This chapter has spoilers for the ending of Demon Slayer. This warning is more for users as it was tagged beforehand on Ao3 under "Spoilers for most up-to-date parts of all included series"
Fuck linear storytelling all my shit Anachronic
I can- and will jump decades to centuries around
Time is my bitch and I am a harsh mistress
CW: slight misogyny due to time peroid, graphic violence, mocking of disabilities
=VI=
[June 8th, 1914, Tengen Uzui's Estate]
A large assembly of people had gathered after receiving the news via crow. On one side of the room sat the Kamados, alongside Zenitsu, Aoi, and Kanao. Sitting next to them on an ornate chair was Tengen Uzui surrounded by his three wives and newborn daughter. On his left and right were Shinazugawa Sanemi and Tomioka Giyū.
"Thank you all for coming." Tengen greeted the other guests. Sitting on the other side of the room were former Hashiras Rengoku Shinjurō and Urokodaki Sakonji alongside a delegation from the Swordsmith Village.
"We apologize for taking so long. Several affairs needed to be put in order." The final group- Ubuyashiki Kiriya and his two sisters apologized with a bow.
"You arrived as soon as possible, that's what matters." Tengen handwaved. Becoming the clan head at such at such a young age- the kid was nine for god's sake. It was a good thing that the Ubuyashikis were an intelligent bunch so Tengen doubted anyone would be able to take advantage of the boy's youth.
"Now that we are all here, could you explain what has happened? Not all of us have read the letter, but we know of Hashibiria's disappearance." Sakonji asked, gesturing to those from the Swordsmith village delegation.
"Of course." Tengen pointed to Tanjiro and the others. "They have a better account of the events as they were closer. Tanjiro?"
"Yes!" Tanjiro stood up, slightly nervous to be speaking in front of so many people. "We were invited by Mr. Uzui to celebrate the birth of his daughter. When we arrived, we heard the sound of thunder, even though the sky was clear. After that, a huge hand made out of rock came out of some sort of portal and tried to grab me!" Tanjiro waved his hands around with wide eyes. "It was like 'Whooom! Zap!'"
滅 Kamado Tanjiro is still bad at describing complicated things. 滅
Zenitsu stood up next to Tanjiro. "It tried to go after Tanjiro, but… Inosuke pushed him out of the way and got grabbed instead. Tanjiro and I tried to stop it, but our swords shattered on impact with the hand."
Haganezuka tried to leap across the room at Tanjiro, shrieking in rage. "YOU BROKE YOUR SWORD AGAAAAAAAAAAIN!" The masked man produced a kitchen knife from his kimono and started swinging it wildly.
"Calm down Hotaru!" Chief Tecchikawahara, along with the others attempted to hold the man back.
"It wasn't the one you made me!" Tanjiro defended himself (by hiding behind an equally terrified Zenitzu).
"Both of you, calm down!" Tengen shouted, causing everyone to stop.
Haganezuka huffed and returned to his seat, sulking.
"Anyways, I threw a kunai at it too, and it shattered like some crappy pottery. By the time Giyu and Makio got out here, it had already disappeared with Inosue." Tengen added.
"A blood demon art in the middle of the day!?" Shinjurō exclaimed. "Impossible! It would've disintegrated!"
"Not unless the technique was controlling existing material from the inside…" Sakonji noted. "Which would require a powerful spell. Is there anything else you can recall?"
"It sounded like it was saying something as it emerged, but whenever I try and remember what it was I get a headache," Zenitsu spoke his thoughts.
Tengen's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah, every time we try and remember it just hurts…"
"But the strangest part," Tanjiro interrupted. "Was that it didn't smell like any demons I've encountered before. It smelled of sand and lightning." Tanjiro said, thinking of how Upper Rank 4's Anger manifestation's lightning attack had felt.
"Father theorized that all the demons connected to Kibutsuji should've died when he was slain." Kiriya rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "And we haven't seen any demons in over a year now. The number of reported disappearances has dropped too."
"Tamayo was able to sever herself from Kibutsuji's control long ago. Who is to say that another demon didn't do the same, or perhaps one of the demons she sired like Yushiro or the man from Asakusa?" Sakonji theorized.
"We already thought of that, and Yushiro is currently tracking down those that are still alive, and to administer the cure," Tengen informed the former hashira. The man from Asakusa who had aided Tamayo in trapping Muzan had taken the cure months ago, so he was already ruled out.
"So now what? Do we need to fight more of these bastards? I thought we were done with this shit!" Sanemi growled, cracking his knuckles with the veins on his head popping out. "Damn demons…"
"Calm down Shinazugawa." Giyu said with a bored expression. "We don't know what it is yet."
"Shut up Tomioka!" Sanemi snapped. "What else could it be?"
Giyu only shrugged unhelpfully in response.
Tengen facepalmed. "Regardless, the question remains: what are we going to do about this? Hashibira is Demon Slayer Corp. We can't just abandon him." The former sound hashira looked over at Aoi, who was being comforted by Nezuko.
"As it stands," Kiriya began. "The surviving members of the Corps have returned to their civilian lives, some have even joined the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. This had been a recurring problem with recruitment over the past few decades, especially during Japan's wars in China and Korea. "With the demons deemed no longer a threat, there was no reason to retain them. I doubt many would be willing to return after what they survived, especially if they have started families." The Ubuyashiki heir bowed with his head touching the floor. "I'm sorry that our family can't do more. Rebuilding the clan has taken most of our time and resources. All I can offer is logistical support at the moment with our crows and remaining servants."
"As for us," Chief Tecchikawahara stepped forward. "We will do everything we can to help, but the government has been gathering iron at a rapid rate as of late, to build warships as I've been told. Swords have fallen out of style due to technological advancements from the West."
"That will have to do for now, at least until we get an idea of what we are dealing with." Tengen nodded. "But the real issue is the availability of fighters. No offense to those present, but most of us won't be useful in a fight." Tanjiro had a crippled arm and an eye and needed assistance walking at times, Kanao was blind in one eye, and her vision in the other was impaired. Of the three remaining hashira, only Sanemi was in fighting shape as Giyu and Tengen himself were both down an arm and hand respectively. There was also the potential that Giyu, Sanemi, and Tanjiro would die in a few years due to manifesting their marks- if the legends were true.
"I'm afraid I will not be much help with my age." Sakonji's head lowered in shame.
"Sakonji, there is no shame in that." Shinjurō placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Any help you can give is enough. We all know how much the stress of the past few years have taken their toll."
"Thank you, Shinjuro." The former water hashira sighed. "I will do what I can, even if all that I can do is pass my knowledge on to the next generation."
"I'll do anything to save Inosuke!" Tanjiro cried out. "I know that I can't fight like I used to, but I won't give up on him!"
Tengen chuckled. There was no stopping that one once he put his mind do it, crippled or not. "As it stands, Agatsuma, Shinazugawa, Tomioka, and myself are the only ones in any condition to fight. We'll need more people if this turns out to be bigger than we thought." Tengen stated. 'The hand was after Tanjiro, but why? Was it his connection to Kibutsuji? It wasn't here long enough to go after Nezuko…' That was the biggest question: What was the stone appendage's goal?
