Demon Slayer Nezuko - Tumblr Posts

so i wanted to test out a new art style so i made a sketch then didn’t test out the new art style

bruh where tf do you think you’re going. get back here

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 One:

The End is Only The

Beginning

Warnings: LOTS of angst and quite a bit of violence!

Word Count: 3010

The sun had finally risen over the horizon and it seems that the battle had finally come to an end. The giant infant-like form of Muzan had finally disappeared, leaving the surrounding slayers devastated and wounded. “Lord Kamado! Lord Kamado!” One of the Kakushis yelled as they knelt down beside the form that was Tanjiro Kamado.

The young boy looked like he was on an unconscious state. His head was facing the ground as he sat on his knees. Tanjiro’s remaining arm was limp as he sat there, back facing the sun. Giyuu Tomioka, who had also been severely injured along with many other slayers, took his place in front of the young boy.

“He’s not breathing and he has no pulse!” The Kakushi yelled out in pain. Giyuu’s eyes widened in horror when the news rang in his ears. The others around them weakly looked up at them with the same look of horror. Giyuu fell to his knees and took the remaining hand of the boy. “I’ve failed to protect you again…Forgive me.” He lowered his head in shame. “I always receive protection from others..”

The dam had finally broke as everyone started to mourn Tanjiro’s death. So many lives were lost during the final battle..so many..and his death was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Inosuke and Zenitsu trudge their way towards the young slayer, tears filling their eyes.

Something rumbled within Tanjiro’s body. He slowly started to lift his head up, but nobody noticed due to their grief. “In my place..you must destroy..the demon slayers!” Muzan’s voice rang in Tanjiro’s head as his wound healed and he opened his eyes. They were scarlet..just like Muzan’s.

The young boy immediately swiped Giyuu away from him. The Water Hashira fell back, perplexed as to what was happening. Tanjiro jumped away from the group and roared ferociously. His arm had completely regenerated and he was snarling at them like a hungry beast.

“T..Tanjiro?” Giyuu spoke weakly as he looked upon the boy in absolute terror. Tanjiro raised his regenerated arm to his mouth, wiping off his saliva. “No way..Tanjiro?” Zenitsu winced as he was held up by a Kakushi. Inosuke stared at the boy in disbelief. Tanjiro looked straight at Zenitsu, eyes shining with hunger.

Off in the distance, Nezuko Kamado came running closer and closer to them. Her humanity was flickering within her. Due to Tamayo’s medicine, her body was having a hard time deciding whether or not she was a demon or a human. Nonetheless, she was going to do what she had been doing for the past few years..Defend her brother.

“Oni-chan!” Nezuko called out to her brother as she steadily approached the scene. Tanjiro looked at her and snarled, causing the girl to yelp. “Get back!” Giyuu yelled as he picked up his sword, grunting as pain surged through his body.

Strangely, Tanjiro only stared at the young girl. He looked like he was dazed, like he had no thoughts behind his eyes. Then, the young boy cried out. His roar cut through the skies like a knife through butter. Tears flowed down his face as he struggled to speak. “Grr.ge..get..GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Everyone stopped and stared at him in disbelief. What was going on? Was he fighting back against Muzan’s control? Tanjiro snarled as he looked for a way out. The young boy bolted directly for Nezuko. “No!” Inosuke yelled as he rushed to protect her. Nezuko covered herself with her arms, preparing for the attack.

But the demon did a strange thing. He jumped over both of them, using them as stepping stones, and ran off into the forest. Zenitsu struggled out of the Kakushi’s grasp and landed on his knees. With tears filling his eyes, the blonde watched helplessly as Tanjiro ran. “TANJIRO!!” Zenitsu screamed in agony as the last glimpse of the young slayer disappeared.

The mess that the battle had left was extremely scarring. Many had died and needed to be buried. Kiriya and his sister, Kanata, came to assess the damage. “Where’s young Kamado?” Kiriya asked tiredly as he walked over to where Muzan had been killed.

“He’s gone..” Giyuu had fallen back on his knees, wiping tears from his eyes. “Gone? Do you mean..he’s dead?” Kanata put her hand over her mouth, sickened. “No..He ran..He’s..” Giyuu tried to mutter the awful terrible words. “He’s a demon..”

Kiriya’s eyes darkened as he felt shame overcome him, like a weight inside of his stomach. He shook his head to shake off any haunting thoughts, but it was to no avail. “Forgive me, Tomioka. The losses that have taken place in this battlefield..have destroyed us all..”

“We can’t just sit here and wait for him to come back!” Zenitsu gritted his teeth, turning to face their leader. “We have to go search for him!” Everyone looked at him in awe. Even after all that fighting, he was still willing to get back up. “But we can’t find him like this!” Nezuko cried out, knowing that they would all get killed.

“Miss Kamado is right.” Kiriya inhaled, relief resting in his heart. “We will take you to the Butterfly Estate to heal and recover. In the time being, I will send out tracking teams to search for your friend.” The young leader nodded to the crowd that had perched above them. They cawed before taking off to the woods where Tanjiro was last seen.

Everything looked like a haze to the young boy as he ran. His breathing was irregular and his heartbeat pounded within his chest. However, this was strange. Demons weren’t supposed to breathe or have heartbeats. Tanjiro collapsed on the floor before roaring in anguish.

“Why are you fighting me, boy?” A familiar, demonic voice echoed through Tanjiro’s mind. “Grrr..GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” The boy screeched, digging his sharp claws into the bark of a nearby tree. “You are mine, boy! You will fulfill my dream!”

Tanjiro then saw himself in the black and empty battlefield. There was nothing here, no movement, no light, no sound, nothing. “Is this my mind?” Tanjiro asked himself as he looked up. The boy’s eyes widened when he saw Muzan in his final form. The demon king was panting, tired from the war. “You..will be..MINE!”

His ferocious whips went straight in for the kill. Tanjiro thought he was helpless. There was no one here who could help him. However, he noticed how the whips were much slower than they were and took a fight stance. With great precision and strength, Tanjiro deflected the sharp whips.

Muzan’s eyes widened in shock before quickly reverted back to a furious expression. “So this is how you want to be..fine!” Muzan flung his whips more and more at the young boy, but it didn’t seem to do any good. Tanjiro quickly deflected the whips and only edged closer to Muzan. “I’m not giving up my body to you!”

Days passed without a hint of Tanjiro’s whereabouts. Everyone at the Butterfly Estate started to grow weary as more and more time passed. Naho, Kiyo, and Sumi tried their best to raise everyone’s spirits. Even Aoi tried making a special feast to relieve their tension, but nothing worked.

Inosuke usually passed the time by wandering around the mansion or training, but he didn’t speak a word. For the boar, this was incredibly worrisome. Normally, he couldn’t stay quiet, but the disappearance of his friend..seemed to break him.

Zenitsu ended up taking Tanjiro’s disappearance the worst though. He usually had the door to his temporary room locked. He hardly ever came out to interact with the world around him, so much so that he began to starve himself, saying “It just doesn’t feel the same without him here.”

Nezuko tried her best to help everyone’s spirits alongside the girls, but her efforts failed. Her body was still teeter tottering between being a demon or a human, which exhausted the poor girl. She mourned for her brother every night that he wasn’t there to hold her hand. Nezuko often wondered if this pain would ever end.

After three days of Tanjiro’s absence, a crow flew by the Butterfly Estate. Since everyone was waiting impatiently for any news, they noticed the bird immediately. “Caw! Caw!” The bird screeched. “The master has news! The master has news!” Aoi opened the front door of the mansion and let the bird rest on her shoulder.

“What’s the news?” Aoi asked tiredly. She felt drained like all the others, but she did get a small sense of hope. “There haven’t been any unexplained human deaths in the past three days! Caw!” Aoi’s eyes widened. “There..there hasn’t?”

Unbeknownst to her, Nezuko was listening intently from the right hallway. All she wanted was just a little bit of good news about her brother. She craned her neck closer, intrigued by the bird’s words.

“That is correct! Young Kamado’s whereabouts are still unknown, but the tracking teams are working hard to find him!” The crow cawed as it preened its wing. “I see..thank you.” Aoi’s voice sounded both relieved and anxious. She was glad that no more had died, but she was still deeply worried about Tanjiro.

“Rumor has it that he’s fighting back for control of his body! Caw!” Aoi looked at the crow with a dull expression. “Do you think he’ll succeed?” She asked. “Beats me!” The crow shook his wings and flew off into the sky. “Well, that was helpful.”

Nezuko couldn’t believe what she just heard. The fact that her brother hasn’t eaten in days both worries her, yet relieved her. She was glad to know that her brother was fighting for his body, but she was also terrified for him. She shook her head and immediately ran off to see Zenitsu.

Everything in the mansion felt cold and dead as Nezuko ran past it all. She stuck out like a warm color on a painting of the ocean. She halted once she reached Zenitsu’s door and knocked lightly. “Who is it?” A tired and empty voice called to her. “It’s me, Zenitsu.” Light footsteps could be heard from the other side before the door lock clicked open.

Zenitsu looked at Nezuko with a deadpan stare as he opened the door. The poor child had severe bags under his eyes, indicating his lack of sleep, and he looked like he lost a few pounds. “Nezuko, is something wrong?” The young girl shook her head. “Not with me.”

“What do you mean by that?” He tilted his head slightly, perplexed. Nezuko sighed then forcefully entered the dark room. “Hey! I-“ Zenitsu protested against this, but quickly realized that there was no use. The room was almost completely dark. It was a wonder how he could even see in here.

Papers littered the hardwood floor, making the floor appear nonexistent. However, the letters by Zenitsu’s mangled up futon caught her attention. The young girl went over to the ratted futon and picked up a rather nicely written letter. It was from her brother..

Tanjiro had sent this letter to Zenitsu when he was training at the Swordsmith Village. This one in particular was about Tanjiro’s curiosity about Genya. Tear marks stained the paper, forever etched like time. Nezuko turned sympathetically back to see the blonde, who was fiddling with his haori sleeves nervously. “Zen..”

“I-I’m sorry, Nezuko.” Zenitsu’s golden eyes couldn’t contain the sorrow he felt any longer. The blonde fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands. Nezuko immediately rushed towards him, wrapping her arms around him like a mother. “It’s okay, Zenitsu. I miss him too.” She tried to speak soothingly, choking back tears of her own.

“They’re going to kill him, Nezuko! I know it!” Zenitsu sobbed into her chest. “Once they find him, they’re going to kill him!” Nezuko’s expression only softened even more. “Zenitsu, what makes you think that they’ll kill him?” The blonde looked up at her, golden eyes flowing like waterfalls. “You saw what happened to him! He’s a demon! He’s probably killed over fifty people by now!”

Nezuko shook her head. “No, Zenitsu. He hasn’t killed anyone.” The young girl wiped away some of his tears. “What do you mean?” Zenitsu asked in a confused tone. “Well, a crow came by earlier today and told Aoi that there haven’t been any unexpected human deaths as of recent.”

“Really?” Zenitsu sniffled. “Do you think that..” He cut himself off before he finished the sentence. Zenitsu didn’t really believe that Tanjiro could conquer Muzan’s control completely on his own. “He might be able to, Zenitsu. We don’t know for sure, but I have a good feeling about this.” Nezuko disagreed.

Zenitsu looked around at the messy, dark room. He breathed deeply and looked back at Nezuko. “Don’t worry.” Nezuko smiled reassuringly. “We’ll bring him home.” Zenitsu returned the smile. “Alright.” Nezuko took his hand gently and helped him out of his cage.

The endless fighting was beginning to wear on both Muzan and Tanjiro. They grew more exhausted with every whip and slash they threw at each other. As the time passed, Muzan only grew more agitated. “How dare you resist me?! I can make you immortal!” Muzan roared ferociously as he flung three spiked whips at the slayer.

“That’s at the cost of human life! I’d rather die than kill anyone else!” Tanjiro yelled as the whips wrapped around his sword. Muzan tightened them, hoping to break his sword. However, this action failed and the whips only turned to dust. “What?!” The demon king roared, enraged.

This gave Tanjiro the opportunity to attack. He quickly ran towards the demon king, sword aiming at his neck. Solar flames burned from the sword as it sliced Muzan from the crook of his neck and down to his belly. “Crap!” Tanjiro gritted his teeth as he jumped back. “Grrragh!” Muzan growled in pain as he gripped his chest.

“You will pay for this..” Muzan snarled as he tried to run at Tanjiro. The young slayer prepared for an attack…when Muzan’s feet turned to dust underneath him. The demon king fell with a grunt at Tanjiro’s feet. He sat himself up on his elbows and looked back to see his body turning to dust.

“What did you do to me?!” Muzan roared angrily, trying to swipe at Tanjiro’s ankles. The young slayer quickly backed away when a sudden chill filled the air around them. Metal scraping the floor could be heard in the distance. Tanjiro looked around the empty, black environment for the source of the sound.

Muzan’s eyes widened in pure terror. “No! NO! I’m still fighting! I’m not done yet!” The demon king wasn’t yelling at Tanjiro, but to whatever was in the distance. “What’s happening?” Tanjiro asked himself. This was all too confusing for him.

“He’s come for me..”

Four hooks, that seemed to be on chains, emerged from the darkness and pierced the demon king right in the chest. Muzan screeched as he tried to claw away to safety, but it was no use. Tanjiro fell back, watching the gruesome scene. He looked up to try to see what this thing was.

All he could see was a bright, blinding red light. The chains started to retreat back into the darkness, dragging Muzan with them. The demon king screamed as he was being dragged away and he left claw marks from when he was trying to escape.

Muzan’s screaming was cut off as soon as he wasn’t visible. Tanjiro gasped in horror, having no clue what he just witnessed. Ash flew by the young slayer as he stood up and looked directly in the red light. The light then started to envelop the environment. Tanjiro tried to cover his eyes from the blinding light, but it quickly overcame him.

The young slayer’s eyes flickered open as he woke up. The sun was shining brightly upon him and he put his hand up to block it. “Wha-what happened?” Tanjiro said softly to himself as he tried to regain his balance.

He stood up and immediately hit his head on a thick tree branch. “Ow..” Tanjiro rubbed his head. He looked around his surroundings. The young slayer quickly found himself next to an abandoned shed and a small pond on the outskirts of a nearby town.

