#Tanjiro is a ray of sunshine | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ecargmura · 6 months ago

Text

Unpopular Opinion: I Liked The Hashira Training Arc! (Season 4 Review)

Unpopular opinion: I liked this arc! While the Entertainment District arc will always be a personal favorite of mine, the Hashira Training arc was fun for a majorly low stakes arc where there is no demon slaying. I liked seeing Tanjiro going through shenanigans with the Hashira and fellow Demon Slayer Corps. It was a definite calm before the storm before all the stuff that transpired at the end of Episode 7 and the entirety of Episode 8. It definitely got me engaged and anticipating the movie trilogy.

In the manga, this was Demon Slayer’s shortest arc with it only being 8 chapters, I believe. Ufotable expanding the training and also giving anime original content was a real treat to fans because fans of the Hashiras can have more content before the the depression that is the Infinity Castle arc (Yes, I read the manga and yes, I know how depressing the next arc will be). Sanemi and Iguro actually get a lot of action scenes because their skills weren’t revealed until the Infinity Castle arc, so it’s a treat to finally see them finally get some action, even if it’s anime original content.

I think the best part about the arc is the added content. In the manga, Tanjiro goes through each Hashira training in a page or two. That’s it. He just sweeps through them like that. Ufotable takes time to help both Tanjiro and the viewers see what he is going through for each training session. Some take weeks to finish.

The first two episode is mainly a rundown of what’s to come for the other episodes and a sneak peak at the Infinity Castle, which finally appears in the season’s finale. It’s mainly the Hashira learning that the Demon Slayer mark that Muichiro and Mitsuri temporarily got back in the previous season is an effective way to take down demons, hence why they decided to hold a training session so Hashiras and the corps can get a boost in power before the big fight. Giyu was the only one who didn’t want to participate in it, so the second episode was just Tanjiro trying to cheer him up and learning why he is detached from the rest—it turned out to be due to self-loathing over the fact that his friend Sabito died while trying to protect him during the Final Selection Exam. Fortunately, Tanjiro was able to get Giyu to cheer up and he recovers well enough to participate in the Hashira Training, which is from Episodes 3 to 7. Also, no one is harking on Shinobu for not participating in the training session; though, she has a reason to not participate…

What I liked about the Hashira Training is learning what Uzui and Muichiro have been up to since their spotlighted arc. In fact, all of the Hashira Training is to get attached to the Hashira before the big showdown. While Uzui has retired, he has been helping out with the training by making the corps do basic training like stamina building and endurance. His three wives Suma, Makio and Hinatsuru tell Tanjiro that Uzui does want to participate in battles again, which worries them. It’s nice to see that the Hashira has their own fair share of worries even after retiring. I don’t think Uzui wants to fight demons out of bloodlust, but it’s more like he wants to help out. Muichiro, after getting his memories and emotions back, is still the same in demeanor, but the way he’s super sweet to Tanjiro but super cold and condescending to the other corps members was hilarious. He clearly has favoritism. I think the best part of these two episodes is seeing Tanjiro motivating the other nameless corps members to work hard! Tanjiro will always be a ray of sunshine to everyone!

Episode 5 is where the Hashira spotlight sort of stops because Mitsuri gets the short end of the stick. While she is still the same after the Swordsmith Village Arc, it would have been nice to learn what has changed for her since then. Though, I would admit that her flexibility training is the scariest of the bunch because getting your legs stretched out all the way when it’s not used to it is terrifying. You need your legs, after all! After that, Mitsuri’s training is done and then Iguro gets most of the spotlight, which makes sense because Iguro isn’t really showcased as much in the manga. Giving him that extra spotlight is necessary. I honestly liked the Iguro training segment because of how it was animated. The first episode showcased Iguro’s Breathing skills and he is able to utilize that in a regular wooden sword. Though, I do admit that Iguro tying up the nameless corps onto poles does make me wonder if they were tied there afterwards on purpose or if they always angered Iguro. After Iguro’s training is Sanemi’s training where it’s just hacking and slashing, but Tanjiro gets the most fatal blows due to his dislike for him. After helping Genya and trying to stop an angry Sanemi, Tanjiro gets a restraining order and is suspended from doing Sanemi’s training. The backstory between Genya and Sanemi was shown in Season 3 and why Genya wanted to apologize. I know that Sanemi does have his reasons for getting angry at Genya and why he was telling him to quit the corps, but he’s not doing a great job on expressing it. I always saw Sanemi as a bit of a foil of Tanjiro in a sense as they’re both the oldest but their treatment of their only living family member is totally different due to how they process the trauma.

