What's good, peeps!?
That's right, I'm back! And I can't wait to share my latest work with you!
As always, thank you for your love and support! Thanks to you guys, this story has reached over 430 followers and 360 favorites!
Before we start, I'd like to address some things I've seen in the reviews.
First, I saw comment from user BrRosabal22, asking if Zenitsu and Inosuke would be present.
The answer, yes. However, they will be introduced later in the story and sometimes appear as cameos as they are not Demon Slayers yet. Canonically, Zenitsu would be at the point where he meets his teacher, Jigoro. Inosuke is still in the mountains.
I could be persuaded to make it so that they both took Final Selection earlier, but for now, they won't be appearing for a bit.
There's something else I want to make clear in the romance department. I don't plan on doing harems.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with harems...Well, I do actually think that from a real world standpoint, but we're talking about fictional characters here, not real life.
I have enough trouble planning out normal relationships, but harems are just too much drama to deal with as I've learned with Persona 3, 4, and 5.
Alright, one more thing! This chapter was originally way longer, but it got too long and I had to split it up into two chapters.
That means I'm already over halfway done with Chapter 15! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Anyways, please enjoy the latest addition to my humble little story...that over 400 people like apparently...
Okay, see ya!
*I do not own Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba. The Anime/Manga belongs to Ufotable and its author, Koyoharu Gotouge.
"Tanjiro" = Talking
"Tanjiro" = Thinking
Tanjiro - Middle Alignment = POV
Japan - Middle Alignment = Location
"Tanjiro" = Flashback
Crash! - Left Alignment = Sound effect
Water Breathing = Breathing technique/Blood Demon Art
Tokyo Capital
"Did I tell you about him, Kamanue? About the bastard who almost killed me?"
"I believe you've mentioned him quite a few times, Lord Hairo."
Two demons stood atop a building in the capital city of Tokyo. They were overlooking the clueless humans who did not believe in demons.
Behind them, the corpses of two Demon Slayers, their latest victims, were being ravaged by strange black hounds with eyes all over their bodies.
"What did I tell you about him...? Ah, yes! His face and eyes are creepy as hell! He looks like a rooster!" Hairo exclaimed.
Hairo had the appearance of a tall young man with an athletic build. He has black spiky hair with two chin-length bangs.
He wore a western light suit with a black cloak over it, as well as a white sailor hat with a wolf emblem on the front.
In his left eye, the kanji for "Lower Two" was etched into his pupil.
The demon beside him, Kamanue, was noticeably shorter than his senior. Thick, dark green lines ran under his eyes, meeting at the nose and going up vertically into a horizontal line at the forehead.
There were green circles at the ends of the lines on his cheeks, the middle of the line on his forehead, and below his bottom lip.
In his right eye, the kanji for "Lower Six" was etched into his pupil.
"Lord Hairo, when Lord Muzan sent me here to learn from you, I don't think he meant tell me about some guy over and over again." Kamanue said, slowly becoming impatient with his senior.
"Yes, yes, but I simply can't help it! I must have revenge, I must!" Hairo yelled out before his body began to shake.
"Argh! Even now, he haunts me! I can't get away! Damn it...Damn it...Damn...Damn...DAMN...DAMN!"
Hairo lifted a pistol to his head. "DAAAAAAAMN!"
Bang!
He pulled the trigger and blew off the top of his head, causing his hat to fall off.
Kamanue was unfazed. After witnessing the same thing three to four times, the shock had begun to wore off.
"Lord Hairo, I understand you do it to relieve stress, but blowing your head off so much could have unprecedented consequences." He said as Hairo regenerated.
"Heh, sorry about that, Kamanue. I had no choice, you see. So much blood was rushing to my brain. If I didn't shoot myself, I might've died of rage." Hairo argued.
"I seriously doubt that a demon could die from something so minor." Kamanue countered.
"And Childish..." He added in his head.
"Well, what's done is done, so quit bitching about it." Hairo said. "Now...what did I tell you...?"
"...About that hateful man?"
Chapter 14 - Son of the Flame
- The Next Day -
Rengoku Estate - Sparring Room
Kyojuro Rengoku
"Come now, surely you haven't gone soft while away from our lessons!" Kyojuro exclaimed with a big smile while sparring with his pupil.
"You can't be a Demon Slayer with strikes like that! Try harder, Kanroji!" He swung his sword with great force at his opponent, nearly knocking her sword out of her hand.
"WAAAAH! I know, Master! But I'm just too hungry! I can't fight on an empty stomach! Can't we take a break for sweets!?" Mitsuri Kanroji cried while barely blocking her mentor's attacks.
"But you just had lunch! How can you already be hungry!? Come on, just a thousand more swings and you're done!"
"Yikes!" Mitsuri ducked under another swing.
Growl!
"Don't answer me with a stomach growl!" Kyojuro yelled out.
Meanwhile, his little brother, Senjuro, sat at the entrance to the room.
"Great job, you two!" He said with a smile. "I made some sweets if you need to take a break."
Mitsuri snapped her head towards the youngest Rengoku, dropped her sword, and immediately tackled him into a grateful hug. Senjuro barely managed to stay upright.
"SENJUROOOO! You're a lifesaver, thank you so much!" Mitsuri cried out while hugging a blushing Senjuro whose head was a bit too close to her chest area.
"Hey, we're not finished yet! I know it's tough, but you must endure, Kanroji!" Kyojuro exclaimed with his arms crossed.
Senjuro managed to push away Mitsuri enough that he could look over her shoulder at his older brother. "Do want some, brother? They're satsumaimo flavor."
"...!"
"BREAK TIME!" Kyojuro announced.
"Yaaaaay!" Mitsuri jumped in the air for joy.
-Later-
The three sat outside on the porch, enjoying the sweets Senjuro made, especially Mitsuri who looked like she was in paradise.
"Mmm! Delicious! I could eat this forever!" She said with a cheerful grin.
Senjuro nodded. "I made plenty, so eat all you want!"
"Yipee!" Mitsuri cheered.
Kyojuro picked up something from his plate. It smelled nice, but he had never seen it before. "This looks good!"
"In the west, they call it a 'sweet potato'. Mitsuri showed me how to make it." Senjuro stated.
Mitsuri nodded. "Senjuro's amazing! He can make anything!"
Senjuro blushed and rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed. "Oh come on! It's not that big of a deal!"
Kyojuro put the sweet potato in his mouth, his eyes widened at the new flavor. There was only one way to describe it...
"UMAI!"
"Yay! Master likes it!" Mitsuri cheered.
Kyojuro turned to Senjuro. "Hey, Senjuro. I just remembered, could you bring that thing?"
Senjuro looked confused before the realization hit him like a brick. "Oh! Okay!" He ran into the house.
Mitsuri looked confused but continued to munch on sweets before Senjuro came back with a white haori, handing it to his brother.
"Kanroji, this is for you!" Kyojuro handed the haori to his pupil.
Mitsuri stared at it with an even more confused look. "A haori?"
"I wanted to get you a gift for joining the Demon Slayer Corps." Kyojuro said with a big smile.
"Congratulations, Kanroji! You passed Final Selection in just six months! From now on, we'll fight side by side. Not as master and student, but as comrades!"
Mitsuri stared wide-eyes at Kyojuro before retiring his smile. "Thank you, mas-I mean...Rengoku! I'll do my best!"
