Demon Slayer:
The Last of Sun Breather User
Chapter 1
Misfortunate Destiney
I don't own this Koyoharu Gotouge does
In a rural mountain lives a family of coal miners who have been providing their service since the creation of the small village of Okutama, at the bottom of the mountain. Since then this has been the family's main source of income and has been living comfortably with bartering and currency. It has been a peaceful village that never had any serious crimes, and even if they lived poorly the people there were happy at least. All the people in the village respected the family since the eldest son was a good-hearted young man who always helped out around the village fixing buildings, carts, and other items. That was something everyone in the village appreciated and was always happy to see him when he came down from the mountain.
Meanwhile, the family was celebrating the beginning of the new year by watching the eldest brother Kamado perform the Hinokami Kagura dance. Who was taught by their grandfather by telling him that it was a secret breathing style that was passed down through dance to keep it hidden from the demons? The other thing that was required to be able to successfully be able to use it would be to learn a breathing technique called [Total Concentration Breathing] and once this is mastered to an adequate level then he would try to find a master or be self-taught. Tanjiro was told to always practice this dance so it would have muscle memory if he decided to take the sword and kill the demons that were roaming in the world. And to make sure to pass this down to all their future descendants, and possibly have it written down in a scroll in a hidden location just in case the worst-case scenario were to happen.
He remembered listening to his grandfather when he was just a little child, tales of a group of individuals fighting evil demons. And how he left the mountain when he was a teenager in the hope of having a better life and adventure. During his travels, he witnessed an attack where a demon and a swordsman fought, and not long after the swordsman was victorious. At that time the elder Kamado asked the swordsman a simple question, what he saw not a dream, and if demons exist? And he received an answer he was hoping that was not true, that yes they do exist, and walked away from the scene into the darkness of the night.
At that moment he wanted to become one of the few nameless warriors that tried to protect humanity from evil that lurked in the night. As Tanjiro was performing the dance he also recalls his grandfather saying it took a long time to find someone to train him, so he would be able to survive. He finally joined an organization and became a Demon Slayer Corps, and that's how his monotonous life became more exciting, and was able to save up some currency in the process. For the next few years, he went on missions and trained himself to become a better demon slayer, but never got to the point of becoming an elite known as the Hashira's.
During one of his missions, he faced a strong demon and was getting cornered and was on the verge of death, in a final effort he was able to perform the [Total Concentration Breathing] technique. He then closed his eyes and fell into a trance when he used the Hino kami Kagura's first form "Dance" successfully defeating the demon. Tanjiro's grandfather realizes that their family ceremonial dance is an actual breathing style. He never knew that the family's technique had that much potential so he decided to find out who created this breathing style and hope one of his descendants might have left the story behind it. Deciding best to only use it in a dire situation of life and death and to keep it secret from the corps since it looked to be a family secret. Once he began to put it into practice it turned out better than what he was being taught but saw the benefits in knowing different sword styles making him more versatile.
Tanjiro's grandfather was able to rise through the ranks and became a tsuchinoto, but didn't want to catch the attention of the more powerful demons while trying to make a difference in the world. Some years later he fell in love with Tanjiro's grandmother, whom he saved from a demon attack, and for some strange reason, there was an attraction to one another. He ended up courting her and then married her about a year later, then chose to retire before long since he wanted to live a peaceful life back at the mountain where he was from to have a family. When Tanjiro's father was born he became content to be a coal miner, his grandfather felt a little disappointed till Tanjiro was born. He felt a special aura coming from his grandson, and he could explain why but he knew that he would be the one to follow in his footsteps in joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
Tanjiro recalled how his grandfather explained to him how their ancestors have been passing down the Hino kami Kagura dance from generation to generation for more than five hundred years. It was said that their ancestors would pass down the stories of how their first descendants to learn Hino kami Kagura were saved by the original creator of the dance, who happened to be a demon slayer. It was said that the man was saddened and depressed after his wife and unborn child were killed by a demon, feeling a sense of gratitude he let the man stay with their family. The demon slayer was very grateful to the family even if he didn't help support the family, and decided to teach his new friend the Hino kami Kagura so he could protect his family. Some time passed before their friend decided to leave with a new sense of determination, he gave his friend his as a gift his hanafuda earrings before saying goodbye and leaving.
From then on the first son would inherit the precise heirloom, and as a vow, their ancestor would continue to pass down "Breathing Style" now known as Hino kami Kagura. It became a ritual ceremony in the form of a dance done every new year from sunset to sunrise to ward off threats and diseases. Tanjiro's grandfather also chose to create a manuscript so that their family ceremonial dance wouldn't be forgotten even if their family descendants all died their legacy would live on.
Tanjiro enjoyed listening to the stories of sword fights and samurai with wicked evil demons; his grandfather was so happy that his grandson took an interest that he began to train him secretly with the sword. He discovered that his grandson was a natural-born prodigy and was very analytical, that Tanjiro had the skill to protect the family and to keep them alive with his talent alone. Tanjiro remembers before his grandfather passed that he inherited his nichirin sword to protect their family at all costs. The last piece of advice was for him to learn a different breathing style and to learn [Total Concentration constant], it will help him in the future whatever you decide to do his grandfather said.
As the family watched the dance they were in awe of how beautiful and powerful the dance looked. But ever since their father passed away the responsibilities of the household fell to the mother and Tanjiro, as they both supported the family with their respective lines of work. While their mother would do a lot of odd jobs to support their family, so did Tanjiro, since he didn't want to see any of his family go starving. All the siblings looked up and respected their older brother, and recognized the hard work he put food and clothes on the table. Everyone in the family knew that he was very intelligent and could have left their home to find a better place, but he chose to stay with his family where they live in peace in the mountains.