Episode 6 is where the comedy starts because it was the most hilarious episode. Just seeing Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke reunited to do Himejima’s training session was so funny. Tanjiro had to be the mom friend by saving Zenitsu and Inosuke from drowning in two different occasions. Also, learning about Himejima’s backstory in the following episode hurt a lot because the kid who ratted them out to the demon in order to survive was the kid who bullied Zenitsu in his flashback back in Season 1.

Then in the last two episodes, Muzan finally shows up. After making small appearances here and there with new Upper Four Nakime in order to search for Nezuko, Muzan located Ubuyashiki and entered the base. It was amusing that the penultimate episode had him walk for like 5 minutes. Muzan confronts the Master and after talking with each other, the Master launches the craziest bombing I’ve seen in an anime so far. He legit did a suicide bombing with Amane and his two daughters Nichika and Hinaki—if you saw the opening, the Master has 5 kids, so no, his entire family isn’t wiped out. Where are the other three kids? Well, watch the movies to find out.

I think the finale was very memorable because of how everything played out once the bombing happened and how every Demon Slayer Corps got sent into the Infinity Castle in hopes that Muzan will wipe them out for good. It does reflect on what Ubuyashiki said before with how the Demon Slayer Corps are eternity in itself in a similar way to Muzan. In order for Muzan to be eternity, he needs to wipe out his main obstacle so that he can find Nezuko without anything blocking his path.

The animation has been consistent with the quality getting an upgrade whenever there’s an action scene. However, the finale amps up the quality tenfold. The way Himejima attacks and also blocks Muzan’s attacks to seeing Tamayo’s expressions move around from anger to regret were seriously a visual treat. The music was really good too! The finale really amped up the soundtrack. Go Shiina really knows how to produce quality songs—I’ve always been a fan of his pieces as I am a big fan of the Tales series.

All in all, making the Infinity Castle arc into a movie trilogy is actually the best solution because the arc is very long and it mainly consists of fighting the remaining Upper Moons. Trying to condense the arcs into a television series might be difficult due to choppy pacing and untimely cliffhangers. While I’m not necessarily a big anime movie fan, I still do think this is the best route Ufotable can take with a big franchise like Demon Slayer. What are your thoughts for this entire season and your thoughts on the movie trilogy announcement?

60 notes · View notes

trans-ace-lee · 2 years ago

Text

Borne Back Ceaselessly into the Past

Author's Note: Warning this is a tickle fic. This has been written for almost 2 weeks now. For the record, do not, I repeat DO NOT read this fic if you haven't watched episode 8 The Mu in Muichiro episode of Demon Slayer season 3 Swordsmith Village Arc and/or finished the entire manga.

Tagging (Note, I'm tagging people I talk to that I know watch demon slayer @italeean @wertzunge @myreygn @ticklygiggles @otomiya-tickles @giggly-squiggily @duckymcdoorknob

Muichiro knows the other hashiras get into tickle fights, but they take care not to include him. Before regaining his memories, he had forgotten what it was like to smile, let alone laugh. After meeting Tanjiro and everything that happened at the swordsmith village, he can recall faint memories of being tickled by his mom and dad before they died, leaving him and Yuichiro to fend for themselves. And maybe even rare times of his brother, Yuichiro tickling him whenever Muichiro annoyed him. He remembers the warmness from those moments, but he can only see the face that matches his own, albeit colder and stronger than he ever was then. The others are blurred like footprints in the sand washed away by the sea.

