Kimetsu no Yaiba doesn't belong to me. This story is a translation of another fanfic of mine. I hope you like it!

Sumiko looked around in confusion. She couldn't remember how she had ended up there. She was sitting on the floor next to Kanao and Nezuko. She recognized those walls; they were in her house.

"Is something wrong, Sumiko?" her sister asked. The young woman noticed, surprised, that her fangs weren't sharp. She blinked in confusion.

"I... no, nothing's wrong," she said, looking at Kanao. She wanted to ask what they were doing there, but she didn't dare.

"It's just that you haven't had a bite to eat," the other girl finally chimed in.

Sumiko looked at the tray in front of her. And, somewhat hesitantly, she picked up the chopsticks and tried one of the dumplings.

"It's delicious!" she exclaimed, savoring the meat. It was beef, or at least she thought so; she wasn't entirely sure.

"I'm glad, Shinobu taught me the recipe the last time I visited her."

"It's hard to believe it's been two months already, isn't it?" Nezuko asked then.

"Two months?" Sumiko was increasingly puzzled by what was happening.

"Since you defeated Muzan, of course."

Oh. Yes, now she remembered. She couldn't understand how she could have forgotten something as important as that. She smiled a little; she had been living with her sister and Kanao for a month now.

"Right, right," Sumiko said and continued eating.

Kyojuro yawned and sat up. He looked around, expecting to see the train car, but instead, he found himself surrounded by the four walls of his room. He got up quickly. He wasn't even wearing his demon slayer uniform; he was in pajamas. He scanned the room for his sword but couldn't find it anywhere.

Where were the others!?

He hurriedly left the room and stopped in the hallway. There was no doubt now; he was in his home, but how was this even possible? Just moments ago, he had been on the train, on a mission.

"Are you awake already, son?" he heard a female voice and froze as he recognized it. Slowly, he turned around, and there, in the hallway, was his mother, Ruka Rengoku, looking just as he remembered her.

He tried to speak, but his mouth was dry, and he couldn't form words. Concerned, the woman approached and caressed his cheek.

"You can stay in bed a little longer. Sumiko and her sister won't be here until lunchtime," she said, and upon seeing her son's expression, she added, "Don't tell me you've forgotten that we invited them a couple of days ago?"

Kyojuro quickly thought about what to say. He still wasn't sure what was happening; maybe it was best to go along with whatever was happening, no matter how cruel it was turning out to be.

"No, of course not!" he exclaimed.

"Come on, let's have breakfast. Your father and Senjuro are almost done."

Kyojuro suppressed the urge to frown upon hearing that. His father was also dead. All of this was false.

Zenitsu turned his head upon hearing a baby's cry. He didn't recognize the place he was in. Not sure what to do, he chose to follow the sound. He stopped in front of the room it was coming from and, still hesitating, entered.

It was a simple room filled with baby things. On one side of the bedroom, there was a crib. The cry seemed to be coming from there, Zenitsu thought as he approached.

It was a girl, he thought, noticing the pink dress she was wearing. She had black hair, he thought, as he awkwardly picked up the baby. He wasn't sure if he was doing it right, but at least the baby had stopped crying and was looking at him attentively.

"What's your name?" he asked, even though he knew how absurd that question was. As expected, the baby didn't respond.

"Zenitsu, did you seriously just ask your daughter what her name is?" someone, a woman, said from the doorway.

The young man turned, surprised, and looked at her. He was petrified; he didn't know this person. Although she physically resembled Sumiko, she didn't have the scar on her forehead, and her voice was different.

"And on top of that, you're holding Noriko wrong! Give her to me!" the woman said, advancing towards him and carefully taking the baby from him. Zenitsu retreated towards the door.

"I... I'll just leave you alone," the boy commented and didn't even wait for a response as he quickly left the room.

Inosuke ran through the forest, shouting. He was having a great time trying to hunt a deer. The animal moved with agility, dodging the trees and staying out of the boy's reach.

But if he managed to catch it, he would have food for a few days. Not many days, but it was better than nothing. He prepared the rudimentary spear he had crafted and threw it. The weapon pierced one of the deer's thighs, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground.

