Blizzard (Demon Slayer OC)

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 1: Prologue​

Asakusa is a place notorious for its crowded and adaptive citizens, filled with machinery and life. The improvement of technology is the reason why the place was so bright and brimming with life. The emperor's efforts have brought human technology very far.

However, even the best places to live have their own set of problems, and this is not a normal circumstance of a 'high number of thieves'. This case is morbidly different, the problem comes from the high number of people missing lately, with no trace of their whereabouts.

For around two months, there have been reports that missing victims have appeared on the doorstep of their families as no more than a decapitated head, with perfect cuts around their neck and no blood left inside of them.

Yui couldn't be more delighted by watching their horrified faces from the shadows.

That and her elusive nature earned her the nickname "The Ghost Demon".

She wouldn't have been able to do this on her own, it was all thanks to Muzan Kibutsuji's kindness that she was able to gain the means to do so. He granted her a power she never knew existed, an unimaginable power that enabled her to accomplish incredible feats.

Without his help, Yui would still have been living with her abusive parents in a poor village. She would have to bear her weakness as a frail human for the rest of her life. No more. Now, she will do what she wants. No restraints. No rules.

Her method of killing was very simple. Since the alleys of Asakusa were very dark, nobody could see her overall monstrous appearance, only her silhouette. In the shadows, she seemed like a relatively tall woman with a long kimono decorated with flower ornaments.

At night, people - especially men - want to enjoy life as much as possible. Eat food, get laid, and gamble their savings. In the streets of Asakusa, men who have stooped low will do anything for pleasure. Men like that are not willing to pay for a highly expensive oiran on Yoshiwara. Instead, they seek those women unfit for the profession, they relegated them into the alleys. There, men can have fun for little to no price at all.

"N-No please, l-let me go!" a man begged as he tried to remove the hand that clenched around his throat.

There are men who are born unlucky. Red eyes, sharp teeth, cracks on both sides of her face with veins bulging from her throat. All of this masked with her lustrous long silver hair.

"But why, darling~?" Yui grinned as she wickedly licked her lips. "We're just getting started, right, right?!"

"Damn, monster!" the man snarled as he swung his fist at full force, hitting Yui's face hard. She recoiled back not from the pain, but because she was surprised by the fact that the man showed resistance.

Satisfied that his punch connected, the man grinned victoriously. Women were easy to break after all.

Yui didn't move for a while. However, she didn't lose her grip. In fact, she made it tighter to the point that the man started to gargle on his own blood as Yui's nails pierced his trachea.

"You actually went out of your way to hit a woman..." Yui whispered, her tone no longer carrying her playful inflection. Rage burned behind her bloodshot eyes. "You men are all the same... FUCKING ANIMALS!"

She tightened her grip and started to crush his throat, but not so hard as to kill him instantly. In a fit of rage, she used all of her demonic strength and pulled his head off.

His screams died out instantly. Blood splattered everywhere as Yui ripped off his skull pulling out his spinal cord. The blood from the man's body began to flow out like a fountain as she kicked the torso away with so much force that it cracked the wall in front of her. The body fell over into a mushy mess. All the bones were shattered.

Minutes passed as Yui breathed heavily, looking around at her work. All the blood would make anyone faint from the horror.

"Ehehe~" she chuckled, using her free bloodied hand as she painted her face. "Just another day of work... It never gets old."

She smiled at the mess she made, she felt slightly disappointed. Her fit of rage didn't let her cut her victim's head off perfectly.

"Shit, his spine came out." She frowned as she grabbed the spine from the man's head and carefully detached it, smiling in satisfaction. "Perfect!"

She couldn't leave such a mess behind, someone would eventually find out. She extended her arm.

All the blood throughout the alley seemed to levitate slowly towards Yui, as if by some strange force. As the blood seeped into her skin, her appearance regressed from the bloody red into the pristine state she had maintained before.

With this method, she managed to cover her tracks for nearly two months.

"Another one to the body count," she said, playing around with the decapitated head as if she was playing with a ball, still chuckling. "I can't wait to get my place in the ranks of the Twelve Demon Moons. I can get more praise from that man once I reach my goal..."

She was certain that she would get it. Any Demon that would attempt her strategy was bound to get attention from the Demon Slayer Corps, and they would easily get tracked by them, but with Yui's ability, that wasn't an issue.

The Demon Slayer Corps. An organization of fools who dare to oppose the demon race. They were weak and frail compared to the superiority of demons. If Yui ever found one of them, she would take her sweet time before killing them.

"Well then, it's time to take him back to where he belongs," Yui said, referring to the head resting on her hand. She ripped some cloth off her kimono and wrapped it around the head. She always did this to them out of the public eye and it had worked ever since she started. It was now a hobby to her.

However, just before she was about to leave the alley, she felt a chill down her spine. Her demonic instincts were screaming at her to move. Wasting no time, she leaped forward and turned around only to see a shadow coming to her at such speed that she barely had time to react. In the nick of time, she jumped and used her demonic strength to dig her nails into the wall.

She winced as she felt a sting in her neck and dropped the head she was carrying. She flinched as she touched the part that hurt. Pain, it was an unmistakable, yet foreign feeling she had long forgotten. The cut on her neck wasn't deep, it was shallow, but it was regenerating at a slow rate and that worried her.

From the high ground, she glared at her attacker. It was a man—no, a brat. He had short snowy hair with blue strands and wore a pair of small glasses over his icy blue eyes. Over his average-build body, he wore a navy blue yukata as his only choice of clothing.

Yui would have mistaken the brat as a normal human citizen if it wasn't for the katana he was carrying. She knew a Nichirin Sword when she saw one. It was a beautiful sight to behold though. The sword was of a bright sky blue color that shone through the night, with white bits engraved on the blade. The blade also had a curved hilt in the form of a snowflake, which combined perfectly with the weapon's design.

Yui would have stopped to compliment the boy on the design of the blade if she wasn't so unbelievably furious with him. How dare a pathetic worm like him damage her? Yui could feel the veins bulging from her neck, her blood lust rising immensely.

He turned to look at her dead in the eye, his emotionless face only making him even more fearsome.

"I missed."

Yui's eye twitched. Did this kid have the annoying habit of stating the obvious? Or was it just a weak attempt to provoke her? Either way, she wouldn't let this brat get to her that easy. If he really was a Demon Slayer, then she needed to incapacitate him first so she could torture him later.

"You will regret that, brat. I can't wait to have tons of fun with you~" Yui said coyly before she let out a bloodlust-filled grin and leaped downward to her target. She was so fast that it surprised him, prompting him to dive forward, barely managing to evade a fatal blow to his spinal cord. Still, the damage was already done: the demoness managed to scratch his skin which was all that she needed.

She extended her arm.

"Blood Demon Art: Vampirism!"

After Yui shouted those words, the blood from the kid's wound started to levitate towards her, slowly sucking the life out of him. He fell to his knees as he seemed to slowly lose his strength.

"Ahaha! What do you think of my ability, it's good isn't it~?" Yui cackled, her face red from the complete ecstasy she was feeling from sucking the blood. It was not Marechi, but it was still blood of high quality. Yui then got closer to her immobilized target, enjoying every moment she got to taste his blood. "Not bad, you will certainly satisfy my appetite for at least three days with your blood."

Yui stopped as she saw that he was standing up, seemingly unaware that his blood was being fed to her. What came next surprised her: he started to slowly breathe, taking a combat stance and staring at her with no emotion present on his face.

"Ice breathing, First Form: Freezing Lunge."

He lunged at her like a bullet. She was taken aback by the brat's sudden change of speed, but she was prepared this time.

She dodged the obvious attempt to strike her neck, but the brat wasn't done and he recovered fast. Once again, he charged, this time with a different position.

Yui dodged one strike.

Two strikes.

Eight strikes.

Sooner or later she was going to get slashed and she knew this. Startled, she climbed the walls with her nails. He was strong, but Yui wasn't going to admit that. A human worm like him didn't deserve a single bit of praise from her, even worse if he was part of the Demon Slayer Corps. The fact that this kid even had a chance against her pissed her off to no end.

Screw the torture, she was going to end him now.

"Damn insect, I'm going to suck every last drop of blood out of your worthless body!" she snarled, reactivating her Blood Demon Art causing the blood of the wound on his back to fly towards Yui's skin. She hated that she wasn't strong enough to rip him apart in close quarters, so she chose the safer option to stall him until he bled out.

"You're strong," he said, taking back his battle stance. When Yui saw this, she understood now why she was so startled.

She felt it.

She felt the cold, calculating anger on each swing.

Sweating, she tried to augment the effects of her powers to incapacitate the brat faster. How was he not out of commission yet? She already drank two liters of blood out of him, any normal human would at least be dizzy at this point.

He started to breathe again.

"Ice breathing, Fourth Form: Ice path."

Yui saw him; the brat was getting closer towards her, but how? She was ten meters up in the air, there is no way a kid like him could reach her. She would have noticed if her target moved from her spot.

Her eyes widened— the worm was wall climbing! He was sliding the coarse walls as if they were full of grease. The movement was fast, fluid, and unyielding.

Panicking, she kicked bricks from the building to throw them towards her attacker. "Get away from me!" she shrieked to deaf ears. He kept coming like an unstoppable force. Nothing fazed him, he had his eyes set on her alone. Yui wanted to scream, move, or even try to find a way to attack him, but she was too scared to move. This was the first time she ever felt vulnerable after becoming a demon.

It all happened at a bullet's pace.

The cold steel passing through her neck, her vision getting blurry as she fell to the floor. Her headless body fell beside her, and the kid gracefully jumped down. She couldn't move, everything felt numb.

'Is this it?' she thought as her body started to crumble away. The swordsman sheathed his blade back and made his way towards the head she was carrying earlier.

Not like she cared at this point, but what was he doing?

He lit a match.

'Ah, so that's it.'

It was some kind of act of honor. If you don't know someone's name, then the best way to honor them is to burn what's left of them. It was a sad way to go, but at least it showed that the brat—no, the man—had some self-awareness of his surroundings and wasn't some mindless killing machine.

Unlike her.

Well, at least she would finally die after the burning sensation was over.

'I'm sorry Lord Muzan, I failed you…'

Yui closed her eyes. The final parts of her body crumbled away to dust.

(X)

The times that Kamado Tanjiro felt overwhelmed were a lot, but nothing could be compared to what happened now.
After defeating The Swamp Demon, he was tasked with another mission right away—as if his first mission wasn't exhausting enough. He was tasked with going to the big city of Tokyo, all the way into one of its most crowded districts, Asakusa. Being a boy who lived in the mountains for all of his life, Tanjiro didn't take too kindly to the atmosphere of the city. He felt dizzy just standing by the crowd of people.

His sister, Nezuko, probably shared the same feeling as him, as she was on the verge of falling face-first to the ground. While she was a demon, she was a special case that didn't need to consume humans in order to survive, much to Tanjiro's relief. However, that meant that she had to sleep at almost every moment to control her demonic urges. Because of this, it surprised Tanjiro that his sister wanted to be outside of her box.

On his way to Asakusa, Nezuko kept scratching the inside of the box a couple of times, urging him to get her out. She probably was excited to see a new place like the city, and that was a rare case considering that she rarely got out of her sun-protecting box. He complied and he let her out, which was why he felt instant regret once they set foot into the city.

Tanjiro was trying to process why the city was so active at night. Most of the people that live in villages go back to their homes once the evening ends. They want to rest from a hard day of work, so the streets are dark, eerie, and abandoned. In Asakusa, it was different: the streets were full of life and activity, which was why he felt out of place.

Most of the time, he would focus on the job at hand, which was finding the notorious "Ghost Demon" that resided in the city.

That could wait. He needed some food now, fast.

"Let's go, Nezuko," Tanjiro said, gently pulling her away from the crowd.

On his way to the district, he passed a food cart that didn't have many people in it. He backtracked a bit, and he spotted it.

A wooden food cart under a lampost. The stand itself contained simple decorations like food pamphlets with a very limited menu of food: udon, soba, and ramen.

As Tanjiro approached the cart, he could see that it was run by a teenager that looked no older than him. He had snow-white hair with blue strands, icy blue eyes that were covered by a pair of half-rim glasses.

He got closer to the stand. He could see that the boy tensed, narrowing his eyes as he studied both Tanjiro and Nezuko.

The boy fixed his gaze particularly at the katana he carried on his hip.

Oh no, he forgot! The Demon Slayer Corps weren't recognized by the government, so nobody should know of its existence. That means that he was illegally carrying a katana in a public place. He jeopardized the mission.

"A-ah, don't mind this, I'll just put it away slowly…" Tanjiro stuttered, nervously putting the sheath on his back—as if that mattered at this point.

"Hot or cold?"

The bluntness of the cook stunned Tanjiro. He'd barely regained his composure.

"What?"

"Your udon, do you want it hot or cold?" the boy repeated, with no hint of emotion. He briefly glared at Nezuko, but quickly returned his gaze to Tanjiro. That hostile gesture didn't pass by him.

"Oh, cold, with yam topping, please." Tanjiro smiled, the dizziness came back as he started to feel the weight of the city once again.

The boy nodded and started to work on the noodles. Tanjiro took a seat on a nearby bench and started to recover his energy while waiting for his food. Who would have thought that it was a good idea to send a boy from the mountains to search for a demon in a crowded city? The Demon Slayers sure had a hard line of work when it came to slaying demons. They must be prepared to go to all kinds of places to slay all kinds of evil demons.

Not like Tanjiro wanted to complain anyway, he was prepared to slay the demons that deserve it. His path would eventually lead him to Muzan, and by then, he hoped that he would be more than ready.

That didn't matter now, he was here to focus on other matters, mainly concerning the "Ghost Demon" that resided here in Asakusa. His crow didn't give him much detail, just that this demon had been lurking around in the district for at least 2 months feeding itself with the population. That enough made Tanjiro determined to track down this demon and put an end to its frenzy before it killed more innocent people.

Tanjiro came back to his senses as he heard the sound of a sword unsheathing behind his back. He turned around and gawked as he saw that the udon boy was working skillfully on his dish, but that wasn't what surprised him the most. He was cutting the dough with a huge sky blue knife that looked like a katana.

No wait, it was a katana! A nichirin one to boot.

Ignoring the fact of how weird it was to cut food with a combat weapon, Tanjiro now had a wave of questions to ask the boy. Why does he have a nichirin sword? Is he a slayer? Does he know that Nezuko is a demon by the way he was briefly frowning when he looked at her? He had to ask the most important question first.

"Isn't it illegal to carry a weapon in a public place?" Tanjiro asked, curious about his choice of cooking tool.

"Clearance," the boy said, not even sparing him a glance.

A small but audible "Oh" escaped from Tanjiro's mouth as he didn't dare to say anything else and went back to the bench. There, he just kept staring at the boy and watched him work.

'He smells as if he has encountered a demon recently…' Tanjiro thought as he focused on his acute sense of smell. He knew the smell of demon blood when it came up, it was unmistakable.

The boy himself wasn't a demon, he smelled and looked human, so him being the culprit was out of the question. That didn't mean that he wasn't involved with the demon. Tanjirou got up from his bench and approached the boy, who was currently focused on his work.

"Hey, could I have a minute of your time please?"

No response. The boy kept focused on his work as if he wasn't acknowledging his presence.

"Hey, did you hear me?" Tanjiro asked again, this time raising his voice a little higher. "I asked if I could talk to you for a second."

"I'm hearing you," the boy uttered monotonically, still not looking at Tanjiro.

He was getting slightly irritated. It was rude not to look at someone when they were talking to you. He didn't mind that much though, as he just needed to ask a simple question.

"Do you know something about the 'Ghost Demon'?"

The boy briefly glanced at Tanjiro before getting back on the noodles. "Yeah, I killed her."

Tanjiro blinked once. Then twice.

"Y-you killed her?!" Tanjiro gawked as he caught up with what the boy meant, eliciting a nod from the other.

He was surprised that a boy of his age managed to kill a demon. He was dressed like any normal civilian and he didn't even have the corps uniform on him. Of course, there was a possibility that he might have a spare back at his place—the nichirin sword he had only backed up Tanjiro's theory.

"Here is your udon. That will be 30 yen." Tanjiro was brought out of his trance as he was handed the neatly decorated bowl. The noodles had the yam toppings he asked for, which were neatly cut. And it took no time at all. He wondered how much experience the boy had.

"Thank you." He grinned, grabbing the bowl with no hesitation, leaving the money on the counter. "Hey, what you said to me just added more questions. How did you manage to kill the demon? Are you a slayer from the corps?"

The boy frowned at the mention of the corps. The smell he emitted went from neutral to angry really quickly. "I have no reason to answer anything. Especially to someone who travels with a demon."

This time, Tanjiro's face twisted into a scowl. "She's my sister and she hasn't killed a human in her time as a demon."

The boy sighed. "I don't know about that, but since she hasn't caused trouble here, she's not my problem," he said in a dismissive tone, then pulled out a rag and started to clean his counter. "Finish up, and then get out of Asakusa. You have no business here anymore."

"You should at least send a crow and report it to the corps," Tanjiro said, his face showing worry. "That way you can let them know that you have taken care of the problems here."

"I don't care about the corps!" The boy raised his voice as Tanjiro recoiled back at the sudden change. "I'm not a slayer nor do I want to have anything to do with them. I'm just a normal citizen who happens to keep the city clean of demons. Got it?"

"That's far from normal though…" Tanjiro mused, trying to defuse the situation.

"Don't try to get smart with me," the boy hissed before taking a deep breath, seemingly calming himself down. "Listen. You seem nice and all, but I really don't want to do anything with the corps. Just finish your bowl, take your demon sister, and don't bother me anymore."

"I… alright then," Tanjiro muttered, looking like a deflated balloon.

"Good. If you'll excuse me, I have to keep working," the boy said, then pointed towards the counter. "You can leave the bowl there once you're finished, I'll take care of the rest."

Tanjiro nodded as the boy went back to work. He was sad that this boy didn't use his strength to help the corps. Even if Tanjiro hadn't watched him fight, he could tell by the smell that this boy was strong. His sense of smell let him tell what kind of person he was dealing with, but it didn't let him tell what happened in said person's past.

Whatever this boy might've gone through in the past, it must have been something horrible that he didn't trust even the Demon Slayer Corps.

Are the corps that bad? No, that cannot be the case. Tanjiro hadn't met with anyone of the corps yet, but if they had someone as kind and caring as Urokodaki, then he could definitely trust them. It must be some kind of personal problem this boy had with them.

Tanjiro let out a frustrated sigh, sitting on the bench beside his sister, who was now sleeping.

"So she can sleep while sitting down…" he muttered to himself while staring at her. He didn't know that Nezuko had this habit back when they were living with their family, they always slept on the floor. Then again, Nezuko had been acting weird ever since she became a demon, so it was no surprise to him.

As Tanjiro was about to gobble up his udon bowl, he smelled something awful that froze him on the spot. The smell was so repulsive, yet very familiar, that he dropped the bowl to the floor. Without noticing the mess he made, he stood up, sweating profusely as he tried to track the source of the smell. It was back in the main district.

He couldn't forget whose smell this was. It was him. Muzan Kibutsuji, the man who killed his family.

"Hey, you broke my bowl…"

He could hear the boy hissing behind him, but Tanjiro paid him no heed. Baring his teeth, he stood up and stormed out as fast as he could.

He could not let Muzan escape this time. Not after all the innocent lives he took.

He. Will. Be. Put. Down.

(X)

"Okay Kazuki, pull yourself together. It's just a stroke of bad luck, nothing more."
Kazuki rubbed his temples as he watched the slayer run away after breaking his bowl. He could chase after him and maybe catch up to him, but that would probably not be a good idea. Kazuki had a normal yukata, while the slayers had clothes that allowed them specifically to move freely in combat.

Still, Kazuki was pissed. A Demon Slayer comes and asks questions that are very uncomfortable for him to even answer, then he decides to order a bowl of udon, doesn't even eat it, and drops it to the floor without reason. All of that and Kazuki only got merely 50 yen, and considering how much that bowl was worth, it was more of a loss rather than a benefit.

What bugged Kazuki the most was how desperate the slayer seemed when he stormed off. It was like a kid throwing a tantrum because his mom didn't get him what he wanted. He even left his sister and a weird box behind.

'Should I kill her?'

Those were Kazuki's first thoughts as he watched the sleeping demon. His job was to keep every threat away from Asakusa, so everyone could live peacefully. This girl was acting off: no demon could be harmless for an extended period of time, most of them went berserk after the moment they transformed. There were special cases though, and he knew a certain pair of harmless demons, but outside of them, every demon he met was crazy for human flesh.

Kazuki could slice her head off and avoid a possible threat that might harm people in the future—that way, many would be safe. Or he could wait until that slayer came back and took her away to who knows where, risking the lives of many people wherever this demon went.

She was the sister of that slayer, if he went on his way and killed her, then he would have to face his anger, and it was not a good idea to fight a trained slayer. Not like he wasn't trained himself, but it would be too much trouble to handle.

'Still, she seems… harmless. Way too harmless,' Kazuki thought. Maybe this is something that can catch that person's interest, it could be that this is what she sought all this time.

It was too risky. This girl could be a threat to her for all Kazuki knew, and she may not be the one demon she needed. He might have been thinking about this too hard, but he was quite the salesman. After all, he managed to maintain his udon stand for three years, ever since he was 12 years old.

'I-Is it really the right thing to do? Kill her?' Kazuki thought, uncertain of what he should do. If this demon was alone, with no company at all, then he wouldn't hesitate to take her down. He wasn't uncertain because he was scared of her older brother.

It was because they were siblings.

Sibling bonds were a thing that Kazuki hated, an old wound that he had on his soul, something that wouldn't heal easily. However, as much as he hated them, bonds were not something Kazuki wished to destroy, and if they were genuine, the more reason to keep them. He had no way of knowing how strong the bonds were with this family, but he could ask the slayer once he returned.

Should he take that gamble? Letting the girl live?

The superior men understand what it's right, the inferior men understand what will sell.

This is what he believed was right. He would let her live, for the moment.

He exhaled harshly, calming himself down as he felt the stress go out from his body. He then turned to the demoness, who was now awake and staring at him with a neutral expression, the muzzle making it hard for Kazuki to see what face she was making.

Well, better do it now that she's awake.

He went to the stand and took his katana that he always carried with him. His trusted weapon that he used to kill demons and after very careful cleaning, to cook. Weird as it may be, it worked for him ten times better than a regular knife.

Kazuki went closer to the demon girl, glaring down as he was inspecting her every move. The fact that the girl had no reaction after seeing his sword unsettled him. Any normal demon would have launched at him or done some strange trick with their abilities. This wasn't the case.

"So…" Kazuki started, fixing his glasses. "Demon girl, can you understand me?"

She tilted her head and nodded. That was progress, if she could understand basic human language then he wouldn't have to waste drawing or using body language.

"Good, I have some questions for you. Hope you can answer them, your life depends on it after all," he said, ignoring the girl's widened eyes. "Have you killed any humans in your time as a demon?"

The girl shook her head.

"Hmm… why should I believe you?" Kazuki squinted, trying to see something, anything of the girl's movements to see the truth.

"Mmph. Mmph!"

Kazuki slowly nodded at the girl's gruntings. "Great, I got nothing out of that," he said, making the girl deflate.

"So, limited vocabulary, this could be a problem…" Kazuki mused to himself as he started to gather his thoughts. If the demon girl couldn't speak, then it could be hard to tell if she was lying or not. After all, the tone someone gives when they're talking is the biggest lie detector.

He sighed. Things had become harder for him now, but they all had a solution. He turned to address the girl once again.

"Listen, I can't ignore your brother now because he broke one of my bowls. And those aren't cheap. I can't also say that I believe you because I can't understand anything you say, so I cannot be sure if you're lying or not," he said, making the girl moan in sadness. The girl would be pouting if it wasn't for that muzzle.

Kazuki was taken aback by the girl's attitude. Every action she took, every sound she made, it all felt completely human. Yet her appearance marked her as a demon, her unnaturally shaped eyes and her very long nails are a giveaway.

She was an enigma.

'Maybe Tamayo-san knows what's going on.'

As Kazuki tried to rack his brains to solve this demon's behavior, he could see from the corner of his eye that it was a short old lady approaching him. Kazuki knew who she was, Sato Maya, the owner of the flower shop in the main district. She looked very scared, which was unhealthy for someone who was nearly at the age of eighty.

"Sato-san, what brings you here?" Kazuki asked, helping her to sit down beside the demon girl. "You should calm down, it's not healthy for someone of your age to get this alarmed. Stay here, I will make you some tea."

"I… thank you, Kazuki," Maya said, exhaling as she placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down.

Kazuki quickly made his way to make a special herbal tea of buckwheat, a plant that is used to make soba noodles. He had soba ingredients on his stand because people—who were mostly drunk—couldn't read the sign that said 'udon only' on the cart, so they often asked Kazuki to make them soba, which he didn't specialize in.

Still, the more money, the better. He eventually gave in, so soba was branded as a 'secret' where only the ones who asked for it may receive it.

So Kazuki used the buckwheat and started to boil water, making the tea for Maya in little to no time. It would help her to calm down so she could talk without pressure.

As he returned to the bench, Kazuki felt the urge to drop the hot teacup as he watched Maya pet the demon girl like it was her own child. And the girl liked it, her cheekbones rose every time Maya started to tickle her, scratch her head, and play with her cheeks.

'Another thing to add, this demon girl has the mind of a child…'

Kazuki found himself staring for a good two minutes at how the scene was unfolding. It was only a matter of time until the old lady noticed him.

"Kazuki, who is this girl?" Maya asked, grinning as she played with the demon girl.

Kazuki blinked. "Oh. Uh. She's… my friend's little sister." he managed to say, albeit awkwardly. He wasn't used to lying.

"I see… your friend certainly has a cute little sister," Maya said softly.

Kazuki rolled his eyes, handing the cup of tea to the old lady. "Right… here's your tea, Sato-san. It's made from soba, it'll help you calm your nerves."

Maya smiled as she stopped petting the demon girl, much to her dismay. She then took the teacup and started to drink its contents. She gave a soothing smile as she seemed to enter a state of total calmness.

"Feeling better now?" Kazuki asked, careful not to alarm her about whatever happened to her.

"Yes, I'm better, thank you Kazuki. I assume you want to hear what happened to make me that afraid?" she asked, to which Kazuki nodded. "I figured. Well… I was going to close the shop for the day as usual. Everything seemed crowded and normal, until…"

Kazuki placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as soon as he heard her voice becoming shaky, making the woman relax.

"Then I saw a woman getting attacked out of nowhere. T-The man was literally trying to eat her alive!"

Kazuki's eyes widened. This was obviously the work of a demon, no man would ever think of eating someone out of the blue. Still, all this didn't add up. If this demon was eating people in the main district, then he would've heard the news sooner.

"Trying? What do you mean by that?" Kazuki inquired, this time a little more impatient than before.

"W-Well, luckily a young kid of approximately your age stepped in and subdued the man. The woman got slightly hurt, but no one was killed thanks to him… I don't really know what happened next, the boy then disappeared out of thin air alongside the couple," Maya explained as her whole body trembled. "T-They were a married couple, Kazuki… I don't know why all of a sudden the husband decided to try and eat her! What caused him to try that?"

"Something inhuman…" Kazuki muttered, earning him a confused look from the old lady. It was a normal thing for demons to attack humans, but to go from normal to insane in a span of seconds? That was another story.

That could mean that the man was turned into a demon at that exact same moment… and there were only a few demons capable of that vicious transformation.

'This is bad news. There is also the fact that no human is able to just disappear into thin air, so what Sato-san saw at the end was most likely an illusion. Looks like Tamayo-san was there when it happened.'

Kazuki's eyes widened, anger coursed through his body as he started to put the pieces together. 'The only possible explanation for this vicious transformation can be via an Upper Moon demon, or… Muzan Kibutsuji.'

He took a deep breath as he let the information sink in. No one, not even the Pillars were ready to face an Upper Moon Demon, not least the progenitor of all demons himself.

"Kazuki?"

Kazuki broke out of his trance and turned to Maya, who was looking at him in worry.

"Are you alright dear?" Maya asked as she handed him a handkerchief. "You're sweating…"

He took the handkerchief and started to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I-I'm alright Sato-san. It's just a bad feeling, that's all."

Kazuki quickly took his sheath and bowed to the old lady. "Sorry Sato-san, I have to go now. The tea is free so you don't have to pay for anything."

Maya nodded, seemingly satisfied with Kazuki's concern. "Well… someone as old as me shouldn't be prying into others business," she said, smiling as she kept drinking the tea. "Take care Kazuki."

Kazuki nodded, walking towards the demon girl who looked at him impassively. "We have to go now. Follow me, I know a doctor who can help you with your… demon problems."

The girl tilted her head, seemingly not understanding what he was saying. Kazuki placed a palm on his face. He forgot that this demon had the mind of a child.

"If your brother was the one that Sato-san mentioned, then I think I know where he will go," he said. What he said wasn't a lie, in fact, it was a half-truth. If this girl's brother ran towards the main district because he somehow sensed a threat, then there was a good chance that he was the one who stepped in.

The girl beamed, standing up as she started to follow him.

Kazuki sighed, knowing that he'd got involved in something that he thought wasn't his problem. He really had the worst luck.

(X)
"Nezuko, Nezuko?!" Tanjiro shouted, scouting every corner of the area for his sister.

After his unpleasant encounter with Muzan, Tanjiro ran to fetch his sister in order to get help from the demon lady who had helped him contain the unfortunate soul of a man that got turned. She said that she could help him regarding the problem with Nezuko, and he didn't want to waste an amazing opportunity.

When he didn't find her sleeping on the bench as she should have been, he started to panic. Even the box he used to carry her was empty. The udon boy wasn't here either.

He could discard the option that the boy kidnapped her. He didn't have that type of smell when he first met him. Or maybe he did take her somewhere, but without ill intent.

"Hey…"

Tanjiro turned to the voice that addressed him and blinked at the sight in front of him. A boy with pale green and black hair, with lavender-colored eyes. He was one of the pair of demons that he encountered when he had his incident in the main district.

He could trust him.

"Come with me, your sister is already with Tamayo-sama," he said, frowning deeply as he looked at Tanjiro. "Stop looking so desperate, or you'll make her worry about something so petty."

Tanjiro perked up at the mention of Nezuko. "Wait, she's already with her?" he shouted, running towards the demon boy in an attempt to shake him. "Please tell me where!"

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands!" the boy yelled, chopping Tanjiro in the chest, stopping him in his tracks. "Kazuki took your sister to Tamayo-sama to save some time. Do you understand that? Good. Let's go."

Tanjiro didn't know if the boy was unaware that he almost killed him with that chop. It left him wheezing for air for a good 30 seconds before resuming his walk. That left him with a reminder that he was dealing with an actual demon and not a boy on the streets.

As they walked towards an alley in a remote place, Tanjiro finally caught up with what the demon boy said earlier.

"Who's Kazuki?" Tanjiro asked, "I didn't meet anyone with that name before."

"Seriously?!" the boy snarled, not turning to look at him. "From what he told me, you already met him. Short stature, white hair with blue strands, disgustingly ugly, and wears glasses."

Tanjiro blinked as he heard the ugly part until the description started to match a certain boy he met earlier. "Oh, the udon boy? So his name is Kazuki?"

He nodded. "That's right. That stuck-up brat…" Tanjiro let out an awkward smile as he smelled the clear anger from the demon boy. "Anyway, we're here."

Tanjiro gasped as he saw that they were standing in front of a wall, a plain one at that. If this is the place they were going to go? It was located in a remote area, away from the district; it made sense, a place well hidden from any demons and humans who could try to locate them.

Surprisingly, the demon boy just walked forward, which should have resulted in him crashing into the wall but to Tanjiro's surprise, he just phased through it.

Tanjiro gawked as he witnessed something out of a fairy tale. Then again, he just recently faced a demon who could swim on land, so he wasn't that shocked when he remembered the demon's abilities.

He walked forward and phased through the wall. Tanjiro's eyes widened as he saw a fairly big two-story house. It was plain looking, as it had almost no decorations on the outside, only a weird paper talisman stuck on top of the door. It made sense, they didn't want something so notable in their house.

As Tanjiro and the demon boy made their way inside, they immediately entered one of the rooms. Inside, Tanjiro was more than relieved. Nezuko was rolling on the ground on her own, bored out of her mind, until she perked up and ran towards her brother.

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro grinned, dropping whatever worry he had as he went to hug his sister. "Thank god I finally found you, I was worried…"

Nezuko squealed, happily hugging his brother back. As Tanjiro turned to look around the room, he jumped as he found himself being stared at by three people. The pair of demons, and the boy he met earlier, Kazuki.

Realizing his mistake, Tanjiro quickly bowed. "I- I'm very sorry for entering so abruptly!"

The woman merely gave him a sweet smile. "That's quite alright, it really shows how much you care for your sister."

Tanjiro smiled back, although it quickly disappeared as he felt the killer intent from the demon boy.

Someone has a very short temper…

He then turned to Kazuki, who was too busy speaking with Tamayo. Tanjiro remembered what Kazuki had done and quickly made his way towards him. As soon as he got close to him, Kazuki frowned which made Tanjiro recoil back a bit. Still, it took more than that to intimidate him!

"Thank you for bringing Nezuko here," Tanjiro said, smiling as he bowed in gratitude. "I was worried that something might have happened to her."

Kazuki narrowed his eyes. "You still owe me 800 yen for that plate you broke," he said, "and please, don't bow, it feels weird."

Tanjiro resisted the urge to scream. 800 yen? That was absurd! "That much?!"

"In reality, that bowl was worth 500 yen." Kazuki scowled, crossing his arms. "But the fact that you didn't eat my udon pissed me off."

"I'm so sorry, here is the money!" Tanjiro bowed apologetically, pulling out the spare money Urokodaki had given him.

"Kazuki…" He heard the lady's tone shift into a more harsh one. "What did I tell you about charging people unfairly?"

That caused Kazuki to shiver in fear as he lowered his head a bit. Tanjiro could swear he saw his face going beet red from embarrassment. "I-I guess I can only charge you a fair amount," Kazuki stammered, taking the money from Tanjiro's hand. He left some coins there. "...So I'll take 500 yen for it."

"See what you did?!" the demon boy shouted his displeasure. "You made Tamayo-sama mad!"

"Yushiro, you upset her on a daily basis by harassing anyone that comes even slightly close to her," Kazuki deadpanned as his blue eyes bore through the demon boy in anger.

"What was that?!"

"Stop it. Both of you," Tamayo ordered, causing both of the boys to squeak. It was like watching the leader of a wolf pack calming down a bunch of troublesome cubs.

"Yes…"

'Not gonna lie, they're like a pretty unstable family…' Tanjiro thought, making an awkward smile as he didn't know how to respond to the situation.

Tamayo sighed. "Sorry about that, both of them can be a bit noisy sometimes," she said, glaring daggers at both of the boys. "This is not how I wanted introductions to be going."

Their shoulders slumped. "We apologize…"

"As you already know, my name is Tamayo. I'm a doctor. These boys are Kazuki and Yushiro respectively. Boys, this is Kamado Tanjiro." Tamayo shook her head in disapproval, then turned to look at Tanjiro. "Please, let us go into a more suitable place."

Tanjiro nodded as they all went to the living room. On their way, Tanjiro saw the woman that was attacked earlier by her husband, who luckily didn't sustain any serious injury, but it may leave her with a deep emotional scar. The poor soul.

So they were sitting in the living room, and Tanjiro could tell that things were different between Kazuki and Yushiro. They had no hate for each other regarding their stupid argument earlier, so it could safely be said that their bickering was a normal thing around here.

"Kamado," Kazuki started, arms crossed. "I want you to tell me the truth regarding this subject. Don't lie."

Tanjiro nodded slowly, unsure where this was going.

"The demon you saw in the main district. Was it an Upper Moon or Muzan Kibutsuji?"

Tanjiro blinked. Upper Moon? What was that, a special type of demon that was different from the ones he had fought?

"Upper Moons? What are those?" Tanjiro asked, curious and intrigued.

"They haven't told you about them?" Kazuki asked, only for Tanjiro to shake his head. "Strange, that's basic knowledge for every slayer. Very well, we will explain to you everything about them."

And so, Tanjiro spent the next 10 minutes learning about the existence of the Twelve Demon Moons. They were the strongest demons in existence, excluding the progenitor of demons himself. They were divided into two sections: Upper Ranks and Lower Ranks. These were divided into six ranks, from weakest to strongest.

Slaying a Lower Rank Moon was pretty much a requirement to join the Pillars, so Tanjiro assumed that they were very strong. Still, they were manageable for the corps, as the pillars could take care of them.

On the other hand, The Upper Moons were another story. Tamayo and Kazuki didn't have much information on them because no one had lived to tell the tale. They were so strong that they had managed to slay a lot of Pillars through the ages.

Those tiny details made Tanjiro quiver, it would take a great deal of training and experience to even rival their strength. That didn't mean he could not defeat them.

"I see." Tanjiro gulped, shocked by this new information. "The demon I saw in the district...was Muzan Kibutsuji."

The silence in the room was suffocating for him. No one said a single word as they were trying to process the information. Kazuki closed his eyes, as he clenched his yukata tightly. Yushiro was scowling deeply. Tamayo was apparently the calmest one, but Tanjiro could smell the anger from her when he mentioned that name.

It made him wonder how much she suffered when she met Muzan.

"I see…" Kazuki was the first to break the silence. "That's certainly a problem, but an Upper Moon could have been worse."

"Because Muzan moves on throughout multiple places?" Tanjiro asked, trying to follow his lead.

Kazuki nodded. "Exactly. Muzan is not prone to stay in one place where the corps could easily find him. It is how he has stayed hidden for years," he explained. "Upper Moons can settle in one place if they want to, luring slayers and civilians. Sure, Muzan kills a lot of people, but he's not as chaotic as his servants. Muzan's long gone from here."

"That makes sense," Tanjiro said, feeling frustrated for not being able to do more when he encountered him.

"In any case," Tamayo spoke up, gaining the attention of both boys. "It's time to tell you why we are so different from the normal demons you have encountered."

Tamayo started to explain every single detail about the alterations of her body, how she turned Yushiro into a demon, and Muzan's curse. She talked about why she needed blood to survive despite her alterations, and how Yushiro needed less blood than her.

Tanjiro understood and was amazed by how Tamayo could suppress her urges for devouring humans. She had been doing this for more than 200 years. Not only that, she was a medic, so that meant that she saved people from death.

Ironic, a demon saving people from death instead of bringing it to them. It's almost a miracle.

Regardless, Tamayo was someone that he could safely trust.

So Tanjiro asked the crucial question. Can he turn his sister back into a human?

"Yes, there is a way to turn her back to a human," Tamayo said, giving him a look of worry. "But it's not going to be easy…"

"And we're not helping him."

Everyone, including Tamayo, turned to look at Kazuki, who spoke his clear displeasure on the situation. Tanjiro felt his blood boil as he heard what Kazuki said. He was very close to turning Nezuko back to human, so why didn't Kazuki want to help?

Tamayo remained silent. She looked saddened about something, but Tanjiro couldn't picture what.

"Kazuki, are you questioning Tamayo-sama's decision?" Yushiro hissed as he stood up. "You're not the one to make the decisions for her!"

"As far as I'm concerned, this is also my decision!" Kazuki argued back, standing at the same eye level as Yushiro. "You know that I want nothing to do with Demon Slayers. The pain I- we went through because of them is not something I can forgive."

This time, Yushiro remained silent. For the short time that Tanjiro had known the demon boy, he'd been prone to take Tamayo's side no matter what, and he was always up with some argument in her favor. To see him fall silent meant that Kazuki was somehow right.

"Kazuki," Tamayo said, "you noticed it too, right? Nezuko's behavior is very different from any demons created by Muzan. She could be the one to put an end to all this and finally make a cure to end all this. I'm sorry, but we have to do this."

Kazuki scowled as he turned to glare at Tanjiro, the latter instinctively taking his sister's hand. The anger and sadness the boy was leaking were too much for him to handle that his instincts shouted at him to protect Nezuko.

Kazuki's face softened as his whole body trembled. It seemed like he managed to calm himself down, somehow.

"I- I have to go get some fresh air." With that, Kazuki stormed out of the room, leaving a confused Tanjiro behind. Tamayo could only sigh and Yushiro went back to sit down, not saying a single word.

"Why is he like that?" Tanjiro finally spoke, still uneasy about it.

"It is not my place to say," Tamayo sighed, making Tanjiro deflate. "Kazuki has a long story before he came to me. When he said that he didn't want to work with the Demon Slayers, he was serious about it. Also…" Tamayo turned to look at Nezuko, who was playing with her toes the entire time. "It seems like seeing the sibling bonds between you two has triggered some painful memories from him."