“I..I need to get back.” Tanjiro panted weakly as he turned to run back. However, the tired boy only tripped over his feet and nearly fell into the pond. “That was a close on-“ Tanjiro stated at his reflection. Instead of seeing a scar where his right eye was poisoned, he saw two scarlet demon eyes staring back at him.

Tanjiro yelped and fell backwards. He crawled away from the reflection as if it were a vicious beast. This can’t be happening! This must be a dream! The young slayer raised his hand and felt around his upper jaw. Low and behold, he felt two small fangs where his human canines should’ve been.

The young slayer’s head felt like it was spinning. He couldn’t believe what was happening! Was he really a demon? If so, why isn’t he attacking everything around him? He tried to stand up once again, almost tripping on the same branch he hit..and must’ve broken.

Tanjiro leaned against the shed for support. He looked at the rusted door..which he was taller than? There’s no way he should be taller than a door! Granted, it wasn’t one of the common sliding doors, but it was still a door! His breathing only grew heavier with each passing second.

Wait, breathing? Demons weren’t supposed to breathe! Tanjiro put his index finger on the bottom of his wrist. There he felt..a pulse! What was going on? What happened when Muzan was defeated? He had no clue. Tanjiro raised his hands in front of his face, seeing sharp demon claws on every callused finger.

“What am I?”

Author’s Note: This is the first of many chapters of my AU! This has been my comfort AU for quite a long time and I hope you guys like it as much as I do! The first few chapters may be quite angsty, but I promise that it’ll get more comforting soon.

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Two:

Smoke Signal

Warnings: There’s still quite a bit of angst, but it does have a happy ending!

Word Count: 2150

Darkness surrounded Sanemi’s mind as time passed. It had been three days since Tanjiro’s disappearance…and Genya’s death. Sanemi’s last sibling..the last person he truly loved..was gone. He isolated himself from everyone. Whenever he did show his face, he dared not to speak. In a way, his behavior was very similar to how Giyuu used to act.

This was strange to the both of them, since Sanemi would often criticize Giyuu for his avoidant behavior. Yet here he is now, sitting on the back porch of his estate with his eyes staring at the ground. The Wind Estate was usually quiet, even when Genya was here, but now it felt empty.

A knock could be heard from the other side of the mansion. Sanemi knew who it was and silently stood up to greet them. The Wind Hashira slid open the door and stared into the empty house. It was clean and nothing had been touched since Genya’s passing. Training swords, both of wood and steel, were hanging on racks that were leaning against the side walls.

In the middle of the room stood a table. There wasn’t much that was special about it, say for a purple bonsai tree that Genya had gifted him. Sanemi couldn’t take his eyes off of the tree. His brother gave it to him as an apology for blaming him for their mom’s death. At the time though, Sanemi only spat in his face and shrugged it off. He wished Genya would’ve known how much he cherished the tree and how he actually did care about him.

It was too late now. Sanemi shook his head before walking past the table. Shadows crawled on the gray walls and sliding doors as Sanemi walked past. The only light that shone in the house came from the back and front doors. Sanemi saw the outline of the only other Hashira to still be alive as he approached the front door.

He slid the door open and immediately covered his eyes with his hand. The sun beamed down at his face with a harsh glow. Once his eyes adjusted, Sanemi looked at the Water Hashira, who was standing before him. “Good morning, Shinazugawa.” Giyuu greeted him in a tired voice.

“Morning..Why did you come here?” Sanemi didn’t seem agitated, just tired. “I just wanted to check up on you.” Giyuu’s eyes seemed oddly warm towards the Wind Hashira. “I’m fine, Tomioka..Just leave me be.” Sanemi went to walk back inside when Giyuu put his hand on the closing door. “No you’re not.”

Sanemi only sighed as he walked back through his estate. The Water Hashira followed him, observing the dark surroundings. Truth be told, he truly felt sorrow for his fellow colleague. He understood how Sanemi was feeling at this very moment. After Sabito’s death, Giyuu isolated himself from everyone, much like Sanemi is doing now. Giyuu knows personally how miserable he must be feeling and he doesn’t want anyone else to feel the same misery that he felt.

The Wind Hashira took his place back on the back porch, this time staring at the training ground. Giyuu stood behind him, eyeing the beautiful bonsai tree. It was the only source of color in the house, the only source of comfort. He looked back at Sanemi with an empathetic expression. He took off his haori, which held significant importance to Giyuu, and laid it comfortingly on Sanemi’s shoulders.

Sanemi looked up at him with disbelief and curiosity, but said nothing. Giyuu sat down next to him, scanning the Wind Hashira’s training grounds. “Sanemi..” Giyuu said with a heavy heart. “It’s not your fault.” Sanemi looked up at him with shock and a bit of anger. “Why would you say that?”

Giyuu closed his eyes before looking at him with warmth. “I know that you think that it’s your fault. You think that you could’ve saved him if you just tried harder.” Sanemi said nothing as he looked away, knowing that Giyuu was telling nothing but the truth. “Why are you telling me this?”

Giyuu sighed heavily, “Because I feel the same.” Sanemi widened his eyes, a realization had hit him. For the longest time, he couldn’t stand the way Giyuu acted. However right here and right now, he understood what the Water Hashira had been going through. Everything made sense and they truly weren’t so different after all.

A fire burned brightly in the dead of night. It had been a full week since Tanjiro’s disappearance. The young slayer had been hunting rabbits to survive. He had one roasting above his makeshift fire. Tanjiro only stared at the flames as his mind drifted away.

Although it was killing his heart, Tanjiro chose to stay away from his friends. He didn’t know what had happened to him and he didn’t know if he would rip them to shreds on accident. The younger missed them with every fiber of his being, but he thought that it would be best to isolate himself. At least, that’s what he told himself.

Despite still being a demon, he hadn’t had any cravings or instinctual behaviors. He acted just like his human self and he still had his memories. Regardless of that, Tanjiro convinced himself that he was a danger.

Unbeknownst to him, a Kasugai Crow was servailing the area. It cawed softly as it perched on a nearby tree. The crow swirled it’s head and saw the rising smoke. The bird’s eyes widened as it realized that it was a man made fire. Perfectly controlled and well placed. The crow shook its body as it spread its wings, taking off to the night sky.

Giyuu had chosen to stay with Sanemi. He knew that the Wind Hashira would need some time to recover and doing it alone would just make it even harder. Surprisingly, Sanemi let him do this. He understood that he really needed the company and although he would never admit it, Sanemi did enjoy Giyuu’s presence.

They sat together on the back porch, eating some rice balls after a long day of training. The two Hashiras sat there in silence, but their spirits weren’t too low. “Caw! Caw!” Sanemi’s crow came swooping in. “Hm? What is it?” Sanemi grumbled as the crow sat in front of them.

“There has been suspicious activity in a nearby town! Caw!” Both Hashiras’ eyes widened. “Suspicious activity? What do you mean?” The crow ruffled its feathers. “A fresh fire has been spotted by an abandoned shed! Rumor has it that the fire looks man made! Caw!”

“Really? Do you think it’s him?” Sanemi’s voice sounded both concerned and curious. “There’s a high possibility! Caw!” The two Hashiras looked at each other. “I can’t believe it..” Giyuu said with relief and hope.

Then, loud footsteps could be heard running towards them. “Coming’ through!” The familiar voice of the boar slayer called out from the woods. Inosuke, Zenitsu, Nezuko, and Kanao emerged from the forest and skidded to a stop right in front of the Hashiras.

“We..we just got the news.” Nezuko panted heavily as she tried to regain her breath. Their clothes were patched up and their wounds were covered with clean bandages. Giyuu stood up and dusted off his clothes. “You four are looking better. Glad to see that you’re recovering.”

The Water Hashira went to grab his sword from the rack against the left side wall. Sanemi did the same except his sword was on the right. They swiftly placed their swords into their personal scabbards and faced the group. “Tomioka and I will be heading off.” Sanemi said plainly as he walked past them.

The group just looked at them, dumbfounded. “We’re coming with you!” Zenitsu demanded. Giyuu looked up at them and tilted his head. “No you’re not. The Hashiras can handle this. You’ve done enough.” Sanemi didn't turn to them when he said that. If it comes to it, he didn’t want to kill Tanjiro in front of his friends. That would crush them.

“We’re not asking, Tankenmi! We’re going to find him!” Inosuke yelled like a sergeant before crossing his arms. Sanemi nor Giyuu said anything. “Please..if he really can’t control himself..if we really have to fight him..you’ll need more than just two Hashiras. He is the new demon king after all.” Kanao pleaded with a pained voice.

“She does have a point you know.” Giyuu sighed softly. Sanemi only turned his head slightly before huffing. “Fine..” Both Giyuu and Sanemi bolted into the forest with incredible speed. “Alright! Hahaha!” Inosuke laughed maniacally as the group of slayers followed them. “Okay, Monjiro! Here we come!”

Tanjiro was curled up in the corner of the abandoned shed. The nights were cold here due to the walls not being completely sealed. All he had for light was a single candle. He was able to figure out that he can manipulate solar flames by trying to use his Sun Breathing to light the candle.

The young slayer mewed to himself as he sat there. Longing had taken over his heart and with each passing moment, he only missed his friends more. He still remembered their individual scents. Their all too familiar marks that their bodies gave off. Tanjiro wished that he could smell them again.

But the young boy did. Tanjiro caught their scents as he sniffed the air. At first, he was relieved, but panic soon overcame him. “No! They can’t find me like this! I’ll hurt them!” Their scents were vastly approaching at incredible speeds.

Since the scents were coming from past the door, he knew that he couldn’t take that route. Tanjiro looked around him, only to see a shattered window near the top of the shed. “That’ll work.” Tanjiro sunk his claws into the rotted wood and he started to climb up.

Unfortunately, his new, large body was too heavy for the wood to withstand. It cracked and nearly caved in, causing his body to fall with a loud thud. “He’s in here, guys! I can hear him!” A hopeful Zenitsu yelled from the other side, causing Tanjiro to yelp in anguish.

Then, a sword sliced through the door, splitting it in half. Giyu rammed his body through the broken door, causing splinters to fly everywhere. He looked up at the young slayer with wide eyes. Tanjiro pinned himself to the back wall of the shed. “No! Please..stay back.” He pleaded.

The rest of the group followed Giyuu in. The rest of the Kambako squad looked upon him in wonder, while Sanemi placed a hand on his sword. Tanjiro was on the verge of a panic attack. His breathing was incredibly heavy as his eyes darted from one person to the next.

“Tanjiro..it’s really you.” Nezuko whispered as she stepped closer to him. “No! Stay away from me!” He whimpered, causing the others to look upon him in shock. “I don’t want to hurt you.” The poor boy was shaking horribly. He was terrified.

“Your sound is mostly the same.” Zenitsu sighed, relieved. Everyone turned to him, confused. “His sound..it’s the same kind and gentle sound that he once had. It just has some soft growls and purrs now.” The Kamboko squad and Giyuu lowered their weapons, but Sanemi didn’t.

“I just don’t want to hurt you. I have no idea what happened to me and..I..I.” Tanjiro couldn’t mutter another word as both fear and sorrow gripped him. “But you’re not attacking us now.” Giyuu spoke in a kind and calm manner. “If you truly were a demon, you’d be trying to kill us right now.”

The dam had finally broken and Tanjiro fell to his knees, sobbing. “I’m so sorry I left you! I just didn’t want to hurt you!” Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Kanao immediately went to embrace him. Tanjiro pulled them into a hug and mewed softly.

“Well that wasn’t too hard!” Inosuke laughed. “You too, Inosuke!” Nezuko pulled him into the hug, causing him to yelp. Giyuu only smiled, happy that Tanjiro was finally found.

“So..What exactly are we going to do about this? I mean he’s a demon!” Sanemi spoke harshly. “I don’t think he’s a full demon. He has his memories and morals, so he isn’t going to be a problem.” Giyuu sighed heavily. “All we can do now is tell everyone the good news.” Sanemi only nodded to Giyuu’s response and looked back at the young slayers.

Sanemi’s crow immediately took off, spreading the word. “Young Kamado’s been found! Caw! Young Kamado’s been found!” Aoi peeked her head out from the Butterfly Estate’s window, relieved. “Thank the stars.” Kiriya sat in the old meeting room of his father’s mansion, the crow perched on his arm. “So, he’s a demon, yet he has his memories and morals.” He chuckled to himself. “Maybe he’s something new..maybe..he’s a half-demon.”

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Three:

The Spider’s Old

Stomping Grounds

Warnings: Just some blood

Word Count: 2727

“Oh! Brother, I brought you your haori!” Nezuko chirped happily as she held up the green and black checkered cloth. The fabric was freshly washed and it smelled of sweet lavender. Tanjiro took in the soft scent. To him, this was a sign of relief and comfort. “Thank you, Nezuko.”

The Kambako squad warmly watched the young slayer fiddle with his haori. The fabric struggled to fit over his new body, which made the young boy feel rather awkward. “I guess I’ll have to adjust it, huh?” Nezuko awkwardly chuckled as Tanjiro looked at her, a nervous smile on his face.

Unfortunately, a throbbing pain struck the younger Kamado. She gripped her head and snarled in pain. Inosuke immediately went to her side and put an arm around her. The rest of the slayers looked worried, but not shocked. However, a look of concern spread across Tanjiro’s face.

“What’s wrong, Nezuko?!” Tanjiro tenderly approached his sister and crouched in front of her. “She’s been having these spats where her demon side is fighting for control.” Giyuu’s voice was dim and worried. “Tamayo’s medicine..is having some faults.” Sanemi huffed irritably at Giyuu’s words.

Tanjiro thought for a moment, looking at his hand. He is now the new Demon King, or at least the leader of this new group of creatures. Why wouldn’t he be able to help her? Tanjiro looked at his beloved sister worriedly before cutting his hand open with his claws.

Everyone stood in disturbed shocked as Tanjiro let a few drops of his blood drip into the suffering demon’s maw. “I hope this works..” Tanjiro muttered anxiously. Nezuko snapped her jaws shut, swallowed the blood and shook her head. Then it seemed like something had clicked within her.

