Demon Slayer Rui - Tumblr Posts
Demon slayer Rui (platonic) x big sis reader. And can it be hurt/comfort is possible? Thanks!! Sorry if you need a more specific scenario (^-^)/
I’ll see what I can do!
Big Sister
Rui x sister!reader
In which Rui gets mad at your for spending time with “mother” instead of him.
Hurt, angst, comfort, little brother/big sister relationship (platonic). Rui might be a lil out of character.
Rui Pov
Where in the hell is Y/n? She's been missing all night and she won't come no matter how much I call out for her. I feel like I've been walking for hours. I sighed looking around once more and after a few minutes I found her. She was cuddles up with mother and they were laughing and giggling while I was suffering. How could she do this to me? After all that I've done for her. A big sister is suppose to love and protect her younger brother and yet here she is spending time with mother. How selfish could she be do abandon me like this? She always said that I was her favorite and that she would spend time with me tonight. Maybe I should let father deal with mother while I deal with big sister. How annoying, I hate when they don't listen to me. God I felt so frustrated right now. I decided that the only thing to do was confront my big sister and make her explain why she would betray me.
I quickly appreared to them and the nerve of those two to seem surpiried that I would interrupt them. How dare they be surprised! I was about to speak when my big sister interrupted me.
"Aww Rui how wonderful of you to join us. Funny enough I was just about to come and get you." She spoke excitedly which confused the hell out of me.
"I don't believe you." I snapped moving closer to her as to intimidate her.
"Oh, I'm sorry Rui but I promise I'm not lying." Y/n pleated but I really didn't care anoymore.
"Then why are you here when you're suppose to be with me." I argued trying to get her to tell the truth.
"Oh my sweet Rui, I really was hoping I could show you later as-" She began to speak but I had heard enough. I slashed her face making her beautiful pale skin stained with blood. I was expecting her to cry or to beg for mercy, but instead she just sat there as calmly with a sweet smile on her face. This made me uneasy and the realization that I just hit her sunk in as I had never had any reason to do this to her before.
"Why did you make me do that!" I screamed at her mad that I hurt her. I was about to run away to try and get some space when I felt her embrace me. She held me so tightly and I couldn't help but feel so comforted by her embrace. "Is this what it's like to have a big sister?" I thought to myself.
"Rui, my sweet little brother, I wanted to surprise you with a human that I found wandering the mountain tonight. This one was beautiful and I thought that you would want to have it. I should have just told you and I'm so sorry." She admitted and a strange sensation bubled up in my belly. One that I didn't like nor did I wish to welcome. I then decided to forgive my big sister and take her gift as an apology.
"You're forgiven big sister, just never hide anything from me again." I told her pulling myself from her embrace.
"Thank you Rui, I promise I won't." She promised me and for some reason I believed her.
"Why were you with mother?" I questioned her as she smiled at my question.
"Oh, I was hoping that she would wrap the human for you. Mother's web is very beautiful." She told me and I believed her
"Good, now lets go see that human that you got for me." I told her but just as I was walking away she hugged me once again.
"I'm so sorry for hurting you Rui, just know that I love you and you're the best little brother I could have ever asked for." Y/n spoke. I suddenly felt tears on my head and I looked up to see her crying. I grimiced at this as I really hated when she cried because I knew she was hurt.
"I already forgave you, but thank you for apologizing again. I'm sorry for hurting your face." I admitted in a soft whisper hoping that she wouldn't hear me.
"Don't worry about that, we demons heal rather quickly and I have already forgotten about it." She proclaimed and softly stroked my hair.
"Now, lets go." she said as she grabbed my hand walking in the direction of the human that my big sister was kind enough to gift to me.
Thank you so much for reading!💜 Thank you to whoever requested this! I apologize if this fic wasn't exactly what you wanted I tried my very best.
Please feel free to like, comment, request, and reblog
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•I do NOT own any characters except y/n and any original characters•
L.W.L
More information on my Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU!
I really want to elaborate more on my AU, specifically about the demons and how they are dealing with the changes. So, here are some headcanons about them!
Here is the original Mastpost!
Rui
When it came to converting into a half demon, he was rather cautious about the idea, mostly because he didn’t want to lose his “family” and strength
Nezuko managed to convince him by promising to stick by his side while he works out the changes
They spent a lot of time together, which brought them closer and formed a genuine bond
This drove Inosuke insane though
Tanjiro was pretty weary about their relationship, but he eventually grew fond of the little guy
It took quite a while for Rui to truly come out of his shell
But when he did, everyone realized just how touch starved the poor baby is
He melts when given any form of physical affection and he is quite clingy
I headcanon that Rui has OCD, mostly because he likes everything in their proper roles, so I think he would make sure everything is clean and orderly
He tends to get flustered when he is dealing with large messes, so either Nezuko or Tanjiro has to calm him down
Despite the Kamado siblings’ affection and stability, Rui still feels like he’s missing something in his life
That is, until Tanjiro introduces him to Akaza (Tanjiro decided to introduce all the demons to each other)
Akaza and Rui immediately get along and become friends
Eventually, Akaza introduces Rui to the other upper moons (plus Enmu since he’s usually around Douma)
Akaza was rather nervous about introducing Rui due to the moon’s chaotic nature and Rui’s OCD
However, Rui sees that they have a deep connection despite the chaos and decides to stick around
Akaza: Sorry if they’re a bit chaotic kid, bu-
Rui: They’re perfect
Akaza: Huh?!
With time, Rui learns more about the upper moons and they grow on him
Akaza and Kokushibo are Rui’s father figures
Daki and Gyutaro are very close to Rui and they often hang out with the Kamado siblings
Finally Douma and Enmu sometimes drag Rui in one of their pranks or adventures
The Kamado siblings notice that Rui is less tense, more open minded and is a lot happier
Half demons mature and grow, so Rui and Daki do mature and actually get older as time passes
Although he still goes to the Kamadoi’s for comfort, he truly feels like he has a family with the upper moons
Akaza
I feel like he would be more open to becoming a half demon (I mean it’s better than dying, right?) so he takes up on Tanjiro’s offer
Akaza regularly has to pull Douma out of trouble, either it be pranks that have gone too far or making him act like a gentleman
Whenever anyone is sick, you can expect Akaza to come over and try to take care of them
He did NOT like Zenitsu when they officially met, but they became mutual once he learned that Zenitsu wasn’t that big of a pervert (mostly because he’s dating Tanjiro)
Akaza deeply respects Tanjiro and they tend to work together on projects involving the demons
Akaza wanted to repair his relationship with Rengoku (which yes, Tanjiro was able to bring him back) and Rengoku has rather nervous to do so
They became great friends, but Giyuu (who Rengoku is dating) doesn’t really trust Akaza
Let’s just say it took a LONG time before Giyuu trusted him
Akaza gives advice to the women (both demons and humans) on how to defend themselves from perverts
Akaza is typically with Rui and Kokushibo, probably doing some father - son activities
Akaza actually gets with Kokushibo after realizing that Koku could be soft
Akaza is a tsundere, hands down.
He’ll never admit that he likes being the little spoon or that he loves sitting in Koku’s lap.
He also finds Koku’s final form hot. (He doesn’t have a monster kink though)
Akaza: is there a Mrs, Kokushibo?
Douma: Are you fucking flirting with Kokushibo’s final form?
Akaza: He’s fucking HAWT!
During his free time, Akaza usually like to either read or take long walks,
Rui is usually by his side on said long walks
Enmu
As you can probably expect, Enmu did not want to become a half demon
But after a long battle with Tanjiro, he eventually gave in
This is mostly due to his bitterness towards Tanjiro after he killed Muzan
Tanjiro quickly learns about his relationship with Muzan and instantly knows that it was a toxic relationship and Enmu doesn’t see that
Everyone tries to tell him that their relationship was toxic, but Enmu just gets pissed off
Tanjiro notices a strange smell that Enmu has and decides to look into it
He found out that Enmu couldn’t differentiate dreams and reality as a human and that he didn’t feel most pain, which made Tanjiro even more curious
It wasn’t until Enmu pointed out a suspicious flower that Muzan used to make him eat did Tanjiro finally realize what was going on
Turns out, Enmu had been given drugs as a kid and Muzan had kept him on those drugs to stay numb
Tanjiro knew he had to convince Enmu that Muzan was making him take drugs
It took a while for Enmu to believe him, but when he did, Enmu fell into a deep depression
Tanjiro had tried many different ways to make feel better (having him take care of people, saying kind things to him, etc)
Eventually, Tanjiro had him meet the upper moors, which introduced him to Douma!
At first, Enmu was quite distant and confused why Douma would take interest in him, but spending time with Douma made him come out of his shell
Douma showered him with affection, which made Enmu feel special and wanted
They would go on a lot of adventures together and they would pull pranks on people
After a while of this, Enmu started feeling strange and he went to Tanjiro to know what that feeling was
Enmu: What the hell is this feeling?! It feels so strange!
Tanjiro: Awww, that’s love, Enmu!
Enmu: What the fuck is that?
Both Tanjiro and Zenitsu would help him with confessing to Douma
They ended up deciding to confess on Valentine’s Day (There’s simply nothing more romantic than that)
Turns out, Douma was also planning to confess, so they just ended up being a flustered mess while Tanjiro and Zenitsu were giggling in the distance
At first, Enmu didn’t understand how Douma could do something nice for him
He thought that he always would have to do something nice for Douma
So when Douma treats him, Enmu.exe stops working
They go on a LOT of dates (usually little adventures)
Douma
He also didn’t want to convert, so Akaza and Kokushibo had to hold him down and force him to take Tanjiro’s blood
Tanjiro had to keep an eye on him for a while to make sure he wasn’t going to eat anybody
Douma eventually gave up eating people and started pulling pranks instead
He’s the number one troublemaker in the upper moon and can make a normal situation into one of chaos and anarchy
When Tanjiro hosted the demon meet and greet, Douma’s attention immediately went to Enmu, mostly because he found Enmu quite fashionable
When Douma started falling in love with Enmu, he was also very confused
Douma: Whay the fuck am I feeling this way towards a man?!
Akaza: You might be bisexual dude
Douma: *confused screaming*
Douma loves it when Enmu lulls him to sleep with his powers
In turn, Douma takes care of Enmu and makes some fantastic meals
Douma will happily listen to Enmu when he’s either talking about the demon ranks and/or trains
However, Douma can be quite reckless on their adventures, which sometimes causes them to get hurt
One time, Enmu ended up getting severely injured because of Douma’s recklessness
Basically, they entered an area of the Humanoid island where dangerous monsters were found
They barely got away, but they were haunted by an evil being named Kingu Akuma
That was one of the few times Douma actually cried
Despite the heartache of this event, something awakened in Douma that would help him deal with a bigger problem later on
Kingu Akuma harassed them and made them paranoid
He also reminded them of their pasts over and over again
Unfortunately, this made Douma remember the traumatic event that made him lose his emotions
(I’m not going to say what that moment was here since I can explain it better when I write the chapters. Let’s just say it is based on an actual theory. People believed this might’ve happened to him because of how the cult dehumanized him)
However, he also felt a painful feeling that he couldn’t quite figure out
He didn’t realize what that awakened emotion was until he reunited with Inosuke
Although Inosuke didn’t remember what happened to his mother, Douma remembered it vividly
Douma couldn’t understand why he felt so horrible when he was around Inosuke until he confronted Tanjiro about it
Tanjiro was horrified by Douma’s confession, but was willing to help him due to Douma’s willingness to change
Douma then proceeded to tell Inosuke what he did and well Inosuke didn’t take it well (he tried to kill him)
Due his guilt, Douma tried to hang out with Inosuke, but Inosuke was having none of it
It stayed like this until Inosuke was forced to fight off against a rabid ram demon (I’ll elaborate on this fight in a different post)
Inosuke came very close to death, but Douma saved him from getting mauled by the demon
Together, they finished off the ram and came to a mutual understanding
Although Inosuke can’t forgive him for killing his mother, he can understand that Douma is trying to make things up and so tries to develop a deeper relationship with his stepfather
Due to the he harassment by Kingu, guilt, and retrieving his memoriess, Douma went insane and he tried to unalive himself
Akaza stopped him from going through with it and told him that the only way to get rid of Kingu is to face your past
That’s when Douma went to Shinobu for therapy
She saw his memories and was horrified
Shinobu had to rescue a child version of him (his humanity) from Kingu inside his mind
After some time, he gathered the courage to face Kingu and fight him
Douma couldn’t defeat him (since Kingu is the god of chaos and suffering)
However it did end with Kingu realizing that Douma has changed and he leaves Douma (kinda like how Death did to Puss)
Both Akaza and Kokushibo care for Douma, but they often get annoyed by him
Gyutaro hates him due to Douma pestering both him and Daki (They have a typical annoyed child and jerk father relationship)
Douma finds this hilarious and continues teasing them
Daki and Gyutaro
Daki was quite open to converting (mostly because she was convinced by Nezuko)
However Gyutaro had to be convinced by Daki in order to convert
Once they were converted, both Tanjiro and Nezuko wanted to shower them with affection (they felt that they deserved a better life than what they had)
At first they were very off putted by this, but they eventually warmed up
The Kamado siblings taught them more about their relationship and how to properly show love
Gyutaro: What the hell are you doing?
Tanjiro: Giving you something you never got, a hug.
Gyutaro: …
Gyutaro: *gross sobbing ensues*
Gyutaro constantly goes to Tanjiro for advice on how to be a better older brother
Gyutaro has also accidentally called Tanjiro “dad” a few times which sent Daki into hysterical laughter
Although Daki and Nezuko had to work out their relationship, they eventually became best friends
Nezuko would occasionally host a girl’s night out and Daki would be there right beside her
Both Daki and Gyutaro prefer to be around the Kamado siblings (mostly because they find comfort in them)
When they are around the other demons, they are usually dragged into their nutty shenanigans
Daki really loves being around Rui
She is like a mother to him and Daki smothers him in affection like Nezuko does
Gyutaro melts when he’s complimented (especially on his appearance)
Nezuko made Gyutaro a blanket with heating pads so Gyutaro doesn’t get cold and he loves it to death
They are very curious and love learning about the world
Lastly, they both just really love each other and they are learning to accept themselves
Hantengu Clones
I feel like Aizetsu would be the most willing to covert, but the others need some convincing
Sekido was definitely the hardest to convince, no doubt about it
Urogi and Karaku are best friends and they always cause chaos
Sometimes they’ll accompany Enmu and Douma on their adventures
Sekido usually has to pull them out of trouble
Urogi is definitely Aizetsu’s emotional support
Sometimes Urogi can go a bit overboard, but he tries his best to comfort Aizetsu
All the clones see themselves as brothers
Aizetsu and Genya do become friends, but it took quite some time for that to happen
They usually just have really interesting conversations. That’s how they usually hang out
Karaku, Nezuko, and Daki will always make sure that someone looks great for a date!
Sekido is the unofficial eldest brother, the other clones hate this
All the clones may tease Aizetsu, but if anyone else messes with him. They will have hell to pay
Aizetsu prefers to be around the Kamado siblings, they’re just so calming
He just gets overwhelmed easily, so he prefers to be in quiet places
Sekido hides his feelings and he’ll never admit to enjoying anything
Whenever Zohakuten needs to be formed, Urogi and Karaku usually try to have Aizetsu initiate it because he’s a lot more gentle than Sekido
Zohakuten is like a little angry gremlin
He will immediately attack anyone who calls him cute
Zohakuten: I’m not cute!
Zohakuten: I’m into hardcore death metal!
Zohakuten: I’ve got a scar!
Zohakuten: I branded myself with a hot iron once!
Zohakuten: I’m into Big Dumb Sweet Men!
Zohakuten: Don’t judge me, I’m not cute!
Despite Zohakuten’s efforts, Mitsuri still loves him
The wooden dragons are like little puppies that annoy Zohakuten
The only person that Zohakuten truly likes is Rui
You just can’t hate Rui
Hantengu actually prefers to be separated
He lives in constant fear so it’s nice to find happiness in the clones
Kokushibo
He was also willing to be converted (mostly because he’ll still be able to stay alive)
At first, Kokushibo would be incredibly jealous of Tanjiro
Because of this, Tanjiro decided to try to spend more time with him
Tanjiro found out about his brother and decided as a peace offering, he would help Kokushibo learn the various techniques of sun breathing
Although he doesn’t really learn it, they become close and they form a strong friendship
When He, Tanjiro, Douma, and Inosuke were fighting the jaguar demon, Tanjiro basically gave a speech about how no matter how powerful or weak the younger brother is, they will always look up to the older one
Kokushibo was deeply moved by this
Kokushibo deeply respects Tanjiro for defying his fate in a much more honest and honorable way than he did
He is Tanjiro’s right hand man and will always help him with plans
Kokushibo is pretty much the leader of the upper moons when Tanjiro isn’t around
He is like the stern father while Akaza is more of a relaxed father towards the moons
Kokushibo is also very peaceful and prefers to paint and draw alone
He gives great advice to the other demons on how to handle their changes
Kokushibo usually has to get the other demons out of trouble
He has a major sweet tooth, but the only ones who know this are Akaza and Mitsuri
Sometimes, he’ll eat some sweets with Mitsuri
Kokushibo: How the hell did you guys turn a picnic into a forest barbecue?!
Akaza: DON’T LOOK AT ME!!
Douma: *holding the match* I didn’t do it
He always helps Tanjiro convert other demons
(Okay time for some Kokuaka headcanons!)
Let’s be honest, Kokushibo would be dense af. He would have no clue that Akaza had feelings for him and Koku would have no idea that he loved Akaza back
He’d just think that he felt a strange feeling when he’s with Akaza
Kokushibo eventually figures it out after seeing Tanjiro’s and Zenitsu’s and Douma’s and Enmu’s relationships grow.
At the start of their relationship, Kokushibo was very closed. He acted very stoic, believing that this was they way to earn anyone’s affection
Eventually, Akaza softens him up. He makes Koku realize that it’s okay to show emotion
Kokushibo adores warmth (he’ll never admit it though). He loved to be close physically to his friends and always carries heating pads on him.
Kokushibo is actually really good with kids, surprisingly.
Poor babe gets a lot of headaches so he carries medication on him and he prefers to be awake at night
Although he has to put up with the craziness of the upper moons, he still loves them and will always help them
Tanjiro is incredibly proud of them and the progress that they have made
Tanjiro being a proud dad is so freaking cute
I love this AU and I’ve had a lot of fun with it! Speaking of fun, here are some incorrect quotes because why not?
