When the frantic drumming of the tsuzumi ended abruptly, ending as fast as it started with the small dum, nobody could move. The brother and sister still cried and whimpered in each other's arms, Kagami holding them close to her, hoping to still their violently trembling bodies, Zenitsu stared at the house shaking in his sandals, and Tanjiro looked down at the lifeless boy's body in his arms, a look of anger and sadness crossing over his face.
"We couldn't save him," he began to mumble under his breath, his shoulders shaking slightly, "If we'd only gotten here sooner, we've might've managed to save you."
Kagami didn't know whether to believe that or not.
If they had showed up sooner, if Zenitsu's pathetic temper tantrum hadn't halted their travel for as long as it did, maybe they could've saved the boy. Or, maybe they would've ended up dead like him. They've faced tough demons, and defeated them, but they always ended up with broken bones, cracked ribs, and deflated spirits. They still haven't healed enough from the Temari and Arrow Demon. So even if they did show up sooner, would their injuries had costed them their lives?
Kagami looked down and spoke softly to the cowering kids, "Is that your brother?"
The brother didn't need to look over at the lifeless body. He just kept his head down, making sure his sister couldn't see it, answering, shaking, "N-No… that isn't him. He is wearing a-an orange-colored kimono."
If that boy isn't their brother, then… that means more children, people, are trapped inside.
Tanjiro gently placed the boy's body on the ground and placed his hands together, bowing his head and closing his eyes in respect. "I promise to bury you once I return. Until then, please forgive me," he spoke to the boy. Then, he hardened his resolve and turned to Kagami and Zenitsu, speaking, "All right! Let's go!"
Kagami nodded her head, standing from the kids, but Zenitsu, still whimpering and shaking, shook his head side to side. He was blubbering out nonsense as his eyes stayed fearfully glued to the house behind Tanjiro.
Tanjiro sighed, placing a hand to his forehead, and spoke, "Look, the only people who can help them are you, Kagami, and me now. We have to do this!"
Zenitsu immediately burst out into tears, still not agreeing to going inside the house.
Tanjiro's face darkened, annoyance, frustration, and anger visibly showing, and he huffed, "All right, then. Have it your way."
Kagami rolled her eyes at Zenitsu, scoffing at his back, and watched as Tanjiro strolled right past him without giving him a second glance. She was definitely getting tired of Zenitsu's hesitation and fear of going anywhere and at everything. She still couldn't possibly understand how he managed to become a Demon Slayer with that cowardly attitude.
She heard Zenitsu gasp extremely loud at Tanjiro's behavior.
Zenitsu quickly ran up to him and attached himself to Nezuko's box, completely unaware of a demon lurking inside, screaming, crying, and whining loudly, "Tanjiro! Hey, come on! Don't be so scary! Why do you make such a scary face?! I give in! You win! I'll come along with you! Okaaay?!"
Kagami watched as Tanjiro's eyes flashed red. "Don't let me force you," he spoke low and sarcastically through gritted teeth.
"I already said I'll go! Stop being scary!"
Tanjiro joined Kagami's side and removed the box from his back, gently setting it down in front of the two kids.
When they looked at him curiously, he simply spoke, "In case of an emergency, I'm leaving this box behind. If you need help, it'll protect you two. We'll be going now, and we'll be back."
Giving one last nod to the kids, Kagami and Tanjiro began to approach the large building, determination, courage, and resilience coursing through their veins. Zenitsu hesitantly followed behind them, tears and snot running down his face, his hands twitching in the air, as he whimpered and sobbed quietly as he went.
Tanjiro slid the door open and revealed the dark interior.
It was a long, dark, and neat hallway. Pots, pans, and tubs lined the walls, the light fixture above them flickered, doors leading to different multiple rooms were closed shut, and it was very quiet. Too quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the soft whimpering and hyperventilating breathing of Zenitsu trailing them.
With her hand on the hilt of her sword, Kagami carefully took steps inside and followed the hall. They rounded the corner and found themselves at a dead end. She peered inside a different room, seeing every room was connected to one another, but couldn't find another path.
"T-Tanjiro," Zenitsu stuttered in fright. "Before we can continue, whatever's in this place, you'll protect me, right? And K-Kagami, you'll marry me before we die, right? Right?!"
Kagami huffed, "For the last time, I won't marry you!"
Zenitsu began to cry harder but screamed in horror when Tanjiro admitted, "I'm sorry, but… I've sustained a broken leg and ribs from our previous battle. Kagami has cracked ribs and a broken arm. None of our injuries are fully healed yet. So—"
"WHAT?! What do you mean, broken bones?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "What do you think you're trying to do to me?! If you've got fractures, you can't possibly protect me! My fate is sealed! I'm going to d-d-d-die! AH! This is awful! What am I gonna do?! I'm finished! I'm gonna die now! It's all over for me! Broken bones?! How could you?! I'm a dead man now! 99.9% dead! I'm dead, I'm dead, I'M DEAD!"
