Chapter Text
Episode 20 - Pretend Family
“ What is the relation of this title with the episode ?” Nezuko asked as she brought her fingers to her cheek, now that she is much relieved that the demon had been defeated.
“ I think it is something related to his past.” Shinobu said thoughtfully.
“ Yeah, the demons defeated by Tanjiro Kun have always unlocked their past. So, we can assume that is the case here also.” Hinatsuru said, as she smiled.
“ I agree. He was always too particular about roles and stuff. So the title means that the members had to pretend to be perfect maybe ?” Iguro said, as his tone changed to something a bit hesitant at the end.
“ That makes so much sense.” Kanae smiled at Iguro, who nodded in recognition.
‘ Iguro San is so smart.’ Kanroji thought as little hearts surrounded her.
“ If that is the case, I feel bad for the family.” Tanjiro sighed.
“ I think we should dive into the episode. This would probably be the last before the break.” The voice, the Creator said as everyone nodded and the screen lit up.
Once the screen lit back up it showed a recap. Ending with Tanjiro seemingly beheading Rui. The title screen showed up. Sparks flew across the screen, looking like fireworks. As Rui’s head went into the air, Tanjiro’s face was filled with determination and anger. Once the move was done the fire began to stop.
Nezuko’s eyes shimmered from admiration, she was not able to notice the beauty of this scene earlier due to her tension. But now when she looks, it is majestic.
“ I still can’t believe that Kamodo did it.” Rengoku laughed, his voice nothing if not genuinely happy.
" You did it, Tanjiro," Zenitsu said as he smiled and patted Tanjiro’s back.
"That was such a flashy move," Uzui said, as he smiled and clapped lightly.
"Ah, thank you," Tanjiro said, blushing from embarrassment.
‘ I can’t believe that this boy is actually at Hashira level now that he has killed the lowermoon.’ Sanemi thought as he crossed his hands on his chest and huffed.
Rui’s head fell on the ground, his body following after. Tanjiro collapsed as well. The threads that were attached to Nezuko burned away, and she fell to the ground. Most of her wounds were healed.
“ Now that you have defeated the demon, I just hope the Kakushis come by here soon and treat your wounds.” Sinobu sighed in anticipation and a little happiness.
"Oh thank goodness," Tanjiro sighed in relief, "Nezuko's wounds look nearly healed."
“ Yeah, I think sleeping did really help speed up her regeneration powers.” Kanae smiled as Nezuko just touched her hands where the cuts previously were.
The memories of the cuts that planted themselves on her skin were still taking a toll on her mind. She could not just shake it off.
‘Something feels off. Tanjiro is strong, but did he actually behead the Lower Moon ?’ Oyakata wondered.
‘ I don’t know why I have a bad feeling.’ Urokodaki thought as he frowned, still staring at the screen.
“Nezuko,” Tanjiro strained, “Nezuko. I won. I did it.”
The screen faded to white and then it showed Tanjiro’s father watching baby Tanjiro. As Tanjiro thought, he went through the memories.
“ I am still amazed by the fact that you modified a dance into a breathing style.” Sabito smiled, feeling quite proud of his friend even though he won’t agree.
“ Yeah, it is pretty flashy if you ask me.” Uzui smiled as he chimed in.
“ But nobody did so please, for the love of god, shut up.” Sanemi said, quite deadplanned. His voice, though, became aggressive at the end as Uzui shrugged and clicked his tongue.
‘ Always so angry. Just have a chill pill. ’ Uzui thought as he sighed.
“ Are we going through his memories again ?” Senjuro asked quietly, seeing a baby Tanjiro on the screen.
‘ I hope not. It feels a bit exposing.’ Tanjiro sighed mentally, focusing on the screen again.
My father saved me. Our family’s Kagura which has been passed down through generations. Somehow manifested into a technique, and helped me defeat that demon.
“ But, what breathing is Tanjiro Kun’s breathing style derived from ?” Kanroji asked as she stared at nothing in deep thought.
‘ They are asking which breathing the First Breathing, Sun Breathing came from. How stupid. Tch.’ Shinjuro snorted and scoffed as he continued with his drinks.
“ If I had to guess, I would say Flame breathing.” Masachika replied, as he continued, “ Because of the fire emitting from the dragon, probably.”
“ Although that is the most probable, it is still odd that he derived a breathing from the style he never learnt.” Rengoku sighed as he tried to explain.
“ I agree. You will have to have the knowledge of the breathing style you are deriving your style from. Like I learnt Water Breathing before deriving Serpent Breathing or Kanroji San, who learnt Flame breathing, before making Love Breathing.” Iguro elaborated Rengoku’s point, who smiled in gratitude as he wasn’t able to find the right words. Kaburamaru just hissed.
“ An appreciable skill, nevertheless.” Suma sighed.
Tanjiro managed to get onto his knees. His face had scratches on it, and parts of his haori were torn. Just then, as he looked at Nezuko, his vision began to blur.
“ Your condition looks so bad.” Kanroji gasped as she saw Tanjiro’s state on the screen.
“ It is ok. I think I will be fine.” Tanjiro awkwardly laughed, trying to calm Kanroji down.
“ Your vision is blurry and you have a good amount of wounds, I hope someone reaches there soon, or you will most probably faint.” Aoi said, as she sighed.
“ Yeah, plus I think your adrenaline is wearing off, and soon you will feel all the pain, which you previously were able to ignore.” Urokodaki said, his expression unknown, as his face was still hidden behind the mask.
“ I think that will be no problem, now that the demon is defeated.” Makomo replied.
"Not quite, there's still the Sister Demon," Genya pointed out, "She might come back and attack you.
“ In contrast, I don’t think so. She has most probably ran away far from here and does not know about Rui’s defeat, so won’t risk facing Rui’s wrath again before she completes the task assigned to her.” Shinobu said as she turned to make eye contact with Genya, who looked away, red faced.
Huh? My vision’s blurry. Is it because I took too many breaths too fast? Tanjiro thought.
“ I think it is because of this and the fact you took so many injuries.” Makio said, a little worried for Tanjiro’s health.
“ I think it is also because he literally changed his breathing style mid fight.” Amane added to the list of reasons.
‘ Oni Chan is strong, he will be okay.’ Nezuko thought, a little scared for Tanjiro, who seemed in a pretty bad condition.
Just then there was a ringing in his ears, he fell down and clutched his chest. He groaned in pain.
“ His ears are ringing. That is not good.” Shinobu commented.
‘ He seems in so much pain.’ Nezuko sighed as she looked away from the screen.
“ I hope someone ends his misery soon.” Himejima said in his deep voice as he rolled the beads of rosary in his hands.
‘ I think even if I pass out, it will be fine because Inosuke is safe now but my future self does not know that.’ Tanjiro sighed as he thought.
This ringing in my ears is absolutely agonizing. My whole body is throbbing with pain! Tanjiro thought he grabbed his sword and started crawling to Nezuko. I need to catch my second wind, and press on! The fight’s not over, not yet! I still need to save Inosuke. As soon as I can.
"That's not good at all," Shinobu said, pointing her finger at Tanjiro on the screen, "You need to rest."
"I have to get to Nezuko, you're there and you don't know that Nezuko is a good demon. I don't want you to hurt her," Tanjiro defended himself.
"That is…fair, I suppose." Shinobu said, taking a pause as she continued.
"Something feels off," Giyuu muttered, feeling uneasy.
"Huh? Did you say something, Tomioka? Your voice is so quiet," Rengoku said.
“ I am just glad that Inosuke is fine. I don’t have to worry about him.” Tanjiro smiled.
“ Hey, are you underestimating me, Kentaro ? I could defeat that demon without you.” Inosuke yelled.
“ Well, seeing your condition before the demon was killed by Tomioka San, I doubt it.” Zenitsu said, deadplan. When will Inosuke stop boasting about himself ?
‘ Tanjiro Kun is so kind. He is thinking about Inosuke even at the verge of passing out.’ Amane thought as she smiled.
As Tanjiro crawled, waves of a red scent trail went to him. Tanjiro gasped in fear.
“ What is happening ? What is that red trail ?” Kanroji said, witnessing the red trail.
“ From what has been shown to us previously, it is most probably the scent of a demon.” Iguro answered only to gasp at the end of the sentence.
“ A demon ?” Nezuko repeated.
“ Don’t tell me the demon is alive.” Sanemi snorted.
“ That would explain why Tanjiro on the screen is gasping.” Shinobu sighed.
“ But we clearly saw Tanjiro behead that demon.” Zenitsu yelled, tension bubbling in his heart for his friend.
Nezuko just stared at the screen with a lifeless gaze. All the worry that had subsided burst out like a volcano as she saw Tanjiro’s frail state. She could only hope for Giyuu or Shinobu to reach on time.
The scent of blood just got stronger! And it didn’t give off the smell of ash like usual. Tanjiro thought, as he remembered the times he killed a demon. Don’t tell me!
“ Well sh*t.” Sanemi said, quite bluntly.
“ Wait, the demon is not dead ?” Genya said, a little surprised.
“ But how ?” Kanroji yelled, even though she did not intend to.
“ I think he used his threads.” Iguro said, a little shocked at Kanroji's yell. It was not common for her to be this agitated.
“ Can you please elaborate ? I do not get how those threads would help in this situation ?” Kanao asked as her voice echoed in the room after a silent coin flip, permitting her to speak.
“ Basically he cut his head off before Tanjiro Kun could cut it using his Katana. That way he was able to bind his head to his body again using his threads all while not being affected by the katana.” Shinobu explained to Kanao, happy that she spoke after a long while.
Once Tanjiro was done thinking about the several other demons he had killed, it showed Rui walking up to him from behind. None of Rui’s body showed signs of decay.
“ He is actually still alive.” Tanjiro sighed, as he comprehended that he actually failed in killing that demon.
“ How is Tanjiro going to fight this demon in this condition ?” Shinobu whispered.
“ How is that demon, Tui still alive ?” Inosuke yelled, as he got up, trying to throw his sword at the screen.
“ Stop Inosuke, please don’t damage the screen.” Tanjiro said as he got up to stop Inosuke.
‘ Is he a bit slow ? Kocho just explained.’ Sanemi thought as he shrugged and looked at the screen.
“Could he have survived that,” Tanjiro said.
Rui pulled some strings, lowered his head and then spoke, “You thought you’d defeated me? How sad for you. Did your delusion bring you a brief moment of joy? I cut my head off myself using my own thread, before you were able to do the job yourself.”
“ Seems like you were right, Shinobu and Iguro San.” Kanae sighed as she smiled forcefully.
“ Oh how I wished I was wrong.” Shinobu said.
Nezuko just looked at the screen in pain as she chewed her lips. Her mind cooked up all the possible scenarios as she tried to shake them off.
“ How am I going to defeat this demon ?” Tanjiro whispered, losing confidence in himself.
“ I believe you can do it just like the previous time, Tanjiro. Don’t lose faith in yourself.” Hinatusru said as she flashed him a smile, which Tanjiro reciprocated beautifully.
