Demon Slayer Genya - Tumblr Posts

don't worry they won't kill each other. not that they won't try they absolutely will it's just that they are both incapable of dying

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Five

Coming Home

Warnings: Quite a bit of blood.

Word Count: 4627

The shimmering moon shined down on the group of half-demons and slayers as they traversed through the night. Their mission planted firmly in their minds. Tanjiro’s ability brought them new hope that they would see their loved ones again. They were not sure of his full capabilities and limitations, but they were excited for what was to come in store.

The journey from the Butterfly Estate to the ruins of the Ubuyashiki Mansion-and by that extent the Infinity Castle-wasn’t too long. Rui has nestled against Nezuko, who was walking beside her brother, with Rengoku standing behind him. Zenitsu and Inosuke were trailing behind all of them, just being grateful that their friends are alive. This journey was rather silent since they were just enjoying each other’s company.

“This is it.” Tanjiro spoke softly as he came to a dead stop. There in front of him stood the ruins of the Ubuyashiki Mansion and the Infinity Castle. The egregious sight of piles of broken wood and shattered lanterns created a sense of unease and despair. Tanjiro looked back at the team then followed the slope of Kaikoma Mountain-which was a little ways behind them. “I know that this place holds many bad memories for many of us, but if this mission proves to be successful, this will be completely worth it.”

All the others nodded in agreement. “No one could’ve said it better, young Kamado.” Rengoku smiled warmly. “We all have faith in you.” Tanjiro’s heart melted at the compliment. “Thank you, Mister Rengoku.” With that, the team of slayers entered the ruins.

The scent of day’s old blood hit Tanjiro’s nose as they shuffled through the broken pieces of wood. This frustrated him. Why did the final battle have to happen like that? So much sacrifice, grief, and death could’ve been prevented if…Tanjiro shook these thoughts away, focusing on the various scents around him.

“Tokito..” Tanjiro closed his eyes, shedding a single tear. Rui and Nezuko rumbled worryingly. “Are you alright, Kamado?” Rui asked with a hint of regret. “I’m fine..just a lot of bad memories. He’s the only one that I’m completely sure I can bring back here.” The small spider demon could hear the pain in Tanjiro’s voice. “I’m sorry..” Nezuko looked at Rui when he said that and held him closer.

Inosuke was busy busting woods-despite Zenitsu’s protesting-while Rengoku was carefully searching through the rubble. Tanjiro closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He sniffed the air and opened his eyes in a flash. “They way!” Tanjiro almost roared as he started to run through the wood. The others seemed hopeful because of Tanjiro’s sudden determination, so they ran off with him.

Various red specks swirled around Tanjiro, but the scent of the young Hashira was overpowering. A soft, minty scent filled the air as Tanjiro and the others ran. Eventually, they came to a spot where large pieces of wood had fallen on top of each other. Underneath all this wreckage..was Gyomei’s haori peeking out from the bottom. “We found him.”

All the slayers drew out their swords and ferociously cut through the wood, being careful not to be careless. Rengoku backed up from the wreckage. “Stand back!” The others sprang back as the Flame Hashira plowed his body through the rest of the wood. He landed in another pile of destroyed wood then looked up to see what that action did.

Everyone gasped when they saw the young Hashira’s body. Muichiro’s eyes were closed with blood covering his skin and hair. Gyomei’s haori covered his severed bottom half..truly a depressing sight to see. “We need to find his bottom half.” Tanjiro winced, holding back vomit and tears. Inosuke looked around at his right side. “Is this it?” He pulled on a foot that was stuck underneath some rubble.

“That’s it.” Despite the fact that Tanjiro was now feeling ill, he still pulled out the lower half of Muichiro. Blood dripped everywhere as he placed the young Hashira’s half to his top half. “I can’t believe this happened to him. He was too young..” Zenitsu spoke gently. Nezuko nodded in agreement, trying to hold back sobs. Tanjiro covered the split in the young boy with Gyomei’s haori. They all wanted to puke.

“I’m so sorry, young Tokito.” Rengoku spoke softly. “You must’ve suffered greatly.” Tanjiro took another deep breath before slitting his wrist once again. The blood dripped into the young Hashira’s maw. All of the slayers knelt down beside him. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Rengoku even prayed for the young boy’s return.

Within a matter of minutes, the flesh between the two halves started to reconnect. They all looked up when they heard the sound of a soft heartbeat. The skin on Muichiro’s arm then tore open and two long, blade-like spikes-one on each arm-rose from the rips. The dark blue spikes were curved like Obanai’s sword and had swirl patterns all along them.

Fangs emerged from Muichiro’s maw and the split in his body formed a long scar that went around his waist. It was then that the young Hashira slowly opened his eyes. “Ugh..Where am I?” Muichiro groaned as he sat up. Everyone, even Rui, smiled when they saw the boy come to life.

“Tokito..” Tanjiro whispered, holding back tears. Muichiro looked around him, seeing Rengoku. “Am I in the afterlife?” It hadn’t hit him yet that Rengoku had horns and flame marks. “Not at all, young Tokito!” Rengoku drew him into a strong hug. Muichiro was taken aback at first, but eased into the hug. “Wait..then how are you here? How am I here?”

Tanjiro scratched the back of his neck. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain everything when we get back” He didn’t want to overwhelm the young Hashira. Muichiro looked down at his new spikes. “Am I a demon?” Nezuko shook her head. “Not really..We’re kind of a new species.” Muichiro was in complete shock. “Wait, what?!”

A crow came flying in and landed on a broken piece of wood above them. “Caw! Caw! This is true! Master Kiriya even came up with the definition and name! From this moment forward, this species will be referred to as half-demons! They don’t need to eat humans, don’t have bloodlust, and they have their humanity! We’re still trying to figure out the rest of the details! Caw!”

They all looked up at the crow. “Hey Matsuemon, can you bring Mister Shinazugawa and Mister Tomioka to the Master’s mansion? Along with all the Hashira’s crows?” Tanjiro smiled warmly at the crow. The bird cawed. “I don’t see why not! They will surely be surprised! Caw!” The crow flapped his wings and took off.

“Ginko will be happy to see me.” Muichiro smiled softly. “And so will Genya.” The name of the young slayer made everyone’s heart hurt. Muichiro looked at them, confused. “He’s back at the mansion, isn’t he?” Tanjiro shook his head. “He..didn’t make it.” Muichiro’s eyes widened with shock. “Genya..died? Can you bring him back?” The poor boy sounded like he was on the brink of tears.

“I’ll try. I can’t make any promises.” Tanjiro stands up and sniffs the air, looking for his scent of pine. He made a soft chuffing sound and ran through the broken wood. Rengoku carried Muichiro as both they and the others followed Tanjiro. It was a good thing that they all could run quickly since Tanjiro was wasting no time getting to the center of the scent.

They eventually came to a small clearing. Tanjiro saw the same red specks as he did when he brought Rui back. “He must’ve been turned right before he died.” Tanjiro said to himself. Nezuko turned to the others. “It’s best if we get back. They nodded and stepped back into the rubble.

Tanjiro cut his arm open with his claws, letting his blood drip onto the floor. The specks glowed brightly and they moved closer to the blood. Tanjiro closed his eyes, raised his arms, and focused on his memories of Genya. From the time at the Swordsmith Village to training with the Hashiras. All of this made the half-demon tear up.

The red specks circled around him, just like they did at Mount Natagumo. They started to come together to form a being. Everyone’s eyes widened as they watched the spectacle in front of them. The red ashes came together like a puzzle to form the young slayer. It looked like Genya was laying on the ground, which everyone presumed that was how he was when he died.

Tanjiro lowered his arms when the red light of the ashes seemed to die down. Genya was now visible as he was laying on the ground. He seemed to adopt the same appearance as he did at the Swordsmith Village since his mohawk had yellow tips. There was also a new scar on his face. Other than the one by his nose, he now had a long scar that split his face in two.

Genya grumbled and made a soft roar as he sat up. He opened his eyes-and as everyone guessed-his eyes were black with yellow pupils. Tanjiro couldn’t help but grin when he saw him. “Hi, Genya.” The young slayer looked up at Tanjiro. “Hi Tanjiro..did you die too?” Genya seemed to be worried and tired.

Tanjiro shook his head. “Nope. You’re alive again.” Genya made a surprised squeak. “I am? But how?!” Tanjiro smiled warmly. “There’s a lot to explain.” Muichiro leaped out of Rengoku’s arms and ran to Genya. He stopped in his tracks when he was in front of the young slayer.

“Genya..” Muichiro's voice was soft, almost inaudible. “Hi, Mui.” Genya was relieved to see the Mist Hashira. Without warning, Muichiro hugged Genya, almost tackling him in the process. “Woah! You must’ve missed me, huh?” Genya chuckled as he patted Muichiro on the head. Everyone cheered when they saw them reunite.

Tanjiro turned to Inosuke. “Inosuke, do you remember how Miss Shinobu died?” Inosuke put a hand to his mask. “She was absorbed.” His tone was sad, yet hopeful. “Alright.” Tanjiro sniffed the air again, catching Shinobu’s sweet lavender scent. “This way!” With that, he took off towards the scent.

Everyone followed behind with a steady pace. They found themselves in another wreckage of wood, but blood and flower pedals were littered everywhere. Tanjiro looked around him to see the familiar red ashes, but this time there was purple dust within them. It was then he came to a horrible realization. Tanjiro would have to bring back both Shinobu.. and Douma.

Rengoku seemed to realize this as well due to Tanjiro’s reaction. He climbed down the broken pieces of wood to where Tanjiro was and stood next to him. He then decided to whisper something to the young slayer. “What’s he saying?” Inosuke said with a bit of aggravation. “I’m not sure.” Muichiro sighed, staying with Genya. Zenitsu put a hand to his ear and listened. His eyes widened with surprise and a little bit of fear.

“Are you sure, Mister Rengoku?” Tanjiro asked with concern. Rengoku nodded. “I’m sure. He’s probably going to be more than willing to help us with Uppermoon Two.” Tanjiro sniffed the air, looking for a specific scent. He turned to his left and ran over the wreckage of wood and glass. He stopped in front of a certain spot where he was able to see red ashes that belonged to someone else.

Tanjiro then performed the same procedure that he did for Genya and Rui. This time he seemed a lot more cautious. Everyone, except for Zenitsu and Rengoku, leaned over curiously to see exactly what he was doing. The ashes formed someone that the group never would’ve expected. Especially since both the figure and Tanjiro have had an antagonistic relationship ever since they first met.

The form belonged to Akaza, the Uppermoon Three demon. Everyone gasped and backed up when they saw him. “What are you doing, Gaupachiro?! He’s the one who killed Bug-Eyes!” Inosuke yelled angrily. Tanjiro didn’t say anything because he knew something they didn’t.

Akaza shook his head like a disoriented dog. He didn’t say anything as he looked up at Tanjiro. “Kamado.” Akaza seemed to be in shock as he scanned over the boy’s new form. “You must be..the new Demon King.” He spoke in a warm and soft tone.

“I don’t hunt or eat humans.” Tanjiro said flatly. “I didn’t think you would. If anyone were to break Muzan’s control, it would be you.” Akaza smiled, much to Tanjiro’s surprise. “Listen Akaza..from what I remember, you did seem like one of the demons who had-or should I say recovered-their humanity. So, I was wondering if you’d like to joi-“

“Yes. I’ll join you.” Tanjiro was taken aback by Akaza’s quick response. The demon’s scent seemed to be filled with regret and sorrow, so Tanjiro softened his expression. Everyone else was also shocked. Rengoku seemed to realize that this was a different person than the one he fought at the Mugen Train.

“I’m surprised that you are taking this offer so quickly.” Tanjiro smiled at the demon. “Let’s just say that I’ve made many mistakes..I don’t deserve this and I know that.” Akaza looked down at the ground. Tanjiro extended his hand to the demon with a smile. “Well..let’s try to make things better. I know that you want to.”

Akaza took his hand and stood up. “Thank you, Kamado.” He turned to see the others, who were standing on the hill of wood. “I’m sorry..” He spoke softly. Rengoku smiled at him and nodded. Tanjiro carefully led them back to the spot with the flower pedals.

With a heavy sigh, Tanjiro cut his arm to start the revival process. He created two puddles of blood so that he can bring both of them back. The process was very similar, but there was a clear difference. The young slayer had to splice the two different colored ashes apart.

