The Mother Spider Demon trembled on her rock. Rui had just come and threatened her to get rid of the Demon who was running amock on the mountain, and she didn't know what to do. She knew that if she didn't do what she was told, then either Rui or his Father would hurt her. She was so scared. She was always so scared. Nothing she did was working, and he was coming right towards her. She had to do something! "I have no choice, but to unleash that doll now!" she said, determined.

Ң

Tanjuro ran though the forest, following the Demonic signature of the Demon who had been controlling the Corps Members. As he ran, he felt relieved that he'd sent the boys and Nezuko away. "The Demon is close" he muttered to himself. His grip on his Sword handle tightened, before he heard the sound of something falling through the trees above him. Tanjuro leapt back as a huge shape hit the ground and sent up a cloud of dirt. He narrowed his eyes, as he drew his Sword. Then he saw the Demon that had appeared.

It was a big Demon, with huge knives instead of hands, and it's head was gone. Despite himself, Tanjuro couldn't help but wonder how it hadn't grown it's head back. He dodged the swipes and leapt backwards again. "Alright" he said, drawing a Total-Concentration Breath, and jumping towards the body. It attacked him, but Tanjuro enveloped himself and his Sword in his flames, "Hinokami Kagura: Flame Dance!" he cried, cutting the Demon's body down the middle, before slicing it across the neck. The Demon fell to the ground as it faded into ashes.

"Now, for that Demon" Tanjuro said, rushing through the trees towards the other Demon.

Ң

The Mother Spider Demon started to panic. "That doll was my fastest and strongest! What do I do now?!" she cried, terrified. She gripped her head, Rui was going to hurt her, or let his Father hurt her again! The Demon began to sob in terror, curling up, her breathes coming out in fast gasps. "I can't take this anymore! I can't do this anymore!" she wailed, her body starting to shift and shrink. The Mother Spider Demon's long white hair shortened and turned black, and her skin turned darker. "No!" she shrieked, "NO! NO! NO!" she cried.

The Demon fell off the rock, she covered herself in her now oversized Kimono, and wailed. Every time she had reverted, or any of them reverted to their original forms as a Demon, Rui hurt them worse. They all had to look like him, all the time, because they were his 'family'. She had to change back! Quickly! Except she was too scared to focus, she couldn't shapeshift. Suddenly there was a rustling in the trees at the edge of the clearing, and the Mother Spider Demon looked up with wide eyes. 'I'm going to die!' she thought in terror.

Ң

Tanjuro slowed down as he arrived at the area with the Demon. He tightened his grip around the handle of his Sword, and stepped into the clearing. He blinked as he couldn't see anyone. But there was a definite Demonic presence here. Suddenly his sharp hearing picked up a whimpering sound. He moved closer to the lone boulder in the middle of the clearing, looking around it warily. He saw a small Demon girl. She was cowering behind the rock, her arms covering her head.

She suddenly looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "NO! DON'T HURT ME! PLEASE, NOT AGAIN!" She cried in terror. Tanjuro frowned, 'she was turned so young. And she's utterly terrified. Does she get hurt a lot?' Tanjuro thought with a frown. Despite the fact that she was a Demon, who had killed a lot of Demon Slayers, she was such a young child when she became a Demon. 'She looked like she was about as young as Koto. How anyone could target such a little girl to turn her into a Demon. It's unbelievably cruel' Tanjuro thought furiously.

'Not to mention her reaction right now. She reminds me of Sanemi. An abuse victim' he slowly knelt down in front of the young Demon, a gentle smile on his face. "It's okay. Don't be scared little one" he said gently. "H-huh?" the little Demon asked in confusion. "I'm not going to hurt you, as long as you don't try to harm anymore Demon Slayers, okay?" Tanjuro asked gently. "I don't understand. Y-you're not going to kill me? But you're a Demon Slayer? Why aren't you killing me?" the little girl asked. Tanjuro frowned, "you're a child. You never should have been turned into a Demon" he replied.

The young Demon stared up at him, "you're, not a human, are you?" she asked. "No, I'm not. My Wife and I were turned into Demons a year ago. But we've never eaten any humans. My goal is to find a cure to turn us back into humans and protect my children. I became a Demon Slayer to do that, but I don't believe children who become Demons deserve to be treated as monsters. They had no choice, they were turned against their will. That's why, as long as you promise not to harm or eat anymore humans, I won't kill you. In fact, I might be able to make you one of my Demons, but it's just a guess" Tanjuro suggested.

"But, I thought only He could turn people in to Demons, or other's He'd given permission to, like Rui?" the young Demon girl asked in confusion. 'Wait, Rui? Who's that?' Tanjuro wondered. Upon asking the girl, she looked scared, "Rui is Lower 5 of the 12 Kizuki. He hurts us if we don't act like his family, or he has his Father do it" the little Demon replied. Tanjuro frowned, 'so, there is a 12 Kizuki on this mountain. It's a good thing I sent the children back, they wouldn't have been safe' he thought. Tanjuro straightened, "I've turned someone into a Demon before to save him. I should be able to change you to. Want to try?" he asked gently.

