The Dancing Star

Chapter 11

12Thirtypain03

WARNING: This story is rated M for mature-rated content. If some acts of violence, blood, or anything easily triggering make you uncomfortable, please leave and do not read. Any change to a character, when introduced, killed, changed into a demon/human, or more will be labeled in the chapter of occurrence. If a character has died in a chapter, that chapter will give a cause of death to that character.


Urokodaki's House (Tanjirou's POV)


To the common human, it was a mere dance. Nothing else.

When Tanjirou was young, he performed a dance. A simple dance that many thought was merely one.

The only memorable thing many people would say about the dance would be how much endurance Tanjirou had, to be able to perform it for quite a time.

"That's so impressive, you must've trained so hard to be able to do it for so long!" Was the most common kind of compliment Tanjirou would receive when it came to the impressive onlookers within the village temple Tanjirou danced at.

When it came to the specific dance, Tanjirou never told anyone how he learned it. He never told anyone how he was taught, or rather self-taught.

All his father had done was give him a book that talked about the specifics of the dance. All Tanjirou did was read it, and practice.

Though he was praised by his father, the first and only time he remembered being praised by his father, was mainly because it only took him six months to learn it.

Though according to Tanjirou, it took his father around 2-3 years to fully be able to do it, and another 2 to properly do it without much strain. So the fact Tanjirou did it within 6 months was impressive even from his father's own perspective.

It was incredible how well the human body could adapt if need be. But alas, the human body had limits, whether it was by strength, endurance, or overall physical capabilities.

As for Tanjirou himself, he continued to perform the dance.

Not just for New Years's Eve, but also for the occasions when Tanjirou was kicked out of the house. This was usually accompanied by hurtful words from his parents, that Tanjirou was forced to hear, he eventually had to make his way down the mountain into the warmth of the village.

This was the life of Tanjirou down the village. It was a place for Tanjirou to at least be able to remain calm and stable. He felt safe in the temple, considering he didn't want to return back to his house sometimes.

There were times when Tanjirou had gotten to the town early, and before he was to continue dancing, he would witness and hear fireworks.

Tanjirou felt a bit lost and alone during those times. Sometimes he would witness the crowds of people, families, and lovely couples who could make the time to remain together during these times and holidays.

Alas, Tanjirou rarely spent time with his family during the fireworks.

Not that he was missing out on much, considering that whenever he asked Nezuko about what their family did during the time, all the remaining family did was eat, and then sleep.

For the most part, Tanjirou wished he could have those times with his family.

He still wished for the days he could enjoy his time with his family, instead of living in fear. All he could do was remain on his own.

He was alone, dancing in the temple. Hearing the fireworks, and dancing alongside them. All he could do was continue to dance; all he could do was hear the sounds of others outside.

And this was what Tanjirou didn't really want to see.

For the most part, all he could sense were the couples and families being together.

The sheer warmth that Tanjirou could sense from the families and couples made Tanjirou feel somewhat depressed and jealous.

Specifically, regarding the connections, they all had.

Tanjirou wished he had that regarding his own family. His entire family felt so disconnected through fear. His entire family ran out of fear.

It felt disconnected. It felt like he no longer had the warmth of his family.

Whenever Tanjirou danced towards the Hinokami Kagura, he felt himself worth something. Seeing the impressed looks of onlookers, he felt worthy of the dance.

This was especially the case regarding the environment he lived in.

Tanjirou was being praised by something, even by his father.

The short of it was that Tanjirou always associated Hinokami Kagura with positive memories. It was the only thing that he could go to whenever he felt down.

And so, when Tanjirou was dancing the Hinokami Kagura, he felt safe and warm. A feeling he never felt when he was home.

In the meantime, all Tanjirou did whilst dancing was continuing to breathe how he was self-taught. To be able to dance the time, without overstraining himself, all he could do was continue.

"This was for Nezuko," Tanjirou thought, clearly focusing on wanting Nezuko to wake up.

He was worried about his little sister, and all he could do, was pray and dance with the hopes that he could get up.

After all, it was only Nezuko who tried to help Tanjirou.

She was the one who was managing to progress, and she was wanting everyone to succeed, and that included Tanjirou.

Every time when she came out and checked on Tanjirou, she was always the one to get him extra food from the kitchen. Even if she was able to perform, she still tried to make sure everyone in the family was still doing well.

Tanjirou couldn't thank Nezuko for what she had done.

Even if she was doing just fine, she still tried to make sure Tanjirou was fine. She didn't want Tanjirou to be alone, and so she always checked up on him, even when Tanjirou was still out.

She was always the one to wait for Tanjirou to finish, even if it took him so long to perform.

Even when Tanjirou collapsed from sheer exhaustion, it was always Nezuko who managed to nurse him back to health. Always her who got enough food out for Tanjirou to continue functioning. All the while, Tanjirou tried to make progress.

He tried to perform well.

There were times when Tanjirou didn't want to continue. There were times when Tanjirou wished he could run away, and times when he wanted to give up.

There were times when he wished he was dead…

But alas, Tanjirou knew he had to continue.

If not for himself, but for the contribution and work Nezuko was doing.

For the care Nezuko gave him, the least he could do was to continue and hopefully progress. He couldn't let Nezuko's contribution go to waste.

And that was what encouraged him to continue. That was what encouraged him to win and progress through it.

Even when he was hurt, even when he was tired, even when he was hurled insults, thrown out of the house, or burned by coal, he still tried.

Because even when he felt like giving up or running away, Nezuko was the one who encouraged him to stay.

His father and mother hated him, and his siblings stayed away from him out of fear of being associated with pain and abuse.

Therefore, all Tanjirou had was Nezuko to treat him nicely. Sure, his siblings eventually talked to him, but the damage was already done.

Tanjirou was already ostracized by his family and only had Nezuko to help him feel something close to a family. But even she was the subject of abuse. No child in the Kamado family escaped the fear Tanjirou felt constantly.

It almost felt like a cruel twist of fates that only he and Nezuko were still alive, as demons.

The very beings that he was told about all those times ago. He could only be reminded of them from the three instances. His father, grandmother, and Saburo.

All this time, demons were real. All these times, Tanjirou was living in an isolated world. He was living in a cruel, isolated world.

The worst of both worlds. Hidden from the world but hurt.

He needed to be strong.

Even if he was trying his hardest, he still felt a failure.

But that didn't mean he couldn't give up.

Nezuko never gave up on him. Even when his parents and Tanjirou himself felt like giving up, Nezuko was the only one who remained.

And because of that, Tanjirou knew he couldn't give up.

Nezuko never once gave up trying to help her elder brother.

Now, it was his turn. It was his turn to always care for Nezuko and never give up on her.

And so, whilst Nezuko slept, Tanjirou continued onwards with the dance.

