The Dancing Star

Chapter 27

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.


Giyu, Tanjirou, and Nezuko


"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Giyu yelled out. It was so sudden; the sheer loudness was unlike anything Tanjirou ever heard from Giyu.

Not even when Giyu got angry at the Kamado siblings during their first encounter did Giyu yell with such agony. Sure, he was angry at Tanjirou for what he was trying to do, but it seemed he was just trying to get his point across.

Here, his scream was full of agony.

It wasn't a scream of rage, nor even a scream of sadness and loss.

Rather, it was a scream of desperation… Almost like Giyu refused to believe Urokodaki was dead.

"No… no no no… no, no! NO!" Giyu continued to yell out. "M-Master! U-Urokodaki!" Giyu yelled out once again as he ran towards Urokodaki's bloodied, beaten body. He tried desperately to find any semblance of life coming out of his mentor's own body.

"No, no, no, NO, NO!" Giyu continued to yell out, as he immediately tried to perform CPR on Urokodaki. "Come on! Breathe!" Giyu begged.

"Breaaatttthhhee!" Giyu kept going, desperately trying to get his master to breathe.

All the while, Tanjirou stood there, his eyes widened at the body of Urokodaki.

"How could this have happened… How did a demon get inside his house… Didn't he have the incense up to protect him?" Tanjirou mumbled in his mind, as he could only stand there in shock. All he could remember in this moment was a flashback to his own family's bloodied figure as well.

Despite what Tanjirou wanted to think about them, a bloodied, mangled body regardless of who it was, was as traumatic as ever.

Tanjirou knew Urokodaki was dead. He could only smell decay from Urokodaki's body, meaning his body was already done. He was dead, at a point of no return. An irreversible action.

Tanjirou realized now that the incense was missing from Urokodaki's candle. His eyes widened at this.

"Did he forget to place the incense on, or did he purposely leave it away in the event we visited him…?" Tanjirou asked, trying to understand why he didn't have his wisteria incense there. Is eyes further widened as something manifested, and kicked him mentally in the head. "No, because of us, he couldn't have his incense there to protect him… That means… I'm the reason he's dead…"

Tanjirou wasn't sure how to respond. He was at a complete loss, as now he was feeling guilt shrouded his body. All he could do was look down while Giyu frantically did whatever he could to keep his master alive.

All Tanjirou could see from the sheer destruction, and the residues of the smell within the house, indicating that another demon was within the same building as Urokodaki.

A demon was responsible for this… The demon was incredibly strong. Not just because Urokodaki was a demon slayer or a former Hashira, nor because of the sheer injuries Urokodaki suffered.

But rather, the smell leaving the house. The difference in the blood Tanjirou could smell meant that Urokodaki most definitely fought back. However, it also meant Tanjirou could get a glimpse of the smell of the blood.

Tanjirou touched the blood with his finger, of the supposed demon, and licked it with his tongue.

"Tastes very strong… Like the blood of that demon that blasted me away in the Final Selection…" Tanjirou told himself. "This blood is stronger…"

"Come on Urokodaki! Stay with me! Please!" Giyu begged for his sensei's life as he desperately wanted him to be alive. In Giyu's mind, Urokodaki was still alive, or at least capable of being saved.

"PLEASE!" Giyu pleaded as he continued to perform CPR, some tears escaping his eyes. Giyu rarely, if not ever cried. The last time he ever cried was witnessing his friend, Sabito's death. Now, here he was, repeating the same scenario. Witnessing Urokodaki's death.

Meanwhile, as Tanjirou consumed the little blood from the supposed demon's blood, he had a grasp on how strong the demon was…

And unfortunately, it was incredibly so… "Must be one of those upper moons they talk about…" Tanjirou thought to himself, before he carefully moved next to Giyu, looking over the wounds Urokodaki suffered.

"These wounds… These are wounds from a blade… But the smell is a demon. One. A strong demon at that."

As Giyu continued to spend more of his time and energy on CPR, still trying to get Urokodaki's heartbeat to work.

"KOCHO!" Giyu yelled out.

This somewhat surprised Tanjirou, as he didn't know Giyu would go as far as to call out for a name he wasn't aware of. Tanjirou didn't know who Giyu was calling out for.

"Somebody! Please! Anyone! Help please!" Giyu continued to beg, but in the end, after seventeen minutes, Giyu was heavily breathing. After continuing to perform CPR, his arms were getting tired, especially within the sheer panic he was in.

"Giyu… I think…" Tanjirou looked down. He felt somewhat guilty for the prospects that Urokodaki suffered. It was something Tanjirou himself didn't want to admit, but it was something he had to accept.

"If only I didn't come to him, the wisteria incense would still be here, and then he wouldn't have been attacked by that demon." Tanjirou looked down, as he began to internally blame himself for the situation that was unfolding.

"No!" Giyu yelled right in Tanjirou's face, which momentarily shocked the boy. "He's not dead!" Giyu continued, trying to clean off Urokodaki's wounds and get his heartbeat going.

However, for the smallest bit of time, Tanjirou could tell something was happening.

Urokodaki's heartbeat… It was working… Albeit it was very weak.

Despite this small bit of hope, Tanjirou ultimately knew it was futile. Urokodaki's body was simply too damaged to keep stable. Unless Giyu had managed to get some professional medical health, Urokodaki wouldn't survive the trip to a medical area…

As much as Tanjirou knew Giyu was trying his best, he knew to keep down, that Giyu too knew it was ultimately Urokodaki's time.

Giyu continued to have many tears coming out of his eyes as he was still trying to save his mentor.

"Please! Don't leave me too! Don't leave me alone in this world! Please!" Giyu continued to beg for some miracle to happen. He wanted some miracle to save his mentor and the remaining family he would consider.

"I can't be alone… If you die, I'll be all alone…" Giyu mumbled this time, as Tanjirou smelt the exhaustion from Giyu's body.

Almost forty minutes of this. Forty whole minutes into this entire heart-wrenching scene, Giyu collapsed, as he placed his hands off Urokodaki's chest, and onto his forehead, and he started to cry even more.

It was not just a cry. But a wail. A desperate noise coming out of someone who was losing what little he had left. This was the noise of a man who was being pushed into a lonely hole…

Tanjirou too felt partly responsible for Urokodaki's untimely death. He looked down, gripping Giyu's shoulder as he closed his eyes.

"Giyu… I'm… I'm truly sorry…" Tanjirou wished he could do more. He wished he could have made a difference. Whether to save Urokodaki's life or that he never showed up so that the wisteria incense would still be there to help Urokodaki, Tanjirou wished he could've done much more than just this.

"Why am I so weak… I'm a demon and can keep up with demons themselves in almost every way, shape, and form, and yet… I'm not even able to protect a teacher who was stronger than me…" Tanjirou sighed. He couldn't believe this was happening, not again.

As Giyu continued to go through a literal traumatic experience, Tanjirou too, was seeing someone he cared for in such a traumatizing way. Specifically, how close he was to Urokodaki. He remembered how much help Urokodaki had given him.