‘ I don’t think he can do it now. I just hope Tomioka or Kocho reach there soon and finish this bastard fast.’ Sanemi thought as he huffed in anger.
Tanjiro continued to crawl towards Nezuko. Rui’s head had been lowered from a tree branch.
“ Is that his head ?” Genya said as he pointed towards Rui’s head, his eyes widened in shock.
“ It looks a bit creepy.” Kanroji admitted.
“ Whatever we say, we have to admit it was a clever trick.” Shinobu sighed.
“ Agreed. He must be experienced to pull off such a trick.” Masachika said.
"Such an underhanded tactic," Himejima said sadly.
“Enough struggling, I’m going to kill both you and your sister. I haven’t been this incensed in a long time,” Rui said.
“ Get up Tanjiro. Please get up.” Zenitsu started firm but his voice became weak as he continued.
“ Get up, Oni Chan, you have to fight. I hope I am able to do something too.” Nezuko whispered, her eyes turning glossy.
‘ I have to use Recovery Breathing fast. He is going to harm Nezuko, He is going to harm Nezuko, HE IS GOING TO HARM NEZUKO.’ Tanjiro kept chanting the same in his thoughts, panic taking over his body.
“ I don't think he has enough energy to get up.” Aoi said, horrified at the realization.
‘ How will he kill Nezuko ? I thought demons could not kill each other ?’ Shinobu thought, as she suddenly gasped, ‘ No way is he going to let her burn in the sun after sunrise or is he going to use Tanjiro’s katana ?’
Get up. Get on your feet. You need to control your breathing. Hurry! There’s no time. Tanjiro thought as he continued to crawl.
‘ Fight Future me, please fight. Not for me but for Nezuko. You have to do it.’ Tanjiro thought, fear evident in his eyes.
‘ You can do it, Tanjiro.’ Many thought but nothing came out of their mouths seeing Tanjiro literally crawl for his life.
They knew Tanjiro was defenseless in front of Rui right now, but no one wanted to admit this reality.
“I wonder why you weren’t burned to cinders earlier in that explosion,” Rui said, as he reattached his head, “Me and my threads were the only thing set ablaze. I don’t know if it relates to your sister’s power, but it has enraged me all the same.”
“ I also saw that Nezuko Chan’s Blood Demon Art only affected Rui’s threads, not Tanjiro. Why is that ?” Aoi asked, a little confused.
Nezuko, however, looked a bit offended. How did they think she would let her Blood Demon Art hurt her own brother ?
“ Yeah, I agree. But it is quite interesting to note as well. What if Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art only affects the demons ?” Oyakata said, smiling. Nezuko is truly extraordinary.
“ I think her different aura and this explains her being a good demon. Are you still in doubt, Iguro San and Shinazugawa San ?” Shinobu chimed in with a lovely smile that somehow looked a little creepy to Iguro and Sanemi.
“ Yes.” Sanemi and Iguro said in unison, their tone leaving no room for Shinobu to question why.
“ I actually did not even think that Nezuko would maifest a Blood Demon Art, taking notice of the fact that she does not feed on humans and gains energy from sleeping.” Urokodaki said after the awkward silence left behind by Sanemi and Iguro’s blunt reply.
“ It is truly amazing.” Tanjiro smiled at her sister’s praise.
Nezuko, if not very stressed about Tanjiro’s situation, would have surely blushed. But right now she was very much worried to see how this would turn out.
“ Nezuko Chan’s Blood Demon Art is truly awesome right, Iguro San ?” Kanroji asked sweetly as she leaned on Iguro a bit.
“ Of course.” Iguro replied as he nodded his head, not able to deny Kanroji’s adorable face as his ears turned bright red.
Rui was clearly angry, he had several veins on his face that were prominent. Rui put his hands together, making five red threads appear. It zoomed into his eye again. It still reads, Lower Five.
“ He looks a little scary.” Zenitsu mumbled.
“ And angry.” Genya whispered, adding to Zenitsu’s statement.
“ His eyes look beautiful but creepy at the same time.” Kanroji said.
“ He summoned his threads again.” Aoi said as she sighed, scared for Tanjiro.
“Now I’m going to carve you up without regret,” Rui said.
“ He is gonna cut you in pieces.” Zenitsu said as he gasped when he saw Nezuko lightly glaring at him, “ I am sorry Nezuko Chan.”
“ I don’t think I have enough energy to fight with this demon now.” Tanjiro sighed as he fidgeted his fingers in nervousness.
“ You have to do something, Oni Chan.” Nezuko mumbled.
“ Think of something fast, Tanjiro.” Urokodaki said, worried for his disciple.
Tanjiro’s hand was shaking, he got lost in thought. If I use the correct breathing technique it doesn’t matter how exhausted I am!
“ Yes Tanjiro Kun. You can do it.” Kanroji suddenly yelled as she realized the same and turned red.
“ Sorry.” Kanroji said in a tiny voice, quite embarrassed as she covered her face with her hands.
‘ Yes, I can do it. I have to use the correct breathing and maybe I will be able to defeat this demon for real this time.’ Tanjiro thought as he stared at the screen in determination.
‘ This boy is really optimistic.’ Sanemi thought.
Rui pulled his hands apart and said, “Blood Demon Art! Murderous Eye Basket!”
“ Murderous Eye Basket.” Suma repeated in fear.
“ Hey, isn’t the Blood Demon Art different from the one he used before ?” Makio noted as she turned to see if anyone agreed.
“ I agree, it was Cutting Threads Cage from what I remember.” Shinobu said as she nodded.
“ Is this Blood Demon Art stronger than the previous one ?” Genya asked.
“ I can just hope that it is not.” Oyakata sighed.
“ Yes, Tanjiro was able to barely deal with the previous one.” Urokodaki said, shaking his head.
‘ I hope his misery ends soon.’ Himejima thought as he prayed to god, tears flowing through his cheeks.
‘ Where am I ?’ Muichiro thought, a bit lost as he stared on the wall beside the screen.
Several threads were on Rui’s hands. Making it look like a spiderweb. Just then a circle of red formed around Tanjiro, and several threads began to rise up and formed a dome.
“ It is surrounding him completely.” Shinobu said, worry evident in her eyes.
“ I can’t cut those now. The only way of cutting those before was using Hinokami Kagura but now I don’t think I have enough strength for performing it again.” Tanjiro said fearfully.
“ Plus you don’t have enough room to move without cutting yourself.” Muichiro added out of nowhere.
“ Explains why it was called Murderous eyes BASKET.” Iguro sighed.
Don’t let your breathing be disrupted, Tanjiro. Calm down.. Just stay calm. Tanjiro thought, the threads around him moved. I can’t raise… my arm!
“ How am I going to fight if I can’t raise my hands ?” Tanjiro yelled.
"The pain is hitting you, it's going to take a while before you can move normally," Shinobu said as she smiled sadly.
“ Although I appreciate you sharing your views, by sharing this you only stimulated their fear.” Kanae explained to Shinobu softly.
“ My apologies.” Shinobu said as she lightly bowed her head.
"I see," Tanjiro said, as he smiled, trying to console everyone around him, "That's fine, I'm sure that Tomioka-san or you are going to get there."
‘He's so optimistic, why won't he give up ?’ Iguro wondered.
Rui sent the threads to Tanjiro, they cut his hands. Blood and bits of his haori were flung into the air.
‘ Do something. Please.’ Nezuko whimpered mentally, tears threatening to flow out of her eyes.
‘ Is this really the end ?’ Tanjiro thought, his eyes wandering to Nezuko, ‘ I am sorry, Nezuko.’
“ It is really bloody.” Shinobu and Kanae sighed.
“ I hope Tomioka or Shinobu arrive soon.” Kanroji whispered.
‘ Is Tanjiro really going to die ?’ Giyuu thought, his eyes widened at the spontaneous thought.
Just then it cut to Tomioka who was running. He had his thumb on his sword, ready to draw it at the right time. He leaped forward, a string of water flowed from his sword.
“ Tomioka San !” Tanjiro yelled as his heart flipped in his chest. Hope rushed through his body.
“ Tomioka San is there. Now you are going to be alright.” Amane smiled.
‘ I am so glad that Tomioka San is here. Thank You for hearing my prayers, God.’ Nezuko thought as a few tears fell out of her eyes.
“ You are quite just on time. Any late and Tanjiro would have been in trouble.” Shinobu smiled a bit creepily.
“ What matters is that I made it on time anyways.” Giyuu responded, clearly not that keen in continuing a conversation with Shinobu.
"The Water Breathing effects are somewhat flashy. Although, I bet my breathing style will be even more flashy," Uzui said.
“ Of course, Tengen Sama.” Hinatsuru smiled as she boasted Uzui’s ego.
He brought his sword down, and the background was water. His face was covered by his hair. The red threads that were around Tanjiro were getting cut.
“ The effect looks flashy.” Uzui laughed.
“ Yeah, though this image of him makes him look a bit more hideous I will say.” Kanroji smiled.
“ I agree. His face is completely covered by his hair. It looks a bit scary.” Aoi mumbled, not intending for Giyuu to hear her but he did.
‘ Me, scary ?’ Giyuu thought, as he frowned a bit.
“ The threads ! They got cut ?” Tanjiro yelled in confusion.
“ Of course they did. The Water Hashira did this.” Sabito boasted his friend’s skill.
"Well now that Tomioka is there, the Lower Moon is going to be killed quickly," Iguro said, he had no doubts in Giyuu’s capability even though he did not like him.
"You have nothing to worry about now," Rengoku smiled.
‘ I am quite excited to see him fight for real right now. All of his fights earlier weren’t bad but did not showcase his talent well.’ Sabito thought as he looked at the screen in anticipation.
Somebody’s here. Is it Zenitsu? Tanjiro wondered, his mouth opening slightly.
“ Did you compare me with Zenitsu ?” Giyuu said, not meaning for it to come out as rude as it did.
“ I think I did. I am sorry.” Tanjiro said as he bowed.
“ There is no nee- It is fine.” Giyuu said, feeling a bit awkward.
Tomioka landed behind Tanjiro, but in front of Rui. The threads that were around Tanjiro were gone.
“ He cut all the threads already ?” Zenitsu stuttered out.
“ Yeah, that is so cool. It cost me my sword to cut those threads.” Tanjiro said, sparkles in his eyes.
“ Well, what can you expect from a Hashira ?” Shinobu laughed.
“ Hey, Split Haori ! I wanna fight you !” Inosuke yelled, charging towards Giyuu, only to be held back by Tanjiro in time.
“ No.” Giyuu replied a bit too bluntly as Inouske turned white and black in grief.
‘ That was brutal.’ Many in the room thought as Kanroji struggled to control her laugh.
“ Thank You so much, Tomioka San.” Nezuko said as she smiled and Giyuu nodded in recognition.
“You did a good job holding out until I got here,” Tomioka said, facing Rui. It then zoomed into his face as he spoke again, “Leave the rest to me.”