Tanjirou knew that Nezuko probably made a promise to herself and him to never once again fail Tanjirou.

And she lived up to it.

Tanjirou couldn't do the same for her. He would never forgive himself.

Alas, Tanjirou knew he had to perform the dance as much as he could if it meant that Nezuko would wake up.

Even when Nezuko did it, even if Tanjirou never improved and continued to be hurt in many ways, Nezuko still tried, because she believed in him.

And so, Tanjirou could believe that Nezuko would wake up. All this time, Tanjirou had to perform his part of the deal.

But even with the stress of his remaining family. Even with the stress of the entire circumstances facing him, he still had to dance.

He had to, not just maintain his calm demeanor, and not stress any more than he suffered, but also not fail Nezuko.

And so, even if he felt useless and a failure for not being able to be there for Nezuko, he still had to try.

He danced.

Every day.

From sunset all the way to sunrise.

There were days when he felt like collapsing and days when his body was overstrained. Days when he wanted to give up. And days, when sometimes he felt like it wasn't enough.

But even then, he continued to dance.

And as he danced, he felt his movement was fluid. He felt empowered as if the feeling was running through his veins. He felt warm.

He felt his warm body colliding with the natural wind blowing currently. It was almost like Tanjirou was being protected from the coldest and cruelest of nature's elements.

But this was where his dance became strange, to some specific groups of individuals.

Whilst to the common man, and for the longest time, Tanjirou himself, he thought the dance was a simple dance, with a specific technique that allowed the user to dance forever.

However, to some other individuals, specifically those within the demon slayer corps, the dance was something else.

It was something they were baffled about because they haven't heard of a dance that required one to breathe in a specific way to greatly increase their physical capabilities.

And so, when Giyu Tomioka saw the breathing technique, he wasn't wrong to say it was one.

It was one, because of the impact it had on Tanjirou's capabilities in dancing.

But as Tanjirou danced, he was beginning to see why the dance was strange to the demon slayer corps.

His figure roared in fire, yellow-orange flames were surrounding him. It was something he had always seen, probably a manifestation of his closeness to the fire god, but now it was more.

It was more virulent.

But it was purely visual. It wasn't something everyone saw.

And so, the flames did not burn him. It did not harm him but rather emboldened him. It enlightened him, and empowered him, more so than the temple he danced at back in the day.

Tanjirou fondly remembers the close ties he had to the temple, learning a bit of prayer to help with his peace of him. The priests could tell Tanjirou was troubled mentally, suffering from his own demons.

The priest had told Tanjirou that whenever Tanjirou danced the Hinokami Kagura, he looked and felt at peace. Like he was defeating the demons inside of his mind.

Within all this dancing and thinking, Tanjirou smiled behind his mask, unseen by anyone else, as he let his breathing involuntarily remain how he trained during those times of learning the Hinokami Kagura.

Tanjirou smiled, thinking back at the fond memories of Hinokami Kagura. It really helped him with his thoughts, and it was something he would do. The flames around Tanjirou's body flickered and danced around as well, making him look like a warm glow was around his body.

It almost looked like Tanjirou was the sun. Despite the turbulent upbringing and abuse he suffered; he still had the smile of the sun. He still radiated the energy from the star.

He was reborn, and a new person. He felt like a person capable.

He felt like a man of value.

And since this was something, he was always told, how he never had any value, Tanjirou felt at incredible ease. The burden of those thoughts was burned away as the flames shrouded him.

Even if it was temporary, Tanjirou felt like this euphoria could last forever, and even if he did, he knew that change was always necessary to keep the excitement of life. He was not one for wishing for a mundane lifestyle. If it was stable, then he could manage.

But even as Nezuko slept, and Tanjirou worried for her wellbeing, that didn't stop him from performing to the best of his abilities. He was going to do this for Nezuko, he was going to dance as long as he could.

Just like how stars could dance in the sky, twinkle, alas, even they shined and eventually diminished. But even when that happened, they could come back and eventually shine once again.

But what was different now was that someone else other than him could see the flames that radiated around him. While commoners would say they felt warmth radiating off Tanjirou, they couldn't see the flames around him.

This was something Makomo saw well in Tanjirou.

Almost immediately, she noticed the flames around Tanjirou, and she could see that the dance was a lot more than just a simple dance. The breathing technique required to perform it well, the flames that surrounded Tanjirou, and the bodily motions that were required, Makomo felt a strange sense gnawing at her to observe it more critically.

Even if she couldn't understand it now, Tanjirou was planning on dancing the specific dance for as long as he needed to.

That would give Makomo enough time to observe it and make the conclusions necessary.

But while Tanjirou danced, he noticed something strange. It was quite a bit since he last danced, considering everything that had happened between the two-time intervals. But he could even tell that he wasn't getting as tired as he thought.

He noticed his lack of tiredness, and while it was something he expected, he wasn't expecting the strain to be this weak.

Before, the initial breathing was the hardest part, and starting the movements, but as he continued dancing smoothly, it would work and be easier. But here, it was even easier.

Tanjirou would always feel sore whenever he was doing Hinokami Kagura, as the fatigue would hit his body afterward, but he would never get tired, or out of stamina. Now, his fatigue was decreased… He would still feel it hours after performing it, but now it was easier because his stamina wouldn't drop as much.

"What is going on? This is strange… Normally I would have to take deep breaths, but by using this breathing, I don't need to do that… It makes me perform my movements much easier…" Tanjirou analyzed, clearly surprised.

"Is it perhaps the training for constant breathing helping me perform the Hinokami Kagura?" Tanjirou asked himself in his mind. "Or perhaps it's because I'm a demon?"

Tanjirou was clearly confused, "But if it's because of the breathing constant training I've done, then why does a demon slayer technique help me dance the Hinokami Kagura?" Tanjirou asked himself.

"Could it truly be that there's a relationship, or connection between Hinokami Kagura, and demon slaying…?" Tanjirou asked himself.

He couldn't think too much about this. He had to focus on the dance. He felt like a star.

He was killed in a large fight and explosion but was resurrected from the dead, with the purpose of killing the man who tortured him.

All the while Tanjirou continued, Makomo too was observing critically the dance Tanjirou was doing. It was something she too found a bit strange regarding the similarities.

She even found the dance to be unique.

"Maybe it's what I'm assuming… But I'll need more observations to see if that truly is the case." Makomo thought to herself.

Before she could ask more, Tanjirou quickly ran inside the house, as the sun was starting to rise. Makomo sighed, clearly knowing that Tanjirou was too worried for his sister to be paying attention.

Once he made it inside their room, he noticed the lack of windows within their room, to make sure it was as dark as possible for the two demons, to not be burnt in the sunlight, from if there was a window.

Tanjirou eyed the sleeping figure of Nezuko, and sighed, "I hope you wake up soon, Nezuko."

