Maiden Of The Moon

Maiden of the Moon

What if Kokushibo had a pupil, whom he taught the original Moon Breathing before he deserted the Demon Slayer Corps?

Mochizuki Yua was born only for these reasons: To become a Hashira and make her family a respected one in the Demon Slayer Corps.

But if you only live for the expectations of others, who are YOU truly?

What will it take to find yourself?

A long, hard journey awaits.

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

So I made a pic of the passenger who entered Yua's mind and the rest of the Mochizuki family.

And as little treat how Yua looks in Inosuke’s dream.

I found a Beta-Reader the wonderful JayWalkerReal from Wattpad.

So it can happened that the chapter don’t come all two to three days but a bit later, till she corrects anything-

Hope you understand!

Now on with the Story.

Chapter 14: Beautiful Nightmares

Our four Demon Slayers enter the inside of the train.

Fascinate Yua looks around, as she had said she never had taken a train, so it was an amazing experience.

Inosuke thought the same and showing no manners like always, stormed between seat rows, scarring passengers, so he could look out the window.

“So fast! Hahahaha!”, laughed the wild boy in amazement.

“Sorry! We’re very sorry!”, said Zenitsu to the passengers and grasped Inosuke. “Forget that! Get over here, idiot!”

“So freakin’ fast! Hahahaha!”

“Boarhead, calm down. I know it’s cool, but show some manners!”, hissed Yua, as Zenitsu pulled Inosuke away from the window.

The quartet makes their way towards Rengoku.

“He’s a Hashira, right? This Rengoku person…”, ask Zenitsu Tanjiro. “Are you sure you’ll recognize his face?”

“Sure. He had this gaudy hairstyle, and I remember his scent, too.”

“That’s good to know, Tanjiro. My Aura-Sensing is useless if I don’t know what I’m looking for.”, tells Yua. “But in the next wagon is someone with a fiery Aura.”

“That could be him. I think I’ll know it’s him once we get close.”

Tanjiro prepares to open the door to the next train car. He only can open it to a slit, when all of sudden a loud shout of Delicious rattles even the windows!

This quiet shocks the four Demon Slayers.

Who has so much power in their lungs?!

They enter the train car, hearing someone shout Delicious over and over again. Yua feels a warm and fiery Aura coming from this person.

They stand now behind a young male with blond hair and red strikes in it, eating Bento’s to his heart contentment.

“Delicious!!”, again he shouts and it looks like all the Bento Boxes fly into the air!

Yua was disbelieving, (was that the Hashira?!), as was Tanjiro, while Zenitsu hides behind them and Inosuke looks curious.

“Is that the Flame Hashira guy?”, whisper-shouts Zenitsu. “Not just some random glutton?”

“The aura is in any case fiery and warm like a flame.”, answers Yua, watching in bizarre fascination how the Flame Hashira eat and shouts with any bite Delicious.

He is like a shouty black hole. She never met someone who could eat that fast and with enthusiasm.

Tanjiro tells them that this is the Flame Hashira they searched for. He tries to talk to Rengoku, but he just eats and shouts to his heart contentment.

“Uh, we really get that part already…”

“The people in Kyoto get this part, what a shout...”, mumbles Yua with crossed arms.

Two nice attendants prepare to discard a tall stack of Rengoku’s empty bento boxes, as the overhead light flickers.

“And you’re the kid from that day at the Master’s.”, say’s He finally something different and stopped eating.

Yua wasn’t sure he could.

“Yes. I’m Kamado Tanjiro.”, answers her boyfriend. ”And they are my fellow Demon Slayers, Mochizuki Yua, Agatsuma Zenitsu and Hashibira Inosuke .”

Zenitsu and Yua bow in greeting, while Inosuke just puts his hand on his hips and lets out a loud huff from his mask.

“It’s an honour to meet you, Rengoku-Sama.”, greets Yua. “Kocho-Sama only had good things to say about you.”

That her fellow Hashira was a shouty glutton she had left out.

“Now none of that young Mochizuki, we are all comrades here. Rengoku is fine.”

In agreement, Yua nods.

Then Rengoku turns back to Tanjiro.

“And inside that box there…”

“Yes. It’s my sister Nezuko.”

“Right! That demon we saw that day, huh? Since the Master has acknowledged her, I won’t say any word for now.”

The Flame Hashira pats the seat beside him.

“Have a seat here.”

So they all settle down.

Tanjiro beside Rengoku, Yua with Nezoko’s Box in the seat in front of them and Inosuke and Zenitsu settle for a seat nearby.

The wild boy is so amazed by the train that he pounds the windows, shouting how fast the lord is. Thankful Zenitsu grasps him and makes him sit down again.

“What are you four doing here? A mission?”, ask Rengoku Tanjiro and Yua, while facing forward with crossed arms.

Yua raises an eyebrow. Why isn’t the Hashira facing her or Tanjiro?

Anyway, she answers him. “My crow Kaguya gave us orders. “The casualties of the Mugen Train are increasing. Join Rengoku on site,” she said. And here we are.”

“Yes! I see now! Understood!”

He still wasn’t looking at them.

“Right.”, says Tanjiro. “Also, there’s one more thing. There’s something I wanted to ask you, Rengoku.”

In bizarre fascination, Yua watches how Tanjiro tries to get more information on the Hinokami Kagura Dance from Rengoku. They both take turns in talking so it’s like she is watching a Tennis Match.

In the end, the FLame Hashira has no idea about the Hinokami Kagura Dance.

What a bummer.

“Um, can you try to help me a little more?!”, begs him Tanjiro.

“Why aren’t you looking him in the eyes?!”, adds Yua curious. “My Kaa-Chan always said that’s super rude.”

“You should become my Tsugukos, my apprentices! I’ll look after you both!”

“Hold on a second! And just what are you looking at?!”, shouts the couple together in disbelieve.

What was going on?!

“Flame Breathing has a long history.”, begin Rengoku with a little history lesson. “In any given era, there’s always been a Flame and Water swordsman among the Hashira. Flame… Water… Wind… Stone… Thunder…Moon...Those are the fundamental breathing techniques, even if we only had one Moon Hashira till now. The other techniques were created as offshoots of those six. Mist is a fork of wind. Young Mizoguchi and Young Mochizuki! What color are your katana’s?”

“Huh?! My name is Kamado. And the colour is black.”

“Mine is white.”

“Ah, white, the Mist Hashira Katana is white too and Noritaka’s also. He is your uncle, right Young Mochizuki?”

“Erm, yes.”

“That means you have a calm and distant personality, fitting for someone who practices Moon-Breathing.”

“Erm, thank you?”

The midnight blue-haired girl wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“A black sword, huh?”, Rengoku turned to Tanjiro. “Well, isn’t that unfortunate? Hahahaha!”

“For real?”, asked Tanjiro in disbelief.

“I’ve never known a swordsman with a black sword that became a Hashira. On top of that, I hear that they have no clue which style to master. Come to me, and I’ll train you! You can rest easy now! You also Mochizuki, you will be the second Moon Hashira we have in the corps.”

“No… No, thank you! And just what are you looking at?!”, chorus Tanjiro and Yua.

Silence falls over them and Yua takes the chance to do a good Aura-Sensing of the Flame Hashira.

Yes, indeed, like she had noted before fiery and warm. Also caring and just. He really cared for her and Tanjiro and wanted to help them.

Yua decides, that Rengoku might be a bit weird, but his Aura shows clearly a good heart and soul.

Meanwhile, Inosuke tries to jump out the window to try to race the train (Idiot!) and Zenitsu tries his best to not let him jump out.

“That’s dangerous.”, warns Rengoku. “You never know when a demon might appear.”

And that was the thing Zenitsu didn’t want to hear. He thought they were travelling to the demon and not that the demon was in the train as Rengoku explains.

Of course, the blond freaks out and wants to get off.

“If you wanna jump out a driving train be my guest.”, deadpanned Yua with crossed arms. “But I don’t think you would survive it Agatsuma.”

The scarred boy only shakes and whines more in fright.

Tanjiro sends his girlfriend a look and she shrugs her shoulders.

She was just telling the truth.

Yes, but you could say it nicer, it’s clearly written in Tanjiro's face.

A train crewman enters the train car and begins walking along the aisle

“May I… see your… tickets, please?”

“What’s he doing?”, wonders Tanjiro

“The conductor is going to check your ticket and punch a hole in it.”, explains Rengoku.

The conductor punched a hole in each ticket of the Hashira and the four Demon Slayers.

