The Dancing Star

Chapter 17

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.


Tanjirou's POV


Tanjirou eyed Miyasaki with a stare from his mask.

Nezuko too was eyeing the whole exchange, as Tanjirou looked onwards.

"You are truly a scum, Miyasaki, even as a human," Tanjirou told Miyasaki who merely was getting upset about it.

"Who are you to judge me?" Miyasaki asked, "I outta snap and break your neck for that."

Tanjirou didn't seem threatened in the slightest. "Not if I strike my teeth right on your jugular. Watch you gasp for breath as I consume you." Tanjirou responded.

"Eh? You can't eat demons! Demons eat humans! Wait… No! Demons don't eat each other!" Miyasaki exclaimed in shock.

"Anything is possible." Was all Tanjirou responded as he approached Miyasaki, who was now looking a bit more terrified?

But he quickly thought to himself, "He's just a kid, he can't do much… He's a traitor." Miyasaki concluded. "So is she." He thought as he stared at Nezuko.

Tanjirou looked at Miyasaki with a pure sense of apathy. He didn't care for Miyasaki's motives, considering he had just learned of the unforgivable actions he had done, even as a human.

Misaki sighed, "Well look at this village! Look at how poor everyone is! If I get rid of one of their children, they don't have to spend as many resources, and I get free food!" Miyasaki exclaimed.

"Can you hear yourself, right now?" Tanjirou asked. "The words that just came out of your mouth."

Tanjirou then used his free hand, to stop Miyasaki.

"Enough," Tanjirou explained. "I'm sick of your voice."

With that, Tanjirou raised his blade, Nezuko behind him, as Miyasaki knew he would not be given empathy or sympathy from the two normally nice demon siblings.

Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance

Tanjirou gripped his blade as he sliced his way toward Miyasaki, who merely dodged, clearly not wanting to go anywhere near these demons.

Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel

Nezuko quickly followed suit with an attack of her own, only for Miyasaki to launch himself backward onto a building of an unsuspecting family.

To both Tanjirou and Nezuko's horror, he stomped on the roof of the house, which then caused the roof to collapse, and cause the individuals inside to cry out in shock and horror, as they all tried to run off.

Tanjirou could see that one individual was unfortunate of themselves to get crushed. This immediately angered him.

"This demon values human life so little…" Tanjirou grumbled to himself as he too tried to get up on the roof of the houses.

But it was rather difficult. He didn't even know he could do such athletics and movements.

It seemed Nezuko was having an easier time jumping over the houses to try and catch up with the demon.

All the while Tanjirou ran with his blade on the gravel streets as he spotted the demon jumping from house to house.

The few onlookers looked on in confusion and shock at the commotion going on.

Tanjirou grunted as he steadied his breathing, not wanting to lose focus on the demon trying to run away.

Eventually, Nezuko managed to get close enough to try and strike Miyasaki.

Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin, Destruction

As Nezuko launched herself high in the air, she tried to strike Miyasaki down right there, but her arch was just too small, so he could dodge Nezuko's attack.

However, he forgot to take notice of Tanjirou, who appeared by his side.

Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow

Rushing and launching towards Miyasaki, he was overhead of Miyasaki, with the intent of beheading him right there.

However Miyasaki knew this and had to come up with something, so he stomped down on the building, causing the room to fall below him, and subsequently avoiding Tanjirou's slash.

"What," Tanjirou asked as he carefully landed on the remaining roof. He looked down and heard the screams of humans running through the house.

Tanjirou's eyes widened in shock as if he knew what that entailed.

"Nezuko, come on!" Tanjirou motioned for her quickly, as he jumped down.

And immediately, he could smell and observe the horrified looks of humans, with injuries.

Miyasaki had already, without hesitation chosen to bite into these humans so that he could get the smallest boosts in strength he needed.

This angered Tanjirou greatly.

Seeing the trail of destruction this demon was leaving behind, infuriated him greatly.

"You scum of a demon!" Tanjirou exclaimed, only so that Miyasaki could hear him as he continued to flee, "All you do is take the easy way out!"

Tanjirou continued to chase after Miyasaki, who at this point was surprised how he was able to not even be damaged yet.

Sure, he's killed countless humans, but he's a demon. Isn't that what he's supposed to do?

All in all, Miyasaki was trying to decipher those two. Now, he had to think. There was no real point in fighting demons, especially if they couldn't kill each other.

That left him with the only choice of leaving them out in the sun.

"But that boy doesn't seem that powerful like a demon compared to the girl. Perhaps if I hurt him enough, I might be able to kill him! He has enough humanity in him!" Miyasaki exclaimed in his mind.

Tanjirou watched as Miyasaki stopped running.

"Good," Tanjirou responded as he lifted his blade, preparing to strike.

Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash

Tanjirou tried to give a single-release horizontal slash to try and decapitate Miyasaki right there.

But Miyasaki would not give up that easily.

He ducked low, and grabbed Tanjirou by the legs, surprising him off guard.

"Ack!" Tanjirou yelled, before he ran to the gravel road, avoiding another strike from a panicked Nezuko.

Once Miyasaki got down, he slammed Tanjirou onto the ground, before stomping his legs and thighs, causing Tanjirou to moan in pain, before he sliced Tanjirou right in the eyes.

That was all he could do, as Nezuko had angrily charged Miyasaki.

Tanjirou was fine, albeit hurt, but he would regenerate. He was thankful for the demons he consumed, for if it weren't for them, it wouldn't have stayed awake from them.

Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux

Nezuko coupled her strikes, with each strike causing Miyasaki to back up away from Tanjirou. She didn't care, as she continued to strike Mayasaki away from her brother.

Tanjirou groaned as he got up, eventually feeling his legs come back to him. It took around a minute, and it was only fast now because of the consumption of other demons.

He saw Nezuko fighting across toward Miyasaki, but because of all of his dodging, she was struggling to catch up to him.

Tanjirou got up, grunting. His eye was still hurting, as he kept it closer, but for now, he was able to move his legs.

After all, the demon only stomped on him, and that was something he could heal from.

Tanjirou stood still, as he eyed Miyasaki carefully. This demon was perhaps the strongest of the ones he's faced so far, but that didn't mean anything if he couldn't use a blood demon art.

Otherwise, this demon was limited to this, which he could merely strike with his blade.

At least, that was what he thought.

Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide

Tanjirou had managed to strike Miyasaki with a surprising strike.

But to Tanjirou's shock, he couldn't get the sword to cut through Miyasaki's neck.

"What?" Tanjirou was confused. This confusion was enough for Miyasaki to slash Tanjirou in the chin, causing him to launch backward, sliding across the gravel ground.

"Damnit…" Tanjirou mumbled as he gained his vision yet again.

Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent

Nezujo maneuvered herself, trying to utilize every being of her speed to try and catch up with the demon, which she at least seemed to be able to match Miyasaki's speed.

This was more than Tanjirou's, considering he barely was slower than Miyasaki.

Tanjirou gripped his blade, as he once again started to charge towards Miyasaki. He needed to be careful this time. Not like last time, he knew this demon was a dirty one.

The scummiest of them all.

It made sense. A scummy demon that was once a horrible human being.

Why else should Tanjirou care?

Water Breathing, Eight Form: Waterfall Basin

With Nezuko managing to distract Miyasaki once again, Tanjirou tried to hit him from the side of Miyasaki's sight.

His eyes widened before he felt his side and arms being slashed by Tanjirou's blade.

"Damnit, that kid hit me…" Miyasaki mumbled to himself, clearly not liking how this occurred.

Tanjirou sighed, he could do this.

Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide

Tanjirou tried to slice apart Miyasaki with another form of water breathing.

However, he was too slow, and Miyasaki managed to block his blade.

The problem for Nezuko was that Miyasaki would easily be able to tank her hits.

For some reason, the demon's neck was extraordinarily strong, to the point Tanjirou struggled to slash apart Miyasaki's neck.

It was strange because before he had no problems slashing through a demon's neck.

"Perhaps it would be better for me to try and eat through his muscle?" Tanjirou asked, "Because I noticed that his muscles tense whenever my blade is near him, so maybe his muscle is stronger to better resist blades…" Tanjirou confirmed and thought.

"This means, I either need to overpower it or strike him by surprise before he can even tense his muscles." Tanjirou ended as he was now trying to find a way to slice through Miyasaki, "Not to mention that he probably got that strength from consuming humans whilst running from us."

And so, Tanjirou knew his work was cut out for him. Miyasaki was just very strong compared to even Kento.

Even if Kento was much stronger, he was at least sticking to the insides of his building.

This demon didn't care where he went. All he cared about was surviving, even if it hurt the rest of the village in the process.

"Nezuko, you flank him, I'm going to charge him," Tanjirou told his sister, who nodded.

Nezuko hid behind a building they were hiding behind before Tanjirou revealed himself.

Tanjirou didn't even care for the damages he'd get. He hated this demon and focused on shortening the distance.

The demon was currently tense, as his muscles sprouted out. Tanjirou now knew that slicing this demon's neck would not be easy.

"Get away from me!" Miyasaki exclaimed in rage, once again, stomping, and punching his fists outward with such speed that Tanjirou felt the wind on the side of his head.

It was so close, that Tanjirou flinched, reflectively raising his blade, hoping to strike it.

Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool

Because Miyasaki was now close to Tanjirou, he was performing a fierce whirling motion that eventually generated a whirlpool of air.

Miyasaki had gotten caught in the whirlpool, and Tanjirou aimed for that, slashing and shredding Miyasaki across the body. However, any of those slashes were shallow, for the muscles acted as an absorbent for Tanjirou's slashes.

Tanjirou continued to chase after the demon, all the while he hoped Nezuko was prowling, ready to pound on the demon in question.

"You are wanting to continue this chase, huh?" Miyasaki asked, clearly eyeing Tanjirou with a bit of a tired form.

Tanjirou shrugged, "Until the sun rises."

Water Breathing, Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After the Drought.

With a rather slow, single slash as he moved gracefully through the air, Miyasaki chuckled, as he probably thought Tanjirou was losing his speed and stamina.

But that was until Tanjirou almost sped up.

Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool

Suddenly, Tanjirou began to spin his body rapidly, as another whirlpool began to spiral around Tanjirou, this time moving towards Miyasaki.

Miyasaki was shocked at the sudden twists and tried to dodge, but Tanjirou had lowered the demon's guard just enough to catch him.

Miyasaki growled in pain as these slashes hurt more due to his not tensing his muscles.

"Damnit… That was stupid of me!" Miyasaki mumbled to himself as he continued forward.

Tanjirou finished his strike, clearly not giving any breathing space for the demon.

Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide

Tanjirou continued to flow the strikes together, concentrating them right towards Miyasaki's direction, his slashes and strikes going through multiple motions within a couple of seconds.

This was all that Tanjirou needed, as Miyasaki was only able to dodge the strikes. Even if he tried to run, he would get slashed for the launching phase of running.

Miyasaki was stuck in a conundrum, considering he was in close combat fighting with Tanjirou.

He tried to swipe at Tanjirou's feet, but he trapped the feet of Miyasaki.

Before Miyasaki could even yell in shock, he felt the cold surface of Tanjirou's blade right on his neck. Tanjirou grumbled as he tried to force the blade right into his neck.

But it wasn't enough.

It would take some time for him to channel some demonic strength into his moves, but in the meantime, he wasn't meant to be the main attacker. He was meant to get Miyasaki in a position to only think about his life.

After all, he could only clench and twitch his muscles at such a place.

However, Miyasaki started to claw Tanjirou's torso, and he was forced to kick Miyasaki right into a rubble of a house he had.

Miyasaki moaned in pain at the sudden strikes to his back.

However, Tanjirou within a millisecond had already gotten right in front of Miyasaki's face and pummeled it.

All this time, Tanjirou was waiting to give Miyasaki a piece of his mind.

Every hard-hitting punch he was hitting the demon with was for every time he had hurt his children.

Tanjirou continued, all the while Miyasaki growled in annoyance and panic.

"Stop this!" Miyasaki exclaimed, both in anger and desperation.

Tanjirou wanted to laugh, "How comical. You of all people are begging me to stop?! Wouldn't this be the same thing your children said to you as you laid the beatdown? Huh?!" Tanjirou yelled at the demon, with such ferocity, as if he had a personal connection. It was enough to scre Miyasaki.

"How does it feel being on the opposite end, huh?!" Tanjirou asked in anger, as he felt he was giving the demon a piece of his own medicine.

"Fuck off!" Miyasaki growled as he tried to headbutt Tanjirou.

Bad mistake.

"Arrgh!" Miyasaki exclaimed in pain as he felt his head pulsating in pain.

"You idiot!" Tanjirou responded, "Nothing can hurt my head." Tanjirou smirked behind his mask, before he opened the zipper surrounding his mouth, and started to ruthlessly assault the demon across the body.

Even managing to get a few bites from his shoulder and torso. And when Miyasaki continued to curse Tanjirou, all the boy did was stick his fingers deep into Miyasaki's throat which caused him to go into a coughing fit, easily opening his neck for Tanjirou to bite deep into.

Miyasaki wouldn't be talking for quite a time now, and Tanjirou continued his onslaught, without any room for remorse for the demon, who even as a human was a terrible individual.

