I do not own demon slayer or any of its characters.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Breathing technique/blood demon arts
"It was all my fault"
Kamado Tanjiro stared in wide eyed horror at the shattered wooden front door, the blood soaked floor and scramble of bodies dressed in familiar kimonos, the dearly loved face glassy eyed, torn, and sullied by dark stains, another set of horrifying images flashed into his brain. A small body curled up on the floor around an enormous dark stain. The cherished white ribbon, ripped and soak in deep red. The dark green kimono slashed open at the back to expose mangled pale skin. The stillness in her stomach when he cradled her in his lap brought tears to his eyes. Worst of all were the eyes, glassy and empty of compassion, empty of the soul of his wife.
In that moment, the life of Kamado Tanjiro came to a traumatic end and Yoriichi Tsuguni woke up
He'd been aware before, of course. No way he could have watched that dance and seen those earrings and not remember.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni has always considered himself as a worthless man, with a life full of disappointments and losing everything he cared about, from his mother to his wife.
"My dream was to live a quiet life with my family in a small house where we would sleep side by side. I would be close enough to see the beloved faces of my wife and child and close enough to reach out and take their hands. That would have been enough. But even that did not come true. Demons exist in this beautiful world."
He had the luck to have an older twin brother…only to see how he walked away from his life and turned into a monster
He was blessed with a gift like the transparent world…only to see how the body of his own mother deteriorated slowly without nothing that he can do even the death reclaimed her soul.
He received an innate ability with the sword…just to fail and be incapable to protect the love of his life.
He discovered and created a powerful technique the sun breathing and with it the possibility to eradicate the demon's tyranny…just to let Muzan Kibutsuji, the father of the demons escape
This last one frustrated him at most. The first time he was face to face with Muzan, Yoriichi realized that he came to this world and got all his gift and abilities only to eliminate the demon king, it was his goal, his destiny and he failed
the consequence was all life that were lost by the hunger of the demons.
After sixty years Yorichii's was on the verge of the end, he spent all his life researching without a rest any clue about Muzan Kibutsuji but he found nothing, it was like Muzan disappeared from the reality. However on a full moon night, he met a demon.
"Impossible…how are you still alive?" exclaimed the demon, surprised and at the same time, angry.
In front of Yoriichi was his older twin brother Michikazu, now under a new name, body seemed just as young as in his time as a demon slayer, except for the of 2 extra pairs of eyes on his face. This horrified the old swordsman and left him a terrible feeling of sadness.
"Nii-san…"said in a sad tone while some tears started to form in their eyes"this is heartbreaking".
Despite his impassive facial expression, Kokushibou felt for the first time in many years a slightly warm feeling in his heart
A feeling that disappeared after Yoriichi drew his sword with the intention of cutting his head.
He drew his sword and his frail posture changed into an imposing combat the blink of an eye, Yoriichi made an almost perfect cut directly to the neck of his opponent, but...
At the last second, many memories of him and his brother playing and laughing together flashed in his mind
"I can't ..." a part of him did not want to harm his brother, whether he was a demon.
At the end, the world turned black to Yoriichi, he knew that he failed again and now he is dead watching how his soul leaves this world
His soul screamed from the depths of himself, begging for a second chance, wishing to live again, He begged with all his might, and the suddenly a flash lit up the whole place, blinding Yoriichi for a long time until it started to disappear letting him see the place where he was.
A woman's face kind and caring looking at him
That day Kamado Tanjiro was born
Kamado…that was something that gave Tanjirou many questions. It was the last name of his old friend Sumiyoshi, of all families in the world why did he reincarnated in his family?
Another doubt was the aspect of himself and his new appearance is extremely similar to his old friend and now ancestor and his father he was very similar to his past appearance, the same red hair the same eyes and almost the same face it was like seeing in a mirror, he has excellent perception and can use the transparent world(a long story involving a mad bear), even he got his demon slayer mark, despite never was a demon slayer!
Yoriichi is fairly certain that he didn't have any descendants so how possible all these coincidences? Maybe it was because of the influence of the sun breathing that he taught?
