The enemy Demon snarled, banging his drum and shooting off attacks. Mitsuri sliced through the blast of lightning, dodging the leaf-shaped air attack that tried to flatten her. "She's incredible" Tanjiro muttered. Mitsuri cut apart several heads, before leaping to wrap her blade around the enemy Demon's neck. "Wait! That's not the main body! You can't kill the Demon by decapitating him!" Tanjiro cried. "What?!" the pink and green-haired young woman yelped, pulling back her Sword, as the Demon began charging up the sonic attack.
Hanako ran in and tackled her out of the way just in time. The two landed in the dirt. "Hanako!" Tanjiro called in worry, as the other Hashira sat up and pulled the young Demon girl up to kneel in front of her. "She's okay Tanjiro" Mitsuri replied, rubbing the little Demon girl's head gently, "thank you for saving me Hanako" she said with a grateful smile. "Tanjiro. If that's not the main body, where is it?" the Love Hashira asked. "He's sent it away, but I can smell it" the Sun God Hashira replied. Mitsuri got ready to attack again, "alright. You all go after it. I'll hold this Demon off" she said.
"But, we can't leave you to fight alone! Some of my family will stay here to help you" Tanjiro replied. "Don't worry. I can handle this" Mitsuri replied confidently. "Then we'll stay here instead. The Kamado family can go after the main body" Genya said, as Teiko nodded in agreement. "Alright then. Get going everyone!" Mitsuri said, as she and the Shinazugawa Siblings moved to continue fighting.
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Tanjiro and his family ran through the forest, "I can't smell it because of the Hot Springs! Can any of you sense the Demon?!" Tanjiro asked. "Yeah!" Shigeru called, and pointed forwards, "ahead!" he replied. "Alright. You guys go ahead, keep him from getting away!" Tanjiro ordered. His Siblings ran ahead, except Rokuta, who was on his Brother's back, and Kie, who stayed with her Son's. "We have to keep the main body from getting away! Or the Demon's will know how to find the Village. If that happens, the Corps will be finished!" Tanjiro said determinedly.
"Yes" his Mother agreed. Soon they caught up to the tree, to find the young Demons trying to claw their way through the branches, but it was thrashing around and slamming the children into the ground. "Guys! Hold on!" Tanjiro cried. Kie growled at it, grabbing hold of the tree with a grip stronger than iron. Her veins popped out from the effort of holding it still, but Kie showed no other signs of strain. It was times like this that reminded Tanjiro exactly how powerful his family was. The other Demon Kamado's stood up from the ground and Tanjiro headed to the other side of the branches and his Mother.
A terrified scream sounded from the ball as it shook, but Tanjiro knew better than to be fooled. His family surrounded the ball on all sides, ready for anything to happen. Thin, flexible branches shot out of the ball to attack them, but Nezuko burned them away with her Blood Demon Art. "I can't get the Demon while it's still inside! We have to try to get it out of this tree somehow!" Tanjiro called. Shigeru moved towards the ball, bones growing from his arms and hands. Soon they looked like large bone claws. The Demon boy stabbed them into the trees and pried them apart.
He growled down at Upper 4's main body, who shrieked in fear as he was revealed. Takeo reached down to grab the Demon, his Blood Demon Art meaning he was fast enough to keep it from getting away. "Great job Shigeru, Takeo!" Tanjiro praised. Nezuko grabbed his Sword and slid her palm down the blade, coating it in her blood. The blade burst into hot pink flames. "Thanks Nezuko" he said gratefully. However, before he could attack the tiny Demon, he growled, "how dare you bully the weak!" he yelled, as he grew huge, knocking Takeo to the ground. The huge Demon grabbed Takeo and Shigeru by the arms, but the Demon Brother's landed synchronized kicks to his chest, forcing him to release them. The new form looked at all of the Kamado's surrounding him. "I will make you all pay!" he promised furiously.