Tanjirou once again tried to press the blade on Miyasaki's neck, the demon now traumatized by what Tanjirou did to him.

"I-I need to kill this demon! He's getting stronger by eating me! He gets stronger by eating demons!" Mayasaki exclaimed in his mind, as he panicked and wanted to get out.

But Tanjirou decided to return the favor and break the legs of Miyasaki, stomping on them repeatedly.

That was when Miyasaki finally found an opening.

The side of Tanjirou's neck was exposed as he tried to bite into Miyasaki's face, and he took the opportunity to shoulder Tanjirou's neck.

This caused him to grunt, and stop his motion, which was enough to grab Tanjirou by his torso and face and launch him away to the side. As Tanjirou rolled away, one of the ties to his left ear fell off his ear, causing Tanjirou's face to be exposed to Miyasaki.

Tanjirou rolled on the ground before he stopped. "Damn… I got carried away… I shouldn't have let myself go crazy there… Even if it felt good…" Tanjirou sighed, as he immediately charged toward Miyasaki.

"What part of leaving me alone did you not get?!" Miyasaki exclaimed once again, as the two got into a fistfight.

Tanjirou wasn't the type to fight with his bare fists, but considering he got separated by his blade, he had to use everything at his disposal.

And Tanjirou knew he couldn't let this demon win. This demon without a care in the world did many despicable acts that would not be forgiven.

All this time, Tanjirou fought to give Miyasaki the proper punishment for the pain he had caused his children.

"You are a narcissist. All you care for was yourself. Not even for your children, the people you killed, or even your neighbors. Beneath that façade of charm, you try to put up, it instead lies a heart that feasts on the souls of broken individuals, a predator in the guise of a human, or at least, was a human… Now you are a demon, even more of a monster." Tanjirou told Miyasaki who only looked on in apathy.

"So you figured it out, huh? I'm assuming it's every time you consume a part of me…" Miyasaki asked his expression now serious. He wasn't trying to act smug, or content, he was now showing a sense of hatred.

"I try to pursuit my power, but everyone tramples on the hearts of those who dared to love them!" Miyasaki exclaimed.

"You see yourself as a deity for this village, absolute scum," Tanjirou growled.

"Hehe… I see now… You were a useless kid, too." Miyasaki grinned, but this time, it caught Tanjirou off guard. "You're a useless kid, hehe. No wonder you have this job. You can't even be a demon right."

Tanjirou's eyes widened at that. The demon, through some form of manipulation, or he was just extraordinary at deciphering people, had figured out Tanjirou.

"You have no purpose in this world, like those kids I had… Those two songs… They were so lazy, being unable to move crates of food… Unable to pick up water from the river without getting into fights… The boys were so useless… At least the girls gave a lot of money with their bodies…"

Tanjirou growled all the while Miyosaki smirked, "But you were nothing."

"Nothing you ever did was good enough, huh? In the end, you still got the beating and punishment a useless being like you deserved." Miyasaki was having a field day now. "Look at you? So pathetic."

He then picked up Tanjirou's nirchirin blade and tossed it back to him. "You can't even properly decapitate me. How useless can you truly be?"

Miyasaki eyed Tanjirou as he continued, "Trust me, kid, if you were in this village, you would have just been dumped in the river upon birth. Nobody in their right mind would love a useless, monster like you."

"That birthmark is so ugly! I bet I couldn't have even sold you off to get married to a girl!" Miyasaki chuckled.

While the words weren't anything new to Tanjirou, it was now hitting areas where he never knew they could hit.

But he was right. Tanjirou was never truly loved by his parents, ever since he was four. He had lost the feeling as he grew up, as it was replaced by the fears of cold surfaces of utensils or even the hot, burning surface of the coal he would burn and sell.

"Please, you are just as useless as my once daughter…" Miyasaki sighed, "She had purple eyes, and black, long, unraveled hair. All she did was give this wide-eyed stare with her purple pupils. She was so unremarkable, that I had to wait until she was a bit older to sell her off." He explained, "But at least being bland has its quirks. You on the other hand- "He pointed right at the birthmark of Tanjirou, "No dice. The only fate for you would have been death."

There were times when Tanjirou did feel like dying. When he was kicked out of the house and running down the mountain during a blizzard, he would feel himself almost going into hypothermia. When he was being burned by coal, he worried that would be it.

When he was being lashed, all it took was for his father to say he was done with him, and that was that.

Tanjirou eyed the demon, carefully putting his mask back on to hide his face from Miyasaki.

"Demon," Tanjirou mumbled. "I couldn't even call you one. You are just an irredeemable monster." Tanjirou started.

"That I am, but at least I have worth unlike you, kid," Miyasaki smirked. "At least in my family, I was beloved by my family and not seen as a monster. Not my fault you were a failure for your family."

Tanjirou sighed deeply, lifting his blade, "You have no right to talk to me anymore, you scum of a being." Tanjirou calmly spoke, as he focused on the demon.

Screw Nezuko going in for the attack, he would be the one to slice his neck, as ruthlessly as he could.

However, that was when Nezuko showed up.

It seemed that the conversation was enough to get Miyasaki distracted.

Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin

With a mighty leap from a roof, Nezuko launched herself down towards Miyasaki, who merely, upon panicking once he realized he had forgotten about the sister sibling.

"Shit!" Miyasaki exclaimed in shock.

While he did manage to move out of the way, it pushed him right into the grasp of Tanjirou.

Tanjirou, after all of the commotion and insulting he had gone through by Miyasaki, was willing to give the final blow. He was ecstatic to do such a thing.

He felt his demonic strength now coursing through his body. It seems to have taken quite some time, but the accumulation of all the demons he had eaten to finally see a difference in his strength was satisfying.

When Miyasaki looked behind him, he didn't see Tanjirou, only seeing him overhead of him.

Water Breathing, Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent

As Tanjirou was over Miyasaki, and before the demon even realized it, he gripped his blade, and with his demonic strength coursing towards his hands and arms, plunged the sword directly into the neck of Miyasaki.

Unlike before, Miyasaki's eyes widened.

"Shit! That kid! I shouldn't have been so cocky and confident! Otherwise, I wouldn't be in this situation!" Miyasaki exclaimed in shock, as this time he felt the blade plunging deeper and deeper into his neck.

Tanjirou grunted, giving it his all, before he felt the smoothness and lack of friction once again. He had put so much strength that the head of Miyasaki and his body had also been pushed a bit in the direction he had struck out.

Miyasaki's eyes were surprised, as he felt his head fall to the ground, his body shortly afterwards.

