Taisho Era Extras 3
(I really can't seem to stop failing on delivering these faster can I? No time for self pity, Enjoy.)
It was a beautiful day outside. Blooming Cherry Blossoms, chirping birds, and clear sunny skies. A man with long reddish black hair was sitting on the deck of a humble home and simply enjoying the calm. The soft clanking of cups and a pot against a tray announced someone approaching behind him.
"I made some tea." He had a gentle voice, familiar in a sense. Ever so gracefully, he walked up to the seated person on his deck and the infant in their hands was silently asleep.
"Ahh. Thanks." His voice was solid but also gentle. He coddled the infant so carefully and looked over his shoulder to his approaching friend.
"Oh, she's fast asleep. My wife also fell asleep didn't she? I'm sorry to have left you alone with my kid…" His smiling expression with those large innocent eyes looked so familiar. "Especially with you as a guest here."
The guest handed the sleeping child over to her father with a shake of his head. It wasn't really a bother for him to just hold a baby. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure she was tired. Birthing kids and raising them is hard work after all." He reached for a cup of tea and started taking a sip. "I'll have to be on my way after this anyhow, I can't keep eating your food for free."
The man in his checkered haori had to object to that. "It's not a bother to us at all! I owe you my life after all. If you hadn't been around then me, much less my children, we wouldn't be here now." The least he could do was offer some food and tea for his and his family's lives.
But his friend just sat there and quietly sipped his tea, his mind entirely made up on not freeloading any longer. "I apologize Sumiyoshi, but I truly don't want to leech off your family."
"Then- Then tell me your story! Tell me your story for future generations!" Raising his voice right over his child like that just showed exactly how much he cared about finding some way to repay this man in front of him.
"There's no need."
What? But… "It's hard with no successor at hand. I only want to do something to repay you." He started rocking his child ever so gently in his arms but that was just to make sure she stayed asleep. "I know I'm only a humble coal burner but someday, someone will-"
There really was no need for that. "Sumiyoshi." He focused his intense gaze onto his friend and spoke calmly. "Masters of their craft will always find themselves at the same place as one another." His reddish hair swayed with the wind and he looked back to his friend's wife. "Even if the times have changed. Even if they have taken different paths to that point. They will always go to the same place."
Sumiyoshi wasn't following what he was saying. 'Always to the same place? Like… a river going back to sea?' His friend wasn't done.
"You might see me as a special human or some type of legendary heroic figure, but that's not true."
How couldn't that be true? He was an otherworldly man with skills unmatched by anyone else!
He stood up with his hand carefully on his sword and a blank stare on his face. "I couldn't protect a single thing I ever cared about in my life. I couldn't protect anything that was precious to me, nor could I achieve what I was supposed to." He meant every word of that. Sumiyoshi didn't need to see his face, he could hear the sadness in his voice. "I am a man of no worth."
No… 'Please. Don't think of yourself like that. Don't even speak that way. I'm begging you to see otherwise, you're worth so much more than you could ever think. See things differently, Yor-'
Tears in his barely open eyes and the bright light of day filtering in through the windows. 'A… dream?' Tanjiro woke up weeping for some reason with the memories of some swordsman as his dreams? He tried to move a little bit but there were needles and plastic tubes connected to bags, pumping into his arms. 'Oh… I'm in the medical wing. That makes sense. But what was that dream about?' That dream didn't make much sense really-
Crash
Something ceramic just broke against the floor. Water and flowers were on the wood and right by them was a pair of white boots. "…" All she could do was stare at him in awe right now. "Tanjiro… You're awake." Kanao dropped that vase and started walking into the room. "Are you… okay? After your last fight you lost consciousness."
"I did? I don't remember…" He watched her walk up to the bedside with such a concerned expression on her face. "How long… was I out?"
"It's been two months since you lost consciousness. Whatever happened on your mission with Lord Uzui and Hakuga took the most out of you, but the others weren't much better off." Kanao was starting to sweat from the nerves but she couldn't just back down and not tell him what happened to the others, he asked and deserved to know.
Tanjiro's sore throat ached for a moment and he started recalling what happened at the last leg of their big fight. "-kon… Ji…kon."
Right down the hallway there was the sound of soft footsteps and the clanking of a tray. A kakushi was walking with some food for the room he was going to. This was the same Kakushi who woke up Tanjiro and Jikon back at the Hashira meeting, Gotou. 'I guess I'm connected to them somehow. I woke them up back then, and I found them in the Red Light District two months ago.' He looked down at the tray and sighed at the snacks there.
'I'm bringing them high quality castella cause of how messed up they were back then. They're younger than me but became swordsmen who went head on with an Upper Moon, really I respect that.' He approached the doorway to Tanjiro's room with the castella. 'I know he's asleep but he has a good nose apparently, so maybe this'll help wake him up.'
Gotou walked in and immediately stepped on the shattered remains of a vase. 'Clean this shit up.' Kanao just did whatever she wanted didn't she? She's an oddball who didn't speak much at all, plus she'd been killing demons for years. Gotou was outranked so he sucked it up and just walked over the ceramic.
"I brought some castella over, please clear the way so I can set it down. If it looks spoiled just go ahead and eat it."
A faint voice called out a very soft thanks. "Thank you… so much…"
Gotou dropped the snacks on the bedridden slayer with wide eyes. "HE WOKE UP?! WHY AREN'T YOU SCREAMING?!" He turned that anger onto Kanao. "You're a real airhead! You're supposed to call someone since he regained consciousness, you dumbass!"
