Time Stop For No One

by Natto_vd

Summary:

Time Travel AU

On that very day the world was supposed to celebrate its final victory. The light of the sun was finally able to burn the demon king's body into ashes yet what greeted them was the birth of a new demon king “Tanjiro has turned into a demon! Kill him before he murders someone!” That was the last thing Giyuu shouted before Tanjiro pierce through his heart.

Notes:

I was inspire after watching the new demon slayer movie and I am craving more Sanemi and Giyuu story. I might miss some detail from the original story so I apologize in advance but I tried my best to make it accurate to the original story as posible. I hope Everyone enjoy!

P.S I am too lazy too make a title for each chapter

Chapter 1: 1

On that very day the world was supposed to celebrate its final victory. The light of the sun was finally able to burn the demon king's body into ashes yet what greeted them was the birth of a new demon king “Tanjiro has turned into a demon! Kill him before he murders someone!” That was the last thing Giyuu shouted before Tanjiro pierce through his heart.

He couldn’t move, even when his mind was screaming at him to fight. Giyuu's body still lay on the ground lifeless. As he lay there helpless while witnessing Tanjiro losing his humanity, Giyuu thinks back on all of his journey. How he had wasted his life mourning the people that wanted him to live, how he could become even stronger if he just focused on what he can do for this final battle. “It can’t end like this” Giyuu could only mumble one final word before finally descending into the darkness.

They have come so far and sacrificed so much yet all of their effort was never enough. Giyuu can never accept such a fate, even if he will be thrown at the deepest part of hell Giyuu would deny fate of its cruelty “then I hope this time fate will be kinder to you my child”.

Giyuu thought that he had finally lost his mind even in the afterlife, not only did he hear strange voices calling out to him but the pain he felt never truly left. Is this his punishment? Giyuu could only ask himself as a bright light managed to appear before him, forcing Giyuu to open his eyes.

The sight before him is one that Giyuu could never forget. Being carried away by a group of boys while blood dripped out of his wound and the very familiar sight of Mount Fujikasane. “Thank god your awake, we thought you died back then” one of the boys stated while carefully place Giyuu down “stay alerted, even thought Sabito have killed most of the demon here doesn’t mean more won’t appear” that single statement was enough to confirm Giyuu suspicion “Sabito, where did he go?” Giyuu asks sternly as he grip one of the boys arms tightly “ouch! Calm down man, he told us to go to a safer place while he chased down that big demon. With his skill the demon will prob-” before the boy could finish talking Giyuu rushed deep inside the forest leaving the group in a state of panic.

The same kind of injury, the same group of boys, and a very familiar scenery right in front of his very eyes. Giyuu did not care if this was a dream or a hallucination that Muzan had prepared for him, his body moved naturally to the same place that he last saw him. Deep inside the forest he saw Sabito blade break the moment it came in contact with the hand demon body.

In that very moment Giyuu forces his body to move faster than ever, not caring about the current injury he had. As the demon was about to crush Sabito its hands were met by Giyuu sword “Giyuu? But how?” being able to hear Sabito voice again Giyuu could feel tears streaming down his face but before that he tighten his grip on his sword before delivering one last strike “water breathing, first form: water surface slash” the demon didn’t even realize what the boy had done until his head had already fallen from his body.

Witnessing such a clean cut from his friend has left Sabito bewildered at Giyuu's sudden performance “wait are you alright? I told the others to carry you to safety” Sabito asks, worried expression surrounding the boy's face as he carefully checks on Giyuu Injury. Sabito is alive and breathing, feeling the warmth in his hand Giyuu couldn’t help but embrace him tightly “woah, are you that worried about me?” Sabito asks, trying to tease him “you almost died!” Giyuu scolded his friend “can’t argue about that. You really saved me back there, thank you Giyuu” Sabito stated, even with his normal expression the trembling in his hand didn’t stop. Sabito is just as terrified as the others when faced with death, Giyuu couldn’t even imagine what Sabito must have felt when he wasn’t there to save him.

By the time both Giyuu and Sabito have come across a wisteria flower the sun has already risen to the sky, indicating that the both of them have successfully passed the final selection. In the end everyone that partake in the selection managed to survive, Sabito was swarmed by people thanking him for saving their life. “I would already roam the afterlife if you didn’t come to my rescue, I owe you my life” the boy said in tears. Even the Ubayashiki family was shocked at Sabito's performance, without knowing it Sabito had marked a big achievement in the demon slayer corps.

Giyuu thought that when he opened his eyes this time the dream would be over yet what greeted him was the scent of a warm breakfast and Sabito and Urokodaki preparing breakfast together. “You're finally awake, you passed out when we were walking back home. Thankfully I'm not injured so I carried you all the way back” Sabito casually said while checking on Giyuu injury “so it wasn’t a dream?” Giyuu said in disbelief of the sight in front of him “it feels like one doesn't it? I can’t believe it myself either. I have to ask teacher to punch me hard this morning to make sure” Sabito stated while showing off the bruised on his face “that is enough playing around Sabito, the both of you should eat fast before our guest arrive soon” Urokodaki stated as the smell of delicious aroma filled the entire house.

Now that it has been confirmed that Giyuu manages to turn back time doesn’t know if he should feel relief or terrified of the things he has changed in this timeline. The Sabito in his timeline never gets to live past the final selection, that itself is already a major change for the future.

In the final battle the most fatal weakness they have is the lack of man power to fight Muzan until the sun rises. By the time all of the upper moon was defeated most of them are either dead or critically injured, even Giyuu can’t deny that if it weren’t for Akaza willing defeat he wouldn’t have made it till the end.

Focusing on getting more slayers to help in the final battle against Muzan should be Giyuu's current focus. Kanae, Renggoku, Tengen, Shinobu, and Muichiro all of them are exceptional slayers that have the potential to change the future. It sounds like a solid plan yet is Giyuu strength even enough to keep them alive? Sabito himself was easy because the hand demon was just a common demon that happens to engulf many beginner slayers but all five hashira were injured and defeated by an upper moon. Will he himself really be enough?

As he was deep in thought Sabito managed to pull him back to reality with a single flick of his finger “what are you day dreaming about?” Sabito asked curiously “I’m just really nervous of what’s going to happen next” Giyuu stated, to say that he was nervous is an understatement. Giyuu is terrified of what will happen next. The consequences of all of the changes that he will make, will it be worth it in the end? Is all that Giyuu could think of “you did so well though, you saved me from the hand demon remember?” Sabito said cheerfully “I think i got lucky if anything” Giyuu lied “then how about one last spar? We’re bound to get our first mission soon so why not practice our breathing technique?” Sabito's offer, seeing Sabito smile in person was enough to drive all Giyuu worries away. Even if it's just for a second he would like to be selfish as he took Sabito's hand and held him as tightly as he could.

Chapter 2: 2

Summary:

Giyuu and Shinobu accidentally become friends

The light of the moon manages to illuminate the calm night. In a small remote village where nothing but the wind can be heard through the dead of night, Giyuu managed to track down a demon easily.

Its footstep was light not even able to leave a single trace in the fragile snow, that is how it was able to consume many innocent lives undetected. Calm as a breeze yet sharp as a storm it leaps from building to building, frantically trying to avoid the demon slayer sword. An unfortunate fate for a demon, as Giyuu have no plan to let it get away “water breathing, tenth form: constant flux” in second Giyuu step rapidly increase as he continue to get closer and close to the demon as his sword came in contact with the demon body it stat to use its blood demon art.

The wind around them started to shift rapidly forcing Giyuu to back away “every last one of you has no rights to hunt me down!” The wind surrounding them started to rapidly increase its speed the louder the demon shouted. Soon the rooftop of the surrounding houses have started to crumble “if i’m dying then so does everyone else in this village” the demon smiles widely as the scream of villagers begging for help can be heard through the strom “you talk too much. Water breathing, eleventh form: dead calm” for a second everything seems so calm no sound can pierce through Giyuu focus as he deflect every attack that the demon throws at him.

As the demon starts to realize the real power of the slayer it frantically throws one big attack before attempting to run away, yet before it can even step foot outside of the village it can feel a sharp pain all over its body “trying to run after risking many innocent lives? Pathetic” the woman's words left the demon confused. It wasn't until he felt immense pain that he finally realized what she had done “is the pain starting to get to you? I guess that means my poison is a success” Shinobu stated as the demon fell to his death surrounded by a pool of its own blood.

By the time the storm has come to a stop the kakushi manage to retrieve the demon’s body before the villagers notice it. Giyuu and Shinobu manage to calm down the panicked villagers before departing to the Ubayashiki resident to report on their discovery. “The wisteria base poison was more lethal than I thought, as much as I hate saying it you 're right mr. Tomioka this poison can be more useful than we thought” Shinobu stated while tinkering with her sword “the credit is all yours since you were the only one with the knowledge to perfected the poison” Giyuu explain “I do think that we need to test the poison on stronger demons in order to see the full potential of the poison” Shinobu said sternly as she carefully observing the poison on her sword “but none the less this is a big progress on our little experiment, thank you for allowing me to conduct my experiment on your mission mr. Tomioka” witnessing Shinobu smiling sincerely makes Giyuu feel at ease, compared to the Shinobu in his past timeline she is much calmer and in a way happier.

It’s clear that Kanae's death is a big reason for her sudden shift in personality yet on the other hand it was also the reason why Shinobu skills have improved drastically in such a short amount of time. 

Giyuu knows that Shinobu is more than capable even when she is not a hashira but her physical strength is something that she has always been insecure of, and so Giyuu decided to give her idea in order improve on her combat strength “why aren’t we using wisteria poison to fight demon?” Giyuu asks while Shinobu is treating his wound “because it only works on weaker demons and we can’t predict how strong a demon can be before we went on a mission” Shinobu explains “but it’s only been tested once right? Doesn’t that mean it still has the potential to be more lethal?” hearing his question Shinobu can’t help but stare at Giyuu confusedly “your awfully talkative today mr. Tomioka” not wanting to be suspicious Giyuu has to come up with an excuse for his sudden question “Sabito is usually the one doing the talking but he’s been gone for weeks now” hearing his reasoning Shinobu instantly understand “missed you boyfriend already? I’m sure he will return safely soon”. 

At first Giyuu thought his plan had failed and immediately tried to find a reason for Shinobu to perfect the wisteria poison, yet as he was about to embark on another mission she suddenly came and approached him “allow me to accompany you on this mission mr. Tomioka”.

The moment they arrive to the Ubayashiki resident Sabito and Kanae were seen talking in front of the mansion gate “oh I didn’t expect the master to send you both on a mission” Kanae said as she greets the both of them “it was actually my request to accompany Mr. Tomioka on his mission, I was conducting an experiment with the wisteria poison” Shinobu explained “wisteria poison? I thought that only effected weaker demon” Sabito said as he help Giyuu out of the carriage “I did some research and found a way to make it more lethal than it should be, although it still need further testing I wanted to inform the master about my discovery before going further with the experiment” Shinobu explain, Kanae seems delighted to witness her sister determination on her research and decided to accompany her to report to the master while Sabito and Giyuu parted ways with them.

With the development of a more lethal wisteria poison on the way Giyuu felt more confident with his plan, and even Sabito started to notice his personality change. “You're smiling more recently, I’m glad” Sabito reached out and caressed the other man's cheeks “am I? I feel like nothing really change” Giyuu said calmly as he accepted Sabito affection “you said that yet when we first met your face will be red when I even attempt to hold your hand” Sabito teases him “that was because you said something embarrassing to me!” Giyuu defended himself “and what I’m doing now is less embarrassing?” Realizing what Sabito has done Giyuu can’t do anything but rush inside the water estate to hide his shame “wait Giyuu! I take it back, it wasn't embarrassing!” Sabito can only chase after Giyuu hoping that he will accept his affection back.

Chapter 3: 3

Summary:

Giyuu was supposed to investigate a demon sighting in the mountain side but he had requested Sabito to take on that mission instead as he was dealing with multiple cases in a remote village. Sabito was confused at first but decided to respect Giyuu's decision and accepted the mission. Of course the real reason for his request was one that he simply cannot speak so willingly.

Notes:

If you guys read something and think "Its not even possible for them to survive that" its plot armour working overtime.

Frantic footsteps echo through the small village. It's loud enough to cause a commotion amongst the residents yet the swift cut from Giyuu sword was quick enough for him to kill the demon without being detected, it took the kakushi help in order to distract the village resident from witnessing the demon presence.

Giyuu was supposed to investigate a demon sighting in the mountain side but he had requested Sabito to take on that mission instead as he was dealing with multiple cases in a remote village. Sabito was confused at first but decided to respect Giyuu's decision and accepted the mission. Of course the real reason for his request was one that he simply cannot speak so willingly.

It was morning by the time his crow had delivered the news, Giyuu was investigating the surrounding area when his crow announced “Kanae Kochou have fallen against upper moon two”. At the time Giyuu didn’t know what to feel, in this line of work death is always lingering around them that he has become numb to grief but this time Giyuu is determined.

While he has never seen the upper rank two power in person, Giyuu did manage to witness Shinobu rage in person. The dedication and time she put in  order to create the perfect poison is enough for him to imagine the demon's strength, Giyuu could only hope that he manages to hold off the demon until the sun rises.

Before he departed on his mission Giyuu make sure to visit the butterfly mansion to check on Shinobu research she seems to be busy at the time so he didn’t manage to talk to her, although the slayer that are currently training there mention Kanae have been investigating the nearby village for a while now and have been coming back with no successful result. Giyuu can’t be sure but he definitely knows that her death was supposed to happen and so he quickly prepares himself by taking on minor missions in the same area.

That night under the moonlight glow Giyuu grew anxious each second, he decided to stay at an inn at a nearby village to prepare for his mission. Kanzaburo is sleeping soundly as it was delivering a mission report for a week straight and was visibly disappointed when Giyuu decided to stay longer.

The moment Giyuu couldn’t hear anything but the night breeze was his cue to go on patrol. From one village to another Giyuu walked around to survey the night and for a while he couldn’t find anything. “Did I get the day wrong? I was so sure it’s going to happen tonight” Giyuu wondered as he continued to observe his surroundings.

Just as he was about to investigate a different area Giyuu could feel a sudden rush of cold breeze through his neck, he reached out his hand to discover a single drop of snowflake. Dread starts to fill Giyuu's brain as he rushes to the source of the cold, each step he takes increasing his heartbeat.

On his way Giyuu could spot a kasugai crow frantically flying away from the area before he spotted Giyuu “don’t stop! Go to the butterfly mansion and call for back up!” That was all the crow could hear before continuing its mission. “Please stay alive for your sister's sake” Giyuu nervously mumbled.

All that Kanae could feel right now is the never ending pain from the upper moon blood attack, he wasn’t even using his full power and Kanae had already tremble intensely from his blood demon art. “Are you alright? I told you to just give up didn’t I? Now your beautiful butterfly is covered in blood” his words are meant to comfort yet his gaze and expression is so emotionless that Kanae can only feel anger.

Kanae gathers all her remaining strength and forces herself to stand up, she can’t give up now. She made a promise to Shinobu that she would protect her and she can’t let such a horrible person break her promise to her beloved sister. “you shouldn’t move too much, you're only going to open up more wounds. You’ve already lost so much blood. Is this fight really worth it?” Kanae can only look at Douma with disgust “any fight that will give me a chance to end an abomination like you will always be worth it” Kanae gript her sword tightly before launching another attack.

Each strike of Kanae sword was managed to be parried by Douma fan yet the flower hashira was not one to be easily discouraged. Taking advantage of Douma carelessness Kanae uses the time to increase the speed of her attack gathering enough momentum to deliver a heavy attack “flower breathing, fifth form: peonies of futility!” Douma didn’t expect the girl to still have enough strength to overwhelm him as a result Kanae managed to cut  through both of his arms.

Still at awe at Kanae skill Douma didn’t hesitate to regenerate his arm to give her a standing ovation “beautiful even after experiencing such excruciating pain you still manage to injure me! You truly deserved the title of hashira” Douma said, trying to comfort the girl once more. Kanae can only stare in shock, years of training and mastering her breathing technique only for the demon to be healed in an instant “is this really the power of an upper moon?”.

Noticing her distressed the demon tried to comfort her with his encouraging words “don’t be so sad. You work so hard to gain an advantage over me, I'll make sure to grant you a painless death as a reward” Kanae glare grew sharper as the upper moon took pity upon her.

If her strength alone is not enough to defeat the upper moon then the only other way is to trap him in the sunlight. Kanae stares at her body full of wounds combined with the immense pain that she has suffered. Only one result came to mind and it’s a result that Kanae dreaded to see through.

The flower hashira has been resting for a while that has led Douma to believe that she has officially surrendered “are you tired? I’m sorry you have to go through so much just to kill me. Everything will be alright now you can rest” hearing the demon word Kanae frantically force herself to fight as Douma launches multiple attacks with his fan “oh you're still breathing? Thank goodness I thought I would need to look for another company” Douma attack was much more powerful this time, he even started using his blood demon art to launch an ice storm towards the girl.

As Douma prepared his final attack he sensed another person rapidly making their way to their area “water breathing, third form: flowing dance” a swift strike of the slayer sword managed to stop Douma attack to observe the unexpected guest.

Even Kanae was surprised at Giyuu's sudden appearance, her kasugai crow was just deployed not that long ago and Giyuu had already arrived. “How is your injury miss Kochou?” Giyuu asks while still observing the upper moon closely “he manages to pierce through my lung and as a result i’ve been losing blood since the past few hours” Kanae explains resulting in Douma sudden excitement “I pierce through your lung? Sorry it must have been painful, but that really surprised me since I am not even trying” hearing Douma excitement Giyuu grip his sword tightly in advance “thank you for your hard work miss Kochou, I will take it from here” Giyuu words shocked both the hashira and the upper moon.

While Douma is staring in disbelief, Kanae can only stare at Giyyu in horror “mr. Tomioka he is an upper moon, one of which that can’t be defeated by beheading them” Kanae tried to explain calmly “I am aware miss Kochou but right now our only other option is to wait for reinforcement and I don’t think he is kind enough to let us wait” Kanae didn’t know if she should be terrified of Giyuu’s plan or how calm he is while facing an upper moon “how noble of you. Letting a lady rest while you fight for her life with your own, I'll make sure to grant you an end of the highest caliber!” a snow storm started to pour as Shinobu and Sabito made their way to Giyuu’s location.

Chapter 4: 4

Summary:

That day he dreamt of his sister, she was holding his hand as they walked around the city. Her smile is just as beautiful as he remembers. Tsutako held his hand tightly as they visited many of their favorite places. The large rice field near our house, the candy shop on the edge of the street, and our favorite kiosk serving Giyuu favorite salmon daikon.

That night despite it being a warmer season the air was colder than what they are used to. Icicle forms in the sky as it was aimed at Giyuu only for him to deflect every single one of Douma attacks. Kanae's injury was getting lethal by the second, Giyuu told her to get as far away from the battle field as she can before Douma uses his blood demon arts.

Douma, not willing to let the hashira escape, launches multiple attacks in order to hinder her escape, yet every time he thinks she is gonna die Giyuu manages to repel all of his attacks. The slayer was faster than Kanae, he moves flawlessly through the battle field. Like a flow of water he maneuvers through the fight with ease much to Douma's surprise.

As the frozen lotus flower started to surround Giyuu, standing his ground and steadying his breathing “water breathing, sixth form: whirlpool” in second every lotus flower surrounding him was shredded to pieces.

Before Giyuu could land on the ground Douma summoned an ice spike to surround a large area below him, forcing Giyuu to strike the ground “water breathing, eight form: waterfall basin” the sharp spike was instantly shattered the moment Giyuu sword touched the ground.

“You're a really strong slayer! You must have worked really hard to be able to perform such a beautiful attack” Douma stated happily as he rushed towards Giyuu side and swung his fan closer to him, at this point Douma's target had shifted allowing Kanae to run away safely while Giyuu distracted the upper moon.

Compared to Akaza Douma attack is slower yet much more lethal than the upper three, each icicle that manages to pierce his skin hurts so much that Giyuu body is starting to become numb, it doesn’t hurt as much as Akaza punches yet the pain linger long enough to drain his energy. But Giyuu can’t afford to slow down the sunrise is just around the corner and it won’t be long until reinforcements arrive “water breathing, seventh form: drop ripple thrust” Giyuu pierces through every attack Douma throws at him as they dash around the battlefield.

The sound of fighting could be heard a mile away as both Shinobu and Sabito can be seen rushing to the battle field to witness thousands of ice shards scatter around the village. “What in the world is going on? It's not even winter and snowflakes are scattered around the village” Shinobu said as he observed her surroundings nervously “it must be a blood demon art. We should focus on assisting Giyuu and miss Kochou as soon as we can” as Sabito said that a familiar figure can be seen crawling in the distance.

Shinobu did not think before approaching the heavily wounded Kanae. The moment Kanae caught sight of her sister she finally allowed herself a moment of rest as she fell into her warm embrace. “Sister! What have they done to you?” Shinobu can’t control her emotion the moment she lays eyes on her sister. Anger, sorrow, and fear filled her entire mind as she frantically treated her sister's wound.

Sabito took off his haori to help warm Kanae up as the temperature started to drop “he approach me so casually, I didn’t even realize he had a weapon before he managed to pierce through my body” Kanae said, her voice shaking uncontrollably as she recount her entire encounter tonight.

As the storm started to pick up, both of them managed to get Kanae into a safer location before the Kakushi arrived with a large amount of medical supplies. Sabito was about to rush to find Giyuu but suddenly a large block of ice can be seen rushing towards their side, before Sabito could even take out his sword Giyuu suddenly rush in front of him “water breathing, tenth form: constant flux” and with a single swing of his sword the ice shatter into pieces.

Witnessing his heroic act Douma gave Giyuu his last standing ovulation “beautiful performance, I have a lot of fun tonight. Tomioka right? I’m looking forward to our next dance” as he said that the tiny spark of sunlight can be seen in the distance, not wanting to waste this chance Giyuu gathered all his remaining energy for a final strike.

As he closed his eyes Giyuu concentrated on his breathing and focus his gaze at Douma “water breathing, eleventh form: dead calm” for a split second Giyu manage to cut through Douma head yet the second he regenerates his head Giyuu heart started to drop “you can’t get enough of me, I guess you should be grateful that I left you a parting gift” hearing that sentence Giyuu can already imagine what the demon have done.

Sabito immediately rushes to Giyuu side the moment Douma ran away, the kakushi follow soon after with medical supply to treat his injury. Giyuu's outfit looks terrible as his haori was torn into pieces and blood splattering all over his uniform but what scared Sabito the most is how Giyuu caught up a flow of blood before falling to the ground, causing Sabito to go into a state of panic. “Giyuu! Stay awake for me! Don’t you dare leave me behind! Giyuu!” Despite Giyuu's desire to slay away the pain was overwhelming his body. He wanted to reach into Sabito's hand one last time yet the darkness got to him first and he slowly fell into a deep slumber.

That day he dreamt of his sister, she was holding his hand as they walked around the city. Her smile is just as beautiful as he remembers. Tsutako held his hand tightly as they visited many of their favorite places. The large rice field near our house, the candy shop on the edge of the street, and our favorite kiosk serving Giyuu favorite salmon daikon.

For a second everything was calm and Giyuu could breathe peacefully as his sister played with his hair. “Do you still feel pain Giyuu?” Tsutako asks with a worried expression “I don’t know, this is a dream afterall” Giyuu word manages to surprise Tsutako yet her worried expression turns into a cheerful one “you realize. Guess I didn’t do a good job at hiding it” her smile was gentle yet her eyes are still filled with worry as if she is about to cry at any second.

Giyuu reached out to her sister's hand, the warmth that usually filled her was absent yet he didn’t mind he still held on to her as he lay in the rice field watching the sun set in the distance. “I’m sorry you have to go through so much” Tsutako said as tears streamed down her face “I was supposed to protect you and yet all you went through since my death is pain and suffering” her hand started to tremble.

That night when the demon attacked their home Tsutako stayed to make sure Giyuu could escape. She looks so calm over the terrified situation, her expression shows no fear yet now as he grew up Giyuu couldn’t imagine how scared she must have felt at the moment.

Ever since that night all Giyuu wanted to do was fall into his sister's embrace even if it was just in a dream. In that dream he decided to be vulnerable and hug Tsutako as tightly as he can, surprising her in the process. “I don’t care anymore, now that you're here can I hug you as much as I can? I don't want to regret anything anymore” that single sentence was enough for her to wrap her hand around him as they both cried tears of joy upon reuniting with each other.

In the end Giyuu didn’t regret a single thing, even in this beautiful dream he bid farewell to the person he cherished the most. When he woke up Giyuu was covered by bandages, his whole body felt sore as he took a step out of the bed.

Upon further inspection it seems like he was in the butterfly mansion, it makes sense since the last time he was awake Douma had dealt lethal damage to his whole body. “I wasn’t able to use my mark” Giyuu mumbled. The air around the battle field was so cold that he wasn’t able to activate his mark. This reason alone is a big factor that led to Shinobu's death. 

A blood demon art that can prevent a slayer from releasing their full potential and he was just an upper moon two, Giyuu can’t imagine what the others went through when they fight the first upper moon.

A huge gust of wind can be felt rushing into Giyuu room the moment he opens the door. The morning sight of the butterfly mansion has always been a calming viewing place, Giyuu decided to sit down at the estate porch to think about his next plan.

The sudden sound of a broken glass can be heard through the corridor. When Giyuu turned to look at what happened and was shocked to see that Kanao could be seen visibly shocked at the mere sight of Giyuu presence “are you alright? Let me help you clean it up” before Giyuu could even come close to the girl, she was already yelling as loud as she can “miss Kanae!”. 

Her voice was loud enough to wake up the entire estate, Giyuu is already dreading the lecture Shinobu is going to give her. After a while Giyuu suddenly realized that the girl was calling out to Kanae instead of Shinobu yet when it comes to treating patients it was usually Shinobu that handled most of them.

As Giyuu was in the middle of his thoughts a familiar person managed to rush to his side in a panic, the moment their eyes met Kanae couldn’t hold back the tears in her eyes. “Thank goodness, welcome back Mr. Tomioka” that day he was greeted with a warm embrace.

Chapter 5: 5

Summary:

Giyuu Woke up

The sun was shining brightly on that very day. Kagaya was thankful for this day seems to be a peaceful one. Since the last upper moon sighting they have gained no luck in tracking down Muzan location, the corps have suffered major losses since that day. With Giyuu showing no sign of recovering and Kanae heavy injury forcing her to step down as hashira.

Each day they can only make small progress as they patiently await for a single clue of the twelve kizuki whereabouts. “The entertainment district has been calmer in terms of demon attack, there will be an occasional disappearance but nothing my family couldn’t handle” Tengen reports “I’ve investigated a rumor of a mysterious clinic in Asakusa but so far nothing has come to light” Muichiro explained.

Everyone reports are about the same but the main reason why they are here is because of Sabito finding “recently there have been many reports of a well dressed individual roaming the countryside whenever a murder occurs. The first few days I was searching nothing seems to happen but on the fifth day a massacre happen” the victim have always been family living far from the city, their body was mutilated and many blood was scattered across the crime scene “what’s more strange is that when I first arrive people was talking about that well dress individual yet when I patrol the area I have never encountered anyone that fit their description” Sabito explain, his expression grew stern with each detail he revealed.

Shinobu then took out a map marking all of the massacre location they encounter so far “all of the victims are living far from each other, even with the kakushi help alone it took me a whole month to be able to reach every resident where the crime took place in” Shinobu then breath a heavy sigh at her empty finding “it’s either a blood demon art or Muzan order his minion to take us in a wild goose chase” Sanemi stated “isn’t this is a bit unusual for him to do though?” Mitsuri ask, trying to make sense of the situation “I have to agree with miss Kanroji that man usually do things for a purposed, weather its to decrease our man power or create an opening to attack” Obanai said calmly “and yet even after sending many of our lower rank slayer to investigate, all of them have come back safely” Shinobu stated.

In the end their meeting came to a halt as Kagaya assigned Sabito and Shinobu to investigate the incident a little longer, all they can do is wait and prepare for the worst to come. As the mission ended many of their kasugai crow came to give them new information for their latest mission “well you guys certainly wait for right time” Tengen said sarcastically “it can’t be help, demon never stop at anything” Rengoku stated cheerfully as he prepared to depart on his mission.

Kagaya himself was about to head back yet the sight of a crow flying frantically to his estate caught his attention “Giyuu Tomioka is awake! Shinobu Kochou is needed in the butterfly mansion!” That single sentence was enough to stop everyone at their track. As the others stare in disbelief, Sabito is already rushing towards the butterfly mansion “wait Sabito!” Shinobu soon chased after him in a panic.

All of the hashira were stunned at the announcement. The man that faces off against an upper moon that they all thought will never survive is awake “three years” Kagaya mumble, all of the hashira then turn to look at their master shedding his tears “after three years he finally comes home”.

Sabito was told to move on, that accepting his death is what Giyuu would have wanted. He spent countless nights sitting by his bed side holding his hand praying for a miracle. He prayed that he could feel his warm embrace even for the last time.

The moment Sabito opens the door of Giyuu room he immediately falls to his knees at the mere sight of Giyuu waking up and smiling once more. “Your alive” Sabito voice cracks the moment Giyuu wipes away his tears “I’m sorry for making you wait” hearing the gentle sound of Giyuu voice was enough for Sabito to kiss him.

Shinobu was covering Kanao's eyes as she noticed the group of hashira staring intently at the couples reunion “it seems like their love is more distracting than we thought” Kanae chuckled at the sight of her colleague curiously peaking inside of the room “I’ll make sure to close the curtain whenever they are together” Shinobu sigh in defeat.

The sight of so many familiar faces gathering to celebrate Giyuu awakening was overwhelming at first, not that long ago they died by Muzan hands yet now they are all gathered together to welcome him home.

Mitsuri was the first to greet him the moment they entered the room “it’s a pleasure to meet you mr. Tomioka. I’ve heard of your achievement ever since I joined the corps. I hope we can work together to defeat Muzan” her smile is just how Giyuu remembers “achievement? I think you got the wrong person” Giyuu said, confused of Mitsuri statement “she meant your achievement in facing an upper moon” Shinobu explain while checking on Giyuu wound “I wouldn’t call getting into a coma after fighting an upper demon an achievement” Giyuu stated. After hearing Mitsuri's perception of him now Giyuu is getting worried of what kind of rumor people made out of his recent act.

After Shinobu was done treating his wound Giyuu thought that all of them would depart for their mission but to his surprise Kagaya decided to visit him personally. Giyuu was taken back by the sudden visit yet he had expected this, he was the first one to visit Giyuu after his final selection even after telling the master multiple times that he would rather be alone the master will always find a way to accompany him.

Gyomei and Sanemi help Kagaya walk as Shinobu sets a chair for him right next to Giyuu bed “how are you feeling Giyuu?” The master's voice is always gentle when he speaks as if he knows all of the weight Giyuu has on his shoulder. “I am feeling better master, it’s nice to finally be awake” Giyuu said with a smile as he held Sabito's hand for support.

As they talk, Kanae closes all the curtains and locks the door to make sure that no one is able to disturb their discussion. “I would like for you to tell us your experience on fighting the upper moon, Kanae have already told us her side of the incident but she stated that the upper two only use a fraction of his blood demon art when he is fighting her” it make sense fo the master to ask him straight away, Kanae was gravely injured even when Douma did not use his blood demon art that fact alone is already enough to make them worry.

Giyuu retells the incident of that very night, how Douma manages to make his surroundings as cold as possible to make his body numb and how his blood demon art is related to ice. “But I have a feeling that the ice he created is not just any normal ice. Each time I breath I could feel a sharp pain stinging my whole body, slowing my movement as a result” Giyuu explain calmly “not only is his blood demon art is powerful but he can also poison our body overtime” after hearing Giyuu explanation Shinobu can be seen gripping her palm tightly “even after experiencing such pain your still focus on protecting miss Kochou, I respect your principle mr. Tomioka” Rengoku said while patting Giyuu shoulder “Kanae said that he didn’t even bother to use his blood demon art on her yet her injury was more severe than yours” Sanemi stated “that is because I only came right as the sun was about to rise, if I fought him for longer I think my fate would have been the same as miss Kochou” Giyuu explained.

Kagaya was satisfied with the information Giyuu has given, now that they know one of the upper moon abilities he can already expect what kind of demon they are going to face in the future. Before he left Kagaya asked Giyuu to rest and that he will give him a mission once Shinobu deemed that he has fully recovered.

As the meeting came to a conclusion a problem arose “make sure to eat. don’t train too much for now wait for Shinobu to conclude that you're strong enough to lift a sword” Sabito said as held on to Giyuu tightly as the other hashira had to use all of their strength to pull him away from Giyuu. “Stop being a pain in the ass and get back to work!” Sanemi yelled out, it took Sanemi, Obanai, and Mitsuri hours to finally get Sabito to go on his mission “I’ll take you on a date when we come back!” Sabito shouted as he was carried away by Sanemi, leaving Giyuu and Shinobu to stare at him in disbelieve “that was the first time he showed so much emotion in years” Shinobu explain “I’m glad that your finally awake” hearing Shinobu statement Giyuu can’t imagine Sabito being emotionless, whenever were together he would always be the first one to smile.

Once everyone have left Shinobu ask to take a sample of Giyuu blood for further testing “if the upper moon ice manage to poison you we need to check if there are traces of it left on your blood, it won’t only prove useful for your recovery process but also to find a way to defeat him” Shinobu explain sternly. Her gaze now is more serious than when they first met. Giyuu understands why yet he still feels sad knowing what she is going through now that she is a hashira “aren’t you tired miss Kochou? I heard from your sister that you just got home after a long mission” Giyuu ask curiously “thank you for your concern Mr. Tomioka but I am fine. The twelve kizuki have been quiet for years now. It won't be long until they cause another trouble, until that happens I need to be stronger”.

That was the same answer that Shinobu gave him after her sister's death, in the end he couldn’t protect Kanae. Douma blood demon art is too powerful for him to fight alone, preventing a slayer from awakening their mark while also being able to poison their opponent easily. Giyuu understands why Shinobu works so hard to perfect her poison.

Kanae told him that after their battle with Douma it becomes harder for her to breathe properly that she can’t fight like she used to and since then Shinobu have been researching ways to cure her but was unsuccessful. Giyuu was lucky in a way, he managed to recover fully without any complication yet he still feels guilty for not protecting Kanae.

“I’m sorry” Giyuu voice was quiet yet Shinobu still manage to hear him clearly “you don’t need to apologize it is my job to take care of every slayer injury” Shinobu stated not looking away from her research “no I mean, I’m sorry for not being able to protect your sister” Shinobu turn to look at Giyuu the moment she hear his reasoning “I was too slow, if I had notice sooner your sister would still be able to recover fully. I’m sorry” for a while it was quiet, the only sound that Giyuu could hear was the wind.

Giyuu did not dare to look Shinobu in the eyes, whether it was fear or shame he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. It wasn’t until Shinobu reached out and tightly held his hand that he finally saw Shinobu genuinely smiling at him “Mr. Tomioka from now on, let's do our best” that sentence alone was enough to make Giyuu smile back at her for the very first time.

Chapter 6: 6

Summary:

Sabito and Giyuu going on a date

Notes:

Isamu is the name of Sabito crow, I'm not really good with name so I hope it doesn't sound so weird.

P.S I have no idea where the hashira home is located if they live close to each other or not, so most of this are my head canon I'm sorry if any of the location do not make sense canon wise but I do hope everyone gets to enjoy Sabito and Giyuu wholesome moment.

The mountain is more dangerous at night, not only because of the demon but also because of the wild life and the absence of light in the area. Sabito often encounters many demons along the mountain path, some tried to run while some are a bit daring than the others.

Its body was harder than the normal demon making it harder for Sabito to slice its head off. “So…hungry!” Its voice echoed through the entire mountain as it continued to attack Sabito frantically “not even close” Sabito was much faster than the demon. As he jumps from one tree to the other the demon is getting visibly angry and starts knocking down every tree it comes in contact with.

As the demon continued to attack Sabito can confirm that it was just a weaker demon with abnormal strength, it must have gotten hungry since people rarely went through this side of the mountain.

Not wanting to waste time Sabito jumps down from the tree and concentrates on his breathing “water breathing, eight form: waterfall basin!” He plunged his sword into the demon separating the body from its head.

He expected the monster to scream and yelled yet what comes out next is an excruciating cry. “I don't want to die!” tears streaming down its eyes “he promised me more food! I just don't want to feel hungry anymore!” Sabito then thrust his sword into the demon head “then you should have thought twice before drinking his blood”.

In the end all that Sabito discovered was a weaker demon waiting for someone to devour. The mountain was basically inhabitable with no sign of life all over the area “good work, now go home” his crow said as they both made their way back to the water estate.

The journey back was less eventful as he expected. It took Sabito a week to get home, along the way he managed to help the lower rank slayer fight against a horde of demons before finally stepping foot in the water estate.

Even when his body is tired from not sleeping for days on end the first thing that Sabito wanted to do is to check up on Giyuu. He was on his way to their room when he heard a commotion coming from the training ground. There all of the beginner slayers simultaneously attack Giyuu at once while he swiftly avoids their attack “your attacking too carelessly” Giyuu said while striking their back.

Some managed to get close enough to strike but were met with Giyuu extreme reflexes “not good enough, again” he instructed. Most of them are already kneeling before him with no energy left in their body. “I’m so tired” one of them complained “I can’t even lift my sword” all of them soon fell to the ground as all of their energy was drained.

