Douma Demon Slayer - Tumblr Posts
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!!
“Drink the Juice!”
(A Half-Demon! Tanjiro post!)
Douma: Akaza..
Douma: What the fuck is that?
Akaza, holding a jug of juice: It’s “Respect Women” Juice.
Douma: *leaps on table and hisses aggressively*
Akaza: Oh come on, Douma! It’s not gonna kill you!
Douma: NO!! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME DRINK IT!!!
Akaza: *smirks* But I know who can!
Douma: Please don’t bring him into this.
Akaza: OH TANJIROOO!
*Tanjiro suddenly appears*
Tanjiro: What’s wrong?
Akaza: Douma’s not taking his weekly dose of juice.
Tanjiro: Douma…
Douma: *continues hissing*
Tanjiro: I hate to do this to you, BUT AS YOUR KING I DEMAND YOU TO DRINK THE JUICE!
Douma: Are you going to chop my head off if I don’t?
Tanjiro: Well no. That would be unreasonable.
Akaza: I think it’s reasonable.
Douma: Well if you’re not going to chop my head off, THEN YOU CAN’T MAKE ME DRINK IT!!
Tanjiro: Oh I think I can.
Tanjiro: Akaza, hand me the record player please.
Akaza: Already on it. *hands him the record player*
Douma: Please don’t do this.
Tanjiro: Rui, hand me the record please.
Rui: Here you go. *hands him the record*
Douma: Please god no.
Tanjiro: One last time, D R I N K T H E J U I C E!
Douma: NO!!!
Tanjiro: Fine. *puts the needle on the record player and plays trashy country music*
Douma: NOOOOOO!!
(I thought this was funny. Also I do like country music, but I don’t think Douma does)
More Incorrect Quotes For My Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU!
Enmu: Douma says a lot of things in his sleep, okay?
Douma: *sleeping* I put a whole bag of jelly beans up my ass..
Akaza: Enmu, what do you see in this man?!
Kokushibo: WHY IS YOUR REPORT CARD ON THE CEILING?!
Douma: You said to bring my grades up.
Kokushibo:.. I did say that, let me see
Urogi and Karaku: CALIFORNIA GIRLS WERE UNFORGETTABLE. DAISY DUKES, BIKINIS ON TOP!
Sekido: SHUT THE FUCK UP!!
Tanjiro: Guys! Be quiet. You’re scaring the baby..*is holding Aizetsu bc he’s crying.*
Akaza: Guess you ended up taking my advice after all, huh?
Rengoku, who is now a half demon: I’m not fighting you, Akaza
Akaza: Awwww, man.
Do I Have OCs For My Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU? You Bet!
Unfortunately I don’t have many drawings of them so I’ll have to describe them. (I’m sorry I’m terrible at drawing!)
Kerido (A Friendly Demon)
Art done by @kurumi-igarashi
Kerido is the definition of a sunshine character. He’s incredibly happy and optimistic despite being a demon.
He has the traits of a manticore (that also applies to his Blood Demon Art). Kerido has the dark purple tail of a scorpion, the black and purple wings of a dragon, and the paws of a lion. Kerido also has long, black, wild hair and black eyes with blue pupils (kinda like Kaigaku). He has a pretty muscular body, but he has a soft belly. Kerido’s most notable feature is the right side of his face. The left side looks normal and pretty, but the right side is heavily scarred. It looks like someone took a cheese grader to his face. He ended up getting that scar in a carriage accident when he was a human child. He’s really insecure about it since it grosses people out when he’s eating or drinking. Kerido usually wears a black kimono with purple lightning and black pants.
Now for his role in the story! Kerido is actually Gyutaro’s boyfriend! Gyu accidentally found him one night in the forest. Kerido was just minding his business and humming. Originally, Gyutaro couldn’t believe that someone could be so happy despite going through so much, but he quickly warmed up to him. Kerido’s happiness is contagious
Kerido ended up flying across Tokyo with Gyutaro on his back. He’s got a massive wingspan, so it was easy. Gyutaro was instantly charmed by the manticore demon.
And well..they just hit it off from there! They’re pretty much the body positivity couple. Kerido makes Gyutaro feel better about himself and his body while Gyutaro makes Kerido feel better about his scar and belly.
Kerido constantly encourages everyone around him. He just can’t help it! However, when it comes to sexual things, Kerido can be really dense. It’s just one of the faults of having a sunshine boyfriend. Zenitsu has the same problem with Tanjiro.
Strifles (The Child Demon)
My baby boy, Strifles is a little child demon. He used to live with his abusive older brother before he was rescued by Tanjiro, Daki and Gyutaro.
Strifles is a hybrid of a demon and a humanoid (more on them later). He has short, messy, black hair and the same eyes as Kerido. He also has cat like paws and a black and blue cat tail. He usually wears an oversized navy blue kimono and black pants.
Strifles also has an undead Maine Coon cat named Nibbles. He was able to summon the kitty using his Blood Demon Art. His older brother has it too, but on a much stronger level. Remember my Gyutaro fic, The Friendly Beast? Well Strifles’s older brother is the jaguar demon!
Basically, Strifles bumped into Daki and Gyutaro and begged them to save him from his brother. They were confused at first until they saw the his older brother was trying to eat him! They had to fight a whole army of undead jaguars, summoned by his older brother, but they couldn’t do it alone.
Tanjiro, Kokushibo, Douma, and Inosuke showed up to help. They also became overwhelmed by the jaguars (and my third OC), but Tanjiro ended getting so pissed off by the abuse that Strifles was going through that he burned all the jaguars and the older brother with his sun breathing
Strifles now lives with the other demons. He very shy and quiet, but he very sweet and always tries to help. He’s best friends with Rui and he’s pretty much glued to Gyutaro’s side. He also loves being around Kokushibo and Daki, but he’s scared of Douma and Enmu.
Jackyll (The Villain)
This piece was done by @shycroissanti
Jackyll is a ram humanoid demon. Basically, humanoids are anthropomorphic animals that were persecuted by humans because they were believed to be demons. However, only a few of them actually are. Now they live on a secluded island where they have rebuilt their civilization. The doesn’t mean that they’re safe, though.
Humanoids have demons too and Jackyll is the most powerful one. Humanoid demons only eat humanoids, not humans, and they’ve actually have been around before Muzan became a demon. However, they couldn’t become more powerful due to humans discriminating humanoids and due to a very powerful humanoid slayer!
Jackyll has the strength of Kokushibo and he’s incredibly power hungry. He has black fur with blue, purple and green striped horns and hooves. He can create dangerous shockwaves that can knock a person back. He also hits incredibly hard with his hooves and horns. He also has an “X” shaped scar on his snout that Muzan left on him.
He was there at the battle of the jaguar demon. He was hoping to use Strifles as an eternal food source, but Inosuke and Douma fought him off. (Douma almost died though.) Then Tanjiro, the demons, and the Hashiras learned all about the humanoids from Tamayo.
Jackyll isn’t finished yet. He teams up with Gyokko so he could steal Muzan’s blood. They end up finding some in Muzan’s abandoned lab, but Jackyll drinks all of it and devours Gyokko. Jackyll grows six tentacles on his back that have blades at the tips. He is also a lot more powerful than before.
He then proceeds to make his way to the Infinity Castle. All the demons try their best to stop him, but almost all of them nearly die (Gyutaro almost gets ripped in half and Douma’s face was shredded).
He was about to kill Akaza and Kokushibo when Tanjiro rushes in front of them and takes the hit. Tanjiro then fights off the ram. He’s just as fast and powerful, but his duty to protect his own fuels him to take the ram down. Tanjiro ends to defeating Jackyll by cutting off one of his horns.
Hear me out..
Demon Slayer X Puss in Boots: The Last Wish AU
Don’t worry this isn’t overtaking my Half Demon! Tanjiro AU. I just thought this was neat!
Roles:
Akaza - Puss (Akaza would have an arrogant personality and he definitely would love to be known as a legend. I can also see him saying many of the things Puss says)
Kokushibo - Kitty (Koku is very serious like Kitty and he would definitely have a grudge if Akaza abandoned him. It’s also an excuse for me to ship them lol)
Tanjiro - Perrito (What can I say? They both have a pure heart and they love to help anyone around them)
Rui - Goldie (This is obvious. They both want a family and they’re very bossy.)
Sekido - Papa Bear (both are very aggressive and tough)
Aizetsu - Mama Bear (This boy definitely would act like a mother to Rui fr fr)
Urogi and Karaku - Baby Bear (the more argumentative moments are Urogi while the funny ones are definitely Karaku’s)
Douma - Jack Horner (Both are soulless monsters)
Zenitsu - Jiminy Cricket (I can just see Zenitsu in those moments the cricket has with Jack)
Gyutaro - Death (The sickles are perfect. His build is perfect. His personality is perfect. Just about everything is perfect! And Gyutaro with red eyes is just badass!)
Just some food for thought. This is definitely a fun idea though!
