_______

3RD POV
_______

.

.

"Hai! You can open them now!"

Senjuro shakily did as he was told. He stood there still tied up, watching Taiyo-shin bind his unconscious assailants together with a rope that appeared out of nowhere, and couldn't help but wince upon seeing the leader's bloody swollen face. The man had taken a beat down so severe that he passed out. Senjuro had been so horrified that he quivered, though he was glad that Taiyo-shin was considerate enough to spare him from witnessing...that. Regardless, it didn't prevent him from wincing whenever punching sounds reached his ears. He thought for a second that Taiyo-shin had killed the man until he heard a husky wheeze coming from the unconscious bandit, indicating that he was alive... If barely.

Afterward, Taiyo-shin turned to him which made him flinch. The masked man instructed Senjuro to keep an eye on the men. Not understanding what he meant, Senjuro gathered enough confidence to ask what he was about to do but deflated when the man was nowhere to be seen.

"Hum..." Bewildered, he huffed softly.

Just as he was about to look around, Taiyo-shin reappeared with a heap of unconscious bandits which made him stumble in surprise. He proceeded to rapidly tie them up before stretching. It seemed like he went to gather the rest of the group to turn them in. Well, that was...good?

'How is that possible...? I know big brother's fast and all, but this is beyond fast...!' Senjuro thought, recalling the times his brother would dash to town to buy their father's- "Ah!" he squeaked, face paling in horror. Oh no!

"Hm? What is it?" Taiyo-shin turned to him in question before gasping. "Oh shoot!" he started approaching him, mistaking Senjuro's look of distress for discomfort but paused when the kid involuntarily took a step back. Taiyo-shin held his hands in surrender before pointing at the ropes. "Relax kid, I'm just gonna free you from these. Looks very uncomfortable to me."

The boy blinked and then slowly nodded. He hadn't meant to back away from his savior but he couldn't help but feel slightly wary.

Taiyo-shin swiftly cut the ropes, freeing Senjuro who hesitantly thanked him, though before the words left his lips-

"That's some nasty bruise you've got here. Do you mind if I heal it?"

"Heal...? You can heal?" Senjuro parroted in confusion. How is that...

Taiyo-shin nodded, gently lifting a hand to the boy's right cheek. A warm feeling suddenly enveloped Senjuro, causing him to release a soft sigh of ease. The bruise immediately vanished, leaving behind his usual fair skin.

Gasping softly, Senjuro blinked quickly as his eyes met the kitsune mask.

"Here, done! that wasn't so bad now was it?" Taiyo-shin said as he leaned back, fists on his hips.

Senjuro touched his face, noting how it didn't hurt anymore. "How...?" he looked up at Taiyo-shin in awe.

The man chuckled, "Magic~! Now let's bring these scumbags to the police!" he said, walking up to one of the men and proceeded to kick his shin. "Oi! wake up ya jerkface! Unless you want me to drag you all the way to town, you better get off your ass! Up up!"

Senjuro sweat dropped at the sudden shift of tone.

He heard some of the men groan as they regained consciousness and realized their predicaments and as much as he was nice, Senjuro did not feel sympathy toward them.

Afterward, they began the walk back to town. As they strode, Senjuro couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at the masked man. He wondered why Taiyo-shin gave him the choice to...well, kill or let them live. If he had answered otherwise...would have Taiyo-shin really killed them? He shuddered at the thought.

"You've been oddly quiet for a while, you okay?"

Senjuro jolted in surprise. He peered at the masked man who was looking at him before quickly glancing down nervously. "no hum... It's nothing important." he said, slowly redirecting his attention to the group of gloomy men following them. He gulped at the sight of the crude doodles on each of their forehead. "A-are...aren't you worried that they might attack us...?" they might be restrained but Senjuro couldn't help but worry.

"heh, they can try, I'll punch them in the liver again." To back his words, Taiyo-shin held his fist, an action that made the men flinch in terror.

"oh..."

There was a short silence only perturbed by the sounds of their footsteps as they advanced through the woods. Senjuro was fiddling nervously with his fingers, something Taiyo-shin eventually noticed. He tilted his head to the side as he tugged the rope bound to the prisoners, forcing them to advance. "You sure you're okay? You can tell me if there's anything bothering you." he said softly.