"Is he going to be okay?" Tanjiro asked, glancing towards the window, which showed an unmoving Kazuki in a meditation pose.

"Yes, he's stronger than he looks, and he has a big heart," Tamayo said, letting out a sad smile. "He may not show it, but he's a kind person on the inside, even if he himself doesn't know it."

(X)

Kazuki sat there, unsure about what to do in this situation. In these types of situations, he would always try to meditate to forget about past problems.
He was supposed to live his life without useless hauntings, so why were slayers getting in the way? They kept pestering him over and over, never leaving him alone. He sighed. He envied those people who could live their lives like normal and were oblivious to the supernatural.

If only his brother… stayed normal.

He shook his head. No, those moments were already lost within the blizzard.

He would try to focus on the matter at hand, which was to help Tanjiro, for the moment. If Tamayo wanted to revert Nezuko back to her human self, then Kazuki would do anything in his power and knowledge to help. He owed her that much.

It was almost funny. Sibling bonds were something that always made Kazuki angry. However, while he hated how strong the bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko was, he didn't want it to break. It was an odd feeling.

"Oh, look what we have here."

Not wasting time being surprised, Kazuki quickly reacted as he got in his combat stance in the blink of an eye. Meditation did help with his concentration.

His instincts did not lie. As he opened his eyes, he could see that there were two figures standing in front of him. One was a young man whose most notable trait was that his eyes were embedded in each of his hands. He also had arrow-like pupils—probably related to his ability. The other one was a young girl with cat-like pupils and unnaturally bright hazel eyes. She seemed to be playing with a temari ball like a child, with a sickening smile on her face.

No hard guesses required. Kazuki could easily identify that they were demons.

"He doesn't seem like the guy we're looking for, but he's definitely here, Susamaru," the arrow demon said, in a baritone voice as he seemed to scan the area with his hands. "The boy with the Hanafuda earrings…"

It was not wise to reveal their plans in front of an opponent. Those earrings only belonged to one person who he recently met, Kamado Tanjiro.

He would ask them later. Once he'd cleaved their heads off. Right now, he only had one thing in mind.

Kill. Demons.

"I'll look for our target, you can deal with this nonsense." The arrow demon grinned, disappearing from Kazuki's sight.

"Okie-dokie, Yahaba~!" Susamaru grinned as she seemed to sense Kazuki's killing intent, throwing the temari balls at full force. "LET'S PLAY!"

 

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 2: Warriors​

A bullet has enough force to penetrate someone's skin to easily damage them. They're so powerful that they can leave a permanent scar on anyone unfortunate enough to get hit by a small pellet in a non-vital area.

Susamaru's temari balls were akin to the force of a bullet, and three times the normal size. A normal bullet would be enough to make the human muscles constrict to absorb the huge amount of energy coming from their speed, but with the size of the temari balls, they would leave something worse than a hole on the victim; it would absolutely rip apart anyone who got hit by them.

No matter where the ball was aimed, if it hit, it was death. Kazuki didn't have to get hit to know this, it was common sense.

Even if the balls were coming at him very fast, it wasn't something that he couldn't handle.

"Ahahaha~!" Susamaru cackled as she was watching Kazuki dodging her balls. "Not bad. You're actually pretty fast for a kid, but dodging is not enough."

Kazuki felt uneasy, he got careless. He felt the wind pressure suddenly fade behind him, which meant that the balls changed their original trajectory.

"Ice Breathing, Fourth Form: Ice Path - Surface."

Using his special zori sandals, he was able to slide on floors that were not too arid.

Normally, the Fourth Form could only be used on walls where he was being propelled by the force of gravity, but he would be unfit to call himself a warrior if he only followed his brother's teachings.

Still, it was futile; no matter how fast he was, he would have to stop at some point and those balls didn't seem like they were going to stop anytime soon. The force of the impact would make him fly and crash to the house, but a little damage wouldn't kill him.

"Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!"

That was until Kazuki saw a boy flying towards him, cleanly cutting both of the temari balls in one swoop. Tanjiro took a defensive stance and placed his back towards Kazuki's, both of them never blinking once.

"You're okay?" Tanjiro asked as Tamayo, Yushiro, and Nezuko stepped out of the house. Kazuki frowned as he took notice that the sliced balls were still vibrating on the floor.

"Kamado, at the count of three, jump forward…" Kazuki said, watching the balls carefully.

"One."

The balls moved.

"THREE!"

As those words came out, both warriors were already successfully dodging Susamaru's balls. The temari balls started to regenerate completely and went back to the demon, much to Tanjiro's dismay.

Kazuki however, was already setting his plans into motion.

"Yushiro, I need to get my bag. I need you to try and endure as much as possible," Kazuki demanded, making Yushiro frown at the absurdity of the plan.

"Are you serious? Do you intend to get Tamayo-sama and me killed?!"

"Well, all of us are going to die if we don't take these bastards down!" Kazuki argued back, looking at Yushiro with a look that said that he wasn't taking a "no" for an answer.

"Tch, fine! Just hurry up."

"Kamado, can you take care of yourself for a while?" Kazuki asked, blankly looking at the slayer.

Tanijro sent him a reassuring smile, full of confidence. "Leave it to us, we'll wait for you."

"One more thing, there was a second demon that came with her, but I don't know where he went… Still, I don't think he's idle and doing nothing, he has to be supporting the temari demon with his Blood Art," Kazuki said, causing Yushiro to immediately perk up.

"I see, so that's why there were arrows—watch out!"

Yushiro dived towards Tamayo and crashed into the wall towards the house, leaving Kazuki and Tanjiro to fend for themselves.

"I have no time for this… I really need to go and get that bag," Kazuki growled as he was surrounded by the temari balls that were surrounding both like a tornado.

"Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool!"

Tanjiro made a strong spin which slashed the spinning balls, but that didn't stop them as the balls shot forward, hitting both him and Kazuki on the face and torso. Before Kazuki could question what the hell he was doing, he saw him pointing towards a tree.

"Nezuko, he's over there!"

The demon girl nodded and used her demonic speed to quickly lunge towards the tree, ripping it from the earth and forcing it down. From the top, Yahaba fell on his face towards the ground and Nezuko kicked him in the face. Blood splattered everywhere as the demon's head blew up from the force of the kick.

Susamaru took notice of this and threw her temari balls towards Nezuko, causing Tanjiro to quickly make a run for it. He pulled Nezuko's kimono and dragged her away from the projectiles, quickly dashing his way back to Kazuki's position.

"Ehhhh? What are you doing Yahaba~? There is no fun in killing them if you get caught off guard..." Susamaru pouted as Yahaba's head started to regenerate from the damage.

"Tch, I got careless, I let that filth get too close to me…" Yahaba said in annoyance as the remaining parts of his head got fully healed.

Kazuki frowned, noting that the regeneration rate of these demons was far above normal, which meant they couldn't go for reckless tactics that easily. However, there was something that interested him more.

"How did you find him?" Kazuki whispered, careful to not make too much noise. "That demon was clearly out of sight; he didn't even move."

"I have an acute sense of smell; nothing can hide from me," Tanjiro said with a little pride in his tone of voice.

Kazuki was genuinely impressed. This guy had a bag of useful tricks on his own. In this situation, that couldn't have come at a better time.

"This is so much fun!" Susamaru laughed as she undressed from her kimono, only leaving herself with a black sash on her chest. Her body started to mutate as she grew more arms on both sides, making it a total of six.

Kazuki bared his teeth in annoyance. This battle was becoming harder by the minute. He hated when demons showed more resistance than they normally would.

Tanjiro showed a mix of shock and disgust at the demon's mutation. "You're kidding me… six arms?!"

"My body is all tingly! Please show me more of your moves, ahaha~!" Susamaru cackled, causing Kazuki to sweat nervously. "Your heads will serve me well as a trophy!"

"You take everything as a trophy, Susamaru…" Yahaba muttered as he made a wide grin that unsettled the warriors. "But this is not that bad of an idea, human filth will tire too fast, and dodging will only result in them getting killed. Amusing really, humans really are pathetic. They act according to their instinct and always end up getting killed, no matter who they are. Just look at their faces—"

As Yahaba kept mocking them, Kazuki's anger started to rise up to the point that the veins on his forehead started to show. One could make fun of his attire, his face, or even his hair.

But no one should ever look down on him.

"This idiot is really starting to irritate me…" Kazuki scowled as he took a deep loud breath. "Ice Breathing, First Form: Freezing Lunge!"

Kazuki dashed at Yahaba and impaled him in the chest, leaving the demon so surprised that he wasn't able to move for a second. Kazuki then kicked him in the guts with such force that it sent the demon flying a couple of meters away from Susamaru.

Before Susamaru could react, Tanjiro acted fast and closed the gap between them, trying to go for the head. However, the temari girl wasn't as distracted as Yahaba, so she acted fast and threw four balls at the slayer's face. Tanjiro backflipped away, dodging Susamaru's strike.

Since Kazuki was keeping Yahaba busy, the balls were now traveling in more predictable directions, making them easier to dodge.

Yahaba wasn't very happy seeing Kazuki moving towards him so freely.

"Fucking filth!" Yahaba snarled, moving his hands in a strange way. "I'm going to make you regret that you laid your filthy hands on me!"

As Kazuki was moving in, he felt a very strong force pushing him in the guts. He widened his eyes as he lost his balance and was sent flying towards the wall. A crash like that would've snapped his neck or given him head trauma if he wasn't careful, so he tried his best to land on his feet to lessen the impact. It would fracture some of his bones, but it wouldn't leave him unable to fight.

However, the worst didn't come. As he crashed into the wall, he felt that something soft was on his back. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he saw.

Nezuko was standing behind him, with blood coming down her forehead and gashes on her pale face. Kazuki was genuinely taken aback, not because she protected him, but because she wasn't regenerating the damage. He then heard a bunch of steps coming towards him, which luckily were Tamayo and Yushiro.

"Are you both okay?" Tamayo asked, checking the two for any injury. "You don't seem to have taken any serious damage Kazuki, just grazes. Nezuko-san on the other hand…"

"She doesn't seem in pain to be honest, so her demonic endurance is still there," Kazuki stated, peeking outside to see Yahaba slowly coming towards them.

"Tamayo-san, you need to heal the demon girl fast if we don't want to get overwhelmed by this eye-guy…"

Tamayo took out a syringe that contained a strange yellow liquid. It was one of her demonic steroids which would augment the strength and healing factor of a demon.

Nezuko started to regenerate her forehead fast, her demonic blood already going dry by the effect of the serum.

Kazuki took notice that Yushiro was handing him something, a dirty green bag. He looked absolutely disgusted while holding it.

"Don't stand there to look at it! Take this foul thing away from me!" Yushiro shouted, irritated by Kazuki's dumbfounded expression. He didn't complain and took the bag with no hesitation. He took a quick peek to check its contents.

"Alright, this will do..." Kazuki muttered as his face lit up in realization. He then looked specifically at Nezuko and Yushiro. "You two. I have a plan."

Yushiro narrowed his eyes.

"...What kind of plan? Let me remind you that your plans are way too reckless!"

Tamayo nodded, giving them a worried look. "Yushiro is right Kazuki, your plans tend to cause... a lot of damage."

"Mmph?" Nezuko tilted her head and blinked. She seemed interested in what plan he had.

"...This is a good one." Kazuki finally said, fixing his gaze onto Nezuko. "Demon girl, I hope you're good at hearing instructions because I'm only saying this once."

Nezuko was sweating bullets at the determination in his voice.

(X)

"Hey, hey! Don't space out now, you could die~"

Tanjiro gritted his teeth in frustration, desperately wanting to know what happened to Nezuko after she threw herself to save Kazuki. But he couldn't go see them if he was endlessly dodging the temari balls Susamaru was throwing at him.

He had to finish this fast.

Before Tanjiro could move into the offensive, he felt a gentle tug on his haori. Sharply turning around, he saw Nezuko waving at him cheerfully. Seeing that she had no injuries, Tanjiro was relieved for a second but still didn't let his guard down. They were in the middle of combat right now, and at risk of getting hit by a limb-tearing temari ball.

"Nezuko, stand back. It's dangerous!" Tanjiro ordered, worried about Nezuko's safety. Seeing that she wasn't moving, he wanted to press further. Until he saw a small object that she was holding.

Tanjiro's eyes widened. That wasn't a harmless small object, that was a stick of dynamite! It was very commonly used for mining and was a very potent explosive that would be lethal in the wrong hands. He knew this because the inhabitants from the village where he delivered charcoal occasionally used explosives to clear obstacles like boulders or huge piles of snow.

Nezuko shouldn't even know how to use them.

"N-Nezuko, who gave you that?" Tanjiro stuttered, careful around the destructive object. Nezuko pointed towards her eyes and made a gesture around them. Now, Tanjiro didn't know sign language, but it was very obvious that Nezuko was referring to someone with glasses. "Kazuki gave it to you? That's way too reckless!"

Tanjiro would have taken away the object from Nezuko, but he was stopped when he saw that Susamaru had already thrown six balls at them. He gasped and quickly jumped away from the impact area. Nezuko did the same, dodging every single projectile like it was child's play.

Nezuko allowed the veins from her forehead to show, a trait that demons had when they were beginning to engage in combat.

The balls returned back to Susamaru, who was grinning in anticipation at how fast the siblings moved.

"I feel it… I feeeeeeel it! The bond between you two is very strong, yes?" Susamaru cooed as she caught her balls back. "Let's play more!"

'Even without the help of that arrow demon, she's so resilient! I need to do something before she wears me down completely…' Tanjiro thought as sweat ran down from his forehead. But despite his nervousness, he didn't lose focus; he was a Demon Slayer after all.

One move, everything had to end this with one move. He just needed to see the opening thread before striking his foe.

He couldn't ignore the temari balls either, so he had to attack them if he didn't want to get turned into paste before he dealt some significant damage. He needed a technique that would have him in constant movement so he could get close to deal the final blow.

A move that had him in constant movement…

Tanjiro's face lit up. He had it! Susamaru seemed to notice this, which let her already present grin grow bigger.

"It seems that you have your hopes up…" Susamaru mused, clenching her balls tighter as her entire body started to fidget. "Good… let me crush those hopes as you get killed by one of the Twelve Demon Moons!"

That was an important detail, but Tanjiro wasn't going to ask as he saw imminent death coming towards him. He rolled, dodging every single one of the six balls that were thrown at him, and dodging yet again as the balls came back in the opposite direction.

Difference from the previous throws? The balls were no longer moving in unnatural directions. There was a pattern, back and forth. Even if it was still hard to dodge, it was not an impossible task, which was a huge advantage for Tanjiro. It was all thanks to Kazuki keeping the arrow demon in check.

However, Tanjiro wouldn't get anywhere if he couldn't get to a safe distance to perform his technique.

Just as he was about to change his plans, Nezuko took charge as she dashed to the seemingly unaware Susamaru.

Until the demon started to twist her body in an unnatural way, her torso making a full 360-degree turn towards Nezuko.

Tanjiro's eyes widened in horror as he feared what was coming next.

"Surprise~"

Susamaru grabbed her temari balls and slammed them full force into Nezuko's face. The hit was so hard that it caused a shockwave that reached even to Tanjiro. Nezuko lost her balance and fell over. The temari demon didn't stop there and used one of her six hands to pin her to the ground.

Tanjiro couldn't bear to watch this anymore. He took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"NEZUKO!"

He felt as if his whole body moved on his own, dodging every single one of the balls that were thrown at him. He was closely getting in range for him to use his technique.

It was now or never.

"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"

This technique was a gamble, it would cause him to never stop attacking until he finally took down his target. If he took too much time, he would die.

He dashed forward, his eyes locked onto Susamaru, whose grin faltered and then faded. She was serious now.

Susamaru fixed her attention towards Tanjiro, having all of her six balls ready in her hands. She threw four of them, each of them in different directions at different speeds, while still being lethal if it ever hit someone.

One, two, three, four- all dodged as Tanjiro continued his unstoppable assault. He could already sense the opening thread. Four of her balls were already sliced, so he didn't waste time as he jumped towards the demon's open neck.

Susamaru however, didn't seem to be scared in the slightest. In fact, she was grinning, with that sick grin she always wore on her face.

Tanjiro had made a fatal mistake. Susamaru was still holding two balls in her hands, and he was already midair. He could use the Ninth Form to dodge, but that would cause him to lose this rare opportunity to strike the demon down.

"Big mistake~!" Susamaru cackled as she threw one of her two remaining balls.

Tanjiro persisted; he could try to slice the ball, but as soon as he did that, he was pretty sure the demon was going to finish him off with her remaining ball.

He wasn't going to let that happen though. He would use his body as cover and slice Susamaru's head off, he had to do it even if it meant that he would lose an arm in the process. Constant Flux was still active, and his blood was rushing fast, so he had to push his body to the very limits.

He could pull this off.

He slashed the temari ball and charged towards Susamaru. The demon didn't think twice and hurled her remaining ball at Tanjiro.

However, instead of going for the neck, Tanjiro thrust his sword and nailed it to the ground, gaining enough force to gain altitude to jump over Susamaru.

He completely fooled her.

Susamaru visibly panicked, her eyes widening when she saw Tanjiro jumping over her. "No, no, you don't have me cornered!" she shouted through gritted teeth, quickly raising her hands to Tanjiro. "I have YOU cornered!"

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, her arm detached from her body and shot itself in the air in an attempt to catch Tanjiro off guard.

He quickly shifted to his left and dodged the projectile, but he lost his balance in the end and landed on his butt, a couple of feet away from Susamaru. The demon grinned victoriously, quickly approaching Tanjiro as she had six balls again in all of her hands, ready to finish off her prey.

"That was fun! Very fun yes! I will keep your head as a trophy for such a good—" Susamaru was cut off when a hand grabbed her mouth from behind her.

Nezuko got up, with half of her head slowly regenerating. She used her other hand to place the stick of dynamite she'd had earlier inside Susamaru's mouth.

Tanjiro knew immediately what he had to do as he quickly dashed forward and hit his blade hard enough on the floor to create a spark. The sparks flew over to the fuse, lighting it up.

Susamaru's eyes widened in fear as she desperately tried to get rid of the dynamite, but Nezuko didn't let her as she shoved the stick all the way down her throat.

Tanjiro ran quickly towards Nezuko and pulled her away from the imminent explosion.

A big radius of dust covered the area causing Tanjiro to cover his eyes. Once the smoke cleared, he could finally stare at the result of the explosion, only to look away in disgust as he saw the disfigured Susamaru, with only her lower torso remaining intact. The same could not be said for her upper half that was badly mutilated. Half of her head remained attached to her body, while the other was completely torn apart into pieces.

Tanjiro couldn't let her regenerate the damage, so he set Nezuko down and took a deep breath.

"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"

He dashed towards her, screaming with all of his might. He saw the opening thread as clear as day.

It connected. His sword cleanly passed through Susamaru's neck, effectively decapitating her. Her body fell limp to the ground as it started to disintegrate in little bits.

Tanjiro let out a sigh of relief, sheathing his blade. He turned around to double-check if he actually killed the demon, only for him to look with pity at Susamaru who—despite being faced with imminent death—still clung to her temari balls like a child.

"My… mari… thank you… for not leaving me behind…"

She expired after saying that, her last bits disintegrating into the wind. Tanjiro could only pray for the safety of her soul and that in her next life she would get to live better and greater without the need to kill people. It was a sad existence for demons, from genuinely good people to flesh-eating monsters with no conscious thoughts for human life.

And it was all thanks to Muzan Kibutsuji. Just the thought of that thing made his blood boil, but he calmed himself. The time to face him would eventually come.

He tensed as he remembered that he had more important things to worry about. Was that ball demon one of the Twelve Demon Moons? Is Kazuki alright in his fight with the Arrow Demon? Does he need a sample for this demon? What about Nezuko?

Nezuko...

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro remembered that Nezuko wasn't in the best condition when she pulled that stunt against Susamaru.

Tanjiro ran towards his sister, immediately leaning towards her to check her appearance. She was a mess: her head got completely smashed in as soon as she got too close to danger, her face was dented like metal and completely bloodied. Luckily, she was regenerating the damage she took, albeit slowly.

Tanjiro avoided contact with Nezuko's face as, judging by how she was wincing, it was probably very painful for her to regenerate, so he had to be extremely careful with her. He kindly carried and leaned her against a nearby wall.

Nezuko eased her posture as soon as Tanjiro touched her and went back to sleep.

Tanjiro wanted to hug her very tightly, tell her how much he was sorry for putting her through such an ordeal. He was her big brother, he was supposed to protect her, not the other way around! He sighed, leaving her in the same spot to let her rest and heal. He immediately went on guard as soon as he smelled two demons were still nearby.

Two demons and one human, to be precise.

One of those demons was Yushiro, and the human was definitely Kazuki. They must be still fighting the arrow demon.

Before Tanjiro could rush in to help them, he caught a peculiar, but pleasant smell near the arrow demon. It was the scent of… flowers?

"Aaaargh. I HATE YOU!"

That was the arrow demon!

He had to move fast. Tanjiro picked up Nezuko and rushed in towards the house, looking for someone.

The house was a complete mess, furniture rolled over, walls cracked, building unstable. It made Tanjiro sad seeing Tamayo's clinic getting wrecked.

"Tamayo-san!" he shouted, head swinging like a swivel.

No response.

Tanjiro clicked his tongue and kept looking around for someone, anyone, that could help.

"Tanjiro-san?"

To his luck, Tanjiro turned around and found someone standing across the hallway. Tamayo had opened the door to her basement just in time. Tamayo gasped as she took notice of the bloodied Nezuko in Tanjiro's arms. "Quick, give her to me!"

Tanjiro complied and quickly made his way towards Tamayo, who took the bloodied girl in her arms.

"I will treat her wounds down in the basement," Tamayo said while checking Nezuko's wounds. "I can't do that on this floor."

Tanjiro nodded. He was willing to give Tamayo all the time she needed if it meant Nezuko would be okay.

"There was a great amount of noise outside where Kazuki and Yushiro were fighting, but now it is all silent..." Tamayo muttered worriedly. "Would you be so kind as to check if they're okay while I tend to your sister?"

He didn't even hesitate to respond. "Of course!"

(X)

Humans were a complete eyesore for Yahaba; their filthy and weak nature always got to his nerves. The only thing they were good for was being a fine delicacy to the superior demons.

But he had found something more irritating than a human. In front of him was a demon who bore no desire to eat this human and on top of that, he was actually helping him!

He was helping food to survive.

He didn't understand it. He couldn't understand it at all.

"I hate wearing this…"

"Quit whining, it's the only way that you can fight him."

The human boy snorted as he appeared to be caressing his forehead. The traitor had placed one of his tags on his head and not so kindly forced a needle into his forehead, which seemed far from a pleasant sensation. Must have been the boy's Blood Demon Art.

Not like Yahaba cared, but what intrigued him the most was that it had improved the human's eyesight to the point where he didn't need to wear glasses.

Well, that was it for the analysis. The human didn't look that imposing, and the demon didn't have a very good Blood Demon Art at his disposal.

The outcome of this fight was already decided.

Yahaba grinned, preparing his arrows to go for the kill. He wasn't like Susamaru who prefers to play with her food; there is something called manners after all.

"Yushiro..." The human said. "You know the plan."

Yushiro frowned deeply, slowly looking towards the human.

"I still think this is a really bad idea..."

The human rolled his eyes, not even acknowledging his partner's complaints.

Yahaba couldn't bear to watch this anymore. He moved his hands and quickly directed his arrows towards his opponents. He would quickly disarm the human and bring him towards him to personally slice his neck. A slow but painful death for sure.

Even if Yahaba didn't want to touch that filth, it was what the human deserved for trying to lay his hands on him a while ago.

That would be the outcome if his opponents were stupid enough to stand still.

"Split."

As soon as those words came out of the human's mouth, both of his opponents dashed in different directions. Yahaba moved his arrows towards them, trying to get them to lose their balance by any means.

However, they were dodging the arrows as if they knew they were there as if they had some sort of second eyesight on them. Yahaba knew his ability well, and he knew that the naked eye was not able to see his ability by any means.

He gritted his teeth, quickly putting the pieces together. It's all part of Yushiro's ability. It's the reason why the human wasn't using the glasses he had earlier.

The human began charging towards his front, sword already unsheathed while already looking for his neck. He could see Yushiro coming from behind, probably willing to pin him down.

They were trying to surround him from both sides.

Yahaba snorted. It was a foolproof strategy, that's for sure. But if they thought they could grab his neck that easily…

They were sadly mistaken.

"Foolish," was all Yahaba said before waving his hands erratically. His arrows started to twist into a spiral pattern, quickly moving towards him.

Yushiro lost his balance and passed just around Yahaba, completely missing him. He then crashed into the human so hard that it pushed them back a couple of meters away from him.

The strength of his koketsu arrows was strong enough to kill a normal should they hit any solid material, so Yahaba was fairly sure that the human was done for.

"Ice Breathing, Fourth Form: Ice Path - Surface!"

As the human was falling to the ground, he grabbed Yushiro's kimono and performed a backflip. He then landed on his feet, sliding across the smoothest floor possible.

Interesting ability, but ultimately useless, as it only served to delay the inevitable.

The human growled in frustration, glowering at Yushiro angrily.

"Yushiro, focus! Didn't you see his arrows? We would have him already if it wasn't for you!"

That tone of voice didn't seem to soothe him in the slightest.

"I'm trying to headlock him, dumbass!" he argued back, eyeing him at the same level. "Did you forget that you are the only means to kill this guy?! You should shut your mouth and pay attention to his movements!"

The human's expression darkened. It appeared that Yushiro pushed him over the edge. So, he's one of those people…

"If you won't listen to what I say…"

One second, the human was just staring blankly at the traitor, making no sudden movements. Then, out of nowhere, the human swung his blade, cleanly cutting off his head.

A clean kill. Yushiro's body fell limp to the ground, with his head slowly rolling towards Yahaba. His completely miffed face meant that he did not expect this turn of events, but mostly, his expression was that of betrayal.

"You are just a liability."

Yahaba's eyes widened. That was certainly a surprise, an unexpected but welcome surprise.

"You just killed your ally…" Yahaba muttered in disbelief before breaking out into full-blown laughter. "Bahahaha, you humans are as dumb as rocks. You just attacked your only means to win—as if you had any in the first place. I'll have to agree with you on one thing though, your ally was certainly an idiot if he thought he could surprise me like that."

The human boy glowered at him, making Yahaba flinch instantly. His cold blue eyes, his scowl, the entire look on his face may have seemed plain at first and something that Yahaba had seen in countless slayers he has killed. It would only make them look like idiots.

But this human? The intensity of his emotions could be felt from miles away.

It was cold, chilling anger.

All of sudden the human kicked Yushiro's corpse towards him. Yahaba immediately used his koketsu arrows to push away the body, but as soon as he did that, he knew he screwed up.

The human boy immediately took charge and got dangerously close to him. Yahaba instinctively used his arrows to pull the human away from him.

Yahaba grinned as soon as his arrows enveloped the boy's torso. The win was his, he would twist his arrows to break his spine to make him bleed out. A painful death was deserving of someone as dirty as this guy.

"Now!"

Yahaba froze.

Not because of the intensity of the human's voice, but because he literally couldn't move. His hands felt like they were strongly gripped by something very strong.

Or rather someone…

This grip was far too strong to belong to a human, and since Yahaba was only fighting one person, it didn't take too much time to figure out who it was. He twisted his hands all the way to the back, courtesy of his demonic attributes and he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Yushiro was standing with his ever-present frown on his face. Yahaba gritted his teeth, closing both of his eyes and redirecting the arrows.

"Damn you, get away from me you- Aiiieeee!"

He shrieked as he felt the force of a train starting to crush his pupils. He couldn't see it, but he could feel his hands starting to bleed. He felt the burning pain across his whole body.

He had to move now; if he stayed still screaming any longer, then that human boy would surely slice his head off.

"I'll kill you both!" Yahaba roared as he opened the eyes of his face. He could see that the human was only inches in front of him. He would not let such filth kill him that easily!

Yahaba activated his ability and sent arrows in every direction towards the human boy, intending to turn him into paste. He could feel the pain getting stronger as Yushiro started to crush even harder, but Yahaba didn't care.

He would kill this human; he was flowing with determination.

The human panicked, his serious facade fading as he saw the number of arrows coming towards him. It was a total of 20 arrows, it had the strength of 10 demons at once.

"Yushiro, get away from him!"

Yahaba grinned, already tasting victory. It mattered not if Yushiro used himself as a meat shield, he placed all his power into this attack with a force so strong that it was capable of dismembering every part of the human body.

"Dammit!" the demon traitor cursed as he jumped away to help the human. The arrows were already on the human's entire body.

It's over.

Before the human got pulled by his arrows, he threw something small towards him. It was a very fast throw, but Yahaba's eyes could easily catch it. It was a worn-out leather pouch.

How filthy.

With a grunt, he sliced the pouch away from him, accidentally ripping it apart.

Yahaba gawked, stunned at the sight as he watched the contents spread out in the environment. It was some sort of sparkly white dust, with some pink colors that made a good contrast with them. It also had a pleasant smell; it almost drove him to the point of dozing…

He shook his head, what the hell was he thinking?! He almost lost focus on the battle again!

He pressed his attack further; the human boy was struggling to even swing his blade at this. However, Yushiro still insisted on getting in his way, placing himself behind the human in order to shield him from his attack.

"Don't you understand?" Yahaba asked through gritted teeth. "What you're doing is pointless, you'll get torn into pieces too!"

He got no response. No matter, they would die soon. Dawn was coming and the traitor would take time to regenerate.

'They're very close to the wall now, they're as good as dead.' Yahaba thought as he let a feral grin show across his lips.

"Ice Breathing, Second Form: Brutal Hailstorm!"

The human boy made a single stab towards the wall, completely shattering it in the process. That seemed to slow down their pace, but not enough as Yahaba kept propelling them in all directions.

However, their movement came to a halt as Yushiro managed to dig his entire hand into the ground. Thanks to the human's earlier attack, they were brought to ground level.

Yahaba snarled. They were annoying and persistent pests. He would not rest until every single one of them was dead.

After all, he cannot go back to Muzan empty-handed.

Luckily, he saw that the human was panting in exhaustion as he was struggling to get up. Good, all he had to do now was make him use those techniques of his until he got completely worn out.

But he couldn't help getting this weird feeling. It felt like it was getting hotter every second.

He froze as he noticed something: his koketsu arrows were starting to lose density and some of them were even fading from sight.

His eyes widened. Why was he getting weaker? Demons were unable to feel fatigued, and thus, were always able to stay at full power. It's what made them significantly better than humans.

Aren't they?

'Why, why is it harder to move?' Yahaba thought as his whole body started to tremble, feeling something that he didn't think he would feel in all of his demonic life—fatigue. His vision started to get blurry as he got a terrible headache. He placed his hands over his heads to try and see the problem, only to meet with a horrifying sight.

His hands were not regenerating, their eyes were still crushed by that demon. That was out of the ordinary: his regeneration was strong enough to the point that it only took a matter of seconds to get fully healed!

'Am I turning… human!'

Then, he felt a sting. A strong, painful sting.

His skin was starting to turn purple, every single part of his body feeling like hell was burning him completely. He then felt like he had a noose tied around his neck, choking him brutally as foam started to come out of his mouth.

"What… is happening… to me!" he tried to yell as he struggled to keep himself on his feet.

The human seemed to notice as the former started to breathe heavily, preparing himself for an attack.

Yahaba panicked as he desperately tried to move, but the pain was so strong that it kept him snared in his place. He was left there, defenseless, dreading what was coming next.

"Ice Breathing, Third Form: Sheer Cold!"

He felt it. He felt the pain every single time the human drove his sword into him. It burned, it felt like diving into cold water and unable to get out. The feeling of a thousand needles piercing all your body was far from a pleasant sensation.

Yahaba collapsed, losing all the feeling of his feet and hands. His body fell limp to the floor, unable to make a single movement.

"You have lost," the human said without a hint of pity.

Yahaba gritted his teeth, unable to comprehend the situation. He had the upper hand just a few minutes ago!

"What… did you do to me…!" he snarled weakly; it was too painful to even talk now.

The human stared blankly with those cold eyes of his, and he couldn't tell what he was thinking. Those eyes were empty, like they had seen all the horrors in this world.

"The pouch you destroyed earlier… contained a powder made from wisteria flowers—courtesy of the escapee you're trying to kill."

Yahaba caught his breath as he processed the information. He didn't like this one bit. That damned plant was said to give demons a slow and painful death.

And he got careless and inhaled a whole ration of it.

"That face of yours seems to have realized what is about to happen to you." He leaned forward, glaring at Yahaba dead in the eye. "I can make it painless for you if you provide me with the information I need."

Yahaba screamed, the pain of the poison starting to become unbearable. His bones were starting to melt, penetrating his organs and muscles. He could feel the bones of his face cracking little by little.

"Please stop this. Please… stop this! PLEASE KILL ME NOW!"

The human inhaled sharply, placing the blade right beside Yahaba's throat.

He smiled. Finally, the sweet release of death is the only thing that can stop this pain.

"...How many people have you killed as a demon? How many families have you destroyed because of the useless killings?"

He pressed the blade forward, the steel of the blade drawing blood from his neck. "How many innocents have begged you to kill them as you're doing it now...?"

Yahaba coughed blood as he scowled. This was getting ridiculous. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Answer. My. Question."

"What questions! What goddamn questions—agh!" Yahaba was so fed up with this human bullshit that he forgot about the poison. His eyes turned blood red, crying tears of blood in the process.

The human didn't waste any time. "Why is Muzan looking for Kamado, the boy with the Hanafuda earrings?"

"Why should I know?" Yahaba spat, sending a glare towards the human. "It's not my place to question his orders. I only serve."

The gaze of the human seemed to harden before shaking his head in disappointment. "I see, then you're truly hopeless. Serving someone who ruins other lives for pleasure… just because he turned you into a monster."

Yahaba wanted to lash out at this filth. He was being looked down on by a human! This type of humiliation could not stand!

"Y… You! How dare you- a mere human, talk about our Lord like that! I'll kill you, every single one of you. I will hunt you down!"

"The talk is over."

Yahaba felt the cold steel passing through his neck, the pain of the poison finally fading. His rage, however, was still ever-present.

The human said nothing else, he just sheathed his blade and turned around, leaving him to die.

This act was so humiliating, it was like being treated like a goddamn peasant. Using his last breath before disintegrating into nothingness, Yahaba screamed. "Aaaargh. I HATE YOU!"

In their last moments, people show who they really are. Yahaba was loyal from the beginning to the end. He lived a life of loyalty for his lord and died serving him well.

(X)

"It is done," Kazuki said, staggering as he walked towards Yushiro. "Thank you for trusting me back then. You detached your head just in time."

"It was that or you would have killed me by accident!" he snapped as he looked ready to punch Kazuki in the face. "This is exactly what Tamayo-sama and I meant when we said your plans are way too reckless!"

"Calm down… it all worked out in the end didn't it?"

Yushiro sighed and then looked up and sent a serious glare towards him. "Kazuki, you're smart and creative, I'll give you that, that's why I accepted this crazy plan of yours in the first place, but you have to bear in mind the consequences of your actions. What if I had been a second late to detach my head? What then?!"

Kazuki narrowed his eyes, offended by Yushiro's comment. "You know damn well that I won't do that to—"

"I know you don't have that intention, but the chance was still there, and you took it!" Yushiro yelled at the top of his lungs, making Kazuki shut up immediately. He didn't realize how upset he really was. "If you only think about yourself, you will end up hurting others. If you and I died, do you know how hurt Tamayo-sama would be?"

Kazuki inhaled sharply before exhaling, letting the thoughts of his mind roam freely. He didn't know he'd screwed up that badly.

"I-It was the only thing I could come up with at the moment," Kazuki stuttered, but that did little to help the situation as Yushiro's pupils narrowed like a serpent.

"Really? Do you still have an excuse?"

That firm tone of voice made him shut up. He was right, he shouldn't have an excuse for doing what he did.

"Sorry…" Kazuki muttered, looking away in shame. "I-I will try to be more careful next time."

That seemed to calm down Yushiro as he eased his posture.

"Just… be more self-aware next time. Got it?" he asked, a bit more softly this time. Kazuki made an awkward nod, which was enough to satisfy him. "Good, now, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he mumbled, softly. He then looked over to Yahaba's disintegrated body before looking back at Yushiro. "We need to go help Kamado, I'm pretty sure he's still fighting with-"

"Kazuki, Yushiro!"

They both turned their attention to the source of the voice. Kamado Tanjiro approached them, blade ready in both hands.

"Where is it? Where is the arrow demon?!"

"Disintegrating." Yushiro pointed towards Yahaba's body on the floor. Tanjiro eased his posture, storing the blade back to its sheath.

"So… it's over?" Tanjiro asked, causing Kazuki to nod.

"Yes, it appears it is," Kazuki said, feeling less tense than before. He then turned to Yushiro, who seemed to notice his stare.

"What!"

"Do you… have that dagger thing that you use to draw blood?"

Yushiro raised an eyebrow, confused about where this was going. "I do, but why do you want to…" he trailed off as he began to look back and forth between Kazuki and Tanjiro.

His face lit up, finally realizing what Kazuki meant. "Oh, I get it now. Now you want to help us, you stubborn prick?!"

Kazuki rolled his eyes. "I'm more of returning the favor rather than helping him. So, if you would please just give me the-"

"Alright, alright!" Yushiro yelled before digging his hands into his kimono. He then pulled out a small dagger which had a white line engraved on the blade, it also had a handle made of glass. He then gave it to Kazuki, which he gently took and made his way towards Yahaba's corpse.

Tanjiro was completely confused about the current situation. He blinked two times before finally looking at Yushiro.

"Yushiro-san, what is that dagger?"

Yushiro opened his mouth, then closed it. Whatever he was about to say got cut short as he sprinted towards Kazuki, who fell limp onto the ground.

"Kazuki!" Tanjiro screamed, sprinting towards the fallen figure of Kazuki. When both boys arrived, he didn't hesitate to pick him up from the ground and give him support from his shoulder.

"Tch, that was very risky Kazuki," Yushiro scowled, checking his pulse in the process. "You know you can't use the Ice Breath so much. It's not suited for your body."

"Thank you for reminding me," Kazuki deadpanned, earning a scowl from Yushiro.

Tanjiro gawked, clearly surprised by this information. "You can't handle the use of your own breath?"

"The Ice Breath is meant to be used by someone who has very high resistance and flexibility… which I don't have," Kazuki explained as he panted lightly. He clearly needed to rest.

"B-But you defeated… him!" Tanjiro stuttered as he pointed towards the place where Yahaba's body was supposed to be, which had now disintegrated completely.

"While I can't handle my own breath, that doesn't mean that I'm useless because of it," he explained again. "With the right planning, I can save my moves for the right time at the right moment. I can use up to three of the Ice Breath techniques in a fight. Any more than that and well… you see what happens."

"But why use something as risky as the Ice Breath?" Tanjiro asked.

Kazuki frowned as he looked to the side for a moment before returning his gaze to Tanjiro.

"It's… complicated," he said finally, albeit awkwardly. "Long story short, it's the only breathing style I know, and I have the most experience with it."

Tanjiro seemed to ponder the information he was given before asking, "You're going to be okay?"

Kazuki gave a slow nod. "For the moment, yeah."

Tanjiro let out a small smile. "That's good to know."

Before they made their way inside the house—or what was left of it—Kazuki remembered something important that he forgot to ask. "Yushiro, I need to talk with Kamado for a moment," Kazuki said, prompting Yushiro to raise an eyebrow. "You should make your way inside; the sun is coming out soon."

"Okay?" he said, quickly making his way inside of the house. He turned around to glance at both boys. "Don't take long, I hate when people make Tamayo-sama wait."

Once the demon made his way inside, Kazuki sighed. "Well, I guess that's that then…"

"What did you want to talk about?" Tanjiro asked, sweat running across his face as he couldn't mask his impatience, which Kazuki noticed.

"What's the rush?"

"Nothing, I'm just worried about Nezuko…" Tanjiro said, looking at Kazuki with a frown. "You know, after you gave her a stick of dynamite!"

Kazuki knew where this was going. His eyes widened, clearly surprised by Nezuko's actions. "She understood everything I said?"

"I guess? Even if Nezuko has become a demon, that doesn't mean she's incapable of thought," Tanjiro explained in clear displeasure. "That's beside the point, why did you give her a stick of dynamite?!"

"I didn't think she would actually go ahead and do it..." Kazuki said as he nervously scratched his cheek. "Well, I gave her the dynamite as a last resort so you could go ahead and finish the demon off. You did that, right?"