(This is a gift for @leviathanverse. They made a really cool siren AU for Demon Slayer and we thought it would be neat if they somehow interacted with my Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU! So here you go buddy!)
When Worlds Collide
Warnings: swearing and a panic attack
“Oof!” Akaza roared as his large body landed on a pile of rocks. He raised his head and growled in anguish. “What the hell?” Akaza growled as he rubbed the top of his head. His large siren tail grazed against the sharp rocks.
The moon shone brightly against his light blue and yellow scales. “Where the hell am I?” He looked around only to see nothing but trees behind him and an endless ocean in front. “Did I crash into these?” Akaza lifted his tail as he started to think about what happened.
It had been a long and nasty fight at sea. Akaza was being tracked by an expert sailor the Muzan wanted dead. The sailor was quite young, yet formidable and he wore the hanafuda earrings that used to belong to the best demon slayer known to mankind. The needle fish siren wanted to dispose of the boy after failing his last mission to retrieve the Blue Spider Lily.
This was no easy task however. The sailor was incredibly determined and hit poor Akaza with everything he had. The siren was able to do some damage to the sailor’s ship, but he mostly took the hits himself.
Then, a great storm struck the area. The sailor and his crew were able to get away, but the siren wasn’t so lucky. Akaza ended up getting caught in a vicious vortex that must’ve sent him here.
“That damn sailor!” Akaza growled as he clenched his fist. “He won’t get away with this!” The siren looked around him once more to see a few lights on the ocean. They were searching boats! “Shit!” Akaza hissed. “I better go into my bipedal form.”
The siren pulled himself off of the sharp rocks and onto the soft ground. Then, his bones started to crack as his body started to change shape. The siren’s body shrunk to the size of a normal person and his siren tail split off into two legs. “Much better.” Akaza sighed.
Akaza was dusting off his new legs when a strange voice called out to him. “Lord Akaza! Lord Akaza!” The voice was familiar and awfully chirpy. “Urogi?” Akaza swiveled his head towards the dark forest. Suddenly, the familiar bird demon flew through the trees and landed in front of Akaza.
“Oh, Urogi!” Akaza chuckled softly. “I’m so glad to see a familiar face.” Urogi took his hand and he looked at Akaza with an odd worried expression. “Well I’m glad that I found ya! Lord Tanjiro wants to see you!”
Akaza raised an eyebrow in confusion. Lord Tanjiro? Was he a new moon? “Who’s Lor- woah!” Before Akaza could say anything, Urogi started to drag him through the forest. “Come on! We don’t have much time!” Urogi yelled as he ran through the woods.
Akaza’s mind felt dizzy with confusion. Lord Tanjiro? Not much time? What was this bird demon talking about? He didn’t say much during the time that Urogi was dragging him. The poor siren was just confused.
He was suddenly thrusted in front of a small house. “Hey! Don’t drag me around like that!” Akaza hissed at Urogi. “Sorry, but this is urgent!” He opened the door and jumped into the house. Akaza quickly followed the bird. “This better not be some sort of tri-“
He realized he was surrounded by endless doors and rooms. Akaza’s jaw dropped as he looked around. “W-where am I?” Urogi shot a look of utter confusion at him. “We’re at the Infinity Castle..You’ve been here many times before.”
“Huh?! I’ve never been here!” Akaza hissed. Urogi tilted his head, even more confused. He then shook his head. “Just follow me.” Urogi then started to fly through the endless doors. “Wait!” Akaza started to chase after the bird.
The endless doors stayed the same as they ran. Sometimes though, Akaza would occasionally look inside one to see what looked like bedrooms. His head started to spin now. He had no idea where he was or what was going on.
They eventually reached a room where a bunch of familiar demons were. Gyutaro and Daki were talking with a strange manticore demon. The other three Hantengu clones were chatting amongst themselves, Douma and Enmu were talking as they huddled with Rui. One thing was common with all of them, they were incredibly worried.
“What’s going on? Why’s everyone so worried?” Akaza’s voice softened as he walked through the room. “Haven’t you heard?” Urogi turns back towards him, worried. “Strifles is missing.” Akaza was even more confused. Why would they all create such a fuss over a non-ranking demon?
A loud roar came from the front of the room. Everyone turned their heads to face their noble leader. “Good evening everyone!” A gentle and kind voice called from the front of the room. “Kokushibo’s gonna be a bit late today, but he’ll be here shortly.”
“Who is that?” Akaza mumbled to himself. He decided that the best way to know for sure was to push his way through the crowd. “Get outta my way!” “Upper Rank Three coming through!” “Pardon me, Miss Daki.” “Excuse me!” The other demons grumbled and growled as Akaza made his way through.
“What the hell, Akaza?!” Sekido yelled as he shifted to the side. “Oh get a gri-“ it was then that Akaza saw someone who he would never expect to see. “Lord Akaza! That was incredibly rude!” The boy with the hanafuda earrings was here! Standing right in front of Akaza! The only differences were that he was taller and had the eyes of a demon.
“Wha-what’s going on?” Akaza said weakly. He felt like his whole world was crashing down. “Well if you weren’t being so rude, you would’ve known by now.” The boy said in a stern older brother voice. “Yeah! Don’t disrespect Lord Tanjiro!” Gyutaro hissed menacingly.
Lord Tanjiro? Strifles? Infinity Castle? What the HELL is going on? Everything seemed like it was spinning around Akaza. “Y-you aren’t the Demon King!” Akaza’s fists shook nervously, but he stood his ground. Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I was the one who revived you.” He said calmly.
“I NEVER DIED!!” Akaza roared as he dug his feet into the ground. All the other demons just looked at him, confused. “Did ya hit your head on those rocks, buddy?” Urogi asked. Akaza just shook his head. “You all must be crazy!” Even more confused mews and growls came from the demons.
“This has to a nightmare. It has to be!” Akaza mumbled to himself as he clenched his fists. He then leaped directly at Tanjiro. Luckily, Douma and Urogi caught him and held him in place. “You did this! I’m gonna make you regret it! I’ll kill you!” Akaza roared.
“Woah! Woah! Slow down big guy!” Douma held on tightly to the struggling demon. “Get off of me! I’ll fucking kill you all!” Akaza snarled as he struggled to get loose. “What the hell is happening here?!”
They all turned their heads to see..Akaza being accompanied by Kokushibo. Everyone’s jaws hit the floor. Two Akazas?! How?! Urogi and Douma instantly let go of the other Akaza and the poor siren merely fell to his knees. “Who a-are you?” Siren Akaza said weakly. “I’m you!” Akaza yelled
Siren Akaza faced the ground and started to grip his head tightly. “No no NO! This can’t be happening! Where am I?! What is this place?!” His breathing grew heavy as the room spun around him. He had to hold back tears from flowing down his face. “How will I get back?”
“I think I might know what is happening.” Kokushibo approached the panicking siren. “Lord Tanjiro, we all know how Strifles went missing yesterday.” Everyone nodded their heads. “Right..” Tanjiro said calmly. “What if he got transported into another universe?”
Tanjiro’s eyes widened as the room was filled with gasps and murmurs. “So basically, you’re saying that this different Akaza might have accidentally swapped places with Strifles?” Kokushibo nodded. “I believe so, yeah.”
Siren Akaza shot his head up. “Would you know how to take me back?!” His voice was desperate. He hated to sound that way, but he really had no choice. Kokushibo shook his head. “I don’t know a way that will one hundred percent work, all I’ve heard are theories.”
Siren Akaza turned back to the floor. “Great! Just great!” Tanjiro’s eyes filled with worry and sympathy as he approached the siren. He then gently wrapped him in his green and black checkered haori. “Hey. It’s okay. We’ll get you home.”
“Why would I trust you?!” Siren Akaza growled. “Because you really have no choice.” Akaza said flatly. “Besides, we want Strifles back!” Siren Akaza shot a look at him. “Do you have a plan?” Most of the demons shook their hands.
“Why don’t we start where you landed? That makes the most sense to me!” Urogi chirped happily. Siren Akaza stood up and looked directly in his eyes. “Sounds like a great idea, Urogi!” Tanjiro beamed. “Alright everyone! Let’s follow Urogi.”
The bird demon started to head towards the entrance of the Infinity Castle and all the other demons followed suit. Tanjiro waited for all of the demons to leave before placing a comforting hand on Siren Akaza’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you home.” Siren Akaza shook it off. “Yeah, you better.”
To be continued..
I just had an idea!
Ma just randomly appearing out of nowhere and scaring the heck out of one of your HDT characters!
It would be so funny!
Tanjiro: Woah! What the-? I’m sorry!
Zenitsu: Aaaah! Who are you?! Tanjiro!
Inosuke: Who the hell are you?! Fight me, you monster!
Nezuko: Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.
Genya: What the hell?! What even are you?!
Kanao: Oh? Sorry, you startled me.
Kokushibo: Hmm? Who are you, ghost creature?
Douma: Eh?! Oh sorry, ha! I thought you were Akuma for a second
Akaza: Woah! Hey, you’re kinda cool! Do you know how to fight?