At this, Tanjirou merely eyed Miyasaki, "What was that about me not being able to decapitate my opponents correctly?" He asked a bit smug, considering after all the torment the demon had just given him.

"Shut up… Let me die in peace…" Miyasaki mumbled.

Tanjirou smirked, "How about now, my voice will be the last thing you hear before you go to hell, scum."

"Is that so?" Was all Miyasaki asked? He was now showing an apathetic side of himself.

It was evident to Tanjirou after he understood just what kind of demon he was dealing with.

Of course, he would be apathetic.

"You eat the demons you kill, huh?" Miyasaki asked yet again.

"Yes. But only those I sympathize with." Tanjirou explained. "Only to those I consume fully do I understand their stories and remember them. But now you. I'll eat you in a way I'll forget about scum like you."

"Hehe. So you'll just let me burn up?" Miyasaki asked, clearly a bit smug about having a mostly painless death.

"Nope." And with that, Tanjirou plunged the blade deep into the body and head of Miyasaki.

"Ack! Ow! Stop!" Miyasaki yelled in pain, at the sudden feeling.

"Nope, you'll have to beg with your shortening and decreasing life," Tanjirou explained, with a cold look. A cold, and calculating face behind a mask that showed no sympathy nor hatred.

It was just as if he was not acknowledging him as an individual.

"Hey! I'm someone you know! Even if you decapitated me- Ow! You will still be useless! You-Kf- will still be a failure! I'm more of a person than you are!" Tanjirou continued to plunge his blade deep into the body of Miyasaki, as he began to disintegrate.

"Curse you! You worthless child!" Miyasaki yelled out his final words, and all the while Tanjirou stopped.

He sighed, as he eyed his now bloodied blade, with the blood of Miyasaki.

With that, he licked the blood off of his blade, consuming the blood of the demon he just slayed. The blade also had a bit of Miyasaki's skin on it, so Tanjirou ate that as well.

It wasn't as much as what he got when he consumed the other demons' bodies, but at least he gave Miyasaki the death he deserved.

And besides, because of the number of times Tanjirou stabbed Miyasaki, his blade had quite an amount of body parts on it.

All Tanjirou was doing was cleaning his blade. No reason else.

As Tanjirou sighed. He then turned to Nezuko, who immediately hugged Tanjirou.

But what happened next shocked Tanjioru.

"I'm so sorry I attacked later brother… But when he started saying those things to you, I froze…" Nezuko sobbed in Tanjirou's arms.

All the while Tanjirou's eyes widened in what he was hearing.

"N-Nezuko…?" Tanjirou asked, causing Nezuko to stop her crying and turn to face him.

"Yes, brother?" Nezuko tilted her neck.

"Y-You can talk…?" Tanjirou asked. Nezuko gave her brother a confused look, trying to speak out of her mouth, only for grunts to come out.

"I heard what you said Nezuko, just do what you did last time!" Tanjirou exclaimed in hope. Suddenly, the feeling of worthlessness and failure he was feeling due to Miyasaki's ruthless verbal jab at him temporarily was gone because of the excitement at the possibility of his sister being able to communicate with him once again.

"Brother? What's wrong?" Nezuko asked, clearly not using her mouth.

She was using something else to talk to Tanjirou, but what?

"I don't hear anything from you using your mouth or something… But what?" Tanjirou asked.

"Like this?" Nezuko asked.

"Yes, like that," Tanjirou answered Nezuko's question, before her eyes too widened, as if she was shocked to see Tanjirou understand her.

Regardless of the circumstances, Tanjirou was at least glad he was able to talk to his sister.

"Perhaps it's all in my head…" Tanjirou told himself before he heard Nezuko chuckle.

"It is in your head, just like how it's in my head," Nezuko explained.

"Wait, what?" Tanjirou asked, clearly a bit confused. "So like, it's all in our heads? Like mental communication?"

"I think so? I don't know as much as you do, brother." Nezuko explained.

Tanjirou sighed, "Well that's annoying… You better not be hearing my thoughts…"

"Haha, can't promise anything brother, but seriously you need to think more positively about yourself," Nezuko commented, catching Tanjirou off guard.

"Right… I guess she heard that…" Tanjirou thought to himself.

"I did," Nezuko responded, once again catching Tanjirou off guard.

"Shut up," Tanjirou responded right afterward, causing Nezuko to laugh, the sound echoing inside of his mind.


Giyu's POV


"Tomioka~" Giyu did his best to suppress a groan coming from his mouth, as he once again heard the sound of, what she often called, the Butterfly Doctor.

Giyu would rather call her the annoying doctor.

"What is it, Kocho?" Giyu asked, clearly not wanting to talk to her.

"Oh nothing, just noticed how you once again are all alone." The short, petite woman explained.

"I'm fine with that," Giyu explained.

"Ara ara~, talking to me you are fine with?" Shinobu smirked, and Giyu sighed.

"No, I was talking about being fine with being alone," Tanjirou explained.

"Oh come on, Tomioka, open up a bit." Shinobu continued to pursue Giyu into conforming to her standards.

Giyu sighed, as he was still waiting outside of the Ubuyashiki Mansion. He once again had to speak to Kagaya so that he could update him on the whereabouts of Tanjirou and Nezuko.

All those times, he was receiving updates from mainly Urokodaki. Urokodaki by contrast, would get the information from many of the crows.

The first demon they killed was around three days later, and to their surprise, it was a bystander demon. A random demon they encountered along the way to the specific demon the crow had toured them towards.

The fact that they had gone out the orders to slay more demons, further cemented their beliefs on their morals being very human. They continued to monitor the progress of the demon siblings, which all the while, were proving themselves with every demon they defeated.

But when Giyu was not looking over the demon siblings, he was usually on his own. That was the overall image he picked up from almost everyone in the Hashira's. It was quite the time whenever a Hashira meeting was called, mainly because of the interactions between them all.

But through it all, Giyu was the only one who usually remained quiet. He usually was the one who did not speak, unless necessary.

And that was what he did. He would usually watch the rest of the Pillars interact with each other like they were friends who had not seen each other for a while.

But Giyu saw them more as just coworkers he interacted with and fought alongside. That was that.

Sure some of them had other ventures, but that was that.

All this time, Giyu remained in his estate alone, but content. That was how he liked it.

The newest pillars, Mitsuri and Muichiro seemed to have already found their place within the Pillars.

Mitsuri in particular seemed to have gotten close to Iguro and Tengen, she was already close friends with Kyojuro.

Meanwhile, Muichiro seemed to have befriended Gyomei and his tsuguko, Genya.

All the while, this left Giyu once again to be on his own, with more people making everything a lot more complicated than he wanted.

In the end, he was specifically focused on the demon siblings, and his sensei, Urokodaki.