“ That is so cool.” Kanroji squealed.
“ How are you going to defeat him ? He is very strong.” Aoi asked, a little worried.
“ By using my sword.” Giyuu replied, clueless on why even Aoi was asking such a question.
“ I-” Aoi was speechless.
“ What confidence.” Many people in the room subconsciously mumbled.
Tanjiro looked back at Tomioka, fear was on Tanjiro’s face.
“You’re like an endless torrent of insignificant insects constantly getting in my way,” Rui said, several threads began to appear behind him, “Blood Demon Art…”
“ Again using insects and bugs as an insult.” Sanemi groaned, he loves bugs, particularly beetles, so it is hurting him.
Subconsciously his mind wandered back to Giyuu trying to convince him that animals are like curse words for demons. A small smile took over his face as he quickly shook his head, not caring about that memory. However, quite opposed to his actions, he quickly stole a glance at Giyuu, who seemed to be immersed in watching. Clicking his tongue, Sanemi again focused on the screen.
“ I hope they will stop using bugs as an insult, it is starting to offend me a little now.” Shinou said, smiling, no one could tell if she was serious or joking.
Rui began to move the threads, leaving a small circle in the middle. A giant ring of threads was behind him too. The red threads lit up the area slightly.
“ This looks so pretty.” Kanroji whispered.
“ This arrangement of threads differs from his previous ones. Could it be a new Blood Demon Art ?” Kanae asked.
“Maybe.” Shinobu answered vaguely.
‘ I wonder how ‘Yuu is going to counter this.’ Sabito thought.
“Cutting Thread Rotation,” Rui said.
“ It really is another type of his Blood Demon Art.” Masachika sighed.
“ The music playing behind really adds to the scene.” Uzui said, tuning to the sound.
“ I agree. I didn't even notice the music until you pointed it out right now.” Kanroji laughed.
It zoomed into Tomioka after Rui sent the threads his way. Just then the entire ground turned into water. The trees were gone and it was a darker blue behind Tomioka. As he spoke it continued to zoom into him.
“ What is happening ?” Many wondered. The scene was turning absurd.
"Wait! The whole ground turned into water," Sanemi yelled, in shock, "What happened to the forest and how the hell is Tomioka standing on water ?”
"Calm down Shinazugawa-san," Himejima said, "I'm sure that's just the special effects that Creator San made."
“ Absolutely correct, Himejima San.” The voice said.
“ What form is this? Even though the forms look different due to their representation through effects, this is something out of the box from what Urokodaki san taught me.” Tanjiro said, his eyes widening.
“ I agree. Even I don’t know what form it is.” Sabito mumbled in shock. Giyuu just looked away.
‘ Is it the form Giyuu made ?’ Urokodaki thought with a smile, eager to see the form in action.
“Total Concentration.. Water Breathing, Eleventh Form,” Tomioka said, it then showed him from behind, “Dead Calm.”
After Tomioka said that, the raging water between him and Rui settled quickly. The threads lit up Tanjiro’s face.
“ Eleventh Form ?” Makomo, Sabito and Tanjiro yelled all together.
“ What is this form ? Why didn’t you teach us this form, old man ?” Sabito asked Urokodaki, the fact that Giyuu made this form not even crossing his mind.
“ It is because I do not know how to perform this form as well.” Urokodaki replied. Giyuu was truly one of the best Hashiras he could give the Demon Slayer Corps.
“ Huh- How is this possibl–” Sabito started only to be interrupted by Shinobu.
"Oh, is this a form you made all by yourself," Shinobu asked, knowing it will be a shock for all the mentioned 3.
"It is," Giyuu responded, mentally preparing himself for all the questions that would be thrown at him.
“ You made a form ?” Sabito asked, his mind not registering the fact his friend made a form.
“ Yes…” Giyuu said, wearily.
“ YOU made a form ?” Sabito repeated as his mind finally comprehended that Giyuu made a form, his friend MADE a form.
“ Yes…” Giyuu replied, a little happy on Sabito’s excitement.
“ It is amazing.” Sabito hugged Giyuu tight, who hugged him back, showing a tiny smile.
This caused many people to smile too. The cold Water Hashira is smiling with some sweet words. Truly a sight to see.
“ I am so excited to see how this form works.” Sabito said, a grin not leaving his face, as he barely contained his excitement.
“ Me too. I am sure it is going to be powerful.” Makomo and Tanjiro smiled.
“ The calm waters in the surrounding area are so peaceful.” Kanae said.
“ I agree. It is beautiful.” Kanroji squealed as she gave a sweet smile.
“ Now this is something flashy. Never knew you had it in you, Tomioka.” Uzui laughed.
‘ I wonder how this form works ? But Giyuu fighting is something I witness f*cking rarely. I am now starting to like this screening.’ Sanemi thought.
‘ This boy. He made an eleventh form. A new form, it is something that has not been created by anyone as far as I know. Water Breathing derived from Sun Breathing, meaning all of its forms are derived from Sun Breathing as well, Tomioka was able to create a new form directly from Sun Breathing.’ Shinjuro thought as he scoffed, ‘ So what ? It is not like he can use Sun Breathing.’
“The Eleventh Form,” Tanjiro said in shock.
“It doesn’t matter what technique you use on me,” Rui said angrily.
“ Oh he is clueless.” Sabito grinned.
“ Do you even know how the form works ?” Sanemi asked.
“ No.” Sabito replied, still grinning, way too absorbed to even react to who is asking the question.
“ Then how do you know it can beat that demon in an instance ?” Masachika continued for his friend as Sanemi nodded.
“ I... I-I just know.” Sabito huffed as Giyuu smiled at the faith Sabito had in him. Oh, how he had failed Sabito.
He sent every thread to Tomioka. However, not a single thread, injured or even reached Tomioka. Tomioka seemingly was standing still. Rui’s eyes widened in shock and anger.
“ Wahh. Not even a single thread hit you ?” Tanjiro said, sparkles in his eyes.
“ I WANNA DO THAT.” Came a distant yell.
“ What the f*ck? He is literally standing still.” Iguro said as he pointed towards Giyuu on the screen.
“ Yeah, he is not moving at all, then how is he able to cut those threads ?” Suma asked as Urokodaki gave Giyuu a knowing smile.
“What,” Rui said.
Tomioka put his sword to the water, and a small ripple appeared. Every single thread that Rui sent towards Tomioka was falling to the ground.
“ Actually he is moving, just faster than we can comprehend, or see him move.” Kanao said after a coin flip.
“ That is amazing.” Sabito said with bubbling pride as he patted Giyuu’s shoulder as praise.
‘ Tomioka San is so talented.’ Tanjiro thought in pride.
“ That is very talented of you, Tomioka.” Himejima said. It was the first time for him to witness this form.
“ That is quite useful, right, Tomioka Sa- Tomioka ?” Kanae said as she corrected herself after remembering the small remark Giyuu gave her.
“ It is. It was very helpful in some tough situations.” Giyuu replied.
“ But is it safe for you to do it very frequently ?” Shinobu asked, knowing there is something fishy in this. This was something she noticed when sometimes after the fights Giyuu’s heart rate is a bit low. She has an inkling that it is related to this form only.
“.....” Giyuu was not able to form words. He knew if he replied to this, he would be in great trouble.
“ Please reply, Tomioka san. I asked you a question.” Shinobu said, poking Giyuu’s shoulder a bit as she spoke.
“ May I intervene ?” A voice suddenly rang in the hall as it was followed by complete silence.
“ Of course, Creator San.” Shinobu smiled.
“ Tomioka Giyuu’s Eleventh form. In this form, Tomioka Giyu ceases all body movements and enters a state of complete tranquility, deflecting, blocking, and cutting any incoming attacks with the imperceptible speed with his blade. However, this form is limited to only fast and agile attacks. While performing this form, Tomioka’s heart rate drops down significantly. This is the reason why he took some time to perfect the form, and can not use it very frequently.” The voice explained, as everyone keenly listened, only to gasp at the end.
“ Can the overuse of this prove to be fatal ?” Sabito’s calm voice echoed in the hall, shortly answered by the voice again.
“ Yes, it can be fatal or cause fatigue, but this has not happened till now, due to Tomioka being careful.”
“ Thank You.” Both Sabito and Shinobu said.
“ Please take care of yourself, Tomioka San.” Kanroji whispered.
“ Yes, please refrain from overusing this form in the future too.” Rengoku said as he smiled.
“ On the other hand, this form is very flashy. He can block attacks pretty efficiently.” Uzui said in a loud voice, diverting everyone’s mind from the new information as the atmosphere became brighter.
“ I agree. Tomioka San is really amazing.” Kanroji smiled.
‘ Creating such a useful form. Is this why he behaves arrogant ? Not gonna lie, if I made a form like this, maybe I would be a little arrogant too.’ Sanemi and Iguro thought quietly, trying to reason Giyuu’s aloof behavior.
“What’s going on, what did he do? The instant they touched him, the threads scattered. Not even one of them reached him. The strongest threads of all were destroyed? That cannot be,” Rui said, putting out his hands ready to attack again, “I’ll try it again.”
“ He can’t be serious. He just saw Tomioka demolish his threads.” Sanemi sighed.
“ He is so calm.” Tanjiro noted.
“ Well the Creator said that Tomioka San has to maintain a state of tranquility in order to keep the form in place.” Nezuko said.
During Rui’s panic Tomioka casually walked over to Rui. Rui blinked and Tomioka was no longer in front of him. Rather, his sword was. Within the blink of an eye Tomioka’s sword sliced through Rui’s neck.
“ H-How ?” Tanjiro stuttered. Giyuu just cut it ? Just like that ?
“ You cut the neck so effortlessly? How is that possible ?” Genya asked, surprised.
“ Because that is a Hashira for you ?” Sabito said more like asked.
“ That is most probably because the Hashiras have way more skills and experience needed for slaying demons. Adding to the fact that they are highly skilled swordsmen or women. It is said that the blade draws its strength from the user. So, as strong as the user, as strong is your sword.” Amane explained with a smile.
“ I hope this time he doesn't pull any of those cheap tricks.” Iguro sighed.
“ I think he will not, he was quite off guard when Tomioka San appeared in front of him suddenly.” Kanroji said.
Rui’s head slid forward, while Tomioka kept walking. Swiping the sword to get the blood off. Rui’s head then fell to the floor. It cut to the Sister Demon, she was running through the forest. Her breathing was heavy too.
"Good job, you killed the Lower Moon," Oyakata smiled.
"And good riddance," Sanemi scoffed as he crossed his arms on his chest.
“ How cold of you to not even spare that demon a glance.” Shinobu commented.
Giyuu just stared at her dead in the eye, not wanting to engage her.
‘ This person looks like a decorative object but nonetheless is good.’ Muichiro thought, as he gave a small smile. ‘Wait. What was I smiling at ?’ After a bit of brainstorming on the same, Muichiro just shrugged it off, knowing he won’t remember it after a bit.