Sekido: Huh?! What are you doing here?!
Karaku: Hehehe, you look like you’d be a lot of fun to mess with..*Sekido slaps him*
Urogi: Oh? Yay! Someone to play with!
Aizetsu: You seem lost, how sad..
Gyutaro: What the?! Are you some kind of ghost demon?
Daki: Jesus! What the hell are you?!
Kerido: Oh, a new friend! Who might you be?
Rui: You don’t..seem natural..
Enmu: Eep! Wait, you’re not the goat man, are you?
Strifles: *squeals and hides under table*
Rengoku: Jesus, you really scared me!
Giyuu: *stares at him with wide, yet blank eyes*
Shinobu: You quite a peculiar little thing aren’t you?
Mitsuri: *yelps* Oh, sorry! Awww, you’re such a cutie!
Obanai: What..are you?
Muichiro: Are you a ghost..or a demon?
Gyomei: Oh, my apologies. I didn’t know you were here..*cries*
Sanemi: What the?! Eh?! What the fuck are you?!
Tengen: AAH! *screams like a baby*
Jackyll: Ew. *eats you*
Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU
Chapter 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: Nine
New Emotions and
Discoveries
Warnings: Some blood, swearing, a toxic relationship, mention of drugs.
Word Count: 3539
The idea of bringing the clones back into the playing field, but it did cause some concern for Tanjiro. It wasn't that he worried that they might be dangerous, he was worried that Hantengu might lose himself completely. Since he wants the clones to basically have their own lives and that would lead to them becoming their own people. Luckily, Hantengu fully understood these risks, yet he still wanted to go through with it. Thus, Tanjiro decided to go through with this.
The two walked through the newly designed Infinity Castle, Hantengu mostly led the way. Tanjiro marveled at the stellar atmosphere that Nakime has created. It felt more welcoming and the lighting of the warm lanterns made everything feel more inviting. The upwards spiral of platforms connecting to rooms looked more confusing than it actually was. So, Tanjiro was able to get a quick handle on how and where everything was.
"We're here, Master." Hantengu said, sheepishly as they approached a door on the fourth level. "This is my home." He opened the door and led his new king inside. It seemed like Hantengu didn't have much since his room took in a more minimalist approach. A futon was laid near a nightstand-that had a lantern sitting on top of it. The only other piece of furniture was a small desk.
"Sorry if it seems empty. I'm not really used to having a room." Hantengu said. "It's fine! Your room looks quite nice." Tanjiro smiled softly. Hantengu tried to return the smile before he sighed, knowing what was going to happen. "Just please make this quick." Tanjiro crouched down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I know how to make this painless."
This seemed to ease Hantengu's worries. "Alright." His voice was much less anxious than it was before. Tanjiro pulled his black blade out from its sheath. "Water breathing: Fifth form. Blessed rain after the drought." With a swift slice, Tanjiro cut off Hantengu's head.
The boy was right. This technique was completely painless. Bliss and tranquility was the last things Hantengu felt before two beings grew from his severed parts. As how it went back in the Swordsmith village, Karaku formed from the head while Sekido formed from the body. However, Tanjiro knew that these two weren't all the clones. So before they could realize what happened, Tanjiro slice their heads off once more.
This time, Urogi and Aizetsu formed from the heads. Sekido huffed as he shook his head. Aizetsu looked around him, seemingly curious. "Wow! Never thought we'd be here again! Haha!" Karaku laughed. Urogi, on the other talon, flew up in the air and landed on Tanjiro's shoulders. "Hiya!" Urogi chirped as he bent down to look at Tanjiro. "It's been a long time since I've seen you! And wow, you've gotten taller since the last time we've met!"
Tanjiro smiled at Urogi's enthusiasm. Sekido, however, noticed Tanjiro's shimmering scarlet eyes. "Get off of him, you idiot!" Sekido gritted his teeth. "He's the new Demon King!" Karaku shifted away from Sekido, huffing in annoyance. Tanjiro raised his hand. "Don't worry about it, Sekido. He's not doing anything wrong."
Urogu chirped happily as he patted Tanjiro's head. This only seemed to alert Sekido more. "Don't do that! We're supposed to mask those instincts!" Urogi looked rather disheartened, as if he failed at something. Tanjiro shook his head. "You don't have to mask them. I don't mind them at all." Sekido seemed to be a bit surprised by this. "Really?" His voice was much softer than before. "If you're sure.."
"Why did you bring us out?" Aizetsu tilted his head. "Well, Hantengu thought that he would be happier if he split off into you four." Tanjiro explained with a smile. "So..the main body can't be truly happy? That's truly sad.." Aizetsu winced. "It's alright, Aizetsu. Tanjiro put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "He'll be happy. You will make him happy." Aizetsu softly smiled at Tanjiro's words. "I hope what you're saying is true. It'd be nice to really experience life for once."
"Hell yeah!" Karaku broke from his annoyance. "All we've been used for was fighting, so this is going to be awesome!" Tanjiro chuckled, lightheartedly. "Just don't attack any humans. "Don't worry, king. We won't." Urogi chirped, swaying on Tanjiro's shoulders. "I'll make sure if it." Sekido growled. This made Karaku snarl in response, causing the other clones to be surprised.
Tanjiro noticed this and whispered to Aizetsu. "Does he normally act like this?" Aizetsu shook his head. "No..he's never aggressive. Karaku may not listen to Sekido all that much, but he isn't aggressive." Urogi tilted his head and flew over to his fellow clone. "Are you alright, Karaku?" He asked. "Yeah. I'm fine." Karaku huffed. "Hey! Wanna go look around the Infinity Castle?" Urogi nodded eagerly, flapping his wings. Sekido rolled his eyes as the two rushed to the door.
As they opened the door though, someone yelped in surprise. Rui backed up when he saw the two clones. "Oh! Hey, pup!" Karaku grinned. "Hey.." Rui said shyly. "Is Tanjiro in there?" Urogi nodded. "You betcha!" The two clones moved out of the way so Rui could walk in. Tanjiro looked at Sekido and Aizetsu in confusion. "Why did he call Rui a pup?" He asked. "Demon children are called pups." Sekido explained. Aizetsu nodded in agreement. "That makes sense." Tanjiro smiled.
Rui walked up to Tanjiro and lightly tugged on his haori. "Master, mind if I ask you something?" Tanjiro bent down and picked Rui up. "Of course! You can ask me anything." Rui looked to be in a rather somber mood, seemingly full of guilt. "Have you..tried to bring back the rest of my family. I wish I could've done better for them."
Tanjiro's expression shifted to guilt as he hugged him. "I tried. I went to Mount Natagumo to revive them, but I didn't see any more red specks. I don't really understand why. They all had Blood Demon Arts and I am able to bring back demons that weren't Moons." Rui raised his hand. "Actually, their powers weren't theirs'. I shared my powers with them." Tanjiro widened his eyes. "So, they didn't really have any Blood Demon Arts?" Rui shook his head.
Tanjiro sighed, disheartened. "I also tried to bring back Mister Rengoku's mother, but I couldn't. The only difference between her and the others that I've brought back was that her body was severely decayed." The poor king looked like he was on the verge of tears. "At least you tried, Master." Aizetsu reassured him. "You may not be able to bring everyone back, but the fact that you can revive people is still a miracle."
"He's right." Rui wrapped his small arms around Tanjiro. He patted the young pup's back with a chuckle. "Thank you. I guess it really is a miracle." Sekido turned to them and surprisingly, gave him a smile. "It really is."
Nakime showed Kokushibo where the new training room was when she had built the new Infinity Castle. So, it didn't take too long for him and Akaza to find it. It was located on the third floor, in between Akaza's room and the kitchen. This information put a small smile on Akaza's face, but he still didn't seem as enthusiastic about it as Kokushibo hoped he would be.
"Are you..ready?" Kokushibo said as he opened the sliding door. "Ready as I'll ever be." Akaza sighed with a hint of staleness, causing Kokushibo to worry even more. This just wasn't like him...
The training room was just like they expected. The floor was sleek and perfect for moving across it. It was mostly empty say for a few weapon racks that were hung up on the side walls. Training poles were placed underneath the racks. Although Akaza would have no use for these items, Kokushibo figured that he could use them later.
Akaza headed to the other side of the room, making a small echo as he walked. He stretched his flexible muscles as Kokushibo pulled out his strange blade from its sheath. The six-eyed demon inhaled, preparing to use his breathing technique. "Alright..let the battle begin.."
As always, Akaza was the first to try to land a hit. He leapt from his position, cranking his fist behind him to build power. Kokushibo quickly saw through his technique and swung his blade. "Moon Breathing: First Form..Dark Moon, Evening Palace.." Crescent-shaped blades sliced through the air, hurdling towards Akaza.
Akaza was mostly able to dodge the blades and was even able to use them to propel him forward. However, one of them hit his left elbow, sliding his arm off completely. Neither one of them thought much of this since they both knew that Akaza can just regenerate it in a matter of seconds.