"Glad to hear it!" Kyojuro exclaimed.
Mitsuri then got up and went towards the house with the haori. "Hold on, I'm gonna see how it looks!"
A few moments later, Mitsuri came out in...her uniform.
"Tadah! It fits perfectly!" Mitsuri exclaimed. Kyojuro stared at Mitsuri...
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU WEARING!?"
"HUUUUUH!?" Mitsuri cried out in shock.
Mitsuri's haori looked fine, but the rest of the outfit caught the Rengoku brothers completely off guard.
It was a normal, pink-tinted uniform...If one ignored the unbuttoned chest area and the ridiculously short skirt.
"Um...i-is that...normal for Demon Slayers?" Asked a blushing Senjuro.
"It's a bit skimpy!" Kyojuro put more bluntly.
Mitsuri's face was as red as flames. "B-But the Kakushi guy who gave it to me said it was totally official!"
"Did they, now?" Kyojuro said before pondering it.
"The Kakushi are trustworthy people. If they approved of it, then..."
"Very well then! I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation!"
"Y-Yeah! You're right!" Mitsuri agreed, seemingly more relaxed.
Senjuro still looked unsure. "I don't know...I think that Kakushi might've had ulterior moti-"
"KAW! KAW!"
The three looked up to see a Kasugai Crow circling them. "Hashira meeting! Hashira meeting! The Flame Hashira has been summoned!"
Kyojuro's smile dropped. "Hashira meeting?" Mitsuri repeated as Kyojuro walked into the house.
"Big Brother?" Senjuro called out.
"I'll be right back." Kyojuro answered.
"I ain't going."
Kyojuro sat in his father, Shinjuro Rengoku's, room. His father was laying sideways, facing away from Kyojuro with a bottle of sake in his hand.
Nearby, his fire-patterned haori which was passed down to every Flame Hashira was displayed on a hanger.
"But if you want to go, knock yourself out. Not like I care what you do." Shinjuro said.
Kyojuro remained silent for a bit. "...But father, as the Flame Hashira it's your duty to-."
Smash!
Kyojuro narrowly avoided the same bottle thrown at his head. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Shinjuro yelled in anger.
"QUIT BOTHERING ME! I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT MY 'DUTY'! IT'S ALL POINTLESS! NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
Shinjuro went back to ignoring his son who sighed and looked over at the haori on his right. He remembered the words...of his mother.
"Listen, Kyojuro. That haori is worn only by the Flame Hashira. I'm sure you'll become a great Flame Hashira, just like your father."
...Kyojuro left the room without another word.
Kanae Kocho
Butterfly Mansion
Kanae walked through the halls of the mansion. She and Shinobu had been summoned for a Hashira Meeting, so she wanted to say goodbye to the others.
She had already said goodbye to Aoi, Naho, Kiyo, and Sumi. She couldn't find Kanao anywhere which meant that she was most likely with Tanjiro.
She went to his door and opened it to reveal something that confirmed her thesis.
Tanjiro was sleeping in bed. Kanao sat beside him in a chair, also sleeping.
Tanjiro seemed to be practicing. When he sleeps, he trains in some dream realm with Onijiro. Onijiro teaches Tanjiro how to use Sun Conqueror and Tanjiro lets Onijiro take over his body once in a while.
The sight of her two pupils together warmed Kanae's heart as she smiled. But then...she had an idea.
Kanae's warm smile turned into a cruel, mischievous grin.
Tanjiro Kamado
Dream Forest
"Alright, you ready, Kamado?" Onijiro asked.
"Ready!" Tanjiro replied.
"Okay." Onijiro pointed to a nearby tree. "Try to hit his tree and the one behind it with a single blast."
Tanjiro looked at the tree and made sure he was lined up with the tree behind it. He held his right palm, formed a circle with his left, and put it in front of the right.
His scar glowed as his eyes turned into slits. His solar blood cells moved to his hand as he prepared to shoot it out.
Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Scorching Blast, Snipe
A stream of fire shot out from Tanjiro's hand and went through the first tree like a bullet. The stream of fire continued and crashed into the second tree at a slower speed.
Tanjiro had a large grin on his face as his scar and eyes went back to normal. "I did it!" He jumped into the air with his arms out.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't get a big head about it." Onijiro interrupted Tanjiro's celebration. "Making circles with your hand and putting it in front of the other isn't exactly a groundbreaking discovery."
Tanjiro stopped jumping and turned to his demonic counterpart. "So, what's next?"
"Next, we're gonna practice Awakening." Onijiro stated.
Tanjiro cringed. "Again!? I've tried it like fifteen times! It doesn't work!"
"Yeah, cause you suck, that's why I'm here." Onijiro pointed to himself with a smirk.
Tanjiro suppressed a groan. "Alright, I'll do it." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Onijiro gave him instruction again.
"Remember, you gotta tap into your solar energy and raise your body temperature. That'll increase the blood flow in your body and enhance your physical capabilities."
"If it helps, try thinking of things that piss you off."
Tanjiro focused on raising his body heat as much as possible. He tried hard to keep his concentration and raised his temperature even higher. He scar began to glow brighter as a result.
The veins on his forehead began to bulge as Tanjiro struggled to keep going, he grit his teeth as steam rose from his body.
Tanjiro could feel something trying to poke through his forehead, something sharp. He was getting closer.
Tanjiro felt like his entire body was about burst into flames. It was becoming really hot, he couldn't take it much longer.
"Guh!" Tanjiro gasped and collapsed onto his hands and knees, breathing heavily as his body cooled down.
Onijiro sighed while scratching his head in frustration. "What is WITH you? I got this down in like a day once I figured out the trick to it. This should be a fucking freebie."
Tanjiro got back up. "Look, I'm not used to training Sun Conqueror. I'm more adept at learning breathing techniques like Hinokami Kagura."
"Well, you're gonna have to figure it out. Gathering sunlight can only make you so strong. The effect it has on your body doesn't compare to the boost we demons get from blood." Onijiro said.
"Out of the question." was Tanjiro's immediate response.
Onijiro glared at him. "It wasn't a suggestion, prick. Jeez, I know you don't trust me but how about you chill the fuck out?"
Tanjiro became silent and looked away. Onijiro smirked. "Heh, you didn't apologize. Good, you're starting to grow a pair."
Tanjiro remained silent. Onijiro sighed. "Okay, we clearly can't spend any longer than half an hour together before we want to strangle each other so let's stop here. We'll try again when you quit your bitching."
Tanjiro walked away from Onijiro as the forest around them combusted into flames. Orange flames covered Tanjiro's side, black flames covered Onijiro's side.
Soon, Tanjiro felt himself start to wake up...
Butterfly Mansion
...
...
...
Tanjiro slowly opened his eyes, blinking away the bright light. He laid in bed for a few minutes.
"I have to get stronger...If I can kill Kibutsuji, I'll save millions of people. And once Miss Tamayo finishes her antidote, I'll finally get my life back."
Tanjiro closed his eyes again and rolled onto his right side, holding his head up with his right hand.
Inhale...
Exhale...
Inhale...
Exhale...
Tanjiro's eyebrows narrowed as he felt a warm breeze(?) hit his face. He opened his eyes and saw Kanao...sleeping...in his bed...right next to him...her face only a few inches away from his...
...
...
...