The splicing created two forms. One belonged to Douma while the other belonged to Shinobu. The others watched with their weapons at the ready. Akaza was confused at first why Tanjiro would bring back Douma, but seeing Shinobu’s form made everything make sense.

The revival of the two beings was finally complete. They sat on their knees in front of the new Demon King. Shinobu came back with beautiful butterfly wings that had a light blue inner color while the border color was a light pink. She also had small antennae-like horns on her head. Douma looked the same though.

Shinobu was the one who opened her eyes first. “Hm? Where am I?” She looked up at Tanjiro and smiled. “So, we won?” Tanjiro nodded silently. Shinobu looked at her new claws. “Then, how am I-“

“Ugh! What’s going on?” Douma yawned exhaustively. Shinobu yelped and hissed with anger. “Why is he here?” She looked at the others with confusion. “Don’t worry, Shinobu! We’ve got him under control.” Rengoku’s voice was both reassuring and stern.

“Huh? There’s no need to worry about m-ack!” Douma gripped his chest as he almost roared in pain. He fell over as Inosuke and Akaza ran over to him. “You better not be faking it, you little shit!” Akaza snarled. Douma couldn’t even speak due to the pain. Inosuke looked at Akaza. “I don’t think he’s faking it.”

Shinobu seemed to be a bit relieved as she stood up. “What did you have to do to bring us back, Tanjiro?” Tanjiro thought for a moment. “Well I had to separate your DNA from him. Least that’s what I think happened.” Shinobu nodded. “That’s probably what’s causing him so much pain.”

Tanjiro sniffed the air. There was a hidden painful scent. It seemed like it was buried like a time capsule or even more accurately repressed memories. It was something that he only ever smelled once before, which was in Muichiro. It made him contemplate whether or not to give Douma a chance. On one hand, he didn’t want to upset Shinobu and Inosuke or have Douma not give a single care about this opportunity. On the other, this painful, buried scent cannot be ignored.

Tanjiro sighed as he slowly approached the writhing demon. Both Akaza and Inosuke stepped to the side. Douma was struggling to get up when he looked at Tanjiro. “Douma..I’m going to give you a chance to change. It may take a while, but I gave you your humanity back so we can start again.”

Douma groaned softly. “I guess I could join you, but I can’t make any promises.” Douma laughed, playfully. With an irritated look, Tanjiro gripped Douma’s shoulder which made him wince. “This isn’t just a game, Douma! If you even come close to hurting another human, then we will kill you again.” His scarlet eyes were so intimidating that even Akaza and Inosuke looked uneasy.

Douma quickly realized his mistake. “Okay, okay. I was only just kidding.” Tanjiro shook his head. “This is no laughing matter.” The young slayer sighed heavily as he went back to Shinobu. “I’m sorry, Miss Shinobu.” Shinobu only smiled at him. “It’s okay. I know. That you just wanted me back. Plus, it looks like you have him under control.”

Genya and Muichiro felt guilty that Shinobu had to deal with Douma being revived. They knew that it wasn’t her or Tanjiro’s fault, but they knew that it mustn’t feel the greatest. So together they decided to make it even. The duo approached Tanjiro and told them their proposal.

“Are you sure you want me to do that?” Tanjiro’s voice was filled with concern. “Yes. We don’t want Shinobu to feel alone.” Muichiro said softly. “Yeah. This will probably be difficult, but maybe this might turn out better than we think.” Genya smiled.

Tanjiro returned the smile. “As long as you’re okay with this.” He sniffed the air and ran to a different part of the wreckage, Genya and Muichiro following behind him. Tanjiro reached a certain spot where the scent of bergamot was the strongest. He then performed the same magical process as he did for the others.

This time the ashes formed the Uppermoon One demon, Kokushibo. Genya and Muichiro shuddered as they hid behind some of the wood rubble. The demon’s six eyes slowly opened and he looked up to see Tanjiro. He stiffened up seemingly alarmed. “Are you..the new Demon King?” He spoke softly. Tanjiro nodded. “Yes, but I’m actually a half-demon.” Kokushibo looked at the slayer’s uniform. “I see..”

“Why did you..bring me back?” Kokushibo seemed almost aggressive. “I shouldn’t..be alive.” Tanjiro felt some sympathy for the demon. The demon seemed to have a similar mindset to Akaza in this situation. Genya and Muichiro seemed weary of his words.

“I’m here to give you a second chance. You were once human and I want to return your humanity back to you.” Tanjiro explained softly. “I have nothing..to live for.” Kokushibo nearly whispered. He then looked to the wreckage, seeing Genya and Muichiro..the descendant he killed.

Truth be told, Kokushibo felt a great deal of regret when he sliced his descendant in two. That regret still haunts him now. As he looked at Muichiro, Kokushibo felt that guilt eating him alive. He wanted to make things right. Especially since someone is giving him that chance.

“If you don’t want to join us, I understand.” Tanjiro said softly. “No..I’ll do it.” Kokushibo faced him again. “You do?” Tanjiro looked confused. “Yes…I have mistakes..to amend.” Genya and Muichiro were skeptical. “Do you think he will?” Muichiro asked. “Doubt it.” Genya growled.

Tanjiro smiled warmly. “I wish you the best of luck then.” The young slayer walked through the rubble back to where everyone else was. Kokushibo watched regretfully as Muichiro and Genya joined him. He turned to face the sky and sighed. “I’m sorry..”

Rengoku walked up the broken pieces of wood to stand next to Tanjiro. “Do you want to travel to Kaikoma Mountain?” He asked, enthusiastically. “Not yet..I doubt that there would be enough room for all of the Moons back at the Butterfly Estate.” Tanjiro clearly thought this through. “Smart decision, young Kamado.” Rengoku knew exactly what he was going to do next.

Tanjiro spilled more of his blood and used it to revive the master of the Infinity Castle. Nakime looked at Tanjiro and stiffened just like Kokushibo. “Hello, Miss.” Tanjiro said politely. “You must be the new Demon King. My name is Nakime.” Nakime spoke softly. She had a strong scent of fear coming from her. The damage that Muzan and Yushiro did when they killed her must’ve horribly scarred her.

“It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you.” Tanjiro gently spoke. Nakime shook her head. “What do you want from me?” She responded almost like a servant. “The only thing I want is for you to just give a home for the other Moons.” Tanjiro smiled with warmth. Nakime looked around her to see the slayers and Moons. She was taken by surprise seeing that Tanjiro brought back some of the Moons.

“As you wish, Master. I won’t make the castle as confusing as I did before.” Nakime turned back to him. “Thank you, Miss Nakime. There’s also no need to call me Master.” Tanjiro beamed with kindness, which was something that Nakime was not used to seeing. “Of course.”

Tanjiro stood up with a hearty smile and went to the other slayers. “Attention everyone! I’m currently going to Kaikoma Mountain to bring back the other Hashira.” The other looked at each other and cheered. “Let’s go!” Inosuke laughed excitedly. Nezuko and Rui smiled at the half-demon with new found hope.

The group of slayers climbed the mountain while the Moons stayed behind in the rumble. They didn’t want to make things more difficult for them then it already was. Luckily, it took roughly a few minutes to reach the two graves of the fallen Hashira. Everyone looked at each other, nodded, and started to dig.

Using their claws, getting to the Hashira’s caskets was rather easy. “Tanjiro! Gyomei’s ready!” Shinobu trillsd, calling to him. Tanjiro walked over to his grave and peered into the casket. Gyomei’s body was covered in bandages and scars. “I wished that there weren’t so many deaths.” Tanjiro said softly. “I know, Kamado. The good thing is that you’re able to bring them back.”

Tanjiro nodded and smiled as he dripped blood into the Stone Hashira’s maw. Gyomei’s left leg grew back in a matter of seconds and various rocky spikes grew out of his arms and back. His skin even developed the patterns of cracked stone. Gyomei sat up and put a hand to his head. “Where am I?”

Shinobu went down to him and hugged him tightly, sobbing. “Shinobu? Is that you?” Gyomei said softly. “Yes, it’s me.” She choked. Gyomei smiled and started to cry softly. “Are we reborn?” Shinobu nodded. “In a way. Tanjiro brought us back.”

“He did?” Gyomei turned his head upwards and smiled. “Well done, Kamado.” Tanjiro bowed respectfully. “Thank you, Himejima.” Another call came from the other grave. “We have Obanai and Mitsuri!” Rengoku yelled. Tanjiro couldn’t help but smile as he walked to them.

The dead couple remained in each other’s arms even in death. “I hope that they’ll be okay with us bringing them back.” Nezuko said shyly. “I think they will. They deserve to be together.” Tanjiro hums softly as his blood drips into both of their maws.

The scratch marks over Obanai’s eyes heal to form scars. His mouth becomes more snake-like as various small fangs start to poke through. A slim, white snake tail formed and curled around his legs.

On the other hand, Mitsuri’s lost arms finally grow back. Bright pink wings with green feathers at the tips emerge from her back, making her look like an angel. Heart shaped marks developed all over her body. They seemed to resemble her demon slayer mark.

Obanai was the one to open his eyes first. “Mitsuri?” His voice was soft and oddly warm. Mitsuri then opened her eyes as well. “Obi..” She smiled lovingly. It was only just then that she realized..”Wait! I have arms!” Mitsuri jumped up in excitement, causing the others to either yelp or chuckle.

“Well, you have more than that.” Obanai then also realized…”I can see!” He put up his clawed hands to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “What happened?” He asked, absolutely flabbergasted. “I believe we can explain that!” The couple turned their heads to see Rengoku and Tanjiro.

“Rengoku!” Mitsuri immediately fumbled up and hugged him. Rengoku returned the hug along with a few tears. “Are we demons?” Obanai’s voice sounded worried. “Not quite. You have your humanity and you don’t need to eat humans.” Rengoku reassured them. “If you say so.” Obanai still didn’t sound fully convinced.

“Oooh! Everyone’s going to be so happy when we get back!” Mitsuri chirped happily. “They will..they really will.” Tanjiro smiled happily. Muichiro held Gyomei’s haori close to his chest as both he and Genya approached the Stone Hashira-who was talking to Shinobu.

“Here, Mister Himejima. You deserve this.” Muichiro said softly. Gyomei turned to them and smiled. “Young Tokito…Young Shinazugawa..” He then warps his arms around both of them gently, tears rolling down his face. “I’m so glad that you’re alive.” They both nestled his head in the Stone Hashira’s shoulders and hugged back.

After a few minutes of chatting-and crying-they all decided to traverse down the mountain and head back to the Master’s estate. They all felt so relieved and happy and they knew that their loved ones would feel the same.

“So why did you summon us here?” Sanemi growled at Matsuemon. “Caw! Tanjiro wanted me to gather you all here! Caw!” The other crows cawed as well. Not only were Sanemi, Giyuu, and the crows there, but Kanao, Kaburamaru-who was around her neck-, and a few Kakushi were also sitting on the perch as well.

“It must be pretty important if he wanted us to meet him here.” Kanao hummed as she pet Kaburamaru. “I don’t care what he wants us here for!” Sanemi roared. He swatted at Matsuemon, who flew out of his way. “We shouldn’t be here. I don’t understand why he wants us here or what the purpose of th-“

Giyuu stood-almost jumped-up with surprise. “Sanemi..look.” The Wind Hashira turned to face the sunset. There he saw all the previously dead slayers following behind the main trio. All the crows immediately took off to see their owners with tears in their eyes. Ginko circled around Muichiro before sitting on his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek.

Kaburamaru slithered to Obanai, who lowered his arm so that the snake could climb up. “Shinobu!” Kanao sobbed as she ran to her adoptive sister. Shinobu’s wings fluttered with happiness as the two reunited. Giyuu walked up to them with a smile on his face.

“Hey, Kocho.” His voice was soft and gentle. “You know, that’s actually the first time I’ve seen you smile.” Shinobu said jokingly. “Well..this is a pretty important occasion…I missed you.” Giyuu started to cry. Shinobu dragged him into the hug. “I know I missed you too.”

Genya waved from the horizon. “Hey, Nemi!” Sanemi couldn’t move. He just couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Genya..” Sanemi’s eyes welled up with tears. His fell to his knees in utter disbelief. The few Kakushi stood up with wonder and hope in their eyes. One of the female ones took a step off the porch and took a deep breath.

“The Hashira have come home!”