Yet, his arm didn't regenerate right away. Safe to say, this threw both of them off. Akaza jumped back to inspect his arm. The bloodied stub grew back rather slowly, taking much longer than it normally did. "What the fuck?" Akaza grunted.
This made Kokushibo think for a moment. He tried extending his blade like he did at the Final Battle. Similar to Akaza's regeneration, Kokushibo's Blood Demon Art wasn't nearly as impressive as it was back then. The blade of his sword only reached halfway of the length it used to reach.
"It seems like..being a half-demon..has hindered our demon abilities..." Kokushibo said. "I would be lying..if I said I didn't expect this.." Akaza grinned like a madman. "Doesn't stop us from being powerful!" Kokushibo gave him a small nod. "Agreed..We just have to.. be more careful.."
The ground beneath Akaza glowed and took the shape of a snowflake. "Technique Developed: Destructive Death - Compass Needle!" Mass amounts of energy erupted around them as Akaza went in, hoping for close combat. Kokushibo swung his sword once again and created a shallow slice across Akaza's chest. Despite this, Akaza managed to grab his sword and deliver a swift kick to Kokushibo's chin.
"Your techniques..have certainly improved.." Kokushibo said as he created a small blade from his forearm. He swiftly dug his blade into Akaza's foreleg. Akaza jumped away and pulled out the severed blade. He laughed excitedly, leaping into the air once more. "You're not so bad yourself!"
Their battle was truly a spectacle to see. Both demons were incredibly powerful and quick. They more or so deflected each other's attacks than actually land hits. Then again, they did this on purpose. Neither of the demons wanted to kill each other after all. Still, it didn't take away from how truly incredible the battle was and it lasted for quite some time.
Time did start to wear on them as they fought. Neither one of them really paid much attention to this though. The only thing that seemed to be on Kokushibo's mind was just observing how much joy Akaza felt during their fight. It made him think about all the other times they had been together. Why was it that he was only happy here? In the heat of battle? He just had to know.
Akaza ran in for a hit to Kokushibo's chest, but the six-eyed demon deflected it. He swung his sword at Akaza's feet, making him fall on his back. Before Akaza could get back up, Kokushibo stepped on his chest and put the edge of his sword to his neck. "It was a nice battle..Akaza..but I'll always be the victor."
Akaza only chuckled. "I'm fine with that. This was just for fun." Kokushibo tilted his head, curiously. "You're right..this was rather amusing..It's nice seeing you..being a good sportsman..." Kokushibo removed his foot from Akaza's chest and put his sword back in its sheath. Akaza sprung up to his feet and shook his head.
Kokushibo closed his eyes and hummed softly. "Akaza..do you mind..if I ask you something?" Akaza turned to him, wiping off the blood from his fists. "Sure. What is it?" Kokushibo reopened his eyes. "Why is it that you're only joyful..during these spars?..Seeing your joy elsewhere..is seldom.."
Akaza looked down at his bloodied fists, not knowing exactly how to answer this. "As a human, I used to train in a dojo. I fell in love with the art.." Kokushibo could tell that there was more to the story than Akaza was letting on. "Is that why..you became a demon?..To become stronger?.,"
Akaza shook his head. "I didn't ask to become a demon. He killed me before turning me." His voice was filled with an underlying anger that made Kokushibo's skin crawl. "I'm sorry..You're a much better man..than I am." Kokushibo attempted to make him understand that he truly felt sympathy for him.
Akaza didn't turn to face him. "No, I'm not. If I was, I could've saved.." He stopped himself and recentered. "I wouldn't have killed so many." Kokushibo knew that he was definitely hiding something now. "I know that you can't make amends with all you've harmed..but you can still make it up to some."
This did seem to lighten his spirits slightly as Akaza finally turned to see Kokushibo. "Yeah. I guess I probably should, huh?" He said with a soft smile. Kokushibo tried to return the smile. "Yes..both you and I have people to make amends with.." Akaza's grin only grew wider. "Hey! I've never seen you smile before!"
Kokushibo covered his mouth. "Is it off putting?.." Akaza shook his head. "Not at all. I actually wish that you smiled more." Kokushibo could feel his face heat up as he lowered his hand. "I guess I really could use it more..thank you..Akaza.."
The lights of the streets shone down brightly upon Douma and Enmu. The titular Lower Moon sat on the bench in front of the small noodle shop, legs swaying in the wind. Douma was patiently waiting for the soba, tapping his claws on any hard surface he can find. A savory smell filled the air as the noodle shop owner worked vigorously on their order. Small bushels of dark flowers bulbs surrounded the bench Enmu was sitting on. They added a relaxing touch to the noodle shop.
Enmu's gaze was fixated on the beautiful night sky above. He was lost in the stars. Lost in the space inside his head. His human life seemed only a blur to him, his childhood especially. So the only memories he could fixate on were his memories as a demon.
"Here's your tea, Lower Moon One." He remembered a harsh, deep voice saying that as someone handed him a cup of freshly made tea. "It's quite a miracle really. That this is the only human food that demons can consume." Muzan Kibutsuji stood in front of Enmu in that particular moment in time. "Ah~ Thank you, Master!" Enmu said with a puppy dog whine.
He still remembered the taste of the tea. Very natural, yet sweet. A mixture between a floral blend with the sweetest honey. "You better drink all of that." Muzan growled. "I don't want a single drop of that tea going to waste." Every single time Enmu drank that tea, life felt like a blur. He could feel every muscle in his body easing to an unnatural level.
Enmu chuckled and purred uncontrollably. Normally, Muzan would've punished any other demon who didn't mask those noises, but he let his prized Lower Moon release these instincts. Just this once..just for him. "You will please me." Muzan grinned as he scooped his hands around Enmu's cheeks. "You will be successful. You don't want to fail me, do you?"
Enmu remembered shaking his head rather slowly. "No, master..I..I will not..fail you." Muzan gave him a twisted grin. "Good. You will not fail me, Enmu..Enmu..ENMU!" Enmu snapped back to see Douma holding their hot bowls of Soba. "Sheesh, where did you go? Dreamland?"
Enmu merely shrugged and sighed heavily. "No. Just some old memories." He took his bowl and chopsticks from the much larger demon and shifted over so Douma could sit. "Ooh! What was it about? If you don't mind me asking." Enmu slowly began to eat his Soba, not really paying attention to the taste. "Muzan and I..he used to give me tea every week. Saying that it "made me stronger."
Douma did a double take. "Really? I've never heard of that! Sure, I drink tea, but Muzan didn't make any of us Upper Moons drink it." Enmu looked up at him. "No? But that's what he told me.." Douma shrugged it off. "Maybe he was just trying to implement a new practice." Enmu turned back to his food. "Possibly."
Douma made a soft cooing noise as he ate. "Speaking of which, why do you like Muzan so much?" Enmu blushed just thinking about the old demon king. "Oh~ unlike all the other Lower Moons, he always told me how much potential I had. Lord Muzan chose me! First as his meal, then as a member of his army. He put his faith in me. He loved me, but..I failed him. You Upper Moons must truly be something special in his eyes."
Douma only gave him a disturbed look. "Well..actually, he didn't think much of us at all." Enmu looked up at him in utter disbelief. "He didn't? But how?! You were his most prized demons!" Douma shook his head. "You got it all wrong. We may have been powerful, but he couldn't care less about us. He just wanted our strength and that's it."
Enmu was just shocked that Douma was acting so nonchalant about this. "Doesn't that bother you?" Douma only shrugged. "Nah. I'm used to it. I mean I make my living from listening to the problems of my worshippers." He said with a laugh. Enmu only looked defeated, as if someone stabbed him in the chest.
"Hey! It's alright. He's gone now. You don't have to worry about him anymore." Douma patted Enmu on the shoulder. He shivered under Douma's touch. "No! You don't understand..I was special to him! He said so himself!" Enmu scanned the environment, laying his eyes on the dark flowers. "Muzan used to put these flowers into the tea he gave me. They added a rather nice scent to it." He put his food beside him, bent down, and put put his hands around one of the bulbs.
Douma nearly choked on his food from the surprise from the news. "Enmu? Do you know what those are?" Enmu looked back at Douma with a confused expression. "They're just poppies, aren't they?" Douma shook his head rapidly. "Those are Opium Poppies..they're a drug flower."
Enmu's vision went blurry as Douma's words only sounded like muffled speech. "No..no he..he wouldn't drug me." Enmu's voice went weak as he fell limp on the bench he was previously sitting on. "He..he wouldn't." Douma felt a strange pang in his heart for the demon. Sympathy. He reached out his hand and carefully took Enmu's hand. "It's..it's alright, Enmu. He's gone." Enmu only snarled defensively. "NO! Lord Muzan would never drug me! Wo-would he?"
Douma slowly nodded. "I'm afraid that he would." Enmu couldn't say anything more. He just broke down. The poor demon put his hands up to his face and sobbed. Douma didn't really know what to do, so he just did what he thought was best. He wrapped his arms around Enmu and pulled him close to his chest. "It's alright. He can't hurt you."
