Tanjiro!" Tanjiro kneels on his bed, coughing. Kaguy stands next to him.

Zenitsu runs into the room. "Tanjiro!"

"Black blood!" says Nezuko. "Tanjiro! How long? Why is your blood black..."

"I don't know," he says. "Since a little while ago. My chest started hurting..."

"And the black shadow in my lungs..." he thinks to himself.

"Kaguya!" says Tanjiro. "Tell me! You must know! Is my black blood related to the enemies and you? Is this the enemies' doing!?"

"It seems the time has come already," says Kaguya. "Let us talk." In a glowing light, the Kaguya transformed into a Priestess. She knelt before them. "I am the Priestess of he Dreaming," he says.

"Priestess?" asks Tanjiro. "The Dreaming?"

"The Dreaming is the holy land that protects Earth," he says. "It quietly rests deep in the Earth, a place like the heart of this planet. I serve as a priestess there. My mission is to continue watching over the Dreamland, and this planet Earth, and you, my Warrior. I am also the guardian priestess of this planet and you."

"My guardian priestess...?" thinks Tanjiro.

"Since the distant past," continues Kaguya, "your bloodline have protected this planet all alone, not knowing you were doing so. Your battle with the demons are proof of that.."

"Do you know me?" he asks.

"Yes, Warrior. But you probably don't know me. This planet is protected by the holy land of Dreaming. I live together with the Dreamland. You, this planet, Dreaming and me. Our four spirits and bodies are linked. And those four spirits and bodies are starting to resonate."

"Our four spirits and bodies are... linked? Resonating?"

"But for that," says Kaguya, "this is happening." A beam of light shines from her forehead to Tanjiro's chest. A dark flower appeared in front of him.

"Tanjiro!?" said Nezuko. "Inside your chest...!"

Tanjiro looks at himself in the mirror.

"Inside my chest..." he thinks. "A black rose is blooming...!?"

"In my chest as well," said Kaguya. "A cursed black rose is ruining me. It is a sign of the defilement of the Dreaming; the eternal Nightmare. My Warrior, you are suffering from a curse just like I and Dreaming are."

"Inside Tanjiro's chest..." thinks Nezuko. "A black rose...? A curse!?"

"The form you are looking at is an illusion of me," says Kaguya. "My body now is missing.."

"A curse!?" says Tanjiro. "Missing!? Who could do such a thing...!?"

"There is only one who could do this. In the kingdom of nightmares, trapped in the Otherworld. Muzan of the Eclipse Circus. The Eclipse, called so, because it was the eclipse that allowed him to extend his reach back into the living world. Muzan is an apparition of revenge. If they cause damage to Dreaming, this planet will fall easily. From inside the darkness, the heart of the Earth, Dreaming, was cursed. First, to lift the curse from within, I prayed continually. But with my small power, my prayers were not answered. The curse spread like a nightmare. Dreaming was ruined, and soon the power protecting Earth faded away. Taking that chance, they crept in the moment of the beautifully cursed solar eclipse. It seems this planet is now being invaded from within and without. Due to the curse on Dreaming, its dying condition is under rule by darkness and nightmares. If these conditions continue long, the nightmares will shortly spread to the surface as well, making this planet a dead planet, and making it theirs. Tanjiro. They are not aware of my powerful Warrior, you. Please, I request that you use your power to defeat them."

"I will help!" says Nezuko. "Together we will defeat the enemies! If I do that, I'll save Dreaming, you, and Tanjiro, too!"

"It's regrettable," says Kaguya, "but even if you defeat them, you cannot lift the curse on Dreaming and the Warrior."

"What are you saying!?"

"In this ruined body, it was quite hard getting to my Warrior. Then I finally found you. Tanjiro, if you are indeed the chosen warrior, you should be able to search out my body.. If you have the beautiful dream. If you are the soldier. If you are the chosen warrior, who can break the seal on my body."

"Your body?"

Wing sprouted out from Kaguya's back.

"Kaguya!?"

