. I know I'm going to Hell when I die."

"You really don't," James countered her. "Susamaru, sure, you may have killed innocent people in the past, but you have a chance to change that. Instead of ending lives, you could save hundreds if not thousands of them by fighting Kibutsuji Muzan and his allies. If anyone gives you shit for it from this day forward, fuck 'em. You're on the right side of history now. As for why I saved you… I guess I kinda owe it to luck. Yahaba was already dead, whereas you were still alive. Tamayo gave me an opportunity, and I struck."

"I suppose that's true," she admitted. "You know, my whole life has been one series of 'what the fuck' moments, I guess. I became a demon almost on impulse because I wanted to be able to throw my handballs faster and better. I was bullied a lot by boys back then because I was a strong and athletic girl. I wanted to be able to dominate them in sports, but I never knew being a demon entailed so much." She shook her head. "If I could go back, I'd tell Kibutsuji to fuck off. I can't believe he stole so much from me by manipulating me. I was told so many times as a human that no man wants a woman like me, and that also kind of influenced me, I guess. I thought that they were right, and that nobody would care if I was turned into a demon."

James was a bit disturbed by her recollection of her past. It eerily mirrored parts of the life of his first wife, Julia, who had been murdered by a demon ten years prior. "I had a wife and a child before all of this. They were taken from me ten years ago. A demon came to my town and murdered them and my unborn second child when I was away. She was also athletic and physically strong, and she got picked on a lot for it by these assholes who thought she was less of a woman for it. She fell in love with me because I didn't care, and I treated her with basic human respect. Virtually nobody saw the other side of her that was carin' and protective of those who couldn't protect themselves. I think it was a… Yeah, it was a wrestlin' match. We were wrestlin' one day out by a creek when we began to kiss instead. Then, of course, our clothes came off, and the rest of it you can probably guess as to what happened."

Susamaru hid her lower face under the covers as she blushed. "Yeah, um, I can guess, alright… I'm sorry to hear that about your wife. She sounds like she was a wonderful woman."

"She was," James confirmed to her. "She really was… Well, I'm gonna fall asleep. Goodnight, Susamaru."

"Goodnight," she replied back. As she turned over in her bed, she thought to herself, "Fuck, don't tell me… Am I in love with him?! I think I am…"

…

April 10, 1913

The next morning, after meeting with the owners of the manor alongside the trio, who were still unaware of James and Susamaru being demons, they all relaxed in the room of the trio when a crow suddenly flew in and landed beside Tanjiro. James, confused, asked him, "Is that crow supposed to be here?"

"Oh yeah," Tanjiro told him. "I forgot to tell you. We have messenger birds that can speak like people, like this crow. We call them Kasugai Crows."

"No shit," James replied, remembering Paul McCloud's own crow back home. "We use them too in America, even though we're less organized. A guy I know named Paul McCloud has a crow he uses to send me updates. That crow is why I'm in Japan."

"North to northeast," the crow then told Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu. "That is approximately where your next mission is! North to northeast, at Mount Natagumo!"

"Mount Natagumo?!" Susamaru was shocked to hear the crow speak those words. "We were heading up there because we heard people kept getting lost and going missing at night. We thought demons were behind it."

"I guess your suspicions were right," Tanjiro replied to her. He then extended an offer to them. "You guys are free to come with us."

James and Susamaru then looked at each other and nodded. "Look," James told him with some regret in his voice. "We ain't sure if we're gonna be welcome visitors if more of the Demon Slayer Corps is around. I don't want to fight people who are supposed to be on the same side as us, but I fear they won't listen to us if they find out about our… Peculiar circumstances." He made sure to be careful with his words in case the owners of the manor and the inn were within earshot. "They may not appreciate people like us gettin' in the way. The motto of the corps is to destroy all demons, which is why I'd advise you to be extra careful with your sister, Tanjiro. Not everyone might have gotten the message from Mr. Urokodaki that she's one of the good ones like us, nor would they even accept it."

"And they probably know who I am," Susamaru admitted. "I won't lie to any of you. I have killed before, many times, in the past ten years. If they're unaccepting of James and Nezuko, imagine how unaccepting they'll be of me."

Zenitsu realized they were right, and told Tanjiro. "They have a point. I think we can handle this on our own. It shouldn't be too bad, right?"

"Right," Tanjiro replied to him. He then turned to Inosuke. "How do you feel?"

"It doesn't matter to me," he nonchalantly replied.

Tanjiro turned back to James and Susamaru. "Guys, I understand that you're both concerned. However, I have a feeling this mission might be more dangerous than we're being led onto. If anyone from the Corps attacks you guys despite your contributions… I hate to say it, but…" He then sighed, coming clean with how he felt. "Defend yourselves against any threats, demon or human. I know for a fact that by you guys giving your blood samples to Tamayo-san, you've done far more than any of us here at least when it comes to fighting the real enemy: Kibutsuji Muzan. All three of us will vouch for you." Zenitsu nodded, and Inosuke just looked on, passively agreeing with them. "James, Susamaru, please, come with us."

James chuckled, realizing he had been outwitted. "Sounds like a plan," James confirmed with a nod. He then extended his hand out to the trio. "You guys got this."

Tanjiro realized what he was doing and shook his hand, confusing Inosuke. "Why did you just shake his hand like that? It's weird."

"It's a thing outsiders do," Tanjiro explained to him. "Kind of like bowing."