The boy stopped in front of the deer and took the knife Zenitsu had given him on his last birthday out of his pocket. Without any ceremony, he cut the throat of his prey, killing it.

He effortlessly carried it, planning to take it home, make a fire, and roast one of the hind legs. Just thinking about the tender meat of that animal made his mouth water. His stomach rumbled, and Inosuke picked up the pace.

Minutes later, he arrived at a wooden cabin and smiled. He was finally home. He entered, carrying his catch, and laid it on the ground, not caring much about how it landed.

It had been so easy to hunt that animal. He couldn't wait to tell his friends. They would surely be jealous; they couldn't even catch a measly rabbit. He still remembered the pathetic spectacle Chinitsu made when he tried. He chuckled a bit at the memory.

Akaza stared intently at the group of four demon hunters in the same train car as him. The demon had blended in with the passengers, assuming a completely human appearance.

He had black hair and ice-blue eyes. He was dressed in a black yukata instead of his usual attire, and he couldn't wait to take it off. It was more uncomfortable than he remembered. But that wasn't the most important thing at that moment.

Thanks to his ability, he could sense the fighting spirit of all living beings. And he couldn't divert his gaze from two of those hunters. It had been centuries since he had seen something so powerful. The man's fighting spirit was especially potent; it was clear that he was a brilliant and highly experienced warrior. And the girl, although weaker, had great potential. Given time, she could become as strong as he was.

His gaze then shifted to the other two humans, and he frowned. Their fighting spirits were pathetic, almost as weak as an average person's. He gritted his teeth; how could two insects like them even dare to associate with the others?

If they hadn't been trapped under the First Lower Moon's blood technique, he would have gone to kill them directly. It was then that he realized that the two humans who had caught his attention were also in that state. A shame; he would have liked to fight them, but it wasn't going to happen.

His eyes then stopped on the other girl who was traveling with them, and he blinked several times, confused. She was a demon like him. What was she doing traveling with demon hunters? Were they keeping her prisoner or something? He tried to make sense of it. Members of the Corps didn't associate with his kind, but he couldn't deny what he was seeing. And the demon girl, despite having the opportunity to kill them, was doing nothing. She simply stared out of the window.

The young woman must have realized she was being watched because she turned and locked eyes with Akaza. She stared at him until Akaza, not wanting to draw attention, looked away.

He glanced, bored, at the other passengers, selecting one to devour once Enmu started acting for real. The vast majority of the humans were asleep, with a few exceptions. He avoided looking at women or young children. He never fed on them. He had tried several times in the past, and he still shuddered at the memory. It was not a pleasant experience.

His gaze returned, once again, to the group of slayers. The oldest one, whom Akaza was sure was a Pillar, frowned and didn't seem to be having a pleasant dream. Akaza began to hope that he would wake up. If he did, he would ask him to fight. Just the thought of it made him smile with anticipation.

Kyojuro mechanically ate without paying much attention to what he was putting in his mouth. He needed all the patience in the world not to say anything. He was getting tired of playing along with his fake family, as he had decided to call them.

But he had to admit that the demon who had created all this was extremely meticulous with the details. Although recreating his parents, both deceased, had been too obvious.

He had to get out of there. He was wasting his time instead of finding an escape route. He stood up abruptly, startling the other three.

"Is something wrong, brother?" fake Senjuro asked.

Kyojuro had to suppress a shiver. Even his tone of voice was identical to his brother's. He had to force himself to respond.

"No, but I'm going to get some fresh air," he said, and without waiting for a response, he left.

He left the house and looked at the streets. They were just as he remembered them. Perhaps the demon had pulled all of this from his mind, but how?

He walked aimlessly, looking for a way out of this cruel illusion. Although without his katana, he felt exposed. If he encountered the demon, he would be defenseless.

He thought he saw someone running. A girl dressed in a green kimono. Without thinking twice, he tried to catch up to her, but before he could do so, pink flames enveloped him.

He relaxed a bit; it was Nezuko's blood technique, so the real one had to be nearby. When the flames went out, Kyojuro noticed that he was wearing his uniform again, and his katana was on his belt. He smiled a bit.