A solid clacking of something hitting the floor made Kanao and an angry Gotou look towards the doorway and see a head of brown hair. "Uh… who broke a vase?" Jikon brought himself into the room on a single crutch under his left arm to support that leg, and then once his blue eyes landed on his friend- "Tanjiro!" He flung them away like a broken tool and ran to his friend's bedside. "Tanjiro you're awake!" Even through the pain of his healing leg he managed to stand by the eldest Kamado. Then Jikon looked at Gotou and saw that the man was clearly angered over something, it might've had something to do with the yelling he just heard. "What's wrong with you?"
For all the yelling he was just doing at Kanao regardless of her ranking above him, he locked up once the Hashira started paying him mind. "Uh- She- Kanao didn't tell anyone that Tanjiro was awake! We've all been worried and- and- The-"
"It's fine it's fine, just don't yell so loud in the medical ward."
'He's young but he's still a Hashira that held out in that fight too… It's scary how strong some of these Slayers are!' Gotou went to the door and did Kanao's job for her. "Sumi! Naho! Kiyo! Aoi! Tanjiro's awake!" The sound of wailing girls and rapid footsteps introduced the butterfly trio and their crying faces.
"Tanjiro!"
"I'll give you some bean bread!"
"The castella's falling off!"
The girls were concerned over the injured Demon Slayer in that bed and he was just smiling with his battered body. Then even more footsteps predicted the arrival of two more people clad in the Corps uniform. One of them had bright flame-like hair, and the other had bright pink hair.
"Tanjiro!" Senjuro looked ready to cry over seeing his friend finally wake up after all the two months he'd been out cold.
"Forehead!" Taiki was a lot less… sentimental. He didn't actually look bothered but Senjuro was here so he was here.
The two got by the bed and the girls caring for Tanjiro were still fawning and making sure he was alright. "You've been out for so long! Even father was scared for you!"
Shinjuro was concerned about Tanjiro? That was odd since they didn't interact much… other than the one time he spoke to the man after what happened with Kyojuro.
Taiki crossed his arms with an eye roll and Jikon was making a mental note to increase his training even more. "Senjuro wouldn't shut up about it either."
That's when Aoi burst into the room with a sheet in her arms and threw herself right next to Kanao. "I'm so glad you're okay! You all went in my place and got so injured!"
Senjuro took that chance to speak up again. "Really you might've had it the worst since you were out for the last two months. But so far everyone's being treated."
"That's… good… What about… the others…?"
Gotou was holding Sumi against his torso now, and Kiyo was against Senjuro. Taiki just gave Naho a glare when she got too close to him.
"Oh you mean like the yellow boy? He's already back in service. He was crying and screaming yesterday when he had to go on a mission."
Sumi was smiling at the memory of it, Zenitsu being Zenitsu always made her laugh… when his being dramatic wasn't going near her at least.
"What about… Inosuke?"
Jikon rubbed the back of his head with that one since he was still in denial about it. "He and Ami were in pretty bad condition since the poison still ran through their bodies before Nezuko helped them. They have a crazy resistance but they're also resistant to the medicine they've been getting."
"Because of that they need to take it easy, but you know how they are."
Tanjiro looked upwards to see something that was clearly a result of his still greatly injured body. "So I'm imagining Inosuke and Ami clinging to the ceiling right now."
Everyone looked up and saw the disturbing image of Inosuke crawling on the ceiling like a human spider, and Ami right behind him swinging like the boards were branches in a tree.
"AHHH!"
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"GET DOWN!"
"I'm surprised you noticed us Tanpachirou!" The beast duo fell down, Inosuke onto the bed, and Ami feet first onto the floor. Ami was in a newer outfit now. Her larger chest was barely covered by dark blue fur, and that fur was spread all over the pants she had on, from her shins to around her waist with the pelt of the bear showing its head right there. Those flying blood sickles really ruined her precious pelt but there was enough to have a style change.
The pair was still heavily bandaged from their injuries, but that didn't put any kinks in their spunk. The beast duo was loud and they were proud!
"Even with us being the awesome pair that woke up a week ago! You made us worried!"
Jikon pulled the boar off their friend and kept him from doing anything else too rough. "Even Shinobu agreed that you two aren't normal. Like that honey badger." Naho pulled out a book with a black weasel that had white on its back.
"It's skin is really tough so it can even fight a lion, and poison doesn't work on it so it can even eat snakes!" She closed the book and pointed at the two. "Lady Shinobu said you two are just like it since you survived!"
That made them stand up proud. Even Hashira admitted that they were super durable. "So basically we're immortal!"
Gotou couldn't let that slide. "No you're just idiots."
"I'll show you an idiot! Come here you ass!"
Tanjiro was just glad at the news that everyone really made it out okay. He could almost just… fall asleep. Then Ami decided to talk again.
"Oh right! Shinobu had something big too!" She put a hand on her bandaged stomach with a smile. "I'm eating double!"
…
…
"That's… good?" Tanjiro tried to follow what she meant but he was lost. Senjuro and Taiki just looked confused at what she was saying.
Jikon pinched the bridge of his nose and Aoi just exhaled with a frustrated expression. "That's not what she said." The medical Slayer had to clear that one up herself. "As of now, Ami is about six months pregnant."
The silence… It was maddening. Even the people who knew didn't say anything at the bomb that just dropped.
"Is that something we can eat?" Inosuke was a golden boy as always.
Aoi chuckled at that randomness courtesy of the undereducated Inosuke. "No Inosuke, she's pregnant. That means she's going to have a baby in a few months. Ami and Genya are going to be parents."
And then the noise erupted.
"NADATTE?!"
