Chapter Eight:
Encounters and feuds

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

About an hour later, they arrived at their destination. Tanjiro breathed heavily, his eyes widened. Y/n giggled at Tanjiro's expression. Tanjiro was holding Nezuko's hand, while Y/n held Nezuko's other hand. They walked around, stopping near the railroad tracks as a train passed by. Tanjiro pulled his hood on, leading Nezuko and Y/n somewhere. They continued to walk around, Tanjiro still leading them. "Oh! Let's go here!" Tanjiro exclaimed, leading them into an alleyway. Y/n's face scrunched up. They encountered a couple making out in the said alleyway. Her free hand shot up to Nezuko's eyes, covering them despite being closed already. "Sorry for bothering you!" Tanjiro exclaimed, running out with Y/n and Nezuko. "Come on, Tanjiro. Nezuko's literally walking while sleeping, " Y/n said. Tanjiro pulled the two girls along, eventually arriving at an udon stand. "Excuse me, sir... Could we have two bowls of udon with grated yam..?" Tanjiro asked, making the owner sweatdrop. The owner nodded, then began to cook. The three of them sat down on a bench. Y/n's eyes were already glued to her book, while Nezuko's head fell on Tanjiro's shoulder, making him smile. "Here's your bowls of udon, " The owner said, handing Tanjiro the bowls. "Thank you, kind sir, " Tanjiro said. He handed Y/n a bowl, then began eating his. Before Y/n could even begin eating, her eye twitched. She stood up, dropping her bowl. 'Demon... It's scent... The heartbeat... This isn't any ordinary demon...' Y/n noted. "Y/n? Is there something wrong?" Tanjiro asked. Tanjiro flinched, inhaling the same scent he found back at his house. He stood up, dropping his bowl too. Y/n glanced at Tanjiro, who nodded at her. He grabbed her hand then began running. Y/n, who could barely focus, couldn't run using her usual speed. Her legs were trembling, so she had to adjust her speed, or else she'd collapse. She let Tanjiro lead her through the crowd of people, stopping when they reached a certain man. Tanjiro's hand landed on his shoulder, making him turn his head towards the two. Y/n's eyes widened. Her heart began to beat fast, her legs began to tremble, her breathing became uneven. She gripped onto Tanjiro's haori, squeezing herself closer towards him. She squeezed her eyes shut, clutching onto Tanjiro's haori even harder. For the first time in many years, she was afraid. She was genuinely frightened of this demon's mere presence. 'Kibutsuji Muzan..!' Y/n noted. Tanjiro let go of Y/n's hand, reaching for his sword. Y/n's eyes snapped open at the sound of Tanjiro unsheathing his sword. "Tan–" "Oto-san?" A high pitched voice called. The man turned his head around, then turned his full body towards the two, revealing a little girl. Tanjiro and Y/n's eyes widened. "Who are you?" The little girl asked the two. "How could I help you two? Both of you seemed to be quite flustered, " Kibustuji said. Y/n clutched onto Tanjiro's haori even more, making Tanjiro's eyes shift towards her. He pulled Y/n behind him, extending his arm in a protective manner. "What's the matter?" A woman asked, approaching them. "Okaa-san!" The little girl exclaimed. The woman gave a close eyed smile, slightly tilting her head. Tanjiro's hand shakily went up to his mouth, covering it. His other hand went to go grab Y/n's hand. "Do you know them?" The woman asked. "No. It's really puzzling me. I've never seen this young couple before, " Kibutsuji said. Y/n's eyes darted to his hand, seeing his long, demon nails. "Maybe they mistook me for someone else, " Kibutsuji said. He brought his hand up, slashing at the neck of a passerby. Y/n's eyes widened, so did Tanjiro's.