Tanjiro nodded. "Yeah, I did it but it was still way too risky."

Kazuki sighed, understanding his displeasure. If he said this to him a few minutes ago, then he would have shrugged it off as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. However, his plan with Nezuko was less risky than the one he did with Yushiro.

"You know, only you and I should be concerned with our lives. Demons can only be killed via sunlight or decapitation by a nichirin blade."

"I know that! But still what if-"

"If she got caught in the blast?" Kazuki finished for him, making Tanjiro shut up. "She would regenerate. She's a demon, we're not. She can heal, we cannot. It's as simple as that."

Tanjiro frowned, clearly not accepting Kazuki's explanation.

Kazuki looked to the side, quite ashamed by how harsh he was. "Sorry I'm…"

"Tired," Tanjiro said, his gaze softening. "Don't worry, I can tell… It's just that as her elder brother, I must ensure that she's safe no matter what."

Kazuki blinked a couple of times. "Sounds to me that you're being unnecessarily overprotective."

Tanjiro's mouth gaped. "Eh?"

"Kamado, you should let your sister take care of herself for a while," Kazuki explained, careful as to not make him mad. "Otherwise, she would have a hard time fighting tougher opponents because of her lack of experience."

Tanjiro's expression turned grim. "I know that but… she's the only family I have left."

Kazuki's blank stare didn't leave Tanjiro, but deep inside he knew why he was being overprotective. He didn't know the details of what happened to him, but he knew how it felt. To lose a family, and to protect the few that you have left.

It was the same with him regarding Tamayo and Yushiro—they were two of the few people he considered as family, after his last incident.

"All the more reason you should let her protect herself," Kazuki finally said. "Who knows, she might surprise you."

Tanjiro closed his eyes as he seemed to think over what he said. He seemed to be reminiscing unpleasant memories as Kazuki saw him frowning lightly. Then, after a brief silence, Tanjiro let out a satisfied grin. "Thank you… I will think about it."

"Sounds good to me," Kazuki said, nodding in satisfaction. "Now, can we go inside? We've been here for who knows how long that dawn is already out."

Tanjiro perked up as he turned to look in the direction where the moon was supposed to be, only for him to cover his eyes to avoid being blinded by the rays of the sun. It appears that they were talking for quite a while.

"Yeah, we should go now," Tanjiro said as he started to walk inside the house, supporting Kazuki on his shoulder.

While they were walking, Tanjiro spoke. "That reminds me, Tamayo-san told me your first name, but not your last name," he said. "Is there a reason for that?"

Kazuki just sent him the most deadpan stare he could muster. "Are we really having this conversation now?"

Tanjiro chuckled nervously. "I'm just curious, that's all."

Kazuki would have rubbed his temples if he could actually move. He sighed. "One reason, which I will not explain, so I guess I'll just tell you my last name... Miyamoto," Kazuki said, causing Tanjiro to beam. "My full name is Miyamoto Kazuki, but please only call me Kazuki."

Tanjiro hummed before nodding. "I'll do that, but can you please call me Tanjiro?"

Kazuki didn't take that too kindly. "Why? I just met you like… five hours ago."

"Well, you are basically forcing me to call you by your given name…" Tanjiro laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head. "It would be nice if you would call me by name too!"

Not having the energy to keep arguing, Kazuki sighed. "Fair enough… Tanjiro."

(X)

"I need to see your tongue, say ahh."

"Ahh…"

Kazuki opened his mouth as Tamayo drove a tongue depressor into his mouth. It had an odd taste, which made him a little uncomfortable.

Tamayo's clinic was a mess. All of her rooms were completely wrecked because of the crossfire which meant all of her medicine and medical appliances were buried in rubble or broken. Luckily Tanjiro—who was the first to offer his help—got various things from the wreckage. That being some alcohol, a stethoscope, and many other tools. He also got Kazuki's glasses out there.

While it wasn't everything Tamayo could wish for, it was still something she could work with.

And thus, Kazuki sat on the floor, with Tamayo giving him a normal checkup while Tanjiro, Yushiro, and Nezuko—now fully healed—looked from behind.

"It appears you have a sore throat... " Tamayo said, taking out the stick from Kazuki's mouth. "What did you feel when you fell?"

"Well, the first thing was feeling a little lightheaded, I thought it was nothing. Then suddenly my muscles felt like rubber and I lost my strength and balance."

Tamayo was humming, deeply in thought. "So, it's the same feeling you have after using your breath?"

"Yeah, the same as usual."

She nodded and then took out a small leather cuff and wrapped it around Kazuki's arm, connected to a tube to a manometer. It was a blood pressure meter. She then wore her stethoscope and placed it in the center of Kazuki's chest.

"Alright, take a deep breath," Tamayo said softly as she started to pump the air into the device.

Kazuki did what he was told, closing his eyes and breathing slowly. It hurt a bit, but nothing he couldn't handle.

After a brief session of inhaling and exhaling, Tamayo finally turned off the device and detached it from Kazuki. She had a neutral expression through all this, so it had to be nothing major.

"You have low blood pressure," Tamayo said while putting away her appliances.

Tanjiro gasped. "W-Wait, that's nothing too serious, right?" he stuttered, sweating profusely.

Tamayo shook her head. "It's serious if it's not treated, but right now there is nothing to worry about," she said while pulling out two pills from her bag. She then handed Kazuki a cup of water. "Drink this and you'll be okay," she said gently. Kazuki took the pills and the water and swallowed them.

The pills won't work in an instant, it's not magic. Kazuki stood up weakly and leaned himself into a wall for support, waiting for the pills to work. After all the tension was gone, he sighed and pulled out something from his yukata. It was the dagger that Yushiro gave him earlier, except instead of the blade having a white engraving, it was now crimson red, the handle having the same color.

"Tamayo-san, I have something for you," Kazuki said, giving the blade to Tamayo, who gently took it. Her eyes widened in realization as she understood perfectly well what that meant. Tanjiro looked curious about this and approached them.

"Mmph?" Nezuko grew curious as she tried to hold the blade, only for Tanjiro to hold her hand and shake his head.

"No Nezuko, that's dangerous. It could hurt your finger!"

Nezuko was confused as she pointed at her finger.

Tanjiro nodded. "Yes, exactly like that!"

"Kazuki, this is…!" Tamayo trailed off as she sent a look to Nezuko, then back to him. "Did you overhear our conversation?"

Kazuki nodded. "Most of it. You're going to need a ton of demon blood to cure that girl right? Here, take this," he said, giving the dagger to Tamayo. He could see that her eyes were welling up, not in sadness, but in happiness. She didn't cry, but she gave him a sweet motherly smile.

Kazuki just looked away, blushing in embarrassment. "S-Stop giving me that look, I'm just repaying the favor."

Tamayo inspected the blade before looking at Tanjiro with a satisfied smile on her face. "Tanjiro-san, with this sample of demon blood that Kazuki provided me, it has helped me in my research to turn your sister back to human."

"About time he helped," Yushiro grumbled under his breath. "But why does he deserve to get Tamayo-sama's angelic look…"

Tanjiro looked genuinely taken aback. He was clearly not expecting Kazuki's help in any way, and he understood why; he had been too dismissive up to this point.

At least he could have some peace of mind with this act.

"Wow, I didn't… Thank you, Kazuki!" Tanjiro smiled, bowing all the way to the floor, so far that it made a crack.

Talk about an overreaction.

Seeing how happy Tanjiro was, Nezuko joined him by raising her arms up and moaning in happiness.

"I'm just repaying the favor for you Tanjiro, nothing else," Kazuki said, maintaining his calmness. "And once again, don't bow."

"What favor?" Tanjiro asked, puzzled. "I don't remember that you owe me anything."

Kazuki opened his mouth and then closed it. He didn't know? Or he didn't care? "Back then, you sent your sister to protect me, right?" Kazuki asked, causing the slayer to look at him.

Tanjiro's face lit up in realization. "Oh, that? I didn't tell her anything, she did it on her own," he explained, giving him a warm smile. "She's been hypnotized—because you're a human, she will protect you because it is her mission."

Kazuki blinked. Hypnosis? He didn't know that ancient technique was still used these days, or that it worked on demons of all species.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If hypnosis could change a demon's behavior that fast, then Tamayo would have used the technique on every demon turned by Muzan to break out of his control. It wasn't that simple. That girl must have been thinking she's hypnotized to not attack humans.

Kazuki growled, wanting to hit himself on the head as he realized the stupidity of his thoughts… That's basically how hypnosis works.

He would have to research that later in the library. Right now, he would just roll with it.

"I see… her name is Nezuko right?" he asked, looking at the girl in question.

Tanjiro nodded awkwardly. "Yeah… you forgot about her name already?"

"Yeah, I don't remember well the names of demons other than the ones I trust—which can only be counted with one hand," Kazuki explained, causing Tanjiro to frown. "The only ones I trust are Tamayo-san, Yushiro… and Nezuko has been added to that list."

That was enough to ease Tanjiro's distress as his frown slowly dissipated, eventually giving him a warm smile.

It was weird, Kazuki was never someone that wanted to do anything with the slayers, much less with demons, and here he was, befriending two siblings who were those same things he hated.

The irony of all.

Nezuko beamed and skipped towards him. Kazuki found it slightly amusing that a 14-year-old girl was acting like a mere toddler, but he had to admit that she was slightly adorable. She extended her hand over Kazuki's head, making the latter's eyes widen.

Oh no, she could do anything to him except that!

Kazuki pushed her hand away. "No patting."

She tried again, only to get pushed away, again.

"No."

She persisted yet again as she fumed.

Kazuki was getting extremely irritated at this point, that if no one stopped her, he would have to yell at her. Last thing he wanted to do.

"That's alright Nezuko, he clearly doesn't want headpats," Tanjiro said, gently pulling his sister away from him. Nezuko pouted in frustration, clearly not appreciating getting interrupted.

Kazuki sighed, internally thanking Tanjiro for knowing the first thing about personal space.

He couldn't help but wonder, why did he change his mind to help these siblings? He had always hated how seemingly 'unbreakable' sibling bonds were as if that was true.

But he couldn't help to feel that he did the right thing, as a part of his heart still… desired these bonds.

It was an odd feeling that always left a bittersweet taste in his mouth.

"Hey, Kazuki."

Kazuki broke out of his trance as he heard the voice of Tanjiro addressing him.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah…" Kazuki replied dismissively. "I was just thinking about something, what is it?"

Tanjiro seemed unsure at first, as he nervously scratched his cheek. "You know… the slayers could use someone as strong as you. You're very strong and can be such a huge help in their fight against the demons!" he said, causing everyone's eyes to be fixed on him.

Yushiro sent a glare towards Tanjiro as if he had just stepped into very thin ice.

Tamayo just looked between both boys, unsure where this was going. She knew how hard the subject of being a slayer was, something that made Kazuki sick, but she still had a small glint of hope in her eyes.

Kazuki was stunned, his eyes portraying a mixture of sadness and pain. He just didn't want to go to the corps, not because he was a coward—he could take as many demons as he wanted. It's because he didn't want to see… him. Just the thought of that person made his heart sink. It was because of him that he hated sibling bonds in the first place.

But… a part of him wanted to go. He wasn't sure why, but the feeling was there.

"Sorry, Tanjiro…" Kazuki mumbled loud enough to be heard. He clenched his chest tightly, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"But… I just can't!"

Tanjiro seemed to want to talk more, but Kazuki didn't give him the chance as he walked away, not even looking him in the eye.

"Hey Kazuki, what's the problem!?" he could hear him plead. Kazuki stopped by the door, not even turning around.

"Sorry, Tanjiro, Nezuko," he muttered sadly. "Take care, and good luck on your mission… you will definitely need it."

 

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 3: Tough Choices​

The next day wasn't easy for Kazuki.

Ever since the battle with the demons, Tamayo, Yushiro, and Kazuki were forced to relocate to another place. They didn't want to risk getting ambushed by another demon.

However, that was the least of the young boy's worries, as he was currently feeling frustrated about something. He didn't know what it was, but whenever he remembered the strong bond between the Kamado siblings, he couldn't help but feel disgusted... betrayed.

In the deepest parts of his heart, though, he was desperate to have something similar. Something that was lost a long time ago. He wanted to regain it.

As Kazuki finished dismantling his food cart, he slowly made his way back to Tamayo's destroyed clinic, feeling the cold wind of the night. He walked, eyes glued to the ground. The night was still young as the moonlight shone from above.

"Kazuki?"

His eyes widened, feeling an all too familiar demonic presence on his back. He quickly turned around, sword ready on his hip, only to ease his posture when he saw the lone figure of Tamayo, carrying a basket—which looked a little too big for a woman of her size—full of new medical appliances.

"Tamayo-san?!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Tamayo said, lightly bowing her head.

"Ah... it's fine," Kazuki said, quickly recovering from the sudden encounter. "What are you doing here? You should return to the clinic, where it's safe."

Tamayo chuckled, appreciating his concern. "It's okay, Yushiro already placed a few of his tags all over the district. He will warn me if there is any sort of trouble. And also, it would be better for me to keep moving, right? After all, Muzan already knows where I've been hiding."

"And Yushiro?" he replied with a frown.

"Finding a new place for us to settle down. Probably near Akihabara."

Kazuki remembered that most of Tamayo's medical tools got destroyed alongside her clinic—courtesy of the demons sent by Muzan—so she would definitely be in need of new tools. He hummed, before nodding slowly, understanding her reasoning. "I see..."

Tamayo tilted her head and frowned, noticing that something was off about the boy. Kazuki didn't know it, but he seemed way more distressed ever since the Kamado siblings left the state.

"Is something on your mind? You usually don't tremble this much."

Kazuki's eyes widened, surprised by the woman's keen observation. He found himself at a loss for words, unable to respond to her question, which did little to ease her worries.

"We can talk about it once we return to the clinic," she said in a tone that left room for no arguments.

Kazuki found his words dying inside his throat and just nodded. There was too much going on inside of his mind that he found trouble getting the right words out of his mouth.

However, even with all the turmoil on his mind, there were still things that didn't escape from his sight.

"Tamayo-san, let me carry that basket for you."

Tamayo raised an eyebrow and looked at him with slight amusement. "I'm fine Kazuki, really, I can carry all of this by myself."

Kazuki blushed in embarrassment. "I know that! The thing is..." He leaned to the woman's ear and whispered. "Everyone is glaring at me like I'm a damn pig..."

Tamayo tilted her head, not understanding his distress. She started to look at her surroundings and saw that the local citizens were glaring at Kazuki disapprovingly. She could perfectly carry this all by herself because of her demonic strength, but she understood that this didn't leave a good image on the boy. Of course, this was because, on the outside, it looked like a frail woman was carrying a very big basket alongside a perfectly healthy young man who was doing nothing.

Yushiro would kill Kazuki if he saw that he was handing all the work to her.

She chuckled slightly, knowing that Kazuki's silly pride could get him worked up in the silliest situations. She set the basket down and stepped away from it. "Very well, you can help me with it."

Kazuki sighed in relief and knelt down, trying to lift it up himself. He felt a sting on his back when he tried to pull up, as the weight of the basket went fully on his entire body.

'There's definitely more than just medical appliances here!' Kazuki growled internally as he struggled to lift the basket. 'Tamayo-san does tend to buy everything she sees...'

Tamayo started to get worried seeing that he was struggling with getting that basket off the ground. "Y-You sure that you can carry that on your own?"

"This? Oh, of course, let me just-" Kazuki said before taking a deep breath and finally pulling that basket up to his chest. "Give it a quick lift...!"

He puffed some air out of his body as he tried to keep his balance, he felt sweat coming down his forehead and his face burning red from the pressure. The basket was very heavy, but it wasn't like it would kill him.

Tamayo panicked as she looked tempted to yank the basket away from him. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry it?!"

Kazuki nodded through gritted teeth. "Yeah look... can we move now?"

Tamayo reluctantly nodded, and they both went on their way back to the clinic. No one said anything to each other, which was... kind of awkward as Kazuki couldn't even bear to look her in the eye.

He knew he could trust everything to Tamayo because she was the closest thing he had to a mother. However, he would wait until they arrived at the clinic.

"We're here."

Kazuki snapped back into reality, not knowing that he'd just phased through Yushiro's intangible wall. He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't even feel the numbness on both of his arms. Tamayo made a few glances towards him but she didn't say anything. There wasn't any need to.

They made their way to the basement, where a bunch of bags with various medicines can be seen, alongside types of clothes. All they needed before leaving was a new safehouse, which Yushiro was taking care of.

"You can leave the basket alongside the bag," Tamayo said, taking a seat on the floor. She patted the spot beside her. "Take a seat once you're done."

Kazuki nodded, albeit reluctantly. He knew he had to talk to Tamayo, but where could he possibly start? How could he explain his problem? Would she understand?

He sighed in resignation. He'd just have to wait and see.

Kazuki went and placed the basket beside the bags, feeling an immediate sense of relief as he felt the weight on his hands reducing. He stretched his back, eyes looking at the ceiling. He was still reluctant to talk, but there was nothing he could do now.

He went to Tamayo and took a seat beside her.

"So, what's the problem?" she asked, her voice gentle and caring. "You can talk to me whenever you want, I won't be going anywhere."

Kazuki didn't say anything. He was still figuring out what to say, what he could say, what he needed to say to lift the weight from his chest. He didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, which felt like hours to him.

Finally, he took a deep breath and mustered his courage to talk to Tamayo. No secrets, he owed her that much.

"Do you remember what I told you about my brother?" Kazuki said, quickly getting his guardian's attention. "I… just don't understand. These family bonds, they hurt when I see them but at the same time, they make me feel... funny on the inside. Maybe I'm crazy... I don't know, to be honest."

He looked directly at her with pleading eyes. "Why can't I just…let it go?"

Every word that came out of Kazuki's mouth felt like a chore. He wanted answers, he needed answers.

Tamayo didn't say anything; she just looked to the side, seemingly thinking about something. She stood up, hand cupped under her chin. Each passing second, her face seemed to grow somber. That was... weird. Kazuki found her actions unusual to how she normally acted.

"Tamayo-san?" he asked, trying to get the attention of the woman.

The woman in question seemed to snap out of her daze as she turned back to look at him, a sad look on her face. It seemed that she was reminiscing about painful memories. She went back and sat next to Kazuki again, this time more composed.

"I'm uh-" She coughed, words stuck in her throat, then took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell you what happened to me four hundred years ago."

Kazuki blinked, unsure where she was going with this. He nodded, letting the woman get her point across.

She bit her lower lip before she spoke again. "It all started 400 years ago, in the midst of the Sengoku Era..."

And as Tamayo told her story, her calm facade started to break and she started to shiver from the painful memories.

She told Kazuki everything. How she fell ill with cancer, how she desperately sought medicine, how she was tricked by Muzan.

The way she killed her family.

Each second that passed, Kazuki felt his heart getting heavier and Tamayo probably felt no different. The things that she had to go through, it was not a weight anyone should carry. It almost seemed like a horror tale that some of those crazy Matagi hunters would tell you. Almost.

But part of him was glad that Tamayo told this to him now. Had she revealed this 3 years ago, Kazuki wouldn't even have hesitated to strike her down. However, after all the things she did for him—all the support and love he didn't deserve, yet she gave—the least he could do was believe her.

She was a good person, not a heartless monster, and Kazuki knew this.

But still, was there any point for Tamayo to tell him all of this? Was there a reason as to why she should drop this bombshell on him so suddenly?

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Tamayo-san," Kazuki finally said, eyes soft as he twiddled his thumbs.

Tamayo's face twitched, doing her best to not break her calm demeanor. "I still see them in my memories, begging me to stop…" She took a deep breath, composing herself. "My point is that you can never let go of old wounds. Even if you try to heal them and move on, the scars will still remain, and those scars will often sting."

He knew that.

He knew that so damn well.

It was the reason why he had been distressed for three whole years, why he never smiled, why he was always sick when seeing someone having a healthy relationship with their siblings.

"I know that..." Kazuki said, face solemn. "Tamayo-san...after all of that has happened to you, how can you still smile? Every time I see you helping others, being kind to Yushiro and me, you always seem to have this aura of...hope. W-Why? How do you do it?"

"Let me tell you something Kazuki..." Tamayo said, her voice as soft as a feather. "When I reached rock bottom, I thought that it was the end for me. I had no goals, no hope, I was an empty shell, until one day everything changed. There was someone, a symbol, that taught me that not all hope is lost, someone so strong that his legacy is on a never-ending hunt against Muzan."

"Tsugukuni Yoriichi, am I right?"

She nodded. "Yes, you are right, thanks to him I regained the flame of hope that was lost to me. After all, when you reach rock bottom, you can only go up."

Kazuki arched an eyebrow. "Do I... have to reach rock bottom to do something about my life?"

Tamayo turned to him horrified, offended even. "What?! Of course not! This is exactly why I wanted to have this talk with you. You don't have to experience something so horrible."

Kazuki blinked, surprised by her outburst. Definitely a bad time to even think about making snarky comments like that.

She sighed. "Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this is because, despite all the tragedies that this world brings to you and will still bring, you still need to have the courage to keep moving. Life is full of pain, but there's also love and beauty."

Move forward?

Could he really do something as dreamy as moving forward? There was just so much going on inside of his mind... so much turmoil. He just needed more time to think and organize his thoughts.

But he knew that it had been three years since he had been organizing his thoughts.

Kazuki lay down on the floor, looking at the ceiling, hands folded on his chest. Even if it was considered bad manners, Tamayo just let him do his thing, which was greatly appreciated.

"What am I going to do now?" he said, voice devoid of emotion.

"It is ultimately your decision, but I recommend that you talk to your brother."

There was finality in her voice, almost like a thunderclap, so at odds and different from the creaking wooden floor and hot air that it almost felt like a slap in the face. Kazuki's eyes were wide behind his glasses.

His first response was instantaneous. "I don't know about that… I don't-"

"You're afraid," Tamayo stated, her voice hitting Kazuki like a pile of bricks to the head. He turned away, not wanting to see her in the face.

Tamayo smiled, placing both hands on her lap. "It's okay to be afraid, Kazuki. You've been staying with us for three whole years, and telling you to face the fears from your past that suddenly may seem ridiculous, but… don't resent the only family member you have left. Family is one of the most precious treasures."

She sounded... hurt when she uttered those last words. Kazuki couldn't blame her, having no family members left in the world and seeing him hating on his brother is probably hurting her.

His only family...

She was wrong, Kazuki had a family right here, in Asakusa. To just leave them to find a man that caused so much pain seems like a fool's errand.

So why did a part of him still want to confront his brother? It might be out of anger, or sadness, he didn't know... but it was certainly the source of his troubles.

"I don't even know where he is," Kazuki muttered, his tone spitting venom like a dam. He took a seat, facing Tamayo directly.

"That won't be a problem, as you know, I have been in contact with the corps for quite a while. I can arrange a meeting."

He really needed to stop making such pathetic excuses.

He scowled, clenching both of his hands. "Even if I knew where he was, I don't think I'm ready to forgive him..."

"From what I've heard from the corps, your brother is a very good man. You just have to try."

Trying for something that might hurt him to the point of no return? Would it really be worth going on a journey because of that? To leave everything that he had here?

"Promise me, Kazuki," Tamayo pleaded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Promise me that you will forgive him."

It was definitely wishful thinking on her part, but it wasn't something Kazuki wanted to refuse from the get-go.

Did he want to go? Not in a million years. Did he need to go? Maybe.

Tamayo wasn't forcing him to do anything directly on him, but she was doing it indirectly. If Kazuki went on his journey, he would need to be prepared to face the unknown and his past. If he decided not to go, then his decision would hurt Tamayo badly... he hated having to hurt her.

She wasn't making this easy.

"I-I can't promise to the moon Tamayo-san," Kazuki blurted out, an apple lodging in his throat. "If I promise you this, wouldn't you be forcing me to do something I don't want to do? Aren't you placing your wishes in me to carry on?"

He stood up, his lips trembling while facing his guardian with a harsh glare. "Don't you think this is only yourself being selfish...?"

The woman looked down. "You are absolutely right."

There. That should do it.

"Then-"

"But... Every single day, your brother is out there risking his life for humanity. He could die any day, at any time while you are serving bowls of udon here in Tokyo. You are wasting the precious time you could spend with your real family, your real brethren." Tamayo said, her calm facade breaking as her eyes started to well up. "I would have done everything in my power to have a member of my family with me still, so don't waste this opportunity... b-because of pride! Please, I've seen it destroy too many families."

There it was, the face that Kazuki hated to see. She didn't break down, luckily, but the way she was trembling and clenching her kimono tightly was a dead giveaway to how she was feeling now. She was hurt... very hurt, and it was all his fault.

Even if Tamayo was indirectly forcing him to go and face his fears, it wasn't something he wanted to do from the get-go. Maybe if he did take this journey, he would learn how to open up to his brother and find the answers he sought... even if it hurt like hell.

It took a very long time for him to open up to Tamayo, and much more time to Yushiro: who said that he wouldn't take the same time or longer with the slayers? Worse to the man that left to play hero with the corps. It was a gamble, a huge one, but something he had to do if he wanted to ease the turmoil inside of his mind.

He could use this journey to get used to the demon-slaying business, and then... face the worst. He just needed time.

It was decided.

Kazuki sighed, easing up his posture as he took a seat next to Tamayo. She was looking at him expectantly, the silence of the room suffocating her.

He gulped, feeling nauseous all of a sudden. "W-Will this journey be worth it?"

Tamayo's eyes lit up but she kept her cool, maintaining her composure. "I can't assure that it will be. That is up for you to decide."

Of course, he could decide which course of action to take in his journeys. It was the consequences of those actions that made it hard to determine its worth.

Kazuki sighed.

"Then... I will try to forgive him Tamayo-san... if that makes you feel better."

Her lips curved upwards, an action that left Kazuki dumbfounded.

"That's all I ask."

He was so dazed by Tamayo's angelic smile that he forgot she was patting his head.

(X)

Leaving his home was not easy for Kazuki, especially when he grew a strong bond with Tamayo and Yushiro. As Kazuki was packing his bags, he felt doubt every second, wondering if he made the right choice. Not like he could change that now; if he wanted to ease the turmoil inside of his mind, he had to do this.

There wasn't much to pack, only the essentials like just one spare of clothes and small provisions of rice balls. Tamayo said that he should only take one pair of clothes because the corps would provide him with a uniform suited for fighting, provided he passed their test.

Tamayo was insistent that Kazuki should change his current clothing style, much to his dismay. The reason for this was because he shouldn't fight demons with only a yukata, which could easily be broken by normal demon attacks.

She wasn't wrong. Kazuki had trouble keeping his clothing in place when he fought against Yahaba, so this was a welcome change.

He wore a white hippari style kimono with blue oval-shaped snowflake ornaments. Under his kimono, a black vest could be found, followed by black pants and white tabi socks on his lower half.

There was nothing else to pack now. It was time to leave for the town of Urawa, near Mt Natagumo where he was supposed to meet with the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps to see what became of him. Tamayo didn't lie when she said she had contacts with the corps. Then again, that was how he got his sword in the first place.

Kazuki sighed, standing in front of his guardian and 'step-brother' in the basement of their old clinic. His bag was in his hand, ready to go on his journey.

Yushiro had managed to find a new place for them to stay in Akihabara. It was a little bit cramped and unstable, but it was what they managed to get because Tamayo said that she was short on cash. The demon boy said that the place was so old that he could feel the dust filling up his lungs.

All of this didn't make sense to Kazuki.

For the past few days, Tamayo always lacked money for some unknown reason, and she didn't accept any of Kazuki's own money from selling his udon which was... certainly strange. Sure, she had to pay for all of her medical supplies which got destroyed by the demons, but that was easily replaceable. She was a doctor, and a very good one at that, she should've had a lot of money in her pocket to get herself a decent place to stay. So why didn't she?

Not like it mattered at this point, he had to leave this place now.

"Then, I'll be off," Kazuki said, bowing his head low.

"Wait Kazuki!" Tamayo said as she raised her hand. "Before you go, there's something I want to give you."

Kazuki perked up, wondering what the woman wanted to give him.

She whistled.

"Meow!"

Kazuki blinked, hearing a familiar feline sound from the back. He heard a few pounces falling from the ceiling and then a few rapid steps coming towards him. Then it appeared, a tricolor calico cat, its big amber eyes staring at the white-haired boy.

He knew exactly who this cat was. He was starting to miss it because of its absence in the past few days. Did it ever eat anything?

"Chachamaru? So, you were hiding here all along?" Kazuki mused, causing the feline to tilt its head. The cat jumped onto his shoulder and then started to nuzzle his face. The boy recoiled back at the sudden display of affection from the animal. "Hey, stop that!"

Tamayo giggled amused by the cat's actions. "I want you to take her on your journey. I trust you're okay with it?"

"I should be the one asking that. How would you send messages in the first place?"

"I can find another cat, don't worry about it," Tamayo said, quickly reassuring the boy. Her eyes then lit up, as if she remembered something. "That reminds me, there's something else I want to give you. I think it is over here..."

She started to dig into her sleeve and pulled out a small object, a black case with two round circles. She opened, revealing two small transparent objects. Kazuki tilted his head as he was a little distracted by the sight of his reflection from the glassy objects.

His eyes widened as realization struck him—this was no mere piece of glass!

"Those are-"

Yushiro, who was also watching, yanked the object out of Tamayo's hand to get a good look at it, an action that would never cross his mind unless it was something of huge importance.

Kazuki could see the shocked expression on his face as he gawked at the object.

"CONTACT LENSES?!" Yushiro howled, making Tamayo and Kazuki recoil back. "I-I read that they were only available in Europe. To find them here... Tamayo-sama, this must have cost a fortune!"

Oh.

So that's why Tamayo always seemed to have less money than she normally should! Contact lenses in Japan were nonexistent. To find them here would mean buying them from fences that always have their prices sky high!

It all clicked into Kazuki's mind. The reason why she had a less comfortable place for living, the reason why she was missing money the past couple of days even with her successful profession as a doctor...

This was insane.

Kazuki started to sweat bullets, finding no words to say to the woman. "A-Are you sure you want to give me these Tamayo-san?" he blurted out. "How can I ever pay you back for them?!"

"You don't have to pay me anything, silly boy. It's a gift to my son!" she said, smiling sweetly.

Son.

Now that was a word he hadn't heard in a long time. Coming from Tamayo, it made him feel funny on the inside.

Tamayo then looked at him expectantly. "Stop gawking at them and try them on."

Of course she would want him to try them on.

"Uh, sure..." Kazuki said, taking off his glasses and handing them to Tamayo. His vision got very blurry, courtesy of his condition. Yushiro quickly handed him the lenses.

He then slowly but surely started to move the lenses and carefully placed them on top of his eyes. Kazuki grunted; it hurt like hell at first but he would have to get used to them.

He blinked once. Then twice.

His blurry vision then started to be replaced by a perfect sight: no stains, no scratches, and he didn't feel the weight of having normal glasses on his face.

It was like a blessing.

"Can you see?" Tamayo asked.

"As good as a bird..." Kazuki said absentmindedly. He was feeling overwhelmed by all the kindness Tamayo had given to him. "I-I don't know what to-" He choked up a bit. "Thank you!"

"This will greatly benefit you in battle. You won't have to worry about your glasses being destroyed. Just remember that you will—"

Kazuki couldn't even think at this point and dashed to Tamayo to give her a big hug, which took her aback. He didn't blame her for being surprised by this action; the last time he hugged her was a long time ago. Ever since then, he was usually reserved, rarely showing overwhelming emotion.

"Thank you, for everything you have done for me." he sniffed, tears flowing down his face. "I-I'm gonna miss you Tamayo-san, really, I won't forget what you've done for me..."

Tamayo smiled, allowing the tears from her eyes to flow as well. She hugged him back. "And I will pray for your success, my boy..."

Kazuki kept hugging Tamayo for a while until he started to hear a low—but menacing—growl in his direction. He opened his eyes and saw Yushiro giving him one of the deadliest glares he could muster.

The white-haired boy didn't have time to understand the meaning behind the glare and grabbed Yushiro by his sleeve, pulling him into the hug.

"And thank you too, Yushiro, for always being there to give me a slap in the face every time I screwed up."

The scowl of the demon was replaced by a mad blush, not because he was so close to Kazuki, but because he was dangerously close to Tamayo. He began to sweat bullets, desperately looking for a way out.

"Y-Yeah... look, you're freaking me out. Let me go!" Yushiro shrieked, effectively freeing himself from Kazuki's grip.

He pulled away from the hug and briefly looked again at the people that had kept him here.

Tamayo frowned and lightly elbowed Yushiro. The demon boy looked away, embarrassed, but then gave in and made his way to Kazuki. He lightly pressed a fist against the boy's chest.

"Stay safe..."

He was still looking away, but the gesture counted either way.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Kazuki's face, briefly thinking about the moments he had with both demons. He bowed his head.

"Well, I'm off."

(X)

It was just another day for Tsuyuri Kanao.

Get up, eat, help at the estate, train, and sleep. Rinse and repeat.

She occasionally went to missions and when she did, she was sent alone. It was best to send her alone as she was not that good when it came to teamwork.

That's why it was surprising for her when someone asked for her help on a mission. As usual, she tossed her coin so it could decide whether she should go or not. Heads would be yes and tails would be no.

The coin landed on her palm.

She got heads.

Luckily, she wouldn't have to worry about the people getting in the way since she knew the person who asked for her help.

She just needed him to get moving. Which was the hardest part.

Arriving at the local village of Yono, Kanao found herself being waved at by the local townsfolk, in which she waved back at them with a smile as was common courtesy. She walked as she tried to find her destination. It was evening, so the only local food stand must have had its lights on by now.

She finally stopped as her eyes landed on the particular place in question.

It was an Izakaya.

Izakayas were traditional japanese bars that were scattered all around Japan. They were highly popular all around the country, but it was not a place Kanao should've been visiting at her age.

Not like she had a choice now.

'Charming…'

The place was relatively small on the outside, built with mostly muddy oak wood, two paper lamps on both ends. The front door was covered in cheap checkered blankets that looked like they were taken out of the trash.

Despite its less than appealing style, the sounds inside were a giveaway that the place was quite popular around this village. Maybe it was because it was the only bar in town.

She made her way inside of the establishment, hoping to find the people she was looking for.

"Hahaa~! I knew he was alive, Kyojuro! I just can't belieeeeeeve it, I thought I had lost him forever!"

"That's excellent news Junichiro! I never knew you had a brother in the first place!"

There they were. The two men she must go with on this mission. They were sitting next to each other as they laughed at the top of their lungs. It made customers and the caterer visibly uncomfortable.

The difference was that one was sober, while the other one had an extremely red face which meant that he was on the verge of falling over.

The sober one was a guy with long messy yellow hair with red streaks around it. The most noticeable thing about him was his unusually large eyebrows and his bright golden eyes. This was the Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyojuro, and he was one of the people that would accompany Kanao on this mission.

The drunk one looked slightly older than Kyojuro. He had long white hair with blue streaks tied in a ponytail, similar to the samurai from the Sengoku Era. He was very tall, passing 180 centimeters. He had icy blue eyes, thin eyebrows, and a defined jawline. He wore the standard Demon Slayer uniform and on top of it, he had a long white haori that had sky blue patterns, like a rift. The most notable thing about him was that he was missing his left arm, which was why his left sleeve looked like a waving flag. This was the Ice Pillar, Miyamoto Junichiro, Kanao's older stepbrother.

He didn't seem to notice Kanao's blank stare as he kept laughing over and over. However, Kyojuro did notice her and waved his hand enthusiastically.

"Ah, Tsuyuri-chan! What brings you to this fine establishment?" Kyojuro asked, taking a sip from his bottled water.

"The mission," Kanao said. "We're supposed to go on a mission to Mt. Natagumo to check on the missing slayers."

Kyojuro blinked, pondering his thoughts for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, I remember now. Sorry, Tsuyuri-chan I guess I was a bit too immersed in my talk with Junichiro that I lost track of what I had to do. Did you know that his blood brother is alive? I was just as surprised as he was when I—"

Kanao lost track of what the Flame Pillar was saying as she focused on one tiny detail. Junichiro had family outside of the Butterfly Estate? That was... surprising. He never talked about it in the times he was with her or Shinobu.

So this is why he looked so elated this morning.

"—and then he took down 2 demons without effort. He must be very strong, yes? I would probably make him my Tsugoku if I saw him. Yeah, I definitely would, no question—"

"Rengoku-san," Kanao said, causing Kyojuro to stop mid-sentence. "The mission."

"Oh, my bad! I tend to get carried away when I'm talking!" Kyojuro said with a little bit too much force. Kanao didn't pay too much mind as she glanced at Junichiro, who was currently drooling on the counter.

"Is Nii-san okay?"

"Oh, him?!" Kyojuro jerked a thumb to the person in question. "He's fine. He just had too much to drink in one night. I would have followed him in that regard but due to personal reasons I will not!"

Kanao felt a little bit of sweat dripping on her forehead. He really didn't have to say that out loud.

"We have no time," Kanao said, pulling out a vial that contained a brilliant, purple liquid. "Nee-san said that if I found him in that state, he should drink this."

Kyojuro perked up and took the small item from her hands. Puzzled, he asked, "And what is this purple stuff?"

"Medicine," Kanao replied with a smile. "It should help him to recover quickly. Rengoku-san, would you please make him drink it?"

Kyojuro beamed. "But of course!" He flipped the vial like a coin and grabbed it midair. "It will be my pleasure."

He then turned to the fallen Junichiro and placed the vial in front of his face. "Hey Junichiro, drink this medicine. It will fix you up in a matter of seconds!"

Junichiro slowly opened one of his eyes and frowned. He grunted and quickly looked away from him. "I don't wanna."

Kyojuro slapped Junichiro's back in an attempt to gain his attention. "Quit being a child, we have to go on a mission!" Only for the Pillar to harshly swing his head face flat on the counter.

"No!"

Kanao just stood there as she stared blankly at them. She would just watch them go.

Kyojuro grinned from ear to ear. "Alright then..." He removed the cork from the vial and pulled the white-haired man by the back of his uniform, who was too drunk to even react in time. "Keep in mind you brought this upon yourself!"

"What are you-"

Junichiro didn't have time to finish as Kyojuro forcefully opened his mouth and drove the purple liquid inside. The drunk pillar widened his eyes and quickly slapped his hands away from him. He then spat all of the vial's contents to the floor.

Kyojuro visibly panicked as he quickly used his quick reflexes to catch the falling liquid back into the vial. That was certainly impressive; it seemed that the Flame Pillar wasn't just a title.

This was going to take a while, so Kanao just took a seat beside them and waited patiently.

"I will... NOT drink that." Junichiro spat, letting out a slight burp. "It tastes like shit, so take that vial and stick it up into your—"

Kyojuro tried again to make him drink the medicine. This time he gripped Junichiro's arm tightly and used his other arm to shove the vial inside of his mouth. "Come on, just drink it!"

"I will not!" Junichiro said as he yanked the vial out of Kyojuro's hand and threw it away, only for him to catch it midair.

The Flame Pillar seemed to get fired up for the challenge as he let a wide toothy grin form on his face.

"I wasn't asking!"

Their bickering triggered unwanted looks towards them, not that they cared, they always acted like no one was around them. If they kept going with this, they would surely get kicked out.

Not like it mattered to Kanao, she knew how things worked regarding these two. Ever since she was brought to the Butterfly Estate at the age of 11, she had always perceived Kyojuro and Junichiro as inseparable, so she was very used to their shenanigans.

"Quit it!" Junichiro turned his head away from the incoming vial. Kyojuro grinned mischievously, having anticipated the horrible attempt to avoid the medicine. He raised his fist.

"I'm very sorry for this!"

Kyojuro drove a hard punch towards the Ice Pillar's gut, making him wince harshly, which forced him to catch his breath.

"Kyojuro, you son of a-"

He couldn't finish his sentence as the Flame Pillar drove the vial once again to his mouth. This time, he made sure he swallowed every last drop.

"There you go." Kyojuro grinned, finally letting his friend go. "That wasn't so hard now wasn't it?"

Junichiro's face twisted into disgust as he gagged on the taste of the medicine. He then started to blink, seemingly puzzled about the aftertaste. He started to touch every part of his body and his face, eagerly waiting for the medicine to take its effect.

"Apart from that it tastes like horse shit, no, it wasn't hard," Junichiro said, letting out a chuckle. His face was still red, so the effects of the alcohol were still there. "Is this supposed to do something?"

Kyojuro hummed, seemingly disappointed that the Ice Pillar was still drunk. He then turned to look at Kanao. "Tsuyuri-chan, was that medicine supposed to do something?"

The girl didn't say anything, she just kept on her ever-present smile and waited for the medicine to take effect. Her sister did say that the medicine took a second before taking effect.