But he’s unsure. He attributes tickling to happy things. Yet, all these emotions he gets to experience once more are sometimes overwhelming and confusing. His survival instincts have told him to lash out, so thinks the rest or all of the hashiras would be too much.

Muichiro knows that Oyakata-sama, Tanjiro, and the hashiras care about him, but a part of him is afraid of hurting someone. The former two are kind and considerate. Shinobu is what he imagines his mom was like before she got sick. Sanemi and Obanai are strong. Although Mitsuri and Tengen can be a bit much sometimes, they have good hearts and care about the ones they love. And Gyomei is gentle despite his size and wise even though he’s blind, knowing what others need before they realize it themselves.

He doesn’t know who to go to. He’s been able to hear and remember the other hashiras’ stories, so he knows whom he doesn’t want.

“Tanjiro?”

Tanjiro greets Muichiro with the same dizzying smile, radiating such warmth and kindness that breaks through almost every wall he has. It’s so infectious that Muichiro can’t help but return the gesture. “Yes, Tokito?”

There’s a tightness in his chest. It bubbles up into his throat, and he feels like he is drowning in his own saliva. His heart is beating, no humming, like hummingbird wings. He imagines his eyes are rounder than normal as he stares at Tanjiro. Muichiro’s brain is telling him to flee.

Tanjiro’s eyebrows furrow. “Is something wrong?”

He doesn’t reply right away. Something in his head tells him he’s just nervous, but the new feeling isn’t welcome, nonetheless. “I’m…fine.”

“Well, you can talk to me if you ever need to,” Tanjiro replies with a smaller smile this time.

Muichiro debates shielding his eyes.

“Did you need something in particular?”

‘N-no?” Muichiro stammers, clenching his sword.

In reality, he knows he can ask Tanjiro for any favor, and Tanjiro would do everything in his power to fulfill the said request, but the words just won’t come. “Remember when you told me about your siblings?”

Tanjiro’s smile falters for a bit, but it quickly returns, his eyes softening. “Of course. Is there something else you want to know?”

“Huh?” Muichiro says, feeling a faint warmth on his cheeks. “It’s not that…”

“Did you need something, then?”

He’s smacked in the face by memories of someone younger and sweeter than the person he is now. He can remember bits and pieces. Tanjiro is reminiscent of shared laughter and making food with his family. It’s a feeling filled with joy, like sitting under a tree when rays of sunshine hit your face in just the right place to warm your entire body. The birds are chirping, and every negative emotion you have is replaced by the love you give and the love you get from others.

And yet, it’s sad and distant, even though Muichiro knows he can find it among the demon slayer corps, but he doesn’t know if he has enough time to trust everyone enough to feel the same way again. When he’s reminded of the person, the child he used to be, he mourns the lost innocence and the big heart his brother admired.

Muichiro takes a deep breath. It’s moments like these that remind him that Tanjiro is older than him, if only by a year or so. They’re both kids. He doesn’t like being reminded that they’re so young, but they’ve gone through so much.

“You know the thing you’d do with your siblings?” he says, turning the statement into a question.

Tanjiro’s eyes widen, blinking in response. “Oh?” He cocks his head to the right. “I know you’re still warming up to that kind of stuff, so I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“But if it’s you, then I don’t mind?” Muichiro mumbles, contemplating digging a hole in the ground and throwing himself inside it. Right now, he really wishes Tanjiro wasn’t looking at him the way he is. If a person would ever befriend a demon that wasn’t Nezuko, Tanjiro would be the one to do so.

“Well, where do you want me to start?”

Well, there’s no turning back, Muichiro supposes, as his face grows hotter. “Uhm…I don’t even remember where I’d be…you know...”

