Chapter Six:
Please... Come back home...

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"That's it. I've taught you all I can, " Urokodaki said. It's been a year since Tanjiro started training, and now, this happens. Tanjiro looked at him shocked, breathing heavily trying to regain his breaths. "The rest is all up to you. You have to prove you're capable of advancing to the next level, " Urokodaki stated. After Tanjiro finished regaining his breaths, he stood up straight. "Come with me. You too, Y/n, " Urokodaki ordered. He began walking deeper into the forest, leading both Y/n and Tanjuro somewhere. Less than a minute later, Urokodaki stopped. The three of them stood in front of a large rock with a rope tied around it. "If you can cut this boulder in two, I'll allow you to attend the final selection, " Urokodaki said, shocking Tanjiro. Tanjuro glanced at Urokodaki, then at Y/n. 'Is that really... Even possible..? Can a sword cut through that..?' Tanjiro questioned silently. Tanjiro frowned, then gripped the tsuka of his sword. 'I'm gonna fail... My sword will break...' He said to himself. Tanjuro turned to the side as he saw Urokodaki leaving. "U-Urokodaki-sensei? Hang on a second! Urokodaki-sensei!" He called. Tanjiro turned to Y/n with sad eyes. "Don't tell me you're gonna leave too..." Tanjiro trailed. Y/n smiled at him, then shook her head no, bringing hope to Tanjiro. Tanjiro smiled, then gave Y/n a determined expression. He unsheathed his sword, then swung at the rock. His face scrunched up as shivers were sent throughout his entire body. Tanjiro fixed his expression, then swung again, and again, and again. He turned to the side, seeing that Y/n was still watching him. He sighed, then charged again. From then on, Tanjiro spent every day practicing what Urokodaki taught him, while Y/n quietly observed him. Every time Tanjiro would train, Y/n would make sure he eats three proper meals per day. She used it as an excuse to see Tanjiro.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Six more months have passed, and yet, Tanjiro's made no progress with the boulder. He swung at the boulder one last time, before dropping his sword and kneeling on the ground. He looked down, staring at his hands. They were wounded from all his hard work. He clenched his fists, then got up. In his eyes, he hasn't trained hard enough, he needed to do more. Y/n stood quietly behind Tanjiro, sighing as she watched him run into the forest. "You've got it all wrong, Tanjiro..." She muttered. She watched as Tanjiro continued to repeat all his training again and again. She kept quiet, resisting the urge to slap Tanjiro. It was almost sunset, so Y/n dropped by again. Her eyes widened as she saw Tanjiro slam his head into the boulder out of frustration. She dropped the bento box and cup of tea she was holding and ran towards Tanjiro. "Tanjiro, stop!" Y/n yelled. She grabbed him by his shoulders, pulling him away from the rock. She turned him around so that he was facing her. "Tanjiro, what the hell?!" She asked. "Y/n... Am I... No good..?" He asked her, averting his gaze to the ground. Y/n looked at him, sadness in her eyes. She shook her head no, sighing. She cupped his face with both of her hands, making him look at her. "It's not like that, Tanjiro... You don't understand... It's not that you're no good, you're just stressing yourself out. Calm down, or else you won't be able to do it properly. I know I've kept quiet for too long, so I guess it's about time I help you, " she said. She let go of his face, then fixed his posture. She adjusted his stance, then turned to him again. Tanjiro looked at her with curiosity as she took both of his hands. His hands were calloused, rough from how much he's overworked himself. Y/n caressed his hands, then handed him his sword. Tanjiro gripped it tightly but loosened his grip when he felt Y/n's hand on his. He let Y/n adjust his hands, teaching him how to yield his sword properly.

"See? Much better. Try again. If you still can't do it, it means you're still not doing it right, " Y/n said. Tanjiro smiled at her but slightly frowned when he thought of something. "Hey, Y/n... Is it even possible..?" He asked. "Of course it is. I've already cut mine, " Y/n stated, causing Tanjiro's eyes to widen. "Where... Where is it?" He asked. Y/n began walking east, signaling for him to follow her. In merely seconds, they arrived at a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing stood a boulder that has been cut in half. "This is mine. The boulder you've received is my boulder's twin. They equal in size, length, and width, " Y/n said. "Now, you should try again. I have to head back to take care of Nezuko and to cook you another meal. Continue trying. Remember: good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good is better, and your better is best, " Y/n encouraged. She flashed him one last smile, before walking away. As Tanjiro watched Y/n's retreating figure, her words echoed in his mind. He gripped the tsuka if his sword tightly then ran back to his boulder. Applying what Y/n taught him, he continued to try. He slashed the rock, again, and again, and again. An hour passed, sunset had already arrived, and yet, no avail. He free frustrated once more, degrading himself out loud as he slammed his forehead onto the boulder. "Silence!" A voice called. Tanjiro, visibly shocked, turned to wherever the voice came from. Sitting atop the boulder was a boy with medium-length, peach-colored hair. He wore a fox mask to hide the rest of his features. He was wearing a yakuta with the same design as one of the sides of Giyu's haori and a white haori over it. He wore baggy pants and traditional tabi socks with the same pattern as his yakuta.