"There are several individuals in the village that have been curious to learn about swordsmanship." Tecchikawahara offered. "While they are young, it would be better than nothing. That is all we can offer besides our weapon services." The elderly chief bowed.
"So, newbies from you, and whoever we can convince to come back and help." Tengen summarized. It wasn't enough. "I have an idea, as much as I dislike it…"
"Tengen, you don't mean-" Hinatsuru's eyes widened.
"I'm afraid it's exactly what you're thinking. We'll have to ask my brother for help."
=VI=
[August 13rd, 1914, Uzui Family Compound]
滅 The Uzui family, the last surviving and active shinobi clan of the 20th century. The former patriarch of the family Uzui Tadashi, sired eight sons and one daughter. Out of the nine of his children, only two survived the harsh training after being tricked into killing off the weaker siblings who had survived up until that point.
In this day and age, the usage of shinobi has fallen out of practice as technological advancements and the relative stability of Japan have greatly diminished the need for spies, sabotages, and assassins. As such, the past few generations of the Uzui family have hired themselves out to the highest bidder. After all, there will always be people who want someone killed or stolen. 滅
Every few years the Uzui family would migrate to another part of Japan under a new cover. Their work made it a necessity to avoid recognition, even if most assignments never took place in their city of residence.
It had taken Tengen longer than he'd liked to track down the current base of operations, and that was with the help of Ubuyashiki's crows. There hadn't been a reason to keep in contact with his family after he'd chosen to walk away, and this was the one time he would regret it.
He'd arrived at night with Yushiro and Zenitsu, the latter nervously fidgeting and muttering about 'ninja assassins' coming after them.
"This is the place?" Yushiro's slitted eyes narrowed.
"Apparently." Tengen shrugged. "Agatsuma, how many do you hear inside?" Like Tengen, the blonde had an exceptional sense of hearing that the former sound hashira was trying to hone even further.
"F-five? No, ten?" Zenitsu guessed. 'Man, I want to go back home with the others…' He missed his girlfriend a lot.
"Are we sneaking in?" The pale-green-haired demon pulled out a slip of paper with his Eyeblind technique prepared.
"Not unless you want to get yourself killed." Tengen snorted, then reconsidered. "Well, they probably wouldn't be able to kill you, but they would take you prisoner if they caught you. Probably leave you out in the sun once they realize what you are." Oh, to see the look on their faces once they realized… but then Yushiro would be dead.
"What are we doing then, Mr. Uzui?" Zenitsu shivered.
"Knocking, duh." Tengen rolled his eyes. He raised his arm and slammed his muscular hand into the door. "Hey!" Despite his shinobi training, Tengen liked making a flashy entrance.
After a few moments, an elderly man shuffled to the door and opened up a small slit. "Hello? What do you gentlemen want at this hour?"
"This the Uzui house?" Tengen asked casually.
"I'm afraid I've never heard of that name before. This is the Yuudai family home." The old man tensed, and Tengen could hear his fingers tightening around something, likely a dagger.
"Oh please." Tengen scoffed. He recognized the statue marking the house, a beacon to any Uzuis to know it was a safe spot. "Go tell your master that Tengen is here to speak to him. Wake him up if needed."
The man's eyes narrowed, and he whispered something to someone nearby. From what Tengen could hear it sounded like a command to alert the master. This would either work, or they were about to have a bunch of kunai launched at them. Good thing they were armed.
After a few minutes, the door opened. "Follow me." The old man eyed the three of them suspiciously. "The master will see you now." The three followed him to a large room, where a black-haired man surrounded by resting women sat.
"Well well well… look who decided to come crawling back after all these years." The man ridiculed. "I thought you were dead, Tengen, though by the looks of it you came pretty close."
"Tōma." Tengen greeted. "I see you're doing well.
滅 Uzui Tōma, current Uzui Clan Head 滅
"As well as I can. Business has been slow ever since father passed, not that you would know." Tōma said with an uncaring look on his face."So, what exactly has my dear older brother been up to all these years?"
"Oh, you know. Killed some demons, lost my hand and eye, had a kid." Tengen said truthfully.
Tōma smirked. "Still on about all those fairy tales of demons? Everyone knows those are just urban legends. Always trying to make things unnecessarily dramatic for what, bragging rights? Just admit you lost a fight, you pathetic cripple."
Gods, he forgot just how much like their father Tōma was.
"So, you had a kid? Which wife did you knock up? Makio, Suma? Hinatsuru? Or did one of them bite it and you had to get a new one?" A shuriken embedded itself next to his head. "I see your aim is still exceptional. Did I strike a nerve?" Tōma didn't even blink.
"Keep my wives' names out of your fucking mouth, Tōma." Tengen hissed.
"Fine. How about we cut to the chase? What do you want?" Tōma placed his elbow on the arm of his chair, leaning his hand against his outstretched hand, completely ignoring his other guests.
"We need your help. We'll pay you too." Tengen threw a bag of yen at his brother, who caught it and handed it off to one of his wives.
"I'm listening. What do you need? I'm sure you remember our services." The younger Uzui asked.
"Hunting demons."
Tōma blinked, then erupted into uproarious laughter. Even his wives joined in. "Ha! You got to be kidding me, brother. Did your head get damaged too?"
Tengen sighed. "Yushiro, a demonstration please."
"Blood Demon Art: Eyeblind," Yushiro stated with an annoyed roll of his eyes. 'His wives are hideous. They could never compare to Lady Tamayo."
Tōma's laughter stopped instantly when Yushiro vanished in front of his very eyes. From his waistband, he pulled out several knives. "What!" His eyes scanned the room wildly. "Tengen, what sorcery is this?"
Tengen looked at his startled brother smugly. "Oh, I didn't see anything. Sorcery? Isn't that all made up?" He picked at his ear mockingly.
The Uzui heir focused, listening for footsteps. Tōma, like all members of the Uzui family, had exceptional hearing. With a shout, he whirled around and buried a dagger into Yushiro's heart, who suddenly appeared behind one of his wives. To his shock, the young man grabbed his wrist and slowly pulled the knife out, flesh sealing itself shut behind it.
"What the hell are you?" Tōma's face paled in terror, his wives had already fled the room after witnessing this.
"A demon. Weren't you listening?" Yushrio's eye twitched, the demon slowly backing down.
"So, brother, are you finally going to hear us out now?" Tengen asked with a knowing grin.
Tōma nodded shakily.
=VI=
[January 31st, 1915, Outskirts of Osaka, Japan]
Months had passed, with their search for demonic activity expanding. Meanwhile, Japan had entered the Great War after declaring war on Germany and Austria-Hungary, launching a series of offensives against occupied territories in the Pacific.
The Demon Slayer Corp finally had a lead, reports of stone hands appearing in the forest before vanishing. It was the only verifiable supernatural sighting, as a former Corp member who had elected not to return had reported seeing it.
Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Sanemi had all been dispatched, with Tōma and two of his fellow shinobi acting as a bodyguard for the Kamado siblings. A second team of Giyu, Sanemi's new tsuguko- Kaedehara Kagemitsu from the swordsmith village, Tengen, and Shinjuro had departed to investigate a separate lead in Tokyo.
"Still no sign of the demons," Sanemi growled. The scarred man sat down on a tree stump, burying his blade in the ground.
"I thought demons could only be out at night?" Tōma asked. "Why are we looking at day?" His subordinates looked around warily.