Junichiro seemed to finally notice that Kanao was there as he let out a big, genuine smile.

"Ah~ my lovely little sis, what are you doing here? Are you finally going to give your brother a big hug—"

Junichiro's eyes widened as he let out a small burp. Then another one.

He then clenched his stomach tightly as he started to gag harshly. Murmurs and panicking came over the customers as they watched the Ice Pillar's cheeks puff up. Kanao was also visibly surprised. She didn't know what this medicine did to him.

Junichiro didn't waste any more time as he stood up from the stool and quickly ran out of the bar as fast as the wind. After a couple of seconds of silence, the sounds of barfing could be heard from outside of the establishment.

Kyojuro gawked, having not expected that reaction at all. It seems like he expected the medicine to be more discreet in its execution. The Flame Pillar glanced at Kanao, silently waiting for an explanation.

"Nee-san did say that the medicine will remove the alcohol from his body," Kanao explained, visibly uncomfortable too. "She didn't specify how."

Kyojuro blinked before letting out a wholehearted laugh. "Ha! This is definitely something Kocho would do!"

Just as Kyojuro was laughing, the entrance of the cart opened. Junichiro's face was now normal, showing that the effects of the medicine had worked. However, he looked very upset.

"I'm going to kill her..."

"So, are you alright now, partner?" Kyojuro asked, oblivious to his rage.

"My entire body is burning and my mouth smells like rotten eggs."

"Great! You seem sober now. Do you need something?"

"Water. A lot," Junichiro said as he rubbed his temples. "And a quick summary on what the mission was supposed to be again."

After Junichiro drank approximately two liters of water in ten minutes, he seemed to be feeling like his usual self. He wasn't completely sober, as the aftereffects of the alcohol left him with a lingering hangover, but at least he could think properly now. Kanao had told him every detail about the mission, from the missing slayers to the obvious demonic presence that lingered there.

He took a sip from his pipe—a kiseru—and exhaled, letting the smoke come out freely out of his mouth. This was an item he usually carried around ever since the fateful day when Kanao's big sister, Kocho Kanae passed away.

"So we have to go to Mt. Natagumo to rescue missing rookies and deal with the demon threat," Junichiro mused, as he placed the kiseru inside his uniform. He then rested his hand on his chin. "And we're the ones who are the nearest..."

"That pretty much sums it up!" Kyojuro yelled, quickly standing up from his stool. "Well then, we should waste no more time. The longer we stay here, the more people are in danger!"

Kanao stood up, getting ready to go as well. She double-checked her gear to see that everything was in order. Kyojuro was right, there was no reason for them to linger any longer in this place.

However, her brother seemed to not be moving from his spot. He was still frozen, deeply in thought.

Kyojuro seemed to notice and poked him in the forehead. "Hey Junichiro, you there?"

That seemed to bring him back to reality as he recoiled a little from the Flame Pillar's poke. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... I wanted to go to Asakusa to investigate the whereabouts of my brother." He sighed, eyes glued to the ground. "I guess that has to wait..."

Kanao blinked, not understanding what her brother meant. Was this really more important than his responsibility as a slayer? Even Kyojuro frowned when Junichiro said that. It was really preposterous.

However, Kyojuro placed a hand on his shoulder, a gesture that seemed to gain the Ice Pillar's attention.

"Don't worry, Junichiro. He can wait for another time," he said, his tone firm. "What you're saying is absolute selfishness! Remember, saving lives comes first. Our desires come after."

Junichiro looked to the side, ashamed. "Yeah, I know... sorry."

"If it makes you feel better, I'll go to look for him with you after the mission!" Kyojuro shouted, with his fist raised high. The sudden change of attitude made Kanao recoil back.

It was really hard to understand how the Flame Pillar radiated so much intensity. He really had the eye of the tiger. Kanao had trouble understanding people in general, but it was pretty easy to understand the Pillar, even for her.

It appeared that Kyojuro's words didn't ease Junichiro's distress, but at least it led him to grasp an understanding of what he had to do. He grinned, having come to a decision.

"You're right. Thanks, Kyojuro."

 

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 4: Miyamoto​

"Sleep, child~"

He could see scenes of recent carnage. Fierce fire burning through all the houses. People were screaming as they were slowly being burned alive by the ruins of their own home. He could smell the smoke of charred bodies.

Blood spattered the floor as people killed themselves against their will. There was no reason for this slaughter, but demons did it anyway in a foolish attempt to survive, or for enjoyment. Most likely both.

It was a total Armaggeddon.

Kazuki wanted to move his arms and legs, only to find out they were unresponsive. His body didn't let him perform any actions. He wanted to run, but he couldn't. He wanted to punch himself in the face to wake up from this nightmare. All for nothing. He could only move his eyes.

He scanned his surroundings.

Top.

Left.

Right.

He looked all over the place, trying to find a reason for all the bloodshed. But he knew better than anyone that killing has no moral reason, it came with one's uncontrollable desires. That was the sad reality that was forced into Kazuki.

Because of that reality, Kazuki remembered the place he was in. His eyes widened and tears started to well up.

Amakusa, one of the four main islands of Japan. While the place always had to endure harsh conditions, one couldn't deny that it was a place filled with the happiness of hardworking people who always had each other's back.

All of that happiness crumbled to the ground. All because one demon decided to show up.

"Don't wake up, child~"

That voice. That damn voice echoed all the way inside of his head. It was as seductive as it was infuriating. It needed to stop.

"It's all just a funny dream..."

Death is not fun, it serves no purpose in life, it merely ends it.

This voice wanted to sprout nonsense inside his brain.

"Do I have to come for you~?"

He blinked once and his face blanched. Two big light blue eyes stared at him directly. He could recognize that dreaded kanji that was engraved in the demon's left eye.

Lower Moon One

Why does this memory keep coming back to him? Is it really that hard to forget the past?

Stop. Stop. Stop.

"You can't run away forever Kazuki-kun~"

(X)

"STOP!"

Waking up after a nightmare felt like hell. One had to deal with the symptoms after the experience. Kazuki's breath became shallow and ragged. His face was drenched in sweat. He felt hot all over the place.

He tried to focus by closing his eyes. He focused on the faint sound of the wind and moving roots.

He took a deep breath.

Inhale.

Exhale.

He felt his heart rate getting slower. Now he could make sense of what was going on and focus thoroughly.

Why did that memory decide to haunt him again? After all this time?

Kazuki had presented symptoms of insomnia in the past, but they had calmed down as he stayed more with Tamayo. Was he starting to miss her already?

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a light tap on his knee. He looked down into it.

Chachamaru held a handkerchief in her mouth as she lightly tapped her paw on Kazuki's hand. The little kitty went through all the trouble of opening his bag to fetch what Kazuki needed the most. He smiled.

It was always good to have a reliable partner in these situations.

Kazuki grabbed the handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Chachamaru meowed, catching the white-haired boy's attention.

"It's okay buddy, just a weird dream, that's all," Kazuki said as he patted the feline's head. She purred at his touch. He went towards his bag and grabbed a small case. He opened the case and grabbed a piece of raw chicken. "You hungry? Catch."

He threw the food up in the air. Chachamaru jumped swiftly and caught the chicken. She started to devour it.

Kazuki grinned and gave a thumbs up.

"Good girl," he said as he grabbed his bag. "Come on, we should get going. We have a visitor waiting for us in the next town."

She jumped on top of Kazuki's head.

Kazuki sighed and walked forward towards the next town. It was time to have an audience with the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.

(X)

Urawa was very well known for its optimistic atmosphere. Every single corner of the town brimmed with life. People were working as hard as they could. They smiled and laughed without having a care in the world.

What made Urawa stand out from the rest of the towns was its huge variety of food. It had sushi, ramen, dumplings—

No! He had to focus. His contact waited for him inside of a Shinto shrine and he couldn't make him wait much longer. It was 1 P.M. He was supposed to go to the shrine at midday.

He sighed, he would have had Chachamaru guide him towards the shrine if it wasn't sleeping on top of his head.

That was until he caught a sniff of recently steamed bread to his right side.

The dumplings just came out of the pot…

The old lady by the stand seemed to notice as she waved her frail hand to Kazuki. He walked towards the stand.

"Young man, care to try out our cuisine?" she asked as she pointed towards the steaming pot.

Meat dumplings…

On second thought, his contact could wait a little bit more.

One hour passed…

With a full stomach and a clear head, Kazuki set forth to meet his contact.

Making them wait was a little rude on his part, but food was food, and he would never refuse to eat a good meal.

He sighed as he walked across town, analyzing his surroundings for any signs that indicated that there was a shrine nearby. He needed to find a torii.

A torii was a symbolic gateway that separated the sacred land and ordinary land. It was made out of wood and built with two uprights and two cross pieces. Various gateways represented different gods but Kazuki wasn't very knowledgeable in Shintoism, so he didn't pay much attention to which god the gate belonged to.

"Now… where the hell is that shrine?" Kazuki mused as he strolled around the town. He looked sideways for any signs of his objective.

It frustrated him that the letter that they sent to Tamayo contained the date of the meeting, but the details of the location were very vague.

'You will know when you see it.'

What did it mean that he would know when he saw it? He wasn't a fortune teller.

He stopped as soon as he saw the torii of the shrine. Kazuki blinked and scrubbed his eyes.

"Shit..."

Stairs. An infinite amount of stairs. Kazuki squinted as he tried his best to see what lay on top of the mountain, only for it to be shrouded by the rest of the clouds. The path was long, way too long!

So that was why no one told him about the exact place.

He sighed. Talk about Karma.

He started to climb up the stairs, step by step.

He would definitely get to the top.

Any minute now…

(X)

A woman kneeled in front of Susanoo's altar. She had pale but healthy skin and her lustrous white hair was tied in a ponytail.

It is said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a hurricane around the world. Every single choice, every single action one takes matters as much as the actions one doesn't take.

Those words came out of her husband's mouth, Ubuyashiki Kagaya. It was considered the code of the Ubuyashiki family and the essence as to why they supported Demon Slayers across generations.

Amane picked up this principle as well. She wanted to make sure that her actions carried the same weight as her husband's in the search for strong individuals to take down Muzan.

While Miyamoto Kazuki, brother of the Ice Pillar, looked like a promising candidate to join their forces, recruiting him would prove to be a troublesome task.

Finding him proved hard enough because he was kept hidden from the corps for a long time. This was a personal request from Tamayo, the person whom the slayers had kept contact with over the past years. The reason why she kept Kazuki hidden from the corps proved to be a valid concern, as the boy seemed mentally weak when handling situations related to them.

As much as Amane hated to admit, the boy's resentment towards the corps was…not at all unreasonable. Similar cases had appeared ever since Muzan started his reign of terror, and the Demon Slayer had to bear this guilt as part of the job, as they were unable to control the terrible events that could happen within the world. They couldn't be everywhere at all times.

Amane's thoughts were interrupted as she heard sounds coming from behind. She finished her meditation as she gave one final prayer. She stood up and turned to look at the source.

It was a boy with white hair with blue strands. His eyes were light blue like the sky on a sunny day.

Amane could tell that this boy bore a strong resemblance to the Ice Pillar, so she was sure that he was Miyamoto Kazuki.

But there was something odd about him. He was panting heavily. His clothes were drenched in sweat and his face seemed as red as a tomato. Did something happen to him on the way here?

Didn't he notice the cat that was sleeping on top of his head? It could possibly be his familiar…

The boy entered the shrine and started to quickly look around. Amane started to approach him.

"Did you purify yourself?" Amane asked calmly.

Kazuki turned to look at her. His eyebrows rose. "Purify…?"

Amane sighed and grabbed a nearby wooden bucket. She went towards the pond and started to fill it with sacred water.

Kazuki walked forwards and looked between her and the pond.

"What are you–"

Whatever sound that wanted to come out of his mouth was silenced as soon as Amane poured the entire bucket of water into Kazuki's face. She kept her stoic expression as she watched the young man cough up the water that got into his throat. The calico cat opened its eyes and shivered from the cold water. It dropped from the young man's forehead and sent a loud hiss to the woman before it started to run away.

Amane simply left the empty bucket on the floor.

Kazuki kept a deadpan face as he stared intently at the priestess. He took a long deep breath.

"…Normally, I would be angry if someone dropped a bucket full of water on me, but given that I had to climb up an innumerable amount of stairs and I was sweating like crazy, that bath was very much needed."

Amane got a towel from inside her kimono and handed it to the boy. Kazuki took it and wrapped himself with the towel.

"Pardon me, but it is part of our tradition. You must be purified before entering any Shinto Shrine," Amane stated bluntly. "I assume that you must be Miyamoto Kazuki?"

Kazuki's eyes widened and he started to slowly back away. Amane smiled. It seemed that this boy was a cautious one. A nice trait to have in demon-slaying missions.

"I never told you my name…" he muttered.

"I apologize, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ubayashaki Amane, I'm the wife of the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. My husband's health is quite poor, so he was unable to come here as requested. I'm here on his behalf," she said as she bowed politely. Kazuki eased his posture. He nodded.

"You took quite some time to get here," Amane remarked.

Kazuki looked away. "I was doing some important business..." he said as he caressed his arm. He shook his head and glared at the priestess. "Anyway, I had a bunch of questions for the leader, not you."

Amane paid no heed to the boy's rudeness and nodded. "And I will answer them to the best of my ability. Please, let us go outside, we shouldn't disturb the gods like this."

She walked towards the backyard, with Kazuki tagging along. She bathed herself in the gentle breeze of the garden. The boy felt it too as he closed his eyes and regulated his breath.

Such is the power of the garden, it allows you to clear your mind and enter into a stage of Zen.

The pleasant silence made it perfect to talk about sensitive topics.

"The message sent by Tamayo-sama told us that you wanted to speak to my husband and the Ice Pillar," Amane said as they strolled around the garden. "Unfortunately, Miyamoto Junichiro is currently on a mission, so you will have to wait for his return."

Kazuki blinked. "When will he come back?"

"That I don't know, but you can wait for him in his house. He lives in the Butterfly Estate. I can give you the address so you can meet up with him as soon as he comes back," Amane said. "Do you perhaps have a piece of paper?"

Kazuki said nothing and opened his bag. He pulled out an old journal and a pen, ripped off one page from the journal, and handed it to Amane.

"You have my thanks," she said as she started to write on the piece of paper.

She wrote all the possible details to make sure the kid didn't get lost. She handed back the paper. Kazuki took it and started to read its contents. He nodded.

"Now then, I assume you didn't come here just to ask where to find your brother. You wanted to discuss something important with my husband, right?"

Kazuki stopped walking. Amane took notice of it and stopped in her tracks.

"Yes... " Kazuki said, looking away from her. "I wanted to know what happened to the slayers that didn't come to The Island of Amakusa four years ago… when we literally begged for your help."

Amane sighed. She saw this question coming from a mile away. "Very well. Please, follow me."

She walked towards the nearby shrine of Susanoo and kneeled in front of him. Kazuki took a seat cross-legged.

"Please respect the gods, Kazuki-san." She raised her tone but kept her stoic expression. "I will not answer your questions unless you take the appropriate stance. We're not in a place where you can do whatever you want."

Kazuki growled and did what he was told. He changed his posture into the appropriate kneeling position, which was sitting on one's knees. Amane nodded.

The silence was suffocating. Neither of them spoke as Amane was busy gathering her thoughts. This topic came from Kazuki's personal issues, so she had to construct her response in a manner that wouldn't upset the boy. She wasn't sure if that would even be possible.

"…Two days before the incident, we were informed about the demon attack that occurred in Amakusa. We sent two of our Pillars to deal with it, alongside other high ranked slayers."

"It took twelve hours for the demon to find and kill everyone," Kazuki said as he clenched his fists into balls. "Yet they never arrived… why?"

"That's because a mighty enemy intercepted them. It was the Upper Moon Two," Amane explained. "Out of twenty slayers, only two people survived."

Kazuki gulped. The boy looked stunned by this piece of information, and he had a very good reason to look surprised. People that fought against Upper Moons didn't live to tell the tale, even if they were on Pillar level strength. No one had managed to defeat an Upper Moon ever since Rengoku Shigeru's victory 100 years ago.

"I'm surprised they even survived that battle…" Kazuki muttered.

"It was a huge loss for the corps. That fateful day, we lost one of our Flower Pillar, Kocho Kanae." Amane frowned as she remembered that fateful day. The devastation. If it wasn't because of the Flame Pillar's optimism, Junichiro would have killed himself. She thanked the gods for his assistance.

Amane would have kept dwelling on those thoughts if she didn't notice how Kazuki reacted to this information. She would have thought that he would be indifferent to it, but she was mistaken.

He started to sweat bullets as he placed his palm on his forehead. Amane's eyes widened. She didn't expect that type of reaction from him.

Interesting. She had to choose her next words carefully to get the information she wanted.

She would stay in silence until the kid calmed down. No one was going to tell you concrete information when they were panicking. As the kid began to ease his posture, Amane opened her mouth.

"Excuse me… did you perhaps meet our former Pillar before?" she asked, her tone soft.

Kazuki took a deep breath and sighed. "No, I have not met her," he said as he bit his lip. "But my mother and I were supposed to meet her… as my brother's betrothed."

Amane's eyes widened. So that was it! Of course, he would know about the Ice Pillar's relationship with the former Flower Pillar. Important news like that was supposed to be shared between the family first.

"So, because the slayer fought against an Upper Moon, they weren't able to come to save everyone from my village…" Kazuki gritted his teeth as he clenched his hands in the fabric of his trousers. "Another promise was broken by unfortunate circumstances. At least that guy is still alive…"

Amane raised an eyebrow. That guy? It seemed that their brotherly relationship was sour. She hoped that they would make amends soon.

Pushing that thought aside, another issue piqued Amane's interest. The kid was not as naïve as young people tended to be. He had already experienced betrayal. Once a promise was broken, 'sorry' meant nothing.

It was understandable that he didn't trust the corps. However, that mindset would prove to be troublesome if he joined the corps.

To kill demons, one needed teamwork to be successful. Working alone was a death sentence when hunting a demon. Even the stubborn and volatile Wind Pillar understood this.

Amane needed to gain his trust.

"It was our fault for our own lack of planning. We didn't take into account that the route they were going to take was going to be linked to an Upper Moon," Amane said as she bowed abruptly. "For that, we are truly sorry."

As much as Amane desired to have Kazuki on their side, the words she spoke were the truth. They failed to save someone who asked them for help, and that would be a burden they'd have to bear.

She stayed in that position long enough to wonder why the kid hadn't said anything to her.

She raised her head to see that Kazuki was looking at her with a deadpan face.

He sighed. "Your apology will not resurrect anyone from my village."

She stood up and coughed awkwardly. "I know we can't amend our actions done in the past, so we can understand your desire to not join us. But… we could very well use someone of your caliber in our ranks. A descendant of the Sword Saint is someone that can help us greatly in our battle with the demons."

Kazuki frowned. Looks like Amane's proposal didn't seem to get to him.

"Why do people assume this? Just because my last name is 'Miyamoto' doesn't mean I'm a descendant of Musashi," he muttered as he narrowed his eyes on her. "History says that The Sword Saint only had three sons. All adopted. Not once he had a blood relative, and even if he did, there is no way it would pass centuries unnoticed. Please stop making worthless assumptions."

Miyamoto Musashi was known as one of the best swordsmen of his time. He was known as someone who didn't lose a battle once in his life thanks to his flawless strategies and prowess with the sword. A philosopher like no other.

Kazuki spoke the truth. The Sword Saint only adopted three sons and not once he had a true son. Amane knew that books of history would rarely lie, so maybe she'd just found out an interesting piece of information regarding Kazuki's hometown.

There was a shrine dedicated to Miyamoto Musashi in the islands of Amakusa. Also, the Ice Pillar and Kazuki were born in that place. Coincidence? Amane didn't think of it that way.

Musashi had made various enemies across his lifetime, so it would be understandable that if he ever had blood children, he would've kept them a secret. She asked The Ice Pillar about his ancestors as well, but even he didn't know about it. It wouldn't surprise her that Kazuki would be ignorant to this matter as well.

Even with that in mind, Amane persisted.

"Actions speak louder than words, Kazuki-san. From what I've read from the report of the slayer, Kamado Tanjiro, you are competent enough to compensate for the weakness of your breath with your strategies—as reckless as they are. Had you received any training before Tamayo-san took you in?"

Kazuki looked away. "My… brother taught me the basics on how to use a sword and five forms of his breath style, not much more than that," he said as he rubbed his arm. "But that's not enough. After my entire village got slaughtered, I had to survive in the woods for 1 year. To survive I had to learn how to hunt, climb, and run. I had to be smart about it too, as my chances to survive were… pretty slim. Next thing I knew, I was faster, stronger, and my skill with the sword had reached new heights."

Amane's gaze softened. Not only did Kazuki get his entire village slaughtered by a demon, but he also had to deal with the predators and demons that dwell in the woods… for a whole year. It was surprising that Kazuki remained in one piece.

She bit her lower lip. As much as curiosity was killing her, she would drop the subject for now. "I'm sorry to hear that, Kazuki-san."

He nodded. "It's okay, it happened a long time ago."

"Very well, then that brings me back to my original question. Would you please join the Demon Slayer Corps? I know that you resent us but—"

"Sure, I'll join."

The next words died on her tongue as soon as she heard Kazuki's answer. "Eh?"

"Like I said, I'll join."

Amane blinked. Did she hear that right? Would he join the corps? Just like that?

"…Why?"

Kazuki scratched the back of his head. "Just to be clear… I don't trust you, nor do I trust anyone inside the corps. Well, if you expected another answer, then you'll be disappointed. The reason I want to join is that I want a quiet life."

Amane raised an eyebrow. "A quiet… life?"

Now, this was odd. Most of the slayers joined the corps because they wanted to avenge their loved ones or that they wanted to save people from being killed by demons. But this kid just wanted to have a quiet life? Wouldn't it be better if he just didn't join at all?

"Looks like I need to do some explaining…" He sighed. "Listen, I live with Tamayo and Yushiro, they mean everything to me, and if I could live my entire life with them… I would do so without a second thought. Problem is, I'm unable to do that if Muzan is alive. He's always chasing after Tamayo, over and over, and we always have to run from one location to another because he keeps sending demons to us. And frankly… I'm sick of it."

So the prey got tired of being chased and it was now the one doing the chasing. It was… an odd reason to risk his life fighting demons but not at all unreasonable. Muzan would not stop until Tamayo was dead, so he either had to keep running, or face him head-on, he chose the latter.

"Well, it is good to see that you want to fight for our cause. To join us, you need to pass The Final Selection exam. We will provide you with a new blade for you to use in the test."

"My sword is fine as it is right now. I made sure to sharpen it before going out," Kazuki said, unsheathing his sword and showing it to Amane. The blade's sky blue color and golden ornaments made it a beautiful sight to behold. The kid sheathed his blade once again.

"That's good to hear. Then, if you pass the test, then you will be officially part of the Demon Slayer Corps and be able to go on missions," Amane said as she pulled out a card from under her kimono. The card explained in detail what The Final Selection was about. "Your test will be held here, in one week. You will be joining the corps starting in the lowest of our ranks… if you manage to survive the exam, that is. Until then, be sure to hone your skills to the fullest, Kazuki-san."

Kazuki nodded as he took the card. He stood up and bowed.

As the white-haired boy left, Amane couldn't help but ponder on his objective. A quiet life… just that line of thought made her chuckle a little. It seemed like an impossible dream.

(X)

Kazuki panted as he reached the bottom of the stairs. With the dawn of the industrial age—or the Meiji period in Japan—he was surprised that inventors had yet to make a machine that carried people who found it troublesome to use stairs.

All in due time.

He perked up when he saw a small furball running at him. He narrowed his eyes.

Chachamaru hopped swiftly and closed the distance. She meowed three times. Kazuki crossed his arms. Did she think that he could understand cat language, or was she still pissed about getting drenched by Amane?

She ran off again.

"Hey, wait!"

Kazuki followed her towards the village. He stopped as he looked at where the cat guided him.

So the cat wanted to be followed. Now it made sense why she ran away from him. Chachamaru jumped back on top of his head.

He arrived at a crowded house. All of the villagers seemed to be reunited at one residence. Strange, the people of this village were very busy just moments ago. What could have happened to get them riled up?

He walked towards the commotion, shoving people aside, ignoring their complaints. He looked inside the house.

Kazuki's eyes widened as he saw the disaster. He spotted signs of strange white thread scattered across the floor. He saw charred furniture, which looked like they were burnt with a substance other than fire. He covered his nose as he smelled the scent of rotten eggs. What could be the source of the smell? He could see that there was no blood inside, so he could assume that no one got killed here.

He turned to the crowd of villagers.

"Hey, does anybody know what happened here?!" he said loud enough for him to be heard. The muttering stopped and the villagers looked at him, some of them with curiosity, others with annoyance.

"Another family disappeared yesterday. It was odd that Satoshi didn't come to work today so I went to look at his house… only to find this. Oddly enough, his wife and two children also disappeared…" a male villager said, an old man in particular. He didn't hide his fear as Kazuki watched him tremble.

"Did anyone go out to look for them?"

"Well…" The old man scratched his head. "Several people did, mostly close friends of the missing people. No one came back. Fourteen people are missing from our village… I would not be surprised if they're found dead."

Kazuki placed a hand on his chin. People disappearing from their homes and not coming back? Sounds familiar. Could it be the work of a demon? He couldn't be sure, he needed more clues to see who or what could have done this.

He had one week before his test. What better way to practice for The Final Selection than by killing demons? He could totally do this.

However, if this wasn't the work of a demon, then he wouldn't do this. That kind of work belonged to the cops.

Kazuki nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

He went to inspect the walls that were the source of the foul smell from earlier. They were charred and seemed to be covered in some kind of substance.

He grabbed his sheathe and started to poke a piece of wood with it. Kazuki could see that this substance started to drip in a very slow manner. Its viscosity was high.

No fire did this. It was the product of acid.

Kazuki's curiosity spiked and went towards the white threads he saw earlier. Kazuki grabbed a piece of wood from the wreckage and started to poke the thread.

His eyes widened. The thread got stuck in the wood like glue!

It wasn't just a normal thread; it was part of a spider web. However, nothing suggested that it was part of a demon attack. He took the piece of wood outside. If a demon took part in this, then…

The thread dissolved into dust.

Kazuki grinned. So it was indeed the work of a demon!

He could practice for The Final Selection with this. Now he just needed a way to track the monster…

He went to the villagers who surrounded the house. He tried to let his voice be known, but it got overshadowed by the endless muttering. Kazuki sighed and took a deep breath.

"Total concentration breathing…"

The echo made from Kazuki's hands startled every single soul of the crowd. The muttering quickly stopped.

He didn't use a technique, but he focused his blood flow into his arms, increasing their strength. While using breathing techniques for mundane activities such as clapping could be seen as impractical, it was necessary in this case. He needed an effective way to control the crowd.

Kazuki took a deep breath as everyone's gazes turned on him.

"So." Kazuki coughed. "You guys seem to be afraid of something… do you perhaps know what happened to the family that lived here?"

Most people shook their heads. Some of them started to hide behind the crowd.

"I've been told that these weren't the only people that disappeared," Kazuki persisted. "Whatever did this isn't human. Please give me clues to whatever did this…"

The crowd started to disperse. Some of them laughed at how ridiculous that statement sounded. Not many people knew about the existence of demons, and those who knew were probably either dead or scarred for life. Kazuki gritted his teeth, cursing himself at how bad he was when talking to people. It almost made him flat out incompetent.

"If you guys give me clues, any clues, then people won't disappear again!" Kazuki shouted. Some people perked up at what he said, others ignored him and walked away. He sighed; he didn't have the charisma of his brother to speak with so many people.

"…Are you sure you are capable of stopping whatever is causing these disappearances?"

Kazuki's eyes widened as he saw the old man that he talked with earlier approaching him. He gazed at Kazuki with a cold and calculating gaze.

Kazuki didn't say anything, he just pulled out his sheathe from under his kimono and showed it to the old man.

"Ah, so you're one of those Demon Slayers I heard of." The old man grinned, placing both hands on his hips.

Kazuki nodded. While the slayers weren't recognized by the government, it wouldn't be surprising if people heard about a thing or two about them.

The old man's expression turned serious. "There have been rumors that there is a monster lurking at Mt. Natagumo. I suspect that the people that disappeared are being taken there. It's the closest forest to our village after all."

Kazuki blinked. "You mean a demon?"

"Monsters, demons… what's the difference?" The old man sighed, his face solemn. "I ain't sure how the slayers do their thing, but if it's true that a monster lurks in there, then don't hesitate to kill it, young man. This humble village asks you that favor."

He didn't need to state the obvious. This was his job now.

"Where is this mountain?"

"Go towards the main gate and keep moving forwards, you will come across the village's wheat fields. When you arrive there, you should see the mountain from afar."

Kazuki nodded and started to walk towards the main gate.

(X)

"We're here!"

"We know! You don't need to shout."

Junichiro let out an annoyed grunt at Kyojuro's antics. The demons that dwell in this forest must have heard his voice and would probably be on high alert.

The missions specified the word 'demons'. Plural.

It could be a spelling mistake but Kyojuro reassured him that that wasn't the case. Grammar was important when working inside the corps as any misinformation could mean the difference between life and death.

Demons working together? That would be a new but troublesome discovery. He felt eager to see what lay ahead.

However, Junichiro's confidence started to waver when Kyojuro, Kanao, and he arrived at the place where the mission was supposed to take place.

The Natagumo forest established itself to be one of the densest forests of Japan, being the place with the most trees, nearly close to a million. A huge place where it was easy to get lost and trapped by your opponents. Being nighttime meant that it would be very hard to see, which meant that he had to be extra careful when entering the forest.

He didn't lose confidence because he was scared, it was because the mission would take way longer than he expected! He wanted to return home as soon as possible, drink some sake, lay down on his futon, and call it a day. But maybe this mission could be fun? He hoped that the mission went that way.

He sighed. He always hated working overtime. He expected more leisure time for being crippled.

"Charming place we have here, definitely not creepy at all," Junichiro muttered as he stretched his left arm.

"You should stop complaining about every single mission we're going!" Kyojuro shouted as he slapped his arm on his friend's back. "It's not like you hate them anyway."

"Guys…" Kanao started to speak up, tugging her brother's haori.

Junichiro puffed his face. "I ain't complaining, I'm just wary about a mission that we know nothing about."

"Or maybe, you're just lazy."

"Guys…" Kanao spoke again, her voice low.

Junichiro glared at the Flame Pillar, whose grin started to widen every second. "You won't be making smart comments like that when a demon rips you to shreds because of the lack of prior information...'"

"Going in blind with limited information is like 90 percent of Demon Slaying missions!"

"Yeah… that's true," Junichiro said as he placed his palm on his forehead.

Kanao tossed a coin in the air. The sound of the coin gathered the attention of the two pillars.

It landed on tails.

"Something wrong Kanao-chan?" Junichiro asked, turning his gaze towards her.

Kanao remained silent, which made Junichiro raise an eyebrow. Was she thinking of something important?

"You were going to say something?" Junichiro asked again.

Kanao looked at him with a sweet smile. "No."

Junichiro sent the most deadpan stare he could muster. Of course, she wasn't going to say anything…

Kyojuro chuckled as he shook his head, "Well, we need to find the missing slayers here. If we're lucky enough, they might still be alive. Do any of you have any leads on where we should start?"

"The information about the situation in this place was very vague. They just sent us here to kill the demons—plural, mind you—and that we should look for the missing people," Junichiro said. He then grinned. "But, luckily, yours truly sent the best crow to the scouting job. So you guys can thank me if you—"

"Save it, Junichiro," Kyojuro reprimanded. "We have to move fast! Or else more people will die!"

"Can you let me finish an explanation without destroying my eardrums?" Junichiro grumbled as he dug his finger into his ear. Kyojuro motioned him to continue.

The Ice Pillar whistled. The sound echoed through the entire forest.

Kyojuro tilted his head. "You told me to not shout and your whistling can be heard throughout the entirety of Japan?"

"I thought you of all people knew when not to take me seriously…" Junichiro said as he rolled his eyes.

Kanao looked to the sides. "Nii-san, it's Sakura—"

"Yep…" Junichiro said as he raised his only arm. In an instant, a big raven landed on his arm.

This particular bird didn't have the normal features as its common brethren. Its feathers were colored in magenta and it had a small butterfly pin on its head. This was the bird that belonged to the late Flower Pillar. Now, it belongs to Junichiro. These species were the fastest types of Corvus and the hardest to tame because of their short temper.

"Sakura, what's the situation?" Junichiro asked his feathered friend.

"Demons everywhere! Demons everywhere! There are slayers currently fighting demons on east and west from here. East and west! They are losing! They are losing!" it cawed.

"Any leads on the missing people?!" Kyojuro shouted. The bird raised its head and shrieked at The Flame Pillar, which made the latter recoil back.

Junichiro held his laughter. "You know that birds have sensitive hearing. Try asking her again without shouting."

"Of course." The Flame Pillar coughed. "Any leads on the missing people?"

Sakura blinked. "An abandoned hut north from here! North from here!"

The Ice Pillar nodded. "Thank you, Sakura. Please go report this information to Ubayashiki-sama."

"Treat, Treat!"

Junichiro rolled his eyes. Kanao gave him a bunch of bread crumbs. He took them and showed them to the bird. It started to devour them.

"There you go, you glutton. Now hush!"

Satisfied, the bird flew away.

Junichiro scratched the back of his head. "Well, do you guys have any ideas?"

Kyojuro seemed the most eager to speak. "Surely! The way I see it, we have two choices. We can either go in a group and take all the threats by ourselves. This way, we can take them down effectively, but it will risk the others who need our help. The second one is to split up, which will reduce our chances of survival, but we can help each front and try to contain each threat on our own!"

"Which means that each one of us would be on our own…" Junichiro muttered. He shook his head. "I refuse to let Kanao-chan go alone. Let's go together."

Kyojuro's ever-present grin vanished as soon as he heard those words. "This again? Junichiro… Tsuyuri-chan is Kocho's star Tsugoku! Just let her go on her own for once in her life."

And lose another member of his family? Yeah, right, like he would let that happen. But Junichiro couldn't simply dismiss the Flame Pillar's remark. He was right, as much as he hated to admit.

He sighed. "Kanao, you go right. I'll catch up to you in a minute."

The Tsugoku nodded and stormed off towards the forest. It took less than ten seconds before she was out of sight.

Kyojuro whistled. "Whoa, there she goes. She's very fast don't you think?!"

"Hope you don't make me regret this…" Junichiro grumbled as he tapped his foot.

"Relax, she'll be fine! She's a very capable fighter." Kyojuro said, grinning with confidence. "Besides, you didn't even hear what I said. I proposed that we should all split up and you just flat out said that you're going to catch up to her."

"I ain't slacking off if that's what you're worried about."

"I hope not, or else Ubayashiki-sama will love to hear whatever you have to say!" Kyojuro said as he let out a mischievous grin.

A chill ran down through The Ice Pillar's spine as he thought about the scolding—and punishment—that would await if he took this easy. "Y-You wouldn't, right?"

"Oh, I most certainly would!"

"T-Then we both should get to work shall we?" Junichiro chuckled as he started to sweat profusely.

"Great! You guys go right, and I'll go to the abandoned hut to check for survivors!" Kyojuro shouted as he dashed forward into battle. "Good luck Junichiro!"

As Kyojuro vanished out of sight, the Ice Pillar sighed. He was certain that he would get a headache after this mission was over. Or maybe the demons here are strong and are going to give him a good time…

He grinned at that thought. If the demons here are strong, then he would enjoy this fight to the fullest.

(X)

"Koi-Koi"

A girl could be seen laying down hanafuda cards on her wooden table. She had short white hair with short bangs and two large stripes on either side of her cheek which were very noticeable thanks to her sickly pale white skin. The most notable trait that made her stand out from humans were the two horns that were protruding from either side of her forehead and the sclera that surrounded her two grey eyes. She had a kanji sign engraved on her left eye.

Lower Moon Four

This girl was the head of one of the gambling houses of the rising yakuza criminal syndicate. While these secluded places started to dwindle after the leader of the family, Chogoro Yamamoto had passed away, another few remaining houses started to grow soon after the Meiji period ended. As the syndicate started to expand, its exploits started to become apparent. This woman abused these exploits to become one of the main heads of the gambling houses.

Her stature made her seem like a little girl at first, but those that underestimated her met their doom at the points of her teeth. She was no little girl.

Her main office was Japanese style, made with a tatami floor and sliding doors. Her office was carefully decorated with paintings of the deceased daimyo, Nobunaga Oda. It had red lanterns hanging on the ceiling. In the center of the office was a hardwood desk where the head of the house was sitting.

The girl seemed to be lost in her thoughts as she played with her cards.

The door slid open, revealing a bald man who wore a black yukata. He held a folder in his hands.

The girl's veins started to pop out of her forehead as she instinctively threw a card at the door. The man whimpered as the card grazed his cheek and blood started to pour out.

The girl relaxed her posture as she saw the trembling man.

"Oh, it's just you, Hiro." The girl sighed. "How many times should I tell you that you should knock first before entering?"

"I'm very sorry Mukago-sama, but this is important." The man bowed.

Mukago waved it off. "Tell me what you want."

Hiro raised his head as he walked towards Mukago, folder still in hand. He placed the folder on her desk.

"Look at this."

Mukago raised an eyebrow as she opened the folder. What could this folder contain that has the usually stoic Hiro so agitated? It couldn't be—

The demon widened her eyes. This couldn't be right.

She panted heavily as she skimmed through the pages of the folder.

"T-This can't be right…" Mukago said, her professional attitude breaking. "It's located inside of The Temple of Musashi? So its existence hasn't been lost forever?!"

Hiro shook his head. "We can't be sure, it's merely a myth. The contents inside of the temple are still unknown," he said. The bald man whimpered as the demoness shot him the deadliest of glares she could muster. "B-But, the quality of the soil of the land is questionable, it can't be found anywhere else in Japan! The flower is sure to be there."

Mukago took a deep breath and closed the folder. If this information was indeed true… then Muzan would be more than happy to share his blood with her.

She let out a sadistic grin and looked at his subordinate. The man recoiled at the intensity of her gaze.

"Return to Amakusa at once, look for more clues that can confirm the veracity of these texts," Mukago said, returning the folder to Hiro. "I can't return to him with mere speculations. He would kill me for it."

"Understood, Mukago-sama. Have a nice day."

The man bowed and left the office in a hurry.

Mukago giggled uncontrollably. If she managed to get The Blue Spider Lily… Muzan would become a god.

And she would definitely be able to stand at his side. She wouldn't have to fear him ever again.

"It's just a matter of time…"

 

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 5: Mount Natagumo​

The dense forest of Natagumo made it impossible for her to use her eyesight to the fullest. She could smell the fresh blood that lingered in the depths as if it invited her to her death.

Not like Kanao cared about the eerie atmosphere, or rather, she didn't want to acknowledge it. She was there to kill demons and save any survivors she could find. That was her sole mission, and she would complete it.

She kept her gaze forward, scanning every corner of her surroundings. In this dense forest, she could be easily ambushed, be it from small bushes to tall trees. She couldn't slow down her pace, as this was a race against the clock to save the missing slayers. She had to run and look out for herself at the same time.

She stopped as she heard rustling in the bushes. She narrowed her eyes. Was it a demon or a slayer? She had to be cautious.

A blurred figure leaped towards her, its face covered with the leaves of the bushes. She reacted fast enough and raised her blade to block the incoming attack.

A loud clang was heard throughout the forest. Kanao felt herself stumbling backward from the force of the attack.

The figure that ambushed her was a teenage boy that looked strangely familiar yet distant. He had white hair with blue strands and sky blue eyes.

The same eyes as her stepbrother…

For a second, Kanao thought that this boy was related to the Ice Pillar, but she brushed that thought away. This boy lacked the smile and lax posture that her brother always had. This boy seemed serious and tense which differed from Miyamoto Junichiro's volatile nature.

The white-haired boy stopped his assault and lowered his weapon. He scanned her posture from top to bottom. Kanao lowered her weapon as well. This human boy posed no threat.

Neither of them uttered a word as they stared at each other. Kanao wondered why this boy wasn't wearing a Demon Slayer uniform—was he one of the missing people from this mountain?

No, that's not possible. This boy seemed in perfect condition. He had no signs of exhaustion or any injuries that could indicate that he fought in a battle. He also carried a nichirin blade and tried to attack her, a tool no normal civilian should have. This boy arrived at the mountain at the same time, or after her arrival.

He coughed awkwardly.

"Sorry," he said as he looked at her neutrally. "I thought you were a demon."

