#Reader has abilities of demon Nezuko yet not all of them

[acim-ed-ortsac]

Nezuko! Reader in the Scum Villain Self-Saving System

When you died, the last thing you expected was to be reborn in another world. When you woke up, you found yourself a squirming little baby, alone in a dark place with an atmosphere that no normal human could survive on. With your awareness of surroundings, you managed to survive the dark place. During your survival, you noticed creatures witht he most peculiar and bizzare features and abilities — a python with a scorpion's tail, an elephant with lizard feet, and rhinoceros with a crescent on their horns and pythons…

Wait… Are you in the Scum Villain Self-Saving System!?

And you weren’t even reincarnated into any of the characters, but rather, an original one…At Least you have control over your fate.

Judging by the ever-changing weather and the bizarre yet dangerous creatures, you must be in the Abyss, which unfortunately leaves you with no idea what arc the story is even on. Which leaves you questioning your very own existence. The few moments you got water, you noticed your appearance was mostly humanoid with features from your previous life et your pupils were in slit forms, your irises are two different shades almost overlapping each other, and tattoo patterns of vines and flowers appeared on your arms and the rest of your body.

Initially, you wore no clothing before you hunted the beasts in the Abyss. Most of your clothing now are fur pelts and armours of scaled beasts — though they were not your best creations, they were made due. Another thing you noticed was your regeneration abilities, the first time was when you first started hunting and got your arm cut off. The pain was an ass but your adrenaline kept you from screaming and let your healing abilities regenerate the same arm. The only downside is that you have to sleep a lot to regain energy and you don’t really eat the meat…

At this point, you were starting to think you were a Nezuko copycat…

That proved to be true when you stumbled upon an injured Luo Binghe, who looked fresh from the surface. His disciple uniform was tattered and he was full of bruises and scars, the scent of iron hit your nose and immediately made you salivate. Your hunger hitting your stomach as it howled at you to devour the boy. Luo Binghe, who finally noticed you, became frightened as he scooted back as much as he could — which isn’t saying much with his wounds. You could imagine what you look like: a disheveled creature with a salivating mouth, eyes full blown with hunger, and claws twitching.

But no, you still have some humanity in you, despite your years in the cruel and harsh Abyss. The surroundings changed to that of a forest, trees and leaves and branches. Luo Binghe snarled at you as he pressed his back against a tree, fear rolling out of him. A cornered animal using whatever defense mechanism it has left.

With a grunt, you turned away from the boy, grabbed the nearest branch and bit onto it. Your fangs sank into the wood and your tongue caught some splinters. You winced at the unpleasantness yet disregarded it as you focused on the soon to be Saintly Emperor of the Three Realm. 

________

“Why did you help me?”

You glanced at Luo Binghe, who looked at you with suspicion. The fire crackled with life and provided with warmth for the both of you, night had fallen and you found shelter in a cave. You flicked a strand of hair from your shoulder, letting out a muffled grunt from behind your stick muzzle. You had cleaned up his wounds and wrapped them with leaves that you know had healing properties. Despite this being a Chinese novel, you were able to understand what he said despite your limited knowledge of Chinese.

You handed him your piece of meat that you hunted, which he didn’t take until he was sure it wasn’t a trick.

You now meet the possessive love interest of the novel, who’s also years younger than the protagonist. But there’s nothing you can do about that. Scratch that, more like you don’t care, you were just interested in meeting the characters. 

Though meeting Tianlang-jun would be a reward in itself.

From there, you got to know the boy and he got to know you, through scribbles on the ground that is. You taught him how to hunt, what plants were poisonous and had healing properties. And inevitably, you taught him that demons and humans were similar despite their differences.

“Do you think demons are bad?” Luo Binghe had asked this, now a twenty year old who towered over you. His mark on his forehead glowing proudly. You then glanced at him, his furrowed brows and uncertainty in his eyes. He had confided in his sorrows to you how his shizun pushed him into the Abyss and the feelings he had — has for his teacher. You were aware that this was Shen Yuan in Shen Qingqui’s body with his change of personality, but you wanted to shake the man for his apparent lack of brain cells. Instead, you took a deep breath through your nose. You let out a hum as you picked up a stick and started writing.

‘Aren’t there bad humans too?’

Luo Binghe scrunched his face in confusion yet nodded. You continued writing.

‘Then there are some good demons as well, like there are bad humans. Demons and Humans are like two sides that are unwilling to meet each other.’

His eyes widened in understanding, “I see, thank you for your wisdom.”

By this time, Luo Binghe warmed up to you. You two even had a routine where you would go hunt for food and he would cook it with whatever spices and herbs there were. Although you didn’t eat much of it as you found yourself not really hungry, mostly tired. The times you had to sleep for a long period of time, you would find yourself in a short of shelter with Luo Binghe guarding you. As time went on, Luo Binghe grew taller and was very handsome with feminine features that can mistake him for a woman should he wear the female attire. 

Sadly, your time with Luo Binghe was cut off when you two were separated during a hunt. But knowing him and his Heavenly Demon heritage and destiny, you knew he was gonna be okay. During your time alone, you contemplated on going up the surface to see the sights but doubts clouded your certainty. You weren’t completely Nezuko so there could be a possibility that you didn’t have immunity to the sun. But that fact should be applied to the demons of Demonslayer, not the demons in SVSSS. You could actually get real clothes there…

You shook your head before going back to living your life in the Abyss. Hoping that Luo Binghe would visit you when he escapes and become the Emperor of the Three Realms.

During one of your days scavenging, you came across a crawling infant with dark hair, jade green eyes, and grayish pale skin. The infant glared at you as it got into a defensive stance on all fours, growling at you.

…a cornered animal, how cute.

[colourstreakgryffin]

Heya! Me again!

So can you do a non-yandere tanjiro X spirit! reader? (Platonic)

(Spirit is just like ghost, floats and can go through objects anytime they want to and also can stand or touch soiled objects when they want, basically like sabito and makomo)

(Tanjiro can see the reader for some reason and thought they were alive until the reader reveals that they are already dead)

So basically, the reader's dead BY THE MUZAN JACKSON and their spirit can't be free yet until muzan dies.

Reader met tanjiro in the final selection.

Knowing that Tanjiro also wants to kill Muzan for killing his family, the reader goes with him on his journey as a ghost helper

(And reader can stay in the sun)

(Nezuko can see the reader yes but no one else can)

The reader helps tanjiro points out the demon next moment, weakness, and abilities. They also help Tanjiro train by being his target. And sometimes helps find blue spider lilies so nezuko can go back to human. And help alert Tanjiro if a demon is nearby that he can't scent/see. And also help lead tanjiro the way if they got lost.

(Their relationship is just like friends)

IM REALLY SORRY IF THIS IS LONG- I just never seen someone do a spirit reader before (╥﹏╥)

Hmm. Interesting, a platonic ghost reader! Cool! Why not, Tanjiro has experiences with ghosts! Kinda short, hope you don’t mind!

Platonic! Kamado Tanjiro

Tanjiro is a compassionate boy so anybody willing to help him is very appreciated! He tries to refuse you since he doesn’t want to pile his problems onto you, but he just can’t be rude and try shoo you away. He will let you join

For a long time, he doesn’t know that you’re a vengeful spirit until he catches you using your intangibility to feel for Nezuko’s box. After he couldn’t find it, you decided to help him and didn’t really bother to hide your ghostly abilities

When you tell him about what happened with Muzan, his righteous heart breaks for you. He isn’t just slaying Kibutsuji Muzan and finding a cure of transformation for himself and Nezuko, he’s doing it for all the people in Japan so nobody else will suffer like he and her sister has!

Tanjiro isn’t scared of you, he mourns for you. He can’t find your body or bury you, all he can really do is take your word and let you accompany him on his quest, in which he happily does. You deserve to be at peace and he won’t stop until he finishes the job

Tanjiro felt like he’s gained a life companion, he met you early. At the Final Selection in-fact and you helped him by whispering the demon he faced abilities/weaknesses in his head, like you had telepathy. He has found it very helpful since it gives him more opportunity

Tanjiro trusts you to take care of Nezuko and hold her in her box. You can be solid at will and since you’re safe in the sun, there is no reason he shouldn’t hand that responsibility to you whenever he sees fit so he doesn’t have to worry about Nezuko

Tanjiro is so thankful for the help, he always is and he feels obligated to pay you back for your kindness. You even help train him the best you can, advising on the in-depths of his training so he can get a better grasp of it. He feels so spoiled with you

Tanjiro’s heart pings when he sees you and Nezuko playing. You’re, once again, helping remove pressure of your dear friend’s back, by taking care of and entertaining his only sibling, who thankfully can see you too where nobody else can. He honestly just wants to give you a fat kiss as a thank you, he can’t even express how happy he is

You’re basically his continuous little helper and he simply adores it; alerting him to the presences of demons you can sense that he doesn’t, leading him when he’s lost and at random, you being home Blue Spider Lillies. Tanjiro doesn’t know the meaning behind them so he just makes a bouquet out them

Tanjiro never treats you differently to all his other friends. He sadly can’t give you any of his food and he doesn’t need to be concerned about your health, but at least he can still emotionally support you and make you feel that warm spout of the Tanjiro Effect that everybody he meets feels

Tanjiro likes including you in everything he and Nezuko does since, to him, you deserve it. So when he finishes braiding Nezuko’s hair, he’ll invite to sit down before him so he can braid yours. Just so you feel apart of the group, he wants you to feel beloved

Tanjiro has grown to see you as a younger sibling, even though, you’re no longer with him. He has grown attached and he naturally feels concern when you disappear into the wall to find something for him. You’ll come back, but that doesn’t mean he can’t worry for his surrogate sibling

Tanjiro cries heavily when he sees you disappear once Muzan is finally beheaded, but he completely understands that you can’t stay any longer. You must move on to the afterlife, and he will never forget you. He is eager to meet you in heaven, when he finally kicks the bucket himself

“D-Dokusha! Wait! Where are you going? You’re gonna go find Inosuke? Thank you! But please, be careful. I-I mean… I know you’ll be fine, but please. Still be careful! Your safety is important to me! I’ll be fine, you just be safe”

[demonslayedher]

Ramble on Exposition Serving the Plot

Writing is hard, let me just get that out there first. Developing stuff is fun, but writing--conveying that interesting stuff in equally interesting ways--is hard. Gotouge-sensei had so, so, so much to convey, while also keeping readers wanting to come back for more every week. And, with this being Sensei's first serialized work, it's unsurprising how much it improves once the characters have been established and the manga finds its flow. I could say (and have said, when asked) a lot about the writing flaws, but I find the flaws so endearing nowadays that I don't like to criticize this manga. KnY wouldn't be KnY without its inherent silliness.