And so, once Tanjirou finished, he remained in the dark of his room, clearly not wanting to sleep.

In the end, he observed the strange stare Makomo was giving him.

"Is there something wrong?" Tanjirou asked.

Makomo nodded, "It's your dance."

"My dance? What do you think?" Tanjirou asked.

"It certainly is unique. The fact you can dance for as long as you could nonstop, even as a demon, it's impressive." Makomo smiled.

"Thanks." Tanjirou sighed, "But this is meant to pray so that Nezuko would wake up."

"Indeed, but there was one thing I noticed." Makomo pointed out.

"And what is it?" Tanjirou asked.

Makomo pointed to Tanjirou's chest, "You're breathing."

"Yes, my breathing. I thought I told you, but we must breathe a certain way so that our body could focus on dancing." Tanjirou explained.

"I see. But that may be why you are struggling." Makomo revealed.

"Huh?" Tanjirou asked.

"If the breathing technique you learned was because of the dance, then perhaps you should try and alter your breathing to fix for demon slaying?" Makomo asked.

This made Tanjirou ponder in shock. It was something he never thought about.

Giyu saw his breathing technique and thought it was a breathing technique when in reality it was a dance.

But why was the breathing technique for a dance so close, yet so different from demon slaying?

To Makomo, it was confusing.

"So, there are errors in my breathing technique?" Tanjirou asked.

"Yes, especially if you are trying to amplify your movements." Makomo specified.

"But then how do I match my breathing technique to my movements?" Tanjirou asked.

Makomo pondered, "From what I think, you probably should amplify your breathing technique to match it."

"That doesn't help." Tanjirou deadpanned.

"Well think about it. When you strike an opponent versus dancing, what's the biggest difference?" Makomo asked as she was making Tanjirou think for himself now.

Tanjirou sighed.

"Well, probably that your arms must be stronger so that you can swing faster and with more control, rather than the elegance in a dance?" Tanjirou asked.

"That is one difference. Surely there's more." Makomo responded, clearly trying to get Tanjirou to think of more differences.

He was beginning to list out some differences she saw within the actual dance, and with demon slaying.

Looking back at it, it made more sense to Tanjirou. Dancing and slaying demons were two completely different things.

Two things that were completely different, and yet were connected by their similarities.

How odd…

"So, what you are saying is that my breathing technique is more meant for dancing, rather than actual breathing styles like water breathing?" Tanjirou confirmed.

"Indeed." Makomo nodded, "Because of how different the breathing styles are to fighting demons versus dancing, you would need to adapt your breathing technique to match that of fighting rather than dancing."

Tanjirou scratched his head, "I guess that makes sense."

"Indeed. That's not to say the Hinokami Kagura is interfering with you, per se, the fact that you were able to perform the total concentration techniques, such as the gourds shows that you are advanced. It's just a manner of adapting your breathing technique is all you need to do." Makomo confirmed.

All this time, Tanjirou's breathing technique was adapted specifically to allow him to dance for up to 12 hours.

However, dancing was not demon slaying. If Tanjirou wanted to perfect his breathing style, he would need to switch his breathing technique to match that of a breathing style.

Every time he swung his arms across for a sword strike, every time he forced himself to maneuver, it was different from when he danced.

Therefore, Tanjirou knew what he had to do now when it came to practicing his techniques now.

He had to properly focus on his breathing, once again changing it, to finally be able to perform a breathing technique.

"With time, if you keep this up, you may be able to use Water Breathing without suffering the side effects. Who knows, maybe it'll be more powerful than Nezuko's." Makomo answered back, "Anyways, get a good rest, Tanjirou."

With that Makomo seemingly left, as Tanjirou relaxed and looked up. It was quite the day, as he had started to dance for the first time since the incident.

All he could remember was that fedora man who had harmed both him and his sister, whilst killing the rest of his family.

But even his family were no saints, clearly, as he still struggled with the thoughts of his own family.

"I have a use… My worth and goal… My goal is to destroy that man… I won't fail at being a big brother again!" Tanjirou scowled as he focused on his sister. All this time he was searching for a purpose.

And so, Tanjirou began to plan everything. He had to maintain his constant breathing, which he was still in the process of learning. While he was able to learn it, it was ultimately until he found himself in such a situation that it would maintain.

Tanjirou was taught that like emotions can impact the breathing of one, the breathing techniques can be influenced by strong emotions. In the meantime, Tanjirou was at least trying to plan everything out.

He was at least able to walk around Urokodaki's house, as he had barricaded all the windows, with the intention of using only candlelight to get in the house.

As effectively, no external, sunlight was able to get inside Urokodaki's house, keeping Tanjirou and Nezuko's figure safe.

And that was what Tanjirou began to do.

As the days and nights passed, Tanjirou began to practice what he needed to do.

He performed the Hinokami kagura every day. He didn't care how much it hurt him. He did not care how much it tired him.

He didn't care.

He didn't even care if this helped him with demon slaying.

All he cared about was that his sister would wake up. He was doing this for his sister.

He was praying to the Sun God that his sister would wake up.

And the dance was something he was supposed to perform every New Year's Eve. Sure, he was breaking a family tradition by deciding to perform it daily until his sister woke up.

He was dancing much more for the Sun God. He was making sure that, for such a troubled household, he and Nezuko grew up in.

The next day, he did the same thing.

And the next day.

And then the next day.

However, Tanjirou also noticed another issue.

He was running short on energy. He was getting tired because he never chose to sleep.

He remained awake, even when Nezuko was sleeping, Tanjirou never chose to sleep.

"It's no use… Without this, I'm not sleeping, and regaining any energy…" Tanjirou mumbled, clearly tired after he performed the Hinokami Kagura.

He tiredly made his way around the Urokodaki house, he was breathing heavily.

And Urokodaki took notice of this.

"Tanjirou." Tanjirou turned his head to face Urokodaki. "Why haven't you been sleeping?"

Tanjirou looked down, "I want to make sure Nezuko ways up, that's all."

"Can you explain?" Urokodaki asked. "Does this have to do with the dance you perform?"

"Yes. I was performing my dance to the Sun God, to pray for Nezuko's recovery." Tanjirou explained.

"But that doesn't necessarily answer why you aren't sleeping," Urokodaki explained. "So why are you not sleeping during the day?"

Tanjirou sighed, clearly knowing he couldn't get himself out of this specific interrogation. He didn't want to explain to Urokodaki, considering he told the two that he was done teaching them.

"To be honest…" Tanjirou sighed, clearly not happy about telling this to Urokodaki. "I'm afraid I'll fall into a coma, like Nezuko. I worry that if I sleep, I may not wake up for a long time, or ever…" Tanjirou revealed.

Urokodaki noticed this, and sighed, "Well, Tanjirou, you have to realize and understand something."

Tanjirou looked up to watch Urokodaki. "Understand what?"

