She Who Moves Like A Zombie

Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of The Heart Of The Asura! This week we'll be introduced to the odd Shigaraki twins and some of their own little quirks! And for those who haven't heard, Pat reon has recently introduced a new feature which allows you to see posts for a small fee of $3 dollars without needing to be a member. So if you can't do the whole monthly payment or are only curious about certain posts, you can go with this option which I've started using within the last couple of weeks, meaning everyone can be up to date! Now then that should be all the announcements and with no guest review questions this week, on to the story!

Daytime: The Butterfly Estate

"What style," Tanjiro repeated while tilting his head, "I'm afraid I don't know the official name for it. But my family calls it Hinokami Kagura."

"Hinokami Kagura," the one who spoke before repeated, revealing herself to be a girl, "Hinokami Kagura."

"Hey," Kagabara pointed a finger at the strangers, "have some manners and step into the light. We can't very well have a proper conversation if you're squatting in the bushes like that."

"Very well," the other one spoke, revealing himself to be a boy as the duo emerged from the foliage. Tanjiro again felt his hair stand on end as he got a good look at them, or at least the girl.

The two of them shared some slight similarities and both had Demon Slayer uniforms on. The boy had blonde curry hair with some pink in it along with blue eyes. He also looked to be about five feet, five inches tall. The girl, however, was frightening.

She stood give or take six feet tall with a disheveled ponytail that was a sickly green color that matched her dull green eyes and only served to accentuate her pale skin. "I am Fumigawa Shigaraki," the boy introduced with a bow, "and this is my sister."

"Zomagura Shigaraki," she more groaned than spoke before bowing in an odd manner with her arms dangling loosely before standing up straight again.

"It's, uh, nice to meet you both," the boy slayer bowed politely, "my name is Tanjiro Kamado, a demon slayer like the both of you." Ordinarily he wouldn't be so wary but the scent he was picking up from the girl was, a little hostile.

"What brings you to the Butterfly Estate at this time of day," Kagabara asked with her arms crossed "Oh, and the name's Kagabara if you must know."

"About the same reason as you, I imagine," Fumigawa pulled up his uniform to reveal a bandaged wound, "I just want to make sure this isn't about to get infected or anything."

"You worry too much, brother," Zomagura grunted as she walked, or rather shambled, forward a few steps, "but getting back on topic. That style of yours, I'd like to test it out."

"What do you mean by 'test it out'," Tanjiro tilted his head in slight confusion.

"You're well enough to spar, right," the odd girl asked, "I want to spar with you."

"Why," Kagabara asked with her eyes slightly narrowed, "in case you haven't noticed he's still recovering. I don't know what you hope to accomplish by challenging him now."

"I want to experience fighting that style for myself," the girl slayer again more groaned than spoke, "I think it'll make me more lively."

"If you're really that insistent, then maybe we can have a point match," the boy swordsman suggested.

"How many points did you have in mind," Fumigawa inquired, genuinely curious.

"Would, uh, three be okay," Tanjiro offered.

"Five," Zomagura barked.

"Four," Kagabara countered.

"Very well, a four-point spare," the pale girl agreed, "do you find that reasonable, Kamado?"

"That should be alright," he nodded. 'At least I hope that's alright.' He truthfully didn't know what this strange girl was capable of but her size and insistence on sparring told him it would be unwise to underestimate her. So, with the matter settled the four of them proceeded into the mansion's dojo where Tanjiro normally did his Rehabilitation Training.

As one might expect, there were bokken, the traditional wooden training swords hanging on one of the walls. The two slayers put their actual blades to the side and proceeded out to the middle of the floor while everyone else also stood off to the side. "Alright," Kagabara spoke up, "since we don't know you guys I'll be the one calling out the score. A point will be awarded for each blow landed and that includes hits to the arms and legs. The match will be over when one person reaches four points but under no circumstances are you to strike hard enough to cause serious injury or I and the staff of this mansion will deal with you, harshly."

"Understood," Zomagura shifted her head lazily, "just give the word for us to begin."

"Tanjiro, are you ready," the Yandere Breather asked.

"Yes," he assured with a nod and a determined expression.

"Then bow," Kagabara held her hand up as both slayers bowed to each other before assuming their stances. Tanjiro took a basic stance with his sword held up by the right side of his head. His opponent, however, raised her bokken, one-handed, above her head and held it horizontally. "Begin."