Four people made that much- "Hotaru?" Somehow the gunslinger made his way to the doorway despite being the least injured out of everyone who was present two months ago, no real reason to actually be here in the medical ward. "Why are you here?"
"I was just passing by and then I heard yelling. Now I find out the bear girl is gonna have a baby." He was new to their dysfunctional little clique but hearing that Ami was going to have a kid definitely threw him off his game.
Tanjiro's face was nothing short of shocked but he couldn't yell since he was still so very exhausted. "That's… amazing. What about… everyone else? What has everyone else been doing?" And now there were mixed emotions around the room, some positive and some negative.
Jikon looked like he had something to say but didn't quite know where to start. "Well for one, everyone knows about Shinobu and I. Yes, that we're together." Tanjiro's tired eyes actually managed to widen at that piece of information that he just found out. "Apparently Tengen's crow likes to gossip."
Senjuro decided to give his own input there too. "Well for me and Taiki… We had a strange encounter with a demon a while ago."
The pink haired Slayer mumbled something that sounded a lot like, 'flirty witch' under his breath.
Then the young Hashira took the reins again. "Also Haia's been gone for a while, but she's probably fine."
"Either way, let me get started with our story. So Senjuro and me were headed to our next mission..."
It was not a calm night. The sky was dark with clouds and the rainfall was heavy on their butterfly themed umbrellas. Senjuro and Taiki were walking side by side in this bad weather, conversing as they did.
"And that afternoon I went outside and there it was, deer just eating right out of the garden. Watching over a house by yourself is shitty."
The youngest Rengoku was… concerned to say the least. Taiki just revealed how he had to do so much by himself for so long.
'He really watched over his house for two years… after seeing his sister eat his family. You're a really strong guy Taiki…'
Despite the two being polar opposites in personality they actually got along really well over the last few months, and Taiki was slowly working his way into Senjuro's friend group… even though he only showed irritation towards being called a friend. But no matter how much the pinkette got frustrated, Senjuro knew that he was secretly a softie underneath it… at least he felt that way.
"That's pretty hard to think about, I can't imagine how it was to go through."
Taiki just scoffed and kicked a soaked fallen log out of his way. "It's whatever really. No skin off my back."
He had pretty high walls but the weather was already enough to bring a mood down. "Well let's talk about something better, how are you and Lady Kanroji doing?"
"What's that supposed to mean? She's just my friend. There's nothing going on between us, okay?! You got that?!" And with that Taiki just started walking even faster through the heavy rain. Leaving a very confused Senjuro standing there with wide eyes and an unreadable expression.
"Wow… All I did was ask how they were…" And from there it was a silent walk to their destination to slay a demon. They only knew that they were supposed to visit a city where the kasugai reported a demon causing the disappearances of young boys.
"These disappearances happen around the Kanda shrine, so we should start there." They were well within the city and walking around the fairly empty streets, but they didn't actually see anything suspicious.
Taiki was looking around for anyone they could question, but there was a big issue. "This damn storm is making everyone stay inside! How are we supposed to find clues?!" Then he stopped yelling when a boy even younger than them turned a corner, looking around to make sure he wasn't being watched. "Wait a second… Senjuro!"
"Yes?"
Taiki pointed to the boy slinking around the corner like he had something to hide. "That kid's acting real suspicious, but there's nothing to hide from at night in a storm right?"
"That means-" The two closed their umbrellas and started running after the kid as quickly as they could. "He's got something nobody should know about." The pair hit the corner and saw a tall figure just leave their line of sight. "That was even bigger than mister Himejima! Come on Taiki!" Senjuro kept a hand on his sword and his pinkette friend was right beside him.
"Don't rush me Rengoku!" The two made it down the street and turned the corner onto a derelict street with an abandoned house on the right… and they saw that massive figure stoop down to enter the house. "Well we found our demon."
The two drew their swords and left their umbrellas by the door, then Taiki tried to open the door only to find the door stuck firm. "The hell? Here hold this." He handed off his sword and grabbed the sliding frame with both hands. "OPEN UP!"
A flash of lightning and a boom of thunder accentuated his brute force. And was it brutish. "At least this house is abandoned." Taiki slid the wooden door straight into the frame of the house like it was a knife through paper. With a hand off of his friend's bluish-green sword they went inside and started listening.
The place was dank and freezing cold. Stale air and dust on the broken furniture, nobody in their right mind would live in this place. "The demon's a bitch who picks on little boys. We can split up from here." Taiki went left down a hallway and Senjuro ran straight ahead.
The pink haired teen was used to being in these situations but there wasn't any way that this demon would have a chance against him or Senjuro. "End of the day, no punk ass demon that eats little boys will-"
"Po~ Po~ Po~ Po~"
'That's…' He stopped in front of a door and felt different- Relaxed. He felt much more calm than- "Blood demon art!" A kick to the door and Taiki was introduced to a dusty room with small handprints on the walls, floor, and even a pair of large prints on the ceiling. "This room smells like… What is that smell?" It was faint in the rest of this house but here it was pretty strong. Taiki noticed a book on a tatami mat and picked it up to see frantic scribbles on the paper. 'Please please I have to find her again. The lady had me once and I need her again.'
The book was just full of these poorly written notes about meeting some lady again. "But who's the lady?"
"Po~ Po~ Po~ Po~"
"What was that?" Senjuro was exploring this deceptively large house with his pink sword ready and able to stop any demon that gets in the way of him finding the poor kid that was lost in here. 'Have to find that kid before I can do anything else here!' Whatever that noise was, it helped him focus his mind just a bit, long enough to run past a- "Is this a bookshelf in the hallway?"