Douma: *chugs mayo*
Enmu: Hmm that looks like our bedsheets
Akaza: *chokes on water*
Kokushibo: *gasps and covers Rui’s ears*
Tanjiro: I’m very uncomfortable with the energy we have created in this room
Rui: Every family has a gay cousin
Enmu: Bitch we don’t have a gay cousin
Enmu: Wait
Enmu: I am the gay cousin oH mY gOd
Tanjiro: Why were you calling me those awful things when we fought?
Gyutaro: Those were auful things?
Tanjiro: *starts tearing up out of guilt*
Gyutaro: WAIT, I’M SORRY!!
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 Ten:
The Battle of The
Jaguar Demon
Warnings: Blood, some gore, child abuse, and angst
Word Count: 7919
After the unfortunate events at the noodle shop, Douma had carried a sleeping Enmu home in his arms. He was confused by the aching feeling inside his belly. It felt like something was gnawing him on the inside. Despite how much this feeling hurt, Douma wanted to know more. He wanted to understand it. He wanted to feel it.
Thus after he laid Enmu down into his futon-that was in his room of the Infinity Castle-Douma instantly went looking for Tanjiro. Luckily, it didn't take too long to find him. Tanjiro was surprisingly still in the Infinity Castle and was in the new kitchen, cooking some strange stew.
"Hey, young king." Douma tried putting on a cheerful smile. "How have you been? I hope that the others haven't given ya a hard time." Tanjiro turned to look at him with a sweet smile. "Oh, hey Douma. I've been fine. A bit tired, but fine. The others seem to be pretty awkward around me though.."
Douma put a hand to his hip. "Oh, don't worry! They'll warm up to you eventually!" Tanjiro then made a soft, relieved rumble. "I hope so..By the way, is Enmu okay? He seems to be more aggressive and quiet than usual." Douma sighed heavily, resting his head in his hand. "He..just found out something rather..devastating."
A small yelp came from Tanjiro as he completely turned around. "What happened?" Douma scratched his neck. "Well..turns out..Muzan used to drug him. I don't really know the reason why, but he used Opium Poppies to do so." Tanjiro gritted his teeth and growled. "I've never met someone so evil. Maybe he drugged him to manipulate him?" Douma nervously shrugged. "I have no clue. He did seem to be very loyal, so drugging him just doesn't seem to make any sense."
Tanjiro turned back to the stew with an angry huff. "Maybe he's going through withdrawal. That would explain his aggression." Douma nodded, agreeing, "That and blind loyalty." Tanjiro nodded. "He really did mistreat you all, didn't he?" Douma shrugged. "I guess you could say that.." He knew he was no better. Douma knew that he had committed similar evil sins.
"Hey..young king, mind if I ask you something?" Tanjiro looks at him. "Of course. Whatever you need." Douma stretched his arm out and sighed. "I need to talk to someone, but I would like you to go with me. I just don't want things to get too ugly between us." Tanjiro raised an eyebrow, taking the stew pot off the heated portion of the gas stove. This kitchen was a newly installed "System Kitchen", which made everything able to be made while standing up. "Who might that person be? If you don't mind me asking."
Douma ran his claws through his long, platinum blonde hair. "It's Inosuke.." Tanjiro stopped in his tracks and looked at him cautiously. "Are you sure he's going to listen to you?" He seemed to be genuinely sympathetic. Tanjiro knew that if Douma was really trying to reach out, something was clearly happening within him
"Probably not, but I want to try to apologize. I don't know why, but there's a gnawing feeling inside of me. It's strange and it hurts, but I really do want to understand it." Tanjiro looked at him and gave him a small smile. "He may not forgive you, but he may want to start something new with you if you're really trying to change." Douma nodded eagerly. "I am! I really am..I want to understand the things you feel.."
Tanjiro picked up a wooden serving spoon and started scooping the soup into a plethora of bowls. "That's good. We'll leave once I'm done giving this out to everyone." Douma sniffed the air and made a happy yap, not caring about masking. "That smells great! What is it exactly?" Tanjiro purred with appreciation. "It's Nikujaga. Aoi actually showed me the recipe."
Douma tilted his head with a warm smile. "I haven't had that in a long time.." He could remember when he was really young, back when his parents were still alive. Douma remembered that his mother used to make that exact same stew for him. It was his favorite..back when he truly could feel joy. Come to think of it, there was a section of his life that he couldn't remember.
"Hey, Douma. Do you know when or how you lost your emotions? You do seem to have some knowledge of them, so it seems like you lost them rather then not having them at all." Tanjiro seemed to be on the same page as Douma. "Well, you're right. I used to have emotions when I was really young. However, there's a strange gap in my memory. Then, I never felt emotion again, not until you revived me anyway. Yet even then, there are exceptions." Douma made a dissatisfied rumble.
Tanjiro turned to look at him as he finished putting the soup in the bowls. "Don't worry. We'll help you understand them." Douma smiled at him. "Heh, thank you, Lord Tanjiro." Tanjiro returned the smile as he caught the scent of someone else entering the kitchen. "Oh hey, Mister Kokushibo!" He turned to see the six-eyed demon with a wicker basket in his arms. There seemed to be many different snacks in it as well as colorful paper and a small watermelon.
"Good evening..Kamado..I'm about to leave..to go visit someone." Tanjiro beamed with excitement. "Douma and I are also leaving to visit someone. Would you like to come with us? I could show you how to get to wherever you need to go." Kokushibo put a hand to his chin and shrugged, knowing that he didn't know how to get to his desired destination. "I don't see..why not."
Tanjiro smiled and purred as he put all the bowls onto a tray. "Don't worry about each one of us individually." Kokushibo said, putting a hand on Tanjiro's shoulder. "Muzan was able to communicate..with us telepathically. You might be able..to do the same." Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "How would I do that?" He asked with a curious tone.
"Oh! Oh! Just think of talking to the others and come up with what you would say to them!" Douma said excitedly. Kokushibo nodded. "That's basically all there is to it." Tanjiro closed his eyes and imagined a scenario where he was standing in front of all the half-demons. "Hello everyone! I actually made some stew for all of you. I have to leave with Kokushibo and Douma, so the stew is in the kitchen." He originally didn't expect to hear anything back..
"Guess you must've figured out how to communicate with us telepathically, huh?" Akaza's voice rang through his head. "Woah.." Tanjiro almost felt dizzy from sudden overstimulation. "It's alright, young king. You'll get used to it." He heard Aizetsu say, reassuringly. "Yeah! Thanks for letting us know though!" Urogi chirped happily as always. "You're..welcome.." Tanjiro shook his head, hoping to get the telepathy to stop.
"Sorry..I didn't mean..to cause you..any distress.." Kokushibo said, slight guilt in his voice. "It's fine, Mister Kokushibo. You were just trying to help." Tanjiro gave him a soft, weak smile. He could already smell the other half-demons heading into their direction. "We should probably go. Some fresh air might help you!" Douma said with a grin.
Tanjiro put a hand on his head and nodded. "Yeah..that's probably for the best." Kokushibo and Douma joined Tanjiro's side as all three of them made their way out of the Infinity Castle.
Once outside, Tanjiro took a deep breath to clear his mind. "Feeling..any better?" Kokushibo asked. Tanjiro nodded his head. Then, a strange scent caught his attention. He swerved his head over to where the scent was coming from.
Hidden in the darkness, tossed into the bushes, was a metal jar. It reeked of a foul odor that Tanjiro recognized from the many battles he had fought with other demons. He picked up the jar and gagged like a cat. "Hm? What is that?" Douma asked, tilting his head. "It's..blood. Muzan's blood.." Both Kokushibo and Douma widened their eyes in surprise. "Some of it..survived?" Tanjiro nodded before gagging again.
"Why would he keep this? It reeks!" Tanjiro asked, wincing in discomfort. "He used to..experiment on his blood..Muzan wanted to..find out its limitations..." Douma put a hand to his mouth, holding himself back from laughing. "You must have a really strong nose, huh?" Tanjiro weakly nodded. "Do you want me to take it inside?" A strange voice said from above.
All three of them looked upwards to see Gyokko in the trees. His vase was lodged into a tangle of branches. "Oh, hey Gyokko!" Douma waved with a friendly smile. "What are you doing here?" Gyokko chuckled. "Just getting back to have some dinner. I received your message, so I came in a hurry."
Kokushibo made a soft growl, seemingly untrusting of Gyokko. "Why..do you suppose..we keep it?" Gyokko tilted his head. "Well if we just throw it out, someone might be able to find it and use it." Tanjiro nodded. "He has a good point." Kokushibo squinted his eyes. "Fine..Give it to the biwa lady..She will know the best place..to hide it.." Gyokko made a dissatisfied rumble. "Alright. Will do."
Tanjiro quickly gave Gyokko the jar of blood, seemingly happy to get rid of it. Gyokko took it, dove into his pot, and rolled off the branch and into the Infinity Castle. "Let's not waste..anymore time." Kokushibo looked up to the sky. It was slowly turning a fiery orange. "It's getting..late." Both Tanjiro and Douma nodded. "Alright!" Tanjiro said. "Let's go!"
Giyuu sat alone while the other Hashira ate together. This was their first dinner that they were able to have together since Rengoku's passing. While all the others were chatting happily, Giyuu couldn't bring himself to join them. There was always a level of anxiousness that came over him whenever he was with them. He had no idea why, but he felt like no matter how much he wanted to, Giyuu just couldn't get close to them.
Rengoku then walked in with a bento box in his hand, his usual warm smile shone brightly. He scanned the room, waving at the other Hashira. Strangely though, his eyes made their way over to Giyuu. The Flame Hashira made a soft, soothing rumble as he walked over to where Giyuu was sitting. "Good evening, Tomioka! How have you been?"
Rengoku's booming voice caused Giyuu to jump slightly. "I'm fine, Rengoku." He said in a quiet voice. Rengoku tilted his head and leaned in. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you." Giyuu took a trembling breath. "I said that I'm fine." He said, raising his voice.
The Flame Hashira smiled at him. "That's good! Do you mind if I sit next to you?" Giyuu lowered his head slightly and scooted over. Rengoku purred rather loudly as he sat down next to him.
"Don't you want to be with the others?" Giyuu asked him, finicking with a piece of salmon. "I should be asking you that." Rengoku said as he opened his bento box. "You did seem really joyful when you saw all of us coming back, so why the sudden hesitation?"
Giyuu looked away, feeling shame creeping up onto him. "It's not like I don't care about you..it's just.." His voice went soft once more. "Don't worry, Tomioka. I know that you do care. I've just noticed that you've been more anxious. I just want to make sure you are okay." Rengoku said as he took a bite of his bento. "UMAI!"
Giyuu nodded his head, not saying anything. He did truly feel anxious, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason. He looked up to see Tengen at the other table talking to someone he couldn't see. The other Hashira looked tense with their still bodies. Even Obanai was making an audible hiss, thus making Tengen's conversation hard to listen to.
Eventually though, Tengen stood up and walked over to the two of them. "Hey uhh..Rengoku..there's someone here who wants to see you." Rengoku turned his attention away from his food and looked up at him. "Oh? And who might that be?" It was then that the mysterious person revealed themselves from behind the wall.
Akaza-the one who had previously killed Rengoku at the Mugen Train-walked out with a nervous and guilt ridden expression on his face. The other Hashira-except for Mitsuri and Gyomei-stared him down as he made his way over to the Flame Pillar. It was then that Giyuu felt a rising anger in him. However, for the sake of keeping the peace, all he did was give Akaza a death glare.
"Hey, Kyojuro." Akaza said in an anxious tone. "Long time, no see." Rengoku looked at him with an unreadable expression. "Good evening, Akaza. What brings you here?" Akaza then sighed with a heavy heart, bent down and bowed to the Flame Hashira, catching every Hashira off guard. "I'm sorry..for what happened at the Mugen Train. I really do regret what I did to you..what I did to all those men. I have come to ask for your forgiveness."
Rengoku tilted his head and made a soft rumble. "Do you really mean it?" His voice didn't sound stern, it was soft and it sounded like it had warmth to it. "I do. I mean every word." Rengoku then closed his eyes and smiled warmly. "Well, then I forgive you!" He roared in a cheery voice. Akaza looked up at him and smiled with relief.
"Wait, what?!" Sanemi and Obanai yelled simultaneously. "Why would you forgive him?! He killed you!" Obanai hissed angrily. "I can tell that he genuinely regrets what he's done. Besides, I know that there's more to him than we know." Akaza stood up with hopeless relief. "And what makes you believe that?" Sanemi gritted his teeth. "Well..he did use his Blood Demon Art to end his own life." Giyuu spoke up with uncertainty in his voice. "My point exactly!" Rengoku said.
Sanemi and Obansi just grumbled in frustration. "Relax, you two." Shinobu scolded them. "If he forgives him, then he forgives him. There's no need to make a fuss." Akaza gave Rengoku a sweet smile. "Thank you, Kyojuro. I mean it." Rengoku returned the smile and chuckled. "No need to thank me! I don't think that you're truly evil! Say, would you like to join Tomioka and me?"
Akaza scratched the back of his neck. "Thank you, Kyojuro, but I already ate." Rengoku chuckled once more. "Oh don't worry! You don't have to eat! I just figured you'd like the company." He was right about that, Akaza really could use the friendship, so he sat down next to the Flame Hashira.
However, Giyuu felt rather torn by this. On one hand, he was glad that Rengoku was able to forgive Akaza. Yet on the other hand, he doesn't feel like either of them should trust him. The knotting feeling in his gut only grew stronger, making Giyuu lose his already weak appetite.
Rengoku looked at Giyuu and slowly started to put the pieces together. He took the Water Pillar's hand and gently squeezed it. "Don't worry, Tomioka. I'm not going anywhere. None of us are." Giyuu looked up at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure?" Rengoku nodded and spoke softly. "I'm positive." A slow drowsiness crept up on Giyuu as he leaned against Rengoku's shoulder. Finding himself getting comfortable on the Flame Hashira's warm body his body eased into a light slumber.
Then, a screeching call echoed through the dark sky..
Gyutaro and Daki had finished their dinner rather early for they had plans that night. For the first time in a century, the Shabana siblings were able to take a calm stroll in the woods. Unlike their first trip to the Infinity Castle, they were well prepared and were aware of the directions and the area they had chosen to walk in.
"Alright. We're just taking a stroll, so don't burn the castle down." Gyutaro snickered as both he and Daki slid open the outside door. "I won't make any promises!" Urogi chirped, flapping his wings excitedly. Nakime just shook her head. "Don't worry, you two. The castle will still be here." Gyutaro and Daki looked at each other, chuckled, and left, closing the door behind them.
Daki immediately stretched as she felt the cool air hitting her lungs. "It feels great to finally have some time to ourselves, huh?" She said with a cheeky smile. "Hell yeah it does." Gyutaro returned the grin. "Truth be told, I have never felt this free before." His voice was soft and filled with an unfamiliar warmth.
Daki seemed to return the same sediment. "You're right about that. Having a stable and comfortable place to live, not having to sell myself for whatever money we could get, and not to mention the great food!" Gyutaro cackled. "I know! How did that slayer even learn how to cook anyways?" Daki just shrugged as she walked beside her brother. "Don't know. It definitely has something to do with that nose of his."
Gyutaro nodded. "Yeah, definitely." Daki hummed with child-like enthusiasm as the pair walked. The stars shone with a bright warmth that illuminated the siblings' path. The trees around them provided a sense of comfort and freedom that the two had never felt before. Now they could truly enjoy each other's company.
"The next thing we need to do is to get you a lover." Daki said in a semi-teasing tone. "Oh please! No one besides you can love this ugly mug." Gyutaro rolled his eyes. "Besides, you'd just get jealous." Daki shook her head. "No I wouldn't! I would love to see you get a lover! You of all people need one!"
Gyutaro just huffed. "Yeah right. I'm way too toxic to be a truly loving partner." Daki sighed with a little bit of frustration. "You're just selling yourself short, brother. There's someone out there just for you. I know it." She turned her head, looking straight into the dark woods.
Strange dirt mounds covered the area. It made it look like the site was an unmarked grave yard. The strange sight caused Daki to get goosebumps. "Hey, brother.." Gyutaro looked at her with a "Hm?" "What are those dirt mounds for?" Gyutaro looked up to see the mounds. Dozens and dozens of them covered the area, making the scene even more uneasy. "I..don't know."
Then, the sound of rustling leaves alerted them to the path in front of them. The sibling duo quickly summoned their weapons and growled menacingly. "Who's there?" Gyutaro gritted his teeth. A small, bloodied demon pup fumbled their way out from the bushes.
The pup looked like he was part jaguar for he had a black spotted tail, rounded ears, dark spots on his neck, and his hands and feet looked more like paws than normal appendages. He was wearing a navy blue kimono that had white borders on the wrist cuffs and neck hole. The strange thing was, the kimono looked like it was too big for him as it was sliding off his shoulder. The pup was also wearing black pants over his digitigrade legs. He had short, dark brown hair that was curly in the front and fluffy throughout.
Both Gyutaro and Daki yelped when they saw him. "A pup?" Gyutaro whispered. "They're rare..What's one doing here?" The pup turned to look at them with black eyes that had dark blue pupils. His body was beaten, battered, and covered in deep scratch marks.
The small pup-who looked like he was nine or ten-ran to them with tears in his eyes. "Please! You need to help us! My brother and I are in danger!" He cried out as he tugged on Gyutaro's pant leg. Gyutaro winced as he looked down at the pup. "You're the only one that looks hurt, little one." He picked up the young pup and held him in his arms.
"Where's your brother, dear?" Daki said in a sweet voice as she pet the pup. He shuddered under her touch. Then, a loud, rash voice roared through the night. "Strifles! Where are you, you little shit?!" A large male demon ran out from the bushes. He looked very similar to the smaller pup. The male demon had the same jaguar-like qualities and kimono-except it seemed to fit him better-as the pup. The main differences were his muscular, yet sleek build and long and wild hair that was tied into a low ponytail.
This demon looked to be completely untouched, unlike the small pup. However, there was blood lathered on his hand paws. He looked at the siblings' and smiled. "Ah! Thank you two so much for finding my brother, Strifles." His voice was raspy and harsh as he spoke.
"Who are you?" Daki hissed, raising her Obi sashes. "Woah! Woah! No need to get fussy, miss. I'm Ran'yō, the jaguar demon." Daki squinted her eyes. "He said you two were in danger." Ran'yō chuckled eerily. "It was just another demon. Don't worry. I took care of it."
Gyutaro was looking at Strifles's wounds as Daki and Ran'yō were talking. His examination revealed that these scratches were not what they seemed. They were thin and deep, which contrasted normal demon claws which are wide and shallow like fingernails. These claw marks were more like a cat's than a demon's.
Gyutaro then slightly squeezed Strifles's paw fingers to see his claws. Alarms went off in his head as he saw the cat-like claws extend out. He then looked at Ran'yō. He also had the same claws. Not to mention, they were covered in blood. Everything then clicked.