The boy bit his lip, a little frown adorning his face, though he remained quiet.

Taiyo-shin just watched him. "Is it because of what happened earlier?" Senjuro flinched. "Don't worry, I wasn't really serious about it." he chuckled, causing a bewildered look to flash across Senjuro's face.

"R-Really?"

"Yup just wanted to know what you'd answer, and I gotta say that you're truly a good kid!" He ruffled Senjuro's hair with a laugh.

The kid blushed at the praise. Besides his brother and Kanroji-nee, Senjuro never received compliments from others. Then again it wasn't as if he knew a lot of people, to begin with. Even Iguro-nii would show indifference towards him, not that it was bad, that was just how Iguro-nii was.

"Now that I think about it, earlier you were freaking out about something, what was it?"

Senjuro jumped then rubbed the back of his head with a sweatdrop. "Oh Hum, I had been sent to...buy sake but..." he trailed off, looking to the side.

Taiyo-shin nodded in understanding. "I assume these bozos stole it from you and downed it? Which explains why they reeked of alcohol when I arrived." Senjuro could hear the disgust in his voice.

"Yes," he said softly, shoulders sagging in dejection.

"Welp! We'll just buy some when we get there! Simple!"

Senjuro's head snapped to the man in surprise "eh..? But I no longer have the money to-"

"Don't fret, I'll handle it!" Taiyo-shin proceeded to give the kid a thumbs up, "And, isn't it convenient that these guys here got nice bounties on their head? Right guys?" the prisoners all flinched when Taiyo-shin suddenly glanced at them like an owl, sending shivers down their spine. There was even a whimper in the mix.

Senjuro quickly shook his head in horror. "I-it's not necessary, sir! I'll figure it out! Please keep the money!"

"Nonsense! Now come on, we're almost there!"

"w-wait!"

Taiyo-shin promptly ignored his pleas and cheerfully dragged the powerless bandits toward the town while laughing. It goes without saying that this was probably the weirdest thing Senjuro had ever experienced.

.
.
.

After bringing the bandits to the nearest police station and almost not getting the leader's bounty because the man was nearly unrecognizable, Taiyo-shin decided to escort Senjuro back to his house. Despite his weak protests, the masked man grabbed him and ran away from the townspeople after buying a giant sake gourd taller than Senjuro himself. The boy could only helplessly sigh as they exited the town and found themselves on their way to his house.

"You know sir, I don't think it was necessary to give me all this..." he sweat dropped as he eyed his bag now filled with money. What was he supposed to do with this...? Despite saying that it was unnecessary, his savior had none of it and instantly shoved the pouch to him the moment they stepped out of town.

"Nah, consider it pocket money. You can do whatever you want with it, I don't need it anyway." Taiyo-shin waved a hand dismissively and then brightened up. "Now that we're rid of these guys, what's your name?" the masked man glanced down at him as he easily held the giant gourd with one hand.

Senjuro paused, realizing that he had forgotten to introduce himself. He quickly stopped to bow in shame, "I-I apologize...! How impolite of me for not introducing myself! M-my name is Rengoku Senjuro, nice to meet you!"

"Mah don't sweat it. I figured you were related to that Hashira guy so it's okay." Taiyo-shin said casually while waving a hand and resumed his walk. The kid straightened up sharply.

"Huh? You k-know of my brother?" surprised, he asked as he fell into pace with the man.

Taiyo-shin chuckled, "Of course, I've seen him from afar, real nice guy by the way, although a bit loud. You look like a mini version of him. You planning on becoming a slayer too?"

That's right, his brother often spoke of Taiyo-shin and how he always couldn't seem to spot him whenever he arrived in a village where the masked man's presence was priorly reported. He didn't know the specifics as to why the corps was after him, something about a bet and a promise of a year of free sweet potatoes or something, he's not sure. Senjuro rubbed the back of his head, a sad glint in his eyes "Yeah..."

"You don't seem convinced." Taiyo-shin pointed out which made Senjuro glance down as a dejected laugh left his lips.