"A man shouldn't whine. It's unseemly. A demon slayer bears his suffering in silence. Isn't that what you want to be?" He asked. Tanjiro remained silent, still shocked. How come he didn't have a scent? After some training, he could detect Y/n's scent even if she hides it, but how come he had no scent at all? The mysterious boy stood up, then jumped off of the rock. "Then start acting like it, " he said, snapping Tanjiro out of his trance. Tanjiro finally noticed that the mysterious boy was holding a wooden sword. The boy attacked Tanjiro, forcing him to block his attack. Tanjiro's eyes widened as he felt the boy kick him, knocking him back. He was crouched on the floor, looking at the boy in shock. "You're slow, weak, and immature. That's not what I call a demon slayer, " he said. "What do you think you're doing?!" Tanjiro asked, slightly raising his voice. "Trying to figure out what you're doing, " the boy retorted. "What do you mean? I'm training, " Tanjiro claimed. "How long do you plan to keep sitting on your butt? Take a fighting stance, " Sabito ordered. Tanjiro's eyes widened, but he obliged. He stood back up, taking the correct stance Y/n taught him, we'll at least what he thought was the correct stance. The stance Y/n taught him earlier was long gone. It was just as Y/n predicted. Stress is changing the image of the original things he's learned, giving him an altered, incorrect version of what Y/n taught him. The boy raised a hand, signaling for Tanjiro to charge. "Come on then, give me your best shot, " the boy urged. "But... Your sword's made of wood..! I could hurt you..!" Tanjiro stated worriedly. Tanjiro's statement caused the boy to flinch, making him lower his arm. A second of silence passed, then the boy began chuckling. His chuckles turned into mockingly low laughs, his low laughs turned into a full-on burst. "Huh..?" Tanjiro questioned, watching him break into a fit of laughter. "How thoughtful of you..! I greatly appreciate your concern! But do you honestly think you'd even be capable of giving me a scratch?!" He exclaimed. Tanjiro's eyes widened when the boy suddenly charged in. He barely even saw him move. Tanjiro raised his sword, barely blocking the boy's attack. The bit was already at Tanjiro's neck. He was incredibly strong. A simple attack from him was already making Tanjiro struggle. "Rest assured, there's nothing to worry about! I'm far more powerful than you are! I've already cut through my boulder! Just like Y/n!" The boy exclaimed. 'He... He knows Y/n?!' Tanjiro said to himself.

The boy jumped up, slightly pushing Tanjiro back. The boy pivoted himself above Tanjiro, his feet landing on the tree behind him. The boy pushed himself off of the tree, charging at Tanjiro from above. Tanjiro turned around, raising his sword again, only for it to be parried and kicked. The boy landed on the ground, right in front of Tanjiro. Even though he just landed, he jumped away immediately. The boy dashed all over the place, making it hard for Tanjiro to see him. 'He's... So fast..! I think he's almost as fast as Y/n!' Tanjiro noted. Before Tanjiro could even register what was happening, the boy was already beside him. Just as Tanjiro turned his head to the boy's direction, the boy knocked him down. He fell to the ground on all fours, shaking in exhaustion. "You obviously haven't learned anything! You haven't mastered any if your training! Especially not total concentration breathing, " the boy said. "Didn't Urokodaki teach you?" The boy questioned, shocking Tanjiro. 'He knows Urokodaki too..? Who is he?' Tanjiro questioned quietly. "All you've done with your training is memorize the information, " the boy said. He raised his arm, pointing his sword at Tanjiro. Tanjiro stood up, taking a stance once more. "Your body still has no clue what it has to do. What the hell have you been up to for the past year and a half?!" The boy asked aggressively, swinging his sword at Tanjiro once more. Tanjiro blocked again, struggling even more. "All of it has to be hammered into your flesh!" The boy exclaimed. They drew their blades back but swung at each other immediately after. "More... More..!" The boy said aggressively. "You have to make sure you never forget any of the secrets Urokodaki taught you!" The boy exclaimed aggressively once more. Tanjiro parried the boy's attack, then jumped away from him. "Pound it into the marrow of your bones!" The boy exclaimed once more. He swung his sword at Tanjiro again, with Tanjiro parrying his attack once more. "I'm... trying! I'm giving it all I've got! Everyday! Except..! I'm not getting anywhere! I can't... I DON'T THINK I CAN DO IT!" Tanjiro exclaimed, his voice cracking a little at the end. "YOU CAN! MAN UP!" The boy urged. He swung at him twice, Tanjiro having difficulty in blocking his attacks.