But on the first time around, when I didn't know and feel everything I do now, I found myself disappointed with Inosuke and Zenitsu's introduction to the story. I hated them both at first, though I had come around to Zenitsu by the end of the arc. Inosuke, though, ugh. That fight between Tanjiro and Inosuke felt so unnecessary, and weird what with that 'your face is pretty' bit, and Inosuke bending like a circus performer just because he can, but then especially how there's so little tension remaining after the fight, like Inosuke was all bark and no actual bite. I didn't actually like Inosuke until I saw him moping in bed, hahaha. XD Looking back it's so typical Tanjiro and Inosuke though, isn't it?

That all having been said, I really appreciate some details in how the exposition was worked into the plot.

What got me thinking about this especially was that showing us Zenitsu and Inosuke's heightened senses was actually relevant to the plot. It's really easy to mistake Zenitsu's first mention of sound for a trite exposition drop about how we're liking up a cast of heroes that can be sorted out as easily as Power Rangers, not for what color they wear but what sense they have special abilities with.

But since they were going up against a drum demon, with the drum being played being the very indicator of a demon's power being used, it was the most relevant way to both have Zenitsu notice something that would be very in-character for him to notice, and to get us looking for how sound might be relevant in a demon's powers. This is a laying of exposition groundwork, a red carpet for us to walk on as we march in with our hands cupped and ready to receive worldbuilding info about the demon, as opposed to simply having it dumped on us.

The introduction of Inosuke's senses comes on much, much more subtle, we don't actually gain a good understanding of his abilities until Mt. Natagumo, at which point we've already gotten a good understanding of Zenitsu's hearing, as well as Tanjiro's ability to smell world-specific stuff like Lines of Interval. However, it's first hinted at while Inosuke is running down the halls, dodging right before he'd have been attacked. As first time readers, it's easy to dismiss this entirely as him just having a good reaction, but on second reads you get the "ohhhhhhhhh I know what's happening here" satisfaction.

But what really drives the plot forward is here, when Inosuke has followed the aura of a demon.

Had Inosuke not sensed Nezuko: --Inosuke would have otherwise not had any reason to interact --Zenitsu would have had no reason to protect the box, thereby not giving Tanjiro (and readers) the chance to appreciate an entirely different side of Zenitsu's character --Tanjiro would had been the only one injured to go on to the next arc, leaving him with still only Nezuko to do much interacting with

That's another thing that works really well about the choice to make Inosuke fight Zenitsu as a way of driving the plot--as we had just been introduced to Inosuke and Zenitsu, thereby realistically not caring about them as much yet as we care about Tanjiro, it was too early to give either of them any serious injuries in battle against demons. In their introductions it was crucial we get an understanding for how they function as capable demon slayers and what their fighting style is like. They were fighting zako-oni (random background demons of no consequence) so as not to overshadow Tanjiro's battle with Kyogai, and you couldn't have them get seriously injured by zako-oni.

But if you need them to have some reason to stay in a long-term recovery at the same time as Tanjiro so as to build some bonds with each other before the following arc...? Oh, have them survive their demon encounters only to go and break each other's ribs instead, yes. Excellent work-around. Throw in some Corp rules exposition while you're at it, sure.

As much as I love Kyogai and I believe that fight showed a lot of Tanjiro's maturation as a Demon Slayer (as well as established Gotouge as extremely creative and established Ufotable as very, very ready and willing to show off), the scuffle over Nezuko's box--made possible only by Inosuke and Zenitsu's unique abilities, as well as the two of them revealing aspects of their personality by the decisions they made--was the most meaningful interaction in that whole arc, even if the 'your face is pretty' thing came right after it.

[jtrokujo]

𝔗𝔞𝔫𝔧𝔦𝔯𝔬 𝔎𝔞𝔪𝔞𝔡𝔬 𝔵 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯

Preface Reader is Blind. word count: 720

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In the middle of midnight I felt a shake.

It was not an easy shake that could be ignored.

It was more like a begging and warning at the same time.

"Y / N get up, please!"

Mother?

Immediately I opened my eyes and looked for my mother's hands, but when I grabbed her left hand I immediately felt something cool.

Something made of metal.

A dagger.

"Mother, what's going on here?" I said, panicking with tears in my eyes.

She hugged me and whispered, "I wish you could see your beauty, dear."

I knew what was going on.

I couldn't help.

I felt the darkness.

The fear in me that keeps getting bigger and bigger.

"I am sorry."

It was the last I heard from her until I was suddenly pushed down by her.

I rolled like crazy through the earth, some branches were a bit fizzy because I felt the odd scratch.

When it finally came to an end I suddenly heard a worried voice "Hello? Are you okay ?!"

But before only really heard him speak I lost my consciousness in the next moment.

"Ahhhh!" I screamed in panic.

Yet again.

I put my sleeping blanket aside and made my way to the boys and Nezuko, although I can only see them at night.

When I got up, I stretched out briefly.

I was a little lucky and wasn't seriously injured like the others, so Zenitsu was less lucky.

Like a dog that sniffs for its owner, I sniff where the others might be.

Until I bump into someone "Y / N, it's nice to see you again."

Tanjiro said out of delight and pulled me into a hug and whispered to me if I would be okay.

I then said quietly 'yes' and put my arms around him.

"How are you and the others?"

I asked him.

"So I'm fine, only good, the three of them are not particularly well, so I hope with all my heart that they will get well as soon as possible ... Oh yes, I wanted to go outside and the view is pretty breathtaking, so you would me like to keep some company, Y / N? "

Tanjiro asked a little shyly.

Only he has an advantage and can see my pink cheeks with it.

I nodded and hung my head.

Tanjiro easily grabbed my hand and so we went together to the place where it should have a great view.

Even if I'm blind and therefore of course can't see anything,

I made it as a Demon Slayer and only with the help of my strong sense of smell and since Tanjiro has this ability I sometimes give him tips and thus help to learn how to recognize something where can.

Once there, Tanjiro helped me where I could sit down.

Once there, Tanjiro helped me where I could sit down.

He knows himself that I don't need any help with things like this, only he has an angel's heart, which you can't blame him for. There was a wonderful silence between us.

The chirping of the birds.

And the wind that blows gently through us.

The chirping of the birds.

And the wind that blows gently through us.

Until I suddenly felt a hand on mine "Tanjiro?" I asked him in amazement.

"Y / N, I know we haven't known each other for a long time, but I finally have to get rid of it. Ever since the day I met you my heart was beating faster and faster from second to second without a break. You have a certain one Place in my heart. "

As he said this I heard a pluck and felt something on my hair, apparently he had plucked a plant and this-

"What I'm saying is that I love you, Y / N."

The wind stopped blowing out of nowhere, the outside world didn't matter from now on.

There was only Tanjiro and Y / N.

"You don't have to say anything either, I understand even if you don't love me-"

Tanjiro immediately stops talking.

I hugged him.

The person I love very much.

"And even though I'm blind?" I asked.

"I don't care if you are blind. Even if you are deaf, dumb, or whatever I know, I will love you over and over again. For the rest of our lifetime.”

[sun-daddy-yoriichi]

"I feel like an idiot for believing anything you said to me..." let's see how it works with Tanjirou

Tanjirou is quite an odd request for angst. I'll do my best, though!

Also I slammed out this entire scenario in, like, five minutes. It’s short. I’m sorry.

▬▬▬

Warning(s): Angst, character death, mentions of suicide

Tanjirou Kamado x Reader : "I feel like an idiot for believing anything you said to me..." [Angst Prompt #3]

In all of his years of practicing int he ways of the sword, Tanjirou never thought he would use it to slay someone so precious to him.

(Y/n) would never allow herself to turn into a demon, not unless an Upper Moon had anything to do with it. She was stronger than that, much stronger than Tanjirou could be. She had been trained by Mitsuri, after all, as the Love Pillar’s tsuguko. And from what he knew about the Love Pillar, she was stronger than she looked, and much more useful than she ever seemed.

