Demon Slayer Gyutaro - Tumblr Posts
New drawing
I wanted to make a fan art of Gyutaro one of my favourite characters from "Demon slayer"
I'm currently working on Demon Slayer x Monster Hunter AU, the first character will be Gyutaro but I'm still working on his backstory for this AU
Anyway here's a little sneak peak on what i'm currently working on (I still need to finish it)
WIP Kny x Monster hunter stories AU
these two gave me a lot of problems with their designs, Gyutaro is the one who perhaps gave me a lot of problems with his design. (I'll probably go back to working on his design)
For Ume/Daki I have to see whether to choose between the version with white hair or the one with white and green hair tied up
(one cute thing I thought of doing is that they both have a necklace with the same shell but broken in half, they both have a piece of this shell to show their brother and sister relationship)
(you are free to give me suggestions that can help me with these designs)
More information on my Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU!
I really want to elaborate more on my AU, specifically about the demons and how they are dealing with the changes. So, here are some headcanons about them!
Here is the original Mastpost!
Rui
When it came to converting into a half demon, he was rather cautious about the idea, mostly because he didn’t want to lose his “family” and strength
Nezuko managed to convince him by promising to stick by his side while he works out the changes
They spent a lot of time together, which brought them closer and formed a genuine bond
This drove Inosuke insane though
Tanjiro was pretty weary about their relationship, but he eventually grew fond of the little guy
It took quite a while for Rui to truly come out of his shell
But when he did, everyone realized just how touch starved the poor baby is
He melts when given any form of physical affection and he is quite clingy
I headcanon that Rui has OCD, mostly because he likes everything in their proper roles, so I think he would make sure everything is clean and orderly
He tends to get flustered when he is dealing with large messes, so either Nezuko or Tanjiro has to calm him down
Despite the Kamado siblings’ affection and stability, Rui still feels like he’s missing something in his life
That is, until Tanjiro introduces him to Akaza (Tanjiro decided to introduce all the demons to each other)
Akaza and Rui immediately get along and become friends
Eventually, Akaza introduces Rui to the other upper moons (plus Enmu since he’s usually around Douma)
Akaza was rather nervous about introducing Rui due to the moon’s chaotic nature and Rui’s OCD
However, Rui sees that they have a deep connection despite the chaos and decides to stick around
Akaza: Sorry if they’re a bit chaotic kid, bu-
Rui: They’re perfect
Akaza: Huh?!
With time, Rui learns more about the upper moons and they grow on him
Akaza and Kokushibo are Rui’s father figures
Daki and Gyutaro are very close to Rui and they often hang out with the Kamado siblings
Finally Douma and Enmu sometimes drag Rui in one of their pranks or adventures
The Kamado siblings notice that Rui is less tense, more open minded and is a lot happier
Half demons mature and grow, so Rui and Daki do mature and actually get older as time passes
Although he still goes to the Kamadoi’s for comfort, he truly feels like he has a family with the upper moons
Akaza
I feel like he would be more open to becoming a half demon (I mean it’s better than dying, right?) so he takes up on Tanjiro’s offer
Akaza regularly has to pull Douma out of trouble, either it be pranks that have gone too far or making him act like a gentleman
Whenever anyone is sick, you can expect Akaza to come over and try to take care of them
He did NOT like Zenitsu when they officially met, but they became mutual once he learned that Zenitsu wasn’t that big of a pervert (mostly because he’s dating Tanjiro)
Akaza deeply respects Tanjiro and they tend to work together on projects involving the demons
Akaza wanted to repair his relationship with Rengoku (which yes, Tanjiro was able to bring him back) and Rengoku has rather nervous to do so
They became great friends, but Giyuu (who Rengoku is dating) doesn’t really trust Akaza
Let’s just say it took a LONG time before Giyuu trusted him
Akaza gives advice to the women (both demons and humans) on how to defend themselves from perverts
Akaza is typically with Rui and Kokushibo, probably doing some father - son activities
Akaza actually gets with Kokushibo after realizing that Koku could be soft
Akaza is a tsundere, hands down.
He’ll never admit that he likes being the little spoon or that he loves sitting in Koku’s lap.
He also finds Koku’s final form hot. (He doesn’t have a monster kink though)
Akaza: is there a Mrs, Kokushibo?
Douma: Are you fucking flirting with Kokushibo’s final form?
Akaza: He’s fucking HAWT!
During his free time, Akaza usually like to either read or take long walks,
Rui is usually by his side on said long walks
Enmu
As you can probably expect, Enmu did not want to become a half demon
But after a long battle with Tanjiro, he eventually gave in
This is mostly due to his bitterness towards Tanjiro after he killed Muzan
Tanjiro quickly learns about his relationship with Muzan and instantly knows that it was a toxic relationship and Enmu doesn’t see that
Everyone tries to tell him that their relationship was toxic, but Enmu just gets pissed off
Tanjiro notices a strange smell that Enmu has and decides to look into it
He found out that Enmu couldn’t differentiate dreams and reality as a human and that he didn’t feel most pain, which made Tanjiro even more curious
It wasn’t until Enmu pointed out a suspicious flower that Muzan used to make him eat did Tanjiro finally realize what was going on
Turns out, Enmu had been given drugs as a kid and Muzan had kept him on those drugs to stay numb
Tanjiro knew he had to convince Enmu that Muzan was making him take drugs
It took a while for Enmu to believe him, but when he did, Enmu fell into a deep depression
Tanjiro had tried many different ways to make feel better (having him take care of people, saying kind things to him, etc)
Eventually, Tanjiro had him meet the upper moors, which introduced him to Douma!
At first, Enmu was quite distant and confused why Douma would take interest in him, but spending time with Douma made him come out of his shell
Douma showered him with affection, which made Enmu feel special and wanted
They would go on a lot of adventures together and they would pull pranks on people
After a while of this, Enmu started feeling strange and he went to Tanjiro to know what that feeling was
Enmu: What the hell is this feeling?! It feels so strange!
Tanjiro: Awww, that’s love, Enmu!
Enmu: What the fuck is that?
Both Tanjiro and Zenitsu would help him with confessing to Douma
They ended up deciding to confess on Valentine’s Day (There’s simply nothing more romantic than that)
Turns out, Douma was also planning to confess, so they just ended up being a flustered mess while Tanjiro and Zenitsu were giggling in the distance
At first, Enmu didn’t understand how Douma could do something nice for him
He thought that he always would have to do something nice for Douma
So when Douma treats him, Enmu.exe stops working
They go on a LOT of dates (usually little adventures)
Douma
He also didn’t want to convert, so Akaza and Kokushibo had to hold him down and force him to take Tanjiro’s blood
Tanjiro had to keep an eye on him for a while to make sure he wasn’t going to eat anybody
Douma eventually gave up eating people and started pulling pranks instead
He’s the number one troublemaker in the upper moon and can make a normal situation into one of chaos and anarchy
When Tanjiro hosted the demon meet and greet, Douma’s attention immediately went to Enmu, mostly because he found Enmu quite fashionable
When Douma started falling in love with Enmu, he was also very confused
Douma: Whay the fuck am I feeling this way towards a man?!
Akaza: You might be bisexual dude
Douma: *confused screaming*
Douma loves it when Enmu lulls him to sleep with his powers
In turn, Douma takes care of Enmu and makes some fantastic meals
Douma will happily listen to Enmu when he’s either talking about the demon ranks and/or trains
However, Douma can be quite reckless on their adventures, which sometimes causes them to get hurt
One time, Enmu ended up getting severely injured because of Douma’s recklessness
Basically, they entered an area of the Humanoid island where dangerous monsters were found
They barely got away, but they were haunted by an evil being named Kingu Akuma
That was one of the few times Douma actually cried
Despite the heartache of this event, something awakened in Douma that would help him deal with a bigger problem later on
Kingu Akuma harassed them and made them paranoid
He also reminded them of their pasts over and over again
Unfortunately, this made Douma remember the traumatic event that made him lose his emotions
(I’m not going to say what that moment was here since I can explain it better when I write the chapters. Let’s just say it is based on an actual theory. People believed this might’ve happened to him because of how the cult dehumanized him)
However, he also felt a painful feeling that he couldn’t quite figure out
He didn’t realize what that awakened emotion was until he reunited with Inosuke
Although Inosuke didn’t remember what happened to his mother, Douma remembered it vividly
Douma couldn’t understand why he felt so horrible when he was around Inosuke until he confronted Tanjiro about it
Tanjiro was horrified by Douma’s confession, but was willing to help him due to Douma’s willingness to change
Douma then proceeded to tell Inosuke what he did and well Inosuke didn’t take it well (he tried to kill him)
Due his guilt, Douma tried to hang out with Inosuke, but Inosuke was having none of it
It stayed like this until Inosuke was forced to fight off against a rabid ram demon (I’ll elaborate on this fight in a different post)
Inosuke came very close to death, but Douma saved him from getting mauled by the demon
Together, they finished off the ram and came to a mutual understanding
Although Inosuke can’t forgive him for killing his mother, he can understand that Douma is trying to make things up and so tries to develop a deeper relationship with his stepfather
Due to the he harassment by Kingu, guilt, and retrieving his memoriess, Douma went insane and he tried to unalive himself
Akaza stopped him from going through with it and told him that the only way to get rid of Kingu is to face your past
That’s when Douma went to Shinobu for therapy
She saw his memories and was horrified
Shinobu had to rescue a child version of him (his humanity) from Kingu inside his mind
After some time, he gathered the courage to face Kingu and fight him
Douma couldn’t defeat him (since Kingu is the god of chaos and suffering)
However it did end with Kingu realizing that Douma has changed and he leaves Douma (kinda like how Death did to Puss)
Both Akaza and Kokushibo care for Douma, but they often get annoyed by him
Gyutaro hates him due to Douma pestering both him and Daki (They have a typical annoyed child and jerk father relationship)
Douma finds this hilarious and continues teasing them
Daki and Gyutaro
Daki was quite open to converting (mostly because she was convinced by Nezuko)
However Gyutaro had to be convinced by Daki in order to convert
Once they were converted, both Tanjiro and Nezuko wanted to shower them with affection (they felt that they deserved a better life than what they had)
At first they were very off putted by this, but they eventually warmed up
The Kamado siblings taught them more about their relationship and how to properly show love
Gyutaro: What the hell are you doing?
Tanjiro: Giving you something you never got, a hug.
Gyutaro: …
Gyutaro: *gross sobbing ensues*
Gyutaro constantly goes to Tanjiro for advice on how to be a better older brother
Gyutaro has also accidentally called Tanjiro “dad” a few times which sent Daki into hysterical laughter
Although Daki and Nezuko had to work out their relationship, they eventually became best friends
Nezuko would occasionally host a girl’s night out and Daki would be there right beside her
Both Daki and Gyutaro prefer to be around the Kamado siblings (mostly because they find comfort in them)
When they are around the other demons, they are usually dragged into their nutty shenanigans
Daki really loves being around Rui
She is like a mother to him and Daki smothers him in affection like Nezuko does
Gyutaro melts when he’s complimented (especially on his appearance)
Nezuko made Gyutaro a blanket with heating pads so Gyutaro doesn’t get cold and he loves it to death
They are very curious and love learning about the world
Lastly, they both just really love each other and they are learning to accept themselves
Hantengu Clones
I feel like Aizetsu would be the most willing to covert, but the others need some convincing
Sekido was definitely the hardest to convince, no doubt about it
Urogi and Karaku are best friends and they always cause chaos
Sometimes they’ll accompany Enmu and Douma on their adventures
Sekido usually has to pull them out of trouble
Urogi is definitely Aizetsu’s emotional support
Sometimes Urogi can go a bit overboard, but he tries his best to comfort Aizetsu
All the clones see themselves as brothers
Aizetsu and Genya do become friends, but it took quite some time for that to happen
They usually just have really interesting conversations. That’s how they usually hang out
Karaku, Nezuko, and Daki will always make sure that someone looks great for a date!
Sekido is the unofficial eldest brother, the other clones hate this
All the clones may tease Aizetsu, but if anyone else messes with him. They will have hell to pay
Aizetsu prefers to be around the Kamado siblings, they’re just so calming
He just gets overwhelmed easily, so he prefers to be in quiet places
Sekido hides his feelings and he’ll never admit to enjoying anything
Whenever Zohakuten needs to be formed, Urogi and Karaku usually try to have Aizetsu initiate it because he’s a lot more gentle than Sekido
Zohakuten is like a little angry gremlin
He will immediately attack anyone who calls him cute
Zohakuten: I’m not cute!
Zohakuten: I’m into hardcore death metal!
Zohakuten: I’ve got a scar!
Zohakuten: I branded myself with a hot iron once!
Zohakuten: I’m into Big Dumb Sweet Men!
Zohakuten: Don’t judge me, I’m not cute!
Despite Zohakuten’s efforts, Mitsuri still loves him
The wooden dragons are like little puppies that annoy Zohakuten
The only person that Zohakuten truly likes is Rui
You just can’t hate Rui
Hantengu actually prefers to be separated
He lives in constant fear so it’s nice to find happiness in the clones
Kokushibo
He was also willing to be converted (mostly because he’ll still be able to stay alive)
At first, Kokushibo would be incredibly jealous of Tanjiro
Because of this, Tanjiro decided to try to spend more time with him
Tanjiro found out about his brother and decided as a peace offering, he would help Kokushibo learn the various techniques of sun breathing
Although he doesn’t really learn it, they become close and they form a strong friendship
When He, Tanjiro, Douma, and Inosuke were fighting the jaguar demon, Tanjiro basically gave a speech about how no matter how powerful or weak the younger brother is, they will always look up to the older one
Kokushibo was deeply moved by this
Kokushibo deeply respects Tanjiro for defying his fate in a much more honest and honorable way than he did
He is Tanjiro’s right hand man and will always help him with plans
Kokushibo is pretty much the leader of the upper moons when Tanjiro isn’t around
He is like the stern father while Akaza is more of a relaxed father towards the moons
Kokushibo is also very peaceful and prefers to paint and draw alone
He gives great advice to the other demons on how to handle their changes
Kokushibo usually has to get the other demons out of trouble
He has a major sweet tooth, but the only ones who know this are Akaza and Mitsuri
Sometimes, he’ll eat some sweets with Mitsuri
Kokushibo: How the hell did you guys turn a picnic into a forest barbecue?!
Akaza: DON’T LOOK AT ME!!
Douma: *holding the match* I didn’t do it
He always helps Tanjiro convert other demons
(Okay time for some Kokuaka headcanons!)
Let’s be honest, Kokushibo would be dense af. He would have no clue that Akaza had feelings for him and Koku would have no idea that he loved Akaza back
He’d just think that he felt a strange feeling when he’s with Akaza
Kokushibo eventually figures it out after seeing Tanjiro’s and Zenitsu’s and Douma’s and Enmu’s relationships grow.
At the start of their relationship, Kokushibo was very closed. He acted very stoic, believing that this was they way to earn anyone’s affection
Eventually, Akaza softens him up. He makes Koku realize that it’s okay to show emotion
Kokushibo adores warmth (he’ll never admit it though). He loved to be close physically to his friends and always carries heating pads on him.
Kokushibo is actually really good with kids, surprisingly.
Poor babe gets a lot of headaches so he carries medication on him and he prefers to be awake at night
Although he has to put up with the craziness of the upper moons, he still loves them and will always help them
Tanjiro is incredibly proud of them and the progress that they have made
Tanjiro being a proud dad is so freaking cute
I love this AU and I’ve had a lot of fun with it! Speaking of fun, here are some incorrect quotes because why not?
Douma: *chugs mayo*
Enmu: Hmm that looks like our bedsheets
Akaza: *chokes on water*
Kokushibo: *gasps and covers Rui’s ears*
Tanjiro: I’m very uncomfortable with the energy we have created in this room
Rui: Every family has a gay cousin
Enmu: Bitch we don’t have a gay cousin
Enmu: Wait
Enmu: I am the gay cousin oH mY gOd
Tanjiro: Why were you calling me those awful things when we fought?
Gyutaro: Those were auful things?
Tanjiro: *starts tearing up out of guilt*
Gyutaro: WAIT, I’M SORRY!!
Hear me out..
Demon Slayer X Puss in Boots: The Last Wish AU
Don’t worry this isn’t overtaking my Half Demon! Tanjiro AU. I just thought this was neat!
Roles:
Akaza - Puss (Akaza would have an arrogant personality and he definitely would love to be known as a legend. I can also see him saying many of the things Puss says)
Kokushibo - Kitty (Koku is very serious like Kitty and he would definitely have a grudge if Akaza abandoned him. It’s also an excuse for me to ship them lol)
Tanjiro - Perrito (What can I say? They both have a pure heart and they love to help anyone around them)
Rui - Goldie (This is obvious. They both want a family and they’re very bossy.)
Sekido - Papa Bear (both are very aggressive and tough)
Aizetsu - Mama Bear (This boy definitely would act like a mother to Rui fr fr)
Urogi and Karaku - Baby Bear (the more argumentative moments are Urogi while the funny ones are definitely Karaku’s)
Douma - Jack Horner (Both are soulless monsters)
Zenitsu - Jiminy Cricket (I can just see Zenitsu in those moments the cricket has with Jack)
Gyutaro - Death (The sickles are perfect. His build is perfect. His personality is perfect. Just about everything is perfect! And Gyutaro with red eyes is just badass!)
Just some food for thought. This is definitely a fun idea though!
(This is a gift for @leviathanverse. They made a really cool siren AU for Demon Slayer and we thought it would be neat if they somehow interacted with my Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU! So here you go buddy!)
When Worlds Collide
Warnings: swearing and a panic attack
“Oof!” Akaza roared as his large body landed on a pile of rocks. He raised his head and growled in anguish. “What the hell?” Akaza growled as he rubbed the top of his head. His large siren tail grazed against the sharp rocks.
The moon shone brightly against his light blue and yellow scales. “Where the hell am I?” He looked around only to see nothing but trees behind him and an endless ocean in front. “Did I crash into these?” Akaza lifted his tail as he started to think about what happened.
It had been a long and nasty fight at sea. Akaza was being tracked by an expert sailor the Muzan wanted dead. The sailor was quite young, yet formidable and he wore the hanafuda earrings that used to belong to the best demon slayer known to mankind. The needle fish siren wanted to dispose of the boy after failing his last mission to retrieve the Blue Spider Lily.
This was no easy task however. The sailor was incredibly determined and hit poor Akaza with everything he had. The siren was able to do some damage to the sailor’s ship, but he mostly took the hits himself.
Then, a great storm struck the area. The sailor and his crew were able to get away, but the siren wasn’t so lucky. Akaza ended up getting caught in a vicious vortex that must’ve sent him here.
“That damn sailor!” Akaza growled as he clenched his fist. “He won’t get away with this!” The siren looked around him once more to see a few lights on the ocean. They were searching boats! “Shit!” Akaza hissed. “I better go into my bipedal form.”
The siren pulled himself off of the sharp rocks and onto the soft ground. Then, his bones started to crack as his body started to change shape. The siren’s body shrunk to the size of a normal person and his siren tail split off into two legs. “Much better.” Akaza sighed.
Akaza was dusting off his new legs when a strange voice called out to him. “Lord Akaza! Lord Akaza!” The voice was familiar and awfully chirpy. “Urogi?” Akaza swiveled his head towards the dark forest. Suddenly, the familiar bird demon flew through the trees and landed in front of Akaza.
“Oh, Urogi!” Akaza chuckled softly. “I’m so glad to see a familiar face.” Urogi took his hand and he looked at Akaza with an odd worried expression. “Well I’m glad that I found ya! Lord Tanjiro wants to see you!”
Akaza raised an eyebrow in confusion. Lord Tanjiro? Was he a new moon? “Who’s Lor- woah!” Before Akaza could say anything, Urogi started to drag him through the forest. “Come on! We don’t have much time!” Urogi yelled as he ran through the woods.
Akaza’s mind felt dizzy with confusion. Lord Tanjiro? Not much time? What was this bird demon talking about? He didn’t say much during the time that Urogi was dragging him. The poor siren was just confused.
He was suddenly thrusted in front of a small house. “Hey! Don’t drag me around like that!” Akaza hissed at Urogi. “Sorry, but this is urgent!” He opened the door and jumped into the house. Akaza quickly followed the bird. “This better not be some sort of tri-“
He realized he was surrounded by endless doors and rooms. Akaza’s jaw dropped as he looked around. “W-where am I?” Urogi shot a look of utter confusion at him. “We’re at the Infinity Castle..You’ve been here many times before.”
“Huh?! I’ve never been here!” Akaza hissed. Urogi tilted his head, even more confused. He then shook his head. “Just follow me.” Urogi then started to fly through the endless doors. “Wait!” Akaza started to chase after the bird.
The endless doors stayed the same as they ran. Sometimes though, Akaza would occasionally look inside one to see what looked like bedrooms. His head started to spin now. He had no idea where he was or what was going on.
They eventually reached a room where a bunch of familiar demons were. Gyutaro and Daki were talking with a strange manticore demon. The other three Hantengu clones were chatting amongst themselves, Douma and Enmu were talking as they huddled with Rui. One thing was common with all of them, they were incredibly worried.
“What’s going on? Why’s everyone so worried?” Akaza’s voice softened as he walked through the room. “Haven’t you heard?” Urogi turns back towards him, worried. “Strifles is missing.” Akaza was even more confused. Why would they all create such a fuss over a non-ranking demon?
A loud roar came from the front of the room. Everyone turned their heads to face their noble leader. “Good evening everyone!” A gentle and kind voice called from the front of the room. “Kokushibo’s gonna be a bit late today, but he’ll be here shortly.”
“Who is that?” Akaza mumbled to himself. He decided that the best way to know for sure was to push his way through the crowd. “Get outta my way!” “Upper Rank Three coming through!” “Pardon me, Miss Daki.” “Excuse me!” The other demons grumbled and growled as Akaza made his way through.
“What the hell, Akaza?!” Sekido yelled as he shifted to the side. “Oh get a gri-“ it was then that Akaza saw someone who he would never expect to see. “Lord Akaza! That was incredibly rude!” The boy with the hanafuda earrings was here! Standing right in front of Akaza! The only differences were that he was taller and had the eyes of a demon.
“Wha-what’s going on?” Akaza said weakly. He felt like his whole world was crashing down. “Well if you weren’t being so rude, you would’ve known by now.” The boy said in a stern older brother voice. “Yeah! Don’t disrespect Lord Tanjiro!” Gyutaro hissed menacingly.
Lord Tanjiro? Strifles? Infinity Castle? What the HELL is going on? Everything seemed like it was spinning around Akaza. “Y-you aren’t the Demon King!” Akaza’s fists shook nervously, but he stood his ground. Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I was the one who revived you.” He said calmly.
“I NEVER DIED!!” Akaza roared as he dug his feet into the ground. All the other demons just looked at him, confused. “Did ya hit your head on those rocks, buddy?” Urogi asked. Akaza just shook his head. “You all must be crazy!” Even more confused mews and growls came from the demons.
“This has to a nightmare. It has to be!” Akaza mumbled to himself as he clenched his fists. He then leaped directly at Tanjiro. Luckily, Douma and Urogi caught him and held him in place. “You did this! I’m gonna make you regret it! I’ll kill you!” Akaza roared.
“Woah! Woah! Slow down big guy!” Douma held on tightly to the struggling demon. “Get off of me! I’ll fucking kill you all!” Akaza snarled as he struggled to get loose. “What the hell is happening here?!”
They all turned their heads to see..Akaza being accompanied by Kokushibo. Everyone’s jaws hit the floor. Two Akazas?! How?! Urogi and Douma instantly let go of the other Akaza and the poor siren merely fell to his knees. “Who a-are you?” Siren Akaza said weakly. “I’m you!” Akaza yelled
Siren Akaza faced the ground and started to grip his head tightly. “No no NO! This can’t be happening! Where am I?! What is this place?!” His breathing grew heavy as the room spun around him. He had to hold back tears from flowing down his face. “How will I get back?”
“I think I might know what is happening.” Kokushibo approached the panicking siren. “Lord Tanjiro, we all know how Strifles went missing yesterday.” Everyone nodded their heads. “Right..” Tanjiro said calmly. “What if he got transported into another universe?”
Tanjiro’s eyes widened as the room was filled with gasps and murmurs. “So basically, you’re saying that this different Akaza might have accidentally swapped places with Strifles?” Kokushibo nodded. “I believe so, yeah.”
Siren Akaza shot his head up. “Would you know how to take me back?!” His voice was desperate. He hated to sound that way, but he really had no choice. Kokushibo shook his head. “I don’t know a way that will one hundred percent work, all I’ve heard are theories.”
Siren Akaza turned back to the floor. “Great! Just great!” Tanjiro’s eyes filled with worry and sympathy as he approached the siren. He then gently wrapped him in his green and black checkered haori. “Hey. It’s okay. We’ll get you home.”
“Why would I trust you?!” Siren Akaza growled. “Because you really have no choice.” Akaza said flatly. “Besides, we want Strifles back!” Siren Akaza shot a look at him. “Do you have a plan?” Most of the demons shook their hands.
“Why don’t we start where you landed? That makes the most sense to me!” Urogi chirped happily. Siren Akaza stood up and looked directly in his eyes. “Sounds like a great idea, Urogi!” Tanjiro beamed. “Alright everyone! Let’s follow Urogi.”
The bird demon started to head towards the entrance of the Infinity Castle and all the other demons followed suit. Tanjiro waited for all of the demons to leave before placing a comforting hand on Siren Akaza’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you home.” Siren Akaza shook it off. “Yeah, you better.”
To be continued..
I just had an idea!
Ma just randomly appearing out of nowhere and scaring the heck out of one of your HDT characters!
It would be so funny!
Tanjiro: Woah! What the-? I’m sorry!
Zenitsu: Aaaah! Who are you?! Tanjiro!
Inosuke: Who the hell are you?! Fight me, you monster!
Nezuko: Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.
Genya: What the hell?! What even are you?!
Kanao: Oh? Sorry, you startled me.
Kokushibo: Hmm? Who are you, ghost creature?
Douma: Eh?! Oh sorry, ha! I thought you were Akuma for a second
Akaza: Woah! Hey, you’re kinda cool! Do you know how to fight?
Sekido: Huh?! What are you doing here?!
Karaku: Hehehe, you look like you’d be a lot of fun to mess with..*Sekido slaps him*
Urogi: Oh? Yay! Someone to play with!
Aizetsu: You seem lost, how sad..
Gyutaro: What the?! Are you some kind of ghost demon?
Daki: Jesus! What the hell are you?!
Kerido: Oh, a new friend! Who might you be?
Rui: You don’t..seem natural..
Enmu: Eep! Wait, you’re not the goat man, are you?
Strifles: *squeals and hides under table*
Rengoku: Jesus, you really scared me!
Giyuu: *stares at him with wide, yet blank eyes*
Shinobu: You quite a peculiar little thing aren’t you?
Mitsuri: *yelps* Oh, sorry! Awww, you’re such a cutie!
Obanai: What..are you?
Muichiro: Are you a ghost..or a demon?
Gyomei: Oh, my apologies. I didn’t know you were here..*cries*
Sanemi: What the?! Eh?! What the fuck are you?!
Tengen: AAH! *screams like a baby*
Jackyll: Ew. *eats you*
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter Six:
The Redemption Project
Warnings: blood and signs of a toxic relationship
Word Count: 5889
With the arrival of the Hashiras, and some of the Kizuki, came many new changes. Aoi and the triplets back at the Butterfly Estate celebrated Shinobu's return with tears and hugs. Mitsuri was able to visit her family and introduce them to her boyfriend, Obanai. However, Sanemi couldn't bring herself to face Genya. He was ridden with guilt for what he did to his little brother.
With all these changes happening, Tanjiro thought about what this could all mean. He thought about how the different Kizuki members reacted to him bringing them back. Akaza and Rui made him the most curious. He expected all of them to treat him with resentment, yet that wasn't the case.
He noticed a strong sorrowful scent that came from them when he brought them back. It threw him off guard, but it ultimately made him curious. It was that reason why Tanjiro put himself here. Sitting in front of Kiriya, discussing plans.
"You want to try to redeem the demons?" Kiriya's voice was soft, yet filled with curiosity. Not a single bit if anger or concern could be sensed. Tanjiro nodded. "I know that it sounds ridiculous, but I believe that they can be redeemed, especially now that I can make them half-demons."
Kiriya looked out the sliding doors to the vibrant outside world. The pedals of the cherry blossoms fell slowly and landed in the crystal blue lake beneath the tree. "Why do you believe this?" He asked softly. "I'm not mad, just curious."
Tanjiro knew that he would have to pitch this idea elegantly. He cleared his throat and spoke with a warm, yet determined voice. "Ever since I started working as a demon slayer, I've met many kinds of people. I know that to many of us here, demons seems like creatures of pure evil. However, I know that isn't true. Many of the demons I've met radiate the scent of pain and sorrow and it isn't narcissistic sorrow either. They've lost so much and it made them turn to Kibutsuji."
Kiriya turns back to him, seemingly convinced. He did still seem wary though. Tanjiro took quick notice of this. "I know it sounds ridiculous...but you should've seen the way Rui held onto me on our way back from Mount Natagumo..the way Akaza destroyed himself during the final battle and how the scent of regret lingered around him."
The speech was quite moving and his words fully convinced Kiriya. "This won't be easy.." Kiriya said, almost as if he was thinking to himself. "Both the majority of the slayers and the demons will most likely reject the idea at first." Tanjiro nodded, understanding the harsh circumstances. "I know, but the greatest things in life do come with severe risks."
Kiriya smiled, warmly. "Yet you're willing to do this anyway, despite the risks." He sighed with relief and tranquility. "Alright. I'll let you start this redemption project. Just don't let them devour any humans, alright?" Tanjiro smiled and brightened like the sun. "Thank you, master! Thank you so much!" He got up and bowed, filling Kiriya's heart with happiness. "It's no problem, young Kamado."
Tanjiro turned to leave, but he stopped himself before walking out the door. "Oh! One last thing, master." Kiriya tilted his head, curiously. "Hm? What is it?" Tanjiro turned back to him. "I know that I'm able to bring others back, so.." He seemed to get nervous. "Would you..like me to bring back your father, mother, and sisters?"
A wave of grief and surprise came over Kiriya. He did want his family to be whole again, but he couldn't make a rash decision here. This would be an instant "yes" if it weren't for his father's disease. Kiriya knew that if his father, Kagaya, still had the side effects of his disease, he would be absolutely miserable.
"Young Kamado..as much as I would love to have my father back, I unfortunately have to say no. We don't know if he would still suffer from his symptoms as a half-demon. Plus, knowing my father, he probably would rather accept his life in heaven. My mother would want to stay by his side as well."
Kiriya wiped the tears from his eyes. "But...could you bring back my sisters? They were too young to die and my father would want them to come back." Tanjiro smiled with empathy. "Of course I can. It's the least I could do." He crouches down in front of Kiriya and opened his arms, offering a hug. Kiriya almost threw himself into Tanjiro's arms, sobbing.
Despite Kiriya being the master of the Demon Slayer Corps, he was still a kid. "I'm sorry, young Kamado. I should be stronger." Kiriya's voice was muffled, due to him burying himself in Tanjiro's chest. "It's okay, master. I know that it hurts. There's no shame in grieving." Kiriya looked up at him with a warm smile on his face. "Thank you, Tanjiro. Thank you."
The first people that came to Tanjiro's mind when it came to redemption were actually the Shabana siblings, Daki and Gyutaro. This is because they had one of the strongest scents of sorrow out of any of the demons he's encountered. They were also the only demons who genuinely loved and sacrificed themselves for another. Therefore, Tanjiro did actually respect them.
Nezuko was also surprisingly open to the idea. She too remembered the way they fought and protected each other, so she decided to accompany him. The voluminous moon shone brightly down on them as they headed to the Entertainment District on foot. This took a lot longer to get there then it would have to get someone to ride them there, but they didn't want to risk their demon selves being snuffed out.
A lamp that Tanjiro decided to bring with them, was glowing brightly in his grasp. It lit the night and led them to the recovering Entertainer District. Since the time they fought Undermoon Six, the district has been recovering at a steady pace. Many of the houses and shops have already been rebuilt and were now in full swing.
Tanjiro shuddered at the sight of the place. He hated the way this place treated women and how it used their desperation. Nezuko hid behind him, feeling nervous from the environment. Her brother gently took her hand into his and looked back at her. "Don't worry, Nezuko. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Nezuko smiled in response, but she still hid behind him. Tanjiro sniffed the air, looking for the demon duo's unique scent. "I've got it." He said softly yet excitedly. Both the Kamados sped their pace as they made their way through the center of the Entertainment District. This lead then to the back area of the district.
Houses were being rebuilt from the rubble from the fight. The further south they went, the more destruction they came across. "The battle left everything in shambles." Tanjiro's voice was gripped with guilt. "I know, brother. At least they're recovering quickly, right?" Nezuko said, trying to cheer him up. Tanjiro turned to her and smiled. "Right."
They followed the scent past the rubber and destruction and it led them to an empty spot in the middle of ruins. "We're here, Nezuko." Tanjiro whispered, looking around him. Once again, he saw the red ashes that would form the two demons. Nezuko followed his gaze, having a vague idea of what he's looking at. "Alright, brother. Good luck!"
Tanjiro smiled at her before slicing his hand with his claws, letting the blood drip on the ground. "You're going to have Miss Kocho pump some blood into you by this end of this." Nezuko said, worriedly. "You're probably right." Tanjiro half-heartedly chuckled. The red ashes made themselves visible by glowing brightly and moving closer towards the blood.
Tanjiro closed his eyes and remembered the battle with vivid accuracy. This caused the ashes to come together. They slowly melded into each other, creating the forms of the demon siblings. Nezuko skipped to her brother's side when their forms were almost completely built. The red lights glowed brightly before dying down, revealing Daki and Gyutaro.
Daki stretched her arms while Gyutaro shook his head like a dog. "Where are w-ah!" Daki shrieked as she opened her eyes. "It's you two! What have you done to us?!" She snarled aggressively. Tanjiro raised his hands. "It's alright. No one is going to hurt you."
"Why should we believe you?" Gyutaro made a low growl as he put an arm in front of his sister. "You killed us.." Tanjiro nodded, understanding their concern. "I understand why you don't believe me. You have every reason to be skeptical." The Shabana sibling narrowed their eyes, not believing him for a second.
"He's telling the truth. My brother wants to bring the demons back, so he can try to help them." Nezuko smiled innocently. "That makes no sense! How would he be able to bring us back in the first pla-" Daki looked into the older Kamado's eyes and immediately trembled in fear. "Brother...He..He's the..new Demon King." She gripped her brother's arm like a scared child.
Gyutaro looked back at her, then back at the Kamados. "What do you plan on doing to us? Do you plan on torturing us?! For all that we've done to you?!" Gyutaro tried to mask his fear by growling at them. "Don't you touch my little sister! If you're going to torture someone..torture me." He knew that he couldn't defeat them, so Gyutaro just wrapped his arms around his sister.
Both of the Kamado's shook their heads. "That's not why we're here." Nezuko said softly. "Then why did you bring us back?" Gyutaro spoke in an oddly soft voice, not being sure on how to feel. "We brought you back to give you a second chance." Tanjiro smiled with empathy, catching the demon siblings' attention.
"I can tell that you two must've had painful lives. You wanted others to suffer just like you two did. It must've taken a lot of suffering to get you to that point and I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. Although what you did to innocent people was unforgivable, I do want to give you a second chance. Demons were once human after all and I can tell that you two truly love each other."
Gyutaro lowered his arm as he listened to Tanjiro. Daki wasn't convinced though. "You're a liar..You don't want to help us! You only want to us-" Gyutaro stopped her by lightly squeezing her hand. "Ume..please." His voice was really soft at this point. Daki turned to him. "Do you really believe him?" Gyutaro nodded. "What other slayer would do this for us?"
This made Daki really put things into perspective. She turned away, closed her eyes, and sighed. "I guess if you believe him..then I suppose I'll stay by your side." Both Gyutaro and Tanjiro smiled at her. "Thank you, Miss Daki." Nezuko beamed. Daki only huffed in response.
The Shabana siblings were quickly taken to the Infinity Castle, where all the other Kizuki members were located. Most of them seemed to be pretty neutral towards them. That is, except for Douma. He seemed to adore them when they returned, much to their dismay.