When he is done with Yua, the light flickers again.

Suddenly Yua feels how her Aura-Sensing goes crazy, but before she can check what caused this all turn dark around her...

***

She is underwater.

She is drowning.

Deeper and deeper.

There was something.

Something important!

Yua tries to swim, but her arms haven’t the strength.

She sinks deeper...

***

Yua is leaning on the Nezuko box. Tanjiro leans on Rengoku and Inosuke is drapped over Zenitsu.

All of them are sleeping.

None of them knows in which danger they are now.

***

Something is tickling Yua's nose.

With a little sneeze, she wakes up and looks around.

Huh?

The sun is shining warm down on her as she lays in her family garden.

“Strange...”, she mumbles. “Wasn’t it night? Wasn’t I somewhere else?”

Confused she scratches her head. There she notes how utterly long her hair is, even her bangs now reach her hips?!

What the...?

Why did she let her hair grow this much?

It will be a huge hassle in a fight with a Demon.

“Blossom.”, calls a sweet voice for her.

Immediately tears spring into her eyes and she stands up.

No.

It can’t be.

She hadn’t heard this beloved voice since she was 14 years old.

But...but there she is.

Wavy light pink hair.

Big red eyes.

A soft lovely smile on her hips.

Wearing her favourite cherry blossom Kimono.

In her hands a little tablet with a cup of tea probably.

It’s her mother!

But mother...but mother...wasn’t she...?!

“Blossom?”, calls again Kaa-Chan worried. “Is something wrong?”

With a shout, that resembles more of a wounded animal, Yua races up to her mother and hugs her tight. The tablet with the tea fell down on the ground.

“Mama! Mama! You are here!”, cries Yua, gripping her mother so tight, scarred she would leave her. Her tears wet the kimono of her mother.

“My sweet blossom, where else would I be?”, coos Mama, hugging her back and kissing her forehead. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“Yes this must be it.”, agrees Yua, still hugging and getting hugged by her mother. “Just a long bad dream...”

***

In the real world on the Mugen Train, Yua sheds tears.

She isn’t the only one.

Tanjiro dreams of his dead family and cries about being reunited with them.

Rengoku dreams of his family, especially his beloved brother.

Zenitsu dreams of his beloved Nezuko.

Inosuke has a wild adventure with a bunny Nezuko, a deer Yua, a raccoon dog Tanjiro and a rat Zenitsu.

They don’t know and feel the five people who bind themselves to each of them with a robe so they can enter their dreams.

And kill them from within!

***

All is so perfect, Yua can’t believe it.

Grandma Junko is fine! She didn’t die when she was a little girl and is now clan head.

It was her grandfather who had died.

Good riddance.

Under Grandma Junko's lead, the Mochizuki have abandoned the Demon Slayer Corps forever and are now just a big happy family.

Everyone living their dream job.

Aunt Chiyako has opened up a dress shop in the nearest city, selling beautiful Kimono.

Uncle Hansuke helps out his wife in the shop and works as a merchant.

Cousin Taiga, the oldest, who Yua had thought die, facing a Demon, is working as a wood carver. He always liked to make them little figures out of wood, she is happy her older cousin could make out of his passion a job he liked.

Cousin Daku goes to school and it seems like he will go to the university in Tokyo! Studying Physic he likes so much.

Cousin Kaito is enjoying for now kindergarten, but he likes to build houses with his wood blocks. Maybe he will be an architect?@

Her father Haruto has opened up a bookshop, sharing his passion for books with everyone.

Her mother and she help him out with it.

Yua isn’t sure if she wants to continue her father's work, but she enjoys the tranquillity of the job.

Uncle Keitaro became a fisherman, turning his hobby into his job. He isn’t often at home, but he lives his dream.

His wife Aunt Miwa decided to stay home and raise the kids.

Sayako, her beloved pain in the butt of a cousin, has an apprenticeship with the local pharmacy and is on the best way to take it over.

Hikari enjoys also kindergarten. The youngest is still too little to have a future job in mind besides becoming a princess.

And then...there is Uncle Noritaka.

Yua grins at her favourite uncle as he cleans his face from the theatre makeup from his last show.

His uncle always wanted to be an actor.

And he was it now.

“Peach, you seem so happy, it gives me the creeps.”, jokes Noritaka, ruffling her long hair.

“I’m just so happy...we all are free from the curse of the Moon Breathing. It’s amazing!”, she chirps and hugs her uncle.

“Yeah, maybe we are egoists, but our family has done enough for the Demon Slayer Corps. They can do just fine without the cursed Moon-Breathing.”, he agrees and hugs her back.

“My bitch.”, calls Sayako for her. Her cousin enters Uncle Noritaka's bedroom with a shit-eating grin. “Your little coal lover boy is here.”

For a second Yua doesn’t get what Sayako means-

***

She opens her eyes.

She is underwater again.

Something is wrong!

Something is wrong!

She needs to get out of the water!

It only drags her down more...

***

-Till she remembers again.

Oh right, her love Tanjiro.

Tanjiro and his family moved two years ago and started to sell coal around the city and to them.

They had become friends and now after years of pinning a couple.

“Thanks, you slut!”, she gives Sayako a kiss and runs out of the house.

There is Tanjiro waiting for her with Nezuko on his side, enjoying the warm sun.

...Something is not right.

Something tells her Nezuko shouldn’t be out of the sun.

Then her future sister-in-law smiles at her and she forgets the thought.

“Yua-Nee, nice seeing you.”

Both girls hug each other before Yua kisses Tanjiro's cheek and the couple embrace.

“Hello, love.”

“Hello, darling.”

“Okay, I will let you be happy for half an hour and then we need to get going alright, Nii-San.”

“Thanks, Nezuko.”, the couple chores and doesn’t even look how the other Kamado enters the Mochizuki Mansion.

They both are more invested in each other.

Their lips met a tender and passionate kiss.

***

Yume herself wouldn’t say she is bad.

Yes her actions are bad.

However, she isn’t bad.

Born from a prostitute mother, who stayed pregnant with her, a child with natural blond hair, she hadn’t had an easy life.

Her mother was abusive.

She saw in her the foreigner she had made Yuma with.

The foreigner who had promised her to take her away to the far land of England to marry and raise their child together.

All men were the same.

Only promise and nothing following up.

Yume had experienced the same.

Thanks to her exotic looks the boys swarmed her.

And she listened to their promises.

Opened her legs.

She had her first child at 13.

Thankful it was a stillbirth.

Or her mother would have killed her to bring another mouth to feed at home.

Then she ran away because she couldn’t take any more of the hate of her mother and did the same job as her.

Used, used and used.

The blond was only a thing to play for people.

Then a client gave her Syphilis.

And her life would have been over, hadn’t she heard about the Mugen Train.

She didn’t have the money for the cure, so dying in a beautiful dream sounded way better.

That’s why she helped the demon.

The blond-haired woman watched emotionless behind a tree how the female Demon Slayer dreamed about being together with the red-haired Demon Slayer.

All been cutesy and coupley together.

Something she never had the luck to experience.

It disgusted her.

Silently she turned around and searched for the border of the dream and the subconscious. She found it at the edge of the little Wisteria Forest.

With an ice pick, she destroyed the border and entered the subconscious.

In it, all air left her lungs.

What kind of subconscious was that?

The floor was silver with graters, and over her a bright night sky with a million stars, the sun shining warm down on her.

Yuma walked around.

Where was the spiritual core? Only if she destroyed it, the demon slayer girl would die and she would get her dream from the demon.

This landscape was so alien, yet so incredibly beautiful.

“I’m...on the moon?”, asked Yume herself.

It made sense somehow.

She seemed to walk for ages.

A never-ending silver landscape, only the sun taking vigil over her.

Then she found it finally.

The spiritual core.

It was all silver and white, reminding her of a pearl.

“Beautiful.”, she gasped. “A shame I have to destroy it.”

She raises the Ice Pick ready to stab it!-

***

Yua is floating down in the water, till all of sudden her Aura Sensing goes crazy.

She opens her eyes and screams!

The water vanishes.

***

The intruder in Yua's subconscious never gets to change to stab the spiritual core, since the floor breaks under her and she falls screaming into the darkness.

***

With a jerk, Yua wakes up.

Huffing she blinks frantically with her eyes.

She is back on the Mugen Train.

What the heck had this all been?

“Yua!”

“Mmh!”

The girl looks up and sees Tanjiro and Nezuko awake. Rengoku is in the background, still sleeping, choking some random girl, while Zenitsu and Inosuke sleep too.