"Huh?"
Tanjiro rolled onto his back and rubbed his eyes, he looked to his right again. Sure enough, Kanao was still there.
...
...
...
"HUUUUUH!?"
Tanjiro's brain had finally caught up with reality (Onijiro's brain was already up to speed, and he was laughing like a maniac).
"K-K-Ka-! K-K-K-K-Kan-! K-K-K-K-K-K-KANAO!?"
"Wooow! Congratulations! You remembered her name!"
Tanjiro's body began to heat up, steam rose from his body, and his face became more red by the second. His eyes turned into giant white octagons with a small dot in the center.
Bu-Bump! Bu-Bump! Bu-Bump! Bu-Bump! Bu-Bump!
Tanjiro shut his eyes tightly while gritting his teeth, he gripped the clothing around the right side of his chest.
"Damn it, heart! Stop beating so fast!"
"Yeah, that's my heart your hand is reaching for, dumbass."
Tanjiro was totally panicking. "This is bad! I've never been in a situation like this. The occasional blush when a pretty girl looked at me, sure, but this is a whole other thing!"
For starters, Kanao is way prettier than the girls I've seen in the village back home..." Tanjiro realized what he just thought.
"...Hmm..."
"NONONONONONONONONO, WAIT! I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! I mean, she is pretty, but...Oh, MOVING ON!"
"Secondly, my parents never taught me what to do when I'm with the girl I like..."
"...Hmmmmmm..."
"NOT THAT I LIKE KANAO! I MEAN, NOT IN THAT WAY AT LEAST! I LIKE HER, I JUST DON'T WANT TO GET TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER, IF THAT MAKES SENSE! OH, BE QUIET!"
"I haven't even said anything, you're doing this to yourself."
Tanjiro's mind began to go into overdrive.
"What do I do!? What do I do!? What do I do!? What do I DOOOOO!? Should I wake her up!? Should I get out of bed!? Why can't I move!?"
"Onijiro! Please switch with me, I'm gonna have a panic attack!"
"Hmmm...Yeah, nah. You got this, Kamado. Imma just enjoy the show if you don't mind. Good luck!"
"HUUUUUUH!? Wait! Don't do this to me! ONIJIRO-HOHOOOOO!"
"Mmm..."
Tanjiro froze, his eyes snapped open. Kanao was starting to wake up.
Kanao's eyes fluttered open. She looked confused before her eyes widened in realization as she stared into Tanjiro's eyes. She blushed. "T-Tanjiro...?"
BU-BUMP! BU-BUMP! BU-BUMP! BU-BUMP! BU-BUMP!
Tanjiro's heart felt like it was about to explode. In his panic, he could only manage one sound out of his mouth...
"A...A...Ah...!"
Kanae
Kanae and Shinobu were about to head out the front gate of the Butterfly Estate.
"I can't wait to see everyone again! It's been too long!" Kanae exclaimed.
Shinobu nodded. "Yes, it'll be nice to see Shinazugawa and Himejima."
Kanae looked at her little sister with a smirk. "Aren't you forgetting someone, sister?"
Shinobu spared a glance at Kanae. "Ah, yes. I also wonder how Uzui is doing."
Kanae's smile widened. "Are you sure that's everyone?"
Shinobu glared at Kanae. "Everyone of importance, yes."
Kanae frowned. "You know, you really need to put this grudge of yours behind you, Shinobu."
"Hah! What grudge? I have no idea what you're talking about." Shinobu replied.
Kanae sighed, admitting defeat. For years, she'd been trying to get Shinobu to be friends with Tomioka.
She'd spent some time talking with him, at least as much as she could, and he was a really nice guy once you got to know him. Besides, he definitely could use some friends.
Now, Kanae didn't plan to set the two up like she was trying to do with Kanao and Tanjiro, there was no chance of that in her opinion.
Of course, if, by some miracle, those two did decide to get hitched, she wouldn't be against the ide-.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Tanjiro's scream echoed throughput the Butterfly Estate.
Shinobu snapped her head towards the Butterfly Mansion. "Was that Kamado!? Something must be wrong!"
Shinobu started to run towards the mansion before Kanae grabbed her arm. Shinobu looked back at her with a shocked expression. "What are you-!?"
Kanae pulls Shinobu close and whispers in her ear. After explaining the situation, she lets Shinobu go. The Insect Hashira stared at Kanae with an unamused expression. "You are evil, dear sister. Pure evil..."
Kanae laughed nervously.
Tanjiro
Both Tanjiro and Kanao were sitting up on the bed, the former lowering his head which was still steaming. He fiddled with his hands in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!" Tanjiro repeated for what must've been the fifty-seventh time.
Kanao was also still blushing, but she gave a comforting smile to Tanjiro. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. My guess is that Master Kanae placed me next to you while we were both sleeping."
"Kanae? Why? I thought we were friends...This is just so cruel..."
Tanjiro sighed, he then chuckled and lifted his head. "Hey, uh...Can we just pretend this never happened?"
Kanae nodded and smiled. "Yes, that's probably a good idea."
Suddenly, the door to Tanjiro's room slid open to reveal an alarmed Aoi at the doorway with Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo.
"Tanjiro, what's...wrong?" Aoi asked before seeing Tanjiro and Kanao on the bed.
"Are you o...kay?" The three little girls said in unison.
Tanjiro stared at Aoi and the girls then back at Kanao, knowing how this must look.
Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho giggled. "Lady Kanae was right after all." Naho whispered.
Kanao blushed and hid her face behind her hands. Tanjiro's jaw dropped as steam began emitting from his body again.
Aoi smiled awkwardly. "U-Uh...m-my bad, I didn't mean to interrupt! I'll just...leave you two alone!"
"WAIT! IT'S NOT WHAT LOOKS LIKE!"
"God, I love this place."
Kyojuro
Demon Slayer HQ
-Afternoon-
"My children, it has been six months. I hope you are all well." Said Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Kyojuro sat in seiza, spectating the Hashira meeting.
From left to right was the Stone Hashira, Giyomei Himejima; the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui; the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa; the Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho; the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho; and the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka.
"We are well, Master! We also wish you good health as well!" Said the Flower Hashira.
"Thank you, Kanae." Ubuyashiki smiled warmly. "As you know, our numbers dwindle as Kibutsuji's continue to grow. Thus, I have even greater need of your services and ask you to support each other on missions from now on."
The Wind Hashira spoke next. "I understand, Master. But..."
Shinazugawa turned his head towards Kyojuro. "Why is there a non-Hashira present at this meeting. Where is the Flame Hashira, Shinjuro Rengoku."
Kyojuro began to explain. "My father-."
"Hey." Shinazugawa interrupted with a cruel grin. "You really think you can fill an for a Hashira?"
Kyojuro felt his skin crawl. "This presence...The Hashira are so intense! They've fought extremely strong demons, so it makes sense that they're different from others. They are indeed the pillars that hold up the Demon Slayer Corps.That is why I respect them!"
"Sanemi," Ubuyashiki called out. "Please do not bully Kyojuro. I called him here to provide us an explanation."
"So that's the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. His voice has a mysterious quality, like a gentle breeze..."
The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps turned towards Kyojuro. "We are concerned about Shinjuro. Could you please tell us his condition?"