“ The way you wiped off the blood from the sword is so cool.” Senjuro said politely as Giyuu gave a him a tiny nod.
“ I agree. ‘Yuu is so cool.” Sabito smiled.
‘ I am thankful that I was able to save 2 of the people from dying the same way as Sabito. Tanjiro with the same broken sword and Inosuke as he was going to get his skull crushed.’ Giyuu thought as a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.
“ Oh, we are now viewing the sister demon ?” Zenitsu asked.
“ I think so. It will be a bit intriguing though.” Kanae sighed.
“ Are we not going to view his past ?” Aoi asked.
“ I think not, we only viewed the past of demons killed by Tanjiro due to him empathizing with them but this demon is killed by Tomioka San, who does not.” Hinatsuru explained.
“ Why are we watching these demons ?” Iguro scoffed.
I messed up! I really messed up! This whole time we were pretending to be a family, I was the only one who had a perfect tract record until now. Sister demon thought, her hands covered her ears.
“ I really do not want to watch demons anymore. They make me sick.” Iguro said as Sanemi nodded, agreeing with his friend.
“ But what is she talking about ?” Shinobu asked, clearly interested.
“ ‘The only one with a perfect record.’ What does that mean?” Tanjiro asked, confused.
“ I think something related to the ‘roles’ Rui talked about.” Urokodaki answered, his gaze quite harsh as he stared at the sister demon.
“ Maybe. It sounds somewhat reasonable seeing Rui’s obsession over roles in a family.” Suma said.
“ Her running away is so unflashy.” Uzui said as he laid back on his seat a bit. The good flamboyant part was over now.
“ I agree. She looks so scared.” Kanroji mumbled.
“ It is so weird to see demons showing so many emotions.” Genya sighed.
It showed a flashback. Someone in a green kimono was running through the same woods. Once it showed her face, it was clear she was a demon. Her sclera was black, the same was her short hair.
“ Wait, who is that in the green kimono ?” Tanjiro said, squirting his eyes to see if he will get a better look.
“ We cut to another scene, it is not possible to know who that is. Maybe a figure from the sister demon’s past.” Shinobu guessed.
“ I think it is clear that she is a demon, her eyes are black.” Kanae said, pointing her finger towards the black sclera.
“ I think that is the sister demon. But Kocho can be right too.” Rengoku smiled. This feeling of his if proved to be right only cooks up more questions.
It showed her from the front, she was running away from a group of Demon Slayers. She nearly tripped over her feet, but she continued running. Falling down, in front of a house.
“ She is running away from demon slayers ?” Kanroji questioned.
“ She is running away from demon slayers.” Iguro repeated, the only change being his affirmative tone.
“ She tripped.” Tanjiro stated.
“ She is dead. There are about 4 to 5 demon slayers in front of her.” Genya noted.
“We finally cornered her,” Demon Slayer 1 said.
“Hey look,” Demon Slayer 2 said.
“Huh,” Demon Slayer 1 said.
“ What is that guy pointing at ?” Rengoku said, his gaze followed the slayer’s direction.
“ I have a bad feeling.” Masachika sighed.
All five of the Demon Slayers looked up. Rui was standing on the roof of the abandoned house. It zoomed into him, his kimono looked slightly different from the present.
“ Is that Rui ?” Shinobu gasped lightly.
“ I think that is.” Kanroji said, her eyes widened at the new information.
“ His Kimono looks a bit different from some time ago. Is this the past ?” Iguro gasped at the idea.
“ I think yes. And that demon is actually the sister demon as Rengoku San suggested previously.” Kanae said, all making sense.
“A demon,” Demon Slayer 2 said.
“It’s just a runt,” Demon Slayer 1 said, “But even if it looks like a kid, it’s still a threat! If we let it go, it’ll devour humans.”
“ Don’t tell me he is going to kill those slayers.” Tanjiro sighed.
“ Well, it is a demon, what do you expect ?” Sanemi snorted.
“ I just hope those slayers are still alive.” Kanroji smiled in hope.
"Me too, it'd be a shame to lose more of my children," Oyakata said softly.
“You there,” Rui said, “Tell me, do you want me to save you?”
“ Save her ?” Urokodaki said.
“ Maybe he is talking about saving her from the demon slayers.” Nezuko explained.
“ He is going to save her ? It is quite absurd.” Shinobu sighed as she relaxed a bit.
“What,” She asked.
“I will do so, if you’ll do whatever I ask,” Rui said.
“ That is just straight up blackmailing.” Tanjiro yelled.
“ Yes. Like who would refuse you in such a situation ?” Kanroji added.
“ I just hope it is not something absurd.” Sabito sighed.
"I think there's probably some cruel task he's thinking of," Zenitsu sighed.
“Yes, I accept! I’ll do whatever you want, just save me,” She yelled.
“So then, you’ll become part of my family,” Rui clarified.
“ He is asking her to be his family ?” Uzui repeated Rui’s dialogue in passive speech.
“ Don’t tell me he has been collecting his family like this only. His father, mother are a result of this exchange.” Tanjiro said, feeling sick in the stomach for some reason.
“ I can only hope not.” Shinobu sighed.
“ The biggest point in this situation is that he by no means thinks that it is some kind of blackmailing. It is clear he thinks they chose to be here, with him.” Hinatusuru said as she sighed.
“ Which is not true, they chose to be saved, which anyone would but not be a candidate for his supposed family.” Nezuko said, still salty from Rui’s actions towards Tanjiro.
“ It is so sick.” Sanemi said.
“Yes, just help me,” She yelled again.
“What are they talking about,” Demon Slayer 1 asked, stepping towards the demon, “Alright, it’s over for you.”
“ They should just kill the demon fast.” Genya said, not knowing what else to say.
“ They should focus on fighting him, not talking to him.” Muichiro said, his tone airheaded but gaze focused.
“ I agree, they are just wasting their time.” Sanemi scoffed.
“ I have an inkling they will not be able to kill Rui.” Kanroji sighed.
Rui then sent out ten threads, at the Demon Slayers. Breaking their swords into several pieces then dismembering them all. She stood up, and looked at the bloody bodies of the broken Demon Slayers.
All of the Demon Slayers stared at the screen in horror.
Several of them looked like they were about to vomit, from the amount of gore. While others looked away, trying to respect those who had died.
Himejima was praying for the victims. Tanjiro just stared at the screen. Sanemi was mumbling curses for the demons as Iguro was silently agreeing to them.
“ He killed them just like that.” Inosuke yelled.
“ That was so brutal and cruel.” Kanroji whispered.
Stopping was heard behind the demon. She turned around and saw seven demons that all looked similar. Including the demons the trio had killed. It zoomed in, showing each of the demons.
“ There are so many demons that Rui most probably blackmailed into his family.” Shinobu said, her voice firm but her face was still smiling as she chanted mentally, ‘Only immature people can’t control their emotions.’
“ At least they are getting a family.” Kanroji sadly smiled.
“ A family forced to live together while sharing no real bond.” Iguro whispered, slow enough for Kanroji to not hear.
“ Wait, there are 7 demons here.” Makio suddenly pointed out.
“ And out of them, only 3 have been killed.” Kanae added.
“ Does that mean that there are more demons on the mountain ?” Masachika asked.
“ I hope you are wrong.” Zenitsu mumbled.
“Uh,” she said.
Rui walked behind her and grabbed her hand. His eye still read Lower Five.
“ He was still lowermoon 5 when this happened.” Aoi asked.
“ I guess he was.” Inosuke huffed.
“ He must be quite experienced and old if that is the case.” Tanjiro sighed.
“Welcome home,” Rui said, “Starting today, you will also be part of my family.”
“ He is going to do something with her. She does not look like she does in the present.” Oyakata mumbled.
“ I agree. She lacks the markings on her face and her hair is different.” Amane added, still whispered.
It showed the hallway of the abandoned house, Then it showed Rui the new demon and another demon. They were sitting in a room, lit by a candle. Between Rui and the demon was a small bowl.
“ It gives eerie vibes.” Kanroji said.
“ Yeah, it is not flashy at all.” Uzui scoffed.
“ I have no idea about what is going to happen.” Masachika sighed.
Rui put a thread in his mouth, pulled it tight and pricked his thumb. Rui put the drop of blood into the bowl, changing the water red. The female spider demon picked up the bowl and handed it to the other demon girl.
“ What is this happening ?” Genya mumbled.
“ Why did he put his blood in the bowl ?” Tanjiro questioned.
“ Maybe it is some ritual to make her a part of his family.” Shinobu guessed.
“ Something to make their bond blood related or more genuine ?” Giyuu spoke up, though his voice was very soft an-d not audible to most.
“ Right, but it is still weird.” Kanroji said.
“ But what are they going to do with that bowl ?” Senjuro asked.
“ Why is she handing it to the other girl ?” Suma asked.
“Drink this,” She said, “This drink that exists in our family is all thanks to Rui. And since all of us were quite weak, Rui shared his power with us. He is a favorite of a certain someone, and because of that, he has permission to do this.”
“ Drink this ?” Tanjiro said, feeling a bit disgusted.
“ It is to create a type of a blood bond. That must make him feel like she is his family a bit more.” Shinobu mumbled.
“ ‘Sharing his power with them ?’ He is sharing some of his power with her through his blood ?” Kanae said, though her voice was a bit hesitant.
“ That sounds creepy.” Kanroji whispered.
"Oh, you shared your power with them. Damn demons," Sanemi said.
The demon looked at the bowl. She was a bit confused, but she drank it anyway. After a second or two, her eyes widened and she started gagging. Her body began to shake and she dropped the bowl.
“ She drank it anyway ?” Aoi said, a little shocked.
“ Of course, even you would if you had your life in his hands.” Masachika replied bluntly for Aoi to comprehend.
“ Why is she reacting in that way ?” Kanroji asked, seeing the sister demon gagging.
"Probably because Rui has more of Muzan's blood, so once more of his blood entered her she began to react," Shinobu guessed on the basis of the information provided by Muzan in the early episodes.
"That makes sense," Sanemi said.
“Do you feel it,” Rui asked, “There’s no need to fear those Demon Slayers any longer. Now then, time for the finishing touches.”
“ f*ck. Did he actually share some of his power with her through his blood ?” Sanemi said, his eyes a little wide at the realization.
“ I think yes. Only that could justify his statement of ‘no need to fear Demon Slayers’.” Iguro responded to Sanemi, who nodded.
“ Finishing touches ? What is that supposed to mean ?” Tanjiro said, his voice filled with worry.
“ I can only say that it does not mean any good.” Shinobu sighed.
She was foaming at the mouth, and tears were forming in her eyes. The veins in her face started looking like they were going to burst. Then, Rui put his hand on her face and started ripping the skin off her face.
Many demon slayers, especially the new ones along with Suma and Nezuko gagged at the scene. The feeling of nausea not going away while others just stared at the screen in sympathy.
Tears began pouring out of Himejima’s eyes as he watched the screen through his glasses, while Muichiro just stared at the screen.