“Tanjiro! Nezuko!”

She rises from her seat and hugs her boyfriend and her future sister-in-law. They hug her back just as tight.

“What is going on?”, ask Yua them.

Her boyfriend explains how they got pulled into a Blood Demon Art thanks to the train tickets. Then the people who hang them with robes have also a demon smell on them. They surely were sent into their dreams to harm them in a way.

Nezuko burns Yua's robes and then after Tanjiro asks her she burns the others because Yua notes that it would surely be a bad idea to just cut the robes.

They had a very strange aura around them.

So the two awake Demon Slayers try to wake up their sleeping comrades.

Tanjiro tries to shake Zenitsu awake, while Yua just slaps Inosuke. Hard.

“Okay, not even my bitch-slap helps.”, notes Yua dry.

What should they do?

What could they do? 

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Found a Beta Reader!

Beta-Reader Wanted!

Hi, my loves!

You probably read my Self-Doubt entrance.

A nice person comforted me and gave me a tip, which may help to make my writing better.

Since I have no friends and my real-life friends aren't in fandoms, I'm announcing here the search for a Beta-Reader!

If you are interested, send me a message!

If you can't please reblog this entrance till I find one!

Have a nice day/night!

UPDATE!

I want to add that I need a Beta-Reader who is only often so we can talk and it would be great if you have Discord.

That's all my loves!

Maiden of the Moon

What if Kokushibo had a pupil, whom he taught the original Moon Breathing before he deserted the Demon Slayer Corps?

Mochizuki Yua was born only for these reasons: To become a Hashira and make her family a respected one in the Demon Slayer Corps.

But if you only live for the expectations of others, who are YOU truly?

What will it take to find yourself?

A long, hard journey awaits.

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

I made two drawings with bases for this chapter so check out my DeviantArt.

Chapter 9: Rehabilitation

“I swerve Nezuko, if it wasn’t for you brother, I would have suffocate Agatsuma in his sleep.”, complained Yua to the demon girl.

They were in Nezuko's dark room in the Butterfly Mansion, sitting on the bed and like any day, since the Wisteria Mansion, the older girl combed the younger ones' hair.

Normally Yua would sing and Nezuko humm along, but today the Mochizuki needed to complain.

They were now a week in the Mansion, getting cures and rest from their fights at Mt. Natagumo.

Only Yua was ready to commit murder.

Zenitsu hated to take his medicine and any day (Any Day!) he whined about it like a little pussy.

That’s why Yua had decided when it was time for their medication to take refuge in Nezuko's room.

One of the little girls would come to pick her up when it was her turn for the medication, so she enjoyed the tranquillity of Nezuko's room.

Nezuko cooed and patted her head.

Yua sighed heavily and leaned her head back against the wall.

"I just can't take it anymore," she muttered. "Zenitsu's constant whining is driving me insane."

The Demon Girl continued her head pats, offering silent support.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down Yua continued: "I know he's scared and in pain, but so are we all. He needs to woman-up and deal with it like the rest of us!"

Nezuko nodded in agreement, understanding the frustration that Yua was feeling.

They both knew that they had to stay strong for each other, yet it was becoming increasingly difficult with Zenitsu's constant complaints.

Yua closed her eyes and took another deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

She knew that she couldn't let her anger get the best of her, especially if she wanted one day to be a respected Hashira.

Hashira stayed calm in all situations.

Sadly Yua had anger issues and she knows this.

Just...she was constantly pissed at anything!

It didn’t help having a whiny crybaby around you when you were like this.

Yua knew she needed to work on her patience and anger management, however it was difficult when Zenitsu was constantly pushing her buttons.

She couldn't wait until they were all healed and back to their Demon Slayer duties, away from the confines of the Butterfly Mansion.

But for now, she would continue to seek solace in Nezuko's room and try her best to keep her frustrations in check.

Nezuko continued to pat Yua's head, offering comfort without words.

Together, they would get through this trying time and come out stronger on the other side.

Hopefully.

Or Yua would suffocate Zenitsu really and Tanjiro wouldn’t stop her!

One way to end her Demon Slayer career and mayor disappointing her grandfather.

This would top Uncle Noritaka’s vanishment from one day to another surely!

At least she would never have to see grandfather’s face again. She would only miss her father and the rest of her family.

And Nezuko.

And, alright, Tanjiro.

Even Inosuke.

Oh well.

There was a knock on the door, so Yua called the person in.

It was a little girl, wearing a white dress, with a orange sash, black eyes and black hair in a ponytail with an orange butterfly clip.

This was little Tanaka Ema, one of the four little girls who lived in the Butterfly Mansion and worked as assistants.

“Hello Ema-Chan, time for my medicine?”, greeted her Yua, while Nezuko waved at the girl.

Ema had a glass in one hand and with the other waved back at Nezuko.

“You got it Yua-Nee.”, she handed it over and Yua took her medication without hesitation. “Yua-Nee, Shinobu-Sama is in your room with the boys. She wants to talk to you and them.”

“Alright, thanks for telling me, Ema-Chan.”

With a sign, Yua stood up from the bed and gave Nezuko as goodbye a forehead kiss. This made the demon girl purr happily.

Taking Ema's little hand, they walked together to the patient room.

As the little girl had said, there was the Insect Hashira in the room.

Did Yua want to know why Zenitsu hid behind Tanjiro?

No probably not.

“Kocho-Sama.”, Yua called out and made a bow. “Ema-Chan said you wanted to talk to us.”

Shinobu turned with a smile to her. “Ah good, Yua-Chan. I already asked Tanjiro-Kun and Inosuke-Kun. Do you think you are ready for rehabilitation training?”

Fucking finally!

Yua bowed again.

“Of course, Kocho-Sama. I can’t wait for it.”

***

Two weeks later!

“Yua-Senpai, Tanjiro and Inosuke were taken away by the Hashira, Lady Kochou, and started something called “Rehabilitation Training”., thought Zenitsu aloud with Chuntaro, his sparrow, sitting on his head in the patient room, waiting for his friends came back from it. “Lady Shinobu’s voice is totally unique. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like it. It lacks regularity, and it scares me a little. But when she was treating the people who got turned into spiders, she sure seemed like a goddess. No wonder everyone ran to Lady Shinobu in tears. Not only that, but she’s unbelievably cute! I bet she could make a living on her looks alone. So, this cute lady has taken Yua-Senpai Tanjiro and Inosuke to Rehabilitation Training to rebuild their stamina. And any minute now…”

The door of the patient's room opens.

First steps in Yua who has her hair in two buns and looks really tired, but in contrast to the half-death Tanjiro and Inosuke, you could call her energetic and lively.

“...they’ll be back in this kind of state.”

“Welcome back, Yua-Senpai, Tanjiro, Inosuke!”, greets them Zenitsu.

The only girl gives him a thumbs up before she falls on her bed and falls asleep the second her head hits the pillow.

Her loud unladylike snores accompanied the hobbling to their beds Tanjiro and Inosuke.

“How did it go today?”, asked Zenitsu as the two other boys climbed into their beds. “What happened? What’s the matter? Hey…”

“Sorry.”, crooked Tanjiro out.

“Don’t mind us.”, groans Inosuke.

“You gotta tell me about it! I’ll be joining you a little late starting tomorrow!”, screamed Zenitsu nearly pissing his bed.

As an answer, Yua just snored louder.

The next day, after a good night's sleep, Yua was ready to tackle rehabilitation training.

Again.

She was the only one in their group who acted normal.

Tanjiro and Inosuke resembled the walking death, while Zenitsu held tight to Tanjiro's shirt and mumbled how scared he was.

She would be lying if she didn’t hope that rehabilitation training would reduce Zenitsu to a pathetic heap of humans.

He deserved it for being such a constant headache in her life.

If she couldn’t kill him, at least give her the satisfaction to see this.

They reached the room that was designated for the rehabilitation training.

Aoi was already waiting for them, as were the four little girls beside four futons and Kanao sitting on a little table.

Our four Demon Slayers sat down before Aoi in seiza, awaiting instructions.

“All right, since you’ll be joining us from today, Zenitsu, I’ll explain the process again now.”, began Aoi. “You’ll start over there.”

She pointed at the little girls beside the futons, explaining after having been bedridden for so long those girls would make their bodies limber again.

They demonstrated it on Inosuke, pulling his legs and arms, till he cried and landed in a heap on the floor.

