"Heh. I guess with our families, having two Demon Doctors on our side isn't that hard to believe. I can't believe a cure is really being made though. Do you think I could help you collect blood samples Tanjiro? I want to make Teiko human again as soon as possible. She's been like this long enough" Genya said, glancing over at where his little Sister was playing tag with the other Demon children. "I'm not sure. I guess I could write to Miss Tamayo and ask her. But I'd be happy to share the cure either way" Tanjiro replied with a smile. Genya looked over at the other Demons.
Kie was watching over the children with a serine smile, while Hanako, Nezuko and Shigeru played with Teiko, squealing and laughing happily. Rokuta was playing with Tanjiro's long hair, giggling as it tickled his nose and cheeks. Takeo was still sleeping in his box, annoyed by all the noise. "Thank you Tanjiro. I'd be so grateful for that. Maybe, if I can turn Teiko back into a human again, our big Brother will accept us again and I can apologise for what I said to him that day" Genya muttered. Tanjiro frowned when he smelled the regret emanating off of the other teen.
Trying to think of something to distract his new friend with, Tanjiro spoke up, "Hey! Do you want to train with me? I'd be happy to" he asked. However, this didn't have the desired effect. "I-I can't use Breathing Techniques. I don't know why. My body just can't do them, no matter how much I train" Genya replied, clenching his fists. The Hashira tilted his head curiously, "but you're a Demon Slayer. And I can tell you've killed Demon's. I can smell them on you" Tanjiro replied. The other teen suddenly stiffened, "wait, what?" he yelped. "Although it's a little strange, and I really can't smell it around here as much, because of the Hot Spring. Though I guess that's probably from little Teiko here, right?" Tanjiro asked, smiling at the little Demon girl.
"Heh?" Teiko asked, tilting her head at him. "I-I-" Genya stuttered, unable to speak due to his nerves. He clenched his fists, visibly debating with himself. Teiko suddenly hugged him, her purple-streaked hair falling back as she looked up at him worriedly. Genya smiled apologetically, "sorry Teiko. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm fine" he said, hugging his little Sister back. "You don't have to tell me anything Genya. I won't push. But I hope we can become friends one day, if only for our younger Siblings sake." Tanjiro said with a warm smile. The mowhawk-haired teen watched his little Sister move away to play with Tanjiro's Siblings and smiled, "yeah, maybe we can be. I've never had friends before," Genya replied, "it's always just been my family" he said shyly.
"Me too until recently. Since we lived on a mountain and the nearest town was at it's foot, my Siblings and I didn't have much of a chance to make friends and play with other kids, not to mention how much the weather made it impossible for the younger kids to go down the mountain with me" Tanjiro replied. Genya looked like he wanted to say something, but chose not to. Instead he looked at the Demon children, running around in the cramped space and looked back at Tanjiro with a smile, "do you want to go outside?" he asked.
ĐŚ·ĂÙ
The young Demons laughed excitedly as they chased each other in a game of Tag. Even Takeo had been drawn into it. After a moment of quiet, Tanjiro spoke up: "does your Brother think all Demons are monsters because of what happened with your Mom?" he asked softly. Genya let out a deep breath, "probably. Our Mother was always so kind and loving. Our Father was a piece of shit who would always beat us, but Mom protected us from his attacks with her tiny body. She always did. So for her to attack and kill most of our Siblings, 'Nemi probably thinks all Demon's change completely after being turned and can't possibly still be the people we loved" Genya explained.
Tanjiro frowned, "I'm so sorry that your Father was like that Genya. I could never imagine anything like that happening. Both of our parents were always loving and kind, and neither of them would ever hurt us or each other. And I'm sorry about everything else you went through too. I hope once everything is over, you and your Siblings can be happy together again" Tanjiro said. "So do I. I hope we can start a new life somewhere together and live peacefully. That's all I want. I could never give that to my other Siblings. At least for Teiko, I want to have that" Genya sighed. Tanjiro glanced at him curiously after a moment of silence. He tried to hold back the question, but he was too curious.