“ She looks in so much pain.” Kanroji whispered.
“ She does.” Rengoku said, the smile disappearing from his face.
“ I agree, she looks like she has been stabbed in the heart a few times.” Sabito added.
“ What the hell ? Why is he ripping her skin off ?” Iguro yelled.
“ I have a feeling that is where the markings come from.” Kaanae sighed.
“ I can just hope that is it so that she doesn’t have to bear more.” Urokodaki said.
“ I am going to get sick.” Zenitsu said as he was on the verge of puking.
“ Just stay away from me, don’t vomit on me.” Genya said, as he shifted a bit on the other side.
“ Do you want wate- Wait, we don’t have water.” Tanjiro sighed as he patted Zenitsu’s back.
“ I will provide Water for everyone.” Creator said as a clear bottle of water appeared on the sides of everyone’s seat.
“ Thank you.” Tanjiro said as he opened the bottle and gave it to Zenitsu, many others replicating the actions.
“ My only hope here is that she is a demon and won’t die of this.” Shinobu sighed as she gulped some water.
She screamed in pain. It panned down to her greenish kimono, blood was splattering on it. After a bit, it showed the floor. She was panting, trying to calm down. It moved over to her, her brown hair was on the ground. It was replaced with snow white hair.
“ That is so f*cking brutal.” Sanemi yelled.
“ He just changed her whole appearance in the most cruel way possible.” Iguro sighed.
“ Just look at the amount of blood.” Shinobu said as she looked away.
“ I am just glad they did not show us her face getting torn off.” Kanroji said.
“ Her brown hair on the ground.” Suma whispered.
Her hand was over her face, it had blood on it too. Her sclera was no longer black, it was white. Her appearance matched every other member of Rui’s family. Rui was standing above her, while the other female demon sat next to her with a smile.
“ Her whole outer look changed.” Aoi said, amused.
“ Yeah, her hair is no longer brown but white her eyeballs are no longer black but white.” Shinobu sighed.
“ That is how he fits those demons into his so-called perfect family.” Kanroji huffed, her nostrils flaring in anger.
“ How can all of the others sit there smiling like they did not just witness someone’s face being torn off ?” Tanjiro questioned, feeling anger. Was this the way Nezuko would be treated if Tomioka San did not arrive on time ? Or he wasn’t able to save Nezuko ?
“ Well, that is demons for you.” Sanemi sighed.
“ Or maybe they have gone through the same treatment and are used to seeing it.” Giyuu reasoned in his monotonous voice.
“Good, you can look now,” Rui said.
She moved her hand, blood was splattered on her white skin. Her eyelashes were teal, and her eyes were spider-like. Her base appearance was just like every other spider demon in Rui’s fake family.
“Congratulations,” Rui said, “You’re truly part of the family.”
“ She looks like a perfect shell of what he seeks from a family.” Kanroji sighed.
“ How awful it must be for her.” Rengoku said, frowning.
“ This whole process is nothing if not torture.” Shinobu sighed.
“ He does not even seem bothered like he is used to it.” Iguro said, a little shocked.
“ She is literally being forced to stay with a ton of strangers.” Tanjiro said.
It cut to the dining hall. All of the spider demons were sitting down. They all looked nearly identical. Except for Father spider, his skin was darker and his face was odd. It showed each member of the family. They had bowls in front of them, but there was nothing in them.
“ All of them look like some dolls, so identical that it is creepy.” Suma said.
“ This is the family Rui wanted.” Shinobu sighed as she thought, ‘ Though I wonder why ?’
“ They are all sitting like a normal family would do but somehow it doesn’t just sit well.” Nezuko said.
“ They have nothing in their bowls ?” Makio said, confused.
“ It is a good clue that demons, well most of the demons don;t eat anything other than humans.” Kanae said, trying to be as productive as possible.
“We’re only playing house,” female demon 1 said.
“What,” Sister Demon said.
“There’s no blood relation. We’re just a band of strangers,” Female demon 1 said.
"She's the demon who gave the other demon the bowl," Kanroji said, as she ducked her head.
"She seems unhappy," Himejima said, as tears poured down his eyes.
“ That would be because of how she was forced to change herself like the sister demon.” Makomo said.
"That's true, they really are just just a group of saved demons," Shinobu said, "How sad."
‘ She is not actually sad. How weird.’ Tanjiro thought as he did not get a touch of sadness from Shinobu’s scent, only anger.
She looked outside, a voice was apologizing.
“I’m so sorry,” the female voice said, “I’ll do better, Rui! I’ll work harder to keep it from happening! Promise.”
“ Who is this ?” Rengoku asked, hearing a foreign voice.
“ She sounds pitiful and scared.” Kanroji said.
"She doesn't look like the rest of the family," Iguro noticed.
It moved outside, giving them a better sight at what was happening. A seemingly young demon was begging to Rui. She had dark hair, pale skin, green eyes, and black face markings. But the weirdest thing was that she was wearing Mother Spider’s kimono.
“ She looks younger than Rui.” Shinobu sighed.
“ Her eyes are beautiful.” Kanroji whispered.
“ Why is she begging to Rui ?” Aoi asked.
“ Maybe she did not do something that was meant to be her ‘role’.” Sanemi scoffed, as he huffed.
"I wonder why she looks different," Tanjiro said.
“ I agree, is she not a part of Rui’s family ?” Oyakata asked.
Kanao flipped her coin and said, "She's wearing the Mother Spider's kimono."
“I didn’t mean to revert to this form. It just happens by accident sometimes,” She tried to explain.
Rui moved his hand to the side, pulling a string that was attached to her neck. She gagged, and blood spilled from the wound. After enough gagging, Rui let go of the thread.
“ Reverted back ?” Zenitsu asked, a little surprised.
“ There is no way that she is who I think she is.” Kanroji said, her eyes widening at the realization.
“ That is the mother demon.” Giyuu said, deadplan.
"He is choking her, she already said it was an accident," Tanjiro said.
“I don’t want your excuses, Mother,” Rui said firmly.
Just then, the small girl demon morphed back into the Mother Demon, her back hair turning white again.
“ Maybe she is not giving excuses. From what we have seen this transformation or whatever is so painfull, it is not her fault that she can’t sustain it.” Nezuko yelled, feeling angry, she was able to view her own mother in that mother demon.
“ And of course maintaining genetic changes would not be easy for her.” Kanae said softly, feeling pity for the mother demon.
‘ She reminds me of how I used to hear mother scream and explain when father.. no that man used to try beat her.’ Genya thought, his eyes softening a bit.
‘ Damn these demons. I swear I am going to kill evryone of them.’ Sanemi said as he took a few breaths to calm himself down, trying to push all the lingering thoughts about the past aside.
“ At least now that she has turned back, maybe he will be a little polite.” Kanroji sighed.
“You will play your assigned role,” Rui said.
“I understand, Rui,” Mother Spider said.
“ I don’t understand one thing, if he genuinely feels the need of a family, why abuse them ?” Kanroji asked.
“ Because for him above the need of family is his obsession with roles. The roles designated to each member of the family.” Shinobu clarified.
‘ Why are demons so complex now ? It was easy seeing them when we thought of them as man eating monsters.’ Sanemi sighed, even though he still refused to feel any sympathy towards them.
Rui walked away from the demon. And Female Demon 1 continued talking.
“We were so scared of the Demon Slayers, and sought companionship. But this charade, I don’t think that’s what any of us had in mind when we agreed to this. But at the end of the day, those who disappoint him are punished. They get carved up, get their intellect taken or are forced to burn in the sunlight. I can’t take it any longer,” She said.
“ This just proves our theory, they were all just asking to be saved from Rui.” Masachika said, his eyes sharp.
“ They were all just seeking to be saved, not trapped in this fake family.” Nezuko sighed.
"She seems calm, and scared," Suma said.
"She seems rather peaceful," Kanroji said.
"Wait, if they mess up they get carved up, or are forced to burn? That's so cruel," Tanjiro yelled.
"I agree, it is quite cruel. It's a good thing Tomioka-san killed that demon," Shinobu sighed.
Giyuu truned to look at Shinobu on the mention as Shinobu smiled slightly.
“ The fact that the only one not actually serving his role of being a child is Rui. He is not supposed to abuse his parents or siblings.” Sabito said as he snorted at the hypocrisy.
“I’ll pretend I never heard that, instead,” Sister Demon sighed.
“I can tell you’re not like the others. You’re much more enlightened. Let’s run away together,” She said, “I wouldn’t say this to anyone but you. You’re the one person I truly think of as my younger sister.”
"They were planning to run away. I hope it works out for them," Kanroji said.
"It likely didn't," Iguro sighed.
“ Same. I have a feeling that it did not work out well for them.” Rengoku said.
"Huh? What makes you say that," Kanroji asked.
"Even if they managed to escape, they would probably be killed by a Demon Slayer," Shinobu responded, feeling the same.
“ What is concering for me is that the sister demon is still in touch with Rui.” Tanjiro sighed.
“ And that the other demon was nowhere to be seen. Most likely killed by a demon slayer as Kocho San suggests.” Aoi said.
She extended her hand, and Sister Demon took it. The two of them held hands as they ran through the forest.
“Tomorrow, Rui will be summoned by that man and descend the mountain. That will be our chance to escape,” She said to Sister Demon earlier.
“ It is odd seeing demons behave so peaceful.” Shinobu sighed.
“ On the brighter side, it is good to see it as well. The demons not being blood thirsty for their prey or to other demons is indeed a rare sight.” Rengoku said as he smiled.
"This is so sad," Zenitsu said.
"I agree, they were fleeing. But I think something is going to go wrong," Tanjiro sighed.
“ Who is that man they are talking about ?” Oyakata asked.
“ Is it Kibitsuji Muzan ?” Amane whispered.
The two of them ran down a path, however Rui stood in the path. She gasped, and Sister Demon let go of her hand… and walked over to Rui. She knew what this meant, she was going to get punished. Sister Demon didn’t even look at her, while Rui looked angry.
“ They got caught ?” Kanroji sighed, feeling worry.
“ Why is she going towards Rui ? He can harm her.” Tanjiro yelled, only to be shocked.
“ Don’t tell me it is what I think it is.” Giyuu sighed as he involuntarily closed his eyes.
"Wait, the Sister Demon sold them out," Kanroji said, sadly.
"She likely knew that they wouldn't escape so she chose to save herself," Shinobu sighed.
"How sad," Himejima said.
“ Right the other demon showed so much trust in her, only for the sister demon to break it like it was nothing.” Kanae said, sadly.
“ Well as Shinazugawa said previously, that is a demon for you.” Iguro said, not much affected by this.
‘ Maybe my hate for them isn’t much wrong. She just sold her like it was nothing.’ Shinobu thought, strengthening herself. Unknown to her, Sanemi was thinking the same.
“ Rui looks so angry. I hope he doesn’t do much harm.” Tanjiro sighed.