Kyojuro nodded. "Ever since my mother died, father has lost all heart. That's when he started bringing sake on missions. He'd spend most nights alone in his room, drinking."
The Flower Hashira looked at Kyojuro with a sympathetic look. "I'm very sorry to hear that. It must've been hard to see your father like that."
Kyojuro nodded. "Thank you, it definitely isn't pleasant to see him act this way."
The Stone Hashira was also saddened by this news. "This is very unfortunate. Shinjuro was our most experienced Hashira, he's served for over a decade. He should be working to pull everyone together like he used to."
The Sound Hashira spoke next. "Drinking before and during missions. That kind of behavior sets a bad example, not to mention it can seriously lower morale. I suggest Shinjuro retired in style."
"I have to agree." Shinazugawa chimed in. "We're low on Hashira, but he won't be of much use to Master if he's drunk."
Kyojuro decided to lighten the mood. "Do not worry! If I become the next Flame Hashira, father is sure to regain his fighting spirit!"
...
...
...
...
Everyone present stared at Kyojuro. The Sound Hashira laughed. "Ha ha ha! Is that so?"
Kyojuro could suddenly feel Shinazugawa's piercing gaze on him. The Wind Hashira once again had an unhinged grin on his face. "You sure are cocky, Kyojuro Rengoku! Sorry to break it to you, but it's not that easy to become a Hashira!
Unfazed, Kyojuro adopted a more sane-looking grin. "Actually, I'm quite familiar with the criteria to become a Hashira."
Shinazugawa started to get up. "Oh, really!? Then show us what you got!"
Suddenly, Kanae Kocho grabbed Shinazugawa's wrist. "Sanemi, please calm down."
"She is right, Shinazugawa. Do not lose your temper again." Himejima added.
Shinazugawa looked hesitant, but turned away from his Hashira. He pulled his wrist away from Kanae. "Sorry, Kanae, Himejima, but just let me do this."
He then turned to Ubuyashiki. "Forgive me, Master."
...
...
...
...
Whoosh!
Faster than he could blink, Kyojuro found himself face to face with Shinazugawa who launched a roundhouse kick to the side of his head.
Kyojuro barely managed to block the attack with his arms before being bombarded by a flurry of punches and kicks.
"Sanemi!" Kanae cried out.
"That's enough, Shinazugawa!" Himejima yelled.
The Wind Hashira ignored them and continued to wail on Kyojuro. "Become a Hashira already! What the hell are you waiting for!?"
"Get out there and find a strong demon! We've got empty seats, when are you gonna come fill one!? Get moving, dumbass!" Shinazugawa taunted.
Kyojuro used his arms to block every attack, this angered Shinazugawa. "Come on, damn it! Fight back already!"
Shinazugawa threw an elbow strike at Kyojuro's chest, but was halted when the latter caught the elbow in his hand.
"I will NOT fight you! Fighting amongst corps members is forbidden! In fact, hitting people is wrong in general!"
Shinazugawa was stunned by those words, as were his comrades.
"Besides, why would I fight you after the encouragement you just gave me!? You have a temper, but I admire your spirit! I won't let you down!"
"Y-You..." Shinazugawa began to talk again. "You're THANKING me for beating you up!?"
The Flower Hashira started to laugh to herself while the Insect Hashira sighed. Tengen Uzui seemed astonished by Kyojuro.
"Unbelievable! He held his own against Shinazugawa...and he has flashy hair! I'm starting to like this guy!" He said.
Shinazugawa looked like he was about to explode at Kyojuro before Ubuyashiki intervened. "Sanemi..."
Immediately, Shinazugawa turned towards his leader and bowed on his hands and knees, his anger completely subsided. "I'm sorry, Master. I lost my temper..."
"Indeed." Ubuyashiki replied.
Kyojuro stared at the now calm Wind Hashira. "Amazing! Ubuyashiki tamed him with a single word!"
"Kyojuro."
Kyojuro found himself on his knees just as fast at the sound of Ubuyashiki's voice.
"You are aware of the criteria of becoming a Hashira, achieving rank Kinoe and killing fifty demons or killing one of the Twelve Kizuki all by yourself."
"I have a mission for you. There have been reports of two demons near the imperial capital, one of whom may be a member of the Twelve Kizuki. I want you to defeat it."
Kyojuro's eyes widened, as did the eyes of everyone else. Shinazugawa raised his head up in an instant.
"The Twelve Kizuki...Demons that work directly under Muzan Kibutsuji, each one powerful enough to kill hundreds of Demon Slayers with minimal effort, and even a Hashira."
The Insect Hashira raised her hand. "May I speak, Master?"
After receiving a nod, she continued. "If this demon really is from the Twelve Kizuki, shouldn't a Hashira be sent to deal with it?"
"A good question, Shinobu. I need the Hashira to defend the territory the missing Hashira would cover. Besides, the capital is in Shinjuro's old territory."
Ubuyashiki turned back to Kyojuro. "You insist that you're worthy, but you must earn our esteem through actions, not words."
"Demonstrate your skill, Kyojuro."
Kyojuro grinned proudly. "Yes, sir!"
Kanae
After Kyojuro left, the meeting continued. Sanemi got back in line.
"Unbelievable...Give me a damn break..." He muttered, Tengen snickered in response.
Gyomei spoke. "Master, do you truly foresee a future where Kyojuro Rengoku is victorious? Or is it just instinct?"
"It's more than instinct, it's certainty." Ubuyashiki answered. "Kyojuro Rengoku will play a major role in the destiny of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Now then, Shinobu, Kanae, I'll need you to stay behind when we're done here. There's something I wish to discuss with you alone."
Kanae and Shinobu nodded, then Tengen raised his hand. "Excuse me, Master, but what exactly do you plan to discuss that can't be shared with the rest of us?"
"Forgive me, my children. The matter I wish to discuss is on a need-to-know basis." Ubuyashiki explained. That's when Kanae realized that that "matter" was none other than Tanjiro.
Tengen did not give up easily. "I understand, Master. But, I don't understand the point of keeping something so important from us. You said yourself that we need to support each other."
"Tengen, do you trust me?"
Tengen bowed his head. "With my life, Master."
"Then please do not worry, I will tell you all when the time is right."
"Yes, Master. Please forgive me for doubting you."
"It's fine. Now, let us continue."
-Later-
"And that is all for now. You are dismissed, stay safe, my children." Ubuyashiki said.
The Hashira bowed and stood back up. Everyone began to leave except Kanae and Shinobu. Before he left, Kanae called out to Sanemi.
"Hey, Sanemi! How's Genya?" She asked. Sanemi scoffed in response.
"What about him?"
Kanae frowned. "Sanemi..."
Sanemi sighed upon seeing her disappointment. "He's fine. Says he wants to be a Demon Slayer, I told him it's a stupid idea."
"Sanemi, I know you just want to protect him, but do you really have to act like you hate him?"
"...It's for his own good. Besides, we both know that if you had your way, Shinobu would never have joined the corps with you."
Kanae looked down. "Touché...Tell him I said hi?"
"...Sure. See ya, Kanae." Sanemi smiled a bit at her, Kanae returned the smile.
Tengen then came by and grabbed Sanemi by the collar. "Get a room, you two." He said while dragging him away.
"HEY! DAMN IT, UZUI!"
Kanae giggled as Sanemi was dragged away, kicking and screaming. Shinobu rolled her eyes.