They expected Giyuu to let them rest but all they got is a strict instruction “get up, we are not done” all of the slayers stare at him in horror. Slowly one or two people attempted to fight him but was met with a disappointing result.

Sabito could see their hands trembling and some even on the brink of passing out. “Mr. Tomioka I can’t feel my legs anymore” one of the slayer stated “then you need to get up” Giyuu said coldly, all of them could only stare at him in disbelieve “demons will not wait for you to regain energy, once you stop moving your as good as dead. So get up and strike me as hard as you can” they were tired yet one by one they all slowly stood up and attacked Giyuu.

Giyuu managed to ask the kakushi to help carry all of the slayer to rest for the day, he was just about to head back to his room when he noticed Sabito observing him from the gate of the water estate. “That was one tough lesson” Sabito teased him. “It was necessary, you and I both know this very well” Giyuu said as he walked to Sabito's side.

The fox mask that he has worn during their final selection has been with Sabito's side throughout his journey. Giyuu did not understand why Sabito had chosen to wear it all the time but Giyuu did not like the fact that he could not see Sabito's face.

As Giyuu carefully removed Sabito mask he was greeted by the sight of his partner longing gazing at him “I’m back Giyuu” Sabito said while Giyuu reach out to kiss him “welcome back Sabito” In the end Sabito never got to sleep. He promised Giyuu that they would go out together when Sabito got back from his mission and he will not be waiting any longer. 

Giyuu was never someone that liked crowded places, Sabito noticed that he is much happier walking along the river side and bird watching from a far. “Kanzaburo and Isamu look happy” Giyuu stated as both of their kasugai crows fly carelessly “they are going to crash into a tree at this point” as Sabito said that Kanzaburo accidentally bumped into a small branch.

Even though it was just supposed to be a nature walk Sabito had already planned what to do, he had heard from many of his colleagues that there is a place near the river where flowers naturally grow and it is said to be the number one spot for couples to skip training. Of course Sabito immediately scold them for skipping their training but not before getting the exact location of the romantic spot, armed with this knowledge he sworn to make today the happiest day of Giyuu’s life “he is hopeless” Isamu stated “very hopeless” Kanzaburo agree.

The journey to the romantic spot was not actually easy to get, they would need to travel deep inside the forest with a high potential to encounter a demon and after a long walk they would need to climb a rather steep and slippery cliff and only when they caught sight of a waterfall is when their journey have finally came into a finished.

Along the way they encounter many scenic views where Giyuu would ask Sabito if they could stop and enjoy the view. While this would hinder Sabito plan he was not bothered by it since Giyuu happiness is more important to him “this takes me back” Giyuu said as Kanzaburo is resting on his lap “we used to go on a nature walk like this everyday since there is nothing much that we can do to relax” Sabito then recall many fond memory of both of their training days with Urokodaki “I receive a letter from teacher not long after I woke up, he scolded me for being careless and would hope that I will be more careful from now on” Giyuu chuckled as he remember how worried Urokodaki sound just from how he write the letter “he is right thought you need to be more careful” Sabito tease him “you of all people should be the last person to lecture me for that” Giyuu stated coldly.

Sabito is trying his best not to fall asleep as his sleep deprivation is starting to get to him. After hours of walking they finally manage to caught sight of the cliff that they need to climb, while Giyuu is not usually one to doubt his partner ability he can’t help but hesitate when Sabito reach out to help him climb the cliff “I won’t let you fall, promised” hearing such enthusiastic Giyuu decided to trust Sabito and accept his help.

It was a rather smaller cliff than what Sabito had expected and so he was able to help Giyuu climb easily. Everything seems to go smoothly much to Sabito delight yet when they are about to reach the top Sabito vision has started to blur, Giyuu manages to reach the top safely yet the moment Sabito pulls himself up his hand manages to slip and lose his foothold.

Realizing Sabito's mistake Giyuu frantically gripped his hand and tried to pull his partner up a cliff “Sabito wake up! Don’t fall asleep now!” Giyuu shouted loudly, Kanzaburo bit the neck of Sabito haori and tried to pull him up with all his strength yet that alone wasn’t enough.

Sabito did not even realize he had fallen asleep, for a second it was just darkness yet when he opened his eyes he felt a constant pain hitting the back of his head. “Wake up moron!” Isamu yelled out and he continued to hit his slayer head with his beak.

His heart drops the moment Sabito looks down to see that he is dangling off a cliff. Sabito immediately grabs onto the edge of the cliff and pulls himself into safety. “Are you alright? Did something hit your head? Should we go to the butterfly mansion? How many fingers do you see” Giyuu frantically ask while checking to see if Sabito got any injury “I’m fine really, sorry I was supposed to be the one to protect you” Sabito said not wanting to meet Giyuu’s gaze “what are you talking about you’ve been protecting me before we even become demon slayer” Giyuu said “did you forget? You saved me from the hand demon, remember?” as he reminded Giyuu of that incident, Sabito's smile started to disappear.

Thinking back Sabito has seen Giyuu risking his life many times. From the final selection to the upper moon attack, even witnessing Giyuu ended up in a critical condition. “When the upper moon attacked you I didn’t even notice. I was too scared, I remember how my hand trembled the moment I saw you getting close to him” Sabito gripped his hand as he recalled the sight he remembered on that very day “I’m such a coward aren’t I? A hashira trembling upon witnessing an upper moon power, how am I supposed to protect anyone?” Even as Sabito tried to put on a forced smile his eyes could never hide the tears he was holding back.

The feeling of being helpless is something that Giyuu knows very well, back then he wasn’t this strong, all he could do when Sabito died was cry. Years he spent training just to catch up to Sabito level only to feel more hollow each time he swung his sword. 

For a while none of them spoke, it's just them and the afternoon wind blowing through their hair. Sabito was just about to speak when suddenly he felt Giyuu embracing him tightly as he buried his face on Sabito's back “are you trying to comfort me?” Sabito ask, amused by his partner action “it’s a compensation hug, for all of those years we missed” upon hearing Giyuu explanation Sabito turn around and hug him back “back then you used to hug me like this, when I cried missing my sister comfort it was you who filled her spot” Sabito remembers, they were just a kid back then both mourning the death of their love one “I feel in love with you at that moment. You protected me at the lowest point of my life and that is just one of many times. so it’s alright you can be scared, you can cry all you want because you will always be enough for me” that day Sabito mask cracked for the first time as a stream of tears started pouring out as he hugged Giyuu as tightly as he could.

In the end they did not make it to the romantic spot like Sabito had wanted, he ended up sleeping on Giyuu’s lap as they waited for the kakushi to arrive and help them get back home. “A romantic spot? Mr. Tomioka that is just a route couples go through to avoid getting spotted by the hashira” the kakushi explain “oh I’m aware, I caught many of them while taking a walk with Kanzaburo” Giyuu stated calmly, confusing the kakushi as a result “then why didn’t you inform the water hashira about it?” Giyuu can’t help but smile while playing with Sabito hair “I don’t want to ruin his fun” even their crow knows about that fact before Sabito even suggests it to Giyuu “you did not tell him?” Kanzaburo asked “he won’t listen” Isamu stated.

Chapter 7: 7

Summary:

back to work

On a particular morning in the butterfly mansion, many of the hashira seem to be gathering in Shinobu’s office. A white snake lay on the patient bed comfortably as Giyuu reached out to pet him “your right miss Kanroji he is a gentleman” Giyuu stated “his name is Kaburamaru, he is mr. Iguro’s loyal companion” Mitsuri announced cheerfully “it's a pleasure to meet you mr. Kaburamaru” Giyuu greeted the little guy, Kaburamaru seemed to enjoy the man's presence because of that Obanai managed to lower his guard around him.

In his original timeline Obanai was not this kind to him. Giyuu did not blame him, at the time he was too focused on grief that not many people like to interact with him. He is happy that in this time Giyuu could get to know everyone personally “after everyone manages to come home safely from their mission Miss Kanae and I would host a tea party for everyone, Mr. Tomioka would you care to join us sometimes?” Mitsuri ask nervously “I would love to but that strange I never seen Sabito going to the love estate after a mission” Giyuu said as he tries to remember if he had missed Sabito sneaking off without Giyuu noticing “Sabito rarely interact with the other hashira outside of mission” Obanai stated.

Obanai started to explain that before Giyuu woke up Sabito is not very social. He was distant from others hiding his emotion behind the fox mask he always wears. Even when they were having a meeting together he always distanced himself from others and spent his free time training in his estate, Mitsuri tried to get him to open up to her but all she got was a cold response. “I know that Mr. Sabito is going through a lot at the time so many of us are understanding but when the news of your awaken was announced I was happy for him, for the first time we get to see Mr. Sabito smile” Mitsuri smiles widely as he remembers the look on Sabito's face as he stares at Giyuu longingly.

The three of them ended up chatting for a long time before Shinobu finally came back “it seems you all are having fun” Shinobu entered the office, bringing a large bottle of medicine. “Don’t tell me all of that is for me” Giyuu stare nervously at Shinobu “don’t worry you have recovered fully and have no need for medicine, this is for Kaburamaru” Shinobu explain scaring the snake in the process “that whole jug for a digestive problem?” Obanai asks, shocked at the amount Kaburamaru has to digest “Mr. Iguro he’s been bloated and vomiting for the entirety of your mission” Shinobu reminded the man “I’m sorry mr. Iguro. It’s my fault for feeding him my homemade honey” as three of them argue back and forth. Kaburamaru is trembling on Giyuu’s lap.

As they were leaving the butterfly mansion Kanzaburo can be seen flying towards Giyuu direction “go north! Demon sighting north! 3 slayers injured!” Kanzaburo yelled out. “Looks like the master have finally given you a proper mission” Obanai stated “please return safely Mr. Tomioka” Mitsuri smiled softly as Giyuu departed on his first mission.

Deep at the heart of the forest lay a graveyard of people that no one ever visited, its only grave keeper was a monstrous figure devouring every living being that caught its sight. Three slayers laid lifeless at the ground as their body was slowly torn apart “delicious, as expected from a slayer body” the demon stated as it grabbed one of the slayer legs and slowly tore it away from his body, earning a hysterical scream from the slayer. “Why won’t you kill me?” the slayer voices tremble as the overwhelming pain creeps through his body “because I want it to hurt you more” the demon smiled widely as it tore off all of his legs.

Following the sound of screaming Giyuu traversed through the snowy forest, as he ventured deeper inside the forest the scent of blood became stronger and stronger until he was greeted by a pool of blood oozing from a slayer body. They lay lifeless as every limb on their body was torn apart and scattered through the area. The demon was standing beside another slayer munching on his body part as he screamed in agony.

It was enjoying its meal so much that it didn’t notice a sword slicing through its neck “water breathing, third form: flowing dance” as its head fell to the ground Giyuu gripped his sword tightly, sensing that the demon is more powerful than any weaker demon he encountered. “How dare you interrupt my meal!” it lunges its body at Giyuu forcing him to back away and use a defensive stand “wretched filth! I will devour all of you!” A spike of bones crawl out of the demon body constantly attacking Giyuu every movement.

Not wanting to give the demon a chance to recover Giyuu decided to continue attacking “water breathing, seventh form: drop ripple thrust” as Giyuu rapidly thrust his sword the bone spike movement stop, creating an opening for Giyuu to attack “water breathing, tenth form: constant flux” in mere second Giyuu manage to cut the demon’s body into pieces, leaving only the head to remain “if only I devour the last one I would have had enough power to defe-” before it can even finished his sentence Giyuu slice through its head “you talk too much, hurry up and go to hell” he stated coldly not wanting to listen to its fantasy.

Before the kakushi arrived Giyu tried to treat the slayer's injury but unfortunately both of them are in critical condition, two were left heavily injured and one had already passed away. As Giyuu was treating one of them the slayer push him away “go to him” he stated sternly with trembling hand “I already lost a lot of blood, there is no saving me he needs you more” Giyuu held onto his hand tightly before answering “thank you for all that you’ve done, you can rest now” when the kakushi arrived both of the slayers were already dead, leaving a single comrade to live in their place.

It’s been a while since Giyuu was last sent on a mission, he missed the peaceful feeling of sitting on a carriage while he traveled from one location to another. The long journey gave Giyuu some time to think of his next plan, since all of the hashira he knew have already gained their rightful title it won’t be long until Giyuu is finally given the mission to meet Tanjiro.

On that day Giyuu arrived late to save the Kamado family causing Nezuko to turn into a demon, he had long debate on how he will handle that mission now with the knowledge he has. The fact that Nezuko is a demon that can conquer the sun means that the person that attacks their family is Muzan himself and even if Giyuu brings the whole corps to attack him directly they have no chance in winning.

Whether they like it or not the demon king power is not something they can underestimate, even after master Kagaya has made a very detailed plan and strategy for us to defeat him Muzan still manages to find a way to counter them. Tanjiro is the only person that can use sun breathing and Nezuko play a big role on many of their critical mission and the only reason Tengen manage to survive the fight against the upper six, as much as Giyuu hates it the best course of action is to let fate do its job, Giyuu can only hope that the Kamado family will not cursed him once he join them in the afterlife.

Giyuu woke up that morning by the fury of his kasugai crow, he was so deep in his sleep that Kanzaburo had to hit his head really hard leaving a mark as a result. “Giyuu…” Kanzaburo mumbled as he trembled in Giyuu’s arm “What’s wrong Kanzaburo? Did the master give us another mission?” Giyuu mumbled, still trying to wake himself up after a long night of non-stop mission. “If you keep sleeping like that demon will easily kill you in your sleep” Sanemi stated, Giyuu could only stare in shock at the sudden appearance of the wind hashira riding the same carriage as him.

Upon arriving at a small remote town Giyuu learns that there was a rumor going around about a demon living amongst the townspeople, Sanemi was sent to investigate the matter and that is where he met Giyuu sleeping soundly at the back of a merchant carriage. “That rumor sounds too good to be true” Giyuu stated while accompanying Sanemi on his mission “the description of the demon seems to be too accurate to ignore, a young malnourished man with pale grey skin and bloodshot eyes” Sanemi explain “if he is malnourished then it won’t be long until he finally devour someone” as they wait for the sun to set Giyuu decided to investigate while Sanemi prepare to fight.

The town is more peaceful despite all the rumors that are going around, many of them believe that the rumor was just a stunt parents made up to prevent their kids from playing too late at night while some that believe the rumor have simply avoided his gaze the moment Giyuu even glances their way.

Hours went by and Giyuu only managed to gain a growling stomach after hours of investigation. He was just about to meet with Sanemi when a delicious scent caught his attention, when he turned to look it was a family restaurant serving a variety of local delicacies “I’m sure Mr. Shinezugawa would understand” Giyuu stated as he entered the restaurant.

As Giyuu was browsing the menu he noticed that despite having many customers there is only one person running the store. An older gentleman maneuvers in and out of the kitchen while simultaneously cleaning the table top and conversing with his customer “Is your son getting any better?” The moment the customer asks Giyuu notice a slight discomfort expression appear on the owner's face “after his last treatment I can’t afford to pay for another one, so I’m currently looking for a cheaper alternative” the owner answers “are you sure you don’t need any help? Your wife just passed away not too long ago, it’s a miracle you can handle so much” despite the generous offer the owner rejected it immediately and continued to run the restaurant.

After gaining that information Giyuu starts to observe the owner's behavior, at first glance he seems to be a hard working man with the biggest smile on his face yet the longer Giyuu observes the more questions he has. 

Despite assuring his customer that he doesn’t need any help he is clearly struggling and suffering from the lack of workers, he watched as the owner continuously spilled many ingredients and condiments to the floor and walls and from the stain that is presence all over the kitchen that means he is constantly knocking over many appliances. Giyuu did not blame the man for being so clumsy as there are many bowls and plates scattered all over the sink and counter that there is barely any room to move, meaning that usually he had some help around the kitchen. 

With that much observation Giyuu can easily conclude that the owner is struggling with the lack of help yet what makes Giyuu even more suspicious is the clear frustration that he shows the moment he thinks no one is looking. At first Giyuu thought he was angry at himself yet after a moment tears started forming around his eyes before he wipes it off to continue cooking.

That night as he and Sanemi are patrolling the town Giyuu curiously asks him “what would you do if your loved one was turned into a demon?” unexpectedly the hashira did not flinch at his question, his answer came fast as if he already had a clear answer to the question. “I will kill them, as there is no worse fate than becoming a demon” Giyuu expected this answer as Sanemi never shows any empathy to his enemy but what he didn’t expect is for the hashira to ask him back “what about you? If Sabito became a demon would you kill him?” the silence Giyuu gave as Sanemi asked him that question was loud.

As the wind started to pick up a wretched scream could be heard from a nearby house. Both of them grip their blade as they immediately lunge at the demon but were stopped the moment a man shielded him “please stop!” Giyuu's suspicion was correct, the owner's ‘sick’ son was indeed the demon they are looking for “I beg of you! Please spare him!” the owner begged as the demon continued to bite into his arm.

Sanemi is visibly enraged by the owner's action, he grinds his teeth as he asks the owner “you're still sparing him even as he is slowly killing you?” the hashira asks no longer hiding his anger. “He didn’t mean to do it! He was hungry!” The owner tried to explain yet Sanemi is already aiming his blade at the demon, the owner uses all his strength to push his son away from danger yet was met by the pain of a Sanemi sword. 

Even after experiencing such excruciating pain the owner continues to embrace his son, protecting him with his whole body as a result. “You coward! You rob him of peace the moment you let him roam as a demon! Even as he is suffering now you force him to live only to fulfill your lonely wish!” Sanemi shouted “he is the only one I have left!” the owner cried out, as his blood dripped to the ground Giyuu used the moment to separate him from his son.

Giyuu's movement was so fast that even Sanemi did not realize what happened until he gazed at Giyuu's side, the owner tried to frantically chase after Giyuu but Sanemi managed to hold him down. “Tomioka, kill him now!” Sanemi shouted, even when Sanemi's strength was too much for the owner to handle he desperately tried to break out and call out to Giyuu to spare his son “I will do anything! Even if you have to kill me, I'll do anything! Please let him live!” not wanting to hear the man's reasoning, Sanemi picks up the owner and holds him by the collar. “I’m only going to say this once, as long as demons exist humanity will never know peace. How selfish can you be to not only let your son suffer but to put the entire world in danger” Sanemi's voice was stern and cold, stating facts that some refused to accept.

The man can only shed his tears while staring at the hashira with his hollow eyes “he was a kind child. Always helping around our restaurant, studies hard, and earns so much love from others. So why?” The owner's voice trembles the moment his eyes meet with the sight of his son shaking uncontrollably at Giyuu’s grip. “Why is he reduced to such a fate?” The owner then stops fighting as he closes his eyes, not wanting to witness his child end.

In the end Giyuu let go of his grip, as the demon dashes towards him, Giyuu steady his breathing and grip his sword tightly preparing to end the child’s suffering. “Water breathing, fifth form: blessed rain after the drought” Giyuu’s sword strikes fast, causing the demon to feel no pain in the process as its head falls to the ground. As Sanemi finally let the owner go, Giyuu tried his best to treat the man wound before the kakushi arrived “he did not feel any pain, I make sure of it” even after hearing the fact his tears did not stop, Giyuu could only bid him farewell as him and Sanemi made their way back home.

Before they depart Giyuu to witness the townspeople comforting the owner as the kakushi is treating his wound, it will take a while for him to get back to his feet, he might not even recover. It’s tragic but it’s the price they all have to pay and that price is something that Giyuu is willing to pay. “You ask me what I would do when Sabito turns into a demon right?” Giyuu said, reminding Sanemi of their conversation. “I will put my life on the line in order to turn him back into a human” Giyuu answered, his voice was stern and Sanemi could tell that Giyuu was very serious about his answer.

Arrogant is the first thing that Sanemi thought the moment he heard Giyuu answer yet he would be lying if he said he did not expect the answer. “How romantic” Sanemi stated in disgust cause Giyuu to chuckled at the hashira response “this was a valuable experience Mr. Shinezugawa, thank you for letting me assist you” Giyuu said while petting the sleepy Kanzaburo “just Shinezugawa is fine, your a strong fighter Tomioka we should practice together next time” Sanemi offer while sharing his snack with him “it would be an honor, i’ll make sure to bring Sabito along” hearing Giyuu word Sanemi could only laugh “sure bring your lover along that way you can finally see the difference in our power” Sanemi stated confidently, Giyuu could only imagine how Sabito would feel after hearing of his experience right now.

That morning in the water estate Sabito was training the lower rank slayer when Kanzaburo arrive with a letter for him, he notice the hand writing immediately Sabito then prepare himself for a heartfelt message Giyuu had sent him yet what he ended up getting was Giyuu informing him of his vacation with another hashira. “I hope this letter finds you well Sabito, the purpose of this message is to inform you that I will be staying in the city with Mr. Shinezugawa for a couple days before heading home. We just finished a mission together and he insisted on showing me around as a reward, I'll make sure to bring you some souvenirs. Please take care of yourself sincerely Giyuu” Kanzaburo could feel Sabito's anger as he continued to read the letter.

Noticing the water hashira trembling, one of the beginner slayers decided to approach him “is there something wrong with the letter water hashira?” he curiously asked yet what answered him was the tight grip of Sabito's hand on his shoulder. “In today's training we will be hunting down the wind hashira” the lower rank slayer could only scream in agony as Sabito led them outside of the water estate.

Chapter 8: 8

Summary:

The misunderstanding arc

Months have passed since Giyuu was awakened from his long slumber, since then Urokodaki has been receiving constant letters from both of his students. He was overjoyed at first but overtime Sabito has used the letter as an excuse to vent about Giyuu idiotic venture. It’s been years since they first departed on their first demon slaying mission, Urokodaki trusts his student well yet recently as the season starts to change he can’t help but feel like something big is going to happen.

Snow descended from the sky accompanied by the cold breeze of winter. Winter has always been many slayer's least favorite time of the year, not only for its unbearable temperature but also for making many paths extremely inaccessible. 

Many choose to spend their free time warming up before inevitably facing the wrath of the winter frost while others choose to embrace the cold hoping that once they set off on a mission their body would get used to the cold. Giyuu was just meditating in the training room when Kanzaburo started flying to his side to inform him of a mission. “Giyuu…demon spotted…mount Kumotori” even the kasugai crow is not spared from the extreme weather “i’ll be counting on your guidance then Kanzaburo” Giyuu then patted his crow head knowing full well of what is waiting for him in the mountain.

Even after Giyuu has decided to let fate do its job he still needs to hold himself back from rescuing Tanjiro’s family. The snow storm occurred as Giyuu followed Kanzaburo guide, each step he took felt heavier and heavier as if his mind it’s not prepared to face Tanjiro once more. Giyuu remembers the look on Tanjiro's face the moment he turned into a demon, the sting of pain he felt the moment the boy pierced his heart. Giyuu's body still trembled at the mere memory of that day yet he didn’t stop running.

After hours of traversing through the snowy landscape Giyuu finally caught sight of them, Nezuko pinning Tanjiro to the ground as the boy begged her to remember him. As he lunges at them with his sword Tanjiro manages to dodge him at the last second yet he loses sight of Nezuko in the process “you protected her” Giyuu said as he tightened his grip on Nezuko “she is my sister! I was just about to bring her to the city for treatment!” Tanjiro explains as he looks at Giyuu with his worried gaze.

In his previous timeline Giyuu was undoubtedly much harsher upon meeting with the young boy, at the time it was the best course of action yet now he is debating on how he should handle this situation. “She can’t be cured, once she gets exposed to a demon blood it’s already over” Giyuu stated coldly while drawing his blade to Nezuko neck “Nezuko is different! She still recognizes who I am! I’ll cure her no matter what so please…” Tanjiro then kneels in front of the man “I beg of you, please spare my sister's life” . His action is the same as before, still trembling at the sight of Giyuu and at the sight of her sister's life on the edge of death.

Giyuu then lowered his sword and called out to the boy “get up” his sudden command surprised Tanjiro as he hesitantly raised his head. “You said you wanted to cure her, then show me if you are capable” Giyuu stated as he aimed his sword at him. As the snow starts to surround them Tanjiro uses this moment to execute his plan.

The sound of footsteps rushing around Giyuu is clear as day, if Tanjiro is going to attack him just like he did in the past Giyuu would have no problem dodging every thing the boy throws at him yet something about this felt different. Just like Giyuu had predicted Tanjiro had thrown a rock at him, that simple attack was easily deflected yet what Giyuu didn’t expect is for Tanjiro to suddenly appear in front of him with a sharp wooden spear.

Despite his sudden appearance Giyuu managed to kick the boy in the stomach and hit the side of his neck causing Tanjiro to pass out. That was very different from the past, how did Tanjiro manage to get so fast? Is he also from the same timeline as his? Giyuu was so deep in thoughts that he almost forgot about the axe rapidly approaching him.

As Giyuu tried to dodge the attack his grip on Nezuko was loose causing the girl to kick him away, even after knowing what the girl would do Giyuu still couldn’t hold back his shock as Nezuko put himself in front of his brother to protect him from the slayer. Giyuu then lowers his sword as he approaches the siblings, Nezuko still growl at him the moment he got close to Tanjiro “it’s getting cold, he won’t survive with such thin clothing” Giyuu explain as he cover Tanjiro with his haori.

Recognizing the man's attempt Nezuko starts shrinking back to her normal size as she lowers her guard around the man “would you allow me to treat your wound miss Nezuko?” Giyuu asks while taking out his bandages, the girl hesitates at first distancing herself the moment Giyuu tries to approach her. “Your blood is contagious if anyone got exposed to it they will instantly turn into a demon, I do not wish for your brother to go through such hardship so please allow me to treat your wound” hearing the man explanation Nezuko then allow Giyuu to approach her as they wait for Tanjiro to wake up.

Hours went by before Tanjiro finally showed signs of being conscious, when he opened his eyes the sight of Giyuu braiding Nezuko hair was the last thing he thought of witnessing. As the boy slowly stand up Nezuko then rush to his side embracing him tightly once more “once your ready head to the foot of mount Sagiri and seek a person with the name Urokodaki, tell him that Tomioka Giyuu have send you” Giyuu then got up and prepare himself to depart “right now the sun light can’t reach your sister but once it start to clear up you must never let it touch her” as Giyuu was about to walk away Tanjiro suddenly shout out “thank you so much! I will not let you down!” That was all Giyuu had to hear before making his way back home.

Kanzaburo did not notice it but Giyuu was holding back so much of his emotion, days he spent traveling back home and the moment he finally got some time alone he could no longer hold back his tears. “Thank goodness, Tanjiro…I beg of you live on” his whole body trembles as he remembers what happened the day of Muzan’s death.

Giyuu still remembers how cold Tanjiro's hand felt when he held the boy's arm for the last time, even when Tanjiro became a demon Giyuu can’t imagine himself killing him afterall he was the one that reminded him of Sabito's will. “Aren't you going to pass on what Sabito has entrusted you?” That single reminder is the reason why Giyuu is fighting for a better future “you don’t have to worry Tanjiro, this time i’ll make sure to never forget it”.

That night the water estate was much quieter than usual, many of the beginner slayers were already sound asleep by the time Sabito arrived. As the hashira entered the estate he was greeted by the sight of Giyuu sitting alone in the kitchen counter “you seem deep in thoughts” Sabito greeted him “sorry it was just a very hard mission” Giyuu breath a heavy sigh as he contemplated if he should mention of what he had done. 

Silence filled the room as Sabito accompanied him through the calm night, Giyuu knew very well how Sabito felt about demons. Years ago when Sabito have not gain the title of hashira they handled a similar case and despite their family begging them to spare the demon and Sabito did not hesitate to kill their child “I see so the brother was protecting her even after she turned into a demon, it must be hard for him” Sabito said as he listened to Giyuu story “killing a family member is hard even when they are a demon, you don’t need to feel guilty Giyuu his sister will thank you for ending her suffering” Giyuu could only gripped his hand tightly when Sabito voice his opinion.

‘Nezuko is different’ Giyuu wanted to scream it so badly yet he has nothing to prove such a fact, even if Giyuu were to march to the Ubuyashiki estate begging them to spare a single demon life they would refuse and kill her immediately. 

 Each second of silence had only caused Giyuu to be even more anxious to the point that he must hide his expression from Sabito at all times as he confessed “I didn’t kill her” Sabito stopped moving the moment heard Giyuu's statement. “oh then the brother killed her?” The lack of answers has already answered Sabito's question. “Giyuu, did you spare a demon's life?” Sabito's voice grew colder as he asked one last question.

Sabito doesn’t need Giyuu to answer for him to confirm his suspicion, his partner expression is all that he needed to see. The sound of glass shattering can be heard near Giyuu “do you have any idea what you have done Tomioka?” Giyuu didn’t know what hurt more the mark Sabito had left on his face or the fact that Sabito no longer calls out his name “I am well aware of the risk” Giyuu stated sternly “there is no cure for demons! The moment she is hurt that boy life is already done for!” Sabito shouted, enraged by Giyuu action “she was already hurt! When I found them Nezuko was already bleeding out for hours yet as I was about to kill her all she did was stand by her brother's side and protected him from me!” Giyuu's explanations have left both of them in silence.

In the end they didn’t say anything to each other, Sabito just grabbed his sword and departed from the water estate leaving Giyuu alone without an explanation. He wanted to cry more than anything, Giyuu wanted to beg for Sabito to stay yet he kept his mouth closed knowing that Sabito will not oblige.

This is the result Giyuu has expected, the consequences he must bear in exchange for a better future. “Sister, did I make the right choice?” Giyuu didn’t even notice the tears streaming down his face the moment Sabito's warmth disappeared.

It was already very late at night the moment Shinobu was done treating her last patient, she was finally ready to rest when she caught sight of Giyuu standing in front of the butterfly mansion door step. “This is a rare sight, what brings you here mr. To-” before she could even finish her question Shinobu was caught off guard with Giyuu expression, redness filled his eyes with a visible water mark present on both of his cheeks indicating he had been crying before coming to the mansion. “I’m sorry to bother you so late but would it be possible for me to stay here for a couple days?” Giyuu asks, not letting the woman meet his gaze “sure but why so sudden?” Shinobu tried to get the man to speak his reasoning “I’m tired Shinobu” for the first time Shinobu could hear the exhaustion in Giyuu's voice, she should ask for a more detailed explanation but the pitiful sight of the man was enough for Shinobu to let him stay.

Deep down Giyuu knows that Sabito will never treat him the same way anymore, he tries to convince himself that it is for the best yet even Shinobu could see that Giyuu is not in the right mind to make the decision. She is not one to judge but once Shinobu caught sight of Sabito soon he will be in for a very long lecture once they were given the chance.

Chapter 9: 9

Summary:

Sabito Simping

That night Sabito was awakened by the cold breeze of winter blowing through his hair, dawn had finally arrived as the carriage he took traveled through the foot of mount Sagiri. Before parting ways the kakushi have given him a letter from the Ubayashiki family regarding his request “the master would still want you to attend the hashira meeting Mr. Sabito, your kasugai crow will inform you of the time and I will be here assisting your travel” Sabito thanks the kakushi for his job before finally departing on his journey.

Nostalgia filled Sabito's mind the moment he took a step in the mountain. He remembers finding a boy unconscious in the forest as he was training, he was out of breath and his pulse was so weak that Sabito thought he would die. Urokodaki managed to nurse him back to health just in time for him to train together with Sabito.

The first few nights with the boy were annoying for Sabito, it was clear that he was still grieving his loss, crying almost every night and refusing to eat even a single bite. It wasn’t the fact that he was grieving that Sabito was annoyed by, it was the fact that the boy showed no interest in living that annoyed him, disregarded his sister's effort to protect him Sabito hated that the most about the boy. Yet Sabito chose to tolerate him as he didn't want to cause Urokodaki more stress.

A demon slayer was supposed to be strong, they have to be strong in order to protect the weak. That is always how it’s been yet that night as Sabito made his way back home a demon suddenly ambushed him, Sabito thought he was strong enough yet the strength of the demon still managed to overwhelm him. 

Just as he thought death was upon him Sabito could hear a wretched scream as the demon head fell to the ground “are you alright?” Giyuu asked frantically as he rushed to Sabito's side, the boy he thought was never capable of becoming strong was the one that protected him in the end. “Thank goodness, I thought I would lose someone again” even though it was Sabito that almost died that night it was Giyuu that cried the hardest, at that moment for the first time Sabito embraced Giyuu tightly not knowing how hard he would fall for the weak boy.

In this cruel and unforgiving world the weak never have any option, their choices were trampled by the strong as their reality was built around protection. Yet despite not having a single talent and strength, Giyuu's will to protect him that night was strong enough to kill a demon.

Time and time again he kept throwing himself at dangerous situations without a single care of his own life, but every time he came home injured and wounded his smile was so bright that Sabito couldn’t bear to look at his face. He loves him, Sabito loves him so much that it hurts.

Sabito loves it when Giyuu would send him letter when they are a part, Sabito loves it when Giyuu welcome him home with a warm embrace, Sabito loves it when Giyuu hold his hand whenever he is nervous, Sabito loves Giyuu so much that his love alone was enough to keep him living.

Not even Urokodaki can stop Sabito from overworking himself to train Tanjiro, he remembers the first night he met with the boy. Urokodaki has tasked Tanjiro to split the boulder in order to prove himself worthy of being in the final selection. His movement was slow, his stand was all over the place, and his sword strike won’t even be enough to slice through a demon's neck. 

Such a weak person is not even worth training yet Giyuu entrusted his life to him, Sabito couldn’t accept it. From that day onwards he dedicated his time into training the boy, Sabito would depart on a mission making sure he would finish in a day then he would train Tanjiro until the boy finally passed out. 

Urokodaki was amazed at his student determination, even when he departed at the dead of night Sabito still made sure to prepare a training plan for Tanjiro making sure the boy would improve the moment he came back. For months Sabito has always finished a mission in a day or less, returning with nothing more but a scratch on his arm “you really love him” Urokodaki said as the both of them observed Tanjiro training from a far “more than anything” Sabito reply without hesitation.

Being a demon slayer is not an easy job, witnessing many deaths and constantly facing it himself is not easy. On his first mission after final selection Sabito couldn’t hold back his tears as the sight of a whole family lay in a pool of blood after being devoured by a demon.

His emotion created a weakness for demons to manipulate, that is why Sabito chose to wear the fox mask his teacher has gifted him. Over time even as Sabito grew numb to the cruel sight he could never take the mask off, whether it was because of fear or shame he chose to dawn the mask in every mission he takes.

Yet what Sabito is looking forward to the most is the sight of Giyuu smiling softly as he took off Sabito's mask to welcome him home. That moment alone is enough motivation for Sabito to do his best on every mission.

Two years have passed since Tanjiro had stepped foot in mount Sagiri, his body was filled with bruises and his hair has grown longer. On that day Sabito had just come back from a mission when the boy suddenly approached him “Mr. Sabito I would like to challenge you” at the time the water hashira thought the boy had finally gone mad but the expression the boy shows upon challenging him felt oddly familiar.

Both of them venture deep inside the forest where the boulder is located to start their duel. “Just like before, I will only allow you to cut through the boulder if you can land a hit on me” Sabito stated as he gripped his sword tightly.

Tanjiro stands have become more proper since the first time they met, he was more confident and his body finally understood the flow of water breathing. Sabito did not hold back the moment Tanjiro made his move, leaping from one tree to another the hashira still managed to overwhelm the boy with his agility alone.

Hours went by and Tanjiro movement was starting to slow down, just as Sabito thought the duel was over Tanjiro concentrated on his breathing. He managed to parry every attack Sabito threw at him, taking advantage of the situation Tanjiro took the moment to search for an opening thread.

As the hashira took a step back Tanjiro suddenly appeared in front of him, slicing his sword through his mask. It happened so fast that Sabito didn’t realize it at first but as Tanjiro's surprised face appeared before him Sabito finally breathed a sigh of relief as he finally allowed the boy to pierce through the boulder.

That night Urokodaki prepared a heavy dinner for all of them. All of them enjoy the delicious food before as they celebrate Tanjiro's achievement. Sabito was looking after Nezuko as both Tanjiro and Urokodaki were chatting.

Ever since Tanjiro started his training Nezuko has been deep in slumber, at first they thought she would wake up at night yet each day she shows no sign of waking up. “You said that you guys fought a demon before arriving at Mount Sagiri, correct?” Sabito curiously asks “Thats right unfortunately he had already killed the people in the temple before we arrived” Tanjiro explained while gently patting Nezuko head “how did your sister react upon scenting human blood?” Sabito asks coldly.

Tanjiro hesitates at first knowing that the hashira asks that with such hostility but as he gazes at his sister sleeping Tanjiro decided to answer honestly. He told Sabito how Nezuko had to resist the strong urge to consume a human upon smelling the blood and how Nezuko managed to control her hunger and help Tanjiro kill the demon.

A demon with a will strong enough to resist their own nature, Sabito almost laughed as Tanjiro was retelling him their experience. Compassion is not something that the water hashira gives for free but witnessing Tanjiro’s will first hand Sabito is willing to bet his own life for the siblings.

Stars filled the night sky as Sabito sat in front of his teacher hut, after Tanjiro finally went to sleep Urokodaki had joined him while handing his student a brand new fox mask. “You have grown so much” Urokodaki said “did I? It feels like I stay the same as before, maybe even weaker” Sabito stated while gazing at the fox mask “I doubt you would still be a hashira if you are weaker” Urokodaki laughed at his student statement.

In the end they both spend the night star gazing before Sabito departs to the water estate as Tanjiro has finished his training. Sabito did not show it but he was terrified, when he left he had accidentally knocked down a glass as he was slapping Giyuu.

Sabito didn’t even know why he did that, directing his anger at the one and only person he loved so dearly. Sabito wanted to jump off a cliff at this very moment.

