Demon Slayer: The Tainted Sun Chapter 17, a kimetsu no yaiba/鬼滅の刃 fanfic

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

I'm so so so so so so so so so so so SO sorry this took so long! Jesus, I haven't updated this story since February!

Writer's Block is real bitch, man...

Also, I've been pretty nervous about this chapter. Mainly because there are a few parts that talk about religious practices that I've spent days researching to make sure they're accurate and I'm STILL not sure!

I just get really scared when I touch on culture and religion that I know little to nothing about and I don't want to offend anyone so I try my best. But when I am unable to find any answers I get too scared to continue which hinders my motivation to write. I hope you guys understand.

Overall, I believe I did the best I could with this chapter and I hope you like it.

Anyway, let's talk about the story itself reaching 700 FOLLOWERS! Unbelievable! Guys, come on! Is the story even that good!?

Not that I'm complaining, obviously! I'm over the moon about this! While your support fuels my passion to keep writing, it's also kind of the reason I get too nervous.

I mean, we're talking hundreds of people here who look forward to this story! That kind of attention is bound to cause pressure. That's why I try to take my time with these chapters, because I want to give you all an amazing story worthy of your support!

Of course, I'll do my best to get these chapters out faster, but I can't guarantee that I'll always be quick about it.

I get it, no one's perfect, but I'd like to get as close as possible with this story which is now over a year old and has grown so much. I'm truly passionate about this story and I don't see myself giving up on it anytime soon.

I know I don't have any right to ask, but I'm afraid I must ask you to be patient with me.

With that said, let's get on with it now!

*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

-Eight Years Ago-

Shinjuku

Jigoro Kuwajima

The retired Thunder Hashira stood in the middle of the streets in the more poor section of Shinjuku. In front of his was a boy no older than six with black hair and a black yukata, drinking from a dirty puddle. Needless to say, he looked like shit.

He walked up to the boy who looked up at him with empty eyes filled with pain. The old man gave the boy a look of sympathy before reaching out his hand.

The boy looked confused as he looked between the man's face and his hand. Jigoro gave the boy the most comforting smile he could muster.

"Come with me...I will not stand by and let an innocent child suffer."

The boy looked at the ground with a sad look on his dirty face. "N-Not...innocent..."

Jigoro saw the regret on the boy's face, perhaps he did something awful that he regrets. "In that case, I may know a way for you to atone for whatever sun you committed...if you'll humor an old man like me." He reached his hand out again.

The boy has tears falling from his eyes...yet, he reached out in response. "...I'm...Kaigaku."

The boy grabbed his hand. "Nice to meet you, Kaigaku."

Chapter 17 - The Tale of Kaigaku and Zenitsu

Tanjiro Kamado

Wisteria Safehouse

-Night-

In a Wisteria Safehouse less than fifty miles away from Shinjuku, Tanjiro and Makomo decided to rest after two days of constant travel. Tanjiro could still keep going, but he understood that a human like Makomo didn't have his vast amount of stamina.

They ate a meal prepared by the staff there, whom were already informed of Tanjiro's demonic status, and shared training trips with each other. Makomo told Tanjiro about her trainer and adoptive father, Sakonji Urokodaki.

Apparently, he too had a good nose and trained it to utilize his sense of smell in battle. Makomo said that the man was actually able to use scent to find an opponent's opening.

According to him, this scent took the form of a thread in the mind of the user. This thread connected the tip of the blade to the enemy's weak point which, for demons, is the neck.

This description reminded Tanjiro of his fight with Lower Moon Six. Specifically, the end of that battle where he imagined a similar string. He assumed this was just a weird coincidence, but he couldn't get it out of his mind.

After eating, Makomo went to bed. Tanjiro decided to train his Hinokami Kagura in the backyard. After all the training he did with Kanae and the other Butterfly girls, Tanjiro had greatly increased his stamina. Combined with his demonic stamina, Tanjiro could use Hinokami Kagura up to twenty-five times without getting tired.

Sadly, that didn't mean nearly as much as he had not mastered any of the techniques yet. They were powerful enough to cut the head off of high-ranked demons, even Lower Moons. However, Tanjiro knew he had a long way to go.

After finishing his training, Tanjiro went to the room he was given which was lit by a single lamp and took out a note from his pocket. It was a letter from Tamayo that he had gotten a few days ago as a response to his own letter detailing the whole incident with Muzan and Lower Moon Six.

Dear Tanjiro,

I am glad to hear that you are well. I'd like to thank you for obtaining the blood of Lower Moon Six. I'm positive that with more blood from the other Twelve Kizuki, as well as yours, I will be able to create a cure and turn you back into a human, as well as others.

Anyways, about your eye. It is possible to hide the rank in your eye and turning it back to normal, but it probably won't be so easy for you.

As demons ingest more blood, their abilities and capabilities increase. This includes their ability to change their appearance. Some of the Twelve Kizuki and even Muzan himself can change their appearance to hide amongst humans.

Since you gain strength from sunlight instead of blood, I am unsure if you will be able to reach that level. However, I can't say that it's impossible.

As I said in my previous letter, you just need to really imagine yourself changing and concentrate on that image until you fit that mold.

Tanjiro had been learning from Tamayo how to change his appearance which is how he learned to change his claws into normal nails.

I wish you luck on your missions. If you ever find yourself in Asakusa and need someone to talk to or if you just need a break from demon slaying, please know that my door is always open to you. Yushiro won't admit it, but I'm pretty sure that he misses having you around. Stay safe.

Sincerely, Tamayo.

Tanjiro couldn't help but smile at that last part. He was very thankful to Miss Tamayo and Yushiro. Were it not for them finding him in the streets, who knows how far he would've gotten.

"Maybe I should visit sometime. What do you think, Onijiro?"

"Why are you asking me? I don't even know those people."

"Yeah, but you've been seeing what I've been seeing this whole time so you know who they are. You even technically fought Yushiro when I almost let you out during our first spar."

"Not really sure I'd count that. We were still kind of fighting for control when that Tamayo lady knocked us out."

Tanjiro looked into a nearby mirror that he grabbed and took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing."

Tanjiro concentrated on his right eye and imagined it turning back to its normal form. He concentrated on that image in an attempt to will it into reality.

It was easier said then done. Tanjiro tensed his entire body in his effort to change his right eye's pupil. "Come on...! COME ON!"

After a few minutes, Tanjiro released his breath and fell back against the floor, panting heavily.

"...Wow...that was hard to watch..."

"You're really not helping, Onijiro..."

"Oh? Good, that's kind of what I was going for there."

Tanjiro sighed and got back up. He psyched himself up and attempted multiple times to change his eye. Alas, his labor bore no fruit this time.

Frustrated, Tanjiro unwittingly hit the floor with his fist and cursed out loud. Soon, he was able to calm himself down. After that, he heard a knock on his door.

"Tanjiro...you okay...?" Tanjiro heard the sleepy voice of Makomo. He got up and opened the door, and there stood his young half-asleep companion.

"I'm sorry, Makomo. Did I wake you up?" Tanjiro asked, slightly embarrassed by his outburst earlier.

"...Yeah...Kind of..." Makomo said as she rubbed her right eye. "Are you feeling okay...?"

Tanjiro smiled at the young girl. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. Why don't you head back to bed? We've got a big mission ahead of us, after all."

Makomo nodded in agreement and walked back to her room with a yawn. Tanjiro was already feeling fond of Makomo.

She was sweet, playful, and downright adorable. Tanjiro wouldn't believe the girl knew how to fight had he not already engaged in combat with her. Though to be fair, the same could be said for the young demon himself.

Also...Makomo really reminded him of Nezuko. In fact, he'd bet a whole plate of fatsia sprouts that they'd be the best of friends.

After seeing Makomo off and wishing her a good night, Tanjiro decided to call it a night as well and spend some time in his mind until dawn.

Dream Forest

Tanjiro and Onijiro were passing the time by tossing a Sunny Temari to each other in a seated position, Tanjiro in seiza and Onijiro in a relaxed position with his right leg crossed and his left leg bending upward. He also rested his left arm on the knee. According to Onijiro, it was called the "I don't give a shit about anything, especially you, now fuck off before I bite your face off" position.

...He was still workshopping the name.

While they tossed the ball around, they brainstormed new techniques for Sun Conqueror.

"Hmm...What if we continuously use Scorching Blast to propel ourselves in the air to mimic flight, that would definitely increase our maneuverability, no?" Tanjiro suggested after catching and throwing the ball.

Onijiro made his own thinking face as he caught the ball. "Not a bad idea...but that sounds like it would take up way too much solar energy. What else you got?" He asked before throwing it back.

Tanjiro caught the ball and tossed it between his hands while thinking. "How about this? I detach my head from my body, connect a Crimson Flare Chain to the bottom, then whip my head around so that I can headbutt my enemies from a safe distance!" Tanjiro exclaimed before tossing the ball to Onijiro.

"Hmm...Interesting, but there are a few ways that could backfire. The enemy could sever the chain of it's not strong enough, you're more likely to get dizzy. Worst case scenario, the chain snaps on its own and your head goes flying off into a wall and you get knocked out. Next."

Tanjiro pouted. "You know, you could contribute too."

Onijiro raised an eyebrow. "I am contributing, dumbass. I'm listening to your ideas and telling you why they suck."