Tanjiro knew exactly where he needed to go next, the Swordsmith Village! He talked about visiting the village with the same Kakushi that transported him there. "You know..since Muzan Kibutsuji was defeated. You don't need to have someone take you to the village anymore." The Kakushi said in a matter of fact tone.
"Really?" Tanjiro tilted his head. "Well that does make sense, since that was the whole reason why you had to blindfold me." The Kakushi nodded. "Since you may not know how to get there, I still think it would be best if I took you." Tanjiro nodded and smiled. "That would be great! Thank you!"
And with that, the Kakushi led the Kamado to the mysterious world of the Swordsmith village. The beautiful forest around them radiated with mystique and wonder, capturing the essence of beauty in every leaf and shred of grass. "Here we are, Lord Kamado." The Kakushi turned to them. "I'll be here when you want to return."
Tanjiro beamed happily. "Thank you! We'll be back shortly!" Both of the Kamados waved to them as they ran off into the village. All the damage that the village had sustained was now completely fixed. The wrecked houses were rebuilt and every settlement that was destroyed was restored, restoring the town to its natural beauty.
Tanjiro squeezed Nezuko's hand lightly. She looked up at him to see him smiling. "I'm glad you're still with me." He muttered, making Nezuko return the smile. Tanjiro sniffed the air, catching the old, wooden scent of Hantengu. "Over here, Nezuko." He carefully led her to the location of the scent. Nezuko was humming the whole way there.
The scent led them to the same valley where Hantengu was defeated. The red ashes circled around them as they traversed through the grassy plains. Tanjiro looked at her and she nodded. He nodded in response, cutting open his palm to start the revival process. Hantengu's form was completely rebuilt within a matter of seconds.
Hantengu rubbed his eyes as he slowly came to consciousness. Without a warning, the demon shrieked when he saw Tanjiro and Nezuko. "Ah! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" He crouched down and covered his head. Tanjiro sat on his knees in front of him. "Hey, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you."
"You aren't?" Hantengu lifted his head. "Why wouldn't you?" Tanjiro smiled and tilted his head. "Well, I believe that the demons can be redeemed." Hantengu seemed surprised, yet willing. "Wait. You would do that for us?" Tanjiro nodded. Hantengu stared off at the horizon. "Why..thank you."
Tanjiro purred with warmth. "Of course." Hantengu looked back at Tanjiro. "There's one other Moon here." Tanjiro nodded, already knowing who this demon is. "Uppermoon Five, I'm guessing?" Hantengu looked around their surroundings. "Yes. His name is Gyokko. He should be over there." He points to the shrouded, dark forest close to the entrance of the village.
Tanjiro stood up and bowed politely. "Thank you. I'll meet back up with you once I bring him back." He patted his leg, calling for Nezuko. Nezuko stood up and went to her brother's side. Hantengu watched her, regret gripping at his heart. "Tanjiro?" The young slayer turned to him. "I'm..I'm sorry.." Hantengu said softly. Tanjiro smiled at him. "I have faith in you in becoming a better person."
Tanjiro turned back to Nezuko, who was humming and swaying her arms. He couldn't help but ruffle her hair and grin. "Come on, Nezuko." Tanjiro said softly, leading the both of them to where Hantengu pointed at. Low and behold, he was right. Red ashes filled the area and they circled around the Kamado siblings.
Tanjiro slit his palms and performed the same trick that he used many times before. Gyokko's form quickly came together from the red ashes..which turned to be an absolute shock to the Kamado. During the battle at the Swordsmith Village, Muichiro was actually the only slayer to have seen Gyokko. So, his appearance was startling to say the least.
Nezuko hid behind her brother as he confronted the misshapen demon. Gyokko shook his head, causing the small arms on his head to flail. "Hyo, hyo, hyo! What have we here? A new Demon King?" His voice was completely devoid of fear or even anger. He seemed..excited?
Tanjiro sniffed the air. Unlike with the others, there was no scent of pain or sorrow. Even Douma had one. A buried scent, but it was still a scent! Alas, Tanjiro wanted to be fair with all of them. "Yes, I am the new Demon King, Gyokko."
Gyokko clapped his small arms together. "Splendid! What kind of art are you planning to make? Oh please tell me!" Tanjiro was weirded out by Gyokko's strange persistence. "We don't eat or kill humans...My goal is to redeem the demons." Gyokko looked disappointed, if you can call his droopy mouth eye an expression. "Oh..how disappointing."
Tanjiro's anger flared at his statement, but he kept it under wraps. "Would you like to join us?" Gyokko stared off to the side before turning back to him. "Well, I guess it is better than my own personal death." Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "You won't eat any humans, right?" Gyokko raised his tiny hands. "I won't.. I can probably make art in other ways.." A sinister chuckle came from him.
Tanjiro huffed in annoyance. "Just don't hurt anyone." He took a deep breath and stood up. "Can you put yourself in your pot? It's the best way I can get you out safely." Gyokko laughed wickedly. "Of course I can! Don't you worry, young king." He slipped his body into the pot below him, causing it to rattle slightly.
Tanjiro sighed as he picked up the pot. Nezuko was tugging on his haori in a worried manner. He turned to her. "I know, Nezuko. Try not to worry." He gave her a reassuring smile. This gave her a bit of comfort, but she was still nervous.
They made their way back to Hantengu, who was just peacefully watching the sun. He looked at them when he heard their footsteps. "Looks like he joined you." Tanjiro nodded slowly, seemingly either deep in thought or perhaps just upset. "Is something wrong, master?" Hantengu asked with genuine concern. "No, I'm fine." He smiled warmly. "We just need to make our way back."
Hantengu nodded. "I can shrink myself, if that'd make it easier." Tanjiro grinned with excitement. "That'd be great! Thank you!" Hantengu stood up and shrunk himself down to only a few inches. Tanjiro bent down and put his free hand down on the ground, so Hantengu could climb on. He did just that and Tanjiro lifted him up and held the small demon close to his chest. "Alright. Now let's take you back to the Infinity Castle."
Their journey back was a smooth one. The Kakushi wondered where Tanjiro received the large pot, but Nezuko told them that he had bought it as a gift for someone. This seemed to convince the Kakushi well enough. Nezuko was a better liar than her brother after all.
The duo or Upperrank demons were quickly returned to the Infinity Castle. Once again, the Kizuki members that were already there felt pretty neutral about their return. Luckily, Nakime showed them where their new rooms were, so the settling process was rather simple.
Tanjiro knew where his last stop would be and he dreaded the idea of going there. The Mugen Train was the last place where a deceased Moon was located. Unfortunately, the demon there not only caused Tanjiro the most pain, but there was a high possibility that he would retaliate. Still, Tanjiro had to be fair with him. He also wanted to be fair with Shinobu, since he had to bring back the one who tormented her the most.
And so, the Kamado siblings made their way to the crash site of the Mugen Train. The sun was setting upon our heros as the night soon began to take shape. Stars littered the skies like diamonds on a black dress. The moon beamed down on the Kamados with mysterious intent as they traversed through the night.
They eventually made their way to where the Mugen Train crashed. The only thing that remained from the wreckage was the tracks that carried the train. It seemed like the train was picked up and repaired for future rides. Whether anyone decided to ride on it again was a complete mystery, but that wasn't the goal of this mission.
Tanjiro, who was holding Nezuko's hand, stopped dead in his tracks when the red ashes were all around them. "We're here, Nezuko." His voice was oddly cold and upset. "Brother? Are you okay?" Nezuko squeezed his hand gently, rubbing the scar on his palm with her thumb. "I just hope this won't take too long."
Thus, he began the revival process. His blood splattering on the ground, the ashes glowing as they were attracted to the blood, and the ashes circling around them to form the titular train demon. Enmu slowly opened his eyes as his form was completed. "Hm? Where am I?"
He looked up to see the Kamado siblings sitting in front of him. "Am I in hell?" Enmu's voice sounded flat and empty. "No" Tanjiro sounded like he was about to growl. "I brought you back." Enmu tilted his head, confused. "How would you be able to do that? You're not a de-" He then caught sight of Tanjiro's shimmering scarlet eyes.
"You..you killed him.." Enmu's eyes widened as he put a hand to his chest. "Muzan Kibutsuji was a ruthless and uncaring leader. He didn't care about your or any of the others' wellbeing. He just used you to get what he wanted." Tanjiro's reasoning was valid and also completely true.
Enmu gritted his teeth. "You're wrong..He cared about me..He gave me purpose..so I had to repay him for all the kindness he gave me!" Tanjiro knew this kind of talk all too well. Muzan used him..he used them all. Tanjiro sniffed the air and there he found it. The same pained scent that had been buried beneath the sands of time.
What once was cold skepticism now turned to understanding empathy. "Listen, he only gave you a false sense of purpose. Muzan just wanted to use you for your power and loyalty." Tanjiro's voice spoke with warmth. "Liar! You don't understand how much he cared for me! You never will!" Enmu growled as he dug his claws in the ground. Tanjiro knew that this poor demon had been manipulated for years.
Enmu growled as he tried to swing his claws at the young slayer, being too flustered to use his Blood Demon Art. Tanjiro jumped up, which startled Enmu since he was much larger than when they last met. The young slayer took this opportunity to grab both of Enmu's hands with one of his own. Tanjiro then shoved him with his foot and pushed Enmu into the ground, immobilizing him.
Nezuko watched all this in awe. He really has gotten stronger! This was a stark contrast to what Tanjiro was capable of back when he originally fought Enmu. Enmu himself was also alarmed by his strength. He wasn't in awe though Enmu was frightened.
He tried to squirm, to break himself free from Tanjiro's grasp, but it was futile. Enmu's hand moved fruitlessly in Tanjiro's. The Demon King bent down and snarled. "I wouldn't do that. If I were you." Enmu stopped struggling out of fear. Instead, he shook with terror and began to panic.
Tanjiro could smell the demon's fear and took a deep breath. "Listen, I didn't mean to scare you, but you must know that what I'm saying is true. I only want the best for you. I promise.." Enmu knew that there was no way out of this. "Fine..I'll join." He closed his eyes in defeat. "I don't want you to think of this as betrayal. He betrayed you by not showing any real love for you."
Enmu didn't listen to Tanjiro's concerned words. "Let's just go.." His voice was absent of any excitement or emotion. Enmu just sounded tired. Tanjiro let go of the demon and took his foot off of his chest. Enmu stood up and dusted himself off. "Is the Infinity Castle still there?"
Tanjiro nodded as he picked up Nezuko and placed her on his shoulders. "Yes, I was actually going to take you there." Enmu looked out at the dark horizon. "Lead the way then.." Tanjiro made a soft rumble as he walked beside him. All of them heading to the demons' refuge.
Now almost all of the Moons that Tanjiro and his friends have encountered were known at the Infinity Castle. Of course, the poor boy was extremely exhausted by the end of this. Not only did he have to travel many miles, but he also lost quite a bit of blood. So, both Tanjiro and Nezuko decided to rest at the Butterfly Estate.
Shinobu had resumed her position as the Corps doctor and medical adviser. So, she was the one taking care of the Kamados. Shinobu constantly insisted that Tanjiro needed to rest so that he could recover the blood he lost. That was what she was doing now.
Tanjiro was sitting up in his designated medical bed. He was telling Nezuko, who was sitting next to him, stories from his adventures that she missed out on while she was a demon. Shinobu then came in with some medicine and tea. "Oh! Thank you, Miss Kocho." Tanjiro smiled at her while she put the items down on the nightstand beside him. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."
"You're not causing me any trouble." Shinobu's wings fluttered slightly. "You need to rest and it's my job to take care of you while you're injured. Besides, you could use the break. You've been through a lot these past few days, Young Kamado."
Tanjiro hummed softly. "Thank you. You're too kind, really." Shinobu smiled back. "I should be the one thanking you. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you." She looked out the window for a moment. "I do have one question for you though."
Both of the Kamados looked up at her. "Sure! Whatever you need." Shinobu nodded. "I know that you told me about your project yesterday and that the master is going to discuss it with the rest of the Hashira...but I just want to know, do you really think that it's going to work?"
Tanjiro went silent for a moment before speaking. "I believe that it will. They were treated poorly, not only by Muzan but also by the people around them when they were human. Granted, some of them will fight me at first, but I believe that over time they will learn and grow as people. They were human before being turned."
That last sentence of his speech reminded Shinobu of someone she held very dear to her. "You sound just like her." Shinobu whispered. Tanjiro and Nezuko looked at her with worry as she shook her head. "I myself don't really believe that they can change.." Tanjiro frowned, but he understood why she would say that.
"But your heart is in the right place." The Kamados looked up at her in surprise. "As long as you can keep them under control, I'll support you with anything you need." Shinobu smiled at him with motherly intent. Tanjiro returned with happiness and excitement. "Thank you so much, Miss Kocho."
"Ehem, Lady Kocho?" Aoi popped her head in the room. All three of the half-demons turned to her. "Yushiro is here and he wants to visit Tanjiro." The Kamado siblings lit up when they heard Yushiro's name. "Of course! Send him in." Shinobu smiled eagerly. "We should check in to see how he's doing."
Aoi's head disappeared as her voice was then heard talking to the familiar demon. Then , Yuishiro walked in. He didn't have his usual stern look, but instead he looked tired and somber. "Hello, Kamado." His voice was soft as he tried to smile softly.
Tanjiro knew that Tamayo's death hit the poor demon hard. He gave him a soft smile. "Hello, Mister Yushiro. How are you feeling?" Yushiro only turned his head and made a soft hum. "I'm so sorry. I know that it hurts." Tanjiro's voice was warm and empathetic. "It's not your fault. She had to do it."
Shinobu walked over to him and took his hand. Yushiro followed her beside Tanjiro's bed. "I know that things have been rather busy for you." Yushiro looked up at Tanjiro. "I just came here to make sure that you're okay." Tanjiro nodded. "I'm fine. A bit tired, but otherwise okay. I'm more concerned about you."
Yushiro shrugged. "I'll be okay..eventually." That statement made everyone's heart break. They knew that Tamayo was the only person that Yushiro had left over then Chachamaru. Then, Tanjiro started to think. He knew that he was able to separate Shinobu's DNA from Douma and Muzan absorbed Tamayo right before his essence was transferred to Tanjiro. So what if Tamayo's DNA was still inside him? Could he possibly bring her back?
There's no other way to find out than trying. Tanjiro filled his mind with memories of Tamayo. He focused all his strength and energy and imagined that Tamayo was there with them. Then, a sharp pain spread across his body, causing him to let out a vicious scream.
Everyone immediately sprang up to try to help him. Shinobu ran to get some pain medicine while Nezuko tried wrapping Tanjiro up in the blanket. Yushiro didn't exactly know what was going on, so he just panicked. Strangely, purple specks of light rose from Tanjiro.
This threw everyone off guard. Nezuko figured out what her brother was trying to do, but Yushiro was just alarmed. "What's he doing?!" Yushiro's heart throbbed with panic. "He's doing this for you." Nezuko said softly.
Tanjiro's body felt like he was being torn apart as he roared in pain. The purple lights slowly started to come together to form the demon doctor. Yushiro's eyes widened as he saw the love of his life slowly being restored. Tanjiro's screaming died off as the process was completed. He then slumped over in the bed, groaning in pain.
Tamayo then opened her eyes. She looked around the medical room. "Wh-where am I?" She spoke with a daze. "Lady Tamayo?" Yushiro was in complete disbelief at what was in front of him. Tamayo turned to him, her eyes widened. "Yushiro?" The demon's assistant buckled to his knees and started to cry. Tamayo immediately went over to him and hugged him tightly.
"I missed you.." Yushiro sobbed into her shoulder. "I missed you too." Tamayo said softly and she hugged him. Shinobu then came in with the pain medicine. She looked up at the scene in front of her and almost dropped her medicine out of surprise. "Tamayo? Is that really you?"
Tamayo turned to look at Shinobu. "Shinobu? You're here.." Tamayo smiled at her. "I'm so glad." Tanjiro groaned in pain as Nezuko tried her best to comfort him. Everyone turned to them. "Oh my..What happened, young Kamado?" Tamayo stood up and went to his side, followed by Yushiro.
"I had..to bring you back..it was the least..I could do for you.. and Yushiro." Tanjiro winced weakly. Tamayo smiled at him and started to pet his head. "Thank you. You didn't have to put yourself through so much pain just for me." Tanjiro only closed his eyes in response. Shinobu went over to him and helped him sit up. She took a spoonful of the medicine and gave it to him. "There. That should help him."
"Thank you." Nezuko hugged her weak brother. "Of course. He's probably going to have to stay here for a few more days then." Shinobu sighed. "I could stay here to help him." Tamayo offered. "Just to make sure he gets better." Shinobu nodded and smiled. "That'd be great. Thank you so much." Tamayo gently ruffled Tanjiro's hair. "It's the least I can do."
It was a good thing that she offered too, since Kiriya ordered for the Hashira meeting the next day. The master waited patiently for all the Hashira to arrive. Which they did so rather quickly. Shinobu was the first to show while Tengen and Sanemi were the last. Rengoku walked in with Giyuu and Mitsuri did the same with Obanai. Gyomei walked in with Muichiro by his side. Then, they all took their place in front of the master.
"Good morning everyone." Kiriya beamed. His two sisters, who had originally died in the explosion with their parents, were now sitting next to him as half-demons. "Good morning, master!" Rengoku boomed positively. The others followed suit in greeting the master.
Kiriya smiled softly as they finished. "As we all know, Tanjiro and the majority of you are now half-demons." The ones who were converted nodded. "Well, I have gathered you today to tell you of a new project that Tanjiro is starting up." They all looked at each other curiously, except for Shinobu of course.
Kiriya took a deep breath. "Tanjiro is going to try to rehabilitate the demons." Most of the Hashiras looked at each other with confusion. "What?! With all do respect master, there's no way that Kamado seriously believes that those things can be redeemed!" Obanai hissed angrily as his tail wrapped around Mitsuri's waist.
Kiriya nodded. "I understand your concerns, but don't worry. Tanjiro has complete control over them." Rengoku smiled and huffed. "He's right! Young Kamado already has a demon who's already changing for the better!" Sanemi looked at him crossly. "You mean that Lower Moon runt?"
"Sanemi..there's no need for language like that." Kiriya's voice was strict and venomous. "Well, I've met him and he seems very sweet! He is just a child after all." Mitsuri chirped. "That doesn't change the fact that he's still a danger." Obanai hissed aggressively.
"He passed the blood test." All the Hashiras turned to Kiriya. "I cut my arm to see if he would take it, but he didn't. Rui has no bloodlust." They all looked at each other. "Is that really true?" Muichiro asked. "It is. I was there when it happened, and so was Shinazugawa." Giyuu said in his usual stoic voice. Sanemi just turned his head and remained silent.
"Still..this project of his is going to be a failure." Obanai scoffed, crossing his arms. "Maybe, but then again, maybe not." Gyomei spoke softly. "We won't know exactly how successful this can be. He sees something in them that most don't. I wish only the best for him."
"I hate to say it, but Himejima's right." Tengen spoke. "Who knows how successful this could be. Plus, Kamado is more powerful now than he ever was. So, he'll be able to keep a hold on them." Sanemi sighed. "Do we have to get directly involved?"
Kiriya shook his head. "Not in the redemption process, no. However, I will be sending you on missions to convert other demons. If they consistently refuse, then kill them. Just don't kill them just because you want to." Obanai huffed irritably. "I guess that's better than working with them."
"Don't give him a hard time. Young Kamado just wants them to have better lives. Who knows what they've been through." Rengoku said, trying to convince them. Both Obanai and Sanemi scoffed. "Just keep them away from me."
Kiriya sighed, tired from all the fighting. "I know that this is a lot to digest, but I promise you that you won't be taken away from your families again. Try to live the life you want to live." All the Hashira nodded. Giyuu then looked up at the ceiling. "That's what Tanjiro wants for everyone."
Author's note: This is the last of the introductory chapters. The majority of the chapters going forward are going to be more episodic with continuous character arcs and plot lines.
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter Seven
Rainy Night
Warnings: it's mostly just hurt/comfort
Word Count: 4566
Shortly after the Hashira meeting, Tanjiro was cleared to head home by Tamayo. What would've taken a normal human to recover from the blood loss and severe pain-which would've taken a few days or even weeks-was only a fraction of the recovery time Tanjiro needed. This is due him being a half-demon of course.
"Thank you so much for taking care of me and my sister, Miss Tamayo." Tanjiro bowed politely as he stood at the entrance of the Butterfly Estate. Nezuko was holding his hand and bowed as well. "No need to thank me." Tamayo said warmly as she waved her hand. "I should be the one thanking you. You've done so much for both me and Yushiro." Yushiro stayed by her side and nodded, agreeing.
Tanjiro returned with a warm smile. "I just felt like you two deserved a better life. So, make sure to enjoy it the best you can!" His voice was sharp with determination. Tamayo nodded and bowed. "We will! Have a great day, Tanjiro!" The couple waved as the Kamado siblings walked out of the estate and hit the road.
"Should we head back to our home?" Tanjiro turned to Nezuko. During his time as a demon slayer, Tanjiro did his best to save up his money to buy both him and his sister a warm, safe home. He was able to afford a small house that was in between the Butterfly Estate and where the Infinity Castle was located now. It wasn't much, but it gave them everything they needed. "Sure!" Nezuko said excitedly. "I do have some projects I want to show you."
"That's great! I can't wait to see them!" Tanjiro smiled with warmth and love. The walk back home was calm and tranquil. A moment like this was rare for a demon slayer, so the siblings treasured these moments whenever they occurred. They walked across the dirt path, looking out over the golden valley. Tanjiro looked up at the fiery, yet cloudy, sky and hummed. "It's getting late."
By the time the Kamados got to their house, the sun had almost completely set and the clouds started to rumble and flash with light. "Hmm, looks like it's going to rain." Nezuko watched the lightning dance in the clouds. "We better get inside then." Tanjiro quickly ushered his sister into the small house.
The two siblings sighed in relief when they finally entered their home. It looked very similar to the one they lived in when they were kids. Tanjiro wasn't really aware of that fact when he bought it, so his subconscious must've known it. The white walls and the light brown floors provided great comfort for the siblings.
They had bought and installed a fireplace that was placed against the right side of the main room. Tanjiro even bought rocking chairs-that were put in front of the fireplace-for both him and his sister. Ultimately though, they lived a pretty simple lifestyle. "Alright Nezuko." Tanjiro turned to his sister. "Lead the way."
Nezuko giggled as she took her brother's hand. She led him through the white walled hallways all the way to her bedroom. "Wait here." She said excitedly. Nezuko then entered her room. Tanjiro could hear her fumbling around with some of her things, seemingly trying to find something. "No..Not it..Aha! Found it!"
It was only a few minutes later when Nezuko emerged. Her outfit looked like the exact same out that she used to wear, but..she was in her awakened form! Nezuko smiled at her brother as she swayed her arms. "I made this to better cover myself when I'm in this form. It makes me feel more comfortable using it. Do you like it?"
Tanjiro smiled sweetly. "I love it, Nezuko. You look really pretty." Nezuko couldn't help but grin and fidget with the sash on her kimono. "Thank you!" Something then popped up in her mind. "Oh! Hang on a second, brother." Nezuko then ran back into her room, so Tanjiro waited patiently.
Nezuko then came out with a large, fluffy blanket draped over her shoulders. It dragged on the floor due to its sheer size. The pattern on the top resembled the night sky. Swirls of purple, blue, and black gave the blanket a comforting feel. Plus, the small white spots-meaning to resemble stars-tied the whole piece together. It was like a work of art. Perfectly executing just how talented Nezuko was.
"Wow.." Tanjiro was in awe. "That looks amazing, Nezuko!" He put a hand on the pudgy blanket. It felt as soft as silk. "And it's soft too!" Nezuko smiled with glee. "Thank you. It's meant to help keep someone warm during the winter. That's why it's so bulky. I have to finish up some of the seams, but it's almost done!" She looked at the blanket, then back at her brother. "I just don't know who to give it to."
Tanjiro hummed and tilted his tilt. "Don't worry. We'll find someone! Just enjoy what you've made until you find someone to give it to." Nezuko nodded. She went up to her brother and hugged him tightly. Due to Tanjiro's new height-which was measured to be 6'7" by Shinobu-he managed to be taller than Nezuko in her awakened form. Tanjiro wrapped his arms around her as well. He even swung her around, causing her to giggle like a child.
Tanjiro set her down after a few seconds. He then sniffed the air, catching a rather expected scent. "It's raining and it's coming down rather hard." Nezuko looked up at the ceiling that was sheltering them from the unforgiving weather. "Good thing we made it inside when we did."
Tanjiro nodded then looked down at her. "Does Udon sound good for dinner? I think it sounds perfect for a rainy night." Nezuko grinned and nearly jumped up and down. "Yes! Yes! Your cooking is great!" Tanjiro chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm and pet her on the head. "Good thing I learned how to cook from Aoi then. Alright! I'm on it!"
"Damn it, brother! How did we get lost?!" Daki growled as she tried her best to block the rain with her obi sashes. "Don't ask me! Now that the Infinity Castle has a set location, we can't ask the biwa lady to take us there." Gyutaro also tried to use his body to defend his sister from the pouring rain.
The duo had been trying to find the Infinity Castle since they were revived. Gyutaro originally asked Tanjiro where it was, but the answer that he got didn't really clear things up. He was told that the castle was located where the master's old mansion was. Unfortunately, Gyutaro figured that they might run into another Hashira on their way there. Especially since they might be trying to monitor the half-demons' activities, so he didn't ask for any further directions.
This of course turned out to be a big mistake. Both of the siblings were extremely exhausted and hungry and now..they were stuck out here in the pouring rain. "This is just great." Daki grumbled as she trudged through the mud. "It's alright. I'll try to find us somewhere for shelter." Gyutaro's voice was faulty and weak. Daki shook her head. "There's not even a cave in sight! Where are we supposed to take shelter?"
Both of the siblings looked up to see a decently sized house. There was a light that could be seen through the sliding doors. Daki looked entranced, but Gyutaro only snarled. "Don't get your hopes up, Ume. No one is going to help us." Daki looked up at her brother and sighed heavily. "Just the story of our lives."
Tanjiro was boiling the noodles in the noodle basket that was given to him by Aoi. He had already boiled two eggs for him and his sister and he also set out tempura flakes and togorashi spices. Despite all the colorful scents from the spices, Tanjiro was still able to pick up two strange, yet familiar scents.
"Hey, Nezuko." Tanjiro called out to his sister. She peeked her head around the corner. "Could you watch over these noodles for a second?" Nezuko nodded and walked up to him. "Sure. Is something wrong?" She asked with a bit of concern. "I'm not sure." Tanjiro said honestly. He walked over to the entrance of their household, opened the door slightly, and peered outside.
There he saw the Shabana siblings trudging through the mud and rain, eyes widening with guilt. Tanjiro opened the door completely. "Hey! What are you two doing out here? You're getting soaked!" Tanjiro called out to them. The Shabana siblings turned to face him, confused. Neither of them fully trusted him yet, especially Daki. So they didn't know what he wanted from them.
"Come inside!" Tanjiro gestured for them to come inside the house. Daki looked at her brother. "Should we trust him?" She sounded both nervous and a bit aggressive. "It's better than staying out here, isn't it?" Gyutaro asked. Daki huffed, knowing he was right. A loud explosion from the sky startled her and she quickly started to run to the house with Gyutaro following behind her.
Mud covered the floor as the two ran into the house. Tanjiro shut the door behind them. "Are you two alright?" He asked with concern, placing a hand on Gyutaro's shoulder. The siblings said nothing as they tried to catch their breath. Nezuko peeked her head around the corner to see what was going on. Her eyes widened when she saw them. This wasn't out of fear though, she was just surprised to see them.
"We're fine." Daki hissed. "Just lost." Gyutaro stretched his arms. "We couldn't find the Infinity Castle," Tanjiro covered his mouth with his hand. "I'm sorry. I probably should've given you a map." Daki shook her head. "We didn't want to go the traditional way. There could've been a Hashira there!" Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "There weren't any Hashira there."
"There weren't?!" The Shabana siblings yelled angrily. Tanjiro only nodded in response. "Great! This is just great!" Daki huffed in aggravation. "We could've just asked for directions!" Gyutaro scratched his neck as he listened to his sister. "Yeah..I should've just asked."
"There's no need to beat yourselves up about it." Tanjiro interjected. "We all make mistakes. You two could stay here tonight if you'd like. I could even lead you to the Infinity Castle in the morning." The Shabana siblings looked at each other. They weren't sure if they could completely trust him. Finally, they sighed. "Just don't pull anything on us, otherwise we'll rip your throat out. Got it?" Daki growled. Tanjiro smiled despite the aggression. "It's okay. I'll make sure that you will be comfortable."
"Hey, Nezuko." Tanjiro called his sister again. She perked her head around the corner. "I'll take care of the noodles. Can you start the bath water?" Nezuko nodded and smiled before running off to their sento. "You have your own sento?" Gyutaro asked curiously. Tanjiro nodded. "It's nothing too fancy. Since we aren't close to any towns or cities, this is just how we stay clean."
The siblings nodded, understanding the situation. Water could be heard splashing and running while Tanjiro went back to his noodles. Luckily, the batch was pretty much done. So, Tanjiro poured the noodles into two bowls. He decided to repeat the process of making the eggs and noodles for the new guests.
Daki tried shaking the mud off of her. "Ugh..I feel so disgusting." Gyutaro surprisingly didn't do the same. "Don't get the mud everywhere, Ume." Daki looked up at him. "Why?" Gyutaro sighed. "Because we shouldn't make then regret their choice in letting us stay." Daki huffed in annoyance. "They don't are about us."
Gyutaro was about to make a rebuttal when Nezuko came into the room. She was carrying two towels and two elegant kimonos. One of them was hot pink with black stripes around the cuffs and edges. The other was very similar, but the pink color was swapped with black and the black stripes was changed to green. Even Daki couldn't deny that they were quite beautiful.
"Your bath is ready." Nezuko smiled at them. "You two can pick which one goes first." Before Daki could say anything, Gyutaro already spoke up for her. "My sister can go first. She deserves to keep her cleanliness." Nezuko nodded and walked over to Daki. She gave her the pink kimono and one of the towels. "We can wash your clothes if you'd like."
"Oh there's no need for that." Daki laughed. "Our clothes are apart of our bodies. We can manipulate them to do whatever we want. Very few demons actually wear clothes" Nezuko tilted her head curiously. "Really? I didn't know that." She smiled at them with warmth.
"Where is the sento exactly?" Gyutaro asked, scratching his neck. Nezuko points down the hallway. "It's the farthest door to your right." The Shabana siblings nodded. "Thanks." Daki said flatly. Nezuko only hummed. "You're welcome!"
Daki carefully walked down the hallway, trying to avoid getting mud everywhere. She looked around at her surroundings. Everything was clean and neat, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It was nothing too extravagant, but it was comfortable. Daki smiled to herself as she walked into the sento.
The sento was just was clean and tidy as everywhere else. A decently sized tube was brimming with warm water. Daki stuck her back into the soothing water. She closed her eyes and hummed softly. "Not bad, Kamados. Not bad at all."
While Gyutaro was patiently waiting for his sister to finish, Nezuko was setting out futons for them. Both she and Tanjiro agreed that the boys would sleep in his room while the girls slept in her room. At the moment, Tanjiro was finishing up making the new batch of noodles. He hummed his mother's lullaby as he did so.
Daki stood in the sento mirror, admiring the beautiful kimono that she was given. It was just as soft as it was pretty. The kimono managed to keep her warm and it also had another quality that she couldn't quite describe. "I'm going to have to commission the person who made this. It's just beautiful!"
She walked out of the sento and headed back to the living room. Gyutaro smiled at her when he saw her. "Wow Ume..you look great." Daki gave him a happy smile. One that he wished he could see more often. Tanjiro finished up with the Udon and peered his heard around the doorway. "I'll go change up the water for you, Gyutaro."
Gyutaro was just confused by his kindness. "Thank..you." Tanjiro smiled at him before going to the sento. Within a few minutes, Tanjiro came back from the sento. "It's all ready!" Gyutaro then headed to where Nezuko had pointed to before. All of this felt rather odd to Gyutaro. He couldn't believe that the Kamado siblings were treating them with that much kindness. Especially with what happened at the Entertainment District.
In the end, Gyutaro just shrugged it off as a ploy to get him and his sister to do whatever they wanted. So he kept his guard up. Gyutaro entered the sento and breathed in the steamy air. For some reason, this was..refreshing. He had never felt this sensation before. "What the-?" Gyutaro then peered down into the water of the tub and became mesmerized.
Tanjiro was cleaning up the mud in the hallway when he saw Gyutaro. The door was still open, so he was able to see the frankly beautiful scene. All Gyutaro was doing was dipping his hand into the warm water and playing with the ripples. Despite this being a rather simple act, it spoke miles to Tanjiro of how this poor demon grew up. He could see how fascinated Gyutaro was by the water and how it calmed him. Tanjiro smiled to himself as he got up, went over to the door, and quietly shut the door.
It took quite a while for Gyutaro to finish up. When he did, he looked like he was in another plane of existence. Gyutaro felt-for the first time in his life-clean and taken care of. He gripped the front of the kimono he was wearing. The soft material provided great comfort and warmth to him as he walked out to the living room.
Everyone turned to look at him when he came in. "You look like a kid in a candy shop." Daki smirked. Gyutaro only hummed in response as he sat down next to his sister. Tanjiro and Nezuko smiled at the two of them as the older one of the two stood up. "I've actually made food for all of us, so I hope you like it."
Tanjiro went to the kitchen to gather the Udon. Daki and Gyutaro looked at each other nervously. They hoped that it wasn't contaminated. Tanjiro came back with four bowls of Udon and chopsticks. He set down a bowl and a pair of chopsticks in front of each one of them before taking a seat himself. Both him and his sister picked up their bowls and chopsticks. "I hope you two enjoy your meal and don't worry, half-demons can eat human food."
That wasn't exactly what the Shabana siblings were worried about. They nervously picked up their bowls, hesitant to take a bite. The Kamados took quick notice of this. "It's okay." Nezuko said reassuringly. "The food isn't poisoned." With the sound of their stomachs growing, the Shabana siblings nervously took a bite.
To say that this was great food would be an understatement. Due to them being poor as humans and then being limited to eating humans as demons, the Shabana siblings never had a good meal. So, this was the best meal they've ever had. All the nervousness completely vanished from them as they ate their meals with a voracious appetite.
"This is great!" Daki purred as she ate. "Do you two like the Udon?" Tanjiro tilted his head. "Like it? This is the best meal we've ever had!" Gyutaro laughed. Tanjiro smiled at them, feeling both glad and upset by their reactions. "I'm glad to hear that."
Then it came time for them to go to bed. The rain was pouring heavily outside, creating a rather soothing sound. Gyutaro and Daki were rather nervous about being separated, but they understood why the Kamados would decide to do that. Thus, Gyutaro walked by Tanjiro's side and Daki went with Nezuko.
Daki immediately went to her designated futon-which was right in front of the door-and climbed in it. The fabric was just as soft as the kimono she was wearing. It was purple with a lovely floral pattern on the top. She stretched her arms as Nezuko went to her futon and laid down as well.
Truth be told, Daki was not expecting this level of kindness to come out of the Kamados. Both her and her brother expected them to try to enact revenge on them for what they did to them at the Entertainment District, yet the siblings never did. They treated them with the most kindness they have ever been given. They treated them like they were..human.
"Hey, Nezuko." Daki said softly. Nezuko turned in her Funtime to face her. "Thank you for..letting us stay. We know it must not be easy to have us here." Nezuko sat up in her futon. "It's no problem really. We didn't want you to suffer out there." Daki smiled at her. "You're the only people who have ever done that for us."
The room went silent for a moment as Nezuko soaked that in. "To be honest.." Daki continued. "I was more worried for my brother." Nezuko raised an eyebrow. "How come?" Daki sighed with a heavy heart. "His body is extremely sensitive to the cold. If we stayed out there for another minute, he probably would've gotten hypothermia."
Nezuko knew that Gyutaro's skinny body not only caused him to feel insecure, but now it caused him to suffer. She wondered how much they must've suffered as humans. Nezuko then looked over at her blanket-which was hanging on a rack near the back of the room.