As the view of the water estate becomes closer and closer Sabito prepares himself for a lifetime of beating, he will accept his punishment like a man and let Giyuu beat him up as much as he wants.

Yet when Sabito stepped into the water estate no one was there to greet him, the whole building was left empty with no sign of Giyuu anywhere inside. The hashira have also expected this afterall why would he stay at a place that causes him such pain.

In the end Sabito chose to continue his training when an unexpected guest appeared “finally chose to stop running away?” Obanai asks while giving the water hashira a disgusted gaze. 

Of all the colleagues he could have run into, it was the one that hated him the most that showed up. “I don’t get it, he told me that he loves you so much and many expressed the same thing yet all I see is a coward that chose his anger over love” Obanai did not hold back as he continued to mock Sabito even more. “Are you here to judge my love life now?” Sabito asks sarcastically “Tomioka asks me to look after the estate since he is not ready to come back” Obanai explains sternly.

Sabito kept trying to get Obanai to tell him where Giyuu is as he wanted to talk things through yet all he got was a constant mock from the snake hashira. “Stay away from him, that is what Tomioka wants you to do. Nothing more and nothing less” Obanai stated coldly.

The tension in the estate was so tense that Sabito was prepared to fight the other hashira to get an answer. Yet as the both of them gripped their sword tightly two kasugai crow can be seen flying frantically towards them.

“Twelve Kizuki sightings! Mitsuri Kanroji and Giyuu Tomioka are currently fighting!” Sabito's body moves on his own after hearing that announcement, as Kanzaburo is leading them towards the battle field his find is filled with multiple worries.

It's been years since a member of the twelve kizuki appeared, and the last time Giyuu was left in critical condition. Sabito doesn't care if he is going against an upper or a lower moon this time he will protect Giyuu at all cost.

Chapter 10: 10

Summary:

As Giyuu was gripping his sword tightly the young woman opened her eyes and glared directly at him, revealing a writing in her eyes ‘lower moon four’.

Notes:

There is very little info about the lower moon that I have to made up what their ability is, So many of the scene of the lower moon that I will write is not canon but I do hope you guys will still enjoy reading it. I do want to utilize the lower moon cuz Giyuu is not gonna follow Tanjiro all the time so he will need a different demon to fight.

P.S. I tried to make Mukago ability from the info that is available in the wiki specifically the meaning of her name, I'm aware that there is a fanbook where Gotouge gives more info about the series but I haven't read it so if guys know the other lower moon ability feel free to share in the comments.

Years have passed since the last upper moon sighting, Muzan was not happy with the result of Douma antics. As an upper moon he had expected Douma to take it seriously and kill at least the hashira only to find out the woman not only survived but one of his victims had also recovered fully from his blood demon art.

Rage couldn’t even describe how the demon king is feeling right now, more than a hundred years and not single progress was made. The blue spider lily still remains missing and his experiment to create a demon strong enough to withstand the sun have gone in vain.

Even as Muzan was venting his anger on the lower moon he can never truly calm down, as blood splattered all over him Muzan glances at the lower moon coldly. Her body is still recovering from the demon king attack, as little by little her body starts to regenerate Muzan suddenly grabs the lower moon by her collar. “I’m starting to question why I chose you in the first place Mukago” the lower moon trembles at the mere implication of Muzan's statement.

Just as Mukago thought she was gonna die, a monstrous flesh struck her stomach injecting her with more of Muzan blood. “I will give you one last chance to prove yourself, don’t disappoint me” Muzan stated coldly, leaving Mukago alone as she screamed in pain at the mere feeling of the demon king's blood was more painful than death itself.

As she was recovering from a long excruciating pain a human suddenly stumbles upon the horrific scene, his expression shows concern as he witnessed a young woman alone and injured at the dead of night. “Hey are you alright?” Yet as he anxiously approached her Mukago did not hesitate to rip out the man's heart and slowly consume his entire body “I will not die like this” that was the last thing the man could hear before being slowly consumed by the lower moon.

It’s been years since Giyuu finally get the chance to visit the city, he had planned to go home after his mission but the guilt of living under Shinobu protection has been eating him a lot recently, “I really don’t mind Mr. Tomioka, you have helped me a lot in the past you can consider this as my payback” despite Shinobu's playful comment Giyuu can’t help but feel like a burden. 

 During his stay Giyuu remembers Kanao and Aoi complaining that they kept running out of food whenever the beginner slayer got injured. Kanae and Shinobu often restock cooking ingredients for Aoi but he imagined with how many slayers gotting injured daily that alone won’t be enough “should I buy some snacks then?” Giyuu wondered as Kanzaburo nuzzled on his shoulder.

Each shop carries a variety of snacks to choose from. Giyuu didn’t even know most of the treats they were selling, as he was deep in thoughts conflicted with the option he had. Suddenly Giyuu could feel a sharp pain on his back as Mitsuri tried to greet him “Mr. Tomioka I’m so happy to see you!” Mitsuri cheerfully said while unknowingly ramming into the man back harder than she intended to do.

Since Giyuu has been staying in the butterfly mansion for a while he got to know lots of people in the process. One of which is surprisingly the love hashira because of how often she visits Shinobu and Kanae “I’m sorry if I scared you Mr. Tomioka, I just never see you around the city so I got so excited!” Mitsuri stated as Giyuu helped carry her bags “it’s no problem, thank you for helping me pick a snacks for everyone in the mansion” Giyuu said trying his best not to show the pain he still felt on his back.

In the end Mitsuri will not let Giyuu go back before treating him to lots of food in the city. “this is my favorite soba shop, they even served salmon daikon! It's your favorite right?” Mitsuri ask “yes it’s my favorite but please let me pay this time, you have already pay for the snacks I got” Giyuu said nervously while looking at the prices of the meal “only if you can beat my high score, mine is 300 bowl of soba” Mitsuri stated proudly as the waiter brought a huge amount of soba noodles.

Even as he struggles to keep up with Mitsuri eating phase Giyuu feels happy, occasions like this never happen in his past timeline. Mitsuri is very kind, even when Giyuu was blatantly ignoring her she would always smile whenever he is around “Mr. Tomioka no matter what let’s get along” that was the first thing Mitsuri said to him when she first became a hashira. It hurts to know that they will never get to know each other after the war with Muzan, so right now Giyuu is overjoyed knowing that he managed to be a part of her happy memory.

The sun was already setting mid way through their journey home, both of them lost track of time as they talked through the day. Giyuu was thinking of setting a camp since they are in the middle of nowhere yet when they passed through a forest an unfamiliar village then came to view.

It was a rather small village located deep inside the forest, in the center of their location stood a tall tree whose roots were surrounded by a large body of water with many residents that seemed to be guarding the area. “I passed through this area before and not once have I ever seen a village” Mitsuri explains while trying to remember her past journey “I doubt that it was built overnight” as both of them about to investigate further an elderly woman suddenly appeared to greet them.

Her voice was gentle as she invited them to her house “thank goodness I found you in time, it's dangerous to roam outside at this time of day” the elderly woman then directed them to a room. “Thank you for your generosity ma’am, we didn’t even know there was a village in this area” Mitsuri said cheerfully while trying to get an explanation out of the resident “that’s because it was built just over a year ago, I doubt even the authority are aware of our community” the elderly woman then tells them how the village came to be.

Most of them are merchants that barely make ends meet, they have no home to go to and so they took refuge in the forest. It was cold and dark during their first night with only a tiny bon fire to warm all of them up, that is until a giant tree sprouted overnight. The tree was not an ordinary tree, it was their symbol of hope as they first prayed to it all of a sudden their business started to take off bringing them enough wealth to get through the year.

That single tree was their beacon of hope, lighting the night for a better future for all of them and as an exchange they worshiped and nurtured the tree hoping that it would live to see the fruits of their labor. “Yet after rumors started going around many people outside of our community would visit the forest and take advantage of the tree blessing and that is when the disappearance started to happen”. Hearing her story both Mitsuri and Giyuu look at each with a hint of suspicion.

As the elderly woman bid them good night, Giyuu made sure that no one was around as they discussed what to do next. “What do you think Miss Kanroji?” Giyuu asks while observing through the window “that tree is definitely the work of a demon but that doesn’t explain why it hasn't attacked any of the residents” Mitsuri stated. Hearing Mitsuri word Giyuu then was reminded of how Nezuko protected Tanjiro in their first encounter, he was hesitant to ask yet his curiosity got the best of him “do you think that it’s protecting the resident?” Giyuu asks, it took Mitsuri a while to answer yet even as she finally spoke her expression shows a hint of uncertainty “I've seen a few instances of demons protecting humans but it never ended peacefully” Mitsuri confessed.

The moment the forest went quiet is when both Giyuu and Mitsuri headed up the rooftop to investigate the demon tree, as a precaution Giyuu have asked Kanzaburo and Urara to be stationed high up just in case that both their owners are in need of reinforcement. “It seems like only a few people are stationed tonight” Giyuu stated observing the area closely “the lady did say the disappearance only happened when outsiders try to take advantage of it, lets just observe for now” even with a hashira presence Giyuu couldn’t help but feel like something is wrong. 

Hours went by and everything seemed to be more peaceful than expected, the night breeze flew past the village blowing through every tree branch in the area. As it blew through the blessed tree branches Giyuu witnessed a strange sight. It was faint but Giyuu can definitely see a young woman merging with the tree.

As Giyuu was gripping his sword tightly the young woman opened her eyes and glared directly at him, revealing a writing in her eyes ‘lower moon four’. Giyuu's heart drops the moment he realizes the severity of the situation “Miss Kanroji!” As he calls out to Mitsuri the house they are standing in are split in two revealing that the lower moon are in control of every house in the village.

Roots sprouted from the ground separating the two slayers from each other, terrified screams could be heard through the forest as Giyuu searched for any survivors. an elderly woman can be seen comforting a child as they pray together inside the broken house, Giyuu traverses through the crumbling land to reach them both yet just as he was reaching out to them a giant root sprouted from the ground and shallow them whole.

Blood splatters all over the forest covering the land in blood, slowly the blood then fuses with the tree roots forming multiple demons that start attacking Giyuu. In the last second Giyuu managed to jump in and cut through every demon body in sight “water breathing, third form: flowing dance” yet as their body crumble to the ground the demons body start to fuse together creating a bigger body to attack him “why do you all have to be difficult” the demon then start charging towards the demon slayer only for Giyuu to swiftly cut through each of their bodies.

Despite how many demons Giyuu manages to cut to pieces they will always rise and continue to attack him leaving Giyuu no room to rest, it was an endless cycle of battle one that can only be finished by attacking the main body. As Giyuu tries to get away from the horde of demons a wall of vine then blocks his patch from escaping forcing him to face a never ending battle. “Forgive me Miss Kanroji this will take me a little longer” Giyuu stated while concentrating on his breathing.

Deep in the heart of a forest Mukago stands tall as she fully merges herself with the forest itself, taking the form of a giant tree she attacks Mitsuri with her sharp branches and slicing through her haori. She no longer hides her form instead her body sticks out of the tree visibly enraged by the demon slayer action “Why must you all get in my way!” Her scream managed to send Mitsuri flying far while Mukago leaf managed to pierce through her skin.

Mitsuri moves fluidly with her sword charging straight at the demon with her full strength “love breathing, second form: love pangs!” As her sword manages to cut through Mukago defenses the lower moon took advantage of her spilled blood to summon a horde of demons to attack the hashira. “I can’t fail him like this!” Mukago trembles in fear as the image of Muzan keeps appearing in her mind “that’s too bad, because I’m not going easy on you!” Mitsuri stated as she gripped her sword tightly “deceiving so many people for your own gain is unforgivable!”.

Chapter 11: 11

Summary:

“why did you join the demon slayer corps Miss Kanroji?” She remembers the curious gaze her comrade shows as they eagerly await a noble answer from her

Mitsuri remembers the question her comrade asked her when she first joined the corps “why did you join the demon slayer corps Miss Kanroji?” She remembers the curious gaze her comrade shows as they eagerly await a noble answer from her, with such expectation Mitsuri didn’t dare to tell them the truth.

When Mitsuri killed her first demon everyone praised her strength, the demon she faced was a weak one yet it still managed to devour an innocent life. She remembers the cries of a child as the kakushi tried to hide her mother's corpse from her. Back then Mitsuri thought that she would scare the child away yet it was the little girl who embraced her first.

A woman is supposed to be gentle and kind, that was what Mitsuri always believed. She carried that principle throughout her demon slaying journey, even when she herself knew that she would gain nothing in return. “You tried to comfort a demon?” Shinobu chuckles at the love hashira sudden confession. “she was just a little girl” Mitsuri tried to defend her action. “Miss Kanroji it doesn’t matter if she was a baby. A demon is still a demon, your kindness is pointless to them” Shinobu's words echo through her mind as Mitsuri is reminded of the reality they face.

In the end she starts to question herself even more. Is all her effort really pointless? Deep down Mitsuri already knows the answer yet listening to other people's opinions has only made her question her principles. “You're a really kind person Miss Kanroji, I hope you can see that everyone truly appreciates the love you gave them” of all people it was Giyuu who assured Mitsuri to keep fighting with all the love she has.

From that day onward Mitsuri encountered many hardships along her journey but through those hardships she found hope, it doesn’t matter if people thought she is not worthy, it doesn’t matter if no one accepted her for who she was. The smile and love Mitsuri received whenever she saved their life was enough for her.

That is why Mitsuri could never forgive Mukago, the people in the community loved her very much. They took care of her, respected her, even adored her till the end yet the lower moon treated them like nothing. Such ignorance towards a human life is unforgivable. “Love breathing, third form: catlove shower!” As her sword twisted through every demon in the area, Mukago stared at the woman in horror as she realized who she really is “This power don’t tell me, You're a hashira?” Mukago voice trembled at the mere sight of the woman “Finally decided to talk? Now tell me what did you do to Mr. Tomioka?” Mitsuri asked while glaring at the lower moon.

As the love hashira asks her question, Mukago could feel a sudden surge of pain in the lower half of her body indicating that her roots have been severely damaged. “Why now? I was so closed” the lower moon voice trembles as the forest surrounding them starts to shift. The roots of the tree start to emerge from the ground, causing the land to crumble beneath Mitsuri’s feet, the hashira then leaps into the air and lands on one of the tree branches preparing herself for Mukago to strike.

Blood starts to flow out of the tree's broken roots. The cut was smooth and precise, indicating that Giyuu managed to injure the lower moon severely. “That's such a clean cut! As expected from someone who survived a fight against an upper moon, Mr. Tomioka is amazing” Mitsuri’s statement strikes fear into Mukago’s mind.

The swordsman that survived against the upper two, the reason Mukago was seeking more power in the first place is the same slayer that managed to pierce through her blood demon art, Mukago could still feel the pain from Giyuu's sword strike even when her body had completely recovered. “Please…” the lower moon whimper caught Mitsuri off guard, making her observe Mukago closely. “I just wanted a place to belong. I never had a choice! If I don’t kill them then the lord will-” before she could finish her plea Mitsuri cuts her off “Really? The multiple corpses planted on your roots said other wise” As the ground crumbles below them, it reveals a pile of human remains connecting to Mukago's roots.

In an instant Mitsuri rushes to the lower moon with her sword cutting through all of her roots and branches. “I’ve seen many demons try to protect the people they love and I know for certain that you never intend on protecting them!” As the hashira got closer and closer Mukago decided to pour all of her remaining power into a single attack.

Mukago uses the last bit of her blood to forge a horde of demons to attack Mitsuri, as the love hashira cuts through each of their bodies a pool of blood starts to form around her. “Blood demon art: propagate surge!” In a mere second the blood surrounding Mitsuri manages to form into multiple demons that instantly strike her, giving the hashira no time to deflect them.

Just as Mukago thought she was about to win she could feel a slight pain stinging her neck, it happened so fast that she had only realized when her head was on the ground. “You shouldn’t let your guard down so easily” Giyuu stated while witnessing the lower moon body crumble into pieces. 

To be able to use her blood demon art Mukago had to sacrifice a lot of her blood making her main weak point easily open for Giyuu to strike in an instant. “Mr. Tomioka! Thank you so much, I thought I was done for!” Mitsuri hugged him tightly, relieved that Giyuu was safe. “I’m glad that you're unscathed Miss Kanroji” for a moment everything seems peaceful yet as they both took a deep breath they sensed a sudden movement rushing towards them.

Mitsuri manages to deflect the attack in time, shielding Giyuu in the process. Yet what greeted them next brought fear into both of their faces. “Such a dulled creation, no wonder it was easily destroyed” a monstrous figure emerged from a vase, showing an anatomically incorrect figure consuming the body of a lower moon. “And to think that lord Muzan gives you a drop of his blood, we can’t waste that now” Giyuu's body trembled as he caught sight of the demon eyes revealing the title of upper moon five.

As Gyokko consumed his comrade the sight of Giyuu managed to catch his attention “oh my, it seems like fate has answered my wish” witnessing the upper moon's sudden interest toward Giyuu Mitsuri then put herself between the two of them shielding Giyuu from the demon's line of sight “Don’t get any funny idea” Mitsuri stated sternly. “Oh, you're beautiful too, maybe I’ll include both of you in my art” Gyokko stated while admiring the two slayers.

When the upper moon finished consuming his subordinate, he teleported close to Giyuu to further inspect him “it’s you alright, the one that managed to cause the wrath of lord Muzan. Lord Douma has been singing you praises ever since” Giyuu didn’t hesitate to swing his sword towards the upper moon yet his heart dropped the moment his sword was broken in half. Mitsuri manages to protect him with her sword as they both back away from the demon.

Gyokko then picks up the shattered Nichirin blade only for it to be broken into pieces “It seems like the lower moon manages to cause more damage than I expected”. Giyuu didn’t even realize that his sword was chipped so badly “Mr. Tomioka back away, i’ll buy us sometime until the sun rise” Mitsuri stated as she gripped her sword tightly “it’s alright Miss Kanroji i’ll be just fine” Giyuu respond came quicker than expected “but your sword is already broken” worried fill Mitsuri face as she witness Giyuu grab the remaining of his broken sword and smile softly at her “I’ve been through worst situation”.

Just as the two demon slayer was distracted, Gyokko summoned a horde of fish creatures to attack them. Both of them managed to dodge them in time as they landed on a tree branch to get away from the creature. “What is that creepy looking creature?” unbeknownst to Mitsuri, her question managed to offend the upper moon “how dare you criticize a person's artwork with hair like that?” Gyokko yelled, offending Mitsuri in the process.

As the two of them are bickering, Giyuu uses the opportunity to attack all of the creatures “water breathing, fourth form: striking tide” he moves his sword swiftly from one creature to another until all of their bodies crumble into ashes. “Such an impatient audience couldn’t you savor my art for a little longer?” Giyuu didn’t like the upper moon statement.

In the past, it was Muichiro who defeated the upper moon five alone. Giyuu remembered hearing the young boy's experience and it was nothing short of hell. Akaza and Douma might be stronger but the fact that Muchiro awakened his mark as they were fighting means that the upper moon managed to corner him to the brink of death.

The sound of a ceramic rolling could be heard through the forest revealing a vase rolling to his side, not wanting to give the upper moon a chance to attack him Giyuu back away “blood demon art: thousand needle fish kill” multiple gold fish then emerge from the verge and immediately rushing towards both of the slayer, luckily their attack was too slow for Mitsuri and Giyuu speed. “Miss Kanroji I'll distract them! Go for his head!” Giyuu yelled as he continued to deflect every needle the creature threw at him.

Gyokko teleported to a higher ground, anticipating the hashira attack. Mitsuri then leaps into the air and twists her sword “love breathing, fifth form: swaying love, wildclaw” the love hashira manages to cut through all of the creature Gyokko summons yet the eerie smile the demon shows as he attacks only manages to make her heart drop. 

Suddenly as Mitsuri was about to land, the upper moon summoned a vase from one of its hands with water pouring from the vase and surrounding the hashira, trapping her inside his water vase. “Blood demon art: water prison pot!” Giyuu immediately rushed to Mitsuri's side and tried to break her free yet no matter how much he tried his sword was not strong enough to pierce through the water's surface.

As both of them realized the danger they were in Gyokko couldn’t help but laugh at their useless effort “hyo hyo! Such a terrified expression is so sublime! Now I’m truly inspire” the upper moon didn’t give them time to breathe as he continued to summon more creatures, leaving Giyuu with no choice but to back away.

Mitsuri tried to use her last remaining breath to pierce through the water bubble, yet it was of no use. Her strike was weaker than before. She witnesses Giyuu visibly struggling to fight against the upper moon alone, even when his sword manages to reach the tip of the demon's neck Gyokko still manages to teleport away.

The air in her lungs is starting to run out, making Mitsuri's vision blur in a second. Tears started streaming down her face as the last thing Mitsuri saw was Giyuu being pierced by needles “forgive me Mr. Tomioka I failed you”.

Chapter 12: 12

Summary:

the reunion

That night was supposed to be a peaceful night, Mitsuri was smiling so brightly as she talked about her favorite food. Yet now all that Giyuu could see is the light in her eyes fading as she drowns under the demon power “hyo! Such a splendid expression, it truly brings out the beauty of death!” Gyokko stated proudly as he admired his creation.

Giyuu hands tremble as he struggles to stand up, a thousand needles could be seen piercing through his skin while he continues to attack the upper moon. The chipped on Giyuu sword got worse as crack started to form all over his remaining sword but that didn’t slow him down. “Oh my you're a strong one, that makes me want to kill you even more” Gyokko then teleports away and summons a horde of gold fish to attack the slayer.

As the gold fish rushed towards him, Giyuu calmed his mind while trying to steady his breathing “water breathing, eleventh form: dead calm” none of the upper moon creations manage to get close to Giyuu before being cut into pieces. The moment his sword pierce through the last fish body it has finally given up and Giyuu could only watch as his sword shattered into pieces leaving only the handguard as a proof of its strength.

Witnessing the slayer left defenseless Gyokko took the opportunity to teleport close to Giyuu “hyo! Such a shame, if only your sword wasn’t chipped” the upper moon's cheerful tone had only enraged Giyuu even more. As Giyuu forces himself to stand up an overwhelming pain sting through his entire body as he finally realizes that the needle piercing through his skin is poisonous.

Noticing Giyuu's painful expression Gyokko couldn’t help but chuckle as a vase form in his hand “blood demon art: octopus vase hell!” tentacles crawl out of the vase and lounges straight at Giyuu as it grips the slayer tightly. Its tight grip manages to push the needles deep inside of Giyuu's body causing him to whimper in pain.

Gyokko then thoroughly inspect Giyuu face as he torment him even more “lord Douma was right your eyes really is beautiful, especially when I’m tormenting you” the smile on the upper demon face infuriates Giyuu even more, he wanted nothing but to kill him on the spot. 

Without a single thought Giyuu used his last remaining strength to free his arm and punch the upper moon in the face, Gyokko froze as he processed what the slayer had done. The needles that were deep inside of Giyuu's body should be enough to paralyze him to the point of death yet Giyuu not only managed to free one of his arms but landed a punch to the upper moon.

As he was about to attack Giyuu the upper moon felt a liquid running down his face, as he looked down Gyokko was greeted by the sight of multiple of his teeth falling down his face as his mouth was dripping blood. “such an ungrateful creature, people like you will never understand the true meaning of art!” As the upper moon rapidly approached him, Giyuu could only close his eyes and wish for a quick and painful death.

The moment he closed his eyes all that Giyuu could feel was a sudden breeze rushing by him as a familiar voice spoke to him “that was the most impressive yet stupiest thing i’ve seen a demon slayer do” Obanai stated as he carried him away from Gyokko “Mr. Iguro?” He didn't expect the snake hashira to be so willing to carry Giyuu in his arms. “Both of your crows manage to reach us in time” Obanai explains as he gently places Giyuu on the ground “thank goodness, wait did you say us?” Obanai can only direct his gaze towards the upper moon to answer his question.

Sabito was there, his movement was fast yet Giyuu could see him clearly. His breathing technique was more aggressive than most water breath users as he modified every form according to his fighting style “water breathing, tenth form: constant flux!” The water hashira charged toward Gyokko as his speed and strength increased with each strike he landed on the demon’s body. 

Force to back away, Gyokko summons a horde of goldfish to attack the hashira “blood demon art: thousand needle fish kill!” yet no matter how fast Gyokko attacked him the demon could never catch up to Sabito speed “Insolent brant! How dare you disrupt me!” As Gyokko was distracted by the water hashira Obanai managed to free Mitsuri from the water prison at the last second.

Giyuu thought it was already too late when Mitsuri emerged from the water prison, her pulse was weak and her whole face showed no sign of life. Not willing to give up, Obanai continued to compress her chest, praying that she would breathe again. It took them a moment before she finally caught out all of the water in her lungs, Obanai looked so relieved as his grip on her hand tightened the moment she smiled at the snake hashira.

As the sound of sword clashing become more aggressive Giyuu body naturally approach the battlefield only to be stop by Obanai at the last second “you can’t fight in your condition” the snake hashira stated while pointing at all of the needles piercing through Giyuu skin “stay by Kanroji side, i’ll protect him in your place” that was the last thing Obanai said before joining the fight with Sabito.

Despite being in a weak state Mitsuri held Giyuu hand firmly as she assured him that everything will be fine, but how can he be calm when this has never happened in the past. When he faced Douma Giyuu at least had expected it to happen but at this moment Giyuu is truly terrified.

The wind is starting to pick up as both hashira manage to slice through every one of Gyokko creations, while the upper moon teleports away Sabito managed to track down his movement and aim his sword directly to his neck. As blood dripped from Gyokko's neck Obanai took advantage of the situation and lunged at the upper moon “serpent breathing, third form: coil choke” as the serpent hashira managed to slice through his body Gyokko had no other choice but to teleport away.

He was not expecting to lose so much blood tonight, the upper moon's only goal was to devour the lower moon body yet the situation he is in now have only resulted in him losing so much for his own blood. “unforgiveable, unforgiveable, Unforgivable, UNFORGIVEABLE!” multiple vases started to form at the palm of Gyokko hands “blood demon art: ten thousand gliding slime fish!” A horde of fish then bursts out of the pot as it changes straight at all of them.

Mitsuri reaches out for her sword as she slices through the upper moon attack “Mr. Tomioka stays behind me” she stated sternly twisting her sword through all of the fish. Gyokko was about to use another blood demon art when a glimmer of light can be seen through the forest leaving a burn mark on the demon skin.

Just as Gyokko was about to teleport Sabito and Obanai managed to lunge their sword straight at his neck leaving traces of his blood burning on the ground as the upper moon disappeared into the shadow. “Damn it!” Sabito shouted in frustration “it wasn’t even close to dying” Obanai stated while gazing at the demon burning blood.

Both Mitsuri and Giyuu came running towards the two hashira to check on them “did any of you get hurt?” Mitsuri's voice was gentle as she checked on their condition “look around the forest, there is a chance he is still near-” Giyuu forces himself to walk even when his whole body is aching from the upper moon needles.

As his legs were about to give up Sabito caught him in time while carrying Giyuu in his arms “Isamu informed the kakushi we need help transporting Giyuu to the butterfly mansion now!” his voice was stern yet Giyuu could see the hashira's eyes filled with tears as he carried Giyuu all the way back to the butterfly mansion.

The journey home was awkward as both of them didn’t say a word to each other. Even when Obanai is glaring at Sabito intently the hashira never let go of Giyuu, it feels like Sabito gripped become tighter the moment they arrived at the mansion.

Shinobu had already prepared his room the moment he heard news that they were fighting an upper moon. “Take him to the room upstairs, Aoi has prepared all my equipment so we can treat your wound” The butterfly mansion was busy that morning, after the news of an upper moon attack reach the corps the Ubayashiki family have instructed the kakushi to help Shinobu with treating any slayer.

The love hashira gaze was filled with concern as so many people rushed in and out of Giyuu room with blood stains on their uniform. If it weren’t for Obanai company she would have cried harder “I should have tried harder to break through that water prison” Mitsuri cried while Kanae is treating her wound “it’s not your fault Miss Kanroji, Mr. Tomioka choose to fight despite his disadvantage” Kanae said trying to comfort the hashira “it was a stupid decision but still a honorable one” Obanai was gazing at the room intently, his expression was empty some might even say cold yet both Kanae and Mitsuri notice the nervous tapping of his feet as they wait for the result of the treatment.

In the end Shinobu concluded that the injury Giyuu had sustained was not as critical as before but she would need to perform a surgery to get the needle out of his body. “He is resting for now, the needles almost punctured his vital organs but I caught it on time” Shinobu then breathed a sigh of relief as she asked the kakushi to clean up her equipment “you want me to drag Sabito out of there?” Shinobu took a moment before answering Obanai's question, as she gazed at Giyuu sleeping soundly while still maintaining a hold on Sabito's hand “there is no need, I think he learned his lesson”.

On that night Giyuu woke up to the sight of Kanzaburo and Isamu sleeping soundly next to him. As he reached out to pet the two crow Giyuu felt a cold breeze can be felt blowing through the room, when he turned around Sabito was sitting on the open window. It didn’t take long for the hashira to notice Giyuu gaze towards him.

At first silence filled the room as none of them dared to start a conversation, Giyuu thought long and hard about what he wanted to say to Sabito once he finally came back to him yet as he was right in front of him Giyuu’s mind went blank. Doubt and uncertainty filled his mind as he tried to avoid Sabito's gaze. Does he still love him? Where did he go for the past two years? Can things go back to how it was before?

Giyuu expression must have shown his concern as the first one to speak was Sabito “I’m sorry” the wind started to calm the moment the water hashira stand up and gaze directly at his partner “I was a coward, I let my emotion get to me and hurt you but that was never my intention” as Sabito spoke he slowly start to approach Giyuu side “our duty is to kill every demon, so when you said that you let one of them live I can only think of one outcome and I…” Giyuu could see the sorrow in Sabito's eyes the moment he paused his sentence “I don’t want to live in a reality where you no longer exist” his voice cracked the moment he finally touched Giyuu’s hand.

Relief starts to fill Giyuu's mind as the doubt that was haunting him these past few years have finally left his mind. He spent years thinking that Sabito no longer loved him and many more thinking of how he could handle living in a timeline where Sabito hated him. After hearing Sabito's explanation Giyuu could no longer hold back his tears. “Then can we go back to how it was before you left?” Giyuu's voice trembles while holding Sabito's hands tightly “I’ll try my best not to get injured, I'll stop calling myself weak, I will even train harder so I can protect you. So please…” Sabito could feel his heart aching as Giyuu cried out to him  “please don’t leave me” that night both of them welcome each other home with a warm embrace as Sabito touches his lips onto Giyuu’s as they make a promise to never leave each other's side.

Chapter 13: 13

Summary:

a little treat

The wind was calmer that day, a rare event for any demon slayer. The lively sounds of a village, combined with the clash of swords, are enough to make Giyuu drift off into the distance. For a moment, it felt as if time froze as Giyuu leaped into the air.

If it wasn’t for the sudden sight of Kanae sword charging towards him Giyuu would still be day dreaming. “Water breathing, eight form: waterfall basin” Giyuu plunges his sword downwards, parrying Kanae attack in the process. Their movement was swift as Giyuu managed to keep up to Kanae speed as she swung her sword at him.

The moment Giyuu started attacking the former hashira, Kanae was already preparing to use her technique. As she evades every attack Giyuu throws at her, Kanae spins her body to start her attack “flower breathing, sixth form: whirling peach!” Faced with Kanae's overwhelming strength Giyuu was forced to back away.

Just as they were about to clash Gyomei suddenly interrupted their match with a single swing of his weapon “that is enough training for today Kanae” Gyomei stated while instructing her to rest “Mr. Himejima I can still last a li-” before she could finish her word a sharp pain can be felt on her chest. This caused Giyuu to help carry her back to the village while Gyomei looked for a medical worker.

After the battle with upper moon five Giyuu swords have completely broke forcing him to take a break once his new sword is ready. Unfortunately the swordsmith that was assigned to make his sword is busy making him unable to deliver the sword to the water estate, so Giyuu decided to visit the swordsmith village himself.

Originally he had planned for it to be a short visit having only picked up his newly forged sword but the village chief assigned Giyuu to a luxury room with plenty of local delicacies and a beautiful hot spring for Giyuu to enjoy. “Master Kagaya has asked you to take your time enjoying your break, it will take a few days for your sword to be ready. Until then please enjoy our village” that was the last thing Giyuu heard before getting shoved into his room.

Throughout his stay Giyuu managed to bump into Gyomei and Kanae training together deep inside the forest. He did learn from Shinobu that her sister is training to regain her former strength, even when she struggles to breathe, Kanae strikes remains as powerful as ever. Giyuu wouldn’t be surprised if she managed to master flower breathing again.

In the end the medical worker managed to ease her pain, they instructed Kanae to fully rest and avoid any heavy movement for a while. After they finally left Gyomei went to get Kanae medicine and ask Giyuu to accompany her “I’m sorry our match end so abruptly” Kanae said as she lay still on the futon “you don’t have to apologize, I would rather lose than cause another reason for Shinobu to hate me” Giyuu jokingly said as Kanae chuckled at his comment “my sister is a kind soul but sometime I wish she wasn’t” Kanae expression sour as she said that.

Hearing the former flower hashira statement, Giyuu could only think of one reason why Kanae thought of that. Shinobu's strength has always been her intelligence, everyone in the corps rely on her medical expertise not knowing that she herself is doubting her own strength. When Giyuu heard the crow announcing her death during the final battle he already knew what she had done.

The strength that people rely on ended up becoming the cause of her death, it's ironic and Giyuu can’t imagine that Kanae would let Shinobu go through with her plan in this timeline. “We got into a fight” Kanae said as she avoided his gaze “it was after she treated your injury, I said something that I shouldn’t have”.

Kanae remembers the slight pain on her arm as she continuously struck the training dummy. When Shinobu arrived Kanae hands were already filled with blister and she could only smile as her sister scolded her once more “you could have ask me to train with you” Shinobu stated “I know you keep holding back whenever we train together” Kanae chuckle at the sight of her sister pouting face.

The former hashira didn’t know what came over her but the sight of Shinobu walking in front of her, wearing the butterfly haori she gifted her, managed to awaken a faint nightmare that Kanae tried to forget. “Shinobu I think you should quit the demon slayer corps” hearing her sister said that Shinobu turn around and face her “that’s not funny sis” Shinobu voice was stern yet Kanae could see her clenching her fist tightly, hiding her emotion despite knowing that Kanae could see through her facade.

Silence filled the area as only the sound of the wind could be heard. “You don’t deserve this kind of life, you are a brilliant woman that can easily get a better life” as Kanae explains she could see Shinobu gaze getting darker and darker “even after so long you still think I’m unworthy?” this time Shinobu didn’t bother to hide her rage “thats not what i me-” before she could even explain her reason Shinobu immediately cuts her off “I will quit when every demon on this world die, if you think i’m too weak to achieve that then you shouldn’t have gifted me this haori” that was the first time that Kanae truly saw Shinobu rage.

In a way she is proud to see Shinobu dedication to get stronger yet Kanae couldn’t help but worry as every upper moon the corps faces has never been successfully killed. “Ever since she became a hashira Shinobu has been suppressing her emotions. In the past her laughter would fill the entire mansion as she played with all of the girls in the butterfly mansion. It pains me to see her force a smile whenever I’m around” Giyuu could understand her worries.

When he first woke up from a long coma Shinobu is definitely different, she would take every opportunity to tease Giyuu no matter what but that day she held his hand tightly as she comfort him “Mr. Tomioka from now on, let's do our best” Giyuu could never forget her gentle smile that day.

Knowing the fate they all must face in the future, Giyuu could only pray that all his effort could change the fate of Shinobu battle. “I think Shinobu wants you to trust her, not only as a hashira but as your sister” Giyuu stated, his words echo through Kanae's mind as she tried to hold back her tears. “God, I’m such a terrible sister” Kanae's voice cracks as she turns around to avoid his gaze.

The moment Gyomei arrived with Kanae medicine, Giyuu was standing outside of her room. “Has something happened?” Gyomei asks worryingly “I think it's best to leave her alone for now” Giyuu then explains what happened as the stone hashira accompanies Giyuu to his room.

In that brief peaceful moment Gyomei couldn’t help but open up to him. “I was the one that brought them to the demon slayer corps and the very reason why they became a demon slayer” Giyuu can’t imagine the pain Gyomei felt when Kanae death was announced in the previous timeline. “I am proud of what they have grown to be but part of my mind regret exposing them to such a cruel life” the stone hashira then turn towards Giyuu with tears streaming down his face “I can’t thank you enough for saving Kanae’s life” this gentle side of the stone hashira brought warmth to Giyuu’s heart, just like a parent worrying over their children, Giyuu couldn’t help but find this side of Gyomei endearing.

By the time Giyuu had made it to the hot spring it was already late in the night, the sound of water streaming down the forest filled the entire bath as Giyuu took off his clothes. While the warmth of the hot spring touches his skin, Giyuu's body manages to relax as he enjoys his peaceful bath.

As he gazes at the night sky, Giyuu's mind lingers through his past memory. The sudden appearance of an upper moon was unexpected, indicating that the future has truly changed. Both Sabito and Kanae's survival has already been secured, what worries Giyuu now is that of an unexpected sacrifice.

Lower moon four was never supposed to attack them let alone an upper moon. Giyuu was lucky enough to hold his ground until reinforcement arrived and no life was taken away. Even with the knowledge of the future his demon slayer mark has yet to be awakened, Giyuu is aware that gaining the mark back will be difficult yet he can’t afford to make a mistake as the next challenge he will be facing is the Mugen train.