Kanao showed him her usual plastic smile and nodded. It was a rational misunderstanding, one that she could let slide. In this dense battlefield, it would be hard to distinguish a friend from a foe, and a moment of distraction would mean death.

"I see that you are part of the slayers, so they're already here…" the boy muttered. "Do you guys need a hand?"

Kanao blinked. Wasn't it common courtesy to share their names before talking about their mission?

No, wait, it wasn't. Her sister Shinobu told her that there was a time and place for common courtesy, and this wasn't one of them.

Socializing really is unnecessary…

Should she tell him about the slayers that were losing on the west side of the mountain? This boy didn't seem to wear their usual gear, and the lack of resistance could prove fatal in a battle. Then again, there were some people that chose not to wear it, but those often ended up dying a week later after enlisting.

Rengoku was going north, while Junichiro was catching up to her—at his own slowpoke pace. No one protected the western side.

She had to make a decision.

She grabbed her coin from her pocket and tossed it up.

If it landed on heads, then the boy would come and help them here on the east, but if it landed on tails, then she would tell him about the demons of the west.

The boy sent her a flat look and tapped his foot. Kanao wasn't sure what he meant by that strange look and kept going.

She grabbed the falling coin and when she took a look at it, she took a deep breath and smiled.

"There are slayers fighting on the far corners of the west," she said as she placed her coin back into her pocket. "Please back them up."

The boy said nothing and nodded. He swiftly made his way to the west until Kanao couldn't see him anymore.

She could have questioned the boy whether or not he belonged to the corps but his nichirin blade told her everything she needed to know. Her decision was for the best; with that boy's help, casualties could be minimized until reinforcements came to help.

"Kanao-chan?"

Kanao turned to the voice that addressed her. Miyamoto Junichiro emerged from the bushes and walked towards her. The butterfly girl found herself staring at his brother's eyes, briefly comparing them to the ones from the boy that she stumbled upon earlier.

"Hello, anyone there?!" Junichiro said as she snapped his fingers in front of her face. "You're hypnotized or something?"

Kanao snapped out from her trance and nodded. She would worry about those details later—they had a mission to complete right now.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she said flatly. "I just finished talking to a surviving slayer. He wasn't injured, so I sent him to protect the ones from the west side."

"Yeah, I heard. Who was he, anyway? I swear I had heard that voice somewhere but I don't really remember. Maybe if I saw his face I might've been able to recognize him?" Junichiro mused as he cupped his hand on his chin. He then shook his head. "Ah, whatever, let's just finish whatever lies on the east, then we can go and back everyone up."

Kanao nodded and the two ran towards the east. With the Pillar taking the lead, she could increase the pace she had before.

As they ran, she couldn't help but notice the abundance of spiders scattered over the ground. She wouldn't have noticed it if there were other insect species but the fact that there were only spiders of the same type was concerning.

Kanao found many bodies as she went deeper into enemy territory, most of them past slayers that accepted this mission. Their corpses had their bones broken and presented pustules all over their faces, as well as foam coming out of their mouths, which was a clear sign of getting poisoned.

Could it be that the poison and the spiders could have a connection? After all, there were venomous variants of spiders that had nasty effects on people.

They better avoid them at all costs.

They arrived at a clearing, where the pair came to a halt.

The girl took her time to scan her surroundings for evidence of the clear fight that had happened before.

Trees were cut in half and there was fresh blood splattered on the ground. What caught her attention the most was the wooden house that hung in the air, with strings supporting its massive weight.

This was caused by a demon, no two ways about it since no string was strong enough to maintain a big house midair.

The Ice Pillar grimaced as soon as he set his sights on the aftermath of the battle. There were no signs of dead bodies there; instead, the young slayers met a different, more horrifying fate.

They had shrunk in size, all the way down to a mere insect. Their limbs mutated into that of a spider, replacing their functional human arms with hairy spider legs. The only reason Kanao could distinguish them from normal spiders was that only their heads remained in human form. Their skin had an unhealthy pale color and nearly all of their hair had fallen down.

Their faces were devoid of all emotion like they had given up all hope.

Kanao turned to look at her brother to see that his frown had deepened. His veins bulge out of his forehead.

"I'm getting angrier the more I stay here…"

"The ones who mutated must be delivered to Nee-san. She can treat them better than anyone," Kanao muttered loud enough for the Pillar to hear. "Is there a way to lead them without scaring them off?"

Junichiro grinned and stepped forward.

"Those who want to return to your former selves line up! If you try to leave, then I will place your pathetic selves into a bag and drag by force, understand!"

The mutated slayers shivered but nevertheless complied with the order. After all, no one wanted to get their head dragged on the ground by the Ice Pillar. The man checked every corner with a scowl for anyone that dared to run away from him. The mutated slayers formed a line of ants in front of him.

Junichiro nodded satisfied at his display of crowd control. Apparently, scaring them even further proved to be the simplest solution.

Kanao noticed that the slayers pointed their spider legs towards the house. The Pillar paid no heed to their gestures.

"Alright, I know nothing about medicine, so… Kanao-chan, attend to them while I go look for more injured—"

Kanao ignored her brother's words as she realized what the mutated slayers meant. Not wasting more time, she rushed forward and leaped towards the top of the house. She managed to grab the edge and pushed herself up to the roof.

She narrowed her eyes as she set her sights on a teenage boy who lay on the ground. He had blonde hair and wore a yellow haori decorated with small white triangles.

The boy had shallow breaths and his skin had turned a weird shade of purple. It seemed that the poison had spread into the entirety of his body, but it had yet to take full effect.

"So there was someone else here after all…"

She turned to her side to see that the Ice Pillar had already made the climb. He hummed as he approached the injured boy and started to analyze him. He grinned. "Well, well, well… it appears that this boy is a resilient one, using his own breath to slow down the effects of the venom."

The boy's eyes had a small glint as he looked at Junichiro.

"Are... you... my savior?"

The Pillar crossed his arms and hummed.

"Well, that depends," he drawled, taking out a small case from underneath his haori. He opened the case and revealed a total of five syringes, each one of them with different functions. "I'll be your savior once I figure out how these syringes work…"

Not happening.

Kanao grabbed the Pillar's only arm with an ironclad grip. The sudden movement startled him and he raised his eyebrow as he demanded an answer, only to be given no response by the girl.

The girl took out a yen coin from her uniform, prompting the Pillar to release an exasperated sigh.

"Here we go again…"

If the coin landed on heads, she would kindly ask Junichiro to move away so she could administer the dose. However, if it landed on tails…

She was still going to administer the dose, by telling the Pillar which syringe he should use.

Kanao tossed the coin and—

"Goddammit, if you don't want me to use the syringe you could have said so," Junichiro grumbled as he freed himself from Kanao's grip and caught the coin in midair. He gave the coin to her and placed the syringe back in the case. He stood up and leaped off the house.

Kanao blinked a couple of times before coming back to her senses. That went better than she expected; she thought that the Pillar was going to be stubborn enough because of his pride and he would want to administer the dose.

Or maybe, he just couldn't wait to go and kill the demons already… that would explain why he was in such a hurry.

"Hey Kanao-chan, I found some pretty interesting trails down here so I'm gonna do some hunting!" she heard Junichiro shout from down below. "I already checked the perimeter and found no demons so you're good!"

And with that, she heard the footsteps of his brother vanishing.

Kanao sighed at his overprotectiveness. If Junichiro placed a little more trust in her, then they would have gone their separate ways and made the situation easier for everyone. She was no longer a helpless little girl.

How she wished for her sister Kanae to be here so she could berate him…

(X)

It had been a while since Pochiro got swatted like a fly by the giant demon, and if Inosuke had to be honest, it started to get annoying.

Why was that? It was because he wouldn't be here when Inosuke landed the killing blow, so he could rub it in his face later!

Even if he wanted that to happen, he had to admit that this demon proved to be no easy task. If its skin was sturdy before, then it would be sturdier now that it had shed it.

It looked weirder than before, too. Now it had various red eyes across its face and large fangs that didn't manage to fit in its mouth, making them stand out from the rest of its already big teeth.

This huge demon was known as their father—as the demon girl they ran into earlier told them so—and he managed to get on Inosuke's nerves fast. His skin was harder than a thousand boar tusks combined, making it hard for him to tear him apart!

Its hardened skin was impossible to pierce; its demonic strength would mean that one hit from it would turn his insides into mush.

Killing him wasn't a task Inosuke couldn't handle though.

"Come here boy! I don't need Kentaro to kill you!" he yelled, clashing both of his blades.

The spider demon shrieked and charged towards the Boar Slayer. The ground cracked with each of its steps.

Inosuke grinned. This guy wanted a head-on clash between them, knowing full well who would win. What a moron, easy kill for him.

He leaped forward, blades pointing directly at the monster's neck.

The monster moved its arm to the side. Since Inosuke was coming forward, its large arm would let it land a blow before he could close the distance.

The Boar Slayer expected this.

"Breath of the Beast, Ninth Fang!"

His arms stretched in an unnatural way, making his bones creak from the effort. The ability to dislocate and relocate his bones at will was something he always took pride in.

He jumped up, evading the blow from the giant demon, and tried to slash its neck with his blades.

"The fuck?!"

Keyword: tried.

His arms felt like they reached a dead end when his swords tried to pierce the demon's skin. He grunted as he tried to apply more force to his slash, but the blade did not budge, it felt like he was trying to cut many rocks at once.

The creature roared and spun around many times, shaking the Boar Slayer off its body. Inosuke flew and crashed into a nearby tree trunk, which broke from the force of the impact. He winced from the sharp pain that came from the crash.

He stood up, his arms trembled. If he couldn't cut this guy with his strongest attacks, then who could? Wasn't he the Great Inosuke…? The strongest slayer out there?

The demon began to charge at him with murderous intent, and Inosuke could only stand there and watch at how the demon tore him apart. This is it, this is how he was going to die.

Death because he was weak. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, he would not be able to defend himself from the incoming blow… and it frustrated him to no end!

"Breath of Ice, First Form—"

Inosuke heard the loud clang of a sword that clashed against a hard piece of iron.

He opened his eyes to see the giant spider demon stopped in its tracks. The big guy was struggling to grab his neck, reeling violently.

Inosuke scowled. Why the fuck did this monster stop? It had him right where it wanted him, so why didn't it finish the job?!

He squinted his eyes, his blurry vision started to clear up. What he saw tensed him up.

A white-haired nobody was interfering, and the way he fought made it seem like he was the boss! The newbie caught the demon by surprise like a coward and got a direct hit on the neck. His blade didn't budge on impact. Of course it didn't, if Inosuke himself couldn't, how could this guy—who looked weaker than him—manage?

The demon started to rattle and waggled around, trying to shake the boy off him.

"Gotta help that guy, but how?!" Inosuke said as he knocked his head hard. He let out a grunt of frustration and ran towards the pipsqueak. "Screw it! I'll just grab him."

He curved towards the back of the demon and pulled the boy away with his grip. He began to run towards the forest and blended in with the bushes. He heard the demon chasing after them as the ground shook slightly from its steps.

Inosuke made good use of the bushes and tree branches, blending with the forest and using the sound of roots and leaves to his advantage. When it came to survival inside the forest, he was second to none, because he was both smart and dangerous!

As soon as they seemed to get out of sight, Inosuke threw the white-haired boy in front of him. He sent him an accusatory finger.

"What the hell are you doing stealing my prey like that! Leave this guy in the hands of Inosuke-sama!"

He saw the boy grimace and stand up. He carefully scanned his surroundings without saying a word to him. The Boar Slayer let out a low but audible growl. "Stop ignoring me you dumbass!"

"If it weren't for the branches you threw along the way, that demon would have found us because of how loud you are," the white-haired boy said.

"Huh?! What do you mean I'm loud, I'm not being loud snowflake guy!"

"Shut up!" Snowflake whispered audibly. He then peeked to the outside for any signs of the demon. "First of all, it's not snowflake, it's Kazuki. Second, if you're so eager to rush into a demon that big without a plan, by all means, be my guest."

Inosuke's eye ticked from under his mask; he should not have challenged him like that. He then let out a loud laugh.

"Of course, I'm gonna show you how Inosuke-sama does it!" he yelled and jumped out into the open. He then rushed towards the location where he sensed the big demon. "PIG ASSAULT!"

He heard Kazuma jump out of the bush as well, and chased after him.

"W–Wait! I was being sarcastic!"

"The hell does that mean?!"

Inosuke ignored his warnings and charged towards where he last heard the demon. He plucked the leaves that were on his face and came into contact with the spider monster. He faced the creature directly.

The monster's eyeballs dilated and it shrieked.

Inosuke readied both of his swords, eager to tear it apart!

"Die already dammit!"

The monster then smashed the ground with its fist and started to throw boulders towards him. Inosuke grinned behind his mask and dodged the incoming attacks. It then took a big step forwards and threw dirt towards him.

The slayer couldn't see anything from the cloud of dirt and swung his swords to clear his vision. However, that single moment when he took his eyes off the demon, he saw a big fist approaching towards him. Too late to escape, the Boar Slayer braced himself for the incoming attack and raised his arms.

"Ice breathing, Third Form: Sheer Cold!"

Kuzuki entered the fray and stabbed all of the demon's eyes as fast as he could blink. The demon cried in pain and placed both of its arms over its eyes. The white-haired boy grabbed Inosuke by the neck and immediately ran backward.

His grip didn't possess that much strength, but he was baffled by the fact that the white-haired boy was skating over the ground. He ran towards the deep forest and blended in with the bushes.

Inosuke then realized that he was still being carried and started to wail. "Let me go Kazuma! Let. Me. Go!"

The boy in question merely sent him a deadpan stare. Once they were out of sight, Kazuma dropped Inosuke to the ground and kneeled to catch his breath.

"Thank you for saving me from the monster that was about to pulverize my guts is what I was expecting…" he mumbled under his breath. He then scanned his surroundings and nodded. "Listen, I think I know a way to cut off this monster's head. I need to find the dead bodies of some slayers and lure the demon—"

Inosuke tilted his head as he heard the boy speak gibberish, something about contraptions and bait and advanced terms he didn't understand.

"Got all that?"

The boar-headed slayer blinked under his mask. "...Eh?"

Kazuki rubbed his temples and shook his head. He then patted Inosuke on the shoulder. "Good luck, Bait-san."

He didn't just do that.

The boar-headed slayer stomped the ground hard and let out a snarl.

"Bait-san?!" he shouted as he leaned towards Kuzuki's ear. "The hell?! My name is Hashibara Inosuke just so you remember!"

The white-haired boy ran towards the forest and immediately fell out of sight. Inosuke growled and chased after him.

"Come back here, I ain't done with you!" Inosuke yelled as he followed the boy.

Just as he was following him, he could feel the ground trembling hard and heard trees falling from behind. He turned around and saw the Spider Demon catching up to him, as it ran fast towards him. Inosuke felt a chill down his spine as the demon extended out its massive hand.

The Boar Slayer ducked and avoided the attack that would have crushed him on the spot. His hands clenched into fists and he growled quietly, like a mad dog about to be released from its leash.

He wanted to kill Kazuma and the ugly monster insisted on getting on his way.

"I. Hate. Playing. Safe!" he said as he let out a loud cry. He then rushed towards the demon with his two blades and took a deep breath. "Beast Breathing, Fourth Form: Slice and Dice!"

The monster tried to slam Inosuke with its own weight, but the Boar Slayer managed to slide down under its crotch and climb upon its back. He used both of his blades to slice up the monster's neck.

"Dammit all!" Inosuke snarled as he applied every ounce of his strength to cut the demon's neck.

The poor force of his attack didn't even manage to pierce its skin and the blades snapped in half the moment they made contact.

Inosuke fell down and his eyes widened the moment he saw the monster swinging down its fist. He rolled away at the last second and avoided the attack.

The demon wasn't done; it swung its foot at the downed Inosuke. The slayer used both of his arms and blocked the attack that would have instantly killed him. Still, the force of the kick sent him flying a few meters away. He landed forcefully on the ground with a thud.

When he recovered his senses, he could get a clear view from his current location.

This particular part of the forest had been oddly shaped. Most trunks were sliced into sharp wooden stakes and lifted up with white strings. They were pointed like spears towards one direction.

While Inosuke inspected the area, he took notice of Kuzuki. He watched as the white-haired boy used his sword to cut off the trees and carved them into stakes. The white-haired boy looked at the boar slayer and scowled.

"Get out of here, I'm not finished yet!" he snapped. "You're going to ruin everything!"

"What the hell are you doing?! These pieces of wood won't even scratch that guy!" Inosuke yelled in the same, defiant tone.

Kazuki shook his head. "You don't understand! Now get out of here before–"

Both boys flinched as they saw the father demon had found them, its eyes constricted, and let out a terrifying, high-pitched shriek which made the boys instinctively cover their ears to avoid being deafened.

"Too late, he's here now!" Inosuke said as he stood up and ran towards Kazuma.

The white-haired boy grimaced and mumbled under his breath. Inosuke ticked a nerve, he swore he heard him say something along the lines of 'boar-headed idiot'.

"Dammit!" Kazuma snapped as he started to back off. "I guess this will do..."

"What now?!"

When Inosuke turned around, he saw that the boy wasn't standing beside him but rather running away yet again!

"Follow me!"

"Wait up dumbass!" the Boar Slayer shouted as he followed suit, his frustrations getting the better of him yet again.

He wasn't running away—The Great Inosuke never runs away—he was just chasing Kazuki so he could kill him later!

He could sense the demon chasing after them as it plowed through all of the stakes with its brute strength, but they couldn't even pierce its skin.

"Hey Kazuma, those stakes aren't doing anything!" Inosuke said as he resisted the urge to punch the white-haired boy's face. "What now?!"

The white-haired frowned and clenched his fist.

"Too wide…" he said.

Kazuma then had a small glint in his eyes and cut a white thread as they passed through with his blade. He pushed Inosuke's head down.

He felt a gust of wind pass over his head.

A wooden stake came down from the branches and propelled right up into the beast's eyes, clouding its vision. Now they could split up, and make the beast lose track of them again. Still, the Boar Slayer couldn't see the point of this. They would simply repeat the process over and over until either one of them died. The demon could regenerate, so no matter how much it hurt its eyes, it would not matter.

"Jump on my signal!"

That made the Boar Slayer blink. Did Kazuma just have the audacity to tell him what to do? His blood started to boil and he gritted his teeth until he finally snapped. "Who the hell do you think you are to order me around!"

He saw the white-haired boy stop and kneel. He, on the other hand, had no intention to stop.

"Now!"

"I said I won't take orders from—"

He choked on his next words as he slipped down and lost his footing. He expected to fall on the ground but what he saw was that the leaves and roots under him broke, and what welcomed was a huge deep hole.

He could easily survive a fall like this, so it wasn't like it was the end of the world. That was if the bottom of the hole didn't have sharp nichirin swords implanted into the ground. His breath became ragged and his heart started to beat fast as he imagined himself turning into mincemeat by the time he fell.

Kurome jumped into the hole and grabbed Inosuke by the hand. The white-haired boy barely made it into the other side by hanging himself on the edge. He then hurled the Boar Slayer to the surface and climbed up himself.

"The hell…"

Inosuke felt the ground shaking as he saw the demon had kept the chase towards them. It had removed the stakes from its eyes and they were slowly regenerating.

However, that split second of regeneration proved to be fatal. The demon fell right into the 5-meter-deep hole.

A loud shockwave could be felt on the entire forest as the demon made contact with the bottom. A couple of swords broke but the rest managed to skewer the demon's skin from its torso, all the way to its face, and even its neck which left a sizable mark. Blood dripped from its wounds and it started to shriek from the pain.

It didn't manage to decapitate it completely, but it was vulnerable now!

Inosuke scratched his mask. Without his swords, there was no way to finish it off. It was frustrating how weak he was at times!

Kazuki then tossed his fancy sword to him and he caught it midair. Inosuke didn't say a word as the boy's face told him everything he needed to know.

He grinned under his mask.

The curved hilt from the sword felt slightly weird to him but it still managed to get the job done.

"With pleasure!" he cackled and threw himself into the hole. He could already see the places he could land without getting hurt by the blades.

He landed on top of the beast's torso.

"Beast Breathing, Third Fang: Devour!"

And sliced its head off in one fell swoop. The monster let out a roar as it felt pain from the move until it finally died down and stopped its twitching.

Inosuke let out a roar of victory. Bathing in the glory of killing a strong demon felt amazing without having to see Kentaro's stupid grin.

The demon's body started to disintegrate and the Boar Slayer jumped towards the surface before he got impaled.

He could see Kazuma letting out a sigh of relief as he took a seat. Inosuke tossed the sword back to him, which he grabbed without hesitation.

"That's one down…" Kazuma muttered.

"Hell yeah, I killed it!" Inosouke said. He had his arms up in the air. "Did you see that?! That means you shouldn't ever underestimate me, Inosuke-sama, The Strongest of All!"

Kazuki seemed appalled, his mouth wide open.

"I gave the means to kill it what are you–" he said while taking deep breaths. He then clapped his hands. "You know what? Fine, you killed it. Congratulations."

Damn right he should congratulate him.

The boar slayer then glanced at the big hole in which the demon fell. Some of the swords that were implanted on the ground broke, but there were still plenty of them left, in impeccable condition.

"How the hell did you think of something like this? This shit is amazing!"

Kazuma blinked and scratched the back of his head.

"Well… I had to go scavenging. A lot of people died here, so it was pretty easy to find high-quality blades. I then went towards this location with the arsenal, found the hole, and implanted the swords on the ground, then disguised the hole with leaves and roots. Then I made wooden stakes by cutting some trees down and positioning them carefully. Yes, I did all of that in five minutes." He explained. He took a deep breath and kept going. "I wanted more time to make more stakes, as I wasn't so sure if I could have blinded it in time before it got here, but I don't have to worry about that anymore. If we couldn't cut off its head with our current strength, then maybe gravity would have done the trick."

Inosuke's head hurt from the amount of information that was given to him, and all he could do was tilt his head. "Gravi–what?"

The white-haired boy closed his eyes and shook his head.

"…Forget it…"

(X)

The contents of the mission stated that there were missing people from around the Chūbu region. They abducted men, women, and children… these demons knew no limits.

So the Flame Pillar knew what to do the moment he set foot on this mountain.

All the clues gathered by the Kakushi led up to the peak of this mountain. However, they failed to mention that the place where the demons kept the victims wasn't just a small hut.

Instead, Kyojuro set his sights on a Pagoda, its worn-out wood planks and broken windows adding an unhealthy and eerie atmosphere that would make rookie slayers cower in fear. Luckily, he was far from being a rookie now.

There was one factor that caught his attention the most.

A foul stench, the damned stench of death.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his rage, the Flame Pillar stepped forward and made his way towards the main door. There was no shōji door to knock on, as the precious parchment that once adorned these beautiful pieces of architecture was now tainted by the stains of blood.

He entered the home and started to analyze his surroundings. The inside of the building was in the state he expected it to be. Worn out walls, creaking floors, and broken furniture. The place held a gloomy aura.

Not like it had that effect on him—the demons would have to do a better job if they wanted to extinguish the flame inside of his heart.

With only the light of the moon to guide him, he had to have all of his five senses in control.

Kyojuro grimaced. It was impossible that the demons had left the place where they keep their food unguarded. He saw claw marks on the wall, fresh ones, and he instantly knew the eyes of the enemy were fixed on him. He needed to be silent and look out for his opponent.

The Flame Pillar didn't work that way.

"Hello! Anyone home!"

His shout echoed throughout the entire building to the point that it made the structure crumble further. Dust started to come out of the ceilings all the way to his nostrils. He coughed.

"I better be careful…" he muttered as he unsheathed his katana. Its beautiful red color shone through the pale moonlight.

He caught sight of a moving silhouette hanging from the ceiling and instantly went on guard. The shadow seemed to catch sight of him, its lifeless white eyes glaring into his own golden ones.

It emitted a low, but audible growl, an animalistic one, akin to a beast seeking out its prey.

He didn't even need to guess he was dealing with a demon.

"You there!" Kyojuro shouted. The force of the yell startled the shadow as he swiftly leaped towards the ceiling. It dashed to the stairs. The shadow slashed two pillars on its side, weakening the ceiling even further.

With his earlier shout and the recent damage, the ceiling collapsed on him. The Flame Pillar reacted in time to slash the pieces of wood. He grinned at the shadow.

"You're going to need something much bigger to take me down, demon!" Kyojuro said as he ran towards the shadow. It jumped towards the hole and climbed up to the second floor.

The Flame Pillar followed suit.

This was certainly a low-ranked demon, as it showed a cowardly way of fighting him despite having close quarters to its advantage.

Kyojuro quickly ran towards the shadow and climbed the stairs. It wasn't long before he caught up with it. The moonlight briefly revealed a part of its head, which made it easier for the Pillar to spot the neck.

He grinned and clenched his sword tightly.

"I got you!"

The Pillar swung his sword without using his breath, as this low-ranked demon didn't even warrant the effort.

He stopped his attack as soon as the demon took out two strange cocoons to defend itself. That oval-shaped object was all too familiar, and unpleasant. He narrowed his eyes and focused on one particular cocoon, and his eyes couldn't believe what they saw.

An eyeball, a human one, could be seen inside of it.

It was at this moment where the Flame Pillar realized where the stench of death came from.

He found himself surrounded by dozens of cocoons, each of them carrying dead–or barely alive–humans, he didn't know, and he didn't want to know. They were trapped inside as means of preservation, and the only way for them to get out would be by killing the demon… or by waiting for supper.

Kyojuro remained still, his eyes covered by his bangs. He gripped his sword tightly until his knuckles were bright white.

The moonlight revealed a woman with a pale complexion. She wore a white kimono ornamented with shapes of cobwebs. She had white hair and red tattoos under both of her eyes. Her white irises gave confirmation that she was no normal lady, but the demon that resided in this house.

The demoness grinned. White threads started to emerge from underneath her fingernails as she moved her hands carefully. She quickly manipulated these threads and started to envelop the Flame Pillar into a cocoon.

"You realized..." the demoness giggled as she walked towards him. She faked a pout. "If you swing your sword in this small room, you will end up killing the people you're trying to save, you know? You don't want to do that, don't you~?"

Kyojuro thought about it for a while. These innocent people—who lacked the skill to fight against creatures this vicious—did not die instantly. Instead, they were kept alive, screaming for help each day as they were slowly digested, yet no one came.

Until this day.

Time to put an end to this brutality.

"You would have to be extremely precise to even reach—"

The demoness's eyes widened as her neck got pierced by the Pillar's sword, which got through her strings with ease.

Kyojuro wasn't insane like Junichiro or a hothead like Sanemi. He didn't let his rage cover his vision while he thought of a way to escape.

The cocoon was shaped like a ball of yarn, which meant that there were many hidden holes inside of it. He just needed to wait for the demoness to get close to deliver a fatal blow.

"You have captured and killed so many innocents... and judging by how your means of 'preservation' works, I can only guess that their death wasn't quick." He spoke in a low, baritone voice. His veins started to pop out of his forehead, and his face became red as a tomato until he finally let it all out.

"Depraved creatures like you shouldn't be forgiven! I'll set my heart ablaze and burn you to the bone!"

Now just needed to twist his blade and—

The demoness shook her hands desperately, putting more cocoons in front of him. Kyojuro gritted his teeth and leaped backward, pulling away from his blade from the demon's neck. He couldn't risk hitting the civilians.

He easily dodged the attacks and kept moving forward, but was slowed due to the number of cocoons that were thrown at him.

The attack stopped. He immediately ran towards the stairs and dashed down towards the first floor, but found no signs of the woman.

"Dammit, I lost track of her..." he said as he punched the wall, leaving a sizable mark on it.

A string knocked down the oil lamps that were hanging on the walls. The reaction between oil and the fire ignited a spark in the room that quickly spread throughout the first floor.

Kyojuro couldn't stop it. Soon the entire building would get enveloped in flames.

He wanted to kill the demon, but priorities came first: he had to get the cocoons out to safety. The people trapped might even still be alive if they were lucky. He took a deep breath and rushed towards the second floor.

If he got killed by the flames, that would be the most ironic death ever.

(X)

She watched from afar as the entire building started to be enveloped by a great flame.

She gave a sigh of bliss. Nothing felt better than watching your enemies burn from the inside.

A part of her was frustrated because of her inability to protect their food, but Himeno understood that the slayer she fought against had the upper hand in every way. His strength, speed, and swordsmanship were on a whole other level compared to the first group that arrived earlier. He must be one of the high-ranked ones, like the Kinoe or the dreaded Pillars.

She let out a soft giggle, which quickly turned into a full chortle. If you couldn't beat them with sheer strength, then outsmarting them worked like a charm. The slayers were always so selfless and self-righteous, they always claimed to protect their own kind, even if that would mean that they would fail their mission.

Their oath would ultimately lead to their undoing.

Maybe now that she took down a Pillar, she could ask Muzan for blood. Then, she could have a blood battle to join the Twelve Moons. The mere thought of getting out of this mountain and letting Rui get a taste of his medicine made her shiver in excitement. It was time for her to drop this big sister act and finally be independent.

"That's a very bright torch you're gawking at, girl. You sure you ain't getting blind?"

Himeno flinched as she heard a low but mischievous voice beside her. She slowly turned to the right.

"Well, I do admit that it is a flashy display."

She saw a man that had messy long white hair with blue strands tied into a ponytail. He seemed immersed in his thoughts as he placed a hand on his chin and stared intently at the burning house.

She started to tremble and jumped away from the mysterious man, not even daring to attack him. How did he manage to get behind her? She was a demon for crying out loud! Her enhanced senses and the threads she left behind should have alerted her to any possible danger, yet this man managed to get behind her without making a sound.

He could have killed her but decided not to…

Himeno heaved a sigh of relief. Humans could be so strange and stupid at times.

Now that she remained out of harm's way, she could take a good look at the man. Because of that ridiculous black uniform, she knew that this man was a slayer, but what caught her attention the most wasn't his outfit.

It was that his left sleeve waved like a flag, which signaled that he missed his left arm.

She couldn't help but ponder at the ridiculousness of what she saw. Why would the slayers let a cripple go to missions? Didn't they understand that was suicide? She could understand if he was missing an eye or an ear, but his entire arm?

Demon Slayers were known to use two-handed weapons or two one-handed weapons to swiftly decapitate demons. That was the peak which humans were able to get. Cutting one arm from a slayer was one way to get a ticket for retirement, for one arm is incapable of cutting a demon's head off.

Either the slayers were either getting desperate or this man had a loose screw.

This crippled human stood no chance against her.

"You have to be stupid if you think that you can kill me with only one arm."

The man blinked. Good, he was realizing his weakness and uselessness. She resisted the urge to laugh at the stupidity and predictability of humans.

He whistled and let out a condescending smile.

"Please, do enlighten me," he said, not even daring to face her.

The white-haired human wore the most ridiculous expression on his face once those words left his mouth. He mocked her, and she didn't appreciate it one bit.

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. "Do you think you can get away after mocking me like that?"

The man looked to each side with a puzzled expression before facing her. "I mean, this is an open forest so I suppose getting away must be—"

Himeno couldn't take it any longer. "It was rhetorical!" she snapped.

She waved her hands and threads started to surround the clearing. Their suitable position should cover any possible angle for attack.

"I won't let a cripple make fun of me…" Himeno said in a low, grave tone. "Especially if you use a two-handed sword with one arm."

The man shook his head and sighed. "Alright, let me beat you without using my weapon at all."

What?

Himeno held her mouth agape, unsure of what the slayer had said. Was he being serious or could he not get through his thick skull that demons could regenerate from any injury if they didn't use nichirin blades?

The man used his only hand and grabbed his sheath from his waist. He proceeded to throw it away to the ground.

She couldn't believe it; this fool was serious, he wanted to fight a demon barehanded.

"You can't be serious." Himeno grinned. Her smile quickly faltered when he saw the man stretching himself, preparing himself to attack. "Gods, you are serious…"

"Well, I can judge my opponent's strength by looking at them at first glance." The white-haired man said, cracking his neck. "And judging by that turtle-like reaction you showed me earlier…"

He let out a wide grin. "Let's just say it would be a miracle if you make me try!"

Himeno would have snapped at the crippled man's statement if he didn't disappear from her sight before she could blink.

Her eyes widened and started to move her head frantically. She desperately tried to find where the man had gone. His sword still remained on the ground, so she wasn't worried about being killed on the spot.

She felt a tight grip on the back of her head and her blood ran cold.

"On your right my dear~"

He used his only arm to slam the demoness's face into the ground. The land shattered on impact and her vision went black. Her skull must have shattered.

She couldn't believe it. The man's earlier taunts were no mere boasts!

This had to be some kind of mistake… there was no way a human would be that strong with only one arm! The force felt like she was being pushed by thousands of people at once; it felt inhuman.

As her eyes regenerated, she could see that the man's lips moved, but couldn't understand anything due to the impact of the attack that shattered her eardrums. The pain she felt when regenerating felt like nothing compared to the damage to her pride.

He just humiliated her physically and emotionally.

"Come on, is that it? I haven't even broken a sweat!" The man laughed, pulling Himeno by her hair. "You better start trying, you're gonna die!"

The man pulled her from the ground and spun her like a tornado, hurling her into a tree and sending her crashing hard into the trunk.

The demoness's breath became ragged, her eyes widening in fear as she saw the huge figure approaching her with a crazed grin. She whimpered and dragged herself backward as the man was just a meter away from her.

He stopped and his grin vanished. He stared at her for a couple of seconds before he sighed.

"Booooring~" he said as he rubbed the back of his head. "As I thought, underlings like you don't possess that much of a challenge. I really expected some sort of counterattack, or at the very least you could've shown me an interesting Blood Demon Art."

"Don't mock me hum—" She couldn't finish her sentence as the slayer punched her straight in the jaw, which shattered on impact. The demoness covered her mouth as blood started to pour out from her broken teeth.

"Yeah, yeah, 'don't mock me human trash', 'don't underestimate me, 'you are no match for me'. I know the drill for the proud demons, you don't have to repeat it to every human you see. It gets tiring you know?"

No, she couldn't die like this.

She had to put this human in his place, even if it was the last thing she did!

She moved her hands. The strings she placed earlier on the clearing began to move and they began to surround the slayer.

The man merely grinned at the sight of being trapped.

"Finally, you're trying!"

"Shut up already!" she yelled desperately. The strings started to envelop the man into a big white cocoon. He didn't even try to evade it.

Himeno stood up and dusted herself off. She took deep breaths and started to calm down.

She heard rustling coming from the cocoon. It was moving back and forth, and Himeno could hear faint mumbling coming from it.

She grinned. The human must feel desperate to get out, as there was no way out once trapped inside. She felt bliss knowing that she wouldn't be able to hear that man's obnoxious and irritating voice.

"What is it, human, you're done squirming?"

Her grin faltered once she saw a big vertical cut being formed on the cocoon. She couldn't do anything about it as it all happened in the blink of an eye. The cut made the cocoon collapse completely. The inside revealed the human practically untouched, merely covered himself in digestive juices. His clothes were slimy but his skin was still in pristine shape as if he didn't take any damage at all.

The demoness widened her eyes. There was no way he could have gotten out of her trap without a sword! She glanced towards the direction in which he dropped his blade earlier, and to her surprise, it still lay on the ground untouched.

She returned her gaze to the man and she could see that he jiggled a small object between his fingers. A broken pink blade tied onto a small chain that hung around his neck.

"You have to know something important, girl. I didn't reach my rank by being an idiot," he said. "I did say I wasn't going to use my weapon."

In a swift move, he lunged directly at her throat.

She couldn't react to his inhuman movement in time.

She felt the steel pass through her neck in one swift move. She lost all feeling from her body and saw how her head fell down onto the ground.

In that instant, she knew who she was dealing with. That unfathomable strength and durability didn't come from an ordinary slayer. It has to be one of the high-ranked ones.

She could only watch as her body crumbled to dust. She wanted to have one final stand, or at the very least injure the man to wipe out the grin of his stupid face.

She wanted to burn him alive like that golden-haired slayer from earlier.

Why wouldn't things go her way? Why was she destined to always be stomped by the strong? Like these foul men did... like Rui did.

"Oh Kyojuro, you're here."

She glanced towards the blurring figure that approached the white-haired man.

Her will broke once her vision cleared. That was the golden-haired slayer from earlier, the one that she thought she burned alive inside the building! Did he manage to get every single cocoon out of safety, even when the building was falling apart?

Now she understood the people she tried to deal with. These were people that not even the likes of Rui could hope to defeat. These people stood on a mountain, while they were on rock bottom.

It seemed like wishful thinking to try and defeat one of them. Only the likes of the Upper Moons would be able to.

She smiled before her body crumbled to dust. The thought of Rui being butchered by these Pillars soothed her pain.

 

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 6: Terrible Fate​

"Looks like you took care of the demon for me, Junichiro." Kyojuro sighed. "Good riddance, I was starting to worry that she would kill more people if we let her loose."

"Considering how boring she was when I fought her, I wouldn't be surprised if she had gone hunting the weaker slayers. She must have been a young demon at best." Junichiro grumbled as he placed his collar back into his uniform. "Where were you anyway?"

Kyojuro frowned, which didn't go unnoticed by his fellow Pillar.

He glanced towards the webbing scattered on the floor from the past battle and back at him again. It didn't take long before he placed the pieces together.

Junichiro grimaced and narrowed his eyes.

"Don't tell me…"

Kyojuro didn't say anything, what else could he say? Going into specific details would make even the most hardened men gag.

"I need a drink…" Junichiro said as he rubbed his temples. "Where are the bodies?"

"Just around the corner, follow me."

The two of them walked silently through the forest. They didn't dare to say a word as they both pondered about the brutality and cruelty of the world.

They had a long time on the job now, but recovering the bodies of innocent civilians was still the hardest part to swallow.

They arrived towards the clearing. The worn out pagoda that stood before was reduced into mere rubble, all that remained now were charred pieces of wood.

There were no more cocoons left, as Kyojuro had taken his time to get out every single one of them on his own, and get the people out of them safely… at least to the ones that survived.

They saw that two people were lying unconscious on the ground.

One of them was a woman with indistinguishable features. She had second and third-degree burns all over her body with her flesh being visibly torn apart. The decolored remains of her hair signaled that she had been inside of the cocoon for quite a while, with three days' top.

The second young man had a plain face and had short black hair. He managed to get the least out of the torture as he only lost his garments while being captured, instead of more important parts.

"These were the only people I found alive inside of the cocoons, while the rest…" he trailed off, turning his head towards the far east, to which Junichiro followed.

He immediately averted his gaze.

"Goddammit..." The Ice Pillar said through gritted teeth. He didn't seem in the mood to count the number of bodies that Kyojuro carefully placed on the ground.

The bodies had their skin melted alongside with their eyes and lips and only rotten tissue remained, leaving a horrific sight to behold. It spoke volumes at how unpleasant the deaths of these people were.

"Fourteen people died inside that building over the course of a week, and I suspect there were many more before we even got a whiff on this case. I suspect that they were kept inside of the cocoons as a means of… preservation." Kyojuro said, forcefully letting the last words come out of his mouth. It disgusted him just to think about it.

"It's not a suspicion, it's a fact, and I wasn't a big fan of it." Junichiro muttered as he clenched his fist.

The Flame Pillar nodded, so that's where the slime from his clothes came from.

Junichiro started to walk away, eyes flaring with fury.

"That's it, I'm going west, these guys are dead."

"Wait!" Kyojuro placed a hand on his shoulder. His grip stopped him in his tracks. "As much as I want to go with you, we have to treat the injured first! We cannot let them linger on this accursed place any longer!"

"Right, sorry, guess I almost went crazy right there." Junichiro said as he took a deep breath. "Lead the way."

"I doubt you can be crazier than you already are." He shook his head. He then walked towards the unconscious people. "Follow me."

They stopped when they got close to the bodies. The Ice Pillar stepped forward and kneeled down to check on the two people that were unconscious. The woman came to her senses first.

She took ragged breaths and spoke.

"I... want... to see... my little brother. Where... is he? Is… someone there?" she said, her tone weak.

Kyojuro frowned. This woman had a family that got captured towards this location, and she was the only survivor of the captured people of the Urawa village. It will be hard to tell her about their passing.

"Will she live, Junichiro?" Kyojuro asked, his voice soft.

"I'm not sure, I'm no expert in medicine, but it's a miracle that she's still alive even with those injuries. Look at her eyes." Junichiro said as he pointed to the woman's eyes. Her eyes were completely white, as if the acid permanently damaged her irises. He shook his head. "She truly lost everything, physically and emotionally."

Junichiro then took off his haori and gently enveloped the woman inside of it.

"D-Don't touch me! Just end me please!"

"Hey, it's alright. Everything is alright now, you're safe, calm down." Junichiro said as he tried to reason with the wailing woman, but she didn't stop. The pain from the wounds must be unbearable for her.