She looked up at Tanjiro, both eyes being demon-like, then to the other group members. They all leaned in curiously, not knowing what was going on. Nezuko stared at her own claws before looking back up at her brother. She was smiling with no sense of bloodlust in her eyes. “Thank you, brother!”

The young demon hugged her brother tightly as the Kamaboko squad cheered. “So, are we just gonna let this happen?! How do we explain this?” Sanemi whispered harshly to Giyuu. Tomioka turns and shakes his head. “They aren’t bloodthirsty, so I doubt there would be any argument, especially since they’ve done so much to help us.”

Sanemi knew that the Water Piller knew what he was talking about, so he left it at that. “Come on, young Kamado.” Giyuu said, warmly. “It’s time you’ve come home.” Tanjiro’s eyes water a tad when he said this. Zenitsu clung to Tanjiro tightly as Inosuke and Kanao helped him up. “Thank you.” Tanjiro mews in a sweet, honey-like tone. “Thank you so much.”

To many amongst the corps, the return of the young, yet powerful slayer was worthy of celebration. Aoi and and young girls at the butterfly mansion celebrated with a massive feast, to which many slayers attended. Tanjiro couldn’t help, but cry with everyone’s love and affection.

Kiriya was rather curious, though, on how such a transformation was possible. He wasn’t skeptical of Tanjiro’s humanity in the slightest, but he wanted to understand his new form better. Within three days of the young slayer’s return, Kiriya had sent a crow out to seek for him.

The large crow perched on the window of the Butterfly Mansion’s kitchen, where Tanjiro was helping Aoi prepare for that day’s dinner. “Young Kamado! Young Kamado! The Master requests for your presence! Caw!” Both Tanjiro and Aoi looked rather surprised.”He wants to see me?” Tanjiro asked, confused.

“Oh yes he does! Caw!” The crow laughed rather oddly. Tanjiro thought about the request for a minute. “Well, I guess it does make sense.” Aoi tapped his shoulder. “You might not want to be late, you know.” Tanjiro blushed in embarrassment. “Right! I’ll be on my way then! Have a good day, Aoi!” Tanjiro mews sweetly as he runs off. Aoi smiles softly, watching him. “I hope the same for you.”

It didn’t take long for Tanjiro to reach the Master’s mansion. His new form increased his speed and endurance, which helped him get to the estate in less than five minutes. Once he got there, he knocked on the door. A male Kakushi answered the call. “Ah! Lord Kamado! You’re here!” The Kakushi said warmly.

“Hello, Mister. I heard that the Master has requested for me?” Tanjiro tilted his head slightly. The Kakushi nodded calmly. “Right this way.” He lead the young slayer through the Master’s voluminous mansion. As Tanjiro passed the many areas that he became so familiar with, memories of Kagaya filled Tanjiro’s mind. Thus, making him tear up.

“We’re here.” The Kakushi announcer politely. Tanjiro shook his head to shake off those thoughts. “Right! Thank you!” The Kakushi opened the door to the meeting room, letting Tanjiro inside.

Kiriya was sitting in front of two of his sisters, Nichika and Kanata. “Ah! Tanjiro! It’s lovely seeing you again.” Kiriya’s face brightened as soon as he saw the boy. “Same goes for you, Master.” Tanjiro sat on his knees in front of them. “Mind if I ask, why have you called me here?”

Kiriya closed his eyes before starting his speech. “I have brought you here because I’m curious what you are capable of in this new form. I don’t mistrust your humanity, since you are showing no signs of bloodlust, but I’m curious as to what this new species entails.”

Tanjiro’s questions only grew as the boy spoke. Did he want him to train to find his Blood Demon Art? Did Kiriya want to perform experiments with his blood? Tanjiro had not a single clue. “What do you mean, Master?”

The boy gathered his thoughts to hopefully make more sense. “I request that you log any new abilities and information in your journal. That’s really the best way we can discover more about this.”

Tanjiro nodded with understanding. “I see. I will make sure to log everything, Master!” Tanjiro bows loyalty. “How should I try to go about this?” The young slayer tilted his head with curiosity.

Kiriya put a hand to his chin. “I’m not sure..” Kanata then shuffled closer to her brother and whispered to him. Kiriya looked intrigued by what she was saying and nodded slowly. “That sounds like a good idea.” Kiriya hummed softly.

Tanjiro waited patiently for his orders, curious as to what they were talking about. Kiriya then looked up at him with a pleasant smile. “We would like you to go to where one of your old missions took place. That might give us some information.”

Tanjiro nodded his head, agreeing with the suggestion. “That makes sense. My demon cells might react due to my past memories.” Kiriya smiled. “Exactly. Could you bring your sister as well?” Tanjiro returned with a heavenly smile. “Of course! Is there anything else you need?”

“That’s it, young Kamado. You are dismissed.” Kiriya clapped his hands together. “Right! Thank you, Master!” Tanjiro stood up from the meeting and walked out, wondering what place he would decide to travel to.

“So what made you decide that Mount Natagumo was the best choice?” Nezuko asked curiously as the trudged up the dark and ominous mountain. For her, this seems like one of the more unlikely places that would yield any results.

“Well, it was our first mission where we had to fight a Moon. Not to mention, this is where the Hashiras found us.” Tanjiro’s enthusiasm seemed to fizzle out for a moment. “And I don’t feel ready to confront everything that happened..”

Nezuko nodded, understanding her brother’s pain. “That’s okay. Even if nothing happens, this will still be a great time!” Tanjiro looked over at her, smiling warmly. “Yeah..it will be.” He then rumbled softly before continuing their way up the mountain.

Tanjiro could tell that they were getting close to where the battle had taken place due to the faint smell of demon blood. The large and luscious forest loomed over them, which only added to the uneasiness. “I forgot how creepy it was up here.” Nezuko chuckled softly.

Tanjiro squinted his eyes, then rubbed them. “Brother, is everything alright?” Nezuko mewed with worry. “I’m fine.my vision was just a bit blurry.” However, when Tanjiro stopped rubbing his eyes, nothing changed. Red specks floating aimlessly in the air made him believe that his vision was faltering.

“Nezuko! Do you see those?” Tanjiro pointed in the air with absolute curiosity and shock, but the younger demon couldn’t see anything. “I don’t see anything, but trees and stars. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Tanjiro shook his head, yet the specks still stuck around. He tried to grab one, but his hand phased right through it. “What are these?” Tanjiro muttered to himself. Nezuko’s concerned only worsened. “Tanjiro..” Nezuko rumbled with concern.

Tanjiro couldn’t get his mind off of them. Something was calling to him, like a deeply ingrained instinct that’s finally bubbling to the surface. These specks..meant something, but what? Tanjiro was lost in his thoughts, until a sharp pain shot through his palm.

“Ow!” Tanjiro hissed as blood dripped from his hand and onto the forest floor. “Tanjiro! Are you okay?!” Nezuko yelped, tushing to her brother’s aid. “I’m fine. The wound’s already healing up.” Tanjiro’s gentle voice was telling the truth since the cut was healing up.

However, something odd happened. The specks began to glow and they finally appeared to Nezuko. “Woah! Are these-?” Tanjiro nodded in response to Nezuko’s question. The specks crawled closer to the small pool of blood. “Maybe if..” Tanjiro thought to himself.

The young slayer focused his energy on his blood, which resulted in the specks being drawn to the red liquid. They swirled around it like dancing fireworks. Nezuko could only stare in amazement as the red lights danced. Then, the red lights started to form a person.

They came together, like a puzzle and it’s many pieces, to form a small child. The strange thing was..the Kamado siblings knew this child. The red specks..were the ashes left behind after Rui died. A glowing red body sat before the Kamado siblings, who were awestruck.

The red glow died down, revealing the small demon child. Tanjiro’s eyes widened as he looked over at the demon. “Tanji..” Nezuko muttered with shock. “Wha-where..” Rui whispered weakly, opening his eyes.

The small demon child yelped in surprise. “What’s going on?!” Rui whinced, anxiety rising within him. He never expected to see these two again, but something was different. Rui looked closer at Tanjiro’s scarlet eyes..It can’t be..

“Are you alr-?” “Are you going to kill me again?” Tanjiro was cut off guard by Rui’s question. The young demon child shook slightly. He had no idea why he was here or what the Tanjiro wanted from him. “Why would I do that?”

“You’re the new Demon King. You’re a lot more powerful than when I first met you.” Rui shook more as he thought about the situation. He thought that the slayer must be trying to punish the ones who hurt him.

However, Tanjiro wasn’t cruel hearted. Although he didn’t know how this was possible, something told him that this was an important decision. Nezuko seemed to be on the same page as she waited for his answer. “You’re right. I have been training to get better, but I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Then, what do you plan to do with me?” Rui shook with fear as he looked into the eyes of the new Demon King. Tanjiro had to make a difficult decision. On one hand, he would be scrutinized by the slayers, Sanemi specifically. On the other, something was telling him that this little demon deserved better.

He remembered how Rui reached out to him when he was dying. He remembered how badly this demon child wanted a family. Even going so far as to try to take his sister. Rui’s scent was also different now as well. It was more human and emotional, not vicious and rotten. Tanjiro knew what he had to do.

“Would you like to come with us?” Tanjiro asked softly. Nezuko raised an eyebrow, but she trusted his judgment. “What? Why would you want to take me? Especially after all I’ve put you through..” Tanjiro knew that something was different about him. “Well, something tells me that you’re not a vicious monster, just a hurt and lonely child.”

This almost brought the young demon to tears. He remembered the kindness that Tanjiro showed him during their fight. He realized that this new Demon King wouldn’t hurt him. “But what another other slayers? They won’t be too happy.”

“They took a risk with me, so why can’t they take a chance with you.” Nezuko smiled warmly. “Plus, if you were really like the way you were back then, you would try to attack us or run away.” Tanjiro nods. “She makes a fair point. Do you remember your human past?”

Rui nods slowly, tearing up while thinking about his deceased family. “I do..I’m sorry.” Tanjiro gave him a warm smile. He picked up the small demon and held him close to his chest. “That settles it then! We can help you! We promise.” Nezuko nodded in agreement with her brother.

Rui sighed as he rested his head against Tanjiro’s chest. There he felt the gentle touch that he craved for decades. He weeped quietly as he listened to Tanjiro’s heartbeat. “Are you okay?” Tanjiro asked the demon. “Yeah..” Rui purred. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

“Of course.” Tanjiro hummed sweetly. “What do you plan on telling the others?” Nezuko asked him worriedly. “I’ll show them that he’s not a threat.” Tanjiro huffed with a determined voice.

“How did this happen?” Kiriya asked with a curious and confused expression. Tanjiro, who is holding Rui, sat in front of the Master. Sanemi and Giyuu stood behind the young slayer. Sanemi was scowling while Giyuu was more curious and worried about Tanjiro. Rui looked like he was trying to hide in Tanjiro’s haori.

“When I went to Mount Natagumo, I saw red ashes floating around me. I accidentally spilt some blood which attracted the ashes. Then well..something inside told me to concentrate on it.” Tanjiro said softly as he held the small demon. Kiriya was curious, looking at the Lower Moon.

“It’s because of Muzan’s cells.” Sanemi scowled. “We don’t know that, Shinazugawa.” Kiriya turned to him, then back to Tanjiro and Rui. “I’ll give him the blood test.” Kiriya grabbed and small knife and sliced his forearm.

Everyone held their breaths as they waited to see what Rui would do. Rui looked at the blood, then up at Kiriya. He didn’t jump on the leader or even salivate. Rui merely shrugged and looked away.

All the slayers were shocked at this. Even Nezuko salivated when Sanemi gave her the test. “How is this possible?” Giyuu whispered under his breath. Kiriya looked up at Tanjiro once again. “How did you do this?” Tanjiro shrugged. “My best guess is that my blood can bring humanity back to demons.”

Kiriya nodded. “How odd..” He inched closer to the small demon. “Master, with all respect, this demon is nothing but a threat! He’s killed humans!” Sanemi roared. Despite Sanemi’s words, Rui reached out a hand to Kiriya. Kiriya did the same. “He has a heartbeat. Tanjiro’s right..”

Tanjiro smiled at both of them with warmth. Kiriya looked up at him. “You may convert others as long as you keep an eye on them.” Tanjiro let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, master. I won’t let you down!” Tanjiro held Rui close to him as they walked out of the meeting room.

“Master, please! That thing is dangerous!” Sanemi was borderline panicking. “Shinazugawa, I know that this is hard for you, but that little half-demon is no longer dangerous.” Sanemi huffed angrily while Giyuu looked at Kiriya.

“Master, what made you decide this? I’m not mad, just curious.” Kiriya nodded understanding his concern. “I believe that something major is coming. Tanjiro was given a gift, one that Muzan didn’t have. That demon has his humanity, making him a half-demon.” He stares off into the sky. “I trust young Kamado’s judgment.”

Author's note: I recently got a comment that made my day and managed to pull me out of my writer's block. So, thank you!

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Four:

Happy Birthday!

Warnings: Some small angst

Word Count: 3158

“So, we’re just going to keep a demon here?!” Zenitsu practically squealed to Tanjiro. The Kamados decided that the best place for Rui, or at least the best place for him at this moment, would be at the Butterfly Estate. It was a cozy and comfortable environment. Perfect for a demon trying to adjust to a new life. Tanjiro also figured that the girls wouldn’t mind him, since Rui is a child.

And to an extent, Tanjiro was right. Aoi was a bit nervous, not even really speaking to Rui when they introduced him. However, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho adored him. They smothered the small demon with affection, which both confused and warmed him. Zenitsu and Inosuke were obviously rather surprised when Tanjiro brought the small demon home.

“It’s okay, Zenitsu. They performed the blood test on him. He’s okay.” Tanjiro crouched down next to Rui, who was covering his ears and wincing like a hurt puppy. “Oh yeah? What if he’s just faking?! He’ll kill us in our sleep!” Zenitsu’s voice was filled with confusion and fear. Rui only winced even more. “Please stop yelling..”

“Is he a training dummy?” Inosuke snorted with his raspy voice. “No. He’s not a punching bag nor is he going to kill us. Please just listen to him.” Tanjiro spoke softly as to not agitate the small details further. Nezuko put her hands over Rui’s to soothe his senses. The Kamado siblings knew that all this change was a lot for anyone to handle.