Those attributes must have translated into (Y/n), because the girl did not move from her spot, despite the saliva dripping from her gaping mouth. Clawed fingers dug into her uniform, and Tanjirou worried that she would hurt herself with such long nails. After a moment, he remembered that demons had the ability to heal themselves, and the thought was perished from his mind.

However, the female Demon Slayer didn’t move an inch, nor did she speak at all. Tanjirou so wished that she would claw and bite at him, or pull her sword on him, so that it would be easier to kill her than it was now. But she wasn’t doing anything at all. She was silent, and still, save for the trembling of her person as time marched on. With a sinking heart, Tanjirou realised that she was resisting the demonisation process, fighting Muzan’s cells and trying to stay human. He had never seen it, and he doubted that it would work.

But she was Mitsuri’s tsuguko, and that meant she was stronger than she looked.

“Tanjirou...” the girl spoke, finally, after endless moments dragged into one another. The boy jumped at the sound of his name being spoken by an eerily familiar voice. One that sounded distorted and far away, despite the Slayer sitting not ten feet from him.

“(Y/n),” he breathed, relief flooding through him, “Listen, you can live. You can fight this, like Nezuko did. Just fight it, please. You don’t have to die because of this, you hear me? Trust me on it.” All he got in return was the sound of ragged, rushed breathing, but he would take what he could get. And if it was all that he could get, then so be it.

Still, he was unsure about whether a demon, even a former Demon Slayer like (Y/n), could stop themselves from devouring human flesh the minute they caught a whiff of blood. It seemed so unreal, to even think it. Nezuko did it, but they were also siblings, connected by blood and by years of time together. Their circumstances were perfect, and that’s why she was here now.

But (Y/n) was a different case. Yes, they had known one another since the Final Selection, but that was mere months. They had been traveling companions for a handful of weeks, before they began to seldom see one another at the Butterfly Estate. Still, it had to count for something, right?

“Tanjirou, you’re so stupid,” the girl whimpered, glassy tears running down her face calmly, creepily. It was as if she wasn’t crying at all, or she didn’t even notice herself crying. Tanjirou leaned forward, trying to catch on to what she was saying.

In a quick, practiced motion, (Y/n) unsheathed the Nichirin blade at her side, holding it as she always did. The intrusive urge to snuff out her life fell upon Tanjirou like a wave, but he resisted. He refused to kill her, not until she attacked, or did something stupid or dangerous like she always did. No, he would not kill her yet. Not until she proved that she deserved it.

“You’re stupid because you were so hopeful,” the girl continued, staring into the reflective metal of the Nichirin blade, “and you claimed that we would survive and see the end of demons together. That we would all grow up happy and marry and have children that we would love and cherish. You were so hopeful and bright, that it blinded me. And now look at what has happened.”

She gestured to herself, a scowl creeping onto her saddened expression. It pained Tanjirou, that he couldn’t comfort her at all. She would most likely not allow him to get too close. So he did what he could with his eyes, pleading for (Y/n) to stop, without saying even a word.

“I care about you a lot, Tanjirou. And I don’t want to see you hurt at all. But, I was so foolish to follow in your trail. To chase after the sunlight that you radiated. Maybe I was the stupid one.” (Y/n) scoffed, wishing that she could replay every good memory she had with the boy back, before she did what she had to.

“I feel like an idiot for believing anything you said to me...” (Y/n) trailed off, glancing between Tanjirou and the blade at his hip. He had yet to reach for it, frozen out of fear and hurt. If she did what he presumed she was thinking of, how was he going to tell the others what she had done? Better yet, how was he going to tell Mitsuri? The girl thought of (Y/n) like a daughter. It was most definitely break her heart if she learned that her tsuguko had been struck down in the heat of battle.

“Which is why I do this for your sake, Tanjirou. I won’t let myself hurt anyone else. And that includes you.”

(Y/n) punctuated her words by twisting the Nichirin blade around in her hands, the blade touching the tender flesh of her neck as she did. Tanjirou couldn’t look, squeezing his eyes shut as the familiar squelch of skin breaking open filled his ears, blood wafting through the air. As painful as it might have been, the deed was done sooner than expected, a thump being heard as her head rolled away from her lifeless, crumbling body.

“I loved you,” Tanjirou whispered to the corpse, “I’m sorry.” Struggling to his feet to retrieve Nezuko and her box, Tanjirou forced himself to walk towards the body, picking up her Nichirin blade and haori, clutching both items close to his chest. Despite every selfish thought wanting him to keep them for himself, he knew Mitsuri would find more comfort in these items. She needed them more than he did.

After all, he was the coward who let her die in the first place. In what position was he to act so selfish at all?

[babiedeku]

hi! a request! so in japanese culture, saying "aishteru" is only reserved for couples with maximum level of romance? how about lets say its years after muzan's defeat, giyuu and reader live a peaceful life together. giyuu looks back at all of the pain and suffering he endured as a demon slayer, but his thoughts are focused to the happy moments with reader. being the airhead he is, he says "aishteru", and reader is shookt bec giyuu literally confessed his deep and unconditional love for her lmaoo

hi anon thank you for this request this made me really soft while writing it! im sorry that it took too long to write, but i hope you still like it! :( and i hope i did our boy justice bc it’s my first time writing about him. here’s soft!Giyuu for y’alls! - marianne

my requests are open!

Life truly is beautiful when you’re not off on missions and don’t have the impending doom of Muzan looming over your heads.

It’s been 5 years after Muzan’s death by the hands of the hashiras along with Tanjirou, Inosuke, Zenitsu, Kanao, and the now back to human Nezuko. He’s lost so many people in his life already and yes he still lost countless of friends, fellow demon slayers, and Oyakata-sama which was the trade off he never wanted, but their deaths were not in vain, because life was now peaceful and beautiful.

Giyuu looked at you beside him, you were reading one of the books that was given to you by Obanai and Mitsuri for your birthday recently, you looked so peaceful and soft all wrapped up in his arm, a small smile on your lips as you continued to read, already engrossed in the story. 

You were someone that he never expected to come into his life amidst the raging battles and the constant loss of important figure in his life - you were the one person who stayed with him all throughout the entirety of the nightmare Muzan has subjected everyone in the corps to. 

And despite the severity of the situation that was at hand before, your kindness and gentleness to those around you never wavered, instead it just seemingly increased tenfold. Such as that time when you were able to cheer him up unknowingly when he had just returned from a mission he had failed to accomplish, letting the demon get away.

“Giyuu-san,”

He looked up from his sword to see you smiling at him softly, you were fresh from a mission, having just returned last night as well. There were still some healing cuts and bruises that peeked through the collar and sleeves of your uniform, but nothing could ever make you less … pleasing to look at, if anything Giyuu finds it admirable how you were able to take everything in stride.

“I just wanted to drop by and give you this,” You gave him a neatly wrapped bento box that contained his favorite meal, simmered salmon with daikon. “I heard you last night over dinner whispering about how much you missed your favorite dish.”

Giyuu was unsure as to what to say to you, but he couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips. “T-thank you, (Y/N)-san” 

Having you in his life was a breath of fresh air he never knew he was craving for. You were his rock, the only person to be able to fully see past his stoic expressions and silence. 

Giyuu never questioned your ability on being able to read his emotions accurately, and he will never question it, because he’s thankful that he doesn’t have to explain himself to you as much.

“We both know you feel guilty about what happened to Rengoku-san,”

Giyuu just looked at you, a little confused, because you stood by the door frame, with a calm look on your face. He could never understand how you could still be so strong in the news of having just lost one of your colleagues, heck, you were all family at this point. 

You both have just lost a member of the family and yet here you stood, calm and collected.

“I should have been the one to have been tasked with that mission,” Was all he was able to say, still not trusting himself with words, because he is not sure how to process these emotions that are bubbling up inside of him.

Crossing his room, you took a seat beside him as he gazed outside his window. “We all signed up for this with the knowledge that each mission could very well be our last. Kyujuro fought with his heart blazing to keep the innocent safe.”

A tear made its way down of his cheek, no longer able to contain his emotions.

Gently grasping Giyuu’s hand into yours, you offered him a soft smile. “He wouldn’t have traded his place with you even if it meant him keeping his life, he would have wanted all of us to take his death as some sort of inspiration to continue the fight against Muzan,”

Even when the nightmare was drawing to a close, you were still there by his side, ready with your warm embrace to shield him from the world, with your words to put his mind and heart at east, and you presence to make it known to him that you will never leave his side, and that you are more than ready to follow him into the fight once more.

He woke up with a jolt, gasping as he tried to make sense of where he was, but all he could see what the familiar decor of the infirmary back at their head quarters.So could that all have just been a dream?

Okayata-sama, Shinobou, Muichiro, Genya - ?

“Tomioka,” You were sitting beside his bed, reading one of the books that Shinobou left lying around in her office. Seeing how shaken Giyuu looked when he whipped his head toward you, and growing realization in his eyes as tears started to form, it broke your heart.

“No,” He croaked, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “please, no.” Giyuu knew it was pointless begging with you, because he knew it himself that no one could give back the people they have lost during the battle.

You could feel your own tears forming in your eyes, it hurt knowing that you have lost people whom you care for deeply and no longer be able to see them, but it also pained you to see Giyuu’s walls get torn down and finally break right before your eyes. 

Carefully climbing onto the bed with him, you wrapped him into your arms, his arm wrapping around your waist in a weak attempt to hold onto you. 