Eventually, Shinobu and Kanae were alone with Ubuyashiki. "Now, how is our...little friend doing? I heard his last mission was a great success."
Kanae nodded. "Tanjiro has shown remarkable improvement, both with his breathing techniques and Blood Demon Art."
"I see, and what about his inner demon you talked about. His name is Onijiro, yes?" Ubuyashiki asked.
Shinobu spoke next. "Asides from a clear lack of basic manners and an attitude problem, Onijiro has kept his promise not to cause trouble. Thanks to his lessons, Tanjiro has only grown stronger."
"Wonderful." Ubuyashiki said. "Do you believe he's ready?"
Kanae and Shinobu shared a look and nodded towards each other and spoke simultaneously. "We permit Tanjiro Kamado take the final test to become a Demon Slayer."
"Very well then. Tonight, I'll send a Kasugai Crow with details of the mission. Tanjiro will go alone this time, we will now see if he can truly be trusted to take care of himself." Ubuyashiki explained. "You are dismissed."
After bowing, the Kocho sisters walked out of headquarters towards the Butterfly Estate.
-Dusk-
Butterfly Mansion
The two Hashira has finally reached the mansion. Kanae and Shinobu were talking about ways to prepare Tanjiro for his mission.
They opened the door and walked towards the main building. After entering, they heard noises in the kitchen.
Wondering if dinner was made, they walked to the kitchen and found Tanjiro and the girls at the table.
Aoi made Tempura, Onigiri, Omurice, and Udon. "Lady Kanae, Lady Shinobu, welcome home!"
"Welcome home!" The other girls said, including Kanao.
"Yo, took you long enough, Ao here's been holding the food hostage until you showed up."
Kanae saw that it was actually Onijiro who was present, Shinobu shot a glare at the demon. Aoi did the same. "It's Ao-i! Not 'Ao'!" (Blue).
"Whatever! So I was one syllable off!" Onijiro threw his hands in the air. "Besides, how do you know it's not a nickname!?"
Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho pouted. "We don't like you." Kiyo said.
"Yeah, we want nice Tanjiro back." Sumi added.
Onijiro smiled cruelly at the girls. "Yeah, well I'm not exactly fond of you three brats either, but you don't hear me bitching about it."
"BAD WORD! BAD WORD! LADY KANAE, LADY SHINOBU, HE SAID A BAD WORD!" Naho pointed at the demon.
"Yeah, and there's more where that came from! Allow me to enlighten you! *inhale*"
"Onijiro!" Shinobu yelled, stopping the demon in his tracks.
"What? I'm just joking." He said.
Before Shinobu could strangle Onijiro, Kanae changed the subject. "So! Onijiro, how's Tanjiro?"
Onijiro ate some udon before speaking. "After your little prank, he decided to hide in our mind. What a baby, am I right?"
Kanae started to feel guilty about what she did that morning, she did not intend to embarrass Tanjiro to the point that he'd hide himself.
"Anyways, until he decides to man up, you'll be stuck with me." Onijiro stated with a smirk. "Aren't you lucky, Miss 'I want to befriend man-eating monsters'?"
Shinobu put her foot down. "Keep talking, demon, and we'll take away your food."
"Huh!?" Onijiro was caught off guard by that and grumbled before regaining his composure. "Alright, fine then. Guess you don't mind if your precious Tanji starves as well. We may have two hearts and two brains, but we have to share everything else. That includes our stomach."
"'Tanji'? Ooooh, that's a cute nickname!"
"Also, you can't just feed him instead since he's being mopey about sleeping with Kanao. So HAH!" Onijiro spat out.
Kanao blushed and hid her face. A tic mark appeared on Shinobu's head. "To think I saw you as a threat. But you really are just a brat. You're pretty immature for a 'Future Demon King'." Shinobu made air quotes with her hands.
Veins bulged on Onijiro's head as he growled. "Keep looking down on me while you can, human."
He then smiled confidently. "At the rate your current height, you won't have that luxury for much longer."
"What was that?" Shinobu gave Onijiro the death stare.
Onijiro put his hands behind his head. "Yep, once this body grows a few inches, the only body part you'll have that'll be bigger than mine is your chest." He made cup shapes with his hands below his chest as he said this.
Shinobu shot up to her feet. "THAT'S IT!"
Shinobu lunged at the unfazed Onijiro before Kanae came in and held her arms back. "Shinobu, calm down! I'm sure he didn't mean it!"
"Nope, I meant every word." Onijiro said before drinking his tea.
"YOU SON OF A-!" Shinobu kicked her feet at the demon.
"Sister! He's baiting you! Don't fall for it!" Kanae cried out.
"Now look who's being immature." Onijiro said before finishing his meal. "Itadakimasu."
"You're supposed to say that before you start eating." Aoi stated with a slight glare.
"Bite me, Ao." Onijiro got up and left, leaving Kanae and the other girls to hold back an enraged Shinobu.
Onijiro Kamado
Dream Forest
Onijiro decided to go back to Tanjiro's room and went to sleep. He wasn't tired, obviously, but he wanted step away from reality for a moment.
He found himself in his mindscape. Tanjiro was laying down on the snow in front of him, staring into the cloudy sky.
Onijiro allowed him a few more minutes of peace...before proceeding to kick his head.
"OW!" Tanjiro sat up while clutching his head. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM!?"
"I'm a man-eating monster born out of the blood of a dickhead Demon King and a goody goody dumbass, the latter is you in case I wasn't clear enough, forced to share a body with said dumbass, yes, I'm still talking about you, and live in a house full of people who'd love nothing more than to cut my head off and send me to the depths of Hell. THAT'S...my problem."
Tanjiro calmed down and got on his feet. "Right, my bad. Did you want to switch?"
"Yeah, it's nice to stretch my legs in the real world but it gets old quick when you're stuck walking around the same damn mansion. There's nothing to do here but train and I have no interest in that. Training is your thing, after all." Onijiro said.
"And what exactly is your thing? Besides making my life miserable at every opportunity, I mean." Tanjiro asked.
"Okay, first off, fuck you too. Second, my thing is obviously being awesome and better than you in every way."
"Really...every way?" Tanjiro tilted his head with pitying smile.
Onijiro glared at the boy. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. Are you gonna take your body back or not?"
Tanjiro sighed. "Alright, I've mostly gotten over the incident this morning anyway, which we will NEVER talk about again by the way."
"I make no promises."
"Onijiro..." Tanjiro glared at the demon before sighing again. "Never mind."
And with that, Tanjiro walked away and woke up.
Tanjiro
Tanjiro found himself in his bed after waking up. After laying down for a few minutes, he got up and was about to head out when Kanae opened his door.
"Hello, Kanae." Tanjiro greeted his friend with a smile.
"Hello, Tanji-chan!" Kanae returned the smile.
Tanjiro was caught off guard by the sudden nickname. "H-Huh!? 'Tanji-chan'!?" Tanjiro repeated, his face slightly red.
Kanae giggled at Tanjiro's reaction. "Just a fun little nickname that I got from Oniji-chan. Do you not like it?"
"Hahahaha! You should see your face! It's so...! Wait, what the fuck did she just call me?"
"N-No! I like it a lot, it just...took me by surprise." Tanjiro said.
"Wait wait wait, back up. What the FUCK did she call me!?"