Zenitsu, who had already known what handshakes were due to being raised closer to urban areas and Western influence, also shook his hand. When James offered to Inosuke, he awkwardly extended the wrong hand first and tried to grip. "Is this right?"

"Other hand," James explained.

"God damn it," Inosuke muttered to himself. "This is so confusing…" He then shook his hand with the proper hand, albeit awkwardly with a weak grip. "Bowing just seems so much easier."

"When you're raised in that culture, it is," Zenitsu replied to him. "I'm sure to James, handshakes are a lot easier than bows, especially when it comes to how far down you bow."

"Yeah, I still don't get that. I think I may have bowed a bit too low to the manor owner last night when we came here, because she told us somethin' like 'I'm flattered, but I ain't a noble.'" They all then laughed, amused by the anecdote.

…

Later that night, as the five of them approached Mount Natagumo, they all heard Zenitsu cry out from behind. As the other four turned around, he shouted, "I'm scared as hell, man!"

Inosuke brushed him off, asking with an annoyed tone, "Why the hell are you sitting on the ground? What's wrong?"

"Who the fuck are you to talk, Pig Face?!" Zenitsu then aggressively pointed at the mountain ahead of them to prove his point. "You guys are lying if you say that mountain doesn't give off creepy vibes!"

As they all looked to the mountain, James remarked, "He ain't wrong." The mountain in the middle of the night gave off a rather chilling vibe even from afar, and the lush trees coating it were unwelcoming and seemed to hide something incredibly sinister underneath the leaves. "Even so, sittin' here will do shit. We got a mission to do, Zeni-"

"Wait," Tanjiro suddenly exclaimed as he sniffed the air, something catching his attention. "That smell… Oh no, someone's in trouble!" He then dashed towards the mountain, drawing his sword. James and Susamaru followed, both drawing their main guns.

"Hey, wait! You can't leave me behind! What the fuck?!" Zenitsu and Inosuke both drew their swords and quickly followed behind.

As they ran up to the foot of the mountain, they all stopped in their tracks when they found a man lying down on the path, a sword in his hand. He had clearly been attacked and injured by someone, as evidenced by blood on the ground. James asked him, "Hey, you alright?!"

"It's a Demon Slayer," Tanjiro noted to them all. "He's wearing our uniform!"

Then, as they all ran to him, Susamaru seemed to notice something the others had not. "Look out!" She then ripped her yukata off, dropped her gun, spawned her additional four arms, used her hands to spawn six handballs, and threw them at the air above the injured Demon Slayer. All five were caught in invisible threads before tearing them to shreds and landing nearby, the force needed to tear the threads drastically slowing them down and capturing most of the force Susamaru used to throw them. "I knew it! He was being held onto with wires!"

"Help me," the injured demon slayer begged of them. "Please… Help me… The demons… They attached the wires to me like the webs of spiders…"

Susamaru then picked up her shotgun with her two upper hands as she recalled something to the group and James helped the injured slayer up onto his feet. "Shit, I should have remembered it sooner! Kibutsuji told us about a family of demons led by the Fifth Lower Moon. He never told us where they were located, but that he organized them like they were his family, even though they really weren't. He also told us they used spider-like powers. This must be them!"

"A Lower Moon?!" Zenitsu was now deep into fear. "They're among the most powerful demons in Japan! Holy fuck, we were sent here?!"

"Hey," James asked the injured slayer. "What's your name, soldier?"

"Watanabe," he weakly replied as he tried to stand on one leg and free up his other. "Watanabe Makoto… Fuck, I think she broke my left leg and my right arm! Fuck, it hurts!"

James told Tanjiro, "I'm gonna stay out here and try to stabilize 'em. I got medical supplies in my bag. Susamaru, stay with me in case they try to attack us out here." He then took his bag off, pulling out two wooden boards and surgical tape. "Alright, Makoto, I'm gonna put a splint on your right arm, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," Tanjiro affirmed. "Alright, I'm heading in!" As he and Inosuke dashed into the forest, Zenitsu remained behind, still afraid to enter.

James first used a knife to cut open Makoto's shirt sleeve and expose the arm. As he palpated Makoto's arm, he noticed two different breaks. "Yep, I got two breaks in the lower arm. Zenitsu, if you ain't gonna go in, hold these wooden boards so I can tape 'em up!" He had gained his knowledge of first aid from his experiences in the Civil War and from demon-hunting afterwards, often having to assist human demon hunters in America when they were injured in the line of duty. "Susamaru, get some dressins' outta my bag and start with bleedin' control!"

"Wait a minute," Makoto then asked him. "Are… Are you a demon?!" Fear immediately encapsulated him.

"Calm down," he instructed him as Zenitsu held the boards in place, still shivering in fear.. "Listen, that don't matter right now. Me and my partner Susamaru are two of the good ones. We're here to kill the bad demons and save lives, not end innocent lives and serve Kibutsuji Muzan. Now, how many more of your buddies are in that forest?"

"There were four on the initial dispatch," he replied to him, his fear of James now going away due to his sincere assurances. "They sent another five up when the initial team got into some trouble. I was in the second group. I don't know who's alive and who's dead. Holy fuck, this whole situation's fucked up."

James then finished taping up the splint, which held his lower arm in place and prevented him from moving his left hand. "Alright, now that that's all taken care of, let's take a look at that leg. Sorry about tearin' up your uniform."

"I don't give a fuck," he moaned back to him in pain. "Strip me down naked if you gotta."