Now knowing what she wanted to use it for, Nezuko got out of her futon and headed to the blanket. She slung it over her shoulder and grabbed a needle and some thread. Daki watched her curiously from her futon, wondering what she was going to do. Nezuko sat down on her futon and began to close up the final seam on the blanket.
Daki's eyes widened. "Wait! You made that?!" Nezuko nodded. "I actually make a lot of the clothing for me and my brother. I even made the kimonoy that you and your brother are wearing." Daki instinctively touched the soft fabric of the kimono. "Wow..who would've guessed."
Daki looked down at the floor then up at Nezuko. "They're actually really beautiful." Nezuko looked up from her work. "You think so?" Daki nodded. Nezuko smiled, feeling warm and satisfied. "Why, thank you." She then returned to her work. Daki watched curiously as Nezuko was sewing the blanket. She fiddled with her hands, wanting to ask her something.
"Nezuko?" Nezuko looked up at Daki. "Could you..teach me how to sew? I was never taught how." Nezuko gave Daki an excited smile. "I'd love to!" She scooted both herself and the blanket closer to Daki so that she could watch. Daki paid close attention to Nezuko as she explained the different types of stitches and their different purposes. She even let Daki finish the seam when she was halfway through.
Once they were done, the two girls stood and held the blanket up to examine their work. "It looks great!" Daki smiled to herself. Nezuko nodded in agreement. "Do you think your brother would like it?" Daki turned to her with a puzzled look. "Hm?" Nezuko looked back at the blanket. "Well, I originally had no idea who I could give this blanket to. That was, until you told me about your brother. I figured that this might help him with the coming winter.
Daki's heart melted when she heard this. "You'd really do that for him? You worked so hard on this." Nezuko returned the smile. "He needs it. Do you think he'll like it?" Daki nodded. "He'll love it."
While they were mending the blanket, Gyutaro was pawing at his own futon with a dreamlike smile on his face. The luxurious material wasn't like anything he had felt before. He was almost in denial that he was actually sleeping in a bed, let alone a soft and clean one!
Tanjiro came in wearing his normal bed kimono and checkered haori. Gyutaro looked up at him and tilted his head. He couldn't believe that this boy was being so kind to him. After all they've done to them, any normal person would've just tortured them for vengeance.
"I'm sorry if staying here made you uncomfortable." Tanjiro said sweetly. "We know that we didn't really get off in the best foot." Gyutaro widened his eyes and shook his head. "Why are you sorry? I should be the one apologizing." His voice was soft. "You two gave us good food, warm baths, and a temporary roof over our heads...even after all we've done."
Tanjiro sat down in front of him. "I just wanted to help you." Gyutaro scratched his neck in confusion. "But why?! I don't deserve it! I only wanted to keep my sister safe, but I only made it worse.."
Tanjiro pointed at the half-demon. "There, right there." Tanjiro spoke with a soft and gentle voice. "That's why I started this project. Despite all the things you've done..all the unforgivable actions you've committed..I know that you are more complex beings than we have given you credit for."
"I don't understand." Gyutaro whispered. Tanjiro grabbed a lamp and put it beside them. "Gyutaro..I've noticed and have learned quite a lot about you two while you were staying here." He looks up at Gyutaro. "You didn't have much when you were human, did you?"
The question threw Gyutaro off quite a bit. This boy was a lot more intelligent than he thought he was. "You're quite observant." Gyutaro chuckled. "You're right..We didn't have much. Despite that, I always tried my best to make Ume happy."
Tanjiro could feel his heart breaking as he listened to him. He stood on his knees and quickly hugged Gyutaro. "What the-?" Initially, he was very confused why he did this. Then, he let the warmth of Tanjiro's body sooth him. This was something new. No one else-other than his sister-ever embraced him like this.
All of his pent up pain and suffering caved as Gyutaro gripped Tanjiro's haori tightly. He sobbed into the boy's shoulder, letting all of the anger and envy wash away. "It's okay. You can let your emotions out safely here." Tanjiro whispered reassuringly. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so sorry!"
This lasted for about a minute before Gyutaro let go of Tanjiro's haori. They pulled away from each other. "Do you feel any better?" Tanjiro asked with a sweet smile. "I do..thank you." Gyutaro sniffed.
Tanjiro knew that this was proof of everything he believed. The fact that demons were and still can be human. That demons really could be redeemed. That just a little bit of kindness can change someone's life.
"Even though what you two did was unforgivable, you and your sister deserved better lives as humans. You didn't deserve to be treated so poorly. I'm so sorry.." Gyutaro gave Tanjiro a warm smile. "You don't need to apologize for anything. You're the only two that have ever shown us kindness."
A knock came from the sliding door, causing them to turn their attention to it. Nezuko and Daki then emerged from the doorway with the starry blanket draped over their shoulders. "Brother! Brother!" Daki cheered happily. "Nezuko made something for you!"
"Oh? She did?" Gyutaro tilted his head. Daki then carried the blanket over to her brother and wrapped it around him. "She said that she wanted you to have it so you can keep yourself warm." Gyutaro looked up at the both of them as he clutched the soft, thick blanket around him. "Thank you, Nezuko. You didn't have to do this."
Nezuko walked beside her brother. "I wanted to make sure that you would be warm during the winter. My brother and I know how cruel winter can be." Tanjiro pet her on the head, being proud of his little sister. Gyutaro lifted up his arm, making the blanket around his arm to look like a bat's wing. Daki immediately snuggled up against her brother as he wrapped the blanket around the both of them.
"Kinda reminds me of a certain promise, huh?" Gyutaro chuckled. Daki only giggled and hugged her brother. Both Tanjiro and Nezuko smiled at the Shabana siblings. "Do you think we could be friends?" Tanjiro asked softly. The Shabana siblings both looked up at him. "I don't see why not. We could probably help you with the others." Gyutaro said as he ruffled his sister's hair. Tanjiro smiled with utter excitement. "That'd be great!"
Author's Note: This is the first sort of slice of life chapter. It's one I've been thinking about for a while and I have put a lot of effort into this. It made me cry..multiple times..probably because Gyutaro is my favorite demon, but who knows.
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter: Eight
The First Meeting
Warnings: None!
Word Count: 3570
The brilliant sun was beaming down on Kanao was she was making her way through the forest. A wicker basket, that was covered with a small sheet, swayed in her right hand. The basket itself was for Muichiro Tokito. Thus being the reason why Kanao was heading to the Mist Estate in the first place.
Shinobu had prepared the basket with various berries and ointments. Some of them being pain relief medicines while others were for various types of illnesses. Kanao had no idea why she was doing this since none of the slayers were going on any dangerous missions anymore and the half-demon transformation didn't seem to be painful.
What made this even stranger was that Shinobu had been refusing to speak for the last few days. She claimed that this was due to a sore throat. However, this seemed to go on longer than any normal sore throat. Plus, weren't demons not supposed to get sick? Kanao shook her head, reasoning that half-demons must have a slightly different biology.
She quickly reached the entrance of the Mist Estate. The large mansion reflected the calmness of the Must Hashira himself. The white window covers were a sharp contrast to the brown, wood walls. Yet, the white matched the upper level of the house. Kanao knocked on the door with her free hand.
"Tokito? Are you home?" Kanao said in a soft voice. She heard some rather heavy footsteps approaching the sliding door. The door slid open to reveal..Genya? What was he doing here? His black eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. "Oh, hey Kanao. How are you?" His voice was a lot friendlier than usual and his face was slightly red. It seemed like he was setting down since the battle.
"I'm fine." Kanao said warmly. "I'm just here to deliver this basket to Tokito." She held up the basket for him to take. Genya carefully took it, his face blushing even more. "Do you wanna come inside?" Genya asked, not wanting to be rude. "Sure. I have plenty of time." Kanao smiled as she walked inside with him.
The mansion was well lit by the sunlight and looked rather colorful. Although the walls and furniture were the traditional brown color, there were also many paper figurines of various colors. Kanao knew that Muichiro loved to make Origami figures, so she figured that he made them himself. Genya took a quick left and led her to the living room.
A low-lying table with two gray cushions sat in the middle of the room. The wall to the right had small shelves that were lined with Origami swans and cats. "He's rather talented." Kanao said in awe as she scanned the shelves. Genya put the basket down on the table and looked at the shelves as well. "Oh yeah. Tokito had been making these figures for years. They're quite impressive really."
Kanao then turned to face Genya. "By the way, why are you here? I don't mean to be rude. I'm just curious." Genya looked nervous, almost embarrassed to say it. "I've been helping Muichiro adapt." Kanao raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Is he losing control of himself?" Genya shook his head. "Not quite. We've just been learning what his Blood Demon Art is...and a few other things.."
Kanao's confusion was only made worse by the sound of distressed mewing. "Do you own a cat?" She asked curiously. Genya sighed and put a hand to his head. "No..here. Let me show you." Genya then walked out of the room with Kanao cautiously following behind him.
The further they went into the mansion, the louder the mewing got. Kanao could tell that this was a male creature by the sound of it. Genya led her to the right room at the end of the hallway. He put his hand up to tell her to stop. Kanao decided to peek into the room when Genya went inside. She gasped at the image she saw.
Muichiro was on his knees with a hand over his throat. He was trying to rub it, seemingly to soothe it. Genya knelt down beside him. "It's aching again?" Genya asked, voice filled with concern. Muichiro nodded and..mewed? He was the one who was making those noises! "Is he alright?" Kanao asked as she walked into the room. Muichiro looked up at her and immediately covered his mouth.
"Don't worry. His vocal cords are just changing." Genya said this as if this was completely normal. "How? I've ever heard any demons make those noises." Genya hugged Muichiro as he sighed. "Let me explain.."
"When I devoured a demon for the third time, I lost control of my vocal cords. I couldn't speak any human language and I could only make animal noises. No matter how much I tried to speak, I just couldn't. I was just as confused as you are. After all, demons don't talk like this. That was also the longest time that I was turned. It ended after a few days and by then my voice box adapted to make those noises and to speak. From what I'm guessing, that's just what demons go through when they're turned."
Kanao put a hand to her chin, thinking. "That's why Shinobu isn't speaking.." Genya nodded. "All of the fallen Hashira must be going through this. It'd just a natural process, so there's nothing to worry about." Kanao looked up at the two slayers. "So, did he call you over because he didn't know what was going on?" Both of the boys nodded.
"He sounded pretty terrified in his letter." Genya made a soft purring noise as he held Muichiro. Kanao smiled as she walked over to them. She crouched down and petted Muichiro's head. "Don't worry, Tokito. Everything will be alright." Muichiro smiled at her and mewed in response.
News of the truth of these strange noises spread across the corps. All of Hashira-and even Tanjiro himself-were dealing with these noises. They had a strange unique sound to each person as if they were associated with a specific animal. Some were obvious like Rengoku making gritty roars and chuffs like a tiger and Shinobu making soft trills and buzzes like a butterfly. However, some weren't exactly expected like Tanjiro making powerful huffs and growls like a bear and Muichiro making sweet kitten-like mews.
Regardless of all things, they eventually adapted within a few days. Although, Tanjiro did have some questions. "Do you think the Kizuki might know where these strange noises come from?" Tanjiro asked. He was sitting as a low desk with Nezuko on his right side and Zenitsu on his left. "I'd say that's gonna be your best bet." Nezuko said as she stroked Matsuemon-who was cawing happily.
"I don't trust them. I mean..what if they try to kill you?" Zenitsu almost sounded like he growled. "It's okay, Zen." Tanjiro hummed softly as he stroked the blonde's head. "I'll be fine. Besides, we already have some friends!" Zenitsu rolled his eyes. "You mean those siblings? They're cruel. Trust me..I've seen it myself."
Tanjiro rumbled disappointingly. "I know what they've done is unforgivable, but I really do believe that they can change." Zenitsu looked the other way. "I just don't want you to get hurt." Tanjiro could feel Zenitsu grabbing his arm with a tight grip. The Demon King placed his hand over Zenitsu's arm and smiled. "Don't worry. I know that everything will be okay."
Nezuko hummed softly. "It might be best to have a meeting with them. Not only to set some ground rules, but also to learn more about them." Tanjiro nodded. "That sounds great! Matsuemon, could you inform the demons? The meeting will start in an hour." The crow cawed. "I could! Good thing all the demons are in the castle!" The crow turned around, opened his wings, and took off.
The hour passed as quickly as sound. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Zenitsu we're heading to the dreadful Infinity Castle. The Kamado siblings were very hesitant to bring Zenitsu along at first, but the blonde insisted. Saying that he just wanted to make sure Tanjiro was safe. With that, the siblings ended up caving.
The warm forest shimmered beautifully as the trio traversed through it. Nezuko was humming a soft tune as she skipped in front of the two boys. Tanjiro enjoyed watching her, but Zenitsu was only thinking. His mind was a deep ocean of doubt and concern. It was put through a storm when Tanjiro disappeared. Now, it seemed like an entirely new, lovely ecosystem. Zenitsu watched him carefully and they scaled the mountain.
The Infinity Castle soon came into view. It looked like a traditional, small house with brown walls and white windows. The trio walked up the steps and Tanjiro knocked on the sliding door. "Hmm?..Who's there?" A deep, intimidating voice said from behind it. This caused Zenitsu to yelp and hide behind Tanjiro. "It's me, Tanjiro Kamado." Tanjiro said. Some shuffling was heard behind the door.
Then, Kokushibo slid the door open. "Good morning..young king." His voice was cold and unreadable. "You must be here..to start the meeting." Kokushibo looked down at the other two with him. Squinting his middle pair when he laid his eyes on a cowering Zenitsu. Tanjiro nodded as he squeezed Zenitsu's hand gently. "Yes. That's exactly why we're here."
Kokushibo turned back to Tanjiro. "Follow me..." He turned around and walked off into the castle. The trio quickly followed him, shutting the door behind them. The world of the Infinity Castle was more like an infinite maze of hallways and rooms. It wasn't as confusing or disjointed as it was before, but it was still difficult to navigate. Rooms seemed to line the walls and various bridges and stairs connected them.
Kokushibo walked with some speed, which made the others have to jog in order to catch up with him. "I don't think he likes you." Zenitsu whispered to Tanjiro. "Be nice. He's probably just not used to a new king." Kokushibo grumbled softly to himself when he heard this. There was much more to this issue.
Within a few minutes, the grouped reached a rather strange room. Most of the base was a normal light tan floor, but a fourth of the room's floor was raised. "The biwa lady designed this..to be the meeting room." Kokushibo said as they walked inside. All of the reincarnated demons, both Lower and Upper moons, were there. Surprisingly, none of them were talking to each other.
Everything was quiet and still. Chills creeped up Tanjiro's spine. "Is this normal?" Tanjiro asked Kokushibo. "To an extent..yes." He replied. "We are normally quiet..Strangely though, Douma is talking..He's usually the one who causes a stir." Tanjiro looked around to see Douma. He was on his knees, swaying. "The floor..is yours." Kokushibo said with stillness.
Tanjiro smiled at him and nodded before walking up on the raised platform. Kokushibo looked at him for a few seconds, then walked away. His eyes scanned the room before spotting Akaza-who was sitting alone near the right side of the room. Kokushibo sighed as he made his decision. He walked over to Akaza and took a seat next to him. Akaza widened his eyes and tilted his head. He was about to ask him something when Tanjiro cleared his throat.
"Hello everyone!" Tanjiro hummed with excitement. All of the demons' attention was directed towards him. Zenitsu and Nezuko stood on each side of him. Zenitsu held his hand and trembled as he looked upon the sea of demons. Tanjiro squeezed his hand gently. "I know that this is a major change for all of us, but I hope that we can develop a great relationship together."
No one cheered. No one growled. No one even responded. Tanjiro could feel his heart sink a little, but he's not going to give up. "I thought that it would be best if I set some guidelines for us. We are an entirely new species after all."
"First off, no one will try to kill each other. If there are any fights, we can try to understand where the argument came from and how to stop it. Secondly, you are free to do as you please. There will be missions, but they will most be missions to refill supplies and to convert other demons. I want this to be a welcoming community, but it's important that you also take care of yourself. Find your hobbies! Have some fun! Practice whatever you like to practice! I'll also make sure that none of you ever go hungry or have horrible living conditions. You are people and deserve to be treated as such. Last thing, never ever eat any humans. You don't have to eat humans anymore, so no harm shall come to the innocent."
The demons murmured amongst themselves. They all expected that last rule, but the others were decently surprising. "Does anyone have any questions?" Tanjiro asked. Hantengu raised a trembling hand. "Will any of the slayers be after us?" Tanjiro shook his head. "Absolutely not. Master Kiriya informed them of the situation, so no harm will come to you. In fact, Miss Shinobu actually set up therapy sessions for everyone!"
Most of the demons weren't quite happy with this. Some of them sighed or even growled. "We also know that some of the Hashiras..won't be exactly friendly." Kokushibo huffed. They all nodded. "I can't lie to you. That is undoubtedly true, but don't worry. I'll make sure that no harm comes your way. They won't attack you unless you attack a human."
This seemed to clear some confusion as the murmurs died down. Akaza raised a hand. "What do you plan for us? What is your goal?" There wasn't a rude tone in his voice, more like a servant's. "I just want to see you live the lives you deserve. Many of you were treated unfairly in your lives and Muzan only used your pain against you. I will not punish you for making mistakes. We are human. We will make mistakes. All I ask from you is to understand yourselves and to move on from your pain."
They all tilted their heads. "You mean that there's no goal? Nothing you want us to hunt for?" Douma asked, resting his head in his hand. Tanjiro and Nezuko nodded. "Well, what do you know? Guess we got lucky then." Douma chuckled as he continued to sway.
"I do have a question for you though." Tanjiro said. "When we were adapting to our form, our voice boxes underwent some changes. We were able to make strange animals. Is that normal?" The demons murmured for a second before Gyutaro spoke up. "Every demon has gone through that. We are all able to make various animal noises."
"The reason why you haven't heard those noises before is because Muzan actually told us to mask them." Daki piped in. Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "Mask them? Why? They seem harmless." Rui sighed. "We honestly have no idea why. He just seemed to hate the noises and everything else that came with them."
This only made the trio more confused. "What else did Muzan hate?" Nezuko asked. "Well..We do have a variety of other characteristics that we had to bury. Truth be told, our attributes are quite strange." Akaza huffed as he remembered Muzan. "They may be, but are they harmful?" Tanjiro asked, wanting more answers. The demons seemingly didn't know what to say. "Well he told us that they were harmful and idiotic." Gyutaro said with a growl. "But I've never found anything wrong with them."
Tanjiro felt a fire burning in his heart. Why would Muzan tell them to hide these instincts? What would he tell them to hide who they really are? This was infuriating! "Well, you don't have to hide them from me." Tanjiro smiled reassuringly. Despite this reassurance, the demons only gave him awkward silence. "I'm not sure..if they can come back.." Kokushibo said flatly. "It's been too long.."
"Maybe, but maybe not. We'll just have to see." Tanjiro smiled. "I just hope that you all can live a happy life. It'll be rough, but I have the utmost faith in you." All the demons bowed slightly signaling the end of the meeting. Tanjiro stepped down from the raised platform. "I do encourage you to talk to the others. You might find some great friends!"
The demons looked around at each other awkwardly. Douma looked around the room before someone caught his eye. A lonely Lower Moon by sitting by the door. He had heard of him before, as he was the strongest Lower Moon, but Douma had never seen him. Douma stood up, dusted himself off, and walked towards him.
Enmu looked up at the Upper Moon slovenly. "Hey there!" Douma chirped in a cheery tune. "What are you doing by yourself?" Enmu looked away. "You must be an Upper Rank demon. How did you manage to get so close to Muzan?" Douma couldn't help but laugh. "Oh don't be so kind! He didn't really like me, but he considered me useful!"
Enmu glared at him. "He had to like you for some reason." Douma only shook his head. "Not really. Just my power." Enmu raised an eyebrow. "Then, why are you not upset?" Douma shrugged. "That's just what everyone wanted from me. Why should I expect any different?"
Enmu was perplexed by this strange demon. Wouldn't he want for someone to care about him? Maybe he was just desensitized. Enmu sighed before staring off, right at Tanjiro-who was speaking to Gyutaro. Douma followed his stare.
"Ah~You must not like the new king. I think he's quite cute. Definitely naive, but it's nice to see someone who isn't mean for a change." Douma's gleeful tone was grading. "He doesn't deserve to be king." Enmu growled. Douma tilted his head. "Hm?"
"I mean he knows nothing about us! What gives him the right to disrupt our society.?" Enmu knew that this was the most aggressive he had ever been. "Well, we can't really control how he rules, but it doesn't seem to be that bad." Douma said, obliviously. "You don't understand." Enmu huffed in annoyance.
Douma put a hand to his chin, thinking. "I like you. How about we head to a nearby Udon stand? I've been dying to try some human food and it looks like you could use something to cheer you up." Enmu sighed, resting his arms on his knees. "I guess I could. I have nothing better to do." Douma clapped his hands together. "Great!"
While all this was happening, Akaza turned to Kokushibo. "Why did you decide to sit next to me?" His voice trembled with suspicion. All six of Kokushibo's eyes stared at him. "I mean no harm to you..Truth be told..I respect you the most..out of everyone here." Akaza raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you would rather stay away from us."
"You're not wrong..however it felt rather awkward..to stay away..Besides..I've noticed that you haven't..been acting like yourself." Akaza looked down at the floor. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing that you should concern yourself with." His voice didn't have a rude tone surprisingly. Akaza's voice was instead soft and miserable. Kokushibo knew something was wrong.
Kokushibo sighed as he stood up. "Would you like to spar sometime?..I know that's how you cool off.." Akaza hunched defensively. "Don't worry..there is no trick..and neither of us..will die.." Akaza sighed as he stood up. "Sure. It hasn't been a while, hasn't it?" He smiled at the six-eyed demon. "Indeed it has.."
Hantengu was being consumed by his own thoughts. The last few days have been unbearable for him. It was like how he was as a full fledged demon. He hated how much his fear ate at him. Hantengu looked around at the other demons conversing. He wished he could do the same, but he couldn't bring himself to.
His body trembled and his heart pounded. Hantengu knew that this wasn't normal and he hated it. It had led him to steal. It had led him to kill. Hantengu knew he had to change this, but how? Then, an idea popped in his head.
Hantengu stood up with shaky legs and walked over to Tanjiro. Zenitsu yelped when he laid eyes on the demon, thus alerting Tanjiro. "Oh, hello Hantengu." Tanjiro said as he turned around. "Hi, master. I..umm..wondered if you could do something for me." Hantengu shook nervously. "Of course! What is it?" Tanjiro smiled.
"Could you..summon my clones?" Hantengu asked. Tanjiro tilted his head, curiously. "Oh? How come?" Hantengu flinched, thinking that he was criticizing him. "Well, I hate how I'm constantly afraid. It makes my life miserable and it also makes me do terrible things. I know that my main four clones aren't like that. I..might be happy then."
Tanjiro nodded, understanding the thought. "Are you sure? You might lose yourself as you proceed through this." Hantengu put a hand to his jaws. "I'd be willing to take that risk. This is for the best." Tanjiro smiled with warmth. "Alright, Hantengu. If this is what it takes to make you happy, then I'll do it."
Author's Note: Hiya! Sorry if this chapter was rather boring. I used this to set up some mysteries and potential romances! I do hope you like it regardless!
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter Ten:
The Battle of The
Jaguar Demon
Warnings: Blood, some gore, child abuse, and angst
Word Count: 7919
After the unfortunate events at the noodle shop, Douma had carried a sleeping Enmu home in his arms. He was confused by the aching feeling inside his belly. It felt like something was gnawing him on the inside. Despite how much this feeling hurt, Douma wanted to know more. He wanted to understand it. He wanted to feel it.
Thus after he laid Enmu down into his futon-that was in his room of the Infinity Castle-Douma instantly went looking for Tanjiro. Luckily, it didn't take too long to find him. Tanjiro was surprisingly still in the Infinity Castle and was in the new kitchen, cooking some strange stew.
"Hey, young king." Douma tried putting on a cheerful smile. "How have you been? I hope that the others haven't given ya a hard time." Tanjiro turned to look at him with a sweet smile. "Oh, hey Douma. I've been fine. A bit tired, but fine. The others seem to be pretty awkward around me though.."
Douma put a hand to his hip. "Oh, don't worry! They'll warm up to you eventually!" Tanjiro then made a soft, relieved rumble. "I hope so..By the way, is Enmu okay? He seems to be more aggressive and quiet than usual." Douma sighed heavily, resting his head in his hand. "He..just found out something rather..devastating."
A small yelp came from Tanjiro as he completely turned around. "What happened?" Douma scratched his neck. "Well..turns out..Muzan used to drug him. I don't really know the reason why, but he used Opium Poppies to do so." Tanjiro gritted his teeth and growled. "I've never met someone so evil. Maybe he drugged him to manipulate him?" Douma nervously shrugged. "I have no clue. He did seem to be very loyal, so drugging him just doesn't seem to make any sense."
Tanjiro turned back to the stew with an angry huff. "Maybe he's going through withdrawal. That would explain his aggression." Douma nodded, agreeing, "That and blind loyalty." Tanjiro nodded. "He really did mistreat you all, didn't he?" Douma shrugged. "I guess you could say that.." He knew he was no better. Douma knew that he had committed similar evil sins.
"Hey..young king, mind if I ask you something?" Tanjiro looks at him. "Of course. Whatever you need." Douma stretched his arm out and sighed. "I need to talk to someone, but I would like you to go with me. I just don't want things to get too ugly between us." Tanjiro raised an eyebrow, taking the stew pot off the heated portion of the gas stove. This kitchen was a newly installed "System Kitchen", which made everything able to be made while standing up. "Who might that person be? If you don't mind me asking."
Douma ran his claws through his long, platinum blonde hair. "It's Inosuke.." Tanjiro stopped in his tracks and looked at him cautiously. "Are you sure he's going to listen to you?" He seemed to be genuinely sympathetic. Tanjiro knew that if Douma was really trying to reach out, something was clearly happening within him
"Probably not, but I want to try to apologize. I don't know why, but there's a gnawing feeling inside of me. It's strange and it hurts, but I really do want to understand it." Tanjiro looked at him and gave him a small smile. "He may not forgive you, but he may want to start something new with you if you're really trying to change." Douma nodded eagerly. "I am! I really am..I want to understand the things you feel.."
Tanjiro picked up a wooden serving spoon and started scooping the soup into a plethora of bowls. "That's good. We'll leave once I'm done giving this out to everyone." Douma sniffed the air and made a happy yap, not caring about masking. "That smells great! What is it exactly?" Tanjiro purred with appreciation. "It's Nikujaga. Aoi actually showed me the recipe."
Douma tilted his head with a warm smile. "I haven't had that in a long time.." He could remember when he was really young, back when his parents were still alive. Douma remembered that his mother used to make that exact same stew for him. It was his favorite..back when he truly could feel joy. Come to think of it, there was a section of his life that he couldn't remember.
"Hey, Douma. Do you know when or how you lost your emotions? You do seem to have some knowledge of them, so it seems like you lost them rather then not having them at all." Tanjiro seemed to be on the same page as Douma. "Well, you're right. I used to have emotions when I was really young. However, there's a strange gap in my memory. Then, I never felt emotion again, not until you revived me anyway. Yet even then, there are exceptions." Douma made a dissatisfied rumble.
Tanjiro turned to look at him as he finished putting the soup in the bowls. "Don't worry. We'll help you understand them." Douma smiled at him. "Heh, thank you, Lord Tanjiro." Tanjiro returned the smile as he caught the scent of someone else entering the kitchen. "Oh hey, Mister Kokushibo!" He turned to see the six-eyed demon with a wicker basket in his arms. There seemed to be many different snacks in it as well as colorful paper and a small watermelon.
"Good evening..Kamado..I'm about to leave..to go visit someone." Tanjiro beamed with excitement. "Douma and I are also leaving to visit someone. Would you like to come with us? I could show you how to get to wherever you need to go." Kokushibo put a hand to his chin and shrugged, knowing that he didn't know how to get to his desired destination. "I don't see..why not."
Tanjiro smiled and purred as he put all the bowls onto a tray. "Don't worry about each one of us individually." Kokushibo said, putting a hand on Tanjiro's shoulder. "Muzan was able to communicate..with us telepathically. You might be able..to do the same." Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "How would I do that?" He asked with a curious tone.
"Oh! Oh! Just think of talking to the others and come up with what you would say to them!" Douma said excitedly. Kokushibo nodded. "That's basically all there is to it." Tanjiro closed his eyes and imagined a scenario where he was standing in front of all the half-demons. "Hello everyone! I actually made some stew for all of you. I have to leave with Kokushibo and Douma, so the stew is in the kitchen." He originally didn't expect to hear anything back..
"Guess you must've figured out how to communicate with us telepathically, huh?" Akaza's voice rang through his head. "Woah.." Tanjiro almost felt dizzy from sudden overstimulation. "It's alright, young king. You'll get used to it." He heard Aizetsu say, reassuringly. "Yeah! Thanks for letting us know though!" Urogi chirped happily as always. "You're..welcome.." Tanjiro shook his head, hoping to get the telepathy to stop.
"Sorry..I didn't mean..to cause you..any distress.." Kokushibo said, slight guilt in his voice. "It's fine, Mister Kokushibo. You were just trying to help." Tanjiro gave him a soft, weak smile. He could already smell the other half-demons heading into their direction. "We should probably go. Some fresh air might help you!" Douma said with a grin.
Tanjiro put a hand on his head and nodded. "Yeah..that's probably for the best." Kokushibo and Douma joined Tanjiro's side as all three of them made their way out of the Infinity Castle.
Once outside, Tanjiro took a deep breath to clear his mind. "Feeling..any better?" Kokushibo asked. Tanjiro nodded his head. Then, a strange scent caught his attention. He swerved his head over to where the scent was coming from.
Hidden in the darkness, tossed into the bushes, was a metal jar. It reeked of a foul odor that Tanjiro recognized from the many battles he had fought with other demons. He picked up the jar and gagged like a cat. "Hm? What is that?" Douma asked, tilting his head. "It's..blood. Muzan's blood.." Both Kokushibo and Douma widened their eyes in surprise. "Some of it..survived?" Tanjiro nodded before gagging again.
"Why would he keep this? It reeks!" Tanjiro asked, wincing in discomfort. "He used to..experiment on his blood..Muzan wanted to..find out its limitations..." Douma put a hand to his mouth, holding himself back from laughing. "You must have a really strong nose, huh?" Tanjiro weakly nodded. "Do you want me to take it inside?" A strange voice said from above.
All three of them looked upwards to see Gyokko in the trees. His vase was lodged into a tangle of branches. "Oh, hey Gyokko!" Douma waved with a friendly smile. "What are you doing here?" Gyokko chuckled. "Just getting back to have some dinner. I received your message, so I came in a hurry."
Kokushibo made a soft growl, seemingly untrusting of Gyokko. "Why..do you suppose..we keep it?" Gyokko tilted his head. "Well if we just throw it out, someone might be able to find it and use it." Tanjiro nodded. "He has a good point." Kokushibo squinted his eyes. "Fine..Give it to the biwa lady..She will know the best place..to hide it.." Gyokko made a dissatisfied rumble. "Alright. Will do."
Tanjiro quickly gave Gyokko the jar of blood, seemingly happy to get rid of it. Gyokko took it, dove into his pot, and rolled off the branch and into the Infinity Castle. "Let's not waste..anymore time." Kokushibo looked up to the sky. It was slowly turning a fiery orange. "It's getting..late." Both Tanjiro and Douma nodded. "Alright!" Tanjiro said. "Let's go!"
Giyuu sat alone while the other Hashira ate together. This was their first dinner that they were able to have together since Rengoku's passing. While all the others were chatting happily, Giyuu couldn't bring himself to join them. There was always a level of anxiousness that came over him whenever he was with them. He had no idea why, but he felt like no matter how much he wanted to, Giyuu just couldn't get close to them.
Rengoku then walked in with a bento box in his hand, his usual warm smile shone brightly. He scanned the room, waving at the other Hashira. Strangely though, his eyes made their way over to Giyuu. The Flame Hashira made a soft, soothing rumble as he walked over to where Giyuu was sitting. "Good evening, Tomioka! How have you been?"
Rengoku's booming voice caused Giyuu to jump slightly. "I'm fine, Rengoku." He said in a quiet voice. Rengoku tilted his head and leaned in. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you." Giyuu took a trembling breath. "I said that I'm fine." He said, raising his voice.
The Flame Hashira smiled at him. "That's good! Do you mind if I sit next to you?" Giyuu lowered his head slightly and scooted over. Rengoku purred rather loudly as he sat down next to him.
"Don't you want to be with the others?" Giyuu asked him, finicking with a piece of salmon. "I should be asking you that." Rengoku said as he opened his bento box. "You did seem really joyful when you saw all of us coming back, so why the sudden hesitation?"
Giyuu looked away, feeling shame creeping up onto him. "It's not like I don't care about you..it's just.." His voice went soft once more. "Don't worry, Tomioka. I know that you do care. I've just noticed that you've been more anxious. I just want to make sure you are okay." Rengoku said as he took a bite of his bento. "UMAI!"
Giyuu nodded his head, not saying anything. He did truly feel anxious, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason. He looked up to see Tengen at the other table talking to someone he couldn't see. The other Hashira looked tense with their still bodies. Even Obanai was making an audible hiss, thus making Tengen's conversation hard to listen to.
Eventually though, Tengen stood up and walked over to the two of them. "Hey uhh..Rengoku..there's someone here who wants to see you." Rengoku turned his attention away from his food and looked up at him. "Oh? And who might that be?" It was then that the mysterious person revealed themselves from behind the wall.
Akaza-the one who had previously killed Rengoku at the Mugen Train-walked out with a nervous and guilt ridden expression on his face. The other Hashira-except for Mitsuri and Gyomei-stared him down as he made his way over to the Flame Pillar. It was then that Giyuu felt a rising anger in him. However, for the sake of keeping the peace, all he did was give Akaza a death glare.
"Hey, Kyojuro." Akaza said in an anxious tone. "Long time, no see." Rengoku looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Good evening, Akaza. What brings you here?" Akaza then sighed with a heavy heart, bent down and bowed to the Flame Hashira, catching every Hashira off guard. "I'm sorry..for what happened at the Mugen Train. I really do regret what I did to you..what I did to all those men. I have come to ask for your forgiveness."
Rengoku tilted his head and made a soft rumble. "Do you really mean it?" His voice didn't sound stern, it was soft and it sounded like it had warmth to it. "I do. I mean every word." Rengoku then closed his eyes and smiled warmly. "Well, then I forgive you!" He roared in a cheery voice. Akaza looked up at him and smiled with relief.
"Wait, what?!" Sanemi and Obanai yelled simultaneously. "Why would you forgive him?! He killed you!" Obanai hissed angrily. "I can tell that he genuinely regrets what he's done. Besides, I know that there's more to him than we know." Akaza stood up with hopeless relief. "And what makes you believe that?" Sanemi gritted his teeth. "Well..he did use his Blood Demon Art to end his own life." Giyuu spoke up with uncertainty in his voice. "My point exactly!" Rengoku said.
Sanemi and Obansi just grumbled in frustration. "Relax, you two." Shinobu scolded them. "If he forgives him, then he forgives him. There's no need to make a fuss." Akaza gave Rengoku a sweet smile. "Thank you, Kyojuro. I mean it." Rengoku returned the smile and chuckled. "No need to thank me! I don't think that you're truly evil! Say, would you like to join Tomioka and me?"
Akaza scratched the back of his neck. "Thank you, Kyojuro, but I already ate." Rengoku chuckled once more. "Oh don't worry! You don't have to eat! I just figured you'd like the company." He was right about that, Akaza really could use the friendship, so he sat down next to the Flame Hashira.
However, Giyuu felt rather torn by this. On one hand, he was glad that Rengoku was able to forgive Akaza. Yet on the other hand, he doesn't feel like either of them should trust him. The knotting feeling in his gut only grew stronger, making Giyuu lose his already weak appetite.