"I...I don't think I'll ever reach my brother's talent." he said softly.

"Why not? From what I gathered, wasn't your father like, a former Hashira or something? Isn't he training you?"

"How did you...?"

"That's not important." Taiyo-shin looked around in search of a place to sit down and found a conveniently placed tree trunk near the road. He proceeded to walk toward it to sit on after placing the box and the gourd on the ground. He patted next to him. "Come on now, tell me more about it."

The boy just stood there for a while then complied out of politeness and curiosity. It was the first time since someone other than family showed interest in him.

"Now, what is it about you never reaching your brother's talent?" the masked man inquired gently.

The boy looked down at his lap in sorrow, "it's just..." he hesitated, not wanting to bother his savior with his pitiful issues. He nearly jumped upon feeling a comforting hand on his scalp.

"It's okay, take your time."

Senjuro glanced at him for a moment, somehow glad that the man wasn't pressing him for answers, and instead showed patience towards his indecisiveness. It was...relieving.

After managing to still his resolve, the boy began his tale. He spoke of his shortcomings, his lack of talent with the sword, and his inability to change his nichirin's blade color, an indication of his inabilities despite his wish to help around. He felt hopeless. The fear of being unable to meet his family's expectations despite Kyojuro-nii-sama's support and the constant dismissal from his father only increased the feeling of despondency.

Taiyo-shin listened patiently, giving him the occasion to let his feelings out. He would even inquire once or twice, which would push the boy to speak more.

The more he spoke, the more Senjuro felt as though a weight was slowly being lifted from his young shoulders. Being able to share his worries with someone other than his brother felt quite great. Even though Senjuro knew nothing of the masked man, something told him that he could trust and open up to him.

"I did not want to waste your time but, thank you...for listening to me..." Senjuro finally said, feeling somewhat better after letting all these bottled-up thoughts that had been plaguing his mind for years out.

"Nah, don't mention it."

He shook his head, a small smile forming, "No, truly, this is more than enough. Thank you." he said, lifting his head to properly thank Taiyo-shin only to pause upon meeting a pair of gold eyes. "Eh...?"

"hm, hm I see. Well, no problem kiddo! Good to see that you managed to get it out of your system! Oh oh- I got an idea! Hm? What? Speechless? Wondering why I removed my mask? No particular reason honestly, plus you're such a nice kid, and it's best if I show you now than later. Oh, by the way, the name's Colith though you can call me Colith-nee if you want, but shhh, don't tell anyone!"

Senjuro just stared, mouth wide open in astonishment.

.
.
.

It was his first time seeing a black person in the flesh other than those vaguely mentioned in his books. And Senjuro was utterly speechless as he stared at what he had assumed to be a man for the past hours.

Needless to say, he wasn't expecting Taiyo-shin to be a tall dark-skinned woman.

He immediately flushed in mortification upon realizing that he had been referring to her as 'sir' from the beginning even though Colith-nee, yeah, the woman insisted-told him she didn't mind. At first, he was absolutely flabbergasted by her appearance, having never met a black person before, but Colith-nee didn't seem at all put off by his reaction. It was as though she had been expecting it and the woman was nice enough to tell him more about herself upon him inquiring though she made him promise to keep it to himself. At first, he wondered why she hid herself behind a mask, but after putting two and two together, he realized that many wouldn't be as open-minded and nice as he was and would probably treat her differently.

So with a determined nod, he promised. After all, she had saved him, healed and even bought his father sake, even though he was growing worried about his father's drinking spree. Upon arriving in front of the gates of his home, he gulped, feeling nervous at the thought of entering, given that he took longer than usual to run his father's errands until he felt a hand on his scalp. He peered up at a kitsune mask. Colith-nee had put it back shortly after they resumed the journey to the Fire estate. He could see why people mistook her as male now. With the mask and her deeper voice for a woman, it was difficult to guess her gender, given that she was the tallest woman he's ever met, added to that, mannerisms drastically different from those the women he's seen so far exhibited, he could understand the confusion.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Sen-chan! You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I'm sure you'll pull through, no matter the hardships! You aren't a Rengoku for naught. Regardless, leave this to me." Colith-nee said, jabbing a gloved thumb into her chest. The smile could be heard in her voice as she spoke.