Giyuu is not a man of many words, and he appreciates that you understand that and don’t hold it against him in times that you seek his loving presence. You have mentioned that he shows his affection to you more so in actions such as compared to words.

And to think that despite the suffering he has endured in his life as a demon slayer, you were always there to shine your bright light to help him get through it and open up your loving arms to give him the warmth and affection that he never thought he needed.

There was a warm feeling in his chest, despite having been married to you for 5 years, he still has some difficulty pinpointing his emotions, and the smile that he just can’t contain whenever he’s with you.

“Aishteru,”

Beside him he heard you giggle softly, causing him to stiffen. Had Giyuu said that out loud? He’s always wanted to say it back to you, but not like this, he wanted it to be special and be said to you at a place that was of significance to you both. 

“I love you too, Tomioka, with all my heart.” You said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear, kissing his cheek.

Giyuu, and he was fairly sure of it now, is the luckiest man on earth.

[astertataricvs]

Tanjiro Kamado x Reader || side by side

Tanjiro is on the verge of outbursting his resentment towards the demon who killed Sabito and Makomo. But his anger only kindled more when he saw your unconscious body lying on the cold ground and blood trickling on your face. The blow that was supposed to hit him had hit you instead due to guarding the burgundy haired boy.

He hardly stared at you in shock as he felt his body freezes while looking at you. His mind went hazy and adverse thoughts flooded his mind. In just a minute, his mind went vague and doesn't know what to do, memories of his family being killed flashed before his eyes once he saw you in that state. He remembered it all: the smell of the blood of his family and how their bodies pooled by their own blood. It made him nauseous, he felt his stomach churn and wanted to regurgitate in any second. He doesn't want it to happen again, he doesn't want to lose any more people that he dearly treasured in front of his eyes. That's why he decided to become stronger in order to protect his loved ones and join the demon slayer corps to return his sister back from being a human again.

He needs to protect his sister and you.

"What a feeble human being, that brat is only a bait for demons like me. She's just a mere appetizer for us demons," the hand demon mocked which makes Tanjiro's jaw clenched as well as his hands.

"How dare you say such things... you don't know what (Name) is capable of!" In a flash, Tanjiro charged at him which really entertained the demon a lot. Provoking him surely hit him like a truck, he can already presume that these disciples of Urokodaki would be eaten by him again. But first, he needs to immobilize Tanjiro so he can eat you and dozens of examiners in the Wisteria flowers mountain.

But, unfortunately for him, Tanjiro's attacks became faster and quicker. Every attack that he does, the burgundy haired boy would instantaneously slice his arms. It made the demon frustrated because of his dedication to avenging you and everyone that he had eaten.

'This brat,' he thought as he incessantly stretched his arms at Urokodaki's disciple.

"(Name) is not weak! She's strong!" Tanjiro hollered and then in just a flash, his sword reached the neck of the hand demon causing it to unravel from its place.

The demon was astounded to what just happened. He can't believe that this little brat would be sliced off his supposed tough neck. He underestimated him, he outrageously overestimated his abilities due to how many disciples of Urokodaki he has killed. He assumed that he can exterminate all his disciples but... this brat in front of him is different from others... he utterly beat him and cut his neck with his own strength.

He felt his body decaying at the moment because of his neck being slashed. Tanjiro only stared at him in sympathy as he took the demon's hand, praying for his soul. Before the demon completely disappears, tears streamed down on his face as his face turned into ashes. Memories of him when he's still human came back into his mind and he felt peace because of it. He remembered the days back when's he's still a human, thanks to Tanjiro, he remembered his brother that he surely treasured and can reunite with him again.

The water breath user clasped his hand and prayed. Afterward, he scurried his way towards your lying body and kneeled down to hook you in his arms. Tanjiro nuzzled his face on your hair then tears cascades on his scratched face. Although he defeated the demon and avenged the kids that he had killed, he should be celebrating and happy because of his success but instead ー it's all opposite of what he is feeling right now. Tanjiro felt hollow inside because he wasn't able to protect you. He blamed himself for being weak and inadequate, he won't forgive himself if you die because of him.

How can he protect you with strong demons when he can't even protect you with a normal one? He felt so pathetic because you're the one who defended him from the punch that was supposed to strike him.

Droplets of tears relentlessly streamed down on his visage, he buried his nose on your head while hugging you tightly like it's the end of the world. Tanjiro sobbed as he blames himself over and over again.

"I-I'm so sorry, (Name)... if I was strong enough, this wouldn't happen to you..." he cried.

However, his sobbing was paused when he felt a hand softly cupped his right cheek and brushed the tears away. Tanjiro's eyes shot open as he saw you smiling at him with half-lidded eyes. His lips parted and inhaled some air upon contemplating that you're finally conscious. He loosened his grasp and scrutinize your features, he wants to confirm if he's not hallucinating and delusional.

"W-Why are you crying, Tanjiro?" You groggily asked as the said man only sniffed and let the tears slip down involuntarily.

"(N-Name)," he sobbed and yet again, he embraced you, feeling relieved.

"I-I defeated him, (Name)! I avenged Sabito and Makomo from that hand demon who killed them! I-I..." his voice cracked as a lump formed inside his throat. He can't express it to words how happy he was when he knows that you're okay.

"I thought I lost you... I thought I lost someone precious to me again... I don't want it to happen again, (Name). I won't ever forgive myself if you die--"

"Shush." You cut him off from his rambling by putting your index finger on his lips. "I won't die, Tanjiro... Haven't I told you that we're going to bring Nezuko back from being a human again?" You retorted as you sluggishly kneeled in front of him and face the burgundy haired boy.

Tanjiro was peering at you with gentleness, his cheeks were wet and eyes red because of crying. Slowly, you grabbed his hands and caressed it with the work of your thumbs. He only looked at you in confusion as his eyes gradually drooping due to how comforting it was when you're holding his hands. You beamed him a tender smile before you speak.

"Let's promise to each other that we won't die until we defeat all the demons and return Nezuko back as human again. We will survive and protect her together, we'll fight side by side until we aim our goals. I won't let myself die so that goes for you as well, can you promise me that?" you say as you show him your pinky finger, indicating him to seal your promise with him.

Tanjiro stared at you for half a minute before hooking his pinky finger on yours. His helpless countenance was changed into an auspicious one. "I won't die and I won't also let you die. I'm going to protect you until the end, (Name), and Nezuko too. I promise you that," he said with confidence.

You nodded in delight, "Side by side?"

"Side by side," he affirmed and wrapped his arms around your torso, relishing the moment he had with you.

[hnnnfdfds]

ohhhh, tell us about yaiba!! who’s your fav, what do you like the most about manga/anime in general and whatever else you want to share🌊💕

!!!!!

I can’t really settle on a fave, tbh? I mean, it’s gotta be Tanjirou bc I almost always end up loving the mains and he’s just so damn pure,,, Nezuko is cute too, omg!!! Also, I really like Zenitsu!!! But then Inosuke came and I was like, damn he’s cute!!!

But like, Giyuu??? Shinobu??? Someone how to decide???

Mhm, I think what really gets me in an anime, is if the world-building is done greatly. I never really realized it until one month ago, but I pay a lot of attention to the world/universes in fictional work. It doesn’t even really have to be made up, you know? It could totally be sth taken from reality and just adapted with a few little differences, varying from living styles to incorporating stuff like a demon slayer organization and life between demons and humans.

So, yeah, KnY, really has done it well so far. It has all the basic questions done. Demons exist. Relationship between demons and humans? Bad because demons eat humans... yet Nezuko is differently so it creates curiosity and the whole wondering of if-situations... 

How to counter the bad nature of demons? With demon slayers, of course!

A whole organization with ranks has been invented. Even the demons have some kind of rank system which connects the whole world-building to the plot.

Why do they have a rank system despite being quite content being alone? Ah, because there’s a guy, obviously stronger than them, that created them in the first place.

The plot is about a boy trying to beat this guy out of revenge but mostly to turn his demon sister back. It’s not mindless revenge, it’s emotion-driven but not to a negative strong extent because of said sister existing.

It’s not some mind-blowing plot, at least not if you cut it down to the basics.

- Guy creates demons

- Demons kill humans bc food

- Boy loses his family like that

- Proceeds to chase the guy

You see that kind of plot a lot in anime. It’s also why a lot of people don’t like a plot bc it’s abnormal or somewhat impossibly different. People end up liking works with the same plots or totally different plots.

Because? Because either they really like the basic plot or they just really care about the differences which are shown in the details surrounding a plot. Those are, of course, part of the plot but different on their own.

Basic plot but...

- Kid sister is alive but a demon and she doesn’t get kidnapped or something

- Guy actually just really wants to cure his sister (Tanjirou dislikes Muzan but the first time we really felt his rage was when he actually met Muzan before that it was just worrying about Nezuko)

- He can only do this with special kind of weapons and breathing styles (I really love the concept of the breathing styles)

- Nezuko is basically somewhat different from other demons

- Demons are shown to be actually really miserable creatures

- Demons were actually once humans. They didn’t just one day appear and start existing, they weren’t created out of nothing either. They were turned into demons.

Actually, that point is fucking sad.

If you look at most of their backstories they decided to go be a demon either after the people around them let them down, were assholes, or their circumstances let them be desperate enough to accept being a demon over what they were before. Or they were turned against their wills.