"No..no..Why would he? I don't understand..I must've not been good enough for him." Enmu sobbed into Douma's chest. "It's not your fault. He hated all of us." Douma tried his best to console him. With each passing moment, a strange feeling grew inside of Douma. One of sorrow. One of guilt. One of shame. It was truly overwhelming.
"I just don't get it." Enmu sniffled as he looked up at Douma. "Why would he do that to me? He said he cared for me." Douma shook his head. "I know that this is hard to hear, but he didn't. He said that to many of us to get us to join him. Muzan was just manipulating you." This all seemed too familiar to Douma..as if..he's heard these words before.
Enmu curled up into a tight ball. "I'm sorry..for not being good enough." With that, Enmu fell asleep in Douma's arms, tears streaking on his face. Douma cradled the smaller demon's body in his arms, slowly rocking back and forth to sooth him. His mind was swimming with many thoughts. Douma knew that Muzan was nothing more than a scumbag, but he never thought that he would sink this low.
Douma sighed as he rested his back against the bench. Another thought was swirling in the ocean of his mind. Where did he hear those words before? Why did he feel a strange, dreadful feeling? Why did this situation seem so familiar? Then, Douma's eyes widened in realization. "Inosuke.."
Author's Note: I know this chapter is quite heavy, but this series will contain some pretty heavy themes. Tanjiro also does have limitations on his revival powers. There are three rules: 1. The demon must have a Blood Demon Art. 2. The human can't be too decomposed, and 3. The human's head must be intact. The third one will come into play later. Also, the next chapter will introduce two of the few original characters in the series, so keep your eyes peeled!
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!
Under His Watchful Eye || Douma x fem!reader
Summary: you are found injured by worshippers of Douma after being attacked by a wild animal in the mountains. You're taken to his temple where you're cared for and nursed back to health under the watchful eye of his. As time passes, Douma becomes attached to you, but when you disobey his order one day, he becomes angry and decides to punish you accordingly
Warnings: smut with plot 🔞 & the reader asking far too many questions in the end 😀
Word count: 7792
Authors: Cass & Rouge
As you hiked through the mountain trails, the fresh air and beautiful scenery made you feel invigorated. However, that feeling quickly vanished when a wild animal attacked you out of nowhere. You tried to defend yourself, but the creature was too strong and vicious, leaving you badly injured and alone. You were almost certain you would die.
Just when you thought you couldn't go any further after attempting to getting back home, a group of strange individuals appeared before you. They were dressed in long, flowing robes and had a serene look on their faces.
You felt weak in your knees and fell down to the frozen ground, shaking uncontrollably all over your exhausted body.
"Are you okay?" A female voice asked.
You tried to speak, but your throat was dry. You managed to nod, and they helped you to your feet. You leaned on one of them as they guided you into an unknown direction. "You must come with us," one of them said softly, taking your arm.
"Poor thing, look at all those wounds," the other person added within sad tone.
You were too weak to resist as they led you deeper into the forest, eventually arriving at a small sanctuary.
As you walked, you couldn't help but notice the strange symbols painted on the rocks and trees around you. The people were quiet, and you could only hear the sound of the wind and the snow under their feet.
The last thing you remembered was the warmness of the interiors surrounding you. Then you lost your consciousness.
Douma was pleasantly surprised today by something he did not expect. A very attractive female human was brought into his shrine, which he would even call a miracle; he wouldn't have to take any efforts to find someone new for his pleasures. He had to keep the girl there.
"Don't look at me like that. You should know what I expect. Take care of this poor thing. Treat her wounds, give her a bath, and dress her. Let her rest," he instructed.
He smiled at two of his dear followers, who were not really sure what to do with the newcomer. He was growing curious about how the girl really looked without all the blood and dirt on her. Sadly, he would have to wait to satisfy his curiosity.
As time passed, you found yourself gradually regaining your strength. Though you still spent most of your days sleeping, you were surprised to find that a group of women were taking excellent care of you.
One day, as you slowly opened your eyes, you noticed a woman sitting beside you. "Oh, you're awake!" She exclaimed with a smile.
You rubbed your eyes and sat up a little, taking in your surroundings. The room was cozy and filled with dim light of candles. "Where am I?"
"You're in our sanctuary, in our lord's place," the woman replied. "My name is Aka, and I'm one of those who found you in the woods. You were very ill and injured, and we've been taking care of you for the past few weeks."
You felt a wave of gratitude wash over you, as well as shock when you realized how much time had passed. "You said weeks?" You inquired, your voice barely above a whisper. "Oh, my.... Thank you for everything."
As the days passed, you continued to regain your strength. You were amazed at the kindness and compassion of these strangers who had taken you in and nursed you back to health. And as you looked around at the warm and welcoming home they had created, you knew that you were in good hands. At least that was the impression you'd received.
Meantime, Douma made sure to take care of you by sending someone to fetch something nice for you, and finally, he had a chance to see you in your full glory - free of any life-threatening illness, clean, and dressed in fine clothes.
He personally couldn't wait to meet you and learn who you were. There were so many things he could do with and to you! It made him so excited that a shiver ran down his spine.
As Douma walked into the room that served you as your chamber, he hummed melodically, "My, my, my! Why did no one tell me that you are awake? I would have come sooner to see you."
However, he stopped when he saw your surprised expression and turned to face the other woman standing near the door, "Oh, Aka, my dear. Haven't you told her everything yet?"
Aka, one of your trusted followers, approached the tall man with a heavy heart. She informed him that she had not been able to tell you everything that she had wanted to, and she was deeply sorry for letting him down.
You bowed your head to the man after softening your kimono, overwhelmed with gratitude for the kindness he had shown you. "Thank you so much, sir," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for taking care of me," you added with your head still bowed, "but I will never forget the hospitality you have offered me. I am forever in your debt."
He had to admit that you were a pretty one. You must have been tasty, but on the other hand, it would be a shame to simply consume you. Perhaps he could keep you around as a pet? He had tried it before, but it didn't work out as he had wanted. Maybe if you behaved, who knows?
With a smile, he said, "Oh, no need to thank me, sweetheart! How could I say no to someone in need? I am happy to finally see you in good shape. What's your name, dear?"
You dared to raise your head a little to take a closer look at him.
He stood before you with an imposing presence. He was a tall and muscular young man with a noticeably pale complexion, and his long and pointed nails seemed stained with a pale blue color. His hair was either silver or a pale golden blond, parted to the left, with shorter strands flaring out to either side of his face and a longer spiral drape down his back. His eyes were incredibly rare and beautiful, appearing to be made up of an array of rainbow pastel tones that faded into one another as they circled his irises. You caught yourself staring in his eyes a little longer than you were supposed to, so you instantly bowed your head once more, trying to pay proper respect to him. "My name's Y/N, sir. If not you and your people, I'd be long dead, eaten by wild animals or maybe even demons themselves."
If only you knew! Douma couldn't help but giggle softly at the idea of how oblivious you were. It was adorable!
"Well, then I guess you are the lucky one. Do you have any family or a home?"
You hesitated for a moment before admitting, "It's just that I don't have a family or a home. Sometimes it feels like something's missing."
He quickly walked up to you and cupped your cheeks, rubbing your soft, warm skin with his slender, cold thumbs. "Well, well, Y/N, not only were you saved, but you have also found a new home. You can stay here, and I will gladly take care of you."
You were shocked by how cold his hands were. You could feel the icy chill radiating from his fingers as they pressed against your skin. The sudden coldness caught you off guard, and you couldn't help but shiver at the sensation. You had never felt hands that cold before, and it left you momentarily speechless. Despite the coldness, however, his touch was gentle, and you could sense the kindness in his eyes as he spoke to you. You forced yourself to focus on his words, trying to ignore the frigid sensation spreading through your cheeks.
You were shocked by the man's kindness and hospitality he and his people had shown you.
He had taken you in when you were lost, hurt and alone, and had even offered to help you still. You couldn't believe that someone who was a stranger to you could be so generous. "Thank you so much," you said, your voice filled with gratitude. "I don't know how to repay you for your kindness, sir."
"You don't need to thank me, sweetheart. I only hope that dear Aka will explain everything you need to know," he said, looking at the other woman significantly. "Now, rest some more and make sure you eat well. I will come back later to have a private conversation with you."
"Sir," you whispered hesitantly, barely moving your lips. "Can I at least have your name?"
"It's Douma," he said with a smile. "If you listen carefully to what Aka says, my dear Y/N, you will know everything."
As you and Aka were speaking together after Douma had left the chamber, she began to describe him to you. "He is a wise man," Aka said, her voice soft with reminiscence. "He has a way of seeing the world that few others could match. When he speaks, it is as if the entire room fell silent, hanging on his every word."
You nodded, listening intently as Aka continued to speak.
"Master Douma is also fiercely loyal to his followers," she added, a small smile crossing her lips. "He would do anything to protect us, to ensure our safety and happiness."
You couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the man she described. Even though you had only met him briefly, you could sense that there was something special about him.