Tanjiro furrowed his eyebrows as Onijiro tossed the ball back. Tanjiro caught it and came up with an idea, an idea that he would normally never even consider. He smirked before tossing the ball back.

Onijiro caught the ball, only now noticing that it was glowing brighter than before. Onijiro raised an eyebrow, detecting more solar energy inside the ball then there was before.

He looked up at Tanjiro who had a smug look on his face. Onijiro then looked behind him with an even more confused expression. "Hey, what's that?"

Tanjiro stopped smiling and raised an eyebrow before turning his head back. "What's wha-?" Was all that he was able to say before he felt something hot collide with his cheek.

BOOM!

After tanking an explosion so large and powerful that it blew away the snow around Tanjiro and towered above the trees, his body was turned into a black silhouette with two wide blinking eyes. His body suddenly crumbled, leaving his eyes in the air for about two seconds until they fell down as well.

"HAAAAAA! Hahahahahahahah!" Onijiro was laughing his ass off, smacking his thigh while doing so at Tanjiro's expense. "Nice try, idiot! You gotta do a LOT better than that to pull one over on me! Hahahahahaha!"

Tanjiro's eyes glared at Onijiro...though the latter couldn't tell due to the boy's lack of eyebrows. A pillar of orange flames shot up from the ground beneath him, engulfing him until his body completely regenerated, even his clothes.

"Though I gotta give you some credit, I didn't think you had the balls to pull a stunt like that. Looks like you're getting more in touch with your wild side." Onijiro stated proudly, relishing the fact that he was starting to rub off on his more human counterpart.

Tanjiro looked away frowning. "I'm not wild...I was just getting sick of you mocking me."

"And you could've just asked me to stop, but you didn't. You went straight to extreme measures, just like any other demon would." Onijiro smiled cruelly.

"Like you would've stopped if I asked you to..." Tanjiro countered.

Onijiro nodded. "Fair point. But you could've at least tried instead of trying to blow my face off. Oh, by the way, there was not nearly enough energy in that ball to accomplish that. At worst, it would've singed my hands a little. That's why I took the liberty of adding a tiny bit more to it to show you the effective method. Now, when you use that move in battle, you'll know how much energy to put into it. See? Contribution." Onijiro pointed out. "Honestly, what would you do without me?"

Tanjiro pouted once more. "Well for starters, I would be able to enjoy myself knowing I didn't have a demon in my head reading my every thought, criticizing my every action, and plotting to take over my body and destroy everything and everyone I love."

Onijiro put up his hands in defense. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I never said I was gonna destroy everyone. I'm just gonna force the human race into eternal servitude as my demonic slaves...I'm not a monster, Tanjiro."

Tanjiro's eyes turned into white rectangles, the left one twitching. "That is...literally what we both are, Onijiro. Monsters who shoot fire out of our bodies, share a body, and on top of that, are in love with different girls."

Onijiro raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I don't like any girls..."

Tanjiro shot up to his feet. "ARE WE SERIOUSLY GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN!?" He snapped with white angry triangles and a cartoonishly large mouth with sharp teeth.

Onijiro shot up to his feet with the same face. "I DON'T LIKE AOI! HOW MANY TIMES DO I GOTTA SAY THAT BEFORE YOU GET OFF MY DICK!?"

"YOU LITERALLY TOLD ME LAST WEEK THAT YOU LIKED HER!"

"WELL PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THEIR MINDS, TANJIRO! I MAY BE A DEMON, BUT I HAVE FEELINGS TOO!"

"THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT, YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR AOI! I CAN SMELL IT FROM HERE!"

"WELL MAYBE YOUR NOSE IS BROKEN! DID YOU EVER THINK THAT, OR ARE YOU JUST THAT FUCKING SPECIAL!?"

"I'M A DEMON! IF MY NOSE WAS BROKEN, IT WOULD HEAL!"

"...!" Onijiro suddenly went silent and began to steam. "FUCK YOU!" Then created another Sunny Temari and imbued it with a ton of solar energy before throwing it at Tanjiro's face.

Surprised, Tanjiro jumped to the side to let the ball pass him and hit a tree, only to release another giant explosion. Tanjiro stood there with his jaw hanging before glaring at Onijiro. "ARE YOU INSANE!?"

"YES!" Onijiro gave a sadistic grin as he summoned two more Sunny Temari in his hands. He threw ball after ball at Tanjiro who had to dodge each attack. Tanjiro was forced into a retreat as he ran away and eventually escaped from his mind.

Gasp!

Tanjiro quickly sat up from his futon, breathing heavily. He fell back to onto his pillow and put his palms over his forehead. "Damn it...what is wrong with that guy?"

"You do know I can still hear you, right?"

Tanjiro groaned and looked outside to see that it was daybreak. He got up from bed and got changed quickly.

Zenitsu Agatsuma

Thunder Hashira Estate

The last thing Zenitsu remembered before getting knocked out was him hanging from a tree arguing with his gramps while Kaigaku sat back and watched.

Next thing he knew, he saw a giant flash of light followed by the feeling of a lot of pain. He had been struck by lightning.

Surprisingly, Zenitsu survived to tell the tale as he woke up in his futon in his room. He slowly got up from bed and looked around before spotting Kaigaku in the room eating an apple.

Kaigaku was looking right at Zenitsu and sighed. "Geez, not even a fucking lighting strike can get rid of you for good. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a demon just to give myself an excuse to kill you."

Zenitsu frowned as he looked down at his feet, even if he was joking, it wasn't very funny to talk so casually about killing someone. Kaigaku continued. "...That said, I guess I'll give credit where credit is due, I am...impressed that you survived..."

Zenitsu shot a side-glance to Kaigaku. "Gramps told you to say that, didn't he...?" The boy called his senior's bullshit.

Kaigaku smirked cruelly. "Glad to see you're catching on, banana head."

Zenitsu raised an eyebrow in confusion, this caused Kaigaku's smirk to widen into a grin as he picked up a nearby mirror and held it up to Zenitsu.

...His black hair was now yellow. "HUUUUUUH!?"

"OW!" Kaigaku held his ears. "You rat bastard! That was almost right in my ear!"

"A lightning bolt changed my hair!? How does that even work!?" Zenitsu freaked out as he leaped from his futon onto his feet.

"Hell if I know, why are you even complaining anyway? It's not that big a deal." Kaigaku said while checking his ears for blood, Zenitsu had always been a very loud screamer.

Kaigaku got up and began to leave. "Anyway, since you're awake, I don't have to babysit you anymore. I'm going out for a bit."

After he left the room, Zenitsu sighed and ran a hand through his now yellow hair. "Why do these things always happen to me...? And when is Kaigaku gonna stop being a jerk to me?

The sad part was that Kaigaku had been like that since the two met. After Jigoro saved Zenitsu from his debt, he took him in as his pupil.

Kaigaku wasn't happy about that, clearly wanting the spotlight all to himself. He made sure to make the boy's life a living hell.

"If you can't handle it, then leave."

"Don't you think I would if I could!?"

Alas, as long as his Gramps wanted Zenitsu around, he wasn't going anywhere. The multitude of traps he set up around the Estate make sure of that...

Makomo Urokodaki

Outside of Shinjuku

Tanjiro and Makomo walked down the dirt road, Shinjuku just up ahead. Makomo sighed in relief after an hour-long walk. Though Tanjiro had no problem going the distance, seeing as he was a demon with a vast amount of stamina, Makomo was not a big fan of long walks.

Though this one was more enjoyable thanks to Tanjiro's company. He seemed like a very kind person, there was just something about him that made him seem reliable. It was as if she felt that Tanjiro wouldn't let her down, it kind of reminded her of Sabito and Giyu.

Then there was the demon boy's other half, Onijiro. He was funny, Makomo especially liked to tease and annoy him from time to time. Like when she asked if he liked any girls and blushed when she mentioned Aoi. He tried to strangle her after that, but it was totally worth it. Though for her own safety, she had no choice but to stop.

Makomo smiled wide. "We finally made it!" She exclaimed. Tanjiro glanced at her and smiled.

"Yep! Let's get moving then!" Tanjiro suggested as he put on his mask. The two of them also made sure to hide their swords in their uniforms as the more urban areas like Shinjuku did not allow people to freely carry weapons around.

And so, they made their way towards the city...They could tell immediately that something was wrong.

As they walked through the streets, which had a surprisingly small amount of people, there was this constant sense of unease in the air.

"The situation must be worse than we thought." Makomo heard Tanjiro say. "I heard there'd been a lot of disappearances in Shinjukulately, but now it's gotten to the point where even the civilians know something is wrong."

Makomo nodded. "There's also the fact that multiple Demon Slayers have already been dispatched only to be slaughtered, their crows never even seeing who killed them." She added.

Tanjiro crossed his arms. "You may think I sound paranoid, but there's a chance we've got a Kizuki on our hands."

"No, I think that's definitely a possibility." Makomo agreed. "Let's go around and see if we can learn anything before nightfall."

Tanjiro nodded, and the two Demon Slayers split up, agreeing to meet in the same spot after a few hours.

Tanjiro

"Thank you for your time, sorry to bother you." Tanjiro said to a young couple walking through the streets before walking off.

"So far, it's all been the same. People disappear and the only sign is a pile of dry blood." He thought.

"Heh, yeah. I think we could've figured out that part ourselves. What's the point of this anyway? We know the demon is here, we know he's killing people, what's there to investigate?"