After a few seconds of silence, Rui looked at Nezuko, who nodded reassuringly. He took a deep breath and looked at Zenitsu and Inosuke. “I’m not going to hurt anyone here. I know that it’s hard to believe me, but I’m telling the truth.” Rui spoke with a shaky, yet soft voice.

Zenitsu closed his eyes and listened to the small demon’s sound. Rui’s body rhythm sounded strange. It wasn’t like a demon’s or a human’s. It was..a combination of both? Growls and purrs could be heard from inside him, but they were much more soft and gentle. Zenitsu was surprised by the demon’s sound, so he kept his composure. “Fine..fine..but you’re keeping an eye on him.”

Tanjiro smiled and sighed in relief. “Don’t worry, Zenitsu. Everything will be okay, right Rui?” The young demon rumbled sheepishly. “Right.” Everything felt incredibly overwhelming to Rui. He was terrified that the slayers’ prejudices would lead them to kill him at any opportunity they might get.

Tanjiro squeezed his hand lightly, reassuring the small demon. Rui looked up at the much larger demon, who tilted his head and smiled. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Rui stepped forward with the Kamado siblings and headed further into the Butterfly Estate.

Everything felt so foreign, yet so familiar-like an old children’s book being dusted off after years of neglect. The white walls were blinding to the young demon. Such brilliant light was striking, especially since Rui hasn’t seen this kind of light in decades. In a way, he missed this beauty. It vaguely reminded him of what he missed when he was human.

“Here. This room hasn’t been taken by any guests.” Aoi huffed coldly. Both Rui and Tanjiro felt a sharp chill crawl up their spine, thus making the small demon wince. “Thank you, Aoi.” Tanjiro gave her a small smile as both he and Nezuko led Rui inside.

The room wasn’t too different from the others. A neatly made futon rested in the back-center of the room. A small desk sat on the right side while a bookshelf covered the left. Two warm lamps were hung on the walls above the futon. Thus providing the room with light and fire, along with the window of course.

Rui took a few steps into the room, scanning the scene. “I know it isn’t much.” Nezuko said softly. “But we hope you like it.” Rui looked around for a few more seconds, being particularly mesmerized by the lamps. “It’s cozy..I like it.” He turned to the others with a warm smile. “Thank you.”

“Of course, Rui. Make yourself at home.” Tanjiro beamed with happiness, glad that the demon liked his new living space. “I know that this is a lot of change, but we’ll help you get used to it.” Rui hummed as he heard Tanjiro speak, pleased and warm.

“Caw! Caw!” A sharp screech broke the tender moment. Matsuemon came swooping in through the bedroom window, carrying a letter in his talons. “A letter for Tanjiro! A letter for Tanjiro! Caw!” The crow continued to screech, flying in circles above them.

Rui squeaked with surprise when the crow flew in, while Tanjiro smiled at the bird. “Ah! Thank you, Matsuemon! Who is it from?” The crow cawed and landed on his shoulder. “See for yourself!” Tanjiro gently took the letter from his crow. Nezuko and Zenitsu tried to look over his shoulders while Inosuke climbed his back and peered over his head.

The letter read as follows, “Dear, Tanjiro, I just heard of what happened at the Infinity Castle and your transformation. I hope you’re doing okay, since dealing with the changes and the opinions of the other slayers must be incredibly difficult to deal with. I haven’t told father yet because I don’t want him to cut off communication between us. Please let me know how everything is going as soon as possible. I’m just really worried about you. Sincerely, Senjuro Rengoku.”

Tanjiro smiled warmly at the thought of the young boy. “Senjuro’s just too sweet.” He hummed softly. Rui tilted his head in confusion. “Senjuro? Who’s that?” Nezuko looked up at Rui. “Oh, he’s an old friend of ours. Senjuro is the brother of one of our best mentors.”

The very thought of the Flame Hashira brought sadness to them all. “But he’s gone now..” Zenitsu’s voice was soft and sorrowful. Rui could tell that whoever this person was, he clearly meant a lot to them. “I’m so sorry..He must’ve had a deep bond with you.” They all nodded. “He was one of the best.” Tanjiro whispered.

“Hey! Isn’t it Dencuro’s birthday tomorrow?” Inosuke perked up, lightening the mood. “I believe so!” Tanjiro's voice grew with excitement. “So you can remember his birthday, but not his name? You make no sense.” Zenitsu scoffed, huffing in agitation. “Well, at least he remembers his birthday!” Nezuko purred with enthusiasm.

“But he hasn’t celebrated his birthday since…” Tanjiro rumbled softly. He wanted to celebrate the special occasion with Senjuro, but the young slayer knew that Senjuro wouldn’t enjoy it. It just felt empty without Rengoku. The others seemed to feel the same, looking down with guilt.

Rui put a hand to his chin, thinking. Then, an idea hit him. He wasn’t sure if the others would like it though. “I have an idea.” The small demon spoke up. The group turned their attention to him. “Sure, what is it?” Tanjiro sounded like he was trying to hold back tears.

“Well..since you were able to bring me back by accident, maybe you can…” Rui’s voice faded by the end. He really didn’t know how the group of slayers would react. The squad all looked at each other. Some of them nodded slightly. “It’s worth a shot, don’t you think?” Inosuke’s usually raspy voice sounded rather soft. They were actually considering the idea!

Tanjiro looked at his claws, getting lost in his mind. He seemed to be the only one who can create these kinds of beings. “If it makes Senjuro happy,..” Tanjiro turned to the others with a determined smile. “Then it’s worth a shot!” The group cheered with enthusiasm. Rui smiled to himself, glad that he was helping them.

Within a few hours, the group-plus Aoi and the triplets-planned everything out for Senjuro’s birthday. Aoi and the triplets would help make the food and set up the decorations, while the Kamaboko squad would go invite Senjuro, Giyuu and Sanemi. Rui said he preferred to stay out of their way, since he doesn’t want to scare Senjuro.

Thus when the sun rose on the next morning, everyone was up and ready to get everything prepared. Kanao went to gather Giyuu and Sanemi, Nezuko went to get Senjuro, and Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke traveled to Kaikoma Mountain.

“Are you sure that it would be okay if I came with you?” Senjuro spoke softly. “I know that all of you are extremely stressed.” Nezuko smiled with warmth. “Don’t worry about it, Senjuro. Tanjiro is really excited to see you again.” Senjuro returned the smile. “Alright then..I’ll go get father.”

“Why would I go to some kid’s birthday?” Sanemi scoffed bitterly. “Relax, Shinazugawa.” Giyuu spoke softly, motioning Sanemi to calm himself. “Plus, he’s the brother of Kyojuro Rengoku. He really needs this.” Kanao said in a gentle and sympathetic tone. Sanemi went quiet for a moment before sighing heavily. “Fine.”

The main trio scaled the large mountain. The twilight sun brought the mountain to life, making a perfect spectacle of light and shadow. Tanjiro looked around at all the various graves that littered the landscape. It filled him with great sorrow that so many slayers lost their lives fighting to protect the innocent.

Both Zenitsu-who was carrying a shovel-and Inosuke seemed to share the same sediment as they traversed the mountain in silence. Although many scents hit Tanjiro’s sharp nose, there was only one that he was looking for. “I’ve caught it!” Tanjiro broke the somber silence. “You did?!” Inosuke yelled. “Then let’s go!”

The trio ran after the scent, leading them to a grave on the northern side of the mountain. “This should be it.” Tanjiro whispered as they all stared at the beautiful gravestone. It spoke of achievements, honorable bravery, and a beautiful heart. The Kenji was so elegantly written that it could put a grown man to tears.

“Well, what are you waiting for, Monjiro? Dig him up already!” Inosuke’s impatience was understandable since even he was moved by this great hero. Tanjiro nodded slowly as he reached out for the shovel, which Zenitsu willingly gave. Both Tanjiro and Inosuke-who used his bare hands-swiftly dug through the grave.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Tanjiro apologized profusely as they dug through the soil. “Tanjiro, you do realize that, if this works, we will be doing him a huge favor?” Zenitsu asked with a bit of sarcasm. However, he did appreciate how respectful Tanjiro was. Within a few minutes, the trio reached the mysterious wooden box.

Tanjiro opened the box to find Kyojuro Rengoku resting peacefully with his hands laying across his chest. Bandages covered his belly and his left eye. “He looks so peaceful.” Tanjiro’s soft, delicate voice spoke with warmth. He took a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.”

Tanjiro cut the palm of his hand open with his claws, letting the blood drip into the Flame Hashira’s maw. He retracted his hand when it healed up and watched the calm body. The trio watched in anticipation for any sort of movement or action. After two minutes of waiting, their hope began to fade.

“I guess I can only bring back demons.” Tanjiro winced softly. He put his hands together and started to pray for him. With great sorrow, the other two followed suit. They felt like they failed both him and his brother.

That was..until Zenitsu heard a loud, thumping sound. “Guys, did you hear that?” Zenitsu sniffled. The other two looked up at him in confusion. More sounds could be heard from the Flame Hashira’s body. Even a lively scent suddenly filled the air.

“Woah..give him some space.” Tanjiro said in disbelief as they all walked out of the grave. Within a few seconds, sharp claws grew on Rengoku’s hands. Slim, mid-length horns tore through the skin and grew on his head. The horns started with a black color at the base, then they transitioned into a bright orange at the top. Flame-like patterns grew on his body like marks, one of which grew over his left eye. Small fangs sprouted from his canines.

The Flame Hashira coughed, sitting up to aid himself. All three of the young slayers watched in awe as they watched their beloved mentor come back to life. “Wh-where am I?” Rengoku gasped, rubbing his eyes. He ripped off the bandage that covered his left eye, revealing a black demon’s eye with his normal pupil.

He looked up at the trio with absolute surprise in his eyes. “Wha-“ “Big brother!” Inosuke and Zenitsu rushed to Rengoku, almost tackling him with a hug. “Guys, give him some space. He just woke up.” Tanjiro was excited as well, but he didn’t want to overwhelm Rengoku.

“No need to worry!” The Flame Hashira laughed as he hugged them back. Tears were running down all their faces as they reunited. Tanjiro couldn’t believe that this plan actually worked! Rengoku was back and he was just like how he was at the Mugen Train.

After a few minutes of enjoying each other’s company, Rengoku looked up at the trio. “So, what happened while I was gone?” Then, Tanjiro began to explain everything that happened. From what happened right after the Mugen Train, to the Final Battle, and finally to this new discovery. “A lot has happened since you’ve been gone. I hope you’re no-“

Rengoku then pulled all three of them into a warm, tight hug. “I’m so proud of you.” He spoke with the utmost softness and sincerity. “You’re not mad that you’re a demon?” Zenitsu asked shyly. “Mad? Why would I be mad?” Kyojuro asked with a big smile. “I’m not frothing at the mouth or attacking anyone, am I?”

The trio shook their heads. “Then, why would I be mad?” The Flame Hashira laughed, making the others smile. They helped him out of the grave and started to descend the mountain. “The reason why we brought you back now was because today is Senjuro’s birthday.” Tanjiro said as they walked.

Rengoku nodded, smiling. “So that’s the reason. Thank you!” He purred with happiness. “Does he know?” Zenitsu shook his head. “No, it’s a surprise.” The Flame Hashira looked up at the flaming sky. “I’ll definitely be happy to see him again.”

Once they got to the Butterfly Estate, Aoi rushed them inside. “Come on! They’re going to be here any minute!” Aoi was also excited to see Rengoku after all this time. She led them to the kitchen-where the scents of many delicious foods could be found-and led Rengoku to a corner where various other presents were.

Inosuke brought a stool over for Rengoku to sit on while Zenitsu brought a blanket. Tanjiro covered the Flame Hashira with the blanket. Luckily, the blanket made it look like whatever was under it was misshapen. Then, the sound of the door opening caught their attention. Aoi put a finger to her lips as the guests came in.

Senjuro looked rather nervous as he walked beside his irritable father, Shinjuro. Giyuu and Sanemi came in behind them, followed by Nezuko and Kanao. “Happy birthday, Senjuro!” Everyone in the kitchen shouted and cheered, making Senjuro smile and blush shyly. “You didn’t have to.”

“Oh nonsense.” Aoi said firmly. “Everyone deserves to celebrate their birthday.” She gave him a bowl of sweet potatoes and Miso soup. “I know that it’s his favorite food, so I made it specifically for you.”

Senjuro teared up as he thought about his dear brother. Shinjuro merely looked away, not wanting to admit that he missed him as well. “It just isn’t that same without him here.” Senjuro murmured softly. Tanjiro smiled gently at Senjuro. “Hey, Senjuro. I have a little surprise for you.”

“You do?” Senjuro asked curiously. Tanjiro led him to the corner where the blanket was. “Take the blanket off.” Tanjiro hummed in a motherly tone. Senjuro grabbed the blanket and gently pulled it down.

Everyone-other than the ones who already knew-was absolutely shocked to see Rengoku sitting there. “Surprise!” His voice boomed with excitement as he slid off the chair. Both Senjuro and Shinjuro stared at him in awe, not knowing what to say.

“B-brother?” Senjuro slowly approached the Flame Hashira. “Yes, I’m home, Senjuro.” Kyojuro spoke with tenderness and warmth. Then, Senjuro burst into tears as he hugged his brother tightly. “I’ve missed you so much!!” His tears dripped onto Rengoku’s uniform. “I’ve missed you too..”

Shinjuro slowly walked up to his sons. Tanjiro felt himself getting tense due to their last interaction. “Kyojuro? Is that really you?” His voice was firm and emotionless. “Yes, father. It’s me. I still have every bit of my humanity intact.” Shinjuro put a hand on the Flame Hashira’s shoulder. “Son..I’m so sorry.”

He pulled both of his sons into a hug, sobbing. Tanjiro let out a sigh of relief. The joy shared by the Rengoku family was contagious. Everyone seemed so happy and hopeful to see Kyojuro’s return. Giyuu even hugged the Flame Hashira at the first chance he got.