"The stone hand sightings have been during the day and night near various temples and shrines," Tanjiro explained.
The younger Uzui nodded. "Alright, whatever." They were only here to guard the brats anyways. Tōma had to admit, these 'Demon Slayers' were impressive. The ones who weren't incapable of fighting at least. He knew that they were several times stronger than his men and practiced some secret technique that let them fight for longer.
Zenitsu did not like Tōma. He'd heard from Tengen about his brother's profession, killing people for money. The only reason the younger Uzui was here was because they were desperate for fighters. When he'd first spoken to the black-haired shinobi, Tōma had gone on a long spiel about how Nezuko would be a fine wife (one, they were already courting, and two, he really didn't appreciate another man speaking about her like that) and that he should produce an heir. The man had bragged about his own sons with his wives as well, which irritated Zenitsu to no end.
As they made their way up to the temple Zenitsu and Tōma stopped. "Do you hear that too, blondie?" Tōma unsheathed two knives.
Zenitsu put a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Yes." The sound of something heavy moving through the forest.
"Well, what are we waiting for!" Sanemi shouted, his blade already readied. "Lets kill these bastards!" He rushed off ahead of them.
"Shinazugawa, wait!" Zenitsu yelled after the older man.
"Dammit!" Tōma snapped. "You two, grab the Kamado boy and follow us!"
Tanjiro yelped as the two shinobi grabbed him and sprinted after the others.
=VI=
It was an old temple, one that had been overrun and decayed over a hundred years. Telegraph lines that had been constructed years ago lay broken, snapped in half by two large hands made of numerous boulders.
'Those hands are different.' Tanjiro noted as the shinobi let him down. 'The one that took Inosuke was smooth, almost like a real hand.' He took a long sniff. "Something was here."
"No shit." Tōma scanned the area. "Stone hands… just like you said."
Sanemi was storming around, kicking at the downed lines. "Dammit dammit dammit!"
"I guess we were too late…" Nezuko said sadly.
"Yeah, but this is still a lead-" The wind shifted, and Tanjiro smelled murderous intent. Suddenly he was lifted in the air by the neck, a large blue-horned man staring down at him with hatred in his eyes.
"YOU! YOU SMELL OF THE PREDATOR!" The man roared in Tanjiro's face.
"Brother!" Nezuko screamed.
"DIE, SPAWN OF KIBUTSUJI!" The horned man swung the club in his other hand at Nezuko, strangling Tanjiro with the other.
KRATHOOM!
The dust cleared and the horned man blinked. The girl was still alive meters away, held by a blonde swordsman. He flinched, two kunai embedding themselves in the muscular forearm holding the scarred boy. 'This smell… wisteria poison?'
A tall black-haired human with a metal headband snatched the boy from his hands, swinging at his stomach with a dagger with the other.
Tōma angled his dagger to slice the horned man's stomach open, tossing Tanjiro behind him who used the defensive falling technique to avoid being hurt. 'So this is a demon? It looks different from that Yushiro guy.' This demon's heartbeat was loud, like a drum. To Tōma's surprise, the demon's arm glowed and blocked the killing blow with a grunt, kicking the younger Uzui away.
"Damn you!" The demon snapped the dagger off, leaving a small piece embedded in his arm. It noticeably didn't heal, despite Tōma's dagger being made from normal steel.
"Die demon!" Sanemei shouted. 'Wind Breathing, Fifth Form: Cold Mountain Wind!' The wind hashira spun in midair, the wind picking up from the sheer force of his swing. Before the strike could land, the demon stomped his foot, causing a wall of earth to rise in front of him. 'What? A blood demon art?' The earth wall crunched in upon itself within a split second, morphing into a fist that was launched at him. His strike, which would've hit the demon instead obliterated the stone hand.
"Brother! There are slayers here!" The blue-horned demon shouted.
'Brother?' Tōma's eyes widened. From behind, his two subordinates were suddenly struck in the chest by a bladed polearm, a naginata. Thankfully it was the blunt end, but he could hear his mens' bones crack from the sheer force of it. A second man, more than two meters tall and sporting red horns and tattoos across his face and slightly exposed chest appeared behind them.
"Interesting. Humans, cooperating with demons?" The red-horned demon said curiously. "How are those two able to walk in the sun? They must be strong…" He licked his lips. "Apologies for your friends there, they should be fine though. Please step aside so I can exterminate those two demons behind you."
Tōma glanced at the Kamado siblings out of the corner of his eye, keeping his focus on the new demon. "Sorry pal, I'm being paid to protect these two so if you want them you'll have to go through me!"
Zenitsu landed next to them. "Me too. I won't let you hurt Nezuko! … and Tanjiro." He sheepishly added with a cough.
"Very well." The demon spun his naginata, cleaving a nearby tree in two. "It's a shame to kill two warriors such as yourself, but I cannot allow those tainted by the Predator's blood that have mastered the sun to live."
"Wait, haven't you conquered the sun though?" Zenitsu questioned. "You're a demon too!"
"Huh? No, I'm not. I'm an oni!" The man declared.
"Yeah, that's a demon?" Zenitsu replied with a puzzled expression.
"Damn that Kibutsuji! Defiling our history with his spawn." The demon(?) growled. "We aren't demons, we are yokai!" He declared. "The great Oni families won't be besmirched by a title such as a demon."
"So you're not a demon?" Tōma's brow furrowed in confusion. Demons, oni, yokai? This was all too much for him to handle right now, so instead he focused on staying alive.
"No!" The man shouted with irritation. "We don't have anything to do with Kibutsuji and his ilk." His eye twitched. "But those two, they have been tainted by his blood. The only reason we are here is because we sensed the Predator's presence had diminished around our wards." The oni pointed his blade at the Kamado siblings. "So, has the great demon lord finally conquered the sun and disposed of his brood? Are they his children or something? The taint on the boy is great." He shifted to Zenitsu. "And you and the white-haired man, you have his stench too, but you're still human. What are two slayers doing helping demonspawn?"
"What are you talking about? Kibutsuji is dead!" Zenitsu retorted."We killed him over a year ago!"
"Huh?" The red-horned man blinked. "Huh!" His eyes bugged out of his head. "HUUUUH!" The oni lowered his blade and took a step back. "Are you for real? He's dead?"
"Yeah, the one you're trying to kill was instrumental in taking him down!" Zenitsu shouted back.
"Oh… I believe that we misunderstood your presence here." The oni said sheepishly. "Ao! Stop fighting! They aren't with Kibutsuji!"
The blue-horned oni, Ao, paused with his club raised over Sanemi's head. The slayer had been disarmed and was about to pass out. "Aka, what the hell are you talking about?! Can't you smell the blood on them?"
"They said they killed Kibutsuji!" Aka bellowed.
"Lies! They smell of him. Even if that is true, they are still slayers! We have to kill them before they kill us!" Ao raised his club and brought it down toward Sanemi's head.
A single set of metal chimes brought his attack to a halt, mere centimeters away from Sanemi's prone form.
An elderly female voice spoke out. "Aka, Ao, put your weapons away you foolish boys."
Ao gulped, slinging his club back onto his back and kneeling. "L-lady Hakushin!" His brother Aka turned his back on Zenitsu and Tōma and knelt with reverence.