Senjuro looked at her in awe and admiration while feeling a sense of relief washing all over him. He nodded.

With resolve, they entered the estate.

He hadn't thought that she'd wish to meet his father after he told her about him and was expecting her to just drop him off and go on her merry way. Still, her presence by his side brought him a sense of comfort and safety, as crazy as it may seem. They swiftly arrived in front of his father's quarters. Somehow, he could feel the man's grouchy mood, probably due to his delay from behind the door.

Feeling a bit nervous, he was about to tell Colith-nee to wait for him to announce their arrival when-

"GREETINGS FUCKFACE!" Colith-nee slid the door open with a resounding *SMACK*.

Senjuro felt his soul leave his body.

__________

It was in the middle of a meeting that a white owl intruded suddenly, causing Iguro to halt his report as all eyes followed the white feathered creature silently circling the courtyard with various reactions. Before anyone could mutter an inquiry, they tensed when it neared their master but quickly calmed down as it graciously landed on his outstretched arm. They watched with barely concealed wonder as their master's eyes lit up, lips further curling up in a bright smile as the bird held its talon where a white note was attached.

"My apologies, I seem to have received an important missive. I hope it does not bother you if I see what this is about, Iguro-kun."

"Of course not, Oyakata-sama," the snake pillar's answer was curt but polite.

Respectfully, the pillars all waited until Oyakata-sama was done. The man let out a soft chuckle as he read the letter. He sent the owl away after affectionately scratching its neck and promising to reward it next time. The meeting resumed shortly after the brief interruption, though most of the pillars couldn't help but wonder what that was all about.

"That owl...I think i've seen it before."

"Hm?" Kyojuro sharply whirled to Uzui with a quizzical look as they all exited the courtyard, "What do you mean?"

The sound pillar hummed thoughtfully, garnering his comrades' attention as well, even Giyuu who awkwardly stopped to listen. Gyomei had to stop Muichiro from wandering away since the poor boy wasn't paying attention.

"OH OH! It was so pretty! Oyakata-sama seemed so pleased when it appeared!" Mitsuri gushed with a blush. "I wonder what was on that letter to put such a beautiful smile on Oyakata-sama's face like that!"

"Umu! That owl was indeed beautiful! Like a snowflake falling from the sky !"

"Ah!" Uzui's fist landed in his palm, realization lacing his tone, "Taiyo-shin!"

Immediately, everyone was onto him for information. Even Muichiro.

"Tch What? What about him? Why is it always you who finds clues about the bastard anyway huh?"

"Oh shush, Shinazugawa-kun! No need to get your fundoshi in a twist because of the obvious! I'm just better at this than you all!" He boasted, striking a pose.

"Will you tell us what that owl has to do with Taiyo-shin, Uzui-san?" Shinobu chimes in with a sigh while Kyojuro held Sanemi back from lunging at the taller man, though he sneered, receiving a weary shake of the head from Gyomei.

"Hmpf! Since no one here's competent enough like yours truly, this magnificent being here will be generous and share this little finding out of pure competitive spirit! And because you suck."

"Uzui-san."

"Alright alright! I've seen it glide a couple of times whenever Taiyo-shin's around. At first, I didn't think much of it until today. I'm certain it's the same owl given its sound."

A gasp was heard, "Which means-"

"Oi Oi Oi, Mitsuri-chan don't steal my spotlight! To put it simply, it was his bird. Oyakata-sama just received a letter from Taiyo-shin."

Every pillar tensed at the revelation, realizing that what they were after was actually closer than they thought. However-

"And as we've agreed, Oyakata-sama's off limits so don't even think of fishing information from him since that'll be considered cheating and you'll be out of the competition!" he exclaimed dramatically, "Anyhow Kyojuro-kun, off we go!"

With that, he grabbed the flame pillar by the back of his haori's collar. Rengoku let out a startled 'Hm?!' from the manhandling as he was dragged to their joint mission, leaving confused comrades loitering behind.