As your conversation with Aka continued, you couldn't help but feel a growing sense of curiosity about the man known as Douma. What other secrets and wisdom had he imparted to his followers? And what was his ultimate goal in life? These were questions that you knew you would have to seek answers to in the days and weeks to come.
The longer you stayed with Douma, the more he grew fond of you. It was obvious that you had become his favorite, as you were the only one living with him permanently. He kept you safe and took care of you the best way he could.
You were like his little pet, and he loved making sure that you were happy because you looked better that way. You were always so eager to talk to him and spend time with him, which he found simply adorable. He could have feasted on you, but keeping you around was much better - it made the boring times more interesting.
"What's going through that little head of yours?" Douma asked, getting comfortable on a big pillow while he played with your hair, your head resting on his lap.
You lay with your head rested on Douma's lap, looking up at the ceiling of his room with a mixture of thoughtfulness and disbelief. "I can't believe you took me under your wings," you told him. "And you never wanted anything in return." You closed your eyes, feeling a sense of contentment wash over you.
The past few weeks you spent by Douma's side were a whirlwind of new experiences and insights. You followed him everywhere, learning who he was and how he lived his life. He introduced you to his followers, who welcomed you with open arms and showed you the ropes.
However, as you grew closer to Douma, you began to notice some of his followers becoming jealous. They would shoot you looks of disdain and make snide remarks when you were around. At first, you tried to brush it off, but as time went on, their behavior began to wear on you.
Despite the jealousy of some of his followers, Douma continued to show you kindness and respect. He patiently answered your questions and taught you his ways, never once making you feel inferior. You were grateful for his guidance and felt privileged to be so close to him.
In the end, you knew that Douma's influence had changed you for the better. You had learned so much from him, not only about his ways but about yourself as well.
As the weeks went by, you felt yourself growing more and more fond of him, and sometimes even felt strange tickling within your abdomen when he was casting you a glance over the room full of his followers.
You turned to Douma, feeling at ease in his presence. "I feel very well here," you told him, "but I'd like to visit my little hut and take some things from there. I'd also like to visit my brother's grave."
"And for what? You have everything here. You don't need your old stuff or to visit your brother," he rolled his eyes, growing slightly annoyed with your idea. He had given you everything, and yet you still cared about something so silly and trivial. Your brother was nothing but a corpse, rotting in the ground. "Besides, would you really leave me here all alone and sad? Do you want me to die of a broken heart?" He asked dramatically.
"I..." You whispered, turning your glance away from him. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to upset you, Douma."
Your mind wandered to your brother's grave. You thought about how much you missed him and how you wished you could visit him more often. The cemetery was only a few miles away probably, and you knew you could easily sneak out during the night for just an hour or two. You promised yourself that you'd do it, that night or some other time when Douma wouldn't notice, being busy with his errands.
"You didn't upset me, my dear Y/N. It just hurts me that you worry about those things when I make sure you have everything," he purred, easily pulling you up and setting you comfortably on his lap. His arms wrapped around your waist as he hugged you. "Don't you feel good here, with me?"
You looked deeply into Douma's eyes, feeling the warmth of his presence wash over you. "Douma," you whispered, reaching out slowly to caress one of his cheeks gently, "I want you to know that I feel really good by your side. You make me feel safe and sound, and I'm grateful for that." You paused for a moment, taking in the way his eyes sparkled in the dim light casted by a lot of candles set around the room. "You know, I never thought I could trust someone so completely, but with you, it just comes naturally."
The demon purred at your touch and nodded. You were his and there was no need for you to seek anything else beyond what he could give you. "Now you see, I can give you everything you ask for, so there is no need to visit your old life, my sweet little Y/N," he whispered before kissing your cheek.
As Douma leaned in to kiss your cheek, you felt your face flushing with a warm hue. His lips were cold, yet soft and tender against your skin, and you couldn't help but feel a flutter in your chest. "Douma," a weak whisper left your parted lips as you clutched on his shoulders. You moved your head to face him, your cheeks still tinged with pink. "You're right, just as always, my dear master."
He laughed, gently grabbing and squeezing your cheeks. "Look at you! So pretty and cute," Douma chuckled as he played with your soft skin, grazing it with his sharp nails. "I am wondering... If this made you blush so much, then what will this do?"
He grasped your cheeks a bit harder than before and kissed your lips.
Once Douma's lips were pressed to yours, you couldn't help but let out a quiet gasp that quickly turned into a moan. Despite his lips being rather cold, the kiss he offered tasted sweet like honey. The way his tongue moved along your teeth, the way his perfect teeth grabbed your tongue, everything about the kiss was igniting emotions you didn't know you still held within you.
You found yourself wrapping your arms around Douma's neck, pulling him closer to you. You felt his body pressing against yours, his closeness enveloping you. The scent of him filled your nostrils, a heady mix of sandalwood and musk.
Your heart raced as you lost yourself in the moment, feeling completely consumed by the passion between you. For a moment, nothing else mattered but the two of you, locked in a fiery embrace.
You pulled yourself away from Douma after a while, looking him in the rainbow-coloured eyes; his eyes were mesmerizing, and you couldn't help but get lost in them for a moment. "Douma…"
"So pretty and so full of color," he laughed, moving his thumbs across your skin.
Douma indeed enjoyed having you here. He loved that you were such a good pet. He had grown used to having you around, especially loving it when you sat on his lap.
Of course, Douma was aware of the jealousy of some followers, and as a good owner, he took care of some of those who were a threat to his beloved pet. When you noticed this, he explained that they had just left. Thankfully, you always accepted this explanation.
"It's getting late. Aren't you tired?" Douma asked, a hint of worry within his tone.
"Just a little bit, my master," you replied, your cheeks still flushed. You bit your lower lip after his comment about you having a lot of colours. You didn't know how he was doing it, but he was always making your heart skipping a beat.
"Well, then don't sit up late, little one. I want my little girl to be well-rested," he kissed your cheek one last time before gently pushing you off his lap.
You tried your best to keep your composure, but your heart was racing and your felt like whining as Douma pushed you off his lap. Your cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Good night, my master," you smiled at him, bowing your head down.
After that you left his chamber. Of course you had to bump on a group of his the most dedicated followers; their led you down the corridor with a mean glances, and you could swear you heard them whispering about you. Yet, you decided to not pay attention.
You had trouble sleeping, tossing and turning in your bed as the memory of Douma's anger haunted you. You had mentioned leaving the shrine, hoping to visit your brother's grave, but the expression on Douma's face had been rather a nasty one; you'd never seen him like that; the change within him was immediate and unexpected.
You tried to push the memory away, to think of other things, but it kept coming back to you, replaying over and over in your mind. You wondered for a second or two if you had made a mistake in confiding in him, in trusting him with your deepest desires and fears.
As the night wore on, you grew more and more exhausted, but still, you couldn't sleep. You finally decided that you couldn't stay in the bed any longer.
You got up from your bed, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake anyone. You changed into some other clothes, careful to pick things that wouldn't make too much noise as you moved. You didn't want anyone to know that you were leaving, especially not Douma. After putting on a thick fur Douma gifted you with some time before, you were ready.
You didn't want to attract attention by carrying too much, so you decided to leave your bag in the room. You checked your pockets for anything important, making sure you had your keys.
Finally, you took a deep breath and opened the door to your room. You stepped out into the hallway, the floorboards creaking softly beneath your feet. You listened carefully for any sounds, but the shrine was quiet.
You made your way to the front door, your heart pounding in your chest. You turned the handle slowly, hoping it wouldn't make too much noise, and pushed the door open. A gust of cool air hit your face, and you stepped outside into the night. You closed the door behind you, trying to be as quiet as possible, and set off down the path, hoping that you were making the right decision.
Douma could come across as a silly man with his overly friendly behavior. He could seem like someone easy to fool, but oh, you were so mistaken!
A pair of rainbow eyes watched you leave from behind the golden fan. He knew it would happen, he knew you wouldn't really sit on your ass as you should. Douma knew you would be back, of course you would for there was nothing waiting for you out there. You had no reason to leave for good, but of course, you had to fulfill your little ideas.
"Bad, bad pet," Douma whispered to himself. He already planned how he was going to punish you and make you stay with him forever.
As you arrived at the old graveyard, you felt a sense of melancholy wash over you. Memories of childhood days spent with your brother came flooding back, as you made your way to his final resting place. The grave was still and silent, surrounded by the peaceful stillness of the cemetery.
You took out the bouquet of flowers you had managed to gather. With careful hands, you placed them gently on your brother's grave. As you stepped back, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness as you remembered the good times you shared with him. Before you managed to regain your composure, you shed a tear.
The wind picked up, blowing gently through the trees, rustling the leaves and reminding you of the fleeting nature of life. You stood there for a few moments longer, lost in your thoughts, before finally turning to leave. As you walked away, you promised yourself that you would always remember your brother, and keep his memory alive in your heart.