"Genya, if you can't use Breathing Styles, how do you fight?" he asked. "Ah! Well, it's, kind of hard to explain" the other teen replied, scratching his scar. "Well, you don't have to tell me if you're uncomfortable about it," then he paused, as a memory struck him, "hey, when you took Final Selection, were you chased by a massive Demon with multiple arms?" Tanjiro asked. "Yeah, I was. A guy in blue saved me- wait, was that you?! Did you kill that monster all by yourself Tanjiro?!" Genya cried incredulously. "Yeah. I did. I'm glad you ended up making it through Genya" the Kamado said with a bright smile. "Yeah, me too. If I hadn't, Teiko would have been found by a Demon Slayer eventually and killed.
Not to mention that she might have resorted to eating humans. I'm grateful Tanjiro. Thank you for making sure I could get back to my little Sister" Genya replied with a small smile of his own. Soon after that they all went to bed.
ĐŚ·ĂÙ
The next day, Tanjiro and Mitsuri, who had also come to the Village and had barrelled into him as soon as she saw him that morning, ate Breakfast together. "You know, there's a secret weapon here in the Village. If you train with it, it will make you stronger!" the Love Hashira explained. "Wow! Have you trained with it Mitsuri?" Tanjiro asked. "I tried, but it doesn't fit my fighting style, so I had to stop. But it might help you get stronger Tamjiro" Mitsuri replied.
"Alright! Then I'll take a look later on! My wrist is healed now, and I need to get as strong as possible as fast as I can," Tanjiro decided firmly. "Thank you for the information!" he said gratefully as he began to eat again. Tanjiro thought about telling Mitsuri about Genya and Teiko, but eventually decided against it for the moment,
ĐŚ·ĂÙ
After Breakfast, Tanjiro told his Mother where he was going, and asked his Siblings if any of them wanted to come with him. Hanako and Shigeru decided to go with him, so Tanjiro made sure his little Brother was safely in his box and held his youngest Sister's hand as they left the building. "So, what do you think this secret training thing is? Maybe a special Sword?" Tanjiro suggested. "Hmm" Hanako hummed. As they walked through the forest with the sunlight shining overhead, Tanjiro sniffed the air. He rubbed his nose, "the smell of the Hot Spring is still really strong all the way up here near the mountain.
It's messing up my sense of smell and irritating my nose" Tanjiro muttered, sniffling. His baby Sister looked up at him with a slightly worried look on her face, (though mostly still blank) and pat his hand to comfort him. "I'm not giving it to you, so back off!" a young voice yelled. Tanjiro and Hanako hurried though the trees in the direction of the voice. They found the Mist Hashira standing in front of a young Swordsmith. "So what if it breaks. You're wasting my time," he held out his hand, "give it here" the teen said. "No! you've already used it too much! If you do anymore you're gonna break it!" the boy yelled again.
"I don't have time for this" the black and teal-haired teen replied, chopping the younger boy on the neck and causing him to fall to the ground. "Ah!" Tanjiro yelped, running out of the trees, as the other Hashira picked the Swordsmith boy up by the collar of his shirt, "what do you think you're doing?! Let him go!" he demanded, grabbing the other Hashira's wrist. "Who are you?" the teen asked. then his blank blue eyes wandered over to Hanako and they widened.
Tanjiro felt the shift in the air. The other Hashira tensed, Hanako's veins bulged and she crouched defensively with a growl. The boy was released, and the Mist Hashira vanished. Tanjiro sucked in a frantic breath, and grabbed his baby Sister out of the way of the blade aimed for her neck just in time. Holding Hanako in his arms, Tanjiro stared in shock and anger at what had just happened when he stopped moving a distance away. "What is wrong with you?!" Tanjiro yelled furiously, "this is my little Sister Hanako, and she and the rest of my family have been pardoned! Don't you remember that?!" he demanded to know, as Hanako clutched tightly to his Uniform, growling slightly in warning.