It skipped forward, showing her all bloody. Hung up on the roof, just waiting for the sun to rise. She looked down, the blood stood out on her white body and kimono.
"What the hell. She's getting pinned to the roof," Tanjiro whispered.
“ They left her to burn in the sunlight ?” Aoi gasped.
“ It looks like they have beaten her prior to it too.” Sanemi said, his tone strangely respectful.
"That's so sad," Kanroji said.
"Being forced to burn, what a cruel fate," Iguro sighed.
“How disappointing,” Rui said, as he started to head inside.
Sister Demon took one glance at her, and followed Rui. The sun began to rise over the mountains, she began to tear up. As she became engulfed in flames, and burned alive.
“ She must be in so much pain when all she wanted was to be free.” Kanae said, disheartened at the scene.
Many people in the room ducked their heads feeling genuine sympathy for that demon.
“ He does not even look bothered. For god’s sake he just burned his sister alive.” Kanroji yelled.
They were all fools, but I’m not like them! And yet, I still messed up! Sister Demon thought. She went through another memory.
“Rui, Rui. Mother’s been killed, and our elder brother too! What now? The Demon Slayers aren’t far behind us. Rui, shouldn’t we make a run for it,” Sister Demon asked, her eyes reverting slightly.
“ She thinks they were stupid ?” Shinobu said, smiling sad*stically as her hold on her blade got a bit tight.
“ This doesn’t seem long before you show up.” Urokodaki said as he turned to look at Tanjiro.
“ Yes, I think it is just before I was thrown here.” Tanjiro said as he nodded.
“ She looks so scared.” Kanae said.
“ She is reverting back ?” Zenitsu said as he pointed to her eyes.
“ I hope she doesn’t revert much. At least not noticeable.” Kanroji sighed.
“ Yeah, I think we all know her fate if she reverted back.” Himejima sighed as tears pooled out of his eyes.
Rui looked at her and started walking towards her. She began to back up in fear. Rui had the threads in his hand, ready to scrape her.
“ I think it is too late to worry.” Amane sighed.
“ Yes, he already noticed the change.” Hinatsusru said as she sighed.
“ I hope Tanjiro arrives just now so that she is saved.” Kanroji hoped.
“ I think she deserves some of it, seeing what she did to that other demon.” Sanemi said, clicking his tongue.
Many people looked away in disgust knowing Rui will do some harm to her face, by those threads of his.
But the impact they were expecting, a scream never came, all of them looked at the screen again.
“No,” She said, fearfully.
She screamed in pain as blood spilled on the ground. Rui’s threads were dripping blood.
"She sounds so scared," Zenitsu said.
"It's odd, hearing a demon sound so scared," Genya said.
Many people in the room closed their eyes as reflex when they saw what Rui did. Many looked away, not much bothered while others sighed.
No, Shinobu.. we don't feel bad for demons. Shinobu thought, as she widened her smile, trying to get her act together..
‘How cruel.’ Himejima thought. ‘I'll pray that she finds peace in the afterlife.’
“I’ve told you before. I really hate it when your face changes back like that,” Rui said, firmly.
“ Just because he hates it doesn't mean he can just slash her face. Bastard.” Sanemi yelled.
“ Why does he even hate it ?” Aoi snorted, feeling angry.
“ Maybe it reminds him that it is an assembled family, not a real one.” Shinobu said, smiling.
She was sobbing on the ground. Then it showed Tanjiro, who was behind the tree. She was staring at the ground.
“ Tanjiro, you are here.” Kanroji smiled in relief.
“ Yeah, we know that nothing more than this happens now.” Kanae said.
“ Other than getting her face cut off.” Sanemi said, bluntly.
“What are you looking at,” Rui asked, “This isn’t a play, you know.”
It went back to the present, she was still running.
“ We are back to the present.” Genya noted.
“ U think this time we are going to see stuff from the sister demon’s perspective.” Shinobu said.
I only got my face slashed, I got off easy! She thought.
"Got it off easy," Senjuro said softly.
"The abuse she went through happened so much that she thinks that getting her face cut is getting off easy," Tanjiro said angrily.
“ I can’t even imagine her pain right now.” Kanroji sighed.
‘ I can.’ Many in the hall thought.
“ Is she going to complete the task Rui gave her ?” Nezuko whispered.
As she kept running she ran into a Demon Slayer. It was Murata.
“A demon,” Murata shouted.
“ Murata San.” Tanjiro said softly.
“ I hope he is able to release this poor soul from all this misery.” Himejima prayed.
“ I doubt he will be able to.” Iguro snorted.
“ Just look at how he screamed.” Sanemi huffed, supporting Iguro’s claim.
She released something from her hand. It surrounded Murata in a cocoon. She ran forward. Murata was encased in it.
"What the hell is that," Inosuke yelled.
"It looks like a cocoon," Tanjiro said.
“ Is this her Blood Demon Art ?” Shinobu said, suspiciously.
“ I think so, but it is a little weak.” Sanemi said.
“What the,” Murata said.
He tried to stab at it, but it wasn’t working.
“It’s no use, that won’t work,” Sister Demon said, “My ball of yarn may feel soft, but it’s also quite durable.”
“ Is it a ball of yarn ?” Tanjiro questioned, as it was later revealed as affirmative.
“ His stabs aren’t working. How is he going to get out ?” Kanroji sighed.
"Just his luck that the ball of yarn is durable too." Sanemi scoffed, "I hope that Kocho helps him soon."
"I'll do my best," Shinobu smiled, amused by Sanemi’s absurd hope.
Murata began to scream as a green slime began to fill the ball of yarn.
"Ah! What the hell is that green stuff," Zenitsu yelled.
“ Where the hell is that coming from ?” Inosuke yelled just as high as Zenitsu.
“ I think it is some kind of acid that will dissolve him alive.” Shinobu said, unusually very unfazed.
“ That sounds disgusting.” Iguro said.
“ I hope Kocho San is wrong.” Tanjiro said.
“ I hope the same.” Shinobu sighed.
“First the solvent will melt your clothes down to nothing. And then it’ll be your turn,” Sister Demon explained, “After you’re reduced to a pulp, I’ll feed on your remains.”
"That's gruesome," Hinatsuru said.
"At least there isn't blood," Suma said, trying to think positive.
"You're so stupid Suma, both scenarios make him die," Makio yelled.
“ I hope Shinobu arrives in time, now that we know Tomioka is with Tanjiro.” Kanae said.
“I am sure I will. It will be just fine because the process sounds a bit lengthy.” Shinobu smiled.
“Wow, that’s incredible,” Kocho’s voice said.
“ There she is.” Iguro said, a little relieved now.
“ Now Murata San will be safe.” Kanroji said, happily.
“ I hope you fight well.” Kanae said, eager to see Shinobu fightling.
Shinobu just nodded with a smile, her face quite opposite to the turmoil she was feeling inside. She knew her ways and knew that from the screening of her fight Kanae will get to know about her act. For the first time in a long while, Shinobu was scared.
‘ Kocho San’s scent says that she is angry and scared. Is she not confident about her fight ? But that is a non ranked demon. She is a Hashira, she should be able to defeat that demon easily.’ Tanjiro thought, confused.
It showed the side. Kocho’s hand was on Sister Demon’s shoulder. Her eyes were widened in shock, and worry.
"Woah, Kocho San, you're so fast," Tanjiro praised, trying to ease her a bit.
"Why thank you," Shinobu smiled, her scent still the same.
‘She's so pretty.’ Zenitsu thought. ‘But not as pretty as Nezuko-chan.’
“Do you release those threads from the palms of your hands,” Kocho asked, “Good evening. The moon’s quite lovely tonight, isn’t it?”
"You're making small talk with a demon," Genya asked.
"I am," Shinobu said coolly.
‘God, she really is sticking to her acting. She's pretending to be Kanae.’ Sanemi thought as he scoffed and rolled his eyes.
‘ She is talking with a demon ? That is something the Shinobu I know would never do.’ Kanae thought as she frowned, the smile although still on her face.
‘ I hope she does not waste as much time as she did while treating that crybaby.’ Iguro thought.
Sister Demon moved away from Kocho. Facing her, she released the yarn from her hands. Aiming it at Kocho, however Kocho leaped into the air and moved like a butterfly. Avoiding each attack, she jumped after the demon. Kocho kicked the demon, making her land on her back. Kocho was on top of her.
"You're so elegant Shinobu," Kanroji smiled.
"Thank you very much," Shinobu smiled back.
“ Your moves are so beautiful. You have gotten so much better.” Kanae smiled as she side hugged Shinobu, who smiled back and hugged Kanae back.
"You look like a butterfly, not a swallow. Huh," Muichiro said bluntly.
“ That was so smooth.” Tanjiro gasped.
“I can see that you have no intention of being my friend, now do you,” Kocho asked.
“ Friend ?” Kanae said, confused. It was high time. All of Shinobu’s interactions were forcing her to accept the truth she was trying to deny for a long time. Though, she still has time and she can only hope to be proven wrong.
“ It was just I thought to use your ways to kill demons.” Shinobu awkwardly giggled as Kanae awkwardly smiled.
"Wait, you want to be friends with demons," Iguro asked.
"Well, if I was to come across a good demon I would love to be friends with them," Shinobu said.
‘ Oh Shinobu! Please prove me wrong.’ Kanae sighed.
“No, wait! Let me… explain. Someone, someone’s forcing me to do all of this! If I don’t, I’ll be torn to pieces,” Sister Demon explained.
“ Is she giving up ?” Sanemi said, surprised.
“ Why is she trying to explain ?” Tanjiro said, confused.
“ Maybe she has realized that she can’t defeat Kocho and is trying to bluff her just like she did with that other demon.” Iguro said.
“ That makes sense. But this thing would not work with Kocho San, she is very smart.” Rengoku smiled.
“ Of course, Kocho is too smart to fall for some trap like this unlike someone.” Sanemi said as he side eyed Inosuke.
‘ Is he trying to call me out ?’ Inosuke thought, confused.
Kocho gasped, her tone was both friendly and creepy, “Oh my, is that really true? That does sound tragic. I’ll save you. So let’s be friends!”
‘Eh? Now she's being creepy.’ Zenitsu thought.
"Are you really going to save her, Kocho-san," Tanjiro asked.
"Of course. After I penalize her for each life she's taken," Shinobu smiled.
‘Penalize?’ Tanjiro wondered.
‘ Oh Shinobu.’ Kanae sighed mentally as she smiled when Shinobu looked at her.
‘ She is understanding me well.’ Shinobu said as her smile faltered. She tried to hold it uptight but her veins popped out her forehead.
‘ Well, Shinobu is a bit creepy sometimes.’ Kanroji sighed as she awkwardly smiled.
“Y-You’re going to save me,” Sister Demon asked in disbelief.
“Of course! But in order for us to be friends, I must ask you a few questions first,” Kocho said, then her expression was more creepy, “Tell me, my sweet child, how many have you been responsible for killing?”