"Thank you, Nezuko!" he shouted, although he didn't know if she could hear him. He looked around, trying to locate the girl.

He saw her thrusting a punch into the air and watched in disbelief as she was able to tear through the air. But before he could even process what was happening, his instinct screamed at him that it was dangerous. Without thinking, he lunged at the girl to stop her. He grabbed the arm with which she was wielding the weapon and tried to take it from her.

They struggled for a while, and the girl, almost out of desperation, stabbed him in the chest. Right where his heart was. Kyojuro, astonished, stepped back several paces as his uniform began to stain with blood. The girl, who hadn't moved from where she was, was trembling violently, her gaze fixed on the wound.

Kyojuro woke up startled. He sat up and nervously looked around. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he was on the train. Then he noticed that his pupil and his two friends were deeply asleep, and he furrowed his brow.

"I'm glad to see you awake," Nezuko said. Kyojuro looked at her. The girl was in the train car's aisle, watching him with concern. "I tried everything, and in the end, I tried my blood technique."

Kyojuro didn't say anything; he had just noticed that, nearby, was the same black-haired girl in a green kimono he had seen in his dream. She was awake and holding the same dagger in her right hand that Kyojuro had seen in his dream.

Without giving him time to react, he positioned himself behind her and struck the side of her neck with the edge of his right hand, causing her to lose consciousness. He placed her in one of the empty seats and, once he was sure she was secure, approached his companions.

The three young people had a rope tied to one of their wrists, which was connected to the wrist of three other children. Kyojuro frowned at this and turned to Nezuko.

"Can you burn the ropes like you did with me?" he asked.

"Of course," Nezuko said. She approached her sister and did just that. She waited for a few seconds, in case she woke up, but when she saw no response, she turned her attention to Zenitsu and Inosuke.

Sumiko was washing the dishes with Kanao's help. The two girls were chatting animatedly as they worked.

"I'm glad things are going well for you at the clinic," Sumiko said, glancing at Kanao. "I'm selling less and less charcoal, so those extra earnings really help."

Kanao smiled slightly, leaned in a bit closer to her, and, without Sumiko being prepared for it, gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. Sumiko blushed but didn't pull away. Kanao separated from her, smiling happily.

"Don't worry so much," the other girl requested.

Sumiko sighed and continued cleaning the dishes. She knew Kanao was right; there was nothing to gain from being so anxious.

"Well, yes, you're right. It's just that I haven't gotten used to it yet."

"We've spent a lot of time hunting demons; it feels strange not to do it, doesn't it?"

"A bit, but I'm glad we cured Nezuko."

"Me too."

Sumiko, who had been drying the last dish, suddenly found herself engulfed in pink flames, and the object slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor and shattering.

"Sumiko!" Kanao exclaimed and, without thinking, filled one of the glasses with water and threw the contents at her, hoping it would help. But as quickly as the flames had appeared, they disappeared.

Sumiko was once again wearing her demon slayer uniform. She looked at herself, surprised, still not understanding what was happening.

"Are you okay!?" Kanao shouted, worried, noticing that Sumiko didn't have a single burn. But Sumiko had paled and didn't look well.

"None of this is real..."

"What are you saying!?"

Sumiko looked at her with sadness. She had enjoyed her time there, brief as it was, but none of it was real. And her sister was waiting for her.

"I'm sorry, Kanao. Truly sorry."

Sumiko opened her eyes, but before she could process what had happened, Nezuko hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Sumiko!" the demon exclaimed. "I fell asleep, and those kids..."

"Kids?" the young girl asked, even more confused.

"We were put under the effects of a blood technique," Kyojuro clarified. He was nearby and had rendered the other three children unconscious. "Nezuko, did you burn Agatsuma and Hashibira's ropes?"

"Yes, they should wake up soon."

"Good, we need to find the demon responsible for this quickly," Kyojuro said, serious.

"I'll do it," Sumiko offered.

"I'll go with you," Nezuko declared immediately.