"Oh, I see. Alright then" the other Hashira replied in a monotone, sheathing his Sword. He stood there for a moment in silence, "what was I doing?" he asked softly. Then he turned and walked away, "oh well, it probably doesn't matter" he muttered. The three watched him go in confusion, before they relaxed. Tanjiro stroked Hanako's hair, who was still tense, "It's okay, you're safe now Hanako." He said softly to her. His Demon baby Sister slowly relaxed, her Demonic features diminishing. "What the heck just happened?!" the Swordsmith boy cried. "Ah, that's kind of a long story. Are you hurt at all?" Tanjiro asked him.
"No. Thank you for standing up for me. Why did that guy attack your little Sister?" the boy asked. "Eh, it's a long story" Tanjiro replied awkwardly. "Anyway, what did that Hashira want with you?" Tanjiro asked. "He wanted the key to this mechanical doll" the boy replied, looking at a box with the Kanji for 'Yoriichi Type Zero' written on it. "Mechanical Doll Yoriichi Type Zero. It's a special doll that can perform more than 108 different moves. It's used for training Demon Slayers. That Hashira had been training with the doll. But, he's already used it so much. It's gonna break if he keeps this up!" the boy explained.
"I see. If it's that damaged already, he shouldn't keep using it" Tanjiro agreed. "My name is Tanjiro Kamado. This is my little Sister Hanako" he introduced them. The young Demon girl smiled and waved at him. "She's not human" the boy said, noticing the younger girl's fangs and claws. Tanjiro looked at Hanako sadly. "my family were turned into Demons. But they've never hurt me or anyone else. They still have their humanity, despite not being human anymore. I'm going to turn them all back into humans. No matter what, or how long it takes" Tanjiro said.
The masked boy looked at the younger Demon girl, "I've never met Demon's that were good before. Hell, I've never met Demon's period" he said in interest. He looked up at him, "I'm Kotetsu" the boy said. Tanjiro looked up at the doll, "so is this the secret weapon here?" he asked. "Yeah. It's been in my family since the Sengoku Era" Kotetsu replied. "Wow! It's been here for ages then!" Tanjiro replied in amazement. "Anyway, if you think it's too damaged, then I won't use the doll either. I hope you have a good day Kotetsu" Tanjiro said, standing up and taking Hanako's hand.
"Well, I guess you could use it, if you're not too rough. It is for training after all" the masked boy replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll be careful! I have to get stronger for my family's sake! So I'll do whatever it takes!" Tanjiro said in determination. "Alright! I'll help you Tanjiro! You have my permission to use the Yoriichi Type Zero for training!" Kotetsu said firmly. 'Wait, right now?!' Tanjiro thought in surprise.
ĐŚ·ĂÙ
The Yoriichi Type Zero slammed into Tanjiro with a wooden bat, knocking him to the ground. Hanako made a worried sound and ran over to him. "Come on Tanjiro! I thought you were a Hashira!" Kotetsu cried. "It's been hours, and you won't let me go back to the rest of my family! I can't just keep training! For one thing I need food and water to have energy Kotetsu!" Tanjiro replied. "You can have food and water once you land a hit on the doll! Come on! Up on your feet!" the boy demanded. He pulled on Tanjiro's Haori, trying to get him up.
ĐŚ·ĂÙ
It had been hours, and Tanjiro could feel his stomach growling at him. His limbs shook with weakness as he stood in front of the mechanical doll. Hanako watched him worriedly from where she sat next to Shigeru and Rokuta's box. Making up her mind she stood up and ran off. Tanjiro didn't even notice her leave, what with the Hot Spring blocking his sense of smell and his blurry vision. The doll attacked again, the young Hashira getting smacked in the neck by the wooden paddle.
'How much longer will this go on? I don't have any energy left!' Tanjiro thought, panting. 20 minutes later, the session was interrupted by a welcome voice: "Tanjiro!" he turned at the sound of his Mother calling his name worriedly, nearly getting slammed in the back of the head by the mechanical doll for the umpteenth time. But there was a flash of purple, and suddenly the doll was laid out on the ground. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Kotetsu shrieked, running up to them as he saw the doll knocked to the ground.