From the forest, the lumbering form of a massive three-meter-tall tarantula emerged, drool dripping from its mandibles. Riding atop its head was an aged and withered woman with white hair, a pair of fox ears poking from her head. She was carrying a shakujō staff in her hand, the clinking of its metal rings responsible for the chiming noise.
Zenitsu immediately reacted… by screaming at the top of his lungs and dashing behind Nezuko to cower. "S-spider!"
Tōma, Tanjiro, and Aka stared at the blonde, who was moments earlier bravely defending them now trembling and looking like he was about to wet himself.
'Is this brat for real?' Tōma sweatdropped.
"You say you killed Kibutsuji?" The woman inquired. "If that really is the case, then there is much that needs to be discussed. I apologize for any harm my foolish boys inflicted on you." With a wave of her staff, Sanemi was surrounded by a glowing green aura. When it vanished all of his wounds had healed within seconds, save for those that existed beforehand.
"What the fuck is even happening…" Tōma muttered out loud. 'I want to go home…'
=VI=
Once things had settled down, the two oni had prostrated themselves before the gathered humans. "I must apologize for my brother and I's brazenness. We assumed you were with Kibutsuji based on your smell." Aka said sincerely. "I am Arakiba Aka, and this is my twin brother, Ao." He raised his head, pointing to the blue-horned oni.
"And I am Hakushin Yūko." The white-haired kitsune replied, voice hoarse from age.
"T̴h̴i̵s̷ ̸o̴n̸e̵'̴s̷ ̶n̷a̴m̷e̶ ̸i̷s̶ ̷T̶s̵u̴k̶k̵o̷t̵s̷u̷.̷" A voice rang out in everyone's heads, sounding less like speech and more like hundreds of insects chittering while crawling over their brains. They all winced at the sudden mental intrusion.
"Dammit Tsukkotsu! I told you not to fucking do that! It gives everyone a headache!" Ao complained, clutching his ears and glaring at the spider yokai.
Tsukkotsu chittered an apology.
Tōma sat cross-legged with his two shinobi subordinates who the elderly kitsune had healed. Judging by their wide eyes behind their hoods, both men probably felt the same as Tōma. When Tengen showed up on his doorstep, he'd nearly laughed his older brother out when he started talking about demons. He knew better now, but yokai too? Seriously?!
Sanemi broke the silence, already suspicious of the new creatures. "So can someone explain what the fuck is going on?" The wind hashira seethed, still bitter over losing the fight to a supposed demon.
"I know you all have many questions." Yūko acknowledged. "We will be here a while, so would you like some tea?" The kitsune asked politely, pulling a whole-ass tea kettle out of her kimono.
"I'd love some!" Tanjiro agreed, taking a cup immediately with no hesitation.
'How the hell is this kid still alive being this naive?' Tōma thought. 'Idiot didn't even think that it might be poisoned and-' He stared disbelievingly as all the Demon Slayers and yokai had a cup, even the fucking spider somehow.
"Would you like a cup, Mr. Uzui? It would be rude not to." Tanjiro beamed, using his subtle mastery of the art of the guilt trip.
"No thanks, I…" Tanjiro kept smiling at him, his overwhelming positivity outshining his nativity of accepting a drink from a stranger.
Little did Tōma know, Tanjiro hadn't smelled any poison or lies from the old woman, the others having followed his lead.
"Sir, what do we do?" One of the shinobi whispered.
"Fine…" Tōma begrudgingly snatched the cup from Tanjiro and took a sip. It was a sweet tea with the faint taste of cherry blossom.
"So," Yūko began. "You say that you are the ones that ended Kibutsuji Muzan?"
"I can't say that any one of us was the one who put an end to him," Tanjiro admitted sadly. "It was a hard-fought battle that took everything we had, and the loss of several friends and allies."
"I think you would be the one who counted," Sanemi grunted. "He tried to make you a demon with his last act and failed, that makes you the one who killed him, at least in my book."
"Aside from Lady Tamayo, I think you did the most damage to him." Zenitsu seconded, though he understood Tanjiro not wanting to understate the sacrifices from the rest of the Corps.
Yūko appraised the boy. His left arm was withered and likely had nerve damage. His right eye was also discolored and he likely had difficulty seeing out of it. But what intrigued her most was the mark on the other side of his head. "Boy, you manifested a curse mark, didn't you?"
Everyone's attention shot over to the elderly kitsune. "Curse mark?"
"Were you not aware of it?" She took a sip of tea.
"No, we know about the mark. I'm not the only one, Sanemi has one too but it only shows up under certain conditions." The wind hashira perked up at the mention of his name. Tanjiro scratched at his head. "What do you mean by curse mark?"
"Tell me, Kamado. What is it you know about the mark?" Yūko questioned.
"Uhm…" Tanjiro struggled to remember. "You need to be on the verge of death, have a heartbeat of over two hundred beats per minute, and a body temperature above 39?" He listed off the conditions that the former mist hashira had noted down. "And… that everyone who manifested the mark died by the time they reached twenty-five."
The rest of the humans' gazes shifted between Tanjiro and Sanemi uncomfortably.
"I see you have little information on the mark, other than its effects." She squinted. "Yours is different though. Allow me to explain what this mark is. You have all had open wounds around demons, yes?"
Everyone nodded.
"While you were not corrupted by Kibutsuji's blood in a sufficient amount to turn you into a demon, it still affected you nonetheless. The same with some of the first slayers to use the secret techniques of your Corps, like Tsugikuni Yoriichi."
Tanjiro stiffened. He remembered Yoriichi from the inherited memories of his ancestors who had met the demon slayer. "Did you… know him?"
"No, I did not. We kitsune live long lives, but I am only one hundred fifty years old. All I know is what was passed down from my ancestors who met him in the Sengoku period." Yūko explained. "Forgive me, as this information has only been passed orally over the centuries, and my memory isn't as good as it used to be. We discovered that the mark manifests in those exposed to demonic blood in small, survivable doses. Small wounds in battle, or airborne. In essence, it is your body adapting to the demonic corruption. That is why those that manifested the mark did not survive past the age of twenty-five."
"But… Yoriichi lived to an old age, didn't he?" Tanjiro asked.
"Indeed. For some reason, his body was uniquely suited to the mark. Perhaps he had some sort of technique to increase his resistance." Yūko nodded. "Much like you and your sister, Mr. Kamado."
"Eh!" Both the siblings jolted upright.
"So what, does that mean that they are related to the first breathing user?" Sanemi interjected.
"I doubt so. Tsugikuni Yoriichi never had any living children." Yūko confirmed with sadness. "Though, you do share similar features. If you were related, it was a long time ago, perhaps a long distant cousin. Though it could be a coincidence and you aren't related at all." The kitsune shrugged.
Aka elbowed Ao, who was starting to nod off.
"So I'm not going to die, but everyone else with the mark will," Tanjiro asked hesitantly.
"Not necessarily. Now that Kibutsuji is dead, the curse of his blood will fade. You will still possess the mark, but the benefits will lessen. Also, after years of study, I believe a ritual to purify your body would remove all the drawbacks."
"Oi," Sanemi growled, leaping to his feet and stalking over to the elderly yokai. The oni brothers tensed, prepared to rush to their master's aid. "You tellin' me that me and Tomioka have a chance, is that right?"