Next up was reflex training with Kanao. Tanjiro was the victim. Practically before them on the table were cups containing medicated water. The objective was to throw that medicated water onto each other, but if your opponent blocks your cup before you can pick it up, you can’t move that cup.

Needless to say, Tanjiro had no chance against Kanao and was wet from head to toe after this demonstration.

“Last up, full-body training.”, said Aoi with Kanao on her side now. “In simpler terms, you’ll be playing tag. You’ll be up against myself, Aoi, and Kanao over there.”

“Excuse me. May I ask you something?”. asked Zenitsu in an eerie voice.

Yua raised an eyebrow at him. What was up now?

“Hm? Is there something that’s not clear to you?”, asked Aoi back.

Zenitsu gets up and walks toward the door.

Okay...?

“No, it’s just… Come on,Tanjiro and Inosuke.”

While Yua frowns at this, wondering what is going on in Zenitsu's head, both other males don’t move which angers the blond-haired one.

All girls, even Yua, wince at Zenitsu's screams and how he drags his two friends outside under shouts.

The girls can hear loud and clear what Zenitsu's problem is.

He is angry at Tanjiro and Inosuke for making him believe rehabilitation training was hell, when, in his eyes, it’s paradise, being around girls and touching and getting touched by them.

Aoi left eye twitched, the little girls all frowned, Kanao is blank-faced and Yua just crosses her arms and tells them: “I should have cut off his dick when I had the chance!”

Soon the boys returned.

Zenitsu, like the horny idiot he is, giggles and lets himself be stretched by the four little girls like it’s nothing.

He seems in heaven!

Yua makes a face, even though she who is naturally more flexible than her male friends, has to stop herself from crying out in pain when she does it.

“That guy has what it takes.”, grumbles Inosuke angry. “ I’m always fighting back tears from the pain, but he’s laughing.”

“That’s what happens when you are a horny horndog, I bet he is a closet masochist.”, tells Yua her own theory, of why Zenitsu can handle the stretching.

Tanjiro makes just a confused loud.

Next up is reflex training with Aoi for Zenitsu.

The pig-tailed girl reaches for a cup, but Zenitsu covers her hand and prepares to throw a cup of water on her. He doesn’t throw it and squeezes her hand.

“I would never splash tea on a girl.”, he has the gall to say and are these sparkles around him?

Not only does Aoi make a disgusted face, but Yua isn’t far behind.

“Horny bastard!”, the midnight blue-haired girl mumbles.

After that, it’s time for full body training aka. playing Tag.

Again it’s Aoi against Zenitsu and he flashes fast around the room before he leaps at her and grabs around her chest.

“I win!”

For that, he gets smacked around by Aoi. Yua can’t help but cackle, serves him right!

“I won the battle but lost the war!”, proclaims Zenitsu with bruises and wounds all over his face.

Again Yua makes a face. He is probably really a masochist if even Aoi hits don’t humble him!

Next up is Inosuke against Aoi. Since he doesn’t want to "lose" against Zenitsu he managed to beat Aoi anytime in anything.

“Boarhead, can you not be more gentle!”, scolds Yua.

They have two extremes here. Zenitsu, who thinks of himself as kamis gift to women, and Inosuke, who doesn’t even care for gender.

Normally Yua prefers not caring for the gender, however, she likes the girls in the Butterfly Mansion and doesn’t like seeing them be treated this way.

Anyway, now it’s her turn.

She endures the stretching, can splash Aoi without problems and catches her fast.

“Good Yua-San, you are healing nicely.”, praises Aoi.

In turn, Yua just bows and thanks them for their help.

Then it’s Tanjiro's turn. Against Aoi, he doesn’t have a problem too, but then it’s time.

It’s time they face all off against Kanao.

The boys are absolute disasters and can’t beat her at anything.

It’s only Yua who seems to be getting closer to beating Kanao.

When they have the reflex training Yua nearly throws the medication in her face, but Kanao is still faster. Then when they play catch, Yua streaks her white cloak.

The seventeen-year-old girl chases Kanao all over the room, always barely touching the Tsuguko of the Insect Hashira.

Our male Demon Slayer watches her in awe.

“Yua-Senpai is something else.”, gushes Zenitsu with heart eyes. “She is so fast and elegant in her movements!”

“She still can’t beat coat girl.”, points Inosuke out, even if he has to admit that she does way better than any of them.

“She is a Kinoto and for four years a Demon Slayer. It would have surprised me if she wasn’t better than us at this.”, reminds Tanjiro, transfixed looking at how Yua gets closer and closer to catching Kanao.

He knows that Moonlight Beauty was a nickname made to mock her, however, the older girl really is as beautiful as the moon. If he could, Tanjiro would look into her otherworldly grey eyes for hours and stroke this pretty midnight blue hair to his heart contentment.

Hearing his own thoughts makes him blush and try to push them away.

He knows he has a little crush on her.

How could he not, when he could smell how kind and good she was? Only hiding behind this mask of roughness and toughness, to not show how desperate and lost she truly was.

She sang with an angelic voice, cared for Nezuko like she was her own sister and was gentle to the younger ones.

Even to him and the boys, she was caring in her own way. Okay, she really had it out for Zenitsu, but he could understand her point.

Zenitsu was a shameless skirt chaser, even if he was a good soul.

However, he knew that he couldn’t let his crush grow. He had smelled on Yua how she had freaked out as he had admitted the last time they talked alone that if it was her it wasn’t for him hard work to help her to find herself.

It would only break his heart.

So he would be happy with her friendship.

***

“Bunch of little pussies!”, cursed Yua, with crossed arms as she made her way back to their room with Tanjiro after another day of hard rehabilitation training.

“Yua-Senpai, I know you are angry at Inosuke and Zenitsu, I don’t like it either that they don’t come anymore to the rehabilitation training.”, agreed Tanjiro with her at that point. “But cursing them out like that, it’s not very nice.”

Yua snorted and fixed one of her buns.

“Look at all the fucks I give, Kamado. Look at them! There are none! You know what pissed me off? Not that they don’t come, that they are demotivated that they can’t beat a girl! This is sexism plain in simple. If Kanao-San would be a man, I bet with you they still would turn up.”

“You really think so?”

“Their Aura’s tell me this!”, she told him and turned to the younger male with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t smell it on them?”

“I don’t think I would know what sexism is supposed to smell like.”, he answered sheepishly.

Yua shook her head in disbelief.

"It's not about the smell, Tanjiro. It's about their attitudes towards women. They think they're better than us just because they're men." She let out a frustrated sigh. "But you know what? I don't care anymore. Let them be weak and pathetic. I'll continue to work hard and become stronger than any of them."

Tanjiro nodded in agreement, understanding Yua's determination and drive to succeed. He admired her strength and resilience, even when faced with adversity.

“Master Tanjiro, Lady Yua?”, called suddenly Sumi for them.

The two Demon Slayers found the four little Butterfly Mansion girls behind.

“What’s up, sweetie? Is something wrong?”, asked Yua for them.

The quartet played shyly with their hands, till Sumi and Ema held a towel each.

“Here’s a towel for you.”, the two chorused together.

Yua and Tanjiro thanked them, which made all four girls happy smile, and wiped the seat of the day away from their faces.

“Um, Master Tanjiro, do you maintain the Total Concentration Breathing state around the clock?”, was little Kiyo curious.

Confused Tanjiro looked at her, while Yua put a pointer finger on her lips.

“Huh, I never asked him that, good point.”

“No, I don’t. I’ve never done that.”, he answered Kiyo and turned then to Yua.

“Is that even possible?”

The Kinoto nodded.

“I’m using it currently, all day, all night, all around the clock.”, she told him with a little smile.

That shocked Tanjiro.

“WHAT?! Even just using that technique for a short time really takes its toll on me?! And now you tell me you use it all the time Yua-Senpai?!”

Then something which had him wondering made sense to him.

“Is that why you could bet Kanao-San today after only five days of rehabilitation training it?!”

“Uhm, yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner this?!”

“It never came up.”, shrugged Yua nonchalantly, as Tanjiro's soul left his body.

He was in utter disbelief.

“All of the Hashiras, Miss Kanao and old Demon Slayer families like the Mochizuki can do it!”, pipped Sumi up.

“Please work hard at it!”, pleaded the four little girls together.

“I think we broke him girls.”, guessed Yua and fawned at Tanjiro with her towel. “That was too much for him.”

This made the four little girls giggle cutely. The sound of it made Tanjiro come back to himself.

“Alright. Thanks! I’ll give it a try!”

