This fanart was submitted by CrystalPanda on Quotev. I love the anime-style art and the choice of scene to adapt ((Y/N) vs chopsticks is just too funny to me).

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The year after (Y/N) left the mountain, Tanjiro's hair had grown out just past his shoulders and it was unruly, nothing like Nezuko's (even if he hadn't been combing and tying it like (Y/N) told him to, he doubted it would have ended up as tangled as his got). It got so bad that it kept getting in his face during training and he couldn't see through it. Urokodaki suggested tying it back so he tried it one night in front of the mirror, but when he looked at himself, he decided that he looked too much like his father and got rid of the hair tie.

Tanjiro climbed up the mountain again, his sword in his hands as small breaths left him. He'd been climbing this mountain for so long, it barely felt like it took any effort at all anymore. Even though the boulder was at higher point, his six months of training with Sabito and Makomo was paying off without him even realizing it.

As he entered the clearing, Sabito was already waiting for him, like every other day. At his waist was a real sword, sheathed but after all this time training with the wooden sword, he could tell that it was different.

"After half a year . . . " Sabito started, pulling out his sword, "You've finally got the look of a man."

Tanjiro pointed the tip of his katana at Sabito. "Today, I will win."

He already knew the rules of their spar. It would only take an instant to figure out if Tanjiro had grown over these six months. It was only the shortest moment that would determine whether he would be able to continue his journey as a demon slayer. He only had this chance to finally be able to find a way to turn his sister back into a human.

I only have this one chance to be able to catch up to (Y/N).

And the next second, they already knew the winner. For the first time ever, Tanjiro's blade reached first. Cracks formed in Sabito's mask, a straight line down the middle of the mask. It broke with a clatter, the pieces falling to the ground.

It was the first time Tanjiro saw Sabito's face and he was a lot younger than Tanjiro initially thought, looking to be around Nezuko's age. It was softer than he'd thought too, but with a large scar on his cheek, it might've been the smile that gently creased his face, and the way his eyes gazed at Tanjiro wit a mixture of pride and sadness.

Sabito disappeared the next second, Tanjiro only hearing Makomo quietly murmuring, "Win, Tanjiro, against them too."

Mist swirled around him and when it cleared, the boulder stood in front of him, split cleanly into two.

"I did it," He whispered, staring at the boulder. A part of him was still in shock, still hadn't completely computed his achievements.

Tanjiro smelled Urokodaki's approach before he heard him, leaves rustling behind him as the old man walked up beside him. Urokodaki stood in front of him, his mask the same angry goblin, but Tanjiro felt a sadness from it.

"I initially had no intention of sending you to the Final Selection. I didn't want to see another child die. But when (Y/N) cut her boulder and left, I knew that you would do the same, and that you would be the last children I teach." Urokodaki gently placed a hand on Tanjiro's unruly hair and when the wind blew against his face, he could feel the cool tear tracks on his face.

"You did well, Tanjiro."

Urokodaki put his arms around him and Tanjiro held onto his kimono tightly as his tears fell.

"Go to the Final Selection, but come back alive. Your sister and I will be waiting."

He nodded, trying to allow himself this bit of reassurance.

