April 11, 1913

James and Susamaru had been allowed to sleep for a few hours in a room at the Ubuyashiki Estate under the close watch of several Kakushi. Due to their compliance, they were only nominally tied up at their wrists for restraints. Nobody who had not yet met them believed that they could walk in the sun. Around noon, after only about five hours of sleep, Shinobu entered their room and opened the windows, only half-believing that Limited Sunlight Resistance was real. "If they're lying," Shinobu thought to herself. "They'll burn up right when I open the windows." However, even as the rays of the sun hit them, nothing changed except that Susamaru began to stir awake. "Well," she told both of them. "Good morning, or should I say good noontime?"

"Good mornin'," James replied in English, so tired he forgot to use Japanese. "Shit, I mean…" He then switched to the correct language. "Good mornin'."

"It's about noon," Shinobu told them as she put her haori back on. "You guys have to meet the other pillars. We're trying to decide if we should kill you guys and that one slayer with the demon in the box."

"Tanjiro?!" James immediately jumped up out of bed. "How is he?! What about Zenitsu and Inosuke?!" He was deeply concerned about them, having seen their conditions as they were walked out of the forest of Mount Natagumo.

"They're all in stable condition," Shinobu happily explained. "But Tanjiro is the only one here right now. The other two are at my own residence, the Butterfly Estate. It's where many injured slayers in the First District go when they're hurt. If they decide he lives, I'll try to get him to go there as well. They'll all need significant rehab due to how injured they were."

"We should have stayed with them," Susamaru muttered to herself. "We stayed behind instead."

"You guys did save one of our own," Shinobu replied to her. "So that'll be used in your defense. One of our own pillars is also on trial, too, since he knew about Kamado-san and his sister and did nothing. Tomioka Giyu is his name." She paused upon recalling his name, as if she was afraid of something. "We… We may or may not have to kill him, too." Though they could not see her facial expression, as she was turned away from them, both James and Susamaru could tell she seemed saddened by the prospect.

…

About ten minutes later, Susamaru and James emerged in front of the Pillars plus a still asleep Tanjiro, still under the awning of the main house on the Ubuyashiki estate. As they did, everyone looked on in anticipation of what they would do next, as if they were some sort of attraction. James then cleared his throat and began to introduce himself. "Good afternoon. My name is James Colby. You can call me Jack if you want. I'm a demon hunter from America, and I've come to Japan to hunt them as well. This is my partner in hunting, Susamaru." Both of them then stepped into the sunlight.

Immediately, one of the Pillars, who possessed red and orange-colored hair, told the others, "The fact they can walk in the sun is a threat to us all."

"I don't understand how a demon can hunt demons," another then spoke, who possessed markings on his face and a very muscular build. "Doesn't Kibutsuji make sure they can't actually kill each other, after all? It's the job of us to eliminate all demons, whether you do it through boring but practical ways or do it with flamboyance like me."

As James was about to respond, Susamaru held him back. "Just let them speak."

"If these two are telling the truth," another man with a rather muscular build and seemingly blank eyes explained. "Then it will be particularly heartbreaking to have to kill them. They may have saved some, but rules are rules."

The only other woman among the Pillars, who boasted pink/green hair and an unusually revealing outfit, spoke rather softly, telling them, "Maybe we should wait for the Oyakata-sama. If we do anything about these guys without his blessing, it could mean bad things for us."

The next person to speak was about Tanjiro's age, and was seemingly absent-minded, boasting long black hair with teal ends. "I'm going to just go with whatever the Oyakata-sama says."

Finally, a man spoke from atop the branch of a tree. He had heterochromia and possessed bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face, as well as a white snake that slithered around him, loyal to its presumed owner. "While what he says is important, we don't always have to go through him, you know."

Susamaru noticed that one of them was not speaking in regards to the proceedings, and was standing to the side. "Hey, what's his deal?"

"Tomioka Giyu is also on trial," the man with the flame-colored hair told them. "He is the Water Pillar, for now. We may decide to have him executed as well, since he knew about our little traitor and spared his demon sister." Again, the mention of his possible fate seemed to depress Shinobu, who lost her smile and looked down. "Also, my apologies for not introducing ourselves. My name is Rengoku Kyojuro, and I am the Flame Pillar."

"I am Uzui Tengen," the man with markings followed. "I am the Sound Pillar."

"My name is Himejima Gyomei," the man with blank eyes followed. "I am the Stone Pillar."

"Nice to meet you two," the woman with brightly-colored hair told them with a bow. "I am Kanroji Mitsuri, the Love Pillar."