Senjuro noticed an empty bookshelf right against the wall. Suspiciously placed at that. "This doesn't look right… There's light behind it. Odayakana Sakura." (Calming Cherry Blossoms). A nimble motion and two near simultaneous attacks bashed the bookshelf down and revealed a small room, with something on the floor.
"Is that- The boy!" Young Rengoku rushed in and supported the boy's limp neck with his left arm. "He's pale… we were right behind him weren't we?" Then he noticed that the boy was half naked… and his 'equipment' was hanging free, sticky and shining at that. "What kind of sick demon lives here?"
"Po~ Po~ Po~ Po~"
The boy in Senjuro's grasp started shuddering and mumbling to himself. "Lady Hasshaku… Please… come back…"
"Hasshaku? He must mean the demon. Don't worry, I'll get you out of here. Taiki's probably just fine dealing with this gross demon on his own."
…
"Po~ Po~ Po~ Po~ Such soft skin. Beautiful hair and precious eyes." A large hand was caressing Taiki's jaw and gorgeous silver eyes were staring into his green ones. She was a woman in a long white dress that covered her legs, and her skin was pale like fresh snow. She had a large sun hat on with flowing black hair underneath it. "Won't you please… me?" She knelt down to his level while puckering her lips.
Those luscious lips closed in on his own. The soft pillowy sensation of her lips graced his own, gently touching his lips. His skin was tingling just from that chaste press against his own lips, but then Hasshaku deepened the contact they had. She pressed against him and wrapped her long arms around him firmly, pulling him deeper into the kiss.
Taiki's arms were at his sides and his sword slipped out of his grip. 'She's- she's soft. I feel… so cozy…' Her slender arms wrapped around his torso and her hands wandered beneath his haori, feeling his strong body beneath his uniform. Her curvaceous body was pressing against him through that thin dress, and he felt his blood rushing through every inch of his body.
Something started rubbing against his lips but he didn't even have time to process Hasshaku's tongue parting them, circling inside his mouth and making him drunk from her taste. She pulled away with a string of their spit connecting them. "Po~ Po~ Po~ Po~ Aren't you glad that your first kiss was with me?" His head was pressed into her giant bust, and the cloud-like softness put him even more at ease.
"Kan- Kanroji… She should've been… first kiss."
A hand gently pulled his head up and her plump lips went right against his again. This time she used her tongue to direct him around her mouth and his mind overloaded from her flavor. Then her curvy, wet lips held onto his tongue and started sucking it into her own mouth. Her hands were moving lower but even through his uniform she was sending shocks through his skin. Then Hasshaku pulled away with her own tongue still hanging out.
"Much better than whoever this Mitsuri is. Po~ Po~ Po~ Compared to me she may as well be a man."
A man… Kanroji being a man. That- "Don't…"
Hasshaku watched him start trembling and she smiled inwardly once she realized he was reaching his first limit. "I'll accept it all." Those hands started moving down further down to his belt and-
Hasshaku stopped once a foot crashed into her stomach, pushing her into a wall. Now the statuesque demon didn't look alluring anymore. "You-!"
"Don't talk bad about Kanroji you bitch." The second he looked away to grab his sword is when the demon grabbed the side of his head and slammed him into the floor. 'Fuck she's got reach! But my head didn't explode so she's weak!' Taiki had to admit- When he saw Hasshaku's eyes and mouth turn into dark voids… he was a little scared.
"Come into my house!" Another raise and slam into the floor. Cracking the planks he was on, but he kept pushing to get her off him. "Interrupt me with my prey!" The planks started caving in and now there was no leverage for him. "And turn me down! I'll kill you!" She raised him up and caved the entire floor in when she slammed him down one last time.
Cold hard ground was all that waited for him when he stopped falling through the hole, then the sound of metal hitting the ground next to him helped snap him up. "Time to kill this bitch." Taiki rolled in time to watch Hasshaku fall right onto where he was, her demonic expression still scared him just a little. 'Kanroji hasn't been helping me for nothing.'
That giant demoness was standing tall over him but Taiki was unbothered by her intimidating figure. "Die!" She swiped her arm, crashing it through wood but there was an absence of human flesh in her claws. "Po~ Po~ Po~?" She looked down and saw Taiki in a near perfect split with his sword already being swung towards her legs. "How?!" That swift attack sliced her legs off from the knees down, making her fall to the ground just like the boy she sent through the floor.
"Cause I'm the best!" Taiki started spinning and in a display of amazing flexibility, he pushed off the ground and started delivering rapid slashes in the air that tore the demon's body apart. "Do me a favor and die." One last slash of his multicolored sword then Hasshaku's head had a sad parting from her body. "Kanroji's ten times the woman you'd ever be."
Now was the trouble of getting back up to the normal levels of this house. A jump upwards and he grabbed onto a relatively less damaged plank and pulled himself back up to see a pair of zori in front of him. "Taiki?" Senjuro was using his white haori to cover the boy on his back as his friend climbed out of a hole. "The demon taken care of?"
"She was way easy. Honestly she did worse to the floor than she would've to me." And then Taiki took a step and felt part of his leg flare up in pain. There was a chunk of wood lodged in his thigh and- "How the hell didn't I feel that before?" For whatever reason he grabbed the wood and pulled it right out of his thigh with a spurt of fresh blood.
"Well at least we can bandage and treat that with medicine. It's better than the others." They left that house impaired with different things slowing them down and stopped right on the street to treat Taiki's injury. "They looked like they barely even survived everything. Tanjiro's been out for a week already. Zenitsu and Jikon are the only ones awake." Rengoku put burning medicine on the wound and watched Taiki punch the ground from the pain.