"What the hell were you doing to this pup?" Gyutaro growled as he hugged Strifles close to his chest. Ran'yō's grin faded. "Just defending him from a rabid demon. What else?" Strifles winced I fear as he heard his brother mention a rabid demon. "Bull fucking shit!" Gyutaro roared. "These claw marks aren't those of a normal demon! They clearly came from a large cat and you are the only one here that has bloody paws!"
Ran'yō growled, clenching his paws. "It's none of your damn business! Strifles! Come here!" The young pup shook his head. "I'm not going with that evil ram!" Ran'yō growled as walked towards them. "You little-" Gyutaro then swung one of his sickles and lodged it into the jaguar demon's jaws. "You will not lay a claw on him, you bastard!"
Gyutaro looked at Daki in a panic. "Take the pup, Ume!" She immediately scooped up Strifles with her Obi sashes. Ran'yō huffed angrily as he jumped back. "I will not lose my life to you low lives! Jackyll will get his eternal food source! One way or another!"
The ground beneath all of them shook as the dirt mounds began to burst open. "Blood Demon Art.." Ran'yō cried out. "Cat Call!" Large jaguar corpses emerged from each of the dirt mounds. They were rotting, yet still had the agility of their living counterparts. "What the hell?! Jaguars aren't native to Japan!" Gyutaro growled as he drew his sickles. "You're right." Ran'yō laughed. "A friend of mine has been giving them to me in trade for my brother's flesh!"
The Shabana siblings felt absolutely sick. "That's just disgusting!" Daki yelled. The undead jaguars roared victoriously as they ran towards Daki and Gyutaro. Gyutaro yelled with anger as he swung his blood coated sickles at the undead felines. Daki swung whatever Obi sashes she had left at the jaguars as well.
What they didn't account for was how many jaguars there were. There seemed to be hundreds! They all leaped at the duo, severely cutting them with their sharp claws and fangs. Strifles yelped with fear as the jaguars advanced upon them. "God damn it!" Gyutaro roared, striking at the jaguars. "My Blood Demon Art isn't as effective as it was."
"It's not just that!" Daki gritted her teeth as she used an Obi sash to block a jaguar's snapping jaws. "There's too fucking many of them!" Ran'yō laughed as he watched the chaos. "I will get my brother back! I will continue to grow my jaguar army!" Gyutaro used his blood sickle to slice a jaguar in half. However, the dead feline was able to reconnect itself and continue to attack. "Are you that much of a coward?! That you need to use dead puppets to fight?!" Gyutaro growled.
"Oh trust me..If you think this is hard, wait until he shows up." The plethora of jaguars continued to rip and tear at the Shabana siblings. Strifles was sobbing from fear as the jaguars snapped at both him and Daki. "Brother! We need to call Tanjiro! There's just too many of them!" Gyutaro growled, slicing a jaguar's head off. "He's fucking busy! I can handle this! You need to run back home!" Daki yelped as a jaguar with a sagging face bit down on her leg. "We need him to convert these two anyways! Just call him!" Gyutaro huffed, looked to the skies, and roared like an angry red fox.
When the daylight was still out, Tanjiro headed to the Butterfly Mansion with Kokushibo and Douma by his side. The young Demon King lead them to the estate with his sharp memory and sense of direction. Douma messed with his hands nervously and Kokushibo seemed to be deep in thought on their way there. Eventually, that made it to the estate.
"Alright. I'll make sure that nothing gets too ugly between you two, but please understand that he's going to be hostile." Douma nodded as he listened to the king. "I understand completely." Tanjiro then took a deep breath and knocked at the door. "I got it!" He heard Inosuke's raspy voice from behind the door.
The boar slayer opened the door rather recklessly. "Monjiro!" Inosuke yelled in a happy tone. "Where have you been?" Tanjiro smiled sweetly. "I been helping the other demons. I hope you've been alright." Inosuke laughed. "Everything's been fantastic!" He tilted his head to the side and saw Douma.
His cheerful demeanor immediately shifted. "What's he doing here?" Inosuke said with a soft growl. "Douma..wants to talk you." Tanjiro sighed as he moved out of their way. Douma slowly approached Inosuke with shaky steps. "What the hell are you doing here?" Insure gripped the handle of one of his sword's tightly.
"Inosuke..I've been feeling these strange feelings recently..and they've been tearing me apart." Douma spoke with a soft and hushed voice. Inosuke didn't say anything. "I know that I've done unforgivable things..and I know that you can never forgive me."
"You're damn right..You killed my mother!" Inosuke yelled with fury. "Inosuke..I really did care about you and your mother. I wanted her to live her full life, but she found out about my secret." Inosuke only growled. "And you couldn't have fought back against Muzan?! You couldn't have broken away from him?! That's no excuse!"
These words felt like sharp, piercing daggers. "I know! I know that they can't change anything! You're right..I should've stood up for her..I should've made myself better for her..better for you..but I was too much of a coward!" Tears were streaming down Douma's face. "Quit your lying! You never cared about her!"
"Inosuke." Tanjiro spoke with a soft voice. Inosuke turned to him. "He's not lying, Inosuke. A scent of sorrow and truth is coming from him." Inosuke huffed as he turned back to Douma. "He seems to be..telling the truth..little one.." Kokushibo said as he observed Douma. "He's never..shown with much..emotion before.."
"Please...Inosuke..I'm not asking you to forgive me..I just want to start anew." Tears continued to stream down his face. At this point, Inosuke didn't know what to feel. He truly wanted a father figure in his life and if Douma really means what he's saying, he could possibly get it. However, Inosuke didn't know if he could trust Douma. He doesn't want him to stab him in the heart like he did all those years ago.
"I can't forgive you for what you've done." Inosuke said in a much more calm voice. "But..maybe we could start over..that is, if you really mean what you say. Do you actually care about me?" Douma nodded, too weak to say anything. Inosuke turned away from him. "You'll have to prove it then. I need more than words to believe you."
Douma wiped the tears from his eyes. "I understand, Inosuke. I'm so sorry.." Inosuke crossed his arms. "No amount of apologies can fix this." Douma nodded. "I know.." Tanjiro walked over to Inosuke and crouched down. "Are you alright?" Inosuke swayed a little bit. "I just hope he means what he says." Tanjiro gave him a soft smile. "I believe he does."
Now, the night had settled in. The stars shone brightly above them. Yet, the beautiful night was disturbed by a terrified roar, alerting the group. "Someone's in danger.." Tanjiro said as his eyes slitted. He then ran off with the rest of the group following behind him.
The roars became louder and louder as Tanjiro, Inosuke, Douma, and Kokushibo came closer to the source. Blood covered the forest floor as the jaguars tore at the Shabana siblings. "Draw your weapons!" Tanjiro yelled as he drew his sword. The others quickly did the same. Tanjiro managed to land the first hit, slicing three jaguars in half.
Ran'yō growled in annoyance. "More intruders..No matter!" Some of the jaguars turned their attention to the group and dove in for the attack. The fierce felines scratched and bit at all the group, both half-demons and slayers. Luckily, everyone was able to sustain their ground. Kokushibo, Tanjiro, and Inosuke sliced and diced the jaguars with their swords while Douma and Gyutaro were able to fend off others with their unique weapons. Daki was able to climb a tree with Strifles in her arms.
"Damn it..I can't have them getting close to me!" Ran'yō said to himself as he watched all the others slowly advancing on him. Then, the sound of a ringing bell echoed through the woods. Ring..ring..ring..It's ringing causing the hair on everyone's neck to stand up. Ran'yō grinned wildly. "Hahaha! He's here! The ram is here!"
"Who's the-ack!" A blur of energy rushed toward Inosuke and threw him further into the woods. "INOSUKE!" Douma cried out, running after him. The jaguars were able to overwhelm the others now. "Oh no.." Tanjiro said as he gripped his sword, watching the jaguars advance upon them.
Douma sped to where Inosuke had landed by following a path of his own blood. Whatever that was had thrown Inosuke extremely far! The blood ran along the forest floor like a strange marking.
Inosuke hit his back against a tree. He groaned in pain as he stood up. His boar mask had fallen off when he was flung, so his human face was exposed. "Looks like I was mistaken." A deep, cackling voice spoke with a chill. Inosuke looked up to face the powerful being.
The voice belonged to this strange ram creature. It had the legs and head of a ram, but it also stood up on two legs and had arms like a human. Its fingers were hoof-like claws and it's coat was flat black. The creature's horns were striped with green, blue, and purple and it's hooves were also the same colors. A strange "X" shaped scar covered the edge of its snout. The strangest parts abothis creature was its golden piercing eyes, and a golden bell that was tied around its neck with a red sash.
"You are not the kind of food I want." Its deep voice sent chills down Inosuke's spine. The creature pressed its hood down on Inosuke's chest, causing him to gasp for air. "Who..are you?" The ram smiled with sharp pointy teeth. "Why, I'm Jackyll. The only true demon you've probably seen!"
Jackyll's hoof started to crush Inosuke's ribs. He yelled in pain as he tried to swing his sword at the ram. But the ram was fast and he quickly caught the sword. "Trying to fight back, are we? Well don't worry! I'll make this painful!" Jackyll cackled wickedly as he sunk the sword straight into Inosuke's femur, causing him to scream.
Blood squirted and poured out from his wound. Jackyll twisted the sword in his leg, making the bones crunch and the muscles tear. Inosuke screamed in absolute agony while Jack cackled in amusement. "You pathetic humans think you're so strong." Jackyll grinned as he twisted the sword. "You don't know who the true apex predators are! Don't try to convince me that those Moons are anywhere close to being the strongest!"
Jackyll jumped back with a strong kick. "I will slaughter all of you, so that my species will rise again!" Visible energy danced on the ram's body as his horns started to glow. "Say goodnight!" Jackyll roared as he ran towards him. Inosuke closed his eyes and accepted his fate.
Yet, instead of feeling any more pain, Inosuke felt warm blood drip onto his legs. "You will not kill my son!" Douma's voice roared at the ram. Inosuke looked up to see Douma standing in front of him. Blood dripped from the large scratch wound on Douma's chest. Jackyll bared his fangs and snarled. "A human demon?! How dare you filthy creatures further interfere with my life!"
Douma drew out his deadly fan as his wound slowly healed. "What the hell are you talking about?!" Jackyll grinned as he ran towards Douma and grabbed his arms. "Looks like Muzan never spilled the tea about us Humanoid Demons! You and your kind nearly drove us to extinction!"
The jaguars viciously bit and scratched at the half-demons. Tanjiro's haori was almost completely shredded. Kokushibo kimono had been ripped off and Gyutaro looked like a severely used scratching post. Daki was the least damaged, but both her and Strifles were cornered by the undead felines.
Kokushibo huffed and grunted with each cut and bite. "There's too many..of them..I have to..No..I can't..but.." He looked up at the others, watching them fight for their lives. He now knew what he had to do. Kokushibo morphed his body into the monster form he took during the final battle and was able to slowly tear through the jaguars.
"Listen!" Tanjiro called out to Ran'yō. "We don't have to fight! I can free you from the burden of eating humans! I can help you!" Ran'yō snarled before laughing maniacally. "I'm not interested in eating humans! That ram demon gives me a jaguar every month in trade for flesh."
Strifles jumped down from Daki's arms. "No, little pup!" She yelled as Strifles ran towards his brother. A strang, brown Maine Coon cat ran beside Strifles, seemingly defending him from the jaguars. The cat didn't have a nose and its fur was ragged and torn, but it clearly wanted to aid the pup. Strifles was successfully able to reach his brother and tugged on Ran'yō's kimono.
"Brother please! Maybe he can help us! Maybe he can free us from the ram!" Ran'yō snarled. "Shut up, you little bitch!" The jaguar demon kicked Strifles in the chest and sent him into a tree, causing the pup to release a pained cry.
Tanjiro widened his eyes and gritted his teeth. "How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?!" Something inside of him felt like it was burning with absolute fury. The ground shook beneath everyone. Then, a large dragon made from the ground water burst through the earth.
Tanjiro's hand was raised as he stared at Ran'yō with pure hate. "Hydrokinesis." Kokushibo whispered as the water dragon loomed above them. This was a part of Tanjiro's Blood Demon Art. "How dare you hurt him like that?! He's just trying to save you!" Tanjiro's roars were filled with rage.
"You have no idea what it means to be a loving sibling, do you?! How dare you hurt an innocent pup?! Let alone, your own brother! He doesn't deserve to be beaten and kicked! He has never bore the blood of the innocent! I can smell it! You, on the other hand, have borne only his blood and for what?! More power?!"
Tanjiro looked at Strifles, who was curled up on the ground, crying. "No matter how much damage you do to him, your little brother has always looked up to you! He always loved you! And you used that love against him! You let that ram torture him for lord knows how long!"
Rage consumed Tanjiro as he roared into the night, startling Ran'yō and making him back up. The water dragon then roared. It's aquatic body turned into solar flames. Kokushibo widened his eyes in awe, both at Tanjiro's power and speech. Gyutaro was also impressed, but quickly took action. He saw a shallow trench by the tree where Strifles was and scooped up the young pup.
Daki followed him and took the pup into her arms once they were in the trench. "Stay here." He said in a hushed voice as he jumped out. Kokushibo flung the jaguars that were behind Tanjiro in front of him by using his tentacles. All of this in preparation for Tanjiro's attack.
Douma was struggling to hold his own against Jackyll. The ram demon pushed him back by using his powerful digitigrade legs. Douma tried to use his Blood Demon Art, but he couldn't freeze the air without killing Inosuke. "Your kind are useless wastes of space!" Jackyll pushed Douma's arms back, causing the bones to break and rip out of his skin.
Douma screamed in pain as his elbow bones were exposed. "You have no idea who I am..Let me show you!" Jackyll stuck out his long tongue, revealing Kenji that read "Upper Besst One." Douma widened his eyes. "You're a fake! A phony!" Jackyll's laugh was wicked and cold. "Is that so? Then how am I absolutely destroying Upper Moon Two?"
Douma closed his eyes and roared in aggravation. "I will not let you hurt my son!" He kicked the ram in his stomach, which only pushed him back slightly. A strange, fiery light emitted from behind them. Douma turned to see the massive flame dragon. Then, he had an idea. Douma heaved Jackyll by his middle and quickly threw him into its pathway.
The solar flame dragon roared angrily and Tanjiro roared as well. Before anyone else could react, the dragon burned its way through the pathway. The Maine Coon cat was standing in the way. "Mr. Nibbles!" Strifles cried out with outstretched arms. Gyutaro saw the car and dove after it. He tumbled into the trench with the cat in his arms and held Daki close to his chest. "Don't look at the flames, Ume!" He managed to roar above the sound of the blast.
The solar flames burned everything in their path. The jaguars, Ran'yō, and even Jackyll. Tanjiro roared angrily as the dragon incinerated everything in its path. Kokushibo stood behind him, both looking in awe and in horror.
The light died down and the smoke cleared. Corpses of burned jaguars were strewn around the area. Ran'yō's skin was horrifically burned to the point where he was almost unrecognizable. He groaned in severe pain as his body was stiff.
Tanjiro walked through the burned area and towards Ran'yō. He squinted his eyes in disgust as he looked at the pitiful demon. "Strifles will never be put in that kind of pain again." He growled before slicing off Ran'yō's head with his black blade. The jaguar demon's body disintegrated almost immediately once his head was decapitated.
Tanjiro looked up to see Jackyll, who was severely burned. Unlike Ran'yō, Jayckll shook off the burned skin and regenerated quickly. He looked up at the sky and snarled. "You're lucky the sun is coming, otherwise you'd all be dead! That half Humanoid pup will be my food source..and I'll destroy your bloodline.." Before Tanjiro could make another move, Jackyll's bell rang and he sped away in a blur.
Tanjiro looked over at his group. "Is everyone okay?" Gyutaro and Daki emerged from the trench with Strifles and the cat in their arms. Kokushibo stood up and dusted himself off.
Douma immediately went over to Inosuke once the dragon passed. "Inosuke! Are you alright?!" Inosuke looked up at him with blood dripping down his face. "You saved me..thank you." Douma smiled with relief and carefully hugged him. "I'm just thankful that you're alive!"
Douma had to pop the bones back into his arms before he could lift Inosuke up on his shoulders. He grunted in pain with every step that he took, but he made sure to pick up Inosuke's boar mask along the way. A plethora of different scents hit Tanjiro's nose as a herd of footsteps was audible.
All the Hashira-plus Akaza, Zenitsu, and Nezuko-ran to the scene of the battlefield. "What the hell happened here?!" Sanemi said with widened eyes. "This area has been incinerated!" Tanjiro turned to look at the Hashira. "There was a demon..a jaguar demon..one who abused his brother."
Gyutaro and Daki walked into the clearing, Strifles shivering in Daki's arms. "Oh my.." Mitsuri covered her mouth with shock and horror. "That poor pup.." Obanai squinted his eyes. "Even for a demon, that's low. Purely vile!" Gyutaro and Daki walked over to Tanjiro-who outstretched his arms-and handed Strifles over to him. He looked into the young pup's saddened eyes.
Tanjiro hugged the pup close to him. "I'm so sorry, Strifles..I'm so sorry." His voice cracked with sorrow and regret. "I didn't want to take your brother away from you." Nezuko and Zenitsu quickly hurried over to Tanjiro. "Brother, it's not your fault." Nezuko winced. "You just had to do what you needed to do to keep him safe." Zenitsu said in agreement.
The Hashira then examined the battlefield. Rengoku looked across the scorched landscape. "Young Kamado, did you do this?" Tanjiro only looked up at him. "He did.." Kokushibo spoke up. "He was..infuriated by the pup's abuse..and scorched the earth.." Rengoku nodded. "You have gotten immensely stronger, Young Kamado. There's no denying that."
Akaza walked over to Kokushibo with a curious expression. The six-eyed demon turned away in shame. "Don't look at me..this form.. is hideous.." Akaza only tilted his head in confusion. "Hideous? What do you mean hideous?" Kokushibo turned back towards him. "This form.."
Akaza raised an eyebrow and blushed slightly. "I don't think it's hideous." Kokushibo could feel his face turning red. "You..you don't think so..?" Akaza nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah! I actually think it's rather cool." Kokushibo covered his blushing face with a clawed hand. "I guess..if you like it..it must not be..all too bad.."
Everyone who was injured was quickly escorted to the Butterfly Estate. For most of the group, their wounds recovered quickly due to them being half-demons. However, Inosuke remained in the mansion for a while longer. Jackyll had broken four of his ribs and completely shattered his left femur.
However, the person who had received the most damage was Strifles. For a while, he refused to eat and couldn't hardly sleep without crying. Luckily, he had been converted by Tanjiro and many of the half-demons tried to help him, but nothing seemed to work.