The crying stopped.

"She passed out from the pain." Junichiro said as he let out a sigh of relief. "Better get going, her case is urgent."

"What about the kid?"

"Hmm?" Junichiro perked up at Kyojuro's question and took a look at the black haired teen who was covered in the slime of the cocoon. The Ice Pillar went over to the kid to scan him and took notice about his ragged breathing and unresponsive behavior.

"Oh, I know this kid!" Junichiro said, cupping his hand on his chin. "I think his name was… Murata or something? Eh, at any rate, this kid is a recent one, only his clothes were vaporized by the acid, so he's probably in shock. He still needs treatment to see if any strange bacteria have entered his system."

He then took the woman with both of his hands and picked her up carefully, he didn't want to worsen her injuries.

"I'll need help with carrying them both. Wanna lend me a hand?"

"Of course!" Kyojuro shouted passionately. "You don't even need to ask."

A rustling in the bushes made Kyojuro's senses spike, his arms quickly went over through his sheath. Was there another demon in the vicinity? He didn't even sense it coming.

Junichiro narrowed his eyes and prepared to evacuate the woman if need arose. They couldn't risk leaving her in any more danger, the same could be said for Murata.

As the figure emerged, the Pillars prepared themselves to move. Without a word, they knew what they had to do, they were on their ranks for a reason.

The menacing creature had pointy ears and its yellow eyes stared intently at the two men.

It meowed.

No one dared to say a word as they processed what they saw. They expected to be a high level demon that managed to ambush the strongest men known in the demon slayer corps.

"Of all things that can spook us, it has to be a cat." Junichiro said after a long awkward silence.

"I… am ashamed of myself!" Kyojuro said after taking a long breath. "We're never talking about this again."

Junichiro nodded vigorously.

"Agreed."

The Flame Pillar narrowed his eyes on the cat, who started to lick its paw in a manner that seemed rather… cute.

"What is a cat doing here anyway?"

The Ice Pillar blinked and shrugged. "They're wild animals I guess?"

"But we've only encountered spiders here, right?" Kyojuro asked as he cupped his chin.

"Pretty sure animals can return whenever they want to their homeland. And now that we're controlling the matter around her, it would only be natural if they returned." Junichiro sighed. "Anyway, enough talking, we have lives to save."

The Flame Pillar nodded and started to walk backward towards the injured.

"Yeah, let's—"

The Pillars were about to leave until the cat sprinted towards them and stood in their way. They stopped, now more puzzled than ever. The cat then approached the Flame Pillar and started to press its paw into his feet.

Junichiro tilted his head.

"Okay, cats are not that smart, the hell does it want?" Junichiro asked, interested in the cat's odd behavior. The animal started to move away from them, looking back and forth as it pretended to leave.

"Does it want us to follow it?" Kyojuro mumbled until he took notice of which direction the cat was going. "Oh, isn't that direction leading to the west, where the rest of the slayers are fighting?"

"Yeah, I think so…" Junichiro hummed. A grin started to form on his face, one that Kyojuro was well aware of its meaning. "Kyojuro, you take this girl to the Kakushi, I'm gonna go to kill the dem-"

The Flame Pillar ignored the words of his friend and rushed behind the cat, who also ran forward. He could hear Junichiro cursing from afar, but he did his best to ignore him. That battle maniac will eventually catch up with him anyway.

(X)

Inosuke pointed out that he sensed that his friend 'Santaro' still fought the demons in a specific direction. When Kazuki asked him how he managed to locate his friend with such accurate precision, he just said that it was a trait that he gained on the mountains–while bragging about it on his face.

He didn't dare to ask any more questions.

They fought against the father demon for a while, so Kazuki hoped that this Santaro person would manage to hold his own until they arrived.

"I won't let you take my sister!"

That voice sounded familiar, too familiar… the word 'sister' only managed to narrow down his guess. Kazuki also noted that Inosuke confused his name pretty frequently, and he didn't seem to do it on purpose, the guy's memory skills were just lackluster.

Could it really be a coincidence?

"Hell yeah, Kentaro is still alive!" Inosuke laughed as he slashed the bushes that stood on his way. "Pick up the pace underling, we're almost there!"

Kazuki sighed. Apparently the name is Kentaro now, and it seemed that he was getting further with the names rather than getting closer to the real one. At this point, he'd rather see the person himself rather than guess.

He really should have refrained from his decision on giving Inosuke another pair of swords from the slayer's corpses. Stealing from the dead was already a taboo he had to cross to win, but using a rock to purposely chip the blades to one's liking was another story entirely.

The Boar Slayer knew no limits.

When they arrived at the source of the sound. Kazuki took notice of the person that fought against the demon, and it was none other than red haired boy, Kamado Tanjiro, who was fighting against one of the spider demons of this mountain. He took notice that Nezuko was tied up in the threads, and desperately tried to get out.

While the white haired boy wanted to curse this dreaded coincidence nonstop, he knew what he had to do.

"Hashibara, we have to free her!"

"I told you that I don't take orders from you!" the boy in question yelled and didn't waste any more time. He leaped towards the demoness. "Beast Breathing, Fourth Form: Slice 'n Dice1"

If those threads were capable of binding a demon no problem, then that means that they were stronger than the threads created by the lesser demons of the area. Kazuki himself couldn't cut them away. Luckily, Inosuke was all the brawn he needed to get the job done.

Inosuke's blades made contact with the web and pulled them in. He grunted as he pulled harder until the threads finally snapped untying Nezuko and freeing her from the bind.

The girl landed smoothly beside Tanjiro, who could only watch in awe at the Boar Slayer's performance. Inosuke landed beside her and Kazuki ran towards them.

"Monjiro, you're useless with just a broken sword!" Inosuke shouted as he picked up a sword on the floor. "Here is a sword that I conveniently found on this battlefield!"

Tanjiro could only frown when he grabbed the sword.

"But this is… this is not mine. I don't feel good about taking someone else's weapon."

"Sorry, but dying will feel worse than this, you'll have to get used to it." Kazuki said dryly. He was in no mood to deal with morality in this situation.

The brunette teen stood up with a resolute expression, blue sword ready at hand.

Nichirin Blades change color depending on the use of each breath, as they were bound to the demon slayers since the dawn of time. However, once a sword has gained its color, it cannot change to another one, hence why Tanjiro's sword remained blue instead of going to its usual black color.

"This sword belonged to one of the slayers that died fighting against this demon." Tanjiro said as he glared at his opponent. "I'll have to honor his memory by killing this demon with his sword."

"You laid hands on my property...?"

Kazuki flinched as he heard the chilly voice of the demon. It was anger, and it was so much anger that he could feel it with just the tone of his voice.

The slayers glared defiantly at the demon, not faltering by the number of threads he was creating from his hands, which prompted him to piss him off even more.

"I was going for the kid with the scar first but now all of you have legitimately angered me. I'm going to gut every single one of you, piece by piece!"

The threads of the demons started to change their color, turning from their pristine white color to crimson red.

"Dodge!" Tanjiro shouted on top of his lungs.

Every one of the slayers went on high alert and started to position themselves. Inosuke and Nezuko ran towards the bushes, while Kazuki and Tanjiro remained on the field and dodged the incoming attacks.

"You fought this guy before. Did you find a weakness?" Kazuki asked as he didn't break eye contact with the demon and gracefully dodged the threads. He started to sweat a little as he laid eyes on the kanji of his left eye. ""Lower Moon 5...?"

"That's right." Tanjiro said as dodging a thread that almost sliced off his forehead. "Rui is one of the Twelve Demon Moons, and it seems that his title isn't just for show. He doesn't have any weaknesses."

"Who said that you're allowed to talk?" Rui said as he waved his hands in an erratic fashion. The threads started to change trajectory, now aiming towards their feet rather than their upper bodies.

It changed yet again. It made it impossible to get a concrete pattern for the attacks.

Kazuki and Tanjiro started to surround the demon for a pincer attack.

Only for the white haired boy to throw himself on the floor after seeing a thread going towards his torso. He gritted his teeth as the attack barely grazed his shoulder. Blood started to drip off the wound.

He was flabbergasted by the fact that he was fighting one of the Demon Moons so soon. As a result, he got sloppy. He had to change that.

He wanted to complain that he isn't prepared for it, to just go back into fighting lesser demons, but there's no running from the heat of battle. He had to try with what he has right now.

Tanjiro placed himself in front of Rui and lunged at him. The demon moved all of his threads and surrounded him from all directions.

Kazuki gritted his teeth, what was he doing?! He's going to get killed at this rate, and he was pretty sure that the Kamado boy fought better than this.

The white haired boy took notice of a small glint in the bushes. The eye of a mask.

"You got cocky, human." Rui said stoically. "This is your end."

Tanjiro retained his gaze at the demon, not faltering from his taunt.

Suddenly, the ground started cracking and a small hand emerged from it, tightly gripping the demon's feet.

Nezuko popped out of the ground and pulled the demon's feet. The strength of the grip was so massive that she ripped the limb off, making Rui lose his balance.

The threads that enveloped Tanjiro started to move away from him, giving him ample room for him to go to the demon's head.

Rui quickly surrounded himself in a circle of threads which protected both his front and his back. Tanjiro gritted his teeth and backed off to avoid a lethal injury.

Nezuko wasn't fast enough and the crimson threads tied her up yet again. She started to bleed as the sharpness of the webs dug through her skin.

She wailed frantically to free herself but to no avail, they wouldn't let go. This time, Inosuke might not be able to free her.

"Nezuko!" Tanjiro yelled.

Kazuki wasted no time and lunged at the demon, and signaled Tanjiro by pointing his finger upwards. The elder brother picked up the signal and rushed towards Rui with all the speed he could muster.

"I thought I told you…" Rui deadpanned, waving his threads towards the boys. "Rushing me like that is just plain arrogant."

"And who are you to call me arrogant?!"

A figure jumped out of the branches and plunged into the demon. Inosuke placed his blades on the front as he laughed maniacally.

"The same trick won't work on me twice."

Kazuki's eyes widened. Crimson threads started to grow alongside the others and towards the falling boar slayer. The space between the threads was so small that it was almost impossible for a normal human to fit in.

A myriad of thoughts started to cross his mind as he tried to think of an idea that would save him, but it all happened too suddenly.

'It's no use, he's going to die!' Kazuki thought as he clenched his sword.

"Inosuke!" Tanjiro shouted, desperately trying to find a way towards the threads.

"Oh yeah? Dodge this you pale faced bastard!" Inosuke cackled as he waved his swords into an x-like position.

His bones started to crack in a horrifying way as the boar slayer's body started to deform. His shape started to change and his limbs bent into an unnatural position until his whole body looked as thin as a noddle.

Rui stumbled backwards, and his concentration broke. As brief as that moment of distraction was, it was enough for the slayers to close the distance.

"Water Breathing, First Form–"

"Beast Breathing, First Fang–"

"Ice Breathing, First Form–"

"You humans are getting on my nerves…" Rui said as his veins started to pop out of his forehead. The crimson threads started to withdraw faster than the slayers could blink until a small red ball ended up on his hands. He grinned sadistically.

"Time to die."

The ball on his hand blew up and sent off multiple thin spikes in all directions. The force of the attack pushed the slayers away, grazing almost every part of their bodies.

Kazuki got his cheeks and torso grazed by the attack, making him bleed slightly. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to suppress the pain, he couldn't let it get the better of him in this situation. If he takes more attacks, he will lose his balance. That can prove to be fatal on the field

Inosuke had a deep cut on his right shoulder. Blood started drip off his wi

Tanjiro seemed to be the most injured as he gained more grazes on his body and his.

Kazuki tried to help him up, but the boy was more than capable of standing on his own. A sense of relief came to the white haired boy, it looks Tanjiro still has more fight inside of him.

"Looks like your sister made Hashibara follow a plan…" Kazuki muttered as he bit his thumb. "I saw them on the bushes and thought that we could distract them until they landed a hit, but it looks like his neck is too sturdy even for him to handle."

That statement made Tanjiro's eyes widen.

"Nezuko managed to get Inosuke to follow a plan?" he sounded dumbfounded. "How?"

"I'm just as confused as you are in that matter…"

Kazuki took notice that Inosuke quickly recovered from the pain of the injury and charged back into the fray, seemingly not feeling pain at all. Either he has high pain tolerance or he's just insane.

"I ain't done with ya, not until your head falls off your shoulders!"

Most likely the latter.

"You pests keep coming over and over again..." Rui scowled as his hands trembled uncontrollably. His bloodshot eyes glared at the boys. "For many years you keep entering this forest to try and kill my family. We kill you, you come back, we kill you again, and you still come back. It's like you replicate like ants!"

"Kazuki, do you have a plan?" Tanjiro asked as he went back into his battle stance. Kazuki remained silent as he took a deep breath. "At this rate, he's going to eventually overpower us once we get tired."

"Tanjiro, he's been overpowering us from the start." Kazuki said flatly, but felt uneasy from the inside. "If his neck is that sturdy, then none of us can cut it with our current strength."

The Kamado firstborn started to tremble.

"So it's like I said before?" he muttered. "He has no weakness?"

Rui was more focused on keeping Inosuke off of him, which gave Kazuki ample time to think of a plan to counter him.

He felt that the trap trick he used against the father demon is going to be useless against the Lower Moon, partly because of his smaller size, but mostly because Rui was a sentient demon with average intelligence compared to his primitive 'father'.

His eyes brightened as an idea popped on his head.

"Not exactly…" Kazuki said as he cupped his chin. Tanjiro's eyes fixed on him. "If all three of us attack a specific spot on the neck simultaneously, then we could potentially kill him."

An awkward silence befell them. The plan sounded so unbelievably predictable and stupid, but ultimately, it made sense in this situation.

However, it is incredibly reckless to go through with it, as they were putting themselves in one position and could be butchered on the spot by the demon.

But Kazuki wants to win, and he will achieve his goal no matter the price he has to pay along the way.

"Are you up for it?"

Tanjiro gulped. "This sounds unbelievably reckless…"

"I know, but I don't have the tools to pull an underhanded trick on him… so brute force is our only option." Kazuki said. He then looked at Inosuke who danced around the threads. "Let Inosuke strike first, then we follow through. No matter what happens, just run and go for the neck…"

They looked towards the opponent and readied their blades. They knew what they had to do.

Kazuki took a deep breath and let it out.

"Now!"

They charged towards Rui, the demon started to focus his attacks at them, flailing his webs continuously. The demon set his sights on Kazuki and surrounded him with his crimson threads. It left no room for opening.

However, this was all part of his plan. Rui had made a fatal mistake.

Kazuki used his blade and pushed the thread on the side. He still couldn't fit in, but he wasn't the one that tried to use that path.

"Where do ya think you're looking at, eh?!" Inosuke yelled. "I ain't done with you yet!"

The Boar Slayer used his flexibility to move past the opening Kazuki had created and ran towards the Lower Moon. He stretched his arms and took a deep breath.

"Beast Breathing, Sixth Fang: Palisade bite!"

He struck Rui directly on his neck with both of his swords, making a slight cut to it, but the boar slayer wasn't done and tried to push the blade deeper.

Kazuki nodded and Tanjiro returned the gesture. Both slayers rushed towards Rui now that the attacks weren't focusing them. They pushed the threads with their swords and kept moving forward.

The white haired boy focused his eyes and took a deep breath.

'Doing this is very harmful to my body…' he thought as he felt the strength of his breath coursing through his veins. 'But I have to do this in order to achieve my dream, so I would no longer have any regrets.'

"Total Concentration: Ice breathing, Eight Form–"

A technique only meant for those who are gifted with natural power, something he did not possess. He gritted his teeth as he felt a burning sensation on his lungs, but his muscles increased in size in compensation.

'I have to do that or I won't be truly happy, right mother?'

"Spinning Icicles!"

He threw himself at Rui, spinning in circles and gathering more strength. He struck his blade above Insouke's and pushed forward.

The demon started to scream in pain as blood started to come out of neck. The blades were halfway through, they just needed one more push to finally put an end to him.

Just one more push!

Tanjiro followed suit and took a deep breath.

"Total Concentration, Water Breathing—"

His voice died down. Nothing came from behind.

What took him so long? They only needed one more push to take Rui down! So why did he stop at the last second?!

He briefly turned around to yell at him, but his voice died down as well. He couldn't believe what he saw.

His heart skipped a beat, his breath became ragged when he saw Tanjiro's catatonic state. Kazuki withdrew his sword from the demon's neck and rushed towards him.

Inosuke let out a silent gasp, a farcry from his loud nature. His hands trembled but he didn't let go from his blades. He couldn't contain himself any longer.

"TANJIRO!"

Everyone could see the fountain of blood coming out as Tanjiro's right arm fell to the ground, motionless, dead. The Kamado firstborn stumbled backwards and backed off into a tree before leaning into it. He looked at his bleeding arm with an emotionless face.

Kazuki started wheezing from the exhaustion of his technique and the emotional pain of his recent fatal mistake.

He willingly made a plan that would get anyone of them severely injured, or killed, and Tanjiro agreed with it. He did it because it seemed the only possible way to defeat the Lower Moon.

So why did he feel at fault about it?!

'It doesn't make sense…' he thought as he fought the urge to cry. He kept running desperately towards the fallen Tanjiro. 'It doesn't make any sense!'

"You will not destroy our bonds!" Rui snapped. "I will take away your sister, even if it's the last thing I do!"

The demon shook Inosuke off him and waved his threads. The boar slayer grunted and pulled his blades off the demon's throat, but the attacks reached him and sliced his stomach and arms even further. He then blocked the attack with his swords and the force sent him away a couple of meters back.

He crashed into a tree and landed on the ground motionless.

"Hashibara!" Kazuki shouted. He wanted to help him even if he was on the verge of fainting, but he had to hold Tanjiro's wound so he wouldn't bleed out. He ripped off a piece of clothing and enveloped his amputated arm with it. He tightly clenched the wound.

It wouldn't stop the bleeding, but at the very least it will slow it down. He had to take him to a doctor before it's too late.

"I..." Kazuki tried to find the right words to say but he couldn't muster enough courage. He tried to keep his composure but he was on the verge of breaking down. "Just please breathe, just breathe!"

No response. It's no use, he's in shock from the cut. Kazuki internally cursed himself, how could he had made such a stupid mistake?! Rui took Nezuko hostage for a reason and Tanjiro stood in his way. It's only logical that a proud demon like him will prioritize him for being that stubborn.

But it was too late to think that now.

"It's no use, he's going to die."

Kazuki felt a lump on his throat as he heard footsteps coming from behind. He turned around to see Rui, with all of his wounds regenerated, surrounding him and Tanjiro in a cage of red threads.

"If he just gave me his sister from the start, then all of this could have been avoided. What a waste, I wanted to make him suffer more, but it looks like he'll bleed to death." Rui said dismissively. Then glared at Kazuki. "You sure have gotten on my nerves, slayer. You're crafty, I'll give you that, but your luck ends here!"

"I will fucking kill you…" Kazuki growled as he grabbed his katana. "Even if it's the last thing I'll do!"

The demon merely let out a laugh, unbefitting of his past taciturn behavior.

"Please, getting angry at me accomplishes nothing. I'm afraid the world doesn't work like that." Rui said as a matter of fact. His brief glee died down and glared at Kazuki with intense hatred.

"You bore me, now die."

Kazuki prepared himself to lunge at Rui with the last of his strength. If he can't get peace of mind like this, then at least he will get it once he dies.

However, just as soon as he was ready to give his life, a powerful kick sent Rui flying a few meters back.

His eyes widened as he saw the figure of Nezuko, but vastly different from who she was before.

Her pupils were constricted, she began to drool uncontrollably and her hands crackled as she twisted them in an inhuman way. Her face presented notable veins on her forehead and her bamboo muzzle was nowhere to be seen.

The demoness no longer retained her bouncy, innocent demeanor. She was now a feral beast, ready to lash on her prey at any moment.

The white haired boy's mouth gaped. The girl seemed like a completely different person now. He didn't know if that was for the better or for the worse.

The feral demoness turned towards Kazuki and was ready to pounce at him, but she stopped at the last second when she saw that he was holding Tanjiro's wound tight, keeping him alive.

At least she retained a lick of common sense.

"You're not going to surrender even if your brother is on death's door…" Rui said as he let his wound regenerate. "Those powerful bonds, I want them all! I'll obtain them even if it means I'll—"

The demon's snarl felt short to Nezuko's own feral cry. She ran towards him with her immense speed that the Spider Demon couldn't react in time.

She grabbed his face and slammed him hard on the floor, shattering the ground on the impact. She started running while grabbing Rui's head, grinding it on the ground.

The Lower Moon screamed as his head slowly turned into paste from the immense strength of Nezuko.

Rui waved his hands and enveloped his red threads on Nezuko's arms, halting her advance. He used that gap to leap away from his enemy and quickly regenerated his wounds. He pursed his lips and couldn't contain himself any longer.

With a snarl, he launched every single one of his threads at her but Nezuko plowed through them with her brute strength. She nearly managed to close the distance, but the Lower Moon was faster, and created more webs from his hands.

The red threads surrounded every direction that the demoness could go through, creating a space akin to a labyrinth.

He trembled a little as he saw that Nezuko was getting even bigger, reaching a form of nearly two meters tall. She dashed towards Rui, stomping on every thread she passed through.

The Lower Moon used his threads to support him and his agility increased, dodging Nezuko's nails.

"Let's see you handle this, girl." Rui said as he used his threads and enveloped all of his limbs.

With a hard pull, he ripped off his arms, legs, and head. He bled profusely from each part, but as a demon, it seemed it didn't bother him at all.

Like David and Goliath, Rui surrounded the demoness with his superior speed, constantly severing her legs to halt her movement.

Meanwhile, Kazuki bit his lower lip. At this rate, it seems that this fight will be endless, as demons always regenerate the damage dealt to them unless someone cuts their heads or stalls them until dawn.

Inosuke is unconscious from blunt trauma, he himself felt like his lungs were about to collapse at any moment, and Tanjiro…

He closed his eyes and tried to think of an idea, but hard as he thought, there seemed no way to get out of this! He wanted to bash his head into a trunk, there has to be something he could do. Anything!

"I..."

Kazuki's eyes snapped open as he heard the weary voice of Tanjiro. He looked at him and saw his eyes no longer had that glitter of hope they always had. It reminded him of home.

"You won't die on me." Kazuki said, tightly clenching the cloth on the wound that it went from its clean white to dark red. "I won't let you. So please, breathe!"

"Kazuki, I can't feel my arm…" Tanjiro muttered, looking at his wound. He stiffened and started to tremble. "I can't see it, my arm, I can't…"

Kazuki grabbed Tanjiro's head and forced him to look at him. He was holding every stream of emotion inside of him to put a brave front.

"I know, look at me Tanjiro, right now, just look at me." Kazuki said as he looked at Tanjiro with a resolute expression. "Now breathe slowly, please."

The redhead started to do as he was told, and followed his instructions. He inhaled and exhaled at a reasonable pace. It didn't erase his fear but it slowed down the bleeding of his wound. Kazuki sighed.

"Good, keep it like that. As long as you keep breathing, the bleeding will be slower. This trick won't prevent the wound from getting infected though, so we must take you to a doctor fast."

"W-Where is Nezuko?" Tanjiro asked, his eyes scanning for any sights of the demon girl. Kazuki grimaced and moved to the side, which allowed him to watch the fight with his own eyes.

"...She went berserk," Kazuki muttered, not knowing how to feel about the events. He shook his head, right now he had to focus on his main priority. He stood up and tried to lift Tanjiro.

"It bought us some time to escape so lend me your good hand–"

"No,"

That stopped Kazuki on his tracks.

"What do you mean no?!"

"If Nezuko... remains like that... she will hurt someone... or worse," Tanjiro said through ragged breaths. "I… promised her..."

Kazuki gritted his teeth. Vows always ruin the lives of others, they make them stubborn and irrational!

"Idiot... how hard it is to think for yourself for a moment?!" Kazuki said as he clenched his fist.

It makes him act irrational as well.

He punched the ground in frustration. He silently tied up the wound and stood up.

"Stay here. I'll calm her down."

He felt a weak tug on his arm. Tanjiro looked at him with watery eyes.

"Promise… me…"

Kazuki scowled and shook his head.

"I'll find a way."

(X)

Without a word, Kazuki stormed off towards the fight, leaving Tanjiro to press the wound of his wound. He grunted as he felt the pain starting to increase drastically as he recovered from the initial hit.

He tried his best to hold it in, as there were more important matters in front of him.

Rui took notice of Kazuki from above and his murderous scent started to flow like a river.

"You again?!" Rui said through gritted teeth. "I will make sure to slice you piece by piece until you're completely erased!"

The threads of the demon launched towards Kazuki from all directions. The white haired boy blocked the attacks that were aimed specifically on his limbs, but that was all he could do. With how weak he was, the best he could do was stay on the defensive, and couldn't go for a killing blow.

He could only distract and dodge until reinforcements arrive–if they ever did.

At this rate, he would be overwhelmed and get killed.

He didn't want him to die with that stench of anger and guilt leaking off him. It might be true that he lost his arm because of Kazuki's mistake, but still, he didn't hold any grudge or resentment towards him. That's not how he treats people.

He wanted to say something, that he could calm Nezuko down and take down the enemy. He wanted to reassure his sister that he was okay and could stay strong for her sake.

But he felt that any attempt at taking died the moment he took a look at his amputated arm, lying motionless on the floor. The only tool he could use to fight. Without it, he was useless, and even if he lived through this ordeal by some miracle, he dreaded what the future held.

Is it really hopeless? Will he never manage to turn his sister back to normal? Has he failed as a big brother?

He closed his eyes, he didn't even want to think about it. The mere thought about the consequences of letting Nezuko remain like that could be catastrophic, and the fact that he physically couldn't do anything to protect her gnawed at him from the inside.

Then everything went silent.

The sounds of the rambunctious battle had stopped, even the feeling of the air touching his skin was nonexistent.

He heard footsteps approaching him. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, maybe help had come to them and they took care of the battle better than he-

His eyes widened, his breathing stopped.

The battle had stopped completely. Rui was left with a look of fury on his face, and his threads were hanging in thin air.

Nezuko had her foot severed but the limb remained hanging midair. She didn't move from her spot.

Kazuki seemed to be on the verge of falling over, his face covered in blood as he had a big cut on his forehead. Had the cut been deeper, he would have been dead for sure.

But what surprised the Kamado firstborn the most was the fact that the person who approached wasn't present in the battle in the first place.

It was a woman taller than him. She wore a white smock over her pink kimono and had a piece of white cloth tied up on her head which covered a part of her jet black hair.

His eyes became watery eyes as he tried his best to hold the tears. This woman was all too familiar for him and she sat alongside him. She had a pleasant smile on her face which would make even the strongest men falter.

Tanjiro bit his lower lip and held the tears back as best as he could. And let out a soft but audible whisper.

"Mom…?"

Kie Kamado smiled and turned to look at Tanjiro. Her purple eyes staring directly into his dark red.

"Tanjiro, it's been a while, isn't it?"

He gasped and then gritted his teeth. He let out a groan as he tried his best to put up a strong front, but exhaustion finally caught up to him. The tears from his eyes finally leaked out.

"Mom…" he said weakly. "I-I'm sorry I didn't arrive in time to save everyone at home, I'm sorry that you have to see me in this sorry state and have to watch Nezuko die. I'm sorry that I'm such an idiot!"

Kie's smile faltered and her eyes softened. Tanjiro knew that look all too well…

It was a look of pity.

He was in such a pathetic sight right now, unable to protect the ones he loves yet again. How can he even call himself a big brother if he wasn't able to fulfill his role?

"I'm… sorry that you have to watch me like this, mother. I was a worthless big brother to Shigeru, Rokuta, Takeo, Hanako, and now I'm going to be even to Nezuko…" he said as he averted his eyes from her.

Kie extended her hand and placed it beside her son's cheek, which made Tanjiro hold his breath. He couldn't feel her touch, but he knew it was there, he knew that she has been watching over him.

He looked at his mother again, and he could see the soft motherly smile she always had when she comforted any of her children.

Any time one of his siblings got injured and went back home crying. Their mother embraced them with her endless amount of love while applying medical treatment.

And now, she was doing the same to him. That was what made her so special.

"Son, a small mistake doesn't make you worthless, it makes you human. I'm sure that Nezuko understands that as she's giving her all to protect the big brother she loves so much."

"But that look you gave me earlier… it was—" he said as he felt the urge to avert his gaze from her.

"That was a look of pity, yes." Kie said. Tanjiro gritted his teeth as he let the harsh words sink in. "Pity that you have let your spirit be crushed by this defeat."

"I'm supposed to be the one protecting her mom!" Tanjiro yelled desperately. He then closed his eyes as he sniffed. "And now, she's going to die or lose herself in her rampage. I can't, the thought of that is j-just…"

"I understand…" Kie said softly. She let go of his cheek and turned to look at her surroundings. "I just want you to look at the trees and tell me what you see."

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at the battlefield. Some trees looked completely wrecked by the attacks of the demon while some of them were tainted with human and demon blood.

"They're heavily damaged…"

"That they are, but they aren't dead yet." Kie said as she let out a sweet smile. "Those trees fight harder than anyone, never giving up until their roots are completely destroyed. They will regrow, and come back even stronger."

Tanijro blinked many times as he processed his mother's words.

"I-I'm failing to see the meaning of this, mom…"

Kie stared at the trees again, this time with much more focus.

"From the day you were born, you have always been the kind boy who loves his family no matter what. Just like the trees, you're pure, you're stubborn, and most of all, you're tenacious, never, ever, giving up."

Those words echoed around his mind like the resonance of a bell. It all started to make sense. Why did he decide to join the Demon Slayers? Why did he train in a hellish period of 2 years with Urokodaki?

Did he really go through so many hardships just to give up now?

"You might have taken a hit and you may feel like giving up… but no matter what ordeals you face, you always keep growing…" Kie said as she extended her hand and patted her son's head. "And that's why I'm so proud of the man you have become."

He gritted his teeth and used his only arm to wipe out the tears that were coming out of his eyes.

"Mom…" he whispered. He then looked at Kie with a smile that he nearly forgot after the loss of his arm. "Thank you… I needed that.

After a brief silence. He spoke again, this time with a little more vigor.

"We miss you mom, a lot."

Kie's smile grew wider, and Tanjiro swore he saw her almost get teary-eyed.

"I miss you too, my children."

They leaned forward for a little awkward hug, as Tanjiro couldn't touch Kie's body at all, but that didn't matter right now. He couldn't feel her embrace, but he could never mistake the smell of her love.

After a brief silence, they separated and the spirit of Kie started to fade away. He sent his mother one final smile, which she returned in kind.

"Protect Nezuko, Tanjiro. We're all counting on you."

Her body faded completely into the wind. It left Tanjiro alone in his thoughts.

Everything began to move again and he could see Nezuko groaning in pain, and Kazuki's forehead started to drip blood.

Even with these odds stacked against them, Tanjiro no longer felt frustration on himself, he no longer felt the need to cry out of despair, but out of happiness that his mom had given him the hope he craved.

'I'm sorry that I let you see such a pathetic display of myself mom…' he thought as he grabbed his blade and stood up. The pain of his severed arm hurt like hell, but he endured it with all of his might. 'I will not lose hope again; I will not give up again… for Nezuko's sake.'

He took a deep breath, and let all of the happy memories enter his mind. At that moment, he found one particular memory that he had forgotten a long time ago.

A memory about his father. The way he danced at a fluid pace, had monstrous strength, and wasn't fazed by any harsh blizzards that threatened to freeze him on the spot. It made it hard to believe that he had such a frail body.

Now he understood why, it was because of the dance that he had long forgotten. A dance he arduously practiced every single day before his family got murdered. He almost forgot it, what a fool he was.

"Dance of the Fire God–"

He's the sword of the Kamado family and he will always keep moving forward.

"Raging Sun!"

Adrenaline surged into his body, numbing the pain of his wound. He glared at Rui and dashed forward.

Kazuki's eyes widened as he saw him running towards the Lower Moon but didn't dare to say a word. The demon failed to notice his presence. It seemed that the white haired boy didn't want to blow his cover.

He jumped towards the floating Rui. The demon finally turned his head around and his stoic face shifted into that of panic. Just as Tanjiro got into point blank range, he pulled himself back with his threads and rejoined his body parts as fast as he could.

"You didn't bleed out?!" Rui shouted as he waved his threads desperately. "Why are you so stubborn, DIE ALREADY!"

He could see everything moved at a slow pace. Strings began to fall towards them as they began to form into little squares, but Tanjiro was faster, he found a small gap.

He will never let Rui escape again.

Tanjiro screamed as he swung the blade with all of his might and passed through the gap.

A loud clang was heard as Tanjiro managed to get a direct hit on the neck.

Rui plummeted into the ground as he tried to shake Tanjiro off him and tried to pull the sword out of his neck.

The blade didn't move further or backward. It could force a stalemate between them until Rui finally decides to cut him down on the spot.

Tanjiro gritted his teeth as he mustered all of his strength to push the blade for a fatal blow.

But It didn't budge one bit.

"You're faster, but you're definitely weaker with only one arm." Rui said as he surrounded himself in a cage of threads. "You ran out of luck!"

Not yet.

Not yet!

He will not die yet!

He can't die!

The cage of threads suddenly disappeared as a spinning tornado rammed them, breaking them instantly. Kazuki ran towards Tanjiro and spun again, this time with much more force.

"Ice breathing, Eight Form: Spinning Icicle!"

He landed a hit on Rui's neck and the wound began to open all the way to the half. Rui began to gurgle in his own blood. They destroyed the windpipe!

"T-Tanjiro, pull harder, we can kill him!"

Tanjiro did just that, he pulled the sword with all of his strength even if it meant that he would die of blood loss.

They just needed one more push!

Threads started to envelop his head and started to pull away. Tanjiro felt his breathing stop. If Rui managed to pull out his head, then all of this effort would have been for nothing!

A loud shockwave could be heard behind them. Tanjiro turned his head to see Nezuko charging towards them in a berserk manner, only for her to curve around them and grab Rui's head tightly, pressing it with her demonic strength.

"Not. Going. Anywhere!" he heard her speak through growls.

Kazuki started to wheeze, and his eyes started to close. The white haired boy tried his best to keep himself awake but it seemed

"Why are you humans so persistent!"

Threads started to come out of Rui's mouth and aimed directly towards Tanjiro's neck. He saw his life flash through his eyes, but still refused to let go, as this was the only opportunity to kill this demon.

Just as the threads were about to pierce his neck, a hand grabbed the threads and kept them in place. Even in her berserk state, Nezuko still had the mental fortitude to protect him.

A loud cackle was heard behind them, which Tanjiro recognized all too well.

"You can't kill me that easy spider boy. I even let you have the advantage by taking a nap, and you still failed, now I take your head!" Inosuke said as he extended his swords like a spear.

"Beast Breathing, First form: Piercing Fang!"

Inosuke's blades pierced directly at the center of the neck, shattering the demon's neck bone in the process.

Seeing this opportunity, Tanjiro pushed his blade with all of his strength and it finally made its move. All Rui could do was cry in pain.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

It passed through.

It seemed like a dream, but their blades finally passed through and decapitated the demon

The red threads started to slowly disintegrate as Rui's head started to roll on the floor. It stopped midway. His body stopped convulsing.

The head started to disintegrate alongside his body, and his face was nothing but full of rage. However, Tanjiro could smell the sadness leaking out from him, as he no longer seemed to be the murderous demon he was before, but a lost child.

"Please, tell me, why didn't you give up? Why did you drive yourself to this extent, WHY?!"

The question didn't seem to hold any malice, but instead, it held desperation. He could tell that from his smell and his voice crack.

Tanjiro took a deep long breath and looked at Rui dead in the eye.

"Because I didn't forget my real family."

A simple, yet concrete answer. The Lower Moon's eyes widened and he didn't say anything else. His head vanished completely off this world.

"He dead?" Inosuke asked as he tilted his head.

Kazuki kneeled and used his sword as support. He panted heavily.

"Yes, yes he is…"

Tanjiro turned to see Nezuko, who seemed to let go of her berserk state for a bit. Her veins retracted a bit and tears came out of her eyes. She didn't look towards her brother's eyes, but rather at the place where his right arm should have been.

He let out a genuine smile.

"Don't cry Nezuko. This… is only a scratch…"

His vision started to blur as he turned to see that the wound of his arm never stopped bleeding. The bleeding had slowed down due to the use of his breath but he still fought for a long time.

He felt lightheaded and his body felt numb. He saw Nezuko, Inosuke, and Kazuki running towards him as he started to lose balance.

Then everything went black.

 

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 7: Broken Bonds​

Kazuki desperately ran towards the fallen Tanjiro. He knew that it would be fatal if he bled any further as he had already lost a lot of blood the moment of the cut.

He didn't dare to say anything when he watched him stand up while bleeding, as the demon failed to notice his presence, which was everything they needed to finish it off.

As the white-haired boy ran forwards he found himself being blocked by Nezuko, whose veins were popping out of her forehead and she was drooling from her mouth. He heard a loud hiss coming from her.

"Nezuko... stop…" Kazuki pleaded through ragged breaths but managed to stand up. He had to stop the bleeding or else he would die for sure. "I… have to check on your brother."

He didn't seem to get through to her as she didn't move from her spot. Kazuki noticed that the girl didn't look directly at his eyes, but rather, she scanned his face over and over.

Kazuki realized what she was looking at. The blood had stopped dripping from his forehead, but he still had the remains smeared on his face, and it was still fresh.

He took a step backward, but the demon girl took a step forward. Her claws were trembling as she made her way towards Kazuki.

He gulped. He had no strength left to fight her; the Total Concentration breathing left him on the verge of passing out. It was a miracle that he still had the strength to stand up.

He had to calm her down somehow or else—

"PIG ASSAULT!"

Or wait for Inosuke to charge at her and head-butt her with such force that it sent the demon girl flying. She crashed into a tree trunk, leaving a sizable hole in it.

"Oi Zuzuko, I didn't give you permission to attack your comrades! Behave!" Inosuke said as he pointed his finger towards the stunned demoness.

Kazuki blinked once and shook his head. For once, Inosuke had a better plan than him. He didn't dare to argue against it.

The boar-head demon slayer ran towards the fallen Tanjiro and started to shake him violently. "Sanjuro! Wake up!" Inosuke yelled, his voice cracking. "Wake up!"

Kazuki gritted his teeth and forcibly pushed him away. "Stop shaking him, he will bleed out at this rate!" he said as he placed his hand on Tanjiro's neck. He felt a low, but present pulse and immediately started to press the wound with the cloth. "He's alive, he just passed out."

Inosuke let out a deep breath and raised both of his arms, laughing. "We won Kazuma, we did it!"

"This is hardly the time to be celebrating..." Kazuki said as he sighed. Still, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment coming from inside of him. It was true, they won, and no one died today.

A question popped up in his mind. They won, but at what cost? Tanjiro lost his arm, and he would probably have to retire from demon-slaying missions for good. At that point, who could save Nezuko from her curse?

He then saw the fallen demon girl, and couldn't help but look at her with pity. Both siblings would have it rough in the future, and they would need all the help they could get… not that they didn't before.

"Hashibara, can you please check on Nezuko? She's likely alive but that was still a hard—"

His instincts grew sharp as he heard rustling coming from the bushes. A silhouette emerged from the bushes and rushed towards Nezuko at blinding speed. Kazuki was about to shout for trouble but his throat pain stung like a thousand needles and he touched a hand to his neck on instinct.

"Hashi—"

He heard swords clashing. Inosuke managed to get in the way of the threat. Another slayer had entered the fray. He had messy golden hair with red bangs and golden eyes.

"Woah there, little man! I almost stabbed you!" The man grinned, looking at the fallen Nezuko. "Could you please move?"

"No way!" Inosuke yelled, "You have no permission to attack my underlings, now fight me!"

The man raised his eyebrow. "You do realize that you are protecting a demon, right?!"

"Yeah, so?"

"There's literally nothing more to say!"

Kazuki stood up. His feet trembled and his lungs felt like they were about to burst, but he had to endure it. He needed to hurry and protect Nezuko while Inosuke's stupidity stalled the mysterious man.

"And what the hell does that have to do with anything?!"

"Seems I'm not getting through to you…" the man said as he closed his eyes. His smile shifted into a frown. "Step aside please, or else I will be forced to shove you away!"

That threat seemed to rile up Inosuke even more. "Order me around again and I'll rip your face off—"

Just as a fight was about to break out, Nezuko vanished from her position. Inosuke turned around and started to shake his head like a swivel in attempts to find her.

The man with the golden hair lowered down his weapon and started to walk away from him.

