Tanjuro closed his eyes, making up his mind, before looking back at the children, "Tanjiro, this Mission will be too dangerous for all of you. I want you all to go back to the Wisteria House while I deal with things here" he said to his Oldest. "WHAT?! No way! I'm gonna stay and fight!" the boar-headed teen, Inosuke yelled. "I'll be happy to go back, thank you!" Zenitsu whimpered, hugging him. Tanjuro looked down at the teen, surprised that he had gotten over his fear of him so quickly. "But Dad, what about our Mission? Are we allowed to just go?" Nezuko asked in confusion. "You should be able to if it's too dangerous, and someone stronger than you all is taking the Mission instead" her Father replied.
Tanjiro frowned, "are you sure about this Father? If this Demon is that strong, wouldn't it be better for more of us to go up?" he asked. "I'll be fine Son. Please go back for me, okay? I'll feel better knowing that you're all safe" the Demon replied with a smile. "Wh-what about me?" Itsuki asked shakily. "Demons don't tend to leave their territories, right? If you go a bit further down the mountain, you should be out of their range, and too close to it for other Demons to go after you. Or you could go with the other's. It's your choice young man" Tanjuro said.
The black-haired young Demon Slayer, looked around and shivered, "I- I wanna get away from this mountain. Please. C-can I go with the others?" he whimpered. Tanjuro smiled gently and pat the boy on the head, "of course you can. I won't force an injured person to fight with me," he looked up at his Son, "Tanjiro, can you and Zenitsu help this young man get to the Wisteria House please?" he asked. "Of course!" Tanjiro agreed immediately. He and Zenitsu quickly helped Itsuki up and, with his arms wrapped around their shoulders, the group and teens began to head back the way they came, "Be careful Dad. You and Mom" Nezuko said when the others were far enough away not to hear her.
Except for Zenitsu of course, who already knew. Then the girl hurried after the rest of the group, as Tanjuro sighed in relief. He turned towards the mountain, "alright Kie. Are you ready?" he asked. within her box, his Wife gave a determined hum.
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Tanjuro walked cautiously through the forest, senses alert for and other Demons. His Wife was still in her box for the moment, but Tanjuro wasn't sure weather to let her out yet. For the moment he decided not to. Tanjuro's eyes narrowed as he spotted spider webs all around the forest. Quick as a flash, his sunlit flames burst out and burned away all of them. Suddenly a scream rang out. As the flames faded, Tanjuro saw a black-haired young man running away. Tanjuro sped towards him and grabbed the human Demon Slayer's arm, "wait! I'm a Demon Slayer!" he said softly, making sure to hide his Demonic aura.
The young man looked up at him, trembling, "y-you're human? Then, where did that fire come from just then? Is there another Demon somewhere?!" he yelped, looking around in terror. Tanjuro projected calm with his Selfless State, and the frantic teen calmed down after a few minutes. "I-I'm sorry for freaking out. I'm Murata. Thank you for saving me Sir" Murata said with a bow. "It's alright, no need to appologise. My name is Tanjuro Kamado. I'm glad I was able to help you Murata. My children and I also found one of your friends, Itsuki Furyua. They took him to have his injuries treated, while I came up here." Tanjuro explained. "Itsuki is alive?! Oh thank God! I thought for sure that he was dead!" Murata exclaimed in relief.
"Murata, I'm going to continue this Mission. If you want, you can go back down the mountain" the Demon Kamado said. "Wh-what?! You can't go by yourself! The Demon that attacked us is dangerous! A-and I'm sure there are more than one on this mountain! You said you have children! You have to think of them Mr Kamado!" Murata cried. "I am. I promise, I'm stronger than I look, than even what my Rank is. So please, don't worry about me, and go down. Your friend is waiting for you" Tanjuro said calmly, placing both hands gently on the human's shoulders. The black-haired teen sighed, slumping in defeat. It was clear that he was not going to be deterred.
"You'd better not die Sir! I am not telling your kids that I abandoned you to die on this mountain!" Murata demanded, before he ran back down. Tanjuro waited until he was gone, before allowing his Demonic features to reappear. "Alright Kie. Are you ready?" he asked, as her box opened on his back. His Wife climbed out and grew to her normal size, growling as she glared around the area, veins bulging. "Let's go!" Tanjuro cried, as the two Demons shot through the forest, heading towards the first Demonic presence they could feel.
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As they ran Tanjuro gasped, "wait!" he cried, stopping his Wife suddenly. Kie looked back at him questioningly, "hm?" she hummed. "Look!" Tanjuro said softly, as multiple Demon Slayers limped through the trees towards them. Their bodies were littered with wounds, and most weren't even alive. But still, the Demon moved them forwards. "This, is horrible! These people-" the Kamado Patriarch breathed, his eyes becoming slits and his veins bulging due to his anger. 'I have to save them, somehow! Even if it's just to give them a painless death, so they don't have to suffer and hurt their comrades anymore.' He thought, drawing his sword.
Tanjuro grit his teeth, 'I can't save everyone, I know that,' memories of Sora Tokito filled his mind, then everyone else he had managed to save since becoming a Demon Slayer, 'that doesn't mean I shouldn't at least try!' he thought in determination. He lit his Sword with his flames, turning the black blade bright red, before vanishing from view. 'The Demon doesn't seem to be able to move the Slayers it's controlling very fast or accurately. That means, if I'm fast enough, I can save them!' the Kamado analyzed.