The chopping motion and her word signaled the beginning of the bout as both fighters rushed at each other. Or in Zomagura's case, flailed towards him before suddenly moving to his left side. Tanjiro planted his foot and changed direction, going in with one of his standard attacks. 'Breath of Water Fourth Form,' he thought, 'Striking Tide!'

He moved in with the intention of hitting low, but that's when his opponent made her move. "Breath of the Zombie Fifth Form," she groaned before limply swinging her right arm in a windmill-like pattern, "Rotting Limb!" Tanjiro was able to intercept the blow, but his rush was broken by the surprising power behind the attack. "Breath of the Zombie Third Form: Lethal Lunge!"

In an odd maneuver, Zomagura grabbed the back of the blade with her other hand and began trying to hit Tanjiro with the middle of the weapon, a move closer to a staff than a sword. The boy swordsman blocked each attack but was pushed back by the surprising strength of it and also had a slightly hard time reading her movements due to the way her body jerked and swayed. Fortunately, Tanjiro was able to create some distance between them by leaping back and going in with another attack. "Breath of Water Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust Curve!"

He jabbed forward with all of his might, the form's speed catching his opponent by surprise as she just managed to block the blow with the center of her blade. Still, it was enough to knock her back and Tanjiro capitalized on the opening. "Breath of Water Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"

"Breath of the Zombie Fourth Form: Turning Grave!" In a maneuver Tanjiro didn't think a human body could do, Zomagura spun while still leaning back, bringing her arm around and striking him in the side before he could bring his own blade down. This caused the demon slayer to stumble as he landed and fell to the floor. His opponent attempted to capitalize on this situation but the boy slayer spun on the ground while unleashing another form.

"Breath Of Water Second Form: Lateral Water Wheel!" He declared while bringing his weapon around and sweeping Zomagura's legs out from under her feet. She landed on the floor and the two of them rolled back up to fighting positions a few feet away from each other.

"That's a point for each of you," Kagabara announced, "three more to win." Tanjiro took a steadying breath, finding himself a little winded after the initial exertion. 'I've been practicing Total Concentration Constant since this morning,' he remembered, 'I think it might be catching up to me now and I'm still not completely healed.'

"What is this," his opponent tilted her head far to the side, "you've only been using the Breath of Water. I challenged you to this bout so that I could see Hinokami Kagura."

"I'm sorry to say," Tanjiro apologized after finally catching his breath, "it's very taxing, I don't know if I can-."

"No excuses!" She yelled before rushing forward with a new attack. "Breath of the Zombie Sixth Form: Super Shamble!" Her foot work became erratic jerking then as her arms flailed all over the place. Yet somehow she was able to keep hold of her blade and strike with incredible speed and accuracy.

Even stranger, Zomagura would occasionally switch hands in between attacks, making it more unpredictable. 'How is she able to keep balanced while moving like this,' the boy swordsman couldn't help but wonder as he blocked and parried her blows. When he finally saw an opening he attacked, only for the tall girl to twist out of the way and strike him in the back. Tanjiro nearly stumbled from the blow but turned and planted his feet to keep from falling over.

By then, however, Zomagura had struck again and Tanjiro couldn't bring his guard up quick enough to stop her thrust from hitting him in the left shoulder. He grunted in pain from the strike as his opponent retreated and readied her next attack. "Show me that style now!" The female slayer demanded while bringing a vertical strike down towards his head.

Time seemed to slow then as Tanjiro used Total Concentration Breathing. 'Hinokami Kagura,' he thought just before the bokken impacted with his head. Zomagura stumbled then as her weapon passed 'through' her opponent. "What, a mira-GAH!" She was struck in the back and stumbled forward slightly as Tanjiro stood behind her.

"Parhelion Rainbow!" He revealed the name of the technique. Naturally the tall swordswoman wouldn't take this lying down and swung around once more. "Turning Grave!" as before she aimed at Tanjiro's side, but this time he leapt up and twisted in the air.

"Hinokami Kagura," he struck her in the shoulder before she could get her guard up, "Fire Wheel!" Zomagura grunted in pain from the attack, this time able to note the flames of the form. 'That is definitely not the Breath of Flame,' she was able to confirm as they separated.

"Next point wins," Kagabara announced as they resumed their stances.

"Hinokami Kagura," Tanjiro rushed forward with his weapon at the ready.

"Breath of the Zombie," she declared while swaying forward in her own unique way. But just as they were about to meet, the elder Kamado sibling suddenly collapsed to one knee. Zomagura had just enough time to lighten her blow before it knocked him in the head.

"Gah!" But it still struck with enough force to hurt as Tanjiro was now on all fours.