How the teacher helped train him to become a proper demon slayer, even if Tanjirou and Nezuko were both demons. How he helped Tanjirou through his difficulties with using breathing styles. Not once did he ever see Tanjirou as useless, even if Tanjirou secretly thought that, and not once did he outright confirm it?

Tanjirou was devastated. But Giyu was worse. Urokodaki was the last and closest remaining thing to a connection he had to social life. Urokodaki was the only mentor he had left, besides Kagaya. Urokodaki, was family to Giyu.

The last one.

He had never met his parents.

He lost his elder sister to demons.

He was neglected by any other family he stayed with, to the point of running away.

He found a new family of friends to be around.

But one by one, they all died in Giyu's eyes. The only one not to was Makomo, but it still hurt and impacted him like everything else.

For Giyu, losing Urokodaki was the last straw. He was losing his connections to the world, and he soon might be a lone bubble frolicking alone in a forest of evil and danger.

Giyu didn't want to go through it alone, but he knew now, that if he tried to get people through it with him, they would end up dying, leaving Giyu to be alone and grieving yet again.

Tanjirou clasped his hands together.

"Urokodaki… Within months, you have been able to teach me more about the demon slayers and demons, than what my parents had done in over my entire lifetime… And you didn't even need to punish me for every failure I did… You didn't need to beat me down, humiliate me, yell at how worthless I was, or how much of a problem and burden I was to train me… You were a better teacher, and guardian for me when I needed one…" Tanjirou bowed down, as he began to mourn the death of his fallen teacher and guardian. While he wasn't crying like Giyu, his face of hurt and sadness showed the emotional turmoil the boy was going through.

Giyu however, was broken. Tanjirou worried that it might be too late. He was already too traumatized for Tanjirou to help. All Tanjirou could do was let Giyu cry and let his system out. The poor guy was already going through a lot, and seeing him like this broke Tanjirou's heart.

Tanjirou was angry… Angry that he couldn't protect the very mentor who had taught him, better and showed him he had some purpose in his life.

Urokodaki was the first person besides Nezuko to show some sense of belief in Tanjirou that he was capable of something. He didn't label Tanjirou as a failure like his parents. He didn't abuse nor hurt Tanjirou like them, and he certainly did not make others within the family afraid of him. He didn't kick Tanjirou out, he didn't leave him starving, and he did everything that Tanjirou ever wanted in an individual.

Before Tanjirou knew it, his eyes widened.

"I had what I wanted in a parent… For nine months… Nine whole months, when I had to go through ten years of abuse… of torment… Of neglect… of… not being seen as someone of use…" Tanjirou thought… "And I only have myself to blame, for his death… It's all my fault for not appreciating him more…"

He was angry, but also saddened, for he had lost a great individual.

But the worst part was… Tanjirou knew Giyu was having much worse thoughts…

This was Giyu's mentor and the only remaining close family he had left, and now he was gone… Who was Giyu going to go to when he was depressed?

Who was Giyu going to go to when he needed to talk to? Who was Giyu going to go when he needed some form of break?

Tanjirou shivered to see what would happen to Giyu.

And he knew because Tanjirou didn't want Giyu to go through the mental isolation he went through.

He didn't deserve to go through this. Giyu was a good person, who did not deserve this. Tanjirou would be there for Giyu.

He promised he would.

He would make a promise to himself, Nezuko, and Giyu. Even though the feat of tragedy, Tanjirou would remain strong…

He was the eldest brother, and it was what he did best. He couldn't let others suffer from the feat of a tragedy like Giyu could fall through.

He did the exact same thing for his siblings when his father died, and when he started providing for the family, by burning and selling coal.

It was through this act that even though his siblings were initially afraid of Tanjirou, they got more comfortable with him. Even if they didn't interact with him as much as he wanted, he had at least, through his hard actions, got his siblings to at least acknowledge him.

It wasn't perfect, and it felt more like frequent guests in the same house, but it was better than being avoided.

And so, he could do it again. He could help Giyu.

Even if Urokodaki was someone who cared for him. Even if Tanjirou would never get the time to mourn and process the deaths and trauma he faced… Even if Tanjirou never got a break, he would still work, for he had to care for people going through much worse than him, and for people who believed in him.

Giyu and Nezuko were all people who believed in him and showed genuine companionship and care for him. They deserved a better fate than Tanjirou himself. The same applies to Urokodaki.

He didn't deserve the fate he got.

Once Giyu managed to finally calm himself down, he eyed Tanjirou.

Tanjirou sighed, as he pointed towards the fatal injuries Urokodaki had.

"Giyu… The damage to Urokodaki… It came from a nichirin blade... The stabs and slashes, they're too precise to be the work of claws or any blood demon art." Tanjirou revealed with his analysis.

Giyu's eyes widened, as he eyed a vicious stab wound that seemingly almost ripped Urokodaki's body in half, and he gritted his teeth, "To think a demon slayer did this… A traitor who ki-"

Tanjirou shook his head, "There's a demon's smell, Tomioka… A very strong one… I even tasted the blood, and it was a lot stronger of a taste, even more than the one from Final Selection." Tanjirou explained.

Giyu seemed to have the underlying facts that Tanjirou had stated.

"A demon who can use a breathing style perhaps… This is very unheard of and very tragic…" Giyu thought to himself, as the revelation that a demon with a breathing style was the one who was responsible for the death of Urokodaki.

"This was definitely the work of one of those Upper Moon demons they were talking about…" Tanjirou thought to himself, as he placed a hand on Giyu's shoulder.

Tanjirou continued to look at Giyu concerningly, for he could smell the person who had felt he had lost everything. Giyu had the scent of a person who had lost and was becoming full of hatred. A hatred to be filled somewhere.

Whether this would bring Giyu down a path of hatred against demons, or down a more tragic route, Tanjirou wasn't sure.

Giyu lowered his head, gritting his teeth. He felt a being of rage and was undoubtedly confused and angry. He wasn't sure why Urokodaki deserved that fate, especially with the service he committed to. Tanjirou looked over, worried for him, and wanting to do something.

He wanted to be useful, but seeing Giyu like this, he felt the complete opposite. Tanjirou wished he could have done much more than this pitiful condolences. Especially considering Tanjirou had experienced this exact thing before, too.

His family…

Tanjirou had to experience this tragedy again, and this time, just like before, all he could do was stare in devastation and shock. The expression Giyu had, was of pure devastation. He had tried everything, and in the end, it was futile.

Just like his family, he had returned home, to find his family dead from a demon attack. Giyu never talked much about his family to Tanjirou, but to see his mentor dead like that, and especially with the reaction Giyu showcased, Tanjirou knew this must have shot Giyu mentally.

But it was Giyu that made it all different. Tanjirou during missions would walk into the houses of other families, only to see them all dead. Each time, Tanjirou would blame himself, wishing he would get there sooner. What made this one different, was that this time it hit close in their home. The home Tanjirou felt comfortable in. Now, Tanjirou felt incredibly guilty, especially with the revelation that Urokodaki had not had his wisteria incense because of the fact he was training demons to become demon slayers.