Yūko shrugged and took another calm sip of her tea. "Theoretically, yes. We haven't been able to test this due to our seclusion."
Sanemi ran a hand across his right cheek with a conflicted expression. "You better not be fuckin' with me old hag. I've made my peace with the few years I have left, so you better not be throwing false hope at me!"
"Show some respect!" Ao shouted. "How dare you talk to Lady Hakushin like that!" He threw punches in the air toward Sanemi, barely held back by his brother.
"I cannot promise any guarantee of success, but it would be better than leaving the curse to fester," Yūko replied peacefully.
"How is it you know so much about demons, Lady Hakushin?" Nezuku decided to ask.
"That is a long story…" She began to tell them.
=VI=
The gathered humans gawked.
"We need to bring them back to the others," Zenitsu said. "This is bigger than we thought.
Sanemi pulled back his sleeve. "I'll drag 'em back kicking and screaming if I have to!"
"Wait!" Tanjiro cried out. "We still need to ask them! Don't just go rushing in like that Mr. Shinazugawa!"
Sanemi's gaze flickered between the others. "Ugh… fine."
Tanjiro made his way back to the gathered yokai. "Lady Hakushin," the scarred boy bowed. "Please, would you come with us and tell our allies everything?"
"We can't do that! Walking into a den of slayers?" Ao growled. "Bad enough we are letting them leave. Hell, half of them are crippled already, it would be easy!"
Bonk!
"Mind your manners boy!" Yūko smacked the oni over the head with her staff. "Mr. Kamado, even after everything I've said, you still wish for us to accompany you?"
Tanjiro nodded. "We won't let anything happen to you. I promise!"
Yūko pursed her lips. "Very well, we shall. Give me a moment before we depart. I must inform the other elders of my decision."
"A risky proposition. This one does not agree but will follow the wise one's wishes." Tsukkotsu lowered their multi-eyed head.
"Thank you." Tanjiro bowed sincerely.
=VI=
[February 2nd, 1915, Tengen Uzui's Estate]
"What the hell?!" Tengen gaped at the new arrivals assembled before him. "Tanjiro, you were on a simple scouting mission, what the fuck?"
"Now you know how I feel, brother." Tōma vacantly mumbled, lying face-first on the floor.
Everyone had received a message by crow to meet back at Tengen's estate. All the message said was that Tanjiro's group had found something important that they needed everyone here for.
When Tanjiro's group had shown up with a group of strangers, it had been calm, before the boy explained not to freak out and then the newcomers dropped whatever illusion was disguising them.
"Tengeeeenn! There's a giant spider!" Suma bawled.
"I can see that." Tengen deadpanned.
"I feel as if this should've been conveyed in the message," Sakonji said what everyone else was thinking. The man's tengu mask had fallen off in shock.
"Well, would you have believed us if we did?" Sanemi growled.
Tengen held a finger up to protest, then lowered it. "Fair. At least you warned us. Secondly, can you please explain why there is a giant spider monster in my living room.?"
"Yokai…" Kiriya gasped. "Those are yokai! I didn't believe they existed!"
"It seems one among you is familiar with our kind." The elderly woman stepped forward. "I thank you, Mr. Uzui, Lord Ubuyashiki, for allowing us the opportunity to meet with you." She bowed, leaning on her staff for support. "My name is Hakushin Yūko, Grand Guuji of the Sanctuary Shrine."
"You're a kitsune, aren't you." Tengen intuited.
"Your eyes are sharp I see. You are correct." Yūko nodded. "I hope our arrival has not caused you too much distress. It's been nearly a thousand years since we disappeared after all. I imagine this is a shock for all of you." Her gaze shifted over to Sanemi and his tsuguko, who was foaming at the mouth and being shaken into lucidity by his master. Others around the room had mostly recovered from the shock.
"Well, you know how to make a flashy entrance, that's for sure." Tengen shrugged.
Kiriya bowed with reverence before the kitsune. As his mother was a temple priest, he was the most familiar out of all present. "I'm honored to be in your presence, Lady Hakushin."
"Finally, someone shows her the due respect." Ao huffed loudly. The oni's eyes narrowed. "I smell a demon here."
"That would be me." Yushiro raised his hand. The oni brothers' hands hovered around their weapons warily. They had already been warned beforehand by Tanjiro that Yushiro would be there, but that didn't mean they liked it.
"Yes, we were told that you would be here." Even Yūko, who had seemed unphased by everything thus far was on edge knowing a demon was here, even a supposedly friendly one. "I assume you have many questions, yes? I'm aware that Mr. Kamado's letter was vague."
"How about you start with what you told us?" Tanjiro offered.
"Very well. That would be most prudent." Yūko sat down on the floor. "It all began around a thousand years ago, in the Heian era. Back then, our numbers were much higher, though we still did not interact with humans outside your temples and shrines often. Our relationship with humans was mostly symbiotic in nature. We protected you and were worshipped, and in exchange, you received protection and boons from our magic. This was not how all yokai behaved, some chose to live in hidden villages, and others had far more malevolent intentions."
Everyone listened intently.
"However, our largely harmonious existence with humanity ended when Kibutsuji Muzan emerged, and with him, his scores of demons. They were blessed with incredible regenerative abilities and blood magic, or Blood Demon Arts as you call them. Whatever was done to Muzan all those centuries ago propelled him far beyond the limits of humanity. Eventually, his search for a way to overcome the sun led him to us." She took a deep but slow breath. "His demons began to devour yokai, which increased their powers exponentially. In general, humans can't use magic outside of those born with the talent, or those of yokai ancestry. Those touched by Kibutsuji's blood had no such restrictions."
"So Kibutsuji hunted your people because of your magic?" Shinjurō asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"That is but one of the reasons. While I cannot answer for the dead, I find it highly likely that he also viewed us as a threat. We represented a far greater threat, and perhaps he saw our ability to walk in both the night and day as the key to his own problem. Thankfully that was not the case." Yūko hypothezied.
"So you fought back?" Uzui questioned.
"We did, and every loss only made Kibutsuji stronger. You humans relied on us for protection, and we realized that further attempts to take on Kibutsuji would only make him more of a threat. We did not have your Nichirin swords, those were a human creation. Instead, we disguised ourselves as priests and attempted to strengthen some of the first Demon Slayers by blessing them. All the while, his demons continued to diminish our numbers, driving several species of yokai extinct. This is why Kibutsuji is known to us as the Predator. An invasive species that killed off any competition. Our elders realized that the only way we could survive was to go into deeper hiding to make it appear as if we had gone extinct entirely."
"So that's why we haven't seen any traces of Yokai in centuries. We honestly thought that you were myths." Kiriya surmised. "You've been hiding this entire time?"
"Not entirely. Every few years, we would send out scouts to discern the status of the demons. The problem arose in that Kibutsuji's consumption of yokai blood had the unintended effect of rampant mutation among his followers. Some of them now resembled yokai, and our absence had muddied the waters of what and wasn't a demon."
Ao nodded, with Aka electing to speak. "Our people are known as oni. In the past, we were often described as having a 'demonic' appearance due to the masks we wore." He gestured to his mostly human-looking face, aside from the fangs and horns. "So when we fled to our hiding spots, demons and oni became indistinguishable. When we sent scouts out, more often than not they would meet their ends by human hands. Blood was shed on both sides due to this misconception, and not only with us oni."