"Well, there might've been someone who directly saw the demon. There's always a chance that they even saw their Blood Demon Art. Information like that can be crucial in the coming battle."

"It doesn't matter what Blood Demon Art this bastard has. We'll just burn it away with Sun Conqueror and kick their ass like always."

"We can't just go into this blind, Onijiro. Not if we can help it. Running into battle with no information on the enemy can lead to all kinds of mishaps. If we slip up, they could escape. Or worse, we'd end up killing someone in all the chaos. Our job as Demon Slayers should be to kill any demon who dares to harm others and keep casualties to a minimum."

"Alright, sheesh, I get it. I still think this is a waste of time. If this guy really is a Kizuki, they'd kill anyone who saw them. They're extremely careful when it comes to not getting caught in the act."

Tanjiro sighed. "Let's just meet up with Makomo. I'm starting to get hungry." He thought while rubbing his growling stomach.

He looked around in search of food when he saw a stand giving out freshly baked anpan. The smell alone was enough to make Tanjiro drool behind his mask.

Following his nose, Tanjiro walked over to the food stand. He lucked out, there was one anpan left and it was his for the taking!

That was until a boy his age suddenly walked in front of him and grabbed it himself, handing the vendor some yen.

Tanjiro slumped and pouted. "Dang it..." He muttered.

"Hah! You snooze, you lose!"

The blonde then turned around and froze at the sight of the young demon. To Tanjiro's surprise, the blonde became increasingly pale.

"D-D-D-D-D! D-D-D-D-D!" The boy stuttered in panic. Tanjiro tilted his head in confusion.

"What does...'D-D-D-D' mean exactly?" Tanjiro asked.

"He actually said 'D-D-D-D-D', you missed a syllable."

Ignoring Onijiro's comment, Tanjiro pondered just what was freaking the blonde out. "Is my mask too intimidating, I wanted to go with a tengu mask or a fox mask but Onijiro said that was too tame."

"No, I said it was fucking lame. Seriously, dude, what is going on with your memory today?"

While the young demon was figuring this out, the blonde suddenly ran away in terror, throwing his anpan in the air in the process. "AAAAAAAAAGH!"

The shocked Tanjiro quickly caught the anpan before it could get ruined. "Wait! You dropped your...anpan." The blonde was already far from earshot.

"Eh, his loss. Also, free food!"

"Uh uh! We are not thieves! I'm gonna return this anpan to its rightful owner!"

"...What was that? I don't speak pussy."

Zenitsu

"AAAAAAAGH!" Shouted a terrified Zenitsu running through the city. "KAIGAKUUUUUU!"

"Demon! Demon! Demon in the city!" Zenitsu thought in panic as he searched for his senior who was also in the city.

Zenitsu hadn't noticed it before when he was buying anpan, but then he heard it say "Dang it". Even though his face was hidden by a mask, that guy couldn't mask the sounds he was making.

It was something inhuman, that was the first thing he sensed. He also swore he could hear two heartbeats.

"Hey! Wait!"

Zenitsu's blood froze he risked a glance behind him, the demon was chasing him with the anpan he dropped in his hand. He was rapidly gaining on him.

"AAAAAAAGH! HE'S FOLLOWING MEEEEE!" Zenitsu screamed before dashing away even faster. However, that only caused the demon to pick up his own pace.

"Stop! You dropped this!" The demon yelled out. Zenitsu paused in thought for a minute.

"Wait, is he trying to give the anpan back?" Zenitsu wondered. "...YEAH RIGHT! AS IF I'M THAT STUPID! THE MOMENT I STOP, HE'LL PROBABLY SHOVE THAT THING DOWN MY THROAT AND MAKE ME CHOKE ON IT!"

Although that's what he thought, Zenitsu would've known that Tanjiro's voice held nothing but truth had he not been in panic mode.

Makomo

"Thank you for your time!" Makomo bowed to another man before he closed his door. She then walked away and summarized the information she gained in her head.

"While no one ever saw the bodies or the killer, some people have noticed large slash marks on the walls of alleyways and on rooftops. Could this demon have a weapon, or is his Blood Demon Art something that involves cutting...?"

While she thought about this, Makomo suddenly heard screaming. "Hmm? What is tha-?"

"AAAAAAAAAGH! HELP ME, HE'S CHASING ME!" Suddenly, a blonde boy that seemed slightly older than Makomo ran by in a flash. Soon, he was followed by a more familiar face...err, mask.

"Wait, I'm trying to return this to you!" Tanjiro ran after the blonde with an anpan in his hands.

Makomo blinked. "That probably won't end well..." Then she went after them herself.

Kaigaku

Meanwhile, Kaigaku was out on a walk, he would be staying in Shinjuku until his next mission. While he was minding his business, he heard a familiar scream.

"KAIGAKUUUUUUU!"

"...Fuck." Kaigaku muttered with an annoyed expression. He turned around to see the newly blonde kid run towards him.

"KAIGAKU! HELP! DEMON! MURDER! CITY! SH-!" Zenitsu continued to ramble until Kaigaku covered his mouth with his right hand.

"Zenitsu...You bother me, you really do. That's why I want to get away from you as soon as possible. So, I'm gonna ask you to slowly tell me why you're screaming like a banshee, for the six-hundred and fifteenth time since I've known you, so I can take care of it and not talk to you for the rest of the day. Can you do that?" Kaigaku asked before removing his hand.

"...DEMON IN THE CITY! THERE'S A DEMON IN THE CITY!" Zenitsu started yelling again, much to the dismay of the Demon Slayer. However, he did catch the mention of a demon.

"Okay, where is it?" He asked. Zenitsu pointed behind him.

"Over there! He's chasing me with a weapon!" Zenitsu yelled. As he said this, Kaigaku saw a guy with a mask who seemed younger than him run towards them with an anpan in his hand.

"Wait! You dropped this!" The boy called out. Kaigaku got what was going on now, and he was about to beat the shit out of Zenitsu for wasting his time.

"Wow, some 'demon'..." Kaigaku said in mock surprise, Zenitsu was dumbstruck as the boy finally caught up to them.

"Excuse me, you dropped your anpan. It's not good to waste food, you know? Especially after paying for it." He said as he placed the anpan in the blonde's hand.

Kaigaku looked at the boy's hands which were revealed to the sunlight, helping him confirm that he wasn't a demon. Otherwise, he would've been burning up. Though he did find the mask odd, he wasn't the first guy he saw wearing one on duty.

Plus, no demon is foolish enough to sneak around in daylight even with protection. "Sorry you had to deal with this idiot, he always freaks out at the tiniest things."

The other boy shook his head. "It's no problem. Ah, you're a Demon Slayer too?"

"That's right. What's your name?" Kaigaku asked.

"Tanjiro Kamado. Rank Kanoe. What about you?" Tanjiro asked.

"Kaigaku. Also rank Kanoe." Kaigaku answered.

Tanjiro tilted his head as if waiting for something. "Kaigaku..." It seems that he was looking for a last name. Kaigaku was not pleased by this.

"...is the only name you need to know." Kaigaku finished the boy's sentence with a scowl. Tanjiro seemed to understand as he nodded.

"I see...my apologies." He then suddenly bowed out of nowhere, catching Kaigaku off guard.

"Tanjiro!" Kaigaku heard a more high pitched voice call out. A young girl in a Demon Slayer uniform joined the group. Kaigaku recognized the brat.

"Oh, you're still alive, huh?" Kaigaku stated in annoyance. The girl looked over to Kaigaku and put on a similar expression.

"Oh great. You again..." The girl said, earning a look from Tanjiro.

"You know him, Makomo?" He asked, Makomo nodded in response.

"I was on a mission with him once, yes. He didn't exactly make a good first impression." Makomo said while squinting her eyes.

Kaigaku returned the look. "That's funny, I don't really remember you making a good first impression yourself."

"Why? Because I actually care about people? Because I take my duty seriously? Because I don't act like the world revolves around me? Feel free to stop me at any time." Makomo countered.

Kaigaku scoffed. "Whatever. I have better things to do than argue with a little girl. I'm out of here." He walked away from the group.

"H-Hey! Wait up, Kaigaku!" Zenitsu soon chased after Kaigaku against his senior's will.

Tanjiro

"Okay...that happened." Tanjiro thought as Kaigaku walked away. "So, how did you two meet, Makomo?"

Makomo sighed. "Went on a mission with him once, an experience I'd like to forget as soon as possible. He did absolutely nothing to help fight that demon or even save the people, yet he acts like the most arrogant jerk you'll ever meet."

Tanjiro was shocked to hear this. "Are you serious? Why on earth would he become a Demon Slayer if he's not going to fight demons?"

"That's what I said!" Makomo exclaimed with her arms thrown into the air. "I even heard from other slayers that sometimes, he completely ignores his mission. He says it's because it's not worth his time, but it's because he's a huge coward. Hmph! You're better off staying away from him, Tanjiro."

"I see...Well, did you find anything out?" Tanjiro asked.

"Not much, I found out that this demon is probably leaving slash marks all over town. I think this demon uses blades of some kind. Did you find anything?"

Tanjiro shook his head. "Afraid not, I haven't found out anything other than what we already know."

Makomo slumped. "So...we're pretty much going in blind."

"Hey, come on now. You and I have faced worse odds on our own and still managed to come out on top, at least we know now that this demon uses slash attacks." Tanjiro tries to cheer up his companion. "As long as we work together and do our best, we'll definitely win!"