Tanjirou looked towards Giyu's eyes, the tired eyes of loss and trauma, as he silently was telling him he would help however he could. However, even Tanjirou knew the help he could give Giyu, was limited.

"Tomioka…" Tanjirou asked him softly, trying to get him out of his trance. "L-Let's get your way, I-I'll bury the body." Tanjirou tried. He wanted to do something useful. Something to help. He hated being this useless kid with no purpose. He didn't want to be weak, he wanted to protect. And yet, here was his teacher, who had passed in such a gruesome way. Tanjirou couldn't protect his teacher, and yet that was his job as an elder brother.

"No," Giyu spoke at last. It was in his normal tone, albeit it was a bit shaky. When Tanjirou looked into the eyes of Giyu, there was no emotion. Tanjirou couldn't even smell any emotion from Giyu.

It was almost like the trauma had completely blocked out any semblance of Giyu's sense of thinking, or that he was running on autopilot. Tanjirou couldn't smell the hope in Giyu anymore. Any semblance, like the one he showed when he had found them as demons, was gone.

"I'll bury him…" Giyu explained briefly as he immediately stood up.

But Tanjirou grabbed his hand, looking at Giyu, " Please… Let me help you…"

Giyu shook his head, "No, I cannot. There's no point." Giyu mumbled.

Tanjirou shook his head, "He was my mentor and teacher too…" Tanjirou told Giyu softly, which seemed to have gotten through him. "Let's bury him together."

Giyu seemed to be struggling with what he was thinking, but Tanjirou was willing to let him think "I… Alright… fine." Giyu said at last.

Tanjirou worried immensely for Giyu, which was obvious. The guy just lost his mentor. Tanjirou saw and smelt a bit of hopelessness in Giyu.

"Tomioka." Tanjirou tried to get through to Giyu. "Don't run away from people… okay?" However, it seemed that at that moment, something broke through Giyu.

"What am I supposed to do? When everybody I care for and about is killed by demons? They all always must save me… Even the two of you. The only reason you and Nezuko are alive, and my friends may be because you both turned to demons." Giyu revealed his thoughts out loud, externalizing them.

"Why am I still alive, and living, when everybody else is dead…?" Giyu asked. "Why can't I die like them?" Giyu cried out softly.

Tanjirou's heart broke for Giyu after hearing that. And the reason it did, was because Tanjirou felt that way before…

He wished he was the one who had died instead of his family.

"Maybe if I died instead of my family, then I would have been of use…" Tanjirou revealed his thoughts. Even with Giyu showing tears, Tanjirou couldn't find himself releasing any. And it made him feel even more guilty.

It made Tanjirou feel that he wasn't showing that he was mourning the loss of Urokodaki.

But…

Even with the regrets in life…

He was still living. He still had some purpose. And that was to protect Nezuko. Tanjirou's worth and value were tied directly to Nezuko and her protection. That was what kept Tanjirou living and doing this. If Nezuko wasn't alive, then Tanjirou would have probably either died or found some job as a dancer.

It was the only thing Tanjirou could ever think, for he was only praised for dancing the Hinokami Kagura.

"Regardless of that, you must learn to live your life, right? Honour Urokodaki's memory. He was an amazing teacher, mentor, and pillar, right?" Tanjirou asked. "They wouldn't want you to die after everything," Tanjirou added.

Even then, Giyu nodded, clearly feeling a bit of insecurity about the topic of a pillar.

"Well then, be the best pillar you could be, for him, alright?" Tanjirou told Giyu, who looked down.

"I'm not the Water Hashira… I never should have been." Giyu revealed.

Tanjirou turned his head to face Giyu. "But why?"

"It should have been Sabito… Or even Makomo… They were all stronger and more resilient than me. I'm nothing compared to them." For a second, Tanjirou saw another set of tears coming from Giyu. In a bit to want to make Giyu feel better, and by smelling his state of mind, all Tanjirou could do was hug Giyu, after softly putting Nezuko down to sleep, of course.

"He smells so broken… Giyu, what have you gone through to be like this… Why do the hardest-working people get tramped on so much… Why do the kindest people suffer the most…" Tanjirou asked as he had so many questions, "What else did you have to witness, Giyu?"

Tanjirou didn't know what to say.

But he knew exactly how he felt.

"I know how Tomioka feels…" Tanjirou thought to himself, "I shouldn't be alive as well… I was a mistake to be turned into a demon… I was supposed to die like the rest of my family… And yet, I narrowly escape it… I can only imagine the rest of my family, being spiteful as they were to me, probably cursing me about my life… How poorly I'm performing, and everything…" Tanjirou looked down. He could relate to Giyu, for he knew Nezuko was a more capable demon slayer than he was.

If anything, Nezuko deserved to live a much better life than Tanjirou. She didn't deserve to be sleeping in a wooden crate that Tanjirou was holding.

"Giyu… What would Sabito and Makomo do if they were the Water Hashira?" Tanjirou asked.

Giyu sighed, "Probably do a better job than me. Hell, they would probably even get along with the others."

Tanjirou looked down, not knowing what to say. But yet again, Tanjirou knew that, even if any one of the family were to live, they would do a better job than him.

"Well…" Tanjirou pondered as he carefully thought his next words, "The way I see it, they did this all for you to be a pillar, Giyu. Even if it's something you don't believe, they gave you the push to become something great."

"Yeah, but it cost them their lives," Giyu explained. "I shouldn't be here."

"And neither should I," Tanjirou explained. "But I am. And you know what? I'm living to my family's wishes. Even if I'm the worst contender in their eyes, I'm still trying…"

Giyu seemed to have softened his tone a bit when he heard Tanjirou say that. "So even if you think you are the weakest contender, that does not mean you cannot and are not as capable of what they were once accomplishing. Every time you fight a demon, their hands are holding that very blade alongside you." Tanjirou explained, pointing towards the nichirin blade Giyu had on him.

At this, Giyu's eyes seemed to have widened a bit, as he began to think about everything.

"Sabito… Makomo… Urokodaki… Is this what you want me to do…?" Giyu asked himself, trying to remember everything.

"Wouldn't them sacrificing you mean they saw your life as something worth living for?" Tanjirou added. "Don't you think that the sacrifices they made towards you were done as a reminder of the love and care that they had for you? That they wanted you to embrace the opportunities you had?"

"Wouldn't their sacrifice be a reflection of the person they love and wish to see the potential of?" Tanjirou asked, which made Giyu fall into his thoughts.


"For the longest time, I always thought that strength was inherited. I always thought that regardless of the training and tribulations I went through, I would always be weak… But whenever I told Sabito that, he would slap me… Is this what he meant…? That these sacrifices are what makes us strong?"

"But now, the concept of potential is laying a dent… Even if this boy and girl I found on the mountain all those days ago, even if they were demons, I saw potential in them just by them holding back their desires. Even if they were so incredibly weak, they were strong in other areas…"

"Giyu." The voice of Sabito once again echoed in Giyu's mind, causing him to raise his head.

But it wasn't just the figure of Sabito, but also that of Makomo, and Tsutako.