Rengoku looked at Giyuu and slowly started to put the pieces together. He took the Water Pillar's hand and gently squeezed it. "Don't worry, Tomioka. I'm not going anywhere. None of us are." Giyuu looked up at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure?" Rengoku nodded and spoke softly. "I'm positive." A slow drowsiness crept up on Giyuu as he leaned against Rengoku's shoulder. Finding himself getting comfortable on the Flame Hashira's warm body his body eased into a light slumber.
Then, a screeching call echoed through the dark sky..
Gyutaro and Daki had finished their dinner rather early for they had plans that night. For the first time in a century, the Shabana siblings were able to take a calm stroll in the woods. Unlike their first trip to the Infinity Castle, they were well prepared and were aware of the directions and the area they had chosen to walk in.
"Alright. We're just taking a stroll, so don't burn the castle down." Gyutaro snickered as both he and Daki slid open the outside door. "I won't make any promises!" Urogi chirped, flapping his wings excitedly. Nakime just shook her head. "Don't worry, you two. The castle will still be here." Gyutaro and Daki looked at each other, chuckled, and left, closing the door behind them.
Daki immediately stretched as she felt the cool air hitting her lungs. "It feels great to finally have some time to ourselves, huh?" She said with a cheeky smile. "Hell yeah it does." Gyutaro returned the grin. "Truth be told, I have never felt this free before." His voice was soft and filled with an unfamiliar warmth.
Daki seemed to return the same sediment. "You're right about that. Having a stable and comfortable place to live, not having to sell myself for whatever money we could get, and not to mention the great food!" Gyutaro cackled. "I know! How did that slayer even learn how to cook anyways?" Daki just shrugged as she walked beside her brother. "Don't know. It definitely has something to do with that nose of his."
Gyutaro nodded. "Yeah, definitely." Daki hummed with child-like enthusiasm as the pair walked. The stars shone with a bright warmth that illuminated the siblings' path. The trees around them provided a sense of comfort and freedom that the two had never felt before. Now they could truly enjoy each other's company.
"The next thing we need to do is to get you a lover." Daki said in a semi-teasing tone. "Oh please! No one besides you can love this ugly mug." Gyutaro rolled his eyes. "Besides, you'd just get jealous." Daki shook her head. "No I wouldn't! I would love to see you get a lover! You of all people need one!"
Gyutaro just huffed. "Yeah right. I'm way too toxic to be a truly loving partner." Daki sighed with a little bit of frustration. "You're just selling yourself short, brother. There's someone out there just for you. I know it." She turned her head, looking straight into the dark woods.
Strange dirt mounds covered the area. It made it look like the site was an unmarked grave yard. The strange sight caused Daki to get goosebumps. "Hey, brother.." Gyutaro looked at her with a "Hm?" "What are those dirt mounds for?" Gyutaro looked up to see the mounds. Dozens and dozens of them covered the area, making the scene even more uneasy. "I..don't know."
Then, the sound of rustling leaves alerted them to the path in front of them. The sibling duo quickly summoned their weapons and growled menacingly. "Who's there?" Gyutaro gritted his teeth. A small, bloodied demon pup fumbled their way out from the bushes.
The pup looked like he was part jaguar for he had a black spotted tail, rounded ears, dark spots on his neck, and his hands and feet looked more like paws than normal appendages. He was wearing a navy blue kimono that had white borders on the wrist cuffs and neck hole. The strange thing was, the kimono looked like it was too big for him as it was sliding off his shoulder. The pup was also wearing black pants over his digitigrade legs. He had short, dark brown hair that was curly in the front and fluffy throughout.
Both Gyutaro and Daki yelped when they saw him. "A pup?" Gyutaro whispered. "They're rare..What's one doing here?" The pup turned to look at them with black eyes that had dark blue pupils. His body was beaten, battered, and covered in deep scratch marks.
The small pup-who looked like he was nine or ten-ran to them with tears in his eyes. "Please! You need to help us! My brother and I are in danger!" He cried out as he tugged on Gyutaro's pant leg. Gyutaro winced as he looked down at the pup. "You're the only one that looks hurt, little one." He picked up the young pup and held him in his arms.
"Where's your brother, dear?" Daki said in a sweet voice as she pet the pup. He shuddered under her touch. Then, a loud, rash voice roared through the night. "Strifles! Where are you, you little shit?!" A large male demon ran out from the bushes. He looked very similar to the smaller pup. The male demon had the same jaguar-like qualities and kimono-except it seemed to fit him better-as the pup. The main differences were his muscular, yet sleek build and long and wild hair that was tied into a low ponytail.
This demon looked to be completely untouched, unlike the small pup. However, there was blood lathered on his hand paws. He looked at the siblings' and smiled. "Ah! Thank you two so much for finding my brother, Strifles." His voice was raspy and harsh as he spoke.
"Who are you?" Daki hissed, raising her Obi sashes. "Woah! Woah! No need to get fussy, miss. I'm Ran'yō, the jaguar demon." Daki squinted her eyes. "He said you two were in danger." Ran'yō chuckled eerily. "It was just another demon. Don't worry. I took care of it."
Gyutaro was looking at Strifles's wounds as Daki and Ran'yō were talking. His examination revealed that these scratches were not what they seemed. They were thin and deep, which contrasted normal demon claws which are wide and shallow like fingernails. These claw marks were more like a cat's than a demon's.
Gyutaro then slightly squeezed Strifles's paw fingers to see his claws. Alarms went off in his head as he saw the cat-like claws extend out. He then looked at Ran'yō. He also had the same claws. Not to mention, they were covered in blood. Everything then clicked.
"What the hell were you doing to this pup?" Gyutaro growled as he hugged Strifles close to his chest. Ran'yō's grin faded. "Just defending him from a rabid demon. What else?" Strifles winced I fear as he heard his brother mention a rabid demon. "Bull fucking shit!" Gyutaro roared. "These claw marks aren't those of a normal demon! They clearly came from a large cat and you are the only one here that has bloody paws!"
Ran'yō growled, clenching his paws. "It's none of your damn business! Strifles! Come here!" The young pup shook his head. "I'm not going with that evil ram!" Ran'yō growled as walked towards them. "You little-" Gyutaro then swung one of his sickles and lodged it into the jaguar demon's jaws. "You will not lay a claw on him, you bastard!"
Gyutaro looked at Daki in a panic. "Take the pup, Ume!" She immediately scooped up Strifles with her Obi sashes. Ran'yō huffed angrily as he jumped back. "I will not lose my life to you low lives! Jackyll will get his eternal food source! One way or another!"
The ground beneath all of them shook as the dirt mounds began to burst open. "Blood Demon Art.." Ran'yō cried out. "Cat Call!" Large jaguar corpses emerged from each of the dirt mounds. They were rotting, yet still had the agility of their living counterparts. "What the hell?! Jaguars aren't native to Japan!" Gyutaro growled as he drew his sickles. "You're right." Ran'yō laughed. "A friend of mine has been giving them to me in trade for my brother's flesh!"
The Shabana siblings felt absolutely sick. "That's just disgusting!" Daki yelled. The undead jaguars roared victoriously as they ran towards Daki and Gyutaro. Gyutaro yelled with anger as he swung his blood coated sickles at the undead felines. Daki swung whatever Obi sashes she had left at the jaguars as well.
What they didn't account for was how many jaguars there were. There seemed to be hundreds! They all leaped at the duo, severely cutting them with their sharp claws and fangs. Strifles yelped with fear as the jaguars advanced upon them. "God damn it!" Gyutaro roared, striking at the jaguars. "My Blood Demon Art isn't as effective as it was."
"It's not just that!" Daki gritted her teeth as she used an Obi sash to block a jaguar's snapping jaws. "There's too fucking many of them!" Ran'yō laughed as he watched the chaos. "I will get my brother back! I will continue to grow my jaguar army!" Gyutaro used his blood sickle to slice a jaguar in half. However, the dead feline was able to reconnect itself and continue to attack. "Are you that much of a coward?! That you need to use dead puppets to fight?!" Gyutaro growled.
"Oh trust me..If you think this is hard, wait until he shows up." The plethora of jaguars continued to rip and tear at the Shabana siblings. Strifles was sobbing from fear as the jaguars snapped at both him and Daki. "Brother! We need to call Tanjiro! There's just too many of them!" Gyutaro growled, slicing a jaguar's head off. "He's fucking busy! I can handle this! You need to run back home!" Daki yelped as a jaguar with a sagging face bit down on her leg. "We need him to convert these two anyways! Just call him!" Gyutaro huffed, looked to the skies, and roared like an angry red fox.
When the daylight was still out, Tanjiro headed to the Butterfly Mansion with Kokushibo and Douma by his side. The young Demon King lead them to the estate with his sharp memory and sense of direction. Douma messed with his hands nervously and Kokushibo seemed to be deep in thought on their way there. Eventually, that made it to the estate.
"Alright. I'll make sure that nothing gets too ugly between you two, but please understand that he's going to be hostile." Douma nodded as he listened to the king. "I understand completely." Tanjiro then took a deep breath and knocked at the door. "I got it!" He heard Inosuke's raspy voice from behind the door.
The boar slayer opened the door rather recklessly. "Monjiro!" Inosuke yelled in a happy tone. "Where have you been?" Tanjiro smiled sweetly. "I been helping the other demons. I hope you've been alright." Inosuke laughed. "Everything's been fantastic!" He tilted his head to the side and saw Douma.
His cheerful demeanor immediately shifted. "What's he doing here?" Inosuke said with a soft growl. "Douma..wants to talk you." Tanjiro sighed as he moved out of their way. Douma slowly approached Inosuke with shaky steps. "What the hell are you doing here?" Insure gripped the handle of one of his sword's tightly.
"Inosuke..I've been feeling these strange feelings recently..and they've been tearing me apart." Douma spoke with a soft and hushed voice. Inosuke didn't say anything. "I know that I've done unforgivable things..and I know that you can never forgive me."
"You're damn right..You killed my mother!" Inosuke yelled with fury. "Inosuke..I really did care about you and your mother. I wanted her to live her full life, but she found out about my secret." Inosuke only growled. "And you couldn't have fought back against Muzan?! You couldn't have broken away from him?! That's no excuse!"
These words felt like sharp, piercing daggers. "I know! I know that they can't change anything! You're right..I should've stood up for her..I should've made myself better for her..better for you..but I was too much of a coward!" Tears were streaming down Douma's face. "Quit your lying! You never cared about her!"
"Inosuke." Tanjiro spoke with a soft voice. Inosuke turned to him. "He's not lying, Inosuke. A scent of sorrow and truth is coming from him." Inosuke huffed as he turned back to Douma. "He seems to be..telling the truth..little one.." Kokushibo said as he observed Douma. "He's never..shown with much..emotion before.."
"Please...Inosuke..I'm not asking you to forgive me..I just want to start anew." Tears continued to stream down his face. At this point, Inosuke didn't know what to feel. He truly wanted a father figure in his life and if Douma really means what he's saying, he could possibly get it. However, Inosuke didn't know if he could trust Douma. He doesn't want him to stab him in the heart like he did all those years ago.
"I can't forgive you for what you've done." Inosuke said in a much more calm voice. "But..maybe we could start over..that is, if you really mean what you say. Do you actually care about me?" Douma nodded, too weak to say anything. Inosuke turned away from him. "You'll have to prove it then. I need more than words to believe you."
Douma wiped the tears from his eyes. "I understand, Inosuke. I'm so sorry.." Inosuke crossed his arms. "No amount of apologies can fix this." Douma nodded. "I know.." Tanjiro walked over to Inosuke and crouched down. "Are you alright?" Inosuke swayed a little bit. "I just hope he means what he says." Tanjiro gave him a soft smile. "I believe he does."
Now, the night had settled in. The stars shone brightly above them. Yet, the beautiful night was disturbed by a terrified roar, alerting the group. "Someone's in danger.." Tanjiro said as his eyes slitted. He then ran off with the rest of the group following behind him.
The roars became louder and louder as Tanjiro, Inosuke, Douma, and Kokushibo came closer to the source. Blood covered the forest floor as the jaguars tore at the Shabana siblings. "Draw your weapons!" Tanjiro yelled as he drew his sword. The others quickly did the same. Tanjiro managed to land the first hit, slicing three jaguars in half.
Ran'yō growled in annoyance. "More intruders..No matter!" Some of the jaguars turned their attention to the group and dove in for the attack. The fierce felines scratched and bit at all the group, both half-demons and slayers. Luckily, everyone was able to sustain their ground. Kokushibo, Tanjiro, and Inosuke sliced and diced the jaguars with their swords while Douma and Gyutaro were able to fend off others with their unique weapons. Daki was able to climb a tree with Strifles in her arms.
"Damn it..I can't have them getting close to me!" Ran'yō said to himself as he watched all the others slowly advancing on him. Then, the sound of a ringing bell echoed through the woods. Ring..ring..ring..It's ringing causing the hair on everyone's neck to stand up. Ran'yō grinned wildly. "Hahaha! He's here! The ram is here!"
"Who's the-ack!" A blur of energy rushed toward Inosuke and threw him further into the woods. "INOSUKE!" Douma cried out, running after him. The jaguars were able to overwhelm the others now. "Oh no.." Tanjiro said as he gripped his sword, watching the jaguars advance upon them.
Douma sped to where Inosuke had landed by following a path of his own blood. Whatever that was had thrown Inosuke extremely far! The blood ran along the forest floor like a strange marking.
Inosuke hit his back against a tree. He groaned in pain as he stood up. His boar mask had fallen off when he was flung, so his human face was exposed. "Looks like I was mistaken." A deep, cackling voice spoke with a chill. Inosuke looked up to face the powerful being.
The voice belonged to this strange ram creature. It had the legs and head of a ram, but it also stood up on two legs and had arms like a human. Its fingers were hoof-like claws and it's coat was flat black. The creature's horns were striped with green, blue, and purple and it's hooves were also the same colors. A strange "X" shaped scar covered the edge of its snout. The strangest parts abothis creature was its golden piercing eyes, and a golden bell that was tied around its neck with a red sash.
"You are not the kind of food I want." Its deep voice sent chills down Inosuke's spine. The creature pressed its hood down on Inosuke's chest, causing him to gasp for air. "Who..are you?" The ram smiled with sharp pointy teeth. "Why, I'm Jackyll. The only true demon you've probably seen!"
Jackyll's hoof started to crush Inosuke's ribs. He yelled in pain as he tried to swing his sword at the ram. But the ram was fast and he quickly caught the sword. "Trying to fight back, are we? Well don't worry! I'll make this painful!" Jackyll cackled wickedly as he sunk the sword straight into Inosuke's femur, causing him to scream.
Blood squirted and poured out from his wound. Jackyll twisted the sword in his leg, making the bones crunch and the muscles tear. Inosuke screamed in absolute agony while Jack cackled in amusement. "You pathetic humans think you're so strong." Jackyll grinned as he twisted the sword. "You don't know who the true apex predators are! Don't try to convince me that those Moons are anywhere close to being the strongest!"
Jackyll jumped back with a strong kick. "I will slaughter all of you, so that my species will rise again!" Visible energy danced on the ram's body as his horns started to glow. "Say goodnight!" Jackyll roared as he ran towards him. Inosuke closed his eyes and accepted his fate.
Yet, instead of feeling any more pain, Inosuke felt warm blood drip onto his legs. "You will not kill my son!" Douma's voice roared at the ram. Inosuke looked up to see Douma standing in front of him. Blood dripped from the large scratch wound on Douma's chest. Jackyll bared his fangs and snarled. "A human demon?! How dare you filthy creatures further interfere with my life!"
Douma drew out his deadly fan as his wound slowly healed. "What the hell are you talking about?!" Jackyll grinned as he ran towards Douma and grabbed his arms. "Looks like Muzan never spilled the tea about us Humanoid Demons! You and your kind nearly drove us to extinction!"
The jaguars viciously bit and scratched at the half-demons. Tanjiro's haori was almost completely shredded. Kokushibo kimono had been ripped off and Gyutaro looked like a severely used scratching post. Daki was the least damaged, but both her and Strifles were cornered by the undead felines.
Kokushibo huffed and grunted with each cut and bite. "There's too many..of them..I have to..No..I can't..but.." He looked up at the others, watching them fight for their lives. He now knew what he had to do. Kokushibo morphed his body into the monster form he took during the final battle and was able to slowly tear through the jaguars.
"Listen!" Tanjiro called out to Ran'yō. "We don't have to fight! I can free you from the burden of eating humans! I can help you!" Ran'yō snarled before laughing maniacally. "I'm not interested in eating humans! That ram demon gives me a jaguar every month in trade for flesh."
Strifles jumped down from Daki's arms. "No, little pup!" She yelled as Strifles ran towards his brother. A strang, brown Maine Coon cat ran beside Strifles, seemingly defending him from the jaguars. The cat didn't have a nose and its fur was ragged and torn, but it clearly wanted to aid the pup. Strifles was successfully able to reach his brother and tugged on Ran'yō's kimono.
"Brother please! Maybe he can help us! Maybe he can free us from the ram!" Ran'yō snarled. "Shut up, you little bitch!" The jaguar demon kicked Strifles in the chest and sent him into a tree, causing the pup to release a pained cry.
Tanjiro widened his eyes and gritted his teeth. "How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?!" Something inside of him felt like it was burning with absolute fury. The ground shook beneath everyone. Then, a large dragon made from the ground water burst through the earth.
Tanjiro's hand was raised as he stared at Ran'yō with pure hate. "Hydrokinesis." Kokushibo whispered as the water dragon loomed above them. This was a part of Tanjiro's Blood Demon Art. "How dare you hurt him like that?! He's just trying to save you!" Tanjiro's roars were filled with rage.
"You have no idea what it means to be a loving sibling, do you?! How dare you hurt an innocent pup?! Let alone, your own brother! He doesn't deserve to be beaten and kicked! He has never bore the blood of the innocent! I can smell it! You, on the other hand, have borne only his blood and for what?! More power?!"
Tanjiro looked at Strifles, who was curled up on the ground, crying. "No matter how much damage you do to him, your little brother has always looked up to you! He always loved you! And you used that love against him! You let that ram torture him for lord knows how long!"
Rage consumed Tanjiro as he roared into the night, startling Ran'yō and making him back up. The water dragon then roared. It's aquatic body turned into solar flames. Kokushibo widened his eyes in awe, both at Tanjiro's power and speech. Gyutaro was also impressed, but quickly took action. He saw a shallow trench by the tree where Strifles was and scooped up the young pup.
Daki followed him and took the pup into her arms once they were in the trench. "Stay here." He said in a hushed voice as he jumped out. Kokushibo flung the jaguars that were behind Tanjiro in front of him by using his tentacles. All of this in preparation for Tanjiro's attack.
Douma was struggling to hold his own against Jackyll. The ram demon pushed him back by using his powerful digitigrade legs. Douma tried to use his Blood Demon Art, but he couldn't freeze the air without killing Inosuke. "Your kind are useless wastes of space!" Jackyll pushed Douma's arms back, causing the bones to break and rip out of his skin.
Douma screamed in pain as his elbow bones were exposed. "You have no idea who I am..Let me show you!" Jackyll stuck out his long tongue, revealing Kenji that read "Upper Besst One." Douma widened his eyes. "You're a fake! A phony!" Jackyll's laugh was wicked and cold. "Is that so? Then how am I absolutely destroying Upper Moon Two?"
Douma closed his eyes and roared in aggravation. "I will not let you hurt my son!" He kicked the ram in his stomach, which only pushed him back slightly. A strange, fiery light emitted from behind them. Douma turned to see the massive flame dragon. Then, he had an idea. Douma heaved Jackyll by his middle and quickly threw him into its pathway.
The solar flame dragon roared angrily and Tanjiro roared as well. Before anyone else could react, the dragon burned its way through the pathway. The Maine Coon cat was standing in the way. "Mr. Nibbles!" Strifles cried out with outstretched arms. Gyutaro saw the car and dove after it. He tumbled into the trench with the cat in his arms and held Daki close to his chest. "Don't look at the flames, Ume!" He managed to roar above the sound of the blast.
The solar flames burned everything in their path. The jaguars, Ran'yō, and even Jackyll. Tanjiro roared angrily as the dragon incinerated everything in its path. Kokushibo stood behind him, both looking in awe and in horror.
The light died down and the smoke cleared. Corpses of burned jaguars were strewn around the area. Ran'yō's skin was horrifically burned to the point where he was almost unrecognizable. He groaned in severe pain as his body was stiff.
Tanjiro walked through the burned area and towards Ran'yō. He squinted his eyes in disgust as he looked at the pitiful demon. "Strifles will never be put in that kind of pain again." He growled before slicing off Ran'yō's head with his black blade. The jaguar demon's body disintegrated almost immediately once his head was decapitated.
Tanjiro looked up to see Jackyll, who was severely burned. Unlike Ran'yō, Jayckll shook off the burned skin and regenerated quickly. He looked up at the sky and snarled. "You're lucky the sun is coming, otherwise you'd all be dead! That half Humanoid pup will be my food source..and I'll destroy your bloodline.." Before Tanjiro could make another move, Jackyll's bell rang and he sped away in a blur.
Tanjiro looked over at his group. "Is everyone okay?" Gyutaro and Daki emerged from the trench with Strifles and the cat in their arms. Kokushibo stood up and dusted himself off.
Douma immediately went over to Inosuke once the dragon passed. "Inosuke! Are you alright?!" Inosuke looked up at him with blood dripping down his face. "You saved me..thank you." Douma smiled with relief and carefully hugged him. "I'm just thankful that you're alive!"
Douma had to pop the bones back into his arms before he could lift Inosuke up on his shoulders. He grunted in pain with every step that he took, but he made sure to pick up Inosuke's boar mask along the way. A plethora of different scents hit Tanjiro's nose as a herd of footsteps was audible.
All the Hashira-plus Akaza, Zenitsu, and Nezuko-ran to the scene of the battlefield. "What the hell happened here?!" Sanemi said with widened eyes. "This area has been incinerated!" Tanjiro turned to look at the Hashira. "There was a demon..a jaguar demon..one who abused his brother."
Gyutaro and Daki walked into the clearing, Strifles shivering in Daki's arms. "Oh my.." Mitsuri covered her mouth with shock and horror. "That poor pup.." Obanai squinted his eyes. "Even for a demon, that's low. Purely vile!" Gyutaro and Daki walked over to Tanjiro-who outstretched his arms-and handed Strifles over to him. He looked into the young pup's saddened eyes.
Tanjiro hugged the pup close to him. "I'm so sorry, Strifles..I'm so sorry." His voice cracked with sorrow and regret. "I didn't want to take your brother away from you." Nezuko and Zenitsu quickly hurried over to Tanjiro. "Brother, it's not your fault." Nezuko winced. "You just had to do what you needed to do to keep him safe." Zenitsu said in agreement.
The Hashira then examined the battlefield. Rengoku looked across the scorched landscape. "Young Kamado, did you do this?" Tanjiro only looked up at him. "He did.." Kokushibo spoke up. "He was..infuriated by the pup's abuse..and scorched the earth.." Rengoku nodded. "You have gotten immensely stronger, Young Kamado. There's no denying that."
Akaza walked over to Kokushibo with a curious expression. The six-eyed demon turned away in shame. "Don't look at me..this form.. is hideous.." Akaza only tilted his head in confusion. "Hideous? What do you mean hideous?" Kokushibo turned back towards him. "This form.."
Akaza raised an eyebrow and blushed slightly. "I don't think it's hideous." Kokushibo could feel his face turning red. "You..you don't think so..?" Akaza nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah! I actually think it's rather cool." Kokushibo covered his blushing face with a clawed hand. "I guess..if you like it..it must not be..all too bad.."
Everyone who was injured was quickly escorted to the Butterfly Estate. For most of the group, their wounds recovered quickly due to them being half-demons. However, Inosuke remained in the mansion for a while longer. Jackyll had broken four of his ribs and completely shattered his left femur.
However, the person who had received the most damage was Strifles. For a while, he refused to eat and couldn't hardly sleep without crying. Luckily, he had been converted by Tanjiro and many of the half-demons tried to help him, but nothing seemed to work.
Strifles was huddled inside his room, not making a sound when someone knocked on the door. "Hello?" Strifles mewed in a weak voice. "Are you Strifles?" A soft voice replied from the other side. "Yeah.." Strifles buried his head in his arms. The door slid open, revealing that the person who was behind the door was none other than Rui.
"Hello there." Rui gave him a kind smile. Strifles waved as his tail curled around his legs. "I just wanted to check up on you. I heard what happened to you and wanted to see if I can help you." Rui said as he sat down next to him."
"There's nothing you can do, but thank you." Strifles buried his head in his arms once more. Rui winced with sympathy for the poor pup. "I know it hurts, Strifles, but I promise you that you're better off without him." Strifles began to sniffle. "Why didn't he love me? I tried to make him happy, yet he still hated me." Tears streamed down his cheeks as Strifles burst into sobs.
Rui quickly wrapped his arms around the jaguar pup. "No, Strifles. It's not your fault. He was the scumbag that tortured you. You didn't do anything wrong." Strifles sobbed into Rui's kimono. "I just wanted him to love me! That's all!" Rui then nuzzled his tears away, fully indulging in his instincts. "Don't worry. You deserve love and I promise you'll be loved by many here."
Strifles looked up at him, tears dripping from his eyes. "Do you really mean that?" Rui only hugged him tighter. "Of course I do. I wouldn't lie to you." Strifles hugged Rui as well and slowly, yet surely, fell asleep.
The night was cool and dark as Kokushibo traversed through the land. For now he was finally aborigines deliver the wicker basket of goodies. The destination slowly came into view, making Kokushibo sigh in relief. He tenderly approached the steps to the Mist Estate and put the basket down in front of the sliding door.
"Tokito..Genya...I regret everything that..I've done to you..and to all the others..I hope..you take my offering." Kokushibo said in a low whisper. He then turned and started to walk away.
"Hey, six-eyes." A stern, cold voice called from behind Kokushibo. He turned around to see no one other than Sanemi Shinazugawa. "What the hell are you doing here?" He gritted his teeth. "I just came here..to deliver gifts.." Kokushibo said softly. Sanemi looked at the basket then turned back. "I don't trust anything you say.."
Kokushibo nodded. "I understand that..I've hurt you..deeply." Sanemi clenched his fists. "Look here, I'm not going to kill you because of Master's orders, but if you even come near my brother ever again, you will be gutted." Kokushibo sighed. "I've made..many mistake..I know this..I just wish to amend..the mistakes I can amend."
Sanemi narrowed his eyes. "If he forgives you, for some fucking reason, then I'll leave you be. If you try to attack him, I will skin you alive and feed you to the crows, got it?" Kokushibo nodded, regret creeping up on him. "Oh, and by the way, that ram demon is still at large. Do any of you have any clue of who he might be?"
Kokushibo shook his head. "His name is Jackyll..he's supposedly a different species than us..and he used to devour Strifles's flesh..That's all..but we're still looking into it." Sanemi huffed angrily. "You better. From what we know that ram is extremely dangerous." Kokushibo nodded. "He is...and he's truly..a mystery.."
Author's Note: Oh Lordie, this one was long! I'm also introducing two reoccurring OCs in this chapter! Strifles and the main antagonist, Jackyll! There's still two other OCs that will play a big role in this story!
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter Eleven:
Old Scars
Warnings: A panic attack and some angst
Word Count: 6260
Zenitsu walked through the halls of the Infinity Castle with a fast paced heart. His walking speed was rather quick and he tried to avoid even the sight of the Kizuki. Matsuemon flew above him, seemingly careless of the demons around him. "Run, Zenitsu!" He cawed. "Lord Tanjiro wants to speak with you!"
"I know that!" Zenitsu snapped. "I'm going as fast as I can! Without looking weird of course." Matsuemon laughed. "Then why are you taking the long way? It would've been much more efficient if you went through the main lobby! Caw!" Zenitsu shook his head. "You wouldn't want to be in there with all those hungry demons, would you?"
Matsuemon flew closer to Zenitsu's head. "They don't bite! Lord Tanjiro prohibits it!" Zenitsu sighed in annoyance. "Who knows if they're faking or not.." Matsuemon tilted his head. "It seems like you have some animosity towards them! Why is that?" Zenitsu looked down towards the ground.
There was a plethora of reasons why Zenitsu never told Tanjiro about Kaigaku. He knew that his ashes were floating around here somewhere, but he hoped that Tanjiro never found them. In all honesty, he had no idea if redemption was possible for the demons. He still remained supportive in spite of this, yet he still urged Tanjiro to be cautious. Nearly loosing him once tore Zenitsu's heart out and he didn't want to truly lose him.
Despite all the anger he had for Kaigaku and the demon species as a whole, he still longed for the connection he could've had with him. Zenitsu wanted to trust in Tanjiro's ability to persuade. There were so many conflicting feelings that created such confusing turmoil. If redemption was truly possible, then maybe..
"Caw! Giving me the silent treatment, huh?" Matsuemon cawed, snapping Zenitsu back into reality. "Whatever! I'm a crow, not a therapist! Caw!" Zenitsu only rolled his eyes at the crow's statement. He then skidded to a stop in front of a sliding door. "He's here. His gentle sound is here." He said with a soft, admiring voice.
Matsuemon laughed. "You sound like you're in love!" Zenitsu's face immediately turned as red as a tomato. "I'm not in love with him! You don't know what you're talking about!" The crow only made a "Mhm" sound and flew through the room as Zenitsu opened the door.
Tanjiro sat in the middle of his newfound office with Nezuko by his side. A small desk stood against the right wall while a rocking chair was sitting near the left. A small, open bookshelf was set up behind the two. Warm light radiated from two lanterns that hung from the side walls. A journal laid open in front of Tanjiro, who held a quill in his hand.
"Hey, Zenitsu." Tanjiro said with a bright smile. Zenitsu couldn't help but return it. "Hi, Tanjiro." He sat in front of the new Demon King. "Why did you call me here?" Matsuemon flew past him and sat atop Tanjiro's shoulder-receiving an annoyed look from Zenitsu. "Just to talk, really." Tanjiro sighed. "A lot has happened recently.."
Zenitsu nodded in agreement. "Are you okay?" He asked with a soft voice. Tanjiro's sound was off pace. The breakdown Tanjiro had after he killed Ran'yō seemed like it ripped open some old wounds. His sound reflected that. Strifles's situation just seemed to hit Tanjiro in an extremely sensitive spot. Zenitsu had an idea of why, but he didn't dare to bring up that old scar.
Despite this, Tanjiro replied with a warm smile. "I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me. I'm more worried about Inosuke and Strifles. Speaking of which, how is he doing?" Zenitsu huffed irritably. "Despite him having broken ribs, the stupid boar was running around when I visited the Butterfly Estate. Poor Aoi was chasing after him, saying that he absolutely refused to rest." Tanjiro chuckled lightly. "I'm glad to see that he's still being his rambunctious self." Zenitsu rolled his eyes. "I guess you could say that."
"Have you been able to learn anything about that ram?" Zenitsu asked, changing the subject. "Unfortunately, no. Nobody knows anything about him. Douma told me that this ram knew Muzan and he was supposedly as strong as Kokushibo. I'm not sure if that's exactly true though. Their Blood Demons Arts have been severed in half by becoming a half-demon. Still, that ram nearly killed Douma and Inosuke with ease."
A shiver crawled down Zenitsu's spine. This ram was clearly dangerous and the lack of information about him only made Jackyll that much more terrifying. "Hey, brother." Nezuko spoke up with a soft voice, turning Tanjiro's attention to her with a soft rumble. "I spoke with Strifles to try to help him and he did give me some information about Jackyll."
"Really?" Zenitsu asked, widening his eyes. "What did he say?" Nezuko held onto her brother's arm. "He told me that Jackyll sought them out because both he and his brother were half Humanoids. Strifles doesn't know exactly what that means, but he made it clear that they were rare. He also said that at the end of every month, Jackyll would give Ran'yō a dead jaguar for.." Nezuko put a hand over her mouth. "For Strifles's flesh."
Tanjiro winced from disgust and anger while Zenitsu closed his eyes and turned away with a furrowed brow. "That's just disgusting." The blonde said, gagging. "That poor kid is just a baby! Who knows what hell that ram put him through." Zenitsu's words cut into Tanjiro's heart like a knife. He gritted his teeth and growled. "We need to find out more about him..to stop him from causing anymore harm."
"But how?" Nezuko looked at him with worried eyes. "I even asked Mister Kokushibo if he knew anything, but he said that he had no clue." Tanjiro nodded. "Yes, but I do believe that there might be one other demon that might know." Nezuko's eyes widened and nodded. "Tamayo."
"Who's that?" Zenitsu asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's the one who created the medicine that helped us defeat Muzan and the medicine that attempted to turn demons into humans, alongside Miss Kocho of course." Tanjiro explained. "As of now, She's the oldest person alive. If anyone is going to know who these Humanoids are, it's her."
Zenitsu closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright, but I'm going with you." Tanjiro gave him a warm smile. "I wouldn't mind that at all." Zenitsu's heart fluttered when he saw Tanjiro's smile. "So umm.." He stuttered, face turning red. "I guess we should go, huh?" He grinned. Tanjiro nodded and both he and Nezuko stood up. "Yeah. Let's get Strifles. It would probably make more sense if we brought him with us."
Zenitsu nearly jumped to his feet and walked right next to Tanjiro. "Of course!" Nezuko giggled to herself as she watched the boys before following them. Matsuemon flew over to her and landed on her shoulder with a laugh.
Strifles sat in his room with his undead, Maine Coon cat, Nibbles, resting in his lap. His fluffy brown and black fur was well groomed by his owner. The bone of the cat's nose was exposed, but it didn't bother him much. "I'm glad you're still with me." Strifles hugged the large cat gently.
Strifles's ears twitched as he heard small, soft footsteps approaching. Rui peeked his head around the door. A book was gripped in his hand. "Mythical Monsters From Around the World" was inscribed onto the front cover. "Hey, Strifles." He said softly. "I have something for you." Strifles's tail flicked with curiosity. "You do?"
Rui nodded as he shifted the collar of his kimono, which seemed to look fine to Strifles. He walked in and sat on his knees in front of Strifles. He held the book out for Strifles to take. "I found this book while I was organizing the books in my room. The color coordination was an absolute mess!" Strifles lightly chuckled as he took the book. He flipped through the pages, looking at all the drawings of the various monsters. "Thank you."
Rui smiled as he shifted the collar of his kimono once again, catching Strifles attention. "Is there something wrong with your kimono?" Rui made an uncomfortable rumble. "I don't really know. It just never feels right." Strifles tilted his head. "It looks fine to me. Is it too tight?" Rui shook his head. "I'm not sure what it is. It's strange, really. I also feel the same way about my room. It never really feels clean, kinda like myself."
"But you look and smell great!" Strifles mewed as he curled his tail around his legs. Rui chuckled. "Thank you, but that doesn't really change how it feels." He stared off for a second. "Despite all that, I would like to show you something." Strifles's ears perked up. "Oh? What would that be?"
Rui then hummed before his body began to change. His skin changed from a white color to a normal, pale skin tone. His hair changed to a dark black and his eyes changed to a dark, navy blue. He held his arms close to his chest and shivered in disgust before looking up at Strifles. "Apparently half-demons have human disguises. I accidentally found this out while I was thinking about my past." His voice was soft and uncomfortable.
Nibbles meowed, sensing Rui's discomfort. Strifles sensed this too. "That seems cool, but is it hurting you?" Rui shook his head. "Then, what's wrong?" Strifles asked. "I hate how I feel. When I was human, I was severely sick. It still feels like I'm filthy, no matter how many times I take medicine or clean myself. I probably sound crazy." Rui shrugged as he turned back to normal.
Strifles's ears drooped with worry. "No. It's okay! I may not completely understand, but you're not crazy for thinking like that." Rui smiled softly. "It doesn't help that we've been going through major changes. Hardly anything is stable and in proper roles, except for the times that we eat." The young spider demon's breathing quickened slightly and lowered his head. "Sorry..I didn't mean just to dump that onto you."
"Don't worry." Strifles purred as he wrapped his arms around Rui. "That's how you feel and that's okay. Things will get better soon" Rui was taken aback by the gesture. Luckily, he was able to rest his arms around Strifles's back. He smiled and purred with gentle relief. "Heh..thank you."