It seemed to work as Makomo smiled wide before pumping her fist into the air. "Yeah!"

Growl!

Both Demon Slayers held their growling stomachs. "Okay...first, we get something to eat, then we'll win."

And with that, the two went to a small soba shop and had an eating contest. Tanjiro won sand Makomo whined that he was cheating because he was a demon. Tanjiro did not see what eating and being a demon had to with each other.

Then, they made plans to check into an inn for the night...

And yes, they were fully aware that someone was following them as the sun began to go down.

Kaigaku

After shaking off the screaming blonde headache that was Zenitsu Agatsuma, Kaigaku simply decided to continue his walk through town. He reached the less populated area where the Thunder Hashira Estate was located.

"Because I actually care about people? Because I take my duty seriously? Because I don't act like the world revolves around me?"

Kaigaku shook his head free of the memory of Makomo's words. "That brat doesn't know anything. There's nothing wrong with living to fight another day. Instead of wasting my life fighting a suicide mission, I can train and get stronger so that I can win..."

"Remember, Kaigaku. You never lose until you die. No matter how many times you're beaten or pushed around, as long as you survive, you will always win in the end."

Kaigaku shook his head again even harder. "Stay out of my head you miserable old man..." Then suddenly...

"Sayo, bring the others inside. It'll be dark soon." Said a man from a nearby temple.

Kaigaku's eyes widened. "What...What did he just say...?" Kaigaku didn't dare look, but he couldn't help it. He prayed that it wasn't who he thought it was.

...His prayers were unanswered.

A young girl who couldn't be any older than twelve was standing not even five meters away from him. She wore a purple kimono with a white obi around her torso. Her black hair reached below her shoulders and ended in rectangular bangs at the front.

As soon as Kaigaku saw her face, her bright blue eyes, he knew it was her. Sayo, one of the orphans taken in by a man named Gyomei Himejima. How did he know this? Because Kaigaku was one of them...

Ome

-Nine Years Ago-

It was raining. In a alley in the small city of Ome, a boy with messy black hair clutched a large piece of bread in his arms. He growled at a giant blind man in a dark brown samue standing before him.

The boy wore a torn up black jinbei and had no footwear, which was obviously the reason for his cut up and bruises feet. Overall, the boy was extremely dirty. The only true valuable he had was the magatama necklace around his neck. He was five years old at the time, but the look he gave did not belong on the face of a child.

"You poor child, you have suffered a horrible life. This cruel world has even driven an innocent child to commit crimes of theft. Truly horrible." The man said before getting closer to the boy.

The boy backed up against a wall behind him and took out an old knife. The same knife he used to...

"A knife, hm?" The man chuckled and gave the boy a warm smile. "Worry not, I am actually blind. I doubt I could do anything to you if I tried."

The boy was confused by the man's behavior as h the hand holding the knife became hesitant. Somehow, the blind man noticed this.

"Besides, something tells me you don't really want to kill me, do you?" The man asked. The boy stiffened, this man had called his bluff. "My name is Gyomei Himejima. May I ask for your name?"

The boy looked at the man in suspicion, but he just couldn't find any good reason to distrust him. "...K-K-Kai...g-gak-k-ku..." He said, surprised to find his own voice so raspy and weak.

Gyomei looked down at the boy with sympathy and kindness. "Kaigaku, I run a temple nearby. I have taken in multiple children like you, innocent souls who experienced much cruelty."

Kaigaku narrowed his eyes and looked down. "Innocent...What a joke...I'm anything but..."

Kaigaku looked up again to see Gyomei offering his hand, causing the boy's eyes to widen. The man smiled at him. "Let me help you, Kaigaku. I can give you a home, food, water, a better life. But most of all, you can have a family."

Kaigaku wanted to reject this man's kindness, he didn't deserve it. However, the offer was just too tempting.

"There are those who will show you kindness, those foolish enough to take pity on others and waste their own resources on them. When you encounter these people, always take advantage of their kindness. That is how we survive. We take and we take and we take some more."

Kaigaku shook his head. He refused to be like that bastard, he refused to grow up to be like his miserable old man...He refused to...

...The boy felt a hand on his head. Kaigaku looked up to see the giant man ruffle his hair, his touch was gentle despite the size of his hand.

"You are safe now, I'll protect you from now on." He said with a warm smile. Kaigaku's eyes began to burn as the tears welled up. He tried to fight it off, but he was only a child. No matter what he had been through or how tough he was, it did not change that fact.

Kaigaku couldn't take it anymore, all the pain and sorrow he'd kept locked up since the death of his mother came out in a flood of tears and sobs.

Eventually...the rain would stop...

The two made their way to the temple, Gyomei holding Kaigaku's hand the entire time despite the boy's protests. He was a prideful one and found it a little embarrassing to have someone help him walk.

But Gyomei simply said he didn't want the boy to get lost, so Kaigaku solemnly continued on with a light blush on his face while eating the bread he had in his free hand.

After a bit of walking, they finally reached the temple. It was as humble as one might've expected, but it seemed quite peaceful.

Gyomei walked up to the door and opened it to reveal a large room with a bunch of kids playing around inside. Most of them were pretty close to his age.

Kaigaku counted about eight children in all, five boys and three girls. Two of the boys had buzz cuts and looked similar, Kaigaku assumed they were brothers. One wore a blue jinbei while the other wore a green jinbei with triangle patterns all over it. They both had blue eyes.

Another boy had combed up hair which spiked up at the back and a yukata with red and black horizontal stripes. His eyes were red.

There was also a boy with a short mop top hairstyle and brown eyes as well as a plain white jinbei.

The two girls had their hair tied in a bun. The girl was pink eyes and a red yukata had her hair tied with a pin while the girl with blue eyes and a black flower pattern yukata had her hair tied with a bow.

The oldest of the children was a guy with light brown eyes, a brown jinbei, and long black hair tied into a messy ponytail.

Finally, the youngest of the group was a little girl who couldn't be older than three. She had a blue yukata with pink flowers on the design, and bright blue eyes.

The children all looked at Gyomei first, big smiles adorned their faces. "Mr. Himejima!" They all said as they stormed the gentle giant who patted all of them on the head.

"Everyone, there is someone else who is going to be joining our family." Gyomei looked to Kaigaku who was shyly hiding behind the man's leg.

The other kids all moved to see the boy as he perked out a bit from the leg. He looked downward and opened his mouth. "H-Hello...I'm K-Kaigaku..."

Suddenly, the group swarmed him with big smiles. They all started shooting off introductions. First was the buzz cut boys began.

First, the one in blue. "Hey! My name is Keishi! Nice to meet you!"

Then the one in green. "And I'm his brother, Mitsugi!"

The boy with the combed back hair went next. "Hiya! The name's Seiya, hope we can get along!"

Then, the boy with the mop top went. "My name's Kouji, nice to meet you!"

Next, the girl with the hairpin. "My name is Akane! It's a pleasure!" She said with a slight bow.

Then the girl with the bow. "My name is Izumi! Let's all get along!"

The oldest of the children went next. "And I'm Daisuke! Welcome to our little family!"

Kaigaku suddenly felt something grab his waist. He looked down to see the little girl hugging him. She lifted her head to look at him with a wide grin. "I'm Sayo! Let's be best friends!"

Kaigaku looked around him, the positivity in the air was almost overwhelming. He looked back on his life before this day.

The stealing, the cheating, the lying, the beatings. His life was hell for as far back as he could remember. He was always on the run, moving from one place to another.

But now, he didn't have to do that anymore...

He escaped his prick of a father, he found a new home and a new family. He can just stay and be happy. Live the life his mom wanted for him.

Growl!

Kaigaku blushed again as his stomach made sounds that no child's stomach should ever have to make. Gyomei stepped in.

"Alright now, I know you want to get to know Kaigaku, but I'm sure that he's very exhausted. Daisuke, Akane, can you set up the bath for Kaigaku?"

The two kids in question nodded before running out to get water for the bath. Gyomei turned to Kaigaku and put a hand on his shoulder. "You must be starving. Don't worry, our temple gets many visitors so there's plenty of money for food."

Kaigaku could only stand there in shock, he couldn't believe how kind these people were being to him even though they had just met.

His father taught him that kindness was weakness, that the weak must survive using any means necessary even if it means using others as stepping stones.

But there was no way in hell he was going to heed the bastard's "advice". He had a family now, a real family, and he would make sure to give back to the people who took him in.

These were his thoughts as he ate a proper meal for the first time in years, crying tears of joy in the process.

-Present-

"Why...?" Kaigaku thought in panic. "Why is she here!? She should still be in Ome! Did they move her to a new temple after...!?"

Kaigaku knew he had to get out of there while Sayo's back was turned. He ran away as fast as possible.

He tried desperately to push away the memories trying to creep into his brain. He refused to remember...HE REFUSED!

Their faces flashed through his mind despite his best efforts. Their smiling...innocent faces, all destroyed by a tragedy he caused.

He saw that same room, the room he spent so much time in. Playing, eating, sleeping. It was all so...joyful. But that joy was the replaced by a scene of horror.

Torn up bodies laid on the ground, blood covered damn near the entire room...

He saw a little girl crying and weeping while a man pounded his fists into a monster's face until it was mush vanishing in the sunlight.

"Kaigaku..."

"Your fault..."