Kie ignored the other boy and checked over her Son, "are you alright?" she asked. "Yes Mom, just tired and hungry and thirsty" Tanjiro replied in exhaustion. She nodded, and picked him up in her arms like he was Rokuta's size. Tanjiro blushed and gripped onto her. "Hey! We haven't finished training!" Kotetsu cried, running up to them. Kie looked at the younger boy sternly, with a look only a Mother could give you, "yes, he is" she replied, then went and picked up the box with Shigeru and Rokuta in it, before taking them back to the building they were staying in. Tanjiro looked back at Kotetsu apologetically, "Mom said I can't train anymore today. I'll see you tomorrow after Breakfast Kotetsu!" he said with a wave.
Then Tanjiro saw Hanako waiting for them at the treeline, a worried look on her face, "you, okay?" she stuttered, a worried look on her face, "you, okay?" she stuttered. "Yes Hanako, I'll be fine, I just need some food and water. You brought Mom, didn't you? Thank you for wanting to help me" Tanjiro said with an exhausted smile. Tanjiro fell asleep before they reached their accommodations.
ĐŚ·ĂÙ
When he woke up again, a big dinner was waiting for him. He sat with Genya and ate. "I can't believe that kid tried to get you to train non-stop without food or water. He does know that can kill people, right?" the Shinazugawa asked. The Kamado Siblings and Teiko were drawing at the other side of the room. "I honestly don't know if Kotetsu even understands about human limitations. He wouldn't let me leave until Hanako brought Mom to come and get me" Tanjiro replied.
"Tan!" Shigeru called, standing at the door, "come play!" he said. Rokuta jumped up and down in excitement and Hanako nodded. "I just have to finish eating first, okay? Why don't you play together for a bit while I eat?" Tanjiro replied with a smile. The Demon children cheered, opening the sliding door and running outside. Teiko looked at her new friends longingly. "You can go play with them Teiko, I don't mind. Just stay where we can see you, okay?" Genya assured. Teiko smiled, her sharp fangs showing, before she turned and raced after the Demon Kamado's.
He watched them for a bit, then spoke up, "I'm glad she can play like this with other kids. Back when the rest of our family was alive, most of the time, we were too scared of that asshole to play. That or too busy helping Mom or looking after our youngest Brother Koto. I'm glad Teiko has some friend's now" Genya said. "You have friends too Genya!" Tanjiro said firmly. "Huh?" the other teen asked, turning to look at him. Tanjiro wore a serious look on his face, "my Siblings and I are your friends". The mohawked Demon Slayer stared at hm for a moment, then chuckled, scratching his cheek, "if our big Brother knew about all of this, he'd probably flip" he said with a smile.
Tanjiro suddenly frowned, "I have to be honest Genya. I don't like your Older Brother. He stabbed my family members during our trial" he said. "Wait, big Brother did what?! That doesn't sound anything like him! He was always kind and caring, even helping out other kids who were poorer off back home! Though it has been years since I last saw him. Just how much has 'Nemi changed?" Genya muttered sadly. Tanjiro looked down, "something like that can change people Genya. Especially something like that. I may not like your Older Brother, but I think he feels guilty.
He couldn't get there in time to stop your Mother, and a far as he knows, you're the only family member he has left, but since he couldn't save the rest of his family, he might think he can't protect you" Tanjiro said softly. "I know I feel bad enough about what happened to my family, and none of them died. I think you're doing great Genya" he said with a smile. Genya looked nervous for a moment, silently looking away. "Do you think- I could leave my little Sister with you when I go out? She get's upset when she can't be with me" he asked. "Of course! My Siblings would love to play with Teiko. Thank you Genya" Tanjiro replied happily.