Strifles was huddled inside his room, not making a sound when someone knocked on the door. "Hello?" Strifles mewed in a weak voice. "Are you Strifles?" A soft voice replied from the other side. "Yeah.." Strifles buried his head in his arms. The door slid open, revealing that the person who was behind the door was none other than Rui.
"Hello there." Rui gave him a kind smile. Strifles waved as his tail curled around his legs. "I just wanted to check up on you. I heard what happened to you and wanted to see if I can help you." Rui said as he sat down next to him."
"There's nothing you can do, but thank you." Strifles buried his head in his arms once more. Rui winced with sympathy for the poor pup. "I know it hurts, Strifles, but I promise you that you're better off without him." Strifles began to sniffle. "Why didn't he love me? I tried to make him happy, yet he still hated me." Tears streamed down his cheeks as Strifles burst into sobs.
Rui quickly wrapped his arms around the jaguar pup. "No, Strifles. It's not your fault. He was the scumbag that tortured you. You didn't do anything wrong." Strifles sobbed into Rui's kimono. "I just wanted him to love me! That's all!" Rui then nuzzled his tears away, fully indulging in his instincts. "Don't worry. You deserve love and I promise you'll be loved by many here."
Strifles looked up at him, tears dripping from his eyes. "Do you really mean that?" Rui only hugged him tighter. "Of course I do. I wouldn't lie to you." Strifles hugged Rui as well and slowly, yet surely, fell asleep.
The night was cool and dark as Kokushibo traversed through the land. For now he was finally aborigines deliver the wicker basket of goodies. The destination slowly came into view, making Kokushibo sigh in relief. He tenderly approached the steps to the Mist Estate and put the basket down in front of the sliding door.
"Tokito..Genya...I regret everything that..I've done to you..and to all the others..I hope..you take my offering." Kokushibo said in a low whisper. He then turned and started to walk away.
"Hey, six-eyes." A stern, cold voice called from behind Kokushibo. He turned around to see no one other than Sanemi Shinazugawa. "What the hell are you doing here?" He gritted his teeth. "I just came here..to deliver gifts.." Kokushibo said softly. Sanemi looked at the basket then turned back. "I don't trust anything you say.."
Kokushibo nodded. "I understand that..I've hurt you..deeply." Sanemi clenched his fists. "Look here, I'm not going to kill you because of Master's orders, but if you even come near my brother ever again, you will be gutted." Kokushibo sighed. "I've made..many mistake..I know this..I just wish to amend..the mistakes I can amend."
Sanemi narrowed his eyes. "If he forgives you, for some fucking reason, then I'll leave you be. If you try to attack him, I will skin you alive and feed you to the crows, got it?" Kokushibo nodded, regret creeping up on him. "Oh, and by the way, that ram demon is still at large. Do any of you have any clue of who he might be?"
Kokushibo shook his head. "His name is Jackyll..he's supposedly a different species than us..and he used to devour Strifles's flesh..That's all..but we're still looking into it." Sanemi huffed angrily. "You better. From what we know that ram is extremely dangerous." Kokushibo nodded. "He is...and he's truly..a mystery.."
Author's Note: Oh Lordie, this one was long! I'm also introducing two reoccurring OCs in this chapter! Strifles and the main antagonist, Jackyll! There's still two other OCs that will play a big role in this story!
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter Eleven:
Old Scars
Warnings: A panic attack and some angst
Word Count: 6260
Zenitsu walked through the halls of the Infinity Castle with a fast paced heart. His walking speed was rather quick and he tried to avoid even the sight of the Kizuki. Matsuemon flew above him, seemingly careless of the demons around him. "Run, Zenitsu!" He cawed. "Lord Tanjiro wants to speak with you!"
"I know that!" Zenitsu snapped. "I'm going as fast as I can! Without looking weird of course." Matsuemon laughed. "Then why are you taking the long way? It would've been much more efficient if you went through the main lobby! Caw!" Zenitsu shook his head. "You wouldn't want to be in there with all those hungry demons, would you?"
Matsuemon flew closer to Zenitsu's head. "They don't bite! Lord Tanjiro prohibits it!" Zenitsu sighed in annoyance. "Who knows if they're faking or not.." Matsuemon tilted his head. "It seems like you have some animosity towards them! Why is that?" Zenitsu looked down towards the ground.
There was a plethora of reasons why Zenitsu never told Tanjiro about Kaigaku. He knew that his ashes were floating around here somewhere, but he hoped that Tanjiro never found them. In all honesty, he had no idea if redemption was possible for the demons. He still remained supportive in spite of this, yet he still urged Tanjiro to be cautious. Nearly loosing him once tore Zenitsu's heart out and he didn't want to truly lose him.
Despite all the anger he had for Kaigaku and the demon species as a whole, he still longed for the connection he could've had with him. Zenitsu wanted to trust in Tanjiro's ability to persuade. There were so many conflicting feelings that created such confusing turmoil. If redemption was truly possible, then maybe..
"Caw! Giving me the silent treatment, huh?" Matsuemon cawed, snapping Zenitsu back into reality. "Whatever! I'm a crow, not a therapist! Caw!" Zenitsu only rolled his eyes at the crow's statement. He then skidded to a stop in front of a sliding door. "He's here. His gentle sound is here." He said with a soft, admiring voice.
Matsuemon laughed. "You sound like you're in love!" Zenitsu's face immediately turned as red as a tomato. "I'm not in love with him! You don't know what you're talking about!" The crow only made a "Mhm" sound and flew through the room as Zenitsu opened the door.
Tanjiro sat in the middle of his newfound office with Nezuko by his side. A small desk stood against the right wall while a rocking chair was sitting near the left. A small, open bookshelf was set up behind the two. Warm light radiated from two lanterns that hung from the side walls. A journal laid open in front of Tanjiro, who held a quill in his hand.
"Hey, Zenitsu." Tanjiro said with a bright smile. Zenitsu couldn't help but return it. "Hi, Tanjiro." He sat in front of the new Demon King. "Why did you call me here?" Matsuemon flew past him and sat atop Tanjiro's shoulder-receiving an annoyed look from Zenitsu. "Just to talk, really." Tanjiro sighed. "A lot has happened recently.."
Zenitsu nodded in agreement. "Are you okay?" He asked with a soft voice. Tanjiro's sound was off pace. The breakdown Tanjiro had after he killed Ran'yō seemed like it ripped open some old wounds. His sound reflected that. Strifles's situation just seemed to hit Tanjiro in an extremely sensitive spot. Zenitsu had an idea of why, but he didn't dare to bring up that old scar.
Despite this, Tanjiro replied with a warm smile. "I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me. I'm more worried about Inosuke and Strifles. Speaking of which, how is he doing?" Zenitsu huffed irritably. "Despite him having broken ribs, the stupid boar was running around when I visited the Butterfly Estate. Poor Aoi was chasing after him, saying that he absolutely refused to rest." Tanjiro chuckled lightly. "I'm glad to see that he's still being his rambunctious self." Zenitsu rolled his eyes. "I guess you could say that."
"Have you been able to learn anything about that ram?" Zenitsu asked, changing the subject. "Unfortunately, no. Nobody knows anything about him. Douma told me that this ram knew Muzan and he was supposedly as strong as Kokushibo. I'm not sure if that's exactly true though. Their Blood Demons Arts have been severed in half by becoming a half-demon. Still, that ram nearly killed Douma and Inosuke with ease."
A shiver crawled down Zenitsu's spine. This ram was clearly dangerous and the lack of information about him only made Jackyll that much more terrifying. "Hey, brother." Nezuko spoke up with a soft voice, turning Tanjiro's attention to her with a soft rumble. "I spoke with Strifles to try to help him and he did give me some information about Jackyll."
"Really?" Zenitsu asked, widening his eyes. "What did he say?" Nezuko held onto her brother's arm. "He told me that Jackyll sought them out because both he and his brother were half Humanoids. Strifles doesn't know exactly what that means, but he made it clear that they were rare. He also said that at the end of every month, Jackyll would give Ran'yō a dead jaguar for.." Nezuko put a hand over her mouth. "For Strifles's flesh."
Tanjiro winced from disgust and anger while Zenitsu closed his eyes and turned away with a furrowed brow. "That's just disgusting." The blonde said, gagging. "That poor kid is just a baby! Who knows what hell that ram put him through." Zenitsu's words cut into Tanjiro's heart like a knife. He gritted his teeth and growled. "We need to find out more about him..to stop him from causing anymore harm."
"But how?" Nezuko looked at him with worried eyes. "I even asked Mister Kokushibo if he knew anything, but he said that he had no clue." Tanjiro nodded. "Yes, but I do believe that there might be one other demon that might know." Nezuko's eyes widened and nodded. "Tamayo."
"Who's that?" Zenitsu asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's the one who created the medicine that helped us defeat Muzan and the medicine that attempted to turn demons into humans, alongside Miss Kocho of course." Tanjiro explained. "As of now, She's the oldest person alive. If anyone is going to know who these Humanoids are, it's her."
Zenitsu closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright, but I'm going with you." Tanjiro gave him a warm smile. "I wouldn't mind that at all." Zenitsu's heart fluttered when he saw Tanjiro's smile. "So umm.." He stuttered, face turning red. "I guess we should go, huh?" He grinned. Tanjiro nodded and both he and Nezuko stood up. "Yeah. Let's get Strifles. It would probably make more sense if we brought him with us."
Zenitsu nearly jumped to his feet and walked right next to Tanjiro. "Of course!" Nezuko giggled to herself as she watched the boys before following them. Matsuemon flew over to her and landed on her shoulder with a laugh.
Strifles sat in his room with his undead, Maine Coon cat, Nibbles, resting in his lap. His fluffy brown and black fur was well groomed by his owner. The bone of the cat's nose was exposed, but it didn't bother him much. "I'm glad you're still with me." Strifles hugged the large cat gently.
Strifles's ears twitched as he heard small, soft footsteps approaching. Rui peeked his head around the door. A book was gripped in his hand. "Mythical Monsters From Around the World" was inscribed onto the front cover. "Hey, Strifles." He said softly. "I have something for you." Strifles's tail flicked with curiosity. "You do?"
Rui nodded as he shifted the collar of his kimono, which seemed to look fine to Strifles. He walked in and sat on his knees in front of Strifles. He held the book out for Strifles to take. "I found this book while I was organizing the books in my room. The color coordination was an absolute mess!" Strifles lightly chuckled as he took the book. He flipped through the pages, looking at all the drawings of the various monsters. "Thank you."
Rui smiled as he shifted the collar of his kimono once again, catching Strifles attention. "Is there something wrong with your kimono?" Rui made an uncomfortable rumble. "I don't really know. It just never feels right." Strifles tilted his head. "It looks fine to me. Is it too tight?" Rui shook his head. "I'm not sure what it is. It's strange, really. I also feel the same way about my room. It never really feels clean, kinda like myself."
"But you look and smell great!" Strifles mewed as he curled his tail around his legs. Rui chuckled. "Thank you, but that doesn't really change how it feels." He stared off for a second. "Despite all that, I would like to show you something." Strifles's ears perked up. "Oh? What would that be?"
Rui then hummed before his body began to change. His skin changed from a white color to a normal, pale skin tone. His hair changed to a dark black and his eyes changed to a dark, navy blue. He held his arms close to his chest and shivered in disgust before looking up at Strifles. "Apparently half-demons have human disguises. I accidentally found this out while I was thinking about my past." His voice was soft and uncomfortable.
Nibbles meowed, sensing Rui's discomfort. Strifles sensed this too. "That seems cool, but is it hurting you?" Rui shook his head. "Then, what's wrong?" Strifles asked. "I hate how I feel. When I was human, I was severely sick. It still feels like I'm filthy, no matter how many times I take medicine or clean myself. I probably sound crazy." Rui shrugged as he turned back to normal.
Strifles's ears drooped with worry. "No. It's okay! I may not completely understand, but you're not crazy for thinking like that." Rui smiled softly. "It doesn't help that we've been going through major changes. Hardly anything is stable and in proper roles, except for the times that we eat." The young spider demon's breathing quickened slightly and lowered his head. "Sorry..I didn't mean just to dump that onto you."
"Don't worry." Strifles purred as he wrapped his arms around Rui. "That's how you feel and that's okay. Things will get better soon" Rui was taken aback by the gesture. Luckily, he was able to rest his arms around Strifles's back. He smiled and purred with gentle relief. "Heh..thank you."
Once they split off, Strifles looked at Rui with a wide grin. "How did you use your human disguise?" Rui scratched the back of his neck. "Just imagine how you looked as a human. That's really all you need to do." He smiled. Strifles closed his eyes and his tail flicked. He focused on a distant memory. It took place when his parents were still alive..when they were having dinner..when they weren't hunted.
Strifles's skin turned to a light tone and the black in his eyes turned to a normal white. Unlike Rui, he didn't feel any disgust or shame about his new, yet old, form. "So, how do I look?" Strifles grinned, raising his arms. Unfortunately, Rui's reaction was nothing like he expected. The spider demon had wide eyes and his hand nearly covered his mouth.
Strifles's arms dropped to the floor as a frown dropped on his face. "I'm guessing it must be bad." He sniffled. Rui shook his head rather quickly. "No. That's not it at all." Strifles raised an eyebrow. "Then, what's wrong?"
"Is your human form supposed to have the jaguar parts?" Rui asked with worry, clutching the front of his kimono. Strifles nodded slowly. "Yeah. Everyone in my family had them." Rui let go of his kimono as he sighed. "Sorry..I just assumed that they came with your demon transformation."
Strifles giggled as Nibbles mewed softly, "Don't say sorry! My mom told me that we weren't like other people. I didn't know why, but I guess I do now." He gave Rui an uncertain smile. "That's probably why we lived in the middle of the woods." Rui tilted his head with a guilty expression. "Oh..I don't mind that you look like that. It just took me by surprise is all." He smiled warmly. "It doesn't make me think any less of you."
Strifles's eager smile returned to his face as his tail flicked happily. "Really? Thank you!" The small pup giggled as he hugged his beloved cat, who seemed rather tranquil. Rui couldn't help but return the eagerness. He chuckled softly as he watched their pure joy, not minding to fix his kimono once more.
Then, a soft knock came from the door, causing them to turn their heads. "Hello? Strifles? Are you in there?" Tanjiro's soft, muffled voice called out to them from the other side. "Yeah! Come in!" Strifles mewed enthusiastically. Tanjiro gently slid open the door with Zenitsu and Nezuko behind him. "How are you feeling?" The Demon King asked with a soft voice as the trio walked into the room.
"Better. Mostly thanks to Rui." Strifles took Rui's hand, causing the spider demon's face to redden. "That's good to hear." Tanjiro said with a soft smile. He then tilted his head, noticing Strifles's new form. "Is that what you looked like as a human?" Nezuko asked. "Yup!" Strifles raised his arms. "Apparently, half-demons have human disguises!" Nibbles mewed as he jumped away to wreak havoc.
The trio looked at each other with curiosity. "How do you do that? That might actually be helpful for us whenever we go on missions." Zenitsu said as he looked at the Kamado siblings, who seemed to be just as intrigued. "Just imagine yourself as a human! That's basically it!" Strifles purred.
The Kamado siblings looked at each other, nodded, and did as the pup said. A memory of their frosty mountain flooded their minds. Nezuko smiled warmly at the memory, but Tanjiro seemed to be more distressed. He quietly winced as his smile faltered, something only Nezuko and Zenitsu noticed. With these memories in mind though, their eyes returned to their human-like appearance and their fangs and claws disappeared. Nezuko's ivy patterns and horn also receded back into her body. The only thing that didn't change were their heights.
Zenitsu watched this unfold with curiosity and a little worry. Tanjiro's wincing only reinforced the notion that something in him was causing him to suffer. When Tanjiro opened his eyes though, a flood of nostalgic memories hit Zenitsu. He was reminded of their first interaction, which he held now with great affection. Zenitsu's heart fluttered as the memories were filled with newfound appreciation.
The Demon King sniffed the air, seemingly caught off guard, and turned towards Zenitsu. His human eyes shimmered in the light of the lanterns. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. "There's a strong, warm scent coming from you." What he didn't tell him was that the scent was similar to the one that Zenitsu had when he first met Nezuko. "I'm fine." Zenitsu said with a smile. "I was just reminded of when we first met."
Tanjiro smiled sweetly and nodded. "Alright." Nezuko eyed Strifles jaguar attributes. "He can't retract them." Rui explained. "Strifles had them before he was a demon. His whole family did." Strifles nodded in agreement. "They do look cute though." Nezuko grinned, walking over to the pups. She scooped up Strifles in her arms. He purred and mewed in response, making her smile.
She went back to her brother and held out Strifles to him. The pup wiggled his body a bit with a goofy expression. Tanjiro couldn't help but chuckle as he took Strifles in his arms. The pup nestled into Tanjiro's side. "How are we going to hide his jaguar parts?" Zenitsu asked flatly. Tanjiro thought for a moment before pulling something out from his uniform pocket with his free hand. It was his blue scarf that he had for a few years. He wrapped his scarf around Strifles's neck and hid his Jaguar ears underneath it, making the scarf like a hood.
"There!" Tanjiro smiled confidently. "That should do for your head. Now for your paws and tail.." Tanjiro shuffled the pup in his arms. He took his haori off and wrapped the young pup in it. "Oo~" Strifles purred and sniffed the haori. "It's warm and it smells like pine!" Tanjiro chuckled as he cradled the pup in his arms. "I'm glad you like it."
Tanjiro then turned his attention to Rui. "I also heard Miss Kocho wants to see you." Rui widened his eyes. "She does? Why?" His voice trembled. "Don't worry." Nezuko said softly. "She just wants to do an evaluation. Just to see how you're doing." Rui's tension seemed to ease. "Okay.. I'll go see her. She is at the Butterfly Estate?" The trio nodded. "Yes, but Aoi will help you get there. She's at the front door." Tanjiro explained. Rui nodded as he fidgeted with his haori.
"It's okay." Nezuko gently took Rui's hand. "We'll lead you there." Rui smiled softly as he was led by Nezuko. They walked through the Infinity Castle with a steady pace. The group walked past many of the other half-demons, busily scurrying from one place to another. Eventually, they found themselves at the front door.
Just like Tanjiro said, Aoi was right there, leaning against the wall of the Infinity Castle. Once she saw them, Aoi stood up straight and went to them. "Is he ready?" She asked in a flat tone. Rui shivered in fear, looking up at her. "He is." Tanjiro said before turning to him. "It's okay, Rui. She's not going to hurt you." Aoi nodded. "He's right. You're going to be okay." She stretched her arm out for him. Rui gently took her hand and waved at the group. "Good luck on your mission!" He said.