Kyojuro nodded and glanced at the children. He had already taken away their daggers, so they shouldn't pose any more problems, but he wanted to stay until he saw the other two demon hunters wake up. After all, they were under his care, and he didn't want anyone to die.

He sighed a bit. He trusted that Sumiko would do the job well. She might still be too young to face one of the Moons, but she had Nezuko by her side, so he had nothing to worry about.

He turned when he noticed one of the two moving. Zenitsu had just woken up and looked around anxiously.

"I think I just had a horrible nightmare..."

"I'm afraid we fell victim to a demon's blood technique."

Zenitsu sighed, deeply relieved that it hadn't been real. Grateful to be back in the real world.

"Where are Sumiko and Nezuko?" he asked, realizing that neither of them was there.

"They went after the demon," Kyojuro said. "I stayed behind to make sure you both woke up without any problems."

"Could we have been trapped in that dream?"

"It's possible, yes. But Nezuko was able to break that blood technique," Kyojuro said. "So there's nothing to worry about!"

At that moment, Inosuke woke up and sat up. He looked around and sighed, somewhat disappointed, seeing where he was.

"Now that we're all awake, shouldn't we go help Sumiko?" Zenitsu asked nervously, concerned for his friend's well-being.

Enmu smiled contentedly. He moved his right hand slightly while bending and stretching his fingers. He was still getting used to this body. Fusing with the train conductor had been a good idea, and he couldn't help but wonder what those annoying demon hunters would do once they found out what would happen if they killed him. Would they be capable of doing it?

He glanced at Akaza out of the corner of his eye. The Third Upper Moon had arrived a while ago where he was.

"The demon hunters are coming this way already," the higher-ranked demon informed him. He smiled somewhat mockingly before continuing, "And one of them is a Pillar."

"It seems like he's very convinced that I'm going to lose, Lord Akaza," Enmu commented, unfazed.

"Isn't that what always happens to the Lower Moons?" the other demon retorted. Enmu tried to remain calm and smiled a bit.

"That's why I've procured this disguise. It suits me well, don't you think?"

"Do you fear the Pillars so much that you hide in such a cowardly way?"

"Cowardly? I'm offended. I simply take advantage of their weaknesses."

Akaza refrained from responding. He could sense the weak soul of the human in Enmu's new body. If they were to defeat the demon, it would mean the death of an innocent.

"As you wish. But if the situation gets difficult for you, I won't intervene to save you."

"I didn't expect anything else, Lord Akaza."

Upper Moon Three stepped back several paces to conceal his presence. He wanted to enjoy the show.

Enmu looked toward the sliding door as it moved, allowing two young girls to enter. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. A demon slayer and a demon working together?

"Are you sure he's here, Nezuko?" the demon slayer asked, looking around and noticing Enmu only.

"Yes, he's right there," the girl, Nezuko, pointed in his direction.

"But that's the conductor," the human protested immediately. "He doesn't smell like a demon."

"It's him. I'm sure of it."

Enmu saw little sense in hiding the truth. After all, he had already won that battle. He took a few steps toward the two girls and smiled when he saw Nezuko tense up and her nails, previously the size of a normal human's, extend into small claws.

"I'm afraid your friend is right," he said, savoring his impending victory. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Enmu, the First Lower Moon."

"Are you a shape-shifting demon?" Sumiko asked, unsheathing her katana. It was the only sensible thing to do.

"No, no. You're mistaken, dear. It was I who gave you those lovely dreams~"

"And why do you have the conductor's body then!?"

"I borrowed it. But don't worry, the human is still alive. But as long as I'm in control, he'll remain asleep."

Nezuko immediately noticed her sister's hesitation after hearing that information. She growled in annoyance, human or not in the mix, her mission was to kill that demon.

"Sumiko! It doesn't matter what he looks like!" she yelled, angry. "He's still a demon!"

"True, but the conductor..."

"If you do nothing, he'll kill the passengers!" Nezuko shouted.

"She's right," Enmu chimed in, thoroughly enjoying the situation. He raised his left hand, intending to put them to sleep, but before he could do so, almost as if she saw his intentions, Nezuko reacted, and a wall of pink flames protected them.