The little girl looked down, "if I do become one of your Demons, will you hurt me like Rui does if I don't do what you say?" "Never," the Kamado said firmly, expression completely serious, "children should never be hurt. Especially for something that isn't even their fault." Tanjuro said. The little girl's eyes widened, gaining a glimmer of hope in them for the first time since they'd started talking. She nodded, "okay. But do it quickly, before anyone figures out what we're doing!" she hissed. Tanjuro nodded and made a cut on the young Demon's wrist, before cutting his own and letting his blood drip into her wound.

After a few minutes the wound healed, and the girl looked down at herself in surprise, "that wasn't too bad" she said, before she coughed up blood. "Hey! Are you okay?!" Tanjuro yelped, grabbing the girl, as she continued to cough up blood and convulsed in his arms. 'Not again,' he thought, remembering the same thing happening to Mrs Tokito. The small Demon girl writhed and wailed, tearing at her own body as though trying to get something out of her. "It's burning!" she shrieked, after gasping in a breath of air. "Burning?!" Tanjuro gasped.

Could his blood be trying to burn Rui/Muzan's out of her? Is that why she felt like she was burning? Tanjuro picked her up and hugged her, "it's going to be okay. I promise. Just hold on a bit longer" he promised. The young Demon girl began gagging, and Tanjuro placed her on the ground. His eyes widened when she vomited up a distressing amount of blood. And it didn't end there. 3, 4, 5 times she vomited up blood, before coughing harshly. The little Demon panted, wiping her bloody mouth on the sleeve of her too big Kimono, as the blood finally stopped.

She caught her breath and sighed, "I-I'm okay. I'm okay now" she said softly. Tanjuro helped her up, "are you sure? I know Demons can survive losing a lot of blood, but that's-" he began, cutting himself off as he felt ill from seeing such a small child vomit up that much blood. "I think- that was all the blood Rui and Muzan gave me before. I had to get rid of it, so your blood could replace it" the girl replied, sitting down on the forest floor. "I do feel better now though. The burning feeling is gone" she said with a soft smile, "thank you". Tanjuro sighed, just glad that he didn't have to watch this little girl die, like he had Miss Sora.

"Do you remember your name? My name is Tanjuro Kamado. Sorry for not introducing myself before" he asked with a gentle smile. The black-haired girl squinted in thought for a long moment, before shaking her head, "no, I can't" she replied sadly. Tanjuro smiled sadly at her, "I see. Well, how about, until you remember your real name, I give you a new one?" he asked. "A new name?" she asked, looking up at him. "Sure. How about-" he thought for a few minutes. "Oh! How about Sayuri?" Tanjuro asked with a smile. "Sayuri?" the young Demon asked. "Yes. It means Small Lilly. I think it would suit you" he replied. Sayuri looked down, before a small smile came onto her face, "I like it" she said shyly.

"I'm glad" Tanjuro said. Then he looked around, "there are more Demons on this mountain, aren't there?" he asked. Sayuri nodded, "there are. Along with Rui and his Father, there is his Older Sister and Brother. His Father is the strongest aside from Rui himself, but his Older Sister and Older Brother are also strong. Stronger than me, at least. Please, be careful Mr Kamado!" she said, clenching her small fists. Tanjuro slowly and deliberately placed a gentle hand on Sayuri's head. She still filched slightly, but didn't look as scared, "I'll be fine, I promise. Are you here Yukito?" Tanjuro called into the trees. The black and purple-haired Demon dropped from the trees around the clearing and bowed his head, "you called for me Mr Kamado?" he asked, his grey eyes glinting silver in the moonlight in the clearing.

"This is Sayuri. She was formerly a Demon on Lower 5's side, but now she's joined us. Since she is so young, I don't want to take her into battle with me. Would you please look after her and tell her what being one of my Demons entails Mr Yukito?" Tanjuro asked. "Of course Sir" Yukito replied, reaching out and taking Sayuri from their creator. The young Demon looked at her new Master, "be careful Mr Kamado" she said seriously, before the two disappeared into the trees. Tanjuro turned to continue heading up the mountain. From what Sayuri had said, there were still three more Demons aside from Lower 5 here.

He would have to be careful. And make sure to collect another blood sample for Miss Tamayo. He wondered if once he was a human again, those two Demons would also become humans too. He had a feeling that they wouldn't do so until after he had been turned back though. Tanjuro growled at the thought of Sayuri, a 4-year-old girl being transformed into a Demon. Was her family killed as well, or, after becoming a Demon that was mad with hunger, could she have- Tanjuro felt his veins pop out from his sheer rage. Taking advantage of such a young child, who was probably in a vulnerable position was utterly disgusting, not to mention the abuse that poor girl had suffered through since becoming a Demon!

'Muzan Kibutsuji, for all of the lives you have destroyed, or manipulated, I swear I'll make you pay. You will die, I promise you' he thought furiously. Then he sped up and leapt into the trees after his next target.