Kagami and Tanjiro made a face when Zenitsu flopped on the ground and began to hold his head, kick his legs out, and roll around on the ground frantically, screaming and wailing.
"Zenitsu, you've gotta calm down. You'll be all right," Tanjiro tried to appease him but-.
"DON'T FEED ME YOUR EMPTY PROMISES!"
"No, it's true!" Tanjiro quickly spoke. "You're gonna be fine, because you're-! Huh?"
Kagami sensed a different aura and quickly turned around, horrified at what was approaching them. "Why are you here? It's not safe!" she screamed seeing the two kids run from the entrance and towards them.
The two kids looked frightened and scared, holding each other's hands, as the brother spoke, "W-We're sorry! There were sounds coming from inside that box!"
Tanjiro placed tender hands on the sister's shoulders, sweating and speaking nervously, "Still, I really wish you hadn't left it behind. That box is more precious to me than my own life."
They all gasped when the house began to shake violently all around them. They looked around, seeing the house tremble, the walls dropping bits of rock, dust, and dirt, the light fixture on the roof swaying erratically above their heads, the house never stopping its continuous rumbling and crashing. Kagami couldn't discern what was causing the house to shake but, before, it happened just as that boy's body was flung out of the house.
Was another kid going to die?
"AH!" Zenitsu screamed.
He bent down to place his hands over his head but, when he kicked out his butt, he accidentally pushed Kagami, Tanjiro, and the sister into the room she had been inspecting beside them.
"Oops! Sorry, my butt—"
Zenitsu couldn't finish speaking.
DUM!
Kagami and Tanjiro gasped as the same dum sound they heard outside ring through the air around them. Curiously, and fearfully, they had saw Zenitsu and the brother disappear behind a wall in the blink of an eye. They hadn't closed the door and she didn't recognize it as the room they were accidentally pushed in by Zenitsu.
It was a completely different room!
Kagami and Tanjiro held onto the trembling sister, watching as the same dum sounded 5 times, each time revealing a different room. Room after room, light after darkness, it all changed before their very eyes until it stopped on one with 6 red light fixtures and bookshelves lining the walls.
"The room changed," Tanjiro had mumbled but immediately added, "Or, we somehow were the ones that moved during the beat of that tsuzumi."
The sister began to sob in Tanjiro's haori, still trembling powerfully with fear and terror. Tanjiro pulled her back slightly and smiled kindly, "I'm sorry you got separated from your brother. But we'll protect you no matter what. Zenitsu will protect your brother, too. Don't worry!" He wiped the tears from her eyes and spoke, "My name is Tanjiro Kamado, this is Kagami Yamato. What's your name?"
Her eyes wavered looking at them both, shyly answering, "It's Teruko."
Kagami smiled and patted her head, speaking, "Teruko, huh? That's a really pretty name—"
She immediately stopped and her head snapped towards the open doors on the other side of the room. Tanjiro did the same, a small gasp flying out of his mouth, when a large heavy step shook the ground slightly.
That aura I felt earlier. It's so strong right now. It feels even stronger than before! Did it somehow eat during that time I felt it and going inside?
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
They all watched in horror as a large demon that stood well over their heads walked down the hallway and revealed itself in the light escaping the room they were in. The demon was tall, muscular, and humanoid, possessing gray-ish skin, long, black, spiky hair, and razor-sharp teeth. His eyes were completely red with blue pupils and no irises. Weirdly, the demon had drums protruding from their stomach, shoulders, hips, and front chest.
When Teruko gasped, Tanjiro immediately covered her mouth, hoping to keep the demon from noticing them.
That demon's aura was thick and cutthroat. She could tell that demon's wasn't the only one in the mansion. Even then, out of all the others, this one was the more powerful, prominent, and sharp. This demon had to be the owner of the mansion. The demon hadn't turned its head yet and they were hoping it wouldn't.
"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead, I'm telling you! I can't believe we got separated!" Zenitsu screamed and cried out loud in the air, holding his face as he rolled all over the ground.
His saviors, protectors, and future wife had disappeared on him! Why would they do that?! How could they do that to him?! They promised to be near him at all times to protect him and keep him from dying so he and Kagami could get married!
He knows what it is! Tanjiro is trying to keep Kagami all to himself! He doesn't want anyone else to have her but him!
HOW COULD HE?!
"Teruko, you here? It's Shoichi!" the brother began to scream for his sister but Zenitsu gasped.
He immediately grabbed Shoichi's arm, screaming, "No, no, no! Don't be so loud! If you're too loud, the bad guy will hear you, and it won't be pretty! Come on, let's step outside!"
Shoichi looked at him as if he was crazy, asking, "Why would we do that? Are you trying to escape all by yourself?"
"Uh!" Zenitsu gasped seeing Shoichi look at him with disdain.
"All this constant whining about dying… Aren't you a little ashamed of yourself?" Shoichi asked, spitting a little, as he ripped his arm out of Zenitsu's grasp. "It's pathetic clinging to the sleeve of someone who is younger than you. Why does a coward like you have a sword on your hip in the first place?"