They watched as the man Kibutsuji slashed at began groaning and growling. "Honey? Are you okay?" The woman beside him asked. The man clutched the wound, beginning to turn into a demon. The demon growled, then charged at the woman. "No! Stop!" Tanjiro exclaimed. He let go of Y/n's hand, pushing through Kibutsuji and his 'wife' to get there. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as the demon bit into the woman's shoulder. Y/n's breathing hitched as she heard the sound of teeth piercing through flesh. 'Move... Move..! Pull yourself together! You promised to save everyone within your reach! Come on! They're right in front of you!' Y/n urged. Her legs stopped trembling and her breathing returned to normal. She pushed through Kibutsuji, his wife, and Tanjiro, tackling the man away from the woman. She pinned him down, making sure that he wouldn't be able to harm anyone. The demon struggled under her grasp. Tanjiro ran towards them, using his scarf as a restraint. "Ma'am! You're in great danger! Wrap your wound with cloth and apply as much pressure as possible!" Y/n exclaimed. Y/n continued to hold down the demon, while Tanjiro made sure it couldn't bite anyone. Tanjiro's eyes darted behind them, seeing Kibutsuji walking away. 'Damn it... Damn it..! I can't leave Y/n here... If this man manages to bite her, he'd be able to ingest some of her blood! He'd become stronger if so, and Y/n might not be able to pin him down any longer..!' Tanjiro noted, remembering Y/n's words. "My blood is special. It contains many more nutrients than that of a normal person. That is why I must always avoid letting a demon ingest my blood. If they do, they'll get ten times stronger than they already are, " she said. "Kibutsuji Muzan! No matter where you run, I promise you won't escape me! You can run as far as you want! I'll follow you till the ends of hell! And my blade will be the last thing you see! I'll never forgive you for what you've done!" Tanjiro exclaimed. "Oi! What are you two doing! Get off that man!" A police officer exclaimed. "I'm sorry! We can't! If we let go, this man might attack someone! We can't let that happen! Please get us some restraints!" Tanjiro exclaimed. "Get off!" The police officer exclaimed. One of them began pulling Y/n off, while the other pulled Tanjiro. "No! Please stop!" Y/n exclaimed, putting more force on the man so she can remain on the ground. "Geez..! This girl is unbelievably strong!" The officer exclaimed. "Please! Let us go! Only we can restrain this man!" Tanjiro exclaimed. "Move aside!" The officer exclaimed again. "No! Please! We don't want him to kill anyone! Please let us do our work!" Y/n exclaimed. "Move it!" The police officer exclaimed, raising his baton.

As the officer swung his baton downward, attempting to hit Y/n, Tanjiro threw himself over Y/n, expecting to get hit. But that hit never came. Flowers surrounded the two demon slayers, saving them the trouble of having to deal with police officers. "What is this...? Is this an attack..? If it is, it's not good..." Tanjiro questioned. "The scent's getting stronger..!" Y/n warned. They turned to the source, seeing a beautiful woman with a pale complexion followed by a boy with the same pale complexion. "You still call someone human, even though he was already turned into a demon. And you will do your best to save him. So let me give you a helping hand, " the lady said. "Why are you doing this? Who are you?" Tanjiro asked. "Your scent... It's..." Y/n trailed. "That's right... I am... A demon... But I'm also a doctor. I too, wish to kill Kibutsuji..." The lady said.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Listen, it's not that you didn't pay me! But you wasted my udon!" The man exclaimed, yelling at mainly Tanjiro. "Our sincerest apologies, sir. We did not mean to put your delicious udon to waste. Unfortunately, we had received a shock, causing us to drop it. If you could please give us a second chance and make us a second serving, that would be delightful. We promise to eat it. I'll pay for the second serving and the ones we dropped earlier, " Y/n said, making Tanjiro's eyes dart towards her. 