"Don't you wanna be a demon slayer?!" He asked Tanjiro, swinging at him again and again. Tanjiro backed away, trying to regain some strength. "There's nowhere to go but forward! Give it your all!" The boy exclaimed, swinging at Tanjiro again. Tanjiro backed away once more, trying to get some distance to regain his breaths. "SHOW ME JUST WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF!" The boy exclaimed. Tanjiro pulled his arms back, preparing for a swing. After a long period of dodging and blocking attacks, Tanjiro finally swung his sword at the boy. Despite all of Tanjiro's efforts, the boy dodged his attack with ease. The boy trusted his sword forward, swinging it upwards. He landed a hit below Tanjiro's chin, knocking him out. Tanjiro fell to the ground, deeming the boy victorious. As the fight dispersed, a girl in a flowery kimono with a sleeveless haori walked up to where they were. She stood quietly behind the boy, staring at the two swordsmen. "I'll leave the rest to you, " the boy said. The girl nodded, then approached Tanjiro.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tanjiro's eyes shot open. He was immediately met with gentle, turquoise colored ones. "Are you all right?" Asked a gentle, feminine voice. It was the girl from earlier. She was kneeling beside Tanjiro. Tanjiro sat up, turning to the girl. "Please tell me you saw that, " Tanjiro said. The girl blinked, slightly tilting her head. "Hmm?" She questioned. "The way that guy hit me! His wing didn't lose an ounce of power! His swings are almost like Y/n's! It was just beautiful! I wanna be able to do that! What do you think? Is that possible, " Tanjiro asked the girl. No response came from her. She just sat there, staring at him with a blank expression. After several moments of silence, the girl smiled at him. "I'm positive it is. Because I'll be there to look after you, " the girl said. She giggled quietly, giving Tanjiro a close eyed smile. 'She's cute... She reminds me of Y/n back when we were still her age... When we were still seven... Her smile during our halcyon days... It's never left my mind...' Tanjiro said to himself, his cheeks slightly tinting themselves pink. "I'm sorry, who are you?" Tanjiro asked politely. "Makomo..?" A familiar voice trailed. Both Tanjiro and Makomo turned to the source of the voice. It was Y/n. Makomo stood up, smiling at her. "It's been a while, huh, Y/n?" The girl asked knowingly, a wistful tone mixing with her gentle voice. "It's been three years... Three. Fucking. Years!" Y/n exclaimed, tears streaming down from her eyes. Makomo smiled sadly, while Tanjiro just sat there awkwardly. Makomo slowly walked over to Y/n giving her a hug, which Y/n returned. "What are you doing here...? Aren't you-" "Shhh..." Makomo hushed, cutting Y/n off. Makomo turned slightly, pointing a finger at Tanjiro. "He mustn't know, " Makomo said. Y/n stared at her quizically but nodded anyway. The girls turned to Tanjiro as he cleared his throat. "My name is Makomo, " she said, introducing herself properly. "The guy you faced earlier, his name is Sabito, " Makomo said, causing Y/n to flinch. "He's here too..?" Y/n questioned. Makomo nodded, then turned to her. "So, Y/n, why don't we teach him what he's doing wrong? He didn't seem to understand what you taught him earlier, so, what do you say?" She invited. Y/n glanced at Tanjiro, a bored expression on her face, causing Tanjiro to sweatdrop. Y/n turned back to Makomo, smiling. "I don't see why not, "

~~~

From then on, Makomo and Y/n spent every day teaching Tanjiro what he was missing, correcting everything he was doing wrong, and telling him all the unnecessary habits he has. Whenever Tanjiro asks about Makomo and Sabito, they wouldn't answer. Makomo would stay silent while Y/n would throw questions right back at him. "Hey Makomo, where are you from?" Tanjiro asked. "Tanjiro, you're doing it wrong, " Y/n said, shifting Tanjiro's attention. "With total concentration breathing, your blood circulation accelerates because your heart rate is faster than normal. That causes your body temperature to spike as well, allowing a human to fight with the strength of a demon. So it's crucial to expand your lung capacity. By introducing lots of air into your bloodstream all at once, your blood gets excited, so your bones and muscles start to heat up and grow stronger, " Makomo said. Tanjiro's expression shifted. 'None of that makes sense...' He said to himself. "So... How do I do that?" Tanjiro asked. Makomo and Y/n glanced at each other, then turned back to Tanjiro. "Train until it kills you. Because really, when you get down to it, there's nothing else you can do, " the two chimed in unison. And so, that's what he did. He trained and trained until he couldn't anymore. He tried, putting all of his heart and soul into it, and yet, he still didn't stand a chance against Sabito. No matter how hard he tried, Sabito kept beating him. Y/n and Makomo would always watch them spar. Whenever Tanjiro falls, Y/n would always be there to help him up. Whenever Y/n would pull him off the ground, all she would say was, "get up. Keep trying. You'll get there eventually." Truth be told, it pained both Y/n and Sabito to see each other almost every day. It was hard to get over the past, definitely, but all Sabito would do was tell Y/n to move on. She tried, but it wasn't easy as usual. In all honesty, she never expected her to take six months. Was she that cold to think she'd get over him sooner? Was she that attached that she hadn't gotten over him sooner?