"You and Nezuko, are both demons." Urokodaki bluntly told him.

"Well, that's putting it bluntly…" Tanjirou responded, clearly deadpanning.

"Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble. But you need to come to reality with who you are." Urokodaki explained. "But, that doesn't mean you necessarily are a bad being."

"For a time, there was only one method known for demons to regain their energy."

"What is it?" Tanjirou asked curiously, though he had a feeling he knew exactly what it was.

"Eating human flesh and blood are the usual ways demons survive and gain energy," Urokodaki explained.

"Oh… Just as I expected…" Tanjirou sighed.

At this, Urokodaki eyed Tanjirou, "However, that was, until both you and Nezuko showed up."

"What do you mean?" Tanjirou asked.

"For a time, many demon slayers only believed that demons relied on consuming human flesh and blood. But seeing as the two of you have not consumed any humans, then you two must have done something that has allowed the two of you to regain energy without eating humans." Urokodaki explained, "We already determined that you yourself can consume other demons as a means of gaining energy. This is pretty valuable since it'll make you stronger after every mission."

"Oh, but what about Nezuko? Is her sleeping a way to regain energy for her?" Tanjirou asked, clearly confused, and intrigued.

"Yes. We think that Nezuko's way of regenerating energy is by sleeping. This may be why she has fallen asleep. It's to regenerate her energy, or that her body is changing to further adapt to this." Urokodaki concluded.

"So you think Nezuko is sleeping so that she can live without eating other humans?" Tanjirou asked.

"In a sense yes. Whilst sleeping is less sufficient for demons than that of human flesh, I think the fact that both human and demon bodies are both adaptable. Incredibly so." Urokodaki continued onwards, whilst Tanjirou pondered.

"Adaptable…" Tanjirou thought to himself, as he was realizing what he was thinking when he was going up his mountain to reach his house…

"The concept of adaptability…" Tanjirou thought as he was thinking about everything.

"The ability to change one's own body and lifestyle to manage and thrive in a different environment. Both you and Nezuko may have been able to adapt your own body to gather energy through sleeping, or in your case, consuming other demons." Urokodaki explained further as he was eyeing what Tanjirou was thinking.

Tanjirou was clearly thinking about everything. The concept of adaptability… It was clear to Tanjirou that everyone's body was always changing. Even if there was no change on the outside, the body was always changing, yet trying to remain constant and stable.

And so, that was when Tanjirou asked Urokodaki.

"Could demons eat food?" Tanjirou asked.

Urokodaki shook his head, "No, their digestive systems are only able to eat human flesh and blood. Regular foods will simply make demons vomit from the sheer uselessness they are."

Urokodaki could tell that Tanjirou was looking a bit down after hearing that. He could smell the hopelessness coming from Tanjirou.

It was clearly a bit of a tragedy for Urokodaki. Two demons who wanted to live their lives as normal as possible. Alas, it was futile. They were demons, and they would never be able to live a normal life. And that was the tragedy of them.

However, once he noticed the loaf of bread Tanjirou was eyeing, Urokodaki knew what Tanjirou was about to do.

He could smell the determination from Tanjirou's figure.

That only meant he was going to try and eat the loaf of bread.

And that was exactly what Tanjirou did.

Tanjirou picked up the loaf of bread and chose to gulp it down.

Urokodaki looked onwards, a bit impressed, but also anxious at how Tanjirou would react.

Tanjirou was forcing himself to break down the food inside his mouth. He was ignoring the feeling of wanting to vomit to the best of his ability. Tanjirou really wanted to throw the food up, but he was forcing himself to eat it and keep it down.

Urokodaki, for his part, looked a bit intrigued but remained quiet. "Very well, Tanjirou. If you want to be able to eat human food, then I will support you."

"Besides, a demon that can eat human food, could potentially help remove the threat they impose." Urokodaki thought to himself.

"Very well Tanjirou, I'll help you," Urokodaki spoke at last.

"Really? Why?" Tanjirou asked, clearly intrigued and confused about why Urokodaki would help him.

"Well, I cannot let you eat other people to regain energy. If this is a possible way for you to regain your energy, then I and the rest of humanity will immensely rather that." Urokodaki explained.

At this, Tanjirou smiled sadly, clearly happy about the whole ordeal. He hugged Urokodaki before he belched. "Excuse me…"

With that, Tanjirou went to throw up the loaf of bread he ate. They both knew a lot of work needed to be done for this to go well.

If Tanjirou wanted to go down this route, then he was going to have to perform many trials and errors.

Therefore, when Tanjirou was going to come out, Urokodaki decided that he could at least teach Tanjirou one more thing.

After all, it seemed that he was training. He could smell improvement coming from Tanjirou, even if the boy was not willing to continue onwards.

It was rather confusing to Urokodaki because a part of him wanted to know what he was doing now.

And so, by the next week, Tanjirou's body was at its most strained. Tanjirou's body was so tired. He thought the side effects from water breathing were bad enough, but this was something else.

His entire body was depleted, almost to the point of exhaustion. It was getting to the point, where he felt his demonic instincts coming into effect.

He started salivating when he was near Urokodaki. When this occurred, he was at least able to control himself to at least get himself a distance from Urokodaki.

He had to hold back his instincts to try and retain everything about being a human.

Tanjirou wanted to be a human. He was a human. Tanjirou was human.

He kept telling himself that.

And so whenever he felt his demonic instincts come out, he immediately ran towards the kitchen and stuffed food inside his mouth.

He would do anything to quell his demonic instincts.

And Urokodaki witnessed everything. He witnessed how Tanjirou was fighting his own demonic instincts.

For some, it was rather phenomenal, considering how easily it was for many demons to give up. Tanjirou and Nezuko were the only demons Urokodaki knew, that tried to act human because they wanted to.

Not to act humans to trick and trap other humans into their fangs.

And as Tanjirou considered performing total concentration breathing constantly, and his breathing styles, he had help from Makomo.

She had been very nice to him, trying to encourage him to continue.

It was somewhat odd to Tanjirou. Sure, Urokodaki was "nicer," to Tanjirou compared to his father, but Makomo showed no sense of disappointment. No sense of pity.

No, Makomo saw potential in Tanjirou.

And it made him feel warm.

Sure, Tanjirou was still failing, a week after Nezuko fell sleep, but he was going through a lot of changes.

His body was trying to consume the nutrients from the food, and all the while he changed his breathing technique to match that of demon slaying.

All this time, his current breathing technique was specific toward the Hinokami Kagura. Not a breathing style.

That was why he kept suffering side effects from performing water breathing. It was because he was designed to breathe to a dance, which whilst similar, was different in that dancing and fighting were two different things.

Despite this, he was improving now. Both on his breathing, and his ability to consume and maintain the food down.

The only downside when it came to eating food was that he would have to lie down in a form to let the food digest as much as possible.