When the flames disappeared, Enmu smiled even wider when he realized that the human was trembling. Whether it was from fear or horror, he didn't care; it was equally satisfying.

"What will you do, Sumiko?" Nezuko asked, raising another wall of fire to shield them.

"We have to kill him," the young woman whispered with effort, as if each word weighed a ton. Her sister nodded, not questioning her decision.

"I'll cover you."

Kyojuro and the others arrived just as Sumiko decapitated the conductor using the first form of the Sun Breathing technique.

The Pillar covered his mouth in horror at what he was witnessing. But before he could utter a word, a series of fleshy cocoons the size of his arm appeared all over the man's body and slowly turned into dust.

Sumiko had fallen to the ground, possibly suffering from the adverse effects caused by the Sun Breathing technique, but none of her friends or her master moved to help her. They could hear from where they were how the girl cried, ignoring all of Nezuko's attempts to comfort her.

When Sumiko finally finished vomiting, her sister seemed to notice them and directed them a reproachful look, not at all pleased with the distance they were maintaining.

"What you just did is a serious offense," Kyojuro said, his voice barely audible, fixing his gaze on his pupil. This only increased Nezuko's anger.

"And what did you expect us to do!?" Nezuko shouted, shielding her sister from the gazes of the other three slayers. "He had merged with that human, what were we supposed to do? Stand idly by in front of the First Lower Moon!?"

The Flame Pillar looked at his successor. Sumiko continued to vomit and had not stopped crying either. He realized that telling her that had not been a good idea. He took a step towards them, deciding to change his approach, but as soon as he did that, Nezuko bared her teeth and growled at him.

"The demon is right, you know?" someone said from behind the two girls, and from the shadows emerged another one of Muzan's servants. He had short coral-pink hair and wore a jacket of the same color as his hair and loose white pants. But the most striking feature was the blue lines on his face, chest, and arms.

Kyojuro immediately tensed up when he saw the kanji for the Third Upper Moon in the demon's yellow eyes. Without a second thought, he sprinted towards the two girls and pulled them away, leaving them with Zenitsu and Inosuke.

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to do anything to them," the demon said. "My name is Akaza, and you?"

"I don't have to tell you my name, demon."

"Isn't it a matter of education, perhaps?" Akaza asked mockingly. "I already know the names of these two, but what's yours?"

Kyojuro didn't respond. He unsheathed his katana and charged at Akaza. However, instead of dodging, Akaza stopped the blade with his forearm.

"It would be better if we fought outside, don't you think?" he suggested. "With such limited space, you can't wield your katana properly."

Kyojuro frowned, not entirely trusting his words. But before he could say anything, Akaza made the decision for him. He punched a hole in the side of the train and jumped out.

The Flame Pillar cursed and went after the demon, trying to catch up. Without thinking, Nezuko picked up her sister and increased her size, then followed the other two and jumped out as well.

"What do we do, Inosuke?" Zenitsu asked nervously. They were the only two left inside, but the boy with a boar's head didn't give him a chance to think. He picked him up haphazardly, ignoring his protests, and followed the other four out of the train.

Akaza smiled amusedly. The two humans he was interested in had followed him. He easily dodged the Flame Pillar's charge.

"Are you really not going to tell me your name?" the demon asked. He didn't seem bothered by it at all. "I have a wonderful offer for you."

"I'm not interested," Kyojuro immediately replied.

"Sumiko and you have a very powerful fighting spirit," Akaza explained. "Yours borders on the divine, and with a little training, hers will too. If you become demons, you'll have plenty of time to improve; you'll be stronger."

"I'm not interested in your offer," the Pillar replied, frowning.

Akaza sighed, disappointed. He was turning down a wonderful offer.

Nezuko, who had been listening to everything, carefully placed her sister on the ground and lunged at Akaza. The demon, unfazed, moved slightly aside and kicked her, sending her flying. She crashed into the ground several times before managing to stop herself, digging her nails into the earth and leaving deep furrows.