"You look a little creepy, Shinobu," Kanroji admitted.
"Oh? I do, I didn't realize," Kocho said.
“ You do. It is like you are trying to act like someone who is not you.” Kanae tried to subtly hint to Shinobu about her knowing the situation now.
Kanae felt many emotions at one time, now that she has realized the truth, pain, sadness but most of all sympathy. But now Kanae has come to accept that she has spent enough time denying the truth, it is time she accepts it and moves forward to help Shinobu overcome this sad reality in the time she has.
“ Oh, is it ? Strange.” Shinobu tried to play it off.
“ Why is she asking her the number of deaths she has caused ?” Tanjiro asked.
“ Maybe something related to the punishment she was talking about.” Nezuko shrugged.
“Five humans,” Sister Demon said, as she started to cry, “But I was ordered to! I didn’t have a choice.”
“ She is clearly lying.” Shinobu frowned, trying to keep her in as much check as possible.
“ Yeah, it is quite clear from her tone.” Zenitsu frowned too.
“ But why is she lying ?” Genya asked.
“ Maybe because she thinks it will lead to Shinobu pitying her. Quite justified from what she further added.” Iguro sighed.
“ Poor Soul.” A deep voice rang around the hall.
“Now now, there’s no need to lie about it,” Kocho said, “I know the truth. That spell you casted to send one of our men into a cocoon was most impressive.”
It showed the cocoon that Murata was in, and Murata was yelling for help.
“ You are praising the demon?” Tanjiro said, confused by Shinobu.
“ Ara, I think it is truly a fascinating way to show the use of chemicals, only if it weren’t for such a thing. What a pity.” Shinobu said.
‘ She is a bit weird, not in a bad way but still. I can’t read her.’ He thought.
“ He is yelling for help.” Kanroji sighed.
"Maybe somebody should let him out of there before he dies," Suma chuckled softly.
"Don't worry, um.. pardon, I don't know your name," Shinobu said.
"It's Suma Uzui," Suma smiled, "But you can just call me Suma."
"Well, Suma. As I explained earlier, I'm sure that the cocoon won't work too quickly so it'll be alright. " Shinobu smiled.
“ But still I think, doing small talk before the actual work is quite…….unprofessional.” Iguro said.
“ Well, I agree, Shinobu. Although I agree to your methods of trying to communicate with demons, you could help one in need first and then continue. What if sometimes you guessed wrong ?” Oyakata tried to explain it to her softly.
“ I understand, Oyakata Sama. I will keep it in mind.” Shinobu said as she ducked her head a little respect, to which Oyakata smiled.
“You’ve eaten at least eighty humans,” Kocho continued.
“I don’t know what you’re saying. I’ve only killed those five,” Sister Demon tried to reason.
“ Well, how did you know that she had killed 80 humans ?” Giyuu spoke up.
“ It was probably because of something I saw at that time. I can’t predict the future, ne Tomioka San.” Shinobu answered as she smiled.
Giyuu just sealed his lips as he nodded and looked over the screen.
“ It is a pity that she is still lying. I don’t like to be friends with a liar.” Shinobu mumbled out of reflex, momentarily forgetting about Kanae knowing the situation now.
Kanae just smiled sadly, making a mental note to talk to Shinobu in the breaks.
“ She is still sticking to the lie. How unflashy.” Uzui sighed as he huffed.
“I happened to come to this place from the west, you know. I saw things… differently,” Kocho said, showing several cocoons, “It was there that I witnessed hordes of cocoons hanging from the trees. The human captives inside had been liquefied. All massacred. In that spot alone, I counted at least fourteen cocoons. Fourteen humans, all dead and gone.”
“ Fourteen of my children lost their lives to her.” Oyakata mumbled.
"I'll pray for each of the lost lives," Himejima said.
"Fourteen humans," Tanjiro whispered.
“ That is quite a lot.” Kanroji sighed.
“ Now that is cruel. She killed fourteen people in one spot and then has the f*cking guts to lie.” Sanemi groaned. It was a bit easy for him to hate this demon as her past wasn’t anything too peculiar for him. But that wasn’t the case with the mother demon.
“Oh, don’t mistake me for being angry. I’m just checking if the death toll is an accurate one,” Kocho added.
“ You are not angry ?” Tanjiro asked, he was able to sense anger from her but she kept on smiling.
“ No, of course not. I am just trying to seek justice for those who lost their lives.” Shinobu smiled once again.
‘ How much anger is filled inside of you, Shinobu ? It is painful for me to watch my sister like this.’ Kanae thought.
“What good does it do for you to confirm that,” Sister spider asked.
“So I can see you receive the proper penalty and be reborn,” Kocho said.
“ Proper penalty ?” Tanjiro mumbled.
“ That is a weird term to use.” Genya whispered too.
“ Oh, don’t worry, it is just for the ones who lost their lives.” Shinobu said.
“ I have a bad feeling about this.” Sabito muttered under his breath.
“Penalty,” Sister Spider asked.
“Yes, so that you and I can become friends. If you go unpunished after having taking all those lives, your victims will never receive justice,” Kocho said.
Kocho pulled at the skin by Sister Spider’s eyes, widening them. The demon gasped. Kocho was still on top of the demon, pinning her down with her body.
“ You are still on top of her.” Genya noted.
“ Why are you pulling out her skin ?” Zenitsu asked.
“ Oh, it is so that I can accurately determine her punishment.” Shinobu smiled.
“ What punishment will you give ?” Nezuko said.
“ Oh nothing, it would be just-” Shinobu started only to be interrupted by Iguro.
“ Are you really going to let her live ?” He asked.
“I could gouge out your eyeballs… or perhaps slash your stomach and rip out your organs. For every life you’ve taken I’ll exact the same amount of pain on you. And after you’ve suffered through all that agony required your sins will be forgiven,” Kocho said creepily, “Let’s both give it our all.”
“ What the f*ck ?” Sanemi said, having never exactly worked with Shinobu before.
Giyuu just sighed, knowing Kocho’s ways of dealing with demons.
“ You are just going to torture her ?” Tanjiro said, feeling sick in the stomach as his mind decided to provide an image for all the scenarios Shinobu listed.
"I suppose, but torture would be too extreme. I just need her victims to be able to rest easy," Shinobu said.
‘ Now this is the Shinobu I know.’ Kanae mentally sighed.
Sister demon’s breathing was heavy. She was terrified, at Kocho’s words.
“Don’t worry my dear, you are a demon after all! So none of this will kill you, or leave any lingering effects,” Kocho smiled.
"You're terrifying, Kocho," Iguro said.
"Thank you," Shinobu smiled.
“ That wasn’t exactly a complement.” Iguro mumbled.
“She is horrified by you, Kocho.” Sanemi laughed.
“ I suppose Kocho San is right, this is a lighter punishment for them than death at least.” Amane said.
“Who do you think you're kidding,” Sister demon yelled, pushing Kocho off of her, “Die, you damn witch.”
"Awe, we can't be friends. What a shame," Shinobu sighed.
"You're going to kill her, right," Sanemi asked.
"I suppose I'll have to since we aren't friends," Shinobu said.
“ You actually wanted to be friends with her ?” Hinatsuru asked.
“ I wanted to but her calling me witch plus being a liar isn’t helping it much.” Shinobu sighed.
‘ Is she okay ?’ Shinjuro thought.
Kocho went into the air. As the demon expelled the yarn from her hands. The demon rolled on the ground, and the yarn had been cut. Kocho landed behind her.
“I can see that we’ll never be friends, after all. Awe, what a pity,” Kocho sighed, pulling out her sword.
‘I must admit her swordsmanship is really good.’ Tanjiro thought.
“ Your swordsmanship has gotten so much more beautiful.” Kanae smiled.
“ I am glad you think as such, Nee San.” Shinobu smiled.
“ I wanna fight you.” Inosuke yelled.
“ She will demolish you. Just stay on your seat, Boarhead.” Came a distant yell.
‘ Did she actually want to be her friend ? A Hashira wanting to be a friend with a demon, huh ? It is quite odd.’ Senjuro thought.
"I love your sword, Shinobu," Kanroji smiled.
"Ah thank you, Mitsuri," Shinobu smiled back.
“ The butterfly hilt is also pretty.” Nezuko added, smiling as Shinobu smiled back.
Sister demon turned around, and prepared to attack. But her eyes widened in shock, because Kocho was nowhere to be found. She looked around, trying to find her opponent. Kocho was in the air, a wave of butterflies followed her. Kocho began to head towards the demon.
“ She has prepared to attack, you better be careful.”Kanae said out of her sister's instincts.
Shinobu just smiled as she nodded, happy that she got someone to worry about her again.
"Woah, I wanna disappear like that," Inosuke cheered happily.
"I didn't disappear, I jumped into the sky," Shinobu said, as she looked at Inosuke, who huffed.
"There's a wave of butterflies behind you, Shinobu," Kanroji said in awe.
"Ah, this must be my breathing styles, special effects," Shinobu said.
"How flashy," Uzui said.
“ You are going towards her, I hope you can kill her without wasting any more time.” Sanemi said.
It zoomed into Kocho’s eye, and then everything turned purple. The butterflies were purple and white, and they flew around the Sister Demon. Once they all passed her, she looked back. A single butterfly flew to her, she put out her finger and the butterfly landed.
“ Your eyes look majestic.” Kanroji smiled as she winked to Shinobu, who laughed lightly.
“ It went all purple.” Tanjiro said.
“ Maybe another special effect like the ground became water in Tomioka San’s breathing style.” Shinobu answered.
‘That's purple ? I thought it was blue. It looks blue.’ Sanemi thought, dealing with his color blindness.
“ All the butterflies flew past her.” Aoi gasped.
“ Expect one. It landed on her hand.” Tanjiro said as he pointed to that butterfly.
“ I thought it was an effect, how is it affecting that demon ?” Masachika quietly mumbled.
For a moment it all seemed peaceful, until the butterfly started turning blood red. And the background got darker too. The blood dripped onto the demon’s finger, and then it showed her face. Blood was dripping from her forehead, and she gasped. Blood started spreading on her kimono too.
“ It looks too peaceful for it to be a fight.” Tanjiro said awkwardly.
“ What is happening to the background ? It has turned darker.” Genya noted.
“ Yeah, and something is up with the butterfly also.” Kanroji said.
“ It is turning blood red.” Zenitsu said.
"Wait, there's blood on her forehead and kimono," Senjuro said.
“ Where is all this blood coming from ?” Iguro said.
The screen went black and then a whoosh was heard. Within the blink of an eye, Kocho had struck the demon a few times.
“ What happened ? Is the episode over ?” Tanjiro said when the screen turned black.
“ I don’t think so. I heard a whoosh sound.” Zenitsu said.
“ Ohh, Kocho San also appeared.” Aoi said.
“Insect Breathing… Butterfly Dance and Caprice,” Kocho said, it showed the blood leaving the demon’s wounds.
“ Insect Breathing ? Is it your breathing style ?” Nezuko asked.