But it was a condition Tanjirou himself was fine with. He had no problem taking a break since he usually ate whilst it was sunny outside.

All this time, he was practicing, until on the 10th day of practicing, he tried and perfected it.

Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel

As Tanjirou spun his body, leaping and performing a single, vertical slash in a circular motion, he launched himself and then landed.

And to his shock, the strain that he usually received whenever he performed the breathing style, was now minimal.

Tanjirou still felt it, but it was manageable this time.

He then looked shocked, staring at his own hand and wooden blade.

He was, at first, hesitant to believe he had actually managed to perform it so well.

And so, he tried more water-breathing forms. The ones Urokodaki and Giyu had taught him.

The very ones he tried to use against Sabito, but was very limited due to his own strain.

Now, he was able to perform them better.

He still felt the strain, but it was to the point that he was able to still go onwards.

It was like he was able to finally perform it.

Tanjirou still had the strain that hurt him, but at least now he was making progress.

Tanjirou gasped in shock at his accomplishment.

He felt weird, yet shocked. He felt a sense of easiness come to him after having tried so hard, to get something that finally worked.

He didn't feel happy.

He felt accomplished.

The feeling he was feeling for the first time, was an accomplishment.

It was such a strange emotion that Tanjirou felt. He didn't even know this emotion was a thing.

"Do you see this father? After a couple of months, around 3 and a half, this man Urokodaki was able to teach me how to properly perform water breathing… But you couldn't even teach me throughout your life… Am I so useless, now?" Tanjirou thought as he asked himself. "So am I useless? Am I really a man of no worth or value?"

With that, Tanjirou sighed as he smiled, "I did it… I did it… I did something…" Tanjirou sighed, as he looked down on the ground, leaning forward. He had felt a small victory, in proving his own doubtful mind.

Even if the strain was still present, it was bearable, and this was an improvement. Therefore, just like his ability to maintain the food down his stomach for a longer period of time than the last time, Tanjirou was excited to finally be able to see the fruit of his hard work.

"I will do it… I can be useful..." Tanjirou thought to himself, smiling as he continued.

All this time, Makomo was watching Tanjirou, "You are making phenomenal progress, Tanjirou. Sooner or later, you will have caught up with Nezuko's own skills and abilities." Makomo thought as she eyed Tanjirou's progress.

And so, once the second week passed, Tanjirou continued to dance the Hinokami Kagura, practiced his breathing to fix it to demon-slaying rather than dancing, and tried to eat human food. This was all the while hoping that Nezuko would wake up.

He needed her to wake up. She was all he had left. If she was gone, Tanjirou didn't want to imagine what would happen to him.

And all this time, both Urokodaki and Makomo were watching him progress. Even though Urokodki said he was done teaching Tanjirou everything, in the end, Tanjirou's willingness to try and eat human foods caused him to intervene once again.

And all this time, while Tanjirou was undergoing his own training to try and fix his breathing once and for all.

If the first two weeks were the most difficult for Tanjirou, then the rest would eventually get better. His body would adapt, and he would eventually be able to perform and improve on his own moves.

He felt himself improving, and for the first time in Tanjirou's life, he felt happy.

Truly happy.

Like he was finally able to perform a breathing technique. Of course, he still had to learn about the other forms of water breathing. He had to properly master his arm movements and the like. For every breathing form, he had to adapt it to the proper breathing technique.

Obviously, Tanjirou had to gather as much air as he could so that he could fully utilize his own muscles, especially the demonic ones.

And it was a change that Makomo too was able to observe.

She was able to see the improvements in Tanjirou, specifically how Tanjirou was receiving less strain, and was able to adapt his body to the movements now.

And then there was his progress in eating. Tanjirou shocked Urokodaki, in that Tanjirou managed to actually maintain food in his stomach. Of course, Tanjirou was uncomfortable whenever he ate the food. But even then, he was able to keep it down, and eventually regain his energy by eating normal human food.

"Guess this kid took, I'd rather eat anything than human flesh, literally, and too seriously…" Urokodaki thought as he went inside, letting Tanjirou eat the human food to the best of his ability.

"Alright, Tanjirou." Tanjirou looked up, clearly confused, before he saw Makomo standing towards him, her own nirchirin blade pointing towards him.

"What's going on, Makomo?" Tanjirou asked the girl in confusion.

"I've seen the progress you have made. The strain you feel when using water breathing has decreased immensely. The ability to consume normal human foods, and now able to dance properly, with more power towards each strike. I've seen the progress you have made. It is time for you to prove your worth." Makomo told Tanjirou.

"My worth…" Tanjirou asked himself, clearly confused about everything… "Am I still worthy?"

Tanjirou sighed, as he looked a bit down. He was unsure now if he would be able to show his worth.

Was he worthy?

Tanjirou sighed. He was about to find out. But he still felt a gnawing thought that was, with each statement, growing larger.

"You have no worth, and no value." Tanjirou sighed in shame.

Who was he to think that he was worth something?

Who was he to think he could actually be of worth and value?

He was a kid of no value… he couldn't even protect and keep Nezuko safe. She was sleeping, for who knows how long at this point.

Makomo looked on in worry, "Did I say anything?"

"No… I just don't feel confident…" Tanjirou sighed.

Makomo smiled sadly, "I see. Why are you feeling down and unconfident?"

"I just have this thought that I'm not good enough no matter what…" Tanjirou revealed.

"I see." Makomo pondered. "Don't take this test seriously. This is just to confirm your progression, is that fine?"

Tanjirou shook his head.

"Tanjirou." Makomo started, causing Tanjirou to look at her.

"Sometimes, you need to risk yourself and get out and test yourself of your worth and value," Makomo told the burgundy-haired boy.

"But what if you keep failing?" Tanjirou asked.

"Well then keep trying." Makomo smiled towards Tanjirou, raising an eyebrow.

"How can that help? How could I actually improve if I always lose?" Tanjirou asked.

Makomo looked concerned towards Tanjirou, clearly trying to decipher the internal struggle Tanjirou was going through.

"Are you scared of failure?" Makomo asked, at last, observing the shifting face of Tanjirou. Even if he tried to remain stoic, he flinched upon the statement.

"So he is…" Makomo thought, "So that's why…"

"Tanjirou, failure is a natural part of life. You will fail at stuff you perform." Makomo tried to reason and calm Tanjirou's struggles down.

"But what if you fail at everything? How can you develop the mindset to continue going if you continuously fail?" Tanjirou asked Makomo.

"Hmm. I can't say for sure that I've completely felt useless… But there is no such thing as a failure. Rather, when one theoretically fails, it just means they are not ready." Makomo explained.

"But I want to be ready! I've struggled for so long! I've tried so hard! I've done my very best! I did everything I could! And look at my state!" Tanjirou spread his arms apart to show the state he was in.