'She sounds so professional..!' Tanjiro noted. "You promise?!" The owner asked. "We promise!" Tanjiro exclaimed. "Good! And you will too!" The owner exclaimed, pointing at Nezuko. "Take that bamboo thing off! What even is that?! Here! Take this! Chopsticks!" He exclaimed, flailing chopsticks in front of Nezuko. Tanjiro ran over, grabbing the man's wrist. "Make that two bowls of udon for me!" Tanjiro exclaimed, making the man back down in shock. "S-sure!" The man exclaimed. He began making the udon, then giving them three bowls. Y/n took one, while Tanjiro took the other two. "Ittadakimasu, " Y/n muttered. She began eating slowly. Her eyes widened when she saw how fast Tanjiro was eating. He had already finished a bowl, while she wasn't even halfway. She slightly sped up, knowing that she'd get left behind if she doesn't. Just as Tanjiro finished his second bowl, Y/n finished hers. "Thank you for the meal! That was delicious!" Tanjiro exclaimed, waving at the man as he walked towards Nezuko. "Geez... I've known him since we were five, and yet I've never seen him eat that fast..." Y/n trailed. She turned to the man. "Anyway, we owe you our utmost gratitude for your consideration. How much would those five bowls cost?" Y/n asked. "That would be five thousand yen!" The man exclaimed, making Tanjiro flinch. Just as Y/n was about to reach into her bag, Tanjiro stopped her. "Ah, let me pay for that, " Tanjiro said. "I already said I would pay, " Y/n retorted, pulling her hand away from Tanjiro. She reached into her bag again, only for Tanjiro to stop her. They ended up having a small fight between who could get their money first, making the owner of the store sweatdrop. 'What's with these two?!' The owner questioned silently. In the end, Y/n won their little argument. "Relax, Tanjiro. Five thousand isn't even much compared to how much I have, " Y/n said, shocking both Tanjiro and the owner of the cart. They bid farewell to the man, then began walking off. "Sorry for leaving you there, Nezuko, " Tanjiro said. Nezuko stopped in her tracks, pulling back both Y/n and Tanjiro. "Is there something wrong, Nezuko?" Y/n asked. Y/n turned her head to the direction Nezuko was glaring at, spotting a familiar demon. She tugged onto Tanjiro's haori, pointing at the demon boy. Tanjiro nodded, then walked over to him. "Were you waiting for us?" Tanjiro asked. "I was instructed to take you there, " Yushiro said. "I can smell our way there, " Tanjiro said.

"The place is under a cloaking spell. There's no way you can find it on your own, " Yushiro said. "Cloaking spell?" Tanjiro asked. "Anyway. Isn't that woman a demon? And an eyesore to the boot, " Yushiro said. An irk mark appeared on Y/n's forehead, while Tanjiro still seemed lost. 'Eyesore..? Eyesore? Doesn't that mean ugly? But, who?' Tanjiro thought to himself. His eyes followed Yushiro's finger, seeing it point at Nezuko. An irk mark appeared on his forehead. "No way is she an eyesore! Just take a look at her features!" Tanjiro exclaimed, slightly shocking Y/n. 'Woah. I knew he was gonna get mad, but I didn't know he'd actually make an outburst.' Y/n said to herself. "Nezuko was the beauty of our home town! Our Nezuko!" Tanjiro exclaimed. Earlier, Yushiro had already gotten on Y/n's bad side for insulting Nezuko. She knew that later on, her bad mood would get in the way, so she wanted to find a way to lighten up. Tanjiro just did it for her. Her expression softened, shifting into a smile. "Come along, now, " Yushiro said. Tanjiro grabbed Nezuko, pulling her along. Y/n followed behind. "Sure I will! But there's no way Nezuko is an eyesore! Not on your life!" Tanjiro exclaimed, making Y/n giggle. Y/n watched as Tanjiro tried to continue a one-sided argument. She sighed, then began walking faster. She walked beside Yushiro, listening to Tanjiro's voice in the background. Yushiro eventually led them into an alleyway with a dead end. Y/n watched as Yushiro continued to walk, phasing through the wall. "Oh! I get it now! It's the muzzle! Isn't it?!" Tanjiro exclaimed. He turned his head to Y/n who had grabbed both his and Nezuko's hand. His eyes widened when Y/n walked on, pulling them through the wall. "Hurry! And fair warning. I don't want any of you to offend the person inside in any way, got that?" Yushiro threatened. Yushiro stepped over