But far from being intimidated by this, she launched herself at Akaza again, making it difficult for Kyojuro to intervene. The other demon grabbed her arm and slammed her onto the rocky ground several times.

Nezuko spat blood and remained dazed, temporarily unable to move. Kyojuro took advantage of this to step in. A couple of minutes later, the young woman got up, staring fixedly at the two combatants.

She needed to be stronger. Not only to protect her sister, but if she wanted to fight one of the Upper Moons, her current level wouldn't suffice. Her body began to change, following the course of her thoughts.

A horn emerged on the right side of her forehead. A series of veins near her eyes turned black. Her breasts increased in size, and all over her body, red vines with green leaves appeared, etched into her skin.

She launched back into the fight with renewed energy. Akaza, who had been dodging an attack from Kyojuro, received a kick from her that sent him to the ground. He was barely getting up when Nezuko delivered another kick, sending him several meters to his right.

Kyojuro wiped the sweat from his chin and looked suspiciously at the young woman's new appearance.

"What the hell have you done, Nezuko?!" he asked, alarmed. The last thing he needed right now was this. Her new appearance indicated significant development in her demonic nature, and he feared it might get out of control.

"To become stronger," she replied simply, conjuring two pink fireballs in her hands. She hurled them at Akaza and watched with satisfaction as the demon screamed in pain as he began to burn.

"Stay with your sister and the others," Kyojuro ordered, but Nezuko refused, momentarily erasing her smile.

"No," she declared. "I'm going to help you in this fight. The sun will rise soon; we just have to hold out long enough."

Nezuko wasn't worried about the sunrise; she had noticed that Zenitsu was carrying her box, so she would hide in it when the time came.

"As you wish. I don't have time to argue with you," Kyojuro said, running toward Akaza, with Nezuko following him.

At that moment, Akaza decided to get a bit more serious. He jumped into the air, preparing his next move while airborne. He activated his compass needle just in case.

"You're not the only one who can launch long-range attacks, you know," he said, flashing a cruel smile. "Destructive Massacre, Form of the Void," he murmured as he struck the air with his fists.

Kyojuro, although he managed to shield himself from several blows with his sword, received two in the abdomen that left him breathless. Nezuko, on the other hand, didn't bother to dodge them, as her body regenerated immediately.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked, glancing at the human.

"Yeah, this is nothing," he replied.

Akaza smiled amusedly upon hearing that. He was having a great time in this battle. He expected nothing less from someone with such a refined fighting spirit.

Sumiko listened to the battle unfolding nearby, but her mind was far away. She kept replaying the moment when she decapitated her enemy over and over again. The body hadn't turned to dust, although those flesh sprouts had, which meant she had killed a human.

An innocent person was dead because of her. Sumiko felt the bile rise in her throat again and barely had time to lower her head before vomiting once more.

She heard someone calling her, but she barely paid attention. She felt someone delicately wiping her lips, which had been slightly stained. When she raised her gaze, she found Zenitsu looking at her with concern.

She tried to speak, to say even a miserable "thank you," but she couldn't.

"Rengoku and your sister are fighting the Upper Moon," the boy said, avoiding, to her relief, any mention of what had happened earlier.

Sumiko looked in the direction her friend indicated, but the three of them were moving so quickly that it was impossible to discern who was who. The only things clearly visible were flashes of pink, blue, and red.

"What do we do?" Inosuke asked. "If they keep moving like that, we won't be able to get close."

"I... I can barely move," Sumiko admitted, trying to focus. No, she couldn't keep thinking about the sound the head made when it fell or how easy it was to decapitate him. That wouldn't do any favors for her sister or Kyojuro.

"I don't think it's a good idea to intervene," Zenitsu reasoned. He looked up at the night sky with a hint of desperation. All they could do was pray for dawn to come soon and the demon to flee.

"Do you think they're winning?" Inosuke asked again, keeping his eyes on the battle. He wanted to join in. They were supposed to have gone on this mission to help, and instead, they were doing absolutely nothing.

"He's a Pillar, of course, they're winning," the blond said, sounding almost offended that Inosuke would doubt it. He glanced at Sumiko. Both of them were avoiding the subject and trying to keep her distracted, even if it was with that fight.

