Author's Note: Welcome! This is just a idea that came to mind when I was bored one day. A bit of boredom turned to brainstorming on my way to work and now I'm taking the plunge. This is pretty much an AU, but with many changes. For now let's just go with "What if Muzan killed and replaced his Lower Moons earlier?"
Anyway I hope you enjoy it!
Yoriichi wondered why his brother had failed to arrive.
Although it wasn't out of the ordinary for one of his companions to oversleep, Michikatsu's one-sided rivalry would never permit that.
Perhaps, he finally pushed himself too hard.
The crunching of dry leaves beneath sandals and a silhouette broke the elder Tsugikuni from his thoughts. The sickness dissipated as he expected auburn hair and a birthmark, that resembled his own, to step into the moonlight.
The man that emerged had neither.
"Tonight is rather lovely for a stroll." The blood red irises of the new arrival locked onto him. The aura he emanated was violent. His vitality bubbled like magma and threatened to consume everything in its path. "After tonight, I wish to hear nothing more of breath users."
"Muzan" he hissed as the sickness in his stomach abated, turning into rage.
The Demon King's hands morphed into tentacle-like appendages covered in spikes. Yoriichi's birthmark expanded its tendrils across his forehead and his perception of the outside world changed. He saw through the creature's skin. Housed within its muscles were seven hearts and seven brains.
Yoriichi inhaled and drew his sword.
Before Muzan could register Yoriichi's attacks, a geyser of blood erupted from his neck. The Progenitor of all Oni fell to his knees. How is this possible? He raised his arms to find only two cleanly cut stumps and the severed tentacles curled up on the ground. The malicious, calculated visage contorted into one of utter terror as his hands failed to regenerate.
"Why do you trample on people's lives? What's so fun about it? What's so enjoyable?" asked the Samurai gazing down on him as if he were one of the gods he denied. "What do you think lives are?"
Before the final blow landed, Muzan suddenly exploded into bits of flesh and blood.
Tanjiro shot up from his slumber.
Night had already fallen and the full Moon had replaced the blue-gray sky of evening. The charcoal! By some miracle, the furnace was still alight, but the raging flames had shrunk and become mere wisps.
"Damn it, I fell asleep!" He said frantically adding more wood and blowing on the embers.
This is going to take me ages. I guess mom was right about inhaling too much smoke. That was one hell of a dream.
Despite the preparation extending well into the morning, Tanjiro finally wiped his brow and shoveled the last bit of his "black gold" into a basket. I'll be cutting it close, but I should be home before dark.
Tanjiro exited the furnace's shed and made his way towards the path that connected the mountain to the village beneath. Sweating next to a raging fire made him forget that winter was in full swing. A thick blanket of snow covered the clearing and would get higher and thicker. Tanjiro smiled knowing the residents of the village would line up to refill their ever shrinking charcoal supply.
The crunching of snow behind him revealed that he wasn't as stealthy as he imagined.
"Are you sure you want to go?" asked Tanjiro's mother, Kie, wiping a patch of soot off of his face. "It's dangerous to travel when it snows, and we have enough for another week. You're covered with sweat, you're going to catch a cold."
"I can't let my customers go cold in this weather. Besides, it's almost New Year's and I want everybody to eat to their heart's content."
Although he had been making these trips for the last four years, the recent death of his father had put Kie on edge. Losing her eldest son and the main provider would be unthinkable. Only the thought of New Year's taking everyone's minds off the recent tragedy made her relent.
"Oni-san are you going into town!?"
"I want to go too!"
Hanako and Shigeru appeared like a flash and began tugging his Haori. He didn't want to disappoint them, but the last thing he needed was for his younger siblings slowing him down.
"Tanjiro can't take the cart today" said Kie garnering a sigh of relief from Tanjiro. "You two can't keep up with him, and he wants to be back before nighttime, you know."
Saved.
"You're going to town?" More crunching followed as Takeo, the third born, stepped out of the house. "Huh, I'll go get the axe."
"Just a few trees" said Kie.
"I also wanted to go to town, and did you remember to leave some for us this time?"
"I think so" said Tanjiro rubbing his neck. "I'll tell you what, next week you can go in my stead."