to them, getting a little too close to Y/n. "Personally, I don't care what happens to the three of you. But I brought you along only because she asked me to!" Yushiro exclaimed, his face getting closer to Y/n's. Tanjiro seemed slightly scared, while Y/n just seemed unphased. "Have you ever heard of personal space?" She asked, pushing Yushiro's face away from hers. An irk mark appeared on Yushiro's forehead. Nonetheless, he led them inside. Yushiro led them to a door. Yushiro knocked, being polite. "Come in, " the familiar voice of lady Tamayo said. "I'm back, " Yushiro said. "Welcome home, " Tamayo greeted. "Good evening, lady Tamayo. We appreciate the help, " Y/n said. "How's the lady?" Tanjiro asked. "She's fine now. Unfortunately, her husband was causing a ruckus, so we had to put him in the dungeon, " She said. Tanjiro's expression softened. "You're treating humans... Isn't that unbearable for you..?" Tanjiro asked, only to be hit in the chest by Yushiro. An irk mark appeared in Y/n's forehead as she reached into her haori. "Are you saying that we demons crave flesh and blood as we treat humans?" Yushiro questioned. "S-sorry..." Tanjiro trailed. Y/n bit her lip, letting go of what she was holding. 'I swear. If he hits Tanjiro one more time, he's gonna have to be the one to get treated.' Y/n said to herself, more irk marks appearing in her forehead. "Yushiro! Be nice to our guests!" Tamayo scolded, making Yushiro look down in shame. "I'm afraid I've only introduced myself to Y/n. My name is Tamayo. The boy is Yushiro. I hope you two could get along, " Tamayo said. Tanjiro turned his head to Yushiro, who was already glaring at him. "It's not unbearable at all. I believe I'm much gentler than the average demon. It's because I've extensively tweaked my body. I've even freed myself from Kibutsuji's curse, " She said. "Curse? Tweaked your body?" Tanjiro questioned. Tamayo took off the apron she was wearing, then hung it up. She walked over to a door, pointing at it. "This way, please, " Tamayo said. They followed her into the room, where Nezuko laid herself on the floor. "Ah! Nezuko! No! That's rude!" Tanjiro said. Tamayo smiled.

"It's quite alright. Make yourselves at home, " Tamayo said. They all sat down, Tanjiro in front of Tamayo, Yushiro beside Tamayo and Tanjiro, while Y/n sat in front of Yushiro. "I'm sorry about that, " Tanjiro said. "Now, where were we. We made it so that we can survive without eating humans. All we need are a few drops of human blood, " Tamayo said. "You drink blood..? So you're..." Tanjiro trailed. "Perhaps you're feeling disturbed. We buy blood from donors that give their blood for transplants. Of course, we don't take too much as to cause trouble for their bodies, " Tamayo said. "Meanwhile, Yushiro needs even less blood. It's because I turned him into a demon, " Tamayo said. "You turned him to a demon? But..." Tanjiro trailed. "I know. It is said that no other demon besides Kibutsuji can create new demons. But in the two hundred years I've spent, I managed to turn Yushiro into a demon, " Tamayo said. "Two... Hundred... Years..? And Yushiro's the only one you've turned? Just how old are you?!" Tanjiro asked. An irk mark appeared on Y/n's forehead. She got up, grabbing Yushiro's wrist to prevent him from hitting Tanjiro. Y/n turned to Tanjiro, smacking him on his hard head. To say that Tamayo and Yushiro were shocked was an understatement. They were bewildered. "Are you mad?! Where are your manners?! Never ask a woman for their age! Apologize! Now!" Y/n exclaimed, hitting Tanjiro's head again and again. "Y-Y/n! Please, calm down!" Tamayo exclaimed. "But he deserves it..." Yushiro muttered. "Yushiro..!" Tamayo scolded. "Understood!" Yushiro exclaimed. Y/n huffed, sitting back down. 'What a suck-up.' Y/n said, looking at Yushiro. "There's something I want to make clear. It is not my intention to increase the population of demons, " Tamayo said. Tanjiro rubbed his head, listening to Tamayo. But for those who have little chance of survival because of an illness or injury, that is the only way to treat them. So whenever I meet someone under these circumstances, I ask them if they want to live longer without aging at the cost of their humanity, " Tamayo said.