"Glad to hear it! Now, I'm here because your next mission just came in. It will be your final test before you become an official Demon Slayer." Kanae stated.
The mood became more serious as Tanjiro nodded and took the letter she had in her hand. He opened and read it out loud.
Demon Slayer Trainee, Tanjiro Kamado, will be required to go to the Kōjimachi Ward to locate and hunt down the demon rumored to be seen there.
He will go solo this time, meaning he will not have the assistance of a Hashira in case something goes wrong.
"THAT'S IT! I've had it with this whore! Let me out so I can strangle her!"
If young Kamado is able to accomplish his mission with minimal casualties, he will be allowed to officially join the Demon Slayer Corps.
"I, the next Demon King, will not be mocked by a filthy human! Let me out, Tanjiro!"
"Quiet! I'm trying to read!"
Kamado will have a Kasugai Crow keeping track of him, the crow will give a report on the trainee's performance and the leader of the corps shall decide whether or not Kamado is worthy.
If Kamado encounters another Demon Slayer, he will be expected to hide himself as fast as possible unless they're in danger.
Good luck!
That's where the letter ended.
Tanjiro gulped. He could feel the pressure being put on him. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and looked behind him to see Kanae giving a comforting smile.
"If you want to wait until morning before you leave, I understand. It's a lot of responsibility, especially for someone your age." Kanae said.
Tanjiro smiled back and shook his head. "No, I signed up so I could protect others from the demons, and the sooner I can do that, the better."
Kanae nodded. "Then you better get ready."
Tanjiro stood in front of the gate leading outside the estate in his trainee uniform, he turned around to see everyone there to see him off.
Tanjiro started by giving headboard to Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho. He was glad that the three girls had taken a liking to him.
Tanjiro could still remember the days they would run from him whenever he entered the room. However, as they began to see that Tanjiro meant no harm, they began to warm up to him.
First, they sneaked peeks at Tanjiro while hiding behind corners, then they actually tried approaching him which led to them talking more and more. It evolved to the point where the girls were always happy to talk with Tanjiro.
"Stay safe, Tanjiro!" Sumi said.
"Yeah, stay safe!" Naho and Kiyo said in tandem.
Tanjiro smiled at the three. He heard from Shinobu that all theee of them had lost their families to demons and were taken in as assistants like Aoi.
Speaking of, Tanjiro turned to Aoi next who simply bowed politely. "Good luck on your mission, be careful."
Tanjiro returned the bow and said his thanks. He and Aoi didn't interact much, but they got along well enough. Like the previously mentioned trio, Aoi was also weary at first but didn't show any judgement. It must've been because she trusted Kanae and Shinobu that much.
Next, Tanjiro turned to Kanao and his face almost immediately became warm. He still hadn't recovered from the little "incident" this morning.
It seems Kanao hadn't recovered either as her own face became red as she moved her eyes to the ground. "C-Come back safely...Ok?"
"Y-Yeah!" Tanjiro blurted out before he picked up a mischievous scent. "Oh no!"
Before he could react, Kanae pushed him from behind towards the equally shocked Kanao. Fortunately, Shinobu pulled Kanao back by the back of her hakama and caught Tanjiro by the chest before he could go further.
"Careful, Kamado. You need to watch your step." Shinobu sent a glare in Kanae's direction. Kanae simply turned her head and whistled a tune.
Tanjiro sent his own glare to Kanae. "Thanks, Master." He turned towards everyone else and waved. "Goodbye everyone, I'm off now!"
As everyone waved to him, Tanjiro felt nostalgic. "Huh, this kind of reminds me of..."
Suddenly, the Butterfly girls were replaced by the image of his family, waving him off as he went down the mountain to sell more coal...
Tanjiro froze as unpleasant memories creeped into his head. Chasing that cat behind the houses, meeting Kibutsuji, his horrible scent, his paralyzing gaze, his terrifying aura.
"Tanjiro?"
Tanjiro snapped out of his trance and turned towards Kanae who looked deeply concerned. "Are you okay? You sort of froze up for a second."
Tanjiro saw that everyone else looked worried, he shook the unpleasant thoughts out of his head and gave them a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, this just...sort of reminded me of the last time I saw my family. Don't worry, I'm okay."
Kanae did not look convinced, but sighed and smiled back. "If you say so, Tanjiro."
And with that, Tanjiro stepped out of the gate and walked down the road. The memories of the day Kibutsuji turned him into a demon continued to plague his mind.
"Never again...Next time, things will be different."
Mitsuri Kanroji
Somewhere in Tokyo City
-Two Days Later; Night-
Rengoku had been assigned a mission in the imperial capital to hunt down a demon who was possibly a part of the Twelve Kizuki. Mitsuri, as well as other Demon Slayers, had been assigned to his group to aid him.
The group stood in the middle of the streets where most people walked by the Slayers without a second look.
"Alright!" Rengoku called out. "As we discussed, we'll be operating in pairs! If you locate the demon, call for help via Kasugai Crow, and prioritize the evacuation of civilians!"
"YES, SIR!" Everyone else answered, including Mitsuri who looked at Rengoku in admiration.
"He's so cool when he's giving orders! And we have matching haoris!"
Rengoku and Mitsuri ended up as a pair and wandered through the city. "This is great!" Rengoku said. "This will be our very first mission together! Let's both do our best!"
"R-Right!" Mitsuri replied nervously.
"Is something wrong, Kanroji?" Her mentor asked with a raised eyebrow.
Before Mitsuri could answer, she felt something bump against her back. She stumbled forward and turned to see a little boy on the ground who looked like he was about to cry.
"Ah! Are you alright!?" Mitsuri moved towards the boy to check on him when he began to sob.
"WAAAAAH!" He started fully crying out loud. While Mitsuri tried to figure out what to do, a woman came and snatched the boy into her arms.
"What do you think you're doing!? Keep your hands off my child!" The woman, who must've been the boy's mother, yelled at the pink-haired Demon Slayer.
"I-I was just-!" Mitsuri tried to defend herself but the woman didn't give her the chance.
"And what's with that hair color!? And is that a katana!? You must be a kidnapper! That's it I'm taking you to the police right n-! Huh?" The woman finally stopped yelling when Rengoku grabbed her son and placed him on his shoulder.
"My apologies, ma'am! You see, your son bumped into us and fell down, that's why he was crying! My friend here was simply making sure he was alright!" Rengoku explained.
"O-Oh! I see, m-my mistake." The woman said as her son looked at Rengoku's hair.
"Your hair is also weird, mister." He said bluntly, but Rengoku laughed it off.
"Ha ha ha! It runs in my family! Perhaps my ancestors ate too much deep-fried shrimp!" Rengoku joked, causing the boy to laugh.
As this exchange was going on, Mitsuri thought on the harsh words the woman said. It reminded her of...
"Unbelievable! Who would want to marry someone with such ridiculous hair!? You'll be lucky to find a boar or a deer for a spouse!"
As Mitsuri watched the mother and son walk away, she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Rengoku next to her, shining that bright smile as usual.
"Don't worry, Kanroji! Looks aren't everything!" He assured her.
Mitsuri smiled. "Y-Yeah, thanks."
The two continued their patrol, unaware of the slight ticking sound inside of a nearby building...
Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock
Kōjimachi
A pale figure in torn up blue robes, short black hair, yellow eyes, and an extremely large tongue jumped out of the ceiling of a building onto the roof.