"Hm! I didn't expect you to share this crucial clue with us, Tengen-san! Wouldn't it have been better for you to keep that advantage? Although I commend you for the aid! I was beginning to wonder if I'll ever cross paths with him!"

"Not at all! I have faith in my abilities, and I'm sure that even with this little boost, I'll be the one who finds him in the end! It'll make things far more interesting!" he exclaimed, causing peals of laughter to erupt from his companion.

"I see you're as confident as ever, Tengen-san! Do not fret for I'll gladly prove myself to be a great challenge in return!"

"See?! That's why you're my favorite! You've got the spirit!"

They exchanged a few more words as they strode while keeping an eye out on their surroundings. A peaceful silence took place as their discussion subsided.

"So, I've been meaning to ask, how's your father?" Tengen began, peering down at Kyojuro from the corner of his eye.

The subject was a delicate matter.

Whenever he asked, Kyojuro would plaster a big smile and enthusiastically inform him that his father was doing well and just needed more time to himself, that he'll eventually come around one of these days before moving on as though nothing was wrong. And that even though Tengen could distinctly perceive the distressed sound emitting from him whenever it was brought up. It pained him just thinking about it, such a fine swordsman lost to grief, then again he could understand. Just the thought of losing one of his wives was enough to make him distraught.

The sound pillar halted suddenly when instead of troubled vibrations, an echo of utter bewilderment and hope-that was new- found his ears, causing him to sharply glance at Kyojuro who was sporting an expression reflecting the sound he was emitting. Kyojuro quickly shook his head before replying as if he himself didn't believe what he was about to say.

"Father has... I'd say, been acting strange...?"

"Strange? How so?"

"Well...,"

.
.

He had just returned from a mission and was on his way to announcing his return when he crossed paths with his father. Kyojuro had halted and straightened up as his shoulders tensed. He had opened his mouth to greet his father, "Hello fa-"

"Kyojuro, every day from now on, you'll join me and your brother in the backyard for practice. We will resume your training." the man said curtly then walked past him, leaving a frozen Kyojuro in the middle of the corridor to process the situation.

"eh?"

.
.

"Senjuro won't tell me what has brought such a sudden change to him, and father doesn't seem to wish to talk about it either." he explained before a genuine smile bloomed on his lips, the fiery notes buzzing in delight, " I must admit that it is a welcomed change! He hasn't touched a single drop of sake in the last two months! I am proud hahaha!"

Tengen whistled, undoubtedly caught off guard.

'Looks like that bastard Shinjuro finally got his act together. I recall he had forsaken his sons' training before, causing them to train without guidance. Heh. Kyojuro will definitely become a monster, that's for sure!'

"THIS IS TRULY FLAMBOYANT!"

"Hm?!"

__________

It is in the middle of crafting something that a knock echoes through the silent house. Urokodaki paused his activity to look toward the door in wonder. It wasn't quite often that people visited him, not that most of his acquaintances were still alive to do so, and it couldn't be Tanjiro either since the young boy had merely left two hours ago to train.

After taking a short whiff, halting when he failed to identify the person behind the door for they lacked any scent, the elderly shook his head, having nevertheless guessed who it was despite the obvious lack of smell. With a huff, he resumed his task like nothing happened.

"Come in," he said gruffly.

The door slid open revealing a tall cloaked figure with a familiar kitsune mask. "Osu! Tengu gramps, how's it going?"

"Colith." he greeted without glancing at her. "I am doing well, thank you."

The woman hummed as she removed her hood, letting loose mid-length dark brown locs before lifting the mask which revealed a smiling face. She toes off her sandals then waltz into the washitsu as if owning the place while glancing around before pausing once she caught sight of what he was crafting.

Her eyes twinkled, "Oh, what's this?" she approached the old man to peek at his project.

"You seem to already know." was Urokodaki's curt reply.

Colith purses her lips in amusement as she sits on the floor before placing next to her a nearly identical box to the one the former Pillar was currently crafting.

"What brings you here? It isn't surely about Tanjiro since you didn't immediately rush to him like usual."