"Kaigaku..."

"Your fault..."

"Kaigaku...!"

"Your fault...!"

"Kaigaku!"

"Your fault!"

"KAIGAKU!"

"YOUR-!"

"Kaigaku...?"

Before he knew it, Kaigaku was in front of the Thunder Hashira Estate. Next to him, a nervous Zenitsu stared at him with concern.

"Kaigaku...? A-Are you okay?" He asked.

Kaigaku slowly turned his head towards the blonde with a hateful glare which made him back up in fear. "What kind of dumbass question is that? Of course I'm okay, moron!"

Zenitsu shook in terror before mustering up the courage to say something he would quickly regret. "B-B-But...then why are you c-crying...?"

Before he could even think, Kaigaku found his fist buried deep into Zenitsu's gut, causing the boy to cough and fall to his knees.

"Mind your own FUCKING business! Don't act like we're friends or something! I'd rather die than associate myself with someone as pathetic as you!"

Kaigaku then proceeded to kick Zenitsu in the ribs, causing him to groan in pain. Tears started to fall from his eyes.

"Yeah, that's right! Now look who's crying, asshole!" Kaigaku smirked down at the younger boy. "I know you've looked down on me ever since you 'saved' me from that demon all those years ago!"

He still remembered that night one year ago. Kaigaku was visiting after finishing a mission and decided to mess with Zenitsu who was in the middle of training.

It was night, and a demon wandered nearby the Estate. Kaigaku tried to fight it off, but it caught him off guard and disarmed him.

Kaigaku was paralyzed with fear while Zenitsu passed out. Just when he had been sure that his life would end there.

"Thunder Breathing: First Form - Thunderclap and Flash"

Kaigaku only blinked...and the demon was no more. Before him then stood Zenitsu, who had just executed the first form of Thunder Breathing perfectly, the same form that Kaigaku could never hope to master...

"But guess what!? That doesn't mean shit! You just got lucky and I was tired from my mission! Not to mention, I softened him up for you! Don't you see, I'm better than you, and I always will be! Get that through your thick skull! Or do I have to beat it in there!?"

"Enough, Kaigaku!" Kaigaku's smile dropped as he turned to his left to see Jigoro at the door to the estate. He walked over to Zenitsu and crouched down to make sure he was alright.

After doing so, he stood up and turned to Kaigaku with a look of extreme disappointment that made even Kaigaku flinch.

"I understand that you hate the boy, that you think he doesn't belong here. But that gives you NO right to torture him!"

Kaigaku tried and failed to form a sentence as Jigoro continued to scold him. "You are a Demon Slayer, your purpose is to be protector, not a bully!"

Kaigaku began to focus less on the conversation and more on the scene before him. Jigoro standing protectively in front of a crying Zenitsu, it was so familiar...

Before he could stop himself, Kaigaku's mind replaced Zenitsu with a small child that looked like himself and Jigoro with a beautiful yet beaten women with long black hair and the same necklace he was currently wearing around his neck. The necklace he was clutching a fist around in panic.

"...I...I just..." Kaigaku nearly shut down right then and there, he shook his head and his vision returned to normal, not that it made things any better.

"No...No, I'm not in the wrong here. I'm just trying my best to survive. They're judging me, they're turning on me, just like those little brats did..."

"Yes, it's their fault, not mine. That wouldn't have happened if they had just believed in me. No one ever believes in me, and they all end up dead while I survive...It was their fault...It was..."

Kaigaku somehow managed to compose himself enough to scoff at the old man. "...Fuck you." He said. "Fuck...both of you."

Kaigaku walked into the estate, leaving a saddened Jigoro in the process. But Kaigaku didn't care. "He can hate me all he wants, I don't need anyone..."

Little did he know that it wasn't hate that his master felt, it was concern...for both of his students...

? ? ?

Rooftops of Shinjuku

-Evening-

A shadowy figure stood on the roof of one of the many large buildings. He was looking down on one of the local inns in town.

The lights from below made it easier to see his features. It was a pale man with three x-shaped scars, two on each of his cheeks and one between his eyes.

He wore a spotted, bamboo-colored yukata with a pinstripe pattern, as well as a dark cloth around his waist and a lighter around his neck.

He also wore two golden hoops on each of his long, pointy ears. He had wide, sharp eyes with orange irises, one of each was engraved with a kanji.

"Lower Three"

The Lower Moon named Wakuraba had a sadistic grin on his face. During the day, he hid in the shadows and spotted three Demon Slayers.

One was a guy with green eyes and short spiky hair. The second was a little girl with cyan eyes and a red flower-themed yukata over her uniform. And the third was a guy with ruffled black hair with burgundy tips, butterfly earrings, and a black oni mask.

It was the third one who Wakuraba showed interest in, he could easily tell that the boy wasn't human. And his hair matched the description Lord Muzan gave him.

This meant two things. One, that boy was the traitorous Lower Moon Six, Tanjiro Kamado. And two, he has most definitely conquered the sun.

Wakuraba could hardly contain his glee. All he had to do was bring the brat back to Lord Muzan and he'd be completely forgiven for his shortcomings and then some!

"Even if he really can use the flames of the sun, he's still weak compared to the Twelve Kizuki. As Lord Muzan said, Kamanue only lost because he let his guard down. As if I would make such a foolish slip up."

Once he could move around, he followed Kamado and the girl to the inn. Now, he just had to find out which room they were in.

He climbed halfway down the building he was on before jumping onto the roof of the inn. He then checked each room by opening the windows.

It wasn't long before he found his targets. Two futons were laid out in the room, each with one of the two Demon Slayers sleeping in them.

"Huh, I didn't expect them to be sleeping. Guess they're just amateurs who made the mistake of relaxing. Lucky me!"

As soon as he stepped into the room, Wakuraba quickly noticed how hot it was. Odd, even though it was around the beginning of Summer now, that didn't explain why it was hotter inside than outside.

Ignoring it, the Lower Moon sneaked towards the girl and silently activated his Blood Demon Art. Two blades slowly extended from the top of his wrists.

Before executing his plan to take care of the girl first, he wiped the sweat from the top of his head. "Fuck me...it's hot! Why is it so hot in here!? It's starting to make me dizzy!" The Lower Moon shook it off and continued on.

He planted them in the ground in a way that they formed an "X" and were both placed right next to the girl's neck...

"You Demon Slayers are always trying to decapitate us. Let's see how YOU like it!"

Schling!

With a movement too quick for normal human eyes to see, Wakuraba's blades cut through the girl's neck.

Wakuraba nearly laughed out loud as he stared down at his dead prey.

However...there was no blood coming from the body. The Lower Moon found this strange and went to kick the girl's head...only for his foot to go through it.

Suddenly, the girl's body became fuzzy and faded into mist, leaving a bunch of pillows in its place. "What!?" Wakuraba then looked at Kamado, only to find his body fade away as well.

What he had just "killed" was just an illusion enhanced by heat-induced hallucination.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Heat Stroke

Before he could comprehend the fact that this was a trap, Wakuraba's entire body was ensured by chains made of fire that sprouted from the ground.

Then, Wakuraba heard a sound from the closet which he didn't even know the room had. The door opened to reveal the traitor, Tanjiro Kamado, with his uniform and gear.

"I was wondering when you would show up..." He said while drawing his sword. "Sorry, I know you wanted to surprise us, but I could smell you from a mile away. You're not exactly subtle, you know."

Wakuraba glared at the boy before his head started to feel a bit fuzzy. "This damn heat is weakening me! I gotta get the hell out of this room!"

Kamado got ready to strike and cut off his head before he could do anything. With a burst of strength, Wakuraba summoned blades to sprout out from all across his body and snap the chains.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Piercing Armor

He broke out just in time to duck under the Nichirin Sword being swung at his neck. Kamado jumped back as Wakuraba pulled the blades back in and slashed at the boy with the blades from his arms.

Kamado blocked both blades with his sword and pushed the Lower Moon back before swinging again at his neck.

Wakuraba sprouted a blade from his shoulder to stop the sword in its tracks. The sword itself, to Wakuraba's surprise, became hazy, an effect that was increased in the heated room.

Hinokami Kagura - Solar Heat Haze

Before the blade even touched him, Wakuraba felt the sword cut through the blade on his shoulder and reach his neck.

Wakuraba reacted quickly and smacked the sword away before it could cut too deeply. He used the small opening he created to jump back out of the window.

But before he reached the ground, Kamado jumped out and another flaming chain shot out of his palm. The chain wrapped around his waist and Kamado pulled on it before throwing him onto the roof.

Wakuraba landed on his feet on the roof of the inn and smirked. "Heh, trying to keep me away from the civilians, eh? Whatever, it won't change a thing once I crush him."

Kamado soon jumped onto the roof with his sword raised at his enemy. Both demons prepared to attack before the Lower Moon felt a slight presence behind him.

He turned to see the little girl he "killed" before run at him at speeds that should've been impossible for a mere human.

Her breathing technique gave off the vision of water trailing behind her, each step leaving a splash. Her sword neared his neck, rapidly closing in.

Total Concentration, Water Breathing: Ninth Form - Splashing Water Flow

Wakuraba backflipped over the girl who skidded to a stop and immediately turned around.

Wakuraba smirked again. "It doesn't matter how many brats you send at me! You weaklings will never be able to take my head!"