The demon had cuts and burns all over his body as he breathed heavily. "Who the hell is that kid!? What's a demon doing killing other demon!?"
As the tongue demon tried to catch its breath, a second figure jumped out of the he made in the roof. The demon gasped as a young boy with ruffled burgundy-tipped hair landed in front of him with his sword drawn.
"Shit!" The tongue demon turned around and tried to run away as the other demon raised his left palm and made a circle in front of it with his left.
His strange mark began to glow bright before an arrow of flames came out of his hand.
Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Hachiman's Arrow
The arrow pierced the tongue demon's chest and the flames wrapped around his waist as it began to carry him towards the young swordsman.
"Wait! WAIT!" Was all it could say before Tanjiro cut his head off as the arrow carried the demon towards him.
"Mission Accomplished." Tanjiro said in his head.
"About damn time, I could've ended that battle in a second if you didn't stop the second he took hostages."
"All that matters is that no one was hurt." Tanjiro thought as he looked up to see the Kasugai Crow flying in the night sky.
Tanjiro turned to the fading demon corpse and prayed for him. "Rest in peace."
Tanjiro rummaged through his pocket and took out a piece of metal before popping it into his mouth and swallowing. He remembered Shinobu's explanation on how they worked."
-Two Days Ago-
Shinobu's Office
"I call them 'Nichirin Pills'. Made from the same material that's used to forge our swords." Shinobu stated as she handed five metal capsules to Tanjiro. "The idea is that if you swallow one, you will be able to absorb the sunlight stored inside."
"Wow." Tanjiro said in astonishment.
Shinobu continued. "This is all we could get on short notice, and it's all that you should be able to carry in your pockets. Only use these if you're running low on stamina and energy. Understand?"
"Yes, Master!"
-Present-
After completing his mission, Tanjiro walked throughout Tokyo City on his way back to the Butterfly Estate, happy with this new development.
"I did it! I'll finally become a Demon Slayer! W-Well, I think so anyway...I shouldn't get too cocky."
"Man, you need to loosen up! A little ego boost never hurt anyone."
Tanjiro continued to walk as he admired the tall buildings. "Thanks to all the time I've spent in the more advanced towns, I've gotten a little used to them. I could even see myself living here if I had the money."
Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock
"Huh? What's that sound?" Tanjiro stopped and sniffed the air. He picked up gun powder and...the essence of a demon, a different demon from the one he just killed.
"A bomb!?" Tanjiro realized as he sensed that the bomb was in the building next to him, he heard the ticking from inside. Then suddenly...the ticking stopped. Tanjiro's eyes widened as he realized what that meant.
"Damn!"
"OH SHI-!"
BOOM!
Kyojuro
BOOM!
"KYAH!" Mitsuri screamed as an explosion went off behind them. Rengoku shielded her in case of any small debris falling on them.
They turned to see the building behind them in blown to pieces, people nearby were already in a panic. As it seemed that things couldn't get worse, more explosions went off.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
As the people ran away from the explosions, Mitsuri began to run off. "Rengoku! I'll go help the others!"
"Wait, Kanroji!" Rengoku grabbed her wrist and stopped her before a gunshot went off and a bullet flew to where Kanroji's head would've been if Kyojiro hadn't pulled her back.
"WAH!" She yelped as Kyojuro looked to where the shot came from. On top of a wide building, and saw a unknown figure with a rifle aimed at them.
Kyojuro inhaled and leaped towards the top of the building while swinging his sword at the shooter's neck.
Total Concentration, Flame Breathing: First Form - Unknowing Fire
The demon jumped back as Kyojiro landed on the edge of the building. The demon wore some sort of military uniform and hat. His head was lowered.
"Calm down. How long have I waited for this day? Yes, it was all for this day." The demon raised its head, revealing a kanji engraved into its left eye. "Lower 2"
"The day I get my revenge on you, Rengoku!" The demon announced.
"This demon, the number engraved into his eye...he's part of the Twelve Kizuki!"
Rengoku shot a glare at the demon. "An indiscriminate attack involving civilians...That is a deed that is both cowardly and foul, I simply cannot ignore it!"
The demon simply laughed. "So arrogant! I still haven't forgotten how you insulted me. That day, I swore revenge. I spent years getting stronger until I finally joined the Twelve Kizuki!"
The demon took out a pistol and aimed it at Rengoku. "Tonight's the night you breathe your last breath! Prepare to die, Rengoku!"
Rengoku was furious at this demon, he only had one thing to say to him...
"Who are you!?"
"..." The Lower Moon was taken aback by the sudden question. "H-Huh?"
"You...You forgot me?"
"No, I did not! Because we have never met before! Think about it! Why would a Demon Slayer be associated with a demon!? That makes absolutely no sense!"
The demon growled at the ground. "You...YOU!" He took his gun and aimed into his mouth, "EYAAAAAAAAH!" before shooting off the top of his head.
Rengoku was surprised by this action, as any normal person would be. "What? He shot himself in the head? Just what is this demon's deal?"
The demon huffed as he regenerated. "Calm down, just...stay cool. If he's forgotten, simply remind him."
BOOM!
Rengoku heard another explosion behind him and turned his head to see the black smoke from said explosion.
"Time bombs, I planted them all over the capital." Rengoku turned his attention back towards the Lower Moon who was speaking.
Suddenly, Rengoku barely managed to block a bunch of bullets. "A ton of people will die tonight, and it'll be all because of you!"
Rengoku vs. Hairo
Guns has sprouted from shadows appearing all over Hairo's torso. He fired a storm of bullets as Rengoku ran towards a billboard on the roof for cover.
After safely arriving at the billboard, Kyojuro took a second to think about what he just saw. "Guns just sprouted out of his body!?"
Then, Rengoku heard a strange sound in front of his hiding spot. A shadow with eyes and teeth appeared in front of his feet, two shotguns had sprouted from the puddle-like shadow.
On the other side of the billboard, Hairo ran towards his target while cocking his rifle as he heard two gunshots.
Hairo was about to rush Rengoku before hearing another explosion.
BOOM!
Hairo turned his head to the left and smiled at the sight of the blast before noticing something strange. The explosion began to shrink in an unnatural way, almost as if it was being sucked up.
"Strange..."
Then, the billboard cracked before being destroyed by illusory flames which blinded the Lower Moon.
Flame Breathing: Fourth Form - Blooming Flame Undulation
Hairo managed to crack an eye open, he saw Rengoku come down on him from the air and swing his sword at his neck. There was no time to dodge, so the demon fired his rifle at Rengoku's head, but the bullet only cut through his left cheek.
Rengoku's blade met the demon's neck and the man pushed it in as far as possible before it could no longer move.
That's when he saw the shadow covering Hairo's neck. The demon grinned. "Pitiful! Anger clouds your judgment, Rengoku!"
Rengoku internally cursed. "It doesn't feel like my sword is cutting through anything. He absorbed it with that shadow, this must be his Blood Demon Art."
While Rengoku struggled to pull out his sword, sticks of dynamite began to drop from Hairo's shadow. Rengoku saw that their fuses were all lit and tried to get away before-.
Mitsuri
Boom!
Mitsuri watched in horror as her former mentor was caught in a giant explosion. "RENGOKU!"