"Where the hell are you going, fight me!"

Inosuke charged at the man with both of his blades raised. Just as he got in range, the man simply ducked and curved towards his backside. He chopped the back of Inosuke's head and instantly knocked him out of his senses.

"Hashibara!"

"Okay, what the hell is this?"

Kazuki's eyes widened as he heard an all too familiar voice behind him. He slowly turned around and saw a very tall man with long white hair with blue strands tied into a ponytail. He had the same eye color as him.

He knew this man. He knew the current Ice Pillar.

Miyamoto Junichiro, his older brother.

He was carrying the demon girl by pulling her by her kimono. Nezuko wailed, desperate to free herself of the grip, but it was like steel, as Junichiro didn't even budge. She tried to use her claws to wound her captor's arm, but her nails couldn't even get past his skin.

"Alright, I gave you plenty of time to break free, little girl." He grinned as he threw Nezuko to the ground and unsheathed his sword. "Time to die!"

Kazuki snarled and quickly threw himself to grab his brother's arm. He stopped him in his tracks and glared at him with rage.

"Do not… kill her!"

Junichiro glanced at Kazuki's bloodied face for a moment. He tilted his head and blinked.

Slowly, his face blanched. He held his breath and went into a daze.

He was in such a trance that it gave time for Kazuki to get towards Nezuko and calm her down.

"Kazuki…?" Junichiro said, his voice trembling. He kneeled towards him and stretched out his arms, only for Kazuki to back off. "I… I'm glad to see that you're alive."

"…Likewise," Kazuki muttered, not sure what to say on the matter.

"You're Kazuki?!"

Kazuki jumped as he heard the golden-haired slayer approach him. He backed off as the man got too close for comfort and stared him dead in the eye. His jaw dropped and he let out a wholehearted laugh.

"No way, it's true! He has the same eyes and hair as you!"

Junichiro pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay… okay, before we can have a proper reunion, Kazuki, can you explain to us why in the world you are protecting a demon?!" he said as he looked at Nezuko with a judgmental stare. His seething anger and trembling hand made it seem that he was doing his best on holding, and it took a toll on him. "I'm surprised that she hasn't lashed out at you considering you're turning your back against her."

Kazuki looked towards Nezuko, whose eyes were focused solely on Tanjiro. It appeared she still retained a bit of common sense if she knew that the moment she made sudden movements, she was going to get decapitated.

He had to get her out of this situation somehow…

Kazuki took a deep breath and began to speak. "Truth to be told, I'm not the type of person that would go to these lengths to protect someone, as I only have one goal in mind that I want to accomplish, no matter what," he said, glancing towards Tanjiro. His heart ached. "But… this demon's brother lost an arm because I thought of everyone as expendable objects. Now he's crippled, and he might not be able to save her from her curse. Now I don't know how to feel about it..."

"Appealing for sympathy is no good as an excuse!" the golden-haired slayer said, pointing his blade towards Nezuko. "Step aside please, or else I will be forced to shove you away as I did to your friend."

Kazuki gritted his teeth and placed his arm in front of Nezuko. "Make. Me."

Junichiro raised his arms in a placating manner. "Maybe if you explain to us why the hell we should trust your little demon friend instead of flat out telling us that you fucked up, then we could rethink our decision."

The golden-haired slayer grimaced and looked at him incredulously. "Are we really doing this, Junichiro?"

Junichiro shrugged and started to stretch himself. "It appears so, that little demon isn't doing anything fishy anyway, so I guess we could hear him out again. I don't think our answer will change though."

"It won't change!" Kyojuro said passionately. "But if you think you can convince us, then go ahead young man! Be quick, as there are people that are in dire need of medical attention and the last thing we should do is waste time in this folly!"

"Just like he said," Junichiro muttered. His voice became more grave. "You have one minute to speak. Don't waste it."

Kazuki gulped. He could feel the pressure from the stares of both men, but what unsettled him the most was his brother's look. His eyes looked out of place, and his body movements looked like he was trying his hardest to contain his bloodlust.

He seemed… volatile, to say the least. A shell from the man he was once before.

He had to be quick and concise with his answer.

"In the short time I've known her, I haven't seen her eat a single piece of human flesh, and I'm sure Tanjiro kept it that way. She protected us and helped us fight a demon even when she herself is one of their kin," he explained. "She also might be the key to Muzan's downfall, as she's the only demon who managed to survive and retain her sanity at this point without drinking a single drop of blood."

Junichiro cupped his chin and hummed, seemingly taking all of this new information in. Kyojuro seemed to be in deep thought as well, as no one had ever heard about a demon who survived without taking blood and not going berserk. It would make even the most stubborn people think twice when making a decision.

"Young man, even if what you're saying might be true, trusting a demon itself is already out of the question," Kyojuro said with a frown, before shaking his head.

"Not only that, there's hardly any evidence that proves to me that this girl is harmless. I have to see it to believe it," Junichiro muttered. "I'm sorry, but she must die, we're out of time..."

Kazuki's eyes widened as he watched his brother raise his sword.

"Stop…"

He took the position to decapitate her. Nezuko tried to back off, but she stopped the moment she saw Kyojuro block her path, his blade unsheathed. The light blue color of the blade shone through the night.

Junichiro swung his sword. Kazuki's eyes welled up the moment he imagined Nezuko's head falling off.

"Please sto–"

"Message! Message!"

The slayers stopped their movements the moment they heard a high-pitched voice from above. A black raven flew in circles while its squawk could be heard across the entire forest.

"Capture the siblings Tanjiro and the demon Nezuko and return them to the headquarters! The boy has a scar on his forehead and the demon girl has a bamboo gag!"

Junichiro looked down towards the direction where Nezuko was supposed to stay, only to find out that she had vanished from her position.

Kazuki heard footsteps behind and turned around. He spotted the girl running towards the fallen Tanjiro. She placed her hand on his chest.

"Stop her Kyojuro, she's going to eat him!" Junichiro shouted in panic. He ran towards Nezuko with his sword unsheathed. Kazuki immediately grabbed his foot. He fell down for that stunt but it made the Ice Pillar stop in his tracks.

"No wait, you have to trust her!"

"Are you seriously spouting that bullshit now?!" Junichiro snarled as he gritted his teeth and shook Kazuki off him.

Kyojuro was already on the move and closed the distance to Nezuko. As soon as he was about to cut off her head, a light shone from her surroundings. It enveloped both siblings in a harsh pinkish fire.

"Dammit, I failed to take into account her Blood Demon Art!" Kyojuro said as he tried to get close to the fire. "I can't get in!"

However, just as both Pillars were wary of the fire, Kazuki noticed an anomaly with it. This particular fire differed from that of a regular one. Its color was different, and it didn't spread through the ground.

Kazuki mustered enough strength to stand up and limped towards the fire. Just as he was about to close the distance, he felt a grip from behind, snaring him in place. It was his brother, who looked absolutely livid. "What are you doing?! Do you want to get burned?!"

"You have to trust me!" Kazuki spat back. "She's not going to harm him."

"Not going to harm him? NOT GOING TO HARM HIM?!" Junichiro snapped as his face became flustered from the anger. "Are you even seeing what's happening in front—"

The fire dissipated at an unnatural pace, almost instantaneously. The atmosphere went eerily silent as they both watched Nezuko and Tanjiro unharmed, not even their clothes getting burnt in the fire.

"Unbelievable!" Kyojuro's mouth gaped open. "Both of them are okay, and the demon isn't even eating him. This… this is insane."

"You have to be fucking kidding me," Junichiro growled, as he released Kazuki from his grip. "What was the point of the fire then?"

Kazuki walked towards Nezuko warily and the girl quickly riled up the moment he saw him. He flinched at her reaction but quickly regained his composure and spoke.

"It's alright, let me check on him," Kazuki said in a low tone, careful to not alarm the girl. "I'm not going to hurt him."

The veins on her head retracted and she nodded.

Kazuki made his way closer and started to inspect Tanjiro's body. He touched his neck. A faint heartbeat could be felt and Kazuki couldn't help but sigh in relief. Good, it appeared that he was still alive, but what worried him the most was the bleeding. It could be fatal if that was left unchecked.

Surprisingly, the blood from the cloth he had given Tanjiro was dry, and it didn't seem that any fresh blood came out of the wound. Rather, the hole had been cauterized completely!

"The bleeding… it's stopped!" Kazuki said as he tried to think of the possibilities of this outcome. He then sent a pleading look to Nezuko. "What did you do?!"

The girl merely blinked twice at his comment. It appeared that she didn't know how to answer that question either.

"Junichiro, what do you think about this?" Kyojuro asked, his face neutral. "I haven't seen anything like this before."

"Me neither…" Junichiro muttered as he cupped his chin. "Maybe Ubayashiki-sama has the answers. I cannot see any other reason for him to summon a freaking demon to his main headquarters. She's the demon of the bamboo muzzle right? I'm not seeing her wearing it on her mouth."

"You can tell that it's kind of obvious that they're siblings, so yeah, this is her," Kyojuro said. "This must be very serious if the Master sent his personal crow to warn us. I don't like this!"

Junichiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's two of us, but what the hell, let's do what he says," he said as he looked at Tanjiro. His face then twisted into that of pity. "Right, we can't bring that boy to the headquarters. He can hardly move at this point and he needs medical treatment fast. We have to take him to Shinobu so she can patch him up."

He then elbowed Kyojuro. "Your turn to play mule now. I'm already tired after today's shit-show."

"Fair enough," Kyojuro said as he walked towards Tanjiro. Nezuko took notice of the man approaching and placed herself in front of him. She started to grow in size.

The golden-haired slayer narrowed his eyes and placed his hand on his sword.

"Hey... Nezuko?" Kazuki said as he tapped her shoulder. The girl turned around with a snarl but remained on her spot. "Calm down, they're not going to hurt Tanjiro. They just want to take him somewhere safe. They are trying to save his life, but they will definitely hurt you if you interfere with their job."

At that point, Nezuko closed her eyes and started to shrink back to her regular size. Without making a sound, she moved away from her brother.

Kazuki felt a little regretful that the demoness still trusts him. She didn't seem to know that the reason her brother lost his arm was because he used him as an expendable object.

She didn't even know that he didn't warn Tanjiro about the risks. He had to make it clear to her later on.

Kyojuro eased his posture and walked towards Tanjiro. He conducted a brief inspection on his wounds before using both hands to lift him up.

"I'll take him to the Kakushi, you check on the others Junichiro!" he said, briefly giving a look to Kazuki. "...And good luck."

With that, the golden-haired slayer stormed out of the area.

Nezuko quietly shrunk and crawled back into her box. The white-haired boy noticed the demon girl's lips quiver as she placed herself in a fetal position and closed the door.

He couldn't imagine the pain she was going through at the moment. He didn't even want to think about it.

She was probably desperate to see her brother's condition, but she had to wait, as she had to attend an audience with the head of the Demon Slayer Corps. She would be on her own by then.

An awkward silence enveloped the atmosphere, as the boy simply stared at his brother with a flat look.

The Ice Pillar averted his gaze and scratched the back of his head. He took notice of the wound on his forehead and sighed.

"Hey, are you okay? That right up there is definitely going to give you a scar…" he said as he knelt towards Kazuki and extended his hand. "Here, let me take you to our medics, they'll give you the best treatment."

Kazuki's eyes widened as he saw flashes of old memories from the distant past.

"Will you come back?"

He saw his brother let out a kind smile as he patted his head.

"But of course, I always come back."

A small glint could be seen in his eyes.

"You promise…?"

Junichiro gave a thumbs up.

"I promise."

Kazuki gritted his teeth and slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me..."

That reaction startled the Ice Pillar. A deep frown colored his face as he furrowed his brows, then shook his head and sighed.

"Right, I figured you wouldn't want to see my face ever again."

Kazuki noticed the dead tone he carried over him. They both hadn't seen each other over the course of three years, and the first thing he did when he saw his brother was to slap his hand away from him and reject his help. He was being mean but the man totally deserved it after leaving him to die on that island.

A stream of emotions came over him. He couldn't deal with his brother right now; he had to think before he acted. The guilt of Tanjiro losing his arm because of him was too much to bear and having to deal with his brother's excuses right now would drive him crazy.

He just wanted to rest right now.

"No, it's just… I need a clear head if I want to settle matters with you."

That seemed to elicit a reaction from the Pillar as he beamed. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face and he nodded.

"A lot has happened before I arrived here, so I understand that you might want some time alone," Junichiro said. He frowned again at Kazuki's bleeding forehead. "You sure you don't want anyone to carry you? That wound might get infected."

The white-haired boy shook his head. "I can stand up on my own, if the Kakushi can guide me to the medics? I will go there."

"Think it would be better if I guided you to them? To be honest, you don't look in the best shape to walk on your own," Junichiro asked as he extended his hand yet again.

Kazuki said nothing. He merely stared at his brother's hand emotionlessly. He wanted to slap it again, but his body felt so heavy that he didn't feel like walking anymore. He sighed and took it.

Junichiro grinned and lifted him up. The older man used his right arm to lift Kazuki up and support him on his shoulder.

Kazuki narrowed his eyes as he noticed a peculiar detail. "You're missing an arm…" he said wearily. "How did it happen?"

The Ice Pillar glanced at his left side and narrowed his eyes. He sighed. "A lot has happened ever since we last saw each other. I'll spare you the details and just tell you that it wasn't pretty."

"Did you lose it in your fight against Upper Moon Two?"

That made the Pillar flinch a little. The white-haired boy could see his brother's face twist from a frown into a hateful scowl for a brief moment before he nodded.

"Who told you that?" he asked, his tone neutral.

"Amane-san told me that the reason you couldn't arrive at our village was that your fight against it three years ago stopped you. I had a hunch as to what kind of injuries you suffered and also…" Kazuki trailed off, not sure if he should say it, but he went on with it. "Sorry for your loss."

Junichiro's frown didn't change and merely started to walk away. No words needed to be said between them as they let themselves be immersed in their thoughts.

Kazuki closed his eyes and let his body rest. He felt exhaustion crawling upon him and felt like passing out at any moment. He had pushed himself past his limits and was sure that it would have heavy costs on his body. He had to drink his medicine when he woke up.

"Kanao-chan, would you please take that boar masked kid back to Shinobu?"

The white-haired boy opened his eyes and glanced towards the brunette girl with the butterfly pin emerging from the bushes. He had met this Kanao girl earlier as she was the one that guided him towards this location. Seemed like she was one of his brother's companions.

"Of course nii-san, I will."

Kazuki froze and his heart skipped a beat. His hands clenched Junichiro's uniform to the point of almost ripping it off. He shot his brother a glare, one that demanded explanations for him, one that pleaded that the girl was only confused with her statement.

The Pillar noticed his reaction and his eyes widened. He raised his hands and tried to explain himself, but all he could do was stutter.

That was because the girl wasn't confused at all. She really addressed him like a brother.

Kazuki could only shove his brother away, letting his emotions take over. "...What did she just call you?" he muttered loudly enough for him to hear.

"L-Listen, I can explain–"

"Explain? EXPLAIN?!" Kazuki yelled. His bloodshot blue eyes glared into his brother's own, making the Pillar back off. "How the fuck can you explain this?! It's one thing that you abandoned me when everyone died at the village, but now I find out you have a replacement?"

Kanao could merely blink at the brothers' exchange. She seemed oblivious to what was going on.

The white-haired boy grabbed Nezuko's box and started to walk away with a deep scowl on his face. He shot one last glance at his brother, who still couldn't utter a single word to him and simply looked distraught. He shook his head.

"I can't see your face anymore."

The Pillar opened his mouth and spoke. "Hey, where are you going?" Junichiro asked as he extended his hand. "Hey, wait!"

Kazuki ignored him and kept walking away at a faster pace. He didn't even want to look at his brother's pathetic side anymore, even worse if he was with his fake sister.

He walked further, and further away from him. He plucked the bushes that were on his way. Once he made sure no one was following him, he kneeled down beside a nearby tree and placed the box from his back by his side.

He took deep breaths as his body couldn't take it anymore. It felt like breathing took nearly all of his remaining energy, and his eyes felt like dried sponges for all the strain they have been through.

He turned to look at the box where Nezuko resided and decided that it would be best to speak to her now before the situation got worse.

"Nezuko, how are you holding up?" Kazuki asked. He grimaced as soon as the words left his mouth and resisted the urge to punch himself in the face. "Yeah, stupid question…"

No response, the girl didn't make a sound.

"Listen, for what it's worth, I'm sorry for what I did to your brother. If I only had devised a safer plan to kill the demon, he might have been able to make it out in one piece," Kazuki said as he bit his lower lip. He internally cursed himself at his horrendous wording. "I might not be able to pay my debt to him… I doubt I can ever do it, but the least I can do right now is warn you. When I hand you over to the Kakushi, you'll be on your own, Tanjiro is not going to help you, and I don't think no one can vouch for your safety. I doubt no one wants to hear the word of someone that isn't part of the corps. I'll try to send my cat to Tamayo-san… but by the time she's back, the audience will have finished. You'll have to prove your innocence on your own."

He sighed when all he received was silence and continued.

"Listen, I'm only asking you to remain calm when you face the head of the corps, no matter if he watches you with fear or disdain. If you manage to earn a good impression from the leader, he could be generous and grant you custody with your brother. Tap the box twice if you get it."

He heard no response and scowled. Maybe the girl went to sleep and he had been rambling like a lunatic for five minutes.

"Will… I… be able… to see Onii-chan… if I do it right…?"

Kazuki's eyes widened when he heard the girl speak from the inside of the box. Her voice was raspy and the words that came out of her mouth seemed to take a great deal of effort to her. Did her earlier berserk state change her mindset in some way?

Details for later; he had a question to answer.

"That depends on you," he said as a matter of fact. He couldn't make false promises to her, as even he wasn't sure what would happen to her. When the girl didn't seem to talk any further, the white-haired boy stood up and grabbed the wooden box.

"Now, we should—"

Kazuki couldn't finish his sentence as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He felt a sting in his head, his vision got blurry and his legs started to shake. He started to feel nauseous and he felt his head spinning in circles. He coughed up blood and he started to have shallow breaths.

He used the Ice Breath too much without rest, and he didn't drink his medicine. The only reason he managed to walk away was because of the adrenaline from the previous battle.

He really shouldn't have let his emotions get the better of him and let himself be carried by Junichiro.

"Now you should carry me back to the Kakushi if you would be so kind…"

He heard a faint meow coming from the box as he collapsed to the ground. His vision blacked out.

Why in the world was Chachamaru inside of Nezuko's box?

(X)

"Please forgive me, Kibutsuji-sama!"

She heard Kamanue wail as he was enveloped by Muzan's monstrous arm. The eldritch abomination began to deform and eyes began to appear on top of it, as it was a sentient being of destruction. Its mouth started to gape open and leaned closer towards the demon.

"I'm so sorry, please!"

She watched as Lower Moon 6 breathed his last before his entire body got mauled by Muzan. All for questioning his decision about the Lower Moons going to kill the Pillars.

Mukago broke a sweat as she thought about the causes of Muzan's displeasure. There had to be a trigger that made him snap like this.

She didn't want to die, not yet at least, as she was so close to completing her investigation.

"Investigation?" she heard Muzan seething. She raised her head weakly and saw Muzan's broken red eyes looked down at her with barely contained fury. "So you're telling me that you haven't been eating more Demon Slayers?"

She began to tremble at her lord's outburst. She'd let her thoughts slip for a moment and Muzan found out about it.

His attention now focused solely on her.

"I seem to recall that I gave every single one of the Twelve Demon Moons a specific order, and that was to destroy the entire Demon Slayer Corps for good!" Muzan snarled as his hand deformed into the abomination from before. It lunged at Mukago in the blink of an eye. "Your worthless investigation is trivial compared to the orders I gave to you!"

She closed her eyes and waited for her death, but her survival instincts screamed for her to survive, and so, the next sentence instantly slipped off her tongue.

"I'm close to finding the flower, Muzan-sama!"

Everything went silent. Nobody dared to say anything as the rustling from the monstrous blob stopped its rampage.

Mukago opened her eyes slightly, only to whimper at the sight of the motionless blob at point-blank range. It seemed immobile and she could see the saliva dripping out of its mouth and falling towards her hand. It could lunge at her at any moment and end her life instantly.

"What did you just say, Mukago?" Muzan muttered audibly. The demoness sweated profusely and gulped as she heard the demon king's tone change from an enraged snarl to a low, baritone, voice.

"I-It's as you've heard my lord. I'm close to finding the flower that you seek, the Blue Spider Lily," she said. "All of this time, I've been working nonstop for your sake. You have to believe me!"

Muzan narrowed his eyes and the blob lunged at Mukago, enveloping her neck and lifting her up in the air. Mukago's face went red as she felt her throat constrict from the strength of the progenitor.

She didn't dare to fight back against it, as the slight act of rebellion could end her life instantly.

The Demon King scanned the girl through and through until his gaze softened a little and eased the strength of the choke but didn't let her go.

"Look at that, it appears you're wise enough that you're telling me the truth," he said, his tone neutral. He then started to increase the strength of his grip. "However, I have checked your memories, and all that you have learned are merely speculations of where the flower could be, not the location itself. Amakusa Island? Don't make me laugh, I've already gone to that cursed place before to look around and I haven't found a single trace of it. What makes you think you could do something different?"

"I... may know… the locations of the keys of the shrine…" Mukago wheezed as she tried her best to speak.

Muzan raised an eyebrow.

"The Shrine of Musashi?" he said, his interest piqued. "But you don't have the means to open the gate to the subterranean level, do you?"

"My… associates and I… are looking at the possible locations of the keys…" Mukago said through ragged breaths. Tears started to escape her eyes. "We just… need a little more time… that's all!"

Muzan scowled as he kept invading her mind. He seemed frustrated that he couldn't see her associates' memories, as they were human.

"Even if you managed to open the gate, there is no guarantee that the flower is going to be there," he said. He then looked up as he seemed to reminisce. "However, I have wandered Japan for a millennium, and Amakusa seems to be the only island that might have a possible lead to the flower. The cursed land… a soil that never dries, an abundance of flora, a perfect climate. Now an inhabited, untouched paradise thanks to Enmu, am I correct?"

The Lower Moon 1 perked up at the mention of his name and blushed as he remembered the moment he went to the island.

"Ah yes, I remember…" he said as he placed his hand on his cheek. "Just remembering the inhabitants' screams of pain as they fell into an eternal nightmare fills me with bliss~"

Muzan let out a satisfied smile at his answer. He then looked at his subordinate with a frown and gave a frustrated sigh. He released his grip and the demoness plummeted to the ground, coughing and trying to catch her breath.

"Fine, if you think you can open the gate, Mukago, then I'll give you more time to be of use to me. Two months, to be exact."

Mukago inspected herself as she touched every part of her body to make sure that she wasn't missing a limb. She wiped the tears off her eyes and bowed in a dogeza manner while letting out ragged breaths.

"O-Oh, thank you, thank you, Muzan-sama! I will not waste the precious time you've given to—"

"Silence." Muzan cut her abruptly as he scowled. "I did not give you permission to speak. You are playing with borrowed time, girl. Should you fail me on your task, and I will make sure to take centuries while ending your life."

He then leaned to her eye level. His broken red snake eyes were eyeing to the depths of her soul.

"Do you understand?"

Mukago nodded vigorously, as refusing him now would mean that she would be killed on the spot. The progenitor let out a satisfied smile.

"Good, you're dismissed," he said. He snapped his fingers. "Nakime."

The last thing she heard was the sound of a Biwa playing before she was transported back to her office as if she had never left the place for once in her life.

She leaned backward and fell to the floor, her eyes staring at the ceiling. She needed to mentally recover from that experience before she could proceed with her investigation.

She would find the Blue Spider Lily; she would stand by Muzan's side if it meant that she would survive until the end of times.

 

[GM Ambition]

Chapter 8: Aftermath​

He could hear the sound of the ocean waves, the birds chirping from far away, and the leaves rustling within the trees. He could feel the gentle breeze caressing his face.

This was the immaculate land of Reihoku in all of its glory, the place that was his hometown, a place that would leave anyone dumbfounded by its beauty. Kazuki tried his best to focus on these aspects instead of the task at hand.

"Good pace, but not enough, you need to hone your footwork. Demons are much faster than that."

The voice of Miyamoto Kazumi rendered every feeling he tried to convey into an abrupt halt.

"Yes, mother."

The woman with messy blue hair looked like it hadn't been taken care of in a very long time. Her baggy blue eyes made her look more like a witch than an actual civilized person.

If he could describe Kazumi in two words, it would be very simple to say: grieving widow. A person who spent an unhealthy amount of time wallowing in their own grief that the only way for her to cope would be to take it out on others, and he was one of the unfortunate souls that were close to her by this time.

"Train harder, or it will all be for naught on the moment of the real thing."

He could remember the pain that the Ice Breathing caused him, constantly breaking his muscles and lungs over and over until his body gave out.

His mind reinforced since the last time he trained with her because he knew this was a dream. He knew that these days were over, and that has been long since his mother passed away.

Kazuki stopped with his movement and looked at his mother with empty eyes. He knew he now had the power to say this word to her.

"No."

A simple, yet strong answer that left his mother speechless.

Kazumi's pupils started to shrink until they remained completely white. Her mouth started to gape wide open as she began to scream in agony.

She lunged at Kazuki with a feral scream, only for her to disappear into thin air in a puff of smoke.

The landscape turned to pitch white, and he could only see his reflection on the water beneath him, only for it to begin to freeze. He didn't even realize that the floor changed form.

Did he feel hatred towards his mother? Not at all, he couldn't care less what kind of pain his biological mother was going through. He gave up those feelings a long time ago. He found people who matter more to him now and he will keep moving forward with that thought in mind.

"No, you will survive. You have to survive…" he heard the voice of Kazumi echo through the dreamscape. "Kill those dreaded demons who dared to put a hand on our family. Kill them all!"

The ferocious winds of the blizzard began to chill his skin to the point that it turned purple. Icicles began to form all over his body, penetrating through his skin. He tried not to think about it, he was stronger than before, he still remained calm and unfazed.

He would do it, he would kill the demons, but not for her, not for Junichiro, not for anyone in the corps. He has two people that care for him as a human being, not as a tool, and he will do his damnedest to pay what he owes to them. Then, he can live the life he always dreamt about, away from conflict and pain.

"Master it… show them the power of Two Heavens as One!"

No matter how hard he tried to push those thoughts away, they still echoed inside of his mind.

He saw the inhabitants from Reihoku and his mother freeze until they turned themselves into a statue.

He closed his eyes and waited for the dream to be over. Maybe if Junichiro was there that day, then this tragic outcome could have been avoided.

(X)

Kazuki opened his eyes. He felt a sharp sting and a lingering burning sensation similar to the freezing experience of his dream. His body felt like glass and his muscles felt incredibly stiff. He tried to take a deep breath but it felt like such a chore that he almost threw up one of his lungs. He closed his eyes.

He winced as he felt a sharp sting on his forehead. He touched it and found a soft fabric wrapped all over the source of the wound.

He tried to open his eyes again and tried to take shallow breaths this time. The strain of his muscles lessened but it was still painful to even try to move. He fought the burning pain and tried his best to keep his eyes open.

His vision was blurry; the colors were scattered all over the place. He could only figure out that he was resting on a bed, but he had no clue of his whereabouts. They took his contact lenses.

"What the…?"

"Don't move!" a sharp, feminine voice spoke. He flinched and started to look around but he gave up on trying to decipher his situation. He had to guide himself with the mysterious girl's voice.

"Good, you are awake now. How do you feel?" the girl asked.

"I can barely move…"

"That's still an improvement. You were supposed to stay out of commission for a whole week at minimum. You nearly died from a pneumothorax and you nearly destroyed muscles over that stupid breathing technique that you used."

Kazuki tried his best not to look dumb and remained unfazed about the fact that he almost lost one of his lungs.

"How bad is it?"

He heard the girl sigh.

"One of your lungs collapsed, but you were lucky that Shinobu-sama was able to salvage it, or else you would have had to live with only one lung for the rest of your life." The girl spoke in a stern but matter-of-fact voice. "As for your eyes… you wore contact lenses for a very long time without removing them once, of course you were going to get dry eyes. Did it ever occur to you about the consequences of using them?"

"These are the side effects of contact lenses?!" Kazuki gawked as he processed this new, but very important information. Tamayo… did fail to mention that bit.

"Yeah, it's obvious." The girl said in a near mocking manner. "No one told you about it?"

"No, no one told me about it." He grumbled. "Who are you, by the way?"

"I'm over here…" the girl said in a low tone. Kazuki felt a hand on his head and forcibly moved it in one direction. He still couldn't see anything. "My name is Kanzaki Aoi, and I'm one of the girls that work on the Butterfly Estate of the Demon Slayer Corps. Good grief, at the very least, put some eye drops on if you don't want your eyesight to get even worse. For now, don't use your contact lenses and let your eyes rest."

"I have my normal glasses in my bag, I think I brought them with me the last time I was conscious…" Kazuki trailed off as he began to remember the events that lead to him being hospitalized.

The battles against the demons of Mount Natagumo, the destruction left behind in the local village, a boar guy named Hashibara Inosuke who always gets his name wrong for a strange reason—

"Kiyo, go fetch this boy's bag right now, the one who has white hair and a headband!" Aoi shouted with such force that it echoed through the entire building. It interrupted Kazuki's train of thought.

"Coming!" a high-pitched voice was heard from afar.

What an intense girl.

"Nooooo!"

Kazuki felt the need to cover his ears as he heard the most obnoxious male voice he could ever have imagined.

"Why do I have to watch over a blind man who is on life support?! I didn't do anything to deserve this!"

He could hear Aoi growling under her breath as she trotted over to the source of the voice. He heard the whimper of the man as his cries started to grow weaker.

Kazuki's eyes widened. Did she choke him?!

"Because you keep wailing louder than a toddler every single time you take the medicine! The least you could do is watch over him and call us whenever he seems less than fine." Aoi yelled as the cries of the cowardly man rose yet again. Great, he's still alive, for now.

"I'm not blind, and I'm not on life support. I can breathe just fine… I think?" Kazuki muttered as he took quick but timed breaths to avoid the pain of his lungs.

"If you call that labored breathing fine then you have a serious case of delusion. Lay down, get some rest until Shinobu-sama gives you permission to move. That is all."

He could hear the girl walking away. Not good, he still had so many questions.

"Wait!" he shouted. He grabbed his chest as he felt a sharp sting on his lungs. "What about Tanjiro and Nezuko?"

The last time he saw Tanjiro was when he was over a pool of his blood. Slowly dying of blood loss.

"Tanjiro… you mean the boy who got his arm chopped off?" Aoi's voice became softer as she appeared to be musing. Kazuki nodded.

"Yeah… the very same." He said, eagerly waiting for Aoi's response.

"Don't worry, he's stable and recovering. As expected, he hasn't woken up since we found him in the forest. He was in critical condition and we rushed him here for surgery. He will be fine but I can't say the same for his Demon Slaying career."

Kazuki let out a sigh of relief as he processed the information. Tanjiro was going to live, he was getting another shot at life even when everything seemed doomed. However, he still needed to know if he is crazy enough to continue through his Demon Slayer career.

Knowing him, he would totally continue even if lost all of his limbs.

"What about Nezuko?"

A brief, yet awkward silence fell to them. Kazuki heard Aoi mumble incoherent words under her breath. She finally spoke.

"About her…"

(X)

Rengoku Kyojuro smiled warmly as he walked towards the Ubayashiki Estate.

When they received the message from the Master's crow, his heart filled with joy. He thought about how lucky he was to see his comrades alive and breathing, especially in this line of work where their lives are always on the line.

However, he couldn't help but feel uneasy at the sense of dread of this future meeting. For once, the Pillar meeting was being held sooner than expected. The meetings are usually held twice a year, one in January and another one in December.

He didn't expect the meeting to be held in the middle of October.

"Hey, Icy dude, Flame dude, fight me!"

Kyojuro almost tripped by the sudden movement of the boar-headed slayer as he carried him by his shoulder. Hashibara Inosuke rattled around as he tried to break free of the tight ropes to no avail.

He truly believed that this Hashibara kid ran solely by his gut feeling and never used his head. The only feeling that seemed to resonate in his mind was his fighting spirit.

He didn't mind his hard-headed attitude, in fact, he held a great deal of respect for it. How did a person as hard-headed as him manage to survive in this line of work for such a long time? That either screams pure luck, or this kid has immense talent.

He liked to believe in the latter option.

"No…"

Junichiro on the other hand was about to reach his wit's end. The veins emerged on his forehead, and his eye twitched slightly. He already seemed pretty annoyed about having to carry Nezuko's box on his back, and having to deal with Inosuke would set him off.

"Fight me!"

"We told you no, but if you want to I can make you my Tsugoku and we can spar together!" Kyojuro said without a second thought.

"What the hell is that? A new fighting move?"

He could feel the kid's immense strength as he tried to break free from his grip, and he knew that if he loosened it for a moment, it would be extremely bad. He could be a very interesting pupil to have.

Junichiro seemed to calm himself down as his facial muscles relaxed. He took a deep sight.

"He means that you will be his student." He said in a gruff voice.

"What?! Hell no, I'm already invincible, ain't no way I'm gonna become someone's underling!" Inosuke shouted like a feral beast. "And why the hell am I tied up?!"

"Because you're accused of helping a demon, which you did. You're going to be meeting the leader now." Junichiro said as he glanced at him.

Inosuke perked up as soon as he said the leader. Kyojuro dreaded what the kid was going to say next.

"The leader? Is he strong?!

"Uh, yesn't?" Junichiro said as he placed his hand on his chin. "Why do you ask?"

"Because if he is—"

Junichiro gritted his teeth. He clenched his hand to a fist hard enough that his fingers were turning white.

"Don't you dare say it…"

"I want to fight him!"

Junichiro's face got as red as a tomato before he couldn't contain himself any longer.

"Man, just… SHUT UP!"

The Pillar snarled as he sent a quick, but powerful jab towards Inosuke. The punch was hard enough that it forced Kyojuro to let go of his grip on the boy and threw him towards the ground.

The Flame Pillar could only blink at this bizarre behavior. Junichiro seemed to be… in a fouler mood than usual. He knew the Ice Pillar's eccentric behavior can make him hard to approach but he only acted like a jerk when people tried to screw with him. He rarely seemed to be irritated when people were just being… themselves. He lost his patience very quickly.

Junichiro's eyes widened as he saw Inosuke groaning in pain on the ground before fainting. He let out a sheepish grin and rubbed his hand on the back of his head.

"Hey, I kinda like this kid. He's independent, bold, and has a lot of potential, don't you agree? You better take him as your Tsugoku…" He said as he awkwardly trailed off. He perked up as he saw the mask of the kid and forcibly yanked it off him.

"Oh, this mask is cool! I better keep it." He said as he giddily put on the boar mask. "A little bit sweaty inside but I can handle it."

Kyojuro wasn't going to let this one slide.

"Junichiro, do you have any idea what you just did?" he asked, his tone neutral.

"Shut him up?"

Kyojuro crossed his arms and frowned deeply. He might be in a foul mood, but that doesn't give him the right to lash out to others like an abusive alcoholic father.

'Huh, this seems awfully familiar…'

He really should stop comparing people like this…

"That, and you knocked the kid who was going to be put on trial for cooperating with a possible hostile demon!" Kyojuro shouted. Junichiro placed his hand on his ear.

"Don't shout at me dammit, my ears are bleeding." He said as he once again looked at Inosuke with a grin. "Come on, it's not that big of a deal is it?"

"It is, now you have made the Master's job harder for himself. You know we can't push him that hard with his condition."

Junichiro grunted as he took out the mask and placed it by his side. "We'll tell him that he can talk to him later or whatever."

Kyojuro couldn't believe that he was making light of a situation like this!

"That's not up for you to decide!"

"I just did." He said as he let out a mischievous grin. He then placed his hand on his mouth and whistled.

The whistle was loud enough that it made the birds flee from the vicinity. Kyojuro heard quiet steps, approaching them but didn't make a move, these people were trustworthy enough.

Two figures approached them. Their appearances were nearly unrecognizable as they had their faces covered with a black headband and face mask, almost like real shinobi. They were the Kakushi.

The two Kakushi bowed deeply as quickly as they arrived.

"You called for us, Junichiro-sama?" said a feminine voice under the mask.

Junichiro grabbed Inosuke's unconscious body and tossed it towards them, who clumsily grabbed the kid. The female Kakushi seemed to panic as she tried to process what in the world was happening.

"And this is?" the other Kakushi spoke. He seemed to be a lot more composed than his partner.

"Take the kid back to the estate, he might have a concussion," Junichiro said. He took off the boar mask and threw it to them. "And put this mask on my quarters."

"O-Of course, may I ask what happened to him?" the female Kakushi asked as she recovered from the shock. Junichiro hummed.

"He fell."

Kyojuro sent a harsh glare towards him. Is he really scummy enough to not admit his mistake?

"Junichiro, you just hit—"

Kyojuro's sentence was cut short when Junichiro placed his hand on his mouth. He tried to convey his message while breaking free from the Pillar's grip but only mumbles came out of it.

"He fell." Junichiro reaffirmed with an innocent grin on his face. "Don't ask how."

The Kakushi merely exchanged brief looks before shrugging. They have no place to argue with a Pillar.

Both of the servants took Inosuke's body and carried him back to the Butterfly Estate without Kyojuro being able to retort.

He finally had enough and yanked Junichiro's hand off his mouth.

"You know, you are kind of being a huge jerk today, it's insufferable!" Kyojuro said as he held Junichiro's hand with a tight grip. Even a patient person like him had his limits on how much disrespect he can handle.

Junichiro said nothing as he broke free of his grip and kept walking forward. This action only managed to spike his curiosity even further.

"Is something wrong with you? Want to talk about it?"

The Pillar merely sighed and shook his head.

"Not right now, Kyojuro, I'm not in the mood," he said as he glanced at Kyojuro. "Sorry, I'll tell you what happened later."

The Flame Pillar didn't say anything, only contemplated his friend's words as they climbed the stairs of the Ubayashiki Estate.

What could have gotten Junichiro in such a foul mood? He was as fine as he could be yesterday. He fought earnestly, saved people without a second thought, and made decisions with great judgment when he analyzed the case of Kamado Nezuko, never acting like an entitled jerk.

The last thing Kyojuro remembered was him leaving Junichiro with Kazuki while he went to tend to the injured along with the Kakushi.

His eyes widened as he realized the source of the problem. The reunion with Kazuki definitely didn't go well for Junichiro.

Kyojuro was tempted to ask him for more details, but it wasn't his place to ask, not right now at least. He did say that he was going to tell him the details later, so it's best for him to have his space right now.

He could only hope that they both make amends fast. If a family remains separated for too long, it will only lead to more trouble and sadness for both parties. It's unhealthy, and pitiful to look at.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Kyojuro's face. It reminded him of his current struggles with his alcoholic father. No matter how hard things get, he will always keep trying to keep his family together until his father finally comes to his senses, for Senjuro and for him.

He had faith that Junichiro would not give up on him.

Kyojuro arrived in the courtyard of the Estate, where he could see various figures standing and waiting.

"Everyone, it's been a while." Junichiro drawled as he made a lousy wave.

"Hi everybody!" Kyojuro waved energetically.

The Sound Pillar, Uzui Tengen, and The Love Pillar, Kanroji Mitsuri waved back at him with the same enthusiasm.

Kyojuro walked towards Tengen with a grin.

"Rengoku, it's great to see you alive, and as flamboyant as ever!" Tengen said as he patted him on the back. Kyojuro returned the gesture.

"Same to you, Uzui! How are your wives doing?" he said. Tengen's grin widened.

"They are still alive and kicking ass luckily." He said as he made a thumbs up. "They are on a mission right now."

"Well, then I wish them best luck on that front!"

"I thank you!"

It was always a delight to see Tengen still being his usual self. He is a person that is worthy of respect and a breath of fresh air from the traditional emotionless shinobi. He also shares the same energy as him!

"You two are always so loud…"

The quiet voice that addressed them was no other than the Mist Pillar, Tokito Muichiro. The youngest Demon Slayer to ever be put on the highest position in such a short time. He always liked to stare at the clouds rather than pay attention to his surroundings. Even with that odd behavior, Kyojuro respected him.

"I apologize Tokito!"

He doesn't talk much, sadly, but it could be because he can't quite express his emotions correctly.

Maybe one day he would be able to regain his sense of self.

"I'm surprised to see you alive, Miyamoto… and sober. I expected you to look like a corpse by now, but it seems you're still in tip-top shape."

Kyojuro heard a voice from afar. It sounded hostile, yet very much curious.

"Dammit, not those two…"

He could understand why Tengen was displeased.