For the next few hours, the family watched silently as he kept the tradition of dancing from sunset to sunrise. The siblings began to get tired and were taken to their home one by one the later it became, till his mother was the only one left watching. Time flew by when the first rays of the sun were seen, that is when Tanjiro stopped and began to make his way back inside their home on his own. When Tanjiro opened the door and stepped inside, to saw his mother and younger sister Hanako were awake making breakfast. He smiled knowing that his mother knew that he would be hungry after the long night of performing the ceremonial dance, so he closed the door behind him and sat on a mat near the pot.
"Kaa-san, as soon as I finish eating I'll be heading down the mountain to get extra food, medicine, and clothes. I have to make sure we are well prepared for the winter, in case the worst case happens." Tanjiro told his mother as his sister Hanako handed him his breakfast
"You know, you don't have to go, since winter started it could get dangerous out there." Tanjiro's mother commented as she sat down in front of her son to eat her breakfast as well.
"I just want our family to have a really good New Year's celebration dinner, so I have to work hard today so we can all be happy. I want to be able to see everyone eat till their bellies are full, so don't worry so much Kaa-san. I will sell all the charcoal I take down today." Tanjiro responded as his mother sighed and had a look of admiration in her eyes.
"Tanjiro, how thoughtful of you. You remind me so much of your tou-san. I was truly blessed to have such a wonderful son." Tanjiro's mother said, giving him a warm smile as he smiled at his mother's praise.
"Nii-san, can I please go with you to the village? I'll make sure to help out and ask the villagers if they would like to buy or trade coal." Hanako asked as she gave her onii-san puppy dog eyes, hoping that he would let her go with him.
"No, you're not, you know you can't walk as fast as Tanjiro can sweetie." Their mother strongly protested fearing that she would delay her brother from finishing his duty
"Tanjiro, you promised that I would be able to go with you during the wintertime at least once. I promise to help you." Hanako began to plead with her brother to go since she rarely spends time with her onii-san since he is always working hard to put food on the table.
"Kaa-san don't worry, I'll take Hanako with me if we leave in the next hour. It won't be a problem, I'm sure I'll figure out a way to take her with me if she gets tired or falls behind I promise." Tanjiro interjected before his mother was able to put a stop to it, this of course made Hanako smile in happiness.
"Tanjiro, are you sure you should be taking her during this snowy weather? I did say earlier that it could become dangerous. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the both of you." Tanjiro's mother said not able to help when it came to the safety of two of her children.
"Kaa-san, don't worry it will be fine at least I will have someone to talk to on my way to the village. And I did promise her, and a man can't go back on his word," Tanjiro replied as he finished eating his food and got up to get ready.
"If your nii-san said it's alright for you to go then I won't say anything else." Tanjiro's mother said as she got up and took the dirty bowls.
"Ok, then I'm going to get the charcoal ready and get the travel sled ready for us to use. Hanako-chan makes sure you dress warm enough in case it gets cold later on, and remember to bring a thick warm blanket. Kaa-san if it's possible please make us a snack in case we get hungry on the way there or back. I would appreciate it kaa-san, I have to make sure Hanako-chan won't starve." Tanjiro politely asked his mother as she nodded in affirmation at his request, as Hanako left to get ready for the trip.
Tanjiro walked over towards the family shrine, he then lit an incense and gave a small prayer to his father and grandfather for strength and protection. Tanjiro grabbed the sword that was left to him as an heirloom by his grandfather secured it on his left hip, and went outside to complete his task. Tanjiro walked over to their charcoal storage shack where he began to gather up the charcoal and placed it into the basket. Afterward, he brought out the traveling sled and began to get it ready for them to leave right away down the mountain. Tanjiro just hopes that the weather is not going to get worse later on before they can climb up the mountain in the nighttime.
Fifteen minutes later Hanako came out with their mother, followed by his younger siblings, who had disgruntled faces on being unable to go with him down the mountain. Hanako noticed that the sled quickly went to it holding two blankets and sat on the sled and made herself comfortable for the trip down the mountain. The two other siblings tried to argue with their mother about the decision she made to let Hanako go but were chastised by her afterward and were given more chores for stepping out of line. Tanjiro could only smile at all the commotion so early in the morning on New Year's Day, and all of this was for him to get more food for them to eat well starting the new year. And maybe when he turns fifteen years old he will be able to leave his home like his grandfather and go on an adventure just like him being able to help people by killing demons and joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Tanjiro, please make sure to take very good care of Hanako, and try not to spoil her so much either. And please try not to stay so late trying to help everyone, I would like for you and Hanako to make it up the mountain in one piece before dark. After all, we are having a New Year's dinner tonight and the best way to have it is by being surrounded by your family." Tanjiro's mother commented as Tanjiro nodded in understanding at his mother's concern.
Don't worry kaa-san, I will do my best not to break my promise to all of you to get back for New Year's dinner with Hanako-chan." Tanjiro said as he walked over to his mother and gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead as he turned to say goodbye to his other siblings.
"Oh Tanjiro, let me clean the soot off your face, I don't want you to go down to the village looking so dirty." Tanjiro's mother commented as she cleaned his face with a piece of cloth, he just smiled at his kind mother's actions always concerned for all her children.
"Tanjiro, I want to go to the village as well," Shigeru blurted out, hoping his big brother would let him go as well.
"Now, now! Tanjiro needs to get going before it becomes too late, now say your goodbye to your big brother and sister." Tanjiro's mother said immediately putting a stop to the pointless argument that was about to begin.
"I promise to bring everyone some goodies from the village, so just wait for us with warm food when we get back," Tanjiro told his family his intention when he came back to their home.