He didn't necessarily need to befriend the other pillars. And he was fine with that.

Plus, the fact that Iguro and Sanemi also hated his guts did not help the matter. And even if Shinobu was being nice to him, he could tell she had a lot of hidden hatred towards him for all the times he's wasted her time with the pointless chatter sometimes.

No doubt it was a waste of time.

However, as of right now, he was heading to the Butterfly Mansion, clearly sighing in anticipation. He had remembered that he suffered a particular wound on his back and side.

Giyu wouldn't say whether it was intentional or not, but what he did know was that his battle against the demon became a lot easier afterward, since the demon seemed disgusted as Giyu approached him.

Using the demon's distraction, Giyu managed to slay the demon right then and there, but Giyu did realize that the wounds were rather persistent and that they didn't heal.

That was perhaps a sign that it was poison. Giyu suspected and thus decided to just wrap something to prevent the blood from falling out.

It worked, and since Giyu didn't feel like his body wasn't getting weaker, he assumed he was clear of any poison.

But that didn't mean his wounds hurt. They did.

Perhaps he should get it checked out.

He sighed, and after steeling himself, he turned to the woman in question. "Kocho." Giyu started.

This caused Shinobu to be a bit surprised, before she smiled, "What is it, Tomioka? Must be serious if you are willing to call for me." Giyu sighed at that. He somewhat hated how Shinobu always narrated and exaggerated these kinds of things.

He wasn't a loner, damnit. He was just very quiet.

"I may need your assistance with an injury," Giyu explained.

"Oh? Is that so? You don't look so injured." Shinobu responded. Giyu sighed, "Yeah, it still stings even though I wrapped it up."

"Is that so?" Shinobu asked, "Very well, I'll see what I can do."

With that, Shinobu motioned for Giyu to follow her.

Upon entering the Butterfly Mansion, Giyu immediately felt a bit uncomfortable being inside. Compared to the estate he lives in, it is much more lively,

Giyu and Shinobu walked on the path, noticing a bird's nest right next to the entrance. It was quite a large building.

It was the second largest of all the buildings, besides the Ubuyashiki Estate.

Upon entering, Giyu immediately recoiled at the loud noises that were going on in the mission.

He saw three figures running around, clearly having the times of their lives. They were children, who were mostly focusing on the medical fields of everything.

Many within the Butterfly Estate were established health professionals, using the area to act as a treatment center for injured demon slayers.

Giyu knew of the three children: Sumi Nakahara, Kiyo Terauchi, and Naho Takada.

All three were coined alongside some others, as the Butterfly Sisters.

Despite this, none of them were related in the slightest. They were all adopted by the Flower Pillar, Kanae Kocho, who was the supposed leader of the Butterfly Estate.

Shinobu Kocho was someone who specialized in medicine. She is the leading doctor of the mansion. All those times, she was usually the one either experimenting on drugs or working on patients.

Then there was a girl, a bit older than Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho, but younger than that of Shinobu and Kanae, a black-haired girl with a blue butterfly pin, and blue eyes staring directly at him.

She was a bit of a strict individual, as she was a caretaker of the mansion. She cooked, and took care of the injured demon slayers, acting also as a nurse.

The final girl was a relatively quiet girl that put even Giyu himself challenges.

This girl had a green and pink hairclip on her black hair. However, her eyes were purple with a darker purple haze. She wore a purple kimono, all the while maintaining a rather small smile.

But even with that small smile, she didn't mean it.

It kind of reminded Giyu of Shinobu.

But her name was Kanao Tsuyuri, the tsuguko of Kanae and, to a lesser extent, Shinobu.

Even then, Kanao was acting more as a demon slayer over assistants. That doesn't mean she didn't try. Kanae always encouraged Kanao to do more hobbies than just demon slaying.

Right now, Kanae and Shinobu are preparing Kanao for the Final Selection, a relatively serious event necessary to officially become a demon slayer.

Almost immediately, Giyu began to think about the demon siblings he had… The two ironically might have escaped the fate of the hand demon, for they had completely different requirements to become demon slayers.

But then again, one could say they had it more difficult, because of the circumstances they were under. Regardless, Giyu found himself thinking about them, hoping they are doing alright,

Giyu sighed as he continued onwards, walking with Shinobu to a specific room.

Eventually, Shinobu talked to him, "Alright, take off your clothing."

Giyu raised an eyebrow at that, ignoring the slight red blush Shinobu had on her cheek before he sighed.

"I think you meant, to show you the injuries," Giyu explained and reconfirmed for Shinobu, who nodded. And so, Giyu took off his shirt and showed Shinobu the wound on his lower right back and side.

"Huh, and you wrapped it up yourself?" Shinobu asked.

"Yes," Giyu answered Shinobu.

"I see. Well, I'll have to disinfect it first. Knowing you, you just covered it as tightly as you could." Shinobu explained, now looking for a look of confirmation on Giyu's face.

He didn't want to admit Shinobu had gotten him right on the spot.

"Alright, you know the drill Tomioka, this will sting for a bit, but you know I don't harm my patients," Shinobu explained with a smile.

"That is besides the one time you thought it would make sense to insert wisteria in my a " Giyu was going to respond, but Shinobu shushed him.

"You don't need to hold grudges, Tomioka~" Shinobu smiled at that, before Giyu sighed.

"Arm…" Giyu finished, clearly remembering how painful that feeling was.

He didn't even know a flower could prick him that hard, especially internally.

In the end, Shinobu didn't do anything malicious, at least for now. Once the disinfectant was removed, Shinobu sighed.

"Seems you ended up with a small infection. The area around your wound is inflamed, but it's nothing too serious. Just expect a bit of consistent and reoccurring pain in the area. I'll give you some anti-bacterial medication to help deal with the risks of medication." Shinobu explained giving Giyu some medication for his wounds,

"Thanks, Kocho." Giyu nodded before he got up and was about to walk out, but not before Shinobu's voice caught the attention of him.

"You didn't get the injury by your own hands, did you?" Shinobu asked.

This caused Giyu to stop, to remain in place, before he sighed. "Perhaps not directly. But I did let the demon get a hit with the intention of using my blood to distract him."

Shinobu sighed in shame. "Why? Why do you always make the excuse that your blood is different… You are not a marechi like Shinazugawa…" Shinobu sighed.

"Perhaps… But I have had demons call my blood disgusting." Giyu explained, trying to get his point across.

"There's no such thing, Tomioka. Perhaps even demons hate you… Just like everyone~" Shinobu teased Giyu, who only sighed, turning his back and walking out.

"Make sure you take care of yourself, Tomioka…" Shinobu then told Giyu just before he went out the door.

Once again, this caused him to stop what he was doing, and reflect on what Shinobu was telling him.