Zenitsu felt like he got punched over, over, and over again at the harsh words of Shoichi. He gagged, spat, and groaned at the pain that was cutting deep into him. His body throbbed, his heart began to pulse slowly, and his stomach dropped to his intestines, as Shoichi looked at him like he was a pathetic human being!
He fell to the ground, spit dripping out of his mouth, speaking with a croak voice, "Those words cut so deep… right to my core!"
Then, he quickly stood up, grabbing and pulling Shoichi forcefully towards the exit. Shoichi fell to the ground, trying to slow down and maybe stop Zenitsu from dragging out of the door, but it wasn't working. Zenitsu screamed, still dragging him, "Listen here, you! I'm not gonna be useful here anyway! So, I'm just gonna go find an adult who can help us, okay?! This isn't something us kids can solve on our own!"
Zenitsu opened the exit to find… another room.
Tremendous fear coursed through him at what he thought was the exit! He swore it was the exit! They literally only walked one corner down from where Kagami, Tanjiro, and the little girl disappeared from. He knows that's where the exit door was! He's not crazy! HE KNOWS THAT'S WHERE IT WAS!
Opening door, after door, after door, Zenitsu was both frightened and hopeful he'll find the front door! He slid a door open and immediately froze when he saw something standing inside. It had the muscular body of a man b-b-but with a boar's head! It turned its head, stared straight at Zenitsu, and let out a large billow of steam from its nostrils! An unsurmountable range of fear and terror quickly coursed through his body as it stared him down!
"AHHH! IT'S A MONSTER!" Zenitsu screamed out loud.
He quickly crouched down, screaming his head off, holding his head in his hands, as the monster charged straight for them! He felt the monster bounce around the entire room before pushing itself through another set of doors, leaving with its loud, heavy footprints thudding against the wooden floorboard.
Trembling, shaking, crying, Zenitsu looked up at Shoichi and screamed, "Hey, what's with that look?! Stop that!" when seeing the same pathetic look he saw on Kagami and Tanjiro's face cross Shoichi's.
Teruko was trembling and whimpering terribly as she stared at the Tsuzumi Demon standing in the hallway.
Kagami and Tanjiro stood protectively in front of her, watching the demon with daggered glares, waiting for it to do something, anything. Instead, it stood there for long moments of time, waiting or contemplating.
"If only they… if only they hadn't gotten in my way… with their meddling!" the Tsuzumi Demon growled to himself.
Kagami realized it was a ticking time bomb about to go off.
She slowly leaned down to Teruko's ear and whispered, "Whatever you do, don't scream. The room could change so do not leave it. Go hide behind the book shelves. We swear we won't let the demon hurt you or your brother."
Teruko nodded her head and turned around to hide behind the shelves.
Kagami and Tanjiro unsheathed their blades and aimed it straight at it. It still didn't bother to turn its head in their direction, still muttering, "Curses! Curses! Thanks to them, he was able to get away! When he was my prey, mine and mine alone! Why is it? Why do they all keep barging into my house? It's infuriating! That was my prey! My own prey I found in my territory! Curse them!"
The brother… Is he still alive?
"Hey, you! Listen up!" Tanjiro commanded the demon. "We're Rank Mizunoto Demon Slayer, Tanjiro Kamado and Kagami Yamato! It's our duty to slay you now!"
The demon paid no attention to them. Instead, it kept muttering, "A child with marechi that I found myself! I already found another one right here, but they'll just take her away just like they did with him! I can't let them! I won't let them!"
Kagami and Tanjiro instantly charged at the demon, raising their swords high to slice off its head-.
DUM!
They gasped and screamed when the room suddenly shifted right! The demon had slammed its hand on the right tsuzumi on his shoulder without glancing or moving towards them! They landed on the feet, standing on what used to be considered a wall, quickly turned their heads, screaming for Teruko when she smacked into the ground.
The tatami floors are on the side now! The room was flipped! The work of a Blood Demon Art!
Kagami lifted her head and turned towards the other side of the room, suddenly feeling a vicious, animalistic-like, aura coming closer and closer to them. It wasn't a demon, but what could it be?
"HAHA! Comin' through! Comin' through! Because ready or not, here I come!" she heard someone laugh maniacally and scream-.
Kagami and Tanjiro nearly fell back when the back wall of the room suddenly burst open like an explosion. The wooden wall laid in splinters and debris all over the floor. The person who ran through the wall landed on the ground and readied himself in a fighting stance. As soon as he revealed himself, Kagami's blood immediately lit up in flames. She remembers that boar hide, jagged edge duel-wielding Nichirin Swords, and horrifying boar mask all too well!
It's that boar-headed freak from Final Selection!
"All right, you monster! Die in battle and serve as my springboard, so that I can become stronger and soar even higher!" the boar-headed freak screamed at the demon.
The demon growled, "Infuriating! Infuriating!" without ever looking at him.
Changing stances, he aimed both swords at the Tsuzumi Demon, cackling and growling in between gritted teeth, "Get ready, because I'm comin' through with a boar rush!"