Author's note: My hands hurt, but I legit loved writing this! I hope you like it too!

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter: Eight

The First Meeting

Warnings: None!

Word Count: 3570

  The brilliant sun was beaming down on Kanao was she was making her way through the forest. A wicker basket, that was covered with a small sheet, swayed in her right hand. The basket itself was for Muichiro Tokito. Thus being the reason why Kanao was heading to the Mist Estate in the first place.

  Shinobu had prepared the basket with various berries and ointments. Some of them being pain relief medicines while others were for various types of illnesses. Kanao had no idea why she was doing this since none of the slayers were going on any dangerous missions anymore and the half-demon transformation didn't seem to be painful.

  What made this even stranger was that Shinobu had been refusing to speak for the last few days. She claimed that this was due to a sore throat. However, this seemed to go on longer than any normal sore throat. Plus, weren't demons not supposed to get sick? Kanao shook her head, reasoning that half-demons must have a slightly different biology.

  She quickly reached the entrance of the Mist Estate. The large mansion reflected the calmness of the Must Hashira himself. The white window covers were a sharp contrast to the brown, wood walls. Yet, the white matched the upper level of the house. Kanao knocked on the door with her free hand.

  "Tokito? Are you home?" Kanao said in a soft voice. She heard some rather heavy footsteps approaching the sliding door. The door slid open to reveal..Genya? What was he doing here? His black eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. "Oh, hey Kanao. How are you?" His voice was a lot friendlier than usual and his face was slightly red. It seemed like he was setting down since the battle.

  "I'm fine." Kanao said warmly. "I'm just here to deliver this basket to Tokito." She held up the basket for him to take. Genya carefully took it, his face blushing even more. "Do you wanna come inside?" Genya asked, not wanting to be rude. "Sure. I have plenty of time." Kanao smiled as she walked inside with him.

  The mansion was well lit by the sunlight and looked rather colorful. Although the walls and furniture were the traditional brown color, there were also many paper figurines of various colors. Kanao knew that Muichiro loved to make Origami figures, so she figured that he made them himself. Genya took a quick left and led her to the living room.

  A low-lying table with two gray cushions sat in the middle of the room. The wall to the right had small shelves that were lined with Origami swans and cats. "He's rather talented." Kanao said in awe as she scanned the shelves. Genya put the basket down on the table and looked at the shelves as well. "Oh yeah. Tokito had been making these figures for years. They're quite impressive really."

  Kanao then turned to face Genya. "By the way, why are you here? I don't mean to be rude. I'm just curious." Genya looked nervous, almost embarrassed to say it. "I've been helping Muichiro adapt." Kanao raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Is he losing control of himself?" Genya shook his head. "Not quite. We've just been learning what his Blood Demon Art is...and a few other things.."

  Kanao's confusion was only made worse by the sound of distressed mewing. "Do you own a cat?" She asked curiously. Genya sighed and put a hand to his head. "No..here. Let me show you." Genya then walked out of the room with Kanao cautiously following behind him.

  The further they went into the mansion, the louder the mewing got. Kanao could tell that this was a male creature by the sound of it. Genya led her to the right room at the end of the hallway. He put his hand up to tell her to stop. Kanao decided to peek into the room when Genya went inside. She gasped at the image she saw.

  Muichiro was on his knees with a hand over his throat. He was trying to rub it, seemingly to soothe it. Genya knelt down beside him. "It's aching again?" Genya asked, voice filled with concern. Muichiro nodded and..mewed? He was the one who was making those noises! "Is he alright?" Kanao asked as she walked into the room. Muichiro looked up at her and immediately covered his mouth.

  "Don't worry. His vocal cords are just changing." Genya said this as if this was completely normal. "How? I've ever heard any demons make those noises." Genya hugged Muichiro as he sighed. "Let me explain.."

  "When I devoured a demon for the third time, I lost control of my vocal cords. I couldn't speak any human language and I could only make animal noises. No matter how much I tried to speak, I just couldn't. I was just as confused as you are. After all, demons don't talk like this. That was also the longest time that I was turned. It ended after a few days and by then my voice box adapted to make those noises and to speak. From what I'm guessing, that's just what demons go through when they're turned."

  Kanao put a hand to her chin, thinking. "That's why Shinobu isn't speaking.." Genya nodded. "All of the fallen Hashira must be going through this. It'd just a natural process, so there's nothing to worry about." Kanao looked up at the two slayers. "So, did he call you over because he didn't know what was going on?" Both of the boys nodded.

  "He sounded pretty terrified in his letter." Genya made a soft purring noise as he held Muichiro. Kanao smiled as she walked over to them. She crouched down and petted Muichiro's head. "Don't worry, Tokito. Everything will be alright." Muichiro smiled at her and mewed in response.

News of the truth of these strange noises spread across the corps. All of Hashira-and even Tanjiro himself-were dealing with these noises. They had a strange unique sound to each person as if they were associated with a specific animal. Some were obvious like Rengoku making gritty roars and chuffs like a tiger and Shinobu making soft trills and buzzes like a butterfly. However, some weren't exactly expected like Tanjiro making powerful huffs and growls like a bear and Muichiro making sweet kitten-like mews.

  Regardless of all things, they eventually adapted within a few days. Although, Tanjiro did have some questions. "Do you think the Kizuki might know where these strange noises come from?" Tanjiro asked. He was sitting as a low desk with Nezuko on his right side and Zenitsu on his left. "I'd say that's gonna be your best bet." Nezuko said as she stroked Matsuemon-who was cawing happily.

  "I don't trust them. I mean..what if they try to kill you?" Zenitsu almost sounded like he growled. "It's okay, Zen." Tanjiro hummed softly as he stroked the blonde's head. "I'll be fine. Besides, we already have some friends!" Zenitsu rolled his eyes. "You mean those siblings? They're cruel. Trust me..I've seen it myself."

  Tanjiro rumbled disappointingly. "I know what they've done is unforgivable, but I really do believe that they can change." Zenitsu looked the other way. "I just don't want you to get hurt." Tanjiro could feel Zenitsu grabbing his arm with a tight grip. The Demon King placed his hand over Zenitsu's arm and smiled. "Don't worry. I know that everything will be okay."

  Nezuko hummed softly. "It might be best to have a meeting with them. Not only to set some ground rules, but also to learn more about them." Tanjiro nodded. "That sounds great! Matsuemon, could you inform the demons? The meeting will start in an hour." The crow cawed. "I could! Good thing all the demons are in the castle!" The crow turned around, opened his wings, and took off.

  The hour passed as quickly as sound. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Zenitsu we're heading to the dreadful Infinity Castle. The Kamado siblings were very hesitant to bring Zenitsu along at first, but the blonde insisted. Saying that he just wanted to make sure Tanjiro was safe. With that, the siblings ended up caving.

  The warm forest shimmered beautifully as the trio traversed through it. Nezuko was humming a soft tune as she skipped in front of the two boys. Tanjiro enjoyed watching her, but Zenitsu was only thinking. His mind was a deep ocean of doubt and concern. It was put through a storm when Tanjiro disappeared. Now, it seemed like an entirely new, lovely ecosystem. Zenitsu watched him carefully and they scaled the mountain.

  The Infinity Castle soon came into view. It looked like a traditional, small house with brown walls and white windows. The trio walked up the steps and Tanjiro knocked on the sliding door. "Hmm?..Who's there?" A deep, intimidating voice said from behind it. This caused Zenitsu to yelp and hide behind Tanjiro. "It's me, Tanjiro Kamado." Tanjiro said. Some shuffling was heard behind the door.

  Then, Kokushibo slid the door open. "Good morning..young king." His voice was cold and unreadable. "You must be here..to start the meeting." Kokushibo looked down at the other two with him. Squinting his middle pair when he laid his eyes on a cowering Zenitsu. Tanjiro nodded as he squeezed Zenitsu's hand gently. "Yes. That's exactly why we're here."

  Kokushibo turned back to Tanjiro. "Follow me..." He turned around and walked off into the castle. The trio quickly followed him, shutting the door behind them. The world of the Infinity Castle was more like an infinite maze of hallways and rooms. It wasn't as confusing or disjointed as it was before, but it was still difficult to navigate. Rooms seemed to line the walls and various bridges and stairs connected them.

  Kokushibo walked with some speed, which made the others have to jog in order to catch up with him. "I don't think he likes you." Zenitsu whispered to Tanjiro. "Be nice. He's probably just not used to a new king." Kokushibo grumbled softly to himself when he heard this. There was much more to this issue.

  Within a few minutes, the grouped reached a rather strange room. Most of the base was a normal light tan floor, but a fourth of the room's floor was raised. "The biwa lady designed this..to be the meeting room." Kokushibo said as they walked inside. All of the reincarnated demons, both Lower and Upper moons, were there. Surprisingly, none of them were talking to each other.

  Everything was quiet and still. Chills creeped up Tanjiro's spine. "Is this normal?" Tanjiro asked Kokushibo. "To an extent..yes." He replied. "We are normally quiet..Strangely though, Douma is talking..He's usually the one who causes a stir." Tanjiro looked around to see Douma. He was on his knees, swaying. "The floor..is yours." Kokushibo said with stillness.

  Tanjiro smiled at him and nodded before walking up on the raised platform. Kokushibo looked at him for a few seconds, then walked away. His eyes scanned the room before spotting Akaza-who was sitting alone near the right side of the room. Kokushibo sighed as he made his decision. He walked over to Akaza and took a seat next to him. Akaza widened his eyes and tilted his head. He was about to ask him something when Tanjiro cleared his throat.

  "Hello everyone!" Tanjiro hummed with excitement. All of the demons' attention was directed towards him. Zenitsu and Nezuko stood on each side of him. Zenitsu held his hand and trembled as he looked upon the sea of demons. Tanjiro squeezed his hand gently. "I know that this is a major change for all of us, but I hope that we can develop a great relationship together."

  No one cheered. No one growled. No one even responded. Tanjiro could feel his heart sink a little, but he's not going to give up. "I thought that it would be best if I set some guidelines for us. We are an entirely new species after all."

  "First off, no one will try to kill each other. If there are any fights, we can try to understand where the argument came from and how to stop it. Secondly, you are free to do as you please. There will be missions, but they will most be missions to refill supplies and to convert other demons. I want this to be a welcoming community, but it's important that you also take care of yourself. Find your hobbies! Have some fun! Practice whatever you like to practice! I'll also make sure that none of you ever go hungry or have horrible living conditions. You are people and deserve to be treated as such. Last thing, never ever eat any humans. You don't have to eat humans anymore, so no harm shall come to the innocent."

  The demons murmured amongst themselves. They all expected that last rule, but the others were decently surprising. "Does anyone have any questions?" Tanjiro asked. Hantengu raised a trembling hand. "Will any of the slayers be after us?" Tanjiro shook his head. "Absolutely not. Master Kiriya informed them of the situation, so no harm will come to you. In fact, Miss Shinobu actually set up therapy sessions for everyone!"

  Most of the demons weren't quite happy with this. Some of them sighed or even growled. "We also know that some of the Hashiras..won't be exactly friendly." Kokushibo huffed. They all nodded. "I can't lie to you. That is undoubtedly true, but don't worry. I'll make sure that no harm comes your way. They won't attack you unless you attack a human."

  This seemed to clear some confusion as the murmurs died down. Akaza raised a hand. "What do you plan for us? What is your goal?" There wasn't a rude tone in his voice, more like a servant's. "I just want to see you live the lives you deserve. Many of you were treated unfairly in your lives and Muzan only used your pain against you. I will not punish you for making mistakes. We are human. We will make mistakes. All I ask from you is to understand yourselves and to move on from your pain."

  They all tilted their heads. "You mean that there's no goal? Nothing you want us to hunt for?" Douma asked, resting his head in his hand. Tanjiro and Nezuko nodded. "Well, what do you know? Guess we got lucky then." Douma chuckled as he continued to sway.

"I do have a question for you though." Tanjiro said. "When we were adapting to our form, our voice boxes underwent some changes. We were able to make strange animals. Is that normal?" The demons murmured for a second before Gyutaro spoke up. "Every demon has gone through that. We are all able to make various animal noises."

  "The reason why you haven't heard those noises before is because Muzan actually told us to mask them." Daki piped in. Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "Mask them? Why? They seem harmless." Rui sighed. "We honestly have no idea why. He just seemed to hate the noises and everything else that came with them."