Tanjiro and Makomo vs. Wakuraba

"Yeesh. And you say I have an ego." Onijiro offered his usual commentary before the battle began.

Tanjiro charged forward at Wakuraba who held out his palms. Suddenly, multiple tiny needles shot out of his hands and sped forward towards Tanjiro.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Multi-Needle Shots

Tanjiro stopped himself before swinging his sword in a circular motion, deflecting all of the blades.

Hinokami Kagura - Burning Bones, Summer Sun

Makomo followed up from behind and jumped above Tanjiro before landing on his sword. Tanjiro pushed his blade forward with as much force as possible, launching the girl at Wakuraba.

Makomo suddenly started spinning in the air with her sword following the motion.

Water Breathing: Second Form - Water Wheel

Wakuraba shot out three blades from both of his fists to block the attack. Makomo crashed into his blades and sent the Lower Moon sliding back a meter or two.

Makomo continued to spin like a buzz saw as she slowly wore down Wakuraba's blades, eventually breaking them.

His blades were all as hard as steel, but Makomo's rapid motion along with Tanjiro's force created more than enough power to break said blades. However, the momentum of her attack was all used up, leaving Makomo hanging in the air.

Fortunately, before Wakuraba could retaliate, Tanjiro quickly wrapped a Crimson Flare Chain around her waist and pulled her back to safety while he charged forward.

Tanjiro then pointed his sword at Wakuraba before he caused a small explosion in his own arm, launching his sword and hand at the surprised Lower Moon who was too late to deflect it with his blades. The blade pierced through his chest.

"What the hell!? Is this kid insane!? Why would he blow up his arm and throw his weapon!?" Wakuraba thought before seeing a fiery chain connecting the hand with Tanjiro's arm.

Before the demon could figure out what he was up to, Tanjiro used the chain to pull his whole body towards his arm...and towards Wakuraba.

Sun Conqueror - Crimson Flare Tether

Wakuraba quickly used his blades and demonic strength to snap the sword inside of him in half so that he could get away.

However, Tanjiro was moving towards him too fast for Wakuraba to dodge as the boy swung his now flaming claws at his neck.

Sun Conqueror - Fire Claws

Wakuraba barely managed to dodge by leaning backwards and kicking Tanjiro back. Tanjiro landed on the ground before bringing his hand and broken sword to him with the tether attached to it, using his flames to weld his hand back on.

"You won't take my head that easily, brat!" Wakuraba yelled as he covered his right fist in spikes and charged at Tanjiro.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Spiky Punch

Tanjiro responded in kind by setting his own right fist ablaze.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Solar Fist

Their fists met in a might clash that shook the entire roof of the building. Wakuraba's fist was burned by Tanjiro's flames while Tanjiro's fist was bloodied from the superior strength behind the Lower Moon's punch.

After their fists separated, Wakuraba extended a blade from the front of his foot before kicking upward at Tanjiro's head.

Tanjiro leaned back but his mask got knocked off by the foot blade which also cut his chin in the process.

Tanjiro quickly jumped back before glaring at the Lower Moon, revealing the kanji in his right eye.

"Lower Six"

Wakuraba grinned as any doubt that this demon was none other than Tanjiro Kamado vanished completely with the reveal of his right eye.

Tanjiro growled as a black horn began to grow from the right side of his forehead. Black veins appeared from his right eye.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Awakening

Tanjiro's mark started to glow a pinkish color before Tanjiro vanished in a cloud of pinkish flames.

Sun Conqueror - Phoenix Flash

Before Wakuraba could recover from shock, he felt the part of Tanjiro's sword inside him get ripped out by its owner who then flashed away again.

Tanjiro landed next to the other half of his broken sword and grabbed both parts before putting them together. He heated up his hands and welded the sword parts back together while Wakuraba turned towards Tanjiro and charged.

Wakuraba was about to interrupt the boy's attempt at fixing his sword before he smirked at the Lower Moon. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

Right as he said that, Wakuraba's eyes widened as he looked to his left and saw Makomo coming down on him with her sword.

Water Breathing: Eighth Form - Waterfall Basin

Wakuraba stopped in his tracks and prepared to slash Makomo and her sword to pieces, confident in his own strength.

However, he forgot that Tanjiro was still nearby. His punishment for such a blunder was a Flaming Kick to the back of the head, knocking him towards Makomo.

Thanks to Tanjiro's help, Makomo's attack not only landed, but it actually managed to cut Wakuraba in half.

The two halves of Wakuraba fell to the floor as Tanjiro jumped up into the air. He took a deep, concentrated breath as he prepared to swing his sword through the necks of both halves at the same time with one 360 degree downward swing.

Wakuraba's right half lifted it's arm and shot out a blade into the wall before pulling himself to said wall.

Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Blade Tether

Tanjiro swung through the neck of the other half which quickly disintegrated.

Hinokami Kagura - Clear Blue Sky

It wasn't too long before Wakuraba regenerated his other half and turned from his position on the wall to glare at the two Demon Slayers.

He then started to climb up to the top of the building he was on. Tanjiro turned to Makomo and crouched down. "Makomo, get on my back!"

Makomo nodded and obliged before two Crimson Flare Chains shot out from Tanjiro's shoulders and latched onto the crossarms nearby holding up the power lines on both sides of the building.

Using his chains, Tanjiro formed a makeshift slingshot, launching himself and Makomo up to the roof of the building Wakuraba was on.

As Makomo got off of Tanjiro's back, Tanjiro saw Wakuraba jump towards another building. Tanjiro reached out his right palm and made a circle in front of it with his left hand.

Sun Conqueror - Scorching Blast, Snipe

Tanjiro fired a concentrated blast of fire from his hand which went straight through Wakuraba's skull in midair.

Wakuraba, now disoriented from having his brain pierced, landed on the next building before rolling off and falling to the ground. Citizens nearby flew into a panic after seeing a guy fall from nowhere.

"Oh my God!"

"What the hell was that!?"

"Someone fell from that roof!"

Tanjiro and Makomo quickly followed as Wakuraba got back on his feet, much to the surprise of the civilians. He chuckled to himself, much to his opponents' confusion.

"You know, he told me not to underestimate you. But from what I've seen so far, I think he overestimates you." He said.

"He's talking a lot of shit for a guy whose been getting his ass kicked this entire fight."

"I don't like this..." Both Tanjiro and Makomo thought.

Meanwhile

Kaigaku

After an awkward dinner with Jigoro and Zenitsu, Kaigaku decided to take a walk through town to clear his head.

...It wasn't really working so far.

Kaigaku banged his hands against the sides of his head in frustration as he walked through the streets. "Stop it! Just forget about it already! What's past is past!"

Despite his efforts, Kaigaku's mind wandered into the past on its own...

-Eight Years Ago-

Ome Buddhist Temple

All the children were sitting around the temple while Gyomei went out to get more food for them.

Growl!

Every day, Gyomei would take these walks around town to collect food donations from the people. However, there had been less donations lately.

Apparently, men had been disappearing around town, leading to families losing their breadwinners, including the farmers and hunters.

Everyone was having difficulties with getting food and money. This, of course, also had an effect on the amount of temple offerings.

"I'm starving...!" Sayo moaned as she laid her head on Kaigaku's lap. The two had grown especially close over the past year.

Kaigaku was sitting against the wall with his head looking up at the ceiling. "We're all starving, Sayo..."

"It can't be helped." Said Daisuke who was sweeping the floor. "You know how difficult things have been lately what with the disappearances and all."

Izumi trembled while Akane did her hair. "Y-You don't think a demon is responsible, d-do you...?"

Kaigaku scoffed. "Come on, Izumi. Demons aren't real. They're just myths made up to scare kids who go out at night."

"What makes you say that, Kaigaku." Mitsugi asked while tossing a ball back and forth with Seiya.

"I've been out at night more times than I can count, in all sorts of places. Don't you think I would've run into a demon back then if they really exist?" Kaigaku argued.

"Don't say that, Kaigaku." Akane said with a pout as she continued braiding Izumi's hair. "If you'd ran into a demon, you'd have been killed."

Kaigaku shot Akane a cocky smirk. "And yet, I'm still here. Guess demons must be afraid of me or something!"

Everyone rolled their eyes at Kaigaku's arrogance, a trait they had started to get used to. Daisuke then got up to cheer everyone up. "That aside, there's no need to worry. Even if demons are real-."

"Which they're not..." Kaigaku mumbled quietly, earning a snicker from Sayo.

"-they only come out during the day. And Mr. Himejima always makes sure to light Wisteria incense every night to keep them away. As long as we stay here, we're safe."

Everyone seemed to feel better after that, everyone except Kaigaku. "Well that's great, but what about our food situation?"

"Stop worrying so much. I'm sure it'll all work out, Kaigaku." Akane smiled optimistically.

Kaigaku's arms shot outward as he sat up, being very careful not to knock Sayo off. "And what if doesn't!? We can't just do nothing and leave it to fate!"

Kouji looked over at Kaigaku with a raised eyebrow. "You got a better idea?"

Kaigaku opened his mouth only to immediately close it after realizing he had nothing to say, opting instead to cross his arms. "Tch! Whatever..."

Everyone had a short laugh at the moment while Kaigaku's eyes landed on the box which held the temple donations. He held his chin as he had an idea.

"Why don't we use the temple money to pay for food. There's not much, but it can hold us over until we find a better way to get food." Kaigaku suggested.