As you made your way towards the Eternal Paradise Faith shrine, you couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. The sky was beginning to brighten, and you knew that the sun would soon rise. You quickened your pace, determined to reach the shrine before dawn.
Finally, you arrived at the entrance, and were greeted by the serene surroundings of the shrine. The air was thick with the scent of incense, and the sound of chanting people filled your ears. You took a moment to take in your surroundings, appreciating the peaceful atmosphere and the stunning architecture of the shrine.
Oh, you were a little oblivious bunny, so sure that you could get away with this little thing.
He was going to let you think you were the smart one, that you could go behind his back. Douma honestly wondered if maybe you would tell him at some point, admit to your wrongdoings, and beg for forgiveness.
So he waited, pretending he knew nothing, letting you believe he was naive.
The whole day passed, and he heard nothing from you, and it made him mad. He summoned you to see him, just like he did every evening.
Despite feeling curious and a bit uneasy, you went straight to meet him after taking a long bath.
You stepped forward and pushed open the door to Douma's chamber, the hinges creaking as you entered. The room was dimly lit, with only a few candles casting flickering shadows across the walls. "My master, you summoned me."
He looked at you with a sweet smile, resting his cheek on his hand. "Here comes my favorite. Don't be scared, I simply missed you, my little Y/N."
You felt that there was something off about his behavior. It was difficult to put your finger on it, but there was a sense that he was holding something back or not being entirely truthful. Maybe it was the way his rainbow-coloured eyes were looking at you, as if they were about to pierce right through your soul or the hesitation in his voice when he spoke. Whatever it was, you couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Taking a few steps, you came closer to his bed.
He blinked, feigning concern for you. "Is something wrong, my dear? Come here," he said, beckoning you to sit on his lap.
Once you were seated comfortably, he took your palm in his and gave your hand a little kiss. "What is bothering you? Is someone talking bad about you again?"
"It's not that, my master," you replied, trying to regain the control over your uncontrollably shaking body. "I... I just did something bad."
"Oh, you poor, little thing! You did something bad?" Douma hummed as both of his hands rested on your waist, caressing the soft curves. "Oh, I am sure you did... Or maybe you decided to go behind my back and visit your brother?" He asked. "Will you be a good girl and answer my question?"
As you sat on his lap, listening to him speak, your heart began to race when he mentioned your brother. Memories of last night's trip occupied your mind, and your anxiety only grew stronger with each passing moment. "I left the shrine without your permission."
"I understand that. So, now, can you be a good girl and answer my question?"
You only nodded your head, lowering your chin to avoid his gaze.
"Look at me," Douma ordered.
Once you looked at him, he gave you his kind smile, but his hands tightened on your waist, his long nails digging into your skin through the clothes. "Do you think I am stupid? Do you think I am a fool you can play around with?"
"Of course not, my master. I apologize for not obeying your order. Please, forgive me my reckless behavior, master Douma," you begged, most likely sounding like a pathetic whore.
"I should throw you out!" Douma snapped, squeezing you even harder. "I should throw you away and let you die in the wilderness like I didn't when my people found you."
His words grew louder and more aggressive with each passing moment, and you could feel your heart pounding in your chest.
As he continued to speak, you felt the tears forming in your eyes. You tried your best to hold them back, but the emotion was simply too overwhelming. You could feel the hot tears trickling down your cheeks, and you quickly wiped them away with the back of your hand.
"Oh, you're crying now? How pathetic," Douma chuckled. "You're alive only because I allowed you to live. I saved your life and didn't turn you into my next meal. You should be grateful for what I did! I gave you everything that you lacked in your life, and this is how you repay me?!"
In that moment, you wished you could simply disappear. You wanted nothing more than to escape from Douma's presence and find solace in the comfort of your own home. But you knew that you had to stay strong and face the situation head-on, even if it meant enduring the pain and discomfort that came with it. "I'm sorry. Please, master, forgive me."
"And what should I forgive you for? I should just get rid of you," he said, and soon after, he smiled. "You are a pretty, little thing. I should just end your life by devouring you."
As Douma continued to speak, you mustered up all of the courage you had left and spoke up. "I suspected that you were a demon," you said firmly, looking him straight in the eyes. "I've known for a few weeks now," you explained. "But I wasn't sure until now. Thank you for confirming it."
Douma looked at you and let out a maniacal laugh. "And what? Should I feel scared? Oh no! Y/N knows what I am," he pretended to be shocked before pushing you hard off his lap, so you fell to the cold floor.
Licking his lips, Douma looked at you. "And what shall I do with you now? It would be a shame to eat you, but it would be a waste to simply murder you and throw you away. I really don't want to stain my floors with your blood."
As Douma's words continued to cut deep, you sat frozen in shock, unable to move or even speak. Your body felt numb, as if you had been plunged into icy water, and your mind raced with a million different thoughts and emotions.
Despite the discomfort of the cold, hard floor beneath you, you remained in the same position for what felt like an eternity. But eventually, you were able to improve your posture, sitting back on your knees for better support. Your muscles were tense, and your fingers tingled with a strange numbness. "Well. You can do whatever you want. It's not that I have any influence here though."
Douma accepted the offer of 'doing whatever he wants,' which was an interesting proposal and he intended to make use of it. "If you say so, my dear. Let's consider it your way of apologizing to me."
Douma sat up and leant forward to you. His long fingers gently touched your cheek and then moved down, across the skin of your neck, until they reached the fabric of your kimono. He had personally picked it out to make you look even more beautiful. It was a shame to destroy it, but he could always get you a new one.
Douma's cold hands easily ripped the fabric open. "Look at you. So beautiful, yet so disobedient," he remarked, slowly running the tip of his tongue across his lower lip.
At first you only gasped, looking up at him with wide opened eyes. You wanted to ask what does he think he's doing, you wanted to run, you wanted to vanish; too many different emotions filled you up at the same time. "What..." You managed to whisper.
"Oh, don't play dumb, Y/N. I know you want me, no matter if I'm a demon or not," he smirked wryly. "I've always felt that, you little needy thing."
Looking him deep in the eyes, you sat up a little and removed your ripped kimono off; now only your black underwear was keeping you from his hungry eyes.
Douma observed you and nodded. "Now you're acting as you should, but as far as I'm concerned, you're still wearing too many clothes."
You slowly got up and reached to your back, unclasping your bra; your eyes never left his. You pushed the straps of your bra down your shoulders, letting it fall to the ground.
In the next step, you slipped fingers beneath the fabric of your panties and pushed them down your legs, stepping out of them in the end.
Finally, you listened to him as you should have from the very beginning. Finally, the bunny followed its master's wishes. "Good girl," he praised before getting comfortable on his favorite pillow. "What will you do now, I wonder?"
"May I get closer, my master?"
He gave you a nod, observing you curiously to see what would happen next; a ery smirk still glued to his lips.
You sauntered towards his bed, swaying your hips from left to right, and gradually seated yourself on the cushion. With a tinge of embarrassment coloring your face, you cautiously straddled his lap, trying to conceal your shyness.
"Now you feel embarrassed, sweetheart? Be brave, just like when you decided to betray my trust," Douma instructed, stroking your thighs.
His lap felt comfortable and welcoming, just as they always did.
Looking him in the eye, you reached your hands out and started unbuckling his belt with a sense of desire burning within your chest. You reached down and fumbled with the buckle for a moment, your fingers clumsy with anticipation. Finally, you managed to get it undone, and you let out a sigh of relief. The belt slipped free from his waist, and you felt a wave of satisfaction wash over you, as you licked your lower lip briefly.
Douma was already enjoying the sight of you. Finally, you knew your rightful place. He rested his chin on his palm as he observed you working.
Now that you were behaving, he was interested in seeing what you planned to do. "Just don't stop, little one. Show me how sorry you are."
With an unhurried pace, you opened the fly of his trousers and met his gaze, only to pause. "I... Well, I haven't done any of those things before, except for one time, but I was drunk and don't remember anything."
He looked at you in disbelief, raising one of his brows up, and sighed softly. Douma shouldn't have been that mad; at least he could teach you a thing or two.
He grabbed you and effortlessly flipped you both so that you were under him. "Oh, my poor, little bunny. I'm gonna teach you, don't worry."
His cold lips pressed a few gentle kisses to your cheeks before he started moving down your naked body, right between your legs.
Your abdomen swelled with an intense burning sensation, accompanied by an unbearable feeling of shame. "Douma, I deeply apologize for letting you down again..." You whispered quietly, and since you didn't know what to do with your hands, you tried to cover your breasts with them.
"Stop covering your body if you wish to avoid disappointing me once more. My dear, unwind and let yourself be at ease," he whispered, kissing the soft flesh of your thigh. He then dived between your parted thighs and started slowly lapping at your beautiful pussy.
You let out a moan as he continued to lap and lick at your sensitive areas, sending waves of pleasure throughout your body.
You had never felt this way before with anyone else. The sensation that Douma was causing was intense and overwhelming. You couldn't believe that someone could make you feel this good.