As Giyuu submerges his body with the hot spring a sudden cold sensation linger on his neck and as a reflexes Giyuu grips a hand and throws the attacker to the ground. “Ouch! Can’t you be a little gentle to me?” Upon witnessing Sabito tackle to the ground Giyuu jumped away from the water hashira and tried to cover himself “what are you doing sneaking up when I’m taking a bath?” Giyuu said nervously while trying to avoid Sabito gaze “Giyuu i’ve seen you naked thousand of time” Sabito said sarcastically “I will break your arm if you try anything funny” Sabito ignored his partner's threat as he continued to take off his clothes while joining Giyuu for a bath.

It’s been a while since they've had the time to properly talk with each other. Between Giyuu’s unlimited resting day and Sabito's ever lasting mission the only time they manage to spend time together is if Giyuu manages to escape from Shinobu watchful gaze, and Giyuu already knows that he is her most hated patient because of that.

Before Giyuu could make an excuse to run away Sabito drags him by the arm and sat Giyuu down on his lap “so how are you?” Sabito asks while holding on to Giyuu’s hand tightly. Knowing the hashira will not give up easily Giyuu accepted his fate as he leaned his head towards Sabito shoulders “you're so persistent” Giyuu complained “that’s how I won you over, no?” Sabito teased while wrapping his hand around Giyuu's waist.

That night they ended up staying in the hot spring a little longer than what they anticipated. Giyuu didn’t remember much from last night but the bite mark around his body is enough proof to confirm his suspicion. 

Sabito was the first to wake up that morning, as he was enjoying his breakfast the sight of Giyuu awkwardly walking towards the dining table caught his attention. “Did I go too fa-” before the hashira could finish his question Giyuu had already cut him off “my back hurts” even as he complained Giyuu had thrown himself at his partner's lap, not willing to let go as they accompanied each other through the day.

Chapter 14: 14

Summary:

In the end Giyuu managed to reach towards the flame hashira hand and ask “Mr. Rengoku, may I know what’s your favorite food?”

Last night Giyuu remembers coming home from a mission, only to be greeted by a messy estate. Sabito claims that he had invited Rengoku over to train yet the flame hashira brought not only Tengen but also Obanai and caused more damage than they had expected. Unfortunately for Giyuu, Sabito got an urgent mission that forced him to depart before the sun even rose, leaving him to clean up the hashira mess. 

Not wanting to request the kakushi help so early in the morning, Giyuu munched on a leftover rice ball as he began to clean up the estate. Most of the mess only consists of wooden debris from the target dummy they used to train beginner slayers. By the time the kakushi arrive to check on him, Giyuu has already finished cleaning and organizing the trash.

All of the wooden debris is neatly wrapped in a cloth while the trash Giyuu finds while cleaning is set to the side. “I’m sorry to make you work so early in the morning but could you make some breakfast while I throw this out?” The kakushi immediately got to work as Giyuu carried the trash out of the water estate.

This is not something that Giyuu does in his past timeline. Most of the time he would spend his free time in self-isolation ignoring everything and everyone around him. Yet now Giyuu feels like he could never have a moment of peace as Sabito forces him into every social interaction they could come across.

It started to calm down when Giyuu woke up from his coma, but he couldn’t ignore the light in Sabito's eyes when he is in desperate need of socializing. As Giyuu was heading back to the estate he stumbled upon a peculiar scene. Gyomei was seen crouching down behind a bush while seemingly humming a tune, upon further inspection he was seen playing with a stray cat. Such a rare sight Giyuu couldn’t help but smile.

Even as the stone hashira was preoccupied with the cat, he could still sense someone approaching him. “Tomioka is that you?” Gyomei's response has left Giyuu speechless, he is aware of how sharp the stone hashira senses are but he didn’t expect it to be that sharp. “You scared me sometimes Mr. Himejima” they ended up talking for a while as Giyuu offered to give the cat some food before Gyomei took them home.

Giyuu never expected to one day invite Gyomei to the water estate, let alone witnessing the man cry over how cute the cat is. “I see, so you took care of many cats in your estate” Giyuu said while handing the cat a fish to eat. “At first I just left some food outside of my estate to feed them, but over time they grew fond of my presence and chose to stay” Gyomei explained.

Maybe it was because they rarely spoke in the past but recently Gyomei has been smiling more. Was it due to Kanae influence? Giyuu remembers her telling him that ever since she got permanently injured she has been training with Gyomei to regain most of her strength. Whatever it is Giyuu hopes that the stone hashira could smile more often as the fate that awaits him was the cruelest of all.

As Gyomei was about to depart on his mission, Giyuu managed to chase after him. “Forgive me if I hinder your mission, but I wanted to give you this before you left” he then handed the hashira a neatly wrapped meal “your stomach was growling so much when we talked I asked the kakushi to make you some riceball” witnessing his kindness, tears started streaming down Gyomei's eyes as he happily accepted the meal. “I wish you a safe return Mr. Himejima” Gyomei then reaches out to pet Giyuu's head before finally departing on his mission.

By the time afternoon starts coming around Giyuu finds the gentle breeze of the wind as a sign to go on a walk with Kanzaburo. Witnessing his crow flying carelessly worried him, Giyuu is already aware that Kanzaburo is older than most kasugai crows, making it difficult for him to guide his owner on a mission yet Giyuu couldn’t find the heart to ask the master for a replacement.

Despite his many disadvantages, Kanzaburo has always been by Giyuu's side. He has seen through many sorrows, anger, and happiness in Giyuu’s life. He remembers the time when Kanzaburo got heavily injured by a demon, Giyuu cried for days until he finally witnessed Kanzaburo flying to his side. “Giyuu…demon” Kanzaburo mumble “that is a rock Kanzaburo” Giyuu stated while embracing his beloved crow as they walked along the riverside.

Along the way, Giyuu notices a small paper airplane flying towards him. As it lands in front of him the sound of a familiar voice suddenly calls out to him. “Could you throw it back please?” Muichiro was approaching him while his crow followed behind him “useless slayer, how dare you steal Muichiro's treasure?” Unlike her soft appearance, Muichiro kasugai crow's choice of words is sharper than any Nichirin sword.

Even after the rude remarks of his kasugai crow, Giyuu still ended up accompanying Muichiro as he peacefully played with the origami paper. “You made all of this Muichiro?” Giyuu asks while curiously observing all of Muichiro's creation “I like how the paper plane flies in the sky, the one I make actually flies for a long time” the mist hashira stated while demonstrating his claim.

His paper plane indeed flew far away, to the point that neither of them could even see where it went. “Your skill is on another level, all I can make is this simple salmon” Giyuu said while showing his salmon origami to Muichiro “it looks like a normal fish…” Muichiro said with a confused expression “the shape might be a normal fish but the color is what makes it a salmon” Giyuu explained while pointing at the origami orange color “but isn’t salmon only orange because it was cooked?” Even after countless explanations Muichiro still questions Giyuu’s salmon origami.

Giyuu could only sigh as he accepted his defeat, even when there was not much of a competition to begin with. “Hurry up and get shallow by a demon!” Ginkgo mockingly said “Giyuu…I think she is a demon” Kanzaburo stated while hiding on Giyuu's shoulders “hah? Do you wanna die?” as both of their crow are bantering with each other Muichiro can be seen playing with many origami paper.

While Giyuu observed the mist hashira closely, he was hit with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Tsutako used to bring him to play with her friends and each time they would always have an origami for Giyuu to play with “what are you making Giyuu?” Tsutako asks, curious about what has interested her little brother so much “salmon!” Giyuu then proudly shows his sister the orange fish he has been working on “isn’t that just a normal fish” one of their friends stated “normal fish is blue, this orange!” Giyuu defended his creation “salmon is not even orange!” as they banter back and forth. Tsutako chose to calm the situation by carrying Giyuu in her arms “it’s alright if Giyuu thinks salmon is orange he can believe so, he is still a child afterall” their friend can only breathe a heavy sigh as Tsutako continues to spoil Giyuu even more.

Looking back, their friend must have been infuriated by many of Giyuu’s actions, this is the first that someone has successfully counter him. After a long while of silence Muichiro then approaches Giyuu and hands him an origami, it was in the shape of a fish yet Muichiro version was longer and had more detail making it look like an actual salmon. “I think this is what a salmon looks like” Giyuu could only accept defeat as Muichiro managed to make a better origami than his.

As Giyuu was observing the mist hashira creation, he noticed that the color Muichiro had chosen was the same orange color Giyuu chose “I thought you said salmon is not orange?” Giyuu could see Muichiro flinching a little as he asked a question “it looks like a regular fish with grey or blue…” even as when the young hashira hid his expression, Giyuu had already noticed the slight blush on Muichiro's ears “I agree orange is definitely a salmon color” not wanting to tease the young hashira too much Giyuu had only patted Muichiro's head before parting ways with him.

Night is still hours away but Giyuu decided to visit a market near the water estate. Usually it was Sabito who would buy them food, but Isamu just delivered a letter from him that said his mission would take a little longer due to complications which leaves Giyuu alone for tonight. “Do you have any salmon sir?” Giyuu asks while browsing the fish market “sorry we just ran out, how about some mackerel? It tastes just as good as salmon” Hearing the shop owner's statement, Giyuu couldn’t even hide his disappointment no matter how hard he tried.

Giyuu arrived a bit later to shop for dinner ingredients, most of the shops he visited had run out of the stuff he wanted to buy. “Oh your in luck, we do have one salmon left but it is on the smaller side” the shop owner stated while showing Giyuu the salmon he caught “I don’t mind sir, I will be the only one eating it anyway” as the shop owner pack salmon a familiar figure then approach the stall “excuse me do you have any salmon?” Rengoku asks while carrying multiple items in his hand “sorry sir but that gentleman just bought the last one” Giyuu could feel the awkwardness of the situation as he paid for the salmon while Rengoku stared at him intently.

The light in the flame hashira eyes is as bright as ever. In the past, he would always encourage Giyuu to speak his heart out. Even when the other hashira have given up on him Rengoku still stay true to his encouragement “don’t give up Tomioka” Giyuu was confused at Rengoku's sudden statement “your a strong demon slayer and one of the best hashira, whenever your mind is filled with doubt just come and fight me!” At the time Giyuu didn’t take Rengoku's offer seriously, causing him to close his heart once more.

When news of his death finally reached him, Giyuu felt nothing. Not a single tear was spared for his fallen comrade. The flame hashira died in a brazing battle against an upper moon, protecting Tanjiro and his team even when he had opposed Nazuko during the Kamado sibling’s trial. 

Rengoku is the true embodiment of a hashira, one that Giyuu could never reach. The whole walk home Giyuu had been silent, choosing to listen to Rengoku retelling of his recent mission, it wasn’t until they arrived at the Rengoku estate that the flame hashira finally offered. “Would you like to join us for dinner Tomioka? Sabito is still on his mission right? It will be lonely to eat dinner alone” receiving the sudden invitation Giyuu’s mind is telling him to refuse it, yet looking back to all that the flame hashira had done for him, Giyuu’s heart aches for the first time.

Whether it was guilt or grief he couldn’t bring himself to refuse the flame hashira invitation, as Giyuu took a step into the Rengoku household he prepared his mind to face a regret from his past. “Senjuro I’m back, they ran out of salmon but I bought some mackerels” Rengoku explained while handing his brother all of his ingredients “this is more than enough brother and who might this be?” Senjuro asks while directing his gaze towards Giyuu.

On that night Rengoku saw Giyuu smile for the very first time, as the water breath user retold his story of facing the upper moon Rengoku could see the genuine smile he gave when Senjuro constantly asked him about his mission. “Wait so when you breathe the upper moon blood demon art can poison you?” Senjuro asks with a horrified expression “that is why all of the hashira are developing a new technique to counter each upper moon” Rengoku announces proudly “is that why the water estate was ransacked last night?” Giyuu said with a sharp gaze as Rengoku nervously apologized.

As laughter filled the quiet night Giyuu thought that he was finally part of Rengoku's happy memory, yet the flame hashira smile vanished the moment a crash could be heard from one of the rooms. “Forgive me Tomioka but I think it's best if we end our gathering here” Rengoku stated while Senjuro discreetly left the room. 

The scent of liquor came out of the room Senjuro had entered, it was faint but anyone could notice it right away. Giyuu couldn’t even imagine what both siblings have to endure. Even after Giyuu had insisted that he would be fine walking home alone, Rengoku still set on walking him home. “Your brother is a strong person Mr. Rengoku” Giyuu's sudden compliment managed to surprise the flame hashira “he would be very delighted to hear that” as the water estate came into view Giyuu felt a little disappointed that their meeting had come to an end.

Rengoku is too kind, Giyuu didn’t even know how he managed to keep a smile in such a harsh situation. “Forgive me again for ending our dinner abruptly but there are certain situations I wish to avoid” even the brightest smile couldn’t hide the sorrow lingering in one’s heart. The moment Rengoku started walking away Giyuu’s mind went into a panic, he didn’t know what to do but Giyuu knows that it can’t end like this. 

In the end Giyuu managed to reach towards the flame hashira hand and ask “Mr. Rengoku, may I know what’s your favorite food?” faced with a sudden question Rengoku took some time to think of an answer, out of the many dishes that he consumes there is always one that manages to make him smile every time. “I love miso soup! Specifically miso soup with sweet potato!” Rengoku announce proudly “I’m not very good at talking to people, some say I come off as cold at first but I really enjoy our dinner tonight and so whenever you feel tired or sad your always welcome here” Rengoku was taken a back by Giyuu offer, just a moment ago he had thought that his action managed to scared Giyuu yet the one that ended up getting comforted was Rengoku.

Giyuu is starting to get nervous as Rengoku shows no sign of replying to him, he had debated if he should let go of the flame hashira hand, just as he loosened his grip Rengoku dragged him into a tight embrace. “Thank you for the offer Tomioka, it really means a lot” this was the first time Giyuu had heard Rengoku speak so softly, it was warm and comforting like a tiny flame blazing through the calm night. 

Kanzaburo was already sleeping soundly beside him that night while Giyuu was left wondering about his action today. If the Giyuu in the past had seen him interacting with so many people he would have thought it was an illusion created by demons. “Today feels like a fever dream” Giyuu mumbled as he gazed at the night sky “Giyuu…sleep…” Giyuu couldn’t hold back his laughter the moment he heard Kanzaburo mumbling in his sleep “good night Kanzaburo, let’s build a better future together” That night Giyuu didn’t want to admit it but he wish for this moment of peace to last forever as they continue to face the many challenges ahead.

Chapter 15: 15

Summary:

Mt. Natagumo arc

The scent of blood filled the air, with strings of web scattered all over the mountain. Tanjiro remembers this mission very clearly. A family of demons controlled by a lower moon, this time he will make sure not to make any mistakes. “I wanna go home!” Zenitsu cried out as he held on to Tanjiro tightly “this place is full of spider webs, yuck” Inosuke stated while trying to clean the spider web on his hand. 

As they walked deeper into the forest they finally caught sight of another demon slayer “who are you?” Murata asks, jumping at everything that managed to get close to him. “We came as back up, my name is Kamado Tanjiro” after he introduces himself Murata finally breathes a sigh of relief “thank goodness but I never heard of a hashira name Kamado before are you new?” Murata's expression turns sour the moment they mention that they were not hashira “why would they send more Mizunoto into this mess! They already sent ten slayers on this mission and all they did was use us against each other! We need a hashira right no-” before Murata could finish his explanation Inosuke immediately punched him in the face “quit your whining, you're just as bad as that creep over there!”

Tanjiro tried to calm them down, yet as they talked the scent of blood started to get closer and closer “you idiot are leading the demon in our direction!” Zenitsu stated while pointing at the horde of slayers approaching them. “That’s not the demon, they are all the slayers that got sent on this mission” Murata's hands start to tremble the moment the dead slayer starts attacking them.

Back in the demon slayer headquarters a kasugai crow was breathing heavily as it finished relaying a message to the Ubuyashiki family. “The twelve kizuki have already made their move, can I entrust this mission to the both of you?” Kagaya asked while gazing at the two hashira, Shinobu had already prepared to leave with Sabito sitting by her side. “As you wish” both hashira stated in unison “if only demons are willing to live by our side peacefully” Shinobu said sarcastically “as long as they devour humans that will never happen” Sabito coldly stated.

In a village not far from mount Natagumo Giyuu was already waiting for Kanzaburo to deliver his mission. “Giyuu…mission” he then patted Kanzaburo's head before preparing to depart. “Lead the way” he stated before following the kasugai direction. Unlike his previous mission this time Giyuu feels a little more at ease. The lower moon has been proven to not be much of a threat Sabito could take them on with ease.

What worries Giyuu right now is if an upper moon will suddenly appear. Just like what happened to lower moon four, Muzan could use the lower moon as a distraction allowing the upper moon to kill the last remaining survivor. The possibilities are endless, this time Giyuu needs to be ready for everything. “Someone help me!” hearing the loud cries of help Giyuu didn’t hesitate to rush and help, yet what greeted him was the remains of a human slowly mutating into a demon.

The slayer's hands were covered by purple bruises that slowly deformed her body, her eyes bloodshot red with the only sign of humanity being her voice. “Please…help me” her voice was weak yet she still tried to reach out to Giyuu, but it was already too late. He took a deep breath before swinging his sword “thank you for your hard word, leave the rest to me” that was the last thing she could hear before finally falling into a deep slumber.

Deep inside of the forest both hashira managed to track down most of the slayer, many of them are not fortunate to survive. “Do you know any of them?” Shinobu asked curiously “beginner slayer that used to train in my estate. It’s unfortunate that my teaching was not enough to save them” Sabito stated while closing their eyes for the last time.

Even as they venture further in the mountain Sabito could not see any sign of Tanjiro being around. The kasugai crow mentions many beginners Mizunoto was assigned to work on this mission, Sabito could only hope that Tanjiro is strong enough to face a twelve kizuki member. “You’ve been very distant with me recently Mr. Sabito, it would be nice to get along since the master entrusted us with the same mission” Shinobu said playfully “I’m only here to slay demons, we should focus on that before playing around” Sabito stated sternly, she couldn’t even see his expression as Sabito constantly wear a fox mask during his mission. “serious as ever, then we should split up from here. I shall take on the west side” that was the last thing Shinobu said before rushing towards the west side of the mountain, leaving Sabito to investigate alone.

The mountainside atmosphere has become calmer ever since Tanjiro slain the spider woman, yet the familiar scent of acid odor surrounding them managed to put him on edge. Just like before another demon appeared at the other side of the river “Inosuke be on guard! She is not alone!” Just as Tanjiro warns his friend, a gigantic figure descends to the ground.

It was a muscular demon possessing the same pattern as the other, his body was bigger with a giant spider form as his head. In the past Tanjiro remembers struggling to defeat the demon but this time he won’t get hurt as easily. “Water breathing, second form: water wheel!” Even when Tanjiro uses all of his strength to swing his sword, it isn’t enough to cut through the demon’s hand.

Witnessing the slayer struggle, the spider father then raises his fist towards Tanjiro only for it to be blocked by Inosuke’s blade. “It's too damn hard!” Inosuke complained, enraged by the slayer's action the spider father threw both Tanjiro and Inosuke away from him. “Why can’t I cut through him? I’ve cut through many upper moon’s bodies before so why?” as Tanjiro was distracted the spider father took the opportunity to attack him only for Tanjiro to swiftly dodge the attack.

Not wanting to lose to his friends, Inosuke changed straight at the demon with all of his strength “where are you looking at? Your real opponent is me!” Yet his strength alone was not enough to withstand the full force of the spider father punch. “Damn it, this stupid injury is holding me back” blood starts dripping from his wound, combined with the overwhelming pain all over his body Inosuke has no choice but to run away.

As the spider father was distracted by Inosuke Tanjiro decided to use the same technique he utilized in the past, he rushed to the biggest tree and cut through its trunk. The moment Inosuke passed by him the tree immediately fell and crushed the spider father beneath it, seizing the opportunity Tanjiro concentrated on his breathing and launched a powerful attack “total concentration. water breathing, tenth form: constant flux!” Before his sword could even reach him the spider father shielded himself with the tree causing Tanjiro to be thrown far away.

The moment he was lifted into the air all Tanjiro could think about is the danger Inosuke will face the moment he was left alone with the spider father “Inosuke! Stay alive! I will come back! So no matter what, don't you dare die!” That was the last thing Inosuke heard before standing face to face with the demon alone.

On the far west side of Natagumo mountain Zenitsu was left crying up in a tree “Tanjiro you coward! Even after you gave a whole speech about sticking by my side the whole mission, in the end you left me to die!” No matter how much Chuntaro tries Zenitsu can never calm down. The sparrow has watched the young man dodge every single attack the demon thrown at him yet all he could think about is his own fear of dying. 

Back when the demon was controlling all of the dead slayers, Tanjiro entrusted him to distract the demon with Murata but with just a single swing of the slayer sword Zenitsu had already started running. “Chuntaro, is this mountain really that big? I just wanna go home in shame already” Zenitsu complained yet all the answer he got was an angry pecking from his sparrow.

It wasn’t until Zenitsu finally observed his surroundings that he witnessed the most terrifying scene. A house stood tall amongst the forest as it was attracted to a singular spider web, below them many humans were tied to the web while some of them can barely even be called human. Their hair started to fall out and their hands morphed into spider-like legs. The moment Zenitsu recognized the demon slayer uniform some of them had worn he could feel his heart start to drop. 

For a moment Zenitsu feels like he is already in hell yet the pungent scent surrounding him wakes him back to reality. “Why is my throat stinging so badly?” Zenitsu mumbled while trying to block out the hideous scent, just as he thought it couldn’t get any worse a sudden noise came from the house startling both him and his sparrow. A humongous spider demon then scrawled out of the house, its head took the form of a human man with a red-like pattern surrounding his face.

The demon doesn’t need to speak as his appearance has already terrified Zenitsu to the brink of death. “No screw this, I’m not talking to you!” witnessing the slayer run in fear the spider demon couldn’t hold back his laughter “it’s useless to run away, you have already lost” the spider demon mockery has only caused Zenitsu to run even faster “it’s not like standing still will be any better!” he stated while being held back by Chuntaro “you don’t believe me? Look at your hands” Zenitsu didn’t want to believe anything the demon said yet after witnessing his hand filled with purple blisters he had finally understood what the spider demon meant.

Laughter filled the entire forest as the spider demon laughed at the fear Zenitsu showed “you were so scared of dying that you didn’t realize one of my spiders bit you, once you were bitten by their kind your body will transform into a spider. Just like everyone here” Zenitsu could only stare at the spider demon in fear as he vividly described what will happen to him in the next 30 minutes.

As the demon observed him from afar he had commanded multiple of his creations to chase Zenitsu around the area, tormenting the boy as he awaited his fateful death. “Didn’t I tell you that running away-” before he could even finish mocking the slayer Zenitsu had already cut him off. “It's futile! I know! I understand okay!” In the end Zenitsu can only climb high up in a tree to avoid the spider demon creation.

Since the very beginning it has always been like this, his fear has always clouded his mind the moment Zenitsu steps into the battlefield. “Get it together! Stop crying! Stop running away!” Each time his mentor found him running away Zenitsu would always get a thorough scolding “come down from that tree and get back to training!” his mentor shouted “no way! If this keeps up I’m gonna die! Just let me rest gramps!” Zenitsu cried out.

In truth Zenitsu hated himself more than anyone, he was a pathetic man who wanted to do everything for the people he loved. Yet the moment he even tried to prove himself Zenitsu had nothing to show. He wanted to be strong, he wanted to become someone that people rely on yet no matter how many chances he got to prove himself Zenitsu would always run in fear. “Why? I already tried my best! I was so adamant on not going on this mission but Tanjiro was so nice and trusted my ability! Yet here I am getting poison and am about to turn into a monster!” as he was having a mental breakdown the spider demon could only stare at the boy in confusion.

Even when the demon had done everything to taunt Zenitsu, the slayer had done nothing to attack the demon back. This had only made the spider demon even more suspicious of the slayer, could such a coward person really be a demon slayer? Just as he thought Zenitsu had given up he witnessed the slayer charging straight at him.

The young man moves so fast that the spider demon barely has time to react, as a reflex the spider demon spits out a large amount of acid from his mouth. In the last minute Zenitsu managed to dodge, causing the acid to melt the surrounding tree. “Did he just twist his body midair? And he is not crying for once?” Yet even as the slayer started to get close to him the spider demon noticed that he had been holding the same pose over and over again.

As the demon commanded his creation to attack, Zenitsu form never falters while he dodges every attack his creation has thrown at him. “I understand now, he must have only known one form. I feel sorry a weak person like you got accepted to be a demon slayer” the demon mocks while constantly attacking Zenitsu.

Despite all of his effort none of the demon attacks managed to reach Zenitsu, the spider demon thought that this would be an easy fight by how the young man acted after meeting him yet no matter how hard he tried Zenitsu refused to die. “You brat! Just stay still and accept your fate!” the spider demon yelled out in annoyance.

If only he had paid more attention the demon would have noticed Giyuu’s blade cutting his web. The sound of crashing echoed through the entire forest as the house came crumbling down to the ground. Crushing the spider demon along with it “your not a twelve kizuki” hearing the slayer word the spider demon leaps into the air and lands on one of the trees.

Blood started oozing out of the demon’s body with many of his legs broken upon impact “another slayer? It doesn’t matter how much of your kind they sent, I have enough blood to kill all of you!” as Giyuu was preparing himself to attack the demon a thundering roar could be heard from behind him.

Zenitsu stood tall maintaining the same form as he cut through the bodies of all the spider demon creations. The air around them starts to vibrate while Zenitsu lifts himself into the air and cuts through the demon’s neck “thunder breathing, first form: thunderclap and flash sixthfold!” As the thunderous roar echoed through the forest Zenitsu's body had already become numb, with the little time he had left as a human the young man then closed his eyes as he slowly descended to the ground.

Chapter 16: 16

Summary:

Despite the blood splattered all over the area Sabito managed to remain clean, as none of the blood managed to even come close to touching him. The twelve techniques of water breathing developed by Sabito are just as deadly as Tanjiro imagined it to be. “Are you alright?” a familiar voice called out to him

Even when the spider demon has been defeated, the poison embedded in Zenitsu's body is already spreading rapidly. The purple blister around his hand started to spread around his body rendering him immobile and just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse an overwhelming pain started to sting his entire body making it hard to even breathe.

It doesn’t matter how hard Zenitsu tries, in the end he will still cry and run away. He has only defeated the demon through sheer luck, if it were a more powerful foe Zenitsu would already be dead from the start. “I want a happy dream, one where I am strong and can help everyone in trouble. Maybe then all of Gramp's effort will not be in vain” as Zenitsu mumbled to himself a gentle stroke could be felt on his forehead.

That night, under the moonlight, he caught sight of a beautiful woman; her hair was a radiant blue, and her eyes were as deep as the ocean. “Don’t give up, keep your breathing steady. Someone will arrive soon with a medicine to cure you” the woman's voice was a bit deeper than Zenitsu had thought yet the kindness she showed him managed to give him the motivation to live on.

Chuntaro could be seen crying by his slayer side. Giyuu could tell that the poison was already at its full effect, any minute and Zenitsu could be turned into a demon. “Kanzaburo can I entrust you to look for Miss Kochou? The situation is dire. We can't afford to make any mistake” as his crow flew deep inside the forest Giyuu took the time to comfort the little sparrow “Your owner is going to live, stay by his side until help arrived” it wasn’t until Chuntaro finally calmed down that Giyuu finally rushed towards the other side of the mountain.

Blood trails spread through the forest as Inosuke hid from the spider father's sight yet it didn't matter how long he ran, the blood he left behind was enough for the demon to track him down. How does one defeat a demon that can’t be cut with a sword? That is all Inosuke could think of, no matter how strong he swung his sword at the demon it would always get stuck at his flesh. 

The tree Inosuke used to hide behind came crumbling down with a single blow from the spider father's punch. The young man's legs move on his own as if all he could think of is running away “I need to get away, until he comes back I nee-” As Inosuke was running away his body suddenly came to a halt the moment he was reminded of Tanjiro “what is wrong with me?” The demon movement was suddenly stopped at the sight of Inosuke dashing towards him.

Inosuke then plunged his sword at the spider father's arm with all of his strength and constantly stuck it with his other sword until it finally managed to cut through the demon’s arm. “Tonratro has been infecting my mind! Using my head? What use does that make!” screams of pain could be heard throughout the forest as the spider father ran away from the slayer. “Don’t you dare run from me! Come back here demon!” Inosuke shouted.

As the demon led the slayer inside the mountain slowly his arm started to regenerate, just when Inosuke thought he had finally got the upper hand the spider father's body started to tremble. “Are you trembling at the sight of the great Inosuke? Well it’s too late to beg for mercy!” It wasn't until Inosuke witnessed the demon’s body start to melt that he finally understood what was happening.

The spider father tears off his weaker skin revealing a sharper body underneath. His arms were filled with spikes revealing every vein that is visible, his mouth was open with multiple sharp fangs taunting the young man. This time the demon stares directly at Inosuke before jumping down to the ground.

Just the mere sight of the demon was enough to scare anyone away, even Inosuke could sense an overwhelming power just from staring at the spider father. “There is no way…I can’t win” for the first time the young man's voice was trembling, as if he had already accepted the fate in front of him.

In his last moment he could hear a familiar voice shouting at him “Inosuke! Stay alive! I will come back! So no matter what, don't you dare die!” Tanjiro's voice was sharp, it managed to pierce through Inosuke's doubt and gave him the courage to change straight at the demon. Witnessing the slayer fighting back, the spider father then launches a powerful punch at Inosuke causing him to be thrown far away.

The demon’s movement was fast and powerful but Inosuke still managed to dodge just in time before the spider father launched another attack at him. “Beast breathing, third fang: tear and gorge!” as Inosuke swung both of his swords at the demon’s neck, only for it to break upon impact.

Enraged, the spider father punches the slayer away causing Inosuke to crash into a tree “damn it…I couldn’t…break my fall in time” the young man's voice is weaker now as all of the injuries he accumulated have started to impact him. Witnessing Inosuke trembling on the ground, the spider father grabs him by the head and prepares to kill him.

It tightened his grip before threatening him once more “stay away from my family!” not willing to die so easily Inosuke then gathered all his last remaining strength to launch another attack “beast breathing, first fang: pierce and bore!” His sword managed to pierce the demon's neck yet the spider father did not show any fear, instead he raised Inosuke high into the air while slowly crushing the young man's head making sure he felt all of the pain.

In his last moment memories of his past came rushing in Inosuke's mind “forgive me Inosuke. All I want is for you to survive” the woman’s words were gentle even as blood tainted her clothes Inosuke could still remember her warm embrace. Yet it’s strange he couldn’t remember who she was and why he could remember her.

Just as the demon thought he had finally defeated the slayer, the sound of footsteps could be heard rapidly approaching them. It moves so fast that the spider father didn’t realize he had arrived until his arm was cut into pieces. Sabito managed to catch Inosuke in time. He gently placed Inosuke on the ground before charging straight at the demon “water breathing, fourth form: striking tide!” In an instant the spider father's body crumbles to the ground and disappears into the wind.

Sabito's movement was fast and aggressive giving demons no time to defend themself, as he wiped his sword clean of demon blood the water hashira witnessed Inosuke staring at him with excitement in his eyes. “You should lie still for now, the injury you sustain would only be worse if you move so much” even when Sabito told him to rest Inosuke couldn’t hold back his excitement any longer “I was never injured, now that you have defeated that demon the great Inosuke challenges you to a fight!” the young man announced proudly.

Upon hearing the naive challenge Sabito took out a pair of ropes before answering “too weak, too slow, too immature. A slayer like yourself can’t even be considered a man” Inosuke didn’t even know which insult to be mad at “what did you say! I’ll have you know I was just about to kill that kizuki!” Inosuke stated in anger “kizuki? You can’t even tell if a demon is a twelve kizuki or not, go back to training then maybe i’ll finally consider you a man” Inosuke was about to attack Sabito with his sword yet all he feels was his whole body getting restrain, he didn’t even realize the water hashira had tied him up a tree “come back here and fight me you ugly fox! Damn it! Once kentaro comes back to rescue me you will be the first one i’m hunting down!” ignoring Inosuke rage Sabito quickly made his way up the mountain in search of the real twelve kizuki.

The scent of blood filled the air as the moment Rui's sharp web was about to cut through Tanjiro's body, Nezuko jumped in his place and took the blow for him. “Nezuko! Wake up please, I’m sorry you have to protect me” blood started oozing out of Nezuko's body as her hands and legs were cut off upon impact.

Rui's eyes started to light up. This was his first time witnessing such a powerful bond. A demon sister putting her life on the line to protect her demon slayer brother. That kind of genuine bond is something that Rui has always yearned for “wait Rui! I’m your sister right? Please don’t abandon me!” The spider sister's word has only annoyed the lower moon as he launches an attack upon hearing her beg.

Blood splattered all over the area as the spider sister's body was cut to pieces upon coming in contact with Rui’s web “none of you have succeeded in fulfilling your role, if you truly wish to be my family then go kill all of the remaining slayer!” faced with the lower moon wrath she could only obey Rui’s command and start descending the mountain.

So far everything that happens mirrors the past. From the moment they step into the mountain to his confrontation with Rui, yet despite his advantage Tanjiro is still struggling to cut through the lower moon’s web. Tanjiro remembers the technique, he remembers every form of water breathing and hinokami kagura but his strength remains the same as when he first became a demon slayer.

It infuriates him as Tanjiro is aware that he could cut through Rui’s web yet his sword still broke the moment he came close to the lower moon. “You may come out now boy, I have an offer for you” Rui’s voice was more gentle than usual, as if he wanted Tanjiro to listen to him. “I already know what you're going to say. Let me be very clear, I will never hand Nezuko over to you” Tanjiro stated coldly, his grip on Nezuko becoming tight while trying to help heal his sister.

Despite the lower moon's generous offer Tanjiro did not falter, he stuck to his original statement as he held on to Nezuko tightly while awaiting Rui’s attack. “Your gaze really irritates me, do you really think someone like you could defeat me?” As the lower moon flicked his hand Tanjiro started to swiftly avoid every single web he threw at them. Nezuko was still unconscious in his arms making it hard for Tanjiro to move freely.

Each web that was thrown was faster than the others, one single mistake could cost Tanjiro his life as each web managed to cut through his haori. Tanjiro remembers the fear he felt the moment Rui started to attack him in the past, back then he was weaker and slower making it easy for the lower moon to overwhelm him. But this time he is not afraid Tanjiro still remembers the knowledge each hashira gave to him, making it easy for him to dodge every single attack.

Witnessing the young man's skill Rui didn’t expect him to survive for this long, Tanjiro leaps from one tree to another as he swiftly avoids the lower moon attacks. “Enough your determination is annoying” Rui stated while controlling his web to grab Nezuko. “You're fast, I'll give you that but do you really think you can cut through my neck?” Hearing the lower moon question, Tanjiro was reminded of crucial information.

Back then Rui’s neck was too hard for him to cut through, he tried using all of his remaining strength yet the only reason Tanjiro managed to cut through Rui’s neck was hinokami kagura and Nezuko’s blood demon art. “Do you understand now? There is no way that you could beat me” Rui managed to kick Tanjiro far away, causing Nezuko to yell in distress. “Shut up” the web grip on Nezuko suddenly became tighter as each web managed to pierce through her skin.

In the end Tanjiro was not strong enough, even when he moved his body the same as before Tanjiro could never cut through the lower moon’s web. Why? Why now when he finally gets the chance to save them all. The sight of Giyuu's limp body in his hand still haunts him to this very day. Tanjiro never wanted to make the same mistake.

“Tanjiro calm your mind, control your breathing and let fate do its part” as his father's words echo through his mind, memories of the past flash before him. Tanjiro didn’t become strong in an instant. It took him years to finally refine his skill, he struggled to use his breathing technique outside of battle, he struggled to cut a weaker demon's neck, and he struggled a lot in the beginning of his journey. 

He was not a prodigy, he was not gifted, Tanjiro is just someone that wanted to protect his sister. “Why are you the one always suffering? Don’t lose yourself brother, come back home to us” that was the last thing Nezuko said to him before tearing her body into pieces, such a cruel future. Tanjiro will never let it happen again. He could feel his body getting faster and faster while finally managing to cut through Rui’s web.

The lower moon gazes at Tanjiro in rage as the young man manages to cut through every attack Rui throws at him. “Blood demon art: cutting gossamer cage!” The lower moon embedded his blood onto the surrounding web, forming a cage trapping Tanjiro inside with no way of escaping. Tanjiro concentrates his breathing, remembering everything that his father had taught him in the past. Hinokami Kagura, the tradition that his father has kept for him to carry into the future. Tanjiro will make sure to utilize it to its final potential. 

As the web started to approach him Tanjiro’s body moved on his own as the young man twisted his sword through the blood demon art “Hinokami Kagura: waltz!” Witnessing Tanjiro's powerful movement Rui launches countless attacks towards the young man “is that a different breathing?” The lower moon didn’t have time to observe as Tanjiro started charging towards him. Multiple webs were sent to attack the young man yet Tanjiro pierced through every single one.

In a split second Tanjiro managed to pierce through all of Rui’s web and struck his sword at the lower moon’s neck, even when he used up all his strength it still wasn’t enough to behead the demon. Hearing her brother's struggle, Nezuko finally woke up. The moment she witnessed Tanjiro strike his sword against Rui’s neck. She seized the opportunity to attack “blood demon art: blood burst!” In an instant the blood-stained Tanjiro sword was embedded by pink flame, giving the young man enough strength to cut through the lower moon's neck.