“Long time no see, Rengoku.” Sanemi couldn’t help but smile. “Same here, Shinazugawa. I’ve missed you as well!” Aoi passed out food for everyone, which certainly pleased Rengoku. Laughter and joy filled the air for today was Senjuro’s special day. A day he never thought he would have again.

A few hours passed by and everyone was still happily conversing. Kyojuro walked up to Tanjiro-who was happily watching everyone else-and sat beside him. “Thank you, young Kamado. You have no idea how much this means to me and my family.” Kyojuro’s voice was softer than normal. “Of course! It was the least I could do.”

Rengoku closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Where’s the little spider demon?” Tanjiro was caught off guard by this. “Do you mean Rui?” Rengoku nodded. “Oh well..he didn’t want to scare Senjuro, so he wanted to stay in his room.”

“Do you mind if I see him?” Rengoku purred curiously. “Sure! I can go get him.” “There’s no need to.” Rui walked out and stopped beside them. “I’ve been listening the whole time” Rui was fidgeting with some of his spider webs. “I just wanted to make sure nothing bad would happen.”

Kyojuro went over to the young demon and crouched down. “So you were the one who Tanjiro brought back..” He seemed like he was in awe. “Yeah..” Rui began to repeatedly adjust the top of his kimono, seemingly never being satisfied with its placement. Kyojuro then picked up the young demon, catching him off guard. “You are a miracle.”

Both Rui and Tanjiro were surprised by this, but it did melt their hearts. “Do you really mean that?” Rui asked. “I do!” Rengoku purred with warmth. He then turned to Tanjiro. “Do you think we can bring back the others?”

Tanjiro smiled hopefully. “That’s a possibility! If I can bring you back..then I can do the same for everyone else!” Kyojuro laughed enthusiastically. “Well, what are we waiting for?! Let’s bring them home!”

Authors note: Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this story! I actually cried a few times while writing this.

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Five

Coming Home

Warnings: Quite a bit of blood.

Word Count: 4627

The shimmering moon shined down on the group of half-demons and slayers as they traversed through the night. Their mission planted firmly in their minds. Tanjiro’s ability brought them new hope that they would see their loved ones again. They were not sure of his full capabilities and limitations, but they were excited for what was to come in store.

The journey from the Butterfly Estate to the ruins of the Ubuyashiki Mansion-and by that extent the Infinity Castle-wasn’t too long. Rui has nestled against Nezuko, who was walking beside her brother, with Rengoku standing behind him. Zenitsu and Inosuke were trailing behind all of them, just being grateful that their friends are alive. This journey was rather silent since they were just enjoying each other’s company.

“This is it.” Tanjiro spoke softly as he came to a dead stop. There in front of him stood the ruins of the Ubuyashiki Mansion and the Infinity Castle. The egregious sight of piles of broken wood and shattered lanterns created a sense of unease and despair. Tanjiro looked back at the team then followed the slope of Kaikoma Mountain-which was a little ways behind them. “I know that this place holds many bad memories for many of us, but if this mission proves to be successful, this will be completely worth it.”

All the others nodded in agreement. “No one could’ve said it better, young Kamado.” Rengoku smiled warmly. “We all have faith in you.” Tanjiro’s heart melted at the compliment. “Thank you, Mister Rengoku.” With that, the team of slayers entered the ruins.

The scent of day’s old blood hit Tanjiro’s nose as they shuffled through the broken pieces of wood. This frustrated him. Why did the final battle have to happen like that? So much sacrifice, grief, and death could’ve been prevented if…Tanjiro shook these thoughts away, focusing on the various scents around him.

“Tokito..” Tanjiro closed his eyes, shedding a single tear. Rui and Nezuko rumbled worryingly. “Are you alright, Kamado?” Rui asked with a hint of regret. “I’m fine..just a lot of bad memories. He’s the only one that I’m completely sure I can bring back here.” The small spider demon could hear the pain in Tanjiro’s voice. “I’m sorry..” Nezuko looked at Rui when he said that and held him closer.

Inosuke was busy busting woods-despite Zenitsu’s protesting-while Rengoku was carefully searching through the rubble. Tanjiro closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He sniffed the air and opened his eyes in a flash. “They way!” Tanjiro almost roared as he started to run through the wood. The others seemed hopeful because of Tanjiro’s sudden determination, so they ran off with him.

Various red specks swirled around Tanjiro, but the scent of the young Hashira was overpowering. A soft, minty scent filled the air as Tanjiro and the others ran. Eventually, they came to a spot where large pieces of wood had fallen on top of each other. Underneath all this wreckage..was Gyomei’s haori peeking out from the bottom. “We found him.”

All the slayers drew out their swords and ferociously cut through the wood, being careful not to be careless. Rengoku backed up from the wreckage. “Stand back!” The others sprang back as the Flame Hashira plowed his body through the rest of the wood. He landed in another pile of destroyed wood then looked up to see what that action did.

Everyone gasped when they saw the young Hashira’s body. Muichiro’s eyes were closed with blood covering his skin and hair. Gyomei’s haori covered his severed bottom half..truly a depressing sight to see. “We need to find his bottom half.” Tanjiro winced, holding back vomit and tears. Inosuke looked around at his right side. “Is this it?” He pulled on a foot that was stuck underneath some rubble.

“That’s it.” Despite the fact that Tanjiro was now feeling ill, he still pulled out the lower half of Muichiro. Blood dripped everywhere as he placed the young Hashira’s half to his top half. “I can’t believe this happened to him. He was too young..” Zenitsu spoke gently. Nezuko nodded in agreement, trying to hold back sobs. Tanjiro covered the split in the young boy with Gyomei’s haori. They all wanted to puke.

“I’m so sorry, young Tokito.” Rengoku spoke softly. “You must’ve suffered greatly.” Tanjiro took another deep breath before slitting his wrist once again. The blood dripped into the young Hashira’s maw. All of the slayers knelt down beside him. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Rengoku even prayed for the young boy’s return.

Within a matter of minutes, the flesh between the two halves started to reconnect. They all looked up when they heard the sound of a soft heartbeat. The skin on Muichiro’s arm then tore open and two long, blade-like spikes-one on each arm-rose from the rips. The dark blue spikes were curved like Obanai’s sword and had swirl patterns all along them.

Fangs emerged from Muichiro’s maw and the split in his body formed a long scar that went around his waist. It was then that the young Hashira slowly opened his eyes. “Ugh..Where am I?” Muichiro groaned as he sat up. Everyone, even Rui, smiled when they saw the boy come to life.

“Tokito..” Tanjiro whispered, holding back tears. Muichiro looked around him, seeing Rengoku. “Am I in the afterlife?” It hadn’t hit him yet that Rengoku had horns and flame marks. “Not at all, young Tokito!” Rengoku drew him into a strong hug. Muichiro was taken aback at first, but eased into the hug. “Wait..then how are you here? How am I here?”

Tanjiro scratched the back of his neck. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain everything when we get back” He didn’t want to overwhelm the young Hashira. Muichiro looked down at his new spikes. “Am I a demon?” Nezuko shook her head. “Not really..We’re kind of a new species.” Muichiro was in complete shock. “Wait, what?!”

A crow came flying in and landed on a broken piece of wood above them. “Caw! Caw! This is true! Master Kiriya even came up with the definition and name! From this moment forward, this species will be referred to as half-demons! They don’t need to eat humans, don’t have bloodlust, and they have their humanity! We’re still trying to figure out the rest of the details! Caw!”

They all looked up at the crow. “Hey Matsuemon, can you bring Mister Shinazugawa and Mister Tomioka to the Master’s mansion? Along with all the Hashira’s crows?” Tanjiro smiled warmly at the crow. The bird cawed. “I don’t see why not! They will surely be surprised! Caw!” The crow flapped his wings and took off.

“Ginko will be happy to see me.” Muichiro smiled softly. “And so will Genya.” The name of the young slayer made everyone’s heart hurt. Muichiro looked at them, confused. “He’s back at the mansion, isn’t he?” Tanjiro shook his head. “He..didn’t make it.” Muichiro’s eyes widened with shock. “Genya..died? Can you bring him back?” The poor boy sounded like he was on the brink of tears.

“I’ll try. I can’t make any promises.” Tanjiro stands up and sniffs the air, looking for his scent of pine. He made a soft chuffing sound and ran through the broken wood. Rengoku carried Muichiro as both they and the others followed Tanjiro. It was a good thing that they all could run quickly since Tanjiro was wasting no time getting to the center of the scent.

They eventually came to a small clearing. Tanjiro saw the same red specks as he did when he brought Rui back. “He must’ve been turned right before he died.” Tanjiro said to himself. Nezuko turned to the others. “It’s best if we get back. They nodded and stepped back into the rubble.

Tanjiro cut his arm open with his claws, letting his blood drip onto the floor. The specks glowed brightly and they moved closer to the blood. Tanjiro closed his eyes, raised his arms, and focused on his memories of Genya. From the time at the Swordsmith Village to training with the Hashiras. All of this made the half-demon tear up.

The red specks circled around him, just like they did at Mount Natagumo. They started to come together to form a being. Everyone’s eyes widened as they watched the spectacle in front of them. The red ashes came together like a puzzle to form the young slayer. It looked like Genya was laying on the ground, which everyone presumed that was how he was when he died.

Tanjiro lowered his arms when the red light of the ashes seemed to die down. Genya was now visible as he was laying on the ground. He seemed to adopt the same appearance as he did at the Swordsmith Village since his mohawk had yellow tips. There was also a new scar on his face. Other than the one by his nose, he now had a long scar that split his face in two.

Genya grumbled and made a soft roar as he sat up. He opened his eyes-and as everyone guessed-his eyes were black with yellow pupils. Tanjiro couldn’t help but grin when he saw him. “Hi, Genya.” The young slayer looked up at Tanjiro. “Hi Tanjiro..did you die too?” Genya seemed to be worried and tired.

Tanjiro shook his head. “Nope. You’re alive again.” Genya made a surprised squeak. “I am? But how?!” Tanjiro smiled warmly. “There’s a lot to explain.” Muichiro leaped out of Rengoku’s arms and ran to Genya. He stopped in his tracks when he was in front of the young slayer.

“Genya..” Muichiro's voice was soft, almost inaudible. “Hi, Mui.” Genya was relieved to see the Mist Hashira. Without warning, Muichiro hugged Genya, almost tackling him in the process. “Woah! You must’ve missed me, huh?” Genya chuckled as he patted Muichiro on the head. Everyone cheered when they saw them reunite.

Tanjiro turned to Inosuke. “Inosuke, do you remember how Miss Shinobu died?” Inosuke put a hand to his mask. “She was absorbed.” His tone was sad, yet hopeful. “Alright.” Tanjiro sniffed the air again, catching Shinobu’s sweet lavender scent. “This way!” With that, he took off towards the scent.

Everyone followed behind with a steady pace. They found themselves in another wreckage of wood, but blood and flower pedals were littered everywhere. Tanjiro looked around him to see the familiar red ashes, but this time there was purple dust within them. It was then he came to a horrible realization. Tanjiro would have to bring back both Shinobu.. and Douma.

Rengoku seemed to realize this as well due to Tanjiro’s reaction. He climbed down the broken pieces of wood to where Tanjiro was and stood next to him. He then decided to whisper something to the young slayer. “What’s he saying?” Inosuke said with a bit of aggravation. “I’m not sure.” Muichiro sighed, staying with Genya. Zenitsu put a hand to his ear and listened. His eyes widened with surprise and a little bit of fear.

“Are you sure, Mister Rengoku?” Tanjiro asked with concern. Rengoku nodded. “I’m sure. He’s probably going to be more than willing to help us with Uppermoon Two.” Tanjiro sniffed the air, looking for a specific scent. He turned to his left and ran over the wreckage of wood and glass. He stopped in front of a certain spot where he was able to see red ashes that belonged to someone else.

Tanjiro then performed the same procedure that he did for Genya and Rui. This time he seemed a lot more cautious. Everyone, except for Zenitsu and Rengoku, leaned over curiously to see exactly what he was doing. The ashes formed someone that the group never would’ve expected. Especially since both the figure and Tanjiro have had an antagonistic relationship ever since they first met.

The form belonged to Akaza, the Uppermoon Three demon. Everyone gasped and backed up when they saw him. “What are you doing, Gaupachiro?! He’s the one who killed Bug-Eyes!” Inosuke yelled angrily. Tanjiro didn’t say anything because he knew something they didn’t.

Akaza shook his head like a disoriented dog. He didn’t say anything as he looked up at Tanjiro. “Kamado.” Akaza seemed to be in shock as he scanned over the boy’s new form. “You must be..the new Demon King.” He spoke in a warm and soft tone.

“I don’t hunt or eat humans.” Tanjiro said flatly. “I didn’t think you would. If anyone were to break Muzan’s control, it would be you.” Akaza smiled, much to Tanjiro’s surprise. “Listen Akaza..from what I remember, you did seem like one of the demons who had-or should I say recovered-their humanity. So, I was wondering if you’d like to joi-“

“Yes. I’ll join you.” Tanjiro was taken aback by Akaza’s quick response. The demon’s scent seemed to be filled with regret and sorrow, so Tanjiro softened his expression. Everyone else was also shocked. Rengoku seemed to realize that this was a different person than the one he fought at the Mugen Train.

“I’m surprised that you are taking this offer so quickly.” Tanjiro smiled at the demon. “Let’s just say that I’ve made many mistakes..I don’t deserve this and I know that.” Akaza looked down at the ground. Tanjiro extended his hand to the demon with a smile. “Well..let’s try to make things better. I know that you want to.”

Akaza took his hand and stood up. “Thank you, Kamado.” He turned to see the others, who were standing on the hill of wood. “I’m sorry..” He spoke softly. Rengoku smiled at him and nodded. Tanjiro carefully led them back to the spot with the flower pedals.

With a heavy sigh, Tanjiro cut his arm to start the revival process. He created two puddles of blood so that he can bring both of them back. The process was very similar, but there was a clear difference. The young slayer had to splice the two different colored ashes apart.

The splicing created two forms. One belonged to Douma while the other belonged to Shinobu. The others watched with their weapons at the ready. Akaza was confused at first why Tanjiro would bring back Douma, but seeing Shinobu’s form made everything make sense.