"Good luck to you too!" Tanjiro called out as they waved, walking away. The twilight sky loomed above them as a chilly breeze rose in the air. "Winter must be coming." Zenitsu said to the others. "We better start stocking up soon, I guess it's a good thing we make good money." Tanjiro smiled as the others nodded.
The atmosphere of the city was still very overwhelming to Tanjiro, despite him being here once before. He huffed and rumbled like an uncomfortable animal. Zenitsu seemed to share the sentiment as he tried leaning his head against Tanjiro's chest. Nezuko and Strifles were unfazed, but tired. Yet, the group prevailed.
"Don't go into the alleyways." Tanjiro whispered, a shiver going down his spine. "Why not?" Zenitsu asked, absolutely oblivious. "You don't wanna know." The Demon King rumbled, gagging like a cat.
Tanjiro sniffed the air, catching the smooth floral scent that was just the right one he was looking for. "This way!" Tanjiro quickened his pace, hoping to get to Tamayo's as quick as possible. Nezuko was able to catch up with ease and Strifles was enjoying the ride. Zenitsu, though, had a hard time keeping up. "Wait for me! I've got little legs!"
"Lady Tamayo's mansion is hidden, so follow my lead." Tanjiro called out as they ran. He then took a swerve, heading into a wall. "Wait! You're gonna-" Zenitsu tried to call out. Instead of seeing him hit the wall, Tanjiro and Nezuko fazed right through it. "What the-?" Zenitsu skidded to a stop. "How are you able to do that?!"
Nezuko peeked her head through the wall. "It's just Mister Yushiro's Blood Demon Art." Zenitsu slowly nodded. "That's really the only way that it makes sense." With a deep breath, Zenitsu walked through the wall.
Zenitsu's jaw dropped when he saw the massive mansion before him. Tanjiro and Nezuko were already close to the front door. "How are they able able to hide this massive mansion?!" Zenitsu squeaked, raising his arms for emphasis. Nezuko turned around and deviously grinned. "Magic!"
Someone must've heard the commotion as light footsteps could be heard from the over side of the door. Yushiro slid the door open with a furrowed brow until he saw who it was. "Ah! Young Kamados! It's nice to see you again." He smiled, waving at them. His eyes then laid on Zenitsu. "Is that your friend?"
Tanjiro and Nezuko nodded as Zenitsu quickly walked to their side. "This is Zenitsu Agatsuma." Tanjiro introduced him. "He's a good friend of ours and fought hard against Muzan Kibutsuji." Yushiro nodded as he turned to Zenitsu. "Well it's nice to meet you, Young Agatsuma." Zenitsu waved shyly. "It's nice to meet you too."
Yushiro turned his attention back to Tanjiro. "I'm guessing you must've come to see Lady Tamayo?" Tanjiro nodded. "Yes..about this little pup." He leaned his arms forward, showing Yushiro the small, sleeping bundle that was Strifles. Yushiro widened his eyes before clearing his throat. "Oh..of course..right this way." He then turned around, heading straight into the mansion.
The group followed him. Yushiro's surprise when seeing Strifles created unease amongst them. Were they in over their heads? Was there much more that they were missing? Only this meeting could tell them. The group trailed nervously behind Yushiro as they made their way through the mansion.
Eventually, Yushiro led them to the same room that Tanjiro spoke with them on his last visit. Tamayo was sitting on her knees, patiently waiting for them. She hummed softly when she saw them. "Lord Kamado, welcome." Tamayo bowed to them. "There's no need to treat me like royalty." Tanjiro sweetly smiled as both he and his group sat in front of her. "You have seniority over we and you know much more than I do."
"Yes, but you are the new Demon King. I would much rather follow you than our last leader." Tamayo said with a calm smile. Tanjiro chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck. "Why, thank you." Tamayo cleared her throat, and the meeting began. "What exactly has troubled you?" She asked in a soft, motherly voice.
Tanjiro set Strifles down in between him and Tamayo. "This is Strifles." Tanjiro explained. "We rescued him from his abusive brother, but we decided to come here because..we think he might be apart of a new species." Tamayo raised an eyebrow, slowly unwrapping Strifles from his bundle. "What do you mean by that?" Nezuko spoke up. "He has jaguar parts like a tail and ears. We originally thought that it was just because he was a demon, but he apparently had them as a human. He was told us that a ram demon said that he was half humanoid."
Tamayo lightly gasped and stood still once she heard the word "humanoid." Strifles was completely unwrapped from Tanjiro's haori, his jaguar parts on full display. Tamayo put a hand to her mouth. "Humanoids?" She asked, slightly shaking. "Yes." Tanjiro said. "Do you know what they are?" Zenitsu clutched into Tanjiro's arm.
Tamayo nodded slowly. "I thought they went extinct..." The group widened their eyes. "Extinct?!" They all said simultaneously. Strifles shook his head, waking from the loud noise. "Yes, extinct." Tamayo said as she pet Strifles. "Muzan used to talk about them...about their version of demons anyway."
Everything felt so confusing, so they needed to take this one step at a time. "What is a humanoid?" Nezuko asked. "A humanoid is a hybrid of an animal and a human. It's basically if an animal was able to walk and talk and wear clothes." Strifles looked up at Tamayo and tilted his head. "This little pup here is only partially humanoid since he only has the ears, tail, and paws of one."
"I see." Tanjiro said with a pant. "What about the demons?" Zenitsu asked. "You said something about them having demons." Tamayo nodded. "Yes..they did have demons. Muzan Kibutsuji used to vent about them. Here's the basic information that I know."
"The humanoid demons were the original demons, existing long before Muzan and even me. They only feasted on humanoids and had the same weakness to the sun as full fledged demons did. Muzan hated them, saying that "they didn't care about their weakness, only about their desire to wreak havoc." I'm not sure why or how they created Muzan or even what they look like, but they are dangerous. Maybe even more so than the Kizuki. If one or more is still out there..may the gods save us all."
Zenitsu trembled as he held onto Tanjiro. Nezuko whimpered in fear. Tanjiro held onto both of them to comfort them. Even Yushiro looked extremely frightened, placing a hand over his face. "So..the ram was a humanoid demon?" Strifles whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "I don't know." Tamayo gently let the pup's head. "I thought they all went extinct. Did he have any kenji on his tongue?" Tanjiro gulped nervously. "He did..it said "Upper Beast One."
Tamayo closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "So he's at least on par with Kokushibo.." She looked up at them with a determined look. "Now knowing that the humanoids may still exist, We need to find where they are. I'm not exactly sure where they might be, but it's our only shot of knowing more. Find them and sent out parties to hunt this ram down."
Tanjiro nodded, holding both Zenitsu's and Nezuko's hands. "Understood. This may take a while since we don't know much about them. Do you know why they were thought to be extinct?" Tamayo shook her head. "That I don't know. You'll have to ask them."
Strifles hobbled up to Tamayo. "Do you think they'll be able to do it?" Tamayo smiled sweetly at the pup. "Oh, little one. You have nothing to fear." She petted him gently. "They're strong and they'll keep you safe."
"She's right." Tanjiro spoke softly. Strifles turned to face him. "We will defeat him and you'll never be hurt again. I promise." He said with a sweet smile. This seemed to reassure Strifles as he went over to Tanjiro and hugged him, which Tanjiro returned. "Thank you..big brother." This made Tanjiro smile softly as he hugged Strifles tightly. He looked like he was about to cry.
Despite this cute moment, Zenitsu was able to hear a tinge of pain from Tanjiro's heart. He looked at him worriedly, but didn't speak. "I only hope the best for you." Tamayo said. "This will be difficult, but I know you can do it." Tanjiro looked up at her. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
The walk home was dark and cold. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Strifles were able to turn back into their demon appearances once they left the city. Strifles returned to his position as a bundle during the walk. Tanjiro and Nezuko could only think about the new discovery, but Zenitsu could only think about Tanjiro's wellbeing.
They arrived at the Infinity Castle, shivering and tired. Tanjiro knocked on the door and was answered by a blushing Gyutaro. "What happened to you?" Zenitsu asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh nothing." Gyutaro tried to chuckle it off, but Daki peered over his shoulder. "Brother's got a-" Gyutaro put a hand over her mouth. "Shut up, Ume. We just met." Daki then grinned mischievously as she skipped away.
The group just looked confused. "What's going on?" Tanjiro asked. "Don't worry it's nothing important." Gyutaro shrugged his shoulders. "I do have something to tell you though. It's about Rui's evaluation." Strifles perked up from his bundle. "Is he alright?" Tanjiro asked. "Shinobu asked him several questions and had him do a few tasks. She diagnosed him with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD. I'm not quite sure what that is though."
Tanjiro only grew more worried. "What can we do for him?" Gyutaro crossed his arms. "She's still looking into it since it's a new thing. Shinobu did say though that we need to understand why he gets anxious and help him from there. That's the best we can do." Strifles looked up at Gyutaro. "Will he be okay?" Gyutaro smiled and scooped up Strifles in his hand. "He will and he'll lead a happy life." He unfolded Tanjiro's haori and scarf from Strifles and handed it back to him.
Tanjiro took the items and slowly put them on. "Thank you." Gyutaro looked Tanjiro up and down. "You look tired. Here, I can take this little one. You three need to go to bed." Tanjiro tilted his head. "Are you sure?" Gyutaro nodded as he held Strifles. "Yeah. Go on. Even kings need rest." The group smiled as they waved their friend goodbye. "Bye! Have a good night." Tanjiro called out as they walked away.
The Kamados decided to let Zenitsu stay at their place for the night. He was just too frightful of running into Jackyll if he walked to his place alone. Tanjiro set out one of their guest futons in the living room. "You really didn't have to do that." Zenitsu said. "I could've done it myself." Tanjiro shook his head as he finished. "It's alright. You're our guest."
Before Zenitsu could make a rebuttal, Tanjiro left the room and went into the kitchen. Instead, Nezuko walked in and headed over to the fireplace. She began to try to start a fire. Zenitsu sighed, thinking that this might be the perfect time to discuss his concerns. "I'm worried about Tanjiro." Zenitsu said softly so Tanjiro couldn't hear.
Nezuko turned her head to face Zenitsu. "I know that he overworks himself. I'm trying to get him to stop that as much as you are." Zenitsu shook his head. "It's not just that. He sounds like he's in pain. It only has gotten worse since the battle with Ran'yō." Nezuko made a sad "hmm" as she worked. "He's probably just upset after seeing how Ran'yō treated Strifles."
Zenitsu knew that he had to get to the heart of the issue. "How does he cope?" Nezuko turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean it." Zenitsu kept pushing. "He's been through a lot and I have yet to see him truly deal with the pain." He looked down at the ground. "He seems to just..occupy himself."
Nezuko looked back at the fireplace, not letting him know how she's feeling. "It's..fine.." Nezuko said softly. Zenitsu turned to her. "It's fine." Her voice has more conviction this time. "I try my best to help Tanjiro and I try to make sure that he's okay during the day." Zenitsu didn't really know if that truly answered his question. He did notice though that Nezuko was growing more distressed, so he decided not to push any further.
"Alright. Thank you." He said softly as he tucked himself in the futon. Nezuko shut off the lamps and headed out. "Good night." She whispered. "Good night." Zenitsu said as he rolled over in his blanket.
Zenitsu tossed and turned in his covers. A pained cry had filled his dreams and wouldn't leave him alone. It sounded like a wounded bear. One that was crying out for help. Zenitsu then bolted awake in a cold sweat. The noise wasn't just in his dreams. It was in the house.
With trembling hands, Zenitsu picked up his blade and stood up. "Where's Tanjiro and Nezuko?" He thought to himself. Luckily, there was no creaking as Zenitsu stepped. Yet it did not ease the atmosphere. Based on the volume of the sound, Zenitsu was able to pinpoint it in one of the bedrooms.
He tiptoed slowly through the dark house. The only light was the moonlight that poured in through the windows. Zenitsu gripped his sword tightly and he held his breath. "Tanjiro? Nezuko?" He whispered in a hushed voice. "Where are you?"
The painful howl only grew louder and louder as Zenitsu came closer. He could tell that the creature was in incredible pain, which made his heart ache. Eventually, Zenitsu arrived at the intersection between Tanjiro's bedroom and Nezuko's. Zenitsu widened his eyes when he realized where the sound was coming from..Tanjiro's bedroom.
He turned his head with a tremble. "Tanji?" Zenitsu choked, swallowing his fear. He couldn't hardly see anything inside the room. The limited light from the moon showed that there was no sign of a bear inside the room. However, the moon's rays shone down on Tanjiro, who was thrashing and squirming in his blankets. He was making the noises.
"Tanji!" Zenitsu immediately dropped the sword and ran to Tanjiro's bedside. Tanjiro's breathing was harsh and irregular as tears streamed down his face. He roared in pain as Zenitsu went to him. This horrific sight broke his heart and so Zenitsu tried his best to help. He gripped one of Tanjiro's hands and lightly squeezed it. "Tanji. Look at me. Look at me."
Tanjiro opened his eyes. His scarlet eyes shimmered with tears as he gazed upon Zenitsu. "It's okay, Tanjiro. I'm here. What's going on?" Tanjiro only made a pained mew. "Tanji?" Zenitsu raised an eyebrow, confused by the lack of a response. "He can't speak normally."
Zenitsu turned to see Nezuko with a worried expression. She's carrying a tray with tea and a soft blanket was slung over her shoulder. "What?" Zenitsu said softly. "He can't speak any human language when he's having a panic attack." She approached her brother and wrapped the blanket around him. He sobbed harshly as she did so.
Zenitsu moved closer to him, having a tight hold on his hand. "Breath, Tanjiro. It's okay. We're here." Tanjiro sniffed as he looked at his friend. He winced and whimpered with tears drenching his cheeks. "I know something was wrong..and I never did anything about it." Zenitsu said softly, guilt gripping at his heart. He looked at Nezuko. "How often does this happen?" Nezuko looked at the ground, ashamed. "Almost every night. He cries for them."
Zenitsu widened his eyes. "Almost every night?! Why did nobody tell me?" Both Nezuko and Tanjiro winced, looking away. "Brother told me not to tell anyone. He didn't want to worry anyone." Zenitsu turned back to Tanjiro. He cupped his hands under Tanjiro's chin. "Why, Tanji? I know that you had good intentions, but you're just hurting yourself."
Tanjiro mewed as he gently put his hand over Zenitsu's. "He says that he didn't want to worry you. You worry about so much already and he didn't want to stress anyone else out with his grief." Zenitsu sighed as he raised an eyebrow. "You can understand him?" Nezuko nodded. "The animal noises we make aren't just random noises. It's a language."
Zenitsu gripped the edges of Tanjiro's haori. "But what about you?! You deal with the most stress out of all of us! Not only have you been beaten and battered, but you're also dealing with the HUGE responsibility of being the Demon King!" He let go of his friend's haori. "I'm sorry..I'm so sorry, Tanjiro." Zenitsu's voice trembled. "All those nights I slept near you..all those days I've spent by your side. I never heard your cries until now..I'm a terrible friend." Tanjiro mewed as a rebuttal. "He said that you aren't a terrible friend. You help to ease the pain." Nezuko sounded like she was about to cry.
"Tanji..you need to take better care of yourself. You're in so much pain and you're too kind to let that continue." Tanjiro mewed and rumbled softly. "He says that doesn't want you to worry." Zenitsu shook his head. "You not taking care of yourself will worry us! We love you and we don't want to see you in pain." Zenitsu wrapped his arms around Tanjiro and he did the same. "This is what I've been telling you, brother. You care so much for others that you neglect to take care of yourself." Nezuko said as she petted his head.
Tanjiro made a guilty rumble as he slightly tightened his hold on Zenitsu. "Tanjiro please..take care of yourself..not just for you, but for the others around you." Zenitsu looked up at him. "You deserve to be happy, just like everyone else." Tanjiro nodded as he nuzzled Zenitsu's cheek, seemingly soothed. He cradled Zenitsu in his arms as he made a lighthearted mew. "I think you're going to be his teddy bear for tonight." Zenitsu blushed slightly and smiled. "I don't mind that."
A soft, delicate knock came from the front door. "I'll get it." Nezuko chirped as she got up. She walked with a quick pace through the dark house. Strangely when she opened the door, no one was there. Nezuko looked side to side, but found only a basket by her feet. In it was a small tray of rice crackers, a bottle of sweet honey, and a medium sized candle that smells like pine and frost.
Nezuko picked the basket up and examined it. "Who made this?" She asked before pulling out a note. It read, "This is for Lord Tanjiro. I know that the battle must've hurt him, so here are some items to help calm him down." Nezuko smiled sweetly. "Whoever you are, thank you so much!" She called out before going back inside.
In the trees, Daki sat watching her. Her yellow eyes gleaming in the moonlight. She sighed when she saw Nezuko bring the basket in. "Sleep well, young king. You deserve it." She said quietly. Daki then used her Obi sashes to sneak off into the night.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for taking a while. My mental health has been at its absolute worst, but I'll treat you all to another chapter this weekend. Thank you for your patience.
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter Thirteen:
The Island of The
Humanoids
Warnings: Some swearing and themes of discrimination
Word Count: 8050
The morning sun beamed down on a wide eyed Tanjiro as he, Nezuko, and Zenitsu made their water over to the Infinity Castle. The Demon King walked with a pep in his step, thinking about what he was going to serve his colleagues for breakfast. Zenitsu stood close to his side while filling his head with many wonderful, tasty options. Nezuko just stayed close, smiling with a wide grin as she watched the boys chatting.
"Do you think Tamagoyaki would be a good option? We have enough eggs and vegetables.. I hope." Tanjiro asked Zenitsu, placing a hand on his chin. "Hell yes!" Zenitsu raised his hands to his shoulders and balled them into fists. "Really anything you make is amazing, but eggs are a particular favorite of mine." Tanjiro blushed slightly. "Oh, thank you."
Nezuko watched them with a cheeky grin, glad that her brother had recovered from the night before. The ailments did a great job with soothing the poor Demon King. So, she wondered who sent the basket. Nezuko just assumed it had been a Hashira. Thus, she's now just skipping right behind, happily listening to their conversation.
The golden sun glistened against the grass, which the morning dew had settled themselves on. Frosty leaves shielded the trio from the warm sun. Zenitsu was technically hugging Tanjiro's side to keep warm. Both of the Kamado siblings not only grew up in the cold mountains, but also had fiery Blood Demon Arts. So, keeping themselves warm wasn't a problem.
The sight of the Infinity Castle served as a welcoming space to the three of them as it came into view. Tanjiro made a hushed chuffing sound as they hobbled up the steps. With a soft knock on the door from Tanjiro, Kokushibo opened it once more. "Ah...hello..Lord Tanjiro..."