"Tsutako… Sabito… Makomo… Why?" Giyu asked as he felt himself in a void, "Why did I have to lose Urokodaki, too… Why couldn't I be the one to die… Am I really this weak…?" Giyu asked.

"No, Giyu." Giyu's sister consoled him, gently rubbing his hair, "You are a strong boy, look how big and strong you've become… I sacrificed myself for you, so you could become strong… I saw the potential in you."

"But I'm weak… I can't gain strength…" Giyu struggled to speak as if he was threatening to cry yet again.

"Nonsense!" Sabito's voice roared through Giyu, "Nobody is born weak! We all have potential! Even you, Giyu! Especially you!"

"But that's impossible, I was too weak to save you-"

"No, you weren't!" The cries of Makomo once again entered the air as if trying to get Giyu to stop blaming himself. "We all are a family, and we do what we can to protect each other! Don't act like you were the one needing protection all the time!"

"Yeah, remember when you took the blame for eating the rest of the salmon daiki when it was Makomo?" Sabito asked.

Giyu chuckled at that, "Well, that was how I figured out how I loved the dish…"

"Exactly! Giyu, everything happens for a reason." Tsutako explained, "It's a ripple effect."

"But I really want to see you all again…" Giyu mumbled.

"Giyu, sometimes you need to find other people to live with…" Makomo calmly told Giyu.

"And leave you all behind? I would never!" Giyu yelled in response.

"Giyu. Your life will have many twists and turns. That is a natural part of life. However, it is time for you to choose the path you are to take." Sabito explained, "You can't stay with us forever."

"But I want to!" Giyu pleaded he didn't want to let them go.

"But for now, you can't. Not until you complete your purpose of life." Makomo added, "Your path may diverge from us, but you will always be connected to us through the memories and connections we share together. That will be forever a part of who we all are, and who you become to be in the future."

Giyu didn't know what to say.

"Brother… It's bittersweet, I know… But that is life. Full of a wide spectrum of possibilities. Every thread you make creates a beautiful masterpiece. Whatever path you take, we will be watching you. And whenever you need the help you desperately need, we will all be there for you, alright Giyu?" Tsutako explained as she hugged Giyu.

Giyu could only stand there, and cry. Cry for the fallen comrades and friends he had.

However, when he felt another figure hug him from behind, that's when it all balled out.

"I'm sorry, Giyu." The feeling of a hug was enough to get Giyu to sob, as he hugged his friends and family.

"Strength is not a predetermined gift passed down from your ancestors. You are not born out of strength. Rather, you are born out of blood and the cries of people, showing weakness. Strength is a journey of growth and resilience. Something all of my children were able to get through. Including you. We are the caretakers of the strength he bare, and it is what allows us to continue our story, Giyu." Urokodaki explained as he hugged Giyu tightly.

"So strength is something I can achieve… I can protect people with my strength… But every time I manage to get stronger, life has a cruel way of reminding me how weak I am." Giyu mumbled.

"But that is not weakness." Urokodaki bluntly put it.

"Huh?"

"You cannot protect everything you care for, and that is fine. That is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of humanity." Sabito told Giyu, as he smiled at him. "What happened to all of us, was beyond your control, so find solace in the boundless of love and care you had with us, even if life is uncertain sometimes."

"Besides, we wouldn't want you to bear the burden of protecting everything. The peace of realization is the flow of life. It will ripple through the boundaries of time, just like our companionship, will. Giyu, we will always be watching you, and we all see how you live. We don't want you to live a life of regrets. Rather, we would want to see what our sacrifices have yielded." Makomo encouraged her friend.

"But I haven't done anything…" Giyu explained. "If you both were here, you both would have done better."

"You become the bloody water pillar! The best of all ranks! The best water breather of our generation! And you think we would hold hatred and spite for you?!" Sabito yelled to Giyu, as he slapped Giyu right on the cheek. "We're all happy for you! Even Urokodaki was! You did what none of us could've done! That is the peak of where you can go as a demon slayer!"
Sabito yelled.

"Yeah, because you all died because of me!" Giyu explained.

"And what's to say we would have been the Water Hashira's if we were alive, huh?" Sabito then asked. This question surprised Giyu, for he had never thought of that question.

"Well...-" Giyu was interrupted by Sabito.

"I'm going to stop you right there because you seem to always think you are a complete worse version of me, which is not true." Sabito started. "For one, you picked up the sword the latest, meaning you were already starting when Makomo and I were showing promise. Second, you always sparred with us, which was never a good indicator of strength, and three, you were always skilled at adapting the techniques." Sabito explained.

"In fact, that was what I think made you so strong. You were very strong with the core emphasis that water breathing placed on you. Endurance and adaptability. Sabito used it all for aggression, which wasn't the best ideally." Urokodaki added.

"Stop putting yourself down, Sabito…" Giyu tried to get Sabito to stop talking like that.

"Well, how do you expect us to feel when you say those things about yourself, about how you aren't the water pillar when you are!" Sabito yelled back, slapping Giyu across his face. Giyu looked down, already shocked by the slap, but also the tone Sabito was picking up now.

"I don't know…" Giyu revealed.

"Exactly, and you already did some phenomenal stuff. You save families from demons, you stop more demons from eating others, hell you even found Tanjirou and Nezuko, two demons who've never eaten humans. Because of you, you prevented two children from going down a dark path. I couldn't do that for pure pity, and Sabito, because he'd kill them on the spot. You are remarkable, Giyu." Makomo revealed.

"I guess… Without me, I wouldn't have found them… But-"

"Don't do that. Don't bring yourself down." Sabito told Giyu, a reflection of the two sides trying to keep each other in line.

"Indeed. Giyu, it is completely normal to have guilt and thoughts of this nature, but to have them impact you like this is unhealthy, and regardless of what you may think, we all want you to live a healthy and happy life." Urokodaki explained, "Let me tell you from experience, Giyu, don't try and spend most of your life filled with regrets and sorrows."

Urokodaki then turned to face Giyu, "Don't end up like me, and don't isolate yourself in front of everyone."

What Urokodaki said caused Giyu to turn to face him in confusion, "What do you mean, full of regrets?" Giyu asked, clearly confused by what Urokodaki meant.

That was until Giyu saw the masked faces of countless people seeming to be around the ages of twelve and sixteen. The same ages, where Sabito and Makomo were when they passed…

"W-Who are they…?" Giyu asked, as even Urokodaki turned around. Even with the mass, Giyu knew Urokodaki was just as shocked as he was.

"We weren't the only ones waiting for you, Urokodaki," Sabito revealed as he and Makomo came to join the large group of kids lining up to face Urokodaki.

Said individual looked very shocked to see this, as Giyu could see that Urokodaki was incredibly nervous to see them. His head was facing the ground to the side.

"What is going on?" Giyu asked, clearly wanting to know, as he felt strangely left out.

"Urokodaki?" Sabito asked as Urokodaki remained silent. However, Giyu could tell from the reaction, plus the masks the other children were wearing, did he realized who they were.

His eyes widened in realization, "Are they the previous students you had…?" Giyu asked, clearly surprised. While he was aware that Urokodaki had lost quite his fellow children as a result of the Hand Demon, the number of students he was seeing here was barbaric.