"Absolutely not." Daisuke said sternly. "That money is for the temple and was donated by people seeking greater spiritual wealth."

Kaigaku adopted an irritated look. "What's the point of money going towards the temple if the people taking care of it die of starvation?"

Daisuke shook his head. "Mr. Himejima explicitly told us to never take temple money to use for alternative purposes. As long as we live here, we must follow the ways of Shin Buddhism."

Kaigaku groaned and threw his hands up in the air. "I'm just trying to look out for us! Excuse me for wanting us all to live!"

Daisuke's gaze softened. "I know, I know. You just want what's best for everyone, we all do. But stealing money is not the way to go about it. We must all be grateful that we are all still alive and together."

"The people in this village are good people, some of whom are fellow Buddhists, everyone here looks out for each other."

Kaigaku sighed. "I guess..."

The boy wasn't one to care about religious mumbo jumbo. He tried to follow it, being humble and mindful and crap.

But the sad truth was that something deep inside of him kept him from doing so. His arrogance, his ego, all of these things were still there, that selfish need of self-preservation over all else.

His friends believed he was thinking of everyone when he complained about the food shortage, even Kaigaku himself convinced himself of that. But he was just thinking of himself.

"Listen here, you little brat! The only, I mean the ONLY reason I keep you around is because you make a better thief than me. The minute, no, the SECOND you outlive your usefulness, I will not hesitate to leave you for dead. Don't you ever forget that."

-A Few Days Later, Late Afternoon-

Kaigaku laid on the floor in the main room, still starving...

Growl!

He had to admit, he didn't think he'd last this long. The people tried their best to provide food and money, and they barely managed to get by. But how long until "barely" wasn't enough?

Everyone was playing outside while Kaigaku was too tired. He stared at the donation box before sitting up. Daisuke said that things would work out, but Kaigaku was getting impatient waiting for that.

There was no way he could keep living like this, perhaps it was time to cut his losses, take the money, and...run away?

Kaigaku shook his head. "Where the heck did THAT come from...?" He wondered before standing up and walking over to the donation box.

There was at least a little more than last week, some people were probably feeling generous this week. That was Kaigaku's guess. The people of Ose had taken quick steps to slowly restore the economy to some degree.

"It should last me a few days before I can find a new...home..." Kaigaku smacked himself. "Stop that! Don't you dare think like that! This is your home now!"

"If there's one thing you should learn, it's to never let anyone drag you down with them. The compassionate are always the most likely ones to die with nothing."

Kaigaku suddenly found himself picking up a handful of yen. His hand began to shake. "Am I...really doing this...?"

Kaigaku thought back to his friends. All the fun times they spent together, every meal they ate together, even the time he found the courage to tell everyone about his past as a thief.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Kaigaku. But you no longer have to live like that anymore. You are safe here, this is your home now." Gyomei told him.

"Yeah!" Everyone agreed.

Kaigaku smiled at the memory...his eyes widened as he finally came back to reality. "What am I doing!?"

Kaigaku shook his head and was about to put the money back. "I'm no longer a thief...I've changed...I am-."

"Kaigaku!" Kaigaku jumped at the sound of Daisuke's voice. He quickly turned around to see all of the other kidsr coming into the room, all of them shocked to see Kaigaku taking temple money from the donation box.

Daisuke's shock was replaced with anger. "What do you think you're doing!?"

Kaigaku looked around in a panic. "N-No...you guys, this...this isn't what it looks like! I was just putting it back, I swear!"

"Yeah right!" Mitsugi called his bluff. "You were about to take that money and run off, weren't you!?"

Kaigaku was offended by the sudden accusation. "Of course not! I mean...I was...considering it but-!"

"Hah! See, he admitted!" Mitsugi interrupted, further angering Kaigaku.

"Hey! Let me talk! I snapped myself out of it, I would never do such a thing!" He defended himself.

Seiya pointed a finger at Kaigaku. "Then why are you holding yen in your hand!?"

Kaigaku glared at Seiya. "I just told you! I was about to put it back! Just LISTEN to me!" He shrieked that last part.

Daisuke's face softened as he slowly approached Kaigaku. "Okay...okay, we believe you, Kaigaku. We're sorry for accusing you. Let's all just calm down."

Akane did the same. "That's right, we're all friends here. We should give Kaigaku a chance to explain himself."

Kaigaku started to calm down, it seemed that everything was starting to settle down.

Kouji stepped up to Kaigaku with an angry look on his face, causing Kaigaku to step back. "What's there to explain, he's a no good thief just like he said his dad was!"

Kaigaku's eyes suddenly went bloodshot. Before he could think, he pushed Kouji to the ground and got on top of him before proceeding to repeatedly punch him in the face.

"DON'T YOU DARE COMPARE ME TO THAT BASTARD! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?"

The boys tried to pull Kaigaku away while the girls screamed and stood back. Sayo ran to the raging Kaigaku. "Kaigaku, stop! Please stop!"

As Kaigaku was flailing his arms around to break free from his so called friends, he accidentally smacked Sayo in the face, knocking her to the ground...

Everyone froze. Kaigaku's face paled after seeing what he had done. He quickly got up and ran to Sayo who began to cry.

"Sayo! Are you okay!? I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to-!" Suddenly, Seiya and Daisuke pushed Kaigaku away with angry looks on their faces. Meanwhile, Mitsugi and Keishi helped Kouji stand up.

Kaigaku started to freak out again. "I...I didn't mean...I didn't..." He looked at Sayo who continued to cry out loud.

He noticed that everyone except Sayo had gathered around him, looking down on Kaigaku with looks of anger or terror.

"Stop it...don't look at me like that...like he did..."

Kaigaku blinked and the scene had changed. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of a man bleeding out as he sat against the wall.

The man looked similar to Kaigaku, except for his brown eyes which were filled with hate and malice. Kaigaku stood with a bloody knife in his hand and murder in his eyes.

The man that Kaigaku called his father let out a strained chuckle before coughing and smirking at the boy.

"You think...this changes anything? Are you really so STUPID...as to think that getting rid of me...will make your life any better...make you happy...?"

"Heh heh...You fucking brat...Don't you get it...? You will never be happy...You will never be satisfied...I was worried that your mother made you into a little bitch but...heh heh...I had nothing to worry about...you're just like me..."

"You're just like me..."

"Just like me..."

"..." Kaigaku got up and ran out of the temple, as fast as his feet could carry him. He could hear some of the other kids call out to him, but he didn't care. He just needed to get out of there...

-Later, Evening-

Forest

Kaigaku finally stopped running to catch his breath. After that, he dropped to his knees and began to cry.

"Damn it...how did this happen?" Kaigaku thought before getting back up. "How could I ever go back there after all that...? I...I didn't mean to hurt them..."

Kaigaku took a deep breath and dried his eyes. "No...I just need to apologize...I'm sure they'll forgive me if I do that. Yeah! Just apologize, and everything is great again."

Kaigaku smiled optimistically and prepared to walk back before hearing a noise from the bushes next to him.

Kaigaku froze for a few seconds before gathering the courage to finally turn around. A man stood in front of him, but not just any man.

"A...A demon!" Kaigaku thought as he observed the man's features. Sharp claws, greenish skin, slits for pupils, and two horns coming out of the top of his long black hair.

"Huh. You're a little far from home, aren't you, boy? Don't you know brats like you should be in bed at this hour? Not that I'm complaining, of course." The demon laughed.

Kaigaku fell onto his bottom, too scared to even attempt to run away. The demon's grin widened at the sight of this. "Oh yes. I just adore that look. The look of someone realizing that they're about to die."

Kaigaku's breathing was all over the place, his eyes darted everywhere, possibly searching for a weapon. Though he knew that nothing could possibly help him at this rate.

It was over for him...

"Remember, Kaigaku. You never lose until you die."

Kaigaku's eyes had a spark of hope as he came up with an idea. An idea that would no doubt save him.

An idea he would surely come to regret...

"WAIT!" Kaigaku held out his hand, surprising the demon enough to make him stop. "Th-There's a village nearby! W-With all s-sorts of people! Th-There's also this t-temple filled with kids and a tall man! If you let me live...I can help you get to them without alarming anyone!"

The demon stared at Kaigaku for what felt like hours before letting out a hum. "Hmm...I guess it would be less of a hassle then breaking in myself. Eh, what the hell, you have a deal, kid." The demon grinned again.

Kaigaku let out a huge sigh of relief before getting back up and running towards the village. "It's this way, follow me!"

Soon, Kaigaku found himself back at the Ome temple. In front of its doors was the wisteria incense burning.

"The monk running the temple lights wisteria incense every night to keep demons away. I'll put them out so that you can enter, they'll never see you coming."

"You better not be bullshitting me here, brat. I'll hunt you down if you do."

Kaigaku stood in front of the incense, his heart beating loud. "Am I really doing this...?"

Kaigaku's fists clenched as the faces of his friends and Mr. Himejima flashed through his mind. "It's their fault...if they had just believed me when I said I wasn't stealing...none of this would've happened."

"I don't have any family, any friends, only myself. I tried to take care of them and look how grateful they were. No, from now on, I'm looking out for me and me alone..."

And with those thoughts, Kaigaku put out the incense and went back to inform the demon who was waiting nearby.

"Good job, kid. I suggest you start running, it's about to get messy." The demon licked his lips before walking towards the temple. Kaigaku shivered before running as far away as possible.