Tanjiro chuckles. “Let’s go inside where it’s more comfortable.”

Somehow in the few minutes it takes them to walk into one of the rooms in butterfly mansion, every Kakushi they pass is left glowing with happiness when Tanjiro greets them by name. Muichiro normally keeps to himself, but he might consider talking to them every once in a while.

“Can you sit in front of me?” Tanjiro asks after he kneels on the tatami mats in one of the mansion’s spare training rooms.

Muichiro’s fingers twitch as he fights the urge to fiddle with his hair, a habit he’s picked up when he’s confused or unsure. “Like this?” he asks, sitting down with his legs crossed and flat on the ground.

“That’s fine,” Tanjiro hums. He holds his hands out for Muichiro to see.

Muichiro stares at Tanjiro’s hands, his lips faintly twitching.

Tanjiro grins at his reaction. “It’s okay. We can do this at the speed you’re comfortable with.”

“…I’m just a little nervous,” he admits. Although Tanjiro’s words are comforting to a degree, Muichiro wishes his bangs were a bit longer to cover his entire face. He settles on covering his eyes with his sleeves.

“We can go slow if you’d like.”

He peeks at Tanjiro behind his fingers. “I-I think I’d be okay with that. I just don’t know where to start.”

“Let’s start with something easy,” Tanjiro says with a chuckle, “How about your sides?”

Muichiro closes his eyes and nods before he can change his mind. He’s nervous, but he doesn’t find himself scared in any way. He trusts Tanjiro. He knows he can trust Tanjiro to stop if he feels uncomfortable.

“I want you to see what I’m doing.” Tanjiro holds up his hands in claws.

Maybe Muichiro isn’t ticklish anymore. Maybe his body has forgotten what the sensation is like.

At the electric feeling that shoots up his body, he does not topple over backward. He does not squeak when Tanjiro’s fingers make contact with his sides with a gentle flutter. His face does not flush when Tanjiro comments that Muichiro reacts just like Tanjiro’s brother, Takeo.

“Are you okay?” Tanjiro asks. Muichiro can hear that Tanjiro is equal parts amused and concerned.

And he does not pout when he replies. “I’m fine.”

“How does it feel? Am I good to keep going?”

Muichiro thinks for a moment. “…It’s different, but not in a bad way?”

He grumbles to himself when the statement comes out like a question. After losing his memories, but before recovering them, he knows his smiles are few and far between. The ones he can remember are mostly mocking enemies or forced by an overzealous Mitsuri’s hands pulling at his lips when she gets carried away.

Muichiro’s lips twitch once more, a movement that Tanjiro still doesn’t miss. “You can keep going,” he mumbles.

“Are you going to come back up here or am I going to have to go down there.”

“Noooooo,” Muichiro whines, covering his face with his left arm.

It’s just tickling. He’s seen the tickle fights the other hashiras and the demon slayers get into.

But why does he feel so light and almost giddy? It’s an emotion he’s not familiar with at all. He might have felt this way before but can’t quite remember when. Was it before he became a demon slayer? Before it was just him and Yuichiro? When his mom and dad were still alive?

He doesn’t know where this feeling came from, but he wants to find out, so he doesn’t want this, everything that’s happened after regaining his memories, to stop.

Muichiro doesn’t want to forget anymore.

When Tanjiro’s fingers start moving again, he finds himself giggling, the laughter bubbling out of his mouth like a babbling brook. He likes to think of himself as a serious person for the most part, but he just can’t stop laughing.

Besides the tickling, there’s a fluttering sensation in the back of his mind that reminds him of…home, so he just lies on the ground with his arms on his chest as more laughter pours out of him.

Muichiro’s face hurts from smiling for so long.

“Your laughter is brighter than I imagined,” Tanjiro says as if reading Muichiro’s mind. “…It’s cute.”