 Knowing what’s going to happen, Tanjiro tried to cut through Rui’s body yet the lower moon had already summoned his webs to surround him once more. “Are you happy now? I don’t know if that flame was your sister's ability but I guess I should thank you. Now I won’t feel sorry for killing you” Tanjiro is not afraid, he gazes at Rui with a stern expression as Sabito rushes towards his side and easily cuts through the lower moon’s web.

A familiar fox mask and accompanied by peach colored hair, Tanjiro doesn’t need to ask as the sight of Sabito standing before him alive and well is still clear in his memory. “You work hard, leave the rest to me” The arrival of another slayer had only managed to enrage the lower moon even more. Rui gathered all of his strength to launch a large attack “blood demon art: cutting web mandala!” As the lower moon web starts to rapidly approach them Sabito focuses his sight onto Rui before charging straight at the demon.

Sabito launches himself forward as each web that came in contact with his sword was cut swiftly, the water hashira leaps from one tree to another building a powerful motion as he charges towards the lower moon “total concentration. Water breathing, twelve forms: rust of heroism!” In a mere second the lower moon body was cut into pieces, leaving only traces of his blood as proof of his existence.

Despite the blood splattered all over the area Sabito managed to remain clean, as none of the blood managed to even come close to touching him. The twelve techniques of water breathing developed by Sabito are just as deadly as Tanjiro imagined it to be. “Are you alright?” a familiar voice called out to him, when Tanjiro turned around Giyuu was there carrying Nezuko in his arms. 

Tears started streaming down Tanjiro's face as the sight of his past mentor standing in front of him alive brought him more joy than he had thought. “I’m alright Mr. Giyuu-” just as he was about to hug him Sabito smacked the Tanjiro in the head “a man doesn't call his elder by their first name, it’s Tomioka you brat” the water hashira wanted to scold the young boy more harshly yet his partner's worried gaze managed to make Sabito hold back his strength.

Remembering what happened in the past, Tanjiro managed to drag Giyuu and Nezuko away as Sabito blocked Shinobu's sudden attack. “Oh my, for what reason would you get in my way, Mr Sabito?” The insect hashira tone was playful yet the rage hidden in her eyes is as clear as Tanjiro remembers.

Notes:

I'm not really good at naming so the twelve form of water breathing is just a combination of both Sabito and Giyuu name meanings

Chapter 17: 17

Summary:

The trial

As the situation has become calmer many kakushi have arrived to help any remaining survivors. Under the guidance of the insect hashira, they managed to save many of the poison slayers from being transformed into demons. “Lady Kochou is amazing, just one look at the situation and she managed to prepare the right antidote on the spot” one of the kakushi stated while observing the purple blister all over the slayer disappear in an instant. “you guys over there! Hurry it up, we still need to transport the injured back to headquarters” the senior kakushi instructed while carrying the unconscious Zenitsu on his back.

Shinobu thought that this would be a swift mission, one where she could test her poison on a twelve kizuki member. Yet she was disappointed to find her colleagues preventing her from killing a demon. “Wasn’t it you who told me that humans and demons could never live peacefully amongst each other? I hope you will stick to your word and move out of my way” even when Shinobu had used Sabito's own word against him, the water hashira did not falter and stick by Tanjiro's side.

The sight of Giyuu embracing a demon tightly was also unexpected yet for some reason Shinobu felt a hint of nostalgia the moment she witnessed them together. “Mr. Tomioka you shouldn’t get too close to the little girl, she is a demon after all” Hearing her statement Giyuu tightened his embrace on Nezuko before speaking “Nezuko will never eat a human, she is different” his voice was stern as he gazed at Shinobu directly.

Witnessing both of her colleague’s stubbornness , Shinobu turns her attention to Tanjiro “little boy, the girl beside you is a demon. I would like for you to be saved so please get out of the way” despite all of the pain Tanjiro is currently in the young man forces himself to stand up “she is my sister, forgive me if I’m being blunt Miss Kochou but I will never hand her over so easily” seeing as none of them are willing to give up Shinobu was given to choice but to launch an attack at Nezuko only for it to be blocked by Sabito blade.

Before he moves the water hashira signals for them to run away while he holds Shinobu back, both of them move in unison as Giyuu manages to carry Nezuko down the mountain while Tanjiro retrieves the wooden box to protect Nezuko from the sun. “You're breaking the rule Mr. Sabito, are you sure this is what you wanted to do?” Shinobu asked him one last time “I never back down from my promise” Sabito stated coldly “I could never understand why Giyuu chose you of all people” that was the last insult Shinobu threw at the man before attacking him with all her strength.

As both of them managed to get far away from the hashiras, Tanjiro took the time to explain to Giyuu what would happen. “Be on your guard Mr. Giyuu, Miss Shinobu is not alone Kanao is with her” Giyuu had already noticed a young woman trailing them from behind “I’m going to give you a signal, I expect you to stop and catch your sister while I hold back Miss Tsuyuri” as he was explaining their plan, Kanao was getting closer to them.

Not wanting to waste his energy Giyuu decided to slow his pace as to anticipate the tsuguko attack, the moment Kanao plunged her sword at him Giyuu twisted his body backwards and threw Nezuko at the last second before pulling out his sword to block Kanao’s attack. Shocked by the sudden defense, Kanao tried to rush towards Tanjiro's direction only for Giyuu to stand in front of her.

Tanjiro didn’t even know it was possible yet as he witnessed Kanao struggle to fight against Giyuu he noticed that the man's movement had become even faster. Giyuu was fast and precise, it was as if he had already known where Kanao would turn before she moved. “Mr. Giyuu is amazing, he managed to improve in such a short time” Tanjiro said while observing the battle in awe.

Hours have passed and it doesn’t look like Giyuu is slowing down his phase, in normal circumstances Kanao would be impressed yet the thought of him hindering her mission had only made her more anxious. But the demon was also strange, throughout her fight Kanao witnessed Nezuko sitting peacefully beside Tanjiro, flinching only when Kanao got a little closer to their side. It was as if the demon was protecting the slayer, such an ironic sight only confused the young woman. Aren’t demons supposed to be evil?

In the end their fight was brought to a halt as a kasugai crow came into the mountainside with an urgent message. “I brought a message from headquarters! Tanjiro and Nezuko are to be taken to headquarters alive!” Hearing the announcement all of them lowered their sword and started preparing to depart. “The kakushi will detain you soon, please do not leave the box unless you are instructed to do so Nezuko” as Giyuu explains, he gazes at Tanjiro with a slight nod. Signaling to the young man to trust him as the kakushi swiftly detain him.

Before Giyuu could even come out of the forest Kanzaburo approached him, bringing another kasugai crow with him. “Master Kagaya wishes for you to attend the next hashira meeting, he would like for you to sit beside him as you give your statement” Hearing the crow message Giyuu was taken aback, Kagaya wanting him to give his statement was understandable since he was the one who saved the Kamado siblings. But the fact that Kagaya had asked him to sit beside him surprised the man.

Thanks to the kakushi's help Giyuu managed to arrive before all of the Hashira. The Ubuyashiki children were already present as they set a small cushion for him to sit. “Thank you for your time, the master will appear once the hashira have gathered” that was the last thing the child said before leaving him alone.

As time goes by many of the hashira have already gathered in the Ubuyashiki estate. Upon witnessing Giyuu presence most of them gaze at him with worry yet none have dared to say anything. They have most likely heard about the incident from Shinobu, not wanting to affect their opinion. Giyuu chose to stay silent as he waited for the trail to begin.

Unlike what happened in the past, Tanjiro was fully awake the moment he walked into the estate. His gaze was stern as he carefully observed his surroundings, the moment his gaze landed on Nezuko's box carefully placed next to him Giyuu could see the young man breathe a sigh of relief.

The trial went on the same as the original timeline with all of the hashira expressing their dislike towards the siblings and wanting to head both of them as a punishment. It was a cruel decision but an understandable one, none of the hashira have seen what Nezuko has done to protect her brother. Their judgment was based only on the fact that she is a demon.

“You're not going to say anything to defend yourself Sabito? Even looking at you makes me feel disgusted, as a hashira you should know better than to protect a demon” Obanai stated, making the other direct their attention towards him for an explanation “I acted on my own decision, weathered it was right or wrong is up for the master to decide” Sabito answer have only managed to anger Obanai as Shinobu and Mitsuri tried to calm him down.

Even when constant insults and mockery were thrown toward Tanjiro's direction he stayed calm and answered all of the hashira questions with honesty “my sister have been a demon for well over two years and around that time she have had plenty of time to attack or devour a human yet not once has she ever raised her hands against any innocent life” Tanjiro explain with a stern expression “just because she hasn't eaten a human doesn’t mean she won’t, demons need to devour a human to recover. You can’t expect us to spare one demon in hopes that she won’t do what is created to do” Tengen stated, countering the young man's argument. “Respectfully sir hashira my sister has been put through many life-threatening situation where her limbs were cut from her body and as you can see not once has she ever tried to attack the kakushi when they were carrying her back” many of the hashira were left speechless as Tanjiro continued to defend his sister's reputation. Giyuu even witnesses Gyomei's gaze soften the moment the young man talks about Nezuko.

Witnessing the young man handle such a hard situation with grace Giyuu couldn’t help but smile, Tanjiro has grown to be a strong man. He could only hope that Tanjiro could face the next challenge calmly as he caught sight of a very difficult hashira. “Is that the moron slayer that brought this demon here?” The sight of Sanemi carrying Nezuko’s box in his arms managed to catch everyone's attention.

Just as Giyuu predicted even with Kanae gentle influence, the wind hashira is still willing to act outside of the Ubuyashiki orders. Everyone could feel the tense atmosphere in the air as Sanemi refused to let Nezuko go “let me remind you that many of us are suffering is because of creatures like your sister, you think a simple promise will be enough to convince us?” even as Tanjiro tried his best to stay calm Giyuu noticed the young man's anger grew as Sanemi directed his sword at Nezuko.

Blood was splattered to the ground as Sanemi pierced his sword through Nezuko's body. Tanjiro tried his best to calm down, yet the smirk on the wind hashira face as he tormented his sister managed to enrage him even more. “Stop it, the master will arrive soon!” Sabito's warning goes unnoticed as Tanjiro moved his body swiftly towards Sanemi, the young man was unexpectedly fast catching the hashira off guard while Tanjiro slammed his head into Sanemi face out of anger.

As a fight was about to break out Giyuu surprises everyone when he  suddenly throws a pebble at Sanemi direction before finally saying “unless you want the master to see you as a child I suggest you calm yourself before you make a fool out of all the hashira in this meeting” that was the first time Giyuu have directed his anger at his colleague, they expected him to not say a word yet who would have known that for the people he cherished Giyuu still find it hard to control his emotion.

Everyone sat in silence the moment Kagaya entered with the help of his children, he had expected to hear a lot more disruption from his children yet he decided not to question their odd behavior. “Good morning everyone, it pleases me that you all seem to have a peaceful day” the moment the master speaks everyone turns to bow out of respect, even Tanjiro who sat next to Sanemi managed to bow while his hand was being restrained.

They all managed to exchange pleasantries before finally beginning the true purpose of this meeting. “Forgive me for keeping you all in the dark. Regarding Tanjiro and Nezuko , I’ve already monitored their every move since the moment they were sent on their first mission. I have witnessed how Nezuko risked her life protecting both her brother and other civilian’s lives. Because of this I hope you all could accept it” even after Kagaya had explained the situation many of the hashira still expressed their dissatisfaction towards accepting the sibling.

Gyomei was the first to voice his opinion “forgive me master, even if that is what you wish for I simply cannot accept” tears could be seen on the stone Hashira's face as he continued to pray “I’m fine either way, I’ll forget anyway…” Muichiro stated while gazing at the clouds “a demon slayer's duty is to eliminate every single demon in the world, their moronic acts have only caused distrust amongst our rank. I ask that you punish Kamado and Sabito for this” witnessing Sanemi's outburst many of the hashira chose to stay silent and wait for the master decision.

Hearing all of the Hashira's opinion, Kagaya directed his gaze towards Giyuu as a last resort “Tomioka would it be possible for you to give out the statement you gave me?” Sabito was shocked to hear Kagaya's instruction as he thought that Giyuu had kept all of it a secret. “Nezuko has not lost her humanity. Even when she is starving she never devours a human, this fact has remained true for years. Even when this situation sounds untrue, it is an indisputable fact. If Nezuko does assault a human, Kamado Tanjiro, Urokodaki Sakonji, Sabito, and Tomioka Giyuu shall atone by committing ritual suicide” even when Tanjiro has heard the statement before, witnessing Giyuu defending their honor still managed to bring tears into his eyes.

Sanemi was still dissatisfied with the statement that Giyuu gives, as he still wholeheartedly believed that Nezuko would eventually become their enemy. Such blatant disrespect towards his mentor had only managed to annoy Tanjiro, yet before he could even stop the wind hashira, Obanai slammed his head to the ground rendering him immobile.

The man moved fast as no one managed to stop him before Sanemi barged into the estate, dragging Nezuko with him. Before opening the box the wind hashira decided to stab Nezuko once more, creating a bigger wound in hopes that she would be tempted by the scent of his blood.

Knowing what’s about to happen Giyuu thought that he would be calmer yet as he witnessed Sanemi reaching out his injured hand in Nezuko's direction Giyuu couldn’t help but pray that everything went according to plan. It was clear that the scent of Sanemi's blood managed to affect Nezuko, her hands were trembling while her mouth started to water as the delicious scent of blood was present in front of her. Just before she lost herself a familiar voice echoed through her mind “all humans are your family, you must protect them” Urokodaki voice was stern accompanied by the familiar sight of her family smiling brightly at her. Such a beautiful sight managed to give her all the strength to look away in disgust.

In the end Nezuko’s action managed to gain everyone's trust, whether everyone accepts her or not doesn’t matter. There are still many people who are willing to vouch for her innocence. As they were about to end the meeting Shinobu had suggested that the Kamado siblings stay in the butterfly mansion to recover, the young man was a bit disappointed as he had hoped that he could talk to Giyuu before leaving.

Just as the kakushi was about to escort them to the mansion, Nezuko witnessed Sanemi pointing towards Giyuu’s direction. She couldn’t understand what they were talking about but the angry expression the wind hashira has shown only made her angrier. Giyuu was surprised himself, as the sight of Nezuko shielding him from Sanemi had never come across their mind.

The silence that filled the entire room was loud as no one had expected Nezuko to deemed Sanemi as a threat to the others. Tanjiro tried to calm Nezuko down, even with Sanemi backing away by force she was still glaring at both the wind and serpent hashira. “Well at least someone is holding you both accountable” Shinobu stated, while trying to maintain a calm expression.

It wasn’t until Giyuu hands reached out to pet Nezuko head that she finally lowered her guard, he didn’t know what came over him but the sight of Tanjiro and Nezuko smiling brightly at him caused Giyuu to reach out and give them a warm embrace. “You both have worked hard, I’m proud of you” his voice was so gentle that it almost came off as a whisper, yet the sight of them tightly embracing each other was as clear as day. In the end Nezuko agreed to go after Giyuu promised that they could visit the water estate when Shinobu deemed them healthy.

As the kakushi escorts the sibling away, Giyuu decides to excuse himself as the hashira meeting was about to begin. The moment he was about to step out of the estate Kagaya called out to him one last time “Tomioka it would be nice if you could open up to us, even for just a little while” His master's word was gentle yet Giyuu understood the true intention behind his statement. “I will master” That was all that Giyuu could say before going back to the water estate.

In the end the past managed to repeat itself, as the Mount Natagumo incident came to a close without an unexpected event. Back in the estate none of the kakushi notice Giyuu entering a storage room in the very back of the estate. The room was filled with dust and spider webs as they rarely use the supply in the room, yet the moment Giyuu pulled one of the boxes away a hidden room was revealed. Inside a large-scale map was displayed showing the railway tracks of the Mugen train. Giyuu then took out a piece of paper from his haori and attached it to the rest of the map “I can’t make any mistake, not anymore”.

Sabito ended up coming home late, in the end the other hashira forced him to spar as a punishment. He was not given much of a choice since Sanemi was already dragging him to his training grounds. As he was walking along the garden he witnessed Giyuu sitting on the porch while gazing at the night sky “couldn’t sleep?” Sabito asks while sitting beside his partner. “I was just thinking what a world without demons would be like” Giyuu then leaned his head on Sabito’s shoulder “that would be a peaceful world. We could finally get married and grow old together without a single worry in the world” Sabito stated while imagining a peaceful life with Giyuu.

To grow old together without any worry in the world would be a blessing, Giyuu imagined them building a house on the mountainside. Sabito used to love swimming in the river, even now Giyuu still catches him gazing at the river near Gyomei estate. Maybe they could open a dojo together while teaching children sword technique. Such a peaceful and bright life Giyuu could only hope that it will come true one day.

Chapter 18: 18

Summary:

“Good evening Tomioka! We are here for dinner!” Rengoku's voice was so loud that even Kanzaburo was awake the moment he entered the water estate

It was raining heavily that day, and the harsh wind flew through the sky making it harder for Kanzaburo to navigate through the battlefield. Yet the crow didn’t stop, he remembered the training Giyuu had put him through just to improve his navigation skills. Day and night they both spent just so that Kanzaburo could navigate the terrain with ease.

Kanzaburo is aware that he could never be as skilled back when he was young but Giyuu was so kind to him the crow couldn’t bear to see the young man be disappointed. Today is by far the hardest mission he has had to endure as tracking down a demon is not easy in this kind of weather. Kanzaburo tried to calm his mind as he flew through the forest until he finally caught sight of the demon “Giyuu! This way!” The slayer didn’t hesitate to rush towards Kanzaburo’s direction.

Deep in the center of the forest a group of demon slayers could be seen struggling to kill a singular demon. It was a much weaker demon yet its speed was overwhelming them to the point that three of their members were heavily injured. “It’s no use, she is too fast” one of the slayers said while gazing at the demon with a horrified expression “you idiot stand up! If she catches you it’s ove-” Just as they were distracted, the demon took the opportunity to attack.

As her sharp claw was about to reach the slayer’s head Giyuu managed to push him out of the way, causing the demon to fall to the ground. “My children…give me back my children!” the demon lunges her claw at Giyuu only for him to swiftly pierce through her entire body. Just as she was regenerating her body Murata swung his sword at her neck, instantly killing her in the process.

The moment the demon body crumbles into ashes all of the slayer then start surrounding Murata “nice one Murata! You didn’t even use a breathing technique”one of the slayer said cheerfully “she was just a weaker demon, if she would have eaten more than just children we would have been in a much bigger danger” as the group was celebrating their small victory Murata notice Giyuu standing under a tree with kanzaburo.

Neither of them talks with each other much since they were assigned different areas for their mission but occasionally Giyuu would greet him whenever they met. “Damn the ripped is too big to even salvage, I’m sorry you have to ruin your haori Tomioka” Murata stated while inspecting Giyuu’s haori “you don’t have to apologize, it was my fault for underestimating the demon speed. I’ll take this as a lesson to keep up my normal speed” hearing Giyuu’s statement Murata could only look at him in horror “you mean that wasn’t your normal speed? Just what kind of training does tsuguko even go through?” Instead of answering his question, Giyuu immediately changed the topic which ultimately only made Murata more terrified.

As the sky finally cleared up, both of them went their separate ways as Giyuu made his way back to headquarters. Despite the harsh weather Kanzaburo ended up doing alright as the moment they arrived at the water estate the old crow still had the energy to continue his training. Giyuu didn’t want to push Kanzaburo to train so hard at first but in the end it was the crow that consistently asked Giyuu to train him.

In the past Giyuu was too afraid to train Kanzaburo, every time they finished a mission the old crow would always tremble uncontrollably. At some point Giyuu believes that the slightest bit of movement will kill Kanzaburo in an instant, yet ever since Sabito was alive he would make sure that Kanzaburo would always fly every day despite Giyuu’s worried gaze. 

Giyuu would wake up in the morning at the sight of Kanzaburo flying through the whole estate with Isamu “he looks out of breath” Giyuu stated worryingly “he can rest, I ask the kakushi to prepare some medicine and plenty of snacks for him to enjoy after training” Sabito said, trying to assure his partner. It wasn’t until recently that Kanzaburo has been showing progress in his ability.

During their mission the old crow will always manage to get Giyuu to the mission location on time, Kanzaburo's movement has also increased making him able to keep up with his slayer speed. “Giyuu…tired” Kanzaburo mumbled as Giyuu carried him to sleep “thank you for your hard work Kanzaburo, rest for now” he then gently placed the old crow to bed before continuing with his own training.

Even after many years had passed since he fought against Akaza, Giyuu still remembers how the upper moon attacked him. As an upper moon Akaza's strength and speed are truly remarkable, Giyuu has never been injured by most demon attacks yet Akaza managed to make him feel the most excruciating pain. Even now as Giyuu is undoubtedly faster than his past self he couldn’t imagine himself to be on par with the upper moon.

Tanjiro and his friends would also be in the mugen train yet witnessing all of their skills in Mount Natagumo Giyuu doubts that they will be enough to help him. In the end he has to rely on Rengoku to help him defeat the upper moon “will this really be enough?” Giyuu could only pray that everything would go according to plan.

Hours have passed and Giyuu is still fixated on his training to notice that the sun was about to set, if it wasn’t for a sudden voice calling out to him Giyuu would still be training until Sabito stops him. “Good evening Tomioka! We are here for dinner!” Rengoku's voice was so loud that even Kanzaburo was awake the moment he entered the water estate “wait evening?” Giyuu was shocked the moment he finally noticed the sun setting in the distance “you seriously didn’t notice? Kanroji sent the kakushi to inform you multiple time” as Obanai explained Mitsuri came out of the estate to hand him a glass of water “that’s enough training for today, let’s eat Mr. Tomioka!” she stated cheerfully.

After the Kamado sibling’s trial most of the hashira seem to have kept their distance from him. Giyuu thought that it was because they were still in disagreement with the trial result yet when Mitsuri visited her a couple of days ago the real reason managed to confuse him. “Please forgive us Mr. Tomioka!” The love hashira arrives at the water estate early in the morning bringing him a large fortune of pancakes “forgive me Miss Kanroji but why are you apologizing?” Giyuu asks while trying to calm Mitsuri.

It turns out his little outburst managed to scare all of the hashira so much that all of them are now afraid to even speak to him. Even Shinobu who always greeted him whenever they crossed paths, did not dare to make eye contact with him ever since. “I was mostly angry at Shinezugawa for acting out of line Miss Kanroji, forgive me for the misunderstanding” Giyuu will need to keep this incident in mind for the future “if you are worried about Mr. Shinezugawa. I heard from Shinobu that Kanae scolded him harshly after she caught wind of what he did” knowing the former flower hashira Giyuu is sure that Shinezugawa will not make the same mistake again.

To clear out the misunderstanding Giyuu decided to invite everyone to the water estate to have dinner together. Unfortunately Gyomei, Muichiro, and Tengen are still occupied with their mission. The butterfly mansion has been getting busy lately since there are still many people who haven’t recovered from mount Natagumo, while Shinezugawa decided to ignore his request.

Even when there were not many people attending the dinner, Giyuu was still relieved to maintain a good friendship with most of the hashira. Giyuu was most worried about Obanai since he had always hated him from the beginning, yet it seems like the serpent hashira was a little kinder to him in this timeline “Rengoku if you burnt the soup, I will not hesitate to hit you with this pan” Obanai shouted while Rengoku seemed to struggle with making the miso soup “wait Mr. Rengoku, that's sugar!” luckily Mitsuri managed to stop the flame hashira before he ruined another meal.

Giyuu would offer his help but the moment he stepped into the kitchen Mitsuri immediately pulled him to the dining table “you should rest Mr. Tomioka, leave the cooking to us!” Giyuu greatly appreciates the help the hashira has offered but the huge flame Rengoku has caused has not assured him in the slightest. “Mr. Rengoku the flame is too big!” Mitsuri shouted while trying to put out the fire “that’s it! You're not allowed to enter the kitchen!” Obanai shouted while instructing his snake to chase Rengoku away.

After a thorough scolding from the serpent hashira, Rengoku was tasked with the responsibility of keeping Giyuu company while Mitsuri and Obanai prepare the food. “How was your mission Tomioka?” Rengoku asked curiously “it went better than expected, despite the bad weather Kanzaburo managed to navigate me in time to save the beginner slayer” hearing Giyuu talk about his mission had piqued Mitsuri's interest “Mr. Sabito did mention you have been anxious with your kasugai crow” Mitsuri said while serving the food “you never think of asking for a younger crow?” Obanai asks “no I love Kanzaburo, he may be a bit slow at times but he is trying his best and i’ll patiently guide him along the way” hearing such a heartfelt statement, Mitsuri could be seen holding back her tears.

The food that Mitsuri and Obanai made wasn’t the usual food that Giyuu would eat. Many of the dishes are more Western-themed with the main dish being Mitsuri's current favorite pork cutlets and omurice. “If the food is not to your liking I could make some salmon daikon for you Mr. Tomioka” despite the love hashira's generous offer Giyuu refused to trouble her anymore as Obanai is already glaring strongly in his direction.

In the end Giyuu ended up liking the dishes more than he had expected. The pork cutlets were fried to perfection and the omurice's sweet and savory flavour managed to pair well together. Although the huge food portion was a bit hard for Giyuu to finish he wasn’t that worried since a certain someone would be happy to finish it for him.

Hours they spend chatting away through the long time, stories of their past missions and the funny moments in their childhood. In that moment Giyuu was the happiest, it was only a fleeting moment but the laughter and smile they showed would be remembered for a lifetime. Giyuu didn’t even realize he was smiling until Sabito greeted him with a hug “you seem to be having fun” Sabito stated playfully while Giyuu kissed him to welcome him home.

Neither of them cared about the awkward stare the other hashira gave them, it’s not like they’ve been keeping it a secret. “We-welcome back Mr. Sabito, we’re sorry for intruding” Mitsuri greeted him while trying to hide her flustered face “not at all, I should be thanking you for keeping Giyuu company” Sabito stated as Giyuu fed him some omurice.

Despite their disagreement in the Kamado siblings trial it seems like most of the hashira have already forgiven Sabito's action, yet he imagines some still hold a grudge as Obanai is giving him the death glare. “I am still offended that you chose to spare a demon's life! But out of respect for the master's request and Tomioka's kindness I shall maintain a respectful relationship with you!” Rengoku on the other hand prefers a more direct approach “That is fine, we could always settle our differences with a friendly spar” Sabito suggested “I like that idea!” Giyuu could only breathe a heavy sigh as Sabito offered to take on all of the hashira at once.

“So it’s true that Mr. Sabito has already courted you?” Mitsuri's eyes started to glow as Sabito retold the story of how they both proposed to each other “Giyuu doesn’t really like luxury goods and we’re both always traveling on our mission so most of my courting gift is practical” the water hashira explained while Giyuu served some tea for all of them to enjoy “you did gift me a really nice shogi set” Giyuu reminded him “how romantic!” Mitsuri stated “does that mean you're technically married?” Obanai asks with an unexpected curious gaze “unfortunately the government doesn't acknowledge same sex marriage so we are not registered as married” Sabito explains with a clear disappointed expression.

Giyuu was aware of how much Sabito wanted to make their relationship official, in fact he had noticed that the water hashira had visited the capital to ask about their relationship status. Yet no matter how hard he tried, his love alone wasn't enough. “I don’t mind, knowing that we love each other is enough for me” Giyuu stated while holding Sabito's hand tightly “maybe we can do a little ceremony! I’m sure the master wouldn’t mind!” Mitsuri suggested, trying to lighten up the atmosphere “we’re already operating outside of the government's knowledge anyway, might as well” Obanai stated, surprisingly supportive of the decision “we could ask Uzui to provide entertainment! He always knows how to throw the perfect party!” Rengoku suggested.

In the end all of the hashira are already planning their wedding and ended up staying until midnight. “Thank you for having us Mr. Tomioka, feel free to come to the love estate whenever you're craving some honey pancakes!” Mitsuri stated cheerfully “today was enjoyable, I appreciate you inviting me Tomioka” Obanai said while walking Mitsuri back to her estate.

As the rest of the guests have left, Rengoku stays to help with the clean up since he didn’t help much in cooking. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to make your favorite food Mr. Rengoku” hearing his apology the flame hashira was quick to disagree “Tonight's meal was delicious even without my favorite food” Rengoku assured him “then after you're done with your mission I’ll make sure to make it for you” as Giyuu smiled Rengoku was reminded of a familiar sight.

His mother smile look the same as Giyuu’s, such a warm and gentle expression Rengoku could only wish to see it once more “your a really kind person Tomioka, putting your life on the line for those siblings” the flame hashira gaze was much gentler, Giyuu even caught sight of his eyes watering “I don’t think I could do the same thing if I were in your place” Rengoku stated while avoiding his gaze. 

The flame Hashira's response was understandable since in his original timeline Giyuu didn’t want to spare Nezuko's life as well. He questioned his decision a lot, worrying over both of the sibling’s actions whenever he saw them on the battlefield. Yet even he can’t deny that Nezuko has held an important role in Tanjiro's journey “It’s the strong duty to protect the weak, with all the experience she has gained Nezuko has surely grown to be a strong fighter. I hope that you will give her the chance to prove her strength” Giyuu stated proudly.

Hearing Giyuu's statement Rengoku couldn’t help but laugh as he didn’t expect to witness Giyuu being protective of the siblings. “You have a point, I should let them prove themself before judging any further!” In the end everyone managed to go home with a smile on their faces. As Giyuu was about to rest for the night, he gazed at the night sky for the last time while praying for a brighter future.

Chapter 19: 19

Rumors have spread amongst travelers about a hunter roaming in the nearby forest, human remains would mysteriously appear with the rest of their body parts missing. After the corps caught wind of the rumor they were quick to send Sabito and Giyuu to investigate the matter.

The forest was situated between towns, making it a frequent location for travel. Yet, when they arrived, no sign of life could be found. Even the nearby inn has suggested that they stay away from the forest at night. “It used to be a common place for merchants and travelers to walk through but then the incident happened” the innkeeper explained while handing them their room key “That’s unfortunate our destination is not far from the forest” Sabito stated, trying to get more information about the incident. “You can still walk by it, just not at night. Even the authority is not safe, since the chief detective who’s investigating the case was found dead in the forest. Whoever is responsible for this is not afraid to fight” after getting enough information both of them finally head up to their room to discuss.

Both of them waited for the sun to finally set before heading far into the forest. It was just what they had expected. This has made it easier for them to do their job without unexpected attention. “I ask around the market and they say most of the victims are well respected merchants in the community, and each time they were killed only their head was left to be found” Giyuu explained while keeping a close watch on their surroundings “you think the demon knows these people personally?” Sabito asks “it’s a possibility, either way it’s a weak demon since the rumor has only started to spread for about two months” in the end both of them decide to split up in hopes of catching the demon's attention.

The night breeze blew through the forest, lifting Giyuu’s hair at the same time. It had been a while since he had traveled without his haori. Since it has been damaged on his recent mission Giyuu has requested Aoi to help him fix it, luckily the young woman was kind enough to agree to his request but that will cause him to do his mission without it.

Giyuu doesn’t mind since Aoi has promised to fix it as he requested. Even without his haori he could still slice through a demon body easily “I would appreciate it if you don’t ruin my uniform” Giyuu stayed calm as the demon continued to attack him in hopes of overwhelming the young man with his strength yet he ended up getting his arm and legs cut off. “It’s unfair…I deserve…I deserved more than the lights of you!” Even in his weak state the demon's anger still rages on as he continues to attack Giyuu with his claw only for the young man to continue cutting through his body.

Even when his body is cut to pieces the demon refused to die while using his blood to form a sharp shard to continuously attack Giyuu. It wasn’t until Sabito cut through a tree that the demon finally crumbled into ashes “are you alright?” Sabito ask the moment Giyuu approach him “it wasn’t much of a fight” Giyuu stated calmly while observing the tumbling tree “when you were fighting I saw a blood dripping out of this tree, seems like he fuse his blood with the surrounding woods, recreating his body while hiding his real body” Sabito explain “do you think the twelve kizuki would possess a similar power?” Giyuu asked curiously “It’s a possibility, I’ll make sure to report this to the master when we get back” in the end they both managed to get a mission done earlier than expected.

As they made their way back to headquarters Giyuu managed to pick up some snacks for the girls in the butterfly mansion. Shinobu mentions that all of them have been working hard on helping Tanjiro and his group to master total concentration breathing, he could only hope that the snacks would be enough to make them happy. “Will you be departing on your next mission tonight?” Giyuu asked curiously “unless there is an urgent mission I don’t think so. Why do you ask?” Giyuu then handed Sabito the letter Kanzabuo delivered to him last night.

It was from Tanjiro asking them for permission to stay in the water estate before they got assigned their next mission, the young man also made sure to inform them that Nezuko had been crying to Shinobu about wanting to visit. Reading through the letter Sabito breathed a heavy sigh before answering “they can stay if they show me that they have improved” Giyuu couldn’t help but laugh at his partner's strict requirement “do you really think that Shinobu will let them go if they haven't improved?” Giyuu stated “a man needs to constantly prove himself, in our line of work you never know what might happen” Giyuu witnessed Sabito's gaze soften as he read through the letter.

Despite his cold and strict attitude deep down, Sabito is sensitive when it comes to the people he cherishes. He wanted them to live a long and prosperous life, which is why out of all the hashira Sabito constantly trained beginner slayers on a daily. Yet as proven in the recent Mount Natagumo mission that alone is not enough.

Sabito parted ways with him the moment they arrived at headquarters, with Sabito reporting their finding to the master and Giyuu making his way to the butterfly mansion. As he stepped into the corridor three familiar figures rushed toward his side to greet him “welcome back Mr. Tomioka!” Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo said in unison “you all seem to be in a good mood today” Giyuu stated while handing them each a snack “everyone that got hurt in the last mission have finally awaken” Naho explain “the one that got turn into spider will still need to stay for longer but Miss Shinobu said that they will make a full recovery” Sumi said with a cheerful expression “that’s why we are celebrating and giving everyone lots of yummy food to eat!” Kiyo announced proudly, despite witnessing such a brutal reality they still managed to stay positive and cheer everyone on. Giyuu is glad to see all of them smiling brightly while playing around the mansion.

The three girls inform Giyuu that Shinobu and Kanae are currently resting since they didn’t get much sleep taking care of the survivor last night. It was a shame since Giyuu wanted to talk to them personally, but it’s rare for both sisters to be sleeping peacefully so he decided to let them be for now. 

Aoi is currently busy preparing food for the patient yet the sight of Giyuu carrying a bag full of snacks managed to startle her. “Please don’t feel obligated to buy us snacks Mr. Tomioka, you should spend your earnings on your mission” Aoi said while staring at the mountain of snacks in horror “I don’t really spend much during missions since Sabito always pays the shopkeeper before I can” Giyuu's explanation did not make Aoi feel better.

 It took her a while to finish fixing Giyuu’s haori per his request. Despite her delay of progress the haori turns out as beautiful as he imagine “I got some help from Miss Kanae since she was better as sewing than I am but because of that we managed to save a lot fabric” Aoi stated while handing Giyuu the unused fabric “this way if the left side of the haori ever got damage we can still repair it” after thanking the young woman Aoi decided to leave Giyuu alone to try on his new haori.

The sight of the split haori pattern brought many nostalgic feelings to Giyuu's mind. It’s just like his previous timeline, the right half was the red haori of his late sister and the left half was Sabito's old haori that he rarely uses anymore. Staring at his reflection now it felt weirdly comforting. Back then this haori was just a reminder of his failure, a failure to protect and a failure to prove his strength yet now it has become a reminder of what he is fighting for.

As he was about to leave a familiar voice suddenly called out to him “Mr. Giyuu!” Despite his sweaty and low movement Tanjiro smile was still as bright as ever “I heard from Shinobu that you’ve worked hard to master permanent total concentration breathing, once you visit the water estate i’ll make sure to reward you with a hearty meal” Giyuu witnessed as the young man's eyes immediately lit up the moment Giyuu made his promise. “I received a reply from Mr. Sabito, he has agreed to let us stay the night but he says that he wants me to bring some medicine. Is he sick?” Witnessing Tanjiro's innocent gaze, Giyuu didn’t have the heart to tell him that the medicine was for him.

Zenitsu and Inosuke were just about to head back to their room when they saw Tanjiro packing up. Kanao and Aoi did not give them any mercy with their training as both young men were soaking wet from a full day's worth of training. “Why are you packing all of a sudden? Are you running away? Take me with you!” Zenitsu then clings to Tanjiro's body not willing to let go “traitor! You said that you want to train!” Inosuke shouted in rage as he joined Zenitsu “I’m not running away!” In the end Tanjiro has to wrestle them all off before properly explaining himself.

The sky was already dark the moment all of them arrived at the water estate, all of them ended up begging Shinobu to let Zenitsu and Inosuke go with Tanjiro but surprisingly the insect hashira was very supportive of their decision. “Here are some bandages and medicine for your travel, that way you won’t have to come back” the insect hashira was quick to send them off before closing the mansion for tonight.

It wasn’t until they finally reached the estate that Tanjiro realized why they were told to bring medicine. Sabito was sitting at a big boulder, multiple training swords were neatly placed on the ground waiting to be used. “You're late” the water hashira stated with a stern expression “please forgive our late arrival there were some…complications” as Tanjiro apologized, Nezuko emerged from her box and rushed towards Sabito's side for a warm embrace.

Sabito then patted the young lady on the head before throwing the training sword at the three boys “first of all let me make it clear, this is not a vacation. In this estate the only way to rest is to show improvement” the water hashira then pick up a training sword before putting on his fox mask “all of you come at me, if none of you can land a hit then you are not welcome here” hearing Sabito harsh condition the three of them could only stare in horror as the realize the situation they put themself in.