"Tanjiro-oni-san, we should get going otherwise it might take longer to go around the village selling and trading all the coal we have on hand," Hanako yelled out as she patiently waited for her older brother to get going.
"Hey Takeo, do me a favor while I'm gone, okay? Chop as much wood as you can." Tanjiro said as he smiled at his Otōto who rolled his eyes in return before speaking.
"Yeah, yeah, I was about to get started with that, you don't have to worry so much Tanjiro. I was kinda hoping for us to do it this time together Hmph" Takeo replied as he puffed out his cheeks in displeasure as his onii-san poked fun at him.
Tanjiro smiled at his brother's antics as he walked over to him and started to pat his head like he was a puppy. Tanjiro knows that he is very loved by his family, and as for his siblings, they all want him to give them attention. In the meantime his kaa-san smiled as she watched the rest of her children have a good laugh and giggled at Takeo's expense, all the while his cheeks redden in embarrassment. Then walking back to their home was Nezuko holding Rokuta in her arms while he was asleep, seeing that her older brother was getting ready to leave down to the village. And to her surprise, he was taking Hanako with him, and smiled knowing of the promise Tanjiro made to her a while ago, she guessed he was finally going to make it happen for her.
"Knock it off, would you? I'm not a puppy, you can't just pet me whenever you want onii-san." Takeo commented in an irritated voice, as he stomp his right foot on the ground in displeasure.
"Ah! Your blushing Takeo!" Shigeru yelled out all the while he was laughing.
"Y-you, you, you, shut up Shigeru don't make me hurt you later on tonight before Tanjiro and Hanako return home," Takeo replied while being flustered, as he was being picked on by his Otōto.
"There, there, now don't lose your temper over some harmless words," Tanjiro said as he ruffled Takeo's hair, as he turned and began to walk over to the sled.
"Alright, it is time for us to get going now before it becomes any later. Hanako places a blanket inside the box sits inside, and wraps the blankets around you to keep you warm. Okay everyone we will see you later tonight." Tanjiro said as he began to pull the sled toward the village, and began to wave his goodbye as well as Hanako they could hear their family yelling out.
"Come back as soon as you can!" Shigeru yelled out as he waved goodbye.
"Be safe you two!" Their mother yelled out as she smiled and waved goodbye.
"And see you when you get back!" Takeo yelled out as he did the same as his family was doing.
"Good morning Tanjiro, Hanako I see you heading off to the village?" Nezuko commented as she finally got near their home while holding a sleeping Rokuta in her arms.
"Good morning Nezuko-chan, did Rokuta have trouble sleeping again?" Tanjiro asked as he walked towards his sister and baby brother.
"Good morning Nezuko-neechan," Hanako responded as she waved at her older sister who smiled back at her.
"I had to put Rokuta down for a nap since he didn't sleep much last night. And ever since tou-san passed he has been crying to be around you Tanjiro. Kaa-san and I have to take turns distracting him from always wanting to be around you. Tanjiro everyone seems to yearn for you and want to follow you wherever you go." Nezuko explained to her onii-san as she got a nod of affirmation from Hanako as well.
"I see well it can't be helped I'm trying my best to give all of you as much attention as I possibly can since I want to make sure every one of us has enough food for us to eat," Tanjiro replied with a sad smile on his face.
"How about you Tanjiro, you haven't slept all night will you be ok?" Nezuko comments in a concerned voice, meanwhile she patted Rokuta back keeping him asleep.
"I'll be alright Nezuko, I'm strong enough not to let a little fatigue slow me down. Plus I'll have Hanako to keep me alert, and Oji-san sword to protect us." Tanjiro responded as he gave her a side hug and kiss on her forehead.
"We'll see both when you get back home," Nezuko said as she started to walk back to the house to put down Rokuta in bed.
The two siblings slowly made their way down the mountain, the scenery they saw was beautiful. The land was capped in white snow, and the little bit of green that they saw gave them the sense to determine the distance around them. During the winter time is the only time that the land looked the purest, but also there were a lot of hidden dangers roaming in the land. Since they left a little earlier than usual they had plenty of daylight to keep them comfortable.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro was in deep thought thinking of their family circumstances they didn't exactly have an easy life, but they were happy. He believed that a person had the power to change their life all it takes is for a person to pick the correct path in life. And as unpredictable and suddenly the weather could shift and move on like the wind and turn into a violent snowstorm. Since the sun can't shine forever, and soon enough the darkness takes control of the night. But whatever happens, when happiness is destroyed, it's always followed by the smell of blood.
"Onii-san, Onii-san, look I could see the village clearly from here, it looks so bright and beautiful," Hanako commented what she truly thought as what she was seeing, Tanjiro agreed with her as he smiled to himself.
"Ah sorry, I was deep in thought but yes you're right, we should get there just before noon," Tanjiro replied as he pushed himself to pick up the pace, wanting to make sure to make it on time.
"Onii-san, it is starting to snow once again, do you think there will be a snowstorm later?" Hanako asked as she turned her head towards the mountain where it looked like it was getting darker.
"I'm not sure but we'll see till then you have the list kaa-san gave you?" Tanjiro asked as he was sniffing the air, only to get a shiver run down his spine, giving him an ominous feeling.
"Yes I do, don't worry onii-san you can count on me to help you out," Hanako said feeling happy that she could help her older brother have a chance to come along and spend quality time with him.
Tanjiro continues to walk forward while having small talk and laughing here and there when they reach the bottom of the mountain. When they finally reached the village of Okutama, they walked through the main road. Tanjiro felt a little tired from the trip coming down the mountain and needed a moment to catch his breath and rest before he began to trade with the villagers. Hanako got off the sled and stood next to her onii-san and she looked around the village excitedly, since it wasn't every day she was able to come down the mountain. A woman who was sweeping in front of her home sighed to herself when turning only to see the Kamado siblings entering the village.