Muichiro cackles at the comment when Tanjiro pokes at his ribs. “I’m naahaat cuteee.”

Tanjiro clicks his tongue. “That’s what someone cute would say, right Nezuko?”

Muichiro hadn’t noticed that Nezuko had been in the room. It didn’t surprise him, since he knew Tanjiro and Nezuko were usually together, but he couldn’t focus on the details as Nezuko nuzzles her hair into his neck.

He shrieks at the slight roughness of her hair, but he wishes that necks were less sensitive. He wishes his neck was less sensitive.

Tanjiro laughs, wiggling his fingers into Muichiro’s underarms. “You have to be gentle, Nezuko.”

This time his elbows move back, arms clamping to his sides. “Aaahaaaha. Waahait. Wait. Wait,” he blubbers.

The tickling stops immediately. “Did we go too far?” Tanjiro asks, his voice oozing concern.

“No. no!” Muichiro says. And no, he does not squawk. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

Tanjiro’s face brightens at Muichiro’s words.

“M-mmph! Mmph.” Nezuko replies as she lies down beside Muichiro.

“Do you want tickles, too, Nezuko?”

“Mmhhp,” she giggles when Tanjiro’s hands spider around her stomach.

Muichiro can’t help but smile at the two of them. Maybe he and Yuichiro used to look like that when they were younger.

Tanjiro smirks at him. “Oh, don’t think I forgot about you.”

He squeals when Tanjiro does the same to his stomach, arching into Tanjiro’s fingers because it tickles too much. He doesn’t want to reminisce about his tragic past anymore, he just wants to let the happiness and laughter take over him.

Muichiro can see the same soft smile on Tanjiro’s face when he talks about his siblings. It comforts him.

“No. No. Noohohoho,” he yells when Tanjiro’s fingers slip past his sides to the small of his back. His body slams back to the ground as he cackles, snorting when Tanjiro hits the slight dimples above the back of his waist.

It tickles. It tickles. It tickles.

“Ooh. I think I found a good spot,” Tanjiro says, laughing along with Muichiro.

Scratch that. Now he wishes his back was as ticklish as his neck, but he doesn’t feel overwhelmed. He supposes that this is the biggest range of happy emotions he’s ever experienced. The sensations that make this uncontrollable laughter spill out of him aren’t bad, they’re just something he needs to get used to.

The bottom half of his body is less sensitive than the top half of his body, but he can’t help the snorts that burn his nose when Tanjiro scribbles his hands behind his knees or the way his eyes close when Tanjiro pinches his thighs.

When tears are prickling at the edge of his eyes, and Muichiro’s face has become a little red from laughing so hard, the tickling stops. Muichiro can tell his hair is a little messy, but he finds that he doesn’t mind when Nezuko curls into his lap.

Nezuko hums when Muichiro starts running his fingers through her hair. “Thank you for that, Tanjiro,” he says, trying to return the blinding smile that Tanjiro has on his face.

“No thanks needed. I’m happy to do it any time,” Tanjiro replies with a somehow even bigger smile than normal.

“Who started a tickle fight without me,” Tengen calls out, sticking his head in the doorway. “Oh?”

Tengen looks at Muichiro’s hair and then at Tanjiro and Nezuko.

“All right, why didn’t anyone tell me we could tickle Muichiro now,” Tengen says in a mock hurt tone.

“Huh…This is kind of new, I guess…”

Tengen holds a hand as if to ask for permission before patting Muichiro’s head. “Well, I’m happy then. Now to find Sanemi. That grumpy bastard is going to get used to smiling at some point.”

Muichiro’s face morphs back into its usual blank slate. He can’t get the past back, but maybe being here, with them, is enough.

#tickle fic #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #tokito muichiro #kamado tanjiro #kamado nezuko #jin's fics #jin writes

79 notes · View notes

silver-tooth-the-panther · 11 months ago

Text

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?

7 notes · View notes