“HAHAHA! Bring it on! I’m not afraid of some old fox-” before Inosuke could get closer Sabito rushed towards him and swung his sword with all of his strength, ultimately knocking the young man far away. “Tanjiro, this is entrapment!” Zenitsu shouted while forcefully hiding behind his friend “you were the one who begged” Tanjiro reminded him.

Left with no other choice the three boys ended up working together to try and land a hit on Sabito. Weeks they spend trying to master permanent total concentration breathing yet none of them could even get closer before Sabito throws them to the ground. “Beast breathing, third fang: devour!” Inosuke jumps towards the water hashira direction and for a moment it looks like his sword is about to hit Sabito, yet it only takes the hashira a single kick to throw the young man to the ground.

Taking advantage of the situation Zenitsu and Tanjiro swing their sword in unison, trying to strike the water hashira down when he is distracted. Sabito immediately parries both of their attacks as he leaps into the air and lands on the boulder “this is impossible! How do you expect us to hit you when you're jumping around like that!” Zenitsu yelled in frustration “do you expect a demon to just sit around and wait for you to kill them? There are weaker demons that are faster than this, if your solution is to cry every time your opponent gets the upper hand then you're as good as dead” his words were harsh but it's the reality they face as demon slayers.

Years of his life dedicated to killing so many demons yet no matter how hard Sabito trained he could never protect everyone. Many slayers come to him to train only to come back as a corpse. Is this how his teacher felt when he sent so many children to the final selection? Sabito asks himself that every day. The hashira knows it's not his fault, death is to be expected in their line of work, yet Sabito couldn’t imagine the fear his student felt the moment they realized the fate that awaits them.

Many lives were lost in the last twelve kizuki missions, with the remaining survivor sustaining a lifetime of injury that left them unable to continue their duty. After such an event Sabito promised himself to never hold back in training the beginner slayer, it’s better to disappoint them so early on than when they are faced with death. “Water breathing, fourth form: striking tide!” as Tanjiro continuously attacked the hashira Inosuke and Zenitsu managed to charge at Sabito while he was distracted.

Both of them leap into the air before swinging their sword at the hashira “beast breathing, fifth fang: crazy cutting!” Sabito was just about to dodge the moment he parried Inosuke's attack yet Zenitsu managed to dash behind him “thunder breathing, first form: thunderclap and flash, eightfold!” The young man rushed towards Sabito constantly, just like lightning Zenitsu managed to deliver a fast strike catching the hashira off guard as his sword struck Sabito back.

As promised the three of them were allowed to stay the night after a very long and painful battle, even though in the end Sabito still managed to beat all of them in a single strike. “That victory was supposed to be mine! Fight me next Manitsu!” Inosuke announces, not willing to let Zenitsu rest. “I think I can see Gramps at the end of the light” Zenitsu mumbles while reaching out to the sky “so these two are your friends?” Sabito asks, gazing at both young men with a worried expression “they might not give the best first impression but they are actually really kind once you get to know them!” Hearing Tanjiro answer Sabito could only pray that his words were the truth.

The moment Sabito finally allowed them to enter the estate Nezuko was rushing inside to meet with a certain person. From what Tanjiro could remember the water estate had changed significantly. He remembers the days he would sleep outside to persuade Giyuu to join the hashira training. It was a cold and quiet place where even the sound of his breathing gently could be heard.

Now looking around the estate it felt more lively. The pond was filled with koi fish swimming around all day with the lanterns scattered all over the garden created a warm atmosphere that made them feel welcome, and the most surprising of all was the number of slayers they encountered while roaming around the estate.

Sabito then carried Nezuko in his arm as they made their way to the kitchen “your estate is really lively Mr Sabito” Tanjiro said, not expecting to see so many people “I welcome every slayer that wanted to train under my guidance, the only requirement is that they clean up the training grounds after their done” Sabito explain as they pass by a group of slayer training.

Even as his body was aching from the pain that Sabito had caused, Inosuke's eyes lit up the moment he saw so many strong challengers.  If it wasn’t for Tanjiro the young man would have jumped into another fight by now.

As they reach the inside of the estate Tanjiro notices Zenitsu seems to be looking around their surroundings “is there something wrong Zenitsu?” Tanjiro asked curiously “it’s nothing, I was just wondering if the woman who saved me is here training” his friend's answer has only made Tanjiro worried “you can’t possibly think of that right now” Tanjiro said with a very worried expression “not like that! She was the reason why I’m still alive right now so I wanted to thank her” Zenitsu explains “I see, do you still remember how she looks? Maybe we could look around before dinner” little did Tanjiro know that he would grow to regret his suggestion.

Zenitsu then spends a long time describing his so-called savior, making sure to highlight every single feature he loves about the woman. “Her black hair looks so radiant under the moonlight, not to mention her deep blue eyes. I feel like I was looking at an ocean goddess” the young man seems to be too deep in thought to notice Sabito glaring at him.

Not wanting to cause any more trouble Tanjiro tried to stop Zenitsu from digging his own grave only for Sabito to make him confess more. “You seem to REALLY like this woman” the water hashira stated “who wouldn’t? If I haven't dedicated my love to Nezuko I would confess to her as she was saving me” it wasn’t until they reached the dining room that Zenitsu was met with a harsh reality.

Giyuu was helping the kakushi prepare their food when he noticed Nezuko running toward his side “oh you're done already?” the same familiar deep voice. Zenitsu was already sweating as he witnessed Sabito wrapping his hand around Giyuu while he carried Nezuko in his arm “allow me to formally introduce you. This is Tomioka Giyuu, MY tsuguko and MY beloved husband” that night Zenitsu couldn’t sleep peacefully as the glare the water hashira gave him was enough to keep him up at night.

Chapter 20: 20

Summary:

The calm before the storm

Notes:

First of all, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for reading my fanfic, I definitely did not expect my fic to be enjoyed by so many people. I'm happy to see that so many people managed to enjoy the story even with many grammatical mistakes, I do plan on improving in the future so I hope that you can be patient with me. Before we enter the next arc I do would like to say I am mostly an anime watcher so if there are scene that are missing from the manga I wouldn't know and might not include in the fic but if you guys would like me to know feel free to comment and if its at the right time I might include it in the story, I always welcome any extra lore about all of the characters.

I hope the note didn't bother your reading time. I'll try to keep it short, so please enjoy the rest of the story.

On that silent cold night the strum of a biwa suddenly awoke a man, he stood tall amongst the abstract environment as he gazed at the demon king himself. The bodies of the lower moons were all scattered across the room with their heads proudly hung on the ceiling “have you found it Akaza?” Muzan's voice was stern while maintaining an emotionless expression “I have looked into it yet I could not find any trace of its existence, the blue spider lily is still unattainable” the upper moon didn’t have to wait for a reply to know of his lord's response as the sudden pain he felt throughout his body was enough proof of his anger.

Blood dripped out of his eyes and mouth while Akaza tried his best to contain the pain “Do I need to remind you all why I chose you for your respective ranks?” His tone has become harsher, no longer hiding the rage he has felt “among the twelve strongest demons I chose, three lower moons died at the end of a slayer while the rest ran in cowardness. Two of the upper moon on the other hand-” before Muzan finished his sentence the demon king changed his fist towards Akaza's head, beheading him in the process.

As the upper moon head slowly regenerates itself Muzan grabs Akaza by the throat and lifts him above the ground “have been bested by a single slayer, do you realize how ridiculous that sounded? A demon with unlimited strength and stamina lost to a mere human? HOW UTTERLY USELESS CAN YOU BE!” The demon king then throws Akaza at the castle wall destroying the environment in an instant “I want to see progress Akaza, so the next time I see you. It better not be in the same kind of circumstances” a flesh-like tentacle then reach out and stab the upper moon in the neck, injecting him with Muzan’s blood before finally being thrown out of the castle.

Tanjiro was the first one to wake up that day. The sun was not even up and the young man was already swinging his sword at the training dummy with full force, not stopping until he finally knocked it down in a single strike. “You seem very hard at work, I wouldn’t blame you since today is the day of the Mugen train mission right?” The young man could only stare in shock and Giyuu suddenly revealed important information “it’s about time that we have a proper conversation” Giyuu stated while directing them to the secret room.

One glance at the giant display of the train map was enough to confirm Tanjiro's suspicion, both of them had come from the future. “You have planned all of this Mr. Giyuu?” the young man ask while staring at the multiple route drawn on the map “roughly 50 routes that leads to the Mugen train, although not perfect this will be enough to get me to the train before Akaza arrive” hours they spend discussing how to execute their plan, from what to avoid during their mission to what they should expect entering the train.

When they discuss the battle against Akaza, Giyuu could see the worried expression that Tanjiro has been trying to hide. “I wasn’t able to regain my previous strength, no matter how hard I train the hinokami kagura It still wasn’t enough to kill a lower moon” the young man clenches his fist in frustration “when you first held a sword were you able to pierce through a demon's neck?” Giyuu's sudden question caught Tanjiro off guard “well…no, I could barely pierce through the boulder” Tanjiro answer “you didn't even know that permanent total concentration breathing existed so you have to master the basics. That is how every hashira learn” Giyuu stated.

He then reaches out his hand to Tanjiro's chest to check on his breathing flow “you haven’t mastered it yet haven’t you?” Giyuu asked, not able to conceal his disappointed face “forgive me! I really did try my best, all of the girls in the butterfly mansion even put in extra effort to train me but no matter how hard I try my breathing will falter after half a day!” the young man apologized profusely as he got down on his knee and bowed down to his mentor.

It was never Tanjiro's fault, after the trial he should have guided him in recovering his strength. Giyuu has experienced the same dilemma, he couldn’t even count how many times Sabito had to save him when he exaggerated his own strength. When time reverses itself so does their body. The once overpowered water hashira Tomioka Giyuu was just a normal Mizunoto that had to train excessively to regain his former strength.

When he faced off against Gyokko, his own infuriating feeling managed to overwhelm Giyuu to the point that it almost became his cause of death. He is strong but the journey to regain his full strength was a long and treacherous road, Giyuu ran out of patience many times and Sabito was the only reason he managed to stay sane to this very day.

Both of them spend their entire morning training as Giyuu tries his best to guide Tanjiro into mastering the permanent total concentration breathing before his crow arrives to deliver the news of their mission. “Morning, this little devil insisted on making us breakfast” Sabito greeted them while handing Giyuu a plate of riceball “thank you Nezuko, I would love to play with you but the sun is about to rise” Giyuu said while trying to keep her away from the sunlight “i’ll put her to sleep, you should enjoy your breakfast” Sabito then kissed his partner before yelling at Tanjiro “I saw you slacking off Tanjiro! I’m not allowing you to go on a mission if I don't see any improvement!” Hearing the hashira threat Tanjiro could be seen running faster as he carried a huge rock on his back.

As Giyuu watched over Tanjiro training Matsuemon could be seen flying at their direction delivering a message from the Ubuyashiki family “let us end our training here, you have an important matter to attend to” Giyuu said while approaching the young man “do not force yourself to execute the plan, trust your instinct and know when to back away. Your life is important, remember that” the both of them share one last embrace before Tanjiro departed on his mission.

Meanwhile in the Ubuyashiki estate, Shinobu was having a private meeting with Kagaya about the Mugen train mission. They discussed Tanjiro's improvement and the discovery Shinobu had found when observing both sibling’s behavior. “You think that Tanjiro is hiding something from us?” Kagaya ask “I do not want to cause any distrust amongst our member but I am concern of the boy behaviour” Shinobu then explain how Tanjiro seems to always be lost in his thought and mumbling away about Muzan “he has been diligent with his training even going as far as to request extra training to master his breathing technique but the amount of time I caught him gazing at the sky while mumbling that demon’s name is concerning” Shinobu stated.

Hearing the young woman's explanation Kagaya could be seen gazing off into the distance, it was as if he was hesitant to answer her accusation yet in the end Kagaya managed to calm himself before explaining. “That boy still has a heavy burden on his shoulders. Rest assured that I am keeping a very close watch on him, Shinobu” even with the master reassurance Shinobu still has her doubts.

Trusting a demon is something that Shinobu could never do, even when Nezuko has been nothing but sweet towards her butterfly girls. In the end she was still a demon “welcome back, did something interesting happen?” Kanae greeted her with a smile “the master just wanted to confirm something about the Kamado siblings, they will assist Rengoku on the Mugen train mission” Shinobu explained “then I shall pray that all of them return home safely” Kanae stated while folding the bedsheet.

As both sisters were about to start working Kanao suddenly came into the room “go-good morning” her voice was more nervous than usual “good morning Kanao, are you going to depart on your mission?” Kanae asks while fixing her messy uniform “be careful on your journey, remember what I taught you during our training” as Shinobu said that she witnessed the young lady shift her gaze back and forth as if she is trying to decide between something “is there something else you would like to tell us?” Shinobu asked curiously.

It took her a while to finally speak, as Kanao first took a deep breath to calm herself before finally speaking out. “Would it be alright if we all had a tea party together? I like how everyone gathers to talk even when I don’t speak much, I want to see everyone smile together” Kanao's sudden request has caused Kanae to tightly embrace her “of course we can! Would you like some castella and dango?” The younger woman still attained a complex expression as if she was overwhelmed by the sudden praise “anything is fine” witnessing both of them happily embrace each other managed to make Shinobu smile.

Kanao has always struggled to open up, even when it’s clear that she enjoys certain company better than others she would never tell them about it. That is why the moment Kanao asks for a tea party to happen both of the sisters simultaneously agree to the request “Shinobu come and join our celebration! It’s not every day that our little Kanao managed to ask us for something so precious” Kanae reached out her hand, indicating for Shinobu to join their little embrace. 

Shinobu could be seen visibly hesitant to join both of them as the kakushi would arrive soon and it would be embarrassing if they saw her in such a state. “Unfortunately I have already started my work so I have passed on this one sister” the insect hashira explained while still giving her sister a soft smile in return, not satisfied with the answer her sister gave Kanae thought of a brilliant plan to distract her sister.

“Aoi, Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo! Come quick!” As Kanae's voice echoed through the mansion all of the butterfly girls soon arrived at Shinobu's office, Aoi was visibly confused as she thought that the Kochou sisters required her assistance. “um…is there something wrong Miss Kanae?” Aoi was the first one to ask “sister, what in the world are you planning?” Shinobu breathes a heavy sigh as she prepares herself for the ridiculous plan that the former flower hashira is trying to do.

Kanae then shows a mischievous expression as she points straight at her sister “girls you know what to do, attack!” As she said that Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo were the first ones to rush at Shinobu to give her a tight hug. Still confused by the situation she was dragged into, Kanao suddenly reached out to hold Aoi's hand as she forced her to embrace their mentor tightly “THIS is the plan?” Aoi asks, still not believing that this is reality “Aoi don’t loosen your grip, Miss Shinobu is a strong slayer! We can’t let her escape” Sumi stated while holding on to Shinobu tightly “r-right we have to focus” Kanao stated while focusing on hugging her teacher tightly “your in on this plan too?” Aoi asks in shock.

As all of the butterfly girls are holding on to her tightly Shinobu could only stare at her sister in defeat while Kanae is smiling at her with such a smug expression. “So this is what you’ve been teaching them?” Shinobu asks “I taught them the most important lesson of all, a warm embrace is all that we need to make someone smile” Kanae said while finally joining the rest of them in hugging her sister.

It was a ridiculous plan and not a productive way of spending her morning yet the smile on each one of their faces was so beautiful that Shinobu didn’t want to let go. In the end the insect hashira has finally accepted their embrace as each and everyone of their smile will be treasured until the last moment of her life.

The kakushi arrived a bit later than usual to the butterfly mansion, they expected the insect hashira to scold them the moment they arrived at her office yet what greeted them instead was Gyomei standing tall in front of Shinobu's office. “Is something wrong, stone hashira?” The kakushi expected a serious matter that needed their attention but instead Gyomei asked them to assist in making breakfast before meeting with the insect hashira.

Not given much of a choice the kakushi obliged the stone hashira instruction “do you think that Miss Kochous is having some difficult problem? It’s unlike her to not let Mr. Himejima in” one of the kakushi ask “I don’t think so, since he seems to be in a good mood” another kakushi answers while witnessing Gyomei smiling widely in front of Shinobu's office.

On the other side of the water estate Sabito was just training some beginner slayers at the training ground when he caught sight of Giyuu wearing his new haori. “Do you think it’s a bit much?” Giyuu asks while trying his best to hide his blush “you kidding? It looks beautiful” Sabito replied while longingly gazing at his partner.

Before they could act any further Kanzaburo arrived to deliver Giyuu’s mission “head west! Villagers missing for weeks!” the old crow announce “i’ll be heading off first then, make sure to not go overboard with your training” Giyuu stated while kissing Sabito one last time before he departed “you know I can’t do that” Sabito said while gazing at the beginner slayer struggling to swing their sword “try your best for me anyway?” In the end Sabito couldn’t resist his partner's request as they finally bid farewell to each other.

Giyuu’s plan was simple, as he waited for the sun to set he would try his best not to waste his energy on weaker demons. Even with Tanjiro not being able to master permanent total concentration breathing, Giyuu is still confident in his ability to kill the lower moon. Inosuke and Zenitsu are strong slayers, while not strong enough to face an upper moon he is confident that they will all make it out alive.

What’s left to do is to kill the upper moon, Giyuu is still not sure if Akaza will be the one Muzan will send to eliminate them. The demon king is unpredictable but Giyuu could only hope that his strength alone is enough to hold them back until sunrise. The unending battle until the sunrise and humanity's fate all rested in this one mission, Giyuu just needed to survive and not make a single mistake.

The moment he finally arrived at the village a terrified scream could be heard “Somebody help me!” a woman was being dragged by a demon as it jumped from one rooftop to another, avoiding every warrior that tried to attack him. “What in the world is that thing?” one warrior said as he gazed at the demon in horror “I don’t care what that thing is, give me back my wife!” another soldier said as he launched his arrow at the demon only for it to break upon coming in contact with the demon’s skin.

It was about to devour the woman until a sharp pain started to strike his entire body, at the last second Giyuu managed to rescue the woman while instructing the villagers to evacuate far away. “A demon slayer?” the demon asks while slowly regenerating its body “don’t get in my way!” As the demon rushed towards Giyuu's side with its sharp claw, the young man was already concentrating his breathing “water breathing, third form: flowing dance” the demon's body then crumbled into ashes while Giyuu moved on to his next objective.

Chapter 21: 21

Summary:

Mugen Train arc

“Brother you need to wake up!” Tanjiro remembered that voice very clearly, Nezuko was calling out to him while both of his parents were preparing to eat breakfast. “You’ve finally awake. Mom and dad made breakfast, let's eat together!” Tanjiro remembers thinking of how young she was yet the sight of both of his parents alive and happy distracted him from his doubt.

Looking back everything was so obvious, the warm embrace of his mother and the gentle gaze of his father was never supposed to be there. But everything felt so normal that even Tanjiro forgot “dad has been feeling sick lately, he couldn’t even get out of bed to hug Rokuta anymore” worried filled her entire face as Nezuko tried her best not to cry “that just means we will have to bring Rokuta to dad whenever he is lonely” even as Tanjiro is trying to stay positive, part of his heart ache at the sight of his father sleeping peacefully.

That night he couldn’t sleep, no matter how hard he tried Tanjiro's eyes wouldn't stay closed as he gazed at the ceiling. “Can you not sleep?” his father asks while gently patting his son's head. “come with me for a while” the young man remembers, recalling the shock he felt the moment his frail father managed to traverse the cold winter night.

The man that he thought was going to crumble at the slightest movement was moving through the snowstorm so easily. His father only stopped the moment they caught sight of a gigantic bear standing tall in front of his father, it was a horrific sight to witness yet Tanjiro didn’t even flinch. 

Even as his father swiftly beheaded the beast Tanjiro had only stared at his father in awe as the bear lay still in a puddle of his own blood. “Did you see it? You must always remember what you saw tonight” Tanjiro didn’t need to ask since every movement his father made Tanjiro managed to see it clearly.

Soon after that night his father passed away, it was peaceful which made it harder for Tanjiro to see. Yet when the young man gazed at his father's lifeless body his mind was filled with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, was he expecting this? Tanjiro had expected that his father had very little time left yet he shouldn’t feel like this.

Nezuko was the first to speak to him “brother are you feeling alright?” Her gentle voice managed to catch Tanjiro off guard as he continued to chop down a tree “sorry, did I make you worry? I’m just getting used to dad’s death” Tanjiro explained while trying to assure his sister. “I understand. Everyone has been having a hard time too, even mom cried whenever she thought we can’t hear her” from then on all of them promised to keep each other company even when they are busy with their respective duty. 

For a while it seemed like their lives were back to normal. Hanako and Shigeru would always run around their garden while begging Tanjiro to take them to town to play with the other kids, Takeo seems to mature so much since their father's death as he would help their mother with house work while helping Tanjiro with their charcoal business, Rokuta is still having a hard time accepting their fathers death as whenever he feel lonely the little boy would always seek Tanjiro attention, Nezuko is working hard on taking care of everyone their mother sometimes feel bad whenever she saw Nezuko tirelessly taking care of the house work in her place yet the young lady would always assure her with a smile “this is nothing compare to what you have done for us mom! get some rest, I’ll take care of it” Nezuko stated cheerfully.

In that fleeting moment of happiness Tanjiro thought that everything was finally back to normal, yet the day he came home after a long day of work he was greeted by the sight of their lifeless bodies scattered all over their home as each one of their blood was splattered across the mountainside. 

Once he finally caught sight of Nezuko's corpse, all of his memories came back to him. Tanjiro has been through this before. On the day of Muzan’s death they should have celebrated their victory together yet his only reward was a horrifying sight of destruction. Blood was splattered everywhere with many slayers decapitated bodies scattered all over the area.

Tanjiro could only watch as all of his comrades died in front of his eyes “Nezuko…” he called out to his sister yet all that was left of her was her favorite yukata stain in her own blood “Zenitsu…” his friend didn’t respond as all of his limp were cut off from his body “...Inosuke” Tanjiro could only gaze at his friend lifeless body with his pig mask staring straight at his eyes. The young man thought that was it yet nothing could have prepared him to witness his beloved mentor laid to rest in his own arms as Tanjiro's blood demon art pierced through his heart.

It wasn’t until Tanjiro finally met Giyuu once more that he managed to calm himself, yet no matter how much stronger the young man gets that nightmare would come back to haunt him as if reminding him of his past failure. “Are you trying to die? Stop it you maniac!” The sound of Zenitsu shouting finally brings Tanjiro back to reality.

All of them managed to board the train just like in his past life. Zenitsu and Inosuke are busy bickering with each other while Rengoku is sitting beside Tanjiro peacefully waiting for one of the twelve kizuki to attack. Knowing what is about to happen Tanjiro took the time to excuse himself “Mr. Rengoku, will it be alright if I go to the toilet? All of this movement is making me nauseous” Tanjiro lied “HAHAHA! Weakling! The great Inosuke could never be defeated by such a weak movement!” Inosuke laughed out loud as he heard Tanjiro excused “said the one who is constantly trying to get himself killed!” Zenitsu cried out as he was still holding Inosuke back from jumping out of the train “that is fine by me but still keep your guard up, you never know when the demon will attack” Rengoku stated.

The young man made his way to the other side of the train to hide away while the conductor was checking everyone's ticket. He is aware that Enmu will notice him right away yet it doesn’t matter, all Tanjiro needs to do is stay awake. Falling asleep means giving the lower moon a glimpse into the future, such crucial information should never fall into the demon king's hands.

Many of the humans Enmu manipulated have started to tie themself with the slayer to infiltrate their mind “the other one isn’t back yet?” One of them asks “we don’t need to worry, the conductor is currently searching the entire train, it won't be long until he falls asleep too” all of them have fallen too far into Enmu fantasy to even realize what they're doing. A human driving force is their heart. Back then, even Tanjiro found it hard to wake up from Enmu's dreams.

It was a beautiful dream, filled with everything that Tanjiro ever wanted. But at this moment he already knows that the dream Enmu created is nothing more than an illusion. Nezuko then woke up from her slumber to find her brother whispering to her “Nezuko a demon has taken over the train, I need you to do exactly as I say” she trusted her brother's word as they split up to do their respective duty.

Enmu had already anticipated the sibling’s plan, it was predictable yet what bothers him now is the sight of a frail crow following the train constantly no matter how far it travels. “You're not supposed to be here” the lower moon stated while staring straight at the crow's eyes, even as the demon gazed directly at Kanzaburo he didn’t flinch as his only purpose was to direct Giyuu to the mugen train location.

While her brother is busy dealing with the lower moon Nezuko managed to walk back to their comrades location only to find them lying asleep while being tied to another person. “Mmng!” no matter how loud Nezuko shouted none of them showed any sign of waking up, even the flame hashira never budged by the sudden feeling of her head hitting him.

Just as she was about to use her blood demon art she sensed a sudden movement coming towards her direction. Nezuko managed to dodge in time only to find out that it was one of the passengers “don’t get in our way!” His movement was far too slow to even touch her yet this brought an even bigger dilemma for the young lady.

Nezuko doesn’t need to attack the man to know that he is a human, one who is under the control of a demon. “All humans are your family, you must protect them” Urokodaki teaching is still clear in her mind yet in this kind of situation Nezuko can’t keep dodging his attack. The young woman swiftly made her way to all of her comrades to burn away all of the ropes that were tied to their hands while constantly avoiding the passenger’s attack.

A sharp pain could suddenly be felt on her shoulder causing Nezuko to fall to the back of the train car, blood started to drip to the blood as she tried her best to take out the weapon piercing her body “why! Because of you we won’t be able to have any dreams!” another passenger shouted while glaring at Nezuko. They are all still human, making it impossible for Nezuko to attack them.

Before they could even touch her the sound of roaring thunder could be heard as every one of them was knocked out by a single slash of Zenitsu's attack. Worried that he might accidentally kill a civilian Nezuko rushed to check on the passenger's wound only to find out all of them were unharmed and the young man have simply strike the back of their neck to knock them unconscious “I will always protect you Nezuko” that was all Zenitsu said before drifting back to sleep, leaving Nezuko to clean up after his messed.

The sound of fighting could be heard on the roof of the train, Enmu is constantly using his blood demon art to put Tanjiro to sleep only for the slayer to immediately wake up and attack him. “My, your will is strong, you won’t even let me peek into your dream. Why is that?” the lower moon asked curiously “someone like you does not deserve to see it!” Tanjiro then leaps into the air as he performs the tenth form of water breathing and swiftly cuts off Enmu's head.

It didn’t take long for the lower moon to reveal his ultimate form as his body started to morph into the train itself “you really are a strong demon slayer, no wonder lord Muzan wanted you dead. Unfortunately I don’t think your strength alone is enough to stop me from devouring everyone in this train!” with one last mockery Enmu disappeared into the train.

Before he could enter the train Tanjiro heard a loud crashing sound as Inosuke managed to burst through the train roof fully awake from his slumber. “I knew this train was a demon! You minions owe me an apology!” The young man then gripped his sword tightly as he slashed through every single one of Enmu's attacks. Witnessing such a familiar sight Tanjiro couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as he smashed through the train window to protect the passengers “water breathing, first form: water surface slash!” Tanjiro's sword managed to pierce through the flesh tentacles as it continued to approach every single passenger in the train.

Just like in the previous timeline a huge explosion could be heard coming from the back of the train causing his surroundings to tremble as the sound of movement could be heard approaching him. “young Kamado!” standing in front of him was the flame hashira “i’ll keep it short Mr. Rengoku this whole train is a demon, his head is located at the front of the train” Tanjiro explanation was enough for Rengoku to make a decision “understood you did a good job. This train has eight cars overall, I shall protect five cars in the rear while your sister and that yellow-haired boy are responsible for the rest. In the meantime you and that boar head boy will head to the front to cut that demon's head, do you understand?” That is all Tanjiro needed to hear before rushing to the front of the train.

Rengoku had expected fear to show in the young slayer's face yet even when facing such a terrifying demon Tanjiro's expression stayed stern as he sliced through the demon attack. “It’s the strong duty to protect the weak, with all the experience she has gained Nezuko has surely grown to be a strong fighter. I hope that you will give her the chance to prove her strength” Giyuu’s voice echoed through Rengoku's mind as he witnessed both Kamado siblings working hard to assist on this mission.

For the first time the flame hashira shows a genuine smile “your right Tomioka, these kids have indeed proven themself worthy!” Rengoku then concentrated his breathing and swung his sword at every tentacle that attempted to get closer to the passenger. The flame hashira rushes from one car to another assuring the safety of every passenger in the five cars.

Outside of the train Giyuu could be seen rushing towards the train side, Kanzaburo managed to guide him in time before an upper moon inverted this mission. “Giyuu…want to call help?” Giyuu then embraced the old crow tightly as he tried assuring Kanzaburo “everything will be fine but I do have a request for you Kanzaburo” Giyuu stated.

As Giyuu forced his way into the train he witnessed as flesh filled the entire car while it tried to attack the sleeping passenger “water breathing, third form: flowing dance” in an instant all of the tentacles were cut causing the whole environment to tremble as if it could feel the pain Giyuu had inflicted upon it.

Not wanting to waste his energy Giyuu tried to search for Rengoku only for the demon to form a flesh-like wall all over the car, blocking every possible exit the slayer could escape from. Giyuu then grips his sword tightly as he waits for the demon to attack him, yet what greeted him was blue eyes staring back at him. Giyuu tried to close his eyes but it was already too late, the blood demon art had started to affect him as he slowly drifted into a deep slumber.

In the front of the train Inosuke could be seen slicing through the front car rooftop, revealing a single conductor driving the train. “What are you doing here? Get out!” the conductor shouted yet Inosuke didn’t even acknowledge him “the demon’s weak spot is here!” the young man announced proudly but before he could swing his sword at the car multiple flesh hands rushed towards him. 

Before it managed to reach his friend Tanjiro sliced through every hand with a single swing of his sword “water breathing, sixth form: whirlpool!” A painful scream could be heard throughout the train as the walls surrounding the first car crumbled. “Inosuke the demon’s neck is right below us-” before Tanjiro could even ask Inosuke immediately cut him off “don’t boss me around! I’m the leader!” his friend complained before piercing through the floors.

As the metal flooring around the neck was destroyed a bone-like structure was revealed confirming all of their suspicion. They were so close yet the moment both of them prepared to cut the demon’s neck Tanjiro felt a sharp pain in his abdomen “don’t get in my way!” Inosuke managed to knock the conductor unconscious yet his weapon had already pierced through Tanjiro's body “Kentaro!”

Chapter 22: 22

Summary:

No introduction was needed as the engraving on the demon's eyes had already revealed his identity ‘upper moon three’ had finally appeared before them. “Oh that is indeed a strong sword” Akaza then reveals his slaughter hand only to piece it back together as if nothing has happened.

Nezuko leaps from one car to another, tearing away all of the lower moon flesh as she makes her way to the last car of the train. Zenitsu is fighting beside her as he continues to strike every single flesh that tries to attack the young lady. The moment they reach the very last car, Nezuko starts to grow her body into a larger form as she uses all the strength she has to tear down Enmu's flesh barrier.

Before she separated from her brother, Tanjiro had requested one last thing for her to do “Nezuko when you heard a commotion coming from the last car on the train I want you to go straight to that car, Mr. Tomioka will arrive and no matter what you must never let him fall asleep” it took her a while to finally tear open the last train car but with Zenitsu help they managed to rescue Giyuu from the lower moon grasp.

The man was left unconscious on the floor when they found him, Nezuko immediately tried to wake him up with her flame while Zenitsu could be seen protecting all of the passengers. “Mnngg!” the young lady shouted, shaking Giyuu’s body continuously, yet the man showed no sign of waking up. 

In his dream Giyuu was forced to face a past he never wanted to see, Tanjiro turning into a demon as slowly he started to massacre everyone surrounding them. The young man grips his body tightly while Giyuu struggles to even reach his sword “I can’t let them see any more of this!” As he finally managed to retrieve his sword Giyuu caught sight of someone he never wanted to see. Muzan was there staring straight at him as he used his blood demon art to bind him, but Giyuu was faster as he pierced his sword through his own neck to finally wake himself up.

An overwhelming sense of pain could be felt throughout Enmu’s body as Rengoku continued to slash through all of his attacks. It was an excruciating torture as the lower moon kept regenerating his body only for it to be torn apart by the flame hashira “why don’t you all just accept your fate!” As Enmu rage started to grow, so did the protective flesh in front of the train.

Painful screams echo through the train causing it to tremble as it fastens its speed on the tracks. Both Inosuke and Tanjiro strike in unison as Tanjiro adapts to Inosuke's breathing style to tear through the tick's flesh. “Beast breathing, fourth fang: slice ‘n’ dice!” In an instant all of the flesh protecting the lower moon neck started to disappear, Tanjiro took this opportunity to plunge towards the demon's neck while twisting his body mid-air “hinokami kagura: clear blue sky!” This caused the entire train to tremble as Enmu's head was separated from his body.

Not wanting to give up the lower moon stretches its flesh to every human on the train, wanting to devour their body to heal. Yet it wasn’t fast enough as Rengoku sliced through every last bit of its flesh while the train came to an abrupt stop. Zenitsu managed to protect the remaining passenger while Nezuko held onto Giyuu tightly, protecting him from the sudden impact.

Tanjiro tried his best to land as safely as he could, yet the young man was thrown into the hard pavement. worsening his stab wound in the process “Santaro are you alright? Don’t die yet, you need to see me become a hashira before you die!” Inosuke shouted while checking on his friend's injury. 

Hearing his friend's worried voice Tanjiro managed to smile as he asked Inosuke to check on the other situation. “I’m glad that you're safe Inosuke, how are the other passengers?” his voice trembles as the pain stings through his entire body “worry over yourself first before others, the guy that stabbed you got his leg stuck under the train. Serves him right for attacking my minions!” Inosuke's mockery has only made Tanjiro more worried.

With enough convincing Tanjiro managed to ask Inosuke to help the conductor yet the sound of screaming doesn’t convince him that Inosuke is doing his job properly. The tremendous pain has made it hard for Tanjiro to breathe properly, he tried to concentrate his breathing and made his nerves to reach every inch of his body yet it feels like the pain won’t stop.

As he was breathing heavily Rengoku suddenly appeared and pointed his finger to his forehead “focus, you won’t stop your bleeding if you’re too focused on the pain. Calm your mind young Kamado” the flame hashira expression started to soften as Tanjiro successfully stopped his bleeding “everyone is safe, many are left injured but none of their lives are in danger. You’ve worked hard, get some rest” such a gentle voice almost made Tanjiro forget of what’s to come.

The sudden gust of wind could be felt coming towards them, if it weren’t for Rengoku's quick reflexes Tanjiro would have been dead on the ground. Both of them could only stare at the demon that appeared in front of them. He clenched his fist tightly while gazing at both of the slayers.

No introduction was needed as the engraving on the demon's eyes had already revealed his identity ‘upper moon three’ had finally appeared before them. “Oh that is indeed a strong sword” Akaza then reveals his slaughter hand only to piece it back together as if nothing had happened.

Rengoku made sure to gently lower Tanjiro to the ground before shielding the young man from the upper moon “to attack the wounded first is shameful, this is the first time we are meeting and I already dislike you” the flame hashira voice was stern as he tightly gripped his sword while anticipating the demon attack. “What I hate the most are weak humans, they bring nothing of value yet always yearn for the world. Just the sight of them makes my skin crawl” Akaza is the same as before, yet his movement just now Tanjiro didn’t know if it was just his feeling but he was sure that the upper moon was faster than before.

Tanjiro tried to get up yet his hand was still trembling from the overwhelming pain, he could also feel the wound that he tried to close ended up being torn open as his blood dripped from his uniform. “Young Kamado stand down, you are in no condition to fight” Rengoku instructed “why? Let him join our little dispute, maybe then he could finally witness how weak he actually is” Akaza stated, taunting both of them in the process.

Just like the past timeline the upper moon suggested for the flame hashira to become a demon, even after showing all of the benefits of demonhood Rengoku's stand did not change. “To grow old and die is the beauty of a human life, the fact that we can’t live forever is what makes a human life so precious” the flame hashira stated while gazing at the crowd of people evacuating the train “This young man was never weak, never insult him. Our values have always been different from one another, unlike you I will never become a demon” Rengoku's voice was stern as he gazed at Akaza directly.

For a second everything was so quiet, the only thing that could be heard was the gentle breeze flowing through them. Yet in an instant Akaza stomps his feet to the ground, crushing the land beneath him as he activates his blood demon art. “Then i’ll just have to kill you” Akaza smirks as a snowflake starts to form beneath him “technique development, destructive death: compass needle!” In an instant Akaza rushes towards Rengoku's side, initiating the fight himself.

Despite all of the Flame Hashira's efforts to fight, the upper moon power still managed to overwhelm him. It was clear that Akaza was strong yet just a single punch from the demon managed to cause Rengoku to cough up blood “watching a hideous decline of someone blessed with extraordinary power pains me! I can’t bear it! Go and die Kyojuro while you're still young and powerful” the flame hashira then slices through the demon body, trying to weaken the upper moon yet his effort was useless as Akaza keeps regenerating his body instantly.

Akaza then leaps into the air, the moment he is far away from Rengoku he finally uses his blood demon art “destructive death: air type!” The upper moon then threw out a punch yet nothing seemed to appear. Suspicious of the demon movement the flame hashira took a defensive stand. If it wasn’t for his sword blocking the attack the pain Rengoku would have endured would be fatal.

