Chapter 2

"WHHHAAAATTT! THE FLAME HASHIRA IS A DEMON! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN! WHY DID IT HAPPEN! WHAT IF HE KILLS US ALL!"

"For the last time Zenitsu, Rengoku is not going to kill us." Tanjiro said to Zenitsu over his shoulder.

"You don't know that!" Zenitsu yelled at him.

Tanjiro sighed. They have been walking for three nights in a row. Rengoku was leading the way in the front, Tanjiro is behind him, Zenitsu in the middle, and in last is Inosuke.

A short silence passes and then Zenitsu spoke up. "Tanjiro, can we rest? I'm exhausted."

Tanjiro stopped in his tracks, and he turned around to see Zenitsu about to fall asleep and Inosuke who is always full of energy, was starting to get tired as well. Tanjiro smiled and he turned back to Rengoku.

"Rengoku." Tanjiro started. Kyojuro stopped and turned to look at him. "Can we rest here?"

Rengoku looked from Tanjiro and then to Zenitsu and Inosuke. Understanding their situation, he nodded.

Tanjiro walked over to a tree. He took off Nezuko's box from his shoulders and placed it beside him. Zenitsu and Inosuke sat next to a tree near Tanjiro. They were soon fast asleep. Tanjiro smiled at them, and he saw Rengoku join him.

"This area is clear of demons. We should be safe here." Kyojuro told him.

"Mr. Rengoku." Tanjiro started. "If you don't mind me asking, is it hard being a demon?"

At this, Kyojuro's eyes and voice grew soft. "It's not that different from being human. As a human, you have limits to your body. As a demon, you have unlimited stamina and strength."

He turned to glance at Nezuko's box. "I can understand why you want your sister back as a human. A demon's power is too strong for the human body." Kyojuro added.

Tanjiro looked at Nezuko's box, thinking of all the things she had to go through. Will Rengoku go through all those as well?

"Rengoku, would you really hurt another human?" Tanjiro asked him.

"Of course, I wouldn't." Kyojuro replied, a slight bitter tone in his voice. "But if it ever comes to that, I would like you to not hesitate and do what needs to be done."

Tanjiro's eyes widened at Rengoku's response. He looked away, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Don't fret over it, young Kamado." Kyojuro said. "I'm sure it won't come to that." He smiled at him.

Tanjiro managed to smile back.

"Get some rest. We should be at the Headquarters before daybreak." Rengoku told him.

"Alright." Tanjiro said. He laid down and let sleep come to him.

Near Daybreak

The day finally came when they arrived to the Headquarters. All the Hashira were there, waiting for their arrival.

"I'm glad you all returned safe and sound. I hope the mission wasn't too difficult." Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira, said to them with her usual smile.

"It was a little difficult but we made it all in one piece." Tanjiro said.

Then Shinobu dropped her smile when she looked at Kyojuro. "Rengoku, you look a little different. Did something happen?"

Tanjiro looked at Kyojuro in slight surprise. Now that she's mentioned it, Rengoku does look a little different. Everything looks the same but his eyes. His eyes were different. The white pupil in his eyes were no longer white and round. It was black and slitted into a thin line, like a cat's eye. And his eyes seem to slightly glow in the dark as well.

"Yes. I must speak with the Master." Kyojuro replied.

Then the Hashira parted ways to have Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the Master of the Demon Slayer Corp, walk through, his young children helping him lead. He stopped in front of Kyojuro.

"Kyojuro, I sense something has changed within you. Could you tell me what has happened?" Ubuyashiki asked.

"Yes. I was turned into a demon in the heat of battle." Rengoku said.

All the Hashira gasped and looked at Rengoku in shock.

"Turned into a demon! That's impossible!" Uzui cried out.

"Master, this has never happened before! Shouldn't we do something about it!" Shinazugawa said.

Ubuyashiki turned to the voices of Sanemi and Tengen. "My children, we will discuss this indoors." He turned back to Rengoku.

"Forgive me, Kyojuro but this meeting is one you will not hear."

Rengoku bowed his head. "I understand."

Later In The Evening

"Master, we have never had one of our own turned into a demon! What if he attacks us!" Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, said.

"Even if he did attack us, we would have no other choice but to kill him." Shinobu Kocho replied.

"What! We wouldn't kill our own, would we?" Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, replied in a shocking tone.

"By the way Rengoku told us his story, it seems like he didn't know he was a demon until after the battle." Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, said.

"Still, a demon is a demon. They're all the same." Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira, replied with no hint of emotion.

"Not quite Giyu." Ubuyashiki replied after hearing the Hashira speak their thoughts. "Tanjiro's younger sister, Nezuko, is a demon and she has proved to us that she will not hurt a human."

"So, you're saying that Rengoku could be the same way." Kocho responded.

"Yes. We will test him just like we tested Nezuko. Sanemi, I will put you in charge of that." Ubuyashiki told him.

Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira, bowed. "Yes, Master."