"My sister is sleeping, for who knows how long, I'm barely still able to perform the breathing styles! I can't even beat Sabito when my sister was able to so easily! Even Urokodaki sees me as a hindrance!" Tanjirou yelled as he looked down in shame and anger.

Before, he then raised his eyes and eyed Makomo. "Why did you even bother with trying to train me?"

This shocked Makomo. "W-What?"

"Is it because I'm weak? As Sabito said? Is it because I'm not a man? Is it because I complain too much? Why did you bother to turn an eye to me… When I'm so useless and hopeless…" Tanjirou looked down.

Makomo looked very concerned for Tanjirou. She was not expected Tanjirou to feel this way, or to be holding this level of hindrance and burden.

"No, Tanjirou. You've been remarkable so far-" Makomo explained.

"Have I?" Tanjirou asked. "All Urokodaki does is talk about Nezuko to Giyu. I've seen the letters. Whenever he talks about Nezuko, he always shows concern. He always praises her, he even tells Giyu about how well she is with water breathing." Tanjirou sighed.

"But when he talks about me…" Tanjirou's smile turned to a tired face. "All I see are comments of how odd I am… How weird I am… A case that he's never had…"

Makomo sighed, "Tanjirou."

"What." Tanjirou asked.

"You've made so much progress. You even improved on your dance." Makomo tried to get Tanjirou to feel more confident about himself. She hated seeing someone who looked so broken, so down, so insecure. It hurt her.

"You've managed to perform water breathing without much strain. I don't see why else you still are looking insecure and degrading yourself." Makomo reasoned.

"Why?" Makomo asked at last, "A child like you should never degrade themselves like how you do."

At this, Tanjirou's eyes widened at that. He didn't want to believe what Makomo was saying, but it was somewhat true.

He was allowing those thoughts to invade his mind. To the point that he eventually believed them. But again, could you blame him?

He had been subject to those kinds of neglect and insults. In the end, all he could do was drown himself in the descriptions he had learned throughout his childhood.

In the end, he even began to see himself as that as well.

"Alright… I'm sorry for that…" Tanjirou sighed.

"Don't be sorry for your own thoughts, Tanjirou, just try to at least look at yourself in a brighter light, and be a bit more confident about your abilities. You are strong, Tanjirou. Believe in yourself. I can see how confident and pure you are whenever you perform your Hinokami Kagura. Please, be like that more often." Makomo smiled.

Tanjirou stared at the smile of Makomo before he sighed. "Alright… I'll try."

"That's good enough." Makomo smiled purely yet again.

"Now, let's try and spar," Makomo explained.

Tanjirou sighed before he nodded. "Alright…"

"Remember Tanjirou, try and believe in yourself," Makomo said at last before she charged forward.

Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide

Makomo was the first to charge toward Tanjirou. She was clearly faster than he anticipated.

Tanjirou realized that Makomo was seriously going to spar with him.

Tanjirou stared at the blade he had, clearly unconfident still.

But if Makomo believed in him, and if Nezuko believed in himself all those years, then he would try. He would continue to.

That's what he told himself.

For as long as he had Nezuko to believe in him, then he would continue with his journey.

Lifting his blade up, he managed to block many of the strikes Makomo was laying down on him. He had to focus completely, considering the surprising speed she had.

Alas, he was able to block them all.

"I-I did it… I blocked them…" Tanjirou thought in his head, a bit in disbelief that he had actually managed to fight and defend himself.

But Makomo wasn't finished.

Water Breathing, Eight Form: Waterfall Basin, Destruction

All this time, Makomo had jumped up, clearly wanting to finish with a finishing movement.

Tanjirou's eyes widened at what Makomo was trying to do.

She was trying to strike down to deliver a decapitating strike, downward to strike Tanjirou's face.

He could try to block with his demonic strength, but he decided to jump back. He felt more confident with his own evasiveness over his physical strength.

In the end, Makomo landed. When she landed, this gave Tanjirou to perfect time to strike.

"Come on, you can do this. They both are believing in you!" Tanjirou told himself, trying to build some confidence in his mind.

Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance

Tanjirou bent his blade across and began to dance alongside his swipes.

Makomo of course tried to dodge, as Tanjirou was trying to continue the pressure.

Tanjirou noticed that even Sabito struggled when he was on the offense, so he hoped Makomo would have the same issue.

Alas, Makomo was clearly the more evasive of the two, as she was having an easier time dodging his strikes.

Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool

Makomo took the time to unleash her own move, as she had enough time to.

Tanjirou silently cursed, clearly not liking the developments he had allowed.

"Damnit, I knew at that time she would strike! But wait… I should anticipate that!" Tanjirou thought to himself, as he waited for the whirlpool to swirl around Makomo's figure.

Tanjirou grunted, clearly unable to see. He had managed to avoid getting caught inside the whirlpool so Makomo couldn't strike him.

Although, he did suffer a glancing blow to his side, which he didn't even realize.

Of course, Makomo was not going to let herself be vulnerable. Quicker than Tanjirou even realized, Makomo had charged out of her place in the whirlpool, and Tanjirou was forced to dodge.

"Why doesn't water breathing have any defensive forms?! Oh right, that's because it specializes in the midrange… Even if it is adaptable, water breathing must be flexible, alongside the user." Tanjirou thought, and so he realized and knew very well what he needed to do.

Lowering himself to the ground, he used the fastest move he could think of within water breathing.

Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide

Once again, using the fluid movements of the breathing style, he was able to smoothly block and dodge all of the strikes Makomo tried to perform. All this time, Tanjirou was able to get back within the mid-range.

"You call that a fast attack?" Makomo asked. "While I do admit you were able to be very difficult to strike at the close range, it was not fast or offensive in the slightest."

Tanjirou stared at Makomo with determination, "That wasn't the main attack."

At this, Makomo raised an eyebrow. "Eh?"

Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust

With an almost blinding speed that was quicker than the speed of sound, Tanjirou thrust his own hand forward, with the blade thrust towards Makomo.

Makomo's eyes widened at this, before she quickly dodged, by jumping upwards.

Tanjirou expected this. He shouldn't have called out his own attack before he tried to strike Makomo.

Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel

Tanjirou leaped forward towards Makomo's airborne figure,

And performed a front flip to catch and close the distance to Makomo, before he swung his blade down, in a circular, vertical slash.

Tanjirou thought this would be it. He thought he could strike Makomo down right here.

However, Makomo swung her blade between the two.

Tanjirou grunted, clearly upset that he failed to strike Makomo when she was right there.

"Damnit… Next time I must have no hesitation…" Tanjirou thought to himself, as he was now back on the ground. Makomo was also standing on the ground, standing a bit away from each other.

Makomo took the time to strike first once again, trying to pressure Tanjirou into giving up.

Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent

Makomo seemingly started to charge toward Tanjirou.