  This only made the trio more confused. "What else did Muzan hate?" Nezuko asked. "Well..We do have a variety of other characteristics that we had to bury. Truth be told, our attributes are quite strange." Akaza huffed as he remembered Muzan. "They may be, but are they harmful?" Tanjiro asked, wanting more answers. The demons seemingly didn't know what to say. "Well he told us that they were harmful and idiotic." Gyutaro said with a growl. "But I've never found anything wrong with them."

  Tanjiro felt a fire burning in his heart. Why would Muzan tell them to hide these instincts? What would he tell them to hide who they really are? This was infuriating! "Well, you don't have to hide them from me." Tanjiro smiled reassuringly. Despite this reassurance, the demons only gave him awkward silence. "I'm not sure..if they can come back.." Kokushibo said flatly. "It's been too long.."

  "Maybe, but maybe not. We'll just have to see." Tanjiro smiled. "I just hope that you all can live a happy life. It'll be rough, but I have the utmost faith in you." All the demons bowed slightly signaling the end of the meeting. Tanjiro stepped down from the raised platform. "I do encourage you to talk to the others. You might find some great friends!"

  The demons looked around at each other awkwardly. Douma looked around the room before someone caught his eye. A lonely Lower Moon by sitting by  the door. He had heard of him before, as he was the strongest Lower Moon, but Douma had never seen him. Douma stood up, dusted himself off, and walked towards him.

  Enmu looked up at the Upper Moon slovenly. "Hey there!" Douma chirped in a cheery tune. "What are you doing by yourself?" Enmu looked away. "You must be an Upper Rank demon. How did you manage to get so close to Muzan?" Douma couldn't help but laugh. "Oh don't be so kind! He didn't really like me, but he considered me useful!"

  Enmu glared at him. "He had to like you for some reason." Douma only shook his head. "Not really. Just my power." Enmu raised an eyebrow. "Then, why are you not upset?" Douma shrugged. "That's just what everyone wanted from me. Why should I expect any different?"

  Enmu was perplexed by this strange demon. Wouldn't he want for someone to care about him? Maybe he was just desensitized. Enmu sighed before staring off, right at Tanjiro-who was speaking to Gyutaro. Douma followed his stare.

  "Ah~You must not like the new king. I think he's quite cute. Definitely naive, but it's nice to see someone who isn't mean for a change." Douma's gleeful tone was grading. "He doesn't deserve to be king." Enmu growled. Douma tilted his head. "Hm?"

  "I mean he knows nothing about us! What gives him the right to disrupt our society.?" Enmu knew that this was the most aggressive he had ever been. "Well, we can't really control how he rules, but it doesn't seem to be that bad." Douma said, obliviously. "You don't understand." Enmu huffed in annoyance.

  Douma put a hand to his chin, thinking. "I like you. How about we head to a nearby Udon stand? I've been dying to try some human food and it looks like you could use something to cheer you up." Enmu sighed, resting his arms on his knees. "I guess I could. I have nothing better to do." Douma clapped his hands together. "Great!"

  While all this was happening, Akaza turned to Kokushibo. "Why did you decide to sit next to me?" His voice trembled with suspicion. All six of Kokushibo's eyes stared at him. "I mean no harm to you..Truth be told..I respect you the most..out of everyone here." Akaza raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you would rather stay away from us."

  "You're not wrong..however it felt rather awkward..to stay away..Besides..I've noticed that you haven't..been acting like yourself."  Akaza looked down at the floor. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing that you should concern yourself with." His voice didn't have a rude tone surprisingly. Akaza's voice was instead soft and miserable. Kokushibo knew something was wrong.

  Kokushibo sighed as he stood up. "Would you like to spar sometime?..I know that's how you cool off.." Akaza hunched defensively. "Don't worry..there is no trick..and neither of us..will die.." Akaza sighed as he stood up. "Sure. It hasn't been a while, hasn't it?" He smiled at the six-eyed demon. "Indeed it has.."

  Hantengu was being consumed by his own thoughts. The last few days have been unbearable for him. It was like how he was as a full fledged demon. He hated how much his fear ate at him. Hantengu looked around at the other demons conversing. He wished he could do the same, but he couldn't bring himself to.

  His body trembled and his heart pounded. Hantengu knew that this wasn't normal and he hated it. It had led him to steal. It had led him to kill. Hantengu knew he had to change this, but how? Then, an idea popped in his head.

  Hantengu stood up with shaky legs and walked over to Tanjiro. Zenitsu yelped when he laid eyes on the demon, thus alerting Tanjiro. "Oh, hello Hantengu." Tanjiro said as he turned around. "Hi, master. I..umm..wondered if you could do something for me." Hantengu shook nervously. "Of course! What is it?" Tanjiro smiled.

  "Could you..summon my clones?" Hantengu asked. Tanjiro tilted his head, curiously. "Oh? How come?" Hantengu flinched, thinking that he was criticizing him. "Well, I hate how I'm constantly afraid. It makes my life miserable and it also makes me do terrible things. I know that my main four clones aren't like that. I..might be happy then."

  Tanjiro nodded, understanding the thought. "Are you sure? You might lose yourself as you proceed through this." Hantengu put a hand to his jaws. "I'd be willing to take that risk. This is for the best." Tanjiro smiled with warmth. "Alright, Hantengu. If this is what it takes to make you happy, then I'll do it."

Author's Note: Hiya! Sorry if this chapter was rather boring. I used this to set up some mysteries and potential romances! I do hope you like it regardless!

Thank you so much!!! Sorry I didn’t reply right away. I’m terribly sick, but this put a smile on my face!

Btw, you might be the first person who made art for this ship lmao!

SO LATE

But it's lightly rendered

GenMuiNao art requested by @silver-tooth-the-panther

It's been in my drafts for so long😪

It's wonky bc it was rushed🥲🥲🥲

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Thirteen:

The Island of The

Humanoids

Warnings: Some swearing and themes of discrimination

Word Count: 8050

  The morning sun beamed down on a wide eyed Tanjiro as he, Nezuko, and Zenitsu made their water over to the Infinity Castle. The Demon King walked with a pep in his step, thinking about what he was going to serve his colleagues for breakfast. Zenitsu stood close to his side while filling his head with many wonderful, tasty options. Nezuko just stayed close, smiling with a wide grin as she watched the boys chatting.

  "Do you think Tamagoyaki would be a good option? We have enough eggs and vegetables.. I hope." Tanjiro asked Zenitsu, placing a hand on his chin. "Hell yes!" Zenitsu raised his hands to his shoulders and balled them into fists. "Really anything you make is amazing, but eggs are a particular favorite of mine." Tanjiro blushed slightly. "Oh, thank you."

  Nezuko watched them with a cheeky grin, glad that her brother had recovered from the night before. The ailments did a great job with soothing the poor Demon King. So, she wondered who sent the basket. Nezuko just assumed it had been a Hashira. Thus, she's now just skipping right behind, happily listening to their conversation.

  The golden sun glistened against the grass, which the morning dew had settled themselves on. Frosty leaves shielded the trio from the warm sun. Zenitsu was technically hugging Tanjiro's side to keep warm. Both of the Kamado siblings not only grew up in the cold mountains, but also had fiery Blood Demon Arts. So, keeping themselves warm wasn't a problem.

  The sight of the Infinity Castle served as a welcoming space to the three of them as it came into view. Tanjiro made a hushed chuffing sound as they hobbled up the steps. With a soft knock on the door from Tanjiro, Kokushibo opened it once more. "Ah...hello..Lord Tanjiro..."

  Tanjiro greeted him with a wide, warm smile. "Hi, Mister Kokushibo!" Zenitsu peeked his head out from behind Tanjiro. "Are you the certified doorman now?" Both Tanjiro and Kokushibo replied with a hearty chuckle. "I guess...I could be..I have been answering it..for everyone.."

  They stepped inside to see many of the half-demons walking from one place to another. Lanterns brought a warm atmosphere to the castle. Tanjiro smiled as he watched them go about their lives. "So...what's the plan...Lord Tanjiro..?" Kokushibo looked up at the young king. Tanjiro made a soft purr as he turned to Kokushibo."I wanna try something for breakfast. There's a long table my friends and I set up in the dining hall."

  "So...you're having all of us...eat together..? Interesting..." Kokushibo said in a low voice, putting a hand to his chin. "Why yes!" Tanjiro's energy felt like warms rays of sunshine. "Eating together will help us develop a better connection with one another. This was actually Zenitsu's idea." Zenitsu blushed and covered his mouth with his hand when Tanjiro spoke those words.

  Kokushibo tilted his head as he hummed a soft tune, closing his eyes. "That does sound like...an interesting idea...We demons rarely saw each other...so..this is a nice..change of pace." He opened his eyes again. "Alright..let's try it..." Tanjiro clapped his hands together. "That's great!" He then shifted his gaze to the other half-demons.

  "Roar.." Kokushibo whispered. Tanjiro turned to him with a furrowed brow. "Roar? Why?" Kokushibo pointed to the others as they walked through the hallways. "I've relearned..the ancient demon language...Roaring helps to call..the others..just be careful...you need to make it seem friendly..otherwise it will seem like you're..threatening them."

  Tanjiro focused his gaze on the others. He raised his head like a wolf howling at the moon and took a deep breath. Then, a soft, lofty bellow emitted from his belly and went through his jaws. It sounded and felt like a slowly moving waterfall that carried the sound through the forest. Zenitsu and Nezuko couldn't help but smile at the wonderful sound.

  Just as Kokushibo predicted, this mighty bellow caught the attention of every single half-demon in the building. The Lowermoons, besides Enmu and Rui, jumped at the roar, but the Uppermoons gave him surprised looks. "Um..hello everyone!" Tanjiro's voice echoed through the now quiet Infinity Castle. "I'd like to announce something."

  "Recently, my friends and I put in a long table in the dining room. We thought it would be a good idea for all of us to eat together. It would help us build a better sense of community and trust. I'll be working on today's breakfast and I hope you all make yourselves comfortable!" Tanjiro finished his small announcement with a smile. The half-demons looked at each other with uncertainty in their eyes, but shrugged their shoulders and started to make their way down to the dining hall.

  Roughly forty-five minutes and many rolled up eggs later, all the Tamagoyaki had been prepared. Green onions, juicy, thin tomatoes, and sizzled, pink ham was nestled in the rolled up eggs. As a side, Tanjiro had made soft, white rice. Along with Zenitsu and Nezuko, Tanjiro shuffled six plates along his arms. They walked out to the dining room to see the half-demons struggling to figure out what to do.

  "Woa-woah!" Zenitsu cried out, almost dropping the plates. "Easy there, young Agatsuma!" A familiar, booming voice said as the man put his arms underneath the plates. "Mister Rengoku?" Zenitsu said as he stared into Rengoku's wide eyes. "What are you doing here?" Rengoku gave a hearty chuckle. "I just wanted to see how everyone was doing! From the look of it, you all are doing a fantastic job!"

  Zenitsu blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thanks, but all the credit goes to Tanjiro. He's been working hard to make sure everyone's happy. Just wish some of the other Hashira could see this.." Rengoku laughed, making Zenitsu raise a confused brow. "Who said I was alone?" Zenitsu looked past the Flame Hashira and grinned at the sight he saw.

  Giyuu Tomioka was quietly conversing with Kokushibo while Shinobu was doing the same with Sekido and Aizetsu. Gyomei cradled both Strifles and Rui in his large arms with a loving smile on his face. Daki and Mitsuri were gossiping about what was happening as of late. Gyutaro was standing protectively over Muichiro, Genya, and Kanao as he growled at Tengen. The only two Hashira that weren't there, to no one's surprise, were Obanai and Sanemi.

  "Wow..almost everyone is here." Zenitsu's voice was soft as he looked at everyone in awe. "We wanted to support young Kamado. It can't be easy carrying the weight of being the Demon King." Rengoku said as he crouched down. "Speaking of which, how is he? I heard from his sister that he had a rather hard night." Zenitsu nodded slowly. "Yeah...he had to sleep in for a bit to catch up, but he's better now."