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Six months have passed. Sabito was back again, ready to test Tanjiro once more. "It took you six months, but it looks like you finally belong, " Sabito said. "This is the day I win!" Tanjiro exclaimed. On the sidelines, stood Y/n and Makomo. Both of them were quiet, but truth be told, Y/n was silently cheering Tanjiro on. She wished the six months they'd spend training would pay off. Tanjiro took a deep breath, applying what he had learned with Y/n and Makomo. A determined expression plastered itself on his boyish features. In the quick fraction of a second, the two charged. Y/n squinted her eyes, using her eyesight to predict the outcome. For the first time in six months, Tanjiro's joints moved first, causing Y/n's eyes to widen. "Tanjiro wins..." She trailed. Just as she said so, Tanjiro finally struck, swinging his sword at Sabito. Much to his shock, Sabito's mask split in half. His shocked expression turned into a sad smile, a smile of relief. Following his smile were the smiles of both Y/n and Makomo. "Tanjiro, " Makomo called. Tanjiro turned to the side, where Y/n and Makomo smiled at him. "You did just great. Never forget about this, " she said, the fog starting to surround them. "Keep winning for me, Tanjiro. The next one too, " she said, the fog covering both her and Y/n. Tanjiro turned back to Sabito. Well, where Sabito used to be. The next thing he knew, the fog cleared and revealed his boulder. It was finally split in half. "Congratulations, Tanjiro, " Y/n said, walking towards him. "Y/n... You saw that... Right?" He asked, turning to her. "Hmm?" She questioned. "Sabito and Makomo... They disappeared..." Tanjiro trailed. Y/n's curious face shifted. She smiled at him, then giggled. "Oh, Tanjiro... Of course, I saw it... I know you're confused, but trust me on this... You've made it this far already, so eventually, someone will answer your question. Unfortunately, that someone isn't me, " Y/n said. Tanjiro frowned but perked up at the sound of footsteps. "Urokodaki-sensei..." Tanjiro called. "To be honest... I never had any intention of sending you to the final selection..." Urokodaki trailed, shocking Tanjiro. "Because I didn't want any more children to die... I was sure you wouldn't be able to cut through this boulder... But..." He trailed once more. He placed a hand on Tanjiro's head, ruffling his hair. "Well done, Tanjiro... Truly remarkable... I'm very proud..." He trailed. Y/n smiled at them. Tanjiro stayed silent, tears filling his eyes. Urokodaki's hand left Tanjiro's head. He pulled Tanjiro in for a hug, rubbing his back, Tanjiro returned the hug. "Make sure you come back from final selection alive... Y/n, your sister, and I will be waiting for you..." Urokodaki said.

The moment Urokodaki let go of Tanjiro, Y/n tackled Tanjiro in a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck, involuntarily laying all her weight on him. Tanjiro caught her, slightly stumbling back from the force. He returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist. He looked down at her small figure, smiling as tears continued to flow freely from his eyes. Y/n buried her face into his chest, crying her own tears. "I told you it would pay off..." She muttered. Y/n pulled away, smiling at him. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed red as she realized the position they were in. Y/n still had her arms around Tanjiro's neck, while Tanjiro still had his arms around Y/n's waist. She backed away immediately, causing Tanjiro to raise an eyebrow at her. Urokodaki chuckled, realizing why she backed away. Later that night, Y/n cooked a whole feast as a congratulation. "Woah! Y/n! Don't you think that's a little too much?" Tanjiro asked. "Remind me again who skipped several meals during training?" She shot back teasingly. Tanjiro blushed bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. He smiled at Y/n. "Oh, so after two years of being distant, you're teasing me now?" Tanjiro teased. Now, it was Y/n's turn to blush. She pouted, crossing her arms and looking away, causing Tanjiro to laugh and Urokodaki to chuckle. "Whatever. Just take this as my congratulatory gift, " Y/n said. Tanjiro smiled, then took a bowl and began eating. For two years, Y/n had been quiet whenever they were together, but now, things have changed. The table was lively, everyone including Y/n engaging in a conversation.