"Ah, Tanjiro! You came down the mountain on a day like this. Don't you ever stop working? You could catch a cold and get sick. And you brought Hanako-chan as well, what were you thinking child? It could get dangerous going back at night?" The woman commented in a worried voice while the two siblings had sheepish smiles on their faces.
"The weather is not as bad as you think, but I'm not coming tomorrow since I did our family ceremonial dance last night so I haven't slept. Plus it's the new year and I want to start it off in a positive manner, I did promise Hanako I would bring her during a snow day. And having her come along will sharpen all my senses to be able to protect my imōto from any danger. As for us to travel up the mountain at night, I brought my Oji-san sword just in case, since I've been training since I was a child I believe I could take care of any threat. So, anyway would you need a refill on charcoal by any chance?" Tanjiro said, answering all of the woman's questions.
"Yes please, it seems that a snowstorm might be heading our way. Better to have extra in case you're not able to come down the mountain." She responded as Hanako turned around and began to fill the bucket with charcoal to give it to the lady.
"Hey, Tanjiro!" A man called out getting an eh in surprise from Tanjiro who became surprised by the unexpected call.
"Good afternoon how can I help you?" Tanjiro asked as he smiled at the man who hurried to him.
"I'll take some more charcoal as well! I can tell it going to snow tonight and I tell you won't be coming down tomorrow." The man explained as Tanjiro went and grabbed some charcoal for him as his sister helped the lady.
While another man answered, "that they were fine with what they had on hand." The man did thank him for fixing his sliding doors the other day. A woman yelled out "That she needed charcoal as well." And Hanako went over to her to make the exchange. A strange ruckus was heard when Tanjiro turned around to see a boy with a busted lip getting dragged out of some home. He gasped in surprise when he saw Tanjiro in the middle of the road and ran toward him.
"Tanjiro! I'm so glad you're here, I've been accused of breaking this plate! Can you help me out here?" The boy cried out loud making a scene as he got on his knees and begged when he continued to speak once again.
"How can I help," Tanjiro asked him wondering what was going on, not knowing the situation.
"Can you give it a sniff and find out who did it?" The young man asked staggering towards Tanjiro so he could sniff the broken plate.
"It smells like a cat broke this plate," Tanjiro responded as the boy showed a sigh of relief that he proved his innocence in front of the owner.
"So it was the cat huh? Oh well sorry for accusing you, boy." The oba-san said as she turned around and went back into her shop.
"You see I tried to tell you I didn't do it, but you wouldn't listen to me." The boy cried out as he felt the unfairness, but everyone around lost interest in the situation.
"Hey there Tanjiro, I don't suppose you could give me a hand with this luggage could you?" The man asked he had a sheepish look on his face, only for Tanjiro to sigh to himself and smile with a nod.
For the rest of the day, Tanjiro and Hanako went around the entire village and were able to sell off all the charcoal they brought down from the mountain. Hanako was able to gather the items on the list that their mother had asked them to get while they were there, fortunate for Tanjiro. Hanako was there to help him out with that otherwise he didn't think he would have been able to get them, and he was able to trade more charcoal than if he had come by himself. Once they were finished with those errands they began to make their way up the mountain. Tanjiro noticed that it was becoming dark quickly and that a snowstorm was about to start, he knew from his oji-san that demons came out at night, and was extremely dangerous to travel up the mountain.
"I see it has become late hopefully, the snowstorm won't overtake us but there might be a good chance we won't be able to make up the mountain tonight," Tanjiro commented to his imōtoas she was all bundled up in a blanket as he hurried by pulling the sled up the mountain.
"It's because onii-san likes to help everyone and doesn't know how to say no to others so, you lost track of time. But we were able to get everything we needed, and thank you for the sweets." Hanako responded as she ate a piece of their mother's snack she made for them.
"I see, I just can't help myself when people call for me to help them it's not easy for me to turn away from them or say no" Tanjiro explained to Hanako, as he turned his head and gave her a sheepish laugh.
"Tanjiro wait just a moment, you're not going back up the mountain now, right? It is simply too dangerous, and worse, you have your imōto with you? What are you thinking my boy?" Saburo-san said with a look of disbelief on his face, as he stopped the Kamado siblings.
"Oh I'll be fine, I got a good nose and I have my sword with me this time I will protect my imōtoif it costs me my life," Tanjiro responded with words full of confidence, getting a hmph in return as Saburo-san shook his head in disappointment.
"No! Tanjiro, think of Hanako's well-being, you and her will stay here for the night. And from what I'm able to see there is a snowstorm about to start to fall, you might be strong enough to handle it but is your imōto? So, bring in your stuff and come on and get inside, and don't argue. Before the demons show up and I'm sure your oji-san must have told you about them when you were still little am I wrong?" Saburo-san said as he opened the door for the two to get inside his small but cozy home.
When the Kamado siblings walked inside, the man had just finished making dinner, he was about to start eating when he heard them talking. He gave the kids some food as they sat down to eat and Hanako quickly made more food so they could all eat. Tanjiro pulled out a small bag and gave Saburo-san some charcoal for his troubles. The man graciously bowed and agreed to keep the home warmer so they wouldn't worry about freezing during the night. When they finished eating the dinner they both bowed in thanks and took a sip of their tea. There was a moment of silence till Tanjiro broke it.
"Saburo-san, I have a question have there been many demon attacks around the village and in the mountain where we live?" Tanjiro asked, getting a gasp from his imōto and a blank stare from the man as he cleared his throat to speak.