  Rengoku stood up once again. "That's good to hear!" He took some of the plates from Zenitsu. "Thanks." Zenitsu smiled at him. "Here, I can help you all." Nakime spoke softly, walking towards them with her biwa in hand. "I connected the plates and silverware with my Blood Demon Art to make meals easier. "

  Everyone watched as Nakime struck her biwa and the dishes of food disappeared.  Then, they reappeared in front of every spot where someone would sit. Silverware and drinks filled with warm tea soon joined the plates. Oohing and ahhing filled the room as they watched the magic. "Well done, Nakime!" Tanjiro cheerfully chuckled as he admired her work. He went over to her and patted her head. "You did a great job, thank you!"

  Nakime covered her flustered face with her hand. She had no idea how to react. "Th-thank you, master." Tanjiro smiled at her. "No need to thank me. You did a great job." Everyone then took their seats. Some looked excited, others looked nervous. Tanjiro took his seat at the head of the table near the kitchen. Zenitsu and Nezuko sat on both sides of him. Inosuke climbed onto his seat and stood up next to Nezuko.

  "Hahaha! Bet you weren't expecting me to recover so quickly!" Shinobu shot him a slitted eye stare. "You still need to rest, Inosuke. You can't strain your body." Begrudgingly, Inosuke quietly took his seat. "There you go." Shinobu huffed softly.

  "Hey, psst! Kamado!" Tengen harshly whispered, standing closer to Tanjiro. Tanjiro turned to him with a confused expression. "Hm? What seems to be the matter, Mister Uzui?" Tengen's pupils moved from side to side in a sneaky manner. "Do you have any blood?" Tanjiro huffed and smirked. "You mean you want to be converted?" Tengen nodded sheepishly. "Look, I just really hope I can get my left hand and eye back. That's all I want."

  Tanjiro rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Don't be ashamed about it. It's fine to want that." He reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a vial of his blood. Tanjiro then handed it to the Sound Hashira. With an eager smile, Tengen snatched the vial and chugged it down. He licked his lips as soon as he was done.  "Why does your blood taste like honey?"

  Sharp, glistening crystals started to coat Tengen's left arm. A translucent rainbow color reflected off of them. The crystals went down further and further until they reached his hand. Just like Tengen had hoped, the crystals started to form a brand new hand. At each joint, the crystals were disjointed to efficiently move and swivel around. His crystal claws were sharp and jagged.

  The rainbow crystals didn't just stop there. Tengen watched his awe as sharp, pointy crystals formed around his neck, forming a permanent necklace. Then, his left eye healed as the crystals burrowed into it, thus making it useful again. Smaller crystals sprouted on his right shoulder and fingers. Finally, fangs sprouted from his canines.

  "Hell yeah! Now that's flashy!" Tengen twisted his arm, side to side. Just admiring it. "My! My! You won the demon lottery on that one! Haha!" Rengoku laughed. "That's no shit." Gyutaro made a low growl. "Alright, Tengen. Time to eat." Shinobu gave him a sharp smile as he did as he was told.

  A strange awkwardness was in the air as everyone started to eat. The aura was warm as some of the Hashira and Kizuki conversed. However, they only conversed amongst themselves. A scent of fear and nervousness hit Tanjiro's nose whenever a Kizuki member and a Hashira made eye contact. Fear was strongest among the Kizuki, while nervousness emitted from the Hashira.

  Still, Tanjiro smiled to himself, knowing that some progress was made. His sound was slightly soothed as he watched everyone. Zenitsu scooted closer to him, placing his head on Tanjiro's side. "You did a great job, Tanjiro." Zenitsu said as he took a bite of his food. Tanjiro's face lit up with a soft blush. "Thank you, Zen."

  Inosuke scooted, loudly, closer to Nezuko. "Is it just me or have those two gotten more buddy buddy?" He whispered in a harsh voice as he leaned into Nezuko's ear. She turned to him with a furrowed brow. "They've always been friends.." She said softly, yet being aware of their closeness. The Demon Princess knew that they became closer. She knew that the second Zenitsu stopped rushing after her every second he had.

  "You know what I mean." Inosuke huffed, stuffing a piece of egg into his maw. "Do you really think they love each other?" Nezuko said, staring at her brother, who was having a cheery conversation with Zenitsu. "Is that what you thought I meant?" Inosuke asked, tilting his head.  "I thought Monitsu was becoming his minion!" Nezuko could help but chuckle. "Maybe! He is the Demon King after all."

  Soon enough, the meal had come to a close. Everyone proved themselves to be self sufficient as they carried their dishes to the kitchen and washed them themselves. Tanjiro, of course, knew that he would have to break the ice and reveal his plans soon. So with a soft roar, all the half-demons, both Hashira and Moon, diverted their attention over to him.

  Tanjiro subtly cleared his throat before speaking. "I know all of us are anxious to investigate the truth about Jackyll and, luckily, some news has come up. Turns out he belongs to an ancient species of demon that existed long before Muzan did. Lady Tamayo told me that they are known as the Humanoid Demons."

  Everyone looked at each other. Some confused, others scared. Even Kokushibo, the eldest demon, showed nothing but confusion in all six of his eyes. "Is he the only one that exists at this point in time?" Rengoku spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have no clue. It was believed that they went extinct due to a lack of food and slayers. So who knows how many are still out there." Tanjiro said with a sigh.

  "Food?" Kokushibo questioned. "What exactly do these creatures eat?" Tanjiro gulped nervously. "That's my main point. They fed off of the humanoid species, which are basically animal-human hybrids." Even more confusion filled the air as the half-demons started to chatter amongst themselves. "Ohh! That must be what I am!" Everyone could hear Strifles say.

  "So, we're guessing you might want to try to find them." Tengen's voice cut through the chatter like a knife. Ceasing it immediately. "Do you know where they might be?" Tanjiro shook his head. "That's the difficult part. We have barely any information to go off of! I don't even know where to start looking."

  Everyone looked at each other, not really sure on what to do either. "I might have an idea." Gyutaro spoke up. All the half-demons turned their attention to him, making him sweat nervously. "Someone showed me a system of tunnels. Other than being gorgeous eye-candy, the tunnels also lead to different areas of Japan. My friend even told me that it connects to a remote island with "strange creatures" on it."

  Rengoku turned to look at Tanjiro. "I believe we have a lead!" The Demon King grinned eagerly, looking out across the table of half-demons. Anxious, yet excited expressions swept over them. Some were more excited than others, but the general consensus was positive. With a determined look, Tanjiro called out, "Then let's find the Humanoids!"

  "Genya...why the hell did you decide to drag me along on this trip?" Sanemi groaned as he trailed behind the group. Genya, with a tired expression, sighed as he stood next to him. "It's just a mission, Nemi. I'm not just going to leave you out of everything." Obanai hissed irritably as he had also been persuaded to come. Tail tucked around his legs, Obanai stuck close to Mitsuri's side.

  Everyone followed behind Gyutaro as he followed the trail to the caverns. Soft chatter rose from the half-demons. The confusion settled in as anticipation built up within them. Gyutaro led the group on all fours. Tanjiro sped up his pace to walk beside him, seemingly curious about something. "Gyutaro, mind if I ask you something?"

  Gyutaro looked up at him. "Sure. I don't see why not." Tanjiro looked down at the prints Gyutaro was leaving on the ground. "I haven't seen you walk on all fours before. Is there a reason why? I'm not judging, it just looks like it would be uncomfortable." Gyutaro chuckled softly. "It's not as uncomfortable as it looks. In fact, this is actually more comfortable for my bent back. I do have to pop and mold my shoulder joints to do it though."

  "Oh! That actually sounds pretty interesting. Can all half-demons do it?" Tanjiro asked, tilting his head. Gyutaro shrugged. "I'd assume so. I don't see why I would be any different from the rest of y'all." He then stopped dead in his tracks. Tanjiro looked up to see what Gyutaro saw. There, they both were staring into a gaping hole that borrowed into the side of a mountain. "We're here." Gyutaro said softly.

  The herd of half-demons followed their gaze, right into the gaping cavern. "W-we're going in there?" Strifles shuddered in Kokushibo's arms. Tanjiro turns to face the pack. "It's alright everyone." Tanjiro raised his arms in a reassuring manner. "Let's just take this head on."

  The Demon King turned back towards the dark hole, took a deep breath, and walked in. Dozens of footsteps echoed as the pack traversed into the tunnels. "How are we supposed to find any gateways in this darkness?" Enmu hissed trying to feel his way around. Douma quickly took his hand to his Enmu's worries.

  "Hang on. You'll see something rather fantastical." Gyutaro grinned, knowing the beautiful surprise that would be coming into view. Glistening light nearly blinded some of the half-demons. Kyogai made a sharp yelp as he raised his claws to protect his eyes. Strifles and Rui nestled their faces into Kokushibo's chest.

  The glisten softened as their eyes adjusted. Thus, making everyone realize that they were surrounded by rows and rows of multicolored crystals! "Haha! This is amazing!" Tengen laughed as he spun around, trying to get a full circle of the wall jewels. "Beautiful...how did you discover this?" Akaza asked as he was examining a large red crystal beside him.

  "Like I said, a friend of mine introduced me to this." Gyutaro picked up a small piece of a green crystal that fell from the ceiling. "Wait, Gyu...You have friends?" Douma raised his head above the crowd. With a sharp swing of his head, Gyutaro slitted his eyes at Douma and made an irritated snarl.

  Urogi flew up to the ceiling of the caverns, squeaking and chirping all the way. Karaku also ran off. Heading right to a large blue gem in front of Tanjiro. "Don't touch those, you dumbass!" Sekido growled. "You don't know if they're dangerous!" Despite Sekido's efforts, Karaku firmly grasped the crystal...and nothing happened. "See?" Karaku turned with a cheeky grin. "They aren't toxic!" Sekido only huffed in defeat and stood close to Aizetsu.

  A quick glance around the caverns revealed that there were many avenues the pack could take. "There's so many.." Muichiro spoke in awe. "If we pick the wrong one, we're sure to get lost." He huddled closer to Genya, who wrapped his arm around him and Kanao. "I agree!" Rengoku's voice boomed as he stepped forward. "Therefore, we need to be careful! Our biggest lead is that these Humanoids might be on a remote island!"

  "But what kind of pathway would lead us there? We're in a small mountain." Giyuu spoke calmly. "Well, then the pathway won't be one that's normal!" Rengoku laughed. Listening to Rengoku's words, Tanjiro put a hand up to his chin. "He's right. It wouldn't be normal." He spoke softly. Tanjiro sniffed the air in hopes of finding any sort of clue. Then, like an ancient treasure buried under tons of sand, the clue that they needed was subtle, but there. He could pick up a soft scent of saltwater and sand. "Maybe..the pathway is underneath the ground."

  "So, you mean that the pathway that we're looking for is buried downwards?" Shinobu asked. "That would make the most sense. That was probably how the Humanoids arrived at the island without any humans noticing." Rengoku nodded. "Exactly! So let's start looking!"

  While searching for the correct tunnel, the pack noticed that all the tunnels were either on their level or above them. This made them more excited since that would mean that the pathway that they were looking for would be easier to find than they thought. "Remember everyone, stick together! We don't want anyone to get lost." Tanjiro called out.

  "Okay!" Urogi chirped happily. The hawk demon looked around him, mesmerized by the glistening sight of the crystals. Rainbow lights shone through a small tunnel, catching his attention. The hole was small, so small that normal people would have to crawl through. The rainbow lights illuminated the small stalactites and stalagmites in the tunnel.

  "Ooh~!" Without another thought, Urogi dropped onto his belly and crawled through the hole. Smooth rock slid underneath him as he crawled through the snug tunnel. Small colorful crystals glowed all around him. Up ahead, Urogi could see that the tunnel expanded . He squeaked with excitement as he quickened his pace. He peeked his face through the hole, looking around him. Rainbow jewels shimmered and glowed, giving life to the dead rock. Thinking he heard something strange, he inclined his head forward to get a good listen. Soft, flowing water and whales echoed through the tunnel. He had found it.

  Urogi squeaked as he clumsily pushed himself forward, falling down on the steep slope that descended into the tunnel. "Guys! GUYS! I've found it! I've found the tunnel!" He turned around and squawked into the small hole.

  Zenitsu stopped his pace, straining his neck to listen to whatever he had just heard. Tanjiro stopped right beside him. "Zenitsu? Are you alright?" He crouched down to his level. "I thought I heard someone say they found the tunnel." Tanjiro's eyes widened. "You did?" Zenitsu nodded. Tengen walked towards them. "Yeah, he's not the only one. I heard it too."