After eating, Urokodaki went to clean up and to prepare several things. "Hey, Y/n, " Tanjiro called. Y/n turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Could you help me cut my hair?" He asked, holding up a pair of shears. "Oh, sure, " Y/n said. She crawled over to him, taking the pair of shears. She gently grabbed some of his shoulder-length hair, cutting some off slowly. "Hey, Y/n. Who are Sabito and Makomo to you?" Tanjiro asked quietly. Y/n flinched, involuntarily pulling on his hair, causing him to groan. "Sorry... Well, Makomo's my best friend. Just as I referred to Giyu as an older brother, I refer to Makomo as a sister, " Y/n said. "And Sabito?" Tanjiro asked again. "Sabito's... My ex-lover..." Y/n muttered. Tanjiro's eyes widened in shock, soon after, he frowned. "Oh... I see... It must've hurt to see him during training..." Tanjiro trailed sadly. "Well, at first, yes... But, we're on good terms..." Y/n stated. "Why'd you two break up?" Tanjiro asked. "It's... Complicated... Though, I do have a feeling you'd find out soon..." Y/n trailed. Tanjiro sighed, then just stayed quiet. "Hey, Tanjiro, " Urokodaki called. "How was dinner?" He asked. Tanjiro smiled. "It was delicious, as per usual. It's been a while since Y/n cooked that much, " Tanjiro said. "A growing boy with an appetite like yours will get bigger and stronger, the bigger his meals are. The same applies to demons. Remember that. The more humans a demon has eaten, the more powerful he'll be, " Urokodaki informed. "So if they'll eat a lot, they'll be tough to defeat?" He asked. "That's right. They get stronger, physical traits change, and some even learn to use strange spells, " he said. He stood up, then opened a small cabinet. Inside was a fox mask, it was his handcrafted warding mask. He grabbed the mask, then walked over to Tanjiro. "You'll be able to tell how many poor souls they've claimed once your sense of smell is even more developed, " Urokodaki said, handing him the mask. "What's this?" He asked. "It is called a 'warding mask'. It's been enchanted by a protection spell to keep you from harm, " Urokodaki claimed. "Now it makes sense..." Tanjiro trailed.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

It was time. It was the morning of the final selection. As Tanjiro finished putting on a yakuta with a similar design to Urokodaki's, he walked towards Nezuko's room. "Nezuko..." He trailed. He kneeled next to her, using both of his calloused hands to grab hers. "I promise... I'll come back for you..." He trailed. As soon as he finished saying goodbye to Nezuko, Urokodaki escorted him outside. There, stood Y/n. Instead of her usual baggy pants, yakuta, and haori, she was wearing a beautiful f/c, floral kimono. The kimono suited her figure greatly, and the obi of the kimono did not fail to show off her curves. Instead of her usual messy bun, her hair was tied into a half bun instead, the rest of her hair flowing freely in the wind. In her hair, a simple flower pin was placed there. Tanjiro stood still, his mouth agape. When she turned to face him, boy, words do not have the capability to describe how fast Tanjiro's heart was beating. Y/n glanced at him, then offered him a recherché close eyed smile, causing Tanjiro's face to turn beet red. Tanjiro flinched when he heard Urokodaki clear his throat from behind him. "No need to worry about your sister. Y/n and I will take good care of her for you, " Urokodaki said. Tanjiro turned to him with a smile. "Thanks, for everything, " Tanjiro said. When Tanjiro turned back to Y/n, he was again met with a hug. Once more, her arms threw themselves around his neck, while his arms snaked around her waist. She buried her face into his chest once more, his hand moving to finger-comb her hair. "Tanjiro... Promise me something..." She trailed. Tanjiro hummed, signaling for her to continue. "Please finish what I couldn't... And... Please... Come back home... Don't leave us hanging..." Y/n trailed, her voice on the verge of cracking. Tanjiro smiled at her gently. His grip on her tightened as he pulled her even closer. He rested his chin on her head, deepening the hug. "I promise..." He trailed. "Thank you..." Y/n squeaked out. They pulled away from the hug, Y/n's arms still around Tanjiro's neck, while his arms still on her waist. They stared deeply into each other's eyes one last time, then pulled away from the hug entirely. "See you in seven days, " Y/n said. "Oh, and here. Take this. I don't want you to starve out there, " Y/n said, handing him a box of onigiri. "Thanks, " Tanjiro said, taking the box. He walked off, then stopped once he was at a fair distance. He turned to look at them one last time. "Say hi to Sabito and Makomo for me!" He exclaimed, before finally disappearing from their view. 'Tanjiro... That's impossible! How does he know the names of the dead?' He questioned silently. "They appeared to him near the boulder, " Y/n said, answering his question. They quietly walked back inside the house, praying and hoping for him to be safe. 'Tanjiro... If you survive this... Then maybe I can show it to you...' Y/n thought to herself.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