As the pleasure spread throughout your body, filling every single cell with desire, you let go of your prudery and slipped your hands into his beautiful, blonde locks, moaning his name and trying to buck your hips to gain more friction.
His rainbow eyes looked up and took in the pretty expression you made for him. He couldn't wait to see that face again when he fucks you.
He pulled away from you and bit the inside of your thigh.
As his teeth sank into your soft flesh, you couldn't help but moan. The bite was so powerful that his canines punctured through your skin, causing a few droplets of blood to surface.
You grabbed him be a sleeve of his turtleneck and pulled him closer, wrapping your arms around his neck and your legs tightly around his waist, kissing all over his sharp, perfect jawline.
"Oh, you're an eager one, aren't you?" He chuckled, pulling away to undress for you. Since you were in need, he couldn't keep you waiting for much longer.
Douma quickly got rid of his clothes and smiled, wrapping your legs around his waist tightly. He grasped his member and gave it a few jerks before moving it through your lips, teasing your clit. "Are you ready, sweetheart?"
You watche him getting undressed while biting your lower lip, slipping one of your hands between your parted thighs to tease your clitoris.
Douma was a man with a lean and muscular build. He had striking features - a sharp jawline, high cheekbones, and beautiful lips. His eyes were an unusual rainbow color, and they glimmered with a mischievous and seductive light. His skin was cold to the touch, and he exuded an aura of danger and mystery.
It all made you blush even harder, but a soft moan escaped through your parted lips when you felt his rock-hard cock rubbing through your folds. "Fuck me," you whimpered, looking him directly into his eyes.
He didn't think twice before pushing into you, watching your face twist in pleasure. His hand grasped your waist, pulling you gently as he thrusted in. He lowered himself and started whispering into your ear, "Look at you, getting fucked by a demon. I'm going to breed you nice and full."
Your nails dug into the skin on his back as he snapped his hips into you.
The pleasure was immense, and all you could do was moan his name softly while rolling your head back, resting it on his pillow.
Douma didn't give you time to adjust, so at first, all of his thrusts felt like a burning fire within your core. Yet, with time, your walls loosened, welcoming his girth with anticipation.
Douma wrapped his hand around your neck, squeezing it as his hips moved even faster. His other hand moved between your bodies, pinching your clit. "That's it, my little flower, that's it."
Your whimpers and moans grew louder as he increased his brutal pace. You wrapped one of your hands around his wrist, which was set on your neck, and begged him to fuck you even harder. "Douma! Ah! Just like that!" You moaned loudly, trying to buck your hips into his to deepen his thrusts.
"My little whore, soon you will be nice and full, and then everyone will have a reason to be really jealous of you," he growled, snapping his hips even harder into you. The grip on your throat tightened; he was curious about how much you could take.
"H-harder!" You begged. "Can I... Can I try?"
He stopped and looked at you while stroking your calf. "Tell me what you want."
With all your strength, you flipped both of you over so that you were on top of him, his member still deeply buried inside your pussy. "That's better," you whispered, resting your hands on his broad chest and slowly bucking your hips back and forth, making sure to sink on his cock fully, deepening each thrust.
"You little fucking liar!" Douma growled through clenched teeth, grabbing your hips strongly, digging his digits in your soft flesh. "You said you haven't done any of those things, but look at you now, riding me like a whore."
"I didn't lie, master Douma," you moaned, rolling your head back a little at the pleasure spreading throughout your body. His grasp of your hips left you certain you would find some bruises there the next day. "I'm a quick learner."
"Show me what you have learned."
Supporting your weight on his chest, you increased your pace; your pussy started spasming around his already throbbing cock. "Oh! Oh! I'll cum!"
Douma smiled widely, "Very good, my little petal. Cum and let me fill your little, tight cunt up."
You grasped one of his hands and moved it up to your neck. With each movement you were feeling how his throbbing cock massaged your walls, pressing the sweet spot hidden there.
Douma's hand wrapped tightly around your neck as he sat up to thrust his hips into you even harder. "Don't hold it back, Y/N, cum for me."
Your movements became sloppy and the knot that once formed within your abdomen snapped; your cum milked his cock as you screamed his name, rolling your head back in an immense pleasure.
Douma let out a loud, guttural grunt as he came deep inside of you. The feeling of your warm insides filled with his slickly cum was something he craved so much since the day he laid his eyes on you. "That's my good girl. I think I can forgive you for that little thing from today."
You wrapped your arms tightly around his neck and hugged him, still letting him nestle his cock in you; gasping for air you barely understood what he was talking to you. His scent filled your nostrils and in the end, after calming down from your peak, you asked him quietly, "Aren't you mad at me anymore? I promise I won't be disobedient."
"If you keep that promise, I won't be mad. You know I like it when you listen to me, especially since I do a lot to take care of you," he said, slipping his hand in your hair, in the end resting it at the crown of your head, holding you there.
Slowly and carefully getting off of him, you looked him in the eyes. "Douma?"
"What is it, my little pet?"
"Do you really like me?"
"Obviously, I do. If I didn't, you would be dead as soon as you recovered. But here you are, and I am taking care of you."
After a few seconds of silence, you dropped another question. "Can I stay... Can I stay for the rest of the night with you?"
Douma rubbed his chin, pretending to think, before giving you a nod moments later. "Of course, I can't say no to my favorite girl."
After making yourself comfortable by his side, you blushed slightly, feeling your mixed, slick cums oozing out of your pussy. "Have you slept with your other worshippers, too?"
"Yes. I have been with both men and women before," he said simply with a little shrug. It wasn't anything special for him. "But it was a long time ago. Don't worry, you are my special girl, my one and only."
Your eyes widened and you truly wanted to comment and asked more questions about that, but you decided to stay quiet. Instead, you dropped yet another question. "Can I be a demon too?"
"Oh no, you are too cute for that," he chuckled and booped your nose. "But maybe one day, if I decide that I want you to stay with me for eternity, we'll think about that."
"So if you're a demon, my lord, are there other demons out there? I heard a lot of stories, and people were always talking, but I haven't seen one myself. Are they having their cults as well?"
"Oh yes, there are, and they won't hesitate to eat you up. So be grateful I took you into my care. With me, you will be safe," he assured you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. "And no, they don't have cults, as far as I know."
After resting your head upon his chest, you went silent for a moment, only to return to asking questions again. "Are you going to devour me one day?"
Douma let out a loud laughter and shook his head. "I don't fancy playing with my food, and I have decided that I want you to stay with me. Of course, if you keep being a brat and completely strip me of my patience, with a heavy heart, but yes, I will devour you."
You shivered and tried to hide your head under his shoulder. "Can I meet other demons? Are you having demon friends? Are they coming here to devour people as well?"
He looked at you, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, we do have afternoon tea quite often, but none of my friends enjoy it. Quite a shame, truly, but oh well, that's their problem. And no, I am not letting any of them lay an eye, or even six, on you."
You gritted your teeth and shivered once again, not being sure if he was being serious. "Have I ever bumped into one of them, not being aware?"
Douma looked at you and placed his hand over your beating heart. "Well, since you are alive and here with me, the answer is no. You surely didn't bump into any demons without being aware."
You placed a few tiny kisses to his chest. "One last question, and I promise I'll let you rest. Why did you choose not to eat me once I was taken to your temple by your people? Oh, and are you the strongest demon? I think you must be."
Douma watched you, resting his head on his hand. "I just decided to let you live. Honestly, I planned to eat you as soon as you were nursed back to health, but I changed my mind," he shrugged a little, pointing at his eyes. "Not to brag, my dear, but I am the number two."
You once again tried to hide your head under his arm, but after a moment, you straddled his lap again, cupping his cheeks in your hands, taking a closer look into his eyes. Only then you noticed the number written in his irises. "Oh, my, how silly I was to not notice it! But truly, I don't care. To me, my lord is the strongest."
He grabbed your cheeks and pressed a quick kiss to your lips. "That's my smart girl. This is how things should be, little one. You make me more proud with every moment when you're acting like a good, obedient pet."
After the kiss you looked him deeply in his eyes. "Aren't you tired, my lord?"
"No, I am fine but you can rest, as all humans do. I will make sure my little petal is safe."
"Lord Douma?"
"Hmmm?"
"I love you…"
Douma was taken aback by your confession of love to him. Since he was a child, he was unable to fully understand human emotions, and the concept of love was something foreign to him. He stared at you for a moment, trying to process your words. In the end, with a soft smile, he gently grasped your chin between his slender fingers and kissed the bridge of your pretty nose. "I appreciate your feelings, but love is not something that I am familiar with. I care for you deeply, that's the fact, but I do not know if I can reciprocate your feelings in the same way."
"I understand, my lord. It means the world to me still," you got off of him again and made yourself comfortable on his chest, oh he was so soft, even if a little cold.
With time, your eyes started closing and eventually you drifted off to sleep.
All Douma knew was that he wanted to keep you around. It seemed like you were already a much better pet than the last one, but he was going to keep watching you with his careful eye. If you ever got on his nerves again, he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of you in the most brutal way possible.