All he could do was nod and be on his way.

It was strange seeing Shinobu show some care for Giyu, but he knew that she didn't mean it well. She was just doing her job as a doctor.

As Giyu walked away, he stared down at the medication Shinobu had given him, all the while the words of what she had told him as he walked out echoed in his mind.

All Giyu could do was try and walk away, but even then she caught up to him, saying the exact words he tried so hard to avoid.

But like an annoying insect, it came back and reared its head to ruin their day.

After a bit of time standing around and doing nothing, Giyu decided to speak to Oyakata-sama once again and inform them of the progress Tanjirou and Nezuko were making.

Thankfully, he was able to walk there on his own, and not many other Pillars were out, meaning he wouldn't be distracted whatsoever,

And once he made it, he knocked quietly on the door.

Because Giyu and Oyakata-sama began to talk more about the updates to Tanjirou and Nezuko, they were able to converse more often.

And so when Giyu was let in by Amane Ubuyashiki, he thanked the wife of Oyakata-sama, and he eventually sat down to see the master in a similar position.

"Ah, Tomioka, it's good to see you again my child, I'm assuming you have more to tell me about regarding the demon siblings?" He asked.

Giyu nodded at that, "Yes, I do."

"Is it about their progress?"

"Yes, Oyakata-sama." Giyu nodded.

Then, Kagaya smiled at Giyu, "You don't have to tell me about their progress. Many of the crows that are sent usually return here, before they are either set free or sent to a new trainer. Because many of these crows are coming back, then it means that the demon siblings are maintaining their human instincts, and defeating the demons we are sending them to defeat." Kagaya explained. "So, I already have an idea of how well they are doing."

Giyu sighed, as he observed that Oyakata-sama had indeed been keeping his eye on the demon siblings.

"So, then how are they?" Giyu asked.

"I only know as much as you, Tomioka." Kagaya explained, before he pondered, "Though we can speculate, with the crows always watching over them, and making sure they are doing their jobs accordingly, I can admit I haven't heard of any complaints from the crows that the two have eaten humans." Kagaya explained.

"If anything, the crows tell me about how the boy eats and consumes demons. They've told me that he's getting stronger as he consumes demons." Kagaya explained.

Giyu pondered, "I did warn him that I wouldn't go against that, but I don't necessarily know of the risks that accompany Tanjirou's consumption of demons."

"I see, but besides that, I don't see any threat the two demons have now. Whilst I can understand there may be risks with them, perhaps it's my intuition. Plus I want to believe that there are demons out there who want to retain their humanity." Kagaya explained, once again smiling at this.

Little did Giyu know, some demons were just that. Kagaya knew of this and believed that Tanjirou and Nezuko were another example of this.

Once Giyu had finished his talk with Kagaya, he then asked Giyu for one more thing.

"Hey, Tomioka?" Kagaya asked suddenly.

"Yes?" Giyu asked as he turned to face Kagaya.

"How are your injuries?" Kagaya asked.

Giyu looked a bit uncertain, "It's fine. They're fine, Kocho has given me some medication in case of some infections."

"I see. Now, have they believed you about your, condition?" Kagaya asked.

Giyu for his part scratched his head, "I tried to tell Kocho, but she didn't believe me."

Kagaya's smile disappeared, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's whatever, this condition's helped me with my job, and that's all that matters," Giyu explained.

It was here did Kagaya looked a bit concerned, "Are you sure that those injuries are all due to demons?" Kagaya asked.

Giyu looked a bit confused at what master was telling him, but he shrugged, "Yes, all due to demon attacks."

Kagaya sighed, "I can't believe that Tomioka." Kagaya responded, "I've been told by Kocho that some of your injuries were from a nirchirin blade. Meaning that you would have given yourself some of those injuries."

Giyu looked onward, remaining quiet.

At this, Kagaya sighed, "Tomioka, I'm not going to be the one to criticize you, but I am informing you of this for your health. Nobody here wants to lose a Hashira." Kagaya explained. "I don't want to see another one of my children have to retire, knowing they could have lived a better life outside of this," Kagaya explained.

"Even if you are living the life of a demon slayer, I want to make sure you live the best life you can have," Kagaya added.

Giyu nodded to Kagaya, "Thank you for that." He nodded, giving the master a nod, before he went out.

And so, Giyu decided to go over to Urokodaki's as he had decided it would be best to also inform him of the status of the two demons.

This was approximately a couple of months after the starting the mission, and so a year has passed since the two demons were turned and started their training. Even though neither looked like they physically aged, they ultimately did during the time, as they learned quite a new stuff.

And so, after a week of taking the medication to make sure his back was fine, Giyu began to make his way out.

That was when he ran into the three figures of the Butterfly Estate.

Kanae, Shinobu, and Kanao.

"Kocho? Tsuyuri?" Giyu acknowledge the two before he realized the two were eyeing him a bit. "Is there anything else you need?"

Kanae was the first to nod, as she took a step forward, albeit with a struggle, placing a bit more effort on her left leg.

Giyu noticed that. Seems her right leg would never be fully recovered or fully functional after her encounter with Upper Moon Two. At least she was still alive, and able to fight demons.

"I've heard of your recent incident with a demon, did you take your medication as Shinobu prescribed you?" Kanae asked.

Giyu nodded, "I did." He then took out the empty canister.

"How can I be sure you didn't consume them all, or flushed them out on a river or something?" Shinobu asked.

"Well, either I would be dead, or in a worse condition," Giyu explained.

"Oyakata-sama informed me that you would be heading out to meet with your teacher." Shinobu explained, "So I wanted to make sure you were proper and healthy to be able to go on your own."

"I see," Was all Giyu explained.

"Full body inspection." Kanae then added, which caused a tick to form on Shinobu's head.

Giyu noticed this and booed Shinobu's forehead, "Careful Kocho, won't want to catch a wrinkle at such a young age, right?"

"Just get inside and we'll check over your health." Shinobu sighed. "Also, Oyakata-sama told me to inspect your blood carefully. Once again, I feel like there's nothing wrong with your blood."

Giyu sighed, "Master's orders."

And so, Shinobu checked over Giyu's body to make sure the injuries were healing and they were.

"They seem to be healing at a proper rate, and so I think this will allow you to properly be able to move on your own," Shinobu explained.

"Not that I wasn't doing that before I even came and informed you about the injury." Giyu deadpanned.

"Do you want me to put you in a bed in one of the rooms?" Shinobu asked with a smile that radiated murderous intent.

"Please do, and kill me while you have the chance," Giyu responded as he got up, ignoring the shocked tone of Shinobu.

"Wait a second, Tomioka. I'm not done with you." Shinobu started.