"Hinokami Kagura: Raging Sun!" he cried as he reappeared in the air above the controlled men, letting out two vertical slashes of Solar Flames from his Sword that burned the threads attached to the Demon Slayers, as well as the spiders that would have reattached them. The bodies slumped bonelessly to the ground. Tanjuro caught them and checked for any lifesigns. There were none. He had been too late. The Demon stared at the young men sadly, tears welling in his eyes. "I'm sorry that you had to die like this. If I'd gotten here sooner, I might have been able to save you," he lay them both down on the forest floor gently, closing their vacant eyes with his fingers.
"If I'm able to, I promise I'll come back and find a way to return you to the Corps for a proper burial" Tanjuro said softly. He stood up, calming the raging fury he felt in his veins. Getting angry right now would only cause him to make mistakes. Suddenly he felt a gentle clawed hand grip his. He glanced to the side to see Kie looking at him with a worried expression on her face around her muzzle. Tanjuro gripped her hand firmly, smiling gratefully, "thank you Kie. Can you help me save the next group?" Tanjuro asked. His Wife nodded firmly.
"Alright, let's go then!" he said, as the Husband and Wife ran further up the mountain.
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They soon came upon another group of controlled Demon Slayers. These ones seemed to be alive still, so Tanjuro made sure he was in his human form and asked his Wife to go back into her box for the moment. Once she was safely away, he stepped forwards. "No! Stop!" the young woman being controlled sobbed, "don't come closer! I can't, control my body! You have to go, and bring back someone of higher Rank! Please! Save us!" she wailed, tears streaming from her eyes, one hand holding a dead Slayer by his long hair, and the other clutching a sword that she had been forced to stab into the neck of another of her commrads.
Tanjuro couldn't hold himself back at such a blatant display of utter cruelty, and his hold on his transformation slipped. He reverted to his Demon form, bright red eyes glowing in the darkness. "You're a Demon too!?" the controlled woman sobbed, a look of utter despair on her face. She closed her eyes as he cried, losing all hope of rescue. This Demon was surely going to eat them in their immobile and injured states- Suddenly a bright flash shown through her closed eyelids and a rush of heat brushed against her skin. The Demon Slayer found herself falling now that the threads controlling her were gone.
She gasped, as the Demon caught her gently in his arms. "I will save you. I promise" he said in a surprisingly calm and gentle voice. Tanjuro looked up as the other two controlled men moved towards them, one shrieking in pain as his obviously shattered limbs moved and brushed against the ground. He narrowed his eyes and gently laid the young woman down, "wait for a moment," he said softly, before picking up his Sword again. Igniting the blade in flames, Tanjuro leapt forwards, over the two of them, "Hinokami Kagura: Raging Sun!" he cried once more, the threads snapping and burning away with a sizzle.
He caught the two young men and lay them down. Tanjuro grimaced as he looked at the injuries of the one with shattered bones. He may never be able to use those arms again. "Wh-why? Is it, s-so you can *cough* e-eat us y-yours-self?" he rasped, voice raw from screaming in agony. "No, never. I have never, and will never eat humans. I only wanted to save you if I could. I don't know if you'll make it through the night, but at least this Demon won't kill you" Tanjuro said gently, as he moved some of his hair out of the teen's face. He grimaced, this boy was so young. Maybe only a few years older than Tanjiro.
"Really? I, didn't know it was p-possible for a Demon not to e-eat humans" the woman stuttered. "Can you tell me your names?" Tanjuro asked gently, as he looked over the three injured Demon Slayers. He might be able to save them if he could turn them into one of his Demons. But they would probably refuse, even if he offered. Not to mention they might also be too injured for it to work. "I-I'm Ozaki. O-Ozaki Shira." The girl, Ozaki stuttered. "I'm glad to meet you Ozaki. My name is Tanjuro Kamado" Tanjuro replied with a gentle smile. "Those two are, Kirin Futa and, Rihito Kage" Ozaki introduced her injured comrades.
"It's nice to meet you all." He looked over at Rihito, "let me find some branches to splint your arms, okay, just hold on a moment longer" Tanjuro said kindly. He looked around the forest until he found two branches that were the right thickness. He snapped both in half easily, and quickly but carefully splinted Rihito's shattered arms. The whole time, the young man was struggling to breathe through the agony. Finally, he passed out on the ground, and the Demon finished his rough treatment.
He sighed in relief and lay the boy into a more comfortable position with his broken arms straight. "Aright, that should do it for now. I've splinted his arms, so they won't hurt as much. If he wakes up, just remind him not to try and move them, okay?" Tanjuro asked, as he stood up. "I have to go and deal with the Demon that was controlling you, but my Wife and stay here with you and keep you all safe" Tanjuro said softly.
"Wife?" Kirin asked, his glazed eyes showing that his body was releasing chemicals to help with his high pain levels. "Don't worry. she won't hurt you. She's like me" Tanjuro reassured them. He turned to his Wife's box, "Kie? Could you help me please love?" he asked. She hummed from inside the box and opened the door. When she stepped out, Kie grew to her normal size. She looked over the wary Demon Slayers, and frowned as she saw how hurt they were. "Hmm?" she hummed questioningly.
"Can you stay here with them and make sure they're all safe for me Kie? And I'll go deal with the Demon who was controlling them" Tanjuro said seriously. Kie gained a determined look and nodded firmly. "Thank you Dear" Tanjuro replied, kissing her forehead with a smile. He turned back to the injured Slayers, "my Crow has already gone to inform the Kakushi of your whereabouts and condition's. Once they get here, would you mind not mentioning me or my Wife to them? Please?" He asked.
The two conscious Demon Slayers looked at each other as much as they could, before Ozaki nodded for them, "alright. We promise not to tell them about you two. Honestly, we've never even heard of Demons who don't eat humans before" she agreed. "Thank you. I'll be off then" Tanjuro said gratefully. Then he ran off towards where he could sense the weakest Demon's presence.