It really parallels to how some humans just turn... into assholes or at least end up being really miserable? If you get constantly told you’re trash or if you feel desperate in a bad state of mind, it’s not impossible that you either stop caring or rejoice in paying back.

Hmm, I mentioned it already but I really love the breathing styles and the action scenes in general. Like, bless, the animation bc holy fuck, the action scenes are so damn gorgeous.

But overall, I just love the concept and the imaginary to go along with it and how it works. It’s so different from what I’m used to in weaponry/attacks/fight styles. Like, take, BSD for example. I always loved BSD’s concept of abilities because it’s actually in a sense an unusual idea. Take the most known book, and go over its plot to create a good ability fitting the character, which is more or less based on said book’s author. 

It’s also one of the points that will come up the first when I tell someone about BSD.

Like for BNHA, I’ll most likely go with something along the lines of, “It’s about a world in which most humans have quirks and thus heroes exist to make sure villains don’t cause chaos.”

For BSD, I’d go, “It’s mostly about this detective agency with special abilities... You know, the characters are based on those authors and...”

I go a bit more in detail in the BSD explanation. For Bnha I’d only mention that it’s about heroes most times. And an interesting fact for me, quirks suddenly developed and almost everyone has one. 

For BSD, the natural choice for me would be to tell them about characters and skills is based on authors and books because it’s just kind of unique to me. 

If I were to describe KnY, I’d most likely go, “Ah, there’s this anime about a boy becoming a demon slayer to obviously slay demons. But you know, you’d really give it a try, because the attacks are kind of interesting.”

It’s such a simple fact, but the moment something interesting/unique comes up we’ll mention it because it stays. The plot is like a basic mention. It’s just something you say to either warn someone about what kind of anime you talk or test to see if they might like it and you can continue talking, but once you get over that basic testing, you immediately pull out the most convincing facts about it in hopes to keep their interest in the anime/manga.

And I’m totally off-point again,,,,

I’m still not that far in the manga so I can’t say much except I really like the art style so like, bless. But what I’m happy about it, that it’s far enough to approach the topic of the Pillars. You know, being a demon slayer in KnY seems like a weird concept at first. Nezuko and Tanjirou travel around and slay demons — the only contact to others from the organization they have are through crows/letters. In some situatiosn, they do have a lot of contact with other slayers/workers because of situations where they need help or need to provide help. Of course, Zenitsu and Inosuke are also part of the organization but most times they feel more like travel companions except when they fight against demons. 

In fact, the whole setting is airly and friendly, that only in the most recent episode—episode 20—did they find out that something like Pillars exists. They passed a test to join an organization. I totally find that intriguing because whilst of course, we get to see small snippets of it, it’s never really portrayed like how it really is. 

The kids are working under someone. They are part of something led by someone.

It’s only in epi 20 in which it started to properly show for me. Well, the whole scene in the forest with the workers also went there for me. Like, there are clean-up workers and obvs higher-ranking people. Other squads are sent out to help when there are problems.

It’s a whole fucking system.

And they didn’t even know about the existence of Pillars as proven in epi 20. This is most likely to keep our interests as watchers/readers more or less at the same wavelength and because of a new arc kind of situation. 

But like, the moment they passed that exam they somewhat agreed to work under that organization. And I really, really, love observing inner-workings of such in fictional works.

Like seriously, I love the agency’s dynamic in BSD and I really, really like the Port Mafia because they basically kill people but they have an orderly construction in their systems, it’s fascinating. 

Uhhhhhhhh

I’m gonna go write some prompts now because life.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Creature Comforts! Exploring Demon Slayer's Surprising Menagerie

    Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has come a long way since its early days in Shonen Jump. It is currently the 11th best-selling manga of all time, its anime adaptation a smash hit, and its follow-up film Mugen Train one of the biggest blockbusters in the history of Japanese cinema. How did this happen? Some might point to the lovable character of Tanjirou and his loyal friends. Others might gesture at ufotable’s polished adaptation, with its careful line art and well-animated fight scenes. There is some truth to both of these things. But here, in the pages of Crunchyroll News, I will make a different argument: you cannot understand Demon Slayer without talking about its cute animals.

      Chachamaru, the Cat

  I can sense your attention drifting, reader. “Cute animals?” you say. “What about how by hearing out the personal struggles of each demon, Tanjirou demonstrates that empathy is the most powerful weapon of all?” I hear you and understand. But did you see this invisible cat? What a surprise!

  Chachamaru is a cat, the personal helper of the vampiric medical doctor Tamayo. Chachamaru’s distinguishing ability is a charm it wears that allows it to appear and disappear. At the end of the knock-down fight with Kyogai, the battle in which for me Demon Slayer truly finds its feet, Chachamaru appears out of nowhere to collect a sample of blood. Having received this sample, it uses its charm to once more disappear to safety.

  What is notable about Chachamaru? First of all, it is very cute. Being able to become invisible arguably makes it even cuter. The only thing more charming (and dangerous) than a house cat is a house cat that can appear and disappear at will. Imagine being Tanjirou, risking your life against a dangerous demon. Being Tanjirou, you cannot merely slay the demon and be done with it. Instead, you must understand them, and perhaps help them find some peace at the end of their days. Even a good-natured boy like Tanjirou might find themselves challenged by this situation. But then, just when he might be tired, a small tabby cat appears out of nowhere to collect the blood. How unexpected! Tanjirou suddenly feels refreshed, and just like that we feel refreshed too. 

  I should mention that Chachamaru is one way in which the manga, to me, exceeds the anime. The anime’s rendition of Chachamaru is perfectly cute, but nobody draws weird, blobby-but-expressive cat heads like manga artist Koyoharu Goutoge.

    Ukogi, the Sparrow

  A defining trait of the Demon Slayer Corps are their crows, which carry messages back and forth and sometimes spout exposition about the setting. Tanjirou’s crow is about what you’d expect from a crow, a haughty bird that pecks him on the head during next episode previews. Tanjirou’s ally Zenitsu, however, does not have a crow. Zenitsu has a sparrow.

  Compared to a crow, Zenitsu’s sparrow, Ukogi, is comparatively useless. For one thing, it cannot speak. For another, it is very small. But don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Ukogi may be small and mute, but by virtue of being a sparrow, it is still much cooler and smarter than Zenitsu. It is also an efficient visual gag, a signifier of what separates pathetic dropouts like Zenitsu from the cooler, stronger demon slayers.

  Yet even a tiny sparrow like Ukogi is able to bring joy into people’s hearts. Early in the Tsuzumi Mansion arc, Tanjirou and Zenitsu meet two children who are overcome with fear. It is only by making Ukogi appear from his hands like magic that Tanjirou is able to calm the kids so they will point him in the direction of the demon that threatens their family. Ukogi may be nothing but a simple sparrow, but just like a cat, a sparrow is able to surprise. Tanjirou is one of the most beloved heroes in modern manga because he never assumes the worst of someone because they are small, stupid, or weak. It is for this reason that while his teammates and allies may be weirder or dorkier than their compatriots from other, flashier Shonen Jump stories, they would all die for him and his sister Nezuko.

  [.JPG CLASSIFIED]

  Ninju, the Mice

  The arc that directly follows Mugen Train is very good, one I’d love to see animated. But if I’m being honest, I am hoping for more Demon Slayer anime for one reason only, and that is the Muscle Mice.

  What are the Muscle Mice? Once I was as naive as you. My friend who brought me kicking and screaming into the world of Demon Slayer once showed me a picture of the Muscle Mice as an example of what the manga, at its very best, can achieve. The Muscle Mice are, just like you’d think, mice with huge muscles. They do the bidding of a character who has yet to be introduced in the anime and are memorable every time they appear. They might be flexing their muscles. They might be carrying a character’s swords. How is it that through careful training, their master was able to produce two muscular mice? Your guess is as good as mine.

  The Muscle Mice reveal another facet of Demon Slayer's appeal: it is just a little gross. Of course, Tanjirou is very nice. Of course, the characters will perform feats of superhuman skill to protect the innocent. But the series is always a little off-kilter. The arch-villain dresses like Michael Jackson and vaporizes his own troops when they fail to please him. The hero’s allies include an angry and very flexible man wearing a pig mask, and Zenitsu. The manga is packed with funny reaction faces that look more like potatoes with googly eyes attached than traditional anime-style superdeformed chibis. You might think that by calling the faces in the Demon Slayer “potatoes with googly eyes,” I am insulting them. Reader, I adore them. The anime works to capture some of this appeal, but it can’t help but streamline Goutoge’s art in the process of polishing Demon Slayer's rough diamond. The grottiness of the manga’s relatively unpolished designs is where the magic happens, and where the Muscle Mice dwell.

    Perhaps it’s jealousy. Years ago, I rooted for Demon Slayer's underdog success. Now I can’t help but feel, with the massive popularity of the anime, that the invisible cat is out of the box. That what was once a closely kept secret doesn’t just belong to my friend and I anymore. But I know what Tanjirou would do: he would share. So here’s my gift to you, as a fan of Kimetsu no Yaiba to a fan of Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is not just the astounding pyrotechnics of Episode 19. It is not just LiSA’s banging opening theme. It is a humble sparrow. It is a disappearing cat. Demon Slayer is a surprise.