"Warrior," she says. "I am a priestess. I only have the power to pray for salvation and watch over. Warrior, I need your power. The day to break the seal on my body has come. Please, save everything from the nightmares with the power of my true form..." She disappeared..

"Kaguya!" Nezuko called. "Without your body, I can't save Tanjiro and Kaguya, and Dreaming and Earth! Your body! Where is it? How can I find it...?"

Tanjiro coughs up more blood.

"Tanjiro!?" Nezuko said.

"You should stay away from me!" he says. "This curse... You might catch it! You shouldn't stay with me."

"I can't even lend you my strength with this body," he thinks to himself sadly.

"I will stay with you," said Nezuko.

"Nezuko..." Tanjiro said.

"I'll protect this planet, you, and everyone!" Nezuko said.

"Kaguya...!" thinks Tanjiro. "I want to help her... Kaguya."

"Without her body," thinks Zenitsu, "the Warrior and Dreaming won't be saved. And maybe even this planet. Her body... Where could it be? What does it look like

"So to completely save Earth from the Eclipse," says Kuri, "we need her true form... And this thing that's happening to Tanjiro..."

"We should have been thinking of these enemies differently," says Zenitsu. "From now on, the five of us have to fight to help Nezuko and to protect Tanjiro."

"Right!" says Tanjiro.

"Now how are we going to go about fighting the enemies? We need to work on a strategy."

"Yeah, we do."

"Um, yeah," said Inosuke. "Right..." She left. "How come I'm the only one who has no power?" He thinks. "Right... I didn't tell the others, but... I lost my strength. Only me."

Xxx

Inosuke went to Kuri.

"I've lost my power,." Inosuke said. "I've lost my strength."

"Your time will come." Kuri said. "You are in the process of storing power as a great soldier."

Inosuke isn't comforted much and decides to go take a bath.

Acting like this isn't strong at all. I must be strong. I am a demon slayer, just like the others.

Xxx

Watching Inosuke in his Mirror, Muzan called forth two Circus brothers.

"You will destroy this soldier before he can regain his strength!"

Xxx

"It is hot this summer." Inosuke said. "The city gets dirtier and dirtier. Demons hide in the dirt and darkness."

Two men were arguing.

Zenitsu took out a mirror. "I got this from Tanjiro. He said that it can detect the strange magic from Eclipse."

"It's all coming from the center of the Circus." Kuri said.

I wonder if that's why I've lost my powers. But then why does it only affect me?" Inosuke thought

"Are you ok?" Nezuko said. "Your acting strange."

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Inosuke ran off.

Xxx

Inosuke ran off. "Why have I lost my powers...my strength. What if an enemy threatens everyone? I'm supposed to be a warrior! I'm supposed to fight!"

A man approaches him. "You," he says. "Would you like to go to a fight?"

Xxx

"I got picked!" Inosuke said to the others. "My strength has been recognized at last"

"It sounds suspicious." Zenitsu said. "Show me the scout's card."

"Eclipse Entertainment Mr. Xenotime"

"Whoa." Zenitsu said. "Look at this.

"I'm in a hurry." Inosuke said, and left.

Xxx

Inosuke looks at the other fighters ad as he walks down the street. "I'm such an idiot," she thought. "I knew it was probably a Eclipse trap."

"Inosuke! Wait!" calls Nezuko. "What are you thinking! Are you planning to go after them by yourself? Even though you lost your breathing!"

"Shut up!" says Inosuke. "This is the chance to show my power!" He thinks. "I have to act! I'm going after them! The Eclipse! I'm made to fight, for fun and profit!"

Xxx

Inosuke goes to the Eclipse fight. "All these Eclipse buildings are here all of a sudden!?" he thinks. "It's so hot and stuffy. It feels really suffocating here. It's not just the heat. I'm sure there's a strange air hanging. We've been invaded without knowing it. Now! I'm going to check this out thoroughly!" He put on his boar head and gathered with the other fighters there for the audition. "What!?" He thinks. "This many fighters came!?"