Y/n sighed, knowing it was the truth. She could hear it. Tanjiro closed his eyes, seemingly sniffing out the scent of her statement. He opened his eyes, knowing he can trust her. "Lady Tamayo. Is there any way to turn a demon back into a human?" Tanjiro asked. "Yes, there is a way, " Tamayo said. Tanjiro sat up. "Please! Tell me how!" He exclaimed. Yushiro got up, preparing to hit Tanjiro. "Keep your distance from lady Tamayo!" Yushiro exclaimed. Before he could do anything, Y/n was already behind him, holding his hands behind his back. "Tanjiro, sit down before you set off this ticking time bomb, " Y/n said, holding Yushiro back. Tanjiro sat back down, apologizing. "Please, tell me, " Tanjiro begged. Y/n let go of Yushiro, sitting down at her spot. "Every illness certainly has a cure. Although we cannot turn demons back into humans as of late, I am certain it is possible. Thus, we must work to derive a treatment by means of research. So, I have a request. In order to create an antidote. We need a large quantity of demon blood for research. I have two favors to ask of you. Firstly, I would like your permission to examine your sister's blood. Second, I hope you can try your best to harvest blood from demon's closely related to Kibutsuji. Nezuko has a very rare condition. You said that she was in a coma for two years. I suppose her body has experienced changes throughout that period. Usually, if a demon does not feast on human or animal flesh for that long, they would undoubtedly grow more aggressive.
However, it is shocking that Nezuko has not shown any of those symptoms. That miracle should be the key to our upcoming research, " Tamayo said. Tanjiro turned to Nezuko, caressing her head. In return, Nezuko snuggled up to Tanjiro's hand, making both him and Y/n smile. "The second favor I asked of you will be incredibly difficult. As for demon's closely related to Kibutsuji, those would be the ones who are almost as powerful as he is. It is not going to be easy to harvest blood from them. That being said, do you still wish to fulfill my requests?" Tamayo asked.

"If there's no other way, then I'll do it. If you manage to come up with an antidote after researching a lot of demon blood, not only will it save Nezuko, but even more people, am I right?" Tanjiro asked, smiling. Tamayo lightly gasped, then smiled. "Indeed, " Tamayo said. In return, Tanjiro lightly gasped, his cheeks coating a light pink. Yushiro got up close, a murderous aura surrounding him as he growled at Tanjiro, making him sweat. Y/n giggled. "It's not much of a big task, lady Tamayo. Lower moons would be an easy target considering I'd be there to help him, " Y/n reassured. "Lower moons..? Easy..? Does that mean...?" Tamayo trailed. Y/n smiled, nodding. "Thank goodness. I'm glad a Hashira would be helping us, " Tamayo said, catching Yushiro's attention. "You?! A Hashira?! But you look so frail!" Yushiro exclaimed. "You were about to hit Tanjiro earlier for asking Tamayo her age, but you're rather insolent yourself, Yushiro, " Y/n said. Y/n's eye twitched. She immediately grabbed hold of Nezuko, using her body to cover her. "Take cover!" She exclaimed. Yushiro immediately covered Tamayo, while Tanjiro went to cover Y/n and Nezuko. Two temaris immediately perforated through the wall, bouncing around the house, completely wrecking it. A loud cackle was heard. "We found them!" The temari girl exclaimed, her eyes landing on Tanjiro, Y/n, and Nezuko. "Susamaru, the female demon slayer, she's a pillar, " The arrow demon said. Susamaru cackled. "That man should be pleased once we bring him their heads!" Susamaru exclaimed. Susamaru threw both of her temaris again, making them bounce around the house. Tanjiro held onto Y/n and Nezuko even tighter, while Y/n focused her vision. 'The temari woman isn't the one controlling them... The arrow demon is...' Y/n noted. "Lady Tamayo!" Yushiro called, stepping in front of her to block the temari. When it was about to hit Yushiro, it pivoted to the side, catching everyone off guard. From there, it hit Yushiro's head, blowing it off. "Yushiro!" Tanjiro called. "Tanjiro, let go of me, " Y/n said. "But it's dangerous!" He retorted. "I'll be fine, " Y/n reassured. Tanjiro complied, letting her go. Y/n stood up and unsheathed her sword, then slashed the temari that was going for them. 'That won't do. The arrow demon can still move the pieces. I have to slash them until they can't be moved by the arrows anymore.' Y/n noted. Tanjiro's eyes widened when he saw Y/n slashing the temari into microscopic pieces.