  A postscript. In June 2020, famed manga artist Daisuke Igarashi published an illustration honoring his love of Demon Slayer in the magazine Brutus. Featured prominently were my beloved boar fighter Inosuke, a crow and a sparrow, a fluffy cat, and two shockingly muscular mice. If you looked very closely in the lower-left corner, as well, you could, unfortunately, see Zenitsu.

  What do you think about Demon Slayer? Do you wish that Chachamaru the cat had more screen time? Who could win in a fight, Zenitsu’s sparrow or Zenitsu? Let us know in the comments!

      Adam W is a Features Writer at Crunchyroll. When he is not extolling the greatness of Inosuke, he sporadically contributes with a loose coalition of friends to a blog called Isn’t it Electrifying? You can find him on Twitter yelling about Wonder Egg Priority at: @wendeego

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Adam Wescott

[demonslayedher]

Buriko-Senpai! This is such a wonderful blog to read, and I love your art so much! It's so nice to see other traditional artists out there! What's your thoughts on the demon slayer marks and their affects after Muzan's defeat? Do you think they're a purely physical effect, or a supernatural curse like Ubuyashiki's? It seems like in the latter case it would be lifted? In Tanjiro's status report, he mentions wanting everyone to be happy "when he's gone", and hints of preparation for the future...

Thank you for the kind words on my art! (≧◡≦) Glad to know people like the style, I like the feel of trad art both for the final product and how the pen feels in my hand, haha~. I love all the additional possibilities in digital art, but will leave that to the people who are good at it. Glad you find my blog a good read too, because we’ve got another lengthy read ahead.

As for the mark and whether it works in a purely physical sense or a curse sense, I'm ok thinking of it in either way, depending on its purposes in post-canon fanwork (but of course, you can do whatever you want in fanwork totally inventing the mark or completely ignoring it too). As Gotouge never states exactly what becomes of Tanjiro, Giyuu, and Sanemi, I don’t feel we can declare it working one way or another. We'll consider it from both angles, but in general, I think canon evidence leans toward an avoidable physical impact. Even that, however, leaves room for interpretation on strict "25" might be or not.

If we approach the curse direction first, the worldbuilding surrounding the Ubuyashiki curse gives a lot of framework for the mark being a curse. The second fanbook even gives us more circumstance and age-related perimeters that seem very arbitrary, like how only one male will survive each generation and how the daughters will also die young by sudden illness or accident if they don’t marry out. As the curse is tied to Muzan’s/demons existence, it is completely lifted once Muzan is eradicated, but Kiriya still anticipates dying in his 20’s and does not feel relieved that it’s gone until he’s in his 30’s. This would put Giyuu and Sanemi in their 50’s if they’re still around, and with their own curses effectively gone, they’d probably have spent the past couple decades insisting to Kiriya that he can relax.

If the rebound of the mark is a supernatural curse, there are a couple other things that make sense about this to me, in the light of cosmic justice at play in this universe. First, it’s a general rule in a lot of philosophies and other works of fiction that to gain something powerful, you must pay the price and sacrifice something. Second, the Ubuyashiki family is cursed to carry the sins of one of its members until they can stop that demon member. While Demon Slayers may not necessarily be carrying the sins of demons, we see demon marks at play in this series first, though its effects are not clear until we see how Nezuko is stronger when her vines appear. A Demon Slayer also gaining extra strength like this is, perhaps, taboo.

As for the mark being a purely physical effect, I think the emphasis on physical effects of the mark (especially how in Chapter 129 Muichiro analyzes its effects on body temperature and the heart), and how throughout the manga it is continually stressed that the Demon Slayers are mere humans even if Breath helps them push the natural limits of human ability, lend to a more physical interpretation that in order to push so far past normal limits, it has to borrow against the natural human lifespan. This is how the characters in-universe also interpret its effects. If we look more into what Muichiro says:

Muichiro: The anger was too strong for me to have any handle on my emotions. I believe that in that moment, my heartrate exceeded 200 beats, and my body felt as hot as though it was burning. My temperature would had measured at least 39 degrees or more. Shinobu: !? Could you move like that? That would be life-threatening. Muichiro: Right. That’s why I think it’s a matter of falling into one category or another. Whether you die or survive that moment is what determines whether a mark will appear or not. Amane: A heartrate of over 200, and why a temperature of 39 degrees? Muichiro: That’s because when I was received treatment at Kocho-san’s place I was running a fever. When my temperature was taken, the thermometer read 39 degrees. At the time I would have been said to have a mark appear, my body was just as feverish.

(For reference, according to searching with the same terms used in the original text, your top heartrate is 220 minus your age, making Muichiro's 206 beats per minute. The average for someone in their 20's is 120~140, somewhat hard exercise would put it at 150, and hard exercise puts it at 170, according to the Borg scale. Normal body temperature in Celsius is 37 degrees; while 39 C = 102.2 F.)

If we look back at when Tanjiro is first facing off against Daki, he considers how he gets more power out of Hinokami Kagura than from Water Breathing because it suits his body better, but he is not yet physically capable of the switch between them. As he psyches himself out in Chapter 77, we see that he has physically been trying to prepare himself for this, and he’s shouting at himself to set his heart ablaze. Clearly, Tanjiro is leaning into that advice from Rengoku-san, and if he’s on his way to getting the mark, he’s been taking that advice somewhat literally.

In Chapter 78, as he purposely raises his own temperature to fight the side effects of switching to Hinokami Kagura, we get a flashback that Kiyo-chan was very worried that Tanjiro was running a temperature of 38 degrees (100.4 F) for three days, but Tanjiro begged her not to tell Shinobu yet because he felt fine in that sustained feverish state, and was able to put more power into Hinokami Kagura that way. (This may also be part of why the mark seems to have a different effect on Sun Breath users, as their body draws from this power in a more sustained way.)

We can probably think of most of the other Breath Users who attained the mark as having gotten it in a similar way to Muichiro. In a fit of high emotion and desperate battle, their body pulled from its natural reserves, and similar to a human and/or demon being exposed to lots of Muzan’s cells all at once and either dying or quickly adapting, they attained a mark and relied on that temporary extra burst of strength. While it either happens or doesn’t happen for the others (Muichiro plainly states he was unaware of a mark’s appearance) based on being the flow of tense battle, Himejima seemed to have gained enough ability that he could choose when he wanted to tap into that power. When we’re first left not knowing what else Amane told the Pillars, Himejima openly wonders what would happen in his case (seeing as he is over the age of 25). In the third light novel, we get a brief scene of Himejima pulling Muichiro aside after that meeting to ask if he’s alright with this, since he’s just found out that he has no chance already of living a long life. Muichiro is fine and wonders about Himejima, who is also fine with this. They both are willing to do whatever it takes to fight Upper Moons and know their survival has never been assured. Himejima goes on to say similar things to Kokushibo in Chapters 169 and 170, when we the readers are finally told about the limited life expectancy. The two of them both sort of expect Himejima to drop dead that night because of his limited stores to draw from. Himejima would had preferred to not raise his temperature so much until facing Muzan (seeing as he knows he’ll be racing against time), but knows he has no choice but to start while facing Kokushibo. Kokushibo is somewhat impressed with his control of getting a mark and his preparation to die, and he finds it a waste of Himejima’s ability and likewise is like, “why not preserve your flesh as a demon” because, as we find out in Kokushibo’s flashbacks in Chapter 178, this was part of what motivated him to accept Muzan’s blood. He couldn’t handle the frustration of his polished techniques being wiped out by a short life span, especially since it would mean he was soon out of time to match or best Yoriichi. If we go back to that conversation between Himejima and Kokushibo, Kokushibo loses his cool (hahaha, that feels like a bit of a pun here) the moment Himejima is like, “there was one exception to the rule though, wasn’t there?” I suspect that Yoriichi was the exception partly due to Sun Breathing being a more perfected, sustained form of pushing the limits of human capability, and Yoriichi being born naturally perfect at it, so his body didn’t need to scramble looking for extras sources of power like hastily (or slowly) borrowing against his lifespan. What’s very interesting about Kokushibo is that he also regularly sustained his mark, so perhaps it’s possible he could had lived past 25? Here's what really key: We also don’t know about these early marked users. Did they regularly sustain their marks, or did they only show up regularly when they battled demons, repeatedly borrowing against their future lifespan? Or was it a one-off thing for each of them, like it was for Giyuu and Sanemi? It’s possible that even if Giyuu and Sanemi are doomed to shorter lives, since they both only had the marks for relatively short periods of time on a single night, they might well exceed 25 years. The fact that Gotouge gave them descendants (as opposed to only implied reincarnations), and because they are both characters generally written as dense in the ways of love and close personal relationships, that sort of implies they needed some time before leaving behind offspring, and I hear a lot of voices in the fandom displeased with the idea of them leaving children behind when they know they won't be around to raise them. Since we don't know any canon details on this, let's cut the boys some slack and say they took a chance on being happy. After all, all their time in the Corp already teaches them tomorrow is never assured.

Side note while we’re on the Sanemi topic, he attains his mark right after Himejima brings his own forth (because Himejima is a badass who can just be like, “ok, now”). While he comments to Himejima what a good idea it was to do Pillar Training so he could attain that powerful state, it’s also possible that being in the presence of someone who already had one was part of what triggered Sanemi’s body to access that state as well. The nature of the mark’s spread from person to person is another tick in the “supernatural curse” box if people like that interpretation more.

Let’s take a look back at Tanjiro, though.