Zenitsu remembered the spider demons from Mt. Natagumo. Maybe they looked like that because Muzan had consumed yokai of Tsukkotsu's species in the past? He wasn't an expert on demon biology, or biology in general, so it was probably hard to tell what mutations resulted from the Demon Lord's past consumption of yokai and what occurred naturally from demons growing in power.
Kiriya nodded with an understanding look on his face. "Father's records showed several slayers with fates unknown, or of bodies of demon slayers found without any signs of demons. We assumed that they had slain the demons only to die themselves or were attacked by criminals or animals. To think it was yokai this whole time…"
"So you are just another scouting party then?" Tengen inquired.
"Of sorts. Normally it would just be a group of two or three of our warriors that would be sent out to gauge the demons' whereabouts. They were afflicted with a curse so that Kibutsuji would not be able to tell where they came from if discovered, as well as destroying any trace of their bodies if killed. The only reason I am here as an elder was because we sensed something had shifted in the world. Our fortunate meeting with Mr. Kamado's team revealed the reason as to why." Yūko placed her staff off to the side and prostrated herself dogeza-style, alongside Aka and Ao. The elderly woman was visibly struggling to make such a pose with her advanced age.
'What are they doing?' Tengen leaned forward.
"On behalf of all yokai, we would like to extend our eternal gratitude to the Demon Slayer Corps for finally putting an end to Kibutsuji Muzan, as well as apologize for any deaths our scouts have caused your organization in the past." The three yokai rose.
"If needed, I will allow you to take my head as recompense!" Aka shouted, causing everyone to look at the oni strangely. 'Why is he so eager to offer himself up?'
"BROTHER! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN!" Ao screamed, grabbing the red-horned oni by the shoulders and shaking him widely.
"There's uh… no need for that…" Tengen awkwardly coughed.
"Oh. Good." Aka said with a smile. "I didn't really want to die."
Ao smacked him over the head with his club. "THEN WHY DID YOU OFFER YOU DIPSHIT!"
Yūko pinched the bridge of her nose, ears twitching with irritation at the brothers' antics. "I swear… these boys…" The kitsune muttered. She reached into her pocket and threw two small objects, nailing each of them in the head.
"Eh?"
Beans.
With two high-pitched shrieks, the brothers fell to the ground and began to spasm uncontrollably.
"Oni are allergic to beans." Yūko sighed apologetically. "They should be fine."
"Right…" Tengen sweatdropped but took the woman's word for it. "I can't speak for everyone here's feelings on the whole 'you killed some of our guys' thing, but the past is the past. I say we let bygones be bygones and chalk it all up to a misunderstanding caused by demons. Any objections?"
There were a few murmurs at Tengen taking charge and his rash decision-making, but aside from that nobody raised any concerns.
"I'm glad that we could all come to an understanding despite all of this," Kiriya said. "I hope that our two groups can continue this peaceful relationship."
"That is also another thing I wish to discuss. Now that Kibutsuji and his demons no longer represent a threat to us, word will inevitably spread of his demise, and yokai all over Japan will begin to re-emerge. The world has changed greatly since we've been gone and I foresee much hardship for our people. Not all yokai are friendly to humans, and due to the growth your people have experienced you may have unintentionally built over old shrines and territories." She warned. "These two fools," Yūko pointed to the unconscious oni. "Were destroying those poles with wires around the old shrines."
"You mean the telegram lines?" Yushiro responded, being one of the more knowledgable ones about living in modern cities.
"Forgive me, but I am unaware of human technological advancements. If you are referring to those stripped wood poles with lines, then yes." Yūko confirmed.
"The government isn't going to be happy about having to fix those, but they will probably just chalk it up to vandals or something," Shinjurō noted.
Kiriya nodded. "I'll reach out to my government contacts to make sure that happens."
滅 Officially, the Demon Slayer Corps didn't exist to the Japanese government. Many officials knew of their existence but refused to acknowledge or legitimize them. One reason was due to deals the Ubuyashiki family made to avoid a paper trail leading to their slayers and bases of operation.
Due to Kibutsuji Muzan's operations only posing a threat to small villages, the Empire of Japan designated demons as a small-scale threat to be handled discreetly by the Corps. This was done to avoid panic among the populace, and any official mention of demonic activity was suppressed and dismissed as superstition and urban legends.
This also meant that Demon Slayers were technically operating against Japanese law, and would be offered no protection if apprehended by law enforcement. Luckily, the few times this happened they were bailed out either by anonymous payments or broken out by their allies. 滅
"Lady Hakushin. If what you are saying is true and the yokai will be returning, how much danger are we in?" Sakonji inquired. "And Tanjiro, does this have any correlation with Hashibira's disappearance?"
"Compared to demons we are more divided, but also more diverse in our abilities. Most species of yokai do not require the consumption of humans to gain power, and with how long some have slumbered there is no telling how strong some of them may have grown." Yūko predicted. "And some may react poorly to the description of their shrines and lands. They will also be unaware of the advancements of human technology and changes in your society, as we are."
Tanjiro stepped forward, assisted by Nezuko. "As for Inosuke, Lady Hakushin is unsure what type of yokai could be responsible. The stone hands were similar to the magic that Mr. Arakiba used, but that is all we have to work with." The scarred boy confirmed sadly.
"If there is anything we can do to assist in finding your friend, we would be glad to assist." Yūko offered. "I believe that an alliance between our two groups could be most beneficial."
Tengen paused. "We will have to discuss this further. What exactly are you terms?"
"While I cannot speak for the other elders, I imagine they would want a safe place to live and assistance adapting to modern times." Yuko surmised. "As for what we can offer, I believe that Mr. Kamado can inform you on what we discussed during our travel here. For now, we will take our leave so that you can discuss. We shall be in the nearby forest contacting our people about the end of demonkind, should you come to a decision." Yuko rose to her feet shakily.
=VI=
"What do you all think?" Uzui asked.
Gathered around him were the remaining demon slayers, Yushiro, Chief Tecchikawahara, and Kiriya.
"Their offer does have merit, though I don't believe that we should jump into this blindly." Kiriya started. "My experience in negotiation is limited, so will leave the decision up to the group." The boy said timidly.
"You did fine commanding us during the final battle with Kibutsuji." Shinjurō complimented. "But, you are still a child. We do not doubt your capabilities as a leader but if you feel as though this is the best choice, we will follow your command."
Kiriya nodded nervously. The losses the Corps incurred under his command still shook him. Kibutsuji killed so many slayers because of his inexperience. He hadn't even reached double-digits in age and already the others held him in such high regard. His family had always been good at planning, but this wasn't an old threat that he had been tasked to finish, this was something new and unknown. Kiriya didn't have any clue how to plan ahead for it.
"Tanjiro, what exactly did that woman tell you?" Sakonji inquired.
"Well, she did offer to assist the Corps in handling yokai threats, as well as healing. She can't do anything about our old wounds, but she said several yokai possess healing magic."
"Oi," Sanemi rose to his feet. "You forgot about the mark too. She said there is a possibility of removing the curse that will kill me and Tomioka in a few years."
"Wait, are you serious?" Giyu's eyes widened.