"Yes, there has been as of late I think because of your oji-san, when he was still able to hunt them to keep this area safe. He was a demon slayer after all and he wanted to make sure his family was safe. That's why after retirement he chose to live in the mountains where your ancestors have been living for centuries to bring down coal from the mountain for the village. But unfortunately, since your father was a sickly man and it didn't seem that he wanted to be a demon slayer the area and slowly demons began to return to this here. Why do you think parents here make sure their children get inside before dark? Some are luckier than others but it's a known fact that there are demons in the night." Saburo-san told the two siblings as he took a sip of his tea, while Tanjiro was becoming more comfortable with the idea of leaving to join the Demon Slayer Corp.
"Saburo-san you won't have to worry about that problem because, in a few years, I will be joining the Demon Slayer Corps to at least follow in my oji-san footsteps and do the same as he did in his life," Tanjiro began to explain to him and imōto of his plans for the future shocking Hanako.
"I see then you should understand why it is not safe to go outside at night. And having your imōto doesn't help your case either it would give you a weakness against a ruthless demon" Saburo-san replied as he went up and began to secure the home before they went to bed.
There were no more words spoken between the three, as they finished drinking their tea. Once all the food was picked up and put away and cleaned Saburo-san put out his extra futon and apologized that he didn't have another for the two siblings. He then told them they could set out at first light, to travel back home and hopefully it would stop snowy making it easier for the two of them. Hanako on the other hand, had a blush on her face since this would be the first time she would get to sleep with her onii-san, cuddle up next to him. As for Tanjiro he still had to ask an important question to Saburo-san otherwise he wouldn't be able to fall asleep in peace.
"Saburo-san I was wondering are demons able to come inside a person's home?" Tanjiro asked as his imōto became scared from all these evil talks, while Saburo-san sighed as he spoke.
"Yes, they can come inside," Saburo-san answered by putting tobacco in his pipe before lighting it and taking a puff blowing out the smoke.
"But then wouldn't they just kill everyone then?" Tanjiro asked as he waited for his answer, patting Hanako's head to calm her down as she was shaking next to him.
"Yes that is true but that is why there is the Demon Slayers Corps who will protect us, by killing as many as they can. That is what they have been doing all this time and they always will while they're still demons living on this earth, that is their duty as Demon Slayers." Saburo-san said as he got up and began to clear out his pipe before going to bed.
"Now both of you go to sleep," Saburo-san said cutting off the conversation and blowing out the candle.
Tanjiro closes his eyes and starts to analyze everything he knows about the man, he has been on his own ever since he lost his family. He must be lonely or is it my way of thinking too naive? Whatever the case, I have a strong feeling that his family was killed by demons. So I must become stronger to be able to protect my family and all the innocent people living in our country. This is a vow I'm making for myself so long as there are demons I must eliminate them at all costs he thought to himself. Little did he know that he would have to change his vow to have a chance to save his other imōto life.
The next morning both of the Kamado siblings got up and got ready to leave back up the mountain. Saburo-san gave them some leftover riceballs before the two said their goodbyes and thanked him for his hospitality. Tanjiro and Hanako were having a small talk about how their kaa-san was going to become extremely angry with Tanjiro and how he should have left Hanako home with the other siblings. Still, for Hanako, it was one of the best days of her life to be able to hang out with her beloved onii-san. All of a sudden Tanjiro stopped and began to look around then sniff the air, as his eyes went wide when he smelled the scent of blood when he spoke in a serious tone.
"Hanako hold on tight, I'm smelling blood coming up ahead of the trail towards our home. So keep looking at our surroundings if something moves, let me know right away we might be in danger. I'm having a really bad feeling about this, we need to hurry back home to make sure our family is safe so hold on tight and try not to fall off." Tanjiro said as he grabbed onto the rope tightly and took off running as fast as he could.
When they finally made it up the mountain towards their home they saw a shocking scene. Tanjiro felt time slow down to a snail's pace as his senses became super sensitive and he became extremely focused. And he could hear Hanako cry out in horror at the sight both of them had just witnessed. Snapping back to reality Tanjiro began to look around if there was anyone else hiding that could perhaps sneak up on them and try to kill them as well. Tanjiro quickly decided against telling his imōto what he needed for her to do.
"Hanako! Stand behind me hold on to my Haori and do not let go in till I tell you to," Tanjiro told Hanako as he slowly analyzed the situation as he slowly made his way towards their home.
In front of him, he could see Nezuko face down, it looked like she was trying to protect Rokuta.
When he looked inside their home his blood froze cold, and Tanjiro began to hyperventilate at the gory scene. He quickly told Hanako to keep her eyes close not wanting her to see their family butchered like cattle, and not let go for any reason until he told her to. He began to have tears running down his face as he imagined the way his family was killed by a demon since they lived away from the eyes of the people. He also began to think that if Hanako hadn't come with him she would have been butchered as well. Seeing that there was nothing he could do with his family inside the home, he decided to see if by chance Nezuko and Rokuta were still alive.
"Onii-san is everyone dead, I don't know why but I could smell blood all around," Hanako asked as Tanjiro thought of a proper answer to tell her as he tried not to freak her out.
"Hanako to be honest they probably are but I'm still going to go check Nezuko and Rokuta if they are still alive it never hurt to try," Tanjiro replied to his imōto as he slowly made his way back to his other two siblings who were laying still on the snowy ground.
When Tanjiro reached Nezuko who was covering Rokuta in a protective position. He then separated them and laid them side by side on the snowy ground and began to check if they were still alive. Right away he noticed that Rokuta was already dead and it seemed like his neck was snapped so he instantly died. But when he checked on Nezuko next he noticed that she still had a faint pulse, Tanjiro put his head on her chest to see if he was able to hear her heartbeat. He was about to pick up Nezuko and take her to their oji-san small home when all of a sudden she opened her eyes and tried to take a bite of Tanjiro's neck.