Tanjiro greeted him with a wide, warm smile. "Hi, Mister Kokushibo!" Zenitsu peeked his head out from behind Tanjiro. "Are you the certified doorman now?" Both Tanjiro and Kokushibo replied with a hearty chuckle. "I guess...I could be..I have been answering it..for everyone.."
They stepped inside to see many of the half-demons walking from one place to another. Lanterns brought a warm atmosphere to the castle. Tanjiro smiled as he watched them go about their lives. "So...what's the plan...Lord Tanjiro..?" Kokushibo looked up at the young king. Tanjiro made a soft purr as he turned to Kokushibo."I wanna try something for breakfast. There's a long table my friends and I set up in the dining hall."
"So...you're having all of us...eat together..? Interesting..." Kokushibo said in a low voice, putting a hand to his chin. "Why yes!" Tanjiro's energy felt like warms rays of sunshine. "Eating together will help us develop a better connection with one another. This was actually Zenitsu's idea." Zenitsu blushed and covered his mouth with his hand when Tanjiro spoke those words.
Kokushibo tilted his head as he hummed a soft tune, closing his eyes. "That does sound like...an interesting idea...We demons rarely saw each other...so..this is a nice..change of pace." He opened his eyes again. "Alright..let's try it..." Tanjiro clapped his hands together. "That's great!" He then shifted his gaze to the other half-demons.
"Roar.." Kokushibo whispered. Tanjiro turned to him with a furrowed brow. "Roar? Why?" Kokushibo pointed to the others as they walked through the hallways. "I've relearned..the ancient demon language...Roaring helps to call..the others..just be careful...you need to make it seem friendly..otherwise it will seem like you're..threatening them."
Tanjiro focused his gaze on the others. He raised his head like a wolf howling at the moon and took a deep breath. Then, a soft, lofty bellow emitted from his belly and went through his jaws. It sounded and felt like a slowly moving waterfall that carried the sound through the forest. Zenitsu and Nezuko couldn't help but smile at the wonderful sound.
Just as Kokushibo predicted, this mighty bellow caught the attention of every single half-demon in the building. The Lowermoons, besides Enmu and Rui, jumped at the roar, but the Uppermoons gave him surprised looks. "Um..hello everyone!" Tanjiro's voice echoed through the now quiet Infinity Castle. "I'd like to announce something."
"Recently, my friends and I put in a long table in the dining room. We thought it would be a good idea for all of us to eat together. It would help us build a better sense of community and trust. I'll be working on today's breakfast and I hope you all make yourselves comfortable!" Tanjiro finished his small announcement with a smile. The half-demons looked at each other with uncertainty in their eyes, but shrugged their shoulders and started to make their way down to the dining hall.
Roughly forty-five minutes and many rolled up eggs later, all the Tamagoyaki had been prepared. Green onions, juicy, thin tomatoes, and sizzled, pink ham was nestled in the rolled up eggs. As a side, Tanjiro had made soft, white rice. Along with Zenitsu and Nezuko, Tanjiro shuffled six plates along his arms. They walked out to the dining room to see the half-demons struggling to figure out what to do.
"Woa-woah!" Zenitsu cried out, almost dropping the plates. "Easy there, young Agatsuma!" A familiar, booming voice said as the man put his arms underneath the plates. "Mister Rengoku?" Zenitsu said as he stared into Rengoku's wide eyes. "What are you doing here?" Rengoku gave a hearty chuckle. "I just wanted to see how everyone was doing! From the look of it, you all are doing a fantastic job!"
Zenitsu blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thanks, but all the credit goes to Tanjiro. He's been working hard to make sure everyone's happy. Just wish some of the other Hashira could see this.." Rengoku laughed, making Zenitsu raise a confused brow. "Who said I was alone?" Zenitsu looked past the Flame Hashira and grinned at the sight he saw.
Giyuu Tomioka was quietly conversing with Kokushibo while Shinobu was doing the same with Sekido and Aizetsu. Gyomei cradled both Strifles and Rui in his large arms with a loving smile on his face. Daki and Mitsuri were gossiping about what was happening as of late. Gyutaro was standing protectively over Muichiro, Genya, and Kanao as he growled at Tengen. The only two Hashira that weren't there, to no one's surprise, were Obanai and Sanemi.
"Wow..almost everyone is here." Zenitsu's voice was soft as he looked at everyone in awe. "We wanted to support young Kamado. It can't be easy carrying the weight of being the Demon King." Rengoku said as he crouched down. "Speaking of which, how is he? I heard from his sister that he had a rather hard night." Zenitsu nodded slowly. "Yeah...he had to sleep in for a bit to catch up, but he's better now."
Rengoku stood up once again. "That's good to hear!" He took some of the plates from Zenitsu. "Thanks." Zenitsu smiled at him. "Here, I can help you all." Nakime spoke softly, walking towards them with her biwa in hand. "I connected the plates and silverware with my Blood Demon Art to make meals easier. "
Everyone watched as Nakime struck her biwa and the dishes of food disappeared. Then, they reappeared in front of every spot where someone would sit. Silverware and drinks filled with warm tea soon joined the plates. Oohing and ahhing filled the room as they watched the magic. "Well done, Nakime!" Tanjiro cheerfully chuckled as he admired her work. He went over to her and patted her head. "You did a great job, thank you!"
Nakime covered her flustered face with her hand. She had no idea how to react. "Th-thank you, master." Tanjiro smiled at her. "No need to thank me. You did a great job." Everyone then took their seats. Some looked excited, others looked nervous. Tanjiro took his seat at the head of the table near the kitchen. Zenitsu and Nezuko sat on both sides of him. Inosuke climbed onto his seat and stood up next to Nezuko.
"Hahaha! Bet you weren't expecting me to recover so quickly!" Shinobu shot him a slitted eye stare. "You still need to rest, Inosuke. You can't strain your body." Begrudgingly, Inosuke quietly took his seat. "There you go." Shinobu huffed softly.
"Hey, psst! Kamado!" Tengen harshly whispered, standing closer to Tanjiro. Tanjiro turned to him with a confused expression. "Hm? What seems to be the matter, Mister Uzui?" Tengen's pupils moved from side to side in a sneaky manner. "Do you have any blood?" Tanjiro huffed and smirked. "You mean you want to be converted?" Tengen nodded sheepishly. "Look, I just really hope I can get my left hand and eye back. That's all I want."
Tanjiro rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Don't be ashamed about it. It's fine to want that." He reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a vial of his blood. Tanjiro then handed it to the Sound Hashira. With an eager smile, Tengen snatched the vial and chugged it down. He licked his lips as soon as he was done. "Why does your blood taste like honey?"
Sharp, glistening crystals started to coat Tengen's left arm. A translucent rainbow color reflected off of them. The crystals went down further and further until they reached his hand. Just like Tengen had hoped, the crystals started to form a brand new hand. At each joint, the crystals were disjointed to efficiently move and swivel around. His crystal claws were sharp and jagged.
The rainbow crystals didn't just stop there. Tengen watched his awe as sharp, pointy crystals formed around his neck, forming a permanent necklace. Then, his left eye healed as the crystals burrowed into it, thus making it useful again. Smaller crystals sprouted on his right shoulder and fingers. Finally, fangs sprouted from his canines.
"Hell yeah! Now that's flashy!" Tengen twisted his arm, side to side. Just admiring it. "My! My! You won the demon lottery on that one! Haha!" Rengoku laughed. "That's no shit." Gyutaro made a low growl. "Alright, Tengen. Time to eat." Shinobu gave him a sharp smile as he did as he was told.
A strange awkwardness was in the air as everyone started to eat. The aura was warm as some of the Hashira and Kizuki conversed. However, they only conversed amongst themselves. A scent of fear and nervousness hit Tanjiro's nose whenever a Kizuki member and a Hashira made eye contact. Fear was strongest among the Kizuki, while nervousness emitted from the Hashira.
Still, Tanjiro smiled to himself, knowing that some progress was made. His sound was slightly soothed as he watched everyone. Zenitsu scooted closer to him, placing his head on Tanjiro's side. "You did a great job, Tanjiro." Zenitsu said as he took a bite of his food. Tanjiro's face lit up with a soft blush. "Thank you, Zen."
Inosuke scooted, loudly, closer to Nezuko. "Is it just me or have those two gotten more buddy buddy?" He whispered in a harsh voice as he leaned into Nezuko's ear. She turned to him with a furrowed brow. "They've always been friends.." She said softly, yet being aware of their closeness. The Demon Princess knew that they became closer. She knew that the second Zenitsu stopped rushing after her every second he had.
"You know what I mean." Inosuke huffed, stuffing a piece of egg into his maw. "Do you really think they love each other?" Nezuko said, staring at her brother, who was having a cheery conversation with Zenitsu. "Is that what you thought I meant?" Inosuke asked, tilting his head. "I thought Monitsu was becoming his minion!" Nezuko could help but chuckle. "Maybe! He is the Demon King after all."
Soon enough, the meal had come to a close. Everyone proved themselves to be self sufficient as they carried their dishes to the kitchen and washed them themselves. Tanjiro, of course, knew that he would have to break the ice and reveal his plans soon. So with a soft roar, all the half-demons, both Hashira and Moon, diverted their attention over to him.
Tanjiro subtly cleared his throat before speaking. "I know all of us are anxious to investigate the truth about Jackyll and, luckily, some news has come up. Turns out he belongs to an ancient species of demon that existed long before Muzan did. Lady Tamayo told me that they are known as the Humanoid Demons."
Everyone looked at each other. Some confused, others scared. Even Kokushibo, the eldest demon, showed nothing but confusion in all six of his eyes. "Is he the only one that exists at this point in time?" Rengoku spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have no clue. It was believed that they went extinct due to a lack of food and slayers. So who knows how many are still out there." Tanjiro said with a sigh.
"Food?" Kokushibo questioned. "What exactly do these creatures eat?" Tanjiro gulped nervously. "That's my main point. They fed off of the humanoid species, which are basically animal-human hybrids." Even more confusion filled the air as the half-demons started to chatter amongst themselves. "Ohh! That must be what I am!" Everyone could hear Strifles say.
"So, we're guessing you might want to try to find them." Tengen's voice cut through the chatter like a knife. Ceasing it immediately. "Do you know where they might be?" Tanjiro shook his head. "That's the difficult part. We have barely any information to go off of! I don't even know where to start looking."
Everyone looked at each other, not really sure on what to do either. "I might have an idea." Gyutaro spoke up. All the half-demons turned their attention to him, making him sweat nervously. "Someone showed me a system of tunnels. Other than being gorgeous eye-candy, the tunnels also lead to different areas of Japan. My friend even told me that it connects to a remote island with "strange creatures" on it."
Rengoku turned to look at Tanjiro. "I believe we have a lead!" The Demon King grinned eagerly, looking out across the table of half-demons. Anxious, yet excited expressions swept over them. Some were more excited than others, but the general consensus was positive. With a determined look, Tanjiro called out, "Then let's find the Humanoids!"
"Genya...why the hell did you decide to drag me along on this trip?" Sanemi groaned as he trailed behind the group. Genya, with a tired expression, sighed as he stood next to him. "It's just a mission, Nemi. I'm not just going to leave you out of everything." Obanai hissed irritably as he had also been persuaded to come. Tail tucked around his legs, Obanai stuck close to Mitsuri's side.
Everyone followed behind Gyutaro as he followed the trail to the caverns. Soft chatter rose from the half-demons. The confusion settled in as anticipation built up within them. Gyutaro led the group on all fours. Tanjiro sped up his pace to walk beside him, seemingly curious about something. "Gyutaro, mind if I ask you something?"
Gyutaro looked up at him. "Sure. I don't see why not." Tanjiro looked down at the prints Gyutaro was leaving on the ground. "I haven't seen you walk on all fours before. Is there a reason why? I'm not judging, it just looks like it would be uncomfortable." Gyutaro chuckled softly. "It's not as uncomfortable as it looks. In fact, this is actually more comfortable for my bent back. I do have to pop and mold my shoulder joints to do it though."
"Oh! That actually sounds pretty interesting. Can all half-demons do it?" Tanjiro asked, tilting his head. Gyutaro shrugged. "I'd assume so. I don't see why I would be any different from the rest of y'all." He then stopped dead in his tracks. Tanjiro looked up to see what Gyutaro saw. There, they both were staring into a gaping hole that borrowed into the side of a mountain. "We're here." Gyutaro said softly.
The herd of half-demons followed their gaze, right into the gaping cavern. "W-we're going in there?" Strifles shuddered in Kokushibo's arms. Tanjiro turns to face the pack. "It's alright everyone." Tanjiro raised his arms in a reassuring manner. "Let's just take this head on."
The Demon King turned back towards the dark hole, took a deep breath, and walked in. Dozens of footsteps echoed as the pack traversed into the tunnels. "How are we supposed to find any gateways in this darkness?" Enmu hissed trying to feel his way around. Douma quickly took his hand to his Enmu's worries.
"Hang on. You'll see something rather fantastical." Gyutaro grinned, knowing the beautiful surprise that would be coming into view. Glistening light nearly blinded some of the half-demons. Kyogai made a sharp yelp as he raised his claws to protect his eyes. Strifles and Rui nestled their faces into Kokushibo's chest.
The glisten softened as their eyes adjusted. Thus, making everyone realize that they were surrounded by rows and rows of multicolored crystals! "Haha! This is amazing!" Tengen laughed as he spun around, trying to get a full circle of the wall jewels. "Beautiful...how did you discover this?" Akaza asked as he was examining a large red crystal beside him.
"Like I said, a friend of mine introduced me to this." Gyutaro picked up a small piece of a green crystal that fell from the ceiling. "Wait, Gyu...You have friends?" Douma raised his head above the crowd. With a sharp swing of his head, Gyutaro slitted his eyes at Douma and made an irritated snarl.
Urogi flew up to the ceiling of the caverns, squeaking and chirping all the way. Karaku also ran off. Heading right to a large blue gem in front of Tanjiro. "Don't touch those, you dumbass!" Sekido growled. "You don't know if they're dangerous!" Despite Sekido's efforts, Karaku firmly grasped the crystal...and nothing happened. "See?" Karaku turned with a cheeky grin. "They aren't toxic!" Sekido only huffed in defeat and stood close to Aizetsu.
A quick glance around the caverns revealed that there were many avenues the pack could take. "There's so many.." Muichiro spoke in awe. "If we pick the wrong one, we're sure to get lost." He huddled closer to Genya, who wrapped his arm around him and Kanao. "I agree!" Rengoku's voice boomed as he stepped forward. "Therefore, we need to be careful! Our biggest lead is that these Humanoids might be on a remote island!"
"But what kind of pathway would lead us there? We're in a small mountain." Giyuu spoke calmly. "Well, then the pathway won't be one that's normal!" Rengoku laughed. Listening to Rengoku's words, Tanjiro put a hand up to his chin. "He's right. It wouldn't be normal." He spoke softly. Tanjiro sniffed the air in hopes of finding any sort of clue. Then, like an ancient treasure buried under tons of sand, the clue that they needed was subtle, but there. He could pick up a soft scent of saltwater and sand. "Maybe..the pathway is underneath the ground."
"So, you mean that the pathway that we're looking for is buried downwards?" Shinobu asked. "That would make the most sense. That was probably how the Humanoids arrived at the island without any humans noticing." Rengoku nodded. "Exactly! So let's start looking!"
While searching for the correct tunnel, the pack noticed that all the tunnels were either on their level or above them. This made them more excited since that would mean that the pathway that they were looking for would be easier to find than they thought. "Remember everyone, stick together! We don't want anyone to get lost." Tanjiro called out.
"Okay!" Urogi chirped happily. The hawk demon looked around him, mesmerized by the glistening sight of the crystals. Rainbow lights shone through a small tunnel, catching his attention. The hole was small, so small that normal people would have to crawl through. The rainbow lights illuminated the small stalactites and stalagmites in the tunnel.
"Ooh~!" Without another thought, Urogi dropped onto his belly and crawled through the hole. Smooth rock slid underneath him as he crawled through the snug tunnel. Small colorful crystals glowed all around him. Up ahead, Urogi could see that the tunnel expanded . He squeaked with excitement as he quickened his pace. He peeked his face through the hole, looking around him. Rainbow jewels shimmered and glowed, giving life to the dead rock. Thinking he heard something strange, he inclined his head forward to get a good listen. Soft, flowing water and whales echoed through the tunnel. He had found it.
Urogi squeaked as he clumsily pushed himself forward, falling down on the steep slope that descended into the tunnel. "Guys! GUYS! I've found it! I've found the tunnel!" He turned around and squawked into the small hole.
Zenitsu stopped his pace, straining his neck to listen to whatever he had just heard. Tanjiro stopped right beside him. "Zenitsu? Are you alright?" He crouched down to his level. "I thought I heard someone say they found the tunnel." Tanjiro's eyes widened. "You did?" Zenitsu nodded. Tengen walked towards them. "Yeah, he's not the only one. I heard it too."
Tanjiro nodded, sniffing the air to look for any outlying scent. A scent of wild feathers strayed from the pack. "Urogi found it!" He started to run, following the scent. "Follow me! Over here!" He called out to the pack of half-demons. They all ran after him, vast intrigue and excitement was shared amongst them.
The scent led him directly to the small hole. "Jeez." Obanai groaned. "He must've had to crawl to get in there" Tanjiro crouched down and peered inside. "Urogi? Are you in there?" Soft chirping sounds echoed through the rock. "Tanjiro! I've found the tunnel!" Tanjiro grinned proudly. "Great job, Urogi!" The hawk demon could feel his wings shake in happiness.
Tanjiro turned back towards the group. "We're gonna have to crawl through this." Strifles leaped out of Kokushibo's arms with a giddy grin and landed on all fours. He then started to run right into the tunnel. Rui only clung onto Kokushibo. "It looks filthy." Urogi caught Strifles, who giggled and climbed up upon his shoulders.
Daki walks up to Kokushibo and Rui, Obi sashes flowing majestically behind her. "I could wrap you up in one of my Obi sashes. Would that help?" Rui shyly nodded. Kokushibo held the tiny pup out in front of him so Daki could do her work. Her sashes slowly wrapped around Rui's tiny body. The sashes were incredibly gentle and they cradled him like a blanket that had been tucked around someone. "Thank you." Rui said with a shy smile.
"No problem." Daki grinned. Akaza walked around them and placed his hand on the cave wall. "Let's let the pups and women go first." Tanjiro and Gyutaro nodded. "Agreed." Daki slowly approached the cave entrance. She stuck the little bundle that was Rui in front of her before crawling in herself. Gyutaro gently ushered Muichiro, Genya, and Kanao towards the entrance. Genya quickly growled at the Uppermoon, making him roll his eyes. "It's alright, little one. Gyutaro sighed. "You're pups. You're next in line."