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Meanwhile, Mitsuri, Genya and Teiko were fighting the combined Demon. He grunted, Urumi's been formed. So they managed to corner Hantengu' he thought furiously. He glared at the Demon and Demon Slayers who got in his way, 'I have to kill them quickly so I can give him more of my power'. He banged his drum, and spear shots rained down on them. Genya moved close to his little Sister, who held out her arms and used her Blood Demon Art to deflect the attacks, and Mitsuri flipped and dodged, and sliced the attacks apart with her whip Sword.
'I hope the other's are doing alright' Genya thought, shooting several wood dragons with his gun.
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The Kamado family surrounded the new Demon, and Tanjiro gripped his Sword tightly, 'we have to be careful. We don't know what this form's Blood Demon Art is' he thought. Tanjiro noticed that the heat of Nezuko's flames had turned his black Sword bright red. His forehead burned, and the heat spread across his face and through his body. The large Demon growled at them. Takeo was the first to attack, speeding forwards to land several hits. "You damn brats!" the large Demon snarled, moving to knock thee grey-haired Demon boy away.
But he found himself wrapped up with vines suddenly, seeing Shigeru had grown them from the ground to immobilize him. Nezuko raced forwards and kicked him through a tree. Tanjiro ran forwards, energy surging through him, flaming Sword aiming for the Demon's neck. But he used Urogi's Sonic attack again. Tanjiro fell to the ground, clutching his ear with one hand. Nezuko pinned the Demon to the ground through his back with her leg. "Fuck! Just die already damn it!" 'Zohakuten is using too much of my power!' he thought. He blasted off a wave of wind that forced Tanjiro to close his eyes.
But he recovered quickly and moved forwards. He sucked in a deep breath, 'Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue Sky!' with his flaming Sword, Tanjiro sliced the large Demon's head off in one attack. The body collapsed, and began to disintegrate. But Tanjiro saw the main body force it's way out of the chest and it began to run away again. Tanjiro felt fury boiling inside him, "you coward! How dare you just run after everything you've done?!" he screamed. The tiny Demon stumbled, and Tanjiro began chasing it again. His family followed quickly.
As they ran, Tanjiro glanced at the sky, 'we have to finish this quickly. Dawn is coming and I don't have the box for Shigeru and Rokuta!' he thought. But the main body still seemed to have so much energy left, as it raced ahead. But Tanjiro had energy to spare, and his family wouldn't exhaust themselves anytime soon. They ran for what seemed like ages, before reaching a cliff edge. The Demon leapt down without hesitation, his family following. But Tanjiro faltered at the edge. 'Damn it! I don't have time to waste climbing down this! The Upper Rank will get away!' he thought.
His Mother grabbed hold of him, to Tanjiro's surprise. She carried him bridal style, and leapt off the cliff. Tanjiro lined up his Sword and threw it like a spear at the fleeing Demon's back. He shrieked as it pierced his back, just missing his heart. "You're not getting away! We'll chase you to the ends of Hell! I will cut your head off!" Tanjiro screamed. As Kie landed in the grass, a voice called out to him: "Tanjiro! Take this!" His Mother set him on the ground just as another Sword pierced the ground right in front of them. Tanjiro gasped, as he turned to see who had thrown it. His eyes widened as he saw the Mist Hashira at the top of the cliff, "Tanjiro! Use it!" he called. A man grabbed Muichiro by the neck just then, "don't you dare! I haven't finished with it yet!" he yelled furiously.
A scream caught Tanjiro's attention, seeing Upper 4 now running after some Swordsmiths. His Siblings were chasing him, but he would reach the humans before they reached him. The Kamado Hashira grabbed the Sword handle and pulled it out of the grass. Then he took a deep breath, feeling power flowing through his body. It burned with it. Then Tanjiro shot forwards. His vision tunneled at the speed he was going, but he managed to catch up to the Demon and slice it's head off. The 15-year-old panted as he stumbled, his younger Siblings catching him as he swayed.
The Demon's body stumbled off, and Tanjiro turned to leave, knowing that it should disintegrate in a few moments. He took a few steps away, but he heard footsteps in the grass behind him, and turned in horror to see the headless body beginning to run again. "What?" he asked softly, his horror drowned out by shock as his vision blurred more and more, and it almost seemed like he could see through the body- what was that?! He could see through the Demon's body. He could see it's bones, organs, and there, nestled inside its heart was the form of the main body of Upper 4.