"Nezuko, move the woman sleeping inside to a safe place outside, " Tanjiro ordered. Nezuko nodded. "Outside is too dangerous! This house had a basement! Move her there!" Tamayo exclaimed. "Understood! Nezuko, " Tanjiro said. Nezuko nodded, obliging. Susamaru giggled. "Looks like Miss Hashira's figured out how to fend off the temaris! It doesn't matter! I killed one already!" Susamaru exclaimed. "How naive..." Y/n muttered. "Oh? The demon slayer with hanafuda earrings is with Miss Hashira! Looks like we'll be taking two heads, " Susamaru said. 'They're targeting him too?!' Y/n questioned silently. "Lady Tamayo, please retreat somewhere safe. They're targeting us, " Tanjiro said. "Y/n, Tanjiro, please focus on your battle, and not us. We'll be alright, even without you two protecting us. We're demons, after all, " Tamayo said. Y/n and Tanjiro nodded. "Well then, let's have some fun!" Susamaru exclaimed. She threw a temari at both Tanjiro and Y/n at the same pace. Y/n glanced at Tanjiro, who seemed to be thinking. Once the temari reached them, Y/n simply slashed it into bits once more, while Tanjiro used his seventh form. Y/n's eyes snapped towards Tanjiro, seeing that the temari was still whole. Tanjiro's eyes widened when the temari could still move. Before it could hit him, Y/n slashed the temari, making it so that it can't move anymore. "I told you, lady Tamayo! We shouldn't have gotten involved with the demon slayers! My cloaking spell hasn't been perfected yet! And you know that! I can hide their scent, appearance, and their breathing, but it's not like I can hide their very existence! The more people we have, the higher chance we have to leave traces! And so there's a higher chance of us being discovered! I despise anyone who takes away my time with you! I absolutely despise them! Unforgivable!" Yushiro exclaimed. Susamaru giggled, throwing her haori off. "This is fun! You should be honored to be killed by me! A member of the twelve kizuki!" Susamaru exclaimed, pulling off the top part of her kimono. "Twelve Kizuki?" Tanjiro questioned. "They serve directly under Kibutsuji himself, " Tamayo said. All of them turned to Y/n, who was chuckling. Her chuckles turned into laughs, and her laughs turned into an outburst. "Twelve kizuki? Ha! Don't make me laugh! You may be stronger than an average demon, but you're nowhere near the strength of a lower moon!" Y/n exclaimed. An irk mark appeared in her forehead. "I'll show you!" Susamaru exclaimed. Tanjiro's eyes widened when four more arms grew out of her. Tanjiro's eyes widened more when he saw her multiplying her temaris.

"Alright! Let's keep playing! Until the sun comes up! Until you die!" Susamaru exclaimed. Susamaru threw six temaris in. Tanjiro and Y/n continued to dodge, sometimes deflecting the temaris. Y/n's eyes darted towards Tanjiro. He had cut two of the temaris in half. She ran over, slashing at the remaining pieces of the temaris. "Cutting them will only minimize the impact. Then again, you probably won't be able to slash the temaris fast enough, " Y/n said. She and Tanjiro continued to dodge, Tanjiro deflecting the temaris while Y/n cut them up. Y/n's eyes darted to Tamayo and Yushiro, seeing three temaris about to hit them. She ran over, cutting the temaris to bits. "I already told you not to mind us, " Tamayo said. "This isn't my battle. It's Tanjiro's. I'm only allowed to protect him and everyone else. If I kill the temari demon and the arrow demon, I'd be reprimanded, " Y/n said. "Hey! Useless demon slayer! If you look at the arrows, you can see what direction they're coming from!" Yushiro exclaimed. "What arrows?!" Tanjiro asked. "Seriously?! How come your girlfriend could see them?! Here! I'll lend you my eyesight!" Yushiro exclaimed, throwing paper at Tanjiro. It landed on his forehead, now enabling him to see the arrows. "Thank you, Yushiro! I can see the arrows now!" Tanjiro exclaimed. "If that's the case, end it!" Yushiro exclaimed. "Nezuko! Go outside! I'm leaving the demon on the tree to you!" Tanjiro exclaimed. Nezuko nodded, then ran outside.