Genya huffed, standing protectively behind Muichiro and Kanao as they all climbed inside of the tunnel. One by one the half-demons climbed inside the mysterious hole. Eventually, Kokushibo met Akaza at the entrance. No one else stood behind the six-eyed demon. "That was...rather chivalrous of you..Akaza." He spoke softly. Light blush brightened his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks..I may be a demon, but I do have standards." Kokushibo nodded as he crouched down by the entrance. "You did..great." As Kokushibo climbed inside, Akaza covered his face with his hands to hide the growing blush. With all that done, Akaza then crawled in himself.
Akaza yelped as he nearly fell as he climbed out of the other end. The only reason why he didn't was because Kokushibo managed to catch him. "Are..you alright?" With wide, flustered eyes, Akaza slowly nodded. Kokushibo seemed to get flustered as well as he carefully set Akaza down.
Tanjiro stared down into the long, downward carven. "Wow...they must've really wanted to avoid humans." He said quietly to himself. Nezuko stood close to his side. "Do you think we should run through it? Who knows how long it is." Tanjiro chuckled. "We could try that." He looked back at the rest of the group. "But not everyone can run that fast." Nezuko nodded. "Yeah..you're right."
The Demon King scanned the pack, looking at Gyutaro, who was on all fours again. Then, he got an idea. Strifles hobbled over to Tanjiro with a wide grin on his face. Zenitsu looked at Tanjiro with a puzzled expression, wondering what he was going to do. His face turned to a horrified expression as he heard Tanjiro's shoulder joints pop. The Demon King's shoulders and forearms looked bigger now than they were before and placed his hands on the ground.
"What are you doing, Tanjiro?" Zenitsu shivered uncomfortably. "I'm going to carry you!" He grinned as he picked up Strifles by the scruff of his neck with his jaws. He looked like a mama cat. Strifles giggled as he reached up and booped Tanjiro's nose. Zenitsu sighed, knowing what Tanjiro wants him to do, and both he and Nezuko climbed on Tanjiro's back. "Hey, everyone!" Zenitsu yelled at the pack, diverting their attention. "Follow his lead!" With that, Tanjiro jumped off and ran on all fours into the deep, dark tunnel.
Tanjiro ran with incredible ferocity as they went through the beautiful tunnel. He didn't realize just how flexible his bones and muscles were. They quickly adjusted to his four legged structure and made it comfortable for him to travel. It also made it so that Zenitsu and Nezuko wouldn't have a bumpy ride. Zenitsu looked behind him to see that quite a few half-demons followed Tanjiro's example. Rengoku carried a very red-faced Giyuu on his back. Akaza surprisingly did the same with little Rui. Gyutaro, of course, carried Daki in his usual fashion. Even Genya took after the trend, carrying both Muichiro and Kanao. He did have a guilty look on his face however. It was then that Zenitsu noticed that Sanemi was trailing behind everyone else.
"Jeez." Zenitsu said with a sigh. "Shinagawa is incredibly stubborn." Nezuko followed his gaze and slowly nodded. "Poor guy looks exhausted. I wonder why he didn't hitch a ride on his brother." Zenitsu shrugged. "He probably hasn't even talked with him yet." Nezuko nodded somberly. "That sounds about accurate."
"Zen! Nezi! Look!" Strifles squealed excitedly as he pointed up at the ceiling. Light filled the room as Zenitsu and Nezuko turned to get a view of their surroundings. Gone were the rocks and rubble and now the ceiling was made with translucent crystal. Oceanic waters flowed above them and various marine creatures swam above them.
"Woah.." Zenitsu's jaw dropped, gazing upon the sight. He could hear many of the others gasp and chatter about the marine life above them. A whale shark swam above them, giving everyone a clear view of its glistening spots. "I don't think any of us have been this close to these majestic beasts." Shinobu smiled as she watched the creature.
Tanjiro gazed up at the ceiling, still carrying Strifles in his jaws. A small smile formed on his face. Soft sands molded around his clawed hands every time he put them on the ground. He was able to enjoy the ride.
A few minutes passed by when a dark, rocky cavern came into view. "We're almost there, everyone!" Zenitsu yelled, earning cheers from the exhausted half-demons. Tanjiro sunk his claws into the soft rock as he began to climb up the cavern's slope. Strifles giggled as he swayed. Tanjiro's eyes widened as he finally saw what he had been hoping for, sunlight. They had finally made it! Tanjiro practically leapt out of the cave's exit. Finding himself in a lush and beautiful forest.
The Demon King steadily walked so the others could come out. He sent Strifles down on the ground. "Hehehe! That was fun! Can we do that again?" Tanjiro smiled at him, feeling Zenitsu and Nezuko slide off of his back. He stood up and popped his shoulder bones back into place, making Zenitsu shudder.
The half-demons came pouring in and let their passengers off their backs. They examined their new environment. Strange creatures crawled and buzzed around. Bees had multi-colored stripes and were slightly larger than normal. Odd little lizards climbed up and down on the trees. Tiny wings were stretched out on their backs and their thin black stripes made them look like tiger-lizards. Even the birds were unique as their large darkly colored bodies sustained four large, looming wings and a head with razor sharp beaks and small spines that ran down their backs.
"This whole place is a different ecosystem." Shinobu spoke as she admired a large bee that landed on her finger. Zenitsu didn't care about the beautiful creatures. He only winced in fear. "I hear a large monster.." He trembled fearfully. "It's okay, Zen. Just stick by me, okay? You too, Nezuko." Tanjiro said in a kind, warm voice.
Tanjiro then made a sharp calling noise, drawing everyone's attention. "We must proceed, but don't stray from each other. I'll let you know if I get any funny scents." Everyone in the pack nodded and huddled together as they proceeded forward. Little did they know, a pair of hawk eyes had been watching them before scampering off into the woods.
The half-demons continued their way through the colorful forest. Little rodents with pear-shaped bodies and long spring-like legs jumped and ran about. Their long tails grazed the grass as they nibbled at various nuts and berries. Shinobu kept her eye out for all the little strange creatures.
Kokushibo looked over at Muichiro and Genya. A heavy weight tugged at his heart as he watched them. He tried to edge his way closer to them in the crowd. Muichiro seemed to notice this though and he huddled closer to Genya. A small wince escaped Kokushibo's lips. He felt something rip at his chest. Yet he knew all he could do was to look away and leave them be, no matter how much he wanted to get closer to them.
Tanjiro kept on sniffing the air, making sure to be completely aware of his surroundings. Everything was strange to him. All these new creatures and plants made it incredibly difficult to sense if any threat was nearby. Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke rained close to the king to feel safe. Pretty much everyone huddled together to keep each other safe with the most protective on the outside.
Then, a rotten, angry scent filled the air. Tanjiro quickly raised his hand to signal for everyone to stop. He sniffed the air again, widening his eyes as he realized that there were more than one. "There are others here.." Tanjiro whispered. Tengen put a hand behind his ear to listen. His eyes widened in fright. "There are five here."
A long, sharp spear quickly landed right in front of Tanjiro, causing him to yelp. Another one was heading towards Daki, but Gyutaro managed to slice it in half and roared angrily. Arrows were fired at them as well. One went straight through Akaza's arm as he tried to defend Kokushibo. Others were sliced and diced by claws and swords. Lastly, a large, silver harpoon was launched right at Nezuko. However, Tanjiro caught it when it was only an inch from her face.
Tanjiro gritted his teeth and snarled as he turned towards the trees. "So..you humans have finally found us, huh?" A sharp, stone-cold voice echoed around them. "What gives you the right to trespass on our land?" Finally, the perpetrator and leader revealed himself.
A hawk-like man with light brown feathers and a mohawk made with dark brown feathers walked out of the bushes. He wore a haori and pants that were completely black. His bare, feathered chest was layered with white and dark brown feathers. The only article of clothing that had color was a white and blue Tallit that he wore around his neck. The hawk's golden eyes were filled with hatred as he held a homemade wooden spear in his right hand.
"We mean no harm." Tanjiro eyes the hawk down as he threw the harpoon onto the ground. The hawk darkly chuckled. "They all say that. Get 'em, boys!" The other attackers jumped out of the trees. One was a gritty gator wearing a white ripped shirt and denim who was holding another steel harpoon. Another was a Gila Monster who wore a similar outfit as the top heavy gator, except his shirt was black. The Gila was much thinner than the gator, thus it made sense that he wielded the bow and arrows.
Lastly, there was a large, muscular gray wolf who wore a dark gray, Demon Slayer uniform with a white haori wrapped around his waist. He carried two large, serrated swords that looked similar to Tengen's. Strangely, the wolf also wore prayer beads around his wrists and neck. The weirdest feature was the mask he wore on his face. It was rigid and had thick outlines that emphasized all the accents on it.
"Well this is a friendly greeting." Douma joked. The gator pointed his harpoon at him. "Don't get comfy, Rainbow Eyes!" He snarled. "We ain't lettin' you humans put us in the dirt!" Tanjiro squinted his eyes. "We aren't here to hurt you. We just want to ask you something."
The hawk lowered his intimidating eyes upon them. "You have no business with us. You have no right to be here." Tengen looked around at the different Humanoids. "Wait, where's the fifth one?" The Gila pointed his bow at him. "None of your damn business!" The hawk looked up at the wolf, who had his swords at the ready.
"Timber." The hawk's tone was soft towards the wolf. "You need to return to the village. You're retired for a reason." The wolf only huffed and stood his ground. The hawk turned his gaze back to the pack. "Very well. You can join us in the slaughter then." Tanjiro put his hand on his sword, snarling. The hawk picked up the wooden spear, ready to attack.
"Woah! Woah! Woah!" A mystical, sharp female's voice called out from the trees. Dark blue eyes could be seen with the darkness of the trees. "Aka, do you realize what they are?!" A panther humanoid wearing a black demon slayer uniform and a black haori with purple and blue flames on the bottom and wrist cuffs walked out into the clearing. She had a shorter,purple fur mohawk and light grey around her muzzle. The panther wore purple, shiny gauntlets with red blades on the paw fingers. Her tail was sleek and long with a blue tuff which resembled a flame on the end.
"Lady Aqua." Aka bowed respectfully towards her. The other Humanoids did the same. "They are mere pests. We can get rid of them easily." Aqua shook her head. "They're fucking demons! Not just normal humans." Timber nodded, knowing the truth all along.
"Damn it!" Aka stomped his taloned feet. "That means only you can kill them." Tanjiro huffed irritably, having enough of this. "We aren't here to hurt you!" He roared, causing everyone to jump. Aqua approached him and pointed a sharp claw in his face. "Look, we have kept our family safe for generations by avoiding your kind. We can't let you hurt us." Tanjiro nodded. "I understand that, but I truly mean it! We need help with a ram demon."
Aqua immediately dropped her bladed claw and widened her eyes. "A ram demon? Does he have black fur, golden eyes, and a bell around his neck?" Tanjiro nodded, feeling a bit of relief. Aqua clenched her fist. "Damn it..how the hell did you encounter him?"
Strifles climbed on top of Kokushibo, seemingly startling the Humanoids. "A halfling.." The Gila pointed. Something seemed to click within Aqua's brain. She turned her gaze from Strifles back to Tanjiro. "Of course he would sink that low." She said to herself, already knowing what he did to the poor pup.
"Are you sure you really mean no harm?" Aqua said with a skeptical eye." "Yes. All we want to know is about the demons. That is all." The panther sniffed Tanjiro and made a soft huff. "Your scents are trustworthy..Fine, I'll bring you to our queen."
The other Humanoids looked at her with shock. All except for Timber. "But Lady Aqua!" The Gila roared in protest. "It's alright, Rodan. They're scents are trustworthy." Aka shook his head in a frustrated manner. "You can't just lead humans into the village! They'll report to the government!" Rengoku walked forward. "Actually, us half-demons aren't affiliated with the government."
The gator pointed his spear at him. "Shut it, Firecracker!" Aqua firmly gripped his wrist. "Relax, Supaiku." Supaiku relaxed out of fear and nodded. "Okay..okay.." he sent his spear back down to his side once she let go. Aqua stood in front of the pack and made a beckoning hand gesture. "Follow me."
Tanjiro wrapped his arms around Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke as they pressed on. The pack followed Aqua through the woods. Timber walked beside the panther while the other stood around the pack to keep an eye on them, especially Aka. After a few seconds, Aqua had led them right into the Humanoid village.
There were various species of Humanoids that resided in the village. Lizards, birds, mammals, and even some prehistoric animals roamed around. Their features were more cutesy than realistic, which was probably a good thing for the lizards and birds. When they saw the pack travel through the village, panic filled their hearts. Mothers shielded their children and they all hid within the various buildings.
The village itself looked like a traditional Japanese village, but there was something strange about it. Instead of wood, most of the houses were made of stone and a strange slab-like material. The streetlights were made with steel and their heads weren't lit with a lantern. Instead, there seemed to be round bulbs inside a shell of glass. "They must be farther in technical development." Shinobu scrutinized a nearby streetlight.
"We've put a lot of effort into advancing our society." Aqua spoke flatly. "This island has a lot of valuable minerals and resources." Her soft paws padded the ground as she walked. Up ahead, Tanjiro could see a small mansion. The building also had a stone base with a black roof. A black flag was hung from the roof that was positioned right above the sliding door. Only a singular paw print and two crossed swords were printed on the flag.
"This is our queen's mansion." Aqua spoke softly as she stopped in front of the stone steps. She turned to look at them with her piercing blue eyes. "Wait right here." She then focused her gaze on Aka. "Don't you try anything." Aka lowered his head before Aqua climbed the steps and knocked lightly on the door.
"Queen Hachi?" Aqua spoke in a soft and gentle tone. The door cracked open, but no one other than Aqua could see anything. "What's wrong, little one?" An elderly, female voice spoke back to her. "We have...guests." Aqua whispered. "We do?" The voice questioned before the person completely opened the door. A bee Humanoid with soft, black and yellow fur and four black arms gazed upon them with wide, purple eyes. Crisp wings laid flatly on her back and a purple kimono with red accents around the wrist cuffs, neck, and spine finely fitted her. Black, comfortable pants covered her stubby, fluffy legs. She was rather adorable for a bee.
"Humans?" Unlike the others, Queen Hachi didn't seem to hold any animosity towards the pack. "They're not humans, Queen Hachi." Aqua spoke, turning to the pack. "That's right. We're half-demons." Tanjiro said as he bowed towards the queen. Queen Hachi took a few steps forward. "My my..what brings you beautiful creatures here? You must be good if Aqua brought you to me."
Tanjiro stood up straight with a slight smile. "Right! We wish to know more about your demons. We recently had a run in with a ram demon and he needs to be defeated." Queen Hachi nodded, understanding their predicament. "Good thing we can come to an agreement on that." She chuckled softly. "Of course we can give you information about them." She turned to face Aqua. "Do you trust them?"
Surprisingly, the panther nodded. "Their scents are overall very sweet. Especially from the pup with the checkered haori. I believe he's their leader." Queen Hachi diverted her attention back to the pack. She walked feebly down the steps, with Aqua's help, and hobbled over to Tanjiro. "Is that true, young man?" Tanjiro nodded, a little nervous. "Yes, I am their king. I'm Tanjiro Kamado." Queen Hachi smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Hehe, you already know who I am."
"With all due respect, Queen Hachi, don't you think that having them here is a huge risk to our society?" Aka burst in, seemingly frustrated. "I understand your worries, Aka, but Aqua's nose never lies. Besides, we can't continue the prejudice." Queen Hachi raised her hand. Tanjiro tilted his head. "Prejudice?" Queen Hachi looked rather nervous as her eyes darted around and squeezed her palm. "Eh...it's rather complicated. Would you mind following me inside? Just you and me?"
Tanjiro nodded with a soft smile. "From one royalty to another. That's completely fine by me." Aka's eyes widened. "But Queen Hachi..!" Aqua's eyes then buried into the hawk. "Hush. He actually has the best scent out of all of them. She's safe around him." Aka crossed his arms and huffed irritably. Queen Hachi then turned back towards her house and made a gesture with her head for Tanjiro to follow her.
The Demon King did so, gently helping the elderly bee up the stone stairs. The two walked inside the house with Aqua shutting the door behind them. "Thank you for joining me. I apologize if my people gave you a hard time." Queen Hachi spoke softly as she sat down on the floor. Lanterns emitted a warm, orange light all around the house. A small table firmly stood to the left of the room and two bookshelves lined the walls beside the door.
"It's alright." Tanjiro stood his seat in front of her. "They did seem very hostile towards us. We didn't mean to cause a stir." Queen Hachi tilted her head with a sympathetic expression on her face. "It's not your fault, young one. You need our help and you don't know what happened to our kind in the past."
The tension finally eased from Tanjiro when she said that. "Thank you. Mind if I ask, why are the Humanoids so cautious around humans?" Queen Hachi looked up at him with focused eyes. "They were the reason why we nearly went extinct."
"Thousands of years ago, Japan was dealing with extreme food shortages. We Humanoids and humans used to live together, but the famine and hunger caused both species incredible suffering. However, the human government grew paranoid of us. They worried that our animal appearances would affect our behavior. So, they spread lies and misinformation about us. At first, it was subtle. Jobs refused to take our ancestors and people refused to trade. Then, they grew violent. We did too, but only to protect ourselves and to survive the famine. That only made things worse though as the government gave them clearance to hunt and kill us like we were actual animals. It didn't help that we were also trying to fend off demons that would attack at night. In the end, the humans greatly outnumbered us and we had to flee. Our ancestors found the hole in the caverns and led us here to safety. Some still remained on their land due to spiritual reasons, but they eventually had to migrate as well."
Tanjiro listened to the bee's story with horror and sorrow. Now he truly understood the Humanoids' aggression. "That's just awful. It makes sense why they were so hostile. Please know that we would never hurt you." Queen Hachi smiled sweetly. "I know you won't, young Kamado. If Aqua trusts you, I can trust you." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued.
"As for the demons, there are only three in existence. The only one I've seen is Jackyll, but the other two are listed as alive in the journals that previous demon slayers have left." Tanjiro smiled with a sense of hope. "Really? There's only three?"
Queen Hachi nodded. "Yes, but don't underestimate them. They've been able to survive for thousands of years. I still remember what their journal entries said. There's Silverlight who's Upperbeast Two and a four-armed moth demon. The other one is Songusunēku, a giant King Cobra and the Upperbeast Five demon. Unfortunately, that's all I know about them. Was this in any way helpful?"
Tanjiro nodded like an eager kid. "Yes! Any information is better than being blind. Thank you!" Queen Hachi chuckled softly. "It's no problem, young one. If Jackyll really is after you, then you need all the information you can get."