The revival of the two beings was finally complete. They sat on their knees in front of the new Demon King. Shinobu came back with beautiful butterfly wings that had a light blue inner color while the border color was a light pink. She also had small antennae-like horns on her head. Douma looked the same though.

Shinobu was the one who opened her eyes first. “Hm? Where am I?” She looked up at Tanjiro and smiled. “So, we won?” Tanjiro nodded silently. Shinobu looked at her new claws. “Then, how am I-“

“Ugh! What’s going on?” Douma yawned exhaustively. Shinobu yelped and hissed with anger. “Why is he here?” She looked at the others with confusion. “Don’t worry, Shinobu! We’ve got him under control.” Rengoku’s voice was both reassuring and stern.

“Huh? There’s no need to worry about m-ack!” Douma gripped his chest as he almost roared in pain. He fell over as Inosuke and Akaza ran over to him. “You better not be faking it, you little shit!” Akaza snarled. Douma couldn’t even speak due to the pain. Inosuke looked at Akaza. “I don’t think he’s faking it.”

Shinobu seemed to be a bit relieved as she stood up. “What did you have to do to bring us back, Tanjiro?” Tanjiro thought for a moment. “Well I had to separate your DNA from him. Least that’s what I think happened.” Shinobu nodded. “That’s probably what’s causing him so much pain.”

Tanjiro sniffed the air. There was a hidden painful scent. It seemed like it was buried like a time capsule or even more accurately repressed memories. It was something that he only ever smelled once before, which was in Muichiro. It made him contemplate whether or not to give Douma a chance. On one hand, he didn’t want to upset Shinobu and Inosuke or have Douma not give a single care about this opportunity. On the other, this painful, buried scent cannot be ignored.

Tanjiro sighed as he slowly approached the writhing demon. Both Akaza and Inosuke stepped to the side. Douma was struggling to get up when he looked at Tanjiro. “Douma..I’m going to give you a chance to change. It may take a while, but I gave you your humanity back so we can start again.”

Douma groaned softly. “I guess I could join you, but I can’t make any promises.” Douma laughed, playfully. With an irritated look, Tanjiro gripped Douma’s shoulder which made him wince. “This isn’t just a game, Douma! If you even come close to hurting another human, then we will kill you again.” His scarlet eyes were so intimidating that even Akaza and Inosuke looked uneasy.

Douma quickly realized his mistake. “Okay, okay. I was only just kidding.” Tanjiro shook his head. “This is no laughing matter.” The young slayer sighed heavily as he went back to Shinobu. “I’m sorry, Miss Shinobu.” Shinobu only smiled at him. “It’s okay. I know. That you just wanted me back. Plus, it looks like you have him under control.”

Genya and Muichiro felt guilty that Shinobu had to deal with Douma being revived. They knew that it wasn’t her or Tanjiro’s fault, but they knew that it mustn’t feel the greatest. So together they decided to make it even. The duo approached Tanjiro and told them their proposal.

“Are you sure you want me to do that?” Tanjiro’s voice was filled with concern. “Yes. We don’t want Shinobu to feel alone.” Muichiro said softly. “Yeah. This will probably be difficult, but maybe this might turn out better than we think.” Genya smiled.

Tanjiro returned the smile. “As long as you’re okay with this.” He sniffed the air and ran to a different part of the wreckage, Genya and Muichiro following behind him. Tanjiro reached a certain spot where the scent of bergamot was the strongest. He then performed the same magical process as he did for the others.

This time the ashes formed the Uppermoon One demon, Kokushibo. Genya and Muichiro shuddered as they hid behind some of the wood rubble. The demon’s six eyes slowly opened and he looked up to see Tanjiro. He stiffened up seemingly alarmed. “Are you..the new Demon King?” He spoke softly. Tanjiro nodded. “Yes, but I’m actually a half-demon.” Kokushibo looked at the slayer’s uniform. “I see..”

“Why did you..bring me back?” Kokushibo seemed almost aggressive. “I shouldn’t..be alive.” Tanjiro felt some sympathy for the demon. The demon seemed to have a similar mindset to Akaza in this situation. Genya and Muichiro seemed weary of his words.

“I’m here to give you a second chance. You were once human and I want to return your humanity back to you.” Tanjiro explained softly. “I have nothing..to live for.” Kokushibo nearly whispered. He then looked to the wreckage, seeing Genya and Muichiro..the descendant he killed.

Truth be told, Kokushibo felt a great deal of regret when he sliced his descendant in two. That regret still haunts him now. As he looked at Muichiro, Kokushibo felt that guilt eating him alive. He wanted to make things right. Especially since someone is giving him that chance.

“If you don’t want to join us, I understand.” Tanjiro said softly. “No..I’ll do it.” Kokushibo faced him again. “You do?” Tanjiro looked confused. “Yes…I have mistakes..to amend.” Genya and Muichiro were skeptical. “Do you think he will?” Muichiro asked. “Doubt it.” Genya growled.

Tanjiro smiled warmly. “I wish you the best of luck then.” The young slayer walked through the rubble back to where everyone else was. Kokushibo watched regretfully as Muichiro and Genya joined him. He turned to face the sky and sighed. “I’m sorry..”

Rengoku walked up the broken pieces of wood to stand next to Tanjiro. “Do you want to travel to Kaikoma Mountain?” He asked, enthusiastically. “Not yet..I doubt that there would be enough room for all of the Moons back at the Butterfly Estate.” Tanjiro clearly thought this through. “Smart decision, young Kamado.” Rengoku knew exactly what he was going to do next.

Tanjiro spilled more of his blood and used it to revive the master of the Infinity Castle. Nakime looked at Tanjiro and stiffened just like Kokushibo. “Hello, Miss.” Tanjiro said politely. “You must be the new Demon King. My name is Nakime.” Nakime spoke softly. She had a strong scent of fear coming from her. The damage that Muzan and Yushiro did when they killed her must’ve horribly scarred her.

“It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you.” Tanjiro gently spoke. Nakime shook her head. “What do you want from me?” She responded almost like a servant. “The only thing I want is for you to just give a home for the other Moons.” Tanjiro smiled with warmth. Nakime looked around her to see the slayers and Moons. She was taken by surprise seeing that Tanjiro brought back some of the Moons.

“As you wish, Master. I won’t make the castle as confusing as I did before.” Nakime turned back to him. “Thank you, Miss Nakime. There’s also no need to call me Master.” Tanjiro beamed with kindness, which was something that Nakime was not used to seeing. “Of course.”

Tanjiro stood up with a hearty smile and went to the other slayers. “Attention everyone! I’m currently going to Kaikoma Mountain to bring back the other Hashira.” The other looked at each other and cheered. “Let’s go!” Inosuke laughed excitedly. Nezuko and Rui smiled at the half-demon with new found hope.

The group of slayers climbed the mountain while the Moons stayed behind in the rumble. They didn’t want to make things more difficult for them then it already was. Luckily, it took roughly a few minutes to reach the two graves of the fallen Hashira. Everyone looked at each other, nodded, and started to dig.

Using their claws, getting to the Hashira’s caskets was rather easy. “Tanjiro! Gyomei’s ready!” Shinobu trillsd, calling to him. Tanjiro walked over to his grave and peered into the casket. Gyomei’s body was covered in bandages and scars. “I wished that there weren’t so many deaths.” Tanjiro said softly. “I know, Kamado. The good thing is that you’re able to bring them back.”

Tanjiro nodded and smiled as he dripped blood into the Stone Hashira’s maw. Gyomei’s left leg grew back in a matter of seconds and various rocky spikes grew out of his arms and back. His skin even developed the patterns of cracked stone. Gyomei sat up and put a hand to his head. “Where am I?”

Shinobu went down to him and hugged him tightly, sobbing. “Shinobu? Is that you?” Gyomei said softly. “Yes, it’s me.” She choked. Gyomei smiled and started to cry softly. “Are we reborn?” Shinobu nodded. “In a way. Tanjiro brought us back.”

“He did?” Gyomei turned his head upwards and smiled. “Well done, Kamado.” Tanjiro bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Himejima.” Another call came from the other grave. “We have Obanai and Mitsuri!” Rengoku yelled. Tanjiro couldn’t help but smile as he walked to them.

The dead couple remained in each other’s arms even in death. “I hope that they’ll be okay with us bringing them back.” Nezuko said shyly. “I think they will. They deserve to be together.” Tanjiro hums softly as his blood drips into both of their maws.

The scratch marks over Obanai’s eyes heal to form scars. His mouth becomes more snake-like as various small fangs start to poke through. A slim, white snake tail formed and curled around his legs.

On the other hand, Mitsuri’s lost arms finally grow back. Bright pink wings with green feathers at the tips emerge from her back, making her look like an angel. Heart shaped marks developed all over her body. They seemed to resemble her demon slayer mark.

Obanai was the one to open his eyes first. “Mitsuri?” His voice was soft and oddly warm. Mitsuri then opened her eyes as well. “Obi..” She smiled lovingly. It was only just then that she realized..”Wait! I have arms!” Mitsuri jumped up in excitement, causing the others to either yelp or chuckle.

“Well, you have more than that.” Obanai then also realized…”I can see!” He put up his clawed hands to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “What happened?” He asked, absolutely flabbergasted. “I believe we can explain that!” The couple turned their heads to see Rengoku and Tanjiro.

“Rengoku!” Mitsuri immediately fumbled up and hugged him. Rengoku returned the hug along with a few tears. “Are we demons?” Obanai’s voice sounded worried. “Not quite. You have your humanity and you don’t need to eat humans.” Rengoku reassured them. “If you say so.” Obanai still didn’t sound fully convinced.

“Oooh! Everyone’s going to be so happy when we get back!” Mitsuri chirped happily. “They will..they really will.” Tanjiro smiled happily. Muichiro held Gyomei’s haori close to his chest as both he and Genya approached the Stone Hashira-who was talking to Shinobu.

“Here, Mister Himejima. You deserve this.” Muichiro said softly. Gyomei turned to them and smiled. “Young Tokito…Young Shinazugawa..” He then warps his arms around both of them gently, tears rolling down his face. “I’m so glad that you’re alive.” They both nestled his head in the Stone Hashira’s shoulders and hugged back.

After a few minutes of chatting-and crying-they all decided to traverse down the mountain and head back to the Master’s estate. They all felt so relieved and happy and they knew that their loved ones would feel the same.

“So why did you summon us here?” Sanemi growled at Matsuemon. “Caw! Tanjiro wanted me to gather you all here! Caw!” The other crows cawed as well. Not only were Sanemi, Giyuu, and the crows there, but Kanao, Kaburamaru-who was around her neck-, and a few Kakushi were also sitting on the perch as well.

“It must be pretty important if he wanted us to meet him here.” Kanao hummed as she pet Kaburamaru. “I don’t care what he wants us here for!” Sanemi roared. He swatted at Matsuemon, who flew out of his way. “We shouldn’t be here. I don’t understand why he wants us here or what the purpose of th-“

Giyuu stood-almost jumped-up with surprise. “Sanemi..look.” The Wind Hashira turned to face the sunset. There he saw all the previously dead slayers following behind the main trio. All the crows immediately took off to see their owners with tears in their eyes. Ginko circled around Muichiro before sitting on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek.

Kaburamaru slithered to Obanai, who lowered his arm so that the snake could climb up. “Shinobu!” Kanao sobbed as she ran to her adoptive sister. Shinobu’s wings fluttered with happiness as the two reunited. Giyuu walked up to them with a smile on his face.

“Hey, Kocho.” His voice was soft and gentle. “You know, that’s actually the first time I’ve seen you smile.” Shinobu said jokingly. “Well..this is a pretty important occasion…I missed you.” Giyuu started to cry. Shinobu dragged him into the hug. “I know I missed you too.”

Genya waved from the horizon. “Hey, Nemi!” Sanemi couldn’t move. He just couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Genya..” Sanemi’s eyes welled up with tears. His fell to his knees in utter disbelief. The few Kakushi stood up with wonder and hope in their eyes. One of the female ones took a step off the porch and took a deep breath.

“The Hashira have come home!”

Author's note: My hands hurt, but I legit loved writing this! I hope you like it too!

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 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 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 Fifteen:

A Day Of Love

Warnings: None! It's just fluff!

Word Count: 5648

  Nezuko has noticed this for a long time. It had been on her mind for a while now and she wanted to help. Zenitsu has been crushing over her less and less as time went by. By the time that Tanjiro ran away and became the Demon King, Zenitsu's crushing had completely stopped.

  Don't get her wrong, they still were close friends, but their relationship was more platonic than anything else. She pondered about this knowledge while she was eating her breakfast. Tanjiro made miso soup and grilled fish for everyone, which was incredibly tasty. Rengoku's constant "UMAI" echoed through the dining hall. Luckily, it didn't bother anyone. Tanjiro and Zenitsu were conversing at the head of the table with cheerful smiles.

  Nezuko looked over at them. Inosuke-who was sitting next to her-was doing the same. "What's so interesting about them?" Inosuke asked, tilting his head. "I'm just thinking.." Nezuko spoke softly. "Do you really think that they're in love?" Inosuke shrugged. "I have no idea, but they have been more chatty!"

  Nezuko chuckled. "Maybe I could try to ask them?" Inosuke nodded, almost aggressively. "Oh! Oh! Can I help?  I've been so bored!" Nezuko smiled warmly at the boar. "Sure. I don't see why not." Inosuke punched the air. "Yes! Thanks, Tenako!"

  A few hours had passed and the two decided that Nezuko would approach Tanjiro and Inosuke would go up to Zenitsu. Nezuko had complete confidence in Inosuke, which some would consider to be naive. After cleaning up, Tanjiro went to his office to look through information about the cavern on the Humanoid island.  Nezuko walked up to the office door and tenderly knocked on it. "Hello? Big brother?"

  She heard some shuffling behind the door before her brother opened it. "Hello, Nezuko! Do you want something?" Tanjiro's soft, warm voice was a great comfort for her. "No. I just wanted to talk. Tanjiro nodded and stepped aside. "Sure. We can do that. I'm trying to look through some books, but we can talk for a bit."