  Tanjiro nodded, sniffing the air to look for any outlying scent. A scent of wild feathers strayed from the pack. "Urogi found it!" He started to run, following the scent. "Follow me! Over here!" He called out to the pack of half-demons. They all ran after him, vast intrigue and excitement was shared amongst them.

  The scent led him directly to the small hole. "Jeez." Obanai groaned. "He must've had to crawl to get in there" Tanjiro crouched down and peered inside. "Urogi? Are you in there?" Soft chirping sounds echoed through the rock. "Tanjiro! I've found the tunnel!" Tanjiro grinned proudly. "Great job, Urogi!" The hawk demon could feel his wings shake in happiness.

  Tanjiro turned back towards the group. "We're gonna have to crawl through this." Strifles leaped out of Kokushibo's arms with a giddy grin and landed on all fours. He then started to run right into the tunnel. Rui only clung onto Kokushibo. "It looks filthy." Urogi caught Strifles, who giggled and climbed up upon his shoulders.

  Daki walks up to Kokushibo and Rui, Obi sashes flowing majestically behind her. "I could wrap you up in one of my Obi sashes. Would that help?" Rui shyly nodded. Kokushibo held the tiny pup out in front of him so Daki could do her work. Her sashes slowly wrapped around Rui's tiny body. The sashes were incredibly gentle and they cradled him like a blanket that had been tucked around someone. "Thank you." Rui said with a shy smile.

  "No problem." Daki grinned. Akaza walked around them and placed his hand on the cave wall. "Let's let the pups and women go first." Tanjiro and Gyutaro nodded. "Agreed." Daki slowly approached the cave entrance. She stuck the little bundle that was Rui in front of her before crawling in herself. Gyutaro gently ushered Muichiro, Genya, and Kanao towards the entrance. Genya quickly growled at the Uppermoon, making him roll his eyes. "It's alright, little one. Gyutaro sighed. "You're pups. You're next in line."

  Genya huffed, standing protectively behind Muichiro and Kanao as they all climbed inside of the tunnel. One by one the half-demons climbed inside the mysterious hole. Eventually, Kokushibo met Akaza at the entrance. No one else stood behind the six-eyed demon. "That was...rather chivalrous of you..Akaza." He spoke softly. Light blush brightened his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks..I may be a demon, but I do have standards." Kokushibo nodded as he crouched down by the entrance. "You did..great." As Kokushibo climbed inside, Akaza covered his face with his hands to hide the growing blush. With all that done, Akaza then crawled in himself.

  Akaza yelped as he nearly fell as he climbed out of the other end. The only reason why he didn't was because Kokushibo managed to catch him. "Are..you alright?" With wide, flustered eyes, Akaza slowly nodded. Kokushibo seemed to get flustered as well as he carefully set Akaza down.

  Tanjiro stared down into the long, downward carven. "Wow...they must've really wanted to avoid humans." He said quietly to himself. Nezuko stood close to his side. "Do you think we should run through it? Who knows how long it is." Tanjiro chuckled. "We could try that." He looked back at the rest of the group. "But not everyone can run that fast." Nezuko nodded. "Yeah..you're right."

  The Demon King scanned the pack, looking at Gyutaro, who was on all fours again. Then, he got an idea. Strifles hobbled over to Tanjiro with a wide grin on his face. Zenitsu looked at Tanjiro with a puzzled expression, wondering what he was going to do. His face turned to a horrified expression as he heard Tanjiro's shoulder joints pop. The Demon King's shoulders and forearms looked bigger now than they were before and placed his hands on the ground.

  "What are you doing, Tanjiro?" Zenitsu shivered uncomfortably. "I'm going to carry you!" He grinned as he picked up Strifles by the scruff of his neck with his jaws. He looked like a mama cat. Strifles giggled as he reached up and booped Tanjiro's nose. Zenitsu sighed, knowing what Tanjiro wants him to do, and both he and Nezuko climbed on Tanjiro's back. "Hey, everyone!" Zenitsu yelled at the pack, diverting their attention. "Follow his lead!" With that, Tanjiro jumped off and ran on all fours into the deep, dark tunnel.

  Tanjiro ran with incredible ferocity as they went through the beautiful tunnel. He didn't realize just how flexible his bones and muscles were. They quickly adjusted to his four legged structure and made it comfortable for him to travel. It also made it so that Zenitsu and Nezuko wouldn't have a bumpy ride. Zenitsu looked behind him to see that quite a few half-demons followed Tanjiro's example. Rengoku carried a very red-faced Giyuu on his back. Akaza surprisingly did the same with little Rui. Gyutaro, of course, carried Daki in his usual fashion. Even Genya took after the trend, carrying both Muichiro and Kanao. He did have a guilty look on his face however. It was then that Zenitsu noticed that Sanemi was trailing behind everyone else.

  "Jeez." Zenitsu said with a sigh. "Shinagawa is incredibly stubborn." Nezuko followed his gaze and slowly nodded. "Poor guy looks exhausted. I wonder why he didn't hitch a ride on his brother." Zenitsu shrugged. "He probably hasn't even talked with him yet." Nezuko nodded somberly. "That sounds about accurate."

  "Zen! Nezi! Look!" Strifles squealed excitedly as he pointed up at the ceiling. Light filled the room as Zenitsu and Nezuko turned to get a view of their surroundings. Gone were the rocks and rubble and now the ceiling was made with translucent crystal. Oceanic waters flowed above them and various marine creatures swam above them.

  "Woah.." Zenitsu's jaw dropped, gazing upon the sight. He could hear many of the others gasp and chatter about the marine life above them. A whale shark swam above them, giving everyone a clear view of its glistening spots. "I don't think any of us have been this close to these majestic beasts." Shinobu smiled as she watched the creature.

  Tanjiro gazed up at the ceiling, still carrying Strifles in his jaws. A small smile formed on his face. Soft sands molded around his clawed hands every time he put them on the ground. He was able to enjoy the ride.

  A few minutes passed by when a dark, rocky cavern came into view. "We're almost there, everyone!" Zenitsu yelled, earning cheers from the exhausted half-demons. Tanjiro sunk his claws into the soft rock as he began to climb up the cavern's slope. Strifles giggled as he swayed. Tanjiro's eyes widened as he finally saw what he had been hoping for, sunlight. They had finally made it! Tanjiro practically leapt out of the cave's exit. Finding himself in a lush and beautiful forest.

  The Demon King steadily walked so the others could come out. He sent Strifles down on the ground. "Hehehe! That was fun! Can we do that again?" Tanjiro smiled at him, feeling Zenitsu and Nezuko slide off of his back. He stood up and popped his shoulder bones back into place, making Zenitsu shudder.

  The half-demons came pouring in and let their passengers off their backs. They examined their new environment. Strange creatures crawled and buzzed around. Bees had multi-colored stripes and were slightly larger than normal. Odd little lizards climbed up and down on the trees. Tiny wings were stretched out on their backs and their thin black stripes made them look like tiger-lizards. Even the birds were unique as their large darkly colored bodies sustained four large, looming wings and a head with razor sharp beaks and small spines that ran down their backs.

  "This whole place is a different ecosystem." Shinobu spoke as she admired a large bee that landed on her finger. Zenitsu didn't care about the beautiful creatures. He only winced in fear. "I hear a large monster.." He trembled fearfully. "It's okay, Zen. Just stick by me, okay? You too, Nezuko." Tanjiro said in a kind, warm voice.

  Tanjiro then made a sharp calling noise, drawing everyone's attention. "We must proceed, but don't stray from each other. I'll let you know if I get any funny scents." Everyone in the pack nodded and huddled together as they proceeded forward. Little did they know, a pair of hawk eyes had been watching them before scampering off into the woods.

  The half-demons continued their way through the colorful forest. Little rodents with pear-shaped bodies and long spring-like legs jumped and ran about. Their long tails grazed the grass as they nibbled at various nuts and berries. Shinobu kept her eye out for all the little strange creatures.

  Kokushibo looked over at Muichiro and Genya. A heavy weight tugged at his heart as he watched them. He tried to edge his way closer to them in the crowd. Muichiro seemed to notice this though and he huddled closer to Genya. A small wince escaped Kokushibo's lips. He felt something rip at his chest. Yet he knew all he could do was to look away and leave them be, no matter how much he wanted to get closer to them.

  Tanjiro kept on sniffing the air, making sure to be completely aware of his surroundings. Everything was strange to him. All these new creatures and plants made it incredibly difficult to sense if any threat was nearby. Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke rained close to the king to feel safe. Pretty much everyone huddled together to keep each other safe with the most protective on the outside.

  Then, a rotten, angry scent filled the air. Tanjiro quickly raised his hand to signal for everyone to stop. He sniffed the air again, widening his eyes as he realized that there were more than one. "There are others here.." Tanjiro whispered. Tengen put a hand behind his ear to listen. His eyes widened in fright. "There are five here."

  A long, sharp spear quickly landed right in front of Tanjiro, causing him to yelp. Another one was heading towards Daki, but Gyutaro managed to slice it in half and roared angrily. Arrows were fired at them as well. One went straight through Akaza's arm as he tried to defend Kokushibo. Others were sliced and diced by claws and swords. Lastly, a large, silver harpoon was launched right at Nezuko. However, Tanjiro caught it when it was only an inch from her face.

  Tanjiro gritted his teeth and snarled as he turned towards the trees. "So..you humans have finally found us, huh?" A sharp, stone-cold voice echoed around them. "What gives you the right to trespass on our land?" Finally, the perpetrator and leader revealed himself.

  A hawk-like man with light brown feathers and a mohawk made with dark brown feathers walked out of the bushes. He wore a haori and pants that were completely black. His bare, feathered chest was layered with white and dark brown feathers. The only article of clothing that had color was a white and blue Tallit that he wore around his neck. The hawk's golden eyes were filled with hatred as he held a homemade wooden spear in his right hand.

  "We mean no harm." Tanjiro eyes the hawk down as he threw the harpoon onto the ground. The hawk darkly chuckled. "They all say that. Get 'em, boys!" The other attackers jumped out of the trees. One was a gritty gator wearing a white ripped shirt and denim who was holding another steel harpoon. Another was a Gila Monster who wore a similar outfit as the top heavy gator, except his shirt was black. The Gila was much thinner than the gator, thus it made sense that he wielded the bow and arrows.

  Lastly, there was a large, muscular gray wolf who wore a dark gray, Demon Slayer uniform with a white haori wrapped around his waist. He carried two large, serrated swords that looked similar to Tengen's. Strangely, the wolf also wore prayer beads around his wrists and neck. The weirdest feature was the mask he wore on his face. It was rigid and had thick outlines that emphasized all the accents on it.

  "Well this is a friendly greeting." Douma joked. The gator pointed his harpoon at him. "Don't get comfy, Rainbow Eyes!" He snarled. "We ain't lettin' you humans put us in the dirt!" Tanjiro squinted his eyes. "We aren't here to hurt you. We just want to ask you something."

  The hawk lowered his intimidating eyes upon them. "You have no business with us. You have no right to be here." Tengen looked around at the different Humanoids. "Wait, where's the fifth one?" The Gila pointed his bow at him. "None of your damn business!" The hawk looked up at the wolf, who had his swords at the ready.

  "Timber." The hawk's tone was soft towards the wolf. "You need to return to the village. You're retired for a reason." The wolf only huffed and stood his ground. The hawk turned his gaze back to the pack. "Very well. You can join us in the slaughter then." Tanjiro put his hand on his sword, snarling. The hawk picked up the wooden spear, ready to attack.

  "Woah! Woah! Woah!" A mystical, sharp female's voice called out from the trees. Dark blue eyes could be seen with the darkness of the trees. "Aka, do you realize what they are?!" A panther humanoid wearing a black demon slayer uniform and a black haori with purple and blue flames on the bottom and wrist cuffs walked out into the clearing. She had a shorter,purple fur mohawk and light grey around her muzzle. The panther wore purple, shiny gauntlets with red blades on the paw fingers. Her tail was sleek and long with a blue tuff which resembled a flame on the end.

  "Lady Aqua." Aka bowed respectfully towards her. The other Humanoids did the same. "They are mere pests. We can get rid of them easily." Aqua shook her head. "They're fucking demons! Not just normal humans." Timber nodded, knowing the truth all along.