Tanjiro walked outside, facing Susamaru. "I'm your enemy, " Tanjiro said. Y/n ran over to Tanjiro. "I'm going with Nezuko, " Y/n said. Tanjiro nodded. Not a second later, Y/n had already disappeared. She ran tree to tree, spotting Nezuko on the opposite side of her. Less than a minute later, she and Nezuko found the arrow demon. Nezuko makes the first strike, kicking him. Y/n went next. 'If I cut off his arms, that should prevent him from using his blood demon art.' Y/n noted. Before she could cut off the arms, an arrow grabbed her. It slammed her into several trees, then threw her into the air. The arrow dissipated as she was about twenty-five feet above the ground. 'Crap... I can't use any of the breath of flower forms to secure my landing, and me landing on my feet from this height would be too surreal. I'd break my bones if I even try. I can break my fall with the breath of water's second form. I gotta thank oto-san for teaching me this.' Y/n noted. "Breath of water, second form: water wheel, " Y/n said. She spun forward, successfully breaking her fall with the water. Y/n's eyes widened as Nezuko passed her, the arrow knocking her into Tanjiro. "Now, die together!" Susamaru exclaimed. Y/n immediately got up, dashing towards Tanjiro and Nezuko. Tanjiro's eyes widened as Y/n pushed them out of the way. "Y/n!" Tanjiro called. Dust blocked their view as the temari hit its target. "Y/n!" Tanjiro called again. The dust cleared, revealing Y/n safe. The temari had clashed with her sword. 'That impact was stronger than the ones thrown at me earlier! And yet, Y/n managed to block and absorb the force without her sword snapping! She's incredible!' Tanjiro praised silently. Y/n adjusted her grip on the tsuka of her sword, then diced the temari until you couldn't see the pieces anymore. "Acts using her brain and experience, strong, fast, and skilled with her sword. She truly is a Hashira, " the arrow demon said, jumping down from the tree. "Hey! Demon slayer! Miss Hashira! Deal with the arrow man! We'll deal with the temari woman!" Yushiro exclaimed. Tanjiro nodded. "Don't over exhaust yourself, Nezuko, " Tanjiro said, helping her up. "I'm counting on you, " Tanjiro said. Tanjiro and Nezuko ran at the same time, with Tanjiro going after the arrow demon, while Nezuko went after Susamaru. "Tanjiro wait!" Y/n exclaimed. Y/n groaned, then ran off towards a different direction. 'I see it! The opening thread!' Tanjiro noted. The arrow demon clicked his tongue, raising one of his hands. The eye in his hand blinked, making the thread snap. 'The thread snapped?!' Tanjiro questioned. He was knocked back, then picked up by an arrow. From the side, Y/n successfully cut off the hand Yahaba was using to crash Tanjiro into trees. 'I didn't even see her!' Yahaba noted. He raised his other hand, creating an arrow to pull Y/n away, and another one to continue slamming Tanjiro into things. Both arrows dissipated. Tanjiro was in the air, while Y/n was about to be knocked into Tamayo. Before she could hit Tamayo, she pivoted her body to the side, landing on her feet. Tanjiro broke his fall using his eighth form. "You hurt lady Tamayo! Unforgivable!" Yushiro exclaimed.