Tanjirou sometimes doesn't understand the plans of the fate.
the second thing he discovered was that he has now a unique sense of smell, which can detect any change in the landscape or even predict movements of others
Something that also left him surprised but also quite grateful was the fact that still keeps the same abilities as in his past life. Tanjirou can use the transparent world and even if his body took some time to remember he could perform the Hinokami Kagura the ritual ceremony practiced every new year by the , where the Breathing Style user offers the Fire God a dance from sunset to sunrise to ward off threats and diseases...that seemed to confuse his father on how he could perform the dance so easily but he just laughed it off as Tanjiro having talent for it
Sometimes his siblings would find him looking expressionlessly at the house as if recalling something it was still surprising that his old house was still standing after so many years only a bit bigger than before
A part of his mind had wished to forget his past life, In this life as the eldest son of a big loving family, Tanjiro had the peaceful life full of the affection his first time around had denied him.
Tanjiro Komado had everything that Yoriichi Tsugikuni ever wanted.
Now, as he stood looking down at the death of his family for the second time, Tanjiro felt overwhelming guilt.
He had failed again, he'd known about the demons. He should have been able to keep his new family safe but...
Then his eyes fell on Nezuko and his eyes widened. Her much loved and often repaired pink kimono had blood stains on it. Blood trickled from close to her scalp as well. None of that surprised him, though. It was heart. He could see it beating, slowly and faintly, but still moving. Her lungs inflated slightly as well, showing that she was still breathing.
Tanjiro's heart skipped a beat because she was alive. Nezuko was alive. There was a still a chance to save her.
Carefully, he pulled her off the tiny body of Ruuta whom she had been shielding. He grabbed her arms and pulled her over his back then began to run in a half crouch. They needed a doctor, bandages to keep her from bleeding out, and medicine to help with the pain. If he got there fast enough then, today might not be the day all of his family died.
Fast... faster than he had ever ran in this life ,his speed left plumes of snow in his wake and his own body was a blur his legs burned with effort and even the icy thin air burned his lungs. He was far faster than the average boy his age would have been, time chopping down trees with an ax and performing the ritual dance had definitely helped
Tanjiro was running so hard that he almost didn't notice when his senses detected a demon. A demon right behind him. He let go of Nezuko seconds before her claws descended. She fell to the ground with an angry growl. Picking herself up, she bared at her teeth at him in a feral grin.
'No' Tanjiro thought 'Not again. For the second time in row, his sibling had become a demon.'
There wasn't time to think about the past, though, because Nezuko was on him. He slipped aside from her bite and hit her with the flat of the blade of the ax he had brought with him. Shaking her head, Nezuko blinked and staggered for a moment
"Now !" he raised his ax to chop her head off
"Onii-chan" a memory flashed a four years old Nezuko calling him big brother for the first time
He stopped mid swing and at that moment of hesitation Nezuko tackled him nearly biting his face off before he put the ax handle infront of her fangs
"Oof!"
"Her body is getting bigger and she is getting stronger!"
'While I was sleeping comfortably in another house everyone was...such a cruel thing' Tanjiro thought
It must have hurt and they probably suffered...I...I.."
NEZUKO! I'm sorry wasn't able to save you It' s my fault that you turned into an Oni even so ...PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! TRY YOUR BEST TO HOLD IT OFF!!TRY YOUR BEST NEZUKO!
Drip..drip
Tears rolled form his sister's face as the pressure on him eased
Then another presence burst his senses. Seconds later, a blur of blue, black, and transparent came hurtling towards him and Nezuko. The brain and heart made it clear that this was a human, but what caught Tanjiro's attention were the lungs. They were stronger then most and had an even rhythm. One he had only ever seen in demon slayers using the breathing styles.
Summoning up his strength, Tanjiro rolled to the side. He and Nezuko hit an incline then rolled over and over again in the snow. When they stopped, He pulled himself and Nezuko up
Footsteps crunched on the snow and Tanjiro felt the demon slayer coming closer. He stopped twenty feet away and Tanjiro could see him out of the corner of his eye. The slayer looked surprisingly young for such a powerful presence. He had wild black hair pulled back into a ponytail and bright blue that narrowed as they looked at Tanjiro and Nezuko.
"Why are you protecting it?" he asked coldly.
"She's my sister," Tanjiro said. "I was taking her to get help."
The slayer eyed Nezuko who was growling and scraping at him
"You call that thing your sister," the slayer commented.