"You lost this many children…?" Giyu asked, clearly in disbelief that such an individual had to lose so much.

"Fujita Kiyoashi…" Urokodaki started as if he was remembering the names of the children they all were.

"Suda Hiro…" Urokodaki pointed to another one of his students. That was his pattern, as he kept looking over and pointing at the students once he named them all.

"Kawahara Shizuka… Tajima Kou… Nakano Yuki… Hayashi Kin… Otani Shinju… Eguchi Minori… Kase Hisoka… Yoshimura Kenta… Konishi Katsumi… and then… Makomo and Sabito…" Giyu was listening to it all, as his mentor taught them all, and all ultimately died the same fate.

"Urokodaki…" Giyu mumbled, as he knew and had an idea that Urokodaki was afraid.

"I'm so sorry, to you all…" Urokodaki mumbled as he was trying his hardest to keep his tears from falling out.

"It's alright, sensei. You can cry…" One of Urokodaki's masked students admitted. His tone was soft and forgiving. So accepting, almost as if they were all waiting for the moment they could be reunited with him.

"Why…" Urokodaki mumbled, "Why did you wait for me? Shouldn't you all have reunited with your family and friends? Why did you wait for a teacher who sent you all to your deaths?" Urokodaki asked.

"Because you gave us a chance to prove ourselves. We all knew the chance of survival was slim, but we still went through it either way. This wasn't the fault of you at all, it was the fault of that demon." Urokodaki looked down, as he remembered the hand demon he caught and defeated all those times.

The very hand demon that had decided to get revenge on Urokodaki by going after his students/children. It was unforgivable, and he thanked Tanjirou and Nezuko immensely for defeating him.

But that did very little to change the fact of the fallen and their names. They were all people with lives ahead, and they were all cut short, all getting involved in Urokodaki's problem with a vengeful demon.

"Exactly, sensei. This was not your fault. It just showed us all the true nature of the worst of the worst in demons. You were not the one at fault."

Urokodaki sighed, "I feel that even if you say that, I cannot forgive myself for sending you all to an early death."

"That doesn't matter. Early death or not, we had nowhere else to go. This was the only path we could have taken. In the demon slayer corps, only the strongest and most adaptable survive. It's not a matter of skill, and strength purely. Rather, a bit of everything. Only some survive, and will have to carry the torch for the remaining whole."

Urokodaki sighed, "Since when did you kids become so thoughtful and philosophical?"

"We had all the time waiting for you. Now that we see you again, we'd love to go with our last guardian. Perhaps to a new life full of prosperity." The masked students of Urokodaki said as they all came together for a group hug.

With the exception of Giyu, for he was ultimately alive. Giyu wanted to hug his friends and teacher, but ultimately a foreign force stopped him from.

"You all look so happy… When do I get to see you all again?" Giyu asked as he turned to face his sister. His sister faced him and smiled lovingly.

"When you have lived your life to the fullest. Got it?" Giyu's sister cupped his chin making him face her. "So make sure you live your life with no regrets. We don't want to see you live a life of regret because you want to be here. You will eventually come back, and when you do, you will see us with loving arms. But only if you promise to live your life to the fullest." Tsutsako told her brother seriously.

Giyu looked down, "Are you sure? Wouldn't you be jealous of the life I get to live? You were about to be married!"

"I'm sure, Giyu. I mean look how far you've come. I could never be angry at my little brother. After all, I was the elder one, and so I was the protector. I did this so that you could become stronger, and more wise. And even if I see that now, you still have some things to work on." Tsutako explained, "Now, go on out and live your life. Remember, every time you slay a demon, and pick up your sword, we'll all lend a helping hand, okay?"

"Y-Yes, sister…" Giyu nodded as he hugged his sister tightly, really missing the times she would care for him.

"Oh, and Giyu?" The voice of Urokodaki caught Giyu off guard, as he turned to see Urokodaki surrounded by the children he trained.

"Yes, Urokodaki?" Giyu asked.

"Let this be a lesson from someone like me, who's held onto these kinds of thoughts… But don't let them engulf you. You deserve to live a happy life, and we'll always be there encouraging you regardless of the decisions you make. Alright?" Urokodaki asked, setting his conditions for Giyu.

All Giyu could do, was nod, as he collapsed and cried. "I really want to be with you all…"

"And you can, but you wouldn't want to leave Tanjirou and Nezuko alone, would you? They need you more as well." Urokodaki told Giyu, who could only nod.

"You're right… I should probably go and see them…" Giyu sighed, looking down.

"Good job, Giyu. I know you will eventually make more friends, and when you are ready, you will come and see us, alright? But until then, you better enjoy your life, or I'll kick you back into the mortal world if I have to!" Sabito half encouraged and half coerced Giyu, who could only nod.

"I'll try…" Giyu nodded, as he eyed the waving hands of all the people he could see around a boulder. It was Makomo, Sabito, his sister, Urokodaki, and the previous students and children of Urokodaki.

All of them were waving to Giyu as if he was holding onto their core beliefs.

Through it all, he was indeed the only survivor, and thus he would have to pass on the torch when the time came. To keep everything going.


Tanjirou noticed the tears coming out of Giyu, and he continued. All the while Giyu's eyes focused yet again, as if he was back in the real world.

Pure, unadulterated shock, misunderstanding, confusion. Giyu went through it all. As he stared at Tanjirou's look of concern on him, he remembered everything. The shock of seeing Urokodaki's dead body in his own house. The desperation he showed in trying to get his mentor, and final family member awake and to remain alive.

That's all he wanted to do, and needed. Was for Urokodaki to be alive…

A demon attack.

Giyu had unfortunately gone through the same thing he had gone through previously.

As Giyu and Tanjirou finished burying the body of Urokodaki, the two remained silent. Both worked like a machine, as they complimented and worked off each other. Both worked the same movements over and over again. It took around three hours for them to get the burial finished. Tanjirou and Giyu took the time to look at the gravesites of other students that Urokodaki would place, as he felt the ghosts of them were all there.

However, Tanjirou and Giyu both knew that they were all able to move on in peace. As Tanjirou was able to perform this once he and Nezuko defeated the Hand Demon.

The sad reality hit Giyu like a truck, that he was alone. He lost everyone.

He lost his sister, his parents, Sabito, Makomo, and now Urokodaki. Even if he was told to live his life fully, what difference did it make when he couldn't spend it with the people he loved?

First, Giyu lost his parents. Not through demons, but through illness. He never really saw them before. His elder sister would always tell him stories about them, and it appeared that they died when Giyu was young due to an illness. The result was that he and his sister became orphans during their early adolescent years.

Giyu didn't know as a child, but eventually, Tsutako was desperate to find a place for both her and Giyu to live. She wanted to find a place where they wouldn't separate the two, for they were very close to each other. This eventually resulted in them growing up in a different place and community. A rather religious and traditional society.

Tsutako was a hard worker, and so was Giyu. Giyu did his best to work the basics, even trying to cook so that when Tsutako came home, she didn't have to do more.