  Nezuko walked in and Tanjiro shut the door behind her. The Demon King sat back down near his desk. Nezuko just sat right next to him and cuddled close. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Tanjiro asked with a tilt of his head.

  "I just wanted to ask how you've been feeling.  You tend to put a lot on your shoulders, so I just wanted to check up on you." Nezuko said with a bright smile. "I'm actually feeling okay today. It has been a few days since we visited the Humanoids. I guess the only thing I'm truly anxious about is when Jackyll will appear again." Tanjiro returned the grin.

  "Don't worry, big brother." Nezuko wrapped an arm around him. "When he does show his face, I know we can take him." Tanjiro looked at her with a soft expression and made a rather soothing rumble sound. "Thank you." Nezuko looked up at him, trying to think of how to get to the point.

  "You and Zenitsu have been rather close as of late." Nezuko could see soft, red blush appear on her brother's face. Tanjiro chuckled softly. "I guess we have been talking a lot more than usual, huh?" Nezuko nodded eagerly. "He does seem to care a lot about you." Tanjiro's face only blushed more as he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah..I've noticed that he's pretty much stopped obsessing over you, but the same sweet scent is still there.."

  Nezuko scooted closer with a cheeky grin on her face. "Do you think he likes you instead?" Tanjiro's face was completely red at this point and he nervously laughed. "I doubt it. Not like that anyway." His voice seemed rather somber during that last sentence. Nezuko gently grabbed his hand. "Do you like him?"

  Tanjiro looked down at the floor, hesitating. "I guess you could say that. Yes, I do. I don't really know why, but I think it's because he brings me back down to reality." Nezuko put a hand over her mouth and giggled. "That's really sweet!" Tanjiro nodded, but he didn't look back up at her. In confusion, Nezuko tilted her head. "Are you ashamed to love him?"

  The Demon King shook his head. "No. That's not it." Nezuko was now more confused. "Then why do you seem so sad?" Soft winces came from Tanjiro. "I know that he doesn't feel the same. He loves you and I just have to accept that." Nezuko gently gripped Tanjiro's arm. "Don't say that. You never really know for sure until you ask him."

  Tanjiro just remained silent. He had no idea how to even approach Zenitsu. After all, he was almost one hundred percent sure that Zenitsu would never feel the same. Nezuko could read him like a book. "I know that you have your doubts, but the worst he can do is say no." Tanjiro looked up at her. "How about this..I can help you ask him! We can make it super romantic too! Would that be okay?"

  Tanjiro nodded slowly with a soft smile. "That would be great. Thank you, Nezuko." The Demon Princess nearly jumped on her brother and wrapped her arms around him. "Of course! You've done so much for me. It's only fair that I return the favor!" Tanjiro chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her as well.

  Inosuke marched around the castle, looking for Zenitsu. He has no idea on how to approach him, but he usually plays things by ear anyways. Snooping around, Inosuke peaks his head around a corner to see Zenitsu sitting outside. He was watching the birds flutter by. Puffing out his chest, Inosuke matched right up behind him.

  "Hey, Monitsu!" Zenitsu practically jumped out of his skin. He stumbled back, looking at the boat with both anger and surprise. "Why the hell would you just walk up behind me like that?!" Inosuke shrugged. "What's so wrong with that?" Zenitsu pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Nevermind. Just forget it. Why are you here anyway?"

  "Because you and Gaupachiro have been more buddy-buddy!" A slight blush appeared on Zenitsu's face as steam arose from him. "What do you mean? We've always been friends!" The boar nodded and crossed his arms. "You know what I mean! You've been talking to him a lot more. Are you his minion or something?"

  Embarrassed blush turned into pure disgust. "No! Of course I'm not his minion!" Inosuke tilted his head. "Then do ya like him then?" The blush returned to Zenitsu's face. "O-of course. He's m-my.." Zenitsu stopped himself. Inosuke leaned his head forward, trying to hear what Zenitsu was going to say.

  "Do ya love him?" The boar finally broke the silence. Zenitsu opened his mouth to protest, but he quickly shut it. He knew that it would've been a lie. "So what if I do? Boys can't love other boys." A confused grunt came from Inosuke. "Why not? No one's telling ya you can't!"

  Zenitsu only shook his head sadly. "You just don't get it, Inosuke." He turned to look at him. "Do you ever see any same sex couple?" The boar didn't even think about the question. "I see two boys and two girls all the time!" With a sigh, Zenitsu facepalmed. "I mean romantically.."

  His voice was now shaky as he only grew more frustrated. "Do I love Tanjiro? Yes I do.. just don't know if it's really possible for us to be together." Inosuke shook his head violently. "That's just some bullshit! No one's telling ya you can't and even if they were, who cares?! It's how you feel and you aren't hurting anyone!"

  Zenitsu's heart clenched when he heard Inosuke's words. He wanted to have the king. He wanted to love him. Zenitsu just had no idea on how to get there or if he should get there in the first place. "I just don't know, Inosuke..."

  "Trust me. No one is going to think any less of ya." The boar cackled. "I can help us get with him if you'd like!" A drop of cold sweat ran down Zenitsu's face as his lips trembled. "I dunno.." Inosuke stomped his foot. "Aw come on! I know you wanna!" Zenitsu closed his eyes, sighed, and relented. "Fine..Just don't go blabber about it."

  "Yes!" Inosuke practically jumped up and down. "Don't worry, Conjitsu! You won't regret this!" The boar ran off as he said this. Zenitsu just put his hand on his forehead and shook his head. "I already am.."

  Inosuke cackled as he ran through the castle. The Shabana siblings walked past him on their way to Rui's room. They just stared at the crazed boar as he ran past them. Daki looked at her brother with a furrowed brow as if asking him, "What the fuck just happened?" Gyutaro just shrugged, shook his head, and walked with his sister.

  Shutting the door behind her, Nezuko stumbled out of Tanjiro's office with a big grin on her face. "Tenuko! Tenuko!" Inosuke ran to her like a bullet and skidded to a stop, nearly knocking her off her feet. Nezuko giggled as she tucked her hair back. "So, how did it go?" She tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

  "He does love him!" Inosuke yellsd, raising his arms. With quick thinking, Nezuko put a finger to her lips. The boar realized his mistake. "Sorry. Monitsu likes him." Nezuko's grin only grew wider. "Same with Tanjiro. He just didn't know if he liked him back." Inosuke nodded. "Yeah. Kenitsu is just worried about it being they're both boys. I don't get it."

  Nezuko only shrugged. Although, she did know and understood why he was afraid. So, Nezuko didn't tell Inosuke why he was afraid. "So, do you know what our next step is?" The boar nodded aggressively. "We gotta help them and push them!" Nezuko giggled as she felt her face warm up. "Yup! Now let's get started!" Inosuke punched the air. "Yay!"

  At first, Nezuko tried to get them to go on a picnic. Since their sensitive senses make it easy for them to get overstimulated, the forest would be the best option for them. It's a quiet atmosphere, beautiful to look at, and full of soft smells. So, what could be more perfect?

  "I hope that this will be okay." Tanjiro mumbled to himself as he was brushing a soy sauce glaze on some potato mochi. Nezuko looked around curiously at the assortment of food. Dorayaki, fresh peaches, rice crackers, and Japanese cheesecake filled the wicker basket on the counter. "I don't think you have much to worry about. That's a lot of food." Nezuko said with awe.

  Tanjiro chuckled softly. "You think so?" Nezuko turned to look at him, beaming with hope. "Absolutely! I knew that you would go above and beyond!" Soft, red blush spread across Tanjiro's face. "I just hope that he likes this." He put the mochi into a small container and placed it in the wicker basket. "I think he'll love it." Nezuko beamed at her brother. The Demon King returned the smile and picked up the wicker basket.

  "Alright. I'm off!" Tanjiro waved to her as he went towards the door. Waving back, Nezuko smiled gleefully. "Good luck, big brother. With that, Tanjiro slid the door shut and walked off into the forest. After a few minutes of waiting, Nezuko-with a wide grin-opened the door and followed his trail.

  A soft, fuzzy blanket covered the forest floor. Zenitsu sat down on the fluffy fabric, patiently waiting. Unbeknownst to him, Inosuke positioned himself near a large boulder in the shadowy bushes. Humming softly, Zenitsu bopped his head as he waited for his crush. Then, he heard soft footsteps heading towards them.

  "Hey, Zenitsu!" Tanjiro waved his free hand while he carried the wicker basket in the other. Zenitsu raised his hand to wave back. "Hi there, Tanjiro. Whatcha got there?" Tanjiro went up to the blanket and sat down across from Zenitsu. "Oh just some food." He proceeded to unpack all the food. Each plate was placed in between the two of them. Despite Tanjiro being a half-demon, Zenitsu was the only one who was salivating.

  "I hope this is alright." Tanjiro said shyly, fidgeting his hands. "This is more than alright! This is great!" Zenitsu gleefully squealed. A light blush spread across Tanjiro's face. "Thank you."

  As the two teens started to dig in, Nezuko finally managed to head over to Inosuke's shadowy spot. "So..what'd I miss?" Nezuko panted as she sat down, exhausted. "Nothing really. They have been really sweet though." Inosuke shrugged. "That's good." Nezuko then turned to the sky.

  "I'll be honest, Kenazo.." Inosuke started to say. Nezuko laid on against the rock and turned to look at him with curious eyes. "I don't really understand what's so different between how I feel about Gampachiro and how Monitsu feels about him. Monitsu said that I don't understand what it means and he's right..I really don't..so, what does it mean to like someone like that?"

  Nezuko put her hand to her chin, thinking. This was a really difficult question to answer. "That's really hard to explain. I guess the best way I can describe it is when you feel like you found the person or people who complete you. You don't judge each other for the harmless things you do and you are inseparable. There may be a few fights, but you will always end up on the other side together and loved. That's really the best way I can describe it."

  Inosuke looked at her with wonder and awe. He then looked at the forest ahead of them. Brittle leaves blew in the cold wind. Small chirps echoed through the forest as the sun shone down on them. "That does sound great.." Inosuke took the boar's head off and smiled. "I would love to have that." Nezuko's face turned pink as she saw Inosuke's giddy expression. "Don't worry. Everyone finds their match."

  Tanjiro definitely took more of a liking towards the rice crackers while Zenitsu showed that he definitely had a voracious appetite. Not that Tanjiro was complaining though. "Sorry, Tanji. I didn't have lunch today." Zenitsu spoke shyly. A few crumbs laid on his face. Tanjiro chuckled softly. "No need to be sorry. I made these foods with you in mind." Zenitsu smiled to himself. Then, his mind shifted to a question he had been meaning to ask him.

  "Hey Tanji?" Zenitsu looked up at the Demon King with puppy eyes. "Hm?" Tanjiro purred as he nibbled on a rice cracker. "I want to ask you something." Zenitsu ducked his head, shyly. Tanjiro wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Sure! I'm all ears."

  "What would you think if you saw two people of the same gender as a couple? Even married?" Zenitsu could feel his heart hurt as he asked this question. Despite Zenitsu's initial fear, Tanjiro only gave him a gentle smile. "I wouldn't think anything of it. They wouldn't be hurting anyone, so I don't see why it would be a problem."

  Zenitsu could feel a breath of relief escape from him. "Yeah..they wouldn't be hurting anyone." He spoke softly, looking at the forest next to them. There he saw a gorgeous white flower. Reaching out, Zenitsu plucked the flower and inspected it. "That flower looks beautiful." Tanjiro took notice of the plant and smiled. Zenitsu grinned at the flower. An idea popped in his head.

  Zenitsu scooted closer to Tanjiro and leaned towards him. "What are you doing, Zen?" Tanjiro asked, tilting his head. Before Tanjiro could even react, Zenitsu tucked the flower on top of the Demon King's left ear. A wide, nervous smile was plastered over Tanjiro's face as Zenitsu sat back down. "There.." His voice was soft with warmth.

  Tanjiro raised his hand and touched the flower, blush covering his cheeks. "Heh..Thank you, Zen." Zenitsu giggled nervously. "No problem. I just thought that it would match you pretty well." Luckily, Nezuko and Inosuke managed to see this. "Awww! Looks like things are going well!" Nezuko beamed as she watched them. Inosuke nodded in agreement. He looked to his right to see a big and shiny acorn. Picking it up, Inosuke observed the nut. Then, the boat turned to Nezuko.

  "Here." Inosuke handed the acorn to her. Nezuko was a bit surprised by it, but she gladly accepted the acorn. She immediately understood that was just how he expressed affection. "Why, thank you, Inosuke." The boat nodded. "No problem!"

  Shortly after that, Tanjiro and Zenitsu finished up their meal as the sun was setting. They quickly cleaned up the mess and Zenitsu even accidentally put his hand over Tanjiro's, which made both of them blush. After that, the pair started to head back home with Inosuke and Nezuko following far behind them.

  "You know.." Zenitsu spoke as he walked next to Tanjiro. "Despite being a half-demon, you're not that much different from when we first met. Not like that's a bad thing." Tanjiro gave a small smile. "I do think it's a bit strange, but I'm not complaining. As long as I still get to be with you guys, I'm happy." Zenitsu could feel his heart flutter. "I do want to ask you something, though. How have you been feeling? Tell me the truth. I need to know if you're doing okay or not."

  Tanjiro nodded, knowing what he was referring to. "I'm a bit stressed by all that's going on. The Humanoids were helpful, but I'm still worried about Jackyll.." Zenitsu quickly took the Demon King's hand and gently squeezed it. "Hey, it's okay. Everything will be okay." Tanjiro gently smiled at Zenitsu. "You shouldn't have to carry so much weight on your shoulders, Tanjiro." Zenitsu hugged the Demon King tightly, which he gladly returned.

  "It's alright, Zen. I'll be okay. I'm just glad me got to do this." Tanjiro thought for a second. "Oh! I have something I want to show you." He bent down to the ground and placed his hand on the ground. The earth shook below them, which almost made Zenitsu trip. Soil cracked underneath Tanjiro's hand and water seeped through it. The water rose into the air and floated around Tanjiro. "Watch this." Tanjiro grinned, reaching his arms out.