"Zenitsu's right. Kyojuro and Nezuko will win," the girl whispered. She had confidence in both of them and knew what they were capable of.

Akaza managed to tear off one of Nezuko's arms, and like Kyojuro, he watched in horror as it rapidly regrew.

"What kind of demon are you?" Akaza asked, suspicious.

Instead of responding, Nezuko jumped backward and unleashed a barrage of fireballs. Kyojuro, taking advantage of this brief respite, glanced at the sky. It was slowly getting brighter; dawn was approaching, he thought with relief. His ribs hurt a bit after taking several blows from Akaza. They might be broken, but he could still move perfectly, so it shouldn't be too serious.

"Retreat, Nezuko. Now," Kyojuro ordered, looking at her. "Dawn will break any moment."

"I know," she replied without stopping her attack.

Akaza watched them, serious. He was restraining himself because he genuinely wanted Kyojuro to become a demon, but the man kept rejecting his offer. In normal circumstances, he would have tried to kill him, but Nezuko had thwarted all his attempts, protecting the Pillar from lethal blows. And forcefully converting him didn't seem like an option either, something Akaza wasn't in favor of.

"I think it's time to end all of this. Although I've had a lot of fun, it's time for me to go," Akaza declared. "You'll think about my offer, won't you, Kyojuro?" he asked, raising his voice a bit so Sumiko could hear him. "Think about the offer I've made to you!"

"You're wasting your time," Kyojuro said, preparing a new Flame Breathing stance. But Akaza ran in the opposite direction, and the human slowly lowered his weapon and grabbed Nezuko's arm when she tried to go after their enemy. When the young woman looked at him, ready to protest, he shook his head firmly.

"Your sister. Sumiko needs us," he said.

Nezuko widened her eyes and nodded. Without waiting to see if he followed, she ran towards where her sister and the other two boys were. Kyojuro sighed and looked at the figure of the Third Upper Moon retreating, fleeing from the impending sunrise. He felt mentally exhausted.

He shook his head and followed Nezuko, appearing where the others were in the blink of an eye. The demon was hugging her sister while murmuring words of comfort. Sumiko looked at Kyojuro with some reservation, but instead of scolding her for what had happened earlier, the Flame Pillar hugged her.

Muzan observed Akaza with disinterest. The demon had just appeared through the window of the residence where Muzan was masquerading as a human. Upon entering, the demon had knelt down and didn't raise his head as a sign of respect.

"What do you want, Akaza?" Muzan asked.

"Lower Moon One has fallen at the hands of the slayers," Akaza replied.

"And you did nothing to prevent it?" Muzan questioned.

"No," Akaza admitted, showing no trace of remorse. Muzan sighed deeply and looked at him sternly.

"Did you at least kill the one who did it?" he inquired.

"No, the sun rose before I could, and besides, it was a girl who did it," Akaza explained. "But, sir, there was a demon helping them. Another girl."

The last part completely caught the attention of the Demon Lord. "Was there a slayer with hanafuda earrings?" he asked, observing the Third Upper Moon's reaction. Akaza took a few seconds to respond.

"It was she who killed Lower Moon One," Akaza confessed. He watched with some surprise as his master smiled, seemingly very pleased with the news.

"Tell me, what breathing technique did she use?" Muzan continued to inquire. He knew, thanks to Kokushibo, that she was a user of the Flame Breathing, but he wanted to make sure.

"The Sun Breathing," Akaza replied promptly.

Muzan's smile widened even more, baffling Akaza further, who refrained from commenting on it.

"You did well not to kill her. I have other plans for her," Muzan said.

"But, my lord, the demon girl regenerates very quickly," Akaza added, concerned. "As fast as an Upper Moon."

Muzan nodded, moderately interested, but didn't say anything more. The other demon fell silent, waiting for some kind of instruction from his master.

"Is that all, Akaza?"

"Yes, my lord."

"You may withdraw," Muzan said. Akaza nodded and, without a word, disappeared from there.

See you soon with the next chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! I would love to hear your thoughts!