During this time, Tsutako began to befriend someone who eventually became her boyfriend and fiancée. Of course, Giyu was happy for his sister. To thrive in life was something he was willing to see his sister go through.

Alas, that wasn't meant to happen, and the worst possible thing would happen to Giyu.

Giyu remembers the man. He remembered the man who wanted a hand in Tsutako's marriage was a very religious man, a strong believer in the religion that neither Giyu nor Tsutako participated in. The man eventually got Tsutako to go with him to the religious events. Giyu didn't care nor paid attention, but eventually usually stayed home waiting for his sister. Despite this, Giyu only wanted his sister to be happy, and the fiancée Tsutako was very attached and loyal to her, and always made sure she was alright.

When the wedding occurred, it was to be a grandiose event. Something to be remembered. Instead, it became the day Giyu's world shattered. His sister, right before her own wedding, saved him from a demon.

Giyu was too traumatized to even see what the demon looked like… All he could see in the end, was his sister's mangled body, being absorbed by the demon as she screamed in agony and pain, begging Giyu to run for his life. But Giyu remained. He felt the screams Tsutako was giving, should have been placed onto him. He should've been the one there.

But alas, Giyu was just a child, who just watched his sister being consumed and absorbed by a demon… This shouldn't have happened… She should have had a happy life, with her soon-to-be husband… But she was killed…

"Give me back my sister!" Giyu yelled. He tried to attack the demon recklessly, with an anger he didn't even know he had.

However, as soon as the demon slashed him in his left shoulder and chest, the demon strangely hacked, looking like it wanted to vomit before it ran off from the boy. Giyu, as a child had just made a demon run away from him. But to him, he wanted his sister back.

Of course, Giyu was the one who was trying to explain to everyone what had happened. How a demon had attacked them, and absorbed and killed his sister.

However, Tsutako's soon-to-be husband eyed Giyu with skepticism.

And instead, he blamed Giyu for the reason why Tsutako was dead. He claimed Giyu had gotten stuck in the river, nearly drowning from the fast current, only for his sister to come in, and save him, while in the process being swept away by the currents.

Because no semblance of Tsutako's body couldn't be found, and the fiancée was an older, adult male with a more believable story, many within his village, and the family began to blame Giyu for the accident, they called it.

A child.

They blamed a child, and all Giyu could do was listen. Listen to the hateful things being said, while telling him that he was cursed.

When he tried to tell them that a demon had mauled his sister entirely, they didn't believe him. They thought he was going crazy. They thought demons didn't exist.

They thought Giyu was fabricating and exaggerating a childish story to make himself seem cool.

When it was the truth. Even Giyu's own family members forced him to go to a cousin for mental health treatment, as the village has started labeling Giyu as mentally ill.

The poor traumatic experience and social environment began to take a toll on Giyu, as a kid. He was only that, and so what was he expected to do? He didn't even know what was going on. All he saw, was his sister being mauled and consumed by a demon, and now he was blamed for her death… Was everything always his fault? What did he do wrong? He tried to grab his sister back!

"I did everything I could to save her! I DID NOTHING WRONG!" Giyu yelled out to the village as he was clueless, confused, and traumatized. Not to mention the entire village shunned him for such an act. The blame Giyu got from the entire village was so bad they eventually sent him off, finding a cousin he could remain with, who ran a mental health facility.

Giyu was terrified of being blamed by everyone in his family, and the other ones. So, right then when he was sent to the mental asylum, he was subjected to neglect.

He was six when his sister was killed, and he had spent two years in that hellish place.

He would have to draw on the black, dark wall with chalk, counting to 365 days, without counting a leap year, to remember how long he had been locked into such a dark place, with nothing to do. He never saw anyone, was just tossed into the room, and then left there, with the occasional food being sent.

The basic premise was that being in such an environment could numb the individual to the point of forgetting their traumatic experience, The whole mental illness debate was rather experimental in every way, and Giyu was an unfortunate victim of neglect because of this poor understanding.

Giyu shivered, as he remembered the dark room, how hard it took for his eyes to recover, and the "treatments," they tried to push onto him. He remembered how empty he felt after that. He remembers how unfulfilled he was… He remembered how empty he felt, a symbol of the emptiness of the empty, dark room he was in.

A malnourished, ten-year-old Giyu felt nothing.

And through that emptiness and fear, he ran. He escaped the asylum for the mentally ill. Giyu never told anyone what he went through, because it was just neglect and isolation. Regardless, he escaped and made it to a nearby mountain.

Giyu shivered. He shivered as the snow piled up on his malnourished body, as he felt nothing. When the entire blanket of snow covered him entirely, he once again, felt nothing, as his entire body began to freeze.

Even on the cusp of death, Giyu felt nothing.

It took the combined efforts of Urokodaki, Sabito, and Makomo to get him to feel again. Those were the times when Giyu felt the most like a kid, being able to do what he wanted, and not to judged, or blamed.

When he ran away and met with them all, he was trained to become a demon slayer, alongside Sabito and Makomo. Giyu had found friends who were willing to befriend him and be nice to him. They never judged him, but rather, helped him improve. They were friends to spend his time with.

With a good mentor in Urokodaki, Giyu found himself smiling when training, seemingly able to move past the tragedy of his elder sister, whom he revealed to be a demon being the spark that made him want to slay demons. He seemed to have forgotten the blame he received, the violence that Giyu was exposed to. The terrible conditions he stayed in the mental institute. He forgot almost dying, almost giving up on life, and just lying down, waiting for the snow to kill him.

Alas, not every good thing lasts forever,

Unfortunately, Makomo was the first to go.

She was such a nice girl, who helped Giyu train. Ironically was the youngest and went through the Final Selection a year earlier than both Sabito and Giyu.

Unfortunately, she didn't come back. She had died in an agonizing way. While Giyu wasn't there to see it, he unfortunately knew he would never see Makomo again.

Then, Sabito.

When it was time for both Giyu and Sabito to head to the Final Selection, Giyu got injured badly and needed recuperation inside the Final Selection. Sabito had been there, protecting everyone in the Final Selection.

Ultimately, he was defeated by the hand demon.

Giyu had to witness the hand demon eating Sabito alive. How the look of confidence and determination on the boy's face disappeared once his sword broke. The sounds of Sabito screaming and crying in pain were enough to break Giyu once again that day.

His only friend was gone, and in an agonizing way Giyu had to witness, and yet, through it all, he couldn't do anything.

When he was the only one to come back from the Final Selection alive, he wished he too, died, or that either of them survived, rather than him.

He felt like a failure to Urokodaki when he came back, for he too died a bit in the Final Selection. He carried the guilt with him through his demon-slaying journey, and it only grew, especially when he was promoted as a Hashira. He felt undeserving of it despite praises from Urokodaki.

Ever since becoming a Hashira, he distanced himself from the rest, feeling like he didn't deserve the status. He dissociated himself from the rest of the Hashira, for he was a fake Hashira.

He felt like a failure, and that every failure was his fault. He had an entire village blame him for the death of his sister at the hands of a demon, his cousin blamed him for his circumstances, and he blamed himself for the deaths of Makomo, Sabito, and now Urokodai.