"Tamayo..?" Yahaba trailed. "Hey, Susamaru. Isn't that the traitor, Tamayo, on your side? She really is the best souvenir, " Yahaba said. "Is that so?" Susamaru asked. Susamaru threw all six temaris, Yushiro dodged all of them, while Nezuko attempted to kick one. "Idiot! Don't!" Yushiro exclaimed. "You can't kick the ball!" Tamayo exclaimed. Susamaru cackled, kicking Nezuko into Y/n. Y/n groaned, feeling her back slammed against the wall. 'At least I cushioned Nezuko's impact. My back is bruised, but I don't seem to have any broken bones yet. That's a good sign.' Y/n noted. "Lady Tamayo!" Y/n called. "Yahaba, we might as well bring back all five heads, " Susamaru said. "No. Three are enough. The bot with hanafuda earnings, the Hashira, and the fugitive, " Yahaba said. Y/n got up, gently placing Nezuko on the ground. "Crap... It's hard to think of things to do besides cutting off the demon's head... But if I do, I'd have to withdraw from my mission..." Y/n muttered. "What is this mission?" Tamayo asked. "My mission..? My mission is to assist Kamado Tanjiro... I must not interfere with his missions. I must simply restrict myself to giving him openings and to protecting the people around us, " Y/n said, running off. Y/n ran up behind Yahaba, who was saying something to Tanjiro. "... Dirty monkey..! And you!" Yahaba called, turning behind him. "I won't let you use the same trick again!" Yahaba exclaimed. Releasing two arrows towards Y/n. She pivoted her body upwards, slashing at the arrows. Unlike Tanjiro, she successfully made the arrows dissipate. 'She penetrated the arrows! And she only used one arm for that swing! Just how strong is she, really?!' Tanjiro questioned. "You really are a Hashira!" Yahaba exclaimed. Y/n landed beside them, glaring at Yahaba. 'Not good. He can detect me even if I try sneaking. I guess I really have to use that trick.' Y/n said to herself. "Oi! Tanjiro! Adapt your movements!" Y/n exclaimed before running off. 'Right! First, I'll use my sixth form to wrap around the arrows. Next, I'll use my third form to move fast. That should close our distance!' Tanjiro noted. He ran towards him, dodging the arrows thrown at him. 'Total concentration; breath of water, sixth form: twisting whirlpool!' Tanjiro quietly chanted. The water that his sword emitted caught the arrows, making his sword heavier. Yahaba's eyes widened when something pierced his side. It was one of Y/n's knives. 'What?! That Hashira girl again?! How come I didn't notice her again?! Did she use a different trick?!' Yahaba questioned. 'Total concentration; breath of water, modified second form: lateral water wheel!' Tanjiro silently chanted, successfully cutting off Yahaba's head.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

1) As Tanjiro, Nezuko, Y/n passed by people in the city, the citizens thought they were a family. The fact that Y/n could be mistaken for an eighteen-year-old did not help.
2) Tanjiro's heart ached to see Y/n so scared.
3) not only was it Kibutsuji that made Y/n lose her focus, but it was also the fact that she was so close to Tanjiro.
4) the owner of the udon shop was impressed with how formal Y/n was. He thinks she's a businesswoman, especially after hearing her say that she had a lot of money.
5) Y/n and Nezuko think of each other as sisters. That's why Y/n got mad when Yushiro called Nezuko an eyesore.
6) when Y/n held back on attacking Yushiro with a knife, let's say it was for the best. She would've pulled the wrong knife, stabbing him with her most lethal poison. She wouldn't have intended to do that. She was supposed to use the non-lethal poison. Yushiro would've died if Y/n stabbed him with that.
7) when Y/n scolded Tanjiro about his manners, all Yushiro could think was 'at least she's well mannered.'
8) Yushiro really didn't believe Y/n was a Hashira. But after seeing her fight, he finally accepted it. He assumed that she had a special muscle composition.
9) Y/n was able to hear the bouncing of the temari
10) Tanjiro really didn't want to let Y/n go. Figuratively and literally. He was afraid that Y/n would get hurt if he let go of her. He was also afraid to lose her if he let go.
11) Y/n's strong and fast enough to cut up to at least twenty-five temaris in a second.
12) there are two reasons why Y/n's sword didn't a snap when she absorbed the impact of the temari. First, her swordsmith is amazing. He can create swords that are almost indestructible. Second, she was strong enough to pull off the trick.
13) the trick Y/n was talking about was the trick she used on Doma to hide. She can literally hide the fact that she exists.
14) the reason why Y/n can cut through the arrows is the same reason she can pull off absorbing the impact of the temari.