Once they split off, Strifles looked at Rui with a wide grin. "How did you use your human disguise?" Rui scratched the back of his neck. "Just imagine how you looked as a human. That's really all you need to do." He smiled. Strifles closed his eyes and his tail flicked. He focused on a distant memory. It took place when his parents were still alive..when they were having dinner..when they weren't hunted.
Strifles's skin turned to a light tone and the black in his eyes turned to a normal white. Unlike Rui, he didn't feel any disgust or shame about his new, yet old, form. "So, how do I look?" Strifles grinned, raising his arms. Unfortunately, Rui's reaction was nothing like he expected. The spider demon had wide eyes and his hand nearly covered his mouth.
Strifles's arms dropped to the floor as a frown dropped on his face. "I'm guessing it must be bad." He sniffled. Rui shook his head rather quickly. "No. That's not it at all." Strifles raised an eyebrow. "Then, what's wrong?"
"Is your human form supposed to have the jaguar parts?" Rui asked with worry, clutching the front of his kimono. Strifles nodded slowly. "Yeah. Everyone in my family had them." Rui let go of his kimono as he sighed. "Sorry..I just assumed that they came with your demon transformation."
Strifles giggled as Nibbles mewed softly, "Don't say sorry! My mom told me that we weren't like other people. I didn't know why, but I guess I do now." He gave Rui an uncertain smile. "That's probably why we lived in the middle of the woods." Rui tilted his head with a guilty expression. "Oh..I don't mind that you look like that. It just took me by surprise is all." He smiled warmly. "It doesn't make me think any less of you."
Strifles's eager smile returned to his face as his tail flicked happily. "Really? Thank you!" The small pup giggled as he hugged his beloved cat, who seemed rather tranquil. Rui couldn't help but return the eagerness. He chuckled softly as he watched their pure joy, not minding to fix his kimono once more.
Then, a soft knock came from the door, causing them to turn their heads. "Hello? Strifles? Are you in there?" Tanjiro's soft, muffled voice called out to them from the other side. "Yeah! Come in!" Strifles mewed enthusiastically. Tanjiro gently slid open the door with Zenitsu and Nezuko behind him. "How are you feeling?" The Demon King asked with a soft voice as the trio walked into the room.
"Better. Mostly thanks to Rui." Strifles took Rui's hand, causing the spider demon's face to redden. "That's good to hear." Tanjiro said with a soft smile. He then tilted his head, noticing Strifles's new form. "Is that what you looked like as a human?" Nezuko asked. "Yup!" Strifles raised his arms. "Apparently, half-demons have human disguises!" Nibbles mewed as he jumped away to wreak havoc.
The trio looked at each other with curiosity. "How do you do that? That might actually be helpful for us whenever we go on missions." Zenitsu said as he looked at the Kamado siblings, who seemed to be just as intrigued. "Just imagine yourself as a human! That's basically it!" Strifles purred.
The Kamado siblings looked at each other, nodded, and did as the pup said. A memory of their frosty mountain flooded their minds. Nezuko smiled warmly at the memory, but Tanjiro seemed to be more distressed. He quietly winced as his smile faltered, something only Nezuko and Zenitsu noticed. With these memories in mind though, their eyes returned to their human-like appearance and their fangs and claws disappeared. Nezuko's ivy patterns and horn also receded back into her body. The only thing that didn't change were their heights.
Zenitsu watched this unfold with curiosity and a little worry. Tanjiro's wincing only reinforced the notion that something in him was causing him to suffer. When Tanjiro opened his eyes though, a flood of nostalgic memories hit Zenitsu. He was reminded of their first interaction, which he held now with great affection. Zenitsu's heart fluttered as the memories were filled with newfound appreciation.
The Demon King sniffed the air, seemingly caught off guard, and turned towards Zenitsu. His human eyes shimmered in the light of the lanterns. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. "There's a strong, warm scent coming from you." What he didn't tell him was that the scent was similar to the one that Zenitsu had when he first met Nezuko. "I'm fine." Zenitsu said with a smile. "I was just reminded of when we first met."
Tanjiro smiled sweetly and nodded. "Alright." Nezuko eyed Strifles jaguar attributes. "He can't retract them." Rui explained. "Strifles had them before he was a demon. His whole family did." Strifles nodded in agreement. "They do look cute though." Nezuko grinned, walking over to the pups. She scooped up Strifles in her arms. He purred and mewed in response, making her smile.
She went back to her brother and held out Strifles to him. The pup wiggled his body a bit with a goofy expression. Tanjiro couldn't help but chuckle as he took Strifles in his arms. The pup nestled into Tanjiro's side. "How are we going to hide his jaguar parts?" Zenitsu asked flatly. Tanjiro thought for a moment before pulling something out from his uniform pocket with his free hand. It was his blue scarf that he had for a few years. He wrapped his scarf around Strifles's neck and hid his Jaguar ears underneath it, making the scarf like a hood.
"There!" Tanjiro smiled confidently. "That should do for your head. Now for your paws and tail.." Tanjiro shuffled the pup in his arms. He took his haori off and wrapped the young pup in it. "Oo~" Strifles purred and sniffed the haori. "It's warm and it smells like pine!" Tanjiro chuckled as he cradled the pup in his arms. "I'm glad you like it."
Tanjiro then turned his attention to Rui. "I also heard Miss Kocho wants to see you." Rui widened his eyes. "She does? Why?" His voice trembled. "Don't worry." Nezuko said softly. "She just wants to do an evaluation. Just to see how you're doing." Rui's tension seemed to ease. "Okay.. I'll go see her. She is at the Butterfly Estate?" The trio nodded. "Yes, but Aoi will help you get there. She's at the front door." Tanjiro explained. Rui nodded as he fidgeted with his haori.
"It's okay." Nezuko gently took Rui's hand. "We'll lead you there." Rui smiled softly as he was led by Nezuko. They walked through the Infinity Castle with a steady pace. The group walked past many of the other half-demons, busily scurrying from one place to another. Eventually, they found themselves at the front door.
Just like Tanjiro said, Aoi was right there, leaning against the wall of the Infinity Castle. Once she saw them, Aoi stood up straight and went to them. "Is he ready?" She asked in a flat tone. Rui shivered in fear, looking up at her. "He is." Tanjiro said before turning to him. "It's okay, Rui. She's not going to hurt you." Aoi nodded. "He's right. You're going to be okay." She stretched her arm out for him. Rui gently took her hand and waved at the group. "Good luck on your mission!" He said.
"Good luck to you too!" Tanjiro called out as they waved, walking away. The twilight sky loomed above them as a chilly breeze rose in the air. "Winter must be coming." Zenitsu said to the others. "We better start stocking up soon, I guess it's a good thing we make good money." Tanjiro smiled as the others nodded.
The atmosphere of the city was still very overwhelming to Tanjiro, despite him being here once before. He huffed and rumbled like an uncomfortable animal. Zenitsu seemed to share the sentiment as he tried leaning his head against Tanjiro's chest. Nezuko and Strifles were unfazed, but tired. Yet, the group prevailed.
"Don't go into the alleyways." Tanjiro whispered, a shiver going down his spine. "Why not?" Zenitsu asked, absolutely oblivious. "You don't wanna know." The Demon King rumbled, gagging like a cat.
Tanjiro sniffed the air, catching the smooth floral scent that was just the right one he was looking for. "This way!" Tanjiro quickened his pace, hoping to get to Tamayo's as quick as possible. Nezuko was able to catch up with ease and Strifles was enjoying the ride. Zenitsu, though, had a hard time keeping up. "Wait for me! I've got little legs!"
"Lady Tamayo's mansion is hidden, so follow my lead." Tanjiro called out as they ran. He then took a swerve, heading into a wall. "Wait! You're gonna-" Zenitsu tried to call out. Instead of seeing him hit the wall, Tanjiro and Nezuko fazed right through it. "What the-?" Zenitsu skidded to a stop. "How are you able to do that?!"
Nezuko peeked her head through the wall. "It's just Mister Yushiro's Blood Demon Art." Zenitsu slowly nodded. "That's really the only way that it makes sense." With a deep breath, Zenitsu walked through the wall.
Zenitsu's jaw dropped when he saw the massive mansion before him. Tanjiro and Nezuko were already close to the front door. "How are they able able to hide this massive mansion?!" Zenitsu squeaked, raising his arms for emphasis. Nezuko turned around and deviously grinned. "Magic!"
Someone must've heard the commotion as light footsteps could be heard from the over side of the door. Yushiro slid the door open with a furrowed brow until he saw who it was. "Ah! Young Kamados! It's nice to see you again." He smiled, waving at them. His eyes then laid on Zenitsu. "Is that your friend?"
Tanjiro and Nezuko nodded as Zenitsu quickly walked to their side. "This is Zenitsu Agatsuma." Tanjiro introduced him. "He's a good friend of ours and fought hard against Muzan Kibutsuji." Yushiro nodded as he turned to Zenitsu. "Well it's nice to meet you, Young Agatsuma." Zenitsu waved shyly. "It's nice to meet you too."
Yushiro turned his attention back to Tanjiro. "I'm guessing you must've come to see Lady Tamayo?" Tanjiro nodded. "Yes..about this little pup." He leaned his arms forward, showing Yushiro the small, sleeping bundle that was Strifles. Yushiro widened his eyes before clearing his throat. "Oh..of course..right this way." He then turned around, heading straight into the mansion.
The group followed him. Yushiro's surprise when seeing Strifles created unease amongst them. Were they in over their heads? Was there much more that they were missing? Only this meeting could tell them. The group trailed nervously behind Yushiro as they made their way through the mansion.
Eventually, Yushiro led them to the same room that Tanjiro spoke with them on his last visit. Tamayo was sitting on her knees, patiently waiting for them. She hummed softly when she saw them. "Lord Kamado, welcome." Tamayo bowed to them. "There's no need to treat me like royalty." Tanjiro sweetly smiled as both he and his group sat in front of her. "You have seniority over we and you know much more than I do."
"Yes, but you are the new Demon King. I would much rather follow you than our last leader." Tamayo said with a calm smile. Tanjiro chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck. "Why, thank you." Tamayo cleared her throat, and the meeting began. "What exactly has troubled you?" She asked in a soft, motherly voice.
Tanjiro set Strifles down in between him and Tamayo. "This is Strifles." Tanjiro explained. "We rescued him from his abusive brother, but we decided to come here because..we think he might be apart of a new species." Tamayo raised an eyebrow, slowly unwrapping Strifles from his bundle. "What do you mean by that?" Nezuko spoke up. "He has jaguar parts like a tail and ears. We originally thought that it was just because he was a demon, but he apparently had them as a human. He was told us that a ram demon said that he was half humanoid."
Tamayo lightly gasped and stood still once she heard the word "humanoid." Strifles was completely unwrapped from Tanjiro's haori, his jaguar parts on full display. Tamayo put a hand to her mouth. "Humanoids?" She asked, slightly shaking. "Yes." Tanjiro said. "Do you know what they are?" Zenitsu clutched into Tanjiro's arm.
Tamayo nodded slowly. "I thought they went extinct..." The group widened their eyes. "Extinct?!" They all said simultaneously. Strifles shook his head, waking from the loud noise. "Yes, extinct." Tamayo said as she pet Strifles. "Muzan used to talk about them...about their version of demons anyway."
Everything felt so confusing, so they needed to take this one step at a time. "What is a humanoid?" Nezuko asked. "A humanoid is a hybrid of an animal and a human. It's basically if an animal was able to walk and talk and wear clothes." Strifles looked up at Tamayo and tilted his head. "This little pup here is only partially humanoid since he only has the ears, tail, and paws of one."
"I see." Tanjiro said with a pant. "What about the demons?" Zenitsu asked. "You said something about them having demons." Tamayo nodded. "Yes..they did have demons. Muzan Kibutsuji used to vent about them. Here's the basic information that I know."
"The humanoid demons were the original demons, existing long before Muzan and even me. They only feasted on humanoids and had the same weakness to the sun as full fledged demons did. Muzan hated them, saying that "they didn't care about their weakness, only about their desire to wreak havoc." I'm not sure why or how they created Muzan or even what they look like, but they are dangerous. Maybe even more so than the Kizuki. If one or more is still out there..may the gods save us all."
Zenitsu trembled as he held onto Tanjiro. Nezuko whimpered in fear. Tanjiro held onto both of them to comfort them. Even Yushiro looked extremely frightened, placing a hand over his face. "So..the ram was a humanoid demon?" Strifles whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "I don't know." Tamayo gently let the pup's head. "I thought they all went extinct. Did he have any kenji on his tongue?" Tanjiro gulped nervously. "He did..it said "Upper Beast One."
Tamayo closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "So he's at least on par with Kokushibo.." She looked up at them with a determined look. "Now knowing that the humanoids may still exist, We need to find where they are. I'm not exactly sure where they might be, but it's our only shot of knowing more. Find them and sent out parties to hunt this ram down."
Tanjiro nodded, holding both Zenitsu's and Nezuko's hands. "Understood. This may take a while since we don't know much about them. Do you know why they were thought to be extinct?" Tamayo shook her head. "That I don't know. You'll have to ask them."
Strifles hobbled up to Tamayo. "Do you think they'll be able to do it?" Tamayo smiled sweetly at the pup. "Oh, little one. You have nothing to fear." She petted him gently. "They're strong and they'll keep you safe."
"She's right." Tanjiro spoke softly. Strifles turned to face him. "We will defeat him and you'll never be hurt again. I promise." He said with a sweet smile. This seemed to reassure Strifles as he went over to Tanjiro and hugged him, which Tanjiro returned. "Thank you..big brother." This made Tanjiro smile softly as he hugged Strifles tightly. He looked like he was about to cry.
Despite this cute moment, Zenitsu was able to hear a tinge of pain from Tanjiro's heart. He looked at him worriedly, but didn't speak. "I only hope the best for you." Tamayo said. "This will be difficult, but I know you can do it." Tanjiro looked up at her. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
The walk home was dark and cold. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Strifles were able to turn back into their demon appearances once they left the city. Strifles returned to his position as a bundle during the walk. Tanjiro and Nezuko could only think about the new discovery, but Zenitsu could only think about Tanjiro's wellbeing.
They arrived at the Infinity Castle, shivering and tired. Tanjiro knocked on the door and was answered by a blushing Gyutaro. "What happened to you?" Zenitsu asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh nothing." Gyutaro tried to chuckle it off, but Daki peered over his shoulder. "Brother's got a-" Gyutaro put a hand over her mouth. "Shut up, Ume. We just met." Daki then grinned mischievously as she skipped away.
The group just looked confused. "What's going on?" Tanjiro asked. "Don't worry it's nothing important." Gyutaro shrugged his shoulders. "I do have something to tell you though. It's about Rui's evaluation." Strifles perked up from his bundle. "Is he alright?" Tanjiro asked. "Shinobu asked him several questions and had him do a few tasks. She diagnosed him with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. I'm not quite sure what that is though."
Tanjiro only grew more worried. "What can we do for him?" Gyutaro crossed his arms. "She's still looking into it since it's a new thing. Shinobu did say though that we need to understand why he gets anxious and help him from there. That's the best we can do." Strifles looked up at Gyutaro. "Will he be okay?" Gyutaro smiled and scooped up Strifles in his hand. "He will and he'll lead a happy life." He unfolded Tanjiro's haori and scarf from Strifles and handed it back to him.
Tanjiro took the items and slowly put them on. "Thank you." Gyutaro looked Tanjiro up and down. "You look tired. Here, I can take this little one. You three need to go to bed." Tanjiro tilted his head. "Are you sure?" Gyutaro nodded as he held Strifles. "Yeah. Go on. Even kings need rest." The group smiled as they waved their friend goodbye. "Bye! Have a good night." Tanjiro called out as they walked away.
The Kamados decided to let Zenitsu stay at their place for the night. He was just too frightful of running into Jackyll if he walked to his place alone. Tanjiro set out one of their guest futons in the living room. "You really didn't have to do that." Zenitsu said. "I could've done it myself." Tanjiro shook his head as he finished. "It's alright. You're our guest."
Before Zenitsu could make a rebuttal, Tanjiro left the room and went into the kitchen. Instead, Nezuko walked in and headed over to the fireplace. She began to try to start a fire. Zenitsu sighed, thinking that this might be the perfect time to discuss his concerns. "I'm worried about Tanjiro." Zenitsu said softly so Tanjiro couldn't hear.
Nezuko turned her head to face Zenitsu. "I know that he overworks himself. I'm trying to get him to stop that as much as you are." Zenitsu shook his head. "It's not just that. He sounds like he's in pain. It only has gotten worse since the battle with Ran'yō." Nezuko made a sad "hmm" as she worked. "He's probably just upset after seeing how Ran'yō treated Strifles."
Zenitsu knew that he had to get to the heart of the issue. "How does he cope?" Nezuko turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean it." Zenitsu kept pushing. "He's been through a lot and I have yet to see him truly deal with the pain." He looked down at the ground. "He seems to just..occupy himself."
Nezuko looked back at the fireplace, not letting him know how she's feeling. "It's..fine.." Nezuko said softly. Zenitsu turned to her. "It's fine." Her voice has more conviction this time. "I try my best to help Tanjiro and I try to make sure that he's okay during the day." Zenitsu didn't really know if that truly answered his question. He did notice though that Nezuko was growing more distressed, so he decided not to push any further.
"Alright. Thank you." He said softly as he tucked himself in the futon. Nezuko shut off the lamps and headed out. "Good night." She whispered. "Good night." Zenitsu said as he rolled over in his blanket.
Zenitsu tossed and turned in his covers. A pained cry had filled his dreams and wouldn't leave him alone. It sounded like a wounded bear. One that was crying out for help. Zenitsu then bolted awake in a cold sweat. The noise wasn't just in his dreams. It was in the house.
With trembling hands, Zenitsu picked up his blade and stood up. "Where's Tanjiro and Nezuko?" He thought to himself. Luckily, there was no creaking as Zenitsu stepped. Yet it did not ease the atmosphere. Based on the volume of the sound, Zenitsu was able to pinpoint it in one of the bedrooms.
He tiptoed slowly through the dark house. The only light was the moonlight that poured in through the windows. Zenitsu gripped his sword tightly and he held his breath. "Tanjiro? Nezuko?" He whispered in a hushed voice. "Where are you?"
The painful howl only grew louder and louder as Zenitsu came closer. He could tell that the creature was in incredible pain, which made his heart ache. Eventually, Zenitsu arrived at the intersection between Tanjiro's bedroom and Nezuko's. Zenitsu widened his eyes when he realized where the sound was coming from..Tanjiro's bedroom.
He turned his head with a tremble. "Tanji?" Zenitsu choked, swallowing his fear. He couldn't hardly see anything inside the room. The limited light from the moon showed that there was no sign of a bear inside the room. However, the moon's rays shone down on Tanjiro, who was thrashing and squirming in his blankets. He was making the noises.
"Tanji!" Zenitsu immediately dropped the sword and ran to Tanjiro's bedside. Tanjiro's breathing was harsh and irregular as tears streamed down his face. He roared in pain as Zenitsu went to him. This horrific sight broke his heart and so Zenitsu tried his best to help. He gripped one of Tanjiro's hands and lightly squeezed it. "Tanji. Look at me. Look at me."
Tanjiro opened his eyes. His scarlet eyes shimmered with tears as he gazed upon Zenitsu. "It's okay, Tanjiro. I'm here. What's going on?" Tanjiro only made a pained mew. "Tanji?" Zenitsu raised an eyebrow, confused by the lack of a response. "He can't speak normally."
Zenitsu turned to see Nezuko with a worried expression. She's carrying a tray with tea and a soft blanket was slung over her shoulder. "What?" Zenitsu said softly. "He can't speak any human language when he's having a panic attack." She approached her brother and wrapped the blanket around him. He sobbed harshly as she did so.
Zenitsu moved closer to him, having a tight hold on his hand. "Breath, Tanjiro. It's okay. We're here." Tanjiro sniffed as he looked at his friend. He winced and whimpered with tears drenching his cheeks. "I know something was wrong..and I never did anything about it." Zenitsu said softly, guilt gripping at his heart. He looked at Nezuko. "How often does this happen?" Nezuko looked at the ground, ashamed. "Almost every night. He cries for them."
Zenitsu widened his eyes. "Almost every night?! Why did nobody tell me?" Both Nezuko and Tanjiro winced, looking away. "Brother told me not to tell anyone. He didn't want to worry anyone." Zenitsu turned back to Tanjiro. He cupped his hands under Tanjiro's chin. "Why, Tanji? I know that you had good intentions, but you're just hurting yourself."
Tanjiro mewed as he gently put his hand over Zenitsu's. "He says that he didn't want to worry you. You worry about so much already and he didn't want to stress anyone else out with his grief." Zenitsu sighed as he raised an eyebrow. "You can understand him?" Nezuko nodded. "The animal noises we make aren't just random noises. It's a language."
Zenitsu gripped the edges of Tanjiro's haori. "But what about you?! You deal with the most stress out of all of us! Not only have you been beaten and battered, but you're also dealing with the HUGE responsibility of being the Demon King!" He let go of his friend's haori. "I'm sorry..I'm so sorry, Tanjiro." Zenitsu's voice trembled. "All those nights I slept near you..all those days I've spent by your side. I never heard your cries until now..I'm a terrible friend." Tanjiro mewed as a rebuttal. "He said that you aren't a terrible friend. You help to ease the pain." Nezuko sounded like she was about to cry.
"Tanji..you need to take better care of yourself. You're in so much pain and you're too kind to let that continue." Tanjiro mewed and rumbled softly. "He says that doesn't want you to worry." Zenitsu shook his head. "You not taking care of yourself will worry us! We love you and we don't want to see you in pain." Zenitsu wrapped his arms around Tanjiro and he did the same. "This is what I've been telling you, brother. You care so much for others that you neglect to take care of yourself." Nezuko said as she petted his head.
Tanjiro made a guilty rumble as he slightly tightened his hold on Zenitsu. "Tanjiro please..take care of yourself..not just for you, but for the others around you." Zenitsu looked up at him. "You deserve to be happy, just like everyone else." Tanjiro nodded as he nuzzled Zenitsu's cheek, seemingly soothed. He cradled Zenitsu in his arms as he made a lighthearted mew. "I think you're going to be his teddy bear for tonight." Zenitsu blushed slightly and smiled. "I don't mind that."
A soft, delicate knock came from the front door. "I'll get it." Nezuko chirped as she got up. She walked with a quick pace through the dark house. Strangely when she opened the door, no one was there. Nezuko looked side to side, but found only a basket by her feet. In it was a small tray of rice crackers, a bottle of sweet honey, and a medium sized candle that smells like pine and frost.
Nezuko picked the basket up and examined it. "Who made this?" She asked before pulling out a note. It read, "This is for Lord Tanjiro. I know that the battle must've hurt him, so here are some items to help calm him down." Nezuko smiled sweetly. "Whoever you are, thank you so much!" She called out before going back inside.
In the trees, Daki sat watching her. Her yellow eyes gleaming in the moonlight. She sighed when she saw Nezuko bring the basket in. "Sleep well, young king. You deserve it." She said quietly. Daki then used her Obi sashes to sneak off into the night.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for taking a while. My mental health has been at its absolute worst, but I'll treat you all to another chapter this weekend. Thank you for your patience.
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter 12:
A Strange New Face
Warnings: Just a bit of blood, but mostly fluff
Word Count: 3495
Gyutaro paced on all fours, grumbling and snarling the whole time. "How dare he? How dare he?!" The image if the elder jaguar demon flashed in his memory. The very sight of him..the sound of his voice...infuriated Gyutaro. Ran'yō's treatment of Strifles went against everything he believed and what he stood up for. It just didn't make sense to him.
The poor half-demon had been like this for days, which worried his sister. Daki cracked open the door and peeked her head inside. The warm lanterns-that were hung at each corner of the room-showed the damage that Gyutaro had done. Self induced scratches covered his body and the floor. His knuckles were bloodied and beaten from walking on them for a prolonged period. "That fucking bitch.."
"Brother?" Daki interrupted his pacing. "Are you alright?" Gyutaro turned to look at her, veins clearly visible. "Ume...Yeah, I'm fine." Daki crossed her arms and shook her head. "It doesn't take a doctor to figure out that you're upset. Still upset about the jaguar demon?" Gyutaro nodded and gritted his teeth. "That fuck had no right to treat his brother the way he did! Did he not understand that the little pup loved him? Even after all that?!"
Daki shook her head once more. "I think that it's just as disgusting as you do, but Ran'yō is gone now. He can't hurt him anymore." Gyutaro only huffed irritably and slammed his knuckle into the hardwood floor of his room. "That can't reverse the absolute shit he went through! You just don't forget that!" Daki nodded. "I know you don't, but there are people here that can help him. It's not good for you to just brew on it."
Gyutaro looked down at his bloodied hands. Twisting and turning them to see how much damage he caused to himself. "Why don't you just go out and get some fresh air?" Daki suggested. "The full moon and the stars are gonna be out tonight. So hopefully, it will be calming." Gyutaro grumbled to himself before sighing. "I guess that could help.".
He stood up, back on his legs, and stretched. Raising his arm and putting his other perpendicular to it. Daki clapped her hands together and grinned. "Alrighty! Just try not to get killed or I might send Douma after you!" Gyutaro couldn't help but chuckle. "Please, no. He's a dick." Daki grinned mischievously. "He is what he eats!" Gyutaro put his hand over his mouth to prevent him from laughing. "Why are you like this?"
With that, Gyutaro walked out of his bedroom, leaving a cackling Daki behind. The Infinity Castle was slowly getting more lively as time passed. Many of the half-demons could be seen chit chatting with one another. Urogi was even hanging upside down from one of the platforms. He waved and cawed at Gyutaro when he saw him, to which Gyutaro returned the sentiment. This brought a small smile to his face.
The fresh air of the outside brushed against Gyutaro's face as he opened the door. Chilly, bitter winds made the trees rustle and the grass flow. He took a deep breath and looked up at the starry night. Daki was right. Gyutaro's yellow eyes stared upon the gentle giant that was the full moon. "Let's see if this works." Gyutaro said, taking a step forward on the soft, fluffy grass.
Little sky lights illuminated his path as he walked. Gyutaro decided just to meander and go wherever he wanted. Trees loomed over him as birds of many kinds watched him with great interest. Despite the night's darkness, the moon made sure that Gyutaro could see the path in front of him. The natural beauty of the nighttime woods was oddly comforting and eased Gyutaro's anxiety.
Still, his thoughts ran through his head like a rampant river. "Why is it so hard to find kind people?" Gyutaro asked himself, scratching at his chin. That was a question he had asked himself for his whole life. For the longest time, Gyutaro had truly given up on humanity and the belief that any good can come from them. After all, the only creatures that shown any kindness to him and his sister were demons.
The Kamado siblings changed this mindset though. Those two were the only two who had the bravery and kindness to give him a second chance. Even after what they did to them. To say that this kindness baffled him would be an understatement. This did make Gyutaro think though. Did other people like them exist? Are the other demons and Hashira actually good people?
Guilt sunk in his heart as his thoughts drifted to all those he had murdered. Their screams..their cries..that he had once saw as pathetic now made him remember his own pain. Did they deserve it? Only some did...Gyutaro shook his head. He knew he was a monster. He is a monster! Or was he? Tanjiro's touch had made the half-demon melt. He had never felt such affection before. All he wanted was to see if the king's words were true. Gyutaro wanted to see if he could be better.
The half-demon realized that in his thoughts, he had strayed far from his home. Gyutaro looked around him only to see tall trees and bushes. However, something did catch his attention. A large shadow was stretched over a pair of trees. It looked like a human..but with wings? It had to be a demon.
Gyutaro immediately ducked down squinting his eyes to the source of the shadow. The moon shone down on the strange demon. It seemed to be sitting in front of a small cliff, swaying its body softly. Gyutaro crept up to the demon's left side. He perked from head out from the bushes to get a better look.
There he saw a rather large, male demon with long, wild black hair. From the left side of the stranger's face, Gyutaro could see that he had light gray skin and black eyes with light blue pupils. The stranger's bulky chest was covered with a black kimono that was covered with purple lightning bolts. Dark gray pants-that we're tied at the waist with a white sash, covered his digitigrade legs. Gyutaro could tell that this stranger had some soft fluff on his stomach and his limbs and upper body were rather muscular. His ears were slightly pointed. The features that made him stick out though were his paw-like hands and feet, purple scorpion tail, and furled, dark purple, membrane wings. Thus, giving this demon the appearance of a Greek Manticore. Gyutaro had to admit to himself, this fella was rather cute.
"Pretty boy.." Gyutaro grumbled with envy as he crept closer to the stranger. The demon seemed to hear him as he turned his head in Gyutaro's direction, revealing the right side of his face. The right side of his face looked like the skin had been completely peeled off from it. The stranger's right eye had no eye lids to shut it. The right side of his jaw had no lips to seal his sharp fangs away. Instead of the normal red muscle that a normal human would have, his muscles were light blue. The same color as his pupils.
Gyutaro's yellow eyes widened as he took a step back, feeling guilty that he was envious over someone who was clearly scarred. The stranger seemed just as startled as he was. "Oh! I'm sorry." The demon's voice was soft and energetic. "I didn't know that this was your territory." The stranger bowed apologetically when he stood up. Gyutaro raised his hand. "No, no. This actually isn't really my territory. I live here with others. You actually aren't doing anything wrong by being here."
"I'm not?" The stranger said, tilting his head. Gyutaro shook his own. "No, you're not." The demon sighed in relief before sitting back down. "Oh thank goodness. I had just gotten here." Gyutaro then walked in front of the stranger. Tilting his head as he observed his features. The stranger just watched him with a soft smile. "So.." Gyutaro broke the silence. "Why are you here, stranger?"
"Oh, I'm Kerido Koibito! I'm actually just resting here from a long trip." Kerido said enthusiastically as his tail swayed from side to side. Gyutaro raised an eyebrow. "Gyutaro Shabana and what trip are you resting from?" Kerido's smile only grew wider as his tail started to wag. "Well, I've been flying across Japan! It's been on my bucket list for a long time now, so what better time than the present?"
Pure joy radiated from this strange demon. Kerido seemed to be very expressive. Moving his arms whenever he spoke. This did ease Gyutaro, but he kept his guard up. "So, you're flying across Japan? I don't think I've ever heard of another demon who has tried to do that." Gyutaro put a hand to his chin. "Doesn't that get exhausting?" Kerido softly nodded. "It can, but it's worth it! There's just so much to see and experience!" He gave a soft laugh as the lights in his eyes shone brightly.
Gyutaro tilted his head. He had never seen a demon like this before. Kerido's overall demeanor gave Gyutaro a warm feeling of peace. It truly eased him. Yet, his head told him to keep his guard up. Who knows what this strange demon might be up to! Kind people are an oddity, but he wanted to believe that there are others besides Tanjiro.
"Was it worth it?" Gyutaro asked with a curious, yet skeptical, smile. Kerido nodded as his scorpion tail wagged. "I'd say so. The sights that you would see are just breathtaking! Both the forests and the cities." Gyutaro grimaced. "Isn't there something that you would rather do? Like training your abilities or hunting prey?"
"Nope." Kerido purred, beaming with innocence. "I know that it's odd for a demon not to care for those things. Even though I'm immortal now, there still is no use in wasting your time." Gyutaro widened his eyes and scratched his chin. A demon who didn't care about getting stronger? This must be a joke!
"What's your game?" Gyutaro growled, walking in front of Kerido. Kerido only tilted his head. "What do you mean?" Gyutaro gritted his teeth. "No demon is this friendly! You're plotting something!" Kerido shook his head. "I'm not plotting anything. I know my behavior is rather odd when compared to other demons, but I promise you that I'm not going to hurt anyone."
Gyutaro's shoulders eased slightly. Due to the sleazy and slimy people of his past, he could easily tell if someone was untrustworthy. Yet, this demon lacked that nasty aura. He seemed warm and welcoming. "Sorry.." Gyutaro said softly. "I shouldn't have just accused you like that."
"Oh, no need to apologize!" Kerido chirped. "I understand! Most demons see each other as competition, so it's reasonable." His wings unfurled entirely, revealing that his wingspan was nearly double his height. Gyutaro backed up slightly as he gazed upon the wings. "Woah...heh, you could probably fly someone to the city and back in a few minutes."
A cheeky grin came over Kerido as he sprang up. "Would ya like to try?" He grinned as he reached out his paw. "You seem like someone that could use the mileage!" Gyutaro blushed lightly. "Was I really that easy to read?" He sighed. "I guess I could. I would probably never get the chance to otherwise."
The lights in Kerido's shone brightly as he stopped his feet. "Great!" He scooped up Gyutaro in his large arms and hoisted him on his back. "Woah!" Gyutaro squeaked as he did so. "What are you doing?" Kerido chuckled. "Helping you up!" Gyutaro wrapped his legs around Kerido's waist and wrapped his arms around the demon's neck. His hands gripped Kerido's kimono as his chest laid against Kerido's very fluffy mane.
"Are you..sure about this?" Gyutaro trembled in Kerido's grips. "Absolutely! Just hang on tight!" Kerido's feet-paws scratched the grass below him when he slid them back. The manticore demon then took a running start, aiming for the cliff. Gyutaro ducked his head into Kerido's mane in fear. With a swift kick, Kerido jumped off the cliff.
Just as Gyutaro thought he was dead meat, the wind started to rapidly blow through his hair. He looked up to see the night sky above him and the dark sea just inches below Kerido. Moonlit rays shone down on the water as both he and Kerido flew. "See? Told ya that you'd be fine."
Shadows danced on the nearby cliff side and the dark figures of trees zoomed past them. The flap of Kerido's massive wings were the only sound audible other than the whipping wind. Light shimmered from the sky above, filling everything with life. Gyutaro kept his head down, too nervous to appreciate the scenery.
Kerido rumbled in a worried manner. He flapped his wings rather quickly, escalating their height. With every inch of increased height, the more Gyutaro gripped onto Kerido's kimono. The few clouds greeted them as Kerido flew higher and higher, eventually being able to pass them. It was then that Gyutaro decided to get a perk.
What beheld him was truly a beautiful sight. The stars shone like little white lights. They stared down at them alongside the full moon. "Woah.." Gyutaro said in an incredibly soft voice. Kerido grinned warmly. "Isn't it beautiful?" Gyutaro nodded as he fully looked up at the stars.
Kerido glided through the beautiful atmosphere for quite some time before slowly diving down. "There's a system of caves nearby." Kerido said, wind whipping his hair. "I use it as a shortcut if I get really tired. It even leads to a remote island!" Gyutaro raised an eyebrow. "An island?" Kerido nodded. "Yeah! There's a whole society of unique creatures on it!"
Gyutaro rolled his eyes and smiled. "You're crazy." Kerido only laughed as he continued to dive down. "I'll show you the caves!" Kerido's wings furled, causing both him and Gyutaro to fall. Gyutaro couldn't help, but grip onto Kerido's kimono tightly. The manticore demon quickly unfurled his wings to catch them from hitting the ground. Gyutaro looked up to see a circular entrance to a dark tunnel.
Kerido quickly flew into the cave. Large, colorful crystals lined the walls of the cave. They shimmered and shone with bright colors that bounced off one another. The light was almost blinding. "I have never seen anything like this." Gyutaro hummed gently as he raised his hand to block out the light. "I know!" Kerido beamed as he twisted and turned through the cavern's rocks. "It's just beautiful!" Gyutaro couldn't agree more.
A fiery light beamed in front of them as they approached an exit. "What's that?" Gyutaro shouted as he ducked his head. "You'll see!" Kerido roared as they flew through it. City lights burned into the sky once they left the cave. The warm lights stuck out like a torch in a meadow. Gyutaro's eyes were mesmerized by the city's beauty. He nearly stood on Kerido's back and reached out his hand towards the warm light.
To endulge Gyutaro, Kerido twisted his body to fly directly into the city. He flew high enough so the humans below wouldn't notice them. Kerido's paws gently tapped the roofs of the buildings as they flew. Gyutaro smiled and breathed in the fresh air. It was truly an exhilarating experience.
The warm lights faded away as they left the city and entered a forest. "Woohoo!" Kerido roared, rotating in circles from pure excitement. "That was great! What did you think?" Gyutaro couldn't help but laugh with jolidy. "That was great! I've never felt so alive!" Kerido purred happily with a slight blush on his face. "I'm glad."