After several minutes of running, who stopped at an alleyway to catch his breath. He let out a light laugh. "I did it...I really did it. I escaped death...I won..."

"I...won..."

Kaigaku stared down at his feet, he remembered all the times he sat down with the other temple kids to have a meal, talking about all sorts of things.

He then began to remember lots of other things. Mr. Himejima bandaging Kaigaku's scratches, Daisuke and the boys playing with him, looking for Sayo who got lost before finding her crying in an alley.

"Heh...after that day, she started treating me like her big brother. I even promised that I'd always...protect...her..."

All those happy moments he had, all the moments he could've had. Kaigaku had tossed all that away, and he regretted it.

"Oh god...Oh god...Oh god, oh god, oh god! What have I done!?"

Kaigaku ran as fast as he could towards the temple, he reached into his yukata to pull out a knife, the same knife he used to-FOCUS! That's wasn't important!

Kaigaku saw the temple up ahead, a relieved smile graced his face. "Maybe I'm not too late! Maybe Mr. Himejima can hold him off! Even though he's blind, his other senses are amazing!"

"I'm gonna make it! I'm gonna make it! I'm gonna-!"

Kaigaku stopped...in front of him were Daisuke, Kouji, and Keishi. All cut up into pieces. Kaigaku's breathing stopped, his knife dropped from his trembling hands.

As he got closer to the temple's door, he saw Mitsugi and Seiya in the sand state as the other boys.

He saw inside the temple from the open door, Akane and Izumi also laid there dead. Kaigaku could no longer bring himself to walk forward. "No...this can't be happening...it just can't..."

Smash!

Kaigaku turned his head to the center of the room. Mr. Himejima was pounding his fists into the demon's face. The demon's body was limp, likely went unconscious during the beating the blind man was still giving him.

Nearby, Sayo held her head, crying and sobbing...but alive. That alone kept Kaigaku from fainting.

But...the sight of such a gentle giant beating a demon to death with nothing but his bare hands and a look of pure beastly rage. It shook Kaigaku to his core.

Kaigaku wondered if he would be next...if he told Mr. Himejima what he did, would he beat the boy to death...he didn't want to find out.

His mind in a panicked frenzy, Kaigaku ran away once more...he seemed to be doing that a lot today...running away like the coward he was...

...

A few days had passed, Himejima was sentenced to death for the murder of all of the dead kids. The true killer's body evaporated after being exposed to sunlight, so Himejima was the prime suspect.

It didn't help that Sayo said "that man did it!" without specifying what man she was talking about. That said, she was only four, could you really blame her?

There was only one person left to blame, and that was Kaigaku. He visited the temple one last time, he planned to leave it all behind. But first...

He found Sayo crying in the middle of the main room. The room where they had made so many memories together. It was now completely clean of blood. All of the bodies had already been buried.

Sayo didn't even notice Kaigaku step into the room before he called out to her. "Sayo..."

Sayo let out a light gasp before turning to Kaigaku, her eyes were red due to her crying, it was heartbreaking to see such a happy and optimistic girl in that state.

"I'm leaving, Sayo. I'm gonna find a new village to stay at, get a fresh start. And I came here to take you with me."

Sayo's eyes widened as Kaigaku continued with a soft smile. "I promised I'd take care of you, didn't I? Well, let me keep that promise. It'll be just you and me. Maybe we can even find another family to stay wi-."

"Did you do it...?"

Kaigaku's smile fell. "...What?"

Sayo's shocked look turned into a glare. "Don't lie to me...did you put out the incense?"

Kaigaku gritted his teeth before sighing, he nodded. "Yes...I did."

"Why...? Why would you do that?" Sayo's voice was now pleading. "They were your family!"

Kaigaku stomped his foot forward. "WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!? LET THAT DEMON EAT ME!? I TOLD YOU I WASN'T STEALING THAT DAMNED TEMPLE MONEY AND NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU LISTENED TO ME!"

Sayo flinched with a look of fear in her eyes before she forced herself to fight back. "WE DID BELIEVE YOU, AT LEAST MOST OF US DID! THEN YOU RAN AWAY, WE WERE ALL WORRIED ABOUT YOU! THEN MR. HIMEJIMA GOT MAD AT US AND WAS ABOUT TO GO LOOK FOR YOU BEFORE THAT DEMON CAME!"

Kaigaku took a step back, his face as white as snow. "I...I just...I'm sorry...I messed up but...I can make it up to you...I mean, not really...but I can try! Come on, Sayo! We're all we have left." He reached out his hand to Sayo. "Come with me...please."

Sayo clenched her fists before smacking Kaigaku's hand away and looking him straight in the eye. "I HATE YOU!"

...

Kaigaku had no words, his face completely mortified by what the sweet and kind Sayo said to him. Sayo turned back around and ignored Kaigaku.

After standing in the doorway for a few agonizing minutes, Kaigaku walked away without looking back. He would leave town with a bag of food that he swiped before he left, his thieving skills were as sharp as ever...

After reaching the woods, it started to rain on the boy. With an emotionless expression, Kaigaku looked up into the sky.

He gritted his teeth before letting out a heartbroken scream. He continued to scream until his throat began to hurt...

-Present-

Kaigaku sat in a dark alleyway, away from the light and joy of the city. He held his knees while burying his head in them, letting our light sobs.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Crash!

Kaigaku raised his head as he heard loud sounds coming from nearby. He got up and went into the streets to see people running away. He turned a corner to the right to see multiple blades sticking out of the ground.

There were multiple people, men and women, impaled on said blades, already dead. In the middle stood what appeared to be a demon with more blades coming out of his body.

In front of the demon was two Demon Slayers. One was the Makomo girl who had a cut on her right cheek and her left leg. The guy next to her was...wait.

It looked like that Tanjiro kid, Kaigaku sort of recognized his ruffled hair. But...his skin, his nails, his teeth, his eyes, they were all those of a demon's.

But what shocked Kaigaku most was the kanji in his right eye.

"Lower Six"

"He's one of them! Zenitsu was right, he is a demon! And not just any demon, he's one of the Twelve Kizuki!"

Tanjiro

Tanjiro's ears were ringing, and it wasn't from a loud noise or head injury. No, it was pure rage.

Less than a minute ago, the Lower Rank Three Demon talked about how Kibutsuji overestimated Tanjiro.

After that, he placed his palms on the ground.

"Blood Demon Art: Steel Blood Blades - Spike Pit"

Now, multiple blades shot up from the ground, and Tanjiro was too slow to save any the people who were impaled by them. He counted at least a dozen casualties.

He and Makomo jumped up in time to avoid serious damage, though they were both grazed in a few spots.

As they stood in front of the rows of blades, Tanjiro's blood boiled as he couldn't take his eyes off of the dead civilians.

"Damn it! This is exactly why I wanted to keep him off the ground away from civilians! It's my own fault, I'm the one who knocked him down!" He gritted his teeth, tightening the grip on his sword.

Makomo seemed to be in a smiling state, though more level-headed. Tanjiro held out both hand together before firing a giant blast to clear out the blades, making sure to avoid burning the corpses.

Blood Demon Art: Sun Conqueror - Scorching Blast, Inferno

With a new path forged, Tanjiro and Makomo ran forward before stopping in front of the Lower Moon. The two Demon Slayers glared at his grinning face.

"Aw, what's with those faces? Are you mad I killed a few nobodies?" He asked.

Veins bulged on Tanjiro's forehead. "They were innocent people who had nothing to do with this fight! You didn't even eat them, you just stabbed them! Why, what's the point!?"

The Lower Moon scoffed. "Why? Because I can! We demons are superior to humans in every way! What's the point of being the superior race if you don't take advantage of it? I'm surprised I even have to explain this to you of all people."

"That's what makes being a demon so amazing! You can do anything you want, kill whoever you want, and nobody can stop you!"

"Come on, kid! Wake up! You're fighting for the wrong side! You're a demon now, a demon that's conquered the fucking SUN no less! Just think of all the FUN you could have as-!"

"Shut your mouth..."

The Lower Moon and Makomo looked at Tanjiro, surprised by his sudden interruption. Shadow covered his eyes, showing only his clenched teeth.

"Fun? What about this is fun to you? Do you not value life at all? How could you possibly think that killing innocent people is fun?"

"The scent you give off, what a horrible scent. I can tell you believe what you just said with every fiber of your being, and it sickens me. It sickens me that there are people like you in the world."

Suddenly, black flames slowly began to cover Tanjiro's body as Tanjiro sent a chilling look at Lower Moon Three which actually managed to shake him.

Tanjiro could feel his other half pulling on him, itching to start a blood bath. For the first time, Tanjiro happily let him join the fight.

"You deserve no mercy for the countless lives you've no doubt taken over the course of your life..." Tanjiro let himself be pulled back with only one final thought as his body was engulfed in black flames.

"Onijiro...make sure he suffers."

...

A cruel smile spread across the young demon's face. "I thought you'd never ask."

And we're done for now! Thanks for reading!

Sorry if you're disappointed in the lack of Zenitsu scenes, I'll be sure to include him more next chapter.

Let me know if there are any historical or cultural inaccuracies in the chapter and I will address them.

Please leave a review if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

Again, so sorry this took so long! I'll try my best to be more consistent with my upload schedule. Thank you all so much for your support!

See you next time!

Next Time: Chapter 18 - I Won't Run Away