Takeo thought for a second before replying. "You've got yourself a deal. There isn't much to do anyway."
"Please take Hanako and Shigeru with you. And don't stray too far! " said Kie. Takeo sighed in dismay as he left with his two siblings in tow. "Your brother doesn't know how to deal with customers, and if we're being honest, he might get lost on the way back."
"He's going to have to learn eventually" said Tanjiro. "Anyway, I have to get going, if I want to be back on time."
Kie waved him goodbye, whilst reminding him of a million other things as he went farther away.
The path hadn't become as blanketed as the clearing they lived in. Even the last set of footprints were still visible. Although there was enough traction, Tanjiro kept as close to the right as possible. To the left was a drop and a wrong step would ruin any plans for New Year's. A tumble wouldn't kill him, but would scatter the charcoal or break the basket.
"Oni-san"
Coming from the opposite direction was Nezuko, the eldest of his younger siblings, carrying the baby of the family, Rokuta, on her back.
"I just managed to lull him to sleep" she said. Their father's death had hit the toddler particularly hard. As he and his mother were too busy, Nezuko had taken him to visit his grave. "I just hope that he won't throw a fit, when he realizes that we left."
"I'm sorry Nezuko. I'll take him tomorrow."
"I really don't mind, but I wish Takeo wouldn't be so mean about it. Not everybody took it as easily as him" she replied sorrowfully. "Though he was right about being happy he didn't die in the middle of the woods."
In spite of a frail body and being bed ridden most of the time, the man had pushed himself to keep food on the table. He chopped wood, caught game, fished and generally didn't let a bad hand stop him from living life. That was until ten days ago, when their childhood fear of him not waking up one day came true. At least he lived long enough to see things get easier for us.
"Don't listen to him. He just needs to get out more" said Tanjiro. "Next week he'll go to town. Between this weather and the two of us, we'll be able to afford a stone for dad's grave. And I can get you a new Kimono."
Nezuko suppressed a sigh. Her brother still didn't get what she wanted to get across with "why can't we also wear pretty kimonos?"
"Don't bad-mouth my favorite Kimono!" she said referring to the pink one she wore. Her only one.
Unlike their younger siblings, they grew up with their father being the sole provider. This taught them to be content with what he could give them, lest he overwork himself. By the time Takeo could comprehend their situation, Tanjiro was already assisting the ailing patriarch.
"I need to get Rokuta home. Its cold and he's gotten heavier" she said hurrying back towards the clearing. "Don't get too carried away."
Tanjiro watched the the two of them briefly before continuing.
I guess she's right. Life is simple, but not easy and you just need to make the best of it. Still. I want them to have more than just the bare necessities.
Flapping wings and the cawing of a Kasugai crow broke the quiet of the country road.
The Demon Slayer Corps utilized this method of communication in lieu of telegraphs, radios and telephones. An outsider may consider this as outdated as the belief that Oni inhabited the remote places of the earth. However, they had their advantages. They didn't need a fixed location to transfer messages, and could locate agents in areas slow to modernize.
Giyu sighed. He ususally didn't receive messages on patrol and a situation urgent enough to warrant it was rare. Most likely, his regular partner was bored and trying to entertain herself. He enjoyed her company, but would never admit that due to certain mannerisms of hers.
"Ne Ne Ne Tomioka-san" muttered Giyu. "You don't have any friends, but do you want to hang out? Ne Ne Ne."
The crow perched on a nearby treeand lacked the ribbon with butterfly wings he was expecting. It was his own.
"Caw! Disappearances and murders nearby. Possible cult activity. You are to investigate. Caw!"
The crow took off and Giyu inhaled deeply. His senses heightened and he darted after it faster than a normal human should. It would lead him to the demon, or to its last known location. The patrol had been uneventful, and he sincerely hoped it would just be a "cut its head off and go" mission.
Let's get this over with.
As Tanjiro predicted, the charcoal was going quickly and his purse swelled. Due to customer demand he'd be back next week, but the Kamado household was covered for New Year's.
"Tanjiro can you tell me who the culprit was?!"
Kiyoshi, a local boy, came by with a cloth full of broken dishes. His sharp sense of smell was well-known to the locals being able to discern anybody's scent, distance, or even emotional state. He took a whiff and recognized the familiar scent, that didn't come from a human.