Kerido decided to perch on the edge of a waterfall. Gallons and gallons of water rushed down the earth and into a large river. Gyutaro hopped off Kerido's back, once he landed, and stumbled to catch his footing. "Are you okay?" Kerido asked, turning his head. "Absolutely!" Gyutaro raised his arms into the air, laughing.
Kerido gave him a sweet smile before sitting down on the ledge. He patted the seat next to him, beckoning to Gyutaro to join him. Without hesitation, Gyutaro rushed to sit next to the manticore demon. Closing his eyes, Kerido listened to the rushing water of the waterfall.
"Why did you show me those incredible sights?" Gyutaro asked after a few silent minutes. "I felt like you needed to see them. I thought it might cheer you up. Ease your worries." Kerido purred, eyes still closed. Gyutaro turned back to the waterfall with a smile. The manticore demon opened them and the moonlight reflected off of them. "To be honest, you're the only person who's been friendly to me."
Gyutaro turned to him, his mouth agape. "Really? You seem like the guy who would have a lot of friends." Kerido shook his head. "No..humans don't like me for being a demon and demons don't like me for being friendly and my human-free diet." Gyutaro raised an eyebrow. "You don't eat humans?" Kerido shook his head. "Do you?"
Gyutaro sighed as he crossed his arms. "Not anymore." Kerido smiled warmly at him. "Don't worry. I understand that Muzan forced many of the demons to eat, especially the more powerful ones." He said, pointing at Gyutaro's eyes. Gyutaro returned the smile. "Thank you. I haven't eaten any humans since our new king took over."
Kerido's eyes widened. "Wait, we have a new king?" Gyutaro nodded. Kerido turned his head back to the waterfall. "Jeez, I really have been out of touch with the rest of my kin." Gyutaro gently took his large paw. "Is that how you were able to avoid Muzan's control?" Kerido nodded. "He created me just to increase the demon population, so he didn't check on me often." He paused. "I've been able to survive on stealing human blood from hospitals and feasting on animal meat."
Gyutaro could hear the regret in his voice. He then stuck his hand in one of wrist ribbons. Kerido looked at him with curious intent. Eventually, Gyutaro pulled out a small vile of blood. He reached his hand out to Kerido. "Here. This is a vial of the king's blood. You won't ever have to eat human blood again."
Kerido eagerly took the small glass tube. He played with it in his paws before ripping off the cork and dripping it. Kerido purred softly before looking at Gyutaro. "Thank you, Gyutaro. I really mean it." Gyutaro shyly smiled as his faces turned red. "It's..no problem." Kerido stood up and stretched. "Well, the sun is rising soon. I should take you back home like a gentleman, hahaha!" He stretched his arm out to Gyutaro. With a blushing face, Gyutaro took the manticore's hand. "Yeah."
It only took a few minutes for Kerido to return to Kaikoma Mountain. He quickly landed right in front of the Infinity Castle. Gyutaro hopped off his back, already feeling somber of leaving this new demon. He turned to face Kerido, who seemed just as sorrowful as him. "Do you think it would be okay if I returned after my trip is over?" Gyutaro smiled, excited at the thought. "I would love that."
Kerido smiled excitedly as he clapped his paws together. "Yay!" He looked to the sky, then looked back at Gyutaro. "I guess this is goodbye." Gyutaro nodded somberly. "Goodbye, Kerido. I hope I get to see you again." Kerido smiled warmly. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to send letters!" He then turned and walked towards the edge.
Gyutaro was about to turn away before he heard someone calling him. "Wait, Gyutaro! I forgot something!" Gyutaro looked back at Kerido. "What is it?" Kerido skipped up to him and kissed him on the forehead. Gyutaro's face went completely red as Kerido backed away, slight blush on his face.
"Goodbye, Gyutaro!" Kerido waved, flapping his wings as he ran off the edge. "I'll visit you again!" His wings caught the wind and lifted him up into the air. Gyutaro snapped out of his blushing daze and quickly waved back. "Goodbye, Kerido!" Then, the manticore demon flew off into the night.
Gyutaro smiled to himself as his arm drooped to his side. "Oh? Who was that?" A teasing voice called to him from the Infinity Castle doors. Gyutaro quickly turned to see Daki, peeking through the door with a sly grin. "Ume?! How long have you been there?!" Gyutaro panicked with a red face. "Long enough!" Daki teased, slithering back inside.
Gyutaro ran through the door and quickly shut it. "Don't tell anyone! Especially not Dead Dick Douma!" Daki only cackled. "I don't make any promises!" She crossed her hands behind her back. "Ume!" Gyutaro was about to lunge at her, before a knock echoed from the door.
Author's Note: This takes place during Old Scars. This chapter is actually based off of a conversation in c.ai. Kerido himself is 76 (transformed at 27) and I love him sm.
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter Thirteen:
The Island of The
Humanoids
Warnings: Some swearing and themes of discrimination
Word Count: 8050
The morning sun beamed down on a wide eyed Tanjiro as he, Nezuko, and Zenitsu made their water over to the Infinity Castle. The Demon King walked with a pep in his step, thinking about what he was going to serve his colleagues for breakfast. Zenitsu stood close to his side while filling his head with many wonderful, tasty options. Nezuko just stayed close, smiling with a wide grin as she watched the boys chatting.
"Do you think Tamagoyaki would be a good option? We have enough eggs and vegetables.. I hope." Tanjiro asked Zenitsu, placing a hand on his chin. "Hell yes!" Zenitsu raised his hands to his shoulders and balled them into fists. "Really anything you make is amazing, but eggs are a particular favorite of mine." Tanjiro blushed slightly. "Oh, thank you."
Nezuko watched them with a cheeky grin, glad that her brother had recovered from the night before. The ailments did a great job with soothing the poor Demon King. So, she wondered who sent the basket. Nezuko just assumed it had been a Hashira. Thus, she's now just skipping right behind, happily listening to their conversation.
The golden sun glistened against the grass, which the morning dew had settled themselves on. Frosty leaves shielded the trio from the warm sun. Zenitsu was technically hugging Tanjiro's side to keep warm. Both of the Kamado siblings not only grew up in the cold mountains, but also had fiery Blood Demon Arts. So, keeping themselves warm wasn't a problem.
The sight of the Infinity Castle served as a welcoming space to the three of them as it came into view. Tanjiro made a hushed chuffing sound as they hobbled up the steps. With a soft knock on the door from Tanjiro, Kokushibo opened it once more. "Ah...hello..Lord Tanjiro..."
Tanjiro greeted him with a wide, warm smile. "Hi, Mister Kokushibo!" Zenitsu peeked his head out from behind Tanjiro. "Are you the certified doorman now?" Both Tanjiro and Kokushibo replied with a hearty chuckle. "I guess...I could be..I have been answering it..for everyone.."
They stepped inside to see many of the half-demons walking from one place to another. Lanterns brought a warm atmosphere to the castle. Tanjiro smiled as he watched them go about their lives. "So...what's the plan...Lord Tanjiro..?" Kokushibo looked up at the young king. Tanjiro made a soft purr as he turned to Kokushibo."I wanna try something for breakfast. There's a long table my friends and I set up in the dining hall."
"So...you're having all of us...eat together..? Interesting..." Kokushibo said in a low voice, putting a hand to his chin. "Why yes!" Tanjiro's energy felt like warms rays of sunshine. "Eating together will help us develop a better connection with one another. This was actually Zenitsu's idea." Zenitsu blushed and covered his mouth with his hand when Tanjiro spoke those words.
Kokushibo tilted his head as he hummed a soft tune, closing his eyes. "That does sound like...an interesting idea...We demons rarely saw each other...so..this is a nice..change of pace." He opened his eyes again. "Alright..let's try it..." Tanjiro clapped his hands together. "That's great!" He then shifted his gaze to the other half-demons.
"Roar.." Kokushibo whispered. Tanjiro turned to him with a furrowed brow. "Roar? Why?" Kokushibo pointed to the others as they walked through the hallways. "I've relearned..the ancient demon language...Roaring helps to call..the others..just be careful...you need to make it seem friendly..otherwise it will seem like you're..threatening them."
Tanjiro focused his gaze on the others. He raised his head like a wolf howling at the moon and took a deep breath. Then, a soft, lofty bellow emitted from his belly and went through his jaws. It sounded and felt like a slowly moving waterfall that carried the sound through the forest. Zenitsu and Nezuko couldn't help but smile at the wonderful sound.
Just as Kokushibo predicted, this mighty bellow caught the attention of every single half-demon in the building. The Lowermoons, besides Enmu and Rui, jumped at the roar, but the Uppermoons gave him surprised looks. "Um..hello everyone!" Tanjiro's voice echoed through the now quiet Infinity Castle. "I'd like to announce something."
"Recently, my friends and I put in a long table in the dining room. We thought it would be a good idea for all of us to eat together. It would help us build a better sense of community and trust. I'll be working on today's breakfast and I hope you all make yourselves comfortable!" Tanjiro finished his small announcement with a smile. The half-demons looked at each other with uncertainty in their eyes, but shrugged their shoulders and started to make their way down to the dining hall.
Roughly forty-five minutes and many rolled up eggs later, all the Tamagoyaki had been prepared. Green onions, juicy, thin tomatoes, and sizzled, pink ham was nestled in the rolled up eggs. As a side, Tanjiro had made soft, white rice. Along with Zenitsu and Nezuko, Tanjiro shuffled six plates along his arms. They walked out to the dining room to see the half-demons struggling to figure out what to do.
"Woa-woah!" Zenitsu cried out, almost dropping the plates. "Easy there, young Agatsuma!" A familiar, booming voice said as the man put his arms underneath the plates. "Mister Rengoku?" Zenitsu said as he stared into Rengoku's wide eyes. "What are you doing here?" Rengoku gave a hearty chuckle. "I just wanted to see how everyone was doing! From the look of it, you all are doing a fantastic job!"
Zenitsu blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thanks, but all the credit goes to Tanjiro. He's been working hard to make sure everyone's happy. Just wish some of the other Hashira could see this.." Rengoku laughed, making Zenitsu raise a confused brow. "Who said I was alone?" Zenitsu looked past the Flame Hashira and grinned at the sight he saw.
Giyuu Tomioka was quietly conversing with Kokushibo while Shinobu was doing the same with Sekido and Aizetsu. Gyomei cradled both Strifles and Rui in his large arms with a loving smile on his face. Daki and Mitsuri were gossiping about what was happening as of late. Gyutaro was standing protectively over Muichiro, Genya, and Kanao as he growled at Tengen. The only two Hashira that weren't there, to no one's surprise, were Obanai and Sanemi.
"Wow..almost everyone is here." Zenitsu's voice was soft as he looked at everyone in awe. "We wanted to support young Kamado. It can't be easy carrying the weight of being the Demon King." Rengoku said as he crouched down. "Speaking of which, how is he? I heard from his sister that he had a rather hard night." Zenitsu nodded slowly. "Yeah...he had to sleep in for a bit to catch up, but he's better now."
Rengoku stood up once again. "That's good to hear!" He took some of the plates from Zenitsu. "Thanks." Zenitsu smiled at him. "Here, I can help you all." Nakime spoke softly, walking towards them with her biwa in hand. "I connected the plates and silverware with my Blood Demon Art to make meals easier. "
Everyone watched as Nakime struck her biwa and the dishes of food disappeared. Then, they reappeared in front of every spot where someone would sit. Silverware and drinks filled with warm tea soon joined the plates. Oohing and ahhing filled the room as they watched the magic. "Well done, Nakime!" Tanjiro cheerfully chuckled as he admired her work. He went over to her and patted her head. "You did a great job, thank you!"
Nakime covered her flustered face with her hand. She had no idea how to react. "Th-thank you, master." Tanjiro smiled at her. "No need to thank me. You did a great job." Everyone then took their seats. Some looked excited, others looked nervous. Tanjiro took his seat at the head of the table near the kitchen. Zenitsu and Nezuko sat on both sides of him. Inosuke climbed onto his seat and stood up next to Nezuko.
"Hahaha! Bet you weren't expecting me to recover so quickly!" Shinobu shot him a slitted eye stare. "You still need to rest, Inosuke. You can't strain your body." Begrudgingly, Inosuke quietly took his seat. "There you go." Shinobu huffed softly.
"Hey, psst! Kamado!" Tengen harshly whispered, standing closer to Tanjiro. Tanjiro turned to him with a confused expression. "Hm? What seems to be the matter, Mister Uzui?" Tengen's pupils moved from side to side in a sneaky manner. "Do you have any blood?" Tanjiro huffed and smirked. "You mean you want to be converted?" Tengen nodded sheepishly. "Look, I just really hope I can get my left hand and eye back. That's all I want."
Tanjiro rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Don't be ashamed about it. It's fine to want that." He reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a vial of his blood. Tanjiro then handed it to the Sound Hashira. With an eager smile, Tengen snatched the vial and chugged it down. He licked his lips as soon as he was done. "Why does your blood taste like honey?"
Sharp, glistening crystals started to coat Tengen's left arm. A translucent rainbow color reflected off of them. The crystals went down further and further until they reached his hand. Just like Tengen had hoped, the crystals started to form a brand new hand. At each joint, the crystals were disjointed to efficiently move and swivel around. His crystal claws were sharp and jagged.
The rainbow crystals didn't just stop there. Tengen watched his awe as sharp, pointy crystals formed around his neck, forming a permanent necklace. Then, his left eye healed as the crystals burrowed into it, thus making it useful again. Smaller crystals sprouted on his right shoulder and fingers. Finally, fangs sprouted from his canines.
"Hell yeah! Now that's flashy!" Tengen twisted his arm, side to side. Just admiring it. "My! My! You won the demon lottery on that one! Haha!" Rengoku laughed. "That's no shit." Gyutaro made a low growl. "Alright, Tengen. Time to eat." Shinobu gave him a sharp smile as he did as he was told.
A strange awkwardness was in the air as everyone started to eat. The aura was warm as some of the Hashira and Kizuki conversed. However, they only conversed amongst themselves. A scent of fear and nervousness hit Tanjiro's nose whenever a Kizuki member and a Hashira made eye contact. Fear was strongest among the Kizuki, while nervousness emitted from the Hashira.
Still, Tanjiro smiled to himself, knowing that some progress was made. His sound was slightly soothed as he watched everyone. Zenitsu scooted closer to him, placing his head on Tanjiro's side. "You did a great job, Tanjiro." Zenitsu said as he took a bite of his food. Tanjiro's face lit up with a soft blush. "Thank you, Zen."
Inosuke scooted, loudly, closer to Nezuko. "Is it just me or have those two gotten more buddy buddy?" He whispered in a harsh voice as he leaned into Nezuko's ear. She turned to him with a furrowed brow. "They've always been friends.." She said softly, yet being aware of their closeness. The Demon Princess knew that they became closer. She knew that the second Zenitsu stopped rushing after her every second he had.
"You know what I mean." Inosuke huffed, stuffing a piece of egg into his maw. "Do you really think they love each other?" Nezuko said, staring at her brother, who was having a cheery conversation with Zenitsu. "Is that what you thought I meant?" Inosuke asked, tilting his head. "I thought Monitsu was becoming his minion!" Nezuko could help but chuckle. "Maybe! He is the Demon King after all."
Soon enough, the meal had come to a close. Everyone proved themselves to be self sufficient as they carried their dishes to the kitchen and washed them themselves. Tanjiro, of course, knew that he would have to break the ice and reveal his plans soon. So with a soft roar, all the half-demons, both Hashira and Moon, diverted their attention over to him.
Tanjiro subtly cleared his throat before speaking. "I know all of us are anxious to investigate the truth about Jackyll and, luckily, some news has come up. Turns out he belongs to an ancient species of demon that existed long before Muzan did. Lady Tamayo told me that they are known as the Humanoid Demons."
Everyone looked at each other. Some confused, others scared. Even Kokushibo, the eldest demon, showed nothing but confusion in all six of his eyes. "Is he the only one that exists at this point in time?" Rengoku spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have no clue. It was believed that they went extinct due to a lack of food and slayers. So who knows how many are still out there." Tanjiro said with a sigh.
"Food?" Kokushibo questioned. "What exactly do these creatures eat?" Tanjiro gulped nervously. "That's my main point. They fed off of the humanoid species, which are basically animal-human hybrids." Even more confusion filled the air as the half-demons started to chatter amongst themselves. "Ohh! That must be what I am!" Everyone could hear Strifles say.
"So, we're guessing you might want to try to find them." Tengen's voice cut through the chatter like a knife. Ceasing it immediately. "Do you know where they might be?" Tanjiro shook his head. "That's the difficult part. We have barely any information to go off of! I don't even know where to start looking."
Everyone looked at each other, not really sure on what to do either. "I might have an idea." Gyutaro spoke up. All the half-demons turned their attention to him, making him sweat nervously. "Someone showed me a system of tunnels. Other than being gorgeous eye-candy, the tunnels also lead to different areas of Japan. My friend even told me that it connects to a remote island with "strange creatures" on it."
Rengoku turned to look at Tanjiro. "I believe we have a lead!" The Demon King grinned eagerly, looking out across the table of half-demons. Anxious, yet excited expressions swept over them. Some were more excited than others, but the general consensus was positive. With a determined look, Tanjiro called out, "Then let's find the Humanoids!"
"Genya...why the hell did you decide to drag me along on this trip?" Sanemi groaned as he trailed behind the group. Genya, with a tired expression, sighed as he stood next to him. "It's just a mission, Nemi. I'm not just going to leave you out of everything." Obanai hissed irritably as he had also been persuaded to come. Tail tucked around his legs, Obanai stuck close to Mitsuri's side.
Everyone followed behind Gyutaro as he followed the trail to the caverns. Soft chatter rose from the half-demons. The confusion settled in as anticipation built up within them. Gyutaro led the group on all fours. Tanjiro sped up his pace to walk beside him, seemingly curious about something. "Gyutaro, mind if I ask you something?"
Gyutaro looked up at him. "Sure. I don't see why not." Tanjiro looked down at the prints Gyutaro was leaving on the ground. "I haven't seen you walk on all fours before. Is there a reason why? I'm not judging, it just looks like it would be uncomfortable." Gyutaro chuckled softly. "It's not as uncomfortable as it looks. In fact, this is actually more comfortable for my bent back. I do have to pop and mold my shoulder joints to do it though."
"Oh! That actually sounds pretty interesting. Can all half-demons do it?" Tanjiro asked, tilting his head. Gyutaro shrugged. "I'd assume so. I don't see why I would be any different from the rest of y'all." He then stopped dead in his tracks. Tanjiro looked up to see what Gyutaro saw. There, they both were staring into a gaping hole that borrowed into the side of a mountain. "We're here." Gyutaro said softly.
The herd of half-demons followed their gaze, right into the gaping cavern. "W-we're going in there?" Strifles shuddered in Kokushibo's arms. Tanjiro turns to face the pack. "It's alright everyone." Tanjiro raised his arms in a reassuring manner. "Let's just take this head on."
The Demon King turned back towards the dark hole, took a deep breath, and walked in. Dozens of footsteps echoed as the pack traversed into the tunnels. "How are we supposed to find any gateways in this darkness?" Enmu hissed trying to feel his way around. Douma quickly took his hand to his Enmu's worries.
"Hang on. You'll see something rather fantastical." Gyutaro grinned, knowing the beautiful surprise that would be coming into view. Glistening light nearly blinded some of the half-demons. Kyogai made a sharp yelp as he raised his claws to protect his eyes. Strifles and Rui nestled their faces into Kokushibo's chest.
The glisten softened as their eyes adjusted. Thus, making everyone realize that they were surrounded by rows and rows of multicolored crystals! "Haha! This is amazing!" Tengen laughed as he spun around, trying to get a full circle of the wall jewels. "Beautiful...how did you discover this?" Akaza asked as he was examining a large red crystal beside him.
"Like I said, a friend of mine introduced me to this." Gyutaro picked up a small piece of a green crystal that fell from the ceiling. "Wait, Gyu...You have friends?" Douma raised his head above the crowd. With a sharp swing of his head, Gyutaro slitted his eyes at Douma and made an irritated snarl.
Urogi flew up to the ceiling of the caverns, squeaking and chirping all the way. Karaku also ran off. Heading right to a large blue gem in front of Tanjiro. "Don't touch those, you dumbass!" Sekido growled. "You don't know if they're dangerous!" Despite Sekido's efforts, Karaku firmly grasped the crystal...and nothing happened. "See?" Karaku turned with a cheeky grin. "They aren't toxic!" Sekido only huffed in defeat and stood close to Aizetsu.
A quick glance around the caverns revealed that there were many avenues the pack could take. "There's so many.." Muichiro spoke in awe. "If we pick the wrong one, we're sure to get lost." He huddled closer to Genya, who wrapped his arm around him and Kanao. "I agree!" Rengoku's voice boomed as he stepped forward. "Therefore, we need to be careful! Our biggest lead is that these Humanoids might be on a remote island!"
"But what kind of pathway would lead us there? We're in a small mountain." Giyuu spoke calmly. "Well, then the pathway won't be one that's normal!" Rengoku laughed. Listening to Rengoku's words, Tanjiro put a hand up to his chin. "He's right. It wouldn't be normal." He spoke softly. Tanjiro sniffed the air in hopes of finding any sort of clue. Then, like an ancient treasure buried under tons of sand, the clue that they needed was subtle, but there. He could pick up a soft scent of saltwater and sand. "Maybe..the pathway is underneath the ground."
"So, you mean that the pathway that we're looking for is buried downwards?" Shinobu asked. "That would make the most sense. That was probably how the Humanoids arrived at the island without any humans noticing." Rengoku nodded. "Exactly! So let's start looking!"
While searching for the correct tunnel, the pack noticed that all the tunnels were either on their level or above them. This made them more excited since that would mean that the pathway that they were looking for would be easier to find than they thought. "Remember everyone, stick together! We don't want anyone to get lost." Tanjiro called out.
"Okay!" Urogi chirped happily. The hawk demon looked around him, mesmerized by the glistening sight of the crystals. Rainbow lights shone through a small tunnel, catching his attention. The hole was small, so small that normal people would have to crawl through. The rainbow lights illuminated the small stalactites and stalagmites in the tunnel.
"Ooh~!" Without another thought, Urogi dropped onto his belly and crawled through the hole. Smooth rock slid underneath him as he crawled through the snug tunnel. Small colorful crystals glowed all around him. Up ahead, Urogi could see that the tunnel expanded . He squeaked with excitement as he quickened his pace. He peeked his face through the hole, looking around him. Rainbow jewels shimmered and glowed, giving life to the dead rock. Thinking he heard something strange, he inclined his head forward to get a good listen. Soft, flowing water and whales echoed through the tunnel. He had found it.
Urogi squeaked as he clumsily pushed himself forward, falling down on the steep slope that descended into the tunnel. "Guys! GUYS! I've found it! I've found the tunnel!" He turned around and squawked into the small hole.
Zenitsu stopped his pace, straining his neck to listen to whatever he had just heard. Tanjiro stopped right beside him. "Zenitsu? Are you alright?" He crouched down to his level. "I thought I heard someone say they found the tunnel." Tanjiro's eyes widened. "You did?" Zenitsu nodded. Tengen walked towards them. "Yeah, he's not the only one. I heard it too."
Tanjiro nodded, sniffing the air to look for any outlying scent. A scent of wild feathers strayed from the pack. "Urogi found it!" He started to run, following the scent. "Follow me! Over here!" He called out to the pack of half-demons. They all ran after him, vast intrigue and excitement was shared amongst them.
The scent led him directly to the small hole. "Jeez." Obanai groaned. "He must've had to crawl to get in there" Tanjiro crouched down and peered inside. "Urogi? Are you in there?" Soft chirping sounds echoed through the rock. "Tanjiro! I've found the tunnel!" Tanjiro grinned proudly. "Great job, Urogi!" The hawk demon could feel his wings shake in happiness.
Tanjiro turned back towards the group. "We're gonna have to crawl through this." Strifles leaped out of Kokushibo's arms with a giddy grin and landed on all fours. He then started to run right into the tunnel. Rui only clung onto Kokushibo. "It looks filthy." Urogi caught Strifles, who giggled and climbed up upon his shoulders.
Daki walks up to Kokushibo and Rui, Obi sashes flowing majestically behind her. "I could wrap you up in one of my Obi sashes. Would that help?" Rui shyly nodded. Kokushibo held the tiny pup out in front of him so Daki could do her work. Her sashes slowly wrapped around Rui's tiny body. The sashes were incredibly gentle and they cradled him like a blanket that had been tucked around someone. "Thank you." Rui said with a shy smile.
"No problem." Daki grinned. Akaza walked around them and placed his hand on the cave wall. "Let's let the pups and women go first." Tanjiro and Gyutaro nodded. "Agreed." Daki slowly approached the cave entrance. She stuck the little bundle that was Rui in front of her before crawling in herself. Gyutaro gently ushered Muichiro, Genya, and Kanao towards the entrance. Genya quickly growled at the Uppermoon, making him roll his eyes. "It's alright, little one. Gyutaro sighed. "You're pups. You're next in line."
Genya huffed, standing protectively behind Muichiro and Kanao as they all climbed inside of the tunnel. One by one the half-demons climbed inside the mysterious hole. Eventually, Kokushibo met Akaza at the entrance. No one else stood behind the six-eyed demon. "That was...rather chivalrous of you..Akaza." He spoke softly. Light blush brightened his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks..I may be a demon, but I do have standards." Kokushibo nodded as he crouched down by the entrance. "You did..great." As Kokushibo climbed inside, Akaza covered his face with his hands to hide the growing blush. With all that done, Akaza then crawled in himself.
Akaza yelped as he nearly fell as he climbed out of the other end. The only reason why he didn't was because Kokushibo managed to catch him. "Are..you alright?" With wide, flustered eyes, Akaza slowly nodded. Kokushibo seemed to get flustered as well as he carefully set Akaza down.
Tanjiro stared down into the long, downward carven. "Wow...they must've really wanted to avoid humans." He said quietly to himself. Nezuko stood close to his side. "Do you think we should run through it? Who knows how long it is." Tanjiro chuckled. "We could try that." He looked back at the rest of the group. "But not everyone can run that fast." Nezuko nodded. "Yeah..you're right."
The Demon King scanned the pack, looking at Gyutaro, who was on all fours again. Then, he got an idea. Strifles hobbled over to Tanjiro with a wide grin on his face. Zenitsu looked at Tanjiro with a puzzled expression, wondering what he was going to do. His face turned to a horrified expression as he heard Tanjiro's shoulder joints pop. The Demon King's shoulders and forearms looked bigger now than they were before and placed his hands on the ground.
"What are you doing, Tanjiro?" Zenitsu shivered uncomfortably. "I'm going to carry you!" He grinned as he picked up Strifles by the scruff of his neck with his jaws. He looked like a mama cat. Strifles giggled as he reached up and booped Tanjiro's nose. Zenitsu sighed, knowing what Tanjiro wants him to do, and both he and Nezuko climbed on Tanjiro's back. "Hey, everyone!" Zenitsu yelled at the pack, diverting their attention. "Follow his lead!" With that, Tanjiro jumped off and ran on all fours into the deep, dark tunnel.
Tanjiro ran with incredible ferocity as they went through the beautiful tunnel. He didn't realize just how flexible his bones and muscles were. They quickly adjusted to his four legged structure and made it comfortable for him to travel. It also made it so that Zenitsu and Nezuko wouldn't have a bumpy ride. Zenitsu looked behind him to see that quite a few half-demons followed Tanjiro's example. Rengoku carried a very red-faced Giyuu on his back. Akaza surprisingly did the same with little Rui. Gyutaro, of course, carried Daki in his usual fashion. Even Genya took after the trend, carrying both Muichiro and Kanao. He did have a guilty look on his face however. It was then that Zenitsu noticed that Sanemi was trailing behind everyone else.
"Jeez." Zenitsu said with a sigh. "Shinagawa is incredibly stubborn." Nezuko followed his gaze and slowly nodded. "Poor guy looks exhausted. I wonder why he didn't hitch a ride on his brother." Zenitsu shrugged. "He probably hasn't even talked with him yet." Nezuko nodded somberly. "That sounds about accurate."
"Zen! Nezi! Look!" Strifles squealed excitedly as he pointed up at the ceiling. Light filled the room as Zenitsu and Nezuko turned to get a view of their surroundings. Gone were the rocks and rubble and now the ceiling was made with translucent crystal. Oceanic waters flowed above them and various marine creatures swam above them.
"Woah.." Zenitsu's jaw dropped, gazing upon the sight. He could hear many of the others gasp and chatter about the marine life above them. A whale shark swam above them, giving everyone a clear view of its glistening spots. "I don't think any of us have been this close to these majestic beasts." Shinobu smiled as she watched the creature.
Tanjiro gazed up at the ceiling, still carrying Strifles in his jaws. A small smile formed on his face. Soft sands molded around his clawed hands every time he put them on the ground. He was able to enjoy the ride.
A few minutes passed by when a dark, rocky cavern came into view. "We're almost there, everyone!" Zenitsu yelled, earning cheers from the exhausted half-demons. Tanjiro sunk his claws into the soft rock as he began to climb up the cavern's slope. Strifles giggled as he swayed. Tanjiro's eyes widened as he finally saw what he had been hoping for, sunlight. They had finally made it! Tanjiro practically leapt out of the cave's exit. Finding himself in a lush and beautiful forest.
The Demon King steadily walked so the others could come out. He sent Strifles down on the ground. "Hehehe! That was fun! Can we do that again?" Tanjiro smiled at him, feeling Zenitsu and Nezuko slide off of his back. He stood up and popped his shoulder bones back into place, making Zenitsu shudder.
The half-demons came pouring in and let their passengers off their backs. They examined their new environment. Strange creatures crawled and buzzed around. Bees had multi-colored stripes and were slightly larger than normal. Odd little lizards climbed up and down on the trees. Tiny wings were stretched out on their backs and their thin black stripes made them look like tiger-lizards. Even the birds were unique as their large darkly colored bodies sustained four large, looming wings and a head with razor sharp beaks and small spines that ran down their backs.
"This whole place is a different ecosystem." Shinobu spoke as she admired a large bee that landed on her finger. Zenitsu didn't care about the beautiful creatures. He only winced in fear. "I hear a large monster.." He trembled fearfully. "It's okay, Zen. Just stick by me, okay? You too, Nezuko." Tanjiro said in a kind, warm voice.
Tanjiro then made a sharp calling noise, drawing everyone's attention. "We must proceed, but don't stray from each other. I'll let you know if I get any funny scents." Everyone in the pack nodded and huddled together as they proceeded forward. Little did they know, a pair of hawk eyes had been watching them before scampering off into the woods.
The half-demons continued their way through the colorful forest. Little rodents with pear-shaped bodies and long spring-like legs jumped and ran about. Their long tails grazed the grass as they nibbled at various nuts and berries. Shinobu kept her eye out for all the little strange creatures.
Kokushibo looked over at Muichiro and Genya. A heavy weight tugged at his heart as he watched them. He tried to edge his way closer to them in the crowd. Muichiro seemed to notice this though and he huddled closer to Genya. A small wince escaped Kokushibo's lips. He felt something rip at his chest. Yet he knew all he could do was to look away and leave them be, no matter how much he wanted to get closer to them.
Tanjiro kept on sniffing the air, making sure to be completely aware of his surroundings. Everything was strange to him. All these new creatures and plants made it incredibly difficult to sense if any threat was nearby. Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke rained close to the king to feel safe. Pretty much everyone huddled together to keep each other safe with the most protective on the outside.
Then, a rotten, angry scent filled the air. Tanjiro quickly raised his hand to signal for everyone to stop. He sniffed the air again, widening his eyes as he realized that there were more than one. "There are others here.." Tanjiro whispered. Tengen put a hand behind his ear to listen. His eyes widened in fright. "There are five here."
A long, sharp spear quickly landed right in front of Tanjiro, causing him to yelp. Another one was heading towards Daki, but Gyutaro managed to slice it in half and roared angrily. Arrows were fired at them as well. One went straight through Akaza's arm as he tried to defend Kokushibo. Others were sliced and diced by claws and swords. Lastly, a large, silver harpoon was launched right at Nezuko. However, Tanjiro caught it when it was only an inch from her face.
Tanjiro gritted his teeth and snarled as he turned towards the trees. "So..you humans have finally found us, huh?" A sharp, stone-cold voice echoed around them. "What gives you the right to trespass on our land?" Finally, the perpetrator and leader revealed himself.
A hawk-like man with light brown feathers and a mohawk made with dark brown feathers walked out of the bushes. He wore a haori and pants that were completely black. His bare, feathered chest was layered with white and dark brown feathers. The only article of clothing that had color was a white and blue Tallit that he wore around his neck. The hawk's golden eyes were filled with hatred as he held a homemade wooden spear in his right hand.
"We mean no harm." Tanjiro eyes the hawk down as he threw the harpoon onto the ground. The hawk darkly chuckled. "They all say that. Get 'em, boys!" The other attackers jumped out of the trees. One was a gritty gator wearing a white ripped shirt and denim who was holding another steel harpoon. Another was a Gila Monster who wore a similar outfit as the top heavy gator, except his shirt was black. The Gila was much thinner than the gator, thus it made sense that he wielded the bow and arrows.
Lastly, there was a large, muscular gray wolf who wore a dark gray, Demon Slayer uniform with a white haori wrapped around his waist. He carried two large, serrated swords that looked similar to Tengen's. Strangely, the wolf also wore prayer beads around his wrists and neck. The weirdest feature was the mask he wore on his face. It was rigid and had thick outlines that emphasized all the accents on it.
"Well this is a friendly greeting." Douma joked. The gator pointed his harpoon at him. "Don't get comfy, Rainbow Eyes!" He snarled. "We ain't lettin' you humans put us in the dirt!" Tanjiro squinted his eyes. "We aren't here to hurt you. We just want to ask you something."
The hawk lowered his intimidating eyes upon them. "You have no business with us. You have no right to be here." Tengen looked around at the different Humanoids. "Wait, where's the fifth one?" The Gila pointed his bow at him. "None of your damn business!" The hawk looked up at the wolf, who had his swords at the ready.
"Timber." The hawk's tone was soft towards the wolf. "You need to return to the village. You're retired for a reason." The wolf only huffed and stood his ground. The hawk turned his gaze back to the pack. "Very well. You can join us in the slaughter then." Tanjiro put his hand on his sword, snarling. The hawk picked up the wooden spear, ready to attack.
"Woah! Woah! Woah!" A mystical, sharp female's voice called out from the trees. Dark blue eyes could be seen with the darkness of the trees. "Aka, do you realize what they are?!" A panther humanoid wearing a black demon slayer uniform and a black haori with purple and blue flames on the bottom and wrist cuffs walked out into the clearing. She had a shorter,purple fur mohawk and light grey around her muzzle. The panther wore purple, shiny gauntlets with red blades on the paw fingers. Her tail was sleek and long with a blue tuff which resembled a flame on the end.
"Lady Aqua." Aka bowed respectfully towards her. The other Humanoids did the same. "They are mere pests. We can get rid of them easily." Aqua shook her head. "They're fucking demons! Not just normal humans." Timber nodded, knowing the truth all along.
"Damn it!" Aka stomped his taloned feet. "That means only you can kill them." Tanjiro huffed irritably, having enough of this. "We aren't here to hurt you!" He roared, causing everyone to jump. Aqua approached him and pointed a sharp claw in his face. "Look, we have kept our family safe for generations by avoiding your kind. We can't let you hurt us." Tanjiro nodded. "I understand that, but I truly mean it! We need help with a ram demon."
Aqua immediately dropped her bladed claw and widened her eyes. "A ram demon? Does he have black fur, golden eyes, and a bell around his neck?" Tanjiro nodded, feeling a bit of relief. Aqua clenched her fist. "Damn it..how the hell did you encounter him?"
Strifles climbed on top of Kokushibo, seemingly startling the Humanoids. "A halfling.." The Gila pointed. Something seemed to click within Aqua's brain. She turned her gaze from Strifles back to Tanjiro. "Of course he would sink that low." She said to herself, already knowing what he did to the poor pup.
"Are you sure you really mean no harm?" Aqua said with a skeptical eye." "Yes. All we want to know is about the demons. That is all." The panther sniffed Tanjiro and made a soft huff. "Your scents are trustworthy..Fine, I'll bring you to our queen."