“ Yes, derived from Flower Breathing, as I think I have previously told too.” Shinobu smiled.
“ Butterfly dance. Quite fitting for the form.” Kanroji said.
“ Wait, her head is still intact.” Iguro noted.
"So she's still alive, your attack missed.” Makio said.
"She won't be alive for long," Shinobu smiled.
"What do you mean by that," Tanjiro asked, puzzled by Shinobu’s statement.
Sister Demon quickly grabbed her neck, before realizing it was still attached. She turned to Kocho.
My head… it hasn’t been cut off. She thought.
It then zoomed into Kocho’s katana. It was like a hook. It looked like part of the sword was missing, The hilt resembled a butterfly.
"Wow, your katana looks so cool," Inosuke yelled.
"Thank you, Inosuke-kun," Shinobu smiled.
"But, how are you supposed to decapitate a demon when your sword looks like that," Genya asked.
“ Yeah, it does not have a blade.” Zenitsu supported Genya’s argument.
"I have my own methods," Shinobu said.
‘ What methods is she talking about ? Wasn’t cutting their necks the only way to kill demons ?’ Tanjiro thought.
That’s the sword she’s using? I see, she’s too tiny and has no arm strength so she can’t behead me. Her life is mine. Sister spider thought, moving her hand forward.
“ Now, Now, that is rude of her to call me out like this.” Shinobu smiled.
“ Yes, even if she looks tiny, she can kill her easily.” Kanroji said.
“ Was this an insult or complement, Mitsuri ?” Shinobu said, a little playful.
“ Eh ? I was of course complimenting you.” Kanroji said as she pouted a bit.
Just then the screen flashed purple, and there was a loud heartbeat. The demon grunted in pain. The veins on her hand looked like they were about to burst. She quivered in fear, the heart beat again.
“ What is happening ?” Tanjiro yelled.
Zenitsu covered his ears at the loud sound. The sound of heartbeats was higher than usual.
“ Why is she grunting all of a sudden ?” Urokodaki asked.
“ Her veins look like they are about to burst.” Kanae commented.
And she quickly covered her mouth. She stumbled backwards as blood spilled from her mouth. Her whole body was shaking as she screamed. She held her neck and head. Parts of her face and lands were purple. There were bumps too. She fell to the ground and Kocho finally turned around.
"She's coughing up blood," Genya said, "But why."
"Her body is purple. That looks like the poison that was used on me," Zenitsu said.
“ It looks so unflashy.” Uzui cringed.
“ Is this something Kocho San has done ?” Tanjiro mumbled.
“ That is right. I used a poison on her.” Shinobu sighed.
“Just because you haven’t been beheaded, don’t think that you’re safe from harm. There are those like me, who use poison in their swordsmanship,” Kocho said.
“ You use poisons to kill demons ?” Tanjiro questioned as Shinobu nodded.
“ Using poisons that are toxic to demons is a good way to kill them.” Shinobu said.
“ But it takes a little time.” Sanemi added.
“ It does but it still does the job.” Shinobu chuckled lightly.
“ But why ?” Zenitsu asked, keeping his tone very polite.
“ It is because my arm strength is not enough to cut a demon’s neck efficiently.” Shinobu sighed, admitting her weakness.
“ It is still cool nevertheless.” Nezuko said.
She began twirling her sword in her hand, and over her head. Before holding it by the hilt. The background turned purple, with butterflies.
“ Wow. That is so cool.” Tanjiro said, his eyes shining.
‘ The skills of a Hashira are truly next level. Is Aniki also this strong ?’ Genya thought.
“ I WANNA DO THAT TOO.” Inosuke yelled.
“ I don't know if you will be able to do that, but I will love to teach once we get out of here.” Shinobu smiled.
“ The background is changing again.” Amane noted.
“Demon Slayer Corps, Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho,” Kocho said, “I may be the only one among the Hashira who is unable to decapitate demons, but creating a poison that is lethal to them. That’s quite impressive, don’t you think?”
“ You create poisons ?” Tanjiro asked in awe of Shinobu.
“Yes, the poisons I create work a little more fast.” Shinobu replied.
“ Do you use Wisteria ? It is lethal to demons.” Tanjiro asked.
“ Ara. You know some basics, I suppose. And to answer your question, yes. It is the key ingredient for my poisons.” Shinobu said as she smiled.
‘ Shinobu has truly grown up and learned a lot.’ Kanae thought as she grinned a bit.
It then showed the demon. Her sandal was off and she was covered in poison and blood. Her face still looked like it was screaming. Like a camera had took a picture of a crime scene.
"Oh my, that's quite a scene," Amane said.
"It's like she's frozen in time," Tanjiro said, "It's a bit creepy."
‘That's terrifying.’ Zenitsu thought.
“ She looks in so much pain.” Kanae said.
“ The poison actually works a bit slow.” Genya mumbled.
“Oh, pardon me! I guess you can’t hear me if you’re dead,” Kocho said, bumping her head, “Silly me!”
"That's a bit rude, Kocho San.” Himejima said.
“ I agree. I know it was a demon but I think we could be a little respectful.” Kanae also reprimanded Shinobu.
"My bad, Himejima-san, Nee San." Shinobu apologized.
Then ripping sounds were heard and Murata slid out of the cocoon. The green slime was covering part of him, and his clothes were dissolved. He groaned, and coughed.
"Um... Kocho, are his clothes dissolved," Iguro asked.
"Hm, so it seems," Shinobu said.
“ At least he is alive and his skin hasn’t started to dissolve.” Suma sighed.
“Are you alright sir,” Kocho asked, standing next to Murata.
“Just… barely,” Murata groaned, “What happened to the demon?”
‘I'm glad that Murata is alright.’ Giyuu thought, remembering Murata helping him during Final Selection.
‘I'm glad he's alright.’ Tanjiro thought.
“ Oh I just remembered him, ‘Yuu. He is the same person I entrusted you to, right ?” Sabito said as he clicked his fingers.
“ Yes.” Giyuu said, though his face screamed, ‘Did you just realize it now ?’.
It zoomed into the demon, her face was frozen in fear. And blood was dripping down her face. The purple poison stood out against her white skin.
“Shouldn’t you finish it off or something,” Murata asked, standing up.
“I infected her with wisteria poison. She’s already dead, we can leave her to rot,” Kocho said, turning to Murata, “If you were curious, I’m an expert in pharmaceutics! Your clothes were dissolved, but your body is more or less unscathed. I’m so glad!”
“ It looks so creepy.” Aoi sighed.
“ Agreed, it looks like that lady in the hallway with Muzan. Although better.” Kanroji mumbled.
“ That is cruel. Leaving her to rot.” Tanjiro whispered.
“ Does he realize he is standing in front of a female ?” Iguro said, face palming at Murata.
Murata groaned and then covered his body with his hands. He whimpered and then inched away from Kocho, who was still looking at him. Kocho looked forward once more.
Several people looked away from the screen,... just in case.
“ Thank god he realized it.” Sanemi sighed.
“Now then, to find the whereabouts of the demon she mentioned who was forcing her to do its bidding… Though I wonder if Tomioka has already finished the job,” Kocho said.
“I have, Kocho.” Giyuu said.
“ I can see that, Tomioka San.” Shinobu smiled.
It went back to Tanjiro, he was still crawling towards Nezuko. Parts of his haori were torn off.
"My haori, it's torn," Tanjiro frowned.
"Be glad it isn't your body," Zenitsu said.
"Yeah, I know," Tanjiro chuckled softly.
“Nezuko, I’m coming,” Tanjiro strained.
“ Don’t stress yourself out. You can reach me later.” Nezuko said.
Tomioka had sliced off Rui’s head, and Tanjiro was nearly at Nezuko. Rui’s head and body started falling to the ground.
I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them. I’ll kill that brother and sister! No matter the cost. Rui thought angrily.
“ Don’t tell me he has some trick.” Tanjiro said, a bit done now.
“ He does not have one.” Giyuu said in a bland tone.
“ And even if he has, I am sure Tomioka San will be able to stop it on time.” Kanroji said.
The screen went black, and then Mother Demon appeared. It was snowing behind her. Her thoughts played in Rui’s mind.
“ The mother demon ?” Tanjiro said what he saw on the screen.
“ Why is she coming in his memories ?” Aoi asked.
“ Maybe he was actually close to her ?” Genya guessed.
What is it that you want, Rui? Mother Demon asked. What do you mean by family?
“ What is she asking him ?” Shinobu said.
“ Most probably where everyone does the roles designated to them.” Kanae said, based on her understanding of Rui’s character.
I’m not sure. I have no memories of when I was human, you see. Rui thought.
"Right, I forgot that most demons lose their memories when they turn," Tanjiro said.
"That's so sad," Kanroji said.
Is that why you made us pretend to be your family? Mother Demon asked, the other members of his fake family appeared.
“ She understands that Rui wants a bond.” Shinobu said.
“ Yes, she knows that he is wanting to create a fake family to revive his memory, a part of him he does not remember.” Kanae said, sympathizing with Rui.
I thought that if I could feel a family bond, my memories would come back. It showed Tanjiro and Nezuko, huddled together as Rui thought. The bond of a real family…
‘He made a family because he wanted his memories back.’ Tanjiro thought. ‘That's sad.’
"How sad," Kanroji said.
"You shouldn't excuse the demon's behavior, Kanroji," Rengoku said.
“ Agreed.” Sabito said.
“ In the end, he is a demon who killed several hundreds of humans and blackmailed other demons to play as his family and abused them too.” Shinobu said, not for Kanroji but for herself too. To stop herself from feeling anything she is not supposed to feel.
"I'm not. It's just sad," Kanroji sighed.
Rui looked down from his porch at the siblings. Tanjiro’s broken sword was next to him, and he was laying on top of Nezuko. Protecting her, Nezuko was still asleep. Snow fell down as Rui kept thinking.
"Oh good, I'm at Nezuko," Tanjiro sighed.
“ She is still sleeping.” Shinobu noted.
“ She must have used a lot of her energy in using the Blood Demon Art.” Kanroji guessed.
That’s right. I remember… Rui thought.
“ Does he remember his past now ?” Aoi asked.
“ Are we going to view it ?” Shinobu asked, though very softly.
It went back to reality, Rui’s head was on the ground looking at the siblings.
“Nezuko,” Tanjiro said.
Then the screen faded to black.
“ I just hope that things don’t go downhill for me and Nezuko.” Tanjiro sighed.
“ The episode is finished.” Oyakata said.
“ It is.” Amane answered.
“ It was quite an episode.” Rengoku smiled.
‘ Yes. Got to know things I did not expect.’ Kanae smiled.
“ Yes, I got to know that my ‘Yuu is so amazing.” Sabito said as he squeezed Giyuu’s cheeks.
“ Now, all of you, please head towards the hall. It is time for dinner.” The voice said as all of them stood up.
“ Thank God, it is time for dinner. I was too hungry.” Kanroji said as all of them dispersed to the hall.