He was able to counter Nezuko's attack by deflecting her outstretched arm then he did a palm strike to her face blinding her. Tanjiro quickly took some distance from her and got in between her and Hanako so he would be able to protect her. Tanjiro brought out his katana still in its scabbard not wanting to cut down his sister in hopes of being able to save her, from such a horrible curse from whoever killed his family. Nezuko was able to get up and then shook off the cobwebs of the direct hit to her face growling in the process. She looked over toward Tanjiro and charged at him without a second thought intending to kill her pray
"Hanako-chan listen I don't know who or what killed our family but I am pretty sure that a demon did this and turned Nezuko into one. I don't want to kill her and I have hope in being able to turn her back to being a human but I have to subdue her. I need you to go get some ropes that are in Oji-san's old home while I distract her, can you do this favor for your onii-san?" Tanjiro explained to Hanako what he needed her to do as he got ready for his first of many difficult trials in the future.
"Y-yes onii-san I won't fail you in trying to save onee-chan," Hanako replied as she had tears running down her face, wiping them away as she waited for him to begin the fight.
"Good girl Now Go!" Tanjiro yelled out as he charged forward to distract her giving Hanako the much-needed time to get the ropes from their oji-san place.
Both Tanjiro and Nezuko charged forward at the same time, while she swung for a claw slash to the face. Tanjiro was able to scoop a hand full of snow while holding his sword in his left hand. Right when Nezuko's clawed hand was about to swing down Tanjiro threw the snow in her face blinding Nezuko making her subconsciously protect her face. Tanjiro seeing his plan work slid passed her and in the process, he hit her in the knee getting her off balance, as he got behind her to subdue her. Tanjiro still having his sword in his scabbard tried to choke her out since he had the upper hand at the moment.
Nezuko caught off guard by the snow being thrown to her face became agitated, as she barely was able to get her hands on the scabbard from choking her. She fought back in hopes of overpowering the person who was keeping her off balance and killing him very painfully. Nezuko and Tanjiro struggled with one another on who would win the battle of willpower, till Tanjiro noticed that he was beginning to lose when he decided to do something unorthodox. He leaned his head back as far as he could and headbutted Nezuko in the back of the head, immediately causing her to stop movement and fall forward. Tanjiro feeling tired and struggling to subdue his sister gave him a workout, he never expected her to become extremely strong to the point of overpowering him in strength.
"Onii-san are you alright? Sorry it took me so long but I didn't know where the ropes were being kept, so I kinda made a mess of the place I hope you don't mind." Hanako said as she popped her head around the corner of the home, worried that something might of happened to her older brother.
"I'm fine Hanako-chan don't worry about it and hurry, we need to tie her up and see if she can get her reasoning back. Otherwise, I'm not sure what to do from here on out. Now that everyone is dead I'm going to need time to figure out what to do with our livelihood." Tanjiro explained the situation as Hanako gave him the ropes to secure Nezuko from running on a rampage.
"I understand onii-san," Hanako replied and she took a few steps back just in case anything happened.
In the meantime, Tanjiro began tying Nezuko up he made sure to secure arms and hands in case she used her nail-like claws to cut through the rope. He tied a rope around her neck and connected it to her arms in case she began to move them it would cause her to bend her head back looking at the sky. Tanjiro also tied the rope on her legs and connected them to her arms as well, he didn't want to take any chance while Hanako was around. When he finished securing Nezuko he took his sister back to their oji-san's home where he told her to find any item in the home and to place it on the floor. He then told her to keep the door closed and to lock it with the wooden lock so no one could get in. If you start to hear fighting or find it too quiet don't bother coming out of the house till the following day. Take some food and snacks and a bucket just in case you need to use the bathroom
As soon as Tanjiro stepped outside the home he sniffed the air and noticed that something or someone was heading in their direction at an extremely fast pace. He then hurried to see who it might be and what are they doing at their home since no one came up the mountain for no reason. Tanjiro took his sword out in one quick motion and took off to intercept who it was, when he turned the corner he saw a man appear with his sword out ready to strike Nezuko down while she was tied up.
Tanjiro quickly performed [Total Concentration Breathing] dash forward faster than he ever did before deflecting the sword strike surprising the swordsman, he quickly took distance from the young boy who didn't look any older than thirteen to fifteen years of age and was protecting a demon girl. There were five things that he noticed from the whole situation, the first thing he noticed was the smell of a demon that was coming in this location. The second thing he noticed was that innocent people had already been killed, and since they lived up in the mountain no one would have heard their cries of terror. The third thing that surprised him was that a young boy from a rural mountain was able to stop his sword strike by deflecting it. The fourth thing he notices is that he has in his possession a nichirin, meaning that someone in his family is either a Demon Slayer or a former Slayer that retired. The last thing was he was protecting the young demon girl who had a striking resemblance to the young boy.
"Why are you protecting it?" Giyu commented as he narrowed his eyes as he waited for an explanation from the teenage boy in front of him.
"She is one of my younger sisters and I found her passed out before she attacked me. I don't know why but I smell the foul stench of another person or demon that killed my family. And it is not her fault that she became a demon and she hasn't killed or eaten anyone yet if I'm able to calm her down and get her to regain her reasoning. And maybe with her help, I would be able to eliminate as many demons as we can, till we find a cure for her so she would be able to live a regular life in the future." Tanjiro responded as he began to analyze the swordsman in from of him and he was able to tell that he was extremely strong and didn't see a chance to defeat him in a fair fight.
"I see, that's a shame but you should call things like that your imōto. But if you are not able to kill it because of sentimental value. I will do it for you and give her a quick death so she won't have to suffer anymore." Giyu suggested as he hoped to get the boy to see some reason.