"At least they killed an Upper Mo- FUCK! That burns! They killed an Upper Moon. That's impressive shit." Despite being known for his meanness he was giving a genuine compliment to the others for managing what they pulled off seven days ago. "But it doesn't matter since I'll kill an Upper Moon myself."
"When?" And now Taiki was just looking at Senjuro blankly. "When will you manage to do that? Last I checked I'm the better swordsman, and I'm not a Hashira."
"Shut up."
He took that advice and bandaged his friend's leg up since the wound was disinfected… but it was a blue moon and Senjuro was feeling very malicious. "So what was that about Lady Kanroji being ten times better?"
And Taiki's attempts to beat his friend with his sheathed sword were vigorous for the next half hour of that night.
"Hmm. Hmm. I wonder, I wonder." A very large figure was wandering through the forest in the calm night. "Who will be my next dinner?" A tall demon trudged through the greenery and kept checking the area for anything interesting to him. "It's been almost a week since I had someone to eat… Starting to get really hungry." Rusting through the bushes and going through so many of these annoying trees, but he wasn't sensing any humans nearby. "Would be so much better if- Wait a second…" There was a human that stopped and started staring at him. A demon slayer at that!
The demon smiled at the prospect of getting to kill one of the demon slayers. Master Muzan would be so happy when- "Hm. You've got a pretty meaty body." The Demon Slayer was holding some of the demon's abdomen, pinching the muscle there to gauge the quality. Now he was looking up at the demon with something in his eyes… and he wasn't liking it. "I think you'd taste great with chili sauce."
"Uh-" The turns have tabled. The demon was too slow to respond to a sword cutting a chunk of his body out. "Damn human!" He lashed out but only hit the air. "You cut off part of my stomach!"
True to his word, the slayer pulled out a bottle of a red fluid and poured it on the chunk of demon meat. Then he downed it with a few violent bites then showed off his red smile and- His eyes were turning dark and his body was bulking up some. "The look on all your faces when this happens, it's fucking great! I can't use breathing techniques but what's it matter when I can be a demon?!"
The demon got over his shock and the two charged at each other. "Taking Lord Muzan's blood like this? I'll-" That sword came back around and cut into part of his chest, but he returned that with a kick that sent the fake demon crashing into a tree. "A cheap imitation would never beat a real demon." He jumped aside to evade the falling tree but the fake demon was gone. Out of sight and-
"Surprise fucker!" He stabbed his sword right into the gut of this tasty demon and watched anger flash across the bastard's face… Now was the real surprise. He pulled out a sawn off western shotgun and aimed it straight at the freak's neck. "Say goodnight."
"Oh no."
He pulled the trigger and blew the demon's head off. Blood and ripped arteries splattered on his smiling face. "Thanks for helping me blow off some steam." Genya sheathed his sword and loaded another shell back into his shotgun. "With Ami being so hurt! It's bullshit! I swear to god that I'll kill whoever's fault this is… wait didn't she choose to go on the- Nevermind!" A blushing demon would be a strange sight but he was embarrassed over the minor slip of not remembering that it was Ami who willingly went on that mission.
"I want her to wake up." Demonified Genya slouched next to the fallen tree with a heavy exhale. "I want her to be okay. I love her so much and it's- it's not fair." Sometimes it all just has to be let out. Genya was alone with his emotions and right now that's all he needed, just to really sort through it all. "I'll just keep shooting demons until she wakes up then. I'll blow each of them to hell!"
He stood up with his shotgun in one hand and a whole lotta badass in the other. "Which one of you fucks is next?!" He wasn't talking to anyone in particular but the declaration was about to be matched once he found one.
"Tanjiro's still unconscious. Nezuko's been checking in on him. Yuka's helping create new uniforms. And I'm here as your attendant." His silver eyes looked at the bedridden man but didn't have any judgement in them. "You're the leader of the Demon Slayers even while stuck here. Everyone respects you so much because of your kind nature and how much you truly value each of your allies, while Kibutsuji only had us fear him. Hoping to be rewarded by having more of his blood."
The barely mobile head of the Demon Slayer Corps looked over at his young assistant. It did his heart so well to see that even a demon could wear their uniforms and take up their cause. "Well Rui, I'm lucky to even lead the Corps. I value each and every one of my children, and that includes you." The spider demon looked at Oyakata with pure surprise. "You've helped the Corps since you joined. Even now you help our newest Hashira patrol at night." Then the man started a violent coughing fit and Rui quickly sat him up so he could at least have breathing as an option.
"Someone bring water! Master Oyakata needs his medicine!" Two of his daughters hurried away to bring some heated water and the medicine. Rui finally came to understand that this was the feeling of caring for others without the need of sadistic and violent coercion. It felt good even though Oyakata was still coughing up blood.
The eldest Ubuyashiki daughter brought the bottles of medicine and cups of hot water along with the kettle all on a tray. "I've brought everything for Father. Please help me give him his medicine."
Rui was a bit taken back by the eldest daughter caring for her father, instead of him caring for her when she was under the weather. 'I have to stop thinking like that. Family cares for each other."
Kagaya smiled at both of them. And his wife entered the room to help with the process of aiding her husband. "Hinaki. Thank you. But I'll handle this. Go and have a short walk around." Hinaki nodded and stood up to go walk in the beautiful moonlit night. "Young Rui."