The other Humanoids looked at her with shock. All except for Timber. "But Lady Aqua!" The Gila roared in protest. "It's alright, Rodan. They're scents are trustworthy." Aka shook his head in a frustrated manner. "You can't just lead humans into the village! They'll report to the government!" Rengoku walked forward. "Actually, us half-demons aren't affiliated with the government."
The gator pointed his spear at him. "Shut it, Firecracker!" Aqua firmly gripped his wrist. "Relax, Supaiku." Supaiku relaxed out of fear and nodded. "Okay..okay.." he sent his spear back down to his side once she let go. Aqua stood in front of the pack and made a beckoning hand gesture. "Follow me."
Tanjiro wrapped his arms around Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke as they pressed on. The pack followed Aqua through the woods. Timber walked beside the panther while the other stood around the pack to keep an eye on them, especially Aka. After a few seconds, Aqua had led them right into the Humanoid village.
There were various species of Humanoids that resided in the village. Lizards, birds, mammals, and even some prehistoric animals roamed around. Their features were more cutesy than realistic, which was probably a good thing for the lizards and birds. When they saw the pack travel through the village, panic filled their hearts. Mothers shielded their children and they all hid within the various buildings.
The village itself looked like a traditional Japanese village, but there was something strange about it. Instead of wood, most of the houses were made of stone and a strange slab-like material. The streetlights were made with steel and their heads weren't lit with a lantern. Instead, there seemed to be round bulbs inside a shell of glass. "They must be farther in technical development." Shinobu scrutinized a nearby streetlight.
"We've put a lot of effort into advancing our society." Aqua spoke flatly. "This island has a lot of valuable minerals and resources." Her soft paws padded the ground as she walked. Up ahead, Tanjiro could see a small mansion. The building also had a stone base with a black roof. A black flag was hung from the roof that was positioned right above the sliding door. Only a singular paw print and two crossed swords were printed on the flag.
"This is our queen's mansion." Aqua spoke softly as she stopped in front of the stone steps. She turned to look at them with her piercing blue eyes. "Wait right here." She then focused her gaze on Aka. "Don't you try anything." Aka lowered his head before Aqua climbed the steps and knocked lightly on the door.
"Queen Hachi?" Aqua spoke in a soft and gentle tone. The door cracked open, but no one other than Aqua could see anything. "What's wrong, little one?" An elderly, female voice spoke back to her. "We have...guests." Aqua whispered. "We do?" The voice questioned before the person completely opened the door. A bee Humanoid with soft, black and yellow fur and four black arms gazed upon them with wide, purple eyes. Crisp wings laid flatly on her back and a purple kimono with red accents around the wrist cuffs, neck, and spine finely fitted her. Black, comfortable pants covered her stubby, fluffy legs. She was rather adorable for a bee.
"Humans?" Unlike the others, Queen Hachi didn't seem to hold any animosity towards the pack. "They're not humans, Queen Hachi." Aqua spoke, turning to the pack. "That's right. We're half-demons." Tanjiro said as he bowed towards the queen. Queen Hachi took a few steps forward. "My my..what brings you beautiful creatures here? You must be good if Aqua brought you to me."
Tanjiro stood up straight with a slight smile. "Right! We wish to know more about your demons. We recently had a run in with a ram demon and he needs to be defeated." Queen Hachi nodded, understanding their predicament. "Good thing we can come to an agreement on that." She chuckled softly. "Of course we can give you information about them." She turned to face Aqua. "Do you trust them?"
Surprisingly, the panther nodded. "Their scents are overall very sweet. Especially from the pup with the checkered haori. I believe he's their leader." Queen Hachi diverted her attention back to the pack. She walked feebly down the steps, with Aqua's help, and hobbled over to Tanjiro. "Is that true, young man?" Tanjiro nodded, a little nervous. "Yes, I am their king. I'm Tanjiro Kamado." Queen Hachi smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Hehe, you already know who I am."
"With all due respect, Queen Hachi, don't you think that having them here is a huge risk to our society?" Aka burst in, seemingly frustrated. "I understand your worries, Aka, but Aqua's nose never lies. Besides, we can't continue the prejudice." Queen Hachi raised her hand. Tanjiro tilted his head. "Prejudice?" Queen Hachi looked rather nervous as her eyes darted around and squeezed her palm. "Eh...it's rather complicated. Would you mind following me inside? Just you and me?"
Tanjiro nodded with a soft smile. "From one royalty to another. That's completely fine by me." Aka's eyes widened. "But Queen Hachi..!" Aqua's eyes then buried into the hawk. "Hush. He actually has the best scent out of all of them. She's safe around him." Aka crossed his arms and huffed irritably. Queen Hachi then turned back towards her house and made a gesture with her head for Tanjiro to follow her.
The Demon King did so, gently helping the elderly bee up the stone stairs. The two walked inside the house with Aqua shutting the door behind them. "Thank you for joining me. I apologize if my people gave you a hard time." Queen Hachi spoke softly as she sat down on the floor. Lanterns emitted a warm, orange light all around the house. A small table firmly stood to the left of the room and two bookshelves lined the walls beside the door.
"It's alright." Tanjiro stood his seat in front of her. "They did seem very hostile towards us. We didn't mean to cause a stir." Queen Hachi tilted her head with a sympathetic expression on her face. "It's not your fault, young one. You need our help and you don't know what happened to our kind in the past."
The tension finally eased from Tanjiro when she said that. "Thank you. Mind if I ask, why are the Humanoids so cautious around humans?" Queen Hachi looked up at him with focused eyes. "They were the reason why we nearly went extinct."
"Thousands of years ago, Japan was dealing with extreme food shortages. We Humanoids and humans used to live together, but the famine and hunger caused both species incredible suffering. However, the human government grew paranoid of us. They worried that our animal appearances would affect our behavior. So, they spread lies and misinformation about us. At first, it was subtle. Jobs refused to take our ancestors and people refused to trade. Then, they grew violent. We did too, but only to protect ourselves and to survive the famine. That only made things worse though as the government gave them clearance to hunt and kill us like we were actual animals. It didn't help that we were also trying to fend off demons that would attack at night. In the end, the humans greatly outnumbered us and we had to flee. Our ancestors found the hole in the caverns and led us here to safety. Some still remained on their land due to spiritual reasons, but they eventually had to migrate as well."
Tanjiro listened to the bee's story with horror and sorrow. Now he truly understood the Humanoids' aggression. "That's just awful. It makes sense why they were so hostile. Please know that we would never hurt you." Queen Hachi smiled sweetly. "I know you won't, young Kamado. If Aqua trusts you, I can trust you." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued.
"As for the demons, there are only three in existence. The only one I've seen is Jackyll, but the other two are listed as alive in the journals that previous demon slayers have left." Tanjiro smiled with a sense of hope. "Really? There's only three?"
Queen Hachi nodded. "Yes, but don't underestimate them. They've been able to survive for thousands of years. I still remember what their journal entries said. There's Silverlight who's Upperbeast Two and a four-armed moth demon. The other one is Songusunēku, a giant King Cobra and the Upperbeast Five demon. Unfortunately, that's all I know about them. Was this in any way helpful?"
Tanjiro nodded like an eager kid. "Yes! Any information is better than being blind. Thank you!" Queen Hachi chuckled softly. "It's no problem, young one. If Jackyll really is after you, then you need all the information you can get."
During this conversation, the pack was waiting outside for their king. Aqua stood beside the door, guarding it. Timber stood beside her, basically towering over her. Aka paced nervously, clearly worried about his queen. The half-demons remained huddled together, nervous to make any sort of move. Daki, however, kept her eyes on Aqua. Blush illuminated her face as she admired the panther. "Are you alright, Ume?" Gyutaro asked curiously. Daki shifted her gaze away from Aqua. "Yeah..I'm fine."
Aqua's rounded ears perked up as the sliding door opened and both of the royal rulers stepped out. "Oh, thank you, Lord." Aka sighed with relief. Tanjiro bowed to Queen Hachi once again, which she returned. "Thank you so much, Queen Hachi." Tanjiro said with a smile. "Of course, Lord Tanjiro. You and your half-demons are welcome here anytime."
Aka's beak practically dropped. He ran his taloned hands through his feathers. Aqua only nodded, approvingly. Timber gently nudged her arm. "I'll be fine, Papa." Aqua said to the wolf. "Jackyll shouldn't be attacking tonight anyway." She turned to the half-demons. "Sorry for scaring, y'all. We just need to protect our family. I hope you understand." Tanjiro grinned with hope. "Everything's okay! I can tell that you're a good person."
Aqua grinned to herself before her eyes widened, remembering something. "Before you go, I have something to warn you about." Tanjiro looked at her and tilted his head. "What is it?" The panther closed her eyes and took a heavy sigh. "There's a cave at the back of this island. Do NOT enter it! It's a gateway to a hellscape." The half-demons looked at each other, confused. Tanjiro slowly nodded. "Don't worry...We won't."
The Demon King walked towards his pack. "Let's head home, everyone. I know that we're all tired." Many of the half-demons nodded in agreement. Douma, however, stared off behind Queen Hachi's mansion. Feeling something calling to him. "Douma?" Enmu spoke in a worried tone. Douma snapped from his trance and turned towards his small friend. "Don't worry about me. I was just staring off into space."
Everyone in the pack turned to head back home. "Goodbye, Queen Hachi! Goodbye, Aqua! See you soon!" Tanjiro waved to them as he and his people walked away. Aqua, Queen Hachi, and even Timber waved back. The panther looked at Aka who dug his talons into the dirt. "I know that you've been hurt by humans before, Aka, but I promise you that these people are good." Aka huffed in irritation. "I fucking doubt it. Just don't bring them around me!" Aqua sighed and put her paw over her face. "Fine. I should get back to sleep though. I am the only demon slayer here after all."
Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I've been dealing with a lot, including the stomach flu. I do hope you guys enjoy this chapter though! Random question for y'all! Who's your favorite Humanoid?
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter 14:
Doctor’s Notes
Warnings: Discussions of mental health, child abuse, and mental breakdowns
Word Count: 3167
11/27/1923 - First Thoughts
Tomorrow, I will start my therapy sessions with the demons, well now "half-demons." Through careful planning, I've decided to interview Rui first. Reason being that he's a child demon. I don't really hold much animosity towards him since he was probably manipulated by the former king, Muzan Kibutsuji.
In all honesty, I'm not too eager for these sessions. It's not that I think they'll attack me. If they do, I've got my sword always on my hip, so I'll always be ready. No, that's not why. In reality, I just don't believe that they can change. They've eaten humans, so they've tasted blood before. I have no doubt that they'll be hunting for every opportunity to taste blood again. I can understand why Nezuko would be considered redeemed, but these other demons..I don't know.
The only reason why I agreed to this is because I know Tanjiro needs all the help he needs right now. He's stressed out and my disapproval will only make it worse. There are so many odds against him..I just feel like he could use a break. Besides, maybe some good could come out of this. That's what she would've wanted...
Anyways, tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. I'll keep logging in this journal after every session. For now though, I need to get some rest. Let's hope for the best.
Shinobu Kocho
11/28/1923 - My First Session With Rui
When the spider demon walked into my office today, he looked petrified. I immediately crouched down and asked him why. He said that he thought he was going to be scrutinized or even killed. I didn't know that I scared him that badly. Luckily with some quick reassurance, we were able to continue the session.
The first thing I noticed about the pup was that he looked like he was never satisfied with how things were. Specifically, his kimono. Rui constantly adjusted it, even though it fit him just fine. He also adjusted the soft pad I had him sit on. When I asked him why he did what he did, he told me that "it just didn't feel right." He said that he knew that everything was neat, but something told him that it didn't fit right. This was the first piece of his puzzle.
Next, we took a trip down memory lane. I asked him about his life as a human. This was simple enough. He told me that he had two loving parents, but an incredibly weak body. It was so weak that taking a few steps would exhaust him. That's why Muzan came to him. In a way, I can understand why he would accept his offer. As a doctor, I know that he would've only lasted a few more years if he wasn't converted.
Then, he started to grow upset. Rui told me that his parents tried to kill him because of what he was doing to others - eating people - but they were also going to kill themselves to join him. He didn't realize that and killed them in self defense. It all became clear.
Rui wanted to create a family so he could have a loving relationship once more. I unfortunately can relate to that. Wanting your family back after a terrible accident..One thing threw me off though. Rui was incredibly peculiar about the roles of the family. He even went as far as to plan our roles for the siblings, despite not having any siblings himself. Not to mention, the way he described his parents made it seem like they fit in the traditional roles.
When I asked him about this, he said that "If the family didn't work that way, everything would turn to ruin." He seems like he didn't want everything to fall apart again. As I observed him, I noticed that he felt like terrible things would happen if he didn't do something in a specific way every single time. He told me that he always counted to thirty seconds when he's washing his hands. Rui also told me that if things were organized chaotically, the day would be disastrous.
Furthermore, I can tell that all this change is stressing him out. He interchangeably grasps his hands together, showing that he's clearly nervous and upset. I know that a part of the stress was being interviewed by a Hashira, but the other problem was definitely the changes. As of recently though, there has been a discovery in this field that these traits perfectly fit.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD seems to be what the pup has. His past of having a feeble body makes it worse. With all the pieces I had, I tried to give him some advice. Since his anxiety seems to be incredibly high, I told him that he should try to rest in the small meadow outside the Infinity Castle. The light from the sun will help to soothe him and going or even playing outside might give him the confidence he needs.
Another thing that was necessary to be aware of were his intrusive thoughts. I told him to be aware of the meanings he's assigning to these thoughts. Rui seems to know that these thoughts are distracting, which is a step forward. So, I told him that he needs to disconnect the meaning behind the thoughts. That's the first step to stopping the compulsions.
Looking back on this, I forgot that Rui was a half-demon when we were talking about his OCD. He talked to me like a human child, not a bloodthirsty monster. The pup was genuinely afraid and somber. Nothing about him showed that he was faking his emotions. For the first session, it surprisingly went well. I know that the others won't be easy, but I do hope that they decide to come in.
Shinobu Kocho
11/30/1923 - The Shabana Siblings
Today, two demon siblings came in upon Tanjiro's request. They were the two Uppermost Six demons, Daki and Gyutaro Shabana. I had asked Uzui about them before this session. Despite of what happened at the Entertainment District, he seemed rather nonchalant about them. He did say that they did have a high temper, so I kept my sword at the ready.
What I got were two calm, yet protective siblings. I guess Tanjiro had worked his magic on them. He must've warmed them slightly, enough to have them discuss their pasts. Speaking of which...
I did not expect the Entertainment District to be that hellish. Tengen has told me before that the place was one of the worst places imaginable, but I didn't grasp the full picture until now. Their story was horrific and it was hard not to feel sympathy for them. Everyone left or beat them....strangers, colleagues, even their parents. All they had was each other.
Once again, I felt myself relating to my patients. I even imagined myself in their shoes. What if my sister and I had been abandoned by everyone? What if we were shunned by everyone who should've shown us kindness? What if the only being that showed us grace..was a demon? Would we end up the same? Was this how Kanao felt?
I didn't expect to feel this way, but I still had a job to fulfill. When they finished their narrative, I asked them how they felt now. Gyutaro seemed to be more at ease with himself. He even said that he made friends with a demon named Kerido. From the look of it though, he seems to feel a stronger affection towards the demon.
Daki, on the other hand, seems to be unsure of who she is. I would say that she was immature for her age, but she was converted at thirteen, so it made sense. I will say though, she has my type of humor. A few chuckles came from me when she started teasing her brother. Very unprofessional, I know. I just couldn't help myself.
After their session, they did seem to be at ease. Maybe having someone to talk to made them feel better. I wish I could do the same...Once again, another strange, calm session. I know it won't be like this forever, so I'm still prepared. Tanjiro telepathically spoke to me a few hours after the session, which felt odd. He told me that the Hantengu clones would be coming in the next few days. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I'm prepared for whatever is in store.
Shinobu Kocho
12/05/1923 - The Hantengu Clones
They all arrived at once, which overwhelmed me at first. Luckily, I was able to organize it rather quickly. I decided to interview them from who I suspected to be the easiest to the most difficult. So, Karaku, the clone of pleasure, was the best choice.
One thing I should add is that I actually had Mitsuri's help with these sessions. She discovered her Blood Demon Art yesterday and we both thought it would be rather useful. Basically, she can create a mist from her heart-shaped marks that soothes everyone who's around her. With no surprise, she came to me and offered her help. I am glad that I'm not the only one who's willing to help with this project.
Karaku wasn't really difficult to work with. He had a rather relaxed personality, which was nice. There was a strange oddity about his past though. He didn't remember hardly anything about his childhood, nor about the crimes that Hantengu had committed during his human life. He vaguely remembered stealing, I guess it gave him some pleasure. Most of his memories come from his teen years and his demon years. This just struck me as odd when we talked.
Another oddity that came up was that Karaku wasn't just his particular emotion. He had a whole personality! Karaku is a very relaxed, laid back, and oddly flirty character, but he's also lazy, slightly whiny, and prideful. I was expecting him to just represent his emotion and that was it, but I got more than I expected. So, I kept my eyes open while having the sessions with the other clones.
Urogi, the clone of joy, was up next. He was surprisingly sweet and, not so surprisingly, hyper. While we were talking, the bird demon couldn't sit still. He rocked back and forth at times and messed with the objects surrounding him at other times. To most people, this may seem like he doesn't care about what your saying. I, on the other hand, beg to differ. Reason being is because when I confronted him about it, he looked rather upset and disappointed in himself. He apologized profusely for it. Clearly, he's been scolded for it before.
Now for what he may have? I do have an idea. A while ago, I remember reading a paper that was written by a British pediatrician in 1902. There, he described an occurrence in certain children that resulted in difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, and hyperactivity. Despite this, the children were still shown to be intelligent. Therefore in my mind, he should not be treated unfairly for his behavior.
Similar to Karaku, he doesn't remember anything from Hantengu's childhood. Instead, Urogi remembers games he played with his friends during his teen years. However, most of his memories are of his demon life. As I expected, Urogi never took any of the fights he had to deal with seriously. He just wanted to play games and have fun. I can understand that.
Along with that, Urogi also mentioned that there has been tension amongst his "brothers", which is how he refers to the clones. When I questioned him, Urogi said that the transformation into Zohakuten is extremely painful, both physically and mentally. During that time, all the clones are flooded with terrible hatred and vague memories of people's wrath.
He told me that Sekido was the one who initiated the transformation. However, Urogi said he understood why Sekido did it, but he wished that they could talk about it. I hope that I can help them with their tension. None of us want them to be torn apart.... It reminds me of someone.
Anyway, I managed to cheer him up by the end-which wasn't hard-and he left with a wide smile on his face. Now I didn't need to have Mitsuri use her abilities for the first two clones, but..we did have to use it for the next clone. Aizetsu, the clone of sorrow, walked in with an emotionally tired expression. I'll be honest. The first time I saw him, I did feel rather sympathetic for him.
This session brought so many pieces to the puzzle. Unlike the other clones, he remembered Hantengu's childhood. Aizetsu spoke softly as he told me the many horror stories from his childhood.
To say that I was sickening would be an understatement. According to Aizetsu, Hentengu lived in a single parent household. That parent being his cruel father. He was an alcoholic, short-tempered man who frequently beat his son whenever he didn't get his way. Hantengu's father threw away any toy that annoyed him and often kept him locked up inside for weeks as "punishment". Dragging his son by the hair, Hantengu's father often convicted him that he was narcissistic for forgetting simple things or didn't do things his way.
Aizetsu trembled as he spoke of fear and sorrow. He remembered craving love and he never received it. His mother was never there, his father was abusive, and he never had any friends. Hantengu feared for his life for he was too weak at the time to do anything about it. That was when Aizetsu broke.
He began to sob into his hands as he recalled all the pain he went through. I immediately tried to soothe him with breathing tactics. This did virtually nothing as he only sobbed harder. Backup was needed. Mitsuri released the mist from her marks. I held his hands as he breathed in the mist.
Just like how Mitsuri described it, Aizetsu was slowly soothed. He wiped away his tears as his breathing slowly regained normality. As his therapist, I had to help him. With a soft voice, I told him that he doesn't have to worry anymore. No one will hurt him here. He was safe.
Aizetsu smiled at me as he listened. He told me that he was never really a fighter. Whenever they were called for battle, he never wanted to actually hurt anyone. Honestly, I can see that. The way he acts is incredibly gentle and soft. I wasn't surprised by any of this news. However, he did confirm what Urogi was saying, except he felt the pain on a much larger scale.
I'm not going to lie. I was rather tense as I called Sekido, the clone of anger, into the office. I was apprehensive from the very beginning, but the fact that Zohakuten causes so much pain on his brothers makes me distrustful of him. However, I'm his therapist, so I have to be open minded.
The session started out calmly enough. He answered my basic questions with no attitude or ill-temper. Then..I asked him about his past. That's when his temper began to rise. Sekido cursed about his father. White Aizetsu's memories were more in the moment, Sekido's memories were the vengeful aftermath. He spoke with pure hate for that man. I can't say I blame him..
When Hentengu grew into his early teen years, he began resisting against his father's beatings. Sekido came to tear this man apart. That was his first murder. This might sound cruel to say, but I would've done the same. This is where things took an even darker turn.
Sekido was the only clone that remembered the murders. He told me that he needed to kill those people to protect Hantengu. They made him feel weak. They made him feel used. However, this was when he lost his temper.
He rose up from his seat and roared with fury. Sekido vented about how much pain he and his brothers went through and cursed us for trying to kill them. One line in particular stuck with me. "How dare you assume that we're monsters when you don't even bother to understand why we are the way we are?!" This not only applies to us, but it also applied to his father as well.
Mitsuri released her mist to quickly calm him down. With the mist and some affirmation, Sekido calmed down and we resumed the session. He apologized for losing his temper and explained that he's been apprehensive from the very beginning. With all this information, I've come to a shocking revelation.
The clones are Hantengu's different personalities. They each have selective memories and they seemed to be formed for certain purposes. Urogi and Karaku were meant to help Hantengu be happy with no guilt or fear behind his eyes. Aizetsu internalizes all the guilt and suffering that his father inflicted on him. Sekido was the source of protection and a defense mechanism.
This man was deeply wounded as a child. I'm not trying to excuse what he did, but he really was unaware of his actions until it was too late. It really was his hands that killed those people. With the selective memory, I can understand why Sekido killed them. He thought that they were trying to attack him and his brothers. In that way, I can understand him..I can relate to him.
Shinobu Kocho
12/06/1923 - Final Thoughts For Now
I don't know what to feel anymore. In all honesty, I expected to roll my eyes at their stories. I thought they would prove themselves to be the monsters I thought they were. What I found though were stories more human than I could ever imagine. I found myself relating to them, which scared me at first. However, I have come to acknowledge the truth of the situation.
We demon slayers were hurt by demons. Therefore, we hurt them. Demons, on the other hand, were hurt by humans. Thus, they hurt us. This isn't a battle between good and evil-as I originally thought-but it was a civil war between two groups of broken people. Every few of the beings in that war were good or evil. We were all broken, attacking each other in the name of revenge.
I thought...that extermination was the only solution-especially after Kanae died-but I can't say the same after listening to the demon's tales. I know that I might sound crazy. I know that I might get hurt later, but I genuinely believe now that this is the best way to go. There are some that I'm still skeptical of, but I will keep a open mind.I will continue these sessions and see how the half-demons grow over time. This war has to end and I believe that this is the best way to end it.
Shinobu Kocho
Author's Note: Yes, this is written in first person. I thought that this would be more impactful for Shinobu's character development. I did do research for this, so I hope that this is accurate representation! Sorry for not updating, I've been constantly sick. I do hope you enjoy this though!
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter 16:
Reunion
Warnings: Angst, parental death, implied child abuse
Word Count: 5855
The halls of the Infinity Castle were filled with a bright and cheery atmosphere. Half-demons, both slayers and Kizuki, roamed the building and partaken in delightful conversations with each other. Now, everything was calm. Everything was peaceful. Things have finally settled down.
Zenitsu sat in the lap of his new boyfriend and Demon King, Tanjiro. His head rested on his lover's chest, listening to the soothing heartbeat inside. Stroking his hair, Tanjiro smiled as he looked at the blonde boy. They were the only two in the office. It was just them.
"I'm surprised everything is going well so far." Tanjiro said in a soft voice. "I probably shouldn't say that now that I think about it. Trouble will come...eventually." Zenitsu only nuzzled harder into Tanjiro. "Oh come on. You of all people deserve a break. Just try to relax." Tanjiro nodded and nuzzled his boyfriend.
"Thank you..I am glad that the Kizuki are getting the help they need." Tanjiro purred with a smile on his face. A painful memory resurfaced once more in Zenitsu's mind. He remembered his so-called brother and how cruel his words were. Venom was laced into everything Kaigaku said, yet fear controlled his actions. That's why he became a demon. That's why Gramps died.
Yet..Zenitsu knew that Kaigaku didn't intend to cause Gramp's death. He also understood what fear could really do. So, Zenitsu wondered. He wondered if Kaigaku was like the other Kizuki? Was he redeemable? Despite everything he has done, Zenitsu hoped so.
"Hey, Tanji?" Zenitsu asked, making Tanjiro look down at his small boyfriend. "Mind if I ask you something?" The Demon King nodded. "Of course! What is it?" Gripping his lover's haori, Zenitsu sighed heavily. "There is..still another demon that needs to be revived."
A soft, surprised rumble came from the Demon King. "Really?! Who is it?" Zenitsu's heart clenched before he spoke. "It's someone who took over the Uppermoon Six position after the Shabana siblings died..Kaigaku. We used to be training mates and sort of adoptive brothers." Tanjiro tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me about him?" He paused, somber realization creeping in his heart. "Did something happen between you two?"
Sadly, Zenitsu slowly nodded his head. "You could say that.." He put the side of his head against Tanjiro's chest. "I'll be honest, I really didn't believe that demons could be helped, but your dream seems to be working. I'll...I'll give it a chance. I'll give him a chance." A sense of longing could be heard in his voice.
Tanjiro understood this longing completely. Family was difficult to come by in this life and it was completely human to crave it. "Do you have anything of his? I could easily track down his scent if you do." Zenitsu nodded before standing up. He walked past his beloved, headed behind him, and went into the floorboard right against the back wall. There, Zenitsu lifted the board up with ease. A dull black and gold sword lay within the wood chips and nail.
Blowing on the weapon, Zenitsu brought it over to Tanjiro. "This was his weapon. It's the last thing of his belongings." The Demon King sniffed the sword. Aspen flowers and a faint scent of peaches wafted in his nose. Now, he had the scent locked in his memory.
Tanjiro stood up and huffed in determination. "Alright! Let's go get him!" Zenitsu gently took the Demon King's hand as Tanjiro opened the door. The couple then walked out into the vast hallways and corridors of the Infinity Castle. Sniffing the air, Tanjiro led the way. An invisible trail of Aspen and peaches guided them to a darkened area of the castle.
The home of the half-demons was vast and like its name "Infinite", so it was no surprise that they ended up in an uninhabited spot. This didn't stop chills from creeping down Zenitsu's spine. "Don't worry, Zen." Tanjiro lightly squeezed his hand. "Nothing can hurt you."
The scent built up in an empty room that had barely any light. Tanjiro was able to sense the red particles that floated around him. Blood splattered on the floor as he cut his arm open. A red light emitted from the ashes as they were drawn to the blood. Zenitsu hid behind Tanjiro as the ashes slowly formed the body of his estranged brother.
"Oof!" Kaigaku fell to the floor with a thud. He rubbed the back of his head and winced in pain. Zenitsu shook and trembled behind his boyfriend. Kaigaku looked up at the Demon King. "Who the fuck are you?" Kaigaku hissed and backed away like a scared animal. "I'm the new Demon King, Tanjiro Kamado." Tanjiro spoke in a formal and stern voice.
Kaigaku widened his eyes as his ear flattened. His body started to tremble. "Wha-what do you want from me?" His voice was much softer and submissive. "I'm just here to give you a second chance. I won't hurt you. No one will." Tanjiro's tone turned warm and gentle. Still, Kaigaku's heart pounded in his chest. "You have no use for me."
"Maybe not, but he does." Zenitsu peeked out from behind Tanjiro when he said that. Kaigaku's jaw dropped when he saw the young boy. "He..he wanted me? He wanted me to come back?" Any hostility and fear melted from his voice. Kaigaku stood up with shaky legs. "He does, Kaigaku. Zenitsu informed me about you."
Looking down at the floor, Kaigaku fiddled with his hands. "But why? That doesn't make any sense.." Tanjiro nods and hums understandably. "Does it matter why? He just wants you back." Kaigaku huffed and scoffed. "He's just a softie.." A contradicting scent hit Tanjiro's nose. "I know you don't mean that." Kaigaku hissed in a defensive manner. To retaliate, Tanjiro growled and victoriously snarled. Thus, making Kaigaku tremble and look down at the ground.
Pain swelled in Zenitsu's heart. He prayed that their relationship wasn't hopeless and unmendable. "Let that fierce act disappear." Tanjiro spoke sternly. "Be honest and you will have love. No one likes a liar." Kaigaku pawed at the ground, staying silent.
"Zenitsu wants you to be better and I believe you can reach that goal." Tanjiro looks down at Kaigaku. "Question is..Are you willing to put in the work to be better?" Kaigaku looked up at him. He turned to look at Zenitsu.
It was truly hard to believe that Zenitsu wanted him back. After all he's done...Why? Why did he want this? Not to mention, Tanjiro was able to read him like a book. Must be able to smell the fear. "I..I can try." Kaigaku said weakly. He wasn't sure if he could. Breaking through the cage is incredibly difficult and Kaigaku wasn't sure if he would be strong enough to.
"Try your best, Kaigaku. Follow me. I'll lead you to your new room." Tanjiro turned around with Zenitsu walking in front of him. Kaigaku's legs shook as he followed behind them. He looked around him, examining his surroundings. Everything had changed since he was gone and it terrified him. Fear filled him as he slowly followed behind him.
Eventually, they stopped at an empty room in the warmly lit area of the castle. "Here's a good space." Tanjiro spoke as he opened the door. "I'll bring a futon in and you can get whatever decorations you want." Kaigaku nodded and walked inside the room. "Thank you. It's surprisingly spacious.."
"It's no problem. We eat our meals in the dining room. Take a left at the next turn and head straight. You'll get there. If you need any help, let me know." Tanjiro spoke with warmth. Kaigaku just nodded his head and huffed. "Alright..I'll find my way."
Tanjiro then walked away, yet Zenitsu stayed behind. Instead, he went up to his adoptive brother and presented the sword to him. "Here. I believe this is yours, Kai." Kaigaku widened his eyes and gently took the sword. "Thank you.." Zenitsu nodded and turned. "Please...make the right choice this time."
Those last words rang in Kaigaku's head as Zenitsu walked away. He looked down at the symbol of shame in his hands. This was completely unbelievable. Why did Zenitsu still care for him? Why did he still want him? Kaigaku might never know the reason, but he had to accept it. He held the sword close to his chest. Maybe..just maybe...He could change.
"I'm just goin' out to draw! I won't be too far!" Gyutaro hollered to Daki as he held onto the front door. A crude piece of paper, a pencil, and a brown bag were held in his clawed hands. "Just make sure to get home by dinner! Tanjiro's making something with venison."
"Venison.." Gyutaro whispered to himself. "Haven't had that in a while..See ya in a while, Ume!" The spotted demon purred with warmth as he stepped outside. It had been three days since he last saw Kerido, so he was hoping he would see him soon.
Fresh air hit the Uppermoon's face as he walked. The woods of Kaikoma mountain were just as beautiful in the daylight as it did during the night. Little rabbits and birds hopped from one place to another. Gyutaro treaded down the soil path to what he called "the perfect drawing spot."
This spot was against an oak tree that let the sun shine down upon it. A beautiful creek flowed right below the boulder that gave Gyutaro the space to rest his legs. He headed to this spot and rested his back up against the tree. A soft sigh escaped him as he placed the bag beside him and started to put pencil to paper.
Gyutaro remembered when he started drawing. One day when he was young, the poor boy found a piece of paper and a quill and ink that was left behind from one of Daki's clients. Instead of returning the items, Gyutaro decided to put it to good use. He curled up near the door and used a lamp as his source of light. The young man found a wall scroll that had a drawing of a traditional Japanese dragon. This was his muse.
For the next few hours, Gyutaro drew the angry and energetic dragon. He made sure every shape was right. Every stroke of shading was accurate to the original tapestry. Surprisingly, this seemed to be his natural talent, but he wouldn't believe that. "Brother! Brother!" A young, human Ume waltzed into the house. She looked down at him and raised her eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just drawing. I don't know how to write, but I thought I could try this." Gyutaro said as he put down the quill. Ume looked down upon the paper, scanning the ink dragon. "Wow...That's actually really good!" Gyutaro looked up at her and smiled. "You don't need to be nice. I know it's bad." Ume shook her head. "No! I mean it! It's great."
A soft blush spread on Gyutaro's face. "Thank you." Despite saying this, he didn't believe her. Gyutaro didn't think that his drawings were any good. Yet, he still did it for fun. It was one of the few hobbies he had that brought him joy. So, that's why he was drawing now.
Just like he did back then, Gyutaro chose to draw a traditional dragon. The magnificent creature was wandering the slope of an arctic mountain. It's serene expression contrasted the furious flames of the dragon he drew over a hundred years ago. Time ticked by as the half-demon put pencil to paper and let his imagination fly.
Behind him, the bushes rustled quietly and the wind was misdirected ever so slightly. Pieces of tree bark fell to the ground as the leaves of the great oak shook and swayed. Despite this disturbance, Gyutaro was not disturbed. He was too deep in his mind to truly pay attention. So, the branches waved and wiggled behind the demon.
Giant paws descended down the tree and hopped quietly from one branch to another. A rigid tail latched onto the lowest branch as the being swung himself on the branch. "RAWR!" The sudden sound startled Gyutaro, causing him to jump. He whirled around to see who the culprit was.
"Oh wow! I didn't think that would work!" Kerido chuckled as he swung upside down. He swung himself upwards and grabbed the branch with his front paws. His lower paws landed on the ground with a loud thud and the manticore demon looked at the bewildered Kizuki. He chuckled nervously. "Heh..Sorry."
Despite Kerido's surprise, there was no smudges on the drawing. Gyutaro stood up and dusted himself off. If this was anyone else, he probably would've grumbled and growled at them. However, he wasn't even ticked. In all actuality, Gyutaro had a large grin on his face. The only other two people that would've gotten away with this were Tanjiro and Ume.
"Don't worry about it.* Gyutaro chuckled as he picked up the pencil and paper. "Just glad you came back. For a second, I didn't think ya were." Kerido shook his head as he walked up to him. "I always keep my promises. One of the few things I truly have is my word." Gyutaro flushed at the demon's hospitality.
"So, how was your trip?" The Uppermoon asked, scratching the back of his neck. A wide grin appeared on Kerido's face. "Oh! It was amazing!" His tail wagged like a joyful puppy. "That blood you gave me let me go into towns! I finally got to talk to people!" Loud purring came from him which warmed Gyutaro's heart. "Oh! Speaking of which! I've got you something!"
Gyutaro widened his eyes. "Really? You did?" Kerido nodded and went over to the great oak. He began to climb it once more. A knot in the lumber hid in the leaves near the top. That's where the manticore demon went.
There, he pulled out two purple string bags. Kerido slid down the bark and hopped off the trunk. "Got it!" Kerido yelled as he hobbled over to Gyutaro, who had a shy grin on his face. "I really hope you like it!" The manticore demon handed one of the bags over to his friend. Undoing the strings, Gyutaro opened the stash and peered inside.
Shimmering metal greeted him as Gyutaro yellow eyes stared at the various items. The first item he pulled out was a small, golden-colored dragon that had its body coiled up into a ball. Gyutaro smiled at the adorable tetsu. "He looks great. You really didn't have to do this, Kerido. Thank you."
"Oh! But there's more!" Kerido's tail wagged as he pointed at the bag. Next up was a hawk's quil and a rather expensive ink bottle. Guess he must've had an inkling of Gyutaro's hobby. "One more thing!" Kerido took out the last item. It was a black bandana with green X's that covered the edges. Kerido folded it in half and took off Gyutaro's red cloth that hung around his neck.