"I said there was a possibility dumbass. Don't get your hopes up." Sanemi said crossly.
"It's not something that I could do, so it is a tempting offer." Yushiro mused. "And I imagine having magic users to strengthen the Corps is enticing. They don't seem to use Blood Demon Arts, but something else."
Tanjiro scratched the back of his head. "I don't think they liked you very much though." Yushiro glared at him, and Tanjiro waved his hands in defense. "Because you are a demon! They were wondering why you haven't turned back into a human yet!"
"Because my blood demon art is useful." Yushrio huffed.
"About that… Lady Hakushin said that even if you turned back into a human, since you have been a demon for so long your Blood Demon Art should "engrain itself into your body" or something like that…"
Yushiro sped over and grabbed Tanjiro by the shirt. "Explain!"
"W-well, she said that humans can't normally use magic, but those mutated by Muzan's blood for long enough should develop some sort of affinity or technique!"
Yushiro took a step back, stunned. "Are you saying that you have one too?"
"I don't think so. She didn't sense one from me. She thought that since Kibutsuji's blood was acting as a poison until the end, and I wasn't a demon for long though." Tanjiro held up his withered arm. "Which is why I took damage from it instead. She did say that Nezuko should have some magical ability now."
"Mhm!" Nezuko nodded. "She offered to train me how to use it." Truth be told, Nezuko wasn't keen on the idea of having explosive blood if that was still her technique. Without her regeneration it wouldn't be a useful power, but if it was something else it could be helpful.
"Those are all good points, if true." Tengen rubbed his chin. "But if Lady Hakushin is right about her people's demands, I don't know if we have the power to meet them. Sure, we could use their assistance in combating hostile yokai, but we would also need to find a space for them to live. It would have to be in secret and we don't exactly have the facilities for it."
"We may have to go to the government for this." Shinjurō chimed in reluctantly. "Kibutsuji never made it a point to attack highly populated areas if he had a choice, but we won't be sure about the yokai. They were also under the impression that the Ubuyashiki family had disbanded the Corps after we reported Kibutsuji's death. Operating again without warning, especially during wartime could have us all arrested for sedition if things get out of hand."
"But the Germans don't have the forces to attack Japan. Would they really be that much on guard?" Giyu asked.
"Are you sure you want to go to the government?" Tōma asked, tensing up. As a shinobi who engaged in assassination, he could be executed for his crimes. He wasn't like his brother, who chose to help defend his country by slaying demons. "They might make you fight in the war, those of you that still can at least. Or teach their soldiers your fancy techniques, not only that, but are you planning to teach those yokai them too?" He crossed his arms.
The slayers all glanced around at each other, their reactions souring at the thought of their breathing techniques being used to kill other full-blooded humans.
"As much as I don't like agreeing with you." Tōma shot Tengen a dirty look at that statement. "You are right, if we do work with the yokai knowledge will inevitably be shared." And not all humans would be able to use the magic, compared to the yokai who could learn Total Concentration Breathing, though it would take great effort. It wasn't an equal exchange in that regard, but the boost in numbers and combat ability would be welcome.
"As much as it hurts to say, I don't believe that the government would consider us much of a tactical asset as swordsmen, especially with all the guns they have been producing." Chief Tecchikawahara pointed out.
"The chief is correct. My son fought a demon ranked Lower Two who had a blood demon art that used guns, and he barely survived." Shinjurō agreed. "And with how difficult it is to learn Total Concentration, it wouldn't be worth the effort for use in wartime. Most of us would be shot if facing multiple combatants." The only one in the corps who had used a gun was the younger Shinazugawa, who couldn't use breathing techniques. Even then, he was able to keep up with and catch several Upper Moons off guard. Against a fully armed squad of soldiers with semi-auto weapons, a Demon Slayer would only be able to take down a handful before being gunned down.
"Then why would the military not just take care of the yokai themselves?" Nezuko queried. "They have guns, it would be easy wouldn't it?"
"That depends," Yushiro responded. "How durable are the yokai compared to demons, and what abilities do they possess? I also suppose that this is another reason for me to use the cure. I don't trust the government not to dissect me to try and make more 'controllable' demons. I won't allow Lady Tamayo's blessing to be used in such a way!" The demon declared.
"Oh, that's a good point. They totally would do that." Tengen agreed. "But I doubt they would use yokai in battle. I'm sure Japan isn't the only place in the world with supernatural creatures. If other countries were using them I'm sure we would know by now. At least publicly, of course."
"Is there any other option?" Zenitsu wondered.
Tengen shook his head. "Not really. As Mr. Urokodaki said, the government will catch on that we are active again, and we also don't have the facilities to accommodate the Yokai, if their population is indeed large. If we work without going to the government they will bring the hammer down on us. It's not ideal, but we don't have another choice. I don't like it any more than you do."
"I'll reach out to my government contacts to arrange a meeting." Kiriya decided. "Although, we will need a representative. As I'm still a child I doubt they will take me seriously. Mr. Uzui, you've essentially filled the role of leader for these meetings so far. It may be a lot to ask, but would you mind filling my role as leader of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Tengen was taken aback. "Are you sure? Your family has led us for centuries. It feels wrong to take your place."
"I'm sure. I hope this doesn't come across as me trying to offload all this responsibility on you. I simply believe that you are the most suited for the job. I still intend to assist you in any way that I can, in an advisory role." Kiriya admitted, looking to each of the other members of the meeting for approval. "Does anyone object to my decision?"
"Listen kid, no matter what you think of yourself, we'll always see you as the master. Just because you're a kid doesn't mean I don't respect you. You've more than earned it." Sanemi bluntly stated. "If that's what you wish, we won't question it. Master Kagaya made a good choice in choosing you to lead the Corps."
"I agree as well. Your father felt similar to you when he succeeded your grandfather." Sakonji added. "Part of leadership is the ability to delegate, or in this case, choose someone to lead in areas you feel inadequate in."
Tengen listened to each of them state their support for Kiriya's decision. "Alright, if that's what you want. I'll give the position back to you when you're older if you still want it. Leader of the Corps, huh… what a flashy title!" Tengen's face scowled a bit. "Though, we aren't exactly hunting demons anymore. We will need a new name…"
"How about Yokai Watch?" Zenitsu suggested eagerly.
"Denied. Not flashy enough." Tengen immediately shot down the blonde's idea. "We'll workshop it later. Now that we've decided, we can meet with the Yokai again."
=VI=
[February 5th, 1915, Tengen Uzui's Estate]
"You've come a long way since you left the family, big brother," Tōma said. "You've accomplished more than I ever would've."
"What, you jealous?" Tengen ribbed, pouring his brother a cup of saké.
"Not particularly, seeing as you will have mountains of paperwork I imagine. If Ubuyashiki's meeting next week goes well you'll be part of the government."
"Yeah, well, someone's gotta do it. At least I'll have people to help me. It's hard to write one-handed." Tengen downed his drink in a single gulp. "What are you going to do? I imagine you're going to go back into hiding again. Worried I'll send the army after you?"
"Pfft, they wouldn't be able to find me unless you had someone helping them." Tōma snorted, then took a more thoughtful expression. "I'm not sure what I'll do. After all this that I've seen shinobi work seems tame in comparison. Is this what you've had to deal with all these years? Fucking exhausting."