The sun had fallen as the moon crept into the sky. After a long day of traveling, he had finally made his way to mount Fujikasane. He looked around, noticing the beautiful wisteria trees. "Wisteria? I thought they were out of season..." Tanjiro trailed. He continued to walk up the stairs of the mountain, eventually making it halfway to the top, where the final selection participants would wait. Several eyes landed on him. There were over twenty people there, waiting for the start of the final selection. "Good evening. Tonight, you have come to enter the demon slayer corps' final selection. Thank you all for being here, " two identical twins spoke. Although they share the same porcelain face, you can differentiate them through their hair. One had white hair, the other had black. "Here at mount Fujikasane, there are several demons captured alive by demon slayer swordsmen. They're kept here for this event, " the one with white hair spoke. "The wisteria Blossoms prevent them from leaving. They bloom on this mountain year-round. They cover everything from the base till halfway to the top, " the black-haired one spoke. "But, the wisteria ends here, so demons abound from this point on. And they're very hungry, " the twin continued. Then, the black-haired girl spoke again, "in order to complete final selection, you must survive seven days beyond the wisteria's protection." "Now, your trial begins, " the two said in unison. A determined expression spread itself across his boyish features as he trod forward, venturing off into the forest before him. He ran through the forest, then suddenly skid to a stop. 'From above!' He noted. He jumped off to the side, dodging the attack of the demon. Just after he dodged the demon, another one jumped at him. Tanjiro blocked the attack, jumping back to get away from both demons. Before he could do anything, the first demon jumped at the second. 'Two already?' Tanjuro questioned. "Back off! I found him first!" It exclaimed. "Doesn't matter, I'll be the one to kill him!" The second one exclaimed, both if them charging at Tanjiro at the same time. "Total concentration; breath of water, fourth form: striking tide!" Tanjiro chanted. In a swift motion, Tanjiro created consecutive slashes, twisting his body in a flowing fashion similar to a harsh tide. He successfully beheaded both demons, landing gracefully on both feet. 'Nothing is left behind, huh? Not even the bones...' Tanjiro noted. He clasped his hands together then did a ninety degrees bow. "Rest in peace..." Tanjiro muttered.

His face scrunched up in disgust as he inhaled a horrid scent. He unclasped his hands and brought one up to pinch his nose to prevent himself from inhaling the scent any longer. "What is that smell?" He questioned. His breath hitched and his eyes widened when a scream of terror echoed around the radius. "What's this mutated demon doing here?! I never signed up for this!" A boy exclaimed. Tanjiro ran closer, dashing behind a tree. His face shifted into a look of horror as he laid eyes on a horrific-looking demon. It was very large, more than twice of Tanjiro's height. It had many hands, a few of them covering his mouth. Not paying attention to where he was going, the boy from earlier tripped. The hand demon grinned at him, gathering several hands and shooting them towards him. 'Don't wimp out... Save him. Save him! You're not powerless anymore! Move. Move!' Tanjiro urged himself. He ran forward, jumping up to cut the arm of. "Total concentration; breath of water, second form: water wheel!" Tanjiro chanted. He spun forward, releasing a flowing attack in a circular motion. He lands on both feet, the hand demon directing a glare towards him. "Well, would you look at that! It's another one of those sweet little foxes!" The hand demon exclaimed. "Another..?" Tanjiro muttered. "Say fox cub, the year? Are we still in Meiji?" The hand demon asked. "It's the Taisho period, " Tanjiro stated firmly. "Taisho..?" The demon questioned. A shadow cast over his face as realization dawned him. He screamed in frustration, slamming several of his ma.y hands on the ground. "ALREADY?! WE HAVE PASSED INTO A NEW PERIOD?! AGAIN! AND I'M STILL STUCK INSIDE THIS WISTERIA PRISON!" The hand demon whined. "UNFORGIVABLE! UNFORGIVABLE!! DAMN YOU, UROKODAKI! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!" The hand demon exclaimed. "You know Urokodaki?" Tanjiro asked. "Of course I do. Urokodaki's the one who captured me and brought me here. But that was forty-seven years ago now, back when he was still hunting demons like me. During the Edo period, the Keio era, " the demon claimed. "No way... The Edo period..?" Tanjiro questioned. "What a lie! No demon can live that long in here! Besides, all these demons have only eaten two to three humans! They die during the final selection! In fact, they even eat their own kind!" The boy from earlier exclaimed. "And yet I've managed to survive all this time. Trapped inside this flowery cage. I've managed to devour at least fifty of you, brats, " the demon claimed. "Fifty people..?" Tanjiro muttered. "Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen... That means you're number fourteen, " the demon counted, pointing at Tanjiro at the mention of number fourteen. "What are you talking about?!" Tanjiro questioned. He began laughing. "That's the number of Urokodaki's students I've eaten, " he mocked, laughing afterward. "I promised myself I'd kill every single one of them, " he claimed.