"Huh your suggestion was dually noted but I'm going to have to decline your offer since this is a Kamado family matter. I will be able to handle this situation without your interference so you should go find that demon that killed my family if anything. If that is all you may go now since I'm going to be busy thinking up a plan for me and my two Imōtos." Tanjiro said as he got ready for the next move the swordsman would make against Nezuko.
"What is your name? And how did you get a hold of that nichirin sword? Giyu asked since his curiosity was peaked because he was able to recognize that this teenager was well versed in the sword and possibly even a prodigy.
"My name is Kamado Tanjiro as this sword is a family heirloom that I inherited from my oji-san, who used to be a Demon Slayer in his younger days," Tanjiro answered his questions not minding if he knew his name, as Giyu guessed one of his hypothesis was correct.
"You know I have to kill that demon even if she is your imōto, it's nothing personal it's just part of my duties as a Demon Slayer," Giyu commented ignoring the fact that he didn't even give his name as he took a stand wanting to gage if the teenager had any skills with the swords.
"Hahaha, you know what the most ironic thing is that I was going to leave my family when I turned fifteen for a chance to join the Demon Slayer Corp since I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my oji-san.
"Then show me your determination and prove to me that your demon of a sister won't be a danger to the innocent, so prepare yourself and don't die," Giyu said and charged forward to test the new candidate on becoming a Demon Slayer.
Tanjiro quickly got on guard and evaded to his left side barely managing to dodge otherwise he would lose his head on the outside he had a look of complete concentration but on the inside, he was really scared to die, and leaving both imōto to their fate. He closed his eyes since he couldn't track his opponent with his eyes, so he used his nose since he always had a good sense of smell it would help him locate the swordsman. Tanjiro's eyes widened when he smelled him behind him and his instincts were screaming at him to evade once again he somersaulted forward as he switched sword hands and grabbed a hand full of snow. He then swung his sword in the hope of keeping him at a distance when Tanjiro threw the compact snow at the swordsman's face, for him to only lift his sword to block the object. That distraction gave Tanjiro enough time to perform [Total Concentration Breathing] and strengthen his body enough to charge forward, surprising Giyu that he even knew how to do such a complicated technique.
Giyu then prepared himself to gage his sword skill that he would mostly defend and counter now and then since he was able to see the person with such potential. It was not that long ago that they found another young teenager with that type of potential and became the youngest Hashira after two months of joining the Demon Slayer Corps. A moment later two swords clashed and a second later a series of swords struck at a high speed began, Giyu was pleasantly surprised that a mere teenager living in the mountain was able to have this type of skill. Little by little Giyu notices that he is beginning to have a harder time blocking Tanjiro's sword strikes almost like he was learning that only by watching him was an amazing thought. Giyu wanted to see if his hypothesis was correct he began to add his counterattacks to their little battle.
Tanjiro from the beginning was watching the swordsman block his every strike but as the sword battle continued he began to analyze his opponent and correct on a whim his next moves. He then realized that the swordsman was not attacking him like in the beginning but testing him for some strange reason, when he finally noticed that he was counterattacking this time completely changing the battle and for him to adapt. Tanjiro can learn everything he puts his mind to extremely fast he begins to see that every few sword clashes he would counter him on making a life or death decision on what he was about to do next. Once he got used to the new pattern of the fight he began to implement the counter that he analyzed during the whole confrontation he began to push back once again.
Giyu was even more impressed and decided to give his final test to see what would he do in a losing and hostage situation, this might make him look dishonorable but when it comes to demons honor doesn't mean much to them. He then changed his target and went after the demon that was all tied up wanting to see what would the teenager do next. This caught Tanjiro off guard and performed [Total Concentration Breathing] and charged forward to intercept the swordsman before he killed Nezuko. She was still struggling to set herself free from being tied up and was watching the fight not understanding what was happening, until the other man came after her ready to kill her.
Sensing that her life was in danger she fell over trying to get loose but with no luck, she saw the sword aim for her neck. Then all of a sudden the younger man appeared and blocked the killing blow, and she began to sense that they both had some type of bond even if they were different and he didn't want to kill her. She could tell that the person who saved her was giving it his all to protect her when she began to see flashes of visions of herself and him taking care of her and protecting her as he did moments ago. She then saw more visions of what she could only guess was her family, but for some reason, she felt she couldn't remember anything and she couldn't understand why this was.
In the meantime, Hanako was doing exactly what her onii-san asked her to do, but she was able to hear all the sword strikes that were loud enough for her to hear. She was truly scared that someone would come once again to their home and this time her beloved onii-san was fighting for his life. She heard Tanjiro call out to Nezuko feeling worried not knowing what was happening Hanako decided to go out and see what was happening as she kept herself hidden. She was in Aww of how capable her onii-san was with the sword, she never knew that their oji-san had taught Tanjiro how to wield a sword. Suddenly the man went after their sister Nezuko ready to kill her and in the blink of an eye, Tanjiro appeared in between them blocking the sword.
"Why must we fight can you just leave me to handle the situation here, stranger, I had everything under control but it seems you want to ruin my plans." Tanjiro suddenly spoke in hopes of getting a better answer from the swordsman.
"I already told you my reason so now you are deaf all of a sudden, I told you there is no way to turn her back to being a human. But I once heard a rumor that if the demon lord Kibutsuji Muzan is killed everyone that was turned into a demon will become human once again. But many have been trying to do that for centuries and one man came close to successfully making that into reality. Muzan ran away never to step out of the shadows of the night in fear that such a man might kill him in the future." Giyu said as they began to cross swords while they were talking, almost making the man smirk at how skilled this teenager was and coming to a decision on what he was going to do.