"Heh, do I need an excuse to visit my favorite grandpa?" Urokodaki lifted his head to level her with a blank stare. Colith snorted, "Alright alright," her gloved hand gently brushed against the dark wooden box. She smiled although it looked a bit strained. If the old man noticed, he didn't mention it. "I've been debating how to announce this to you guys for a while and finally found the courage to do so today which is why I'm here!"

"You've found yourself a demon, I take it." Urokodaki grunted causing her to twitch.

"Yeeeess, something like that. Man, you weren't supposed to guess so quickly tho." she mumbled. The elder simply gestured to both boxes, implying that he knew exactly what they were for since he was crafting one for the demon child in the hopes of her awakening one day. If...she wakes up that is. Her sudden slumber worried the old man despite having barely interacted with her aside from making sure that everything was alright. Colith rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

He shook his head, "What I wish to know however is why? I do not recall you having any family member who has undergone the transformation considering that you aren't from here. In addition, I am unable to distinguish any demonic presence coming from the box which leaves me wondering how such a thing is possible." Urokodaki's mask turned to her in question. "Do you really have a demon in there?"

Colith perked up, "actually yes!" she nodded, "I did something so you guys can't guess what's inside! Makes traveling and interacting with slayers far more easier. Plus I wouldn't imagine what would happen if someone with good senses figured that I've been transporting a demon all this time." she groaned, "Yeah no, I'll go without that. "

He nodded, "Why choose to tell me now then?"

"Well firstly because you're already familiar with the same situation, Tanjiro, Nezuko all the jazz, and secondly because I wish for you to be the first to know." she smiled, "I have yet to inform Kagaya about it even though I'm sure he wouldn't see any objection toward it. It's just that...I felt like you should be the first to know,"

Despite the mask hiding his expressions, Urokodaki felt a warm feeling of fondness swell at those words.

"And also because I sorta made this one switch sides but I'll explain later," she chuckled while waving a hand, "do you mind?"

The elderly sighed and then placed his tools next to him. He nodded. "By all means, go ahead."

"Alright! By the way, don't be fooled by his appearance! He's a real softie! Well, with me at least but don't worry, he no longer eats humans so he's harmless unless attacked." she explained lightly, executing a strange knocking pattern on the box which made the elder wonder what she was doing.

As soon as its door showed signs of opening, Urokodaki found himself at the other side of the room with a katana in hand, ready for battle. The sudden powerful presence was unlike anything he's ever felt before. And the smell...this was no ordinary demon!

There was a beat of silence before Colith let out a baffled whistle, "Damn grandpa, I know you're retired and stuff but damn!" she blinked. She hadn't even seen him move! Let alone saw him grab a katana! Then again, former Pillar, plus she wasn't focused. Colith glanced at the silent demon beside her. "come on koku, shrink before the old man has a heart attack. And stop glaring at him!" she admonished.

The demon huffed then did as he was told while staring at the former hashira with no emotion whatsoever. Fortunately, the windows were closed, preventing the light from entering. Colith barely refrained from squealing before snatching the tiny creature in her arms, much to his dismay. She then placed him on her lap before leveling the old man with an awkward stare. She cleared her throat, making the old man's mask slightly move toward her.

"So...this is Kokushibo, formerly known as Tsugikuni Michikatsu. And, Koku-kun, this is Sakonji Urokodaki, former water Hashira, and my beloved grandpa. " she introduced after a long awkward silence.

"He is an Upper-moon." the old man stated the obvious, still far from relaxed. Having a demon child in his house is one thing, but an upper moon? Preposterous! He never imagined his first encounter with an upper moon, one no less, would be like this. It was so...unexpected and outright ridiculous. None of the Lower moons he faced couldn't come close to the sheer power exuding from this one.

"Yes...which is why I wanted to inform you first and see your...reaction." he could hear the hesitation in her tone as she scratched her cheek sheepishly.

Urokodaki sighed.

He eyed the demon warily, noting how the heavy pressure he felt earlier seemed to have receded to one of a mere demon. Urokodaki was no fool. Where the young kamado's scent was pure and untainted by the fact that she had yet to attack humans, this one's held centuries of bloodshed. The elderly wondered how on earth she managed to tame such a monster before remembering something.