He paid close attention to whatever she was about to tell him but all she did was point to her daughter and to the deck, message simple and clear. "Understood." He stood up and formed a cat's cradle as he followed the eldest Ubuyashiki daughter outside. And once Rui saw her walking up to the garden he realized that he wasn't good at making conversation. "Your mother wanted me to come out with you."
Very very awkward. Hinaki wasn't proficient in making conversation herself. "I see. Thank you." The atmosphere was slowly getting too thick to breathe in from how terrible these two were at what they were doing… which was barely speaking. Rui was messing with the threads he made while Hinaki was enjoying the view of the moon reflecting off the pond.
"I understand the Master."
She looked at him with those lavender eyes. "How do you mean?"
The former Lower Moon had a complicated story. One that he willingly shared with the girl. He told her how he was born with a frail body and was cursed to never play outside and have fun like normal children. He told her about Muzan taking pity on him and turning him into a demon, granting him the strength to finally have some semblance of enjoying his youth. Then he explained how he killed his parents in self defense over being a monster that had to eat humans and stay out of the sun.
Hinaki had mixed emotions listening to that story from the spider demon, and even now she was still processing all of it. "You had a similar situation to Father. He tried to swing a sword himself but was too weak to even manage that. He lacks strength of body but he has so much mental power that it makes it even." She picked up a small stone and tossed it into the water, a single splash following. "When I first found that demons would be joining the Corps, I didn't believe it. I still don't fully understand how it happened…"
"I'm not sure myself. I don't know where Koujo is, but Jikon told me earlier that he's-" Rui quickly bit his tongue and looked around to actually be sure they were alone. This information was sensitive after all. "Apparently Koujo is Upper Moon Six now."
"So he's betrayed the Corps? That doesn't seem right."
They were cut off by a new presence walking up to them. A person who had much more knowledge on the situation. "Well that's not really what happened." A familiar blue haired demon just approached them both from behind, a finger adorably placed on her chin. "It got really weird now that I think about it…" Haia was wearing a new outfit, similar to the old one she had except that red was the main color. Her sleeves were still detached and frilly, but now the body of her yukata was sleeveless and was long enough to reach her calves and it was held up by a lavender sash around her waist with turquoise frills. The yukata was open to expose her legs clad in thigh high black stockings, and a glimpse of dark underwear was visible.
'That outfit seems inappropriate…' Rui was definitely questioning the new wardrobe with how provocative it seemed.
Hinaki was wearing a slight smile with those unreadable eyes. She didn't quite follow. "What do you mean when you say, 'it got weird'? It seems clear that Koujo Itadake betrayed us."
Haia was pouting from that accusation. "That's-"
"He wouldn't." Rui was the one who actually cut her off. "He's like an elder brother." Back to the family member comparisons. "He cares about every demon that he's brought in. And he's stubborn, very very stubborn. There's no reason that he would betray us… At least nothing that I can see."
Haia started pondering with her hands on her hips, it was some good food for thought to consider that Koujo's personality wouldn't let him submit to someone like Muzan.
"He wouldn't work under that pale bastard. All he did was talk about how much he hated him with all his heart, but now that I think about it… He didn't even remember Jikon after Ami killed that Carmen lady, actually he wasn't even acting like himself. Koujo was super calm when he didn't recognize us."
Haia was definitely hard set on Koujo not leaving by choice but all the evidence they had was pointing in every direction saying that he did. Abandoned them at the Infinite Train, appeared and had a blood battle with Upper Moon Six, didn't come back with them. So how could he have done anything against his will?
"If you both have such hope then maybe there's some truth to it. Unfortunately for now we can't count him as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, and because of that some people may even question having the other demons here."
Hinaki was right. Koujo left and supposedly betrayed them so there wasn't anything to stop people from taking up the cause of the other demons being moles trying to work against everything the Demon Slayers stand for. There'd probably be one person in particular who can't stand that idea too… But raging Wind Hashira aside none of them were traitors. So now they had to just figure out a way to bring Koujo back.
Haia didn't even notice how the two started having more awkward conversations about some random things, she just walked off the Estate and into the night to think.
"Leaving the wisteria still makes me so weak… hard to even think about what's going on with Koujo." The bubbly demon just decided to stroll out and just enjoy the night, under normal circumstances a girl like her shouldn't be out at these hours but… "Hmm hmm humm." Despite her demeanor she was a demon so it wasn't like much could really endanger her. "Wait… that smell!" She suddenly ran towards whatever scent she was picking up to investigate, it was the right thing to do…
And helping would take her mind off things for now so she ran into those woods and got hit even harder by that smell. There wasn't any mistaking it, there was an injured human around with sweet blood. It was still hard resisting that smell but Haia was a lot stronger than she used to be. "H- Hello?! Please! I need help!" A man was slumped against a tree with a trap around his ankle.
Haia put a hand over her nose and looked away for a second, long enough to miss a strange look cross the man's face. "Right- Sorry, my nose acted up. Let me help you." She got closer and knelt down to grab the trap and start prying- "Huh?" The trap wasn't locked?
"Hook, line, and sinker." Something pricked Haia's arm and she felt everything shift upside down and backwards. Her head started spinning and she managed to fall back onto her rear and look at the man. He stood up and showed that his leg wasn't even damaged by the trap, it was just a few cuts where the trap was. "You demons can't help yourself when it comes to a marechi, every one of you falls for this." He pulled out a bamboo muzzle with purple on it and while she couldn't smell it thanks to the smell of his blood, she could tell it was laced with wisteria.
Haia tried her best to stand up and defend herself but the only thing working was her mind. Her legs, arms, even her eyes weren't responding to her commands to move. 'I- I can't move! He poisoned me with something!' She felt the muzzle get shoved into her mouth and tied around her head.