Realizing what Akaza had done, the flame hashira concentrated his breathing and countered each of the upper moon attacks. “Flame breathing, fourth form: blooming flame undulation!” Rengoku swung his sword in a circular motion, parrying the shockwave that Akaza threw at him.

Fighting the upper moon from a distance has only created an opening for Akaza to attack him, Rengoku needs to cut his head fast. The flame hashira then takes his stance and rushes towards Akaza's side only for the demon to openly accept his challenge “such an incredible speed, and this breathtaking sword skill will be lost the moment you die! Won’t that make you sad?” yet Rengoku didn’t flinch at Akaza taunting “it happens to everyone! Such as the life of a human!” the flame hashira stated proudly.

After all of the passengers were evacuated, Inosuke had finally caught sight of Rengoku fighting, Tanjiro was limping on the ground while he witnessed the fight that was unfolding in front of them. “Is that the kizuki member you mentioned Tontaro?” Inosuke asks while gazing at the fight in awe “yes but this one is different. He is an upper moon, a far stronger demon than the one we fought” Tanjiro suddenly grabs Inosuke's shoulders “Nezuko! Where is she?” The young man frantically asks “I couldn’t find her, same goes for the creepy yellow hair guy” Inosuke's answer has only managed to make Tanjiro's heart drop.

Nezuko was supposed to make sure that Giyuu didn’t fall asleep. If none of them could be found by Inosuke there is only one possible outcome to the situation. Worried would be an understatement to describe Tanjiro's feelings right now, he is clearly distressed by everything that is happening. Even Inosuke started to feel uneasy the moment he saw his friend's expression.

Suddenly the ground beneath them started to tremble as Rengoku was thrown at the train wall “Mr. Rengoku!” Tanjiro tried to get up only for his leg to give up while Inosuke catches him before he falls to the ground. Upon witnessing the flame hashira in such a weak state Akaza couldn’t help but offer him another chance “turn into a demon Kyojuro, that way you can keep fighting with me forever” Rengoku could only gaze at the demon in disgust before finally answering “let me make myself clear, I don’t like you. I will never become a demon!”

Just as Akaza thought that he could end the fight a sharp pain could be felt all over his arm, he didn’t even realize that his whole limb was cut off after he had fallen to the ground. Such a tremendous strength who was it from?  As the upper moon turned around Giyuu could be seen standing behind him, he gripped his sword tightly before rushing to attack him once more.

Their movement was fast and precise, even Rengoku found it hard to keep up. No matter how powerful Akaza’s strike is, Giyuu would always block his attack swiftly before switching to a more offensive stand to counter the demon. “Water breathing, fourth form: striking tide” the slayer then swings his sword in a fluid motion as he constantly attacks the upper moon, not giving him a chance to regenerate “a water hashira? It’s been a while since I killed one of your kind. Come at me with your full power!” Akaza then regenerates his leg and kicks Giyuu away.

Before the upper moon could even reach Giyuu, Akaza was met with Rengoku's blade piercing through his arm once more. “Two hashira against one demon, such an unfair advantage” the upper moon stated while swiftly regenerating his body “well then you're in luck because Tomioka is not a hashira” Rengoku announced proudly. Hearing the flame hashira statement, Akaza’s eyes started to widen. Not a hashira? The upper moon could only look at Giyuu in awe as all of his years of fighting he was the only one that managed to cut through his body with such ease.

Rengoku was powerful to the point that each attack that managed to pierce through the upper moon body felt like burning his skin, yet each one of Giyuu’s attacks felt oddly familiar. It was as if he had already known what Akaza was going to do, faced with such a strong opponent the upper moon couldn’t help but laugh out loud “alright then you better show me how strong you are Tomioka!” Giyuu was already dodging Akaza's attack as he leaped into the air and landed on top of the train.

A single punch from Akaza fist was enough to tear the train apart causing Giyuu to lose his foothold “destructive death: disorder!” as the upper moon shockwave was about to hit him, Giyuu took a defensive stand while parrying every single one of Akaza strikes. “water breathing, eleventh form: dead calm” Giyuu’s mind then came to a complete tranquility making it easy for him to counter the demon attack.

Witnessing such swift defenses Akaza excitedly dashed towards Giyuu's side, closing the distance between them as a result. “I’ve never seen that technique before. The last water hashira I killed never even used it!” Before the upper moon has a chance to attack Rengoku dashes at him from the back “flame breathing, third form: blazing universe!” His sword managed to slash through Akaza's head, giving Giyuu the chance to strike the upper moon’s neck.

Faced with a dire situation Akaza punches through the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that knocks both of the slayers far away. “Mr. Giyuu stay awake!” Tanjiro's shouting echo through Giyuu’s ear yet all of the pain Akaza has inflicted on him has finally caught up to him. 

Blood drips down from his mouth and nose as Giyuu finally realizes that the upper moon has become stronger since they last faced off. His back hurts and both of his arms and legs are trembling while Giyuu forces himself to stand up “are you really not a hashira?” He didn't even realize the upper moon had managed to get so close to him, Giyuu swung his sword to create an opportunity for him to back away yet Akaza managed to grip his sword tightly, not willing to let Giyuu go so easily.

Giyuu could feel his heart start to drop as the upper moon caressed his face gently while still holding on to his sword. “Deep blue eyes and pitch dark hair, you're the same slayer that faces the other upper moon” as a smirk started to form on Akaza's face Giyuu used all of his strength to pull away his sword and slice through the demon's hand.

The upper moon attack became more painful as each punch that Giyuu parried felt more powerful than the last. “It hurts, doesn't it? This is the power of a demon! Stop lingering on your morals and join me!” Even when his whole body was trembling in pain Giyuu managed to stand strong against Akaza's attack as he still managed to switch from a defensive and an offensive stance.

Both of them traversed toward the battlefield with ease as no matter how much strength Akaza used to attack the slayer, Giyuu managed to match his strength with just a single strike of his sword. “Beautiful your breathing style managed to illuminate through the battlefield just like mine, you are truly powerful” the upper moon word was meant to be a praise yet all that Giyuu hears is a mockery of all his hard work.

Despite all of his effort Giyuu's strength is not enough to cut through Akaza’s neck, he tried cutting through all of his limbs to create an opening but his regeneration was so fast that he managed to block Giyuu’s attack. Even when he timed his attack with Rengoku’s the best that Giyuu could do was slicing through Akaza’s skull.

From far away he witnessed as Rengoku's movement started to slow down, even when the upper moon focus had shifted towards Giyuu the strike that the flame hashira had endured was still enough to injure them both equally. Tanjiro and Inosuke could be seen observing from afar, he could see them trying their best to find an opening yet Akaza strength has proven to be stronger than they had expected.

Noticing the slayer distraction Akaza lunges towards Giyuu's side and knocks him away with a single kick, as his body slams into the train wall Giyuu could hear his ear start to ring while the upper moon slowly approaches him. “They are not worth your time Giyuu, keep your focus on me” The smile on Akaza's face has only made him angrier.

Years of his life dedicated to training for this very moment only to be bested once more. No matter how strongly he swung this sword, the upper moon had only countered it with an even stronger strike, such a cruel reality Giyuu can’t accept it so easily. Akaza then grabs Giyuu’s hair, lifting it to force the slayer to face him “you don’t deserve such a weak body, become a demon and i’ll show you how powerful you could be” the upper moon offered one last time.

Hearing such a ridiculous offer Giyuu immediately pierces his sword through Akaza’s neck before answering “I would rather…rot in hell” his voice trembled through the pain yet the glare Giyuu gave the upper moon was as clear as day. “Then die” in the last second Giyuu uses this chance to cut through Akaza’s neck, yet the upper moon attack was too fast as his fist managed to get close to Giyuu’s face.

Chapter 23: 23

Summary:

Set your heart ablaze

It's the strong duty to protect the weak that is the principle Rengoku have honor from the very beginning, yet sometimes even the strong need protection. His father was the strongest person he had known, he was a kind and gentle man at heart with a very soft spot for his loved ones. Yet the day his beloved wife died is the moment that he starts to lose himself.

Rengoku witnessed it firsthand how such a noble and strong man became a shell of his former self. Many people have tried to help him but the only response they ever got was an insult, not even his own children were spared from this cruel reality. “The flame hashira will end with my generation, you and Senjuro aren’t cut out to be swordsmen. Stop following this stupid dream” if a hundred out of a hundred people don’t accept your talents do you even have the right to dream? This question echoes throughout Rengoku’s mind every day.

He could have cried, he could have given up yet upon witnessing much discouragement, Rengoku still picked up his sword and trained his very hardest. He read all of the guidebooks that were passed down to his family, applied his knowledge on the battlefield and over time his determination managed to guide him in killing a lower moon. “You did it Mr. Rengoku! You can become a hashira now!” Mitsuri was the first to congratulate him with a warm embrace.

Yet reaching the highest rank doesn’t mean that you're safe, it only means that you have proven worthy of the biggest responsibility. The responsibility to fight, the responsibility of protection, and the responsibility of a mentor. Many people come to him for guidance and protection and Rengoku will always greet them with a smile, that was the responsibility he had taken the moment he agreed to take on the mission Kagaya gave him.

The strong will he possesses makes it easier for him yet sometimes Rengoku catches himself gazing at his mother's portrait longingly. It wasn’t until someone reached out to him that he finally let himself be vulnerable “I’m not very good at talking to people, some say I come off as cold at first but I really enjoyed our dinner tonight and so whenever you feel tired or sad your always welcome here” Giyuu’s words echo through his mind.

Giyuu did you know? He always finds it hard to talk about his worries. Rengoku has always been a mentor for his brother, Mitsuri, and all of the slayers in the corps. The only person who is supposed to guide him is struggling with himself. All the burden Rengoku carried was never supposed to show, yet that day your comfort was so gentle that he almost cried on the spot.

On the day of the Kamado sibling’s trial Rengoku objected because it’s his responsibility to protect but in reality he wanted to beg Giyuu to reconsider. Witnessing Giyuu embracing those children brings him worry yet Giyuu looks so happy that Rengoku didn’t dare to stop him. “Then after you're done with your mission I'll make sure to make it for you” even in an awkward situation Giyuu still managed to smile earnestly, such a beautiful smile Rengoku wished he could see it forever.

Blood splattered on the battlefield as the upper moon fist was cut by Rengoku's sword, forcing Akaza to back away. Giyuu managed to retrieve his sword in time as he slowly pulled himself together to fight. The upper moon body has fully recovered by the time Rengoku's sword pierces through his skin “do you still not understand? If you keep attacking you will only bring yourself closer to death!” In that movement Akaza strikes have become faster.

The upper moon moved with quick precision as he managed to parry both of the slayer attacks, even when Giyuu adjusted his breathing style to match Rengoku’s yet in the end Akaza still managed to land a punch on both of them. Tanjiro felt so ashamed, he couldn’t even move even if he wanted to. He was supposed to be stronger, he was supposed to protect Rengoku in this very moment yet the pain still sting through his entire body as Inosuke tried his best to treat his wound “we can’t jump in…” Inosuke mumbled “they are too fast, even with the training we endured it won’t be enough” the young man's voice trembled as the sight of the battle only made them feel more helpless.

Despite Akaza holding his ground against the two slayers he knows that time is running out, many hours have passed since the sun set making it important for him to kill them as fast as he can. The upper moon gazes towards Giyuu’s direction as he is visibly tired from his constant attack, Akaza then kicks Rengoku away to separate the two slayers while preparing to use his blood demon art.

Giyuu managed to block the upper moon's first punch causing him to be launched towards the air yet when he thought he could take the time to catch his breath Akaza rushed towards his side while clenching his fist tightly “destructive death: eight-layered demon core!” the first punch the upper moon landed Giyuu managed to parry with his sword yet the crushing pain on his chest could still be felt as he was thrown to the ground.

As he lay helplessly on the ground Giyuu forced his body to move, but his sword was immediately knocked far away from him while he witnessed Akaza's fist charging towards him. “Mr. Giyuu!” he saw Tanjiro rushing towards him while Inosuke was holding him back. Is this really it? That was all Giyuu could think of as he was faced with death.

Even as he closed his eyes the fear didn’t stop, Giyuu waited for the pain anxiously yet the only thing he felt was a liquid dripping onto his head. He dreaded opening his eyes as the sight of Rengoku's arm on the ground was enough to make him throw up. The flame hashira stood tall in front of Giyuu, despite the loss of one of his arms he still held onto his sword tightly while glaring at Akaza.

In that moment everyone was silent as the sight of Rengoku breathing heavily with a broken arm was enough to terrify anyone. “Even if you fight to the death you can never win Kyojuro. All of your powerful strikes have fully healed, but what about you?” Akaza asked while gazing at all of the injuries the flame hashira have sustained “a broken arm, smashed left eye, shattered ribs, and damaged internal organs, many that can never be healed. If you were a demon all of those would immediately disappear, you wouldn’t even feel the pain of losing an arm. You can struggle all you want but a human could never defeat a demon” the upper moon explained while pointing at Rengoku’s arm.

Giyuu wanted to move, he wanted to stop Rengoku from making any reckless decision but the pain he felt the moment he crawled towards his sword was already overwhelming him. After a brief moment of rest Rengoku finally moves his body, the flame hashira concentrates his breathing while taking one last stand to attack the upper moon. “Kyojuro why…” Akaza could only gaze at Rengoku with confusion. The upper moon gave him so many reasons to become a demon yet the flame hashira still rejected his offer.

“I will fulfill my duty to the very end! I will never allow anyone to die!” Rengoku announced while staring straight at Akaza, knowing that the upper moon is running out of time the flame hashira decided to use his most powerful attack to inflict as much damage to the demon. “Rengoku don’t you dare!” Giyuu shouted while forcing his body to move and reach his sword.

Hearing Giyuu’s plea Rengoku wishes he could witness him smile one last time yet he can’t lose focus, this is the only chance he has to kill the upper moon. In that moment Rengoku fighting spirit was the largest it has ever been, even Akaza could only gaze in awe while awaiting the flame hashira attack. “Such mental strength, such an airtight stance. You have to become a demon Kyojuro! Fight me for all eternity!” the upper moon shouted with an overjoyed expression.

The duty of protecting the weak falls under the strong responsibility, even in the face of death Rengoku will always set his heart ablaze and fight to protect everyone “flame breathing, esoteric art! Ninth form: Rengoku!” In an instant everything felt like it’s on fire. The burning sensation Akaza felt the moment the flame hashira pierces through his body while Rengoku twisted his sword upward to reach the upper moon’s neck. The sound of everyone calling out his name gave him enough strength to cut through the demon’s body.

Dust scattered everywhere as the impact of both their strikes was so strong that it managed to blind the battlefield. Giyuu managed to reach his sword yet the moment he was about to rush towards the fight he was greeted by a terrifying sight. Akaza's arm is piercing through Rengoku’s body “you will die if you stay like this Kyojuro! Become a demon, say that you’ll become a demon!” The upper moon advice went unheard as forgotten memories of his mother echo through his mind.

The gentle breeze of the wind accompanied by the calming sight of his mother greeting him home was enough to erase all of Rengoku’s worries. “What’s wrong Kyojuro? It’s unusual for you to not greet me first” his mother ask while embracing him tightly “he challenge one of the beginner slayer to a fight and lost, I already told him that it’s nothing to worry about but he won’t listen” his father explanation was enough for her to comfort him “if I can’t even win after father’s training then how am I going to protect anyone?” It was the first time Rengoku had shown his insecurity, he remembered how embarrassed he was the moment the slayer managed to beat him. His father is a hashira afterall he should have won no matter what.

Witnessing their child's sadness both of his parents then sat him down for a serious discussion “I thought that I would only discuss this when you join the corps but you grew up too fast!” his father stated while trying his best to hold back his laughter “Listen Kyojuro it’s alright to lose a friendly duel, you're still at the beginning of your swordsmen training. You haven’t even faced a demon yet” his father explained while wiping Rengoku's tears “but the strong are supposed to protect the weak, what will happen if I lose to a demon?” In the end it was his mother's comfort that managed to calm him down.

Her gentle smile combined with the comfort of her embrace have never failed to cheer him up “you're not the only strong person in this world, many are training just like you are. Don’t cry my son for there will be someone that will put their life on the line to protect you” that was the last thing Rengoku heard before witnessing Giyuu slicing through Akaza’s limb once more.

For the first time the upper moon gazed at the slayer in awe as he witnessed a mark forming on Giyuu’s cheek before he charged straight at him. Akaza didn’t think it was possible yet he witnessed Giyuu’s speed rapidly increase “water breathing, fourth form: striking tide!” Each strike that he delivered was twice as powerful as before, it was as if he was facing a different opponent than before.

Giyuu managed to knock Akaza into the forest while still keeping a close distance to cut his head off “so you’ve been hiding your strength!” The upper moon shouted while using his blood demon art to shoot shockwaves at him, yet his attacks were too slow to even reach Giyuu. The moment he got close Akaza punched the ground, creating enough momentum for him to leap into the air. “tenth form: constant flux!” Giyuu then jumps into the air before swinging his sword at the demon, yet no matter how much injury Giyuu inflicts on the upper moon he still managed to regenerate it before Giyuu's sword could reach him.

If it were any other fight Akaza would have gone all out but the sight of sunlight creeping in the distance forces him to back away. The upper moon kicks Giyuu far away before rushing into the forest. Yet what he thought was a swift retreat ended up becoming another battle to the death as Giyuu thrusted his sword to his neck “right now I’m extremely angry, don’t you even think about running away before I cut your head off!” facing such a powerful force Akaza grip onto the slayer shoulder tightly, causing enough pain to shatter his bone yet Giyuu’s strength stays the same as he continues to cut through Akaza's neck.

For the first time the upper moon thought he could feel the pain as each movement Giyuu made managed to cause a sting of pain in his neck. “I could kill you right now Giyuu!” Akaza threatened, yet the glare on the slayer's face didn’t fade. “Then I’m bringing you down with me!” That was the last thing Akaza heard before his head fell to the ground.

Knowing the upper moon's capability Giyuu immediately swung his sword at Akaza's remaining body yet he was punched far away while the upper moon managed to get away alive. “Coward!” Giyuu threw his sword in frustration as he once again failed to kill an upper moon. In that peaceful moment Giyuu falls to the ground as the pain that he sustains has finally caught up to him.

Blood drips down Giyuu’s eyes and mouth as Inosuke rushes towards his side “hey don’t die! Mantaro is crying, Don't you dare die!” The young man's threat goes unheard as the overwhelming pain takes over Giyuu’s body. He didn’t even have any stamina left to walk as Inosuke ended up carrying Giyuu in his arms “Old Google-eyes! He is still alive!” the young man announced while gently placing him in front of Rengoku. Giyuu turned his gaze away. He didn’t wanna see him, he couldn’t bring himself to face him. How can he? When he trained all his life to save everyone only to failed.

Giyuu could feel the warm touch of Rengoku’s palm as the flame hashira caressed his cheeks while turning his gaze towards Rengoku. “You fought valiantly Tomioka” Rengoku is too kind, he is the true embodiment of a hashira. Such a kind person didn’t deserve this kind of fate. Tears started streaming down Giyuu’s face as he tried to hide his face yet the injury on his shoulders was so severe that it pains him to even lift his hand.

The light of the sun reaches out to their side, burning away the upper moon’s hand that pierces through Rengoku’s body. Giyuu wanted to treat him more than anything but even his mind is aware that there is nothing that could be done to such a fatal injury. Rengoku managed to tell them his last wishes of how he wanted his brother to choose a path his heart desired and how he wanted his father to take care of himself but the thing he wanted to say to Tanjiro was “I accepted your sister as a member of the demon slayer corps” Rengoku stated with a smile.

Even Inosuke could be seen trembling as he held Giyuu in his arms as the sight of the flame hashira dying in front of their eyes was too much to bear. “Don’t feel sad that I’m going to die here. Any hashira would do the same as I did for it is our duty to protect” such a bright smile doesn’t deserve to be tainted by death, yet all they could do is stay strong while accompanying Rengoku on his last breath.

In his final moment Rengoku thought he was hallucinating yet the sight of his mother smiling at him from afar felt so real. “I am so proud of you” That was all Rengoku had to hear as he left this world with one last smile.

Kanzaburo was the first to come home that day, Sabito just arrived from his mission when the old crow landed on his shoulder to inform him of Rengoku's death. At first the water hashira shows no sign of sorrow as many of the beginner slayers are quietly observing him, yet the moment they walk out of the water estate Kanzaburo witnesses the worry in his eyes “and what of Giyuu?” Sabito ask sternly “he maintain a fatal injury, the kakushi is treating him at this moment” as the old crow took off to the sky Sabito fasten his phased “take me to him” in that moment Sabito felt so guilty, the news of his friends passing was enough to darken his day yet the fact that he died protecting his partner only made him feel guilty.

Chapter 24: 24

Summary:

It's not your fault

Notes:

Note: Saika is the name of Kanae's kasugai crow

Blood drips down the rooftop of the establishment as a demon jumps from one rooftop to another in hopes of avoiding the slayer chasing her, yet all of her hops were crushed as a tiny ball started to appear around her. Triggering an explosion that managed to shatter her body upon impact “your kind just don’t know when to give up” Tengen stated while approaching the weak demon.

Witnessing her slowly crumbling into ashes the sound hashira has already lost interest and started to walk away, yet the demon's last word managed to catch his attention. “Tomioka…” Tengen turns to stare at the demon one last time “where is…Tomioka Giyuu” before Tengen could even interrogate her the demon's body had already turned into ashes.

On the other side of the country Shinobu could be seen fighting with a demon, as her poison was slowly killing them from the inside. Their last word managed to bring the insect hashira to a halt. “Give…Tomioka Giyuu” Shinobu's anger got the best of her as the insect hashira plunges her sword at the demon “what business do your kind have with him?” The demon couldn’t give her an answer as they died feeling the most excruciating pain.

The demon’s head was thrown to the other side of the field as Obanai managed to rescue the child from his grasp. In his last moment the demon stared at the serpent hashira's eyes while mumbling “need…Tomioka Giyuu” Obanai didn’t understand as he was the tenth demon that asked for Giyuu.

In a calm forest the moonlight illuminates the demon’s body as Sabito managed to cut his body into pieces. “The lord…wishes to…Tomioka-” before the demon could finish the water hashira plunges his sword through his head, causing the demon to die instantly. “Don’t you dare say his name” Sabito stated coldly.

The sound of rain filled the entire estate as Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo helped retrieve all of the laundry before it got soaked by rainwater. Aoi is busy taking care of the patient with Kanae while the remaining butterfly girls are still out on their mission. It was a struggle since most of the sheets that were hanging is bigger than most of them yet all of them managed to neatly fold the laundry.

Weeks have passed since the Mugen train mission, they suffered a tragic loss as one of the hashira didn’t manage to survive the fight against an upper moon. Everyone is still mourning, even when they all tried to distract themself from Rengoku’s death the sorrow in their eyes is as clear as day. 

Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo are trying to help lessen everyone's workload while trying to cheer everyone up from such a tragic event. The three girls were just about to help Kanae when they witnessed Giyuu sitting up on his bed. The man was awfully quiet as he gazed at the cloudy sky. Sumi was the first to greet him “good morning Mr. Tomioka, are you feeling alright?” The three girls then surround Giyuu’s bed when they see the hollow expression the man gave them “how are the others?” he mumbled while trying to avoid all of their gaze. 

All of the girls were hesitant to tell him the truth as Giyuu had just woken up, yet they all knew that lying would make it worse. “Mr Zenitsu didn’t suffer much injury since he was unconscious for most of the mission” Kiyo explained “Mr. Inosuke has made a full recovery, his injury is not a lot compared to both of you” Sumi stated while nervously staring at Naho for the rest of the explanation yet it was Giyuu who spoke first “did Rengoku survive?” His voice was stern yet the girls were aware of how Giyuu clutched his fist.

The sound of thunder could be heard through his window as the girls finally gave Giyuu the answer he dreadfully wanted. “Mr. Rengoku died at the hand of the upper moon, the moment he was brought to the butterfly mansion there was nothing we could do” Naho explained while trying to avoid Giyuu’s gaze as she didn’t want to witness another sorrowful gaze. Yet the man’s expression didn’t change, it was as if he had already expected her to say that.

After a long moment of silence Giyuu asked the girls to leave the room as he needed some time alone to think. Knowing what the man had been through, all of them obliged and went to Kanae for help “Miss Kanae! Mister Giyuu is awake!” Naho announced while helping her carry the tray of food “how is his injury? Did he mention any pain?” Kanae asks while preparing Giyuu’s medicine “we couldn’t tell, he doesn’t show any emotion at all” Kiyo stated with a worried expression “he told us that he needed some time to think so we left him alone” Sumi's explanation was enough for Kanae to prepare to face Giyuu once more.

Years ago she was in the same situation. Kanae felt like every upper moon attack she had to anticipate Giyuu getting injured once more. But this time it’s different, a friend was gone and she had to prepare herself emotionally before entering his room “morning, I heard from the girls that you-” her sentence was cut off as she witnessed an empty room leaving only the messy bed as proof that Giyuu was once there. “Saika! Inform everyone that Mr. Tomioka is missing!” Kanae stated as he frantically picked up her sword and haori.

It was cold as each raindrop that landed on him felt heavier and heavier. Giyuu felt the sudden sting of pain on his shoulder as he ran to the water estate, he didn’t know why he ran but right now the anger he felt towards himself forced him back home. The kakushi was cleaning the estate when Giyuu arrived “Mr. Tomioka? What are you doing- wait, your shoulder isn’t fully recovered yet!” She tried to stop him from moving yet Giyuu managed to overpower her while opening the storage room.

All of the equipment came crumbling down as Giyuu tore his way deep inside the storage, gazing upon the map he drew Giyuu felt so frustrated. The years he spent preparing himself for this fight and awakening his mark only for him to fail. He remembers screaming at himself to move, to reach for his sword faster yet his body moved so slowly that he wanted it all to end right there.

Doubt started to haunt his mind as Giyuu tore down the entire map in frustration, tears and blood dripped down onto the shredded paper as Giyuu continued to destroy everything that he had built. The pain from his broken shoulders felt so numb compared to the aching of his heart, it was overwhelming as the only thing he could remember was the smile Rengoku gave him for the last time. It hurt so much that forgetting wouldn’t be enough to distract him from the pain. 

By the time Kanae arrived the storage room was already torn apart. Giyuu sat on the back wall of the building, surrounded by wooden debris and shattered glass. The man gazed at the empty floor as the blood on his fingers started to stain it. “Let’s go back Mr. Tomioka, I’ve prepared a warm meal for you” Kanae stated while gently reaching out to treat his wounded fingers.

Kanae tried her best to hide the sorrow she felt the moment she saw the wound Giyuu had inflicted upon himself. The skin on his fingertip was torn apart while most of his nails were damaged with scratch marks on the storage wall as proof of Giyuu’s action. “Nezuko has been asking for you, every night she sits by your bedside waiting for you to wake up” Kanae said yet Giyuu's reply was an unwavering silence.

It hurt so much, Kanae couldn’t bear to witness her friend's eyes being deprived of their light. “It’s rude to ignore a lady Mr. Tomioka” Kanae stated as she could no longer hide her tears the moment she held onto Giyuu's hands tightly. He had stopped responding as soon as his anger disappeared, all Giyuu could feel was numb.

Giyuu doesn't want to remember what happened, he can’t remember what happened as the moment he remembers the smile Rengoku gave him before he died all that Giyuu could do is cry. It’s not the first time Giyuu has been through this so why? Why won’t the tears stop? He could no longer forget as the warmth the flame hashira gave him had been engraved in his heart.

The silence was soon broken as the other hashira came to comfort him, Mitsuri was the first to speak as even the love hashira couldn’t bear to see her friend in such a state. “Your hands are bleeding, get us some bandages please! And bring the other kakushi for cleaning up” Mitsuri's touch was gentle, like a sister caring for her younger sibling. The love hashira care extends to everyone she cherishes.

Yet that only made Giyuu feel guilty as he was never deserving of such love. How could he? When the person she cherished so much died at the hands of Giyuu’s negligence. “I’m sorry…” his voice was quiet yet it was enough for Mitsuri to acknowledge “you shouldn’t apologize Mr. Tomioka” her voice was stern as Mitsuri continued to treat Giyuu’s injury.

It wasn’t until all of Giyuu’s wounds were treated that Mitsuri finally gathered the courage to gaze at him directly “welcome home Mr. Tomioka, I’m so happy to see you again” the love hashira greeted him with a smile yet anyone could see the sadness she hid in her eyes. “Crying doesn't suit you Mr. Tomioka. He will be very sad to see you in such a state” Giyuu has a hard time believing Mitsuri's words as he never finds himself worthy of any of the Hashira's affection.

Giyuu was so focused on his anger that he didn’t even notice the familiar person standing by the storage door. Obanai was there and the one standing beside him was Rengoku's brother, Giyuu didn't know what he was thinking at first but the sight of Sunjuro alone was enough for him to ignore all of his pain as he slowly crawled towards the younger man's position.

Mitsuri and Kanae tried to stop him as the wound on his finger was still being treated, yet neither of their strength was enough to hold Giyuu back. Upon reaching Senjuro's side he constantly avoids the younger man's gaze as right now Giyuu is trying his best not to cry. Obanai prepares himself for the worst yet to everyone's surprise Giyuu kneels in front of Senjuro as he bows down to say “I’m sorry…” Giyuu's voice trembled as he tried to hold back his tears “I’m sorry I was so useless, I’m sorry I was slow, and I’m sorry I failed to protect him” for the first time he let himself be vulnerable as Giyuu let out his cries while Senjuro gave him a warm embrace.

The guilt that haunts Giyuu’s mind will never disappear, as the very person who has every right to resent him has shown nothing but kindness to him. “He will always choose to protect. I have never seen him on the battlefield but I know that no matter what happens he would choose to sacrifice his life for others survival, so please…” Senjuro gently lifted Giyuu’s shoulder as their eyes finally met “never blame yourself for his death” Giyuu didn’t know if he could ever forgive himself but witnessing the younger man comforting him managed to calm his mind.

By the time Kanae managed to convince Giyuu to come back to the butterfly estate Shinobu had already arrived from her mission. Not once have the insect hashira shown anger towards Giyuu's reckless action, instead she quietly recast Giyuu’s shoulder while accompanying him through the day. “Thankfully your shoulder has mostly recovered but it's still dangerous to use so much force without any precaution” Shinobu explained while handing Giyuu his first meal.

The warmth of the porridge managed to bring Giyuu some comfort after such an eventful day, in the end Giyuu is weak when it comes to facing his grief. He thought that after having peace with his sister's death Giyuu would finally be able to face it with ease. Turns out he is still vulnerable when faced with death.

As Giyuu was done with his meal Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo could be seen peeking through the doorframe. The three girls gazed at Giyuu with worried expressions as Shinobu crouched down to greet them “is there anything that you need?” all of them glance at one another before finally answering “Aoi asked us to collect the used dishes after Mr. Tomioka is done with his meal” Sumi explains while staring at the empty bowl on Giyuu’s lap “I’m glad that you all are working hard, could I also trouble you three on a little request?” Shinobu asks.

Soon the girls managed to bring all of the research papers and books from Shinobu's office to Giyuu’s current room. “Is this the right book?” Naho asks while handing Shinobu a book “yes this is all that I need, thank you girls” The three girls smile brightly upon hearing the Insect Hashira's praises. As they were about to leave Kiyo suddenly approached Giyuu to hand him a singular piece of Konpeito “since you're still recovering it’s not good to eat candy but just one won’t hurt right?” It was a tiny star-shaped candy its pink color reminded him of Nezuko “get well soon Mr. Tomioka” Naho said cheerfully “let’s play together with Nezuko after you’ve fully recovered” Sumi offer was the last thing they said before leaving his room.

For a moment Giyuu just stares at the candy in his hand, hesitating to take a bite out of such a precious gift. It was just an ordinary candy yet the reason it was given to him was something that Giyuu still finds hard to accept. It was only when Shinobu spoke that his heart finally opened up “you shouldn’t waste a girls gift Mr. Tomioka, it's rude to do so” the insect hashira stated while still focusing on her mountain of paperwork “everyone in the corps really cares for you. I hope you could find it in your heart to open up to us, even for just a little bit” her voice is much more gentle now as if it's Shinobu's own way of comforting him.

Giyuu then stares at the Konpeito one last time before finally savoring it himself. It's so sweet just like everyone comforted, the candy managed to calm Giyuu down as he drifted into a sweet dream for the rest of the day. Shinobu breathes a sigh of relief the moment she witnesses the older man drifting to sleep.

Shinobu still remembers the day Giyuu was brought back to the butterfly mansion, even under the kakushi fragile care his body arrived in such a fatal state that she thought it was too late. Broken shoulder bone, damaged internal organs, and many open wounds that have been infected. If it wasn’t for the Ubuyashiki aid, Shinobu alone wouldn’t be enough to save him.

Even after many years of fighting, Giyuu's hand was so gentle that even Shinobu questioned how it was even possible. “Why are you fighting this alone? Let me help you damn it” Shinobu mumbled while holding his hand tightly. On that day the insect hashira prays that nothing bad will ever happen to Giyuu.

That night Giyuu was awakened by the slight discomfort on his face and when he opened his eyes all that he could see was Kanzaburo and Isamu crowding over his face. “Don’t die…” Kanzaburo said while trembling “he is not dead!” Isamu yelled while slapping the older crow. Just like a child worrying over their parents, the two crow constantly fight over Giyuu's well-being.

If it wasn’t for Sabito dragging the two crow away Giyuu would have been suffocated by now “Sabito…” he called out to his partner and Sabito answered with a gentle kiss on the forehead “I’m here, you're not alone anymore” Sabito is so kind, he could have scolded Giyuu for his action like he always does, but instead what greeted him next was his partner's warm embrace as they lay in bed together.

In truth Sabito has so many questions for him. How did he manage to get on the train? What led him to the Mugen train in the first place? Why didn’t he call for backup when the upper moon appeared? And why is Muzan looking for him? So many questions that linger in the water hashira’s mind. Yet the sight of the ramshacked storage room is a clear indication of Giyuu’s mental state. Sabito didn’t want to pressure him any further, as he couldn’t even imagine the guilt that Giyuu carried the moment he learned of Rengoku’s death.

Once he learn to smile again, Sabito will be the first to welcome him back. For now he will patiently await Giyuu’s answer as the water hashira is aware of how his partner shares his intelligence. “I’m hungry” his partner's words have caused Sabito to stand up “is there anything in particular that you want to eat?” It took Giyuu a while to answer, as if he was contemplating what to answer. “miso soup with sweet potato” was an unexpected answer yet Sabito chose not to question his partner's decision “that sounds lovely” in the end his memory still linger within everyone like a tiny flame blazing through the night.

Chapter 25: 25

Summary:

Out of all the hashira Tengen has always been the one that Giyuu never understands. He was jealous of the freedom the man possessed yet Giyuu questions any decision that he makes. “Could you be any more unflashy? It doesn’t matter how much proof you have, the reason for my action will be approved by the master. I don’t need Kochou's permission for this” just as Tengen was rushing towards Aoi's side, Giyuu suddenly swung his sword at him making it clear that he doesn’t approve of his action.

Months went by peacefully. The wound Giyuu sustained has mostly healed, leaving only his shoulder as the last injury remaining. Senjuro has been visiting the water estate lately, whether it was out of pity or grief Sabito is grateful for his visit as it was the only time Giyuu would speak to anyone. 

He was a gentle child who only wanted the best for everyone, the fact that the former flame hashira didn’t even make an effort to raise him was tragic. “I’ve started my training as a kakushi” Senjuro announced proudly “after my brother’s funeral the Ubuyashiki family came to pay their respect and at the time I told them that I wanted to contribute some help even when I am not a strong swordsman like my brother, Master Kagaya was so kind and offer to train me as a kakushi” the young man explain while smiling brightly at them. “Then from now on we will be in your care” Sabito stated while patting Senjuro's head.

In a way Giyuu was glad that the young man was still able to smile even after experiencing a tragic loss, even now as he sat beside the young man Senjuro shows more strength than he is. “At first father was against me going down this path, all of the men in our family are trained to be a slayer after all. But I already accepted that my skills are better utilized elsewhere, maybe in another life I can be strong enough to fight by my brother's side” the young man's smile never faltered as he expressed his wishes yet even Giyuu could sense the sorrow that he tried to hide “strength is not determined by our physical capability, your brother taught me that. He will be very proud of the choices you made, Senjuro” in that brief moment the mask Senjuro put on started to crack as tears started streaming down his face “then I shall do my best” Rengoku would have said the same thing.

By the time the young man left for his training Sabito witnessed the cheerful expression on Giyuu's face start to disappear, he knew it was just a facade yet he wanted to believe it was real for once. Rengoku's death has impacted many people in the corps, it was even clearer with the other hashira.

Mitsuri’s smile never truly reach her eyes anymore even when she is enjoying her favorite food everyone could see the sorrow expression she is trying to hide,  Obanai no longer shows an interested in their sparring session and spend most of his time training alone, Gyomei was calmer than the rest of us yet even the master notice how distant he has become, Shinobu had kept herself busy with her research not knowing that even her smile has become slightly sour, Tengen stop inviting everyone on a gathering instead he chose to take on a lot more mission to distract himself, Muichiro never truly change yet Sabito notice how aggressive he has been on training, Sanemi never said anything yet everyone saw how gentle and caring he was in Rengoku’s funeral.

Death is something that all of them have to face often in their line of work, even those who become a slayer longer than Sabito still show signs of struggle when it comes to their comrade's deaths. When humans are forced against an opponent that is more powerful than them death is bound to linger near. Yet it's the will that they possessed that will drive them to victory, Giyuu taught him that personally. Strength alone will never be enough to protect, a person will become stronger and fight is a lot stronger than humans expect.