With her bubbly nature and boundless energy, he often had trouble recalling her true nature.

A Goddess.

He still couldn't fathom such possibilities, although now he truly understood. No human could ever think of achieving such feats.

Only instincts honed by decades of experience caused him to react this way. His first reaction was to cut him down, yet given the number in this Kokushibo's eyes, upper moon one, Urokodaki, despite years of being a Hashira knew he had no chance against him.

The woman beckoned him to sit so she could begin her tale, and he did, albeit grudgingly. Kami knows no one in their right mind would even dare to linger even a second in the presence of such a monster.

She explained her wanderings, experiences, how she met the demon, and more importantly, how she discovered her ability to...tame them in some way. Urokodaki's not sure how high his eyebrows went up as she spoke, though she warned that Kokushibo was the only success so far, given that she did not want an army of demons trailing her.

Before long, she was done and waited for him to speak.

"If I understand correctly, you hope to achieve the same result with young Nezuko, is that right?"

"Only if Tanjiro's okay with it though," she hummed, happily tousling the demon's hair who had yet to make a comment. Although that seemed very unlikely seeing as all his eyes were closed in bliss and was therefore not interested in the conversation.

Urokodaki found the sight both fascinating and disturbing.

"Plus it'll help with the spell and prevent her from ever losing control in the future, so yeah! If It works with Koku-kun who's an Upper moon, I'm sure Nezuko'll be fine! Mah, don't look at me like that gramps! I'm not human so it won't actually destroy Tanjiro's oath!" she winked cheekily." The final selection is in 2 months if I'm not mistaken, so we'll just have to wait until then and hopefully, Tanjiro will agree."

"She has been asleep for almost two years now, how are you so sure that she will awaken in time?" he asked, "And final selection? Tanjiro has yet to overcome the test. I am not sending him this time either. He isn't ready."

A smirk appeared on her face, "oh she will, trust me on that, Nezuko will definitely wake up on time!" she nodded, confidence lacing her tone, "As for Tanjiro, let's just say that you will be up for a surprise, gramps!" she snickered.

Urokodaki gave her a dubious grunt while shaking his head at her antics. He folded his arms before sparing Kokushibo a glance, noticing the lack of animosity other demons usually exuded beside Nezuko. Though the young Kamado was an exception.

And Tsugikuni? That name was famili-

The front door abruptly slid open, revealing a disheveled Tanjiro whose eyes were blown wide in panic. He was panting, seemingly breathless from rushing from the training ground.

"D-d-demon...! I..smelled...one! I-" He managed to voice as his hands tightened around his worn-down katana.

__________

He was Sparing with Sabito when his nose took in a foreign smell before suddenly freezing in shock upon recognizing what it was. The demonic scent was...monstrous and he couldn't help but tremble in dread. A demon had appeared. A powerful one at that! Although he had only faced one demon, the difference in power was appalling. Whatever that thing was, Tanjiro should keep his distance from it, no, he should run the hell away from it!

But then his breath caught in his throat. Because that thing was in Urokodaki's house. With a defenseless Nezuko there. Nezuko! His stomach sank and lurched with terror and a distressed scream threatened to slip past his lips.

Tanjiro threw caution to the wind as he immediately dashed to the house, too troubled to hear Sabito and Makomo's concerned cries to 'wait' as he disappeared from the clearing. And even when the presence subdued itself, Tanjiro still sped up because his baby sister and sensei were in danger and he wouldn't forgive himself if he let it happen again.

Not this time! He wouldn't be late this time...!

__________

"h-huh..? W-what..?" the boy eloquently croaked.

"Aye, Tanji-kun !" He startled when his frantic gaze found the woman, entirely missing the demon on her lap. Cheerfully, Colith waved a hand. "we were just talking about you! Come sit, come sit! There's someone I want to introduce you to-"

"These earrings..."

They all jumped at Kokushibo's voice and promptly snapped their attention to him as he grew in size, towering over all of them. Tanjiro jolted in shock and stumbled a little upon finally seeing the demon and faltered. Breath catching in his lungs. He fell on his butt, his katana clattering on the floor as primal fear took hold of him entirely at the fearsome sight before him.