The next day, Zenitsu and Inosuke refused rehabilitation training again, in turn, Yua called them sexist pigs as she walked out the door with Tanjiro to go there.

After they finished, they both walked out to the courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion

Yua stood before Tanjiro with her hands on her hips as he looked at her determined.

“Alright, since you have asked nicely, I will teach you how to use the perpetuate Total Concretion Breathing.”

The red-haired boy bowed before his Senpai.

“I’m really thankful Yua-Senpai!”

“Don’t mention it. Also, first, show me how long you can do Total Concretion. I need to see what I’m working with.”

Tanjiro nodded and did as told.

While he did it, Yua counted the seconds. He was going good for five minutes, then it started to go all downhill from here.

The boy had the feeling his lungs would explode and collapse. Thankful Yua caught him before he could kiss dirt.

“Okay, I will be honest, that was really weak. Even my little cousin Hikari can do it for 10 minutes without problems and she is four!”

From Tanjiro came only a pathetic sound as he lay there in her embrace, his head cushioned by her soft breasts.

If he could, he would blush, but he was too out of it.

The midnight blue-haired girl shook her head and patted his head awkwardly.

“There, there. I will get you there.”

Unknown to them the four little girls, Kiyo, Naho, Sumi and Ema, were watching them.

“It’s so cute that Master Tanjiro is shorter than Lady Yua.”, whispers Sumi.

“He looks like a baby, adorable!”, agreed Naho.

“They two look good together.”, told them Kiyo.

“They look like two pieces of a puzzle!”, gushed Ema. “Like Yin and Yang in person.”

“We need to get them together!”, all four of them agreed.

The little matchmakers decide to bring their new favourite couple-to-be some food and snacks since they worked so hard any day.

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Maiden of the Moon

What if Kokushibo had a pupil, whom he taught the original Moon Breathing before he deserted the Demon Slayer Corps?

Mochizuki Yua was born only for these reasons: To become a Hashira and make her family a respected one in the Demon Slayer Corps.

But if you only live for the expectations of others, who are YOU truly?

What will it take to find yourself?

A long, hard journey awaits.

!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

After a long while I had the urge to update this little FF. 

That’s me.

Writing, stopping for a few months and then going back to writing. XD

The song today Yua sings is I’m on My Way by Phil Collins from the fantastic movie Brother Bear.

Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Mt. Natagumo

Time flows fast and Yua and her three idiotic comrades and wonderful Nezuko have been staying at the Wisteria House for a good six weeks.

Today the doctor declared them finally being healed.

The day started well.

It even got better as Kaguya and Tanjiro’s crow, Matsuemon, brought them new orders.

Their little group shall go North-northeast to Mt. Natagumo.

Finally, Yua could work on her goal of becoming a Hashira. She was starting to get crazy doing nothing but healing in the Wisteria House.

On one hand, she should really first go home and check on her family, yet the disapproving look and the lecture her grandfather would give her, how she managed for six weeks to do nothing and not at least raise a few ranks stopped her from doing so.

She would go back home when she at least levelled up a good three ranks.

Was she a coward?

Yes, she was.

The midnight blue-haired beauty was not ashamed to admit that.

She would rather fist-fight a demon than be criticized by her grandfather. That man could make you feel so bad about yourself, it should be a torture method.

Or better not.

Anyway, our group of four Demon Slayers stood ready before the door of the Wisteria House, Hisa was with them, seeing them off.

Today, Yua had decided to wear her long hair in two long pigtails. As she fixed one, Tanjiro, undoubtedly the one with the best manners, bowed before Hisa.

“We’re heading out now. Thank you for everything.”

The old kind lady smiled and had a stone and grinder in her hands.

Oh how nice of her!

“Now then, for good luck.”, said Hisa.

“Thank you so much!”

Yua, Tanjiro and Zenitsu turn their back to Hisa, as she strikes the stone against the grinder a couple of times, little sparks flying in the air.

And again it shows that Inosuke really only ever lived on a mountain surrounded by animals since he freaks out seeing that.

Only Yua's fast reflexes stop the boar-headed boy from attacking the old lady. She has him in a headlock, while he shouts: “What do you think you’re doing, old hag?!”

“What are you, a moron?!”, shouts Zenitsu back.

“Is that a rhetoric question, Agatsuma.”, deadpans Yua, gripping Inosuke tighter. “Stop struggling so much, Hashibira!”

The blond-haired boy explains: “She’s striking sparks for good luck! It’s a purification ceremony! Because we’re gonna go on a dangerous mission!”

“So stand down and accept it.”, adds Yua.

Still confused the boar-headed boy does as he was said and Hisa can complete the ritual.

All beside Inosuke bow before her in thanks.

“Always live your lives with great pride. I wish you luck in battle!”

The older girl thanks her in the name of the group and with that the Demon Slayers and one Demon Girl in a box set off.

It’s exactly quiet for five minutes before the wild boy speaks up.

““Great pride”? “Luck in battle”? What does that mean?”

Zenitsu can’t help himself and think what a moron Inosuke is, while Yua fights off the urge to facepalm.

Hard.

Like she said.

Idiots, besides Nezuko.

“Well, yeah, now that you mention it, it’s kind of difficult to explain.”, try however Tanjiro to explain to him. ““With great pride”… I guess it means that you know your place and that you behave properly so that you’re never ashamed of yourself.”

“Huh?”

“And the old lady is also praying for our safety.”

“So what is this “place”? What do you mean, “never ashamed”?”

“Well, it’s…”

“What exactly does it mean to “behave properly”? Why in the hell would that old hag pray for our safety, anyway? She has nothing to do with us, so why?”

“Ahh…”

“She has no clue what her own place is, does she?”

Before someone gets an aneurysm, most likely poor goodhearted Tanjiro, Yua step energetically forward and starts to sing.

“Tell everybody I'm on my way

New friends and new places to see

With blue skies ahead yes

I'm on my way

And there's nowhere else

that I'd rather be!”

This earned her a confused huh from Inosuke, Zenitsu fangirling and Tanjiro bilking at her surprised.

Neither one of them ever heard this type of song.

After six weeks they were used to the beautiful songs Yua sang, but they were more from their folklore, besides the one she called Gurenge and didn’t tell them who had taught her that.

“Tell everybody I'm on my way

And I'm loving every step I take

With the sun beating down yes

I'm on my way

And I can't keep this smile off my face!”

Also, she only sang in the morning, while she combed Nezuko's hair.

Suddenly starting to sing was new.

But not unwelcome.

“'Cause there's nothing like seeing

each other again

No matter what the distance between

And the stories that we tell

will make you smile

Oh, it really lifts my heart!”

All the boys, even Inosuke, loved her singing.

Yua had an amazing voice.

“So tell 'em all I'm on my way

New friends and new places to see

And to sleep under the stars

Who could ask for more

With the moon keeping watch over me!”

As Yua finished singing, the group looked at her in confusion.

She shrugged and said, "It’s a good song while you walk. Your squabbling didn’t really help us."

"Well, THAT was useless.”, snorted Inosuke “We still don't know what that old hag meant."

The midnight blue-haired girl just rolled her eyes.

She had hoped singing her wandering song would also stop this stupid discussion.

Inosuke was trough and trough boar-headed.

"Look, Hashibira, it means that we should be proud of who we are and what we do. We should behave properly and not bring shame to ourselves or our comrades. And Hisa prayed for us because she cares about us and wants us to come back safely."

 Zenitsu nodded in agreement, "Exactly! And we should appreciate her kindness and good wishes."

Inosuke grumbled but seemed to understand a little better now. Or maybe they all hoped it.

Tanjiro smiled at his friends and said, "Let's go then! Mt. Natagumo is waiting for us!"

And with that, the group set off on their next mission with determination and pride in their hearts.

***

In the evening Yua, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke finally arrived at the base of Mt. Natagumo.

The Aura-sensing girl hissed as she felt the vibes of the places.

Yes, demons alright.

And pretty strong ones too.

“Hold up! Would you mind waiting a second?”, screeched Zenitsu from the back of the group.

“Zenitsu? What’s wrong?”, ask Tanjiro worried.

“I’m scared, all right?! Now that we’re nearing our destination, I’m so scared!”

“Here we go again...”, mumbled Yua.

This was the Demon Mansion all over again.

“Why the hell is he sitting?”, pointed Inosuke on the ground cowering Zenitsu. “How creepy is that?”

“Who are you to talk, Pig Face?! Don’t tell me you’re not getting any vibes from that mountain!”

Okay, that was surprising.