He looks at his reflection. "There's no way I can save everyone by myself," he thinks. "I guess I should call Tanjiro and the others... But... then everyone will find out I lost my breathing! No! Don't be afraid! Never say die, Inosuke! I'll fight by myself! That's what I've decided!"

Zeolite calls everyone to enter the tent and Inosuke finds herself in a jungle.

"Now! The survival audition begins!" says Zeolite. "This audition will fit you for the story. One after another, become brave men, and come out of the jungle. Then save the children on top of that tower!"

Four kids cower on the tower, crying.

"They put children up there!?" thinks Inosuke.

"First place gets a prize of $50,000!" says Zeolite. "And will become our next wrestling champion!"

All the men charge into the jungle, shoving others out of the way.

"Hehe," says Muzan. "Get angry, get angry. Release more and more energy. The demons will change your energy and dreams into nightmares. Being able to spread this many nightmares makes me happy."

"Everyone, calm down!" says Inosuke. "This fight feels wrong! Get out of the tent!"

"Shut up!" says one guy. "We're going to be wrestlers!" They continue running.

"Wait, everyone!" Inosuke calls. Boulders begin falling toward Inosuke.

"Look out!" Zenitsu ran in front of her and destroyed the boulders.

"Zenitsu!?"

"Inosuke!" Nezuko says. "I don't care what you say."

"Right!" says Kuri. "When we go after enemies, we all go together!"

"Nechukio? Zencchu? Kuri?"

Demons begin attacking him.

"Inosuke! Use your breathing!"

"I-I can't do it!" Inosuke said.

"Inosuke!?" says Zenitsu.

"Like this, I'll just be a burden on everyone!" Inosuke thinks. He runs into the jungle. "I'm going ahead!"

"Inosuke!"

Inosuke comes to a clearing and sees demons swarming over unconscious bodies. "Everyone!" she says. "Hold on! They're multiplying rapidly, these things! Oh no! Could they be sucking up everyone's power!? They just want to be fighters. Preying on that's awful! I won't allow it! I'm stopping this event, Eclipse! I'll save them all!" She climbs up the tall tower holding the kids. As she approaches the top, knives begin pelting down at her.

"Inosuke! Watch out!" calls Zenitsu. Knives fly at the three soldiers.

"Seems we have people who aren't participants in the audition," says Zeolite. "Make one move, and I won't guarantee the survival of your little friend who lost his powers. Now, demons! Eat up these soldiers, and put them to an end! Ahahaha!"

Inosuke reaches the top of the tower. "I made it!" He says. "Now I'm going to save you all!" The kids change into demons. "They're not children! Damn!" She drops to the floor as more knives fly at him.

"Congratulations." says Muzan. "You've cleared a number of obstacles, and you've arrived here in first place. Now you're one step away from being an fighter…if you join me."

"I can't move my body!" Inosuke thinks.

"Last, we'll do a little treasure hunting," says Muzan. "Little demons!"

"Demons!?" Inosuke screams as the demons delve into his body. "I feel faint..." she thinks. "They're slipping inside my head..."

"Ehehe," says Muzan. "Now you're one of us. So, go to where your friends are, and destroy them."

Inosuke gets up. "Destroy..." she says. "For our Eclipse... Heh."

Kuri grabbed him. "Inosuke!" She says.

Inosuke cries out in pain. "Dom!?"

"Get a hold of yourself, Inosuke!" she says.

"Damn!" says Muzan. He stamps his foot on the floor.

A trap door opens underneath Inosuke, and he drops through it. "Oh no! I'm fallllllling!"

Kuri grabs onto her hand, holding him in the air.

"Kuri!?"

"Oh no..." he thinks. "My arm feels like it's going to come off..."

Muzan appears. "This is where I have my fun," he says. "Hailstone Ball!" He calls.

A boulder appears in the air. "Kuri!" calls Inosuke. The boulder falls down toward him. "Kuri! Noooooo!"