Finally. After so long, I'm finally getting to where I want to be. Nezuko, Urokodaki-sensei, (Y/N), just wait for me. I'll make you all proud.

~~~

Having a full-time job killing things wasn't a job you thought you'd have at the youthful age of 15-but-almost-16, and especially not one you'd hold for over a year. Throughout your time training and going on missions, there had always been the lingering matter of if you ever died too early, that everything would go the same route. Assuming your existence hadn't caused a butterfly effect and made everything worse somehow (which you could not tell so early into the story), if you died within your first year of being a slayer, everything would have probably gone the same with the exception of your Final Selection friends.

By itself, you would have called it a miracle that you managed to survive so long if the mini Tanjiro in your head would allow you. When you felt particularly annoyed with your slow progress, your MiniTanjiro would start stomping around your head and say things like 'You've worked too hard for this! You've trained for no insignificant amount of time! You promised me that you'd be safe!'. MiniTanjiro was slightly more annoying than you remember the actual Tanjiro being, but maybe that was just because of you.

"How far are we, Sora?"

The crow flying above you squawked. "CAW! About half a day."

After sitting down by the road for a little break, you pulled out your trusty, dusty, definitely-in-need-of-an-update-usty pile of paper that dictated the future of this world. It was barely being held together by this random thread you found and a hole you stabbed through with your finger. Even as you pulled it out, the page on top was dangerously threatening to fly away in the slightest breeze.

Maybe I should be a bit more careful with this.

You quickly leafed through the pages, trying to find out when Tanjiro goes to the Final Selection. A couple of weeks ago, you did send a letter to Urokodaki asking about when Tanjiro would leave. The old man said something about the third week of the month of rains, whatever the fuck that meant. Sora said that meant June, and when you tried asking her about how she knew, she just said that she was smarter than a hoe like you. You called her a bitch (very softly, almost whispering) so it was even. You had a theory that she still heard you because why else would she make you walk through three different swamps and not tell you about a group of wasps up ahead if not out of spite?

It was now nearing the end of the second week of June, so you wouldn't have to hang around some sketchy part of the mountain while you wait for Tanjiro to leave.

Nearing sundown, you could see the mountain up ahead, relief and excitement filling your bones. Even though you weren't sure if you'd be able to see Tanjiro, you got to spend time with Urokodaki and Nezuko. Maybe if you were lucky, Nezuko would wake up while you were there. Getting in extra some extra Nezuko Time to make up for your absence the entire year was always the right choice.

You noticed that with every step closer, Bearnice would turn her head and sniff, ears standing up. Usually, this meant that there was something you should be careful of up ahead. However, as you reached the foot of the mountain and was about to start climbing up, Bearnice pushed her head into your waist, changing your direction.

"Whatcha doing, Neecey?" The bear walked past you for a few paces before looking back and snorting. "Do you want me to follow you?" She snorted again before taking off.

"AROO!"

"Miss girl-" You shut your mouth and started sprinting after her because if you waited a few more seconds, you'd completely lose her.

The bear ran through trees, leaves, streams, over a boulder, jumped across a ditch, and was very clearly training for her Olympic medal. Despite her speed of at least 1 horsepower (or whatever the fuck that's supposed to be), you were calmly keeping up, never losing sight of her.

You didn't recognize this part of the mountain, having mostly stayed on the half Urokodaki's house was. A small part of you had a feeling that this was near the place you first found the injured Bearnice but you had no way to prove it.

Bearnice led you to a waterfall. Not the same one that you trained in, but a smaller, calmer, and more serene one. There were small plants right beyond the shoreline, shimmering water flowing almost leisurely, and a light bubbling sound from where the water fell. You felt so at ease here, something inside you wanting to unwind and sink your feet into the cool water.

Before you could make true on your wish, Bearnice grunted, tilting her head in the direction of the waterfall. Following her footsteps, you peered behind the sheet of water and saw a small, dark cave. It was just tall enough for you to walk in without ducking too much, and once you stepped inside, you realized that it wasn't that deep either. With Bearnice also in the cave, there was barely enough space for the two of you to sit down.

At the sound of Sora's wings fluttering lightly as she perched on your shoulder, Bearnice let out another soft grunt and laid her head on her hands, her eyes closing and soft snores filled the cave immediately.

"She said that we can stay here while we wait for the boy to leave," Sora said, hopping to the ground and scratching the rock with her claws before settling down in that spot. "Might as well rest for a bit."

You hummed, craning your neck to see the back of the cave over Bearnice's body. Under your bear was a large pile of leaves that you figured acted like a bed or something that softened the ground. Behind her, you also noticed a smaller pile of leaves, as well as some big twigs. They were a bit crushed on the ends, like they were chewed on. It couldn't have been Bearnice because those teeth marks were much too small and it had been a while since she was a cub.

There was a reason she knew where this cave was, you realized. There was a reason why she seemed comfortable here. And there was a reason why there were two beds, yet you found her alone.

Oh, my poor Bearnice.

You moved closer to her, leaning your body on her and curling up your legs. Bearnice let out a puff of air and snuggled closer to you. As your body realized against hers, you found yourself dozing off, the exhaustion from your travels finally catching up to you.

Sora's scratching and pattering of feet woke you up.

"Tanjiro has left for the Final Selection."

You nodded, looking at the floor.

"O-" Your voice caught in your throat and you quickly cleared it. "Okay."

He can make it back. He'll make it back. I know he will. It's Tanjiro. Tanjiro can do anything.

Bearnice woke up soon after you, so you gathered your things and left the cave. Outside, the sun had already set. It wasn't pitch black yet, at most an hour after sunset. If Urokodaki kept by the same schedule, he should be preparing food for dinner. If you hurry, you could surprise him and not miss out his yummy food.

"Alright girlies, let's roll."