"You got another one of them?" A second voice came into the picture and now she felt herself get pulled up and slung over someone's shoulder. "Not bad. They really can't resist that blood of yours."
"Yeah. Now let's get this one back to base, she might be good for something."
They started walking through the foliage with a captive demon and all Haia could do was aggressively think to herself about how she got into this.
'Okay… I'll get out of this. And when I do… I'm gonna beat each of you into a pulp!" That she swore.
Andrea scribbled in a notebook ever so calmly to chart down his thoughts, he never really did explain what he was writing in that thing and right now the one he needed help from wanted to know.
"Andrea." The foreign man looked at the man who was experimenting with his concoctions. "What is in that book?"
"It's a chart of my notes and random thoughts. Nothing major. Why are you asking questions like that right now?"
Muzan was taken aback for a moment since nobody he'd ever worked with had the nerve to question why he did something. There was no 'why' there was only 'that' plain and simple. "You don't get to ask me that. I ask the questions and you answer them, don't forget that so far all that's happened is the death of your associate and the replacement of Gyutaro. If it weren't for Koujo being so different I'd have taken things so far as an unacceptable loss."
"Well Carmen's death doesn't surprise me either, she wasn't gaining enough power and she was weak because of it. She was… ah the word doesn't translate well. The best way to describe her was that she was too focused on the short term of things."
Andrea wrote something else in that book of his and Muzan idly wondered what he could've just taken notes on. It was odd how he really decided to write again when he was explaining Carmen's loss. Now that he thought about it, it was odd that some demon slayers beat two Upper Rank level threats and Daki.
"How did Carmen manage to lose? If she was anything like an Upper Moon then she should've regenerated enough to counter their best attacks." Muzan didn't expect what Andrea was about to say.
"We can't regenerate like you and your kind. We have several differences between us really. For one is our inability to regenerate in an instant, we take time to even get a hand back." Muzan actually looked intrigued now. "Second is our resistance to the sun, it causes no pain toward us. Last is that we only have- we only had the three of us. Myself, Carmen, and our Master. But we do have human worshippers who call us 'Devils' for some reason."
"Devils?" Muzan mixed two reagents together and examined… nothing happening. "Mediocre name. Oni is much better." Now he wasn't as interested but he was still listening to anything else relevant.
"I'm not sure how we came to be, but I'm sure my Master would know. We've also been reporting by focusing our memories back to him. I would hope Carmen managed to send hers before she died but knowing how useless she could be… ay ay ay." Now he was standing on a pillar and reading over his notes. "There are other things that I can tell you, all important I believe."
Muzan finished the experiment he was working on and with nothing but a simple thought, the Fortress changed and got rid of his small laboratory. Nakime's strumming could be heard in the greater distance somewhere but that wasn't the focus of the two men, no, they were more focused on their current chat.
"So from what you've told me there's a great distinction between what you are and what one my demons are. You are more durable perhaps but you regenerate far slower, and presumably you die easier." Muzan was incredibly intelligent, as one who lived for centuries would be, so he had another deduction. "I would also assume that you have a different weak point, my demons typically die when beheaded by nichirin blades."
Andrea nodded his head and smiled. "Carmen had a very easy to notice one, but my weak point is well hidden below my flesh. It would take someone being able to see right through my body to even land that hit. Not to mention the power it would take. Because of those differences I can safely say that you and your demons are stronger... the hunters certainly wouldn't Rock With You all night."
"Hm. Go check on them, I have business to attend." Another simple thought and Andrea vanished with a distant strum of that biwa, and Muzan was next. He appeared in front of a manor with some men standing guard.
A younger looking guard walked up to him with a puffed chest. "What business do you have here? The Lady isn't seeing anyone tonight." His hand grazed his left hip and a brown holster in a simple threat. "You should go before you get hurt."
Another one of the guards yanked him back and bowed his bald head frantically. "Please excuse him! He's inexperienced! Please allow me to take responsibility for his disrespect! The Lady will see you immediately, my Lord!" He may not have known of the absolute menace that the man was but he was aware that his lady answered to him, meaning he was the real top dog. And the boy behind him really just threatened his safety like they were-
"He should slit his stomach and wait for death to take him. Plenty of time to think about what he's done." Muzan walked right by them but stopped next to the young guard and laid a hand on his trembling shoulder. "I wasn't asking." He walked right inside and the guard dropped to his knees while pulling out a short blade. The Demon King paid the coerced suicide no attention since he had to get a report. Up the stairs past more guards and down a hallway with even more humans. 'Troublesome.' He opened a door to a well decorated room lined with books and bookshelves, ornate mats, and there was a single figure seated in the room.
"Master Muzan! I wasn't expecting you so soon." Ayaka was going over something but the arrival of her Master took priority. "I assume you're here for a report."
"Indeed. How have things been in your surroundings over the last two weeks?"
For a second she hesitated but quickly understood what he was referencing. "Since the Yoshiwara District was… erased, things have been very quiet lately. So far I haven't heard of any demon slayers in the area, but there's also reduced traffic from humans."
Moonlight shone into the window and illuminated her Lord's face, and oh was he perfect. Everything about him stood so far above anyone else.
"I see. And beyond the district?"
Now Ayaka stood up and went to sit in a very fine chair. "That's something I did want to bring to your attention." She brought out a note of paper and quickly handed it over. "My men have reported strange occurrences lately. Some people who would only be seen at night have gone missing, I believe they were demons." She watched him look over the paper then turn his attention back to her.
"And what else is there?"