  Water swirled and flowed around the Demon King. It danced and moved with grace and beauty. Stunning would be how Zenitsu would describe it. Droplets glistened in the fresh moonlight. It all felt so magical and soothing. The even came to a head when the water rushed towards Tanjiro's back and shaped itself into six, beautiful wings. Tanjiro clenched his left fist and the wings burst into solar flames.

  Zenitsu's jaw dropped as the glowing orange flames shone upon him. His heart skipped a beat as he gazed at the most beautiful scene he'd ever seen. "You're..an angel." He spoke quietly. Tanjiro's face flushed at Zenitsu's compliment. "Th-thank you. I can't fly with them, but they're pretty neat. Don't you think?" Zenitsu. "I do..I really do."

  The second trial was rather simple. Both Tanjiro and Zenitsu would meet up in a certain room in the Infinity Castle. Nakime had created a room where celebrations and festivities could be help. Some of the half-demons had bought or brought various items and instruments to fill the room. Both Nakime and Zenitsu brought in some biwas and kotos for the room. Kyogai brought various drums of many kinds and Giyuu bought a gorgeous grand piano and music books as a gift for the kingdom. Safe to say, there were many ways to entertain themselves.

  "Oh! I can't wait!" Zenitsu was giddy with excitement. "Maybe we could see if you can play one of the instruments!" Tanjiro chuckled nervously. "I doubt it. I know I can't sing that well, so I probably won't do well with the other instruments." Zenitsu turned to look at him. "Don't syke yourself just yet, Tanji. We just need to try it." Tanjiro nodded, agreeing with him.

  Nezuko and Inosuke were already in the room. Except, they were resting in the rafters. "This was actually a rather clever idea, Inosuke." Nezuko grinned as she sat on a thick piece of wood. Inosuke cackled as he climbed on the rafters. "Yeah! I've been used to climbing up on these things for years! They're great for surprising people."

  The sound of the sliding door alerted them. Nezuko put a finger to her lips to tell Inosuke to be quiet. Then, Tanjiro and Zenitsu walked in. "So, what would you like to do?" Tanjiro asked the blonde. "I dunno..hmmm.." Zenitsu hummed as he scanned the room. He laid his eyes on the gorgeous grand piano. "Let's try that out!"

  Both teens went over to the piano and took a seat on the piano bench. Zenitsu immediately scooted up close to Tanjiro, soaking in his warmth. "Do you know how to play this?" Zenitsu asked, looking up at Tanjiro. The Demon King just shook his head. "That's okay. I can teach ya." Zenitsu sat up and pointed at the center key. "This is the middle C note. It's the base for hand placement." He opened one of the music books on the music desk and pointed to where the C note was on the stanza. "This is the C note itself. When you see this in the stanza, you press that key."

  Tanjiro did as Zenitsu said. He pressed down on the key, which released a sweet, whole note. "Good! Very good!" Zenitsu beamed at Tanjiro, who looked excited. He then taught him about the different types of basic notes and where they lie in the stanza. "Of course, that's just be basics. Would you like to try to play something?"

  "I could try." Tanjiro shyly nodded. Zenitsu stood up and grabbed one of the music books. He flipped through it, trying to look for a simple song. "Aha! Found one!" Zenitsu placed the book back in front of Tanjiro. The pages spoke of a soft and gentle melody. It perfectly suited Tanjiro. "I think you'll like this one."

  Tanjiro then lowered his hands down on the keyboard. The melody was slow, but it did need soft and hard presses during certain parts. The Demon King played with surprisingly good accuracy, but the one thing that surprised Zenitsu most was that Tanjiro understood when to press gently and when to press hard. The piano was a natural fit for him and he played it like a prodigy.

  Zenitsu watched him with awe as he played. "Maybe I could use this to help him sing better." Zenitsu thought to himself. The music flowed through the entire room. Nezuko listened intently, even going as far as to him along with it. Even Inosuke was entranced by the heavenly melody.

  Once Tanjiro was done playing, he turned to look at Zenitsu. "I hope that was okay." He smiled shyly. Zenitsu couldn't control his excitement and grinned at him. "That was amazing! Most people can't perform simple melodies until they have a few weeks of practice!" Tanjiro felt his face heat up with warmth and love. Then, Zenitsu had an idea.

  He flipped through the music book and found another simple, lyricless melody. "Trying playing that. I have an idea." With no rebuttal, Tanjiro started to play the song. Tapping his finger, Zenitsu hummed along with the song until he thought of a few words.

  "Don't you see what you're doing to me? I long to hold you, to sing to you, but I fear that I'm doing something wrong. Your loving sound soothes me, warms me. I want to feel your warmth. Please tell me...please tell me why I'm falling for you. Can I truly have you? If it means that you'd get scorned, then I'll keep it to myself. Yet, I know that you don't mind. So would this be a mercy or a curse?"

  Zenitsu's voice meshed into the melody to create a beautiful tune. Both teens were phenomenal in their art. It even drove Nezuko to tears. While Tanjiro didn't know what Zenitsu's lyrics meant, Nezuko understood his pain perfectly. She perfectly understood the words of his song. Even Inosuke understood what Zenitsu was saying.

  Soon, the melody finished. Tanjiro turned to look at Zenitsu once more. "Wow.." He spoke softly. "You have a really pretty voice, Zen." Zenitsu's face immediately turned red. "Hehe, thanks. That..means a lot to me." He looked at the music then back at Tanjiro. "Could we..play again sometime?" Tanjiro nodded energetically. "Of course! I would love that!"

  Soon, Valentine's Day came and Nezuko knew that this day needed to be taken advantage of.this special day. Earlier that day, she had gone to the market and bought a bouquet of colorful roses. She had told Inosuke about her plans to make sure that he would be on board. Of course, the boar was incredibly excited and ran off to rangle Zenitsu.

  "So...Big brother, I think today should be the day!" Nezuko waddled into his office with the bouquet in her arms. Tanjiro was sitting down in the center of the room. His head rested in his hands and his breathing was shaky. "I'm not sure, Nezuko. I don't know if he really loves me like that.."

  Nezuko scooted up to his side and she wrapped her free arm around his. "I know you're scared, but I promise you that he does. I really do think it will work out for you two." Tanjiro nodded slowly, but still looked somber. It didn't really seem to convince him. Nezuko turned so that she was sitting in front of him. "Tanjiro, I know you're scared, but you will regret it even more if you don't speak your mind. Even if he doesn't feel the same, I know you will find someone. Do this so that you'll know if he's the right one. Remember, the worst he can do is to say no, okay?"

  Tanjiro nodded, a bright smile forming on his face. "Yeah..that is the worst that can happen." He stood up, put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. "Alright..I think I'm ready!" Nezuko jumped up in excitement. "I can't wait! So..Where are you planning to do this?" Tanjiro thought for a moment. "On the pathway that goes into town. Specifically, near the large limestone under the cherry blossom tree. I'll be there at sunset." Nezuko gave him two thumbs up. "That sounds great! Really romantic too!"

  She handed her brother the flowers and quickly ushered him out the door. "Now go! Sunset is in half an hour!" Tanjiro laughed. "Okay! Okay! I'm going!" The Demon King then took off, running down the dirt pathway. Blue was slowly fading from the sky, turning into a beautiful gold. Nezuko ran into the woods and chose to hide behind a bush. "Alright Inosuke..We don't have much time."

  "Inosuke please.." Zenitsu huffed irritably as he shut the lid on the grand piano. His back was towards the boar and his breathing was heavy. "There's no way that he'll be willing to date me. I'm a boy, not a girl." Angry steam came from Inosuke's boar mask. "Oh come on! You don't know that!" With a snap, Zenitsu whirled around to look at him. "Yes I do! Most people aren't like this! I..I.." He turned away once more. "I just don't know what to do..."

  Inosuke crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Look, I don't get why it's such a big deal. You love him. That's all that matters." No answer came from Zenitsu. Inosuke growled and stomped his feet. "Look! You don't know how he feels about you! It's not wrong to like other boys, even if others tell you it is! You'll never be happy until you say somethin'! So quit your whining and talk to him!"

  Zenitsu nearly jumped out of his skin. "Inosuke.." The boar shook his head aggressively. "One chance. That's all ya got. If you waste it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Zenitsu slowly and fearfully nodded. "Are you really sure that this will work?" Inosuke raised his fist in the air. "Of course I do! You'll never know until you try it!" A small smile appeared on Zenitsu's face. "Alright. Let's see."

  Matsuemon flew right into the celebration room and landed on top of Zenitsu's shoulder, much to his dismay. "Caw! Caw! Lord Tanjiro wants to see you, Zenitsu! Caw! By the boulder near the cherry blossom tree! At sunset!" Zenitsu looked at the crow with wide eyes. "What for?" The crow just fluttered his wings. "Don't know! Caw!" Then, the crow just flew away.

  "You better hurry, Monitsu!" Inosuke jumped with excitement. Zenitsu nodded and headed towards the door. "Alright. See you later, Inosuke." Shutting the door behind him, Zenitsu walked with a steady pace to the outside. Inosuke waited a few minutes before leaving himself. Once he felt like enough time passed, the boat ran through the hallways of the Infinity Castle.

  Inosuke leaped out of the front door and landed on the dirt road. "Aha!" He turned towards the bush and Nezuko popped her head up. "Tenako! Tenako!" He ran over towards her. "I think I helped Kenifsu!" Nezuko smiled at him warmly and pet the top of his head. "You did a great job, Inosuke!" Heat rose in Inosuke's face as she said this. "Hehehe..Thanks."

  Golden colors filled the sky now as the sun was setting. Nezuko turned to look at the horizon. "We gotta go, otherwise we're going to miss it." Inosuke nodded and Nezuko took his hand, making his face turn red under the mask. Together, both of them ran off towards the path that Tanjiro took.

  Out of all of them, Zenitsu was the first one to get there. This was probably because he was the fastest. There, he stood by the large boulder, waiting. Ruffles from the bushes caught his attention. "Hmm?" Zenitsu hummed to himself. Ultimately, he just ignored the sound. Behind the bush, Inosuke and Nezuko took shelter from watching eyes. Nezuko put her finger to her lips.

  Then, soft footsteps could be heard sliding against the harsh soil. "Look! Look!" Inosuke whispered, pointing at Tanjiro as he was walking down the hill. Zenitsu widened his eyes as he looked upon the Demon King. The flowers were what mostly caught his attention. Was Tanjiro about to do what he thinks he's doing?

  "It's about to happen!" Nezuko squealed quietly as she grabbed Inosuke's arm. A deep breath came from the king before walking down the hill. Light blush appeared on Zenitsu's face as his body tensed up. Tanjiro now stood in front of Zenitsu, flowers in hand.

  "Zenitsu, I have to tell you something." Tanjiro nervously smiled as he shuffled his feet. The realization of the moment hit Zenitsu and it made him want to cry. Nezuko and Inosuke huddled together in anticipation.

  "Zenitsu..Ever since I came back, you've stuck to my side. I didn't realize how much I mean to you until the night that you helped me sleep. That night..I realized something. I realized that you also mean a lot to me. In a way, we both help each other. We may fight sometimes, but we both stick together in the end.."Tanjiro sighs. "What I'm trying to say is that I love you. Not like a friend, but like a partner. I know that not many people get together with others of the same gender, but that doesn't change how I feel. I do hope that you feel the same, but I understand if you don't."

  Tanjiro looked like an adorable, innocent puppy, desperately hoping that the affection would be returned. Zenitsu looked at him with teary eyes, but he managed to hold back the tears. At least for now. "Tanjiro..I DO feel the same! I know it didn't seem like it, but that was just because I was scared. I was just so worried that you would see me as a weirdo for loving you. You were right. It really is just harmless and you know what?" Zenitsu ran up to the Demon King. "Who cares what they think?! I love you and that's all that matters!"

  Wrapping his free arm around Zenitsu, Tanjiro's voice started to shake and crumble. "S..so..do you..want to be my boyfriend?" With eyes full of tears, Zenitsu practically threw himself into Tanjiro's chest. "Of course I do!" Tanjiro wrapped both arms around Zenitsu-still holding onto the flowers-and swung him around, laughing.

  "YES!" Nezuko and Inosuke cheered with excitement. The newly formed couple look at the look and both partners gave them a smug grin. "We knew you were here, ya know?" Zenitsu furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait! You knew we were here?!" Inosuke tilted his head. "How?" Nezuko asked. Tanjiro pointed at his nose while Zenitsu pointed at one of his ears. "Hyper-senses."

  "Right.." Both Nezuko and Inosuke chuckled. Tanjiro turned back to Zenitsu and the both of them finally shared a kiss. Nezuko and Inosuke cheered for their friends. "I'm so happy for them." Nezuko said softly, turning to Inosuke. "You know, you're a great friend, Inosuke." The boar lifted up his mask and smiled warmly at her. "Thanks..You're pretty great too!"

  Then, to Inosuke's surprise, Nezuko kissed him on the cheek. The boat's face immediately turned as red as a tomato. "Heh, are you okay?" Nezuko asked shyly. "Y-yeah! I-I'm more than okay!" Inosuke hugged Nezuko tightly and they both laughed happily. For today was a day of love. Love of all kinds!

Author's Note: Happy, late, Valentine's Day! I'm so happy that this chapter finally came out and I hope you guys love it too! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!

I drew Nezuko!!

I love Demon Slayer! Me and my little sister watch it together <3

Here.

Take this nezuko drawing I did

Please enjoy

Food

Me when someone asks me to share my food because I love them:

Me when someone asks me to share food in exchange for them saying I am right about something:

So cuteeee I love them all so much 😭😭😭😭😭 ~~

genya and mui died~~

Mmm?...

Hi I'm looking for a demon slayer fic where Y/N eats Muzan and becomes the new demon king and trys to befriend the uppermoons. They save Rui and writes letters to Tanjiro and Nezuko and leaves them at their old house to attempt to make up what muzan did. They went to a festival with Daki, Nakime and Rui. They experiment with their resistance to the sun.

Sorry that's all the details I can seem to remember right now. Please help me find this fic, it was on Ao3 if that helps.

Decisions time!! (for u not me cause i'm an insecure lil bit-) i've also never watched either of these SO DONT DISAPPOINT ME OR ELSE .... 😡😵😵🫣