"Stop!" Kagabara was in front of him in the blink of an eye with her own bokken pointed at the Zombie Breather, "this bout is over. You've won so step back now or we're going to have a problem." Zomagura looked like she wanted to argue for a moment but a manic look in the Yandere Breather's eyes was enough to make her reconsider and back off. "Are you okay, Tanjiro?"

"I think so," he coughed, "I've only just started working on this breathing form so I don't know all of the pitfalls yet." Thankfully he was able to stand and Kagabara pulled him to his feet.

"Are you satisfied, sister," Fumigawa, who'd been silent up to this point, inquired.

"I am," she responded in her usual grunting and groaning tone, "it is a style like nothing I've ever seen. Tanjiro Kamado, you said this style was passed down through your family?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you much more about it than I already have," he admitted, "the way it was passed down in my family was as a dance and a ritual to the fire deity. I only recently realized it could be used as a breathing form."

"Was your father, by chance, a slayer," the brother questioned curiously.

"No," the boy swordsman shook his head, "or at least if he was he never told me. For as far back as I can remember he suffered from a frail body. It used to amaze me how he was able to dance until sunrise and I only now figured out that he did that by using Total Concentration Breathing or something similar to it."

"Fascinating," Zomagura put a hand to her chin, "I take it we would be unable to question your family now?"

"I'm afraid so," Tanjiro confirmed, "one of the reasons I joined the Demon Slayer Corps was because they were killed by a demon."

"An all too familiar story," Fumigawa bowed, "allow us to apologize for bringing up such a subject. And my sister also apologizes for the suddenness of her challenge, isn't that right?"

"Yes," the tall girl bowed her head low to the ground, "I allowed my desire to see your style cloud my judgement and did not exercise proper restraint."

"It's okay," Tanjiro started to say before being interrupted.

"What do you mean okay, no it's not okay," Kagabara put her hands on her hips, "you picked a fight with someone who's still recovering, what did you think was going to happen?"

"Kagabara, they said they were sorry," he pointed out.

"And what, sorry would've fixed it if your injuries were made worse because of these two," she barked while pointing at the siblings, "you should at least demand they bring you some food or something for the trouble!" The sound of clapping hands stopped any further conversation as they looked towards the dojo entrance.

"I have a better idea," Aoi put her hands on her hips, "why don't all of you with injuries stop standing around and get in here already? Do you want to catch an infection because you stood around talking and letting your wounds fester?!"

"Our apologies," Fumigawa sweat dropped, "sister, I believe it's time we do what we came here to do."

"Yes," Zomagura agreed, "let's get that wound of yours looked at."

"You should go too, Kagabara," Tanjiro encouraged, "that cut on your leg does look kind of nasty."

"Fine," she sighed, "but later we need to have a talk about you being too nice."

"I don't think that should be necessary," Tanjiro laughed weakly.

Nighttime: The Demon Girl's Shared Room

"What in the world is up with your luck," Susamaru asked while lying on her bed with her hands behind her head, "even when you're doing nothing but trying to get some training in you manage to attract weirdos."

"I wouldn't go that far," Tanjiro laughed lightly. He was currently sitting on the edge of the bed Susamaru was using. He'd told them he was fine sitting on the floor but the Temari Girl had insisted he sit on one of the beds to make it easier to talk with him. Given that Nezuko had already found a spot next to Gimiko on her bed, that just left Susamaru's bed for him to sit on. "Fumigawa seemed perfectly normal and Zomagura just has a little quirk or two."

"That little quirk is shambling around and moving like she's a wet noodle," Gimiko pointed out, "and I still don't think she gave you a straight answer as to why she was so eager to see Hinokami Kagura up close."

"Maybe not, but I think it all worked out alright," the boy slayer rubbed the back of his head.

"Well if I see her this evening I might not have anything nice to say," Susamaru warned, "your recovery was close to done and they nearly ruined the whole thing."

"You'll probably have to be nice even if you don't want to," Tanjiro pointed out, "you are supposed to be helping the girls with things around the mansion, after all, including the patients."

"Speaking of help, have those two bozos joined you in training yet," the Temari Demon asked, "I heard they quit a little while back after being beaten by Kanao in tag one too many times."

"No, they haven't come back to training yet," the slayer shook his head, "but I'll keep trying to convince them."

"Why don't you let me worry about that," Gimiko suggested as she hopped off her bed, "I think I'll be able to persuade them a little more effectively than you can."

"You're not going to threaten them, are you," Tanjiro asked in slight worry.