"Hello," the absent-minded young man from earlier told them. "I am Tokito Muichiro, the Mist Pillar."

"I find it odd we're introducing ourselves to demons," the man with the snake added. "But I guess there's no harm in it. My name is Iguro Obanai, and I am the Snake Pillar."

"You already know who I am," Shinobu concluded. "But if you forgot, my name is Kocho Shinobu. I am the Insect Pillar."

"Good afternoon," Giyu somewhat awkwardly told both of them, not caring that he had already been introduced by Kyojuro. "I am Tomioka Giyu, the Water Pillar."

"Rengoku-san already introduced you," Shinobu pointed out to him. "You didn't have to repeat it, you know."

"We might as well wake up our guest now," Tengen told the crowd. He then leaned over Tanjiro. "Hey, buddy, wake up! Come on!" As Tanjiro stirred awake and opened his eyes, immediately finding out he was bound and unable to move, Tengen told him, "Be alert, son! You're on trial!"

"I still say we reserve the right to just skip the formalities and just kill him and his sister," Kyojuro interjected. "Why not do it here? This is clearly a major violation of our policies."

"Kill my sister?!" Tanjiro did not even care about the fact that they also had threatened to kill him, only caring at that moment about Nezuko. "Bull fucking shit, you'll kill my sis-!" Suddenly, Obanai jumped down from the tree he stood on and restrained Tanjiro on the ground, pinning him down. "Shit!"

"Shut the fuck up and let the adults talk," Obanai sternly warned him. After a brief pause, he remembered Muichiro's status as the youngest Pillar, and corrected himself. "Don't worry, Tokito-san, you're fine."

"Hey, come on," James protested. "Sure, he swore at you guys, but let the man speak! Don't they got the right for a defendant to speak on their behalf and defend themselves in court? Speakin' of, where is his sister?"

"In that box on the porch behind you guys," Kyojuro explained to them. "If you try to open it, we'll kill both of you."

"I'm surprised this kid is the only one in restraints," Obanai told the others. "Tomioka-san and these two weird demons should be as well."

"They all surrendered peacefully," Shinobu argued back with a smile and a calm tone. However, hiding behind it was rage that was clear to James and Susamaru on the porch. "The only reason Kamado-san is restrained is because of his injuries. Also, enough with the talk of skipping out on the trial. That's not how this works. Anyway, why don't we hear from these three?"

"No need," Tengen replied as he grabbed his dual swords from behind his back, but did not pull them out. "No matter the reason, the result will most likely be the same."

Before Tanjiro could speak, James spoke up first. "I'll go first. I came to Japan to hunt down the people who turned me into a demon, the Jackson Brothers, as well as the man who started it all, Kibutsuji Muzan. For the past fifty years, I've hunted demons and protected the innocent from the harm my own kind can inflict. The demons of the Americas all share somethin' the demons here don't: A limited resistance to sunlight and the ability to consume animal blood instead of human blood. The few of us who choose to live among regular society can do so because of this. We can walk in the day, albeit with our Blood Demon Arts and our regenerative abilities either severely hampered or completely useless."

Susamaru went next. "I was turned into a demon ten years ago, and I did the bidding of Kibutsuji for a long time. He used me, and he lied to me, telling me I was destined to become a Lower Moon. It was not until I was saved that I realized the truth. I have not killed a human since the day I was freed from Muzan's curse, and I will refuse to do so for all of eternity! My attention focuses solely on killing him and his allies!"

"My sister," Tanjiro began to explain before he suddenly coughed, parched and in pain from his injuries. As Shinobu walked over to him with a gourd full of water, James spoke up in his defense.

"The demon in that box is Kamado Nezuko," James argued, almost as if he was a lawyer in court representing a defendant. "Tanjiro's sister, who is a year younger than him. Two years ago, according to Tanjiro's own testimony to me and a letter he gave me alleged to be from an Urokodaki Sakonji, the former Water Pillar, his family was murdered by a demon, and this same demon turned Nezuko into one. We believe based on evidence from the scene that the demon responsible is none other than Kibutsuji Muzan himself. Anyway, this girl was placed under a spell by Urokodaki-san and was asleep for a full two years. She has not killed a single human since becoming a demon. According to Tanjiro, this spell causes her to see all demons as the enemy, and all humans as their murdered family. She also saw me, Susamaru, and two other demons named Tamayo and Yushiro as friendly. I can personally testify, and so can Susamaru, that Nezuko can and will attack demons at her own discretion, and can inflict devastatin' injuries if not death. The letter also states that Tomioka Giyu, the current Water Pillar, recommended to Urokodaki-san that this be done to Nezuko. Tomioka-san, is that true?"