The demon's gazes never left the earrings as he approached the boy, yellow eyes narrowing on them in an attempt to recall where he had seen them perhaps.

"You-"

"Koku-kun," The demon stilled, slowly looking down. Colith was in front of him, separating him from the boy, a hand pressing his chest to stop his advance. "You're gonna burn yourself. Step back." a frown was visible on her face as she pushed him back from the sunlight.

Urokodaki hadn't even seen her move.

They held gazes for a while until the demon relented after whatever exchange they had came to a close. A slight look of displeasure flashed through his eyes before a veil of neutrality covered them once more. The demon returned to his spot next to the box, sitting in a perfect seiza with blank eyes, though he retained his height.

The woman's lips pursed in a pout before she shook her head and redirected her attention to the boy. Poor Tanjiro was on the ground, trembling like a leaf which prompted her to give him a reassuring smile, offering him a helping hand.

"Don't worry, Tanji, he's with me, he won't hurt a fly unless I say so. Come on, up up." she urged gently, grabbing his arm and easily hoisting him up.

Tanjiro staggered a bit as she led him back inside though he kept stealing wary glances at the demon who remained silent but watchful. He shuddered when six yellow orbs fell onto him, more importantly, his earrings. He hesitantly took place next to Urokodaki then carefully greeted Kokushibo with a meek tone the demon returned with a silent nod when Colith elbowed him to 'be nice.'

Tanjiro was utterly befuddled at the sight and Urokodaki couldn't fault the boy for he felt the same way.

With that, Colith casually explained the situation. Successfully placating Tanjiro who appeared more understanding as she spoke and less apprehensive toward the demon seeing as Kokushibo was mostly passive. Though he was utterly baffled by the situation in itself! She can tame demons?! Kami!

"...and you think it'll work on Nezuko?"

"Yeah, but don't worry it won't break your promise since I'm not human. Plus it's just drinking blood from time to time, so that won't count as her eating humans. And who knows, she'll get strong enough to defend herself against enemies."

"I don't know..."

"Look at Koku-kun, sure he's been going out there killing and devouring people for centuries, though that's mostly 'cause of that big bad jackass but a drop of my blood was enough to put a stop to that! Now he's more like a cranky grandpa-ow ow ow ow! Stap! I get it, I get it! You're the strongest and the most handsome demon in the whole universe! Now stop pinching me!" she rubbed her cheek, squinting menacingly at the demon when he retracted his hand and sat silently with a face devoid of emotion. Although a faint smell of pride and satisfaction seeped out of him.

Urokodaki observed the scene with barely hidden disbelief while Tanjiro was outright gawking with wide bewildered eyes.

Kami, he was too old for this.

"Point is," Colith carried on, "think of it as a precaution in case things go wrong." her gaze softened as she folded her arms. "But you don't have to accept if that bothers you! Just tell me if you change your mind! Just wanna help."

Huffing, Urokodaki got up to put his things away. It was almost done anyway. Fortunately, Tanjiro was too preoccupied with his thoughts to notice the half-finished box. As he returned from his room, still alert as ever at Kokushibo's-unbelievable how he hadn't noticed such a presence all these times. Then again. Colith-sight, he heard a hum from Tanjiro as the boy locked gaze with the woman. Long burgundy strands fell off his shoulders as he nodded.

"I... I'll think about it, Colith-san. I am grateful for your consideration." he bowed deeply.

"Maa, no need for that kiddo, just let me know when you're okay with it." she grinned lazily, casually leaning on the demon's shoulder to the two males' astonishment.

With that they changed the subject, Colith asking about Tanjiro's training, prompting the boy to talk about it. Surprisingly, Kokushibo shared a few of his inputs, as scarce as they were, which in turn picked Urokodaki's curiosity seeing as the demon had remained fairly silent unless when the woman turned to him for help regarding the boy's routine.

This day couldn't be quainter, the elderly thought.

The following month, Tanjiro sliced the boulder.

__________

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

YAAAAY❤️