Tanjiro' eyes widened in horror, as he saw Swordsmiths ahead of them in some bushes. "Crap! I messed up!" he cried, moving to keep running again. But at that moment, the sun rose over the horizon, and Tanjiro heard the shrieks of agony of his younger Brother's. His eyes widened, and he looked back to find Shigeru and Rokuta writhing from burns in the light of the sun. He felt a moment of indecision, despair and desperate terror, before their Mother ran back towards her Sons, "GO!" she ordered him as she did. Tanjiro let out a breath of relief that his Brother's would be fine, before he set his stance and drew in another deep breath.
He shot towards the headless Demon, Sword bright red from the remains of Nezuko's Blood Demon Art. Tanjiro caught up in no time. "IT'S OVER!" he yelled, slicing through the chest of the large Demon. It had begun to burn as well, but the large form must act as a kind of shield for the main body. The tiny Demon fell out of the larger form's heart a wail of terror. "Atone for your Sins! With your life!" Tanjiro cried furiously. He cut through the main body's neck with all the strength he had. There was a frozen moment where the tiny head and body were suspended in the air, before they turned to ashes, along with the giant outer body.
Tanjiro collapsed to the grass, gasping for air, as his vision went back to normal, and a far greater exhaustion than any before began to engulf him. "Tan!" as he lost consciousness, Tanjiro thought he heard Shigeru's voice. "Shigeru-" he muttered in reply, before darkness claimed him fully.
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Mitsuri, Genya and Teiko continued to fight, but Genya was reaching his limit. The Demon banged his drum just as the teen started to revert back to his human form. A wooden Dragon came towards him, but before it could do anything, it disintegrated into ash. The group looked up at the combined Demon as he turned into ashes as well. The older Shinazugawa collapsed to the ground with a massive sigh of relief as Teiko hurried over to him, "they did it!" Genya sighed. His little Sister beamed at him, and Mitsuri cheered in celebration.
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Shigeru watched Tanjiro worriedly as their Mother carried him on her back. Rokuta was crying in Nezuko's arms, worried about their Oldest Brother. "Tanjiro's, okay" their Mother reassured, stroking her youngest Son's hair. "Heeeey!" Mitsuri called, running up to them. She gasped when she saw the two youngest Kamado Demon's standing in the sun. "Congratulations Mrs Kamado! You too Tanjiro! Your whole family is immune to the sun now!" she beamed.
Tanjiro wiped some tears away, patting Shigeru on the head, "I'm so relieved. I didn't know if all of them would become immune to the sun or not. But Shigeru and Rokuta are safe now too." he said. "Well, let's go. We need to pick up Tokito and get some rest until we can go home" Mitsuri said. "Yeah. I'm exhausted, and everything hurts" Tanjiro replied with a wince.
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A few days later, transport was arranged for Tanjiro, while his family stayed in their boxes to make it easier to transport. Tanjiro got a bedded cart due to his injuries. The other two Hashira had been taken back earlier, along with Genya and Teiko. Now it was just the Kamado's who had to be taken back to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. As the cart was wheeled over to the chief, who was being carried on the back of one of his guards due to his own injuries, Tanjiro opened his eyes.
"Thank you Lord Kamado. If it hadn't been for you and your family, along with the other Hashira, we surely would have perished. We all owe you a great debt" the short old man said. "Oh, no, not at all. I was just, doing my job" Tanjiro replied softly. "Well, either way, we're all very grateful. And how is your family?" Tecchin asked. Tanjiro looked over at the box, and the part of the blanket that covered his sleeping family. All of them were very tired after that huge battle. "They'll be alright, but they're all exhausted" Tanjiro replied.
"Right. I hope all of them sleep well. Take care Lord Kamado" the Chief said. The Kakushi started pulling the cart away, and Tanjiro's eyes slid shut. But they snapped open when he heard the cheering start. The Hashira sat up and looked around with wide eyes to see all of the Villagers cheering and waving. They even threw flower petals. Tanjiro smiled and waved back to everyone, "I guess I can wait until we're out of the Village" he said to himself.