"Well, I am," Giyu responded as he forced the door open and was met with the shocked faces of Kanao and Kanae.

"Once again, Kocho and Tsuyuri, anything you need?" Giyu asked.

"Not really, we're just here to make sure you don't run away from the check-up, since you have quite the history of avoiding medical scannings," Kanae explained.

"Why is Tsuyuri here?" Giyu asked.

"She just wanted to go where I was going," Kanae explained.

"I see." Was all Giyu explained, noting the coin in Kanao's palm?

"Well then, Kocho said I was good, so I'll take my leave." With that, Giyu decided to go, but before he could, Shinobu caught up.

"Giyu Tomioka!" Shinobu yelled to him, causing him to stop, and the two bystanders to look at their sister in shock.

"Yes, Kocho?" Giyu slowly turned back to face the biggest hurdle in his life so far.

Well… the shortest hurdle…

Shinobu Kocho. Such a small prick on his backside everywhere he goes.

"You didn't let me finish telling you about your medical report!" Shinobu explained.

Giyu sighed, as he turned around to see Kanae blocking his way out, and Kanao just watching everything occur.

"What is the other thing you want to talk to me about?" Giyu asked.

Shinobu twitched, "You seem to know yourself very well, Tomioka. Frankly, I shouldn't be letting you go with the other information I've given you."

Giyu steeled himself, before he eyed Shinobu, "And what is it you want to inform me about?"

Shinobu sighed, as she stared at Giyu, wanting to make this clear.

"I've spotted some scars across your body," Shinobu explained.

"So what? They're from fighting demons." Giyu responded, not making a big deal out of this.

"Is that so? Then why do some of these injuries seem to be caused by a nirchirin blade?" Shinobu asked once again.

Giyu shrugged, "Sparring accident, the nails of a demon, or even using my sword to get the demons distracted."

That caused Kanae's eyes to widen slightly at that, "Wait what, that sounds like Shinzaugawa…"

Giyu looked onward. "It is. Once again because my blood is special."

"Once again, I don't believe that." Shinobu explained, "At least, not until I get some more into the tests I've done."

Giyu sighed, "I guess, but can I go to see my sensei, now?" He asked.

Shinobu nodded, "Go ahead, but make sure you stop hurting yourself."

At this, Giyu was turned around, but he stopped for a bit, before he sighed, and then left.

He didn't necessarily care if Shinobu had found out. All she'll do is just annoy him further.

It was just how his life was.

And so, he began to make his way up to eventually see Urokodaki.


Douma's POV


It was rather a devious plan of his that Douma had for some time been planning. It was even more impressive for himself and the other demons that had been participating in such an action for quite some time.

How his master had yet to think about doing such a deed was a disgrace.

But alas, it was something Douma himself would fix. If you can't rely on someone to do something, do it yourself.

And that was exactly what Douma was doing.

In fact, in recent times, Douma had been trying his best to be as devious as he could for now. The reason was rather simple. He had been looked down upon by many within the Twelve Kizuki.

Considering Douma was meant to be a very powerful demon, the third strongest demon, not being able to beat a human in a one-on-one, was humiliating.

The highest of the highest demons had the reputation that no human alone had ever stood a chance against them.

For that one Flower girl to keep him off until sunrise was humiliating.

A simple battle, against a Hashira, that Douma had failed, and almost lost. By sheer fault of Douma's error, the Flower Hashira had managed to get away, whilst Douma was severely injured, desperately seeing him needing more of Muzan's blood.

It was an embarrassment for Douma, and he wanted revenge. He would never forget the individual who had caused him embarrassment, and humiliation for quite some time. Even to this day, he has Akaza and even some of the Lower Moons laughing at him for the event. The fact that he was being tested for his strength was now a testament to the humiliation he felt.

Heck, even the demon king himself was looking down on Douma, considering he needed the demon king to keep himself in this position.

And so, he began to plot. Plot against the girl who embarrassed him. It was everything he found ironic.

How ironic everything was.

"That girl was at least pretty." Was all Douma could say, and was the only redeeming quality he could see from the girl that had beaten him up. Then again, Douma had a pretty poor opinion of women regardless.

He never really cared for them. Even the charisma he always had, it was all a façade. He never really saw the point of emotions.

And so, he had been working alongside some other demons, those lower ranked to not make Muzan suspicious. As for what he was doing, he could best describe it as a way to get back at that demon slayer.

That damned Flower Hashira had cost Douma his reputation and respect, as now both demon slayers and demons alike saw him as pathetic.

Both saw him as not fit for his Upper rank, but considering he survived whereas those of the lower moon came and went, he was just hoping many of them would ultimately perish before they persisted.

Upper Moons were meant to be the Hashira killers, and any instance of a Hashira living against a demon slayer was a sign of weakness. For Douma, that meant many demons trying to fight him, with the hopes of defeating him to take his place as the Upper Moon Two.

Of course, Douma would not allow this. He would not let Akaza try and take over his position.

It was something he just couldn't allow, for he needed to keep his position strong.

Unfortunately, it seemed that he had managed to find a certain group of Lower moons that had stuck for a usual amount of time. The result was that he was being made fun of by the other demons for not being able to eliminate one Hashira.

One may think the others are hypocrites for laughing, however, since many of the Upper Moons are meant to be the ones to eliminate the Hashira-level demon slayer corps, it was as if Douma had failed his job.

And so, as Douma continued with his plans, he was doing this for one, proving himself, and two, getting revenge on the other demons who had disrespected him. He was also needing to make sure he was shown to be strong so that this wouldn't happen again.

He would find that flower girl, and kill her, maybe even absorbing her for his pleasure. He had to admit the girl was very pretty, and would probably taste good.

After all, Douma was, to an extent, a narcissist, and he was selfish in his desires. He's even had his cult before, where he would feast on them. He brought the worst desires out of people, and they died for it. That the deal with his cult was because of his eyes. How entrancing. Everything he did was martyred.

Douma chuckled, thinking of the possibilities of what could happen when his plans are put into effect. Though, with this, he did have quite a question.

Would some of the Hashira be sent over to contain the issue? If that's the case, then that would theoretically give Douma to perfect opportunity to seek revenge and finally kill the Hashira responsible for his embarrassment and humility.

Douma chuckled, as he nodded towards the demons who would be the ones to carry out the mission.

"Oh, how these are the best kinds of work, the ones where everyone else, except you, does all the work, while you sit down and watch everything unfold." Douma chuckled as he was waiting for everything.

"What are you laughing about?" Douma turned to see the sister of Lower Moon 6, Daki.

"Just a plan to seek revenge on the one who's embarrassed me," Douma explained. He chuckled maniacally, as if not caring if Daki was weirded out or not.