  "Damn it!" Aka stomped his taloned feet. "That means only you can kill them." Tanjiro huffed irritably, having enough of this. "We aren't here to hurt you!" He roared, causing everyone to jump. Aqua approached him and pointed a sharp claw in his face. "Look, we have kept our family safe for generations by avoiding your kind. We can't let you hurt us." Tanjiro nodded. "I understand that, but I truly mean it! We need help with a ram demon."

  Aqua immediately dropped her bladed claw and widened her eyes. "A ram demon? Does he have black fur, golden eyes, and a bell around his neck?" Tanjiro nodded, feeling a bit of relief.  Aqua clenched her fist. "Damn it..how the hell did you encounter him?"

  Strifles climbed on top of Kokushibo, seemingly startling the Humanoids. "A halfling.." The Gila pointed. Something seemed to click within Aqua's brain. She turned her gaze from Strifles back to Tanjiro. "Of course he would sink that low." She said to herself, already knowing what he did to the poor pup.

  "Are you sure you really mean no harm?" Aqua said with a skeptical eye." "Yes. All we want to know is about the demons. That is all." The panther sniffed Tanjiro and made a soft huff. "Your scents are trustworthy..Fine, I'll bring you to our queen."

  The other Humanoids looked at her with shock. All except for Timber. "But Lady Aqua!" The Gila roared in protest. "It's alright, Rodan. They're scents are trustworthy." Aka shook his head in a frustrated manner. "You can't just lead humans into the village! They'll report to the government!" Rengoku walked forward. "Actually, us half-demons aren't affiliated with the government."

  The gator pointed his spear at him. "Shut it, Firecracker!" Aqua firmly gripped his wrist. "Relax, Supaiku." Supaiku relaxed out of fear and nodded. "Okay..okay.." he sent his spear back down to his side once she let go. Aqua stood in front of the pack and made a beckoning hand gesture. "Follow me."

  Tanjiro wrapped his arms around Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke as they pressed on. The pack followed Aqua through the woods. Timber walked beside the panther while the other stood around the pack to keep an eye on them, especially Aka. After a few seconds, Aqua had led them right into the Humanoid village.

  There were various species of Humanoids that resided in the village. Lizards, birds, mammals, and even some prehistoric animals roamed around. Their features were more cutesy than realistic, which was probably a good thing for the lizards and birds. When they saw the pack travel through the village, panic filled their hearts. Mothers shielded their children and they all hid within the various buildings.

  The village itself looked like a traditional Japanese village, but there was something strange about it. Instead of wood, most of the houses were made of stone and a strange slab-like material. The streetlights were made with steel and their heads weren't lit with a lantern. Instead, there seemed to be round bulbs inside a shell of glass. "They must be farther in technical development." Shinobu scrutinized a nearby streetlight.

  "We've put a lot of effort into advancing our society." Aqua spoke flatly. "This island has a lot of valuable minerals and resources." Her soft paws padded the ground as she walked. Up ahead, Tanjiro could see a small mansion. The building also had a stone base with a black roof. A black flag was hung from the roof that was positioned right above the sliding door. Only a singular paw print and two crossed swords were printed on the flag.

  "This is our queen's mansion." Aqua spoke softly as she stopped in front of the stone steps. She turned to look at them with her piercing blue eyes. "Wait right here." She then focused her gaze on Aka. "Don't you try anything." Aka lowered his head before Aqua climbed the steps and knocked lightly on the door.

  "Queen Hachi?" Aqua spoke in a soft and gentle tone. The door cracked open, but no one other than Aqua could see anything. "What's wrong, little one?" An elderly, female voice spoke back to her. "We have...guests." Aqua whispered. "We do?" The voice questioned before the person completely opened the door. A bee Humanoid with soft, black and yellow fur and four black arms gazed upon them with wide, purple eyes. Crisp wings laid flatly on her back and a purple kimono with red accents around the wrist cuffs, neck, and spine finely fitted her. Black, comfortable pants covered her stubby, fluffy legs. She was rather adorable for a bee.

  "Humans?" Unlike the others, Queen Hachi didn't seem to hold any animosity towards the pack. "They're not humans, Queen Hachi." Aqua spoke, turning to the pack. "That's right. We're half-demons." Tanjiro said as he bowed towards the queen. Queen Hachi took a few steps forward. "My my..what brings you beautiful creatures here? You must be good if Aqua brought you to me."

  Tanjiro stood up straight with a slight smile. "Right! We wish to know more about your demons. We recently had a run in with a ram demon and he needs to be defeated." Queen Hachi nodded, understanding their predicament. "Good thing we can come to an agreement on that." She chuckled softly. "Of course we can give you information about them." She turned to face Aqua. "Do you trust them?"

  Surprisingly, the panther nodded. "Their scents are overall very sweet. Especially from the pup with the checkered haori. I believe he's their leader." Queen Hachi diverted her attention back to the pack. She walked feebly down the steps, with Aqua's help, and hobbled over to Tanjiro. "Is that true, young man?" Tanjiro nodded, a little nervous. "Yes, I am their king. I'm Tanjiro Kamado." Queen Hachi smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Hehe, you already know who I am."

  "With all due respect, Queen Hachi, don't you think that having them here is a huge risk to our society?" Aka burst in, seemingly frustrated. "I understand your worries, Aka, but Aqua's nose never lies. Besides, we can't continue the prejudice." Queen Hachi raised her hand. Tanjiro tilted his head. "Prejudice?" Queen Hachi looked rather nervous as her eyes darted around and squeezed her palm. "Eh...it's rather complicated. Would you mind following me inside? Just you and me?"

  Tanjiro nodded with a soft smile. "From one royalty to another. That's completely fine by me." Aka's eyes widened. "But Queen Hachi..!" Aqua's eyes then buried into the hawk. "Hush. He actually has the best scent out of all of them. She's safe around him." Aka crossed his arms and huffed irritably. Queen Hachi then turned back towards her house and made a gesture with her head for Tanjiro to follow her.

  The Demon King did so, gently helping the elderly bee up the stone stairs. The two walked inside the house with Aqua shutting the door behind them. "Thank you for joining me. I apologize if my people gave you a hard time." Queen Hachi spoke softly as she sat down on the floor. Lanterns emitted a warm, orange light all around the house. A small table firmly stood to the left of the room and two bookshelves lined the walls beside the door.

  "It's alright." Tanjiro stood his seat in front of her. "They did seem very hostile towards us. We didn't mean to cause a stir." Queen Hachi tilted her head with a sympathetic expression on her face. "It's not your fault, young one. You need our help and you don't know what happened to our kind in the past."

  The tension finally eased from Tanjiro when she said that. "Thank you. Mind if I ask, why are the Humanoids so cautious around humans?" Queen Hachi looked up at him with focused eyes. "They were the reason why we nearly went extinct."

  "Thousands of years ago, Japan was dealing with extreme food shortages. We Humanoids and humans used to live together, but the famine and hunger caused both species incredible suffering. However, the human government grew paranoid of us. They worried that our animal appearances would affect our behavior. So, they spread lies and misinformation about us. At first, it was subtle. Jobs refused to take our ancestors and people refused to trade. Then, they grew violent. We did too, but only to protect ourselves and to survive the famine. That only made things worse though as the government gave them clearance to hunt and kill us like we were actual animals. It didn't help that we were also trying to fend off demons that would attack at night. In the end, the humans greatly outnumbered us and we had to flee. Our ancestors found the hole in the caverns and led us here to safety. Some still remained on their land due to spiritual reasons, but they eventually had to migrate as well."

  Tanjiro listened to the bee's story with horror and sorrow. Now he truly understood the Humanoids' aggression. "That's just awful. It makes sense why they were so hostile. Please know that we would never hurt you." Queen Hachi smiled sweetly. "I know you won't, young Kamado. If Aqua trusts you, I can trust you." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued.

  "As for the demons, there are only three in existence. The only one I've seen is Jackyll, but the other two are listed as alive in the journals that previous demon slayers have left." Tanjiro smiled with a sense of hope. "Really? There's only three?"

  Queen Hachi nodded. "Yes, but don't underestimate them. They've been able to survive for thousands of years. I still remember what their journal entries said. There's Silverlight who's Upperbeast Two and a four-armed moth demon. The other one is Songusunēku, a giant King Cobra and the Upperbeast Five demon. Unfortunately, that's all I know about them. Was this in any way helpful?"

  Tanjiro nodded like an eager kid. "Yes! Any information is better than being blind. Thank you!" Queen Hachi chuckled softly. "It's no problem, young one. If Jackyll really is after you, then you need all the information you can get."

  During this conversation, the pack was waiting outside for their king. Aqua stood beside the door, guarding it. Timber stood beside her, basically towering over her. Aka paced nervously, clearly worried about his queen. The half-demons remained huddled together, nervous to make any sort of move. Daki, however, kept her eyes on Aqua. Blush illuminated her face as she admired the panther. "Are you alright, Ume?" Gyutaro asked curiously. Daki shifted her gaze away from Aqua. "Yeah..I'm fine."

  Aqua's rounded ears perked up as the sliding door opened and both of the royal rulers stepped out. "Oh, thank you, Lord." Aka sighed with relief. Tanjiro bowed to Queen Hachi once again, which she returned. "Thank you so much, Queen Hachi." Tanjiro said with a smile. "Of course, Lord Tanjiro. You and your half-demons are welcome here anytime."

  Aka's beak practically dropped. He ran his taloned hands through his feathers. Aqua only nodded, approvingly. Timber gently nudged her arm. "I'll be fine, Papa." Aqua said to the wolf. "Jackyll shouldn't be attacking tonight anyway." She turned to the half-demons. "Sorry for scaring, y'all. We just need to protect our family. I hope you understand." Tanjiro grinned with hope. "Everything's okay! I can tell that you're a good person."

  Aqua grinned to herself before her eyes widened, remembering something. "Before you go, I have something to warn you about." Tanjiro looked at her and tilted his head. "What is it?" The panther closed her eyes and took a heavy sigh. "There's a cave at the back of this island. Do NOT enter it! It's a gateway to a hellscape." The half-demons looked at each other, confused. Tanjiro slowly nodded. "Don't worry...We won't."

  The Demon King walked towards his pack. "Let's head home, everyone. I know that we're all tired." Many of the half-demons nodded in agreement. Douma, however, stared off behind Queen Hachi's mansion. Feeling something calling to him. "Douma?" Enmu spoke in a worried tone. Douma snapped from his trance and turned towards his small friend. "Don't worry about me. I was just staring off into space."

  Everyone in the pack turned to head back home. "Goodbye, Queen Hachi! Goodbye, Aqua! See you soon!" Tanjiro waved to them as he and his people walked away. Aqua, Queen Hachi, and even Timber waved back. The panther looked at Aka who dug his talons into the dirt. "I know that you've been hurt by humans before, Aka, but I promise you that these people are good." Aka huffed in irritation. "I fucking doubt it. Just don't bring them around me!" Aqua sighed and put her paw over her face. "Fine. I should get back to sleep though. I am the only demon slayer here after all."

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I've been dealing with a lot, including the stomach flu. I do hope you guys enjoy this chapter though! Random question for y'all! Who's your favorite Humanoid?

Could i request a Christmas themed fic where the reader is feeling lonely since he doesn't have and family left. Themed with Muichiro as their best friend.

Take your time and take care of yourself -also,Merry Christmas...!!!

(Ahhhhh!!! This fox was so cute and fun to write! I decided to add the whole family since that would make it all the more heartwarming! I’m sorry that this is so late, but I hope you enjoy it!)

A Christmas Miracle

(A Demon Slayer Christmas Fanfic)

Warnings: It’s nothing, but fluff!

Word Count: 1074

Tears streamed down your face as you sat alone in your empty cabin. Today is supposed to be a very special day. For today is Christmas Day, but the holiday spirit hasn’t graced you with its blessing. Instead, you found yourself alone in this cold weather. No kin to call your own. No lover to keep you warm.

The darkness of the cabin engulfed you and the only light that could be seen was the moonlight that poured in through the window. Silence pierced your ears as you cried. Then, suddenly, small pecking sounds came from your window. You looked up to see small pebbles hitting your window. Wiping away your tears, you stood up and walked towards the window, wondering to see who or what it was.

Light blue demon eyes shone through the darkness of the night. Somehow, you recognized exactly who it was. “Muichiro?” You said softly, opening the window. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with your family?” The Mist Hashira nodded as he walked up to you. “Yes, but it’s not right to just leave you alone out here.”