However, Tanjirou realized that Makomo was now charging toward him in a different running pattern. All this time, Tanjirou was worried as he was failing to block her blade. All he could do was dodge to the best of his ability.

He swung where he thought he saw Makomo, only for his blade to hit thin air.

"Got to rely on my smell," Tanjirou remembered the tip Urokodaki gave him.

As Tanjirou noticed the footwork pattern, Tanjirou realized what was going on.

Tanjirou stared at the figure of Makomo, concentrating on her figure as she was slashing at Tanjirou.

"Watery… I can smell water…" Tanjirou thought before he sense some water forming on the right side of his collarbone.

Instinctively, Tanjirou raised the blade upwards to strike Makomo's own blade, saving himself from being struck by a large swipe.

"Impressive, Tanjirou." Makomo smiled before she backed right back up.

Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux

Tanjirou began to perform his own movements, clearly trying to make his way back toward Makomo's own figure. He wasn't one to leave Makomo remaining calm. He had the advantage of more endurance and stamina, and he was going to take advantage of it.

Of course, his barrage of strikes left very little flexibility for Makomo, who could either dodge or block the strikes.

However, with each strike, Tanjirou was becoming stronger, all the while he just realized that he wasn't strained.

"This is strange… This entire time, I've been able to perform water breathing without feeling any strain… This is better than the fight with Sabito…" Tanjirou thought to himself. It was clear to him he was able to finally and properly, perform water breathing, now.

Before he could land a final strike, Makomo backflipped, trying to kick Tanjirou in the chin.

Tanjirou's eyes widened, as he was forced to turn to the side.

Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide

Once he landed to the side, he tried to swipe his blade towards Makomo, who only blocked the strike. This only slowed Tanjirou's blade enough for Makomo to dodge and get out of the way of the swipe.

Tanjirou wasn't done. He flipped and turned his body, continuing the motion he had from the tenth form, trying to continue up the pressure.

For the most part, it was working. He was able to maintain his speed and explosive charge, managing to deliver strikes with such aggression that it was causing Makomo to remain on the defensive.

It wasn't until he realized the position, he was in did he realized that now would be a perfect time to strike.

But alas, so did Makomo.

Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent

All this time, Makomo once again tried to spread the distance between the two, but Tanjirou was now willing to let her remain out of his reach.

Bursting towards Makomo, he quickly tried to slash outward, a single strike, but this only made Makomo strike her blade down, not being harmed by Tanjirou's simple strike.

Makomo then backed up, and swung, swinging her blade across to try and strike Tanjirou, who dodged.

"So that's what she does… She spins her body to develop motion and momentum for her strikes to become more powerful." Tanjirou thought. He realized exactly what Makomo was doing.

Even if spinning her body took a bit more time, she had perfected the motion, keeping herself calm to not get dizzy, all the while catching many of her opponents off guard.

And Tanjirou knew better what Makomo was trying to do.

Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool

Tanjirou had to back up once again as a giant whirlpool enveloped Makomo.

"So that's a way for water breathers to trap their opponents at a close range… That's clever…" Tanjirou thought to himself, clearly observing the movements of Makomo.

Carefully maneuvering around Makomo's strikes, Tanjirou managed to skillfully dodge, and block the strikes Makomo tried to perform on him.

They were going on for around ten minutes, and in this, neither of them had managed to strike each other.

Makomo was smiling clearly happy that Tanjirou was making phenomenal progress. He really had improved, and even if he wasn't a demon, Tanjirou was strong.

In fact, Makomo realized that Tanjirou was not using his demonic strength.

"Perhaps he's unable to use his demonic strengths in his human form?" Makomo asked in intrigue.

All this time, Tanjirou was focusing purely on Makomo's figure. He had to smell and eye the individual closely.

Trying to close the distance, he turned his body to the side, spinning his body, wanting to perform a similar move to Makomo.

He quickly slashed outward towards Makomo, who blocked, before dodging. Once landing, she stepped into the range, striking with a vertical strike.

However, Tanjirou swiped low, trying to strike Makomo down with his foot. However, this was futile, as Makomo dodged back once again.

"Getting into physical fighting? How intriguing." Makomo smiled.

All the while, Tanjirou launched himself into the air, swinging his body in a circular motion.

Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel

Tanjirou swung his body across vertically, all the while he used it to block Makomo's quick fourth-form slash.

Still with the momentum going, he continued to spin his body, as he was now within close range of Makomo.

Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool

With a large number of strikes, Tanjirou continued to spin as he unleashed a large number of strikes out toward Makomo.

However, to his shock, Makomo was able to block them all.

"How?!" Tanjirou asked in shock, before he gritted, "No matter, just be fluid, like water. Come on." Tanjirou breathed in once again.

Since Tanjirou was still in the air, he assumed that he would have to remain secure. Clearly, Makomo was skilled in adapting and reacting to other water-breathing forms.

No wonder Makomo was skilled and very adept at this. She knew all the forms to heart, especially when Tanjirou had just learned them all.

Suddenly, Tanjirou realized he was at a disadvantage the entire time.

"So what, I've always had the world against me, I'll show this world I'm something." Tanjirou thought to himself, clearly focusing on whatever he could do.

Water Breathing, Eight Form: Waterfall Basin, Destruction

Almost mimicking Makomo's own strategy, Tanjirou performed the same movement as he landed down safely.

Of course, this caused Makomo to try and strike Tanjirou while he was landing, but he swiped in the direction of Makomo before he charged toward her once his legs recovered from the recoil of landing.

Contact by contact, slashing, and dodging. It was now 15 minutes that had passed, and Tanjirou and Makomo were evenly matched.

Even if Tanjirou was a demon, and Makomo was very skilled in the technicalities of water breathing, they both were at an even tie. Neither had once struck each other.

It was phenomenal that Tanjirou was able to go through it all without feeling much strain to the point that he could continue.

And Makomo was clearly willing to keep this sparing practice going until someone was hit.

It was remarkable, and she clearly was very skilled with water breathing. She and Sabito were both very skilled in water breathing. And Tanjirou was a mere trainee now.

He had to end it, or else Makomo could get the advantage over him.

This was trouble, and clearly, Tanjirou couldn't afford to give her any form of a break. He had to be the one to force her own hands.

Charging, Tanjirou dodged a strike from Makomo, as he side-swiped, holding his blade with both of his hands, he quickly ran, his blade to his side, as he swiped back quickly.

Both he and Makomo were now in a stalemate, as Tanjirou was using both of his arms to strike down Makomo's blade. Of course, this placed a lot of pressure on Makomo, who was clearly shocked at the sudden strength.

Tanjirou could smell the shock coming from Makomo, and so he decided he needed to try and end it here. He had to end it.

In the end, he was able to block Makomo's own blade, and he continued onwards.