Daki, for her part, never tried to care about what Douma did. He was a dangerous individual, almost on par with the demon king, and so Daki knew that whatever Douma was doing, just let him do whatever. Even the demon king would be unable to maintain and stop Douma from doing what he wanted.

Douma was just too powerful and worth too much to be a troublemaker.

And so, they found it worth keeping him around over kicking him out or killing him.

And so, Daki went by, wanting to talk to her brother or even Akaza. Anyone else except for Douma that she ran into.

Douma chuckled as he continued with his plight. He began to head out of the mansion where he stayed. As much as he wanted to use Nakime, he decided against it, as he wanted to make this as private as possible. In doing so, in the event it goes wrong, he doesn't care, and at best, he's praised by everyone.

And so, as Douma continued with his endeavors, he was sure to avoid the two individuals who were more powerful and respected than him. Once everything was working out, Douma would be glad to see the reaps of benefit he would be receiving.

"So, when are we exploding the wisteria up?" One of the demons asked Douma.

Douma smirked, "Oh when the newest recruits of the demon slayers are to be trying. So, when the Final Selection occurs. This'll allow you all and the demons trapped inside to combine and kill all those recruits. That'll send a message to the corps, that their resistance is futile."

"But how would this help you regain your respect from that Hashira?" The demon asked, clearly regretting it once Douma stared at them in anger, evident in his rainbow, colorful eyes.

"Now, now, let's not get too ahead of ourselves, alright?" Douma chuckled at the demon as he pointed to him.

"Now you get the honors of being the first line of offense!" Douma chuckled eagerly, now wanting this demon to reap his own words.

"Uh, don't you mean-" The demon cut himself off before he could dig himself a deeper grave. "My apologies, very well." That was what he said instead. Douma chuckled. It reminded him back when he was the cult leader. He loved and eyed the whole progress of everything.

Douma chuckled as he saw the demon runoff. "Oh the joys of running everything based on fear, how strong such emotion is."

With that, he was nearing the completion of his plan, to hopefully secure his place and respect back.

He knew that the flower pillar girl had too much of a good heart. He knew she would be among the first to want to help the recruits, and he knew she would recognize him and want to fight him, this time to finish him.

All that talk of feeling pitiful would be the downfall of those who felt cocky.

And Douma would be the only one capable of performing such a feat.

Once he got the go, he was ready, born ready, for a second rematch. This isn't a matter of being ordered around by a boss, but rather it was an intrinsic motivation for one's self-image, and Douma needed this regardless.

He would, inevitably, get his revenge, and respect. If he didn't now, he will eventually.

"Remember, if you see a girl with a butterfly pin, let me deal with them. I want all the revenge I can get." Douma warned some of the demons near him.

And so, after quite the amount of preparation, Douma finally managed to finish what he had taken around a year to prepare.

He eyed the mountain of interest, the very mountain where many new demon slayers or soon-to-be demon slayers go to become one.

Alas, Douma knew that this would cause an event to the point where the Hashira would have to intervene.

And if Douma was lucky enough, the very Flower Pillar will be the one he meets yet again, and while everything happens, he can take the fatal blow towards the Flower Pillar, and absorb her.

Douma was an intelligent individual when he was serious.

But his life always felt like a façade. Never to be taken seriously.

Hell, he was immediately cherished as a cult leader because of his appearance. For the most part, Douma was a mostly gifted and praised individual.

In the end, all Douma was, was a cult leader. He couldn't take life seriously when he had people who helped him do what he did already.

Perhaps that was the tragedy in his life. All in all, Douma was a creature who was just confused with the emotions of revenge and respect.

All the time, he wanted respect, just like the times during the cult, and revenge, for the humiliation he had undergone because of the Flower Pillar.

And for Douma, he had his mission set.

He would kill the Flower Hashira, with everything he's got.

Douma was no longer showing charisma right now.


A.N / Uh oh, it looks like Douma wants revenge on Kanae, this might be a problem. There was a lot of stuff that happened in this chapter, the finishing fight between Tanjirou, Nezuko, and Miyasaki, the interactions between Shinobu and Giyu yet again, and finally, Douma's hatred for Kanae. There's a lot of stuff coming up, and I hope this leads and gives a foreshadowing for what's to come.

I don't have much else to say other than Here's the chapter. We are reaching the Final Selection plot, albeit without the Final Selection, for now. I know it's rather anticlimactic, but I think the action and plot will make up for it, and it will make sense in my opinion.

As for other plots, Giyu, Shinobu, and Kaguya are relatively important for now, and Douma's planning is a proper foreshadowing.

The part with Tanjirou and Miyasaki is my favorite part of the story so far. I like how some people impact other people, such as losing their emotions and sanity because it shows the primal nature of those when pushed into a corner. Not that it's fun to see, but it is nice to imagine sometimes, and for Tanjirou, this goes to his evolving demonic nature, and his emotions. Finally, Nezuko can talk to Tanjirou through her mind! Win!

Anyways, see you for Chapter 18!


Character Profile:


Miyasaki: Male, unknown age (50 years old probably)

Status: Dead, Demon.

Height: 5'8" (172cm)

Weight: 155Ibs

Cod: Killed by Tanjirou and Nezuko.

Tanjirou Kamado: Male, 14 years old

Status: Alive, Demon.

Height: 5'5" (165cm)

Weight: 144Ibs

Nezuko Kamado: Female, 13 years old

Status: Alive, Demon

Height: 5'2" (157cm)

Weight: 125Ibs

Kento: Male, 32 years old (chronically, 17 years physically)

Status: Dead, Demon (Died in Chapter 16, not alive)

Height: 6'3" (190cm)

Weight: 192Ibs

Giyu Tomioka: Male, 18 years old

Status: Alive, Human

Height: 5'10" (178cm)

Weight: 155Ibs

Shinobu Kocho: Female, 17 years old

Status: Alive, Human

Height: 5'0" (152cm)

Weight: 92Ibs

Kanae Kocho: Female, 19 years old

Status: Alive, Human

Height: 5'7" (170cm)

Weight: 130Ibs

Kanao Tsuyuri: Female, 15 years old

Status: Alive, Human

Height: 5'2" (157cm)

Weight: 112Ibs

Douma: Male, 20 years old (135 years old chronologically)

Status: Alive, Demon

Height: 6'2" (188cm)

Weight:: 195Ibs


Abilities:


Nezuko Kamado:

Blood Communication: After consuming enough demon flesh, Tanjirou is now able to communicate mentally through their sibling's blood. This allows the two to debate more and communicate in the event of critical situations, like during fights. Both Tanjirou and Nezuko's ability to communicate mentally may depend on distance.