"Yes," he replied, still standing off to the side. "I was with both of the siblings soon after Nezuko was turned into a demon. She vehemently protected her brother twice when she thought I was about to attack him. Everything you laid out in that letter Tanjiro gave you is true to my knowledge."

"Does the letter also contain a promise that if Nezuko ever sides with Muzan or kills a human for unjust reasons," James continued with questioning. "That you and Urokodaki-san will commit suicide?"

"Correct," Giyu replied. "A better term for that is seppuku, by the way."

"Right, my apologies." He then turned to Tanjiro. "Tanjiro, is everything Tomioka-san saying true to the best of your knowledge?"

He shouted to the crowd and to him at the same time, "Absolutely! All of it is!"

Then, a new face emerged onto the scene. "Sorry I'm a bit late, guys. I see we got quite a bit of fun waiting for us today." He bore scars all along his face, and a smile that seemed to yearn for a fight. "What the fuck do we have here? Three demons and a traitor to the Corps, huh?"

James, confused about the sudden appearance of this new character, asked everyone else, "Who is that guy?"

"I'm Shinazugawa Sanemi," he explained. "The Wind Pillar. Of course, once we're finished here, you won't need to know about that in Hell." He then walked over to the porch and up onto it to grab Nezuko's box. "Try anything to stop me, and I'll kill you both."

James and Susamaru wisely stepped out of the way as Tanjiro yelled out, "What the Hell are you gonna do to my sister?!"

"Your sister is dead," Sanemi coldly replied to him as he paraded the box in front of them all out in the sun. "Not like I give a shit about her or you. In this box is what you're supposed to kill, dumbass. This is not a person."

Susamaru sighed and told herself sarcastically, "This oughta end well."

Shinobu's smile once again disappeared as he looked to Sanemi, annoyed by whatever hairbrained scheme he was planning. "Shinazugawa-san, whatever it is you're planning, please don't do it."

He rather brazenly replied to her, "Who's the senior Pillar in this conversation, Kocho-san?" He then drew his sword. "You morons think she can fight alongside us? Well, I call that a whole load of absolutely horse shit!" He stabbed into the box, causing James and Susamaru to gasp out of fright as Tanjiro growled. As he stabbed again, he said, "That's only a taste of what she's gonna get!"

Tanjiro angrily and bitterly yelled out, "You piece of shit, don't fucking stab my sister! Anyone who hurts her, Pillar or not, becomes my enemy!" As he got up and charged at him despite his hands still being bound behind his back, the rest of the crowd watched in anticipation of what would happen. He thought to himself, "No one hurts Nezuko and gets away with it, human or demon!"

Susamaru ran out and tried to stop Tanjiro, but it was too late. "Tanjiro, stop! Don't do it!" Right after, Tanjiro head-butted Sanemi, causing both of them to fall to the ground and drawing blood from the latter's nose. As they both hit the ground, Tanjiro crawled in front of Nezuko's box as Susamaru stepped in between them, ripping her yukata off and spawning all six of her arms. "That's enough from both of you! If you were around for my partner's defense earlier, maybe you wouldn't have done such a foolish act like that!" She also kicked his sword to the side to make sure he could not get it while still on the ground. "Listen to your fellow Pillars and stop this madness at once!"

Suddenly, back on stage, James yelped in fright as two twin children with white hair suddenly spoke beside him. He had not even noticed them walking up to him, which only added to the shock. Both of them said in unison, "The Oyakata-sama has arrived."

James turned and saw the man himself, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, begin to step out from the rest of the house. While the rest of the Pillars bowed down on one knee, Susamaru included, while Tanjiro was held down by Obanai once more, James reverted back to his military training and rendered a salute as if Kagaya was an officer. The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps noticed this and smiled, telling him in shockingly perfect though accented English, "You don't have to salute me like that, Mr. Colby, but I appreciate the respect of the salute. You can go at ease as they say it in your language.

"My apologies, sir," James replied back in English. "It was ingrained in me from my Army days, sir." He then stood at ease, his arms behind his back. "I'm impressed to hear your English, sir."

"Thank you," Kagaya replied. "In today's world, learning other languages is crucial to ensuring our success against demons." He then turned to the Pillars and switched back to his mother tongue of Japanese. "I'm so glad you all could come, my beloved children."