"They've also reported that there was a person with a parasol being followed by a number of crows earlier today. Supposedly they were deathly pale and gave off an inhuman aura. Most likely a demon, but you've never mentioned any demons that commanded crows."
That's because he didn't have any. None of his demons could use crows last he checked, and most of his demons understood that movement during the day was too risky. 'Another rogue… Like Koujo perhaps? Or like Tamayo… Tch.' He walked around and softly placed a hand under Ayaka's chin. "Ayaka. You're my greatest informant, and a great source of our income. Your information has served useful for decades now, and these humans have given you such useful tithes. I trust you to bring more towards us, perhaps even play a part in finding the blue spider lily."
Ayaka was ecstatic from that praise. Blushing and doing her best to remember the feeling of his hand caressing her, even as he took it away. "Yes! I'll do everything to continue my use to you!"
Muzan smiled with those pinkish red eyes glowing in the darkness of that room. "Good. And this month's offering?" Ayaka gestured to an ornate box on her desk and the Demon King grabbed it before walking to the door. "I expect great things from you." And just like that he left with that box in hand. Walking through the hallway and back down the stairs, then opening the door to the outside again. "Oh? Good." The strains of a fool were music to his ears and the smell of his blood as he died an agonizing death made him feel content.
…
…
Explosive bursts of green and giant carnivorous plants erupted to take a bite out of a single figure. "You can do it!" A cheerful voice called out over the roars of those massive plants, and they bit so much faster than anything that large should. "Keep it up! Keep it up!" Violent sword slashes tore through the green stems and slobbering plants, blue crescent moons erupting from the attacks and causing even more damage. "You can do it, you can do it Koujo~ You can do it, you can do it Koujo~"
He was dodging and sliding around the massive vines that were trying to pin him down so the plants could eat, but he was ever so much faster. Keeping away from the dangerous vegetation. "Yakkyō Dzukibae." (Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit). A sideways crescent slash and he sliced right through the vines in his way, but there was also the effect of three slashes that tore through the ground and cut into some oncoming carni-plants.
Namika was sitting high up on some vines and clapping her hands together. "You're doing really good! Keep it up!" She raised her hand and more vines broke out of the floor and wrapped around his sword swinging arm. Then another carni-plant slammed into him and sent them both into a wall of the training room, cracking the wall like glass. "Oh no! Come on, come on Koujo! Come on, come on Koujo!"
Eclipse Two's cheers weren't for nothing it seemed. The giant plant started pushing back and in view was Koujo with reddish skin and bulging veins on his arms. His training sword was still in his grip but Namika saw how he wouldn't be able to get a good swing in with one arm pushing the carni-plant back, so how was he going to-
"Oh!" She exclaimed once she saw Koujo kick the plant and create some room, but then she saw those beautiful flames.
His sword rose in a beautiful arc, bright and proud like the sun over an early morning horizon. "Nobori en ten." (Rising Scorching Sun). That shining arc of flames burned the plant and ended it on the spot, then the flood of vines started to rush at him like a school of hungry piranha.
"Ooh!" Namika started clapping alongside cheering again. "Koujo. Koujo, what'll you do? Koujo. Koujo, what'll you do?!"
His long hair started to rise and sway with the wind… that wasn't there, and he took a strong stance. The flames went away for now, his breath changed, his strength increased, and he swung. "Getsuryū Rinbi." (Moon Dragon Ringtail). A singular giant slash that waned as it traveled. Countless crescents of different sizes traveled through the air and minced the vines into pieces, effectively ending the training for that day. "That's eight." He somehow stood firm even when Namika jumped onto him, cheering for his success in training.
An elegant demon watched the entire ordeal as it happened. 'So you managed to use the eight form? It's nothing compared to mine, though you aren't anything compared to me.' Kokushibou was on the overlook above the two weaker demons and gave his judgement internally. 'Breath of the Moon is my creation but you're the only one I not only deemed as worthy to learn it, but also the only one who learned enough to be considered more than a whelp.' Those six eyes squinted and looked beyond while Namika excitedly rubbed her face against Koujo's… some best friends they were.
'Hm. I wonder if you notice what's going on yourself… the things going on beneath the surface and yet, you may not even be aware.' He watched his… student? His student look up towards him with those blank- 'Ah. There's a fire behind those eyes. It's an ember but present.' He nodded his head and walked out of sight while Douma's two brats ran by to see the aftermath of the fight. 'Some potential but for now that may be enough for'
"Lord Kokushibou~"
"… Douma…"
Upper Two was there and happy as usual, of course he'd be near his two gremlins. "I was thinking; We should all get together and visit a hot spring! Like a pre-celebration for the Blood Battle."
Kokushibou couldn't keep his thoughts on that one quiet. And he wouldn't. "Hmph. Why are you already celebrating when you don't know who's going to win? That's arrogant even for you."
Douma chuckled and waved that off quickly. "Now now~ It's a celebration for whoever wins! Of course we do have a demon that hasn't been one long, rose to the Upper Ranks, and then could've killed Gyokko~ Buuuut! Lord Hantengu has centuries of experience, and higher power! It could go either way!"
The second strongest demon stood silent for a few moments. Completely unreadable. Like a book in front of a blind man. "Who else are you inviting?"
"Well… Young Koujo and Ume, Namika of course, Akunin and Gomi, Lady Ayaka, our foreign guest, Akaza and Yuki, Master Muzan, Lady Katac-"
"I'll be there." And just like that Kokushibou was gone, leaving Douma there with raised brows and surprise on his face.
"Was it something I said?"
A/N: I truly want the next chapter out in a week's time, I want at least that for all of you.