Then, the manticore demon tied the bandana around where the red cloth was, making Gyutaro blush rather harshly. "And...there!" Kerido stepped back and examined him. The bandana fit perfectly around Gyutaro's neck. "You look great!"
Gyutaro put a clawed hand up to the bandana. The soft fabric felt almost euphoric against his fingers. A clear sign, to him at least, that this gift was rather expensive. He could feel himself tearing up over the thought. "Thank you...Thank you so much, Kerido."
Kerido gave the Uppermoon a warm smile. "Of course! I love spoiling my buddies. I also got a little stuffed deer." He said as he shook the other bag. The manticore demon sighed as he went over to the edge of the cliff side. His paws slid against the rock as he sat down.
He looked at Gyutaro's brown bag. "I'm guessing that must be your lunch?" Gyutaro chuckled as he gently grabbed the bag. "No..Far from it." He opened the bag and pulled out a soft, plush dragon. "I don't know why I bought it. I'm normally quite frugal, but...I guess he just caught my eye. Maybe it's to make up for my childhood,"
Kerido smiled warmly at him and patted the ground next to him."So, how have you been? I know we've been sending letters, but there's only so much you can say on a piece of paper."
Gyutaro chuckled as he took a seat next to the manticore. "Oh, I've been fine. Just taking care of my sister. She's a handful, but she's got a good spirit." He purred softly, scooting closer to the manticore's side.
"You have a sister?" Kerido had a giddy grin on his face as his tail wagged excitedly. Gyutaro nodded, which made the manticore demon more excited. "That's great! I was an only child, so I don't have any siblings."
"Did you have your parents to take care of you?" Gyutaro raised an eyebrow as he felt his stomach turn. He put his hand to his face and groaned. "Sorry. That was a rather personal question."
Kerido seemed unaffected by the intimacy of the question. He raised his paws with a cheery grin on his face. "No, no. It's fine! I don't mind answering that." He looked off into the depths of the cliff. Running water rushed through the creek below them. "Truth be told, I did have a mom."
"Was she a good mom? Hopefully she was better than mine." Gyutaro winced when he spoke. His muscles tensed as he recalled his past. He would never wish that fate on anyone.
"She was a great mom." Kerido spoke in a soft voice. His paw gently grabbed Gyutaro's hand and lightly squeezed it. Gyutaro could feel his body warm up at the physical contact. Then, Kerido continued.
"My father left us shortly after my mom gave birth to me. She was devastated, but she always tried her best to take care of me. We were huntsmen and we lived in a small, but very homey cabin that was near the edge of the woods. She taught me how to hunt, but also how to respect the balance in nature. My mom was my light. My comfort..."
Kerido went silent. Something had shifted in him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A single tear ran down his face and a soft whimper escaped from him. "I'm sorry, Kerido. I shouldn't have asked." Gyutaro said quietly, feeling his heart sink like a weight.
"No. Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." Kerido wiped his tear away and continued. "One day, my mother and I were attacked by a grizzly bear during one of our hunts. In fact, that's how I got my scar." He traced the mark on his face before continuing. "She tried to defend me as much as she could...Blood was everywhere and the bear tore into her. In the end, she was able to slay the bear, but I couldn't save her from her blood loss. From then on, I was alone."
"Did anyone ever come by to help or to at least check up on you?" Gyutaro asked with an empathetic and soft voice. A voice that not many heard. His head tilted as he made a subtle wince.
Kerido shook his head and gripped the earth beneath him. "No. There was a quaint village outside our woods, but they treated us like outsiders since we lived in the forest. Luckily, I had the skills to survive on my own."
Gyutaro gritted his teeth and growled. "How dare they leave a child on his own. They left you alone for your whole life." His nails dug into the dirt. Then, he felt Kerido put a paw on his shoulder.
"It's alright." Kerido smiled sweetly, then sighing quietly. "It really wasn't all that bad. They warmed up to me after a little while." His legs swayed back and forth as they hung from the cliff side.
"Th-they did? How?! Most people that I've delt with never changed. They never cared if an innocent child suffered." A low hiss came from Gyutaro as he recalled the horror of his past.
Kerido shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure why they did. Even though they hated me at first, I still tried to help them when I thought I should. A child wandered into my section of the woods one time. When I found him, the boy shook and cried from fear. Luckily, I was able to calm him down with some sweets. I took the child to his parents, which was rather quick, and they actually thanked me!"
An epiphany snapped into Gyutaro's head. They had very similar lives. Neither one of them had much growing up. They had to raise themselves, but there was one key difference between them. A small one that turned them into the opposites they are.
"Why did you treat them so kindly?" Gyutaro raised his eyebrow. "They didn't deserve your kindness, not after abandoning you."
Kerido chuckled softly as he adjusted his kimono. "Because they're still people. Sure, they should've tried to understand me better, but they had their own lives to worry about. Besides, I would be just like them if I fought them."
The anger Gyutaro felt melted away. He thought about the way he treated everyone around him. Sure, he needed to defend himself sometimes, but he didn't help himself by feeding into their monster allegations. He had fed into their fears and made it harder for anyone to come close. That outlook unfortunately affected his sister as well. Out of everything, he regretted that the most. "Did anyone keep you company? In your adulthood I mean."
"There was one little ray of sunshine that helped me." Kerido smiled warmly as he looked off into the sky. His tail wagged as his thoughts shifted.
Gyutaro tilted his head in a curious manner. "Who might that be?" He purred quietly as he looked at Kerido.
"My son, Aino Musuko." His voice softened as he spoke his boy's name.
Gyutaro's eyes widened with shock. "You have a son?! I had no idea you had a boy! When was this?"
Kerido chuckled at the many questions the Uppermoon was asking him. "I do. Aino was a small boy who used to live in the town. He was ostracized because of a large birthmark that covered half of his face. I don't know why people hated it. He was fine just the way he was."
Gyutaro blushed as he listened to Kerido. The manticore was clearly the fatherly type and it was also clear that he deeply cared about his pup. "What happened to him?"
Kerido's tail and wings dropped as he sighed heavily. "When I turned into a demon, I had to leave him behind. I was lucky when I ate a deer instead of a human, but I didn't want to risk eating him. Even if I didn't, I figured that Muzan would try to go after me, and by extension Aino. I had to leave him. I had no choice."
He remembered the moment quite clearly. A young boy in a dark purple and navy blue kimono walked up to the door of the cabin. A large birthmark that resembled a horrific burn covered the entirety of his left cheek and jaw. His short, black hair shone brightly in the moonlight. "Papa? Is that you?" His voice was soft in the night.
Aino opened the door to see his once human father turned into a manticore-like beast. The boy widened his eyes and gasped. "Papa?" He shook and trembled as Kerido walked inside the cabin.
"Hey there, my little fawn. It's alright. I'm still here." He spoke softly, but his voice shook.
"Papa, what happened to you?" The boy asked as he clutched his kimono. Aino's eyes welled up with tears as he looked upon his father.
"I-I...was turned into a monster.." Kerido's voice turned hoarse as he choked up. The moonlight now shone on the blood that covered Kerido's chest and jaws. "Please don't be scared...I'm not going to hurt you."
The boy then burst into tears. Instead of fearing his father, he went up to him and hugged him. "Papa! Please tell me you're okay! I don't want you to die!"
Kerido's eyes widened when the boy hugged him, but he wrapped his arms around him anyways. "I'm fine. I'm okay, but I need to make sure you'll be safe." He knew what he had to do.
"What are you gonna do?" Aino looked up at him with teary eyes. His grip tightened on Kerido's kimono.
"There's...only one thing I can do...Please forgive me." Kerido tried his hardest to stifle back tears. "I need to leave."
"P-papa? But why? I don't want you to leave!" Aino squeezed Kerido's waist and squished his face into Kerido's belly. He sobbed as his father patted his head.
"I don't want to either, but I don't want you to get hurt." He crouched down and picked up the small boy. "Do you remember what I've taught you?" The boy nodded as he wiped his tears. "Good. I know you'll be okay. Just remember everything I've taught you."
"Am I ever going to see you again?" The boy sniffled as he laid his head on his father's shoulder. "I don't know. I'm just going to stay away until I get rid of this curse."
Aino whimpered as Kerido set him down. "I love you, Papa. Please don't forget me" Tears finally ran down Kerido's cheeks. "I love you too, little fawn and I won't." With one last, tight hug, Aino watched as his father went to the cliffside. Kerido unfurled his wings and took off. The manticore's tears shone brightly in the moonlight as he flew away from the only family he had.
Kerido's tears started to drip onto the soul beneath him. "I didn't want to leave him. He was everything to me." He wiped his eyes and whimpered softly.
Gyutaro could feel his heart clench as he listened to the manticore. "I can't imagine how much that must've hurt. Becoming a demon...ruined your life."
Kerido sniffed quietly before sighing. "I would say that." His tail just dropped and laid on the ground woefully. "Besides, there's nothing I can do about it. That stuffed dawn was meant for him, but I don't think I'll be able to give it to him." His head now hung low as sorrow overcame him.
Gyutaro looked away, trying to figure out what he could do. His fingers tapped anxiously as he thought. Then, he remembered that Kerido's two problems had been resolved. Muzan has been replaced and half-demons don't have the animalistic bloodlust. "Why don't we...go visit him?"
Kerido looked at him and tilted his head. "It's been about forty years..so he might still be alive." He then looked at the creek below him. "That doesn't matter. He probably hates me."
Gyutaro sighed and rumbled emphatically. "I understand where you're coming from, but it sounded like he understood why you had to leave. You raised him, so I know he'll be understanding."
Kerido still looked somber and defeated, so Gyutaro stood up and dusted himself off. "Come on. Life doesn't stop for anyone." He then offered his hand with a confident smile.
With a small smile, Kerido took his hand. "You're right. If anything, I'll be happy to see him." Kerido turned around and unfurled his wings. Gyutaro grabbed his brown bag and Kerido's purple bag before he wrapped his arms around the manticore's chest and quickly climbed on his back. "Let's go!" Kerido roared as he jumped off the cliff side.
The wind whipped at their faces as they flew through the skies. Gyutaro could hear the nervous rumbles that came from Kerido. He gently patted the manticore's back. "It's alright, big guy. He'll be really happy to see you."
Kerido turned back and nodded before looking out at the serene sky. "I just miss him. I really hope he's doing okay." Gyutaro hugged Kerido from the back, trying to reassure him that everything will be alright.
After half an hour of flying, Kerido swooped down onto the outskirts of a forest. A quiet, rudimentary town moved on to their right. Gyutaro could see an old, yet well kept cabin tucked away in the trees. A glowing light could be seen emitting from the windows. Someone was there.
"Kerido...I think he's there. I think your son is alive." Gyutaro said after he slid off of Kerido's back. He placed his free hand on Kerido's shoulder. The manticore demon's wings shivered and trembled. His arms shook as his tail curled against his back.
Kerido turned to look at Gyutaro with nervous eyes. "I-I don't think I can do this. He's gonna hate me! I know it!" His gigantic paws grasped his head as his breathing quickened.
"Kerido...Kerido...KERIDO!" Gyutaro grasped the manticore demon's shoulders and shook him, causing Kerido to snap back to reality. "It's alright. He's not going to hate you." Gyutaro smiled at him. "The sooner you do this, the better."
Kerido took a deep breath as he placed his paws on his hips. "You're right...You're right. I need to do this." With that, the manticore demon walked up to the cabin's door. He took another deep breath. "Alright, here I go."
With a nervous paw, Kerido tenderly knocked on the door. He quickly backed away as he heard footsteps shuffle towards the door from the other side. Then, a man answered the door. A large birthmark covered his left cheek and his green eyes shone brightly. His messy black hair was tied up in a low bun. Aino had grown up.
"Hey, little fawn." Kerido gave him a nervous smile as he outstretched his arms. "I'm home." Aino's eyes widened before covering his mouth with his hand. His body began to tremble as his eyes filled with tears. "Papa? Is that you?" His voice had grown as well, but was still soft. "Yes. It's me."
Aino practically threw himself into Kerido's arms. "PAPA! I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD EVER SEE YOU AGAIN!" The young man sobbed into the manticore's chest. His arms were glued to Kerido's chest.
Kerido grinned happily as he wrapped his massive arms around his boy. He spun him around and nuzzled his shoulder. "Me neither! I'm...I'm so glad to see you again." He sent his son on the ground before cupping his paws around his boy's face.
"So, you did it! You removed the curse!" Aino's voice cracked with emotion. Kerido nodded as he wiped his son's tears away. "I did, but my friend was the one who truly helped me with that." The manticore demon turned his boy to face Gyutaro, who only smiled nervously.
"Oh? So, you helped my father?" Aino walked up to the crooked demon. Gyutaro nodded, slinking backwards as he looking at the ground. The bags were clenched in his right hand. "Why, thank you, mister. I'm Aino."
Aino outstretched his arm towards Gyutaro. The crooked demon looked up at the young man. "O-oh...I'm Gyutaro, Gyutaro Shabana." He timidly shook the man's hand with a weak smile.
Gyutaro then handed the purple bag over to Kerido. "I actually bought something for you. I didn't think I'd be able to give it to you, but I'm glad I'm able to." The manticore demon spoke softly as he handed the string bag over.
Aino smiled warmly at his adoptive father as he opened the bag. Brown, fluffy fur poked out of the bag. The young man chuckled softly and he took out the stuffed fawn. "Just like my nickname." Aino hugged the deer close to his chest. "Thank you, Papa."
Kerido grinned at his son before a small, female voice hit his pointed ears. "Daddy? Who is that?" A little girl in a magenta and pink kimono poked her head out from behind the door. She had long, hazel brown hair and purple eyes. However, the girl also had black spots that covered her body and face. Spots that resembled Gyutaro's.
Aino laughed nervously as he went over to the girl. "It's alright, Kakusa. These people are just Daddy's friends." Kerido's wings fluttered with excitement as Gyutaro's jaw dropped.
"I didn't know you had a daughter!" Kerido yipped excitedly. "Yeah...let's just say I followed in your footsteps, Papa. I had to give this precious baby the love she deserved." Aino said as he ruffled his adopted daughter's hair. The little girl looked straight at Kerido. "I have a grandpa?"
Kerido walked over to them, tail wagging behind him, and raised his arms. "Yes, you do." He then looked at Aino. "May I hold her?"
"Of course." Aino handed Kakusa over to his father. The manticore demon cradled the girl in his gigantic arms. Her purple eyes showed pure innocence and love. "Such a beautiful girl." Kerido spoke softly as he nuzzled her, causing her to giggle. "I wish I knew. If I did, I would've gotten you something too!"
Gyutaro looked down at the brown bag he had when Kerido said that. Then, a realization hit his head. "Hang on, Kerido. I've got something." He hobbled over to the duo and handed Kakusa the bag. "There you go. I hope you like it."
The little girl shuffled through the bag and pulled out the purple and red dragon. It's soft fur had various swirl patterns and small, fake gems covered its body. Kakusa's eyes widened with glee before she squeezed the dragon. "I love him! Thank you, mister!"
Something in Gyutaro's heart melted when he heard her little squeal. "No problem. It was the least I could do." He gently rubbed her head. The black spots on her face stood out to him. Kakusa looked at him as well and tilted her head. "Hehe, look! We're the same!" She put a hand onto Gyutaro's facial spots, which melted his heart.
"Yeah! You two really are alike!" Kerido grinned as Aino walked over. "I'm glad you two are being so nice to her. Kakusa doesn't really like her spots...no matter how many times I tell her that she's beautiful." Gyutaro felt his heart warm as he gently took the girl in his arms. "I know how that feels, so I'm glad that we're able to help."
"Would you like to come inside for some tea?" Aino asked with a warm smile. "There's a lot we need to catch up on." Kerido nodded. He now felt fulfilled. "Of course!" Aino went to the door and led Gyutaro and Kakusa inside.
However, he did stop Kerido at the door. "When you leave, do you plan on coming back?" Aino asked in a hushed tone. Kerido's expression softened, placing a paw on Aino's shoulder. "I will never leave you alone like I did back then. I'll visit as often as I can." With warm smiles and both in their hearts, Kerido and Aino hugged once more.
Author’s Note: I'm so sorry for going on a hiatus. My writer's block was awful and kept me from writing. Luckily, I was able to break through it and I wrote this emotional chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
Also, I took some advice and I decided to properly space out the paragraphs in this! Also most of the dialogue will be associated with one character in each paragraph. Hopefully, this will make it easier to read.
Painting your nails with the demons | Fluff
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Content: Akaza x gn!Reader, Kokushibo x gn!Reader, Douma x gn!Reader, Gyutaro x gn!Reader (all separate)
Warnings: Douma LMAO
Notes: I just painted my nails after a breakdown (I'm fine lol dw) over college and suddenly got the urge to paint their nails too. These hc's are incredibly short, I apologize <3
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❥ Akaza
Akaza had walked in on you painting your nails a (color), and looked at his own pink nails
Turning to see him after you finished the first hand, you gave him a little smile
"Wanna join me, Aka?"
He'll happily sit with you, letting your hands hold his steady while you paint the same color on him
He loves matching with you, so this just makes him excited
Absolutely demolishes Douma if he makes any kind of comment about it
But the bastard just begs for more pain. He's got the fucking "Wow...your punch really turned me on!" energy going on (please tell me SOMEBODY gets that reference...)
Whenever you take the nail polish off, he's gonna wanna be there so he can take his off too. Then will probably ask if you're going to put on another color or not
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❥ Kokushibo
His multiple eyes scare the shit out of me, but I'd rather them be freaky than not utilized at all
I still love him tho <3
Koku's nails aren't painted like some other demons, but he suppose he'll do one hand in black if it'll make you happy
He's silent and keeps a neutral expression as he sits beside you, allowing you to paint his right hand and you can paint your left, so that when you hold his hand, it seems like you're joined together
He just likes the subtle domesticity
"Well, what about my other hand?"
"Do whatever you want." Koku spoke slowly.
"And what about your other hand?"
"No."
He only wants one hand painted, slightly questioning if Muzan would disapprove of his nails being painted in the first place
But then he remembers Douma's, Akaza's and Gyutaro's nails are painted, and then he suddenly doesn't care that one of his hands are painted
Wont do anything but direct a cold, neutral look at someone if they make fun of his nails only being painted on one hand
They were done by his s/o, eat shit and die, peasant
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❥ Douma
Is ecstatic
Immediately takes off his own blue nail polish to math whatever color you're putting on
Gives you kisses as you paint his nails, sometimes making you mess up and get the polish on his skin
"Not to worry, darling! I can always take it off my skin, you just keep painting!" Douma grins, continuing to kiss you
Parades your matching nails around like it's the greatest gift ever
Brags to Akaza about how he has "such an amazing s/o" and how Akaza doesn't
Of course he gets hit, but Douma then salivates for more negative attention from Akaza
Once the polish begins to chip away, he's going to sit you down, take off the polish from both of you and then paint your nails again himself, in a different color
"We should switch turns every time!" Douma exclaims
"Oh, maybe we could even mix and match depending on the upcoming holiday! How fun! Oh, this is the best idea you've had, darling~!"
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❥ Gyutaro
Okay, Gyutaro probably needs a serious manicure (and this is coming from someone who never gets manicures, but at least has a nail filer)
Would also probably do his skin some good to have his nails filed down, cause then it can't...y'know...COME OFF
But I do think the gray color on his nails is the natural color they are now, but I also like to believe that sometimes he paints his nails black to feel better <3
When he sees you painting your nails, he immediately wants to join. Ume is probably not too far behind, so she'll probably join in before Gyutaro
If the color you're painting your nails with isn't black, then he'll paint his nails himself while watching you and Ume match your colors
If it is black, then he'll happily let you paint his nails for him (the teasing from his sister later on is so worth it, because you touched his unworthy hands!!!)
Gyu would also probably keep re-applying the nail polish whenever it got slightly chipped, believing you'd grow angry and upset at what he deemed as "decimation to your art"
Whenever he sees black nail polish he thinks of you now, so have fun with that lol
Probably keeps a shit ton of black nail polish on standby cause he keeps stealing yours
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hi :) i was reading your Gyutaro headcanons and that was sooo cute so can i make a request? 👉👈 i would like a fem reader x Gyutaro (modern au) where they are a couple and its time to... you know 🔥❤ reader kisses Gyu with so much love but when its time to take off the clothes Gyutaro is so insecure about his body and his appearence and he dont want to she looks his body but she really dont care cause Gyutaro its ✨perfect✨ and she makes feel Gyu much comfortable. Can you please add some fluff nsfw? Thank you so much!
Hi 👀 I have been waiting for a Gyutaro nsfw ask 👀
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Content: Gyutaro x f!Reader
Warnings: MDNI. Do not interact if not 18+.
Notes: LMAO I was seriously about to write my own nsfw Gyutaro, but then I saw this ask
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Gyutaro's back was flat on the bed, your lips connected to his in a kiss. You straddled his lap, hands on his cheeks as your tongue danced around his own.
Pulling back a little bit, Gyutaro panted under you, a strand of saliva still connecting your tongues together. His hair was splayed around his head, eyes half-lidded after the makeout session.
He looked so helpless under you.
"Gyu?" You spoke softly, placing a kiss on his cheek. "Can I...go lower?"
"L-lower? Sure...g-go as low as you want..." Gyutaro mumbled, huffing.
Kissing his cheek again, you trailed down to his neck. Kissing on one side, then moving to the other. Gyutaro's hands flew up to your hair, letting out a soft sigh.
"(Y/n)..."
"Hm? That feel good?" You spoke in a sultry tone.
"M-more..."
Gyutaro pressed your body flush against his. You let out a low chuckle before nibbling on his neck. Loving the attention, Gyutaro gently stroked your back, hoping to encourage you. Reaching your own hands up to his hair, you gently moved his head so you can gain more access to his neck.
Leaving a harder bite in the side of his neck, Gyutaro let out a low moan, his grip on your hair tightening. He wanted more...more...
Desperately, he ground his clothed cock into your leg, desperate for friction. Any kind of shame left his mind as he did so, not noticing how you stopped.
"Gyu...so desperate for me, huh?" You contiued to speak softly.
He blushed. "D-don't say it so casually like that...!"
"I'm sorry, my love." You kissed him gently this time. "Is there anything you'd like me to do?"
"...T-take care of it...please..." Gyutaro asked.
"Really? Are you ready?"
"Yes. Yes, please." Gyutaro nods.
"Okay. If you change your mind, tell me to stop and I will." You give him a smile and another kiss before reaching down to the top of his sweatpants.
Suddenly, just before you could pull them down anymore, Gyutaro suddenly gripped your wrist. You immediately stopped and looked up.
"W-wait...what if...what if you don't like it...?" Gyutaro's face was flushed, and his eyes now held shame and sorrow.
"Taro..." You frowned before letting go of his pants and leaning up to kiss him again. "You know I love every inch of you, right? I'm not going to judge what's in your pants, but if you don't want me to, I won't."
You then gave him a reassuring smile, even taking your lower half off of him and instead laying on your side over him. If it meant he was comfortable, you'd hold out a little longer.
"R...really?" Gyutaro asked. "Even if I'm...small?"
"Yes, Gyu." You smiled, caressing his cheek.
He swallowed his spit, thinking for a moment. After said moment, he kissed you and gave you a nod. "O-okay, you can take my pants off..."
You nodded, slowly pulling his sweatpants and boxers down, stopping at his ankles. He wasn't small at all - just over average, possibly around six inches long, four or five thick...this was going to need prep if Gyutaro wanted to go any further. Gyutaro looked away in shame at your staring.
"Gyu, can I touch it?" You asked, still wanting to keep within his boundaries.
He snapped his head back to you. "S-sure...you're not um...disgusted?"
"No, Taro." You smiled before grabbing his cock gently.
He squirmed under the soft touch. He watched and felt you spit on it before stroking your hand up and down. He let out a huff that turned into a moan, gripping the sheets as the pleasure rose steadily.
"Y-you can go, um, faster. You can grip ha-harder, too..." Gyutaro panted and moaned.
"Really? Okay, if you want to stop, tell me." You didn't give him time to respond before gripping a little harder and moving your hand faster along his length.
Gyutaro moaned louder, fingers tangling in the sheets and thighs clenching with the pleasure. He looked so pretty underneath you, a squirming and moaning mess. Gyutaro was having this response because of you. Giving a sultry chuckle, you lowered your face to give his tip a kiss.
He jolted at the sudden contact. You moved your head away from his length, in case he didn't like it.
"Ngh...c'mon...keep going..." Gyutaro bucked his hips up to your face.
You let out another chuckle before obliging, kissing his tip then engulfing it into your mouth. Gyutaro let out a high pitched moan, not used to all the attention between his legs. He bucks his hips again, accidentally shoving more of himself down your throat.
Choking a little, you pulled back slightly before Guytaro grabbed your hair to bring you back down. He moaned, keeping your head down as he thrusted a little bit. Moaning out your name, he pushed you off of his cock.
"Can I go in?" Gyutaro looks up at you, as if begging. "It's fine if n-not."
"Lets just prepare a little, yeah? Do you have a codom?"
"Yeah...yeah in the drawer. Just in case..." Gyutaro looked away, embarrassed.
You giggled and nodded, taking your bottoms off and guiding his fingers to your pussy, slowly sinking one in. He gently moved his finger in and out of it, before going faster. You moaned, making Gyutaro grin and moan lowly along with you.
Gyutaro sped up his one finger, then experimentally put in another. You moan more at the stretch, gripping his wrist.
"Faster, Gyu."
Gyutaro obeyed, moving his fingers faster inside of you. After some time, you pushed his hand away, and he pulled his fingers out of you.
"Get the condom, Taro."
He obeyed once again, leaning over to grab one out of his nightstand and handing it to you. "I...don't know how to put it on..."
You giggled. "That's fine."
Taking off the wrapper and rolling the condom on his cock, you then line his tip to your entrance, and slowly begin to sink down. Gyutaro moaned at the sensation of your walls clamping down around him through the condom.
After he was fully sheathed inside of you, you kept still. Gyutaro gripped your hips, panting.
"Are you okay?" You asked.
"Yeah...yeah. Are you?"
"Yeah...I'm gonna start moving, okay?"
"O-" Gyutaro's word got cut off mid-moan, as you had moved up and back down.
Moving up and down on his cock, Gyutaro moaned with you, although lower in volume. He knew he probably looked absolutely pathetic under you. He gripped your hips tighter as the pleasure built up.
His cock moved through your walls, rubbing against spots you didn't even know existed. You moaned louder and threw your head back, now rocking your hips back and forth while he was completely sheathed inside of you.
His pelvic bone rubbed against your clit, making you go faster.
"Oh...oh, Gyu!"
Gyutaro began to pant as he moaned, moving your hips faster against him. He then moved you up and down on his cock, bucking his hips up to meet you in the middle.
"Oh, oh, c'mon!" You moaned, desperately wanting to cum.
Moving your hand down, you frantically rubbed at your clit, making your pussy clamp down on Gyutaro, which in turn makes him moan louder. You leaned down to kiss Gyutaro, which prompts him to start pistoning his cock into you.
Moaning at a high pitched octave into the kiss, Gyutaro felt you clamp around him tighter, making him moan.
"G-gyu! Gyu! I'm gonna cum!" You moaned, breaking the kiss.
"I'm...not far behind!"
Gyutaro removed one of his hands to replace his fingers with yours, following your motions and rubbing your clit desperately. It was all too much - him pistioning into you from below you, and the desperation in how he rubbed, and the begging in his eyes as he looked up at you, it made the knot snap.
You moaned out his name, bracing your arms on either side of his head as you came. Gyutaro continued to rub and fuck into you, guiding you through your high. He was loving how you were clamping down on him - almost like your pussy was milking him.
Gyutaro thrust into you a few more times before completely sheathing inside of you, cumming inside the condom. Both of you panted, placing your foreheads together. A wave of shame washed over Gyutaro - he probably performed badly. You probably wouldn't want to have sex with him again, much less stay for-
"You okay, love?" You asked.
"Hm? Y-yeah." He lied.
You gave him another kiss. "Good. Wanna shower together? I feel icky from all the sweat."
You laughed, giving him another kiss. Gyutaro was genuinely surprised - he didn't think you would wanna stick around. He thought you were gonna leave him. Gyutaro nodded after a moment.
"Yeah...yeah, we can." Gyutaro nodded.
You kissed him more before slipping his softening cock out of you and taking the condom off, making sure the contents wouldn't spill before throwing it away. Kissing Gyutaro again, you lead him to the shower while giggling.
Gyutaro could definitely get used to your love.
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Yandere Gyutaro
You probably meet him where Daki works. Daki would probably not care for you and had wanted you dead but Gyutaro saw you and fell for you at first sight. He would watch you while you and Daki would interact, which was quite common seeing how Daki wants Gyutaro to be happy and if this made him happy she wasn’t going to stop it. You thought about why Daki would want to talk to you more and everything but you just let it slip past your mind and forgot about it in a few minutes.
Whenever Gyutaro couldn’t watch you because Daki had to take care of some things and wouldn’t be able to interact with you. He would tell Daki that she would be okay for a few hours by herself and go and watch you from a hidden spot he had found in your room. Daki would try to get him to come with her but she always lost to it. So she would have to go by herself and deal with it. While Gyutaro would follow you around and watch you.
He actually gets really jealous when you have to go to another man's place to play a song for him or anything. He will try to follow you but sometimes he doesn’t want to leave Daki by herself and be that far away from her. So he will trust that everything will be okay and stay with Daki. Now if the house is near them he is following you and no one is stopping him.
He itches around you a lot. He just thinks you are the most beautiful thing, other than Daki he thinks no one can be more beautiful than her. He just wants to come out of his hiding place and hug you. He wants to feel your skin and see your beauty close to him. He does get weird about this because he thinks that you deserve someone more handsome than him but Daki will tell him that he is overthinking and that you guys are perfect for each other.
He also protects you. Remember when a girl threw something and it got pushed in a different direction. That was him. He was able to throw something to hit the object and make it turn so then it wouldn’t hit you and hurt your beautiful body. He would make sure no demon or human would enter your room at night to hurt you. The only demon would be Daki no one else is allowed in. He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty if he needs to. He wouldn’t mind killing some people to show that they can’t mess with you or that you are already someone else's.
After a while of watching you he will give you small gifts and they are normally something that you can wear. He loves when you wear it. It gives him a sense that you accept him no matter how he looks, even if he thinks he looks ugly. He gets mad when another girl will take something he gave you and try to wear it. He has taken one girl's fingers before because she tried to take something of yours that he got you, he wouldn’t mind doing it again. He only got you these things for you, not another girl.
He will slowly show that he is there. But when he finally shows himself you look terrified. He felt his heart break. He kept telling you that it was okay and that he wasn’t going to hurt you. He kept trying to calm you down after a while you did but he could still see the horror in your eyes. He thought that you have accepted him but maybe you haven't.He would have asked Daki for some tips and Daki would tell him anything that would help but if he didn’t think it would work with you he would ignore that tip. One tip he did like was to isolate you and keep you close with him so then you get used to him. He would do this while you're asleep. He would take you to a comfy room where no one can get in but him. He will make sure you have things you need so when he can’t come to you one day you still have food, something to drink, and something to do. But when he does come he will bring your favorite food. He then will go and give you attention. He will hug you close. He just wants to feel your skin on his. He will comment on how beautiful you are and how everything on your body is just perfect. He just wants you to love him. Don’t be scared he won't harm you and if he does he will punish himself and won’t come to you and be very careful. But if anything or anyone tries to separate you guys they will come to their end.
Alpha! Gyutaro and his Prime Omega! Mate
Kny Modern Omegaverse AU
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Gyutaro was never given a chance to be who he truly wanted to be, ever since he was little his only instinct was to survive no matter the cost. He was strong, feral, and reeked like a primal alpha, this kept many away and for the few that dared come near it almost always meant immediate death. That’s why everyone feared him at school everyone except his sweet little mate with the gold collar wrapped around her pretty neck. Everyone in school craved you, because you were the most fertile omega in school, because you defied all the opinions and expectations placed on omegas, and because you were unavailable. You chose Gyutaro, you courted him, because you saw something in him that no one else could, you didn’t see an ugly scary monster, you saw an alpha wanting to love but unable to and that’s what drew you to him.
He can’t help the blush that covers his face from ear to ear when he thinks about all the little gifts you’d leave him or the extra bentos he’d find on his desk before lunch when he obviously had nothing to eat. He kept every single sticky notes that had compliments and shitty flirty puns, he’d never admit it but they always made his day and helped him smile. You were aggressive in your courting just as aggressive as his appearance and in the end he thinks that’s what made him accept your advances. He believed you actually cared about him and in return for your kindness and courting he offered you his favorite school jacket that was heavily scented with the smell of fresh cut hay and rain.
The moment you walked into class with his jacket around your shoulders, with a love drunk expression on your blushed smiling face, he knew you would be his one and only. You were the beauty that tamed the school beast and that pissed everyone off! Omegas would flock to you complaining that you stole Gyutaro from them and that resulted in Daki, his alpha sister, growling and pummeling all of those liars to a pulp. Alphas tried to court you despite you reeking of your mate and would threaten you if you tried to deny their gifts and even tried to command you to do as told. Naturally being a prime omega meant you could overcome their commands and the primal voice that you used to command them to their knees was enough to make them fear you. When your primal omega showed it’s true colors no one could stop your jealous possessive rage, no one except your handsome alpha.
He’d seen it once, it happened during your pre-heat, naturally you were far more sensitive during this time and a stupid alpha tried to command you to be his. Your pupils became mere slits in your eyes, your small canines elongated, your nails suddenly grew sharper, and the intense scent of a burning forest drowned the room. Many alphas and omegas ran away because of your scent, many betas ran because of your appearance, but Gyutaro didn’t run away. As people ran for their lives he calmly stalked towards the classroom and smiled, “Someone made my (y/n) mad, I oughta kill ‘em for making her so upset.”, he snickered slamming the door open.
The alpha was on his knees begging and crying for you to spare him, Gyutaro chuckled and kicked the alpha closer to the door, “Better run now while you still have the chance.”
Of course the boy ran, he’d be crazy not to. Gyutaro smiled and leaned down to press his nose into the crook of your neck where your scent glands resided. He scented you until you came back to your senses and smiled at your pouty face, “What happened Mega? I’m supposed to be the feral one not you.”, he teased nipping at your neck playfully.
“Dumb bastard threatened to mark me if I didn’t go on a date with him, as if I want his shitty mark on me I only want my alpha.”, you huffed pressing kisses against Gyutaro’s birthmarks.
He couldn’t help but let out a deep low purr to your affection, he’d have to take care of that bastard later but right now you mattered more then anything in the world.
“Let’s ditch and go back home, wanna mark you in your pretty little nest you have in my room.”
You giggled taking his hand in yours and started walking towards the door, “You know alpha command voices don’t work on me dummy.”
“I know but mine does. If it didn’t I wouldn’t have just convinced the school’s number one straight A kiss ass to ditch school.”, Gyutaro chuckled.
Naturally you couldn’t help but blush realizing that he was right, but the promise of finally being marked by him was to go of an opportunity to pass up.
“I’m so making you a stay at home dad.”, you mumbled, your possessive mind purring to the idea of Gyutaro in an apron waiting for you to come home with two or more brats clinging to his legs.
“Hmm what was that pretty thing?”
You let out an angry growl which was quickly returned by your alpha, you glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until he slammed his lips against yours. You purred to his touch as he lifted you up by the backs of your thighs until your legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, “My bratty mega~”
“My pretty alpha.”
“Your pretty alpha can’t wait to give you some pretty little brats, gonna let everyone know that your mine.”
You smiled at him and gently combed your fingers up the nape of his neck to the roots of his black and green hair until you had enough to pull his head back. You glared into his eyes with those same primal eyes from before and said, “My pretty alpha Gyutaro is gonna be a good boy and let me use him until I get myself knocked up. I’m gonna let everyone know that you’re mine and no one can take you from me. Do you understand, pretty boy?”
The pleasure that your words sent up his spine was addicting, Gyutaro couldn’t wait to be yours and the best part was that no one could take away the things that you wanted because you wouldn’t let them.