Tanjiro ran through the streets, tears streaming from her eyes. "Oh... I ran away... I was scared... Even though nothing's changed. I'm so stupid. I knew it, but..."
"It was Nezuko all along. The person she was searching for... wasn't me... I'm hurt."
"Warrior."
"She flattered me by calling me that..."
"Lend me your strength..." she said. "Please, call me..."
"I thought maybe even I could do something."
"You have the beautiful dream," she said. "You're protected by the light of the moon. My warrior. You are the chosen warrior."
"But I wasn't after all. This me, with no power..." The bells rang. Kaguya appeared.
"Kaguya..." Tanjiro said. "I wonder if, someday, the time will come when I'm needed too... When I'll become a fine warrior... I wonder if, someday, my dream will come true..."
Xxx
Nezuko, Inosuke, and Zenitsu looked around.
"Tanjiro!?" Reiko said. "It's starting to pour! Let's go search!"
"Tanjiro!" Nezuko called.
Xxx
Tanjiro buried his face in his hands.
Kaguya leaned down and kissed him.
"Don't cry, my warrior," she said. "Everyone is worried and looking for you. Around you, the path is filled with love. In this body, I'm limited to this. My Warrior. I will come to see you again. So don't cry." She faded away.
XXX
"Tanjiro!" Nezuko called. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. "Yes!" She looked down at him. "You'll catch cold. Let's go."
Tanjiro' mouth hung open.
"Tanjiro?"
"Where's Kaguya?" He asked.
"She disappeared right after that," said Kuri. "We couldn't talk to her."
"Kaguya?" Tanjiro thought, touching his lips. "Just now, was that Kaguya...?"
Xxx
The young woman floats to the floor, where she lay as she was inside a golden cage.
"Oh..." said Muzan. "Your escaping from my curse was quite something. But you and this land are already mine. Soon the surface too, and everything will be mine. Your selfish imitation won't be permitted. Heh heh heh."
"You can enslave this land, and this body," said Kaguya, "but you can't rule my spirit yet! You and your minions will surely be wiped out by my Warrior!"
"Impudent!" A blast struck her in the chest, and she collapsed on the floor.
"Unless I find my body soon..." Kaguya thought. "Unless I return this land to normal... The entire planet will be..."
Xxx
"The Otherworld must be contaminated by darkness." Muzan said. "But there is light still in the Otherworld, coming from that woman."
"The light comes from that hateful Princess Kaguya." Shinobu said. "Only she can wield the power of the Otherworld. She will depend on her human form on earth, her power—her priestess."
"I AM THE ONE WHO WILL WIELD THE OTHERWORLD!" Muzan screamed. "She is the lesser one! I will destroy her!"
Xxx
Kuri was working out in the training room.
"Why are you working so hard, Reiko?" Tanjiro asked. "Your bow...it seems to be faltering today."
"Your sister." Kuri said. "She caught a cold and can't move now. These are hard times in the world, so I'm looking for efficient purification rules."
Kuri was caring for Nezuko whose fever had not gone down.
"Don't worry Tanjiro. I'm looking after things here." Kuri assured him.
Kuri headed outside to resume training, wondering what she would do when she finally retired. She still wanted to be near the Kamado family.
She remembered a strange dream she'd had, then an arrow dropped to the ground. Kuri picked it up sHe recalled the words of Tanjiro who said his bow was faltering. She grabbed the arrow and threw it high into the air.
"Go! Phobos! Deimos!" The two crows flew up and retrieved it.
Tanjiro watched her, wondering if she was related to Kaguya somehow.
Xxx
The next day balloons flew in the air as people wander around the grounds of the Circus.
"Come on Kuri, we have to investigate this place." Tanjiro said.
"That's right." Kuri said. "Even I fill childish in a place like this."
Kanae passed by, whispering. "The circus will do this to you."
Kuri turned and didn't see anyone, but saw a Mirror House. The crowd pushed him in and the doors slammed shut behind him.
Kuri looked into a mirror and saw her past: in training.
"Kuri." Her reflection, looking regal and cunning, looked at her. "You have devoted your life to the craft. Or what you know of your life. Don't you have any memories? Didn't you have anything precious to you?"
The mirror flashed, revealing things she had forgotten. The deaths of the Kamado family. Muzan's face, striking out at Nezu—no…that wasn't Tanjiro's family. Who was it? Who was Muzan attacking? Who was Muzan? What were all those blue spider lilies and that purple sky?
"Stop it! I will never betray Tanjiro!" Kuri said.
The reflection changed, and Kuri's face was regal and triumphant, dressed as a Queen as she embraced Tanjiro
"Now you're thinking of your own happiness," the regal Kuri said. "Listen to all I have to say. You have to make friends. Yes, for example, I'm getting this wonderful man."
The regal Kuri reached up and kissed Tanjiro.
Kuri aimed her arrow and shattered the mirrors. She dropped to her knees and coughed. The black blood…
Far off, Kanae, casting the illusion, screamed in frustration. "My enchantment cannot easily be daunted."
The image of regal Kuri appeared again.
"You love Tanjiro." Regal Kuri said. "Muzan tried to take him away. And that's why you fight. You wanted to make him suffer!"
"I won't listen to you!" Kuri said.
Pain struck her body. She was unable to fight.
Xxx
Tanjiro was searching outside the Hall of Mirrors for Kuri, when he heard Kaguya's voice.
Tanjiro headed for the tent immediately. His friend was in danger.
Xxx
Kuri was collapsed on the floor.
"My body..."
She looked up to see Kaguya before her.
"Are you another illusion?"
A silver arrow appeared in her hands. "I am the Sacred Sword!"
"It has will?" Kuri touched it.
She aimed at the illusion and destroyed it. "Sacred Breathing! Hit the Mark!"
Xxx
Tanjiro ran to her. "Are you alright?"
"I was trapped in some sort of illusion." Kuri said. "But Kaguya appeared to me and I was able to get free. She called me her body."
"Enemies appeared and fought you!?" said Tanjiro.
"When I passed in front of the mirror house," Kuri said. "I was strangely drawn in... When it showed me delusions, it crept straight to my heart. The enemies are so obscene! They might be after us. We should be careful."
"Using the circus show," said Tanjiro. "are they plotting to brainwash people!? Damn!"
"The Eclipse Circus!" Kuri said.. "People will fall into their trap! We have to stop them somehow. We must expose their true identity at any cost! We have to protect the people of this city! We will eliminate the Circus from this city at once!"
xxx
Meanwhile Muzan sat in his lair and smiled at the New Kizuki.
"The Circus has just begun!"