After the smoke cleared, she saw a huge chunk of the top of the building blown off. On the floor below the roof, which had been revealed by the explosion, the lower half of the demon Rengoku was fighting began to get up.
Mitsuri charged forward, planning to finish it off. Then she felt a hard tug on her braids before she felt the back of her head smash into the ground, all before she could even draw her sword.
Dazed from the sudden attack, Mitsuri had a hard time focusing as another figure came into view. As her vision cleared, Mitsuri immediately recognized the kanji, "Lower Six", in the eye of another demon with green markings on his face.
"You should focus more on your surroundings." The demon looked down on the swordswoman. "Don't worry, I doubt that was enough to kill your little friend. Not that it matters, you'll all die today. I'd say we're doing you a favor with that horrendous hair of yours. And what's with that outfit, you're just begging to be fucked in that getup."
Mitsuri tried to move, to grab her sword and get back up. But she couldn't, her body simply wasn't responding. The demon smiled cruelly at her.
"Talk about bad luck, you got caught up in my senior's revenge plan. Well, that's what you get for becoming Demon Slayers."
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. My trainer taught me to respect and spare women."
The demon dropped its smile and adopted a look of disgust. "Though if you ask me, there's not much to respect. Why do you fight so hard just to die against a superior enemy? Why fight for people who will never know what you do for them, who will never admire you?"
That last part struck a cord within Mitsuri. Her mind flashed to her looking into a hand mirror, her hair dyed black to hide her "ugly" hair.
Mitsuri couldn't stop the tears as the demon above her continued to look at her with disgust. Suddenly, a flash a fire appeared out of nowhere.
"Rengoku...?"
Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Flaming Kick
"What the-!?" Was all the Lower Moon said before getting kicked in the face. He let go of Mitsuri's hair as he was launched into the building across the one that Rengoku was fighting on.
After taking a second to recover from shock, Mitsuri sat up and saw a young boy who couldn't be older than fourteen or thirteen standing with his back to her.
He wore a slightly burnt white and blue hakama with the phrase "Become the Blade that Destroys Demons" stitched onto it. His rufffled, burgundy-tipped hair blew in the wind. His right leg was...ON FIRE!?
"Are you okay?" The boy asked without turning around.
"Y-Yes. Thank you." Mitsuri said as the boy turned to her. He had gentle pink eyes, a smile so bright it could burn even demons, and a glowing mark on his head. Despite the first two descriptions, Mitsuri was able to tell from the sharp fangs, claws, and the fact that he was unbothered by his flaming leg.
He was a demon...A demon that just saved her life, but a demon.
Mitsuri got up and backed away from the young demon with caution. The boy noticed this and looked hurt, but then chuckled sadly. "Yeah, I don't blame you."
"HEY!"
Mitsuri and the flame-wielding demon looked towards the building where the Lower Moon Six demon was knocked into.
The enemy demon walked out of the building with a bloody head and murder in his eyes. "What the FUCK is wrong with you!? We're on the same side, you idiot!"
The other demon drew his sword and pointed it towards the enemy. "You're wrong, I don't serve Kibutsuji."
The enemy demon's eyes widened, as did Mitsuri's. "Kibutsuji!? He said his name!? But if a demon says his name, they die, right!?"
Many seconds had passed, nothing happened to the demon boy. "Is...Is he really on our side...?"
"Look, it doesn't matter if people don't admire the Demon Slayers. That doesn't change the fact that they give it their all to save dozens of lives, even if they know that they'll die in the process." The demon boy said.
"Then their will is passed onto the next generation who will always be stronger than the last in some way. As long as there are demons and those who are willing to stand up to them no matter the odds, I'll keep fighting, and I will win no matter what!"
"Also, I'm sorry but...you are absolutely blind if you think this woman is ugly!"
"HUH!?" Mitsuri's jaw hung open.
"Personally, I think pink is a great hair color! I especially like how it fades to a light green, it gives the impression that she's a fun person to be around which is what really matters since looks aren't everything!"
"And even if they were, this lady would have no problem in that department as she is already quite pretty! Don't insult others by telling lies! In fact, don't insult people at all! Hmph!" The demon boy puffed his cheeks.
Mitsuri was about to cry, no one had ever said such kind things to her before except Renguko and Senjuro.
The Lower Moon was simply confused. "Huh?"
"Well, well, well! It seems we have a traitor in our midst!"
Everyone turned towards the other Lower Moon who had just regenerated his upper body. The upper half was his uniform was destroyed, except for his black cloak and hat.
"Kamanue, why don't you hold off the brat while I kill Rengoku's precious student?" The gun demon said as he set his sights on Mitsuri.
However, the gun demon was interrupted by a giant Tiger head made of flames crashing into him.
Flame Breathing: Fifth Form - Flame Tiger
Rengoku, whose head was also bleeding, charged in and knocked the gun demon away from Mitsuri. Rengoku came to a stop and turned his attention towards the demon boy.
"Demon. I heard what you said earlier." He said with a serious look. The demon boy gulped as he met the man's stare. "What is your name?"
"Tanjiro Kamado!" Tanjiro replied immediately.
Rengoku then flashed a bright smile (Though now it didn't quite compare to the demon boy's smile, at least to Mitsuri).
"Young Kamado, even though this is our first meeting, I already like you!" He exclaimed. "Though you are a demon, anyone can clearly see that your heart is 110% human!"
The boy's eyes turned into confused dots. "Uh...thanks?"
"You are correct. Even without admiration, I will keep on fighting. That's what we Demon Slayers do!" Rengoku stated.
Rengoku turned back to Lower Moon Two. "I don't know why, but that demon has a grudge against me. I'll defeat him and leave Lower Moon Six to you, Young Kamado."
Tanjiro nodded and turned to the other demon. "Right!"
"Kanroji, can you stand?" Rengoku called to her.
"Y-Yes!" Mitsuri answered as she got on her feet.
"I'm changing your orders. He's planted bombs all over the capital, go disarm them with the other corps members."
"Yes, sir!" Mitsuri said before running off.
Both Rengoku and Tanjiro moved towards their targets and engaged in battle with them.
Rengoku rushed his opponent who laughed manically. "You'll 'defeat' me, you say!? You can't even cut off my head!"
"A sword cannot win against a firearm, and the Demon Slayer Corps cannot win against the demons!" Hairo gloated.
Rengoku felt his heart fire up. "I don't know who you think I am or what you think I've done...but my name is Kyojuro Rengoku!"
"Come at me! I'll put an end to you and your grudge!"
Rengoku vs. Hairo
and
Tanjiro vs. Kamanue
Tanjiro chased after Kamanue down the-
STAR PLATINUM: ZA WARDO!
Tick Tock Tick...Tock...Tick...
Sorry, Fam! I gotta stop (time) here!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! What did you think? By all means, be brutal! I'm here to learn, after all!
Also, what did you think of the Tanjiro x Kanao scenes? Were they too forced, was Kanae too out of character? Again, be brutal! I have zero experience in romance so...yeah, not sure how to write about something I know little to nothing about.
Finally, some of you may have realized that the Rengoku part of this story was borrowed from the Gaiden story. I just thought it would be cool to put Tanjiro in that story, no?
Anyway, see you next time! Bye!
Next Time: Chapter 15 - Might of the Twelve Kizuki / Tanjiro's Awakening Part 2