You realized that Muichiro was wearing his reindeer pajamas that he wore on every Christmas. “Mui..I’m not officially apart of the kingdom yet. I’m just living on the outskirts.” Muichiro tilted his head. “You’re welcome to stay at any point. Lord Tanjiro said so. Besides, no one deserves to be alone on Christmas.”

A few more tears fell down your face. “Are you sure that I wouldn’t be bothering anyone?” A small smile appeared on Muichiro’s face. “I’m completely sure. Go get ready. You can ride on my back.” You immediately scurried off, throwing on your coat and boots. The door creaked as you opened it. Glancing outside, you saw Muichiro pawing at the snow. He looked up at you with eager eyes. “Ready?”

You nodded excitedly as you ran to him. Muichiro’s shoulder joints popped, making him able to roam on four legs. Mounting on his back, you held onto Muichiro’s fluffy pajamas for stability. Then, with a quick jump, you and Muichiro head off into the snowy night.

Fluffy snow covered the forest floor and icicles clung onto tree branches. Muichiro’s legs and hands sunk into the sheet of fluff, but that didn’t deter him. You hugged his torso tightly as the both of you zoomed through the dark sky. A small house, the Infinity Castle, could be seen just up ahead. A single lit lantern hung closely by the door.

“We’re almost there!” Muichiro yelled as the snow crunched beneath him. After a few seconds, Muichiro threw himself and skidded to a stop once he landed on the small porch. You carefully slid off his back and Mui stood up, snapping his joints back into place. He gently took your hand and used his other to knock on the sliding door.

“Hm..? Who’s there..?” A deep, yet warm voice came from the other side. The door cracked open, revealing three red eyes that had yellow pupils. “Grandpa! It’s just me..and my friend.” The door then completely slid open, revealing the six-eyed demon, Kokushibo. “Ah..Why hello..little ones…Will they be staying with us..for tonight?”

Muichiro nodded with a smile on his face. “They don’t have anyone else to be with, so I thought that we could spend the holiday with them.” Kokushibo softly smiled. “How lovely…Of course we can keep them company..No one deserves to be alone..especially on Christmas..” He moved aside so the both of you could walk inside.

The Infinity Castle was gorgeously decorated with colorful lights and shiny tinsel. Lights were strung around the stair railings that large figures of reindeer were placed sporadically through the castle. You gazed in awe as you followed the six eyed demon and his grandson.

Kokushibo led the two of you to a door.that had tinsel hung around the edges. “The family…is in here…” He opened the door, letting them inside. A large bookshelf at the back of the room. was filled with books and a large, circular, multicolored rug laid in the center of the room. To the right of the room was a brightly lit fireplace. Two figures stood in front of it. One was a large male with a fluffy dark mohawk. The other was difficult to make out since they were curled up. They did have white fins running down their back though.

A lady with a black, side ponytail was talking to a man with dark blue stripes and pink hair. Everyone turned their attention over to you and Muichiro as soon as they heard you. The man with the pink hair stood up from his spot on the rug and approached you with a smile. “Hey, kiddos!” He wrapped his arm around Muichiro, who grinned like a happy child. “Hey Pops. This is my friend.”

The man chuckled softly. “Well it’s nice to meet you. I’m Akaza. Muichiro’s other grandpa.” Akaza reached out his hand, which you shook with a firm grip. “Hi, Mr. Akaza.” Kokushibo’s looked behind you and at the curled up creature. “Sanemi..we have a guest..” The creature looked up, revealing that he wasn’t just a weird lizard. “Ah shit. Sorry.” The dragon’s shiny scales shimmered with light from the fireplace. You could help but giggle to yourself.

The other two figures stood up and stretched. “Who are they, Muichiro?” You asked him. “Oh, they’re my partners, Genya and Kanao.” Genya rumbled softly as both he and Kanao smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. We know that you and Mui have been friends for a while now.” Kanao said softly. You nodded shyly as you felt hot blush flood your face.

“Grandpa.” Muichiro turned to Kokushibo. “Could we all sit by the fire? It was rather chilly out there.” Kokushibo smiled warmly. “Of course…we can..” Everyone scurried over to the crackling fireplace. Sanemi curled up next to Genya while Akaza snuggled up to Kokushibo. Kanao sat on your left while Muichiro had his arm around you. Everyone snuggled together, purring in unison.

You could feel a warm and fuzzy feeling in your heart. The care and love in this family was strong and they were sharing it with you. “Merry Christmas.” Muichiro said softly to you. You wrapped your arms around him in a grateful embrace. “Thank you so much, Mui.” From then on, you never spent another Christmas alone.

Demon Slayer Headcanons

Genya, Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu x GN reader (Orange cat behavior)

Request of @miserable-homo-momo

Genya

💜 At the beginning he didn't like you at all, he couldn't stand your behavior is so childish and he hated every single prank you played on him.

💜 You enjoyed seeing his exaggerated reactions and you did it just to get him to notice you, even if he couldn't understand it right away.

💜 "You're really unbearable! I swear I'll punch you" and you consequently looked at him amused "so why haven't you done it yet? Do you care about me so much?" his would turn all red and he would leave pissed off.

💜 After the fight against Hantengu, You noticed that he was changing and had become kinder towards you...at least he tried.

💜 "I'm sorry for answering you badly... even if you exaggerated every single time" he said it slightly annoyed, but in reality it seemed to you that you were bothering him too much "you're right...I'm sorry on my behalf...although it's fun to do haha! "

💜 Little by little you got closer and closer, and Genya started to better understand a feeling that he had hidden for a long time that he felt for you... and one day he wanted to be completely honest with you.

Tanjiro

❤️ Tanjiro thinks that you are very nice, maybe you exaggerate every now and then but he forgives you easily. As he got to know you better, he realized that he had feelings for you and when he sees you he ends up stuttering and blushing.

❤️He is very present for you, he will do anything to help you and you find this generous and kind-hearted side of him adorable. Without being seen, he tells every single detail about you to his sister because he knows she wouldn't tell anyone.

❤️When you tease him, he gets embarrassed very quickly but it manages to be too honest to be funny.

" In your opinion... do I have nice eyes? I want you to be sincere " you look at him smiling "Um...um...um...yes...t-they are so beautiful..." he replies not looking you in the eyes and laughing nervously, you look at him blushing " oh...thanks".

❤️When he goes on a mission, he brings you some little gifts and tells you happily "when I saw it I thought of you!" and you immediately think it's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done to you and you always accept it willingly.

❤️One winter night, you were together chatting about everything and on that fateful day Tanjiro decided to confess "I...I have something to tell you...I hope it's the same for you too..." you immediately answer him " do you want to go out with me?....oh I'M SO SORRY " but he smiles at you confused "uhm...actually yes...you're right ahaha..." there was a minute's silence.

"Anyway yes...I would really love to go out with you "

❤️Ever since you got together, everyone thought you were a really nice couple, in fact later you got married and your love has always remained faithful between you.

Inosuke

💙You really hate each other a lot: on the one hand you can't stand his wild character and his constant shouting, on the other hand he can't stand it when you always make fun of him and laugh at his outbursts.

💙You also tried to get along with him, but every time he calls you "stupid cat" you feel like punching him and you almost didn't succeed. Every time he thinks he's better than you in everything, especially in combat, and you try to ignore it but when it crosses the line you can't control yourself.

💙 "You can't compete with me you stupid cat! "

"You're the stupid one here! You don't even have a brain and you just end up getting us in trouble"

" WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY YOU BITCH!? "

" YOU HEARD ME YOU UGLY IMBECILE "

" Tanjiro please stop them"

" No no...you do it Zenitsu"

💙Over time he became friendlier, he started to have more respect for you and you did too...everyone was amazed at your behavior... but obviously you continue to insult each other.

💙For your birthday he gave you a gift... quite strange... like...a bag with your face badly drawn on it...he's not good with gifts but at least he gave you one.

💙 "Do you happen to know what a kiss is? "He looks at you confused " Um yes...don't you? " he pretends to know "of course of course I know! In fact I always do it" you look at him amused "and would you give it to me?" Inosuke laughs nervously "could you...give me one actually...because...I heard...um..." you didn't understand what he wanted to do but when in doubt you please him, you give him a kiss on the cheek and he is shocked.

Zenitsu

🧡 " (Y/N)!!!! How are you? You look so cute today haha...do you want to..."

" Please don't talk to me ".

🧡Ever since he developed a crush on you, he never left you alone, you liked him a lot but...it was really oppressive and just made him a loser (who deep down you liked that way).

🧡He was such a coward that every time he would hide behind you and beg you to help him on some difficult mission.

"You have to help me! There's no way I can do it alone! "

" Okay...but you owe me a favor"

" I'll do anything you want I promise! "

"perfect...first we have to go through this road...ZENITSU DID YOU ESCAPE???"

Obviously he would go back because he couldn't abandon you like that.

🧡You happen to find some love letters from him, he wrote a lot of poems for you but they're so sappy it gives you a stomach ache.

" For my dear (Y/N)~ I hope to marry you one day! "

🧡You've seen him in his "fight" mode more than once and it makes you wonder how he does it (you find he so cool! But you're ashamed to tell him and pretend nothing happened).

🧡“Are you going to marry me or not?”

"Don't you think it's a little early? And then I never told you that I like you"

" DO YOU LIKE ME!? "

"But why are you screaming like this...anyway...I don't know"

" Please I need to know! I'm madly in love with you! "

"what a pain...yes I like you...are you happy now?"

" I'M SO HAPPY AHAHA "

"...stupid..."

This is what I mean in my bio 💀

I don’t regret anything

So cuteeee I love them all so much 😭😭😭😭😭 ~~

genya and mui died~~

Mmm?...

ASKS ARE STILL OPEN GUYS

ASK ME RANDOM STUFF IDC JUST TALK TO ME

Requests are open!

Ask me stuff guys! I'm bored! 💖

i love them

i call them Flutterdemon 😈🙏

Gun Hashira AU pt. 2

Genya:

Genya is a Hashira. He has many responsibilities and often feela closed off from others, especially due to his age. So he makes friends where he can! His closest friend though, is the mist hashira Muichiro! They train together a lot and often spend time with eachother.

Unfortunately Genya still suffers from self worth issues. He often feels like he is the weakest Hashira due to his lack of breathing, it doesn't help that those who know of his demonic powers tend to say thats the only reason he has made it as far as he did.

He tends to channel all of that self doubt and hatred into the anger that fuels him in battle, making him a very powerful and destructive foe. He tries to leave eating demons to being an absolute last resort. He HATES using it, often throwing up afterwords. Also, like Sanemi he isnt great about gaurding himself. In my personal headcanons I can see that his regeneration abilities carry over to human for, just a bit slower. So he often uses his own body to sheild civilians and comrades. He only really gaurds his neck. Its not uncommon for him to show up at Shinobu's door in pieces.

He tries is damned best to come off calm and collected like Gyomei, but by god he is not. He gets sweaty and nervouse around girls. He's loud and happy when with Muichiro. Its common to hear his maniacal laughter ring across the battle field. He is everything but calm. He still does meditate and train with Gyomei though.

He is patient with Sanemi. Letting him hearl all the insults he wants (partially because he feels like all the anger and insults are deserved). But on a mission, if Sanemi was assigned to the same mission with him, insults will not be tolerated. Its a mission, their personal issues have no place on the battle field. In those moments Sanemi sees Genya as he is. Genya isn't just his little brother anymore. He's a hard working slayer who fought his way to the top, and that has to be respected.

A/N -

I plan to write more about the au. Maybe some oneshots. But this is only a small bit. I am going to make a Hashira designe for Genya. Aswell as a full page describing my designe ideas, reasons for them, and possible changes. If you have any suggestions for his designe go ahead and say it, cuz lord know i need the help.

A win is a win man… especially when your brother disowned you.

I love how much people love to hype up the fact Genya is taller than Sanemi, but then also forget than Genya is taller than Sanemi by, like, an inch.

hes still my favorite anime bf

Genya my beloved ❤️❤️❤️💕💕

☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

You wake up in the middle of the night to frantic shuffling beside you. The sound of sobs hit your ears and the grip around you tightens.

You wrap your arms around your lover. Comforting them like they had done to you.

Sanemi, Gyutaro, Genya, Obanai, Giyuu, Akaza

Genya shinazugawa manga colouring

genya r3 from here! I’m working on a few more, but feel free to request :)

- do not repost!