“You feel it also Agatsuma? The Aura of this place is full of malice and I bet we will find some strong Demons there.”

Tanjiro and Inosuke turn to the mountain but it’s clear that they sense nothing.

“Still, what good will it do to just sit there?”, wondered Tanjiro.

Yua fixes one of her pigtails.

“That place may be full of malice aura, but I’m not afraid like Agatsuma. We should get going, guys.”

“I told you, he’s creepy.”, reminds Inosuke them.

“I am not in any way creepy! I’m normal! I’m the normal one! You guys are abnormal! Erm...I mean Yua-Senpai is special, not creepy at all she is just erm...”

“Agatsuma nothing you ever will say will get you into my pants.”, deadpans Yua with her hands on her hips.

Suddenly Tanjiro becomes all rigged and turns to the direction of the mountain. His companions look at him confused.

Zenitsu ask him what's wrong and Tanjiro's answer is that there is a smell.

This makes Yua reach out with her Aura Sensing, in the six weeks with the boys and Nezuko she learned, how good Tanjiro could smell and how fine Zenitsu's hearing was.

This means if Tanjiro smells something it must be important.

And she is right with her guess as she feels an Aura full of pain crashing against her senses.

It’s human!

“Follow me, boys!”, she commands and runs towards the direction of the painful Aura.

Tanjiro and Inosuke are right behind her and after a few seconds, Zenitsu joins them.

When they get closer to the mountain, they see a wounded Demon Slayer.

“Ngh… Ugh…Ah… H-Help me.”, cries the wounded boy.

“He’s got our uniform on. He’s a Demon Slayer!”, shouts Tanjiro. “Something must’ve happened!”

Yua can’t help but sass back. “Really? What tipped you off, that he is a bloody mess?”

Nonetheless, Yua, Tanjiro and Inosuke run up to their Demon Slayer comrade, while Zenitsu begs them to wait for him.

Tanjiro is the first by the boy and asks him if he is okay. Again Yua wants to point out what a stupid question this is when suddenly the wounded Demon Slayer rises in the air by fine strings. He shouts for help, but sadly he gets pulled back into the direction of the dense forest of the mountain.

The Hinoto gets a determined look on her face.

“Guys, let’s go!”

“Of course, Yua-Senpai.”, agrees Tanjiro.

“I’ll go on ahead. You can follow me, shivering.”, tells Inosuke. “This is making me hungry.”

Yua snorts.

“Strange time to get hungry, but let’s get moving guys. You listen to my word, since I’m the highest rank here, alright.”

Both boys agree, even if Inosuke grumbles.

The three run into the forest, leaving a scarred and crying Zenitsu behind.

They run up a trail when Inosuke suddenly stops.

“Huh? What the hell is this?”

Tanjiro and Yua stop to see what is with Inosuke.

That’s really strange.

“A spider web?”, wonders Tanjiro for them aloud.

“Jeez, this place is full of spiderwebs! What a pain!”

Again Yua lets her Aura Sensing sweep around to get what is going on, while Tanjiro thanks both her and Inosuke for being here with him since alone he would be afraid.

The girl waves it just away as she pit-points two auras before them.

Two familiar aura.

One is a welcome sight the other not.

“Murata-San, Katsumi.”, she greeted the two scarred Demon Slayers. “What is the situation?”

Murata, the black-haired male, seemed happy to see her, while Katsumi Tomita, the brown-haired one, looked like someone had killed his cat.

“Yua-Senpai! I’m so glad to see you. At least a Minoto! Tell me do you have a Hashira with you?!”, babbled Murata, tears streaming from his eyes.

She couldn’t even answer, before Katsumi hissed: “You want to lay your hope on the Moonlight Beauty, Murata? She and her whole family are cursed! We are totally fucked!”

Lovely, still the nicknaming asshole Yua had the displeasure of ever meeting. She could have gone her whole life without seeing the brown-haired young man ever again.

She grounded her teeth together and tried to talk herself out of it to just kick Katsumi's ass.

“You know Yua-Senpai?”, asked Tanjiro, joining them with Inosuke.

“I have met and killed with Murata-San a few Demons.”, revealed Yua. “Katsumi and I just know each other from one occasion.”

Katsumi scoffed.

“That one occasion was enough. You, Mochizuki’s, only bring bad luck and death with you!”

The midnight blue-haired girl takes a deep breath and tries to remain calm despite Katsumi's insults. She knows that getting angry won't solve anything, and they need to focus on the situation at hand.

"Murata, tell us what happened," she says, turning her attention to the tearful Demon Slayer.

Murata sniffles and wipes his eyes before speaking. "Th-The crow gave us the order! And ten of us Demon Slayers came here. Not long after we entered the mountain, the Slayers…the Slayers started killing each other! Tomita-San and I barely escaped with our lives.”

Yua nods, understanding the gravity of the situation. Behind the killing under the Demon Slayers was surely a Blood Demon Art responsible. What kind of Demon could take nearly over a full group of Slayers was the question?

They needed to go on with caution.

“Who is with you, Moonlight Beauty?”, spat Katsumi, eyeing Tanjiro and Inosuke. “A boy barely weened from his mother and a boy hiding behind a mask?”

Tanjiro and Inosuke both didn’t like how this Katsumi called their Yua-Senpai by the nickname she hated so much. She seemed ready to murder the brown-haired man. Normally she was calm and collected.

There was history between them, so much was clear.

 “I’m Kamada Tanjiro and he is Hashibira Inosuke, rank Mizunoto.”, answered Tanjiro for them.

He didn’t like this hostile attitude towards Yua-Senpai. He hoped he could turn the attention like this to them and away from Yua.

It worked half since Murata yelled: “Mizunoto… Mizunoto?! Why didn’t they send a Hashira with Yua-Senpai?”

“I told you Murata!”, groaned Katsumi. “The Mochizuki bring only bad luck with them. It would have been too much for the Moonlight Beauty to have other Minoto with her or even a higher rank.”

“No matter how many Mizunoto they send, it won’t help! Even with a Minoto now. It’s pointless!”

“It was pointless from the start with the Moonlight Beauty!”

Suddenly Inosuke let out a loud yell and punched Murata and Katsumi in the face.

Yua felt a sick satisfaction seeing Katsumi getting punched, she was only sorry for Murata.

“Inosuke!!”, scolded Tanjiro.

Violence against their brother-in-arms was surely not it, even if a tiny part of him thought Katsumi deserved a punch in the face for being so rude to Yua.

“Shut up!”, hollerd Inosuke. “As far as pointless goes, your existence itself has no point at all!”

“Who the hell is this guy?! Did you forget that Tomita-San and I have seniority?!”

“Of course, the Moonlight Beauty would travel with freaks?!”

“What is your problem with Yua-Senpai!”, now Tanjiro was nearly yelling. “You keep calling her by the nickname she hates and say her whole family is cursed. Why?!”

“Kamado, it’s fine. I don’t give a shit what Katsumi thinks of me or my family.”, tries Yua to calm him down.

Tanjiro's disbelieving look says it all. Of course, he must smell how she is ready to commit murder.

A little evil chuckle leaves Katsumi's lips.

“So you don’t know that the Mochizuki learned the Moon Breathing from a Demon? And not any Demon either. Michikatsu Tsugikuni was a Demon Slayer once and betrayed the whole corps. The first and only one who did this!”

Yua bit her lips and looked down at the ground. Sadly it was true.

“You can’t trust a family who won’t stop using the Breathing Style of a Demon. Their loyalty lies surely with the Demon who taught them!”

The Minoto takes a deep breath and looks up at Katsumi with a cold expression.

"My family's loyalty lies with the Demon Slayer Corps and protecting humanity from Demons," she says firmly. "We may have learned the Moon Breathing from someone who turned Demon, but we also learned how to kill them and protect innocent lives."

Tanjiro nods in agreement, understanding the weight of Yua's words. Inosuke just grunts, still angry at the insults towards his comrades.

"We need to focus on finding the Demon who uses the Blood Demon Art responsible for the killings," Yua continues, trying to steer the conversation back to the mission at hand. "We can't afford to let our personal feelings get in the way."

Murata wipes his tears and nods, grateful for Yua's leadership. Katsumi just rolls his eyes, not convinced by her words.

But he knows deep down that they need to work together if they want to survive this mission.

Suddenly they hear a strange sound. Murata tells the newcomers that it sounded also before the other Demon Slayers started to kill each other.

Immediate Yua sweeps with her Aura-Sensing the clearing they are in.