Makomo and Tanjirou continued to almost fence, as they were both able to maintain their own stances.

Once Tanjirou struck down, he ducked and rolled out the way, before jumping back up, having dodged a close call with Makomo.

"This is bad… I can't get an opening…" Tanjirou grumbled.

"Come on, smell her scent. Before she can use a breathing technique…" Tanjrou thought to himself, as he was trying to predict the movement of Makomo.

Trying to react was not efficient. He had to proactively dodge over reactively.

And thankfully, he found the opening he needed. All he needed was to close the distance, but also to not make sure Makomo wouldn't just use the sixth form to try and slash in multiple times.

He knew this was something Makomo would use, and he couldn't let her do that again. And so, Tanjirou was trying to find the proper form. All the while he was on the defense from Makomo's own offensive strikes.

Tanjirou knew what to do.

Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust

With such a quick thrust, Tanjirou tried to strike Makomo with thrust, and she raised her blade, managing to collide their blades together.

However, this was something Tanjirou anticipated. He wanted to get into a stalemate like this again, so he continued with his own plan.

Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance

Before Makomo could pull her sword back, Tanjirou used his strength to at least thrust a bit downward. All this time, he was trying to push downwards, before he front flipped.

In the process, he circled and with a vertical slash, managed to knock the blade off of Makomo. All the while he pounced forward, striking Makomo in the chest, having caused the two to tumble.

Tanjirou was on top of Makomo, panting, his blade pointing towards Makomo's neck.

At this, Makomo was shocked at the sudden turns.

"Well, that was a combination I didn't expect from him… That was very smart…" Makomo thought to herself.

She eventually smiled, "Good job Tanjirou, you won."

Tanjirou sighed, "That was hard…"

"Indeed, but you were able to knock my blade off of my hand and catch me under your grasp. That is as much as a win as getting a strike." Makomo smiled.

Tanjirou sighed, as he got back up, and stretched.

"You've improved immensely Tanjirou. You didn't struggle with your strain." Makomo praised Tanjirou.

Tanjirou looked down, clearly a bit unsure about himself. Makomo clearly knew the struggle Tanjirou was dealing with this.

And so, she once again tried to calm and encourage Tanjirou.

"There's nothing wrong with being humble, but that doesn't mean you should look down on yourself, Tanjirou." Makomo smiled at him.

Tanjirou sighed, "I'm sorry, I just… Sometimes I never see good in myself…"

Makomo looked onward, "I can't really put myself in your shoes and see what you are going through. And I certainly cannot tell you how you should feel."

"But."

Tanjirou turned to Makomo, a bit confused. "But…?" He asked, motioned for her to continue.

"You should always try and strive to be the best person you can be. No matter the consequences, the hurdles, or even the pain, you should always move forward. I've seen, how insecure and down you get whenever you think about your sister. I've seen how you've used the dance to keep yourself in a calm manner. I've seen you work yourself hard, to not only be able to finally perform water breathing well, but also to eat human food. I've seen it all." Makomo smiled.

"You are very phenomenal, Tanjirou. You are a strong kid, demon or not. Don't let anyone push you down, in a degrading manner, because you are still just a kid. You're thirteen years old, right?" Makomo asked.

"Yes." Tanjirou nodded, still a bit unsure about how to really decipher everything Makomo was telling him.

"Well, you still have a lot to learn. I can tell that even though you are only thirteen, you have seen the dark side of the world." Makomo smiled sadly whilst trying to comfort Tanjirou. "Don't let the darkness cloud you. Once you see the light, take the step to walk out. Don't let yourself think that you don't deserve it. Every tree, no matter its appearance, deserves light to grow."

Tanjirou's eyes widened at that, as he felt his world open a bit.

Even if he still felt worthless and of no value, he wasn't one to discard what Makomo told him.

"Thank you, Makomo…" Tanjirou looked down, as he felt his eyes a bit wet.

Despite this, he didn't cry. Sure his eyes got wet, but that was the most. He had lost the ability to cry due to the beatings he got from his father…

He had to also grow up, being the eldest brother, so he couldn't cry in front of his family. He was supposed to be the man, especially after their father's death.

Father…

Why was he such a confusing person in Tanjirou's mind?

Why did he seemingly diverge and teach Tanjirou the wrong breathing style? Why did he seemingly hurt Tanjirou more than the others?

And more importantly, why did he say all those hurtful things, and throw him out of the house?

Tanjirou sighed, as before he knew it, he was pushing himself back into the darkness of despair.

But even then, he felt himself in the darkness.

After all, stars shine the brightest in the black, empty space he felt himself in.


A.N / Chapter 11 is done! The first thing to mention is that Tanjirou is finally able to perform water breathing well, without much strain. It was a bit difficult, but once again I wanted to give Tanjirou a bit more struggle and personal growth. Before anyone gets the idea, I wanted to make the most of the limited time Tanjirou and Makomo got together to make them spar and converse.

The second thing, yes Tanjirou will learn the Hinokami Kagura as a breathing style. If anything, he'll probably learn it next chapter. In the meantime, he finally learned water breathing. However, what I do find interesting about his mentality, is that even if Tanjirou was able to perform breathing styles, he still felt unworthy. Makomo was a nice influence, but it's more to be a starting point for people seeing the value and worth in Tanjirou. For a person who believed he had no worth or value in his mind, we'll see Tanjirou becoming more confident in himself, as people believe in him more often.

But alas, he won't completely heal from the darkness he was placed into due to his childhood trauma. This also includes the stress of Nezuko being asleep for a while. At this point, it's been three and a half months since the Kamado Massacre, and half a month since Nezuko fell asleep. Anyways, that's all I have to say, I'll see you all for Chapter 12.


Character Profile:


Tanjirou Kamado: Male, 13 years old

Status: Alive, Demon

Height: 5'5" (165cm)

Weight: 128Ibs

Makomo: Female, 12 years old

Status: Dead, Human (Ghost)

Height: 5'1" (155cm)

Weight: 112Ibs


Abilities:


Tanjirou Kamado and Makomo:

Water Breathing Style: Both Tanjirou and Makomo have begun practicing and sparing towards their water-breathing forms. Tanjirou has shown remarkable progress in being able to perform water breathing, as he no longer suffers from strains as before. In the end, Tanjirou can now perform water breathing on par, maybe just below Makomo, and Nezuko.

Tanjirou Kamado:

Human Food Consumption: During the training of dancing the Hinokami Kagura daily, trying to pray to get Nezuko to wake up. In the process, he has begun to eat and consume human food with the help of Urokodaki. All the time, Tanjirou vomited initially, but as the weeks passed, his body managed to adapt to the human food he consumes. While for now, he isn't able to regain a lot of energy, unless he consumes more edible human food, he is able to consume and regain energy regardless, although he must remain in a resting state and position for around an hour after human food consumption.