"I think it was just your cat."
"Ha! I knew it! I told you it wasn't me!"
His mother shook her head and reached for her wallet as Tanjiro filled a bag with the ever dwindling charcoal.
The boy was just one of many that came to him for something other than charcoal. One woman needed assistance with her luggage. An Inn keeper, with shoveling snow. An older couple, with arranging charcoal for their daughter's wedding feast in the spring. Every time he was happy to help, pay or no pay. In poor and remote villages times got hard quickly and regularly. Something you did out of kindness the other day could end up saving your life.
"Your sure work hard kid" said an unfamiliar man approaching him. "do you live around here?"
"No, up there" he replied pointing at the mountain. It was rude not to answer a simple question, but he purposely left it vague. Thieves were rare, but still existed. "How much will it be?"
"That's pretty far. It must be one hell of a trek." His eyes shifted to Tanjiro's Hanafuda earrings, which depicted the rising sun. "Those are cool. You know where I can get a pair?"
"These were my old man's" He said pinching one. "Forgive me, but I don't really have that much time to chat."
"I think you'll like what I have to say next" said the man dropping the casualness. "My name's Abe. I saw you helping that woman with her luggage. If you're looking to earn a bit of money, we're picking up a delivery and need help loading it into the cart."
Abe pointed to an area, where a table, door panels and planks lay. Quick money didn't ease the strange vibe he gave off. Behind his laid-back demeanor, Abe was hiding apprehension. Tanjiro wanted to refuse, but the thought of his family being able to enjoy the fruits of this world eventually won out.
Every little bit helps, and he's probably just nervous since he's not from around here.
"Sure" he said "but shouldn't your village have a carpenter?"
"That's what I said, but our client insisted on getting his stuff made here. He's paying me, so I came" he replied nodding towards a second man readying the cart. " Chiba-san there is my partner. If you're on board, let's get started. We still have to make it back home."
The three of them loaded the items laying the planks on the bottom, then the table and the door panels on top. Tanjiro barely felt the strain, while the two adults huffed and puffed. For professionals it seemed odd, but then again Tanjiro's livelihood made him stronger than most boys his age.
I guess that's what happens, when you try to pull a cart through snow.
After strapping everything down, Abe pulled out a pouch and removed a 20 yen greenback. Tanjiro stared wide-eyed at the bill, never having seen that much money in one place before. Whoever these guys were working for was loaded.
"Abe-san, this is too much, I can't accept this" he said. "It was just a few things."
"Nonsense" said Abe pressing the note into Tanjiro's hand. "Now we'll be able to make it home on time and isn't New Year's coming up?"
"Thank you" He said before politely bowing and leaving. "I'll spend it wisely."
Well, here's the stone. Next is Nezuko's kimono, he thought grabbing the empty basket and heading towards the mountain. Wait until I show everybody this!
Little did he know, that he wasn't the only one who had made a lucky break.
"Did you really have to give him our names, Rei?" asked Chiba.
"We're just deliverymen, Toru, they come and go all the time" said Abe "It looks like we'll be getting that audience."
If only I could tell my younger self to listen to Baba. Don't give in to Dunya and all that. I wouldn't be as rich or powerful, but I wouldn't be dying of boredom.
Hakan wanted the world and everything in it, even if the juiciest grapes on the vine came at a cost. After coming to a foreign land and selling his soul, it felt disappointing to be marooned in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.
The ticking of his Swiss Watch was like Water Torture and the ever fading sunlight illuminating the cracks in the sliding door, reminded him that the Angel of Death lurked outside and scoured the Earth everyday.
Bah! Next time I'll arrange for some girls. Better yet, the "Buddha" can stop being stingy. I give him all of those foreign nick-knacks, and run his show. The least he can give me is a"loan." Then again how the fuck do I borrow a woman? It's not like I can give her back.
The door gradually slid open and a "man" entered. He wore a red Kesa and headdress, distinguishing him as a high ranking member of the Eternal Paradise Cult. If he left his refuge, than the sun had dipped low enough for them to emerge.
"Pardon the intrusion, Master. The spies have returned."
"Finally" he said walking past the cult member. "Let's see if I got my money's worth."