"Thanks Tanjiro. Sorry again about 'Nemi hurting your family" the other teen replied, both looking over at Teiko happily playing with the Kamado Demon children. "It's okay. I'll make him accept us, and then apologise to my family for stabbing them!" Tanjiro replied, practically sparkling. Genya sweat-dropped. "What are you and Teiko going to do?" he asked. Genya sighed, "I don't know. We don't really have anywhere to go" the Shinazugawa replied. Tanjiro looked thoughtfully over at their Siblings, "well, I won't force you to do anything, but you are also welcome to stay with me and my family in my new Estate" Tanjiro suggested.
Genya looked over at the Hashira in surprise, "really? Are you sure?" he asked. "Of course. You're in a similar situation to me. And I can't just leave you and Teiko on your own" Tanjiro replied. The Shinazugawa blushed slightly, "I- thank you. I didn't think anyone would accept us as we are." He said gratefully. "I mean, it's not just Teiko. You know how I said that I can't use Breathing Techniques?" Genya asked. "Yes, I remember" the Kamado replied. "Well, uh- you see, the thing is-" suddenly the door opened, both boys gasping, and looking up in surprise.
The Mist Hashira, Muichiro looked down at them. Tanjiro and Genya watched him warily, but he ignored the Demon children in the room. "Have either of you seen the Swordsmith Kanamori? He's my new Swordsmilth" the younger teen asked blandly. "No, sorry. Do you need help looking for him? I don't mind going with you" Tanjiro suggested, standing up. Before Muichiro could reply, the sliding door leading to the outside slid open. An old man dressed in a red Kimono and with horns and a huge tumour-like lump on his forehead slowly crawled into the room.
'Something is wrong. That man isn't a human, right? Then, he must be-' Tanjiro thought. Before he could move, Nezuko grew into her full form, raced towards him and landed a powerful kick to the man's stomach. "A Demon!" Tanjiro called, grabbing his Sword and moving to decapitate him. "Don't!" Takeo cried in warning. The Older Brother paused in confusion. Had his little Brother noticed something about this Demon that he had missed? As he had paused, the Demon scrambled for the door. Muichiro rushed forwards and decapitated the Demon in a flash. "Hey! I said don't!" Takeo snapped, racing to attack the other Demon. He managed to knock the body out of the room, but the remaining head grew another body.
"Ha ha!" it's been a long time since I came out!" the new Demon laughed. The sound of electricity from outside and Takeo shrieking in pain reached Tanjiro's ears. "Takeo?!" Tanjiro cried. The other Demon who held a Bamboo Leaf Fan, raised it up, but his hand was suddenly gone. Tanjiro looked behind him to see Genya holding up a gun. Then he shot off the Demon's head. Nezuko then kicked him out of the house as well. Everyone hurried out of the building, seeing Takeo pierced through the chest with a new Demon's Shakujo, lightning electrocuting his little Brother.
"What is going on?!" Genya snarled, as the other Kamado's and Teiko prepared to fight. "Stop it!" Tanjiro yelled, furious at Takeo's torture. Hanako shot a seed at her Older Brother's back. As Takeo felt more energy fill him, his own flowers grew from his elbows and the back's of his legs. Then he sent a powerful kick at the shaft of the Shakujo, snapping it and freeing himself from it's electrocution. "Damn you brat!" the red Demon snarled angrily. Before any of them could do anything, Shigeru used his Bone Manipulation to raise a pillar of Earth with bones all throughout it. "GAH!" The red Demon cried, as he was pierced through by it.
"You think that's enough to defeat us?!" the Demon with the fan demanded to know, raising the fan. As he brought it down, a wav of force slammed down onto Tanjiro's body, smashing him into the ground. Before anyone knew what had happened, the enemy Demon was thrown backwards with force. Tanjiro turned to see Teiko with her hand held out. 'Did she do that? Is that Teiko's Blood Demon Art?' he wondered. "Come in Tanjiro! We have to make sure they don't get away from here! They'll go after the Villagers otherwise!" Genya called. Tanjiro shook himself back into focusing, "right! Let's protect everyone!" he agreed.