Tanjiro had no reply to that. He was too busy trying to keep a hold of Nezuko.
"Don't move," the slayer said. "my duty is to slay every demon I find which means I have to decapitate your sister here."His voice was cold and he was lacking in sympathy. Tanjiro also knew that he was right. Nezuko was a danger to human lives and should be taken out...he looked at her, thought, Tanjiro saw another child standing beside her. A boy who looked just like him...in another life but without earrings and in finer clothes. He'd abandoned one sibling to becoming a inner demon before. Now he had a second chance and, this time, he refused to let it happen.
Tanjiro examined the slayer in front of him. He didn't have the strength to take someone on at that level, not yet. So his best option was to work it out.
"Nezuko hasn't eaten anyone. My entire family was killed by a demon, but there was_l" I do not know who did it nor do I know why she has turned into a demon, but she would never eat a human."
The slayer looked unimpressed. "She turned because her wounds were infected with demon blood. She'd never eat a human? What would have happened if I had been a little bit later? She'd have devoured you."
"You are wrong," Tanjiro said. "She knows I'm her big brother so she'd never hurt me. I won't let her eat anyone. I'll turn her back into a human. I will heal her."
"She can't be turned back. Once you become a demon, you can never be healed," the slayer stated flatly.
"I'll find a way," YoriichTanjiroi protested
The slayer, however, appeared to be through with listening he raised his sword and moved. Tanjiro could see him, watch every moment as he gripped his ax and attacked
the ax collided with a clang against the slayer's sword as he blocked it
"Nezko RUN !" Tanjiro shouted to his sister
Even the most blood thirsty of demon slayers would never kill a civilian to get to a demon. At least, that had been true when Yoriichi was a part of the core. He'd have to trust that it was still the same now.
Nezuko and the slayer stared down at Tanjiro in shock.
" That strike weren't a reckless attack " the slayer realized " he attacked so I would be forced to hold my sword in front of my face and block my view.. This kid…"
The slayer was so distracted that he didn't properly block in time when the second strike came aimed at his side sending him skidding on the snow
"A non lethal attack " Giyu realised the boy was not trying to kill him only stall for time
"I have to end this Water Breathing Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust" Giyu executed a precise, fast and accurate thrust with his blade aimed at the boy's side aiming to slightly injure not kill
"!" the boy moved reacting just in time to let the sword slice his clothes harmlessly before slamming his ax upwards slash aimed at Giyu's left shoulder
Leaping into the air to avoid the slash Giyu tilted his waist while performing a front flip, releasing a singular vertical slash in a circular motion.
Tanjiro was prepared
"Water Breathing Second Form: Water Wheel !"
"Sun Breathing Third Form modified Raging Sun !"
Fire and water clashed
Tanjiro skidded away from the force of the clash though it was imperfect as he was using an ax instead of a sword the horizontal arcing slash blocked the incoming attack
"A breath user !" Giyu re-evaluated his opponent ' this boy is not a part of the demon slayer corps... then is he from a family that uses breathing technique?'
Both were unwilling to kill even so neither was willing to back down this was not going to be an easy fight
"Water Breathing..." Giyu moved he was faster and stronger than the boy and he planned on pressing the advantage
"Sun Breathing..." Tanjiro held his ground defensively
"!!!" the demon girl leaped over her brother and put herself in between Giyu's attack while kicking him in the abdomen sending him flying backwards by several feet
"NEZUKO !! "
Giyu and looked up to see the demon standing over the boy.
A deep slash ran across her shoulder and crimson blood flowed down straining the white snow below
Tanjiro had stopped in his tracks open and defenceless but instead of taking a bite, though, she put herself in front of him and began to growl her arms spread wide defensively
Nezuko Tanjiro pulled her close worried Giyu wondered if maybe, this demon was different from all the others like the boy, her brother was.
"..."" he sheathed his sword,
For a moment, he looked at the two siblings staring at him wearily and then came to a decision.
A/N while Yoriichi may seem weakened after his reincarnation he is strong enough to hold his own against Giyu (despite the fact that Giyu was holding back) and has access to transparent world which allowed him to predict and counter Giyu's attacks
He can use sun breathing style which he had polished while practicing Hinokami Kagura
The main reason he is weaker than before is because he did not train rigorously