He thought for a while when coming back, that just like his sister's death, he would be blamed by Urokodaki. So he prepared himself for any semblance of punishment he would receive…

Only to receive a hug from Urokodaki, as he cried in relief that Giyu had come back. Not once did he ever blame Giyu, and not once did he call Giyu weak. Instead, he always praised Giyu.

But even with the praise, Giyu knew he wasn't perfect. He knew he was a failure, and that Urokodaki must've been lying. And as Giyu progressed through his life, he accumulated self-blame, self-worthlessness, and all the hatred he felt he deserved…

He didn't deserve to be a Hashira when it should have been Sabito. His sister should have been alive and married. Urokodaki likewise, should be alive, living the rest of his life in peace.

Giyu Tomioka… Should've been dead. And he felt that way for such a long time.

Urokodaki's death became the loss of hope for Giyu.

Now, Giyu had to cope with the deaths of his sister, Sabito, Makomo, and now Urokodaki. The most unexpected of all deaths, yet all shocked Giyu the most.

"Tomioka?" Tanjirou called out to Giyu. "Let's get you elsewhere." Tanjirou helped maneuver Giyu away.

He wasn't sure where he would go, probably back to the water estate, but Tanjirou hoped that wherever Giyu headed, everything would work out.

"Tomioka, take care of yourself, alright? And remember what I said." Tanjirou wanted to make sure Giyu got the message, and he nodded. In the end, they all split apart and went their separate ways. Tanjirou agreed to help clean up the damaged remains of Urokodaki's house, for he could use it to sleep for a time.

Throughout all of this, Tanjirou would have to tell Nezuko of the unfortunate situation that arose when she woke up.

However, as Giyu went down the mountain, despite promising to try and live his life to the fullest, which included Tanjirou, his sister, and everybody else, he wasn't sure how.

But he would have to try regardless even if he wasn't sure how he would try. Who knows, maybe that is all he had to do for now.

As Giyu made it back, he was anticipated. However, as Giyu made his way back towards the Water Estate, knowing it was the only place he could truly go, now knowing he would forever be alone, with no mentor, he was also hoping he wouldn't have to be the one to bare the revelation to Kagaya.

However, Giyu knew that ultimately, the Kasugai crows might have informed Kagaya about the terrible news. At least that meant that Giyu did not have to be the one to inform the rest of the Hashira. It just wasn't something he could do, since he rarely talked to many of them.

Tanjirou had told Giyu to rest up and try and find something to move on with his life. However, as Giyu thought about everything, he saw the book in the corner of his library.

It was his diary.

"Huh…" Giyu thought to himself, as he eventually got up.

"Guess I should write something today… Even if the contents will be incredibly dark…" Giyu thought to himself, as he sat down. However, he couldn't really write anything.

Whenever he thought about the incident, he felt like zoning out. Regardless, he tried his best to write something. Anything.

All the while Tanjirou was doing his best to clean up the place, he knew they had to be quick else the sun would get to them. Regardless, Giyu hoped that Tanjirou knew what he was doing. Especially if a Kasugai crow were to notify a demon slayer about them, it could spell disaster.

Thankfully, however, it all seemed to have gone mostly fine. Tanjirou managed to cleanly sweep up everything, as well as clean the blood from the fight. As for Nezuko, she was still sleeping. Sometimes she would sleep for as long as three days in a row, besides the obvious three-month sleep period she underwent.

The boy in question, turned to his crow, planning to try and help Giyu with what he was going through. "Excuse me, can you inform Oyakata-sama about the events that have occurred? Make sure no kakushi come over, and tell them to give Tomioka a temporary break."

The crow in question cawed before heading off to inform the master about everything. Of course, Tanjirou would have to be in contact with Oyakata-sama for the time to assist in Giyu's recovery. Tanjirou knew Giyu had lost people close to him.

And he wanted to help Giyu, for he was there helping him train. If it wasn't for Giyu, he and Nezuko would have been dead or eating humans. So Tanjirou owed his life to Giyu.

It was his value in this world, to perhaps help Giyu.

"Perhaps I can actually be a useful, big brother I failed to be all those times back home…" Tanjirou pushed aside his own thoughts, as he focused on doing whatever he could to help Giyu.

As Giyu continued to write in his diary, he continued onwards with his very own thoughts. Even if he was to try and live his life with being a Hashira, what qualities did he have that made him a Hashira?

He wasn't strong, abnormally, or intelligent. He was just average. Even in appearance, there were other more promising individuals than him. What's to say the so-called high in his life was to be permanent and stable?

The guilt in Giyu's mind was overwhelming, to the point that he wished he was dead. HE felt guilty, and whilst going through his own struggles and inferiorities.

He wasn't anything noteworthy, and thus was the most replaceable Hashira, if he even was one.

Giyu hated this. He hated the demons who wanted to be there. He wasn't meant for companionship. Hell, even demons would always curse him for smelling bad, it was actually a miracle Tanjirou couldn't smell the blood inside Giyu.

He wished he was as strong and powerful as Gyomei, wishing he could beat down a demon with his bare hands. He wished he was physically blessed like Gyomei.

H wished he was as elegant as Obanai, wishing he could manuever himself as much as the Serpent Hashira. He wished he was as gifted at tactical movement as Obanai.

He wished he was as resilient as Sanemi, wishing he could push through in the face of trauma and harm. He wished he was as resilient as Sanemi.

He wished he was as gifted as Muichiro, wishing he could've been as strong at that age to perhaps defend his sister against that demon that killed her. He wished he was always at ease, seeming clouded and forgetful of the trauma he may have endured.

He wished he was as outgoing as Mitsuri, wishing he could develop bonds with others as easily as she did. How she would go out with Obanai, have fun, and how everything seemed well for her. He was jealous of her outgoingness and wished he was as extroverted as Mitsuri.

He wished he was as much as a role model as Rengoku, wishing he could have the charisma, leadership, and likeability as Rengoku. Rengoku was the leader-like individual Giyu wished he could be.

He wished he was as stylish as Tengen, or as he put it, flashy. Giyu hated how unmotivated he felt, whilst others were so confident. Tengen was the most confident out of all of them, and it was something Giyu wished he had. A lot of confidence, like Tengen.

He wished he was as sympathetic as Kanae. How she was able to empathize with people and understand people. He wished he wasn't just seen as a know-it-all.

Even with Shinobu, Giyu wished he was as intelligent as her. As much as Giyu wanted to hate how annoying and insulting she could be, he had some qualities from Shinobu that he wanted. He really wished he was as intelligent as her. Even if Shinobu had her faults, Giyu felt jealous that she was liked. Even if she was being a bit more different around him now…

Perhaps if Giyu had left the corps or even died, he would have been liked then. However, that didn't matter to him. If he kept his fellow Hashira away from him, there was no way he would be blamed for everything.

But then again… Sanemi and Obanai berated him whenever he was alone, and while he didn't care for being insulted or blamed, he felt he deserved it, as it was something he came to terms with.

Who was Giyu even meant to go to when he was struggling?