The two demons proceeded into the forest surrounding the house. On a path stood four more of the cultists positioned around two men with a cart.
"These are the men, who went to investigate the claim" spoke one of the red robed figures. "You will wish to hear this."
The account proved that having spies, that could operate during the day, were invaluable. They were to find somebody that resembled a Demon Hunter from 500 years ago. A birthmark on the forehead, Hanafuda earrings that depicted the rising sun, and auburn hair. Hakan thought that such traits would've been diluted and the earrings discarded, but low and behold, they found a boy selling charcoal that matched that description to the letter.
Looks like I won't be paying him a visit. He remembered the lecherous monk, whose lips became loose after a few bottles of Sake. Said monk was persuaded to "share" his temple's property, after receiving enough money to buy all the alcohol and whores he would ever need.
"You did well" He said, still grinning from the mention that the target's house was in a remote location . "It's getting late and probably want to get home. You're dismissed."
"Will we be able to have a private audience with the Buddha, now?" asked Abe, the one that had enthusiastically given the account.
Hakan stopped himself from rolling his eyes. This man would do well taking up drinking, gambling and whoring like any other lost soul. The Buddha himself was probably engaging in the latter two as they spoke. That is how they met, after all.
"Patience is bitter, but the fruit is sweet, Abe-kun." Rejection tastes better, when seasoned with hope. "He's a very busy man, and I have other arrangements to see to. But you've clearly earned it. I'll see what I can do."
The second man, who had remained quiet, moved to object. Abe quickly grabbed his wrist and began calming him down. A moment later he backed down, hoisted the cart and began hauling it away. As they left, Abe continued to praise him and the Buddha until he faded from sight.
"I apologize" said the cultist that had introduced them. "The quiet man's faith is questionable to the point of nonexistence. The zealous one merely brings him along. Do you actually plan on arranging an audience?"
"You think the Buddha would care?" he replied. Are they beautiful young women?
"Douma mentioned that you have penchant for cruelty" came a mellow voice originating from what appeared to be the trees themselves. "You enjoy keeping that sliver of hope as collateral."
In that instant, another demon in a simple black kimono and other vestments one wore during winter in the countryside appeared before them. Despite being shorter than Hakan and sickly pale, his presence ate the life-force around it. None addressed him by name, but they all knew that the Father of all Oni had spoken.
"I wouldn't exactly call that cruel. Suckers prefers a beautiful lie to an ugly truth. That's why they join" he replied. "Some cruelty is required to get the most out of big egos and excessive humbleness."
"Correct. You need to contain strong wills and the lack thereof before they become problematic" replied Muzan. "I'll have Nakime take you back, when I'm finished. You know what to do until then."
Hakan nodded in agreement.
"I've also arranged for those two men to be taken care of. They're a liability and winter drives predators to desperation" said Muzan shifting his gaze to take in the surroundings. "Tonight is rather lovely for a stroll."
When Muzan walked off into the forest, and it felt like the Eye of Death had passed. For a moment, nobody dared speak up or moved, until one of the demons broke the silence. "Your orders?"
"My orders?" said Hakan recomposing himself. "Take positions around the house. You'll close in on my signal. With any luck they'll send "Sinan" and he'll take me up on raking my leaves."
The cultists nodded and disappeared into the woods.
Hakan followed them, but the thought of those blood red irises staring into whatever remained of his soul made his head light and gait wobbly.
What was that quote about the abyss again?
If you made this this far, than Thank You and I hope it was to your liking. I literally write this stuff as I'm on the way to work and know it isn't perfect, but I care about your enjoyment.
To clear up any controversies, I'll explain Hakan briefly.
This guy was basically inspired by that one panel that showed Douma on a bean bag chair with a hookah pipe. I was just like "what about the guy who got him those?" As to the basics, he's from the **former** Ottoman Empire and grew up in the era of it's decline. It's less about spicing things up, as much as it it about showing that Muzan has experimented on foreigners.
As for anything regarding religion, for simplicity's sake I'm just sticking to the original theme of reincarnation and overall inspiration from Buddhism. I do have ideas to flesh out the cult a bit more, but these ideas are relatively tame and mainly just revolve around Douma and Muzan worship.
For anything else, you'll just have to stay tuned.