“They are coming!”, she tells the four boys, reading her Katana. The white blade seems to shimmer under the moonlight. “Get ready!”

A group of Demon Slayers hobbles toward them, ready to attack.

Murata and Katsumi dodged the attacks. The Demon Slayers attack Inosuke and Tanjirou, but they also dodge.

“Haha! These guys are all morons!”, laughs Inosuke. “They don’t know that it’s taboo for us Demon Slayers to fight each other!”

Swift and with grace Yua counters the sword strikes of the two Demon Slayers before her, upper-handing them, taking their Katana’s from them and throwing them far away into the forest.

“They don’t do it of their free will Hashibara.”, yells Yua, locked in a sword fight with a new Demon Slayer. “They are like marionettes, someone forces them to fight!”

“Yua-Senpai is right. Something controls them!”, agrees Tanjiro.

This only makes Inosuke take out his katana, ready to slice up the other Demon Slayers, only Tanjiro and Yua yelling at him that they can’t hurt their follow comareds since some of them are still alive, stop him.

“Do it like me. Upperhand them and throw the Katana far away!”, advised Yua, before she fully concretes on the opponent before her.

Tanjiro slices through the air above a Demon Slayer’s back, severing spider strings. The Demon Slayer falls to the ground motionless.

“Good eye, Kamado!”, praises Yua and cuts the strings on the Demon Slayer before her.

“They’re threads! They’re being manipulated by threads! Slash the threads!”, spells out Tanjiro for the rest of the group.

They continue to fight, cutting threads, till Yua Aura-Sensing tickles her.

She looks down at her arm to find two small spiders crawling over it.

“Spiders?”, she mumbles and then has enlightenment. “They are controlled by these spiders!”

As to prove her point her arms lift themselves from alone, thankful she can cut the threads again.

“Guys, we need to find the Demon fast. The spiders are so tiny and just put the threads we cut back on!”

“So, all we gotta do is kill those damn spiders, huh?”, wonder Inosuke.

It’s Tanjiro who answers him: “That would be impossible! Those spiders are tiny, and I’m sure there are tons of them! We gotta find the demon who’s controlling them!”

“My Aura-Sensing is at its limit I can’t find the Aura of the Demon.”, admins Yua frustrated.

She really needs to train it more! When they get out here alive, she will do so.

“Inosuke, if you have some kind of power that can pinpoint the demon’s location, then help me out!”, turns Tanjiro to him. “This weird smell has been flowing in, and my nose isn’t working great! Ngh… And also, um…”

“It’s Murata!”

“I’m Tomita!”

“Murata! Tomita! Yua-Senpai. We will find a way to deal with the people being controlled! Inosuke, you…”

Exactly at the same moment, Yua feels a terrible Aura. Shivering she looks up.

There on fine spider treads stands a Demon in the form of a young boy with white hair, red markings on his face and a simple white kimono.

“Don’t disturb my family’s peaceful life.”, tells the Demon boy in an eerie voice. “Mother will kill you all right away.”

Inosuke doesn’t seem to care and tries to reach him. It fails spectacularly.

“Damn you!”, curses the masked boy on his back. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?! Fight me! Fight…!”

The Demon boy just walks away.

“Inosuke!”

“Hashibira!”

“Why did he show up, anyway?”, ask Inosuke Tanjiro and Yua.

“That kid probably isn’t the demon pulling the puppet strings!”, tells Tanjiro.

“But we should be careful of the kid, it’s Aura is sicking!”, warns them Yua.

Tanjiro nods.

“Right, so first, let’s…”

“Okay, okay, okay! I hear you, all right?!”, shouts Inosuke. “You want me to find where that demon is at, right? Shut up already, Forehead!”

Inosuke sticks his swords into the ground, kneeling down and putting his arms up and sideways. Yua and Tanjiro protected him from the incoming Demon Slayer puppets.

“Ngh… Beast Breathing, Seventh Form, Special Awareness! Grrr…”

He takes a deep breath, feeling his way through the forest, finding the location of the Spider Demon Mother

“Found it. There you are!”

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Maiden of the Moon

What if Kokushibo had a pupil, whom he taught the original Moon Breathing before he deserted the Demon Slayer Corps?

Mochizuki Yua was born only for these reasons: To become a Hashira and make her family a respected one in the Demon Slayer Corps.

But if you only live for the expectations of others, who are YOU truly?

What will it take to find yourself?

A long, hard journey awaits.

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

I’m in search for a Beta-Reader!

Any volunteers?

Message me!

Chapter 10: Total Concentration Training

With gusto Yua bit into the Onigiri Ema and her little friends had brought her and Tanjiro.

They all sat on the veranda of the Butterfly Mansion, taking a break from the Total Concentration Breathing training for Tanjiro.

Yua was listing how Kiyo was explaining the gourds training Shinobu had Kanao go through to strengthen her lungs.

You could see in Tanjiro's face that he was disbelieving that someone petite like Kanao could make them explode and he nearly fell from the veranda seeing which big gourd Kanao could now make explode.

The midnight blue-haired beauty gulped down her last bit of Onigiri with the Green Tea the girls had made for them.

“You want to have a demonstration?”, asked Yua. “My family uses the same method I can make it explode too.”

“Really Yua-Senpai?!”

“You don’t have to shout in disbelief Kamado.”, deadpanned Yua.

What? Was he more shocked or didn’t he think she could do it?

But what she knew of Tanjiro he was probably only in shock.

“Girls, is it okay, if I take on the big gourd?”, she asked for permission.

All four cute girls nodded with a smile.

So Yua stood up, holding the big gourd and blowing into it.

After a few seconds, it explodes!

Everybody was in awe and Tanjiro, this time, tumbled from the veranda.

“Lady Yua is amazing!”, shouted the girls.

The older girl winked at them, which made them giggle.

Tanjiro sat back at the veranda.

“That was amazing, Yua-Senpai!”, he yelled “I’ll give it my all!”

“You do that, so back to training!”

“Yes, Yua-Senpai!”

“You can do it Master Tanjiro!”, cheered the four little girls him on.

The two Demon Slayers made their way back into the courtyard, while the four girls cleaned up.

“Alright Kamado, we already established that you can’t do Total Concentration for long.”, began Yua.

He nodded disappointed at himself.

“So I will show you some breathing exercises and a little trick to expand the volume of your lungs.”

“Yes, Yua-Senpai!”, he raised his arm into the air like he was in school. “Can I ask what this trick is?”

Now Yua smiled cheekily.

She was curious how he would take it.

“Do you ever wonder why I sing so much?”

“Because you like it and are amazing at it!”

“Charmer, but...singing expands your lunge volume.”

The red-haired boy blinked at her with his pretty (no, not pretty they are normal red eyes!) red eyes, till he made a shocked face.

“WHAT?! REALLY?!”

“Indeed.”, she walked over to him and threw a playful arm around his shoulders. Tanjiro blushed being so close to his crush, not that Yua took note. “Now my little songbird let me hear your voice!”

***

For 15 days not only participated Tanjiro and Yua in the rehabilitation training, but they also trained together to expand Tanjiro's lunge volume and keep his Total Concentration Breathing going.

At first, Tanjiro was a bit shy learning to sing from Yua, but his Senpai made clear that shyness would only obstacle him in becoming better.

So he woman up, like Yua-Senpai liked to say, and sang with her together.

She taught him songs he never heard of, however, she didn’t tell him who taught her them. The smell of hurt and longing always came from her when he asked.

So he stopped.

He never wanted to make her feel bad.

After singing, they parkour all around the Mansion and garden, playing catch with each other.

Yua-Senpai was as fast as Kanao, he could barely catch her.

And she got only faster with each passing day they trained.

The training not only helped him to get stronger but her also.

“Bust your borders and go beyond them!”, told him Yua-Senpai any day.

It was the motto of her family.

A Mochizuki had to be the best of the best to not raise any suspicions in the hearts of their Demon Slayer comrades.

She told him this ten days after they had started to train together.

They were sitting on the veranda, again eating and drinking Onigiri and Green Tea, the little girls had prepared for them and had talked about nothing and all.

As he had told her how amazing he thought she was, because she only seemed to get stronger with each day, that he barely could catch up, this sentence had fallen.

It had been still for a few seconds between them.

Tanjiro smelled how Yua-Senpai felt unsure, battling with herself before she said quietly: “Even after 500 years of loyalty to the corps...anybody expects us to change sides and become swordsmen under the Demon King. And all this is why we still practice Moon-Breathing learned from the traitor Tsugikuni Michikatsu. It’s a pain.”