Sabito witnessed how badly Rengoku was injured after the Mugen train mission, but even after his body was in such horrific pain the flame hashira stayed true to his principles and managed to fulfill his duty to the very end. Every passenger in the train survived along with Giyuu and Tanjiro sustaining the most injuries. Sabito could not thank Rengoku enough for protecting his partner.

In truth the water hashira is very angry at Giyuu’s action. He tried to be understanding as Giyuu was always the most logical and rational when it comes to his decision making, yet with Giyuu’s recent action Sabito can’t understand the reasoning behind all of his actions. “Do you not trust me?” The water hashira leaned on Giyuu’s shoulder as they gazed at the night sky “I trust you with all my live” even with his partner's answer Sabito didn’t know if he was telling the truth as the map Giyuu had destroyed that day already revealed everything that the water hashira suspected.

After the incident that Giyuu caused in the water estate Sabito requested to hold a hashira meeting with the master's presence. “I assume that everyone already knows why I requested this meeting” Sabito's statement was enough to confirm everyone's suspicion “Every day I get reminded of that guy's achievement, can’t they pick some other topic when I kill them?” Sanemi complaint “It’s not just us, even beginner slayers have confessed to witnessing a demon calling out Mr. Tomioka's name” Mitsuri said with a worried expression “they would never be this in unison with each other, which leaves only one possibility” Obanai stated.

The demon king is the only person who could control every demon's will and action, whether it was out of fear or obedience they could never disobey Muzan’s order. “I’m afraid even if that is the case, it still doesn’t make sense why he would go to such lengths to kill Mr. Tomioka. Muzan never showed any care for any of the upper moon so a revenge plan already sounds ridiculous” after Shinobu explained Muichiro suddenly voiced his opinion “what if they wanted him alive?” 

Everyone's gaze was on the mist hashira as they couldn’t even fathom that the demon king wanted to capture someone alive. “I’m afraid I can’t even imagine such possibility from Muzan” Gyomei stated “I agree with Mr. Himejima, if its to turn Giyuu into a demon then that doesn’t make sense since he didn’t managed to kill any of the upper moon” witnessing all of the hashira debating Kagaya finally decided to speak “Sabito, I would like for you to do me a favor” to this day the water hashira couldn’t understand why the master demand such a thing from him yet the gentle gaze he gave Sabito have enough to make him agree.

Kagaya’s plan was simple, on the day that Giyuu finally gazes at the sky Sabito was to accompany him at every second until he could finally walk alone. On the day Giyuu shows no sign of pain the water hashira were to leave a training sword near him and not prevent his partner from training. And on the day that every training equipment was broken by Giyuu, Sabito would leave on a mission and not come back until the next morning. All of the instructions are relatively easy to do, the hardest part for Sabito is trusting the master's intention.

Just as Kagaya instructed the moment Sabito woke up, Isamu was already standing by the window with his mission for today. The water hashira gaze at his sleeping partner with worry and uncertainty. Sabito trusted the master with all of his life yet the thought of leaving Giyuu alone in the state that he is in didn’t come easy for Sabito.

Giyuu woke up to the gentle kiss of his own partner as Sabito was already fully dressed up for his mission. “You’re heading east?” Giyuu asks while still drowsy from his sleep “It’s supposed to be a short mission but the demon managed to devour a slayer so now it falls under Hashira's responsibility” before he left the water hashira turned towards Giyuu's side for one last embrace.

Sabito prays that he is doing the right thing, he prays that once he returns Giyuu could finally smile and open up to him. Anything that is weighing his mind Sabito will do everything in his power to make it disappear “I love you, truly” the water hashira watches as his partner chooses to embrace him one last time before parting ways once more.

It wasn’t until Giyuu was certain that Sabito had left that he finally took out his haori. It still amazed him that it remained intact after the gruesome battle with an upper moon “I love you too” Giyuu mumbled while kissing the pattern half of his haori. Right now his rage is at its peak, since the moment he witnessed Akaza killing his friend, rage was planted onto his heart. 

Screams of help filled the butterfly mansion as Tengen appeared to be carrying both Aoi and Naho in his arms. “Please let us go!” Aoi begged the sound hashira to listen yet the man seemed too stubborn to listen, even when Kanao who never disobeyed any order was trying to free Aoi from his grasp Tengen chose to ignore the young woman's plea.

The only thing that managed to divert his attention is the sound of rapid footsteps coming toward him. Tengen then leaps into the air, causing him to let go of Naho to draw his weapon yet the sight of Giyuu thrusting his sword at him managed to force the sound hashira to back away.

What surprised Tengen was not only his sudden appearance but the overwhelming strength he used to take Aoi from him. Giyuu gently placed the young woman on the ground while Kanao rushed to their side to check on Aoi's condition. “Isn’t it forbidden to engage in a fight with members of the corps? What do you think would happen if I reported you, Tomioka?” Tengen's voice was stern yet Giyuu showed no sign of being afraid.

Naho was the first to defend Giyuu’s action “Don’t listen to him Mr. Tomioka!” Sumi soon joins her “That man is a pervert! He even slapped Aoi before you came!” By the time Kiyo speaks up, Giyuu already has enough witnesses to ignore Tengen's orders “I think I already have enough proof to counter your report Mr. Uzui” Giyuu calmly stated.

Out of all the hashira Tengen has always been the one that Giyuu never understands. He was jealous of the freedom the man possessed yet Giyuu questions any decision that he makes. “Could you be any more unflashy? It doesn’t matter how much proof you have, the reason for my action will be approved by the master. I don’t need Kochou's permission for this” just as Tengen was rushing towards Aoi's side, Giyuu suddenly swung his sword at him making it clear that he doesn’t approve of his action.

Tengen was ready to fight him there yet the moment Giyuu put away his sword the sound hashira showed a confused expression “do you want to fight or not damn it! You're so unflashy!” the Giyuu of the past would usually find a way to separate them from the girls yet right now he doesn’t care “all of your wife was taken and now you need someone to infiltrate the entertainment district correct?” Hearing Giyuu’s words, Tengen couldn’t help but freeze as he gazed at the man standing in front of him.

Not even the master knew of his wife's disappearance yet suddenly Giyuu already knew of his plan in full detail. A sudden chill could be felt throughout his body as Tengen gazed at Giyuu’s eyes “I’m really angry right now Mr. Uzui. These past few months have been nothing but aggravating so I won’t waste your time. Take me to the entertainment district right now and I’ll make sure to kill that upper moon with my own hand!” Tengen shouldn’t believe such absurd demands yet the sound hashira knows better than to invoke Giyuu’s wrath.

The entertainment district is a place that many people seem to enjoy. Giyuu has never taken an interest in the place yet even he knows that it’s the perfect hunting ground for demons. A place where many humans live through the night is simply too alluring for demons to ignore. He was never assigned any mission in this area, but he heard stories of Tengen missions by force.

By the time they arrived at Yoshiwara district it was still early in the morning, making it the perfect time to discuss their plan. The sound hashira may seem calm throughout the journey but his mind is filled with doubt and stress, it's not just because of his wives but Tengen knows better than to mess with someone's lover. He was already not on good terms with the water hashira, now that he has taken Giyuu with him to face an upper moon Sabito will definitely kill him once he finds out.

Oblivious to the mess he causes, Giyuu has asked to speak personally with Tengen before they execute their mission. “What more is it to discuss? There is an upper moon on the loose. We should track it down and rescue my wives” the sound hashira stated “if I told you that there is more than one demon what would you do?” Tengen felt like he wanted Giyuu to stay silent as every time he spoke the sound hashira could feel his heart rate increasing.

Giyuu told him everything that is known about the upper moon, how there are two demons posing as one and how many women have fallen into their hands at this moment. “Your really freaking me out here Tomioka, if what your saying is true then we can’t simply defeat them with our strength alone” Tengen said while trying to make sense of Giyuu explanation “one week” Giyuu then start sketching on the piece of paper “they reveal themself in one week, let me be a distraction while you track down all of the victim they captured. We won’t be alone by the time Tanjiro and the others realize I’m gone, all of them will surely find their way here” after discussing the plan the sound hashira still showed a sign of hesitation yet his mind felt a bit relieved the moment Giyuu guided him through the mission.

As they were discussing one of the inn workers then knocked on the door to inform Tengen of his request “did you manage to get all of it? Bring it in then” The sound hashira then starts cleaning up the room while the worker brings in a huge package. “I feel like there is something that you forgot to tell me” Giyuu stated while gazing at the hashira suspiciously “you don’t expect me to let you infiltrate the district in that get-up up right?” Tengen then took out a beautiful set of yukata.

Tengen spent many hours trying to make Giyuu presentable for hire yet what annoyed him the most was that no matter what ridiculous outfit he put on him somehow Giyuu would look like an actual woman. “Is all of this really necessary?” Giyuu asks, uncomfortable with the fabric Tengen has forced him to wear “if you walk around in your usual attire all you will get is a cold refusal. Everyone who comes to this district has a secret. You would be a fool to run around the entertainment district in that attire” the sound hashira then tried his best to style Giyuu’s hair.

When he gazed upon the mirror Giyuu almost shed a tear, it was as if Tsutako was standing in front of him. Giyuu’s hair was braided neatly accompanied by a red ribbon tying his hair together. The navy blue yukata fit him beautifully, with many flower patterns scattered all over his outfit. “Not bad, with this no one will even suspect you're a man” Tengen stated proudly “The belt needs to be red” Giyuu suddenly demanded “why? It already looks good” the sound hashira watched in horror as Giyuu tried to undress right in front of him “alright, alright I’ll change the belt! Are you trying to get Sabito to kill me you unflashy bastard!” Unknown to Giyuu, he almost caused Tengen to lose his mind.

By the time Sabito’s mission was done days had already passed. The master had instructed him to come back a long time ago but the mission he assigned to Sabito was more complicated than imagined. Not only did he have to track down and defeat a powerful demon but he had to prevent Tanjiro and his friends from doing anything stupid. “The ugly fox looks uglier somehow” Inosuke not so subtly mumble “I wonder why that is” Sabito stated, no longer hiding his annoyance.

Everything seems to be normal in the water estate, many slayers were seen training near the entrance with the kakushi taking care of the garden since Sabito left. When he came to check on Giyuu however their bedroom was empty with a hint of coldness that Sabito dreaded to feel. He was about to rush out and search for him yet a sudden voice called out to him. “Please wait a second, water hashira!” Aoi could be seen trying to catch her breath as Tanjiro helped her walk to Sabito’s office.

The young woman then explain what happened in the past few days, how Tengen suddenly barge into the butterfly estate demanding her to go on a dangerous mission even when she had explained to him that she had taken the role of a medic and not a slayer the sound hashira refused to let her go and only with the help of Giyuu assistant that he finally let her go. “I don’t understand the full mission but Mr. Tomioka mentions that an upper moon is causing trouble in the entertainment district and the sound hashira’s wives are going missing” just hearing Aoi's explanation is enough to make Sabito assume the worst out of the situation.

Giyuu is not in the right state of mind right now yet he chooses to go on such a dangerous mission in Aoi's place. When Sabito finally meets with Tengen he will make sure to go all out. “Thank you for the information Miss Kanzaki, we will take it from here” Hearing the water hashira announcement Zenitsu already got a bad feeling “who is we?” The young man's complaint went unnoticed as the glare that Sabito gave him was enough to shut himself up “HAHAHAHAHA! That is fine by me! I’m not afraid of some lousy upper moon, I’ll take them all head on!” only Inosuke can say such motivating words in dire situations “we should focus on finding Mr. Uzui wife first” Tanjiro stated while trying to calm his friends.

Before they left Sabito entrusted the estate to Aoi and told her to look after the place while they were gone, Kanao soon arrived to accompany her while the others had already planned to leave. “Please come back safely, I will patiently await all of your return” Aoi stated, assuring them to come back alive. “Remember everything that we taught you” Kanao said while waving them goodbye.

An upper moon sighting in the entertainment district, along with the disappearance of a hashira family member. Sabito starts to imagine the danger they would face on this mission yet there is one thing he is known for certain. This time he will not let Giyuu face it alone. When all of them arrived at the entertainment district a familiar figure was already waiting for them at the entrance “took you long enough” Tengen greeted them with a smile “when he told me you will come to join the mission I thought he was going crazy, I guess his knowledge of the future was more accurate than I expected” the scent of blood linger the moment they step into the district as the demon extend their hand to their challenge, a fierceful battle is about to commence.

Chapter 26: 26

Summary:

Humans will never understand that to survive in this world all you need is to keep your emotions to yourself. By the time Daki arrived back to her room a familiar figure was seen comfortably waiting for her arrival “we meet again, I see that you’ve been diligent in your duty” The demon king's voice was much gentler as the upper moon immediately bowed down before him “lord Muzan! I-it’s a pleasure to meet you once more” Daki greeted him while trying her best to hide her embarrassed expression.

Beauty is something that everyone in the entertainment district seeks, whether it's for personal or beneficial gain. Some wanted it for love and affection while some wanted to make a profit from such beauty. Daki has lived this kind of life for over a hundred years and many would look at her with jealousy in their eyes. She didn’t mind after all, what good is it to devour the weak and ugly?

Those who shower her with love will always come and seek her attention and those who despise her will never live to see another day. “I told you, didn't I? There is no benefit in confronting me” the upper moon gaze at the woman she captured, tears streaming down her eyes as she finally realizes the oiran's true identity. Daki then tightened the grip her obi sashes had on the woman “You wanted to be with that man right? Then let’s play a game, would he even love you when you're just a puddle of blood on the ground!” The scream that echoed through the district was priceless as all they could do was watch while many people gazed at their hideous state.

Humans will never understand that to survive in this world all you need is to keep your emotions to yourself. By the time Daki arrived back to her room a familiar figure was seen comfortably waiting for her arrival “we meet again, I see that you’ve been diligent in your duty” The demon king's voice was much gentler as the upper moon immediately bowed down before him “lord Muzan! I-it’s a pleasure to meet you once more” Daki greeted him while trying her best to hide her embarrassed expression.

It’s not every day that the demon king would come to her personally, to be able to see Muzan more than once was a blessing to Daki. “I have a personal request for you, I’m sure a person as powerful as you can fulfill a simple request right?” Muzan then describes a certain demon slayer that he wishes to find. A man with long pitch black hair, deep blue eyes, and fair skin, the man is wearing a half crimson and unique pattern haori and wearing a demon slayer uniform. “I want you to capture him and keep him alive” such a request came as a surprise to Daki, as not that long ago the demon king had tasked her with killing a demon that escaped his grasp so why?

Before Daki could have the chance to ask any further, Muzan gently caressed her cheeks and whispered “You're the only one I could rely on, your strength and beauty are like no other. Can you do it for me?” His words might have been full of love and praise yet his expression stayed blank when faced with Daki admiration “of course my lord, such a trivial task is nothing for me” in truth she would also like to witness what kind of human would be able to catch the king of demon’s attention.

On the other side of the district everyone seems to be cheerfully preparing for a full night of work. It’s not even been a week since Giyuu worked in Tokito house and he is already tired of all the work the madam of the house is passing on to him. The moment Tengen took him out for a walk many houses were already showing interest in hiring him “it’s such a shame for her to only be a maid, wouldn’t it be better for her to be a courtesan?” The madam offers “That is a kind offer but I’m afraid her husband forbids it so if you kindly hire her as a maid or assistant we would be grateful” Giyuu witnesses as Tengen is trying his hardest to dodge any courtesan offer for him.

In a way he should be grateful that everyone is treating Giyuu with such kindness. He had heard many horror stories from the woman who works in the house and he is thankful not to face such a situation in the short time that Giyuu had worked there. “Miss Tomoko, could you read us a story?” a little girl asked while holding Giyuu’s hand tightly “but I want to ask Miss Tomoko to play first!” another girl came rushing towards his direction while hugging him tightly “hey you two shouldn’t bother Tomoko when she is working, the madam will be mad at her if her work isn’t done you know?” one of the attendants then scolds the little girls, resulting in them running to the Oiran’s room.

Giyuu didn’t mind playing with the kids while the other was busy, in this line of work children would be forced to grow up faster than usual. In a way Giyuu have experience is the same making it hard for him to reject their offer to play “your spoiling them too much Tomoko” one of the attendant jokingly said “I didn’t mean to do so” Giyuu said while trying to pitch his voice a little higher than usual “if you treat everyone that way, people are bound to see you as a mother” another attendant said sarcastically.

While the others are busy working, Giyuu took the time to gather information from the guests and courtesans roaming the house. “Any news regarding the missing girls?” a courtesan whisper to one of the attendant “I’m afraid not, the master of the house have already contacted the authority but if they didn’t find any clue they won’t be able to do much” on the other side of the house Giyuu could hear a couple guest talking amongst themself “I usually see you around Ogimoto house, why the sudden change?” Their voice was loud the moment alcohol was served to them “the courtesan I like never appears at work, I tried asking around but the madam would just turn me away” the man explained while gulping a large amount of sake “maybe she committed ashinuke. It’s been happening a lot lately” the man said while asking the attendant for more drinks “don’t you think that's strange? Many people have committed ashinuke before yet some of them were caught but in this district it was as if they just disappeared into thin air” their conversation suddenly changed the moment a courtesan entered their room.

From what Giyuu has gathered so far it seems like many women have attempted to run away before. Ashinuke is just a common act that they use for people who run away without paying off their debts. He finds it hard that someone who owes a lot of money to the establishment would be let go so easily. With so many women disappearing lately, the only reasonable explanation is that a demon is behind all of this.

The knowledge he possessed of this mission is not much, but Tengen has retold their part of the story so many times that Giyuu basically memorizes the whole incident by heart. After weeks of infiltrating the district Zenitsu would disappear, the upper moon would capture him with the other girls, and this action would lead the other into finding the demon’s secret lair.

At first glance he couldn’t sense any demon lurking around the house, yet Giyuu did manage to find some kind of passageway. It was unfortunately too small for him to enter but he made sure to report his findings to the sound hashira. Part of him wanted to investigate the other houses to make this mission go faster, but with so many people present Giyuu couldn’t risk starting a fight against an upper moon.

Not to mention what happened on the train, Giyuu made the mistake of revealing the future to Muzan. It wasn’t much but it was enough for him to know of the knowledge he held. The demon king would do anything to achieve his goal and knowing that there is a slayer who possessed knowledge about the future was enough reason for him to send the upper moon to kill or capture him. Giyuu welcomed the challenge, even with a broken shoulder he was already prepared to face an upper moon once again. 

By the time he was done cleaning the house was already packed with customers, the oiran had just returned bringing many customers with her in the process. While Giyuu is serving sake to the customer one of them seems to take an interest in him “hey are you new here?” one men them came to approach him “oh your a tall one, Tokito house really do have a variety of woman” the moment one start to approach him many other was curious enough to finally surround him “forgive me but there seems to be a mistake, I am only a maid if you wish to seek entertainment I would suggest seeking the madam of the house” Giyuu thought that would be enough to divert their attention yet none of them seems interested.

Even the other attendant couldn’t reach out to help him, if none of them show any sign of complacency, Giyuu is forced to use violence against them. Just as he was about to move his hand Giyuu could feel someone reaching his hand, when he turned around to look Sabito was beside him. 

The water hashira is not in his usual attire. Instead of the corps uniform Sabito wore a simple yukata with a familiar pattern, his fox mask was tied to his belt while wrapping his hand around Giyuu as a protective gesture. “Forgive me gentlemen this one is already taken” everyone around them was too stunned by Sabito's action to stop them from entering the storage room and pinning him to the wall.

Giyuu was expecting Tanjiro and his friends to come but to witness his partner standing in front of him at this very moment, Giyuu didn’t have the time to compose his emotions. “Your grip is too tight” he stated while avoiding Sabito's gaze “Is it really? You have to forgive me for that, since every time I let my guard down you would always throw yourself at such a dangerous situation” the water hashira sarcastically said while tightening his grip on his partner.

Sabito is suppressing so much emotion right now. The fear he felt when he found out what Giyuu had done, the anger that rose the moment those men dared to lay a hand on his beloved, and the relief that came the moment he saw Giyuu unharmed. “Uzui told me you hold knowledge of the future. Is this what you were hiding from me?” Sabito's voice was stern and his expression showed one of an impatient man, Giyuu wanted to tell him first about his past yet with the situation they were in he wasn’t given much of a choice. 

That cruel and wretched future should have never happened, we have already lost one of the strongest hashira in their generation. Giyuu can’t afford to let Tengen retire, not when he is well aware of the future ahead of them “I’m sorry for not telling you but even if you tried to stop me I will still do the same, so for once I’m begging you don’t stop me” Giyuu voice was stern yet even the water hashira notice the desperation on his partner face. No matter how angry he is Sabito couldn’t bring himself to look at him in such a cruel way “then next time please talk to me. I don’t care if you're going to fight the demon king, your my husband Giyuu I would never forgive myself if I let you fight alone” that night was the first time they accepted each other's comfort.

Many of the attendants were really worried after witnessing what happened to Giyuu, the madam of the house managed to calm the rest of the guests and compensate them with their most southafter courtesan. She was still upset that Sabito caused such a commotion but after paying her a huge amount of money the madam simply diverted her attention.

It turns out Tanjiro and the others were forced to work as attendants to help with the investigation, Sabito was there to drop all of them off when he saw Giyuu. “I’ll make sure to visit often, don’t overwork yourself alright?” Sabito then reaches out for a kiss before departing with Zenitsu and Inosuke to the other houses. In the end the water hashira couldn’t leave before making sure that everyone knows who Giyuu belongs to.

After the situation finally calmed down, Giyuu was suddenly surrounded by many attendants and maids who were curious about his partner. “Tomoko, you didn’t tell us you were married!” one of the maids said with a face full of blush “he paid the madam a lot of money too! Why would he let you work if you're already well off?” the attendant asked curiously “we-well he has always worked hard for our family, I wanted to contribute a little bit” Giyuu lied “your so lucky not to mention he is actually good looking, even with a scar on his face it actually makes him more handsome” another maid praised.

In the end Giyuu was let off with a slap on the wrist, instead of getting angry at him the madam of the house was awfully kind. If Giyuu could have guessed, she might have thought that Sabito is a rich businessman man and with the knowledge that his wife is working under her care must have excited her a little too much. “If you need anything feel free to tell me, don’t bother finishing your work the new attendant will take care of it” the madam stated while messaging Giyuu’s shoulders.

The new attendant in question turns out to be Tanjiro badly disguised as a woman, Giyuu even has to double check to confirm if the madam of the house really thought that he was a woman. “Don’t question it, she looks determined enough to be a bit useful” the madam whispered to him, Giyuu didn’t know if he should be impressed or sorry for the young man.

In their spare time Giyuu ended up trying to fix the makeup that the Madam undid. Tanjiro told him upon discovering the scar on his face the madam spent a whole hour yelling at him and ordering him not to let anyone see it. “Did the madam of the inn do your makeup?” Giyuu asks while trying his best to hide Tanjiro's scar “no it was Mr. Uzui” The young man's answer suddenly made sense.

As they were busy discussing amongst each other the door was suddenly open revealing a familiar little girl standing in the door frame. “Oh those two are the Koinatsu oiran attendant” Tanjiro smiles upon meeting the familiar girl “you know them?” Giyuu asks while putting away the makeup equipment “In the past they would always play with the oiran, their laughter filled the entire house so it's kinda hard to ignore them” Tanjiro explains.

Both of the girls rushed towards Giyuu's side the moment he smiled at them “Miss Tomoko are you alright?” one of the girls asked “we saw you getting cornered by so many people” she stated while gazing at him worryingly “I’m alright, they were just curious thats all” Giyuu said while petting the girls head. 

It didn’t take long for them to finally notice Tanjiro sitting beside them with a full face of white makeup and ask “why is her face like that?” Both girls ask in unison, Giyuu tries his best to hold back his laughter yet even he is aware of how ridiculous the young man looks right now. “Be nice she is the new attendant the madam hired” Giyuu explained “my name is Sumiko, it's a pleasure to be working here” Tanjiro then greeted the two girls with a warm smile.

The news of Sabito incident spread fast as many drunkards expressed their surprise after the incident “I saw how much money that man gave to the Tokito house madam, it was enough to buy a house!” a man claim “but you just said his wife is working as a maid in the house, why would a wealthy man let his wife work in such a place” another man expressed his doubt “maybe she is not a maid but secretly a business partner of the house, I heard a similar rumor happening at the other district” a person suggested “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was, compared to the other maid or attendant she was by far the most elegant one you all should see her” the man stated “stop lying man” another person voices their doubts “if you don’t believe me just go to the Tokito house and look for a maid wearing a red ribbon, she has pitch black hair and deep blue eyes. I’m telling you she is beautiful” the man stated while continuing to drink the night away.

Most people would listen to their story and scoff as it sounds like a childish rumor yet amongst all the laughter and joy a pink obi sash could be seen lingering in the distance. Deep inside the Kyogoku house the Warabihime will always listen to every drunkard gossip “Tokito house? It seems like our guest arrived earlier than expected” Daki said while gazing at the beautiful makeup she had put on.

Amongst the hundreds of years she has lived as a demon Daki has killed seven hashira and so capturing a normal slayer would be an easy job for her. “They praised your beauty so eagerly Tomioka, I wonder just how beautiful you are” laughter filled the entire room as Makio could be seen tied up by the obi sashes Daki control “I have no use for you now, goodbye” that was the last thing the shinobi heard before falling into a deep slumber.

Chapter 27: 27

Summary:

“I can’t keep doing this! That crazy woman definitely knows who I am!” The young man then describes how the upper moon would bring in multiple customers to her room every time he even gazes in her direction “I even tried crawling outside of the window but her gaze was so sharp that I think she caught a glimpse of me!” The dark circle around Zenitsu has already become so severe that even the thick makeup he wears is not enough to hide it.

The entertainment district lived up to its reputation. In the morning Sabito couldn’t find a single sign of life. It was only when the sun had finally set that many people started roaming the streets. The scent of alcohol filled the air accompanied by the lingering music played inside each house.

It was overwhelming, Sabito could never get used to living in such a lively place. “Are you alone sir?” a woman suddenly approached him as he traversed his way through the street “it must be tiring to walk all night, why not take a rest at our establishment? We offer a wide range of drinks” as much as Sabito wanted to rest he knows the true intention of the woman “sorry ma’am but my partner is waiting for me” this wasn’t the first time Sabito got approached by the girls here, he had thought that revealing his scar would scare people away yet it seems like everyone is staring at him every time he walks by.

On that night the melody of the shamisen filled the entire Kyogoku house as Zenitsu was playing diligently on stage. “Is it just me or is the music more intense tonight?” a customer stated “yeah it’s the new attendant, I heard from the madam that she just started learning yesterday” another customer explained “talk about talent but I feel bad for her since she is not that good looking” the customer could only enjoy the music peacefully with their eyes closed.

Each night Sabito would make it a habit to check on Tanjiro and his friend’s condition. It takes a lot of his time yet the water hashira just can’t rest easy knowing that he is bringing three beginner slayers into a highly dangerous mission, especially when one of them is working in the same house as their target.

Kyogoku lead oiran is a cunning woman, praised for her beauty and talent she is bound to be surrounded by many admirers. Yet even Sabito senses the killing intent of a demon the moment she walks by on the street. The water hashira is aware of her watchful eyes the moment he enters the establishment and so Sabito makes it a point to her that he is not afraid of visiting every day to drink.

Forcing an all-out attack would be too dangerous. Many innocent lives will be at risk, even if they wanted to evacuate the district there is no way that they could convince all of the establishment without alerting the upper moon. The warabihime is aware of this after all the duty of a hashira is to protect. If many were to accompany her every hour of the day there would be no time left to attack.

At some point Zenitsu was so frustrated that he stormed into Tengen's office to complain. “I can’t keep doing this! That crazy woman definitely knows who I am!” The young man then describes how the upper moon would bring in multiple customers to her room every time he even gazes in her direction “I even tried crawling outside of the window but her gaze was so sharp that I think she caught a glimpse of me!” The dark circle around Zenitsu has already become so severe that even the thick makeup he wears is not enough to hide it.

The young man's anger was understandable but the corps main focus has always been civilian safety. Sabito and Tengen are responsible for protecting everyone in the district that include all of the missing woman that the upper moon captures, Inosuke managed to track down the demon secret lair yet when he arrived at the location it was already empty with the only sign of life is a tunnel leading to an abandoned house far from the district.

In other words the upper moon has already realized their plan and swiftly disposed of any traces it left behind. “Don’t make me go back!” Zenitsu begged while clinging to Sabito's leg in despair “You called yourself a man with this behavior?” the water hashira scolded him profusely “I am not a man right now! Cut me some slack!” Zenitsu's tears ultimately smudge the makeup he wore.

There is one positive that came from the insight that Giyuu gave them, Hinatsuru was quickly found and brought back to the inn for some treatment. “Forgive me for not being able to provide any further help” Hinatsuru stated as she lay peacefully in a warm futon “It’s not your fault, we were lucky to rescue you in time before that obi sashed took you away” Tengen patted his wife on the head, assuring her that she is not to blame. “But her behavior is not normal, in the past she would always act upon her murder intent. To suddenly hesitate to start a fight is very out of character” in truth most of them have already known the answer behind the upper moon's unusual behavior.

Back when the sound hashira was investigating the entertainment district alone he met a particular demon with a strange question “where is…Tomioka” the demon's last word was the key to the upper moon goal. “The muscle mice is already station near Tokito house with both of their sword ready to used, from the information Tomioka have predicted that upper moon will make a move tonight” Tengen explained while preparing to depart “Inosuke have already started searching for the demon new lair all we need to do is prepare for the worst” Zenitsu hate to admit it but gazing at both of the hashira working together does look really cool.

As they were preparing to depart on their mission Hinatsuru pulled Tengen a side for one last goodbye “I want you to promise me something” the woman voice was stern as she gazed longingly at her husband “you have to try your best to live, I know that it’s your duty to protect but just promise me that you will do everything in your power to come back alive” the sound hashira should never make such a promise as it will only hurt the more if the opposite happen.

The path Tengen chose to walk on is full of cruelty and suffering. He was raised on a morality that values results over other safety, as a result many have died because of his own cowardice. When he left that past behind Tengen made a promise to himself to cherish every life that he ever met. His priority has always been his wives and others, when it comes to his own Tengen cannot guarantee as his duty has always been to protect.

Hinatsuru is a strong and kind woman who always wants the best for their family. As much as Tengen doesn’t want to lie to his wife, he couldn’t bring himself to reject her when she was so desperately gazing at him with her painful expression.

On that night the sound hashira embraced her tightly as he promised to try his best to come back safely with the others. “Our future will be filled with happiness, not even the upper moon will be enough to keep me away from all of you” Tengen stated confidently as he gave Hinatsuru one last kiss. “Keep your guard up, once you hear a commotion I trust that you could evacuate the civilians with the others” hearing Tengen's instruction his wife gave him an assuring smile as he departed with the others. 

Deep under the bustling street of the Yoshiwara district Inosuke is currently busy crawling into a tight tunnel. The young man twisted his body to fit into the ridiculously small tunnel that he found hidden in the corner of the woman's bath. “Tricks like these won’t work on the great Inosuke! I don’t care how many demons there are, bring all of them to me!” While Inosuke is busy tracking down the demon secret lair the Ogimoto house is left with a lot of confusion as many of the maids have reported his actions to the madam. “I’m telling the truth!” one of the maids stated “a man wearing a boar head just barged in here and crawled into that hole! You have to do something madam, the oiran often bathes here you know!” Even when the madam wanted to believe her it didn’t make sense that a man would fit in such a small hole “maybe it’s about time that I finally retired” the madam said as she sighed in defeat.

Back in Kyogoku's house Zenitsu is having a mental breakdown as the hashira entrusted him to distract the Warabihime. He wanted to crawl into a hole and bury himself alive as the sound of strange movement around the house is enough indication that the demon is preparing to fight. “Is there something that's bothering you Zenko? Your melody is not as intense as usual” one of the attendants asked worryingly “n-nothing! I’m just feeling a little under the weather right now” Zenitsu lied while trying to pitch his voice higher “then you could go get some rest for now, one of the courtesans will take over for you” her gesture was kind yet Zenitsu couldn’t ignore the sudden excitement the customer had the moment he stepped off stage.

Zenitsu then poured himself some tea as he tried to calm his mind. Working under the same roof as an upper moon was starting to stress him out as the young man could not get a second of sleep. From keeping a watch on the Warabihime every movement to creating a distraction alone, the young man is starting to suspect that the hashira is treating him unfairly “Why does it have to be me damn it! At least don't put me here alone! How come Tanjiro gets to pair up with Mr. Tomioka? It's unfair!” while Zenitsu is complaining all of a sudden the kitchen door is open revealing a little girl rushing inside with tears filling her eyes.

The girl curled herself in the corner as a whimper of cries filled the entire room. Her clothing was messy with dirt covering most of her kimono, and her once neatly tied up hair had now come loose as if someone had yanked it hard. Zenitsu could only assume the worst while he tried his best to calm her down “What's going on? Are you hurt anywhere? Who did this to you?” It was only when Zenitsu gave her some water that she could finally explain. “I made the mistake of stepping on the Warabihime kimono. We were walking her back home when I lost my focus” the little girl cried while explaining how the oiran had punished her by hitting and throwing her to the wall the moment they made it back to the oiran room.

It was only a minor mistake that would not affect the business in any way yet Zenitsu witnessed how the little girl's ears were bleeding and the painful gaze she gave her. Such an atrocious act towards a lady should never be forgiven. The muscle mice supported his decision as they immediately brought out his sword the moment Zenitsu made his way to the Warabihime room.

His gaze was stern as Zenitsu ignored all of the maids and attendants who tried to talk or stop him. “Zenko you can’t go upstairs!” One of the maids reached out to the young man only for him to stop on his track and ask her for a favor “Forgive me but could you evacuate the house please? It's dangerous here, you should run before anything happens” she wanted to ask what he was talking about yet Zenitsu's stern expression was enough to drive her away.

Standing in front of him was the room where the upper moon resides, all of his senses were telling him to run yet Zenitsu is aware that even the demon could already sense him standing before them. When he opened the door Daki was already patiently waiting for him in her demonic form “so you finally decided to stop this ridiculous act? It only took you a wounded young girl to confront me? Humans are such predictable creature” the upper moon said while glaring at Zenitsu “well I guess it's a good thing that you were the one assigned to confront me, at least I get to erase that ugly face from this world!” That was the last thing Daki had said before lunging towards the young man with all of her strength.

On the other side of the district Giyuu and Tanjiro have already finished their preparation, the scent of a demon lingering around the house indicating that the upper moon has already made their move. To secure the safety of civilians will stand guard outside of the oiran’s room while Giyuu stays by her side, it's not a conclusive plan but Tanjiro alone is enough to protect everyone on the outside.

Noticing the tense expression that Giyuu has displayed, Koinatsu couldn’t help but ask “is the customer giving you a hard time again?" her voice was gentle, as if she was trying to comfort him. “Not at all miss, in fact recently everyone has been well-behaved” Giyuu then answered her with a smile “It’s because your husband has always made it a point to visit” The oiran chuckled while remembering how the little girls would attack the man for dragging Giyuu away. “How long have you been married?” Koinatsu asked curiously.

Realistically both of them have been together for decades, Giyuu couldn’t even recount how many times they have confessed to each other unknowingly. “This year will be our eight years with each other” Giyuu answer while hiding his embarrassed expression “such a long time filled with happiness, you must have loved each other so much” Koinatsu stated while gazing at the sky “I ask because tomorrow will be my last night here, someone is going to take me as their wife” the smile she show this time is one of an overjoyed bride.

Koinatsu is truly a beautiful woman, from the moment they met she would always treat him with kindness. Announcing such a joyful event Giyuu couldn’t help but be happy for her “Then from now on I pray that you live a life filled with love and happiness in this new chapter of your live” The oiran didn’t have to reply to Giyuu’s word, the tears she shed that night were enough for him to comfort Koinatsu through the night.

Just as they were opening up to each other Giyuu sensed a demonic presence starting to approach them, yet the moment he reached out to his sword an obi sashes suddenly wrapped around his hands and feet rendering him immobile. “Tomoko!” Before Koinatsu could even help her, Daki managed to get her shash to capture.

The upper moon is standing tall in front of him yet Giyuu shows no fear as many of her limbs have yet to regenerate indicating the others have done their task well. “You slayers are getting on my nerves, all of this acting just to rescue all of those women?” Daki glared at him furiously as she tightened the grip around his body “if lord Muzan wouldn’t want you alive you will be the first one I kill-” before the upper moon could even finish her sentence Sabito slashes through her neck, causing the demon’s head to tumble to the ground.

Notes:

hello this is Natto! I hope that this chapter was able to light up your day for a while. The reason for this note is that I have decided to go on a break. I am aware that some of you might be disappointed because we were in the middle of an arc, but I have tried my best to write the next chapter and it has become clear that I am quite burnt out. This does not mean that I will stop in this chapter. I do have many plans for where this fic will go, and I plan on finishing it. This just means my update will become inconsistent. there might be weeks where I post one chapter or none at all, and I understand that some of you might be disappointed and I truly apologize. but I dont want to write something that i am not happy with, I promised that I'm planning on finishing the story with a proper ending but for now I would like to take a break and search for inspiration, I truly wish that these past 27 chapter managed to make you laugh or smile and I hope that I could continue to make this story be something that I adore. I wish you all eternal happiness wherever you are in life and make sure to take care of yourself.