Tanjiro, our special Hinokami Kagura boy, was already a special case for his own knowledge of Sun Breathing (however imperfect), and his own sustained mark (though as Genya notes in Chapter 134, it tends to transform slowly, and as Tanjiro remarks in response to Shinjuro’s comments in Chapter 81, his mark was not something he was born with like the original Sun Breath user was, it was but a childhood injury which took on a different shape when he was injured at the Final Selection). While Amane cites him as the one who started the trickle of marks appearing again, we know in the Pleasure Quarter arc than Tanjiro was been unknowingly training himself to make the mark appear, like the Pillars later tried to do in training.

Tanjiro also, however, has the very unique experience of undergoing repeated cruel and unusual suffering in battle against Muzan, basically dying, turning into a demon with more of Muzan’s cells than any other demon in history, and turning human again with man-made medicine all in the span of about two hours.

We can’t really compare Tanjiro’s case to Giyuu’s and Sanemi’s very easily. Besides the slightly different nature of his mark (which Muzan says will still kill him anyway if he becomes human again, but whether he says that based on a cosmic rule or historical precident, we don't know), we simply don’t know all the details of how Tanjiro's flesh has been affected by everything that happened to him in that two hour period. It seems safe to say that becoming a demon is what saved his life since it rebuilt his flesh and supercharged life back into him, but since he wasn’t a demon long enough to have fully integrated those new cells, the entirely reconstructed parts of him (his left arm and right eye) are essentially lifeless. However, there may still be some amount of reclaiming that his body did during his demon minutes, for the whole right side of his face should be paralyzed (yet he can still use it expressively), and there was probably internal damage throughout his entire body and other various injuries (like stabbing himself) which were repaired enough for him to survive. Had he been a demon longer (long enough that his body with Muzan’s memories likely would had broken down the medicine Kanao gave him), my guess is that he would had fully integrated these body parts, like how Nezuko gets to keep her legs despite all the times they were blown or chopped off.

But we also know that Tanjiro had to take a few months to recover (his visitors looked like they waited the whole three months before getting permission to see him), and that his condition allows him to live and work, but he generally is in a weakened state. Again, rather than only having borrowed (on multiple occasions) against his own lifespan, we don't know the extent of the damage and repair he's undergone.

While he’s got 25 as a historical benchmark to anticipate, and as you mention, he does seem to fully anticipate that early demise, his case is so unique that it could go in any direction. Tanjiro might live longer than 25, as this would give him time to pass on Hinokami Kagura to at least his eldest son, but like Tanjuro, he’d probably have a pretty weak constitution for the rest of his dwindling life. But also worth noting, the phrase is that they die by at least age 25. That means some of the Warring States era swordsmen probably died before that age. (｡•́︿•̀｡) I don't feel this is likely for Tanjiro, Giyuu, and Sanemi, but it is worth noting as a possibility.

[demonslayedher]

Ramble on the Limitations of Looking for KnY Interpretation based on Japanese Mythology

One thing I notice a lot in the Japanese side of KnY fandom theories is a lot of deep dives into religious and mythological reasons behind Gotouge's creative choices. It is super interesting stuff, and Gotouge borrows enough and does homage to enough that there is a clearly a solid knowledge base there. While I find historical details handy for interpreting the characters, ultimately, I find that the canon of demons and Breaths can be interpreted in a vacuum without relying too heavily on the uncanny coincidences lurking in deep dives. This isn't going to be a well-supported essay, this is going to be a ramble that may include a bunch of interesting nuggets. (And then she went on to ramble for 3249 unedited words...)

First things first: I'm a nerd. I like to say I broke the weeb scale a long time ago, but I'm not exactly a university professor or anything like that. That said, I do read a lot of stuff from experts who have jumped on the KnY trends to talk about how elements in KnY are taken from, say, the sword making traditions of the Okuizumo region that results in black swords or simply making comparisons to famous swords, or local legends of supernatural encounters that resulted in split rocks, or comparing specific oni with and the heroes who slayed them or at least comparing elements of specific characters to other famous oni legends, or that Hinokami Kagura is based on a specific Shinto legend and has 12 forms based on existing Kagura traditions, etc. And I love reading this stuff, because I wouldn't had learned about some of it without my interest in KnY leading me to those articles, or as I read it I cheer because they're making references to things I already (as a nerd) really enjoy and therefore it strokes my inner echo chamber bias, or I nod along and think, "oh, yes, why of course, that makes total sense, Hinokami Kagura must be based on the dance Amenouzume performed to enticed the Sun Goddess Amaterasu out of the cave, how silly to think it could be based on anything else" but I then also take a step back to think, "...but it also doesn't have to be." For as many similarities as there to existing legends, it feels to me that Gotouge made it a point not to make specific reference to any particular mythological or religious elements. As an example, Gotouge considered titles with reference to a Shinto fire god named "Kagutsuchi" but never made actual reference to any fire god (or sun god) by name in the finalized direction canon took. Granted, a lot of fan theorists have read into that, going so far as to say because Nezuko's fire powers she represents Kagutsuchi, Yoriichi represents Amaterasu, etc., but while I find the idea of borrowed elements makes for highly interested interpretation of canon, one-to-one comparisons really don't work for this series. By not invoking a name like Kagutsuchi in the title or otherwise, Gotouge succeeded in not being boxed in by the canon of any particular deity. (Granted, "canon" for mythology can vary significantly by whatever historical writings you're looking at, with standard interpretations going through many big changes throughout the centuries. It can be as loose as it is limiting, depending on what sort of historical/mythological/religious figure you're talking about.) I feel there's more evidence of this avoidance by never invoking Amaterasu as a deity, despite the emphasis on the power of the sun in slaying demons. Even looking back and trying to figure out who Akeno placed so much faith, it was only called a "god of sunlight" as opposed to a "sun god." It's as though KnY works with a generic approach to religion. Even if the use of Buddhist element, the Nenbutsu prayer is called such, and Himejima's repeated phrases are legit Buddhist practice, but there is a huge variety of Buddhist sects and practices and theologies, and throughout history, many of them didn't get along. Going back to Akeno and wondering if she might had been Buddhist, I went so far as to suspect she was influenced by Nichirin sect philosophy based on its emphasis on the "Nichi" (sun) representing Japan and incorporating Shinto gods into its philosophy, and for its likely influence in the Kanto area in Akeno's time period, and for its encouragement for the salvation of women and therefore popularity among women. I felt pretty satisfied that it was all lining up, but also, none of this is necessary for a quality interpretation of canon. If Gotouge wanted to say specifically what informed her religious conviction, then it would had been said. But that's not what was important, was it? What was important, and therefore focused on, was Akeno's feelings toward her son and wishes for his sake.

While KnY's worldbuilding feels richer with all the clear religious influence, the details are not actually important. If anything, I feel like Gotouge dove into the heart of the elements of, say, Shinto mythology, and played those core elements up. It's different, yet still familiar, to take sun-associated elements and used them in a way that serves the story without being boxed into existing traditions. The sun is clearly important, and once you start looking for it, you find subtle recurring references to it. Like, Akeno's name? The "Ake" is one way of writing "red," and there are all sorts of uses of other ways of writing "red" throughout the series, in everything from the sand used for making Nichirin blades to the way that Haganezuka calls Tanjiro an auspicious "red" child with a very rarely used kanji. Our commoner main characters, though, just use regular old ways of saying "red" when referencing Tanjiro's appearance without thinking deeply into it, like there's something special right in front of them but they don't recognize it. Similar to how something as special as Sun Breathing was hidden right in front of them in Hinokami Kagura, with a name so generic and simple that it's entirely unsurprising that the Taisho era Kamado family would interpret it as "fire god." The very lack of limiting real-life details is what allows Gotouge to sprinkle these deep touches around, cover them up with branches and leaves, and then sit back and wait for readers to stroll through and invitingly pleasant looking field and then trip and fall down a rabbit hole. This is also what I think gives Gotouge the freedom and malleability to work with the sun in a way that serves the story, especially in ways that tie it to fire. While I don't think there's strong ties for this is general Japanese culture, the way canon is written implies a close tie between fire and the sun as being a very closely related element, hence the influence on the Kamado family, Tanjiro's appearance, his suitability for Sun Breathing based on a history of tending fire for careful charcoal burning, and Tanjiro and Nezuko capability as demons to overcome the sun. Here is where I go into a bit of a tangent about the purification element. This, again, is not strictly tied to any particular Shinto canon (and Shinto does place heavy emphasis on purification), but instead is an example of Gotouge getting to the underlying heart of a lot of common religious elements. Fire is associated with spiritual purification in everything from Buddhism to Catholicism, it's very easy to apply Nezuko's fire abilities as something which burns away something evil (demon poison) so as to purify something good (human flesh, or even other physical substances). Maybe lesser known, but very deeply entrenched in Japanese culture, is the purification element of charcoal. While it may be known around the world for soaking up undesirable elements and therefore used in everything from fish tank filters to treating food poisoning, in Japan, there's a bit of a spiritual side to it as well. For something so closely tied to the way of life for citizens throughout hundreds of years of history for everything from cooking to heating the home, it's unsurprising that quality charcoal would receive as much emphasis as good water and rice. Japanese charcoal is especially known for not producing undesirable smoke or odor, making it appropriate for use in a lot of settings. Charcoal farmers have often not just been that; they've been caretakers of the forest. Keeping the right trees, at the right sizes (both for use as charcoal and for how you pack it together when making charcoal), and in the right numbers to ensure you have stock for coming years, requires management of the forest. (Other tangent side note: many of the other names in the Kamado family are references to plants. Sumire both has the "sumi" sound of charcoal and is the word for violet, Kie is in reference to hollyhock, Nezuko is in reference to red beans (and the asanoha pattern of her kimono is in reference to hemp leaf, an