Tired she bit into her Onigiri.

Now Tanjiro was battling with himself. He wanted to ask her this the whole time, however, he was scared it was not his place to ask.

Yua-Senpai decided for him.

“I can see how chaotic and worried your Aura is, just spit it out, Kamado.”

“Why does your family still practice this breathing style if it only brings you pain?”

Thoughtful Yua-Senpai looked at the setting sun, making her look breathtaking. She was so beautiful. Tanjiro's heart could nearly not take it.

“The founder of our family, Mochizuki Meiyo was a prideful man they said. After his master deserted the corps he wanted to show that he could still be trusted...But I think my ancestor didn’t want to give up the power Moon-Breathing gives you. It IS the most powerful one in the whole corps. My family has the highest kill count of Lower Moons and we even killed three Upper Moons, the last 113 years ago.”

“And yet there had been no Moon Hashira, right?”, he whispered.

“Not after Tsugikuni Michikatsu.”, signed Yua-Senpai, crossing her arms. “My father told me the day I started to learn Moon-Breathing, that we are practically the attack dogs of the Corps. We are good enough to kill the demons, but we can’t be trusted with a position of power. No one cares how many of my family have fallen in battle against the Demon Lords 12 Moons or how they got so wounded they could never take a sword into their hands again. Being a Mochizuki is a hard destiny....”

In silence, they watched how the moon was rising in the sky.

“I care.”, said Tanjiro quietly to his Senpai.

She turned with a raised eyebrow to him.

Before he could chicken out he took one of her hands in his and squeezed it.

“Your family has been wronged for a long time, but Yua-Senpai, people who know you and your family truly know that you are all great people. I know you will become a Hashira and show anyone that the Mochizuki are an honourable and loyal family!”

Yua-Senpai hand in his felt clammy and he smelled how she was going through a lot of different emotions in seconds.

It was hard to keep track, however, he smelled thankfulness and bashfulness.

More softly than he had thought Yua-Senpai took her hand back and stood up.

“Enough with the mushy stuff, Kama...Tanjiro-San. We still can train more before dinner.”

Did...did he hear right?!

Did Yua-Senpai call him by his first name?!

Tanjiro felt how hot his cheeks got and that his heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

His crush didn’t seem to take note and if she did, she didn’t show it.

“Come on, catch me!”

With that, she ran away.

He ran after her a second later.

If...if it had to be like this...If he had to chase her forever, he would do it.

Now he was the moon chasing constantly after his sun...Yua.

Only the moon saw the sweet little smile on Yua's lips as she let Tanjiro chase after her.

After this heart-to-heart, they both opened up a bit more to each other.

When they were all alone Yua started to call him Tanjiro and he also dropped then the Senpai.

It was nice.

More than nice.

An amazing friendship was forming between them.

And maybe....someday more?

***

More days passed.

Yua and Tanjiro got stronger, the boy could now nearly catch Kanao and Yua.

He managed to destroy the first gourd level without problems, making the little four girls cheer and Yua give him a thumbs up.

Unknown to them Zenitsu and Inosuke had all seen this and it seemed like they understood that they were in the wrong with their slacking off.

In disbelief, Yua looked at how the two talked with Shinobu about what she and Tanjiro were doing.

The Insect Hashira explains to them the Total Concentration Perpetum and then the two try it out, failing miserably.

The Kinoto felt a bit sorry for Inosuke, but seeing Zenitsu on the ground brought her glee. Finally, some payback for all the whining she had to endure!

After they were okay again, they sat down with her and Tanjiro and asked them for help.

"I still can’t sustain Total Concentration Breathing all day unless I throw myself into it, but I bet you two can do it!", encouraged Tanjiro. He made some funny movements with his arms, which earned him a raised eyebrow from Yua. "You just go like this to make your lungs expand! When that rattles your blood, your bones and muscles will go “Boom, boom”, and you gotta stop it!"

Inosuke and Zenitsu looked at him depressed.

"All that’s left to do is train like crazy!"

More depression and vigorous headshakes.

Yua deadpanned at them.

"If you act like this I won't tell you my family exercises for the lungs and our secret trick to extend the lunge volume."

They had the gall to groan at her.

An angry mark formed on the midnight blue-haired girl head and she was ready to hit them both when she felt Tanjior taking one of her hands and Shinobu laying one of her hands on her shoulder and Tanjiro's.

Blushing she looked up at the Insect Hashira. She saw from the side that Tanjiro was blushing also.

In Yua's case, she was blushing because a handsome boy (okay, she admitted it finally) and a beautiful woman were touching her.

She never preferred one sex over another, so she felt all warm and tingly.

"Now, now.", tutted Shinobu. " We’re talking about a basic skill, or should I say a beginner skill, so why wouldn’t you be able to do it? But it’s also true that one must put great effort into mastering it, right?"

Shinobu then let go of Yua and Tanjiro to sit before Inosuke petting his shoulder.

"Well, why wouldn’t you be able to do it, though? I was sure it would be child’s play for you, Inosuke. Are you sure you can’t do it? Even though there’s no reason you can’t do it? It can’t be helped, then, if you can’t do it. Can’t be helped, can’t be helped."

That pissed Inosuke so off that he treated to rip off her breasts!

Yua made a face and thought to herself: not such an awesome pair! What a waste, that would be.

The Hashira then walked to Zenisto taking his hand. Already the blond started to turn an alarming shade of red and rattling like a teakettle.

"Please give it your all, Zenitsu! I’m your biggest cheerleader!"

He was now full teakettle mode and shouted a yes ma'am, while Yua deadpanned at him and Tanjiro was in disbelief.

Well, at least they joined the training.

As Yua did with Tanjiro she showed them her family breathing exercises and then it was time to sing.

Inosuke was hollering more than singing, but Zenitsu...Zenistsu!

For a second as Yua heard how lovely Zenitsu could sing, hitting all the notes right, after one-time listing, she could image some girl falling in love with him, if he sang to her.

Then she realized what she had thought and wanted to take a bath.

The rest of the day following the four Demon Slayers trained together, they all got stronger and better.

One day came to the two swordsmiths who had forged for Tanjiro and Inosuke Katanas and at dinner, Zenitsu and Yua listened to how they were nearly killed by the smiths because Tanjiro dared to destroy his blade and Inosuke changed his with a stone.

Finally, the day arrived when Tanjiro beat Kanao at training.

He celebrates his win with the four little girls, Yua claps for him, while Inosuke and Zenitsu decide to train even more.

Yua, herself noted, how strong she had become. For her, it was no problem anymore to beat Kanao.

The others couldn't catch her even if they tried.

She felt it in her gut.

She was at Hashira-Level.

It was... alright.

Strange...now that her goal of becoming a Hashira was closer than ever, Yua didn't feel as excited as she imagined when she started to train to become a Demon Slayer.

Maybe she was bitter from all the years she had to endure her grandfather's disappointment and the lack of recognition from the Corps.

Would they even let her rise to Hashira?

Uncle Noritaka had nearly become one, but it didn't mean it they would let her.

Somehow she had a feeling that her Uncle with his refusal to take the position destroyed any chance for his other family members to become one.

Or she was paranoid.

It was then that Kaguya flowed into the Butterfly Mansion with a letter from home for her.

Oh, that was fast and good.

After Tanjiro had talked with Shinobu and didn't get any new information on the Hinokami Kagura Dance, she wrote home to ask if someone could look it up in their archives.

Kaguya nuzzled her, while she read the letter.

Her father had answered her.

When she  finished it, she signed.

She should have imagined it!

So she made her way out to the courtyard where the boys were still training.

"Hey guys!", she called and they turned to her. "Tanjiro remember how we talked about if there is something about the Hinokami Kagura Dance in my family archives? My father found something, but my grandfather didn't allow him to let the information out. So....wanna join me to go to my home?"

!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Next chapter we will get an original “Arc” so to say, we will get to know Yua family more and maybe some old fart will get a headbutt from our favourite red-haired Demon Slayer. :D

Until next time!

Beta-Reader Wanted!

Hi, my loves!

You probably read my Self-Doubt entrance.

A nice person comforted me and gave me a tip, which may help to make my writing better.

Since I have no friends and my real-life friends aren't in fandoms, I'm announcing here the search for a Beta-Reader!

If you are interested, send me a message!

If you can't please reblog this entrance till I find one!

Have a nice day/night!

UPDATE!

I want to add that I need a Beta-Reader who is only often so we can talk and it would be great if you have Discord.

That's all my loves!