Giyu then counterattacked getting Tanjiro to evade slicing through the tree the demon was in by making it fall over covering the view of her. This action caused Tanjiro to yell for his sister in desperation giving him the idea that she was either killed or trapped by the tree. See that the teenager had more motivation than before to strike him down got him somewhat concerned since he didn't want to kill the kid or his demon of a sister anymore. He was just waiting for the right time to stop this little match and send him to his master Urokodaki Sakonji the former water Hashira. Finally, satisfied with what he saw Giyu chose to finish this spar he tried to end the match as fast as possible.
Moments after seeing the man cut and see it fall over near Nezuko she had to go see if she was okay, since she didn't know if she was dead or alive. While her onii-san was still fighting she sneakily made her way to the fallen tree where she saw Nezuko tied up not able to move. Fortunately, Hanako had the foresight to bring a knife to cut the ropes, she was happy to see her sister was saved she ended up hugging her onee-san from behind and she shed a few tears of joy. Once she was satisfied hugging Nezuko she got in front of her not realizing how scary she was almost like a wild animal. At that same time, Nezuko had another vision of herself taking care of the person in front of her just like the boy who protected her even if she was a demon, at the same time Hanako cut the rope to let her loose and stayed by her side and at the same time Nezuko felt she to protect this person more than the one that was fighting.
"Nezuko, I'm glad you are alright let's watch onii-san from here hopefully he won't get killed by that man over there trying to kill you as well," Hanako told Nezuko who nodded her head as she was fighting against her urges of killing and eating humans, while they watch the sword battle.
I have to say you are a lot better than I expected from you, I'm truly surprised that you can battle me this long. Not even most Demon Slayers could last this long against the best of the corps. But I'm done here so it's time for me to finish this so prepare yourself 'cause this is going to hurt you a lot more than it going to hurt me." Giyu commented since he still had to follow the demon that killed their family if he had made it a day earlier he would have been able to stop it he was sure.
"Fine then show me what you are capable of while I'll show my resolve till the end," Tanjiro responded as he got ready for the final clash, as he closed his and prayed to Kami-sama for strength.
Then the swordsman disappeared leaving Tanjiro to search him by nose when he felt a powerful kick delivered to his stomach sending him flying across the way and landing near the tree that was cut down. Tanjiro threw up all over the place from the violent kick leaving him completely at the mercy of the man. Giyu then swung his sword down wanting to pretend that he was going to kill him when all of a sudden the teenager's imōto was completely free from her rope bindings trying to block his attack. By instinct, he changed the direction of his swing cutting off her left forearm surprising him that she was freed all of a sudden. The shocking thing about this whole thing was that she was not protecting him from me something Giyu had never seen in his short life, a demon protecting a human and the rarest part is that they are brother and sister.
"Nezuko! Please don't attack him, I finally understand what he is doing, so please just come next to me and sit. He is not going to hurt me or kill me, he was only testing me to see if I have what it takes to be a Demon Slayer." Tanjiro said as he tried to pacify Nezuko from doing something she might regret.
"Onee-san please don't attack and listen to onii-san" Hanako cried out as she came running from behind the fallen tree she came running straight to Nezuko and hugged her without any worries.
Both Tanjiro and Giyu were surprised at the unexpected development only watching in a morbid fascination with how Nezuko was acting with Hanako like a big sister should but her action was a bit awkward. Nezuko meanwhile was padding her head as if saying "There, there, everything is alright" while Hanako began to cry from seeing all this death and fighting in a single day. Now that everything seemed to be fine Hanako ended up passing out that her adrenaline had run out, Nezuko held her up began to sit in seiza, and placed Hanako's head on her lap.
"Kamado Tanjiro when you finish burying your family make sure to go see an old man named Urokodaki Sakonji he lives at the foot of Mount Sagiri tell him that Tomioka Giyu sent you. Here is a final piece of advice never let your demon sister be exposed to sunlight. Oh, before I forget have her keep this piece of bamboo placed in her mouth just in case she gets the urge to wanna attack someone or tries to bite them. And keep in mind that not everyone will be as understanding about you having to carry your demon sister around. If anything they're more likely to kill her and call you a traitor and kill you afterward, so good luck." Giyu said as quickly explained himself as he vanished without a single trace.
"Hanako, Nezuko let's go to Oji-san place we will gather whatever we need and I'm going to bury the rest of our family. By then we should be ready to leave for Mount Sagiri either in a day or two we will see. But for now, we should get a fire started so we can melt the snow to turn it into water and warm it up so we can clean ourselves off. I'll make dinner so we could eat before we head off to bed since we have a lot to do" Tanjiro explained their plans for the foreseeable future since neither of them knew what was going to happen to them.
"Alright onii-san I understand," Hanako replied getting a nod from her older brother and a grunt from Nezuko.
For the rest of the day, Tanjiro went to gather some charcoal and brought it to heat the home and use it to heat snow to melt and for them to be able to cook their rice soup. During the whole time, Hanako was talking to Nezuko telling her about herself and what she remember about her growing up. Nezuko was happily mumbling things in till her forearm regenerated back as if nothing ever happened she fell asleep on her own. After Tanjiro finishes making their dinner both himself and Hanako stay silent as they eat going over everything that happens in their minds. Then afterward they clean themselves up before going to bed to rest up for the next day.
A/N: Hello my fellow readers and writers I decided to add Tanjiro's younger sister Hanako to the mix. If he had taken her when she asked to go with him she would lived. That is just my opinion. Another thing I'm going to make Tanjiro want to become a demon slayer because of his grandfather's influence. Rengoku will make Tanjiro into his Tsuguko. Tanjiro will also learn how to use the sun-breathing style sooner and will learn how to mix water with the sun.