"More or less, we never got a chance to rest for long." Tengen mused.
"I feel a bit bad, looking down on you all those years. I thought you were a coward for running away from the life we lived." The younger Uzui downed the last of his drink. "But you've done more than I ever could as a shinobi." Tōma belched. "Tengen… seeing as how you are in charge of this organization now, is there a place for me there? I don't mean to be too presumptuous."
Tengen was taken aback. "Wait, you serious? I thought you wouldn't want any part of this based on how you were acting. What about the clan?"
"These last few weeks have given me perspective. The shinobi have been in decline for decades, and with technological advances we'll be irrelevant in a few more I reckon." Tōma surmised. "You know as well as I do that our skillsets don't translate to much else. I'm not like you, brother. I'll keep going until I'm dead."
"Pretty damn pessimistic way of looking at things Tōma." Tengen snarked. "You should want to live a long, flashy life."
"Do you really think people like us deserve it, me specifically, after all we've done? Our siblings, everyone else we were ordered to kill, why do we get to live after all that?" Tōma questioned.
"I'm honestly surprised you care."
"I've always cared, I just didn't have the luxury of showing it as clan heir. Do you think I wanted to kill our siblings?" Tōma snapped. "Father had high expectations and you failed to meet them. Do you think it was easy for me to be the object of his attention after you left? I did what was necessary to continue the clan. That doesn't mean that it was something I enjoyed." He replied dryly.
"Well, not like we got much of a chance to talk about it. I did leave pretty abruptly." Tengen shrugged, idly stirring his saké.
"I suppose not."
They sat silently for a moment.
"If you do want to keep helping us out, you're going to have to change how you do things. We don't treat people as disposable in the Corps, and whatever this ends up being will have the same rules." Tengen decided. "If you're serious about doing this, that is."
"I am." Tōma nodded.
=VI=
[Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2242]
Slugger yawned. Morning shifts were always the worst. He'd been up since about four A.M due to the storm, and the HPSC had put out a request to deal with the sudden uptick in crime and rescues.
As he walked through the dark streets the Baseball Hero noticed a prone form lying in a pile of garbage. It could just be a drunk, but as a hero he was obligated to investigate. He neared the man, a foreigner by the looks of it with curly cyan hair and a white blouse stained with freshly dried blood. There was a circular-shaped scar on his neck, which looked like it had healed itself unnaturally with pale blue scar tissue.
"Hey buddy, you okay?" He poked the unconscious man with his bat, not wanting to startle awake someone who looked like they were the victim of a mugging.
Slowly, the foreigner's eyes fluttered open. With a groan, he sat up, gently running his hands over his throat immediately after waking. "Che diavolo indossi?" The man glared up at him. "Sei un utente dello stand?"
Ok, Slugger was not great at foreign languages. It sounded vaguely European. French? No… Italian? "You uh, speak Japanese buddy?"
The man narrowed his eyes. "Japanese? Where am I?" He needed to know Japanese for when they dealt with Yakuza contracts.
"You're in Japan?" Slugger asked, confused on why he wouldn't know.
"Japan! Japan! The man screeched. "Why the hell am I in Japan!"
"Sir, you need to calm down-" The blue-haired man's body suddenly shifted into a full-white bodysuit and grabbed the pro hero by the throat. Within seconds his entire body had frozen solid.
"Why the fuck am I in Japan?!" Ghiaccio rasped.
=VI=
Tengen's family is never named in the Manga, so I made some names.
Uzui Tadashi - written as 忠 (Tada): "Loyalty" or "obedience," and 志 (Shi): "Will" or "ambition," (Tengen's dad)
Uzui Tōma - written as 冬 (Tō): "Winter," 馬 (Ma): "Horse,"
Their names are meant to draw how they are depicted as cold and detached, wanting to ensure the longevity of the Uzui family as shinobi.
I'm not going to pretend that Tengen is perfect, because he obviously isn't, I just like him as a character. Seeing as this is 1900's japan he's not going to have perfect views on gender equality but he is good to his wives comparatively to his father and brother… but he's also said in the databook for demon slayer that the female hashira had "good hips for giving birth" so…
On the Yokai side, Aka and Ao are the Oni mentioned in Itto's personal story in Genshin, adjusted to look more like the modern oni in Genshin Impact with colorful horns rather than skin.
Hakushin is just a minor kitsune character who has been barely mentioned in Genshin, so I gave her the name Yūko - written as 夕 (Yū): "Evening" or "dusk", 子 (Ko): "Child"
Tsukkotsu is a Tsuchigumo, which I'm interpereting as a giant tarantula yokai (you may remember one that Naomasa saw when he visited the Tenryou Commission domain in chapter 26, eating a human arm). Written as ツッコツ, which is supposed to sound like rapid clicks and tapping sounds for a more bug/arachnid-like name.
The reason the Yokai weren't around was because Muzan drove them all into hiding after feeding on them. This is partially the reason why some demons had traits associated with yokai, like the spider family's mutations or Nezuko's horn, but that could either be the absorbed yokai traits manifesting or just demonic mutation.
The demon slayer marks are also never really explained in canon, but seeing as how Yoriichi was the first one who manifested one during the "Golden Age" of demon slayers, it came about after Muzan had been around for a few centuries. I'm just explaining it as slayers who had slight immunity to Muzan's blood who were exposed to demon blood during their battles, and instead of dying or becoming demons, they gained a mark if they met the conditions. Since its still a demonic curse it does kill them though. Yoriichi was just built differently and was able to survive it. It's essentially like a corrupted buff in a video game -50% hp 150 dmg (these numbers are just example). The yokai are going to cure Sanemi and Giyu but they wont' be able to access that power anymore after the demonic curse is cleansed, but they won't die.
As for the Demon Slayers, for those who don't watch/read it:
Tanjiro: Deformed left arm, injured right eye as a result of cleansing of Muzan's blood
Tengen: Missing left arm and eye, lost in Entertainment District
Sanemi - Missing pointer and middle finger on the right hand, lost during fight with Kokushibo
Giyu- Missing right arm, lost it fighting Muzan
Zenitsu - injured legs, hurts for him to walk (I am lessening his injuries compared to manga so he can still fight)
Kanao - half-blinded in one/both eyes, injured fighting Doma and Muzan
Rengoku and Urokodaki are retired Hashira, with the latter's health starting to decline due to old age and the burden of Muzan's death making it easier for him to relax.
So pretty much the only ones who can fight are Zenitsu, Sanemi, and Shinjurō at mostly full capacity, Tengen and Giyu at partial fighting strength (Tengen is still shown to be able to hold his own in Hashira Training Arc), and Tanjiro, Sakonji, Nezuko, Kanao being able to do the bare minimum. Their numbers are pretty low, which is why they are recruiting and getting Tengen's and his men to help. Plus Yushiro can only fight at night until he cures himself (I know that they never mentioned the cure being replicable, but I also don't think they would leave people like the guy from Asakusa or any other people that she saved by turning them like Yushiro( which is something I made up, not canon))
I wonder if ya'll can guess where I'm going with this flashback arc plotline. Honestly, this could be the premise to it's own fic.
Also, Slugger's two sentence blurb about his death in Ch. 4 was actually important all aloooooooooooooooong.