Mitsuri had her family, and Rengoku.

Rengoku had his younger brother.

Obanai had his pet snake and Mitsuri.

Sanemi had Obanai as a friend, and Kanae as a love interest, Giyu could tell.

Gyomei always seemed at peace, alongside Muichiro, as they always talked alongside their tsuguko, Genya.

Tengen has his wives.

And Shinobu had her older sister, Kanao, and all the other girls at the Butterfly Mansion.

Giyu, now had no one. No family, no friends let. He had no one anymore.

No family, no older sister, nobody else.

"This is why nobody likes you." The very saying to Giyu always sends a shockwave to his brain, every time.

"Of course nobody likes me… They all blame me for everything… Even I don't like myself…" Giyu thought to himself as he stared down in his journal, realizing he had shed a bit of tears and wrote a lot.

He closed his journal, as he eventually decided to lie down on his bed. He already had quite the day.

Giyu unconsciously looked back towards his arms and legs, debating on whether he should pull them back, but he held himself back.

"No, I promised them I would live a fulfilling life… So, I'll start by not going back to those habits…" Giyu told himself, as he knew going down that path again would not yield good results. Extra glad nobody knew, but I had to keep it down before he was at the center of attention again.

As Giyu went to sleep, the crows for the respective Hashira were all called to the master's mansion.

This certainly surprised everyone, especially when they realized a specific Hashira was not present.

"Oi! Where is that brat Tomioka?!" Sanemi asked with a bit of yelling.

"Indeed, he's slacking off on his job. How pitiful." Obanai mumbled as he clearly not have a good impression of Giyu.

"Iguro! Maybe he's just finishing up a mission!" Mitsuri exclaimed, trying to reason. Of course, it fulfills her character.

"Now, that I think about it, why was your little sister called to the meeting as well, Kanae?" Sanemi then asked.

"I'm not sure…" Kanae explained, "This only happens when…" Kanae's eyes widened.

"When what?" Most of the Hashira's asked as they saw the serious look on Kanae's face.

"Unless somebody has died…" Kanae said at last, which immediately had some effects. Of course, before an uproar could happen, Gyoemi quelled it.

"Silence! This has not been confirmed, therefore we will have to wait for Oyataka-sama." Gyomei explained.

"I'm already here, my children." The voice of Kagaya immediately caught the rest of the Hashira off guard.

"My apologizes, Oyakata-sama, may I wish you continued health." Gyomei clasped his hands.

"Thank you, Himejima. Unfortunately, it comes to our saddened announcement that one of our very own has passed." Kagaya started, immediately causing everyone to assume and judge quickly what their minds were predisposed to assuming.

"Is Tomioka alright? But he didn't have any mission for the rest of the month… Where is he?" Shinobu asked.

Kagaya looked around, before he sighed, his smile dimming, "Giyu Tomioka has been allowed to take a bit of a break from his demon slayer missions."

"Huh?!" The rest of the Hashira exclaimed.

"Yes. His remaining mentor and family, who happens to be the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki, was killed by a demon earlier today. Needless to say, Tomioka needs some time to grieve."

The revelation was quite the handful, as everyone had their respective reactions.

Gyomei cried and wished for Urokodaki to live a peaceful life in his next available one.

Mitsuri felt bad and cried as well. Muichiro looked confused, and even Kanae looked down.

Sanemi and Obanai were less shown in their mourning, but death was a death, and even they would respect the temporary decisions Giyu would undertake.

Shinbou, however, worried for the Water Pillar.

"Oyakata-sama, am I allowed to visit Tomioka?" Shinobu asked.

"Of course. I'd want to make sure regardless, my children are doing fine, even in the event of a tragedy." Kagaya explained with a smile, "I'd be glad if someone could look after Tomioka."

Shinobu nodded in thanks, as the revelation caught everyone off guard.

"Do you know the demon that killed Urokodaki, Oyakata-sama?" Tengen asked.

At this, Kagaya sighed, "This is the important news however, for the death of Urokodaki has given us some insight into the powers of this demon he fought."

Immediately, Sanemi's eyes narrowed, "It was an upper moon, huh?"

Kagaya nodded, "Yes, and Giyu reportedly told me that the injuries coming from Urokodaki, were that of blade strikes, meaning there is a possibility that there is a demon within the Twelve Kizuki that is capable of using breathing styles."

That seemed to have caused the rest of the Hashira to flinch.

"A demon using a breathing style… Are you kidding me?! Is it a traitor?" Sanemi asked, clearly angered by the developments.

"Alas, it seems to be. Regardless, we will need everyone to continue training and amplifying your techniques and capabilities. I sense a great war incoming, and the death of Urokodaki may be a start for what is to come."

Kagaya then stared up, "Please, be safe my children."

That, marked the end of the Hashira meeting, the most in a year so far, and this allowed many of the Hashira to speak alongside themselves, as they all gave their opinion on the death of Urokdaki, and the supposed temporary break Giyu would be taking to mourn.

All the while, Giyu lay in his bed thinking over everything that was happening.

"If you only they knew how much I've truly lost… How much I suffered, how much I was blamed… Now, I lost my family and friends… I'm a man with no caring, for nobody to care for me or love me… I guess I deserve it…"

As Giyu lay down on his bed, blocking out any semblance of noise and vision around him, he didn't hear the knock on his estate, coming from a nervous Shinobu, who clearly was unsure how to confront a person she usually teased, now having to be serious and caring.

However, at least she felt her heart beating, which made her think she could fulfill the support and compassion Giyu needed right now. She was the one most shocked by the events, and with a clear bias toward caring for Giyu, she immediately acted.

"Perhaps I've misunderstood you, Tomioka… I'll try and fix it, starting now," Shinobu promised herself.


A.N / Well, this is the Giyu angst chapter pretty much. Had a lot of enjoyment writing this, and I did hint at some stuff going on throughout the chapter. This was meant to be a heavier hitter rather than one of a fighting scene. We will have a bit of Giyu's recovery with the help of Tanjirou, Nezuko, and Shinobu, and alongside that a more intensive collaboration between Tanjirou and Kagaya. Now I understand why some may think killing Urokodaki was for, what the purpose, but I promise this will be significant in the future and for character dynamics. Also, peep the reunion with Urokodaki and his students. The actual scene Giyu experienced is meant to be a manifestation of Giyu holding so tightly onto Urokodaki that a part of his soul was dragged to the afterlife with his master. That's how desperate Giyu was for his mentor to remain alive. As for Tanjirou and Nezuko, we'll see their reactions next chapter, and the next big part of the story.

I was going to have them go to Asakusa much earlier, and encounter the big boy himself, but I decided to delay that a bit, for I want this arc to be more focused on a more original arc of mine. The arc won't be too long, and we'll get back to fighting eventually, but I do like to talk more about character's thoughts and the likes over fighting scenes, so yeah. Anyways, see you next time!


Character Profile:


Sakonji Urokodaki: Male, unknown age

Status: Dead, Human

COD: Murdered by an Upper Moon Demon

Height: 5'8" (172cm)

Weight: 140Ibs