Perhaps it was because it had been a while since you'd been on the mountain, but it felt like the mountain was punishing you for being away for so long. Despite Bearnice and Sora leading the way in front of you, there were tree roots tripping you up, spiderwebs all over the place, critters that ran up to you and tried to snatch your mask from Urokodaki that you'd been preciously taking care of the entire year. Every time that happened, you resisted the urge to grab your swords and go Beyblade™. What was holding you back was Bearnice's glances she made behind you and, of course, your kindhearted nature that would obviously be devastated if you went around killing innocent little creatures (of course).

But after only fifteen minutes of walking, you noticed more and more familiar features. The trees had nicks of knives at particular angles, like they flew into them. There were pitfalls and spiky traps and bamboo tied with ropes and all the icky, gooey, love that Urokodaki had for you and Tanjiro. Nice.

"Urokodaki's house is up ahead, CAW!" Sora flew back and landed on your head. "I must report to the Master, so I will be gone until morning."

You nodded. "Alright. Don't fly into a plane turbine or anything."

" . . . What is that?"

"It's a really big - "

"Actually, I don't want to know."

Sora flew away promptly, leaving you to navigate back to the house (Bearnice was navigating but still). A few more minutes of walking led you to a familiar clearing, with a familiar house by the trees. The flickering lights were still on inside which meant that Urokodaki was preparing dinner. You bite back a smile and sprinted to the door.

Before you got the chance to knock, the door had already flung open revealing Urokodaki standing in front of you. Shadows danced across his mask and his shoulders relaxed.

Clearing your throat, you smiled brightly and exclaimed, "Surprise! I'm back!"

Your teacher was silent for a moment, his hands leaving the doorframe and hanging limply by his side.

Is he okay? He doesn't seem as excited as I thought he'd be. Not that I thought he'd be jumping out of joy or anything . . .

At long last, he raised a hand and placed it gently on your head. That familiar, warm, comforting feeling filled your chest, a feeling that you'd missed since you were gone. Urokodaki's warmth, the heat from the fire, and the warm summer night made every part of your body feel relaxed and calm. Protected and cared for.

"Welcome home, (Y/N)."

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Bonus Scene:

Inside Nezuko's mind — Nezuko had been in this vast plain of darkness for a while. She wasn't very aware of what was happening either. The first time she realized she was in this place, she got scared. Her brother wasn't here with her and she didn't know what was going on. Then she heard a voice, although she didn't know how long it had been. It had the same, familiar softness and care that she'd known her entire life.

Nii-san!

Her body did not move, however, she could still hear her brother's voice. That was when she realized she was sleeping. She did remember drifting off while Tanjiro was following that masked man, but nothing after that. She probably hasn't woken up since then.

Nezuko could tell who was speaking to her. Tanjiro was Tanjiro, and she'd also recognized the masked man as Urokodaki, Tanjiro's teacher. Along the way, a new person also started talking to her. She was kind and soft, just like her brother. Of course, those were the feelings Nezuko got. Oftentimes, the girl would speak in a language Nezuko didn't understand, but she still felt the soft warmth of her touch that was reminiscent of her mother, and that was more important than anything else.

For that period of time, Nezuko grew accustomed to the three different people. Tanjiro and the girl, (Y/N), would talk to her in the mornings and evenings. While they were away, Urokodaki would come into her room, arrange her blankets and changer her futon if needed. He never spoke to her the way the other two do, but he was caring in his own way.

And then it was only Urokodaki and Tanjiro. Nezuko wondered where (Y/N) had gone, but all Tanjiro told her that she would come back safe. She trusted him, and trusted the girl. Nezuko knew she'd come back, and perhaps during that time she'd finally wake up. Her senses were getting better and she was able to hear their voices more clearly, so maybe this was a sign that moment was fast approaching.

I can't wait to see you, Tanjiro-nii and (Y/N)-nee.

Additional Bonus Scene:

Tanjiro as he left for the Final Selection — Three steps away from Urokodaki's house and he was already feeling the jitters. He wasn't nervous about the demons, but he was worried about what would happen to Nezuko if he never came back.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he smacked his face between his hands.

"Don't think like that, Tanjiro. You've trained for this."

At that moment, something in him made him turn around. He wasn't sure what that feeling was, why he needed to look back at the mountain in that instance. It was just a flickering feeling, but for some reason, it reminded him of (Y/N).

"Do you trust me?"

Their conversation from when (Y/N) was leaving for the Final Selection came to mind. He was so worried for her, so scared that something would happen to her while he wasn't beside her. But now, over a year since that moment, and his trust and faith in her hasn't wavered. Her letters, the memories that he had, and everything she'd helped him with (whether she knew it or not) reinforced his determination.

Tanjiro was going to find a cure for Nezuko. He was going to protect the ones he loved.

Taisho Secrets:

— Bearnice's cub had a hard time sleeping on the cave floor so she used leaves to help him sleep. When the cub saw this, he copied his mother's actions and started collecting leaves to build a bed for her as well

— (Y/N) was transported to the Demon Slayer world before season 2 came out, so she doesn't know all the fun, extra stuff that came out with the newest seasons. It's a shame because she would have imploded from the joy of having extra content

— While (Y/N) was gone and Tanjiro was up late at night training alone, Sabito and Makomo would sit by Urokodaki while he eats. The author has a headcanon that before Tanjiro arrived, the ghosts of his students would gather around the house during mealtimes so Urokodaki isn't alone when he's eating

— The author is super excited that (Y/N) is finally going to be following the main story and is looking forward to the future chapters

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I started this chapter then took a 2 month long break from it because I was moving out and went on a family vacation, then I forgot what I was writing so the chapter ended up being short 🤡.

Question of the day: I've been thinking about it for a while but couldn't come to my own conclusion, so I'm posing this to you readers. I don't think I have the skill or experience in writing a reverse-harem ending for (Y/N) for all the love interests, so I was thinking about having separate endings for everyone. However, I'm not sure how I would write endings other than Tanjiro's (since he and (Y/N) are like together-together), which was why this was bothering me and I was hesitant on bringing it up. What do you guys think?