"Please," the spider girl brushed her left braid behind her shoulder, "a lady such as myself has more than threats to motivate a man. Just leave those two to me." She exited the room then, leaving a somewhat bewildered Kamado staring after her.

"Should I be worried about that," he turned to Susamaru.

"You may not have noticed because you've been exhausted at the end of the day for weeks now, but Zenitsu's basically her boy toy at this point," she revealed, "at the very least she'll be able to convince him with some promise of drinking tea or going on a date with him. As for Inosuke, no idea, maybe she'll say he has a small dick or something."

"I'm not sure how that would help," Tanjiro sweat-dropped.

"You never had your dick made fun of," the Temari Demon raised an eyebrow. He shook his head in the negative. "Boy you came from a really nice village, didn't ya. I've pissed off more than a couple guys over the years by making fun of their unmentionables but I'll bet it would all go over your head."

"Why were you making fun of that in the first place," he tilted his head in confusion.

"Trash-talking," Susamaru informed, "it's a thing people do when they're fighting or competing sometimes. A lot of the time it's done in good fun but on occasion it's done to piss off your enemies. I've heard smart people can trash talk their opponents into making all kinds of mistakes."

"Is it really that effective," Tanjiro was genuinely curious.

"Depends on how creative you get with it and who you're trash-talking," the Temari Demon shrugged, "like I said earlier a lot of my insults would probably fly over your head, douche nozzle."

"What's a douche nozzle," Tanjiro tilted his head.

"See, you got no idea," she giggled a little, "that's probably why I never made fun of you." Nezuko mumbled a few things that made her blush suddenly. "Shut up, I do not!" The demon girl simply pointed and laughed.

"Oh, you can understand her now," Tanjiro noted happily, "that's wonderful. What was it she said exactly, I missed it."

"Nothing," Susamaru crossed her arms and looked away in slight embarrassment. Nezuko took this moment to speak a little louder.

"Huh, what do you-," he was stopped from asking as the Temari Demon suddenly clapped her hands over his ears.

"Nope, nothing you need to hear," she declared, "just your sister saying gibberish!"

"You know she only speaks gibberish on occasion," Tanjiro pointed out as he tried to pry her hands off his ears.

"Gibberish, nothing but gibberish, la, la, la, la, la, we're not listening over here!" Susamaru stated rather loudly while keeping her hands over his ears.

"Ow, you're squeezing my head, Susamaru," he groaned. All the while Nezuko giggled at the scene before her.

The Next Day

'I still don't know what that was about,' Tanjiro mused while examining his reflection in a small mirror. Aoi had noticed the large handprints on his head earlier and he'd had to explain the whole of the events that had transpired last night. For whatever reason the medical girl just shook her head and made a remark about crushes or something along those lines before giving him the hand mirror. 'Well, they should fade soon enough. Right now I need to get back to training.'

With that thought in mind he slapped the sides of his face to help wake himself up, instantly regretting it as the handprints still stung a bit before heading for the door. But before he could make it too far, the door on the other side of the room slid open. "You're starting already!" Zenitsu declared loudly, "why didn't you wake us up?!"

"Oh, sorry," Tanjiro apologized, "I was just getting some training on Total Concentration Constant in first. Rehabilitation Training isn't until later this morning."

"We're here to learn that Constant thing!" Inosuke declared with his fists in the air. His throat had basically healed now so he was starting to make declarations at his original loud volume. "So no more getting up early without us!"

"Really, that's great," the boy swordsman smiled, "I guess Gimiko was able to convince you two after all." This got two very different reactions. Zenitsu got a dreamy, lovesick look on his face while a tick mark appeared on Inosuke's head.

"Gimiko," the blond giggled, no doubt fantasizing about some romantic endeavor with her. "She's so wonderful. She and Shinobu both came to encourage me last night."

"I DO NOT HAVE A SMALL DICK!" The Boar Fighter declared with his fists in the air. 'Wow, she really did say that to him,' Tanjiro blinked owlishly. But whatever the case, his friends had finally been convinced to join him in his training. And they were going to need it as their next challenge would soon be upon them.

Sometimes all it takes is the right person, the right set of words, or the right set of insults to motivate someone. Gimiko had all three it seems and now the other two slayers are finally motivated! But will it be in time for their next challenge, I wonder? Let me know what you think in your comments and reviews along with what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters! And stop by my Pat reon and check out the new feature for buying my posts. Last thing, stop in next time as our heroes are given their first mission since hospitalization! 'Til then.