During this conversation, the pack was waiting outside for their king. Aqua stood beside the door, guarding it. Timber stood beside her, basically towering over her. Aka paced nervously, clearly worried about his queen. The half-demons remained huddled together, nervous to make any sort of move. Daki, however, kept her eyes on Aqua. Blush illuminated her face as she admired the panther. "Are you alright, Ume?" Gyutaro asked curiously. Daki shifted her gaze away from Aqua. "Yeah..I'm fine."
Aqua's rounded ears perked up as the sliding door opened and both of the royal rulers stepped out. "Oh, thank you, Lord." Aka sighed with relief. Tanjiro bowed to Queen Hachi once again, which she returned. "Thank you so much, Queen Hachi." Tanjiro said with a smile. "Of course, Lord Tanjiro. You and your half-demons are welcome here anytime."
Aka's beak practically dropped. He ran his taloned hands through his feathers. Aqua only nodded, approvingly. Timber gently nudged her arm. "I'll be fine, Papa." Aqua said to the wolf. "Jackyll shouldn't be attacking tonight anyway." She turned to the half-demons. "Sorry for scaring, y'all. We just need to protect our family. I hope you understand." Tanjiro grinned with hope. "Everything's okay! I can tell that you're a good person."
Aqua grinned to herself before her eyes widened, remembering something. "Before you go, I have something to warn you about." Tanjiro looked at her and tilted his head. "What is it?" The panther closed her eyes and took a heavy sigh. "There's a cave at the back of this island. Do NOT enter it! It's a gateway to a hellscape." The half-demons looked at each other, confused. Tanjiro slowly nodded. "Don't worry...We won't."
The Demon King walked towards his pack. "Let's head home, everyone. I know that we're all tired." Many of the half-demons nodded in agreement. Douma, however, stared off behind Queen Hachi's mansion. Feeling something calling to him. "Douma?" Enmu spoke in a worried tone. Douma snapped from his trance and turned towards his small friend. "Don't worry about me. I was just staring off into space."
Everyone in the pack turned to head back home. "Goodbye, Queen Hachi! Goodbye, Aqua! See you soon!" Tanjiro waved to them as he and his people walked away. Aqua, Queen Hachi, and even Timber waved back. The panther looked at Aka who dug his talons into the dirt. "I know that you've been hurt by humans before, Aka, but I promise you that these people are good." Aka huffed in irritation. "I fucking doubt it. Just don't bring them around me!" Aqua sighed and put her paw over her face. "Fine. I should get back to sleep though. I am the only demon slayer here after all."
Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I've been dealing with a lot, including the stomach flu. I do hope you guys enjoy this chapter though! Random question for y'all! Who's your favorite Humanoid?
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter 14:
Doctor’s Notes
Warnings: Discussions of mental health, child abuse, and mental breakdowns
Word Count: 3167
11/27/1923 - First Thoughts
Tomorrow, I will start my therapy sessions with the demons, well now "half-demons." Through careful planning, I've decided to interview Rui first. Reason being that he's a child demon. I don't really hold much animosity towards him since he was probably manipulated by the former king, Muzan Kibutsuji.
In all honesty, I'm not too eager for these sessions. It's not that I think they'll attack me. If they do, I've got my sword always on my hip, so I'll always be ready. No, that's not why. In reality, I just don't believe that they can change. They've eaten humans, so they've tasted blood before. I have no doubt that they'll be hunting for every opportunity to taste blood again. I can understand why Nezuko would be considered redeemed, but these other demons..I don't know.
The only reason why I agreed to this is because I know Tanjiro needs all the help he needs right now. He's stressed out and my disapproval will only make it worse. There are so many odds against him..I just feel like he could use a break. Besides, maybe some good could come out of this. That's what she would've wanted...
Anyways, tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. I'll keep logging in this journal after every session. For now though, I need to get some rest. Let's hope for the best.
Shinobu Kocho
11/28/1923 - My First Session With Rui
When the spider demon walked into my office today, he looked petrified. I immediately crouched down and asked him why. He said that he thought he was going to be scrutinized or even killed. I didn't know that I scared him that badly. Luckily with some quick reassurance, we were able to continue the session.
The first thing I noticed about the pup was that he looked like he was never satisfied with how things were. Specifically, his kimono. Rui constantly adjusted it, even though it fit him just fine. He also adjusted the soft pad I had him sit on. When I asked him why he did what he did, he told me that "it just didn't feel right." He said that he knew that everything was neat, but something told him that it didn't fit right. This was the first piece of his puzzle.
Next, we took a trip down memory lane. I asked him about his life as a human. This was simple enough. He told me that he had two loving parents, but an incredibly weak body. It was so weak that taking a few steps would exhaust him. That's why Muzan came to him. In a way, I can understand why he would accept his offer. As a doctor, I know that he would've only lasted a few more years if he wasn't converted.
Then, he started to grow upset. Rui told me that his parents tried to kill him because of what he was doing to others - eating people - but they were also going to kill themselves to join him. He didn't realize that and killed them in self defense. It all became clear.
Rui wanted to create a family so he could have a loving relationship once more. I unfortunately can relate to that. Wanting your family back after a terrible accident..One thing threw me off though. Rui was incredibly peculiar about the roles of the family. He even went as far as to plan our roles for the siblings, despite not having any siblings himself. Not to mention, the way he described his parents made it seem like they fit in the traditional roles.
When I asked him about this, he said that "If the family didn't work that way, everything would turn to ruin." He seems like he didn't want everything to fall apart again. As I observed him, I noticed that he felt like terrible things would happen if he didn't do something in a specific way every single time. He told me that he always counted to thirty seconds when he's washing his hands. Rui also told me that if things were organized chaotically, the day would be disastrous.
Furthermore, I can tell that all this change is stressing him out. He interchangeably grasps his hands together, showing that he's clearly nervous and upset. I know that a part of the stress was being interviewed by a Hashira, but the other problem was definitely the changes. As of recently though, there has been a discovery in this field that these traits perfectly fit.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD seems to be what the pup has. His past of having a feeble body makes it worse. With all the pieces I had, I tried to give him some advice. Since his anxiety seems to be incredibly high, I told him that he should try to rest in the small meadow outside the Infinity Castle. The light from the sun will help to soothe him and going or even playing outside might give him the confidence he needs.
Another thing that was necessary to be aware of were his intrusive thoughts. I told him to be aware of the meanings he's assigning to these thoughts. Rui seems to know that these thoughts are distracting, which is a step forward. So, I told him that he needs to disconnect the meaning behind the thoughts. That's the first step to stopping the compulsions.
Looking back on this, I forgot that Rui was a half-demon when we were talking about his OCD. He talked to me like a human child, not a bloodthirsty monster. The pup was genuinely afraid and somber. Nothing about him showed that he was faking his emotions. For the first session, it surprisingly went well. I know that the others won't be easy, but I do hope that they decide to come in.
Shinobu Kocho
11/30/1923 - The Shabana Siblings
Today, two demon siblings came in upon Tanjiro's request. They were the two Uppermost Six demons, Daki and Gyutaro Shabana. I had asked Uzui about them before this session. Despite of what happened at the Entertainment District, he seemed rather nonchalant about them. He did say that they did have a high temper, so I kept my sword at the ready.
What I got were two calm, yet protective siblings. I guess Tanjiro had worked his magic on them. He must've warmed them slightly, enough to have them discuss their pasts. Speaking of which...
I did not expect the Entertainment District to be that hellish. Tengen has told me before that the place was one of the worst places imaginable, but I didn't grasp the full picture until now. Their story was horrific and it was hard not to feel sympathy for them. Everyone left or beat them....strangers, colleagues, even their parents. All they had was each other.
Once again, I felt myself relating to my patients. I even imagined myself in their shoes. What if my sister and I had been abandoned by everyone? What if we were shunned by everyone who should've shown us kindness? What if the only being that showed us grace..was a demon? Would we end up the same? Was this how Kanao felt?
I didn't expect to feel this way, but I still had a job to fulfill. When they finished their narrative, I asked them how they felt now. Gyutaro seemed to be more at ease with himself. He even said that he made friends with a demon named Kerido. From the look of it though, he seems to feel a stronger affection towards the demon.
Daki, on the other hand, seems to be unsure of who she is. I would say that she was immature for her age, but she was converted at thirteen, so it made sense. I will say though, she has my type of humor. A few chuckles came from me when she started teasing her brother. Very unprofessional, I know. I just couldn't help myself.
After their session, they did seem to be at ease. Maybe having someone to talk to made them feel better. I wish I could do the same...Once again, another strange, calm session. I know it won't be like this forever, so I'm still prepared. Tanjiro telepathically spoke to me a few hours after the session, which felt odd. He told me that the Hantengu clones would be coming in the next few days. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I'm prepared for whatever is in store.
Shinobu Kocho
12/05/1923 - The Hantengu Clones
They all arrived at once, which overwhelmed me at first. Luckily, I was able to organize it rather quickly. I decided to interview them from who I suspected to be the easiest to the most difficult. So, Karaku, the clone of pleasure, was the best choice.
One thing I should add is that I actually had Mitsuri's help with these sessions. She discovered her Blood Demon Art yesterday and we both thought it would be rather useful. Basically, she can create a mist from her heart-shaped marks that soothes everyone who's around her. With no surprise, she came to me and offered her help. I am glad that I'm not the only one who's willing to help with this project.
Karaku wasn't really difficult to work with. He had a rather relaxed personality, which was nice. There was a strange oddity about his past though. He didn't remember hardly anything about his childhood, nor about the crimes that Hantengu had committed during his human life. He vaguely remembered stealing, I guess it gave him some pleasure. Most of his memories come from his teen years and his demon years. This just struck me as odd when we talked.
Another oddity that came up was that Karaku wasn't just his particular emotion. He had a whole personality! Karaku is a very relaxed, laid back, and oddly flirty character, but he's also lazy, slightly whiny, and prideful. I was expecting him to just represent his emotion and that was it, but I got more than I expected. So, I kept my eyes open while having the sessions with the other clones.
Urogi, the clone of joy, was up next. He was surprisingly sweet and, not so surprisingly, hyper. While we were talking, the bird demon couldn't sit still. He rocked back and forth at times and messed with the objects surrounding him at other times. To most people, this may seem like he doesn't care about what your saying. I, on the other hand, beg to differ. Reason being is because when I confronted him about it, he looked rather upset and disappointed in himself. He apologized profusely for it. Clearly, he's been scolded for it before.
Now for what he may have? I do have an idea. A while ago, I remember reading a paper that was written by a British pediatrician in 1902. There, he described an occurrence in certain children that resulted in difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, and hyperactivity. Despite this, the children were still shown to be intelligent. Therefore in my mind, he should not be treated unfairly for his behavior.
Similar to Karaku, he doesn't remember anything from Hantengu's childhood. Instead, Urogi remembers games he played with his friends during his teen years. However, most of his memories are of his demon life. As I expected, Urogi never took any of the fights he had to deal with seriously. He just wanted to play games and have fun. I can understand that.
Along with that, Urogi also mentioned that there has been tension amongst his "brothers", which is how he refers to the clones. When I questioned him, Urogi said that the transformation into Zohakuten is extremely painful, both physically and mentally. During that time, all the clones are flooded with terrible hatred and vague memories of people's wrath.
He told me that Sekido was the one who initiated the transformation. However, Urogi said he understood why Sekido did it, but he wished that they could talk about it. I hope that I can help them with their tension. None of us want them to be torn apart.... It reminds me of someone.
Anyway, I managed to cheer him up by the end-which wasn't hard-and he left with a wide smile on his face. Now I didn't need to have Mitsuri use her abilities for the first two clones, but..we did have to use it for the next clone. Aizetsu, the clone of sorrow, walked in with an emotionally tired expression. I'll be honest. The first time I saw him, I did feel rather sympathetic for him.
This session brought so many pieces to the puzzle. Unlike the other clones, he remembered Hantengu's childhood. Aizetsu spoke softly as he told me the many horror stories from his childhood.
To say that I was sickening would be an understatement. According to Aizetsu, Hentengu lived in a single parent household. That parent being his cruel father. He was an alcoholic, short-tempered man who frequently beat his son whenever he didn't get his way. Hantengu's father threw away any toy that annoyed him and often kept him locked up inside for weeks as "punishment". Dragging his son by the hair, Hantengu's father often convicted him that he was narcissistic for forgetting simple things or didn't do things his way.
Aizetsu trembled as he spoke of fear and sorrow. He remembered craving love and he never received it. His mother was never there, his father was abusive, and he never had any friends. Hantengu feared for his life for he was too weak at the time to do anything about it. That was when Aizetsu broke.
He began to sob into his hands as he recalled all the pain he went through. I immediately tried to soothe him with breathing tactics. This did virtually nothing as he only sobbed harder. Backup was needed. Mitsuri released the mist from her marks. I held his hands as he breathed in the mist.
Just like how Mitsuri described it, Aizetsu was slowly soothed. He wiped away his tears as his breathing slowly regained normality. As his therapist, I had to help him. With a soft voice, I told him that he doesn't have to worry anymore. No one will hurt him here. He was safe.
Aizetsu smiled at me as he listened. He told me that he was never really a fighter. Whenever they were called for battle, he never wanted to actually hurt anyone. Honestly, I can see that. The way he acts is incredibly gentle and soft. I wasn't surprised by any of this news. However, he did confirm what Urogi was saying, except he felt the pain on a much larger scale.
I'm not going to lie. I was rather tense as I called Sekido, the clone of anger, into the office. I was apprehensive from the very beginning, but the fact that Zohakuten causes so much pain on his brothers makes me distrustful of him. However, I'm his therapist, so I have to be open minded.
The session started out calmly enough. He answered my basic questions with no attitude or ill-temper. Then..I asked him about his past. That's when his temper began to rise. Sekido cursed about his father. White Aizetsu's memories were more in the moment, Sekido's memories were the vengeful aftermath. He spoke with pure hate for that man. I can't say I blame him..
When Hentengu grew into his early teen years, he began resisting against his father's beatings. Sekido came to tear this man apart. That was his first murder. This might sound cruel to say, but I would've done the same. This is where things took an even darker turn.
Sekido was the only clone that remembered the murders. He told me that he needed to kill those people to protect Hantengu. They made him feel weak. They made him feel used. However, this was when he lost his temper.
He rose up from his seat and roared with fury. Sekido vented about how much pain he and his brothers went through and cursed us for trying to kill them. One line in particular stuck with me. "How dare you assume that we're monsters when you don't even bother to understand why we are the way we are?!" This not only applies to us, but it also applied to his father as well.
Mitsuri released her mist to quickly calm him down. With the mist and some affirmation, Sekido calmed down and we resumed the session. He apologized for losing his temper and explained that he's been apprehensive from the very beginning. With all this information, I've come to a shocking revelation.
The clones are Hantengu's different personalities. They each have selective memories and they seemed to be formed for certain purposes. Urogi and Karaku were meant to help Hantengu be happy with no guilt or fear behind his eyes. Aizetsu internalizes all the guilt and suffering that his father inflicted on him. Sekido was the source of protection and a defense mechanism.
This man was deeply wounded as a child. I'm not trying to excuse what he did, but he really was unaware of his actions until it was too late. It really was his hands that killed those people. With the selective memory, I can understand why Sekido killed them. He thought that they were trying to attack him and his brothers. In that way, I can understand him..I can relate to him.
Shinobu Kocho
12/06/1923 - Final Thoughts For Now
I don't know what to feel anymore. In all honesty, I expected to roll my eyes at their stories. I thought they would prove themselves to be the monsters I thought they were. What I found though were stories more human than I could ever imagine. I found myself relating to them, which scared me at first. However, I have come to acknowledge the truth of the situation.
We demon slayers were hurt by demons. Therefore, we hurt them. Demons, on the other hand, were hurt by humans. Thus, they hurt us. This isn't a battle between good and evil-as I originally thought-but it was a civil war between two groups of broken people. Every few of the beings in that war were good or evil. We were all broken, attacking each other in the name of revenge.
I thought...that extermination was the only solution-especially after Kanae died-but I can't say the same after listening to the demon's tales. I know that I might sound crazy. I know that I might get hurt later, but I genuinely believe now that this is the best way to go. There are some that I'm still skeptical of, but I will keep a open mind.I will continue these sessions and see how the half-demons grow over time. This war has to end and I believe that this is the best way to end it.
Shinobu Kocho
Author's Note: Yes, this is written in first person. I thought that this would be more impactful for Shinobu's character development. I did do research for this, so I hope that this is accurate representation! Sorry for not updating, I've been constantly sick. I do hope you enjoy this though!
could u make platonic headcannons for rui with a loving older sister / mother figure ? they can be modern if u want too !
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Heyho
I tried making this modern au, but meeeeeeeeehhh
Honestly, writing this made me want to be his big brother fgejfgjofgijofgijo
I made the reader a demon, so sorry if that's not what you were hoping for!
Demon Slayer Masterlist
I hope this is what you wanted & you enjoy readin!
Rui x gn! reader
Headcanon: having a loving sibling
You were the only real family he had left, being his older sibling from the very beginning. You two had the same condition when you were human and got turned into demons in the same night
Rui forgot what a family bond felt like, except the love between siblings, thanks to you
His tactic on regaining that memory was the same, but he only got you two a mother and a father
Rui is scared of forgetting what a siblings bond feels like, that's why he is rather clingy
You two hold hands whenever you can
Not that you mind, it was actually your idea
He loves when you gently press the side of his face to your chest with your hand and put your chin onto the top his head. He feels oddly warm when you do that
You are the only one who can make him smile
He sometimes asks himself how you are so loving to him, even tho he seems like not loving you at all
"It's because you are my little brother. I have to show you how much I love you and protect you from all evil."
When you share a human to eat, you let him have the most and his favorite body parts. Every time he asks 'why' you tell him it's so he can grow tall and strong like you are. And even taller and stronger
He sometimes feels like crying when you hug him or give him a kiss on his forehead. He feel so loved by so little gestures
Rui probably gives up on your 'parents' and just lives with you. Because he realizes he only needs you to feel a family bond, to be happy and feel loved
You two live on Natagumo Mountain and try to live a quiet life which is a tad bit difficult, seeing you two are 'lower 5' and 'lower 6' and have to kill humans to not get killed by Muzan
But you manage togehter
Rui trusts you with his life, so when you tell him to do something, he'll do it without thinking twice
In your little house, you teach Rui everything you know about life, no matter for humans or for demons
Sometimes when you clean or cook, Rui helps you, like the nice little brother he is
The cuteness of our baby demons
Rui edit because I love him T_T ♡ ctto of the edit audio
Matthew 14:22-33
i had a vision (dead calm = walking on water = jesus) and i went with it