"You know... Those who stood out to me the most were those three. Ah yes, one was a boy. The boy's hair was an unusual shade of pink. A scar by his mouth. Very powerful indeed. Then, there's that girl who wore a flowery kimono. Small, not much power, but awfully agile. The last was a girl. She wore a white dress and a pink floral haori. She was short, rather petite, but was the most powerful of the lot. She had h/c hair that faded to pink, and rather big e/c eyes. Although unlike the other two, she escaped. She was saved by the boy. She was the first swordsman to come close to cutting my head off. Even the boy couldn't do it, " the demon claimed. 'So they were dead..? Killed by this demon..! Is that why Y/n refused to tell me what happened to her and Sabito..?' Tanjiro said to himself. "Your mask. That's what gives you away as one of Urokodaki's brats. Easy to spot the texture of one of the masks he's carved. They always match the style of the tengu mask he wears. He calls them 'warding masks' right? Except that's how I pick out who to eat! They're all inside my belly. It's like he's led them to their death!" The demon exclaimed. "When I told the girl in the flowery kimono, she started crying and fell into a rage! But it wasn't long until she lost all control of her movement! I ripped her limb from limb and feasted!" The hand demon exclaimed. That was it. His breathing had become uneven, he couldn't hold back anymore. He's snapped. He charged at the hand demon, cutting up any of the arms that got in his way. The demon swung another hand at Tanjiro, hitting from his blind spot. Tanjiro was knocked back, crashing into a tree. His head began bleeding, his warding mask cracking as he fell to the ground, unconscious. The hand demon began walking towards Tanjiro, ignoring the other boy. Deciding to leave Tanjiro alone, the scared boy ran off, letting Tanjiro deal with the demon. The hand demon began cackling. "Well, there goes another one of Urokodaki's brats. I wonder... How will he feel when another one of his children doesn't make it home?" The hand demon mocked.

"Oh..! I wish I can see the look on his face! I bet it's going to be priceless! If only I could be there!" The hand demon cackled. "Tanjiro... Tanjiro..! Tanjiro!" The voice of his brother called. He gasped for air, his eyes snapping open. He jumped to the side just on time, dodging an attack from the hand demon. 'What's this? He can still move? That means I can have some fun!' The hand demon said to himself. Tanjiro cut off every single arm sent to him, jumping back a little to gain some distance. As more arms we're sent towards him, he began running to think. 'Damn! I can't just cut his arms off! They regrow too fast.' Tanjiro noted. "That's not enough to beat me, little fox! Then again, not even that pink-haired brat and his girlfriend could cut off my head!" The hand demon exclaimed. Tanjiro groaned in frustration, skidding to a stop. He cut off the arm that was behind him, for in the hand demon to retreat the arm. 'There's no way I could just let him go. I won't let another life be sacrificed. No more! I'll take him down!' Tanjiro said to himself. He charged at the hand demon, once more cutting off all the arms in his way. 'Wait a second... Underground!' Tanjiro noted. He jumped up, dodging the hands that were about to attack him. 'He- he jumped! Damn it, how did he know? No matter, he won't be able to dodge an attack in mid-air!' The hand demon mused. Tanjiro's eyes widened as a hand was sent towards his head. Using his naturally hard forehead, he deflected the hand, pivoting himself forward and onto the arm. 'He deflected it!' The hand demon thought to himself. Tanjiro ran towards the hand demon's neck via his arm, getting ready to strike. As a form of defense, the hand demon grew arms on the one Tanjiro was running on. "Total concentration..." Tanjiro started. He continued to run, cutting off the extra arms the hand demon grew. "Breatg of water, first form..!" Tanjiro continued. There it was. The lime of interval. The line he used to defeat Sabito. Now that he sees it, it's all over. Tanjiro jumped, closing the distance between him and the neck. 'I let him get too close! It doesn't matter. my neck is tough! Once he fails, I'll grab his head and crush it!' The hand demon mused. Tanjiro let out a battle cry, successfully cutting the demon's head. 'Water surface slash!' Tanjiro said to himself. The demon silently cursed as his head fell to the ground. The image of Urokodaki appeared to him, just as Tanjiro cut off his neck.