Junichiro and Iguro weren't exactly people who were known for getting along well, the latter specifically wasn't known for getting along with anyone. It shouldn't bother the others that the Snake Pillar wanted to look for a discussion.

Iguro himself was a pretty intimidating person to be around, especially if he has his pet snake Kaburamaru dragging around his neck every time.

The current situation… was a little bit different.

This is a subject that everyone was interested in knowing: The secret of Junichiro's strength.

Not a lot of people care why the Ice Pillar got his strength. He wanted to fight even with his incomplete body to protect others, and he managed to do it, which in itself is a respectable feat.

People wanted to know how he did it.

"You flatter me, Iguro," Junichiro said as he placed his hand on his chest.

Iguro narrowed his eyes until he closed them and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That means that your technique is not as dangerous as you thought. Will you now share your secrets with us?"

Junichiro hummed as he placed his hand on his chin.

"I will think about it."

"You always say that… but you never keep your word," Iguro muttered as he grabbed Junichiro by the uniform. "Why would you refuse to make us stronger?!"

A big hand on his shoulder caused him to cease his manhandling. Iguro turned to look at the man who stopped and immediately backed off.

"Stop it, it's useless."

The name of Himejima Gyomei was a name that inspired many young slayers to persevere and the title, The Stone Pillar, was a title that strengthened the will of the others. Being able to be called the strongest slayer of the corps is a feat that few are able to accomplish.

He himself is a blind person, and the way he obtained his strength was very simple: it was all-natural ever since he enlisted.

"We can't force him to talk. If he decides to watch the world burn around him, then that is on his conscience. It's a shame that he doesn't want to cooperate with his teammates." Gyomei said with a tone of resentment. "Namu Amida Butsu, I can only pray for your sanity."

Iguro had been nagging Junichiro lately ever since he had gained his incredible boost of power out of the blue. It is common knowledge that he was just an average Hinoe slayer with no noteworthy traits of his own, he only trained hard like everyone else. To him to jump up across multiple ranks all the way to the high position of a Pillar after losing his arm? Within a month? It felt like a magical boost straight out of a fairy tale.

It's been a secret that everyone else has been dying to know. A secret that only a few people know about.

"Thank you for understanding, Himejima!" Junichiro said as he cheerfully waved at the Stone Pillar. He received a grunt in response.

"It wasn't a compliment…"

The atmosphere turned hostile as Iguro and Gyomei sent glares towards Junichiro who merely backed off by the intensity.

"G-Guys, can we change the subject, please?"

The one that extinguished the fire was none other than Mitsuri herself. The girl is good-spirited herself and holds no grudges towards anyone. She only wanted for everyone to get along in these trying times.

"Sure, go ahead!" Junichiro said with a goofy grin.

"Thank you." Mitsuri let out a sigh of relief. The hostility of Himejima and Iguro dissipated. "Do you guys know where Shinobu-san is? She should have gotten the message that there was an important meeting today."

"Right, a boy in critical condition arrived at her estate a few hours ago," Junichiro explained. "She had to perform an impromptu surgery on him so she will be arriving late for the meeting."

"Oh, dear..." Mitsuri grimaced as she looked downwards. "I hope the poor boy recovers soon."

Kyojuro grinned as he looked at her directly in her green eyes.

"It's Kocho we're talking about, there's no need to worry about mortality when she—"

"Innocent?!

The Pillars perked up when they heard a loud voice approaching from the stairs.

The people who emerged from the stairs were the source of the noise itself, the Wind Pillar, Shinazugawa Sanemi, and beside him stood the Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyuu, his polar opposite. The gloomy Water Pillar could only stare at the ground while his eardrum was probably busted by all the yelling he's been getting.

"Did you hit yourself on the head?! Why in the world do you think a demon is going to be innocent?"

Giyuu didn't say anything, he merely kept staring at the ground.

Iguro got closer and looked at the Water Pillar dead in the eye. His pet snake Kaburamaru hissed right beside him.

"Do you really think that the demon is innocent Tomioka?" Iguro hissed dangerously. His heterochromatic eyes scan him thoroughly. "He must also answer for his crimes."

"They're innocent."

The monotonous response only seemed to rile up the Snake Pillar even further. His eyes widened as he stared at Tomioka without blinking.

"Demon? What is he talking about?" Tengen whispered in Kyojuro's ear, but before he could respond, Junichiro raised his hand.

"Right, the box I have on my back contains a demon. She's going to be on trial." Junichiro said nonchalantly as jerked his thumb to the box.

Everyone's head snapped in his direction. Their killing intent started to spike as they sent glares towards Junichiro as if demanding an explanation.

"You're telling me that you guys haven't noticed it?" he said as he raised his eyebrow.

"A demon? On trial? Really?!" Iguro said as glared directly at Junichiro's blue eyes. "That's what you were carrying on your back?!"

"So this is Demon that traveled with a human… I was hoping that my senses were lying to me since it's noon right now. Why isn't it dead yet?" Tengen asked. He had his hands trailing around his cleavers.

Junichiro raised his hands as sweat started to come out of his forehead.

"I'm just as confused as all of you. I carried her here per Master's orders."

"They're innocent."

Iguro snapped his head towards the direction of the Giyuu, who once again spoke his personal thoughts about the demon and her brother.

"It's rare for you to speak this much, Tomioka. What makes you think that they're innocent? Who decided that? You? That's not up for you to decide." He said as he didn't break eye contact.

"T-Then let us wait for the master."

Everyone turned to the source of the voice that was Mitsuri, who trembled at the intensity of the stares of her fellow Pillars.

"Sure, whatever," Junichiro said, bringing the attention back to him. He tilted his head. "I mean, what's the demon going to do during a plain day… scratch the box? We have time, don't get so worked up."

Kyojuro rubbed his temples at Junichiro's sheer hypocrisy. How could he say that after losing it with someone like Inosuke?!

"What about the other slayer that helped this shitty demon, huh?"

Junichiro turned to Sanemi, whose angry eyes bore against him. The Pillar pursed his lips before letting out a friendly smile.

"That boar masked kid?" he said in a soft voice. "He had a concussion, so they had to take him to Shinobu's place."

Kyojuro closed his eyes. He's not going to bother anymore.

"Okay, that's one down, where's the other one?"

"Surgery."

"The other one…"

Junichiro's smile faltered as soon as Sanemi mentioned the other kid. Kyojuro's eyes widened, if it's not Tanjiro or Inosuke he's talking about, there can only be one more kid.

"Other one? What are you talking about? Did you read our report, Shinazugawa?"

Sanemi wasn't usually someone that pries into anyone's business without a very feasible reason, and even if there was a very good reason for it, he wouldn't give a damn about it, unless the contents of that business piss him off on a personal level.

A demon who managed to get close to the Demon Slayer Quarters and it's also given the chance for trial? It's no wonder that he's pissed. This outcome hasn't happened ever in the history of Demon Slayers, and shouldn't ever happen.

"You know who I'm talking about, Miyamoto," Sanemi said in a very low tone of barely contained rage. "Your brother is not safe from this. He has helped the demon out for quite some time."

Junichiro remained silent, he didn't dare to say anything against that statement.

"Why did he help a demon, huh?"

Kyojuro felt his breathing stop for a moment. His attention was now fully focused on the conversation between the two of them.

He wasn't the type of person to be anxious about an outcome of a discussion that involved one of the Pillars, there was usually no risk of a fight ever happening, but he knew that these two were emotionally unstable people, and talking about their family and loved ones is a touchy subject for them.

Sanemi was stepping on thin ice.

"Shinazugawa, be careful with what you say from now on," Junichiro spoke in a monotone voice. He took a deep, long breath. "No, be really fucking careful."

Very thin ice.

"Is that a threat?" Sanemi said as he let out a feral grin. "I don't care, to be honest, your brother should be here at this very moment for breaking the rules. I think I will drag him here by force."

Junichiro merely tilted his head.

"So we are doing this? Alright…" he said as he caressed his chin. He blinked many times like a flickering light.

He stopped blinking and let out a small chuckle.

"Let's talk about a special case regarding a boy who loves eating demon meat in order to gain strength."

Kyojuro's eyes widened as he mentioned the peculiar boy, there's no way he was going to that extent.

But why shed light on that subject? Isn't that common knowledge within the slayers?

Sanemi's eyebrows furrowed and his face started to tense.

"What are you talking about?"

He doesn't know?!

Gyomei seemed to notice Junichiro's ploy and placed his massive hand on Junichiro's shoulder. He started to tighten his grip.

"Miyamoto…"

Junichiro winced at the massive strain that the strength of Gyomei gave him, but didn't seem to have the slightest intention of backing down.

"It's kinda worrying really, he regenerates and gains the attributes of a demon, but at what cost? His mind? Poor Genya-kun, he must be suffering…" he said as he rested his face on his hand with a small pout.

Sanemi's veins became very visible on his forehead as he started to grit his teeth.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!"

Gyomei's frown became deeper and he started to make pressure with his hand with such force that the ground below Junichiro started to crack.

The Ice Pillar started to sweat. His grin faded away from his face, but he still tried his best not to acknowledge Gyomei's insane strength.

"He eats demons in order to gain strength, regenerates just like them, and he even temporarily turns into one of them." He said as sweat started to come down his forehead. "Don't you know? His case is common knowledge inside the corps but I guess for someone that doesn't want anything to do with him wouldn't know."

Sanemi opened his mouth to speak but he closed it. He raised his hand towards Junichiro to punch him but immediately backed away. His eyes seemed to dart everywhere but the front.

Surely Junichiro will stop now, right?

Right?

"Don't you think that freak could become a danger to all of us?" he muttered as he started to caress his sword. He partially unsheathed it. "Don't you think we should do something about it…?"

Kyojuro couldn't watch this anymore.

Sanemi snarled and started to grab Junichiro by the haori. "Listen here you son of a bitch…"

He was about to throw a punch to his face and Junichiro was ready to block as he raised his hand.

The punch missed.

Kyojuro arrived at the last moment as he grabbed Sanemi's arm. His grip was so strong that it caused him to grunt at the force of his grip.

"Both of you, stop!"

"Out of my way Rengoku!" Sanemi shouted as he moved his hand to try to break free from the grip.

"I understand your anger, Shinazugawa, I really do," Kyojuro said in a soft voice. "You started it and Junichiro took it too far but neither of you should be fighting right now."

"Shut up, I'm about to take it even further!"

"Oh come on! Wouldn't it kill you to be nice just for one minute?!" Tengen said in annoyance. It was certainly surprising to see him care for his comrades' well-being in this situation.

A small audible chuckle was heard from Junichiro.

"It certainly would give him more scars, that's for sure."

"Okay, that's it!"

In a fit of rage, Sanemi broke free of Kyojuro's grip and disoriented the Flame Pillar. He lunged towards Junichiro with a quick jab.

Junichiro pushed Gyomei away and ducked from the incoming punch. He countered with an elbow to Sanemi's stomach.

"Yes, I wanted to see this!" Tengen shouted with a wide grin. "I'm betting on Shinazugawa!"

Kyojuro gawked when he saw the Sound Pillar's enthusiasm. His impression about him caring for his comrades earlier was wrong, he wanted to see them both go at it from the beginning.

Sanemi winced in pain as the hit knocked the air off him. He quickly recovered fast enough that his opponent couldn't react.

He grabbed Junichiro's head and raised his knee towards his forehead.

The hit never came as the two Pillars ceased their fighting and jumped away when they saw a quick slash coming in between them.

They could only stare blankly at the figure of Muichiro Tokito stepping in. His white sword unsheathed. His dull expression seemed hard enough for anyone to read any kind of emotion from him. Was he angry? Annoyed? Sad?

"You two are acting like children." He said in a monotone voice similar to Giyuu's. "Shut up, it's annoying."

Sanemi and Junichiro looked at each other with disdain but didn't say anything towards each other. Kyojuro sighed in relief, that could have escalated into a much more dangerous predicament.

Mitsuri snickered at the pathetic sight of the two, and the Flame Pillar would have done it as well. When the literal child is more mature than the two adults, that's a huge blow on both their pride.

Gyomei started to approach Junichiro with a stone-cold expression.

"Miyamoto, I assure you that Genya is not a threat to Demon Slayers."

Junichiro grimaced as the topic of Sanemi's brother popped up again. The subject of Shinazugawa Genya's strength has been talked about among the Demon Slayers and has been a very controversial topic ever since its inception.

A man with a peculiar sense of taste that made it possible to obtain unorthodox power by mainly eating a demon's flesh? That sounds incredibly foul but interesting at the same time. The fact that Genya hasn't lost control over his powers is mind-boggling for anyone that has been in this line of work.

It made him wonder how Sanemi hasn't heard about the subject before. Either he was in heavy denial, or he simply didn't care about Genya enough to know anything about him.

Kyojuro himself couldn't believe it the first time he heard about it. It sounded like a ridiculous rumor that village folk spread in order to scare the kids, but it was very real, and the fact that there hasn't been news about the kid losing control adds to his credibility.

If he met Shinazugawa Genya, he would praise him to no end. He is a man worthy of his respect!

Junichiro, on the other hand, didn't share the same point of view on the subject.

"Your Tsugoku will bring more problems to the table Himejima. I've seen him, and he's growing more unstable as time goes by. Take your eyes off him for a second and you'll be gnawed in your sleep." Junichiro said as a matter of fact.

Sanemi glared at the Stone Pillar's white pupils.

"Tsugoku?! Himejima, I told you to stay the fuck away from him!" he argued. His anger spiked once again but Gyomei remained stoic.

"That's not up for you to decide, Shinazugawa."

He grabbed him by the collar.

"He's my—"

"I believe that it's time for all of us to be civilized."

Sanemi immediately let go of Gyomei's collar and bowed down to the ground. The other Pillars let go of the conflict and started to follow suit.

Ubayashiki Kagaya of the Demon Slayer Corps started to approach them with a smile so gentle that it could calm even the wildest of beasts. His half-purple face and white pupils made it clear that his disease has progressed at a dangerous rate, reaching the point of blinding him. Kyojuro could only stare in pity.

Two children with white hair held his frail body from both sides.

Kyojuro couldn't recognize either of them as the only distinguishable child of Kagaya was Ubayashiki Kiriya, whose brunette hair gave him away. His daughters looked identical, almost like clones, which made it hard to distinguish them.

"I think you're both better than threatening your family members don't you think?"

Junichiro and Sanemi winced at their Master's words.

"Master, you arrived earlier than expected… we humbly apologize for our behavior," Sanemi said in a soft voice, a far cry of his past behavior. Junichiro nodded.

"Y-Yeah, what he said."

The voice of Kagaya Ubayashiki being capable of calming even the most unstable of individuals was always a delight to see.

"It's good to see that my dear Pillars have remained unchanged and in good health."

"I wish I could say the same to you, Master…" Iguro said, his voice solemn.

"Yes, my disease has unfortunately progressed at an alarming rate and I might not be able to survive until the end of this year." He said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "But enough about me, I'm guessing everyone wants an explanation about Tanjiro and Nezuko, the boy who travels with a demon?"

"Yes, sir!"

The impatience of each Pillar made the leader let out a small chuckle.

"Very well, I have accepted them as members of the Demon Slayer corps. I want everyone to do the same."

'Just like that?!' Kyojuro thought with wide eyes. The Pillars started to share looks of disapproval between each other, Iguro and Sanemi specifically seemed to be the most surprised. Nobody is going to agree with such an outrageous order.

Kyojuro remembered what happened that day on Natagumo, how Nezuko interacted when she faced judgment. He couldn't remain silent any longer. He raised his head.

"Master, I wish to speak!"

The attention of the Pillars was now focused on Kyojuro. Kagaya couldn't look directly at him, but he was sure that his voice had been heard.

"Surely, go ahead."

"Right, I apologize for my bluntness, but I want to say that I accept Tanjiro and Nezuko as members of the corps," Kyojuro said with a firm tone. "Junichiro and I have witnessed them having each other's back, and fighting against demons. The only time she showed our fangs to us was when she thought we were going to harm her brother. Their bond has allowed me to see that they won't ever harm a single human!"

The Pillars sent glances towards Kyojuro and then to Junichiro respectively. Mitsuri, Tengen, and Gyomei looked comfortable with his argument and conviction. Sanemi and Iguro were still on edge, frowning at him as if he just hit his head.

Junichiro took a deep, hard breath. He raised his head.

"While I don't particularly share his optimistic point of view, he's completely right, the demon did protect her brother, but I'm afraid my stand will remain neutral until I know the state of the boy's condition."

Kyojuro frowned and glanced at Junichiro.

"What?!"

The Ice Pillar looked back at him with the same intense look.

"What if the boy dies? Who would the demon cling her hopes onto? Us? People whom she barely met a day ago? Who sees her with disdain? It would only be a matter of time until she loses it and attacks us." He explained. "It would be a different story if the boy lives though."

He… had a good point.

Nezuko looked devastated after they took Tanjiro to intensive care. There's no certainty whether the boy will survive or not.

Kyojuro had no counterargument against that. He had a feeling that his fellow Pillars were not going to be satisfied with that answer.

"I'm sorry, Master, but the Demon Slayer Corps was founded for the sole purpose of killing demons. Please, punish Kamado Tanjiro and let us kill the demon." Sanemi said. His baritone voice made it clear that he wanted to kill Nezuko as soon as possible.

Kagaya didn't respond to the request. He placed his hand on one of his daughters.

"Hinaki, read the letter."

Oh, so that's Hinaki. One of the twins. The other one has to be Nichika then.

He really needed to memorize each of the members of the Ubayashiki household.

The little girl known as Hinaki pulled a roll of paper from behind her.

"Yes, I will read a portion of it." She said as she unfolded the paper and began reading the contents out loud.

It appears that the letter came from the former Water Pillar Urokodaki Sakonji, master of Tomioka Giyuu. A man who survived this line of work all these years until he went past his prime, a man with much prestige on his name, a man who deserves much respect.

If a person who has been slaying demons for years vouches for someone like Kamado Tanjiro and Kamado Nezuko, then his words do hold a lot of credibility.

Sanemi clicked his tongue as he heard the statement.

"If they want to die, then go ahead, I couldn't care less. You guys know the old saying of the show, don't tell? A saying as old as Muzan?" he asked as he looked towards the other Pillars.

What is he planning now?

"Marechi?" Tengen perked up as his eyebrow rose.

Junichiro rolled his eyes.

"Oh boy, here we go."

Kyojuro furrowed his eyebrows as he heard the word 'Marechi'. A blood type so rare and incredibly useful in a slayer's hands. This type of blood seems to stun even the oldest demons, as its properties work like an irresistible drug.

Is he trying to play dirty?!

Sanemi grabbed Nezuko's box and threw it under the roof of the Ubayashiki's Estate. He then jumped in the direction where he threw the box. He unsheathed his sword and made a slash on his palm.

Drops of blood started to come out of the wound but Sanemi seemed unfazed by the wounds. All the scars on his body meant that he had pulled this trick on demons before.

Nezuko slammed the box's door open and carefully started to come out of the box. Her nails started to scratch the outer layers of the box.

When she came out, everyone could see her drooling from her mouth with her fangs showing for all the world to see. She started to pant uncontrollably as the scent of Marechi started to take over her mind.

Kagaya didn't say anything, he merely closed his eyes and frowned. He knew that he couldn't say anything to Sanemi once he set his mind on an objective.

"Hey, don't you think that enticing her with Marechi is a bit too much?!" Kyojuro yelled as he approached The Wind Pillar.

Iguro stepped on his way, his arms crossed.

"Really, Rengoku? What happened to that intensity of killing demons and that righteous anger you always felt towards them?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kyojuro nodded vigorously.

"I still do, don't take my purpose for granted, Iguro," He said as he glanced towards Nezuko. "but if you have just seen what I've seen—"

"But I didn't." Iguro cut him off. Kaburamaru hissing as it dragged over his neck. "I don't believe that any demon is capable of cooperating with humans."

"How much do you believe in her, Rengoku?"

Kyojuro's head snapped in the direction of Tomioka Giyuu, who stared at him with his dead fish eyes.

It felt strange, Giyuu himself wasn't a man to show much emotion, if anything at all, and he seemed very strange right now.

He seemed stressed. He was sweating, he breathed at an irregular pace, he glanced at Nezuko a couple of times before returning his gaze back at him. He was worried for her.

Kyojuro's grin started to get wider.

"I've decided!"

His powerful yell startled all the Pillars as they looked at him as if he just ruptured their eardrums. Giyuu blinked once at this behavior.

"Rengoku?"

"You have a good heart, Tomioka. The fact that you trust someone as admirable as Kamado Tanjiro means that you can see how special he is." He said. Tomioka's face blanched as he didn't seem to process the information. "Then, allow me to do the same."

"What are you talking about?"

Kyojuro looked at the Master, whose attention was focused on Sanemi and Nezuko.

"Master!"

Kagaya looked at him.

"If Kamado Nezuko starts attacking, then I will personally follow Tomioka, and Urokodaki to the grave!"

Kagaya closed his eyes and let out a soft smile. He trusted him, and Kyojuro appreciated that fact.

Junichiro, who wasn't focused on the whole ordeal, now had his eyes fixated on Kyojuro's insane statement. His eyes were as wide as pans. He ran towards the Flame Pillar and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"What?! Kyojuro, you can't be serious, are you really dumb enough to risk your life for a fucking demon?" he said as he shook him violently. "Hello, brain?! Are you there?!"

Kyojuro forcefully shoved Junichiro off of him and looked at him with the same wide grin.

"Junichiro, you were there with me, so you've seen what I saw at that moment, right? Their bonds, how strong they are!"

"Of course I did but-"

"Then believe."

Junichiro tensed his lips and growled in frustration.

"Ever heard about common sense?!"

He walked past Junichiro and Iguro and looked directly at Nezuko. The girl glanced over at him with drool all over her mouth, ready to pounce at prey at a moment's notice.

"Kamado Nezuko, remember how you got here in the first place! Your purpose! You want to become human, right?! Remember the sacrifices your brother had to make in order to protect, do not let those be in vain."

Her eyes glanced towards Kyojuro and then back to Sanemi's bleeding arm. She started to groan and she kneeled to the ground. Sanemi grinned ferociously, waiting anxiously for her to lose it.

"Fight your nature!" Kyojuro shouted, his voice echoing all over the place.

A tiny figure creeped out of the box and leaped outside of the box towards the demoness' feet. The Pillars noticed this and looked at how the small calico cat started to nudge its head on Nezuko's feet.

'Is that the cat of Natagumo?' Kyojuro thought as he watched the mysterious cat that led them on the mission. 'What's it doing here?'

The demoness noticed the animal's behavior, and her veins retracted off her forehead. Her pupils started to gap and her facial features started to relax. She wiped the drool off her face and started to pet the cat. She let out an innocent grin.

"She… hesitated?!"

The disbelief in Iguro's voice prompted didn't pass unnoticed from the other Pillars. The fact that Nezuko managed to control herself, the demon's major weakness, was a huge achievement.

"What happened?" Kagaya asked, his voice neutral.

"She started focusing on the cat instead of Shinazugawa's blood," Nichika said as she watched the scene as well.

"Would you look at that, a freaking cat just negated her demon instincts," Junichiro muttered as he watched the scene with interest.

"Incredible… how cute!" Mitsuri said as she held a squeal.

The cat started to run around the Estate. Nezuko let out a soft giggle and started to chase the cat around like a little girl playing tag.

Sanemi was left standing with a dumbfounded face, it left him speechless that Nezuko shrugged off his blood that was like a delicacy to demons.

"She's just… chasing that cat around," Tengen muttered. "Whose cat is that anyway?"

"I don't know, Kyojuro and I found it yesterday and it seemed surprisingly smart as it led us towards Nezuko and the other injured," Junichiro explained as he nodded slightly in approval. "Alright, you got me. I'll have that demon stick around in our ranks.

The cat ran towards Sanemi and climbed towards his shoulder. It started to nuzzle his face which made the Wind Pillar tremble.

"You damn… furball!" he growled menacingly as he had a light blush on his face. "Stop. Doing. That!"

"Aw, he likes you Shinazugawa. How cute!" Tengen said with a small grin on his face. Junichiro snickered at the sight of the Wind Pillar.

"What do you guys think about that?" Giyuu asked, getting the attention of the Pillars. "She totally ignored Sanemi's Marechi."

The Pillars started to mumble between each other as they shot some glances at Nezuko.

"Hi everyone, sorry I'm late!"

The attention snapped at the newcomer. The Insect Pillar, Kocho Shinobu, and the final member of the Pillars had arrived. She immediately ran towards the rest of her comrades and lowered her head. Her sweat told Kyojuro that she ran all the way from her clinic to the estate in one go.

Shinobu looked over to Junichiro. She grimaced for a brief moment before returning her usual, bright smile.

Junichiro's eyes widened as he noticed the brief hostility.

"Why did you look at me like that? Did I do something wrong?" he asked only to be met with silence. "Alright sure, ignore me, whatever."

"Greetings, Shinobu, you finished with Kamado Tanjiro's surgery. Could you please tell me about his condition?" Kagaya asked.

Shinobu nodded as she raised her head.

"The boy is in stable condition," she said with a reassuring smile. "It will be a while before he wakes up, but rest assured, the boy will live."

Kagaya nodded and let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear."

A loud sob made the Flame Pillar jerk his head towards the direction of the source. The sound came from no other than Nezuko, whose eyes welled up from the news, and tears started to come out of them. She sniffed as she rubbed her eyes with her hands and fell down to her knees.

"She's… crying? For someone else?!" Tengen shouted in disbelief as he himself saw a demon care for a human.

Kyojuro trusted Kamado Nezuko ever since she saved Tanjiro from bleeding out but seeing her showing care for him was still odd.

"Thank…you…" she said with a hoarse voice. Speaking seemed to take a lot of effort from her.

"I can hear it… she's crying tears of happiness," Gyomei said as he couldn't stop the tears on his face. "Actual human emotion. There is hope for this child!"

Kagaya let out a light chuckle as he heard the reaction of the Pillars.

"Nezuko has proven that she won't attack people. From now on, I declare that Tanjiro and Nezuko will fight for the Demon Slayer Corps. I trust that there are no objections to this?"

No one said anything in retort. Everything that needed to be said has made the Pillars accept- albeit reluctantly- the recruitment of Nezuko. Even Sanemi- who was the most vocal about it- merely nodded in agreement.

As she let out small sobs, Nezuko quietly walked over to her box with the cat in her arms and closed the door tight.

"Good, then, I think it's time for Nezuko to go back to her brother, am I right? She must be worried sick about him." Kagaya said. Shinobu clapped her hands and called the Kakushi over.

"Yeah, she should!"

Two robed Kakushi came over and bowed to the Pillars. They grabbed the box. "The boy is currently recovering back in the mansion, so please take her away!"

(X)

"That's all the information that the Kakushi told me. I swear Nii-sama can be quite unpredictable when handling… pretty much anyone." Aoi frowned as she told her side of the story.

"You also call him by that term…" Kazuki muttered. He let out a long deep sigh. "Whatever, thank you for your hospitality, Kanzaki-san."

He put on his glasses again and he could finally see the twin-tailed girl that treated him.

He thought about how incredibly lucky Nezuko was to survive her trial when a savage man like Shinazugawa Sanemi was present in the same room as her. Either she was extremely lucky, or she was mentally strong enough to withstand her urges.

It was surprising that Chachamaru stuck alongside her. Kazuki hadn't seen his cat ever since he arrived at Natagumo Mountain. It relieved him to know that she was alright.

"You should thank Shinobu-san for that, she's the one that treated you."

Kazuki stopped pondering his thoughts and looked back to Aoi.

"Who?"

"You don't know who Shinobu-san is?!" the shouting of Zenitsu startled him. His eyes seemed to hold a huge amount of anger. "She's so beautiful that she looks like she descended from the heavens themselves, and I'm not even catholic! Mind your manners."

"Right…" Kazuki rolled his eyes at the boy's comment. He still hasn't said a negative comment about her.

Kazuki felt his back tense a little and tried to change positions on the bed.

"I said don't move!"

The shouting of Aoi made his back sting more and strained his muscles even more. It annoyed him to no end.

"Stop nagging me! I'm trying to get into a comfortable position." He shouted as he tried to find the best spot. Aoi grimaced at his attitude.

"I'm trying to avoid you getting killed, idiot!"

"Right, amazing job right there." Kazuki drawled. "I need to be in a good position to rest well. I have a Final Selection to go to in a few days."

Aoi raised her hand and tensed her lips. She placed her hand on her lips. Her previous displeasure was replaced with a look of uncertainty, and… fear?

"I don't think you will be able to go to The Final Selection on this condition…" she muttered. Kazuki stopped moving.

"Why? I only have a few bruises and scratches that are already tended to. I need to take some rest, right?"

The uncertainty of his voice made Aoi sigh. She looked at him with pity.

"Your problem is more serious than that." She said, Kazuki tilted his head.

"What do you mean?" he said, his voice low. Aoi bit her lower lip.

"Listen—"

"Hi there everyone, I hope you're all doing fine!"

Aoi was cut off by the sound of the door sliding open, revealing a woman with short black hair and purple strands. She had a butterfly pin on the back of her head. Kazuki's concentration broke as he stared at her beautiful, almost perfectly sculpted face and purple eyes.

He couldn't help but agree with Zenitsu. This woman was incredibly beautiful.

"It's Shinobu-sama! I love you, please be my wife!"

Kazuki shook his head. He made a mental note not to fall into that line of obsession. Zenitsu was too far gone.

"Zenitsu-kun, I see that you haven't drunk your medicine yet. If you don't do it, you might stay too little for my tastes."

Kazuki could feel the sarcasm oozing from that sentence alone. He surely couldn't be that idiotic on blindly following her instructions.

"I'm so sorry, I'll do it right away!"

'This guy is a lost cause…' Kazuki thought as he sent Zenitsu the most deadpan stare he could muster in hopes that he at least picks up his message.

"Kazuki-kun is good to see that you're awake. My name is Kocho Shinobu, it's nice to meet you!"

Kazuki lowered his head.

"Thank you for treating me."

"It's no problem, it is my job after all," Shinobu said as she let out a small giggle. "However, I couldn't help to overhear your conversation with Aoi and I had to step in."

She turned to the confused Aoi.

"Let me handle this, go tend to the others."

Aoi looked at Kazuki and then back to Shinobu back and forth.

"Understood." She said as she left to tend the other patients in the room.

Kazuki gulped and looked carefully to his doctor.

"What did she mean about my problem being more serious than I thought?" he asked, his voice wary.

Shinobu's eyes closed for a bit before opening again. She took a long deep breath and spoke.

"Kazuki-kun, you use the Ice Breathing that Onii-sama uses, right?"

Kazuki's hands clenched into a fist at the mention of that silly title.

"…Right, my mother taught me the basics of Ice Breathing." He finally whispered loud enough for Shinoubu to hear.

"Eh, really? Because your basic information says that Onii-sama himself taught you the basics of breathing, did you perhaps lie about it?" she asked, causing Kazuki's eyes to widen. Of course, she would have read the reports of her patients before treating them, why wouldn't she?!

"I—"

"It's alright, I won't pry about it." She cut him off as Kazuki seemed incapable of forming a coherent sentence. "The damage has already been done after all. Whoever taught you Ice Breathing at a very early age didn't think about the consequences it would have on your body. Onii-sama can use the Ice Breathing without any issues because he started to use it in his teenage years."

Kazuki gritted his teeth. It was the same warning Tamayo gave him when she found out what Ice Breathing did to his body. She even helped him to find a limit that would keep his body from destroying itself and he totally ignored that warning.

"I always tried to use the Ice Breathing no more than 3 times a day, and I've been doing that ever since I learned how to use it," Kazuki muttered as he looked down to the sheets. "I never tried to break this limit because the strain of reaching it made it almost unbearable, I was able to abide by that rule… until my last battle where I broke in pure adrenaline."

"And you didn't think of the consequences that the breath would have on your body if you broke those limits?" Shinobu asked with a raised eyebrow. "They are called limits for a reason."

This wasn't going to be a pleasant recovery.

"How long do I have to wait until I recover?" he asked, already expecting the words months, or even years to come out of her mouth.

"I'm so sorry Kazuki-kun, but…"

The pause that Shinobu did made it annoying for Kazuki to deal with. She should stop stalling; he already knows what's coming.

"You will never recover from this."

Whatever expectations Kazuki had from this news crashed when Shinobu gave her notice. Never? What could he mean by never?! His rapid blinking sent a subtle message to Shinobu to continue going, which she got.

"Your muscles, heart, and lungs are badly damaged. You pushed your organs so much that they're on the verge of tearing apart, all of the energy that the Ice Breathing requires has to go somewhere. Your body paid the price."

She took a deep breath. She wasn't done.

"Using Ice Breathing at an early age stunted your muscle growth so much that it couldn't bear the sheer power of the breath. If your fight had dragged out a little bit longer, you would have died." She said as she looked at him with pity. "I'm sorry."

Kazuki looked around his body and the realization finally dawned on him. His muscles that were previously well defined had lowered in density which made it seem like he hadn't trained in nearly 2 years.

He couldn't fight again?! The thought itself was unbelievable, it wasn't possible for him to permanently damage himself from one day or another.

He took a long deep breath and tried to move his arms like he was holding a sword. He felt the strength of the Ice Breathing flow back to him.

"Kazuki-kun, stop!"

A huge sting on his lungs made Kazuki stop and cough hard. He started to cough a lot of blood and felt his breathing cut short. His shallow breaths quickly turned into wheezing as he didn't feel the air reaching his lungs.

It felt heavy as if he drank a bucket of full molten steel that slowly made its way down his throat.

He felt a hand on his back and looked at Shinobu, who sat on his bed. She opened her mouth and pointed at it with her hands.

"Come on, shallow breaths, follow my rhythm." She said as she started to form a rhythm with her breathing. Kazuki followed suit, trying his best to ignore the pain of his lungs. "Yes, like that, you are doing wonderfully!"

The pain started to cease and he felt the strain of his lungs slowly going away. He couldn't help but stare at the white sheets turned red thanks to his blood.

"Do NOT try to use the Ice Breathing again. You will die if you use it."

This has never happened before, it was unbelievable to think that he permanently damaged his body, but here he is, looking at the blood he himself spilled.

He cannot fight anymore.

"I'm sorry…" Kazuki muttered, his voice hoarse from the previous ordeal. "Can I move?"

Shinobu shook her head.

"Not yet, rest a little bit more until I see that your breathing rhythm is regular. Luckily, you only have superficial injuries that might leave a few scars, but nothing of this will affect your regular life. You might feel a little dizzy at times, and you will have trouble carrying heavy objects but you should be able to live peacefully—"

'Peacefully?'

Kazuki furrowed his eyebrows at the mention of the words 'peaceful life'.

He might be able to live a peaceful life returning to sell noodles again as nothing happened, gain money and buy himself a comfy place where he could live the rest of his days in peace.

He knew that he could have done that before even attempting to slay demons, it would have been better if he decided not to join in the first place.

But what if one day, Tamayo dies because Muzan finally found her? The only person who cared for him at his worst times would die and he would be left with the feeling of uselessness for his entire life.

If he let Tamayo die, his life would be anything but peaceful. It will all be for nothing. He could stay on the sidelines and help the slayers from there, but the process would be painfully slow for him to handle. He needs results, and he is a man who can give results.

"From now on, you will officially retire from the Demons Slayers, Kazuki-kun."

He frowned when he heard that. He cannot afford to stay weak and pathetic.

"I haven't even joined…" he muttered as he looked directly at Shinobu.

Shinobu glared back at him. She crossed her arms.

"And you will not, not in your condition. You're incapable of fighting now, and you will only be a hindrance on future missions." She said in a firm tone.

Kazuki opened her mouth to refute her argument but closed it again. He couldn't say anything that wouldn't make him look like an idiot, her words were true and he couldn't deny it.

"I'm sorry to word it that way, but it's the truth." She said, her voice soft.

He didn't say anything to her, he merely nodded at her statement.

"The master was going to visit you today since you are unable to move now, but I will send a crow to him and tell him that you are not going to join the Demon Slayers," Shinobu said as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will be pardoned from breaking the corps rules

"No," Kazuki finally said as he grabbed Shinobu's arm. "Do not send that crow, Kocho-san, please. Let me speak to the leader."

Shinobu placed her hand on her face and sighed.

"Goodness, do you seriously plan to fight in that condition?" she said in a pleading tone. Kazuki shook his head.

"I-I don't know, but please, I have to speak to the leader."

"About what?"

Kazuki shut his mouth. He couldn't say that he wanted to fight again, it would only make Shinobu angrier.

"I have to talk to him about… what happened in my village?"

She merely raised her eyebrow.

"Really?"

Right, he already talked to Amane about it, and she already read the report about him to know that he was bullshitting.

"Yeah?" he said as the side of his lips twitched.

"You're terrible at lying." She said, "How are you planning to fight, should you join us?"

Kazuki tensed at how horrible his lying skills were. He looked to the side.

"I don't know, but I want to fight…"

Shinobu closed her eyes and let out a dismissive shrug.

"It looks like you will still try to seek the Master even if I do tell him that you won't join. You really are as stubborn as Onii-sama don't you?" she said with a hint of resentment.

Kazuki could agree on that front.

"Unfortunately..."

She rolled her eyes and started to walk away, leaving the downtrodden Kazuki on his own.

"I really can't comprehend the mind of a reckless person. Taking unnecessary risks with little to no reward in this profession is like you are begging to die."

He will not die. He's going to find a way to be useful for the demon slayers even if he is unable to use Ice Breathing.

He always has a plan.

(X)

Shinobu walked out of the infirmary as she let out a long deep sigh.

She had to explain to Kazuki about the dangers of using the Ice Breathing again, he could die, and not in a pleasant manner. She expected a saddened reaction for him or acceptance over his now developed condition.

Instead, she got to see the eyes of a man who wanted to rush headfirst to death, and not because he wanted to die like a certain gloomy Water Pillar. He wanted to defy death and logic, which seemed like an impossible scenario under his condition.

She has seen his eyes before, and it's a look she hoped she didn't see on anyone else.

"Hypocrisy, Shinobu, much hypocrisy."

'Speak of the devil…'

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and looked over to the voice that addressed her. Miyamoto Junichiro leaned towards the wall with a bored expression on his face. He lightened up the wisteria incense on his kiseru and started to smoke it.

"Eavesdropping is a very rude thing to do, Onii-sama," Shinobu said in a tense tone. She let out a fake grin to send a subtle message of disapproval.

Not like he was the type to care about the privacy of others. Junichiro raised his eyebrow and looked at her with amusement.

"What? That horny blonde kid was in the same room as Kazuki, he probably heard you, so I don't see the issue of me listening." He said as he let out a small chuckle.

She hummed at his response and silently started to walk away. She didn't want to deal with his nonsense right now. Every time she tried to reprimand him for his foul behavior always led him to let out a snarky response. It was annoying to deal with.

Shinobu stopped in her tracks as she remembered her conversation with Kazuki. From the information she had gathered, the two Miyamoto brothers were close in the past before their separation.

It would only be natural for him to know. It made her drop her upbeat attitude and look at Junichiro with a frown.

"Did you do it?" Shinobu asked, her voice menacingly low. Junichiro's eyes widened at the change of attitude.

"What?"

"Did you seriously, in your right state of mind, teach a child Ice Breathing while knowing full well of the consequences of what would happen?" she asked again.

He dropped the kiseru to the ground and now had his attention fully on the serious Shinobu. His face didn't hold any anger to her for asking such a personal question, but it held the right amount of regret for her to know that he was hiding something.

It was enough to set her off.

"His body wasn't developed enough by that time, what were you thinking?!" she said as she nearly shouted.

Junichiro looked to the side and started to rub his chin. He looked extremely uncomfortable for her making light of this topic, but she didn't care, she only wanted to know what in the world he was thinking at the time.

"Do you really think that I would lead him through the same path I took?" he said, his tone sorrowful.

"After Kanao, yes, I would think that of you." Shinobu retorted. Junichiro shook his head.

"No, Shinobu, it wasn't me."

"So, it was your mother who did it?"

Junichiro tensed his lips and rubbed his hand on his temples.

"Possibly…"

Shinobu tilted her head in response.

"What do you mean by 'possibly'?"

He raised his hand to his head and started to scratch it rapidly like he had a swarm of pieces resting on it.

"Fuck, I don't know, okay?!" he shouted. His breakdown caused his scream to be heard over the Estate. "I don't want to think about it."

It will only be a matter of time before people start to eavesdrop on their conversation now.

Shinobu shook her head disapprovingly and started to walk away. She glanced at Junichiro one last time.

"I don't know what Onee-sama saw in you…" she said in a low, firm tone and walked away. She managed to hear one final sentence from him.

"Yeah, me neither."