auspicious symbol of strong and quick growth), Takeo is in reference to bamboo (ironically bamboo can be a problematic plant for charcoal farmers, because it may spread too fast and take resources from other trees--stop stealing all the takuan pickles, Takeo!), Hanako is in general reference to flowers, Shigeru is in general reference to (plants) flourishing, and maybe by the time they got to Rokuta they gave up and said "he's our sixth child, let's just call him 'Six-Boy', lolz." BUT I DIGRESS.) That means the Kamado family not only had careful management of fire in the actual days of charcoal production, but of a wide variety of natural resources to ensure the trees were healthy. Natural weather phenomena, clean water, pest control, minerals from rocks getting into the soil, hmm, so many elements to pay attention to. Hmm. These sure sound a lot like other Breaths. And Breaths all stem from Sun Breathing. That means there may be certain elements of Sun Breathing that have been emphasized in each of them, but none of them encompass so many qualities of the natural world. The natural world which Yoriichi saw with such clarity than nature accepted him with open arms, practically, in how well animals took to him. Sun Breathing, while especially using that all-important purification aspect of sunlight which burns evil demons, is like an all encompassing embrace of nature. While being closely tied with fire is hugely important, there's more to it than just flames. While Shinto is very much so closely tied with nature (the extent to which this is emphasized may vary from shrine to shrine, scholar to scholar), what I see in KnY is a clever use of emphasis on spirituality in nature as opposed to emphasis on Shinto mythology. And I think that was a smart move. While stories based more directly on various theologies, mythologies, and religious ideologies often use those building blocks often wind up having very creative takes on them (even and especially with the confines of them), ultimately, the story of KnY is whatever Gotouge wants to do with it, and it does not seem guided by the specific conventions of more specific religious elements. But again, those deeper elements are still everywhere. You know what color Japanese charcoal burns? It's a gorgeous jewel tone red, spanning many of those rare shades of red Gotouge make reference to. And, in wider Japanese culture, red is the color of the sun (as opposed to how other cultures may represent it as yellow or orange or white or so on). (Not as exactly a KnY tangent, just personal: Japanese charcoal is so freaking pretty, I had no idea until I saw it used in the tea ceremony at parts when guests crowd around to enjoy the sight of it as the host prepares it for boiling the water. I can stare and stare and stare, it is so so so so so pretty, but also this element of the ceremony has gotten rarer both as many places have made a more practical switch to electricity, and tea ceremony quality has gotten more rare both due to fewer producers and due to beetle-related damages to the trees used, and I will always state HOW DISAPPOINTED I am that Kanata and Sumihiko are not out there raising charcoal, because charcoal is precious and I'm always so terrified of wasting charcoal in my practices because its so precious, but seeing the amazingly beautiful burn of the charcoal is absolutely one of my favorite elements of the ceremony and this of course gives me an extra soft spot for Kamado Tanjiro BUT I DIGRESS AGAIN, I TOLD you this was going to be a ramble, but SERIOUSLY IT IS SUCH A GORGEOUS RED).

So anyway. My point is, as interesting as incorporating outside elements may be, I don't find them necessary in interpreting KnY's canon. Even if it takes tons of Taisho Secrets to do so, Gotouge presents the details necessary, and that's more than enough to work with. After all, despite all the care taken in historical details in building the setting, KnY takes place in a fictional universe, it can make its own rules when it comes to things that don't actually exist in our universe. Demons, for example, follow a chronology and power system with sources and limits that is unique to a this universe, as tempting as it is due to general cultural familiarity, it does not call for a one-to-one comparison with existing demon legends. Breath as well, as a power system, is very interesting. Again, this is because it has a lot of basis in core concepts of real life physical and spiritual training. It's presented as a method available to anyone who can pick it up, not drawing on a mystical outside power or summoning the actual superhuman elements of nature. Other stories that present their power systems like that are well and fine, but when it comes down to it, this is a story about mere humans doing everything in their limited power to wave swords around and defeat creatures that seem so likely to outpower them. This is a common, relatable basis of stories throughout history, and a lot of analysis I've heard of KnY's success says that it shows how classic this story structure is. Many Japanese demon stories have their origin in epidemics, and some people suggest that the world looks for hope in stories like KnY in times of seemingly insurmountable crises like coronavirus. I think that's an oversimplification of KnY's success, but again, because of Gotouge's use of core cultural elements, it can be applied easily. OKAY BUT ON THAT NOTE we can do some really interesting digging if we want. : D Gotouge does make some highly specific references, included religious ones (granted, not in ways that impact the plot). The example coming to mind is the Seventh Form of Thunder Breathing, the "Flaming Thunder God." In Japanese, this is "Honoikazuchi-no-Kami," the name of a lightning deity who had a very, very brief mention in the Kojiki and who appeared among a handful of other lightning deities named in reference to other aspects/phenomena of lightning, like the sound or the rumble through the ground. Honoikazuchi is not so much the lightning itself, but the fires started by lightning. Stick with me a bit longer, I'm building up to something here. You've probably heard of the twelve animals of the Chinese (poorly translated as) Zodiac, right? Well, the system is way more complex than that, and really, if you want complexity, skip Japan and go dive straight into ancient China. I laugh and cry at myself for having a graduate degree in Chinese studies, the extent of my knowledge is is pitifully small, I know nothing, nothing. Suffice to say, China has its own five element system of water/wood/metal/fire/earth, it's more a philosophical application than a more physicality-based four element system popular in the west (fire/water/air/earth, why hello there, Avatar), with attributes of these elements assigned to every about anything through Chinese culture, from medicine to, you guessed it, the Zodiac animals. Japan saw all this and said "cool, we'll do that too" albeit their sort of mixed and matched a bit and made their own take on it in Onmyodo. An Onmyoji, who keeps track of, like, really any other-worldly matter you might have on your hands as a Heian noble, is someone who is paid to know all this stuff (it was very likely an Onmyoji who told the Ubuyashiki clan, "yeah, you got an evil family member to blame for your curse, squash him"). Yours Truly is not an Onmyoji and therefore will not attempt to go into more detail, save the one that a handful of Japanese theorists in the KnY fandom love to bring up: The Boar is a water sign. This means that, especially in Shinto practice, boars are considered an animal that protects against

fire, hence, a lot of practices to protect against fires were done on days of the Boar, in the month of the Boar, etc. So? So-o-o-o-o-o? You see it? You see it??? Boar = Water, Honoikazuchi = Fire, Inosuke and Zenitsu are basically foils to Tanjiro? Yes, yes, see it, yessss??? Deep dive Kamaboko theory, yes?????? Hahahaha. Naw. It's just a fun coincidence. ^_^ Again, I find these details completely unnecessary, for we are already given so many details in canon to work with on its own, and I think Inosuke and Zenitsu as foils to Tanjiro works entirely well simply based on their personalities, not because of any supernatural elements that require a high level of nerdery to have any hope of appreciating. Besides, once you start reaching too hard for cultural details Gotouge might have used and clinging too tightly to those ideas, there's likely something in canon to make it doubtful. For instance, Inosuke more widely presented as a king of the forest who wears deer and bear hide as well, and the fanbook state that Beast Breath is considered a likely offshoot of Wind Breathing. Even if we rely more strictly on historical detail, there's still the question of, say, what one of the basic Breaths, Thunder Breathing, even was when it was but a thunder inspired sword form not necessarily powered by Breath, you know, back when swords were longer and it would have been harder to make the fast draws katana would later be better suited for. Maybe they called it Thunder because it was practiced by swordsmen who stomped around really hard, and then when they added Breath technique, they figured out "oh dude, we can use our strong legs to go fast"??

Those are the kinds of things I find more fun to play around with in interpreting canon by bringing in little outside details, because as a work of fiction, there are already so many fun details to work with already even when treating it in a vacuum. But, giving Gotouge extensive and subtle use of cultural elements, especially core elements, it sure makes a lot of outside details applicable. Which is all to say, it's all super interesting, and I think the more people realize these things, the deeper they read into it, to an extent more than canon calls for. As much as I like it, and as much as I've enjoyed pulling outside elements in to fanfiction (like Kagutsuchi and lightning god tidbits), ultimately, if Gotouge thought these things were necessary, they'd have been included. Since they are not, I try to stick to canon details and Word of God-touge in answering Asks (lolz, I didn't plan on becoming a meta blog, it just kinda happened). BUT ALSO, JEEZ, I AM SO EXCITED IF PEOPLE TAKE A DEEPER INTEREST IN JAPANESE CULTURE BECAUSE THEY LIKE KIMETSU NO YAIBA, YOU CAN HAVE SO-O-O-O-O-O MUCH FUN PLANNING A TRIP TO JAPAN AROUND KNY THEMES, DO IT DO IT DO IT, GO TO YAGYU AND POSE IN A TANJIRO HAORI AND STICK YOUR SWORD IN A SPLIT ROCK, THE LOCALS THERE LOVE IT, DO IT but also like maybe learn about the tea ceremony and appreciate how beautiful the charcoal is with me k thx bye