Much to his surprise, Tanjiro turned to him with sad eyes. Tanjuro turned to the demon's body, seeing it disintegrate slowly. Despite disintegrating at a rather fast pace, his hand remained. It was being held out as if he was asking for someone to hold it. Tanjiro walked towards the body, looking at the hand. "What a sad scent..." Tanjiro muttered, using both of his hands to grab ahold of the demon's hand. The demon's body moved on its own, reciprocating Tanjiro's kind gesture. Tears fell from the demon's eyes as he watched Tanjiro's compassionate heart in action. Despite having mocked him, he was surprised that Tanjiro was still so kind. In all honesty, Tanjiro reminded him of his older brother, which is probably the reason why he regained his memories when Tanjiro killed him. Tanjiro closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the demon's fingers. "Please God... Help him... The next time this man is reborn... Please don't let him turn into a demon again..." Tanjiro muttered.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

After seven days of killing demons, relentlessly asking them if a demon can be turned back into a human, Tanjiro finally made it. "Only four of us..? We started over twenty... So... He didn't make it... If only I didn't blackout... I couldn't save him..." Tanjiro muttered. Beside Tanjiro was a blonde boy with honey eyes. He looked rather fearful, muttering about how he'd die soon after. "Welcome back everyone, " the twins greeted. Both of them casually walked to the center, then turned to the now demon slayers. "And congratulations, " the one with the white hair said. "We're pleased to see you safe, " the black-haired one added. "So? I've made it back alive. What do I do now? Where's my sword?" A boy with a mohawk-like hair cut demanded. "Patience. We must first issue you all your uniforms, " one of them said. "We'll start by taking your measurements, and then we'll engrave your rank at the back of your hand, " the other continued. "For your reference, there are ten ranks in total: Mizunoto, Mizonoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, " the girls recited. "You all start at Mizunoto, which is the lowest rank in the demon slayer corps, " the one with white hair continued. "And our swords?" The same boy demanded. "In a moment. You will be given the chance to select the ore that will be used to forge your swords. However, it will be ten to fifteen days until the weapons are ready for you, " the one with black hair said. "Ugh... Really..?" The boy muttered. "But first, " the one with white hair said. She clapped her hands, several crows and a sparrow responding to the call. A crow landed on each of them, while a sparrow landed on the blonde. "Now that you're all demon slayers, each of you is assigned to a kusagai crow, " one of them said. "So we get crows now? What for?" Tanjiro asked. "The kusagai crows are primarily used to facilitate communication, " one of them answered. "I don't need this crap!" The boy exclaimed, swatting away his crow. He angrily stomped towards the girls. "Who the hell cares about some stupid crow?!" He exclaimed. The boy grabbed a fist full of the hair of the white-haired twin, pulling her up to his level. "Give me my sword. Now. Before I get angry. The color-changing katana. I want it now, do you hear me?!" The boy demanded. Before things could get worse, Tanjiro grabbed a hold of his wrist. "Take your hand off her, or I'll break your arm, now!" Tanjiro ordered. "Who the hell are you?" The boy asked. "Give it your best shot, " the boy dared. Tanjiro stayed silent for a while, but then eventually started squeezing his wrist. The boy looked at him in shock, then darted his eyes to his wrist. Tanjiro was undoubtedly strong, it was already starting to hurt him. The blonde boy's eyes widened as he heard a crack. The boy stumbled back, groaning in pain. He held his wrist, glaring at Tanjiro. "Are you finished chatting with each other?" The one with black hair asked nonchalantly. The girls led them up to the platform where a table stood. The girls pulled off the cloth, revealing many different ores. "Now, the time has come for you to select an ore for you to use for your sword. The steel you will use to protect yourself and annihilate countless demons will be that of your own choosing, " one of the girls said. Tanjiro closed his eyes, sniffing out the scent of the ores. He opened his eyes and stepped forward. He then grabbed the ore that stood out to him the most.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Trivia:
1) when Tanjiro was fighting the hand demon, Y/n and Urokodaki were having dinner. When Tanjiro fell unconscious, Y/n suddenly choked on her food, startling Urokodaki. It was as if her own body was telling her that Tanjiro was hurt.

2) Urokodaki managed to convince Y/n to wear a nice Kimono when she bids Tanjiro farewell, and when she welcomes him home. It's irrefutable that Y/n would wear a nice kimono on the day of Tanjiro's return

3) Y/n plans on showing Tanjiro something when he gets home

4) Y/n also plans to tell him something when he gets home